Former South African cricketers arrested on match-fixing charges
Cape Town: Three former South African cricketers, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Thami Tsolekile, and Ethy Mbhalati, have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of corruption in connection to the 2015-16 Ram Slam T20 Challenge match-fixing scandal.
The trio faces five charges under s. 15 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 2004, a South African law aimed at tackling corruption. Investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, revealed their alleged involvement in attempting to manipulate matches in collaboration with Indian bookmakers.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has clarified that no matches were ultimately affected, as the conspirators’ plans were thwarted. However, the scandal has cast a shadow on the integrity of South African cricket.
These arrests follow the 2016-2017 bans imposed on the three cricketers, alongside four others, for their roles in the same scandal. Among them, Gulam Bodi served time in prison, while Jean Symes and Pumi Matshikwe received suspended sentences after pleading guilty in 2021 and 2022. There has been no update on possible charges against Alviro Petersen, another player implicated in the controversy.
The legal proceedings, which mark the first application of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act in sports-related corruption, have been postponed until February 2025 to allow further investigation.
Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, National Head of the Hawks, stressed the importance of safeguarding the integrity of sport, stating, “Corruption undermines the integrity of sport, and the Hawks are determined to safeguard the values of fairness and professionalism in all areas of society.”
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
