It is all systems go for Banyana Banyana as they continue their preparations for the upcoming friendly match against Mozambique scheduled for Sunday, 9 June at the Kanyamazane Stadium in Nelspruit.

The Sasol-sponsored Senior Women’s national team has been training at the Ingwenyama Lodge Sports Grounds in Nelspruit since arriving in Mpumalanga on Monday.  Banyana coach Joseph Mkhonza and his technical team said they were highly impressed by the commitment from entire squad of 21 players.

The Banyana Banyana mentor feels preparations are right on track. The camp will give him further opportunity to look at the progress of players following the two training sessions on Tuesday.

“Preparations for the encounter against Mozambique this coming Sunday are well underway and looking at the players’ commitment, I must say I am very impressed. That is why it is going to be difficult to drop certain players and have the final 18 players that will travel back to Johannesburg for the match against Zimbabwe. 

“Apart from a bit of fatigue following a long journey from Johannesburg, there are no injuries and the players have recovered well after travelling a long distance. We are now looking at trying out new combinations. We are also working on the players’ tactical awareness on the field because this will be crucial in our game against Mozambique,” said Mkhonza.

Nelisiwe Mchunu, who is among the new additions to the Banyana Banyana squad, is excited about the opportunity to play at national team level and representing her country. The 21-year old defender, who is doing her first year in Sports Management at the University of Johannesburg, has been rising up the ranks of women’s football. 

The Moroka Swallows FC (Sasol league, Gauteng) defender was voted the player of the year in the 2012 JVW Schools League and also captained the JVW Stars team feels the national team call-up will motivate her to work even harder to improve her game.

“It is an honour to be among some of the players who I always idolised like Amanda Dlamini and ‘China’ (Gabisile Hlumbane). These are players I have always looked up to in football. It is really exciting to be here.

“The level of training in the national team cannot be compared with what we do at club level. I have come to understand that fitness is key and I am going to take everything I have learned here and put it into practice at my club. I will work harder with the hope that I will be recognised for future national team call-ups,” said Mchunu.

Nelisiwe’s love for football is the reason she now has an opportunity to also excel academically. She was awarded a bursary to study at the university through her participation in the 2012 JVW Schools League.

“Nelisiwe has a great future ahead of her. She has always been a player with great potential and was even awarded a bursary to further her studies at the University of Johannesburg. With mentoring and hard work, I believe she has all the characteristics to excel as a player,” said Van Wyk.

Banyana Banyana will train twice today (Wednesday) as coach Mkhonza looks to finalise his starting 11 for the Mozambique game.

The Office of Premier in the North West Province will be strengthening its capacity to monitor infrastructure development and track the implementation of infrastructure projects with specific focus on value for money, job creation and spending. 

 Premier Thandi Modise had recently briefed the Portfolio Committee on Provincial Affairs and Finance in the provincial legislature of the process to expedite the appointment of a dedicated project manager to keep tap on all projects implemented in the province.

The monitoring of infrastructure projects will be supplemented by the Frontline Service Delivery Monitoring (DSDM) Programme which is implemented in collaboration with the Department of Perfomance Monitoring and Evaluation. Service sites such as Clinics, Hospitals, Schools, SASSA Offices, and Magistrate Courts among others are visited to assess the quality of service delivery.

The monitoring team has together with facilities managers, district offices and relevant stakeholders sourced on site solutions to solve the challenges particularly around staff shortage. Other challenges that were observed during monitoring exercises include infrastructure, lack of equipment and infrastructure.

As a sequel to the Frontline Visit to Montshioa Clinic in Mahikeng last year, additional staff was transferred to the clinic to speed up service delivery.

Through these FSDM visits and interventions, the provincial government would continue to unblock some of these challenges.

Corrective measures have been put in place to accelerate implementation of infrastructure projects particularly some Department such as Sports, Arts and Culture have had challenges with regards to the implementation of their projects.

The Office of the Premier is also monitoring the implementation of the Infrastructure projects in the Moretele Municipality emanating from the Presidents visit in Ngobi. Though the initial focus of the projects was on the water projects, focus is also on the roads, housing, health and education infrastructure monitoring.Premier’s office will continue to monitor infrastructure projects and seek solutions where necessary.

A 66-year-old who lived his whole life as a man was given a surprising diagnosis after visiting the doctor in Hong Kong with a swollen abdomen — he was a woman.
Doctors realised the patient was female after they found the swelling came from a large cyst on an ovary, the Hong Kong Medical Journal reported.

The condition was the result of two rare genetic disorders.

The subject had Turner syndrome, which affects girls and women and results from a problem with the chromosomes, with characteristics including infertility and short stature.
For more http://www.timelive.co.za

Lawyer Dali Mpofu’s statements directed at national police commissioner Riah Phiyega were shot down by other lawyers at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday.
Mpofu, for the miners who were wounded and arrested in a clash with police on August 16 last year, suggested the police had shown no impartiality in their actions at Marikana and had sided with Lonmin.
For more http://www.timelive.co.za

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it rejects allegations that eight shop stewards have been suspended at Lonmin mine in the North-West. The shop stewards allegedly falsified stop orders to make it seem members of the Association of the Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) had left their union and joined NUM.

NUM’s spokesperson, Lesiba Seshoka, says the allegation is not true and there will be measures taken to clear their union’s image. Seshoka says it’s a known fact that the company itself failed to eject them from their offices after their court appearance. He says they will confront those spreading the rumour and will also register their displeasure.

In confirming the suspensions, Lonmin spokesperson Sue Lindsell-Steward said on Monday that the suspensions follow an investigation.

Lindsell-Steward said at the time that three stewards were in the middle of disciplinary hearings while the remaining five face hearings this week.

NUM has until July 16 to retain its status as a majority union or vacate its offices as AMCU says it is now the majority union at Lonmin.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is forging ahead with a new vision, shifting focus from granting loans towards a broader social role.

Tackling issues of education, alcohol and drug abuse is on the cards for the agency famous for organising what’s become known as the “kissing festival”, as part of trying to rebuild its image.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – Two men were arrested on Tuesday when they tried to rob a Protea Coin Group (PCG) cash-in-transit crew in Bloemfontein, the security company said.

An armed gang robbed the guards after they collected cash from the Heidedal shopping mall.

They fled, but the driver of the cash-in-transit van gave chase, and the robbers’ getaway car abandoned them.

“Once the PCG driver closed-in on the suspects, he managed to corner and arrest one,” the company said. He recovered all the cash and a gun.

Police then arrived on the scene and arrested another man. They were still searching for other members of the group, the company said.

Warrant Officer Zweli Mohobeleli confirmed the arrests.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The ANC Gauteng is concerned about a campaign by the DA to put the party’s logo on cellular airtime vouchers, it said on Tuesday.

“We have been informed that the Democratic Alliance [DA] is using airtime vouchers of MTN and Vodacom to promote its campaign,” the ANC Gauteng said in a statement.

It said the party would talk to the companies about disassociating themselves with party political campaigns, which it considered ambush marketing.

Its members would have every right not to purchase the airtime from these companies.

The Sowetan reported on Tuesday that the DA had bought advertising space on MTN vouchers sold in spaza shops.

DA spokesperson Mmusi Maimane reportedly said the vouchers, which also detailed the party’s role in the liberation struggle, were part of the party’s “Know Your DA” campaign.

“We are engaging consumers that buy airtime. We found that through MTN we will be able to reach everyone and inform them about our party,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

“We purchased the advertising space, and this has nothing to do with MTN. It does not mean MTN supports the DA,” he said.

According to The Sowetan, MTN brand and communication general manager Ryan Gould distanced the company from the advertising.

“MTN is not aware of this advertisement, therefore, the advertisement contained in the voucher in not sanctioned or endorsed by MTN SA,” he was quoted as saying.

“MTN suspects that it is from distributors of airtime who purchase the airtime pin from MTN, but use their own paper to print, and as such sell advertising space to recoup the paper costs.”

SAPA

News reaching Soccer-Laduma is that Platinum Stars are looking at Chippa United coach, Mark Harrison, as a possible replacement for Cavin Johnson.

Johnson is in the process of parting ways with Stars, after he handed in his resignation. He is strongly linked with the vacant SuperSport United coaching job.

According to a source at Chippa United, Harrison is earmarked for a move to replace Johnson at Dikwena after the good job he has done with the Cape side since his arrival in April.

“We have been informed that Platinum Stars are interested in our coach. If they are talking to him that will be a problem because we are busy with the play-offs at the moment. We’ve heard that Cavin Johnson is on his way to SuperSport United. We are all surprised. The chairman (Siviwe Mpengesi) is in the process of verifying the information we got,” said the source.

The Chilli Boys lost for the first time under Harrison, during their PSL promotion/relegation play-off game against Mpumalanga Black Aces last weekend.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com