Table of contents for 2023-05-05 in DFA News

SOME South Africans are calling for Britain to return the world's largest diamond, known as the Star of Africa, which is set in the royal sceptre that King Charles III will hold at his coronation tomorrow. The diamond, which weighs 530 carats, was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to the British monarchy by the colonial government in the country, which was then under British rule. Now amid a global conversation about returning artwork and artefacts that were pillaged during colonial times, some South Africans are calling for the diamond to be brought back. "The diamond needs to come to South Africa. It needs to be a sign of our pride, our heritage and our culture," said Mothusi Kamanga, a lawyer and activist in Johannesburg who has promoted…

DIAMANTVELD High School has announced that its open day for Grade 8 pupils will take place next Tuesday, May 9, starting at 6pm. Parents and pupils who are entering Grade 8 next year are invited to attend and explore what the school has to offer. With a rich sporting history, Diamantveld High School (DHS) provides pupils with opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports, including rugby, netball, hockey, tennis, badminton, athletics and cricket. DHS also recognises many sporting codes outside of the school. Principal Leon Victor said that the school is committed to elevating its sporting codes to a higher level of performance and, therefore, participates in sporting events not only in Kimberley but also throughout the province and the country. DHS prides itself on five core values:…

ANOTHER excruciating and crippling petrol price hike is upon us. Wait, did I see that right? Can it be true that as of just a few days ago we have been paying an extra R1.27 per litre? So a full tank of petrol will once again swallow up quite a few extra rands off our monthly budget. I used to boast to my friends that calculating my fuel-spend was easy because at the time my car would travel one kilometre for every rand of fuel I used. The sad thing is that my monthly fuel budget has now more than doubled since I bought my little vehicle, which means that – more or less – it costs me around one rand to travel just 500 metres. And though to some…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana (pictured) says he is not considering zero-rating certain food items to cushion the poor due to the rising cost of living. Godongwana said that at this stage the Budget is not in a position to fund anything outside of what was presented in February. Godongwana, who was part of the Economics Cluster of ministers answering oral questions in the National Assembly this week, said many programmes of the government were supporting the poor. He said the government was already funding its indigent policy with R70 billion. He said the funds that have been allocated in the Budget would be able to address key programmes of the state. Members of the National Assembly wanted to know if the government would take measures to cushion the poor by…

KATHU Solar Park funded a high-impact Maths and Science Programme that was launched across 25 primary and secondary schools in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District (JTG). The objective of the programme is to significantly improve learner aptitude in these essential subjects. The programme is set to benefit close to 35 000 children across various communities and is designed and customised in line with the South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). Teacher training started last month and participating schools will receive laptops and projectors as part of the roll-out of the programme. The economic development manager for Kathu Solar Park, Cheryl Persensie, said that the impact of the programme will be monitored. “It is envisaged that the programme will be expanded,” Persensie added. The Department of Education in the…

AFTER being omitted from the line-up of the 2023 Absa Wildeklawer Sports Tournament, Northern Cape High School’s rugby teams attended the Menlopark 60-year anniversary tournament in Pretoria. The Kimberley teams struggled against much stronger opposition, but put up a determined fight nonetheless. According to Deon Carney, the head of rugby at NCH, the tournament was quite challenging for their teams. “We played against Menlopark and Waterkloof, which are two very big schools, and they are very physical,” said Carney. Yet, despite losing both games, Carney was impressed with the performance of his first team. In their game against Menlopark, NCH put up a good fight. At halftime the score was 5-5. However, in the last few minutes of the game, the hosts dominated and pulled away to a 22-5 win.…

TWO NORTHERN Cape youngsters, Giovanni Macaleni and Jennilee van Nel, were the only candidates who successfully made it to the land training during the South African Navy Recruitment Drive. The two-day recruitment drive, which started yesterday, is taking place at the Karen Muir Swimming Pool in Kimberley. Macaleni and Van Nel, who are both 21 years old, managed to outperform 26 other candidates who participated in the drive yesterday. The public relations officer for the recruitment drive, Lieutenant Depheney Maja, said they are looking for at least 100 recruits from the Northern Cape to try to get into the navy. “The South African Navy is currently crisscrossing the country in search of potential divers. The national drive started on Monday, April 24 and will end on Tuesday, May 30, 2023,”…

SOUTH Africa’s printing machine for driving licences has broken down again, and will only be back in service in about three weeks, according to the Department of Transport. The spokesperson for the national Department of Transport, Collen Msibi, said the machine broke down after undergoing routine maintenance last month. “The routine maintenance started onApril 5, 2023 to April 19, 2023. Thereafter the technical team encountered a technical breakdown which requires a replacement of a critical part from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM),” Msibi said. “It is anticipated that the resumption of card production shall commence within the next 2 to 3 weeks.” However, Msibi said the Department of Transport encourages citizens to continue applying for driving licences. “The Department of Transport has today reassured members of the public that the…

HUGE disruptions will rock the global job market over the next five years as the economy weakens and companies boost adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), a new report has revealed. That finding comes from the World Economic Forum, which published a report based on surveys of more than 800 companies, reports CNN. WEF – which hosts a gathering of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland, every year – found that employers expect to create 69 million new jobs by 2027 and eliminate 83 million positions. That will result in a net loss of 14 million jobs, equivalent to 2% of current employment, CNN reported. Many factors will feed labour market churn during that period. The shift to renewable energy systems will be a powerful engine for generating jobs,…

INTERNATIONAL Firefighters’ Day was celebrated yesterday throughout the world to honour firefighters who put their lives at risk and to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives saving people and property. During the International Firefighters’ Day celebrations at the Sol Plaatje municipal fire station yesterday, the new fire chief, Ntante John Sephiri, was inaugurated in the presence of firefighters from the municipal Fire Department and well as from the SA National Defence Force and Transnet. The newly-appointed 54-year-old fire chief has been serving in the fire industry for over 34 years. Sephiri encouraged the firefighters to focus on their studies even if they are not recognised as yet. He believes that opportunities will eventually come and you have to be ready with your qualifications to prove that you are the right…

Africa Genesis Archery (AGA) Northern Cape’s Administrator, Dawid de Greeff, after having completed the AGA Level-2 Instructor Training (BAIT), is now qualified to oversee the local training of archery instructors and officials in the province. This development significantly reduces the cost for volunteers who wish to get involved in the sport as instructors and officials. Now, six new Basic Archery Instructors (BAIs) are taking advantage of the opportunity and will be trained locally by AGA-NC tomorrow, Saturday, May 6, at Vooruitsig Primary School by De Greeff. Archery is considered the second-safest sport after ping pong (table tennis) due to the high standard of training and discipline instilled in archers from the first time they are introduced to the sport. BAIs carry a responsible position on and off the range and…

THE 9th All-African Tug-of-War Championships got under way at the Pirates Club sports grounds in Kimberley yesterday. This is the first time that the city is hosting such an event and it promises to be a thrilling display of strength and teamwork. Several African countries, as well as provinces, have descended on the city to “tug it out” and see who will be crowned the best of the best. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho will all be taking part in the main event tomorrow. Nine clubs from South Africa, five from Zimbabwe and three from Lesotho have also descended on the city, making it 300 athletes that will compete this year. Yesterday saw the youth championships taking place. This includes athletes aged between 18 and 25. Today, the African Club…

THE ROAD Freight Association and a farming association have welcomed the diesel price decreases which came into effect this week. The Department of Minerals and Energy announced that the price of 500ppm diesel came down by 73 cents per litre, while the 50ppm diesel dropped by 47 cents. Illuminating paraffin decreased by 33 cents per litre. However, petrol prices increased by 37 cents per litre for both grades and experts at FNB have warned that consumers should prepare for more increases this year. Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, said that the diesel price decrease was welcome news. “Every time there is a decrease in the price of fuel, one of the largest aspects of the operational cost of a freight company, which is the cost per kilometre…

Kimberley Golf Club Results for the week of April 27-30 and news about next week’s programme. Results for the week of April 27-30 are: The Wednesday, April 26 John Dorys sponsored 18-hole IPS was won by Henk Ackerman on 35 pts with Ronnie Engelbrecht 2nd on a count-out on 34 pts. Third also on 34 pts was Erik Fivas. The Thursday, April 27 KWV sponsored 9-hole IPS with power play options was won by Braam Botes with 28 pts. Second was Herman Posthumus with 25 pts and third was Jock Robey on a count-out on 22 pts. The Friday, April 28 Sun Flamingo Niner was won by Parks Mashabao on 19 pts with Andries Kori 2nd on 18 pts. Third was Clifford on 17 pts and 4th was Bernie Turton…

Griquas are ready to step up their physicality against visiting Lions IF YOU are expecting an electrifying clash at Windhoek Draught Park this afternoon when the Windhoek Draught Griquas host the Fidelity ADT Lions in a Currie Cup encounter that kicks off at 3.30pm, chances are that you will not be disappointed. Both teams are currently sitting on 19 log points, with the Griquas edging ahead in fifth place, just above the Lions. Despite the Lions position on the log, they come into this match on the back of a stunning 26-10 upset victory over the second-of-the-log Airlink Pumas. Lions scrum half Morné van den Berg played a pivotal role in the win, orchestrating a dominant first-half performance that set up the surprise result. With both the Lions and Griquas…

THE RECENTLY-concluded Absa Wildeklawer Sports Tournament is one of the most highly anticipated sporting events in the country, attracting thousands of people every year. And this year, the event did not disappoint, managing to draw an impressive 102 schools from across South Africa. The tournament, which featured rugby, netball, and soccer, was an opportunity for young athletes to showcase their skills and potentially catch the eye of talent scouts from top universities. The Absa Wildeklawer has a reputation for producing some of the country’s most talented rugby and netball players, making it a must-see event for sports fans and recruiters alike. This year, the opening ceremony was a spectacle to behold, with schools proudly parading their flags, Diamantveld High School pom pom girls put on a breathtaking performance; two Rocket…