Innehållsförteckning för 2024-05-27 från Cape Argus

Local actress Gugu Gumede, recently revealed that she lost 30kg in just four months after a sleeve gastrectomy. The sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric surgery operation which induces weight loss by reducing the intake of food. According to Mediclinic: “Bariatric surgery is covered by many medical schemes, but only if such procedures are deemed necessary for medical purposes and if it is seen as vital in preserving the health of the member.” This surgery costs between R60 000 and R140 000, depending on the procedure. The operation involves removing a portion of the stomach, which helps reduce food intake. Patients typically lose about 60-70% of their excess weight in the first two years after surgery. She took to her YouTube channel to explain the reasons for the surgery.…

Four small wind turbines have been erected at the V&A Waterfront as part of a pilot project to establish a German company's power solutions in the country. The inauguration of the LS Double Helix turbines took place last week at the V&A Waterfront, along with LuvSide GmbH, a German manufacturer. The turbines are expected to offer an energy yield of several thousand kWh per year, depending on the wind power. The turbines were installed as part of a pilot project of the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action’s German Energy Solutions Initiative. Tanja Werheit, the German consul-general of Cape Town, praised the aesthetic appeal of the turbines, saying: “The turbines look like a piece of art or sculpture and therefore it fits…

IT’S tough to try and sum up three glorious (yes, and that includes the weather) packed days of author talks, events and story-telling but above all, as Franschhoek Literary Festival (FLF) states on its programme “Story is the thing”. The event took place the weekend before last from May 17 to 19. An all-woman team puts together the programme with the support of loyal publishers and sponsors, and with 106 sessions, the variety shows enormous thought. With that, and the years of experience, comes the knowledge that it brings the Western Cape a literary event that’s surely one of the best in the country. The streets of the small Boland town come alive, making it feel like carnival time, with quirky quotes posted on poles throughout the village, all…

It was not that long ago that some Sharks supporters launched an online petition demanding a change in coaching staff at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, but a very different tune is playing now after the Sharks won the Challenge Cup at the weekend. Few would have believed this possible a few months ago when the Sharks were rooted to the bottom of the United Rugby Championship points table with one win in 11 games. It is something of a miracle that the doom and gloom that pervaded the Sharks Tank gave way to joyous scenes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the Durbanites celebrated South Africa’s first win in a European Cup competition. This Phoenix-like rise from the ashes is a timely boost for South African rugby because the Sharks have…

DUBLIN: Twelve people travelling on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland were injured during a bout of turbulence, Dublin Airport said yesterday, adding that the plane landed safely. Flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed before 1pm local time, the airport said. “Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including our Fire and Rescue department, due to 6 passengers and 6 crew on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence for 20 seconds over Türkiye,” Dublin Airport said. Qatar Airways said a “small number” of passengers and crew had minor injuries. | Reuters…

Before the election campaigns kicked off some months ago, Thembeka Dliwako, who has earned the moniker, Nomarally, or the Queen of Rallies, was an unknown figure. However, with just a day to go before the elections on Wednesday, she is now a popular figure who hobnobs with political rivals and listens to different political manifestos across the country. Reflecting on her new-found political fame, Dliwako said: “This is unbelievable. I started this as a game and now people know me wherever I walk.” Dliwako, from Pietermaritzburg, is a second-year human resources student at Mnambithi TVET College. “I will use my stature to advocate for better conditions at tertiary institutions. (Being) young, we want the best education so that we become better people in the future,” she said. It all started…

Repeated acts of vandalism and theft have led Eskom to a decision that it will no longer prioritise the replacement of equipment in affected areas. This comes as Delft residents say they have been left in the dark following unending illegal connections from the Covid informal settlement for the past three years. Eskom general manager of the Cape Coastal Cluster, Mbulelo Yedwa, said: “Eskom in the Western Cape has spent millions on replacing and repairing stolen and vandalised equipment and has taken the decision not to replace equipment if theft and vandalism continues to persist. Eskom has taken a strong stance against the theft and vandalism of infrastructure and illegal connections. In such cases, Eskom will first engage the community before repairing the network and restoring supply. Eskom will engage…

IN JANUARY 2003, 10 men were tied up and brutally attacked at a gay massage parlour called Sizzlers in Sea Point. Quinton Taylor had his throat slit and was shot twice in the head but he somehow and miraculously managed to drag himself to a nearby petrol station – as the sole survivor he had the key to identifying the killers. Adam Woest and Trevor Theys were arrested and convicted of the heinous crime. They got multiple life sentences. The judge in his closing statement referred to their actions as a crime of “unparalleled savagery”. It begged the question: What was the motive for what was described as a vicious bloodbath? The killers maintained it was a robbery gone wrong. However, there was far more at play. In 2018, Woest,…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convening his war cabinet late yesterday, a senior official said, amid intense diplomacy to forge a Gaza truce and hostage release deal. In Brussels, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists before meeting the Palestinian premier that a strong Palestinian Authority (PA) was in Israel’s interest. EU members Ireland and Spain, and also Norway, have said they will recognise the State of Palestine from today, drawing furious Israeli condemnation. “A functional Palestinian Authority is in Israel’s interest too, because in order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one,” Borrell said. Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, whose government is based in the occupied West Bank, said the “first priority” was to support people in Gaza, especially through…

Dakar: Suspected jihadists killed at least 18 civilians in central Mali, numerous sources said yesterday. An elected official in Bandiagara, a town 60km from Diallassagou, said “the unidentified armed men killed 19 farmers in their fields. All the victims had been displaced and have settled in Diallassagou”. Mali has since 2012 been plunged into turmoil by independence and Salafist insurgencies in the north with the emergence of jihadist groups. The violence has spilled over into Burkina Faso and Niger. Clashes have increased between herders, and farmers, leading to the formation of ethnic self-defence groups. | AFP…

PAUL Roos showed why they are the top-ranked team in South African school rugby with an overwhelming 50-25 win against visitors Wynberg. They ran in seven tries to four after holding onto a narrow 26-20 lead at the interval. It was a game of two halves with Wynberg playing with great flair in the first half and the home side exerting a stranglehold in the second. Wynberg were early out of the starting blocks surprising the ‘Maroon Machine’ with their intent. It took them only five minutes to get the scoreboard ticking. From a line-out just inside the 22m line, they executed a perfect rolling maul and after sucking in the loose-forwards, captain and flanker Aden da Costa was able to dot down, with flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed on target…

Legendary American R&B and soul singer Johnny Gill is heading to South Africa. He will perform at the Sun City Resort on Friday, June 21, as part of SunFest’s ultimate winter line-up. He will then take to the stage at SunBet Arena in Time Square in Pretoria on Saturday, June 22. Fans can look forward to hearing some of his classics such as My, My, My and Rub You the Right Way. The two-time Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter has made a name for himself over the decades, having released eight solo albums which went on to sell 15 million copies. He is also part of the music group New Edition, made up of Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins. Gill was also a member of LSG, together…

AUTHORITIES are clamping down on suspects committing crimes and hiding out in the Kraal informal camp in the Bo-Kaap. In the latest arrest, two suspects were caught on Friday by law enforcement after theft from a car in which multiple items were stolen. Law enforcement officers had radioed the City’s CCTV control room and requested they be on the lookout for the suspects, who were later spotted in the Kraal. Safety and security mayco member JP Smith said officers were informed that two suspicious people were seen emtering the area, concealing items below their clothing. “Law enforcement’s dedicated CBD unit members responded and were guided to the structure by CCTV controllers. “Now aware of their approach, occupants of the structure were heard hurriedly trying to hide items inside. “With officers…

A QUICK-thinking taxi driver in Claremont foiled a robbery and helped authorities make an arrest at the intersection of Rosmead Avenue and Chichester Road at the weekend. The City’s traffic enforcement ghost unit were on patrol when they spotted the taxi driver disregarding a directional arrow on Friday, which left them surprised as the driver clearly spotted them before committing the offence, said safety and security mayco member JP Smith. “They pulled him over and during an interview the driver informed them that two men had boarded the vehicle earlier and not only threatened him but also demanded money from the rest of the passengers. “He said the men claimed to have a firearm,” Smith said. Officers immediately arrested the two suspects and a search revealed that both were armed…

Multitalented Irish author Cecelia Ahern was present at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, where I was fortunate enough to interview her. At the age of 21 her first book, PS I Love You (2004), went on to become a series, a major movie with Hilary Swank and has a sequel, Postscript. Many of her subsequent books have been made into series and her 20th book is out later this year. Ahern has been writing since she was a child, from journalling to story-telling, “I was always scribbling,” she says. “I loved thinking I could write!” And write she can! She writes about empathy, emotions and always exploring the “what ifs” and admits that Irish tales have shaped her imagination. Her novels are very grounded, taking ordinary events and challenges and…

With the country heading to the polls on Wednesday, South Africans are cautiously optimistic that sense will prevail and we can all get back to business. A new system will allow millions of South Africans the opportunity to vote on three ballot papers: the national compensatory ballot, the regional ballot and the compensatory ballet. The new system was introduced to allow independent candidates to contestgeneral elections at provincial and national levels, without upsetting the balance of seat allocation in the National Assembly. While this sounds confusing, in practicality you can just go ahead and vote for your party as planned. In the five years since the last general election, South Africa has undergone massive change. The country has battled the Covid-19 pandemic, load shedding, sub-standard municipal service delivery and a…

Patuakhali: At least 800 000 Bangladeshis fled their coastal villages yesterday for concrete storm shelters further inland as an intense cyclone smashed into the low-lying coast of Bangladesh, disaster officials said. Cyclone Remal was hit the southern coast and parts of neighbouring India late yesterday, with Bangladesh’s weather department predicting howling gales and gusts of up to 130km/h. Cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh in recent decades, but the number of superstorms hitting its coast has increased sharply – from one a year to as many as three. | AFP…

Ahmedabad: Four young children were among 27 people killed when a fire in India ripped through a crowded amusement park in Rajkot, a city in the western state of Gujarat, a top local official said yesterday, as rescuers scoured the site the morning after the blaze. Survivors reported having to kick down doors and leap out of windows to escape the inferno that swept through a centre packed with young people enjoying games. More than 300 people were in the two-storey structure at the park when the blaze broke out on Saturday. The flames spread rapidly because of the structure’s flammable material. | AFP…