The Daily Dispatch editorial team has three Newsmakers of the Year 2015. This is after we carefully went through our archives to check the person who grabbed the most headlines in the Daily Dispatch in the past year.
The criteria was simple – a person had to be an Eastern Cape citizen based within our publish boundaries. Although there were news events, political parties and sport teams that dominated headlines, we decided to focus on an individual whose actions attracted media attention.
The nominees are (in no particular order):
BUYELEKHAYA DALINDYEBO:
The man at the centre of the Mandela funeral corruption scandal – Mkolo has been mired in controversy since the Dispatch exposed his alleged involvement in the R6-million taxi fraud perpetrated in BCM at the time of Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, in which his ex-lover Nosiphiwe Mati gained R100000.
In April this newspaper exclusively reported that a further R350000 of the Mandela money was paid to Lily Rose Trust, owned and run by his new girlfriend Zintle Nkuhlu.
Another R1.3-million was paid to Mantella Trading, owned by East London businessman Dean Fanoe, for printing 20000 ANC T-shirts.
Mkolo’s story is that of a township youth who broke free of his troubled past and the shackles of poverty to acquire respect and wealth in the community. He rose rapidly to prominence from his time as a boxing “corner-man”, carrying water and towels for boxers.
One man from his neighbourhood said Mkolo “bears all the scars of Mdantsane”.
“He’s a ‘been there, done that’ kind of person. His life started in a typical matchbox home with a struggle for recognition to where he is now.
“Within no time, he became a popular and powerful ANC regional leader.”
An ex-teacher at Wongalethu High School in Mdantsane, where Mkolo dropped out in Grade 9, said: “He was not that excellent at school and there was no way that he was going to go through to matric. He was older than other kids in his class and that’s something that motivated him to stay out of school to pursue politics.”
After quitting school, Mkolo became involved with sport in the community, particularly boxing. He is president of the amateur arm of the Border Rugby Football Union (BRFU). He joined the ANC in the early 2000s and is an active member of GB Pasha branch in Ward 11.
He was a popular chair of the ANC Youth League’s Amathole region before he became the Buffalo City regional ANC secretary in 2012.
His monthly R37000 from the ANC comprises R22000 from Luthuli House and R15000 from the province as a top-up, said a party source.
He earns nothing from Border Rugby, although he “qualifies for travel allowance and accommodation”.
These days Mkolo is known for his love for designer labels and is a regular at top eateries around East London, especially Vincent Park.
Our news-makers of the year....
The criteria was simple – a person had to be an Eastern Cape citizen based within our publish boundaries. Although there were news events, political parties and sport teams that dominated headlines, we decided to focus on an individual whose actions attracted media attention.
The nominees are (in no particular order):
BUYELEKHAYA DALINDYEBO:
The man at the centre of the Mandela funeral corruption scandal – Mkolo has been mired in controversy since the Dispatch exposed his alleged involvement in the R6-million taxi fraud perpetrated in BCM at the time of Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, in which his ex-lover Nosiphiwe Mati gained R100000.
In April this newspaper exclusively reported that a further R350000 of the Mandela money was paid to Lily Rose Trust, owned and run by his new girlfriend Zintle Nkuhlu.
Another R1.3-million was paid to Mantella Trading, owned by East London businessman Dean Fanoe, for printing 20000 ANC T-shirts.
Mkolo’s story is that of a township youth who broke free of his troubled past and the shackles of poverty to acquire respect and wealth in the community. He rose rapidly to prominence from his time as a boxing “corner-man”, carrying water and towels for boxers.
One man from his neighbourhood said Mkolo “bears all the scars of Mdantsane”.
“He’s a ‘been there, done that’ kind of person. His life started in a typical matchbox home with a struggle for recognition to where he is now.
“Within no time, he became a popular and powerful ANC regional leader.”
An ex-teacher at Wongalethu High School in Mdantsane, where Mkolo dropped out in Grade 9, said: “He was not that excellent at school and there was no way that he was going to go through to matric. He was older than other kids in his class and that’s something that motivated him to stay out of school to pursue politics.”
After quitting school, Mkolo became involved with sport in the community, particularly boxing. He is president of the amateur arm of the Border Rugby Football Union (BRFU). He joined the ANC in the early 2000s and is an active member of GB Pasha branch in Ward 11.
He was a popular chair of the ANC Youth League’s Amathole region before he became the Buffalo City regional ANC secretary in 2012.
His monthly R37000 from the ANC comprises R22000 from Luthuli House and R15000 from the province as a top-up, said a party source.
He earns nothing from Border Rugby, although he “qualifies for travel allowance and accommodation”.
These days Mkolo is known for his love for designer labels and is a regular at top eateries around East London, especially Vincent Park.
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