Author: Tshegofatso Letsie
The North West Department of Public Works and Roads said the damage of roads and bridges caused by the floods experienced by the province in January this year to date, will cost more than R2.2 billion. This emerged during the recent oversight visit by the Provincial Executive Council at the Moretele Local Municipality, where the houses of residents and roads in the area were destroyed by heavy rains and floods. The Head of the Department, Moss Kgantsi cautioned that the individual cost of bridges that must be repaired is equivalent to the entire budget that was set aside for road…
American filmmaker and producer Tyler Perry has lived up to what he does best by evoking the emotions of viewers with his latest Netflix drama thriller, Straw. Starring award-winning Taraji P Henson who plays Janiyah Wiltkinson, the film follows the life of a struggling single black mother who fails to make ends meet to take care of her ill daughter and fights to navigate her daily challenges. She ends up at a bank in what becomes a big misunderstanding, where everyone is convinced that she is trying to rob it, while she is just trying to cash her pay check…
The Gauteng Health MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has implored residents of Soweto, to exercise caution when purchasing or consuming food items. Nkomo-Ralehoko was speaking during the commemoration of World Food Safety Day held in Soweto. During her address, the MEC reflected on the devastating impact foodborne illnesses had on the people last year, where the province recorded about 700 cases. “It is unacceptable that 30 of our young ones have lost their lives to foodborne diseases, with the community of Naledi tragically recording the highest number of child deaths. Ten precious lives were lost here due to consumption of harmful pesticides. This is…
The Department of Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille, has hit back at America’s latest updated travel advisory for South Africa, which warned travellers about a supposed high risk of terrorist violence in the country. It further imposed stricter security measures for its government employees and citizens coming to South Africa. De Lille sought to allay fears of prospective travellers following the update. “We understand that travellers may have concerns, and we encourage all visitors to exercise the same level of vigilance and awareness they would when visiting any international destination. Visitor safety is and continues to be a national priority. …
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) believes it’ll be represented by what it described as a “formidable” team at this year’s Comrades Marathon. The Department says it will deploy about 270 officials to the much-anticipated race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on Sunday. National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale believes they’ll be ready for the race of their lives following intense preparations. “Our athletes donned in unmistakable Correctional Services colours, have undergone rigorous training in preparation for this iconic race, hence we talk of a team poised to make a bold statement on the road,” said a confident Thobakgale. The Department is no…
Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, has sought to clarify viral moments of her appearance before the Department’s Portfolio Committee in Parliament. These were various video clips of her chewing what appeared to be gum and seemingly apprehensive when fielding questions from MPs circulated on social media. Amongst others, the Committee wanted clarity on the appointments of the reversed SETA board members as well as more details regarding the panel that was established to oversee the process. In her defence, Nkabane implored the public to watch the full proceedings and not just snippets that went viral. “Claims that…
The North West Department of Education has bemoaned the persisting challenge of teenage pregnancy in the province. MEC Viola Motsumi says it’s one of the leading factors that affect the Department’s ambition of obtaining first position in the national matric results. This emerged during an outreach programme on addressing teenage pregnancy held at the Bojanala District in Phokeng Village, near Rustenburg on Sunday. The initiative was in partnership with the Royal Bafokeng Institute, The Department of Health including health professionals and doctors from the Steve Biko Academic Hospital. Motsumi said efforts by the Department and its partners to end pregnancy…
James Moloi has been re-elected as President of Athletics South Africa (ASA), President, James Moloi after receiving majority of the votes during the federation’s Quadrennial General Meeting held in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday. His re-election marks his fourth year leading the organisation since he assumed the role back in 2021. Delivering his acceptance speech, Moloi thanked the support and confidence the council showed in him while committing to elevate ASA. “I am thankful for the support shown by the council, which shows that we’ve done well for the last four years. Now I’m going to do my level best…
The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management is optimistic that its crime prevention programmes are yielding positive results. This after registering a decline in all categories of crime in the 2024/25 financial year. The Department’s MEC, Wessels Morweng released the fourth quarter crime stats alongside stakeholders in Potchefstroom on Thursday. “The province has achieved a significant 7.6% reduction on 17 community reported crimes. This was in total 1 972 cases less, that were reported as compared to the same period in 2024. All crime categories recorded a decline, with contact crimes having a decrease of 7.7%. Owing…
The recent General Household Survey for 2024 released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that nationally, 22.2% of households rated their access to food inadequate or severely inadequate. According to the report, KwaZulu-Natal, Northen Cape, Eastern Cape, and Mpumalanga have the poorest access to food. It added that the number of people reliant to government grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019 and went up to 40.1% in 2024. Director for Service Delivery Statistics, Niel Roux shared other highlights from the Survey. “Forty-five point-five percent of children lived with mothers only while less than a third…