Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-26 i Cape Argus

Deputy President Paul Mashatile yesterday said he will engage with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) to see if they can tap into the intelligence capability of the City of Cape Town to widen the fight against gang violence. “If the Western Cape or the City of Cape Town has got capability to work with NatJoints, I am sure they won't chase you away. I will engage with them because surely that resource is needed, but of course, you know, there are protocols,” Mashatile said. ANC MP Mwelo Nonkonyana had initially asked about measures to address systemic issues in policing and the justice system that hinder the arrest, prosecution and conviction of gang leaders. Mashatile was responding during a question-and-answer session in the National Council of Provinces and…

The two Ndimande brothers, who have been recently brought back to South Africa for the murders of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, are requesting information regarding their extradition. This was heard by the Durban Magistrates’ Court , where the brothers yesterday, Siyabonga Gezani and Malusi Dave, made their second appearance. After abandoning their attempt to stay in eSwatini at the end of October, the brothers were formally charged upon their arrival at King Shaka International Airport earlier this month. They were arrested in 2024 by the Royal eSwatini Police Service in Mbabane at a house they were renting. Forbes and Motsoane were shot dead outside Wish Restaurant in Durban’s Florida Road in February 2023. During the court proceedings, the brothers' representative, advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, informed the court that…

THE George Building collapse site, where 34 workers were killed and 28 injured in May 2024 has been placed on auction. This follows the George Municipality confirming earlier this month that it had to withdraw its claim for recovery costs of R10 million due to the owners, Neo Victoria Development’s state of liquidation. Yesterday, Chantelle Kyd, GOOD George councillor called for the municipality to intervene in the sale, saying the victims and families were owed the site for a memorial. “The online auction of the tragic George building collapse site, taking place today and tomorrow, is utterly unacceptable. The GOOD Party demands that the George Municipality immediately intervene so that this land be dedicated to a permanent memorial for the victims and their grieving families. “Their call for a memorial…

Petrus Roberts, Commissioner: Public Safety, Operational Co-ordination, also known as Robbie Roberts, faces political scrutiny and calls for accountability, following CCMA hearings which were dismissed regarding grievances made by staff of bullying, intimidation and victimisation. It is understood that he is facing a secondary hearing before the CCMA involving an independent commission of inquiry which officials have yet to confirm. In a response to the Cape Argus on the CCMA matter for arbitration, the City’s spokesperson, Luthando Tyhalibongo, confirmed the following: “The arbitrator dismissed the case on October 20, 2023 for want of jurisdiction with the following ruling: ‘The South African Local Government Bargaining Council lacks jurisdiction to arbitrate this dispute and the interest arbitration proceedings are therefore dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.’” When asked whether Roberts was facing…

As Black Friday (November 28) and Cyber Monday (December 1) approach, our phones and inboxes explode with messages shouting “Up to 90% OFF!” or “Only two left – hurry before it’s gone!” Apps like Temu, Shein, and many others use these kinds of messages every day – but they become especially aggressive on big sale weekends. It’s easy to believe these deals are all about helping shoppers save money. In reality, they are carefully designed to make us spend more. Behind every flashing banner and countdown clock is a good understanding of how the human mind works and how to trigger our emotions. The science behind the feeling When we see a big discount, our brains release a chemical called dopamine. This is the same “feel-good” chemical that is linked…

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane returns to north London today to face old rivals Arsenal, arguably in the best form of his career after dropping into a deeper role. Always a consistent goalscorer, the England captain has become a more complete player at Bayern, taking on additional creative and defensive responsibilities. The 32-year-old's form has been a major factor in Bayern’s remarkable start to the campaign. The German champions have won 17 and drawn one of their 18 games in all competitions this season, with Kane playing every match. Kane, who has scored 15 times in 21 matches against Arsenal, may be key to unlocking the Gunners’ stingy defence. Mikel Arteta’s side are the only team yet to concede in the Uefa Champions League this season, while in the Premier…

The Springboks’ Test against Wales on Saturday marks another step in hooker Johan Grobbelaar’s personal resurgence in the green and gold. After falling out of the Springbok setup earlier in the year, he has fought his way back, featuring regularly on the November tour and re-establishing himself in the national conversation following Bulls teammate Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ ban and veteran Bongi Mbonambi’s dip in selection. Grobbelaar has sat behind World Player of the Year Malcolm Marx over the last few weeks, but is likely to start in the No 2 jersey against Wales. He also started the Test against Italy in Turin and impressed after being forced to play almost the full 80 minutes following Franco Mostert’s red card. He will again be in the middle of the much-vaunted Bok scrum…

Everton survived an astonishing moment of madness at Old Trafford on Monday when Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping teammate Michael Keane to beat Manchester United 1-0. Senegal midfielder Gueye was given his marching orders by referee Tony Harrington in the 13th minute after putting his hand to Keane’s face following an angry altercation. The home crowd anticipated waves of attack but United failed to take advantage, proving toothless against David Moyes’ battling team. Instead, it was the 10-man visitors who seized the initiative, courtesy of a wonderful strike by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the 29th minute. United, missing injured forwards Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, huffed and puffed but could not find an equaliser despite twenty-five shots on goal to Everton’s three. Goalscorer Dewsbury-Hall, addressing the red-card incident after…

A Cape Town mother survived a kidnapping and hijacking in Gugulethu. Law enforcement and police rescued her from the vehicle along Baden Powell Drive, near Sonwabi beach, between Strandfontein and Muizenberg. The 34-year-old woman, who cannot be identified, was grateful to be alive and thanked the team for saving her. She is a case of hope, following a nationwide shutdown protest hosted by Women for Change on November 21, for gender-based violence (GBV) to be declared a state of disaster. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since announced that GBV is a global and national crisis. GBV activists have expressed their relief but emphasised that she was one of the rare fortunate cases, as 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is observed. In an exclusive interview, the…

As the annual 16 Days of Activism Campaign for No Violence Against Women and Children gets underway, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that a serial rapist will serve four life sentences and 63 years direct imprisonment after being convicted on four counts of rape. Sihle Makaula, 27, was sentenced in the Western Cape High Court where his victims told of their trauma suffered as a result of his abhorrent actions – including the rape of a minor. NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said Makaula entered a plea and sentencing agreement with the State. Makaula, who was linked to the crimes owing to a DNA breakthrough, started his reign of terror against three unsuspecting young women and a minor in the Siyanyanzela Informal Settlement, Grabouw, on July 29, 2019,…

EFF leader, Julius Malema, has written to the Parliamentary Speaker, Thoko Didiza, urging her to provide more resources to support and strengthen the capacity of the Ad Hoc committee probing allegations by KZN Police Commissioner, Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. On Monday, Malema said having an evidence leader, supported by only two junior staff members, was severely overstretched, with insufficient capacity to manage committee sessions, witness consultations and extensive documentation. “This level of under-resourcing now threatens the integrity of the committee’s work,” he said. Malema highlighted that the volume, sensitivity and complexity of the documentation before the committee require far greater administrative, legal, research and forensic support than what is currently provided. According to Malema, there have been poorly drafted witness statements, missing, incomplete, and inaccurate information; discrepancies that a properly capacitated…

Western Cape matrics write their final exams today, closing a smooth-running season that saw 112 papers completed across the province. A total of 1 470 candidates will sit for Agricultural Management Practices, Marine Sciences or Music Comprehension on the final day. Education MEC David Maynier praised the clean execution of the 2025 exam session. “The exam session has run smoothly this year, thanks to the exceptional management by our officials and school staff,” he said. “This is a massive administrative task, and we appreciate the support that the public has shown during the exams.” He saluted teachers for their dedication. “Thank you to our matric teachers who have worked tirelessly to prepare our candidates for these exams. Your support has built a strong foundation for your learners’ future lives and…

The provincial Department of Infrastructure (DOI) MEC faced another court loss as the Western Cape High Court rejected their attempt to appeal a R10.4 million judgment in favour of Tempani Construction. This recent decision represents a major setback in the department’s legal fight over payment for the Delft community day centre (Delft project), which was finished nearly six years ago. The Western Cape High Court also denied the MEC’s request to appeal the entire judgment and order issued on September 15. The court order was made, following an arbitration process, in which the MEC was ordered to pay the construction company the sum of R10 420 365.61 plus VAT. The project was completed in August 2017. Despite an adjudicator’s determination that payment was due, the MEC has repeatedly refused to…

When US President Donald Trump attacked South Africa during the recently concluded G20 summit, only a few European countries, namely the UK, Canada, Germany, and France, stood up for Pretoria. Disappointingly, most African countries remained in their corner and kept silent. To think that South Africa is a powerful African voice in global politics, as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as well as a long-standing member of the African Union (AU), brings up a lot of questions about African unity, so often spoken about during the AU’s annual meeting in Addis Ababa. The deafening silence from African peers has been consistent. In May, the South African delegation was ambushed at the White House when the Trump administration brought up the widely discredited theory of white “genocide”…

South Africans tend to live their best lives in December … excuse me, I meant to say “Dezemba”. “That’s January’s worries,” is one of our favourite things to say around the braai when the kids remind us about that stationery list. When we eventually take that list, we’re shocked that it has a page two. Now it’s panic stations — we have to go to the bank, or an uncle or aunty, to borrow money because a few tubes of Pritt cost the same as two six-packs of beer. That’s also how it used to be when it came to the Springboks’ succession planning before Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018. There was no succession plan for coaches and no long-term plan for players. The period between 2007 and 2010…

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has confirmed that the owner of a 14-year-old German Shepherd found in a state of extreme neglect in Strand last weekend, has been arrested. Jessie, who had lived her entire life in a home, was discovered lying motionless in the sand when the Animal Welfare Society (AWS) Helderberg responded to a cruelty complaint. Inspector Prosper Kanengoni found the dog unable to stand and in distress. According to the SPCA, Jessie was emaciated, had multiple infected wounds, showed signs of prolonged immobility and had advanced oral decay. Her breathing was laboured and every touch caused her pain. She was humanely euthanised shortly after inspectors determined she was beyond recovery. Last week, the AWS requested assistance from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, which collected…

Former CEO of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Collins Letsoalo was a no-show at the parliamentary inquiry probing maladministration, financial impropriety and misuse of public funds at the entity yesterday. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) set aside yesterday for Letsoalo’s appearance after serving him with a subpoena at his last known address. At the scheduled start of the meeting, the former RAF boss had not arrived, prompting the committee to hold a meeting to decide on the next step. Scopa decided last month to issue a summons to Letsoalo after he failed to respond to a final letter of demand aimed at securing his voluntary appearance. On Friday, it decided to re-issue a subpoena after persistent attempts to serve a summons through traditional methods fell short. An electronic…

Gender-based violence activists say new data on protection-order violations confirms what survivors have warned for years – the system meant to protect them is failing. Their alarm follows a damning DA release showing a 13.6% conviction rate in the Western Cape and mounting cases in which women were harmed or killed despite seeking court protection. The DA said it was “deeply concerned and disappointed at the persistent failures of SAPS to protect survivors who turn to the police for help”. A response by the SAPS to a DA parliamentary question revealed 47 457 charges for protection-order violations between 2020 and 2025 in the Western Cape, with just 6 486 convictions. “This equates to a 13.6% conviction rate, which is unacceptably low when the safety of those who have already sought…

PROFESSOR Tulio de Oliveira, best known locally for being one of the national and international experts fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and placing South Africa on the map for the discovery of the Omicron variant, has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for the second consecutive year (2024-2025) in the Cross-Field category. This has placed him among the top 1% of researchers globally and one of only 11 South Africans on the list. De Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University (SU) emphasised that this recognition reflects the collective effort of CERI and SU. “Being named a Highly Cited Researcher is not just a personal achievement; it represents the collective effort of my team at CERI and the vibrant research community at Stellenbosch…

When the Proteas arrived a fortnight ago, they carried with them the hefty baggage of not having won a Test in India for 15 years, let alone a series since the turn of the millennium. But such has been the events that have unfolded, that the Proteas could complete a 2-0 clean sweep. The only quibble during the second Test in Guwahati, is about how long they actually took to declare their second innings. It eventually came with an hour of play remaining yesterday, when captain Temba Bavuma called time after Tristan Stubbs’s dismissal for 94 with the Proteas on 260/5, setting India a world-record target of 549. It caused coach Shukri Conrad to injudiciously reference Tony Greig’s infamous “grovel” phrase, which the former England captain made ahead of the…

Stellenbosch FC defender Thabo Moloisane believes his side can recover from their challenging start to the season and return to the competitive form they displayed in recent campaigns. The Winelands outfit will shift focus from continental competitions to the Betway Premiership, facing Orbit College on Wednesday (7:30pm kick-off) at the Olympia Park Stadium. This match, their penultimate fixture of the calendar year, provides Stellies with an opportunity to regain ground and build momentum ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations break. Currently second from bottom in the league standings, Stellenbosch have struggled for consistency, particularly in the Betway Premiership. Their 1-0 win over Congo-Brazzaville side AS Otoho in the CAF Confederations Cup opener offered a much-needed boost, showing signs that the team can steer in a positive direction despite recent…