Innehållsförteckning för 2025-03-26 från Cape Argus

The Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation is set to celebrate a decade of transforming young lives through the power of the performing arts with their production titled, Stargazing. Established in 2015, the organisation has been a beacon of hope, providing a platform for vulnerable children to find confidence, purpose and happiness through arts education. Their mission aligns with the belief in the transformative, uplifting and healing power of arts in education. ​ Meanwhile, Stargazing is a heartfelt showcase of the foundation’s journey, highlighting their challenges, beginnings and triumphs over the past 10 years. The production features a blend of acting, singing and dancing, offering audiences a glimpse into the stories and talents of the beneficiaries. It’s a celebration of community transformation and the brighter childhoods fostered through the foundation’s initiatives. ​…

ECONOMISTS said they believed that motorists were in for some relief next month buoyed by a stronger rand and lower international oil prices, with a big cut in the petrol price predicted for April. This will bring some reprieve to financially-constrained consumers after the South African Reserve Bank decided to leave interest rates unchanged at 7.5% per annum on the back of steadily rising inflation. Old Mutual Group chief economist, Johann Els, yesterday forecast a petrol price cut of around 85 cents a litre for next week. “At the moment, the daily recovery is running at 58 cents a litre. The running average for the month thus far is 87 cents per litre, because the daily is slightly lower than the running average the average will ease to around 85…

THE Durban arms dealer accused of illegally selling guns to Cape Flats gangs resulting in various murders has denied being the owner of the firearms, saying he sold the guns to another arms dealer who is now dead. The version of Anderson Padayachee was presented to Judge Daniel Thulare as he returned to the Western Cape High Court this week for the ongoing firearms trial. According to the indictment, Padayachee is facing eight murder charges and five attempted murder charges, in that the firearms he allegedly supplied were used in gang wars in various areas including Bonteheuwel, Kalksteenfontein and Lotus River, among others. The court papers allege that Padayachee assisted the Terrible Josters in the period between August 2017 and May 2019. While Padayachee was not identified as the actual…

PARTIES, trade unions, and lobby groups have voiced strong objections to the proposed VAT increase in the revised 2025/26 Budget, arguing that it will disproportionately impact lower- and middle-income households already grappling with financial difficulties. The concerns were raised during a joint meeting of the parliamentary finance committees yesterday, ahead of the adoption of the Budget next week. Cosatu’s parliamentary counselor, Matthew Parks, said the labour federation was quite happy with allocations made to the SA Revenue Service (SARS) to help tackle tax evasion. “We are, however, opposed to the VAT hike, and we appreciate it’s less than the 2%, but we still feel a VAT hike hits the working class, who are just simply drowning in debt, are struggling to survive, and so forth. “We are also concerned about…

A CAPE Flats e-hailing service known as Loop is scooping awards as it makes travel easy and convenient for residents via Whatsapp. Loop was established in 2022 by Imtiyaaz Riley from Manenberg, who grew-up in a family that operated in the taxi industry for years, and co-founder, Jamie Wyngaard from Montana. Loop has since scooped multiple awards including Social Enterprise of the Year at the National Presidential MSME and Cooperatives Awards in 2024. The app has also been recognised as the Best Mobility and Logistics for Southern Africa and Best Mobility and Logistics Startup in Africa. From Cape to Cairo, the 34-year-old Wyngaard accepted the prestigious Science, Technology and Innovation Award at the Africa Forty Under 40 Awards in Cairo, Egypt, last month. “This is a testament that we are…

LEARNERS from Athlone School for the Blind are offering a different point of view with the launch of their community youth radio station, EYe FM. The launch kicked off yesterday at the school’s very own broadcasting station, where esteemed guests had the opportunity to witness the learners execute their first live interview with deputy principal, Haley Paulse. The room was filled with excitement as months of preparation went into the project and music speakers were placed inside the school’s auditorium as everyone was tuned in to the show. Paulse commended the children and Bonita Blankenberg, who is also visually impaired, and has been training the children to get them radio ready. “I feel proudly excited, overjoyed and a bit of relief because it has been a long time coming. “I…

Enjoyed the Stormers’ running-rugby festival last weekend? Well, assistant coach Rito Hlungwani says Cape fans can expect more of the same in Friday’s clash against Ulster in Belfast (9.35pm start). Despite having lost more games than they have won, the Stormers are somehow still in playoff contention to the United Rugby Championship. They are on 33 points from 13 matches, with six victories and seven defeats, which have put them in eighth position on a congested log that sees John Dobson’s team trailing fifth-placed Cardiff by just two points. The Stormers played some dazzling rugby in holding off the Scarlets 29-17 in Llanelli last Saturday, with André-Hugo Venter’s vital late try securing the bonus point. But now they need to back it up against a difficult Ulster outfit who are…

After the glory of the relay silver medal at the Paris Olympics, it looks like that achievement has inspired South African athletes to greater heights this year following two medals at the world indoor championships last week. The men’s 4x100m relay team of Akani Simbine, Bayanda Walaza, Bradley Nkoana and Shaun Maswanganyi grabbed second place behind Canada on a memorable August night at the Stade de France. That was followed the next day by Jo-Ané van Dyk’s outstanding effort in the women’s javelin competition as she clinched a silver medal as well. But that was the only two medals from the athletics team, and the first podium finishes in a global event since the 2017 world championships in London. That’s right: the last time Mzansi could celebrate a world medal…

THE Hawks have arrested a third suspect allegedly linked to a brothel in Plumstead, where a 12-year-old girl was rescued and placed with social workers. Hawks spokesperson, Siyabulela Vukubi, said the arrest on Monday was made in Durban following a joint operation with the Durban Metro Police K9 Unit. “A multi-disciplinary team comprising the Hawks based in George and Durban respectively in collaboration with the Durban Metro Police K9 Unit have on March 24, arrested a 38-year-old suspect for trafficking in persons,” Vukubi said. The arrest follows a September 2024 investigation by the Hawks, supported by officials from the Department of Home Affairs, who visited a suspicious address in Plumstead. Vukubi said 12 occupants were found on the premises, of which five women were identified as sex workers. “The person…

ON THE 28th year anniversary of the disappearance of 9-year-old Matthew Ohlsson, who vanished from outside of his home in Mitchell’s Plain, his mother has shed light on her fears that he might have been trafficked – and how during the early stages of the case, a news report that he had run away, nearly destroyed her and her family. To learn to live without knowing where her son was, Ohlsson even removed photographs of Matthew and just left one in sight, where he could be seen in the palm of God’s hands. Matthew was attending Westville Primary School and disappeared on the morning of March 24, 1997, while collecting the refuse bin outside of his Westridge home. Four years ago, a woman from Rocklands, Mitchell’s Plain, who was…

THE MK Party has rejected Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy’s Request for Information (RFI) to attract private sector investment in the country’s rail network. In a statement on Monday, the party accused the minister of trying to privatise the sector. “The MK Party has consistently rejected government reforms, including this third-party access to Transnet rail network as well as separation of Transnet’s freight rail into two divisions. The RFI is a deceptive strategy to let the private sector dictate terms. “If the government had a clear plan, it would have issued a Request for Proposals with defined objectives. “Instead, this is a fishing expedition to justify its failed private sector participation framework,” the party said through its spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela. This comes as the minister indicated that the government was…

THE Western Cape has been in the throes of a sustained fire season, with 32 187 hectares of land burned from October 2024 to the end of February. CapeNature-managed reserves have borne the brunt, with nearly 19 000 ha affected, while private lands and mountain catchment areas have also suffered extensive damage. The fire-ravaged Boland Mountain range continues to have the lion’s share of fires, with Limietberg Nature Reserve and Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve particularly hard hit, with 25 fires between the two reserves. Notably, the Hottentots Holland area experienced a fire that destroyed the Nuweberg community hall. There is an ongoing investigation into the cause of this fire. The Swartberg Protected Area accounts for about half of all hectares burned and is the worst affected area, with 15 545…

KELVIN JAKACHIRA A South African parliamentary defence oversight committee has welcomed the decision by the Southern African Development Community to withdraw its troops from eastern DR Congo to pursue a political and diplomatic route in addressing the crisis there. An SADC summit on March 13 terminated the mandate of the regional bloc’s military mission in eastern DR Congo and “directed the commencement of a phased withdrawal” of its troops from the country. This came a day after it was announced that direct peace talks between AFC/M23 rebels and the Congolese government are set to start in Luanda, Angola, on March 18. The co-chairs of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, lawmakers Malusi Gigaba and Phiroane Phala, welcomed the decision to terminate the Southern African Mission in DR Congo (SAMIDRC), especially…

Prudence Sekgodiso is aiming build on her rip-roarig success this season after making history by winning at the World Indoor Championship in Nanjing, China, on Sunday. Sekgodiso secured South Africa’s first women’s world indoor medal by triumphing in the 800m final, setting a world-leading and national record time of 1:58.40. Now, with a morale-boosting win in her pocket and immense talent overflowing, Sekgodiso has signalled her intent to carry forward the legacy of Caster Semenya. The 23-year-old has drawn inspiration from the two-time Olympic champion, embracing the challenges and expectations that come with setting a new benchmark in women’s middle-distance competition. Reflecting on her recent success, the Medingen Village-born athlete revealed that she was well prepared for the championships and had anticipated a strong performance — though the outcome exceeded…

TEARS flowed at the corners of Duinefontein Road and Jordaan Street as the heartbroken family of Louise Diedericks, 50, from Manenberg, gathered after she died tragically when a taxi crashed into her on Monday night. Daughter, Laeeqah Swartz, 29, said they rushed to the scene after being informed that her mom was injured. An emotional Swartz said: “My mom has four children and three grandchildren and was on her way home from work when the accident happened. I was at home and when we heard, I ran to the scene with my friends, but they had already covered her face. “On the scene the people told us that the driver jumped a red robot and hit her as she was crossing. She was still standing in the yellow lane and…

THE death toll from the attack on night patrollers at the Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve has risen to six, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed. The sixth victim died in hospital from wounds sustained. “From the eight people that were rushed to the hospital, we lost one person on Sunday and another one (on Monday),” Lesufi told the media. He confirmed that two of the hospitalised patrollers had been discharged, while four others were still fighting for their lives. Lesufi, along with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, and Provincial Police Commissioner General Tommy Mthombeni, visited the area yesterday morning. Mchunu announced the arrest of a Zimbabwean national in connection with the brutal murders. “The man arrested is in the country illegally,” Mchunu said. “We…

WITHOUT a union to represent their cries for help, scores of porters belonging to the OR Tambo International Airport say they continue to be at the receiving end of alleged abuse, victimisation, and harassment reportedly at the hands of officials and security personnel acting on instructions from some top Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) officials. After being told to stop entering some sections of the airport yesterday, these porters staged a mini picket outside the airport in a bid to raise their grievances. Last month, IOL reported that since last December, they have been treated with disdain by some officials as well as airport security officials, who allegedly threaten them with eviction and withdrawal of their working permits. “Things are still bad. ACSA is mistreating and harassing us almost…

THE SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) Western Cape office has given insight to recent cases dealt with including preventing the eviction of a quadriplegic man and his mother, interventions following claims of racism at high schools, the placement of learners, and the highly publicised FlySafair incident involving former SABC employee Nobuntu “Nobs” Mkhize. Matthew du Plessis, senior legal officer, said the Mkhize matter was not concluded yet as they were struggling to reach her in order to get a response on the allegations. “On this matter we are experiencing a bit of a challenge on reaching Miss Mkhize,” he said. “We have deployed a tracing agent to get contact details for her but the emails that we have received do seem to be working. We have posted a letter to…

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, recently signalled her intentions to stabilise and reposition the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). She has overhauled the senior leadership at NSFAS. A new leadership has been appointed by the Higher Education Minister that could change the fortunes of deserving students. The appointment of Dr Karen Stander as the new Board Chairperson and Mr Waseem Carrim as the Acting CEO of NSFAS, is nothing less than groundbreaking. For the first time in its history, NSFAS is led by two people with a track record in leading high-performance organisations. Could this be a watershed moment in the history of NSFAS? Minister Nkabane should be commended for her courageous leadership in making the right appointments based on ethical leadership and performance-based…

While South Africa prepared to commemorate Human Rights Day, a chilling reminder of the fragility of life emerged from Doornfontein, Johannesburg, where four people were gunned down at a taxi rank on Thursday morning. The horrific incident serves as an alarming indicator of the escalating violence perpetuated by long-standing rivalries in the taxi industry. Covered in silver emergency foils, the four bodies highlight a catastrophic reality: the ongoing struggle for dominance among taxi associations has transformed into outright warfare. These groups, intent on securing control over lucrative taxi routes, act as if they operate outside the law while instilling fear in the heart of communities across the nation. This is not an isolated event, nor is it new. For years, the bloodshed associated with the taxi wars has claimed countless…

New Warriors star Matthew de Villiers and Proteas Test international David Bedingham have an awful lot in common. Both are attacking right-handed batters. Both were Wynberg Boys’ High School prodigies. And both had to wait until their mid-20s for a first crack at the professional level despite dominating club cricket. “Yeah … Bedders’ story and mine are quite similar,” De Villiers, who is fresh off a maiden first-class double century, exclusively told Independent Media. “I’ve always - if we’re talking numbers wise - when I was 19 years old, I was the highest run scorer in the Western Province Premier League, and then sort of just continued to do well, and was always within the top three run scorers - averaging like 100 in the T20s in the club stuff…