Innehållsförteckning för 2024-06-04 från Cape Argus

Legendary South African artist Vicky Sampson has joined forces with Afro-urban soul artist Mahlatze Vokal to release an inspiring new single, You are the Light. The powerful track was released on May 29. The artists said they chose to release it on voting day because they wanted to make a difference. They wanted to remind citizens that even though they were voting to give certain political parties power, that same power is “within us”. The multi-award-winning Sampson said it all began when she met Vokal at an event hosted by The Marofi Group last year. “I instantaneously felt this connection. We spoke about doing this collaboration and about two month later, the group arranged studio time for us to work on this song. “We collaborated on the lyrics…

THE number of fatalities caused by flooding in Kariega and Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape has risen to seven, while in KwaZulu-Natal, a tornado caused extensive damage to infrastructure. Meanwhile, cold, wet and windy conditions are expected to persist in Cape Town, leaving roads and informal settlements vulnerable, the SA Weather Service (Saws) warned. In the Eastern Cape, MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Zolila Williams visited Gqeberha yesterday, where the metro reported four fatalities in Kariega, as well as two in Kabega Park and one in Walmer, in Nelson Mandela Bay. An 18-year-old, a child believed to be between 3 and 4 years old, and two men are reportedly among those killed. Volunteers from Gift of the Givers have gone to the province to provide assistance in…

Ousted Cape Agulhas mayor Paul Swart is still expected to serve as a councillor in the municipality after he was removed from his position for misconduct. Swart was axed as mayor last week during a motion of no confidence, in which six of 10 councillors voted in favour of his removal, with four against it. IOL reported that municipal manager Eben Phillips said despite Swart’s removal, he would remain a councillor and that deputy mayor Raymond Ross would act in the capacity until a new mayor was appointed at a special council meeting set for June 7. Investigations into Swart centred on a payment of R30 000 that he allegedly transferred to Elim Community Trust in 2021 while being a property owner in Elim, which made him a beneficiary of…

While I was sitting at my desk musing, something profound crossed my mind. We often speak about the political spectacle that followed the president’s announcement of a date for the general elections in South Africa. But we don’t often reflect on what the election means to each of us. Each time an election crops up, it sends a sturdy reminder that deep down, we are all inherently equal. It’s the magnificent way that it beautifully, almost effortlessly, normalises our society. It’s irrelevant how influential one might be, or what standing you maintain in society, or how much wisdom you have amassed. No matter the magnitude of our personal achievements and no matter the exponential personal growth we experience, on election day, we are all equal. We get a single vote,…

MANY stories are eroding my peace of mind. The dreadful images and stories coming out of Rafah serve as yet more gruesome evidence of the genocide in the Gaza enclave. The news about the death of 10 teachers from Bochum cluster, Limpopo, who died in an accident on their way to work, and the headline, “Baby girl dies and several missing in Eastern Cape floods”, deeply distressed me. Then, of course, there was the biggest story of them all: the South African elections, the election results, the alleged vote-capture discrepancies and the governing party losing its parliamentary majority and needing coalition partners to surpass 50% of the votes to form a government. Most political analysts believe coalitions do not work and are unstable. I agree. The evidence is in the…

Private security outnumbers the SAPS by 4:1 in South Africa, therefore a unified strategy is essential for community safety in 2024. Last year, the Telegraph Travel Awards voted South Africa as “The Best Country” in the world to travel to and Cape Town as “The Best City” for 2023. It really should come as no surprise, as South Africa’s natural, artistic, and cultural landscape truly offers tourists from across the world the very finest in travel experiences. Despite the devastation caused by the Covid-19 lockdown, South Africa’s tourism industry demonstrates undying resilience. From January to March 2023, there were 2.1 million visitors, more than double for the same period in the previous year, while foreign direct spending amounted to R25.3 billion during the first three months of 2023, an incredible…

Islamabad: A Pakistan high court yesterday overturned a treason conviction against former prime minister Imran Khan, who remains in jail on other charges. The conviction was one of three slapped on Khan in the run-up to February elections, which he claims were orchestrated to prevent his return to power. Khan was convicted with Qureshi, his former foreign secretary, of making public a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington in 2022. He had touted the cypher as evidence that the US had conspired to force him from power. | AFP…

Doubts were growing yesterday about a plan for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal outlined by US President Joe Biden as heavy fighting raged for a third day since his White House address. Biden on Friday presented what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the bloody conflict, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power. However, Netanyahu’s office stressed on Saturday that Israel would push on with the war sparked by the October 7 attack by Palestinian militants on southern Israel until all of its “goals are achieved”, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Israeli media have questioned to what extent Biden’s speech and some crucial details were co-ordinated with Netanyahu’s team, including how…

THE State has called on the Western Cape High Court to hand down the maximum sentence to the two men accused of raping and bludgeoning Heinz Park teen Janika Mello to death. Legal teams went head-to-head yesterday as they argued for sentences for convicted killers Leeroy Rose and Allester Abraham. Janika, 14, who was a Grade 6 learner at Northwood Primary School in Woodlands, went to a karaoke at Portlands High School to support a local soccer club on August 31, 2019. The teen was later dropped off by a taxi close to her home. Her half-naked body was found in her backyard the following morning. According to crime scene photographs, police found multiple used condoms on the scene while the post-mortem report showed she had multiple vaginal and anal…

The community of Lavender Hill, the ANC and the family of late housing and freedom activist Howard Soetwater are mourning his sudden death on election day. Soetwater, 56, was a respected freedom fighter during apartheid and will be remembered for his role in the struggle for housing for the poor and marginalised in the southern suburbs. In the 1990s, Soetwater and fellow comrades in Lavender Hill, mostly women, organised themselves under the Lavender Hill Civic Association and fought hard for houses, which culminated in the development of the Hillview area. Later, with other comrades in the early 2000s, Soetwater organised people living in backyards to fight for houses, which eventually led to the establishment of Cuba Heights, which today stands as a proud testament to his strong resolve to fight…

INDEPENDENT candidates who contested the 2024 general elections have been shown the door by South African citizens, after none of them emerged with convincing seats in the National Assembly. The May 29 general election was the first time that independent candidates were allowed to participate, owing to an amendment to the Electoral Act. Seven independent candidates entered the fray in this year’s elections, seeking to be part of the government’s decision-making body. None made it to Parliament. According to associate professor at the University of the North West, Dr John Molepo, the independent candidates lacked resources and the zeal to attract votes. “The reasons why an independent candidate did not emerge are the resources factor. It is difficult to campaign if you do not have financial capacity. This begs the…

Opera singer Innocent Masuku has raised the South African flag high at the 2024 Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) competition after singing his way to the final. Masuku, who advanced to the semifinals, won the audience award and competed in the highly contested final on Sunday. Despite the fact that he did not win, Masuku was extremely popular among the judges and audience. The Mpumalanga-born star had received a scholarship from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) to study towards a Master’s in Opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. OMT chairperson Rebecca Oppenheimer expressed her pride at Masuku’s performance. “It’s only when you attempt something big that you stand above the crowd, win or lose. We are so proud of Innocent Masuku.” Growing up in eMkhondo (Piet…

The ANC has reached its sell-by date. A once-powerful political force has been buckled by a tsunami of anger and disappointment. What could have been a much longer love affair with all South Africans has turned out to be like the end of a bad marriage. In hindsight, 30 years should have been better used by the ANC to cement a relationship with its supporters. My compatriots have realised the ANC is fallible. However, competent men and women have stepped forward to do what is best for SA. Peter Bachtis | Benoni…

This is perhaps the most critical and challenging time in the lives of South Africans; a time that calls for every one of us to remember we have no other home but South Africa; a time when patriotism should reign supreme, because we have known no other country but SA, to which we owe absolute allegiance. So, we must approach whatever we feel about the outcome of the elections with clear minds, especially because the results prove that all the political parties have just managed to scrape hugely disappointing percentages. That must be interpreted to mean that the voters are convinced that almost all of the parties who had hoped to form a government, had failed to prove that they can be trusted to be an effective alternative to the…

South Africa’s hospitality and tourism industries have a critical role to play in boosting economic development. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the contribution of travel and tourism to South Africa’s gross domestic product is expected to grow by 7.6% every year over the next decade, playing a major role in driving the country’s economic recovery. In a land so beautiful and varied, the opportunity to influence lives and livelihoods is significant. While this opportunity is largely being leveraged, there is room for growth, which is why we’re seeing more and more industry players coming together to invest in this untapped potential. In his speech at the recent Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban, Deputy Minister of Tourism Fish Mahlalela emphasised this, defining hospitality and tourism operators as “catalysts…

London: UK government minister Kemi Badenoch said yesterday that her Conservative party would amend the country’s equality law if they win next month’s general election so that biological sex alone would determine who could use single-sex spaces. The Tories have sought to shore up their base since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the election two weeks ago, with the fringe right-wing Reform UK party threatening to eat into support. The opposition Labour party, which polls are predicting will win on July 4, has accused the Tories of stoking a culture war as a “distraction”. | AFP…

SOUTH African rapper J Molley, also known as Jesse Mollett, recently sent out a distressing suicide note on X, which serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. While he did not go through with the act, his message serves as a call to action for greater awareness and support for those grappling with similar challenges. The incident brings to mind the struggles of other prominent figures in the music community, such as Riky Rick, whose public battles with mental health have shed light on the pervasive issue of depression and suicide. After a significant hiatus from social media, J Molley made a return a few months ago, bravely sharing his struggles with addiction and other challenges while expressing hope for a…

Two suspects, aged 75 and 92, have been arrested in connection with the murder of an 80-year-old victim who was assaulted to death with crutches at an old-age home in Brits, North West. Provincial police spokesperson Amanda Funani said the 75-year-old and the 92-year-old friends allegedly teamed up against the victim. “Reports suggest that the victim and the suspects stayed at an old-age home. “A fight allegedly ensued between the suspects and the victim at about 4am on Thursday, May 30,” said Funani. “According to information, the victim was coming from the bathroom, when he met the suspects who were on their way to the bathroom. “The victim allegedly bumped one of the suspects, who hit the former with his crutches.” Funani said the suspects were arrested in Jericho, near…

ANOTHER clothing item has been found in Saldanha Bay in the continued search for missing Joshlin Smith. The jersey has been sent for forensic testing and analysis, as police confirmed that residents found the knitwear. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said: “We can confirm that community members found a jersey during a random search of the surroundings. Police forensic experts collected the clothing items for forensic analysis. “Investigation is ongoing with various specialised units who form part of an integrated investigation team. The investigation and search for the missing Joshlin continue.” Months after the 6-year-old went missing from her Middelpos home in Diazville, activist Reverend June Dolley-Major went to Saldanha Bay with fellow activist Celesthea Pierang and conducted a massive search on Thursday. “It was quite emotional, we had quite…

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has remained mum over the violent scenes which overshadowed the legal matter between the MK and its founder, Jabulani Khumalo, over ownership of the party in the Electoral Court sitting in the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg. This comes after Khumalo was attacked yesterday by visibly angry MK Party supporters outside the court, following the Electoral Court’s hearing regarding the ownership and leadership of the party. Khumalo recently alleged that its now leader Jacob Zuma was “unlawfully” named as the MK leader by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC). Zuma has reiterated that Khumalo was only an interim leader given orders to register the party on his behalf. The attack on Khumalo comes just two days after its spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said the party was not violent…

SOCIAL media platform Tik Tok was buzzing when a South African couple from Johannesburg trended for their unconventional relationship agreement contract. Khensile Mlangeni and her boyfriend Mbongeni Mazibuko posted a video online. “Mbongeni and I met in Ennerdale. I was with my friend and he was driving past in a taxi. He stopped to greet us, but we did not respond the first time, he then made a U-turn and that is when we responded. “He asked to speak to me, and we spoke and exchanged numbers. This happened on December 30 last year,” said Mlangeni. Mlangeni said that personal interactions started well between them but then quickly fell apart because they did not have any firm boundaries and/or rules mainly because they were not official at the time.…

The black population must recognise this strategy for what it is – a dangerous political conditioning aimed at destroying the unity of Ubuntu among the black majority. Be cautious of narratives that seek to undermine our collective power and unity. The ANC, MK and EFF collectively have 10.4 million votes, 65%, representing the black majority population in the 2024 election, giving them a combined 256 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly. If every vote counts, how can the 10.4 million votes of black voters who chose black-led parties to govern South Africa be overlooked in the selection of our government and president? Why is the DA, with only 3.5 million votes, 21.8% largely from the white minority, given so much power by business and media to dictate the…

The South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP) condemn in the strongest terms the Zionist intimidation campaign waged against author and illustrator Nathi Ngubane and Social Bandit Media, the independent publisher of From the River to the Sea: A Colouring Book. We agree with the colouring book’s creator, Nathi Ngubane, that in the face of the unspeakable genocide of Palestinian people, it is of utmost importance that children in South Africa and across the world learn about the history and culture of Palestine. It is imperative that parents and educators have tools, like this well-researched and expertly produced publication, to counter the persistent erasure and silencing of Palestinian voices in public discourse. It is the tragic, but certainly not novel, irony of Zionist propaganda that the Cape South African…

South Africa’s recent general election has laid bare a troubling reality: a profound disconnect between the electorate and the political establishment. Out of 27.79 million registered voters, a staggering 11.5 million chose not to exercise their right to vote. This significant voter apathy underscores a deeper malaise within South African society, particularly among the youth born after 1994. This generation, which should be the torch-bearer of the democratic ideals established post-apartheid, finds itself disillusioned and disheartened. High crime rates, rampant unemployment and a spiralling cost of living have eroded their faith in the political system. The young South Africans, having grown up in a democracy, question its ability to deliver on its promises. The politicians, ensconced in their power struggles and jockeying for positions, appear increasingly detached from the daily…

LA JUNQUERA: Spanish and French farmers blocked roads along the border through the Pyrenees mountains yesterday ahead of European Parliament elections to protest against alleged unfair competition from outside the EU. Earlier this year, farmers obstructed roads in countries across the EU, saying they faced rising costs and taxes, red tape, excessive green regulations and unfair competition from cheap food imports. With EU elections on June 6-9, French and Spanish farmers used dozens of tractors to block the border. | Reuters…