Innehållsförteckning för 2025-05-05 från Cape Argus

Desperate Housewives had us by the throat; stilettos on our necks and all. When it first hit our screens in 2004, the drama, deception and deadly secrets were unmissable. The show ran for eight juicy seasons, proving just how hooked fans were. If you weren't gossiping about Bree’s control-freak tendencies or gasping at Gaby’s chaotic love life, were you even living? At its peak, Desperate Housewives pulled in over 30 million viewers making it one of ABC’s most-watched scripted series. Additionally, It won multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, and even got a nod from Oprah which, back then, was basically sainthood. This wasn’t just a TV show, it was a whole era. The show mixed comedy, mystery and scandal like a fine cocktail – shaken, not stirred. It was juicy,…

THE exact cause of the accident that claimed the life of seasoned competitor Pieter Joubert during the 2025 Simola Hillclimb motorsport event yesterday has yet to be officially confirmed. The event took a tragic turn while Joubert was performing his first qualifying run of the day, when his yellow Mercedes-AMG V8-powered Lotus Exige veered off the course and crashed into trees. Witnesses said it appeared that a component on his car broke, with speculation pointing to the steering system. However, the cause of the accident has yet to be confirmed. On-site emergency crews attended to the scene immediately, but sadly Joubert was pronounced deceased on the scene. Organisers later announced that the Hillclimb King of the Hill event would resume at 1pm, at the request of Joubert’s family, who insisted…

WHILE the latest inflation data for South Africa showed an easing, food prices in the country saw a sharp increase. Data released by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) in its April 2025 Household Affordability Index showed that the price of a basic food basket increased by almost R100 month on month. In April, consumers had to fork out R5 420.30 to fill up a basic food basket. That means the average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R90.94 (1.7%), from R5 329.36 in March 2025. The average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R83.99 (1.6%), from R5 336.31 in April 2024 to R5 420.30 in April 2025. In April, of the 44 foods tracked in the basket, 24 foods increased in price, and…

IF you’ve ever spent time on a bookish Facebook group or even trawled on the one star reviews on Goodreads, this book will hit uncomfortably close to home and then make you laugh out loud. In Book People, local author Paige Nick blends satire, chaos and crime into a laugh-out-loud takedown of literary egos and internet outrage. It is the kind of book that reminds you just how messy and entertaining the world of books and readers can be. Norma Jacobs is in her early forties and stuck in a dead-end job. She quietly runs a Facebook group for book lovers. On a whim she quits everything and takes an internship at a London publishing house. It is a bit of a midlife restart and it might have worked, if…

Children between the ages of nine and 13 can explore their storytelling talent and imagination through the City of Cape Town’s annual writing competition, hosted by the City’s libraries. The winners will be announced at the Open Book Festival later this year. In 2024, the competition focused on environmental awareness and attracted 100 entries from young writers. The City’s library and information services have decided to hold the competition again after its success. Primary schools, book clubs and children within the age group are encouraged to enter. Entries open on Monday May 5, and close on Friday August 8. This year’s theme invites participants to imagine discovering a mysterious box while exploring their school or local library. The box is described as having strange symbols and a faint humming sound,…

Coventry City sealing a Championship play-off spot is just the beginning for the West Midlands club, and they will not get carried away following their remarkable turnaround this season, manager Frank Lampard has said. Since taking over at the Sky Blues in November, former Chelsea boss Lampard has lifted the club from 17th to fifth in the Championship table. Coventry will now face fourth-placed Sunderland in a two-legged play-off semi-final after beating Middlesbrough 2–0 at home on Saturday. “We came in at 17th in November, so firstly I thank my staff — because when you come in, you want to make a quick impact,” Lampard told talkSPORT on Saturday. “Every day they work, support, and they're good at things I’m not so good at. “And then the existing staff and…

It was honours even when the Northern Blues and Western Province faced off in the men’s and women’s finals of the SA Under-21 Interprovincial Tournament (IPT) at Cornwall Hill College in Pretoria over the weekend. The women’s final was a tightly contested tactical battle, played largely between the 25-yard lines. Both teams struggled to carve out clear-cut goalscoring opportunities. Western Province had a single penalty corner chance in the first half, which was safely dealt with, and the match remained goalless at the break. The deadlock was finally broken in the second half when a re-awarded penalty corner gave the Blues another bite at the cherry. Emily Macquet stepped up to drill it home. Province, contesting their second consecutive final, threw everything forward in the closing minutes. But Northern Blues…

FIFTEEN people died and five others were injured in a head-on collision involving a fully loaded minibus taxi and a bakkie on the R63 between Adelaide and Maqoma (formerly Fort Beaufort) around midnight on Saturday. “This is by far the deadliest crash we have experienced in a long time in the Eastern Cape,” said provincial transport department spokesperson, Unathi Binqose. “Not even during the recent Easter holidays or December period did we see a single accident with such a high number of fatalities.” According to reports, the white Toyota Quantum minibus was travelling from Qonce (King William’s Town) to Cape Town when it collided head-on with the Isuzu Double Cab from Adelaide and heading towards Kwamaqoma. The driver of the Isuzu died at the scene, along with the Quantum’s driver…

AS THE Western Cape High Court convicted the people behind the kidnapping of Joshlin Smith, many are still questioning the whereabouts of the child. The 6-year-old girl went missing on February 19, 2024, from her home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay. She missed school that morning as her mother Racquel “Kelly” Smith claimed she had been sick and then told others her daughter’s uniform was dirty. Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were on Friday convicted of kidnapping and human trafficking. More than 200 people were allowed inside the White City Multipurpose Centre to listen to the proceedings, while many others remained across the street from the Diazville hall. Kelly’s mother, Amanda Smith Daniels, said: “I just want my grandchild back. It doesn’t matter how…

The Western Cape Legislature’s Standing Committee on Infrastructure was given a sobering and detailed account of the George building collapse during a live briefing on Friday. The Garden Route District Municipality and the George Municipality reflected on the devastating event that claimed lives and injured many more. The incident, which occurred just after 2pm on May 6, 2024, saw a multi-storey building under construction on Victoria Street collapse in what responders described as a rare “pancake collapse,” where floors fall directly atop one another. Speaking at the briefing, Head of Disaster Management for the Garden Route District Municipality, Gerard Otto shared the agonising realities of the response operation, saying: “I don’t think anything fully prepares you for an incident like this. “Having the plan just makes the gap less of…

The world of sport has seen its fair share of athletes fall foul of banned substances, and cricket is no exception. Over the years, several prominent cricketers have found themselves embroiled in drug scandals — whether performance-enhancing or recreational. With Kagiso Rabada admitting this past weekend to using a banned substance after a filled drug test, we look at six other players who’ve made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent memory. Kagiso Rabada Admittedly, the 29-year-old’s recent indiscretion doesn’t seem as serious as what will follow below, but it will unfortunately damage his brand regardless. KG is arguably South Africa’s most prolific bowler of the modern era. The Proteas paceman, who has taken 327 Test wickets and 168 in ODIs since his 2015 debut, returned early from the IPL…

Coach Miguel Cardoso’s half-time adjustments to his “Yellow Machine” proved pivotal in securing a 2–0 Betway Premiership victory over Cape Town City on Saturday at the Cape Town Stadium. Following a challenging first half — during which Mamelodi Sundowns scored just once despite dominating possession — Cardoso’s tactical changes bore fruit after the break, with his side doubling their tally. Sundowns looked far slicker in the second half, clearly showing Cardoso had instructed a more assertive approach. Sundowns created several more scoring opportunities, though they only managed one additional goal to show for their efforts. Late in the second half, Cardoso made five substitutions in quick succession, drawing a rousing cheer from the Yellow Nation for fan favourite Themba Zwane, who came on to replace first-half scorer Iqraam Rayners. Saturday’s…

Performances with the bat over the next two games in the Tri-Series between Sri Lanka and India will be crucial, if the Proteas Women are to progress in the short tournament. More than just progressing, a solid showing with the bat in the upcoming matches would also affirm the hard work the squad has been putting in during training. At present, however, the situation does not seem to be swinging in favour of the green and gold. The team is coming off two consecutive defeats, with coach Mandla Mashimbyi stating there were no excuses for the poor batting displays. The Proteas Women lost their first match of the series after being bowled out in the 49th over by India, falling short by 15 runs. A heroic effort by Tazmin Brits,…

On Black Mirror, the future isn’t a boot stamping onto a human face forever, as George Orwell said it would be. It’s a little white pad stuck to the side of someone’s noggin – a kind of AirPod for the temple, sending all who wear it into a digital trance, their bodies slack, their eyes milky white. No fewer than three of the six new episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix deploy some version of creator Charlie Brooker’s favourite portable VR accessory, which previously plugged characters into a simulated 1980s paradise, a hyperrealistic fighting game and a resentful geek’s re-creation of the final frontier. Fans of this dependably withering sci-fi anthology might see that as tantalising hints of continuity – an Easter egg implying that Brooker’s various visions of the…

It’s been a full week since we stood shoulder to shoulder beneath red lights and ancestral drumbeats at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. And still, it lingers. Not the hype. Not the Instagram stories. The feeling. The texture. The truth. It lives in our bones, in our softened chests and quiet thoughts. Because what we experienced at CTIJF wasn’t just a festival. It was a collective remembrance. A necessary cleansing. A deeply Cape Town communion. Where we began on Thursday, I attended the People’s Concert, the perfect prelude. It was warm, easy, full of hugs and long-overdue greetings. It felt like a homecoming. I hadn’t seen many of my comrades and old friends in years. To reconnect, to feel, to breathe in that atmosphere it meant everything. Friday night,…

CAPE Town traffic officers in collaboration with the SPCA and other authorities executed a search warrant which led to the rescue of 21 dogs, a cat and several fish in poor condition at a notorious animal shelter in Retreat. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said it received numerous complaints regarding the non-profit organisation purporting to enhance animal care. “Our inspectors were previously denied access to the Kirstenhof property, but with a new complaint and supporting video evidence, we secured a warrant from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court to enter and search the premises. “This same individual has previously been arrested for animal cruelty and the case is currently pending in court,” the SPCA said. The man was previously caught by the SPCA for allegedly treating a severely injured dog in…

IN A VICTORY for prisoners across South Africa, the Constitutional Court ruled that they can use their computers to study in their cells, provided they are registered students and the computers are without a modem. In a unanimous judgment, the court declared the current policy of Correctional Services that bars inmates from using their laptops or computers for studying purposes, unconstitutional. The department was given a year to promulgate a revised policy. In the meantime, the Concourt ordered that studying inmates may use their laptops in their cells. The court, however, made it clear that this case was concerned only with the rights of prisoners to personal computers for educational purposes. “Nothing in this judgment should be regarded as expressing any view on the justifiability of restrictions on the use…

Can a nation thrive if its youngest citizens grow up without books? The answer should be obvious. Yet in South Africa, more than 40% of households have no books at all. The situation is just as troubling within early childhood development (ECD) centres, where 61% have fewer than 10 books available, and only 56% provide age-appropriate reading materials across different age groups. Access to books in early childhood is not a “nice-to-have” – it’s the very foundation of all future learning and development. But we are failing our children – a fact made painfully clear by the now all-too-familiar statistics: 80% of Grade 3 learners cannot read for meaning, and the country ranked last out of 57 nations in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Behind these…

JOSE RIVEIRO might not be one for individual acclaim, but there is bound to be a part of him that is looking to leave a lasting personal legacy on South African football, to add to the club ones he has already built. It is a record that Orlando Pirates can achieve before his three-year tenure with the Buccaneers comes to an end. It is a milestone that would put the cherry on top of the few he has already attained. And, given their 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend, it is a feat you can safely bet on him achieving. The soft-spoken Spaniard could become the most successful coach in the Soweto Derby should he lead Pirates to defend their Nedbank Cup title at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium,…

Chelsea moved a step closer to Uefa Champions League qualification on Sunday by beating under-strength champions Liverpool 3-1 with a first-half strike from Enzo Fernandez, a ricocheted own-goal by Jarell Quansah and a Cole Palmer penalty. The game was into the third minute when Palmer found Neto whose cut-back cross fell to the unmarked Fernandez and the Argentine whipped the ball low into the net. The lively Palmer was also instrumental in the second goal after he clipped the ball into the area and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk's attempted clearance bounced off teammate Quansah and into the goal. Palmer scored his first goal since mid-January from the spot in the 96th minute after Quansah's foul on Moises Caicedo. Van Dijk had pulled one back in the 84th minute from…

Cape Town City FC are teetering on the brink of disaster, with the dreaded PSL promotion/relegation play-offs staring them squarely in the face after a 2-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday evening. This Betway Premiership loss at the Cape Town Stadium deepened City’s woes and cast their position in the PSL into alarming focus. The club now sits rock bottom in the 15-team league with 23 points from 26 games – three points adrift of the cluster of teams above them on 26. The harsh reality is that either of their remaining two fixtures may not be enough to stave off the threat of the play-offs. Ironically, Saturday evening’s showing was one of City’s better performances of late, with the side creating several opportunities against the best team in…

South Africa’s four franchises are preparing for a Welsh invasion this coming weekend as the United Rugby Championship (URC) reaches its climax over the next two rounds. There will be a clear picture for the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers in terms of what they must do to maintain or better their positions on the official URC log. The Lions, though, will be scrambling and hoping for some miracles to come their way as they chase a first-ever knockout spot. One win away from getting a home play-off: Fourth – P16, W11, Pts 53 On Friday (7pm kick-off), the Sharks can secure their home quarter-final should they claim a win over the Ospreys. That is how simple the equation is for the Durbanites. They will be certain that Kings Park will…