Category Archives: NEWS

FIFA Seminar a huge success – Patel


Johannesburg-African football is fast reaching the new frontiers, Confederation of African Football (CAF) Vice-President and COSAFA President, Suketu Patel has proclaimed.Speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the three-day FIFA seminar at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Friday, 4 April 2014 Patel said football is a teamwork and the seminar which brought together 28 Confederation of African Football Association Presidents, Secretary Generals and Technical Directors was a massive success.

“This was a ground-breaking workshop as it brought together the political, administration and technical aspects of the game in one room. There was enormous networking and plotting the way forward for African football.

“I would like to thank the South African Football Association (SAFA) for hosting such a watershed seminar. As the most resourced country on the continent, I think South Africa is really playing its part in growing the game of football on the continent.

“For this, I would like to thank SAFA President, Danny Jordaan and his Executive for the good work they have done – from hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and recently the CHAN tournament,” said Patel.

SAFA President Jordaan said critical issues which were deliberated during the three-day workshop comprised integrity matters, good governance and transparency.

“There are a lot of issues which were deliberated here; issues such as reforms within football and we will take these matters to the FIFA Congress in Brazil.

“We also touched on the need for Africa to have highly qualified Technical Directors as these are individuals who charts the way forward in terms of football development. He/she is the one who crafts the playing philosophy for respective national teams,” said Jordaan.

The SAFA President paid tribute to FIFA for the world football governing body’s unwavering support of African football.

“It was an honour for SAFA to host such a seminar.”-TDN
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Minister Motsoaledi opens new ‘State of the art’ Brits hospital  


Brits- The completion of the R419 million state of the art and high tech Brits Hospital is a practical implementation of the government’s plan to offer quality health services that encompass all the stages of human development and another good story to tell, Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi said on Friday.

Dr. Motsoaledi who delivered the key note address at the celebratory event held at the Brits Rugby Stadium to mark the official opening of the new facility said the government will ensure that the hospital is run by competent people to ensure that it is highly efficient and effective.

“We are opening this hospital at the time when the government wants to change the way health facilities are run in the country. First, we demand that they must be run by competent people who have health background and appropriate expertise,” Minister Motsoaledi said before cutting the ribbon to unveil the plaque.

Motsoaledi said the government would ensure that the hospital is inspected on a regular basis by a health committee to ensure that all core standards are adhered to. The inspection would include attitude of staff, waiting time, hygiene, safety and security, infection control and drug stock outs. 

“This would become the standard by which we live every day. This hospital must be highly skilled,” he stressed.

Acting Premier and MEC for Finance, Paul Sebegoe in his address said that government has developed the Health Sector Ten Point Plan to give direction in the implementation of the health mandate.

“Revitalisation of physical health infrastructure and improving quality of services are among the Ten Point Plan for Health,” said Sebegoe.

The 216 bed facility would broaden access to quality health care services which include accident, emergency and crises centre, surgical and medical wards, paediatric and neonatal high care, kangaroo mother care, X-ray, maternity, theatres and laboratory services.

In his remarks, elated Health MEC Dr. Magome Masike said the electronic security surveillance cameras linked to access control system monitoring the entire facility on a 24-hour basis would ensure the safety of patients and staff.     

Forty-four year-old Refiloe Molao Ratsiepan said the new hospital is a relief because many people from Brits had to travel long distances to access health facilities in Ga-Rankuwa.

Expressing her approval, 42 year-old Violet Manganyi said the hospital will not only bring about improved quality of health care but will also go a long way in reducing crime in the area because people had to wake up in the early hours of the morning to avoid long queues at the old hospital, resulting in some of the people being mugged or even being raped.-TDN
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Greater Taung municipality corrupt, Motlanthe told


By Obakeng Maje
Taung- Election campaigning by the African National Congress took place on Friday in Taung and the deputy president spearheaded the campaign.

Outgoing Deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe was briefing the youth in a planned caucus meeting with the community.

The youth bombarded the deputy president with questions. Some of them alleged that councillors are not working together with the Branch Executive Committe.

They also said nepotism is the order of the day within Greater Taung municipality.

Pico Seepamere said youth development is dysfunctional and the ruling party does not have any means of developing the youth.

“Poor service delivery shows its ugly head within the communities and that cause unrest. Our councillors do not work hand-in-hand with branch executive committe.”

Deputy president said councillors need to work together with the Branch Executive committe.

“It is unacceptable that members of the ANC be barricaded from attending meetings” Motlanthe said.

“No one should be disrupted and ANC councillors as legitimate public representatives of the party must do their work properly and work together with its branches,” he said.

Some of residents called for Greater Taung municipality to be standalone.

They said Greater Taung municipality being part of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati derail service delivery in the area.

“Problems must be resolved urgently with all stakeholders playing their role otherwise anarchy will derail democratic progress in the area. However we concentrating on elections and internal issues will be resolved after elections” ANC provincial General secretary Dakota Legoete said.

He said the ruling party’s understanding was that there were major problems raised by the community.

Legoete said problem will be dealt with through mechanisms provided including allegations of corruption.

Motlanthe jokingly said the ANC youth must be committed to the party until Limpopo and North West have their own sea.

“So, clearly, there are commitments and [a] programme to deal with the challenges and we expect the youth to be militant, however raise issues accordingly and as a caucus we should ensure that these processes are accelerated.”

Motlanthe did door-to-door visit in Dryharts, near Taung.

The youth said the major problem is lack skill development and bursaries. They said bursaries offered by the Greater Taung municipality did not reached needy pupils but only who have close ties with employees of the municipality.-TDN
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Mother of a toddler found on N1 arrested


Johannesburg – The mother of a toddler who was found wandering along the N1 freeway near the Grasmere offramp has been arrested, Gauteng police said on Saturday.

Sergeant Obakeng Mabaso said the woman was arrested on Friday night and would appear in court soon.

“She will face child abandonment charges,” she said.

The 16-month-old child narrowly escaped being hit by a truck on Thursday as he walked along the freeway.

Gauteng traffic police spokesperson Busaphi Nxumalo said it was suspected that the child was left on the highway as there were no houses nearby.

Traffic police patrolling the N1 noticed a truck swerving and then saw the child walking on the freeway around 19:00.

The toddler was taken to a place of safety.

SAPA

Aces striker Mbuyane involved in car accident


By Obakeng Maje
Witbank-Former Orlando Pirates striker Thulasizwe Mbuyane was involved in a car accident yesterday.

Black Aces chairman George Morfou said Mbuyane was admitted in hospital yesterday and he suffer minor injuries.-TDN

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EFF to introduce Northern Cape premier candidate


By Obakeng Maje
Jan Kempdorp- Economic Freedom Fighters CIC Julius Malema will address a provincial elections rally on Saturday in Jan Kempdorp, Northern Cape.

“The Economic Freedom Fighters will host a Provincial Elections Rally in which the Commander in Chief will give a keynote address. EFF will also introduce its premier candidate for 2014 general elections, commissar Aubrey Baartman” EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said.-TDN
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Wits, Chiefs, KZN and Free State qualify for SAFA U17 semifinals


Johannesburg-Bidvest Wits, Kaizer Chiefs, KwaZulu Natal and Free State have qualified for the semifinals of the SAFA U17 Inter-Provincial Tournament that is taking place at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto. 

Wits topped Group A, Chiefs Group B and KwaZulu Natal led Group C while Free State (Group B) qualified as the best runner up.

 

Hosts Gauteng failed to make the grade after managing only one win in three matches – beating Mpumalanga 4-0 in their last match. But it was too little too late as they had already lost two matches, going down 5-0 and 2-1 to Kaizer Chiefs and Free State respectively.

 

Chiefs won two and drew one, ending on seven points. They were followed by Free State with the same number of points, but with an inferior goal difference.

 

Gauteng finished third with the fourth spot going to Mpumalanga who failed to win a match or even score a goal. They exit the tournament with no points and proved to have a porous defence, letting in 13 goals.

 

Bidvest Wits topped Group A with ease – getting three wins and ending on nine points. Wits booked their semifinal place with a hard-fought 2-1 win over North West, who finished third in the group with three points. Second place went to Limpopo who could only garner four points after being held to a 2-2 draw by Western Cape – the only point the coastal side got in the competition as they ended in fourth place.

 

Group C went to the wire.

 

After two victories in their first two matches, leaders Mamelodi Sundowns looked on course to book a place in the last four but their chances of qualification were dented when they lost 3-2 to KwaZulu Natal.

 

With second-placed KZN breathing down their necks two points adrift, Sundowns had to wait for the final match of the day between KZN and the whipping boys of the group Northern Cape to see who goes to the last four.

 

It was not to be for the Brazilians as the KZN side registered an all-important 2-1 win to book their place in Friday’s (4 April) semifinal showdown.

 

KZN finished on seven points to take the honours in Group C, one head of Sundowns. Third place was taken by Eastern Cape while the Northern Cape failed to register victory in all matches and ended with no points in fourth place.

 

“This has been an exciting tournament so far with players showing their God-given talent. I want to believe this was a masterstroke by the South African Football Association (SAFA) to have an event of this nature. As an Association, we would like to extend their gratitude to Burger King and Grand Parade Investment for their investment into youth football. Without them this exercise would not have been possible,” said SAFA CEO Dennis Mumble.

 

“We urge the people of Soweto and surrounding areas to come in numbers to watch as we build future national team players in action.”

 

Here are the results from Day 2:

 

Thursday, 3 April 2014

 

10. Kaizer Chiefs               5              0              Mpumalanga                    

11. Gauteng                       1              2              Free State                          

12. KwaZulu Natal            3              2              Mamelodi Sundowns    

13. Eastern Cape              4              2              Northern Cape                 

14. North West                 1              2              Bidvest Wits                      

15. Western Cape            2              2              Limpopo                             

16. Free State                    1              1              Kaizer Chiefs                     

17. Mpumalanga              0              4              Gauteng                             

18. Northern Cape           1              2              KwaZulu Natal                  

               

 

Semi Final Fixtures:

 

Semi Final 1

 

19. Kaizer Chiefs (

Winner Group B)         v              KZN (

Winner Group C) 

09h00 

Semi Final 2

 

20. Bidvest Wits (

Winner Group A)          v              Free State (

Best Runner Up)

11h00 

3

rd/4

th Place Playoffs

 

21.  Loser Semi-Final 1                                    v              Loser Semi Final 2           

15h30 

FINAL:

 

Sunday, 6 April 2014

 

22. Winner Semi-Final 1                 v              Winner Semi Final 2       

12h30
-TDN
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Rustenburg driver’s case postponed


Johannesburg – The case of a driver accused of killing three children when a train crashed into his car at a railway crossing was postponed in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, North West police said.

“The case was postponed to 17 April and he is still in custody,” Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

Qawukeni Lwandile, 27, was the driver of a Toyota Avanza carrying 12 pre-primary and primary school children when a train smashed into the vehicle at a railway crossing between Zinniaville and Rustenburg Noord on 20 March.

Police alleged that Lwandile passed other motorists who were waiting at the train level-crossing to allow an oncoming train to pass.

The vehicle got stuck on the level crossing and a train hit and dragged it, killing an eight-year-old boy on the spot.

Two more children were declared dead on arrival at the Job Shimkane Tabane hospital.

“The police are also investigating why 12 children were being transported in a vehicle not certified to carry passengers, and would also look into charging the driver with overloading the vehicle, as well as contravention of the National Road Traffic Act,” Mokgwabone said at the time.

SAPA

Stats weigh against SA win


Cape Town – India will be favourites not only in the minds of many critics but by statistical ammunition as well when they tackle South Africa in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final in Dhaka on Friday (15:00 SA time).

More likely to feel at home on the expected turning pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium anyway, the unbeaten, group-winning Indians will enter the clash knowing that they hold a clear-cut 5-2 edge in victories after seven prior meetings between these foes in the T20 format.

Four of those fixtures have been in the global get-together, with India claiming three wins to the Proteas’ one.

The figures paint a fairly daunting picture, but at the same time Faf du Plessis’s team have quite enjoyed their unsung status at the event and will doubtless treat Friday’s match as a further opportunity to punch above their anticipated weight — rather than be burdened with their old ICC-tourney reputation as giants who fall over their own feet when the going gets tough.

That said, if South Africa want to try to grab any solace from previous meetings, it is that they have only played India once before in Subcontinent conditions at T20 level … and on that occasion they came within a very whisker of an upset.

In what was also the last T20 encounter between the two nations, at the Sri Lankan-staged ICC World Twenty20 of 2012/13, last man Morne Morkel was bowled off the second last delivery at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium as the Proteas were agonisingly bowled out for 151 in reply to India’s 152 for six to succumb by one run in a group game.

They have not yet played each other in India, with the three strictly bilateral meetings all having been once-off affairs on South African soil (two Wanderers, one Moses Mabhida Stadium) and India holding a 2-1 edge there as well.

Their overall T20 history against each other began in the 2006/07 season, when India won by six wickets with a ball to spare at the Wanderers.

AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel are likely to be the only two South African survivors from that meeting who will take to the field for Friday’s semi (assuming Morkel is passed suitably fit after his finger dislocation against England a few days back).

Even at that pretty infant stage of T20 as an international-level concept, the Proteas had already identified certain specialists in the game’s most condensed format, so the likes of Loots Bosman and Tyron Henderson had cracked the nod then.

South Africa’s most satisfying victory of the mere two they’ve achieved over India has to be the 12-run one achieved at the England-hosted World T20 of 2009, when they were able to defend a modest total of 130 for five (De Villiers 63).

Their heroes then were the spin duo of Johan Botha (4-0-16-3) and Roelof van der Merwe (4-0-13-1) who strangled the life out of India’s renowned strokeplayers as the side batting second were curtailed to 118 for eight in their 20 overs.

Perhaps that will serve as a motivator on Friday for the likes of in-form Imran Tahir and his slow-bowling partner JP Duminy …

These are all the T20 results between the countries:

2006/07, Johannesburg: India won by six wickets

2007/08 (World T20), Durban: India won by 37 runs

2009 (World T20), Nottingham: SA won by 12 runs

2010 (World T20), Gros Islet: India won by 14 runs

2010/11, Durban: India won by 21 runs

2011/12, Johannesburg: SA won by 11 runs (D/L method)

2012/13 (World T20), Colombo: India won by 1 run

Sport24

Baby strolls down N1


Johannesburg – A 16-month-old child was nearly hit by a truck on Thursday as he was walking along the N1 freeway near the Grasmere offramp, Gauteng traffic police said.

“It is suspected that the child was dropped on the freeway since there are no houses around,” spokesperson Busaphi Nxumalo said.

She said traffic police patrolling the N1 noticed a truck swerving and then saw a child walking on the freeway around 19:00.

He was taken by police to a place of safety while they searched for his mother, she said.

Meanwhile in KwaZulu-Natal, a two-year-old boy fell out of a shopping trolley in Shakas Head, on the north coast, while playing with friends and landed on his head, paramedics said.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said paramedics arrived at the scene around 17:00 on Thursday and found the child lying on the ground with life-threatening injuries.

He was placed on a ventilator and taken to a nearby hospital.

SAPA