Mkoko,who is aformer drugsaddict, said hisplan is to help scores of young people in hiscommunity who mightbeswayed to smoke or usedrugs and to create abetter future forthem
“I grewupinthis area.I wasadrugaddict from 2013 until January 2021,” he nar-
ore than threeyears ago,Inga Mkoko, miraculously surviveda shooting incidentthatclaimedat least 16 lives, in the processhe lost both hislegs. His hands were also paralysed Today, he is abeacon ofhopetomany young peopleinhis community of Lusaka, Nyanga. He is not only running asuccessfulshisanyama, but asoap kitchenfor the ye inspiredbyhis desire to make positive change in his community andtoleave a lastinglegacy.
ry r, ber, he movedtoGauteng.
It was there, in July 2022, when hislife tooka turn forthe worse.
He said whilehaving fun with friends at ataverninSoweto gunmen stormed the establishment and randomly openedfire, killing 16 people. Twomorepeople died in hospital.
By the graceofGod,hesurvivedthe attack, but was left severely injured. As are-
Midwaythrough the year,Mkoko started selling seedlings,gardenequipment and insecticidesinNyanga andthe surroundingareas.“At thattimeIhad amotorised wheelchair.I built asmall trailer whereI carriedmyseedlings,watering cans,rakes andinsecticides. Itravelled from my area to Gugulethu Mall andJunxionMall in Philippi to sell my merchandise.
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Clientsd better
andelectricity.Asa result we struggle to survive withoutpower supply.Every South African wants Eskom to function However, the parastatalisstruggling to keepupwith all ourdemands. They dictate ourpower supply andare quicktoask the NationalEnergyRegulator of South Africa (Nersa)for priceincreases. They recently pushed up their tariffsby8,76% andwill be seeking another adjustment in the near future.
Yes, everyoneunderstandsthatpricesgo up regularly andcompanieshavethe right to increase them. This though should not be to the detrimentofthe public. In fact, price increasesshould be attachedtothe kind of serviceaparticular business renders.Eskom’s serviceissimply notthe best.Yes,theyhavemanaged to stopload shedding, buttheir serviceremainsquestionable, particularly fixingpower outages andtheir turnaroundtime. My house recently went overaweekwithoutpower despite numerous calls andtwo reference numbers to have the matter resolved. Life hadtocontinuefor us as consumers withoutelectricity.Whatismoreupsetting about their serviceisthatyou hardly speak to anyonewhenyou phone them. Alfred is their go to person,but he is notthe solution to ourproblems.FromSunday 29 Marchuntil Thursday 9April,myhouse was in the dark. Iwas left frustrated and angry, yetI could do nothing about it. As customersweshould notbeexposed to this kind of nonsense.However, because Eskom is in control of ourelectrical supply there is nothing we cando. We must settle for their poorservice. Perhapsitistime power supply is privatised andmorecompetition is created in the country.
Sizakuphinda siwathembe njanilamapolisa ke ngoku xa ngaba nawo ekwazizo nezikrelemnqa.
Ithilonto akukho mthethokweli lizwe xa kunjalo.
Aphinde kwawona amapolisaakhale xa ngaba abantu bethathela umthetho ezandleni zabo.
Enyaniswenisisenjeni kweli lizwe
UNATHIOBOSE
Thembukhwezi residents, Khayelitsha,wereleft perplexed by thediscovery of thebody of anewborn dumped in ashipping container along JaphtaK MasemolaRoadonMonday20April.
One resident who wasatthe scene,and preferred to remain anonymous, described theincident as shocking. She said thenewborn appeared to be fully developed.
“I suspect that themothergavebirth to thechild andkilledthe baby.I’m not sureabout thegender, but thebabywas fully formed.”
Theresident said thereisnoreasonfor amotherto kill or abandontheir baby fortheyhad other options, such as taking them to asocial worker Ward 18 councillorNtomboxolo Kopman described theincident as terrible.
“Itwas discoveredbycleanersonMondaymorning.
Thefaceappeared to have been bittenbyrats. Iinformed communitymembers living nearby to report anythingsuspicious to the police. ” Khayelitsha policespokesperson SgtAsanda Daweti confirmed theincident.“Amurder case has been registered. No arrestshavebeen made yet.
Councillorcondemns vigilantism
UNATHIOBOSE
Ward 108 councillor Nkosiphendule Lombi has urged the community not to take the law into theirown hands, warning that such actions could leadtodisorder and violence.
Lombi made the remarks following allegations that angry Shukushukuma shack dwellers attacked asuspected criminaland attempted to set him alight. The man survived the incidentand was takentohospital for treatment. It is alleged that two men had robbed awoman of her phone and tried to flee.
Communitymembersreportedly caughtone ofthe suspects, assaulted him,and laterattempted to burn him.
Lombidescribedthe incident as “terrible” and acknowledgedthat crimeremains aserious issue in thearea. “Regardless of whatthe suspectdid,we do notcondone peopletaking thelaw into their own hands. But, we want the lawto take its course against anyone who breaks it,”saidLombi. He also urgedresidents to work closelywith thepolice.
the incident, stating thatMfuleni detectives areinvestigating acase of attempted murder following the incident, which occurred in Shukushukuma, behind Shoprite in Mfuleni, on Wednesday night (15 April)
Gwala said officers responded to reports andfound an adultman covered with ablack plasticbag. “Hehad multipleassault wounds on his body.Hewas transported to amedical facility fortreatment. The circumstances surrounding the incident areunder investigation, and no arrests have been made yet,”she said.
ManshotdeadnearspazashopinKhayelitsha
UNATHIOBOSE
Lingelethu West police have opened amurder case after an unidentified man was shot and killed near aspaza shop in Ilitha Park, on Thursday 16 April. No arrests have been made and thecircumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Streetatabout 09:00. “Upon arrival, they foundthe body of an unidentifiedman with gunshot wounds.
Hewas declared dead at the scene,”
she said
Alocal resident,who asked notto be named forfearofharassment, said he believedthe attackers may have known the victim.
“AccordingtoaSomalishop owner,the deceased wasbuying something when the assailants attacked him. Theyshothim severaltimes
andfledthe scene. They didnot take his carorwallet, which makes me think they knew him,”hesaid.
Theresidentfurther speculated thatthe victim couldhavebeen linked to extortion in the area.“I don’tthink it wasa robbery. He mighthavebeen oneofthe extortionists, possibly collecting money from the shop,” he said.
Anyone with informationisurged to contact Crime Stopon08600 10111 or report anonymouslyvia the MySAPSapp.
Operators welcome newleaders
UNATHIOBOSE
Membersofthe South AfricanNationalTaxi Council(Santaco) in the Western Capewelcomed their newly elected leadership at MewWay Hall in Khayelitsha on Wednesday15April
Theleadership was elected duringathree-day conference heldatHouwHoekHotel in Grabouw, from Tuesday7 until Thursday9April
Representatives from all eight regions affiliatedwith the council attendedthe gathering Speaker afterspeakeremphasised the importance of fosteringastrongworking relationshipwithin the council, highlighting thatmaintaining peaceremained atop priority.
OutgoingSantaco Western Capechair Mandla Hermanus said its core mes-
Hermanusadded thatachievingpeace withinthe organisation earned respectfromthe government, the business community andbroader public.He alsoraised concerns about instability in the taxi industry, mentioning the CapeOrganisation of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) andthe Cape AmalgamatedTaxi Association (Cata)
“Whatpuzzles me is that when there arebusinessopportunities there is no conflict; instead there is cooperation Whycan’t we extend thatsame working relationship to ouroperations? We need thatsame business mindset.”
Newly-elected Santaco WesternCapechair Besuthu Ndungani acknowledged thattaxi violence remained achallenge in the industry.However, he cautioned against making un-
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People gottoknowmeand I built acustomerbase.”
In December2024, hisseedlings supplier closeddown, forcing him to rethinkhis business
“Because Ihad saved some money from my business Idecided to start a shisanyama,” he said.“Iboughtmeatand a braai stand andstartedselling Since then, Ihaven’t looked back. Isell pork, sausagesand rolls,and people aresupporting me.”
Sincehestartedthe business he said many people,especially children, would come andask forfood.
In Januarythisyearhedecided to start asoup kitchen, cooking for the community every Wednesday. “WhenI started Iexpectedfewer than50children.Tomysurprise Icooked for 76 on the firstday.The following week there were more than 100, andthe numberhas
sincestayed above 100. “That’s when Irealisedthe extent of the challenges in ourcommunities, what with much unemployment.”
He alsogives foodtopeople whocollectscrap in the area
Mkoko hopes to grow the soup kitchenand eventually provide meals daily. “Thisis howI give backtothe community. Idid alot of wrong things when Iwas on drugs.I don’t wantthese children, especially young boys, to make the same mistakes.SometimesIhaveinformaldiscussions with them about life in general.”
Most of the people whocome to hissoup kitchenare children aged two to 18. Mkoko said the lackofresourcesintownshipsmeans many young people have too much free time andtoo fewopportunities.“AllI need nowis support to grow the soup kitchen.”
Luukhanyo finds hisbig stage
KA
ALuu fu into and Mar borders, bo But his na Th he “This for know from annually th of He been “Music healing. coming we are we Marasha ot ba makes “T people
spearetothe Baxter Theatre from Wednesday 6toSaturday 23 May.
What makes thisfestival stand out is itsfresh approach to Shakespeare, where learners, many of them performing on aprofessional stage for thefirst time, take on fulllength plays and rework them into sharp, high-energy 30 to 45-minute productions.
This year’s Cape Town leg willfeature 42 schools, each bringing their own interpretation, style and voice to the stage.
From classic tragedies to crowd-pleasing comedies, no two performances are the same.The festival creates a space whereyoung people can experiment, collaborate and tell stories in ways that feel authentic to them.
The SSFSA ethos has always centred on accessibility, inclusivityand diversity. This year’s programme reflectsthat commitment, bringing together adynamic mix of returning participants and new voices.
Among the newcomers are theItalian school, SocietàDante Alighieri, which presents Romeoand Juliet in Italian,
that celebrates awide range of talents,perspectives and experiences.
Patrons can expect bold choices, unexpected twistsand plenty of creative risk-taking. Whether it’samodern spin on Romeoand Juliet or avisually striking take on Macbeth, theseproductions prove that Shakespeare is anything but outdated.
Beyond the stage, the festival also supportsschools through Master Classes and workshops, and by providing resources and guidance from theatreprofessionals, helping learners build skills that extend far beyond performance. Confidence, teamwork, and creative thinking are all part of the journey.
Sixteen years in, the Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa continues to grow as aplatform for expression, connection and creativity. It’snot just about performing Shakespeare, it’sabout owning it,reshaping it and making it speak to anew generation. Performances at the Baxter Theatre run Monday to Saturday and start at 19:00. Tickets available via Webtickets.
LalelainA Midsummer Night’sDream at the SSFSA last year
PHOTO:LIAM HAMER-NEL
FalseBaydemolishVDEintryfest
The second roundofclub rugby matches in SuperLeague Awillberemembered for the cricket score False Bay stacked up against Van der Stel-Evergreens (VDE) in Stellenbosch. FalseBay gaveVDE arugby lesson by beatingthem111-0 and it was acase of kick-off, three passes anda try under the poles.
Given the circumstances VDEfinds themselves currently in,after playingthe first time in Super League Alast year, this will be thetrend for the restofthe season. With an average age of 23 years combined in the thirds, seconds and firsts, it is a giventhey will probably drop to Super League Basone of thefour teams next year.
They finished seventh on the log last year and everyone was looking forward to what they will bring to the party this year. VDE’srecord will show howthey started in 2017 withthe amalgamationbetween Evergreens from Vlottenburg and a dormant Van der Stel who played inthe Grand Challenge and progressing from the Northern League in 2022 to Super League Alas year.VDE is the second team after St Georges, currently playing in Super League B, to achieve this.
The players who brought VDE to Super League Awere discarded lastyearand replaced by 45 mercenaries who werecontracted. This year the originals preferred to play in the regions, theirold clubsorin Boland.
At the beginning of the seasonnot only did the previous executive committee leave the club, the first teamcoaches,the mercenaries and the bulk ofthe players left the club for greener pastures aswell. The club consisted then of only the u-20s from last year and afew senior players. To add insult to injury the remaining two
seniorcoaches resigned three days before the firstleaguegame against Franschhoek on Saturday11April. The club hasto rebuild from scratch andfrom the retired ex-playersfrom 2023 and 2024 are now comingbacktohelpVDE to fulfil their current league commitments. The match was also marredwith ared card issued to each team, two yellow cards which are an automatic red card for VDE for adeliberate knockdown when an interception went wrong, aretaliation,and astraight redfor theplayer of False Bay who threw the first punch.
In othermatchesinSuper LeagueA
Hamiltonsoverpowered Franschhoek by 59-8, Kuils Riverand Tygerberg scored the same points overBrackenfell and UWC respectively with winsof20-16, Maties sent Primrose packing 34-12 and Durbell was victorious by 32-20 over Helderberg. Hamiltonsare the log leaders.
In SuperLeague BHamediehs and Goodwood drew 26-26 andAll Saints showed whythey arethe log leaders by beating St Georges 24-9.
In SuperLeague CPniel-Villagers scored themostpoints by beating Strand United 41-5and are the logleaders. Busy Bee had to pull out all thestops to narrowly beat
Sir Lowrians 31-29.
Otherresults: Super LeagueB: Vineyards 19 Macassar 24 Young Peoples 21 Bellville 35 Collegians 31 Violets 18
Seth Worship of Caledonian Roses puts in a diving tackle on Abdul Aziz Abrahams of Surrey Estate Rangers during a WPRU Super C League game played at the Noll Dawid Sports Ground in Athlone Rangers won the much-anticipated derby between the neighbours by 36-22 PHOTO: RASHIED ISAACS
