Star SA athlete fined for public drinking and contravening lockdown restrictions

22 May 2020 - 09:05 By David Isaacson
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South Africa's Luvo Manyonga competes in the Men's long jump event during the anniversary games at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in London on July 22, 2018.
South Africa's Luvo Manyonga competes in the Men's long jump event during the anniversary games at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in London on July 22, 2018.
Image: Ian KINGTON / AFP

Long-jump star Luvo Manyonga is in trouble again after being fined with public drinking and contravening lockdown restrictions in Stellenbosch.

The 2017 world champion and Olympic silver medallist from Rio 2016 was ordered to appear in court on June 29 or pay a R2‚500 admission of guilt fine.

The written notice to appear in court stated that Manyonga‚ 29‚ was caught at Thubelitsha Park in Kayamandi‚ a Stellenbosch township‚ on Wednesday.

He was charged in terms of the Disaster Management Act and the offence was listed as “failure to confine himself in his place of residence and public drinking”.

His residence was listed as Bluewater Bay in Port Elizabeth‚ although it’s understood that he’s been staying with family at Mbekweni in nearby Paarl since before lockdown started.

Manyonga‚ who won the 2011 under-20 world championships while competing for Maties‚ struggled with addiction to crystal meth‚ which resulted in him being banned from athletics for 18 months in 2012.

He beat his addiction in 2015‚ moving to Tuks in Pretoria to begin competing again.

He relocated to Port Elizabeth in 2018‚ although he seemed to have gone off the athletics grid some months ago. Nobody seemed to know where he was.

Manyonga had his best season in 2017‚ shifting the SA record to 8.65m and then lifting the world crown in London.

He failed to defend his title in Doha last year‚ finishing off the podium in fourth place.


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