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With only four weeks to go before the crucial local government elections on 4 November, an ANC branch in Nkowankowa, outside Tzaneen, has accused its ward councillor candidate of being a perpetrator of gender-based violence (GBV) who has repeatedly found himself on the wrong side of the law. The objection comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa officially declared gender-based violence and femicide a national crisis on 20 November 2025. GBV allegations hang over ANC candidate An ANC member from the John Langalibalele Dube Branch, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said: “My decision not to support or accept leadership from this particular person is not based on personal dislike, but on legitimate concerns about leadership capacity, accountability, conduct, credibility and the trust of the community. “The branch has a reputation for producing some of the famous names in Limpopo’s political history. It has produced names such as former Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana and former Limpopo ANC provincial chairperson and premier Cassel Mathale. “Firstly, during the community meeting where candidates were expected to present themselves and explain why the community should elect them, the candidate, Jeffrey Ndou, did not impress at all. I was personally concerned by his failure to make a proper and convincing presentation to the people,” the source said. “A person seeking a position of public leadership should be able to clearly articulate their vision, demonstrate an understanding of the community’s challenges, and explain how they intend to serve and represent the people.” ‘Criminal record should not be ignored’ The source, an ANC member who also serves on the ward committee, said leadership requires more than simply being nominated. “It requires the ability to communicate flawlessly, account and inspire confidence.” The ANC member said the charges of domestic violence against Ndou also make him a poor candidate. “Secondly, there are serious concerns regarding his criminal record for domestic violence involving his partner. This is not something I believe should simply be ignored when assessing a person’s suitability for a position that carries responsibility for serving and representing the community. “A councillor must be someone whose conduct can withstand public scrutiny and who understands the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with the community’s interests,” the source said. Another branch member, who also asked to remain anonymous, questioned Ndou’s political history. “We have since established that Tatana Ndou has been associated with another political party during the 2024 national and provincial elections. I believe the community is entitled to clarification on such matters when choosing someone to represent them politically. Allegations or claims about political affiliation should, of course, be verified rather than treated as established fact because these are legitimate matters that seek genuine transparency and accountability,” the source said. Assault cases Limpopo police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malesela Ledwaba provided details of the assault cases Ndou has faced. “The three cases you are inquiring about were opened between 2008 and 2021 and were dealt with as follows: The case opened in 2008 was assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The accused was found guilty by the court and sentenced to 90 days or R1 000 fine. The other two cases of assault, common and domestic-related, were opened against the accused between 2019 and 2021, and they were later withdrawn.” Ndou defends himself Ndou confirmed that he “was once found on the wrong side of the law”. “I also confirm that the case which was withdrawn was simply because there was no case,” Ndou told The Citizen on Friday. He said it came after an incident where he had received news that his daughter, who lives with her mother, had not come home the previous night. He said tensions rose after he was told his daughter failed to come back home after going missing with a relative. “The next thing, I received a call from the police, who told me about a case of assault commonly opened against me. But when I started to explain what happened, that there was no case, [the police] withdrew the case after thorough investigations.” Ndou said he is innocent and qualified to lead the ward as a councillor. “I am also a community activists, and an active member of the South African Policing Forum in Nkowankowa. In the community, we fight drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, house robberies and many other delinquencies committed by youth. “I believe I have what it takes to lead this community because the Ndou that I am, can never hurt even a fly,” he said. ANC Norman Mashabane Region spokesperson Peter Ngobeni said Ndou was vetted and no issues came up. “We wish to indicate that the candidate went through all the laborious candidate selection processes to the latter. The information at the disposal of the ANC is that the candidate in question was vetted. He further met the minimum requirements in terms of qualifications. Anyone with different information must make it available to the regional interviews and vetting panel or provincial list committee,” he said.

Springbok star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu looked close to his best as put in a man-of-the-match performance and helped guide the Stormers to a 39-22 win over the Sharks in their United Rugby Championship (URC) coastal derby at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has struggled to find his best form since returning from a high ankle syndesmosis injury suffered playing for the Stormers in their URC quarterfinal win over Cardiff last season. He returned to action for the Boks against Argentina in August and went onto play a further five straight games for the national team, including starting all four of their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry matches against the All Blacks, while he came off the bench against Australia Down Under last month. Although he didn’t play badly, most of his performances were mixed, with him showing flashes of his brilliance, while also making a number of uncharacteristic errors. In his first game for the Stormers this season, a huge coastal derby against the Sharks, Feinberg-Mngomezulu looked in the best touch he has been since his return, pulling the strings from flyhalf, and deservedly picked up the man-of-the-match award, ahead of his teammate Hacjivah Dayimani, who also had a superb game. In an on-field interview after the match Feinberg-Mngomezulu was asked about his team’s performance and about the recent criticism he has come in for. That was good “That was good. They gave us a tough time last season (when the Sharks won both URC coastal derbies). We had 45,000 odd (fans) here. So it’s a special home ground that we have got here and I am very happy that we got the result,” said Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “I just play for my team. There is endless motivation (to do that). People outside of our circles, the Springboks and Stormers, will always have an opinion and we enjoy that. But it’s just about staying low for me.” The star flyhalf went on to praise the cracking atmosphere made by a close to capacity crowd at the Cape Town Stadium. “It’s special to be back in Cape Town (with the Stormers). They (the fans) stay loud throughout the game. We last played here before the (URC) semis (last season), and I forgot a bit what it is like (playing in front of a full house), because it was a while ago. So it was great.” A strong win over their big coastal rivals was the perfect response for the Stormers after their loss to Edinburgh in Scotland last weekend, and sets them up well for their opening Champions Cup clash of the season against Bristol Bears at home next weekend.

The All Blacks beat Australia in the first of two Bledisloe Cup Tests at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday. New Zealand won 50-19 after leading 17-14 at half-time. The second Bledisloe Cup match will take place in Sydney next weekend. READ | All Blacks pay heavy price for Bledisloe Cup win Springboks still No 1 However, New Zealand’s impressive win was not enough to see them overtake the Springboks at the summit of the World Rugby rankings. The win saw the Kiwis add 0.66 World Rugby ranking points, while the Wallabies lost an equivalent amount. New Zealand moved to 91.81 points, 1.28 behind the Springboks. Meanwhile, despite their heavy defeat, Australia remained in sixth place on 84.89 points. RankTeamPoints1South Africa93.092New Zealand91.813Ireland88.084France87.435England85.686Australia84.897Scotland84.788Argentina82.249Japan77.2810Fiji76.8111Wales76.3812Italy76.3013Georgia73.9414Portugal69.3915USA67.5816Chile66.9417Spain66.8318Uruguay65.7519Tonga65.1420Samoa64.73 Teams New Zealand 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Peter Lakai, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor (captain), 1 Ethan De Groot Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 George Bower, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Shannon Frizell, 20 Anton Segner, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Rieko Ioane, 13 Josh Moorby Australia 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Isaac Henry, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Ryan Lonergan, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Jeremy Williams, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Angus Bell Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Massimo De Lutiis, 19 Lachlan Shaw, 20 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Declan Meredith, 23 Harry Potter

A nine-year-old boy has died after being discovered underwater at Kleinmond Main Beach Lagoon in the Western Cape on Saturday, 10 October. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Kleinmond duty crew was activated at 15:12 following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress. Visiting the beach According to NSRI Kleinmond station commander Schalk Boonzaaier, the child had been visiting the beach with his family when the incident occurred. Bystanders were already attempting to recover the boy from the water when emergency responders arrived. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started by bystanders, including a clinical practitioner. NSRI rescue swimmers and medics responded alongside the Critical Care Medical ambulance service, ER24, Overstrand Fire and Rescue Service and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Extensive efforts to save boy NSRI medics continued CPR after arriving at the scene, with paramedics joining the resuscitation efforts. Despite extensive attempts to save the child’s life, he was declared deceased by paramedics after all efforts to resuscitate him had been exhausted. His body was handed over to the police and the Government Health Forensic Pathology Service. Police are providing support to the child’s family following the tragedy. Police open inquest SAPS has opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding the drowning. The NSRI has conveyed its condolences to the family of the deceased boy. The incident serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with water, particularly at beaches and lagoons where conditions can change unexpectedly. The circumstances surrounding the incident have not yet been established. ALSO READ | Graham Howes’ legacy lives on through new NSRI rescue vessel

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