Table of contents for 2022-01-28 in DFA News

Sandi Kwon Hoo sandi.kwonhoo@inl.co.za THE SPECIAL Investigating Unit (SIU) report into the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the Northern Cape has recommended that administrative action, including blacklisting, be implemented against a number of companies that were awarded tenders by the provincial Department of Health. The list includes Macronym 37 (Pty) Ltd, MKV Investments (Pty) Ltd, Asijiki Soundbytes (Pty) Ltd, Revolt Headboy (Pty) Ltd and CMED Suppliers for contravention of the Medicines and Related Substances Act. It was indicated that DNS Supplies, Asijiki Soundbytes (Pty) Ltd and CMED Suppliers contravened the Competition Commission Act, where goods and services were charged at “excessive, unfair and unreasonable prices”. It was stated that the Department of Health had acknowledged receipt of the referrals that were done in July and November last year,…

Sandi Kwon Hoo sandi.kwonhoo@inl.co.za A 43-YEAR-old former police officer, Wayne Myabeka, was found guilty of rape by the Kimberley Magistrate's Court. Myabeka was initially charged with the rape of an adult in November 2019 as well as a minor, while the matter was also investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said yesterday that Myabeka was acquitted of the rape charge involving the minor, as there were too many “contradictions” in the State’s case. “The minor was not related to him. She only knew him because he was a well-known police officer.” Senokoatsane added that Myabeka was found guilty of two charges of rape involving the second complainant. Senokoatsane said that Ipid immediately became involved in the investigation as Myabeka was…

Benida Phillips benida.phillips@inl.co.za PARENTS of pupils at Venus Primary School in Homevale, Kimberley were left fuming yesterday after they saw their children had to wait under trees and in front of classrooms to receive teaching due to classrooms being overcrowded. Large groups of pupils from different grades were seen sitting at school desks under trees while they waited to rotate with their peers who were receiving teaching inside the classrooms. Other pupils were seated at desks placed next to the door of a classroom, while yet other pupils made themselves comfortable on the ground in front of their register classes. Angry parents said that the Northern Cape Department of Education was neglecting the basic rights of their children. “This is totally unacceptable. We have to wake our children up early…

Amanda Maliba and Mpho Rantao THE decision by the Department of Education to discontinue with the three-decades long tradition of publishing matric results was overruled by the North Gauteng High Court after an application from AfriForum, Maroela Media and Anlé Spies – a 2021 matriculant. According to AfriForum’s manager for education rights, Natasha Venter, not publishing the results was going to take away the excitement and the motivation for future matriculants. “To water down the magnitude of the occasion will eventually undermine the pursuit of excellence in education,” she said in court papers. “The publication of the results encourages pupils and schools to strive for excellence. Although it is an extrinsic motivator, pupils who achieve their goals should be allowed to share their results (by sharing their examination number)…

A guide on everything you need to know about Census 2022, including how to identify a census worker and how to register online if you're wary of Covid-19 and want to be safe. Se-Anne Rall se-anne.koopman@inl.co.za Census 2022 officially kicks off in February. What is a census? A census collects data about a country’s socio-economic dynamics – people’s living conditions, access to basic services, income, etc. The data is used for planning, policy formulation and evidence-based decision-making. The results of a census are also the basis for budget allocations across local, provincial and national government. In addition, they provide municipalities with small area data for use in their Integrated Development Plans. Do I have to take part? Yes. A census attempts to collect data from everyone, unlike a survey which…

Stuart Hess in Johannesburg While she’s grown accustomed to captaining the national team, Sune Luus knows that the role will be very different in the next few weeks as the Cricket World Cup comes firmly into focus. Luus is in her 10th year as an international player, has played 88 ODIs, been to World Cups in both 50 over and T20 formats, and captained the Proteas 16 times, and all that time and experience will be vital for her as she and the team wrap up preparations for the World Cup. Leadership experience While she has that leadership experience, Luus said Wednesday she was aware that a captaining at a World Cup will not be the same as doing so in a bilateral series. “Captaining in a World Cup is…

Neville Motlhabakwe neville.motlhabakwe@inl.co.za MODERN-day sports pioneers Lungile Mahlati and Karabo Mothomme have recently launched Black Warriors Rugby Club, an amateur side that is helping the sport make a comeback in Kimberley’s township of Galeshewe after an almost five decades-long absence. The duo of rugby fanatics turned managers credit Universals Rugby Club with the inspiration to start off on their own in the sport. Mahlati himself was a forward for Universals, one of the oldest surviving clubs in the country. He played for four years before he decided to branch out. “The club (Universals) had welcomed me with open arms. They taught me a lot about the game. It is from them that I honed my passion for the game of rugby. As a player I picked up several medals…

Rafael Nadal is two matches away from getting the jump on golden era rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to become all-time Grand Slam leader as the Australian Open gets down to the last four today. The 35-year-old Spanish gladiator has Italian power server Matteo Berrettini to overcome to get through to Sunday’s final against second seed Daniil Medvedev or number four Stefanos Tsitsipas in his quest for a 21st major title. Nadal, seeded sixth and the 2009 winner, had modest expectations resuming after a three-and-a-half-month lay-off with a chronic foot injury at the end of last season. But a combination of nine-time winner Djokovic’s dramatic deportation on the eve of the tournament over vaccination issues and world number three Alexander Zverev’s shock fourth round exit has cleared Nadal’s path…

Brenda Masilela brenda.masilela@africannewsagency.com THE AUGRABIES Falls National Park in the Northern Cape has closed three of its seven viewing decks as a safety precaution because of the increasing flow of the Orange River. “The mighty Orange River has increased at Augrabies Falls National Park (AFNP) to over 3,000 cubic metres per second,” South African National Park’s (SANParks) said on Wednesday. The Department of Water and Sanitation says the Orange River will remain at this flow until the weekend and then slowly decline over the next two weeks. “This means that there will be high levels of water for approximately the next three weeks,” said SANParks. “Due to these high levels, SANParks management has temporarily closed three of the seven viewing decks at the falls as a safety precaution and to…

Boipelo Mere boipelo.mere@inl.co.za MILTON Williams, 28, who is accused of murdering 19-year-old Dwayne van Coller on Christmas Day, was granted bail of R2 000 and is expected to re-appear before the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on March 14. Williams is accused of fatally stabbing Van Coller, from Colville, at the Kim-by-Nite nightclub during the early hours of December 25, 2021. Van Coller was rushed to Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, where he died the same morning. Witnesses claimed that Williams stabbed Van Coller before other patrons, brandishing beer bottles, intervened and chased him to his car and he fled the scene. Williams, who went on the run, handed himself over to the police on January 17. The investigating officer in the matter, Sergeant Modise Moshotloa, opposed bail, citing concerns for Williams’ safety.…

Benida Phillips benida.phillips@inl.co.za WITH a limited number of schools available for children with special needs in Kimberley, parents have indicated that the shortage of staff and transportation at Elizabeth Conradie Special School is draining them financially. The father of a 10-year-old pupil at the school, Alfred Palm, explained that he has to spend more than R4 000 each month to transport his son, Ayden Palm, to school each day. Palm said he lives near Gong-Gong, close to Barkly West, and has been pleading with the school to accommodate his son in the hostel. He said that due to the shortage of staff at the school, his request has been denied for the past four years. “We stay outside Barkly West and Ayden has been attending Elizabeth Conradie Special School for…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za Political Bureau A former EFF councillor who is accused of being behind a fake account that was used to allegedly spread false and racist information has been appointed as an MP. The EFF has moved Anthony Matumba from Limpopo to represent the party in the National Assembly. On Wednesday Matumba was sworn in as a party MP. Matumba is currently facing charges in the Equality Court after he was accused of being behind the Tracy Zille account. He has denied in court that he is behind the Twitter fake account. The matter was heard in the Equality Court on Tuesday where the SA Human Rights Commission brought in an expert witness. The court hearing, sitting in Makhado, was sat down for three days. Matumba is accused of making…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za Political Bureau The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has dismissed an employee’s claim for unfair dismissal for refusing to vaccinate against Covid-19. CCMA commissioner Lungile Matshaka last Thursday dismissed business-related and training officer Theresa Mulderij’s bid to challenge her dismissal on the grounds of incapacity. Her employer, the Goldrush Group, fired her after she failed to comply with its mandatory vaccination policy and was hauled before a disciplinary hearing in October last year. The hearing found that she was permanently incapacitated based on her decision to not get vaccinated and her refusal to help create a safe working environment. Mulderij informed the company that she had no intention to get vaccinated. She told the CCMA that she had a constitutional right to bodily integrity and that…

Anita Dywaba CYCLISTS and adventurers Ron Rutland from KwaZulu-Natal and Adam Nunn from Sea Point have embarked on an adventure of a lifetime this month, cycling 45,000km to deliver the official match whistles to the referees for the opening games of both the women’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) in New Zealand in October 2022 and the men’s Rugby World Cup in France, which kicks off in September 2023. The main aim of their 600-day odyssey, which began at the DHL Stadium in Green Point, is to raise $500,000 (R7.7m) for ChildFund Rugby, which gives young people from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to play, learn and grow. According to sponsors Birkenstock, the duo embarked on their first journey on January 16 from Cape Town and arrived in Namibia on January 24.…

Staff Reporter in Cape Town Siya Kolisi was named as SA Rugby Player of the Year for 2021, after the Springbok captain garnered the most votes for his performances during the season, while the exciting Aphelele Fassi underlined his great potential by winning the Young Player of the Year award. The 30-year-old Kolisi edged out strong challenges from his national teammates Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Eben Etzebeth and Makazole Mapimpi to become the first Bok captain since Jean de Villiers in 2013 to win the top award. Kolisi – who was named the MTN Springbok of the Castle Lager Lions Series last year and was the only Bok to play in all 13 Tests in 2021 – led South Africa to a superb series victory over the British &…

AFP Melbourne – A ruthless Ashleigh Barty swept into her first Australian Open final yesterday with a clinical, straight-sets demolition of Madison Keys to set-up a title match with the hard-hitting Danielle Collins. The world number one overwhelmed 51st-ranked Keys 6-1, 6-3 in just 62 minutes with another American awaiting after the all-business Collins crushed Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-1. Barty is the first Australian woman into the decider of her home Grand Slam since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 and is aiming to become the first winner since Chris O'Neil two years earlier. But the tenacious Collins stands in her way tomorrow with the 28-year-old enjoying a second coming after surgery last year for endometriosis left her pain free. Nine months on and she has 32-7 win-loss record,…

Sylvain Peuchmaurd Agence France-Presse FIFTY years after “Bloody Sunday”, Northern Ireland this weekend commemorates one of the most painful episodes during more than three decades of violence between Catholic nationalists and Protestant unionists. “It's a major milestone in the journey we have travelled for all these years," said John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead by British paratroopers during the January 30, 1972 rights march in Londonderry, or Derry as nationalists call it. On Sunday, Kelly will march as he did with his brother half a century ago, before he was killed at the age of 17. Thirteen people died at the shooting, and one more afterwards. Kelly remembered his brother as “quiet, full of life”. “He was a bit of a joker,” he added, but said he respected his…

Lance Fredericks HOW ABOUT some useless weekend trivia to kick off the last weekend of the first month of 2022? You’d like that? Good! This week with my more than casual interest in super cars, I was trying to find out more about the Bugatti Chiron. The reason for my interest was because I read an article where Czech real estate tycoon Radim Passer was ‘reprimanded’ by the German Transport Ministry for a video he posted of him driving his Chiron at an eye-watering 417 km/h on the Autobahn between Berlin and Hannover. The section of the road used for the test has no fixed speed limit, so Passer didn’t technically break the law, but the Transport Ministry said that it rejects any behaviour that can lead to endangering road…

Sandi Kwon Hoo sandi.kwonhoo@inl.co.za STAFF employed at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley believe that the facility should be closed down due to non-functioning generators, where surgeons allegedly have to make use of cellphone lights in the operating theatre. It was indicated that it is a legal requirement for a hospital to have at least one working emergency generator. “The whole hospital including critical care wards such as the emergency room, casualties, the paediatric unit, intensive care and maternity ward are regularly left in a blackout. Patients’ lives are being put at risk. All clinical stations are supposed to be equipped with a back-up electrical supply so that surgical procedures can be completed in the event of a power failure.” Staff members stated that there was a power trip on…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons Tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@iinl.co.za PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on employment and labour chairperson Lindelwa Dunjwa has condemned the alleged sexual harassment and abuse of women in suspended Western Cape community safety MEC Albert Fritz’s. office. The MEC was suspended on Sunday following allegations of sexual assault against young employees who worked in his office. He has also stepped down from his responsibilities as the DA’s provincial leader. After days of remaining mum, Premier Alan Winde finally spoke out. Winde confirmed that the provincial government’s legal services unit has approached the State Attorney, requesting that independent legal counsel be appointed to conduct an external investigation into the veracity of the allegations made against Fritz. Advocate Jennifer Williams was appointed to conduct the investigations. According to a media report four more provincial government officials…

Yaoundé – Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have helped Liverpool conquer England and Europe, now both crave Africa Cup of Nations winners' medals. Both sharpshooters will be in quarter-finals action on Sunday in Cameroon with Mane-inspired Senegal tackling surprise packets Equatorial Guinea while Salah and his Egypt teammates confront Morocco. Mane says he would “swap all the medals he has won for a Cup of Nations gold gong” while Salah talks of the “desperation of the Egyptian people for another title” after last being champions more than a decade ago in 2010. If they continue winning, twice runners-up Senegal and record seven-time champions Egypt will meet in the February 6 final of the marquee African sporting event. Here, we look ahead to the quarter-finals with Tunisia, Cameroon, Egypt and Senegal…

Mike Greenaway in Durban Blitzboks captain Impi Visser says it is vital that his team hits the ground running at the Estadio Olympico de la Cartjuna in Seville on Saturday after having had to sit out the play on Friday. The 26-year-old prop points to the fact that the Blitzboks will be facing Spain first up on Saturday and will have to be match ready, especially as the home side would have played their first match on Friday already (against the USA), while South Africa has a first-round bye due to Fiji again missing out because of Covid complications. Like last week, South Africa will — alongside the other two teams in Pool A — be awarded three match points and a 0-0 scoreline due to the Fijians not being…