Innehållsförteckning för 2024-09-10 från Cape Argus

FAKE Springbok apparel worth over R200 000 was confiscated in a police raid at DHL Stadium in Cape Town ahead of the highly-anticipated game against New Zealand on Saturday. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said continued efforts to clamp down on the illegal trade of counterfeit goods were rewarded when the fake clothing was confiscated during an integrated operation close to the sports stadium in Green Point. He said the operation was conducted by members of the SAPS, City of Cape Town law enforcement and brand protectors from various popular high-end products. The multidisciplinary team were conducting compliance inspections at stalls around the stadium. “During the operation, the members confiscated various counterfeit goods, imitations of well-known sports brands, which resulted in the issuing of fines for illegal informal trading without…

A BRITISH man, 47, has drowned at the Cape Vidal Nature Reserve in St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said its St Lucia duty crew were activated following reports from Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers of a drowning in progress just after 1pm on Sunday. “An NSRI rescue vehicle, carrying NSRI rescue swimmers, and towing an NSRI rescue craft, responded and joined Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers on the scene,” said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon. “A man, aged 47, a British tourist, was recovered from the surf zone by NSRI rescue swimmers. Sadly the man was found to be deceased,” he said. “It appears that while on an arranged tour to Cape Vidal Nature Reserve the man reportedly went for a swim at the beach. “There he was observed to be…

The dedicated members of the Welfare Club at Alexander Sinton High School, spearheaded by Zakira Prins, a Grade 10 pupil at the school, and the Muslims Students Association (MSA) have launched their weekly sandwich donation programme within the school and surrounding areas. The collaboration aims to provide basic food supplies and toiletries to school children and aims to reach out within the Athlone community. The initiative is to prepare and package sandwiches within the Athlone community, aimed at providing nourishment for those facing food insecurity in Athlone. This initiative focuses on high-foot traffic areas, ensuring that individuals who may not have access to sufficient meals are reached effectively. The club’s efforts extend beyond just sandwich donations. Recently, members have been actively engaging with local children’s homes and women’s shelters, where…

The agenda of war is multifaceted and is usually dictated by the desires of a wealthy elite. War has little to do with improving the overall human condition for the masses and more to do with the transfer of wealth/power/authority/influence etc from one group of elites to another. For example, Russia, the former Soviet Union, was not a threat to the US/Europe, but it was necessary to “make Russia a threat” so those who governed the US/Europe could maintain power/wealth and have someone else to blame for whatever goes wrong, while they misrule/abuse people globally. Let’s explain. The Soviet Union was ruined after it invaded Afghanistan, which drained the Soviet economy. It was a perfect war of attrition. Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin, who preceded Vladimir Putin, handed the Soviet…

The September 9, 2024, article in the Cape Argus regarding the reduction in teaching posts contains a claim by Khalid Sayed that the unfunded, nationally negotiated 2023 public sector wage agreement is not applicable for the 2024/25 financial year. It appears that Sayed has tied himself in a knot by forgetting that the 2023 agreement is a multi-year agreement, which covers both the 2023/24 wage increase, and the 2024/25 wage increase. It was announced as unbudgeted by the National Treasury in March 2023, and confirmed as not fully funded in the Mid-Term Budget in November 2023. In announcing the multi-year wage agreement, the National Treasury stated the following: “An unbudgeted wage settlement will require very significant trade-offs in government spending because the wage bill is a significant cost driver. It…

The recent spate of police killings of armed suspects, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, has garnered praise from a public fatigued by rampant crime. The most recent fatal shooting of six armed suspects in Germiston and the deadly encounter with a disputed traditional leader in Mthatha, who was allegedly extorting local businesses, highlight the increasingly hardline stance taken by police. However, this approach also raises serious questions about the extrajudicial nature of these killings and the implications for the criminal justice system. Public approval of these actions reflects a deep-seated frustration with crime, especially in townships where residents cannot afford the protection of private security firms. It is telling that the killings, rather than sparking outrage over due process violations, are being lauded as necessary measures. This reaction underscores the public’s exasperation…

The Betway Premiership kicks off this weekend and in the coming days, Independent Newspapers will assess the 16 clubs, their challenges, goals and predicted fate. Today, Smiso Msomi and Matshelane Mamabolo look at the four clubs we believe will be in the relegation scrap. ROYAL AM | Deep Waters Home ground: Harry Gwala Stadium The man in the hot seat: John Maduka The experienced Maduka has found himself in arguably the most difficult coaching seat in the country and is expected to work miracles. His bond with Royal AM and proven tactical astuteness have placed him on a whirlwind journey to achieve the near impossible. Star man: Kabelo Mahlasela Royal AM will begin their second consecutive season without making any new signings as their Fifa ban remains. While their off-field…

Legendary musician Sting is returning to South Africa next year. The 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist will perform at the SunBet Arena, Time Square, in Pretoria on March 22, before heading to the Grand Arena, GrandWest, in Cape Town on March 25. The English musician will be accompanied by virtuoso guitarist and longtime collaborator, Dominic Miller, as well as dynamic drummer Chris Maas, who previously worked with Mumford & Sons and Maggie Rogers. He will bring his Sting 3.0 tour to the country after performing in several cities in the US and Canada. Known for his groundbreaking work as a solo artist and as the frontman and songwriter in the seminal group The Police, the 72-year-old has consistently pushed the boundaries of musical innovation throughout his career. Sting previously toured the…

FOLLOWING private education provider Educor’s deregistration of four institutions and recently granted leniency of provisional reinstatement on humanitarian grounds, the organisation has, however, been cautioned to comply with relevant regulations. The registration of Educor institutions City Varsity, Damelin, Icesa City Campus and Lyceum College, were cancelled by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) director-general last year in his capacity as the Registrar of Private Higher Education Institutions, as a result of non-compliance. In a statement released at the time, the department said the institutions failed to submit their annual financial statements and tax clearance certificates for the 2021 and 2022 years, as proof of financial viability. On August 12-26 this year, Educor submitted outstanding information and requested reinstatement. On August 22, the institutions were provisionally reinstated by the…

TRIBUTES have poured in for slain neighbourhood watch patroller Clinton Treu, who was shot and killed in a suspected botched hijacking in Elsies River at the weekend. The heartbroken partner of the 49-year-old father said they were left traumatised after arriving at the crime scene in Clarkes Estate during the early hours of Sunday, where they found his body covered with a blanket. Wendy Francis said Treu and his friend, driving a green Daewoo, came under attack as they travelled home from a night out with friends. “Clinton ran his own aluminium installation and maintenance business and was known for his community work and his willingness to always help out with a leaking tap and so on. “On Saturday we were visiting with friends and along with…

THE unprecedented five-year wage agreement for local government workers has been hailed as a historic achievement in both the local government sector and broader public service. The South African Local Government Association (Salga) announced yesterday that it had reached the five-year wage agreement with organised labour represented at the South African Local Government Bargaining Council. The agreement includes a 6% salary increase for the current financial year (2024/25), with 4.5% effective from July 1, 2024, and a further 1.5% coming into effect from March 1, 2025. Salary increases for the next two financial years would be set at Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) plus 0.75%, while the final two years of the agreement would see hikes of CPI plus 1.25%. Salga, which represents 257…

HIS eyes lit up as he walked into the DHL Stadium on Saturday, not only to watch one of the biggest rugby matches of the season, but to meet his hero – Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe. At that moment, 9-year-old Grayton Rhode forgot all about his circumstances and smiled from ear to ear as Kolbe gave him his famous head guard as a memento of the unforgettable occasion. The meeting at the match between South Africa and New Zealand was organised by rural farmworker activist Billy Claasen. Grayton, a Grade 3 learner from Stockwell Primary School outside Ashton, became critically ill at the age of three and was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, a bacterial form of the disease, which later resulted in both legs being amputated. However, this did not…

If there is one team of a certain sporting code that unites the nation and brings all people from all spectrums of life together, it has got to be our rugby team, the Springboks. They first did it in 1995 and they continue to do so, with utmost aplomb. I wonder if our rugby coach, Rassie Erasmus, is being given the credit he deserves. The man has clearly put his head on the block, defying all the forced quota systems, racial divisions and so on. He took another risky decisions by waiting until the last-minute for the recovery of Siya Kolisi and Handre Pollard in their hospital wards amid calls for their immediate replacements. And who made enemies eat humble pie and had the longest laugh? Erasmus did. I do…

I recall meeting a woman who said to me: “I wish I met you six months ago. Back then, the surgeon told my husband that this surgery will change your life. He was not kidding. For six months my husband tried to commit suicide; last week I buried him.” Section 27(1)(a) of the South African Constitution states that everyone has the right to have access to healthcare services, including reproductive health care. Section 27(2) mandates that the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights. However, this is not the lived experience of many ostomates. The South African Society of Ostomates (SASS) is a non-profit organisation formed by ostomates across southern Africa to facilitate a holistic…

Syrian state media reported yesterday that overnight Israeli strikes killed 16 people in central Hama province, while a war monitor reported a higher death toll in the “intense” raids on military sites. The Israeli military, which has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since its civil war started in 2011, declined to comment on the latest reported attack. Syrian official news agency Sana, citing a medical source, said the number of dead “in the Israeli aggression on a number of sites on the outskirts of Masyaf” was “16 martyrs and 36 wounded, including six critically”, updating an earlier toll of 14. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported “intense Israeli strikes” overnight, providing an updated of toll of 25 dead including “five civilians, four soldiers and intelligence…

THE Western Cape was the most “complex and problematic” province in which to undertake enumeration for Statistics SA’s 2022 Census. StatsSA statistician-general Risenga Maluleke recently briefed the portfolio committee on planning, monitoring and evaluation of the Census 2022 project implementation and results impacting the 7th administration’s planning. Following scrutiny, criticism and caution over the use of the data emerging from the process by industry experts, Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli said there was “no crisis” with Census 2022. “As government as well as StatsSA, we are very confident that the numbers that we have released to the nation are fit for purpose and which is why we stand by the numbers.” Maluleke said that the Covid-19 pandemic had been the biggest disruptor to the process. “We had to…

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said they were fighting “human animals”. The real question is, who is behaving like animals in the Gaza-Israel War? Dr Mark Perlmutter, a humanitarian surgeon with 30 years of volunteering who has worked on more than 40 surgical missions in developing countries on four continents and volunteered at a Gaza hospital, said what he saw was unspeakable. Dr Perlmutter said: “All of the disasters I’ve seen combined, 40 mission trips, 30 years, ground zero, earthquakes, all of that combined doesn’t equal the level of carnage that I saw against civilians in just my first week in Gaza. I’ve seen more incinerated children than I’ve ever seen in my entire life combined. I’ve seen more shredded children being crushed by buildings, the greatest majority, or bomb…

The Democratic Alliance, despite its fear of a doomsday coalition between the African National Congress and the Economic Freedom Fighters, or uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), should not have formed a Government of National Unity (GNU) with the ANC. The behaviour of the ANC in its formation of the GNU, constantly working behind the DA’s back, bringing new members on board without consulting original members, and reneging on deals and agreements, is unacceptable – the ANC has clearly not behaved in good faith. It was clear from the start that the DA should not enter into any form of coalition with the ANC, as doing so removes its important role as official opposition and risks exposing it to the corrupting influence of the ANC. The parties are diametrically opposed. The DA’s ideology…

Eskom’s plan to extend Koeberg nuclear power station’s life by 20 years is misguided and risky, with South Africa’s lack of maintenance technicians resulting in continued reliance on French company Framatome (formerly Areva), for maintenance and overhaul, an unsustainable dependence on foreign expertise and technology. South Africa’s uranium enrichment capability was developed in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the country’s nuclear weapons programme, codenamed “Savanna”. Although the nuclear weapons programme was dismantled in the 1990s, the knowledge and infrastructure gained during that period remain. The Valindaba facility was capable of producing highly enriched uranium (HEU) using a gas centrifuge process. Instead of leveraging this expertise and infrastructure, South Africa continues to rely on importing nuclear fuel from France, adding to the financial burden and perpetuating a reliance on…

The South African men’s senior national football side’s temperament will be put to the test as they finalise preparations ahead of their second group stage match in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Bafana Bafana will take the field against South Sudan at the Juba National Stadium today in a 3pm kick-off with ambitions of securing a valuable three points. Bafana, initially the favourites to finish at the top of Group K, have placed themselves under slight pressure even at this early stage after they failed to dispose of a lowly Uganda side last Friday. The 24-year-old midfielder, Thalente Mbatha, came off the bench to rescue a point for Bafana at the Orlando Stadium. To make matters worse, Congo-Brazzaville were able to topple their opponents South Sudan in their opener…