Mahikeng- The North West Department of Economy and Enterprise Development in partnership with Mahikeng Local Municipality will be for the second time hosting National Supadrift competition on the 27th September 2014, 09H00, at Mmabatho Stadium Parking lot.

Supadrift competition is a motor sporting event which attracts citizens of various ages and economic class as well as market players in various sectors of the economy.

Mafikeng Local Municipality over the past years was branded as the home grounds of several events which are not in existence therefore; Supa Drift will boost local economy and support the Premier’s call of Rebranding, Repositioning and Renewal of Mahikeng as the capital city of the Bokone Bophirima.

“As a Department we are mandated to create a conducive environment for small businesses. By hosting events such as this we are affording our small businesses opportunity to showcase their products and capacity that the Province is capable of hosting big events”, said MEC Wendy Joy Nelson.

“We are exposing young people to opportunities available in other sporting codes such as drifting and encourage them to come up with unique ideas that will be in support of this event in the near future and stop by engaging on illegal spinning of cars’’, said Nelson.

This is going to be one of its kind as we are expecting approximately 30 professional drifters nationwide, including the son of Bokone Bophirima, Rolance Molapisi.

MEC will host a breakfast meeting with the drifters; and they will be expected to give an overview of their sporting code. In response to this the MEC will be expected to highlight provincial economic development plan in the spirit of Saamtrek, Saamwerk philosophy.

The details for the events are as follows:
Breakfast meeting:

Date:26 September 2014
Venue:Mmabatho Convention Centre
Time:08H30

And

National Competition
Date:27th September 2014
Venue:Mmabatho Stadium Parking Lot
Time:09H00
-TDN
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Vryburg- MEC for Education and Sports Development in the North West province to host the annual district National Teaching Awards (NTA).

Venue: Show Grounds, Vryburg
Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Time: 12:00

“Serving as a build up to the provincial NTAs that will take place on the 18th of October 2014,
the NTAs are aimed at acknowledging and appreciating extraordinary efforts of educators and that of the teaching profession holistically to improve and sustain quality teaching” departmental spokesperson Brian Setswambung said.

The NTA scheme were conceptualised and launched in 2000 and is in its fifteenth year of implementation.

Setswambung said the department salutes all the schools and teachers that have entered the scheme since its implementation and wishes all the best to this years’ nominees.-TDN
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Former South Africa striker Phil Masinga has hailed the inclusion of Kermit Erasmus in the latest Bafana Bafana squad.

The national team head coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba named the Orlando Pirates marksman in the squad to play Congo in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month, and Masinga believes Erasmus deserves his place.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Bafana squad to face Congo

Posted: 25 September 2014

Time: 11:31 am

South Africa coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba has named his 26-man squad to face Congo Brazzaville in back-to-back 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month.

Mashaba’s men will tackle the central Africans in Point Noire (on synthetic grass) and at Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium on 11 and 15 October respectively.

Bafana Bafana beat Sudan 3-0 away in their Group A opener on Mashaba’s return to the national hotseat. They were then held to a goalless draw by continental champions Nigeria in Cape Town on 10 September.

Congo top the log with six points following wins over the Super Eagles and the Falcons of Jediane. Bafana are second with four points, three ahead of Nigeria, while Sudan are yet to open their account.

Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers: Senzo Meyiwa, Darren Keet, Dumisani Msibi.

Defenders: Anele Ngcongca, Ayabulela Magqwaka, Sibusiso Khumalo, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Mulomowandau Mathoho, Thabo Matlaba, Rivaldo Coetzee, Kwanda Mngonyama, Tefu Mashamaite.

Midfielders: Themba Zwane, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Oupa Manyisa, Andile Jali, Dean Furman, Mandla Masango, Keagan Dolly, Thulani Serero, Reneilwe Letsholonyane.

Strikers: Bongani Ndulula, Tokelo Rantie, David Zulu, Kermit Erasmus, Fagrie Lakay.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Despite the influx of young players brought into the Bafana Bafana squad by coach Shakes Mashaba, former midfielder, Linda Buthelezi, believes that Reneilwe Letsholonyane should make the cut.

Mashaba faces his next AFCON qualifier assignment against Congo Brazzaville and after some stunning form at the start of the season for Yeye, it remains to be seen whether the coach will change things up this time around.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.co.za

– Amajimbos touched down at Cairo International Airport just around 05h30 on Thursday morning after a 7-hour flight from OR Tambo Airport looking very relaxed but focused on Saturday’s crucial encounter.

“Everyone looks in good condition and the focus now is Saturday’s game. That is what will shape our future. Personally, I can’t wait to have this match done and dusted,” said coach Molefi Ntseki.

“We did most of our preparations at home and what we will just have to do here is polish areas which need attention. But overall, the boys are in tip top condition and there won’t be any excuse of not reaching Niger for the CAF Youth championships,” he added.

After taking breakfast at the team hotel, the squad was set to rest for most of the day and would only resume training at 16h00 when the temperatures which are hovering around 36/37 degrees Celsius will have subsided.

The match will kick off at 19h00 on Saturday at Contractors Stadium at the heart of this bustling city.

“Vision 2022 is being realised sooner rather than later and we don’t want to be left behind this buzz that is going within the South African Football Association (SAFA). Everything is just coming together if you look at our national teams and I have told the boys not to let the bus leave them behind. We are so close to realising a huge dream.

“We intend to get to Niger and then Chile for the World Cup. We are just 90 minutes away from that goal and we don’t want a reverse gear in our vehicle,” said the 45-year old mentor.

Amajimbos beat their Egyptian counterparts 2-1 in the first leg and despite the slender lead, Ntseki is of the opinion that should be enough.

“We have that one goal advantage which they don’t have and we will build on that win. They will definitely be under pressure from the home fans and we will make life difficult for them. It won’t be easy for us as well but we are psychologically motivated,” said Ntseki.
-TDN
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Baxter praise for Tefu qualities

Posted: 25 September 2014

Time: 09:04 am

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has praised Tefu Mashamaite’s qualities, with the centre-back pushing for a Bafana Bafana call-up.

Mashamaite has been a consistent force for Chiefs in recent seasons, and his profile was done no harm after scoring the winner in Amakhosi’s MTN8 Final win over Orlando Pirates last weekend.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Kaizer Chiefs expect injured pair Katlego Mphela and Itumeleng Khune to be available again in “late October”.

Striker Mphela and goalkeeper Khune are sidelined with ankle and foot complaints respectively.

Mphela sustained his knock after scoring in a MTN8 semi-final defeat of Platinum Stars on 24 August, while Khune last skippered Chiefs six days later in a 2-0 League win over SuperSport United.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

More than 500 people with albinism from all the districts in the North West braved the hot weather on Tuesday and flocked to Dinokana village in Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality to commemorate National Albinism Day and voice their day-to-day life challenges with Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu.

“People with albinism continue to experience high levels of prejudice, discrimination and sexual assault by some community members where they live on mythical beliefs that their perpetrators would be cured of the HIV and Aids,” Mapula Mathe, said during her presentation of challenges faced by people with albinism in the province.

Mathe said it is about time government undertake awareness campaigns to communities and educate them about albinism as a disability like other permanent disabilities.

During the dialogue with Bogopane-Zulu Mathe said people with albinism unanimously recommended that government provide social grants to all people with albinism regardless of their age. In their recommendations they also say government would selectively develop a database for people with albinism.
In her response to the plight of people with albinism Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu said they have started with the process to change the derogatory language used against people with albinism.

“We have started engaging our people at large on dialogues to change the perception. If we are to restore the inherent identity of people with albinism it all have to start with the language that we use. There is no consensus on the correct name of people with albinism,” Bogopane-Zulu said.

She said people with albinism would be registered to access sun screens that government would make available in all the clinics.

Meanwhile North West MEC for Social Development Fenny Gaolaolwe launched ‘Ikitsise’ (loosely translated ‘introduce yourself) registration form to collate information on people with albinism.

“We have started with dialogues at the district level to allow people with albinism to voice out their concerns in general about access to government services such as social grants and many other challenges they face. We will register them in a database and ensure that they access the necessary services,” Gaolaolwe said.

Her counterpart Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs MEC Tebogo Modise encouraged communities to engage in dialogue termed ‘A re bueng’ which seeks to explains albinism as a disability and that community should accept and treat people with albinism with dignity and respect.
-TDN
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Residents of the township of Khuma near Orkney say they feel abandoned by government as they try to pick up the pieces of their damaged houses and rebuild more than a month after an earthquake hit the area.

“They abandoned us and we don’t know what is happening. No one is saying anything,” Dalton Melato said on Tuesday.
“We have been removed from our houses but we don’t know when we will be able to go back in.” Melato’s house was among the more than 600 houses damaged when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit the township in August. A 31-year-old man was killed and at least 34 miners were injured.

Government at the time said those affected would be assisted and  the houses severely damaged were declared unsafe for occupation. Families were told to move to safer locations and others moved to a  community centre. Melato asked what would have happened had he and his family moved to the centre. He said he was not sure whether government would have kept its promise to take care of them at the centre.

He lamented having to stay at someone else’s house while he has his own home. “Staying in someone’s house with your family while you have you have your own house is not nice,” he said. Another resident, Nozipho Emvula, who is also a street committee  member, said she was disappointed with how government was handling the disaster in the township.

She said many people had been left to  fend for themselves and had to watch as other households were given groceries. Emvula, whose house was also damaged, said vehicles from the department of social developments were seen in her street delivering groceries but it was not to all those affected by the earthquake.

“We see Sassa cars passing and delivering groceries to certain houses but they skip our houses. The situation here is heartbreaking,” she said.Emvula said residents were not receiving feedback from government regarding when the houses would be fixed. She said the situation was even making them consider not voting during the upcoming local government elections. “We have decided not to vote in the upcoming elections because we are not getting any help when we need it,” she said.

SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) North West spokesman Smanga Selemeni said that in the aftermath of the quake, information was collated on which families were affected and to what extent. “This was used to determine who gets what If we are not giving some families, probably they did not appear on the list.

 “Also, the distribution of those food parcels is governed by the  regulations of the Social Assistance Act.” In terms of the Act, prospective beneficiaries needed to submit information on their household income and whether anyone in the family received a social grant. “Other families could have been excluded as a result of those regulations, [because] they don’t qualify,” Selemeni said.    

North West provincial government spokeswoman Bonolo Mohlakoana said that an assessment on the extent of the damage was complete but a request for funding had not yet been sent to the National Disaster Management Centre. Asked why it had taken so long for this to happen, Mohlakoana said that there were not enough structural engineers to do the assessment of the houses. Also, the list of properties requiring assessment kept growing as people phoned in to report damage.

“The assessment has been done, now they are working on the cost implications, which we will send to the National Disaster Management Centre soon.”

– Sapa