Innehållsförteckning för 2024-05-13 från Cape Argus

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) says it is not aware of an impending countrywide “passive hunger strike” by the country’s inmates said to be dissatisfied with the IEC voter registration roll-out ahead of the upcoming national elections. This comes after the SA Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) yesterday threatened countrywide mass action across all South Africa’s 248 correctional facilities. Sapohr president Golden Miles Bhudu said the impending mass protest would include passive hunger strikes, downing of kitchen, cleaning and garden tools as well as a boycott of court appearances by inmates. “The call for this legitimate peaceful protest action, is borne from the indisputable long-standing fact of the so-called IEC and its allies, the ANC, Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) involvement in…

THE Western Cape continues to shine as a destination in high demand, as tourist arrivals at Cape Town by air increased by a remarkable 16% year-on-year increase between January and March this year, reaching 336 268. This is according to the first-quarter tourism report for January to March 2024, compiled by the Western Cape government’s tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro. Tourism is a cornerstone of the strategic economic initiative, G4J, or “Growth for Jobs” and the government’s aim is bold: to stimulate the economy, attract investments, and create job opportunities that transform lives and lift many more residents from poverty to prosperity, said Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger.. “To achieve this, we’re setting ambitious targets, like doubling our visitor numbers by 2035, and working to remove…

Addressed and acknowledged as special hand-picked guests of Allah Ta’ala, a group of Hajj pilgrims were treated to a farewell lunch by Survé Philanthropies. For a second year in a row, Survé Philanthropies has been sponsoring Hajj pilgrims through partnering with Rihlatul Umr, Lillah Foundation, and Khidmatul Awaam facilitating the holy pilgrimage. A farewell dinner was hosted at the Islamia College hall on Saturday to mark the momentous occasion. Rihlatul Umr founder and chairperson Najwa Mohamed-Luddy said the organisation assists women who are not financially able to perform their Hajj. “Within the last three years of establishing Rihlatul Umr, we have financially assisted 48 women in total. In the year 2022, we managed to assist six women, two of which were full packages; that was the first and only time…

Over the past years, the UK government has been exploring ways to deport asylum seekers to other countries, particularly African countries, as part of its efforts to deter illegal migration. In its latest move, the government passed the Rwanda Bill and successfully negotiated a deal with Rwanda to facilitate the deportation of asylum seekers. The measure received support in the British Parliament, aligning with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s agenda of “stopping the boats”. The scale of the plan is significant, with about 2 000 of 52 000 individuals slated for deportation within the next 10 to 12 weeks. Under the terms of the agreement, asylum seekers who arrived in the UK through unauthorised routes may find themselves whisked 6 400km away to Rwanda. While some view this as consistent with…

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen feels his team are “still alive”, but has urged his players to be more ruthless on attack if they hope to make the United Rugby Championship play-offs. The Johannesburg side had to wait until the 79th minute to grab their bonus-point try in the 34-13 victory over Cardiff at Ellis Park on Saturday night. The URC quarter-final race is as tight as it can get, with the Lions 10th on 44 points, Connacht on the same tally but in ninth due to having won one more game, and Benetton eighth on 48 after they beat the Sharks 25-24 in Durban on Saturday. Edinburgh are seventh on 48, Ulster sixth on 49 and Stormers fifth on 50, with the top four seeing Glasgow leading, followed by…

IN THEORY, the Sharks were supposed to use their match against Benetton to keep the big guns firing and build momentum, but rugby has a curious knack of shoving a spanner in the works. With apologies to poet Robbie Burns, for John Plumtree it is a case of “the best-laid schemes of mice and men can often go astray”. The match was lost 25-24 in the 78th minute to the dogged Italians, and three top Boks in Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch and Lukhanyo Am are in serious doubt for the May 24 Challenge Cup final against Gloucester. The Sharks host Cardiff this week in a United Rugby Championship (URC) match and we can be sure there will be a truckload of cotton wool delivered to the Shark Tank because…

Christine Quinn’s estranged husband has been charged with child abuse/endangerment. The Selling Sunset star accused Christian Richard Dumontet of throwing a bag of glass at her, only for it to miss and hit their two-year-old son Christian jr, during an incident in March, and now he has been formally charged with three misdemeanour offences. Law enforcement officials told TMZ that Dumontet has been charged with child abuse/endangerment, assault and violation of a protection order, but the Los Angeles County District Attorney deemed that the case did not meet felony filing requirements. Quinn’s attorney, Jacqueline Sparagna, said they are “extremely satisfied” with the decision. The lawyer told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column: “He has now been formally charged with child abuse against his toddler, assault against Christine Quinn…

Former Eskom CEO and engineer Matshela Koko has called for calm after 40-plus days of no load shedding in South Africa. This came about after Eskom chairperson Mteto Nyati recently dismissed speculation that the load-shedding reprieve was yet another election ploy by the government. Since September 2022, South Africans have had to get used to daily bouts of load shedding. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika recently, Mteto dismissed speculation and accusations that this was due to the upcoming elections, adding that these theories were uncalled for. “We are not playing any political games. That is not who we are, and we are never going to start playing those games,” he said. “Our focus is to help sort out South Africa’s challenges.” Last week, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr…

A healthy functioning democracy is predicated on the electorate making informed choices which, in turn, rests on the quality of information they receive. The work of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), is incomplete without the presence of the members of the media. Since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy 30 years ago, the media has been used to facilitate not only the realisation of democracy but also the representation of all its facets. Through the media, we have archives of the dire implications of colonialism and apartheid on the lived experiences of civilians and the consequences of systems established centuries ago. Today, the media continue to have not only a constitutional mandate to uphold but it enjoys access to diverse communities in order to accurately represent the lived…

JDR Stars’ hopes of PSL promotion/relegation play-off qualification became slightly more complicated with a 1-1 draw against Baroka in their Motsepe Foundation Championship clash at the Global Stadium in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo, yesterday. The result means the battle for the play-offs moves into the final day of the season with both sides failing to make inroads into the lead enjoyed by second-placed University of Pretoria, who are two points ahead of both clubs on 48 points. First-placed Magesi have already earned automatic qualification for the elite league next season. JDR Stars were within inches of grabbing the advantage heading into the final matchday next weekend, but will rue not securing victory in a tightly contested game with few chances. With the sun setting in Lebowakgomo, it looked as if the hopes…

Cape Town City and TS Galaxy look set to hold on to their top-eight berths after they drew their DStv Premiership match 1-1 at the Cape Town Stadium, Green Point, yesterday afternoon. TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic said he would have liked all three points, but was happy with the draw. “We played against a fantastic team and it was beautiful to come here and go away with a point,” said Ramovic. “We started the game well and we had many opportunities (to score). My team trained well and the players have beautiful attitudes.” Eric Tinkler, City’s coach, is not happy that his team did not collect maximum points. “I think there were lots of turnovers for both sides,” said Tinkler. “Our ball retention was not good enough. We put…

WINTER nights are going to come with action-packed drama. Showmax has dropped its trailer for Empini, and it looks hot. The local show, set to premiere on the streaming service on May 23, features an all-star cast. They include Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, Siyabonga Thwala, Nqobile Sipamla, Owen Sejake and Charmaine Mtinta. Empini is a 52-episode drama series set in the dangerous world of private security, and according to Sipamla, will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. “Empini is an edgy show that will have viewers thoroughly entertained,” she said in a statement. “It will showcase the intricate dynamics of how it is sometimes necessary that some secrets be kept for the safety of others, while, on the other hand, some secrets must come to light.” Sipamla is no…

A SPATE of gang shootings in Mitchells Plain, following the recent death of a prominent gang boss, Mogamat Sadeka Madatt, has the community on edge. This past weekend, six people were killed in 24 hours in the Rocklands neighbourhood, close to where Madatt, 55, was shot and killed last month in a suspected gang hit. On Saturday, three people were shot in Gold Street, Rocklands around 9pm in a drive-by shooting, and while that scene was still active, another person was shot dead in Viscount Avenue. Yesterday, at around 12pm, another person was shot and killed in broad daylight in Rocklands, next to the railway line. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie confirmed the shootings, saying that the suspects are yet to be arrested and it is believed the incident is gang-…

Several motorists across South Africa have fallen victim to marauding gangs of criminals purporting to be police officers, who stop the unsuspecting drivers and rob them. Commonly referred to as “blue-light gangs”, the brazen criminals set up roadblocks or instruct drivers to stop while purporting to be members of the SAPS or metro police. At times, the criminals drive vehicles with insignia of the police, or use flashing blue lights, and in other incidents the robbers wear police uniforms or display police appointment cards. Last month, three alleged criminals were shot dead on a Sunday night during an exchange of gunfire with police officers. Gauteng police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said the three were part of the blue-light criminal gangs that terrorised motorists on the N3, between Villiers and Heidelberg. Criminologist…

The Constitutional Court judgment handed down on Friday against the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) will make it difficult for the party to have a seat in the National Assembly, according to an analyst. On Friday, the apex court ruled in favour of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), which found that the online candidate nomination system functioned without issues at the relevant time. This was after ACT and two other parties blamed their failure to submit the required signatures on time on the IEC’s online portal which, they allege, malfunctioned. However, the IEC opposed the three applications before the apex court and submitted that if the court granted the relief sought, the IEC would not be in a position to deliver free and fair elections on May 29.…

THE ANC ended its week-long high-powered campaigns in KwaZulu-Natal on a high note with former president Thabo Mbeki vowing that the ruling party was cleansing itself of rogue elements. “We are renewing the ANC. We want to return the ANC to its rightful position as the leader of society,” said Mbeki, adding that “we’re going to do the things which will never disappoint your expectations”. He added: “I have been insisting that the question of the renewal of the ANC is critical to make sure that the ANC becomes of the kind that I am talking about. And the leadership of the ANC has not told me to shut up. They said we have to do this thing and they said ‘Please, go and campaign’.” Mbeki was among the senior…

VISITING the site where an apartment building under construction collapsed a week ago, Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday said the developer of the project had not been forthcoming with information. The death toll from the collapsed building last night stood at 20 as rescue workers continued their attempts to search and recover those who had been entombed in concrete and steel. Thirty-two people remained unaccounted for. Speaking to the media at the site, Cele said the developers and the contractors had been secretive about revealing details of the workers on the site. “Indeed, they (police) are working with them to get information. But if information is not forthcoming the police are instructed to enforce and uphold the law,” said Cele. According to the minister, the companies involved in the project…

After breaking their overseas hoodoo in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in Wales on Friday, the Stormers will want to see a significant improvement in their next clash in Ireland – their second-last round-robin match of the season. They scored four tries in the last 15 minutes at Rodney Parade to put away the Dragons, but they left things very late to secure the bonus-point 44-21 victory. The win was all they were after, and things can only improve in the next match as they travel to Galway to face Irish dark horse Connacht this Saturday. The Stormers didn’t impose their game on the Dragons until deep into the second half, and some penalties and kick-tennis prevented them from picking up any momentum on the attack. Head coach John Dobson…

Arsenal kept their Premier League title dreams alive by ending an Old Trafford hoodoo to grind out a 1-0 win at Manchester United yesterday to move back top of the table. Leandro Trossard scored the only goal on 20 minutes as Arsenal won for just the second time in 17 games away at United to go a point clear at the summit. Manchester City still have the destiny of the title in their own hands as the defending champions have two matches left to Arsenal’s one. However, the Gunners kept the pressure on Pep Guardiola’s men ahead of their tricky trip to Tottenham tomorrow. Defeat further dented United’s chances of competing in Europe next season. Erik ten Hag’s men showed more spirit than in a dismal 4-0 defeat to Crystal…

AmaZulu (1) 1 Letsoalo 39 Kaizer Chiefs (1) 1 Du Preez 2 AmaZulu and Kaizer Chiefs could not be separated as they drew at the Moses Mabhida Stadium yesterday. The two teams, battling for a top-eight spot, could not make significant ground in their ambitions as they added just a single point to their tally. Amakhosi stayed in eighth spot in the DStv Premiership standings, while Usuthu failed to move up from 12th place. The opportunity to qualify for next season’s MTN8 competition pitted two of the nation’s oldest clubs against each other in perfect conditions. Changes were expected in both line-ups with both teams coming off draws, against Stellenbosch and TS Galaxy. The most notable were in the away side’s starting 11 as head coach Cavin Johnson made…