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IOL News
04-08-2025
- IOL News
Financial woes lead to BT Academy's demise
A group of children from Cape Town saw their dream turn into a nightmare after being stranded in Spain following a soccer tour. Image: Supplied THE closure of BT Academy does not prevent the parents of the young soccer players who were recently stranded in Spain from pursuing litigation against the owners, says a legal expert. BT Academy came under fire after a group comprising under-14, under-19, and girls' soccer teams were left stranded in Spain when return flights were not booked, despite each player paying R50 000 for what was supposed to be an all-expenses-paid trip to the Donosti Cup 2025. So far, two parents have approached local police with fraud complaints, alleging that they paid the full amount for the trip but were never refunded for the unbooked return flights. Police on Sunday confirmed that despite the closure of the academy's doors, two investigations were still ongoing. 'Be advised that two cases of fraud have been opened for investigation at Grassy Park SAPS. One will be investigated at Grassy Park SAPS and one will be transferred to Wynberg (incident happened in their policing precinct) for further investigation. No arrest yet, investigations continue,' police spokesperson, FC Van Wyk said. Carlton Adams, an attorney at The Adams Inc, said other parents can still either make a criminal case in terms of fraud. 'Fraud is the unlawful and intentional making of a misrepresentation which causes actual prejudice or is potentially prejudicial to another. So the main focus here is prejudice or potential prejudice. In this scenario, the parents paid because they were under the impression it was for a return flight. Meantime, it was just for a single flight, so that was a misrepresentation that was made, and the parents suffered actual financial losses due to the making of a misrepresentation,' said Adams. He added that in some cases, the court may issue an order requiring the accused to repay the complainant for a lesser sentence. The court can mediate between the two parties, with the prosecution facilitating the process. Ultimately, in a criminal matter, the state has the authority to decide whether or not to proceed with or withdraw the charges. 'Civilly, they can also pursue this person, in civil litigation, you want to be placed back into the financial position you were prior to this person making a misrepresentation to you. It's purely about getting your money back,' Adams explained. Announcing the club's closure, BT Academy chairperson, Brandon Timmy, said "a serious mistake" was made on his part in not booking the return tickets. He said this was not the ending they had envisioned, but he was taking full responsibility for what had happened. 'It is with a heavy and deeply burdened heart that I write to inform you of the immediate closure of BT Football Academy. A serious mistake was made on my part regarding the travel arrangements for our teams participating in the Donosti Cup. Specifically, I failed to secure the necessary return flights for the players back to South Africa. This has resulted in significant distress for the affected families, and I take full responsibility. I cannot express enough how sorry I am for the pain and disruption this has caused. I humbly and sincerely ask for your forgiveness.' He said the financial impact of the incident had been severe and made it impossible for the academy to continue operating. The group of coaches, who had been praised for both their performance at the tournament and their support of the stranded players, also resigned last week. 'To our coaches, both past and present, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your dedication to developing our players both on and off the pitch. Your tireless work has helped shape not only athletes, but individuals of strong character and discipline. To the parents, thank you for your unwavering support through both the highs and lows. "Your belief in our mission gave us strength, and your trust in us was never taken for granted, And to our players, you are and always will be the soul of BT Football Academy. We believe in your futures and your potential. May you go forward with confidence and courage, achieving all that God has predestined for your lives. Never stop chasing your dreams and remember the values you learned here,' said Timmy. Cape Times
IOL News
09-06-2025
- IOL News
Somerset West taxi tensions rise, leading to public safety concerns
Authorities have deployed additional officers to Somerset West in response to escalating taxi violence. Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers In the wake of ongoing taxi violence in the Lwandle and Somerset West District, six taxis were impounded on Monday after the City's Safety and Security Directorate and SAPS were deployed in the area. This follows a weekend of mayhem after seven people were shot at Mfuleni taxi rank leaving four dead and three wounded. On Saturday an 8-year-old boy was wounded by a stray bullet and a taxi driver killed in Strand. City traffic officials on Monday established road closures after taxis blocked some of the routes in the vicinity of the Public Transport Interchange, and motorists were advised that Victoria Road between the N2 and Reitz Street were closed. Police spokesperson , Captain FC Van Wyk said their units would remain on site after impounding the taxis: 'Be advised that POPS took action to disperse the crowd after consultation with the drivers to remove their taxis to not obstruct the roads. Six taxis have been impounded under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act. No arrest as yet, investigations continue. POPS will stay on the scene to monitor the situation.' Meanwhile the Western Cape Education Department confirmed that one school. Located in proximity to the taxi rank, closed on Monday. In videos shared by the public, people could be seen running as rubber bullets were dispersed. By the afternoon, the City's traffic spokesperson, Kevin Jacobs, confirmed that roads were reopened. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ Mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said: 'We have deployed more officers across the various departments amidst the rising tension between the two biggest taxi organisations. 'We are hopeful that the issues can be resolved amicably, and that no further harm comes to anyone. That said, our staff will not hesitate to act if need be, to ensure public safety.' Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, on Monday said no serious incidents were reported or any arrests made. Following a mass shooting in Mfuleni on Friday, in which four people were killed and three wounded, South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) chairperson, Mandla Hermanus, said they were disturbed by the deadly shooting. 'We urge all operators to remain calm and exercise maximum restraint. This incident must not be allowed to derail the efforts under way to build peace and unity within the taxi industry across the province.' Somerset West experienced heightened tensions as taxi violence lead to road closures and increased police presence to ensure public safety. Image: Ayanda Ndamane, Independent Newspapers Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) said they were also outraged by the spate of violence and cited the background, which was as a result of route prohibitions. 'As you may be aware, Codeta Regional Taxi Council had written to the Western Cape Department of Transport and the MEC of Transport, on August 29, 2024, to advise of the partial service of the M18 route due to prohibitions on our operators returning with passengers. "Despite a notice sent on June 3, 2025, to resume operations, upon resumption of the service, operators from Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) prohibited legal operations, which resulted in a meeting being called for next week. "Unfortunately, this dispute escalated into violence, resulting in the tragic loss of life. Our efforts to engage with the Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town, and the lack of appropriate regulatory provision have put our operators at risk. 'We believe that the failure to provide a robust regulatory framework has put our operators at very high risk. We demand that the Western Cape Government takes immediate action to address these challenges, but we need urgent action to prevent further loss of life.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
News24
12-05-2025
- News24
Armed robbers flee with cash after holding up McDonald's in Strand, no arrests yet
Armed robbers stormed a McDonald's eatery in Strand at the weekend. The suspects made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. No arrests have been made. Armed men robbed a McDonald's eatery in Strand on Sunday night, making off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Western Cape police said three gunmen stormed the restaurant in Gordons Bay Drive, threatening staff. Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said a staff member at the restaurant was busy helping fast food delivery drivers when she saw one of her co-workers running to the back of the store as one of the gunmen followed her. One of the men threatened the worker with a firearm and demanded the cash registers be opened. 'They took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene in an unknown direction,' said Van Wyk. No arrests have yet been made and the investigation continues. McDonald's spokesperson Daniel Padiachy said the franchise is helping the police with their investigation. 'Our priority remains the safety of our crew and customers. We are glad that none of our staff and customers were injured during the unfortunate situation,' said Padiachy. A patrol unit in Strand, Sierra 47, said in a statement that they received a call regarding an armed robbery at the McDonald's and quickly made their way to the restaurant. 'Sierra 47 immediately began canvassing nearby businesses for surveillance footage. One clip showed the suspects' vehicle fleeing down a side street. 'While we couldn't initially identify the number plate, there were distinct visual markers confirming it was the vehicle in question,' continued the statement. According to the statement, the suspects were also identified and this information together with the vehicle registration number were handed over to police and the private armed response company servicing McDonald's.
