Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-04-08 i Cape Argus

A 76-year-old bank customer was so aggrieved by the failure of his bank to handle his complaints that he closed all his accounts with the bank and moved R1 million out of the bank.Nerosha Maseti, the Lead Ombud of the Banking Division at the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO), said banks must address complaints fairly and transparently. “Banks can generate word-of-mouth referrals and a strong reputation by providing a positive customer experience. Banks must focus on building relationships with their customers, understanding their needs, and providing personalised service to ensure satisfaction,” she said. If a customer is unhappy with how a complaint has been handled, the Banking Division of the NFO will investigate the complaint without a fee. Citing a recent case of shoddy customer service, Maseti said the aged…

THE SACP and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi have once again called for the government to help establish an inquest into the death of former SACP leader, Chris Hani, who died on the eve of democracy on April 10, 1993. Ahead of Hani’s 32-year commemorative event set for Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape later this week where his legacy will be celebrated this year, the Struggle hero’s widow, Limpho Hani and members of the SACP led a wreath-laying ceremony at the South Park Cemetery in Boksburg yesterday. During her address to the media, Limpho Hani slammed the country’s justice system for having granted an “unremorseful”, Janusz Walus parole last year. Last December, the South African government confirmed through minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni that Walus, convicted for the 1993 assassination…

RESIDENTS of Ascott Terraces in Milnerton are in dispute with the managing agent, African Property Group (APG), who they claim refuses to step down despite their mandate being terminated on August 21, 2024. APG, however, disputes this, stating their mandate was renewed on March 24, and Arusha Naidoo, their representative, is a certified and registered agent. The residents have listed several grievances against APG, including a lack of communication and transparency, failure to pay bills, and unilateral decision-making. They also claim that APG is not registered to manage a trust account and collect levies, putting the complex at financial risk. APG denies these allegations and insists their services are legitimate. They have provided proof of Naidoo’s registration and certification as a managing agent. The dispute over the trustees’ identities and…

Is Ruben Amorim’s project at Manchester United in danger of imploding after another tepid display in the derby? While many of his backers feel it’s too early into his reign to start looking elsewhere, patience seems to be wearing thin. The stick currently being used to beat the Portuguese manager with is United’s poor form in front of goal. They are apparently in the company of relegation-threatened Leicester on that front since Amorim’s arrival. Striking out Many have pointed to the form of club castaways like Marcus Rashford and Antony elsewhere as a sign of Amorim’s failings. Comparisons with the likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojland were inevitable. They have done nothing to dispel the notion that they are way out of their depth at a club that was…

Southampton have sacked manager Ivan Juric following their relegation from the Premier League, the club announced Monday. Southampton were condemned to relegation in record time after a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday. Juric's bottom of the table side have lost 25 of their 31 top-flight games in a wretched campaign. Relegation with seven fixtures left gives Southampton, last season's Championship play-off winners, an unwanted Premier League record, surpassing Derby and Huddersfield's relegations with six games left in 2008 and 2019 respectively. Juric took over from Russell Martin in December, with Southampton already deep in trouble, but the 49-year-old won only one league match, at Ipswich in February. Saints have lost seven of their past eight league matches. Simon Rusk will take charge of the team as interim manager for…

Being physically fit often entails some uncomfortable stretching. Whether it’s stretching your limits to exceed your personal best, or stretching your legs out before going on a run… It can be a little painful. This is also true when it comes to being financially fit. Stretching your budget out so that you can meet your regular financial commitments and also those occasional, bigger expenses that you did not budget for, can be equally painful. When it comes to these unplanned expenses, sometimes the only remedy is to take out a short-term loan and, if it’s an emergency, applying to an unsecured lender (which does not require you to sign over any assets that they will seize if you default on your repayments) is going to be faster than applying to…

Helen Zille will be the next prominent South African figure to take the hot seat during the 2025 Roast. Hosted by Showmax, the chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA) is set to take the stage for a no-holds-barred evening of comedy, controversy and entertainment at the Laugh Africa Comedy Festival next month. From her infamous rendition of Brenda Fassie’s Vuli Ndlela to her unfiltered approach, the politician has become renowned for her sharp wit and unfiltered opinions. Zille is confident that she can take the heat. “People do it behind my back, so why not let them do it to my face?” she explained. She added: “I say it like it is and I get roasted on social media and in the press all the time.…

THE Western Cape High Court heard that it was Steveno van Rhyn who first mentioned the woman allegedly involved in the sale of missing 6-year-old Joshlin Smith. This was shared in the evidence-in-chief of detective Sergeant Dawid Johannes Fortuin, who led the interviews on March 4, 2024. The officer said he sat down with Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and Van Rhyn on that evening when van Rhyn revealed that a woman named “Maka Lima” knew what happened to Joshlin. Central to the trial is a “trial within a trial”, currently sitting in the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville, Saldanha Bay, focused on the admissibility of confessions made by the accused – Appollis and Van Rhyn. The two men allege their confessions were obtained under duress, including physical assault at the…

CAPE Flats youngsters enjoyed a weekend away at an all-boys camp hosted by police with the aim of tackling gang recruitment in various communities. Hosted by the Western Cape Provincial Social Crime and Spiritual Crime Prevention Officers, the camp saw 41 teens from crime-infested precincts participate in the three-day event hosted at the Potberg Eco Venue at De Hoop Nature Reserve. According to police spokesperson, Captain Ian Bennett, the boys aged between 13 and 18 came from different precincts including Manenberg, Philippi, Nyanga, Delft and Elsies River among others. “This initiative aimed to equip these young men with the tools to navigate life’s challenges while making better, morally-grounded choices. Building trust and leadership, the camp, strategically designed to empower young boys and nurture them into principled leaders, took place over…

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has called for the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) to be made public to expose individuals accused of child rape. This follows the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl named Cwecwe at Bergview College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. Speaking at the EFF’s land reclamation day event on Sunday, Malema argued that the names of those convicted of such crimes should be made public, as those who commit heinous acts forfeit their right to privacy. He urged victims to come forward and expose their abusers, stating: “If they were scared, they must now come out so that he can be exposed. Everybody must know it’s not good to work with children. We want that rape list to be published.” He further argued that…

POTHOLES can be costly – not only for the motorist but also for the local authorities who, according to the latest judgment on the subject, have a duty of care to ensure that the country’s roads are safe to use. The Bloemfontein High Court ruled that the MEC of community safety, roads and transport in that province is 100% liable for the damages suffered by a woman whose car had hit a pothole on one of the roads in the Free State. The judge found that the department had negligently breached its duty of care by failing to fix the potholes, or at the very least, warn motorists of the dangers. Masenemi Puseletso turned to court after the car she was travelling in hit a pothole which was about a…

The race for Uefa Champions League places in the English Premier League became even more congested at the weekend after challengers Chelsea, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest all stumbled. Fulham also hauled themselves back into the frame with their shock win over leaders Liverpool. Forest, who are on 57 points in third place behind table-topping Liverpool and Arsenal, will feel that this could yet be their year. Their narrow 2-1 defeat away against high-flying Aston Villa didn’t prove too costly. They are still four points clear of Chelsea in fourth (52 points). Manchester City are a place and a point behind them, with Villa one point further back in sixth. All of the top six teams have played 31 games with seven more to go. Newcastle United were in seventh…

While millennials may still feel young at heart, adulting means confronting some financial realities. With the last group of the millennial cohort born in 1996, the youngest are turning 29 this year, making navigating finances a stark reality. I don’t need insurance, I’m team forever young,” may ring true for many, but the reality is different because life happens to most of us. Protecting and growing our finances is essential to securing a stable and prosperous future. Whether you’re just starting out, building a family, or running a business, the right financial strategies and the right insurance can make all the difference. You’ve probably heard friends or family say, “I don’t need insurance.” They might feel invincible as if life’s unpredictable challenges will never touch them. But the truth is,…

DEPUTY President Paul Mashatile says DA’s future in the Government of National Unity (GNU) will be announced, as he slammed the party’s “commitment” to the government as meaningless because they did not vote for the budget. Speaking at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Business Breakfast series yesterday, Mashatile did not hesitate to condemn the DA’s move of rejecting the 2025 budget. “I know that Zille said this weekend that they are committed to the GNU. My response was: vote for the budget, otherwise you’re going to the government to do what?” This comes after the DA said it was also contemplating whether to exit or remain in the GNU. Despite the tensions, Zille, outside the Western Cape High Court on Friday, said her party was committed to the GNU hence they…

OPPOSITION parties in the Western Cape legislature made their voices heard on Premier Alan Winde’s 2025 budget vote speech as the two-day debate came to an end yesterday. Winde started his budget vote speech last week, saying the country doesn’t have a revenue problem, but rather a spending problem. In his speech, he highlighted how the Western Cape’s budget for 2025/2026 would be spent, but opposition parties were left unimpressed. Prior to his speech, the initial provincial budget was first tabled by MEC Finance, Deidré Baartman on March 27. Baartman said the provincial government’s vision is to help businesses grow and create jobs. “Over the next three years we will allocate R43.789 billion for Growth for Jobs; R3.955bn for Safety; R194.928bn for Educated, Healthy and Caring Society; and R23.439bn for…

Former Public Protector and current Member of Parliament for the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has spoken out following reports that the Legal Practice Council (LPC) of South Africa intends to bring a court application to have her removed from the roll of advocates. In an interview on Newzroom Afrika, Mkhwebane confirmed that she had not formally received any charge regarding the move but expressed surprise after learning about it via a social media post on X (formerly Twitter). In 2023, Mkhwebane was impeached for incompetence and misconduct, rendering her unfit to hold the office of Public Protector. Mkhwebane said she views the LPC’s action as politically motivated and part of a broader campaign of persecution against her, stemming from her previous work, including the CX report, CDR…

THE Drakenstein Municipality has said that multiple departmental teams are continuing with mop-up operations in Newrest, Wellington, after a fire wreaked havoc early on Sunday, claiming the life of a woman and leaving between 800 to 1 000 people destitute. About 200 informal structures were destroyed in the fire that erupted shortly after midnight on Sunday, aggravated by a strong southeasterly wind. The Drakenstein Municipality’s Fire and Rescue Services were at the scene a couple of minutes after the fire was reported, and activated the firefighting services of Stellenbosch Municipality, which arrived 30 minutes later. Altogether five pumpers and three bushfire vehicles were on the scene. Despite a howling Southeaster wind, the firefighting crews extinguished the fire at around 5am on Sunday. The municipality extended its condolences to the family…

Inter Milan are on an unlikely mission to repeat the treble as the Serie A champions travel to take on Bayern Munich, the team they beat to complete a historic Uefa Champions League triumph under Jose Mourinho 15 years ago. League leaders in Italy and also contesting the Italian Cup semi-finals with AC Milan, Inter have made no secret of their ambitions to emulate their best ever season of 2009/10, when a star-studded team beat Bayern in Madrid thanks to a Diego Milito brace after already securing the two domestic honours. Another Argentina striker in Lautaro Martinez has been the most bullish about Inter's chances, the captain saying that he believes the Italians can pull off what would be a near miracle ahead of the first leg of their quarter-final…