Latest news with #Zwane
The South African
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs wonderkid on AmaZulu's radar
Kaizer Chiefs' young talent Manqoba Ozoemena is being eyed by AmaZulu FC, as former Amakhosi coach Arthur Zwane looks to reunite with the versatile player he once mentored at Naturena. With Kaizer Chiefs currently deep into their pre-season preparations in the Netherlands, five DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) players joined the senior squad for the European tour. Among them, 20-year-old Ozoemena has stood out, attracting serious attention from AmaZulu's technical team. Sources close to both clubs have confirmed that AmaZulu have officially expressed interest in securing Ozoemena's services for the upcoming season. Head coach Arthur Zwane, who previously worked with the player at Chiefs, has reportedly endorsed the move. 'It's believed that the AmaZulu FC technical team has proposed to management about Manqoba (Ozoemena). Coach Arthur (Zwane) knows him very well and he believes that the player can help the team this season as they compete in the MTN8 and the other tournaments as well,' said a source familiar with the negotiations. Zwane's belief in Ozoemena's ability seems to be a key driver behind AmaZulu's pursuit, with the coach confident the youngster can contribute immediately in multiple competitions. AmaZulu's interest in Ozoemena forms part of a wider recruitment strategy ahead of the 2025/2026 season. Another insider revealed that Usuthu have already signed several players and remain active in the market. 'At the moment there are about three or four players already believed to have been signed. And the club is still looking at reinforcing the squad and that's why they have enquired about Manqoba Ozoemena,' the source revealed. This proactive transfer approach highlights AmaZulu's ambitions under Zwane. With a clear focus on building a squad capable of challenging across all fronts. Ozoemena, a Soweto-born right-sided dynamo who can slot in at both right-back and right wing. And has trained with the Amakhosi first team since last season. He travelled with the senior squad to the Netherlands. Hoping to convince new head coach Nasreddine Nabi of his readiness for top-flight football. Whether Nabi chooses to retain the promising 20-year-old or allow him to gain experience elsewhere remains a critical decision for Chiefs' development plans. Kaizer Chiefs fans will now wait anxiously to see if the club holds on to one of their brightest academy graduates. Or if Ozoemena makes the switch to KwaZulu-Natal to reunite with Zwane at AmaZulu. Will AmaZulu be a good place for the Kaizer Chiefs young star? 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.
IOL News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Why AmaZulu FC released 17 players: A calculated reset for the future
Arthur Zwane AMAZULU FC head coach Arthur Zwane has been tasked with leading the club into a technical evolution. | BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix AmaZulu FC say their decision to release 17 players was a calculated reset to reverse a worrying decline and back head coach Arthur Zwane's vision to return the club to the top. Speaking at the launch of the 2025 KZN Premier's Cup this week, club spokesperson Philani Ndlela said the mass clear-out was not just a reaction to recent results, but a strategic move shaped by where the team wants to go. 'If you look at the last five seasons, the club finished inside the top eight three times and twice outside. We played one cup final, which we lost, and you can see that in the last five seasons we did not do as well as we expected – in as much as we got an opportunity to play in the CAF Champions League,' said Ndlela. 'But our graph kept going down instead of going up, so it was important for us to have a turnaround.' AmaZulu ended the 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign in sixth place, securing a spot in the MTN8. While that finish could be seen as progress, Ndlela insisted it wasn't enough for a club with ambitions of lifting trophies. The arrival of Arthur Zwane last season — initially as co-coach alongside Vusumuzi Vilakazi — marked the beginning of that turnaround. Vilakazi has since departed, and Zwane has been trusted to lead a long-term project centred on youth and tactical evolution. 'When we saw coach Arthur Zwane bringing in new and fresh ideas in the team, it was important for us to go back to the drawing board to bring in younger players that are going to help us get back to the top,' Ndlela explained. Alongside Zwane, AmaZulu have bolstered their technical team by roping in Simo Dladla as an assistant coach. Dladla recently made headlines after guiding Durban City to the top flight and is seen as a forward-thinking football mind who complements Zwane's approach. Despite the large-scale changes, the Usuthu camp remains calm. Ndlela emphasised that there is no panic behind the scenes, and that the leadership believes in the path the club is taking under Zwane. 'To be honest with you, there's no anxiety in the team. There's a lot of maturity in the technical team and the management of the club, and that's why we have full confidence in coach Zwane and what he's doing.' AmaZulu will give fans a first look at their revamped squad during the 2025 edition of the KZN Premier's Cup, as they prepare for a season that could define the club's long-term future. Having hit reset, the pressure will now be on Zwane and his new-look team to steer the club's graph in the right direction — upward.
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Two-pot retirement system: Here's what people used it for
A new survey shows that the people who are most likely to withdraw funds under the two-pot retirement system also know the least about it. Although government implemented the two-pot retirement system in September last year to help South Africans get access to their retirement savings in emergencies, it seems that not everyone who withdrew money used it for a real emergency. According to the 2025 FNB Retirement Insights Survey, conducted among a sample base of 1 041, awareness of the two-pot retirement system is now widespread, with 69% of respondents indicating they are familiar with it, with 47% feeling fully aware, while 22% said they know a little about it, 15% have heard of it, but do not know what it means and 16% know nothing about it. Samukelo Zwane, product head at FNB Wealth and Investments, says the good news from the survey is that actual withdrawal rates from savings pots under the two-pot retirement system remain relatively low at just 26% and only 26% of these withdrew R20 000 or more, driven by the emerging affluent market. ALSO READ: Two-pot retirement system: Almost 4 million withdrawals close to R57 billion Reasons for two-pot retirement system withdrawals He says the main reasons that people withdrew funds were to cover daily living expenses and manage debt. 'This cautious approach is positive given the potential damage that early withdrawals can do to long-term retirement savings. 'The findings suggest that many South Africans are demonstrating restraint, which is crucial to protect long-term retirement outcomes. Continued financial education will be vital to reinforce the value of preservation.' Besides covering daily expenses and debt, people are also withdrawing funds to pay for education, unexpected expenses, holidays and even to reinvest. These were the top reasons for two-pot retirement system withdrawals: Cover day-to-day expenses: 48% Pay off debt: 46% Education fees: 30% Unforeseen expenses: 26% New appliances: 25% Holidays: 23% Reinvested: 20% ALSO READ: Two-pot retirement system: 75% of second year withdrawals are repeats Withdrawals among people younger and older than 60 In the group of respondents who are younger than 60, 43% of the 74% who already withdrew funds, said they would not withdraw from their savings pots in the future, while 31% said they would. People from the Affluent (65%) and Wealth (51%) groups feel most strongly about not withdrawing (65% and 51%). People from the Entry Wallet and Entry Banking groups (38%) noted the highest propensity to withdraw under the two-pot retirement system The withdrawal rates of the group of respondents older than 60 remained consistent at about 30%, with debt repayment the primary reason for withdrawing. Zwane says from a behavioural perspective, FNB data shows that withdrawal decisions were not only a consequence of immediate needs but were also shaped by life stage and income levels. 'The withdrawal statistics align with external findings that the bulk of withdrawals came from individuals with fund credits below R250 000, which typically translates to people and families that are most likely facing immediate financial pressures.' ALSO READ: Misconceptions about the two-pot retirement system: What you need to know He points out that the two-pot retirement system already triggered shifts in consumer behaviour when it comes to retirement savings. 'Introduced to balance long-term preservation with limited pre-retirement access to funds, the two-pot retirement system divides new contributions into the two distinct components of a 'retirement pot' that remains locked until retirement and a 'savings pot' that people can withdraw money from under specific conditions.' Understanding of two-pot retirement system He notes that the depth of understanding varies across income groups, with people in the affluent group having greater awareness than Entry Wallet customers. 'What consumers are doing with these withdrawals reveals a lot about the current economic realities and the financial pressures many South Africans face.' ALSO READ: Two-pot retirement system: Do you know enough? He believes that the small but also meaningful group reinvesting their withdrawn funds elsewhere suggests that they are unhappy with the performance of their retirement investments, or that they are simply trying to leverage the system as a liquidity tool. 'These FNB findings are echoed in national trends. Within six weeks of implementation, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) reported more than 1.1 million approved withdrawal applications, with R22 billion paid out. 'By January 2025, over 2.6 million withdrawals had been processed, pushing total disbursements past R43 billion. The South African Reserve Bank has projected that total withdrawals in the initial months could range from R40 billion to R100 billion, suggesting a short-term financial boost for a great many households, but it also raises the potential for negative long-term consequences, especially when it comes to retirement savings adequacy.' What determines success of two-pot retirement system Zwane says what is clear is that the success of the two-pot retirement system over time will depend massively on education and behavioural guidance. 'It is concerning that FNB's research points to a lack of awareness in lower-income groups and confusion about long-term impacts among many of those who are aware. 'This highlights the fact that financial institutions, retirement fund administrators and financial advisors have a key role to play in helping consumers understand not just how to access their money, but whether they should. 'Consumers are generally aware of the two-pot retirement system rule applied to retirement funds. However, our findings indicate that less than one-third of consumers made a withdrawal, with the primary motivations being to cover daily expenses and manage debt.'
Daily Maverick
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Safa drops the ball again as Banyana Banyana squad downs tools over unpaid dues
Defending African champions Banyana Banyana went on a brief strike after a couple of days after touching down in Morocco over unpaid match fees. The South African Football Association says the matter has been resolved and the players are back in training. It is unfortunate yet unsurprising that Banyana Banyana have once again butted heads with the South African Football Association (Safa) ahead of participation in a major tournament. On Saturday, 28 June, SABC Sport reported that the Banyana Banyana players had downed tools in Morocco, over a financial stand-off with Safa. The disagreement stems from unpaid match fees by Safa after the team played preparation friendlies ahead of their Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title defence in the continental competition, which kicks off on 5 July. South Africa's senior women's soccer side faced Malawi in a double-header back in April. More recently, the team tussled against Botswana and Zambia as part of fine-tuning their performances for a challenging defence of the Wafcon title they won in 2022. Sit-in protest Displeased with how they have been treated by Safa in the build-up to the tournament, the players (who arrived in Morocco on Wednesday) resorted to staging a sit-in. They boycotted training with the hopes of capturing the attention of the Safa hierarchy. The extreme action has worked. Speaking to journalists following the conclusion of Safa's ordinary congress in Sandton on Saturday, the federation's vice-president, Linda Zwane, labelled the incident a 'minor issue' and said it has been resolved. 'It's a minor issue. It's an issue of the payments of the previous games they played, particularly the Malawi games. The association then undertook to address that particular matter and there's agreement that has been reached with the team, through their captain,' Zwane stated. 'As far as we're concerned that particular matter is now buried and the association has made a commitment towards [paying the players], making sure that players continue with their preparations. We want them to perform very well in the tournament and the reports we are getting is that the team is back in training,' the vice-president said. Failing finances Of course, Safa's current financial woes are well documented, having shot to the centre of the public eye in December 2024 when the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture gave the South African soccer governing body an advance of R5-million. This was from the annual government grant the association receives. This advance has not helped Safa much though, as reports of delayed salary payments at their Nasrec headquarters have been a regular feature in the news. At the beginning of June, Safa appeared before the parliamentary oversight committee for sport, arts and culture. During this appearance the federation painted a grim picture of its finances, with Safa's chief financial officer, Gronie Hluyo, telling the committee members that the association's current liabilities exceed its assets by R141-million. Hluyo said the reasons for this deficit included the adoption of gender parity policies for the senior teams, Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana. He said that despite this commitment from Safa, the limited sponsors approaching them were primarily interested in backing the men's team. Hluyo stands accused of fraud within Safa, alongside the federation's president, Danny Jordaan, and public relations company boss Trevor Neethling. The chief of finance told Parliament that Safa's cash flow struggles were also due to the organisation battling to attract sponsors owing to regular negative publicity surrounding it. Also addressing the media after the conclusion of the Safa congress, CEO Lydia Monyepao alluded to Safa's dire finances being the reason for the outstanding payments to players. 'The disagreement arose in terms of the payment dates with regards to the bonuses. We have since addressed that matter; we know that we have a commitment to the players in terms of after a friendly match, we give [them their money after] 30 days. But us as a federation, where we are right now in terms of financial performance, was covered extensively in the congress,' Monyepao said. History repeats itself This is the second successive major tournament where the Banyana Banyana players have been forced to confront Safa for not valuing them enough. Ahead of their historic run to the 2023 World Cup's round of 16, the team clashed with the federation over a number of issues. Those included the poor-quality stadium at which the African champions were expected to play. The players raised their concerns about this and the high risk of injury posed by playing at Tsakane Stadium – particularly before the World Cup. There was also a financial factor in that pre-World Cup stand-off. It took the Motsepe Foundation's intervention and the organisation's financial gift of about R6-million to Safa to ease the tensions. At the time, the Safa hierarchy said it had learnt its lesson about sorting out such issues timeously and said a similar stand-off would not occur in the future. Yet here we are. It's unnecessary chaos at a time when the team's focus should be on polishing tactics and strengthening team chemistry. Banyana Banyana's Wafcon group features some competitive sides – Ghana, Mali and Tanzania. Their full focus and energy are required for this quest. DM
The Citizen
27-06-2025
- The Citizen
Mpumalanga school principal suspended for alleged sexual assault
Feminist organisation Wise4Afrika welcomed the school principal's suspension. Education experts and organisations fighting against gender-based violence have welcomed the suspension of a Mpumalanga high school principal who is accused of sexual harassment. Mpumalanga Department of Education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the principal of Magwagwaza Secondary School in Bushbuckridge has been placed on precautionary suspension with immediate effect due to serious allegations of sexual harassment. 'This action has been taken to enable an investigation into the matter and to safeguard the best interests of learners. The department treats all allegations of sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness and acts in strict accordance with the Employment of Educators Act (Act No. 76 of 1998),' said Zwane. 'In particular, section 17 of the Act provides for the mandatory dismissal of any educator found guilty of serious misconduct, including committing an act of sexual assault against a learner, engaging in a sexual relationship with a learner, and encouraging or coercing a learner to participate in sexual acts.' ALSO READ: Teacher dismissed for sexual harassment after denying smacking Grade 8 pupil's bums He said the department would also refer the matter to the South African Council for Educators (SACE), which has the authority to deregister educators found guilty of sexual misconduct, thereby prohibiting their re-employment in any educational institution within the country. Zwane added that the department was deeply disturbed by the allegations. 'We call on parents, learners, and members of the school community to continue to report any suspected incidents of sexual misconduct by educators or any other individual to the law enforcement institutions, including the South African Police Service (Saps), and to the department.' ALSO READ: Number of school sexual misconduct cases being investigated in the triple digits Advocate Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, director of the feminist organisation Wise4Afrika, welcomed the department's action. 'This decisive action must be seen as a way to end gender-based violence tolerance and minimisation of the harm sexual harassment inflicts on learners and to the entire school and families,' she said. Education expert Henrick Makaneta said it was shocking that a principal has been accused of sexual harassment. 'There is no doubt that these are serious allegations. It is disappointing that a senior education practitioner whose duty is to protect learners is implicated in such an unlawful act… Police should speed up the investigations to ensure that justice is served.' NOW READ: Mpumalanga department of education clears acting principal of assault claim
