Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-11-20 i Cape Argus

South Africa’s education crisis continues to worsen, with recent reports exposing alarming statistics: 82% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning, and early childhood education outcomes are steadily declining. Budget cuts, including the Western Cape’s plan to eliminate over 2,400 teaching posts by 2025, further strain an education system already grappling with overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources. A 2023 World Bank report underscores the critical importance of strengthening early learning foundations, emphasising the need for access to quality early childhood development (ECD) centres. The importance of quality ECD services in preparing children to learn when they enter school and throughout life cannot be overestimated, states the report. Play-based learning, recognised globally as the cornerstone of effective ECD pedagogy, is essential for equipping children with emotional readiness, cognitive skills, and…

My house was once broken into while I was asleep. During the incident, I awoke and struck up a conversation with one of the criminals, who revealed that he turned to crime because of unemployment. He graduated 10 years ago but found no job prospects, leading him to commit crimes to support his family. While I do not condone criminality, this encounter made me reflect on the broader impact of unemployment on men in society. This brings me to the issue of illegal mining in South Africa, which I believe is not just a South African problem but a Southern African Development Community (SADC) issue. The region can only thrive if leaders synchronise political, social and environmental strategies. Ignoring the interconnectedness of economic, social, and environmental factors will lead to…

Singer, rapper, and voice-over artist XXC Legacy has taken to social media to reveal how Lwazi Cele has betrayed an agreement they had to share their win on Wheel of Fortune South Africa. XXC Legacy, real name Courtney Mthethwa, entered Wheel of Fortune, which airs on S3, with Sanele “Skhindi” Ngcobo and Lwazi Cele. The episode was recorded in July and aired last month. The trio entered together to increase their chances of winning and subsequently, they did win a car valued at over R200 000. XXC Legacy shared on X that Cele had gone against their agreement to split the prize equally after they won a brand new Suzuki Celerio GL, which has a recommended retail value of R225 900, according to Cars.co.za. Throughout the episode, Cele, XXC…

A DELFT “spiritual crime prevention leader” has appeared in court on kidnapping and rape charges. Pastor Ebrahiem Sardien was arrested on Saturday after a 15-year-old girl reported an incident to the police. Speaking anonymously, a community member said the accused went to fetch the girl from her home that morning. “Pastor Hima or Ebie as he is known, usually fetches the girl every Saturday for praise and worship classes for about two to three hours. “The victim and her sister were supposed to go together but the sister couldn’t. “The accused then drove to another pastor’s house in the Hague, he went to speak to the pastor. “After that he said the route had to change and he had to do something in Goodwood, she said she is not familiar…

The Ottoman Empire, with its vast diversity and multicultural fabric, was home to numerous ethnic and religious groups, including Armenians, who played a significant role in the empire’s social life. One of the most profound examples of this cultural symbiosis is found in the realm of music, where Armenian musicians not only contributed to Turkish musical traditions but also became integral to the Ottoman cultural identity. In addition to Armenian musicians, Jewish and Greek composers were also well-known within Ottoman circles. Their shared experience was the freedom of social rights and mutual respect, which helped them integrate into the Ottoman world. Armenians had a long history in Anatolia, and their presence in the Ottoman Empire was significant, both in terms of their population and the cultural contributions they made. Although…

As South Africa prepares for the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign, various political parties are amplifying their voices against the crisis of violence affecting the nation. Makashule Gana, an MP and the Rise Mzansi National Assembly caucus whip, said the fight against violence required the participation of all. “The 16 Days of Activism is not just about awareness – it’s about change. It has to be about a change of attitudes towards women. And change begins with us,” Gana said. Lisa Schickerling, an MP and the DA deputy spokesperson on police, said South Africa had one of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. “Every day, countless women and children are subjected to abuse, harassment and violent rapes that…

HONG Kong’s High Court yesterday jailed 45 pro-democracy activists for up to 10 years after a landmark national security trial that has damaged the city’s once-feisty democracy movement and drawn criticism from the US and other countries. Forty-seven pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged in 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law which carried sentences of up to life in prison. Benny Tai, a former legal scholar identified in the judgment as a “mastermind” of the activists’ plans, was sentenced to 10 years in jail, the longest sentence under the 2020 national security law. The charges related to the organising of an unofficial “primary election” in 2020 to select the best candidates for an upcoming legislative election. Prosecutors accused the activists of plotting to paralyse…

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus hopes ties with the US, the biggest buyer of Bangladeshi clothes, will strengthen despite strong criticism from President-elect Donald Trump on violence against minorities in the Muslim-majority nation. Bangladesh’s neighbour and Hindu-majority India has strong cultural and business ties with Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has also expressed concern over the spate of attacks on Hindus. Protests in Bangladesh, which began in July against public sector job quotas, escalated into unrest that killed about 1 500 people. | Reuters…

OCEANA Group, the owner of Lucky Star, has set out to clarify inaccurate information about alleged counterfeit canned pilchards recovered in Daveyton, Gauteng, during a police operation. This comes after police in that province detained seven undocumented migrants, aged 18 to 29, during a search at a facility whose employees were purportedly packing and modifying dates on expired Lucky Star canned fish. “On November 11, a joint operation between Crime Intelligence from Zamdela, Sasolburg, and SAPS Kliprivier, yielded significant results in the fight against counterfeit goods,” said police spokesperson, Tintswalo Sibeko, at the time. Lucky Star yesterday said investigators and third-party experts have proven it was not their product. “So far investigations have established that an international manufacturer produced the canned pilchards under the Woolworths brand. “The retailer imported and…

THE Western Cape’s first-elected Commissioner for Children, Christina Nomdo, has called for the process for the appointment of a new commissioner to start, indicating her intention to exit office following the completion of her first term. Nomdo’s work as the inaugural Commissioner for Children officially started in June 2020 following a lengthy selection process, with the five-year term to end on May 31, 2025. Nomdo has cited personal reasons for her decision to not run for a second term. A commissioner may hold office for five years and may run for an additional term. The commissioner works with the departments of Education, Health, Social Development, and Cultural Affairs and Sport, for the protection and promotion of the rights, needs and interests of children in the Western Cape. A formal request…

A combination of Eskom’s inability to prudently manage its operations, NERSA’s failure to assist Eskom to sustainably meet its targets without massive cost increases, and unregulated municipal surcharges, places electricity provision in South Africa fundamentally at odds with the aspirations of the developmental state. End users of electricity are having to pay the costs for these technical and bureaucratic conflicts and challenges inherent to the country’s electricity supply regime. It is Eskom and NERSA’s collective responsibility to use their expertise to navigate the country away from the patently absurd point it have reached, with Eskom’s proposed 36.15% tariff hike for direct customers threatening to re-devastate an already devastated economy. To make matters worse, the tariff hike translates to a 43.55% increase for municipalities, to which unregulated municipal surcharges must be…

Not a week goes past without schoolchildren being rushed to hospital for food poisoning. Since September, almost 900 children have become victims of food- borne illnesses. Sadly, 22 children have succumbed to food poisoning. Such a waste of life! Tension rose in Soweto as community members, angry about the death of five of their children suspected of eating contaminated chips, went on the rampage, looting and closing several foreign-owned spaza shops. Police had their hands full. Police and health inspectors could be seen raiding unlicensed spaza shops in the townships and removing foodstuffs and cool drinks long passed their sell-by date. Last week, Gauteng, the province with the highest incidence of food poisoning, approved new by-laws and stricter legislation to control and monitor tuck shops. And then, at last, President…

Mr President, as a taxpayer and law-abiding citizen of this country, I refuse to be associated with a generation that has failed to manage spaza shops – it is embarrassing! If we can’t manage spaza shops, what else can we manage efficiently? Three of our biggest problems in this country are lawlessness, politicisation of the administration, and lawmakers who fail to provide the necessary political oversight at local, provincial, and national levels. After listening to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on Saturday and reading it twice, I believe he has not done enough to mobilise communities against lawlessness and the paralysis in the public service. The president cannot be everywhere and everything to everyone. In municipalities, where councillors are obsessed with who becomes the executive mayor or speaker,…

BEIRUT: A senior US official said yesterday that there was a “real opportunity” to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and that gaps were narrowing, signalling progress in Washington’s efforts to clinch a ceasefire agreement. Amos Hochstein spoke in Beirut after talks with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a day after the Lebanese government and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed to a US ceasefire proposal, albeit with some comments on the content. A diplomat cautioned that details needed to be ironed out. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah spiralled into all-out war in September. | Reuters…

LONDON: Thousands of farmers protested at Britain’s parliament and some drove tractors through central London yesterday to demand the scrapping of an inheritance tax that they say will destroy family farms and threaten food production. Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who owns a farm in the Cotswolds, in southern England, was among the protesters. The measure, unveiled in the new government’s budget last month, has sparked a backlash from farmers who say the ruling Labour Party does not understand rural communities. Some children joined the protest, riding toy tractors close to the Big Ben bell tower. | Reuters…

England football is at a critical juncture as Thomas Tuchel steps into the managerial hot seat, embarking on a mission that many believe could finally see the Three Lions lift a major trophy. The ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss, who officially begins his tenure on January 1 next year, has been granted an 18-month contract by the FA, with the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico firmly in his sights. Departing interim manager Lee Carsley, who filled in after Gareth Southgate's resignation, underscored the potential of the squad that Tuchel will now lead. "We have got all of the tools," Carsley stated confidently, reflecting on the talent available and the foundation laid during his brief period in charge. With five wins from six matches, Carsley secured England's…

AB de Villiers has called on the current Proteas leadership group to stand up and lead from the front in the remainder of the home summer as South Africa host Sri Lanka for two Test this month and close the summer with a multi-format tour of Pakistan between December and January. In white ball cricket, South Africa are coming from a 3-1 T20I series defeat to India last week, while the Test side is on a high after series victories in the Caribbean and Bangladesh recently. However, both teams are yet to display consistency and the ongoing home summer is an opportunity for the squads to get their acts together. With consistency this summer, the Test squad will find themselves at Lord's next year playing in the World Test Championship…