Innehållsförteckning för 2024-05-15 från Cape Argus

Excitement is in the air as the mesmerising production of I Got Rhythm is set to be part of the Cape Town City Ballet’s 90th birthday celebrations. Renowned artistic producer David Nixon CBE has been charged with the choreography for the inaugural showcase of the hit theatre show. Combining the elegance of ballet with the vivacity of jazz, I Got Rhythm is a fusion of movement and melody. Set to the iconic compositions of George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, the ballet promises to transport viewers to a world where every step tells a story and every note ignites the soul. What sets this production apart is its collaborative spirit as esteemed talents from the Joburg Ballet as well as Jazzart and the Cape Town Opera will join the…

A group of hikers were rescued after they were stranded at Theresa Avenue above Camps Bay on Sunday night. Teams of professionals and volunteers from Wilderness Search and Rescue Western Cape (WSAR) responded to Theresa Avenue above Camps Bay on Sunday night after a visiting group of hikers from Pretoria called for help. The group, aged between 41 and 57, had caught the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway cable car to the top of Table Mountain earlier in the day and had intended to hike down the mountain. WSAR spokesperson David Nel said that a passing hiker had provided vague advice, which led them across the mountain towards Camps Bay. “Unable to safely continue after sunset, they called the emergency contact number at 021 937 0300. “A small team of rescuers…

CONCRETE slabs and structures with the steel, rebar reinforcing, can be designed and drawn by a civil technologist whose registration must be professional and up to date with the Engineering Council of South Africa. His design must still be approved and signed off by a professional civil engineer whose registration must also be up to date with the Engineering Council. These designs are incorporated into the final drawings of the structure. These drawings must then be submitted to the relevant municipality for approval. Here is where corruption can come in to play for illegal approval. Let that be, but the drawings are then handed to the site engineer who must oversee that the correct reinforcing steel is ordered and fixed in position before the correct strength concrete is delivered with…

I’m a theatre enthusiast mainly because of the raw nature of it – live acting, singing and dancing that requires hours of practice to perfect, as there is no luxury of redoing any scenes in front of a live audience. Recently, I transformed my Sundays into theatre days. On one such Sunday, I attended the closing show of Sophiatown at the John Kani Theatre at the Market Theatre. The performance left me emotional; tears streamed down my face as I watched the poignant depiction of life and forced removals in Sophiatown between 1955 and 1960. I found myself grappling with my emotions hours after the curtains closed. A recent review by Kgomotso Moncho-Maripane echoed the sentiments, praising the play’s timeless appeal and its profound engagement with South Africa’s turbulent history.…

Record producer DJ Tira, real name Mthokozi Khathi, has broken his silence following a “sexual assault” claim made against him by Luke Ntombela. In response to Ntombela’s claims, DJ Tira took to Instagram to confirm that he was taking legal action against her. In a statement issued by his legal representative, Khathi and Mkhize Attorneys, the DJ is demanding that the musician retract the allegations made against him on social media and in a radio interview on Ukhozi FM. The lawyers said: “Our clients have advised us of assassinations of their characters and brand perpetuated by your posts on various social media accounts of unfounded, baseless and defamatory allegations against them. “Such conduct from you is causing serious and severe harm to our clients’ esteemed brand and reputation. “It is…

AHEAD of President Cyril Ramaphosa signing into law the National Insurance Bill today, opponents have threatened court action to halt its implementation. On Monday, Ramaphosa’s office indicated that he would sign the contentious bill into law which will, if implemented as envisioned, dramatically change health care – both public and private – in South Africa. The bill aims to provide universal health coverage by pooling funds to ensure equitable access to health care services. It will significantly impact both the private and public health care sectors by restructuring the funding system. Private health care providers will be required to participate in the NHI scheme, which could lead to increased regulation and changes in how they operate. The government has promised that the NHI is expected to improve access to quality…

THE wife of alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield will remain in prison after the Western Cape High court dismissed her bail appeal and lambasted her for being a “liar”. In a scathing judgment, Judge Hayley Slingers, on Monday took issue with various aspects of the claims made by Nicole Johnson in her failed bail applications. Johnson was arrested alongside Stanfield in their plush Constantia home late last year by the Anti-Gang Unit after intense investigations into a botched hit on a former employee. The controversial duo appeared alongside Johannes “Bal” Abrahams, Denver Booysen and Jose Brand in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on charges linked to the manhunt of a former employee after he allegedly stole more than R1 million from the couple. During the explosive bail hearings, it…

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks) raided the Free State Department of Human Settlements yesterday over allegations of housing fraud. The fraud is in relation to the Financial Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (Flisp). The provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti said a search and seizure operation was carried out over allegations of fraud, corruption and money laundering. “During April 2024, the Provincial Department of Human Settlements referred information for criminal investigation to the Hawks’ in relation to the Flisp where some officials were allegedly involved in fraudulent activities related to Flisp applications that were identified. One department official was suspended,” Matoti said. Documents and electronic devices were seized from the offices. “Necessary measures for a search were put in place to search and seize…

I cannot waste my God-given gift for language and writing trying to second-guess the outcome of the looming election. I am not a politician. I do not have a knowledge base from which to attempt even the most rudimentary of prognostications. To me, the exercise is designed for a renewal or repeat of what South African citizens have lived through since the first free democratic election in 1994. Everyone who is 18 years and older is legally empowered to vote. It is the one tool with which you can affirm your established place as an enfranchised citizen in the country of your birth. A vote is not a weapon of attrition, revenge, or rejection. Your vote states very clearly your dissatisfaction with bad service or insincere exploitation of your privileges.…

THE President’s signature on the Combating and Prevention of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act is a dark day for democracy and for religious freedom in particular. Far from protecting and promoting a more free and participative society, this law cuts deeply into the constitutional cornerstone of the right of freedom of expression. It is bizarre that it will be easier to be prosecuted and jailed for the new crime of hate speech than to be sued successfully and made to give an apology or pay a fine under the Equality Act. The Constitution and the Constitutional Court are clear that hate speech must be narrowly defined, but this law opens the door to frivolous and vexatious criminal prosecution. The definition of “hate speech” is concerningly vague and ambiguous, even…

In April 1994, South Africa witnessed the dawn of a new era in our politics and national life. With the apartheid regime drawing its final breath, jubilation overcame millions of South Africans and the global community on the day we now commemorate as Freedom Day. The 1994 elections marked a watershed moment that granted citizens of all races, aged 18 and above, the hard-won right to exercise their freedom at the ballot box. Emotions surged as South Africans of every age queued across the nation, with great hope to cast their votes. The moment signified the end of an era and grappled with the echoes of a volatile past, yet cheered by the promise of a brighter future. Fast-forward 30 years to 2024, and there’s a noticeable absence of the…

Israeli troops fought Hamas militants in multiple battles across the Gaza Strip, forcing new waves of Palestinian mass displacement, as Israel marked a sombre Independence Day yesterday. Clashes have rocked the densely crowded far-southern city of Rafah but also flared again in northern and central Gaza, months after troops and tanks first entered those areas. The US has urged a Gaza ceasefire and called on its ally Israel to devise “a strategic endgame” and post-war plan, said White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. This would help Israel avoid “getting mired in a counterinsurgency campaign that never ends and ultimately saps Israel’s strength and vitality,” Sullivan told a briefing in Washington on Monday. Recent battles and heavy Israeli bombardments have been reported around Rafah as well as in Gaza City…

Actress Omuhle Gela, pictured, has announced that scheduling conflicts with an upcoming TV series have forced her to part ways with Tropika Island of Treasure Zanzibar. The Muvhango actress was announced as a celebrity cast member for the 11th season of the popular South African reality competition TV show. The latest season of Tropika Island of Treasure Zanzibar will be hosted by radio presenter Zanele Potelwa and is expected to air on SABC3 around September. The series features a mix of local celebrities and regular people who engage in challenges on a luxurious island location for a grand prize of R1 million. In a heartfelt statement posted to X, Gela announced her withdrawal from the show. “I write with great regret to inform you that I have made the difficult…

SOUTH Africa’s unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2024 has increased by 0.8% to 32.9%, with the Western Cape suffering the most job losses in the country between January and March. This was revealed by statistician-general Risenga Maluleke yesterday. Provinces that recorded declining employment numbers were the Western Cape (17 000), followed by North West (13 000), Mpumalanga (8 000), Eastern Cape (4 000) and Limpopo (3 000), while Free State remained unchanged. StatsSA indicated the provinces that recorded increases in employment were KwaZulu-Natal (35 000), Gauteng (26 000) and Northern Cape (4 000) when compared to the previous quarter Q4:2023 and Q1:2024. Maluleke said the working-age population increased by 137 000 or 0.3% in the…

YOUR edition on Monday, May 13 – “Mbeki: ANC is cleansing itself of rogue elements”. Unfortunately, these rogue elements crept in even before the end of president Mandela’s presidency. From the early days of the arms deal to the all-pervasive corruption indicative since then, we have had almost 30 years of self-destruction. The early promise and hope of our new Constitution has been completely trashed by successive ANC governments. Is the cleansing going to last another 30 years? Stop the rot by pushing the ANC out as soon as possible.…

What would it take for all those who pretend to understand the plight of many, mostly illegal immigrants who flood this country to look for non-existent greener pastures but which often leads to bitter betrayal that ends up in tears? There is no end to the tragedies that affect these desperate people in this country, with some of them perishing in a foreign country, making it difficult for their relatives in their countries of origin to even know that they lost their lives, and if they do find out, they find it difficult to repatriate their bodies. This reminds me of a young man from Brazil who was used as a drug mule. He was caught at OR Tambo International Airport, carrying in his stomach 78 bullets of a drug…

THIS year marks South Africa’s 30th anniversary of our democracy, but many uncertainties and worries remain. As a result, most individuals have been more transparent with their thoughts and feelings in the run-up to the elections. Some have given a bleak image of their daily lives, despite assertions that much progress has been made to better South Africa. This has also triggered conversations on unemployment, load shedding, poverty, crime and corruption, underscoring challenges that continue to plague the country. Legendary Kwaito star Zola 7 was among those who took to his social media platform. He disclosed that he had visited the Vaal, where residents were sleeping in subpar conditions. “This past weekend, I was in Vaal, and I couldn’t help but get emotional, saying that with 30 years of democracy…