Table of contents for 2025-11-28 in DFA News

A HEATED exchange flared up between a packed gallery of supporters of Mandy Bailey and family members of her ex-husband, Alberto Matthews, after sentencing proceedings in the Northern Cape High Court were postponed until next year. Bailey died after being shot multiple times in the head and body in her bedroom while her nine-year-old daughter was lying on the bed on December 27, 2023. Matthews was found guilty last week of Bailey’s murder, as well as assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possession of an unlicensed .765mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, the unlawful possession of ammunition, and contravention of a protection order. Sentencing could not continue in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday, when the defence requested a six-week postponement to allow for a pre-sentencing report…

BY 9am on Saturday morning, when athletes – puffing and pouring with perspiration – passed my home, temperatures were in the mid-to-high 20s already. I wondered what would possess human beings to expose themselves to this type of trauma? Then the words of the wise man from Proverbs 28:1 came to mind. “The wicked run when no one is chasing them”. The good news is that the first Diamonds and Dorings Kimberley Big Hole Marathon seems to have been a resounding success. And, ignoring my jealous comment about them being wicked, I admit that I admire the tenacity it took for those athletes to run such distances, whether it be 5km, the full 42.2km or any distance in between. Let’s not ignore the fact that before they set off at…

THE DFA is celebrating a proud newsroom milestone after its Sports Editor, Lance Fredericks, was this week named a regional winner in the 2025 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards. Fredericks claimed top honours in the Opinion category for the Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Limpopo region for his powerful piece, “A giant cup of tea in the lion’s den”. He was also named runner-up in the Sports category, further underlining the strength and range of his journalism. As a regional category winner, Fredericks will now go head-to-head with other regional winners from across the country at the national finals on December 4. The Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious accolades in local journalism. “Lance’s win is deeply special…

THE FOUR young men charged with the brutal assault and murder of 81-year-old farmer Hendrik Venter on his farm Kameelaar, near Kuruman, will return to the Kuruman District Court next year. Venter also owned three other farms – Adams, Middelplaas and Selsden – and was actively involved in the running of all their operations. The accused – Kabelo Tata, 27, Orabile Motswakgosi, 25, Tshoganetso Tata,19, and Pitso Bogodile, 21 – appeared in the Northern Cape High Court this week, where they are facing charges of armed robbery with aggravating circumstances, and murder. They allegedly assaulted and robbed Venter of cash and cellphone airtime vouchers that he intended to use to pay his workers on September 27, 2024. The accused were arrested near Hotazel shortly after the incident, following a SAPS…

THE GLOVES are off as Sol Plaatje municipal manager Thapelo Matlala intends to return to his post, maintaining that all disciplinary steps against him are unlawful and are a “sham, driven by ill motives”. Council decided to place Matlala on precautionary suspension in September amid public protests and mass marches, where civic organisations called for his removal after allegations of misconduct, questionable tenders and irregular appointments surfaced against him. In correspondence from his attorney, Matome Mashao, it was claimed that the precautionary suspension of his client was “unprocedural, irregular and constituted a serious breach” of the disciplinary regulations for senior managers. Mashao said Matlala was subjected to prejudice and prejudgement. “The allegations were based on a Sunday World newspaper publication. No complainant or formal complaint was lodged by any identified…

A 45-YEAR-OLD man from Galeshewe has been sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a 17-year-old boy. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Northern Cape spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the perpetrator, Zwelitsha Lebetsneng, was a trusted family friend who had known the teenager since childhood. “The incident occurred on August 24, 2024, when Lebetsneng went to the home of the complainant. He entered the property and instructed the victim to perform oral sex on him. The traumatised teenager, who was alone at home at the time, complied out of fear and immediately reported the incident to a neighbour. The accused was arrested shortly thereafter and first appeared in court on August 29, 2024, where he was denied bail until the conclusion of the trial.” Senokoatsane said that…

RUFUS Gabriel, the talented writer behind Flats Rhythm, is a Kimberley-born storyteller whose writing is rooted in the lived experiences of Roodepan Flats. “I was born in 1994 in Kimberley, and I grew up in Roodepan Flats, a community that shaped a lot of who I am and the stories I tell today,” says Gabriel. He attended Roodepan Primary School and later continued his high school education at Pescodia High School. After matric, he studied civil engineering, but knew that his true calling was elsewhere. “Even while studying, I knew deep down that my true calling was elsewhere. I’ve always been a filmmaker at heart – a storyteller,” says Gabriel. His passion for filmmaking was sparked by the stories he saw in the people and streets of Roodepan. “I saw…

THE MINERVA Gardens murder trial is likely to only begin next year, as the third accused, Obrey Mabija, has yet to secure legal representation from Legal Aid South Africa. During the shooting incident, Charmaine Anthony was killed, while her son, Lucan Anthony, was injured in the leg and buttocks at a housing complex in Minerva Gardens on December 21, 2024. The accused – Advocate Celeste Nameka, her father, Clive Ferris, and Mabija – appeared in the Northern Cape High Court this week. Nameka and Ferris are facing charges including murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH). Ferris is also facing additional charges of the illegal possession of a firearm without a licence and the unlawful possession of ammunition. Mabija has been charged with assault…

THE EXCEPTIONAL sports personalities from my youth are largely a forgotten bunch. The tragedy of this truth lies in the fact that these men and women played before YouTube existed. The score books and newspaper clippings are either destroyed or forgotten in scrapbooks packed away “somewhere”. So speaking to these legends, hearing sports stories from their lips, seems to be the only way we’ll be able to piece a fragmented history together. History relived Recently the cricket legends weekend saw former teammates reunited around their passion for the game and their community. One of these legends, Cyril Fredericks, who goes by the nickname of “CP” by his historical teammates, will have to excuse me for not calling him “Dad” while I write this piece. Anyway, speaking about the reunion, CP…