Moretele- The Early Childhood Development programme will not achieve its intended purpose of intervening in the lives of toddlers if the society fails to address violence perpetuated against children, North West MEC for Social Development Collen Maine said yesterday.

Maine was addressing more than 200 residents of Ngobi in Moretele Local Municipality during his second early childhood massification campaign in the area.

“We mobilise the whole society to rally behind the wellbeing of children. This well-being refers to the safety of children, social protection, education, nutrition and exemption from hunger and poverty,” Maine said.

As part of the activities of the campaign Maine together with kgosana Josias Malebye of the Bakgatla-baga-Mosetlha led the sod-turning ceremony to mark the erection of a prototype early childhood development centre which would benefit the children in the impoverished Ngobi village.

National Development Agency’s Potlako Ntlatleng said the high class centre will have classrooms to accommodate 120 children, with a kitchen, a sickroom and outdoor plaing facilities.

Ntlatleng said they will, in partnership with the Department of Social Development build three prototype centres at Ngobi in Moretele, Leeuwdoringstad in Maquassi and Matsheng in Taung.

“The project amount to carry out all these projects amounts to R3m,” Ntlatleng said.

Maine handed over support material in the form of indoor and out-door playing equipment, computers, printers and fire extinguishers to ten Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners.

One of the beneficiaries Johanna Letsiki (70),who has recently registered a day care centre in the area said she is pleased that National Development Agency will renovate her centre which accommodate 18 children.

“This is like a dream. Since 1996 I felt so neglected by the authorities and I am thankful that today we have received these equipment for the children,” Letsiki said with jubilation that she danced after receiving the support material form MEC Collen Maine and NDA representatives.

The campaign will be taken to Leeudoringstad and Taung in November this year.-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

The Sasol League Road Show football action is set to create a buzz at the Montshiwa Stadium, Mafikeng in the North West Province on Saturday, 26

th October with a number of activities on the cards. There will be two Sasol League matches, a coaches’ workshop and a talent identification session.

The end of season finale will see top of the log defending provincial champions Al’s Puk Tawana, (50 points from 19 matches) take on seventh placed Florentina F.C (27 points from 21 games) at 13h00. This match will be followed by a clash between fourth placed North West University (31 points from 16 games) and fifth placed Western Tigers (30 points from 18 games) at 15h00.

Gates will open at 12h00 and the first 150 spectators will receive merchandise courtesy of Sasol, the league sponsors. Fans will also stand a chance to participate in a “Shikisha Skills Competition” and win great prizes during the half time break of each game.

Earlier in the day at 09h00, Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph “Skeshekheshe” Mkhonza and his technical team will address Sasol League club mentors from the province, on technical aspects of coaching women football players.

At 10h00, Mkhonza and his team will continue with their talent identification for the Sasol sponsored South African National Women’s Football Team (Sasol Banyana Banyana). They will also aim unearth talent for the junior women’s national team as they have done in the past four years.

Since 2009, the Sasol League talent identification programme has produced some exciting new talent for the senior national team. In its fifth year, the Sasol League, through the promotional road shows, has seen over 150 players across the country being included in a pool for possible selection into both the junior and senior national teams.

“It is important to have a wide pool of players for the national team and the Sasol League is just the right platform for that. Next year is a very important year for Banyana Banyana; the team has African Women’s Championships qualifiers early in the year with the tournament taking place later in October in Namibia.

“Finding new talent for the national team is an on-going exercise as we are building towards the 2015 World Cup and beyond. We can never have enough depth and that is why we have to consistently look for the next big stars,” said Mkhonza.

Next weekend the promotional road show will be in the province of KwaZulu Natal at Dundee.-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @Icet_

Orlando Pirates defender Happy Jele says the 4-0 demolition of Golden Arrows serves as a warning to Kaizer Chiefs ahead of the Soweto Derby on Saturday.

The Champions League finalists ran riot against Arrows in the Telkom Knockout last-eight on Wednesday, with Lennox Bacela plundering a hat-trick to go with a strike from Kermit Erasmus at Orlando Stadium.

And while Jele expects Chiefs to be out for revenge over their MTN8 exit at the hands of Bucs a month ago, he backs his team to trump their neighbours again.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Ernst Middendorp says it is understandable Bloemfontein Celtic failed to hit top gear against Moroka Swallows in his first game in charge of Phunya Sele Sele.

Celtic needed a late own goal from Roger da Costa to salvage a point on Tuesday after Lerato Manzini’s opener was eclipsed by a brace from Swallows veteran Siyabonga Nomvethe at Free State Stadium.

“We did not really go into gear number five and six but with a new coach coming in that is understandable,” Middendorp told his club’s official website.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter admits that the absence of Knowledge Musona is a huge blow to his side for this weekend’s Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates.

Musona will miss the big game on Saturday at FNB Stadium due to a shoulder injury he sustained when scoring in a Telkom Knockout quarter-final clash with Free State Stars last week, which Amakhosi eventually won 4-2 on penalties.

It is uncertain how long the Zimbabwean striker will be out for as further tests are needed to ascertain the damage.

“It is a blow to lose your top player,” Baxter says.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Bafana Bafana will play world and European champions Spain in a friendly at Soccer City on November 19.

The match will mark a welcome return for La Roja to South Africa’s home of soccer where they won the 2010 Fifa World Cup through an Andres Iniesta goal in the Final.

Safa president Danny Jordaan said the encounter will kick-start a number of high-profile games featuring top footballing nations against Bafana.

“It is the new Safa executive’s mission to make Bafana Bafana world-beaters again and we have lined up top-class sides to play our men’s senior national team,” said Jordaan.

“We could not have asked for a better start of this campaign than with the game against the reigning Fifa World Cup champions.

“It is a dream come true for many soccer fans to once again see the likes of Iniesta and Xavi in action at the venue where they made history by lifting their first World Cup trophy. This is going to be a block-buster of a game.”

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said it was excited to be coming back to South Africa.

“We wish to demonstrate our gratitude for the wonderful hospitality of the South African sports authorities and the support of the country’s football fans during the 2010 South Africa World Cup, where Spain was proclaimed champion for the first time in history,” said Spanish Football Association president Angel Maria Villar Llona.

“At the end of the match, played on 11 July 2010 at the same stadium, the top officials of the RFEF expressed their thanks for the support received and promised to return to South Africa to play a friendly match, in the same way we did in Vienna after winning the Euro 2008.”

Safa CEO Dennis Mumble added: “We are excited by this honour to play Spain and we ask all football lovers to rush to buy their tickets for this rare occasion as soon as ticket sales open. More information will be released in the next few days.”

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing Services21

For more http://www.kickoff.com

Swartruggens- The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province welcomes the statement by the provincial cabinet that it has requested that the toll at the Swartruggens plaza be reduced to R58. COSATU was surprised by the increase to R75, which was pronounced by the new minister of transport in August 2013.

“We shall not however agree with R58 until our members have been consulted and the provincial government led by Premier Thandi Modise has confirmed and agreed that the toll gate is expensive for the poor people of the NW, and that its cabinet has by undermined by both Sanral and the National Minister of Transport” Cosatu spokesperson in North West Solly Phetoe said.

COSATU said this is an indication that there is no synergy between the spheres of government, as one sphere can disagree with the other, and they ask themselves with whom did the minister consult before she decided on the increase, as they are now aware that the provincial government was not consulted.

“COSATU has been raising its concerns with the department for the past two years and they are not willing to listen to the request. COSATU took a resolution in the past provincial shop steward council which was held on 11th October 2013 to intensify the campaign until the demands are met” Phetoe said.

COSATU said their immediate demand is that while there are consultations and engagements going on the payments at the toll plaza must be suspended, because if they continue the people of the province and the neighbouring countries continue to be robbed their hard-earned money.

“We will be going back to the toll gate on 25th October 2013 from 12h00 as part of the intensification of the program to continue to register our dissatisfaction in the manner in which the department is handling this matter. COSATU once again calls on all the affected citizens to join the activity and those who have pressing matters to avoid using the road” concludes Phetoe.

The picketing and drive slow will be starting at the Marikana toll plaza on the N4 to the expensive toll gate from 12h00 to 18h00. – TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_
(Edited BY Obakeng Maje)

President Jacob Zuma on Thursday announced the government’s Fetsa Tlala food production initiative aimed at fighting poverty and hunger.

“The thrust of Fetsa Tlala is to produce enough food to meet the population’s food needs now and in the future,” Zuma said in a speech prepared for delivery.

He told residents of Kuruman in the Northern Cape that there was a time in the country when households had gardens and grew their own vegetables and fruit.

They kept chickens and livestock, something the government wanted to revive with the new programme.

“Through Fetsa Tlala all under-utilised agricultural land must be put under production. We are encouraging people to go back to farming.”

Zuma said the programme was an addition to the accelerated agricultural production programme launched in seven provinces in 2012.

Through that initiative about 135,000 hectares of under-utilised agricultural land was put under production, with maize and beans being the main commodities.

“We have worked further on the programme and reached this phase when we are ready to take food production to a national level, and to launch Fetsa Tlala.”

At least R2 billion would be made available for the programme as part of comprehensive support to farmers, for distribution to provinces.

Zuma said the initiative intended putting a million hectares of land under production for maize, beans, and potatoes.

“In some provinces the focus will be on livestock instead of vegetable production, for example here in the Northern Cape.”

Zuma said the government wanted to increase the availability of and access to locally produced food products.

– Sapa

A woman has been arrested at the Beitbridge border post for possession of explosives and detonators, Limpopo police said on Thursday.

The woman was on a bus, travelling from Zimbabwe, when police searched her luggage on Wednesday evening, said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.

“While busy searching the suspect’s luggage, (police) members were surprised to discover 26 plastic cartridges and 100 detonators.”

The bomb disposal unit were called to the scene and confirmed that the woman was carrying explosives.

She would appear soon in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on charges of unauthorised importation, supply or possession of an explosive or incendiary device, or part thereof.

Sapa

Durban – The government’s rural safety strategy launched in 2011 has failed, the IFP said on Thursday.

The strategy had not had any real effect, said Inkatha Freedom Party agriculture and rural development spokesman Henry Combrinck.
For more http://www.iol.co.za