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The South African
4 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Siwelele FC boss brags about being Minister Gayton's son
Despite shying away from his father's last name, Calvin Le John introduced himself as the son of Minister of Sport, Art and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, after addressing supporters of his newly acquired football club, Siwelele. The businessman- the firstborn of the former convict – recently purchased the club, previously Supersport United, for R50 million in a closed business deal. In his first speech, Siwelele FC's new boss introduced himself to the club's supporters. 'I am Calvin Le John, the firstborn of the Minister of Sport, Gayton McKenzie', he told a crowd of football fans at their general meeting last week. Calvin touched on his relationship with Gayton, and their love of the Bloemfontein Celtic club – nicknamed Siwelele – which later became Royal AM. 'On the day I was born, my father was sentenced to 17 years [for armed robbery]. From the day I was born until the age of 10, the only connection we had was through the visitors' section at Grootvlei [prison]. Becoming emotional, he added: 'In my family, one of the only things that brought us happiness was Siwelele'. @l_keezy021 Gayton McKenzie's son Calvin Le John donates R100,000 to supporters and gives his first speech as the Chairman of Siwelele football club in Bloemfontein #southafricatiktok #gaytonmckenzie #gayton #latestnews #incaseyoumissedit #southafricantiktok🇿🇦 #southafricatiktok🇿🇦 #fyp #fypageシ ♬ original sound – L_Keezy021 Since Calvin Le John acquired Siwelele FC, many South Africans have accused Gayton McKenzie of having a hand in the closed business deal. Others claim he would use his position as Minister of Sport to further the club's interests. Responding to the rumours, Gayton said in a Facebook Live: 'People act like we took money from under our mattress and we just went to go buy a club. Gayton McKenzie has heaped praise on his son, Calvin Le John. Images via Facebook 'He bought it, I'm not part of the company….There's no consortium, he owns 100% of the company alone'. Gayton added, 'I'm very proud of him. He doesn't want to trade on McKenzie's name; that shows you he is different.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Scale of Emergency-era atrocities exceed documented cases, says L-G
Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Wednesday said the scale of brutalities that took place during the infamous Emergency imposed in 1975 may be of a magnitude that exceeds what has been documented by various inquiry commissions. Addressing the 'Samvidhan Hatya Divas' to mark the 50th anniversary of the dark chapter in India's modern history, Mr. Kailashnathan said for every known case of brutality and oppression — he referenced the notorious custodial torture and death of Rajan in Kerala and C. Chittibabu, a former Mayor of erstwhile Madras — there were innumerable atrocities that were either not reported or never came to light. The Lt. Governor noted that unlike today when there were numerous media outlets and social media platforms to bring out the truth, there was only the State broadcaster during the Emergency era. The Emergency was imposed by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, solely for political motivations and not due to any national exigency, he said. The 50th anniversary was an important occasion to discuss the dangers of the authoritarianism that characterised the Emergency era, the sacrifices made by its opponents and to reaffirm democratic values, principles of the Indian Constitution and freedom of the press, he said. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy stressed the importance of preserving democratic norms. Speaker R. Selvam, Home Minister A. Namassivayam, Consumer Affairs Minister P.R.N. Thirumurugan, A. Nedunchezhiyan, Art and Culture Secretary and others participated. A photo exhibition and a motorcycle rally by the police personnel were organised on the occasion.
The South African
01-06-2025
- The South African
Gayton predicts Joslin's mom Kelly Smith will CONFESS in jail
Gayton McKenzie has reacted to the life sentence imposed on Kelly Smith for trafficking and kidnapping her own daughter, Joslin Smith. The Minister of Sport, Art and Culture condemned the Saldanha Bay woman, who has been convicted of being the 'mastermind'. Kelly and her co-offenders, Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis and Steven van Rhyn, were sentenced by Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus on Thursday. Joslin went missing on 19 February 2024. She has yet to be found. In a Facebook Live over the weekend, Gayton McKenzie reacted to the life sentence imposed on Kelly Smith, Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn. A week after Joslin's disappearance, Gayton arrived in Saldanha Bay, where he launched a search party and even befriended the trio. Condemning Kelly, he said, 'There's no mother in this world who will not testify [during court]. No mother will not give information that might get her child back. Kelly is a dark person'. He continued: 'The moment I met Kelly, I knew she was guilty. Not because I'm smart, but because I spent my whole youth in jail. I've met the worst of the worst in life.' Gayton lauded the High Court judge, state prosecutors, and community members for their work in investigating and convicting the trio. He vowed to continue his search for Joslin, who has been missing. He continued: 'I might not have found Joslin, but we found the people who sold her. We're still going to get her; we are not going to stop looking.g 'We haven't found Joslin, but we've found justice for Joslin'. @l_keezy021 Gayton McKenzie talks about Kelly Smith, Boeta Appollis and Steveno Van Rhyn getting life in prison for selling Joshlin #southafricatiktok #joshlinsmith #joslinsmith #kellysmith #cwecwe #latestnews #incaseyoumissedit #gaytonmckenzie #southafricantiktok🇿🇦 #fyp #fypageシ #fypp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – L_Keezy021 Also in the Facebook Live, Gayton McKenzie shared his predictions that Kelly Smith couple soon reveal all. He added: 'She is going to rot in jail….Prison does something to people. Very soon, she will start confessing'. Last month, Gayton McKenzie announced that he officially registered a foundation in Joslin Smith's name. The NGO would assist the families of missing children around South Africa. He shared in a Facebook post: 'The foundation will donate money next week to secure the schooling of the brother and sister of Joslin'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
South Africans pay tribute to acting 'icon' Chweneyagae who died age 40
South Africans are paying tribute to actor Presley Chweneyagae, who has died at the age of 40. In a statement announcing his death, his agency described him as a "South African icon" and one of the country's "most gifted and beloved actors". The South African government published a post on X describing him as "a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts". Chweneyagae, who was born in 1984 in South Africa's North-West Province, got his big international break after starring in the 2005 film Tsotsi, which earned the country its first Oscar for best foreign language film. Tsotsi, a powerful crime film in which Chweneyagae plays the lead role, explores gang life in a South African township. Chweneyagae also starred in the Nelson Mandela biopic Long Walk to Freedom in 2013, as well as acting in various theatre productions. The South African Film and Television Awards described him as a "true legend of South African cinema" and a "powerhouse performer". The Ministry of Sports, Art and Culture released a statement highlighting his role in the popular South African series River and Cobrizzi. "The Department of Sports, Art and Culture, mourns the loss of a true trailblazer - a storyteller who held the soul of a nation in his craft," Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said in the statement. Trailblazing African film-maker and Cannes winner dies Idris Elba: Why I'm planning a move to Africa Teenage actress takes on child marriage in role mirroring real life Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
The South African
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Gayton praises Johann Rupert: 'I was wrong about him'
Like many South Africans, Gayton McKenzie has praised billionaire businessman Johann Rupert for his comments to US President Donald Trump, dismissing allegations of a 'white genocide'. Rupert was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa's diplomatic delegation to the White House on Wednesday, 21 May. Others included golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, as well as ministers and MPS. In a social media post, Minister of Sport, Art and Culture Gayton McKenzie praised Johann Rupert for standing up for South Africa and against US President Donald Trump's allegations. Gayton posted: 'Rupert is not who we think he is, he is a true Patriot. He loves this country, and I wanna be the first to admit that I was wrong about him. The minister continued: 'He spoke up against killing on flats, he spoke against illegal foreigners, but most importantly, he stood up for South Africa. He is a gem'. Gayton McKenzie has previously criticised Johann Rupert for pulling the strings of the South African economy. In 2017, he posted on his X account: 'Johann Rupert should have been jailed a long time ago, moving so many billions out of the country'. Two years later, he posted: 'Whatever you accuse or hate the Guptas for, know that Oppenheimer & Rupert did it a 1000 times more.' In 2021, he posted: 'Rupert and Oppenheimer family top the richest list during apartheid, Rupert and Oppenheimer family top the list richest list during democracy, if this doesn't show you that little changed, nothing will.' During the meeting, US President Donald Trump continued to claim that South Africa was promoting 'white genocide, and 'taking farms' from white South Africans. While President Ramaphosa and much of his cabinet entourage were unable to convince him otherwise, Johann Rupert boldly told Trump: 'We have too many deaths. But it's across the board. It's not only white farmers'. He continued: 'If you look at the statistics, a lot of the murders – firstly, it's unemployment, and then illegal aliens'. Rupert then claimed that the Western Cape – particularly the Cape Flats – had a higher violence and murder rate. 'We've got gang warfare', he added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
