Table of contents for 2026-04-02 in Cape Argus

Jury Duty started as a gamble. In 2023, a solar panel contractor named Ronald Gladden showed up for jury duty at a courthouse near San Diego. He had been asked to participate in a documentary about the trial. It seemed a little odd, but Gladden adjusted just fine to having the cameras rolling and answering questions from the film-makers about how the case was unfolding. The twist? Everyone besides Gladden was an actor. The increasingly outlandish events he experienced were (partially) scripted. What happened next was a bigger surprise. After a muted debut, Jury Duty became a surprise hit through word-of-mouth buzz and TikTok edits. Viewers loved Gladden, a steadfast and sweet everyman weathering bizarre situation after bizarre situation, but they were also drawn to the high-wire concept. If…

THE Western Cape High Court has issued a final interdict, stopping further plans to build a mortuary at the historic Mowbray Muslim Cemetery. Judge Gayaat Da Silva Salie issued the order restraining the Muslim Cemetery Board from constructing, completing, operating, or maintaining any mortuary facility on the property. The order followed an application by Dr Tolgah Bassier, who challenged the conduct of the Board, which administers the cemetery. The cemetery has historically been administered as a communal religious institution, associated with the burial of members of the Muslim community in accordance with Islamic rites, including the ritual washing of the deceased (ghusl) and burial in a burial shroud known as “kafan”. The property bears the characteristics of an endowment (waqf) and is dedicated to a defined religious purpose. “The characterisation…

THE City’s safety and security directorate has emerged as a major focus of Cape Town’s 2026/27 draft budget with a record R6.8 billion allocation, eliciting strong reaction from opposition parties, including criticism of what has been described as a “militarised” approach to safety. The spending forms part of the City’s broader “City of Hope” budget, which includes a R40 billion three-year infrastructure programme and positions safety as a pillar of service delivery and economic growth. According to the City, the R6.8bn safety budget for 2026/27 is the largest in its history. The allocation includes funding for policing personnel, technology and co-ordinated operations. Officials said the City has expanded its policing workforce over the current term, along with investments in CCTV, drones and automated licence plate recognition systems. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis…

CAPE Town cardiologist Dr Wouter Basson, who gained notoriety as the head of a secretive chemical and biological warfare programme during apartheid, will have to further face disciplinary proceedings against him. This comes after the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, this week dismissed his application for a permanent stay of the proceedings before the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA). In December 2013, Basson was found guilty of unprofessional conduct following a disciplinary hearing that investigated complaints related to his actions in the early 1980s, when he led the apartheid government’s chemical and biological warfare initiative, known as Project Coast. His sentencing proceedings began in January 2015, but were halted due to a number of factors, including legal proceedings for the recusal of committee members. The proceedings against him have not…

If Blessed be the fruit still sends a chill down your spine, then you already know The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t play around. The red cloaks, the silence, the tension, the way May the Lord open somehow became one of the most unsettling greetings on TV. Gilead had viewers hooked and slightly on edge at all times. And just know this, the world of Gilead is not done putting viewers through it. And no, this is not your “watch while scrolling your phone” kind of show. It’s heavy, it’s unsettling, and it will have you staring at the screen in silence more than once. The original series, based on The Handmaid’s Tale, built its reputation on telling uncomfortable truths. With standout performances from Elisabeth Moss and Ann Dowd, it pulled viewers…

A WESTERN Cape teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a learner has been cleared of charges following an arbitration process, with an independent arbitrator finding the evidence against her was not credible. In the award issued by the Education Labour Relations Council, senior commissioner Retief Olivier found the teacher was not guilty of misconduct related to alleged sexual offences involving a learner at Emil Weder Secondary School in Genadendal. The ruling followed a Section 188A inquiry conducted in terms of the Labour Relations Act. The teacher faced two charges, including allegations that she engaged in a relationship with a learner and sent inappropriate messages, referred to as ‘sexting’ in arbitration papers. She denied the allegations. The case, heard over multiple sittings between October 2024 and January this year,…

THE army is supposed to be out in full force on the Cape Flats, but that hasn’t stopped the bloodshed. On the first day of the SANDF’s deployment yesterday, two men were shot and killed inside a Hanover Park shack. The two victims were identified as 25-year-old Tougheed, known locally as Mow, and 33-year-old Taswil “Tebba”. A video circulating on social media shows one of the victims being transported to a medical facility by a private vehicle, but he was declared dead on arrival. A family member of Tougheed said the men did not live in the shack, but stayed in the area. The source explained: “We are sad, but we are glad he is in a better place. I don’t know the other guy who was shot, but the…

AN AUDITOR General report has found that systemic weaknesses in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has allowed 822 deceased students and thousands of ineligible persons to receive funding. The report highlighted the serious irregularities, showing that more than 14 000 students with household incomes above the eligibility threshold were also receiving funding. In an interview on Newzroom Afrika,Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Nomosa Dube-Ncube, said the department has instructed the NSFAS board to provide a turnaround plan detailing what went wrong. She said a lapsed contract with Home Affairs prevented proper verification of students’ identities, contributing to the inclusion of deceased students on the funding list. “It cannot be that they did not have any other measures that they were able to detect these wrongful students,…

AS CAPE Town residents rushed to fill their tanks ahead of the latest petrol price increase, for many, the real impact is beginning to sink in as fears grow over rising transport costs, food prices and daily expenses. At a petrol station in Kloof Street, the hours before midnight brought a surge of anxious motorists trying to beat the hike. “The rush was very hectic. Everyone wanted to get their tanks full before the price went up,” said petrol station manager Vengai Chinoingira. “We just hope that the government can intervene so that price won’t climb much higher than what it is now.” Across the city, that concern is shifting from the pumps to people’s pockets. In the Cape Town CBD, Lekholo Moniwe said the increase is already weighing on…

THE golden currency in football has always been goals — placing the ball in the back of the net and taking chances when they arise. At the moment, Bafana Bafana’s goalscoring stocks are trading at an all-time low. Despite impressive build-up work from the midfielders, the cutting edge in the final third has gone walkabout. The culpability does not lie solely with the admittedly out-of-form frontman, Lyle Foster, as the final ball through to the No 9 has not always been of the highest quality. Bafana held their own against Panama — who are ranked more than 30 places higher — across the two friendlies played in Durban and Cape Town. However, they could only come away with a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 defeat, respectively. Having suffered his first…

There was no shortage of information this past week as Bafana Bafana’s Group A opponents wrapped up their latest international window, each telling a very different story ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Hugo Broos' men recorded a defeat and a draw in back-to-back encounters against Panama as they stepped up preparations for the global showpiece. While Mexico leaned into control, Czechia relied on resilience, and South Korea raised alarm bells, the contrast in form is already shaping how this group could unfold. Mexico Mexico’s latest results offer a consistent, if slightly frustrating, picture: a 0–0 stalemate against Portugal followed by a 1–1 draw with Belgium. Two draws against top-tier European opposition underline a team that is tactically disciplined and defensively sound. They are not conceding freely, nor are…

MORE than a decade after GF Jooste Hospital in Manenberg was closed and demolished, construction on a replacement facility has yet to begin, with no timeline in place. The delay has renewed concern about healthcare access on the Cape Flats, where residents continue to travel long distances for treatment and nearby hospitals remain under pressure. Community pastor, Oscar Bougardt, said the impact of the hospital’s absence is still being felt across Manenberg, Hanover Park and Heideveld. “Every year that the rebuilding process is delayed means thousands of vulnerable residents remain without a nearby emergency facility,” he said. Bougardt said the closure placed additional strain on surrounding hospitals, contributing to overcrowding and long waiting times. The hospital, once a key trauma facility serving large parts of the Cape Flats, was decommissioned…

AT AN AGE when many are slowing down, Dr Retha Smit has reached one of the highest academic milestones, proving that perseverance and purpose can outlast time. The 67-year-old was awarded her PhD in psychiatry from Stellenbosch University (SU) on March 26, a moment that marked the culmination of a journey decades in the making. Her story is one of resilience, sacrifice and an unwavering belief in lifelong learning. “I had already set a clear goal when I enrolled as a first-year student in 2012, to obtain my PhD. Age was never a factor for me,” Smit said. “Reaching this milestone has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I feel both proud and thankful to have achieved this goal. “This achievement shows that with perseverance, a…

ADVOCATE Nomgcobo Jiba, the former acting National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), has denied allegations of interference concerning the investigations into the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases during her tenure at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Jiba, during her appearance before the commission of inquiry into alleged political interference with the TRC cases, chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe, clarified her position amidst an ongoing inquiry into the missing docket related to the Cradock Four case. She testified that even after she departed from the NPA, she was never asked about the disappearance of the Cradock Four docket. She went on to explain that it wasn’t until much later that she became aware of the missing docket, only realising it when she received a notice from the TRC Cases Commission.…

Executive Chairman of the Sekunjalo Group Dr Iqbal Survé, has strongly condemned recent articles published by News24 and Daily Maverick, describing them as defamatory and part of a “malicious propaganda campaign aimed at damaging his reputation and business interests”. The articles concerned a recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) matter relating to Sekunjalo’s historical relationship with the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU). Survé and the Sekunjalo Group have indicated their intention to issue summons for defamation and damages against the media houses and the journalists involved, citing what they describe as a pattern of false and misleading reporting, the company said in a statement released, yesterday. The statement further set the record straight on the Independent Media acquisition and set out the factual chronology relating to the…

Proteas Women’s captain Laura Wolvaardt admitted her team “didn't really have answers" for her New Zealand counterpart Amelia Kerr in the White Ferns’ world-record run-chase in the second ODI at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday. The Proteas’ posted a mammoth 346/6, courtesy of half-centuries from Anneke Bosch (91 off 90 balls), Wolvaardt (69 off 74 balls) and Chloe Tryon (52 not out off 25 balls), but could were stunned by Amelia Kerr’s magnificent unbeaten 179 off 139 balls that steered her team home with two balls to spare. The Kiwis’ record-breaking effort eclipsed India’s 341/5 against Australia in last year’s World Cup as the highest successful chase in Women’s ODIs. “We didn't really have answers for Kerr. She batted brilliantly. Sort of had answers to everything that we threw…