Innehållsförteckning för 2025-01-24 från Cape Argus

The World Sports Betting Cape Town Met is an event that’s become a staple of the South African social calendar, blending the high-speed excitement of horse racing with top-tier fashion and entertainment. Every year, the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse turns into the ultimate hotspot for the who’s who of Mzansi, with all eyes on the track as well as the stunning outfits that grace the venue. The theme for this year’s fashion showcase is “Couture Unleashed,” which celebrates South Africa’s talent and diverse creative energy. “The Met brings together world-class racing, high fashion and vibrant entertainment, creating an experience like no other,” said Donovan Everitt, the chief operating officer of Cape Racing. Curated by renowned designer Gavin Rajah, the showcase will feature 12 of South Africa’s top designers. They include Mzukisi,…

THE SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has called for police visibility around schools following the brutal murder of Ekuthuleni Primary School principal, Dr Jeffery Sigudla, in Bloekombos, Kraaifontein, yesterday. Sigudla was driving into the school with his wife when they were attacked by unknown gunmen. The principal died on the scene while his widow was shot in the leg and rushed to hospital. A witness said: “He lost control of the vehicle and the shooters went to the car where they fired more bullets at the occupants. The children were left traumatised by the incident. And the education department was there to provide counselling to the children.” School Governing Body (SGB) member, Linda Pito, said Sigudla was in front of the school, about to get out of his vehicle. “His…

UNIONS have confirmed they are in consultation with workers as government employees are set to decide on whether they accept a 5.5% salary increase. Additional adjustments will be increased in line with the consumer price index (CPI), which according to Statistics South Africa increased to 3% last month. In terms of the proposed agreement, the CPI will be capped at between 4% and 6%. This means that if the CPI is below 4%, public servants will receive a 4% increase and should it be above 6%, the increase will be 6%. Other increases include the special danger allowance from R931.82 to R950. The category of qualifying workers includes counsellors working with people in places of safety and on parole, prison educationists, nurses working with psychiatric patients, investigative and law-enforcing nature…

Khalil Ben Youssef says Kaizer Chiefs deserve to play continental football on a regular basis, and that’s why they are eager to win the Nedbank Cup this season. Chiefs have had a tough start to the season. They missed out on the MTN8 and Carling Knockout, while they’ve been inconsistent in the Premiership. Their run in the league has seen them fall behind in the league title race as they trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have two games in hand, by 12 points. And with the title race looking to be between Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, the Amakhosi could only have an impressive season if they finish third on the log. A third-place finish also guarantees continental football via the CAF Confederation Cup next season – a secondary competition…

MI Cape Town coach Robin Peterson has heaped praise on captain Rashid Khan for the upturn in the team’s performances this season. After leading MICT in Season 1, Rashid missed last season due to injury and was replaced by West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard. But the Afghanistan superstar has returned in Season 3 and overseen a renaissance down at Newlands. MICT are well placed to reach the playoffs for the first time, with 16 points after six matches, and are currently in third position ahead of a bumper clash against Durban’s Super Giants at a sold-out Newlands tomorrow (5.30pm start). “I think having Rashid back is a big thrill for us. He was fantastic in the first season in performance on the field. Obviously the second edition he missed through…

Whichever way you slice the cheese, you have to admit that the optics look as blurry as a pre-2008 broadcast of one of their league matches. Remember those days? Before the advent of HD, 4K, 8K and QLED (whatever that means), when you could count the pixels on your telly, and boast about 720p or 1080p resolution. You could barely make out the players back then, their only identifiers the numbers on their backs and the knowledge of body language, gait and position stored in the head. Those seemed to be simpler times when sport was driven by the game and not the mad dash for eyeballs on TV, the brinkmanship of who has the larger mob of social media followers, and the desperate need to chase down every financial…

Big Brother Mzansi contestant Ashley Ogle is facing growing backlash after making insensitive comments about fellow housemate Kay B (real name Florence Mphirime), who revealed in the house that she was a rape survivor. The remarks, which many viewers have condemned as insensitive, have sparked calls for Ogle’s immediate disqualification from the house. Kay B shared her experience during a conversation in the house, only for Ogle to suggest that Kay B was seeking attention. In an open letter shared on X, viewer @Mthembuzuzile expressed their disgust at Ogle’s comments. The letter has been directed to Mnet, Mzansi Magic and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA). In it, the viewer condemns the victim-shaming behaviour displayed by both Ogle and her housemate Bonnie. The letter reads: “I am writing…

A SIX-year-old boy from De Heide Primary School in Bredasdorp has survived a fall after being locked in a classroom, prompting an investigation into potential negligence by school staff. The child had reportedly been hiding inside the classroom when the teacher locked the door on Wednesday morning. Around 11am, he was transferred to Otto Du Plessis Hospital after being hurried to a clinic after falling through the window. The boy was kept under observation overnight and discharged yesterday morning. “According to a community member, the child was found lying on the ground with blood coming out of his mouth. “The child was locked inside the class while the assembly was on. He jumped from the first floor, and he was injured and unable to move. “The school then transported him…

THE families of victims killed and who disappeared during apartheid have filed a court application against the government and President Cyril Ramaphosa, seeking constitutional damages for political interference and suppression of the cases from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The application also challenges the government’s failure to adequately investigate and prosecute apartheid-era killings following the TRC inquiry. The families want the government to pay R165 million for constitutional damages and Ramaphosa to establish a commission of inquiry into political interference, which halted the investigations and prosecution of the perpetrators. The application was filed at the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday. The government is cited as the first respondent in the application while Ramaphosa is the second. The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, national director of Public Prosecutions, Minister…

THE DA wants the top brass of the police to be summoned to Parliament to answer questions over cases of sexual violence. The party’s deputy spokesperson on police, Lisa Schickerling, wrote to the portfolio committee on police, requesting that chairperson Ian Cameron cause SAPS senior management to appear before the committee to address the escalating crisis of sexual violence within law enforcement. “This issue has become deeply concerning, with numerous reports from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) indicating a disturbing increase in incidents of sexual violence perpetrated by members of the police force,” Schickerling wrote in her letter. Her letter comes after constable Naveron Jacobs, 35, appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on Monday after being charged with rape. Jacobs, who is the third officer to be arrested…

Springbok Sevens coach Philip Snyman is adamant that to achieve greatness, his side must face the best teams on the SVNS Series head-on as they look to get off to a fast start at the Perth tournament this weekend. The South Africans will open their account Down Under this morning, looking to back up their excellent performance in the Cape Town Sevens last December. Buoyed by the return of some stalwarts after injuries, the Blitzboks will back themselves to go far in the first leg of 2025. “We want to be the best team in the world, so this weekend in Perth will show us how far we are from that objective,” Snyman stated yesterday, saying they prepared thoroughly for a challenging pool that includes the USA, Australia and the…

A disheartened Proteas netball team lost the Margaret Beckford Sunshine Netball Series against Jamaica after a 57-49 defeat in Kingston on Wednesday (Thursday morning SA time). The Jamaicans are looking to sweep South Africa in the series, following their 55-47 win in the first match. Head coach for the Proteas, Jenny van Dyk, said the second consecutive loss was disappointing, but took away some positives from the defeat. She said they hoped to win the final Test on Saturday night (1am Sunday morning SA time). “Jamaica managed to step up a level after that first Test, and it show with their five-point lead per quarter that we struggled to manage. It is important for us as well to make that same step up in a competition like this,” Van Dyk…

Ricky Gervais is mourning the death of his canine companion from After Life. The 63-year-old comedian has taken to social media to announce the passing of Anti, the German Shepherd who starred alongside Gervais in the Netflix show. Gervais – who created, wrote and produced After Life – wrote on X: “Sad News. Anti, who played Brandy in After Life, has died. She was 13 and a very good girl (crying emoji).” The comedy star has also shared a throwback video clip of himself and Anti. In the clip – which is taken from a commercial shoot – Anti is seen trying to lick Gervais’s face as the comedian says: “Good girl! Good girl!” The news of Anti’s death has also been announced by Dutch Barn Vodka, the drinks company…

THE family of Luke Smith, who died following an assault in New Zealand, is hoping justice will prevail. This, as Siale Siale, a boxer, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, with sentencing expected to take place on February 20. The 21-year-old Smith, who moved to Upper Hutt in New Zealand in February 2024 with his parents Brian and Natasha Smith, died in hospital on October 7, 2024, following an assault in Courtenay Place. Speaking to IOL this week, Smith’s cousin, Alex Lackay, said that he started a petition calling for justice. “I started a petition in my cousin Luke’s name for justice. “This petition serves as a way for our fellow South Africans and international counterparts to use their voice for justice in the Luke Smith case,” Lackay said. “Justice can…

THE Constitutional Court has dismissed an application by former judge Nkola Motata – who was impeached, for direct access to have the National Assembly resolution to axe him, set aside. The order was made by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and nine other justices. “For as long as Judge Nkola Motata is entitled to be called ‘Judge Motata’, the judiciary continues to be stained in the eyes of the public,” three judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal earlier said when they found that his conduct more than 16 years ago, when he ploughed his gold Jaguar through the wall of a house in Johannesburg North, was of such gravity as to warrant a finding that he be removed from office. But Motata, who is turning 78 this year and is…

The Stormers’ lock trio of captain Salmaan Moerat, JD Schickerling and Ruben van Heerden will be challenged by their coaches to see who is fit to command the second row in the team ahead of the rest of the season. It’s arguably the toughest selection headache for Director of Rugby John Dobson and his coaches about whom their two starters out of the three should be, and who will provide an impact off the bench. Choosing the right combination won’t be easier tomorrow night, when they face Leinster in a pivotal United Rugby Championship clash in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium (7pm kick-off). After resting some stars, including Schickerling – who played off the replacement bench – in the 31-22 Champions Cup defeat to Racing 92 last weekend, the Cape outfit will…

The Joburg Super Kings have closely resembled a 1990s boy band coming together for a reunion tour at the 2025 SA20. Faf du Plessis, of course, is the lead singer, and he’s joined by Imran Tahir, Devon Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi. The quartet have plied their trades the world over in the intervening years, but their links stretch back almost 20 years, with Shamsi and now New Zealand international Conway having come through the Lions youth structures, before moving down to the coast to join the Dolphins together as rookies along with Tahir. “I was speaking to Devon the other day while we were having indoor nets (at the Wanderers), due to the heavy rains we had. Those are the same indoor nets we would come to for trials and…

Madison Keys fought back from a set down yesterday to shock Iga Swiatek in a nail-biter and set up an Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The 19th seed battled through a thrilling semi-final on a final-set tiebreak against the World No 2 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10/8) after Sabalenka swept aside Paula Badosa in straight sets. Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek had not dropped her serve since the first round, but was broken eight times by Keys, who saved a match point on her way to edging a titanic battle. It will be the American’s first final in Melbourne, and only her second in Slams, and she broke down in tears after finally getting over the line in two hours and 35 minutes. It was the first…