Table of contents for 2023-10-27 in DFA News

THE KIMBERLEY community came together this week to participate in the OATSA Fun Run/Walk, hosted in partnership with Kimberley Harriers Running Club. This event wasn’t just about fitness and fun; it was a heartwarming gesture of support for a very special little fighter, Estél von Molendorff, who was born at Mediclinic Bloemfontein on June 20, 2023. Estél’s journey began with adversity and courage right from the get-go. It was during the 32nd week of her mother’s pregnancy that Kimberley doctors made a startling discovery – there was an excess of amniotic fluid in the womb. Initial tests ruled out pregnancy-related diabetes, but an ultrasound raised concerns. Estél’s stomach appeared underdeveloped, raising suspicions that she was not able to swallow, and of a possible issue with her oesophagus, although it couldn’t…

THE DA in the Northern Cape showed its support for two human trafficking victims when it picketed outside the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court yesterday during the bail application of the man accused of luring the women to the city with false promises of jobs. The party said it would show its support to the victims by raising its voice against the ongoing scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Province, The 38-year-old accused, Adeyefa Adedamla Adetoye, is facing charges of human trafficking, assault, rape, compelled rape and possession of illegal drugs, as well as contravening the Immigration Act. Adetoya was arrested at a chain hotel in Kimberley following an intelligence-driven multi-disciplinary operation between the local police and the provincial Hawks. The regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the…

IN A RECENT interview with Tienie Potgieter, the newly appointed dealer principal of Morgan Nissan and Renault Kimberley, the DFA learned about the new DP’s extensive background in the automotive industry, his passion for people and cars, and his vision for the future of these beloved brands in the Northern Cape. Potgieter, who hails from Johannesburg, is set to steer the dealerships towards a future filled with excellence in customer service and community engagement. With 26 years of experience in the automotive industry, Potgieter is no stranger to the intricacies of managing dealerships. His journey began in 1997 and over the years he’s nurtured a profound understanding of what it takes to make both the staff and the customers thrive. “A leader is only as strong as the people who…

THE GALESHEWE Regional Court sentenced a 31-year-old man, Thabiso Abrahams, to 15 years behind bars for the murder of his girlfriend. The court heard that Abrahams assaulted his girlfriend with a broomstick until it broke and then continued stabbing her in both her legs on June 26, 2022. Police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said the neighbours found her lifeless body and notified the police. Sam said that the provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, welcomed the court outcome, stating that the police “will leave no stone unturned in preventing violence against women and children”. He added that Otola also commended the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Chrisna von Wielligh, for “securing the harsh conviction”.…

THE VICTORIA West Sexual Offences Court sentenced a 31-year-old man, Martin Harris, to 10 years direct imprisonment for raping a woman who he has known his entire life. The regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Northern Cape, Mojalefa Senokoatseane, said Harris raped the woman on his way home from a tavern. “On April 22, 2022, the 39-year-old victim, who has known the accused her entire life and trusted him, was at a tavern. Later that evening she left the tavern for her home. Along the way, she was accosted by the accused, who began to push her to the ground before assaulting her,” said Senokoatsane. “The accused proceeded to drag the victim into the neighbour’s yard, where he raped her. When the accused was done, he…

THE NORTHERN Cape police management has “noted with concern” reports trending on social media and other platforms in relation to hate speech directed towards foreign national traders in the Province, following recent media reports regarding alleged poisoned fake food products sold by foreign traders. Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said “it must be noted that the issue of fake, poisonous goods will be subject to police investigations if reported to the police”. Sam added that the police, in partnership with the local municipal environmental health inspectors and the Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Services, are “heightening prevention approaches through multi-disciplinary raids and inspections”. “The police are pleading with the public to take precautionary measures when buying goods by checking expiry dates and to report any suspicious goods to the…

KUMBA Iron Ore’s Sishen Mine has acquired five emergency power generators to contribute towards the energy requirements that will ensure that critical service delivery is not severely interrupted. The intervention is seen as a measure to counteract the impact of load shedding on key community services. It further highlights the need for a reliable and stable power source as not only key for economic activity to take root, but for communities to thrive. This comes while the country grapples with the issue of rolling power outages and the effect on service delivery is greatly felt, especially at a local level. The project was led by Sishen’s socio-economic development and engineering sections and began in 2022. At a total cost of over R11 million, five generators - one 100kVA generator, three…

KUMBA Iron Ore said this week that its sales in the third quarter dropped by 12% year-on-year due to multiple equipment breakdowns at the Saldanha Port in the Western Cape. In its production and sales report for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023, the group said the sales dropped to 8.9 million tons (Mt). The Anglo American subsidiary said adverse weather conditions also negatively affected the sales. The group reported that it achieved a total production of 9.7Mt, which reflects an increase of 4% compared to quarter two 2023 and a 2% decrease relative to quarter three (Q3) 2022, in line with Transnet’s logistics performance. Kumba’s CEO, Mpumi Zikalala, said: “Although total production was 2% lower compared to the prior period of Q3 2022, we have seen a 4%…

SOMETIMES it just feels as if you are out of sync with the universe. It’s as if everything you attempt is doomed to failure. You feel like you’re trying to waltz but the band is playing a foxtrot. A number of years ago there was a cartoon series – made up of a number of hilarious skits – being aired here in South Africa; one of those slots in the Animaniacs TV show was named ‘Good Idea, Bad Idea’. In the skit you are introduced to a character called Mr Skullhead, an expressionless, bland skeleton that demonstrates the difference between good and bad choices. For example, Mr Skullhead learns that it’s a Good Idea to take a deep breath before jumping into a pool, but a Bad Idea to do…

THREE Nigerian nationals who are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and rape have been granted bail of R10 000 each following their appearance in the Upington District Court on October 25. The trio - Paul Ogor Ndudiokwe, 46, Obinna Igbokwe, 39, and Kenneth Ozor Onurarah, 53 - are accused of having conspired, along with several other suspects, to murder certain police officers in Upington. The regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Northern Cape, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said the accused allegedly conspired to murder the police officers during a meeting that was held at a house situated near Upington. “The three accused were part of a group of seven suspects who were arrested in Upington on October 15, 2023,” said Senokoatsane. “Their motive for wanting to murder…

FOLLOWING the observation of cracks exceeding the Kimberley Big Hole fence neighbouring the Bultfontein Road taxi rank, the Sol Plaatje Municipality and the De Beers Group have taken a decision to permanently close the taxi rank as a safety measure. The taxi rank relocated to the Indian Centre yesterday. Municipal spokesperson Thoko Riet said the Bultfontein taxi rank will be utilised as a waiting area for commuters while the taxis will relocate to the Indian Centre. “Following engagements with De Beers Group regarding the public safety on the land adjacent to a section of the Kimberley Big Hole, the Sol Plaatje Municipality will permanently close the Bultfontein Road to avoid any potential harm to the City of Kimberley and its residents,” said Riet. “As part of routine monitoring, De Beers…

THE WORLD Bank said earlier this week that its board had approved a R19 billion loan to help South Africa reform its energy sector, as the country tries to overcome regular power cuts that have curbed economic growth. The bank wants to support the country's reforms to split Eskom and to transition to a low carbon economy, it said in a statement. Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, the World Bank's director for South Africa, had told Reuters last month that the loan was under discussion and could come soon. In Wednesday's statement, Marie-Nelly said reforms the government had launched would "benefit the people of South Africa - particularly the most vulnerable households - the economy, the environment, and advance the energy transition". Eskom's coal-fired power stations routinely break down, leading to outages…

PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on basic education has urged parents to be aware of what their children are buying and consuming. The chairperson of the committee, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, noted with “grave concern” an increase in food poisoning among learners who apparently bought snacks from vendors outside of schools and fell ill. Mbinqo-Gigaba said the latest incident was brought to her attention this week regarding learners from Jan Kempdorp Primary School in the Northern Cape. The Northern Cape Department of Education confirmed that nine learners from the school had to receive medical assistance and were hospitalised on October 23 after falling ill after apparently eating chips they bought from vendors on their way to school. Northern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe said the nine learners received medical treatment…

THE ONCE-clean streets of Kimberley’s central business district (CBD) have long been known for their charm and unique historical appeal. However, recent events have left local business owners furious and concerned about the deteriorating state of their beloved CBD. Several business owners in the Kimberley CBD have voiced their grievances about the current situation plaguing the commercial district. The issues range from widespread littering and unsightly rubbish scattered around the streets to the presence of persistent hawkers, homeless individuals occupying pavements and the alarming trend of the open burning of rubbish and public drinking in parks and on the streets over weekends. The lack of intervention from Sol Plaatje Municipality and the perceived absence of effective city by-laws have only compounded the problems. The frustrations of business owners have grown…

THE DE AAR Regional Court sentenced a 24-year-old man to 18 years in prison for multiple housebreakings at the Ikwezi Day Care Centre in Nonzwakazi. Andile Qwathi, who was out on parole for robbery at the time of committing the crimes, was convicted on three counts of housebreaking with the intent to steal and theft committed earlier this year between April and May. On April 30, Qwathi broke into Ikwezi Day Care Centre and stole a TV worth R6 000, which he sold for R100. On May 6, Qwathi returned and stole a Samsung flat-screen television and a computer screen worth R7 000, which he sold for R150. During his third break-in at the day-care centre on May 8, the alarm went off, prompting an armed reaction and a quick…

Kimberley Golf Club results for the week of October 11-21 and what’s happening next week. Results for the week of October 11-21 are: The Wednesday, October 11 Darsha sponsored 18-hole IPS competition was won by Jacques Gouws with 36pts on a count-out over William Wepener and Faried Richards, 2nd and 3rd respectively and all on the same points. The Thursday, October 12 KWV-sponsored Niner with power play options was won by Braam Botes with 14pts. Second was Keith Brown on 12pts with Johan Herselman 3rd on 10pts. The Friday, October 13 Flamingo Niner was won by Donald Witbooi on 20pts with H Adikary 2nd on 19pts on a count-out over 3rd placed Gavin Williams also on 19pts. Fourth was Sadick Thomas on 17pts. The Saturday, October 14 Club sponsored 18-hole…