Table of contents for 2023-10-06 in DFA News

LAST week, when I read an article in this newspaper about the municipal manager encouraging businesses to take ownership of Kimberley’s CBD, I can say without a hint of sarcasm or irony that I applauded that move on the municipality’s part. Some may become cynical and speak about how long the municipality allowed things to slide for the problem to become this big, and throw other pennies into the plate. I am not saying that criticism and cynicism are out of place. I cannot make that call, seeing as I never attended the meeting in the City Hall and therefore all the information I have at my disposal to make positive or disparaging comments will be based on the summary that was published last Friday. I was, however, privileged to…

A TOTAL of 280 professional and champion chess players from 11 different countries across the world competed in the Fifth Moja Chess Extravaganza that took place at the Diamond Pavilion Mall in Kimberley from September 29 to October 4. The tournament is an annual international chess competition aimed at promoting as well as celebrating the game of chess. According to the tournament director and president of Northern Cape Chess, Warren Ahjum, this year’s tournament was once again filled with “A-listers” from the chess world. “This year we were graced by the presence of Grandmaster Adhum Fawzy from Egypt, who is the reigning African chess champion. We also had seven international masters,” said Ahjum. “Players competed in four different categories - namely the Prestige category, which is open to everyone, the…

Kimberley Golf Club results for the week of September 27 to 30 and what’s happening next week. Results for the week of September 27 to 30 are: The Wednesday, September 27 John Dory’s sponsored 18-hole IPS competition was won by Bernard Turpin with 44pts. Second was Imraan Kathree with 41pts on a count-out over 3rd placed Dee Kidson with the same score. Fourth was Fuad Mahri with 40 pts also on a count-out. The Thursday, September 28 KWV sponsored Niner with power play options was won by Jade Paton with 22pts. Second was Braam Botes on 19ps and 3rd Keith Brown on 18pts. The Friday, September 29 Flamingo Niner was won by Sharheem Richards with 22pts. Second was Susan Alexander on 20pts with Jaco Janse 3rd on 19pts and Parks…

The Sol Plaatje University (SPU) campus in Kimberley was buzzing with excitement as it hosted an action-packed weekend of rugby during the eagerly awaited USSA Sevens tournament. Teams hailing from all corners of the country competed fiercely for the coveted titles in both men’s and women’s divisions. After a series of intense matches, it was the North-West University (NWU) Eagles who emerged triumphant, claiming victory in both categories and achieving a remarkably impressive double championship win. In the women’s division final, the NWU women’s team showcased their dominance by overpowering the University of Pretoria (UP) with a resounding 26-0 victory. Meanwhile, in the men’s final, the Eagles faced a formidable challenge from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) but ultimately triumphed with a score of 21-5. The semi-finals witnessed…

ANGLO American said it is cutting corporate office jobs across several countries, as unions said its South African iron ore business plans to lay off scores of workers at its head office. The global mining giant had started reorganising its operations in May, a spokesperson told Reuters this week. "We expect a potential reduction in corporate office roles across a number of countries," the spokesperson added, without giving further details of the size or location of the cuts. Livhuwani Mammburu, spokesperson for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), earlier told Reuters that Anglo’s Kumba Iron Ore plans to cut 183 jobs, mostly at its head office, as it faces challenges in moving sufficient volumes to ports as a result of rail constraints in South Africa. The job cuts could be…

THE FAMILY and friends of a slain 28-year-old foreign national businessman are outraged as the police are yet to make an arrest more than two years after his murder. Faraad Mnowar Jahid was shot and killed at his supermarket in Ritchie on September 25, 2021. According to reports at the time, three armed men entered the supermarket at around 7pm and held Jahid and customers at gunpoint inside the store. They instructed the customers to lie down on the floor before later releasing them. They then took Jahid, his wife and his 11-month-old baby to a back room and tied them up with tape. The men proceeded to rob the store of an undisclosed amount of money and cellphones and they took Jahid’s car keys. The men fled the…

IN AN INSPIRING and heart-warming endeavour, Henrike de Wet, a determined Grade 10 pupil from Nelspruit High School has embarked on a mission to raise funds and awareness for the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) Mpumalanga. Accompanied by her father, Gideon, the duo are undertaking a remarkable motorcycle journey across six provinces in just seven days. BMW Kimberley played host to this remarkable father-and-daughter duo this week, along with their dedicated support crew. Gideon, an avid BMW motorcycle enthusiast, took centre stage during the event, addressing a poignant topic that touches many lives: cancer and the heart-wrenching experience of losing loved ones to this formidable adversary. In a gesture of support and solidarity, the duo conducted a spirited auction, featuring an array of coveted items. Among the treasures up…

The NORTHERN Cape Africa Genesis Archery (AGA-NC) team enthusiastically commenced the AGA-SA National Inter-Provincial Championship 2023 at the Springs Indoor Sports Arena in Gauteng on Wednesday, brimming with excitement and readiness for a demanding competition. The championship featured teams from all nine provinces, featuring primary, high school, development, and adult teams, with a grand total of 576 provincial archers participating in a thrilling Bull’s Eye competition. In this competition that ends today, the combined scores of 16 provincial archers are meticulously calculated to determine the total score per team. The teams achieving the highest scores in each category will earn 1st, 2nd, and consecutive places in the competition. Additionally, individual archers are recognised and awarded for their outstanding performances, distinguishing the Top Achieving AGA-SA Archers in South Africa for 2023.…

FIFTEEN-year-old Unamandla Vilakazi, who was crowned Miss Teen Mundial 2023 third runner-up in Curaçao this past weekend, says her biggest dream is to compete for the Miss World crown. Unamandla, who was the youngest contestant at Miss Teen Mundial, managed to make the top five in what she described as a very challenging pageant, where she competed against beauty queens from more than 30 different countries around the world. She added that while the competition was tough, she was delighted to have done her country proud. Unamandla arrived to great cheers at the Kimberley Airport as she was met by local performers and her supporters. Overcome by emotion, Unamandla said the pageant and her experience has been humbling and exciting and she has learnt a lot from it. She described…

SIX WHITE City homeowners have accused Sol Plaatje Municipality of trying to “brush off” the claims they submitted for damages they suffered during flooding in the area in 2021. This follows after several homeowners in White City, Roodepan, who reside near the Tlhageng Dam put in claims against Sol Plaatje Municipality for damages caused to their homes and furniture by flooding and inadequate storm drainage. One of the claimants said that it appears as if the municipality has pushed their claims aside and is delaying their payout, despite the fact that eight other claimants have already been compensated. “In May this year, the council took a decision that they will compensate everyone who suffered damages to their furniture during the floods. They have decided that the municipality will, however, take…

THE THIRD instalment of the highly-anticipated Street Lines Skate Tournament unfolded this past Saturday, marking the end of September. Proudly presented by LW Mag and powered by Dragon Energy Drink in collaboration with Dickies, Garmin, and GoPro, this thrilling event took place at Pretoria's renowned Thrashers Skatepark. In a captivating showdown, two Olympians, Boipelo Awuah from Kimberley and Johannesburg's own Brandon Valjalo, reaffirmed their status as skateboarding icons by securing top honours in the women's and men's divisions, respectively. Seventy accomplished skateboarders, comprising 20 women and 50 men, gathered at Thrashers Skatepark from various corners of Africa to test their skills. Under ideal weather conditions, these athletes navigated intense qualifying rounds, all striving to accumulate enough points to earn a coveted spot in the finals. This year's competition reached unprecedented…