Innehållsförteckning för 2025-02-26 från Cape Argus

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) continues to build anticipation with its latest artist announcement, headlined by none other than R&B sensation Ari Lennox. Joining her on this week’s line-up reveal are two outstanding South African talents – bassist and composer Benjamin Jephta, who returns with a special anniversary project featuring the dynamic jazz collective Kujenga, and saxophonist Linda Sikhakhane, whose deeply emotive and exploratory sound has captivated audiences worldwide. These latest additions follow last week’s exciting reveal of Black Coffee’s Nduduzo Makhathini, the Kyle Shepherd Trio, and Thandiswa Mazwai – setting the stage for an unforgettable festival experience. CTIJF talent manager Lindsay Rhoda shared her enthusiasm, stating: “With every artist announcement, we’re curating a festival that honours jazz’s rich traditions while embracing its ever-evolving sounds. This year’s line-up…

A MAN is expected to make his second appearance in court after he was arrested for allegedly beating to death an eagle owl near Sunset Beach in Sea Point, in front of horrified onlookers. SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, said an animal enthusiast enjoying a sunset walk witnessed the owl, a protected species, gracefully land on the promenade barrier at Sunset Beach on the evening of February 16. “The serene moment quickly turned tragic when a homeless man emerged from the shadows with a stick in his hand, mercilessly beating the owl to death in front of horrified onlookers. “The violence was captured on video, with audible screams from witnesses attempting to intervene. “Sadly, the owl succumbed to its injuries, almost every bone in its body nearly shattered from the…

CAPE Town businesses and households have broken through the R50 million earnings mark since the start of the City’s Cash for Power programme in 2022/23. Cape Town is the first metro to buy excess solar PV power from small-scale generators, with over 1 800 small scale power sellers now participating. Under the Cash for Power programme, the City first credits a power seller’s total municipal bill automatically down to zero, generating a cash saving. Since 2023/24, both businesses and households also now have the option to apply to earn cash once their municipal bill reaches a zero balance. Investment in small-scale generation has boomed in Cape Town as residents moved to mitigate load-shedding and take advantage of City incentives, including reduced red tape and costs to install solar. As it…

As Shakespeare would put it: “Have real, professional amateurs descended now to rule over us?” It’s one thing to impose load shedding. This is not uncommon in many parts of the world especially in third world countries. The reasons are legend: The chief one being too many consumers and insufficient power producing gizmos. The authorities know this in advance. Already ready. All-ways. So they plan the schedules. All dainty and dinkum. Electric trains do not get suddenly stranded in the middle of lengthy bridges. Barbers and hairdressing salons do not find themselves in a situation with patrons getting bamboozled with half-shaves, half hair-dried, or leaving half-bald. Not too many die in claustrophobic lifts. The public is warned beforehand. It eventually becomes a way of life . But not…

AS the 2025 tax year is fast coming to an end, it is critical for businesses, whether big or small, to remain compliant with the law to preserve their operations and bottom line. Small business owners often confuse CIPC annual returns with SARS tax returns. A CIPC return updates company details and confirms operation, due on the registration anniversary date. Missing this deadline risks fines or deregistration. A SARS tax return reports income and calculates tax owed. Keeping financial records updated is crucial for both filings. The CIPC is tightening compliance, deregistering businesses that fail to submit annual returns or are inactive. Deregistration has severe consequences, including loss of limited liability protection and frozen bank accounts. To avoid deregistration, businesses must file annual returns on time, submit beneficial ownership declarations,…

It’s not unusual to see pedestrians walking alongside the highways when bridges are intended to ensure their safety. This behaviour is classified as jaywalking, which is an act of crossing the road without using a designated area, in this case a bridge. Walking or crossing highways is prohibited by law in South Africa, yet pedestrians continue to do so. The stretch of the freeway on the N1 just before and after Jean Ave offramp in Centurion is considered a high-accident zone, which makes this part of the freeway dangerous. Nonetheless pedestrians attempt to cross this freeway, particularly at peak traffic hours. Despite the presence of bridges, pedestrians cross this stretch of the freeway, including students who are requesting rides from passing vehicles on both sides of the freeway. Motorists are…

A young American woman has been taken into police custody after her newborn baby was thrown out of a window of a Parisian hotel, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. The newborn received urgent medical care, but did not survive. Authorities are investigating the crime as a homicide on a minor under the age of 15, the office said. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment after her delivery, with “denial of pregnancy” being considered as a possibility, according to the office. The woman in custody was in Paris as part of a group of young people travelling in Europe, the office said.…

South African music star Tyla is set to feature on BLACKPINK member Lisa’s highly anticipated debut album, Alter Ego. This collaboration has ignited excitement among fans from both sides, promising a vibrant blend of K-pop and Afrobeats that could reshape the contours of contemporary pop music. Tyla’s inclusion on the album exemplifies her rapid ascent within the music industry and showcases the increasing recognition of African artists on global platforms. Lisa is set to release Alter Ego on Friday, marking her first full-length solo project since she and the rest of BLACKPINK opted not to renew their contracts with YG Entertainment. The album’s tracklist includes collaborations with prominent artists like Megan Thee Stallion on Rapunzel and Future on Fxck Up The World, alongside Tyla on When I’m With You. The…

WESTERN Cape police commissioner, Thembisile Patekile, said there is no need to bring in the army to gang-ridden areas as they have crime under control. He said this as the SAPS yesterday presented the crime statistics of the third quarter, which ran from October to December 2024. Though the numbers showed a decrease in murder and attempted murders, crime activists have called for military intervention to quell the violence. Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA) said the communities of Cape Town, particularly those in gang-ridden areas, are living in a constant state of fear, where the sound of gunfire has become a daily reality. “We call for the deployment of the SANDF. FACSA reiterates our demand for the immediate deployment of the SANDF to stabilise affected communities and restore order,”…

How is it possible to implement load shedding after ten months of not having it. We were all told that load shedding is a thing of the past and now we have stage 6 right after the ANC were denied a 2% vat increase. There is something fishy going on and they are punishing us, because they cannot get their own way. They will cripple the economy without power and the quicker we get them out of power, the better off we will be. This is the last straw and please everyone wake up and see what these idiots are doing to us. If you cannot keep the lights on, then you don’t deserve to be in power. Enough is enough.…

An unprecedented shift in controlling the US news narrative is occurring. Whereas the legacy media, in its self-ordained role as a quasi-government, led the charge prosecuting Nixon during Watergate and in consistently promoting Democrat narratives, since January 20 it has not only lost that impetus but has had it upended by Trump’s blizzard of reforms. In his first month in office Trump issued 73 executive orders, 23 proclamations and 12 memorandums – more than any recent president issued in their first 100 days. The most significant theme of Trump’s reforms is his exposure of the existence of the Deep State, the entrenched empire of unelected officials within the bureaucracy of government. Routinely disparaged and dismissed by the legacy media as a “conspiracy theory”, the reality of the Deep State is…

Ayanda Holo For too long, South Africa's public debate on the national budget has been narrowed to a fixation on minor percentage-point changes – a 2% VAT increase here, and a couple of basis points there. While such details are newsworthy, they obscure a far more fundamental discussion: how should a nation with a stagnant growth trajectory, a limited social safety net, and an inequitable tax framework confront a R60 billion budget deficit? ​Incomplete narrative Recent discussions, exemplified by Minister Godongwana's announcement on the VAT increase, have reduced complex fiscal challenges to a debate over whether a 17% VAT rate is acceptable. These challenges include the need to balance revenue generation with social welfare, the impact of tax policies on economic growth, and the trade-offs between short-term fiscal measures and…

The polio vaccination drive in Gaza is exceeding expectations, the WHO said Tuesday as it warned of the impacts of US funding cuts and pleaded for ramped-up medical evacuations. Speaking from Gaza, Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, gave an update on a fresh polio child vaccination campaign, and an overview of the health and funding situation in the Gaza Strip. Since the disease resurfaced in Gaza for the first time in over 20 years, paralysing a 10-month-old child last August, two vaccination rounds took place in September and October 2024.…

In a bold affirmation of Afrikaner identity and culture, South African singer-songwriter Steve Hofmeyr has released a new song titled Oranje. The song offers a poignant reflection on the Afrikaner experience, exploring themes of recognition and unity within a society that often marginalises this ethnic group. Hofmeyr, known for his controversial views and deep-rooted connection to Afrikaner heritage, expressed his intentions behind the song. He reflected on a historical backdrop, stating: “I wanted to sing this song in this year, 2025 AD, in which the Afrikaner is not seen as the world’s polecat/weasel for the first time in 125 years.” His words resonate with a growing sentiment among Afrikaners who feel overlooked in contemporary dialogues about race and identity. Hofmeyr stated: “Our cries are heard and believed for the…

AN EXPECTED week-long Judicial Conduct Tribunal hearing into the conduct of Judge Mushtak Parker concluded after one day with the matter being postponed to April 29 for closing arguments. The tribunal, chaired by retired Judge President Bernard Ngoepe, on Monday wrapped-up witness testimonies in a marathon session that saw all 10 witnesses testify in a single day. These included eight current and former judges of the Western Cape High Court, advocate Andrew Breytenbach and Irfaan Parker (Judge Parker’s brother and former law firm partner). In a surprise turn during the afternoon, Irfaan Parker testified against his brother and through counsel requested for his face not to be shown during the virtual proceedings, “due to the sensitivity of the matter”. Counsel for (Mushtak) Parker, William King, said it came as a…

A HOST of business leaders from across G20 nations gathered to address pressing global economic and trade challenges at the Business 20 (B20) conference in Cape Town yesterday. The B20 platform plays an instrumental role in shaping global economic policies and promoting international collaboration. One of the key discussions from the conference, “The G20 in 2025, international organisations, and the impact on business” included Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa Ahunna Eziakonwa, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce, John Denton, and Vice-President to the ILO, International Organisation of Employers, Renate Hornung-Draus. Tau touched on how the G20 is an African G20 “not only because it is hosted on the African continent, but because in fact, it is…

South Africans are far too accommodating, if you ask me. On a daily basis we are having to dodge potholes and weave through the traffic whilst reckless taxi drivers come up with all sorts of illegal, innovative ways to skip the queues, we are getting hammered by ridiculously high electricity tariffs, and load shedding is now back to haunt our businesses again. Isn’t it funny how we fall for the lies, every single time. If it’s not Cyril Ramaphosa lying about his bullet trains and smart cities, it’s John Steenhuisen who fails to act on another red line being crossed by the ANC. Our worst nightmares are coming true every day, as more radical ANC policies are being implemented, whilst the DA stands by. Where has our fight gone? Where…

Zimbabwe’s struggle with rampant corruption has hit yet another low, as Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume remains unpunished after lying under oath. Despite the seriousness of perjury. Mafume’s actions are being treated with shocking indifference, underscoring a growing culture of impunity in the country. While police activists and opposition members face harsh prison sentences for speaking out against corruption, Mafume, a public official who blatantly lied in court, walks free without any accountability. His failure to face consequences reflects a deeply broken system that continues to protect the powerful while punishing those who fight for justice. Zimbabwe’s citizens are left wondering: how can the country fight corruption when its leaders are so shamelessly above the law? In a nation already crippled by dishonesty and mismanagement, Mafume’s unchecked actions only deepen the…

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi did a good job of providing leadership, vision and hope when he delivered his State of the Province Address this week at the Tshwane Automotive Economic Zone. His choice of venue helped illustrate the economic growth potential the province has. Lesufi confronted the challenges facing the province – a laundry list, or “group of 13”, that includes water, crime and grime, and potholes. He outlined very well what was being done about the G13 problems and did the right thing apologising to the long-suffering citizens who bear the brunt. Lesufi also focused on the “real issues” when some other politician in his position may have been tempted to veer into party and factional politics. Overall, he did a good job and provided the vital hope that…

Elon Musk said US federal workers had “another chance” to justify their work or lose their jobs, as the original deadline passed Tuesday with staff at multiple federal agencies told to disregard his request. Musk, the world’s richest person and President Donald Trump’s biggest donor, had originally given federal government employees until the end of Monday to explain their work achievements in an email. The demand represents the latest challenge from Musk against government workers as his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) works toward gutting federal staffing and spending. “Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance,” Musk said Monday evening on X, which he owns. “Failure to respond a second time will result in termination,” he added, without providing a new deadline. The deadline…