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WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2013
Who will be next? New NC premier to be announced } Boipelo Mere BY the time you read this article it could be that you have already recovered from the shock announcement of some dark horse to become the premier of the Northern Cape. The thing about the ANC in general is that leadership positions are not reserved for anyone, not even to that capable person the community prefers. An unforgettable story in Klerksdorp goes that in a particular ward the ANC removed a candidate preferred by the community and replaced him with another comrade, the whole community rallied behind the rejected Ntate Moleme who won the ward by a big margin and shamed those who rejected him. The situation in the Northern Cape is different in that it is not election time, it is just that on Friday, 1 March, the Northern Cape community does not want an actress or actor to give the state of the province address. Here are four people who can fit well as premiers of the province only if wishes were horses.
TINA JOEMATTPETTERSON: Even before she left the province to become a cabinet minister she was already behaving like a prima donna, seeing provincial politics as below her worth. But can this feisty woman deliver? Yes, big time. In fact, she can whip the province to its glory days as number one in everything ex cept soccer. She definitely features high on the wish list. It’s a pity she is refusing. Photo: Boipelo Mere
GODFREY OLIPHANT: He al ways appears as a possible can didate, but always falls short of reaching the destination. Re member, when all were at a loss at the height of JT Gaet sewe schools boycott he single handendly convinced the rioters to stop as he had secured funds for the building of roads. Give that Warrenton man a chance.
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GRIZELDA CJIEKELA: Giv en her delivery in the past year as an ac tress she did not do bad ly, she is worthy of a try.
JOHN BLOCK: JB, as he is known in the underworld of wheeling and dealing, is as complete a politician as they come. He is a senior politician and can address the funding mode used to fund the prov ince at an equal status with national colleagues. The 2% from national treas ury is an insult to the big province. Photo: Charné Kemp
Photo: Boipelo Mere
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RAF in Northern Cape in chaos } Boipelo Mere
QUEUES of frustrated RAF claimants at the city hall.
Photo: Boipelo Mere
THE Road Accident Fund (RAF) promised to resource the Kimberley office that is based at the Kimberley Hospital as soon as possible. That happened after complaints were raised by community members in the Northern Cape that they never find anyone at the office as it is always closed. A response was given that a man from Colesberg is currently helping out at the office and is expected to service the whole of
the province. According to the RAF, they advertised for the job for an office-based person before, but no one applied. The community complained that the office was closed all the time and they could not get assistance from the male office bearer, whose numbers were on the notice board outside the office. They said they were left hopeless after submitting claims at the RAF office and hardly ever heard anything from the office after the
application. That is what led to the long queues of desperate RAF claimants at the city hall who needed to know the status of their claims. Some of the claimants who made claims in or before 2011 said they heard from RAF for the first time a week before their visit to Kimberley. The RAF spent the week before their On the Road campaign in Kimberley where they telephonically invited the claimants and made road
blocks where they handed out flyers. The fund brought a bus load of experts ranging from forensic investigators, a finance team and a team of the Patient Outreach Programme (POP). Daniel Long, who arrived on a bicycle from Hopetown, was very dissatisfied about the pace to sort out his claim. He submitted a claim in 2010 to a male person who only made copies of his document and promised to get back to him. He has spent a lot of transport money travelling between Hopetown and Kimberley, only to find the office closed every time he went there. He said he even went to the extend of calling the provided number, whose owner always claims to be outside Kimberley. “They have not responded to me until today. “What I want to know is why they have to have an office that is always closed,” said the frustrated Long. Dr Eugene Watson, who is the CEO of RAF, admitted that they did not reach enough community members in the province due to its vastness. He promised to return in a month’s time to meet with the stakeholders to draft a programme in order to be more accessible to the community. He added the Northern Cape did not have the highest accident rates maybe because some of the cases were not reported.
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Health train on its way to Kby to help community } Boipelo Mere
THESE two boys (pictured in the blue and red Tshirts) from Galeshewe call themselves ILP Skotanas as they claim to live expensive lifestyles. Photo: Boipelo Mere
What a waste . . . } Boipelo Mere
THESE two teenage boys from Galeshewe call themselves ILP Skotanas as they claim to live cheese lives. They were spotted by the Express Northern Cape reporter followed by masses of school learners during the day where they perform different dance moves in the middle of tar roads. When they were approached in their strange walk in Adam Nomakola Street, the teenagers shyly denied claims that they are the township skotanas. According to the followers, mostly 10-yearolds, they frequently go to the Galeshewe library where most of the learners go on their way home. On arrival they compete with another group where they splash 2 F cold drinks on other children and all over, tear their clothes and their ties and even throw and de-
stroy their phones on the floor. One of them was even seen tearing his tekkies into pieces and throwing money away. The other group went heavy as they went to buy custard and squirted it all over the place. A learner of the same age in the audience said she knew one of the boys and claimed that he was from a struggling family. “His parents are struggling but he is wasting and pretending to be a real skotana only to show off,” said the learner. A disgusted parent who always witnesses the boys’ behaviour said it was very sad to see what peer pressure can do to children, especially teenagers. “Even in this poverty-stricken community they are still doing that. “Their parents are trying their best to dress and feed them, but they waste their efforts away,” said the parent.
THE Phelophepa Health-Care Train will soon make its precence felt at the Beaconsfield Station, Kimberley. The train is expected to stay in town for almost two weeks which is from 18 to 28 March. Already five towns in the Northern Cape had an opportunity of experiencing the quality health services that Phelophepa delivers. After the De Aar Station, the train will be heading straight to Kimberley. The health-care train, which is reported to have changed the lives of more than 20 million people, is on one of its annual tours around the country whereby it provides good quality health care free of charge to poorer communities. After the realisation of the long distances rural patients need to walk in order to access health care, the Transnet Foundation brought the Phelophepa Train to life as a social responsibility project to give back to the communities that are in dire need of health care. The aim of the train is not just to provide quality mobile health care, but to also offer opportunities for community upliftment. Thus the project makes use of active members in the com-
munity to market the train’s arrival to ensure that the surrounding areas are aware of when Phelophepa will be available and to help with the set-up for the train at each station. The train has already covered Colesberg, Kakamas, Upington, Prieska and De Aar. Phelophepa offers eye and dental care, screening for diabetes and cancer, as well as psychological counselling services to the poor. An on-board pharmacy dispenses the necessary medication either for free or at the lowest prices possible. The 18-coach train has 20 dedicated fulltime staff members, as well as 40 volunteer students at any given time.
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Event to promote tourism } Boipelo Mere THE National Federation of Tourist Guides Initiative which was achieved in 2009 by government still remains fractured in the Northern Cape and other provinces. According to the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, John Block, an executive committee was put in place, but there are still no associations in some provinces. The initiative was put in place as a support and development mechanism to ensure that tourist guides are successful and become well established entrepreneurs. Block highlighted this to the 120 guests and tourist guides during a gala event at the Flamingo Casino. The event formed part of the two day International Tourist Guides’ Day celebration hosted by the Provincial Economic Development and Tourism and National Department of Tourism. It provided a platform to showcase tourist guiding in South Africa by making the industry and the general public aware of the tourist guiding profession. The event also provided a platform for tourist guides, tourism stakeholders, government departments and tourism authorities involved in tourist guiding to engage and share information on important developments and challenges in
the tourist guiding sector. The deputy minister of Tourism, Tokozile Xasa, named the tour guides ‘brand ambassadors’ as they act as ambassadors for their countries – as well as help to explain the unique culture and heritage of a nation to visitors. She said the theme for the year being Tourist Guiding in the 21st Century does not only address the challenges experienced in the sector, but also the opportunities that are available to tourist guides to grow their businesses. Block also highlighted the huge challenge that the tourist guiding fraternity are faced with of staying relevant in this competitive business tourism environment and not being organised. He called on mainstream tourism product owners to assist government’s efforts to extend their skills and opportunities to members of previously disadvantaged communities, and urged them to assist in giving exposure to local tourist guides and share it with them in order to ensure an equal spread of the benefits accruing from the growth of tourism visitation statistics. According to Block, efforts by government in tightening legislation around compliance and illegal operation within the tourist guiding sector as illegal tourist guiding has proven to be a global challenge. The deputy minister announced the successful agreement by the
DEE KAMO entertained the guests during the gala event at the Fla mingo Casino. Photos: Boipelo Mere
THE deputy minister of Tourism, Tokozile Xasa, addressed the guests during the International Tour Guides Day celebration in Kimberley.
National Department of Tourism (NDT), with the Culture, Arts, Tourism and Hospitality Sports Sector Education Training Authority (CATHSSETA) to prioritise tourist guide training and development throughout South Africa. “The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CATHSSETA also seeks to address areas of transformation within the tourist guiding sector, as well as the maintenance of standards through quality training and
guiding issues relating to tour operators and related regulations in the National Land Transport Act,” she explained. Xasa concluded by encouraging the importance of maintaining a well centralised database of tourist guides in order to start engaging with the Department of Home Affairs, Justice, and other relevant authorities to ensure that the information received in the provinces is subjected to a vetting process as prescribed in the Tourism Act of 1993.
effective skills development programmes aimed at enhancing the skills of existing tourist guides. “We went further to engage the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to educate traffic officials throughout South Africa on how to enforce the legislation pertaining to tourist guides. “The NDT will also be working closely with the Department of Transport with the view of ensuring enforcement of tourist
Show their support YONDER, the centre for adults with intellectual disabilities, held a Cansa Shavathon as part of their fund raising initia tive for cancer. Residents, vol unteers and staff members of the centre all had a special treat of spraying their heads. Photos: Boipelo Mere
“WHY is my beard bloody” Jannie van Zyl cried out after looking into the mirror.
RONEL KRUGER enjoyed the hairdo by Brunnie Botha from Cansa.
THE director of Yonder, Jan nie van Zyl, had to be dragged out of his busy schedule to have his hair painted.
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Own investigation done } Boipelo Mere SAMWU invites the Sol Plaatje Municipality to join their team of investigators in the deaths of the five municipal workers who died at the sewerage plant in November last year. The union decided to conduct their own investigation in order to compare it with the one from the Department of Labour. According to Duma Lebakeng, the provincial secretary of Samwu, they are concerned about the delay in the Department of Labour’s speed in releasing their report concerning the incident. “We understand that they are still doing investigations, thus we also appointed our own task team to conduct investigations along with the Labour Department, because we smell
a rat on the municipality’s site. “We don’t want to speculate, thus we decided to release our own internal report,” he emphasised. Lebakeng addressed the media during the launch of their provincial health and safety structure at the sewerage plant where their fellow comrades had died. He further revealed that the over 7 000 members of Samwu were facing challenges of health and safety, because the municipality did not adhere to the labour laws. According to Lebakeng, the Sol Plaatje Municipality forgot about the families of the deceased workers. “We requested that after the funeral the municipality had to appoint at least one family member of the deceased. They have not done that yet,” he added.
THE waste removal reactors where the bugs eat up all the harmful particles in the water before the water is transferred to the activators.
THE secondary settlement tanks which pump the water to the garden fields and the mines. Photo: Boipelo Mere
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PICTURED are Sandile Ckebekule, the Francis Baard co足ordinator of the Eco Schools programme, Ronnie Morwe, who was the acting mayor of the Sol Plaatje Municipality, and a Thabane High School teacher, Neo Modise. Thabane High was one of the schools that were awarded a Green Flag. Photo: Boipelo Mere
Gold winners to participate } Boipelo Mere
ALL gold award winners of who participated in the Eco Schools programme during the 2012 academic year will have the opportunity of competing for the international Green Flag next year. The announcement was made during the award ceremony gala dinner that was hosted by the MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation, Sylvia Lucas. A total of 60 schools throughout the province participated in the programme whereby they were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals and a Green Flag. The bronze certificate winners are the first year entrants, silver are the second year, the Green Flag are the third year and the gold winners are the fourth year entrants of the project. To enter the competition all schools sub-
mitted their portfolios which were evaluated by the department. The department in return made quarterly visits to the schools and awarded them the awards if their portfolios were up to standard. The Eco Schools programme is a programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education and operates in more than 46 countries worldwide. It aims at improving environmental learning at the school and eco-tourism in the respective areas. In South Africa, Eco Schools support the National Curriculum Statement from gr. R up to gr. 12. The acting premier, Crizelda Cjiekella, applauded the Northern Cape in its achievement of being awarded the number one performing province in the Eco Schools programme by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) in 2012.
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THE residents of Tambo Square also said they are going ahead with the process of building their shacks next to West End.
Photo: Boipelo Mere
Frustration leads to land grabbing } Boipelo Mere
THE season for land grabbing is upon the Sol Plaatje Municipality and this time it is likely to spread to all suburbs of the city if the frustrated residents have their way. What frustrates people is the failure of the municipality to provide land for housing to the people. The municipality rather gives the land that belongs to the community to individuals through auctioning. For many years the people in the black and coloured areas never had an opportunity to see housing development of their choice except when national government allocated money for RDP housing and even then only few sub-standard houses were build.
Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape and is bound to have public servants who are largely middle-income earners. They cannot afford houses that are in the market because they are overpriced. The sad thing is that public servants cannot by law own RDP houses as they are preserved for poor and low-income earners. These are people who earn less than R3 500 per month. Naturally when there are land grabs, public servants will be involved as they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. However, the recent acts of land grabbing in West End near the VIP Shopping Complex, near Vuyolethu High School and the much talked about Colville shacks, is an indication of people who are determined to do things for
themselves rather than wait for people in the municipality or Human Settlement Department who seem contend to be reactionaries. Speaking to a community leader in Floors and Colville, Shane Griqua, Express Northern Cape found that people have endured unbearable hardship in the hands of their leaders for decades. Colville has been ignored “Colville has been the most ignored part of the town for so long that one wonders if we are part of Kimberley. There is no development in terms of infrastructure, recreational facilities or roads taking place here. Everything is going to Galeshewe and the suburbs. “It is unbelievable that we don’t even have an ATM in our township. “We are dying from dust here as we are surrounded by mining dumps,’’ said Griqua. He further revealed that De Beers allocated the community of Colville the land it used near Colville and Hull Street for housing purposes and nothing has been done so far. Griqua mentioned a four-roomed house where 26 people lived in. He also quoted a situation where a poor man dug a hole to sleep and another wheelchair-bound man slept outside under a tree. Government knows “It is not like government does not know these things, they do. It is just that the government has decided to ignore us. There is a social worker who comes to the makeshift hall and only stays for 30 minutes or an hour twice a week,” continued Griqua. With regard to the building of shacks Griqua said the municipality had to provide sanitation, water and other services. Griqua threw in a passing shot that apart from the exorbitant municipal manager’s six digit salary, the municipality is at present paying R6 million per month to a Gauteng
company just to sent SMS’s to residents to remind them to pay their rates. Meanwhile people have already mapped their stands in the empty, but swampy land between Tambo Square and West End. Land already approved According to the leading committee, land has long been approved as a residential area and was shown to the residents at an IDP meeting held in the Bantu Hall. According to them, funds were allocated for mapping and infrastructure development, but the municipality seems to be dragging its feet. “The municipality is looking at ways to interdict us, but we have resolved to go ahead and erect our shacks. They will follow later when they have made peace with reality,” said Simon Lekau, coordinator. He further revealed they were doing the municipality a favour by using the area as it had turned into a haven for criminals who hide there and rob, rape and attack passersby. He said they were aware that West End residents live in fear of criminals who hide in the veld. A nearby house owner said although he understood the plight of those people he was just concerned the value of his house was going to drop. They had arranged to build 250 shacks, but they are confronted with a list of more than 500 land seekers. They planned to give the list to government so they should appreciate the severity of the problem. Last week Friday the municipality tried to stop the residents by sending members of the SAPS to threaten them. The residents demanded to see the mayor and municipal manager who did not respond to their demands, which resulted in the police leaving the scene.
SHANE GRIQUA in Piritjie Steyn’s shack in Colville. Steyn is grateful for the plot and is already staying in it on a permanent basis. He said he was praying day and night for the municipality not to remove them as he had nowhere else to go.
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LEVERTH VAN WYK’S dream is to become a dog train er as he can communicate well with dogs.
RAHJENDRA BEUKES with the music box that he build with his own hands. Photos: Boipelo Mere
ASPIRING cyclist Alcino Anthony belongs to PWC.com cycling group. He is the only one without sponsorship.
us and were voted out and now he wants to sneak in some sympathy from the community so that he can rise again. “To hell with him, man.” Another youth pointed out they mostly drop out of school at gr. 10 because there is no motivation to carry on with their schooling. But he admitted that peer pressure and substance abuse play a role in their dropping out of school. Another youth, who once belonged to a dance group called Zanion Flames which used to mesmerise people with their silky diski dance during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, says many talented youths end up turning to drugs since they receive no support either from the Sol Plaatjie Municipality or Northern Cape Provincial Government. “The interest in diski dance stopped long ago just after the final whistle of the final game of Fifa World Cup in 2010, as if there is no soccer anymore in the country,” says the dejected dancer. Asked about the reputation of Colville as a place of gangsters, Brinsley Griqua answered that the place is now peaceful as well-known gangsters have retired. According to Griqua their main challenge is drugs and glue, but they refuse to classify marijuana as drugs. Griqua intimated that he was proud to live in Colville as it had a pool of talented youth.
THE diski dancers Zanion Flames (front) and Mario An gelo ended up joining the ‘stoepsitters’ who say they spend the day hanging out at the shops, discussing life. They claim not to have any hope left.
Colville – place without hope
} Boipelo Mere AT FACE value anyone passing through Colville, a depressing suburb in Kimberley, can feel the heavy air of poverty whistling as residents crisscross St Paul Street and disappear into the few short streets on either side. This is the place were many residents, who are mainly coloureds, live a life of no hope. Grabbing the land to build shacks along the sloot running between Florianville and Colville seems to have worked a trick as Colville is now on the spotlight. Speaking to youths who hang around the shops in Lucy Street everyday, Express NC learned that everyone felt sure that they were forgotten people. The group call themselves ‘die stoepsitters’ as they sit on the stoep most of the time. They think that it would be a waste of time for them to fight for the land by the new shacks because they would never get a plot, even though they will be making efforts of reducing the overcrowdedness in their homes. Most of them revealed they were living at least ten or more in a four-room house. They would also not qualify because they had no children given their age. “We need a direction to start something of our own. We have no
‘It is a disgrace to see a failed former councillor pretending to be fighting alongside the people when they are fighting for the right to the land. He and his party did noth ing for us and were voted out and now he wants to sneak in some sympathy from the community so that he rise again. To hell with him, man.’ sports facilities, no jobs, skills or even projects. We are clearly sidelined,” said a disgruntled youth who looks like the leader of the pack. The youth says there is no difference between the present DA councillor and the former ANC councillors. They all go to sleep and enjoy their monthly salaries as soon as they are voted in. “It is a disgrace to see a failed former councillor pretending to be fighting alongside the people when they are fighting for the right to the land. “He and his party did nothing for
Ceremony held for soccer players } Boipelo Mere THE ceremonial sent off for the 40 offenders who will be representing the Free State and Northern Cape region during the upcoming national offenders tournament in Pretoria Correctional Centre was hosted. The Regional Commissioner for Free State and Northern Cape, Subashni Moodley, together with her entire executive council treated the team to a banquet at Tswelopele Correctional Centre. The 40 members constituted by 20 males and 20 females offenders who were carefully selected from all management areas within the two regions are
expected to put the region on the map during the two-day tournament. At least 200 offenders from across the country are expected to participate in the national soccer tournament. Their selection to the top squad is a culmination of a very prudent and rigorous assortment process which was embarked upon in January for all offenders with keen interest in this sporting code. They are therefore expected to put the name of this region on the map. The event was regarded by the centres as a historic and momentous landmark as it will mark and highlight the impor-
tance of ensuring that offender well-being is being taken care of. Correctional Services also considers sports as the cornerstone for correcting offending behaviour and rehabilitating those within their care. It was during the ceremony that Moodley told the offenders that they were chosen because they were amongst the best in the region. “And for that reason you should really applaud yourselves for having gone this far. “I would like to thank all of you today for having made the right decision and tapping into those opportunities,” said Moodley.
COACH JAKE MATHABA with some of the offenders who were host ed.
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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE, WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2013
NEWS CREATE AWARENESS: Beautiful Beginning observed cancer by allowing the children’s and teachers’ heads to be sprayed and gelled to create awareness for cancer. The centre also did this in loving memory of their fouryearold fellowlearner, Lufuno Leleka (pic tured in the photo frame), who died last week due to cancer. Photo: Ruan Bruwer
Event an educational tool } Boipelo Mere THE Northern Cape will form part of the countrywide events to raise awareness about the repercussions of the Natives Land Act of 1913. The provincial celebration is expected to be coordinated by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in Upington and other towns in June. The June 2013 centenary commemoration is expected to be an important educational and historic event whereby South Africans are able to say “never again shall it be that the natural resources of this wonderful land be shared by some to the exclusion of others”. The Natives Land Act of 1913 carved a deep wound on the inhabitants of South Africa as it was the start of a long road of modern oppression. The full repercussions of the act led to much hardship and poverty and divided
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communities and families and scattered people to other parts of our country. The sole objective of this act by parliament was to regulate the acquisition of land by the natives, which formed an integral part of the system of apartheid. The Native’s Land Act was the first major piece of legislation promulgated by the Union Parliament, and remained a cornerstone of apartheid until the 1990s when it was replaced by the current policy of land restitution. The act decreed that only certain areas of the country could be owned by natives. The natives could only “own” approximately 7% of the total land of South Africa. The act created a system of land tenure that deprived the majority of South Africa’s inhabitants of the right to own land. Consequently, this regulatory framework had major socio-economic repercussions, and the result of this deprivation is still evident today.
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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE , WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2013
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An open letter to Oscar Pistorius Letters
Express Letters, P.O. Box 1583, Kby, 8300 Boipelo Mere Boipelo.mere@volksblad.com Tel: 053-831-2331. Fax: 053-831-2330
} ABDULAFEEZ ANIMASHAUN: OKAY, Mr Oscar Pistorius, let me get this straight, you were aware that Reeva Steenkamp was staying at your house that night, right? And, from the look of things, you both slept in the same bed.
So, a strange sound wakes you up deep into the night, and what would a “vulnerable” person do in that scenario? If Reeva was indeed sleeping next to you, you’d tap her gently, she wakes and you ask her: “Did you hear that sound? It’s coming from the bathroom.” And Reeva would have said: “It could be a burglar, call the police” or “Bring your gun, let’s go check it out”. But, no, that didn’t happen, Mr Oscar, you didn’t first check to know where your girlfriend was. You simply picked up your gun and headed straight to where the “strange noise” was coming from – your bath-
Many lost to minnows
THE Nedbank Cup pits the minnows of the game against the giants of the Premiership and there have been some shock results over the last four decades. 1971: Pimville Champions beat Lamontville Golden Arrows, one of the founder members of the NPSL, 6-2 in their Life Challenge Cup quarter-final after the two teams had drawn their first encounter 1-1 after extra time, but then refused to hold a penalty shoot-out, preferring to replay the match instead. This is still a record loss for a top league side against lower league opposition. 1978: A hat-trick from Johannes Simelane helped Alexandria Blackpool beat Arcadia 4-3 in the quarter-final of the Mainstay Cup to become the first side from lower leagues to reach the semi-final of the major cup competition in the multi-racial era. Blackpool lost to Chiefs in the semi-final, who in turn lost to Wits in the final. 1980: Highlands Park were League champions in 1980, but they fell in the first round of the Mainstay Cup to Mamelodi United, whose scored the winning goal in extra-time through Jan Msiza to win 3-2 at Mamelodi. They later won promotion to the top flight as well. 1991: Zola Young Stars beat Orlando Pirates 5-3 on post-match penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first round of the Bob Save Super Bowl. The Bucs team that day include Bernard Lushozi, Johnny Masegela, Aubrey Lekwane, Lawrence Maake and current Maritzburg coach Ian Palmer. 1996: Hellenic finished in the top six in the League, but lost in the first round of the Super Bowl 0-1 to Park United on the night the PSL was officially launched. It was the second successive season the amateurs had taken a topflight scalp. Hellenic lost to Mannenberg Dolphins in the first round the next year as well. 1997: Gavin Hunt took First Division Seven Stars all the way to the Super Bowl semi-final as they beat Umtata Bush Bucks 3-1 in the last eight, but then lost on penalties to Sundowns in the semi-finals. Some 5 000 spectators packed into the Nyanga Stadium which could only hold 2 000 for the win over Bucks. 1998: Bloemfontein Young Tigers had two easy rounds, but then beat Santos 2-0 in the quarter-final before Chiefs were knocked out in the last four. It was after this that the Cape side bought Abram Raselemane, who went on to play for Bafana Bafana, from Tigers. 2003: Surprise Moriri and Koeketso Mmotong were unknowns from the Second Division when they scored the goals that beat Pirates 2-0 in the second round of the Absa Cup. Owen da Gama’s Stars were then beaten by Jomo Cosmos in the quarter-finals, but won promotion the same season. 2008: Mpumalanga Black Aces became the first lower league side since Florida Albion in the old whites-only league in 1973 to reach the final of the major South African knockout competition. But they played three lower league sides before upsetting Free State Stars in the semi-final. 2009: The University of Pretoria became the first lower league side since Seshego Stonebreakers in the late 1970s to beat Chiefs in a cup tie, winning a thrilling 4-3 triumph in the second round with the decisive goal netted by Phenyo Mongala. AmaTuks then upset Celtic and Ajax Cape Town to reach the final. 2010: Puk Tawana started a run of upsets with a triumph over Platinum Stars in the first round and FC Cape Town. They then beat Chiefs at Botshabelo in the second round with a stunning goal from teenager Lyle Lakay. 2011: Part-timers Baroka FC beat Swallows and then Chiefs on their way to the semi-finals. They defeat both sides 2-1, Swallows in the second round and Chiefs in the quarter-finals. 2013: The QwaQwa-based Maluti FET College, which is campaigning in the Second Division, hammered Orlando Pirates 4-1 in the Last 32 stage of the Nedbank Cup at the weekend.
room. Though I do not know the level of sophistication or stupidity of the average South African burglar or intruder, but back home in Nigeria where I come from, burglars or intruders don’t enter your house just to use the bathroom, like seriously? I understand, Mr Oscar, that you live in one of those highbrow neighbourhoods in Pretoria, a fortified housing estate with armed private security guards and all, and a burglar/intruder beats all this and heads straight to your bathroom? For argument’s sake, let’s agree that you truly thought she was a burglar/intruder hiding in your
bathroom. So, Oscar, you come out with your gun pointed towards the bathroom door, you still don’t know where Reeva is. You were not worried if this “intruder” had molested, was still molesting or murdered your girlfriend or if she was being held hostage right there in the bathroom. A normal gun owner in that situation would probably have asked: “Who’s there? Reeva, is that you?” but NO . . . our dear “blade runner” closed his eyes and opened fire, four times hitting his target spot on. For now you have been granted bail until June, you now have more time to improve on your story.
The South African police also now have more time to further scuttle this murder case and probably look for an ex-police officer on death-row to come lead this investigation. It does look like several “powerful” elements in South Africa (and the sports branding world) want you to become a free man. You are one of those international inspirational icons who makes this “rainbow” nation look good. Mandela is already too old. Another thing you have got on your side is that you are not a firebrand critic of President Jacob Zuma or the ANC and so they may let you off the hook.
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Pupil versatile in sport } Boipelo Mere CONNOR NORMAN is an eightyear-old pupil at the Herlear Primary School in the diamond rich Kimberley. His achievements in kickboxing, athletics, cricket and soccer have led him to be chosen as Express Northern Cape’s Let’s Play Sports Star of the Month. Although he only took up kickboxing in 2011 he has already competed in three major sporting events and has achieved success in both provincial and national levels. His first competition took place in Cape Town at the South African Open Sports Martial Arts Championships, where he was awarded a gold medal for points fighting in the six- to seven-yearold Novice category and a bronze medal for continuous fighting in the six- to seven-year-old Open Division. That same year he competed at the NMA/ISKA Diamond Classic in Kimberley where he won a gold medal for points fighting and two bronze medals for continuous fighting and high kicks. At the NMA/ISKA Northern Classic held in Johannesburg he won two gold medals for points fighting and continuous fighting in addition to a bronze medal for high kicks. Furthermore, this sporting dynamo was voted Best Junior Beginner and second place Overall Best Beginner by
the Lessing Martial Arts Academy in 2011. He was also selected as a member of the Official South African NMA/ISKA Sports Martial Arts Team to attend the 2012 ISKA World Championships where he achieved first place in creative forms and third places respectively in points fighting, continuous fighting and clash sparring. The avid kick boxer is also a seasoned athlete having won gold medals in all his athletics meetings including the Frances Baard Junior Athletics meeting in 2011 for u.7 60 m and 8 m and again in 2012 for u.8 60 m and 80 m as well as the Kimberley Schools Junior Athletics meeting in 2013 for the u.9 60 m and 80 m. His athletics achievements saw him being named his school’s victor ludorum for athletics. Connor also plays for his school’s u.9 soccer and u.11 cricket teams. With his motivation, focus and hard work, Connor has a bright sporting future ahead of him. Send your Sports Star nomination for school learners between the ages of 6 and 18 today (nominations received before the 20th of each month will be included in that month’s selection). You can email your nomination to supersport@zpr.co.za or fax to 086-5524922. For information contact Lynne or Juanré at Z PR on 051-430-3027.
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THE Northern Cape Amateur Boxing Organisation (NCABO) hosted an interclub boxing tournament whereby five selected boxers will represent the province at the national trials in New Castle in March. The teams that participated in the tournament were Tetlanyo, Bushy, Freedom, Boys in the Hood, Home Defenders and Tseketseke Boxing Club. During the tournament NCABO handed over boxing material to all the teams which consisted of speed balls, skipping ropes, pairs of gloves, head guards and kitbags. Pictured are the proud beneficiaries of the Just Do It Boxing Club, Wilson Habi and Andries Phete, with their equipment. Photo: Boipelo Mere
CONNOR NORMAN(8) was chosen as Sports Star of the Month.