Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-07-09 i Cape Argus

TRIBUTES have poured in for the Western Cape’s first mayor of colour – a diplomat and founder member of the Mitchell’s Plain Development Action Collective (MPDAC) and former ambassador to Canada and Tanzania – Theresa Solomon, who died at the age of 79. Solomon passed away on Monday, surrounded by her family. Fondly known as “Com T” or “T”, born in 1945, Solomon dedicated her life to the struggle for justice and equality. She was the deputy mayor of Cape Town between 1995 and 1996 and the mayor from 1996 to 1998. “The Solomon family moved to Woodlands in 1979 where she was involved in numerous campaigns such as the bus boycott, advocating for a school in Tafelsig and opposing rent increases,” MPDAC said. “She was instrumental in community…

A 56-YEAR-OLD man arrested by the Hawks for allegedly making racial and violent statements on social media, threatening to incite violence against black people, has been granted R1 000 bail. Cameron Baya made his first appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court yesterday, where he faced charges under the Contravention of the Cybercrimes Act and Contravention of Riotous Assemblies Act. He is expected back in the dock in September. Hawk’s spokesperson, Siyabulela Vukubi, confirmed Baya’s appearance in court and that he was granted bail. “The matter was postponed to September 16,” he said. Vukubi said that on March 28, the Hawks's Crimes Against the State unit received intelligence from a foreign agency regarding an individual who made racial and violently charged statements on social media. “The user allegedly made threats…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat of higher tariffs on BRICS nations, which has sparked a heated debate about the future of global trade and economic stability. At a recent summit in Rio de Janeiro, the 11-nation bloc, which includes South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India and China, criticised Trump’s imposed tariffs. In response, Trump accused the group of “anti-Americanism” and pledged an additional 10 percent tariff on their goods. Ramaphosa said Trump’s efforts to “punish” the bloc were disappointing. “BRICS does not seek to compete with any other power,” Ramaphosa said on Monday. “The bloc advocates for the emergence of various centres of power in the world,” he said. Ramaphosa emphasised that the BRICS bloc’s goal is to promote cooperation and advance humanity’s interests, not to…

The ANC has urged Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to give a full and comprehensive report to the party on the allegations that he is involved in corruption. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party was expecting Mchunu to provide answers after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims. Mkhwanazi held a media briefing on Sunday, where he made explosive revelations, stating that investigations have unearthed a crime syndicate involving underworld figures, politicians, prosecutors, judges, and senior police officers. He named Mchunu as being one of those involved. Mbalula said the ANC is embarking on a renewal process and would not tolerate corruption and misconduct. “We have not met with comrade Senzo in this particular instance. I am fully confident he will engage with the leadership of the ANC and in…

If families truly thrived and functioned well outside the presence and participation of men in the family structure, would creation and evolution have designed reproduction differently? From the genesis and formation of life and a biological standpoint, women need to procreate with men to form a foetus. Men can continue to father children throughout their lives, unlike women, who have a limited fertile window. Biology may make fathers indispensable for conception, but what about upbringing? Contemporary data suggests their ongoing presence matters just as much. While children may come into the world through the procreation of two, they ultimately are born into and for a community. The quality of the father is not absent from the contributions and the environment in which the father finds themselves or chooses. According…

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka fought back from the brink of a shock Wimbledon exit to reach the semi-finals with a gutsy 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 victory over Germany's Laura Siegemund on Tuesday. Sabalenka twice trailed by a break in the final set on Centre Court and was just two games from defeat before staging a stirring revival to win in two hours and 54 minutes of relentless tension. The 27-year-old Belarusian is into the semi-finals at the All England Club for the third time, having previously fallen at that stage in 2021 and 2023. Beaten in the Australian and French Open finals earlier this year after claiming the 2024 US Open crown, Sabalenka remains on track to contest a fourth consecutive Grand Slam final. She will face either American 13th…

RESIDENTS of the Atlantic Seaboard have expressed growing concern over the continuous demolition of heritage buildings to make way for apartment blocks. Their latest appeal and disapproval concern two 60-year-old properties located at 29 and 31 St Johns Road, Sea Point. The properties are under the development of well-known property giants, whose name is known to the Cape Argus. Queries to them have yet to receive a response. The destruction and demolition process of the buildings has been met with concern by residents, who are appealing its process. One of the residents’ representatives, Lindsay Rogers, said they were concerned that the historic Victorian and Art Deco buildings are being lost to overdevelopment, not rejuvenation, leading to multi-storey apartment blocks with insufficient parking. Rogers said residents are forced to fund costly…

SEXUAL harassment complainant Andiswa Mengo was labelled to have “selective amnesia” by former Judge President Selby Mbenenge as he continued his testimony at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal yesterday. Judge Mbenenge is accused of having engaged in untoward and sexually-driven Whatsapp conversations between himself and Mengo over a period of time, which he conceded were “flirtatious” and “deeply sensual”, but defended himself saying these were consensual conversations, Before proceedings concluded yesterday, Jude Mbenenge confirmed that he had lodged a criminal complaint of crimen injuria against Mengo, which he said showed his commitment to dispute what he was alleged to have done. This was coupled with an apology. “It is embarrassing to me that clandestine chats between two adults came into the public domain. I regret that it happened and I can…

A ROUTINE day on the job turned into a high-speed pursuit through the streets of Mitchell’s Plain when a Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA officer uncovered a disturbing case of animal cruelty and refused to back down. While conducting wildlife collections in the area on Monday, CoGH SPCA Wildlife Rescue Officer Stephen Benjamin encountered a cart being pulled by a pony, carrying three occupants and various pieces of vehicle scrap. Concerned about the animal’s condition, Benjamin stopped the cart to conduct a welfare inspection. CoGH SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, said from the outset, the occupants were unco-operative and obstructive. “On closer inspection, officer Benjamin discovered that the pony had severe wounds on his side, consistent with injuries caused by an ill-fitted harness and cart rubbing against the animal’s skin.…

The Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province. The Changsha meeting, held last month, invoked the spirit of Bandung, calling on the Global South to unite in confronting contemporary global instability embedded in historical structural injustices that have exploited disunity within the Global South. China is the world’s second-largest economy, while the African continent is home to the largest number of developing countries. With an estimated combined population of over three billion people, Africa and China together form the backbone of the Global South, and a significant demographic and economic share of the world. While the two sides have immensely strengthened diplomatic and economic ties over the past two decades, and…

BANYANA Banyana are on course to emulate their previous success at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after starting the ongoing tournament strongly. Banyana beat Ghana 2-0 at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco, Monday as they climbed to the top of Group C. The Desiree Ellis-coached team wrapped up the match in the first half, courtesy of Linda Motlhalo’s penalty and a close-range finish from Jermaine Seoposenwe. Banyana breathed a heavy sigh of relief after the victory as they arrived at the tournament with the odds stacked against them defending their title. The players had staged a stay-in upon their arrival in Casablanca, citing they were owed money by the South African Football Association (Safa) relating to preparation friendlies. Upon returning to training, they were inadvertently impacted by the…

WHEN Wiaan Mulder's professional career started, he was still a high school student at St Stithians. His skill was good enough to start his professional career with the Lions. However, at 18 years old at the time, Mulder had a long way to go and entering the Lions dressing room would have been intimidating for any youngster. Mulder needed a mentor, an experienced Lions player that would take him under his wing and show him the ropes as a professional cricketer. Lions captain, Dominic Hendricks, became that mentor for Mulder. In an exclusive interview with Independent Media, Hendricks highlighted how Mulder's preparation was undercooked when he burst onto the professional set-up and how their chat helped him (Mulder) raise his training standards to meet what is required to succeed at…

THE man alleged to be a taxi hitman linked to a string of violent attacks in the Western Cape, has abandoned his bail application. Vuyolwethu “Yesu” Tshukela appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he informed the court that he would no longer be seeking his release on bail. He is set to return to court on August 8. Originally from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape,Tshukela was arrested in Welkom in the Free State last month after evading police for several months. He initially faced four charges, including murder, attempted murder, and extortion. However, the State has significantly expanded its case against him. Last week, the State confirmed that 14 additional charges had been added after consultation with a senior advocate. These now include kidnapping, assault with intent to…

AGRICULTURE Minister John Steenhuisen yesterday said he was looking forward to working with Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau to seek a way to avoid the US 30% tariff for the agricultural sector. Presenting the department’s budget in the National Assembly, Steenhuisen noted that US President Donald Trump sent a letter to a number of countries, including South Africa, announcing his intention to persist with the 30% tariff on South African goods and produce exported into the US from August 1. He said the agricultural sector remained particularly exposed in areas of citrus, wine nuts and table grape. “Now more than ever it highlights the need for urgent reforms in South Africa so that we can ensure our economy meets the requirements of our trading partners around the world.…

AT JUST 18 years old, Fish Hoek’s Madelin Johnston has achieved a rare feat – earning the highest awards from both Scouts South Africa and Girl Guides South Africa. A member of both the 1st Fish Hoek Sea Scouts and the 1st Fish Hoek Rangers, Johnston was recently awarded the prestigious Springbok Scout and Protea Ranger awards – the top accolades in each organisation. To earn them, she completed a range of demanding challenges. These included leading a two-night hike through the Cape Point Nature Reserve with four younger Scouts; organising a two-night adventure camp for both groups; and overseeing the large-scale construction of a 13m bridge across the Zandvlei slipway, using only rope and wooden poles. She also hosted a cooking competition with an orienteering twist for her Ranger…

The issue of SAPS officers being found under the influence of alcohol is deeply concerning. Unfortunately, this problem continues to persist, despite ongoing public concern, and it significantly undermines the integrity of the police force. Such behaviour does a disservice to the many dedicated individuals who aspire to serve their communities and our country. Numerous incidents have highlighted this ongoing challenge. For instance, a video that circulated on social media in 2021 showed an allegedly intoxicated SAPS officer passed out on the side of the road. In another instance, a police officer was seen struggling to speak while sitting on a public bench and then fell backwards onto the ground. More recently, we encountered a TikTok video allegedly showing a police officer appearing to be intoxicated. Additionally, a few years…

Prior to departing for Zimbabwe after the emotion of scaling their Everest by winning the World Test Championship at Lord’s, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad would have made a mental note of the objectives he hoped his team would achieve in the land of Chevrons. Much of it would have been to get his players back to ground zero, and that the youngsters afforded an opportunity in the absence of several starters from the WTC Final would take their chances to deepen the talent pool that Conrad has to select from for the prospective tougher contests in the subcontinent later this year. The boxes were duly ticked with Conrad pleased his team maintained their high-performance levels throughout both Test matches. “I think the important and the most impressive thing for me…

Star Proteas netball duo Refiloe “Fifi” Nketsa and Owethu “Sammy” Ngubane teamed up with former skipper Bongi Msomi to give kids from two Kokstad schools a fighting chance in the coming DStv Schools Netball Challenge. The pupils from Shaya Moya Secondary and Thembalethu Secondary will represent KwaZulu-Natal at the national under-19 tournament at Hoerskool Dr EG Jansen in Johannesburg on July 26 and 27. They were inspired by the Puma ambassadors’ stories of their rise to the top from similarly impoverished backgrounds. They were then taken through their paces in drills and other training exercises on a bitterly cold Monday morning in the small town in the shadow of Mount Currie, southern KZN. For Nketsa, in particular, the clinic represented a full-circle moment as she went to school at Shaya…

Liverpool’s stars returned to training on Tuesday for the first time since the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota. The Premier League champions had postponed the start of their pre-season schedule after Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva were killed in a car crash in northern Spain last Thursday. Manager Arne Slot and several senior members of the squad attended Jota’s funeral in his hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, on Saturday. Among the players pictured arriving at the AXA Training Centre were Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. Salah paid tribute to his team-mate on Instagram, admitting he was dreading the return to Melwood without Jota. “Teammates come and go, but not like this,” he wrote. “It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when…