Innehållsförteckning för 2024-12-19 från Cape Argus

South African media personality and YouTube star Lasizwe Dambuza has checked himself into a mental health wellness centre, citing the need to “recharge” after what he described as a “wild” year. Lasizwe took to Instagram on Monday to share the news, posting a screenshot of a note written on his phone. “It’s that time of the year when my phone battery is extremely low except this time, IT’S ME,” he wrote. “My mental health is my battery, and I’ve checked myself into a mental wellness facility to recharge so I can show up and perform at my best.” Reflecting on the emotional toll of the past year, the Awkward Dates creator explained that while the year brought success, it also came with challenges. “Awkward Dates blew up in ways I…

CAPE Town’s Loop Street came to a standstill yesterday when a MyCiTi bus collided with another vehicle and then crashed into a building. According to the City, at 7.49am, the D028 MyCiTi bus collided with a third-party vehicle before mounting the pavement and coming to a stop against the building. “Seven injuries have been reported including the driver and six passengers. All injured persons were transported to hospital and the third party driver was unharmed. The vehicle and bus were towed away from the accident scene,” the City said. “The vehicle operating company whose bus driver was involved will investigate the incident and is required to submit an accident report to the City. Also, the vehicle operating company is required to report the road accident to the SAPS. “The City…

SOUTH Africa is once again lagging on the global scale of mathematics and science assessments amidst primary school learners. This has been the recorded results for the last few years. An international assessment in Grade 4 and Grade 8 maths, is the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), is conducted every four years. The initial assessment was launched in 1995 and has been regularly improving their assessment approaches so that the content is relevant and appropriate for the Grade 4 and Grade 8 learner internationally. These assessments are important yardsticks to determine how South African learners compare and indicate whether we are preparing future generations to enter the global workforce. Unfortunately, in 2024, South Africans who participated in the assessment were ranked last yet again. In previous years…

The Titans will be out to add to the Warriors’ woes when the two sides clash in the Four-Day Series at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha today (10am start). Currently placed sixth on the table after having secured all three possible results in their opening three fixtures, the Titans will face a winless Warriors side desperate for momentum after having had two draws and two defeats in their four encounters. Titans opener Joshua van Heerden has been in decent touch since the start of the campaign, scoring two half-centuries so far for the former champions, and he believes a win against the last-placed Warriors will get their season back on track. “I feel like I’m in a good space, and the team is in a good space as well,” Van…

A THIRD cousin of alleged 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, has been killed, just hours after being released from prison. Craig “Zebo” Stanfield, 42, was shot and killed in Valhalla Park just after 4pm on Tuesday. According to a Cape Argus source, he came under attack by rival gang members. “Craig came out of (prison) that morning. He was facing attempted murder charges but the complainant withdrew the charges against him and he was released. “’He was walking with a friend when two members of the Rude Boys started shooting at them and his friend ran away. “One of the shooters came close to him and shot him several times and he died on the scene. He is also one of the (high-ranking members) of the Firm Gang and…

THE SANParks has put out a call for interested persons and organisations to join the Volunteer Safety Services (VSS) Forum, to ensure greater safety and security at the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). Yesterday, SANParks held the first of its two-day assessment and demonstration of its festive season readiness, at Deer Park. The programme focused on aerial and ground assessments, as well as safety awareness patrols. While its festive season state of readiness was launched in November 2024, the aim was to demonstrate some of the key safety features already implemented. This included safety awareness campaigns and patrols between the TMNP rangers, VSS, and law enforcement agencies. Flying overhead was the helicopter deployed to Cape Town from the Kruger National Park for greater surveillance capabilities across TMNP this festive season.…

During this time of the year many businesses close or go on to part-time heading up to the Christmas/New Year holidays. Other businesses go into overtime and extra drive as they service the tourism and holiday industry. All round, this is a difficult time for businesses who are on skeleton staff and are sometimes facing their busiest time of the year. Many businesses have an agreed leave break built into the employment contracts to ensure that their staff take their leave when the business closes. It is absolutely vital that arranged leave is properly contracted to ensure that all the staff are fully aware when their leave must be taken. Leave is after all the prerogative of management. In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, leave applies to…

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have tightened their grip on the country’s oil industry and control up to half the exports that generate most of Tehran’s revenue and fund its proxies across the Middle East, according to Western officials, security sources and Iranian insiders. All aspects of the oil business have come under the growing influence of the Guards, from the shadow fleet of tankers that secretively ship sanctioned crude, to logistics and the front companies selling the oil, mostly to China, according to more than a dozen people interviewed by Reuters. The extent of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) control over oil exports has not previously been reported. Despite tough Western sanctions designed to choke Iran’s energy industry, reimposed by former US President Donald Trump in 2018, Iran generates more…

CONSIDERED the “People’s Cathedral” in the bustling Cape Town Central, whose presence and worship is rooted in Struggle, inclusivity, and global and interfaith solidarity, St George’s Cathedral has announced The Venerable Terrence Lester as Dean-elect. Ven. Lester, 64, will be installed as Cathedral Dean on Sunday, February 2, 2025. He will assume the position following the retirement of Reverend Michael Weeder, who had been serving the Church as Dean since 2011, and will serve a three-year term. According to the Office of the Archbishop of Cape Town, Ven. Lester has over 40 years of experience in the church and with deep roots in the church’s anti-apartheid Struggle. The application process for the new Dean closed on August 31, thereafter a process of review and interviews with applicants took place. According…

A MAN named Sibusisio Lawrence has shocked the nation after he confessed to killing a woman and posting her dead body online. The events unfolded yesterday in the Malangeni area of Umzinto, where police were called to investigate the murder of a 25-year-old woman. It is reported that the victim’s body was discovered with multiple stab wounds on a gravel road. A broken knife was found nearby. Eyewitness reports suggest she had been picked up by her boyfriend earlier that day, leading to a domestic dispute that spiralled into violence. Lawrence recorded himself confessing to the murder while covered in blood, sharing the video and a picture of the deceased on social media. “You will say I am cruel. I tried. I worked very hard in my life trying to…

BERGRIVIER Mayor, Ray van Rooy, who was taken in for questioning after drugs and ammunition were found in his Piketberg home, said he was left traumatised. Van Rooy spoke out about the incident after his arrest last week, but said he would share more details after his own investigation. Police swooped on his home last Wednesday and found a substantial amount of drugs. Police spokesperson, Malcolm Pojie, said they have not charged anyone for the incident. “No one has been charged yet. Investigation is ongoing.” The DA said the incident has wrecked Van Rooy and his family. The mayor said the incident was a “desperate attempt to smear my reputation and bring harm to my name”. “I am deeply hurt by what has transpired, as it has caused suffering not…

Residents of Avey Road in Epping Forest, Elsies River, can finally breathe a sigh of relief as their electricity was restored after a two-week power outage. The outage began on December 4 when one of Eskom’s kiosks caught fire. Despite numerous complaints logged with Eskom, nothing was done. Chronic patient and pensioner, Nafera Ganief, 66, said: “I am grateful to you guys (Cape Argus). When my chest felt tight I had to run to the neighbours in the next road who have electricity to plug in my oxygen machine.” Neighbour, Ruben Williams said they had to sleep with their eyes open as criminals targeted the power cables. “We are unsure if the box exploded due to an electrical fault or if someone tempered with it ...” After Cape Argus reached…

Everyone deserves a second chance. That is why our correctional service is centred around rehabilitation. Offenders are punished, and sometimes removed from society, with a view to them being rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, except for extreme cases. Whatever is done with those who deviate from expected behaviour, there are laws, processes, institutions, agents and the Constitution to guide us. This, perhaps, can provide a good approach to the ongoing debate on whether US superstar Chris Brown, who has a history of violence, should have been welcomed into South Africa to perform in Joburg this past weekend. Did government officials process the controversial musician’s visa and other applications as they should have? Were the right questions asked in order to arrive at the decision to grant Brown the visa? If…