Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-05-11 i Cape Argus

ALLEGED underworld kingpin and controversial businessman Nafiz Modack and a police officer attached to the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU), Ashley Tabisher, appeared in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court yesterday. In a brief appearance, the accused were set to bring forth a formal bail application, but counsels from both the State and the defence agreed to have the matter moved to the Blue Downs Regional Court. Modack and Tabisher face corruption charges. Tabisher is alleged to have taken a R10 000 bribe in exchange for leaking operational information to Modack with a cellphone. Modack also faces a separate charge of conspiracy to commit murder after a hand grenade was thrown at the Bishop Lavis home of former AGU investigator Charl Kinnear months before his assassination last year. Modack faces these charges…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has put into motion a process that will review all justice-related legislation dating back to the colonial and apartheid periods during 2021-22. The initiative comes against the backdrop of the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) and department embarking on an investigation to identify and repeal or amend legislation enacted before 1994 that was designed to foster the policies of apartheid. There has been a push for apartheid-era laws to be repealed, and Parliament has produced its own list that was sent to the executive to for consideration. “The review of all the colonial and apartheid-era justice legislation is with the aim of aligning these legislations with the Constitution,” said director-general Doctor Mashabane. The department’s head of strategy, Terence Raseroke,…

Keitumetse Maake and Nombulelo Shange A WILDFIRE hit Cape Town hard in April and no doubt the financial, social, health and ecological impact will be felt for a long time to come. The fire moved from the mountain and leapt close to the suburbs, destroying homes, colonial memorials, businesses, student residences and a library at UCT. A person arrested for the fire was 35-year-old Frederick Mhangazo, a homeless person. He was initially arrested on charges of arson. Mhangazo’s lawyer, Shaun Balram, reported that the charge was later changed to contravening the National Environmental Management Act (Nema). But the question must be raised: was arson a fitting charge in the first place? Why did the state rush to try to charge him on such a serious charge, an offence which…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za The Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD) is making preparations for a three-day countrywide protest to pressure the Department of Social Development (DSD) to release the 2020 Presidency Early Childhood Development Employment Stimulus Relief Fund. According to the non-profit organisation, the DSD failed to deliver on its promise to facilitate the funds and payout to ECDs by March 31, resulting in hundreds of ECDs buckling under the strain of Covid-19 and closing down. CECD director Eric Artmore said that after conducting two surveys, last year and earlier this year, the non-profit organisation had seen the bleak reality for many ECDs across the country. The national department was approached for comment, but did not respond.…

TO accompany the SA Jewish Museum’s current exhibition, Ground Breakers: A History of Progressive Judaism in South Africa, the museum, together with Temple Israel, will be hosting a webinar series to explore in more detail aspects of progressive Judaism touched on in the exhibition. Join the third of these fascinating conversations. Rabbi Greg Alexander and panellists Paul Bwanika Mukasa, Noluvo Potenza and Mahlodi Montlha will be in a discussion about being Jews of colour within a South African context. Since the advent of democracy in 1994, many people of colour have reached out to and joined the ranks of the progressive movement. In this webinar the stories of three such Jews will be heard. ■ The webinar is tomorrow at 6.30pm: To register go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MGeNzh-lSz2XY2qpUCQHsg…

ACROSS the globe, everybody loves knockout football, because it gives the smaller clubs the chance to upstage the glamour teams and capture a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Knockout football is where fairy tales can come true – and that was the case when Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) won the Nedbank Cup on Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over Chippa United. It was a remarkable final, precisely because it was a “fairy-tale” ending to the competition with two unfancied sides battling it out. TTM’s pot of gold is a big one, R7 million to be exact, and another spin-off of their victory is that they have won a place in next season’s Caf Confederation Cup. On the road to the final, TTM beat SuperSport United,…

Africa is watching aghast as India struggles with coronavirus, fearing a long-running shortfall in the Indian-made vaccines that it needs to help shield its people. Often dubbed the “world’s pharmacy”, India is one of the biggest suppliers of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the Covax programme to help immunisation in poorer countries. But India has been hammered by an explosive growth in infections – accelerated, say scientists, by a new variant. The country has recorded 22 million cases out of a population of 1.3 billion, inflicting a death toll of nearly a quarter of a million. After sending more than 60 million doses abroad, India announced at the end of March that it was delaying overseas supplies as it works to meet its own needs. AU health ministers held…

MOGADISHU: A suicide bomber killed six police officers in front of a district police station in the Somali capital Mogadishu late on Sunday, police said, in an attack claimed by the al Shabaab Islamist group. “Six police officers including the commander of the Waberi (district) police were confirmed dead and six others were injured in the blast,” Somali police spokesman Major Sadiq Aden Ali Doodishe told a news conference. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the assault but said they had killed five police personnel. “Our target was to kill police commanders and we killed five police (personnel) including the commander of the Waberi police station,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesperson said.…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za The fairytale finish to the Premiership that AmaZulu so desperately crave seems to be slipping out of their grasp with every Mamelodi Sundowns victory, but coach Benni McCarthy has stressed his charges will fight to the very end. Having been top of the table for a brief period just last week, Usuthu now trail Sundowns by seven points with just four games remaining in the campaign. It is going to be a near miracle for AmaZulu to haul in the Brazilians, with the KwaZulu-Natal team requiring other teams to do them a couple of favours. But having gone 16 games unbeaten in the league, McCarthy simply wants his team to carry on the momentum in their clash against Baroka FC at King Zwelithini Stadium today. “With the…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Stellenbosch FC have not tasted victory for eight consecutive Premiership matches. This has left them perilously close to the relegation zone with the Winelands outfit locked in a three-way tussle with Maritzburg United and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on 25 points, just one point above 15th-placed Chippa United. It is a dire situation for a club that has grand ambitions of mixing it with the elite of South African football, and their task of being saved from the drop faces another stern test when Orlando Pirates visit the Danie Craven Stadium today (3pm kick-off). “We need to focus our energies ahead,” Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker said. “We obviously have a big game against Pirates. We have shown that we are competitive against any team in this league. We…

The first Test between the Springboks and the British & Irish Lions takes place 10 weeks on Saturday, on July 24, and with so much that has happened – or perhaps not happened– on the rugby calendar since the 2019 World Cup final, you have to think that the team that will prevail will be the team that manages to squeeze in the best preparation. We all know the Boks have not played a Test since beating England in that final, while in contrast the 37 players that make up the Lions squad have played plenty of matches for their respective countries but obviously none in the collective that is the Lions. In short, the Lions have a pre-tour Test match against Japan in Edinburgh, and then five matches in…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za JAKE White actually said he “felt a bit” for the Stormers in the line-out battle at Cape Town Stadium at the weekend, as the hosts had lost main jumper Marvin Orie to an injury in the first half. That was on top of starting the match without injured first-choice locks Salmaan Moerat and JD Schickerling, while veteran Chris van Zyl decided to retire recently. That left Orie and talented youngster David Meihuizen to front up to the highly pedigreed Bulls line-out, comprising of No 5 Ruan Nortje and second-row partner Walt Steenkamp, who is also essentially a No 5. Blindside flank Elrigh Louw and captain Duane Vermeulen are also renowned jumpers at the back, despite the presence of Pieter-Steph du Toit for the Stormers. The Bulls capitalised…

NCIS S17 M-NET SERIES, DSTV 115, 6.20PM Ziva surprises Gibbs with a cryptic warning, prompting him to question why she remained underground for years while being presumed dead by family and friends. SUPERGIRL S6 M-NET CITY, DSTV 115, 7.10PM The sixth and final season of this riveting series, which is based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. BATWOMAN S2 M-NET CITY, DSTV 115, 8PM The season two premiere of this crimefighting comic book series. While Kate Kane's friends and family hold on to hope that she may still be found, a homeless 25-year-old named Ryan Wilder stumbles upon the Batsuit.…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons The race is on to elect a new DA leader in Western Cape with the party closing all nominations on Sunday. Western Cape Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz has been acting as DA Western Cape leader since Bonginkosi Madikizela submitted his resignation almost two weeks ago. It’s been reported that MPL Wendy Philander has also expressed her willingness to stand as a candidate once nominations are opened. DA provincial chairperson Jaco Londt said the leader is expected to be elected on May 29 at the Provincial Council meeting. The successful individual will act as interim leader until the next Provincial Congress. Given the current qualifications debacle within the party, Independent Media questioned whether the nomination will be based on qualifications, to which Londt responded: “We will communicate…

MY DECISION to provide Frederick Mhangaso with accommodation and a fixed address, so that he can attend his trial from home rather than Pollsmoor Prison, has caused quite a stir. There has been an outpouring of kindness, support and generosity, but it has also brought some shady characters who tend to appear every once in a while when a case such as this hits the front pages. If someone starts a fire on the mountain – homeless or homed – they are in the wrong. My and our house’s support for Frederick has never been one of condoning the fact that he had lit a fire to cook something. In fact, I think my words at the time were: “It was stupid and irresponsible.” But there is another matter…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has announced that the annual Hajj pilgrimage, drawing more than 2 million people to Mecca, will take place this year. While it said this would be in adherence with Covid-19 safety measures, it provided no further information on guidelines for travel operators and travellers. The pilgrimage to Mecca will take place in July. South African Hajj and Umrah Council president Shaheen Essop said: “We always remain hopeful to be able to send pilgrims from South Africa for Hajj. There are always concerns, and while we are not yet privy to the finer details regarding the conditions that the KSA may impose, the ball is up in the air.” Last year saw a scaled-down…

There’s no evidence millions of kids in rich nations are being kidnapped by paedophiles MILLIONS of kidnapped children are imprisoned in underground tunnels, being sexually abused and tortured by a shadowy global cabal of paedophiles. That, at least, is some of the misinformation about child sex trafficking being spread on social media. You’ll also see such ideas being promoted at protests from Los Angeles to London, with hashtags such as #saveourchildren and #endchildtrafficking emblazoned on shirts and placards. The thought of a child being abused, exploited or trafficked for sex elicits a powerful emotional response. The lurid tales have proved to be a potent gateway for mothers (and others) to “go down the rabbit hole”. The tragedy is that misinformation is turning well-intentioned people into “digital soldiers”, unwittingly working against…

JAKARTA: Mount Sinabung in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province erupted at 7.47am local time yesterday, belching thick gray ashes 2 500m from its peak, the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre said. “This eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 90mm and a duration of 246 seconds,” centre officer Armen Putra said. At 3.42am local time, Sinabung also erupted, spewing thick ashes 1 000m for 150 seconds. The centre recommended people not move to areas within a radius of 3km from the peak. It also urged people to avoid rivers originating from the volcano and to wear masks when going outside so that dangerous volcanic ashes will not be inhaled into their lungs.…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Fat-shaming is one of the most common forms of cyberbullying and celebrities are often the target of this abusive behaviour. Rapper and media personality Boity Thulo refused to be bullied by a rude troll who posted a snide comment about her being “fat”. It all started when Thulo shared pictures of her and her mother, Modiehi Thulo, on Mother’s Day. In the snaps, the duo are rocking matching dresses at the recent launch of Thulo’s premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic sparkling fruit beverage brand, BT Signature. S he captioned the post: “My person, #Happy MothersDay.” Fans were raving about how gorgeous Thulo’s mom is, but one Twitter user chose to fat-shame Boity.He wrote: “Why isn’t she fat like u?” But Thulo hit back, letting the troll know that…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THREE parcels of dagga, 344 mandrax tablets, three bags of tik and six SIM cards were among the contraband sealed in forensic bags found at the Khayelitsha Court cells, as the police and Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) officers conducted a joint operation at the weekend. Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said: “We see that our Leap officers are making a significant contribution in supporting the work of the police. Out of searching a few people in cells, 344 mandrax tablets are found. That means there were very few controls. But not any more. We are sending criminals back to the drawing board.” Khayelitsha community police forum chairperson Fransina Lukas called for an investigation into the matter. Lukas said one could only imagine that these things…

Farouk Cassim | Cope, Milnerton I WISH to commend the Cape Argus for its initiative aimed at congregating all who can help to make Cape Town as safe as it is beautiful. That is an ambition worthy of achieving. Last week, in our spatial planning and environment portfolio committee, we discussed the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan. The document that served before the committee expressed all the right sentiments. For example, it stated that “spatial planning encompasses forward planning of land to ensure adequate space is allocated to provide for the ordinary land use needs of city growth and that the distribution of land use is done in such a manner to ensure the well- being of the population, protection of the integrity of the environment and…

Tshwaane Alie Komape The former leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, has referred to the annual #AlQudsDay as “a universal day, a day for the oppressed to rise and stand up against the arrogant”. #AlQudsDay was launched in 1979 in Iran as a day to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians against Israeli oppression. However, the day, as explained by Imam Khomeini, is also an occasion to reflect, mobilise and organise against tyranny and oppression the world over. It is in this spirit of internationalism and anti-oppression that people across South Africa and around the world held events and activities on Friday, May 7, in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli apartheid. In fact, international Al-Quds Day, this year, took place in more than 100 cities worldwide. The…

ISRAELI police clashed with both Palestinian protesters and far-right Jewish Israelis at the Temple Mount yesterday, kicking off a fraught national holiday that threatened to ignite the latest bout of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The confrontations at the Temple Mount left more than 300 Palestinians injured, including seven who were hospitalised and are in serious condition, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Video footage circulated on social media of Israeli police officers brutally beating a detained man whom the Haaretz newspaper identified as a Turkish journalist. Over the weekend, more than 250 Palestinians were injured in similar clashes. “The Israelis don’t want us to pray. They want to keep us from our mosque,” said Ahmad, a young Palestinian man who refused to give his last name out of security concerns, standing near…

auckland: Police praised “heroic” bystanders for disrupting a frenzied knife attack at a New Zealand grocery store yesterday. A man wielding two knives allegedly stabbed four people, three critically, before he was restrained by onlookers and held until police arrived at the supermarket in Dunedin, on South Island. Surveillance footage showed the actions of the bystanders were “nothing short of heroic”, said New Zealand Police Superintendent Paul Basham. “Those that intervened, some of whom became injured themselves, I think have acted selflessly and with great courage to prevent this man from hurting anybody else,” he said. Violent incidents in the island nation are rare. New Zealand tightened gun laws in 2019, after a man opened fire at two mosques.…

The fairytale finish to the Premiership that Amazulu so desperately crave seems to be slipping out of their grasp with every Mamelodi Sundowns victory, but coach Benni McCarthy has stressed his charges will fight to the very end. Having been top of the table for a brief period just last week, Usuthu now trail Sundowns by seven points with just four games remaining in the campaign. It is going to be a near miracle for AmaZulu to haul in the Brazilians, with the KwaZulu-Natal team requiring other teams to do them a couple of favours. But having gone 16 games unbeaten in the league, McCarthy simply wants his team to carry on the momentum in their clash against Baroka FC at King Zwelithini Stadium today. “With the quality…

Quiet battle rages Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za It was arguably the best Spanish Grand Prix in recent memory, even though it retained all the characteristics of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Here we look at four things we learnt from Sunday’s GP. It is easy to just concentrate on the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and then also forget that their battle for supremacy extends into the paddock. On Sunday, Toto Wolff and Co dished up a masterclass in tactics, one that Christian Horner of Red Bull couldn’t answer. On the 42nd lap, Hamilton came in for a pitstop – his second of the afternoon – to change to a fresher set of medium compound tyres, which placed him some 20 seconds behind leader Verstappen. An inspired strategy, it paid…