Table of contents for 2023-08-04 in DFA News

IN A TALE that epitomises passion, dedication and a lifelong love for the automotive industry, Warren van Rensburg embarks on a new chapter as the dealer principal at Motus Isuzu Kimberley. Warren's journey began as a young driver in Boksburg, where he quickly developed a fascination for automobiles and their ability to connect people and places. Little did he know that this fascination would fuel a career spanning over two decades, marked by remarkable achievements and a relentless pursuit of excellence. After a brief stint in the UK, Warren returned to South Africa and seized an opportunity at his uncle's dealership in Boksburg. Starting as a driver, he soon demonstrated an innate talent for understanding customers' needs and preferences. Recognising his potential, the dealership offered him a promotion to salesman…

THE WATER crisis in Warrenton has resulted in a stabbing and several fights, while guest houses and private residences that have made their water tanks available to community members have decided to lock their gates out of fear of violence. Community members are on tenterhooks after a resident was stabbed while queuing for water and was taken to the Warrenton Hospital for medical treatment earlier this week. “What more must we endure? This person could have died,” they said. This follows an incident where an 11-year-old girl was injured when she was hit by a vehicle on the N12 when she accompanied her mother to fetch water in March. Warrenton has been without any water since February this year after floods damaged the pipes. Some areas have been without water…

ROBERT Khoza, a 45-year-old Kimberley resident, is a source of inspiration for many in his community and proof that determination and passion can lead to great achievements. Khoza is a beneficiary of Droogfontein Solar Power's bursary programme and completed his Bachelor of Education in the Intermediate and Senior Phases from the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 2022. The former business owner was awarded a study bursary in 2018 after finding his passion for teaching. He had started to work in the school environment as a reading coach after his business in event procurement started to slow down. His experience and fulfilment of being a reading coach reinforced the example that his mother set and the influential role of his high school history teacher, which bestowed upon him his love…

Kimberley Golf Club results and next week’s programme. Results for the week of July 26 to 29 are: The Wednesday, July 26 John Dory’s-sponsored 18-hole IPS was won by Ronnie Engelbrecht on 38pts with Gavin Schafer 2nd on 37pts on a count-out over Fuad Mahri also on 37. The Thursday, July 27 KWV-sponsored 9-hole IPS with power play options was won by Johan Herselman on 28pts with Shane Arthur 2nd on 24pts on a count-out over MO Suliman also on 24pts. The Friday, July 28 Flamingo Niner was won by Ronnie Engelbrecht on 20pts with William Wepener 2nd on 19pts. Third was Parks Mashabao on 18pts and 4th was Andries Kori on 14pts. A few brave souls turned out for the freezingly cold Saturday, July 29 KGC-sponsored 18-hole IPS.…

THIRTEEN bodies, believed to be those of artisanal miners, were recovered between Monday and Wednesday night after tunnels at the Tweepad mining area near Kleinzee in the Namakwa District collapsed. Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock said the first body was discovered on July 31. “The first incident occurred on Monday, July 31, 2023, at approximately 5:45pm, when a tunnel collapsed and the body of a deceased male was recovered. The second incident occurred the next day, on August 1, 2023, at approximately 8pm, when the tunnel collapsed and eight bodies were retrieved. A further four more bodies were retrieved from the area on August 2, 2023, at approximately 9pm,” said Kock. “At this stage the identities and nationalities of the deceased are still unknown. Police investigations continue.”…

PHOKWANE Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers, under the Department of Environmental Affairs, said they are expected to bring their own brooms and personal protective equipment (PPE) to work, and are underpaid in a toxic environment. The workers are still waiting for answers after marching to the municipality in order to get answers to their grievances. They were absorbed into the national EPWP at the beginning of 2023 with Phokwane Municipality acting as the middleman. They complained that they earn half the monthly stipend that they are supposed to earn, as stipulated in their work contracts. They demanded answers on why they, in Phokwane, earn R2 400 per month instead of R5 500 like other EPWP workers. They said they have been sharing PPE, borrowing it from somewhere, or bringing…

THE MOST abundant resource on the planet when I was just a young lad was ‘nunya’. Nunya was everywhere, it’s as if nunya was the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. Back then, if you were ever under the impression that there was no way to resolve a mystery, you’d be wrong. Nunya was that resolution. Nunya was simple, broad and always applicable. Ahhh, nunya … I still remember the many, many times I heard that sweet word. “Mom, what’s for supper?” “Nunya business! You’ll eat whatever it is when it’s done!” “Dad, when do the holidays start?” “Nunya concern! Didn’t I tell you to go and study?” “Granny … where do babies come from?” “Nunya brain cells can comprehend that answer, so shut up and…

FORMER ANC provincial chairperson John Block was portrayed as a big-hearted and model inmate during an urgent application for the Upington Correctional Services supervisory board to grant him a parole hearing. The matter was heard in the Northern Cape High Court this week. Block is currently serving a 15-year sentence at Upington Correctional Centre after he was convicted of corruption and money laundering in relation to multimillion-rand leases for government offices that were concluded with the Trifecta group of companies. His legal representative, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, told the court on July 31 that his client had never been charged with misconduct at Upington prison. "He collaborated with the Premier’s Office to donate soccer jerseys and balls to the facility, while the Department of Correctional Services did not have the funds…

THREE National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) leaders have been placed on immediate precautionary suspension after they were charged with colluding with management to appoint their family members and acquaintances into permanent positions at the Kimberley Mental Health Hospital and West End Specialised Hospital. According to the allegations, the relatives and connections of nine management officials at the Department of Health and three Nehawu members were unfairly recruited. It is believed that the appointments include mistresses, a former personal assistant and a domestic worker of a high-ranking official and the wife of a senior manager, as well as sons and daughters-in-law of union members. A request was made to urgently investigate the appointments and refer the matter to the authorities, including the Public Protector, the Public Service Commissioner,…

THE TWO 14-year-old girls who won the national South African Junior Water Prize Competition actually volunteered to participate, and never once looked back and gave it their all. The two, Kelebogile Abrahams and Mahlohonolo Mosia, are from Emang Mmogo Comprehensive School in Galeshewe, The competition was held by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in March this year. The learners approached their Natural Science teacher, Selina Molaiwa, on short notice to allow them the opportunity, after she had excluded them from the team during the selection. The confident pair, who were the youngest in the competition, will now jet off to participate in the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition at the Stockholm International Institute (SIWI) later this month. That is after they made a remarkable impression with their…

69-YEAR-old Maria Okhuis from Loeriesfontein had the opportunity to receive her first ever computer training thanks to a partnership between local businesses. She was among 25 local women between the ages of 20 and 69 who benefited from the Computer Literacy Skills programme sponsored via a partnership between Loeriesfontein and Khobab wind farms and JLK Business Consulting. The course is designed to empower women and instil a sense of confidence in their computer literacy, with the hope of opening doors to new opportunities. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, the participants delved into the foundations of computer literacy, gaining proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. From creating their first Word document to managing data in Excel and crafting compelling presentations in PowerPoint, the women of Loeriesfontein not only acquired…

THREE talented dart players from Kimberley are making waves in the darts community, and two of them already have their sights set on an exciting opportunity to compete in the USA. Leané van der Walt, Zeidi Kruger, and Dean Naudé, who once enjoyed casual games of darts, have now set their hearts on pursuing greater heights in the sport. With an International Darts Tournament on the horizon in Kissimmee, Florida, they are determined to make their mark on the global stage. The DFA spoke to the three rising stars to learn more about their passion and dreams for their darts career. Leané van der Walt’s remarkable journey Leané van der Walt’s love for darts began when she was just 14 years old, after she was invited by friends to the…

Du Toitspan Primary School's rising star wins a bronze medal at the Africa Genesis Archery Federation World Tournament Otniël van Wyk, a gifted sixth-grade student from Du Toitspan Primary School, has accomplished an impressive feat in the realm of archery. Competing as part of the Africa Genesis Archery (AGA) South Africa National Development Team, Otniël earned a well-deserved bronze medal at the recent Africa Genesis Archery Federation World Tournament hosted in Limpopo. The AGA Federation Tournament saw representatives from Botswana, Canada, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe competing for the World Archery Championship Title. The event marked a significant milestone for the AGA Federation, officially welcoming Canada as a member and deciding that African countries would now compete against each other every second year. During the competition, young Otniël showed his…