Should she fail to act, AIM says it will petition co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to place the metro under administration in terms of Section 139 of the constitution.

The threat of Section 139 is not new to the city, and before being axed as a member of the mayoral committee, Khusta Jack was part of a meeting in which Eastern Cape co-operative governance MEC Zolile Williams placed that option on the table.

Jack, who has been vocal against Lobishe since departing the coalition, accused the mayor of having failed by all metrics to lead the metro out of the worst service delivery crisis it had experienced in many years.

“If the mayor should decide not to heed our call to resign, then AIM will be left with no option but to petition the minister to invoke Section 139 of the constitution and place the metro under administration with immediate effect.

“On Lobishe’s watch, the municipality is collapsing rapidly at both administrative and political levels.”

Jack cited the public fallout between Lobishe and deputy mayor Gary van Niekerk as evidence of dysfunctional leadership, describing their reported dispute over photographs on municipal communication material as “political vanity”.

“Her current ugly public spat with her deputy Gary van Niekerk is the last straw.

“It is unbecoming of the leadership of the largest municipality in the province that the mayor and her deputy are not on speaking terms because they are quarrelling over whose photo should be on which municipal communication and marketing materials.

“Such silly political vanity cannot be tolerated at a time when most traffic and streetlights are not working, raw sewage flowing down potholed roads has become a common sight, and residents are burning tyres in the streets protesting against almost daily power outages,” he said.

Both Van Niekerk and Lobishe will face motions of no confidence during an August 6 council meeting.

GOOD councillor Lawrence Troon submitted the motion against Lobishe.

ANC councillor Luyanda Lawu submitted the motion against Van Niekerk.

Earlier in March, Troon previously tried to remove Lobishe through a no-confidence motion but failed when the majority of councillors voted against it.

In his July motion, seconded by FF+ councillor Bill Harington, Troon accused Lobishe of failing to provide the decisive leadership required to address deteriorating service delivery.

“Under her leadership, residents have endured recurring electricity outages that continue to disrupt households, businesses, healthcare services and economic activity, with no credible or sustainable intervention being implemented.

“The metro continues to experience recurring water interruptions and prolonged water supply challenges, severely affecting communities and undermining residents’ constitutional rights to access basic services,” Troon wrote.

Lobishe did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

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The Herald

The 25-year-old Malabar resident, Wavern Boggenpoel, who went by “Wayden Ben” on social media, was found dead outside a home in Gelvandale.

During the Covid-19 lockdowns, the young man had built a strong following on TikTok and Instagram with his musical and comedic content.

While his exact cause of death is still under investigation, speculation has been rife on social media.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed that Boggenpoel’s body was discovered at about 11am on Tuesday against the boundary wall of a house in Holmon Drive, Parkridge, Gelvandale.

“The victim had blood on his mouth and nose,” Beetge said.

“The cause of death is under investigation.

“An inquest docket was opened and is being investigated by the Gelvandale SA Police Service.”

A Herald team visited Holmon Drive on Wednesday morning.

The area is an affluent part of Parkridge with double-storey houses, high walls and visible CCTV cameras.

A resident, who asked not be named, said that on Tuesday morning, which was refuse collection day, a group of about 40 vagrants were seen digging through the bins at about 7am.

“After the trucks had come and gone, the vagrants left and the street was quiet again.

“At around 9am, I got a call from my neighbour to tell me that there was a body lying on the pavement.

“When I went outside, I saw him lying there with blood on his mouth and nose.

“He had packets of food lying next to him.”

The resident pointed to a big house across the street and said that the man had been heard shouting outside the property earlier that morning.

“He was screaming for someone to help him but those guys [residents] leave for work at 6am.

“Then he went to the next house and pressed all the buttons on their gate before walking across here.

“He then sat down and fell over backwards.

“You can follow the blood trail ... but it does not go all the way.

“It doesn’t make sense.

“He was wearing three pairs of pants and his hands were blackened and dirty, almost as if he were homeless.

“But he did not look dangerous at all.

“He just seemed like a young, harmless kid.

“He was coughing up a lot of blood, so maybe he had internal injuries or he was very sick.”

A Herald team then drove to the address where Boggenpoel had lived and spoke to some neighbours, who all asked not to be named.

“I grew up with Wayden; he was one of my closest friends, but over the years things got really bad with him,” one of the neighbours said.

He then led the way into a dilapidated garage where he said Boggenpoel had lived.

The garage was surrounded by rubbish and building rubble.

He pointed to the entrance which was covered by a blanket.

“There used to be sliding doors here.

“They [went missing] one by one.

“And then the door frame was also [gone].”

Pointing at the blackened walls, he claimed the garage had likely been used to burn rubber off copper cables to resell them to scrap metal dealers.

“He was getting really sick from the fumes and the smoke,” the friend said.

“I even had to take him to hospital a few weeks ago because he couldn’t breathe properly.

“He didn’t want to tell me what the doctor had said.

“I am going to go for a walk around the area tonight [Wednesday] to ask what happened because some people say he was beaten up.

“But I think it might have to do with whatever was wrong with his lungs.”

After having grown in popularity, Boggenpoel disappeared off social media in about August 2025.

After news about his death circulated on social media on Tuesday and Wednesday, a number of people posted tributes to him.

“It looks like he [may have] lost his way, but this makes my heart hurt to see him like that,” one follower said.

“Whenever I saw his videos I always liked them.

“He was really out there trying to make it as a content creator — and he had the drive to become successful.

“He was really just a funny guy.”

Another posted: “I can’t believe he is gone.

“We need to look after our youth and uplift the laaities [younger people].

“He was really a genuine guy.

“This is so sad.

“Rest in peace, Wayden Ben, the lockdown king.”

His mother could not be reached for comment.

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The Herald

However, Van Rensburg, 36, always maintained that everything was “fine”.

Van Rensburg’s mother, Charmaine Linde, was speaking outside the Gqeberha high court on Wednesday after Evans was led back to the holding cells.

Evans has been in custody since his arrest on May 9 2025.

“Vanessa always said everything was fine when it wasn’t,” Linde said.

“I had my suspicions but what do you do when your child says ‘I’m fine, don’t worry about me’.”

After two failed bail bids, Evans appeared in court on Wednesday for a pre-trial conference.

During the brief proceedings, the case was set down for trial, which is expected to run between November 3 and 21.

Van Rensburg, a mother of two, was strangled and beaten inside Evans’ Oyster Bay holiday home during the early hours of April 20 2025.

Evans, 58, the only other person believed by the prosecution to have been at the house at the time, was arrested at his Newton Park business in the days that followed.

He has maintained his innocence throughout.

As he sat in the dock, with his family seated behind him in the public gallery, he appeared emotional.

At one point, he turned around and blew a kiss to his daughters.

After the proceedings, Evans’ family gathered outside the courtroom to speak to the defence team.

While Evans’ brother did not respond to a request for comment, Van Rensburg’s sister, Claudette, described her as an extremely private person who had kept some secrets until her death.

More than a year after Van Rensburg’s murder, Claudette said life had only become more difficult.

“In the beginning we were dealing with the shock and immediate trauma,” Claudette said.

“Then a few months later you realise she’s really gone and is not coming back.

“You start missing all the little things — the phone calls, meet-ups, the birthdays.”

She said the family tried to commemorate her sister’s life every day.

“I miss the light she brought into my life.

“I miss how we didn’t even need to speak words to understand one another.

“It is impossible to have as much fun with anybody as I did with her.

“Vanessa loved to sing since childhood.

“There was one specific song, Angelo by Brotherhood of Man, that I would ask her to sing to me when we were kids.

“She must have sung it to me over 200 times.”

A few days ago, Claudette said, she came across videos she had taken of her singing over the years and she realised how many videos she had.

“I think it’s safe to say I was her biggest fan.

“Just a few years ago, we decided to get matching sister tattoos; it breaks me to the core to know that [her tattoo] is now part of her ashes in a little box.”

She said they had been inseparable for as long as she could remember.

“We lived together well into adulthood — we were sisters, friends and soulmates.

“It’s been really hard rebuilding my life without her.

“A part of my soul died with her.”

It is the state’s case that after the two started dating, Evans had exhibited violent behaviour and allegedly assaulted Van Rensburg on multiple occasions.

Evans, in turn, claimed during his initial bail application that Van Rensburg had been the aggressor.

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The Herald

New research by Unscramblerer.com found that gaslighting had 36,300 monthly searches, followed by narcissist with 38,200, love with 34,500, anxiety with 31,000 and metaphor with 30,800 searches.

Other frequently searched terms included integrity, fatigue, agile, stress, spiritual and resilience.

Unscramblerer.com spokesperson Randoh Sallihall said the findings suggested South Africans were searching for language that helped them make sense of personal experiences and broader societal issues.

“One of the most striking findings is that SA’s top searched definitions in 2026 are dominated by abstract concepts rather than objects.

“From gaslighting and narcissist to integrity and democracy, people are searching for words that help them navigate relationships, emotions and the wider world,” Sallihall said.

Regional search patterns also revealed differing interests across the country.

Resilience was the most searched definition in the Eastern Cape, while nonchalant topped searches in Mpumalanga, narcissist in Limpopo, gaslighting in North West, integrity in the Western Cape, grace in Gauteng and agile in KwaZulu-Natal.

Spiritual ranked highest in both the Free State and Northern Cape.

“Our research shows that emotional wellbeing, values, society and personal growth are the categories that stand out the most.

“People are searching for definitions to understand personal experiences and public conversations better,” Sallihall said.

Emotional wellbeing-related searches included words such as anxiety, stress, fatigue, empathy, clingy, nonchalant and apathy.

Value-based searches featured democracy, equity, ethics, corruption, power and capacity, while personal growth and educational terms included resilience, discernment, spiritual, science, metaphor, agile and grace.

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The Herald

In a stern letter dated July 17 sent to Xola Nqola, chair of parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and constitutional development, public protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka said parliament cannot use accountability avenues to cast doubt on her office’s probes.

“Accountability requires the public protector to explain how her functions have been carried out and to report and account to the National Assembly,” Gcaleka said.

“However, this does not give the assembly or any committee the power, as the ATM contends in its submission to the committee, to probe, oversee or second-guess the substance, methods or progress of an investigation while it is ongoing.”

This comes after Nqola’s committee wrote to Gcaleka earlier in July requesting a progress update on the complaint by the ATM against suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu, and whether his actions to unilaterally attempt to disband the political killings task team amounted to political interference and misconduct.

Gcaleka told Nqola the letter, which sets out what oversight role parliament and its committees play on bodies such as the public protector, especially in continuing investigations, is tantamount to interference.

“To assume the role as suggested by the ATM would amount to interference with the functioning of the institution, contrary to section 181(4) and to erode the independence guaranteed by section 181(2),” Gcaleka said.

“The manner and the pace of an investigation lie within the public protector’s discretion, subject to the law and to the oversight of the courts and not to external direction.”

She said she offered a progress report which would be scant on detail, as the investigation was live. She could only confirm that her office is busy with the probe and that the investigation has never been stagnant at any point.

“Without disclosing detail that would compromise its integrity, substantive investigative work has been undertaken to date,” Gcaleka said.

“The office is, at this stage, unable to disclose the identities of witnesses, the specific evidence obtained, or any provisional view on the merits.”

She said disclosure of such details at this stage would “compromise the integrity of the investigation and prejudice the rights of affected persons, including the right to procedural fairness, and risk trespassing on the concurrent processes described”.

The processes Gcaleka refers to are the judicial commission of inquiry chaired by retired justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, established to inquire into the allegations of criminality, corruption and interference in the criminal justice system arising from the public disclosures made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, and the parliamentary ad hoc committee constituted to probe the same allegations.

“The office trusts the committee will appreciate this reticence is not a want of candour, but a necessary incident of a responsible investigation,” she said.

TimesLIVE

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it welcomed the sentence imposed by the Kariega magistrate’s court.

The court had heard how Kamvelihle Jekemane, together with five accomplices, had carried out a series of armed attacks using a white Volkswagen Polo that had been stolen on February 10 2022.

The group’s first attack occurred in Saba Street, Kwazakhele, where they identified a security officer seated inside his vehicle outside a shop.

Having suspected him of carrying a service firearm, they attempted to rob the officer.

During the attempted robbery, the victim was shot multiple times while still seated in his vehicle.

Though he survived the incident, he suffered permanent injuries, including memory loss and lifelong scarring.

After fleeing the scene, the group drove to another location in Kwazakhele, where they identified two security officers escorting a delivery truck near a local supermarket.

Acting in furtherance of a common purpose, they approached the officers with the intent of robbing them of their service firearms.

During the robbery, both officers were shot dead at close range.

The perpetrators then fled with the stolen firearms in the stolen getaway vehicle.

Following the commission of the offences, Jekemane fled to KwaNobuhle, where he spent the night in a rented shack.

Acting on information received from members of the community that he was armed and dangerous, members of the SA Police Service traced and arrested him.

During sentencing proceedings, state prosecutor Mhlangabezi Tshiwula argued for the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment to be imposed.

The state argued that Jekemane and his accomplices had displayed a blatant disregard for human life and posed a serious threat to society.

Jekemane also had a previous conviction for murder arising from an offence committed in January 2021.

Throughout the trial, it was found that Jekemane showed no remorse and advanced false claims during a trial-within-a-trial.

“The murders of the two security officers were senseless and brutal,” Tshiwula submitted.

“Two families were robbed of their loved ones, and the community was left traumatised by these horrific crimes.”

In mitigation of sentence, the defence argued that substantial and compelling circumstances existed for the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.

It was submitted that the accused was still relatively young and had responsibilities as a father.

It was further argued that Jekemane suffered from epilepsy, was a suitable candidate for rehabilitation, and played a lesser role in the commission of the offences, contending that he was merely the driver of the getaway vehicle.

This was rejected by the court.

The matter initially involved six accused.

Of Jekemane’s five co-accused, three were minors at the time the offences were committed.

Two of those minors have since died, while one remains at large.

Of the two adult co-accused, one is currently serving a term of imprisonment in another matter, while the other has also since died.

The acting director of public prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, advocate Samkelo Mtwana, welcomed the sanction.

“This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit violent crimes and show complete disregard for human life will face the full might of the law.

“The successful prosecution of this matter demonstrates the NPA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring perpetrators of serious violent crimes are held accountable.

“We commend the prosecutor, the investigating officer, and all role players whose dedication ensured that justice was served.

“While no sentence can restore the lives that were lost, we trust this outcome will bring a measure of comfort to the families of the deceased and reinforce public confidence in the criminal justice system,” Mtwana said.

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The Herald

First up is a Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on August 8 and then comes the much-anticipated Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against New Zealand.

Returning from injury are Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager (both locks), Franco Mostert (utility forward), Siya Kolisi (loose forward), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Handre Pollard (both flyhalves), Ethan Hooker, Canan Moodie (both utility backs), Andre Esterhuizen (flanker and centre) and Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf).

The five players who will be released to their franchises to face the All Blacks in the midweek matches of the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series are Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop), Evan Roos (No 8), Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Embrose Papier (scrumhalf), and Jaco Williams (wing).

“We put a lot of thought into how we will manage the entire group of players to give everyone a chance to stake a claim for places in the squad for the RGR series, and we decided that splitting the squad into two groups will be best for the Springbok team and the players to play their way into the squad,” Erasmus said.

“Some players are returning from injury and need some valuable game time, so depending on how they progress from their injuries during next week’s training camp, we will decide who we will take to Argentina, while the other guys in the 43-man squad will remain behind in Johannesburg with a group of coaches and management to begin preparing for the Tests against New Zealand.

“The players released to their franchises, meanwhile, will also have an opportunity to face the All Blacks in their respective midweek games if they are selected, which will be invaluable for them once we decide on the final squad for RGR, so we see this as a win-win situation for the team and players.

“We are limited in the number of players we can take to Argentina, so it makes sense to give everyone a fair chance to compete for spots in the RGR squad, and some of the players who will train in Johannesburg will be in the final stages of their recovery from injuries, which will allow them to do so under the supervision of our medical team.

“Then there are other players who have played a lot of rugby this year and for us during the Nations Championship and need a match off to allow their bodies to recover.”

Erasmus is wary of the challenge Argentina will pose in his team’s next outing.

“They are a quality team, and they have proved that in our previous clashes,” he said.

“In fact, they defeated us in Argentina the last time we faced them there in 2024, so we know how tough it is to win there, and we intend to take a quality team to Buenos Aires.”

Springbok squad to gather in Johannesburg on Sunday:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Zachary Porthen (Stormers), Carlu Sadie (Bordeaux Begles), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Boan Venter (Lions).

Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears).

Locks: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears).

Loose forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon (both Stormers), Cameron Hanekom (Bulls), Siya Kolisi (Stormers), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).

Utility forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Vincent Tshituka (Sharks), Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Bulls).

Scrumhalves: Herschel Jantjies (Bayonne), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Kobe Steelers).

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Handre Pollard (Bulls).

Centres: Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).

Outside and utility backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars), Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Quan Horn (Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers).

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The Herald

The Dafabet Warriors left-hander received the accolade at the Cricket SA Awards after another influential campaign for the three-time champions, capping a steady rise since joining the franchise as a wildcard signing ahead of the inaugural SA20 in 2023.

Across four seasons, Hermann has accumulated 939 runs in 42 matches at an average of 36.60, including a century and four half-centuries.

His development has mirrored the Sunrisers’ rise as a dominant force in the competition, with the Gqeberha-based outfit winning three titles in four seasons.

While his unbeaten 106 against MI Cape Town headlined a breakthrough 2024 campaign, in which he scored 295 runs and announced himself as one of the league’s brightest young batters, his most recent season showcased the maturity that has become a hallmark of his game.

Though he did not register a century in 2026, Hermann’s 273 runs, highlighted by a composed 62 against Pretoria Capitals, underlined his growing consistency as the Sunrisers claimed another title.

“At the start of my Sunrisers journey, I was very young in my career, and I still feel young sometimes, even though I’ve played quite a bit now,” Hermann told The Herald.

“I hadn’t played a lot of professional T20 cricket before that point. The opportunity to play quality opposition year in and year out over four seasons has definitely helped my game grow a lot.

“I’m glad my game is growing in the right direction and that I could express myself the way I wanted to last season.”

Hermann said regular exposure to elite-level cricket had sharpened both his technical understanding and his mindset, while involvement with SA A and the Proteas environment accelerated that growth.

The 24-year-old also credited Sunrisers coach Adrian Birrell and the franchise’s culture for creating an environment where players are trusted to succeed.

“Adi has a knack for getting good people and good players in the same place. When you get chosen to play, you know Adi backs you 100%.

“That gives you immense confidence going into games. It’s been great to be in an environment where you feel comfortable and backed.”

That development earned Hermann a maiden Proteas call-up before injury denied him the opportunity to make his international debut.

While disappointed by the setback, he believes the experience only strengthened his resolve.

“Playing for the Proteas was a dream come true. The heartbreak of picking up my first injury in my career was disappointing, but getting a taste of that environment showed me the level I have to operate at.

“I’m very eager to get back there, and all I can do is keep making runs and give myself the best chance possible.”

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Unveiled at the Blue Water Canoe Club at North End Lake on Tuesday night, the PE2EL Challenge Book dives into the riveting tales of paddlers who have braved this gruelling, yet exhilarating, race.

According to Gavin Harvey, who is part of the editorial team, the book is not just for paddlers.

It highlights the magnificent coastline paddlers experience during the race and should appeal to a wide audience.

“We must remember that over 150 people have tried and failed to finish and have never tried a second time,” Harvey said.

“Again, safety is vital when it comes to the race.

“In the seventies, eighties and nineties, we had ski boats that followed the race, but as you can imagine, when there are over 80 paddlers on the ocean starting at different times, it’s hard to watch everyone.

“In the past 10-odd races, the NSRI have followed the race from start to finish and have done an incredible job in making sure that no lives have been lost.

“There are four of us — Nigel Harvey, Dave Collins, Fanta Gous and myself — who have worked on this project for the past two years as we were concerned that at some point in time the history of the early years would be lost.

“So we put a plan in place to produce a book that would do justice to the race, a book that those who have paddled the race, and there are only 798 who have completed the race, would be proud of.

“Let’s not forget that since 1951 there have been 13,962 people who have completed the Duzi canoe marathon, and since 1921 over 400,000 have completed the Comrades Marathon.”

Harvey said Dr Dean Allen, who has written award-winning books such as Empire, War & Cricket and Frontier Land, was the author, and Janet Bartlet helped to edit the book.

“Part of our plan was that the four of us had to make contact with whoever had paddled the race since 1972.

“We then collected as many stories, photographs, newspaper cuttings and social media posts so that we could choose the best stories and photos for the book.

“With this information, Dean and Janet put the book together in a format that we worked on, taking into account the different sections of the book, being stories about the race and different aspects of the race like the course, safety, equipment, seconds and sponsors, stats on who has done 10 or more races, ‘Icon of the Seas’, and all the results, plus info on each race highlighting info like who was the race referee, the winners and any other interesting info about each year.

“Finding the paddlers was the biggest exercise that we worked on as there are several international paddlers who have completed the race and several South Africans now live overseas, plus at least 50 paddlers have passed on.”

In 2023, the PE2EL Challenge celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Harvey said they started working on the book two years ago but never realised the magnitude of the work that they undertook.

“We keep on saying that there was no handbook advising us what to do along the way.

“We battled in that the author and printers were in Cape Town, the editor in Johannesburg, and my brother Nigel spent a year in the US, so it was hard managing the project.

“We were lucky that we had a base in PE where Dave, Fanta, and I worked from, but we all have day jobs.

He said that, by reading the book, he hoped any young person thinking about doing the race understood that they could not just rock up and paddle.

You have to do months of training, plus there is a qualifying race that you have to do within a month of the race.

“We want to ensure that the race happens every two years and that we want to encourage those who have not done the race to train and enter,” Harvey said.

“We are also looking at encouraging more international competitors to come out and experience this unique race.”

Books will be available at all the launches around the country, taking place in Gqeberha, KuGompo City, Johannesburg, St Francis Bay and the Garden Route in July and August.

The official launch is in Cape Town on August 20 and there is also a plan to have an online purchase link on Facebook.

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The Herald

The Chintsa-born fighter will face Kazakhstani Ali Akhmedov to headline an eight-bout tournament at Baluan Sholak Sports Palace, determined to add a third world title for the Eastern Cape to follow in the footsteps of WBC mini-flyweight champion Siyakholwa Kuse and IBO king Nhlanhla Tyirha.

The show promoted by Akhmedov is dominated by boxers from Kazakhstan, with the odds stacked against visiting fighters.

However, Wellem can hope for no assistance back home as he has a frosty relationship with Boxing SA after his licence was revoked for defiance.

Wellem was stripped of his SA super middleweight title for consistently sneaking out of the country to fight in Tanzania without authorisation.

After numerous warnings, BSA called him and his team to a disciplinary hearing and slapped him with stringent action.

But Wellem continued with his Tanzanian forays by signing with the country’s promoter, Mafia Promotions, which facilitated his getting a Tanzanian licence.

Since using Tanzania as his second home, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a four-bout winning streak culminating in the IBO title shot against the American-based Kazakhstani.

BSA said Wellem remained suspended in SA and therefore would not be afforded any support despite vying to put the country on the map in foreign territory.

“Asemahle Wellem violated BSA rules and got suspended; even after his hearing, he repeated the violation,” BSA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka said.

Lejaka insisted that BSA had not forsaken Wellem in his biggest moment but wanted boxers to abide by rules.

“We have been trying to engage with the Tanzanian Boxing Control Board to resolve this matter to no avail,” he said.

“The Tanzanians are failing to enforce their own rules over their licensees.”

Lejaka said the saga was further exacerbated by the change of guard in the Tanzanian boxing commission leadership.

“We are yet to meet with the new leadership.”

While all that is unfolding, Wellem is continuing with his quest for world honours without the support of his country, with concerns being raised on whether BSA will recognise him as one of its world champions should he cause an upset in Kazakhstan.

Wellem’s manager, Siya Zingelwa, who also incurred BSA’s wrath for his role in the Tanzanian sojourn before distancing himself in the boxer’s subsequent defiance campaigns, said he would not be dragged into the BSA rift with the fighter.

“I served my own punishment, but Wellem is now under Tanzanian handlers who are doing things their own way,” he said previously.

With just two defeats and a draw in 14 bouts, Wellem will enter the bout as an underdog against the 31-year-old local, who has lost twice in 27 fights and will come into the bout on the back of two wins.

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Daily Dispatch

England began with a 45-21 defeat by SA in Johannesburg, before flying to Liverpool for a 73-8 home win over Fiji and then claiming a 31-24 victory away over Argentina in South America.

“It’s been brutal, there’s no two ways about it. We’ve been speaking about it – why would we not all be playing in one country?” Earl told British media.

“So you just don’t travel, you go to one nation and have that festival feel. I’m not paid to make those decisions but it has been tough. It’s been tough coming at the end of what’s been quite a long season anyway for most of us.

“It’s been back and forth, coming back to England, seeing your families and then going away again.

“It has seemed a bit weird but it’s just something we’re going to have to get used to because I think it’s just the beginning.”

England are third in the Northern Hemisphere standings in the Nations Championship, level on points with Ireland.

They next face Australia, Japan and New Zealand in November, with all three matches taking place in London.

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Liverpool have signed Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz, but lost Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate, while Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are sidelined through injury.

“I think it’s difficult to say a number (of players needed) when the market is open, and you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad,” the Spaniard told reporters in Chicago on Tuesday.

“There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players. A winger, for example — we definitely need to sign a winger.

“But there are other situations that we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what’s the cost, how we also see the players we have.

“We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust but is still not the ideal situation.”

The departures of Salah, Konate and Robertson have also left Liverpool with a dearth of experience in their squad.

Goalkeeper Alisson is another veteran whose future at Anfield is uncertain, but Iraola said he was keen to keep the Brazil international.

“I think he’s someone who definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players,” he added.

“We need the references like Virgil (van Dijk), like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players who have been here for a long time. And I’m sure we will have this help, yes.”

Liverpool begin their pre-season preparations with a match against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, before taking on Wrexham, Leeds United, AS Monaco and Como.

They play their first game of the Premier League season away to Newcastle on August 23. — Reuters

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The 47-year-old took charge of 831 games in a distinguished 20-year career, including 432 matches in the Premier League.

Taylor took charge of his last game in Spain’s 1-0 win over Portugal in the World Cup earlier in July.

He was promoted to the Premier League officials’ list in 2010 and refereed at the 2022 and 2026 World Cups and 2020 and 2024 European Championships.

Taylor was praised for calmly handling the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Finland, which was halted when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest.

He was also involved in controversy when Jose Mourinho, then in charge of Roma, called him a “disgrace” in a post-match news conference following his side’s Europa League final loss to Sevilla in 2023.

Mourinho confronted Taylor in a car park after the final. The referee and his family were then abused by Roma fans at Budapest Airport on his way home.

“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense, and the scrutiny is constant,” Taylor said on the official England Football website.

“The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.

“I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support throughout the immense sacrifices this career has demanded.” - AFP

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Work on each year’s Tour route begins three years ahead of time, when tour director Christian Prudhomme settles on the city that will host the Grand Depart for that edition.

After that, he decides which direction the race will set off in, and starts to pick the departure and arrival towns for each of the 21 stages from a list of 300 candidates, including 50 foreign ones.

Several factors go into that decision-making process.

“If we only took sporting issues into consideration, every year we would be there,” Prudhomme told AFP in his office before the Tour, pointing to the southern half of a map of France pinned to his wall.

“Because that is where you can do anything you want — flat, medium mountains, very tough (mountains).

“But then you also have Brittany, the land of cyclists; the north, who gave us an incredible reception last year; Normandy, where there is a crazy number of fans.

“Over a period of four or five years, we go just about everywhere.”

Beautiful scenery is a key consideration because “people also watch the Tour for the beauty of its landscapes”.

Special attention is also paid to weekend stages and the one on Bastille Day — France’s national holiday — as those attract the largest television audiences.

And then there are the non-negotiables.

“You could put 50 mountains, but if there isn’t the Tourmalet, Galibier, Ventoux or Alpe d’Huez, people will say that there were no mountains,” Prudhomme said.

And then there is the sense of history and sentiment, such as when the Tour passed through the village of Castelnau-Magnoac, the birthplace of France’s national rugby team captain Antoine Dupont ahead of the 2023 World Cup in the country.

Back in 2014, seven stages largely followed the World War One frontline of 100 years earlier.

“I love it when a stage can be viewed in different ways,” Prudhomme said.

Once he has decided the 21 departure and finish towns, it is over to route director Thierry Gouvenou to lay out the exact 3,000-kilometre path that the peloton will embark upon.

That begins for the following year once the Tour finishes at the end of July.

“At the end of August, Christian gives me the list of stage towns,” Gouvenou said before the Tour began.

“From that point, it takes up my whole time. Generally, I design the course in one month because it has to be finished by September 25.”

Firstly, he uses mapping and cycling apps to design the route, while he also receives a plethora of messages from cycling enthusiasts with suggestions.

Then he gets in his car to visit potential “trouble spots” where “things could go wrong”.

The main issue is town centres, which can contain unexpected hazards such as traffic calming infrastructure, which can provide obstacles to the safe passage of a peloton of more than 180 riders.

Once the route is fixed, Gouvenou sets about driving the course of every stage.

“I don’t do it alone. We’re in teams of two. We jot down everything — the dangers, the layout, and we decide already where to have the intermediate sprints and the climb summits.”

The Tour route is then revealed in October in Paris, nine months before the race begins.

Although there are always some late crises, such as for the second stage this year when the route had to be diverted away from an area that had seen an outbreak of swine flu.

“The regions are hyper-vigilant. There are often 10 miracles achieved” to avert last-minute problems, said Gouvenou, a former professional cyclist. — AFP

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“The 23-year-old forward has signed a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2033,” the London club posted on their website.

Rogers passed a medical on Monday following his return from the World Cup in North America.

“I’m so excited,” he said. “For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I’ve always admired since I was a kid.

“I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here, and I can’t wait to get started.”

The transfer surpasses the previous record fee for a British player set by Manchester City when they signed England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m (R2.56bn) earlier in July.

Rogers is the most expensive signing in Chelsea’s history, eclipsing the £107m (R2.36bn) paid to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in 2023.

The swoop is a significant statement of intent from Chelsea, who convinced Rogers to leave Villa even though, unlike his former club, the west Londoners will not play in the Champions League in the coming season.

Chelsea had been chasing Rogers for two years and beat Arsenal to his signature after the Premier League champions refused to match the eye-watering fee demanded by Villa.

Rogers’s departure is another blow for Villa boss Unai Emery after Youri Tielemans’s move to Manchester United and Lucas Digne’s expected switch to Paris Saint-Germain.

“A player with impeccable behaviour and commitment, Morgan leaves Aston Villa with the best wishes of everyone at the football club for both his service to the club and for his future career,” Villa said on their website.

Championship side Middlesbrough will receive 20 percent of the fee due to a sell-on clause in the deal when they sold Rogers to Villa in 2024.

Rogers scored 21 goals in 85 league appearances for Villa and was a key figure in their Europa League final victory over Freiburg in May.

He enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, netting 14 times and producing 11 assists in 55 appearances.

“He will always remain a core part of our recent great moments and memories,” Villa said.

Chelsea’s new manager Xabi Alonso will have to find a way to fit Rogers, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian and another close-season signing, Geovany Quenda, into his attacking midfield positions.

Following Rogers’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho is expected to be sold by Chelsea before the transfer window shuts.

Rogers is close friends with Palmer after their time together in Manchester City’s youth academy.

Palmer’s famous “cold” celebration was inspired by Rogers, who first struck the pose as a Middlesbrough player.

Rogers’s signing shows Chelsea can still attract top-class signings despite their failure to qualify for Europe after a dismal 10th place finish in the Premier League last season.

Rogers will link up with Chelsea after taking a break following his role in England’s run to the World Cup semifinals. — AFP

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According to the organisers, three-time women’s race champion Refeloe Solomons has confirmed that she will be on the starting line to chase a clean sweep of titles on Saturday July 25.

She triumphed in 1:22:39 last year, and her form has been red-hot this season. Most recently, the middle-distance track specialist claimed the Volkswagen HealthCare 21,1km in 1:22:33.

Defending men’s champion Melikhaya Frans, runner-up in his event debut in 2024, took line honours in 1:05:34.

The road race, boosted by a new title sponsor, also features 10km and 5km distances.

The latter was added to the programme in 2025 to cater for novices, families and students eager to enjoy the sport.

It also aligns with Bestmed’s goal of inspiring ordinary people to make physical activity part of their wellness journey.

Sponsorship and CSI specialist Karen Pienaar emphasised that the decision to back athletics at the tertiary institution had been heavily rooted in reaching the wider Eastern Cape community.

Madibaz Athletics manager Bernard Petersen said earlier this week that the club had already processed more than 1,000 entries, a good indicator that it would reach its target.

All entrants start at the Madibaz Stadium and head towards the second traffic circle at the South Campus’s main entrance.

“We have an amazing race in store and look forward to welcoming everyone to our campus,” Petersen said.

“Be part of the experience.”

The feature and 10km events start at 7am while the 5km gets under way at 7.30am. The first 2,000 finishers each receive a race medal.

Entries cost R180 for the 21,1km, R120 for the 10km and R50 for the 5km.

Athletes (except those taking part in the 5km) not belonging to a club will be asked to pay R50 for a temporary licence.

A late-entry fee of R20 applies to those entering between 4pm and 7pm on Friday, July 24, and between 5.30am and 6.45am on race day at the Madibaz Indoor Centre. — Full Stop Communications

Enter on www.webtickets.co.za.

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Story audio is generated using AI

A Gauteng company scored R4m from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) for a community water provision project it completed three years before.

The Special Tribunal has declared the awarding of the grant unlawful and ordered all the implicated people in the elaborate scheme to repay the money with interest.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which probed the plot, uncovered possible collusion between members of Mshandukani Foundation, Mashudu Mashandukani and his wife Pretty, together with disgraced former NLC chief operations officer Phillemon Letwaba and Ironbridge Travelling Agency and Events, a company owned by his wife Rebotile Malomane.

The paper trail was done through bank accounts.

According to the SIU, the foundation had applied to drill and equip boreholes in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo in February 2019. In their application they said the project would benefit 8,015 vulnerable people and create 15 part-time jobs. It included operational costs such as salaries, stipends, audit fees, bank charges and travel expenses.

However, the SIU’s investigation revealed the funding application was based on a project that had been completed several years earlier, and the grant funds were diverted to entities linked to the foundation’s leadership.

Mshandukani Holdings, owned by Mshandukani, had completed the project.

A month after the foundation’s grant application submission, Letwaba told Pretty her proposal had been “duly considered”. A few days later the NLC paid the grant into the foundation’s bank account which had a balance of R6,000 at the time, said the SIU.

The SIU’s financial investigation traced the movement of the grant funds and found they were redirected to entities linked to the foundation’s leadership and individuals associated with the NLC.

“The R4m grant was distributed to individuals and organisations, including R3.6m paid to Preldon Construction, a company owned by Ms Mshandukani. From the R3.6m, R500,000 was paid by Preldon Construction to Ironbridge Travelling Agency and Events, a company owned by Mr Letwaba’s wife, Ms Rebotile Malomane, and R550,000 was paid by Preldon Construction to Mshandukani Holdings, purportedly as a loan.”

The SIU said Preldon Construction made several payments:

• R700,000 to Mshandukani Foundation;
• R2.1m to Mshandukani Holdings;
• R150,000 to an associate;
• R120,000 to Mshandukani’s personal account, and;
• R39,675 to Rocbit Drilling Equipment.

The investigation also established Engcobo local municipality had no legal authority over the schools and clinics because the responsibility for water services rests with the Chris Hani district municipality in terms of the Water Services Act.

“Furthermore, the Mshandukani Foundation lacked the necessary approvals under the South African Schools Act and had failed to consult the department of basic education as required. The SIU also discovered two employees of Mshandukani Holdings, a geologist intern and a receptionist, had been listed as members of the foundation without their knowledge or consent,” said the SIU.

It found the foundation, Letwaba, Ironbridge Travelling Agency and Events and Malomane had not provided an explanation for how the grant funds were used.

The tribunal ordered the Mshandukani Foundation, Pretty, Mshandukani, Takalani Israel Mulandana, Thambatshira Maria Khameli and Preldon Construction to repay the R4m jointly and severally.

“The Tribunal’s orders form part of the SIU’s ongoing efforts to implement investigation outcomes, recover public funds lost through corruption and strengthen consequence management across the public sector,” SIU.

Sowetan

The incident occurred at about 6am on Wednesday at the Nyamazana informal settlement in KwaDwesi.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa, police had been following up on information about a suspect linked to a murder which took place in KwaDwesi in June.

“Police acted on information and went to the identified house. On their arrival, they could not find the suspect,” Mawisa said.

“En route to the KwaDwesi police station, they received information that the suspect was back home.

“They turned back and on approaching the house, the suspects fired at the police, who then retaliated.”

Mawisa said three men were killed in the shootout.

They were declared dead at the scene.

“Upon further investigation, the police recovered two unlicensed firearms, both pistols and ammunition.

“These firearms will be taken for ballistic tests to check if they were used in the commission of any other crimes.”

Mawisa said none of the police officers were injured during the shootout.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is investigating the matter.

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The laying and maintaining of buried effluent piping are very expensive.

It appears that there is a trial being carried out in Lindsay Road whereby the wastewater is being redirected into the roadway and allowed to flow by gravity to whatever lowest point is available.

The advantages here are numerous: the roadway is readily and always available, it is not subject to blockages, it has ample capacity, it is waterproof and the passing traffic is helping to disperse/aerate the running liquid.

Any wear and tear to the road surface is catered for by the solids in the wastewater being deposited into the worn portions of the tarmac/concrete.

This is innovative thinking at its best.

Should this prove successful, can we expect to see more widespread use of this method of liquid effluent disposal and the consequent saving in municipal spending?

Chris Coupe, Adcockvale

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The municipality and the council celebrate the purchase of new vehicles while the city cannot adequately protect the ones it already owns.

The latest fleet management report shows a problem that goes far beyond ageing workshops and delayed repairs.

It exposes a municipality that continues to lose control of its own assets.

Vehicles are vandalised while awaiting repairs. Parts disappear. Two trucks have reportedly been stolen. Break-ins occur “every week” at municipal depots.

Yet fencing, security upgrades and basic facilities remain stuck somewhere in the procurement pipeline.

This is a governance failure.

The roads and transport committee heard last week that only 851 of the metro’s 1,100 vehicles have tracking devices installed.

That leaves hundreds of municipal vehicles without one of the most basic accountability tools available.

Councillors have repeatedly raised concerns that municipal vehicles are being used for private trips outside the metro.

Every missing battery, every stolen radiator or vandalised vehicle represents money that should have been spent on basic services.

The irony is difficult to ignore.

Residents face higher tariffs while enduring service delivery failures.

But the municipality appears unable to safeguard assets worth hundreds of millions of rand.

This newspaper has repeatedly highlighted similar patterns.

The metro’s refuse collection fleet has suffered from poor maintenance and dwindling availability, leaving communities surrounded by uncollected rubbish.

Delays in filling vacancies have weakened critical services across departments.

Infrastructure maintenance has too often been postponed until systems fail.

The condition of the fleet depots fits into this pattern of reactive management.

The warnings from councillors should not be dismissed as political point-scoring.

DA councillor Rano Kayser’s description of unsafe workshops and unsecured depots paints a picture of facilities that are almost inviting criminal activity.

Fleet officials themselves concede that break-ins are frequent and acknowledge that securing depots would significantly improve operations.

The municipality now faces a simple choice.

It can continue buying replacement vehicles while allowing existing ones to be stripped behind broken fences, or it can finally treat fleet security as an operational priority rather than an administrative afterthought.

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Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the incident occurred on Wednesday at about 6.30am.

“Cradock police responded to the accident on the N10 approximately 45km from Cradock towards Cookhouse,” she said.

“A truck was travelling from the Cradock direction to Cookhouse and an EMS ambulance was travelling in the opposite direction.

“There was a head-on collision.”

The truck driver, Barend Esterhuizen, 45, and the ambulance driver Frank Ngxalambisi died at the scene.

Ngxalambisi was employed in the Sarah Baartman District EMS.

A case of culpable homicide is under investigation.

HeraldLIVE

The risks arise from both domestic and global factors.

From a global perspective, the ongoing war between Iran and the US and its implications for supply chains dependent on the Strait of Hormuz may continue to put upward pressure on critical input costs, mainly fertiliser and fuel.

Just this weekend, we learnt of more hostilities and Iran’s declaration that the Strait of Hormuz was closed until further notice.

This brings us back to the start of the war, where we faced huge uncertainty about supplies of fuel and fertiliser, among other products, due to logistical challenges in the region.

The prices of fuel and fertiliser are not yet at the levels we saw right after the start of this war and may remain more volatile than normal.

This is a pain point when considering the operating conditions in the farming sector.

Moreover, SA is in the export period for grains, fruit and some meat.

Therefore, the likely higher shipping costs and logistical challenges in the Middle East have brought us back to the position we were in a few months ago, with fears of export disruption.

The Middle East accounts for about 8% of SA’s agricultural exports, valued at about $15.1bn (R248.9bn) in 2025.

Therefore, current friction risks reducing exports to the region, which would further weigh on SA farmers’ finances if the country cannot reroute products efficiently to other markets.

Another challenge, which we have discussed at length in the past, is the likely drought resulting from El Niño during the 2026/2027 summer crop season, which starts in October.

On this, we believe that SA’s better soil moisture, higher dam water levels, and improved seed cultivars used by farmers place the country in a slightly better position than other countries in the region.

Still, when considering the likely drought and higher input costs, there is considerable pressure on farmers ahead of the new season.

On the domestic front, we face multiple issues that require both the government and organised agriculture to work collaboratively.

One of these issues concerns the government’s openness to registering new genetic techniques for seeds.

Given the challenges posed by climate change, the sector’s long-term sustainability will require nimble decision-making by the government.

For the SA agricultural sector to remain competitive and cope with a changing environment, seed breeding must remain a priority.

Now, SA has adopted a lacklustre approach to the registration of new genetic techniques, and this may prove costly in the medium to long term.

The regulators must change this approach and return the country to its long-known position of embracing technology in farming.

While we are approaching a drought period and are concerned that agricultural output may decline in 2027, SA’s push to diversify into new markets must not stop.

The recognition of this need is well articulated, but material intervention remains missing.

Such an intervention would entail increasing human capital across SA’s missions globally and placing greater focus on economic diplomacy and trade issues.

This would also require that, in Pretoria, the government has essential staff who work well with industry and negotiate new markets for the country.

For much of 2025, the SA government conducted official state visits to various countries, and export issues were discussed.

But until we have technical teams that follow up on such visits, we will not succeed.

The long-discussed need to review the Southern African Customs Union to give SA some flexibility in opening new export markets is part of the necessary trade reconfiguration effort.

Logistics, roads, rail and port efficiency are also vital steps that must remain priorities beyond high-level conversations.

Material collaboration between the business and private sectors to increase efficiency in Cape Town is vital.

Beyond this, many aspects of land reform, animal disease, stock theft and poor municipal performance, among other challenges, continue to present difficulties for the sector.

Therefore, the work of various government and organised business interventions should continue to focus on these.

When geopolitical shifts occur, SA’s agriculture will have to confront these domestically oriented constraints to propel the sector’s growth and create jobs.

Wandile Sihlobo is the presidential envoy on agriculture and land. He is also the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, and a senior research fellow in the department of agricultural economics at Stellenbosch University

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The recommendation is made in the final scoping report prepared by WSP for the utility, which has now been sent to the national environment department for its perusal.

It comes as a blow for opponents of the Thyspunt siting, which have raised multiple socioeconomic, cultural and environmental concerns.

However, the recommendation has been welcomed by proponents for the siting of the plant in Thyspunt, which is situated in the Kouga municipality, between Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay.

WSP said in its report that after its comparative assessment, “it is recommended that the Bantamsklip site be scoped out of further consideration, and the Thyspunt site be further assessed as the preferred location alternative”.

It said this recommendation was based on “a combination of technical readiness and findings from specialist assessments undertaken during scoping, where Bantamsklip was overall least favoured in terms of infrastructure constraints and strategic alignment to meet implementation timeframes”.

The reason runs counter to a point raised by the Wildlife and Environment Society’s Eastern Cape branch on the scale and timeframe of the nuclear build programme.

SA’s Integrated Resource Plan calls for an additional 5,200MW of nuclear power by 2039.

Noting this — and that construction has yet to begin on the 4,000MW already approved for Duynefontein — the society has questioned why a further 5,200MW is even being sought.

The Thyspunt Alliance, which combines Kouga residents, business owners, fishermen, scientists, surfers and environmentalists united in opposition to the Thyspunt siting, said this week it would stay engaged in the process, and continue to challenge efforts to locate the plant in the area.

Thyspunt Alliance co-ordinator Trudi Malan said the site was unique in terms of its fragility, complexity and antiquity.

“We know from the scientists that from this part of the Eastern Cape coast down as far as Mossel Bay is the coastal cradle of modern humankind.

“This is where we all came from.

“So, besides all the other environmental and socioeconomic reasons, the cultural importance of this site is critical.”

Responding to Eskom’s argument that the best way to protect Thyspunt would in fact be to install a nuclear reactor, which would keep out other unsustainable projects, she said this made no sense.

“When government in the 1970s first identified this site as suitable for nuclear, we never had the legislation we have now, including the Integrated Coastal Management Act and our system of environmental impact assessments.

“Now we do, and we have consequently identified multiple problems.

“You don’t protect such a unique, fragile and complex site by first putting in a massive industrial development.

“We will scrutinise whatever future projects are proposed, in the same way as we are scrutinising this one.”

The coastal cradle of modern humankind findings started in Mossel Bay’s Pinnacle Point Cave where sites between 168,000 and 70,000-years-old were discovered.

The discoveries were made by an international multidisciplinary team of scientists from Arizona State University in the US and Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha.

They made their first announcement in 2007, describing how a small population of humans, with a maximum of 3,000, survived a brutal ice age and learnt how to harvest shellfish, perfect for brain development.

The early modern humans developed a way to drain the toxic tannins from bulbs in the surrounding fynbos, so they could eat those too, and learnt how to bring down giant species of game without injuring themselves.

The team said the evidence showed that, as the population developed, they devised fish-hooks and digging sticks, tidal calendars and decorations.

Then at a certain point they trekked out of Africa and seeded the new population of homo sapiens which spread across the world.

Malan said, in the view of the Thyspunt Alliance, the new final scoping report was the same as the application that was vetoed by the environment department in 2017.

“We will be following due process and will continue to submit the facts in the hope that the truth will prevail.”

After a decade of revised applications, the department ruled in 2017 against Thyspunt and in favour of Duynefontein, adjacent to the existing Koeberg reactor in the Western Cape.

Appeals against that ruling were subsequently dismissed and Eskom must start building at Duynefontein in the next 10 years or else it will have to resubmit its application.

Thyspunt Nuclear Development Foundation chair and ANC Kouga municipality councillor Phumzile Oliphant welcomed the final scoping report and its recommendation.

“If the reactor can be built here, it will bring a lot of positive economic change and job opportunities to not only Kouga but also the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and the Eastern Cape as a whole.”

Oliphant previously argued that putting another reactor down in the Western Cape on top of Koeberg and Duynefontein would be a mistake, and the Eastern Cape should be given the economic boost that the new project would bring.

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The council sat on Tuesday to consider a proposal to begin the next phase of planning for a R2.377bn facility that could attract 160,000 additional visitors a year and create thousands of jobs.

However, the report will now be tabled at an August council meeting.

The report recommended that the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) be appointed as the implementing agent for the project and be authorised to begin an investigative phase to identify the most suitable site, refine costs and prepare the development for private-sector investment.

The proposed international convention centre (ICC) would include a 1,200-seat plenary hall and 5,000m² of exhibition space.

It would be delivered through a public-private partnership model.

According to the report, Nelson Mandela Bay is losing out on major conferences and exhibitions because it lacks a venue capable of hosting large integrated events under one roof.

“The city cannot fully compete in the global business-events market because it lacks a world-class convention centre,” the report states, adding that existing venues were either too small, fragmented or unsuitable for certain events.

Officials said the Boardwalk remained the metro’s only venue capable of hosting a plenary of about 1,600 delegates.

However, its availability limited the city’s ability to attract some conferences.

Events with more than 600 delegates often have to be split across multiple venues, increasing costs and logistical challenges.

The proposal revives a project that has been on the city’s books for more than a decade.

The MBDA received a council mandate in 2013 to investigate an ICC at the old Boet Erasmus Stadium site, and a feasibility study commissioned in 2019 concluded that Nelson Mandela Bay lacked a venue meeting international convention standards.

Several potential locations are now under consideration, with the former Boet Erasmus Stadium, or Telkom Park, identified as the preferred option because of its size and accessibility.

Other sites include the Bayworld precinct, Kings Beach and a military base precinct.

The report also proposes that a multi-stakeholder task team shortlist three preferred sites before detailed assessments are undertaken.

Each site will be evaluated for development readiness, infrastructure requirements, environmental constraints, regulatory compliance, costs and construction timelines.

The metro’s long-term planning documents have for years identified an ICC as a strategic tourism and economic development project.

Previous municipal plans envisioned a convention centre near the beachfront and airport, while later planning documents included the Bayworld precinct as a possible location for an ICC-led mixed-use development.

In 2023, former MBDA chief executive Anele Qaba described the ICC as a “quick win” and said substantial planning work had already been completed.

The report states that the convention centre could become a catalyst for tourism, investment and urban regeneration, generating nearly 189,000 hotel room nights within five years and supporting between 1,500 and 2,700 permanent operational jobs annually, in addition to construction employment.

If approved in August, the MBDA will be required to return to council with a report on three shortlisted sites, including infrastructure requirements, investment potential, costs, timelines and recommended incentives to attract private-sector partners.

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The 54-year-old New Brighton resident arrived back home on Sunday, after taking first place at the Jerry Miller three-move restriction tournament in Indiana from June 25-26, and second place at the North Carolina free-style tournament on June 26.

He also received a top-three finish in the Best of the Best, Blitz and US Open competitions that were held at the Vidor Checkers USA Semi-quincentennial Festival that took place from July 1-9 in Vidor, Texas.

Kondlo and Melikhaya Nonyukela, from Motherwell NU7, along with a third player from SA, competed in the latter festival.

Kondlo said it was a memorable moment to win a competition on an international platform.

“It was a good feeling to be the number one player, especially when you are the only person from another country, because I played against some very good players.

“However, they did not have the same challenges as I faced, such as being on the road for a long time, the long flights — you do feel tired and you feel it during your matches.

“I found out about the games from my manager who is in America, he had already prepared them for me.

“The Jerry Miller and the North Carolina tournaments were smaller warm-up games for the Checkers USA Semi-quincentennial Festival.

“To get the achievements that I got was amazing, for instance in the Best of the Best, all the best players were there.

“There was also a guy from Kenya [Krispin Odhiambo], he is young but really talented,” Kondlo said.

He said there was a need for more support for checkers players.

“We mostly do everything ourselves.

“We do need support, for instance I will have to get my own visa in order to compete in the world qualifiers which will be held in Scotland this year from September 14 to 18.

“We do many things on our own without support from any officials, though they are supposed to be proud of us.

“Gqeberha in those areas is known, because of us.

“Other countries, like Italy, wear their countries’ colours, the US players wore their checkers federation’s [colours].

“I buy myself a South Africa cap and T-Shirt at a retail store so that I can be recognised where I come from, so it is painful.”

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The King Dance Studio was started by the late Junior King Ferreira and is now run by his mother, Marian Ferreira.

The under-13 team and an U18 team came second and third at the Global Dance Supreme competition in Cape Town in 2025, which qualified them to compete at the world championships in Bangkok this year.

Junior King’s younger sister, Laeeqa, filled in for her late brother and choreographed all the dances for the competition.

The siblings performed together across SA, sharing stages with some of the country’s top musicians.

She said her brother would be proud of her and the dancers.

“Against all odds and everything they faced, they did their best,” Laeeqa said.

“For myself it was my first time choreographing for a dance competition, not to mention an international one.

“I’ve personally never experienced anything like it, it was amazing to see the different dance styles from different countries

“It was amazing to see these kids dancing their hearts out on stage like never before, the way they interacted and made friends with people from different countries.

“We even taught people from Sri Lanka our Amapiano dances, and now people from all over the world know King Dance Studio.”

Ferreira said the trip had been an emotional one for her, and on the drive to the airport to depart for Thailand, a friend had sent her a screenshot of a post Junior King had made before his passing, talking about how excited he was that the youngsters had qualified to go to Thailand this year.

“I was very emotional but I told myself I’m doing this for the kids, and to make Junior proud and that’s all I needed to motivate me.

“I am trying my best to continue his legacy in every aspect,” she said.

“I know he didn’t instil everything he did in me for nothing, he knew one day I would need it.

“These kids are my family, this trip just brought us closer, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

“We had fun together, we laughed together and when one person was unhappy, we cried together.”

Ferreira said the extreme heat did pose a challenge for the dancers but they managed to overcome it and enjoyed experiencing Bangkok.

“We learnt how to say some Thai words, we ate all the different foods, and went to an amazing water park called the Siam park, as well as the Thai markets and experienced some food and drinks and danced with the locals.”

Constance Brooks said her 10-year-old daughter, Jasmin, had been dancing with the King Dance Studio since 2022.

“This was her second international competition.

“As parents, we worked hard to make it possible for our children to experience this opportunity,” she said.

“When we arrived in Bangkok, the weather was extremely hot, but the excitement of representing SA on the world stage made it all worthwhile.

“King Dance Studio was honoured with the awards for Best Entertainers and Best Crowd Favourites, a true reflection of the energy, passion and talent these young dancers brought to the stage.

“We are incredibly grateful, humbled and proud of what these children have achieved.

“Their success proves that hard work, commitment and perseverance truly pay off.

“These talented children come from the northern areas of Gqeberha, where many families face financial challenges and cannot afford international competitions every year.

“Despite these obstacles, they continue to dream big and represent our community with pride.”

Another proud mother, Lauren Swarts, said her daughter had been dancing for four years.

“With the passing of their choreographer, Junior King, it was a bittersweet few months for all of them but despite that, they showed up in Thailand and made the best of it.

“This has been her second trip overseas, she was also part of last year’s trip to Dubai and I was fortunate to accompany her.

“But this time around it was a little different due to knowing Junior is no longer with them, but they pulled through.”

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Andrews, 30, had been in the police service for just three months when he was shot while on duty in Helenvale on December 31 2024.

The accused, Romario Prins, 18, Damian Brooks and Chadwin Visagie, both 28, appeared in the Gqeberha high court on Tuesday.

Their case was postponed to August 6. They will remain in custody.

Prins was identified in court for the first time on Tuesday because he was a minor when Brooks and Visagie made their initial appearances in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court in 2025.

At the time of the incident, the police vehicle Andrews had been travelling in had broken down in Voisin Road, and bystanders were helping him to push-start it when he was shot and robbed of his service pistol.

He died en route to the hospital from a gunshot wound to the head.

His death sparked outrage in the community.

The three were later arrested in connection with the murder, and the stolen firearm was recovered.

On request of the police’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (the Hawks), the names of the accused were initially withheld so as not to jeopardise the investigation.

However, during Andrews’ funeral, now-suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu named the suspects.

Andrews, who had initially studied and worked as a teacher, decided to follow in his policeman father’s footsteps and joined the police instead.

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The state believes that Thando “Ayanda Nthotho” Zinco, 37, Lubabalo “Stuks” Nqabeni, 33, and Mvelase Sophazi, 32, worked together with one of the most wanted men in the city to carry out a series of serious crimes.

The outstanding suspect, Thembisinkosi “Terra” Mangesi, has been on the SA Police Service’s most wanted list since September 2025.

Mangesi has been implicated in five separate murder cases, business robbery, attempted murder and a hijacking, all dating back to 2023.

The three accused in the dock on Tuesday told the Gqeberha high court that they would apply for Legal Aid SA representation.

The case was accordingly postponed to August 6 for that purpose.

The accused remain in custody.

Zinco, who appeared agitated in court, demanded a copy of the charge sheet.

However, state advocate Daniel Andrews refused.

With one state witness already murdered, Andrews raised urgent concerns about the safety of those still expected to testify.

“The indictment will be submitted to the defence team — not the accused,“ Andrews said.

“A witness in this case has already been taken out.

“There was evidence that [the instruction] came from St Albans Prison, so my fear is that once the copy [of the charge sheet] is in prison, more witnesses in this case will disappear.”

Shortly thereafter, Sophazi raised his hand and demanded that their property seized during their arrests be returned.

Andrews retorted that it formed part of the evidence collected by the police — and some of the items confiscated were believed to have been used during the alleged crime spree.

According to the indictment, the three allegedly committed their crimes between October and November 2023 in Booysen Park, KwaDwesi, Kariega and Jeffreys Bay.

The state alleges that the accused are guilty of aiding and abetting criminal activities committed for the benefit of a criminal gang.

These included:

• The murders of Viwe Conini, 19, Thembela Loli, 24, Loyiso Nelo, 19, and Esihle Gxogxa, 19, on November 12 2023. All four victims were shot multiple times near Sikhundla Street, KwaDwesi;
• The murders of Masixole Poni, 25, Melvyn Mnyaka, 30, and Mbulelo Kona, 40, in Mandela Village, Kariega, on November 14 2023. A fourth person, who cannot be named for his safety, survived;
• The attempted murders of two others, whose identities are also being withheld, on the same day;
• Housebreaking with intent to commit murder when the accused allegedly broke into a house in Sikhundla Street, KwaDwesi, with the intent to kill everyone inside the property;
• Five counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and five counts of kidnapping. This all occurred at a petrol station in Booysen Park on October 18 2023. On that day, the men allegedly threatened to shoot their victim, before stealing a cellphone, a generator, an Opel Corsa bakkie, and cash. Five people were also forced at gunpoint to remain inside the garage’s waiting room;
• Eight charges related to the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition; and
• The intimidation of a witness between January and May 2024 at the St Albans correctional facility when the accused allegedly tried to compel him to abstain from pointing them out during an official identification parade by threatening to kill, assault and injure him.

In relation to the incident at the garage, the state alleges a group of men armed with firearms arrived at the Caltex in Booysen Park.

Acting in common purpose, they allegedly held the garage employees hostage while robbing the premises, customers and employees.

“The customers and employees of the Caltex garage were held on the premises against their will until the suspects left with their belongings,” the indictment reads.

“The entire incident was captured in detail on CCTV.”

Zinco and Nqabeni, the state claims, were identified from the video footage by means of facial comparison identification, while Sophazi was allegedly linked by the clothing he wore during the incident.

In KwaDwesi, the state alleges, the three deceased were shot and killed by a group of men.

“[After the triple murder], while exiting the premises, the accused noticed the neighbour and his friend on the opposite side of the road and [allegedly] fired shots at them both.

“The neighbour was wounded but survived the attempt on his life. His friend managed to drive away.”

The state alleges three of the survivor’s friends were then shot dead in Mandela Village, Kariega.

“While [the complainant] was still in the shop, a white vehicle stopped behind the vehicle in which his three friends were seated,” the charge sheet reads.

“[The witness] saw Nqabeni exit the vehicle with a silver firearm in his hand.

“He also saw Zinco and Terra with Stuks inside the vehicle. Thereafter, he heard multiple gunshots. He then ran and took cover.

“After the shooting, once everything was quiet, [the witness] came out of his hiding place.

“The police were already on the scene.

“He discovered that all three his friends had been killed.

“He then informed the police on the scene who the suspects were and how he knew them.”

A tip-off was received by the police on November 16 2023 from an informant about the suspects’ whereabouts.

The assistance of the Police Task Force was obtained, as well as a search warrant for a property in Wavecrest, Jeffreys Bay, where the accused were allegedly hiding.

On arrival, the police found three suspects watching TV in the living room.

“One suspect had a black PX4 Storm semi-automatic pistol on his lap,” the charge sheet states.

“On searching the premises, another firearm and an FEG Luger semi-automatic pistol were found on the bed.

“A revolver was also found on the floor next to the bed in another room.”

When the garage was searched, the state alleges, a white Toyota Corolla sedan was found, which was a rental car in Nqabeni’s name.

“On searching the vehicle, various firearm magazines were found and different calibres of ammunition were discovered.”

Ballistic reports allegedly linked the firearms to the crimes.

The state said the vehicle tracker also placed the car in the vicinity of the crime scenes.

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On Tuesday, the Eastern Cape department of agriculture confirmed new outbreaks in Kariega, Motherwell, Rocklands and Walmer Township.

Cases have also been reported in the Ndlambe municipality, with additional outbreaks confirmed in the Sarah Baartman district.

Agriculture spokesperson Athule Joka said strict disease control measures had been implemented, including movement restrictions on affected animals to contain the spread.

“We have implemented stringent measures and placed animals under strict movement restrictions,” Joka said.

“The outbreak has moved to new areas in Nelson Mandela Bay.

“Some farms which were vaccinated have shown flare-ups.

“These developments are concerning and we need to boost vaccinations.

“The department is experiencing a new increase of outbreaks, especially in the Sarah Baartman district.

“There is also growing concern that we have game animals testing positive.

“This will have long-term implications if a buffalo population becomes infected, as buffalo are known to be carriers of foot-and-mouth disease.

“We urge our farmers to report new infections, restrict animal movements and get the required permit before moving animals.”

He said the department was concerned that not all cases were reported on time.

“Early reporting is important to protect the livestock,” Joka said.

“We encourage farmers to co-operate with veterinary officials and report as early as possible.”

The DA in the metro raised concerns that the highly contagious livestock disease was spreading, despite ongoing vaccination efforts.

During a council meeting on Tuesday, Ward 40 councillor Jason Grobbelaar told councillors he had submitted a motion of exigency to discuss foot-and-mouth disease.

In his motion, Grobbelaar said he had received several reports from residents and farmers that positive cases had been identified in the Greenbushes, Rocklands and Fitches Corner areas.

“The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, as the custodian and manager of municipal land, has legal obligations under the Animal Diseases Act, 1984, to take reasonable steps to prevent and limit the spread of controlled animal diseases,” he wrote.

“Free-roaming cattle and other susceptible animals on municipal land and public roads present a significant risk of transmitting the disease to neighbouring farms and livestock with potentially devastating economic consequences for the agricultural sector.

“The municipal-appointed pound has not impounded any free-roaming cattle since early February.”

He called on the municipality to work closely with the state veterinarian to investigate and verify all reported and suspected cases within the municipal area, while ensuring full compliance with the Animal Diseases Act.

He also called on the city to urgently implement all necessary measures to ensure the municipal pound was fully operational and equipped to receive, house and manage impounded susceptible livestock in accordance with applicable legislation and municipal bylaws.

Grobbelaar called on the municipality to immediately impound all free-roaming susceptible livestock found on municipal land, public roads and in public spaces, enforce municipal bylaws and national legislation to curb the uncontrolled movement of susceptible animals, and launch a public awareness campaign.

In response to previous questions sent by Grobbelaar to the acting city manager, Lonwabo Ngoqo, on July 13, the department of public health said its sub-directorate — environmental health — played an active role in the health education and awareness programmes in communities and the different food sectors like the dairy industry.

“A rollout of information pamphlets is in the design stage and will assist the communities with awareness.”

Ngoqo said various role players were involved in preventing the spread of the disease.

He said information sessions had been conducted and were continuing, covering both the formal and informal farming sectors, with various stakeholders leading the awareness efforts.

“When suspect cases are identified, the first action is to bring it to the attention of a vet or contact the department of agriculture immediately.”

During the meeting, public health committee chair Thsonono Buyeye acknowledged he had received Grobbelaar’s motion.

“Grobbelaar comes here and says he’s received confirmation from the state vet,” Buyeye said.

“As the directorate, we have not received that, and we can’t respond to that unless we have that information in writing

“The state vet knows the protocols.

“Once there is an issue such as foot-and-mouth disease, environmental health is the department they liaise with, and they’ve not done that as we’re seated here.

“If that is confirmed, obviously we won’t sit and fold our arms but we’ll take action.”

Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the detection, diagnosis, declaration and containment of foot-and-mouth disease was the responsibility of the state veterinary services within the agriculture department.

“These functions do not fall within the constitutional or legislative mandate of municipalities.

“The municipality remains in regular contact with the state veterinarian, who has confirmed that a positive case involved an animal transported from the Chris Hani district into Nelson Mandela Bay.

“The state veterinary services continue to lead surveillance, risk assessment and disease control interventions in accordance with national veterinary protocols.

“All official announcements relating to confirmed cases, quarantine measures, livestock movement restrictions and containment strategies remain the responsibility of the competent authority.

“While these statutory responsibilities rest with the department of agriculture, the municipality continues to fulfil its own legislative obligations through its public health directorate.

“These include supporting public awareness campaigns, engaging farming communities, conducting routine environmental health visits to commercial farming operations, collaborating with veterinary authorities and keeping the public health committee informed of developments.”

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The Eastern Province spinner received the honour at the CSA Pathway Awards after spearheading her side’s promotion back to the Women’s Division One, capping a season that established her as one of the country’s leading provincial performers.

“Winning this award means a lot to me.

" Being nominated last year and now receiving the award is a reminder that with hard work, you will get rewarded,” Adonisi said.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, dreams do come true. It’s proof that great things happen for any child from New Brighton.

“But without the support of my teammates, coaches and family, this would not have been possible for me,” she told The Herald recently.

Her cricket journey began at the Jendamark United Cricket Club development hub, where coach Zuko Rhonyile introduced her to the game.

“A lot of people have been instrumental in my cricket journey,” she said.

“Coach Zuko Rhonyile introduced me to the game that I love and laid the foundation for everything that followed.

“Coach Jana Nel helped me recognise and develop my talent as a spin bowler.

“Coach Nkululeko Serame taught me the importance of self-belief, game awareness and becoming a genuine bowling all-rounder.

“I would like to give a special mention to Jendamark United Cricket Club.

“Without their support, guidance and the opportunities they gave me, there would be no Aphilile Adonisi as I am today.”

Her road to national recognition, however, was anything but straightforward.

“There were times when challenges almost made me leave the game I loved. I had to make a lot of sacrifices in terms of time with my family and other personal commitments.

“There were times when I thought I should quit and go and look for a job but I never allowed doubt to outweigh my belief in my talent.

“I trusted the process, stayed committed and continued to learn from every experience. Receiving this award makes every sacrifice worthwhile.”

That resilience was reflected in a memorable 2025/26 campaign, during which Adonisi claimed a division-leading 23 wickets to spearhead Eastern Province’s successful promotion to the CSA Women’s Division One.

“Her bowling was a key factor in EP winning all their 50-over fixtures with bonus points.

“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team because promotion was something we worked towards from the very beginning of the season,” she said.

“Playing in Division One is a huge step forward for Eastern Province women’s cricket.

“It creates more opportunities for our players and shows young girls in our province that there is a path to competing at a higher provincial level.

“Hopefully it will also encourage greater investment and support for women’s cricket in the Eastern Cape.”

While the award recognises her achievements, Adonisi’s sights are firmly set on the future.

“This award motivates me to work even harder. My goal is to continue improving every aspect of my game, perform consistently in Division One and earn opportunities to represent South Africa.”

Ace Mates Academy of Sports, which has been blazing the trail in the rural Tolofiyeni area in Qonce and Kariega’s Thubalethu Boxing Club, were the only SA representatives in Botswana where several clubs competed for supremacy from July 17 to 19.

Intertwined with 56 bouts, the event also served to forge partnerships between Botswana and the two entities, fused with other areas of development such as workshops for referees and judges and sharing of coaching expertise.

Academy president Andile Mofu, who is an experienced internationally qualified coach, and Thubaletu boss Mazizi Vumazonke, an international referee and judge, conducted sessions with Botswana boxing officials to strengthen the partnership.

“The event was aimed at advancing boxing development across the Southern African region by sharing the experience and expertise the region possesses,” Mofu said.

The two clubs combined to send two boxers, Asihlobisane Hobongwana and Asemahle David, who romped to gold and silver triumphs, respectively.

Hobongwana cemented her SA Team position by bringing home a gold medal while David lost in the finals to settle for silver.

David’s good run also saw him named as the best boxer of the tournament.

Mofu , a former SA National Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) president whose sport development at grassroots level is unrivalled, said the mission was to empower boxers from disadvantaged areas to be on par with their counterparts in the world.

“Participation in tournaments of this nature forms a long-term athlete development programme as the exposure they get by competing against different styles and higher levels of competition builds confidence while polishing technique,” he said.

The boxers from the two entities previously travelled to Namibia to help its fighters prepare for the Commonwealth Games, which start on Thursday in Glasgow.

Mofu said he was proud of the boxers’ achievement despite their rural background in Etolofiyeni village in Qonce.

“To see what started as just an objective to keep young minds occupied by roping them into sport develop like this is inspiring.

“Not only is the academy producing boxing superstars but it is also excelling in other codes such as netball, so we can see the dream of rural children being realised without them having to relocate to other areas.

“We express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to our partners, supporters and stakeholders, and mostly parents for trusting us with their children to realise our vision.

“Not forgetting the Botswana boxing community for its hospitality during their tournament.”

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Belgian Evenepoel, 26, blasted over the stage 16 course along the shores of Lake Geneva 28 seconds quicker than reigning champion Pogacar in second.

Everyone else finished more than a minute back, with Dane Mattias Skjelmose taking third at 1min 04sec.

That performance by the world and Olympic time-trial champion — on Belgium’s national holiday — cut four-time Tour winner Pogacar’s overall lead to 4min 32sec.

It was Evenepoel’s second successive stage victory after he triumphed on Sunday’s mountainous 15th stage.

It was his fourth Tour stage victory overall, and his third in time-trials.

He also extended the gap to third-placed Isaac del Toro to more than two minutes.

But it was a miserable day for Evenepoel’s Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team-mate Florian Lipowitz.

Two days after two-time former winner Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of the Tour while sitting second overall, German Lipowitz went down hard on a bend and was forced out of the race.

He had been fifth overall until that point and had set the fourth fastest time in the three intermediate time-checks.

But several minutes after he crashed, Lipowitz was escorted to a medical vehicle holding his left arm.

Both Pogacar and Del Toro had a scare going through the same bend where Lipowitz fell but managed to stay upright.

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Keegan, who has died aged 75 after battling cancer, made an impact on English and European football that cannot be understated.

He won a host of trophies with Liverpool and Hamburg, became a managerial icon at Newcastle and is the only English player to earn the prestigious Ballon d’Or twice

Despite his confessed lack of elite-level skill as a player, Keegan’s workaholic personality fuelled his rise from modest beginnings.

“It’s amazing really. I look at the players who have won the Ballon d’Or, like Platini and Cruyff. Then you see my name there twice!” Keegan said of those 1978 and 1979 European Player of the Year accolades.

The son of a miner, Keegan was born in the Yorkshire village of Armthorpe in 1951.

After being snubbed by Doncaster and Coventry as a teenager, Keegan finally got his chance with fourth-tier Scunthorpe in 1968.

The diminutive Keegan would run up and down the Scunthorpe stands while holding weights to add muscle to his slender frame.

He soon caught the eye of Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, who converted him from a midfielder to a forward after his 1971 move to Anfield.

It took the 20-year-old only 12 minutes to score in his Liverpool debut against Nottingham Forest as he established a formidable partnership with John Toshack.

Liverpool won the English title and Uefa Cup in 1973 and the FA Cup a year later.

By 1976, he was approaching the peak of his powers as Liverpool were crowned champions again and lifted another Uefa Cup.

Keegan’s profile went beyond the sports world, and he even recorded a song, Head Over Heels, that he performed on the iconic BBC programme Top of the Pops.

Before the 1976/1977 season, Keegan stunned Liverpool by announcing he would leave the following year.

He bowed out in style, winning his third title and running Borussia Monchengladbach ragged in a 3-1 victory that gave Liverpool their first European Cup.

By now modelling his famous bubble perm, Keegan accepted a lucrative offer from German side Hamburg.

No player exceeded his potential like the tireless Keegan and his aerial prowess, for a player just 5ft 7in, led Hamburg fans to dub him “Mighty Mouse”.

Hamburg won the German title in 1979 and then reached the 1980 European Cup final, where they were beaten by Nottingham Forest.

Keegan made 63 England appearances and captained his country over 30 times, although his only World Cup was an injury-scarred flop in 1982.

He surprisingly joined Southampton in 1980 before finishing his playing career with Newcastle, where his love affair with the Geordie fans was born during their 1984 promotion-winning campaign.

Keegan was working in a children’s “soccer circus” in Glasgow when he was lured back to Newcastle as manager by new owner John Hall in 1992.

Despite his lack of experience, the effervescent Keegan’s second coming galvanised Newcastle, who romped to the second tier title in 1993.

Keegan’s commitment to a cavalier attacking style saw his team labelled ‘the entertainers’ as they became a Premier League force.

In January 1996, Newcastle sat top of the table, 12 points clear of title rivals Manchester United.

But Newcastle imploded in the home stretch and Keegan’s frustration boiled over in a memorable rant at United manager Alex Ferguson.

Keegan’s “I’d love it if we beat them” tirade showed he had been sucked in by Ferguson’s mind games and it was little surprise when United pipped them to the title.

Unable to recover from that collapse, Keegan’s reign ended abruptly when he quit in January 1997.

“I’ve taken the club as far as I can,” he claimed.

He resurfaced at third-tier Fulham and won promotion in 1999.

Keegan accepted the England job that year, but his reign lasted just 20 months as they crashed out of Euro 2000 in the group stage.

He memorably handed in his resignation in a lavatory in the dressing room following a 1-0 defeat against Germany in England’s last game at the old Wembley.

“I didn’t like it. I like everyday team-building with players. People say, ‘Well tactically you weren’t very good’, but tactically what can you do with players when you don’t have them?” Keegan said.

At Manchester City, where he spent four years after taking charge in 2001, Keegan won the second-tier title.

But an emotional return to Newcastle in 2008 misfired as he resigned after less than a year following clashes with owner Mike Ashley.

Keegan’s career might have ended on a low note, but the memories of his remarkable life will live forever. — AFP

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McCullum was sacked as Test coach following England’s recent 2-1 home defeat by New Zealand that culminated in the international retirement of red-ball captain Ben Stokes.

But the former New Zealand skipper remained in charge of England’s white-ball teams and has overseen a 4-0 T20 series whitewash of world champions India, which was followed on Sunday by a win that secured a 2-1 success in a three-match ODI series.

Ben Duckett’s dominant 141 was the cornerstone of England’s 387-3, a new record for the highest total in an ODI at Lord’s, with fellow opener Jacob Bethell making 91.

Joe Root’s 74 not out was his third fifty of the series, with Jos Buttler’s dashing unbeaten 41 off just 13 balls making a crucial difference to the outcome.

Rohit Sharma, amid speculation this could be his last match before retiring from international duty kept the tourists in the game with a brilliant 138 — the first ODI century by an India batsman at Lord’s — and Virat Kohli weighed in with 74.

But England captain Brook’s decision to turn to Bethell’s part-time spin proved inspired with the Barbados-born youngster bowling Sharma on a day of tributes to his mentor Garry Sobers, the outstanding West Indies all-rounder who died on Friday.

“That was a tough little period, they [India] were obviously getting ahead of the game and playing really well,” Brook, who praised the much-criticised McCullum’s tactical input, said.

“I decided to go off for an over and have a quick chat with Baz to gather his thoughts.

“Again, it comes back to the communication, which has been outstanding throughout the T20s, throughout the ODIs.

“They have a slightly different view from up there, with the TVs and analytic work and going up there to have a quick chat to see what we could do.

“He said, ‘Have a go with Beth, a slightly different spinner to what we’ve got with him driving it into the pitch,’ and thankfully it came off.”

Brook has previously said he would have no qualms about succeeding Stokes as Test captain, though he accepted on Sunday it would be “tough” to lead in all three international formats ahead of 2027 when a home Ashes series is followed by an ODI World Cup in SA.

“That’s not my decision. Whoever is the new coach will have that decision to make.

“It would be tough to do it, but I’m not saying it is impossible.

“If I get asked, we’ll see where it takes us.”

India captain Shubman Gill rued Buttler’s blistering late assault but swerved questions about Sharma’s international future by saying: “He has not told us anything. I think it is all out in the media, but there have not been any discussions internally.” - AFP

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The group was led by former Amathole District Municipality manager Chris Mangqangwana.

The matter was postponed to August 14 for legal representation to be confirmed for Siyenza sole director Bongani Mpeluza, former Amathole chief financial officer Nkosinathi Soga and Siyenza chief financial officer Helen Busisiwe Kwinana-Boadi.

The deputy director of public prosecutions in Gqeberha, Marius Stander, told the court that he had received correspondence late on Monday from their attorney, Alias Makhanya, that Andre Schoombee would withdraw from their defence, including representing Blue Nightingale Trading 397.

The 10 accused are Mangwangwana, Soga, former Amathole director of engineering services Mpumelelo Shezi, former Amathole corporate services director Lulama Taleni, former municipal infrastructure support agency acting CEO Ongama Mahlawe, former Misa executive manager for vendor, legal and contracts management Goodman Ntandazo Vimba, Mpeluza, Siyenza sole director in the Eastern Cape Eddison Vuyani Gaga, Kwinana-Boadi and Siyenza head of operations Lovemore Khativhu.

National Prosecuting Authority Eastern Cape regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said two entities belonging to Siyenza were included in the matter.

During the proceedings, Kwinana-Boadi indicated that she would represent herself but was told about the Legal Aid SA option by acting judge Mzamo Nobathana.

This after Stander had warned her it was a complex case and he was under pressure to bring it to trial within eight months.

Stander asked for it to be provisionally postponed to August 14.

The accused’s bail was extended.

Commenting after the proceedings, Makhanya said they awaited instructions.

“We requested to be afforded an opportunity to consult with our client so that we can have financial instructions,” Makhanya said.

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According to insiders, the RWC met on Monday and told the party’s councillors that should they support a motion of no confidence in Van Niekerk, they would face disciplinary action.

The motion was submitted on Thursday by ANC councillor Luyanda Lawu and seconded by Thembinkosi Mafana, also an ANC member.

Earlier in July, Van Niekerk had launched a blistering attack on his boss, mayor Babalwa Lobishe, accusing her of sabotaging service delivery and blocking initiatives to improve matters in the metro.

He described Lobishe as the biggest stumbling block to the coalition governing the city.

An ANC insider said on Tuesday that the RWC had rejected Lawu’s motion.

“Last night, the RWC said this motion does not belong to the ANC but certain councillors for their own reasons.

“We were told that those who support the motion would either be expelled or face disciplinary action.”

Another insider said ANC caucus members asked on whose behalf the motion had been submitted, as it had never been discussed with them.

Undeterred by the threats, Lawu questioned during Tuesday’s council meeting why the motion had not been included on the agenda, despite earlier assurances that it would be.

He also asked whether the motion would be entertained, but speaker Eugene Johnson said it would not.

When asked why, Johnson said the motion would only mature on July 26, after the expiry of the required 10-day notice period.

Lawu then said he wanted confirmation that the motion would be included in the August 6 meeting.

“I need confirmation, speaker.”

Johnson said: “No, I can’t confirm.”

In his motion, Lawu cited Van Niekerk’s ongoing cyber fraud case as one of the reasons he should be removed.

Van Niekerk’s case centres on his appointment of Boqwana Burns Incorporated back in 2022 to handle various legal matters at a cost of R575,000.

His position as speaker of the council at the time was uncertain because suspended city manager Noxolo Nqwazi had declared vacancies in the council held by the NA.

It is further alleged that Boqwana Burns was not on the municipality’s list of approved legal service providers and that by appointing them, Van Niekerk had attempted to circumvent the Municipal Finance Management Act.

Commenting after the council meeting, Van Niekerk said Lawu’s motion was incompetent.

“I haven’t lost any sleep about it,” he said.

“I’ve always said my fight is not with the ANC but the mayor for the lack of basic services delivered to our people.”

Van Niekerk, who sat at the back of the council chamber rather than alongside Lobishe, said he had done so because she had allegedly instructed municipal officials not to carry out any directives he issued.

“Last week Wednesday in the mayoral committee, the mayor issued in front of all the other [political heads], in front of all the EDs [executive directors], that no ED must take an instruction from me.

“They mustn’t even take my calls.

“So what am I? I’m now a deputy mayor that’s been made redundant.

“That’s why I refused to sit next to the mayor.

“That’s why the council meeting was so short.

“We never had a GLU [government of local unity] before this.

“We’re to meet [today] to discuss pertinent issues, especially the [suspended] city manager.

“There’s a lot that needs to be discussed.

“On behalf of my party, they’ve given me a mandate that we cannot continue like this.”

Van Niekerk claimed the motion against him had been submitted by rogue ANC councillors.

“That’s why the motion was never going to get the support it needed to remove me.

“It makes no sense removing us as the NA because they are collapsing the [coalition] government themselves.

“I don’t know if councillor Lawu is good at mathematics, but removing the NA pushes you below the threshold to govern.

“If you remove the NA, they are collapsing the government.

“You can’t expect the NA to remain in government when they are removing us from government.

“These are rogue councillors doing their own thing.

“Some of them see the opportunity that there’s no PEC [ANC provincial executive committee] currently and therefore [they are] left to their own devices,” Van Niekerk said.

The ruling coalition includes the ANC (47 seats), EFF (7), DOP (2) and NA (3), with the AIC and PAC having a seat each, totalling 62 seats in the 120-person council.

The EFF has a total of eight PR seats. However, it was announced during the meeting that councillor Zanele Sikawuti had died on Monday night.

The coalition often receives support from the UDM’s lone councillor.

The opposition consists of the DA (48), ACDP (2), FF+ (2), PA (2), and AIM and GOOD, with one seat each.

Responding to claims that she ordered officials not to implement any instructions issued by Van Niekerk, Lobishe said she had asked the deputy mayor on multiple occasions to present reports on the portfolio he was responsible for without much success.

“We’ve been waiting for him for a year. He’s not been submitting reports.

“He has failed to submit reports on the functions delegated to him.

“International relations is with him.

“He was supposed to hold a workshop for the institution for us to identify destinations linked to our vision and mission. He’s failed to do so,” she said.

Lobishe rejected claims that she had stripped Van Niekerk of his functions, saying she continued to recognise him as her deputy.

However, she could still prepare an item to council to have them removed.

“He’s failing to discharge his functions which are delegated to him.

“We’ve not stripped him of any functions.

“He’s still responsible for the MBDA, which he has not reported to council.

“He’s sat in several meetings with the MBDA but failed to apprise council.

“I wrote to him several times to say ‘give us a report and can we meet with the development agency’, which he’s failed to do,” Lobishe said.

Though Johnson did not confirm that the no-confidence motion would be tabled at the next council meeting, Lawu said he had received confirmation from her office that it had been received.

“On August 6, the motion will be in front of the council. We’re continuing with it because it is a very important matter.”

Lawu said he did not submit the motion on behalf of the ANC, but solely as a councillor.

“Hence I said this is enough now, we can’t be looking as if all is well because everything that relates to corruption will be blamed on the ANC,” Lawu said.

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Current Safa president Danny Jordaan, who has led the association for the past 13 years, continues to face scrutiny after being arrested in November 2024 on corruption-related charges.

Amid growing dissatisfaction among football supporters and administrators over the governance of South African football, calls have intensified for new leadership.

For the first time in years, Jordaan appears to have a serious challenger.

Businessman and AmaZulu chair Sandile Zungu has entered the race for the Safa presidency.

Safa vice-president Linda Zwane welcomed Zungu’s decision to contest the elections, describing it as a healthy sign of democracy.

“I would not say much about any candidate at this point, and I’m not even tempted to comment on any individual. If he feels he can run against President Jordaan, then let him go ahead — it is a democracy,” Zwane told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interaction.

“What we want is a united Safa, and that remains our main interest. Any person who wants to run is free to do so, and ultimately the regions will decide.”

Attention is also turning to the future of Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, who has indicated that he intends to step down following the Fifa World Cup.

Broos, who took charge of South Africa in June 2021, has enjoyed one of the most successful coaching spells in recent history.

Under his leadership, Bafana Bafana secured a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the knockout stages of the Fifa World Cup, restoring belief in South African football.

Pre-tournament, Broos was heavily criticised for his bold ‘defensive’ squad selection; however, it proved to pay dividends.

Despite Broos signalling his intention to retire, Zwane made it clear that Safa hopes to convince the Belgian tactician to remain involved.

“It would be premature to respond on whether Broos will remain with Bafana Bafana. The coach is currently at home in Belgium, and once he returns to South Africa, we will sit down and have discussions with him.”

“Since appointing him five years ago, he has done an outstanding job in taking South African football to the highest level.”

Zwane stressed that the decision ultimately rests with the coach.

“It was his call to say he is retiring, so as an association we will wait to hear from him officially. Any sane person would not simply let someone of his calibre leave an organisation.”

He believes continuity has been a key factor behind Bafana Bafana’s resurgence.

“Our experience tells us that the longer you keep a coach, the greater the chances of sustained success. You can see that from the results.

“If it is possible to keep him, we would be delighted to do so. But ultimately, it is his decision.”

Reflecting on the national team’s progress, Zwane added: “We are no longer the ‘cry babies’ or the ‘whipping boys’ of African football. Today, South Africa is respected globally.”

Looking beyond the elections, Zwane said Safa remains committed to delivering on its long-term strategic plan.

“We had Vision 2020, which has now passed. We are currently implementing Vision 2030.

“We have reached the halfway point of that strategy, and with the Safa elections approaching, our focus will be on delivering the second phase and ensuring South African football reaches where it belongs.”

One of Safa’s key objectives is to improve SA’s standing on the continent while strengthening football development from the grassroots level.

“We are currently among the top 10 (ninth) football nations in Africa, but our ambition is to break into the top five.”

“To achieve that, we must ensure our grassroots structures are properly supported so that we continue building a strong pipeline for our national teams. Every talented player deserves the opportunity to be identified, developed and given a platform to succeed.” — Sportsboom

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The Springboks, New Zealand and other southern hemisphere nations will visit the northern hemisphere in November to play three Tests apiece before the grand climax on finals weekend at Twickenham on November 27-29.

AFP Sport picks out three things from the first half of the Championship:

Boks in box seat

Those coaches hoping to glimpse a weakness in two-time defending world champions South Africa’s armoury will be disappointed.

Convincing wins over England, Scotland and Wales, who failed to register a point, were pleasing enough for charismatic head coach Rassie Erasmus.

However, he also used the matches to blood fresh talent and experiment.

A case in point was Vusi Moyo, the youngest flyhalf in Springbok history at 20 years and 27 days, who started against Wales.

“I think a lot of guys came through this Test with ticks against their name,” Erasmus said after the Wales hammering.

Tougher Tests loom, not least the four-match series with the All Blacks.

The All Blacks players appear to have already digested new coach Dave Rennie’s strategy and liked what they saw, as they sit alongside the Boks on 15 points.

“We’ve put a lot of detail into our game, the boys have really embraced it,” Rennie said after Saturday’s convincing 40-21 win over a sloppy Ireland.

“I’m really excited, I think we’re in a good spot.”

Travel pains

One problem the southern hemisphere teams, when they go north, will be spared is the draining of long trips.

This was the opposite for most of the northern hemisphere sides in the three-week series.

For some of the coaches, it was too much.

France’s Fabien Galthie was bemused as to why his side had to travel to Japan when Ireland, who played Australia in Sydney, took on the Brave Blossoms the next weekend in Newcastle — and also the reasoning behind Fiji playing their “home” Tests in the UK.

It was all too much for Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada.

“Of course, we struggle fitness-wise, and it’s logical when they make you play the games that World Rugby is making us play,” Quesada said.

“Travelling took two days to go from Tokyo to Auckland, then all the way to Wellington.

“Now we have to travel all the way to Auckland. Spend three hours there before going seven hours to Perth.

“Recover, one day training and play again.”

Quesada’s Ireland counterpart Andy Farrell, though, looked at the positives given the Rugby World Cup is in Australia next year.

“All these experiences are fantastic,” he said.

“Coming to the southern hemisphere, which is where the World Cup is going to be, we need to learn those lessons and box them for next year.”

French top of European pops

Galthie may have had reservations about some of the aspects of the Nations Championship, but the 57-year-old former France skipper derived pleasure from his team’s performances on the pitch.

The thrilling opening narrow loss to the All Blacks comes with the caveat that they were without talisman Antoine Dupont, and the other players from the Top 14 final, and was followed by thumpings of Australia and Japan.

It not only confirmed their status as European kings, but they appear to be the likeliest northern hemisphere team to lift the Webb Ellis trophy next year in Sydney.

Coincidentally, it was there that England triumphed in 2003, still the only northern hemisphere World Cup win.

“Everything went smoothly and, above all, the energy and commitment of the players were magnificent,” purred Galthie after the 42-15 victory over Japan.

Of their Six Nations rivals, Ireland and England could take some heart, but as a teacher would say, “must do better”.

The Irish will pray that flyhalf Jack Crowley, who was instrumental in securing the Six Nations Triple Crown, is fit in November as Sam Prendergast again failed to sparkle.

England ended with a heartening if chaotic victory over the Pumas, a modicum of revenge for their footballing compatriots’ defeat in the World Cup semifinals to Argentina.

Four England players were sin-binned in the second half of Saturday’s match, taking their total in 2026 to eight yellow and one red card in eight matches.

England coach Steve Borthwick, though, was prickly when asked about it.

“I don’t think now is the time to be digging into that,” he said.

“You’re like the negativity committee, so it’s lovely coming and talking to you again.” - AFP

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Walter Sisulu will face Wits University in the season opener in the first round of matches at the University of Pretoria on August 1.

They will be joined by the University of Limpopo, University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology teams in Group B.

Walter Sisulu women’s football head coach Buyisile Alfred Khunou said his team would overlook being considered as tournament underdogs.

“Take us as underdogs at your peril,” Khunou said.

“That has been proved by the team at the qualification championships where we surprised many.”

Walter Sisulu gained promotion back into the FNB Varsity Football tournament in December 2025 at the University Sports SA (USSA) Football Championships in Pretoria.

Khunou’s team finished sixth out of 18 participating institutions.

They finished as runners-up in their group, with wins over NWU Mafikeng, NWU Vaal, a draw against DUT and one loss against TUT.

As the season opener draws closer, Walter Sisulu have set up camp for final preparations for the tournament.

“Our preparations are continuing as we started with campus trial sessions and now converged for an intense preparation camp.

“We are trying to improve on team building with communication, technical awareness and execution of our game model,” Khunou said.

The 55-year-old has encouraged his team to make a good first impression in Pretoria during the opening weekend against Wits and UWC.

“In any round robin competition, it is crucial to get positive results in your first game and to sustain that to build on it,” he said.

In the second round of games, Walter Sisulu face UJ and CPUT at Wits.

Team captain Okuhle Mrhulwa described the energy around the camp as positive heading into the tournament.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder said: “The team is absolutely happy and ready to perform in the Varsity Cup tournament. They are already waiting for the day of kick-off.

“It [the camp] has been hard, but at the same time enjoyable.

“We got a chance to improve where we lack as a team.”

The Bachelor of Administration student added how eager she is to lead her team against other institutions.

“It’s an honour and achievement to be the leader of the team.

“It is absolutely fantastic to finally uplift IWS women’s football.”

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The players enjoyed drinks on their procession under a blazing sun, along the main arteries in the city centre where a sea of fans in red and yellow were waiting, before arriving at Cibeles square where they took to the stage and partied into the night.

The squad and coach Luis de la Fuente were introduced one by one to the fans, each with their own choice of music that they sung along to, wearing “We are champions” shirts.

“[Spain] showed the world what it is to work together, with one mind and one heart,” pop superstar Shakira said in a video message played to the team and crowd.

De la Fuente offered a similar message, hailing his players as the “best in the world” and telling fans not to forget that “together we are stronger”.

The players and staff posed for a photo before Rodri raised the trophy again, just as he had done on Sunday night after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra-time in New Jersey to be crowned champions.

After flying back from the US to Madrid, the players were received by King Felipe VI and the royal family earlier on Monday, and then Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, before kicking off the parade.

Players passed around the gleaming World Cup trophy and waved to their adoring supporters, some lining balconies, others on top of bus stops.

Ferran Torres’s strike in extra-time was enough to bring Spain their second World Cup, following a first victory in 2010.

“You have shown your grit, your resilience and your courage ... combining head and heart,” the king told La Roja’s stars, who were dressed in suits but changed to more casual clothing for their parade on a hot summer’s day.

“Kings of the world” ran the words on the front of their vehicle, with fans chanting “champions” to their heroes.

Rodri held the World Cup trophy aloft at the top of the stairs as he descended from the Iberia plane that flew the team home after clinching their second star.

The Manchester City midfielder said this was the crowning achievement of his career.

“I’ve always said it, winning with your country is the most beautiful thing there is, above all a World Cup,” Rodri said.

“This generation grew up watching [Iker] Casillas and [Andres] Iniesta lift the cup and that we can do it today is the biggest thing you can do in football.”

Many younger supporters were not yet born when Iniesta’s extra-time goal against the Netherlands secured Spain’s first World Cup in SA 16 years ago.

“I’m really happy about the second star” Spain has earned, “very joyful,” 14-year-old Hector Mollar said, adding he was able to see Torres, teen star Lamine Yamal and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino as the bus parade passed him.

It is “very different” to live a day like today than to have someone tell you about it, he said.

Match-winner Torres joked he was “flying, literally” after the team returned from the US after beating Argentina in New Jersey.

Spain’s World Cup winners bus parade started at the prime minister’s residence Moncloa before heading towards Cibeles square, a traditional celebration point for the team, where hordes of fans had reserved their spots hours in advance.

Players lifted coach De la Fuente into the air towards the end of a night of pure joy for La Roja.

Spain’s women’s side also won the World Cup in 2023, meaning for the first time a country has both trophies at the same time.

In 2030, Spain’s men’s side will defend their crown on home soil, as one of the World Cup hosts along with Portugal and Morocco.

“It’s two for two,” the prime minister said of Spain’s record in World Cup finals.

“Why not dream of a third in 2030, especially with Spain as hosts?”

Argentina, despite the presence of all-time great Lionel Messi, failed to create clear chances against Spain’s well-organised and more positive side in Sunday’s final.

Messi had a sensational World Cup but drifted through the final like a ghost, shedding tears at the end.

“The pain is immense, and it’s going to be hard for this wound to heal,” Messi wrote on Instagram, going on to congratulate La Roja.

In Madrid, tears also flowed on Monday night, but they were tears of joy. — AFP

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The 30-year-old gave notice that he will be a strong contender for the No 9 jersey when he came off the bench to score a try in the Boks’ 43-0 victory over Wales last week.

It was his first Test appearance in the green and gold for almost three years, and it has whet Jantjies’ appetite for more Test match action.

After playing in SA’s 2019 World Cup-winning campaign in Japan, Jantjies missed out on selection for France four years later.

“It was unbelievably heartbreaking [missing out on the 2023 tournament],” Jantjies said.

“I can still remember the evening the squad was announced.

“Where we sat, how we sat and how coach Rassie Erasmus put everything on the board.

“Coach Rassie did come to me that evening after the squad announcement, and he told me it was not the end of the world not to make the World Cup squad.

“But later on, as time went by, I started realising what he told me and I think he basically meant to just work harder on my game to bring myself to the party.

“And then I would get my chance again.”

Jantjies said the quality of the players available for the Bok squad would make it tough to nail down a regular berth.

“Grant Williams is playing amazing rugby, and he could cover wing as well,” he said.

“The same could be said of Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse, who are also in the mix.

“Yes, it was heartbreaking for me to miss out on the World Cup squad, but I think I allowed myself to grieve a little over it.

“But I didn’t get stuck in that space for too long.”

Jantjies said because of the depth Erasmus was building, competition to wear the green and gold had become tougher.

“It’s incredible, and it is not just at scrumhalf, but every position,” he said.

Next up for the Boks is a tough away game against Argentina in Buenos Aires on August 8.

“Argentina is going to be tough,” Erasmus said.

“Like Wales, they’ve had our number a few times, and our biggest loss was to them since we’ve been together from 2018.

“We are just trying to build our game, and the showing against Wales was another step forward.

“We’ve got a little bit better in every game of the Nations Championship, but as we’ve been rotating, it does take cohesion away.

“It’s difficult to say how much we learnt against Wales, but it’s a Test match, and a lot of guys came through it with tick marks.

“In this game we learnt that our defence was better than last week — we worked really hard on that — and our set-piece was really solid, but then we also had a lot of handling errors.”

Erasmus said a squad of 26 would be sent to South America, while a group of 15 or 16 players would remain behind with some coaches to prepare for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand in August and September.

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News of the Bethelsdorp Road Primary School grade 4 pupil’s triumph has brought much joy to residents of the crime-plagued area.

Isabella’s mother, Liezel Cadles, said she was proud of her daughter.

“She is such a joy in our lives. Isabella is a very obedient child but she is a real chatterbox.”

In 2025, Isabella won the Miss Northern Areas title, which prompted her to enter the broader Gqeberha competition this year.

The Little Miss Port Elizabeth competition forms part of the annual Mr, Miss and Mrs Port Elizabeth pageant.

The 2026 pageant was held at the Old Grey Sports Club on July 11.

“We, as a family, are humbled by her achievement.

“It was a stiff competition, and all the contestants had an equal chance of walking away with the crown,” Cadles said.

“When her name was called out as the winner, I could not help but cry. It was an amazing feeling.”

Yusraa Abrahams, Isabella’s class teacher, described her as a confident and bubbly child.

“Isabella is a real joy to be around — she lights up the class.

“She told me her dream was to become an international model.

“I personally believe she can make it big in the modelling world.”

School principal Tony de Laura lauded Isabella for putting Bloemendal and the school on the map.

“We are glad that our school does not only excel in academics and sports, but also on other levels,” De Laura said.

“This is a huge achievement, and we are very proud of her.

“We wish her all of the best for her future competitions and trust that she will have a wholesome and successful career.”

Cadles said the struggles people faced in the northern areas often played on Isabella’s mind.

“Because many kids go hungry on a daily basis, she would like to start a food programme.

“She keeps telling me that our people are hungry and we must do something.

“We don’t want to put pressure on her — she is just a little girl — but as a family we will guide her in the best possible way.”

She said they lived near the Bethelsdorp police station and Isabella also wanted to be a police officer one day.

“Whatever she decides, for now, we are just cherishing the fact that my baby is the current Little Miss Port Elizabeth.”

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Meanwhile, some within the coalition said they had not had an opportunity to read the contents of the motion.

Van Niekerk, a member of the National Alliance, is part of the ANC-led coalition in the metro.

The coalition includes the ANC (47), EFF (8), DOP (2) and NA (3), with the AIC and PAC having a seat each.

This brings the total number of seats to 62 in the 120-person council.

The coalition often receives support from the UDM’s lone councillor.

The opposition consists of the DA (48), ACDP (2), FF+ (2), PA (2), AIM and GOOD with one seat each.

The motion was submitted by ANC councillor Luyanda Lawu and seconded by the ANC’s Thembinkosi Mafana.

ANC regional chair Siphiwo Tshaka would not confirm if the party would push ahead with its motion, saying the regional working committee was meeting at 6pm on Monday.

“That motion is one of the items on our agenda today.”

GOOD councillor Lawrence Troon said the motion showed how the ANC was immoral and void of any integrity.

“The ANC has vehemently defended him in the past for the same reasons listed in the motion.

“It shows the ANC is a party without integrity. They do not deserve to govern.

“The idiots that tabled and seconded the motion do not understand the rules of council.

“You can’t remove him in a motion of exigency.

“There is no way to remove a deputy mayor, speaker, chief, or mayor through such a motion.

“These people are rushing to get rid of Gary because of my motion in August.

“These are desperate attempts. Tomorrow, I will speak against the motion.

“When it comes to matters of principle, my personal feelings have nothing to do with it.

“It will be interesting if the speaker allows this motion to even be tabled.”

FF+ councillor Bill Harington said the irony was that the reasons the ANC cited to justify his removal were widely known when they welcomed Van Niekerk as a coalition partner.

“The allegations referred to by the ANC in its motion were not only historically known, but even more recent claims and controversies surrounding Van Niekerk were repeatedly raised in the council chamber.

“Despite this, the ANC chose to ignore the warnings, simply because it served their political purpose to bring down the previous coalition government, consisting among others of the VF Plus, DA, ACDP, UDM and other partners.

“Today, they use the same reasons they ignored then as justification to remove him from his position.

“This conduct exposes the ANC’s opportunistic politics.

“It confirms that for the ANC, principles are subordinate to retaining power and political survival.

“If the ANC truly believed that these allegations render a person unfit to hold public office, they should already then have regarded it as unacceptable.

“However, they deliberately decided otherwise because it offered them a political advantage.

“The events simultaneously raise serious questions about the nature of the National Alliance.

“Over the past period, the party has shown that personal and individual political interests are often placed above the interests of the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay.

“It is precisely this kind of politics that has fuelled instability in the metro and repeatedly left residents second.”

He said the ANC could not pretend to be driven by principles.

“They were willing to ignore all warning signs when it suited them, and are now trying to correct their own political decision by citing the same reasons they deliberately ignored at the time.

“The FF+ will consider the motion on its merits when it comes before the council.”

In his motion, Lawu cited Van Niekerk’s ongoing cyber fraud case as one of the reasons he should be removed.

Van Niekerk’s case centres on his appointment of Boqwana Burns Incorporated back in 2022 to handle various legal matters at a cost of R575,000.

His position as speaker of the council at the time was uncertain because suspended city manager Noxolo Nqwazi declared vacancies in the council held by his party, the National Alliance.

It is further alleged that Boqwana Burns was not on the municipality’s list of approved legal service providers and that by appointing them, Van Niekerk had attempted to circumvent the Municipal Finance Management Act.

“During this time, [the deputy mayor] was briefly removed from council and his position as council speaker due to his party’s internal matters,” Lawu wrote.

DA councillor Rano Kayser raised concerns about how the motion had been initiated.

“We believe the motion is incompetent. In terms of the rules of order, a motion of no confidence must be substantive and mature for 10 days in the office of the speaker.

“Any entertainment of such a motion will open the risk of litigation against the metro.

“Ultimately, ratepayers would have to pay for a process that could have been done legally.

“We don’t support how the motion has been brought. We have a responsibility to protect the money of our ratepayers.”

AIM councillor Khusta Jack said the motion was an inconsequential petty-politicking exercise between the mayor Babalwa Lobishe and her deputy.

“Lobishe has mobilised her forces to retaliate against her governing coalition partner Van Niekerk after he publicly attacked her for poor leadership.

“AIM will not dignify such political frivolity by taking part when the metro is facing the severest service delivery crisis it has seen in many years.

“It says a lot about their leadership qualities and civic priorities that the mayor and her deputy are focusing their energies on a political mudslinging exercise (and wasting the council’s resources in the process) while the people of Nelson Mandela Bay are struggling with brown water in their taps and prolonged electricity outages.”

EFF councillor Khanya Ngqisha said his party had not yet seen the motion.

“We can’t comment at this particular moment to say we’re going to support it or not before the caucus sits.”

PAC councillor Bassie Kamana said his party viewed the motion in a serious light.

“This time, we weren’t hoping to be viewing motions against anyone, whether the mayor or deputy mayor.

“The PAC caucus will look at the merits of the motion at 5pm today.

“We view anything shaking the governance of the coalition in a serious light.

“There’s now a cold war between the mayor and deputy mayor, which is not right for the stability of the coalition.”

UDM councillor Luxolo Namette said neither side had approached him about the motion.

“We’ll abstain from the vote as long as we’ve not been consulted.

“This would be reversing the gains of this municipality.

“It’s going to create instability, and we don’t want that now based on the challenges we have, especially around service delivery.”

Van Niekerk could not be reached for comment.

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Councillors have warned that lax security, crumbling depots and missing tracking systems are exposing millions of rand worth of public assets to abuse and vandalism.

On Thursday, councillors discussed the metro’s fleet management during a roads and transport committee meeting.

According to the report, the city’s fleet register is being manually updated to reflect the actual number of vehicles and, so far, 651 vehicles have been captured.

The report states that tracking devices have been installed to date on 851 of the 1,100 vehicles.

“The vehicle tracking system has proven to be effective in recovering hijacked vehicles and providing vehicle movement reports to the directorates on request,” the report states.

DA councillor Ingrid van Wyk said the situation was improving but raised concerns about the municipality’s vehicle tracking system.

“The report says only 851 vehicles out of the 1,100 have actually been fitted.

“I think in our previous meeting we did ask the acting executive director to even withhold fuel for those vehicles to ensure that the vehicle is brought back for checking.

“I don’t think we need to reiterate. We can’t have municipal vehicles being used for private use, to travel to East London [KuGompo City], or Kouga or for shopping.

“It cannot continue, so we need to ensure that the tracking system is dealt with,” Van Wyk said.

DA councillor Rano Kayser said the fleet was not where council wanted it to be but noted there was progress.

“In this report, there are two things: one is the condition of the workshops.

“It is something that we have raised since last year … we even went to the extent of saying, if the department of labour can go in there, the workshop will be closed because in terms of the occupational health and safety risk, it’s a mess.

“The main concern is about our cars that are being vandalised in our depots, which might result in irregular expenditure.

“A car is booked in for a radiator. It stays there for a month because workshops are not secure, the radiator is gone, the battery is gone, the system is gone, and so forth.

“So you double your expense, and your turnaround time on maintenance will be much longer.

“If you look in the fleet report, it says we have about 1,100 in the fleet. Now imagine 10% is in for repairs.

“Our vehicles are at risk. Our workshop is not a conducive work environment.

“Let’s make a decision to say money must be made available with immediate effect … so that our depots are fenced, our cars are safe, and our workshops are in a conducive working environment,” Kayser said.

Responding to the comments, fleet management deputy director Mbulelo Velemani told councillors that an item had been prepared for a budget request to fence the metro’s depots.

“The item was actually talking about what the councillors are talking about.

“If all depots can be safe and secure, at least we’ll be seeing the job we’re doing as fleet management.

“The report is there, but it still needs the executive director to look at it, because we’re having break-ins every week at Deal Party and at Diaz Road.”

Roads and transport political head Yolisa Pali said she visited the Deal Party depot in June, saying it needed to be upgraded.

“When we arrived there, we agreed that the buildings of the Deal Party need to be started afresh,” Pali said.

“It is old. It will need a lot of money to refurbish.

“If you go to Deal Party, it’s got old trucks that we cannot fix. Maybe we need an item that will identify those old trucks so that we can scrap them.

“Because if you go there, you will think that some of these trucks are there to be fixed and there is no way you are going to be utilizing them,” Pali said.

Acting executive director Givon van Eyck said there was a huge problem with facilities management.

“We will engage the facilities. They do not have a phasing contract in place, and I know there is a facilities contract, which is still under procurement.

“If we do have money, we might have to reprioritise ... as a department and ensure that some of the funding becomes available ... to fleet.”

Pali said departments were now buying their own cars, celebrating these purchases.

Pali also said two trucks were stolen from the municipality.

There are 93 vacancies at present across repairs and maintenance, artisans, drivers and tyre attendants.

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This comes as unconfirmed claims have emerged that some senior Chinese executives may have left the country.

The collapse in talks came just as the company was expected to table its proposal during negotiations facilitated by the department of employment and labour last week, leaving workers and officials searching for answers as pressure mounts for a resolution.

According to insiders, home affairs officials were set to conduct a surprise visit at the plant earlier this month.

However, the visit was cancelled when it was reportedly discovered that some senior executives of Chinese descent had left the country.

This was ahead of the March and March planned protests on June 30.

Officials from home affairs, the department of employment and labour and BAIC SA would not confirm if Chinese senior executives had left the country or if their departure affected ongoing negotiations with Numsa.

BAIC’s Gqeberha plant assembles the BAIC B40 Plus and Beijing X55 Plus SUV models.

The current models are made using a semi-knocked-down process which assembles vehicles with large, partially assembled and imported components into a complete car.

Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said on Thursday that members at BAIC SA had been fighting for what he described as legitimate demands — including that the company aligned salaries, benefits and working conditions with the Auto Sector National Bargaining Forum (NBF) agreement.

“The strike is to put pressure on BAIC to meet this demand,” Jim said.

IDC spokesperson Tshepo Ramodibe said they were in continuous discussions with BAIC SA and Numsa to find solutions to end the strike.

“As a [minority] investor, it is in our interest that the two parties resolve these issues to avoid value erosion to the business,” Ramodibe said.

“We have confidence in BAIC management’s capacity to address the challenges standing in the way of a constructive resolution.”

Ramodibe declined to comment on why BAIC SA had failed to submit its proposal during the negotiations and had instead opted to withdraw.

“We do not wish to comment on the specifics of the matter or the guidance provided thus far as this may risk undermining the ongoing process,” he said.

“However, we remain confident that the two parties will resolve the deadlock that has characterised the discussions.”

On Wednesday, the IDC said it was aware of the concerns raised by Numsa and affected workers.

“As a shareholder and funding partner, the IDC expects its investee companies to operate in full compliance with applicable labour laws, collective bargaining agreements and regulatory frameworks,” the IDC said.

“We note that BAIC SA is engaging directly with the union on the issues raised, including matters relating to wages and conditions of employment.

“We encourage continued constructive engagements between the parties to ensure that concerns are addressed in a lawful, fair and sustainable manner, without further disruption to operations.”

The IDC said it would continue to monitor developments closely in line with its governance and oversight responsibilities.

The parties had initially taken their dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) but it was then taken over by the department of employment and labour.

The department assigned a local manager, Thembinkosi Dike, to facilitate talks.

Dike declined to comment and referred questions to his seniors.

The list of demands Numsa submitted as part of negotiations included:

• A minimum of R144 per hour;
• Closure of the Auto Sector National Bargaining Council (NBF) wage gap by June 30 2028;
• A guaranteed 13th cheque; and
• Pension or provident fund benefits for all BAIC SA employees.

These demands mirrored those of workers who had been on strike since June 15 after failing to reach an agreement with management over salary disparities.

About 300 workers had gathered outside the boom gates at the Coega IDZ entrance.

The strike took place after Numsa local organiser Vukile Mangwana notified management about its intention to participate in an industrial action.

According to Mangwana’s notice, workers withdrew their labour in compliance with the provisions of Section 64(1) (b) of the Labour Relations Act.

Mangwana said issues in dispute included compelling the company to agree to implement the NBF agreement in terms of wages and conditions of employment.

“The industrial action is in support of the employees’ demands subject to the dispute which remained unresolved at the CCMA,” Mangwana wrote.

Numsa Eastern Cape secretary Mziyanda Twani said one of the key grievances was that welders in the body spray painting shops were earning R84 an hour.

“The demand is that their hourly wages be increased to between R163 and R180, including a 10% allowance in line with industry norms,” Twani said.

He said team leaders also wanted to be paid salaries equivalent to those earned by their colleagues in the industry.

Other demands included:

• Fixed-term contract workers should be made permanent after three months and granted the full benefits afforded to other employees; and
• Trainees employed through the Presidential Youth Employment Services 12-month programme should be absorbed into permanent positions once the programme concludes as they are already contributing to the company’s production activities.

Twani said management had failed to respond and that the strike would continue indefinitely until the employer returned to the negotiating table.

He said the company was severely impacted.

“Production is affected.

“We don’t discount the fact that the employer may find all other means to downplay our strike.

“Numsa represents 100% of the workers employed there.

“There is no rival union — only Numsa is organising at BAIC SA.

“These are members involved in production activities, including assemblers, body shop workers, press shop workers, paint shop workers, logistics workers and all the other categories of employees found in a typical vehicle assembly plant.”

Twani said their engagements with the company started in late 2020 and continued in 2021.

“It reached boiling point last year when they revamped the factory,” he said.

“They laid off about 80 workers in June 2025 who were earning R120 an hour.

“When those workers were re-employed on new contracts in August, they were brought back at R42 an hour — a two-thirds reduction from their previous wages.

“That is why we are here.

“Everyone else who came after August was given R40 an hour irrespective of the shop they worked in.”

BAIC SA spokesperson Ameena Hassan had not responded to questions by the time of publication.

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Though the wins were not perfect, there was always a sense of inevitability that the Boks’ power game would subdue European opposition in the opening three games of the Nations Championship.

Making the victories even more significant was that they were achieved with experimental teams, which included a crop of exceptionally talented rising stars who are making their presence felt in the Test arena.

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus will probably put his policy of blooding youngsters on hold for the upcoming Greatest Rivalry series against archrivals New Zealand.

Erasmus says testing young players under pressure is more important than personal goals and jealously guarding a winning streak.

He included four uncapped players in his starting lineup for Saturday’s clash against Wales at Kings Park, in Durban, which the Boks won 43-0.

The debutants given an opportunity to strut their stuff in a green and gold jersey were rising stars Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Jaco Williams (wing), Ruben van Heerden (lock) and Carlu Sadie (prop).

With the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, Erasmus wants to assess his young players against top-tier nations to see how they react in pressure-cooker situations.

Erasmus fielded a youthful lineup comprising 12 players with fewer than 10 caps when the Boks pulled off a 42-28 win over Scotland in the second round of the Nations Championship at Loftus Versfeld two weeks ago.

The Springboks are spoilt for choice at flyhalf with several candidates vying for the No 10 jersey.

The frontrunners to get the nod at the World Cup are Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok.

While the senior side was sweeping all before them on home soil, the Junior Boks successfully defended their World Cup title by beating France in Georgia on Saturday.

These are certainly heady days for Springboks fans who have watched their team win 11 consecutive matches.

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Hundreds of traffic lights have not been working for years along the R75, Stanford and Kempston roads, and along Govan Mbeki in the CBD.

Many of these traffic lights are knocked over by speeding cars; I see newly flattened traffic lights with damaged curbs and car parts almost on a daily basis.

There are numerous security cameras operated by numerous security companies which could prove or disprove both Pali’s allegations and my viewpoint.

Using the excuse of vandalism is tiresome.

The political head (what are the qualifications required for this position?) should do something to galvanise the real workers and repair and maintain the traffic lights. Simple.

Gordon Upton

Saturday’s rugby match, in which SA “klapped’ Wales, once again put the focus squarely on our political leadership dilemma. How?

When a mixed Springbok team, comprising only the best of SA, plays against foreign teams such as Wales, we are cheering as one.

This is done despite our team being led to victory by a white coach.

And that Rassie Erasmus, a white Afrikaner from Despatch, is a world-class strategist.

No problem at all. As long as we win, everything is hunky-dory.

But what happens when someone like Helen Zille or Geordin Hill-Lewis comes to the fore to lead SA out of the shambles which affects all of us negatively?

The rugby crowd who so fervently supports the Springbok team and its leadership are the very same people who cry wolf.

Erasmus, as the best rugby coach in the world, has shown us how to do it.

Do not select your leaders and team based on what your heart says.

Pick your best to be the best.

Come on, compatriots, drop your racist propensity when choosing leaders to lead us out of our economic and political quagmire.

Is it not time to pick our political leaders not based on race but on visionary leadership, integrity and grit to deliver a better SA for all of us?

Seize the moment on November 4 and elect the team to lead us to a better tomorrow.

Regurgitating the past has proved not to be the panacea which we hoped for.

Take advice from the Springboks leadership on how to ensure success.

Vote for the best to deliver the best.

Carpe diem.

Jonathan Lawack

I could tell you nothing about his match statistics or anything relating to his football career.

But when the news of his death broke a week ago, I was saddened by it, for the simple reason that the death of a young person who is at his prime is always sad.

But it was when I followed up on what had allegedly happened to him that the sadness evolved into something deeper — a pain and sorrow that I am yet to process.

It does not come from being familiar with him, but from the realisation that possibly a 25-year-old arrived at a point where taking his life was more bearable than living.

Frequent readers of my column know I am a huge proponent of the right to die.

I have made arguments in favour of the legalisation of assisted suicide and have consistently stated that the right to die is the ultimate measure of bodily autonomy and should not be reduced to a moral or religious issue.

But something about Jayden’s death [which his family have not confirmed of denied was by suicide, while police are conducting an inquest] gave me pause.

I have a younger brother, Lumumba, who just turned 23 in June.

I have raised him since we lost our single mother to cancer in 2017, and have watched him navigate different stages in his life.

Even now, as the law might deem him an adult, and I have created conditions for his growing independence, I still see him as a child.

This is not only because he is my dependent and I remain responsible for him as he navigates university, but because he is yet to fully develop intellectually and emotionally.

I know, from the experience of raising a young man, that even at the age of 23, which is only two years younger than the age that Jayden died, a young man has not fully developed their reasoning.

It is not a personal weakness, but a function of biology.

The human brain continues to grow and reorganise well into adulthood, with the prefrontal cortex — the area responsible for planning and impulse control — typically reaching maturity in the mid-20s.

However, recent extensive neuroscience research suggests that overarching structural brain architecture does not completely stabilise until the early 30s.

And so, in his early 20s, a young man’s brain has not fully learnt impulse control.

A lack of impulse control expresses itself in the inability to pause, think of consequences, and stop oneself from engaging in harmful or disruptive behaviours.

It often involves building internal tension, acting on an urge for immediate gratification, and feeling subsequent regret.

Jayden’s suicide, arising from an argument with his romantic partner, per reports and statements from his family, is a clear indication of this limited impulse control.

Older people know that relationships are difficult.

We have been betrayed, angered and heartbroken enough to have developed the ability to navigate such circumstances.

We have also experienced difficulties in life — loss, financial challenges, health problems, career stagnation, and so on — that age and maturity have equipped us with handling.

We know that tough times may endure, but they do eventually end.

This is not something a young person can easily comprehend, because their life experiences and cognitive abilities have not yet fully processed it.

Jayden’s death has made me rethink my position on the right to die — a right I initially argued should be universally applied.

And yet, as I sit here now thinking about him, I cannot help but question the validity of my logic.

With the understanding of the science of neurological development, I cannot reasonably stand on the argument that everyone should have the right to die.

I do not want my own brother to have the right to die because he is not fully developed enough to make this decision with the rationality it demands.

Jayden was not fully developed enough to have that right.

Society often treats talented and successful young people as mature.

We see someone like Jayden and expect them to have life figured out.

It is especially the case when such young people are the breadwinners in families — and this too is something I know on a deeply personal level.

But young people, even successful ones, even the ones who hold down jobs and live on their own, still require psychological, emotional, social and mental support.

They still require us to check up on them, guide them, and be patient with them as they navigate the vicissitudes of life.

We owe it to them, so that they don’t make the decision to die so easily.

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The national squads, announced following the country’s premier schools hockey tournament in KwaZulu-Natal, rewarded standout performances across the various age groups.

According to the published SuperSport Schools squad lists, EP players featured in the SA Schools U18A, U18B, U17A and SA Hockey 5s teams, underlining the depth of talent emerging through the province’s representative pathway.

Grey High’s Dale Jennings earned selection to the prestigious SA Schools U18A side as EP’s sole representative in the premier team.

The province had six players named in the SA Schools U18B squad, with Grey High’s Keegan le Roux, Ameer Muller, Ben Atkinson and Logan Goddard-Ford joined by Pearson High’s Chulumanco Mkontwana and Gregory Rodwell of St Andrew’s College.

EP’s representation extended into the SA Schools U17A side, where Grey High pair James Chree and Dante Elkington were selected alongside St Andrew’s College’s Luke Mason.

Le Roux was also rewarded with selection to the SA Hockey 5s team, where he was joined by Pearson High’s Zacharee McLean, making Le Roux the only EP player to earn honours in two national squads.

The selections came on the back of one of Eastern Province’s strongest overall performances at the IPT in recent years.

The U18A side claimed the province’s first medal in more than a decade after securing bronze in the premier division, while the U18B team finished fifth.

The U16A and U14A teams also placed fifth nationally, while the U16B side finished sixth, highlighting encouraging depth throughout the representative programme, EP U18 coach Andrew Beynon said.

While the bronze-medal finish attracted plenty of attention, Beynon believes the national recognition earned by the players is equally significant for the future of hockey in the province.

“It’s always fantastic to see your local boys acknowledged for their efforts,” he said.

“It’s nice to see the boys acknowledged for their achievements, but it also shows the younger players coming through that players from the province can achieve these things and their goals.”

He believes the latest selections should serve as motivation for aspiring players while also reinforcing the importance of continually strengthening Eastern Province’s representative structures if the province is to build on this year’s success.

“We’ve got the talent pool, but it’s about being better prepared every year from a high-performance model, trying to make sure our structures are improving year in and year out, that coaches remain motivated, hungry to improve their knowledge base and drive the system forward.”

The breadth of this year’s national selections, coupled with Eastern Province’s performances across the age-group tournaments, provides further evidence that the province’s schools hockey programme is producing players capable of competing with the country’s best while laying a solid foundation for future representative success.

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Oratuwe Olumiyo Makeka was playing with his six-year-old brother and friends in New Horizons, Plettenberg Bay, when he drowned in a pond next to a stormwater reservoir.

The tragedy, which saw emergency responders drain the pond to recover the child’s body, has sparked renewed calls for the municipality to provide safe recreational spaces where children can play without being exposed to dangerous hazards.

The grieving father said he had been at work when tragedy struck.

Little Oratuwe had gone out to play with his older brother, Sineqhayiya, in a nearby field.

By the time Futshane got home from work, the community was searching for his child — and that was when the panic set it.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that at 5.16pm on Friday, the Plettenberg Bay duty crew and emergency services were activated following an urgent request for assistance from first responders on the scene.

They were informed that a three-year-old boy had gone missing in the vicinity of a stormwater reservoir.

“Plettenberg Bay’s volunteer community emergency medical services and the SA Police Service had responded following reports of a toddler who had gone missing while playing with friends in New Horizons, bordering the N2 national road,” Lambinon said.

“On arrival, during the search and investigations, friends of the toddler indicated that he had gone missing after falling into a pond of water at a stormwater reservoir.

“While first responders and police commenced a search in and around the water, assisted by community members and the toddler’s family, NSRI Plettenberg Bay dispatched rescue swimmers and the NSRI rescue vehicle responded.

“The SA Whale Disentanglement Network’s long poles were used to drag search the bottom of the pond.”

Lambinon said the Plettenberg Bay fire and rescue services, Western Cape government health EMS and rescue squad, Bitou law enforcement, Bitou traffic services and Bitou municipal authorities had all responded.

“Water extrication pumps were deployed by rescue and municipal teams to drain the pond where the body of the child was located,” Lambinon said.

“The body of the child was recovered in co-operation with police and government health forensic services.

“Police have opened an inquest docket.

“Our condolences to the family.”

Futshane said children from the community often snuck off to the stormwater reservoir as there were no parks or open spaces nearby for them to play freely.

Oratuwe’s grandmother, Liziwe Futshane, who looks after the children while their father is at work, said as soon as she noticed Oratuwe was not in the house, she started looking for him.

She had asked neighbours if they had seen him but no-one knew where he was.

​“Oratuwe didn’t usually like playing outside,” she said.

“He preferred singing nursery rhymes and playing alone.

“So when I couldn’t find him in the house, I panicked and started searching for him.

“While I was looking, his brother came back home with wet clothes.

“When I asked what had happened he said an older boy had come by and thrown water at them.

“But he didn’t say where his brother was.

“I then asked him to show us where they had been playing and he took us to a ditch.”

She said when it became clear Oratuwe was not there, they returned home to keep searching for him.

After some time, the older brother and their two friends finally took them to the spot where they had been playing when Oratuwe drowned.

She said they immediately contacted the authorities.

​Futshane said he was led to the scene by community members.

There, he saw a crowd had gathered while the NSRI rescue team searched for his son.

“We are all in pain,” he said.

“The mother of my child is devastated.

“Sineqhayiya is also not feeling well.

“He screamed Oratuwe’s name in his sleep last [Sunday] night and has been asking for him.

“We are also trying to be empathetic towards him because he is still just a child.

“According to him, they went there to wash their hands after they were done playing and then they slipped and fell in.

“The boys’ stories are not consistent but we understand that they are all just kids and traumatised by what happened.”

Futshane said he had moved to Plettenberg Bay from Cape Town in March to try to improve his life and find work.

He had only been employed for the past two months.

He said he was therefore still trying to raise the funds for his son’s burial.

He would remember little Oratuwe for his beautiful smile, laughter and love for maskandi music.

“He brought so much brightness to our lives,” he said.

Ward 3 councillor Thembela Mhlana said the community was still in shock.

“The are no parks or play areas for kids in the townships,” Mhlana said.

“We had an initiative called ‘adopt a park’ but that did not go far in the townships.

“This drowning was not something we could have anticipated but now we need to come up with a plan to prevent this from ever happening again.”

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The tongue-in-cheek remark contains some truth, as we have become a very litigious society.

Our justified frustration and anger at a range of political and economic shortcomings often convince us to take our complaints and conflicts to our courts.

Our courts do wonderful, important work, and of course some conflicts should be resolved through the assistance of a court of law.

But there remains a tremendous number of conflicts that are referred to courts and various tribunals that have simply become a part of our unresolved conflicts and the resultant increased frustration and anger around us.

Court cases and other similar tribunal resolution mechanisms can take many months, or years, to resolve.

They more often cost money that most of us simply do not have, or could have used in a more constructive way.

The limited options available to a court or tribunal often cannot reach into the essence of the problem, leaving everyone involved more frustrated and cynical than at the start of the process.

The very process itself invariably creates further frustration, fear and animosity, and relationships are destroyed forever, all in this resumed process to achieve justice.

These results often make a bad situation worse, and lead to increased scepticism about people and processes.

Civil disputes are often settled around the question of costs, adding additional burdens on people already under tremendous pressure.

It is good that we have these sophisticated systems available to us, but it is also high time that we work on our conflict competency, and that we acquire the skill to resolve our own professional and personal conflicts effectively, and without having to resort to litigation.

That does not mean we should compromise or be conflict avoidant, but that we learn how to be effective in these conflicts, that we learn the strategies available to us, and that we integrate these modern best practices into our personal lives, our workplaces and how we do business.

Personal conflict skills, mediation, arbitration and a range of other solutions are generally far superior strategies compared to litigation.

Contact Andre Vlok at andre@conflict1.co.za for questions and comments.