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News24
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Multi-lingual and relatable: 10 memorable roles played by late Meme Ditshego
The death of veteran actor Meme Ditshego left the country in a sombre mood on Thursday as many, in tribute, spoke of her kind heart and her ability to bring relatable characters to life. The actor died on the evening of 25 June 2025, aged 60. Like many of the stars of her generation in the acting industry, Ditshego started her career in township theatre. Born in 1965, the actor paid her dues on theatre stages in plays such as Antigone in the 80's and participated in school theatre outreach programmes. Her TV debut arrived in 1997 through SABC 2's Afrikaans drama series Sterk Skemer, where she played the role of Elsie. The actor would go on to deliver performances that transcended language, race or culture. Though many may know Ditshego for her role as overbearing mother Josephine Ratau on SABC 2's Ga Re Dumele, the actor has also appeared in multiple popular productions that aired on SABC, Netflix, Showmax, DsTV, Etv, and many other platforms. Ditshego played Josephine for six years, earning her a Best Actress Golden Horn trophy at the South African Film and TV Awards (Saftas) in 2012 and a nomination for a Safta in the same category in 2014. The multilingual thespian is among the actors who were well-rounded in their skills because though Ditshego excelled in comedic roles, thanks to her great comedic timing and natural delivery of punchlines, she delivered in an equally believable manner when bringing more serious characters to life. The actor lived a relatively private life but never failed to bring her A-game regarding her craft. Even if Josephine, her super popular character, failed to grab your attention, you've probably seen Ditshego in her element as one or two of the roles below: Here are her top 10 roles played by Ditshego - in no particular order: Josephine in Ga Re Dumele Joyce Mlambo in The Coconuts Ma Thandi in Soul Buddyz Elsie in Sterk Skemer Gladys in Jozi-H Ausi Ntsoaki in Muvhango Patricia on Skeem Saam Evelina in 7de Laan Dr Machaka in Broken Vows Mam' Daphne in Love, Sex and 30 Candles.
CAF
21 hours ago
- Sport
- CAF
Women's AFCON: Teams land in Morocco as tournament nears kick-off
Africa's top women's football nations have begun arriving in Morocco ahead of the highly anticipated TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with defending champions South Africa among the first to pitch camp. The tournament, which kicks off on 5 July and runs until 26 July 2025, will see twelve of the continent's finest sides competing across Moroccan cities in what promises to be a fiercely contested edition of the championship. Banyana Banyana, who clinched their maiden WAFCON title in Morocco in 2022, arrived in Casablanca on Wednesday after a demanding 24-hour journey from Johannesburg, including a layover in Ghana. Despite travel delays, the South Africans wasted no time, holding their first training session shortly after settling in. African champions Banyana Banyana departed for Morocco this afternoon ahead of their defense of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations title next month.#LiveTheImpossible @SABC_Sport — Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) June 24, 2025 'It was a long and tiring trip, but we have arrived and nicely settled in, and we managed to have our first training session,' said head coach Dr Desiree Ellis. 'It's very exciting to be here to finally get started. There is a big tournament coming up and we have to be ready for it.' South Africa are drawn in Group C alongside Ghana, Mali and Tanzania. They open their title defence against the Black Queens of Ghana on 7 July, followed by fixtures against Tanzania (11 July) and Mali (14 July), all to be staged at Honneur Stadium in Oujda. Meanwhile, Zambia's Copper Queens are also intensifying preparations in Mohammédia. The team, led by coach Nora Häuptle, has been holding high-intensity sessions at the Lanoria Club, with both local and foreign-based players in camp. The Zambians face hosts Morocco in the tournament's opening match at the newly built Olympic Stadium in Rabat on 5 July. Zambia's group stage campaign continues with encounters against Senegal and DR Congo on 9 and 12 July, respectively, both at El Bachir Stadium in Mohammédia. Hosts Morocco remain camped in Rabat and will play a friendly against Tanzania at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday as part of their final preparations. The Lionesses, coached by Jorge Vilda Rodriguez, are also in Group A with Zambia, Senegal, and DR Congo. Senegal, for their part, have now departed for Morocco to begin their tournament build-up. Group B will feature continental heavyweights Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria and Botswana. With the teams now assembling across the host nation, anticipation continues to build for the premier women's football event on the continent. All eyes will be on Morocco from next week, as the best of African women's football takes centre stage.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Actress Meme Ditshego has died
'Whether through laughter or heartfelt storytelling, Meme had a rare gift: she made us feel.' Actress Meme Ditshego passed away on Wednesday evening. Picture: X/Twitter South African actress and comedic icon Meme Ditshego has passed away. Her talent agency confirmed the news in a statement released on Thursday. According to the agency, Ditshego died on the evening of Wednesday, 25 June. 'It is with deep sorrow and reverence that we announce the passing of Meme Ditshego – a beloved South African actress, legendary comedic talent, and a true veteran of our screen and stage,' the agency said. With a career spanning decades, Ditshego was best known for her roles in SABC shows such as Ga re Dumele. 'Whether through laughter or heartfelt storytelling, Meme had a rare gift: she made us feel. 'As her management, Eye Media Artists stands with her family during this painful time.' Funeral and memorial service details have not been announced yet. NOW READ: Jazz legend Feya Faku dies while on tour in Switzerland Tributes pour in for Meme Ditshego Tributes have been pouring in on social media for the legendary actress. Here are a few reactions from Twitter: May Her soul rest in eternal peace, my deepest condolences to Her family and friends 🕯🕯🕯#RIPMemeDitshego🕊🕊🕊🕊 — ❤️Reitumetse❤️ (@HendriccahM) June 26, 2025 NOW READ: Royal runaway: Zuma's daughter flees Eswatini palace after just months of marriage
IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Public sector leave payouts could drain R16 billion from state coffers
The Public Service Commission has revealed that the government is sitting on a backlog of more than R16 billion Image: Ntswe Mokoena/GCIS. The Public Service Commission has revealed that government is sitting on a backlog of more than R16 billion in unpaid leave benefits owed to almost 190,000 public sector employees. According to the entity, the money is linked to more than nine million days of vacation leave that were accumulated before July 1, 2000, when the policy still allowed employees to keep unused leave and convert it into cash later. In an interview with public broadcaster SABC earlier this week, PSC Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya said that the figure reflects a potential future cost, not money that has already been paid out or lost. 'The money that we're talking about, the R16 billion that we're talking about, is the contingent liability, which means the leave that was accrued, if you convert it into cash, for now, it amounts to that R16 billion,' Gxoyiya told the public broadcaster. 'So it's not actually the rands and cents that have been lost by the state, but rather the money of the state or the money of the employees that is in the state.' He said this only applies to leave that was saved before the new policy was introduced in July 2020. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'After 2020, then, they are compelled to take that particular leave every year before the end of June,' he said. 'All employees who have not taken their leave before the end of June, then they will have forfeited their leave.' Gxoyiya confirmed that the money would only be paid out if employees retire, resign, or die. 'That's exactly what it means when we speak about the contingent liability. It's the eventuality. So it's not the money that has already been lost.' He also said this is not a result of mismanagement, but was allowed under the law at the time. 'The monies that were accumulated it was within the rights of the employees to do that,' he said. 'I wouldn't call it mismanagement, because at that time, they were legally allowed to do that.' IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
SABC Bill withdrawal crisis and South Africa's public broadcasting future
The six months of silence since Communications Minister Solly Malatsi withdrew the SABC Bill is unacceptable. The Speaker must urgently gazette that withdrawal, in line with the rules of the National Assembly. Silence is killing the SABC. For years, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has weathered waves of political noise, controversy, and intense public scrutiny — the kind of attention that once threatened its survival. But today, it is not the noise, but the silence that endangers its future. On 10 November 2024, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi withdrew the SABC Bill in terms of Rule 334 of the National Assembly Rules, following sustained pressure from civil society organisations, including the SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), and various broadcasters. In line with Rule 277(3), the Speaker of the National Assembly was required to formally gazette this withdrawal. Six months later, this has yet to happen. Instead, the process has evolved into political infighting. On 21 December 2024, the Parliamentary committee on communications and digital technologies issued a statement rejecting outright Minister Malatsi's decision, describing the withdrawal as both unilateral and unconstitutional. Deputy communications minister (also former minister), Mondli Gungubele vented on X, opposing the withdrawal, while civil society organisations, including SOS, supported the withdrawal of the flawed SABC Bill. On 8 February 2025, News24 reported that Deputy President Paul Mashatile had convened a meeting with the Speaker and Minister Malatsi to understand the reasons behind the withdrawal. However, by 2 March, TimesLIVE reported that the deputy president, in his role as leader of Government Business, was on the receiving end of a backlash from ANC ministers after he presented and supported Malatsi's rationale for withdrawing the Bill. To date, the Speaker has not gazetted this withdrawal, the Cabinet and the parliamentary committee have gone quiet, and the public has been left in the dark. This silence goes beyond mere procedural oversight – it is symptomatic of a severe lack of political will to protect and reform the public broadcaster. The SABC Bill In October 2023, former Minister Gungubele introduced the SABC Bill in Parliament. The Bill seeks to repeal the outdated Broadcasting Act 4 of 1999 and should ideally pave the way for the SABC to address its persistent financial woes, at which it dismally fails. Civil society organisations, including SOS, raised myriad concerns about the Bill's implications on media freedom and sustainability, warning it would erode the SABC's editorial independence, entrench political interference and delay much-needed financial reform. The SOS Coalition, in a joint submission with Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF), highlighted the following concerning flaws: Policy vacuum: The Bill is being introduced in the absence of pre-requisite policy, the Audio and Audio-Visual Media Services, and online content safety; Policy U-turn: It proposes the establishment of a commercial board when it is clearly stated in the first iteration of the Audio and Audio-Visual policy that 'the idea of the commercial division cross-subsidising the public division has been a failure from inception'; Retrogressive: The Bill proposes that the group chief executive officer, a business-oriented executive who lacks journalistic experience, be the editor-in-chief, while overlooking the head of news, who has the appropriate journalistic background and is involved in daily editorial matters; No funding model: The Bill promises that the minister will develop a funding model framework, but only in three years, and not a funding model, while the SABC's financial challenges worsen; and Ministerial powers: The minister is granted powers that are contrary to prominent court judgments that specifically require protection of the independence of the public broadcaster from ministerial interference. One case in particular is the SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and Others v South African Broadcasting Corporation SOC Limited and Others; SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and Others v South African Broadcasting Corporation SOC Limited and Others (81056/14) [2017] ZA. In the Bill, the minister has powers to interfere with processes at the SABC and appoint board members of the commercial board, the interim board, and extend the board's term after the end of the second term by six months or until a new board is appointed. These concerns justify the withdrawal by Minister Malatsi, who agrees that the Bill is 'totally flawed'. The withdrawal of the Bill was within Minister Malatsi's purview, and he followed due process. The Cabinet has no formal role in this process and its subsequent involvement has caused further delays. Following the meeting between the deputy president, the Speaker, and the minister, and in particular the endorsement of Minister Malatsi's withdrawal by the deputy president, it remains unclear why Cabinet has not yet directed the Speaker to gazette the Bill. The sooner the withdrawal is formally gazetted, the sooner the department can begin the necessary consultations and revisions to address the flaws in the Bill. The continued silence is unacceptable. The Speaker must urgently gazette the Bill's withdrawal, in line with the rules of the National Assembly. Similarly, Cabinet and political parties must demonstrate the political will to support meaningful reform of the SABC rather than delay this reform through political infighting. The public broadcaster is a cornerstone of our democracy and provides millions of South Africans with critical information to make informed decisions about their lives – it needs to be safeguarded and supported to fulfil its public mandate. DM
