Innehållsförteckning för 2024-10-31 från Cape Argus

A MITCHELLS Plain fisherman has hailed the heroic efforts of two lifeguards who rescued him after he was swept away by a rip current while chasing after his friend’s fish. Heinrich Hans, 47, said he nearly died trying to catch the kabeljou, which he estimated to be around 20kg, while fishing near Mnandi Beach. The stretch of coastline between Mitchell’s Plain and Strandfontein is known as Biespens and is a popular fishing spot. Hans, who has been fishing since 14, said he was teaching someone how to fish with live bait when he was swept out to sea. “I was showing this guy how to fish with live bait. Just a few hours before, I caught a kabeljou that was about 10kg. “The guy caught the fish and he reeled…

IN A TOUCHING revelation 17 years after a tragic attack that nearly claimed her life, Kaylin Nichols has bravely decided to share her story with the world. At just 10 years old, Nichols was brutally raped and beaten with a hammer before being left for dead while she lay naked in a pool of her own blood. She said she decided to speak out after her husband encouraged her to write a book about her experience. But before doing so, she wants to complete a mission that extends beyond her personal narrative. “I want to inspire other young girls to hold their heads high and not give up, it really isn’t the end of the world.” The mother of two takes a deep breath as she takes a walk back…

THE Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) joined by a number of unions, civil society organisations and members of the community marched to Parliament, calling for a budget that meets the needs of the people during an anti-austerity march ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2024 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement address, yesterday. Parent, Jolandi van Wyk, representing the Witzenberg Justice Coalition, said: “I came with my heart; I need to be heard.” She said their pleas were directed to the Ministers of Education and Human Settlements. “We want them to prioritise the building of houses because it’s a big need and we want the Minister of Education to reconsider the budget cuts because we in Ceres, in the Witzenberg, are struggling currently with food and transport for our children.…

THE Cape of Good Hope SPCA once again acted as the real life Paw Patrol, rescuing 63 cats and 8 rabbits from a house in Ruyterwacht. The Kitty Rescue Care and Rehome facility, which was meant to be a safe haven for the animals, had, according to inspectors, turned out to be grossly inadequate with dirty, overcrowded living spaces. The SPCA carried out the inspection on October 25, when it found the house lacked proper lighting and ventilation, and was filled with the overpowering stench of ammonia. The animal protection organisation said they also found healthy cats were mixed with those showing signs of illness. Rabbits had also suffered in similarly squalid conditions, confined to dirty cages with no access to clean drinking water. The SPCA said the living…

The Department of Employment and Labour, particularly the Compensation Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Fund, have monies invested through the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). Naturally, a portion of these funds is invested in listed companies, which is the prudent course of action. However, a significant proportion is invested in unlisted entities. The Department recently reviewed the performance of these unlisted investments, and the results have been dismal. As of March 2024, the underperformance of these investees has led to what can only be described as a “bloodbath.” For instance, a company called MUSA Capital received an investment of R250 million in April 2018. This investment has completely collapsed and is now worth nothing. Another company, Zanalwandle, received R3 million in April 2021, and it too is now worthless. The investment…

Toxic masculinity is endangering the health of South African men, and the consequences are devastating. In terms of mental health, about 20 South Africans take their own life every day. Of these, 17 to 18 are men. As CEO of the Men’s Foundation SA, I urge the public to help us confront the dangerous narrative that encourages men to prioritise toughness over their well-being. The mindset leads to neglect, especially when it comes to physical and mental health issues, making men less likely to seek help for conditions like prostate cancer, which remains deadlier than breast cancer, not because it’s inherently more dangerous but because of the stigma men face in taking preventive action – screenings, knowing the risks associated with family history and diet. Primary health care offer a…

Orlando Pirates fans and followers of the “beautiful game” in general paused this week to remember Senzo Meyiwa, the club’s late goalkeeper and captain. October 26 marked a decade since the footballer from uMlazi, Durban, was gunned down at his then-girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s home in Vosloorus. As has been the case on past anniversaries, many fans and ordinary citizens expressed their pain, concern and disappointment with the shoddy way this matter has been handled. Ten years after the shooting, the murder trial is still continuing. Lawyers, judges and police ministers have come and gone, but the soccer star’s family, friends and fans are still waiting for closure. We join all those who have decried the deplorable aspects of this matter from day one. There have been signs of amateurish, inept…

The letter by Y Sax (Many of us have not slept since October 7, October 29, 2024), in which she implies that the hostilities in the Holy Land started on 7 October, refers. The “beheaded babies” have been proven to be a lie. Israel set the stage for terrorism during the mandate, when the IRGUN and HAGANAH gangs who became the IDF, executed terrorist acts against Palestinians and even against their benefactors, the British. The British headquarters were bombed, soldiers were hanged, railways blown up, paratroopers murdered in their beds, and Lord Moyne and his driver Cpl. Fuller assassinated while England was fighting against Hitler. These acts of terrorism are documented in the PhD at Oxford University by Bruce Hoffman, titled “Jewish terrorism and the British in Palestine 1939-1947”. In…

In the 2016 municipal elections, we were introduced to the phenomenon of coalition governments. Other countries, such as Germany, have been doing the coalition business for a long time – and it’s working for them. Are coalition governments working in South Africa, especially at local government level? The answer is “no”. Municipalities engaged in coalition governments are changing mayors like nappies, especially in Gauteng. A few months ago, the City of Johannesburg removed Kabelo Gwamanda as mayor and put ANC’s Dada Morero in the top position. This is Morero’s second stint as mayor. Tshwane outvoted Cilliers Brink and installed a new mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya. In Mogale City, there were murmurs that councillor Danny Thupane was on his way out. Two weeks ago, Thupane, who succeeded DA’s Tyrone Gray, resigned…

INDIAN South Africans celebrate Diwali or Deepavali (the festival of lights) in post-democratic South Africa with city-wide festivals and events, and a more significant presence and awareness of the festival and its significance. The recent media suggestion for the festival of lights to become a national public holiday in South Africa can only be perceived as a positive marker of social cohesion, multiculturalism and respect for each individual in South Africa. We have been lagging in this quest. The state of Pennsylvania, US, has also endorsed the motion for Diwali to attain a special public holiday status this year. Similarly, the city of New York supported the festival as an official school holiday for New Yorkers in 2023. The festival has become popular and is socially inclusive in countries such…

Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is mimicking the strategy of popular Indian grocery start-ups to drastically change how his retail empire operates: from home deliveries that can take a day or two, his business is now targeting a 10-30 minute service. Quick commerce has reshaped how Indians shop as Zomato, SoftBank-backed Swiggy and Zepto now promise deliveries from their neighbourhood warehouses within 10 minutes, even beating Amazon. These multi-billion-dollar quick commerce businesses, although loss-making, have disrupted sales of mom-and-pop stores and supermarkets as people opt for quick deliveries of everything from milk and chocolates to Apple iPhones. The sector has become too hot, too fast for Ambani’s Reliance to ignore, even though experts say its late entry will face challenges including a lack of small-scale warehouses and running the business…

IF there is one thing that most professional coaches frown upon, it is commenting about the performances of any individual player in their squads – and Orlando Pirates’ Jose Riveiro is proving to be no different... well, at least this time around. Riveiro was on Tuesday night once again at the receiving end of questions regarding his starlet, Relebohile Mofokeng. That was after the 20-year-old scored a screamer to hand the Buccaneers a 2-0 win over struggling TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium. The first goal for Riveiro’s side was netted by another young talent, Thalente Mbatha. The weight of Mofokeng’s goal was not only about the fact that it sealed Pirates’ sixth league victory of the season, but also how it was scored. The youngster won the ball from outside…

MARCO Jansen is not in the North West Dragons squad that have travelled to Gqeberha for the first round of the Four-Day Series against the Warriors, which starts today (10am). The all-rounder was available for the Potchefstroom-based outfit throughout the recently concluded Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge, as he eased back into action after a lengthy rehabilitation and conditioning break that started after the Major League Cricket event in July. The fast bowler was also training with the Proteas Test squad at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria before the squad departed for Bangladesh a few weeks back. With his break nearing an end, the 24-year-old has become a hot topic among local cricket fans with regards to how the left-arm fast bowler will fit into the Proteas squad this…

HAILING from the Cape Flats, 33-year-old qualified surgeon Craig Burns is living proof that where you come from does not determine where you are heading. Burns lived between two ghettos in Mitchell’s Plain and Hanover Park, notoriously known for their struggles against poverty and crime. For most of his life, he faced hardships and still came up tops, becoming a qualified surgeon. Speaking from his new home in Johannesburg, Burns said his life wasn’t always sunshine and roses. “I grew up in Mitchell’s Plain, Westridge, where you are surrounded with the usual stories of unemployment, gangs, drugs and financial problems. “For me, I had to travel from the Plain to Hanover Park where my granny lived to go to school in Lansdowne. “I was one of the kids who never…

The United Nations, the World Heath Organization, the European Union, numerous left-wing NGOs and media outlets and the Biden-Harris Democrats are screaming, ‘enough is enough.’ Israel is expected to end its fight against Iran and its proxies, which Islamists consider an offensive, rather than defensive, war. Jews are not supposed to fight back. Iran’s enablers pussy-foot around the Oct. 7, 2023, slaughter of Israeli innocents, Hezbollah firing 8,000 rockets into Israel and Iran itself firing hundreds of missiles at Israel, before Israel responded. Can you imagine the excitement in Iran when it’s reported four of the attacking aircraft were piloted by Israeli women? Interestingly, the Arab world seems far les upset than we in the West are about Iran getting bloodied. The war in Gaza will end when the Gazans…

We are amid a turbulent 2024. History will remember the destructive attacks in the war-torn areas of the world. This year will be remembered as a time of infamy that will haunt the lives of those who carried out heinous crimes against humanity. Civilians were massacred daily in an orgy of violence. Savagery is condoned, bloodshed accepted, discrimination sanctioned by those in power and humiliation undertaken with glee. Destruction of property has become enshrined in law and displacement of civilians an edict. The slaughter is covered up by a biased global media. The grotesque acts are tantamount to war crimes. No important participants were punished for the heinous crimes. The slaughter of civilians lays the foundation for the world to see the true nature of their determination to rid millions…