By Obakeng Maje

TAUNG-The North West Cultural Calabash launch will take place on Thursday at Mmabana Taung, North West department of Sports, Art and Culture MEC Tebogo Modise said.

“As we celebrate our heritage in our country, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture extend an invitation to the launch of the North West Cultural Calabash” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho said. 

The Cultural Calabash has taken place in this area and drew

attention from different walks of South Africa including as far as

Botswana.

And has more than ten years in existence,but we have seen in recent

years rather to say losing its sparks and change of venues.

It started been hosted in Mmabana Taung,then being removed to Taung

Cover ground.

And two years ago the event never took place resulting rumours that it has

been moved from the area,but the CEO and co-ordinator of the event mr

AB Mogashoa dispute that the event has in any way being removed from

the area.

“The Cultural Calabash has never been removed from the area,so i will tell you that the event belongs to all North-West people at large and

is been hosted in Taung for more than a decade. And i can also confirm that the event will take place this year” he told us then.

The North Wet Cultural Calabash will take place in the rural village

of Taung,home of the famous Taung child skull found in the early 20th

century.

The Calabash is a multi -disciplined youth arts festival which include

Local and District Sections,as well as a Provincial Festival held

annually in the North West Province and culminating in the village of

Taung and aimed at an adult audience.

The department said even though the event will take place in

September,the date and featured artists who will grace the event will be revealed during the launch. 

“North West Cultural Calabash is a platform for cultural display of all artistic genres such as visual arts, music, drama and poetry to mention but a few” Montsho said. The department said The programme for the festival as well as that of heritage will also be revealed to the media. “National and local media have been invited to the festival and are expected to paint Taung with their music” she said.

The event normally is contested in three components,which is Amateurs

and semi-professinal artists audition during April/May in twenty two

municipal districts of the Province.

The best of these are then showcased at four district events held in

the main towns of the provinceduring July.

In September,the winner in each of the categories compete at the Main

Event in Taung.

Date: 12 September 2013

Venue: Mmabana Taung

Time: 09h00  

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The ANC yesterday said it had noted with concern the use of its colours and logo by the DA in the election campaign in Tlokwe in the North West.

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said the governing party took note of the abuse of its property during the DA’s election campaign that started in Tlokwe on Sunday.

He said the organisation had escalated the matter to the national party liaison committee of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

“The DA has apologised profusely and committed itself not to continue distributing these offensive pamphlets, but to withdraw them,” Mthembu said.

“While noting this development, we call on all parties to respect the code of conduct as laid out by the IEC. We will continue to uphold this code of conduct in our election campaign.”

Mthembu said the content of the DA’s pamphlet was also defamatory and prejudicial towards former Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle.

The DA in the North West could not be reached for comment.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has signed an agreement on water management with her Cuban counterpart.

“This new agreement is meant to assist the department in the areas of geo-hydrology and engineering services particularly for rural and disadvantaged areas…” her department said in a statement yesterday.

Molewa told Cuban minister, Ines Maria Chapman Waugh, at the signing of the agreement the two countries had a lot to share in the “water sector”.

“We are on the right path as a country to correct the imbalances of the past and this is a huge task that requires dedication from the men and women of this country,” Molewa said.

“However, we are always mindful of our friends who are willing to lend a hand in our drive towards this ideal.”

Sapa

Residents of a Midrand country estate are turning to the High Court in Pretoria in a bid to force Eskom to dismantle electricity infrastructure over their properties.

They claim electromagnetic fields emanating from exposed power cables increase the risk of children contracting leukaemia, the Business Day reported today.

In court papers, the residents claim Eskom did not adequately consult with the public before embarking on the project.

The new line, which Eskom installed in 2011, consisted of 12 cables and two earth wires, while the previous line consisted of three cables and one earth wire.

According to the report, residents want the power utility to replace the new line with an underground power cable, which should be installed at a suitable depth and appropriately encased.

In heads of argument, the residents’ legal team, led by David Unterhalter SC, said “a positive association has been observed between electromagnetic fields and childhood leukaemia that is considered to be credible”.

Eskom has asked that the application be dismissed, arguing the residents bought their properties about 50 years after servitudes had been registered in favour of Eskom over their properties.

Lawyers for the utility, led by Frans Odendaal SC, said much of the residents’ case depended on the notion that increased voltage would necessarily cause an increase in magnetic field intensity.

He dismissed this as untrue.

Sapa

A 50-year-old man accused of beating his girlfriend to death has been arrested in East London, Eastern Cape police said on Monday.

The man was caught on Sunday in Nompumelelo informal settlement, said police spokesperson Stephen Marais.

Apparently the couple were involved in domestic violence and community members informed the police.

The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was declared dead on the scene.

The man would appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, said Marais.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The trial against Dr Genchen Rugnath, his wife Ravina and three others accused of charges related to human trafficking continues in the Durban Regional Court on Tuesday.

The SABC reported on Monday that the State had been granted an in-camera testimony for one of the witnesses.

The 18-year-old girl testified behind closed doors.

The accused were arrested after police conducted a raid on a lodge owned by the Rugnath couple in Durban’s Point area early last year.

The other three accused are Sandile Patrick Zweni, Nonduzo Dlamini and Bhabha Dubazini.

All five have pleaded not guilty to 156 charges, including assault, rape, sexual exploitation of a child, and racketeering. 

SAPA

Ajax Amsterdam and Bafana Bafana midfielder Thulani Serero was released from the Bafana Bafana squad last week Friday, ahead of the team’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Botswana, due to disciplinary reasons.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Kaizer Chiefs scored three goals past Mpumalanga Black Aces yesterday, in a mid-season club friendly, as they won 3-0.

The Amakhosi will be looking to get back to winning ways when they welcome Maritzburg United this weekend following their recent 3-1 defeat to SuperSport United, and their friendly win will have done their confidence the world of good.

In a 90-minute game against Clive Barker’s side, Stuart Baxter’s men managed to score three and keep a clean sheet, with Mandla Masango, Kaizer Motaung Jr and Knowledge Musona grabbing the goals for the Glamour Boys.

While the full squad that took part in the game isn’t known, the Siya crew have been informed that it was a mix of youth and experience for the Amakhosi, and Musona will have been pleased to find the back of the net.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Knowledge Musona is one of three Kaizer Chiefs players to have been called up to the Zimbabwe national team, to face Bafana Bafana on Tuesday, 10 September 2013.

Kingston Nkhatha and Willard Katsande are the other two Chiefs player to have earned a call to the Zim squad for tomorrows international friendly.

Musona and Nkhatha were not called up for Zimbabwe’s recent World Cup qualifier in which the Warriors drew 1-1 with Mozambique. Although holding midfielder, Katsande, did feature in that match and is still in the squad to face Bafana.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Mpumalanga Black Aces have confirmed the signings of Zimbabwean striker Tendai Ndoro and goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro.

As reported by the Siya crew last week, Ndoro, who played for Chicken Inn in the Zimbabwean League, had been targeted by Aces, with the player having since signed a one-year contract with an option to renew.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com