Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-01-10 i Cape Argus

Marc Lottering and Alfred Adriaan have been tearing up stages with their Alfred & Marc stand-up comedy show and it’s safe to say they’ve built a loyal following over the years. With their unique mix of hilarious material, this show has been packing out venues In an interview with The Weekend Argus last year, Adriaan opened up about his journey, reflecting on a moment he’ll never forget. “I remember sitting in seat Q15 at the Opera House watching Marc perform, thinking to myself: ‘Wow, this guy is amazing’. I never thought I’d be on the same stage as him one day,” he said, adding that Lottering inspired him to follow his dream of becoming a comedian. In the interview, Lottering also praised Adriaan. “Alfred is a hard worker. He’s focused…

THE five suspects who were arrested in Houghton, Johannesburg, for the possession of a hijacked vehicle and an unlicensed firearm, are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today. Stolen goods, including an unlicensed firearm that shoots only blanks, as well as a white Toyota Corolla were recovered, with reports suggesting that the stolen vehicle was hijacked from an Uber driver in Norwood. The suspects, among them a grandson of former president Nelson Mandela, are reported to have held the victim hostage before dropping him off in Benoni at 6am on Wednesday, before proceeding to drive and park the vehicle at the Mandela home. Around midnight, a white Toyota Corolla was reported stolen from an Uber driver in Norwood, prompting action from the authorities. The victim, taken hostage during…

THE Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is yet to reveal its plan for enforcing a court order to evict King Khoisan SA and his followers from the Union Buildings. The department approached the Gauteng High Court, seeking the removal of the Khoisan community from the Union Buildings, which is deemed a heritage site, where no temporary structures are allowed. On December 11, the court granted the department the eviction order, giving the Khoisan 30 days to vacate the premises. Despite the looming deadline for them to vacate the premises by tomorrow, King Khoisan SA has made it clear that they intend to resist removal by authorities, setting the stage for a potential standoff. Since 2018, the small group of Khoisan community members has been camping in tents just metres…

THE Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has come under fire after racking up a staggering R10 million travel bill in just five months. The ministry, led by Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, has been accused of extravagant spending on international and domestic travel, with some trips costing taxpayers millions of rand. According to a reply to a parliamentary question, Hlabisa’s international and domestic travel since assuming office totals R3 462 238, while Deputy Minister Burns-Ncamashe’s international travel totals R3 959 611. Deputy Minister Dickson Masemola’s international and domestic travel totals R2 620 586. The sheer scale of the travel bill has raised eyebrows, with many questioning the necessity of such expensive trips. Cogta spokesperson, Legadima Leso, could not be reached for comment, nor did he respond to questions yesterday.…

IT WAS AN unusual but positive sight to see prisoners dressed in their orange prison gear, cleaning three schools across the province this week. Days before the new school year is set to begin, Singabakho Nxumalo, spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said the initiative formed part of a programme, which helped both the prisoners and learners. A total of 20 offenders and 16 parolees were made into a working team, and rendered their services at three schools: Tembaletu Special School in Gugulethu, Zimasa Primary in Langa, and Thembelihle High School in Khayelitsha, yesterday. At Tembaletu Special School, the programme was presided over by Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, and the National Commissioner, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale. Nxumalo said as their contribution, they made the decision to…

They know it’s make-or-break in the final home game of their Champions Cup group-stage campaign, but the Stormers believe the momentum picked up over the festive-season clashes will assist them in picking up a first win in the European tournament. After dispatching the Lions and Sharks in United Rugby Championship derbies in December, the Cape outfit are keen to carry that winning momentum into tomorrow’s do-or-die encounter with English Premiership side Sale Sharks (3pm start) at the Cape Town Stadium. It will be their first Champions Cup match in Cape Town for this campaign, and arguably one of the most important matches of their season. After ending 2024 on a winning note, their aim will be to continue with that confidence boost as they kick off the new year. Stormers…

Swedish teenager Lucas Bergvall opened his Tottenham Hotspur account in thrilling fashion with the winner in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg, but should not even have been on the pitch, according to Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. The 18-year-old had already been booked in the 68th minute, and escaped a second yellow for a mistimed tackle on Kostas Tsimikas moments before sealing a 1-0 win for his team. Liverpool were incensed, especially as Tsimikas was still off the field when Bergvall thumped his shot past Alisson. “I think it was quite obvious it was going to be a second yellow (for Bergvall),” Van Dijk said. “I think it was pretty clear. It was a coincidence, and a minute later, he scores the winner. It is what it is. The…

Mamelodi Sundowns’ 2024/25 season has had its fair share of curve-balls. And even though they have so far managed to navigate through unfamiliar territory, their dominance in domestic and continental football has had a sprinkle of inconsistency as they prepare to continue their CAF Champions League journey. A large part of their up-and-down form has been largely due to the chopping and changing in the technical team in the last six months, and as a result, their last two crunch fixtures in the Champions League could have a story to tell. Results will be paramount, not only because they would avoid facing another long wait for a continental crown, but if successful, it will give a huge tick to their decision to hand marching orders to their former coaches, even…

A new year is always exciting because it is accompanied by new shows. Coming to the small screens this January is Rëenboogrant, a series based on the iconic 90s books. The Tshwane-set teen series centred on the Brink family. Minke Marais and Mila de Villiers co-star as Grade 10 sisters, Shani and Sunette, with Paul Strydom as their older brother, Dolf, who is in matric. Desiré Gardner, who played Magda Louw in the series of the same name, is the head writer on this new Showmax telenovela. Speaking about her role, she said it was exciting writing for the series because it evoked some nostalgia, bringing back some childhood memories. “When I was initially approached, I got all the books and read them. I have to say, it was like…

THE sharp eye of a judge landed a law firm in a difficult situation when it was discovered that of the nine cases cited in their application as case law, only two could be found, leaving the strong suspicion that they had used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to source their citations. Judge Elsje-Marie Bezuidenhout, sitting in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, not only ordered the law firm to pay the legal costs of the application from their own pockets, but she also referred the matter to the Legal Practice Council for possible investigation into the matter. The issue came to light as Pietermaritzburg law firm, Surendra Singh and Associates, represented KwaZulu-Natal politician Godfrey Mvundla in an appeal, using Ms S Pillay as counsel. Mvundla was suspended as mayor of the Umvoti local…

MINISTER of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, has unveiled bold plans in her quest to create jobs for South Africans, following the launch of the R650 million Labour Activation Programme (#LAP) in Cape Town yesterday. Meth, alongside Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya and supported by senior management in the department, signed employment creation contracts to the value of about R650m to spur employment opportunities. The contracts, inked with 12 labour partners, are set to create more than 17 330 jobs in vital sectors including retail, hospitality, agriculture, tourism, transportation, and information and communication technology (ICT). Among the partners are notable organisations such as Caliber Solutions, Elgin Community College, and Furn Tech, which display a commitment to fostering socio-economic change. “The Labour Activation Programme has evolved dramatically since its inception. Initially a…

THE GOOD Party has called out the City of Cape Town for not being able to open swimming pools during the festive season. In December, the City announced that 37 of 38 pools would be operational, but only 27 were opened. “The GOOD Party in Cape Town is disappointed that the City of Cape Town was unable to stick to its maintenance schedule to ensure all Capetonians have access to clean, safe, functioning swimming facilities this festive season. At the time, despite already being in the throes of summer, only 10 community pools were opened.” Neuman said Westridge, Eastridge, Khayelitsha, Ruyterwacht, Strand, Manenberg, Ravensmead, Monwabisi, Goodwood, and Bellville South pools remain shut. “The self-imposed summer deadline has now been extended to include April, two months after summer ends. The City…

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has offered a blunt critique of his team’s performance following their 2-1 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday night. The Maroons took an early lead through Khomotjo Lekoloane, only to see that advantage slip away as Chiefs rallied back with a brace from Wandile Duba. Reflecting on the match, Barker expressed disappointment not only with his side’s errors that led to the goals but also with Chiefs’ tactics, particularly those employed by the coaching staff, which he accused of deliberately slowing down the game to disrupt his team’s momentum. “I don’t think Kaizer Chiefs would have been good enough to score against us had we not made our errors, which basically led to the first and second goal,” he stated. “After…

Cape Town City coach Muhsin Ertugral had high praise for title-chasing Orlando Pirates despite losing 1-0 at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday. Pirates had done more than enough to win their match, but failed to score, even when they were gifted a penalty by last season’s “PSL Referee of the Year”, Sikhumbuzo Gaza. On top of that, the visitors hit the woodwork twice, and the resultant defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for the Soweto giants, who were wildly cheered on by the crowd of 21 000 mostly Buccaneers fans. The Turkish-born coach Ertugral has always been a keen student of the game, and though he’s been absent from the PSL for the past six years, his quest for football knowledge has been relentless. He’s been attending Premiership…

There will be room to express themselves with ball-in-hand, but the Bulls believe they need to be street-smart to claim an away win over Castres tomorrow night (10pm SA time start) in their do-or-die Champions Cup encounter. After two losses on the trot in the tournament, Jake White’s team need a full complement of five points in France to keep any chance alive of making it to the playoffs. They are expecting a hostile Castres fan-base, but that won’t put them off as they look to get their European season back on track. Bulls halfback pair Keegan Johannes and flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain both emphasised the importance of staying calm when the going gets tough, and not thinking about their exit possibly looming. “We don’t want to over-think things and put…

Cape Town City’s volatile mixture of a Turkish coach and a Venezuelan winger proved to be Orlando Pirates’ undoing in the Mother City on Wednesday night. Armed with the game-plan of their Turkish coach Muhsin Ertugral and the predatory skills of Venezuelan winger Darwin Gonzalez, City claimed a 1-0 win over high-riding Pirates in their Premiership clash. It was the second time in four days that the Ertugral-Gonzalez combination triumphed over the visiting Sowetans. On Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs suffered defeat by the same margin at the same venue. Afterwards, Pirates’ Spanish-born coach Jose Riveiro was dumbstruck by the outcome. When last season’s ‘PSL Referee of the Year’ Sikhumbuzo Gaza blew the final whistle, the crowd of 21 000 would also have wondered how Pirates lost a match they controlled for…

Liam Payne’s medical cause of death has been confirmed as polytrauma. The former One Direction singer died in October 2024 aged 31 after falling from a third floor balcony at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A UK inquest opening has confirmed he died from polytrauma, which is a medical term used for a person suffering multiple traumatic injuries to their body and organ systems. The hearing – which Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court said took place on December 17 – was told it could take “some time” to determine how Payne came to fall from the balcony. During the hearing, coroner Crispin Butler said: “While there are ongoing investigations in Argentina into the circumstances of Liam’s death, over which I have no legal jurisdiction, it is anticipated that procuring…

TWO suspects accused of killing Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend, chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, have told the Durban Magistrate’s Court that their circumstances have changed and therefore are seeking bail based on new facts. The accused, two of seven suspects charged, were refused bail last year by the same court and their appeal was also dismissed by the Durban High Court. They are applying for bail again. Mziwethemba Gwabeni, through his counsel advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, claimed that St. Benedict School had given his family a letter of breach of contract since R100 000 had not been paid by December 10 as a result of his incarceration. He said his other minor child is attending counselling, together with his wife. “It is on record in the initial bail application that…

WHILE speculation is still rife as to whether Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi remains a member of the EFF following his “voluntary” resignation from his position in the National Assembly, political commentators believe the writing is on the wall that he will not enjoy his stay or any form of influence within the EFF. Ndlozi, who resigned yesterday, has spent the past five months, since the departure of Floyd Shivambu to the MKP, in isolation, after he was barred from taking part in the recent elective conference of the red berets. His resignation alongside another MP, Yazini Tetyana, has once again set tongues wagging as the party continues to show signs of decline following the recent showing at the elections. Reacting to Ndlozi’s resignation as an MP, political analyst, Thobani Zikalala, indicated…

THE heat intensifies between the City of Cape Town and independent researchers of “Project Blue”, after findings from the citizen-led investigation revealed widespread contamination of sea water along Cape Town beaches. The City has since hit back, saying the report falsely claimed to have used SANAS-accredited laboratories to analyse coastal water quality data. Earlier this week, the Cape Argus revealed the findings by RethinkTheStink’s Project Blue, a limited, citizen-driven investigation into the seawater quality at selected beaches during November and December 2024, which showed widespread contamination in Table Bay, with 42% of sampling dates exceeding safety limits for E. coli and Enterococci. Academics who were part of the investigation said they rejected the City’s claims with contempt and that residents’ health was being placed at risk. Caroline Marx of Project…

A COMMUNITY which has been renting property from Communicare for decades said they are still fighting an eviction process and are concerned that vacant properties are now being taken over by drug dealers. Previously, court action fell through for residents in Ruyterwacht, when the matter was struck off the roll in 2021 in their bid to take court action to prevent Communicare from evicting them. Residents claim evictions continue, while Communicare said they were in their right to execute it. The property has since also been taken over by Good Find Properties, which are subsidiaries to Communicare, which had seen the inside of the court and were tasked to sign new leases. In their response, Communicare said: “Communicare adheres to due legal process for all tenant disputes and relies on…

Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman has cautioned his players about thinking that “the season is made” after the heroics of Cape Town, as the draw for the Australian leg of the World Sevens Series was announced yesterday. South Africa were drawn with current series champions Argentina, hosts Australia and a resurgent USA side for the HSBC SVNS Perth event, to be played at HBF Park from January 24-26. Olympic champions France are in Pool B alongside Spain, Great Britain and Ireland in an all-European affair, while Fiji and New Zealand will do battle in Pool C, along with newly promoted Kenya and Uruguay. The South Africans beat Olympic gold medallists France 26-14 in a pulsating Cape Town Sevens final in December, ending a nine-year drought on home soil. But Snyman has…

Arsenal and Manchester United will fight for a restorative victory in the stand-out tie of an FA Cup third round packed with potential giant-killings, a family divided and a Manchester derby with a difference. AFP Sport looks at the key talking points from an extended weekend of action, which kicked off with Everton’s Ashley Young having been set to face his son last night... New balls for Arteta In a showdown between the FA Cup’s two most successful sides, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be keeping a close eye on the ball when Manchester United visit the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Arteta came up with an unusual excuse for Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat against Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday, claiming the ball was responsible for his…

In a thrilling encounter at FNB Stadium, Kaizer Chiefs showcased their resilience by coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Stellenbosch FC on Wednesday evening. The win marked the club’s fifth triumph of the league season. However, coach Nasreddine Nabi remained grounded, asserting that the team are still in a rebuilding phase. The match sparked into life when Stellenbosch’s Khomotjo Lekoloane struck first in the 20th minute, leaving the Glamour Boys trailing. Just eight minutes later, Wandile Duba pulled the score level, igniting hopes of a victory amongst the home crowd. Duba then turned the tide decisively for the Amakhosi, netting the winner in the 57th minute and sealing the comeback. Following the match, Nabi reflected on the challenges still facing the squad, stating: “My mission here is…