Cape Argus 2021-12-31

Emily Yahr Many of this year’s celebrity apologies, like so much else in 2021, were pretty bleak. Justin Timberlake offered an overdue apology for his treatment of Britney Spears and Janet Jackson. Morgan Wallen posted an apology video when he was caught saying the n-word. DaBaby apologised for his homophobic comments. Chrissy Teigen said she was “ashamed and completely embarrassed” about her past bullying tweets. However, as usual, there were also plenty of stars opening up their Notes app or frantically calling their publicists for more, shall we say, bizarre situations … proving that even as a global pandemic continues, their antics cannot be stopped. Here were some of the weirdest things they apologised for this year: Made fun of BTS fans CBS late-night host James Corden has been…

Gontse Riet gontse.riet@inl.co.za PROVINCIAL Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile has welcomed the sentence imposed on Gomezgani Banda, 25, for the rape of two minors in August last year. Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said the dedication of detectives attached to the Family Violence, Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) to bring the accused to book paid off when Banda was sentenced by the Wynberg Regional Court to an effect 20 years’ imprisonment on two counts of rape, on December 14. “These devious acts were perpetrated in August 2020 when the accused raped two minors aged 8 and 9. The sentences will run concurrently,” said Van Wyk. Patekile has also called on the victims of sexual offences to report cases to their nearest police station in order to ensure that…

Gontse Riet gontse.riet@inl.co.za ENFORCEMENT and emergency services will be focusing on public spaces and party hot spots in the lead up to New Year’s Day celebrations. Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said enforcement and emergency services were gearing up for an increase in visitors to public spaces and party spots. “Beaches will be a particular focus area, but City swimming pools and other public amenities too,” said Smith. The public is reminded that they have to abide by the disaster management regulations in place. “The discharge of fireworks is not permitted without a permit, and the City no longer provides designated fireworks areas. “Alcohol is also not permitted on the City’s beaches or any other public space,” said Smith. Mayco member for community services and…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za The Jacob Zuma Foundation says it is concerned that the SAPS is moving at a snail’s pace in investigating criminal charges its patron, former president Jacob Zuma, has laid against National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) advocate Billy Downer SC. In October, Zuma turned to the Pietermaritzburg police station to lay criminal charges against Downer, who he has accused of leaking confidential information about his arms deal corruption trial and the state of his health. In his affidavit to the police, Zuma alleged that Downer, the senior NPA prosecutor who first successfully prosecuted Schabir Shaik (Zuma’s former financial adviser, who is accused of bribing him together with Thales, a French arms firm), started the patterns of the leaks to the media and CIA spies as early as 2001. It…

Sonri Naidoo sonri naidoo@inl.co.za THE SA National Civic Organisation in the North West has condemned the chilling murder of a teenage girl whose decomposed body was discovered in the room she was reportedly renting with her boyfriend in Lomanyaneng village near Mahikeng. The body of 15-year-old Tshegofatso Agnes Matibako was discovered last Thursday in a two-room house after neighbours noticed flies in the window and called the police. “After breaking the padlock, we finally gained access into the house. The deceased’s body, which was in a bad state of decomposition, was found lying naked on the mattress in one of the rooms. The deceased was identified by her brother as Tshegofatso Agnes Matibako,” said police spokesperson Captain Sam Tselanyane. Tselanyane said that Matibako’s boyfriend, a Lesotho national, was a person…

Hundreds file past simple pine coffin to honour the Arch, ‘last of the great giants’ of the Struggle Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za HUNDREDS of people from all walks of life braved a steady morning drizzle in central Cape Town yesterday to pay their last respects to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as his body lay in state at St George’s Cathedral before his funeral tomorrow. For many, filing past the simple wooden coffin was a personal pilgrimage in tribute to a man they admired and loved. Capetonian Bradley Hermans said: “He’s the last of the great giants and I am fortunate enough to live in the province where he resided. I saw it as a blessing and an honour to be here, and I had said that come rain or shine I…