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Cape Town – After a lengthy recruitment process, the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) has officially announced Stuart Baxter as the new Bafana Bafana head coach.

The SuperSport United head coach will leave the club at the end of the season to bring stability to the national side.

Baxter, 63, will be officially unveiled as the head coach by SAFA President Danny Jordaan upon his return to South Africa from CAF and FIFA commitments.

“We are pleased to have finally reached agreement with SuperSport United on the release of coach Baxter,” said SAFA CEO Dennis Mumble.

“SAFA believes that the coach has the necessary skills to navigate the tough qualification path for the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.

“We thank SuperSport United for their support towards the goals of the Association and its national teams.”

Baxter will meanwhile, continue to fulfil his coaching responsibilities at the club for the remaining four Absa Premiership fixtures as well as the Nedbank Cup and Confederations Cup.

SAFA and SuperSport United have agreed to work together to ensure that Baxter gets time off post the final league match on Saturday, May 27 to prepare Bafana Bafana for the upcoming AFCON match against Nigeria.

Baxter previously mentored South Africa for a year between 2004 and 2005 and shortly resigned after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the 2006 Soccer World Cup.

SAFA have for months searched across the globe to find a suitable candidate and went public after releasing a statement that they have assembled a selection committee to advise SAFA on the best coach for Bafana Bafana.

The selection committee included the likes of former Bafana Bafana stars Benni McCarthy, Lucas Radebe and Neil Tovey along with ex-coach Clive Barker.  

The names mentioned in the statement was Roberto Mancini, Giovanni Trapattoni, Hassan Shehata, Hugo Broos, Samson Siasia, Lothar Matthaus and Bernd Schuster.

Despite not being mentioned in the SAFA statement, Sport24 reported in March that Herve Renard and Carlos Queiroz were the final two in the race for the job with an announcement “imminent”.

However, in a single Twitter post shortly thereafter via the official Bafana Bafana account, the association confirmed that the announcement had been postponed due to the unavailability of the chosen candidate.

South Africa have been without a coach since the footballing body axed Shakes Mashaba in December last year.

The 66-year-old Mashaba was found guilty of insulting top football officials after South Africa’s 2018 Soccer World Cup qualifier victory over Senegal.

Meanwhile, Owen da Gama has been in charge of the senior side on an interim basis and has already guided Bafana Bafana to a 3-1 victory over Guinea Bissau and a goalless draw against Angola during the recent FIFA international break.

Bafana Bafana will next play in June against Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

Source: http://www.news24.com

Mahikeng – A 21-year-old BCom student died of an asthma attack at the University of North West’s Mahikeng campus under circumstances that have left his parents wondering whether the institution could have done more to save his life.

As the world celebrates World Asthma Day on Tuesday, Senuku Metswamere is battling to deal with the loss of her son Paballo, who died at the campus’s security post where he had rushed when having the attack.

Allegations are that the campus’s first aid response car was called but took a while to arrive. Neither the car nor the security vehicle rushed him to the clinic, which is about 10 minutes away.

An official statement said Paballo died before anyone could do anything, and when the campus’s first aid vehicle arrived, he was already dead.

Senuku said the family were devastated by Paballo’s death and hoped more could be done by NWU to prevent further deaths.

“What bothers me is that there was a vehicle there that could have taken him to the hospital, but they waited for an ambulance – which took long,” Senuku told The Star on Monday.

Senuku said she received a call from Paballo that evening, asking her to bring him his spare asthma pump.

“It was already late and I knew he was studying, preparing for a test, and I didn’t take the pump to him,” Senuku said.

It seems Paballo’s condition worsened, but she missed his calls as her cellphone was on a charger.

“He called again and pleaded with me to fetch him. I arranged transport, but when I tried to call him back he wasn’t answering the phone,” she said.

On her arrival at the university, she found her son on the floor, surrounded by students and security personnel.

“I was told that the first aid vehicle was called but was not authorised to take him to the hospital and they had to wait for an EMS vehicle. At that point my son had already passed on,” she said. “My husband checked for a pulse but found none.”

She said three hours had elapsed since her son’s first attempt at getting help.

The 21-year-old was buried on Friday.

A student who preferred to remain anonymous said Paballo was not immediately taken to a nearby hospital by the institution’s first aid response team.

“Security called the university’s emergency personnel, but they took long and when they arrived, he had already passed on.”

NWU spokesperson Louis Jacobs denied any wrongdoing by the university, saying protocol was adhered to, and the university was not responsible for transporting Paballo to a hospital.

“An emergency vehicle was called to the scene while a provincial ambulance was also called to attend to the student,” Jacobs said. “But by the time the ambulances arrived, the student had passed on.”

He added that the loss of a student’s life, regardless of where or how it might happen, remained a tragedy to the university.

Source: The Star

By BAKANG MOKOTO

ONE man was killed and another injured this morning when a light motor vehicle collided head-on with a bakkie on the R24 Olifantsnek outside of Rustenburg.

When ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene, they found the bakkie on the side of the road while the light motor vehicle was found in the middle of the road.

ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring  said upon closer inspection, paramedics found the body of a man lying trapped inside the bakkie.

“Unfortunately, the man had already succumbed to his multiple injuries. Nothing could be done for him and he was declared dead on the scene.

“The driver of the light motor vehicle, a man, was assessed and found to have sustained minor injuries. He was treated and thereafter transported to a nearby clinic for further treatment,” Meiring said.

The details surrounding this incident are not yet known but local authorities were on scene for further investigations.

taungdailynews@gmail.com 

​BY REGINALD KANYANE 
Eight people were left injured early this morning when a light motor vehicle crashed into a roadside barrier on the R24 Derby turnoff outside of Rustenburg. 

ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring said that the paramedics arrived on the scene at approximately 01h00 to find the vehicle lying on its roof on top of the barriers.

“Upon closer inspection, paramedics found eight people, including two children, seated next to the vehicle.

“Paramedics assessed the patients and found that all eight had sustained minor to moderate injuries. Fortunately, no serious or fatal injuries were reported on scene,” Meiring said.

He said paramedics treated the patients and thereafter transported them to a nearby clinic for further treatment.

The cause of the collision is not yet known but local authorities were on scene for further investigations. 

taungdailynews@gmail.com 

Absa Bank has donated R7 million to the North-West University 9NWU) as part of a scholarship programme that will increase access to tertiary education for young people. The donation will be used to provide scholarships to deserving and needy students.

The scholarship programme is part of the Barclays Africa Group’s 2017 CEO Scholarship Fund. Absa has increased its higher education support this year to reach more institutions. The 2017 allocation is spread across 21 universities in South Africa and several other higher education institutions on the continent.

Ms Elmarie de Beer, the NWU’s executive director for finance and facilities, says the university welcomes the donation and is very grateful for the support the scholarship programme will give.  “The need is great. We believe this programme will make a significant difference in the lives of our students, especially the ‘missing middle’ students who often do not qualify for financial assistance.’’

Dr Reaan Immelman, general manager for education and skills of Absa, says the scholarship programme will be split between the NWU’s campuses in Mahikeng and Vanderbijlpark. “The funding is to be allocated to successful applicants who meet the requirements of the scholarship programme.” These requirements include that applicants must have a proven financial need, they must be members of households with a combined gross income of not more than one million Rand per annum and they have to maintain an academic average of 55% or higher.

“Successful applicants will also benefit by completing the mandatory leadership and academic support component of the scholarship programme. The NWU will be required to identify the successful applicants and to manage the disbursement of the funding.”

Barclays Africa Group chief executive Ms Maria Ramos says university education unlocks opportunities that can change the lives of young people and the future of the African continent. “The donation is an expression of our shared growth commitment to help realise Africa’s potential and contribute to long-term economic growth.”

Leadership scholarship

Elmarie says Absa has agreed that the NWU can develop a leadership scholarship as part of the above scholarship programme. This will see the NWU identifying young student leaders on each of the three campuses and supporting them so that, when they finish their studies, they can become part of the university’s academic staff.

The NWU received the R7 million scholarship on 7 April. Present were Mr Errol Earle, director for institutional financial administration at the NWU, Dr Theunie Lategan, non-executive deputy chairman, Barclays Africa Corporate and Investment Banking Division, Prof Tebogo Mokgoro, specialist administrative advisor from the office of the Premier, Ms Elmarie de Beer, executive director for finance and facilities, Mr Kgalaletso Tlhoaele, provincial head of Absa Bank, Mr Stephen Seaka, head of public sector Absa Group-SA, Mr Danie Hefer, head of the office for financial support services of the NWU in Potchefstroom and Mr Fuad Adams, corporate coverage banker of Absa.

taungdailynews@gmail.com 

BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI 
Four people were killed and two others sustained moderate injuries when their vehicle overturned on the R501 near East Driefontein in Carletonville on Sunday.

ER24 spokesperson, Werner Wermaak said paramedics arrived on the scene where they found six people that were involved in the incident. 

“It is understood that all of them were occupants in the same vehicle. Two people with fatal injuries were found inside the vehicle and another two with fatal injuries were strewn several meters away from the vehicle. 

“It is believed they were ejected during the rollover. Two other occupants were found with moderate injuries. They were treated on scene and later transported to a nearby hospital for further care,” Wermaak said.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident is not yet known. 

Local authorities attended the scene.

taungdailynews@gmail.com 

BY BAKANG MOKOTO 
TWO suspects who were arrested for allegedly killing Matlhomola Mosweu, 12 from Coligny will appear in court on Tuesday.

They were charged with a murder of Mosweu after they alleged that the boy jumped off a moving bakkie. This tricked a situation in Coligny and community members went on a rampage.

The suspects lawyers applied for a court order and requested the North West High Court in Mahikeng to allow the murder case against the two suspects to sit today.

National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) regional spokesperson, Frank Lesenyego said: “The request of the suspects’ legal team was granted. However, they also requested that the case must be relocated to Lichtenburg. 

“The court declined the request.The case was initially postponed to May 9 after the magistrate who was supposed to rule on the case excused him/herself. We Will also be against bail application of the suspects.” 

Lesenyego said new magistrate will be announced today.

Meanwhile the provincial government spokesperson, Brian Setswambung said: “We call for no bail for the suspects. We believe that justice system must take its course and those found guilty must face the music.”

taungdailynews@gmail.com 

BY REGINALD KANYANE

MEC for Education and Sport Development department, Sello Lehari said the technical task team will commence with its work from Tuesday. Lehari was leading the appointed task team at Coligny, Blydeville and Itsoseng in Ditsobotla local municipality after turmoil.

“The provincial government task team will convene community meetings to report progress to residents on Friday. We emphatically thank the residents of Ditsobotla for their cooperation today. We also want to urge them to work with us to ensure that there is a solution towards their challenges,” he said.

The provincial government task team was appointed by Bokone Bophirima Premier, Supra Mahumapelo following service delivery protests in three towns. Mahumapelo said the aim of the meeting was to provide preliminary feedback to residents following a meeting held between the leadership of concerned residents and the government task team last week.

Provincial government spokesperson, Brian Setswambung said: “The task team members were split into three teams. The first team led by MEC, Magome Masike met residents of Itsoseng at 10:30am at Itsoseng stadium. While the second team led by MEC, Wendy Nelson met residents of Blydeville at 10:30am. The third team was led by MEC, Mpho Motlhabane who met with Coligny residents at 2:30pm at Coligny sports ground.

“In all the three community meetings, the deployed MECs confirmed that they had met with community leaders representing concerned residents. They tabled issues which the leaders have raised as having contributed to the service delivery protests that took place last week.”

The issues include housing, water and construction of a new school amongst others.

Setswambung added: “The MECs reported that a technical task team has been set up which is made up of senior officials from Ditsobotla local municipality, Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality and government departments.”

taungdailynews@gmail.com

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Date: 01 May 2017

Venue: Bidvest Stadium

Bidvest Wits moved to the top of the Absa Premiership table, after they recorded a 1-0 win over Mamelodi Sundowns on Monday evening.

View The PSL Table

There was good tempo from the onset, as both sides signalled their attacking intent in the early stages of the encounter.

However, the first real opening arrived after 22 minutes when Thabang Monare forced Denis Onyango into a good save with a powerful strike from distance.

Possession was evenly shared in the opening stanza, although Sundowns went close before the half an hour mark, as Percy Tau failed to connect with Khama Billiat’s teasing cross in the six-yard box.

The Clever Boys eventually broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute as Ben Motshwari glanced home a header, following a cross from Sifiso Myeni.

Sundowns nearly leveled matters on the stroke of halftime when Tau played in Themba Zwane, who struck the upright from 12-yards out.

Sundowns were finding it tough to carve out chances in the second half, which prompted Pitso Mosimane to introduce Yannick Zakri and Fares Hachi on the hour mark.

The Brazilians were in control for most of the second half, while Wits sat back with the hope of catching the visitors on the counter.

Gavin Hunt made a change of his own after 70 minutes as Mogakolodi Ngele made way for veteran winger, Daine Klate.

However, Sundowns were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute when substitute Hachi was given his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card.

The home side also had a player sent off three minutes later when Klate was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

Anthony Laffor was introduced for Sundowns in the closing stages, but his introduction did not change the visitors’ fortunes as Wits held on for the win.

View The PSL Results

Here’s how they lined up:

Wits: 16. Josephs, 15. Hlatshwayo, 8. Monare, 13. Hlanti, 10. Ngele, 15. Mkhwanazi, 23. Myeni, 26. Scott, 25. Malajila, 30. Motshwari, 33. Frosler.

Sundowns: 36. Onyango, 4. Langerman,20. Ngcongca, 32. Madisha, 16. Nascimento, 15. Mohomi, 8. Kekana, 27. Morena, 33. Billiat, 18. T.Zwane, 22. Tau.

Source: http://www.soccerladuma.co.za

BY BAKANG MOKOTO
COLIGNY residents who were arrested during unrest applied for a court order for their bail application to sit on Tuesday. 

According our source, the application will be listened to by North West High Court in Mahikeng on Monday at 4pm.

The accused’s lawyers will be leading the court argument. The suspects were arrested last week during protests. They demanded basic service delivery like water and accessible roads. 

The suspects appeared in Coligny Magistrate’s Court and the case was postponed until May 9 for formal bail application.

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