Innehållsförteckning för 2023-11-01 från Cape Argus

Guam’s Troy Michael Smith took home the title Mr Gay World 2023. It was the 15th edition of the pageant and was held at Honey & Dora in De Waterkant. He beat 10 other international contenders. The 36-year-old mental health advocate lives in Alaska with strong ties to his Guamanian heritage, and became victorious as the ultimate ambassador for his cause. Winning the title left him in disbelief and feeling incredible, as he stated that it was such a great experience joining the guys from all over the globe and advocating for different causes they believe in, in their own respective countries. Smith’s victory not only celebrates his personal achievement but also the crucial message he conveyed about suicide prevention within the LGBTQIA+ community. “It's just a blessing that I…

A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity established by an act of legislation to earn profit for the government so that they can provide products and services to citizens at a lower price, particularly to the more remote locations of the country. Methinks that part of this ideal smacks of what is desirable, but our ANC has altered the profit-making aspect a bit more personalised. That is the burden of my song this week. As usual, I reassure my readers that I am not an investigative journalist or reporter. I am merely a columnist who reflects on daily realities in a user-friendly way which will promote productive discourse for the solution of national, social and other problems. Take my present confusion about a national involvement over the past three…

It boggles the mind that the winning coach of the four-times world champions, the Springboks, could not be recognised as the best coach in the world by the controlling body at its prize-giving after the 2023 final. It’s a travesty and an insult. For those who know and understand rugby, going in with a 7-1 bench (7 forwards and one back as substitutes) for a final against the All Blacks could have been considered suicidal if not unthinkable, but Jacques and the coaching team made probably the most outrageous and boldest decision in Rugby World Cup history to do this on the biggest stage. To make changes in the three most important games of the tournament the way South Africa did, had to reflect on the bravery and acumen…

ABOUT 40% of South Africans are currently unemployed and definitely in need of jobs, not another holiday. A day off is not helping to overcome the socio-economic challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Young and old people have resorted to committing crimes, including cash-in-transit heists. Many job seekers are frustrated graduates, most of them, according to Stats SA, have given up seeking employ- ment. These potential breadwinners need meaningful jobs, not a public holiday. South Africa has 12 public holidays determined by the Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994). President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that December 15 will be a public holiday in honour of the Springboks’ victory at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. On Monday night, during a live stream address, he listed factors that did not…

Opposition parties express budget cut fears Austerity measures, including a deep cut in government spending that could impact service delivery and increase taxes and cuts in capital expenditure, have opposition parties, trade unions and civic organisations fearful ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) today. Fearing that Godongwana might announce a tax increase, Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane is to hold a protest today in front of Parliament with the theme: “No tax increases”. “Bosa is unequivocal in its stance: there can be no tax increases announced. Instead, the minister of finance must use this opportunity to ease the cost-of-living burden on struggling households,” said Maimane. Cosatu said it was astounded by reckless attempts to impose misguided austerity budget cuts across government in…

Punches flew as chaos erupted at an eThekwini Municipality full council meeting yesterday, when councillors of the EFF attacked City security officials. This was after security was called in to escort members of the EFF out of the chamber when they became unruly. The EFF had demanded the City manager, Musa Mbhele, leave the meeting over allegations that the City had failed to spend R1.9 billion of a conditional grant allocated to repair infrastructure and had therefore had to return the money to the National Treasury. The eThekwini mayor had told the council moments earlier that the money was cut due to the implementation of the national government’s austerity measures. “It is important to indicate that recently the National Treasury issued a circular on strict cost-cutting and austerity measures in…

The bombing of a hospital in Gaza has started an information war that is shaking the communication world into a new dimension. Time magazine, in a recent issue, stated that “misinformation is warfare”. It is a torrent of true horror, violent pronunciations, sadness and disinformation. The assault on a medical institution is shrouded in deception, disinformation and misinformation that involves digital warfare on a monumental scale unprecedented in 21st century military assaults. Propaganda is in full swing, and this form of warfare has the potential to polarise public opinion. The devious method of combat is a strategy designed to convince people of something. In today’s mass non-stop global media, war does not take place only on the battlefield, with air strikes and tank manoeuvres, but involves debates and arguments in…

Like Eskom, Transnet has become a bottomless pit. Its debt has ballooned to R134 billion. But it’s a small matter for those running the huge parastatal that has gone off its tracks. They have a rich uncle who has an inexhaustible supply of funds and who is ever so willing to bail them out. Just as how the state always bails out Eskom, SAA and various other state-owned entities (SOEs) that are riddled with corruption, inefficiency, mismanagement and wasteful expenditure, it will readily bail out Transnet. For the money is not coming out of the pockets of the highly paid government officials but from the overburdened taxpayer. Why should Transnet bosses fret over the mountain of debt? Not only is Transnet deep in debt but it cannot deliver iron ore,…

Thousands of of people braved cold, wet weather to greet the Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks when they arrived in Johannesburg yesterday. Many wore green and gold, the colours of the national team, as they filled every available space at OR Tambo airport to greet the record four-time world champions. South Africa edged greatest rivals New Zealand 12-11 in a gripping final in Paris last Saturday to achieve back-to-back titles after also winning the 1995 and 2007 title deciders. Supporters cheered in unison as captain Siya Kolisi emerged into the public area, waved at the crowd while holding the Webb Ellis Cup, and took selfies with jubilant supporters. “Thank you to the people of South Africa. We have had a long and tough 20 weeks, but it was worth it,” said…

The department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has strongly condemned sentiments by South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) deputy head Zev Krengel, while calling on the international community to hold Israel accountable for breaching international law. Between October 7 and 12, more than 6 000 bombs were indiscriminately dropped on the besieged Gaza strip, a densely populated area of around 70% refugees. More than 8 000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli bombardment. Save the Children revealed that the number of children killed in Gaza in just three weeks surpassed the annual number of children killed across the world’s conflict zones since 2019. “The number of children reported killed in just three weeks in Gaza is more than the number killed in armed…

The Turkish Consulate has given the people of Cape Town a Turkish Oak after the city’s own magnificent tree, estimated to be around 80 to 100 years old, toppled in a recent storm. The former Turkish Oak (Quercus cerris) was located at Ardene Gardens, Claremont and had fallen as a result of the Cape storm. The incident was reported to the City’s recreation and parks department on the morning of October 4. The tree had been obstructing the Claremont Main Road, affecting incoming and outgoing traffic. The tree was one of only 13 champion trees in Cape Town (recognised for its exceptional size, age, aesthetic appeal, cultural significance, historic value, or tourist attraction). Champion trees are protected under the National Forests Act. At the time, Mayco member for Community Services…

It is strange how quiet the media were when Hamas brutally attacked Israel on October 7. The unprovoked attack left 1 440 innocent Israelis dead and 220 kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Now as Israel retaliates and attacks Hamas in Gaza, the head of the UN, António Guterres, is calling for a ceasefire. Since Israel defends itself and Palestinians are killed because Hamas uses its people as human shields and hospitals are used as arms depots, the world wants a ceasefire. How can there be a ceasefire while Hamas continues to bombard Israel with rockets? The world’s bleeding hearts cry STOP! This will give Hamas’ time to regroup and continue its attacks unabated, killing more Israelis. Hamas planned this air, sea and land attack for two years, now they are…

The scintillating performance of the Springboks uniting the nation has led hoodlums masquerading as politicians to muddy the waters. In a democracy like ours, it is the prerogative of the president of the country to officially congratulate the players on our behalf as head of state, not of a political party. Nothing showed up our political immaturity more than the scoundrels from all political parties undoing the general great good of “stronger together” cultivated by our lads. Although l am guided by the principle of “your rank is what you have and respect is what you earn”, now is not the time to erode our symbols of authority and sour the victory.…

Life seems unfair to the righteous ones, who often seemingly get a raw deal. Can one draw an analogy between the Disney movie The Lion King and the commencement of the war in Gaza? With the birth of Simba, son of Mufasa – the king of the lions – the chances of Scar, Mufasa’s brother, becoming the future king came to nought. But Scar could become the king if Mufasa and Simba were out of the way. Scar devised a plan to lure Simba to the gorge and then instructed his friends, the hyenas, to chase a group of wildebeest towards the gorge. With his plan in action, Scar raced to Mufasa and informed him of a stampede in the gorge where Simba was last seen. Mufasa hastened to save…

Like most of the world, South Africans are outraged and shocked beyond belief that a nuclear-armed military power Israel – backed unconditionally by a superpower, has unleashed a genocidal war on the besieged Gaza – an enclave of Palestinian refugees. Latest reports at the time of writing reveal the death toll of relentless carpet bombing across the Gaza Strip has risen to more than 8 000. The number is expected to grow to frightening levels as thousands are feared dead under the rubble of bombed buildings. Israel is drowning in war crimes and is unable to “save” itself without continuing to commit more horrendous violations of international humanitarian laws.While acts of genocide broadcast live on many TV platforms around the clock allow viewers to witness savagery of inhumanity by the…

Israel said yesterday that its forces fought Hamas gunmen inside the militants’ vast tunnel network beneath the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza, seeking to free hostages and to push forward its campaign to wipe out the militant group. As the battle inside Gaza intensified, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed calls for a halt to the fighting. But international aid officials warned that a public health catastrophe was engulfing civilians in Gaza, with hospitals struggling to cope with the casualties and food, medicine, drinking water and fuel running short. Medics in Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital said they had to set up an operating room in a corridor because the main surgical theatres were full from a sudden influx of civilian casualties from Israeli bombing early on Tuesday. The tunnels under the…