Picture: Former Orlando Pirates FC defender, Lucal Tlhomelang along with Naledi Local Municipality mayor, Cooper Groep/Facebook

By OBAKENG MAJE

Former Orlando Pirates FC defender, Lucas Tlhomelang said, he is adamant that fighting alcohol and drug abuse through sports will have a positive impact. Tlhomelang through his foundation, is expected to host Lucas Tlhomelang Annual Easter Games at Extension 28, in Vryburg on 8 April 2023.

He said the Lucas TIhomelang Easter Games were established in 2014 to pioneer, facilitate, and grow the development of football including providing opportunities to a lot of young people in and around North West, on how they can use football and education to better their lives.

“This will be our 5^th edition of the tournament and it will be held for the first time in Vryburg. This tournament has been revolving in various areas across the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District in previous years.

“Areas such as Mamusa and Greater Taung have benefitted from it. This initiative will benefit young people because it provides life skills training programme to build resilience among youths and address various socio-economic challenges facing them,” he said.

Tlhomelang further said, the foundation also aims to create a platform, where young people can come together to a safer space, which is free of alcohol and drug abuse. He added that, the foundation empowers coaches to be closer to the players as possible so that, they can pick up any social issues that might be challenging the kids as a group or as individuals.

“In this way, coaches become the middleman assisting the Lucas Tlhomelang Foundation to spot kids that might need to be taken to various rehabilitation facilities around the country,” said Tlhomelang.

Meanwhile, the Naledi Local Municipality mayor, Cooper Groep said: “As the municipality, we gave an audience to Tlhomelang, who presented the conceptualisation of the foundation and rallied for support for the upcoming event.

“We need more programmes such as these. This is the selfless kind that keeps kids away from the streets and drugs. According to the foundation, the tournament is driven by the purpose of getting young boys out of the streets. Tlhomelang himself is a recovering addict, however his first love has always been soccer.”

Groep said, having gone through the rough experiences that come with the usage of drugs or substance abuse and sportsmanship, Tlhomelang is now devoted to helping kids live on the straight and narrow, especially those with aspirations of playing sports.

“We are grateful that, the foundation recognises soccer as the most popular and most watched sport worldwide. Football is a sport with prestige and wide reach and is mostly played by kids, especially from poor backgrounds.

“It can change lives for the better. Recently, Tlhomelang has been bestowed with a Lifetime award during the prestigious North West Sport Award, where he was recognised as a Soccer Legend,” said Groep.

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Ka OBAKENG MAJE

Monna wa dingwaga dile 36 o tsatsankilwe ka thipa go fitlhela a tlhokafala kwa tulong e rekisang nnotagi e e bidiwang Refilwe’s Tavern kwa motseng wa Matlapaneng, gaufi le Taung mo letsatsing la Tshipi.

Go begwa fa Letlhogonolo Macdonald Seleke, a ile a rwalelwa kwa kliniking ya selegae ka ditho tsa go tlhabiwa. Go ya ka sebueledi sa sepodisi mo Bokone Bophirima, mokaptein Sam Tselanyane, ba sepodisi ba ile ba bilediwa kwa kliniking ya Matlapaneng ka ura ya 23:30 ko ba fitlhetseng tiragalo eno.

“Modi wa setshosa seno, ga se o itsiwe, mme dipatlisiso tsa sepodisi di tsweletse. Ga gona ope o o tshwerweng go fitlha ga jaana,” Tselanyane wa tlhalosa.

Go begwa fa Seleke a tlhabilwe ke moagi mongwe wa naga ya boagisane ya Lesotho. Go ya ka dipego, monna o, one a thapilwe jaaka modisa ke mongwe wa baagi gone kwa motseng oo.

Kgabagare, leloko la komiti kwa kgorwaneng ya bosupa yo o ikarabelang ka tsa tshireletsego ya baagi ga mmogo le dithithifatsi kwa motseng wa Mokgareng, Mpelegang Magano o ikuela go batho botlhe ba ba thapileng batswa-kwa, go ka ya go ba bega kwa kgosing. Magano are, seno, se tla thusa sepodisi thata go ka batlana le balatofadiwa ba ba tswa-kwa fa ba dirile ditiragalo tsa mohuta o.

“Tiragalo e e diragetseng e, e botlhoko mme ka maswabi ga se ga ntlha  e diragala. Seno ke tlholo-modiro gore baagi ba naga ya boagisane ya Lesotho ba dire diphoso, me fa ba fetsa ba be ba tsena ka lenga la seloko.

“Seno, se dirwa ke gore ga rena maina a bone ka botlalo le gore re tla ba batlela ntlha efe fa ba dirile molato. Jaanong, re ikuela go batho botlhe ba ba thapileng batswa-kwa, go ka ba bega kwa kgosing ya selegae ga mmogo le go tlogela ditokomane tsa bone jaaka lekwalo la mosepele jalo,” Magano wa tlhalosa.

Gape, Magano o ikuetse go basha go ka nna kelo tlhoko ka nako tsotlhe. Magano ar, o ikuela go basha botlhe go ka efoga go ka nna le dikgoga-kgogano fa ba le kwa maitisong ba iphanya ka nnotagi.  

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Picture: Seven suspects, Odiseng Komane, Katlego Tikane, Obakeng Mogabale, Mothusi Motimeng, Ali Sakiele, Ontiretse Gosenyegang and Pretty Masibelele/Facebook  

By OBAKENG MAJE

The arson case against seven accused from Manthe village, near Taung resumes at Taung Magistrate’s Court today. The court will hear from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to either continue with the case or not.

The former soccer star, Odiseng “Teenage” Komane (41), Obakeng “Prosto” Mogabale (46), Mothusi Motimeng, Pretty “Zero” Masibelele (36), Ali Sakiele (50), Ontiretse Patrick Gosenyegang (38) and the former Mega Stars FC goalie, Katlego “Makgasa” Tikane (32) were arrested by the police during an intelligence-driven operation in July 2022. 

In May 2022, the community members embarked on a violent protest and torched three houses and a vehicle belonging to the alleged drug lord, Bakang Katong (34) after accusing him of murder. They also looted Katong’s Disoufeng tavern.   

Bakang, his brother, Phenyo “The Great” Katong (34), Thabang Lenyai (23), and Katlego “Makita” Mosimege (31) allegedly brutally killed Thabiso Mothibedi (35) in cold blood.

The police preliminary investigation revealed that on 29 April 2022, Mothibedi was at Lenganeng village near Taung, and Katong and his cronies allegedly fetched and transported him to Manthe village after accusing him of stealing R20 000 and cigarettes worth R600.

North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said: “We can confirm that the police have arrested seven suspects for arson and they were granted R500 bail each. They are expected to appear in court and investigations into the matter continue.”

Meanwhile, the accused had to acquire the services of the new lawyer, advocate Thabo Letsapa after the arrest and sentencing of their previous lawyer, advocate Tebogo Letloleleng.

Letloleng was arrested for stock theft and sentenced to 20 months in prison. He also has other pending cases in Gauteng. Seven accused are out on R500 bail each.

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