Table of contents for 2022-05-27 in DFA News

POTHOLES in Kimberley are like slot machines in a casino; they are all over. Some are bigger than others, some take up more space than others and, at the end of the day, they all cost you money. This statement became a reality for several Kimberley residents when three motorists were involved in an accident in Schmidtsdrift Road on Tuesday. According to one of the drivers, Mary-Jane Pheko, “all of this could have been avoided if the Sol Plaatje Municipality had stopped being negligent”. Pheko explained that the driver of a silver Ford EcoSport “swerved out to miss a pothole” and entered her lane. “He then struck my car on the side and, as I was trying to swerve out for him, I hit a lady in a maroon Palio…

My five-year-old former niece – I disowned her after this exchange – was never one for beating about the bush. She calls it as she sees it. It’s never easy to take criticism; believe me I know this all too well. I don’t take reproval well. And yes, the irony is not lost on me that I make a point of criticising others in my columns. “Ag man, the water has been off all weekend,” I tried to explain to the judgy fault-finder wearing the unicorn Alice-band. I wanted her to realise that, as an adult, I had a lot on my plate – a full-time job, family commitments and various chores around the home most days. The five-year-old just brushed off my weak protests. “Why don’t you get a…

FREEDOM Boxing Club will at the weekend play host to the third instalment of the Northern Cape Open Boxing Organisation’s (NCOBO) amateur boxing exhibition at the Mayibuye centre in Galeshewe. Amateur gems Organiser and promoter Raymond ‘Coach’ Mothobi confirmed to the DFA that he will bring his most exciting amateur boxing gems to the event tomorrow. The Freedom club boxers will mix things up with similarly weighted and experienced boxers from stables from other provinces such as Free State and the North West who have proven to be regular visitors to the NCOBO events. Mothobi said he has the backing of his colleague and fellow trainer Brad Delport who will also bring along his contingent of amateur fighters. Delport heads up his own stable, Northern Cape Boxing Academy, under the…

THE HYPOTHESIS is simple, if pundits and supporters are to be believed: With Zimbabwe no longer eligible to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 qualifiers, Bafana Bafana should have an easier time getting to Ivory Coast next year. Zimbabwe and Kenya were ejected from the tournament’s qualifying rounds by CAF earlier this week due to the ongoing bans handed down to them by Fifa for political interference. The biggest winners in their absence are Group C’s Burundi, Cameroon and Namibia; and Group K’s Liberia, Morocco and SA, as only the top two teams will qualify for the biannual showpiece event. Or so one would imagine. Not so, says Bafana captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Speaking at the launch of Castle’s It’s Within campaign on Wednesday at Imbizo Shisanyama…

THE KIMBERLEY CCS Clinic has been praised by community members and veterinary graduates as it is a “lifeline” for both animal lovers and graduates who may find themselves without work due to lack of experience. The national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development implemented the programme in the Northern Cape at the beginning of 2016, in response to the need for veterinary students to complete their studies, which is similar to the community service done by medical graduates. In 2016 there were only four veterinarians in Kimberley and two in Seodin. With an annual budget of R1 million from the department and the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP), funds will be utilised for equipment, medicine and other consumables. From 2016 to 2022, 10 veterinarians have completed their community…

POSSIBLE disruptions can be expected at Monday’s Sol Plaatje special council meeting, which disgruntled members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) civic constituency plan to sit in on and air their labour grievances and demands. The meeting was supposed to be held on Wednesday this week but it has been postponed to Monday. Samwu members have expressed their frustration at the municipality’s “lack of effort to follow recruitment policies”, which, they say, has plunged the local authority into more debt. They have called for “clarity” on the filling of strategic posts. They have also demanded 13th cheque bonuses for all contract workers. The members have also called on the municipality to address the alleged non-procedural appointment of peace officers. Accusations of favouritism were made regarding the appointment of peace…

THE PLANNED city-wide blackout is still on the cards, although a specific date has not yet been confirmed. The call for the “total blackout” came after some IDP meetings fell flat during the past week due to the failure of some councillors to attend. In some city wards this frustrated and infuriated communities, who want answers on the electricity price hikes that Sol Plaatje Municipality plans to implement soon. A community leader, David Kock, confirmed yesterday that the total blackout is still on the cards. He said engagements are still under way with all areas and stakeholders, including the business sector. All 33 wards in the municipal district are expected to participate in the blackout. Kock explained that the call for a total blackout was triggered by the “recent arrogance…

THE SOUTH African Football Association (Safa) are studying the referee’s match report regarding circumstances that led to the abandonment last Sunday of the ABC Motsepe League football final between Kimberley Real Madrid and Upington City at the Postmasburg Showgrounds. Safa provincial secretary Willem Coetzee (pictured) confirmed that the matter is being handled by the relevant Safa structure. A decision on the matter will be issued well ahead of the staging of the national finals of the ABC Motsepe League in June, he said. Meanwhile, the match referee, Lionel Bergman, who is reported to have been badly injured in the scuffle that unfolded, has in the meantime laid criminal charges against as yet unnamed persons following the incident. A witness of Sunday’s chaotic scene at the Postmasburg Showgrounds has described what…

BLITZBOKS coach Neil Powell and his manne will have to hit the road running at the London Sevens this weekend. Drawn in Pool B against Argentina, Ireland and Kenya, South Africa will know they can’t afford to drop their guard once after some disastrous displays in the last three tournaments saw them lose their series lead to Argentina last weekend. Having failed to progress past the group stage for the first time since 2013 last weekend, South Africa lost to Ireland in Toulouse. Doing so again and then also failing to beat Argentina could see them repeat last week’s unwanted feat. But Powell will be hoping that new additions Angelo Davids and Jordan Hendrikse will help his team reach greater heights than what they did in the last three tournaments…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at the fourth South Africa Investment Conference in Johannesburg, announced that his office has formally received five investment pledges from energy companies and energy component manufacturers, including a pledge of R16 billion for investment in the Northern Cape. The pledge was received from Scatec, of Norway, and will be invested in solar PV and storage projects in the Province as part of the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. At the same conference, African Development Bank (AfDB) president Dr Akinwumi Adesina said that the institution is ready to support South Africa’s transition from coal to renewable energy and announced that an energy transition facility was being created by the bank to support the country’s transition efforts. The bank, which had previously supported the financing of…

INFORMAL traders in Galeshewe will, before the end of the year, have their own facility from where they can safely operate their businesses. This after Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU), in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Sol Plaatje Municipality, is set to launch and open the Informal Traders Hub. The hub is planned to be constructed at Hulana Park. The municipality’s acting executive director for the Small Enterprise Development Programme (SEDP), Ngoako Modiba, said the hub will boost the economic development of traders. Modiba said it will also change the park’s bad reputation. “This facility we are planning on constructing and completing before the end of this year will positively contribute to the economy of the area and the city as a whole,”…

THE PROTEST action by staff members at Kimberley’s CBC is still ongoing as the school’s management has not yet responded to a list of demands that was handed over to the principal on Wednesday morning. Staff members have been participating in a legal strike since Monday, demanding better salaries and an end to discrimination. They include teachers, assistant teachers, cleaners, aftercare workers and maintenance workers. According to staff members they have been asking for a salary increase for several years, however, the school continues to tell them that there is no money. They complained that some of them have been working at CBC for over 30 years, but still earn below R10 000. On Friday, May 20, staff members were locked out of the school after the school learned of…

MATCH-POINT survivalists Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz (pictured) will be back on court today at the French Open, after almost packing their bags in the second round on Wednesday. The third-seeded Zverev finally overcame Aregntina’s Sebastian Baez in a five-set clash after coming back from the dead, with Alcaraz doing the exact same thing a few hours later against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Zverev faces American Brandon Nakashima, while the 19-year-old Alcaraz squares off against 21-year-old American Sebastian Korda – son of Czech legend and current coach Petr. Incidentally, Korda is the only player to have beaten Alcaraz on clay this year. The biggest names on the tennis circuit, world No.1 Novak Djokovic and the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal are also in action today. Djokovic, who klapped Alex Molcan in…

Jurgen Klopp: ‘We deserve this’ “We are not here by any kind of magic,” said Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool’s third appearance in the a Champions League final in five years. “We deserve this.” Real Madrid stand in the Reds’ way at the Stade de France on Saturday, just as they did four years ago in the first of Liverpool’s European Cup finals under their German guru. Defeat 3-1 that night in Kyiv to two goalkeeping errors from Loris Karius, having lost star man Mohamed Salah early on to a cruelly inflicted dislocated shoulder, might have broken other sides. “This was a harsh night for us,” Klopp reflected on Wednesday. Instead, a year later, the Reds were back on the biggest stage to right those wrongs by beating Tottenham in Madrid…

WORLD champion Max Verstappen heads home this weekend hoping to survive the chaos and beat arch-rival and luckless local hero Charles Leclerc again in Sunday’s 79th running of the Monaco Grand Prix. Just days after leading his teammate Sergio Perez over the line in a Red Bull one-two last weekend in Spain, the 24-year-old Dutchman will bid for a repeat to consolidate his grip at the top of this year’s title race. Verstappen took control of the championship by easing six points clear of Monegasque driver Leclerc of Ferrari, who was forced into retirement at the Circuit de Catalunya. He seeks a fourth consecutive win and second in the classic contest in Sunday’s potentially rain-affected race. “Qualifying is critical, like always,” said the 2021 victor. “Monaco is always a hectic…

Sundowns have uncharacteristically conceded five goals in their last two games. This included a 3-0 demolition at the hands of Stellenbosch FC before they followed that up with an entertaining 3-2 win over Royal AM. “The goals that we are conceding are concerning, especially those which we conceded against Stellenbosch. They came from situations which we did envisage. These were situations which we had profiled when we analysed them. Royal AM do tend to score high. I do think that we could have been better in terms of defending against them. We felt bad because we do not like to concede,” said Mngqithi. In lieu of his team not living up to their dominating standards in recent games, Mngqithi believes that his side will be in for a tough game…