Innehållsförteckning för 2023-12-28 från Cape Argus

THE Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the V&A Waterfront are set for a showdown at the Western Cape High Court this week amid an application to interdict the management of the popular tourist attraction from hosting a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. Animal welfare organisations have cried foul over the planned display after word spread that an application in terms of the Explosives Act had been approved by the SAPS. Last week, the organisation lodged an urgent application to interdict the V&A from having the fireworks display, saying it was home to endangered, threatened and protected species that would suffer immense harm. “The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has been advised that the City of Cape Town has retracted the noise pollution exemption permit it granted to the…

The Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF) has appealed for a peaceful festive season after three teenagers were shot and wounded. The teens were on their way to a shop when they were attacked by an unknown suspect on Boxing Day. The local CPF’s Imraahn Mukaddam said this was an isolated incident. “We have not had many shootings over Christmas time, it’s been reasonably quiet; it was shocking when we saw this thing. Hopefully, it will not cause a flare-up. This part of Leonsdale, it’s been quiet for a while. We regret that this happened, these are children. We are concerned that the shooting may cause retaliation and hopefully the police will make an arrest and take away the firearm,” he added. “That will be the focus of our interaction…

Emergency services are still searching for the 12 people reported missing following the flash floods in Ladysmith on Christmas Eve. Six people lost their lives in the flooding. Yesterday, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, was expected to visit the area to oversee the disaster relief efforts. Sithole-Moloi was also expected to visit their grieving families. In a statement Cogta said the heavy rains resulted in the Bellspuit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu Bridge, bursting its banks. This caused water to overflow onto the N11 near the Limit Hill robots in Ladysmith Town. “This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, and several vehicles were swept away. Additionally, one household located near a Caravan Park was completely destroyed; sadly, three family members were swept away,”…

A crucial peace symposium was hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Interfaith Group in Athlone with theme, “Voices of Peace.” Their statement of faith is encapsulated in, “Love for All, and Hatred for none”. Clerics and laity were invited to give seven minute inputs relating to the diverse faiths practised in Cape Town and South Africa with a perspective of seeking solutions to peace in Palestine. Thanks to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat for hosting an important discussion on the concept of peace in war-torn Palestine. When people of diverse faiths pray together and find agreement on key elements of spiritual leadership, there is a magic that happens and the world becomes a better place. Deep respect to the Jewish atheist who joined us and showed how prioritising people over politics could…

I write this new year’s and holiday message during the festive season against the backdrop of the cruel attack by the settler-colonial apartheid Israeli regime and Western-backed killing war machines against a largely defenceless and relatively small group of legitimate resistance and liberation fighters committed to reclaiming their occupied homeland. It is inconceivable how so-called first-world countries who assert to be guardians or custodians of democracy can not only stand by witnessing the genocide but also actively aid and abet these war crimes against humanity. Since 1948, and more especially after the horrific aftermath of the October 7 events, I am sure, like me, most of you have been following the news and have been devastated and stunned with sadness, shock and grief at what is unfolding in occupied Palestine…

Pinelands North Primary School is ensuring its learners are well equipped for what may lie ahead as they navigate life, through the introduction of practical life skills such as tyre changing among other necessary skills. Sport administrator, teacher and head of horticulture Josh King said Grade 6 learners are encouraged to learn these practical life skills as part of the school’s commitment to a comprehensive education. “Recognising the need to expand beyond traditional curriculum boundaries, this initiative offers pupils a chance to showcase their capabilities in real-world scenarios. As a school we encourage this approach as it goes beyond textbooks, ensuring pupils are well prepared for the challenges they may encounter beyond the classroom,” King said. The hands-on experience of, for example, tyre changing, formed part of a broader life…

Calls for South Africa to build new infrastructure while maintaining the old have been getting louder since more than a decade ago. There is no doubt that going into the 2024 elections, the calls will become an issue of political contestation between the key political parties and their leaders. For the ANC government and its leaders, there can be no better time to look at their consolidated diplomatic relations with China for a new deal on mutually beneficial infrastructure that would stimulate and transform the sluggish South African economy while renewing infrastructure in the country. China has critical experience in infrastructure development, and the resources, political will and strong diplomatic ties with Africa to help its countries with infrastructure development, as evidenced by widespread win-win projects on the continent. Infrastructure…

WASHINGTON: More than 42 000 people in the US died as a result of gun violence in 2023, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). Most of the deaths, 23 760, occurred as a result of suicide, the GVA data published this week said. Another 18 507 people died of unintentional shooting, murder and defensive use, GVA said. The figure includes 650 mass shooting incidents, 40 mass murders, 1 161 defensive use cases and 1 543 unintentional shootings. More than 1 600 children between the ages 0-17 were killed in gun violence incidents and 4 444 others were injured. | Sputnik…

SYDNEY: Australian police said yesterday they were scouring beaches after mysterious packages believed to contain more than 120kg of cocaine washed up over the Christmas period. A first batch of 39 barnacle-encrusted, 1kg bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered on Friday near Magenta Beach, north of Sydney, police said. Another 85 packages of the same size had been seen along about 80km of the New South Wales coastline, state police said. Police urged people to report any suspicious packages, Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein said in a statement. | AFP…

FORMER public protector and now EFF MP Busisiwe Mkhwebane has demanded that online publication Daily Maverick pay R5 million for damages caused after publishing an “injurious” and “malicious” article attacking her. Mkhwebane has also demanded that the publication apologise and take down the “defamatory” article or face the courts. In the controversial article, published on Christmas Eve, the publication’s Marianne Thamm headlined the piece: “Kant of the Year: Busisiwe Mkhwebane comes back to rock Parliament with her EFF studs”. The article, which raised eyebrows and sparked outrage among media personalities, was published under the “People of the Year” banner. In the letter, seen by Independent Media and written through EFF heavyweight and attorney Godrich Gardee of Gardee Godrich Attorneys, Mkhwebane demands the publication respond within 24 hours of it…

On December 23, 2002, renowned South African poet Tatamkhulu Ismail Afrika died in Bo-Kaap. Born in Egypt to Turkish parents, Afrika’s pen name, Tatamkhulu Afrika, meaning “Grandfather Afrika” in Xhosa, reflects the wisdom and generational perspective he brought to his works. His poems vividly capture the profound impact of apartheid on individuals, communities and the nation as a whole. Tatamkhulu Afrika’s poetry stands as a poignant testament to the human experience during the apartheid regime in South Africa. One of his notable works is Nothing’s Changed, a poem that eloquently portrays the persisting racial inequality even after the supposed end of apartheid: Small round hard stones click, under my heels, seeding grasses thrust bearded seeds … District Six. No board says it is: but my feet know Through vivid imagery,…

The ANC should continue to ignore former president Jacob Zuma, much like the “bluetick” on WhatsApp. The ANC’s response to Zuma’s recent comments and actions should be similarly non-engaging. Giving attention to Zuma’s political agenda only plays into his hands and gives him leverage. This is more like a chess game to him. Zuma’s recent announcement that he will be voting for the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in the upcoming 2024 elections should not come as a surprise. This, in itself, should be seen as his voluntary resignation from the ANC, evidenced by the party’s rule 25.5. Those stipulations make it clear that supporting or joining another political organisation constitutes a breach of membership. By Zuma’s actions, he is effectively no longer part of the ANC. In emphasising Zuma’s…

Something needs to be done about the unacceptable level of crime in SA. The headlines over the week have been heartwrenching. This is after a KwaZulu-Natal family is currently reeling from shock after a relative was shot in the head trying to resolve a fight involving his neighbours in Zwelibomvu near Pinetown, on Sunday. According to the family, Sthabiso Mkhize, 28, had attended an umembeso – traditional ceremony – when a group of men allegedly assaulted one of his neighbours. His uncle said that his nephew had tried to stop the fight that had broken out, but was shot in the head, and died at the scene. In another separate incident, four suspects were arrested minutes after using a pick axe to enter a home in Amanzimtoti, ransacking it and…

Manila: SEVENTEEN Filipino seafarers taken hostage by Yemen’s Houthi rebels last month were safe, the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said yesterday. “The 17 seafarers have been allowed to contact their families and have said they are safe onboard the ship,” the DMW said. It said the ship was still off the coast of Yemen, and foreign governments were negotiating the safe release of the seafarers. The seafarers were among the crew members of a cargo vessel taken hostage by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. | IANS…

While hundreds were left homeless over Christmas following a range of fires which ripped through various Cape Town communities, suspicions have arisen that some vegetation fires were started deliberately. Speaking to the Cape Argus, Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said firefighters have had their hands full this month as the number of fires across the City nearly doubled in December. According to reports from the directorate, while firefighters spent most of the weekend attending the blazes in Simon’s Town and Glencairn they were called to Seawinds on Sunday as several homes were alight. Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said they arrived at St Patrick Avenue shortly before 5pm on Christmas Eve. “Initial estimates were that dozens of informal structures were destroyed, while at least one…

The letter from Leonard Oosthuizen of Cowies Hill (Cape Argus, December 21) left me seething with anger. Oosthuizen shows his illiteracy and lack of decorum by suggesting Minister Naledi Pandor speaks with “high-falutin English trying to sound intelligent”. For Oosthuizen’s information, Minister Pandor was in fact educated in England, which is where she picked up her English accent. For Oosthuizen’s further enlightenment, she is in fact highly intelligent coming from a highly educated, intelligent family. As the daughter of the late Joe Mathews, who became Attorney-General in Botswana, whom I had the pleasure of knowing personally during my years in Botswana, Naledi Pandor inherited the DNA of one of the most intelligent human beings I have ever known. Furthermore, it is people like Oosthuizen, a religious Christian zealot, who keep…

As we approach 2024 and the year of elections, it becomes imperative for the citizens of South Africa to come forward and exercise their vote in the middle of next year. We don’t have the date yet but it is expected to be at the end of May 2024. Citizens need to think carefully about the issue that worries them the most and which political party will deliver a solution to their worries. Polls and surveys have shown us that the issue uppermost in everyone’s mind is jobs. Without a job we have a horrible recipe for creating all sorts of societal ills. As the unemployment figures rise, so do crime and anti-social behaviour. In addition to this, we see a drop in society’s health and, unfortunately, a massive drop…

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness welcomed the birth of 231 Christmas babies in the province on Monday. The total number reported from midnight on December 25 comprises 111 boys and 120 girls. The first three Christmas babies were born between midnight and 12.15am. Mossel Bay Hospital called in the first baby boy being born at exactly midnight to mommy Nadine Joseph.Baby Landon Matthew Joseph weighed 2.48kg. Nine minutes later, baby Luphawo Twani was born at Hanover Park CHC to mother Andisiwe Twani, weighing 3.14kg, while the third baby was born at Worcester Hospital weighing 2.9kg. The little one, also a boy, was born at 12.15am to mom Rebekka Smit. The Western Cape also boasts two sets of Christmas twins, one pair born at Mowbray Maternity Hospital and…

The UN Security Council has called for “urgent and extended” humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow more aid into the enclave. The US says it wants its ally Israel to move from block-flattening airstrikes to operations that target Hamas leaders more precisely. But in recent days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli military commanders have suggested that the level of violence with which they’re prosecuting the war – already among the most destructive of the century, and a source of regional instability – will persist or even intensify. Israeli airstrikes since Christmas Eve have wounded or killed hundreds of Palestinians, many of them in refugee camps, according to Palestinian and international health officials. Nineteen Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting with militants over the past four days, one of…

Seoul: A former US Forces Korea (USFK) commander yesterday called for the deployment of a US tank battalion to South Korea to strengthen defence capabilities as he warned of North Korean military threats in the new year. Retired General Burwell B Bell, who led the USFK from 2006-2008, made the call in a New Year’s message sent to the Korea-US Alliance Foundation, noting “escalating” challenges from North Korea. Bell said 2024 will present the “most serious” threat to peace and stability on the peninsula since the North’s 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship, which claimed 46 lives, calling on allies to help. | IANS…