Latest news with #Amanzimtoti
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Olorato Mongale: Suspect in South Africa student's murder killed in police shootout
A suspect wanted for the murder of a South African university student has been killed in a shootout with the police. Olorato Mongale's body was found on Sunday in Lombardy, north of Johannesburg, about two hours after she was reported missing having gone on a the early hours of Friday morning, police officers found the main suspect hiding at a residential complex in the coastal town of Amanzimtoti, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe suspect, who has not been named by the police, shot at the officers, who returned fire and killed him, Brigadier Mathe added. Ms Mongale's death has sparked a fierce debate about the levels of violence faced by women in South Africa. You may also be interested in: Chris Brown concert shines spotlight on violence against women in South AfricaSexual violence in South Africa: 'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters'Tears and heartbreak over tragic story of South African girl sold by her mother Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Herald
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Main suspect in Olorato Mongale's murder dies in shootout with cops
The main suspect in the murder of Wits postgraduate student Olorato Mongale has been fatally shot by police in KwaZulu-Natal. Without naming him, national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said he was found by police hiding out in a residential complex in Amanzimtoti. "When police announced their arrival, he shot at them. Police returned fire and he was fatally wounded," she said at 4am on Friday, adding provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is at the scene. Mkhwanazi told eNCA the suspect had gone to the apartment to rent a car from someone living there on Thursday morning. The rental person declined to do so due to his high profile after wanted notices were issued by police. He stayed there for the day. According to the resident, he confessed to the murder and displayed signs of being suicidal. Mongale was last seen leaving her apartment in northern Johannesburg for a date with a man who called himself John on Sunday afternoon. Her body was discovered in Lombardy near Alexandra. The white VW Polo used to pick up Mongale was found at a panel-beating workshop in Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday. The owner of the vehicle, an elderly man, was arrested and police identified Philangenkosi Makhanya and Fezile Ngubane as people of interest in the murder. On Thursday morning, police identified a third man, Bongani Mthimkhulu, who is a friend of Makhanya, as an additional suspect. Mathe disclosed later on Thursday that Makhanya and Mthimkhulu were out on bail after their arrest in Brakpan last month for kidnapping and robbing a woman. After a court appearance, they were released from custody on April 26. The parents of one of the three suspects are in custody. Police said: "The father is the owner of the VW polo while the mother is believed to have tipped off the son that police were at the parents' house looking for him. The action by the mother enabled the son to evade arrest on Wednesday night. When police arrived in Inanda where he stays, he had left." Mathe urged anyone who spots the other two suspects to immediately contact Brig Edwin Nama on 082-778-9035. TimesLIVE
News24
3 days ago
- General
- News24
Olorato Mongale murder suspect killed during shootout with police in KZN
The main suspect wanted for the murder of Olorato Mongale has been killed in a shootout with police in the early hours of Friday morning. According to police, a takedown operation was put into action after they received information that one of the suspects was hiding in a residential complex in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said when police announced their arrival, the man shot at the officers, who then returned fire and he was fatally wounded. Police have not yet disclosed the name of the suspect, but it is understood to be the man Mongale initially met for a date on the day she was murdered. Police previously identified Bongani Mthimkhulu, Philangenkosi Makhanya and Fezile Ngubane as suspects sought in connection with the murder of 30-year-old Mongale, whose body was discovered next to Cambridge Road outside of a car workshop in Lombardy West in Johannesburg on Sunday. While police continue the search for the two remaining suspects, they have taken in the parents of one of the wanted men for questioning. The mother was taken after she allegedly tipped off her son about the police's interest in his whereabouts, which enabled him to evade arrest on Wednesday. It is also believed that the suspect's father is the owner of the vehicle thought to have been used during Mongale's murder.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
PNB bowlers shine on national and district greens
Cheryl Waterman Twenty districts, 434 registered clubs and four coveted national titles – this year's BSA Men's National Championships delivered drama, determination and a showcase of remarkable talent. And, for the Port Natal Bowls district, the tournament was nothing short of triumphant, as local clubs brought home two silver medals and a bronze, reinforcing their growing status as a force to be reckoned with on the national stage. Returning home, appropriately proud, is the formidable Westville Bowling Club foursome: Paul White, Dougie Bashford, Arnold Muscat and Roger Boulle. Their tournament journey culminated in a hard-fought silver medal. Adding to the district's glory, Hillcrest's Wayne Roberts, John Peacock, Gavin Abel and George Parker – after facing Westville in the semi-finals – bounced back to clinch the bronze medal by defeating a strong Bryanston team. But the accolades didn't end there. Westville's Arnold Muscat, fresh from the gruelling fours final, competed in the Veteran Singles final, where he secured his second silver medal of the tournament. His dual-medal performance underscored not only his individual excellence, but also the depth of talent nurtured within the PNB district. Back home, the action was no less riveting. Westville CC hosted the PNB Ladies Open and Veteran Singles Championships, where two new champions emerged after a weekend of intense competition. In the Ladies Open Singles, Umhlali Country Club's Odette van Zyl, a newcomer to PNB but no stranger to competitive bowling, reached the final after defeating Stella Park's Kim Christensen. A dual member from Richard's Bay BC, van Zyl has quickly made an impression in her new district. In the other semi-final, Amanzimtoti's Hilary Lindsay led most of the way before Stella Park's Glenda Matthews staged a dramatic comeback to win 21-20. Matthews carried her momentum into the final, finding her stride by the fifth end and drawing level with van Zyl in the ninth. From there, the seven-time champion showed her class, gradually pulling ahead to win 21-17. After missing the 2024 championship due to family commitments, Matthews expressed joy at reclaiming the title, and praised Lindsay and Van Zyl for the tough challenges they posed. The Ladies Veteran Singles also delivered thrilling moments. In the semi-finals, Westville's Gail Jennings narrowly edged out Amanzimtoti's Lesley Levy 21-19, while Hillcrest's Claire Murray triumphed over Hillary's Linda Didlick 21-18. In the final, Jennings raced to a 19-7 lead before Murray staged a spirited comeback, narrowing the gap to 19-14. But Jennings held firm, scoring the final two shots to ecstatic cheers from her home crowd. Jennings commented on how she happy she was with her first gold after silver in 2022 and bronze in 2024. Meanwhile, the future of the sport shone bright at Amanzimtoti, where the Junior Masters Championship saw Westville BC's Jarred Bauristhene secure his third title. He overcame 2024 champion Awongiwe Somtseu in the final after they prevailed in semi-finals against Travis Finestone and Tye Smit. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, the Port Natal district continues to set the bar high – on both national and district turf.
IOL News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
30 years on, unforgettable memories of the Springboks' opening match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Francois Pienaar Flank Francois Pienaar led the Springboks to victory at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Rub of the Green Column Just a few months before I began my career as a rugby writer, I watched the opening game of the 1995 World Cup in the company of three Welshmen, who had come to South Africa to play rugby at my club, Amanzimtoti. We were in a sports bar in Warner Beach, the KZN seaside village that former Wallaby Clyde Rathbone and Sharks owner Marco Masotti call home. The venue was fizzing with atmosphere. The Welsh guys, all of them young school teachers, were astonished. All of that day, they had seen cars bedecked in the colours of the rainbow nation, drivers tooting at each other in festive fervour. Everywhere was fans in green and gold; side mirrors of cars were coloured with the national flag. I have remained in warm contact with those Welshmen to this day, such is the power of sport to forge friendships, and 30 years on from us watching the Springboks beat the Wallabies in that opening game, I asked them for their memories of that day. 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 ✕ John Dodds, speaking from Bridgend, told me he had been overwhelmed. 'We were watching on that big screen, and just before kick-off, the crowd was chanting 'Nelson! Nelson!' 'And I turned to my mates and said: 'We are very lucky to be in this country at this time. There is something special happening here. We are watching history'.' The first half of the match was incredibly close, and it was Pieter Hendriks' try just before halftime that broke the tension. The eruption of euphoria across the country was unbridled. 'It was huge to see the passion for the game in South Africa as the fans in that pub went crazy,' says Jason Lewis, also from Bridgend. 'We love our rugby in Wales, but to see how much that game meant to people gave me goose bumps. I remember that clearly. 'You had the feeling that game was more than just about rugby.' There was sheer bedlam as Hendriks rounded David Campese and crossed the line, fist pumped in elation. The Springboks had been given no price of beating the reigning champions, and most critics did not think the host nation would make it past the quarter-finals. But that moment – that had the world's greatest player (at that time) floundering on the Newlands turf while Hendriks raced home for the score – released the pressure, and the nation gave birth to belief. The eruption of joy and relief across the land was staggering. 1995 Rugby World Cup logo 1995 Rugby World Cup logo Image: Independent Media 'The celebrations after the game and then onwards over the tournament were incredibly special. We had more than our fair our share of Springbok shooters! (green peppermint liqueur topped with Amarula Cream),' Geraint Kathrens told me from Abercynon. 'It was a privilege to be in South Africa at that time. The atmosphere was amazing, and there was so much positivity in South Africa. 'As outsiders, all we had known of South Africa were news clips about apartheid, and a lot of our friends said we were mad to go to South Africa to play rugby, and that we would end up trapped in a civil war,' Kathrens recalls. 'But we were determined to come, and we found that there were a lot of false claims about the people of South Africa. 'We only experienced people with an open mind to improving the situation in the country.' That pressure-cooker release for the Boks and their growing army of fans across all cultures was also because the team were now on coach Kitch Christie's fabled 'high road' to the final, which meant avoiding the highly favoured teams from New Zealand and England in the initial playoffs. The Boks would now almost certainly finish top of Group A, and were on course for 'winnable' quarter-finals and semi-finals against Western Samoa, Wales, Italy, Argentina, Ireland and France. Of those countries, at that time, only formidable France were a threat to the Boks on that side of the draw. But, and I remember this vividly, captain Francois Pienaar afforded himself only a brief celebration at the final whistle before running swiftly from the field with a blank stare. He understood that beating the Aussies in round one was only the beginning... Match Report Pool A: 20 May 1995: South Africa 27 Australia 18 (Newlands, Cape Town) On a beautiful, sunny Cape afternoon, the World Cup was kicked off by Aussie flyhalf Michael Lynagh, and the perfect fielding of the kick by Mark Andrews and his fellow forwards began a match where the South Africans made few errors. Penalties were soon exchanged by Lynagh and his counterpart, Joel Stransky, before the latter nudged his team 9-6 in front on the half-hour mark, only for Lynagh to score the first tryof the World Cup when he ghosted through the defence on the back of momentum created by powerful No 8 Willie Ofahengaue. Australia led 13-9 after 35 minutes and the Newlands crowd went silent. But not for long! A series of Springbok phases eventually created space out wide and winger Pieter Hendriks famously rounded David Campese for a try that ignited the stadium and the country.
