Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-06-26 i Cape Argus

When I stumbled across We Were Liars, a new release on Amazon Prime Video recently, I wasn’t expecting to be left in tears and still thinking about this powerful series, long after the credits rolled. Having not read the young adult novel of the same name by E Lockhart, I was expecting to escape into a teenage summer romance, much like with shows such as The Summer I Turned Pretty and Outer Banks. But soon into the show, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it resembled Nicole Kidman-esque psychological thriller such as The Perfect Couple and Big Little Liars, while also featuring elements from Succession – with We Were Liars also centering around a billionaire American family who are desperate for their patriarch's validation. But what set this story…

TWO of the Western Cape’s largest taxi associations have formally reconciled after a period of conflict over key transport routes, reaching an agreement aimed at restoring order and ensuring the safety of commuters. The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) announced that they had resolved their dispute and committed to maintaining stability in the minibus taxi industry. The breakthrough follows a dialogue held on Tuesday, where representatives from both associations signed off on operational resolutions for the contested Mfuleni–Somerset and Khayelitsha–Somerset routes. As a result of the conflict, seven people were killed and five others were wounded in taxi-related incidents. Under the agreement, operators from Mfuleni will retain their right to return passengers from Somerset as stipulated in their operating licences.…

THE failure by provinces and municipalities to spend infrastructure budgets has been described by President Cyril Ramaphosa as treason against South Africans. “The issue of underspending is quite an important issue, particularly when it comes to spending on infrastructure allocations such as housing, education, water, and roads. “I often characterise it as treason against the people of South Africa when monies that had been allocated are not spent and are returned to the National Treasury,” Ramaphosa said. He was responding during a question-and-answer session in the National Council of Provinces in Cape Town, yesterday. ANC MP Kenny Mmoiemang had enquired about whether the government has assessed the impact of inadequate spending by provinces and municipalities on their commitments to deliver quality and essential services to communities, particularly crucial infrastructure such…

As bitter winter weather sweeps across Cape Town, U-turn Homeless Ministries has urgently activated additional emergency shelter services to meet the growing number of homeless people seeking refuge from the cold, rain, and wind. The situation on the ground is described as critical, with the organisation noting a “marked influx of clients urgently seeking assistance”. In response, U-turn is making extra accommodation and resources available to meet the demand. Jean-Ray Knighton Fitt, CEO of U-turn, stressed the importance of immediate action and community support. “When the weather turns severe, the need on the streets grows rapidly. We want to respond and with the public’s help, we can.” While U-turn’s long-standing mission is to focus on long-term rehabilitation and reintegration of the homeless, the organisation recognises the urgency during weather crises.…

The Proteas may be preparing to play at the Queens Sports Club, but the picturesque Bulawayo ground will be a world away from the Majesty’s Kingdom where they were recently crowned World Test Champions. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder, though, believes the upcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe, starting on Saturday, is the perfect opportunity for the team to “reset” after their heroics at Lord’s last week. “Coming from Lord’s, firstly, the home of cricket, the history, the tradition, everything you want to call it, to Bulawayo … I guess it’s different,” Mulder admitted. “But to reset is very important. I think, for some of the guys that played in that Test, because if I tell you a week before that Test, I can’t remember much that happened. “It was all a bit…

“MR PB!!” That was how South African superstar Prudence Sekgodiso reacted after running her fastest ever 800m time in Ostrava, Czech Republic on Tuesday night. The 23-year-old middle-distance athlete clocked a stunning time of 1 minute 57.16 seconds (1:57.16) to clinch victory at the Golden Spike meeting. That eclipsed her previous personal best of 1:57.26 that she posted in Morocco last year, and it is also the second-quickest effort in 2025, behind the world lead of 1:56.64 by Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma. Having endured a few uncharacteristic defeats in recent weeks, Sekgodiso bounced back to remind her rivals that she is building up to September’s world championships in Tokyo in fine fashion as she inches closer and closer to Caster Semenya’s amazing SA record of 1:54.25. With two pacemakers taking the…

Orbit College have made history and booked their place in next season’s Premiership after defying the odds to defeat Cape Town City 1-0 in a tense PSL Promotional Playoff clash at Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday. The triumph took the North West-based team to an unreachable tally of eight points from four fixtures, leaving both City and Casric Stars with only one game remaining, set for next Monday, with the Cape outfit now relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship. City entered the clash with two matches still to be played, but were fully aware that anything short of a result would leave them in danger, especially after Orbit had seized control of the group with a dramatic late win over Casric the previous weekend. This was Orbit’s maiden…

Showmax has just released the gripping trailer for its upcoming true-crime documentary series, The ABC Killer, which takes an unsettling look into the life of notorious serial killer Moses Sithole. The series revisits a dark chapter in South Africa’s history, offering both a haunting narrative and a fresh perspective on a case that still sends shivers down the spine. Three decades ago, Tamsen de Beer, a rookie journalist at The Star newspaper, received an unprecedented call that would forever alter her life and career. The voice on the other end of the line claimed to be South Africa’s most prolific serial killer, calling himself The ABC Killer – a name derived from his modus operandi of targeting young, black women across vulnerable areas like Atteridgeville, Boksburg and Cleveland in Gauteng.…

A GROUP of students from universities and TVET colleges took to the streets yesterday to express their frustrations over delayed funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), despite previous promises from the Department of Higher Education and Training and NSFAS to address the issues. Accompanied by activists and concerned citizens, students marched to the department’s offices in Pretoria, expressing ongoing frustration over delayed funding. The march follows a similar protest last month by students at Tshwane University of Technology, who demanded that the department and NSFAS take immediate action to address delayed funding. Kemogelo Masike, national president of the South African Students Federation, said students staged the march due to their anger and frustration with NSFAS and the department. “We have written countless emails, memorandums of concerns to…

THE Department of Defence and Military Veterans was not overspending on golf days as it was classified as fundraising, Minister Angie Motshekga said during a Parliamentary question and answer session this week. This, after the DA’s National Council of Provinces member on security and justice, Nicholas Gotsell, said there is a R7.7 billion Air Force shortfall and unfunded maintenance. Gotsell said the DA is seeking urgent clarity from Motshekga on the 3-month deadline to present a plan for reprioritising defence spending and halting the SANDF’s collapse. He said the DA will oversee the implementation to prevent another “empty promise”, while Motshekga’s recent statements showed a detachment from the SANDF’s dire state. The DA is proposing cost-cutting, like ending lifetime medical benefits for retired VIPs, given the deterioration of…

A CAPE Town mother and wellness coach has set off to summit Mount Kilimanjaro this week, not for personal glory but to raise awareness and funds for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Leonie Viljoen, from Boston, Bellville, has survived abuse twice in her life. She started her ascent of Africa’s highest peak yesterday as part of a group of eight climbers. The eight-day trek is part of a campaign in support of 1000 Women Trust, a women-led organisation focused on creating safe spaces and support structures for women affected by GBV. “This is not about the thrill or the photo at the summit,” said Viljoen. “I climb for the women who have endured pain deeper than any crevasse on that mountain.” Viljoen said each step she takes will be dedicated…

Liam Delap scored his first Chelsea goal in a 3-0 win over Tunisian champions Esperance on Tuesday night, which took the Blues into the last 16 of the Fifa Club World Cup. A game played in sweaty conditions at the end of a blisteringly hot day in Philadelphia was decided by two goals in first-half stoppage time by Tosin Adarabioyo and then Delap. Tyrique George added the third in injury time at the end of the game in front of 32,937 fans at Lincoln Financial Field as Enzo Maresca’s side bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Flamengo. Chelsea clinched second place in Group D behind the Brazilian giants, while Esperance were eliminated. Asked about Delap’s first goal on his third appearance, Maresca said: “Against Flamengo, he had three clear…

“It’s a good job Test cricket is played over five days, isn’t it?” These were the words of England captain Ben Stokes after his team beat India after a thrilling run-chase at Headingley this week. Stokes had even more reason to smile after he asked India to bat on Day 1, and then watched how the visitors raced to 430/3. In another era, Stokes’ decision may have placed him alongside Nasser ‘Insane’ Hussain’s decision to insert Australia on the opening day of the Ashes back in 2002. But the red-ball game has been revolutionised over the last few years. While England’s ‘Bazball’ tactics have undoubtedly brought a refreshing element to a sport that has been “on its last legs” for almost three decades, the expansion of T20 cricket has also…

Kagiso Rabada may now be walking on water as a world Test champion, but the Proteas superstar has admitted there was a period in his illustrious career where he felt vulnerable. The 30-year-old fast bowler spoke candidly yesterday about the mental challenges he faced within the first two years of becoming a national cricketer. “I think it was back in 2016. I had a really good 2015. I made my debut for South Africa, but 2016 was going to be my second season. And normally by then, people start to figure you out, and that’s when you start going through a few challenges here and there,” Rabada said at his sponsor Red Bull’s SA headquarters in Cape Town. “I remember I didn’t have such a good season, it was up…

THE man accused of raping and murdering his son’s 8-year-old friend during a sleepover at his house two years ago is applying for bail for a second time as he faces trial in the Western Cape High Court. The 49-year-old man from Kraaifontein’s first bail application was opposed in the Blue Downs Regional Court following his arrest in 2023. He may not be identified in order to protect his 14-year-old son, who is a crucial witness in the case. The man is expected to face trial later this year, with October 24 set as the date for a potential bail application. The decision to steer another bail application has been met with dismay by gender-based violence (GBV) activists who have been supporting the family of the victim, Daniel Jamneck, since…

If the latest Statistics South Africa’s figures on food and beverage sales are taken at face value, South Africans are either drinking more at home, drinking less, or drinking hooch. Sales of illegal alcohol – such as bottles smuggled into the country – are on the increase and now account for 20% of all booze drunk in South Africa – a problem that intensified when the Covid-19 stopped sales of alcohol and cigarettes. Statistics South Africa’s data for April shows that bar sales – income from alcohol sales – are on a downward trajectory, although the value of sales in the fourth month of the year did not decline as much as in February, when income from bar sales dropped 7.9%. At the same time, the cost of a…

ORIGINALLY introduced to South Africa as a groundcover and ornamental climber, English ivy or ivy has become a serious threat to the local environment. The City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department has now called on residents across the metro to assist in the control and containment of English ivy (specifically Hedera canariensis and Hedera helix). The creeping and climbing invasive plant is a flowering species from the Araliaceae family and is native to Europe. In Cape Town, its rapid spread has made it a growing problem in both public and private spaces. “The City is actively managing ivy infestations in public spaces, but community awareness and action remain critical to ensuring successful control,” the City said. “The ivy is listed as a Category 3 invasive species under the…

The recent SETA debacle in South Africa once again highlights the prevalence of nepotism and the continuation of irregularities in South Africa. The long-term vision of the role of these SETAs seems to be forgotten. Their purpose is closely aligned with minimising the economic gap between citizens through skills development and employment creation thereafter. However, the choices some individuals have made to manage these sects with no application of good governance principles, and a lack of ethics, these national objectives are yet to be met. At the onset of our democracy, both the Congress of the South Africa Trade Union (COSATU) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) demanded a new approach to skills development. Their stance brought about the establishment of SETAS. South Africa has 21…

Utility forward Jean-Luc du Preez last had a taste of Springbok rugby nearly two years ago against Los Pumas in Argentina. On Saturday, the 14-times-capped Du Preez will get a taste of rugby with the world champions again when he wears the No 8 jersey against the Barbarians in Cape Town in a new-look loose trio for the side. He last donned the Green-and-Gold in August 2023, but his ambition to play for the side again never faded. Now, he is ready to embrace the chance to battle against the invitational side at the Cape Town Stadium (5.10pm start). “That desire was always there,” Du Preez said on Wednesday. “The Springboks were always at the back of my mind, and I will always tell myself if I play well for…

England captain Ben Stokes praised his side’s approach after they pulled off a remarkable five-wicket win over India in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday. Ben Duckett’s superb 149 paved the way for England’s ultimately comfortable pursuit of 371 on the last day, as Stokes’ men once more made light of a seemingly stiff chase with the dynamic batting that has been a hallmark of their play in the ‘Bazball’ era of coach Brendon McCullum. England twice conceded totals in excess of 350 in the first of this five-match series, but managed to inflict late-order collapses of 7/41 and 6/31 that proved costly for India. “There’s been a lot of skill that has contributed to us winning this Test match, but our attitude as well,” said Stokes. “Every session…