Table of contents for 2024-03-22 in DFA News

A 20-YEAR-old matric pupil charged with raping a 17-year-old boy at the Lerato Place of Safety was released on bail of R1 000. The accused is expected to reappear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court in April. Until then, he will reside with family members in Chris Hani Park. His legal representative, Denzil Landsberg from Legal Aid South Africa, indicated that his client intends to plead not guilty to the charges. “He has no previous convictions or any pending cases. He will not interfere with any witnesses. He wants to finish his schooling as he is in matric,” said Landsberg. The investigating officer in the matter, Warrant Officer Conrad de Jongh from the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit, stated that the complainant was a Malawian national who…

TWENTY-two-year-old Mothusiemang Bika, dubbed “Young Pappi”, was given a warm welcome at the Kimberley Airport following his eviction from the Big Brother House on Sunday. Bika made it to the top 10 on the reality TV show Big Brother Mzansi (DStv channel 198), after having kick-started his adventure with 22 other housemates in January. A jolly Bika arrived in Kimberley on Tuesday and said that he was proud to have reached his goal of making the top 10. “My goal was to make it to the top 10, that is huge … I wanted to give my Northern Cape Province a top 10. I am grateful to those who kept on voting for me, for granting me that opportunity and that honour,” said Bika. He was met at the airport…

IN A MADAM and Eve cartoon I saw recently, Young Thandi asks Mother Anderson, “What’s corruption?” The old woman explains: “You’ve been with us when we get stopped by traffic cops … right?” Thandi responds, “Ja, so?” Mother Anderson continues: “If we give them some money for ‘cool drinks’ … then they don’t give us a traffic ticket.” I think everyone agrees that this is a pretty sharp definition of corruption. But Thandi went a step too far. She asked, “So which one is the ‘corruption’? Giving cool drink money? … or taking cool drink money?” And, as usual, Mother Anderson kicks her out of the house. Ja nee, but at least Thandi asks questions when she doesn’t understand something. As for me, I can be pretty literal at times,…

COMMUNITY members are convinced that the two young boys who became trapped in the boot of a car in Jan Kempdorp would not have gotten into the vehicle of their own accord. A three-year-old and four-year-old boy were reported missing by their parents on March 16 and were found two days later, five houses away from their residences in Valspan. They were found locked inside the boot of a Mercedes-Benz car that was parked at the back of a mechanic’s yard on Monday afternoon, following a frantic search involving the community and the police. The Jan Kempdorp police have opened an inquest into the death of the three-year-old boy. The four-year-old boy survived but was very weak and dehydrated when he was found. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance are also…

Learners from Flamingo Primary School made regular visits to the winners podium at the recent Northern Cape Athletics competition held at the De Beers Athletics Track in Kimberley. The school’s participation was met with pride and enthusiasm, with teacher Lebogang Sebudi who expressed his admiration for the students’ achievements at the competition. In an interview with the DFA, Sebudi said the entire school was immensely proud of its athletes who participated in the competition. “We are really proud of our learners who took part in the Northern Cape Athletics competition,” said Sebudi. “Each student gave their best effort, and their results reflect their dedication and hard work.” Among the standout performances was Warona Sehako’s debut in the 60-metre run, where she secured an impressive second-place finish. Sehako’s achievement marked a…

THE EVENT organisers of the Diamonds and Dorings Music Festival, which will take place next weekend, said this week that it is “all systems go” for the event. The festival was arranged in the space of only a few weeks after it was announced on February 7 that the event would be revived following a request from the Office of the Premier to allow the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to host and fund the event this year. The Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will allocate R1.5 million through its flagship funding programme for the event, which will be held at Langley Pleasure Resort from March 31 to April 1. Sources indicated that Standard Bank would sponsor the R750 000 that was to be contributed by…

THE SOUTH African Army bestowed tokens of appreciation to DFA journalists this week, for ensuring that decorated World War II veteran Oupa William Peter “Soldaat” van Wyk was given the recognition he deserved for selflessly serving his country. Van Wyk was born in Beaconsfield in Kimberley on June 9, 1922, and was recognised by the SANDF as the oldest WWII veteran in the country. He passed away on February 28 at the age of 101 years and was buried last week. Van Wyk’s plight first came to the attention of DFA journalist Boipelo Mere, as he was initially not recognised as a WWII veteran as he was a member of the Cape Coloured Corps when he served in the ex-servicemen’s legion in 1922. Van Wyk served in various battles in…

AS THE Northern Cape observed Human Rights Day yesterday, a non-profit company (NPC) has called for the need to promote positive masculinity as a solution to stop gender-based violence (GBV), crime and fatherlessness in the nation. While commemorating the sacrifices made by individuals striving for equal rights, it is important to acknowledge that many human rights violations are rooted in false and wounded masculinity, the organisation says. Despite SA’s constitution being one of the most progressive in the world, the Province and the country still grapple with alarming rates of rape, GBV and rampant violent crimes against children. Additionally, fatherless and child-headed households present a stark contradiction to the ideals of democracy over the past three decades. “No boy is born an abuser; something goes wrong on the journey from…

Sol Plaatje Easter Soccer Tournament draw sets up thrilling clashes AS THE MONTH of March draws to a close, soccer enthusiasts across the city are gearing up for the highly anticipated Sol Plaatje Masters League Easter Soccer Tournament. Scheduled to run from March 29 to April 1, this annual event promises four days of thrilling soccer action. This year, all eyes will be on the Diskobolos Military Base Grounds, which will serve as the exclusive venue for the tournament. With matches scheduled across four fields, organisers are confident in their ability to ensure smooth proceedings and the timely completion of all games. Defending champions, Aztec Masters, will be back on the field, aiming to retain their title. However, they’ll face fierce competition from other teams vying for bragging rights and…

In a groundbreaking move, AVS Griekwas has announced its leap into the digital age for its 2024 trials. Facing the logistical challenges posed by busy schedules and vast distances in the Northern Cape, the rugby powerhouse has opted for an innovative solution: fully digitising its upcoming Bokkie Week trials. Building upon the success of the digital rugby trials conducted in 2023, AVS Griquas eagerly anticipates providing another avenue for Griqua players to become part of the esteemed Bokkie Week family this year. Despite the challenges posed by circumstances, schedules, and distances, Griqua players will have a fair platform to exhibit their talents and compete against other top contenders. Prospective players keen on joining Griquas’ Bokkie Week trials for 2024 are invited to submit their sports CVs via e-mail to bokkieoffice@gmail.com.…

THE DAY before a community-orchestrated shutdown was supposed to take place in Warrenton, the Northern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Bentley Vass, met with the mayor of Magareng Local Municipality, Neo Mase, and other officials to deliberate on the water challenges facing the town and to assess the progress made on projects that will address the matter. Prior to this, a poster had been circling on social media calling for a total shutdown of the town on March 20, 2024, until the water challenges were permanently addressed. The poster stated that the shutdown would continue until the 2024 national elections and called on Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul to attend to the problem. Residents of the town have been complaining about having to…

KIDNEY failure disproportionately affects individuals of African descent, more so than other racial groups. This disparity is primarily attributed to genetic predispositions that make them susceptible to uncontrolled high blood pressure, a condition that often leads to kidney disease. Professor Feziwe Bisiwe, the head of the neurology clinical unit at Universitas Academic Hospital, has aptly classified kidney disease as a “silent killer”. Bisiwe made the remarks at an event to mark World Kidney Day on March 14. The annual event, organised by Universitas Academic Hospital and Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital, was held at Pelonomi under the theme: “Kidney health for all”. Bisiwe said the day is observed to improve awareness about kidney diseases and to educate the public, especially black people, about the signs and symptoms of kidney failure, and also…

THE KIMBERLEY police have requested the public’s assistance in locating the relatives of an unknown man who was found hanging from a tree in the veld near Barkly Road in Bloemanda. Police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said the police have previously sent out statements in an attempt to find the relatives of the deceased, but all attempts have thus far been unsuccessful. “The police released statements on Tuesday, December 19, 2024, as well as on Friday, January 26, 2024, about an unknown male person hanging in a tree along Barkly Road. The body has still not been claimed and the police are pleading with the community to assist in locating the family of the deceased. The deceased was wearing a blue and grey overall and dark spectacles,” said Sam. He…

THE MAYOR of Thembelihle Local Municipality, Leonard Makenna, will approach the Northern Cape High Court on March 22 in an urgent bid to compel the local council to comply after it defied the instructions of the Northern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta). The MEC for Coghsta, Bentley Vass, stated on March 8 that the decision by the Thembelihle municipal council to reinstate the senior manager of corporate services, Trevin Ralph Oliphant, and uplift the suspension of the chief financial officer, Radile Shuping, went against his advice and should be reversed. In correspondence, he pointed out that Oliphant’s appointment was null and void, as he did not meet the minimum requirements for the position. Vass stated that the council defied his instruction in June 2022…

Kimberley Golf Club results for the week of March 13-16 and a look ahead to the period of March 22-31. Results for March 13 to 16 are: The Wednesday, March 13 DARSHA-sponsored 18-hole IPS was won by Stephan van Heerden with 40pts. Second was Barend Burger on 39pts with Harry Welham 3rd on 3pts. The Thursday, March 14 KWV Niner was won by Willie Delport on 26pts with Kevin Wakeford 2nd on 25pts and Keith Brown 3rd on 24pts on a count-out. The Friday, March 15 Flamingo Niner was won by Peter Salo with 20pts. Second was Gavin Williams on 19pts on a count-out over 3rd placed Ronnie Engelbrecht and 4th placed Gavin Oliver all on 19pts. The Saturday, March 16 Club IPS competition was won by Werner Herselman on…