Author: newsnote correspondent
In a landmark announcement on the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe revealed that the continent’s premier tournament will transition to being held every four years starting after a planned 2028 edition. The decision marks a significant departure from the biennial format that has defined AFCON since its inception in 1957, aimed at harmonizing the African football calendar with the increasingly congested global schedule. Speaking to reporters in Rabat ahead of the opening match of the Morocco-hosted tournament, Motsepe outlined the restructuring: “Our focus now is on this AFCON,…
Rebecca Ntsanwisi, the beloved South African philanthropist and community leader from Nkowankowa in Tzaneen, Limpopo, is set to receive international acclaim for her groundbreaking work in women’s soccer. Popularly known as “Beka Ntsan’wisi” or “Mama Beka,” she has been nominated in the CAF Female Outstanding Performer category at the upcoming African Coaches Connect Awards. For years, Ntsanwisi has organized elderly women’s soccer tournaments in her hometown, promoting health, wellness, and community spirit among grandmothers. Her initiative, which began locally, has grown into the renowned Vakhegula Vakhegula (meaning “Grandmothers Grandmothers” in Tsonga) team and the Grannies International Football Tournament (GIFT) –…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe alleged irregularities, maladministration, and unlawful conduct in key state institutions, including entities involved in vaccine research and development, as well as South African Airways (SAA). The SIU has been mandated to investigate procurement and contracting processes linked to four major vaccine research programmes at the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). These projects include work on a National Vaccine Manufacturing Strategy, the development of a broader national vaccine…
Western Cape police discovered the body of a young boy, aged between five and six, inside a washing machine at his family home in Cafda Village, Retreat. The grim find occurred on Friday morning after the boy’s father reported him missing at the Steenberg police station. Officers accompanied the father back to the residence on Ensor Street to assist with a search of the property. During the search, police located the child’s body concealed in the washing machine. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. Sergeant Wesley Twigg, spokesperson for the Western Cape police, confirmed that an inquest docket…
Donovan Moodley, the man convicted of the 2004 abduction, extortion and murder of university student Leigh Matthews, will remain in prison after Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald today rejected a parole recommendation. The National Council for Correctional Services (NCCS) advised against releasing Moodley at this stage, overturning a September 2025 decision by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board that had favoured his placement on parole. In a statement released this afternoon, the Department of Correctional Services said Moodley must now complete further structured rehabilitation programmes, undergo additional psychotherapy, and submit to independent risk assessments before his case can be reviewed…
The suspect in the deadly mass shooting at Brown University, which claimed the lives of two students and injured nine others on December 13, has been found dead, authorities announced on December 18. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez identified the suspect as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente (also reported as Claudio Neves Valente or Claudio Neves-Valente), a 48-year-old Portuguese national and enrolled student at Brown University. His last known address was in Miami, Florida. Valente’s body was discovered in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to law enforcement officials. The…
The United States Senate has confirmed conservative media activist and commentator Leo Brent Bozell III as the next U.S. ambassador to South Africa, filling a post that had remained vacant for nearly a year amid a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations. The confirmation vote, held on Wednesday, followed Bozell’s nomination by President Donald Trump in March and a contentious confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in October. After advancing through several legislative stages, the nomination was approved largely along party lines as part of a broader package of Trump administration appointees. Bozell assumes the role at a moment…
With just three days to go before the continent’s premier football nations clash for Africa’s ultimate prize, Bafana Bafana are in Morocco, ready to begin their AFCON 2025 campaign with belief and unfinished business. Coming off a confidence-boosting bronze-medal finish at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, the national team is eager to build on last year’s success. South Africa has been drawn into Group B, facing formidable opponents including seven-time AFCON champions Egypt, alongside Zimbabwe and Angola, who will be Bafana Bafana’s opening challenge. The team wrapped up their final preparations on home soil with a narrow but encouraging…
The brazen daylight killing of popular DJ and media personality Warrick Stock, known professionally as DJ Warras, has shocked the nation and intensified calls for action against Johannesburg’s hijacked buildings crisis. The 40-year-old was fatally shot on Tuesday afternoon outside Zambezi House in the Johannesburg CBD, near the Carlton Centre. CCTV footage shows three suspects approaching Warras after he parked his vehicle, with one, described as a short man with dreadlocks, opening fire. Nothing was stolen, indicating a targeted attack likely linked to Warras’ work reclaiming hijacked properties. He had previously secured five protection orders against threats from building occupants.…
The City of Cape Town has destroyed 3,000 litres of confiscated alcohol as part of its festive season safety and readiness plan. The alcohol was seized during enforcement operations conducted in the first two weeks of December. The City has reiterated that the consumption of alcohol in public spaces is prohibited and has warned that law enforcement will intensify operations throughout the holiday period. On average, approximately 15,000 litres of alcohol are confiscated and destroyed by the City each year. Safety and Security Mayoral Committee Member JP Smith said public drinking plays a significant role in injuries, accidents and fatalities.…