Leidschendam – A UN-backed war crimes court sentenced former Liberian president Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison Wednesday for arming Sierra Leone rebels in return for “blood diamonds”.
“The trial chamber unanimously sentences you to a single term of imprisonment for 50 years on all counts,” said Special Court for Sierra Leone judge Richard Lussick at the court based just outside The Hague.
The largest global football follower survey ever conducted has on Wednesday named Manchester United the world’s most popular club, with 659 million followers worldwide.
The survey was carried out by leading market research agency, Kantar, and gathered 54,000 respondents from 39 countries. The club that Forbes recently named the most valuable in world sport was identified as the favourite team of 659 million followers around the world.
Kantar found that football remains the world’s most popular sport, with 1.6 billion followers globally, reinforcing the results of a recent Fifa survey which produced a similar figure.
Richard Arnold, the Club’s Commercial Director, commented on the long-term strategy that has made Manchester United the number one club in the world’s number one sport:
“Manchester United has built on a tradition of iconic players, iconic teams and iconic achievements – Beckham, Busby, Benfica ’68. Now our games are broadcast to 1.15 billion households globally, to an audience of over four billion a year. Manchester United resonates with followers all over the world, and it’s their passion and support that means year after year we can continue doing what matters most to everyone at the Club: playing attacking football and competing for trophies.
“The growth in our followers since 2007 correlates with what we have seen as we have rolled out our new approach to reaching fans. From the increase in TV viewership from two to four billion last season, to the demand from millions of media subscribers in 72 countries through our media partnerships, to the way the footage of Wayne’s (Rooney) overhead kick echoed around the world on social media, we can see that the connections to the club are growing exponentially.”
FOLLOWER FACTS
Manchester United has 659 million followers worldwide:
*71 million in Americas
*90 million in Europe
*173 million in Middle East and Africa
*325 million in Asia Pacific
*108 million in China alone – almost half of all China’s football followers
* The number of Manchester United followers globally has grown by 98% since the previous survey in 2007
* Manchester United’s family of followers is larger than the combined population of the USA, Brazil and Mexico. – Sapa
Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik told a friend he wanted to be “like David Beckham”.
Three former friends told his trial on Tuesday that the Norwegian fanatic thought of himself as a “metrosexual” because he wore make-up.
They also revealed that he had plastic surgery to make his nose look more “Aryan” and said they had speculated about his sexuality.
One of the friends, who have been allowed to remain anonymous, said: “He used make-up, powder, those kinds of things, and he explained that as being ‘metrosexual’. He made reference to David Beckham being that at the time.”
Another friend said: “Some people thought he had turned gay and… he cut out his friends because he did not want to face it.”
Breivik, who killed 77 people in a bombing and gun attack last year, claims he had an operation on a broken nose following a fight with a Muslim gang.
But his friends couldn’t recall any such brawl.
A friend said: “I remember that Anders wanted to reduce the size of his nose for reasons of vanity.
“This was a cosmetic procedure. I remember that he was very focused on his appearance. He didn’t try to hide it. He said he had an Arab’s nose.: – Daily Mail
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It would not make sense to continue with a court case against The Spear painting, which depicts President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed, the ANC said on Wednesday.
“Indeed, we are no longer taking the Goodman Gallery to court. We are no longer taking City Press to court,” said African National Congress spokesman Jackson Mthembu.
He was speaking at a joint media briefing between the ANC and the Goodman Gallery, announcing a settlement agreement on the controversial artwork.
Mthembu said now that a settlement had been reached, the court action in the High Court in Johannesburg was no longer necessary.
“There is no need for us to continue taking City Press to court, or the Goodman Gallery to court. It would not make sense,” said Mthembu.
Goodman Gallery director Liza Essers said the painting would not be displayed in the gallery because it had been defaced.
The settlement agreement with the ANC did not include an agreement on removing the picture from the Goodman Gallery’s website.
However, she said the image would be taken down from the website at some point.
The ANC went to court to get the painting removed from the gallery, and also took the City Press to court because it had published a picture of the painting on its website.
Meanwhile, the Film and Publications Board was expected to decide by the end of the week on whether the painting should be classified. – Sapa
Cape Town – A man convicted of raping, drugging and intimidating a girl had his conviction and sentencing set aside because a magistrate had not followed proper procedure in taking the girl’s oath, it was reported on Wednesday.
A full bench of Western Cape High Court judges ruled on Tuesday that Lance Bessick’s conviction and sentencing in the Atlantis Regional Court in July 2009 was invalid, the Cape Times reported.
Bessick was found guilty largely based on the girl’s testimony, who was 15-years-old when she testified. But she had indicated that she did not understand the meaning of an oath or affirmation.
Judge Robert Henney, in his judgment, said the unnamed magistrate had failed to explain the meaning of the oath and had then skipped to the next step, which was to hold an informal investigation into whether she knew the difference between a lie and the truth.
Henney said it was “not a mere non-compliance with a technicality”, but a process required by law to ensure a reliable version of events was placed before the court.
“The impact of improper conviction and subsequent incarceration is much greater for the accused.”
Johannesburg – The ANC and the Goodman Gallery will brief the media on Wednesday on the details of an agreement they reached after a march in protest against a painting depicting President Jacob Zuma with exposed genitals.
The briefing would be held at the Goodman Gallery, in Jan Smuts Avenue, Rosebank, where the artwork was initially shown, it said in a statement on Tuesday night.
“Both ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembuand Goodman Gallery director Liza Essers will be present at the event,” the gallery said.
On Tuesday, ANC supporters marched to the gallery to express their disgust of the painting. A memorandum was handed to the gallery’s management.
SA Communist Party leader Blade Nzimandewas insisting that the painting not be surrendered to the German who bought it for R136 000.
The painting The Spear by artist Brett Murray was part of his Hail to the Thief II exhibition. It has since been defaced and removed from the gallery.
An image of the painting has been removed from City Press’ website.
BY Obakeng Maje
Johannesburg: The draw for the football teams contesting the 2012 SAB League was conducted today, at SAB World of Beer. The showdown that will determine who will be crowned national champions and promoted up to the Second Division, is scheduled to take place from Sunday, 10 June 2012, with the final being held on Sunday, 17 June 2012.
The national event will feature nine Provincial squads and an invitational team from USSA (University Sports South Africa). The tournament will consist of two groups of five teams each, playing each other in a round robin format. The top two in each group at the end of the pool stages will then advance to the semi-finals, where they will battle it out for a place in the finals and ultimately the crown of 2012 Champions.
The President of SAFA, Mr Kirsten Nematandani said: “The SAB League is an integral component in the structure of football in our country. The lower leagues play a very important role in establishing a solid foundation upon which success can be built.”
The formation of SAB League more than a decade ago stems from shared vision of SAB and SAFA to develop football amongst youth at grassroots level in South Africa. It is also a key diversion programme that keeps youth away from drugs, alcohol abuse and crime. The SAB league has acted as springboard for a number of South Africa’s current football stars, including Reneilwe Letsholonyane of Kaizer Chiefs, Happy Jele of Orlando Pirates and Ayanda Dlamini of AmaZulu, to name but a few.
“SAB’s responsibility as a good corporate citizen is to provide meaningful opportunities for the youth of our country in order for them to improve their lives and to ensure their successful and sustainable future,” says Dr Vincent Maphai, SAB Director Corporate Affairs and Transformation.
“We are looking forward to an exciting week-long of football featuring some of the most talented young players showcasing their talent. We wish each and every team the best of luck as they thrive for the coveted title.”
The opening and closing games will be played at Kanyamazane Stadium, Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, with the rest at Ngonyama Lodge Sports Grounds.
Jele, who was in attendance, said: “I received my first real training as a footballer in the Mpumalanga SAB League with Walter Stars and that set me on the path to play in the PSL. The training and mentorship I received in those early days developed me into the footballer I am today. I am convinced that around the country we have enormous talent just waiting to be discovered and set on the right path. The SAB League is vital to the future of our football because it is within this competition that we will find our future Bafana Bafana stars. We must do everything we can to give them the opportunity to showcase their skills and move up the ladder of South African football. But it all starts here.”
Partnering with the SAB League is Shoes Moshoeu who understands the importance of discipline in sports and particularly at the development level encouraged the participants by saying: “Being a footballer is not just about turning up on match day and kicking a ball. The training has to be right and the off-field focus must be there.
The SAB League gives up-and-coming youngsters the platform to show their worth, but is also a training ground in itself for a professional career. Here you should learn what it takes to be a professional, so that if the time comes where you do make it to the PSL, you understand what is required. That is what every SAB League side should be looking to provide their players”.
The SAB League provides opportunities to identify and then nurture football talent and also provide participation at other levels, including the national team, the Premier Soccer League and National First Division teams.
Studies have shown that sport amongst youth can help instil in them a sense of empowerment and belonging, increases their self-esteem and can have an impact on reducing crime and other social ills.
Prize-money Breakdown
1st place position : R20 000.
Player of the Tournament : R10 000
Top Goal Scorer of the Tournament : R 5 000
Coach of the Tournament : R 5 000
Referee of the Tournament : R 5 000
Assistant Referee of the Tournament : R 5 000
Man of the Match at each game : R1000 per match
BY Obakeng Maje
The South Africa Under-20 Men’s National team (Amajita) secured a 1-0 win over Nigeria in a 8-Nation International tournament game at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday (29 May) evening.
Solly Luvhengo’s side were on top for most of the night, but missed a string of chances before finally securing the win five minutes from time.
The game started at a fast pace, with both teams playing attacking and free-flowing football.
Around the 15 minute mark the home side began to string their combinations together, with Asive Langwe and Snethemba Ngidi prominent.
Langwe however on several occasions picked out the wrong option which resulted in Nigeria’s goal remaining unthreatened. He was not the only guilty party as some of his team-mates were too elaborate when nearing the Nigeria box.
At the other end, the Flying Eagles came close to scoring in the 22nd minute when Aminu Umar’s speculative drive from 25-yards fizzed off the wet turf and just wide of goal.
The game remained evenly contested, but seven minutes before the break the west Africans should have scored after Christian Obinna squared the ball to an unmarked Uche Agbo, but he ballooned the ball from right in front of goal.
The second half saw the home nation putting Nigeria under relentless pressure with some telling balls into the box.
Five minutes after the break and Mxabo was close to breaking the deadlock, sending a well-struck shot from the edge of the area just over goal.
In the 54th minute Ngidi showed great skill to get to the by-line, but his dangerous ball across the goal-line just failed to pick out a team-mate.
This was followed by Mbongeni Gumede just being unable to get enough power to his header from Junior Sibande’s inviting cross.
Still the chances continued to arrive as Amijita put their opponents’ defence under severe pressure from a succession of corner kicks, one such occasion seeing Mxabo’s header tipped around the post.
Then in the 69th minute Ngidi thought he had scored, only to have the goal ruled out for what appeared to be a hand-ball.
But there was to be no denying the South Africans as their constant pressure finally paid dividends five minutes from time when Kgosietsile Ntlhe played in a wonderful curling cross out deep to the back post, where a first time volley from Mxabo found the back of the net.
This proved to be the winning goal as Amajita held on despite some late pressure
BY Obakeng Maje
The final Group A match of the 8-Nation International tournament ended in 0-0 draw between Argentina and Ghana in a match played at a cold Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday (29 May) night.
The result sees Argentina being joined by South Africa as the two teams from Group A who will advance to the semi-finals on Friday night, where they will be joined by Brazil and Japan.
The first half was a tight affair with neither side able to carve out opportunities in the respective final thirds of the field.
The quality of play out on the park was excellent, but the commitment levels by both sides and the good organization of the respective units meant that goal chances did not materialise.
Indeed it was only in the 34th minute that the first chance on goal arrived, which saw Argentine left back Lucas Rodriguez sending in a crisp drive from 20-yards which tipped the bar and kept on rising.
A minute before the interval and the Black Satellites came close to breaking the deadlock when Frank Sarfo-Gyamfi played a defence-splitting pass through to Baba Abdul, but as he slid in to try and get to the ball, it narrowly eluded him.
There was immediate goal-mouth drama at the start of the second half when for the second time in the game the South Americans found the woodwork.
This time it was Juan Vivas who ran in to get on the end of the corner but saw his shot rebound off the turf and into the crossbar.
The goal-box action continued, this time in the Argentina half as Fatawu Abdul put Baba Abdul in on goal, but the latter side-footed wide with the goal at his mercy.
The west African side suffered a set-back with 15 minutes to go when Prince Bafoe was sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
Closing action saw the intensity of the game maintained, with Ghana doing more of the attacking as they searched desperately to try and stay in the tournament, but they were unable to breach a disciplined Argentina defence.
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Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota has accused the ANC of opening the door to dictatorship by using “fascist tactics” in its response to the controversial painting, The Spear, by Brett Murray.
By calling on City Press and the Goodman Gallery to remove images of the painting from their website and exhibition, the ruling party had expunged section 16 (1) and (2) from the constitution, he said.
“Specifically the ‘freedom of the press and other media’ provided for in 16(1)(a) and ‘freedom of artistic creativity’ articulated in 16(1)(c) became casualties.”
Lekota said SACP leader Blade Nzimande and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe had personally agitated for a boycott of City Press.
“Now the editor of the City Press, anxious about her personal safety and that of her journalists, apologised for exercising her constitutionally enshrined right and removed the artistic work from the website of the newspaper.”
Lekota said the owner of the Goodman Gallery had “been dragged before TV to issue an apology under military-like supervision”.
“When the ruling party, that is, the government, frog-marches a citizen in this way, as (Arts and Culture Minister Paul) Mashatile did, and threatens to unleash mass force on society, the constitution is thrown out of the window, Lekota said.
Meanwhile, despite all its demands being met on the painting, the ANC was still not happy. An olive branch from City Press. A written apology from the Goodman Gallery. And a public explanation from artist Murray.
Even with those three victories for the ANC, the anti-Spear march on Tuesday ended in an ultimatum: remove the painting depicting President Jacob Zuma’s genitals from the Goodman Gallery website, or the gallery itself will be shut down.
At 2pm, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe emerged smiling from the building on Jan Smuts Avenue and announced the gallery would remove the image from its website. “Mission accomplished comrades,” shouted Mantashe.
The crowds cheered.
Mantashe added: “We can now read the City Press, but don’t buy last week’s copy… You have achieved your mission.”
Almost immediately afterwards, the Goodman Gallery released a statement saying it had been in consultation with the ANC, but no such decision had been made. This was not the only disputed issue.
Mantashe and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande could not agree on the fate of the painting.
Nzimande said it should not go to its German buyer, but be destroyed. However, Mantashe declared that its removal from the gallery and the two major websites on which it featured was enough.
“Freedom of expression will be defended… but it is not a licence to insult or trample on dignity,” said Mantashe.
Despite the ANC applying to the police for a march by 50 000 people, no more than 5 000 arrived in hired buses on Tuesday.
But police took no chances, deploying a huge contingent of riot police, some on horseback, and frequent helicopter flyovers overhead.
Two women, standing with notebooks on the fringes of the protest, quietly sketched protesters, while demonstrators held up placards that read: “Draw your white father naked, not our president”, “We say NO to abuse of artistic expression”, and “Less skin, we win”.
Last week, Cosatu, the National Union of Mineworkers and the SACP called on their members to storm the Goodman Gallery where the painting was then on display.
Louis Mabokela, one of the men accused of defacing the painting, was among the protesters on Tuesday. “The insult needed to be covered, so I did it,” he said.
His uncle, Stephen Sefofa, who paid Mabokela’s bail after his arrest last week, said: “An insult is an insult… We have to march.”
The pair were happy to hear of City Press editor Ferial Haffajee’s apology and removal of the image from the paper’s website, but said they were awaiting apologies from the other parties involved.
Mabokela was filmed being head-butted by a Goodman Gallery security guard after smearing black paint on the painting last week. He is to appear again in the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court.
“Today’s march is not only about Zuma, (but) all South Africans,” ANC secretary for Mpumalanga, Thokozani Ntuli, said. “We would also defend your dignity if you were embarrassed like this. (Zuma is) president but also a human being. He deserves to be respected… like everyone else, black or white.”
The Star
The Guardian 