Latest news with #DepartmentofSports
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 Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Roodepoort parkrun sees strong turnout
The Roodepoort parkrun was once again buzzing with enthusiasm on Saturday, May 18, as 444 runners and walkers gathered, awaiting the run director's signal to start the 5km run. This was event number 607 and saw 29 volunteers facilitating the event by directing participants, scanning barcodes and providing support and encouragement. The event drew an amazing 31 first-time runners, and as always, a whole host of participants celebrated the coveted parkrun milestones, including Tatum King, who completed her 10th; Vincent Joel and Helen Mittwoch with their 100th; and Sadiq Gordon with his 150th run. Desmond Campbell was also honoured on the honours board for his 200th parkrun alongside Gielie Nel with 300, and John Carstens closed off the board with 350. Also read: Easter fun at parkrun According to Pascal Simba, the ambassador for Roodepoort parkrun, a new initiative has been introduced by Discovery Vitality and the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture called Give2move, which kicked off on May 10 in celebration of World Move for Health Day. Watch video here: 'The aim is to collect 100 000 pairs of shoes in all sizes, which will be donated to those who need them the most. 'Parkrunners are encouraged to donate old or new shoes of any size every Saturday, and that will be appreciated,' he said. Pascal would also like to remind the community that the parkrun takes place every Saturday at 08:00 at Len Rutter Park in Florida Park. The event is free and is a two-lap course. All you have to do is register on print out your barcode, and you are ready to become part of the parkrun community. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
10-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Gayton McKenzie pledges new sports facilities to boost wellness in Wentworth
The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture held the I Choose 2 be Active movement to commemorates World Move for Health Day in Wentworth, south of Durban, on Saturday. Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie promised two sporting developments within 60 days in the community of Wentworth on Saturday. McKenzie was in Durban for the Move4Health Wellness Campaign, and he is expected to lead a series of impactful initiatives across KwaZulu-Natal as part of the department's ongoing commitment to youth development, community wellness, and social transformation through sport, mentorship, and public engagement. Department spokesperson Stacey-Lee Khojane said the event forms part of the national I Choose 2 be Active movement and commemorates World Move for Health Day, a globally recognised initiative. The event advocates for daily physical activity as a cornerstone of long-term health and well-being. 'We are here to make sure we bring sports equipment to sporting clubs and to the children here. We made a promise that we will build a combi court in 60 days. We also promised to provide an outdoor gym for older community members. We also put a timeframe of 60 days for that project,' McKenzie said.
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Glen Anil resident surfs to third spot at para champs
GLEN Anil's David Williams made the most of home conditions to win a spot on the podium at this year's Sea Harvest SA Para Surfing Championships held at Durban's New Pier. Williams, who was born without legs below the knee, competes in the kneel division and placed third overall. The event was hosted by Made for More, an NPO empowering people with disabilities, and was supported by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, and Surfing South Africa (SSA). Also read: Stedman and Van de Winkel claim Tour Durban titles 'I loved the vibe. Surfing in front of a home crowd with a high level of competition from other provinces was exciting. I always make the most of it and my personal experience was a positive. What makes the national para surfing champs is it shines a spotlight on adaptive surfers. On a competition level I didn't get in as much training before the competition due to the poor water quality. I love being in the water and normally in the lead-up to nationals I would be surfing everyday. 'So considering all of that I was super proud of myself for winning a medal. Surfing against such amazing people like Lerato Seroke who placed first and Osborne Gumede who placed second also brought out the best in me. They are both amazing surfers and to finish on a podium with them was awesome,' said the 37-year-old. Williams also recently took on the aQuellé Tour Durban 28km race in a handcycle. For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Eastern Cape artist challenges government over flag design ownership
Eastern Cape artist, Thembani Hastings Mqhayi, wants the government to resolve the ongoing dispute over the national flag. Image: Leon Muller / Independent Newspapers Archives Eastern Cape artist, Thembani Hastings Mqhayi, has expressed his disappointment against the government's failure to resolve the ongoing dispute over the national flag. Mqhayi, who claimed that the flag had his design, said the country flew a questionable flag to celebrate Freedom Day. He claimed that his work was erroneously credited to Fredericks Brownell, who served at the National Archives of South Africa as State Herald between 1982 and 2002. Mqhayi, who is the manager for Cultural Affairs in Amathole District, East London, claimed that the flag is one of the five different original designs he submitted in early 1994 to the office of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. This was after the late former president Nelson Mandela, in 1993, made a call that artists and citizens submit designs for the flag of the new and democratic South Africa. Mqhayi said Brownell, who was credited for the design of the flag, had stolen the designs and submitted them as his own. The matter is currently at the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, after Mqhayi filed papers against former Sport, Arts and Culture minister, Nathi Mthethwa, as well as the State Herald in 2022. In a statement issued on Freedom Day, Mqhayi said it has been 30 years since the country gained political independence from the apartheid regime in 1994, but that only levelled the political landscape while the arts and creative heritage suffered a great historical loss. He said the intellectual genius, property, heritage, and culture embedded within the democratic flag of the country remained an elusive historical account that has gained minimal to no political urgency in restoring the identity and history of the country's national symbol. 'Yet on the 27th of April, the country celebrates Freedom Day, flew a questionable symbol (flag) that was erroneously credited to the then State Herald, Fredericks Brownell, a man who was employed by the state to chair and convene (conflict of interest), the submission process of design proposals (in 1993/1994) from artists across South Africa,' read the statement. Mqhayi, in 2019, requested the Presidency, the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, as well as the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, for intervention, but nothing has been done. He said Bandile Magibili, the researcher of the flag, delivered another submission to Minister Gayton McKenzie, but he had not responded or acknowledged it. Magibili also called on the media to interrogate and force the government to bring answers to the matter, adding that this is their quest to spark the much-needed transformation and change regarding the hidden truth about the flag. He said this was a fair call to correct and uphold the historical relevance of Mqhayi's contribution to South African history and discourse. 'The livelihood of a country lies in its pride in nurturing the creative output of the nation, and in this case, it is the democratic flag of South Africa. A great tragedy in the hands of an academically, legally, politically, and media-sound country whose purpose is to secure and protect its citizens from exploitation, which is an omission of South African history. 'With time, a revolution demands creative strategies to defeat and overcome inequality, oppression, discrimination, and subjugation by ushering unpolluted forces of change emanating from the soul mandate as the media to resonate stories of black Africans. Untold stories remain myths, undocumented history becomes a legend, and the media has the power to shed light on marginalised black intellectuals such as Mqhayi,' he said. Asked for a comment, McKenzi's spokesperson, Stacy-Lee Khojane, on Monday said she would check with officials, adding that she would only be able to give feedback from Tuesday. Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, did to respond to calls and messages.
