Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-05-18 i Sunday Independent

South African Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, will be hoping that the third time’s a charm this coming week as he is set to deliver his Budget Speech once again, this time, without the Value Added Tax (VAT) increase. Parliament will gather and South Africans will tune in for a third time this month in relation to the country’s Budget that will be tabled on Wednesday this week, after the minister’s first attempt was thwarted as he included a hefty 2% VAT increase. Godongwana then presented his March 2025 Budget, where the VAT increase was dialled down to 1%, with 0.5% coming into effect this year and the other half in 2026. The decision was once again met with much discontent from the public and opposition political parties, with the DA,…

Hollywood's reputation for extravagant parties and hidden lives is well-known, but the federal trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has uniquely seized public interest. At the centre of the allegations are the so-called “freak off” parties, sex-fuelled events that prosecutors say were much more than private gatherings. As the 55-year-old hip-hop producer faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution, the term “freak off” has gone from underground slang to a trending search term across social media and news platforms. But what exactly is a “freak off”, and why does it matter? A federal indictment filed in September 2024 and obtained by E! News, detailed in court during May 12 opening statements, alleges that Sean Combs organised and directed days-long,…

Once upon a time, the world of fashion was ruled by glamorous bags and statement shoes, but in a twist that has both surprised and delighted, the spotlight has shifted to a new and unlikely accessory: books. With A-listers like Timothée Chalamet, Dua Lipa, and Bella Hadid embracing the literary world, literature is staging a remarkable comeback, solidifying its place as the finest accessory of our time. These days, it seems that to be truly “in”, you need to be clutching a good read. The rise of celebrity book clubs, with powerhouses like Reese Witherspoon leading the charge alongside Lipa, has added to this burgeoning trend, rekindling a collective appreciation for the written word as something more than mere entertainment. It’s become a cultural phenomenon, likened to a new era…

ON May 7, US Congressman Shri Thanedar supported India’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks allegedly by Pakistan-backed militant groups targeting Hindu communities. This highlights the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, tied to historical issues and current security concerns. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China is the largest supplier of military weapons to Pakistan, having supplied over 81% of Pakistan’s arms imports in the past five years, which accounts for more than 63% of China’s total arms exports. A litany of Chinese media houses views the sales of armaments to Pakistan as a huge push by China to improve self-reliance in its defence industry. Although China has not engaged in any major war in the past 40 years, Beijing has astutely capitalised on…

OUR society is being consumed by a mounting and deeply unsettling crisis — one that is easy to overlook, until it reaches your doorstep. Every day, two people are kidnapped in our society. In the last year alone, more than 17 000 kidnapping cases were reported by Statista. This amounts to a harrowing 260% increase over the last decade. These astonishing figures do not even encapsulate the whole picture. Rather, they are part of a larger, far more disturbing trend: the rise of disappearances in our society. From the bravest of men to the most delicate children, women, professionals, and so many other ordinary citizens everywhere are being snatched from our streets, never to be seen again. From the eerie disappearance of Journalist Sibusiso Aserie Ndlovu and his partner Zodwa…

KwaZulu-Natal’s capital city Pietermaritzburg was infested with drugs fuelled by the inadequate prosecutions in courts and a backlog in the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Pietermaritzburg SAPS acting station commander, Thulani Masikane, made the remarks at the Msunduzi Municipality's draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Budget for the 2025/26 financial year consultations held at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Saturday. Msunduzi Municipality Mayor Councillor, Mzimkhulu Thebolla, called for residents, businesses and all stakeholders to submit inputs and have their say on service delivery, development programmes and projects in the municipality. Several residents in the meeting spoke about the drug issue in the city and communities and that nothing was done to address the issue. In March 2025, Ian Cameron, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, visited the lab…

SOUTH Africa will not beg the Trump administration to reinstate the US-backed programme that directly supported more than 16 000 health workers and played a key role in this country’s fight against HIV/AIDS, says Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. Motsoaledi assured South Africans that the country’s HIV/Aids programme was not at risk of collapsing due to the withdrawal of US foreign aid funding through the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar). His remarks came a day after Reuters reported that funding cuts, particularly from the US, have been cited as the reason behind South Africa’s startling decline in viral load testing. "At the present moment, all we can do is present our plans to funders. I have given you a long list of funders we have met. There…

A former police Sergeant has had his life sentence for rape reduced to 20 years by the Kimberley High Court citing that the cop is capable of rehabilitation. The former cop, Luzoko Wayne Mbayeka, who had been in the SAPS for 16 years, was sentenced by the Regional Court in Kimberley on January 26, 2022, for raping a 40-year-old woman. He came to this court to appeal his conviction and the life imprisonment sentence. The victim said Mbayeka raped her on November 9, 2019 after her aunt asked the former cop to give her niece a lift. The victim said she did not know Mbayeka, but her aunt assured her that it would be safe to travel with him. She said Mbayeka was with his friend Thabo (last name not…

Experts have warned that a concerted effort, potentially driven by foreign actors and aligned with domestic far-right groups, is fuelling misinformation campaigns, including false genocide claims against the white minority in South Africa. Independent Political analysts said that the country is currently grappling with a complex web of internal and external forces aiming to destabilise its democratic progress. They argued that these efforts threaten South Africa’s sovereignty, damage diplomatic relations—particularly with the United States—and threaten the nation’s hard-won social cohesion. Experts asserted that since South Africa publicly took a stand against human rights violations committed by Israel and voiced support for Palestinian rights, it has become the target of a coordinated misinformation campaign. This campaign seeks to distort South Africa’s foreign policy, casting it as a rogue state aligned with…

RUSSIAN influence in the Sahel region has been on the rise since the coup wave of recent years. The junta leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger who seized power in 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively, wasted little time in severing relations with their erstwhile coloniser, France, while embracing Russia. In 2022, Mali terminated the French-led Operation Barkhane, which saw about 2 400 French troops withdrawing from the country as the Assimi Goita-led military junta argued that the operation had not been effective in its 10-year battle against the Islamist insurgency. His counterparts, Ibrahim Traore in Burkina Faso and Abdourahamane Tchiani in Niger followed suit, kicking out French troops out of their countries in 2023 – citing their failure to stamp out jihadist insurgencies. Public rallies were organised in Niger…

South Africa’s national under-20 team will face Morocco in the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations final at the Cairo International Stadium today at 8pm, with the chance to lift the trophy for the first time. This will be the second meeting between the two nations in a final after Morocco edged South Africa 1-0 in 1997. That remains the only U20 Afcon title Morocco have ever won, while Amajita have yet to lift the crown – making this an opportunity 28 years in the making. The road to the final has been challenging after losing their opening match of the tournament, but the response has been gutsy under the guidance of head coach Raymond Mdaka. His young squad reached the decider after edging out fierce rivals Nigeria 1-0 in…

Orlando Pirates began life without former coach Jose Riveiro on a mild note after drawing 1-1 with TS Galaxy in the Premiership at Orlando Stadium yesterday. With Pirates set to finish as No 2 on the log, this result dented Pirates hopes of trimming the gap between them and champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Pirates are currently 14 points behind the Brazilians, who’ll officially be crowned champions this evening at their home, Loftus Versfeld. The Sea Robbers are currently navigating through unchartered waters as this game marked the first start to life without Riveiro who left the club during the week. Pirates came into this game having had a few training sessions without Riveiro, but the absence of the Spaniard on the touchline was still raw and notable as well. The team…

Chelsea ensured that qualification for the Champions League remains in their own hands as Marc Cucurella’s winner beat Manchester United 1-0 to climb to fourth in the Premier League. United are gearing up for next week’s Europa League final against Tottenham but ran the Blues close as Ruben Amorim named a stronger line-up than expected. However, the Red Devils ultimately slipped to an 18th league defeat of the season and remain 16th in the table. Chelsea and Aston Villa, who beat Spurs 2-0 in Friday night’s other Premier League match, both leapfrog Manchester City into the top five. City have a game in hand at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday as they faced Crystal Palace in yesterday’s FA Cup final. But Chelsea will be assured of a return to Europe’s…

Lando Norris has turned away from the distraction of social media as the Formula One title battle with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri heats up at today’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy. “I’ve not been on social media for a few weeks now,” he told British media at Imola ahead of the seventh race of the 24-round season. “It’s just not something I enjoy. I don’t need to. It’s my life. I can do what I like,” he added when asked whether it was a consequence of the circumstances. The Briton won the season-opening race in Melbourne, and stayed ahead until Piastri took over at the top in Jeddah last month. The Australian extended his lead to 16 points in Miami on May 4 with his fourth win in six races,…

Last week, I wrote about the exploits of World War Two hero Paddy Mayne when touring South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 1938. It has prompted me to revive the talents of another famous Irish rugby player, Tony O’Reilly, who paid my salary for some years at Independent Media. At his peak as a businessman, O’Reilly was the richest man in Ireland, with a reported wealth of more than one billion Euros. His interests ranged from manufacturing foodstuffs with Heinz to a newspaper publishing empire and plenty in between. He was born an entrepreneur, but he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. When he toured South Africa as a 19-year-old in 1955, he was a penniless amateur rugby player. Like his teammates, he…

As WE mark 2025 Africa Day under the African Union’s theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”, the conversation must evolve beyond apologies, acknow- ledgements and symbolism. Reparative justice demands capital – real, sustained and strategic financial commitment. Without it, justice risks becoming little more than rhetoric. The moral case is long established. Centuries of slavery, colonialism, and racial extraction built Western wealth while impoverishing the African continent. These were not passive injustices, but deliberate systems of economic dispossession. The legacies remain: weakened institutions, broken infrastructure and generational poverty. Reparations are not charity. They are overdue investments in rebuilding what was systematically plundered. The AU’s proposal to establish a Global Reparations Fund is a visionary step toward shifting the conversation from grievance to economic strategy. However,…

You’re eating clean, sticking to your workout routine, and doing everything “right”. Yet, somehow, that stubborn belly fat just won’t seem to budge. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many people, especially those juggling busy lifestyles, are unknowingly sabotaging their weight-loss goals not because of their diet or exercise habits, but because of stress. When life gets overwhelming, whether it’s work deadlines, family responsibilities, or financial pressures, your body activates its stress response. This response involves releasing a hormone called cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone.” Cortisol is essential for survival, helping your body manage short-term stress by increasing energy levels and regulating blood sugar. However, chronic stress causes cortisol levels to remain elevated over time, which can wreak havoc on your health. One of the most noticeable side…

NEVER in the history of democratic South Africa has so few caused so much pain to so many and with impunity. The preposterous saga of a minority of Afrikaners who this week flew to the US under the utterly false pretence of escaping persecution has pooh-poohed Mandela’s dream of a South Africa for all races regardless of history. My great comrade and fellow writer, Gillian Schutte, captured it all so well when she posted on X: “This is not the Great Trek of wagons and rifles. It is the soft trek of displaced entitlement. Just the silent movement of whiteness away from discomfort and toward reabsorption into a global order that still centres it.” Phew! President Cyril Ramaphosa has been at pains attempting to convince the President Donald Trump administration…

AFRIKANERS who migrate to America as refugees under the pretext of escaping genocide in South Africa are less important on the agenda, which President Cyril Ramaphosa prepared for his meeting with his counterpart, Donald Trump, this week, although he expects this to be raised. Ramaphosa was mostly prepared to engage Trump on economic and trade issues, but was aware that the issue of his government taking the Israeli administration to the International Court of Justice might come up strongly during the discussions at the White House. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the president did not see the Afrikaner "refugee" matter as important, as it “does not define US-South Africa relations.” Ramaphosa and some ministers will visit Washington, DC from tomorrow to Thursday to meet his counterpart, who on February…

WHEN the European leadership and their Canadian counterparts had settled into the notion that the US is their best friend forever, it is difficult to imagine how they are feeling right now. They had come to expect that every newly elected President of the United States would, as perfunctory custom, dedicate his first overseas visit to any one of their countries, especially the United Kingdom. President Donald Trump, however, resorted to a different instinct and so struck out an unfamiliar comportment. He didn’t even invite them to his inauguration as the 47th President of the US. He quickly set out to commence negotiations aimed at resolving the US/NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia without the Europeans. Despite the vociferous protestations from the Europeans still yearning for more war with…

THE migration crisis on Europe’s southern borders has been brewing for decades. Today, it has reached a breaking point. In a bid to halt the flow of refugees, the EU is increasingly shifting responsibility to third countries, primarily African states that often face instability themselves. Libya is the most striking example of what these policies have led to. Today, around 4 million African migrants live there without legal status, more than half of the country’s official population of 7.5 million. Left in chaos after Western intervention, Libya has become a springboard for millions seeking to reach the shores of Europe. And it’s not just Libya. In recent years, the European Union has been forging a web of agreements with African and Middle Eastern countries, aiming to keep migrants farther from…

THE recent hearing before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has laid bare a shocking pattern of mismanagement, institutional decay, and poor governance within South Africa’s State Information Technology Agency (SITA). The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) revealed that SITA had failed to address more than R2 billion worth of irregular expenditure, continuing a long-standing cycle of financial recklessness and lack of accountability. Despite repeated warnings from oversight bodies, SITA officials admitted that only R450 million worth of cases had been concluded, with R1bn submitted to National Treasury for condonation. The remaining R500m is either under investigation or awaiting disciplinary measures, raising serious concerns about the entity’s ability — or willingness — to enforce consequences for financial misconduct. Chief Audit Executive at SITA, Xola Lingani, acknowledged the existence…

Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has disclosed that 12 037 foreign nationals are currently awaiting trial in prisons across the country for the contravention of the Immigration Act. The number of foreign prisoners waiting for trial constituted just 19% of the remand population in the country’s prisons. Groenewald revealed this when asked during a question and answer session in the National Assembly this week whether he intended to initiate bilateral engagements with the South African Development Community (SADC) countries to deport offenders who were foreign nationals to alleviate correctional facilities from the overcrowding. “Currently there are no bilateral agreements with neighboring countries due to the fact that South Africa does not have an enabling domestic legislation to regulate and facilitate the transfer of sentenced foreign offenders, including South Africans incarcerated…

Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has announced new measures permitting prisoners, who are enrolled in higher education programmes, to use personal computers in their cells for the purpose of studying. This comes after the Constitutional Court in April confirmed constitutional invalidity made by the Supreme Court of Appeal that the department’s Policy Procedure Directorate Formal Education was unconstitutional and invalid. The court found that the policy prohibits the use of personal computers in cells for purposes of further education in circumstances where such use is reasonably required for such further education. It ordered the department to prepare and promulgate a revised policy within 12 months from the date of the judgement. Responding to questions in the National Assembly, Groenewald said the apex court had ruled that no electronic equipment should…

IN OCTOBER 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the two Houses of Parliament during the State of the Nation Address. In that meeting, he announced Operation Vulindlela with the view to boosting the country’s ailing economy and to addressing other pertinent issues. Five years down the line, the question arises: Has this programme achieved its intended goal? Put differently, is there anything to celebrate with this programme? Before answering these questions, it is important to understand what Operation Vulindlela entails. In a nutshell, this is a joint initiative between the Office of the President and National Treasury. It is overseen by David Masondo, the Deputy Minister of Finance, who reports directly to Ramaphosa. The programme’s primary objective is to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms to support South Africa’s economic recovery.…

Mamelodi Sundowns will be officially crowned 2024/25 Premiership champions at Loftus Versfeld today. They face Magesi FC in their final home game of the campaign, with kick-off set for 5.30pm. The match will also mark the official handover of the new-look PSL trophy. Sundowns clinched the title on Wednesday night with a commanding win over Chippa United at Buffalo City Stadium in East London. The win took them to 70 points from 27 matches – making them mathematically untouchable at the top. It also gave coach Miguel Cardoso the green light to start planning for the CAF Champions League final. “I will start thinking about it now,” Cardoso said, looking ahead to the May 24 showdown against Pyramids FC in Pretoria. “But it doesn’t mean we will not prepare to…

The Bulls, with their scrum at the forefront, were way too strong for the Dragons yesterday as they surged to a comfortable 55-15 victory in their final round-robin United Rugby Championship (URC) match. In front of a sparse crowd at Loftus Versfeld, the Pretoria side entertained with their overall performance and produced a strong display up front, coupled with some nifty attacking in the backline to run their opponents to pieces. They scored nine tries and secured second place on the URC log with the win. The Bulls, commemorating the legacy of former player Cornal Hendricks, who passed away this week, played some brilliant rugby. Apart from the first 10 minutes after halftime, they made their visitors look like an ordinary side right through the duel. Those 10 minutes, where…

Arne Slot refused to comment on Liverpool’s reported pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong, but the Reds boss is already working on plans to make the Premier League champions even stronger next season. Slot could afford the luxury of a trip to Ibiza this week with the club’s record-equalling 20th English top-flight title long since wrapped up. Liverpool head to Brighton on Monday, before hosting Crystal Palace on the final day of the Premier League season. Their cruise to the title has allowed the Dutchman to make an early start on preparations for next season. Liverpool are reportedly closing in on a deal for Dutch fullback Frimpong as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will leave his boyhood club at the end of the season at the end of…

It is a disaster. That is how John Dobson, the Stormers’ director of rugby, labelled the red card Damian Willemse received in Friday’s victory over Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in Cape Town. While the home side won 34-24 after a try in the final 10 minutes of the duel, they paid a heavy price, with Willemse now on a path to missing the quarter-finals after his head-high tackle in the build-up to a try. Willemse and winger Leolin Zas tackled a Cardiff player, with the fullback coming in as the secondary defender. However, he was upright and made contact with the head of the ball-carrier, leaving the referee no choice but to issue a red card. His fate will now be in the hands of a disciplinary…

All eyes were on Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura as she took the witness stand on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan. The R&B singer, now 38 and heavily pregnant with baby number three with husband Alex Fine, recounted the turbulent and tumultuous decade she spent in a relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, the high-profile music mogul now facing serious allegations of sex trafficking. During her emotional testimony, Ventura detailed years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse, painting a portrait of a relationship marked by manipulation and control. On day one on the stand, Ventura testified that Combs had a hand in nearly every aspect of her life, from her finances to her music career, and even her personal choices. Her accusations included…

UNITED States President Donald Trump and his followers often speak of “making America great again,” but for whom is this greatness intended? America has never been truly great for the descendants of enslaved Africans, whose forced labour helped build that nation’s wealth. Ironically, the biggest threat to America’s domestic peace comes not from foreign forces but from white supremacist organisations, many of which Trump appealed to during his 2016 campaign. His election was seen as a white working-class revolt. A Pew Research study found that two-thirds of white voters without college degrees supported Trump, the highest proportion since 1980. His slogan, “Make America Great Again”, resonates with older Americans, particularly older white voters, many of whom hold conservative values while also advocating for the preservation of public benefits. Yet, America…

As South Africa inches closer to the tabling of what is known as the “3.0 Budget” for the 2025-26 financial year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is under immense pressure to address a gaping R75 billion budget shortfall. This marks his third attempt at presenting a budget in just two months, raising expectations and apprehensions alike. Economist Dawie Roodt said Godongwana will certainly make sure that he has the DA on his side and the DA's support for his budget. “It will be very irresponsible for the Minister of Finance to go into Parliament without the DA's support. You must get the buy-in of your most important coalition partner, and that of course is the DA,” Roodt said. He also said with the VAT increases scrapped, he did not expect the…

Director of Childline in KwaZulu-Natal, Adeshni Naicker welcomed the sentencing of a KwaZulu-Natal mother who murdered her three-year-old daughter in May 2022. This week, the Durban High Court sentenced a 35-year-old woman to 20 years' direct imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and murder of her daughter. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the accused stated in court that she met a woman on social media who offered to foster the deceased for her, and she agreed. Ramkisson-Kara said that the deceased had stayed with the foster mother for three years. During this time, the accused married the father of her youngest child. The man, who resides in the United Kingdom (UK), then encouraged her…

A recent presentation by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Mobility has highlighted progress in rail service recovery across the province, but also exposed deep political fault lines over the City of Cape Town’s role in the future of commuter rail. The briefing, framed as an update on the Service Level Plan (SLP) agreed between PRASA and the City, outlined operational improvements. These include the restoration of 13 train services and a rise in train punctuality from 81.1% last year to 87.4% in 2024/25. Train cancellations have also dropped significantly from 7.2% to 4.6%. Yet despite these gains, serious concerns remain. The Central Line, a vital commuter corridor linking Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain with Cape Town and Bellville, continues…

RECENT footage and photos surfacing from regions such as Benguela, Moxico, Bié, and Huambo paint a grim and consistent picture: rusting railway lines, derelict train cars, and large stretches of track left in disrepair, some completely stripped and looted by locals for scrap metal. These visuals starkly contrast with the grand promises attached to Angola’s Lobito Corridor, a flagship infrastructure project that has drawn the attention and funding of American and European investors. Despite the significant capital committed by Western stakeholders to modernise this railway network, much of the project is falling into ruin. Local reports and firsthand accounts suggest that government officials in Angola are diverting funds, prompting desperate cost-cutting measures on construction materials. One of the most glaring consequences of this frugality appears to be in the choice…

In a strong call for unity and grassroots mobilisation, African National Congress (ANC) co-ordinator in Gauteng, Hope Papo, has urged party members across the country to prioritise consensus and community organisation over divisive leadership contests. Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday in Johannesburg, Papo emphasised that internal elections should not become battlegrounds of ego and personal ambition. “ANC generally encourages democracy. But we think that if there can be a consensus among the officials, you will have proper processes of preparing. “So comrades must talk to each other and reach a consensus around officials in the regions, officials in the branches, officials when you go to a provincial conference,” Papo said. He stressed that some contestations were not rooted in political or ideological differences but selfish interests. Notably, in…

Immigration, asylum and refugee status have become controversial global issues and affect the politics of many countries. US President Trump’s decision to grant refugee status to Afrikaners is unique and makes a general political statement about South Africa. In only one other country this issue has emerged. At three different points in time, South African families applied for refugee status in Canada. The first one was granted in 2009 but revoked in 2014, the second one was in 2010, when their asylum application was denied but refugee status later granted, and in 2016 when their refugee status was also denied. The grounds on which refugee status is claimed are in all cases the same – the physical security situation is regarded as a threat to their lives, and it is…

UKRAINE'S Head of State’s visit to South Africa heralded a move in the right direction for potential negotiations to maintain peace and security of its people and natural resources. Although the Ukrainian diplomatic visit did not matter much to Russia, the US did not seem pleased because it continued to increase tariffs against South Africa. Withdrawing USAID from South Africa, the American administration seemed oblivious and unsympathetic to the plight of HIV-afflicted patients and the subsequent domino effect. A few months before, South Africa sought to maintain peace and security in the Middle East when it brought an action at the International Court of Justice in support of Palestinians, asserting that apartheid is a crime against humanity, and that genocide, as is acknowledged by all modern nations today. Much has…

IT COULD well have been the case of Kaizer Chiefs still suffering the Nedbank Cup celebrations blues as they played to a 1-1 Premiership stalemate against Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane yesterday. Their quest for a spot in the top eight would not have been helped by their getting just the single point in a match that saw them finishing a man down after Pule Mmodi was sent off late in the match for elbowing an opponent. Chiefs remained stuck in ninth place, and will thus have to beat Polokwane City in their final match of the season and hope that results elsewhere go their way. Sekhukhune, on the other hand, also have to win their final match if they are to qualify for the CAF…

Mikel Arteta is willing to break Arsenal’s transfer budget in a bid to land a star striker to spearhead their Premier League title challenge next season. Arteta’s side have now gone five years without a trophy as they approach the end of a frustrating campaign marred by injuries to key forwards Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. That trio, as well as influential midfielder Martin Odegaard, all missed substantial chunks of the season as Arsenal failed to keep pace with Premier League champions Liverpool before losing the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. A new striker is top of Arteta’s wish-list, with Havertz, who has not played for almost four months, still the club’s top scorer in the league with just nine goals. Arsenal are believed to have at…

World No 1 Jannik Sinner produced a sublime semi-final display as he fought back from a set down to beat American Tommy Paul 1-6 6-0 6-3 on Friday night to set up an Italian Open final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz today. Sinner ended a 47-year wait for an Italian to reach the men’s singles final in Rome after Adriano Panatta lost the title match to Bjorn Borg in 1978. Serving first, 11th seed Paul stunned the crowd and went up 5-0 in the first set against Sinner, who approached the clash on a career-best 25-match winning streak. But the Italian top seed, making his comeback this week after serving a three-month doping ban, kept his cool and orchestrated a stunning comeback in the second. He delivered a bagel, giving his…

AT the age of 38, many athletes are way past it. Not so Elroy Gelant, who is epitomising the saying ‘ageing like fine wine’ by producing performances that far belies his age. His recent run at the Hamburg Marathon catapulted him into national hero status, and ensured that his legacy will outlive him. Granted, records are there to be broken, and his 2:05:36 that improved Gert Thys’ long-standing mark from 1999 by 57 seconds will be bettered in time. The man himself is realistic enough to acknowledge that much. “I think there’s something more in the pocket, and not just for me individually. I think that we as South Africans have the ability to run faster and get to that 2:04 or 2:03 world standard,” Gelant told Independent Media. It…

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them, according to William Shakespeare. South Africa’s latest one-lap sensation, Leendert Koekemoer, falls into the latter category. And those marvelling at his achievements in helping South Africa to gold in the 4x400m at the Athletics World Relays in Guangzhou, China last weekend can scarcely believe that he is still only 17. But while their endorsement will mean a lot, there is one person who had a front-row seat to the young sprinter’s historic achievement, and has been added to a growing list of admirers. The plaudits were already assured for established 400m star Zakithe Nene, when he collected the baton from the teenager on the anchor leg and stormed to gold in a world lead 2:57.50, trimming…