Innehållsförteckning för 2025-02-24 från Cape Argus

Suits is one of my all-time favourite comfort shows. I rewatch it whenever I need to escape and I was delighted when it was announced that the renowned legal drama would be getting a sequel, Suits LA, almost six years since the original ended. As the spin-off is set to premiere on M-Net this week, I recently got the opportunity to watch the first few episodes, courtesy of NBC and Showmax. Like its predecessor, this brand-new offering from the original series creator, Aaron Korsh introduces viewers to the brilliant and ruthless lawyers who represent an elite clientele in the world of entertainment, sport and real estate. And as a fan of Suits and Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), the series’ leading man, I wondered how the new show would live up…

THE postponement of the budget has escalated into a political skirmish among parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The budget, now set for March 12, was delayed after an agreement was reached that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana redraw the budget and enable consultation within the GNU. However, allegations of political gamesmanship have surfaced, with various parties taking jabs at each other regarding the reasons behind the delayed tabling of Godongwana’s speech. DA leader John Steenhuisen was the first to claim that his party’s staunch opposition to the ANC’s proposed VAT hike had forced their hand. “The last-minute postponement came about because of the failure by the ANC, and specifically Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s failure, to engage meaningfully with the alternative proposals tabled by the DA,” Steenhuisen said. He…

THE Students’ Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the UCT EFF Student Command (EFFSC) have welcomed the Council’s approval of a joint proposal addressing the needs of financially vulnerable students. The plan was tabled by the executive and the SRC, aimed at addressing 2024 fee debt issues. Chair of UCT Council, Norman Arendse, announced that the decision was taken at a special Council meeting held on Thursday. “The joint proposal submitted by the executive and SRC was the outcome of a collaborative effort aimed at balancing the pressing need to ensure that the university caters for financially vulnerable students who are also academically eligible, but whose debt exceed the R10 000 threshold. “At the same time, it sought to ensure that the university remains financially…

Winning only one game away from home in the United Rugby Championship (URC) could come back to haunt the Stormers if they can't change that statistic, starting with the trip to Loftus Versfeld this weekend. From their four wins in 11 matches so far, three were at home in Cape Town, while five of the seven losses came on the road, which started with another poor display in the United Kingdom in the opening away games. Generally not a good touring side, the inaugural URC champions have it all to do over the next few matches where the DHL Stadium under Table Mountain won't be their ally. After successive losses to the Bulls and Lions, their campaign won't get any easier as they head to Loftus Versfeld for the return…

Only Australia can go to an ICC event without their captain and several key players due to injury and still find a way to win big games. There must be something in the water Down Under. The six-time world champions are currently without permanent captain Pat Cummins, fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, as well as experienced all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis due to injuries at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Despite missing some of the world’s best cricketers, the Aussies still found a way to chase down a mammoth target of 352 against England this past Saturday—and did so in dominant fashion, with 15 balls to spare. Their victory was a massive statement and perhaps a reminder to the rest of the group — which…

Newcastle blew Nottingham Forest away with four goals in 11 minutes as Alexander Isak's double inspired a vital 4-3 win in the race to finish in the Premier League's top four. Eddie Howe's side recovered from Callum Hudson-Odoi's early opener to run riot with a first half goal spree at St James' Park on Sunday. Lewis Miley bagged Newcastle's equaliser, sparking an astonishing spell of dominance as Jacob Murphy put the hosts ahead. Isak netted twice in less than two minutes to reach 50 Premier League goals and leave Forest in tatters. The Sweden striker has 19 league goals this season, taking him level with Manchester City's Erling Haaland in second place behind Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in this season's scoring chart. Nikola Milenkovic and Ryan Yates scored for Forest in…

The fate of the popular long-standing SABC2 telenovela, Muvhango remains uncertain. Viewers may have to say goodbye to their favourite Tshivenda soapie, which has kept them entertained for over two and a half decades, at the end of July, when its current contract with the SABC comes to an end. The public broadcaster has confirmed to Independent Media Lifestyle that only one season of the revamped soapie had been given to producer Duma Ndlovu of Word of Mouth Pictures. “The SABC can confirm that only one season of Muvhango is currently contracted and that the current contract is set to end on 31 July 2025. The SABC cannot comment on the future of the programme at this stage,” said Mmoni Ngubane, head of communications at SABC2. According to online…

ESKOM’S recent announcement of stage 6 load shedding has raised alarm among political and economic analysts who view it as a significant setback for the country’s economy, while the City of Cape Town said it could not guarantee protection of up to two stages of load shedding for its customers if yesterday’s trend persists. Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said the country was plunged into load shedding following the loss of four units at Camden Power Station in Mpumalanga. However, Ramokgopa vowed that the issues would be resolved by the end of the week. Detailing the sequence of events, Ramokgopa said five units tripped at Majuba on Saturday, taking about 3 000MW off line, which prompted stage 3 load shedding. He added that overnight to yesterday, four units…

AS SOUTH Africa grapples with a severe healthcare crisis, the Department of Health’s decision to spend R28 million on advertising the National Health Insurance (NHI) has drawn sharp criticism from the DA. The revelation was made in a parliamentary reply dated February 6, after DA spokesperson on health, Michele Clarke, asked Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi about the total amount spent on advertising the NHI from 2019/2020 to date. “From April 1, 2024, to date, the amount spent is R28 462 209.00,” Motsoaledi said. Motsoaledi said R77 790 588 spent during the 2019/20 financial year was addressed in a reply to Question: 964 on September 13, 2024, where it was noted that during 2022 the NHI allocation spent through Digital Vibes was meant for Covid-19 communication. This sum is a matter…

THE Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s (DPWI) upgrade process of Robben Island Museum (RIM) has received approval following Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala’s oversight visit, with improvements already boosting tourist numbers and preserving this vital heritage site. Zikalala said they were monitoring the progress of the refurbishment and had engaged with the Ex-Political Prisoners Association. In 2023, Zikalala visited the site to respond to concerns over the deterioration of buildings, cemeteries, gardens, recreational facilities, waste management services, and the blue stone quarry, which was placing the island at risk of losing its heritage status. The expected upgrade cost to the museum buildings was said to be R150 million. Highlights of the progress observed during Zikalala’s oversight visit included improvement in the water supply with no interruptions reported during the 2024…

Kagiso Rabada believes the Proteas will need to have “their wits about them” when they face Australia in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy clash on Tuesday. Australia showcased their world-champion status over the weekend by chasing down a record 352 with five wickets and 15 balls to spare against arch-rivals England. The Proteas are equally full of confidence after their comprehensive victory over Afghanistan in the Group B opener in Karachi. However, Rabada knows the intensity will rise when these two great rivals meet in Rawalpindi. “Australia will be a different challenge—obviously a higher quality of batters, that’s pretty obvious,” Rabada said on Sunday. “We'll have to adjust to the conditions in Rawalpindi, so we'll take a good look at what the pitch will do in tomorrow's game. I think…

A confident New Zealand side will look to secure its place in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy when it takes on Bangladesh in a crucial Group A encounter on Monday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The Black Caps started their campaign in dominant fashion, securing a 60-run win over hosts Pakistan. With a strong net run rate of 1 200, another victory will all but confirm their spot in the knockout stage. For Bangladesh, the equation is simple — win or face elimination. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side suffered a six-wicket defeat against India in its opening game and is currently third in the group with a net run rate of -0.408. A loss here would make its chances of progressing extremely slim. New Zealand enter the contest with a…

Willie le Roux has been called many things in his illustrious rugby career, but not always positive. There should be much more respect on his name, though, for everything he has achieved – not the least of which are 98 Test caps for the Springboks. Now in the late autumn of his time on the pitch at the age of 35, he has been asked to not only reinvent himself as a flyhalf, but pull the strings of a Bulls team missing three captains due to injury. Le Roux had a few hairy moments against the Stormers and Sharks in the last fortnight, but showed his class in conducting the Bulls orchestra in the 31-19 bonus-point victory over the Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. It was almost as if…

GAVIN Hunt was nonchalant about it all. Deep in the bowels of this Atteridgeville venue — named after one of South Africa’s greatest exponents of the game, the late Lucas "Masterpieces" Moripe — Hunt accepted the fate that had befallen him on the occasion of his milestone 1 000th match as an elite coach. SuperSport United’s Betway Premiership clash against Arrows was abandoned prior to the start of the second half after load-shedding plunged the venue into darkness. Match referee Siyabulela Qunta blasted his whistle to signal the abandonment at a time when he should have been blowing for the restart. Incredibly, just three minutes later, the lights came back on while both teams were still in the dressing rooms. However, SuperSport United officials' pleas to match commissioner Lebogang Daniels…

DESPITE the Western Cape’s crime stats for quarter three of 2024/25 showing a decrease in murders by 7.9%, civil organisations and crime fighters are calling for more strategies to combat crime, including SANDF deployment to stabilise volatile communities where gang shootings are rife. Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC, Anroux Marais, said in response to the latest crime statistics: “The 7.9% decrease in the overall murder rate in the Western Cape for quarter three of 2024/25 follows a 7.1% decrease in quarter two of 2024/25. This latest reduction represents a decrease of 103 murders. What is more encouraging is that there was a 15.5% decrease in murders in our combined Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) deployment areas, from 459 cases in 2023/24 to 388 in 2024/25 with Nyanga recording a…

THREE wanted suspects pretending to be City of Cape Town officials to allegedly gain access into people’s homes have been arrested. The arrest follows the swift action by the Atlantic Seaboard Response (ASB) Group who foiled their burglary last week. The suspects are linked to additional house burglaries in Camps Bay, Manenberg and Kuils River. When caught last week, the men allegedly entered a property in Camps Bay under the guise of being City officials and fled with stolen items. The driver remained in the vehicle. ASB group founder, Jacques Weber, said the men nearly got away but were quickly placed into custody. “The Atlantic Seaboard Response Group was alerted to an incident in Camps Bay, where two criminals posed as City of Cape Town meter readers to gain…

WITH more than a year until the 2026 local government elections, the ANC in the Greater Johannesburg Region has announced the dates for its upcoming elective conference, with the event set to take place from June 20 to 22 this year. According to a statement released by the Regional Executive Committee (REC) after a special meeting recently, the conference will be preceded by a series of branch general meetings, which will take place from March 21 to May 15. The membership cut-off date has been set for March 20. Sources within the region have revealed that the elective conference is expected to be highly contested, with two candidates, current regional deputy secretary Loyiso Masuku, and present chairperson and City of Johannesburg mayor, Dada Morero, vying for the position of chairperson.…

Muhsin Ertugral believes that he’s in tune with the modern trends of football, and that’s why he feels he’s disrespected by those who think he’s out of his depth. Ertugral’s Cape Town City lost their fifth game in the last six matches when they went 2-1 down to Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. That loss didn’t only mean they dropped to 10th on the Betway Premiership log with just 21 points from 19 games, but it also raised eyebrows on the team’s progress under Ertugral. The 65-year-old returned to the dugout at City in January for the first time in six years, having left coaching to be the Turkish national team’s advisor. His return looked to be flawless at first as he won the first three games out…

Star batsman Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100 to lead India to a six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday and push the title holders to the brink of elimination from the Champions Trophy. Chasing 242 for victory, Kohli hit a boundary to seal the match with 45 balls to spare and register his 51st ODI ton after an innings which also saw him pass 14 000 runs in one-day international cricket. Kohli, 36, removed his helmet and raised his bat to the Dubai International Stadium crowd after taking India closer to the semi-finals with two wins in two outings in Group A. Pakistan have lost both their matches and will need Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to have any chance of staying in contention for a last-four…

Proteas all-rounder Wiaan Mulder was elated to have made a significant impact in the team's success against Afghanistan on Friday, following his recovery from a broken middle finger. Mulder, however, was more effective with the ball this time around than with the bat. Arguably, he only got to face the tail end of the innings because the Proteas' top order delivered stellar performances across the board, led by Ryan Rickelton’s maiden ODI century. Mulder finished unbeaten on 12 and bowled an economically effective spell of 2/36 from nine overs. “I wouldn’t say I’ve added a lot to my game — just a lot of opportunity to power-hit, I guess. That’s been my role in the SA20, so I just tried to keep it simple and generate as much power as…

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker has accepted that Betway Premiership heavyweights, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, will dominate this season, and his team will have to aim for a top-three finish. Against expectations, Stellenbosch were held to a 1-1 draw by the visiting Richards Bay at the Danie Craven Stadium on Friday. Whatever plans Stellenbosch had for securing maximum points were derailed when Richards Bay scored in the third minute. This was the fastest goal scored by the Natal Rich Boyz since they joined the top flight of South African football in 2022. Despite their strong grip on the match, Stellenbosch never managed to overcome their early setback but were awarded a second-half penalty, giving them a chance to at least draw the game. Fawaaz Basadien converted the penalty after Thato…