Latest news with #Stanfield
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- General
- TimesLIVE
Western Cape gangs recruit 12-year-olds, fuelling rise in child murders
Children are also used as shooters, as impressionable youngsters keen to prove themselves are often more easily influenced to carry out acts of violence. 'Craven Engel, a pastor who runs Ceasefire, a gang violence prevention organisation, described a 12-year-old boy he had assisted, who had been recruited as a gunman for the Only the Family gang, as 'brainwashed to kill people',' the report reads. 'Many sources report that these younger gangs are in fact more reckless and aggressive than previous generations, as they are less familiar with the codes of conduct that — at times — regulate and control violence. This, in turn, has contributed to the higher rates of child murder, with children increasingly becoming both perpetrators and victims.' The report said another sign of rising child recruitment into gangs is the growing number of children getting into trouble with the law. Magistrates and court officials have noticed more children being charged with gang-related crimes, such as drug possession, murder, attempted murder, robbery, sexual offences, and assault. The GI-TOC also reported that feared alleged 28s street gang boss Ralph Stanfield had been inducted into the prison gang. According to the report, Stanfield, arrested in 2023 on multiple charges, used his reputation to quickly enter the 28s prison gang — a rare achievement in South African prisons. Charges against Stanfield and his wife, Nicole, in a R1bn Cape Town housing corruption case were recently provisionally withdrawn. 'During his incarceration, he has managed to bypass the customary years-long progression through the hierarchical structure of the Numbers, one of the world's oldest prison gang cultures, to become an ndota [member of a prison gang],' the report reads.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Five takeaways: LSU beats Dallas Baptist, Tigers one win away from Super Regional
Five takeaways: LSU beats Dallas Baptist, Tigers one win away from Super Regional LSU baseball couldn't have asked for a better first two days of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Tigers shutout Little Rock 7-0 on Friday night before beating Dallas Baptist 12-0 on Saturday. LSU is yet to surrender a run, winning its two contests by a combined score of 19-0. Now, LSU awaits the winner of Sunday's Dallas Baptist vs. Little Rock game. The Patriots and Trojans square off, looking to earn another shot at the Tigers. The winner has a quick turnaround before facing LSU on Sunday night. But before we move on, let's take a look at how LSU pulled off its dominant win vs. Dallas Baptist. This was the second meeting between the programs this year after LSU won the first round 7-3 in February. DBU entered the contest with one of college baseball's most productive lineups, but you wouldn't know that after watching the Patriots swing vs. Kade Anderson. Here five takeaways from LSU's win. 1. Kade Anderson dominates Anthony Eyanson gave LSU 7.2 shutout innings on Friday night. Kade Anderson followed it up with an elite outing on Saturday. In seven innings of work, Anderson struck out 11 and walked just two. Anderson allowed four hits, but none for extra bases. Nearly two-thirds of Anderson's pitches were strikes. That's just what LSU wanted to see from its ace. Anderson is one of the top pitchers in the country, but elite lineups have gotten to him at times. Dallas Baptist had the bats to do damage, but the lefty wasn't having it. That was Anderson's best outing since his complete game vs. Oklahoma. 2. Chris Stanfield finds power in the No. 9 hole Chris Stanfield isn't your typical No. 9 hitter. He was one of LSU's top bats throughout SEC play and he remained hot on Saturday. In the bottom of the second inning, Stanfield arched a ball down the right field line for his first home run of the year. The center fielder isn't known for his strength, but he showed it off with an opposite-field bomb. Stanfield finished the night with three hits and three RBI. After transferring from Auburn, Stanfield is in the midst of his best year yet. He hit .276 on the plains in 2024, but is hitting .326 with the Tigers now. Stanfield's .451 slugging is a career best, too. 3. Tigers defense shows up Dallas Baptist was threatening to rally in the top of the second inning. The Patriots started the inning with a walk and a single. Anderson took some momentum back with a strikeout, but it was the defense that got LSU out of it. Left fielder Derek Curiel made a diving catch in left field, popped up, and rifled the ball to first base. Jared Jones caught the DBU base runner off the bag and applied the tag for the inning ending double-play. On a night when Dallas Baptist committed four errors, LSU was perfect in the field. 4. LSU comes through in the clutch When LSU had the chance to score runs, the Tigers took advantage. LSU hit .300 with runners on and .333 with runners in scoring position. LSU was .593 on advancement opportunities. LSU hit .333 with two outs. That includes LSU's first runs of the game, which came when Ethan Frey smacked a double down the right field line on a full count with two outs. Frey's clutch hit set the tone for the rest of the night. 5. LSU's bullpen is in a really, really good spot LSU has gotten a combined 14.2 shutout innings from its two starters so far. There's a lot of teams around the country that would kill to have that right now. Not only has that been the catalyst for LSU's 2-0 start, but now, LSU's bullpen is perfectly positioned for Sunday night. Jay Johnson is yet to use Zac Cowan or Casan Evans, putting both in a position to give LSU some length in the final. LSU gets to rest on Sunday while its Sunday night opponent plays an elimination game in the afternoon. The Tigers will be fresh while their opponent plays the second game of a doubleheader. Dallas Baptist already burned its two best arms on Saturday night, and Little Rock spent Saturday navigating its way through a game with 32 combined runs. Neither pitching staff is in good shape.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kade Anderson dominates on mound, Chris Stanfield drives in 3 and LSU blanks Dallas Baptist 12-0
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Kade Anderson struck out 11 batters in seven scoreless innings, Chris Stanfield drove in three runs, and regional host LSU routed Dallas Baptist 12-0 on Saturday night. The seven-time national champion Tigers need one more win to reach the super regionals for the 10th time in the 26 years of the format. Dallas Baptist will play Little Rock in an elimination game on Sunday. That winner would need to beat LSU later Sunday and again on Monday in order to advance. Ethan Frey's two-run double in the first inning got the Tigers started. Stanfield hit a solo home run in the second inning, and they added three unearned runs in the third. Stanfield added an RBI on a groundout in the fifth inning. The Tigers got two more in the sixth when Luis Hernandez drove in a run with a single and Steven Milam scored on the back end of a double steal with Hernandez. In the eighth, Frey laced a triple and scored on the play when the center fielder was charged with a fielding error. Dallas Baptist starter Micah Bucknam (6-2) allowed six runs, three of which were unearned, in 2 2/3 innings. Anderson improved to 9-1. ___ AP college sports:
Daily Maverick
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
‘New evidence' — stalled R1bn Malusi Booi and Ralph Stanfield tender fraud case still on track
The DA's former Cape Town mayoral committee member Malusi Booi is not necessarily in the clear. This comes after the provisional dropping of charges linked to allegations of unlawfully awarded R1bn in contracts, against him and suspected 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield. Former City of Cape Town DA human settlements mayoral committee member Malusi Booi took to social media a few days ago and thanked several people for believing in his 'innocence' after commercial crime charges against him were provisionally withdrawn. But Booi and his co-accused, including suspected 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield, have not been acquitted or officially cleared of the charges. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) have made it clear that new evidence, which is being investigated, necessitated the provisional withdrawal. This means that the charges can still be reinstated and that the new evidence may produce more criminal accusations or a bolstered case. Politics and policing Investigations into issues linked to Booi and Stanfield have become highly controversial – and political – and have led to accusations about what has been motivating police to act. The City of Cape Town is DA-run while the SAPS is viewed as an ANC remit, so the overall situation creates the impression that tensions between the two parties are at play. This weekend, Booi took to social media and effectively said he was the target of a smear campaign, much like Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith's insistence after a raid on his office earlier this year that has been linked to issues involving Stanfield. While there have been smear campaign insinuations and while no one in the matter has been found guilty in a court, City of Cape Town officials have acknowledged dodgy dealings relating to its human settlements arena. Carl Pophaim, who replaced Booi as Cape Town Mayco member for human settlements, previously told journalists that various investigations were focused on 'part of this one singular thing, an attempt to capture human settlements and construction in Cape Town'. Merged, then provisionally dropped Booi and nine others were accused of being involved in a tenders-for-cash enterprise, which the State has alleged was headed by Stanfield and his wife, Nicole Johnson. The tenders flagged in the case were allegedly worth more than R1-billion. Booi faced allegations that he accepted gratification from Stanfield and, in exchange, used his influence over tenders. Aside from those commercial crime charges, Stanfield, Johnson and several others also face other criminal accusations. Stanfield, for example, faces accusations that he was involved in the 2019 assassination of then Hard Livings gang boss Rashied Staggie. Other charges against Stanfield and Johnson's co-accused in this case relate to the 2023 murder of City of Cape Town staff member Wendy Kloppers, who was shot at a housing development site in Delft. She was killed, apparently because she had refused to give in to gangsters demanding contractors' work. The commercial crime case, in which Booi was the main accused, had been merged with the criminal case in which Stanfield and Johnson were the key accused. But on Friday, 23 May 2025, the tender-related commercial crime charges were provisionally withdrawn against Booi, Stanfield, Johnson and nine others. While Stanfield, Johnson and several others remain in custody because of the criminal charges they face in the case set to resume in July, Booi, who was previously released on bail, no longer faces formal accusations. 'Purpose was to destroy me' After the charges were provisionally dropped on Friday, Booi left the Cape Town Magistrates' Court and told journalists he was 'relieved' and was headed home 'to start a new life'. Booi also took to the social media platform X that day to further express himself. NEWS JUST IN [WATCH] Fraud related charges against former City of Cape Town Human Settlements MMC Malusi Booi and nine others have been withdrawn. They relate to a billion rand housing tender fraud within the city's human settlements directorate @NtuthuzeloNene — EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 23, 2025 He posted: 'I would like to take this opportunity to thank my 84-year-old mother, my ancestors, my partner, my entire family, friends, Nitta & crew, Manxasana & crew for their unwavering support & belief in my innocence! 'Thanks to the Nkomo Foundation. I maintain my innocence.' Days later, on Sunday, 25 May, Booi took to X again, implying that he was the victim of a smear campaign. 'Just for the record! There was never a R1bn tender fraud City of Cape Town never lost a cent,' Booi's post said. 'There is no site or awarded tenders Why AG never picked it up or internal audit The purpose was to destroy me and tarnish my reputation! I pray a living God.' Just for the record! There was never a R1bn tender fraud City of Cape Town never lost a cent There is no site or awarded tenders Why AG never picked it up or internal audit The purpose was to destroy me and tarnish my reputation! I pray a living God🙏 — Malusi Booi (@MalusiBooi) May 25, 2025 While Booi is 'relieved' at the withdrawal of charges, the NPA and SAPS have reiterated that it does not mean the case has ended or been derailed. According to them, key information has been uncovered. Fresh evidence The Western Cape's NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila explained that the commercial crime charges had been provisionally withdrawn against Booi, Stanfield, Johnson and nine co-accused 'pending the finalisation of an investigation on newfound evidence against them'. 'Police discovered new evidence during their investigation, and it is apposite at this stage to provisionally withdraw the 16 commercial charges against the accused pending the finalisation of the investigation stemming from the newfound evidence. 'The State will reinstate the charges once the investigation has been finalised.' Police in the Western Cape released a statement on the saga. Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the case 'is still on course despite the provisional withdrawal of commercial charges'. Charges can be reinstated She said it was not uncommon for the direction of a complex investigation to change, based on new information.'It is envisaged that the commercial charges provisionally withdrawn will be reinstated in due course,' Potelwa said. 'The Western Cape SAPS feels compelled to give assurance that the decision [to provisionally withdraw the commercial charges] is by no means an indication of failure on the part of investigators.' There is no indication of what the new evidence is. Booi was arrested in September last year, several months after his City of Cape Town office was raided in March 2023. He has also been fired. Earlier this year, another raid, which according to police was also linked to the whole Stanfield saga, kicked up even more controversy for the City of Cape Town. SAPS and the City On 24 January, police raided JP Smith's office and that of mayoral committee member Xanthea Limberg, who heads the city's energy portfolio. Unlike what happened to Booi, Smith and Limberg were not suspended. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said there was insufficient evidence to warrant suspensions. Smith has insisted that he is the target of a smear campaign and that the raid had been conducted to tarnish his name. Earlier this month, Smith announced that he was taking legal action against the SAPS. He said he had lodged an application in the Western Cape High Court because 'immediately after the searches I was advised that the warrants which contain numerous falsehoods, errors and critical omissions are unlawful and should be legally challenged'. Smith said: 'The media frenzy and reputational harm resulting from the search on my office should never have been permitted. 'The allegations against me are false and there is abundant evidence in the public domain of my continued actions to do the exact opposite of which I am accused by SAPS, including the continuous taking action to remove compromised and corrupt individuals from the city'. As if underscoring what Smith said about action against staffers, the SAPS announced last week that two City of Cape Town law enforcement officers had been arrested on charges of kidnapping and extortion. Smith had issued a statement saying the city's Safety and Security Investigations Unit had launched an internal investigation, which led to the arrests. Beyond smear claims – murder and red flags In the Stanfield-linked saga, both Booi and Smith's official offices were raided, and both have since separately said they are the targets of smear campaigns. On Sunday, a part of Booi's post on X said: 'The purpose was to destroy me and tarnish my reputation!' As for Smith, earlier this month, in the statement on the legal action he launched against the SAPS, he said that he had been told the purpose of the campaign against him was to 'destroy my reputation'. There are highly concerning aspects of the now provisionally withdrawn commercial crime charges and to the city's human settlement remit. City manager Lungelo Mbandazayo previously told IOL that an investigation 'saw some of the officials from the human settlements department being suspended and others are attending disciplinary hearings. 'They were even tailor-making tenders before they went out, so those same companies could easily apply and be granted those tenders. They (the gangsters) don't operate in isolation. 'They exist because internally, there are people helping them. When you look at any criminal activity that is thriving, it's because people are conniving.' Serious dangers are associated with this arena. One of Booi's co-accused, who previously faced charges alongside him, was Abdul Kader Davids. On 20 September 2024, two days after being released from custody on R250,000 bail in that case, Davids was fatally shot in the Cape Town suburb of Mitchells Plain. DM
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This Tohono O'odham linguist is fighting to keep indigenous languages alive in Arizona
A Tohono O'odham girl growing up in the 1950s spent her formative years helping her farmworker family pick cotton in the fields in central Arizona. With a thirst for learning but few books at home, Ofelia Zepeda would play make-believe school with her siblings using discarded textbooks during the summer breaks when she wasn't working the fields. Years later, Zepeda would become a renowned poet and linguist, and one of the world's foremost experts on the Tohono O'odham language. Now a member of the University of Arizona's faculty, she works to advocate for disappearing and endangered indigenous languages. At 71 years old, Zepeda is a regents professor in the linguistics department, the highest faculty rank at the University of Arizona. She wrote the world's first grammar book on the Tohono O'odham language and has published several poetry books in O'odham and English. She is also the director of the American Indian Language Development Institute and has been a member of the UNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages International Task Force. Zepeda grew up speaking only O'odham, which was originally a spoken language and was deeply connected to her indigenous culture. 'That's what language can do for you,' she told The Arizona Republic in April. But she didn't live on a reservation, a detail which she said surprises many people. 'My family's not from any community within the O'odham Nation. And that's why my background has to start with the town of Stanfield,' Zepeda said, sitting in her office at the University of Arizona among the well-manicured lawns and palm trees that swayed in the breeze on campus, miles away from the cotton fields where she grew up. Zepeda recalled the poverty she experienced growing up in the 1950s in Stanfield, a farming community in Pinal County near Casa Grande. Cotton was picked manually back then, a task she would often help with. "I didn't think that much of it, you know. Sometimes you sort of worked and helped, and then a lot of times you just played," she said. She was seven or eight years old when she began attending Stanfield Elementary School. Zepeda liked school and learning, and was supported by teachers who saw something special in her. "In the school system, there is always one teacher who for some reason they find something in you and make it their mission to nurture it, to support you," she said. When she was older, a high school counselor submitted her and her cousin's names to Upward Bound, a federally funded program that supports low-income, first-generation, high school students as they prepare for college. She was accepted, and after she completed the program, she attended community college before being accepted to the University of Arizona. Once at UA, she was studying sociology, but all she wanted to do was read O'odham books. She would scour the library for books written in her native tongue. 'I would check them out and try and figure out how to read them,' Zepeda said. But she couldn't figure them out. 'It's challenging to try and teach yourself. And it's better to have a teacher. So that was it. That's all I wanted to do. I wanted to read and write.' Looking for someone to teach her, Zepeda met world-renowned linguist Kenneth Hale. Hale was knowledgeable in the O'odham language and had helped create one of the O'odham writing systems with Tohono O'odham linguist Albert Alvarez. Zepeda began studying with Hale and helped him lead a small class teaching other O'odham students. After learning the basics of linguistics from Hale, she excelled and in 1984 she obtained her Ph.D. in linguistics and went on to win a MacArthur Fellowship in 1999 for her work as a poet, linguist, and cultural preservationist. MacArthur fellows are 'extraordinarily' creative and have a 'track record of excellence' in their fields. Despite Zepeda's success, she remains humble about all she has accomplished. 'When there's so few of us, you're bound to be one of the people that benefits from these (federal programs) for targeted populations,' she said. "Over the years, I've appreciated the benefits that I have been offered, and I've tried to use them the best way that I can." Amy Fountain, an associate professor of practice, met Zepeda in the early 1990s when she was in her first year of graduate studies in linguistics. Zepeda was a hero to her, and in the decades since she first assisted in Zepeda's class, Fountain has seen firsthand Zepeda's work around indigenous language revitalization, language teaching, and language policy. 'She's the only scholar I know of her level of accomplishment who is universally respected, admired, and beloved,' Fountain said. She added Zepeda's way of teaching is 'humble and warm and sweet, but incredibly wise.' Zepeda is also working to bring awareness of the state of indigenous languages to the forefront. Part of this effort came to fruition in 2022 with the creation of the Native American Language Resource Center. 'This is the first time the federal government has put forth funding just for Native American languages,' Zepeda said, recalling her initial reaction to the resource center. Zepeda highlighted how indigenous languages hold knowledge that has helped society, like plant knowledge, which has impacted science and modern medicine, as well as the way people view nature and the environment, she said. 'All languages are part of all of us that are part of humanity, and so they should be acknowledged and supported,' she said. 'The notion of supporting a language is very foreign, especially in the U.S., and that's a very, very hard mindset to change, but we keep working on it.' Reach the reporter at The Republic's coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tohono O'odham linguist, poet fights to keep the language alive
