Latest news with #Thabiso
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
South Africa illegal mining: The hunt for alleged Stilfontein kingpin Tiger
Nobody in South Africa seems to know where Tiger 42-year-old from neighbouring Lesotho, whose real name is James Neo Tshoaeli, has evaded a police manhunt for the past four after being accused of controlling the illegal operations at an abandoned gold mine near Stilfontein in South Africa, where 78 corpses were discovered underground in January, Tiger escaped custody, police policemen, alleged to have aided his breakout, are out on bail and awaiting trial, but the authorities appear no closer to learning the fugitive's went to Lesotho to find out more about this elusive man and to hear from those affected by the subterranean home is near the city of Mokhotlong, a five-hour drive from the capital, Maseru, on the road that skirts the nation's mountains. We visit his elderly mother, Mampho Tshoaeli, and his younger brother, Tiger, Thabiso decided to stay at home and rear sheep for a living, rather than join the illegal miners, known as zama zamas, in South of them has seen Tiger in eight years."He was a friendly child to everyone," Ms Tshoaeli recalls. "He was peaceful even at school, his teachers never complained about him. So generally, he was a good person," she five years younger than Tiger, says they both used to look after the family sheep when they were children."When we were growing up he wanted to be a policeman. That was his dream. But that never happened because, when our father passed away, he had to become the head of the family."Tiger, who was 21 at the time, decided to follow in his father's footsteps and headed to South Africa to work in a mine - but not in the formal sector."It was really hard for me," says his mother. "I really felt worried for him because he was still fragile and young at that time. Also because I was told that to go down into the mine, they used a makeshift lift."He would come back when he got time off or for Christmas. And during that first stint as a zama zama his mother said he was the family's main provider."He really supported us a lot. He was supporting me, giving me everything, even his siblings. He made sure that they had clothes and food."The last time his family saw or heard from him was in 2017 when he left Lesotho with his then wife. Shortly after, the couple separated."I thought maybe he'd remarried, and his second wife wasn't allowing him to come back home," she says sadly."I've been asking: 'Where is my son?'"The first time I heard he was a zama zama at Stilfontein, I was told by my son. He came to my house holding his phone and he showed me the news on social media and explained that they were saying he escaped from the police." The police say several illegal miners described him as one of the Stilfontein ring mother does not believe he could have been in this position and says seeing the coverage of him has been upsetting."It really hurts me a lot because I think maybe he will die there, or maybe he has died already, or if he's lucky to come back home, maybe I won't be here. I'll be among the dead."A friend of Tiger's from Stilfontein, who only wants to be identified as Ayanda, tells me they used to share food and cigarettes before supplies dwindled. He also casts doubt on the "ringleader" label, saying that Tiger was more middle management."He was a boss underground, but he's not a top boss. He was like a supervisor, someone who could manage the situation where we were working."Mining researcher Makhotla Sefuli thinks it was unlikely that Tiger was at the top of the illegal mining syndicate in Stilfontein. He says those in charge never work underground."The illegal mining trade is like a pyramid with many tiers. We always pay attention to the bottom tier, which is the workers. They are the ones who are underground."But there is a second layer… they supply cash to the illegal miners."Then you've got the buyers… they buy [the gold] from those who are supplying cash to the illegal miners."At the top are "some very powerful" people, with "close proximity to top politicians". These people make the most money, but do not get their hands dirty in the mines. Supang Khoaisanyane was one of those at the bottom of the pyramid and he paid with his 39-year-old's body was among those discovered in the disused gold mine in January. He, like many of the others who perished, had migrated to South into his village, Bobete, in the Thaba-Tseka district, feels like stepping back in journey there is full of crossing a rickety bridge barely wide enough to hold our car, we are faced with a long drive up unpaved mountain roads with no safety than once it feels likely we will not make it to the when we do, the scenery is pristine. Seemingly untouched by of small, thatched huts, their walls made from mountain stone, dot the rolling green hills. Right next door to the late Supang's family home is the unfinished house he was building for his wife and three children. Unlike most of the dwellings in the village, the house is made of cement, but it is missing a roof, windows and empty spaces are an unintentional memorial to a man who wanted to help his family."He left the village because he was struggling," his aunt Mabolokang Khoaisanyane tells me. Next to her Supang's wife and one of his children lay down on a mattress on the floor, staring sadly into space."He was trying to find money in Stilfontein, to feed his family, and to put some roofing on his house," Ms Khoaisanyane house was built with money raised from a previous work trip to South Africa by Supang - a trip that many of those from Lesotho have made over the decades drawn by the opportunities of the much richer aunt adds that before he left the second time, three years ago, his job prospects at home were non-existent."It's very terrible here, that's why he left. Because here all you can do is work on short government projects. But you work for a short time and then that's it."This landlocked country - entirely surrounded by South Africa - is one of the poorest in the world. Unemployment stands at 30% but for young people the rate is almost 50%, according to official family say they did not realise he was working as a zama zama until a relative called them to say he had died thought he had been working in construction and had not heard from him since he left Bobete in Khoaisanyane says that during the phone call, they were told that what caused the deaths of most of those underground in Stilfontein was a lack of food and water. Many of the more than 240 who were rescued came out very made global headlines late last year when the police implemented a controversial new strategy to crack down on illegal restricted the flow of food and water into the mine in an attempt to "smoke out" the workers, as one South African minister put January, a court order forced the government to launch a rescue operation. Supang's family say they understand what he was doing was illegal but they disagree with how the authorities dealt with the situation."They tortured these people with hunger, not allowing food and medication to be sent down. It makes us really sad that he was down there without food for that long. We believe this is what ended his life," his aunt dead miner's family have finally received his body and buried him near his half-finished Tiger's mother and brother are still waiting for news about him. The South African police say the search continues, though it is not clear if they have got any closer to finding him. More BBC stories from South Africa: BBC uncovers child sex abuse in South Africa's illegal minesUnpacking the South African land law that so inflames TrumpRebuked by Trump but praised at home: How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdownTragic story of South African girl sold by her mother Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The South African
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
'Please come back dad': Thabiso mourns Presley Chweneyagae
Thabiso Ramotshela, known for his roles in The River, Youngins , and Blood Legacy , has shared an emotional tribute to his on-screen father, Presley Chweneyagae. The legendary River actor passed away on Tuesday morning at age 40 due to breathing complications. Thabiso, visibly shaken by the loss, took to social media to express his heartbreak. Presley portrayed his father on The River , and they shared a strong bond even beyond the workplace. In a touching Instagram post, Thabiso shared behind-the-scenes clips of their time on set, accompanied by a heartfelt caption. 'Please come back, Dad,' he captioned the post. In a separate TikTok post, the actor shared more of his heartbreak and expressed how deeply he cared for him. 'I don't even know where to start. Goodbye pops. I love you and will see you soon,' he wrote. The passing of Presley has left many devastated. According to the family spokesperson, the Tsotsi star died of natural causes, and there was no foul play involved. 'We want to put the record straight that it was a natural death as far as we are concerned. He had a complication in relation to breathing. Paramedics were called at home, and he was attended to. We appreciate the professional nature of the paramedics.' Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday evening, Mzwakhe said the actor had never experienced health issues before, and his sudden passing came as a shock to them. 'We spent time with him yesterday (Monday), and there were no signs that something like this could happen. However, we don't want to speculate; we want to allow all the necessary procedures and protocols to take their course.' 'It's safe to say he never struggled; he had always been a healthy person and was doing well. We were with him on Monday, so this is quite shocking,' he said. WHICH ICONIC CHARACTER PLAYED BY PRESLEY IS YOUR FAVOURITE? 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.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Locals celebrate Boksburg parkrun's 10th anniversary
Over 300 people came out from across Boksburg and surrounding areas to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Boksburg parkrun. During the event, which was marked with balloons and cupcakes, runners, walkers and joggers lined up on the start line in the open field outside the Boksburg City Stadium to partake in the free weekly 5km event. Adults, children and even dogs took part in the celebration. The event saw one of the young runners, Thabiso Mkhaliphi (15) of Elspark, completing his 12th 5km run in 19:57. The runners are timed, with participants collecting a token at the end which is used to give them their time. 'I love running and I also use the opportunity provided by the parkrun to practice for my school cross-country competitions,' said an excited Thabiso. Event organisers said it's amazing to see hundreds of people from across town running, walking and volunteering at parkrun events. UK's Dave Funnell took part in the Boksburg parkrun event. He was excited to be part of the celebration as he was part of the first-ever Boksburg parkrun 10 years ago. A trip back in time According to the parkrun's volunteer co-ordinator, Brenda Steenkamp, since its inception on May 16, 2015, the local parkrun has registered approximately 4000 participants. 'Back in the day, we used to, on average, have over 600 people participating in our weekly events on Saturdays. However, the number went down to next to zero when Covid-19 hit our shores, because of the virus and other related disruptions.' Down but not out 'After the lockdown was eased, the number started to gradually grow from less than 100 people to 200 and now we have over 300 people walking, running and jogging every Saturday. And we are still growing strong. We also have people volunteering. It's amazing.' Join the fun Steenkamp has called on more people to take part in in their local parkrun and reap the benefits, including health and fitness. 'It's a free, weekly 5km exercise open to anyone.' Apart from the fun that comes with the parkrun, many participants said they run for health and fitness, and the initiative helps them to remain physically active. 'After signing up and getting up and moving, participants get motivated by the benefits and their achievements, which make them want to come back week after week.' According to parkrun's official website, parkrun started back in 2004 when 13 runners and five volunteers got together on a blustery day in the UK, and it's now an international family of over ten million parkrunners (and counting). To join, visit and register At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
I couldn't even afford an Uber: former Generations actor Thabiso Mokhethi
Former Generations actor Thabiso Mokhethi has opened up on his financial difficulties. Thabiso discussed the emotional and monetary issues he faced after being let go from the popular soapie. He shared that he couldn't afford necessities and had an existential crisis when he lost all his material wealth. He opened up about his financial struggles during an episode on popular YouTube podcast Engineer Your Life. He explained how he couldn't afford the basics, such as food and transportation. 'There were times when, as an unemployed man, I couldn't even afford an Uber. Sometimes, I didn't have food to eat.' The actor, who also portrayed Musa on Rhythm City, revealed how he struggled to adjust from being a provider to a dependant. 'Coming from a position where I could provide for my family, to suddenly relying on others was a bitter pill to swallow. I know this is a reality for many people, but this is my story,' he shared. Thabiso isn't the only star who has faced hard times after his career on the small screen ended. Recently we've seen a number of actors who have faced financial difficulties with some resorting to asking for donations. They include veteran actress Nandi Nyembe, former Isibaya actress Gcina Mkhize and former Skeen Saam actor Pebetsi Matlaila.
The South African
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
'I didn't have food': Former Generations actor Thabiso Mokhethi speaks out (video)
Former Generations star Thabiso Mokhethi revealed how much he struggled to put food on his table after leaving the show. Thabiso made many headlines during his days, with Generations playing the Samuel role. During those days, Thabiso made quite a lot of money and bought many luxurious cars. He lived an expensive lifestyle, but things changed, and he went through a lot after leaving the show. In an interview, Thabiso explained how much he struggled after losing his job. He spoke at length about selling all his assets, such as cars, and about struggling to get food. 'It made me feel like I was nothing. Remember, I had tied my worth to material things and financial success,' he admitted. 'Once that was taken away, I didn't know who I was.' he continued. 'There were times when, as an unemployed man, I couldn't even afford an Uber. Sometimes, I didn't have food to eat,' he revealed. 'Coming from a position where I could provide for my family and suddenly relying on others was a bitter pill. I know this is a reality for many people, but this is my story.' he detailed his struggles. Indeed, it is not the former Generations star who struggled to put food on the table. Famous people like Dr Malinga struggled and got assistance from other top celebs. Veteran actress Nandi Nyembe also faced financial struggles, leaving some top celebs to help her. Indeed, tough times come and go, and fortunately, Thabiso faced many struggles, but he is making progress back to full stability. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
