Innehållsförteckning för 2024-04-23 från Cape Argus

AWARD-winning electronic band, GoodLuck, has spent much of the past few years setting stages alight in South Africa and abroad. Renowned for their live electronic performances, the group comprising Juliet Harding, Ben Peters and Tim Welsh, have had sold-out performances in Ireland, the UK and Vietnam. But for the first time in almost two years, they have released new music. As is the case with their other musical offerings, the renowned home-grown band’s latest single, Goodbye My Friend, which features Afrotech duo, Frigid Armadillo, has a deeper meaning to it. Harding, the group’s lead singer, explained to Independent Media Lifestyle recently that the song is dedicated to anyone who is experiencing some kind of loss. She added that a personal encounter prompted the group to work on the new single.…

All five Spice Girls reunited to perform at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party over the weekend. The fashion designer was joined by her family – including husband David Beckham and their four children Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19 and 12-year-old Harper – and friends at Oswald’s in Mayfair, London, to celebrate the milestone. Guests were treated to the group getting up on stage together for the first time since the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012 to sing along to their hit single, Stop, complete with its original choreography. David shared footage of the moment Victoria, Geri Horner, Emma Bunton, Mel B and Mel C sang together on Instagram. Insiders said having all her former bandmates at the party “meant the world” to Victoria, whose green dress from her…

ALLEGED underworld kingpins Mark Lifman and Jerome “Donkie” Booysen have denied that they conspired or paid for the assassination of “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein. After years of delays, the notorious duo have finally appeared in the Western Cape High Court for the much-anticipated trial. Tense interactions were seen around the court building yesterday as the duo’s alleged rival, Nafiz Modack, appeared in the adjacent courtroom for the continuation of the mammoth underworld trial centred on the murder of Anti-Gang Unit commander Charl Kinnear. The two groupings were seen giving each other dirty looks as police closed down several streets and monitored the men associated with either side. According to the indictment, the rivalry dates back to 2016, when Lifman, Booysen, his brother Colin Booysen and Andre Naude established a “brotherhood”…

EIGHT suspects, including two former police officers in the Free State, have been arrested and charged with kidnapping and extortion. However, police said they were confident more charges would be added as their investigation continued. Provincial police spokesperson, Mahlomola Kareli, said the group were arrested on Friday by members of the Provincial Organised Crime Unit working with Crime Intelligence, Welkom Anti-Gang Unit (AGU), and Welkom Tactical Response Team. “The multi-disciplinary team acted on intelligence-led information on eight wanted suspects. “They are believed to be involved in the kidnapping and extortion case, committed on the R30 between Vierfontein and Bothaville on March 1, 2023. “This is after the victim and his friend were lured by the suspects posing as police officials, kidnapped, and coerced to electronically send about R200 000 to…

PN HENDRICKS’S account “A missed opportunity for Hanover Park” (Cape Argus, April 22), refers. The description of the chaotic meeting at his school, Mount View High, was accurate and reflected teaching and living conditions generally in gang-infested Hanover Park. Also in Hanover Park is Athwood Primary School, in Blomvlei Road. I had reason to visit Athwood Primary, and checked up on principal Evan Petersen, who had suffered ill health. The ambience of the school was excellent and learners were gleefully enjoying a fun day. Virtually 95% of learners at Groenvlei High reside in Hanover Park. Professor Brian Williams had run a successful peace ambassadors programme at Groenvlei High last year, reaping great peace initiatives by learners in the Hanover Park community. Athwood Primary epitomises resilience with a never-give-up attitude. The…

As this letter is written, the world is in chaos and chaos is strategically planned and orchestrated by a few people who seek to increase their wealth and influence, people who enjoy the suffering of others. This is the only explanation that clarifies why suffering is constantly recreated and inspired by some. Millennia ago “evil personified” stood in the presence of God the Creator and declared that “evil” would do whatever was needed to mislead humans away from the worship of God the Creator and inspire chaos to prove to the Creator that humanity was unworthy of the status God gave humans. Evil can suggest/inspire/deceive/bully/arouse/instigate/motivate etc. This will be the defence of evil on judgment day when Evil declares that humans had “free will”, given by God. Why are these…

Teachers and educators in South Africa were shocked to find out that 81% of Grade 4 pupils cannot read for meaning, according to the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). But it is not a problem isolated to SA. In the United States, two-thirds of American Grade 4s cannot read for meaning. And just like here, it is children in underprivileged schools with limited resources, who struggle most. Research shows that pre-reading skills in early childhood education (before formal schooling) are vital for future academic success. While not all parents can afford to send their children to early childhood development centres, there is still plenty that can be done in the home to improve pre-reading skills. What is certainly worrying, is that the fact that only 5% of…

New York prosecutors yesterday began telling a jury why Donald Trump’s alleged cover-up of a hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 campaign broke the law, as the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president got under way. “This case is about conspiracy of fraud,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury. “The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election.” Lawyers for the Republican presidential candidate will also make their opening statement in what may be the only one of Trump’s four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before his November 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden. Though Trump called for supporters to protest peacefully at courthouses “all over the country”, few were on hand to greet him when…

Investors who have exited their business and are looking at what to do next are in the enviable position of having a lump sum to invest, and if they do so wisely, they could be set for life. Making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many business owners means more than just resisting the temptation to spend it on designer goods and fast cars. It’s about carefully considering decisions that will have far-reaching consequences for your wealth once you receive the money and decide where to invest it. When it comes to wealth, people tend to ask the wrong question: What return can I expect? That is not the last question you should ask. Instead, you should ask: What do I want to achieve with my wealth? What does…

South Africa’s queen of Afrosoul, Lira, is back in business after suffering a stroke in 2022, which left her unable to read, write or speak. The Feel Good hitmaker has since made significant strides in her recovery and is set to make her first live performance in years during Africa Day celebrations at Constitution Hill in May. The songbird, whose full name is Lerato Molapo, recently visited radio station, Kaya 959, where she did her first radio interview since her medical setback. Speaking to presenter Thabo “T-Bose” Mokwele, she opened up about her stroke and her recovery process. “I didn’t think it (the stroke) was meant to end me. Aside from the fact that I couldn’t talk, nothing was physically wrong with me. I wasn’t unconscious, I had no pain.…

CYBER crime experts have warned Facebook Marketplace buyers and sellers to perform their in-person transactions at a public place where there are CCTV cameras. This as a Kraaifontein couple deals with the trauma of an assault in which they were stabbed and robbed in Crossroads, Nyanga, on Saturday. Pieter Loedolff and Angelique Hawkins-Loedolff took an interest in a Playstation 5 console they found on Marketplace. But when they met the potential seller, their worst nightmare came true. “It was R4 500, marked down to R3 850. “We communicated with them and made our way to a Crossroads house,” said Hawkins-Loedolff. “When we stopped there, a lady came out and showed us to go, but it was too late. “At…

Police are still searching for the suspects who shot and killed two teenagers in separate incidents over three days. While a suspect was initially arrested and charged with the murder of Grade 11 Belgravia High School learner Zamawushe Momoti, who was killed in gang crossfire last Friday, police spokesperson Wesley Twigg yesterday confirmed that the charge against him was withdrawn. Meanwhile, the killers who shot Hoofweg Primary School learner Charlton Geduldt on Sunday in Wesbank are also still at large. Charlton, 15, was killed near Usave in Silversands Road, when unknown suspects robbed him of his bike. The Grade 7 learner’s mother, Janine Geduldt, said the incident took place after 6pm. “He had a makeshift bicycle that he used to ride with up and down, and at that moment he…

With extensive damage to water infrastructure affecting residents along the south peninsula, the City hoped that water would be restored by today, but this is not guaranteed. Scores of households have been left without water since Sunday, which resulted in 44 schools dismissing learners early yesterday, and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA appealing for donations to assist 500 animals in need of hydration. The City’s Water and Sanitation Department said the supply disruption was caused by vandalism of an air valve in Blackbird Avenue, Parkwood, which caused a leak in the system. In order to repair the damage, it required shutting off the water supply that impacted a significant portion of the southern areas of the city. Water tankers have been allocated in various communities while residents waited on…

While many are concerned about the rising cost of living and especially higher electricity prices during winter, around 20 000 Capetonians are homeless. With temperatures predicted to drop to dangerous levels this winter, it’s even harder for those who are sleeping on the streets to survive. With so many people in Cape Town not having their housing needs met it makes winter an even more frightening prospect. Each year, as winter approaches and the temperature begins to drop, many homeless people, including those usually against living in the City’s safe spaces and shelters make the decision to move from the streets to the city’s shelter system to escape the cold. However, few communities have city-wide cold-weather response plans, and many of the plans currently in place leave gaping holes in…

WHO will govern after the elections? The leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), former president Jacob Zuma, is hoping for a two-thirds majority win. If he falls short of that, the MKP might still succeed because EFF leader Julius Malema has said that he was prepared to work with any party that needed a boost, provided the party made his deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, finance minister. Would the state coffers be safe under an EFF government? Strange bargaining strategy. The most important question to ask is: Can South Africa survive under a new clueless government that has no experience of governing? With the DA having had some experience in the government, bearing in mind the main focus is reconstruction and development of the government and the economy, it could…

When South African voters go to the polling stations on May 29, they’ll get three ballot papers, not two as used to be the case in national and provincial elections. Two of the ballot papers are for the election of the National Assembly, while the third is for the election of the provincial legislatures. As is probably widely known, the Electoral Act has been amended to accommodate independent candidates, that is, candidates running on their own – not as candidates for a political party – vying for an individual seat in the National Assembly (or in one of the provincial legislatures). This is a consequence of the Constitutional Court’s 2020 judgment, which made it clear that it was a violation of section 19 of the Constitution, when the Electoral Act…

THE City faces a major problem at beaches where dog owners disobey regulations displayed on signboards and even refuse to remove their canines from the public space when instructed to do so. As the debate continues over whether or not more dog-friendly beaches should be made available to the public, law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason says defiant residents create an unpleasant experience for unsuspecting visitors. “The rules are different from area to area on beaches, so it is important that people familiarise themselves with the rules for each beach or area. “We have had instances of attacks and, in some cases, they have led to severe injuries to man or animal. “Dogs that are unleashed and not under the control of their owners defecate on beaches without their owners seeing…

The Electoral Court has dismissed five cases brought by political parties appealing against their exclusion from contesting the elections. On April 19, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) announced that the Electoral Court had rejected the applications of five political parties seeking inclusion on the ballot. The five parties seeking to challenge their exclusion from the impending elections, included Operation Dudula, Arise South Africa, Cape Independence Party, Defenders of the People, and Independent South Africa National Civic Organisation. All these parties were determined to have not met the essential criteria for candidate nomination. The IEC expressed its approval of the Electoral Court’s decision to dismiss the five cases against it. “In a consolidated ruling on the five applications, the court dismissed all of them. The applications pertained to non-compliance…

In response to: “Number of Cape pharmacies ditch Israeli medicines to become ‘Apartheid Free Zone’, Cape Argus, April 19, 2024. South African healthcare workers for Palestine would like to correct the dangerous and misleading information in the article. In this article, Daniel Bloch, the executive director of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, raises concerns that South African citizens will be asked to change their medication and put their health at risk as a result of being bullied by this campaign. He says South Africans should be insulted that their health is being put at risk by people trying to further a political agenda. He also claims that boycotting these medications will also not do anything positive for the Palestinian people. All of these claims are completely untrue. South…

APRIL 27 marks Freedom Day. On this day in 1994, black South Africans cast their votes for the first time. Thirty years on, are we free? Politically, yes but economic liberation continues to elude blacks. The economy remains in the hands of the minority – white people. When are blacks going to build their economy? When are they going to stop blaming white monopoly capital for their lack of financial progress? The truth is that blacks don’t have an economic development plan. BEE benefits a chosen few: those close to the governing party’s top politicians. Blacks are consumers who don’t support one another. Instead, they buy from other nationalities. A few years ago, Pakistanis and Somalis descended into our country. They took over spaza shops in townships and…

As South Africa gears up for the coming elections on May 29, the political landscape is buzzing with activity. While the spotlight often falls on the country’s major political players, such as the ANC and the DA, it’s the smaller parties that are currently snapping at their heels, vying for attention and hoping to make a significant impact. One of the most notable aspects of this year’s election is the struggle of the ANC. Six weeks away from the election, the party’s election posters are conspicuously absent from street poles, highlighting the financial challenges it faces. This is a stark contrast to previous elections, where the ANC’s presence was ubiquitous. The party’s decline in financial fortunes reflects the broader challenges it is facing, including internal divisions and corruption allegations.…

Mikel Arteta says Chelsea deserve to be higher in the Premier League table as he prepares his title-chasing Arsenal team for a testing London derby tonight. The Gunners returned to the top of the league at the weekend, beating Wolves 2-0 to leapfrog defending champions Manchester City. They are level on 74 points with second-placed Liverpool but have a superior goal difference. City are one point behind with a game in hand. Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea were beaten by City in their FA Cup semi- final on Saturday but are unbeaten in eight league games, with four wins coming in that spell. Arteta said Saturday’s win against Wolves was crucial after last week’s league defeat to Aston Villa and a Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. “We are…

SUCH are the stakes for Mamelodi Sundowns in their coming CAF Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Esperance, that you’d have expected the PSL to give them a break from domestic competition. That has not happened, though, and the Brazilians have to host a high-flying Sekhukhune United at Loftus Versfeld tonight with one eye on Friday’s must-win tie against the Tunisians, who beat them 1-0 at the weekend. What does Rhulani Mokwena do in such a situation? The argument from many would be that it is not a crisis, given Sundowns’ massive strength in depth. Mokwena, they will charge, should be able to field a full team of players who were not part of the one that lost in Tunisia. And that is true. He needs to have all…