Latest news with #Cele
TimesLIVE
28-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
KZN traditional leader wounded in assassination attempt
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi has condemned an assassination attempt on Inkosi Simphiwe Cele of the Vukuzithathe traditional authority in eZinqoleni on the South Coast on Tuesday. 'It is very concerning as it paints a picture of a growing trend of violence targeting amakhosi and other figures within the institution of traditional leadership,' said Buthelezi. According to reports received by the department, Cele was travelling with two people when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. One person was killed, while Cele and the other passenger sustained injuries. Buthelezi has called on law enforcement agencies to deploy all necessary resources to apprehend those responsible. He said he believes the attack on Cele and his companions is an affront to peace and stability by 'forces hell-bent on creating instability' in the province and the institution of traditional leadership. He extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and wished Cele and his aide a full recovery. Buthelezi has tasked the department to conduct a full review of the safety of amakhosi in conjunction with other line function departments and law enforcement agencies. Last month, Induna Gwala, of the Gwala traditional authority in eThekwini, was fatally shot at his home. Buthelezi called on community members to come forward with any information that will assist law enforcement agencies in apprehending those responsible.
The South African
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
SIX best performing Kaizer Chiefs players this season
Kaizer Chiefs salvaged their season by winning the Nedbank Cup earlier this month against rival Orlando Pirates. Their campaign in the Nedbank Cup has been disappointing, with the team needing a win in their last match to enter the top eight. Under Nasreddine Nabi, Amakhosi have struggled for wins consistently, with their highest scorer only netting five goals. Despite their struggles this season, Kaizer Chiefs have had at least six players who have impressed. Here are the players: Rushwin Dortley Before his injury, the 23-year-old Bafana Bafana defender was the team's key player in defence. His partnership with Miguel Inacio was hailed as one of the league's best pairings. Next season, expect Dortley to improve and become one of the country's top centre-backs. Wandile Duba The 20-year-old promised Amakhosi fans the Nedbank Cup and he kept his word. Duba is Kaizer Chiefs' top scorer this season and if it wasn't for injuries, he would have scored at least 10 goals this campaign. Makabi Lilepo The Congolese only joined Amakhosi in January, but his impact has been felt. He has scored five goals in the second half of the season and looks like he might be what Nabi needed after all. Thabo Cele Cele is one of the latest players to join Chiefs, but his impact has transformed the Amakhosi. The Bafana Bafana midfielder has brought experience and fighting spirit to the Chiefs camp. Yusuf Maart has been able to express himself more, knowing Cele is around him. Mduduzi Shabalala Mdu started the season well, but as Kaizer Chiefs struggled, the young attacker disappeared. In the second half of the season, Nabi opted to bench him, preferring the likes of Gaston Sirino and Cele in the middle. The youngster, however, has been influential from the bench, especially in the last few matches. Sibongiseni Mthethwa Since being recalled to the Kaizer Chiefs lineup in the second half of the season, the defensive midfielder has consistently performed well. Whenever Nabi has called upon him, the 30-year-old has given 100% effort. 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.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Abhijeet Sawant reveals being on Tinder even after marriage, speaking ‘a lot' with 2-3 women; ‘bichari' wife didn't know
Singer Abhijeet Sawant, of Indian Idol fame, has revealed that he was on the online dating platform Tinder until a few years ago. Speaking on Hindi Rush, he said that he joined the platform a few years after marriage. However, he stopped using Tinder when news emerged that he was on the platform. Abhijeet also shared that his wife, Shilpa Sawant, didn't know about it, adding that whatever a person does should be done unabashedly. (Also Read | Bigg Boss Marathi 5 finale: Suraj Chavan wins trophy, receives ₹14.6 lakh; Abhijeet Sawant is first runner-up) Talking about having his profile on Tinder, Abhijeet shared that he spoke to two or three women. "I'm a curious person. I've always had curiosity. I was in the US with my friend, and he said, 'This is a new app. It's for dating'. I made my profile then, and it was there as it is. Main kabhi kabhi beech mein jaata tha, dekhta tha kya hai yeh sab kya hota hai? Maine apna hi naam rakha tha sab kuch sahi tha. Biwi ko nahi pata tha. But kuch kiya nahi, kisise mila bhi nahi, kuch tha bhi nahi (I used to check out the app sometimes as to what it is, what happens there? I had shared my name and details. My wife didn't know. But I didn't do anything, I didn't meet anyone, I didn't have anything)." Abhijeet shared that he spoke a lot with the women he met on Tinder. "Match aata tha, baat karte the. Yeh cheeze na bohut ajeeb hai. Mujhe baat karne ka shokh hai aur aap ladkiyon se bohut deep baat karsakte baat karta tha bohut. 2-3 log mil gaye the jo baat karte the acche se. Baad mein Twitter pe agaya ki mera account hai, phir maine bola ki 'Yeh accha nahi lagega'. Usko nahi pata abhi tak, ab pata chal raha. Woh bichari usko pata bhi nahi kya hota hai Tinder. Ab pata chalgaya, open yaar, usme kya hai? Cheezein karni hai toh thok k karo phir. Kitna main sab cheeze jod sakta hoon yaar (I used to match with people, spoke too. It's very weird. I like talking, and you can talk in depth with women…I used to talk a lot. I spoke with 2-3 people, it was nice. Then it was on Twitter that I had an account, and I thought, 'This won't look good'. She (wife) didn't know it, now she will know. It's open, what's there? If you want to do something, do it unabashedly. How can I handle everything)?" Abhijeet and Shilpa got married in 2007. In the same interview, he shared that they resided in the same colony and had known each other since childhood. The couple has two children--Sonali Sawant and Amit Sawant. Abhijeet and Shilpa participated in Nach Baliye season 4 in (2008–2009). Abhijeet won the first season of Indian Idol. His first solo album was Aapka Abhijeet Sawant (2005). He also sang Mar Jaawan Mit Jaawan for Aashiq Banaya Aapne. His second album was Junoon (2007), and his third studio album was Farida (2013). He made his acting debut in the film Lottery (2009). He was also part of Tees Maar Khan, Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai and CID. Last year, he became the runner-up of Bigg Boss Marathi season 5. He was also part of Celebrity MasterChef India recently.
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
‘Crime is planned from prison,' says former police minister Bheki Cele
Former Police Minister has disclosed that South Africa's violent crime is planned from within prisons by inmates serving life sentences. Image: X/@SizweMpofu-Walsh Former Police Minister Bheki Cele has made a shocking revelation, claiming that most of South Africa's violent crime is being planned and organised from behind bars by inmates serving life sentences. 'Most of the crime is planned from prison,' Cele said during an interview on the Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh Xperience (SMWX) podcast. 'The people that are doing life sentences, they run crime outside.' Cele, who served as Minister of Police from 2018 to 2024, said correctional facilities have become a place where criminal syndicates are coordinating illicit activities beyond prison walls. 'Correctional facilities themselves are, in some ways, reproducing crime,' he said. 'One day I was phoned by a guy in prison who refused to tell me who he was. He warned me that a chief was going to be killed in Ulundi. He gave me names, the lodge, and everything.' Cele said he passed the information to KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. 'When Mkhwanazi got there, he found exactly what the caller had described. That came from someone inside prison,' he said. Cele also said the Wellington Prison, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape is known as a planning centre for conflicts in the taxi industry. 'That's a big problem. The case of Thabo Bester was high-profile, but there are many like him. Not just escapees, people who are still inside, sending out plans,' he said. He added that addressing crime in South Africa requires more than just empowering the police. 'You can't just strengthen the police. You need to strengthen the entire criminal justice system,' Cele said. Cele, who served as National Commissioner of Police from 2009 to 2011 before being removed in 2012 over misconduct allegations, said crime statistics during his leadership were significantly lower. 'Go study the crime stats from 2009 to 2012. They came down. Not just by numbers, South Africans said they could sleep with their doors open,' he said. He credited the drop in crime to strategic collaboration during preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Cele said they created the Tactical Response Team, known as the 'AmaBherethe,' after a cash heist in Pretoria where two men and women in blue were killed. 'Police at the scene couldn't pursue suspects driving high-performance vehicles in their standard-issue Corollas,' Cele said. He said the TRT served as a buffer between regular police stations and elite units like the National Intervention Unit and the Special Task Force. 'We bought GTIs and BMWs for the unit. We strengthened the force. At the time, we had about 195,000 police officers for a population of 50 million,' Cele said. But after leaving office in 2012, Cele said many of these initiatives were dismantled. 'When I returned in 2018, South Africa had grown to 60 million people, but the police officers had declined to 184,000…We had lost 15,000 officers,' he said. He said after that, he then approached President Cyril Ramaphosa to fund the training of new officers in three cycles of 10,000 every year, which restored the police numbers to 2010 levels. Cele lamented the declining morale in the police force, adding that in a month during his tenure, about 312 officers resigned. 'I called some of them to ask why. One warrant officer told me, 'When my daughter was born, I was a warrant officer. She's a graduate now, and I'm still a warrant officer,'' Cele said. Cele said meaningful crime reduction will require more community engagement. 'I don't care how many police you put on the street, if communities aren't part of safety and security, we won't win,' he said. 'These criminals are sons and husbands of people who live in those communities.' He expressed concern over South Africa's rates of gender-based violence (GBV). 'In just three months, 10,000 women are raped. Half of them are raped in their own homes, by their brothers, stepfathers, or other family members,' Cele said. 'Where are the police when a sibling rapes a sibling?' Cele also blamed undocumented immigrants as a serious concern. 'The worst part is, when they commit crime, they are untraceable and can easily disappear. That poses a major challenge,' he said. He said the entire security cluster needs to be strengthened to address the scale and complexity of South Africa's crime crisis. 'There's still a lot of work to do,' he said. IOL News
The South African
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs getting closer to convincing Sithole to come home
Kaizer Chiefs have ramped up their pursuit of Gil Vicente midfielder Sphephelo 'Yaya' Sithole as the next transfer window approaches. Despite initial hesitations, the club is now going all-in to bring the 26-year-old South African international back home. After previously pulling back due to concerns over midfield depth and Sithole's injury struggles, Chiefs have had a major change of heart. A source suggests that someone at Naturena has played a key role in changing Sithole's mind, and possibly the club's as well. Sithole, who is currently playing on loan at Portuguese side Tondela, has had limited game time this season due to injuries. However, Chiefs had already made their interest known months ago according to Sithole's agent, Manuel Tomas. 'In December, yes, we received some calls from the club (Kaizer Chiefs),' Tomas confirmed to FARPost . 'We don't know what will happen… It's football. But we haven't received an official offer from Chiefs for Sithole. It was just discussions with the club and the people from the club… no official offer has been made.' That may be about to change. A source close to the situation revealed that Sithole's decision may have been heavily influenced by former KZN Academy teammate Thabo Cele, who joined Kaizer Chiefs in January. But we cannot be completely sure if Cele was the player to convince him. 'Yaya (Sithole) wants to come back to South Africa, because a player persuaded him to join him at Naturena,' the source told The South African. 'The only thing now that will cause a problem is the nature of his contract. Remember he is on loan at Tondela and Sithole's contract only expires in June 2026. So a fee must be agreed with Gil Vicente, his parent club unless the club is willing to terminate his current contract.' Although Sithole remains under contract with Gil Vicente until 2026. And a permanent move would require negotiations with his parent club, Chiefs appear undeterred. The midfielder's growing interest in returning to South Africa, combined with the possible influence of Cele and pressure from Naturena. These are factors that could tip the scales in their favour. Will Yaya Sithole be the midfield answer Chiefs have been looking for? 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.
