Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-04-28 i Cape Argus

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za A DEMONSTRATION was held at Delft Mall and nearby Blikkiesdorp yesterday, as part of a nationwide protest against the termination of government’s Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRDG) and to drum up support for a basic income grant (BIG). #PayTheGrants, supported by human rights organisation the Black Sash, the Institute for Economic Justice, the C19 People's Coalition, among others, demanded the indefinite continuation of the R350 SRDG. Around 180 organisations have endorsed the movement, including the SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union and union federations Cosatu and Saftu. #PayTheGrants said the discontinuation of the SRDG would increase child malnutrition, food insecurity and poverty, and have far-reaching effects on gender-based violence and mental health distress. “Freedom Day is a day that honours the first democratic elections…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za A BODY at the Salt River mortuary has been identified as that of a police officer stationed at Harare police station, who was shot and killed in Lower Crossroads on Saturday. Mzingisi Gule, a victim of a suspected carjacking and robbery, was identified by his commander, Captain Mnyaiza, after his car was recovered in Browns Farm, Nyanga. A resident, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said residents heard multiple gunshots before they went to see what was happening. “A car was driven fast away from the scene, as we were approaching, and the community was starting to realise that there was something wrong,” she said. She said the man died at the scene. The community tried to identify the body, but no…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za POLICE management have confirmed that they have made “great strides” to overcome the backlog in DNA testing while the system to track and trace forensic exhibits was now fully up and running. Police spokesperson Vish Naidoo said this followed the reported “disappearance” of millions of forensic exhibits at the National Forensic DNA database due to the Property Control and Exhibit Management (PCEM) system being shut down by the service provider in June 2020. Naidoo said those exhibits were in fact stored in the Forensic Service Laboratory administration system and could only be accessed manually. “Since then, the police have worked together with the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) and developed the Forensic Exhibit Management (Fem) system. This new system, which also has a track and trace…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za AN honest and sombre conversation at where South Africa stands, 27 years after the dawn of democracy, was held virtually yesterday. Facilitated by Iziko Museums of SA (Iziko), the virtual public dialogue included Lebohang Liepollo Pheko, Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and Nkosikhulule Xhawulengweni Nyembezi. Iziko operates 11 national museums, the Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Social History Centre and three collection-specific libraries in Cape Town. Participants provided a painstaking analysis on the meaning of Freedom Day in the time of Covid-19 and democratic South Africa. Iziko Museums chief executive Rooksana Omar said, “The existent inequalities in SA, were highlighted and heightened by Covid-19. “Those living on the margins of society were pushed to the very brink. The right to human dignity, the rights of association, are…

It is not uncommon to hear of at least one death in my age group almost every day. I am not even referring to the insistently-present Covid-19 pandemic and its toll. I speak of those contemporaries of mine who suffered what Eliot, with such elegant euphemism, referred to as “the betrayal of the flesh”, meaning physical ageing. And Keats reminds the nightingale that it never knows “ … the weariness, the fever and the fret/Here where men sit and hear each other groan;/Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs … ” And then it is done. When a dear friend passed last week, somebody remarked that part of his tragedy was that he did not live long enough to see his dream come true. He had been a…

Colin Bosman | Newlands AS THE 27th year of democracy in South Africa comes to an end, it seems inappropriate to link the word “ freedom” with our democracy. Freedom without food on the table, without a roof over one’s head, without employment, without education, without adequate protection from crime, is just a word. Democracy heralded the collapse of SA Airways , Prasa, Eskom, Denel plus dozens of state-owned enterprises. Democracy smoothed the way for corrupt government, state capture, the Guptas era, the theft of money and resources running into trillions, tender fraud, people living on the street in tents, the proliferation of stolen state-owned guns on the streets, gang warfare. You name it and it all travelled on the back of democracy .…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za CABINET’S approval of the publication of the Green Paper on Marriages for public consultation received mixed reactions from religious organisations and political parties, with the Al Jama-ah party calling it harmful, and ACDP saying it is a waste of money In a statement, Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said the paper seeks to work towards the development of a new Single Marriage Bill and aligns the marriage regime with the constitutional principle of equality. “It makes proposals on unions of people from all sexual orientations, religious and cultural persuasions. It also proposes the complete removal of child marriages in South Africa’s future marriage regime.” In December last year the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled that the Marriage Act 25 of 1961 and the Divorce Act 70…

Malusi Gigaba has, since he entered the national political spotlight as ANC Youth League president in the mid-1990s, carefully cultivated the image of an urbane intellectual, and a natty dresser who could mix it up with revolutionaries. But beneath the surface, Gigaba was just another materialistic and crass individual, who vacillated between the ANC factions if it meant his political survival and his continued seat on the gravy train. While initially seen as a protégé of Thabo Mbeki, once Mbeki’s political fortunes were dealt a knock-out punch by Jacob Zuma in December 2007, Gigaba made a handbrake turn. Zuma made him Public Enterprises minister, then Home Affairs minister, and finally Finance minister (after the “Great Purge” of March 30, 2017). When Gigaba's estranged wife Nomachule Gigaba testified at the…

Civilians caught between pro-government and opposition forces in the Somali capital Mogadishu fled their homes yesterday as heavily armed rivals reinforced their positions following clashes that left three dead. Government forces also raided an independent radio station and confiscated equipment. Forces loyal to the opposition hold parts of the city and the two sides clashed over the weekend, raising fears that al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgents could exploit a security vacuum as state forces turn on each other. Earlier this month, Somalia’s lower house of parliament voted to extend President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s four-year term in office but the Senate rejected the move, provoking the crisis. Mogadishu is witnessing its worst political violence in years after elections were delayed and the president extended his mandate despite warnings that doing so risked instability…

New Delhi: a top gold smuggling syndicate, using specially designed bras and panties to smuggle gold paste in the country, has been bust. It had hired women couriers, wearing these special undergarments to smuggle gold in the form of paste. One of the key couriers, a 39-year-old woman, was arrested at Lucknow airport with 1 259g of yellow paste hidden in specially designed bra and panties. Customs of Lucknow said a young woman, originally hailing from Turkman gate, Delhi, travelling from Dubai, landed on a flight on Monday. “When the ladies staff searched her, yellow paste was recovered from the bra and panty worn by the courier. The yellow paste, packed in black polythene and stitched in her bra was recovered,” a Customs source said.…

HERMAN GIBBS Maritzburg United eased their relegation woes with a fortuitous 1-0 win over Stellenbosch FC in a Premiership encounter at the Danie Craven Stadium yesterday. In injury time, referee Abongile Tom awarded Maritzburg a dubious penalty after blowing up a player whose hands was behind his back in a goalmouth frenzy. Maritzburg striker Thabiso Kutumela made no mistake from the spot to salvage three valuable match points for the visitors. There was every prospect of a top-eight berth for Stellenbosch in the event of a victory. Instead, they remained in 12th place on the latest standings, one point ahead of 13th-placed Maritzburg. There was no shortage of goalscoring opportunities in a goalless first half and most of them were fashioned by Stellies, who ironically enjoyed only 40% possession.…

| Bang Showbiz Chloe Zhao made history when she won the best director Oscar at the Academy Awards. The Chinese filmmaker became the first woman of colour and only the second woman ever to take home the Oscar on Sunday thanks to her work on Nomadland. After paying tribute to her fellow nominees – David Fincher (Mank), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), and Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round), she thanked everyone who worked on the movie. She said: “Oh man. Thank you to the Academy, to my brilliant, brilliant fellow nominees. My entire Nomadland company, what a crazy once-in-a-lifetime journey we went on together, thank you so much, I’m so grateful to you.” Zhao also reflected on a lesson she learnt in childhood that had stayed…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za Pick n Pay assisted UCT with a further 6 000 crates over the past weekend, to help salvage and restore the damaged academic resources from the historic Jagger Library during the recent Table Mountain National Park fires, bringing the total number of crates donated to 8 000. In the destroyed Jagger Reading Room, a unique collection of more than 83 000 items of African studies material and other specialised subjects were housed, as well as 1 300 sub-collections of unique manuscripts. After receiving the first 2 000 crates, Ujala Satgoor, Executive Director of UCT Libraries, said that this was a solemn period as UCT mourned their history and the loss of a great institutional asset. “We are comforted by the outpouring of help to salvage some…

APRIL is referred to as Freedom Month with April 27 known as Freedom Day. In celebrating and commemorating this day in 2021, it is important to acknowledge the contribution of safe houses to the liberation Struggle. They were sometimes referred to as “hosting or transit” houses. The relative dearth in academic research on and the scrutiny of those houses cannot be left unattended. After the banning of liberation movements/organisations such as the ANC, the PAC and others in the 1960s, they established networks of safe houses inside and outside the country. In response to this, the apartheid regime stepped up its repression by targeting such houses to destabilise the underground activities of the liberation movements. It is against this background that this article briefly highlighs the significance of the contribution…

Kusile Mtunzi-Hairwadzi The Covid-19 pandemic raised the bar for educators everywhere, but the challenges were greatest for children with special needs and disabilities. Getting specialist support to these children during the lockdown became a major challenge, especially as the majority were from poorer households who had limited access to computers and other crucial technology to remain in touch and on top of their curricula. However, while many resources are now available in the form of guides, YouTube channels and websites, little support is accessible to parents and families who have the task of home schooling their children with disabilities. For instance, as parents and educators continue to navigate remote learning, children with visual impairments have the added burden of learning in virtual classrooms that aren’t designed for them. Hybrid…

Kazakhstan sentenced several people for lethal ethnic clashes last year, with 19 defendants jailed, a community leader said. The clashes in the south of the oil-rich country in February 2020 saw Kazakhs attack villages inhabited by a Chinese-speaking minority known locally as Dungans. The fighting killed people and put under scrutiny boasts by the authoritarian regime of inter-ethnic harmony in the former Soviet nation. A court in the Jambyl region yesterday sentenced 19 people to five to 20 years over the violence, with 31 others given suspended sentences or correctional work, a Dungan community leader Khusei Daurov told AFP. Dungan representatives had complained in the build up to sentencing that Dungan defendants were being punished for protecting their community and homes, dozens of which were damaged or destroyed during…

CANBERRA: Australia’s prime minister has agreed to fund half the infrastructure for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics bid. Scott Morrison recently agreed to a 50-50 funding split between the Queensland and federal governments. “Backing the Queensland bid means more jobs, better infrastructure and more tourism dollars. Just like the Sydney 2000 Games, the Queensland bid has the opportunity to reshape our country,” Morrison said. In February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revealed that Brisbane was its preferred candidate to host the 2032 Olympic Games. Morrison said in exchange for the funding commitment, the government expected an equal say in planning the Brisbane games.…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Although AmaZulu are on a hot streak with seven wins from eight games, attacking midfielder Siyethemba Sithebe knows Cape Town City will be a real handful on their home turf today. “We will have to be at our best because we know that it won’t be easy,” said Sithebe. “We are at that point of the season where we can’t afford to drop points. All the games we are playing at are like finals. “We need to work hard and know that Cape Town City like to play football and they are a strong team.” City enter the game in sixth place on the standings and they are certainly not a team any side can afford to underestimate as they are capable of beating anyone on their…

HERMAN GIBBS The great football rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria will come to the fore again this evening when two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC host Orlando Pirates in a crucial CAF Confederations Cup Group A match at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, Nigeria. All four Group A teams will be in action today, and mathematically all four teams have a realistic chance of progressing to the knockout rounds. Pirates are the only unbeaten Group A side and head the log with nine points. A win or a draw will secure passage to the next round. A defeat for third-placed Enyimba will spell the end of the road for them. Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya are in second place with seven points. They are up against Entente…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has extended the call for nominations for candidates to serve on the boards of the SA African Weather Service, SA National Parks (SANParks) and SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). The extension to May 10 this year comes as a result of the conclusion of the three-year term of the current boards, and is in terms of the SA Weather Service Act, National Environment Management: Protected Areas Act and National Environment Management Biodiversity Act. “Persons to be appointed on the boards will have a duty to ensure that the entities serve the interests of all South Africans, and contribute to the realisation of the constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to their health and well-being.” The boards…

Keith Gottschalk | Claremont Our firefighters were once again heroes in putting out the Table Mountain and UCT fires. But instead of being treated like heroes, I am told that the City of Cape Town is bringing disciplinary action against some of them, which will probably culminate in their dismissal. The reason is that many months ago our firefighters protested against the archaic and exhausting 24-hour shift system they are under, and wanted a normal 8-hour shift system started. All this adds to the DA reputation for union-bashing. Please can the Cape Argus follow up what the state of play is with these disciplinary proceedings?…

His Excellency Aurélien Lechevallier The Ambassador of France to South Africa Dear Mr Lechevallier We, the undersigned, wish to express our severe disappointment at a proposed amendment to the “separatism bill” in France that would ban girls under the age of 18 from wearing the hijab in public spaces. It appears most unfortunate that France is intent on exclusive and specific discrimination against the second-largest religious group in the world, and its Muslim citizens, in particular. These proposed laws serve only to entrench divisions, radicalise people, and produce anger and disillusionment against the French state. This provides fertile ground for extremism. If, ostensibly, the anti-Muslim laws are in response to fear of radicalism, then driving your French Muslims into laagers and treating their religion with scorn and recrimination will serve…

America’s voices against apartheid were led by trailblazing Charlotte Maxeke As South Africa celebrates “The Year of Charlotte Maxeke”, your American brothers and sisters wish to join you in remembering and honouring this remarkable woman and fearless pioneer who also blazed a trail in the US on her lifetime journey of service to her people and for the cause of liberation, justice and equality everywhere. As a graduate from Wilberforce University in the US and the first African woman from South Africa to earn the BSc degree, her life reveals the innumerable, but often unseen and unknown, ties that bind African- Americans and black South Africans. Maxeke’s sojourn in the US began in Kimberley in 1890 when she attended a performance by American singing troupe, the Virginia Jubilee Singers, on…

A woman was killed by demonstrators in the Chadian capital yesterdayy as crowds protested the newly-installed junta, despite the military’s call to ban the gatherings. Police were out in the streets of N’Djamena Tuesday to break up planned demonstrations against the so-called Transitional Military Council (TMC), which took control of the government after the shock death of president Idriss Deby Itno. His 37-year-old son Mahamat now leads the council, and has pledged to hold elections in 18 months. A woman died yesterday when anti-junta protesters attacked a bus in N’Djamena, a prosecutor told AFP. “Some passengers fled but a woman was killed,” a N’Djamena prosecutor said.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za ONLY four men have won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the same Olympic Games – Jesse Owens in 1936, Bobby Morrow (1956), Carl Lewis (1984) and Usain Bolt (2008, 2012 and 2016). But there is a South African who could join that illustrious group at the Tokyo Olympics later this year: Akani Simbine. The 27-year-old sprinter is one of the main medal contenders for the 100m, where he will look to go a few steps further than at Rio 2016, where he ended fifth in 9.94 seconds. His recent wind-assisted time of 9.82 at the national championships may not have gone into the record books, but he said at the time that it has given him extra confidence as the “time is in the legs”.…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka KAIZER Chiefs ended Mamelodi Sundowns’ 21-match unbeaten league run this season during their 50th meeting in the Premiership on Sunday afternoon, but both teams will be equally desperate for victories when they clash with Chippa United and Golden Arrows respectively today. After breaking Chiefs’ record of 20 games unbeaten in a league season, Sundowns looked invincible heading into the last nine games of the season. But that was before they welcomed Chiefs to Pretoria on Sunday. Not only did they choke in the last 20 minutes of the game, after Gaston Sirino’s strike late in the first half had put them ahead, but they also lost for the first time in a league game this season, keeping the lead between them and second-placed AmaZulu to three points.…