Table of contents for 2023-06-23 in DFA News

A TOTAL of R20 million has been allocated for the appointment of 400 safety volunteers to be dispatched to 85 high-risk schools in the Northern Cape as part of the provincial Department of Education’s School Safety programme. This was announced by the MEC for Education, Zolile Monakali, during his 2023/24 Budget Vote at the Northern Cape Legislature in Kimberley on Tuesday. Monakali said the appointment of the safety volunteers will kick off in September. He explained that the programme will not only address challenges of job creation for the youth, but will also address safety challenges experienced at various schools. “During the previous financial year, the department incurred costs amounting to R41 million on repairs due to vandalism and theft at schools, especially during school holiday breaks. We have identified…

IN AN URGENT attempt to address and improve literacy and reading levels in schools, especially for Grade 4 learners, the Northern Cape Department of Education has lined up a number of programmes to boost reading among learners. This was announced during MEC for Education Zolile Monakali’s 2023/24 Budget Vote this week. Monakali presented his R8.067 billion budget at the Northern Cape Legislature in Kimberley on Tuesday. Monakali said the literacy and reading levels in the Province were concerning and require urgent intervention. “The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 showed that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning. The Northern Cape has planned a number of activities, which include a Reading Indaba, a Reading Retreat, Reading Laboratories, Early Grade Reading programmes and the provision of reading…

WITH a total budget of R425 million allocated to Emergency Medical Services in the Province, the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, along with the MEC for Health, Maruping Lekwene, handed over 20 new ambulances and 10 new patient transport vehicles just moments before Lekwene presented his R6.1 billion Budget Vote for the 2023/24 financial year. The event took place at the Department of Health’s Ministry Offices in Kimberley on Wednesday. Saul said the ambulances were procured in order to address one of the major challenges faced by the department. “One of the biggest challenges faced by the department is the availability of emergency vehicles. This is the second time we received new vehicles for the department. Two months ago we were in Namakwa where we procured 14 emergency vehicles,”…

GWRU Kimberley Regional League club champs will be crowned this weekend IN WHAT promises to be a thrilling showdown, the Kimberley Rugby Club (KRC) will play host to the Douglas Rugby Club tomorrow in the highly-anticipated Griqualand West Kimberley Regional League club rugby final. This clash of titans will determine the ultimate champion of the region for 2023 as the two teams battle it out for glory on the field. KRC has by far been the dominant force throughout the season, and are currently sitting comfortably at the top of the log with 56 points. They have played a total of 12 matches, winning 11 of them and suffering only one defeat. With such an impressive winning record, they enter the final as firm favourites to clinch the title. However,…

THE NORTHERN Cape Hockey Federation organised its fourth hockey development programme last weekend, drawing a crowd of enthusiastic young athletes eager to learn and showcase their skills. The programme, spearheaded by chairman Brynmor Lehanie, aims to introduce hockey to individuals aged nine to 18 to develop their hockey skills, ball control, and match play strategies. The development programme, held every Saturday from 9am to 1.20pm at the AstroTurf in Cassandra, has thus far been a resounding success. With the sessions being completely free, and all the necessary equipment is provided to participants it’s no wonder that there are many eager participants. The good news is that the programme is set to continue until September and it has already made a significant impact on the local community. Lehanie highlighted the programme’s…

THE NORTHERN Cape Department of Education said that in order to ensure that every classroom has a teacher, it has filled a number of teaching posts, including Grade R practitioner positions, and has also created hundreds of teacher assistant positions. This was announced by the MEC for Education, Zolile Monakali, during the tabling of his 2023/24 Budget Vote at the Northern Cape Legislature in Kimberley on Tuesday. Monakali said more than 250 educator posts were filled after the department received applications from schools requesting additional teachers. “In 2022, the department received 289 applications for more educators from schools. After conducting the necessary due diligence with the district authority, 252 posts were ultimately allocated. The department then made an additional 37 postings available to accommodate ad-hoc requests. This implies that 289…

NORTHERN Cape parents and guardians had until midnight on Thursday, June 22 to register their children on the Online Learner Admission System for the 2024 academic year. The online application system is now closed for entry grades after being open since May 22. A total of 51,158 online admission applications had been received by the Northern Cape Department of Education by the close of the online system. Department spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe said that 23,218 unique applications were received from across the Province. "The unique applications are part of the 51,158 applications. Parents and guardians have applied to more than one school, hence the total amount of applications is more than 51,000,” Van der Merwe explained. “We will give a breakdown on which Grade had the highest number of…

The Kimberley Super Basketball League promises to deliver more exciting match-ups this coming weekend and fans of the sport are encouraged to gather at the Maloof Skate Park Basketball Court, and bring their families along, to witness and enjoy a day filled with high-level basketball action. The Maloof Skate Plaza has proven to be a fitting venue for showcasing the city’s passion for basketball. As the league progresses, basketball lovers can expect the venue to continue hosting memorable matches that celebrate the sport’s essence – a never-say-die passion for excellence. So whether you’re a die-hard supporter or simply looking for a great experience, this weekend’s games promise to leave you entertained with all the skills and nail-biting action on display. Meanwhile, lweekend’s basketball action at the Maloof Skate Plaza, delighted…

Local rider making his mark on the dirt tracks THE THRILL of a motorcycle wheel’s rubber knobs biting into and gripping loose dirt, mud, sand, and other off-road surfaces is close to the heart of Kimberley’s Abri van Tonder, a talented 10th grade learner from Northern Cape High School. Abri, a rookie at best, has been causing quite a stir in the motocross fraternity this year. Competing in the Free State and Northern Cape regional championships held in Bloemfontein, he demonstrated exceptional skills and determination on the track. In his first year of formal competitions, Abri has already made an impressive mark in the racing scene. Despite facing tough competition from national championship riders, he has managed to secure a commendable fourth position overall in his class, with four races…

Winter took a back seat for the day as the sun shone gloriously on the second annual Ace Cup, an exciting Under-15 seven-a-side soccer tournament held in Ipopeng, Galeshewe. For the second year in a row, the tournament was a showcase demonstrating the passion and determination that young athletes bring to the beautiful game, despite the challenges they face. This year, the tournament’s biggest challenge was the lack of grass pitches for games, which forced the young players to compete on a sand pitch – a stark reminder of the neglect our local government subjects our communities to. Yet despite the unforgiving conditions, the boys took to the sand pitch with gritty resolve. The level of skill on display was truly impressive. The young athletes displayed dazzling footwork, precise passes,…

A TALENTED 14-year-old netball player from Noupoort, Miché Absolom, has shown remarkable dedication and skill in her netball career and has been selected to represent the Northern Cape in Benoni. This is after the Eureka Intermediate School pupil represented the circuit at the Winter Games in Upington recently as part of the Under-15 Northern Cape Provincial School Team. A partnership between Noupoort Wind Farm and the Save the Noupoort Child initiative saw Miché receive various forms of support to enhance her performance and experience during the Winter Games. The support provided included a full netball kit, as well as a monetary contribution towards her expenses in Upington. Noupoort Wind Farm economic development manager Sandisiwe Mntonintshi said they recognise the importance of supporting young athletes and empowering them to achieve their…

THE BLOEMFONTEIN High Court ruled against a man who wanted to claim back over R1.44 million which he had paid towards child maintenance, saying his ex-wife deceived him into believing the child was his. The man learned through a paternity test that the child (identified as N in court) was not his biologically. The couple got married in 1991 and had three daughters during their marriage. They divorced in 2012. Some time around February 2015, the ex-husband learned through DNA tests that N was not his biological child. Following the results, the ex-husband instituted legal action against his ex-wife, saying she had deceived him into believing that N was his child. As a result of her misrepresentation, he suffered a loss of R1.44 million which was paid towards maintaining N.…

ALLOW me to come out swinging this week. I still maintain that when things started to change and ‘improve’ there was, dare I say it, the start of a gradual but steady decline in quality. Quality of life and quality of merchandise. And I am not even of the generation that grew up before white bread. My parents and their generation are struggling with the way things are being done these days. And don’t even get me started on technology. Technology is supposed to make our lives more convenient, but I have a sneaky feeling that it’s making our minds and thought processes shrink. Who still remembers the old till slips you used to get when doing your shopping and it was rung up by those clunky manual cash registers?…

TWO GALESHEWE learners, Kelebogile Abrahams and Mahlohonolo Mosia, will be flying the Northern Cape flag high when they represent South Africa at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Sweden in August. This is after the two Emang Mmogo Comprehensice School learners scooped first prize in the annual national South African Youth Water Prize competition hosted by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in Boksburg in May. The runner-up position went to Gauteng Province while the Western Cape Province clinched third place. The programme exposes and advances the interest of youth in science and technology and motivates them to pursue water and sanitation careers. It targets Grade 9 to 11 learners, who identify problems related to water in their school and community. They conduct research and come up with…

KIMBERLEY’S Rhythmia Gymnastics Club recently made waves in the world of rhythmic gymnastics as three of their gymnasts competed at the 2023 Rhythmic Gymnastics International Pharaoh’s Cup held in Cairo, Egypt. Under the guidance of their dedicated coach, Tazmiah Francis, the young athletes went all out to impress the judges and the audience with their performances. For Santiago Jocker and Vuyiswa Dikgetsi, this was an extraordinary opportunity as they were participating in their first-ever international competition. Nerves and excitement ran high as the girls took the stage, but they handled the pressure with grace and poise. Despite being relatively new to the international scene, Santiago’s and Vuyiswa’s performances showed that the future of South African rhythmic gymnastics is bright. Tricha Richards, on the other hand, had already tasted international success.…