Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-08-26 i Cape Argus

The South African Equality Court has ruled against AfriForum for its assertion that the words “kill the boer – kill the farmer” constituted hate speech. The ruling was made in the Equality Court sitting in the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg in which the judge dismissed AfriForum’s hate speech application against EFF Leader Julius Malema and MP Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. In their application against Ndlozi, AfriForum wanted the court to make a finding that his singing of the song “Bizan’ iFire Brigade” (aka “Dubula iBhunu”) in October 2020 during the court appearance of two men who were falsely accused of murdering Brendan Horner, constituted hate speech. In their contention, AfriForum argued in court that at the time, supporters of the EFF sang “kill the boer, kill the farmer” outside…

PARLIAMENT’S inquiry into suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office was the scene of a battle of wills yesterday between the committee’s 13th witness, Ponatshego Mogaladi, and Mkhwebane’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu. Recently reinstated PPSA investigations executive manager Mogaladi returned to the hearings yesterday after her virtual testimony on Wednesday was cut short by a technical glitch. Mogaladi, an attorney, would not yield to Mpofu’s requests for simple “yes or no” answers to his questions. When Mpofu complained about her taking 15 minutes to reply to a question, Mogaladi insisted that it was important for her to provide context. In her testimony on Wednesday, Mogaladi said she was disciplined for missing a deadline and while she was never given a chance to argue her side of the story and…

The SA Weather Service (SAWS) has warned residents to prepare for more cold fronts expected to arrive on Saturday and Monday. Meteorologist Samkelisiwe Thwala said a cold front was expected to make landfall on Saturday that would result in light rain over the south-western parts of the Western Cape in the morning, although they would cease by the evening. “The next rainfall is expected on Monday over the southern and central parts of the Western Cape,” Thwala said. Yesterday morning’s damaging winds and abrupt and heavy rain resulted in numerous incidents of localised damage to formal and informal settlements, including fallen trees, broken tree branches and signage that obstructed roads amid traffic. Ward councillor Carmen Siebritz said a fallen tree was reported in Ottery Road, Wynberg, while fallen branches and…

The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum has come out in defence of Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba over comments made to a foreign national undergoing treatment at a provincial facility. In an interview with eNCA, the forum’s Tino Mambeu said the MEC was only highlighting the truth. “It will be unfair to say that Dr Ramathuba was xenophobic in her statements. She just highlighted the sentiments of many South African politicians and the general masses that the influx of Zimbabweans in South Africa has caused serious damage to the health situation in the country,” he said. He said it was beyond reasonable doubt that Zimbabweans were putting a strain on South Africa’s health system. He added that the MEC provided factual information in a video that went viral regarding the numbers…

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has promised to “fight tooth and nail” to obtain expanded policing powers for the metro. Last week, he announced that he had made a formal written request to Police Minister Bheki Cele calling for additional powers, which he asserts Cele has the authority to grant under section 99 of the Constitution. In response, Cele said that the Constitution establishes policing as a single entity under the control of the national government and that Hill-Lewis was “crying at the wrong funeral”. If all of this seems remarkably familiar, that is because it is. In 2019, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde was elected on a manifesto promise of “leading the fight to devolve policing powers and budgets from national to provincial government”. In September 2021, Winde also…

KAIZER Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane knows that mistakes are part and parcel of the game, and that is why he will continue to back his players. Chiefs were tipped to hit the ground running after signing a host of new, exciting players amid the appointment of club legend Zwane to head coach. Instead, their start to the campaign has been muddied by a host of defensive lapses, with the main culprit being Siyabonga Ngezana. The blunders have cost Amakhosi nine points from a possible 15 as they won three games and lost three since the start of the season. But once a player himself, following spells at Jomo Cosmos, Orlando Pirates and Chiefs, Zwane knows that players will always make mistakes. “Our players are still going to make mistakes. So…

Petrol bombs, violence and mayhem rocked Nyanga when “Amaphela” taxi drivers lashed out at the City’s traffic services, Golden Arrow buses and private cars yesterday morning. Safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said the violence erupted after City officials began conducting an integrated enforcement operation involving public sector vehicle traffic officials. Smith said that City officials had impounded 21 Amaphelas and two taxis in terms of the National Land Transport Act – 19 for operating without valid permits. Thereafter, a group of unidentified suspects allegedly launched petrol bombs at Golden Arrow buses, private cars and a truck belonging to the City’s urban mobility directorate. Four Golden Arrow buses were completely burnt out in the attacks and costs attached to the loss could run up to R10 million, according to…

The Western Cape’s smallest municipality has become the scene of a political tussle between the ANC and the DA with regards to the proposed appointment of dismissed former George Municipality official Keith Jordaan to the role of Kannaland municipal manager. Leader of the provincial opposition Cameron Dugmore (ANC) alleges that Infrastructure MEC and DA provincial leader Tertius Simmers has breached the Executive Members Act and the Executive Ethics Code with regards to the proposed appointment. Dugmore is set to lodge a complaint with acting Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka. In the complaint, he claims that Simmers is directly involved in the appointment. Dugmore said the appointment was an example of DA cadre deployment and it was unnecessary as there was already a competent acting municipal manager in place in Kannaland.…

The former Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) director-general (DG) and the department’s former chief financial officer (CFO) are in hot water, facing charges of fraud regarding an alleged irregular tender apparently worth R65 million. Lawyers for former DG Michael Mlengana and former CFO Jacob Hlatshwayo made a brief appearance on August 22 at the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Cape Town on their behalf. The matter was postponed to October. The exact charges facing the two accused remain sketchy, apparently because the charge sheet has yet to be finalised. Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk could only confirm that the Commercial Crimes Investigation Unit was investigating a fraud case and that “two suspects were charged, and the case is running in court”. Mlengana and…

STAKEHOLDERS from the oil and gas industry, fishing sector and the government gathered for a pre-colloquium event in Cape Town yesterday to discuss the co-existence of upstream petroleum and fishing industries. The pre-colloquium was organised by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), and the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) to engage the fishing sector and rising concerns about the effect of offshore oil and gas exploration activities on the environment, seismic surveys, coastal community development and how these sectors could co-exist. Speakers included SA United Fishing Front founder Pedro Garcia as the small-scale fisheries representative, FishSA chairperson Loyiso Phantshwa as the commercial fisheries representative, DMRE deputy director-general Ntokozo Ngcwabe and numerous others for comprehensive engagement. After hearing from the…

WHEN should the replacements come onto the pitch in a Test match? In the past, the reserves would normally be brought on for the last few minutes just to get a cap. Then it evolved to the last 20 minutes, almost like clockwork, almost out of duty to give the bench some game time. But the Springboks reinvented the wheel with the introduction of the ‘Bomb Squad’ concept at the 2019 World Cup in Japan. Then-coach Rassie Erasmus rolled out the big boys such as Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch early in the second half, after Tendai Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe softened up the opposition pack in the first 45 to 50 minutes. But in recent games, new coach Jacques Nienaber has added a new dynamic,…

SOUTH Africa have finalised their 23-player squad for the Cosafa Women’s Championship which takes place in Gqeberha from August 31 to September 11. Banyana Banyana will not include players who were part of the recent squad which won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Caf Women’s Coach of the Year Desiree Ellis will also be absent. Interim Banyana coach Simphiwe Dludlu, the SA Under-17 women’s mentor, will be at the helm. Ellis and Banyana’s first-choice players are busy preparing for the World Cup that New Zealand and Australia will jointly host in July next year. Safa are busy securing friendlies for the team as part of the World Cup preparations. First up will be 2022 Copa America Femenina winners Brazil, who come to SA next month for a…

Former rower for the South African team, Daniel Watkins, has appeared in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to assault. Watkins, 25, was charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm for knocking out his ex-girlfriend on August 25, 2017 following a brawl. Yesterday, Magistrate Eric Khaketla postponed the matter to the end of September for sentencing proceedings to commence. Watkins’ lawyer, Bruce Hendricks, said: “The accused is just as much a victim as the complainant in this matter, he has his right to have his day in court. Clearly, it’s been delayed. There is no fault on our side, the fault clearly lies at the feet of the State.” The victim ended up in hospital with a concussion after Watkins, “hit her with a closed fist…

The main ingredients for a hearty beef stew or a chicken curry rose on average by more than R5 between July 2021 and July this year, along with the increased cost of the electricity to cook it, and the petrol to drive to the shops and back. Statistics SA (StatsSA) this week released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) including information on how inflation price changes in that time affected the average prices for selected food products. The data showed that with the inflation rate now at 7.8%, consumers are battling to survive as the price of food, transport and utilities continues to increase. Meanwhile, unions and analysts have said these essentials are fast becoming unaffordable for the average person. A kilo of beef chuck cost R9.77 more in July 2022…

The “inappropriate design” of a Heritage Western Cape (HWC)-approved building on the corner of 1 Railway Street and Albert Road, in Woodstock is at the centre of the Woodstock Residence Association (WRA) and neighbouring civic organisations’ appeal to the City. The planned development would consist of 377 apartments, 12 shops, about six workshops, and 70 office spaces and the organisations are concerned that the development would overshadow and dominate the neighbourhood, as well as damage the heritage character of the area. The organisations appealed against the HWC’s decision to approve the proposed building but their appeal was dismissed. After its survey of the community on whether or not the residents agreed with the development, the residents objected not to the principle, but to the design of the planned development, which…

NEWCASTLE United played like a top-six Premier League side to claim a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to champions Manchester City last weekend and with the prospect of more signings in the transfer window, it appears that is where they are heading. Such is the incredible transformation since a £305-million Saudi Arabian-backed takeover in October that Newcastle have gone from second-bottom in the table to a team who proved against City they can go toe-to-toe with the best. Manager Eddie Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce as manager last season and has enjoyed £150m worth of new signings this year, says Newcastle must dream big. Long-suffering fans of the North East club need little encouragement to do just that but there have been too many false dawns over the River Tyne…

MAX Verstappen will return to work with a spring in his step this weekend when he bids to tighten his grip on the Formula One world championship with a second triumph at the Belgian Grand Prix. In the first of two “home” races for the 24-year-old Dutchman, as part of a testing post-holiday triple-header, Red Bull’s defending champion will delight in racing at his favourite old-style circuit in the Belgian Ardennes. “I am feeling ready to race again after a good break,” Verstappen said. “I’ve definitely got the itch again to get back into it – it will be a busy triple-header, but it will be okay to manage as we have all had a rest.” After wins in France and Hungary, Verstappen could also complete a hat-trick of consecutive…