LONDON – South Africa’s medal tally at the 2012 London Paralympics stands at 22 after Natalie Du Toit won silver in her last event ever.

It was not quite the fairytale ending to her Paralympic career that everyone was hoping for, but she bowed out of the Games with silver medal.

She finished second in the Women’s 100 metre S9 Freestyle final in a time of 1:03:45, just behind Ellie Cole of Australia.

She leaves London having captured a total of 3 gold medals and a silver.

By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg- The South African Football Association (SAFA) has released the names of the 2012/2013 panel of Referees and Match Commissioners.

There will be re-testing of officials who failed the initial fitness test two months ago and these will take place in Gauteng tomorrow, 8 September, Western Cape, 9 September with the last one scheduled for Tanzania on Tuesday, 11 September 2012.

Those who pass the respective tests will be added to existing panel.

The panel is as follows:

• NATIONAL REFEREES PANEL 2012/2013• REFEREES PANEL• QONGCO KULESANDE• TINYANI PHILIP• NKOSI THABO• MTHETHO ZOLILE• MFIKI LWANDILE• BENNETT DANIEL• SMITH  ROBERT• GOMES VICTOR• SETLOBOKO EKETSANG• KGAPHOLA JIMMY• NDZANDZEKA THANDO• CHUMA SHANE• KHULEKANI THUSI• KWINDA OLANI• MAILA TSHEPO• MOGARA ITUMELENG• MOSIA BAFANA• MAPHUTHA ABEL• ANWAR ALEXANDER• NDABA PELELANI• JULIUS NAASIF First Class Referees to be retested:

• DAMON JEROME• HLUNGWANI VICTOR• SEKOPO GABRIEL• VOLGRAAF DANIEL• REZEERS ANDREW (ASSISTANT REFEREE) ASSISTANT REFEREES PANEL

• KHUMALO STEVENS• SIWELA ZAKHELE• MALGAS CLIFFORD• DE SANI EMMANUAL• PUPUMA LUVUYO• PHALE MOSES• GABELA ARTHUR• MOSHIDI JOHANNES• WINDVOEL THEMBISILE• MADIDILANI EDWARD• RABOPHARA PETER• BOLO LINDIKHAYA• DILIKANE SANDILE• NGQAMBIYANE BUYISILE• SODOLI BONAKELE• MOLEFE ENOCK• CHAUKE PETER• HOBOANE LINOS• NDONGENI ATHENKOSI• JAFTHA PATRICK• DLAMINI JANTJIE• MAMEGWA KENRY• XALAKHE SONGEZO• MNGADI LALELANI• THINANE THABO• MATIBIDI ROMEO• THWALA MDUDUZI• NYAMBI ERNEST• RAMUTSINDELA KAMOHELO• VAN WYK MERVIN• NTOMBELA THULANI• BANDA LUXOLO• MADELA AKHUXOLO• MOTAUNG CLIFFORD  Match Commissioners 

1. Mr Phil Masemola

2. Mr Ian Mcleod

3. Mr Job Smith

4. Mr Mark Lindon

5. Mr George Lobo

6. Mr Neermal Boodhoo

7. Mr Ronnie Johnson

8. Mr Stephen Moshotle

9. Mr Happy Hadebe

10. Mr Paulo Marques

11. Mr Abdul Ibrahim

12. Mr Zwelibanzi Nkosi

13. Mr Stan Swart

14. Mr Isaac Arendse

15. Mr Sharheen Salot

16. Mr Morne Daniels

17. Mr Robert Pillay

18. Mr Vincent Alie

Match Commissioners under Training

• Harry Lekitlane• Robert Sithole• Reginald Motaung• Rudzani Molaudzi

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By Obakeng Maje

Sao Paolo-The South African Football Association (SAFA) will display FIFA Fair Play banners before kick-off  and during half-time of the forthcoming friendly matches involving both Bafana Bafana and the Under-20 Men’s National Teams as part of commemorating the FIFA Fair Play Week.

According to a Confederation of African Football (CAF) circular, the final preliminary round of the 

2013 AFCON tournament to be played from this weekend until 11 September 2012 should be marked by visible Fair Play activities including flags by flag bearers marking the start of each match.

Once the teams have lined up, the public announcer will read the following message:

Today the football family celebrates the worldwide FIFA Fair Play Day. FIFA and SAFA are proud to dedicate today’s match to Fair Play and encourage all players, coaches and officials, together with fans in South Africa to play fair, both on and off the pitch, leading by example and showing fairness, impartiality and solidarity in everything they do.

So let us all join the team captains in their commitment to Fair Play.

Once the announcer has finished reading the text, the two captains will also read their respective messages which underscore the Fair Play point.

Pre-match and post-match handshakes shall take place as usual.

SAFA President, Kirsten Nematandani, who sits on the Fair Play Committee, said the gesture was a reminder that football was a beautiful game which should be played within the confines of fairness.

“Winning is critical but that should not be done at all costs. This week’s gesture is a timely reminder that above all, soccer should be played to be enjoyed,” he said.

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By Obakeng Maje

Gaborone- The South African U-20 Men’s National team (Amajita) arrived in Botswana yesterday and are ready to take on their Botswana counterparts in the first of the two friendly matches inside four days. The first match will be played at Molepolele Stadium in Gaborone tomorrow, 8 September 2012.

Kick-off 18h00.

The second match will take place in Mbombela on 11 September and will be played as a curtain raiser for the Bafana/Mozambique game.

The two matches are part of Amajita’s preparations for the African U/20 Youth Championship qualifiers against Nigeria scheduled for later this month.

The Amajita completed the first training session in Gaborone this morning and the head coach, Solly Luvhengo feels the players are settling in well and are shaping up for the encounter tomorrow.

“We have completed our first training session ahead of the match tomorrow, we will finalise preparations with a light training session this afternoon. The players have been working hard and I feel they will be ready for the encounter tomorrow,” said Luvhengo.

“The whole purpose of these matches is to prepare ourselves for Nigeria. Our performances in these matches will show what we still need to work on ahead of the qualifier later this month.

“What I need from the team is for them to be ruthless in front of goals because that will build their confidence,” added Luvhengo

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By Obakeng Maje

Jonannesburg-The Ministry of Sport has sent a message of support to Bafana Bafana, ahead of their clash with Brazil later tonight.

In a message sent through to the South African Football Association (SAFA) the Ministry said while they are aware of the tough task that awaits the national team tonight, they were confident, under the guidance of coach Gordon Igesund, the squad would give a good account of themselves.

The message reads: “We hereby wish to express our unwavering support for the coach, Gordon Igesund and the National soccer team, Bafana Bafana as they are taking on the mighty, five-time world champions, Brazilians in Soa Paulo this evening. We are under no illusion about the enormity of the task at hand, but South Africans have always shown resilience in the face of adversity. Of course Brazil are no strangers to us, having played them home and away in the past.

The fact that they are playing a full strength team demonstrates that they are indeed out to scalp South Africa.

It is a significant occasion, given that it is Brazil’s national day and South Africa will as the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts also symbolically hand over to the 2014 FIFA World Cup hosts. 

We are conscious that our coach had to make late changes to the team because of injuries to key players and that this impacted on preparations, strategy, etc. However, we must rise to the occasion like the proverbial phoenix, make the nation proud and restore our illustrious pedigree. We wish them well.”

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By Obakeng Maje

Sao Paolo-Bafana Bafana has completed their preparations ahead of the international friendly match against Brazil.

The much-awaited clash will take place tonight (Friday, 7 September 2012) at the Estadio do Morumbi in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Kickoff is at 20h45.

The South Africans had a feel of the match venue, the home of Sao Paolo FC, on Thursday, 6 September and looked in great form.

This was head coach Gordon Igesund’s fourth training session since the squad started camp on Sunday – and the first where he worked with the whole squad following the arrival on Wednesday night of defenders Bongani Khumalo and Siboniso Gaxa.

“We are very confident because the players gave their all at training and I am positive we will do well against Brazil, the five-time world champions. But I am more concerned about how the players will perform on the day after we fit in three weeks of training in just three days,” said Igesund.

“We are going into the match very much attack-minded. I will be using three strikers as I don’t like to sit back and wait for them to attack us – whatever happens will happen.”

South Africa has never beaten Brazil in three meetings – all in Johannesburg. This will be the first match outside South Africa.

They first met in April in 1996 at Soccer City with Bafana Bafana going down by three goals to two – Phil Masinga and Doctor Khumalo scored in that clash.

The previous two fixtures were held at the Ellis Park Stadium – the first in December 1997, South Africa going down by two goals to one with Helman Mkhalele scoring the home side’s solitary goal.

In the third encounter a late Danny Alves goal knocked Bafana Bafana out of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in June.

“I have a lot of respect for Brazil and I am under no illusions that they are a great footballing nation but that in no way means we will just roll over and have them walk all over us. Realistically I am looking for a win but the results don’t mean much,” said Igesund.

“But what is important for me is that we need to see that change in attitude, increased passion and fantastic character and a lot of energy. If the boys can give me that and we lose then we won’t hang our heads in shame. This is a new start for everybody, a new era for South African football.”

Igesund had some words also for the supporters of the national team.

“As for the people back home I just want them to enjoy this match as much as we will. We want to make them proud and show that we really appreciate their support,” he said.

Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy had a full training session after being sidelined on Wednesday by a trouble-some calf muscle strain. He has been cleared to feature in the match.

Bafana Bafana returns home on Sunday morning (9 September) and move to Nelspruit, Mpumalanga where they will play their second international friendly. This time they will be up against Mozambique on Tuesday, 11 September.

SHOCKING details of how a Uitenhage man took his 5-year-old daughter as his girlfriend following the death of her mother emerged in the Port Elizabeth High Court this w

The little girl was badly injured by the sexual attacks.

As the details unfolded in court of the father’s 10-month-long systematic rape of his little daughter, not even the clinical phrases of the court’s judgment could disguise the horror of what his stepmother told the court — he had treated his child like his lover.

Judge Elna Revelas found the 43-year-old man guilty of the multiple rapes of his daughter.

State advocate Joel Sesar asked the court to sentence him to life imprisonment.

The man has a long list of previous convictions – mostly for housebreaking and theft, but also for assault.

The court heard that after the child’s mother died in November 2009, her father started treating her “like his girlfriend”.

The man’s stepmother, who lived on the same property, first raised the alarm about his abuse of the little girl.

She told the court that after his girlfriend died, the man started treating his daughter like his lover.

He isolated the child and shared a bed with her.

He would rape her while her one-year-old brother slept beside her in the bed.

He also expected her to care for the baby boy.

“He would also chastise her for smiling on the street but not at home, obviously suggesting that she was inappropriately flirtatious,” Judge Revelas said in her judgment.

The man, who was aggressive in court, shouting at the police, told the judge during the trial to “lock up his daughter” and not him as she was the one lying.

“He told the court that he would not rape her as he had created her,” Judge Revelas said.

Despite medical evidence that his child was severally injured during the rapes, he insisted she had not been raped.

He accused his stepmother of fabricating evidence against him, saying she wanted him out of the house.

His stepmother told the court she had a very acrimonious relationship with him and had obtained a protection order against him.

A young friend of the five-year-old girl witnessed one of the rapes in August 2010.

Judge Revelas said the child’s stumbling explanation of what had happened could not be used to criticise her as it would have been excruciatingly difficult for a child to explain the sex act to a court filled with policemen.

The friend had later told the police that the man had threatened to kill her – even before she saw the rape.

Four days after her friend witnessed the rape, the five-year-old victim spoke for the first time about what had happened. She was taken to the police and a social worker.

She was admitted to hospital and treated for the severe injuries she sustained during the rapes.

Judge Revelas said despite this, the child had to be pressured to reveal what her father had done to her.

“Under the circumstances, this did not diminish the value of her report,” the judge said.

She said the social worker had told the court that the child took her hand to show her what exactly had been done to her.

Sowetanlive.co.za

Johannesburg – Expelled ANCYL president Julius Malema should not try to ingratiate himself with Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, the union federation said on Thursday.

“The Congress of SA Trade Unions dismisses with contempt the attempt by … Malema to ingratiate himself with the leadership of Cosatu by praising… Vavi,” spokesperson Patrick Craven said.

In an interview with the Mail & Guardian earlier this week, Malema said: “I have nothing against Vavi and will always support and defend him as a brother and comrade… We speak one language with him. He is the only revolutionary remaining in Cosatu.”

Craven rejected this statement.

“This is not only totally untrue, but is also a blatant attempt to create divisions within the revolutionary trade union federation and thus weaken the workers’ shield and protector,” he said.

Malema was responding to Vavi’s criticism of him.

The M&G quoted Vavi as saying: “Suddenly politicians, far removed from the reality workers face… are positioning themselves opportunistically as the champions of the RDOs [rock drill operators].

“Their latest recruit is former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, a wealthy, essentially right-wing leader, who demagogically (sic) exploits any perceived weakness to encourage workers to leave their union, their only means of defence.”

Malema has taken on the cause of protesting workers at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine, in North West, who have been on strike for the past three weeks, demanding a monthly salary of R12,500.

On 16 August, police fired on a group of protesting workers, killing 34 and wounding 78. Another 10 people were killed earlier that week, including two policemen and two security guards.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Dozens of people were displaced, cars were swept away and train services disrupted as stormy weather battered large parts of the country on Thursday.

In Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal, at least 50 people were left homeless when their shacks were destroyed in landslides.

“They are being housed at a nearby community hall and have been supplied with blankets and food parcels,” municipal spokeperson Thabo Mofokeng said in a statement.

Emergency and disaster officials remained on stand-by in areas where residents had been warned of possible floods as torrential rainfall was expected to continue on Friday.

In Johannesburg three vehicles were swept off a bridge on Nancefield Road in Soweto, near the Maponya Hostel. 

Emergency services spokesperson Synock Matobako said no one was injured.

“Residents rushed to the scene and helped out all occupants of the three vehicles,” spokesman Synock Matobako said.

Metrorail services in Gauteng were disrupted, causing major delays.

“Lightning hit a substation at Pinedene station [in Centurion] which has rendered both lines without overhead power,” Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa) spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng.

The outage affected all trains on the Pretoria line to Johannesburg and back.

In Tshwane, the electricity department expressed concern over the city’s high power consumption. The city urged residents to turn off non-essential items during the cold weather.

Motorists across the country were also warned to be careful on the wet and slippery roads.

In Gauteng, thunderstorms and heavy rains on Wednesday night caused flooding in Cleveland, Parktown, on the M1 highway at Smit Street, at Klipspruit Valley Road and New Canada Road in Soweto, Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said.

SAPA