The fate of Cape Town professor Cyril Karabus will “hopefully” be decided on Monday, after several postponements and delays.

Cape Town -

The fate of Cape Town professor Cyril Karabus will “hopefully” be decided on Monday, after several postponements and delays.

His manslaughter case in Abu Dhabi was postponed, yet again, on Christmas Day.

Specialist paediatric oncologist, Karabus, 77, has been detained in Abu Dhabi for four months, awaiting trial for charges of manslaughter and falsifying documents after more than nine postponements due to missing medical records, which surfaced this week.

He has a pacemaker.

Karabus is expected to appear in court on Monday.

The emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town (UCT) was arrested on August 18 while in transit in Dubai to South Africa from his son’s wedding in Toronto, Canada.

While working as a locum 12 years ago, at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi, Karabus operated on a seven-year-old cancer patient who later died of myeloid leukaemia.

He was tried and convicted in absentia in the UAE and sentenced to three years and six months in jail.

His sentence included the payment of about R230 000 “blood money” – to the victim’s family.

Karabus’s lawyer Michael Bagraim told the Cape Argus on Wednesday that although the medical file proved that his client was innocent without any reasonable doubt, they might face another postponement on Monday.

He said the medical records received from the prosecutor only contained photocopied papers, and that the judge had insisted on original copies.

“This may cause another postponement. We suspect the constant delays are politically motivated,” Bagraim said.

The prosecutor argued that Karabus failed to administer a blood transfusion to the patient, causing her death. But Bagraim is confident that the medical file proved that a blood transfusion had been given.

“We can’t think of any legal reasons that might be the cause of all these postponements… we have complied with every legal requirement,” he said.

A petition running on avaaz.org in support of Karabus’s release currently has 11 664 names.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Cape Town -

Cape Town -

The long wait is almost over for the class of 2012 who will receive their final matric results in a week.

The overall provincial and national results will be released next Wednesday while Western Cape candidates’ results will be available on Thursday. This year 527 335 full-time candidates, including 45 590 in the Western Cape, registered for the National Senior Certificate exams.

Last year the Western Cape obtained a pass rate of 82.9 percent, an increase from the 2010 pass rate of 76.8 percent.

The 2011 national pass rate was 70.2 percent.

“We are hopeful that we will see an improvement in the results this year. The best way to analyse and interpret the results is to consider the number of candidates passing and quality of those passes. The Western Cape Education Department expects increases in both areas,” said Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant. She said there had been significant improvements in 2011, which included more candidates passing with access to bachelor degree study from 14 414 candidates in 2010 to 15 215 last year.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Cape Town professor Cyril Karabus has spoken out about his arrest and incarceration in Abu Dhabi.

Cape Town - Cape Town professor Cyril Karabus has spoken out about his arrest and incarceration over the last four months on charges of manslaughter and falsifying documents in Abu Dhabi.

He told the Cape Argus on Thursday he was losing patience and was frustrated with the legal system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He said he wanted to come home to his family and friends.

“Things are not great. I would like to go home now to my family. I miss the Cape Town weather, my friends and working in my garden,” he said.

He was speaking from an apartment in Abu Dhabi, where he is living with Dr Elwin Buchel, the former head of gastroenterology at the University of Pretoria.

Buchel, whom he had never met in person before, offered him accommodation after he was granted bail last month.

“I am grateful for people like him and others who have sent messages of support from around the world. It’s very heart-warming,” Karabus, a specialist paediatric oncologist, said.

The UCT emeritus professor was arrested on August 18 while in transit in Dubai to South Africa from his son’s wedding in Toronto, Canada.

“It was very upsetting. No one gave me any warning about the pending arrest. I was very shocked and upset… I still am,” he said.

Karabus’s passport was confiscated at the airport.

After more than nine postponements due to missing medical records, which surfaced this week, he is expected to appear in court on January 3.

Karabus, 77, is accused of causing the death of a three-year-old Yemeni cancer patient who had myeloid leukaemia. He was convicted and sentenced in absentia to a three-and-a-half-year jail term.

Prosecutors argue that he failed to give her a blood transfusion during her treatment at the Sheikh Medical Centre in 2002, while working as a locum. Karabus is adamant that the medical records contain the girl’s medical history which is “vital” in proving his innocence. The medical file includes his notes, lab reports, as well as details of the three-week period before he started treating the girl.

“I did everything I could do for her. Unfortunately she had a blood disease which has 85 percent mortality rate. One in seven patients survives. Sadly, she was one of those that didn’t survive,” he said.

Karabus, pictured, is a senior paediatric specialist who headed Red Cross Children’s Hospital Ontology unit for more than 30 years.

“I decided to work as a locum in Abu Dhabi because I wanted to earn some extra money… unfortunately, doctors in South Africa don’t get paid much.

“Now I regret making that move, I now advise other people not to do it,” he said.

Karabus, who has a pacemaker, fears he might run out of medication soon.

“Although Buchel and embassy representatives are helping me access some of my medication, I’m afraid I might run out shortly.”

When he was granted bail, a medical committee was supposedly appointed by the court to review his medical records, but Karabus and his lawyers are still in the dark about the committee.

“We don’t know if that committee was appointed and if the people involved in it know anything about blood diseases. I have no idea what they are doing. There is not a lot of transparency here… I don’t know how much longer they can drag this on,” he said.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Bill Gates, Microsoft boss and the richest man in the US, is back at work after a sandboarding accident in Cape Town.

Cape Town -

Bill Gates, Microsoft boss and the richest man in the US, is back at work after a sandboarding accident in Cape Town.

Gates, 57, was admitted to hospital on Thursday last week after dislocating his shoulder during a day out with his family in the sand dunes near Atlantis.

The Gates family, who live in Seattle, were holidaying in Cape Town.

A family spokesperson said Gates had received treatment at a local hospital.

“Bill Gates received treatment for a shoulder injury at Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday, December 20th, after taking a fall while sandboarding at a local tourist area during a family vacation. Local doctors treated and released him. Bill is continuing with his planned activities.”

The city’s disaster risk management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes confirmed that Gates had dislocated a shoulder.

He said Gates had left Cape Town a week ago, the day after the accident.

Gates’ wife, Melinda, posted a photograph on her Twitter account on the day of the accident. The photograph was of the couple shaking hands and chatting with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. It had apparently been taken at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Centre in Masiphumelele.

“Fantastic visit with @desmond_tutu at his Youth Center this week in South Africa--his joy is visible and contagious,” she tweeted.

The Cape Times contacted a number of sandboarding companies based in Atlantis, all of which said Gates had not visited them.

Cape Times

The amount of alcohol confiscated on Cape beaches has risen and authorities say it could rise further over New Year.

Cape Town -The amount of alcohol confiscated on Cape Town beaches has risen and authorities say the total could rise further as many plan to ring in the new year on the beach.

Alcohol on beaches has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the biggest concerns and one of the causes of people drowning, especially during the festive season.

On Monday, the Cape Argus reported that 2 144 bottles of alcohol had been confiscated from beach-goers on various beaches last weekend.

On Thursday, Nathan Ladegourdie, spokesman for law enforcement specialised services, said that the total confiscated had risen to over 2 300 bottles of alcohol.

“We have law enforcement patrolling on the beaches and on some beaches they do check as people enter and quite a few more bottles came in today,” Ladegourdie said.

He said that it was mostly adults who were found with alcohol in their possession and that some even tried to hide the bottles in various containers.

“We get some people that put it (alcohol) in different bottles and hide it in bags and some come to the beach already intoxicated,” he said.

Ladegourdie said people bringing alcohol to the beach raised the possibility of drowning and they “act out” and make the day on the beach unpleasant for other beach-goers.

Ed Schroeder, Western Province lifesaving co-ordinator, said they appreciated the effort made by law enforcement to keep alcohol off beaches and added that there had been no drownings on Thursday.

“Last Saturday there was a case of close drowning in the Muizenberg area and in Melkbos a 15-year-old almost drowned, he was under the influence of either drugs or alcohol,” Schroeder said. He said that law enforcement was very tough this year.

“It’s a well-known fact that people try to bring alcohol on to beaches even if there is law enforcement and this causes lots of problems… it is a big no no,” Schroeder said.

Muizenberg was one of the hot spots for alcohol confiscations, Schroeder said. He said authorities were expecting a rush of people on New Year’s Day and that the amount of alcohol on the beaches was likely to be high.

“We are gearing up and we are ready for them,” he said.

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

After sustaining several injuries, bodysurfer Anton Magnus has been reported to be in a stable condition in a Cape Town hospital.

Cape Town - After sustaining several injuries, bodysurfer Anton Magnus has been reported to be in a stable condition at Milnerton Medi-Clinic where he is recuperating.

The 34-year-old Wynberg resident collided with a swimmer at Clifton’s 1st Beach on Wednesday.

Magnus was rescued by lifeguards from the Clifton’s Surf Lifesaving Club and airlifted to the clinic.

“The medical staff at the hospital confirmed that the condition of the patient is stable,” Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, the spokesman for the city’s disaster risk management, said.

It remained unknown what the swimmer’s condition was, Solomons-Johannes said.

Meanwhile, Eastern Cape police said the search had been called off for the body of a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly attacked by a shark at Second Beach, in Port St Johns on Tuesday.

Police spokesman Captain Mduduzi Godlwana said the youngster’s father had confirmed the trousers recovered belonged to his son, Liya Fibili.

Godlwana said the police suspected the boy was “eaten” by a shark. He said the beach had in recent years become a common spot for shark attacks.

It was reported on Thursday that over the past three years, the number of shark attacks at the beach totals six.

janis.kinnear@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Two women were arrested at a roadblock on the West Coast road after police found 96 bags of dagga in their car.

Cape Town -

Two women were arrested at a roadblock on the West Coast road after police found 96 bags of dagga in their car on Thursday.

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said that shortly after the arrests women were arrested, a man travelling on the same road was nabbed when money bags filled with dagga were found in his car.

Africa said the incidents were only a few of the people arrested for the possession of drugs at roadblocks over the festive season.

Earlier this month law enforcement officers found 200 parcels of dagga, worth about R182 000, inside the boot of a car stopped at a roadblock on the N1.

Operation Drug Watch, a LeadSA collaborative initiative between the Cape Argus, 567 CapeTalk, 94.5 Kfm and Western Cape law enforcement agencies, was started just over a month ago to curb the drug trade in the province.

At the time, Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer said that the success of drug busts at the Cape Town International Airport had driven drug smugglers away from the airport and that they were now transporting drugs by road.

Meanwhile, on Sunday eight people were arrested at a Bellville flat after being found with 222 bunches of the drug, Khat, said police spokesman Frederick van Wyk.

He said the drugs had an estimated street value of R7000.

Over the past week, police also reported that khat worth R5 520 had been seized.

Since the launch of Operation Drug Watch more than 8 000 people have been arrested and more than R5 million worth of drugs have been confiscated in the Western Cape.

Dagga, mandrax and tik account for most of the confiscations and are linked to most arrests.

Of all the arrests in the past month, the Manenberg police station had the most arrests – contributing 6.53 percent of the number of arrests made, followed by Mitchells Plain and Delft.

neo.maditla@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Before Lilitha “Nini” Mgwebi had the chance to don her new Christmas clothes, she was allegedly snatched.

Cape Town -

It has been three days since a Khayelitsha girl went missing on Christmas morning and her desperate mother is pleading for her safe return.

Before five-year-old Lilitha “Nini” Mgwebi had the chance to don her new Christmas clothes, which still had the price tags attached, she was allegedly snatched a few metres from her house in Khayelitsha’s Green Point informal settlement.

After giving her daughter breakfast around 9am, Abongile Mgwebi, 28, said her little girl rushed outside to play with her friends.

“She wasn’t even washed yet so I just put some clothes on her, gave her pap and told her she must hurry back so I can wash her and dress her up for Christmas,” her mother said.

A short while later a neighbour told Mgwebi her daughter was playing at a tap around the corner.

But an hour later, the mother became worried when her sister’s son, who had also been with the children, returned home without Lilitha.

“I asked him where she was and he said she’s still at the tap and that’s when I went to look for her. We searched the area, even used loudspeakers but nothing.”

The family also scoured the nearby veld, known to be a “dumping ground” for bodies. At 6pm Mgwebi went to the police station to report the child missing.

Unable to fight back tears, Mgwebi complained that the police search only started the following day.

“They just took my statement and didn’t even go look for her. Maybe she would have been found by now,” said the shattered mother.

Although she fears the worst, Mgwebi has begged the perpetrators to return the child.

“Whoever took my child, please bring back my Nini.”

Neighbour Nellie Venge said after hearing the news she couldn’t enjoy her Christmas Day.

“She was such a kind child, always smiling. Now you can’t even trust your own children outside. I just hope they bring her home alive.”

Provincial police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk said a search had been launched to find her.

Lilitha was last seen dressed in pink trousers and a long-sleeved pink-and-white striped golf shirt.

Police want anyone with information to call investigating officer Sergeant Bernard Mouton on 082 522 2884 or 021 360 2308, or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Meanwhile, police are looking into the identity of the body of a girl found on Thursday in Grassy Park following the disappearance of six-year-old Jennifer Williams.

She disappeared near her home in Parkwood in Grassy Park last Thursday morning. She was at an informal gaming arcade in Parker’s Walk.

Jennifer was last seen in a two-piece yellow suit, patterned with black dots.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stop on 086 001 0111, or investigating officer Warrant Officer Juanita Kleinsmith on 021 700 3900/071 604 8358.

* Meanwhile the search continues for a Mitchells Plain girl, Kauthar Bobbs, 6, who vanished while playing with friends in Freedom Park in October.

The grandmother was arrested on the eve of Kauthar’s sixth birthday.

Van Wyk said the investigation continues.

Missing Children SA said that about 10 children remain missing in the Western Cape.

This year alone, 153 children were reported missing while police reported 115 were found.

The organisation said between May 2011 and April this year, the highest number of cases reported to their organisation was in December, with 66 cases; October, with 53 cases; and February this year, with 53. In that period, 12 of the missing children had been found dead.

A report by the Missing Persons Bureau said a child goes missing every six hours in the country.

Cape Argus

A man has died after apparently falling from an apartment balcony in Century City.

A man has died after apparently losing balance and falling from an apartment balcony in Century City, Western Cape on Saturday paramedics said.

ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said the man in his 20's sustained critical injuries when he fell from the fourth floor of the apartment.

“Paramedics treated the man for multiple injuries including broken bones, internal injuries and head injuries.”

He was taken to hospital where he later died. -Sapa

2000 hectares of fynbos burnt, buildings damaged as Cape fires continue to rage.

Two thousand hectares of fynbos have been burnt as fires continue to rage in the Overstrand area, the municipality said on Saturday.

“A cottage has burnt down on a farm and there has been damage to a building,” said municipal spokesman Fanie Krige.

He said helicopters were being used to put out the fire.

The fire was also burning on the road between Hermanus and Stanford and had cut electricity in the area after burning down electricity poles.

As a result there were many power disruptions in the Gansbaai and Stanford areas, with the R43 road also being closed.

Krige said the fire had already been put out three times, but at each occasion had flared up again.

He said south easterly wind conditions and the mountainous terrain made it difficult for fires-fighters to contain the blaze.

There was no immediate danger to the residential parts of Hermanus or Voelklip. -Sapa

Western Cape activist accuses cops of not following established protocol.

A Grassy Park community activist has accused police of not following established protocol when children go missing.

On Thursday, a body was found on a field off Plantation Road, Ottery, and it is clear police suspect it is that of 12-year-old Jennifer Williams of Parkwood, who disappeared near her home on December 20. Although police have not confirmed the identity of the body, yesterday they took DNA mouth swabs from Jennifer’s family.

An angry Philip Bam, head of the Grassy Park Community Police Forum, said after the discovery of the body on Thursday: “If only the interest police are showing now was shown during the search, we could have had a very different outcome.”

He said the protocol set up to deal with missing children included immediately setting up a joint command centre to co-ordinate the search, but this had not been done in Jennifer’s case.

“We are heartbroken today. The local police continued to ignore the protocol for dealing with missing children, and even ignored instructions from their cluster commander.”

The badly decomposed body was found by a passer-by behind the old Ottery reformatory. Yesterday, Jennifer’s mother, Rachel Williams, said police had refused to let them try to visually identify the body.

Jennifer was last seen on Thursday last week when she went to her sister’s house in Parkhurst Walk, Parkwood. She had been wearing a black-and-yellow two-piece bathing costume. When she failed to return, her mother contacted police and reported her missing.

“We still don’t know for sure what really happened, or if it’s our daughter that was found, but everything points to the fact that it’s Jennifer,” Williams said.

She confirmed the police had taken mouth swabs to be sent for DNA testing.

“They told us it would take some time to get the results. All we can do is wait.”

Williams said the ordeal had taken a toll.

“It’s not very good at home. Christmas was especially very difficult. I had to put her Christmas clothes back in the cupboard.”

Police Captain FC Van Wyk said an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of death, and confirmed that DNA tests had been done.

“A murder case has been opened for investigation and police are urging anyone with information about the case to call crime stop at 086 001 0111,” Van Wyk said.

Meanwhile Bam said he was not satisfied with police conduct during the search and he planned to take the matter further.

He was also concerned that community members had been unforthcoming.

“Somebody had to see this child and the perpetrator who snatched her. Although it has not been confirmed that the remains are those of the missing girl, police should have done more to locate this girl. We as the CPF were not even aware of the missing child in our own area.”

Bam called on people to come forward with any information.

Hanif Loonat, chairman of the Western Cape Community Policing Board, said if Bam’s claims were true the local police should be taken to task.

“We cannot marginalise the CPF or our communities. They play an important role in combating crime. As part of the protocol, police should have called in the CPF immediately after the case was reported.”

But Loonat said when children go missing, nothing prevents the CPFs from launching their own initiatives.

Meanwhile the search continues for five-year-old Lilitha “Nini” Mgwebi who was snatched a few metres from her home in Khayelitsha’s Green Point informal settlement on Christmas Day.

-Weekend Argus

Shark experts still do not know what type of shark killed a bather at Port St John's.

Shark experts still do not know what type of shark killed a bather at Port St John’s on Christmas Day. They need to find his body to clear up the mystery of whether the shark was a bull or tiger shark.

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board said in reaction to this latest death that this is the time of the year when sharks are most prevalent along the KwaZulu-Natal and Transkei coastline. Bathers who swim in areas equipped with shark nets and drum lines can almost rest assured of their safety.

This was the word from KZN Sharks Board operations head Mike Anderson-Reade after the shark attack on a 15-year-old boy at the Transkei resort town’s Second Beach.

Police divers searched in vain for his body, recovering only his shorts.

The National Sea Rescue Institute was alerted to sharks in the water about 2.30pm on Tuesday and lifeguards tried to get swimmers out of the water.

“The lifesavers were unable to get everyone out of the water fast enough and a boy was bitten. People said they saw a lot of blood in the water and then they couldn’t see him anymore. Officers found his shorts near where they think he went missing,” police spokesman Mduduzi Godlwana said.

Godlwana said the boy’s parents were distraught after hearing the news and had requested that no additional information be released to the media.

Conflicting media reports said the shark that attacked him was a bull or a tiger shark.

Anderson-Reade said that of six cases the KZN Sharks Board had investigated in recent years at Port St Johns, at least five had involved bull sharks – also known as Zambezi sharks – while one attacker may have been a tiger shark.

“But without looking at the deceased, it is mere speculation. I think in all probability it may have been a bull shark or a white shark.”

SIX ATTACKS IN THREE YEARS

This attack would bring the tally of shark attacks in the area to at least six over the past three years. These include:

- January 15, 2012, Ngidi Msungubana, 25, was killed in the sixth fatal shark attack at the beach in six years.

- January 17, 2011, 16-year-old surfer Zama Ndamase was killed by a shark in almost the same spot.

- January 2009, Wild Coast lifeguard Sikhanyiso Bangilizwe, 27, died when a shark attacked him.

- March 2009, 16-year-old surfer Mangele Luyolo was bitten and killed by a shark.

Anderson-Reade said 16 species of shark along the coast were potentially harmful due to their size. Of them, only three were considered dangerous – the bull shark, the tiger shark and the white shark.

“Shark nets do their job, and have proven it over time, but obviously there is no 100 percent guarantee when you are dealing with nature. Shark nets and drum lines have proved their work in South Africa and Australia. Shark gear has an excellent track record, and if you swim at beaches that have it you will be safe.”

Anderson-Reade said most of the sharks along the coast were summer sharks, although white sharks were prevalent all year.

“Before the days of shark nets, the attacks were very close inshore, and we have had attacks from bull sharks in waist-deep water. White sharks occur beyond backline, and attacks are mostly of surfers.”

Anderson-Reade said it was not easy to evacuate the water when a shark was spotted, because swimmers were in a festive mood and it was usually very noisy on the beachfront.

He said bull sharks were also attracted to turbid water after rains, because of the possibility of animal body parts being washed down the rivers.

The KZN Sharks Board holds the shark attack file for South Africa and feeds its records to the international shark-attack file, held in Florida in the US.

Anderson-Reade said the board was involved only in preventative measures in KZN, the only province in the country with the service.

It had been set up after KZN felt an economic downturn when it was hit by shark attacks from 1957 to 1958.

“People literally packed up and left and the local tourism economy took a knock.” -Weekend Argus

Not sure how you’re going to celebrate the new year? There’s plenty of options in Cape Town.

Not sure how you’re going to celebrate the new year? There’s plenty to do – from fireworks and clubs to a quiet time watching telly or the slower tempo of an outdoor music festival on a farm not far from the city.

At the clubs and festivals

* Cape Town’s biggest New Year’s Eve festivals are already in full swing. The Rezonance New Year’s Eve Festival – one of the greatest festive season parties – takes place over four days at the Contermanskloof Farm in Durbanville, and features various international and local acts on two dance floors.

Tickets range from R450 to R540 per person.

* A similar bash – the Boomerang outdoor electronica festival – will start tonight and continue until January 2.

Held at the West Coast Ostrich Ranch, the party will set you back between R330 and R360.

* The Loop Night Club in the CBD will host a “Bloc Party” – and manager Vaughan Cragg says he is positive their New Year’s Eve celebration will be a success.

“This is only our second New Year – the first one wasn’t that big but now we are going big. We will be broadcasting live on Good Hope FM,” Cragg said. He said they will even relax their dress code for the night. Entry ranges from R100 to R175.

At the V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront will host its annual fireworks display and a number of the complex’s restaurants and exclusive charters will host various dinners.

V&A Waterfront PR manager Carla White said she was expecting a good turnout as New Year’s Eve at the Waterfront was always popular.

“We will have three main events: the Market on Wharf, the 5fm party and free entertainment at the amphitheatre. There will also be various various dinners at the hotels and restaurants,” White said.

The Market on Wharf will host Mark Haze, Tombstone Pete and Jack Mantis, at R250 per person, at the amphitheatre. The ticket includes a dinner voucher from various food stalls.

The V&A Hotel is inviting Capetonians to “dance the night away” at their OYO restaurant at a Moulin Rouge-themed dinner-dance, for R1 495 per person.

Restaurants

* Kenny Dani, manager of the Azure restaurant at the 12 Apostles Hotel near Camps Bay, said the venue was extremely popular for this New Year’s Eve.

“We have been fully booked since October. This is a first in the history of the 12 Apostles,” Dani said.

He said they will have a set menu with various options that will cost R1 895 per person.

“We will serve Champagne and oysters when the guests come in, and at midnight a six-litre bottle of bubbly will be opened,” Dani added.

He said their menu changed annually so returning guests would not experience the same food.

* City Grill and the Greek Fisherman will be serving a three-course dinner for R995, while Portuguese restaurant Tasca de Belem will offer a complimentary glass of Champagne with their R950 three-course meal.

White said the Waterfront was prepared for the influx of people, and she encouraged them to use public transport as parking was limited.

“We encourage people to get there early or to park near the stadium and walk down.

“We will have emergency personnel on site and we also have special events security who know how to deal with massive crowds,” White said.

* Den Anker: Canapés will be served on the terrace from 7.30pm; three-course meal begins at 8.15pm and entertainer Lynne Poulsen will perform from 10.30pm. R1 200 per head. Sparkling wine will be served at midnight.

Location: Pierhead, V&A Waterfront

Website: www.denanker.co.za

* Meloncino: Four-course Italian set menu. Complimentary aperitif on arrival and perfect view of midnight fireworks display. R995 per person. Ensure bookings are faxed or e-mailed in advance to avoid disappointment. Restaurant opens at 7.30 pm. Dinner is served at 8pm.

Location: Shop 259, Upper Level Victoria Wharf

* Sevruga: Glamorous sit-down dinner at R1 500 per person.

Location: Quay 5

* Balducci’s: Three-course dinner with Champagne on arrival and live entertainment. Tickets cost R990 per person. Location: Lower Level, Victoria Wharf

* Hildebrand: Five-course dinner with a complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival at R1 400 per person. Doors open at 6.30pm; Moet will be available throughout the night at R495 per bottle. There will be a dance floor with a five-piece band, and perfect views of the fireworks display at midnight.

Location: Quay 4 / Pierhead

* Wang Thai: Authentic royal Thai cuisine set menu, with highlights such as whole crayfish, sushi rolls, prawn parcels and green curry at R880 per person. Location: Shop 261, Upper Level, Victoria Wharf

New Year choirs and bands

Many Capetonians will be entertained by song and dance as approximately 60 choirs and bands will participate in the annual minstrel carnival today. The procession of colourfully dressed musicians will begin at the Keizergracht Castle Bridge and continue into Bo-Kaap.

The parade will start at 9pm and end at about 3am.

The City of Cape Town has set aside eight places where fireworks can be ignited and have warned that the city’s law enforcement officers have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to those who discharge fireworks illegally.

Outside the city

Rock the River SA, the annual New Year’s Eve outdoor music festival near Durbanville gives jaded revellers the chance to ring in 2013 at a beautiful venue amid amped-up vocals, seething bass and wicked riffs.

The five-day jol (which started on Friday and ends tomorrow) features three stages – a main rock stage, an electronic stage and a metal stage – over 200 local artists and a jam-packed line-up of off-the-hook festival activities (last year’s party included crazy activities such as sumo wrestling, hostile paintball and a shredder competition).

The venue for the party is the Savannah Farm in Paardeberg, also known as Perdeberg, a region in the warm heart of the Boland roughly 20 minutes from Durbanville.

While early-bird tickets for the festival are sold out, normal tickets for the 2012/2013 Rock the River New Year’s festival are on sale through Computicket.

Prices for this year’s shindig range from R400 per person (from Computicket) to R450 per person (from the venue on the day).

A quieter New Year’s Eve:

For R270 you can bid farewell to 2012 with the soothing sounds of acclaimed jazz musician Hugh Masekela and leading local band Hot Water at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Enjoy a relaxed picnic on the lawn or grab a bite from Kirstenbosch’s Moyo restaurant.

Gates will open at 7pm, with the show starting at 8.30pm and ending just after midnight.

Tickets can be bought from webtickets.co.za or at the Kirstenbosch ticket office.

* If even that’s too rowdy for you, spend the night at home with various New Year’s Eve-themed shows and concerts on TV.

BBC Entertainment will showcase The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at 8pm, with performances by Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard and Tom Jones. E.tv will screen Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad concert at 10.10pm, while SABC 1 will start their annual countdown show at 9.30pm with Come Duze 2013, which will review the year in entertainment, with music |the emphasis.

* If you are still undecided, the Cape Town Magazine’s website has a complete guide to events and parties around the city. Simply visit www.capetownmagazine.com/nye

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

About 200 people had to be evacuated from a camp site after fires destroyed caravans, boats and damaged a cabin.

Cape Town - About 200 people had to be evacuated from a camp site at the yacht club in Hermanus after raging fires destroyed caravans, boats and damaged a cabin over the weekend. Several properties in Stanford were also damaged.

A team of firefighters finally brought the blaze under control on Sunday after battling for six days as the fire ripped through about 20 000 hectares of fynbos in the Overstrand District.

People said the flames threatening the yacht club were several metres high and difficult to control.

Members of the Hermanus Yacht Club were picking up the pieces after the fire, fuelled by south-easterly winds up to 40km/h, ripped through 12 caravans and a house and left a wooden cabin badly damaged with the roof caving in. They were filling up water tanks and setting up water pumps preparing for possible further outbreaks.

A member of the club’s committee, Jacques Smith, said they had to evacuate about 200 people in the early hours of Saturday after strong winds had spread the fire in the club’s direction.

Smith said a number of boats that were on land were also lost. He said they received little help from the Hermanus municipality who he said told them they could not get helicopters in to help because of financial constraints. He said they had to rent a water truck and a water pump from Cape Town to battle the fire on their own.

It was only after a fire chief from Bredasdorp had stepped in to help and get helicopters in that further damage was prevented, he said.

“Had the helicopters not come around the second time, we would have lost everything. The flames were about 20 to 30m in height and they were difficult to put out. We were running bucket chains just to prevent it from spreading,” Smith said.

It is believed the blaze started when lightning struck the Hemel en Aarde Valley on Christmas Eve and firefighters had been battling since, with 72 firefighters trying to get the fire under control.

On Sunday morning there was relief after a light drizzle quelled the fire for a few hours, but wind picked up in the afternoon leading to flare-ups.

In the afternoon it started burning on the mountain slopes overlooking the R43 and smouldering in a few areas. Barry Roe Lou, owner of the Zilvermijnbosch Estate Farm just outside Hermanus, said alien vegetation on some farms and the lack of firebreaks caused the fire to spread quicker.

He also blamed “lack of efficiency” of the fire department.

“If they had listened to the landowners the fire could have been out by Saturday morning,” Roe Lou said.

He watered an area close to his property as the changing wind direction fuelled the blaze, which was burning about 200m from his house.

Overstrand Municipality spokesperson Fanie Kruger said the firefighting teams would monitor the area along the bank of the Klein River estuary where there was “considerable” damage to property.

He said electricity supply in Gansbaai and Stanford was restored on Sunday after the fire destroyed four pylons next to the R43 on Saturday.

“The full extent of the fire damage has not been determined yet, but the indications are that apart from the estimated 20 000ha of fynbos that burnt… reports were also received that a farmhouse and a cottage burned down in the area along the lagoon,” Krige said.

He said two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.

Krige said they had the services of the helicopters for only six hours, at a cost of R200 000, with a large area to cover. At one stage the smoke was too thick for the helicopters to be used and he maintained that the municipality’s strategy had been well executed.

xolani.koyana@inl.co.za

Cape Times

A man has died after allegedly losing his balance and falling from the fourth floor of his Century City flat balcony.

Cape Town - A Cape Town man plummeted to his death after allegedly losing his balance and falling from the fourth floor of his Century City flat balcony.

ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said the victim, believed to be in his 20s, had been badly injured.

“Paramedics treated the man for multiple injuries, including broken bones and head injuries,” said Jackson.

He later died at hospital.

Provincial police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk urged anyone with information to contact them.

Cape Argus

An urgent probe has been launched into a businessman who was arrested for drunk driving twice this month.

Cape Town - An urgent investigation has been launched into a Ferrari-driving Cape Town businessman who was arrested for drunk driving for the second time this month – but who pleaded with police that he was ill.

The saga began on December 24, when the businessman hit a speed trap in the Southern Cape at more than 140km/h in a 90km/h zone.

An impeccable source told the Cape Argus that traffic officers had given chase – from the Riversdale area in the direction of Mossel Bay – but had not been able to catch the Ferrari.

However, it appears the driver was snared as he re-entered Riversdale at around 2.30pm.

SAPS spokeswoman Bernadine Steyn said: “A request was received from the municipal traffic department to stop a vehicle that was travelling towards Riversdale. SAPS members stopped the vehicle, after which the driver was arrested for driving under the influence.”

The Cape Argus understands blood was then drawn from the driver.

Steyn said the driver spent Christmas Eve in the police station’s holding cells. She confirmed five similar charges had been found against the driver on the police’s records, but that three of these had been withdrawn.

The fifth charge involved alleged drunk driving in the East London suburb of Cambridge, and the case number indicated that this arrest was made in December.

Steyn said that on Christmas Day the driver “became very ill and was taken to a hospital for observation”.

“It was brought to our attention that the suspect has an illness,” she said.

After 25 hours in custody, the businessman was released on bail of R5 000. This bail was granted on the instructions of the Riversdale station commander, and the driver was not required to appear in court. This is within the police’s powers. The court date which has been set is more than a year away – January 22, 2014.

The sequence of events has prompted Transport MEC Robin Carlisle to request Community Safety MEC Dan Plato to ask questions of provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer.

These include a request about the charges laid against the driver, the status of other open dockets against the driver, and why a return court date of over a year away had been set.

Furthermore, Carlisle has asked that the following be investigated:

* Was the driver charged for not displaying number plates?

* Was a possible charge of reckless and negligent driving investigated?. Was the driver prohibited in any way from driving, as a condition of bail, considering he was arrested for alleged drunk driving earlier this month, and the police’s knowledge of this?

* Did the police officer confer with a magistrate before granting bail?

Police claimed on Sunday that they may not name the driver, as he was granted bail by police in Riversdale, and not in a Magistrate’s Court.

However, he is named in the letter from Plato to Lamoer as a “Mr Mahlathi”, but by at least two other sources as “Lonwabo Mahlati”.

Plato has requested a response from Lamoer by Thursday.

Cape Argus

The revolution is one year old – and guerrillas celebrated yet again under Friday night’s full moon.

Cape Town - The revolution is one year old – and guerrillas celebrated yet again under Friday night’s full moon.

Which revolution?

The two-wheeled one, of course – Cape Town’s Moonlight Mass bicycle ride under the fat full moon.

It was on a similarly beautiful summer’s evening – around a year ago – that Daniel Graham said to his mate Elad Kirshenbaum: “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we rode our bikes along the promenade at night when its a full moon?” Kirshenbaum had replied: “Okay, lets do it!”

They turned to Twitter, tweeted the time and date and waited patiently to see who would join them on their debut #moonlightmass in January 2012.

If they were surprised at the turn-out of several hundred fellow cyclists, then Friday’s turn-out must have overwhelmed them, as thousands turned out for the final ride of 2012.

Among the “mass” of riders who arrived at the starting point, the concourse beneath the Greenpoint traffic circle, was Cape Town Partnership CEO Andrew Boraine, who said: “This is awesome – it’s my first ride!”

The mass of riders meandered down to the V&A Waterfront, along Beach Road to Mouille Point, up to Main Road in Greenpoint, along Somerset Road, across the Buitengracht an into the revel capital, Long Street.

Party rockers, clubbers and boozers lined the street and hung off balconies whooping the riders welcome, as they commandeered both lanes in a two-wheeled display of people power, before ending at Greenmarket Square, where many riders popped in to the Central Methodist Mission church for coffee and chocolate mini-muffins.

So what is this revolution’s goal?

Turning Cape Town into the safest cycle town on the planet, of course.

Cape Argus

Three Western Cape schools will be officially closed today.

Cape Town - Three Western Cape schools will be officially closed today.

The three schools are Tonko Bosman and Hoopsrivier NGK primary schools in the Cape Winelands education district and Langkloof Primary in the Eden and Central Karoo.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) had arranged placement plans for all pupils at the affected schools.

In October, Grant announced that 20 Western Cape schools would be closed. The reasons for his decision included dwindling pupil numbers and multigrade teaching.

At the time Grant said that Langkloof’s pupil numbers had decreased to 10 and the pupils could be accommodated at Molenrivier Primary.

He said Hoopsrivier’s numbers had decreased to 21 and the children could be accommodated at Vergesig Primary, while Tonko Bosman’s numbers had fallen to 28 and pupils could be accommodated at Raithby Primary.

“Learners received details on any relevant learner transport plans in their report cards at the end of the school year. The keys will be handed over by the school governing body once the schools have officially closed,” said Casey.

“We are confident that these learners will now receive better education opportunities at their new schools.”

Earlier this month, the Cape Argus reported that Judge Siraj Desai, together with Judge Elizabeth Baartman, had granted an interim interdict prohibiting the closure of the other 17 schools.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A Table View man drowned at Trekoskraal near Mykonos on the West Coast.

Cape Town - A Table View man drowned at Trekoskraal near Mykonos on the West Coast at the weekend.

National Sea Rescue Institute volunteers responded to a call on Saturday morning when the 51-year-old man’s body was spotted floating in the water.

NSRI spokesman Andrew Ingram said the victim had allegedly been fishing from the rocks.

He added that waves in the area at the time recorded huge swells, some of up to 2.4 metres at the entrance to the Langebaan lagoon.

In a separate incident, two men from Joburg, aged 17 and 22, were rescued by surfers after being caught in a rip current at Lamberts Bay beach.

Ingram said two surfers handed the men one of their surfboards.

“The four then managed to paddle to shore much higher up the beach (to the north), which is where the 17-year-old’s father found them. They were safe and needed no further help,” said Ingram.

At St Francis Bay on Saturday night, a 30-year-old man died after diving off a boat into a sandbank.

When he surfaced, he did not turn over, and his friends jumped in and lifted him into the boat.

A local doctor and the Emergency Medical Services, as well as NSRI volunteers, responded, but all attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, the body of a 12-year-old boy, presumed to have drowned in the Cegcuwana River, was discovered by Eastern Cape police yesterday.

Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said the boy had been among four youngsters who went for a swim on Saturday. “It is alleged the boy drowned at about 2pm and his friends went home to inform the elders about the incident.”

An inquest docket has been opened.

Cape Argus

A 54-year-old man was killed after a shooting near a club in Cape Town in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Cape Town - A 54-year-old man was killed after a shooting in Brooklyn in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A resident, known only as Sandra, claimed the shooting, which happened just after 2am, was gang-related.

She said she had been living in the area for most of her life and knew the man well.

“He was shot after an apparent argument when he was playing pool at the bar. The guys followed him when he was walking home,” she said.

She said the victim was a troublemaker and had been linked with the 28s gang that at times caused havoc in the area.

“He was always looking for trouble and always hanging out with the younger guys and selling stolen cellphones.”

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the man died of multiple gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back.

“The victim died on the scene due to the extent of his injuries,” he said.

“It is alleged that the victim was at a nearby pool club when an argument erupted between him and four unknown males. The victim left the club and was found shot a few streets from the club.”

Van Wyk said a case of murder had been opened for investigation at the Milnerton police station.

“No one witnessed the incident. A murder case was opened for investigation, and the investigation continues,” he said.

The shooting happened on the corner of Da Gama and Justin streets in Brooklyn, a suburb notorious for its brothels.

Van Wyk said no arrests had been made and urged members of the public with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus