Innehållsförteckning för 2025-07-14 från Cape Argus

Back in 1999, factual television was revolutionised when Walking with Dinosaurs was released. The six-part nature documentary mini-series, created by Tim Haines, was a production collaboration between the BBC Science Unit, the Discovery Channel, BBC Worldwide, TV Asahi, ProSieben and France 3. Regarded at the time as the first series of its kind, the show depicted dinosaurs and other Mesozoic animals as living animals in the style of a traditional nature documentary. It has gained a worldwide cult following for the manner in which it recreated the extinct species through the combined use of computer-generated imagery and animatronics. Now, 26 years later, a bold reimagining with the same title, once again produced by the BBC Studios Science Unit, brings to life six extraordinary dinosaurs through groundbreaking visual effects, dramatic storytelling…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and appointed a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe his alleged interference in police work. Addressing the nation on Sunday evening Ramaphosa said after the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner’s revelations that Mchunu had allegedly interfered with police work and allegedly colluded with business people in circumventing police investigations, he has decided to place him on special leave. The president also announced that the commission will be chaired by Acting Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga who is due for retirement soon, adding that the retirement will enable him to focus on the job at hand. The president also announced that Professor Firoz Cachalia will act as Police Minister at the beginning of the next month, however, a Cabinet minister will be appointed…

POLICE have arrested a suspect found with 25 different fish species, frogs, crabs and lobster tails at fish shop in Monte Vista. The shop, Lin Xiong Seafood, came under the suspicion of selling prohibited fish species when police and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, conducted a compliance inspection at the business premises on July 10 to ensure it was operating in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations in terms of the Sea Fishery Act. Inside the shop, they found prohibited species being sold including frogs and various types of crabs. Police spokesperson, Anelisiwe Manyana, said the 46-year-old man is facing charges of selling prohibited marine species and illegal possession of prohibited marine species to the value of R100 000. “The suspect will appear in the Goodwood Magistrate’s…

SUSPENDED Road Accident Fund CEO Collins Letsoalo, during a media briefing held on Saturday, along with chief investment officer Sefotle Modiba, attributed a lot of the problems at the fund to “corruption” within the legal fraternity, which he claimed included the judiciary. Letsoalo and Modiba, who has also been suspended, said they are being targeted for trying to expose corruption within the fund. The aim of the briefing was to provide “context” into the reasons behind their suspensions. While Letsoalo is soon due to once again face Judge Nasious Moshoanathe to ask for leave to appeal against the judgment in which the judge refused Letsoalo’s urgent application to immediately be reinstated, Letsoalo was clear that he thought the judge was biased from the start. He kicked off his part of…

As the continent’s premier women's football tournament, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) intensifies, defending champions Banyana Banyana are preparing to defend their title with a commanding performance against Mali in their final WAFCON Group C match on Monday. Thanks to their positions on the group standings and their haul of four points each after two rounds of matches, both nations are practically guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals. The focus will now shift to achieving a dominant performance that reaffirms their status as a powerhouse in women’s football. The match, to be played at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, carries significant weight for Banyana Banyana, who are looking to build momentum as the knockout stages approach. A convincing win would not only boost team morale but also send…

Marc Marquez won a bruising German MotoGP on Sunday to mark his 200th premier class start in style and extend his lead in the world championship standings. His brother, Alex Marquez, secured second place, with Francesco Bagnaia finishing third in a race of high attrition — only 10 riders made it to the chequered flag, the fewest in a MotoGP race since 2011. While much of the grid struggled to stay upright on the notoriously tricky Sachsenring circuit, Marquez enjoyed a dream afternoon. Starting from pole position, he led from start to finish, crossing the line more than six seconds clear for his seventh perfect weekend of 2025, having also won Saturday’s sprint. At the halfway point of the 22-race season, Marquez holds an 83-point lead over Alex in the…

Springbok Women’s performance coach Swys de Bruin is happy with the early signs from his experimental half-back pairing of Nadine Roos and Eloise Webb. Roos started at scrumhalf after she had started at fullback in the first Test at Loftus, with regular centre Webb coming off the bench to start at flyhalf in Saturday’s second Test against Canada in Gqeberha. The move was part of a backline reshuffle that had also seen Byrhandré Dolf start at fullback. Libbie Janse van Rensburg, who started at flyhalf in Pretoria, slotted in at inside centre. The South Africans succumbed 33-5 to the world’s No 2 team in the second Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after losing the first 50-20. “For the amount of pressure, it was a tough ask of Eloise…

Mark your calendars as Showmax’s Untied episode, featuring former Minister Malusi Gigaba’s ex-wife Noma Mgnoma will air tomorrow. This comes after Gigaba’s application to prevent the airing of the interview was dismissed. IOL reported that Judge Julian Yende dismissed the former statesman’s interdict application to prevent Showmax from airing the episode. In the application, MultiChoice is cited as the first respondent, while Goat Originals, which produced the show, is the second respondent, and Mngoma is the third. Gigaba’s legal action came after he received a WhatsApp communication from Vanessa Tloubatla, the executive producer of the show, who wanted to give him the right to reply to allegations that were made against him. Gigaba said that upon receiving the email, he sought legal advice to evaluate the potential impact of these…

IRATE Dunoon residents have called for a permanent police station after the satellite station was abandoned following its closure. The DA’s National Council of Provinces member on security and justice and constituency head for Atlantis, Blaauwberg and Table View, Nicholas Gotsell, said during a site visit in Killarney Gardens, where the mobile station was placed, that equipment and documentation left behind were accessible to criminals. “While crime in Dunoon spirals out of control, the DA this week found the local SAPS satellite office completely unattended, unlocked, wide open, and vulnerable to looting or tampering with official documents and equipment. It’s a damning metaphor for the state of policing in the area,” said Gotsell. “During an oversight visit to the mobile police station, parked near the clinic, the DA uncovered serious…

MINISTER of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, says finalising lifestyle audits for over 400 high-risk officials is a critical part of the Department’s efforts to end corruption and restore integrity in its operations. This comes after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) obtained a recovery order against a contractor that defrauded the department of R67 million through corrupt tenders. The Special Tribunal granted the order against Kroucamp Plumbers, whose contracts were found to be irregularly awarded between 2015 and 2019 through falsified bidding documents, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and bribes paid to officials. “We are working with the SIU to finalise lifestyle audits for over 400 high-risk officials,” Macpherson said. “Together with law enforcement agencies, we will continue to send a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated.” He…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured a victory for the state, recovering R67 million from Kroucamp Plumbers (Pty) Ltd after the Special Tribunal reviewed and set aside unlawful contracts awarded by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says the tribunal’s ruling not only recovers public funds but also prevents a potential R33 million loss following the dismissal of a counterclaim brought by Kroucamp Plumbers against the department. The Tribunal declared contracts worth R67 million, awarded between 2015 and 2019 for vacuum pumping of septic tanks and emergency sewage blockage interventions, invalid and unlawful. As a result, the service provider has been ordered to refund all payments received from the department. The financial recovery includes R46 613 873.26 from contracts between 2015 and 2017 and…

HAYLEY Papier, 43, from Lavender Hill, is living proof that you are never too old to learn. Papier was one of more than 400 adult “Night Schoolers” who celebrated their matric ball and valedictory on Friday. The mom of two dropped out of school in Grade 11 but thanks to Hopeful Leaders Night School, she was able to complete her National Senior Certificate. “I failed Grade 11. A few years back, I would never have admitted that giving priority to having nice times and parties and not making time for school work and studying was the reason,” Papier said. “It led to me failing a grade for the first time in my school career.” She said she found out about Hopeful Leaders Night School through Facebook and classes started in…

ONE of the first things Shukri Conrad did after taking on the Proteas Test job two and half years ago was to ring up Rassie van der Dussen. The top-order batter had been a stalwart across formats for Conrad’s predecessor Mark Boucher, but Conrad felt that Van der Dussen, having played 18 Test matches and averaged 30.16 without scoring a century, had run his race in the longest format. Instead, Conrad suggested to an understandably disappointed Van der Dussen that he pursue his white-ball options across the various T20 franchise leagues. Van der Dussen proceeded to immediately free himself up from his Lions first-class commitments to join the Pakistan Super League where the veteran has been a stand-out performer ever since. Not only has Van der Dussen averaged 39.4…

The first edition of the expanded Club World Cup wrapped up on Sunday night, with Fifa president Gianni Infantino already hailing it as a huge success, while the football world comes to terms with the idea that an imperfect tournament is here to stay. Infantino’s flagship competition – initially set for launch in 2021 before the pandemic intervened – was derided by many, particularly in Europe, before a ball had even been kicked. It was widely seen as an unnecessary addition to an already congested calendar, and doubts lingered over whether it could truly win over the public. Even after it got underway, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp dismissed the tournament as the “worst idea ever implemented in football”. However, the past month in the US suggests such a viewpoint…

Assistant coach Jason Holland said on Sunday that the All Blacks will ring the changes when they select their side for the third and final Test against France, but added there is “no lack of motivation” to complete a series clean sweep. An improved All Blacks outfit outclassed a depleted French side 43-17 in the second Test in Wellington to seal the series with a game to spare. New Zealand made only two changes to the starting team who had scraped to a 31-27 win in the opening Test in Dunedin. Speaking the day after the victory, Holland confirmed that a new-look line-up will be fielded on Saturday in Hamilton, staying true to a pre-series pledge to give all 35 squad members game time. “The general mindset was to make…

Tim Merlier won stage nine of the Tour de France in Châteauroux on Sunday, capitalising on a doomed but valiant breakaway effort from Mathieu van der Poel, who was caught in the final kilometre of a searing day of racing. There was no change in the general classification, with yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar maintaining his 54-second lead over Remco Evenepoel. French prospect Kévin Vauquelin remains in third. Merlier, riding for Soudal–Quick-Step, secured his second stage win of this Tour following his victory in Dunkirk on stage three. The 32-year-old Belgian was brought to the front by team leader Evenepoel in the final metres. "It's mad — we are supposed to be helping him (Evenepoel) but he's helping us," Merlier laughed post-race. "I need to make it through the mountains…

The wait is nearly over, Outcasts! Popular gothic series Wednesday is officially back, promising to thrill fans with a deeper dive into the eerie realms of Nevermore Academy. After the smashing success of its first season, which quickly became Netflix’s most-viewed English-language series, the anticipation for season 2 has reached a fever pitch. At the helm of this twisted retelling is actress Jenna Ortega, who reprises her role as Wednesday Addams. Ortega’s portrayal of the sardonic, death-obsessed teen is captivating, and she continues to redefine the character, earning her a place alongside Christina Ricci’s iconic depiction of Wednesday from the early ’90s. With season 2, audiences can expect Ortega to take on not just the role of actress but also that of producer. The streaming platform has unveiled the first…

NOT only has the recent mass shooting in Bishop Lavis been condemned by the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), but it has also sparked a demand for a judicial inquiry into the systemic failure to address gang violence. Four people, including an elderly woman, were gunned down in a house in Bishop Lavis on Friday night. The mass killing comes amid a deadly spate of shootings across the Cape Flats over the past two weeks, with at least five mass shootings reported in Mitchell’s Plain, Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, and Lower Crossroads. Bishop Lavis Community Policing Forum (CPF) has condemned the shooting, saying they are devastated and outraged by the relentless gang violence that continues to claim innocent lives in neighbourhoods. They are demanding a judicial inquiry into: the systemic failure to address…

“Papa, it’s now your time to rest. Finally, you get your rest and have the peace you deserve. We love you,” a tearful Angela Mabuza, daughter of late former deputy president David Mabuza, said on Saturday as she paid tribute to her father during his funeral service. The ceremony was held at Hoërskool Bergvlam in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. “There’s so much that we’re going to miss,” Angela said. “We’ll miss his presence – the way his entry changed the room, the sound of his footsteps, the look on his face when something wasn’t right, that sharp, sinking silence before he would simply ask, ‘What’s the problem?’ “We’ll miss his laughter, especially when it came from deep within and reached all the way to his eyes. Those moments were rare and unforgettable.”…

MINISTER of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, has expressed concern over threats to disrupt harbour activity and public roads around St Helena Bay today. Circulated notices suggest that protest organisers intend to block access routes from Paternoster, Vredenburg and Laaiplek. The protest appears to centre on the allocation of fishing rights, which are “subject to a legally defined appeals process, which is already underway in several cases”, George said. One of the posts circulating on social media explained that fishers are demanding national intervention, the immediate reform of the small-scale and indigenous fisheries framework, and urgent action on economic disempowerment. George has since written to the police commissioner to request clarity on whether the necessary authorisations for protest action were obtained. Saldanha Municipality has urged residents in the…

A Change.org petition demanding accountability, calling for comprehensive action to restore and protect Table Mountain, is set to cross 4 000 signatures. The campaign, driven by Friends of Table Mountain and supported by Take Back Our Mountains, Love Our Trails, Table Mountain Watch, Table Mountain Bikers and Hikers Network, said they believe it’s their right and responsibility to demand accountability and action. “Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) is plagued by critical issues directly attributable to SANParks’ poor management and underfunding. These problems threaten the park’s ecological integrity, visitor safety and tourism potential,” the collective’s campaign said. They are concerned by the persistently high crime rates, failure of their conservation mandate, decaying infrastructure, insufficient signage, runaway fires, and the decay of tourism infrastructure. They also raised concerns regarding SANParks spending only…

The proposal of constitutional amendment by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) to change the name of South Africa to the “Republic of Azania” is nonsensical, unnecessary, and irrelevant to the inhabitants of this place. We should be asking ourselves where the word “Azania” originates from, which language, and how it is related to the people of South Africa. There are no cultural, historical, linguistic, or political connections to the name. It was during my time as a young and vibrant activist within the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) that I was firmly convinced that South Africa should be renamed ‘Azania’. I had been persuaded by the existing argument that ‘South’ was merely a geographical direction and therefore did not have substantive cultural and historical connections befitting a nation’s identity. However, I…

The Springboks will look to give a few guys more caps in the final mid-year Test against Georgia in Nelspruit. Front rowers Boan Venter and Marnus van der Merwe will come into contention for selection, while the world champions will also release a couple of players ahead of the match for a much-needed break. All signs indicate that Erasmus will select a different side from the one that completed a 45-0 victory over Italy in the second Test on Saturday in Gqeberha. A handful of the inexperienced players who featured in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium could get another run to give them more caps. “Guys like Boan and Marnus might come into the mix, but we still want to ensure we have enough experience around them to show Georgia…

Kaizer Chiefs remain winless on their pre-season tour of The Netherlands after suffering a third consecutive defeat, this time a narrow 1-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen on Saturday afternoon. The Glamour Boys had previously gone down to Dutch top-flight sides Vitesse and FC Utrecht. While the lack of goals and results may raise questions back home, there is no panic within the camp. Instead, the focus remains squarely on long-term gains and sharpening the team ahead of a crucial 2025/26 campaign. “I hate losing,” George Matlou told the club’s media department, after the match. “However, these are highly competitive games, and that’s how you get better as a team. You don’t get better playing weaker teams.” Matlou’s words echoed the broader sentiment from the Chiefs squad and technical staff…

Love it or hate it, head coach Rassie Erasmus will continue to innovate as the Springboks look to find the smallest edge on the rugby field to take their game to the next level against opponents. On Saturday, Erasmus made the rugby world notice his ingenuity again, as the Boks conjured up two different tactical plays in the clash against Italy in Gqeberha that caught many off guard. The first was a short kick-off to generate a scrum shortly after the game started and this is the little bit of innovation that blew up on X (formerly Twitter) with pundits and couch critics tearing into the Boks for finding another way to bend rugby’s laws. While they’ve found a new reason to moan about the world champions, South African supporters…