Innehållsförteckning för 2023-07-19 från Cape Argus

Elvis Sibeko Studios, a dance organisation based in Cape Town which is known for nurturing young talent, is set to showcase at the 2023 China Xinjiang International Dance Festival. Sibeko and his team of dancers have been selected to perform at the festival to be held in Ürümqi, China, from tomorrow until August 5. The performance, titled Manyano: The Spirit of Ubuntu, showcases a fusion of traditional South African dance routines, including Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Tsonga, Venda, Swati, Pedi, Khoisan and Sotho dances. The production also incorporates South African social dances such as pantsula, gumboot, street dance and amapiano. Sibeko explained that the organisers of the Chinese festival were seeking a representative from South Africa to showcase its diverse culture. In response, he created a piece that highlights the African…

The City says it is looking into allegations from the GOOD Party of a cover-up with regard to a DA councillor’s 2021 road accident. This after GOOD councillor Suzette Little wrote to the speaker about serious allegations against Mitchells Plain DA councillor Washiela Harris. Harris has denied any wrongdoing. In her letter to the speaker, Little said she had learnt that her fellow councillor, Harris, was involved in a motor vehicle accident in April 2021 and there were allegations that Harris had used her position as councillor to manipulate evidence gathering at the scene and to evade the law. Little said according to the other unnamed driver, Harris did not call the police to the scene, as is customary after a motor vehicle accident, but instead called the City’s Traffic…

CHARGES against the man accused of shooting taxi boss Charmaine Bailey have been provisionally withdrawn. The 32-year-old – who can’t be named before an identity parade – was arrested on July 1 for the murder of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) member. Bailey had just finished a meeting in Wynberg when a lone shooter killed her on May 4. Weeks later, Cata’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi said the woman was allegedly shot by someone in her association. Gojo was apprehended in Hout Bay and made his first appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on July 3. Prosecutor C Williams said during the previous appearance: “The merit of the case was that on May 4, a murder took place in Wynberg. “Charmaine Bailey had just finished a meeting when a shot…

THE Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) has backed the province in calling for a swift disaster declaration to help flood-stricken farmers and communities. This follows extensive damage to agricultural infrastructure by floods in the province in mid-June. The provincial Agriculture Department released an updated assessment of the estimated financial cost of the damage, which it estimates “conservatively” at more than R1 billion. The department came up with the figures after conducting a rapid assessment from June 26 to June 30 which considered damage to primary agriculture sites on the West Coast, in the Cape Winelands and the Overberg. The assessment confirmed extensive damage to riverbanks, irrigation equipment, private roads and sediment over vineyards and fruit orchards. Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer said his department’s officials would join the national Department of…

The GOOD Party has filed an 11th-hour application in the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein, accusing the DA of voter-registration fraud in the by-elections set for today in the George municipality and wants the poll postponed. In the affidavit filed by GOOD MP and secretary-general Brett Herron on behalf of the party, GOOD says it wants the by-election in Wards 16, 20 and 27 rescheduled as per concerns raised in a letter of complaint to the IEC last week. Herron said that after submitting evidence to the IEC on Saturday that DA canvassers had falsely registered voters from Thembalethu as residents of Ward 20, in Borcherds, they received new evidence of further voter fraud. “On Monday we received new evidence of 188 voters all registered on the voter’s roll at…

AS WITH every year on July 18, people across the world celebrate the life and accomplishments of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president. Across the country, state organs, and private and civil organisations each conducted their own activities to commemorate the day. Arguably the biggest attraction took place in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape, where President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a statue of Madiba. The statue was erected at the Nelson Mandela Museum. “The erection of this statue contributes to the creation of memorialisation programmes in honour of President Mandela’s unwavering commitment to the freedom of his people and as a founding father of democratic South Africa,” the Presidency said. But it was not met with all smiles and welcomes, many people online questioned the need for another Madiba…

Apple Music Live is set to debut global superstar Burna Boy’s performance at the London Stadium. The concert, which marked the first time an African artist headlined a stadium show, was held on June 3 and will be available to stream on Apple Music Live today, at 12pm. The London Stadium show precedes the singer’s recent triumph as the first African artist to sell out a stadium show in the United States, filling 41 000 seats on July 8 at New York’s Citi Field Stadium. In April, the Nigerian also sold out Madison Square Garden with over 30 000 tickets purchased. Apple Music Live is a live performance series that gives the biggest stars in music a stage to connect with audiences around the world. So far, the series has…

CHILDREN at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital were excited when told they would get their own teddy bears and get to clothe them. This was made possible through a collaboration with Fabiani and Build-A-Bear Workshop South Africa. To honour the legacy and memory of Nelson Mandela, particularly his love for children, the two brands partnered with the Children’s Hospital Trust to put a smile on the faces of 67 children for 67 minutes for the Mandela Day campaign yesterday. Build-A-Bear South Africa ambassador Melba Johnson, known as “Candilocks” by the children, kept them entertained with the help of a life-sized bear mascot, “Bearemy”. The children were assisted with picking out their favourite teddy bear which they clothed with items from the Fabiani brand. “Mandela Day is something that…

AS SCHOOLS re-opened yesterday, a Delft mom had to identify her young son who drowned in a dam. Israel Adams, 7, was playing with his brother and friends at a construction site when he died on Monday afternoon. His family were alerted to the incident by the victim’s 12-year-old sibling. Israel’s stepfather, Mthetheleli Fetile, said: “When they left, they said they were going to their father who lives in Wesbank, to get school supplies. “They were gone for a long time, but we thought they were still in Wesbank. At about 4pm, while their mom was preparing their school uniforms, Isaac came and told us that his brother was drowning in the dam. “The dam is more than a kilometre from our home in Leiden.” The grief-stricken man said they…

POLICE Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen has said that the province had substantially declined in police resource allocation over the last decade. This emerged during a briefing by Allen and senior officials of the department to the Community Safety Standing Committee on the progress of its 2022/2023 policing needs and priorities (PNP) report, which evaluates the state of policing in Western Cape. The department said that whereas the number of SAPS staff in the Western Cape stood at 22 011 in 2011/2012, SAPS numbers stood at 18 867 in 2021/2022 – far below what was needed to police the province. Speaking after the briefing, committee member Ayanda Bans (ANC) said: “The ANC caucus in the legislature reiterates our calls to SAPS leadership to expedite the process…

As THE 13th Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated, a former bodyguard of the iconic former president has spoken out about how disappointed Madiba would be at the country’s current state. Speaking frankly from his home in Sandton, Lingaraj Moonsamy, fondly referred to as Linga, had been one of the president’s bodyguards from 1994 to 1999, a position he speaks proudly about. “Nelson Mandela, a man I called thatha (grandfather in the Tamil language) was a man of great stature. “He lived his life as a leading example. “To see what has become of South Africa, I am of the opinion that Madiba would be turning in his grave,” he said. For five years Moonsamy was among those whose job was to protect the president, but he only has good…

Team South Africa had just six finalists in last year’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, as well as two athletes in the men’s marathon. Of course, there were no medals earned by the 38-strong team across 26 events, but that could change in the upcoming edition in Budapest, Hungary, next month. That is largely due to the form of two superstars, Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine, over the last few months, although there have been improvements from other SA athletes too. Van Niekerk’s sensational victory at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on Sunday was one to remember, and underlined the fact that the 400m world record-holder is back to his best from his pre-knee injury days in 2017. Having celebrated his 31st birthday on Saturday, Van…

Boy, 15, on run after allegedly killing girl, 14 A 14-year-old girl was murdered in cold blood, allegedly by a teenage boy who was reportedly obsessed with her. Police detectives are searching for the 15-year-old boy, who has since been on the run. The victim, Naeema Marshall, left her Beacon Valley home to visit her aunt when she was killed on Monday afternoon in Budhi Crescent, New Forest Village, Eerste River. Naeema was a Grade 9 learner at Beacon Hill High. Her devastated mother, Fadeema Marshall, told the Cape Argus that the suspect had been asking her daughter out. “She used to tell him that she didn’t want him because she had her own boyfriend. It didn’t happen once, it happened several times. “On the day she was shot, she…

THE City’s Urban Mobility Directorate is awaiting a report following an accident involving a MyCiTi bus that drove through Truth Coffee Roasting café in Buitekant Street in Cape Town CBD. Seven people sustained minor injuries and were admitted to hospital. Just as the Truth Coffee shop was about to close at about 6.45pm on Monday and staff were preparing to go home, the MyCiTi bus swerved off the road and crashed into the store’s parklet. One of the owners, Ken Walton, said the accident destroyed part of the parklet that they had just finished building at a cost of about R250 000. “We don’t really know what caused the accident but we can confirm that MyCiTi passengers got injured. The bus also knocked two cars that were parked on…

The Pretoria High Court, Gauteng has heard that slain Bafana Bafana ace goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa co-owned the BMW X6 vehicle with the mother of his child – musician and socialite Kelly Khumalo. The claim was made by the first State witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Zandile Khumalo, who is Kelly Khumalo’s younger sister. Kelly was in a romantic relationship with Meyiwa at the time of his death in 2014. The Meyiwa murder trial had to be restarted from scratch after the previous presiding officer, Judge Tshifiwa Maumela, fell ill. Retired judge and former soccer player Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng is the new presiding officer. The BMW X6 in question reportedly belonged to the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, and in the week of Meyiwa’s murder in October 2014, Meyiwa’s father,…

IN THE spirit of Madiba month, the Gift of the Givers honoured the elderly and less fortunate residents of Makhaza at the Formed Presbyterian Community Church in Khayelitsha by giving 96 people non-perishable food hampers, blankets and new clothing. Pastor Xolamzi Sam said his church was always looking into partnering with organisations so they could help uplift the community. “As the church, we believe that the work we do aligns with the Bible. This is the command that Jesus himself gave to his disciples. We believe that Jesus is love and you cannot love someone without giving to them. Love is not about what you say, love is about giving.” Congregation member Nothando Nkothobe said: “Besides this day, as the church we normally do a soup chicken for the elderly…

It IS still unsure when the long-awaited criminal trial of two former security police officers accused of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of anti-apartheid activist Nokuthula Simelane in the 1980s will go ahead. This is because the court will have to decide in October whether one of the accused is mentally fit to face a trial. Yesterday, the Pretoria High Court, Gauteng unsealed reports following an inquiry into the mental state of accused Willem Coetzee. He is facing a charge of murder together with co-accused Anton Pretorius. Advocate Jaap Cilliers, who appeared on behalf of both accused, earlier told the court that there was a possibility that Coetzee may not be fit to stand trial. He said a specialist had issued a preliminary report which indicated that he…

An 8-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a paramedic and his 6-year-old brother were given a chance to be honorary members of the Netcare 911 flight crew for a day. The two boys from Philippi were taken for a sightseeing spin around Cape Town by the emergency medical services helicopter to fulfil the dream of Exzevia, 8, who is being treated for leukaemia. Exzevia was accompanied by his younger brother Guidance – a superhero who is a matching bone marrow donor for the transplant he so desperately needs – and their mother Susan Sibanda. To make this dream come true the Netcare 911 team partnered with The Reach For A Dream Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation that fulfils the dreams of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Susan said, “We…

Cricket SA CEO Pholetsi Moseki has stressed that the Proteas’ Test tour of New Zealand next year will “under no circumstances” be cancelled due to a clash with the Betway SA20. The New Zealand Cricket Association released their home schedule yesterday, which has the Proteas playing a three-day warm-up match in late January, before two Tests against the Black Caps from February 4 in Mount Maunganui and February 13 in Hamilton. Both Test matches form part of the new World Test Championship cycle. The tour, however, falls directly in the window that has been allocated for South Africa’s premier T20 franchise tournament. CSA set a precedent last season when the Proteas returned home after the Sydney New Year’s Test due to having withdrawn from the scheduled ODI series against hosts…