Latest news with #Skhosana
The Citizen
18 hours ago
- The Citizen
Additional accused in Magaqa murder remains behind bars
The accused was re-arrested on Monday in Malvern, in KZN. A 55-year-old former municipal manager of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality linked to the murder of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary-general, Sindiso Magaqa, will remain behind bars until his next court appearance. Zweliphansi Stanley Skhosana appeared in the Mzimkhulu Magistrate's Court on Tuesday in connection with the murder of Magaqa. Bail application National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Skhosana is facing several charges. 'Skhosana appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and defeating the administration of justice. 'The case was remanded to 1 August 2025 for the defence to appoint counsel for the bail application,' Ramkisson-Kara said. ALSO READ: Hitman sentenced to life for murder of ANC councillor Zakhele Khuzwayo 'We are disturbed,' states ANCYL Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Skhosana was re-arrested on Monday in Malvern, Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). 'He was previously arrested in 2018 alongside the late mayor of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, a businessman, two former police officers and a hitman. 'The hitman, Sbusiso Ncengwa, was convicted of 25 years' imprisonment on 7 July 2025,' Mathe said. The ANCYL welcomed the latest arrest in the murder of Magaqa. 'We are disturbed by the fact that the former municipal manager fled his residence to evade arrest, demonstrating that he is a flight risk and must be denied bail. It must also be noted that he has a prior criminal matter, which casts further doubt on his respect for the rule of law'. Magaqa's murder During the trial, Ncengwa admitted that he was part of a group of men who were paid R120 000 to kill Magaqa in 2017. His lawyers had pleaded for leniency. They argued that he had apologised to Magaqa's family and had shown remorse for his deeds. Ncengwa is also serving time in prison for other crimes unrelated to Magaqa's murder. These include armed robberies. Magaqa was serving as a councillor in Umzimkhulu Local Municipality at the time of his death. He was shot in July 2017 and succumbed to his injuries after spending time in the hospital. It is alleged that Magaqa was preparing to expose alleged tender corruption in the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality related to the construction of a community hall when he was killed. ALSO READ: Was it really a hit? IFP update on deputy chief whip's death
IOL News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Alwande Skhosana clinches double victory at TSA International Wheelchair Series
Alwande Skhosana won both legs of the ITF Futures Series tournaments at Gauteng East Tennis Courts in Benoni.. 'In order for a player to qualify for a Grand Slam, they need to be in the top 15 in the world, and my highest ranking was No 20,' Skhosana said. The 25-year-old tennis star was first introduced to wheelchair tennis when he was 9, at Harding Special School in KZN. He has been consigned to crutches after a botched operation to correct bowleggedness, but only uses the wheelchair when he is playing. He was thrilled with the victories, but revealed the struggles in trying reach the Grand Slam stage where the likes of four-time major winner Kgothatso Montjane and quad tennis player Donald Ramphadi continue to fly the SA flag high. Top seed Skhosana, from Umlazi in the south of Durban, saw off the challenge of No 2 seed Anthony Dittmar of Germany in both finals at the Gauteng East Tennis Courts in Benoni. The rankings points and prize money are vital to his hopes of adding to South Africa's growing Grand Slam legacy in the sport. South Africa's leading female wheelchair player Kgothatso Montjane is hoping to add the Wimbledon title to her Grand Slam haul. 'Because we don't really have a lot of tournaments on South Africa, it becomes more expensive for us to play tournaments in Europe where we actually can get enough points to improve our ranking.' Despite being the top wheelchair tennis men's player in Africa, the lack of financial support makes qualifying for the Slams an uphill battle for the South African ace. 'I'm actually good enough because I've had wins over top-10 players that are actually Grand Slam players. So it's just a matter of getting good support to give me more opportunities so that I can make enough points to get into the Slams,' he said. Victory in the TSA International Wheelchair Series will surely help his cause. The series, which included mens, women's, quads, and junior categories, offered a $3 000 (about R53 000) prize purse for each tournament. Skhosana was extremely proud of his achievement. 'It was my first titles this year,' he said. 'The most important thing is to collect as many points as possible to improve my rankings because my biggest goal is to play in the Grand Slams.' The event marked the return of ITF Futures Series tournaments to South Africa for the first time since 2019. 'Having these tournaments at home gave me an advantage because I didn't need to spend a lot of money, whereas if I have to go to Europe I have to spend so much money to play in those tournaments to accumulate the same points,' Skhosana said. 'It was really important as the top-seeded player to get all the points and improve my ranking.' Beaten finalist Dittmar won a Futures Series event in Amiens in March, but found the South African ace a formidable opponent on home soil. Skhosana's goal for the rest of the year is to take part in a further nine tournaments. It is surely only a matter of time before his name is mentioned among South Africa's Grand Slam legends.
The Citizen
16-06-2025
- The Citizen
Suurman CPF tackles crime-infested streets with nothing but whistles and torches
Suurman CPF tackles crime-infested streets with nothing but whistles and torches A group of dedicated community members are adamant about keeping their streets safe and crime-free. They do this by patrolling the streets of Temba in Hammanskraal with nothing but whistles, torches, and a deep sense of commitment to keeping their neighbourhood safe. This is the reality of the Suurman Community Policing Forum (CPF) led by founder and chairperson, Shadrack Skhosana. Operating under the Temba Police Station, Suurman CPF has been recognised as one of the most effective CPFs in the area, despite struggling with limited resources and minimal police support. The team conducts daily patrols, especially after 18:00, focusing on high-crime zones such as bus stops where streetlights are not functioning. 'We receive a lot of tips from our community WhatsApp group, and we respond as best we can with the little we have,' said Skhosana. The CPF faces an array of challenges. Common crimes in the area include cable theft, house break-ins, robberies, vehicle battery thefts, smash-and-grabs, and cases of gender-based violence, rape, and murder. While crime initially decreased after the CPF was formed, Skhosana noted that it is rising again due to the lack of police backup. Despite these obstacles, the CPF continues to make significant contributions. Skhosana said one of their most notable successes was tracing suspects in the rape and murder case of Nthabiseng Mabuso, who was killed on November 3, 2023. He said the forum alerted police, who arrested the suspects. 'The case is still ongoing at Temba Magistrate's Court, but sadly, the main suspect, with three other murder cases against him, was granted bail and is now missing,' he said. Beyond crime prevention, the CPF extended its support to broader community needs. 'We helped an 18-year-old who couldn't get an ID because her birth certificate said she was born in Namibia. Within two months, we helped her get a South African ID. We also assist children without birth certificates and pensioners struggling with their Sassa documents,' he added. The CPF also works hand-in-hand with the organisation Change With Elevation. They support school safety by positioning Sector 3 patrollers at school gates and running awareness campaigns and imbizos. Skhosana said community participation remains low due to past incidents where residents were arrested for mob justice. 'Our biggest challenges are transport and infrastructure. We need a 15-seater minibus, a few cars, and an empty stand to use as an office. 'It's not easy, but you have to love your community. With or without a budget, you have to be strong and carry on.' Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
IOL News
30-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Controversy surrounds ASA Presidential Elections amid candidate withdrawals
IT WOULDN'T be the elections for sports administrators without the bickering and the controversy, would it? Athletics South Africa's (ASA) presidential elections will take place in Johannesburg on Saturday amidst drama that has served to threaten the legitimacy of the event. As if the mudslinging among the prime candidates was not enough, there have been two federations withdrawing their nominations to the detriment of athletes who were looking for an opportunity to serve at national level. Gladwin Mzazi and Kesa Moletsane are highly-achieved stars who were nominated for roles at ASA but their provinces Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) and Athletics Free State (AFS) have made the strange decision of withdrawing all their nominees. As such their hopes of serving have been dashed. Talk in athletics is that the withdrawal decisions are part of a ply to unseat current president James Moloi, who was nominated by the two federations and will thus lose out on those votes. There is a suggestion that a group pushing for the return of former president Aleck Skhosana, who is the main challenger to Moloi, has connived to get the two provinces withdrawing their nominations. 'The elections are definitely going to happen,' a source within ASA told Independent Media. 'CGA and AFS withdrawing their nominations will not stop the elections or make them illegitimate. "We are aware that there's a group that wants James Moloi out and they are the ones behind these withdrawals. They started at CGA and then went to the Free State because those provinces nominated Moloi. But he should still get enough votes to retain the presidency.' It is believed that while there are five nominations for the position, there will be just two men standing come Saturday morning – Moloi and Skhosana likely to be those. Independent Media were told Friday that Harold Adams had sent a letter to ASA confirming his withdrawal from the presidential race and new Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) president John Mathane is also expected to do the same by the end of the day. It was not immediately clear whether current ASA vice president Shireen Noble will stay on for the race, but whatever her decision she is generally seen as not having enough support to challenge the two. It thus leaves Skhosana to try and unseat Moloi. The narrative currently being pushed is that under Moloi ASA has lacked strong leadership hence the hankering for Skhosana's return. Moloi argues though that those calling for his removal are ignoring the reality of the situation as he feels that the sport has improved in the four years he has been in charge. 'The reality is that we have done very well because not only have we got the sport back on television as we promised before we were elected but you'd have seen the huge strides our athletes have made at international events and we are looking to build on those gains,' the current incumbent said – no doubt referring to the medals won at the Olympics and international events such as the junior and youth championships as well as in the relay championships. He finds it laughably sad that those against him have gone the route of getting federations withdrawing their nominees withdrawn from the elections. 'It's totally unfair because we are not working for ourselves here. We are working for Athletics South Africa and the athletes must be our priority. "Let's not demoralize the athletes and rob people who want to serve the sport of the opportunity because withdrawing those nominations is not hurting James Moloi but other athletes who wanted to serve the sport.' The elections will be held in Kempton Park Saturday.
Daily Maverick
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Aleck Skhosana and James Moloi in two-horse race for Athletics SA president despite poor records
It will be a showdown between the incumbent Athletics SA president James Moloi and the man he defeated four years ago – Aleck Skhosana – during the federation's election on Saturday. The battle for the top seat within Athletics South Africa (ASA) is set to be a two-horse race between current president James Moloi and the man he ousted to gain the seat in 2021 – Aleck Skhosana. These are two men that have less than stellar administration records and have presided over embarrassing messes in athletics in the past. Under Skhosana's presidency, KZN Athletics went bankrupt in 2011. Allegations of fraud, corruption and mismanagement led to the board being removed in 2012, with millions of rands said to have been plundered by the federation's employees before the rot was exposed. Skhosana was later cleared of any direct wrongdoing. However, that aspect of his 12-year spell as KZN Athletics boss continues to follow him – with some remaining suspicious of him. Under Moloi, the ASA was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). The deregistration in February 2025 was a result of the ASA failing to file its annual returns and pay its company fees, despite numerous reminders from the CIPC to comply. When the CIPC notified the ASA that it had been deregistered, it was because the athletics body had last filed its returns in 2021, when James Moloi became its president. Despite the gravity of the matter and the bad light in which it put the ASA, management sought to downplay the issue, with Moloi calling it a 'minor problem'. Moloi's administration pointed the finger towards Skhosana's leadership for the deregistration blunder. However, Moloi's rival is having none of it. On why he felt the need to return to the ASA, Skhosana said that he wants to replenish the ASA's public image – which has taken a blow in recent months due to some administrative ineptitude under Moloi. '[I want] to restore the image and integrity of Athletics South Africa. You saw in April in Parliament, where the sports portfolio committee declared the ASA as an embarrassment, a disgrace and a mess,' Skhosana said on Newzroom Afrika. 'So, we cannot be able to sit back and watch whilst we are capable of adding value. We once participated and we once resolved these problems in the past. I want to make South African athletics bigger and better. To restore corporate governance,' the presidency hopeful added. For Moloi, the deregistration debacle is a major blemish on his four-year tenure as the ASA boss. However, it has since been resolved. But these blemishes do not inspire any confidence. Others Moloi cut a proud fatherly figure recently as Team SA returned from the World Relays. The South Africans claimed two gold medals and a bronze at the global tournament. Despite the aforementioned administrative struggles, South Africans athletics is clearly in a healthy state currently. Whoever takes over the reins will be expected to further improve on this solid foundation instead of undoing it or stagnating it. Although others, such as Moloi's vice-president Shireen Noble, have raised their hands for the top job as well – when the ASA's quadrennial general meeting takes place on Saturday, 31 May, it is expected to be a tightly-fought contest between Skhosana and Moloi. In addition to the two favourites and Noble, Harold Adams is also in the running. John Mathane was part of the candidates list, but he has since pulled out. Mathane remains in the running for the deputy president position though. He is alongside Noble, Adams, KZN Athletics president Steve Mkasi, as well as Karabo Mabilo and Sticks Stiglingh in the race for the ASA lieutenant. Skhosana's unfinished business Skhosana first became the big boss of South African athletics in 2014. He was installed after the intervention of World Athletics following a protracted internal battle involving the executive of then president James Evans, as well as an interim board led by Sello Mokoena. The interim board had surfaced after the impeachment of Evans for allegedly using the ASA's funds for his own benefit. Evans denied this, but the intervention of World Athletics resulted in the federation convening for a special general meeting. This is when Skhosana and a new board were elected. However, they could only serve for two years since Evans had vacated his role prematurely. When that short term ended, Skhosana was re-elected – this time to serve a full term. Considering some of the cleaning up he did upon replacing Evans, Skhosana knows how to lead. But him throwing his name into the hat for re-election four years after being ousted raises the question of whether there aren't any new faces who harbour ambitions of leading such a federation. Recycled administrators For all its 'against all odds' victories on the global stage – South African sports sometimes find themselves recycling the same old faces when it comes to administrators. However, Skhosana says his desire to become the ASA president for the third time is within the constitutional parameters of the national athletics body. He also highlights some of his accomplishments during his six-year tenure. This includes being deliberate about sending South African athletes to international competitions between Olympic Games, something which did not happen as often prior to Skhosana's ascension to power. Under the KZN-born administrator talents such as Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk thrived. How much they thrived because of the ASA's leadership, or in spite of it, is debatable. Moloi, who established training camps for the athletes during his term, has promised to continue implementing similar strategic projects should he be reinstated. 'I want to go for the second term because I didn't finish my plans. So, the second term is for the implementation of whatever plans I've got and to bring in [sponsors],' Moloi told SABC Sport. 'I've been negotiating with different companies to sponsor Athletics South Africa. But if you leave or you are not there, they are not going to come because now, they are relying on you. 'So, it will be an advantage for Athletics South Africa if I can go back for the second time and implement whatever plans that I've got,' the former Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) president added. Ahead of the elections, there has been some controversy. The CGA and Athletics Free State have both pulled their nomination lists for the various positions set to be contested on Saturday. The councils of the federations say the lists were not properly vetted prior to submission. In anticipation of possible skirmishes between the various camps, Moloi wrote to the South African Police Service on 23 May, asking for 'increased police visibility' and hoping this will 'help maintain order and promote a sense of safety throughout the duration of the event'. DM
