Latest news with #Mntambo
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Linda Mntambo hopes Sipho Mbule will turn the corner at Pirates
Sekhukhune United skipper Linda 'Figo' Mntambo has urged his former teammate Sipho Mbule to 'take care' of himself at new club Orlando Pirates. Mbule, who has a had disciplinary run-ins for off-field issues, joined Pirates as a free agent a few weeks ago after Mamelodi Sundowns decided against renewing his contract. The 27-year-old born in Bethlehem in the Free State spent last season on loan at Sekhukhune, where the skilled midfield maestro showed flashes of brilliance, but it was his alleged wayward behaviour that saw him make headlines. No Orlando Pirates fan will scroll past this without dropping a like for the master chef. Sipho Mbule! 👌👌👌 — STAR. (@makwande_m) July 12, 2025 'I've only congratulated him, wished him well. He's a good footballer. I am a fan of his talent and what he's capable of doing,' said Mntambo, who spent three years at Pirates before joining Sekhukhune in 2022. 'Hopefully he gets to Pirates and takes care of himself. I want to see him winning. 'Before he joined Sekhukhune, he told me he wanted to come over and I told him the team was the best platform for him to shine. Unfortunately, things didn't go well for him here, but I hope he does well at Pirates. Don't Press Sipho Mbule Sphola Master Chef 🤣 — Coach Sphe🏴☠️🏴☠️ (@SpheleleZN) July 19, 2025 'He must repay the people who'd pay any amount of money to watch him, like me.' Mntambo also weighed in on Sekhukhune's ambitions in the 2025-26 campaign, revealing they have set their sights on winning a trophy or two and are also aiming to hit the 50-point mark in the league. 'We can't wait for the start of the season. It's about time we win a trophy or two. When I arrived here in 2022, the mandate was clear: finish better than the previous season, and we achieved that by finishing seventh [in the 2022-23 Premiership] to qualify for the top eight for the first time. 'In my second season, we finished fourth and last season we finished fourth again. This season we aim to get to the 50-point mark and see how far that would take us.'
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Mntambo talks titles, progress and new faces as Sekhukhune United aim higher
Sekhukhune United captain Linda Mntambo believes the club has grown past its underdog status and is now ready to challenge for major honours, as Babina Noko gear up for what promises to be their most ambitious season yet. Speaking during the club's official launch of their new kit and sponsor on Monday, Mntambo reflected on his journey since joining the side in 2022 and detailed how the expectations have grown year by year. 'When I arrived at the club in 2022, the mandate was very clear — we do better than what we did last season,' said the skipper. 'We finished seventh then and it was our first time in the top eight.' From there, the rise has been steady and strategic. In the 2023/24 campaign, Sekhukhune not only finished fourth in the Premiership but also reached the Nedbank Cup final and earned the right to represent South Africa in intercontinental competition. They followed that up with another fourth-place finish last season, but according to Mntambo, the improvement lies in the details.
The Citizen
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Mercedes-Benz halts production in Eastern Cape – Will employees be paid?
The US is a significant customer for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars manufactured in East London. The current C-Class range has been built in East London since 2021 for the local market and export. Picture: iStock Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has labelled the suspension of production in the Eastern Cape as a 'standard procedure'. However, employees will not have downtime during the period and will be compensated. Thato Mntambo, the company's General Manager for Corporate Affairs, told The Citizen that production will be stopped from 24 June 2025 to 30 July 2025, as the plant will undergo a planned non-production period. 'An annual non-production period at the East London production plant is standard procedure, and it is common cause for production plants to suspend production based on volume adjustments in the production programme.' What will happen to Mercedes-Benz employees? The East London plant employs 2 500 people, and it is understood that many of them will undergo training and upskilling programmes during the period. 'Employees of MBSA have also been appraised and will be undertaking a variety of training and upskilling programmes during the period and compensated based on the provisions of the collective bargaining agreements of the National Bargaining Forum (NBF),' said Mntambo. ALSO READ: Concern about auto industry jobs Did the US's 25% tariff play a part? Mercedes-Benz South Africa stated that the 25% tariff on imported cars announced by US President Donald Trump played no role in the company's decision to halt production. 'We are continuously assessing the impact of the US tariffs introduced. We kindly ask you for your understanding that we won't comment further,' said Mntambo. The US is a significant customer for C-Class cars manufactured in East London. The current C-Class range has been built in East London since 2021 for the local market and export. Retrenchments at the plant The news of production being halted comes a year after Mercedes-Benz retrenched 700 employees in the province. Employees were left stranded as MBSA announced its intention to reduce production from three daily shifts to two due to declining global demand for its C-Class sedan. More than 90% of the East London plant's output was for export, mainly to Europe, Asia and North America. NOW READ: Tyre giant hits the brakes: Numsa laments Goodyear closure affecting 900 jobs
TimesLIVE
12-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Linda Mntambo's plea to Sipho Mbule
Mntambo, the experienced, 36-year-old midfielder who has been a model of consistency over a long career, also spoke passionately about his early days in amateur football in Soweto before he joined Jomo Cosmos where he cut his teeth in professional football. His career then took him to Chippa United and Orlando Pirates before joining Sekhukhune in mid-2022. For most of his career, Mntambo has been captain of the sides that he has played for and he discusses his leadership style and how he navigated around leading some difficult personalities in a team environment. Over the past few seasons, Mamelodi Sundowns have dominated the Betway Premiership with eight successive titles. Mntambo believes consistent Sekhukhune — top-half finishers in three of their four seasons since being promoted in 2021, and fourth-placed finishers in the last two campaigns — can be among the teams to challenge the Brazilians.
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
2025 incema harvest cancelled
Hundreds of incema harvesters will have to go without this year as the 2025 season has been cancelled owing to recent heavy rainfall. This annual operation benefits mostly rural communities that depend on the plant to make a living by producing traditional handicraft products like baskets, sleeping mats and traditional beer strainers. ALSO READ: iSimangaliso says marchers were misinformed Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, in collaboration with the iSimangaliso Wetland Park authority, said this difficult decision was made following the recent heavy rains that severely affected the St Lucia area and its surroundings. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife communications manager Musa Mntambo said, 'We regret to inform the public that the previously announced incema harvesting operations, scheduled to take place from 5 to 20 May, have been cancelled.' He mentioned that the prolonged downpours resulted in significant waterlogging, rendering large portions of the harvesting areas inaccessible. 'Despite the possibility of the rains subsiding, most of the incema plants remain submerged, making harvesting unsafe and unfeasible at this time. 'As a result, incema harvesting operations have been officially postponed to the 2026 harvesting season. Dates for the 2026 season will be communicated in due course,' said Mntambo. ALSO READ: Transformer upgrade needed to address iSimangaliso power woes Expressing her regret regarding the news, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife executive manager for biodiversity conservation, Vuyi Radebe, said the safety of harvesters was paramount. 'We acknowledge the importance of incema harvesting for cultural, economic and social purposes, and we share in the disappointment of the affected communities. However, the safety of harvesters and the sustainability of natural resources remain our top priorities. 'We thank all stakeholders, including the St Lucia and Western Shores incema harvesting committees, for their ongoing support, co-operation and commitment,' said Radebe. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
