January2026
Illegaldragracing along the M3 highwayisnow under the spotlightafter amotiontoregulateorroot out theb
Drag racing
Concernsoverillegaldragracing alongthe M3 highwayreached City’s decision-makingstructureson Wednesday21January when Subcouncil 20 tabled amotionofexigencycalling for urgent enforcementmeasures.
Ward 62 councillorEmile Langenhoven confirmed that themotionwas presentedon Wednesday, citing ongoingsafetyrisks and repeated disturbances affecting residentsliving near thehighway
AccordingtoLangenhoven,the illegalracing impactsseveral wardsbordering theM3, includingWards 59,62, 71 and73, andhas persisteddespite regularpatrols
Illegaldragracingreferstounauthorised vehicleraces conductedonpublicroads,where driverscompete to reachhighspeedsovershort distances. Theseraces ofteninvolve rapidacceleration, modified vehicles andrecklessdriving behaviour, placingother road usersand nearby communities at risk
“The racing is random,dangerous andcontinuestodisrupt residents’ lives, ofteninthe middleofthe night,”Langenhoven said.“Current enforcementmethods areclearly notworking.”
Themotioncalls forimprovedand coordinated enforcement, includingthe installation of speed-over-distance cameras, whichmonitor
averagevehicle speedsovera setdistancerather than relyingonisolatedspeed traps. Langenhovenwarnedthatplannedupgrades to theM3could worsen theproblem if preventative measures arenot implementedtimeously “Ifthe road becomessmootherand faster withoutsmarter enforcement, it mayunintentionally encouragemorerecklessdriving,” he said As chairofSubcouncil20, Langenhoven said thematterrequiresa multi-directorate response,asthe M3 is ownedbythe Western
compla ed abou oise,safetyconce sand beingwoken in theearly hoursbyspeeding vehicles.“To be honest,I am also over being shockedawake by theirresponsiblebehaviour of afew individuals,”Langenhoven added. He urgedresidents to assist with data collection by reportingincidents as they occurtothe City’s Public EmergencyCommunication Centre on 021480 7700.
Themotionhas nowbeen formally escalated within City structures,withfurther discussions expected in thecomingweeks.Residentswillbe kept informed as theprocess unfolds.
Carnivalrestoresyouth’shope
THULANIMAGAZI
“I
wouldratherwalkthe streetsofCrossroads nakedthanseeing this groupdying down,” this is howLoyisoCasiwesummed up hisloveand passion for ImbumbaCross Dancers, oneofmanygroupsthatwill take part in this year’s Cape Town Carnival on Saturday 21 March.
Over 1500 performers will showcase theirtalentunder the theme“FollowYourHeART”on theGreen PointFan Walk in an explosionofcolourand entertainment during the16thedition of the carnival
Casiwe,one of theleaddancers at theannual carnival,endured many yearsofheartache and hatred before hiselevation to the topofthisyearlyspectacle.And he attributes hisresilienceand rise to hisformerteacher andmentor Nolufefe Racula
The22-year-old joined agroup of youngdancers whilehewas a learneratQingqaMntwana Primary School at OldCrossroads under theguidanceofRaculawho honed hisdance movesand skills
Littledid he know that this would draw theire of certaincommunity members.
“Peoplehated me andI waseven calleda ‘moffie’,” he tells People’s Post Thesedid notdeter hisfocus as he tirelesslystrived to be thebest at dancing.
Todayheisthe beacon of hope to many youngpeopleinhis community.“Noweveryoneloves me Most people want to be part of the group,”hesays, explaining that he workswith60young people between theagesof11and 18.The dancersare nowpreparing for this year’s festival on Saturday 21 March.
“Weencourage thechildren, especially theboys, to remain hum-
bleand be confident in themselves Forinstance, at my ageI stillwash dishes at home andmostofthem thinkI am lyingwhenI tell them that.Crime will always be there, butthere is certainlychangeinour community”explainsCasiwewho shares ahouse with hismother, grandmotherand five siblings “There is also unityamong allour membersand youcan seethatthey choosetheir friendscarefully.”
Despitehis resilience and fighting spirit,challenges remain Casiwe says whiletheir focusis always on theCapeTownCarnival, they also performatcommunity events.“Most of thechildrendo nothavemeans to buyclothes for ourperformancesand Ihaveto buyfor them from thelittlemoney Imakefrommypart-time jobs “Lastyear, IboughtthemT-shirts to participateinlocal events,” he says,expressing gratitudetothe carnival organisers forsupporting thegroup annually to participatein theevent
“Theysupport us with theclothes andthatiswhere we gettosee people from othernations,” he explains butcalls for“supporters” to ensure thegroup continuesits work in society.
Explaining themotivebehindthe group, Racula tells People’s Post that shegrewupina family that lovedmusic.She also pays homage to hermotherwho instructed her to remain loyaltoall thechildren.
“I lovedsinging from ayoung age andI wasinspiredbymymother whowas amusic conductor. Before shedied(in 2009), sheinstructed me to take care of thechildrenand help them in music,”she says Racula hasbeen part of theCape Town Carnival sinceinception and haswitnessedits evolutionover theyears.“Ioncedancedwith them,but my attire wasdifferent anda bitlonger,”she says Shepraises thegroup fortransformingchildreninCrossroads “I always availmyclass to the
Everystorybuildstheworldwewanttosee
lighter.
Hi partner. Breathewithme (inahale,hold, exhale).
Icallyou partnerbecause Ido notsee youasjusta reader,I see youassomeone walkingwithme, we’vedonesosuccessfully in the last year,wemight as well keep walking, walkingisanevent,and alleventshappenwitha reason, this walk,thoughunexplainable, hopefully leadsustogentlepaths When Iask youtobreathe with me, it is an invitation to pause, notto perform. Andright now, that pause feelsmoreimportant than ever So heypartner .welcome to 2026 ,thisismy firstcolumnfor theyearand Ihopetoshare many “hey partner” momentswithyou When oftenasked whereI’m from Ialwaysjokinglysay I’ma citizenofthe worldand Decemberprovedjustthat, Ispent most of it on theroad, between cities, between communities Zwelethemba in Worcester, Mdantsanein East London,New Brighton in Port ElizabethlastlyKwaNokuthulain PlettenbergBay Theroads blurredunder the wheels, townsand townships passing like pagesina book Icould notput down.And as Itravelled, I realised that notevery storyhas a headline.Somejustmakethe heart
Inoticed somethingthatstayed with me.Inmanyhomes and streets, people wouldkeep quietat thefaceofinjustice or quietlyshare theirthoughts, theirfrustrations, theirhopes,but ofteninhushed tones.
They spokecarefully,sometimes as if testingwhether it wassafeto be heard. Ithenrealisedpeopleare notsilentbecause they do notcare. They areoften silent because, over generations, they have been taught that theirvoicesdonot matter. Taught to doubttheir worth, to normalisebeing ignored, to survive quietly. Butinsomespaces, I’ve seen somethingdifferent, somethingquietly revolutionary, people speaking up,insisting to be seen,to be heard, to matter.
In Zwelethemba, Imet agrandmother tendinga community garden.Her handsweredarkened by soil andsunlight, hervoice soft but firm.She told me shestarted thegardenfor thechildrenasa safe placetoplay, to learn, to feel proudoftheir surroundings.Itwas notonthe news.Itdid notgoviral Yetwatchingthe children harvest vegetables,their laughter spilling over thefencesand into thestreets, Ifeltthe powerofsmall victories. It is thekindofstory that reminds youthisiswhatmatters
In Mdantsane, Iobservedsomethingelse, aquiet revolution in the ordinary.A groupofneighbours haddecided to cleantheir streets
forChristmas,not becauseanyone askedthemto, notbecause it wouldberecognised, butbecause it matteredtothem, to theirchildren,totheir senseofdignity.One person picked up aplastic bottle, anotherswept thedust, afew planted flowersalong thekerb. By theend of theafternoon,a street that hadfeltforgottennow looked aliveagain.Care, it seems, is contagious.
Andthenthere wasNew Brighton. Here,I witnesseda younglady starta readingcircleinher back yard.Itbegan with threechildren anda fewbooks. It wasa beautiful sighttobeholdasthe children’s eyes lightupwithstories from distantworlds. Smallactslikea book,a smile, amomentofshared attentioncan ripplefurther than we imagine.
Even in PlettenbergBay,KwaNokuthula, Ifound moments that reminded me of resilience.A groupoflocal artistshad revitalised homesfor low-income residents. They were young, loud, andunapologetically joyful.With each brushstrokethe houses told newstories of hope,colour, and possibility December reminded me that thesemoments,quiet as they may be,are everywhere in gardens, streets, back yards, neighbourhoodsand kitchens.Theyare about connection, resilience,and humanity. They arevictories of everyday life.Theydonot make headlines.
They do not fill news reels. But they remind us that healingbegins when we speak, when we act, when we notice each other. Your voicematters toowhether youliveinthe marginsorthe suburbs. Youdonot have to shout to be heard. If somethingfeelswrong in your community,knock on thedoor of amedia house. Asktospeak to ajournalist. Shareyourstory Becauseinjustice thrivesinsilence, andeverydayvictories thrive when they areacknowledged. Reflecting on 2025,I noticeda pattern;our worldmoves quickly. Ourfeedsscrollendlessly. We click, share, react, andmoveon. Butlifeisnot in thefast-forward. Life is in thepause.Inthe gentle moments, theordinaryactsof kindness, theconversations that aretenderand truthful.Before we chasethe new, let’slook back at what made us pause, smile, or rethink.
So,partner,I invite youto breathewithme. Notice thesmall victoriesaroundyou.Speak up when youmust. Celebratewhen youcan.Connect when it matters.And remember theseare the momentsthatshape us,the stories that matter, thevictories that do notalwaysmakeheadlines but lightour hearts nonetheless. Trusttoday.Walkgentlyknowing that everysmall act, everyshared story, everyvoice raised in care, builds theworld we want to see.
LoyisoCasiwedressed in acarnival costume during the previous event
PHOTO:SUPPLIED
Reddam Ho gets good
NAMHLAMONAKALI
ReddamHouse WesternCapehas produced topnationalachievers in theIndependent Examinations Board(IEB) Classof2025, with several learners earningmultipledistinctions andtop oneper cent national rankings
At ReddamHouse Constantia,Keira Winter achieved nine distinctions,including topone percentnationalresults in life orientation, ma
KeiraWinter of Reddam HouseConstantia achieved nine distinctions in theIEB Class of 2025, including topone per cent national results,and wasnamed on theIEB Outstanding Achievement List.
Authoritiessearch foranswers
KAYLYNNEBANTOM
Gangviolenceonthe Cape Flatscontinues to wreakhavoc on communities,leaving atrail of blood in its wake.
PresidentCyril Ramaphosaannouncedover theweekendthatmorethan26peoplewere murdered in variousparts of thecity.
The figuresinclude eightpeopleshotdeadin ashebeen in an extortionrelated shootingin Marikana,Philippi on Saturday 17 January.
Thepresident condemnedthe violence on the Cape Flatsand said communities canexpect “strongerlaw enforcementand increasedpolice visibility”tostabilise affectedcommunities and reduce theriskfor more violence
People’s Post spoketoDrGuy Lamb,director of theConflictPeacebuilding andRiskUnitin theDepartmentofPolitical ScienceatStellenbosch University,togaininsight into the escalating violence Lamb argues that socio-economicchallenges, includingunemployment, poverty, andschool dropouts,leave youngmen susceptibletogang involvement.
“A lotofthe issues is aboutthe high levels of inequality,lackofmeaningful employment for youngmen in poorer areas, untilweare able to solvethatproblem andaddressthatinequality Idon’t thinkweare goingtodomuchonthe gang violence issue.”
Lamb says extortioneconomies,suchasthose linked to shebeens, significantly contribute to violence in communities
He believes theCovid-19lockdowntriggered a wave of extortionascriminals sought alternative ways to generate income
“Partofthe problemwithextortion at the moment is that there’slotsofdifferentplayers within thesector. Andtheycompete with each othertoextortmoney from businesses, early childhood developmentcentres,hawkers,traderswithintownships andthe informal sector aretargeted.
Lamb adds that criminalsuse violence to intimidate victimsintopaying, whilealsodemonstrating that they aremorepowerfulthanrival extortiongroups.
“Violenceisa lotlower when thereisa dominantgroup that’s engaging in theextortion andinthatway thedominantgroup provides a degree of protection.”
Lamb says theWestern Cape government has adoptedone of themostprogressive approaches to gang andinterpersonal violence throughits safety plan,which aims to improvecoordination across departments, butits abilitytoaddress immediateviolenceremains limited.
He adds that whilenationalcrime andviolencepreventionstrategiesexist,theyare under-resourcedand poorly coordinated, resulting in an over-relianceonpolicingratherthan addressing theroot causes of violence
Lamb identifies access to firearms as akey driver of violence
“A lotofgangs have access to firearms more than previous years. It createsa massive demand formoreguns. Theonlyway to compete with othergangs is if youhaveguns. This is drivingtheftsand robberies relatedtothose whopossess firearms.”
Lamb says theviolencecausesserious harm to communities
“Thisistraumatisingfor communities it has an effectparticularlyonchildrenbecause they areexperiencingand witnessing trauma daily. It also restrictstheir movements. It createsfear, tensionand trauma.Thisalsoleads to more youngmen joininggangs to protecttheir family andcommunity.”
Anroux Marais,the WesternCapeMinisterof Police Oversightand Community Safety,said in apress statementcommunities arelivingin constant fear as criminals“runrampant”.
“The police must urgently resource allpriority precinctsand fill vacanciessothatall serious crimes aresolvedand thoseresponsible are prosecuted,” shesaid.
Meanwhilemayor GeordinHill-Lewishas
urgedthe national government to immediately expand theCity’spolicingpowers, citing rising gang,gun,and drug violence
He made thecallafter Acting Police Minister FirozCachaliaacknowledgedthatthe police are strugglingtocontrol gangsinthe province
“Wecallonthe minister to endthe delayin granting more policing powers forour City officers to investigatecrime.Citypoliceare immediatelyready to buildprosecution-ready case docketstosecuremoreconvictions forgang, gun, anddrugcrime,” said Hill-Lewis.
Gang violence continues to terroriseCapeFlats communities,leaving residentsinfearasshootingsand extortion escalate PHOTO:KAYLYNNE BANTOM
Chapman’scrash victim rescued
TPubliclibrariesareleading providersofcivicsupport
With thenew year off to agoodstart,City librariesare supportingeveryonefromearly readerstojob seekersand entrepreneurs throughfreedigital resources.
Accordingtothe City,over24000 newmembers have signed up in thelastsix months in its 102publiclibraries Librariesloanout books, audiobooksand DVDs,provide free access to computersand the internet throughSmartCape,and host arange of programmesdesignedtosupport learning, developmentand opportunity.
From pram jams fornewbornsand toddlers, to readingpogrammesinthe EarlyChildhood Development(ECD) phaseand beyond,study support forolder learners andemployment readinessprogrammesfor adults Francine Higham,Mayco member forcommunity services andhealth, said librariesare welcoming, safe andinclusive spaces that offer free support to residents.
“While membership is notrequiredtovisit libraries, it does allowresidents to borrowmaterial to read at your leisure, or forstudy purposes,and opensaccess to allour digitalresources From booksand studyspace to SmartCape computersand skills programmes, ourlibraries arethere to give everyone ahandup.”
LIBRARIES’IMPACTBYNUMBERS:
SinceWednesday 31 December last year City librarieshad atotal membership of 253075 SinceJulylastyearatleast 24 127new members have joined Cape Town’s libraries. Between July andDecember, librariesrecorded 3925 718visits.
In thelastthree months of last year,libraries circulated 1105 896items,ieitems checkedout by usersacrossall servicepoints.
In the2024-’25 financialyearlibraries recorded a4%increaseinthe number of visitors accessing theinternetvia SmartCape, from 423811 to 441 451.
People aged 26+accountedfor 52%ofusage, with thoseagedbetween 13 and17accounting for13%
Signingupasa member is quickand easy –youjustneed an identity document andproof of address. Adults areabletosignupchildrenfor membership on presentation of therequired documentation. Forin-person applications,membershipisactivatedimmediately, whichmeans newpatrons receivetheir librarycardonthe spot andare able to borrowmaterialonthe same day. Applications canalsobecompleted online.In such instances, newpatrons have immediate access to allonlineofferings,and have to collect theirlibrary card within sevendays. . Online applications canbemade here: https://opac.capetown.gov.za/
Magic college opens to thepublic
TheCollege of Magicwillhavetwo open days on Saturday 7and Saturday 14 February to welcomenewcomers into aworld of learning, performanceand personal growth
TheseOpenDaysare auniqueopportunityfor prospectivestudentsand families to engage directly with theCollege’s world-classcurriculum andsupportivelearningenvironment
Entrance is free butbookingisessentialas spaces arelimited
THEOPENDAYEXPERIENCEINCLUDES:
. Ahands-onbeginnermagic workshop
. Aguidedtourofthe iconic MagicMansion
. An overview of Course 1and meet-andgreet with instructors
Thecollege,internationally respectedfor its rigorous andtransformativemagic education, also aims to expand itsbeginnercourses next month. TheCollege of Magic’sstructured beginnercourses usemagic as apractical tool to developconfidence, communicationskills, discipline andcreativethinking. Theseskills consistently translateintosuccess on stage, in school andinlife.
Last year thecollege featured in global superstar magician DavidBlaine’sDisney+ television series
During production,College of Magicstudents met, interacted with andlearntdirectlyfrom Blaine,gainedrareinsight into professional standardsatthe highestinternational level. That experience didnot remain theoretical. Students went on to deliverhighlysuccessful public performances at localtheatresand most recently,duringthe festiveseasonatthe V&A Waterfront.These real-world outcomes demonstrate thestrengthofthe College’s training modeland itsability to preparestudentsfor genuineperformance environments
Accordingtothe College,these experiences accelerate learning in ways no classroom alonecan achieve. Students gain confidence throughresponsibility, resilience throughlive performanceand perspectivebyengagingwith mentorsatthe topofthe industry “Magic is an idealplatformfor learning essentiallifeskills.Our beginner courseshelp
students discover confidenceand communication abilitiestheynever knew they had,”said DavidGore, Training Director of thecollege “The Open Days areyourchancetosee firsthand what makesour programeffective and inspiring.”
TheOpenDayswilltakeplace between 10:30 and11:15 at theheCollege of Magic, 215Imam HaronRoad, Claremont. . To secureyour spot,emailinfo@collegeofmagic.comorWhatsApp to 062519 1177
Pram Jam at Claremont library.
PHOTO:SUPPLIED
College of Magic students Ben Mckinneyand Niyole Soko PHOTO:SUPPLIED
SUBSTITUTED SERVICE IN THE HIGH COURT OFSOUTHAFRICA (WESTERNCAPE DIVISION,CAPETOWN) Case No 2025-030265.Inthe Ex Parte application between : THE STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICALIMITED (Applicant)and MERLE PILLAY ID 7510090142085(FirstRespondent) andRONNIE JACOBS ID 710720 5254 08 5(Second Respondent) In re:the Application between: THE STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICALIMITED (Applicant) and
