Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-08-03 i Cape Argus

Liam Karabo Joyce liam.joyce@inl.co.za Media personality Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung has responded to abuse allegations allegedly made by his estranged husband Mohale Motaung-Mhlongo. Over the weekend, allegations of abuse came to light as the Sunday World reported that Mohale had accused the Idols SA judge of abuse in an interview Mohale apparently did with producers of the reality show Living the Dream with Somizi. The weekly tabloid reported that Mohale told producers Somizi tried to kill him with a kitchen knife and pushed him off the road with his car while he tried to flee. The couple had been arguing about Mohale’s alleged cheating. Confirming that there was trouble in paradise, Somizi’s management said he was aware of the allegations of abuse against him. However, the star said he would refer the…

Ariana Grande is encouraging people to get their Covid-19 vaccination, as she shared information on the delta variant that is spreading in several countries. The positions hitmaker took to Instagram on Sunday to offer a “gentle reminder” to those who are not yet vaccinated against the virus, as she also supplied links to information about the delta variant which is spreading throughout the US after having already been found in numerous countries including the UK. Alongside a picture of herself wearing a mask, she wrote: “vaxxed n masked. “This is your gentle reminder to please get your vaccines if you are eligible. this thing is not yet over! sharing some info because i care and if i can, i’d like to help anybody who is hesitant.”…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za A MAN jailed for 15 years in 2019 by a Caledon court for a 2012 murder has lost his appeal against his conviction, which was based on the dying declaration of the man he killed. Khanyiso Sigcawu was convicted by the regional magistrate in Caledon for a murder committed in Villiersdorp. Following the conviction, Sigcawu was sentenced to 15 years in prison, of which two years were suspended. Sigcawu’s application for leave to appeal against the conviction and sentence was dismissed by the regional magistrate, but his petition to the Western Cape High Court in respect of the conviction was granted. He had appealed against his conviction claiming that the court made a mistake in finding that the State had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za LOCAL Government and Environmental Affairs MEC Anton Bredell said the winter rainfall has been above average and has seen the continued replenishment of water sources across most of the province. In the weekly dam report, Bredell said the latest average level for dams in the Western Cape is 76.6%. A year ago it was 61.1%. Meanwhile, the latest average level for dams providing water to the City of Cape Town is 97.5%, which is 20% more than a year ago. At the same time, the Department of Water and Sanitation national spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, said this week’s hydrological report demonstrates that dams in the Western Cape have improved as a consequence of recent heavy rains. He said the Gouritz River Catchment, which includes large parts of…

This past week saw me on a merry-go-round of frustration. First, addressing law enforcement’s silence on their alleged involvement in a situation that saw Alphonzo Meyer, a homeless man in Kuilsriver, die. The second was the news about the new temporary shelter being opened by the Haven in Strandfontein, which seems to be related to the story about some prominent Sea Point businesspeople who are trying to rid the area of its homeless people and for good measure also those individuals they regard as a hindrance to this process. Yours truly features at the top of a list of those individuals. A young homeless man died in Kuilsriver three days after allegedly having had his belongings, including blankets, taken by law enforcement. He suffered two epileptic fits directly after the…

Adiel Ismail | Mountview ARE our security forces not up to standard, in the wake of the recent looting? Section 37 of the South African Constitution states that a state of emergency may be declared if, “(a) the life of the nation is threatened by war, invasion, general insurrection, disorder, natural disaster or other public emergency; and (b) the declaration is necessary to restore peace and order”. President Ramaphosa, soon after the looting and destruction had taken place, stated in an address to the nation, “The attempted insurrection has failed.” Based on the aforementioned, it is unfathomable that a state of emergency had not been announced by President Ramaphosa. Also, in an interview, soon after the looting and mayhem erupted in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the Minister of Defence, Ms…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za HOMELESS people will be able to get their Covid-19 vaccinations at the Hope Exchange in the CBD on Friday, after significant work from organisations and networks led by and supporting street-based people. Director, Reverend Annie Kirke, said a further eight areas, among them Bellville, Wynberg and the Atlantic Seaboard, were being considered for vaccination of street people and would be confirmed. “There have been multiple engagements with street-based people to design and plan the process. “Several issues and challenges have been raised by those living on the street – from the lack of information about the vaccine to needing an ID or an ID number to register. As many as half of street-based people may not have an ID, or may not know their ID number. The…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THE ANC says there are currently 1 116 government officials on the waiting list for the allocation of provincial government housing rental stock ready to pay the market-related value to make the units more profitable, yet the rental units are occupied by people paying as little as R100 a month. ANC provincial human settlements spokesperson Andile Lili was speaking after he received a written answer from Human Settlements MEC Tertuis Simmers to a question he had asked in the legislature about the market-related value of each of his department’s rental stock units. Lili had also asked about the age, gender and race of tenants in the provincial government’s rental stock who are paying monthly rental fees of not more than R900. In his response, Simmers said the…

Stephen Devereux THE basic income grant debate has been rumbling in South Africa for two decades. The reintroduction of the “social relief of distress” grant by President Cyril Ramaphosa, for unemployed people and unpaid caregivers who don’t receive any other social grant or unemployment insurance, provides the ideal moment to introduce permanent basic income support for poor and unemployed adults. I prefer the argument for basic income support, rather than a universal basic income grant. That’s because South Africa already has social grants for poor children up to 18 years of age, poor older people over 60 and other vulnerable groups. What is needed is a social protection instrument that would address the country’s unemployment pandemic by assisting people aged 18 to 59 who are living in poverty –…

With a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by the Delta variant striking countries worldwide, disease experts are scrambling to learn whether the latest version of coronavirus is making people, mainly the unvaccinated, sicker than before. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Delta, first identified in India and now dominant worldwide, is “likely more severe” than earlier variants, according to an internal report made public on Friday. The agency cited research in Canada, Singapore and Scotland showing that people infected with the Delta variant were more likely to be hospitalised than earlier in the pandemic. In interviews, disease experts said the three papers suggest a greater risk from the variant, but the study populations are limited and the findings have not yet been reviewed by outside…

TOKYO: A state of emergency was yesterday imposed in Japan’s Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and Osaka prefectures, joining Tokyo and Okinawa, due to a resurgence in Covid-19 cases. The emergency period in Tokyo and Okinawa was also extended to August 31 from the originally planned August 22. The Japanese government is planning to roll out standards for easing restrictions with the progress of vaccination of the population. Under the state of emergency, establishments serving alcohol or offering karaoke services are asked to suspend their business and those not serving liquor are requested to close at 8pm. The government would offer monetary compensation for compliance.…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za ENGLAND and British & Irish Lions legend Lawrence Dallaglio had an amusing summary of why the Springboks turned the tables on the Lions in the second Test on Saturday, comfortably won by the Boks 27-9 after they had lost comprehensively in the first Test. “My old teammate Martin Johnson said before the kick-off that the Springboks play with a Plan A and if that doesn’t work then they revert to Plan A but just try and do it better,” Dallaglio told Independent Media in an exclusive interview. “And that is what they did from the first Test to the second. “They were a whole lot better with their Plan A and substantially better than the Lions, who in the first Test stood up to the physical confrontation…

MATSHELANE MAMABOLO PRECIOUS Mashele has previously raced against both Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo and should therefore not be too overawed when he lines up against the revered Ugandans in today’s 5 000m second heat at the Tokyo Olympics. The South African champion is the country’s sole representative in the 12-and-a-half-lap event and has made it known that he wants to make the final. But he faces stiff competition in his 20-man heat this afternoon – the Ugandan duo who have already bagged Tokyo 2020 medals being among them. Cheptegei and Kiplimo made Ugandan Olympics history last week when they became the east African country’s first podium finishers at the Games when they won silver and bronze respectively in the 10 000m. Mashele will know the two only too…

Liam Karabo Joyce While Blaq Diamond made history as the first outfit to ever be crowned Artist of the Year at the SA Music Awards (Samas), Kabza De Small walked away as the biggest winner. The 27th edition of the annual awards aired on SABC1 on Saturday. Matthew Mole’s Keep It Together took Record of the Year award while Miss Pru’s Price To Pay featuring Blaq Diamond and Malome Vector won the Music Video of the Year award. From king of amapiano to king of SAMA27, De Small reigned supreme. He bagged four awards, the biggest number by a single artist this year followed by DJ Maphorisa with three. De Small’s collaboration with DJ Maphorisa as Scorpion Kings earned them Album of the Year, Duo or Group of the Year…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za THE Western Cape has overtaken KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and is reporting the lion’s share of daily new Covid-19 infections. This as the province breached 40 000 active cases of the virus yesterday. According to the provincial government’s Covid-19 Dashboard, the province reported 40 252 active cases, 408 685 confirmed cases and 353 145 recoveries as at 1pm yesterday. About 4 707 Covid-19 reinfections have been confirmed. To date, 15 288 people have succumbed to the virus. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the province recorded 2 333 new cases on August 1. On Sunday, Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said the Western Cape was now the epicentre of the third wave. Consultant virologist at UCT and Groote Schuur Complex of the National Health Laboratory Service,…

AN EASTERN Cape man was due to appear in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of raping and murdering a five-year-old girl two years ago. The 24-year-old has been implicated in the murder and rape of Chantelle Makwena at their home in Withoogte in Rocklands, police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said. On August 2, 2019, at about 7pm, Chantelle’s mother, Veronica Makwena, 23, and her 34-year-old sister left their children at their home with the alleged suspect, his girlfriend and the girlfriend’s brother, to visit a friend. When the two women returned at 10pm, neither of the adults were at home, Naidu said. Chantelle was not in her bed, and she was not at a neighbour’s house either. Makwena thought Chantelle might have gone to her father’s home on another…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) has approached the Labour Court to challenge the minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, for extending the main collective agreement (MCA) to non-parties. In its court papers, Gabs challenges the constitutionality of section 32 of the Labour Relations Act, which states that a collective agreement may not be extended unless the bargaining council has an effective process in place to deal with the exemption applications of non-parties. Gabs spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said although Gabs considered that the 2021 MCA was not validly extended to non-parties by Nxesi, Gabs also applied for an exemption from certain aspects of the 2021 MCA, and that has been done insofar as it might ultimately be held that the 2021 MCA was valid and binding on…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za UCT’s student representative council (SRC) has called on the institution to ensure its disciplinary and anti-bullying policies are fair and applied without fear or favour. The policies were approved by the university council at a meeting on June 19 and came into effect on Sunday. SRC chairperson Declan Dyer said the council noted the implementation of the disciplinary policy and the policy addressing bullying. He said the policies would ensure all stakeholders of the institution were safeguarded from bullying and would contribute to the efforts of shifting the institutional culture. “As always, this is a beautiful policy on paper, but we call on the institution to ensure its fair implementation without any fear, favour or matters falling through the cracks of institutional bureaucracy,” Dyer said. Writing…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za IN AN effort to curb incidents of vandalism affecting the city’s parks and recreational infrastructure, the City’s Community Services and Health Directorate has asked residents in local communities to come forward with ideas on how best to protect the facilities. After recording yet another long list of extensive damage to community parks and recreational facilities, the City is on a mission to bring the issue of vandalism to an end, this time by working with locals with possible bright ideas on how to solve the problem. Mayco member for community services and health Zahid Badroodien said: “Community involvement has proven to be one of the best ways we can safeguard and protect community recreational facilities, which are valuable community assets. “Which is why we are calling on…

GC Papenfus | Chief executive, National Employers Association of South Africa THE recent spate of violence and looting experienced in the country has exacerbated the crisis faced by an already fragile economy and business community. A multitude of businesses, already severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, have been devastated, destroyed and gutted by looters and have been left with few options in their fight for survival. Although some of these businesses may have insurance for these eventualities, a lot do not, as it is simply not affordable, and even those who do, have to continue with the payment of overheads while waiting for an insurance payout, which may well take a long time, without being able to trade and generate an income. Such eventual insurance payouts can in…

Colin Bosman | Newlands Changes to existing gun laws put forward surreptitiously by Minister Cele Bheki who is attempting to steamroll the proposal through Parliament without consultation with affected role-players needs to be dismissed with contempt. In a country that is ravaged by crime, murder and gangsterism it makes no sense to disarm law-abiding, honest, licensed gun owners who will be at the mercy of criminals who source firearms mostly through corrupt members of the SAPS, from Mozambique, and crooked licensing officials. The vast majority of opposition parties reject these absurd proposals including church groups. Suggestions by Gunfree SA’s Adèle Kirsten that reducing gun ownership by responsible citizens will somehow reduce crime, murder, shootings by gangsters, armed robberies, gender violence, etc are beyond laughable. South Africa is on…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za THE Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has approved the release of 13 state-owned properties in Strand for restitution to the Muhammed Haron family. As custodian of state-owned land, the DPWI announced that various parcels of land had been signed off in the North West, the Western Cape and Mpumalanga for three land claimant communities. In the Western Cape, 13 state-owned properties measuring 0.6529 hectares in Strand have been signed off to settle the claim. DPWI Minister Patricia de Lille said in a statement: “The family lodged claims on various parcels of land in the city of Cape Town from which they were dispossessed under the Group Areas Act. The claims were verified as valid by the Western Cape Regional Land Claims Commission. However due to…

THE government has encouraged mothers to prioritise breastfeeding despite discrimination and the pandemic, which often leads to separation of mothers and children. Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said during an event marking World Breastfeeding Week: “Many of us know the saying ‘breast is best’, but do we know why? Breastfeeding is the normal, natural way to feed babies and is part of laying a solid foundation for a healthy life from birth and beyond.” She said breast milk contained everything a baby needed for the first six months in all the right proportions and even changed according to the baby’s changing needs. “Breast milk contains antibodies that help strengthen the baby’s immune system, protecting against common childhood illnesses such as gastroenteritis, chest infection, ear infection, urinary tract infections. Breastfed babies…

AT THE beginning of the country’s vaccination roll-out on February 1, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in one of his many “family meetings”, told the nation that “nobody should be forced to take the vaccine”. He went on to say that “there will be no repercussions for those who choose not to take the Covid-19 vaccine”. Fast forward to today: a raging war is looming between some employers and employees over what is thought to be a life-saving jab. There have been 7 million vaccinations so far, out of a population of about 60 million. More than 72 000 South Africans have perished since the outbreak of Covid-19. The SA Human Rights Commission is reportedly inundated with complaints from workers and employers alike, seeking guidance on dealing…

KABUL: Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has revealed a six-month security plan to change the security situation in the conflict-battered country. “We have a six-month security plan to change the situation on the battle ground and to stabilise the security situation. The security forces are capable enough to stabilize the security situation,” Ghani told a joint session of the parliament. The president, however, did not give details about the plan. He described the security situation as “critical” while calling on lawmakers to support security forces. After the president’s speech, the joint session of the parliament issued a statement, supporting the president’s suggestions and urging the Taliban to give up fighting.…

FORTY-SEVEN years ago almost to the day, the British & Irish Lions defeated the Springboks 28-9 at Loftus Versfeld in what was the heaviest defeat in the history of the green and gold. Over 70 000 South Africans were crammed into a previously impregnable Bok citadel and in silent disbelief they witnessed the tourists score five tries to nil thanks to the wizardry of Phil Bennett, Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams, to mention a few of that team of invincibles. That Lions team razzled and dazzled across South Africa, winning 21 of 22 matches, including three consecutive Test matches before the Boks scrambled a draw in the fourth. I was reminded of that Loftus match, the second Test of that 1974 series, because I have been reading the most brilliant…

Herman Gibbs Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer was not underplaying his side’s defeat on Sunday when they surrendered the Carling Black Label Cup to arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs, but he was buoyed by the “good mood in the team” afterwards at Orlando Stadium. For the Pirates supporters, the outcome didn’t go down well, but Zinnbauer said the team was “finding more and more structure” in spite of fielding untried combinations on Sunday afternoon. “We had better chances than Chiefs,” said Zinnbauer. “It was a good performance. We needed the goal. “At the moment we have a good mood in the team. We are finding more and more structure. “It was good to see us with the ball. Not our best, but it’s normal for this time of pre-season. “To…

‘We’re sorry for loss of lives, jobs, studies’ Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za AN agreement between warring taxi associations, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) in the Western Cape, has been reached after weeks of talks and continued violence. The two associations met with Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell at a City hotel yesterday, to discuss developments regarding the taxi violence. Mbalula said that over the last few weeks they have been working closely with the provincial government to resolve the conflict that led to more than 80 people killed this year, and more than 20 killed last month, with several minibus taxi ranks closed, including the route B97 between Bellville and…

THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) issued a safety alert yesterday, saying there would be a possible increase in shark activity off Oyster Bay beach in the Eastern Cape, after a beached whale was discovered there on Sunday. Oyster Bay is situated between St Francis Bay and the border of the Tsitsikamma coast. The NSRI and Kouga municipal authorities appealed to bathers, paddlers and fishermen to be cautious along the coastline between St Francis Bay and Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, as the beached whale indicated a strong likelihood of an increase in shark activity along this stretch of the coast. According to the NSRI, Oyster Bay beach has been closed to bathers by Kouga municipal authorities. “NSRI Oyster Bay was alerted at 10.26am on Sunday, August 1. “The…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za A WOMAN has won a lawsuit against Shoprite and the police for damages suffered as a result of her unlawful detention following an alleged shoplifting incident at a Shoprite store in Parow in 2015. Joy Ewere Emordi was with her then 16-month-old daughter when she was detained at Shoprite for several hours. Hours after Emordi had been detained at the shop, the police arrived, and she was arrested and taken to the Parow police cells, where she was charged and held overnight, before being released on a warning. Emordi appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court the following day, and the charge of theft was withdrawn. Emordi had also sued the Minister of Police and two security companies, FBS Security and Civa Security. In her lawsuit, Emordi…

Alderman Ian Neilson | Executive deputy mayor THANK you for the opportunity to respond to a letter about the tariffs and rates (The Cape Argus, Friday). It is sad that the immediate conclusion by the letter writer is that the City telling customers the increase per tariff category in cents and not percentages, is some form of deception. The tariffs are reflected in many ways in many communications and channels. The communication referred to by the letter writer is intended to be a customer-friendly one, where rather than give percentage increases per tariff category, that mean nothing in the budget planning of a customer, the City has given the cents increases per tariff category. Electricity is used as an example by the letter writer and the mention of…

Ebrahim Wydeman | Mitchells Plain ALLOW me to refer to Friday’s Daily Voice reports. 1. Man shot and killed in Cafda. 2. Disabled man killed over phone. 3. Teen shot and in coma after drive-by shooting. 4.Mom mourns son killed by gangsters. 5. Security guard’s killers in court. 6. The courts don’t learn. Rapists and killers keep getting bail and parole. What’s my point? Is this the country we are selling to the rest of the world as a tourist destination? Are we proud of this image that’s being sent to the rest of the world by tourists who are obviously in doubt of a second trip to our country? Is the situation normal? Have we resigned ourselves to the fact that, “oh well, it is what it…

THE NPA in the Western Cape is mourning the loss of three of its colleagues who died just days apart. Spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila sent condolences to their family and friends. Last week, Monica Lesimola, an administrative clerk at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, died after a long illness and hospitalisation. Ntabazalila said she will be remembered for her dedication and warmth. He said the death of advocate Vukile Gontsana came as a shock. He was gunned down on Saturday. On Sunday, advocate Mornay Oscar Julius died after time in hospital. |…

US Congress moves to reclaim its war powers by reining in presidential authority LAST MONTH, a bipartisan and ideologically diverse group of senators proposed a new bill that, if passed, would dramatically shift the relative amount of power the president and Congress have over US military operations. Whether this bill passes as is, or with significant changes, or not at all, its proposal signals an effort by lawmakers to reclaim power over military action and spending that Congress has gradually surrendered over decades. It also puts pressure on presidents to evaluate their foreign policy objectives more clearly, to determine whether military action is, in fact, appropriate and justified. Even though the 1973 War Powers Resolution attempted to constrain presidential power after the disasters of the Vietnam War, it contains many…

Dar es Salaam: When Samia Suluhu Hassan took up the reins of power in Tanzania four months ago, there was hope at home and abroad she would turn the page on the increasingly autocratic rule of her late predecessor. But with the arrest of a high-profile opposition leader on terrorism charges, critics are now openly brandishing the term “dictator” to describe Tanzania’s first woman president. Hassan, a stalwart in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party who served as vice president throughout John Magufuli’s rule, was sworn in as head of state following his sudden death in March. Magufuli left a complex legacy. He was initially popular for his no-nonsense anti-graft stance and won praise for investing in infrastructure, expanding free education and clawing back taxes from foreign mining companies.…

NEW DELHI: A partially chewed body of a 9-month-old baby in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has been found near a pond on the outskirts of Mauzamabad Village in Lakhimpur Kheri District. The baby, Shivani, was sleeping with her mother in their home’s courtyard. When her mother woke up, her daughter was missing. She raised the alarm, seeking the help of police and fellow villagers. After a day-long search, police discovered the baby girl’s body on Sunday. Police suspect wild animals may have snatched the child. The autopsy report confirmed the baby was killed by an animal. “Shivani’s house is on the fringe of the village. Jackals, wolves and leopards lurk amid the cane crops,” police said. On July 29, a girl, 3, suffered the same fate.…