Innehållsförteckning för 2024-02-12 från Cape Argus

Thousands pack Athlone Stadium for historic Football 4 Humanity match THE Athlone Stadium was awash with the colours of the Palestinian flag yesterday, as thousands of supporters packed the stadium to witness, for the first time, the Palestine National Football team playing on South African soil. The visiting team played their inaugural match in South Africa against a Western Cape XI invitational team in the solidarity campaign “Football 4 Humanity”, initiated by Sports Stepping Stones (SSS) in partnership with the South African Football Association Cape Town (SAFA CT). The first match was a momentous occasion, coinciding with the date on which former president Nelson Mandela, known for his staunch support of the Palestinian cause, was released from the Victor Verster Prison on February 11, 1990. Thousands of people were in…

THE heartbroken parents of slain Constable Ashwin Pedro said they were relieved the harrowing court appearances were over, as self-confessed cop killer Denzil “Trompie” October was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court on Friday. Pedro, from Lavender Hill, died after he was shot on December 1, 2022 in Blackbird Avenue. Police later arrested October and found him in possession of the murder weapon while hiding in Ravensmead. After several appearances in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, the case was moved to the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court for trial where October told the court he planned to enter into a plea deal. October faced an array of charges including murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Speaking to the Cape Argus, Pedro’s father Melvin, 50,…

A miniature Pinscher from Mitchells Plain celebrated its 25th birthday in style at the weekend – thanks to the Animal Welfare Society of SA (AWS SA). Fanie, believed to be among the oldest dogs in the city, was treated to a special party at the welfare organisation’s adoption centre in Philippi on Saturday. The celebrations came after AWS SA nurse Jaque le Roux took to social media to ask companies and organisations to get on board and make Fanie’s day extra special. “We wrapped our brains around it and said let’s have a party in aid of Fanie and also raise awareness at our adoption centre,” Le Roux said. AWS SA, along with several donors, went above and beyond to make Fanie’s quarter century special. “He is a special part…

Leaving Roxana Robinson W.W. Norton Review: Joan Franks, Washington Post What risks would you be willing to take to fall in love again? “I never thought I’d see you here,” Sarah says. Then she adds, “But I never thought I’d see you anywhere.” Sarah and Warren’s college love story ended in a single moment. Decades later, when a chance meeting brings them together, a passion ignites – threatening the foundations of the lives they’ve built apart. Since they parted in college, each has married, raised a family, and made a career. When they meet again, Sarah is divorced and living outside New York, while Warren is still married and living in Boston. Seeing Warren sparks an awakening in Sarah, who feels emotionally alive for the first time in decades. Still,…

Ndima Ndima Tsitsi Mapepa Catalyst Book Press From debut Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Mapepa comes the saga of the four Taha sisters, and the indomitable matriarch who carried her daughters and her community – through times of drought and violence in their Harare neighbourhood. From the red soil of her garden in Southgate 1, a crowded suburb of Harare, Nyeredzi watches the world. She knows not to venture beyond the grasses that fence them off from the bush, where the city’s violent criminals and young lovers claim the night. But on this red soil, she is sovereign. It is here where she learns how to kill snakes, how to fight off a man, and how to take what she is due. It is here where Nyeredzi and her three older sisters…

THE World Cup dream that until recently appeared far-fetched, now appears attainable. Bafana Bafana’s performance at the Africa Cup of Nations has now given rise to hopes that our country could once again play on football’s biggest stage. Granted, it is going to take some doing for Bafana to be among the automatic nine countries that will carry the continent’s flag at the 2026 Fifa World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. Yet, given their showing at the biennial, continental showpiece where they finished in third place, there’s every reason to start believing that Ronwen Williams and his teammates can represent us at the global tournament for the first time since we hosted the event back in 2010. Understandably, given little chance of a good run…

LONDON: Britain’s King Charles attended church yesterday in his first public outing since announcing last week he had been diagnosed with cancer and would postpone some engagements to undergo treatment. The king, wearing a brown overcoat and carrying an umbrella, waved as he arrived with his wife, Camilla, at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham in eastern England. Buckingham Palace announced last Monday that Charles, 75, had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. The king has been on the throne for less than 18 months following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.…

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin relies on a deep knowledge of history and often works with archive documents, so he used primary sources to back up his stance on Ukraine in the interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday. “The president relies on a very deep knowledge of history, and he forms his judgement about history on the basis of primary sources. He works very often and extensively with archive documents … it was such primary sources that he picked up to support his statements on Ukraine,” Peskov told Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin. At the beginning of the interview, Putin gave Carlson a folder with copies of archive documents concerning Russian and Ukrainian history, including letters from Bohdan Khmelnytsky, a nobleman and military commander who…

A resurgent Sharks side is standing in the way of the Stormers completing another win over a South African side in the United Rugby Championship (URC). The return coastal derby is set to take centre stage in Durban on Saturday (kick-off 5.05pm), where the home side, coming off good wins in the EPCR Challenge Cup, will look to make some headway in the URC where they currently sit bottom of the points table. John Plumtree’s men have won only one URC match this season and will need that momentum from the Challenge Cup to carry over into their abysmal URC campaign. The Sharks held their own against the Stormers in Cape Town late in December – suffering a narrow 16-15 defeat without their resting Springboks – and they will target…

It was derby day in Cape Town when traditional rivals went toe-to-toe in single innings, unlimited over school fixtures. Both the Rondebosch v Wynberg and SACS v Bishops games had delayed starts due to light overnight rain and moisture on the wicket. At Rondebosch, on a green top, the hosts won the toss and not surprisingly sent Wynberg in to bat. It was a move that paid immediate dividends as both opening batsmen Storme van Rooyen and Shadley Allie were dismissed in quick succession. Bosch opening bowler David Simon (2-37) struck again by dismissing the in- form Paul James (4) cheaply, and Wynberg were reeling at 23-3. While captain courageous Benni Hansen (60) was at the wicket, he held the innings together. He showed great patience in rebuilding the innings,…

RIVAL gang shootings during load shedding in Elsies River on Friday night claimed the life of an innocent mother of three. Simone Rasper, 34, was shot in the chest in Boater Close, Leonsdale, at about 9.30pm. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said they were investigating and had yet to make an arrest. Rasper’s family declined to speak to the Cape Argus yesterday. Her murder has also sparked fear in the community as she was one of three people shot at the weekend. Claudine Coleridge, a community activist, said the area was at war and police weren’t doing much. She said women in the area were fearful of walking around. “What is sad is that police know the gangsters and they know what is happening. “Women coming from work ask if…

Soul Mandate The extraordinary life of a property maverick Lew Geffen Melinda Ferguson Books Born in the same year as Prince Charles and the state of Israel, Lew Geffen always seemed destined to have a thoroughly eventful and controversial life. Driven by a maverick spirit coupled with an acute eye for business, Geffen started as a hawker, then moved into construction prior to shaking up the South African real estate industry by launching Lew Geffen Estates. Fiercely independent in his way of thinking, Lew is a man who is reputed to know no limits. Living much of his life by the seat of his pants, he embarked on a wild ride of success, securing a Sotheby’s International Realty master’s licence to become a major player in the local property market.…

Lima: The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency for at least 96 districts in 15 regions of the country due to damage caused by heavy rains in recent weeks. The government’s decision, which will be in force for 60 days, allows for “the execution of immediate and necessary emergency measures and actions for response and rehabilitation as appropriate,” Xinhua news agency reported. A law facilitating food donations and the transportation of donations during natural disasters has been activated. Likewise, some services may be provided “free of charge”, such as catering, medical treatment, transportation, dispatch logistics and any other service that may help those affected by the rains.…

COLOMBO: Iranian tea importers have proposed to double the quantity of tea they take from Sri Lanka under the tea-for-oil barter mechanism, from its current $5 million (R95m) to around $10 million during the winter months, Niraj de Mel, chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) has said. Iran’s winter season runs from December to March with high demand for tea at that time, he said. The Iranian New Year, celebrated in the third week of March, and Ramadaan will also lead to a high demand for tea. Since the start of the tea-for-oil barter in August 2023, Iran has bought $25 million worth of tea from Sri Lanka…

“YOU don’t have to believe me or the president. All you have to do is look at the trend line and you will see.” So said Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa yesterday, as he, alongside members of Eskom’s generation team, provided an update on the high levels of load shedding experienced across the country in the last week. Eskom group executive for generation, Bheki Nxumalo, yesterday said teams were working around the clock to at least return to stage 4 by Wednesday. Notwithstanding the return of stages 6 and 5 of load shedding, Ramokgopa insisted that while setbacks were expected, progress to put load shedding behind the country was still being made. “I’ve shared what the trend line (load shedding tendency) is, and I have told you there are going to…

POLICE have arrested two more people alleged to be linked to a triple murder that claimed the life of a Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) officer in Old Crossroads. Off-duty officer Siphelele Magwa was with his brother and a friend on May 18 last year when they were killed. In December, police published “Wanted” photographs of Lindikhaya Mbeki and Khangelani Mbobo. They were all also linked to the murder of Leap officer Zamikhaya Kwinana, who was killed during the taxi strike in August. The third suspect, Khangelani Matroos, was arrested in January for the illegal possession of a firearm. He was in a vehicle that was traced and pulled over in Lower Crossroads. Police searched the vehicle and a pistol was found in the boot. Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk,…

FOLLOWING President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday, one of the questions on the nation’s lips was: Is Tintswalo real? During the president’s Sona, he had sought to illustrate the progress and achievements of his ANC government during its 30 years in power in a democratic South Africa. He did so by telling the story of Tintswalo – “democracy’s child” born in 1994, who grew up in a society that was worlds apart from the South Africa of her forebears, and had changed the fortunes of her family for the better thanks to the governing party’s policies. True story or fiction? Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has clarified that it was merely an analogy devised to inspire South Africans. “The Tintswalo story is a representation…

Listening to the President’s State of the Nation address, I was left with the sense that the man reading the words on the pages in front of him was as exhausted of doing it as the audience was of listening to him. The President of South Africa was absent. He was not in the room. The man on the podium was reading a speech someone else had written for him. He had no interest in leading, inspiring, or being there. He was acting perfunctory. His heart, his soul, and his interests were somewhere else. He knows he did not fix Eskom as he was appointed to do in 2014. He knows he did not act on the State Capture recommendations and findings as he was tasked to. And he knows…

Buy Your First Home South Africa's Ultimate Property Guide for Newbies Zamantungwa Khumalo Tafelberg Zamantungwa Khumalo is considered a rising star on the South African property scene. An award-winning media and content specialist, her property journey began with a lot of trepidation. While today she is also a property entrepreneur, she bought her first two properties at age 27, with little localised information. An X (then Twitter) thread she wrote on property buying generated so much interest that she realised others were as clueless as she had initially been. She thus felt compelled to share her hard-won insights in this book and today wants other people to follow in her footsteps, climbing the property ladder on their way to building wealth and security. Her passion and expertise is distilled in…

MOSCOW: Russia is not ruling out that a museum collection from Crimea known as Scythian Gold given to Ukraine might eventually be lost, the director of the First European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Artyom Studennikov, told Sputnik. The gold artifacts originating in Crimea got caught in the ownership dispute after the peninsula seceded from Ukraine to become part of Russia in 2014, at the same time as the collection was abroad for an exhibit in the Netherlands. “Now we see how icons are being removed. That is why we have every reason to assume that Crimean artifacts may face a sad fate – we can’t rule out they may be lost,” Studennikov said.…

ATHENS: The Olympic Stadium in Athens, shut down last year over roof safety concerns, will reopen by April, the Greek prime minister said yesterday. “The stadium will reopen from the end of March or mid-April at the latest,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis posted on Facebook. The Athens Olympic Athletic Centre said earlier the roof of the stadium and that of the nearby Velodrome “do not meet the regulatory permitted levels of static adequacy”. The 69 600-seat arena was built in 1982 and remodelled for the 2004 Athens Olympics with an 18 000-ton steel roof designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.…

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has urged disgruntled fans not to turn their backs on the Premier League side, which is in danger of slipping into a relegation dogfight after a poor run has left them languishing in 15th place. Palace fans have protested against the club’s owners, with the latest criticism coming after their 4-1 thrashing this month by bitter rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. The 76-year-old Hodgson, who has managed England and Liverpool among other clubs, said his team cannot lose the backing of their supporters when they host Chelsea in a London derby tonight. Fans “are the people that we cannot afford to have turned against us because we need them”, Hodgson said. “It’s been the toughest period of my career for one reason, and that is…

ONE-NIL down in the series, the Proteas can at least look forward to a more familiar approach in an effort to tilt the second Test against the Black Caps, at Seddon Park in Hamilton starting tomorrow morning, in their favour. Last week, spinners Mitchell Santer, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra caused a lot of problems for the South African batters, so much so that Proteas batter Keegan Petersen admitted the visitors struggled against the relentless spin of the trio. Chances are, however, that New Zealand captain Tim Southee will opt for an additional pace option for the second match, seeing that the conditions in Hamilton promise to offer the quicks a lot more than the wicket at Mount Maunganui did during the first Test. At least that’s what Proteas…