Innehållsförteckning för 2024-06-06 från Cape Argus

Dancing For The Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is a gripping three-episode docuseries that takes viewers on a chilling journey into the world of cults. It explores the lengths to which individuals will go for acceptance and success, revealing the often hidden dangers lurking behind seemingly benign façades. The series begins by focusing on famous TikTok dancers who have turned their social media presence into successful careers. As it unfolds, we see the darker side of their success, highlighting how the desire for fame and belonging can lead people into dangerous situations. One chilling realisation that echoes throughout the series is the unsettling fact that “it’s not illegal to start a cult”. This loophole adds a layer of fear, emphasising the ongoing threat posed by these groups. At the heart…

The rand has had a poor start to the week and fell on Tuesday evening as uncertainty grows around possible coalition partners with the ANC. The rand was trading at around R18.70 at the close of business on Tuesday evening. Reuters said this was more than 0.7% weaker than its closing level on Monday. Shaun Murison, a senior market analyst at IG, said the rand has underperformed when compared to a broad basket of its currency peers. He said this suggested continued angst with regard to coalition uncertainties as the ANC tries to navigate creating a government after not achieving an outright majority at the polls. “The rand was erring on the side of caution, pricing in some of the economic risks a business-unfriendly coalition may provide,” Murison added. Anchor…

AS COALITION talks are officially unfolding behind the scenes, the top brass of the IFP and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) are said to be edging closer to clinching a power deal to govern KwaZulu-Natal. The province was hung with the newly formed MKP bagging 45% of the votes, and unseating the ANC as the ruling party in KZN, a position the ANC has held for 20 years after dislodging the IFP in 2004. The MKP won 37 seats in the 80-seater provincial legislature, while the IFP secured 15, the ANC 14, the DA 11, the EFF two and the NFP one seat. On Tuesday, senior leaders of the MKP met in Nkandla, where MKP leader Jacob Zuma lives. “We are having discussions with key political parties in KZN. We want…

TWO of Mzansi’s leading comedians, Marc Lottering and Alfred Adriaan, have added a show in Mitchells Plain as they take their jokes to locals. Their show, titled Alfred and Marc, kicked off at The Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg before moving to the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on Saturday. The duo also recently announced that they would be bringing their act to Mitchells Plain at Westridge High School on June 15. Both comics have been packing out theatres locally and abroad, and their fans can expect to be treated to two hours of sheer comedy. But coming to Mitchells Plain always pulls at the heart strings for Lottering. The comedian spent a great part of his youth in the streets of Mitchells Plain, where his father was a pastor at…

Donations have started flowing to oThongati north of Durban after the area was ravaged by a hail storm on Monday afternoon. The storm, which residents said lasted several minutes, left at least seven people dead and a trail of destruction. Yesterday, truckloads of food stuff and blankets were delivered to a hall that housing displaced people. The donations were from the five business people who came together to support the affected communities. According to local community leader Silindile Khuzwayo, close to 2 000 people who were displaced would benefit from the donations. She said there were 650 people affected in the Newtown section, 590 in the KwaTshatsha area, 480 in Magwaveni, and around 200 in the Barbreeze area. She added that her committee was continuing to register the…

Every so often, the solution to a problem is not to do more but to do less. This article explains why it’s important to focus your energy on the right aspects. By focusing on important aspects over unimportant ones, we can control our life experiences that either drain or radiate our energy. Being clear about your choices and frequently evaluating how you spend your energy is key to fashioning a sunny state of mind. In doing so, your brain is rewired to naturally bring in positive energy when you start focusing on what matters the most and is within your control. Consider the check-in practice of looking through an energy lens that radiates energy into your thinking and whisks it up into a sunnier state of mind. A sunshine mindset…

When Ottniel Baartman claimed a wicket with his opening ball in the T20 World Cup – the first South African to achieve this feat – the applause could be heard all the way from the Big Apple down to the home of the biggest bird in the world. Baartman hails from the tiny Western Cape town of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo, which is, of course, better known for its ostriches. It certainly was a momentous occasion for the 31-year-old seam bowler, who before this year had never even left the shores of South Africa. But here he was excelling on the international stage at a T20 World Cup, with the Proteas crest on his chest in New York of all places. Baartman’s journey to the national team has been…

Carlos Alcaraz saw off Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets on Tuesday night to set up a mouth-watering French Open semi-final clash with incoming world No 1 Jannik Sinner. The reigning Wimbledon champion proved too strong for former Roland Garros runner-up Tsitsipas, powering to a 6-3 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 victory on Court Philippe-Chatrier. “I was really calm in the moments I had to (be),” he said. “I’m really happy to play a semi-final here again at Roland Garros.” Alcaraz will be desperate to right the wrongs of last year – when he suffered cramps in a defeat by Novak Djokovic – in his second successive French Open semi-final, where he will face Sinner today. The 21-year-old Spaniard has now won all six of his career matches against ninth-ranked Tsitsipas, including back-to-back…

SPORTS, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa on Wednesday tendered his resignation with immediate effect. Kodwa, who is facing corruption charges, informed President Cyril Ramaphosa that he was stepping down as a Cabinet minister. His spokesperson, Litha Mpondwana, said Kodwa expressed his sincere appreciation to the president and the governing party for the opportunity to have served the nation. “He also takes the opportunity to express thanks to all the staff at the Ministry and Department of Sports, Arts and Culture for the opportunity to serve with them, and to all stakeholders in Sports, Arts and Culture with whom he has worked so well as minister,” Mpondwana said. Yesterday, Kodwa appeared alongside his co-accused, former EOH boss Jehan Mackay, in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting at the Palm Ridge…

CONVICTED killer and rapist Thabo Bester says his confidentiality is compromised in prison, and in a rant asked for a death sentence in order to end the case and his suffering. Bester, his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and seven accused appeared in the Free State High Court yesterday for a pre-trial hearing following Bester’s brazen escape. They face a string of charges including helping Bester fake his death in a fire to escape from the Mangaung correctional facility, which was run by G4S private security, in May 2022. Bester is currently incarcerated at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility where he is serving a life sentence for two counts of rape and a count of murder. He is expected to appoint new legal representatives as his previous legal team lodged an application…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s future seems to hang in the balance after some ANC members and tripartite alliance partners refused to go to bed with the DA. The governing ANC a week ago failed to reach a majority for the National Assembly after 30 years, racking up only 40.2% of the 2024 elections votes, announced by the Electoral Commission of SA on Sunday. A sharp drop from 57% in 2019. For the first time, the party also struggled to reach majorities in Gauteng, the Northern Cape and KZN. The party’s long-term alliance partner, Cosatu, this week rejected the idea of any coalition with the DA in public, accusing them of “fighting against improving the rights of workers”. The party has been in talks with other parties regarding the possibility of coalitions.…

In SPITE of a series of objections against the recent elections, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo will today officially receive the lists of designated members of Parliament (MPs) and members of provincial legislatures (MPLs) from the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC). In a statement, the Office of the Chief Justice said the handing over of the name lists of Members of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures to the Chief Justice was part of an established practice after every election. “It is an established practice in South Africa that after the announcement by the IEC of the results of the national and provincial elections, the IEC hands over the lists of members of Parliament and provincial legislatures to the Chief Justice, who then hands them over to the…

COALITION governments are a common phenomenon in politics the world over. Germany has been under stable coalition governments for the past 40 years. Coalitions are thus premised on good co-operation and a measure of compromise and management of contradictions. In 1994 after the first democratic elections in South Africa, the ANC won an overwhelming majority and was not required to enter into a coalition to form a government. However, the ANC and the now-defunct National Party (NP) as well as the IFP came together to establish a government of national unity (GNU). This GNU was forced on the ANC for various reasons, some of which were to massage white fears and to ensure a “smooth transition” to black rule. This government was characterised by sunset clauses and the retention of…

The Stormers will count on their positive overseas results and a tough-as-nails South African derby in the last couple of matches to give them momentum ahead of their United Rugby Championship (URC) knockout match this weekend. A testing season will culminate in a clash with Glasgow Warriors on Saturday (8.35pm kick-off) for a place in the semi-finals. And coming off the back of four successive wins in the competition, the inaugural URC champions would want that to be a driving factor at Scotstoun Stadium. It will be the first away play-off for the Cape side as they’ve played all six of their knockouts at Cape Town Stadium over the past two seasons. So far, they’ve successfully navigated the gravel road they’ve been on since the start of the current campaign,…

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is confident of finding the “right solution” regarding Pep Guardiola’s future at the club, although he has not said what that would look like. Spanish manager Guardiola, whose contract at the English giants runs until next year, cast doubt over his long-term future at the Etihad after winning a historic fourth straight Premier League title last month, admitting it is difficult to find motivation after so much sustained success. Guardiola’s time at City since his arrival in 2016 has been marked by relatively short contracts, meaning his future beyond the end of next season remains uncertain. “With Pep, we’ve had this conversation many times before over the years of the contract,” Khaldoon told the club’s media channels yesterday in his end-of-season review. “Pep has…

Kylian Mbappe is thrilled his long-awaited move to Real Madrid has been confirmed, but the France captain is now concentrating on the national team as they prepare for Euro 2024. Mbappe joined the Spanish club on Monday after his Paris Saint-Germain contract ended, and with the transfer saga finally over, the forward is delighted and relieved. But at a media conference on Tuesday night, he wanted to keep the focus on France. “I wanted to express myself before starting this press conference. Everyone knows the news, it’s official: I’m going to be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons,” Mbappe told reporters ahead of France’s friendly with Luxembourg last night. “It’s an immense pleasure, a dream come true. It’s very exciting. I am very happy, liberated, relieved and…

This month, comedic duo Jason and Nicholas Goliath will be bringing the laughs as they embark on The Happiness Economy Comedy Tour. The tour kicks off in Johannesburg and has stops in Cape Town and Gqeberha. Promising an evening of humour that cuts to the core of everyday joy and struggle, The Happiness Economy is not just a comedy show – it’s a lifestyle exploration through the lens of laughter. Jason has been busy on the showbiz front; he was one of the roastmasters at The Roast of Minnie Dlamini and has appeared on Amazon Prime’s local version of the popular comedy show, LOL: Last One Laughing. “The Happiness Economy is about inspiring people to consider what truly brings joy to their lives. It’s not a motivational talk; it’s a…

Political analysts say the uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s (MKP) parliamentary boycott would not affect proceedings on the first day of Parliament sitting. However, Andre Duvenage told the Cape Argus’s sister paper, The Star, yesterday that Parliament would need to have a quorum to pass certain laws, saying that was where the party would cause an upset. “We know that we need a quorum to take a certain decisions and it may have an impact on the quorum. If the totals are showing that it’s below a certain percentage it could have an impact on the procedure and that would be the strategy of the MKP to disrupt the procedure as far as possible,” the analyst said. He said he didn’t think the party’s move was a good one as he…

The discovery of the decomposed body of a male hiker at the Silvermine Nature Reserve on Tuesday has aroused suspicions that missing City of Cape Town staffer Alistair Stanbull is dead. This comes amid shocking revelations that investigators believe he was in fact kidnapped on the day of his disappearance in April. The mysterious disappearance of the man implicated in a R2.5 million fraud scandal set tongues wagging as City staff embarked on extensive searches along the mountain for days. Stanbull, who was employed in the City’s human settlements department, was due to return to the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court next Monday, facing various charges. At the time of his disappearance, police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said Stanbull was last seen on April 29 and his car was found near…

CAPE Town is set to be the backdrop of the highly-anticipated biographical film drama telling the rise-and-fall story of duo, Milli Vanilli. Girl, You Know It’s True is set to be released this month, showcasing various sights of the city as it also helped to boost the economy, creating employment for South African businesses, film crew and the film industry. German-Austrian Simon Verhoeven is the director and producer of the scandalous story that gripped the entertainment industry in the early 1990s, when the rise and fall of one of the biggest pop star duos came to light. According to film distributor, Filmfinity, the film is said to captivate audiences as the story unpacks just how the scandal rocked the music industry, portraying the complexities of fame and deception through…

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has whipped out the infamous ‘South African calculator’ ahead of his side’s two Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Broos will lead his men against the Super Eagles tomorrow at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo (9pm kick-off, SA time), before colliding with neighbours Zimbabwe next Tuesday in Bloemfontein (6pm). The strict Belgium-born mentor may not have been let in on the mathematical trauma of Bafana over the past 20 years, and has already got the nation counting points on their fingers after just two matches played. South African football supporters have been subjected to such scenarios on numerous occasions, with the most horrific incident coming in 2011 during their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The faces and dance…

Iga Swiatek said she was honoured to be compared to 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf as the Polish world No 1 extended her winning run at the French Open to 19 matches on Tuesday. Swiatek blew past Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-0 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals and move within two victories of a third consecutive Roland Garros title. Her record in six visits to Paris now stands at 33-2, and she will be heavily favoured to reach another final, having beaten upcoming opponent Coco Gauff in straight sets in 10 of 11 meetings. Swiatek is undoubtedly the player to beat as the Pole aims to become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros singles titles in the Open era. One of those to accomplish the…

WHILE the Comrades Marathon has produced sibling champions in the past, there is yet to be husband-and-wife winners of the Ultimate Human Race. Russian twin sisters Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva dominated the race in the early 2000s, with the former winning the race eight times, while the latter was victorious just once. South African brothers Andrew (2001) and Gift Kelehe (2015) are the other siblings to have conquered the about-90km race run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. This year’s race will see a married couple making their debut, with the husband and wife sure to start among the contenders. Last year’s Two Oceans Marathon champion Givemore Mudzinganyama, who was third in this year’s edition, and his wife Nobuhle Tshuma – fourth in the Two Oceans in 2023 – will line up…