Hoërskool Secunda is trots op sy matrikulante se uitstekende prestasies. Baie dankie aan elke matrikulant, ouer en onderwyser vir harde werk en deursettingsvermoë.
Hoërskool Secunda se personeel wil elke matrikulant voorspoed toewens in die verwesenliking van hul toekomsplanne.
For several years Govan Mbeki Municipality has been on the receiving end of the public’s disapproval because of the lack of a waste collection schedule.
This has resulted in the illegal dumping all over the township. Recently, community members spent their holidays cleaning up the township to ensure that all the garbage, nappies and all waste in all the well-known illegal dumping sites were removed. These sites cause an increase in contagious diseases such as swine flu, diarrhoea, etc.
Community members started a neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group on which members can report illegal dumping in particular places in and around eMbalenhle. It is very easy when you suspect that there is a person who is dumping something in the street; take a picture and post it on the WhatsApp group with a location. It is against the municipality bylaws to dump used nappies and plastic everywhere. The council thinks that this is going to be the solution to the crisis in eMbalenhle.
“We can’t go on like that maybe people don’t know about scheduled times and place where municipality vehicles collect waste.”
Here is the collection truck schedule:
Monday: Ext 4,5,9,11,12,24 & CBD.
Tuesday: Ext 2,6,7,8,10 & 25.
Wednesday: Ext 18,19,20 & CBD.
Thursday: Ext 14,15,21 & parts of 22.
Fridays: Ext 17,22 & 16.
On the abovementioned dates, community members are urged to monitor the availability of trucks and if not, they can ask their wards councillors.
We hope 2020 is going to be a different year in regards to the attitude of waste collection and dumping. – Sandile Mkhwanazi
Dit is ‘n naweek-projek, want jy het enigiets tussen 6 tot 9 ure (en selfs oornag as jy wil diep-dieper-diepste rooi gaan) nodig vir die kwepers om donkerrooi te kleur in die oond en vir die geur om te verdiep. As jy jou kwepers egter net roospienk wil hê of net 2 ure het om hierdie paradyslike nagereg te maak, verskaf ek daarvoor ook ‘n resep. Bedien 6
• 800 g strooisuiker
• 1 liter water of wyn van jou keuse. Ek het rosé gebruik.
• 1 vanieljepeul, oopgesny
• Dun afgesnyde skil van halwe suurlemoen
• 1 pypkaneel
• 2 steranys
• 3 groot kwepers
Metode:
• Voorverhit die oond tot 130°C. Plaas die suiker en 1 liter water in ‘n wye oondvaste skottel en verhit tot kookpunt. Voeg die vanieljepeul, suurlemoenskil en kaneelstokkie by.
• Intussen, skil die kwepers (behou die skil), sny in kwarte en verwyder die klokhuis (alhoewel ek hou die pitte in). Plaas die kwepers in die stroop soos jy aangaan, saam met die skil, om te keer dat dit verkleur. Bedek die pot met ‘n stuk bakpapier of waspapier, verhit tot dit net liggies begin kook. Sit die deksel op en plaas die bak in die oond. Bak tot die verlangde tekstuur en kleur:
5-6 ure vir ‘n medium robynrooi; 7-9 ure vir diep-rooi. As jy dit nog donkerder wil kry, skakel die oond na 9 ure af en laat oornag in die oond afkoel. Kwepers wat so in stroop gekook word hou tot ‘n maand in die yskas – as jy dit nie dan alreeds verslind het nie.
Ek sal dit bedien met zabaglione of creme fraiche.
Lidi de Waal is ‘n baie gewilde, talentvolle en bekende kunstenares van die Suid-Kaap. Wat haar kunswerke so besonders maak, is dat sy by baie van hulle ‘n gedig skryf wat die gees van die spesifieke skildery of beeld vasvang. Haar werke is rou eerlik, en soms baie persoonlik. So skryf sy die volgende by ‘n skildery van ‘n vrou:
“vir my klink om te declutter altyd na ń goeie idee / ruim op / minimaliseer / maak minder / vereenvoudig / maar dis nie sommer net vir woeps / daar’s als gedeclutter nie / nee dis werk en moeite en tyd / en jy moet dink wat vreeslik ergs sal gebeur as ek dié ding weggooi / en as ek dit weer nodig kry / sal ek dit kan leen of huur / is dié ding rêrig al die spasie wat hy opneem werd / anyway declutter jou huis…./ jy sal ligter voel / maar om jou lewe te declutter is meer belangrik / en jou kop ook / maar dis way out meer ingewikkeld / om ontslae te raak / ligter te maak / om jou lewe te vereenvoudig / om weg te doen met onnodig swaar mense en verpligtinge en selfopofferinge / en loodsware onthoue wat jou afrem. / Geseënd is die mens wat dit ligvoets regkry om te declutter.”
Jy verstaan iets hiervan as jy jou motorhuis regpak waar die kartondose nog net so staan sedert jy drie jaar gelede ingetrek het. Wat as ‘n onaangename taak voor jou lê om die goed uit te sorteer, word uiteindelik ‘n reuse ontdekkingstog. Boks een se inhoud, wat al twintig jaar onoopgemaak saam met jou trek, het jy totaal al vergeet van: jou menasiedrag uit jou dae as staandemaglid in die lugmag en leër. Meteens onthou jy die formele dinees, hoe die ou tradisies met groot presiesheid nagekom is. Die port- en wynflesse wat met die regterhand geneem word, en met die linkerhand aangegee word. Die president van die offisiersmenasie wat na die vyfgangmaaltyd op die ghong voor hom slaan, opstaan, en sy glas port uitsteek na die foto van die staatspresident wat teen die muur hang, en plegtig verklaar: “Dames en here, op die staatspresident.” Dan die hele geselskap wat opstaan, hulle glase lig, en soos een man sê: “Op die staatspresident.” Die kelners het daarna vir elke offisier ‘n sigaar aangebied en aangesteek. By een basis was dit tradisie dat die kapelaan juis dan ‘n grap of storie moet vertel. Of dit die kapelaan se grap was wat dit veroorsaak het, weet ek nie, maar dikwels het die formele dinee effe meer informeel geraak daarna. Met meestal ‘n groot boete vir die skuldiges en uitspattiges tot gevolg om die menasiefonds ‘n hupstoot te gee, of selfs iets ergers. Soos die een luitenant uitgevind het toe hy ‘n glas gelig het op die staatspresident, en luidkeels uitgeroep het: “Op die stasiemeester!” Hy het lank en duur daarvoor geboet. Of die kaptein wat in sy menasiedrag onder die tafels deurgekruip het, hangende medaljes klingelend, en die manne wat teenoor mekaar gesit het, se skoenveters aanmekaar gebind het kort voor die heildronk op die staatspresident. Met ‘n minder waardige heildronk tot gevolg. Of die keer toe julle laataand bok-bok gespeel het in die deftige offisiersmenasie, die oorlog vir ‘n wyle vergete. Dadelik weet jy: boks een word net so toegemaak, en gebêre.
Boks twee het dieselfde proses: die briefies van jou kinders toe hulle klein was. Die eerste briefie met ‘n prentjie van ‘n huisie waar die rook uittrek en stokmannetjies oortuig jou. “papa is n goeje papa ek is lif vir papa.” Boks twee bly. Boks drie dieselfde nadat jy jou ou skoolrapporte opspoor en al die punte en kommentare lees. Juffrou Struwig wat in die eerste kwartaal van graad een skryf: “Marius is ‘n goeie seun, maar is somtyds baie stadig.” Ditto, juffrou Struwig! Jou boks bly. So ook boks vier, vyf en ses. Et cetera. Tot al die bokse weer terug is presies waar hulle gestaan het.
Soos mens deur die opgegaarde goed van jou lewe kyk, wat “hoarding” genoem word in Engels, besef jy dat jy net so baie rommel versamel in jou kop en jou hart, goed waarvan jy eenvoudig net nie ontslae kan raak raak nie. Daarmee word nie bedoel aangename herinneringe of ervarings nie, ook nie hoogtepunte van jou lewe nie. Maar juis daardie bokse wat jy nooit oopmaak nie, omdat dit te seer is. Of nog steeds jou vernederd laat voel. Die oomblik as jy aan daardie gemoedsbokse raak, kom ook dáárdie onthou terug. Woede, skaamheid. Bitterheid. Soos Koos Doep sing: “As almal vêr is, word die hart skielik oud…/ as die wêreld ‘n ster is, afsydig en koud…/ smee die gordyne ‘n komplot teen die lig/ krimp die kosyne en deure sluit dig / as almal ver is, vind jy jouself/ waar jy in stilte in ou hartkamers delf.”
Dit is waarvan Lidi praat as sy sê: “Geseënd is die mens wat dit ligvoets regkry om te declutter.” Ligvoets is dit beslis nie. Maar bevrydend wel. Dit is nogal ‘n missie om ontslae te raak van daardie dowwe kopkiekies, en vry te word. Daardie onoopgemaakte bokse van jare terug kan vandag nog oor mens hang soos die Spookmeisie van Uniondale. Al is dit nie so eenvoudig om juis die donker dinge weg te gooi nie, bly dit egter ‘n katarsis, ‘n suiwering, as jy dit kan regkry. Dit verg waagmoed. “Decluttering” is nie vir sissies nie. Nie vir stadige mense soos ek nie….
Concerns were raised amongst the eMbalenhle community just after the peaceful festive season. Everyone was still celebrating the huge decrease in murder, burglary, arson and assault cases in the eMbalenhle community.
The community praised the hard work of the police during the festive season in enforcing the law and ensuring that the people were safe, during the busiest time of year, in the township. Huge law enforcement visibility was set to be the reason for the major decrease in gangsterism amongst the community.
But that was not going to last very long as this past weekend a young man was brutally killed in Ext 7, eMbalenhle, by unknown suspects. The murder occurred while he was on his way home from a family event. It is alleged that he left everyone at the party to go home and rest.
When his friends left the party, they were shocked to find his helpless body on the side of the road with his clothes stripped off. They immediately called the police who came and investigated.
The investigation which is still on going.
Speaking for the family one member who wishes to remain anonymous said: “They killed his brother and took sneakers and his cell phone as well as other belongings, a family conducted their own investigation which led them to a young man who confessed that he had got sneakers from his older brother then they took him to eMbalenhle police station for further assistance.”
On Monday morning The Bulletin asked several times for any feedback from eMbalenhle police regarding the matter but to no avail.
“For the whole of December it was very quiet you could say this is not Embalenhle we know until second weekend of January where we start to have reports of murders,” said one of the police officers at eMbalenhle.
Brace yourselves for the worst. Stage 6 load shedding, which the country experienced on December 9, is set to become more frequent as Eskom’s plant breakdowns remain at dangerously high levels.
Stage 6 means 6000 megawatts need to be shed from the national grid to avert its collapse.
In Gauteng, where load shedding intervals last four hours, Eskom customers could be without electricity for an average of 10 hours a day.
Last night, Eskom’s tale of woe was worsened by the announcement that Jabu Mabuza, the board chair, had quit after the utility could not meet a pledge made to President Cyril Ramaphosa to avoid load shedding until next week.
Last weekend, Eskom implemented stage 2 power cuts, dropping 2000MW from the grid, which continued until yesterday. But had demand been at normal levels, it would have been necessary to move to stage 6 last weekend.
“Given the current lack of effective forward planning and poor execution on our capacity expansion strategy, stage 6 may well be a common occurrence for the foreseeable future,” said Des Muller, the managing director for Nu-Energy Developments.
“Not only does an unreliable power system constrain our economy, but it also deters local and foreign investment into our economy to help alleviate unprecedented levels of unemployment in South Africa.”
Experiencing stage 6 regularly would be detrimental.
“This will place South Africa on par with most African countries where only the minority have access to very expensive or own-generated electricity.”
Energy expert Lungile Mashele said continued outages at stage 6 could signal the shutdown of the economy.
“Industries, businesses and residents will not be able to proceed with business. Further downgrades are to be expected with a negative outlook for the economy,” she said.
“While hospitals are seldom load shed and have generators as back-ups, this is not the case, however, for palliative care institutions and houses where people are on life support systems. Those people are in danger and there have been fatalities due to load shedding.
“Load shedding that persists at this nature will have an impact on foreign direct investment, political and economic stability, employment and economic growth.”
Eskom said plant breakdowns must be limited to 9500MW of capacity to avoid load shedding. Over the past two weeks, however, breakdowns have been substantially higher, reaching 14096MW last Friday, while Monday’s breakdowns stood at 13119MW at 6am.
Over 2019 as a whole, Eskom’s energy availability factor was 67%, compared with 72% over 2018 and 79% over 2017. The last two weeks of December saw the energy availability factor hit 59.7% and 58% respectively.
Professor Hartmut Winkler from the department of physics at the University of Johannesburg expects the power situation to get far worse before it gets better.
“Things could certainly get worse, especially if some of the remaining coal plants that have been performing reasonably to date also experience major breakdowns,” said Winkler.
“Permanent stage 2 load shedding, occasionally rising to stage 4 or even stage 6, is not unthinkable in the current state of affairs.
“Some people are even advocating that this is the way to go, as it would make it easier for Eskom to catch up on its delayed maintenance schedule.”
Winkler said it could take around five years before the power utility recovered.
“In five years, Medupi and Kusile can hopefully be completed and, even more importantly, a massive amount of renewable energy generating capacity can be put in place.
“The latter of course requires governmental support, but the present minister that has the power to initiate the renewable power development process seems to be very slow and even reluctant, to do so.”
With load shedding remaining on the cards indefinitely at this stage, Mashele warned South Africans to expect the worst.
“I’d love to say things can’t get worse, but this week we hit an excess of 15000MW, which was out for unplanned maintenance. This has never happened in the organisation’s 96-year history. Eskom has a problem with its ageing fleet and overdue maintenance,” said Mashele. “We should expect load shedding for many months to come. Eskom should communicate this as fact – tell people that for the next 18 months we need to maintain our system and thus will be at stage 1 load shedding daily. This creates transparency, accountability and reliability.”
Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl, editor of ESI Africa, an energy industry journal, said the electricity supply industry was likely to remain constrained for a number of years.
“Commercial and industrial businesses and the public must be prepared to actively manage the impact as we can no longer expect a reliable supply of electricity,” she said. “The electricity supply system will take years to be brought back up to speed.”
There is also the looming threat of a national blackout. While this may be a distant threat, it could very well be a possibility in the future, said Winkler.
“There is still some way to go before that situation is reached and I think this is still only a distant threat. Bear in mind also that Eskom preferably likes to schedule its planned maintenance in December/January as that is when demand is lowest.
“That is why when we had stage 6 in December, some plants were off even though they were not actually faulty. If there is a crisis looming on the scale of a national blackout, then Eskom will probably return idle plants to operation sooner than planned, though this can take days or even weeks, so I’m not going to claim that a national blackout is not possible.”
Mashele agreed the threat of a national blackout was real.
“The reason we are load shedding is to avoid a national blackout. That’s how serious the issue is. Load shedding by its nature is an extreme event to try to salvage a system that is not meeting capacity and is about to lead to a system collapse, which will lead to a blackout.”
South Africa has only once experienced a national blackout – in December 1975. This was caused by a switch that malfunctioned in the Northern Cape. Should the country experience another, it would signal disaster.
A total blackout, said Mashele, would mean a complete shutdown of the economy and possibly the region.
“No movement, no travel, no food, no water, no work or schooling. People will stockpile food, water and fuel and the poorest will feel the impact the most.”
Eskom said it would continue to work around the clock to increase generating capacity and blamed years of “inadequate maintenance” for the system’s vulnerability to breakdowns and unplanned outages.
“Lack of maintenance leading to a large number of generators not being ready for service and resulting in failure of units while generating, is why we are experiencing load shedding,” said Professor Willie Cronje, of the school of electrical and information engineering at Wits University.
Winkler agreed. “Like with an old car, breakdowns will become more frequent and difficult to fix with age, especially if the car/plant has not been maintained properly. Many of the coal plants still operating were supposed to have been retired by now.
“Medupi and Kusile are still not finished. Furthermore, they have cost Eskom more than double of the initial projection and are the main reason for Eskom’s cash crunch. I also do not dismiss sabotage claims, though the majority of breakdowns are unlikely to be linked to that.”
Mashele agreed that sabotage could not be ruled out.
“However, the major reason boils down to maintenance. Eskom’s headache are boiler tube leaks, a common cause of outages and generation loss in thermal power plants.”
Saturday Star
SAMEER NAIK
Provincial Commissioner warns SAPS members to refrain from committing acts of crime
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has strongly condemned the acts of criminality by SAPS members more so as members of the police, a former police officer as well as a member of Community Police Forum, appeared at the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on 7 January and on 8 January, on charges of Corruption. All six suspects were granted bail of R2000 each and their case was postponed to 4 March. These first five suspects were arrested on 20 December 2019, by the Mpumalanga Anti-Corruption Unit and made their first court appearance in the Witbank Magistrate Court on the same day, 20 December 2019. At that time, they were remanded in custody until their court appearance on Tuesday, 7 January. Their court appearance follows an incident which occurred on 29 August 2019, whereby suspects entered a Witbank furniture and electronics shop in the Central business area of Witbank. Reports allege that three of the suspects were dressed in police uniform and the other four were wearing civilian clothes. These suspects informed the owner of the business that they are searching the shop and they are specifically looking for drugs. During the search, drugs were found and were confiscated with about R86 000 in cash. The business owner and two of his employees were informed by these men that they were under arrest and were taken to Witbank Police Station for detention. The business owner and the two employees were released on the premise that the confiscated drugs had gone missing, however he was given back an amount of about R36 000 and the rest was kept by the accused. The anti-corruption unit of Mpumalanga investigated the matter and a case docket of corruption was opened at Witbank police station which subsequently led to the arrest of the five suspects. The suspects that appeared in Court on Tuesday, 7 January, are 52-year-old Captain Sekgweni Phasha, 43-year-old Sergeant Nonthuthuzelo Mabena, 34-year-old Constable Mellicent Mlambo, 51-year-old Saint Manyakalala reported to be a member of the Community Police Forum, as well as 49-year-sold Karolus Pienaar who is a former police officer. Meanwhile, 39-year-old Constable Charles Motshele Mogoba ,who works at Germiston Police Station, was added on the list by the Mpumalanga Anti-Corruption Unit on Tuesday, 7 January, in Gauteng and was on the dock on Wednesday, 8 January, at Witbank Magistrate’s Court facing the same charges as the others. He was also granted bail of R2000 and is expected to appear again in the same Court with his co-accused on 4 March. The investigation of the corruption case is still ongoing with the aim to clean up any rotten elements within the ranks as well as anywhere where corruption rises its ugly head. The Provincial Commissioner has further sent a strong warning to law enforcement officers who might be thinking of engaging in corrupt activities. “We will not allow criminality within our ranks which has a potential to dent the image of other upstanding officers who are working hard to root out crime and corruption. We will arrest anyone who commits crime and engage in corrupt activities without fear or favour, even if it means arresting our own,” said General Zuma.
Ten suspects intercepted before robbery
Ten suspects arrested by the police at Verena after being intercepted while on their way to commit an armed robbery on Tuesday, have been remanded in custody. The arrest of the villains came as a result of persistent efforts by the police in Mpumalanga, to curtail the proliferation of illegal firearms which in the main, are used by hardened criminals to commit ruthless crimes including murder. According to reports, the arrest took place after police received information from members of the public on Tuesday, 7 January, about firearms and ammunition that were in transit in a suspicious vehicle. This information led the police to a scene near Verena where they spotted the said vehicle, a Toyota Quantum, on the R544 road, which matched the vehicle description provided. They stopped the vehicle and conducted a thorough search and also searched its occupants. Whilst searching, police recovered five firearms and ammunition. They also managed to recover equipment inside the vehicle, which the police suspected to be used for house breakings. The suspects were charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. They appeared at the Mkobola Magistrate’s Court on 9 January. The suspects, Klaas Mokgoswane, Ayanda Mnisi, Steven Zulu, Godfrey Lubisi, Tshepo Mogapane, Norman Sibiya, Lucky Malebana, Kenneth Senosha, Jerry Mohawule and Nicholas Seimela, aged 25 – 40, were not asked to plea but were all remanded in custody until 14 January, for a formal bail application. The Provincial Commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, welcomes the arrest as well as the recovery of the firearms and labelled the efforts of the police as commendable. He further applauds members of the public for providing such valuable information that led to the arrest of the suspects. “This is a step in the right direction of which it will definitely lead towards eradicating illegal firearms that are being used by heartless criminals to perpetuate vicious crimes in our society. We commend the partnership that exists between police and the community which seeks to narrow the trust deficit and with it, I have no doubt that it will ensure the realisation of Police Minister, General Bheki Cele’s quest of ‘Zizojika Izinto’ (turning the tide against crime), if we could continue to work together, then we can also realise our goal of making sure that our community does not only feel safe but is safe. As the police, we will continue to be robust in searching as well as removing illegal firearms and ammunitions. We therefore encourage community members to continue to partner with the police and to also provide information so that we can be able to operationalise it,” said General Zuma. The police will also probe the suspects further to see if they are not involved in other criminal matters in the province or elsewhere as during the time of their arrest, it came forth that they were intercepted while on their way to commit an armed robbery. It is evident on this information that these villains were determined given the manner in which they were armed and it is also possible that they might be wanted suspects in other places for other violent crimes.
“No place for murderers, rapists and other ills,” says Provincial Commissioner
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has reiterated the government’s position of stamping the authority of the state against criminals. General Zuma has indicated that murderers, rapists and other criminal perverts is not supposed to share a space amongst society but in jail. He calls on the community to work closely with the police with a clear and solid view of exchanging information that may lead to the arrest of perpetrators of crime. The unwavering words of General Zuma were echoed after he welcomed hefty sentences which were meted against Nhlanhla Mahlangu, 23 and Sifundo Zulu, 22, by Judge Johannes Strydom at the Circuit of the Pretoria High Court, which was sitting at Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 10 January. Mahlangu and Zulu were sentenced to Life Imprisonment for rape and Life Imprisonment for murder. The sentencing comes after Mahlangu and Zulu were linked to a horrendous incident whereby then 20-year-old Nokuthula Skhosana was raped and ruthlessly murdered by these two heartless criminals on Sunday, 3 September 2017, in Tweefontein. The High Court heard how on that fateful day, Mahlangu and Zulu waylaid to strike, like predators, Nokuthula who was walking with a male friend from a liquor outlet situated in Tweefontein. Mahlangu and Zulu viciously attacked the pair, robbed Nokuthula of her cell phone whilst assaulting her friend who managed to abscond from the terrible scene. Unfortunately, Nokuthula never managed to break loose from the two criminals who dragged her to the nearby bushes. These heartless men took turns raping her. After satisfying their evil lusts, they decided to cut her life short by casting her with stones. When they realised that she was still breathing, they strangled her to death using her waist belt.
Eventually it dawned on the two killers and rapists that they have committed a heinous act. So, before abandoning her body, they carried out a plan of masking their evil deed by covering her body with stones for people not to see it. Even after their attempt to hide their sin, Mahlangu was restless at home to a point where he later stole his uncle’s bakkie, drove back to the murder scene where he took Nokuthula’s body and buried it in a shallow grave, about 10 kilometres away from the scene where she was killed.
The matter was reported to police in Tweefontein and the case docket thereof handed over to Detectives who wasted no time and immediately conducted a thorough investigation. The well dedicated police investigation team worked tirelessly, knitted all bits and pieces of information together and followed all leads available. It took them a maximum of seven days to arrest Mahlangu and Zulu who were positively linked to the rape and brutal murder of Nokuthula. The duo was nabbed on 11 September 2017. Police tightened all screws regarding the case at which point even on the bail bid by suspects, which was heard at the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court, was successfully opposed. When Judge Strydom handed down the sentence, he stated that a defenceless young woman was gang raped and brutally killed. That was very heartless and cruel and it was uncalled for. The Judge also appreciated the coordination between the police and the National Prosecution Authority that made the case watertight. Mahlangu was also sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for theft whilst Zulu was sentenced to 3 more years imprisonment on the same charge. For Kidnapping, both suspects were sentenced to 5 years to languish in prison and 5 years imprisonment for defeating the ends of Justice. However, all their sentences will run concurrently.
The Provincial Commissioner has applauded the sterling work done by the Justice Cluster and the team of astute Detectives in ensuring that their investigation was done thoroughly, which has led to the conviction and sentencing of Mahlangu and Zulu who attacked, raped and threatened as well as killed an innocent young woman. He also used the platform to call on the public to come forth with information that could lead to the arrest of 25-year-old Simphiwe Mtsweni’s murderers.
“I want to assure the community that the manner in which we used all the resources at our disposal to secure maximum sentence on Mahlangu and Zulu, we will do the same to Simphiwe’s killers. Perpetrators of Gender Based Violence should know that they do not have a space in our society. It is scary to mention that there are a number of young women who have died in the hands of so called jealous and cowardly boyfriends in the province. These types of killings are often taking place in closed doors where police are not aware. It is against this background that the Traditional Leaders Policing Concept will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap of moral regeneration within the society as they have been instrumental in instilling morals within the society during ancient times. What we have realised is that there is moral decay in the society hence women are willy-nilly being maimed. We need all opinion leaders to partner with government, the police in particular with a view to eradicate the scourge of Gender Based Violence. On the same note, I am glad though that the suspect who mercilessly shot at Laurancia Zinhle Mathebula in December 2019 and absconded the scene, has been apprehended. The arrest of the suspect signal a sigh of relief to the family that at least the suspect, Skhumbuzo Patrick Khoza, 36, was brought to book on Sunday, 5 January,” concluded General Zuma.
Another number jumble occured last week at the reveal of the 2019 matric results. The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, was delivering a vital part of her speech when she turned into a comedienne. Instead of saying 1.763 million, the numbers came out as: “1.1 million 763 million.” She quickly corrected herself and enjoyed a chuckle with the crowd.
In her speech titled: “LAST DECADE OF THE NDP 2030 – LET’S GROW SOUTH AFRICA TOGETHER”, she spoke about the importance of education in South Africa and how the time is now to find permanent solutions to change the education and training system. These were some of the priorities mentioned:
Continued on page 5
On Wednesday, 8 January the Mpumalanga Top 10 and best performing learners were announced at Graceland Hotel, Casino and Country Club. This day was also the ANC’s 108-year birthday celebration.
The lavish event was attended by Mr Jackson Mthembu, currently serving as Minister in the Presidency, Mr Bonakele Majuba, MEC for Education in Mpumalanga, Mrs LH Moyane, Deputy Director General: Curriculum, Mr JR Nkosi, Acting Head: Education, Mr Busi Sheba, speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial legislature, the executive council, chief whip of the ANC, members of parliament, traditional leaders, Mayor Thandi Nxgonono, Sasol’s senior vice president, Mr Simon Baloyi, media and the top achieving students.
The day was opened with our National Anthem after which programme director, Mr JR Nkosi, Acting Head of Education in Mpumalanga, welcomed everyone and announced the speakers of the day.
The theme of the event seemed to be surrounding the 25 years of freedom and how ANC-led government has improved the country. One of the speakers said that the results that were achieved in last year’s NSC exams was the highest ever and could never be achieved by the apartheid government.
It was said: “The class of 2019 wrote at the apex of the celebrations and review of a 25-year journey that this beautiful country and province has travelled and traverse. These results therefore represent a good narrative compared to where we were 25-years ago. They provide a reflection of outstanding progress made and the epitome of gains recorded within the education realm. They also constitute a solid foundation to usher.”
The Mpumalanga numbers that were given that day, was later disputed by Jane Sithole: MPL – DA Mpumalanga spokesperson on Education in a press release: “The class of 2019 got an overall pass rate of 80.3%, an improvement of 1.3 % from the 79% it received in the 2018 academic year. However, Mpumalanga’s real pass rate stands at 37%, taking into consideration that in 2017 the Province had 94 103 learners in Grade 10 and only 34 995 of those passed the 2019 Matric Exam. What happened to the other 59 108?
It means these 59 108 young uneducated people will be entering the competitive job market this year. The ANC government has failed these young people, many of whom will and are languishing at home and on the streets.
None the less, the DA would like to congratulate the class of 2019 and their teachers for obtaining the official pass rate of 80.3%, an improvement of 1.3 % from the 79% it received in the 2018 academic year. This improvement is despite challenges learners were faced with in their learning environment. There were burning of schools, lack of sanitation, strikes and load-shedding.”
Jane Sithole asked a valid question in her statement: “What happened to the other 59108?”
Despite all the political agendas, the students were celebrated that day and they received a bursary from the Department of Education, some received R15 000, kettles, microwaves etc and the top performing learner received a brand-new Toyota Aygo and petrol money.
The Top 10 students in Mpumalanga were announced and Mpumalanga Province also boasted that the number 1 learner for quantile 4 schools hails form our beautiful province, Greta Kurpershoek from Hoërskool Middelburg.
Well done to all the students and congratulations on all their hard work that paid off! – Ané Prinsloo
Sources: https://www.education.gov.za/Newsroom/Speeches/tabid/950/ctl/Details/mid/8848/ItemID/7777/Default.aspx
The Highveld Sailing Club (HSC) is an active sailing club with their base at Trichardtsfontein dam.
They boast that they have the cleanest water in all South Africa and they most probably do. A last fun sail event for 2019 was held on Saturday, 21 December and HSC tried to get as many as possible boats on the water. It was quite a spectacle with the colourful sails filling the waters.
The event was put on hold for a few minutes due to thunder, but the bad weather subsided and made for good sailing.
Access to the grounds is well controlled and members can practice their hobby in safety.
Club Spokesperson, Pieter Blaauw spoke to The Bulletin: “We invite every one that is interested in sailing to contact us. It is a sport which the whole family can participate in.”
“We would like to get the youth more involved in the sport,” Pieter said: “we do have some young people in our club but I believe that more young people can enjoy the sport.”
Anyone that is interested in joining the club or would like some more information can contact Pieter: 0826506529
Dakar 2020: Saudi Arabia
Having moved from South America to Saudi Arabia, the world’s most gruelling cross-country rally, the Dakar Rally, kicked-off its 42nd event from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. This is the ultimate test for man and machine against the elements of nature that traditionally takes place in harsh desert terrain.
This year the race will be run over 12 stages with a well-deserved rest day halfway through. Competitors will cover a total distance of 7900 kilometres from 5 January 2020 to 17 January 2020. The racing distance is 5000km that will be run at maximum speeds. The organisers believe the race will be faster this year, like the old events in Africa, as the terrain allows for higher speeds and they expect an average speed of 105km/h on the special stages for the front runners.
From Jeddah the race will head north along the Red Sea and then turn East towards the capital Riyadh. After the rest day, teams will head South through the Arabian Desert before they pass the most southern point at Shubaytah at the end of Stage 10. After the final two stages the race ends in Qiddiya which is further North West. With ten South Africans competing in the race and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team hailing from South Africa the local interest has grown tremendously. A total of 351 vehicles consisting of 147 Bikes, 23 Quads, 89 Cars, 47 Side-by-sides and 45 Trucks participate in the event. Former Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso (#310) from Spain will be racing one of the South African built Toyotas, with Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar (#300), the defending Dakar champion, out to win his second title in a row and former Dakar winner, South Africa’s Giniel de Villiers (#304), in an identical Toyota. Bernard Ten Brinke from the Netherlands (#307) who boasts several Dakar trophies, complete the very strong Toyota Gazoo Racing team. Multi-discipline winner and the man who carries the title of Mr. Dakar, Stephane Peterhansel from France and former World Rally Champion, Carlos Sainz Sr. from Spain, will pose a major threat for the Toyota team in their X-Raid Minis. Many of the former Dakar Factory Minis are raced by private teams and they will be in the mix to get an overall Mini win in Qiddiya. A very interesting entry in the factory teams is former bike winner, Nani Roma from Spain, who drives a Borgward for the first time in this event.
Amongst the bikes, KTM will be the team to beat with Australia’s Toby Price the favourite and defending champion. Sam Sunderland from the UK, 2017 winner and 2018 winner, Austrian, Matthias Walkner, will put up a great fight with their KTM team-mates.
There is a wide range of manufacturers amongst the bikes with KTM, Honda, Husqvarna, Yamaha, Gas Gas and Kawasaki represented.
With the Petronas De Rooy Iveco Team from the Netherlands having changed almost their entire crew, the door was left wide open for the Russian Kamaz team to take their 17th overall win in the truck category.
Stage 1 – 5 January 2020 – Jeddah to Al Wajh – Special Stage 319km, Liaison 433km, Total 752km
Romain Dumas and his co-driver Alexandre Winocq from France, who competed in numerous Dakar Rallies, had to look on as their car burnt out during the stage. Competitors found the first stage of the race extremely tough with the Toyota Gazoo Team suffering 11 punctures amongst their four cars, especially in the rocky sections towards the end of the stage. As a result, Nasser Al Attiyah had to settle for fourth place after he led most of the stage. A surprise win goes to Lithuanian, Vaidotas Zala (#319), in a Mini who kept it together ahead of Mini works drivers Stephane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz Sr. who also suffered punctures in the rocks.Bernhard Ten Brinke finished 5th with Fernando Alonso in 11th place and Giniel de Villiers bringing the fourth Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota home in 14th position. The Borgwart of Nani Roma is currently in 16th place.
Toby Price continued his 2019 dominance and finished ahead of Honda rider Ricky Brabec from the USA and his KTM team-mate Matthias Walkner in the bike category.
Chilean, Ignacio Casale, an old hand and very competitive rider, won the quad race, while maiden SxS racer, Poland’s, Aron Domzala won the stage in the Side-by-Side competition.
As predicted, Kamaz had a great day with Russian, Anton Shibalov and his team, finishing first in truck #516 of the KAMAZ-Master team followed by the Maz-Sportauto team’s #503 with Siarhei Viazovich from Belorussia just over a minute slower. The Dutch Petronas De Rooy Iveco #505 finished 1’33” later in the hands of Janus van Kasteren.
Stage 2 – 6 January 2020 – Al Wajh to Neom – Special Stage 367km, Liaison 26km, Total 393km
As a first “Super Marathon” stage for the bikes and quads, where the time allowed to work on their machines is limited, this will be a very tough stage.
Navigation on the stage is critical and the teams will learn about the different Saudi landmarks compared to those in South America.