Author: Larson Thebe
The Springboks Sevens team could only manage a sixth-place finish at the Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday, while the Springboks Women’s Sevens counterparts failed to register a win at the tournament. This after Fiji defeated the Blitzboks 33-14 in their last match at the tournament to finish at sixth-place, which is a big improvement on their 11th-place finish at the previous tournament in Los Angeles.The Blitzboks were knocked out of the tournament on Saturday when they lost 15-0 in the quarterfinals against Australia. There were expectations when the team performed well in their pool phases, by defeating Ireland 22-17, Samoa…
Former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is innocent and will clear herself given a chance. This is according to her special adviser and spokesperson, Mike Ramagoma, after the former speaker was granted bail of R50 000 by the Pretoria Magistrates Court. She is facing 12 charges of corruption and one of money laundering following investigations into allegations during her tenure as the Minister of Defence. According to the charges, in the period between 2016 and 2019, she allegedly solicited an amount of approximately R4,5 million, of which R2,1 million was received in cash. But Ramagoma has vehemently denied the charges, alleging…
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has resigned as both the Speaker of National Assembly and a Member of Parliament, with immediate effect. This is according to a letter she submitted to the Acting Speaker of National Assembly, Lechesa Tsenoli. “I have made this conscious decision in order to dedicate my time and focus to deal with the recently announced investigation against me by our country’s law enforcement agencies. My resignation is in no way an indication or admission of guilt regarding the allegations being levelled against me. I have made this decision in order to uphold the integrity and sanctity…
The Springboks Sevens team is hoping for a better performance at the HSBC Hong Kong Sevens which kicks off on Friday. This after the dismal performance by the team at the tournaments in Vancouver, Cape Town, and Los Angeles. The below par performance resulted in the departure of Head coach Sandile Ngcobo, who returned to the role of coach to the next generation of sevens players, while Philip Snyman took over as head coach of the Blitzboks until the end of July. Blitzboks captain Selvyn Davids said much hasn’t changed since the appointment of Snyman and that there’s been a…
The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an application by National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, to block her arrest by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate. The court ruled that there was no urgency in the application brought by Mapisa-Nqalula’s legal team last week. The speaker is accused of alleged corruption amounting to R2.3 million from a defence contractor during her tenure as Defence Minister. “In the applicant’s affidavit, there are a variety of emotive garnishing on which the court unfortunately cannot take cognizance and make factual decisions on that. However, even the court finds that the matter is…
The Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has expressed concern about the reckless motorist’s behaviour on the country’s roads during this Easter weekend. This as she hinted that they don’t expect a low number of road fatalities when the statistics are released soon, due to several factors. Her comments come as most motorists make their way back home from the Easter holidays. “What we have observed across the country, there is serious reckless driving, influenced by quite a number of issues including drunk driving and speeding, particularly by young people. Many of these accidents happen at night, and its people who…
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis felt relieved after the team’s experienced players made a timeous return to the squad ahead of a the final two-legged round of the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifier against arch-rival Nigeria. Bambanani Mbani, Tiisetso Makhubela and captain Refiloe Jane, have all been named in the 24-squad that will also include a mixture of young players. Ellis said the players will boost the team’s confidence and welcome their return. “There’s one thing that you can never buy and its experience. But experience only helps when it adds value, and if it doesn’t add value anymore then it’s just…
The uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK) said it wants a full probe following a car accident that involved former president Jacob Zuma hit a state armoured vehicle that was transporting Zuma. This after an alleged drunk driver collided with the vehicle, that was transporting Zuma from Nkandla to eShowe on Thursday afternoon. No one was injured in the accident and Zuma was whisked away back to his home. A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and reckless and negligent driving. Zuma was enroute to eShowe to campaign for MK. But the MK, which is Zuma new political home,…
A horrific bus accident along the R518, at the Mma Matlakala Bridge between Marken and Mokopane in Limpopo, has claimed the lives of 45 worshippers. An eight-year-old girl is the sole survivor of the crash and is recovering at a nearby health facility. All the victims are Botswana nationals who were reportedly travelling to Moria, for the Easter weekend church service. “The bus had a total of 46 people on board, including the driver. “It has a Botswana registration number, and a process to confirm the citizenship of the victims will only commence, after the foreign missions of both South…
The bodies of two people have been recovered from a red pickup truck, which was under water where the Baltimore bridge collapsed. Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a ship struck it, plunging them into the waters below. Two of the workers were rescued on the day, but the search continues for the other four – all presumed dead. Salvage crews are working to address hazardous materials and accident investigators are on the scene. Four of the six victims of the bridge collapse have been named so far. At a news conference on Wednesday, Maryland State Police identified…