Soccer players honoured during club awards

The Zandspruit-based football outfit, which plays under the Mogale City Local Football Association, hosted its 5th annual sports awards ceremony on 10 December.

Coach Proud Shoko and Dieketseng Makae coordinated the presentation of the awards.

Hard work and dedication paid off to a score of Golden Drifters Football Club Academy players who were honoured for their incredible display during the season.The Zandspruit-based football outfit, which plays under the Mogale City Local Football Association, hosted its 5th annual sports awards ceremony on 10 December.

Golden Drifters FC players and Dieketseng Makae celebrate the achievements at the awards venue.

It was clear that the awards were much anticipated, as the communities of Zandspruit and Cosmo City, including parents of the players, turned up in large numbers at the Good News Convention Centre in Muldersdrift to support this prestigious event.

“The whole event is about the children. We are here to empower them, especially since most hail from the outskirts of Zandspruit, Cosmo City and Muldersdrift. The event is basically to award them for the hard work that they’ve put in this year,” said Proud Shoko, who is the founder and coach of the academy.

The players, who were dressed in their finest suits and casual wear, were rewarded for their outstanding performances in both the leagues and various tournaments.

U/17 player and awardee Siyabong Nkosi thrilled the crowd with his dance moves at the venue.

Shoko indicated that the boys excelled throughout the year, with the U/17s being crowned as champions of the league and other divisions as runners-up.

“The boys did very well this year. Our U/13s and U/15s finished second in the league and our U/17s scooped their league – they are the champions of this year. We also had one boy selected to play for Platinum Stars and another who was chosen to play for Panorama Football Club,” a delighted Shoko explained.

Best Players of the Season, Player’s Player award, Most Improved Player, Top Goal-scorer and Captain of the Season were some of the elite awards presented to players from the U/11s to the U/17s during the event.

A vibrant Ntando Ntwanambi, the captain of the U/11s, was one of the most called-out recipients at the awards, walking away with both the U/11 Best Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Year, an award voted for by the player’s teammates.

Ntando Ntwanambi proudly displays his accolades after the Golden Drifters FC awards. 

Phoko, who facilitated the occasion along with Dieketseng Makae who was the programme director, explained why they will continue hosting these awards despite challenges. “It’s only through this event that we have seen the growth of these young footballers. As an organisation that deals with sports we have managed to change so many children’s lives and transform them into better players using our own limited resources and funds,” he said.

Since Zandspruit, Cosmo City and Muldersdrift are affected by all sorts of socio-economic challenges, Shoko thanked the parents for their unwavering support of their children’s future at the academy.

Uninvited guests spoil birthday party

COSMOCITY – Suspects rob family and friends during birthday party celebrations.

Police spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan says the police are searching for the suspects.
A house party came to an abrupt end in Boskruin on 6 December when two gatecrashers arrived uninvited.

The two alleged robbers entered the home through the back door that was not locked while the complainant was celebrating his birthday with friends.

One of the suspects is said to have had a firearm while the other had a pair of bolt cutters.

According to police spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan, the armed suspect allegedly pointed his gun at the victim and his friends and asked them to keep quiet.

“The gunman took the victim to the bedroom and wanted to know where the safe was. The victim told the gunman he doesn’t have a safe, and he asked for a laptop, and the victim showed him a laptop and he allegedly took it.”


It is reported that the armed suspect then ordered the victim to return to the dining room where everyone was lying on the floor, tied up with shoelaces.

The suspects also covered everyone with a duvet before taking a TV, laptop, six cellphones and jewellery.
On the same night, two suspects allegedly robbed two sisters while they were at home in Cosmo City.

It is claimed the two entered the room the sisters were in, and one of the suspects, who had a firearm, allegedly pointed it at them and demanded money.

The other suspect is said to have taken a cellphone and ran away.

One of the sisters screamed to alert the community and one suspect was caught.

Mega-blitz to make Cosmo beautiful

COSMO CITY – Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo hit the ground running this festive season with planned mega blitz clean-ups around Johannesburg.

This illegal dumping sign has clearly been ignored.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo hit the ground running this festive season with planned mega blitz clean-ups around Johannesburg.

The first clean-up took place in Cosmo City on 13 December.

Dumped rubbish outside the wall of the park.

Johannesburg City Parks regional manager, Puleng Ditabe said, “What happened here today is what we call a ‘mega-blitz’… where we have identified areas in need of conservation efforts.

We have reached peak-season where we are at the top of the rainy season. People are on holiday and need to enjoy the park life.

“This area suffers from a lot of illegal dumping, and many materials that have been dumped are not safe for children. We are also planning to beautify the area by cutting grass and repairing safety fences.”

Approximately 60 City Parks employees, 40 environmental workers, community members and Pikitup employees participated in the mega-blitz to cut grass, prune trees, clear out illegal dumping, and pick up litter. Over 100 indigenous trees were planted in the area during the course of the day.

A Johannesburg City Parks truck brings in indigenous shrubs ready to be planted.

Environmental experts were there to educate the residents and also to give them advice.

Ditabe said, “The primary focus of this education initiative is that people need to learn how to co-habit with the environment.”

A digger waits at the corner of Eritrea and Guinea Streets in Cosmo City to clear dumped rubble in the park.

Areas focused on during the clean-up included:

• The Cosmo City Arboretum in Sierra Leone Drive. Grass was cut, trees pruned and illegally dumped material removed
• Guinea Street. This is one of the worst affected streets often used for illegal dumping. The street is also close to the beautiful Eritrea Park. Rubbish and litter were removed and the area was beautified
• Afghanistan Street. Grass was cut and trees pruned
• Slovenia Road. Wetland maintenance and vegetation control of reeds, litter and debris
• Repair and replacement of broken fences

A vandalised children’s play slide had to be repaired..

As part of its citywide A Re Sebetseng clean-up campaign Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo encouraged all citizens to do their part in keeping the city clean, green and liveable.