Taung-Tourism authorities in the province have embarked on an offensive campaign to have less travelled areas in the province get exposure and help lure tourists in the process.

A joint venture between the economic development and tourism, the sport, arts and culture departments and the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB) resulted in a media tour that took local journalists to hidden gems in the Taung area.

The move came on the back of the cultural calabash re-launch, the biggest entertainment festival on the Taung calendar. The calabash brings issues of culture and music to the fore but authorities want revellers to experience more than that.

There is an effort to make Taung the cultural city of North West, modelled on the Belgian capital, Brussels. One of the areas visited is the Taung Dam, about 15 minutes drive from the city. The area close to the dam wall offers water activities like canoeing and journalists had fun experiencing some of the activities.

Economic development department spokesperson Dumisa Seshabela said: “We decided to take journalists on this tour to make sure they are exposed to some of the places in and around Taung so that those who come for the calabash can take some time to visit and see the beauty this area offers.”

Seshabela added that the calabash had potential to substantially grow the Taung economy and every effort was being made to make sure local businesses were ready for multitudes that would come for the calabash.

“We decided to have the heritage and tourism celebrations synchronised and we worked with the sport, arts and culture department and the NWPTB so that we maximise the attention. This year’s theme is ‘Water is fun’ and we want people to experience activities on our water bodies like this Taung Dam.”

The North West is hosting this year’s World Tourism Day activities from September 25 to 27 and efforts to build interest towards the event are gaining momentum.

NWPTB spokesperson Mamaki Phoolo said: “We launched the domestic tourism campaign under the theme ‘nothing’s more fun than a Sho’t Left’ and we want people to experience the leisure of Taung in all its forms. We came here to ensure that less travelled areas of our province are exposed.”

Reports indicated that all accommodation facilities in Taung were almost fully booked for the three-day cultural calabash all those going have been encouraged to visit other areas of interest as well. Tour guide, Kagiso Legobe of Kay 2Ze Gee Tours would be on standby to help all those wishing to visit areas like the Taung Dam, the Taung Skull site and other entertainment spots in the area.

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Orlando Pirates have received a major boost ahead of Wednesday’s Absa Premiership match against Polokwane City with the news that striker Collins Mbesuma and midfielder Thandani Ntshumayelo have recovered from their respective injuries and will resume full training this week.

Mbesuma and Ntshumayelo’s return will come as major boost for Pirates, who are on the back of a 1-0 loss to AC Leopards in the CAF Champions League.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Erick Mathoho and Knowledge Musona both trained with Kaizer Chiefs’ first team yesterday and will be available for selection tomorrow night.

Mathoho was left out of the squad for the Maritzburg United game last weekend after he felt some pain in his thigh, while Musona was substituted in the second half due to stomach cramps.
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The draw for the Telkom Knockout took place on Monday night and saw defending champions Bloemfontein Celtic drawn against last year’s losing finalists Mamelodi Sundowns.

Bloemfontein Celtic lifted the domestic trophy last season, with Clinton Larsen’s troops seeing off the likes of Orlando Pirates, Free State Stars and Chippa United to secure a place in the final – where they beat the Brazilians 1-0.

Orlando Pirates will meet play-off winners Mpumalanga Black Aces, with Aces being the home side in the clash.

Fellow Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs will also take on one of the promoted sides – with Amakhosi travelling to Polokwane City.

The Dube Birds, Moroka Swallows, with host University of Pretoria in their opening clash of the cup competition.

SuperSport United face an interesting opening tie as they will hosts Ajax Cape Town while Free State Stars will be at home to AmaZulu.

Clever Boys, Wits, take on Golden Arrows while last season’s ABSA Premiership runner’s up Platinum Stars host the Team of Choice, Maritzburg United.

Full Draw is as follows:

SuperSport United v Ajax Cape Town

Bloemfontein Celtic v Mamelodi Sundowns

Free State Stars v AmaZulu

Wits v Golden Arrows

Platinum Stars v Maritzburg United

Mpumalanga Black Aces v Orlando Pirates

Polokwane City v Kaizer Chiefs

Moroka Swallows v University of Pretoria
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Bloemfontein – The situation at the Mangaung Correctional Centre, near Bloemfontein, is calm and under control, prison security said on Monday.

Some 311 workers at the maximum security facility went on strike from Thursday last week, and management brought in manpower from outside the city, said Andy Baker, head of G4S Africa.

“We have resources in South Africa from which we could draw. We have some 13 500 full time employees in South Africa,”

On Monday, prison management also had a prisoner riot to handle, which broke out in some sections.

“We have exceptional response teams for such situations which brought the riot under control within 30 minutes,” said Baker.

The prisoners burned blankets, broke toilets, windows and damaged some 40 porcelain basins they wanted to use as projectiles.

Baker said one man was taken to hospital due to the riot.

However, by 7pm on Monday the situation was calm and peaceful, Baker said.

He described the actions of the striking workers as frustrating.

G4S said workers had ignored a signed agreement to return to work on Thursday night.

“There is a possibility that workers would lose their work, because they are now busy with an illegal and unprotected strike,” said Baker.

The company said its first responsibility was to get the situation back to normal within the facility.

Baker said G4S has committed themselves to address the issues which led to the strike.

“We hope sanity would prevail and workers do the right thing by coming back to work in the right and legal way,” he said. – Sapa

Johannesburg – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is still awaiting information to complete a probe into the upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home, her office said on Monday.

“The relevant party has been requested to provide the outstanding information by 30 September 2013,” Madonsela’s spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said in a statement.

“Upon receipt of the information, the public protector will finalise the provisional report, which will only be shared with affected parties.”

Madonsela’s report is expected to shed light on how money was spent on refurbishing President Jacob Zuma’s private homestead at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal.

Masibi said the purpose of releasing a provision report was to give affected parties an opportunity to respond to the findings.

She reminded the media that section (7) 2 of the Public Protector Act prohibited the disclosure and publication of the contents of a provisional report.

“The public protector will study the responses and integrate them to the extent possible in the final report.

“The responses will not be discussed or commented on, as this undermines the integrity of the investigation as well as the public protector’s effectiveness,” Masibi said.

The final report would be made public after it had been finalised.

The date had not yet been decided.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The police must stop the violence between South Africans and Somalians living in Port Elizabeth, the ANC in the Eastern Cape said on Monday.

“Any type of violence, including looting of shops owned by Somali nationals is illegal, wrong and has no place in South Africa,” ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said in a statement.

“The SA Police Service [SAPS] members are the first and last line of defence for our communities, and we call on them to use the law and public order policing techniques to stop this wave of violence.”

Eastern Cape police said seven men had been arrested at the weekend for looting and burning Somali-owned shops in Port Elizabeth.

At least 10 shops in KwaZakhele and New Brighton were attacked.

Police spokesperson Miranda Mills said two shops were looted and burnt in Ntintili street, and a car parked outside was set alight.

Several other shops were targeted on Sunday following the arrest of a Somali man accused of shooting dead a man outside a shop on Saturday evening.

Police had since moved some foreigners out of the area.

Mabuyane said the ANC in the province was calling on residents in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

“Somali nationals must also stop using violence to resolve challenges they face but must put their trust in the police to deal with any challenge.

“Violence will not help us deal with any situation but will make matters worse for our people,” he said.

– SAPA

Bloemfontein – A minibus taxi transporting more than a ton of dagga was seized near Cornelia on Monday, said Free State police.

Police spokesperson Mmako Mophiring said police arrested the 41-year-old taxi driver, from KwaZulu-Natal, on the R103 near Cornelia in a routine crime exercise around 10:45.

“When searching the vehicle, they found bags of dagga with a combined weight of 1 025.55kg,” said Mophiring.

It was believed that the seized dagga, worth about R1.2m on the street, was being taken to Gauteng.

Most of the seats in the Toyota Quantum taxi vehicle had been removed to accommodate the load of 81 bags.

The driver would appear soon in the Frankfort Magistrate’s Court.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A man has been arrested for killing his father and grandmother in Malamulele, Limpopo police said on Monday.

The 37-year-old hacked his father with a panga and beat his 81-year-old grandmother to death with a piece of wood, said police spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi.

The bodies were found on Monday morning.

“The motive for the attacks is still unknown,” he said.

The man would appear soon in the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court.

– SAPA

Durban – The driver of an articulated truck that killed 23 people when its brakes allegedly failed has a new lawyer.

Sanele Goodness May’s lawyer Theasen Pillay withdrew from the case when he appeared in the Pinetown Regional Court on Monday.

Pillay was appointed by May’s employers Sagekal Logistics.

The case against May was postponed to 8 October, after his new lawyer Professor Mdletshe told the court that new evidence had been given to the prosecution, and it had been agreed that the case would need to be postponed while this evidence was investigated by police.

It was not revealed in court what this information was and the matter was postponed for a formal bail application.

The application had previously been set down for Wednesday.

Earlier Pillay said three other attorneys had arrived at court to defend May.

The accident occurred when the truck May was driving hit four fully-laden minibus taxis and two cars on the corner of Field’s Hill (M13) and Richmond Road in Pinetown shortly before 19:00 on 6 September.

He was initially charged with 22 counts of culpable homicide, but this was subsequently upgraded to 22 counts of murder and a charge of reckless or negligent driving.

A 23rd person injured in the crash died on Saturday.

– SAPA