Former
Bafana Bafana defender, Edward Motale, has revealed how Clive Barker
managed to achieve success when in charge of the national team.
Barker
was in charge of the national team between 1994 and 1997, cementing his
place in history when Bafana claimed their first and only Africa Cup of
Nations title in 1996 and Motale has revealed the secret to his former
mentor’s success.
“What
Clive Barker got right as Bafana coach was that he selected players
that were on form; those who were consistent that were playing every
day, week in and week out, those who were putting in the effort. It was
either that you were doing so locally or internationally,” he explained
to Soccer Laduma.
The 50-year-old pointed to examples such as Cape Town City coach, Eric Tinkler and the late Shoes Moshoeu to prove his point.
“You
can look at (Eric) Tinkler, he was playing every game overseas, Shoes
(Moshoeu) was playing every game in Turkey. And, on this side, we were
consistently playing every game,” he added. “But there were players that
were just on form like Brendan Augustine who was playing for Bush Bucks
and was scoring every game. He was on form then and then we used the
likes of the late Sizwe (Motaung) who was also on form. So those were
the elements that he used, that’s where we had a nice combination.”
Cape Town – The South African Football Association (SAFA) must now re-hire Clive Barker to coach Bafana Bafana.
This is no time for SAFA to try things out if Bafana Bafana are to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Having
failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2017, Bafana
Bafana now need the best person that has ever coached them. And that
person is Clive Barker.
After
a successful spell as the head coach of the South Africa’s senior
soccer men’s team since early 1994 till December 1997, a few months
before defending his 1996 African Nations Cup glory on home-soil, Barker
was unceremoniously axed after the team’s early exist in the
Confederations Cup held in Saudi Arabia.
Bafana Bafana had qualified to play in the inter-continental tournament due to them being African Champions in 1996.
If
Barker had stayed on, he would have been the first coach to coach
Bafana Bafana to the 1998 Soccer Wold Cup in France. Barker had
qualified South Africa to the world’s greatest show.
But
what is now clear is that Bafana Bafana is far away from being No 1 in
Africa and No 16 world, which they had achieved under Barker.
Also
in 1996, under Barker, FIFA bestowed Bafana Bafana with an
international award as the most improved team, a Best Mover of the Year.
All the other coaches have not achieved anything close to what Barker achieved.
Barker
was a professional footballer in the 1960s, playing for Durban City and
Durban United having made his debut at the age of 17. He had a trial
with Leicester City, but a serious knee injury quickly ended his career.
“The
Dog”, as he is nicknamed, became a manager in the 1970s, coaching
numerous clubs in South Africa, including Durban City, Manning Rangers,
AmaZulu (Zulu Royals) and Santos Cape Town. In the 1980s, he won
championships with various teams.
During
his club career, he won two league championships and two league cups.
He was one of the first white managers in the South African league.
In
2013, Barker took Wits University to forth spot of South Africa’s
highest league the PSL. He has won numerous awards/honours and other
many accolades.
Today, Bafana Bafana is 23 years old and is ranked around No 17 in Africa and 72 in the world. Clearly Barker was the best thing to have happened to Bafana Bafana and probably to South African soccer generally.
SAFA must do South Africa a huge favour and return Barker to coach Bafana Bafana.
Shakes
Mashaba can be given another portfolio within the technical department.
However, if Clive Barker had to come back he would need to be given the
right to choose his assistance coach and technical support.
Bloemfontein Celtic legend Petrus Molemela described as a unifier
Monday 27 March 2017 20:40
Teboho Letshaba
Molemela died on Sunday and would have turned 84 next month(SABC)
The late Bloemfontein Celtic life president and former owner Petrus "Whitehead" Molemela has been described as a "unifier”. Molemela died on Sunday and would have turned 84 next month. Molemela an ardent cyclist has served football from the cradle to the grave. He joined Bloemfontein Celtic in the 70s. It was at the height of the rivalry between the three Bloemfontein
clubs; Mangaung FC, Mangaung United and the popular Bloemfontein Celtic. Founding member of Bloemfontein Celtic, Abram "Ace" Sempe says the
deceased helped unify the club, stating: “Molemela joined the club when
it facing financial difficulties. He helped unify the club. Rivalry was
tense.” Meanwhile, Bloemfontein Celtic legend, David "Chippa" Sefali says
Molemela helped discover talent, sating: “They were the first Celtic
team to win the trophy for Celtic in 1985. He regards him as a father.
He helped unearth the talent.” “Molemela loved Bloemfontein and used the club to develop talent in the
Mangaung area. I met him when I was still a youngster in the late 80s,”
recalls Bloemfontein Celtic ex-captain, Jeffrey "Styles" Legetla. Plans are in place to honour Molemela. Free State Sports MEC, Mmathabo Leeto
says a sports museum will be erected where Molemela's memory will be
depicted. Leeto added that Molemela was a servant of the people. Molemela was also a devout Christian. The memorial service will be held at a church on Friday. Funeral details are yet to be finalised.
Grace Bible Church responds to uproar over Joe Mafela memorial
2017-03-23 15:42
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Joe Mafela poses with his lifetime achievement award from the Comics' Choice Awards. Photo: Comics' Choice Awards
Cape Town - On Wednesday, former Generations actor Mangaliso Ngema revealed that Grace Bible Church in Soweto had asked the family of late actor Joe Mafela to pay R89k for a memorial service to be held, using their facilities. Ngema
has since apologised for and deleted that post, saying, "Friends and
relatives, I need to make a public apology for posting about the Mafela
family and Grace Bible church. I was not appointed spokesperson for the
family and neither did I seek consent from them for posting. (sic)." The Juice
spoke to Ngema about those comments and he added, "I really put my foot
in it with that post. I got so upset when I heard that. I wasn't
thinking." Now the church has responded, by releasing a statement to the press. Read the full statement here: "Grace
Bible Church is a non-profit organisation with church facilities in
areas where it is operational. The facilities have been funded by the
members and serves their needs. Communities in which the
organisation operates sometimes request to use the church facilities and
their requests are handled by the facilities division. They then get
quoted based on the request. Grace Bible Church members are not charged for the use of the facilities. The
public has often requested the use of the facilities for memorials and
funerals. As a church we only allow them to utilise the premises when
they are available. They are required to pay for the overheads which
include audio visual equipment and operators. GBC reserves the
right to discuss the terms with families and organisers as is standard
with other facilities. We do not comment publicly on such issues, which
can only be disclosed by organisers or families." Joe Mafela's memorial service was subsequently held at Joburg Theatre on Thursday, 23 March.
'He was a pioneer, a mentor, and a friend' - Joe Mafela's friends and colleagues pay tribute to him
Karishma Thakurdin and Kyle Zeeman | 20 March, 2017 07:00
Joe Mafela's "humble" nature remembered by friends.
Image by: Gallo Images / City Press / Denzil Maregele
In the wake of veteran actor Joe Mafela's death on Saturday
night, his friends have remembered the massive contribution he made to
the acting fraternity and the "humble" man who made the nation laugh.
Mafela's sudden death has left those who were close to him in a state of shock.
Actor
Luthuli Dlamini, who spoke to TshisaLIVE from Sun City where the annual
South African Film and Televison Awards (Saftas) took place over the
weekend, said they were all devastated by Mafela's death.
"I am at
the Saftas at the moment and the mood is sad and sombre. Nobody here
can believe it and we are all still in shock. Everybody is sharing how
Joe touched their lives and their art – so it is clear that he played a
massive part in building the industry in South Africa," he said.
Luthuli added that Mafela's willingness to help and give advice to younger actors inspired him.
"He
was an incredible person, a light and inspiration not only in his art
but also in his love for people. He was a pioneer, a mentor, and a
friend and we will miss him."
Veteran actress Lillian Dube and close friend recounted how happy he was on Saturday.
"He
just returned from a cruise with his wife and he wanted to show me his
photos. His death was a shock and I am very sad but I am grateful that
God gave SA a chance to see his talent,"Lillian told TshisaLIVE.
The actress said she and Joe discussed not being invited to the Saftas and how they felt like they were "forgotten".
"
I asked him how he could go on a cruise while the Saftas was on and he
said that he was not invited. I was not invited either. We spoke about
the industry and how we were being marginalised and not being given
enough respect for what we've done. We need to be honoured while we are
still alive not forgotten," she added.
Veteran actor and president of the Creative Cultural Industries of SA, Tony Kgoroge, echoed Lillian's sentiments.
"We
cannot be allowed to let pioneers of the industry like Ma Dube and Joe
Mafela to be forgotten. This needs to be rectified and these legends
honoured while they are still alive," he said.
Tony
described Mafela as a brother and a friend, who would be sorely missed.
"His giant personality filled the room and will leave a gigantic hole
in the industry," he added.
A culpable homicide investigation is
currently underway after an Izuzu van collied into Mafela's Ford Figo on
the M1 North in Johannesburg at around 10pm on Saturday night. Mafela
was declared dead on scene by paramedics.
Chuck
Berry, who with his indelible guitar licks, brash self-confidence and
memorable songs about cars, girls and wild dance parties did as much as
anyone to define rock ’n’ roll’s potential and attitude in its early
years, died on Saturday at his home near Wentzville, Mo. He was 90.
The St. Charles County Police Department confirmed his death on its Facebook page.
The department said that it responded to a medical emergency at the
home, about 45 miles west of St. Louis, and that lifesaving measures
were unsuccessful.
While
Elvis Presley was rock’s first pop star and teenage heartthrob, Mr.
Berry was its master theorist and conceptual genius, the songwriter who
understood what the kids wanted before they knew themselves. With songs
like “Johnny B. Goode” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” he gave his listeners
more than they knew they were getting from jukebox entertainment.
His
guitar lines wired the lean twang of country and the bite of the blues
into phrases with both a streamlined trajectory and a long memory. And
tucked into the lighthearted, telegraphic narratives that he sang with
such clear enunciation was a sly defiance, upending convention to claim
the pleasures of the moment.
In
“Sweet Little Sixteen,” “You Can’t Catch Me” and other songs, Mr. Berry
invented rock as a music of teenage wishes fulfilled and good times
(even with cops in pursuit). In “Promised Land,” “Too Much Monkey
Business” and “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” he celebrated and satirized
America’s opportunities and class tensions. His rock ’n’ roll was a
music of joyful lusts, laughed-off tensions and gleefully shattered
icons.
Mr.
Berry was already well past his teens when he wrote mid-1950s
manifestoes like “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Rock and Roll Music” and
“School Day.” Born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on Oct. 18, 1926, in
St. Louis, he grew up in a segregated, middle-class neighborhood there,
soaking up gospel, blues, and rhythm and blues, along with some country
music.
He
spent three years in reform school after a spree of car thefts and
armed robbery. He received a degree in hairdressing and cosmetology and
worked for a time as a beautician; he married Themetta Suggs in 1948 and
started a family. She survives him, as do four children: Ingrid Berry,
Melody Eskridge, Aloha Isa Leigh Berry and Charles Berry Jr.
By
the early 1950s, he was playing guitar and singing blues, pop standards
and an occasional country tune with local combos. Shortly after joining
Sir John’s Trio, led by the pianist Johnnie Johnson, he reshaped the group’s music and took it over.
From the Texas guitarist T-Bone Walker,
Mr. Berry picked up a technique of bending two strings at once that he
would rough up and turn into a rock ’n’ roll talisman, the Chuck Berry
lick, which would in turn be emulated by the Rolling Stones and
countless others. He also recognized the popularity of country music and
added some hillbilly twang to his guitar lines. Mr. Berry’s hybrid
music, along with his charisma and showmanship, drew white as well as
black listeners to the Cosmopolitan Club in St. Louis.
In
1955, Mr. Berry ventured to Chicago and asked one of his idols, the
bluesman Muddy Waters, about making records. Waters directed him to the
label he recorded for, Chess Records, where one of the owners, Leonard Chess, heard potential in Mr. Berry’s song “Ida Red.”
A
variant of an old country song by the same name, “Ida Red” had a 2/4
backbeat with a hillbilly oompah, while Mr. Berry’s lyrics sketched a
car chase, the narrator “motorvatin’”
after an elusive girl. Mr. Chess renamed the song “Maybellene,” and in a
long session on May 21, 1955, Mr. Chess and the bassist Willie Dixon
got the band to punch up the rhythm.
Slide Show
Slide Show
Chuck Berry Dies at 90
CreditFred R. Conrad/The New York Times
“The big beat, cars and young love,” Mr. Chess outlined. “It was a trend, and we jumped on it.”
The
music was bright and clear, a hard-swinging amalgam of country and
blues. More than 60 years later, it still sounds reckless and audacious.
Mr.
Berry articulated every word, with precise diction and no noticeable
accent, leading some listeners and concert promoters, used to a
different kind of rhythm-and-blues singer, to initially think that he
was white. Teenagers didn’t care; they heard a rocker who was ready to
take on the world.
The
song was sent to the disc jockey Alan Freed. Mr. Freed and another man,
Russ Fratto, were added to the credits as songwriters and got a share
of the publishing royalties. Played regularly on Mr. Freed’s show and
others, “Maybellene” reached No. 5 on the Billboard pop chart and was a
No. 1 R&B hit.
In
Mr. Berry’s groundbreaking early songs, his guitar twangs his famous
two-stringed lick. It also punches like a horn section and sasses back
at his own voice. The drummer eagerly socks the backbeat, and the
pianist — usually either Mr. Johnson or Lafayette Leake — hurls fistfuls
of tinkling anarchy all around him.
From
1955 to 1958, Mr. Berry knocked out classic after classic. Although he
was in his late 20s and early 30s, he came up with high school
chronicles and plugs for the newfangled music called rock ’n’ roll.
No
matter how calculated songs like “School Day” or “Rock and Roll Music”
may have been, they reached the Top 10, caught the early rock ’n’ roll
spirit and detailed its mythology. “Johnny B. Goode,” a Top 10 hit in
1958, told the archetypal story of a rocker who could “play the guitar
just like ringin’ a bell.”
Mr.
Berry toured with rock revues and performed in three movies with Mr.
Freed: “Rock, Rock, Rock,” “Mr. Rock and Roll” and “Go, Johnny, Go.” On
film and in concert, he dazzled audiences with his duck walk, a guitar-thrusting strut that involved kicking one leg forward and hopping on the other.
Through
the 1950s, Mr. Berry had pop hits with his songs about rock ’n’ roll
and R&B hits with less teenage-oriented material. He spun surreal
tall tales that Bob Dylan and John Lennon would learn from, like “Thirty
Days” and “Jo Jo Gunne.” In “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” from 1956, he
offered a barely veiled racial pride. His pithiness and humor rarely
failed him.
In
1957, Mr. Berry bought 30 acres in Wentzville, where he built a
short-lived amusement park, Berry Park, and a restaurant, the Southern
Air. In 1958, he opened Club Bandstand in the theater district of St.
Louis.
In
the early 1960s, Mr. Berry’s songs inspired both California rock and
the British Invasion. The Beach Boys reworked his “Sweet Little Sixteen”
into “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (Mr. Berry sued them and won a songwriting
credit.) The Rolling Stones released a string of Berry songs, including
their first single, “Come On,” and the Beatles remade “Roll Over
Beethoven” and “Rock and Roll Music.”
But by the time his music started reaching a new audience, Mr. Berry was in jail.
He
had been arrested in 1959 and charged with transporting a teenage girl —
who briefly worked as a hatcheck girl at Club Bandstand — across state
lines for immoral purposes. He was tried twice and found guilty both
times; the first verdict was overturned because of racist remarks by the
judge. When he emerged from 20 months in prison in 1964, his wife had
left him (they later reconciled) and his songwriting spark had
diminished.
He
had not totally lost his touch, though, as demonstrated by the handful
of hits he had in 1964 and 1965, notably “Nadine,” “No Particular Place
to Go,” “You Never Can Tell” and “Promised Land.” He appeared in the
celebrated all-star 1964 concert film “The TAMI Show,” along with James
Brown, the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys and the Supremes.
While
he toured steadily through the 1960s, headlining or sharing bills with
bands that grew up on his songs, his recording career stalled after he
moved from Chess to Mercury Records in 1966. He remade some of his old
hits and tried to reach the new hippie audience, recording “Live at the
Fillmore Auditorium” with the Steve Miller Band, billed as the Steve
Miller Blues Band at the time. When he returned to Chess in 1970, he
recorded new songs, like “Tulane” and “Have Mercy Judge,” that flashed
his old wit but failed to reach the Top 40.
In
1972, Mr. Berry had the biggest hit of his career with “My
Ding-a-Ling,” a double-entendre novelty song that was included on the
album “The London Chuck Berry Sessions” (even though he recorded the
song not in London but at a concert in Coventry, England). The New
Orleans songwriter Dave Bartholomew wrote and recorded it in 1952; Mr.
Berry recorded a similar song, “My Tambourine,” in 1968, and is credited
on recordings as the sole songwriter of the 1972 “My Ding-a-Ling.”
It
was a million-seller and Mr. Berry’s first and only No. 1 pop single.
It was also his last hit. His 1973 follow-up album, “Bio,” was poorly
received; “Rockit,” released by Atlantic in 1979, did not sell. But he
stayed active: He appeared as himself in a 1979 movie about 1950s rock,
“American Hot Wax,” and he continued to tour constantly.
In
July 1979, he performed for President Jimmy Carter at the White House.
Three days later, he was sentenced to 120 days in federal prison and
four years’ probation for income tax evasion.
He
had further legal troubles in 1990 when the police raided his home and
found 62 grams of marijuana and videotapes from a camera in the women’s
room of his restaurant. In a plea bargain, he agreed to a misdemeanor
count of marijuana possession, with a suspended jail sentence and two
years’ probation.
By
the 1980s, Mr. Berry was recognized as a rock pioneer. He never won a
Grammy Award in his prime, but the Recording Academy gave him a lifetime
achievement award in 1984. He was in the first group of musicians
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Around
his 60th birthday that year, he allowed the director Taylor Hackford to
film him at his home in Wentzville for the documentary “Hail! Hail!
Rock ’n’ Roll,” which also included performances by Mr. Berry with a
band led by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and special guests.
“Chuck Berry: The Autobiography” was published in 1988.
Mr.
Berry continued performing well into his 80s. He usually played with
local pickup bands, as he had done for most of his career, but sometimes
he played with fellow rock stars. When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
and Museum opened in Cleveland in 1995, Mr. Berry performed at an
inaugural concert, backed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
In
2012, he headlined a Cleveland concert in his honor with a
genre-spanning bill that included Darryl McDaniels of Run-D.M.C. and
Merle Haggard. Although he told reporters before the show, “My singing
days have passed,” he performed “Johnny B. Goode” and “Reelin’ and
Rockin’” and joined the other musicians for the closing number, “Rock
and Roll Music.”
From 1996 to 2014, Mr. Berry performed once a month at Blueberry Hill, a restaurant in St. Louis where he appeared regularly until Oct. 24.
He
made a surprising announcement on his 90th birthday, Oct. 18, 2016: He
was planning to release his first studio album in almost 40 years. The
album, called simply “Chuck” and scheduled for release in June, was to
consist primarily of new compositions.
And Mr. Berry’s music has remained on tour extraterrestrially. “Johnny B. Goode” is on golden records within the Voyager I and II spacecraft, launched in 1977 and awaiting discovery.
Tlali‚ the first black woman to publish a novel in South Africa‚ was 83.
“We have learned with deep sadness of the passing of one of the
country’s internationally celebrated black female authors‚ Ms Tlali‚ who
played a critical role during the liberation struggle by telling a true
South African story through her anti-apartheid novels‚ amongst other
writings‚” Zuma said in a statement.
“She will be remembered for her outstanding literary work which
earned her several accolades and honours including the Order of
Ikhamanga which was bestowed on her for her excellent intellectual
achievements and contribution to the development of literature in South
Africa. We wish to convey our deepest condolences to her family‚
relatives and all in the arts and culture industry. May her soul rest in
peace.”
Tlali was born in Doornfontein in Johannesburg and grew up in
Sophiatown‚ according to sahistory.org.za. Tlali applied to study
literature at the University of the Witwatersrand‚ but could not gain
entry because of racial policies‚ and instead went to study at Pius the
XII University (now University of Lesotho). After being forced to drop
out because of financial constraints‚ Tlali found a job as a bookkeeper
at a furniture store.
Tlali’s groundbreaking novel‚ Muriel at Metropolitan‚ was published
in 1975 and banned four years later by the apartheid government. Her
second novel‚ Amandla‚ was based on the 1976 youth uprisings and
suffered the same fate shortly after publication. Both novels were
translated into several languages‚ including Japanese‚ Polish‚ German
and Dutch.
Tlali’s literature took her all over the world‚ including a residency at Yale University in 1989.
In 1995‚ the Department of Arts‚ Culture‚ Science and Technology
honoured her with a Literary Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2008 she
received the Presidential Award‚ Ikhamanga Silver.
SAFA President, Danny Jordaan, has been elected into CAF's Executive Comittee after today's vote in Addis Ababa.
Jordaan beat off competition from Frans Mbidi and Rui Eduardo da Costa
to land the spot for the Southern zone, securing his place in the ExCo
after years of trying to gain a seat at the table.
Tarek Bouchamoui, Almamy Kabele Camara and Lydia Nsekera were appointed as African representatives to the FIFA council.
All this news comes on the same day that Ahmad Ahmad completed a shock
victory over Issa Hayatou, and will now become CAF's first new President
since the man from Cameroon took over way back in 1988.
By Zimbili Vilakazi Thursday, March 16, 2017 04:02
Christopher Mbambo (right) supported his wife
Sibongile (left) when she appeared in the Durban Magistrates Court
yesterday. Photo by Jabulani Langa
~
SHE is accused of organising the disappearance of her own baby.
Yet her husband supported her in court yesterday.
Christopher
Mbambo (45), from Emaqadini in Inanda, smiled brightly as he walked his
wife Sibongile Mbambo (34) to a family car parked at the Durban
Magistrates Court.
Sibongile and her makhwapheni, Phumlani Mbokazi (27), were each granted R1 000 bail each.
During the brief court appearance, Christopher was asked about his sudden change of behaviour.
He seemed angry when he said: “This is a family matter that has nothing to do with the media.”
Mfanafuthi Biyela, Sibongile’s lawyer, said she is a teacher with four kids who depend on her.
Biyela said Christopher, Sibongile’s husband of 12 years, also depends on her, as he is unemployed.
Andile Dakela, Phumlani’s lawyer, said Phumlani owns metered taxis and has three kids who depend on him.
Magistrate Mohamed Motala said the kidnapping charge was withdrawn.
However, he did not say why the charge was dropped.
He said the court had no reason to oppose bail because the accused have children and don’t own travel documents.
He
said the two were now facing charges of fraud and defeating the ends of
justice as they lied about the kidnapping, causing the police to waste
state resources on a false case.
Zwelethu Mthethwa found guilty of murdering Nokuphila Khumalo
Staff Reporter2017-03-16 13:04
Artist Zwelethu Mthethwa has been found guilty of killing sex worker Nokuphila Kumalo in Woodstock in April 2013.
The
Western Cape High Court Judge Patricia Goliath said the court was
satisfied that the state had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,
and added that the accused’s claim of memory loss was “belated and
fabricated”.
A psychiatrist testified last week that Mthethwa had no recollection of events that night, possibly due to alcohol consumption.
Mthethwa did not hand in a plea explanation or testify in his own defence.
In December, questions were raised about Mthethwa’s decision not to testify during his trial.
Both
his lawyer William Booth and prosecutor Christhenus van der Vijver
agreed during closing arguments that he had a right to remain silent and
that doing so was not a sign of guilt.
Van der Vijver cautioned that if the case was not sufficiently answered, it could have consequences for Mthethwa.
Mthethwa was alleged to have kicked Kumalo repeatedly – she died from blunt force trauma.
The State alleged he was caught on CCTV camera as he parked his Porsche in Ravenscraig Road, Woodstock.
The ANC Women’s League said yesterday that it was concerned that it had taken two years for the murder trial to be concluded.
“If
the [judicial] system is serious on discouraging perpetrators from
committing these cruel acts of violence and gruesome murder of women,
harsher sentences must [be] imposed,” the league added.
Mthethwa’s bail has been withdrawn and he will remain in custody until his sentencing on March 29.
By Ntebatse Masipa And News24Thursday, March 02, 2017 12:00
Devastated parents Meshack Mohlala and Nombeko Thole.
~
THE chances of finding five-year-old Richard Thole alive are very slim.
William
Ntladi, a spokesman for disaster and emergency management services in
Ekurhuleni, said: “It’s been almost five days now.
“Considering the size of the shaft and the challenges we face, the chances of finding the child alive are minimal.”
On Wednesday morning, heavy rockfalls delayed efforts to rescue Richard from the disused mine shaft.
Ntladi said they had worked throughout the night to remove loose soil around the shaft entrance when the rockfalls happened.
Richard
fell into the disused shaft in Jerusalem squatter camp near Boksburg on
Saturday. Rescuers have been trying to reach him ever since.
Nombeko Thole, the boy’s mum, was called to the shaft on Wednesday afternoon by Ekurhuleni Community Safety MMC Vivienne Chauke.
A few minutes later the upset mother returned, holding Chauke’s hand.
-
Endurance Kazembe (34), a zama zama, said he needed just three or four
other zama zamas to go underground with him to find the boy.
Kazembe claimed he had 16 years of mining experience.
“It is a vertical shaft. The child is covered with sand.
“You need to go down with a shovel and dig him out.”
THE BEN 10 thought his love was all his woman needed.
So when he peeked through the window and allegedly saw her kissing another man, he flew into a murderous rage.
The
28-year-old allegedly kicked open the door and first stabbed the
43-year-old woman in the stomach, before turning his fury on the man.
Daniel
de Wee (49) was stabbed in the chest and died in the woman’s backyard
shack in Rietpoort, Smithfield in the Free State on Monday.
The dead man’s cousin, Nondaba Thasu (45), denied that Daniel had been in a relationship with the woman.
“My cousin and the woman were neighbours who grew up together. He would often visit her to ask for sugar or salt.”
She said she was at home on Monday when she heard a woman screaming in the backyard shack next to their property.
“I went to investigate and found a young man holding a bloody knife.
“He told me he was sorry and said he thought something was going on between my cousin and the woman.
“My cousin was murdered for no reason.
“I hope he rots in jail,” said Nondaba.
Police
spokesman Sergeant Yanga Ngcukana said cops were investigating a case
of murder and assault, after a man was found dead and a woman rushed to
Stoffel Coetzee Hospital in Smithfield for treatment.
Ngcukana said the suspect was arrested at the scene and a murder weapon was found and confiscated.
“The suspect is expected to appear in the Smithfield Magistrates Court soon .”
HUMILIATED: Nomfundiso Budaza with her mum, Nonkululeko.
Photo byBuziwe Nocuze
~
SHE DREW the lucky number and she was ready and willing to do the work.
But instead of getting the job she claims she got insulted and humiliated.
YOU ARE TOO FAT TO WORK, THE OFFICIAL ALLEGEDLY TOLD HER TOO HER FACE.
Now Nomfundiso “Dolly” Budaza (25) from Bathurst, near Port Alfred, Eastern Cape is so humiliated she can’t face her community.
Officials from Ndlambe Municipality were in Bathurst earlier this year.
Dolly
said the officials said that those who were not working should come to
the Solomon Mahlangu Community Hall on 25 January, where they would hire
people to work at the township stadium.
Desperate for work, Dolly went to the hall along with other jobseekers.
She said the officials started by recruiting people who would work at the stadium, where they are doing renovations.
When they reached the target number, they sent the remainder of the candidates home, except for those who had matric.
“They said they needed people to be meter readers around Port Alfred and Bathurst,” said Dolly.
“I have matric so I stayed behind with the others.”
Dolly explained that the applicants were given numbers and the numbers were placed in a box.
Then the numbers were drawn and those who had the matching numbers got the jobs.
“I was one of the lucky ones whose number was drawn,” said Dolly.
“But instead of getting the job I was humiliated.”
She said the official told her they could not give her the job because she was too fat, so they chose another number.
“I
could not hold back my tears. I was embarrassed and humiliated.
Everyone was laughing at me, telling me I am so big I can’t even get a
job.”
Dolly’s mother, Nonkululeko Budaza (50) said it has been
more than a month now since that terrible day but her daughter has still
not recovered.
“They destroyed her and I want them to fix this. I
don’t care how they do it but my daughter was humiliated and I want
them to do something about it,” said Nonkululeko.
Ndlambe municipal spokesman Khululekile Mbolekwa said the woman accused of embarrassing Dolly denied the allegation.
“I spoke to the official and she told me she never said anything like that,” claimed Mbolekwa.
He said nothing more can be done about the incident.
“We can’t do anything because the official said she did not say anything about the lady’s weight,” claimed Mbolekwa.
He
claimed only men were being employed in those positions and the holder
of the number was not given the job because she is a woman.
But, strangely, Mbolekwa then indicated that some women were employed as meter readers after all.
By Lehlohonolo MbathaWednesday, March 01, 2017 17:00
Models Nyasha Moketi (left) and Utrishia Masheba (right). Photo by Trevor Kunene
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THEIR faces are splashed all over billboards, posters, flyers and social media.
But
models Nyasha Moketi (27) and Utrishia Masheba (23) claim Darling Hair
Company is using their faces fraudulently to sell their product.
Now they want their faces removed from the product.
“We are the faces of Darling Hair and we were not even told about it!” said Nyasha.
They
claimed the hair care company had been using their faces to sell their
product since last year, but they had not seen a cent for their work.
“We
were not even told we would be the faces of the brand. We were just
invited to a photoshoot, which we attended with our agent.
“They took some pictures and we were paid R1 000.
“We
confronted them and were shocked to learn we had a three-year contract
with the brand. But we never signed any contract or agreed to any deal.
They must remove our faces and pay us our money.”
Pearl Peane, the hair company’s spokeswoman, said the allegations are false.
“We had an agreement with their agency and paid them,” she said.
Connie
Matlobola, a representative from Bontle Batlogo, confirmed the girls
were her clients and said they had a three-year contract with the hair
company.
“I signed the contract on their behalf. That’s how we do things at my agency. The matter is now going to court.”
Police spokesman Aubrey Moopeloa said a case of fraud was opened.
Masego Kwenamore suffered from a gambling addiction for almost 15 years.
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SEEING somebody winning R1 million at a casino almost ruined Masego’s life.
In 1998 she was staying in Dalpark, Brakpan near Boksburg, Ekurhuleni when she had her first taste of gambling at Carnival City.
“When
I saw somebody winning all that money I took my salary to the casino
and tried my luck,” said Masego Kwenamore, who is now 41 and lives in
Klerksdorp, North West.
She said she wasn’t lucky but she didn’t stop.
For nearly 15 years she struggled with her painful and self-destructive behaviour.
“On the surface I was living a happy and fulfilled life.”
In
2007 she left her three-week-old baby with her 11-year- old daughter.
She went to the casino and left them alone from 3pm until 3am.
“In 2013 my life went from bad to worse.
“I sold my furniture and my husband’s old car. I even sold my work laptop.”
She also stole her husband’s money, thinking she would win it back.
Then she tried to commit suicide by taking rat poison mixed with pap and spinach.
“My
daughter called the paramedics who took me to hospital. I was
disappointed that I didn’t die because I had lost everything. My life
had become meaningless.”
She said in all her years of gambling, her biggest win was R12 000.
Things took a turn for the better when she started going to church.
“I prayed to God to take the problem away.”
Now she motivates people on various radio stations about the dangers of gambling.
Nomasonto Ngwenya’s body was found at a dumpsite.
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RESIDENTS taking rubbish to the dumpsite had no idea they were only metres away from a corpse.
The body of a 67-year-old teacher was discovered at a dumpsite in KwaNdengezi, KZN.
Nomasonto
Ngwenya, a teacher at St James College, was reported missing on Friday
by her daughter Nomfundo Ngwenya (30) after she disappeared from her
house in BB Section, Umlazi.
Her body was found on Tuesday.
Cops said she had strangle marks on her neck.
Resident Nomzamo Dladla (43) said she never thought a body would be found at the dump.
“What happened is shocking. It fills us with fear.”
Nomfundo said when her mum didn’t answer her phone on Friday, she immediately went to the police.
“I hope the people who did this go to jail for a long time.”
Police
spokeswoman Colonel Thembeka Zwane said: “During the investigation the
police spotted the gogo’s Nissan Tiida in KwaNdengezi with four men
sitting in it.”
The men were taken in for questioning and then took police to the dump site, where they had allegedly dumped her body.
“They were arrested and will appear in court soon,” said Zwane.
KZN acting police commissioner Major-General Bheki Langa said they will make sure the suspects get what they deserve.
2017-03-23 15:42
