Innehållsförteckning för 2024-07-25 från Cape Argus

What do you get when you cross Apollo 13 with a Rock Hudson/Doris Day romantic comedy? Wait, why would you even try? Fly Me to the Moon is a platypus of a movie. While it definitely has its charms, bizarro and otherwise, you may be more fascinated by the baling wire holding it together than what’s actually in it. Still, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum at odds and in love – how can that not be a good deal in the on-screen chemistry department? And it is, even if the two stars have to swim upriver against contrived dialogue and some unflattering costume and hairstyling choices. The year is 1969 and Nasa is fighting a rearguard action to launch the Apollo 11 spaceflight in an America exhausted by war, assassinations…

Mzanzi Wethu’s hit telenovela Sibongile & The Dlaminis will be shaking things up in the new season with the inclusion of several new characters from Monday. Actor Ntando Zondi, pictured, who played young Prince Shaka on Mzansi Magic’s Shaka Ilembe will enter the show as Themba. Themba is Njengaye and Nomfundo’s 16-year-old love child. “Themba is looking to be a full and legitimate member of the Dlamini Clan,” read a statement from the channel. During his upbringing, Themba had a strong bond with his mother and a strong desire to spend more time with his father. Viewers will be introduced to Themba when a family member brings him to the Dlamini home and reveals his identity. After being welcomed into the family, Themba fights for validation, which impacts his mental…

CONVICTED murderer and rapist, Thabo Bester, might as well have been invisible at his court appearance yesterday, as his former lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, ignored him while entering the Free State High Court. The former couple, along with seven others, including Magudumana’s father, were in court for what was meant to be the start of their pretrial conference. With cameras focused on Magudumana as she entered the court dressed in a black Nike hoodie and beige pants, she went to hug her father, Zolile Sekeleni, before taking her seat. She did not turn to look at Bester, who walked in and sat in the row behind her. Bester interacted briefly with the co-accused seated next to Magudumana, who took a sip from her water bottle and continued to look ahead.…

MANENBERG’s top cop has hung up his lapels and said his final goodbyes to colleagues after serving at the helm of one of the most notorious gang communities for nearly a decade. Brigadier Sanele Zama retired this week after recently turning 60 years old, having served in the SAPS for 38 years. Originally from KwaZulu-Natal, Zama said he was inspired by his late grandmother to join the public services in the 1980s. “She worked as a teacher in the riots and that spurred my love for the community and public service so I enrolled in the SAPS college in Hammanskraal in 1986.” In 1995 he arrived in Cape Town and worked at various stations including Table View, Lwandle and Macassar, before being transferred to Manenberg in 2015. Zama, who served…

A BONTEHEUWEL man who has once again been selected for the National Deaf Sevens Rugby squad, promises to make his community proud. Tashriq Parker, 24, who has been deaf since he was a child, said he was excited to wear the green and gold jersey. He is one of two players hand-picked from the Western Cape, after undergoing gruelling trials in May. Also joining the team is Enrico Abrahams from Worcester. “It’s an honour to represent my country once again. Knowing all the effort I put into the trials with so many great players who pitched. So it was kind of a battle, but I’m forever grateful,” he said. From August 3 to 8 at St Stithians College in Johannesburg, the South African Deaf Rugby Association will host an international…

In an article published on June 24, I explored the role and potential impact of the “visible hand” in promoting good governance within the South African economy. This concept involves the govern- ment adopting a more proactive role in shaping the socio-economic future of the country. This would be achieved through leading, devising and implementing innovative and entrepreneurial strategies that can significantly address the pressing challenges. Considering the paradigm shifts we are experiencing that challenge governments in a digitised, post-industrial and globalised – a meta-modern – world, we also have to observe the requirements to ensure sectoral collaboration. This is commonly known as the “quadruple helix” approach that allows for a dynamic space where government, business, academia (entrepreneurial universities), and our environment (natural and complex socio-economic-cultural environments) are engaged…

Nicolas Kuhn scored twice and Luis Palma netted the decider in the 68th minute to give Celtic a 4-3 victory over Manchester City in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday. Norway’s Erling Haaland, wearing the City captain’s armband for the first time, nodded home an equaliser in the 57th minute, only for Honduran international Palma to tap in the winning goal on a breakaway at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Memorial Stadium. The match was a tune-up for next month’s start of the 2024/25 campaigns for Celtic, winners of the past three Scottish Premiership crowns, and four-time defending English Premier League champions Manchester City, who began a US tour. With several top stars resting from the European Championships, City manager Pep Guardiola used the opportunity to analyse younger talent. The…

THE Springboks under Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus have scaled the highest peaks in world rugby, but the one challenge they cannot get their heads around is consistent success in Australia. The Boks are about to depart for Australia for Rugby Championship matches in Brisbane (August 10) and Perth (August 17), and the pre-tour talk will undoubtedly be about addressing South Africa’s appalling away record against the Wallabies. Kolisi had a great start in Australia when Jean de Villiers’ Boks smashed the Wallabies 38-12 in Brisbane, but that was an anomaly, and it has been mostly defeat Down Under ever since. The Boks’ last eight matches in Australia have produced six losses, a win and a draw. The Boks were last in Australia in 2022, and they were poor in…

It’s always such a pleasure when you switch on Netflix and find something that catches your attention. This was the case when I recently came across the South African romantic comedy, Lobola Man. Produced by Burnt Onion Productions and directed by Thabang Moleya, the movie follows Ace Ngubeni (Lawrence Maleka), a playboy of note, who doesn’t ever see himself settling down into marriage. However, his hustle contradicts his beliefs. Ace is a slick lobola negotiator, called on by families to help lower lobola prices for Zulu brides, for a fee, of course. Ace faces his toughest deal yet when, Mr Shy Guy, Duke Maseko, sneaks up on him to ask for his services. Duke, the developer of a famous dating app, is wealthy and can pay any price for his…

SCIENCE and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande has announced a new programme to foster co-operation in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) between South Africa and war-ravaged Palestine. During the budget vote debate on Tuesday, Nzimande said the department experienced a budget cut, which was adjusted to R10.562 billion from R10.874 billion in 2023/24. However, he said the new programme between the two nations would have a special focus on support for safeguarding, rebuilding and developing Palestine’s research and innovation capacities and infrastructure. Nzimande said this would include a joint research project, seed-funding for developing South African-Palestinian knowledge networks, hosting Palestinian scholars and students in South Africa in exchange programmes and sharing South African policy experience regarding science policy and systems development. The programme aligns with the department’s strategic objective of using…

A SURVIVOR of the tragic building collapse in George that killed 33 people is planning to write a book about his terrifying experience and dramatic rescue. Delvin Safers, 29, was one of the 62 workers in the multi-storey building under construction in Victoria Street when it collapsed on May 6. He was rescued by emergency personnel after being trapped underneath the rubble for more than 24 hours. Throughout that time, Safers had kept in contact with his family using his cellphone while buried under the rubble, where he reported hearing drilling and knocking from rescue personnel above him. Now that the dust has settled, the electrician wants to share his story with the world. “From the first moment after the five-storey building collapsed, I was engaged in a difficult but…

ALTHOUGH he officially confirmed that Betway had taken over as the title sponsor of the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) elite division on a three-year deal worth about R900 million, league chairman Irvin Khoza was at pains to stress that their relationship with outgoing sponsor DStv remains as solid as ever. The pay channel ended their sponsorship deal a year prematurely apparently due to DStv owner MultiChoice not doing so well financially, to the extent that there is speculation they could be bought out by the owners of French television station Canal+. Khoza, announcing yesterday that the league will now be called the Betway Premiership and will kick off on Saturday, August 3, described DStv/MultiChoice as “a corporate citizen that I hold in high regard”. “This is a partnership that we…

The Professional Fighting Championship has long been a mainstay for combat sports in the Western Cape and South Africa, and fans will be excited to learn about the popular brand’s return next month. In partnership with Tri-Core, Ring Contact Fighting Arts and Fight Africa, the PFC will now host a much-anticipated show dubbed ‘The Comeback’, following a four-year hiatus. The event will occur at Camps Bay High School on August 10, and will showcase mixed martial arts, exhibition boxing and K-1 (kickboxing). The event is set to potentially host up to 20 amateur and professional fights, which could include three title fights. “With our event taking place on the same weekend as National Women’s Day, there could be a women’s title fight to celebrate this special day, depending on how…

NINE days of Olympic swimming, in a temporary pool at the Paris La Defense Arena, begins on Saturday, with 35 gold medals at stake. The powerhouse US dominated three years ago in Tokyo, winning 30 medals, including 11 gold, ahead of Australia. But the Australians turned the tables at the 2023 world championships, winning more titles than their arch-rivals to set the scene for a titanic Olympic showdown. AFP Sport looks at five blockbuster races ... Women’s 400m freestyle The world record should be in play in one of the most anticipated clashes of the Games, with three swimmers at the height of their powers in the hunt. Australia’s defending champion Ariarne Titmus will dive in as favourite after clocking the second-fastest time ever last month behind only her 3min:55.38sec…

SUSPENDED DA MP Renaldo Gouws has been appointed as the deputy spokesperson of two portfolios - Tourism and the Auditor General - while investigations continue into racist remarks he made years ago. This was revealed in a list of portfolio spokespersons by the DA on Monday. The DA suspended Gouws from party activities last month, after establishing that an exposé by IOL, in which he utters racist comments, was legitimate and not AI or fake as they initially suspected. In the video, Gouws can be heard saying “Alright so there’s a couple of things I want to say. Kill the f**ing k*****s, kill all the f***ing n*ggers. That’s all I gotta f***ing say.” But the DA came to his defence, saying his suspension won’t stop him from fulfilling his…

CAPE Town’s creative community has been invited once again to be a part of the open-air curated group exhibition featured along the Sea Point Promenade. The 5th Annual Sea Point Promenade Photographic Exhibition Competition has been opened for entries by Orms in collaboration with Canon and SJ Artists. This year’s theme, Wonders Through Focus, also described as “the worlds within worlds that are revealed through outstanding macrophotography”, focuses on subject matter harder to see. Orms marketing manager Alex Russel said: “It’s about bringing the beauty of the everyday to the fore, with the sea as its backdrop, there is something incredibly powerful about this exhibition. “Our key purpose and motivation for this competition is to create a showcase for those who may otherwise not have the chance to exhibit. At…

The irregularities within the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) are alarming, considering the dire need for funds to be directed into the education sector. The new debacle comes after numerous indiscretions at the onset of 2024. In February and March this year, many students were starving, left without shelter and unable to travel to educational institutions because funds were not dispersed timeously. In April, the Nsfas blamed the financial and technological platforms for the late funding distribution to students. The start to their educational year was rough, and this impacted students’ capacity to learn effectively. Three months later, a new debacle surfaces within the Nsfas. More than 400 students were awarded and received funding even though they did not qualify for financing. A special investigating unit has declared that…

Rarely has an Olympic 100m champion been so belittled or so maligned as Italy’s Marcell Jacobs. It is fair to say the Texas-born Italian stunned the field to snatch gold in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games, in a European record of 9.80 seconds. He made it double gold just days later by helping Italy to victory in the 4x100m relay, again a result that left pundits shocked and opened up a Pandora’s box of questions. A former long jumper, Jacobs had vastly improved his 100m times that season under his coach at the time, Paolo Camossi. Before 2020, Jacobs had never dipped below the 10-second barrier, and his sole title of note was European indoor 60m gold. But after his stunning success in Tokyo, Jacobs went off the radar, pulling out…

IN a series leading up to the Paris Olympics, we at Independent Newspapers catch up with former South African Olympians to regale their unique experiences. Today, we speak to 100m sprinter Mathew Quinn... Mathew Quinn: Athletics (100m quarter-finalist, Sydney 2000 “That’s the magic of the Olympics. After you go through security and then get your accreditation, when you walk into the Olympic Village, that’s incredible, because that’s the heart and soul of the Olympics. All the different nationalities and flags. That’s when you realise that you are at the Olympic Games. It’s extremely special and quite emotional.” What goes through your mind when you are sitting in the blocks waiting for the gun to go off? “You try and go back to what you practice, and that’s all about getting…