Innehållsförteckning för 2025-09-09 från Cape Argus

Who doesn’t love a good romcom? We grew up on them, and some of those films have clung to us like the unforgettable soundtracks they carried. There’s just something about those films that made us feel like life itself had a soundtrack, where every crush, every heartbreak, and every messy love story deserved its own montage. The romcoms of today can’t quite match the classics, but the nostalgia they spark is timeless, and that’s exactly the space Will Linley steps into with his debut album Don’t Cry Because It’s Over. The launch wasn’t your average “press play and vibe” moment. Linley gave us the full package. Songs that hit you right in the feels, paired with visuals that leaned into the kind of cheesy romcom tropes we’d usually roll our…

The National Sea Rescue Institute has confirmed that Bloubergstrand kite-surfer Graham Howes has been found dead. NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said Howes’ body was recovered at sea yesterday. The 38-year-old was last seen kite-boarding offshore of Eden on the Bay in Bloubergstrand, on Sunday. Unconfirmed reports claim that rescuers found his kite about 10 metres from Robben Island. “On Monday, during the search, rescue teams located Howes’ kite-surf sail and kite-surf board at sea. His body was found shortly afterwards in the search area by the crew of a local motor yacht that had also joined in the search effort,” Lambinon said. “His body was handed over to the police and Department of Health Forensic Pathology Services.” Lambinon thanked all those who assisted in the search for Howes. He…

GAMBLING in South Africa is bigger than ever – accounting for 1.6% of total household spending. The scale of the industry is staggering. Gross gambling revenue reached R59.3 billion in 2023/24, up 25.7% from the previous year, and nearly triple the R23.3bn generated just three years earlier, according to the National Gambling Board of South Africa’s latest annual review for the 2023 year. According to Old Mutual’s Savings and Investment Monitor, 20% of gamblers have had to borrow, use credit, or sell something to fund their habit. Nearly half of all working gamblers now play frequently, hoping to cover expenses or debt – a figure that has climbed sharply from 36% previously, the monitor showed. The rise is driven almost entirely online. Sports betting is the top draw at 61%,…

The Ministry of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has pushed back against allegations that representatives of the M23 rebel group entered South Africa undetected to attend peace talks. The department responded after former Dirco Deputy Minister Marius Fransman criticised the government following revelations that representatives of rebel group recently attended a high-level African peace dialogue in Magaliesburg, Gauteng, without proper vetting or detection. On Sunday, Fransman called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Dirco Minister Ronald Lamola to issue a public apology, warning that South Africa’s credibility on the continent is at stake. He said he was deeply concerned by government officials’ admissions, including Lamola’s statements, that they were unaware of the group’s presence. In response, Dirco spokesperson Chrisphin Phiri told IOL that the claim that the M23 delegation gained access…

AS WE celebrate Heritage Month, one of the best parts of the Kaap se cultural fabric is the Cape Minstrels. The Cape Town Minstrels, known as The Kaapse Klopse, is a tradition stemming from the 1800s. The celebrations, known as Tweede Nuwe Jaar (second new year) on January 2, was a day off given to slaves to celebrate however they saw fit. During this alternative New Year’s celebration, the slaves would dress up as minstrels and dance to the sounds of banjos, guitars, ghoema drums, whistles, trombones and tubas. Tweede Nuwe Jaar is a celebration of a community’s survival and illustrates the continuity between its past, present and future While slavery was officially abolished in the Cape on December 1, 1834, the Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebrations remained a much-anticipated celebration.…

Bungling by a police officer who arrested and detaining two assault suspects without a warrant, as well as an informal mediation agreement which saw the victim withdrawing the charges in return for R2 000 compensation, has left a judge with a sour taste in the mouth. Gauteng High Court, Pretoria Judge Mandlenkosi Motha had no choice but to order compensation to the two suspects after they sued the police for unlawful arrest and detention. In following the law, he concluded that they did prove their case that their constitutional rights were violated. Subsequent to this, the judge also had to apply the letter of the law and award them compensation for the nearly two months they had to spend in jail awaiting trial. Sello Mkwanazi was awarded R500000 while the…

While Rassie Erasmus says he has not pushed the panic button in picking a brand new backline to play the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday, some of his selections were performance-related. The Boks lost 24-17 in Auckland last week, and for the return Test, only Cheslin Kolbe remains in his position, although Canan Moodie also continues, shifting from left wing to outside centre. Aphelele Fassi replaces Willie le Roux in a selection that appears form-related; Ethan Hooker comes in on the wing for Moodie; the Old Firm centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende makes way for Damian Willemse and Moodie; and in the half-backs, Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu take over from Grant Williams and Handré Pollard. Erasmus was pressed on which of those changes were…

Carlos Alcaraz says winning next year’s Australian Open to seal a career Grand Slam is his main objective after securing a sixth major title in New York on Sunday. Alcaraz beat chief rival Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to claim his second US Open crown and would become the youngest man to win all four majors if he lifts the trophy in Melbourne next January. “It’s my first goal, to be honest,” said the 22-year-old Alcaraz, who has not made it past the quarter-finals in four trips to Australia. “When I go into pre-season and focus on what I want to improve and achieve, the Australian Open is there. “It’s the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete…

Manchester United are looking leaner and meaner after being stripped to the bone and rebuilt in the recent transfer window. It seems the fallen giants have finally broken the shackles that have weighed Old Trafford down for years – a legacy of bloated squads, misfiring stars, dressing-room disharmony and a muddled recruitment plan often at odds with the managers’ philosophies. Rúben Amorim, now in his second season at the helm, can no longer lean on those crutches. The firesale of unwanted assets and a raft of carefully structured loan exits has finally cleared the path for him to implement his style of play – something he spoke about at length last season as United bumbled their way to a nightmare 15th-place finish. Failure to secure European football, along with United’s…

ATHLONE residents held a vigil following a surge of shootings that rocked the community at the weekend. On Friday, a man was shot on the premises of the Athlone Magistrate’s Court. Community Policing Forum (CPF) Chairperson Vernon Pidt said the memorial for the victims, which was held outside the court on Sunday, was well attended, with religious leaders and members of the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition present. Pidt said: “The message came out clear that we are tired of crime and that people should stand up against crime and the criminals. “As the faith-based fraternity, we should have a united force that the barriers that prevent the leaders in both the church and mosque from interacting with the community should be broken.” A cleansing ceremony was held at the court…

A reformed gangster has become the latest victim in another deadly shooting in Overcome Heights in Muizenberg on Sunday night. The informal settlement was rocked by two murders in what police believe to be a gang-related incident. The two men were shot in Mountain Road at around 6.45pm. This is the same road where a mass shooting took place three weeks ago, leaving four men dead. According to a source who declined to be named because of safety concerns, one of Sunday’s victims was a man who had turned his back on a life of crime. The source said the 25-year-old had been involved in gangsterism but was a changed person. However, there was still no way out of the gang for him. The resident told the Cape Argus’s sister…

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has condemned the evictions being carried out by municipalities, private security companies, and other state-sanctioned actors. These evictions, often executed without court orders and in clear violation of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998 (PIE), are described by the Commission as a “grave violation of the Constitution and a direct assault on the dignity of the most vulnerable in our society.” The SAHRC expressed serious concern about statements made by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who indicated that evictions in Gauteng “will be conducted in the dead of night even at 2am” as part of efforts to reclaim hijacked buildings and dismantle informal settlements. Speaking after a Gauteng Executive Council meeting, Lesufi said demolitions…

Yesterday marked International Literacy Day, drawing attention to the alarming state of South Africa’s education system. Recent statistics reveal a deepening literacy crisis among young learners. Research indicates a significant disconnect within South Africa’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) framework. While 91% of parents communicate with their children in their home language, two-thirds of ECD centres use English as the medium of instruction. This disparity hampers the development of foundational reading skills and contributes to cognitive confusion among young learners. In the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, South Africa ranked last out of 57 countries. Approximately 65% of households with children under the age of 10 do not own a single children’s book. During a literacy webinar hosted by Sesame Workshop South Africa in June, experts discussed the roots…

Every time a school removes pure mathematics, a girl who could have been an engineer, scientist or innovator is told: “This path is not for you.” Mathematics is more than a subject on the timetable. It is the entry ticket to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the very fields where South Africa struggles with skills shortages and where women remain underrepresented. When public schools, particularly those serving disadvantaged communities, quietly drop mathematics and offer only mathematical literacy, the impact goes far beyond curriculum. It is a structural decision that narrows opportunities, reinforces stereotypes, and undermines years of effort to encourage girls into technical fields. In my own research on the factors that encourage girls to choose STEM subjects, I found four critical enablers: early confidence through exposure,…

Springbok Women’s coach Swys de Bruin and his management team are hoping their gamble to rest key players against France will pay dividends when they face the Black Ferns in Saturday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final. The Bok Women opted to rest nine of their regular starters in their final pool match to keep them fresh and injury-free for what is their first-ever World Cup knockout appearance. Several other key players were also withdrawn at half-time. But the decision came at a hefty cost, as South Africa were thumped 57-10 by a ruthless French outfit in Northampton. It was their first defeat of the tournament, having previously beaten Brazil 66-6 and edged Italy 29-24 to secure their quarter-final spot. Now, they’ll face defending champions New Zealand — a side that’s…

History beckons for Orlando Pirates, who could become the only team to win the country’s Top 8 competition four times in succession. They will face Stellenbosch in the MTN8 final at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night (6pm kick-off). Pirates made history last season when they beat Stellenbosch 3-1 in the final to win a record-extending third straight title. While the clash in Mbombela is an opportunity to set new records, it's also a fresh start for Pirates' new coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou. The match will be his first cup final with the club, assuming he has recovered from a nasty injury sustained after their 3-0 win over Chippa United last Sunday. Ouaddou’s arrival at Pirates was met with mixed reactions. Some believed he was the right person to succeed Riveiro—who won…

THE Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has sentenced 54-year-old Leonie Stella Stiemie to an effective six years’ imprisonment for two counts of theft. The court’s decision comes after Stiemie, a former branch administrator at FNB Kirkwood, was found guilty of stealing over R800 000 from an elderly client. Stiemie was sentenced to six years for each count, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently. Additionally, the court has mandated that she repay First Rand Limited R270 000. Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Luxolo Tyali, said the case centres on 87-year-old Andries David Renken, a lifelong farmer from Kirkwood, who died during the protracted legal proceedings. In 2011, Renken had entrusted Stiemie with R400 000 in cash to be securely stored in a bank-managed Deeds Box. In an appalling…

KWAZULU-Natal Police (KZN) Commissioner Lieutenant General, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is likely to be the first witness to testify at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry set to begin on September 17. The announcement was made during a media briefing in Pretoria by commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels. “We can now confirm that the consultation to which Justice Madlanga referred was with Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi, whom the commission intends to call as its first witness,” said Michaels. The judicial inquiry, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July to probe explosive allegations of corruption, political interference, and criminal syndicate infiltration within law enforcement and intelligence structures. Mkhwanazi claimed that a sophisticated criminal syndicate, including drug cartels, has infiltrated the country’s justice system – compromising investigations and protecting…

With just a few days to go before the launch of the three part documentary true-crime series, Beauty and the Bester, convicted killer and rapist Thabo Bester is heading to court today in an urgent bid to stop Netflix from releasing the much anticipated series. The matter has been set down before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, where Judge Sulet Potterill is expected to hear the matter. Bester wants the court to interdict Netflix from releasing the documentary on Friday, claiming that the series contains inaccurate, defamatory and unsubstantiated claims and violates his and his life partner Nandipha Magudumana’s constitutional rights. Both Bester and Magudumana are behind bars, awaiting trial on several charges after they were arrested in 2023 in Tanzania. Netflix has meanwhile widely advertised its three…

IT IS often said that “the most dangerous threats oftentimes come wearing a friendly face”. It seems this is the case for South Africa, where human trafficking has been ravaging our society of late. Mere weeks ago, it was widely reported that more than 200 South Africans were currently stranded in Thailand, after having been lured into a sophisticated human trafficking ring with the false promise of employment in Myanmar. This past week, various South African influencers were entangled in a national uproar after promoting the Alabuga Start programme, which was found to be a human trafficking scheme luring countless young women in with the promise of Russian-based work and education. What this has actually highlighted is that social media has become a whole new frontier for traffickers, and now…

Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad is happy with the overall batting performance of the team in the three-match ODI series against England, despite Sunday’s record 342-run defeat in Southampton, with the series already wrapped up. He will be hoping that they can carry this form, and their momentum from the previous white-ball series in Australia, into the crucial T20 Internationals against the hosts in Cardiff on Wednesday, Manchester on Friday and Nottingham on Sunday. Conrad struggled to explain the batting collapse that saw the Proteas skittled for 72 in pursuit of 414. “I think we were definitely off (on Sunday), and against a top side like England, when you’re not on top of your game you do get exposed the way we did,” he said in his post-match analysis. “A…

Bafana Bafana have grown in leaps and bounds over the years, which is why there wouldn’t be a better time to settle the on-field beef between them and Nigeria. Bafana will host Nigeria in a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier at Toyota Stadium tonight (6pm kick-off). The South Africans are at the top of Group C with 16 points, six ahead of third-placed Nigeria. A win for Bafana would put them on the brink of qualifying for the global showpiece in North America — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — as they would be nine points ahead of their rivals with two games to play. A Bafana victory would also eliminate Nigeria from the race for automatic qualification, which would sting for the West Africans if they ultimately fail…

South Africa’s top athletics talent will take on the world’s best at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from Friday, with the second of five travelling parties departing from OR Tambo International Airport on Monday. A number of the 49 athletes who will represent SA at the showpiece, second only in stature to the Olympics, will be in action in the opening session on Saturday. Jessica Groenwald lines up in the women’s 35km race walk, while Aiden Smith and Chris van Niekerk contest the men’s shot put qualification round. The men’s 100m preliminary round will also be one of the highlights of the morning, featuring Akani Simbine, Bayanda Walaza (subject to a late fitness test) and Gift Leotlela. Marie Viljoen, Precious Molepo and Hannah van Niekerk join men’s one-lap specialists…