Andrew Watson: The 'most influential' black footballer for decades lost to history

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  By Andrew Aloia BBC Sport Last updated on 11 October 2021 11 October 2021 . From the section Football Watson was a trailblazer who helped transform how football was played There are two murals of black footballers facing one another across an alleyway in Glasgow. One helped shape football as we know it, the other is Pele. Andrew Watson captained Scotland to a 6-1 win over England on his debut in 1881. He was a pioneer, the world's first black international, but for more than a century the significance of his achievements went unrecognised. Research conducted over the past three decades has left us with some biographical details: a man descended of slaves and of those who enslaved them, born in Guyana, raised to become an English gentleman and famed as one of Scottish football's first icons. And yet today, 100 years on from his death aged 64, Watson remains something of an enigma, the picture built around him a fractured one. His grainy, faded, sepia image evokes many differen

SIU and NHLS granted get Special Tribunal order to freeze Hamilton Ndlovu's assets

 

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Hamilton Ndlovu.
Hamilton Ndlovu.
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  • The Special Investigating Unit is probing allegations that eight companies linked to businessman Hamilton Ndlovu irregularly benefited from National Health Laboratory Service tenders valued at  R172 million. 
  • The Special Tribunal granted the unit and laboratory service an order freezing Ndlovu's assets, including properties, valued at R42 million.  
  • Ndlovu was thrust into the spotlight after a video of him showing off five new luxury cars went viral. 

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) have obtained a Special Tribunal order to prohibit businessman Hamilton Ndlovu from disposing of his assets, valued at R42 million.

Ndlovu is under investigation for allegedly colluding with NHLS procurement officials to secure personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders. It is alleged that eight companies linked to Ndlovu irregularly obtained contracts worth R172 million. 

The Special Tribunal granted the order, pending a review application that the SIU and the NHLS want to bring forward to set aside the procurement transactions and make Ndlovu, and those who were recipients, pay back the money.

READ | Covid-19 corruption: Hamilton Ndlovu's lover, NHLS CFO granted R20 000 bail over PPE tender

"In terms of the order, Ndlovu, Zaisan Kaihatsu (Pty) Ltd and Bugatti Security Services and projects, second and fourth respondents, respectively, are restrained, interdicted and prohibited from transferring any of the properties; and/or encumbering the property with a mortgage bond; and/or allowing the retention to be established over the property; and/or selling or leasing the property," the Special Tribunal said in a statement.

"The respondents may apply for the reconsideration of the order in terms of Rule 12 (9) of the Special Tribunal. In such an event, the parties shall avail themselves for case management where dates for the filing of further papers and the hearing of the reconsideration application shall be determined in line with Rule 19 of the Special Tribunal Rules," it added.

In March, Ndlovu was hit with a similar preservation order, obtained by the South African Revenue Service for R60 million.

The tribunal has given Ndlovu 30 days to apply for a review.

Last year, the 33-year-old was thrust into the spotlight after a video of him showing off five new luxury cars went viral.

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