Table of contents for 2022-09-16 in DFA News

THE MOTHER of 11-year-old Onkarabetse Thole, who drowned in a large pool of water that was caused by a burst pipe on the main waterline near Riemvasmaak in Galeshewe, was left engulfed in self-blame as she recalled the fateful day. Miriam Thole spoke with haste this week as she relayed the details of what happened on Sunday, September 11, hours before her son died. Her eyes were barely blinking as she told her story and it appeared that she did not want to leave out any detail. Miriam recalls that she and her children had enjoyed a relaxing Sunday afternoon at home after they had returned from church. “We had returned from church and I wanted to sleep, however, I was unable to sleep. The children - Onkarabetse, his 16-year-old…

COLLEAGUES of Chareen Augustine, neé May, 56, will continue holding lunchtime pickets outside the offices of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in the Kimberley CBD until her killer is apprehended. A suspect was questioned by the police last week in connection with Augustine’s murder but was later released. Relatives of Augustine indicated that the suspect could not be placed at the scene of the crime, although he was the only person who had keys to the house. “There was no forced entry into the house.” The Kimberley SAPS Serious and Violent Crimes Investigation unit is investigating a murder case after Augustine’s body was found at her home in Stamford Street on August 20, where she had apparently been strangled to death. A close family friend, Beverly Samuels, pointed…

BAFANA Bafana boss Hugo Broos has surprised by naming a number of new faces to tackle Botswana and Sierra Leone in friendlies later this month. Foreign-based Cape Town attacker Mihlali Mayambela (26) cracks the nod as well as two players with Stellenbosch connections, current midfield enforcer Sibongiseni Mthethwa and former midfielder Luke le Roux (21), who now plays for Swedish top-flight club Varbergs. Of Mayambela, who is the brother of former PSL showman Mark, Broos says: “We’ve gotten good reports about him. So we give him a chance and it’s up to him to prove us right.” Broos didn’t stop with the shocks there, including Mamelodi Sundowns veteran Themba Zwane (pictured) in his 23-man squad. Having resisted calls to use the 33-year-old ace up until now, the Belgian says: “Only…

AN IN LOCO inspection was conducted this week at the home of the Brand family on their farm in Hartswater as well as at the cave where one of the bodies of the three murdered family members was concealed. A visit was also made to the homes of witnesses and the accused and the place where a stolen laptop and cellphone were sold. Danie Brand, his wife Breggie and their daughter Elzabé were assaulted, abducted and killed and their bodies dumped in Takaneng village near Taung in July 2020. A red Nissan Micra and silver Mazda CX-5 were stolen during the farm attack. The accused - Donald Seolesang, 22, Tshepo Visagie, 38, Kgomotso Mpumlwane, 45, and Tshepaone Melato, 21 - were charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and…

IMAGINE waking up on a Sunday morning; turning on the television, brewing a cup of coffee and possibly eating breakfast - as you do every week. As you get ready for church, however, you suddenly hear what sounds like an approaching truck, or maybe more like a fleet of trucks. But it’s not trucks and, in fact, what you are hearing is millions of litres of water and sludge flowing toward your house. There is nothing you can do. You cannot gather any of your possessions, not even your bible propped up against the side of your bed, a photo album, or anything else you hold dear. Your only option is to flee in order to preserve your life. It kind of sounds like the plot for a big-budget film,…

LOCAL contractors disrupted a renovation project at the Ritchie Library this week, where subcontractors complained that they were not benefiting from the project. Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture spokesperson Conrad Fortune said a tender of under R200,000 was awarded for repairs and general maintenance of the library. “The scope of work includes electrical work, plumbing, welding, replacement of windows, gate and doors, painting, repair of the toilets, servicing of the air conditioners and the provision of flood lights,” said Fortune. “The library is currently fully operational and the community has access to our services rendered there.” Fortune added that local contractors were aggrieved as they were not allowed to subcontract and hence they voiced their concerns around the matter. “Officials from the department met with the affected…

The Springboks are ready for big battles against Argentina, says Elrigh Louw Elrigh Louw got an early birthday present this week when he was named in the Springbok match-23 for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against Argentina, and he intends to make the most of the opportunity. The Bulls loose forward is turning 23 next Tuesday, September 20, and has had to be patient in waiting for his third Test cap when he runs out in the second half at the Estadio Libertadores de America in Buenos Aires. Louw has featured in two games – the Loftus Versfeld and Cape Town Stadium victories over Wales – so he has an unbeaten record so far. But with Rugby World Cup spots up for grabs, the former Southern Kings flank needs to make…

Freedom Boxing Club’s Joe Magugwana says he’s ready to turn up the heat in Bloemfontein Joe Magugwana, the boxer from Nxumalo Street in Galeshewe’s old Number Two township, believes he’s being set up for a win against Free State Featherweight debutant Khotso Ramabolu when they meet in a non-title fight on the undercard of the annual Macufe festival’s Boxing Expo in Bloemfontein on October 2. Macufe is short for Mangaung African Cultural Festival. This annual show starts on October 1 and continues over nine days until October 9. Tale of the tape The tale of the tape in this bout says this may well be a unification fight for the overall featherweight champion of the central provinces; Northern Cape and Free State. In this year alone Magugwana has been the…

Former players Sandile Ngcobo and Philip Snyman will lead a new era for the Blitzboks after being appointed as the coaches of the Springbok Sevens team yesterday. Ngcobo will be the head coach, with ex-captain Snyman the assistant as they take over from Neil Powell and Renfred Dazel respectively. The 33-year-old Ngcobo was the head of the SA Rugby Sevens Academy and assisted Paul Delport with the Bok Women’s Sevens side at the Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens, having retired from playing in 2018, while 35-year-old Snyman was also coaching at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport before assisting Uganda and Germany. “The Blitzboks are indeed very close to the heart for all involved, and our jobs will be to protect and grow the values of the badge and…

I STARED death in the eye … and I think death had hay fever because his eyes were red … Allow me to explain. Once upon a time, long, long ago, back in the days when Kimberley was still the City that sparkled, I was playing with my friends on the dark grey mine dumps that encircled what used to be the Eddie Williams Oval. I loved those slate grey dumps; moreso after it had rained when the soil was darker and we could dig around in the dirt. Back then, we were looking for fun, not diamonds, and that’s what made it special. It was while digging in the dirt one day that we – the adventurous youngsters that we were – discovered a nest of some interesting-looking insects…

THE FAMILY of 11-year-old Onkarabetse Thole, who drowned in a stormwater canal between Gogga pump station and Riemvasmaak in Galeshewe, intends to take legal action against Sol Plaatje Municipality. The boy’s father, Thapelo Thole, stated that he had also reported the matter to the SA Human Rights Commission for investigation. “The municipality was negligent as it should have attended to the massive water leaks at Gogga pump station years ago. It poses a drowning hazard for children as the area has not been cordoned off,” said Thapelo. The Galeshewe police have opened an inquest into Onkarabetse’s death after police divers recovered his body after he went swimming in the stormwater canal on Sunday. Thapelo explained that his son went with his older brother, Mosimanegape Mocholo, and a group of friends…

Roger Federer has announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 41. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been struggling with a knee problem for the last three years and has decided now is the time to step away. Federer will participate in the Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event that will take place in London the following week, but he will then retire from professional tennis.…

NORTHERN Cape Cricket (NCC) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) in partnership with KFC, will continue their celebrations of the 40th year of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme by hosting the Northern Cape KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Seminar in Kimberley today. The theme of the seminar, that starts at 9am, is ‘Make volunteering your identity, make volunteering attractive’. “This theme pays homage to the contribution made by volunteers in the mini-cricket fraternity which has been active over the years,” said media events company spokesperson Shawn Belluigi. “This is a clarion call to make volunteerism a way of life,” he added. The aim of the season is to level the playing field by allowing children from all backgrounds to compete at an equal level by providing all youngsters from the age of 4-10 boys…