TygerBurger | Goodwood | E-edition | 22 April 2026

Lastcallforschool applications

Parents in the WesternCape who missed the initialdeadlinefor school applications still have time to secure aplace fortheir children in GradeR,1and 8for next year, butthey need to act fast.

The provincial education department announced thatlateonline applications will closeonSunday 17 May, giving families who missed the original 14 April deadline afinal opportunity to apply for the2027 school year.

Theon-time application window, which closed at midnighton14April, received an impressive 166 144 applications from parentsacrossthe province.

Thedepartment hasthanked these familiesfor their responsibility in applying on time, whichhelps with planningand placement processes.

Parentswho submit late applications should be aware that these will only be considered after all on-time applications have been processed by schools.

WHATHAPPENSNEXTFORAPPLICANTS?

Schoolsare nowbusy applying their admissionpolicies to all applications received during the on-time window. Parents can expect to receive outcomes from 28 Mayonwards through the online system.

Those who receive offers have until 15

June to confirm theirchoice of school.

Theprovincial education department said parents who receive multiple offers but fail to select one by the deadline will automatically be placed at theirhighestranked choice.

For families needing to transfer children in grades 2to7or9 to 12 due to relocation, aseparate transfer window will open from 3August to 17 August.

IMPORTANTREMINDERS

Theeducation department emphasises the importance of keeping contact details updated throughout the process to ensure parents receive notification of application outcomes.

Thedepartment has praised parents, school management teams and officials for ensuring the on-time admissions process ran smoothly, and will continue to provide reminders of important dates as they approach.

Applications can be submitted online through the department’s websiteuntil the 17 May deadline.

. Parentswithqueriesabout admissions should contact thedepartment's call centre on 0861819 919.

Thesis unpackscomplexity of Islamic text translation

Newly-completed postgraduate research at theUniversity of the WesternCape (UWC) examinesthe complexity of translating Islamic texts.

GraduateMuzzammil Ahmad Farooki examinedthe linguistic,cultural and religiouschallenges faced by translators for his masterofarts in foreign languages at UWC’s Faculty of Arts andHumanities

His research was supervised by Prof TawffeekMohammed, with Dr Mustapha Saidi as co-supervisor.

In histhesis Farookinoted that “translatingIslamic texts and genres, including litanies, supplications and poetry is undoubtedly arigorous task”, whichthisstemmednot only from language differencesbut from the sacred and ideological weight of the texts,many of whichare derived from the Qur’an.

The study analysed adiverse body of Islamic texts, including devotional writings, Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir), prophetic traditions (hadith), sermons, Islamic literature,legal documents and economic andmedia texts.Using a qualitative, corpus-based methodology,

the research assessed both the translation product and process, drawing on theories of equivalence, text linguistics and cognitive translation studies.

Acentral argument of the thesis is that translators cannot rely on asingle method. As Farooki stated: “For the source text to be rendered in the target text successfully the translator must not only be restricted to the use of asingle translation strategy, but rather to skilfully employ various translation strategies in a balanced manner so that equivalence may be achieved.”

Theresearch also showed that “the underlying dimensions are not only lexicogrammatical, but also ideological, cultural, and religious.”This complexity requires translators to make careful decisions about when to preserve cultural specificityand when to adapt texts

Combining textual analysis with processoriented tools that capture pauses, revisions and decision making during translation, the thesis offers practical insightsfor scholars and language practitioners.

Muzzammil Ahmad Farooki,who graduated withaMaster of Arts from UWC,explored thechallenges and strategies involved in translating Islamic textsacrossgenres in his postgraduate research.

Fourincourtforpossession largecannabishaul

FThecannabis that wasdiscoveredand confiscatedin Goodwood recently.

NOSAFEHAVENFORCRIMINALS

She said criminals attempting to flee

sagewasalreadyclear, realert,andcriminalsare hed”

nter

ndaries found no refuge in operation with Elsies River tures, Goodwood patrollers uspect wanted by Elsies .Through coordinated efforts sRiverCPF, neighbourhood bers, GoodwoodArmed and the Goodwood police, was apprehended, despite hissends aclear message, no safe havens.”

CRIMINALSUNDERPRESSURE

thepressure on criminals into theweekend with the these successes are not by yare the direct result swho refuse to stay silent, oremain committed, rtnerships between ood watchstructures, CPF and are committing crime in you will be identified, reported, with.Atthe same time, this calltoaction to every resident, ematters. Everyreport, every pieceofinformation omaking ourcommunity are urgedtojointheir local ood watches in Townsend Estate (Sector 1),Goodwood Estate (Sector 2), Vasco Estate (Sector 3) and Richmond Estate (Sector 4)

Large number of drugs takenoff Parow’sstreets

RICHARDROBERTS

RICHARD.ROBERTS@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA

Thanks to atip-off by amemberofthe public, alarge quantityofdrugswas seized in Parowrecently.

The police confiscated drugsin two separate incidents last week. WO Yolanda Pietersen, police spokesperson, shared details.

In the first incident, the police were informed of amale suspect who was selling drugs from avehicle

smallplastic bags (bankies)containing cocaine, and 13 bankies containing tik were discovered.

SECONDBUSTONSAMEDAY

The police also visited ahouse in Klipkop, Parowthe same day wherethey came acrossmore drugs.

The police found 7941 whole Mandrax tablets, five bankies containing tik and crushed Mandrax, six bags containing uncut and cut tik, andtwo bags containing

Thedrugs confiscated from adealerin Voortrekker Road, Parow.

Khat worth R13000 seized on N1

DESIRÉERORKE

Provincial traffic services confiscated 12 boxes of khat with an estimated street value of R13000 on the N1 highway in Brackenfell last week, arresting two men in connection with the drug smuggling operation.

Themen, aged 32 and 34, weredetained at Brackenfell Police Station and charged for drug-related crimes after theirvehicle was intercepted ten minutes intoits journey into Cape Town.

Theoperation began when amember of the publicreported suspicious activity at the Engen One Stop service station, where boxes and bags were observed being transferred from ataxi bearing Eastern Cape registration plates to ahatchback vehicle. Atraffic officer positioned along the N1 received the intelligence, successfully identifying the suspect vehicle as it passed the Brackenfell on-ramp. When an officer attempted to stop the car, the driver initially sped up trying to escape before eventually complying and pulling over.

“They were clearly surprised to be caught, not expecting it.They werealmost too relaxed,”the arresting officer told TygerBurger

Khat, astimulant plant native to eastern and southern Africa, is classified as a controlled substance in SouthAfrica. Thedrug is typically smuggled into major urban centres where it commands significant street prices.

Bothsuspects remained in custody pending their court appearance.

Tourismplanto powerjobgrowth

Cape Town is setting its sights on more than 200000 tourism-related jobs by 2030, alongside billions in visitorspending and asharprise in internationalarrivals,the City's Mayco member for economicgrowthand tourism, James Vos, announced.

Unveiling the City’s tourism ambitions at the opening of World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2026 in CapeTown recently, Vos positioned the City’supcoming Tourism Frameworkasa"game-changer” that will define Cape Town’s nextphase of growth.

The plan, currently being finalised,sets out three major targets for 2013 being 3.4 million international arrivals;R34 billion in visitor spending and adoubling of tourismjobs to over 200 000

These goals, Vosindicated, are not aspirational alone, but builtonstrong momentum alreadyachieved.

Since 2022, Cape Town hassignificantly expandedits global connectivity, growing from 184 to more than 230international flights per week during peakseason. This has supported asteady rise in tourism employment, from just over89 000 jobs in 2022tomore than 106 000in2024, now accounting for closeto7%of the city’s workforce

Addressingaglobal audience of tourism professionals, Vos stressed thattourism must be understood as acore economic sector.

“Behind every arrival is an economic opportunity,for abusiness,for aworker, andfor acommunity,” he said, reinforcing the link between visitor growth and job creation

He alsohighlighted the City’saggressive

Entriesopen forDiners Club Awards

Entrieshave opened for the 2026 Diners ClubSAWinelist Awards and licensed restaurants throughout South Africa have until 5June to submit their entries.

The Diners ClubWinelist Awards, which havecelebrated the country’s finest wine lists for overthree decades, have become abenchmarkfor excellence, according to a media release

Highly regardedbyboththe restaurant and wine industries, these prestigious annual awards recognise and reward establishmentsthatcontinually elevate the qualityoftheir wine offerings.

Each year, theypresent restaurants with avaluable opportunity to showcase expertly assembledwine lists, gain industry recognition,enhance their prestige and attract discerning diners.

Thepanel of judges, comprising aunique mixofleading talents andvoices in the wine,food, and hospitality industries, is dedicated to ensuring every participating restaurant receives afair opportunity to competefor oneofthe industry’s most

VANAFBLADSY1

sought-afteraccolades, ranging from silver to gold, platinum, diamond, and the premium icon category.

Introduced in 2018, the Icon Award is reserved for restaurants that not only meet the criteria for aDiamond List but also demonstrate an exceptional international wine offering, impressive wines across multiple categories, adistinguished reserve or vintage selection, and adeep interest in wine curation, supported by a dedicated full-time sommelier.

These wine lists carry true international stature and represent the pinnacle of wine presentation.

Theawards categories and competition requirementsalign with global market trends and reflect Diners Club’s commitment to service excellence in the hospitality and tourism industries.

Theresults of the 2026 Diners Club Winelist Awards will be announced in August and published on the Diners Club website and nationally in the media. . Visitwww.dinersclub.co.za to enter.

CAPE TOWN TARGETSMORE THAN 200 000 TOURISM JOBS BY 2030

destination marketing strategy, including the “This is Cape Town” campaign,which hastakenthe city’sbrand to 55 cities across six continents. With astrong focus on conversion rather thanawareness alone, the campaign hascontributed to record passengernumbers, with Cape Town International Airport surpassing 11 million two-way passengers in the past year.

MULTI-YEARAGREEMENT

Vosfurther emphasised the strategic importance of hosting WTM Africa, confirming that Cape Town has secured the event through amulti-year agreement Withmorethan100 countries represented and8000 trade professionals actively doing business, he describedthe event as adirect investment into the city’s future tourism pipeline, driving bookings, partnerships, andlong-term demand.

But it wasthe 2030 outlook thatdefined the toneofthe address.

Vosmadeitclear that the next phase of tourismgrowth will focus notonlyon scale, but on impact, ensuring thatmore communitiesbenefit from the visitor economy

Theforthcoming Tourism Framework,he said,will prioritise inclusion, resilience, andsustainability, while accelerating growth across key sourcemarkets and strengthening Cape Town’s position as a leading global destination.

"Ek het besef dat my storie geensins uniek is nie, en dat daar steeds, op 'n daaglikse basis, mense is wat gekonfronteer word metarmoede, verwyt, mishandeling en depressie. Boytjie is 'n storie van hoop. My storie vanhoop. Van 'n kleinseuntjie wat sonder'nmaenpamoesgrootword, maar nooit ophou droom het nie. Nooit ophou glo het in beter omstandighede nie, en aanhou bly veghet —met die genade en gunsvan die Here."

Lux Verbi, die uitgewer van sy boek, het ook hulmedelye betuig. "Met groot hartseer neem onsafskeid van Johnny.Hywas 'n talentvolle radio- en sportaanbieder, musikant en skrywer. Hy het metsyunieke persoonlikheid, warmte en talentdiep spore in baie mense se hartgetrap. Ons innige simpatie aan sy familie,vriende en almal wat hom geken en liefgehadhet."

Radio Tygerberg 104FM, met wie hy verlede jaar saamgewerk het tydens hul Mighty Men-konferensie, het hom ook vereer

"Onssal jou altyd onthou, Johnny. Sjoe,Boytjie.Wat sê 'n mens? Onswas so bevoorreg om saam te werk en gereeld met jou te gesels oor jou projekte en planne. Jy hetopgestaan vir die Here; hy was so passievol oor die nuwe naam wat Hy homgegee het. Ons eer jou nagedagtenis, Johnny. Jy gaan altyd deel wees van Radio Tygerberg se geskiedenis, want jy het jou plekinAthlone-stadion by ons Mighty Men Cape Flats-byeenkoms volgestaan.Jyhet daardie manne geïnspireer. Jy het uit jou hart gepraat, en jou roeping geleef. Dankie vir jou hart en warmte."

Die Wes-Kaapseregering skryf op hul Facebookblad dat hulleook sy heengaan betreur. "'nBelangrike stem in ons sportgeskiedenis, sy insiggewende kommentaar in sport wat hy uitgesaai het,het aanhangers oor die jare geboei.

'n Ware storieverteller, en sy liefde om skares toe te spreek,strek oor vele generasies. Hy sal gemis word deur talle dwarsoor die land."

Die DA betreur ook sy heengaan. "'n Geliefde Afrikaanse sportkommentator en musikant. Hy het passie en trots na SuidAfrikaanse sport en kultuur gebring. Sy stem en gees sal onthou word."

Davids sou vandeesweek 'n ontbytgeleentheid met die Bonnievalegemeenskapspolisiëringsforum bywoon en sou in Mei 'n produksie Griekwa Psalms, Hulde aan Randall Wicomb,by die Tygerberg-gesinskerk in Durbanville aangebied het.

Hy sou ook in Augustus as gasspreker by die mannekonferensie, MenofValor,by die Rotskerk in Brackenfell opgetree het. Davids laat sy vrou en twee seuns agter

Cityinstallsspeedlights

Smart speed signs are being installedacross Cape Town and alreadyhave an effect to reduce the speed at which motorists drive.

The signs detectthe speed of a vehicle and display the measured speed on avariable message sign next to the road, where itis visibletothe drivers

According to amedia release by the City of Cape, the City's UrbanMobilityDirectorate has noticed a25% reduction in vehicles exceeding speed limits at locations where these signs are

SMART

SPEED SIGNS REDUCESPEEDING BY 25% ON KEY CAPE ROUTES

installed.

Thereare currently 10 smart speed signs in Cape Town and another four in the planning process. The City’s Transport Network Technology team implements the roll-out of these signs on requestfrom wards funding them,accordingtothe media release.

"Thesesigns have proven to be an effective speed calming tool sincethe installation of the initialsigns some threeyears ago," said Rob Quintas, Mayco member for urban mobility.

"We areencouraged by the effectiveness sofar and knowour transportnetwork technology branch isalways looking at ways toadd to the functionality of these signs. If residents would liketomotivate fora sign at aspecific location they arewelcome to approachtheir ward councillorfor further consideration."

LOCATIONS

The City has thus far rolled out smartspeed signsatthe following locations:

. 109 High Level Road, Green Point; . 109 Ocean View Drive, Green Point;

. 291HighLevel Road, SeaPoint; . 27 High Level Road, Sea Point; . 43 OceanView Drive,Green

Point;

. JipdeJagernearEksteen Street,Bellville; . Jip de Jager near Mara Street, Bellville;

. Main Road nearV &A Waterfront, Green Point; . Beach Road near Surrey Place, Mouille Point;

. Victoria Road near Maiden's Cove,Camps Bay.

MOSTRECENTSIGNS

The most recentsigns were installedalong Jip de Jager in November last year andinWard 115 and Ward 54 in January this year.

"Each smart speed sign is connected to onecentralserver," Quintas pointed out.

"Dataiscollected andstored of all vehicles recordedbythe sign. Once anew signisinstalled, the display is left in an off state for thefirst two weeks. This enables theCity to have data from the time before the sign was in operation. Afterwards the display is switchedonfor approximately two weeks, and another data sample is taken.

"We have definitely noticed a drop in the number of vehicles exceeding thespeed limit once thedisplays were switched on. We have alsonoticed, by monitoringthe brake lights of cars,how thedrivers brake when

they actually see the speed at whichthey are travelling where the‘slowdown’ message is displayed.

"I urge drivers to pay close attention to the speeds they are driving at and to adhere to the speed limit on our roads."

The design of the smart speed signs has earned the City’s transport planning and network management department an innovation award.

"This is one of the many technologies the City’s Urban Mobility Directorate has designed and installed over the lastfew years," Quintas said.

Millions of indigenous plantsstrippedbypoaching syndicates

KAILINDANIELS

KAILIN.DANIELS@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA

Abriefing to theWestern Cape Standing Committee on Environmental Affairs and Development Planning has exposed the alarming scale of plant poaching, with morethan 2,5 million indigenous plants seized since 2018, afigurethat reflects only afraction of the ongoing environmental crime.

“Since 2018, more than 2,5 million poached indigenous plantshave been seized by law enforcement,” said Dave Bryant, MPP and DA Western Cape spokesperson on Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, yet thisrepresents only afraction of what is being

stripped from ourlandscape by organised criminal syndicates.

The presentationbyCapeNature highlighted howthe illegal trade in succulents andotherhighvalue species had escalated into asophisticated international criminal enterprise.

Seven species andtwo subspeciesof Conophytum hadalready been lost in their naturalhabitats due to poaching, markingwhatofficials described asanirreversible blow to South Africa’s biodiversity.

FROMCOLLECTORSTOCRIMINAL SYNDICATES

What beganas small-scale, opportunisticcollecting by international enthusiastshas evolved dramatically overthe

past decade

Before 2020 foreign collectors travelledtoSouth Africa to source rare plants themselves. Today, organised syndicates rely on local intermediaries to recruit poachers and fulfill targeted “special orders” for rare species.

“Thesesyndicates are highly organised andoperate across provincesand borders, treating biodiversity as acommodity,” officials told the committee.

CapeNature identified global demandfor rare ornamental succulentsasa key driver of the surgeinpoaching.

“More rare or unique means more valuable,” the presentation noted, highlighting how online platforms enable illegal trade to flourish.

At thesame time socioeconomic pressures are making local communities vulnerable.

“Poaching is seen as low-risk and high-income, quick money for short periods in the veld,” CapeNature said.

EXTINCTIONUNFOLDINGINREALTIME

The environmental consequences are already severe,CapeNature told Nova News.“Seven species and two subspecies have been poached to extinction in the wild since 2020.”

Monitoring has shown drastic declines in plant populations, with large portions of the Conophytum genus now critically endangered.

Authorities warned that plant poaching is linked to broader

organised crime.

“Syndicates involved in succulent poaching are also linked to abalone, rhino horn, ivory smuggling and drug trafficking,” the briefing revealed.

High-value species such as Clivia mirabilis are being smuggled through the Limpopo border disguised as common agricultural products, such as sugar cane, to reach international markets where they can fetch 10 times theirlocal value.

“These syndicates operate with precision, often deploying groups of 75 to 150 poachersinasingle night,treating our province’s unique biodiversity as acommon currency for organised crime,” Bryant said.

Kommentaar // Comments

THINKING OUTLOUD SLICEOFLIFE

Socks,storms and stubborn summer vibes

Winter has officially arrived. Youcan feel it in theearly morning chill, see it in the grey skies rolling in,and hear it in the steady rhythm of rain against thewindows. For some, it’s aseasonto endure. For me, it’s one to embrace. There’s something deeply comforting about winter. It invites you to slow down, to trade the rush of summer for quieter moments. To wrap yourself in blankets, cradle awarm cup of coffee,and sitalittle longer beside the fireplace while the world outside turns cold and wet

But this past weekend, winter reminded us that it is not always gentle. Heavy rains battered parts of thecity, leaving floodingand damage in their wake. For many families, the season did not arrive with cosy blankets and warmdrinks, but with risingwater, soaked belongingsand uncertainty. My heart goes out to those who have been affected —especially thosewho havelost their homes or have nowhere to go. It’s astark reminder that while winter can feel magicalfor some, it canbeincredibly harsh for others. It puts things into perspective.

Because while I’mlightingafire and reaching foranotherjersey,thereare people trying to stay dry, trying to stay warm, trying to hold onto whatthey have And inside my home, winterlooks very different. My three-year-old sonisfirmly convinceditisstill summer

Every morning beginswitha negotiation —socks being the main point of contention. To him, they areunnecessary and deeply offensive. To me,they are essential. “Just try them,” Isay,holding

FORMANYFAMILIES,THE SEASONDIDNOTARRIVEWITH COSYBLANKETS...

outasmall pair. “No,” he replies, without hesitation.

Then comes the wardrobe debate. While I’m layering up, he’s pointing atshorts andT-shirts as if the weather outside is merely asuggestion. Explaining winter to atoddler is no easy task.

“It’s cold,” Itell him. “Butthe sun is there,” he says, pointing outthe window. And in his mind, that settles it. Because sun means one thing: beach.

So when Iexplain that we can’tgo, the confusionisreal. Why would anyone not go to the beach if the sun is visible? It’s a fair question —one that logic struggles to answer when you’rethree years old

After one such conversation, he paused, looked up at the sky, and asked, “Is the sun on holiday?” And just like that, winter made perfect sense.

Because that’s exactlywhatitfeels like sometimes —like the sun has taken abreak, leaving clouds, wind andrain behind.Itstill makes the occasional appearance,just enough to remind us it hasn’t disappeared entirely But it doesn’t linger. Itriedtoexplain this to him —that the sun is still there, just not as warm, not as strong.Hewasn’t convinced. In hisworld, things are simple. Warm means outside. Sun means beach. Socks are optional.

The recent flooding has reminded us how vulnerable so many people are when the rains come.And maybe that’s the balance winter asksofus— to find comfort wherewecan, while remaining aware of those who cannot. To be grateful,but not unaware. So whileIsit with mycoffeeand my blanket, and continue the daily battle oversocks, I’m holding space forboth realities. Thecosy and the difficult. The laughter and theloss.

And somewhere in between, asmall voicestill asking whether the sun will be back from holiday tomorrow. Itell him yes. Even if, for now, winterishereto stay.

BRIEWE|LETTERS

Wag togvir jou beurt

-KAILIN DANIELS

Heavyrain bringsback thepotholecrisis

As winter settlesoverCape Town once again, so too doesthe familiar and frustrating problem of potholes returntoour roads.Every year it feelslikethe same story is replayed —heavy rainsarrive, roads deteriorate, and motorists arelefttonavigateanever-growing network of craters anddamagedsurfaces

In some areas, temporary'patchwork fixes' seem to last only afew days before the damage re-emerges, often worsethanbefore. Better planning, more resilientroadmaterials, andfasterresponsetimes couldgo alongway in reducing the impact of winter damage.

ACONCERNEDMOTORIST, Email

Ek is nounet mooi keelvolvan mense se ongedulden selfsugtigheid op die pad, veralinspitsverkeer soggens op Bottelary

Onsmoetalmal ‘n sekere tydbydie werk komen, net soos 'n mensin'nwinkel in 'n ry gaan staan om te betaal,nie net summier voor ander indruk nie.Jykan mosopdie padook jou beurt afwag Die padwerke op Labellewegisnou al sedertdie begin vandie jaar aan die gang. Dit is nie 'n nuweding nie,maar vanoggend staan die ry karreopBottelary watalmal voor wil indruk amper net so lank soos die ry watindie korrekte baan geduldig moetwag —eintlik noglanger, te dankeaan al die selfsugtiges. Elkedag dieselfde storie —dieselfde voertuie wathul neusenet voor joune indruk.

ESTHER,E-pos

FalseBayandVDEintryfest