Cape Argus
WINDE RESPONDS TO DISASTER CALLS
WESTERN CAPE Premier Alan Winde says calls for a disaster declaration in response to escalating violent crime in the province are receiving urgent attention, but stressed that the authority to declare such a disaster lies with national...
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TRAUMA CASES SPIKE IN WESTERN CAPE
THE Western Cape Health Department has reported a surge in emergencies between December 14 and January 15. During this period, emergency centres recorded 423 gunshot wounds, 4450 stabbing injuries, 497 sexual offences, and 1 163 vehicle...
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CALL FOR EMERGENCY MEASURES AGAINST VIOLENCE
IN RESPONSE to mass shootings linked to gang violence and extortion, civil rights organisations and political parties are calling for a Provincial State of Disaster. This comes as Parliament signs off on Premier Alan Winde’s R2.6 million annual...
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YOUTH CENTRES STRUGGLE AGAINST GANG RECRUITMENT
TO ESCAPE the clutches of a gang, a brave 16-year-old boy chose to enter a Secure Care Centre. However, behind these walls, he remains at risk of exposure to the very elements he tried to escape: gangs, assault, and drugs. Activists who work closely...
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CITY FACES BACKLASH OVER DELAYED ROADWORKS
RESIDENTS and commuters are frustrated by the prolonged delays and safety concerns surrounding the Jan van Riebeeck Road rehabilitation project. They are demanding immediate action from the City and its contractor, emphasising the impact on public...
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Tears, tiny uniforms and dreams as schools open for the year
MORE than a million learners returned to classrooms in the Western Cape as the 2026 school year kicks off, filled with a mix of emotions from excitement to nervousness. At pavements, crossings and dropoff points across the province, it was the...
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HISTORY MADE: CLASS OF 2025 ACHIEVES 88%
TAKUNDA Muchweni is flying the flag high for Jan Kriel School in Kuils River, having been recognised as one of the top 42 learners in the country. The release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results saw some of the country’s top achievers...
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Everything is gone: Dunoon residents struggle to recover
EMIHLE Kanityi was at work when the fire raged through her home in Dunoon, destroying everything in its path including her children’s uniform and stationery which she had prepared for the new school year. The fire has left 5 500 homeless with the City...
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STUDENTS CROWDFUND AS NSFAS FALLS SHORT
R35 Roti and curry bunnies sales are what 19-year-old Amber Mentoor from Macassar will remember one day because it paid for her registration at the University of Cape Town as she faced an outstanding debt of R50 000. Mentoor is part of an overwhelming...
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ANOVUYO’S PARENTS FACE NEGLECT CHARGES
AS SCHOOLS are set to open for the 2026 school year next week- the parents of eight-year-old Anovuyo Oncke of Phumlani Village have been arrested for child negligence and are due back in court next month. Anovuyo is set to begin Grade three at...
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BLAZE FORCES FAMILIES TO SLEEP IN CARS
THEY fled with nothing but the clothing on their backs. Destitute, desperate for shelter they were forced to sleep in their cars and market stalls as they waited for Disaster Risk Management teams to provide materials to assist in rebuilding their...
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MINSTRELS PROTEST AGAINST VENUE UNCERTAINTY
A LONG-RUNNING dispute between the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and the City of Cape Town came into sharp focus on Saturday when members of the association joined a protest march in the city, citing uncertainty over venues and...
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KKKA DEFENDS NEW KLOPSE ROUTE
THE Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) has defended changes to the 2026 Kaapse Klopse Karnival, saying the revised route and format are aimed at protecting the cultural integrity of the event while responding to rising costs and relief. It said...
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CITY FACES SCRUTINY OVER SEWAGE FLOW INTO OCEAN
THE City of Cape Town has estimated that it would need R12 billion to achieve its long-term plan to improve its sewage discharge at the ocean outfalls to protect the marine environment and ensure the health and safety of the users of its...
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MUSICIAN SPEAKS OUT ON MSC CRUISE ASSAULT
A 29-YEAR-OLD Kraaifontein musician and mother is preparing to lay formal criminal charges on South African soil after she reported that she was allegedly sexually assaulted and choked by her colleague on the MSC Musica while at sea in Portugal. MSC...
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SISTERS RECLAIM ANCESTRAL LAND
IT WAS a bittersweet moment for 83-year-old Juanita Solomon and her 76-year-old sister who finally received the title deed to the 16 plots of land which spans 6.5 acres, taken away from their parents during the Group Area Act. But with joy, came...
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GANG VIOLENCE STRAINS POLICE RESOURCES
PROVINCIAL Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile has acknowledged that the Western Cape police force is struggling to maintain effective crime-fighting capabilities as officers and detectives are being poached by other sectors,...
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SEA POINT RESIDENTS WIN DEVELOPMENT APPEAL
RESIDENTS of the Atlantic Seaboard have successfully had their appeal against the development of a block of flats in Sea Point upheld. The appeal concerned properties located at 29 and 31 St Johns Road, where buildings as old as 60 years once...
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Fresh calls for N2 security wall as smash-and-grab videos circulate
VIDEOS circulating on social media showing how smash-and-grab attacks unfold have intensified fears among motorists, with the city reaffirming its plans for a security wall along the N2, around the airport to be erected. The footage, shared by the...
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COURT ORDER TARGETS TAXI VIOLENCE
AS SANTACO Western Cape prioritises safer long-distance taxi travel this festive season, the Western Cape High Court’s decision for the earlier interim order aimed to curb violence and intimidation within the minibus industry has been made...
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MURDER OF EXPECTANT MOM HIGHLIGHTS GBV CRISIS
“SHE is not gone. She is coming home.” These are the heart-wrenching words of the mother of four month pregnant 23-year-old Shanice Rudolph, whose body was discovered hidden in a shallow grave at Klip Road Cemetery, in Grassy Park, on the eve of the...
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EQUAL EDUCATION CHALLENGES WC SCHOOL LEGISLATION
EQUAL Education (EE), through the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC), has appealed the Western Cape High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). The appeal challenges the constitutional validity of the Western Cape Provincial School...
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GRANNY STABBED AT BONTEHEUWEL INTERSECTION
A FAMILY celebration turned deadly on Friday night when 64-year-old grandmother Karin van Aardt from Nelspruit was brutally stabbed at one of Cape Town’s most high-risk intersections, en route to her grandchild’s birthday party. Just hours after...
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR WOODSTOCK RESIDENTS
THE hundreds of occupiers Cissie Gool House have welcomed the City Council’s in-principle decision to dispose of the former Woodstock Hospital site, calling it the strongest opportunity yet to secure long-term affordable rental housing for current...
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FISHERMEN RALLY FOR SAFETY AFTER ATTACK
MORE than one thousand fishermen along the False Bay coast are mobilising after the shooting of angler Jody Rademeyer, who was attacked during an alleged hijacking at Sonwabe Beach, Strandfontein Beach in the early hours of Tuesday. He and a friend...
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‘HOW MANY MORE MUST DIE?’
NINE-YEAR-OLD Zechariah Matthee’s heart was exploding with excitement for the December school holidays, but his life came to an abrupt end on Tuesday night when masked gunmen shot him while he tried to hide inside a cupboard in his Rocklands...
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GRANNY’S GRAVE ROBBED FOR ‘GOLD’
A GRIEVING family just coming to terms with the loss of their beloved grandmother has been left devastated after thieves dug open her grave and broke her coffin in order to steal the gold chain around her neck and were hunting for her gold teeth. The...
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Devastating fire in Langa claims lives of mom and children
A LANGA mother and her three children died when they were trapped inside their home during a devastating fire in the Siyahlala Informal Settlement. The fire broke out around 4am yesterday, when Asavela Seti, 38, and her one-year-old twin daughters and...
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CITY IMPOSES TRADING RESTRICTIONS
CAPE Town's informal traders say the City has wiped out their most lucrative weekend of the year, barring hundreds of hawkers from operating on the Grand Parade in the crucial lead-up to the annual Festive Lights Switch-On FLSO). The City confirmed...
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PROBE INTO ABUSE AFTER BOY FORCED TO DRINK BEER
FOUR children between the ages of seven months and 11 years have been removed from their home by the Department of Social Development (DSD) after a video circulated of a fouryear-old boy being forced to drink beer. A criminal case of child abuse has...
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LEARNER PLEADS FOR HELP AFTER ONGOING BULLYING
A 15-YEAR-OLD Sea Point High learner is the latest victim in a surge of bullying incidents at Western Cape schools this year, claiming his alleged attackers threatened to end his life. Police have since confirmed that a case of assault is being...
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CAPE TOWN WOMAN SURVIVES BOOT KIDNAPPING
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...
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CONCOURT DENIES APPEAL IN CONSTANTIA LAND CASE
THE Constitutional Court refused direct leave to appeal with costs to the South African Riding for the Disabled Association (Sarda) against a Land Court order regarding a 15-year Constantia land restitution claim by the Sadien family. Sarda has called...
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CITY REFUTES CLAIMS OF HOUSING UNITS IN FISH HOEK
THE City of Cape Town has refuted claims of plans for 10 000 low-cost housing units in Fish Hoek as “unfounded” and “misleading”. Officials clarified that the draft Masiphumelele Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF) identifies preferred...
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Manenberg mother’s 14-year journey to becoming an attorney
A PROUD Manenberg mother has shared her story of perseverance after being admitted as an attorney of the Western Cape High Court, which took her 14 years to achieve. “From Manenberg and proud of it,” are the words of mother of three, Gillian van der...
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R2 BILLION PROJECT TO BOOST STADIUM PRECINCT
SPORTS fanatics can be assured that the R2 billion mixed development set to take place next to the Cape’s DHL Stadium will not impact operations and games and will operate normally. This development will feature hotel, retail, and office spaces...
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City, Home Affairs outline plans to help Wingfield fire survivors
DAYS after the Wingfield fire disaster, which affected 211 people, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) indicated it would be facilitating the process of integrating asylum seekers back into society, to allow them to work and operate businesses. They...
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Family dispute turns deadly in Mitchells Plain
TWO women have been shot and killed, and one child wounded in what is believed to be a family dispute in Mitchells Plain. It is understood that the man is a close relative of the women. Police were called to the scene yesterday afternoon along Wespoort...
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BONTEHEUWEL CRACKDOWN SPARKS CONTROVERSY
OFFICIALS meant business when they carried out a multi-departmental crackdown in Bonteheuwel on Guy Fawkes day, targeting the illegal sale of fireworks and anti-social behaviour. Fireworks, knives, a zip-gun and a paintball gun resembling an assault...
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CITY FACES BACKLASH OVER SINKHOLE CRISIS
WHILE the City faces criticism for not repairing damage caused by sinkholes due to a collapsed sewer system in Khayelitsha SST section of Town Two, it hit back, stating residents were warned not to build their homes on existing municipal...
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WC detectives overwhelmed by excessive caseloads, stats show
WESTERN Cape detectives are drowning in hundreds of cases each, leading to a significant crisis within the SAPS. This alarming situation was highlighted by Benedicta van Minnen, MPP and DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community...
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URGENT PROBE AFTER PRISONERS ESCAPE
NINE prisoners managed to escape from two courthouses holding cells in a matter of days, raising the question of systematic failures and criminal collusion within the SAPS. Of the nine – three have yet to be apprehended and are on the run. The...
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Cape Winelands Airport expansion gets green light
CAPE Winelands Airport has received the green light and approval from the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning for its Environmental Authorisation (EA), providing a vital key for its planned expansion. The...
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CITRUSDAL COMMUNITY OUTRAGED AS BUSINESSMAN FACES SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES
A BUSINESSMAN and manager of Astron Energy on the N7 is allegedly sexually groomed and assaulted a young girl. He reportedly took the victim under his wing to assist her with her schoolwork The victim, aged 12, is from the community of Citrusdal. The...
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SOUTH AFRICANS TRAFFICKED TO MYANMAR SEEK RESCUE
SOUTH African trafficking victims in Myanmar have sent urgent messages to the human rights organisation Brave to Love, reporting that they have been gun-pointed, arrested, and forced to pay a ransom. The organisation is now urging the Department of...
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WOODSTOCK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR MORE SOCIAL HOUSING
THE Woodstock Residents Association (WRA) expressed concerns about the ratio of market-related to social housing units, advocating for a majority of social housing in projects where public land is discounted. They urged the City to clarify that...
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OUTRAGE AS MOTHER FILMED GIVING ALCOHOL TO TODDLER
A SHOCKING video showing a Woodstock mother feeding alcohol to her toddler has sparked outrage and swift intervention from local authorities. This led to the child’s rescue and removal from her care. The video, shared widely on social media, shows the...
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MILNERTON HIGH LEARNERS GRANTED BAIL
SIX 18-year-old Milnerton High learners were granted bail, and two minors released on warning after a bullying video sparked outrage. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed that the alleged victim is also under investigation. They were...
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COPS FIRE STUN GRENADES AT BULLYING PROTEST
AS FRESH, disturbing video footage of alleged bullying at Milnerton High School surfaced on social media, another video believed to be that of the victim circulated, while protest action outside of the school saw police using stun grenades and...
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JUSTICE SYSTEM FAILED HERMALISE WENN
“TAKE care of your little brother and yourself, and you will be okay,” were the last words Hermalise Wenn from Elsies River said to her 16-year-old son, who tried to save her after she was allegedly stabbed and tortured by her boyfriend, who was out on...
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CALL FOR JUSTICE AFTER CPUT RAPE ARREST
THE alleged rape of a 23-year-old woman by a fellow student at a residence in Observatory, has left the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) community devastated and calling for swift, decisive action against the suspect. Students and...
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RUNNERS GUTTED AS MARATHON CALLED OFF
DESPITE Sanlam offering all 2025 entrants a sponsored entry to either 2026 or 2027’s race, many runners said they were devastated, spending thousands of rand for accommodation and flights, training for hours and travelling from across the country and...
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NEW CAPE WINELANDS AIRPORT TO CREATE 100 000 JOBS
THE Cape Winelands Airport, projected to open in 2028 and boost the economy by R8bn has secured a landmark partnership with Growthpoint Properties, jointly they are set to deliver the province’s next-generation aviation, hospitality and industrial...
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COPS ROLL OUT FESTIVE SEASON CRIME PLAN
AS THE police launched the festive season safety plan, top management revealed that the Western Cape remains one of the country’s most violent provinces. It is home to 138 gangs, with over 4 000 firearms linked to deceased owners potentially being used...
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EX TEACHER DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE
A PIVOTAL moment was reached in the case of former SA teacher, Iain Wares, 86, who took the stand in his defence, denying allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Wares, is wanted by UK authorities for 76 counts of sexual assault of young boys, and...
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ONLINE CHANNELS USED TO TRAFFIC ILLEGAL GUNS
POLICE investigations into the transportation of illegal firearms in South Africa have revealed how criminals exploit online marketplaces and covert couriers to conceal transactions and move firearms. This is after the SAPS last month arrested eight...
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BIG BAY SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FACES BACKLASH
AS THE City of Cape Town invites public comment on the Big Bay Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF), including West Beach and Erf 1117, it has faced significant resistance from various ratepayer associations and political parties demanding its...
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CONCERNS RISE OVER AGGRESSIVE STREET CHILDREN IN SEA POINT
THE Sea Point City Improvement District (CID) has appealed to Mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis, Police Oversight and Community Safety, and Social Development to assist with ‘aggressive’ street children, with ‘untouchable’ attitudes. They have requested the...
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Protesters clash with police after mayor refuses to meet them
KHAYELITSHA residents have given the City and the province seven days to respond to their memorandum after they clashed with police as they attempted to hand over a memorandum to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis yesterday. Hundreds of marchers, led...
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WIDOWER PREPARES CIVIL CLAIM OVER SUBMARINE TRAGEDY
WIDOWER Commander Romero Hector is preparing a civil claim while the Hawks investigate the SAS Manthatisi submarine tragedy two years ago, citing that the Board of Inquiry (BOI) recommended that the captain face 12 charges relating to...
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FISHING TOWNS SEEK A SAY IN HARBOUR OVERHAUL
THE Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) released its update on the revitalisation of the Western Cape’s fishing harbours. However, local municipalities and residents are still concerned about security boom access and the...
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RATEPAYERS CHALLENGE UNFAIR WATER AND SEWAGE CHARGES
THE City of Cape Town Collective Ratepayers Association (CTCRA) argues that linking fixed water, sewage, and city-wide cleaning charges to property values unfairly impacts sectional title owners, leading to increases of 30% or more – double those for...
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INTERCEPTION OF GLOBAL FLOTILLA TO GAZA SPARKS OUTRAGE
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has been supported by his call for the Israeli government to immediately release South Africans and other nationals detained after Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off...
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R1.6 BILLION TENDER FRAUD ROCKS CAPE TOWN
A CALL for an independent audit including an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been made by whistleblowers and politicians as news broke of a major seizure operation of 26 addresses across the Cape Town metropolitan areas –...
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GEORGE TRAGEDY REMAINS UNSOLVED
RELUCTANCE to release the names or those responsible for the George building collapse in a bid to shield regulatory bodies and various departments is what political parties believe may be the reason why the answers have not been delivered 16 months...
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THOUSANDS OF JOBS AT RISK AS MCKENZIE PULLS ARTS FUNDING
FROM Cape Town to Makhanda, and Potchefstroom to Bloemfontein, the curtain is falling on SA’s biggest arts festivals as government funding is withdrawn. The blow hits flagship events including Oudtshoorn’s Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Makhanda’s...
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TAXI VIOLENCE ESCALATES AS GOVERNMENT CLOSES ROUTES
ON THE eve of the closure of several taxi routes due to a decision made by the Western Cape government, bloodshed continues, as the former spokesperson of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) was gunned down in Nyanga. Last night, the Congress...
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CAMPS BAY LIBRARY SALE SPARKS COMMUNITY OUTRAGE
THE City of Cape Town's Economic Growth Directorate proposes selling public land, including the Camps Bay Library and adjacent parking, to stimulate private sector-led economic development and job creation which has been met with strong opposition by...
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GOVERNMENT FACES R30BN MAINTENANCE BACKLOG
NATIONAL Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Minister Dean Macpherson has admitted that the infrastructure maintenance backlog stands at approximately R30 billion, spread across 56000 properties for various departments in the...
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HIGH COURT DECLARES SMITH, LIMBERG’S OFFICE RAID UNLAWFUL
THE City’s mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, successfully cleared his name when the Western Cape High Court declared the raid on his municipal offices unconstitutional. In a public statement issued just after 7pm via his Facebook page,...
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WEAPON SMUGGLING VIA FRESH GOODS TRUCKS TO WC
A NEW report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) has revealed that trucks moving fresh goods such as flowers and fruit are used to transport weapons smuggled from Namibia to the Western Cape, where they are...
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CAPE FLATS DEFENCELESS AGAINST GANG VIOLENCE – CACHALIA
ACTING Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has admitted that he does not believe there is yet a concrete plan to stop the wave of gang violence devastating the Cape Flats, telling Mitchells Plain residents that while a strategy had been presented...
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TAXI INDUSTRY AWAITS DECISION ON ROUTES WAR
A FEW hours after the midnight deadline, the decision on whether to close taxi routes in Cape Town and surrounds still hangs in the balance as provincial transport bosses weigh their next move. Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku is expected to...
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CITY PAUSES DIAL-A-RIDE CUTS FOR DISABLED RESIDENTS
THE City of Cape Town has paused its decision to cut the Dial-a-Ride service for disabled people, which was expected to be suspended today will now run until October, after reaching a settlement with the Western Cape Network on Disability (WCND) on...
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