Innehållsförteckning för 2024-04-19 från Cape Argus

Miss SA 2020, Shudufhadzo Musida, and Miss SA 2022, Ndavi Nokeri, have bagged roles in the upcoming Mzansi Magic drama, Queen Modjadji. Musida will play Muthanoni Mulalo, one of the king’s wives from the VhaVenda royal family. Nokeri has been cast as Muthanoni Khensani, one of the king’s wives from the VaTsonga royal family. The series, which follows the life of South Africa’s rain queen led by the Lobedu clan, is based on a true story. Queen Modjadji is already in production and is expected to start soon. Duma Ndlovu, who is part of the production team, said this series will keep viewers engaged as it will teach them more about the Lobedu culture and traditions. “The earth, the elements and the energy of humans connect in ways that are…

Saldanha Bay residents, desperate to find missing Joshlin Smith, embarked on two frantic searches for the six-year-old girl this week but an excavation at a local field yielded no results. Today marks two months since the 6-year-old was reported missing by her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, who has since been arrested and charged along with three others for human trafficking and kidnapping In the first case lead on Monday, a woman who claimed to have been in jail with Smith in Pollsmoor prison said she was informed about where the child was. According to Saldanha Bay ward councillor Vernon Vraagom, a voice note concerning the woman’s allegations was circulated. “I then received a call from Shakes, a TikToker, who said she was on her way to Saldanha Bay so the…

A FAMILY is struggling to come to terms with the murder of a young mother killed by her ex-boyfriend, who then committed suicide. Phelokazi Marerane, 28, was killed on Monday outside her Nyanga home. Her former boyfriend, Baxolele Baja, had visited her and asked to get back together, but when she refused, she paid the ultimate price. Her brother, Siphosethu Fumbatha, said: “They were in a relationship and they had a child and they broke up. He moved on with a woman in Khayelitsha, with whom he moved in. “He then broke up with her and after some time he wanted to get back together with my sister. “She said she wasn’t keen on being with him again and said he could see their child whenever he wanted to. He…

ONE of Clifton Marais’s last sentences to his wife Ursula was “this one is for you”, as he hung his Two Oceans Half-Marathon medal around her neck. Around 36 hours later, Marais, 53, from Sarepta in Kuils River, died in his sleep. Marais was an avid sportsman and one of the founding members of the Kuils River Runners Club. He was also a former member of the Kuils River Rugby Football Club (RFC) for more than 20 years. Marais is survived by his widow, daughter Lizan Marais-Jacobs, son Benazzi, two grandchildren, and his mother Elizabeth. Marais-Jacobs said on Monday her father came home from work, excited to see his eldest grandson after the child was discharged from hospital. She said her father was diabetic and had hypertension. “Before he went…

MORE than 20 pharmacies in Cape Town have joined a Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine (HCW4P) South Africa campaign to ensure their businesses are “Apartheid Free Zones”. The recently launched campaign is part of a global initiative calling for the severing of ties with Israeli-linked companies through boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) to place pressure on Israel to comply with international laws. A targeted boycott of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, an Israeli pharmaceutical company and the world’s largest generic drug manufacturer, is a component of the BDS movement, with the campaign calling on patients, dispensers and prescribers to seek alternatives. Principal pharmacist and owner of Reo Pharmacy in Elsies River, Isgak Ismail, said: “We are taking a principled stand to remove all Israeli-linked products from our shelves and have embarked on an…

Most teenagers dread talking about sex with their parents. Their parents feel the same way. In some societies, it’s considered taboo to even broach the subject. And, even where sexuality education is taught at schools, research has shown that effective communication between young people and teachers is hindered because of age differences and, in some places, because of the societal taboos. How might technology improve the situation? Adolescents spend a lot of time on their electronic devices. A study in the US found that teens were using their phones, tablets or laptops for social media, gaming and texting for about 8½ hours every day; tweens (ages 8 to 12) rack up about 5½ hours daily. Much has been written about the downsides of screen time for teens. But, as a…

NEW DELHI: Campaigning is gathering pace in India’s general elections, the world’s largest with nearly a billion eligible voters, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party races ahead of its opponents in cornering resources, from helicopters to online advertisements. Voting starts today, with ballots to be counted on June 4 in the weeks-long elections, at which the BJP seeks its most decisive victory yet, riding India’s best-funded campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has snared the largest share of reservations for domestic private helicopters to fly its leaders around the nation. | Reuters…

HARARE: Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa granted amnesty to various prisoners to coincide with the country’s 44th Independence Day, yesterday. The president granted full remission of the remaining terms of imprisonment to all female prisoners who will have served two-thirds of their sentences by yesterday, the Ministry of Justice said. Prisoners who had been on death row for more than 10 years had their sentences commuted to life, while those serving life were to be released if they had served at least 20 years. Zimbabwe’s prisons are generally overcrowded. | Xinhua…

THE man who went on the run after shooting and killing an on-duty Atlantis police officer was found yesterday and shot dead after refusing to surrender. Sergeant Adrian Mahoney, 44, was shot and killed on Wednesday in Mamre, just outside Atlantis, while responding to a domestic dispute before 1pm, accompanied by his partner. At the time, Western Cape police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed the incident. “Preliminary information suggests that the 44-year-old sergeant and his partner were dispatched to attend to a domestic violence complaint at about 12.45pm in Klapmuts Street,” Potelwa said. “Upon arrival at the address, the suspect, allegedly during a scuffle, took the service pistol of the deceased police official and fatally shot him,” Potelwa said. “The suspect also opened fire on the partner of the sergeant, whereafter…

IT’S been another week of bloodshed in the wild, wild Western Cape. Mass shootings have become a regular occurrence in the province in recent months. In the deadliest incidents, five people were killed and four others wounded during shootings in Hillview and Seawinds at the weekend. On Tuesday, three more were gunned down in nearby Montague Village. On Wednesday, a shocking eight people were killed in a 12-hour shooting spree in Harare, Khayelitsha. With no arrests, suspects or even motives for the attacks, police appear to be powerless to stop the violence. In fact, they have even become targets. On Monday, a Nyanga police detective was hijacked, robbed and shot with his own service pistol. On Wednesday, an Atlantis sergeant was killed when he was shot by a suspect at…

Geneva: The World Health Organization voiced alarm yesterday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate. The current bird flu outbreak began in 2020 and has led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry, with wild birds also infected as well as land and marine mammals. Cows and goats joined the list last month – animals that were not thought susceptible to this type of influenza. The A (H5N1) strain has become a global zoonotic animal pandemic. So far, there is no evidence the virus is spreading between humans. | AFP…

Renowned actor Hlomla Dandala made his debut this week in the recasted role of Caesar Ngonyama on hit the telenovela, Smoke & Mirrors. The former The River actor returned to the e.tv stable following the departure of Zolisa Xaluva. “This is an exciting challenge for me, the character of Caesar is loved by our viewers, my aim is to please and ensure that I deliver as a performer,” Dandala said. “Playing a villainous character such as Caesar will surely bring the best out of me. But more than anything, I’m excited to be back with the eFamily and I look forward to a real joyride as we enter the second season of the show.” Meanwhile, e.tv executive producer Dithapelo Segodi added: “The character of Caesar Ngonyama is a ruthless Xhosa…

A RECENT survey conducted in South Africa’s three major metros has indicated that the EFF and Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) will be big players in the upcoming May 29 elections. The survey, conducted by African Innovation Research South Africa (Airsa) in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, found that both the governing ANC and the official opposition, the DA, were facing a considerable threat from the EFF and MKP, particularly among younger voters and those in KwaZulu-Natal. A total of 1 030 participants were surveyed, representing a cross-section of the South African population in these metros. It must be noted that the survey was conducted face-to-face and only in the above three metros and might not be an indication of the overall national voting sentiment. Independent Online (IOL) has…

ALLEGED 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield has been granted R250 000 bail by the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court as he was deemed not to be a flight risk. However, he will remain behind bars as the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has denied his bail application. Stanfield returned to the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday as he was handed the bail judgment amid firearm charges relating to a raid at his Constantia home last year. He was arrested alongside his wife, Nicole Johnson, Johannes “Bal” Abrahams, Denver Booysen and Jose Brandt in September on various charges allegedly linked to a manhunt and the attempted murder of a former employee after he allegedly stole more than R1 million from the couple. It is understood that on the day police descended on his home they…

VETERAN Judge and former Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs urged political parties in the Western Cape to respect the right to vote of all South Africans regardless of their party affiliation, race, background and disability. Sachs was speaking yesterday in Athlone during the signing of the Electoral Code of Conduct Pledge by various parties and independent candidates who will be contesting the elections on May 29. As one of the people who drafted the country’s Constitution, Sachs reminded the candidates of the road that he and others travelled to bring freedom and constitutional democracy. “We wanted everybody there. We wanted the right wing there, and we wanted the left wing there. “We didn’t want them to be able…

SECURITY guards at Tygerberg Hospital have downed tools, claiming their employer, Nikao Protection Services, has been deducting money meant for their provident fund, but when queried, the payments were not reflected in the relevant statements. Staff downed tools on Wednesday in response. One affected staff member said R258 was deducted monthly, and meant for the provident fund. “We’ve tried to find the forms called PFA (Pension Funds Adjudicator) and lay a complaint but they didn’t answer us. “We signed a complaint form at Salt (Employee Benefits). They did not answer us. “The unions are telling us a story every time. Every time we tell them about the provident fund, (they) tell us we must do this to the company. They don’t come with a way forward. “For a while now,…

With more than 50 countries holding national elections in 2024, this year draws close attention to the world of politics, as well as to what that means for the future of the individual countries and the whole. Through an indigenous lens, this makes for added interesting possible strategies and outcomes. To assist in clarifying the perspective for this piece, it is key to reference the UN Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous peoples. The leading global mechanism on indigenous rights speaks to the right of indigenous peoples to participate in their own sovereignty, as well as that of the state. For local reference, therefore, we have the right to our own sovereignty as well as all the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The importance…

A restrictive abortion ban revived in Arizona is providing a new opening for Democrats in the run-up to the November 5 election and putting Republicans in a tricky political bind as they try to win over moderates in the battleground state. US Representative Ruben Gallego, the leading Democratic candidate in a closely watched US Senate race, has criticised Republican former president Donald Trump for paving the way for the Arizona Supreme Court last week to reinstate a near-total abortion ban based on an 1864 law written during the US Civil War and when women lacked the right to vote. The top Republican candidate in the race, former television newscaster Kari Lake, once praised the 1864 law, a stance Gallego highlighted in a new digital ad this week. Lake has since…

STRASBOURG: An assailant, 29, yesterday wounded two girls aged six and 11 in a knife attack close to their school in the east of France and was later arrested, officials said. The 11-year-old was stabbed outside the school in the town of Souffelweyersheim outside the city of Strasbourg, while the 6-year-old was attacked by the same man nearby. Both had superficial wounds, police said, and the attacker did not appear to have any known links to radicals. The attack came as Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced measures to crack down on violence committed by schoolchildren against their peers. | AFP…

AFTER being in line to qualify for the semi-finals for the majority of the competition, Western Province have somehow played themselves out of the top four spots in the CSA T20 Challenge. They will hope to get back to winning ways in the Cape derby at Boland Park in Paarl this evening (6pm start) as the Rocks host WP in the penultimate round of fixtures before the semi-finals. Coach Salieg Nackerdien’s Province team have lost four matches on the bounce and slipped to fifth place in the standings. Thus, they’ve allowed the Titans to sneak into the top four with only two round robin fixtures left before the semi-finals get under way next week. However, Province could still find themselves in semi-final action next week as they take on the…