Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-02-14 i Cape Argus

Zodidi Dano and Harvest Thwala FRUSTRATED unemployed teachers have raised concern over claims of the shortage of teachers in schools. They allege that there is no shortage but the issue is with the discriminatory recruitment process in the education sector. In April last year, Department of Basic Education (DBE) Minister Angie Motshekga said there were over 24 000 available teachers’ posts. However, a concerned teacher with more than 18 years in the profession, who declined to be named, said experienced teachers needed work. “There is no teacher shortage and it does not appear to be possible that there ever will be … The reality is that there are not enough posts available for the large number of unemployed teachers seeking positions, yet there are schools operating with 50-60 learners in…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Award-winning radio presenter and television host Carol Ofori expands her horizons as she ventures into the world of literature. An avid reader herself, Ofori says she feels “blessed” to have written a series of six children’s books titled The African Adventures of Sena and Katlego, to celebrate the beauty of Africa. “When I had the books in my hand I just couldn’t believe it. I literally wanted to cry because it was a dream for me to see these books come to life and there they are, looking at me!” says Ofori. “Seeing the character and the story come to life just does something to you. It’s an out-of-body experience and I just feel so humbled.” As a mother, Ofori says she loves reading bedtime stories…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za SEVERAL organisations and groups concerned with the country’s energy transition have taken issue with natural gas as one of the government’s proposed solutions to South Africa’s energy crisis. They were responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address last week, in which he made a commitment to increasing South Africa’s procurement of renewable energy. Francesca de Gasparis, executive director of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), said Ramaphosa laid out the energy crisis well, especially how much energy needed to be brought in and the clear plan set out for renewable energies. “However, there was lots missing in his discussion about our energy systems and the problems we face. Particularly problematic was the mention of gas as a solution to climate change. Gas…

Jehran Naidoo africannewsagency.com A LOAN scheme to assist middle-income households that can’t afford to educate their children may be on the cards, as the government is in talks with financial institutions, according to Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande. Nzimande was speaking to the media yesterday outside St Simon’s Anglican Church in Lamontville, south of Durban, where his department hosted an academic day in the hope of attracting future attendees. Nzimande said all students who qualified for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) would be helped. Since the start of the year, R47 billion in NSFAS funding has been disbursed, he said. “The government’s programme targets certain people. Not everybody qualifies for a social grant, not everybody qualifies for … a housing assistance (from) the government. “In higher…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za ORGANISATIONS supporting sex workers have expressed happiness that, years after lobbying the government, their pleas for the decriminalisation of sex work will be initiated. This after the government initiated consultations with various interest groups hoping to advance the debate. Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffery held a closed-door meeting in Cape Town last week with representatives of the pro-decriminalisation sex work sector. “The issue of decriminalisation may be a contested one, but is also one that needs to be debated and a decision taken, as the issue has been one which has been delayed for far too long.” Among the groups he spoke with on Thursday last week was the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task force (Sweat). Spokesperson Megan Lessing said the talks focused…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar is a throwback to when cricketers were still cricketers. For Elgar it’s all about the grind and hard work that will eventually lead to success. There’s no such thing as instant gratification for him. But part of his responsibility of captaining the national team is managing other personalities and egos within the Proteas dressing room who manage to acquire riches a little bit easier. This always becomes a little bit harder after each Indian Premier League (IPL) auction with some players becoming multi-millionaires in the blink of an eye. Elgar’s premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s already sizeable bank balance was boosted by a further R18.6-million when the Kings XI Punjab acquired his services. Elgar, though, has already shown this summer he cares…

Liverpool kept the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester City as Fabinho sealed a 1-0 win over Burnley, while Tottenham Hotspur’s top-four bid suffered a fresh blow in a 2-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers yesterday. Fabinho struck late in the first half at a windswept Turf Moor to give Liverpool their fourth successive league victory. Liverpool are nine points behind City with a game in hand as the Reds refuse to let the title race become a prolonged coronation for Pep Guardiola’s men. City made it 14 wins from their last 15 league games on Saturday as Raheem Sterling’s hat-trick inspired a 4-0 win at lowly Norwich City. But Guardiola is convinced Liverpool will push the champions all the way to the finish line and the way they ground out…

Staff Reporter STARTING university is rarely easy for students. Meeting new friends, getting to grips with your course and moving away from home for the first time are all challenges. Even the biggest go-getters might find going to university daunting, especially when moving away from home for the first time. It’s a milestone that comes with great freedom as a young adult, but it’s also a time when many students find themselves homesick or missing the support structures they had in high school. But don’t fear – the trick to creating an incredible university experience lies in the people you surround yourself with. And with the many ways to connect with your new class and digs mates, you’ll have yourself on the path to an unforgettable university experience in no…

SOUTH African short film Two Hues has become the first film project in Africa to be funded in the NFT space. The lead actress, co-director and writer of Two Hues, Weaam Williams is set to pitch Two Hues at the Berlinale European Film Market to an audience of studio representatives, financiers and distributors. The NFT launch is taking place simultaneously to allow the public to get involved in this new frontier. Tribal Alchemy Productions will also launch a voting poll for NFT holders, to participate in the creative process. “There are many members of the public who wish to support my work and participate in the process. Here is an opportunity to support me as I venture to be among the pioneers of African film in the NFT space,” says…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za A LONG-awaited update into the investigation of the large-scale Cape Fur Seal die-off has returned inconclusive results, with no official cause determined. The probe followed the inexplicable deaths of seals along the South African and Namibian coasts, which began in September 2020. Sea Search environmental conservation organisation co-director and a lead researcher in the investigation, Tess Gridley, said the chronically sick animals were still suffering, however, the acute die-off stage had passed. The Department Of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (Deff), the Western Cape State Veterinary Services, and the Cape Of Good Hope SPCA released an update which showed that the deaths resulted from a variety of factors, including malnutrition. However, what was behind the malnutrition was what remained curious. Although the researchers said no definite causes had…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za TENSION is brewing in the ranks of the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in the Western Cape after three leaders were expelled from the union This has created cracks in the union, with some members saying the decision to expel the leaders was taken without following proper constitutional disciplinary processes. Coastal regional secretary Vusumzi Mahobe, Coastal regional treasurer Xolani Tinise, and Khayelitsha branch secretary Phendula Nqanda were recently expelled on several charges. The charge sheets seen by the Cape Argus stated Mahobe was allegedly guilty of misconduct and committed an act of dishonesty when he told the provincial executive committee (PEC) on April 16, 2021 that he acted on the instruction of the regional executive committee (REC) when he wrote letters requesting investigations to be carried…

Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za Stormers coach John Dobson says they achieved what they wanted in their 32-10 United Rugby Championship victory over the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday. The result extended the Stormers’ unbeaten run to four games. This year, they have beaten the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, drawn with the Sharks at Kings Park, defeated the Durbanites in the return match in Cape Town, and on Saturday outplayed the Lions in Joburg after leading 10-3 at the break. In the build-up to Saturday’s match, Dobson said that the goal for this game was to build on what the Cape Town side had achieved over the last few weeks. And they certainly did that. While the Lions did themselves no favours with their error rate, the Stormers put in a…

Harvest Thwala harvest.thwala@inl.co.za THE Gibela Rail Consortium has issued a warning to potential applicants about a video which has been circulated on social media and other channels, including TikTok, about Gibela bursaries. According to a statement, the video features a woman saying Gibela is offering 10 000 bursaries for pupils older than 15, and directs users to a link that gathers their personal details. The group said any TikTok videos detailing the application process are not genuine Gibela ads and contain incorrect information about Gibela’s bursary application process, which closes on February 15. “Gibela would like to urge all potential applicants not to provide any personal information via this form or respond to these fake advertisements in any way,” it said. Gibela Rail Consortium 2022 bursaries Gibela is offering…

Shimon Hayut has been banned from a series of dating apps. The 31-year-old businessman, who is the focus of a new Netflix series The Tinder Swindler, has been banned from various dating apps, after he allegedly used Tinder to con a number of women out of millions of dollars. Hayut, who changed his name to Simon Leviev for the purpose of his scheme, was still on Tinder when the Netflix series premiered earlier this month. But a spokesperson for the app recently said: “In the lead-up to the release of the documentary, we conducted additional investigations and can confirm Simon Leviev is not active on Tinder under any of his known aliases.” And now, a number of other dating apps – including Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge and PlentyOfFish – have also…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE City has been called on to clarify the capacity plan for the MyCiTi N2 Express bus service, and whether it intended to expand the service. This after the City announced that it intended to resume the service on Saturday, with the first buses to depart from Kapteinsklip in Mitchells Plain and Kuyasa in Khayelitsha shortly after 5am travelling along the N2 freeway to the Civic Centre station in the Cape Town CBD. The service, which includes Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, has been out of operation since a dispute arose among the route’s taxi industry shareholders when their contracts ended in the first half of 2019. Negotiations between the City and members of the N2 Express joint venture operating company collapsed. The company comprises the Route 6…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za RIETVLEI is the first of the three vleis to be reopened after it was closed in December as a precautionary measure following water quality concerns. Test results released by the City last year showed Rietvlei was the least polluted vlei. However, following its closure in December after a reopening just a month before, the Milnerton Aquatic Club raised concerns about the vlei’s closure, stating that the City was not transparent, with water quality test results used as a rationale to constantly close the vlei. At the time, Milnerton Aquatic Club conversation officer Katja Haslinger said stakeholders were not informed of the levels of E Coli which informed the closure of the vlei, or points where the pollution was discovered. On December 31, January 17 and January…

Very few people will envy Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on February 23 as he presents his National Budget Speech under very trying times. The national Budget day will be marking Day 710 since South Africa was first placed under the National State of Disaster measures under the Disaster Management Act on March 15 2020, and Day 699 since South Africa was placed under the national lockdown measures under the Disaster Management Act on March 27, 2020. This Budget speech will thus be made after close to two full years of South Africa being ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic’s highly restrictive business conditions. Godongwana will be addressing South Africans who will be expecting the government to immediately allocate trillions of rands to many cost centres aimed at alleviating the plight of…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has admitted that he’s facing a selection conundrum in his team, and that’s why they’ve struggled for consistency this term. On Saturday night Amakhosi crashed out of the Nedbank Cup after succumbing to TS Galaxy 1-0 in the last 32. This defeat has almost certainly extended their barren trophy run to seven seasons as they trail Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 19 points. Another trophy-less season was definitely not part of the script when the club reappointed Baxter last year, given that they had last won silverware in his previous reign in 2015. The Brit shed some light on why they’ve come short so far. “That solid Kaizer Chiefs has been missing for quite a while, hasn’t it?” he said. “I think…