Latest news with #Beukes
The South African
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
South African sci-fi writer auctions desk for trans rights
South African novelist Lauren Beukes auctions her writing desk to support trans rights charities in South Africa and the UK. Following a chance meeting at Eastercon in Belfast, Beukes and British fantasy author Jeannette Ng launched a charity auction that has already raised over £13 000 (R315 000). The auction, created in response to recent funding cuts in South Africa and a UK Supreme Court ruling affecting trans rights, is backed by a global network of authors, artists and fans. Items range from bespoke poetry and crocheted creatures to rare books and a signed first edition of Monstrous Regiment by Sir Terry Pratchett. Proceeds go to The Triangle Project in South Africa and The Good Law Project in the UK. Among the listings is Beukes's own writing desk, which she used to write four novels including The Shining Girls , later adapted into a TV series starring Elisabeth Moss. 'This was never meant to be a big thing,' Beukes says. 'It started because I had a suitcase of rare books I wanted to auction for a cause. Jeannette suggested we turn it into a proper fundraiser and it just blew up. People care deeply about this.' The desk, a scuffed antique from the South African village of Stanford, has been with Beukes through her major works. 'It travelled to London with me when I emigrated. It's full of writer karma. Joy, despair, late nights, and the cats loved it.' Beukes has history with cause-based fundraising. In 2013 and 2014, she helped raise nearly half a million rand through charity art shows supporting Rape Crisis and Book Dash in South Africa. 'This time, it's about defending rights being eroded and helping communities hit hardest.' The community response has been strong. 'We're not pro fundraisers,' she says, 'just two writers who started something people rallied around. It's heartening.' Also up for bidding is a limited black hardcover edition of The Shining Girls , numbered 911 of 1 000, along with genre collectibles, handmade crafts, signed books and services donated by other creators. Contributors include Olivie Blake, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Ali Hazelwood and Roz Kaveney. The standout item remains the rare signed first edition of Monstrous Regiment , featuring a trans character, unearthed by Rhianna Pratchett and estate trustee Rob Wilkins. It currently stands at over £6 000 (R145 000). 'Terry was proud of his trans fans,' said the Pratchett Estate. 'He'd be honoured to help this cause and furious it's still necessary.' Funds will be split between The Triangle Project, one of South Africa's oldest LGBTQ+ organisations, and The Good Law Project, which campaigns for legal protections in the UK. Ling Shepherd of The Triangle Project says the donation is more than just financial. 'It's solidarity. It means we can keep advocating, supporting, and fighting back.' Ng says the auction sends a message. 'Genre creators and SFF authors will fight for trans people.' The auction runs until 7 June, with all current bids honoured. Bidding and donation details are at NOTE: Payments from SA are geo-locked unavoidably at this point. If you'd like to contribute, please email jamie@ for options.
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- The Citizen
Stolen dog 'Uber' is found safe in Mamelodi
The six-year-old sable German Shepherd dog Uber was stolen along with his owner's Mazda double-cab bakkie from a parking lot in Monument Park Spar, Pretoria, on Sunday. Uber has been found safe and is reunited with his family. The recovery occurred in Mamelodi during the afternoon of May 6, following an outpouring of support and coordinated search efforts by the community and the Soshanguve Animal Shelter. Candice Palmer Beukes said one resident saw Uber in Mamelodi and called the dog's owner, John van Castricum. 'This gentleman called the owner of the dog, and the Soshanguve Animal Shelter was called. We gave the shelter all details about Uber, and they managed to help us locate Uber, with the help of the man who initially saw him,' said Beukes. She said even though the bakkie was not recovered, Uber didn't sustain any visible injuries. Uber got his unique name because, as part of the breeder's naming convention, all puppies in his litter were given names starting with the letter 'U.' Beukes added, 'From what we can tell, there's nothing wrong with the dog, but it will be taken to the vet on May 7 to be checked properly.' Beukes said she wasn't sure if the resident who saw Uber was aware of the R10 000 reward put up by the then distraught 83-year-old Van Castricum, but will receive a token of appreciation. Others who helped would also be rewarded, according to Beukes. 'Uber is so excited to be reunited with its owner. He started to get excited and wanted to jump out of the bakkie on his way to reunite with his owner.' She said Uber's owner, Van Castricum, is 'super grateful' for all the people involved in the recovery process. ALSO READ: Mixed reactions as Tshwane cuts off power to Weskoppies over debt Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Independent
07-03-2025
- The Independent
Man found not guilty of racially abusing ex-England international Ugo Monye
A man who shouted the n-word in the vicinity of former England rugby union international Ugo Monye following a rugby match has been found not guilty of a public order offence. Angus Beukes, 32, from South Africa, made the comment at Exeter's Sandy Park Stadium after the Exeter Chiefs played Gloucester on November 19 2023. Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Mr Monye had been commentating at the Premiership match and was leaving for his taxi to the train station at about 5pm. The ex-Harlequins player-turned-pundit described hearing a man with a South African accent repeatedly use the n-word, leaving him 'extremely shocked'. Mr Beukes, a mechanic who represented himself in court via video link from South Africa, denied a charge of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. He insisted he had been talking to a female friend, who is also South African, and the n-word word is acceptable in their home country. Magistrates found him not guilty of the charge, concluding that prosecutors had not proved that Mr Beukes, who is mixed race, knew the word was offensive in Britain. Presiding justice Paul Doyle said the 'key point' was whether Mr Beukes intended his actions to be threatening, abusive or insulting and whether he knew that they might have been. 'In evidence, we have heard that the use of the n-word was directed at your friend,' Mr Doyle told Mr Beukes. 'We have also heard that there has been no general socialising outside of the South African community that you shared a house with while in the UK for the time you were here. 'We heard from a number of independent witnesses. The majority of those agreed that the use of the n-word was used towards your friend to stop her from using her phone. 'Mr Monye's evidence is that the n-word was used multiple times, also following when he remonstrated with you and while you were running away.' Mr Doyle said Mr Beukes had only been in the UK for six months at the time of the offence and the question for the bench was whether he became aware the n-word was offensive in UK culture during that time. 'The onus is on the prosecution to show us that this was the case,' he added. 'We find that they have not demonstrated this beyond reasonable doubt. 'As these elements have not been fully proved to a satisfactory standard, we find you not guilty of the offence.' Prosecuting, Maree Doyle read witness statements, including from Mr Monye, describing how a man with a South African accent shouted the n-word as crowds were leaving the stadium. In a statement, Mr Monye said: 'I felt immediately shocked by this as the word is extremely offensive. I heard the word again said as the male went past me. The male stood in front of me and repeated the word again. 'My first thought was he would have to be drunk to be shouting that word in public. I had a bag over my shoulder. I dropped it on the floor to challenge his behaviour. 'I said 'mate, you can't be saying that'. I took hold of him at the top of his jacket. We were sort of jostling but it didn't get any more physical than that. I expected him to apologise. He just seemed to double down.' Mr Monye said supporters separated the two men and he asked for someone to take a photograph of Mr Beukes but nobody did so. He alleged that Mr Beukes repeated the racial slur again before running off. 'He said it while looking me in the eye,' Mr Monye added. In evidence, Mr Beukes said he had been invited to the match by friends and attended along with a female colleague, also from South Africa. He insisted the n-word has 'no significant meaning' in South Africa and that he was not aware it was offensive until Mr Monye's reaction. 'In South Africa, we reprimand each other like that,' Mr Beukes added. 'In my country, it doesn't mean anything. It has no meaning whatsoever.' Mr Beukes told the court he only used the n-word once, towards his friend, saying 'My n-word, put your phone away' as she was causing a bottleneck in the queue of fans waiting to leave the stadium. The Chiefs apologised to Mr Monye following the incident, which was investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police. In a statement released at the time, the Rugby Football Union said it was 'appalled' by what happened and pledged its 'full support' to Mr Monye.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man found not guilty of racially abusing Ugo Monye
A man who shouted the n-word in the vicinity of former England rugby union international Ugo Monye following a match has been found not guilty of a public order offence. Angus Beukes, 32, from South Africa, made the comment at Exeter's Sandy Park stadium after the Chiefs played Gloucester on November 19, 2023. The Chiefs apologised to Monye following the incident, which was investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police. In a statement released at the time, the Rugby Football Union said it was 'appalled' by what happened and pledged its 'full support' to Mr Monye. On Friday, Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Monye had been commentating on the Premiership match and was leaving to catch his taxi for the train station at about 5pm. The ex-Harlequins player-turned-pundit described hearing a man with a South African accent repeatedly use the n-word, leaving him 'extremely shocked'. Beukes, a mechanic who represented himself in court via video link from South Africa, denied a charge of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. He insisted he had been talking to a female friend, who is also South African, and the n-word word is acceptable in their home country. Magistrates found him not guilty of the charge, concluding that prosecutors had not proved that Beukes, who is of mixed race, knew the word was offensive in Britain. Presiding justice Paul Doyle said the 'key point' was whether Beukes intended his actions to be threatening, abusive or insulting and whether he knew that they might have been. 'In evidence, we have heard that the use of the n-word was directed at your friend,' the justice told Beukes. 'We have also heard that there has been no general socialising outside of the South African community that you shared a house with while in the UK for the time you were here. 'We heard from a number of independent witnesses. The majority of those agreed that the use of the n-word was used towards your friend to stop her from using her phone. 'Mr Monye's evidence is that the n-word was used multiple times, also following when he remonstrated with you and while you were running away.' Doyle said Beukes had only been in the UK for six months at the time of the offence and the question for the bench was whether he became aware the n-word was offensive in UK culture during that time. 'The onus is on the prosecution to show us that this was the case,' he added. 'We find that they have not demonstrated this beyond reasonable doubt. 'As these elements have not been fully proved to a satisfactory standard, we find you not guilty of the offence.' Prosecuting, Maree Doyle read witness statements, including from Monye, describing how a man with a South African accent shouted the n-word as crowds were leaving the stadium. In a statement, Monye said: 'I felt immediately shocked by this as the word is extremely offensive. I heard the word again said as the male went past me. The male stood in front of me and repeated the word again. 'My first thought was he would have to be drunk to be shouting that word in public. I had a bag over my shoulder. I dropped it on the floor to challenge his behaviour. 'I said: 'Mate, you can't be saying that'. I took hold of him at the top of his jacket. We were sort of jostling but it didn't get any more physical than that. I expected him to apologise. He just seemed to double down.' Monye said supporters separated the two men and he asked for someone to take a photograph of Beukes but nobody did so. He alleged that Beukes repeated the racial slur again before running off. 'He said it while looking me in the eye,' Monye added. In evidence, Beukes said he had been invited to the match by friends and attended along with a female colleague, also from South Africa. He insisted the n-word has 'no significant meaning' in South Africa and that he was not aware it was offensive until Monye's reaction. 'In South Africa, we reprimand each other like that,' Beukes added. 'In my country, it doesn't mean anything. It has no meaning whatsoever.' Beukes told the court he only used the n-word once, towards his friend, saying 'My n-word, put your phone away' as she was causing a bottleneck in the queue of fans waiting to leave the stadium. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
07-03-2025
- Telegraph
Man found not guilty of racially abusing Ugo Monye
A man who shouted the n-word in the vicinity of former England rugby union international Ugo Monye following a match has been found not guilty of a public order offence. Angus Beukes, 32, from South Africa, made the comment at Exeter's Sandy Park stadium after the Chiefs played Gloucester on November 19, 2023. The Chiefs apologised to Monye following the incident, which was investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police. In a statement released at the time, the Rugby Football Union said it was 'appalled' by what happened and pledged its 'full support' to Mr Monye. On Friday, Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Monye had been commentating on the Premiership match and was leaving to catch his taxi for the train station at about 5pm. The ex-Harlequins player-turned-pundit described hearing a man with a South African accent repeatedly use the n-word, leaving him 'extremely shocked'. Beukes, a mechanic who represented himself in court via video link from South Africa, denied a charge of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. He insisted he had been talking to a female friend, who is also South African, and the n-word word is acceptable in their home country. Magistrates found him not guilty of the charge, concluding that prosecutors had not proved that Beukes, who is of mixed race, knew the word was offensive in Britain. Presiding justice Paul Doyle said the 'key point' was whether Beukes intended his actions to be threatening, abusive or insulting and whether he knew that they might have been. 'In evidence, we have heard that the use of the n-word was directed at your friend,' the justice told Beukes. 'We have also heard that there has been no general socialising outside of the South African community that you shared a house with while in the UK for the time you were here. 'We heard from a number of independent witnesses. The majority of those agreed that the use of the n-word was used towards your friend to stop her from using her phone. 'Mr Monye's evidence is that the n-word was used multiple times, also following when he remonstrated with you and while you were running away.' Doyle said Beukes had only been in the UK for six months at the time of the offence and the question for the bench was whether he became aware the n-word was offensive in UK culture during that time. 'The onus is on the prosecution to show us that this was the case,' he added. 'We find that they have not demonstrated this beyond reasonable doubt. 'As these elements have not been fully proved to a satisfactory standard, we find you not guilty of the offence.' Prosecuting, Maree Doyle read witness statements, including from Monye, describing how a man with a South African accent shouted the n-word as crowds were leaving the stadium. In a statement, Monye said: 'I felt immediately shocked by this as the word is extremely offensive. I heard the word again said as the male went past me. The male stood in front of me and repeated the word again. 'My first thought was he would have to be drunk to be shouting that word in public. I had a bag over my shoulder. I dropped it on the floor to challenge his behaviour. 'I said: 'Mate, you can't be saying that'. I took hold of him at the top of his jacket. We were sort of jostling but it didn't get any more physical than that. I expected him to apologise. He just seemed to double down.' Monye said supporters separated the two men and he asked for someone to take a photograph of Beukes but nobody did so. He alleged that Beukes repeated the racial slur again before running off. 'He said it while looking me in the eye,' Monye added. In evidence, Beukes said he had been invited to the match by friends and attended along with a female colleague, also from South Africa. He insisted the n-word has 'no significant meaning' in South Africa and that he was not aware it was offensive until Monye's reaction. 'In South Africa, we reprimand each other like that,' Beukes added. 'In my country, it doesn't mean anything. It has no meaning whatsoever.' Beukes told the court he only used the n-word once, towards his friend, saying 'My n-word, put your phone away' as she was causing a bottleneck in the queue of fans waiting to leave the stadium.
