KIDS PLAY SOCCER ON SOWETO KILLING FIELD - Scrolla ...
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Wednesday 29 April
2021, 0426
Real News. Scrolla.Africa
KIDS PLAY SOCCER ON SOWETO KILLING
FIELD
Everson Luhanga
It’s a dusty piece of ground where young kids like to spend their
days happily playing soccer.
But this makeshift soccer pitch has become a place where thugs
attack people and dump bodies in the surrounding bushes.
Public safety officer and a ward committee member Joel
Mabaso told Scrolla.Africa that at least seven bodies have been
discovered among the bushes bordering the pitch in
Braamfischerville, Soweto.
He said the last body was found in March. “A lady was found chopped and dumped there. Another bullet-riddled body was found dumped in the same place earlier this year,” he said. “The situation is traumatic to children. Parents fear that their children could be the next victims of these ruthless thugs.” Mabaso said that some years ago he organised local parents to clear an open space, so children could use it to play football. But the work was soon undone by criminals. “The goalposts are often stolen and sold as scrap metal,” said Mabaso. Mabaso and the young players are forced to lock up the posts in someone’s yard every time after they’ve played to prevent them from being stolen. He is appealing to the government to help clear the overgrown grass and to install streetlights. Earlier this month, Scrolla.Africa reported on a heroic boyfriend who was shot dead after his girlfriend was robbed at gunpoint. This incident took place around the same bushes where the local children play.
Police say they need to have individual case numbers to trace
the dockets so they can comment.
Taxi Association celebrates three years
of no assassinations
Everson Luhanga
The Greater Alberton Taxi Association (GATA)
celebrated 60 years of existence at a glittering
event held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on
Wednesday.
With delicious food and expensive wines, the association had
another more important milestone to celebrate too: in the past
three years, there have been no taxi-related assassinations in
their association.
Chairperson of the provincial task team for the top six Brenda
Tshabalala said "in the past three years, there have been no
reports of taxi bosses, owners, or executives being targeted and
killed."
Brenda said it was difficult to be a woman leader in this violent industry. “I must tell you that it is not an easy ride to be a woman taxi owner and being a leader. Some didn’t like to be led by a woman. At one point, I was shot four times and have marks where bullets went through my body,” she said. Brenda said the celebrations were also to remember those who first came up with the idea of forming the association under apartheid. "Most of them have died due to taxi violence where they were targeted and killed,” she said. She said she joined the male-dominated industry in 1984 and since then it has been her mission to see peace restored in the industry. Regional Chairperson Peter Mothabe said the celebrations were a symbol of peace and greater things to come. Peter sent a strong message to taxi associations who are still fighting and killing each other. “It’s time to start counting money in boardrooms and not bodies in mortuaries.
“Stop killing each other and get to know the business and make money,” he said. Like several other leaders in the association, Peter said he too survived an assassination at one point in his life as a leader. He said the business is no longer in the hands of gangsters but has shifted to more business-minded people." We have teachers, police officers, doctors, and other professionals venturing and investing in the business. We are like any business.” Mandla Andries Nzimande, GATA's chairperson, said: “This milestone celebration brings me joy.” DA is now the Disappearing Alliance Lungani Zungu The DA is walking from one crisis to the next in the Western Cape after prominent black leaders resigned from their party positions on Wednesday.
Just hours after the party announced Bonginkosi Madikizela’s resignation as the leader of the DA in the Western Cape, Professor Nomafrench Mbombo also resigned as the party’s Women’s Network Federal leader. With six months to go before the local government elections, the DA is evidently in a race against time to get its house in order. Madikizela resigned after a backlash from his detractors after he admitted that he lied about having a BCom degree on his CV. He will continue in his position as the Western Cape’s MEC for Transport and Public Works. Madikizela was regarded as a powerful politician in the DA after he retained his provincial leader position last November. Even though the qualifications were not a requirement for the position he held, his political rivals gunned for his head. Mbombo is also the Western Cape Health MEC. Albert Fritz will continue acting as the provincial leader until the DA elects an interim leader at the provincial council on 29 May.
Jaco Londt, the DA provincial chairperson, announced the news of Madikizela’s resignation on Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation about his demise. “We wish to thank Bonginkosi for his service as party leader since his election to the position of DA Leader in the Western Cape in 2018. Bonginkosi served as the leader for more than three years. He added: “We respect his decision and the honourable route he has taken by stepping down as leader... We look forward to working with him as a colleague in the DA going forward.” His resignation came when the party’s federal legal commission (FLC) was yet to make a finding. DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille could not be reached for comment, while Madikizela referred Scrolla.Africa to the official DA media statement. It is not known if Madikizela would still run for the position of mayor for the City of Cape Town ahead of this year’s local government elections.
Picture source: Facebook Ace makes light of axe about to fall Lungani Zungu Has Ace Magashule started clearing his desk in preparation of vacating Luthuli House on Friday? Speaking to Scrolla.Africa he laughed and said, “No!” ANC leaders facing corruption, fraud charges, and other serious crimes have until Friday to step down from their government and party positions. “There is no reason for me to clear my office,” said Magashule. “The branches still want me to occupy that office.” Magashule is charged with fraud regarding the controversial R255 million asbestos tender when he was Free State premier and he is out on R200,000 bail.
“My hands are clean, and I will prove that in court. I can’t step down based on those charges,” he said on Wednesday. In a separate interview, former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, now a member of the KZN provincial legislature, said she would not step down from the provincial legislature. “On Monday, I will still be a member of the legislature,” she said. Gumede faces corruption and fraud charges in the R430 million Durban Solid Waste tender issued during her time as mayor in 2017. “I was born in the ANC, and I will die in the ANC. I will fight my battles until the end. No amount of persecution will break my back.” President Cyril Ramaphosa told the state capture commission of inquiry on Wednesday that the ruling party would not back down in its renewal drive. ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said all members tainted by corruption, fraud and other serious crimes have to step down this week.
“This is the decision of the NEC, and all affected members are
expected to respect that decision.”
Picture source: @magashule_ace
Myeni’s family calls on SA government
to ramp up pressure on US over killing
Lindani Myeni’s family has called on the South
African government to put pressure on the
United States government over his killing by cops
in Hawaii earlier this month.
SABC news reports that it has seen correspondence from the
family’s lawyers calling for the government to “put any
pressure it can on the US to pay appropriate attention to the
injustice done to the Myeni family and, by extension, to South
Africa.”
SABC correspondent Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports that the
family has also lamented “the lack of media coverage of thecase by US media amidst a wave of police killings of black and brown men in the country.” The killing is the latest in a string of shootings by American police of black men and women. Washington based South African writer Palesa Morudu reported this week on the circumstances of Myeni’s death, the wave of shootings and the fear she and other black people have of the police in the US. Picture source: @sheabutterhun 45 Indian journalists go down to Covid Arthur Greene At 7.52pm on 16 April, a 65-year-old freelance journalist in Lucknow, India tweeted from his home. Translated from Hindi, it read, “Doctors and hospitals in your state have all turned autocratic. I am 65 years old. I also have spondylitis. The oxygen level in my body has come down to 52. No hospital, lab or doctor is picking up my phone.”
It was a plea for help. As Vinay Srivastava’s state worsened, he continued to relay his Covid-19 symptoms to local officials on Twitter, while his son drove from hospital to hospital pleading with them to admit his father. At 3.15pm the next day, Srivastava tweeted the chief minister’s media adviser: “Now my oxygen is 31 when some will come.” He reportedly died minutes later. An oxygen level below 90 is considered dangerous. Srivastava is just one of 45 journalists to succumb to Covid-19 in India in the past two weeks. They and hundreds more have, during this time, worked to shine a spotlight on India’s devastating Covid explosion, which has seen the country’s total cases rise above 18 million, while the number of deaths has surpassed 201,000. They have reported on overworked hospitals running out of beds and oxygen, as well as the country’s critically low rates of vaccination and testing.
National and local news outlets have reportedly sent journalists to hospitals, cremation centres and burial sites to collect accurate death data, because the government’s official figures are believed by experts to be greatly underestimated. BBC India correspondent Soutik Biswas reported on Wednesday that many of the country’s reporters share information with each other on a Whatsapp group. When a journalist died of Covid-19 in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, one message read, "It's so heart-breaking to lose your colleagues like this. May he rest in peace and may God give us strength to fight back.” Biswas shared another message, about a Delhi journalist “gasping for breath” at home: “She’s alone at home. Her oxygen is down to 80. Please help with the cylinder.” The Press Emblem Campaign documents more than 100 journalist deaths in India from Covid-19 so far, but the actual number is - like the country’s total deaths - likely to be higher.
Picture source: @ajplus
AmaZulu close in on Sundowns
Menzi Magubane
The temperature is heating up on top of the DStv
Premiership table as AmaZulu close the gap to
one point on log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
Rampant AmaZulu had their biggest win this season as they
flattened Cape Town City by 5-1 in Cape Town.
The visit to the Cape was Benni McCarthy's first after leaving
the Citizens as their head coach in 2019. Goals from Augustine
Mulenga, Tapelo Nyongo, Lehlohonolo Majoro, Luvuyo Memela
and Siyethemba Sithebe made sure that McCarthy left a bad
taste in his former employer’s mouth.
Fagrie Lakay gave City the consolation goal. Now Usuthu are
breathing down Sundowns’ neck and their win on Wednesday
night made it clear that they want the championship this
season.
The reigning champions were held to a goalless draw at home
by third place Golden Arrows. This was not the result thatMasandawana were looking for especially after suffering their first defeat on Sunday. They were looking to keep the three-point gap between them and the second place Usuthu. Unfortunately for them Abafana Bes'thende had their own plans as they are looking to secure their first ever inclusion in continental football next season. A point at Sundowns would be welcomed by Arrows fans back at home. But for the Downs faithful this will be seen as a massive setback. Meanwhile in Soweto, as many predicted, Kaizer Chiefs went back to their usual style of disappointing their fans after they lost 1-0 to relegation threatened Chippa United. A lot was expected from Chiefs after having their famous win against Sundowns over the weekend. Many predicted that Amakhosi would not win against the Chilli Boys as they have always struggled against smaller clubs coming off such a big win. Inconsistency has been the story of Chiefs’ lives this season. Other Premiership results
Stellenbosch 0-1 Maritzburg United; Swallows 1-1 SuperSport United; Baroka 0-1 TS Galaxy; Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila 1-0 Bloemfontein Celtic. Picture source:@kickoffmagazine Daniel Kaluuya mentions his mother’s sex life in Oscar speech, leaving her speechless Sizwe Sibiya There have probably been worse acceptance speeches at the Oscars, but Daniel Kaluuya’s Oscar speech for his impressive role in the 2021 movie ‘Judas and the Messiah’ takes the gold statuette for embarrassing his family. After winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Role on Sunday, the 32-year-old actor who lives in London mentioned his parents’ sex life. That left his Ugandan mother Damalie Namusoke, who was part of the audience with his sister, lost for words.
Upon receiving the prestigious award, the actor who will also be part of Black Panther II said that “You got to celebrate life man! We are breathing, walking, it’s incredible.” This was not a bad start. But then he went on saying “My mom, my dad, they had sex. It’s amazing!” he added. His mother who could not believe he was talking about her uttered what looked like “what is he going on about?” when the camera showed her and his sister, who shook her head and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. Before his trending speech Daniel had also scooped four other awards for the same role including the Golden Globe Award, the BAFTA Award and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award – all for Best Supporting Actor. Picture source: @TheAcademy Video source: @renegadeDA
Ryan Giggs denies he’s a violent
sleazeball who hates women
Dylan Bettencourt
Ryan Giggs has denied charges brought against
him by two women who claim he assaulted them.
The charges include belittling, humiliation,
harassment, degradation and abuse.
Giggs, the manager of Wales’ national football team, was
charged with common assault and coercive and controlling
behaviour.
He denied that he engaged in violent behaviour towards any
woman.
Giggs made his first appearance at the Manchester Magistrate’s
Court where the charges were read out for the jury.
He pleaded not guilty to all three charges and said he looked
forward to clearing his name.
Giggs enjoyed a stellar career, winning 13 Premier League titles
with Manchester United as well as winning the Champions
League on two occasions.The winger also holds the record for the most assists in the Premier League. He became the manager of the Wales international team in January of 2019 but has been suspended from the team due to the ongoing court case against him. He is expected to make his second court appearance on 26 May. Picture source: @HuffingtonPost Put your wallets back. Arsenal is not for sale! Dylan Bettencourt Club owners, Stan and Josh Kroenke will not be selling any portion of Arsenal Football Club, and that’s final! This comes despite fans displaying frustration with the management of the club.
After the failed attempt to breakaway with the European Super League, fans of the London based club displayed their anger at the ownership of the club by calling for the Kroenke family to give up the ownership of the team. Daniel Ek, Spotify co-founder and chief executive, has declared his interest in purchasing Arsenal and reports suggest legends of the club, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Viera will assist the billionaire in his bid for ownership of the Gunners. In a statement Kroenke Sports and Entertainment said they have noted media speculation regarding a potential takeover bid for Arsenal Football Club. “We remain 100 percent committed to Arsenal and are not selling any stake in the club. We have not received any offer and we will not entertain any offer,” they said. The statement continued to say their goal for the club is to compete in the biggest competitions and fight for trophies as well as improving their competitiveness on the field.
Daniel Ek, according to Forbes, is worth around R67,5 billion. In 2017 he was named the most influential person in the music industry by American publication Billboard. Picture source: @TheAthletic
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