Property crimes on the rise
GRASSY PARK police are concerned about the increase of property-related crimes in the area.

Game on for alliance
SMALL political parties, with Christianity as a common denominator, have decided to band together in a bid to oppose the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the national elections in April 2009.

Maitland's robberies soar
ROBBERIES at business premises in the Maitland precinct proved to show one of the highest increases during the 2007-2008 financial year.

Attack on school for the deaf
PUPILS of the Dominican School for the Deaf in Wynberg had a rude awakening after their Valentine?s Day fun when the school was hit by vandals and arsonists in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Maitland's robberies soar
ROBBERIES at business premises in the Maitland precinct proved to show one of the highest increases during the 2007-2008 financial year.

'Plain growth spurt
MITCHELL'S PLAIN'S biggest project yet ? the development of the Kapteinsklip precinct ? has finally gained momentum.

False Bay safer than most
CRIME IN False Bay has dropped in the police's past financial year (April 2007 to March 2008), according to local crime statistics which were released on the police's website on Friday.

Manenberg woman taken hostage
TENSIONS ran high in Manenberg on Sunday, 18 February as a four-hour long hostage drama unfolded in Kei Street.

Two families' grief
CAPTAIN Vuyo Abel Daca and Inspector John Hofmeyer were two Athlone men with the same dreams. They both wanted to serve their communities and they both wanted to do this by fighting crime.

Court action looms over squatter camp
THE City of Cape Town may soon be taken to court if it ignores an attempt by concerned Lansdowne residents and business people to resolve the issue of a contentious informal settlement in the area.

Crime stats put spotlight on robberies
LOCAL police station crime statistics were finally made available to the public on Friday when they were posted on the Saps website.

Nightmare on Prince George Drive
EACH day near Prince George Drive in Muizenberg, over 20 young women and underage girls take to the streets of the area to sell their bodies to men.

Mbeki called to elderly's side
THE Older Person's Association (OPA) has notified President Thabo Mbeki of its intent to take the matter of the alleged neglect of the elderly to the High Court.

Rosebank: 'Muggers paradise'
A SLIVER of land wedged between the Liesbeeck River and the railway line in Rosebank is the focus of opportunistic muggers who target pedestrians in the area ? and students, nurses and elderly people are bearing the brunt of it.

Grounds for complaint
TORN nets and water-drenched fields are what the youth of Parkwood are subjected to now that the winter months have arrived.

Police warn pubs about minors
THE Steenberg Police have warned local pub and club owners to tighten up access control at their establishments after noting a marked increase in the number of underage patrons at drin?king spots.

Credit card scam falls flat
THE actions of a quick-thin?king cashier ended in the uncovering of a credit card scam, a car chase and the recovery of a stolen vehicle.

Brother-in-law of suspected 'tik cop' arrested
THE house of the policeman who was arrested last year for allegedly dealing in tik was searched on Saturday night after a suspect was caught leaving the premises in possession of tik.

Breakfast not served
VOLUNTEERS and Chrysalis Academy staff were left in the lurch yesterday when food, apparently organised by the provincial government for refugees, did not arrive in time.

Back to Barrack Street
AS OF next week, the bus collection point beneath the Foreshore Overpass will be terminated, and asylum seekers will report straight to the Department of Home Affairs in Barrack Street.

Two Ocean View officers arrested
TWO POLICE officers from Ocean View Police Station were arrested on corruption and robbery charges on Wednesday 25 June.

Pain of age
THE family of an elderly woman who was hospitalised yesterday have levelled allegations of neglect against the Rondebosch retirement home she resides in.

MXit mom nabs alleged sex pest
WHAT started off as a promise of a job ended in an indecent proposal.

Chapman's Peak toll heads for speed bump
MINISTER MARTHINUS van Schalkwyk's recent announcement to uphold the decision to construct a toll booth on the Noordhoek side of Chapmans Peak Drive (CPD) has drawn widespread criticism from residents and affected groups in the area.

Business robberies on the rise
THERE has been a spate of robberies on businesses in the grea?ter Grassy Park area over the past few weeks.

Mixed feelings over housing
MORE than 230 houses valued at R40 000 each are in the process of being built in Kewtown off Statice Avenue in Athlone, as part of a housing project launched on Thursday.

Terror on Vanguard Drive
NEARLY two months after a violent attack on her family, Kensington resident Fatima Mohamed (31) is still shaken by the ordeal.

The fast and the fuel-less
LOCK up your trucks, tractors and fuel pumps: you may become the victim of the latest crime trend.

CCTV for Levana Primary
EYES that are mounted on nine metre high concrete masts, that can scan 360 degrees in one second, and that have a 300-fold digital zoom capability, are watching Levana Primary School in Lavender Hill, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

City probes illegal leases
Investigations are underway to establish why seven council-owned properties available for non-profit organisations ended up being leased to private individuals without valid documentation.

Flamingo is served
DRAMA is unfolding in the ongoing battle between Lansdowne business owners, residents of an informal settlement, and the City of Cape Town.

Arrests in scam
A SURVEILLANCE operation aimed at outsmarting an orga?nised cheque fraud scam at a business in Heathfield yielded four arrests on Tuesday 10 June.

Activists' death not in vain
ON 16 June 1976, high school students in Soweto took to the streets in protest against the Bantu Education Act, imposed on the country by the Apartheid government.

Stealing his history
IT took 78-year-old John Martin of Bergvliet ten years to write the story of his life ? but he lost it in a heartbeat.

Baboon raids rise in Scarborough
THE INCREASE in baboon-human conflict in Scarborough recently prompted residents, re?presentatives from the UCT Baboon Research Unit as well as CapeNature officials to hold a public meeting to discuss the way forward.

Legal hitches hold up rehab programme
NINE months have passed since the City of Cape Town allocated R1,6 million to a new drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme, but the money has yet to be spent.

Zille's squatters lose case
AFTER two years of controversy and a lengthy legal battle, the court has finally decided the fate of the residents of Zilleraine Heights in Grassy Park.

Future bleak for family after fire
LEFT with only the grief of lo?sing those dear to them in a fire, one Lugmag Avenue family struggles to find a glimmer of hope among the ashes.

Housing budget boost
COUNCIL FLATS at affordable rates will apparently be a reality in Steenberg within the next year.

Budget blues
APPARENT under-spending of ward allocations has led to the questioning of Subcouncil 17.

Budget at half-way point
THE Rondevlei Subcouncil up until 30 April spent about 50% of its ward allocation's capital expenditure budget for the 2007-2008 financial year.

Liquor Bill 'misunderstood'
PUBLIC hearings for the Western Cape Liquor Bill kicked off last week, and while the people have had their say, some feel their concerns will be ignored.

Countdown for Obs CID begins
JUST six more signatures of property owners are needed to keep the ball rolling for the establishment of a business and residential City Improvement District (CID) for Observatory.

SACS sex case 'not in public interest'
"THIS matter is not in the public interest and it is sad that the press pursues it."

Subcouncils scramble to balance the books
SUBCOUNCILS are once again feeling the pressure to spend the last of their allocated budgets as the end of the financial year draws to a close on Monday, 30 June.

Unrest at Soetwater
AN "emergency" removal of a bus-load of refugees from the Soetwater safety site last night left City of Cape Town represen?tatives fuming at being cold-shouldered by the provincial government, which executed the rescue without infor?ming them.

Rehab under fire
A REHABILITATION centre in the greater Grassy Park area has come under accusations of assault.

Kleinkop copped
BRADLEY PARKINS, also known as "Kleinkop", has finally been caught.

Donations keep refugees afloat
CAR LOADS of blankets, toys and food line the walls of the Methodist Church in Observatory after people opened their hearts ? and wallets ? to the refugees left homeless and destitute by xenophobic attacks.

Muizenberg prepares for refugees
ZANDVLEI CARAVAN PARK in Muizenberg is being prepared as a backup site to house displaced foreigners, who are presently residing in community halls.

Probe into construction deaths continue
INVESTIGATIONS are currently underway to determine the cause of Friday night's freak accident which left two people dead and one seriously injured on a construction site in Searle Street, Woodstock.

Savagery at sea
SADISTIC slaughter of sea creatures, gun shots at dawn and eyewitness intimidation ? this is apparently a daily occurrence just off our shores and indeed, those of the entire country.

On guard
Residents urged to be alert after spate of hijackings

The road ahead
MOTORISTS and residents of Green Point may have to bite the bullet as the city prepares for the construction of Granger Bay Boulevard between Main and Beach Roads in preparation for the 2010 World Cup, with construction set to commence as early as next week.

Philippi fugitive found in Limpopo
BEATEN to within an inch of his life for supposedly stealing R20, a young man still fears for his life.

Questions after suspects escape
FOUR of the five men accused of robbing First National Bank last month escaped from police custody at Athlone Court on Friday ? after the police's Organised Crime Unit was warned of the impending event.

Questions surround Chubb shooting
NO arrests have yet been made by the Steenberg Police after a Chubb security officer apparently shot and killed Abduragmaan Slarmie (22), who was said to be fleeing the scene of a robbery in Retreat on Tuesday evening, 29 April.

Coastal guidelines still open to input
MUIZENBERG RESIDENTS have expressed concern at densification propo?sals contained in the City of Cape Town's Draft Coastal Deve?lopment Guidelines.

Killed for a cellphone
A JOURNEY home after a long day?s work resulted in the death of 34-year-old Grassy Park resident, Abdul Karan.

Vagrants on agenda
THE growing population of homeless people on the streets of Rondebosch has resulted in an urgent meeting being proposed to thrash out ways of reducing their number.

Village Green up for a revamp
THE Village Green in Observatory has been earmarked for redevelopment by the City of Cape Town.

Tougher action on shebeens
A CALL for more action to be taken against local shebeens was the topic under discussion at the recent executive committee meeting of the Grassy Park Community Police Forum (CPF), held on Saturday, 26 April.

Medicine mayhem
A PATIENT at Gatesville Medical Centre (GMC) is alleged to have violently attacked the other patients in her ward.

Two murdered in one week
MERCILESSLY stabbed and shot in the face, metres away from their homes. These were the fates of two young Hanover Park men in one week.

Homeless fight for a home
THREE homeless families are still reeling from their second eviction in three weeks.

Violent game hits town
PARENTS who think that their young children are safe at home when they are indoors might have to rethink the concept after new mega-hit game Grand Theft Auto IV hit the shelves last week.

Crime figures remain guarded by police
CRIME FIGURES remain the exclusive property of the national police commissioner until they are officially released to the public ? twice a year.

Drugs under fire
A BRAND new approach to beating addiction is coming to Salt River, Woodstock and Observatory on Youth Day, Monday, 16 June.

Truant teens targeted
BUNKING school may seem tri?vial to some, but a recent operation has revealed the seriousness of the matter.

No burial for beloved Salesse
A WOMAN who spent her life giving to those who couldn't provide for themselves died three weeks ago ? and is yet to be buried.

Questions surround 'rehab' centre
A HOUSE in Grassy Park accommodating 15 girls, apparently for the purpose of rehabilita?ting them, has been declared illegal by the Department of Social Development for not being registered as a rehabilitation facility.

Cafda Primary: the writing on the wall
THE future of Cafda Primary School is hanging in the balance, with only 200 children holding the doors of the school open.

Mini-town planned for refinery site
DEVELOPMENT plans for the old Marine Oil Refinery site in Glencairn include the construction of 785 residential units. These, together with a commercial component of up to 6000 m2, as well as a possible hotel, are all planned for the 6,4 hectare site.

Mystery death in cell
THE LIMP BODY of a 23-year-old man was found hanging from the bars behind the toilet in a cell at the Athlone Police Station.

Murder suspect arrested
A GRASSY PARK resident has been arrested and formally charged with the murder of Bergvliet resident Jane van Zyl (52).

Murder in Bergvliet
LIFE support machines for Bergvliet resident Jane van Zyl (52) were switched off yesterday after she was mercilessly shot in the head during a driveway robbery at her Fair Way residence.

Where R124 M of your taxes went
A PROJECT that was supposed to help alleviate the housing shortage in Cape Town, and which cost an initial R42,6 million, is now sucking up a further R82 million in extensive repairs to fix the inferior work.

Child raped by children in Site 5
THE RAPE of a nine-year-old girl by two boys aged 10 and 11 in Masiphumelele on Friday, 4 April has sparked outrage and disbelief within the local community.

Constantia heritage site under threat
A LARGE historical landmark in Constantia, the Glen Dirk Estate, is set to be partially subdivided into residential properties if the current application for rezoning and subdivision is approved.

Manenberg finally gets green(ing) light
ARRESTS, protests and resolution marked last week for Proudly Manenberg.

No fun at game shop
A GAME SHOP that is allegedly managed by a Steenberg Community Police Forum member and Ward 72 committee representative, has been the butt of controversy between neighbours in Strauss Avenue in Cafda for the past eight years.

Bounty in Camps Bay robbery
A NIGERIAN family robbed at a rented house in Camps Bay have offered a R120 000 reward for the return of jewellery, passports and other valuables stolen in the early hours of Friday, 28 March.

Coastline future mapped out
GUIDELINES for the regulation of future coastal development, which include the proposal of considerable densification for the Muizenberg area, will be submitted for consideration to the South Peninsula Subcouncil in a meeting at the Fish Hoek Civic Centre at 10:00 on Friday, 11 April.

Better living on the cards for Obs
OVER R3 million could be generated annually from new levies, and used to make Observatory a more pleasant place to live in, provided that residents and business owners collectively agree to establish a Central Improvement District (CID) in the area.

Man murdered at mosque in Lotus River
A PLACE usually associated with sanctity has become the scene of a gruesome crime: a 43-year-old man was stabbed to death on the premises of a mosque in Lotus River last week.

Scrooge strikes
A BUS STOP that school children painted a mural on almost two years ago as a gift to the community was illegally pain?ted over on Wednesday.

Cape Town loses concert
THIS year's My Coke Fest was the last to be held in Cape Town, after organisers Big Concerts International again came under fire for "intolerable noise levels" at the star-studded concert, held at Kenilworth Racecourse on Monday, 24 March.

'System let murdered girl down'
THE SYSTEM that should protect children from the ills of society let 13-year-old Moneba Kruger of Retreat down.

Suburban war
KIRSTENHOF police met with the SA Police Service's Crime Intelligence Unit yesterday (Monday) to compile a strategy against an aggressive crime wave that has hit the area in the past three weeks.

Under the hammer
THE FUTURE of a century-old Glencairn landmark hotel does not lie in jeopardy with a pending auction in April, the current owners of the Southern Right Hotel maintain.

An apology all Merryweather wanted
AN apology. That's what Andrew Merryweather wants most of all from the boys he says left him paralysed from the waist down in a fight at an Engen garage in Claremont 18 months ago.

'Worst fears' confirmed
JOHAN DE KLERK, whose wife and daughter died after their car was crushed by a truck that overturned on the N1 last Wednesday, would have celebrated his 24th wedding anniversary with his wife yesterday (Monday).

Behind a family' closed doors
BEHIND closed doors, a young girl bled to death on the floor of her parents' bedroom after she was raped and her throat slit in Walton Road in Retreat on Thursday, 20 March.

Tender topic
A SPAT may be looming between Green Point Stadium construction contractor Murray and Roberts and marketing company Tractor Outdoor for the advertising rights of "the largest single advertising opportunity in the country".

This old house
RESIDENTS of Upper Woodstock are determined to preserve the architectural heritage of their area as they remain vehemently opposed to the demolition of one house they feel is a valuable asset to the neighbourhood.

Upgrade delayed
THE much publicised Main Road upgrade, which was originally scheduled to start yesterday, has been delayed following an acute shortage of quality bitumen, a key component of asphalt.

'Illegal' Oude Molen tenants face eviction
THE fate of Oude Molen tenants is hanging in the balance as a new development in the village looms.

The blaming game
SEVEN men in their 20s were arrested in Bonteheuwel just after 21:00 last night (Monday night) for the theft of the Robbie Waterwitch and Coline Williams statue in Athlone last week.

Home Affairs 'useless'
"HOW are you supposed to live?" asks Pam Laubscher, a terminal brain cancer patient who was not able to claim grant money because she has been waiting almost a year for her identity document from the Department of Home Affairs.

ARV therapy rockets
THE anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy unit at the Retreat Community Health Centre is under pressure.

Beware the sliding-door gang
ROBBERS working in groups have been moving around Camps Bay since August last year, breaking into B&Bs, guest houses and rental flats.

D-Day for Simone
97-YEAR-OLD Simone Salesse will be relocated to an old age home in Observatory at 14:00 today (Tuesday).

Rehab centre vanishes
LAST year a boy died under strange circumstances after a stint at an unregistered rehabilitation centre. Five months later, the centre has disappeared without a trace.

Urban creep threatens... again
IF an Irish land owner has his way, prime Glencairn mountainside will soon make way for 21 more houses.

'We wouldn't hurt our learners'
THE principal of Queenspark High School in Woodstock says the school's staff would have taken "all factors into account" before feeding pupils sheep brains and lungs at a recent school camp.

New links to Metro cop murders
POLICE have released an identikit of a man they believe might be able to shed some light on the death of the Metro Police officer whose body was found in Eagle Park on Friday, 22 February.

Schoolgirl held at gunpoint
IN three separate incidents on Thursday, four local learners were robbed in the close vicinity of their high school.

New plans worry Pinelanders
WITH thousands of residential and business units planned for construction in or around Pinelands in the next few years, at the heart of the soaring developments lies the question: is the "garden city" ready to take more?

School oath: to pledge or not?
THE proposed national schools pledge, which may be introduced in March, is being questioned by local principals, who have expressed concerns about its doubt and content.

Off the record
FAULTY mechanics in the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera system dotted across the Woodstock police's precinct is Metro Police's reason for the fact that a number of cameras failed to monitor crime over the festive season.

Drunk driving claim scrapped
AN allegation that Steenberg police officers, who allegedly knocked over two youngsters on a bicycle, were drinking alcohol while driving has been refuted by the Steenberg Police Station.

Principal orders raid
SCISSORS, a knife, seven dagga cigarettes, tobacco cigarettes and cellphones were found on school children at Belgravia High School when the school was raided last week.

Death in Sea Point cell
A HOMELESS man, originally from Hanover Park, tried to make money on the streets of Cape Town by showing cars where to park. Instead, he was arrested for this "illegal" act ? sent to jail, and killed the next day by a fellow detainee in the Sea Point Police Station?s hol?ding cells.

Trapped
"I THOUGHT I was going to die; I thought nobody would ever find me," were some of the thoughts that went through 74-year-old Isgak Hendricks' mind when he was trapped in a stormwater drain for almost nine hours.

To pledge or not to pledge
EMBRACE it, reject it; love it, or hate it; but the proposed school pledge of allegiance will probably become a reality.

Green scorpions strike
THE Environmental Management Inspectors, otherwise known as the "Green Scorpions", are investigating illegal polluting and dumping of waste in the Klein Vlei and Bokmakierie river channels.

Escort agency in hot seat
CRIMINAL charges of drug abuse and prostitution are being levelled against a notorious Sea Point escort agency which could see its business licence revoked as a result.

New wave of child gangsterism
CHILDREN armed with knives and pangas are stepping into the space left empty by a peace settlement between Hanover Park gangs last year.

Looking for work ends in murder
"WHEN I got to the scene, I saw my brother's lifeless body just lying there," says the brother of Jerome Mackay, who was murdered because he allegedly got more job opportunities than the other men who stood on the side of the road waiting for work.

The grass is greener at Lavender Hill High School
"ON your marks, get set, go!"

Wasteland - Simon's Town man offers bounty for 'arsonist'
THE fire that ripped through Red Hill for three consecutive days has led to arson being the strongly suspected cause.

Suicide leaves officials cold
"IT is a disgrace that a member of the public, and a family member, needed to inform the prison services that somebody in their care had died."

Tighter leash on hounds
FIDO may soon be restricted to specific parts of Noordhoek Beach if suggestions made at a recent site visit are given the go-ahead.

Market values
ENTREPRENEURS in Retreat, Lavender Hill, Grassy Park and Parkwood may soon have a new venue to ply their trade.

Rehab centre for Kensington
KENSINGTON is set to receive a R15 million drug rehabilitation facility.

Sting on illegals and their activities
A SPECIAL joint operation has been ridding the streets of criminal activities, and they?re honing in on illegal immigrants.

Prostitution out from the underground
LEGALISATION, decriminalisation, or criminalisation?

Hout Bay goes Dutch
OBJECTORS to an exclusive ga?ted development proposal on the Hout Bay beachfront have less than two weeks left to comment on the developer's response to their protests.

Cathkin in utter distress
SINCE last year, Cathkin Se?condary School in Athlone has reported more than 40 cases of vandalism.

Tempers flare over cell tower
DETERMINED Bishopscourt residents plan to take on cellphone giant MTN after the Protea subcouncil received an application from the company to erect a base station in the upmarket neighbourhood.

No shebeens, says CPF
IN an attempt to raid a shebeen in Lotus River, the Grassy Park police were surprised when the owner of the shebeen produced a legal liquor licence.

Hijacking alert for city area
THE area around the Gardens Centre has been plagued with hijackings and other petty crimes such as car break-ins and theft out of motor vehicles.

Athlone power station not viable solution
"LOAD shedding" has become a dirty phrase, but could there be a possible solution right under our noses in the form of the dormant Athlone power station?

Residents march against corruption
KENSINGTON residents want nothing more than to see an end to alleged corruption at their police station.

Devastation
AN INFERNO that swept through Scarborough and Ocean View this Friday has left two firefighters suffering third degree burns.

Criminals back in 'burbs
CLAREMONT'S Main Road saw a car crashing, armed men scattering and police giving chase after a 59-year-old woman was hijacked at gunpoint in her A Class Mercedes Benz at her Newlands home at 13:00 on Thursday, 17 January.

Doctor's tragic death a huge loss
FAMILY and friends are still reeling with shock after the senseless and brutal murder of Dr Theodore Lluwellyn Manuel.

Residents' fate in balance
WALMER ESTATE residents are fuming as after a year, the provincial Department of Housing has failed to remove squatters from a derelict house.

Flats residents cry out for care from city
RUSTED porch lights and broken flood lights offer no security for the residents of Aspeling, Van den Leer, Frere and Stuckerish Courts in Hillary Lane, Lavender Hill.

Furore over 'freak show' Mardi Gras
THE HIGHLY anticipated Cape Town Mardi Gras is turning into a "freak show", according to members of the Cape District Football Association (CDFA), which hosts the Mardi Gras.

Soccer boot may sideline traders
INFORMAL traders may be shunted to the outer edges of the city when Fifa rolls its Soccer World Cup into town in 2010.

Sewage on the shore
CLAIMS of raw sewage being pumped into Kalk Bay have led to the City of Cape Town dispatching teams to rectify the matter.

Club in eye of storm
ALLEGATIONS of questionable alliances and dealings have surfaced...

Hope after scores plummet
A LOCAL school went from an 84% matric pass rate to the lowest ranked school in the province in the space of three years.

'A tall tree has fallen'
ONE of Fish Hoek's tall trees has fallen. Francois Finlay (68), establisher of landmark Francois' Restaurant in Fish Hoek, passed away in his Fish Hoek home on Friday after battling cancer.

Pavilion in deep water
PLANS for a 52-bedroom upmarket hotel, two shopping plazas and a two-block extension of the adjacent parking lot on the Sea Point Pavilion appear to be on the cards once again.

Fur may fly
ANIMAL rights group Beauty Without Cruelty plans to hold a protest action in front of the Constantia Village Shopping Centre in objection to the selling of fur products.

Class of 2007 soars
DESPITE concerns about the 2007 matric results, there was only a drop of one percent in the overall pass rate for the south metropole compared to 2006.

Boom or bust for businesses
IT is not clear whether it will be a case of win or lose for businesses over this festive period.

Lawyers fly into Mama's Housing fray
BENEFICIARIES of the Mama's Housing Project in Pelican Park have decided to appoint legal representation to assist them in their ongoing battle to obtain houses on the site allocated for the project.

Far South looks on the bright side
EMPTY pockets may mean fewer feet at businesses over the festive season as petrol prices and increased interest rates take effect on the bank balances of shoppers.

Fire ruins families' Christmas
GUTTED.

Attempted robbery of Pirates treasure
ROBBERS let the proverbial treasure slip through their fingers after a botched attempt to rob the popular restaurant Pirates Steakhouse and Pub of their weekend's takings.

Volume turned up in Kenilworth
KENILWORTH RACECOURSE may become Cape Town's outdoor music venue of choice, now that the Green Point Stadium, the former arena of choice for outdoor concerts, is being reconstruc?ted.

Chaaban clings on
DESPITE threatening to bring in security guards and having lawyers on stand-by, city councillor Badih Chaaban was hardly a threat to the city on Saturday ? the day of his eviction from Greenmarket Square.

Korean community in shock
THE Korean woman who was found murdered in her Rondebosch home on Friday, 30 November was a successful businesswoman who was planning to open a guest house on the property in Park Road where she was was killed.

Pastor, teens robbed at church
THE People's Church Assembly of God's youth pastor, Dolan Cochrane, and two youths were robbed at gunpoint in front of the church this weekend.

No pay for Bonny Town workers
BONNY TOWN informal settlement residents seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place after a legal feud broke out between the directors of a company that installed toilets there recently.

Govender tops at SAPS awards
SUPERINTENDENT SHARON GOVENDER, station commissioner of the Steenberg Police Station, has had a very busy year, culminating in her being announced runner-up in the Provincial Woman of the Year category at the South African Police Prestige Awards for 2006-'07, held at the Old Mutual Business Hall in Pinelands on Tuesday, 27 November.

Good cop, bad cop
INSTEAD of preparing for his graduation ceremony in two weeks' time, a police student constable now faces charges of murder and armed robbery.

Affordable care promised in Da Gama
PARENTS of pre-school children in Da Gama Park will soon have an affordable and centrally-based day care centre in their area.

American company brings employment to Salt River
AN American multi-national company, which recently made its home in Salt River, proposes to bring 2 500 jobs for locals.

Extension of cemetery not welcomed
THE proposed extension of the Klip Road Cemetery has caused a stir amongst residents of Grassy Park.

Westlake's housing woes
TROUBLE seems to be brewing in Westlake after 100 notices were served on property owners last week, instructing them to gain approval from the City of Cape Town for the erection of buildings on their property.

Hartleyvale stand gets a big thumbs-down
THE poor state of one portion of the newly upgraded Hartleyvale sports field has become an eyesore to residents who believe it should be better maintained by the City of Cape Town.

Councillor gears up to fight crime
THE MURDER of UCT professor Mike Larkin two weeks ago has prompted officials to step up security along Rondebosch's Liesbeek River trail.

Schools in shake-up
SOUTH PENINSULA schools from Fish Hoek to Kalk Bay are in for a shake-up next year as movements within the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) filter through to the South Peninsula.

Tempers flare about square
TEMPERS flared when traders of the Greenmarket Square were addressed at a meeting on Friday 23 November in the City Hall by Councillor Simon Grindrod, mayoral committee member for economics, social development and tourism.

Arrest in brutal Kewtown shooting
AN arrest was made in the execution of the Kewtown five.

New Year's cancelled
THE Jubilee Square New Year's Eve party, an annual event that has become something of an institution in Simon's Town, will not be presented this year, the Simon's Town Amenities Development Company (Stadco) confirmed last week.

Night trading planned for CBD
16 DECEMBER will  see the start of the second annual run of night trading in the Athlone CBD in a growing attempt to promote and boost local business.

No peace at cemetery
THERE seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for residents complaining about the state of the Plumstead cemetery.

Professor murdered on the way to church
PROFESSOR Mike Larkin of the University of Cape Town (UCT), who was stabbed to death in Roslyn Road in Rondebosch on Friday afternoon, was in fact on his way to St Michael's Catholic Church at the time and was less than 30 metres from the church when he was stabbed.

Quarry residents won't budge
THE Strand Street quarry cannot continue to be maintained unless a man and his wife are prepared to move.

Shebeens to challenge CPF for festive permit
SHEBEENS have approached the Steenberg Community Police Forum to rally support for a "festive season arrangement" similar to the agreement that the Ocean View and Masiphumelele shebeens have with the Ocean View CPF and police station.

Manenberg cycle tour betters community
FORGET all the other major city cycle tours ? Manenberg hosted its very own for the betterment of the community.

Two die in Ottery house fire
TRAGEDY struck in the early hours of Saturday morning when a fire broke out in a home in Ottery, leaving two dead ? inclu?ding a four-year-old girl.

Homeless given another chance
DISPLACED and homeless people living in Observatory, Woodstock, Salt River and Mowbray will soon have a chance for a better life.

Rates hiked to 'save city'
"IF we do not improve the city?s income tremendously, Cape Town will, in a manner of speaking, be in a state of disarray in the next five to ten years," a city councillor has predicted.

Arrests in gang war
MANENBERG is still tense after gang murders, attempted murders and several arrests in the space of a week.

Policeman dies after slip at station
A CITY police officer tumbled to his death after he slipped and fell down a flight of stairs at the Cape Town Police Station on Saturday, 3 November.

Ex-gangster killed
IN COLD blood. That is how 36-year-old Gesant "Charra" Naidoo met his end.

Schoolboy stabbed at game shop
A PRIMARY schoolboy was almost stabbed to death by a 16-year-old while they were allegedly gambling in an illegal game house in Blagdon Street, Retreat, on Saturday, 3 November.

Weekend of murder
A WEEKEND of tragedy has struck Greater Grassy Park after four deaths ? two of them murders ? were reported.

An industry stranded at sea
SURVIVAL of the abalone species is posing a threat to fishermen who have been left all but stranded, following the ban on abalone fishing.

Execution in Woodstock
WHAT started out as peaceful sleep yesterday morning ended in a gruesome blood bath for five people...

Abalone wars begin
ON THE same day the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism announced the ban on abalone fishing, a man sneaked onto Fish Hoek beach with a container of swimming pool acid.

More shacks invading Mama's Housing Project land
RESIDENTS of Eagle Park and Pelican Park are concerned about the number of illegal dwellings that have been erected on the land earmarked for the Mama's Housing Project.

Province land 'an eyesore'
PROPERTIES owned by the provincial government in Woodstock are raising the ire of residents, who say they are becoming an eyesore and attracting vagrants and criminals.

Erf 60 battle turns ugly
"IT is a total whitewash. We believe court action will be required."

Oude Molen: Pinelands or Mowbray?
AN OPEN house exhibition for the proposed Oude Molen eco-village development near Pinelands is on at the Oude Molen Community Hall this afternoon (30 October) between 15:30 and 19:30.

Young man killed for a car
ABDURAGMAAN AMLAY from Retreat was 21 years old and engaged to be married to the girl of his dreams when his life was taken in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 24 October.

Tribute paid to late VOC presenter
A SOMBRE mood descended upon the Muslim community of Cape Town this past weekend as it bade farewell to Sedick Samo?dien (49), a beloved father, son and friend.

Cheap Devil's Peak houses not good enough
DEVIL'S PEAK residents received seemingly good news recently when they were informed that their cottages will be sold back to them for next to nothing.

Pollution a 'health disaster'
A HEALTH crisis is lurking on the doorstep of Imizamo Yethu (IY) as pollution is spiralling out of control and not enough is being done by the City of Cape Town to improve conditions.

Residents comment on local design
LOCALS have been afforded time until the end of October to submit suggestions to the City of Cape Town on how they want their neighbourhoods to be developed in future.

Grandparents stabbed on twins' birthday
AN elderly couple was robbed and stabbed in front of their son's house as they went to celebrate their grandchildren's birthday in Rondebosch.

Double probe into death of rehab boy
THE death of a Manenberg teenager booked into a controversial rehabilitation centre has spurred two investigations: one of murder and ano?ther ordered by the MEC of Social Development.

A plan for all seasons
AN ACTIVIST ever since she cut her teeth on the chaotic streets of Muizenberg in 1998, Kerime Sinclair could hardly hide her disappointment at Thursday's community meeting that had promised to be the first step towards the area's final revitalisation.

Retreat's courts unite
BLOCKS of flats in Retreat are making history by the establishment of SHAAL, an interim residents committee that will unite the voices of the people living in Sterling, Horstley, Albertus, Ayre and Lesar Courts

Complex to be revamped for 2010
THE William Herbert Sports Complex in Wynberg will be revamped in time for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

Shoot-out shocks Zeekoevlei
ZEEKOEVLEI residents were shocked by the sound of gun shots and a high-speed car chase down their streets in the early hours of last Tuesday morning.

City does about-turn on rent office
THE doors of the Manenberg rent office have finally been reopened and members of Proudly Manenberg claim their threat to march in protest against the city's decision to suspend operation in February is the cause.

Camps Bay 'becoming a war zone'
WHAT started out as a great Sunday on 7 October with the Springboks making it to the semi-finals was ruined by an act of "brutal arrogance" for a Camps Bay household.

Top school probed
A TOP school is under investigation after opening the wrong pack of matric examination question papers last week.

City's human 'dumping ground'
KENSINGTON residents are up in arms about the number of informal settlements that have sprung up in their neighbourhood.

Face-lift for CBD
THE heart of the Athlone CBD will soon receive a face-lift to establish district offices for the Departments of Planning and Building Development Management as well as Roads and Storm Water of the city.

Road to nowhere
MOTHER NATURE seems to be winning the battle against man in the ongoing struggle to keep Chapman's Peak Drive open, but the end of the war is still a long time coming.

Fury over hospital 'amendment'
THE Good Hope Subcouncil has urgently requested a report on the current status of the plans to redevelop Somerset Hospital.

Trout vs Chaaban: the SMS wars
TODAY Independent Democrats councillor Trevor Trout is a worried man.

Red tape angers councillor
A LOCAL councillor has called for the red tape holding back the mowing of grass to be cut.

When bad things happen to a good road
THINGS were going surprisingly well for Lakeside resident Carol Ramsay in August.

Rehab death shrouded in mystery
THE death of a Manenberg youth after visiting a local rehabilitation centre in Grassy Park has left many unnerved and confused as to the cause of his pas?sing.

Hout Bay in shock
A SHOCK wave hit Hout Bay on Monday as news of prominent ?local businessman Johnny de Castro?s murder spread through the community.

Land invasion a concern for residents
ONCE again the controversial Mama's Housing Project is causing upheaval among residents in the area after another 20 "illegal wendy houses" were erected by fed up housing beneficiaries.

Phoenix disappoints
CITY officials responsible for the Phoenix Housing Project in Manenberg were met with hostile stares from infuriated residents on Friday when an informal gathering, arranged to discuss beneficiaries' concerns, turned into a shouting match.

Murder in Mowbray
A TAXI driver was shot dead in his meter taxi in Mowbray on Sunday.

Taxi tension leads to arrests
DISPUTES over the allocation of taxi routes in Retreat last week led to the arrest of three taxi drivers who are members of the Retreat Taxi Association (RTA).

Red Brick ruckus in District Six
AN UPMARKET apartment block in District Six is at the centre of a heated debate between the city and the District Six Beneficiary Trust.

Police gathering drug evidence
CONTINUOUS raids will still be in the pipeline for 12 Beverley Street as law enforcement offi?cers continue to investigate claims that the council house is being used for the sale of drugs and alcohol.

Police operation 'a drag'
FIFTEEN police vehicles and 10 law enforcement vehicles flooded Kevin Road in Ottery on Sunday, 23 September, officers brandishing shotguns, in an attempt to curb illegal drag racing taking place on the netball court in the vicinity.

Residents show the door to elections
WHEN scores of informal settlement dwellers arrived at the Seawinds Multi-purpose Centre for a pre-election briefing on Thursday, they refused have any changes made to their resident committees.

Simon's Town gets control of Jubilee Square
AN experiment in public-private partnerships will, on 1 October, see the ma?nagement of Jubilee Square and the nearby jetty in Simon's Town handed over to a private Section 21 company.

Frustrated farm workers speak out
GOOD ethical practices say employees should be made permanent after a certain period of time.

Chaos as cash van flips in heist
EIGHT heavily armed robbers pushed a cash van off the M3 in Constantia on Friday, causing the vehicle to overturn on the Constantia off-ramp and resulting in the road being barricaded for more than eight hours.

Tourists injured in Muizenberg accident
TWELVE German tourists were left with varying degrees of injuries on Sunday afternoon after their luxury overland bus crashed into the Atlantic Road bridge in Muizenberg.

Dyantyi: End to housing debacle near
DEFECTIVE homes built by the beleaguered CTCHC will be repaired within the next seven months, Housing MEC Richard Dyantyi promised infuriated re?sidents.

Headaches ahead for police forums
ALTHOUGH the national transition from Community Police Forums (CPF) to Community Safety Forums (CSF) is well under way, there are still a number of challenges to be overcome before the idea can become viable, say local CPF chairpersons.

Primary school learners get hooked on glue
"I WANT to stop sniffing glue. I want to stop using," are  not  words  one would expect to hear from a ten-year-old in Grade 4.

Mom accused of murder awaits freedom
THE fate of the Lavender Hill mother who was arrested on a charge of murdering her youngest son because of his drug addiction hangs in the balance as she awaits her bail hearing on Thursday.

Archbishop's stepchildren charged
ASSAULT charges have been laid against Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane's two adult stepchildren following an attack on his ?domestic worker at his ?Bishopscourt home.

Break-through with break-ins
AFTER two months of regular break-ins at the Steenberg Village Shopping Centre, police finally made a break-through. Three suspects were arrested in connection with eight different cases of burglary.

Treasury gets jitters over soccer stadia
THE National Treasury, for the second time running, has again expressed its concerns surrounding the sustainability of the 2010 Soccer World Cup Stadiums once the matches are over and the World Cup has passed.

'Darkness reason for crime'
RESIDENTS of Overcome Heights are calling for the installation of area lighting in this informal settlement following two murders.

Schools not safe yet
DESPITE elaborate plans by the Department of Education to make schools safer, high schools in Athlone have become war zones, forcing teachers who should be working towards providing education to become impromptu security guards.

Divide and conquer: baboons show how
"HE has become the most skilled house raider ever and has had great success teaching his skills to others."

UCT joins hands with day hospital
A SHOT in the arm is on the cards for Hanover Park Day Hospital.

Parkwood man's death a mystery
JUST one day before his death, 56-year-old Jacobus Davids was humming a hymn while sitting with friends, not knowing what lay ahead.

Tata ma chance -tata ma mates
PREDICTING when the national lottery will resume is turning into something of a gamble in itself.

No living room for Manenberg family
SEVENTEEN years ago, Sharon Louw's name was added to the ever-growing housing waiting list. Today she and her husband, Arthur, share a couch in the lounge of her mother's Manenberg house. Nine other people, including their four children, share two bedrooms.

'Die Laan' planned as money hub
MANENBERG AVENUE (commonly known as "Die Laan") could soon give birth to a new economic lifeline for residents of Manenberg and Tambo Village, hopefully within the next nine months.

Police nab Sunvalley robbers
ALL four robbers who attempted to rob a cash-in-transit van at Sunvalley Mall last week have been arrested by the Fish Hoek Police Station.

Cafda man killed in club's parking lot
TWO Retreat residents have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Cafda Village man who was shot in the face outside a popular club in Retreat Road yesterday morning.

High court: Jammie vs taxi
A WAR or words, if not of wea?pons, is set for court between UCT's Jammie Shuttles and local taxi organisations, which has led to the university's transport system suspending its services on the Claremont route.

City clubs hard-hit by PSL disputes
THE Mvela Golden League has been put on hold indefinitely as the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the 16 affiliated teams are locked in talks about the league's future.

Special kids melt former president's heart
FORMER president FW de Klerk in tears is indeed a rare sight. Yet he could not hold them back when he donated money to the Woodside Special Care Centre in Rondebosch East.

Somalians get the cold shoulder
SOMALIAN tuck-shop owners sat abandoned amidst a sea of white plastic chairs after community members walked out on them in the Seawinds Multi-Purpose ?Centre last week.

Ward forums slammed as 'talk-shops'
THE Lotus River, Ottery and Grassy Park Ratepayers and Residents Association (LOGRA) will oppose plans by the City of Cape Town to form ward forums within subcouncil areas...

Flat left to gather dust
AN investigation has been launched into the claim that a council-owned flat has been standing vacant for about eight years - while the never-ending waiting list for hou?sing continues to grow.

Horror jam expected for South
IMAGINE the worst traffic jam the Far South has ever seen.

Life is bad in cockroach hotel
LYING in the dark, in the corner of a cardboard and plastic burrow, Toms Msutu knows he is in desperate need of medical attention. The Athlone Police stumbled onto this resident during one of their re?gular raids in Athlone on Friday, 24 August.

Heat is on Full Swing
A PINELANDS businesswo?man's dealings with the City of Cape Town to apparently provide "social facilitation for the 2006 elections", which saw R3,6 million flow out of the city during the ANC's te?nure, is fa?cing a possible police investigation.

Fanfare over postponed fan parks
PLANS for Cape Town's first "fan park" on Greenmarket Square have been indefinitely postponed, apparently due to "bad planning" by the City of Cape Town.

Race card played with poker face
I AM well aware that racism is still alive and well in South Africa ? some intentional and some incidental ? but I was nonetheless taken aback when I was accused of being "one of them" on Sunday.

Athlone's R14 million park debate
THE cost of revamping Nantes Park, at an estimated cost of R14 million, has become the source of a raging debate between ward councillors, City Parks, schools and civic associations.

Subcouncil prioritises road upgrades
POTHOLES and flooded roads have become a norm within the greater Grassy Park area, but the Rondevlei subcouncil has made it one of its top priorities to push for the implementation of road upgrades, which include traffic calming measures.

Down to 'brass tax' in rates debate
BLACKIE SWART of Simon's Town was only partly joking when he offered to sell his home "right then and there" to a flustered City of Cape Town official in March this year.

Battle lines drawn in ashes
THE eviction clash between a property ow?ner and squatters has now reached the Cape High Court.

Surveillance leads police to drug house
WEEKS of surveillance on a house in Plumstead bore fruit last week as police successfully arrested two people on drug-related charges.

Steenberg development follows new example
DEVELOPERS of a Steenberg housing complex have taken a new approach to developing their property, set to begin by the end of the year.

First mosque opened
AFTER 14 years of praying in cramped conditions in a high school hall, the Eagle Park Muslim community finally has a mosque to call its own.

Housing hopes run high
THE air over Masiphumelele is fraught with tension today as school site residents await the formal outcome of a round of talks between their Amakhaya ngoku! (Homes now!)

Calm after gang violence storm
MONTHS of peace between gangs in Manenberg were shattered last week as shooting incidents erupted. Police have confirmed, however, that the situation had simmered down.

Big brother is watching... on CCTV
CRIMINALS beware: Closed circuit television may soon be monitoring your every move.

Double death shocks city
SHOCKED bystanders outside the Capetonian Hotel looked on in horror yesterday morning as a divorced couple?s quarrel en?ded in murder and suicide.

Matrics left without teachers
THE Grade 12 class of Crestway High School in Steenberg has no science or mathematics teachers - just a couple of months before their preliminary and final examinations are set to take place.

New role for Newlands?
THE fate of the Newlands Stadium hangs in the balance as powerful forces in the sporting arena jockey for position in what could be one of the biggest sales in the history of South African sport.

Delay in rezone annoys
RED tape has dashed the hopes of Jabula residents owning their own homes. Now they're threatening to squat there illegally.

Housing development welcomed
ALTHOUGH 32 townhouses are currently under construction in Hazendal and is set to be completed by the end of the year, the Bridgetown Civic Association say they know nothing about it.

Body found in bushes near Zeekoevlei
AN ordinary wood-cutting session in the densely wooded area bordering the Zeekoe?vlei Nature Reserve led to the discovery of a dead body in the area earmarked for the Pelican Park Development.

Man falls to death on mountain
THE body of a 31-year-old American tou?rist was found yesterday afternoon, 6 August at 12:30 on Fountain Ledge on Table Mountain.

Robbery wave hits businesses
IT seems a series of armed robberies sweeping through the southern suburbs has now branched out to the Far South after the Pitstop service centre in Main Road, Fish Hoek was hit by a gang of five armed men on Friday.

Home owners cling to hope
THOUSANDS of ratepayers continue to live in hope that the City of Cape Town will give them a sympathetic ear when it considers their objections to their new property valuations.

Police heed call to act
SHEBEENS topped the list of priorities for the Grassy Park Police on Sunday when they raided 16 houses in their precinct.

Housing office won't re-open in Manenberg
GANG violence in Manenberg saw the Manenberg Housing Office move to a safer location in Heideveld earlier this year.

Plans progress for mall at vlei
THE government will soon decide on whether or not it will approve the rezo?ning of a portion of council-owned land at Princess Vlei to allow for the construction of a shopping complex.

Parliament bulldozes ahead
BUSINESS owners in council-owned buildings in the Cape Town CBD are sta?ring down a bulldozer as the government gets ready to redevelop their buildings as an extension to Parliament.

Community fights back
MASIPHUMELELE is in danger of losing its reputation as an "accessible" township for foreign volunteers to work in...

Armed gang attacks shops
TWO shops were robbed by a gang of gunmen in two days last week and police are worried the group will strike again.

Residents help drive burglaries down
HOUT BAY POLICE STATION has repor?ted decreases in most crimes in the past year, with the station commissioner particularly pleased at the decrease in housebreakings, robbery and thefts.

A breath of fresh air for Maynardville
THE green lung of Wynberg is set to get a breath of fresh air as plans are put into action to upgrade the facilities at the historic Maynardville Park.

Public to have their say about granny flats
ALTHOUGH the City of Cape Town has approved a new policy allowing the development of granny flats in