Latest news with #Bekker
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Drone operators catch maize thieves near Delmas
Security drone operators doing routine aerial patrols had no idea they were about to stumble upon what can only be described as a massive maize theft syndicate near Delmas. Farmcor AS Security drone operators spotted two people carrying 50kg woven polypropylene bags on their heads as they exited a client's maize fields near Hawerklip, close to Delmas Colliery on the R50, Leslie Road, at around 09:00 on July 12. The pair was seen leaving private farmland and heading toward a nearby informal settlement. The drone operators continued monitoring them as they entered a shack in the settlement, where they offloaded the bags. Farmcor AS Security was immediately informed, and reaction units swiftly responded to the scene. Upon arrival, members of AfriForum's Delmas Valke Neighbourhood Watch, CamFX Security and other role players joined the operation. Initial investigations revealed the shacks were used to store yellow maize allegedly stolen from adjacent fields. When reaction members requested access to other dwellings, they were told those were unoccupied. A source close to the investigation said security personnel were informed of more storage facilities nearby. The teams were then led to several zinc shelters, where they confirmed that stolen maize was stockpiled in large quantities. It was stored in about 200 woven bags, pulled from almost every shack. The two initial suspects evaded capture, but the teams recovered about 50 tons of yellow maize. ALSO READ: Learner from Evander High School gets chosen as exchange student to Egypt The price of yellow maize for the July 2025 contract on the South African Futures Exchange is approximately R4 019.80 per ton. Consequently, 50 tons would be valued at roughly R201 000. Several suspicious vehicles, including a 32-ton truck and trailer, were also identified nearby and are believed to be linked to the syndicate involved in the theft operation. Hennie Bekker, AfriForum's district co-ordinator for the Highveld, told the Streeknews that grain theft is an ongoing concern in the agricultural industry. 'Farmers suffer immense losses due to grain theft. Proving the origin of a maize cob or pit is challenging. For instance, if a car is stolen, its ownership can be proved via a VIN or registration number, but proving ownership of grain is impossible,' Bekker explained. 'The real value of what is stolen is also difficult to determine. These thieves steal grain in bags or come onto lands with bakkies, sometimes stealing hectares at a time, so it is nearly impossible to quantify the losses. 'The additional cost of security is another contributing factor to the losses farmers suffer from grain theft, and there is, unfortunately, no real solution to this problem,' Bekker concluded. The Streeknews was unable to confirm at the time of going to print whether there were any arrests in the Hawerklip case. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Bekker bags two medals at Southern African Youth Games
After middle-distance athlete Michael Bekker clocked an incredible 14:51 at his first parkrun at Carnival City on May 24, the 16-year-old's stunning performance dominated the discourse on a Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) group chat. Members of the club showered the youngster with praise, with some calling him 'a serious talent'. Attracting the attention of some experienced BAC runners underlined the Hoërskool Kempton Park learner's hard work over the past two years, which culminated in some explosive performances for his school and country. Following his silver medal in the 3 000m and bronze in the 1 500m at the ASA U16, U18, U20 and U23 track and field championships in Cape Town in March, the youngster was selected to represent the country in the AUSC Region Five Youth Games in Namibia. Speaking to the publication just before leaving for Namibia, Bekker pledged to help the country win medals, and he delivered on his promise. In his first international race, the Central Gauteng Athletics athlete dominated the youth men's 3 000m, winning the gold medal in a lifetime best of 08:36.96. Bekker was so dominant in this race he covered the last lap in 62 seconds and also bettered his previous best of 08:38.76 from the age-group nationals by 1.82 seconds. The runner added a silver in the metric mile after finishing behind the exceptional De Villiers Lamprecht from the Free State in 03:57. 'I'm excited. It's a dream to represent my country,' he said. 'I want to participate in events like this every year. And maybe one day run in the Wanda Diamond League and Olympics.' Bekker's coach, Michael van Aswegen, said this performance was due to the athlete's consistency and hard work. 'He has worked relentlessly over the last year to become one of the big names in his age group. Earning an opportunity like this was a fair reward for all the hard work he puts in,' said Van Aswegen. Initially, Bekker was scheduled to participate in the 3 000m, but after the team managers asked if he would like to run in the 1 500m, Van Aswegen gave him the go-ahead. 'I said he should give it a bash and enjoy it. He did exactly that. We couldn't have asked for a better result in the 3 000m specifically. Running a PB in your first outing in SA colours almost four months after our national championships shows that Micheal is on track to keep improving and developing as an athlete.' Also Read: Bekker bags double podium at nationals Also Read: Brooks victorious in first league of the season At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Forge FC eliminate CF Montreal from Canadian Championship for second consecutive year
MONTREAL - Tristan Borges and Kyle Bekker scored three minutes apart to lift Hamilton's Forge past CF Montreal on Wednesday with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the quarterfinal of the Canadian Championship. Forge has now eliminated Montreal in the club tournament's quarterfinals in back-to-back seasons. Prince Owusu scored a brace for Montreal of Major League Soccer in the 58th minute and again five minutes into injury time. Borges tied it in the 79th minute and Bekker gave Forge, representing the Canadian Premier League, a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute. Entering the game trailing 1-0 on aggregate, Montreal started with aggressive pressure and maintained possession for most of the game. Bombarding the Forge goal and forcing them to drop into a low block, Montreal would need to win by two goals to advance without a penalty shootout, despite having only scored two or more goals at Stade Saputo just once this year. Montreal's first big chance came just after the 15-minute mark when a free kick from Dante Sealy was mishandled by Forge keeper Jassem Koleilat. Just four minutes later, Joel Waterman appeared to have been brought down in the area, but the ref deemed it not worthy of a penalty. Montreal's control over the tempo of play continued through the first half, but they could not manage to find the final ball needed to open the scoring. CF Montreal continued the pressure in the opening minutes of the second half, but after less than five minutes, the stadium lost power. After a 20-minute delay, play resumed. Sealy received the ball from a turnover and played in Owusu, who needed two attempts before finding the back of the net. Montreal continued to press in the ensuing minutes, looking ot take an aggregate lead in the tie, but were denied on several occasions by excellent saves from Koleilat. As the game progressed, Forge was able to find their footing and create some offence. Three minutes apart, Borges and Bekker would find the back of the net in similar fashion after unloading shots from the same spot outside the penalty area. With nothing left to lose, Montreal threw more bodies forward in an effort to get back into the tie. Owusu added a second, but there was too little time for another. UP NEXT Montreal: Will travel to Orlando City FC on Saturday. Forge: Will match up with Atletico Ottawa on the road on Saturday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Forge FC eliminate CF Montreal from Canadian Championship for second consecutive year
MONTREAL – Tristan Borges and Kyle Bekker scored three minutes apart to lift Hamilton's Forge past CF Montreal on Wednesday with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the quarterfinal of the Canadian Championship. Forge has now eliminated Montreal in the club tournament's quarterfinals in back-to-back seasons. Prince Owusu scored a brace for Montreal of Major League Soccer in the 58th minute and again five minutes into injury time. Borges tied it in the 79th minute and Bekker gave Forge, representing the Canadian Premier League, a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute. Entering the game trailing 1-0 on aggregate, Montreal started with aggressive pressure and maintained possession for most of the game. Bombarding the Forge goal and forcing them to drop into a low block, Montreal would need to win by two goals to advance without a penalty shootout, despite having only scored two or more goals at Stade Saputo just once this year. Montreal's first big chance came just after the 15-minute mark when a free kick from Dante Sealy was mishandled by Forge keeper Jassem Koleilat. Just four minutes later, Joel Waterman appeared to have been brought down in the area, but the ref deemed it not worthy of a penalty. Montreal's control over the tempo of play continued through the first half, but they could not manage to find the final ball needed to open the scoring. CF Montreal continued the pressure in the opening minutes of the second half, but after less than five minutes, the stadium lost power. After a 20-minute delay, play resumed. Sealy received the ball from a turnover and played in Owusu, who needed two attempts before finding the back of the net. Montreal continued to press in the ensuing minutes, looking ot take an aggregate lead in the tie, but were denied on several occasions by excellent saves from Koleilat. As the game progressed, Forge was able to find their footing and create some offence. Three minutes apart, Borges and Bekker would find the back of the net in similar fashion after unloading shots from the same spot outside the penalty area. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. With nothing left to lose, Montreal threw more bodies forward in an effort to get back into the tie. Owusu added a second, but there was too little time for another. UP NEXT Montreal: Will travel to Orlando City FC on Saturday. Forge: Will match up with Atletico Ottawa on the road on July 12. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
The Citizen
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Chef and quail whisperer who serves his community
Bekker's career spans luxury kitchens, local politics, and farming—proof that service delivery starts with heart and hands. Cullinan Quails has a feeding programme that makes the eggs higher in nutrients than standard ones, says business owner Johannes Bekker. Pictures: Hein Kaiser Chef, quail whisperer, community activist, politician. Johannes Bekker, known to most as Bekker, is not your average small-town politician. His idea of being in a pickle is when he bottles quail eggs in brine, he has had his own wine range before and has cooked for ambassadors, A-list celebrities and British royals. Bekker farms quails while serving as ward councillor Presently, Bekker farms quails on his Cullinan smallholding while serving a debut term as a ward councillor. When he's not busy, which is rare, Bekker is judging cooking competitions, doing community work and helping people who need hope injected into their lives. He is a can-do kind of guy and his positive energy is infectious. ALSO READ: SA's Cabinet of incompetence, corruption and serious allegations It's as if he inherited his entire family's collective enterprising spirit, he said. 'I grew up on a farm where you had to do everything yourself. 'My parents were involved in community service and politics. My uncle was a councillor in Joburg. We were taught that if you do not create your own income, you might not make it.' Entrepreneurship started young Entrepreneurship started young. 'In primary school, my sister and I started a candy business. We had a sponsored first batch we had to pay back. Soon we were stocking shops with our sweets. At one point, I think we made more money than my parents.' After matric, Bekker received a bursary to study hospitality. Half was covered by the training institution, the other half by the resorts where he had to work to earn it. 'That is how I got my start in hospitality,' he said. 'I was at bush lodges and I got my first taste of five-star food.' It was also where he was headhunted into the private circuit. 'I cooked for ambassadors, people on the Forbes list and royals from the UK,' he said. 'You get noticed at these lodges because the highend guests often ask for private chefs. That is how it happened.' ALSO READ: Phadi to serve MK party, despite removal as provincial convener [VIDEO] Then, he opened four restaurants. The last shut just before the pandemic. Bekker also developed a wine range, made for him by a winemaker for use in his signature food and wine pairings at his establishments. 'I always focused on South African cuisine with a twist from other cultures,' he said. 'Nothing too complicated, just elevated.' After closing the last eatery, he went rural. And the quails came. Quail whisperer 'We started Cullinan Quails with 15 birds,' he said. 'We built the cages. I have the blisters to prove it. We made sure everything was up to standard. Lighting, reservoirs, the works.' For Bekker, this was important because he loves his birds. 'I wanted them to live in a humane, kind space and not like some other farms in a battery-like environment where they are stripped of their birdness.' Many of his birds have names. There's Vlekkie, Fluffy, Lucky. 'They each have their quirks. Some jump onto your hand and are playful. Some ignore you. Some became family.' ALSO READ: WATCH: Floyd Shivambu 'a total failure as a politician' – analyst But quails only have a laying life of about 18 months before egg production slows down. So Bekker had to make a plan. 'I got a brooder box and started hatching my own chicks. We even made birth certificates for the first ones,' he said. Bekker uses only quail eggs in his kitchen. 'I do not buy chicken eggs. Everything from baking to brushing pastries, I use quail eggs,' he said. Only quail eggs in his kitchen 'I even make fruit cake with them. We developed a feeding programme that makes the eggs higher in nutrients than standard ones and they really make a difference in cooking.' Commercially, demand soon outgrew supply. 'Now I also source eggs from small-scale farmers around Cullinan and Pretoria,' he said. Supporting local enterprises and competitors is part of his philosophy. A kind of quail farming Ubuntu. 'It is important to build business together. There is no point in one of us flourishing while nine others fall behind.' ALSO READ: Police close to breakthrough in IFP deputy chief whip's 'assassination' Some birds do end up in the pot, but that part of the business is not his thing. 'I do not get involved in the slaughtering,' Bekker said. 'I cook the meat, I package it, but I do not want to see their little personalities go.' Politics entered the fray during Covid, when Bekker got involved with Chefs With Compassion and consequently chinwagged with local politicians. 'We ran 26 soup kitchens from Cullinan. The city councillors worked with me to distribute the food. Bekker entered politics during Covid 'That is when they started nudging me into becoming a councillor. So, here we are.' He said serving customers as a chef is on par with what voters expect from councillors and, because he's a handyman too, Bekker fixes stuff for his community. 'From peeling onions to fixing water leaks, it's the same process. It's all service delivery.' NOW READ: ANC denies it approached Zuma and MK party to join GNU [VOICE NOTE]
