Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-07-02 i Cape Argus

With winter here, the season of initiation is in full swing. For many, initiation marks the sacred transition to adulthood, steeped in tradition and expectation. Yet, the release of Jeffrey Rakabe’s groundbreaking memoir, Led by Shepherds: An Initiate’s Memoir, presses society to rethink the narratives surrounding these deeply ingrained customs. In Led by Shepherds, Rakabe, who entered the Koma (initiation lodge) at just 12 years old, offers a raw and unfiltered recounting of his harrowing journey. Surviving 14 days without water while nursing wounds, he learned not merely to suppress pain but to endure a torturous experience that he believed would shape him into a man. “The first week in the Koma lodge dragged on, each day blending into the next in a haze of thirst and longing for home.…

AS THE school holidays are under way, community-based organisation Ilitha Labantu has urged parents and caregivers to remain vigilant following two separate incidents involving missing children in Cape Town. The minors, a 6-year-old girl from Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East and an 11-year-old girl from Delft, were both found safe yesterday after going missing over the weekend. Although both children were later located, Ilitha Labantu said the cases highlight persistent concerns around child safety and supervision, particularly during school holiday periods. In the first case, the 6-year-old girl was last seen playing with friends around 4pm on Saturday. Her mother said she was found yesterday morning by a woman living in Lower Crossroads. “She said she found my daughter around 8pm, she claimed she looked for me, and then…

A FORMER lecturer at the University of SA (Unisa) has lost a court case to get his job back after he unwillingly retired when he turned 65. Jan Walters Kruger, 72, retired in January 2019 and following his retirement, he approached the Labour Court in Johannesburg seeking reinstatement, alternatively, 24 months’ compensation. Kruger said that before retiring, in July 2018, he lodged a grievance with the employee relations directorate stating that compulsory retirement of 65 years was a violation of human rights as it discriminates adults based on their age. He received a response in September 2018 stating that the policy for termination of employment was adopted by all stakeholders in the Unisa bargaining council in July 2017. Kruger referred to Professor Neuland, who worked until he was 84,…

AMID a fractured and often polarised global response to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, one nation’s consistent voice has echoed through the years with resolute clarity: Türkiye. From humanitarian aid to diplomatic advocacy, Türkiye's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause is a cornerstone of its foreign policy and moral compass. Yet, despite the depth of this solidarity, a curious silence often surrounds it particularly on international social media platforms, where Türkiye's efforts are either downplayed, misrepresented, or altogether ignored. Türkiye's connection to Palestine is not a product of recent geopolitical calculations. It is rooted in historical, cultural, and religious bonds that stretch back centuries, particularly during the Ottoman era, when Jerusalem held a special administrative and spiritual status. But in modern times, this solidarity has taken powerful, tangible forms. At…

IN A heart-wrenching revelation that has rippled through South Africa, Makhadzi (real name Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona) has claimed she had a traumatic experience with gender-based violence. The award-winning artist recently took to Facebook to share a deeply personal account of an alleged assault at the hands of her boyfriend, shocking many fans and prompting important discussions about the pervasive issue of domestic violence in the country. In a now-deleted series of posts, Makhadzi shared graphic images of her injuries, underscoring the severity of the situation. “I was beaten like a chicken on Christmas Day. I will tell my story. Just know that my album, #OneWomanStanding, is coming. And it might be my last because they’ll kill me the moment I expose them,” she claimed, adding that her upcoming album contains secrets…

A FORMER Mitchell’s Plain sub-council manager accused of raping a 13-year-old girl heard that the date has finally been set for his trial. Raphael Martin returned to the Mitchell's Plain Regional Court yesterday, which heard that he has a new legal representative after previously running out of money to pay his old lawyer. Martin was busted nearly five years ago when the brave girl from Strandfontein broke her silence on the sex attacks. At the time, she was just 13 years old and told her parents that she had been raped multiple times over a three-year period by Martin who was a family friend. The court heard that Martin’s new lawyer asked for a postponement of the trial to receive further transcripts of the victim’s testimony heard in 2023 to…

SERIOUS concerns over governance failures, financial mismanagement, and the Road Accident Fund's (RAF) long-term sustainability has led Parliament to initiate a comprehensive inquiry into the institution. This was confirmed at a sitting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in Cape Town yesterday - a watershed moment for road accident victims, medical service providers, and legal professionals who have long suffered under the fund’s mismanagement. Scopa will investigate the financial state of the RAF, including irregular, wasteful, and fruitless expenditure, the legality and transparency of RAF accounting policies and reporting systems and the operational impact of recent decisions. This includes the agency’s governance and oversight, including the roles of the chief executive, Board, and Minister, as well as the lived consequences for victims and service providers, including delayed payments…

BANKS that want to repossess a vehicle in a case where the owner has fallen in arrears with the monthly instalments are obliged to comply with the National Credit Act (NCA) to ensure the consumer is aware that the bank is considering litigation. This was made clear by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in a case where Wesbank obtained an order by default against the vehicle owner, Charl Viljoen, because he never defended the matter in court. Viljoen told the court that he only heard a month after the order was made that his car was now repossessed. To make matters worse for him, the vehicle has meanwhile been sold at auction by the bank. He successfully turned to court to have the default judgment overturned, as he claimed he…

As much as one resents having to acknowledge it, the dilemma the DA faces regarding its further participation in the GNU is that President Ramaphosa appears to hold the key cards. On the grounds of ‘insubordination’ - because the DA refuses to participate in the farce called the National Dialogue - and given his baseless dismissal of DA deputy minister Chris Whitfield, there is nothing stopping Ramaphosa from dismissing the remaining DA ministers. The only benefit of remaining in the GNU is that at least the portfolios run by DA ministers are being well served, but beyond that, the GNU is the ANC’s vehicle. As Neil De Beer says, the GNU is the “Doomsday” of which the DA warned - except, I would add, it is travelling in the slow…

Europe is on fire. Europeans are sweltering under a blistering heatwave sweeping across the continent. Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece are bearing the brunt of it. There are wildfires in France, Italy, Greece, and Türkiye. El Granado in Spain reached a blistering high of 46 degrees Celsius, one degree higher than Seville's record high of 45 degrees last year. That is very hot. Even the English, Dutch, and Germans are having a torrid time. The Middle East is also sweltering, but it's normal for them. Meteorologists say that the sizzling temperatures are caused by a heat dome that has settled over Europe, trapping dry, hot air and humidity. It is like being baked in a pizza oven! Europeans are not used to high temperatures. They have a temperate climate…

Sleeping Beauty This classic fairytale, written by Gillian Jones, centres around a baby princess name Aurora, who got cursed by a mischievous and wicked fairy named Maleficent, who declares that on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. The cast includes Mackenzie Steyn, Carla Horn, Mark McAllister, Cayla Kriel, Sarah van Niekerk, Ameila du Toit, Françoise Kock, Eloine de Klerk, Erik van Zyl, Liam Allwood, Jan-Paul Dreyer and Jackson Kock. Where: The Playhouse Theatre When: Tomorrow until July 12. Show times differ, depending on the day. Back 2 Back This play follows two friends as navigate a 42-year friendship, all while trying to navigate life as old people. Starring Alistair Izobell and Loukmaan Adams in the leading roles, it explores themes of acceptance,…

THE mother of three who rescued 6-year-old Tyler Cupido from Parkwood from a possible drowning in a flooded street during severe weather conditions in Cape Town last week, has been commended by mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, for her act of heroism. Yaseerah Nelson, 34, from Lotus River who is part of the Klip Neighbourhood Watch, the Community In Blue, and is also contracted by the City for overseeing dumping sites, told the Cape Argus of how she jumped into action when she realised the child was in fact drowning. She had managed to rescue Tyler, a Grade R learner, from the flooded water and removed his school bag which kept him anchored in the water, and a plastic bag from his face which had blinded his…

A FORMER deputy director-general at the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DAC), who was fired after she tried to reveal the identity of a whistle-blower within the National Arts Council (NAC), turned to the Johannesburg Labour Court to get her job back. Kelebogile Sethibelo was dismissed in her absence in July 2019 after she failed to attend the disciplinary inquiry against her. Her dismissal followed two allegations of misconduct against her related to alleged attempts to reveal the identity of a whistle-blower and insubordination. Aggrieved with the dismissal, she referred a dispute to the bargaining council. Following unsuccessful attempts at conciliation, the matter came before an arbitrator, who ruled her dismissal to be fair. Unhappy with this finding, Sethibelo has turned to the Labour Court. In an investigation conducted…

AS MINISTER Thembi Simelane tables the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) budget vote today(wed), South Africa’s low-income households contend with an acute shortage of formal housing stock. According to data analysed by Lightstone, a provider of analytics and systems on property, there was one property for 4.8 households earning under R13 000 a month. The ratio improved to 3.3 households for every one formal property if the salary threshold moved to R26 000 a month, said Hayley Ivins-Downes, the managing executive for real estate at Lightstone Property. For higher income groups, this ratio was closer to 1.2 to 1. “Either way, more than 80% of South Africa’s households earned under R26 000 per month, which meant affordability remained a major obstacle to most households having a property to call…

Almost a fortnight ago, 200 Israeli fighter jets roared through the Iranian skies to herald the launch of Operation Rising Lion in a deadly display of expert co-ordination and precision timing, attacking Iran’s nuclear sites. Then, big brother, the US, joined the partnership with deadly bunker bombs hitting three sites with great devastation. No sooner had the firepower started than it died down, with US boss Donald Trump brokering a ceasefire. Amongst all the death and destruction, a plan was hatched by the Israelis to get rid of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But when the Israelis approached rabble-rouser and dyspeptic Trump, himself the victim of an assassination attempt, with their alleged plot, Trump played it down! The Jewish prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, when approached for comment, merely lamented,…

YOUR Monday edition, ''Let's heighten awareness about marine pollution" refers. Well done to Deputy Minister Narend Singh and to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. This department used to be the Cinderella of government and certainly didn’t deliver on its promises. Now with the partnership between Minister Dion George and Deputy Minister Narend Singh we are seeing enormous steps taken to have a green future. This partnership between the Minister and his Deputy is delivering in leaps and bounds and is not waiting for talk shops and other forms of delaying tactics. To my sense of urgency, the management of waste cannot wait at all and the collaboration with the public has been seen across the board. I salute Dion George and Narend Singh on everything…

Embarrassed and in debt, Edwin was left reeling after losing $16 000 to CryptoBridge Exchange (CBEX), one of the crypto-trading platforms preying on investors in Africa. Edwin, a Kenyan government worker who only gave his first name out of shame, first encountered CBEX on Telegram, a messaging app. He was lured with promises of guaranteed monthly returns made possible by AI-powered trading systems, with lucrative referral bonuses – classic hallmarks of Ponzi schemes. “I had very big plans. But I was conned both by the platform and an agent who lied he could help recover my money,” Edwin said. When he began investing last August, there were initial returns, leading him to invest more despite lacking prior cryptocurrency trading experience. In total, he believes he lost roughly $16 000), mostly…