Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-05-21 i Cape Argus

In Happy Days Are Here Again… Again!, Belinda Boutique, played by Darryl Spijkers, is a quirky seamstress living in small-town Bonnievale with her pets, sewing machine and a fridge that flashes attitude. When her costume shop faces eviction, her fabulous drag friend Scrumpy Holly swoops in to help. Expect chaos, nostalgic laughs and a soundtrack from Mamma Mia to Chicago. It’s a sentimental and spicy local musical. Grown-ups only. Where: Playhouse Theatre, Somerset West. When: Until May 31 at 7.30pm. l Aida Cape Town Opera’s Aida returns with an all-African cast in a striking African futuristic setting. Set amid war and cultural conflict, it tells the story of love and betrayal between an enslaved Ethiopian princess and an Egyptian commander. Where: Opera House, Artscape Theatre. When: Friday until May 31…

AS diplomatic tensions simmer between the United States and South Africa, South African government is reportedly exploring a workaround to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws to pave the way for Elon Musk’s Starlink to launch in the country.According to Bloomberg sources familiar with the matter, the South African government is preparing to offer Musk a tailored solution that circumvents existing BEE requirements – rules which Musk has publicly slammed as “racist and improper.” This comes amid media reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s high-powered delegation was offering a workaround to South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws to enable Starlink’s entry into the local market. Ramaphosa is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump today. Starlink, a satellite-based internet service developed by Musk’s SpaceX, was aimed at providing global internet…

CAPE Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to shield municipalities from any further budget cuts when he delivers the National Budget today. However, the appeal has triggered a fierce backlash from opposition parties, which accuse the DA-led city administration of hypocrisy and fiscal double standards. In a statement, Hill-Lewis warned that balancing the national budget should not come at the expense of municipal infrastructure grants or service delivery allocations, particularly when these underpin essential services in cities. “There is more than enough waste and excess that can be cut in national government to balance the Budget, and we are absolutely opposed to any cuts being passed down to municipalities,” he said. Hill-Lewis pointed out that R107 million was slashed from Cape Town’s grant funding for…

A devastating fire ripped through a section of Cissie Gool House, formerly the Woodstock Hospital, in the early hours of Monday, displacing dozens of residents and reigniting criticism of the City of Cape Town’s approach to housing, emergency preparedness and informal communities. According to the City’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, an emergency call was received at 3.35am, reporting the fire at the Mountain Road property in Woodstock. Fire crews from Roeland Street, Sea Point, Salt River and Milnerton stations were dispatched. Upon arrival, they encountered flames engulfing the first floor, with the fire having broken through the roof. Aerial firefighting equipment had to be deployed to contain the blaze. “Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by 7am,” said Carelse. “Thankfully, no injuries were reported thanks to the…

THE residents’ associations in Mitchell’s Plain have welcomed the progress of train stations such as Lentegeur, which has stood dormant for years, as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) promises to deliver train services to the masses in that district, including Kapteinsklip and Nyanga, by the end of June. They have also called for safety protocols to be enforced. Prasa spokesperson Zinobulani Mihi told Cape Argus that the finishing touches were being added to the stations around the Western Cape but that test runs were vital. “Regarding our Project Plans, we are planning to run test trains by the end of June and run a commercial service once the Rail Safety Regulator (RSR) has given us the green light,” Mihi said. Michael Jacobs of the Mitchell’s Plain…

Amid roaring cheers and a sea of jubilant supporters at OR Tambo International Airport, Fletcher Smythe-Lowe returned home as one of Amajita’s standout heroes from the recent Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations. Fresh off a stellar campaign in Egypt, the 18-year-old goalkeeper didn’t just help South Africa lift the trophy — he also earned the prestigious Goalkeeper of the Tournament award, underlining his growing reputation as one of the country’s brightest young talents. Calm, composed and mature beyond his years, Smythe-Lowe took a moment during the media frenzy to reflect on his journey, his performance, and the road still ahead. The 18-year-old was at his best for South African U20 men’s national team, keeping four clean sheets across seven matches. His performances were particularly commendable during the knockout stage, where…

George Russell has raised fresh concerns over Mercedes’ 2025 Formula One campaign, admitting that fundamental issues in the car’s performance may derail the team’s hopes of challenging at the front as the season enters its hotter stages. The British driver endured his most disappointing Grand Prix of the season at Imola, finishing seventh after starting from third on the grid — a result that left him visibly frustrated and searching for deeper answers. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Russell expressed clear dissatisfaction with the direction of Mercedes’ development: “The trends are pretty clear. When it's hot, we're slow. “When it's cold, we're quick. That was the same last year.” Mercedes arrived at Imola with upgrades, including revised front suspension and a new front wing, which…

Volunteers with humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers were attacked in Knysna at the weekend. Gift of the Givers has been distributing water in the area as taps have run dry. Mario Ferreira, who heads the team in the Southern Cape, said the situation in Knysna is not improving. “All 11 wards are now without water. Gift of the Givers has been active distributing bottled water to businesses, creches, schools, old-age homes, clinics and pre-schools since last week,” he said. The Knysna pumps are out of order. “At this stage, there is no indication when the pumps will be replaced, and the reservoirs are running dry. Due to slugs in the reservoir, the water is not drinkable,” Ferreira said. He said the area is becoming volatile, and people are…

THE DA wants answers from Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald regarding the possible disappearance of two dangerous inmates at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre. The party said that according to a high court order the two inmates Me-Kayle Timmie and Mikyle Mentoor, should be detained at the correctional facility until at least October. They are serving sentences for rape and murder, respectively. Yesterday, the DA also wrote to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to confirm whether his department has been informed of the possible disappearance of the inmates. The DA’s National Council of Provinces member on security and justice, Nicholas Gotsell, said it has been almost a week since the party’s oversight visit to Pollsmoor revealed officials could not account for either individual. Gotsell said despite this, the party did not receive…

THE Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) said it is at the forefront of international climate science through its monitoring missions and research expeditions in the Southern Ocean, as part of the South African National Antarctica Programme (SANAP) with drone technology being used to research how carbon dioxide is absorbed. Aboard SA Agulhas II, the DFFE’s Oceans and Coasts team and their collaborators are using newly developed underwater drone technology to study how the Southern Ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, currently capturing about 20% of human-made CO2 emissions. These tools are producing vital new data on how the ocean stores carbon, how sea ice forms and melts, and how microscopic marine plants (phytoplankton) respond to changing conditions. One key finding shows that the seawater around Marion Island is becoming…

​You’ve likely seen them – the children at busy intersections and along our main roads. They are a stark reminder of the challenges our country and the world face. These children, some as young as 2, often in tattered clothes and without shoes, have been forced into begging. Their silent desperation reflects a critical issue that demands our attention. ​This week in Parliament, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi shared alarming statistics during a Q&A​ session that further underscore the urgency of this situation: 155 children under the age of 5 in South Africa have died with moderate or severe acute malnutrition as an underlying condition. The provinces with the highest numbers of these tragic cases are Limpopo, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal, highlighting the widespread nature of this crisis. We can only…

While the Springbok alignment camps are not trials or even have on-field training sessions, there is a lot at stake for the 54 players attending the latest edition in Cape Town – or online – this week. With the United Rugby Championship and other leagues around the world winding down, the Test season is almost upon us – and then we will be able to participate in our favourite pastime: picking our own Bok teams for the first international against Italy on July 5 in Pretoria. Knowing the meticulous planner that he is, you would think that Bok coach Rassie Erasmus would have already worked out what his starting XV – and indeed match-23 – would be by now for the two Italy Tests and the one-off fixture against Georgia.…

The Bulls have an abundance of loose-forward options, but who should start in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Edinburgh next Saturday? Coach Jake White has happily rotated his loose trio throughout the season with great success, with yet another new face, Nama Xaba, clinching the Player of the Match award in last week’s 55-15 romp over the hapless Dragons. But now it’s all or nothing in next Saturday’s playoff against Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld (1.30pm). There is no rotation needed – the best openside flank, blindside flank and No 8 must run out against the Scottish club. Let’s look at all the loose-forward options available to White: Marcell Coetzee, Marco van Staden, Cameron Hanekom, Xaba, Jannes Kirsten, Mihlali Mosi, Cobus Wiese and Ruan Nortjé. It is understood that Nizaam…

Multi award-winning South African actress Thuso Mbedu has joined the likes of Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo as she is set to star in the new crime series Task. Set to drop in September, the HBO show will see Mbedu star as sergeant Aleah Clinton, who is part of a task force that is sent out to put an end to a violent string of robberies in a working-class neighbourhood of Philadelphia. This seven-episode series is created and written by the creator of Mare of Easttown, Brad Ingelsby. The rest of the star-studded cast features Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Fabien Frankel and Alison Oliver. This series marks the 33-year-old's fifth international project as she continues to fly the South African flag high. She debuted her…

THE National Assembly has adopted a report proposing increased disclosure thresholds and upper limits for donations to political parties and independent candidates. This unanimous decision, except for dissent from the MK Party, Build One South Africa, Al Jama-ah, and the ATM, is a sequel to the public hearings undertaken by the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee after Parliament was taken to court by lobby group, My Vote Counts, when it passed the Electoral Amendment Act without setting the upper limits for donation and disclosure thresholds before the 2024 elections. Before the amendment, the disclosure threshold was R100 000 per financial year, and the upper limit for donations was R15 million per financial year to political parties. When the newly amended law was passed, which also catered for independent candidates in line…

IN an achievement that cemented her status as a leading figure in global public health as well as put South Africa on the healthcare map, infectious diseases epidemiologist Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. In Abdool Karim's career that spans three decades, she has contributed ground-breaking research in the field of HIV prevention. Additionally, she played a vital role in shaping the global HIV prevention landscape, particularly for adolescent girls and young women – a demographic disproportionately affected by the disease. As an Associate Scientific Director at the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in Durban, South Africa (CAPRISA), Abdool Karim will join an elite cadre of scientists that includes luminaries such as Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Albert Einstein.…

THE Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said that while recent rainfall in the Western Cape has had a stabilising effect on river catchments, it has not significantly improved dam levels across the province. According to hydrological data, the dams supplying the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) are currently at 58.44%, a slight decrease from last week’s 59.02%. The WCWSS provides water to over 3 million residents, spanning the City of Cape Town and towns in the Overberg, Boland, West Coast and Swartland. Provincial DWS head, Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa, said the recent rains had helped stabilise the Western Cape River Catchment, but the improvement was marginal. The Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest in the province and a key reservoir supplying more than half of the WCWSS, is currently at 58.79%, down…

When Thandi, a domestic worker in Johannesburg, was unfairly dismissed without severance pay, she turned to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA), a body designed to protect workers like her. Today, Thandi waits endlessly for justice. The CCMA, once a beacon of post-apartheid labour reform, is collapsing under maladministration, corruption, and the deafening silence of those meant to safeguard it. A legislative promise betrayed Established under Section 112 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) and enshrined in Section 23 of the Constitution, the CCMA was created to “advance economic development, social justice, labour peace, and the democratisation of the workplace”. As a Schedule 3a entity under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), it is mandated to operate independently, free from political, union, or corporate influence. Its functions, from…

Stephen Cook played only 11 Tests. That had more to do with the fact that he was belatedly selected at 33 years old, though – although still a rookie in comparison to his father, Jimmy, who Test debuted at 39 – than his ability forged over 229 first-class matches. Cook certainly made the most of his limited opportunity. He memorably scored a century on debut against England, and added back-to-back tons against Australia and Sri Lanka. The 104 against the Aussies in Adelaide was a particularly gutsy innings, for Cook had struggled initially on the tour Down Under before finding a way to succeed against high-quality new-ball bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who the Proteas will be encountering again in next month’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s. They…

Jack Hinshelwood credited his cousin Harry Howell for creating the space that allowed him to score the winning goal, as Brighton & Hove Albion defeated English champions Liverpool 3–2 on Monday. Howell, 17, made his Premier League debut when he came on as a substitute alongside Hinshelwood in the 84th minute. Just a minute later, Hinshelwood netted at the far post to seal a memorable victory. “It was a really nice moment coming on with my cousin,” said Hinshelwood, 20, in a post-match interview with Sky Sports. “We’ve been working so hard since we were kids, playing together since we were born—kicking balls with each other. “He made a great run across the front post to open the gap for me, so I’ll be thanking him later.” Both players progressed…