Chipcor Developers has taken control of the Football School of Excellence after Transnet withdrew from its three-decade partnership with the Western Cape institution. Businessman Siviwe Mpengesi, who owns Chippa United FC, will oversee operations at the facility that has produced national team players, including Relebohile Mofokeng and Steven Pienaar. The state-owned enterprise selected Chipcor through a competitive proposal process following financial constraints that threatened the academy's survival.
Mpengesi plans comprehensive upgrades to training facilities, academic buildings and security systems while expanding programs beyond soccer to include rugby, athletics, cricket, netball and boxing. The curriculum will incorporate...
Moody's has acknowledged South Africa's medium-term budget framework while cautioning that debt sustainability requires accelerated economic expansion and structural transformation. The ratings agency recognized that fiscal officials managed to stabilize the deficit at 4.5 percent of gross domestic product through stronger revenue collection, marking the first instance since pandemic disruptions where projections avoided deterioration.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presented spending plans emphasizing expenditure discipline rather than tax increases, with R22.3 billion in unexpected receipts from mining and corporate sources supporting social programs, including child grants and pensions. Debt levels are expected to peak at 75.5...
The City of Johannesburg has authorized 161 informal vendors to resume operations in central business district locations after a court mandate required municipal officials to process applications from more than 500 street sellers. The Gauteng High Court directed the city to complete registration and allocate trading spaces within two weeks following legal action by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute, which challenged vendor removals under Operation Shanela. Mayor Dada Morero confirmed that 44 traders received smart cards enabling legal commerce, with remaining permits scheduled for distribution and stall assignments beginning immediately.
The judicial intervention came after complaints that enforcement actions had violated...
Nkosana Makate will receive only part of his settlement with Vodacom over the Please Call Me service invention while a court battle with his former litigation backer continues. Black Rock Mining Limited, an Australian firm supported by British investor Errol Elsdon, is claiming 40 percent of the payout based on a 2011 funding arrangement that allegedly covered legal expenses in exchange for a share of any winnings. The telecom company and Makate resolved their 17-year dispute through an out-of-court agreement in November, with estimates placing the confidential amount between 353 million and 748 million rand.
Makate's legal representatives have agreed to retain the contested portion in trust while releasing the remaining 60 percent to...
A former intelligence operative told a judicial inquiry that KwaZulu-Natal's police commissioner and the Zulu monarch were recruited by American intelligence services and actively collaborate with the agency. Brown Mogotsi presented allegations to the Madlanga Commission without documentary support, claiming Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi received instructions to suppress opposition against King Misuzulu kaZwelithini while stalling criminal investigations involving royal family rivals.
Mogotsi linked his claims to Mkhwanazi's public acknowledgment of training received from American agencies and suggested the monarch's prior residence in the United States facilitated recruitment efforts. The witness connected these assertions to...
South Africa's international relations minister has terminated authorization for charter aircraft transporting Palestinians following intelligence indicating an organized displacement campaign from Gaza and the West Bank. Ronald Lamola characterized the operations as a systematic effort to remove residents from Palestinian territories after 153 individuals arrived from Kenya lacking proper documentation, including Israeli exit verification and return travel arrangements.
Authorities are investigating Al-Majd Europe, an unregistered entity allegedly connected to the Israeli government that charges approximately $2,000 per passenger while marketing the flights as humanitarian evacuations. Intelligence services suspect the organization...
Mamelodi Sundowns will begin their continental campaign against DR Congo's FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in a Group C fixture broadcast live across South African networks. The Tshwane-based club enters as overwhelming favorites with an 88 percent win probability, seeking to advance from a section that includes Al Hilal Omdurman and MC Alger.
Sundowns captured their sole continental championship in 2016 and have maintained dominance domestically with 15 league titles under ownership from mining executive Patrice Motsepe. Coach Manqoba Mngqithi leads an unbeaten squad featuring Themba Zwane and Teboho Mokoena as they pursue qualification for the knockout rounds.
Lupopo makes its inaugural group stage appearance after...
South Africa's finance minister dismissed criticism that authorities neglect routine municipal services while rushing infrastructure improvements before international gatherings, defending preparations for an upcoming summit of world leaders. Enoch Godongwana rejected characterizations that the government prioritizes cosmetic upgrades to impress foreign visitors over addressing persistent social challenges, stating that the nation continuously tackles poverty through employment initiatives and extensive social assistance programs reaching 18 million beneficiaries monthly.
Gauteng authorities allocated more than 150 million rand for road repairs and public space enhancements ahead of the economic forum hosting heads of state from major...
A former revenue service auditor received a six-year prison sentence after authorities convicted him of defrauding South Africa's tax system of 1.5 million rand through fabricated value-added tax refund claims. Michael Benson exploited his position between 1997 and 2000 by submitting fraudulent returns totaling 1.7 million rand, with officials blocking only the final claim before funds reached his account.
Courts found Benson guilty on 11 fraud charges and five forgery counts for manufacturing false documentation to support his illegal refund applications. Prosecutors emphasized that his background as a registered tax practitioner and government auditor made the violations particularly egregious, given his familiarity with compliance...
