Author: Tshegofatso Letsie
South Africa’s professional Mixed Martial Artist, Dricus du Plessis, has made the nation proud, after defeating USA’s Sean Strickland at the UFC297 main event held at the Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, Canada. This makes him both the new UFC Middleweight champion and the first South African to ever do it. “Coach! Coach! I want my flag. This is history. Suid-Afrika, nou weet hulle wat ons weet (South Africa, now they know what we know),” exclaimed du Plessis in honour of the country after winning the match. He won the nail-biting battle over a split decision, with one point by scores of 47-48,…
As the continuous Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has been ignored by some of the most prominent names in music and film globally, there are some who have voiced their stance in the atrocities. English popstar and songwriter, Dua Lipa is among those who have echoed the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, adding to the countless calls that have already been made. The ‘Don’t start now’ hitmaker expressed dismay to the continued hostilities between Hamas and Israel, which have left more than 24 000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children. ‘’My feelings on displaced people are very real and raw,…
Comedian, Trevor Noah has once again inked his name in the history books, after The Daily Show with Trevor walked away with an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series at the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held in Los Angeles, USA. It is the show’s first victory in the category since former host Jon Steward’s tenure in 2015. Noah who left the show back in December 2022, showed love to his entire team during his acceptance speech. “This story has been so long and has been so crazy, so wonderful. I’d like to thank the crazy Africans who followed me to…
The rehabilitation of Lillian Ngoyi Street, formerly known as Bree Street at the Joburg CBD, has officially commenced and is expected to be completed on 15 December 2024. The announcement was made by City of Joburg’s officials during a media briefing in Braamfontein. The rehabilitation of the site comes six months after a part of the street exploded in what is believed to have been caused by a methane gas leak claiming one life and leaving 48 other people injured. “As of today (Thursday) we have a contractor on site who has been appointed to conduct the following, the excavation…
Grammy award-winning DJ Nkosinathi Maphumulo affectionately known as Black Coffee is recovering in hospital after he was involved in a severe travel accident on a flight en route to his show in Mar del Plata, in Argentina. According to a statement from his management team on Instagram the artist is recovering after sustaining some injuries. ‘’The incident resulted in unforeseen complications and left him with some injury. We can confirm that he is receiving the best possible medical attention and is surrounded by a supportive family and team,’’ read the statement. The team appealed for patience during this period. ‘’In respect of his…
The Competition Appeals Court has dismissed the Competition Commission’s rand/dollar manipulation case against some local and international banks accused of colluding to manipulate the currency. The eight-year-long case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. “On the Commission’s own version, it was required to show a common anti-competitive objective, which is an overall plan in which all the respondent banks participated to pursue common economic objective. An occasional participation in a chatroom or unspecified conduct which is tenuously inferred as being part of the overall conspiracy is insufficient to meet these jurisdictional requirements,’’ the ruling stated. The Commission says it…
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that the winners of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Cote d’Ivoire will pocket $7 million (R131 million). The runners-up are set to walk away with $4 million (R75 million), semi-finalists $2,5 million (R46 million) while the quarterfinalists will receive $1,3 million (R24 million). In a statement, CAF President, Patrice Motsepe said he is optimistic that some of the money will go towards developing the sport in the continent. “CAF has made significant progress over the past two years in increasing the prize money of the AFCON and all its other…
The South African National Defence (SANDF) said it has no linkage to comments made by former Lieutenant Commander in the SA Navy, Sylvester Mangolele. This after he took to social media threatening to remove President Cyril Ramaphosa from his position in 48 hours, should he fail to report to the Naval College in Gordon’s Bay, Western Cape, to physically resign. The SANDF released a statement dismissing his comments. “The South African National Defence Force distances itself from comments made by Sylvester Mangolele on social media. Sylvester Mangolele was dismissed from the defence force in 2018 and does not speak on…
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) said it is determined to conclude all outstanding 2023 disbursements by 15 January 2024. According to the scheme, it has made payments to about 234 124 students from the 5th of December 2023, as part of the reconciled final disbursements for the 2023 academic year. According to NSFAS spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, this process is to ensure that final payouts are made directly to institutions for tuition and for advancing payments to students whose allowances were not concluded due to changes in their registration data. “The NSFAS reconciliation data is divided into three categories,…
After 5721 episodes as of 26 December 2023, Mzansi has bid farewell to 23-years-old Afrikaans soapie, 7de Laan. The brainchild of Danie Odendaal made its debut on SABC back in April 2000. The programme documented and followed the lives of residents in and around the community of 7de Laan in the suburb of Hillside, Johannesburg, with its dialogue primarily in Afrikaans. For more than two decades the show captured the hearts of millions of South Africans by reflecting on society’s differences, struggles and diversity. The show was lauded for its ability to delicately handle contentious topics that include race, with empathy. In…