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The South African
3 days ago
- General
- The South African
Animal activists reject bid to remove baboon troops from Cape Peninsula
A group of animal activists in the Western Cape is opposing a bid to remove several baboon troops from around the Cape Peninsula. This comes after the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT), which includes representatives of South African National Parks, Cape Nature, and the City of Cape Town, issued a controversial proposal to translocate the animals, whose population has exceeded available management resources. Last month, the CPBMJTT submitted a proposal for public comments in which it sought to remove five troops of baboons from around the Cape Peninsula. According to data, the population has increased far beyond management, placing pressure on available resources. The proposal includes the following options for baboon population: translocation for rewilding, capture and removal to an existing sanctuary or to a newly established sanctuary, humane euthanasia, or a combination of these options. Baboon troops would be removed from the following areas: Constantia Nek, Kirstenbosch, Constantia Village, Waterfall, Simon's Town, Seaforth, Murdoch Valley, Welcome Glen, Glencairn and the Da Gama residential areas. Local and international experts have been invited to review the proposal and will be included in the project. Meanwhile, animal activists descended on Simon's Town to protest against the removal of baboon troops. The Cape Peninsula Civil Conservation shared in a social media post: 'These baboons are part of this place — they are not intruders, but residents of a rapidly shrinking wild world who were here long before our cityscape. As urban development continues to fragment and destroy habitats and ecosystems, baboons could be seen to be here with a message. Are we going to shoot the messenger?'. @manditshwete Baboon conservation march in Simon's Town. Hundreds of people gathered as they marched against the killing of baboons in Cape Town. #southafricatiktok #capetown #sama28 #fypシ #fyp ♬ original sound – Mandilakhe Tshwete @manditshwete #tiktoklive #livehighlights @The Cape Argus @IOL NEWS @CapeTimesSA ♬ original sound – Mandilakhe Tshwete The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa (WAPFSA) has also strongly opposed the proposal. In a cease-and-desist letter to CPBMTT, the organisation called on authorities to develop sustainable endeavors to manage the baboon population, particularly in low-lying areas. 'From legal and good governance perspectives, ethical considerations based on sentience, flourishing, multispecies justice, and shared biology must be major considerations. 'The onus, therefore, of the CPBMJTT and their ecologists, is to formulate ethical management practices that reflect and take cognisance of multispecies interactions, peaceful cohabitation and the need for a more responsible model of harmonious multispecies co-existence'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Hundreds rally in Simon's Town against proposed baboon removals
Animal activists marched against the removal of baboons in Simon's Town. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete / Independent Media Hundreds of conservationists and animal rights supporters gathered in Simon's Town on Friday to protest against the proposed removal of five baboon troops from the Cape Peninsula. The demonstration followed growing public anger over the recent announcement by the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team, comprising the City of Cape Town, CapeNature, and SANParks, which confirmed that nearly a quarter of the Peninsula's managed baboon population could be removed. Protesters, many dressed in black and carrying signs that read 'Stop the killing' and 'Baboon lives matter,' marched from Simon's Town to the local municipal offices. Chants of 'Viva baboons' and 'Phantsi killing' echoed through the streets as residents voiced their frustration at what they called the authorities' failure to protect local wildlife. Activits handed over a memorandum of grievances to the City about the removal of baboons. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete According to the task team, the decision to remove the troops was based on increased human-baboon conflict, a decline in the welfare of the animals, and their growing reliance on human food. The five troops in question are from Simon's Town, Constantia, and Glencairn. Officials cited public safety concerns and the difficulty of keeping the animals out of residential areas despite ranger efforts. They also warned that injuries caused by electric shocks, snares and vehicles are rising. Activists argue that the proposed removal is not only inhumane but also avoidable. They say that authorities have ignored the core recommendations of the 2023 Baboon Strategic Management Plan, including waste control, fencing and law enforcement. Instead of implementing these non-lethal strategies, authorities have moved toward removal and possible culling. Jenni Trethowan from Baboon Matters, one of the leading voices in the protest, said she was moved by the size of the crowd. She described it as one of the largest public demonstrations in years on the issue. 'We didn't expect so many people to come out, but I think it shows how angry the community is. We feel ignored. The baboons are being punished for human failure,' she said. Cape Peninsula Civil Conservation chairperson Lynda Silk, a local resident, said the animals had become scapegoats. 'It's like we like to dump our aggression somewhere, and baboons are voiceless and they don't fight back. 'They pick up a lot of human anger and irritation.' Chad Cupido, another activist, delivered a memorandum to the local municipal office demanding immediate action. He said the Joint Task Team had a constitutional and moral responsibility to prioritise humane solutions. The memorandum called for waste management improvements, stricter enforcement of by-laws, fencing, accountability for residents who feed baboons or shoot at them, and better education and signage in known baboon areas. Cupido warned that continuing with removals without addressing the root causes of conflict could deepen mistrust between the public and conservation authorities. 'These baboons are sentient, social beings. What we're witnessing is a systematic breakdown of their social structures and territories. Removing them without trying everything else first is unethical and unacceptable.' He also noted the broader implications for environmental governance. 'This is about more than baboons. It's about transparency, accountability, and the right of communities to have a say in decisions that affect their environment.' The protest follows weeks of tension after reports surfaced of baboons being shot with pellet guns in residential areas. Although the City has denied issuing culling permits, the lack of clarity over the future of the troops has intensified concern. Residents say they fear a quiet removal process is already under way. Authorities have not yet responded to the memorandum, which includes a request for a moratorium on all removals until a full public consultation process is conducted. Protesters gave the task team ten working days to reply. The City, CapeNature and SANParks have all previously stated that their approach prioritises both human and animal safety, and that removal is only considered when no other measures have succeeded. But activists remain unconvinced. 'If there's still more that can be done, then do it,' Trethowan said. 'Don't give up on co-existence just because it's hard.' The memorandum was accepted by a Joint Task Team official. [email protected] Activits handed over a memorandum of grievances to the City about the removal of baboons. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete
IOL News
7 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Faith and civic leaders unite to confront Cape Flats gun violence crisis
Faith leaders and activists pledge to reclaim streets from gang violence, led by moral regeneration and grassroots organising. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete In response to a deadly surge of shootings across Cape Town, interfaith leaders and civic organisations have vowed to lead a grassroots moral and structural regeneration campaign to address what they describe as a 'constitutional, moral and humanitarian emergency'. The gathering, convened by the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (CCCC), the Western Cape Council of Churches (WCCC), and other civil society partners, followed a wave of gun violence that left numerous people dead in recent weeks. MJC President Sheikh Riad Fataar said the gathering was prompted by the deteriorating security crisis across the Cape Flats and broader Western Cape. 'In line with our earlier statement on 7 July, where we condemned the proliferation of organised criminal activity, the circulation of illicit arms and drugs, and the resultant violation of constitutional rights to life, security and dignity, the MJC has now engaged directly with state authorities in an urgent bid to arrest the deepening spiral of social decay,' Fataar said. He confirmed that a high-level engagement was held at the MJC offices with South African Police Services (SAPS) regional commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, senior SAPS management, and Members of Parliament from the police oversight committee. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Fataar said the MJC 'welcomed the frank and constructive tone of the dialogue' and extended appreciation to those 'who recognised the gravity of the moment'. He reiterated that the unchecked violence was not just a policing crisis, but 'a moral, constitutional and humanitarian emergency'. 'As articulated in Section 72 of the Constitution, the state bears a positive and non-negotiable duty to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of all persons, especially the most vulnerable.' He added: 'What we see is not only the consequence of gang warfare, but the result of decades-long structural abandonment and institutional erosion. The right to life, dignity, and safety is not aspirational; it is constitutional. When that right is systematically denied, we are compelled by faith and law to act with urgency, clarity and unity.' Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (CCCC) founder Dr Llewellyn MacMaster warned that society must adopt 'multi-focal lenses' when analysing the crisis. 'A lot of the time, we're restricted. Sometimes we must zoom in on the details, but also widen our lens to see the national and international systemic issues. We are the crisis committee, but we must ask: Why are we still in a crisis?' he said. MacMaster called on religious institutions to reclaim their role in addressing what he termed a deep moral and ethical collapse in South African society. 'We've handed over the responsibility for moral regeneration to the government. Remember the last time it was led, it was under Jacob Zuma. We must take back that responsibility. We need courageous leadership, leaders who are not seduced by photo ops with politicians. If we think our role is to take pictures at the table, we are fooling ourselves.' He urged collaboration across faith groups, even without state funding or resources. 'We are building this movement every day without money. But we must reach consensus and act. As the African proverb goes: 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'' Community leader Dean Ramjoomia issued a challenge to faith groups, calling for inward accountability: 'You talk about crime and criminality, but are you dealing with the criminal in your home? Our society is psychosocially dysfunctional. It's easier to deal with a criminal than with the brokenness that produces them.' Ramjoomia also pointed to overlooked trauma among men: 'More men are victims of sexual violence than we admit. But we only see men as perpetrators and villains. There is no healing for the brokenness of men in this society.' Philippi-based leader Nandi Vangqa-Mgijima called for deepened political education and mobilisation among the working class, particularly around the historical roots of gangsterism. 'Gangsterism was a system created by the apartheid government. But it seems now that this very system is being reinvented under the democratic dispensation. We need to understand these root causes, the socioeconomic ills that continue to confront our communities.' She criticised the government's use of commissions of inquiry as ineffectual and wasteful: 'They are often useless and drain resources that should be going to the very communities that suffer most. We need to be informed when we make our demands, not symbolic, but strategic.' Former Western Cape top police officer Jeremy Vearey stressed that the faith sector must now take full leadership of the country's moral regeneration agenda, and not simply play a supporting role to the state. 'The religious community is no longer leaving moral regeneration to the state, policing, or spiral crime prevention programmes,' said Vearey. 'They've now come to the point where they are leading; they've decided to lead their campaign for regeneration.' But he cautioned that this shift must come with state support. Vearey said the collective energy of interfaith leaders, civic groups, and community organisers must now be redirected back into neighbourhoods. The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from faith and civic leaders to take charge of the moral regeneration agenda, not just as support to state efforts, but as a leading force.
IOL News
10-07-2025
- IOL News
Gugulethu siblings' fraud and money laundering charges withdrawn in 'Gums' case
Sindiswa Mbele had just heard that the charges of fraud and money laundering have been withdrawn after an actor was killed in his Gugulethu home in 2024. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete The State has provisionally withdrawn charges against Gugulethu siblings who were accused of fraud and money laundering following the murder of actor David 'Gums' Manuel. Wanda and his sister Sindiswa Mbele briefly appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Wednesday morning, months after being arrested in connection with the case. The charges were withdrawn pending further investigation. Manuel, best known for his role in 'Noem My Skollie', was shot and killed alongside his best friend Alfonso Fisher at his Gugulethu home on October 8, 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Wanda Mbele leaves court after hearing that his fraud and money laundering cases have been withdrawn. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete The Mbele siblings, who live across the road from the victim's house, were initially linked to the double murder. However, they were only charged with fraud and money laundering after allegedly altering a funeral policy taken out on Manuel shortly before his death. During Wednesday's proceedings, the State prosecutor informed the court: 'The investigating officer has not addressed some of the queries that I had. The matter is therefore provisionally withdrawn until the investigation is concluded.' The decision sparked visible relief for the accused and their loved ones. Outside court, Sindiswa's partner said: 'What a relief. We had been waiting for a long time for this day to come. We expected the matter to be withdrawn, but the State has been investigating.' At the time of the withdrawal, both Wanda and Sindiswa were out on R800 bail. According to the State, the pair took out life insurance policies on three individuals unrelated to them. 'They are charged with fraud and money laundering in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (POCA). It is alleged that the accused took out a life policy for three people, who are in no way related to them. On October 8, one of the insured (persons) was fired at, in the process, two people were killed,' the State prosecutor said during their first appearance. Following Manuel's death, Wanda allegedly claimed R60 000, while Sindiswa received R50 000 from the policies. The siblings are also accused of using R15 000 of that money to purchase furniture at a Bradlows store. The State had previously presented WhatsApp messages as part of its case, including one in which Wanda allegedly wrote to his sister: 'They are going to die, Sindi,' in a conversation related to the funeral policies. Despite these submissions, Magistrate Keith Le Keur ruled during their bail hearing that the State had not provided sufficient evidence to justify detaining the accused. 'There wasn't enough evidence presented by the State to keep the siblings behind bars,' Le Keur said. He added that there was no indication the pair would interfere with witnesses or evade court proceedings. Cape Times
IOL News
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Charges against Gugulethu siblings in 'Gums' case withdrawn amid fraud allegations
Wanda Mbele leaves court after hearing that his fraud and money laundering cases have been withdrawn. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete The State has provisionally withdrawn charges against Gugulethu siblings, who were accused of fraud and money laundering following the murder of actor David 'Gums' Manuel. Wanda and his sister Sindiswa Mbele briefly appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Wednesday morning, months after being arrested in connection with the case. The charges were withdrawn pending further investigation. Manuel, best known for his role in 'Noem My Skollie', was shot and killed alongside his best friend Alfonso Fisher at his Gugulethu home on October 8, 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Sindiswa Mbele had just heard that the charges of fraud and money laundering have been withdrawn after an actor was killed in his Gugulethu home in 2024. Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete The Mbele siblings, who live across the road from the victim's house, were initially linked to the double murder. However, they were only charged with fraud and money laundering after allegedly altering a funeral policy taken out on Manuel shortly before his death. During Wednesday's proceedings, the State prosecutor informed the court: 'The investigating officer has not addressed some of the queries that I had. The matter is therefore provisionally withdrawn until the investigation is concluded.' The decision sparked visible relief for the accused and their loved ones. Outside court, Sindiswa's partner said: 'What a relief! We had been waiting for a long time for this day to come. We expected the matter to be withdrawn, but the State has been investigating. I'm 100% sure that they will not be called back into court for this case, even next year, the State will say the investigation is pending. I'm telling the entire country that the case has been withdrawn.' At the time of the withdrawal, both Wanda and Sindiswa were out on R800 bail. According to the State, the pair took out life insurance policies on three individuals unrelated to them. 'They are charged with fraud and money laundering in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (POCA). It is alleged that the accused took out a life policy for three people, who are in no way related to them. On October 8, one of the insured (persons) was fired at, in the process, two people were killed,' the State prosecutor said during their first appearance. Following Manuel's death, Wanda allegedly claimed R60,000, while Sindiswa received R50,000 from the policies. The siblings are also accused of using R15,000 of that money to purchase furniture at a Bradlows store.
