Innholdsfortegnelse for 2023-11-10 i Cape Argus

SOME parents at Camps Bay High are angry after the school allegedly gagged learners from protesting Israel’s bombing campaign against civilians in Gaza. The school also allegedly closed what they called the “safe space”, where learners could pray and light a candle in solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians following Hamas’ October 7 attacks which sparked the latest war. Parents said the decision takes away the learners’ rights to express their opinions and beliefs, and believe that it will have a ripple effect on their children. A parent who spoke to the Cape Argus anonymously to protect her child from victimisation, said the school sent out a letter explaining their decision after assembly on Monday. “The assembly was a good gesture, it was productive and it enabled discussion about the situation…

A Vredenburg man accused of viciously stabbing his girlfriend's children to death has named his own friends as possible suspects in the murder case. This was revealed in the Western Cape High Court yesterday when accused Derick Kalmeyer returned to trial for the murders of siblings Faith and Conray Adams. The 54-year-old man is accused of stabbing 3-year-old Faith to death and throwing her 18-month-old brother Conray through a glass window in May 2019. Kalmeyer now faces two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of resisting arrest. He has since pleaded not guilty to all the charges. On Monday, the children’s mom, Frizaan Adams, relived the horrific attack and told the court that Kalmeyer was upset because her friend had refused to leave with his…

Israeli troops and Hamas were locked in heavy, close-quarters fighting in Gaza City yesterday, including a 10-hour battle that Israel said toppled one of the Palestinian militants’ strongholds. Hamas fighters armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and assault rifles were clashing with Israeli soldiers backed by armoured vehicles in the ruins of the besieged territory’s north. Broken palm trees, mangled road signs and twisted lampposts marked the remains of what was once north Gaza’s main arterial route. Israeli flags were flying over buildings at beach resorts in northern Gaza and there was little sign of any human presence amid the destruction as hundreds of thousands have fled a dire humanitarian situation. The utter devastation is the result of over a month of war sparked by the October 7 Hamas attacks on…

NAYPYIDAW: The president of military-ruled Myanmar, Myint Swe, has said the country is at risk of breaking apart due to ineffective management of recent violence in its border regions with China. The Myanmar junta is facing the biggest challenge since it seized power in 202, with a surge in attacks by pro-democracy and ethnic minority insurgents on junta bases. The junta has in recent days lost control of some trading towns on the border with China to an alliance of guerrilla factions. There have also been numerous reports of clashes elsewhere between the military and opposition fighters. | Reuters…

South African artists Craig Lucas, pictured, and The Kiffness were both victims of crime this week but in different parts of the world. The Voice SA season 2 winner Craig Lucas believes he is lucky to be alive after surviving being robbed at gunpoint in Thornton, Cape Town, on Wednesday. He explained on Instagram that he got a flat tyre and while waiting for help, a car pulled up in front of him. “I thought they were coming to help me. Instead they robbed me. They had a gun and the one guy told the other to shoot me as they were making off,” Lucas said on the platform. “I begged him not to shoot me.” Lucas added that the robbers stole his phone and managed to change the passwords…

Cape Town’s David “The Kiffness” Scott fell victim to a robbery in Detroit while on a US music tour. Scott, known for his funny parodies, took to social media to tell followers that he was robbed of R90 000 worth of music equipment including his famous ukelele, used to make his uniquely funny songs. The Cape Town-based musician told followers in Detroit that gear was stolen out of their van. Scott also appeared on Fox News where he appealed to residents to help find his stolen goods and also thanked the channel for the free publicity. Despite the loss of equipment, the show continued the next day in Chicago. In his latest post on X, Scott thanked followers for the influx of support, adding he was pleased no one got…

The Embassy of the State of Palestine in South Africa has become the latest to receive threats of attack after it received two phone calls this week from callers claiming its staff members were in danger. The threats come a week after Palestine’s foreign affairs ministry demanded diplomatic protection to its embassies and missions globally, amid a sharp rise in threats and attacks. In a statement yesterday, the embassy in South Africa said those responsible for the calls made explicit threats suggesting that its staff members could be in similar danger to the people of Palestine, who were experiencing a genocidal war. “These threats will not be tolerated and have been reported to the relevant authorities as well as the senior management at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation…

DISABILITY, a term encompassing a wide range of conditions that impact individuals’ ability to function in daily life, often carries a negative connotation due to prevailing stereotypes and misconceptions. However, it is essential to challenge these perceptions and recognise the unique skills, talents, and abilities that individuals with disabilities possess. By providing accommodations and ensuring accessibility, advocating for their rights, and celebrating success stories, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society. To initiate the discussion, let us first clarify the meaning of disability. It encompasses physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental health impairments that affect an individual’s ability to participate fully in society. It is crucial to understand that disability does not define a person’s worth or potential. Rather, it is a facet of their identity that should be…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that he shared South Korean concerns about growing military co-operation between North Korea and Russia, which he called a “two-way street” involving arms flows and technical support. Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin also said they discussed a so-called extended deterrence strategy in countering threats from North Korea, meaning the use of US military assets including its nuclear forces for protection from attacks, and improving co-operation with Japan. “We have real concerns about any support for North Korea’s ballistic missile programmes, for its nuclear technology, for its space launch capacity,” Blinken said. Blinken’s two-day visit to South Korea is part of a broader Asia trip that saw a visit to Japan and will include a stop in India. He came…

Nairobi: Kenya said yesterday it would not be sending its police to Haiti unless the UN-backed multinational mission was fully funded by the world body’s member states. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said the overall budget for the one-year deployment aimed at restoring calm in the gang-plagued Caribbean nation was $600 million (R11 billion), pending a final review. The UN Security Council gave the go-ahead for the Kenya-led mission to help the overwhelmed Haitian police battle rampant gang violence. Kenya has said it is ready to provide up to 1 000 personnel. | AFP…

Alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack has been handed an ultimatum by the Western Cape High Court to appoint a legal representative in the next 20 days or settle for a Legal Aid lawyer. The man accused of plotting the murder of slain Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) detective Charl Kinnear was given a stern warning by Judge Mark Sher, who said he would not accept any more delays as Modack and his co-accused were set to go on trial in January. Modack appeared on two different matters, which have been dubbed the “Tax Matter” and the “Kinnear Matter”. Modack was arrested by the Hawks nearly three years ago for allegedly defrauding the SA Revenue Service (Sars) out of R46 million. His mother, Ruwaida, and brother, Yaseen, former Sars employee Faried van der…

CALLING for a moratorium on evictions and the phasing out of harmful pesticides, the Women on Farms Project (WFP) has requested that Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza amend legislation that will protect farmworkers against human rights abuses. WFP recently held its annual National Farm Worker Platform conference, which concluded with a demonstration at Parliament for the handover of a memorandum of demands for Didiza on Tuesday. They listed four demands to which they expect Didiza to respond by December 8. The Stellenbosch-based NGO also demanded a meeting with the minister by March 31 to discuss the issues they raised. WFP said despite progressive labour and tenure legislation, introduced in 1994, farmworkers remained poor, marginalised and landless. They want Didiza to, among others, amend current legislation to…

A Heideveld man with Down syndrome made his acting debut in the newly released Showmax series called Spinners. In the action-packed series, Ethan (Cantona James), is a 17-year-old boy who comes from a crime and poverty-stricken community at the Cape Flats called Lavender Hill. Needing to support his younger brother but increasingly fed up with gang life, Ethan discovers a possible way out via spinning, an extreme motorsport where he can put his driving skills to better use. Waleed Osman wowed audiences with his infectious charm when he played the role of “Kleintjie”, a boy with Down syndrome living in a gang-infested community, riddled by crime and drug abuse. In the first episode of the series, Kleintjie gets roped in by the local gang to kill his brother, who is…

Tourist safety is a global concern but for South Africa, it is a matter of economic survival. The country’s hospitality industry is one of the largest employers and a major source of foreign exchange. However, recent attacks on tourists, such as the robbery and assault of an American tourist in Nyanga and the robbery of an elderly German couple along Baden Powell Drive, have raised concerns about the safety of visitors to Cape Town. The attacks are particularly troubling given the fragile state of the South African economy. The country is experiencing its highest unemployment rate in history, and the hospitality industry is one of the few sectors that is growing. Attacks on tourists could deter visitors from coming to the country, which would have a devastating impact on the…

Dakar: Senegalese President Macky Sall has ordered emergency measures be taken to halt growing numbers of migrants leaving the country in small boats headed for Europe. Sall instructed the government to introduce “emergency security, economic, financial and social measures to neutralise emigrant departures”, a statement said. It also referred to a 10-year plan to combat irregular migration with domestic and external financing. Senegal is struggling to stem a flow of people attempting to reach the Canaries, a Spanish archipelago and a gateway to Europe, by sea, often in long wooden fishing vessels known as pirogues. | AFP…

NEW DELHI: Global fashion retailers including H&M and Gap were committed to raising purchase prices for Bangladesh-made clothing to help factories there offset higher workers’ wages, a US-based association representing more than 1 000 brands said. Bangladesh is the world’s biggest garments exporter after China. This week, after deadly protests between the police and factory workers, the government mandated an almost 60% raise to the minimum monthly wage, the first increase in five years. Factory owners said the wage hike would eat into their profit margins by increasing costs by 5 – 6%. | Reuters…