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Fans Will Not Be Able To Watch Sports Live Till At Least March 2021

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-

Fans may not to be able to return to watch live sporting events in England until the end of March at the earliest.

At a meeting on Tuesday, sports governing bodies – including those from football, rugby, cricket, Formula 1 and horse racing – were told to prepare for no spectators throughout the winter.

Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told the meeting, which was attended by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, that the ban on fans will be kept under review.

Premiership Rugby chief executive Darren Childs said: “The announcement that supporters will not be allowed into stadiums for up to six months cuts off crucial revenue for clubs who have already suffered significant financial losses from suspending the season and playing matches behind closed doors since March.

“We believe the lack of supporters in our grounds could cause irreparable damage to our clubs and the communities they serve, so we must find a way forward to avoid this.”

Ralph Rimmer, the chief executive of the Rugby Football League (RFL), added: “Today’s call specifically focused on the postponement of the pilot event programme and the plans for socially distanced crowds and the further serious impact this will now have on sports.

“The secretary of state indicated that the postponement may last throughout the winter. The impact on rugby league and other sports is profound.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined a range of new restrictions for the country, including confirmation that plans to allow fans to return to sport from 1 October would not go ahead.

The plans had been placed under review earlier this month after a rise in coronavirus cases.

The UK’s Covid-19 alert level has moved to 4, meaning transmission is “high or rising exponentially”.

The prime minister also said restrictions are likely to remain in place for the next six months.

“We have to acknowledge the spread of the virus is now affecting our ability to reopen large sporting events,” said the prime minister.

‘Delayed return of fans is devastating for clubs, their employees and local businesses’

Premier League clubs consider alternatives after proposed return of fans scrapped

In an address to the Commons on Tuesday, Johnson announced new restrictions for the country and those included the halting of the phased return of fans.

“We will not be able to do this from 1 October and I recognise the implications for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities,” he added.

“The chancellor and the culture secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.”

The pilot programme, which was to trial events of up to 1,000 spectators, has also been paused.

Two Premiership rugby union matches – Bath v Gloucester on Tuesday and Bristol v Leicester next week – will now be played behind closed doors, as will a horse racing meeting at Newmarket later this week.

The majority of sports in England have been played behind closed doors since the coronavirus lockdown in March, including Premier League football fixtures and the FA Cup final, England’s Test cricket matches and two Formula 1 races at Silverstone.

Sport events that took place with full crowds in March shortly before all fixtures were postponed and the UK locked down have come under scrutiny.

The impact of Liverpool’s Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid on the spread of coronavirus is being investigated by the city’s council, while there have also been calls for an investigation into whether horse racing’s Cheltenham Festival should have gone ahead.

The government defended its decision to allow such events to proceed before restrictions on mass gatherings were introduced.

“People look back now at the beginning of the pandemic at some of the major sporting events then and ask the question why were they allowed to go ahead,” said Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove on BBC Breakfast earlier on Tuesday.

“What we must do is look at sporting events now with caution but we also recognise that sport is a vital part of this nation and we’re looking at everything we can do to support our athletes, our great clubs, through what will be a challenging time.”

Julian Knight, the chair of the DCMS select committee, said: “If we don’t find a route map with smart solutions to allow sports and live events to gradually reopen, we risk decimation of our sporting and cultural infrastructure.”

The leaders of more than 100 sports bodies have written to the prime minister to ask for emergency funding, warning of “a lost generation of activity” because of coronavirus.

Sport England has handed out £200m for emergency cases, but many in the sector believe more is needed.

Earlier this month, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told BBC Sport it was “absolutely critical” fans were allowed back inside stadiums as soon as possible and failure to do so would cost clubs £700m during the 2020-21 season.

English Football League (EFL) clubs lost £50m in gate receipts last season and estimate a £200m loss if there are no fans this season.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) said no spectators at the forthcoming Autumn Nations Cup or Six Nations will result in losses of £60m.

RFL chief executive Rimmer urged the government not to delay the return of crowds, with clubs facing a potential impact on revenues of “up to £2m per week”.

At the end of August, 2,500 people watched a friendly between Brighton and Chelsea at the Seagulls’ Amex Stadium – the first time fans had been allowed into a Premier League ground for almost six months.

About 300 spectators were allowed to watch last month’s World Snooker Championship final between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Kyren Wilson at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, but original plans to admit fans for all days of the tournament were reversed.

Arsenal’s 9-1 victory over West Ham in the Women’s Super League on 12 September saw up to 1,000 fans attend.

More than 2,500 spectators bought tickets for the first day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster on 9 September, the first crowd at a British horse racing fixture in six months – but the rest of the meeting was then held behind closed doors.

Also on Tuesday, it was confirmed that indoor recreational team sports such as netball, basketball and five-a-side football will not be able to continue under the new restrictions, which limit numbers taking part to six.

Larger fitness classes will be permitted, as long as they are organised so those taking part do not mix in groups of more than six.

Elite indoor sports are exempt, as are indoor sports played by children.

 

BBC

CBN Prepares For Recession, Reduces Benchmark Lending Rate To 11.5%

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
CBN Prepares For Recession, Reduces Benchmark Lending Rate To 11.5%

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Tuesday reduced the Monetary Policy Rate by 100 basis points from 12.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent after its two-day Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja.

The 10 members of the committee who were in attendance voted to retain the Cash Reserve Ratio and Liquidity Ratio at 27.5 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

The MPC adjusted the asymmetric corridor from +200/-500 basis points to +100/-700 basis points around the MPR.

The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed these while presenting the communiqué after the meeting.

He said, “At present, fiscal policy is constrained and so cannot, on its own, lift the economy out of contraction or recession given the paucity of funds arising from weak revenue base, current low crude oil prices, lack of fiscal buffers and high burden of debt services.”

He said the committee expressed deep concern on the continued uptick in inflation for the twelfth consecutive month as headline inflation (year-on-year) rose to13.22 per cent in August from 12.82 per cent in July 2020.

“The increase in headline inflation was largely driven by the persistent increase in the food component, which rose to16 per cent in August 2020 from 15.48 per cent in July2020,” he said.

Emefiele said the committee stressed the urgent need for a combination of broad-based monetary and fiscal policy measures to curb the rise in inflation and contraction in output growth.

Explaining further, he said, “In the light of this, reducing MPR will signal to the Deposit Money Banks to lend more to stimulate growth, increase aggregate supply, which should dampen prices in the immediate term.”

Emefiele said, “The MPC was, at this meeting, confronted by policy dilemma.

“Whereas MPC believes in the primacy of its price and monetary stability mandate, it nevertheless was confronted with what policy direction to focus on, given the contraction in output growth during the second quarter of 2020, which may lead to a recession, if the third quarter of 2020 output growth numbers further show a contraction.

“It is, therefore, of the view that, if a recession occurs in Q3, the committee would be confronted with proposing policy options in a period of stagflation.”

“The committee also noted the rising public debt profile and urged the fiscal authority to strengthen its debt management strategy, explore other sources of revenue, as well as enhance efficiency in public expenditure,” he added.

Financial experts, however, differ on the reduction in the MPR.

The Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Muda Yusuf, said, “The adjustment of the MPR by 100 basis points from 12.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent by the MPC was a surprise.

“My expectation was that the status quo would be maintained.

“Rates were already generally low in the money market.  In fact, concerns were being expressed about the fact the real savings and deposits rate were negative.

“But, I do not believe it would have any material impact on lending rates.”

A former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Dr Sam Nzekwe, praised the CBN for the reduction in the lending rate.

He said, “That is a good development and it shows they are beginning to listen to what we are saying because some of us have always said the interest rates should come down.”

Professor of capital market, Nasarawa State University, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, said, “I expected the MPC to maintain the status quo, to hold the rates because of the spike in inflation that we witnessed last month.”

He added that the inflationary pressure and the pump price of fuel which was recently increased would exert more pressure on inflation.

OPC: We Have Arrested Suspected Terrorists, Kidnappers In Oyo Park

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
OPC: We Have Arrested Suspected Terrorists, Kidnappers In Oyo Park

The Oodua People’s Congress said its members have arrested four suspected terrorists and kidnappers at the Old Oyo National Park.

The Coordinator of OPC in Oyo State,  Rotimi Olumo,  who said this in an interview with our correspondent in Ibadan on Monday, added that four AK-47 rifles were recovered from the suspects.

Olumo said the suspected terrorists had been handed over to the Police Area Commander in Igbeti.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, gave the confirmation  in a text message to respond to  the inquiry of our correspondent.

The.message read, “On September 20, 2020, around 7pm, a combined team of the police and vigilante groups encountered bandits in the forest in the Igbeti Kisi areas in their hideout and three suspects were arrested while some escaped with bullets wounds.”

The PPRO added that Special Anti Robbery Squad was investigating the case.

The PPRO added that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad was investigating the case.

Edo Election: APC Leaders Meet Buhari As Obasanjo, Others Hail Poll

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Edo Election: APC Leaders Meet Buhari As Obasanjo, Others Hail Poll
President Muhammadu Buhari

Following the defeat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Edo State Governorship Election on Saturday, the Chairman of the APC National Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, and Chairman of the Edo State Governorship Election Campaign Council, Abdullahi Ganduje, met with President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

While the APC stalwarts met with the President, more reactions greeted the governorship polls, most of them hailing the victory of the incumbent Governor of the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki. The comments came from a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and a former Governor of Kano State, Musa Kwankwaso

The meeting with Buhari held behind closed doors and journalists, who waited to hear from the APC top brass the reasons for and the outcome of their meeting were disappointed as the party chiefs departed the Villa via another route, ostensibly to avoid reporters.

Obasanjo, in his reaction, urged Obaseki to be magnanimous in victory in the interest of the state and country.

He said the governor’s success was a proof that the people of the state valued his leadership and appreciated the efforts made on their behalf.

“I salute you and all those who worked for your re-election,” Obasanjo stated in a congratulatory letter, a copy of which was made available, yesterday, to newsmen by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.

He added, “I urge you, therefore, to reciprocate their trust by doing everything you can to strengthen their faith in democracy and in its ability to bring about improved material conditions and better service delivery. I also count on your support of well-meaning Nigerians like me in our quest for national peace, stability and economic development and trust that you will play an active and visible role in our pursuit of these noble and desirable objectives.”

Kwankwaso, in a statement by his Principal Private Secretary, Muhammad Ali, congratulated the Edo people for their “foresight in re-electing their hardworking and effective governor.”

On the conduct of the election, he said the advisory of United States and United Kingdom to election riggers and promoters of election violence was very effective.

He added that the party’s victory was facilitated by the outstanding commitment, resilience, courage and the doggedness of the Chairman of its Campaign Council, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

AS Nigerians hail the election, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has dismissed reports that he rejected the outcome of the election.

In a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku, Uzodimma, also dismissed an allegation that he spent N3 billion to support the campaign of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

The statement read: “There is fake report trending on the social media, which claims that Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has rejected the recently announced Edo State Governorship Election result.

“There are yet others where the writers in their imagination are feeding the public with questionable amount of money the governor allegedly spent on the election in Edo.

“In one of the reports, it was claimed Governor Uzodimma spent N3 billion, while a fake Reuters report claims that he spent $5 million on Edo governorship election.”

According to Uzodimma, the election provided an opportunity for his opponents to peddle lies against him.
Uzodimma said he was only the chairman of the campaign council.

MEANWHILE, as all sides to the governorship election, including INEC, political parties and other stakeholders engage in a post mortem of the exercise, the APC has started agonizing its sacking from the entire South-South geopolitical zone.

The APC Governorship Campaign Council, headed by Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, did not release any statement as its immediate reaction to the stunning defeat.

But speaking on a television programme yesterday, a prominent member of the campaign council traced the party’s loss to unexpected developments in the country, particularly in Edo State days to the election.

Governor El Rufai of Kaduna State, who alluded to an opinion poll that predicted victory for his party, maintained that voters changed their minds less than 21 days to the election.

While remarking that it was not in the character of President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy the famed ‘federal might’ to steal elections for his party, the Kaduna State governor denied any extraneous influence on the outcome of the poll.

He stated: “Three weeks ago, the polls clearly showed the APC was going to win. But the results came out differently from what we expected. The election was decent. We were worried about violence, but there was none at all.”

Extolling the benefits of bi-partisan democratic elections, El Rufai affirmed that going to election presents two options, win or lose, stressing: “Obaseki has won and that is it. You have to go into elections knowing you can lose.”

Checks by The Guardian revealed that internal misgivings within the APC campaign council, particularly the video message by one of the party’s national leaders, who is not a member of the campaign council few days to the election, has been blamed for the huge loss.

A chieftain of the party confided in The Guardian that the video clip and apprehension by APC governors that the immediate past national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, could use the victory to enhance his plot to return to office did the damage.

The chieftain said: “With due respect, how would anybody contemplate airing such video message after our rivals are accusing us of godfatherism? Somebody wanted to claim credit for victory and ended up causing division. None of our governors agreed to show up for the grand finale of the campaign or even release funds for logistic support.”

The chieftain noted that unlike four years ago, APC did not go into the election battle as a united family, remarking that the various factions and interests in the party worked at across purposes.

But dismissing insinuations that Oshiomhole was staging a comeback plot for the office of national chairman, co-convener of Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), Henry Idahagbon, told The Guardian the former chairman had returned to the state to enjoy his retirement.

Idahagbon, who is a former Attorney General of Edo State, said that those who blame APC’s defeat on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s contribution to the campaign effort were being mischievous.

A rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), blamed APC’s loss on the international entry visa denial or threat of same by the United States and United Kingdom.

In a statement signed by its Chairman of Board, Emeka Umeagbalasi, and Chinwe Umeche, Intersociety stated: “In the Edo State governorship polls, the hands of the ‘polls rigging doyens’ were tied, especially when their attempts to use compromised and asymmetrically composed security agencies in the country to intimidate and scare away ‘independent voters’ failed woefully.

“With US and UK entry visa ban starring on their faces like ‘Trojan Virus’, they were forced to yield and in the end, it was 307, 995 ‘living votes’ for Godwin Obaseki and 223,619 votes for Osagie Ize-Iyamu.”

Ex-Defence Minister, Ba N’Daou, Named Mali Transition President

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Ex-Defence Minister, Ba N’Daou, Named Mali Transition President

Former Mali Defence Minister and retired colonel, Ba N’Daou, was named interim President on Monday while leader of the junta that seized power last month was appointed Vice President, the country’s local media reported.

According to a roadmap backed by the junta, the new President is meant to lead the country for several months before staging elections and returning Mali to civilian rule.

Colonel Assimi Goita, the junta leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) which overthrew Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was appointed vice presidentReuters

Mali’s ruling junta has come under intense pressure from its West African neighbours to return power to civilians following the August 18 coup that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Last week, West African leaders insisted that the interim President must be a civilian, while signalling they would accept a soldier as Vice President.

N’Daou and Goita were appointed by a group electors chosen by the junta.

Accident Investigation Bureau Releases Report On Lagos Helicopter Crash

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
Accident Investigation Bureau Releases Report On Lagos Helicopter Crash

The Accident Investigation Bureau has released a preliminary report on a helicopter crash that occurred at the Opebi area of Lagos State on August 28, 2020.

The accident involved a Bell 206B III helicopter with nationality and registration marks 5N-BQW operated by Quorum Aviation Limited.

The report revealed that the helicopter had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness as the pilot’s last medical examination was valid till the 6th of August 2020.

It also said that there was no evidence to show that an application for the exemption provided by the All Operators’ Letter AOL DG020/20 had been submitted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The report also revealed that the chopper had no capacity to jettison fuel.

Part of the report read, “The helicopter was topped to full tank capacity on August 27th, 2020. After refuelling, 10 minutes of engine run and 20 minutes of test flight were carried out on August,  27th 2020 at Port Harcourt.

“The operational flight plan filed by the pilot indicated an endurance of 3:15 h and an estimated flight time of 2:45 h. The helicopter engine was started at 09:15 h. The helicopter took off at 09:20 h. The helicopter crashed at 12:14 h.

“There was no fuel left in the fuel tanks after the crash. The mast and main rotor blades were found intact during the post-crash inspection.”

JUST IN: Ex-Governor Fayose Thrown In Mourning As His Sister Is Confirmed Dead

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
JUST IN: Ex-Governor Fayose Thrown In Mourning As His Sister Is Confirmed Dead

A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has been thrown in mourning with the death of his immediate elder sister.

The bereaved politician took to his Twitter page to announce her passing today.

See his post below:

Seven Days After School Resumption, 6 Year-Old Girl Contracts COVID-19 And Dies

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
Seven Days After School Resumption, 6 Year-Old Girl Contracts COVID-19 And Dies

A six-year-old girl has reportedly died of COVID-19 just seven days after resuming school.

Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohamed Saka, shared the sad story on his Twitter handle. He stated that the little girl contracted the virus when she resumed school and later died from the disease. However did not state where the unfortunate incident happened.

”Heartbreaking. 6 year daughter started school last week. Got Covid-19 in school and just passed away. Killed her in 7 days.

To those who are so afraid that kids are going to miss a year of school. Missing a year of school is better than losing a future. How about using this time to teach them how to plant, cook, basic first aid, creative and critical thinking… Not all learning is done in a classroom” he tweeted.

How Fani-Kayode Beat His Ex-wife, Precious Chikwendu, During Pregnancy, Assaulted Her For Six Years – Family

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
How Fani-Kayode Beat His Ex-wife, Precious Chikwendu, During Pregnancy, Assaulted Her For Six Years - Family

Prisca Chikwendu-Nduka, sister to Precious Chikwendu, former wife of Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-Nigerian Minister of Aviation, has said that the reason the marriage collapsed was due to domestic violence that lasted for six years.

SaharaReporters had in January 2018 exclusively detailed how Fani-Kayode began to domestically abuse Precious from the first year of their marriage.

The story at the time provided by authoritative family sources revealed the extent of abuse the woman was subjected to in the marriage.

To cover up the atrocious abuse of his current wife, Fani-Kayode, who had had a hat-trick of marriages before meeting Precious, with whom he has a son, accused the Federal Government of planning to assassinate his wife, this was contained in the fake prophesy given by the controversial priest, Apostle Suleman, for 2018.

The woman, disclosed family sources, was said to be pregnant with a set of triplets at the time.

However, the husband was said to deny responsibility.

The former minister in a text message to members of his family and friends to him and his wife said he was “reliably informed that the children Precious is carrying are not mine”.

The man responsible for the pregnancy, Fani-Kayode said, was a US-based disc jockey.

Also in the text, which had the family of the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, in copy, the former minister told friends that he no longer wanted to have anything to do with Precious, advising their friends not to render financial assistance to her.

“I urge you to please cut off from her and not to help her in any way. She has told the world that you intend to help her with money and I urge you to be very wary of doing so. No friend of hers can remain mine. I urge you to be very careful of this mad, ungrateful, deceitful and treacherous woman,” he warned friends.

Sources close to the distressed marriage told SaharaReporters that Fani-Kayode started physically abusing Precious from the first year of the marriage, a fate that befell her three predecessors.

The violence, this website was told, increased as the years went by.

He was said to have ordered her to abort the pregnancy that resulted in their son.

Precious ignored him but got a savage beating, including on her belly, for the recalcitrance.

A source said when Fani-Kayode came up with the allegation of infidelity, he hit the woman very violently in presence of their house-help, who he threatened with a gun by sticking the weapon in her mouth to warn her against squealing.

In a series of Facebook post on Friday that now confirms most of SaharaReporters independent findings in 2018, Fani-Kayode’s former sister-in-law said he serially abused Precious while concealing his behaviour by inducing two family members, who consistently cajoled her to remain in the abusive marriage for many years.

Her post reads in part, “It is disheartening when people you look up to and who should have your back turn against you because of monetary gain.

“I have kept silent on this issue but it is time we took a stand.

“Rev Okey Onyemachi and Joy Onyemachi, you both cannot deny knowing my husband’s sister beats her!

“Aunty Joy Onyemachi, you have witnessed him beating her several times especially during pregnancy. I have had discussions with both of you several times about leaving that marriage before he kills her, but you both said she has to stay on that it makes no sense leaving him without anything after giving him sons.

“When my mom was still here, the excuse of her staying on was that he was paying her medical bills which he actually was. But I had a problem with giving God’s place to heal, to man and I never hid it. After everything, my mom passed. With her passing the new excuse was that she stays for the children.

“You Insisted you guys were handling the domestic violence situation with her husband and that you were also living it in prayers. Little did we know that you were both taking a stand before us and sucking up to an abuser behind our backs.

“The abuse never stopped and thanks to you both, there was added strain between we her siblings and her because you somehow portrayed us as enemies. And she bought your stand unfortunately because she wanted to keep her home.

“Yes the incident with the knife occurred, but the truth you purposely ignored is that she picked that knife to protect herself from being beaten again and you both know it!

“Furthermore unclear Okey, (I use the word uncle/aunt lightly because you, in my opinion, don’t deserve it, but I’ll rather use it to call you the Reverend or pastor cos your actions are a let down to that title), you were not there when the knife incident happened so it amazes me how you have this detailed false description of what happened that day.

“Now to obvious facts, Even if Precious had a mental breakdown like you claim, who wouldn’t? Considering what she had gone through in that house for almost six years.

“A house she had no say in, a house where she was constantly humiliated before staff and sometimes visitors. A house where one who calls himself a husband will call and pay fake pastors to be giving fake prophecies against his wife, one which is that she has spiritual problems and she is only giving because she’s under his spiritual covering, that the day she leaves his covering she will die. You are very aware of this!”

Decomposing body of missing 9-year-old girl found in the wardrobe of neighbour who was part of the search party

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
Decomposing body of missing 9-year-old girl found in the wardrobe of neighbour who was part of the search party

The decomposing body of 9-year-old Boipelo Sesele was found stuffed in the wardrobe of a neighbour who helped search for her, after she went missing at Kroonstad, Gelukkwaarts in Free State, South Africa, IOL reported on Sunday, September 20.

The Grade 4 pupil was last seen while playing with her friends in the street not far from her home on September 1, at about 1.am. According to her 6-year-old friend who she was playing with at the time of her disappearance, Boipelo had been lured by a man to “look for change at the shops”.

Her disappearance prompted a huge search mission which lasted for twelve days. Police spokesman Brigadier Sam Makhele, said members of the community who had been assisting the police with the search went to investigate a bad smell coming from a shack near Boipelo’s home on Saturday, September 12, after local children had raised an alarm

He said the kids had complained of the “bad smell from a shack not far from Biopelo’s home. They went to the shack and found it locked, forced entry and opened the wardrobe where the smell was coming from and found the body of Boipelo, then alerted the police,” he said.

Neighbours attacked the owner of the shack when he arrived at the scene, according to him.  He added that police officers who had attempted to step in were also attacked.

“Ultimately, they managed to take him out of this volatile situation, but was later declared dead by the emergency medical service.” he added.

A community leader, Morena Thebe, who confirmed the incident, said the young girl’s decomposing body was found three streets away from her home.

“What is even more puzzling was that Rasta was part of the search party that worked tirelessly to find Boipelo after her disappearance. He went up and down with us as we searched for her. I remember how we went into that very yard but didn’t check in the house or shack because nothing was suspicious,” said Thebe, adding that he believes Rasta was keeping tabs on their routes by attending their daily meetings.

When they entered the shack, Thebe immediately spotted the young girl’s hand sticking out from the wardrobe.

“It was unbelievable that her body was right under our nose and that the perpetrator was among us, searching with us. I assume she wasn’t killed there but was later transported to the shack and left there to rot,”

“This incident has had a traumatic impact on the entire community and we are not the same since the discovery. Everyone is on edge, everyone is angry and people feel let down by the police force that dismissed Boipelo’s mother’s cry.” he explained.

A neighbour next to Rasta’s shack, who opted for anonymity, described him as a “character” who didn’t spend much time in that part of the community but would rather go to the “old township” and would retreat to his shack at night, high on whatever he smoked.

“Some nights he would shout and swear at people and that’s when I would come out to reprimand him to mind his language in front of the children,” he said.

The death of Boipelo has caused so much rage and anger within the community that a neighbour was unfortunately beaten by three balaclava-wearing men last Wednesday, just for being Rasta’s next-door neighbour.

The man who had a bruised face and busted lip said: “They kept asking questions about what I knew about the killing and even though I kept explaining that I knew nothing, they kept beating me senselessly.

“I had to take my wife and child far away from here to protect them because I don’t know what else will happen to me”.

“No mother ever dreams of burying their child and even while we searched for Boipelo, I had hope that she would come back to me. That I’ll be able to hold her and help her through the trauma of being lost for so long,” she said in an interview with Sunday Independent on Sunday, September 20.

“I never imagined that my little girl would leave home walking and come back in a casket,” said the grief-stricken mother.

Although the family did not personally know Rasta, they said in the years that they have lived in Constantia Park, they had never imagined that a gruesome murder would come to their doorstep.

“Since the day of her disappearance, I always had visions and dreams of her returning to us, accompanied by a lot of celebration from the community. That was my prayer.” Her maternal grandmother Moipone said.

Meanwhile, Boipelo was laid to rest on Wednesday, September 16.

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