Innehållsförteckning för 2024-10-28 från Cape Argus

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This quotation, attributed – correctly or incorrectly – to French philosopher Voltaire, is often invoked at times like these when we stop to reflect on free speech, particularly media freedom. This month we commemorated Black Wednesday, a day when the apartheid government clamped down on the media and detained journalists, on October 19, 1977. During this poignant period for journalists, sadly, Independent Media had to exit the South African Press Council (SAPC) owing to its unfair treatment over a dispute involving one of our sister publications. We stand together with our colleagues and hereby express our support for the decision to withdraw from the council. We accept the council’s disapproval of the…

THE Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is investigating violent clashes between Kuils River schools following letters issued by two principals on social media over the weekend. The letters were sent by the principals of Soneike High School and Kuils River Technical School, and sparked curiosity after one claimed learners from the opposing school had “placed their learners in danger”. In the first letter issued by the principal of Soneike High School, Mrs T Baker said learners from Kuils River Technical High School and the Western Cape Sports School posed a serious risk to their learners as she labelled learners from the other schools as ill-disciplined, and told parents they would now refuse to participate in any sports-related activities with the two schools. Baker continued by stating that police had neighbourhood…

AT THE Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM), emotions ran high as it celebrated and honoured those past and present, who had played a pivotal and long-standing role in the mosque as it commemorated its 170th anniversary. Since its establishment in 1854, the CMRM continues to stand on the bustling Main Road, as a site for spiritual guidance, interfaith solidarity, and social justice. Yesterday, the mosque formally commemorated its 170th anniversary with the public programme consisting of dhikr led by the Al-Ameen Dhikr Jama’ah and Khatam al-Qur’an (completion of the Holy Quran) followed by brief speeches. Archival researcher, Abdud-Daiyaan Petersen, provided insight on the early history of the Claremont/Newlands area and that the area goes back to the pre-colonial period during the time of the Khoi. As the land was fertile,…

The sorrowful pictures of the mass killings of innocent civilians in the entire Middle East are utterly beyond human comprehension. The psychology of killing and witnessing such raw violence will affect the human race for decades to come. These bloody horrors will never recede from their collective memories. These brutal massacres are directed against ALL of humanity and is executed with inhuman beastliness. As the sword of Damocles hangs over the people, the so-called civilised world watches on. History will not be kind to us. It will judge us harshly. The world is shocked to see images of unimaginable horror. The graphic pictures reveal unspeakable brutality and atrocity, and search for the truth as to what permits this to occur without intervention. A genocidal campaign against innocent civilians including children…

Since its inception, the BRICS co-operation mechanism has committed itself to promoting global economic multipolarity and advancing the process of economic globalisation. In an era marked by faltering global economic recovery, uneven development, and widening development gaps, BRICS has become an even more crucial platform for fostering co-operation and shared growth among the nations of the Global South. With its principles of openness, inclusivity, and win-win collaboration, the BRICS spirit has become a banner for South-South co-operation. The expansion of the BRICS mechanism has established it as the most significant platform for co-operation and unity among Global South nations. By fostering multilateral co-operation, BRICS has assumed a pivotal role in the global economy and serves as a model of collaboration and development for other developing nations. As at January 2024,…

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s defence ministry said yesterday that Chinese warplanes and warships had carried out another “combat patrol” near the island, after Beijing threatened to take countermeasures in response to a $2 billion arms sale package by the US. The US is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, to the constant anger of Beijing. The Pentagon said the US had approved a potential $2 billion arms sale package to Taiwan. The country’s defence ministry said it had detected 19 Chinese military aircraft. | Reuters…

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis insists their tour of Europe will bear fruits as they prepare for their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) defence in Morocco next year. The African Queens were hammered 5-0 by Denmark in their first international friendly in Aalborgh on Friday night, conceding all five goals in the second half. However, Ellis has been around the blocks long enough to know that they can’t sulk. Turning focus to their next challenge, they are set to face England — ranked second in the world and the reigning European champions — in Coventry tomorrow night at 9.45pm. Having arrived in the UK on Saturday night, Banyana welcomed the arrival of international players Thembi Kgatlana, Linda Motlalo, Hildah Magaia, and Sinoxolo Cesane, who missed the trip to face…

TWO inmates at Pollsmoor Prison have been arrested for extorting a fellow prisoner and demanding protection money while behind bars. The two alleged members of the Hard Livings gang from Tafelsig are accused of demanding R1 000 a week, and creating fake Facebook accounts to scam people by claiming to sell meat parcels. According to a source, the two suspects were taken to the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Friday after they were charged while in prison by detectives from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit. The source said the two are awaiting trial prisoners and were first sent to prison in August 2022. The victim in the case was sentenced for fraud and imprisoned in June 2023. They allegedly demanded R1 000 per week, which the victim’s family had to pay…

A KRAAIFONTEIN man has won a High Court battle to relinquish his parental rights after discovering he was not the biological father of his daughter. He had been paying maintenance for years. The judgment by Judge James Dumisani Lekhuleni revealed how the man had discovered the truth of his ex-wife’s extramarital affair on WhatsApp. In the application, the father, who is unnamed to protect the child, sought relief from the court after paternity tests revealed the truth. According to the court documents, the couple were married in 2012 and in 2017 their daughter was born. After 10 years of marriage the couple separated and a divorce decree was issued. As part of the divorce settlement, it was decided the child would live with her mother and the father, who works…

Politicians are always campaigning. Since Donald Trump won the 2016 US election, every political act has been akin to a stop on the campaign trail. There is no longer an end to their campaigning. The tragedy of all this is that politicians tend to show us only their bright side and their opponent’s dark side. This week the spotlight fell on the first-ever South African marriage certificate issued which officially recognised the “type of marriage” as “Muslim” by The Department of Home Affairs. DA ministers rushed to claim credit for it while the ANC claimed it had been approved before the GNU and that years of work had resulted in this finalisation of the process. The tragedy of the South African narrative is that there are so many low-hanging fruits…

There is no secret that the USA uses various levers to achieve its political goals. Thus, on October 15 the American magazine “Bloomberg” stated that the USA weighs capping exports of AI chips from Nvidia and AMD to some Persian Gulf countries. Already, the US government has restricted AI chips shipments to more than 40 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia to prevent China from getting American cutting-edge technologies with parallel imports. The countries, that may primarily come under new restrictions, are the richest oil exporting states: the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Imposing sanctions under the pretext of strengthening measures due to “the Chinese threat”, the USA definitely creates a new leverage to dictate its terms to countries, in case the latter want to get an…

From the Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love to Neil Diamond’s Love on the Rocks ; from Rod Stewart’s Have I Told You Lately That I Love You to Mariah Carey’s Without You- music has defined love. And Hans Christian Andersen was on track when he proclaimed, “Where words fail, music speaks”. So maybe rock star, Freddie Mercury’s hits , I want to Break Free and Another One Bites The Dust, are symbolic of the dissolving of Siya and Rachel Kolisi’s marriage. Pardon my banter but I just thought we needed a seasoning of persiflage as our nation mulls over the unexpected split of a Xhosa boy and a Grahamstown white girl. Siya Kolisi is a Natal Shark , though not of the Great “White” variety. Whilst he is…

The Springboks are undergoing a training camp in the Channel Island of Jersey this week as they sharpen their focus on ending a successful year with an unbeaten tour of Scotland, England and Wales. Rassie Erasmus’s team have won eight of their 10 games played this year and took home the Rugby Championship title. Now, Erasmus wants to grow the winning momentum with victories over two teams they defeated in last year’s World Cup – Scotland and England – before concluding 2024 in Cardiff. The seriousness with which the Springbok coach approaches the tour is reflected in his selection of a full-strength squad, particularly as other countries use the November international season to test new players. Winning is a habit, just as losing can be, and Erasmus is eager for…

Lille: A migrant died yesterday in an attempt to cross the Channel to Britain, a death that comes on top of two deadly boat sinkings in the past 10 days, French officials said. The man, an Indian citizen, had set off from the beach of Tardinghen in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Most of the passengers on board were able to swim back to shore. The death brings the total on the route across the Channel to at least 56 this year, already more than any previous year. Over 29 000 migrants have made it across the Channel since the start of the year, according to the British Home Office. | AFP…

It was a thrilling schools derby day in the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA), with Wynberg and Bishops recording surprisingly easy victories over Rondebosch and SACS, respectively. At Wynberg, Rondebosch won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that is normally slow. However, they faced a disciplined home medium-pace attack, spearheaded by Ihsan Kahn (3-21) and Michail Tarentaal (2-37), making runs hard to come by. The Bosch openers, Tyler Heyns (7) and Nathan Ball (5), were dismissed in quick succession. The visitors were rocked when their leading run-scorer Daniel Bosman was dismissed for a first-ball duck, clean bowled by a peach of a delivery from Tarentaal. At 12-3, things looked bleak for Rondebosch against a rampant Wynberg attack. However, the arrival of Noah Heath at No 5 stabilised…

As the countdown begins for Scotland's clash with the reigning world champions, the Springboks, on November 10 at Murrayfield, the Glasgow Warriors’ Scottish internationals are emerging with valuable insights following their recent encounters against two of South Africa's sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC). In the span of two weekends, the Warriors faced off against both the Sharks and the Stormers, who were packed with Springbok talent. Although Glasgow suffered a setback against a formidable Sharks side in Durban, their triumph over the Stormers in Stellenbosch this past Saturday, where they faced several Springbok stars including Frans Malherbe, Manie Libbok, and Damian Willemse, has undoubtedly bolstered their confidence. Glasgow head coach Franco Smith, a former assistant coach for the Springboks, is eager not to disclose too much ahead of…

IN A GROUNDBREAKING move towards religious inclusivity, the Department of Home Affairs has begun issuing official certificates recognising Muslim marriages, with Cape Town's Mayor praising the historic development. Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, on Friday revealed the release of the first set of 33 certificates for Muslim marriages, made possible by updates to the department's internal systems. The move represents a pivotal moment in South Africa's history, showcasing the country's dedication to honouring various cultural and religious traditions. Schreiber said the Islamic community has played a vital role in South Africa's history for over 350 years. He acknowledged that while this recognition comes much later than it should have, it is a personal privilege for him to oversee the issuance of marriage certificates that acknowledge Muslim unions. “This is a…

Beyoncé and a variety of other, Left-wing, woke, liberal, and misguided libertarians, are coming out of their closets in support of Kamala Harris. Freedom, they screech, seeking to have a woman of colour seated in the Oval Office in Washington no matter what. Clear thinking Americans, who espouse conservative values, and are aligned with the Republican Party, are viewed by this ensemble of right-brained and highly dubious characters, as being “bad” for America. There is a perception that American values have declined sharply under the leadership of the Democratic Party. Methinks that it is time to bring back traditional, old-fashioned values and restore a semblance of order to the listing American ship. The Left vilifies Trump. They complain about his lack of eloquence, and eccentricity... yet Trump, Harris and Biden…

The recent arrest of Louis Liebenberg and his associates is an important step in the pursuit of justice for the many victims of his alleged diamond investment scam. This moment, in significant measure, is a tribute to the relentless determination of former Northern Cape Member of Parliament Veronica van Dyk. Van Dyk played a pivotal role in exposing his nefarious activities. Despite facing enormous pressure and intimidation from Liebenberg, including a R5 million lawsuit for so-called defamation and despicable verbal abuse directed at her, Veronica remained steadfast in her commitment to truth and justice. Her courage in the face of such adversity was critical in bringing to light the alleged fraudulent scheme that impoverished so many investors, and her efforts have now helped pave the way for the accountability we…

The question I find myself grappling with is whether it’s still possible to convince men to think differently about their health. Historically, men have been raised to embody strength. Society has shaped men to believe that masculinity equates to power, toughness, and invincibility. We are expected to be strong, both physically and emotionally, regardless of the challenges we face. Yet, behind this mask of masculinity, we all know that there’s an element of vulnerability that we constantly suppress. We fear being exposed, not only to others but even to ourselves. This fear often leads us to neglect our health, our well-being, and ultimately, our lives. What’s amazing and tragic about this fear is that it stops us from seeking the help we need. Perhaps it’s time that we remind ourselves…

An American researcher said an Israeli air strike on Saturday hit a building that was part of Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development programme, and he and another researcher said facilities used to mix solid fuel for missiles also were struck. The assessments, based on commercial satellite imagery, were reached separately by David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a Washington think tank. They said that Israel struck buildings in Parchin, a massive military complex near Tehran. Israel also hit Khojir, according to Eveleth, a sprawling missile production site near Tehran. Reuters reported in July that Khojir was undergoing massive expansion. Eveleth said the Israeli strikes may have “significantly hampered Iran’s ability to mass-produce missiles”. The Israeli military said three waves of…

Ramat HaSharon: A driver rammed his truck into a crowd of people at a bus stop in central Israel yesterday, killing a man and injuring more than two dozen people, medics and police said. The truck ramming in Ramat Hasharon, north of Tel Aviv, left at least 29 people injured, including several in serious condition, emergency services said. Preliminary findings showed the truck driver also hit a bus that had stopped at the same station to drop off passengers, the police said in a statement. The police said that civilians at the scene “shot the truck driver and neutralised him”. | AFP…