Innehållsförteckning för 2025-12-15 från Cape Argus

Eleven Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) members have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, torturing and murdering a Manenberg man and the assault of his friends, whom they apparently interrogated. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) confirmed that three of the AGU members are back in the dock today at the Athlone Magistrates’ Court for their formal bail application. The eight remaining members are due back in court for their bail application on Thursday. The members are facing charges of murder, 4 counts of Assault GBH, 4 counts of kidnapping and 1 count of torture. Lizzy Suping, IPID spokesperson said the members were arrested after a man identified as Wade Price, died following an interrogation relating to a shooting near the Athlone Magistrates’ Court which resulted in the deaths of two people.…

The Government of National Unity (GNU) is facing fresh challenges following a controversial policy directive issued by Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi. The Government Gazette, issued on Friday, is widely seen as an attempt to clear the path for Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate in the country by bypassing the strict 30% historically disadvantaged groups (HDG) ownership requirements and replacing them with a less stringent “equity equivalent” model. The policy has drawn immediate condemnation from the ANC, the EFF, and Rise Mzansi, who accuse Malatsi of executive overreach, undermining the nation’s transformation framework, and selling out South Africa’s digital sovereignty to foreign interests. The issue that pits the DA’s pro-business, deregulation stance against the ANC’s commitment to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and national security. Malatsi is a…

Life has become unbearable for residents and hawkers in Makhaza, who have been forced to live and work amid the overwhelming stench of raw sewage for weeks. A massive sewage spill, which began on Saturday, November 29, has continued to overflow into homes, doorways, and trading areas, leaving the community desperate and frustrated. The spill, believed to stem from a burst sewer pipe, has sent waste flowing through several streets. Some vendors have already abandoned their stalls, choosing to stay home rather than work in these hazardous conditions. Angry residents accuse the City of Cape Town of neglecting their pleas for help and shifting the blame on to them for living above underground sewer lines. They say the municipality has failed to urgently repair the damaged pipe, allowing the problem…

SOUTH AFRICA 177 all out Aiden Markram 61; Chakaravarthy 2/11, Yadav 2/12, Singh 2/13 INDIA 120/3 Sharma 35, Gill 28; Bosch 1/18, Ngidi 1/23, jansen 1/24 w India won by seven wickets and lead five-match series 2-1 Abhishek Sharma blitzed India to a dominant victory yesterday over South Africa in the third T20I in Dharamsala, giving the hosts an important series lead with two matches remaining. Sharma smashed three sixes and three fours off just 18 deliveries, sharing a 60-run opening partnership with Shubman Gill (28) to lay the foundation for India’s chase of 118. Tilak Varma guided India home with an unbeaten 26 off 34 balls, while Shivam Dube (10 not out) struck the winning runs, sealing the comprehensive win. It was an emphatic victory after India lost the…

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has started to plan for life after Mbekezeli Mbokazi, which is why the Carling Cup exhibition match against the All Stars team was used to gauge the readiness of players who could potentially replace the defender. Mbokazi is set to leave Pirates after his AFCON campaign with Bafana Bafana in January and join MLS side Chicago Fire, after putting pen to paper on a multimillion-rand deal in recent weeks. His departure from the club will leave a huge void. Not only did he rise to prominence through his clean tackles, accurate passing and reading of the game, but he has also shown impeccable leadership qualities, having captained the side for much of the season at just 19-years old. The Pirates technical team is not worried…

Sharks captain Andre Esterhuizen says “honest conversations” among the players last week laid the foundation for the Sharks’ gritty victory over Saracens in a Champions Cup match at Kings Park. Esterhuizen led from the front and was named Player of the Match as he teamed up impressively with Ethan Hooker in midfield. Hooker was not far behind his captain in the voting. “I’m proud of the boys for the way we got stuck in. It was tough, it was tight, my voice is almost gone from screaming on defence,” Esterhuizen said, after the 28–25 win. “Hopefully, we have turned the corner and can start building momentum. During the week, we had a lot of honest conversations. "The players understood that they had to take accountability for everything that had happened,”…

The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, ruled on Friday, confirming that matric results may once again be published on public platforms. Three judges rejected the arguments that learners will memorise each other’s examination numbers in order to study each other’s results, as being unrealistic. The ruling confirms that publishing the results on public platforms using only examination numbers instead of names protects matriculants’ privacy. This has been an ongoing issue since 2022, and while several judges have up to now given the green light for the publication, the matter has never been fully ventilated. The dispute over the public publication of matric results began in 2022 when the Department of Basic Education (DBE) tried to prohibit it. At the time, the judge agreed with AfriForum and the other parties involved that…

TWO children killed in gang warfare have been laid to rest at the weekend, with police confirming no arrests in one of the cases. As nine-year-old Zechariah Matthee’s funeral service together with his aunt, Cleo Bailey took place on Saturday, so did the burial of Alnika Mitchell, 14 of Kensington. Zechariah, a learner at Caradale Primary School, was shot dead by gang members while hiding inside a cupboard in his home in Viscount Street, Rocklands, Mitchells Plain on December 2. The shooting claimed the lives of his aunt and friend, Mousheen Daniels, 26, who has since also been laid to rest and left two others wounded. Zechariah and Bailey’s funeral service was held at the House of Grace Ministries in Mitchells Plain. This was just days after pastors and mothers…

ACTING Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has hinted at the possibility of declassifying the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) report on the conduct of members of the Presidential Protection Unit in the controversial investigation into the theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. Cachalia, in response to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Mazwi Blose, stated that IPID is contemplating revising the classification status of the report, which has been designated as “Top Secret”. “This is in view of the need to balance the individual rights as alluded to above with the public interest to access information,” he said. Blose sought clarity on when the report would be declassified for public access, especially following earlier confirmations from suspended Minister Senzo Mchunu earlier this year that the document had been referred to…

Calls have been made for the appointment of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) to be undertaken by Parliament rather than the executive. This comes amid the conclusion of the interviews on Thursday of six candidates nominated to succeed incumbent Shamila Batohi when her term ends next month. The panel will submit its report to President Cyril Ramaphosa for his consideration. However, there has been a concern around the constitution of the advisory panel interviewing the candidates, and chaired by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi. Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said Parliament should lead the process, if it was to be fair. “At the moment, those people chosen by the president are the president’s people. If we have to appoint people who are going to occupy such…

THE Kaapse Klopse community has been plunged into mourning following the death of Luigi de Klerk, a legendary figure in Cape Town’s iconic minstrel tradition. Luigi, known for his showmanship and contributions to the cultural heritage of the Cape, died on Saturday. Known for his lekker sế-goed (popular phrases) at many competitions over the years, tributes have been pouring in from far and wide. Hailing from Bridgetown, Luigi often filled the Athlone Stadium with his energy and humour and kept fans entertained during the Klopse season. Sadly, Luigi died as a preview of the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) was held in Kenilworth, casting a shadow on the rest of this year’s build-up to Cape Town Minstrel Carnival on Tweede Nuwejaar (January 2). Luigi’s sister, Sandra de Klerk, said that…

Bafana Bafana’s leadership and goalkeeping departments are in safe hands with Ronwen Williams, but the national team captain cannot do it alone. He needs support both on and off the pitch. Williams has been South Africa’s standout performer in recent years. His displays between the sticks helped Bafana secure a third-place finish – their first in more than two decades – at the last Africa Cup of Nations, as well as recent qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. As captain, he has fostered a fighting spirit within the squad and ensured camaraderie among the players, who are not divided by club allegiances. Heading into the AFCON finals in Morocco this month – where Bafana are drawn in Group B alongside Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe – Williams’ character and leadership…

Defiant England coach Brendon McCullum brushed off concerns yesterday that his job was on the line heading into the third Test against Australia, while admitting his team have been “nowhere near” their best. The tourists – and their style of play colloquially known as 'Bazball' – were comprehensively beaten in the first two Ashes Tests in Perth and Brisbane, both by eight wickets, and only a win at Adelaide Oval this week will keep the five-match series alive. McCullum confirmed England will stick with the same top seven, retaining under-fire Ollie Pope at number three rather than bringing in Jacob Bethell. “Knee-jerk reactions and chopping and changing settled batting line-ups is not really our way,” he said. “We know we haven’t got enough runs so far in the series. “But…

Proteas Women’s batter Miane Smit is grateful for the opportunity to represent South Africa following her match-winning maiden half-century in East London this past weekend. The 20-year-old has been part of the national setup throughout the year, including this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India. With head coach Mandla Mashimbyi resting key players, such as Marizanne Kapp for the ODI series, Smit was handed a chance to don the green and gold and make an impact on the field. This past Saturday, Smit breezed to an unbeaten 56 off 70 deliveries, helping guide the Proteas Women to a seven-wicket win over Ireland in the first of three ODIs. Her innings featured seven fours and a 125-run partnership with senior batter Sune Luus, giving South Africa a 1-0 lead…

Linda Fellowes invites children into the world of the Cape parrot with her new book Russ the High Flyer. The story follows Russ, a real species found only in South Africa, and uses his character to help young readers understand the importance of caring for the country’s forests and wildlife. Russ is introduced in the book as “very social, very loud and a devoted dad”. The Cape parrot holds a special place in South Africa’s natural heritage. It is the nation’s only endemic parrot, marked by feathers in the national colours green and gold, and was crowned Bird of the Year in 2023. But the species faces serious pressure. Fellowes explained that “there are only about one thousand Cape Parrots left in the wild,” spread across the indigenous forests of…

GANG-related violence in the Western Cape continued to has escalate throughout 2025, sustaining a worrying upward trend of the past five years and exposing serious weaknesses in the provincial government’s response. This is according to the latest Western Cape Gang Monitor released by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) . The December 2025 report reviews gang dynamics over the past year and sets out a 12-point plan for rapid intervention, which the authors say can largely be implemented within one to three months. According to SAPS data cited in the report, gang-related murders in the first six months of 2025 were 58 higher than in the same period in 2024, after already doubling between 2020 and 2024. The monitor shows that violence is highly concentrated in specific clusters,…

Racist abuse hurled against a Mediclinic nurse in Cape Town amounted to hate speech and harassment, the Equality Court sitting in the city ruled. The patient, who was unhappy because he had to wait before he was assisted, unleashed a stream of racial and gender abuse at the emergency room nurse, who said she was humiliated in the process. Mark Preyer landed in hot water after he used the “k” word towards nurse Funeka Mayongo during a visit to the clinic in February last year. He also called her a “f****** b****”. The problems started when Preyer was not coded as a priority patient. According to the receptionist, Preyer, who was at the time outside the emergency care entrance, tried to forcefully open the door to the emergency unit. Preyer…

Manchester City closed the gap on English Premier League leaders Arsenal as Erling Haaland’s double inspired a 3–0 win against Crystal Palace yesterday. Pep Guardiola’s second-placed side moved within two points of Arsenal after a hard-fought success at Selhurst Park. Norway striker Haaland opened the scoring late in the first half, before England forward Phil Foden netted after the break. Haaland bagged his 23rd goal of the season to complete City’s fifth successive win in all competitions. Arsenal’s dramatic late victory over bottom-of-the-table Wolves on Saturday had put pressure on City to respond. Guardiola’s men were up to the task, overcoming a spluttering display largely thanks to the quality of their finishing. “Erling is a forward to score the goals, but in the second half he keeps the ball. He…

Enzo Maresca said he had suffered his "worst 48 hours" since joining Chelsea after a 2-0 win at home to Everton on Saturday, lamenting a lack of support. The victory took the London club into fourth place in the English Premier League table and ended a run of four winless games in all competitions, with Cole Palmer scoring on his first home start since August. Yet, Chelsea boss Maresca, who in his debut 2024/25 season in charge guided the Blues to both the Uefa Europa Conference League and Fifa Club World Cup titles, was far from happy, although he stressed he was not criticising the club's fans. "The last 48 hours has been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn't support me and the team," he…

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen says his players are devastated not to have come away with a win in Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup round two match against Newcastle Red Bulls, pointing to a five-minute spell before half-time that could have swung the contest their way. Despite dominating territory, possession and the set piece for long periods at a bitterly cold, wind-lashed Kingston Stadium, the visitors were unable to score during a critical late first-half passage. Newcastle weathered the storm before landing a late knockout blow to clinch a 14–10 victory in the low-scoring encounter. “Obviously, conditions were tough — really, really windy — something we’re not used to. Even then, we created enough opportunities to get the result,” Van Rooyen said at the post-match media conference. “I think our set…

The Bulls’ Champions Cup aspirations have all but expired after a humbling 50-5 defeat to Northampton at Franklin Gardens on Sunday evening. The moment coach Johan Ackermann named a squad for the trip to England that was without 11 first-choice players, the result of this game was never in doubt, given that the Saints had named a full-strength side, spearheaded by talk-of-the-town No 8 Henry Pollock. After the Bulls’ home loss to Bordeaux in the first round, it seems their focus shifted to the United Rugby Championship. Their remaining fixtures in the Champions Cup are a home game against Bristol (January 10) and an away fixture against Pau (January 16), but it will be tough for them to rejuvenate their challenge from their current position. The Bulls started confidently enough,…