Table of contents for 2026-03-06 in DFA News

THE UPGRADING of the upper limits of salaries, allowances and benefits for Sol Plaatje Municipality councillors – backdated to July 2025 – will come at a cost of R3.1 million, should the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs give his stamp of approval. The acting municipal manager, Reneé Godsson, who was appointed by way of an opposition majority for the purposes of a special council meeting on February 28, said the increases were implemented in line with Sol Plaatje being reclassified as a Category 5 municipality. It was downgraded to a Category 4 municipality in 2024 when revenue collection was at an all-time low. Total outstanding consumer debt amounted to R4.5 billion as at the end of December 2025. In terms of regulations set by the Minister…

Meals on Wheels cyclists mark 10 years of fighting hunger, neglect FOR 10 YEARS, the Meals on Wheels Community Services (Mowcs) South Africa Extreme Cycle for Hunger team has measured its mission not in kilometres alone, but in lives touched. This year marked the initiative’s 10th tour, a milestone that reflects a decade of commitment from cyclists and support staff who have travelled thousands of kilometres with one simple purpose: No person should go to bed hungry. The 2026 tour once again began in Alberton, with the team riding through Klerksdorp, Bloemhof and into Kimberley. As in previous years, the DFA joined the group as part of the media and support team, climbing on board before sunrise to capture the stories unfolding along the route. In Kimberley, the day began…

WARRENTON residents are calling for justice for 13-year-old Temarion Christians, who is believed to have been killed after interrupting intruders who had broken into his mother’s house in Warrenvale. The Northern Cape police have arrested two suspects in connection with the murder and house robbery on March 4. Community members stated that a suspect believed to be involved in the housebreaking was assaulted in an apparent act of mob justice. Police were unable to confirm reports that he had been attacked, hospitalised and had succumbed to his injuries. A family member, Wendy Jacobs, said complaints had been laid against police officers who had allegedly arrived at the scene inebriated and had initially dismissed the boy’s death as a suicide. “Christian’s grandmother told him to go to his mother’s house to…

THE DETERIORATING condition of the once-proud AR Abass Stadium in Kimberley has prompted renewed assurances from the Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, following last week’s report detailing the facility’s decline and funding uncertainty. The stadium, established in 1958 under the ownership of the Griqualand West Rugby Football Union, was historically a cornerstone of non-racial rugby and a focal point for schools and clubs. It remains a symbol of sporting heritage and identity. However, the grounds are now overgrown with weeds, infrastructure has been vandalised, and no competitive matches have been played there for years. During a recent community meeting, attended by 48 community members, a 12-member interim steering committee was elected, to work alongside the department on a recovery plan. Funding uncertainty emerged as a key concern.…

“I’VE ARRIVED safely at work. I love you, see you tomorrow.” These were the last words conveyed by miners to their families before they disappeared down the Du Toitspan Joint Shaft in Kimberley on February 17. Some family members, who broke their silence for the first time this week, expressed their desperation as their loved ones remain unaccounted for following the devastating mud rush at the Ekapa mine. “The voice notes are being played on repeat. All that matters now is that they are found,” they said. They pointed out that the five trapped miners were instrumental in recovering a 76-carat diamond earlier this year from the same tunnel where the mud rush occurred. “They told us that their biggest fear was dying in a mud rush. They risk their…