Author: Tshegofatso Letsie
The North West Legislature Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development has expressed concern over what it reports to be the high number of social grant beneficiaries who are opting to receive their payments through personal bank accounts. This emerged from its oversight meeting with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Department of Social Development, where the committee discovered that about 43 945 beneficiaries are opting to receive their money via direct bank payments, bypassing both the traditional SASSA gold cards and the Postbank black cards. The meeting was held to assess the ongoing migration of SASSA…
Residents will experience low water pressure to intermittent supply as Rand Water is set to begin critical infrastructure maintenance between the 29th of May to 2nd June and some continued recovery work scheduled for July. These repairs will interrupt water supply at crucial pumping systems of Eikenhof, Palmiet, Mapleton and Zwartkopjes which distribute water to numerous municipalities of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and the North West. The entity’s CEO Sipho Mosai emphasized the significance of the maintenance, explaining that it is part of efforts to bolster operational efficiency, reliability and capacity. He adds that this is done in winter to ensure…
Seasoned American actor, Viola Davis, has come to the defence of South Africa to dispel unsubstantiated claims of a white genocide made by US president Donald Trump. Despite a meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Trump administration seeking to dispel the allegations, the narrative continues. The acclaimed actor and producer impressed many South Africans when she spoke out and dismissed the claims as misleading and harmful. “Spent a lot of time in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Durban. “There is no argument, there is no justification. I have seen the ravages of apartheid. I’ve seen the townships- ALL…
The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture has decided to terminate its contract with the Silapha Wellness Intervention Programme. The department says the decision follows investigations into the use of funds allocated to the programme. “The service provider was awarded a tender of R18 297,360 for three years and the department was paying a sum of R507 120,01 to the service provider each month. “With serious questions raised about where and how the bulk of the money was being spent, as well as concerns about the actual impact of the programme, Minister Gayton McKenzie decided the money could be better…
Another timeless tweet by late rapper, Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes that speaks to present events in the country has emerged once again. “Speak facts! If there really was a genocide or massacre of your citizens in this country, wouldn’t your government have announced the names or number of fatalities? CNN fed you fake news and you devoured it,” read a post from the slain rapper dating back to 2022. The resurfacing of the tweet coincided with the much-anticipated meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his US counterpart, Donald Trump on Wednesday at the White House, in Washington D.C. The visit by…
South African coach Rulani Mokwena’s departure from Morocco’s soccer team, Wydad Casablanca, has officially been confirmed. The decision of a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with immediate effect was announced through a joint statement between Mokwena and Wydad on X. “The club expressed its deepest gratitude to coach Mokwena and his technical staff for their unwavering commitment, hard work and sacrifices during a challenging season. Their professionalism and dedication have left an indelible mark on the club,” read the statement. During his 10 months tenure at the club, Mokwena won and drew 14 games while losing seven out of…
The South African Defence Force (SANDF) has guaranteed the public that the mission of a phased withdrawal of soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, is underway and is unfolding according to plan. This follows some weekend media reports alleging that the soldiers were stranded in Goma, after the buses which were supposed to ferry them to Tanzania, failed to arrive. SANDF has since released a statement to refute the claims. “We assure the public that all SANDF members deployed as part of this mission are safe, adequately supplied for and continue to receive their daily meals and essentials. …
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that two cold front systems will impact various parts of the country from Monday to Friday. According to the Service, cold conditions are expected to spread significantly across the country from Tuesday. “On Monday a cold front will make landfall over the South-western parts of the country, resulting in wet, cold and windy conditions over the western parts of the Western Cape. “On Tuesday 20 May, the above-mentioned weather conditions will spread to the east, affecting the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape. “This continued impact of the weather…
Police have launched a probe into a robbery and attempted kidnapping incident involving a former investigator in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial. According to the police, the official who was traveling in a state vehicle in Lombardy East, Johannesburg, was allegedly forced to stop by a group of armed suspects, who attempted to push him into the boot of their vehicle, but he was allegedly able to escape. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says items taken will not have an impact on Meyiwa’s ongoing trial. “Several items taken during the armed robbery which include a state issued firearm with ammunition,…
South African born artist and portrait painter, Marlene Dumas has set a new global record for the most expensive art sold by a living female artist. Her Miss January oil painting which she reportedly created back in 1997 at the tender age of 10 depicting a semi-nude blonde model posing upright, was bought by an anonymous bidder at the Christie’s Auction in New York for a whopping $13.6 million (R246.7m). The British auction house sought to expand on some of the inspirations behind Dumas’ creativity on the artwork. “Dumas started exploring and scrutinising the female form at the age of…