Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-11-23 i Cape Argus

In just over a week, the award-winning musical The Last Five Years will debut at the Pieter Toerien Theatre stage in Montecasino. Written by Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years premiered at Chicago's Northlight Theatre in 2001 and was then produced Off-Broadway in March 2002. This powerful and intimate musical follows a tale of two New Yorkers in their 20s who fall in and out of love over five years. The Last Five Years is a one-act drama-comedy telling the bittersweet love story of Catherine Hiatt (Zoë McLaughlin), a struggling actress, and Jamie Wellerstein (Anthony Downing), an up-and-coming writer. At the helm of this love story is award-winning director Paul Griffiths with musical direction by Jaco Griessel. “The Last Five Years is not your typical musical. With only two…

Gevandre Jantjies stabbed his wife, Mercia Kleinbooi and left her for dead as she bled out on the floor while he went to visit relatives. The Knysna Regional Court has sentenced him to an effective 14 years in prison. The State declined Jantjies’s guilty plea on culpable homicide and forced him to go to trial. The court found Jantjies, 30, guilty of murdering his wife, Mercia, on March 7, 2020. According to the evidence before the court, she had reprimanded her husband for walking around at night with their 3-year-old daughter. Jantjies told the court his wife had been drinking beer and was sitting on the couch behind him while he was busy cutting meat. He said he turned around to speak to her and accidentally stabbed her. National…

Former president Jacob Zuma said the “nine wasted years” utterances by President Cyril Ramaphosa was a false narrative that had to be responded to through a book so that it must remain in the minds of the people longer. Zuma was speaking at the recent Durban launch of his book, titled Jacob Zuma Speaks, co-authored by Zululand deputy vice-chancellor Professor Sipho Seepe and Kim Heller, with contributions by JG Foundation chairperson Dudu Myeni. He said he was taken aback by what the president had said, given that he was part of everything that happened in those nine years, as deputy president. Zuma said Ramaphosa was the best person to tell the people what the government had done during those nine years since he was his deputy. “I did not mind…

TREVOR Noah’s mother has found herself in the crosshairs of the SA Revenue Service (Sars) over unpaid taxes. According to City Press, the Daily Show host’s mother Patricia Noah is allegedly R24 million in the red and Sars has reportedly issued a final letter of demand to the businesswoman in an attempt to recover the outstanding funds. Patricia, who runs the property business PN Noah Estates, is in danger of having some of her assets attached and sold by Sars to offset the debt if she is unable to honour the payment within the period stipulated by Sars. The letter in part reads: “According to the records of the South African Revenue Service, you have failed to pay your tax debt for one or more tax years and tax…

MTN customers reported that they were unable to access their internet services and fixed-LTE networks. Users complained of network issues yesterday. MTN customers reported that they were unable to access their internet services and fixed-LTE networks. Others complained of having no signal or being unable to use mobile data. According to MyBroadband, MTN confirmed a fault on its network and apologised to its customers. “Our engineers are attending to the matter with the aim of restoring connectivity as soon as possible,” MTN said. According to MTN South Africa's Downdetector page, there was an increase in reports from 7am. Afrihost reported being aware of the connection issue. “We are aware of a connectivity problem affecting LTE and mobile clients. “Engineers looking at the problem and hope to have it resolved soon.…

South Africans and their overly ambiguous Constitution are a confused bunch, and I want to think that the furore over the honest remarks by Charlize Theron is more about the discouragement of breaking ranks among white people than Afrikanerdom. You see, after the native problem and solution projects, the democratic problem is to unite Afrikaners and the English, on the basis that black incompetence and stewardship of a formerly white-led South Africa is more dangerous than the history of the Anglo-Boer War. This explains the nervousness of many when a notable white and beautiful compatriot like Charlize Theron simply states the obvious. But anyone who believes that the Afrikaans language is growing and becoming accepted is living in the clouds. Despite all that the apartheid government did to promote Afrikaans,…

The Peruvian mining city of La Oroya, one of the most polluted places in the world, is seeking to reopen a heavy metal smelter that poisoned residents for almost a century. The Andean city, situated in a high-altitude valley at 3 750 metres, is a grey, desolate place. Small houses and shops – many abandoned – cluster around towering black chimneys, surrounded by ashen mountain slopes corroded by heavy metals and long devoid of vegetation. In 2009, the gigantic smelter that was the economic heartbeat of La Oroya went bankrupt, forcing residents to leave in droves and bringing local commerce to its knees. Since 1922, the plant processed copper, zinc, lead, gold, selenium, and other minerals from nearby mines. If the metallurgical complex reopens, as announced by its new owners…

Saudi Arabia’s French coach Herve Renard warned his players not to celebrate for too long after their “totally crazy” 2-1 win against Argentina in their World Cup opener yesterday. The Saudis bounced back from conceding an early Lionel Messi penalty to produce one of the great World Cup shocks, thanks to a Saleh Al-Shehri equaliser and a sublime Salem Al-Dawsari winner at the Lusail Stadium in Doha. “All the stars in the sky were aligned for us, but don’t forget Argentina are still a fantastic team,” said Renard. “This is football, sometimes totally crazy things can happen,” added the French coach, who previously led Zambia and the Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations glory. “We needed to get this result, it will be one for the (history) books, but…

The 35-minute cameo that Manie Libbok played for the Springboks in last weekend’s thrashing of Italy was the stuff of dreams. He pulled out many of the magic tricks that he produces for the Stormers on a weekly basis – the silky passing, the deft cross-kicks, the visionary decision-making. And I don’t buy the refrain from some critics that it was “only Italy”. When Libbok replaced the injured Cheslin Kolbe, the score was 23-16 to the South Africans with more than half-an-hour to go in Genoa. They ended up winning 63-21, which means that the Boks scored 40 points and conceded five while Libbok was on the Stadio Luigi Ferraris pitch. He drilled the touchline conversion for his first Test points as well, and seemed totally unflustered against an Azzurri…

Spain winger Nico Williams wants to take his sibling rivalry with older brother, Ghana striker Inaki Williams, from local parks to the biggest stage of all. Teammates at Athletic Bilbao, the pair are extremely close, but Nico, 20, is hoping their paths can cross at the World Cup in Qatar. They both managed to score in the same Athletic match for the first time in September and could potentially meet as foes from the quarter-final stage. The Williams brothers would be only the second set of siblings to face each other at a World Cup after Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng in 2010 and 2014 for Germany and Ghana respectively. “Above all I’d like to face Ghana,” Nico said in an interview at Spain’s Doha training base, the University of Qatar.…

Brazil will attack against Serbia in their opening World Cup match regardless of who starts, forward Raphinha said, with the biggest question mark surrounding Vinicius Jr. Coach Tite has given no clues about his team selection as he prepares the favourites, with Vinicius Jr yet to be guaranteed a place in the line-up for the five-time World Cup winners. “We’re an attacking team, and having more players up front helps us because of our DNA,” Raphinha told a news conference. Tite is keeping under wraps whether he will pair Fred with his Manchester United teammate Casemiro to strengthen the midfield, or unleash Vinicius alongside Neymar, Richarlison and Raphinha, with Lucas Paqueta able to play as a second or third man in midfield, depending on the system. “With Vinicius, we have…

Curro Holdings, the JSE-listed independent school group, informed its shareholders on Tuesday that it has appointed its group financial manager, Burtie September, to succeed Cobus Loubser as the chief financial officer of Curro. In a statement, the group said the appointment is effective as from January 1, 2023, and Loubser would assume his role as an executive director on the same date. Loubser would be stepping down as CFO to assume the role of chief executive officer. Curro said September is a chartered accountant who completed his South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) articles at Deloitte, Cape Town, before joining Deloitte’s office at Indianapolis in the USA on a secondment. “He worked at South African Breweries as a management accountant at one of its largest distribution centres in…

The Liberty Promenade mall in Mitchell’s Plain was like a ghost town during lunchtime yesterday following an alleged bomb threat. According to one tenant who asked to remain anonymous, shoppers and staff had to evacuate the mall immediately following the warning. “The evacuation was dealt with in a very swift manner, we were very well supported by police and the bomb squad because they were here within minutes and they were pivotal in the evacuation of the mall to ensure safety,” she said. A Tafelsig resident said he was still working out at the Zone Fitness gym when they were told to leave the building. “Niemand weet wat gebeur het nie,” he said. “Mense stood outside for more than 10 minutes before they told us to leave the parking…

The family of 12-year-old Sibusiso Dakuse, who was raped and killed in February 2020, are questioning how police went about investigating his disappearance, claiming that the boy may have been rescued if police searched properly. Basketball coach Marvin Minnaar was on trial inthe Western Cape High Court, charged with the rape, kidnap and murder of Sibusiso. Minnaar yesterday pleaded “not guilty” to all three charges. Forensic pathologist Dr Bronwyn Inglis took the stand to give evidence relating to how Sibusiso was killed. Questioned by State advocate Nadia Ajam, Inglis said she was tasked with doing the post-mortem examination on February 28, 2020 and was directed towards an area off Manchester Road, Hout Bay, where the body had been found. From her examination of Sibusiso’s remains, she found abrasions scattered…

The Constitutional Court yesterday reserved judgment after hearing an application from the Centre for Child Law wanting it to confirm that it is unconstitutional that a Family Advocate’s report on the best interests of children is not required if unmarried parents split up. In a landmark ruling in February this year, the High Court sitting in Pretoria declared the law giving the children of married couples more rights than those of unmarried couples to be unconstitutional and outdated. That application was sparked by the unmarried parents of an 11-year-old girl and her 13-year-old brother. The parents, both South African, met in 2007 when the man was in Knysna on holiday from France, where he was living and working. Their romantic relationship developed and she moved back to France with him…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa and former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize will contest the position of party president, while treasurer general Paul Mashatile, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane have been named as candidates for the deputy president post. The candidates for national chairperson are Stanley Mathabatha, current chairperson Gwede Mantashe and David Masondo. The candidates for the crucial position of secretary-general are Mdumiseni Ntuli, Phumulo Masualle and Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. Nomvula Mokonyane and Febe Potgieter have been nominated for deputy secretary-general, while Benjamin Chauke, Pule Mabe and Mzwandile Masina have been nominated for treasurer general. Once candidates accept the nomination, the electoral committee will check if the candidates are affected by the rules that do not permit certain members to stand, such as those found…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana were likened to thieves by striking public servants who marched through the streets of Pretoria over their demand that a unilateral 3% pay increase be reversed. Instead public sector unions are demanding a 10% salary increase. Tensions escalated last month as the unions and government deadlocked over salary increases, which resulted in acting Labour and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi implementing the 3% increase a few days before Godongwana delivered his Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on October 14. Godongwana endorsed the increases, which were approved by three teachers’ unions, including the SA Democratic Teachers Union. The other 10 public sector unions rejected the offer. Outside the National Treasury offices yesterday, workers vented their anger in songs and on posters. One of…

The Springbok players bravely but unsuccessfully tried to keep in tune with the mournful wailing, but Cape Town-born Nicole Magolie says the live backing track was to blame. Springbok rugby fans would have been forgiven for thinking they had tuned into a funeral and not the game against Italy when the singer laboured through the slowest ever rendition of Nkosi sikelel’ Afrika. Even so, Magolie said on Facebook that she thought it was “beautiful” nonetheless. Sorry, Nicole, millions would disagree! Magolie, who now lives in Italy, posted photos of her singing the anthem plus these words: “The evident and palpable emotion of the Springboks and the South African fans positively overwhelmed me. It was beautiful and I received dozens and dozens of compliment messages. THANK YOU EVERYONE.” Sorry to break…

Mrs Limpho Hani is well within her rights to be outraged about the imminent release of Chris Hani’s assassin. Her family’s life was turned upside down, at a time when they should have been rejoicing. The demonic forces that overcame Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus, to contemplate and, ultimately, execute their plan, defies belief. What the hell were they thinking as hatred engulfed their souls, propelling them to kill? Derby-Lewis is dead, and I suppose Walus must be dead inside his body and mind, after having languished in a prison cell for almost three decades. If things were different, both would have faced the gallows, many years ago. Their actions destroyed a family, and almost caused a racial war. Yet, somehow, cool heads prevailed and defused the volatile situation. Walus…

Dr Musa Mthombeni and his wife Liesl, a former Miss South Africa, faced backlash after posting pictures of their pit bull, Cashew. “Happy birthday to our baby @cashewmthombeni_. A one-year-old baby! We love you!” he captioned on images of the dog. However, it was not long before people called him out in the comment section. “Pitbulls are killing innocent souls, wena you are busy celebrating them. You people are heartless,” commented Rodney Schumacher. J’Something also faced backlash on social media after posting a photo of his American bully, which is a cross between three pit bull-type breeds. The Mi Casa singer’s post has since been deleted from Twitter. Following yet another incident, involving a 3-year-old who was mauled to death by a pit bull in the Free State, calls have…

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski failed to break his World Cup duck when he saw a second-half penalty saved in a 0-0, but entertaining draw with Mexico in their opening Group C game at Stadium 974 last night. Lewandowski earned the penalty after a VAR check 11 minutes into the second half when Hector Moreno tugged at his shirt in the box. But the Polish striker, who has never scored at the World Cup, saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. In a temporary arena built using 974 recycled shipping containers that overlooks the Arabian Gulf, a sea of Mexico fans in green outnumbered their Polish counterparts and they made their presence felt in the 40 000-capacity venue. A flowing game of few fouls, but fewer chances came to life…

Duanne Oliver’s return to the Proteas Test side seems to have been short-lived, with the Lions fast bowler overlooked yesterday after Glenton Stuurman was ruled out of South Africa’s tour of Australia through injury. Olivier returned from Kolpak exile last season, and made an immediate impression in the 4-Day Domestic Series, thereby earning a Proteas recall for the home contest against India. The 30-year-old, however, did not resemble the firebrand who left South Africa’s shores three years ago to ply his trade on the England County Championship circuit for Yorkshire. Olivier was certainly down on pace, and no longer brought the hostility to the attack that he was previously renowned for. Olivier, though, played four of the five home Tests over the course of the summer and one away Test…

Declan Rice said England wanted to “prove a lot of people wrong” after Gareth Southgate’s side celebrated a hugely satisfying 6-2 win in their opening World Cup match against Iran. Jude Bellingham shone in midfield, Bukayo Saka rewarded the manager’s faith in him after his penalty nightmare at Euro 2020 and substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish got on the scoresheet. Southgate could even walk away with some ammunition to use in urging his team not to be complacent after they conceded twice against 20th-ranked Iran. England, World Cup semi-finalists in 2018 and European Championship runners-up last year, came to Qatar on the back of a six-game winless run, but quickly found their feet at the Khalifa International Stadium, totally dominating the match. “A real positive start,” said midfielder Rice.…

Portugal defender Ruben Dias said yesterday that it was time to focus on the World Cup and move on from the media circus surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview. The Manchester City centre-back said that despite the distraction, Ronaldo’s comments had not dented the nation’s bid to win the competition for the first time. Ronaldo, who has been a peripheral figure for Manchester United this season, last week lashed out at the club and coach Erik ten Hag in an interview with Britain’s TalkTV. In the aftermath, he appeared to share a frosty greeting with Portugal and United teammate Bruno Fernandes, and was also pictured gripping Joao Cancelo by the head. But Dias said it was time to move on. “I don’t think Cristiano’s affairs have put a dent whatsoever into…

South Africans are set to end the year under a cloud of doom and gloom, with another interest rate hike predicted – along with a fuel price increase in December. Tomorrow, November 24, the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is meeting for the final time in 2022. Economists have widely predicted another rate hike, in line with the Reserve Bank’s trend this past year of an increase every time the MPC met in efforts to cut soaring inflation in the country. This figure was adjusted during the previous meeting the MPC held, with the repurchase agreement rate (repo rate) seeing an increase from 5.5% to 6.25%. As at September 2022, the prime lending rate in South Africa is 9.75%. Frank Blackmore, a lead economist at KPMG, told…

It’s back to the streets for the upcoming Cape Town Carnival as organisers confirmed that the festival will resume its parade format to celebrate the collective energy that lives in all South Africans. The carnival will be held on March 18 next year, and will take place in the heart of the city along the fan walk in Green Point (Somerset Road). The 2023 theme is “Afr’energy”, which is defined as “the incredible personal and collective energy that lives in all the people of Cape Town and South Africa”. Next year’s celebrations will include 1 600 performers. This will comprise 48 community groups and multiple performers who will celebrate South Africa’s culture and creativity. The parade will make its way down the fan walk in Green Point. The main parade…

Mop-up operations in Masiphumelele, Fish Hoek, are under way while numerous organisations have stepped in to offer immediate humanitarian relief to the fire victims. On Monday a fire ravaged 375 shacks in Z-section of the Masiphumelele informal settlement and left an estimated 1 800 people displaced. No fatalities or injuries were reported. This is the second fire the informal settlement has had in less than a month. A fire erupted last month and destroyed hundreds of shacks. One person died while two were admitted to hospital. Community development worker Nelisa Dondolo said that according to reports, the fire started after a resident left a stove on when the area experienced load shedding. She said rampant fires in the area were concerning, especially at this time of the year. City’s…

The Advertising Regulatory Board has ordered that a radio station stop playing an advert that simulated a robbery because it provoked unnecessary fear. Eastwave Radio 92.2FM has been instructed to stop flighting the advert with immediate effect, according to the Sunday Times. They reported that the Incredible Door ad which simulated an armed robbery, was life-like and provoked fear. The complaint was lodged by listener Ahmed Moolla. The ad simulates an armed robbery and orders the person on their knees and to open their safe. According to the Sunday Times, Moolla had first approached the radio station and advertiser and, after getting no joy, lodged a complaint. He said the advert brought back painful memories as both he and his wife had been victims of a robbery. |…

False Bay anglers came to the Muizenberg Magistrate’s Court where three anglers appeared after they were arrested for suspected drone fishing at Fisherman’s Lane in Strandfontein on Saturday. The supporters have been struggling with more fishing fines this year and felt the angling community was being targeted. The anglers said they were aggrieved at having to constantly defend their fishing rights as a result of unclear laws and no signage at their fishing areas that prohibits recreational drone fishing, which was done for sport. The suspects were provisionally charged with angling outside the perimeters of the Marine Living Resources Act and for not having permits for activities they conducted, which was using drones to fish. However, the suspects said they had fishing permits, but were at a loss because there…

THE provincial government is setting up an energy council as part of its efforts to mitigate the impact of load shedding following Eskom’s announcement that the power cuts are “set to continue until further notice”. The energy council follows consultation by the province’s internal energy team, which met last week following Premier Alan Winde’s November 10 announcement of the setting up of a task team to combat load shedding. Winde said a committee of the executive council would be receiving an update “in the next few days”. “We are also in the process of procuring extra expertise and looking at partners to help with the energy council’s advisory role,” he said. Winde said he had briefed the province’s mayors and municipal managers at a provincial session held on the matter.…

Gay Australian footballer Josh Cavallo savaged Fifa yesterday over its threat to discipline teams at the Fifa World Cup who wear rainbow-themed armbands, saying it proved the sport was not for everyone. The armbands, which were intended to support LGBTQ rights, have widely been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in World Cup host Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Members of seven European teams, including England and Germany, wanted to wear them, but abandoned the plan after football’s world governing body said they could be punished with yellow cards. “Fifa have banned all teams to wear the One Love Armband to actively support LGBTQ+ at the World Cup. Fifa, you have lost my respect,” Cavallo said on Instagram, adding: “I love my identity. “All the work my fellow allies…

Veteran Cape Town teacher Hesham Neamatollah Effendi has received an honorary doctorate from a Turkish university in appreciation of his educational services in South Africa for more than 40 years. Istanbul’s Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University accorded Effendi, 78, the honour citing his and his family’s efforts “to act as a unifying bridge between the republics of Türkiye and South Africa”. The citation from the university president Dr Muhammed Fatih Andi said in part: “Your services to the Al-Haqq Jalla Jalalahu, our ancestors, humanity and science from the Ottoman period to the present day in South Africa have drawn our attention as a university.” They said all his past efforts and studies had been evaluated by the 22-member university senate who had deemed it appropriate to present him with…

On Monday, November 21, the Constitutional Court passed a judgment that shocked the people of South Africa when it ordered that Chris Hani’s killer be granted parole. The judgment was shocking because the majority of South Africans were and still are of the view that he should not have been given parole unless he disclosed the full details that led to the assassination of Hani. This judgment is a spot on the grave of Hani and the people of South Africa. The judges should have taken into consideration that this case is not like any other. It has many unanswered questions and the failure of Walus to disclose this matter means that he is still unrepentant. The people of this country are angry, and unfortunately they don’t understand legal matters…

The City of Cape Town says its law enforcement teams’ main area of attention throughout the holiday season will be alcohol use in public areas. This comes after the City and South African National Parks (SANParks) embarked on a safety and awareness campaign in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) ahead of the busy festive season. The City’s mayoral committee (Mayco) member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the consumption of alcohol in public spaces will once again be a key focus area, as a major safety risk not only in terms of water safety, but also road safety. Smith also appealed to the public not to drink and drive. “It is a mammoth task, but one that we have refined over many years of implementation. However, the plan is…

A group of Chinese scientists has developed a kind of micro-robot powered by ion exchanges to remove microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) from water, according to Jinan University, one of its developers. The robot is 20 to 100 microns in diameter, which is thinner than a human hair. It has an innovated means of obtaining energy, making use of exchanges with impure ions in the water, and can work without additional energy input. The research, published recently in the journal Science Advances, states that MNP pollution in non-marine waters poses a great threat to the global ecosystem. However, existing strategies, such as chemical flocculation and physical filtering, often fail to remove the ultra-small plastic particles thoroughly. Seeking a better solution, scientists from the Guangzhou-based Jinan University and the University of Hong…

Internal squabbles in the ANC have dented the party’s political image. The increased number of political parties has also meant that the ANC is no longer the enviable political player – but it has continued to be the majority party compared to all its competitors. Recent political developments in South Africa should sound a warning to the ANC as the governing party. They implore the ANC to read the political rhythm properly and to make the right decisions. Failure to do so would see this country descending into serious chaos. Unlike from 1994 to 2004, when the ANC was in the driver’s seat in politics, things have changed. There are many reasons for that. Even in instances where the ANC fails to obtain the 50 plus one votes, it is…

Clayton Blommetjies famously said in 2018 that he was giving up on his Springbok dream after he felt he was unfairly overlooked by then-coach Allister Coetzee. In an interview with the Wales Online website ahead of a move to the Scarlets at the time, Blommetjies said: “I don’t even think about wearing the green and gold anymore because I never had an opportunity to do it. “Last year in Super Rugby, I was playing the best rugby of my career and (Cheetahs) coach Franco Smith told me, ‘You are good enough to become a Springbok at the end of the year’. “But Allister picked players ahead of me not because of how they played throughout the year, but because they were his favourites. Players like Elton Jantjies were selected because…

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the club with immediate effect, the Premier League team said yesterday, marking a bitter end to the Portugal captain’s second spell at Old Trafford, after he said he felt betrayed by the club. An explosive interview with TalkTV this month – in which Ronaldo also said he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag – had put him on shaky ground at the club he rejoined in August 2021 after winning eight major trophies with them between 2003 and 2009. United said last week they would address Ronaldo’s comments only after establishing the complete facts, and added last Friday that they had initiated “appropriate steps” in response. “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks…