Innehållsförteckning för 2025-03-13 från Cape Argus

Johannesburg’s beauty and brutality is set to take the spotlight in the new film, City of Gold, which is slated for release this year. Featuring top talents such as Bonko Khoza, Vuyo Dabula, Brandon Auret, Gaosi Raditholo and Given Stuurman, the action film is helmed by Fabien Martorell, who also directed Netflix’s Collision as well as Unbelief. Meanwhile, Lucky Rhino has produced the movie and one of its co-founders, Neo Baloyi, together with Martorell, are thrilled to take viewers into Jozi’s gritty and electrifying streets as the production is set to explore the city’s duality. “This movie is part of a slate of projects that we have as a business and it is a natural progression from our last film, Collision,” Baloyi explained during an interview with Independent Media…

A STATE witness has testified that Joshlin Smith’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, had planned to sell her children in August 2023 for as little as R5 000. Saldanha Bay resident and evangelist, Steven Coetzee, shared this information while giving evidence in the Western Cape High Court, which is sitting at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville. Coetzee said he first met Kelly in 2016 at a funeral, where he recalled her being loud. They spoke briefly, during which she asked if he could help her find a job “by the white people”. “I didn’t speak to her again until one morning in August 2023. It was just before 7am and I saw her while walking to work. We spoke again. I asked her where her children were, and she…

In a shocking move, the Department of Health has quietly banned the production and selling of cannabis and hemp-derived foodstuffs in South Africa. This unexpected turn of events contradicts the government’s decriminalisation of cannabis by the Constitutional Court in recent years. This decision, announced just days earlier, will jolt and confuse the country’s growing cannabis economy, and entrepreneurs, businesses, and even consumers are sure to be up in arms in seeking answers from the government and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. “Regulations relating to the prohibition of the sale, importation and manufacture of foodstuffs containing any part of the plant or component derived from the genus Cannabis Sativa L, hemp, hemp seed oil or hemp seed flour,” the gazette states. The minister imposed this under the regulations that fall under the…

The conduct of an employee who mistakenly accused one of her co-workers of being the father of her child and obtained an order against him to undergo a paternity test, which resulted in the police serving the order on the red-faced man at work, had erupted in a legal battle. The woman, who may not be named, was fired by Legend Logistics, the company for which she had worked. The reason for her dismissal was that she had falsely accused a co-worker and caused the police to show up at work, which caused him embarrassment in front of his co-workers. She turned to the National Bargaining Council, which ruled that her dismissal was substantively unfair. Her employer had to pay R156 000, being her eight months’ salary. The employer now…

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker says their top-three finish aspirations in the Betway Premiership are on track after grinding for a precious point against Orlando Pirates. Stellies held Pirates to a stalemate in the league at home, Athlone Stadium, on Tuesday night – thanks to their determination and resilience. Barker’s men were reduced to 10 in the 36th minute after last-man Brian Onyango got a red card for impeding Tshegofatso Mabasa who was through on goal. That deficit saw Stellies finish the game with a man less, needing them to defend as a unit as the title chasing Pirates threw the proverbial kitchen sink at them in search of a lead and winning goal. Such has been Stellies’ upward trajectory, Barker is synonymous with winning – having led the team to…

Lewis Hamilton will look to lay down an immediate marker against world champion Max Verstappen when the Briton makes his highly anticipated Ferrari debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this week. The former Mercedes ace is bidding for a record eighth world title — and his first since 2020 — after being outshone by the Dutchman and his dominant Red Bull team in recent years. A bombshell move to Ferrari after a glorious 12-year spell at Mercedes has rejuvenated the 40-year-old, who is eager to apply the lessons learned from 162 laps of testing in Bahrain last month to race conditions. "I'm so excited to get to the first race in Melbourne. I can't wait to go racing with them," Hamilton said of Ferrari. "The passion here is like…

As a player for the Cheetahs and the Springboks, Frans Steyn was often startlingly honest, and this has extended to his new role as coach of the Free State Cheetahs. Steyn has stepped down from his position as acting CEO of the Cheetahs to take on the role of head coach, and he admits he fluffed his lines in the Cheetahs’ SA Cup opening-round defeat to Boland last week. The 38-year-old has promised to be better against the Leopards on Friday. The Cheetahs fell 19-0 behind after 23 minutes against the Kavaliers before fighting back to lead 29-25 in the second half of their match in Wellington. However, Lunathi Nxele’s third try put Boland back in front, and Garth April’s last-minute try sealed a 45-29 win for the team coached…

South African rapper Da L.E.S, whose real name is Leslie Jonathan Mampe Jr., has moved to the US to recuperate under the care of his mother and to take advantage of its superior healthcare options. Responsible for hits like Lifestyle and Summer Time, Da L.E.S is a renowned icon, rapper, songwriter, and producer. With a career spanning over two decades, the North God artist has established himself as one of the most influential figures in the local hip hop scene. The Heaven hitmaker suffered a stroke on July 26, 2024, on the morning of his birthday and was hospitalised. This also resulted in the rapper not attending his birthday celebration, which was scheduled for that day. His family later released a statement saying that while he was in a stable…

The major South African banks have faced scathing criticisms from the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which accused them of lacking transformation and manipulating their monopoly on the financial system. The MKP high command member, Luther Lebelo, strongly criticised Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Standard, and Capitec for being “untransformed” and “racist” during the political party march outside the South African Reserve Bank on Monday. Lebelo said the major banks’ discrimination is evident in their lending practices, where a black business owner with R1 million in the bank may be denied a R1 million loan, while a white individual with no income, living on a farm, may be approved for a loan to start a business. He claimed that major banks were bent on sabotaging black-owned banks, citing the VBS Mutual Bank as…

A playful slap of the strap of a man’s lunch container on the backside of a female worker had landed him in hot water when she complained that he had disrespected her, which ultimately resulted in him losing his contract job at the mine where he was working. Subsequent to this, John Sephton instituted claims for defamation against the mining group Anglo America, as it barred him from its premises, as well as from the complainant. He also claimed damages from the subcontracting company for which he worked, as the latter succumbed to the demands of the mining group that it did not want him on its premises. He did not succeed with his claims in the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, but subsequently appealed the verdict before three judges. They,…

CAPE Town’s growing population has placed increasing pressure on the city’s transport infrastructure, with congestion remaining a key concern. In response, the City of Cape Town is currently conducting a Foreshore Freeway Precinct scoping study to develop an integrated transport and land use solution. According to mayco member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, the study is a significant step towards addressing congestion and improving mobility. “Congestion is a big talking point. Cape Town is a growing city with more people relocating here in search of better lives and opportunities,” Quintas said. The scoping study, which is still under way, aims to create an optimal transport and land use strategy that will support long-term investment, economic growth, and public infrastructure development. As part of this initiative, a transport analysis has been…

Paris St Germain boss Luis Enrique said both his team and Liverpool deserved a place in the Uefa Champions League quarter-finals after a thrilling, nail-biting battle in the competition's last 16. The Spaniard beamed with pride as his squad rallied from a goal down after last week's first leg to defeat English Premier League leaders Liverpool 4-1 in a penalty shootout at Anfield on Tuesday. "Both teams deserved to go to the next phase. They played better than us here, but I think my team, at Anfield, in a special stadium, showed great personality and character," he said. "We tried to play our best, but it was difficult because they are so intense. Even in the penalty shootout, they showed great character. I think it clearly shows the kind of…

Mamelodi Sundowns’ Miguel Cardoso says he has his focus fully on Orlando Pirates following their convincing win against AmaZulu on Tuesday. Sundowns regained their 18-point lead at the top of the Betway Premiership log with a 2-0 win against Usuthu at the Lucas Moripe Stadium as the Buccaneers were held to a 0-0 draw away against Stellenbosch FC at the Athlone Stadium on Tuesday night. Both sides are set to meet in what could potentially be a title decider at the FNB Stadium on Sunday (15:30 kick-off). The Portuguese mentor has been steadily steering the Sundowns ship since taking over from Manqoba Mnqithi to what looks like a likely eighth consecutive league title. And through a few storms and persistent winds, his team has conquered all the challengers and their…

Netflix has confirmed that Running Point will return for a second season, weeks after the first season premiered on February 27 Running Point is a sports comedy about Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson), a former party animal who wants to prove that she has turned her life around by managing her family’s professional basketball franchise after her brother is compelled to resign from the presidency of the Los Angeles Waves Basketball team. However, for Gordon, running and being a president of a pro sports team comes with a lot of hurdles along the way that she is not ready to face. Taking to X, the streaming giant compiled a video with comments from fans of the show who were demanding the second season to be released, with a video of Hudson…

As the City of Ekurhuleni was reeling from the death of 13 bus passengers following Tuesday morning’s bus crash along the R21 highway, yesterday, Gauteng MEC for Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Matome Chiloane visited the families of the three learners who died in Monday’s accident on the N12 in Daveyton, also in Ekurhuleni. The deceased include two Grade 1 and Grade 3 boy learners, who were siblings, from Tom Newby Primary School in Benoni, as well as a Grade 1 learner from Rynfield Primary School, also in Benoni. Additionally, another learner in Grade 3 from Rynfield Primary School is reported to be in critical condition as a result of the accident. This learner has been admitted to a local hospital for urgent medical care. It is alleged that the…

SOUTH Africa must now work hard to diversify its trade with other nations and move beyond reactive diplomacy by setting the agenda in global trade, security, and finance negotiations. This was voiced by economic, international relations, and safety and security experts after US President Donald Trump cancelled the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with South Africa, a decision confirmed by the Presidency recently. The JETP is a coalition of 10 donor nations working to assist developing countries in transitioning from coal to cleaner energy sources. It was introduced during the United Nations (UN) climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021. South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Senegal were named the first recipients of loans, financial guarantees, and grants to support their shift away from coal. The withdrawal of the US from…

POLICE are investigating an incident where 10 train coaches were set alight between Woodstock and Cape Town railway stations. According to information, the coaches that were set alight on Tuesday night, were previously torched. Police spokesperson, FC van wyk, confirmed the incident. “Train coaches parked on the train line between Woodstock and Cape Town railway station. These train coaches had been burned in previous incidents. Ten of these train coaches burned on 11 March at 9:15pm. “The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department. No injuries were reported during the fire. No suspects are known at this stage. A case of damage to infrastructure was registered at Cape Town Central SAPS,” said Van Wyk. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) spokesperson, Zinobulali Mihi, confirmed they are investigating the…

Rassie Erasmus says he is encouraged by the positive dynamics between the younger and older players at the alignment camp that ended in Cape Town on Wednesday because the player load will be shared by all during the 15-match season. The Springbok coach added that his plan to use the skillset of all the coaches and management team members to contribute to a well-oiled machine, is already bearing fruit. The invited players assembled in Cape Town on Monday night and participated in two days of gym and boardroom sessions, which followed on a productive coaches’ workshop last weekend. “The purpose of the alignment camps are to get everyone on the same page about what the year looks like, to set our goals, and delve into what we are expecting from…

Brad Binder will look to repeat his heriocs at the Argentina MotoGP this weekend, like he did in the 2023 sprint race, after sweeping through the field that year to claim an unlikely victory. He will not, however, want a repeat of the main race when he finished a lowly 17th. The 29-year-old finished P8 in the opening race of the year in Thailand last week, as he still finds himself adjusting to his new package. Two seasons ago, during the Saturday sprint at Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, the Red Bull KTM rider started the race in 15th, but ended up piping Marco Bezzecchi by 0.072s to claim victory, and one record of the highlights of the year. Franco Morbidelli of Yamaha took the early lead by about…

LOCAL is lekker, it is often said. A phrase that probably every adult South African has used at some point. The problem though is that at times this phrase is detrimental as we also tend to use it to support our decisions to “keep things local” even when it would do us a world of good to look externally. To cut to the chase - that is one of the problems facing South African football at the moment; domestic clubs are keeping it too local when it comes to the appointment of coaches especially in the Premiership. Yes indeed times are tough out there for anyone, especially not a journalist like myself who is living with endless job threats from AI and social media tools, to advocate for local teams…

GAVIN Hunt was not on the bench when SuperSport United lost 3-1 to TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership in Mbombela on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for him, the world of football and especially coaching, works a little differently. When we read Matsatsantsa A Pitori’s performance record for the 2024/2025 season, we will put his name opposite that loss which was a 10th for the Tshwane side in the league this season. He will understand, he should understand. After all, he is Gavin Hunt, the most experienced gaffer in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) with over 1000 games to his name in over two decades. You don’t go that long a journey without finding yourself understanding a few things along the way, now do you. After all, Hunt, who was serving…