Table of contents for 2022-08-19 in DFA News

THE POLICE had to intervene yesterday after Lethabo Park residents clashed over the electrification of the area after it was learned that 634 of the planned 1 800 households will not receive electricity. Unit 6 residents threatened to stop the project, which is already under way, while residents from Units 1-5 vowed to protect their interests. The police facilitated the reading of a letter from Sol Plaatje Municipality to the residents, urging them to be patient and not to block the project as it will result in the funds being forfeited and block future allocations from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DME). The municipality applied for funding for Lethabo Park for the full spectrum of 1 800 households for the 2021/22 financial year. Only an allocation of 1…

IF EVERYTHING goes to plan, Kimberley motorists and commuters could all breathe a sigh of relief next month and have some additional cash in their pockets. According to unaudited mid-month figures from the Central Energy Fund, a big fuel price cut is on the cards for September. The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) announced this week that the price of 95 unleaded petrol is expected to decrease by about R2.60 per litre and the price of 93 unleaded petrol may go down by about R2.45 per litre. Diesel prices are anticipated to reduce by roughly R2.30 per litre and the cost of lighting paraffin by almost as much as R2 a litre. The AA says that the main drivers behind the decreases are a strengthening rand and lower international…

THE NORTHERN Cape High Court will make a decision on whether some of the charges against the seven accused standing trial for the murder of well-known Kimberley businessman Piet Els should be discharged. This follows after all the accused brought Section 174 applications before the court, claiming that there is no evidence against them to be convicted of the crime. Judge Lawrence Lever, after the State, represented by Advocate Hannes Cloete, brought counter-arguments on why the accused still have a case to answer, indicated that he will have to consider and digest all arguments brought by the defence, as well as the State, before making a decision on the matter. The seven accused – Morapedi Rankali, Montlalentwa Qhautse, Lizbeth Ndlala, Oupa Jeffrey Mahomane, Themba Lawrence Maja, Samson Mbokane and Jabulani…

Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. EXPERTS recommend that you update your CV at least every six to 12 months, others disagree saying that a résumé should be updated every three months – every fiscal quarter. Elsewhere my research revealed that a CV should be updated after any one, or a combination of the following five events take place: When you start a new job, when you get promoted, when you complete a big project, when you get laid off or when you acquire new skills. OK, to be honest, the “experts” I am referencing are all found on the first page of a Google search result. However, that being said, it has become necessary for me to update…

THE SOL Plaatje Municipality has blamed residents in China Square, Galeshewe, who have unlawfully extended their RDP houses with shacks, for the overflowing sewage after a manhole was blocked. Residents at two houses were urged to demolish their shacks in order to allow access to the manhole and for the municipality to maintain it. About eight houses in the same street were exposed to the stench of raw sewage after a manhole became blocked. One family had to dig trenches inside their yard to “redirect” the sewage water. Bridget Raadt said the problem started about three months ago and pointed out that the situation became unbearable as the windy season approached. Raadt said the family needs to engage with the municipality regarding the erection of the shack because their RDP…

COMMUNITY members closed the Eurekaville clinic in Noupoort last week in protest over irregular appointments, political deployments and the unavailability of emergency services. Patients were told to instead use the Simon Zono clinic and the hospital for the day, although they were apparently turned away at the hospital. Patients were, however, permitted to receive their chronic medication at the Eurekaville clinic. The community forum NCADAV stated that ambulances were never available for call-outs. “Instead, emergency vehicles are seen parked at the ambulance driver’s houses at night and over weekends and they were instead used as a taxi service for family members.” The forum added that a man bled to death after he was stabbed as no ambulance responded to the call-out. “Community members fear an ambulance driver who was implicated…

WITH a limited number of schools and educators for children with special needs in the Northern Cape, the father of a wheelchair-bound Grade 4 learner from Barkly West fears that his child will lose out on securing an education. This is due to a shortage of caregivers at the hostel at Elizabeth Conradie (Elcon) School and a lack of transport to the school. According to the father of the child, Alfred Palm, his son Ayden has been missing out on school for the past eight months because travelling from Barkly West to Kimberley every day in order for him to attend school has become financially crippling. Palm is unemployed. “I have been transporting Ayden to school in my car and I am unable to work as Ayden needs care and…

The Springboks cannot afford to play catch-up at the Adelaide Oval. Their loose forwards will need to back-up the tight five by going all out from the opening whistle, so some big calls await Nienaber when he announces his team next week IF PAST experiences are anything to go by, then the Springboks have to get their loose-trio selection just right if they want to finally beat the Wallabies in Australia. The world champions left South Africa yesterday for their two-match Rugby Championship trip Down Under, and are determined to produce their first win in the country since 2013. Wallaby coach Dave Rennie is a cagey coach who will be remembered in SA for guiding the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013, and after missing out…

Struggling Manchester United at the mercy of desperate and dangerous Liverpool WITH four points dropped in their opening two games, Liverpool’s margin for error in the expected title race with Manchester City already looks seriously depleted as they prepare for their clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday. Mediocre displays in draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace mean Jurgen Klopp’s side are already in the bottom half of the table, and injuries and a three-game suspension for new signing Darwin Nunez add to the sense of unease at Anfield. Incredibly, Liverpool’s early-season problems look trivial compared with those of their arch-rivals Manchester United. For the first time since 1992, United are bottom of the Premier League after losing their opening two games against Brighton and Hove Albion and…

THE last thing Arthur Zwane and Kaizer Chiefs needed was the kind of distraction their former coach Stuart Baxter brought about with his interview on SABC this week. Looking to recover from their 4-0 hammering by Mamelodi Sundowns, Amakhosi were hard at work preparing for tomorrow’s DStv Premiership tie against surprise table toppers Richards Bay (8pm kick-off). But Baxter went and threw a spanner in the works, accusing the club and his successor Zwane and his assistant Dillon Sheppard of back-stabbing him. “There were agendas within the club. Those agendas were going to be satisfied whether I liked it or not,” Baxter told SABC Sport. “We did talk about some of the players who would come in, we did speak about the young players. I read an article where the…

AN ASSAULT case was opened against a local ANC leader after a fight erupted over four plastic toilets that were distributed to the community in Holpan. A community member, Riekie Femmers, said that there were 400 households in Holpan that did not have access to ablution facilities. “The ANC official identified the four beneficiaries and delivered the toilets while the rest of us have to make use of pit latrines that we had to dig ourselves,” said Femmers. She added that the alleged assault took place on Women’s Day, August 9. “The councillor was supposed to hold a meeting to inform us about the toilets and who would get them. We also want to know which contractor received the tender as it is apparently a company from Taung.” Femmers stated…

WHAT could be much better than being able to open your mouth, bite into a delicious burger, or chew on a tasty snack, and then wash it all down with a cold, soft drink? Biting and chewing is something we all take for granted; after all, that is how we were made to eat and ultimately survive. But for some, being able to open their mouths and eat is not a possibility. Due to circumstances, it has become a problem that they have had to live with for many years. Until now, that is. KM is a 12-year-old boy from the Northern Cape. Ten years ago, when he was just two, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. In that accident, a part of KM’s jaw was fractured and…

THE PUBLIC Protector has closed the file on the investigation against the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Northern Cape Gambling Board, Vincent Mothibi, relating to a bookmaker operating licence that was awarded to Vengies Gaming (Pty) Ltd in April 2021. Mothibi stated that the report exonerated him as the public protector had found no evidence against him. “The allegations are unwarranted, unsubstantiated and not correct.” A complaint was lodged anonymously at the Northern Cape provincial Office of the Public Protector on November 9, 2021, relating to allegations of improper conduct and maladministration against Mothibi - who was the acting CEO at the time. The complaint claimed that Mothibi had acted in violation of the regulations as his term had expired at the time the gambling licence was awarded and…

Richmond United Ladies has once again struck gold in 18-year-old winger Michelle ‘Biskit’ Sampson who this week was called up to join the senior national women’s football team B squad in Gqeberha for a two week long preparatory Cosafa camp. Sampson is currently a regular at the Northern Cape province’s only all female professional side Richmond United Ladies FC who campaign in the Hollywoodbets Super League. She normally dons jersey No.19 at the club. Sampson will train under the guidance of interim Banyana Banyana coach Simphiwe Dludlu who has been tasked to guide the national women’s team during coach Desiree Ellis’ absence. Ellis is on study leave somewhere in Europe. On Tuesday this week Safa announced that Dludlu will be appointed to Ellis’ post. The national football organ specified that…