Table of contents for 2026-04-17 in Cape Argus

This weekend in Cape Town promises a vibrant mix of energy, from high-octane boxing and racing to mindful art sessions and thrift havens. Whether you’re looking to break a sweat or find a vintage gem, the Mother City has you covered. The Waterfront Canal Challenge (WCC) Dive into Africa’s only urban timed canal swim. This unique endurance event takes swimmers through the scenic canals of the V&A Waterfront. It’s a fantastic opportunity for both competitive athletes and spectators to enjoy a high-energy morning in a world-class setting. Proceeds support local development and empowerment initiatives championed by the Rotary Club of Waterfront. Where: V&A Waterfront Canals. When: Saturday from 7am to 2pm. TimBuild Spookhill Challenge Head to Somerset West for a scenic 5km or 15km run. The route features steady climbs…

A RESULT changed on paper cannot restore the moment it replaced. Two male runners who finished in the Women’s Top 10 of the Two Oceans Marathon half marathon have been disqualified after competing with race numbers registered to female entrants, in an incident that briefly appeared to alter the race’s public standings. Karin-Mari Dötze said she crossed the finish line believing she had secured a place among the top 10 women, a milestone she and her coach had targeted after a breakthrough performance the year before. “When I finished I heard the commentator saying I am top 10, and my support at the end of the race made it very clear as well. “My phone was going crazy. It felt so unreal but real at the same time. I was…

The Western Cape taxi industry has renewed urgent calls for peace, warning that continued violence could damage both the sector’s reputation and its ability to operate effectively. Leaders from the province’s two largest taxi associations, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta), gathered in Khayelitsha on Wednesday, to introduce the newly elected provincial leadership of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco). Addressing the gathering, leaders from both associations cautioned that ongoing disputes are placing innocent lives at risk. They stressed that the safety of commuters, drivers, and women should never be compromised. Codeta chairperson Nceba Enge condemned the violence between rival groups, stating that it continues to undermine growth and development in the industry. Violence linked to rivalry between taxi groupings has…

THE Western Cape High Court has absolved a dog owner of liability after determining that a man’s fractured ankle was not the result of a dog attack. The court narrowed the matter to a single legal question: whether the bite from a dog owned by Shaun Errol Bergstedt caused the fractured ankle suffered by William Henry Rhode. The court ultimately found that it did not, concluding that the fracture resulted from Rhode’s own fall after the dog had already been secured. The case stemmed from an incident in which Bergstedt’s dog escaped from his property and bit Rhode on the ankle. Both parties agreed that the bite occurred and caused two puncture wounds. However, Rhode later claimed the incident also led to a fractured ankle and sought damages of about…

THE MK Party has become the latest party to reject the appointment of veteran politician Roelf Meyer, who served as a key National Party Minister during the apartheid era, as South Africa’s Ambassador to the US. The party said that while it does not reject individuals based on race or past political labels alone, historical responsibility and political accountability cannot be ignored when determining who should represent the democratic will and aspirations of the people of South Africa on the global stage. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the appointment on Tuesday night, sparking significant criticism and debate across the political spectrum. Meyer was a member of Parliament from 1979 to 1997. As the Minister of Constitutional Affairs under FW de Klerk, he was the lead negotiator for the National Party. He…

TENSIONS flared in Delft this week as unhappy residents protested against the construction of a church they claim is too close to their homes. The builders were told to stop digging on Tuesday as aggrieved residents said the church should be moved further away from their boundary, while others claimed they don’t want it to be built at all. The residents said they fear that emergency services won’t be able to access their homes. A resident, Hilton Muller, said the residents moved into their homes in 2016, and since then, they have been having issues with the pastor of the church. He said he applied for the same piece of land as he wanted to use it for recreational purposes, such as a community hall, a playpark or a creche…

Kaizer Chiefs’ chances of finishing in the Top 3 have gathered momentum after winning five games in a row this week. However, given the high spirits in camp, the team is not ruling out a potential runners-up finish in the Betway Premiership. Chiefs thrashed Magesi 4-1 at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday night to secure five consecutive league wins – their best run since winning eight in a row during the 2019/20 season under Ernst Middendorp. The victory cemented Chiefs’ third place on the log with 45 points after 23 rounds of matches. They trail second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have played one game more, by 10 points. With Chiefs set to face Pirates in the return leg of their league clash at FNB Stadium on April 26, Amakhosi…

So much has happened since the halcyon days of the ICC Women’s World Cup final when the Proteas and India met at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai last November. The focus has naturally shifted from 50-overs to the shorter format with the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup on the horizon. India have flourished in the interim, hosting the Women’s Premier League (WPL), whitewashing Sri Lanka in a five-match series, before an historic 2-1 triumph over Australia on their own soil Down Under. On the other end of the scale, Laura Wolvaardt’s Proteas have lost five of their last six T20Is against Pakistan and New Zealand. The obvious deduction would therefore be that the visitors should start as overwhelming favourites in the much-anticipated five-match T20I series that gets…

EERSTE River continues to emerge as one of the most accessible and fast-growing residential nodes in Cape Town, making it an ideal location for first-time buyers and investors. Owner of ARC Development, Ridwaan Abrahams, said Eerste River is strategically located with easy access to major routes like the N2 and R300, close to key economic hubs such as Bellville, Stellenbosch, and Cape Town CBD, seeing a growing demand for quality, affordable housing, boasts strong community infrastructure with schools, transport, and retail nearby. He said that affordable housing matters, as Eerste River boasts lower entry price point with solid capital growth prospects. Abrahams says buyers have the advantage of planning ahead while locking in value early. Meanwhile, with many South African city centres facing infrastructure decay, high vacancies, wasted spaces and…

A PETITION is set to be launched calling for the reopening of the Parklands SAPS satellite station following a recent shooting on Parklands Main Road, amid growing concerns about crime and limited visible policing in the fast-growing area. The DA said it would mobilise community support for the petition, arguing that policing in Parklands, Table View and surrounding areas has not kept pace with rapid population growth. DA constituency head Nicholas Gotsell said the shooting was not an isolated incident. “Parklands, Table View and surrounding communities have experienced explosive population growth over the past decade. Yet policing resources have simply not kept pace,” Gotsell said. “It’s concerning that SAPS closed the Parklands satellite police station to the public and repurposed it for administrative functions. These offices are now surrounded by…

THE government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) faces an integrity crisis due to widespread abuse, which the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) admits is rife with non-transparent recruitment, inadequate verification, and administrative weaknesses. These flaws facilitate manipulation, patronage, and theft, often by ward councillors controlling beneficiary lists. Sweeping reforms, prioritising robust digital systems over flawed human control, are immediately necessary, the department said. DPWI Minister Dean Macpherson said an eThekwini Municipality case in Durban reinforces why the ministry has embarked on wider EPWP reform. On Monday, the municipality was given 30 days to take corrective action following material irregularities with financial transactions identified by the Auditor-General. The Auditor-General found payments made for services not rendered, including payments to ghost, deceased, and ineligible beneficiaries. “For too long, weaknesses in…

THE KwaZulu-Natal High Court hearing on the potential liquidation of Tongaat Hulett is described as a defining moment for South Africa’s sugar cane industry, with thousands of livelihoods hanging in the balance. SA Canegrowers yesterday raised serious concerns ahead of the hearing expected to continue today, warning that the outcome could have devastating consequences for rural economies. The company’s business rescue practitioners filed for provisional liquidation in February after a proposed sale agreement with the Vision consortium fell through. Key stakeholders, including SA Canegrowers, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau, are opposing the liquidation application. At the heart of the concern is the heavy reliance of sugar cane growers on Tongaat Hulett’s milling operations. SA Canegrowers estimates…

CAPE Town’s traffic congestion could force the introduction of a congestion surcharge, as a fragmented and inefficient transport system continues to fail both commuters and businesses. This is the warning from Stellenbosch University logistics expert Stephan Krygsman, speaking at a recent Urban Mobility Strategic Dialogue hosted by the Cape Chamber, who said the City is running out of viable options to fund and fix public transport. “There is no other alternative to generate revenue for public transport other than implementing congestion taxes, development contributions and privatising elements of the system,” he said. Cape Town generates about 4 million passenger trips a day, most of which are linked to work commutes, Krygsman said. These trips are split across five main modes – private cars, rail, buses, bus rapid transit and minibus…

The Stormers enter the United Rugby Championship’s last block of four games before the playoffs, knowing that they have an excellent chance of finishing top of the table. If they can hold their nerve and win their remaining games, they could well knock Glasgow Warriors off top spot, given that the Scotsmen have the tougher run-in, including next week’s visit to the Cape Town Stadium. In fact, as soon as tomorrow, the Cape team could reclaim the No 1 position they held earlier in the tournament should the Lions do them a big favour by beating the Warriors at Ellis Park, and the Stormers get past tricky Connacht. It is a weekend where, if the Stormers win, their top-four position can be strengthened by other results. For instance, in an…

Namibian–South African actress Zenobia Kloppers is set for a rare “double premiere” tonight as she appears in two films released simultaneously on different streaming platforms. Kloppers appears as Grace in 180, a South African Netflix original crime thriller, and as Frances in HIVE (not available in SA), a Tubioriginal socially-conscious horror-thriller. Across the two films, she takes on distinctly different roles, from a character navigating emotionally complex and morally challenging circumstances in 180 to a more grounded, perceptive presence in HIVE, carrying a quiet sense of authority in the face of a sinister presence hiding in plain sight. “Each role asked something different of me, and it speaks to the kind of work I’m passionate about: stories that challenge, stretch, and connect across different audiences and genres. I’m deeply grateful…

WHAT is supposed to be one of the most beautiful times of their lives has turned into a nightmare for an Elsies River couple, who claim they were defrauded out of R48 000 by their wedding planner. Shiney Richardson and Rudy Koopstadt from Elsies River planned to tie the knot on August 1 at the Ou Stal Wedding Venue in Stellenbosch. They met their wedding planner, Bonita Swart, through a family member who quoted the couple R53 000, but because she was running a Black Friday special, they got a R5 000 discount and paid R48 000. Richardson said: “We received her number from Rudy’s cousin, as she used Bonita for her wedding. We started chatting on WhatsApp, where she shared her Black Friday deals with Rudy. We then…

FEWER than half of lifestyle audit cases identified across the public service are currently under investigation, with no clear timelines for when outstanding probes will be finalised. The update from Parliament follows earlier reports that at least 24 senior officials in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet had been flagged through lifestyle audits, raising questions about progress and accountability. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Jan de Villiers, said the committee had stepped up oversight through engagements in March and April with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and provincial departments. “The committee has exercised oversight through several meetings held on the issue of lifestyle audits,” de Villiers said, adding that these engagements form part of efforts “to build a professional,…

The Western Cape High Court has issued an order halting the construction of a mortuary at the historic Mowbray Cemetery. Judge Gayaat Da Silva Salie ruled in favour of Dr. Tolgah Bassier, who challenged the Muslim Cemetery Board’s plan, arguing that the site’s title deed strictly stipulates the land be used solely as a burial place. The legal battle centres on the interpretation of waqf (endowment) and whether modern ancillary services, like a morgue, violate the original religious and legal mandate of the land. Judge Da Silva Salie noted that this is a site of longstanding religious, historical, and communal significance. Bassier reiterated that the title deed of the cemetery stated the land is to be “solely used as a burial place” for Muslims. “Those Muslims who drafted this clause…

A FISH Hoek High School learner has made her mark on the national stage after winning an impressive triple gold at the South African Canoe Sprint Championships. Isabella Strydom delivered a standout performance at Roodeplaat from March 27 – 29, winning the U18 K1 category across all three sprint distances – 200m, 500m and 1000m. Each distance tests a different skill set, from explosive speed in the 200m to tactical pacing in the 500m to endurance over 1000m. Fish Hoek High School principal Steven Joubert said the achievement reflects both talent and dedication. “We are incredibly proud of Isabella Strydom and her outstanding achievement at the National Canoe Sprint Championships. Winning triple gold is a testament not only to her exceptional talent but also to her dedication and perseverance,” he…

Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt believes Sekhukhune United’s decision to change their coach this late in the season may be a galvanising factor ahead of the Betway Premiership clash between the two sides at Athlone Stadium tonight (7:30pm). Sekhukhune United gave former coach Eric Tinkler the boot at the beginning of the week and handed the reins to his assistant Paulos Masehe for the remainder of the season. Calling on his vast experience in local football, Hunt is acutely aware that this may give the Babina Nako players extra motivation for their trip to Cape Town. “Sekhukhune obviously just changed their coach. So that’s always dangerous, you know, when you play against a team that have just changed their coach,” Hunt said yesterday. “It changes them because there are some…

Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal’s angst-ridden progress to the Uefa Champions League semi-finals proved they have the character to cope with the mounting pressure of their bid to end a six-year trophy drought. Arteta’s side survived an anxious quarter-final second leg against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday as they held on for a goalless draw that secured a 1-0 aggregate victory. The Gunners were well below their best at the Emirates Stadium, but Sporting could not take advantage as Geny Catamo went closest for the visitors with a first-half volley that smacked off the post. It was the latest in a growing list of spluttering displays from Arsenal, who have lost three of their last five games in all competitions, winning just once in that period. But Arteta is adamant Arsenal’s ability…

Thrice before did the Lions come close to lifting the Super Rugby title, and on all three occasions, "The Pride" suffered heartbreak and anguish. Ah, yes — 2016, 2017, and 2018. These were the years when the men in the famous red-and-white hoops ruled not only South Africa, but arguably the most prestigious club rugby competition in the world. Don’t be deceived by what the Europeans argue regarding their leagues and pan-continental championships; there was a time when Super Rugby was, without question, the best competition on the planet. Every game felt like a season in itself. There were stakes and consequences, and a profound sense of history in every tackle. Admittedly, it wasn't always perfect. It would have been that much better had Australian and South African franchises done…

Khulumani Ndamane is living the dream by competing in the CAF Champions League, which is why he has embraced the challenges that come with the competition as he looks to help Mamelodi Sundowns succeed. Sundowns have one foot in the Champions League final, as they need just a draw at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow (3pm) to progress, following their historic 1-0 win over Espérance in the first leg in Tunis last Sunday. Reaching the semi-finals of the competition for the second time in a row has already been a milestone for the team and some individuals, including Ndamane. The towering left-footed defender is playing in his first season in the competition, having arrived at the club from TS Galaxy in January. His stint so far has been impressive, as he has…