Innehållsförteckning för 2024-07-11 från Cape Argus

Unions slam ‘humiliating, traumatising’ decision The City Of Cape Town has defended its “naming and shaming” of more than 111 staffers for a string of trangressions including absenteeism, fraud and sexual harassment. Unions have slammed the move saying the City manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo, had no right to publish the list of workers, who were dismissed between January and June this year, as it undermined their rights. In its defence, the City said this was a new initiative by the City manager in an effort to adhere to three of the city’s values, which are accountability, openness and caring. The move was aimed at promoting ethical behaviour and the City’s Code of Conduct among staff members, it said. But Stellenbosch University senior lecturer in Industrial Psychology, Dr Mpho Magau,…

THE Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) have made a breakthrough in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health’s R32 million fraud case by arresting a third person. Nandi Msimang, 52, the director of Mzansi Lifecare was arrested in Sandton in Gauteng. A warrant was issued in May 2023, KZN Hawks spokesperson Simphiwe Mhlongo said. He said Msimang was arrested by Hawks members of the Tactical Operations Management Section and transported to KwaZulu-Natal. Msimang made her first appearance in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Monday. “She was remanded in custody and the case was postponed to July 17, for a bail application,” Mhlongo said. In May last year, in the same case, former KZN Department of Health HOD Sibongile Zungu, 60, and Sifiso Mtshali, 53, were arrested on charges of…

The Pension Funds Adjudicator ruled that a pension fund that incorrectly paid a benefit of more than R800 000 to a syndicate that was involved in identity theft, must compensate the member in full. Adjudicator Muvhango Lukhai- mane said that the member was serving a prison sentence while the benefit was paid out to a syndicate that was involved in identity theft and unlawfully claiming benefits of retirement fund members. Lukhaimane said that she had ruled in favour of the member due to the fund not doing the appropriate checks and balances. “The fund will have to pay the complainant the benefit due to him with interest. “The fund has a fiduciary duty to exercise its functions with care, due diligence, and good faith. “The fund failed in its duties…

The results of the 2024 elections proved that voters have lost confidence in the ANC. President Cyril Ramaphosa called for an inclusive government of all political parties to form a Government of National Unity which citizens welcomed as the best solution. In this situation, it is natural to expect that all negotiations would be done in good faith, with no hidden agenda. But, it turns out, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who could not wait to announce the cabinet of the Government of Provincial Unity, was negotiating in bad faith. His plan to exclude the DA from the GPU was based on his hope that the chances of the ANC returning to power in the next national elections might be derailed if the DA had a chance to prove to be…

The death of Frank van der Horst has gripped many of us with a deep embrace of shock. As we grieve, we thank Almighty God for the memorable years that he gave to this beloved purveyor of justice and humility. His death gives us cause to ponder how he touched our lives. His commitment to social justice and reconciliation, to human rights and the dignity of the human person will be gratefully remembered. The sporting world pays tribute to his immense and unique contribution to peace and justice and his emphasis on the dignity and worth of every individual from conception to the grave. His courage in denouncing discrimination and his relentless fight against racism over the past 60 years will be remembered by many generations to come. We are…

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s Dr John Hlophe became the talk of the town this week following his ascension to Parliament’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The JSC, which consists of 23 members drawn from various structures of government and the legal community, recommends a candidate to the president, who ultimately appoints a judge. After 16 years, Hlophe lost a bitter legal battle and was found guilty of gross misconduct by the JSC and subsequently impeached by Parliament on its recommendation. His impeachment as a judge was finalised four months ago. In 2008, Hlophe was accused of trying to sway the Constitutional Court’s ruling regarding the Scorpions’ search and seizure operations on the assets of French arms manufacturer Thint and Jacob Zuma. Now Hlophe sits on the commission that advocated for his…

WITH the worst of the inclement weather predicted for today, evacuations of residents in the Drakenstein is under way as the Western Cape has already reported extensive localised flooding with thousands of people displaced. As the Western Cape Education Department has shut schools across the province, residents brace for a Level 8 storm surge. The Western Cape government and relevant agencies provided an update on the response to the storms yesterday, which have affected large swathes of the province this week. SA Weather Service senior forecaster Stella Nake said: “We are expecting another intense cold front and another cold front on Friday and another one over the weekend on Saturday. So it’s back-to-back cold fronts that will be affecting the Western Cape.” Rainfall up to 80-90mm over the south-western parts…

THE suspects accused of killing three children and an adult at a barbershop in Khayelitsha have submitted affidavits as evidence to support their alibi defence. Athule Mtsha and Sithisa Masiko were arrested on June 8, hours after the murder in Iqwarha Street, Site C. The investigating officer said they traced the accused by the white Toyota Quantum Mtsha drove on the day of the murder. During their appearance in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the accused’s lawyers read the affidavits, which placed them elsewhere from the crime scene. Advocate Phindile Vephile, Mtsha’s representative, read a statement written by Anathi Khoboka, a friend who was also arrested with the accused for theft of a motor vehicle. He corroborated what Mtsha stated last week – that they drove around the entire day…

Watching Loftus Versfeld erupt over the weekend as sounds of the Cranberries classic Zombie reverberated through the stadium, we were once again reminded of just how successful, how awesome and how inspiring Rassie and Siya’s men are and how iconic the SA Rugby sports team is. Blacks, whites, Indians and Coloureds were celebrating, singing and jumping for joy after an epic test match ended in a victory for the Springboks of 27-20 over World No 2, the Irish. But why was this classic event not broadcast on SABC, you may ask? Why have so many proud rugby supporters been left out in the cold with no access to this beautiful match? The answer is pretty simple: the SABC, just like the racist ANC and EFF, cannot stand it. When we…

Nyasaland Colony, It’s four in the morning. Butts beat on the doors, and here is the photo: My black brothers, a pair of underpants and a shirt, and their feet are bare, and their pink-palmed hands on their curly heads, And they lined up along the walls … Nazım Hikmet (1902–1963), one of Türkiye’s most renowned poets, is celebrated for his profound and socially conscious works that resonate with themes of love, justice, and human struggle. Though his poetry primarily reflects his own experiences and the socio-political landscape of Türkiye, there are elements within his work that can be connected to the broader human condition, including the struggles faced by people in Africa. Hikmet’s poetry often explores themes of oppression, injustice, and the fight for freedom – issues that are…

The Israeli army dropped thousands of leaflets over Gaza City yesterday, urging all residents to flee a heavy offensive that has rocked the main city of the besieged Palestinian territory. The leaflets, addressed to “everyone in Gaza City”, set out designated escape routes to the south and warned that the urban area, previously home to more than half a million people, would “remain a dangerous combat zone”. The warning follows three partial evacuation orders and came as Israeli troops, backed by tanks and aircraft, have fought Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants in the heaviest combat operations the city has seen in months. In one operation, the army said it had killed militants and found weapons inside the long-vacated Gaza City headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Elsewhere…

“YOU can’t replace him!” That was the claim of former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena in March, when asked whether the club could ever replace Themba Zwane. It seems the club had to get rid of Mokwena, whom they fired two weeks ago, before signing a player that can potentially fill Zwane’s shoes someday. Sundowns announced the signing of Kobamelo Kodisang from Portuguese side Moreirense on a five-year deal on Tuesday morning. The 24-year-old attacker, who spent six years in Portugal, is no stranger to the domestic top flight following spells at the now-defunct Platinum Stars and Bidvest Wits. Now wiser and hungrier, Kodisang ought to be ready to fulfil the potential many saw in him when he made his professional debut at Stars at just 15 years of age.…

WHILE Capetonians brace for more severe weather, the Council for Geoscience (CGS) confirmed that a 6.3 magnitude earthquake occurred yesterday morning. The earthquake happened at around 6.56am, as recorded by the South African National Seismograph Network (SANSN). The depth was recorded as 8.8km. The CGS is the custodian of the SANSN, which monitors seismic wave activities throughout the country. CGS spokesperson Mahlatse Mononela said the epicentre was 1 580km off the coast of Mossel Bay. “We could say it is a tectonic earthquake related to activities of a well-known passive margin thousands of kilometres south of the Cape province. “By virtue of its distance from the southern coast of Cape, it is not related to anthropogenic activities of gas exploitation in Mossel Bay,” Mononela said. “This passive margin is…

NEW Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has revealed that his department unearthed a cybercrime-related matter that resulted in a staggering R300 million stolen over the past decade. Macpherson said that in May, cyber attackers stole a further R24m and this prompted a full forensic investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), police, State Security Agency, and experts in the ICT and cyber security industry. These details emerged as Macpherson and Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala conducted detailed assessments on the work of the department and through briefings from department branches. “The department has been a soft target and playground for cyber criminals for more than 10 years; this should have been picked up a lot earlier. “I felt it important to let South Africa know what…

Cape Town Tigers guard Samkelo Cele will spend the next couple of months with the New York Knicks in the NBA Summer League. After impressing with the Cape Town Tigers in Basketball Africa League (BAL), Cele will get the chance to make his dreams come true when he gets a participates in a trial with an NBA team. And speaking about the “unbelievable” moment he got the call, Cele said it’s what he’s been playing for since making his way into the BAL. “I had just got back from a workout. I got the call saying that I had been invited to the Summer League by the Knicks. It was surreal,” the 26-year-old Cele told ESPN on Tuesday. “I couldn't believe it, even though it was something I had wanted…

It is really embarrassing how South Africa’s public figures are so unscrupulous, unethical and devoid of any morality. They have this penchant for being arrogant and lying to the public about facts which are out there in society. “Mama Joy”, the woman usually seen careering around the world when SA’s national teams are playing, has lied that she does not receive funding from the government for these junkets. She cynically said she was not mentioned in the statement by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture when it announced that it was going to shut down this largesse, and in a very disparaging way said “maybe there are fans who are benefiting from this”. But just last year, the very same department indicated that it had paid for her and…

As the new government of South Africa starts to kick in and the ministers have been sworn in, we are beginning to see things happening. New governments are notorious for taking a long time to get out of the starting block, but in the world of labour and work, this appears not to be the case – the National Assembly has established 30 portfolio committees. The portfolio committees are established under the Constitution and the rules of the National Assembly. The committees are the engine room of law and order in that they scrutinise and oversee the work of the executive (the ministers). I am keenly waiting for and watching the portfolio committee of employment and labour. The committee is tasked with oversight of the Department of Employment and…

SPRINGBOK centre Damian de Allende says the horror results of 2016 and 2017 continue to drive the Springboks to greater heights because many of the players who featured in record losses to New Zealand are still playing. De Allende felt the pain of two 50-point losses to the All Blacks and a first defeat to Italy, and he says the good times the Boks are currently enjoying keep the players working harder because they don’t want to go back to the nightmare of the Allister Coetzee era. The 80-cap veteran says the Boks want to continue breaking records and beating Ireland in Durban on Saturday for a 2-0 series win is another biggie they want to bank. “In 2016 and 2017 we went through a rough patch of losing a…

DUTCH midfielder Donny van de Beek confirmed yesterday that his troubled four-year spell at Manchester United has “come to an end”. Van de Beek has endured a dismal time with United after joining from Ajax in 2020 and is reportedly set to join Spanish side Girona. The 27-year-old struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford after his £34 million move and was twice sent out on loan. He spent the second half of last season on loan at German club Eintracht Frankfurt and had a temporary stint with Everton during the 2021/22 campaign. Van de Beek made 62 appearances in all competitions for United, scoring just twice as he failed to build on the promising reputation he earned at Ajax. Girona, who will play in next season’s Champions League,…