Cape Argus 2022-01-14

Michael O'Sullivan The Scream franchise began in 1996 as a piece of brilliant meta-horror: a slasher movie, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, that cleverly critiqued the conventions of the genre in a way that was genuinely scary, genuinely funny and, most important, fun. The idea of a masked serial killer who uses the arch insights of a slasher- movie fan to torment his victims, also slasher-movie fans, before killing them, was slyly, pleasurably circular. But by the time Scream 4 rolled around – the last instalment by its original collaborators before Craven’s 2015 death – the film-makers didn’t seem to care if we were laughing with their wit or at their laziness. Now, with the latest chapter (called simply Scream again, but with the centre of…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za PREMIER Alan Winde’s campaign calling on the national government to allow the national State of Disaster to expire has been boosted by the province’s health experts who say the fourth wave infections still appear to be subsiding. Speaking at the weekly health digital news conference, Winde said there was a growing body of evidence which showed that Covid-19 cases had “decoupled from hospitalisations and deaths”. This meant a notable decrease in patients who died from Covid-19 was recorded when the fourth wave was compared with the third wave. “Our experts have found that while there were 14% more cases than the third wave peak, new admissions are currently only at 63% of the third wave peak. Deaths also stand at only 24% of the third…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE sitting of Parliament where President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address (Sona) will be attended by 300 MPs and 70 guests to comply with Covid-19 protocols. Briefing the joint programme committee yesterday, National Assembly secretary Masibulele Xaso told the MPs from both Houses that the Sona would be held on February 10 in the City Hall. “This matter has been canvassed in meetings of the whippery and other meetings that have been held within the institution,” Xaso said. He also said up to 300 members from the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces would be in attendance physically. “The rest if the members will join virtually.” However, Xaso said guests invited to attend physically were members of the judiciary, premiers…

Willem Phungula willem.phungula@inl.co.za EMBATTLED Umkhonto we Sizwe spokesperson Carl Niehaus has instructed his lawyers to file papers in the Labour Court to force the ANC to pay his salary. This after the party failed to respond to several letters of demand by Niehaus’s legal team. The papers were expected to be filed yesterday. Niehaus said the ANC had been ignoring letters sent to it by his legal team to resolve the matter amicably, so he had instructed his attorneys to file papers, because he had no other option. On Tuesday, Phosa Loots Attorneys, which listed former ANC treasurer-general and Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa and Jaco Loots as directors, wrote a follow-up letter to the ANC Luthuli House manager Febe Potgieter reminding her about the letters they wrote to her on…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za Parliamentarians will receive a preliminary report on the fire that gutted the national legislature when the National Assembly committee on financial management of the institution meets today The planned meeting is a sequel to one held last week where many questions by MPs went unanswered after the administration asked to respond in writing. Briefing the joint meeting of programming committees for both Houses yesterday, chairperson of committees Cedric Frolick said acting secretary of Parliament Baby Tyawa would table her report at the scheduled meeting. “In the first meeting there were specific questions on the role of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) as well as security issues around Parliament. “There will be responses after acting secretary has given a detailed report in a Friday meeting…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za OPPOSITION parties in the provincial legislature are demanding that the State of the Province Address (Sopa) should have a platform where locals can participate and not just appear as invited guests. This after speaker, Masizole Mnqasela announced that this year, as part of his commitment to take the provincial legislature “closer to the people” the speech, which marks the opening of the provincial legislature would be hosted in Velddrif, in the Bergrivier municipal area on February 15. The event will be held in a hybrid format, with some members and guests in Velddrif and others in the chamber in Cape Town, or in their constituencies across the province. The official opening and Sopa will take place in the Velddrif Town Hall. On February 16, members of the…