Table of contents for 2025-03-28 in DFA News

‘Everyone in this court can go home to their families and children, while we sit in prison because of fabricated charges.’ GEORGE “Barney” Peters, who is alleged to be the leader of the “Hollanders gang”, has indicated that he wants to step aside from his trial, claiming innocence and suggesting that court proceedings could continue without him. His previous legal representative withdrew on March 20, and Pierre Fourie from Legal Aid South Africa was appointed to represent Peters on March 26. However, Fourie indicated that his client had chosen to represent himself. Peters and his co-accused – Britney Arends, 22, Stephanie McAnda, 21, Simone Rose, 29, Chinaaz Mentoor, 21, Abigail van Wyk, 22, Chane Adams, 27, Michael Peters, 37, Clive Peters, 42, Deon May, 38, Pamerston Mentoor, 30, Henry Blom,…

OFFICIALS at the Northern Cape Department of Education believe that a senior manager who allegedly made an inappropriate remark of a sexual nature to an employee is being protected despite abusing his powers. Staff members stated that the director was under the impression that the employee was the author of an anonymous letter that was posted on social media. The letter criticised the “rot” within the department and officials were named and shamed for being “serial sex pests, perverts and thugs who were dealing in drugs and engaging in adulterous behaviour”. It accused senior managers of reneging on offers of career promotions in exchange for sexual favours, whereupon the complainants would, in turn, open cases of sexual harassment against them. According to staff, the manager in question made the remark…

MURDER accused Alberto Matthews is waiting to appoint his fourth legal representative to defend him after his latest lawyer withdrew his services in the Northern Cape High Court this week. Matthews violated a protection order when he allegedly shot and killed his ex-wife, Mandy Bailey, at her home in Main Street, Beaconsfield, on December 27, 2023. He allegedly shot her in her bedroom in the presence of his nine-year-old stepdaughter and pointed a firearm at his 20-year-old stepdaughter. The matter was scheduled to be heard for trial this week but was postponed until April 15 to allow for a new attorney to be appointed. Matthews was initially represented by Etienne Matthewson in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court, after which he appointed advocate Celeste Nameka when the case was transferred to the…

THERE are few things in life as frustrating as trying to contact a local government department in Kimberley. Whether it’s the municipality, Home Affairs, or even emergency services, the experience is often the same: outdated numbers on official websites, endless ringing with no answer, or worse – numbers that no longer exist. One would think that in an era of modern communication, reaching a government office would be easier than ever. Instead, it has become a test of patience that many people simply give up on. And that’s exactly the problem: why should the public have to “give up” when government departments are supposed to serve them? Public servants are paid to serve – yet in Kimberley, they are failing miserably. Imagine someone trying to report a dangerous water leak…

WITH the wage bill eating the largest chunk (73 percent) of the Northern Cape budget, little has been left for necessities such as school feeding schemes, learner transport, and school operational costs. Delivering her provincial budget speech this week, the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Venus Blennies-Magage, stated that the compensation of employees would cost R13.4 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. She indicated that the salaries of the Education and Health sectors alone accounted for 79 percent of the personnel budget. Blennies-Magage said that R392 million would be allocated to improving conditions of service, where a 5.5 percent salary increase had been negotiated nationally for public servants, effective from April 1. “However, the national fiscus only provided funding for one percent, with departments expected to absorb the…

AN AMOUNT of R13 million from the adjustment budget will be used to settle a dispute with Transnet over debts arising from the rental of the JW Sauer building in Quinn Street, Kimberley, by the Office of the Premier. The Office of the Premier relocated to the Derek Corns building in Memorial Road in July 2023, where a lease agreement was concluded for monthly rentals of R1.3 million. At the time, Premier Zamani Saul indicated that the Transnet building rentals amounted to R1.6 million per month, with an additional average of R135,000 per month being charged for rates and taxes. He added that the Office had occupied the nearly 60-year-old Transnet building from 2015 until 2023 without a formal contract. Saul said they refused to pay annual escalations of 6.5…

Tomorrow’s match promises to be an exciting encounter as neither team will want to surrender their unbeaten run in the competition THE AGE OLD debate over what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object continues on Saturday when the SA Cup defending champions, the Suzuki Griquas, sitting on top of the table with a massive points difference of 227, takes a trip down to Welkom to take on the undefeated NovaVit Griffons on Saturday. Griquas have continued to solidify their position as the top team in the SA Cup after last week’s outstanding 118-3 victory over the Border Bulldogs in East London. The defending champions were relentless and impressive, scoring 18 tries and keeping their opponents at bay with an impenetrable defensive wall. Gurshwin Wehr’s four tries and…

Kimberley’s young soccer talent will soon have another platform to shine as the Spakes Soccer Development Centre prepares for its official launch on April 5, 2025. Set to kick off at 9am, the event will be hosted at Vuyolwethu High School. Spearheaded by Programme Manager and Project Director Mr. Mbulelo Jack, alongside renowned coach Kagisho "Spakes" Matile, this initiative aims to nurture young soccer talent. Matile, a newly certified coaching educator, brings a wealth of experience to the project, which seeks to develop aspiring players within the community. The Spakes Soccer Development Centre will provide training and development opportunities for children aged seven, nine, 11, and 13 years. The programme includes soccer clinics, matches, team-building exercises, and scouting opportunities. Priority will be given to young players who are not currently…

A RELAXING evening in Hartenbos, Western Cape, turned into a terrifying ordeal for Northern Cape resident Cecile Koen, from Jacobsdal, when she was bitten by a puff adder while attending the South African Junior Tug of War Championships. Koen and her family had arrived at the ATKV chalets on Wednesday to support the young athletes competing in the event. At around 9pm, as they walked over to another chalet where the children were gathered, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her foot. “I initially thought it was a scorpion,” Koen recalled. “But when we looked down, we saw a small puff adder. It all happened so fast.” Her husband, in a state of shock, immediately rushed her to the nearest emergency room. Upon arrival at the hospital’s casualty department,…

WHEN I was at school, I was pretty much influenced by my classmates. When everyone agreed on something, I didn't hesitate, I just went along. I guess that’s how peer pressure works. One thing my classmates agreed on was that history was boring. Therefore, before I knew it, I hated history! However, having seen seven decades already – from the ’60s to the ’20s – I am now practically a historic relic. Now the subject is fascinating, and I salute those who took, and take, time to record history. The other day, I learned some fascinating trivia. I am interested in etymology (the origin of words), and therefore I am elated that I stumbled upon the following story. Late December 1835, somewhere in the Karoo, a group of Trekkers journeyed…

Jacobsdal powerhouse Landboudal delivered an impressive performance on the national stage at the 2025 South African Junior Tug-of-War Championships, held in Mossel Bay from March 20 to 22. Last Friday, the team competed in the 520kg mixed category, which consists of four boys and four girls under 18 years old – an internationally recognised weight class. Against fierce competition from 28 teams, Landboudal secured a bronze medal, which is a testament to their strength and teamwork. Saturday saw Landboudal competing in the 560kg boys’ category, another internationally recognised division, where they faced off against 19 teams. The squad put in a determined effort, finishing just outside the medals in fourth place – an impressive performance. Global Aspirations Following their success on the national stage, the Landboudal them is now setting…

The echoes of shotgun fire, the laughter of children, and the camaraderie of a cold beer shared around a fire – once the heartbeat of the Kimberley Clay Target Club – have fallen silent. This time for good. For generations, the Kimberley Clay Target Club stood as a testament to skill, tradition, and community; a place where enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the discipline and art of clay target shooting. However, the relentless encroachment of artisanal miners, known as ‘Zama Zamas', has driven the club to a devastating end. Yes, a historic sporting institution, the second oldest clay target club in South Africa, has closed its doors, leaving behind a legacy marred by loss and frustration. All thanks to dedication on the part of the vandals and thieves and what appears…