Innehållsförteckning för 2025-07-03 från Cape Argus

As South Africa was celebrating the dawn of democracy in the mid 1990s, a serial killer was on the loose, determined to exact revenge on as many women as he could. Taking advantage of their newfound freedom of movement, Moses Sithole would prey on defenceless ladies who were in search of job opportunities in Gauteng at the time. Dubbed the ABC Killer – a name derived from his modus operandi of targeting young, black women across vulnerable areas like Atteridgeville, Boksburg and Cleveland, he would appear charming and friendly, meeting them in public places with the promise of an employment prospect. As they walked together, Sithole would insist that he knows a short cut, leading the woman into isolated velds where he would violently rape, rob and then murder…

SEVEN high-ranking police officers, including the national head of crime intelligence, Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, could face suspension if Forensics for Justice succeeds in court. Khumalo and the other six top cops – crime intelligence chief financial officer (CFO) Philani Lushaba, crime intelligence technical support system manager Brigadier Dineo Mokwele, Gauteng crime intelligence boss Major-General Josias Lekalakala, head of the analysis centre Major-General Nosipho Precious Madondo, Major-General Zwelithini Gabela of the police’s technology services, and head of the vetting office Brigadier Phindile Ncube – all appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday. They were arrested by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC). Forensics for Justice and its founder Paul O’Sullivan has also been investigating the officers for corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office since last year. He has urged National…

FACED with non-existent legal citations in a matter before the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, an acting judge asked counsel responsible for it whether the citations constituted artificial intelligence (AI) "hallucinations," to which the red-faced advocate confirmed that “it appears to be so". Acting Judge DJ Smit made this discovery when he was about to write his judgment in a matter of Northbound Processing, which wanted to compel the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator to release a refining licence to it. Judge Smit remarked that while drafting this judgment, it came to his attention that two cases cited in Northbound’s heads of argument do not exist. He invited Northbound’s counsel to clarify the position. Time pressure was given as an excuse, as the matter came before court as an…

Youth Month may have ended, but the reality facing young South Africans has not changed with the turning of a calendar page. This is not a June issue. This is a July issue, an August issue, and an every-month issue until change comes. I was born on Youth Day. Not just into a date, but into a mission. For most people June 16 is a symbol. For me, it has been a summons. A daily reminder of what it means to inherit a nation still searching for its soul, and what it means to carry forward a legacy written in both blood and possibility. At 26 years old, I was elected one of the youngest councillors in South Africa. I was often referred to as a youth leader, but the…

South Africa’s Dean Burmester has qualified for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. Burmester, who plies his trade for Stinger GC on the LIV Golf Tour, won the final qualifying event at Royal Cinque Ports to join Stinger teammate and 2010 Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen in the field. Burmester fired rounds of 70 and 64 over 36 holes to win the qualifier by four shots. Other South Africans in the 2025 Open Championship field include Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 2012 winner Ernie Els, Darren Fichardt, Thriston Lawrence, current SA Open champion Dylan Naidoo and Daniel van Tonder. After making the long trek from Dallas in the United States to the United Kingdom, Burmester tied the course record with an eight-under par 64 in blustery conditions…

It’s almost a given that most South Africans expect the Springboks to comfortably dispatch of Italy at Loftus Versfeld this weekend. After all, in 16 previous encounters, Italy have beaten the Boks just once – a narrow 20–18 win in Florence back in 2016. A quick glance at the matchday 23 selected by Bok mentor Rassie Erasmus has only reinforced that conviction. It is a powerful unit, one with the potential to dismantle any opposition. Nonetheless, Bok hooker Bongi Mbonambi – named on the bench for Saturday’s Test (kick-off 5pm) – has advised caution, as the 34-year-old believes a brutal battle up front is brewing. And the stats support his concern. During the Six Nations earlier this year, the Azzurri lost only two of their scrums, boasting a 93% success…

THE National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued Compliance Notices to 45 suppliers across South Africa for contravening the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), following inspections that uncovered the sale of expired, spoiled, and mislabelled food products. The Commission said the action came after a series of inspections across the country. “This follows a series of nationwide compliance and monitoring inspections to ascertain compliance with the provisions of the CPA,” said NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba. According to the NCC, the inspections revealed that suppliers were selling dairy products, meat, maize meal, eggs, snacks, biscuits, and noodles that were expired or had no expiry or best-before dates. “This violates Section 55(2) of the CPA, which guarantees consumers the right to safe, usable and good quality goods,” said Ntaba. “Date markings assist consumers…

THE man accused of killing eight people in Gugulethu told the Athlone Magistrate’s Court that he surrendered to the police after seeing his image circulating on social media. Lungile Anthony Madolo, also known as “Fire”, made his first appearance in court yesterday in connection with the mass shooting in the Kanana informal settlement on June 28. According to the charge sheet, Madolo is accused of murdering Vuyolwethu Makongo, Siyanda Thongana, Afezile Thongana, Hlomla Thongana, Somile Vithela, Luyolo Zoneleni, Loyiso Jezile, and Phumlani Zoya. All victims were shot with a firearm. Police released Madolo’s image alongside that of Loyiso Matinisi, stating that they could assist with crucial information about the killings. During proceedings yesterday, Madolo said to the magistrate: “I saw my picture trending and that is why I handed myself…

THE City of Cape Town's ammendment to the Municipal Planning By-Law has been hailed a "big step in the right direction" by micro-developers, NGOs, financiers, academia and professionals working in the field. The amendment introduces a new land-use right that allows homeowners in 194 designated communities to legally build affordable rental units on their properties. These areas have seen rapid densification over the past decade, particularly through backyarder dwellings and informal structures. "This Municipal Planning By-Law Amendment is a major milestone for township development and a significant victory for landlords and micro-developers in Cape Town’s townships," said Nomfundo Molemohi, uMaStandi portfolio manager, Eastern and Western Cape. Molemohi was one of the first people to knock on the mayor's door to ask for assitance in unlocking the potential of township micro-developers…

FOR many, bin day is just a regular routine of the week, but for Raymond Blankenberg and Charlotte from Delft, it is an opportunity to put food on the table. The two live in the same street in Roosendal, Delft, but say they have been hustling together every day for years. "We need to start our day at 4am or else we will be late," said Raymond. "I walk from Bellville to Pelican Park to Blackheath and even Brackenfell. I collect everything from mixed plastics to cans, cardboards, paper, anything that the scrapyard will take. I collect filled barley bags and take them in for cash.” Charlotte, 52, echo’s the same sentiments saying: “We walk very far, my feet cannot take it, but we have no choice, our families need…

TWO weeks after management of the Bellville United Soccer Club approached the media following a spate of vandalism and theft, the City said it has invested more than R2.7 million into the sports facility and others in the community. Earlier, club management said they pleaded for more than 10 years for flood lights for the facility and for repairs to be done to damaged infrastructure caused by criminals. They also called for improved security measures at the club situated at the sportsground in Peter Barlow Street Following their complaint, the facility has seen additional break-in which left their electrical infrastructure damaged. The City’s Recreation and Parks Department said they were aware of the spate of burglaries. “These incidents prompt the department to involve the City’s Environmental Health Department to…

Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday to set up a Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund, who edged Mexican side Monterrey. Serhou Guirassy struck twice for the German outfit as they scraped past Sergio Ramos's side 2-1 in a tight last-16 clash in Atlanta and denied the former Real Madrid skipper a match-up against his former team. Youngster Gonzalo Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament to help Madrid edge Italian side Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami earlier. It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso's Madrid side, unbeaten under the new coach, and they were further boosted by Kylian Mbappe’s return from illness as a substitute. “We had a lot of chances in the second half, but their goalkeeper…

Nearly two decades since the iconic phrase “that’s all” resonated throughout cinema, the much-anticipated sequel to The Devil Wears Prada is officially in the works. Lead once again by Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada 2 promises to update viewers on the beloved characters navigating a dramatically changed fashion landscape. The original film, released in 2006 and based on Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling novel, cemented itself as a cultural touchstone, grossing over $326 million globally and earning two Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Streep. Viewers followed the journey of Anne Hathaway’s Andréa Sachs, an aspiring journalist who becomes entrenched in the demanding world of high-fashion publishing under Priestly’s ruthless guidance. Fans had speculated about a sequel for years when the original cast, including Streep, Hathaway,…

POLICE have confirmed that the 37-year-old woman arrested for the abduction of 9-day-old Mogamat Imaad Sharmar is expected to make her first appearance in the Bellville Magistrate's Court today. This, as Imaad’s paternal grandmother, Nabilah Saghar, thanked the Tafelsig community for their efforts in returning her grandchild. “We would not have known that he was there if there was not this tip-off,” she said. “No one understands the process of waiting to hear that your child is safe and then there is that one person who notices that something is wrong. “I have read so much about the 'gown gang' but to the 'besige' (curious) people of Honolulu Street, I want to say thank you, because of your curiosity, I got my grandson back. “I just want to thank them…

MCDONALD'S South Africa said they were aware of an attempted armed robbery that took place at the weekend in Durbanville at one of their outlets, while a father and his son were in the drive-through. The wife of the victim took to social media following the incident to warn other patrons after a gunman approached her husband and son while they were at the drive-through at the McDonald’s in Durbanville on Saturday, June 28. “My husband and boy drove through the drive-through to place their order. “While my husband was busy placing their order, a man came up to him, obviously his window was open, because he was busy ordering. “He thought it was a homeless man approaching him. “This was not the case at all. “Everything happened very fast,…

HIGHER Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has lashed out at political parties that rejected the 2025/26 budget for her department in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday. Nkabane accused the parties of being anti-transformation, misogynistic, and doing a disservice to South Africans. “It is a pity and unfortunate that today we are witnessing some of the honourable members not actually accepting and adopting this budget vote. “Those who are actually rejecting the budget are rejecting the transformation of the post-school education and training sector in South Africa,” she said. This was after the DA led the charge in rejecting the budget during a debate in the NCOP following the laying of criminal charges against her for allegedly misleading Parliament on the “independent panel” for Sector and Education Training Authorities…

AS PARENTS for Equal Education question whether the Harvester Primary School prinicipal will be among more people charged in the case of the teacher accused of sending explicit videos to a Grade 7 learner, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said all protocol has been followed. The former Grade R teacher, who resigned when the scandal broke, is expected to make her next appearance in the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate's Court today for her formal bail application. She faces charges of sexual grooming of a child and exposing a child to explicit material Vanessa le Roux, from Parents For Equal Education, said they questioned why the principal did not face charges. “Why is the principal not arrested yet? “The DPP (Directorate of Public Prosecution) initiated the charges after obtaining statements from…

South Africa’s Military Veterans Act No. 18 of 2011 was a solemn pledge to honour those who sacrificed their lives for freedom, promising them dignity through benefits like housing, healthcare, education, and pensions. At its core lies the Military Veterans Database (MVD) to identify and register those entitled to these hard-won rights. Yet, over a decade later, this promise lies in tatters, broken by a verification process riddled with bias, bureaucratic failure, and factional malice. Overseen by the Database Verification, Cleansing and Enhancement (DVCE) under the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans (PTT), the system has become a tool of exclusion, humiliating and denying liberation soldiers their dues. Despite mounting complaints, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, the PTT chair, and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans' Angie Motshekga failed to act,…

The Springbok Women believe they are currently on an upward trajectory when it comes to their preparation for the Rugby World Cup in England next month. Recent results have shown that they are indeed improving in various areas of their game, and it has culminated in some strong wins at home and away. On Saturday, though, one of the biggest tests in Bok Women’s history will await them when they face Canada in the first of two Tests. The South Africans will take on the second-ranked Canadians at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria as a curtain-raiser for the first Springbok Test against Italy. The second women’s clash is next weekend in Gqeberha. Utility forward Catha Jacobs, who is at home at lock, flanker, or as a No 8, says they will…