TygerBurger | Goodwood | E-edition | 20 May 2026

Woensdag, 20 Mei 2026

“TheadditionofGrandWestMallwillstrengthenitsfamilyappeal...” -MervynNaidoo

Greenlightformall

RICHARDROBERTS

RICHARD.ROBERTS@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA

Construction of the multimillion-rand GrandWest Mall can now begin, following the recent formal transfer of land to anew joint venture between Flanagan & Gerard and GrandWest, the property group announced earlierthis month. The land wasformally transferred to the co-owners on Thursday7 May which nowpaves the way forthe development of theR650 million GrandWest Mall.

Constructionofthe mall, which will form part ofGrandWest, isscheduled to commencethis

month, andopeninJune 2027, they confirmed.

“The completed transfer is akey milestonethatunlocks thenextphaseofdevelopment, bringingthe GrandWest Mall vision to life,” said Chris Teague of Flanagan and Gerard.

Theprojecthas already generated strong momentum

ahead of construction. More than 70% of the gross lettable area is already let, with afurther 20% currently under offer. Only a limitedbalance remains available for strategictenant curation and categoryenhancement, the property group said.

Arecent seminaratthe University of the Western Cape (UWC) has sounded the alarm on thegrowing vulnerability of sex workers in South Africa,pointing to adangerous combination of criminalisation, social stigma and aworsening funding crisis that is leaving many without support.

The event,held at the Centrefor Humanities Research Inyatsiba Lab in Woodstock,was organisedbyUWC's Research Chair in Gender, Transformation and Worldmakingand its Department of Criminal Justiceand Procedure, together with the SexWorkers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT). Academics, activists andcivil-society representatives gathered underthe theme Practices of Sexual Freedomtodiscuss the realities facingsex workers and the pressing need for law reform.

Cherith Sanger, from UWC's Department of Criminal Justice andProcedure, drew astark contrast between the rightsSouth Africans celebrated on Workers' Day and thereality for sexworkers. Because sex work remainscriminalised, she noted, sexworkers are still unable to access the rightstofreedomoftrade, profession and occupation,tounionise or to participate in bargainingcouncil structures.

"Despite popular belief, sex workers are able to articulate theirown problems,needs, desires and solutions to theirstrugglesand should thus lead theadvocacy agenda for law reform themselves," Sangersaid. "As researchers, we mustdoresearchwith sex workers, not about them."

Excerpts from thedocumentary Womxn Working were screened at the seminar. In thefilm, sexworkers explain how their work can help break the cycle of poverty, while describing the everyday barriers that criminalisation creates —including difficultiesinaccessing housing finance, buyingland and opening bank accounts.

DIGNITYANDTHECOURTS

Dr TanveerJeewa andDrJohndré Barnes,from the Faculty of Law at StellenboschUniversity, examined the issue of dignity through the lens of the ConstitutionalCourt case Sv Jordan —a landmark caseinwhichasex worker and

”Asresearchers,wemustdo researchwithsexworkers,not aboutthem.”

-Cherith Sanger

others challenged the constitutionality of the Sexual Offences Act, arguing it violated their rightstodignity, equality and privacy.

Thecourt ruled that the provisions criminalising sex work were constitutional.

Barnes argued thisapproach has real consequences: "Dignityisconditioned on social acceptability, rather than being affirmed as aguaranteed right.Inother words,itisportrayed as something to be earned through conformity to dominant, societal norms."

SOCIAL-JUSICEFUNDINGCRISIS

Themost urgent message of the day came from Emily Craven, Director of SWEAT,who told delegates that the socialjustice funding crisis in SouthAfrica is the worst she has ever seen —worse, she said, than previous philanthropicpull-outs from the LGBTI sector.

"What we are seeing is across-the-board closures, retrenchments— important work coming to an end. And because it is so widespread, it means that places wherepeople might look for support or help are so overstretched, both hereand internationally,"Craven said.

She added that the crisis is not limited to SouthAfrica. According to information reaching SWEAT from American philanthropists, something like 87% of organisations in the USA that deal with women's health and LGBTIrightshave had budget cuts in the lastyear.

"Ifwesay that we believe social justice organisations are avital component —and Ibelieve that they are —ofany functioning democracy, then we have to figure out how to resource them," Craven

Theseminar was facilitated by Dr Hugo Uys, with Prof Karin van Marle, Research Chair in Gender, Transformation and Worldmaking, welcoming delegates.

Grannies‘gunit’atKillarney

Two elderly residents from the Parow Senior Centre/Hernus Kriel Centre in BedfordStreet, Parow in Cape Town were recently afforded a once-in-a-lifetime experience—climbing intoahigh-performance carwith an experienced driver behind the wheel, having the car manoeuvred at high speed, with itsengineroaring and tyres smoking.

Badisa, anon-profitorganisation (NPO) of which the centreinParowisabranch, said residents Sannie van der Merwe (95) andValerie Laubscher (81) visited the Killarney International Racewaywhere they took part in aform of motorsportthat focuses on precision driving, Gymkhana, which involves participantsnavigating atimed course filled with obstacles such as cones, tight turns andtechnical manoeuvres. It is askill-baseddiscipline that combines speed, control, and accuracy and is atype of motorsport used by nonprofit company Racing 4Change in their communityoutreach events

Badisa said the duo eargerly agreed to “take aspin” in the performance cars,asexperienced drivers behind the wheel performed controlled gymkhana manoeuvres,proving that adventureand excitement truly have no age limit.

Racing 4Change, which also incorporates drifting and drags, hosted ahigh-energy event at Killarney on

NON-PROFIT GIVESSENIORS ONCE IN ALIFETIME OPPORTUNITY AT RACEWAY

Saturday 9May, when they alsopresented the Hernus KrielCentre with adonation of R10 000. Theoccasion alsocreated an unforgettable opportunity for the two elderly ladiestotaketheir seats in roaring performance vehicles, safely accompanied by experienceddriver Johandre Duminy, saidBadisa spokesperson, Zoe Borchards.

‘UNFORGETTABLE’

“Aunty Sannie especially delighted the crowd by happily waving to onlookers,” she said, “while the car spun around in front of the audience,capturing the spirit of theday and winning hearts acrossthe event.

Both women described the experience as “unforgettable”, saying they were incredibly proud to add it to their growing listoflife experiences andachievements. Since the event they have continued speaking enthusiastically aboutthe warm welcometheyreceived from everyone involved andthe incredible atmosphere maintained throughout the day.”

One of thehighlights for the womenwere discovering thatthe youngestparticipant

at theevent wasonlyfiveyears old.

Racing 4Change wasfounded by couples Leon and Monique Engelbrecht,Johan and Juanita Schade,and Abdul and Rehana Sayed.The NPC aims to bring upliftment through motorsport by supporting communities through fundraising initiatives, offeringwelding training and work opportunities,and sharing stories of impact through its“More Than Just Motoring”podcast, said Borchards.

“We wish we hadmillions to give away,” said Abdul Sayed, “but we know that everylittle bitcounts towards making a difference.”

Organisers andsupporters praised both women for theirbravery and willingness to step outside theircomfort zones,

Heavyrain tops updam levels

Cape Town’s recent heavy rainfallhas brought welcome relief to the city’s water supply, with dam levels increasing significantly over the last two weeks.

According to the City of Cape Town,dam levels climbed by 12.4% by Tuesday 12 May, reaching 61.2% following persistent rainfall between Sunday 10 May and Monday 11 May. Officials say levels are expected to continue rising over the coming days as runoff water flows into catchment areas and storage dams.

Despite the improvement, residents are being urged not to become complacent and to continue using water sparingly.

The City said water conservation remains critical as dam water needs to last until the same time next year

Mayco member forwater and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said while the rainfall has brought much-needed relief, Cape Town cannot rely entirely on unpredictable winter weather patterns.

Alongside the rise in damlevels,the City also recordeda decreaseinwater consumption. Daily water usage dropped from 874 million litres per daylastweek to 831 millionlitresper day—29 millionlitresbelow the city’s winter usage target of 860 millionlitresper day.

The City said this reduction shows thatresidents are responding positivelyto ongoingcalls forresponsible water use.

Officials stressed thatCape Townisnot currently facinga drought and is not nearing a “DayZero”scenario.

However,the City warned that water restrictions could still be considered later this yeardepending on future rainfall patterns, damlevels andconsumption trends.

“While rainfall is vital, it also has to rain inthe right place, in our damcatchments for dam levels to increase,”hesaid.

. Residents canreport leaksby calling086 010 3089, sendingan SMSto31373,WhatsApping 060018 1505 or emailing water@capetown.gov.za

WCdrillstarsmarch towardnationalglory

The Federation of Dance, Drill, Baton and Majorette Western Cape successfully hosted its 4th Regional Competition at JG Meiring High School in Goodwood recently, bringing together someofthe province's mosttalented and dedicated athletes.

The one-day competition featured over 14 teams competing across various categories,including Non–Prop, OpenDance,Baton &Flag, MixedFormations, and theprestigious Large Drill Team division. Athletes agedfive years to 35 years participated, highlighting both grassroots development and elite performance within thesport, which was hosted by President High School, Chantal Lombard, acoach, said.

SHOWCASINGDISCIPLINE,TEAMWORK With teams spreadacrossCape

DANCEAND DRILL ATHLETESIMPRESS AT REGIONALS HELD AT JG MEIRING HIGH

Town andsurrounding areas, the event provided avital platform to showcasediscipline, teamwork, and athletic excellence, while giving families and supporters theopportunity to experience the energy andpassion of competitive dance and drill sport

“Well done to President High for winningthe overall Large Drill category forhigh schools and False BayPrimaryschool for winning theoverall Large Drill category in theprimary school section,”she said.

Buildingonthe success of the recent regional competition, the federation continues an exciting

and busy competitive season, with the next regional competition scheduled for 6June, followed by the provincial championships on 27 June and 25 July, she said. Thereafter, attention turns to the highly anticipated national championship, set to take place from 24 September to 1October at Huguenot High School in Wellington.

Thenational championship is expected to attract approximately 1000 athletes from 40 plus teams representing all nine provinces, making it one of the largest and most significant eventsonthe national sporting calendar, said Lombard.

Thechampionship will provide an opportunity for athletes to compete at the highest level while promoting unity, youth development, and sporting excellence.

FROMPAGE1

The new single-levelcommunity shoppingcentre will feature two leading grocery retailers.

“The addition of GrandWest Mall will strengthen its family appeal and broaden its offering, creating aday-to-nightdestinationwhere retail, leisure, dining andlifestyle converge,” said Mervyn Naidoo, GrandWest generalmanager.

Themall will linkdirectly to GrandWest’s redeveloped children’s entertainment area, at a strategic junction with theexisting

casinoand entertainment precinct, theproperty group said.

INVESTMENTBOOSTSCITY GROWTHPROSPECTS

James Vos, Mayco member for economic growth, congratulated theco-owners on finalising the land transfer. "This investment is amajor vote of confidence in Cape Town’s economy and in the long-term growth potential of our city. Developments of thisscale not onlystrengthen the retail and commercial landscape, but also

create meaningful jobs, unlock further investment opportunities, and contribute to economic momentum in surrounding communities.

"Thefact that 70% of the gross lettable area is already pre-let ahead of opening speaksvolumes about the confidence the market has in thisproject and its future success,"said Vos Elouise Matthys,GrandWest spokesperson, said the official sodturning ceremony is likely to take place mid-June.

Cape Town’sfour seasons in 48 hours

There is something almost theatricalabout the weather in Cape Town. It doesn’t simply change —itperforms, complete with dramatic lighting, sound effects, and just enough chaos to make everyone briefly question their life choices.

For 48 hours, the city is pushed through an entire weathersystem with verylittle warning.

Gale-force winds arrive first, pushing rain sideways across roads and turning visibility intoagrey blur.Then come the floods, the icy bite in the air, andthe constant roar of wind that makes even solid buildings feel slightly less confident than usual. And then there are the trees. Not just swaying —but uprooted. Entire trees are tornout by their roots, collapsing across roads and open spaces like nature briefly losing an argument with gravity People don’t talk about “badweather”so much as they talkabout getting through it —waiting for the next gust, the next downpour, the next reminder that the storm is still very much in charge. Then, just as suddenly as it arrived,it stops performing.

The wind drops itsintensity. The rain slows. Apatch of blue appears in the sky like someone testing the lighting system And then, almost without ceremony,the storm is gone. And this is where things get truly CapeTown. Because Cape Town has avery specific post-storm personality: complete denial.

THESTORMDOESN’T FADEAWAY—ITGETS SOCIALLYIGNORED.

Within hours, the same city thatwas dealingwith uprooted trees,flooded roads andflying debris begins behaving as if nothing remotely dramaticjust happened As if the previous 48 hours were just a slightly intense dream everyone agreed not to talk about. It is almostimpressive The storm doesn’t fade away —itgets socially ignored. One moment residents are navigating blocked roads and dodging fallen branches. The next, they are discussing weekend plans infull sunlight, with the confidenceofpeople who did not just survive what can only be describedas nature’s aggressive reminder. Lion's Head suddenly becomes apopular suggestion again, as if it wasn’tjust partially hidden behind horizontal rain a day earlier.The coastline follows the same pattern. Beaches refill quickly, even if the sand is still damp and the oceanhasn’t fullyrecovered from itsown moodswing Jackets disappear. Sunglasses return. Iced drinks are ordered with surprising optimism.

Coffee shops reopen their outdoorseating like nothinghappened. Conversations shift from “Did you see that tree comedown”? to “Whatabeautiful day forawalk”. Andthat is the most Cape Town thing of all —not the storm itself, but the speed at which it is mentally deleted.

And yet, within aday or two, it is treated as adistant inconvenience —something that almost happened in another version of the city. Almost like it triedtodo serious damage… and the city politely decided not to remember it thatway

That is thestrange rhythmoflife in Cape Town:extreme weather followed immediately by extreme optimism No slow recovery. No lingering drama. Just areboot. And by Wednesday morning, the same people who were dodging uprooted trees and sandbagging their driveways were posting sunrise selfies from Bloubergstrand beach, acting like the last 48 hours didn’t try to kill us —just briefly interruptedthe weather forecast.

-KAILINDANIELS

Kommentaar // Comments

NEWERA FORSANAVY: Captain ZaneleMadibamade history at NavalBaseSimon’sTownasthe firstwoman to command aValourClass Frigateduring theSAS AmatolaChangeofCommand Parade on Thursday14May.The ceremonymarked the transferofleadership of SASAmatolaand SASKINGShakaZulu,attended by senior navalofficialsand defencerepresentatives.Madiba’sappointmentwas hailed as amajor milestone in thetransformation of the South African Navy.Pictured theSA Navy sailors saluting their Outgoing OfficerCommanding of SASAmatola,Captain Dieter Jones,asasign of respect during theceremony

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