Latest news with #Bellville
The Herald
a day ago
- The Herald
Cape Town law enforcement officer arrested for 'kidnapping, extortion, murder'
A City of Cape Town law enforcement officer was arrested on Monday on charges of kidnapping, extortion and the murder of a man who disappeared after going to purchase a vehicle in Bellville. The 43-year-old suspect was apprehended during a multidisciplinary intelligence-led operation comprising the Hawks and the provincial anti-kidnapping and organised crime units. The victim was allegedly kidnapped in Kraaifontein on May 16 after telling a friend he was going to view the vehicle. Another friend received a phone call from the victim who reported he had been kidnapped and was being assaulted. 'Simultaneously, a ransom of R100,000 for the victim's release was demanded by the suspects. Further phone calls were made by the suspects whereby the ransom was reduced to R10,000,' said Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Siyabulela Vukubi. An amount of R5,000 was deposited into a given bank account and the suspects demanded the balance. A day after the kidnapping, police swooped on addresses in Philippi and Kleinvlei which resulted in the arrest of four suspects aged 30 to 36 who have already appeared in court. 'The team was led to an open field on the dunes between Monwabisi beach and Macassar, where one of the accused pointed out a shallow grave where the victim was killed and buried,' said Vukubi. 'It transpired that the City of Cape Town law enforcement vehicle, which was driven by the suspect, was used in the commission of this heinous crime.'
News24
4 days ago
- Health
- News24
Missed, misunderstood, and deadly: A Cape Town family's heartbreak with hepatitis B
When Desmond Pedro discovered a strange hardness under his ribcage, he was just 30 and preparing for a fresh start on a government skills course. Little did he know that he would soon die of liver cancer caused by undetected hepatitis B. Spotlight spent time with his family and spoke to experts to uncover how this overlooked virus continues to claim lives. Desmond Pedro was getting ready to attend a course at a college in Bellville in Cape Town when he noticed a hardness under his ribcage. The 30-year-old unemployed father of two small children hoped to learn skills on the government-sponsored boiler-making course. The strange condition worried him. When Desmond first went to a clinic, nurses said it wasn't serious and gave him laxatives for constipation. He returned three times and got the same response. On his fourth visit, Desmond's wife went with him, and she insisted on a scan. Two weeks later, while on his way to college, he returned to receive the results. His older brother, Mario tells the story: 'When he arrived, the clinic staff wouldn't let him leave. An ambulance took him to Tygerberg Hospital. We visited him that night but were told nothing. We felt helpless.' About a week later, Desmond asked Mario to meet him at Tygerberg's oncology unit, where a doctor delivered the news of his diagnosis. 'When I arrived, he was in agony and couldn't stand up straight. This had all happened within two to three weeks. A porter brought a wheelchair, and we went into the doctor's office where the doctor told us hepatitis B had brought on Desmond's liver cancer.' Hepatitis means that the liver is swollen or irritated. This can happen for many reasons, such as infections from viruses or bacteria, parasites, injuries, or when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the liver. Viral hepatitis is a type of liver inflammation caused by a virus. There are five main types: A, B, C, D and E. As Spotlight previously reported, new, highly effective cures for hepatitis C are slowly becoming more widely available in South Africa. Where did it come from? Until Desmond's cancer diagnosis, he had no idea that he was carrying the hepatitis B virus in his body, nor where he contracted it. The virus is transmitted from person to person through blood, semen or other body fluids. It can, for instance, be passed from pregnant women infected with the hepatitis B virus to their babies during childbirth, through sexual contact with an infected person, sharing of needles carrying traces of infected blood, and accidental needlestick injuries in health workers working with people who have the virus. After Desmond's diagnosis, his entire family were tested. Mario said: Both myself and my youngest brother, Johan tested positive for hepatitis B. To this day, we don't know where we got it or if we ever had the vaccine. 'At the time, I was 33. My mother was negative, as were our wives and all the children. For Desmond, it was too late.' Once infected, some people have strong enough immune systems to fight off the infection and usually clear it within six months. This is called acute or short-term infection. People who get infected as adults normally have acute infections. In long-term or chronic cases, it lasts more than six months and can lead to liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis - a condition where scar tissue has replaced healthy tissue to such an extent that the liver can no longer function. The younger a person is when they contract the virus, the higher their risk of the condition becoming chronic, particularly in the case of newborn babies or children under five. In most cases, people with chronic infection show no symptoms for years until they become seriously ill from liver disease. A silent killer One of the reasons that viral hepatitis can go undetected, as it did for Desmond, is that it is often asymptomatic. Symptoms, for those who do get them, can start as soon as two weeks after infection and include stomach pain, joint pain, fever, extreme fatigue, dark urine and jaundice - a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Professor Mark Sonderup, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and Division of Hepatology at the University of Cape Town, explains that with chronic inflammation in the liver, the body's attempt to heal the inflammation drives scarring, or fibrosis, of the liver. Over 10, 20 or 30 years, he says, there's a serious risk of cirrhosis. ALSO READ | Stem cell transplant recovery hinges on living conditions - transplant donor organisation 'The other risk of hepatitis B, which increases dramatically as the scarring worsens, is that because the virus is a DNA virus and inserts itself into the DNA of the liver cell, it dramatically increases the risk of liver cancer which is why hepatitis B accounts for most liver cancer in the world.' Sonderup says hepatitis B is endemic in South Africa and the region. He cites figures pegging the country's chronic infection rate at just below 5%, which suggests there are in the region of three million people living with the infection in South Africa. Most cases can be treated Chronic infection can usually be treated successfully with antiviral medicines if diagnosed in time. These medicines have to be taken for life since they suppress, but do not eliminate the virus. For acute infection there are much fewer treatment options. Those with serious liver damage often need a liver transplant. Since their diagnosis, Mario and Johan have been going to the Groote Schuur Liver Clinic where he says they are in good hands. 'They've been there for us from the start,' says Mario. The brothers are both on tenofovir, an anti-retroviral used to treat chronic hepatitis B infection. READ MORE | Why most people in South Africa can't get the shingles vaccine 'We take one tiny tablet a day, which suppresses our viral load and has no side effects. I take my tablet religiously at the same time every night.' Tenofovir is also part of standard HIV treatment in South Africa. As such, it is taken by more than five million people in the country, some of whom will happen to have undiagnosed hepatitis B infection. Sadly, Desmond's diagnosis came too late for antiviral treatment to save him. Mario recalls: I'll never forget the look on Desmond's face when the doctor said there was nothing they could do. 'The liver cancer was aggressive. He died at home about four weeks later. The time between getting his results and passing away was about two months.' It is for this reason that Mario has become such a passionate advocate for hepatitis B testing. 'All it takes is a simple blood test, and if it's caught in time, you take one small tablet daily. There are no side effects and you're good to go,' he says. Mario reckons nurses testing for HIV should be testing for hepatitis B at the same time. A highly effective vaccine One piece of good news is that many people in South Africa, especially those younger than 30 years of age, would have been vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus as babies. The South African government began rolling out the vaccine in 1995, starting with a three-dose schedule for babies, administered at 6, 10, and 14 weeks. 'It took a while to reach full coverage across the entire country. To date, our numbers lag a little behind, in that full three dose coverage is somewhere in the mid 80 percent in South Africa,' says Sonderup. 'This is pretty decent, except that we do have babies born to women who are inadvertently chronically infected, and there's a full six-week period before the first dose of vaccine is given.' READ MORE | The US funded 40% of SA's data capturers: Why losing them is so dangerous In other words, there's a six-week gap before babies receive their first hepatitis B vaccine, leaving them unprotected during that time. This is why Sonderup recommends giving a vaccine birth dose within the first 24 hours after birth alongside the standard polio and BCG vaccines all newborns receive. 'This would be followed by the second, third and fourth doses at 6,10 and 14 weeks. This has been shown to completely shut down that potential six-week period where a baby may be exposed,' he says. A phased approach Dr Kgomotso Vilakazi-Nhlapo, the top hepatitis official in the National Department of Health, agrees that a birth dose is important. However, she says that due to resource challenges, the department has opted for a phased approach. 'Instead of starting with the implementation of the universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccination, we test all pregnant women for the hepatitis B virus, treat those who are hepatitis B positive (and HIV negative) and offer the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine to newborn babies of pregnant women who tested positive for hepatitis B,' she says. According to Vilakazi-Nhlapo, this approach was implemented in April 2023 in all public health facilities but by the end of December 2024, they were only testing about 50% of pregnant women. READ MORE | Common weed shows potential to fight cancer, UJ researchers find 'This meant that women among the 50 percent who were not tested could be positive for hepatitis B and be transmitting the infection to their babies,' she says. 'Of course, it would be preferable to give a universal birth dose to all newborns, but, unfortunately, the budget and human resources remains an issue.' Vilakazi-Nhlapo estimates that with around a million births per year and hepatitis B prevalence of around 5%, every year in the region of 50 000 women living with the virus are giving birth in South Africa. What to do Sonderup says the solutions to South Africa's hepatitis B problem are neither complex nor overly expensive. 'Firstly,' he says, 'we need to fully implement the universal birth dose vaccination; secondly, we need to ensure children complete their vaccine schedule in total, thirdly we need to screen pregnant woman and link them to additional care.' He also says that in a country where almost 5% of people are living with the virus, everyone should be screened for hepatitis B at least once as we do with regular HIV testing. 'This can be done through a simple finger prick test and it's not expensive. People should at least know their status,' Sonderup says. South Africa's key hepatitis B policy document is the viral hepatitis treatment guidelines published in 2019. Sonderup, who was involved in the development of the guidelines, is concerned about its implementation. He blames 'policy inertia' and competition for limited resources for the country not having made greater progress against hepatitis B. 'But we can actually do a great deal with not very much, with significant impact, to eliminate a virus that continues to cause significant havoc,' he says. 'A shortage of resources, staff, and skills' For her part, Vilakazi-Nhlapo blames a lack of 'resources, staff, and skills' for there not being more progress. She says there is only one other person working with her on hepatitis at the national level, and no dedicated staff at provincial health departments. 'We work mainly with NGOs and civil society. Provincial physicians have helped us greatly to do our work but it's not enough,' Vilakazi-Nhlapo says. 'There is still insufficient knowledge both among healthcare workers and within communities about hepatitis B. For now, patients with hepatitis B are referred to hospitals … but the reality is that, if primary healthcare staff are managing HIV patients, they can manage hepatitis B patients,' she says. She adds that they are trying to integrate hepatitis into other health programmes, such as those for maternal and child health. 'Everyone should know their status' Back in Cape Town, Mario, now 45, says he feels healthy apart from the normal aches and pains associated with his age. He has become an advocate for more awareness about hepatitis B. 'We'd never have known we had it if this hadn't happened to my brother. It's a silent killer. Someone could be dying of it right now without knowing. Everyone should know their status,' he says.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Eel River Adventures invites you to an ultimate getaway
BOWLING GREEN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A local outdoor attraction hopes you'll join them for summer fun. Eel River Adventures is located in Bowling Green, and they offer tubing, kayaking and rafting. They are open Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. General Manager Joshua Bellville describes Eel River Adventures as the ultimate getaway. 'Our area is actually quite unique due to the fact that we have a lot of sandy beaches out here that you can lounge on. Bring your family, your friends, some nice cold drinks and enjoy your time as you float down river, and get to see nature out in the wilderness. You might see a couple big fish you never know, so it's just a time to get away and relax,' said Bellville. He encourages people to follow them on Facebook to learn more and keep up with their events. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
David Sassoon obituary
Belinda Bellville, a designer of special occasion clothes for her own wealthy, well-connected social group, was pregnant in 1958 and in urgent need of a temporary assistant in her London atelier. She found David Sassoon, a Royal College of Art student, and offered him a job after seeing his degree show. Bellville was old-style class, Sassoon was the new meritocracy, and what became their joint firm, Bellville Sassoon, succeeded for over half a century. Sassoon, who has died aged 92, recalled how Bellville inducted him to her strata. She taught him how those attending the royal enclosure at the Royal Ascot race meeting, a highlight of the social season, pronounced 'Ascot' – with very clipped vowel sounds. She explained how to be patient with clients' non-model figures, and age and status fears, made introductions and led him through the Buckingham Palace tradesman's entrance to fit the young Princess Anne with a bridesmaid's frock, Bellville's first royal commission. Following etiquette, Sassoon stepped backwards away from Queen Elizabeth II and put his foot in the corgis' water bowl. It never mattered. Bellville and her customers respected Sassoon's attentiveness and inventiveness: he became a couturier in the original sense of the word, directly creating clothes for prestigious customers, providing a balance of modishness with personal requirements. His reticent outsider identity endeared him to his major patron, Diana, Princess of Wales. Her customer experience did not begin well – before her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981 Diana presented herself tentatively at Bellville Sassoon's Knightsbridge premises, where an unimpressed saleswoman suggested she try Harrods. Then her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, escorted her back to order a 10-dress trousseau. Sassoon designed the newlywed Princess of Wales's going-away outfit, and confected a matching pochette bag because she had forgotten to buy a handbag. He wrote a good luck note and tucked it inside; she found that a comfort in a nervous moment, and their collusion over her appearance was on, continuing for more than 70 outfits. Sassoon made the princess's wishes happen and she trusted his judgment. Among the many royals Sassoon dressed (British, European and Gulf), Sarah, Duchess of York, fancied the outrageous and wore it against all advice, he said, while Princess Margaret had no more care for her wardrobe than for people. Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Helen Mirren, Jerry Hall, Madonna and many others wanted unique outfits for gala events through the good times of the 1960s and 70s, and into the 80s. These were a different genre of display from post-1990s red carpet gowns: in the earlier era, celebrities did not do a lot of static posing, so gladrags had to be wearable through active nights of partying, dancing, and going to the loo, without assistants on hand to rearrange the drapery afterwards. The name on the labels (which changed from Bellville et Cie to Bellville Sassoon in 1970, when she invited him to be a partner) never had to flaunt brand identity as the company avoided paid-for publicity or advertising. Its workrooms, staffed with cutters, stitchers and finishers, attracted all the customers it could cope with through personal introductions. Ready-to-wear, which it produced from the 60s on, was first sold to existing regular customers who wanted something new in a hurry. Those of Sassoon's clientele who were artists, performers or collectors, plus Bellville herself, appreciated Sassoon's cultural depth. His ideas were inspired by a wide knowledge of applied and fine arts: a coat hand-painted with flowers from a Mughal miniature; a silk crepe dress handsmocked in Arts and Crafts style; a state-banquet gown hand-beaded with Wedgwood cameos. He attributed his endless curiosity about decoration to his family. His parents, Victoria and Gourgi Sassoon, were a Sephardic Jewish couple from Iraq who honeymooned in London in 1925 and never went back to Baghdad. They set up a home, in Highbury, London, rich with colour and art. David was the third of their six children, interested enough in clothes to doll up his younger sister in remnants from his mother's trousseau. He wanted to be an actor, and after finishing boarding school and Avigdor high school in Stoke Newington, got a scholarship to study at Rada. But his father begged him to pursue a more secure future, so he first went to Chelsea College of Art and, after national service with the army in Egypt, won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art fashion department, where he studied under its revolutionary professor Janey Ironside. He enjoyed acquiring the technical competency she insisted on. Some of his student contemporaries became famous for imaginative ready-to-wear in the boutiques that dominated in the 60s, while Sassoon at Bellville et Cie anonymously clothed the best to Paris standards, albeit with London bohemian vibes. He teased Bellville that he had brought her a dowry of clients from his own Jewish milieu, eager to dress up for bar mitzvahs and weddings – couture bridal gowns were always the firm's steady, secure, income. Bellville retired in 1981, and handed over the firm to Sassoon, who recruited Lorcan Mullany, particularly for ready-to-wear designs, which were crucial from the 1990s, as couture dwindled because clients grew time-poor: two hours for a fitting had become a luxury. Sassoon worked on, also in ready-to-wear, until 2012. His lasting affection, though, was for his couture creations – in 1978, he had paid the ransom for a collection stolen from a show in New York, personally buying back one dress from a drag queen in Harlem. In retirement, he coaxed loans of his favourites from their owners for an exhibition, The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon, at the Fashion and Textile Museum in 2013, arranging them in gossipy groups. His work also starred in the exhibition Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style at the Museum of London Docklands in 2023. David Sassoon, fashion designer, born 5 October 1932; died 9 April 2025
