Picture: Some of award winners during the event/Generic
By BAKANG MOKOTO
3 April 2025- The National Press Club (NPC) has announced Lebone Litho Printers as its gold table sponsor for the 2024 Newsmaker of the Year awards. The generous sponsorship comes as a welcome addition to the existing support the NPC received from North West University (NWU), as the main sponsor, further elevating the awards and event’s prestige and stature.
The CEO of Lebone Litho Printers, Keith Michael said they firmly believe in the transformative influence of a free and dynamic press in shaping democracy and ensuring accountability among our leaders. Michael said this is why they take great pride in their support of the National Press Club awards, which commend the exceptional efforts of journalists, who fearlessly pursue the truth and report it objectively.
“By acknowledging the bravery and dedication of these individuals, we aim to motivate and empower a future wave of journalists to carry on this vital mission,” he said.
The NPC acting Chairperson, Antoinette Slabbert said the Newsmaker of the Year Awards is a celebration of the remarkable achievements and contributions of journalists, who have exhibited exceptional skill, courage, and dedication in their field. Slabbert said the sponsorship by Lebone Litho is a shot in the arm for their Newsmaker of the Year awards and comes as they are bracing themselves for this year’s event that promises to take these august awards to a new level of excellence.
“The sponsorship will significantly enhance the prize money allocated to various categories for this annual award to be hosted on 25 April 2025, at the CSIR.
“The support from Lebone Litho Printers aligns with the National Press Club’s mission to honour outstanding professionals in the journalism and communications industry with the Spokesperson of the Year expected to be announced at the event,” she said.
Slabbert further said with the collaboration and support from esteemed sponsors like Lebone Litho Printers and the main sponsor, North West University (NWU), this year’s event is set to be an extraordinary celebration.
Picture: One of the scholar transport buses stuck while ferrying learners to school
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
3 April 2025- The SANSBOCNW said it wishes to inform all stakeholders and the community of the North West that, the North West Scholar Transport is facing an unprecedented crisis. The SANSBOCNW said, despite previous communications, the non-payment issue persists and the situation has worsened.
The SANSBOCNW provincial secretary, Washington Ntozini said they have engaged with the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management (COSATMA) leadership and management, the Office of the Premier, and the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management. Ntozini said the department acknowledged a budget shortfall and committed to making payments for outstanding scholar transport services through a virement budget of R53 million before the financial system closed.
“However, despite this commitment, the financial system closed without payment, leaving operators with no choice, but to halt services. Most operators remain unpaid from December 2024 to March 2025. Buses were not serviced or maintained during the December 2024 school holidays due to non-payment.
“During the January 2025, school reopening, most operators managed to render services under difficult financial constraints after COSATMA committed to resolving the non-payment issue. However, operators faced harassment from law enforcement, including heavy traffic fines and operating license fines delayed by the Provincial Regulatory Entity under COSATMA,” he said.
Ntozini further said the SANSBOCNW is disappointed that department officials issued fault penalties during the Human Rights Commission hearing, duplicating law enforcement actions and claiming to enforce SLA conditions, while ignoring the department’s violation of the same conditions by failing to pay operators within 30 days. He said scholar transport crisis requires urgent intervention.
“Operators cannot render services when schools reopen on 8 April 2025, due to lack of funds for diesel, unmaintained buses, and unpaid drivers. Most operators face financial constraints and bankruptcy.
“We have reason to believe that the department’s management plan is to frustrate current operators, causing them to fail and replacing them with outside operators from the panel. This crisis is unprecedented and operators have never gone on strike before,” said Ntonzi.
He said all operators are invited to attend an urgent meeting on 4 April 2025, in Mahikeng (venue and time to be communicated).
3 April 2025- Five innovative media startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have received funding to launch climate justice media projects through the inaugural Green Media Accelerator (GMA) bootcamp.
LThe bootcamp brought together young content creators, journalists, civic rights defenders, and environmental experts to explore the role of media in addressing climate change. Participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions on storytelling as a tool for advocacy, showcasing creative formats such as animation, stop-motion films, long-form documentaries, and public theatre.
The goal was to amplify marginalised voices and drive meaningful climate action through compelling narratives.
Beyond supporting individual startups, the initiative also backed two major media hubs — Uganda’s Media Challenge Initiative and Kenya’s Buni Media. These organisations will spearhead the Fake News Fighters program, designed to combat the rise of climate disinformation and ensure accurate environmental reporting reaches audiences across East Africa.
Key themes explored during the bootcamp included the just energy transition, community empowerment, environmental justice, and corporate accountability. Discussions focused on advocating for renewable energy solutions, supporting grassroots climate activism, addressing the disproportionate impact of environmental degradation on marginalized communities, and holding oil companies accountable for environmental damage, particularly in regions like the Niger Delta.
Picture: Magamba Network’s Samm Farai Monro
Jean Mujati, Program Manager at Fojo Institute, highlighted the urgency of these efforts, recalling how reports of Mount Kenya’s rapidly melting glaciers overshadowed the excitement of the bootcamp’s success.
“Now, more than ever, we must support journalists in telling climate stories from every possible angle,” she stated.
Samm Farai Monro, Creative Director at Magamba Network, expressed admiration for the young media entrepreneurs, emphasising their role in pushing for an African renewable energy revolution.
“We were blown away by their pitches. These startups are telling the stories that need to be heard,” he said.
Dinesh Balliah, Director of the Wits Centre for Journalism, stressed the need for sustained investment in climate storytelling. “The commitment we’ve seen here is remarkable. We need funders, broadcasters, and stakeholders to support the growth of Africa’s media startup sector,” she noted.
The Green Media Accelerator represents more than just a funding initiative—it is a movement to reshape climate narratives through community-driven journalism. By nurturing emerging media talent and fostering collaboration, the initiative aims to create a future where informed and engaged citizens drive meaningful environmental change.
Picture: The North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha during consultative engagement at Taung Agricultural College
By OBAKENG MAJE
3 April 2025- Torture, victimisation, intimidation and sexual advances towards students are some of allegations levelled against the Taung Agricultural College management and lecturers during a heartbreaking meeting with the North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha on Wednesday.
Students alleged that some lecturers and college employees have subjected them to emotional, physical and psychological abuse and when they raise these challenges they are persecuted. One of the victims of bullying at the college, Remofilwe Mooketsi, said she was allegedly bullied and reported it to the management but nothing was done.
“I nearly committed suicide because the person who bullied me was protected by the college management. I reported this matter to Mr Malala, who laughed at me and asked what he must do.
“It is sad because even one of my friends was hospitalised due to depression endured from the college management. We hope Sambatha will address all our challenges, including water shortages,” she said.
The college Student Representative Council (SRC) president, Obakeng Modise said the hostels are in a dire situation. Modise said the ablution facilities are not in good condition and there is also a lack of tissues.
“The walls are peeling off, doors are broken and the drainage system is not properly working. There are allegations that some lecturers are making sexual advances to students and when they are rejected they threaten to make them suffer academically.
“There is only one working washing machine for 156 students. There is also no hot water because the geysers are not working. During the rainy season, the hostels are flooding,” he said.
Modise also alleged that, college employee, Vuyisiwe Mziwakhe would call their parents and snitch on them when they embarked on strike.
Mziwakhe was also accused of taking bribes from students and requesting them to buy her vouchers.
The North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha said everything that students raised as a problem, must be attended to. Sambatha said nobody has a right to call parents of students to intimidate them simply because they are protesting.
“When we resolve challenges, at the point of our resolution components dealing with speciality, the college must never be allowed to go down as an institution. They must focus on these elements that are clustered under abuse.
“Either is a psychological, verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. All these components are going to be investigated properly. I will appoint an investigator because I want to go deeper and get the facts unravelled,” he said.
Sambatha further said he will then decide what actions he takes against perpetrators. He added that they cannot have students admitted in a college and lecturers see them as potential girlfriends.
“If they are attracted to them, they must talk to them, but if they are rejected, they must not use their positions to abuse students. We will never allow that to happen. From today, those who spoke out will not be intimidated or persecuted.
“I want to see if the management will continue to torture them. After investigation, students will still be protected from the abuse of management and I am going to ensure that,” said Sambatha.
He said the student representatives and college management must categorise the interventions accordingly and there should be a revitalisation of infrastructure in both Potchefstroom and Taung Agricultural Colleges. Sambatha said there is no budget allocated for college infrastructure from the North West Provincial Government, but only a grant from the national government.
“The challenge of a grant is that it keeps on reducing. I want both colleges to have enterprise development components, production and sale so that they can generate revenue.
“That money should not go to the provincial reserves, but to the improvement of the sale of infrastructure in the colleges,” said Sambatha.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Provincial Parliament (MPL), Justice Dabampe said: “The issues that were raised today show that the government is unable to take care of its people, worse its future leaders. The government is unable to address all the infrastructural problems and the management behaviour towards students.
“These complaints were raised a few years ago. So, there will fully a blown investigations regarding sexual harassment, abuse of students by management allegations.”
Dabampe said the outcome of the investigations should reveal the rot that is already there and actions should be taken against perpetrators. He said what concerns them is that students are still bathing with cold water because geysers are not working.
“Actually, the infrastructure at the college has collapsed. On Monday, we expect an action plan from college management, department and student representatives. We are hopeful that all these challenges will be addressed within three months.
“The North West Department of Public Works and Roads is also coming on board to address serious sewerage and drainage systems challenges,” said Dabampe.
The ANCYL Regional Task Team member in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region, Poloko Totong said the students contacted them regarding their challenges at the college that date back to five years. Totong said five years ago, they also engaged the former North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Desbo Mohono, with the very same issues such as water shortages, shortage of resources for practical purposes.
“You will find that students are studying dairy, but there are no dairy cows at the college. They are also studying poultry, but there are no chickens at the college.
“So, those are burning issues that need to be addressed accordingly. What is very disappointing is that Mohono who is an ANC member did not address these issues, but we hope that the current MEC, Madoda Sambatha will do that,” he said.
Totong said Sambatha has made commitments and they will hold him accountable to that. He said there is victimisation, intimidation and there are cases that the students have reported against college management.
“According to the students, there are voice recordings where college management and lecturers ill-treat them. So, as ANCYL, we are going to make follow ups,” he said.
Picture: The acting North West Police Commissioner, Patrick Asaneng
By OBAKENG MAJE
3 April 2025- The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) in the North West said it strongly condemns the appalling and disgraceful conduct of the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, who publicly allegedly assaulted a member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) during a funeral over the weekend in Swartruggens. Asaneng was seen in a video that went viral allegedly assaulting and dragging the SAPS member.
POPCRU provincial secretary, Johannes Dire said regardless of the misconduct the member might have committed, this incident is not only an embarrassment to the leadership of SAPS, but also an outright violation of the dignity and rights of the affected officer. Dire said it is deeply concerning that a high-ranking official, who is entrusted with upholding discipline, integrity and professionalism within the police service, would resort to such violent and unacceptable behaviour.
Video: The @SAPoliceService acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng seen allegedly assaulting a police officer in public during a funeral in Swartruggens over the weekend. @Taung_DailyNewspic.twitter.com/xZ1Q7rahVu
— @The Guardian Newspaper (@ObakengMaje) April 3, 2025
“POPCRU views this assault as a gross abuse of power and a direct contradiction of the ethical and professional standards expected from police leadership. Such actions undermine the morale of officers and erode public confidence in SAPS leadership.
“Violence has no place within the structures of law enforcement, and it is particularly unacceptable when it is perpetrated by those in leadership positions. We demand an immediate and transparent investigation into this incident, with appropriate disciplinary action taken against Asaneng,” he said.
Dire further said no police officer should be subjected to humiliation or assault, especially by those who are supposed to lead by example. He added that, they call on the National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola and the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, to take decisive action to prevent such conduct from being tolerated within SAPS.
“POPCRU stands in solidarity with the affected officer and reiterates our commitment to ensuring that all SAPS members are treated with dignity and respect in their line of duty.
“We will not allow the abuse of power and intimidation to go unchallenged,” said Dire.
Picture: The Limpopo Premier, Dr Poppy Ramathuba and the organiser of the tournament, Mama Bheki Ntsanwisi/Safa
By OBAKENG MAJE
3 April 2025– The Grannies International Tournament was launched at Nkowankowa Stadium in Limpopo on Wednesday. The guests from around the world descended on the province and 22 teams of grannies from different countries such as the United States of America (USA), Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, Togo, and South Africa, participated.
The Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba welcomed the guests, Kenya First Lady, Rachel Ruto and SAFA CEO, Lydia Monyepao, among other dignitaries, were also in attendance. Monyepao said Kenya will be hosting the tournament in 2027.
“SAFA is supportive of any organisation that uses the power of football to help change the world, inspire and unite people in a fun way.
“The cameradie built through football networks is long-lasting. We also are supportive of programs that look to address the AU Agenda 2063 aspirations and the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that promote peace and prosperity for people and the planet,” she said.
Monyepao further said SAFA is committed to ensure access to education programs for all, in coaching, referees, administration and leadership. She added that they wish the organisers, Mama Bheki Ntsanwisi, the municipalities, the region and the Limpopo province a successful tournament.
Picture: Northern Cape MEC for COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, Sol Plaatje municipal speaker, Dipuo Peters and Executive Mayor of Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, Martha Bartlett/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
2 April 2025- The North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Bentley Vass undertook an oversight visit to the Sol Plaatje Municipality (SPM), as part of a drive to accelerate service delivery and ensure better coordination between the two spheres of government. Vass said the visit began with a high-level meeting, attended by the Executive Mayor, Martha Bartlett, the Municipal Speaker, Dipuo Peters, Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs), and senior administrative leaders of the SPM.
“During the session, reports were presented on the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) project aimed at addressing the municipality’s water challenges, as well as the ongoing issues in Diamond Park related to sewerage.
“The meeting also focused on the municipality’s planned interventions to resolve these issues. Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Newton Water Reservoir and the Diamond Park area to further assess the situation on the ground,” he said.
Vass further said he was joined by the acting Head of Department (HoD), advocate Mogami Manyeneng and Senior Managers from the department. He added that they are encouraged by the positive feedback on the BFI water project and the ongoing efforts to resolve the water challenges in the city.
“We have established a task team consisting of the Department of COGHSTA, the Sol Plaatje Municipality and National Department of Water and Sanitation to explore long-term solutions for the sewer challenges in Diamond Park, while acknowledging the municipality’s interim measures to alleviate the situation for residents.
“Similar oversight visits will be conducted in other municipalities across the province to ensure that all municipalities are mobilized to accelerate the resolution of service delivery issues,” said Vass.
Meanwhile, Bartlett said: “We are pleased that Vass took the time to visit today, as it has provided us with an opportunity to engage on critical issues of service delivery.
“We value the support from COGHSTA and trust that such engagements will continue regularly so that we can work together to better serve our communities.”
Bartlett said the visit also aimed to reinforce intergovernmental coordination and improve service delivery, in line with the priorities of the 7th administration and the integration and partnership model set forth by the District Development Model (DDM).taungdailynews@gmail.com
2 April 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development today agreed to recommended that advocate Dinkie Portia Dube, be appointed as Deputy Public Protector. The position of Deputy Public Protector became vacant following the appointment of the previous incumbent of the post, advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, to the position of Public Protector.
The Chairperson of Committee, Xola Nqola said, the recommendation of Dube was unanimously supported by the multiparty committee. Nqola said the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was not part of the interview process and thus made no contribution to process.
“All members that participated in the interviews agreed that Dube is the best candidate from the list of those interviewed. She was calm and collected during our very robust interview process. She also has a wide knowledge of the field and articulated her responses eloquently during the process.
“The committee could not, however, agree on recommending a candidate for the vacancy on the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The committee is tasked with appointing a commissioner and to fill the vacancy for the Deputy Chairperson of the SAHRC,” he said.
Nqola further said, at first, the ANC component of the committee recommended a candidate, but did not have the support of other parties. He added that, the Democratic Alliance (DA) indicated that the process should be restarted, as it had not delivered a suitable candidate.
“The Freedom Front Plus supported the DA’s position. The MK Party initially wanted the decision to be deferred to another date, but later submitted that the process should be restarted as there was no suitable candidate.
“During the deliberations, the EFF highlighted that the rules of Parliament are silent on whether members who were absent from an interview process are able to vote. The EFF then indicated its position that the committee cannot operate on the basis of what happened in the past but should rather abide by what is contained in the rules,” said Nqola.
He conceded that the rules are silent on whether committee members who did not participate in an interview process can vote in the matter. Nqola said the best way forward is for the committee to postpone the decision on the recommendation for a Commissioner to the SAHRC until they receive advice from Parliament (Constitutional and) Legal Services Office on the matter, of which members have the right to vote.
“The committee will now draft a report on the recommendation of Dube to serve as the Deputy Public Protector. After the adoption of the committee report, the report will then be sent to the National Assembly for its decision,” he said.
2 April 2025- The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Eastern Cape said it has noted the judgment of the Eastern Cape High Court sitting in Gqeberha, which found televangelist, Timothy Omotoso (63) and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani (41) and Zikiswa Sitho (33), not guilty on the 32 charges the state indicted them on.
Delivering the judgment, Judge Irma Schoeman found that the trio was not guilty due to the technicality, mainly that the former prosecutors in the case acted improperly and the accused were not sufficiently cross-examined by the state.
Video: One of Pastor Timothy Omotoso’s alleged victims of rape, Cheryl Zondo, says she is disappointed over Omotoso’s acquittal. @Taung_DailyNewspic.twitter.com/fa0SLO2Uju
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Eastern Cape, Luxolo Tyali said it is for that reason that the prosecuting team will study the judgement and decide which legal avenues to explore. Tyali said since the arrest of the trio in April 2017, their trial has been protracted with numerous obstacles, including interlocutory applications by the accused that even included Constitutional Court challenges.
“The most recent applications were for five special entries for a mistrial and an application made on 16 January 2024, where the defence made an application for the judge to reconsider her previous judgment on the application for discharge according to Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which were successfully opposed by the state.
“The delays caused some witnesses to no longer want to proceed with giving evidence as they indicated they have since moved on with their lives and are not interested in reliving their experiences in court,” she said.
Tyali further said that has led to the reduction of the charges from 63. She added that, in as much as the NPA does not seek to secure conviction at all costs, it remains committed to ensuring justice is served for the victims of crime and will go at all lengths to give a voice to the victims by exploring all the possible avenues.
One of Omotoso’s alleged victims, Cherly Zondo said there were online fabrications spread about them. Zondo said they would also experience abuse while walking down the streets.
“Our lives have never been the same after coming out about this. One has to wonder if this is what the past eight years of our lives have come down to. The main concern is not knowing what he did to us, but knowing that he is not going to stop.
“He is going to continue doing that to other women and girls. That is what we wanted this to stop and be prevented. It should end with us and not go any further. But, he is not going to stop because it is within his nature,” she said.
Zondo said she feels like it is kind of an enabling to him and she thinks things might only get worse from here. She said they should agree that evil prevails in this world and it is really unfortunate.
Meanwhile, the ANCWL secretary-general, Nokuthula Nqaba said justice delayed is justice denied for rape survivors in this case. Nqaba said they note with deep concern and outrage the acquittal of Omotoso on criminal charges.
“This judgment not only strikes a blow to the courageous women, who came forward at great personal risk, but also raises serious questions about the strength of our justice system in prosecuting Gender Based Violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation.
“We issue this statement to call on the NPA to urgently consider an appeal against this acquittal. The legal system cannot be seen to fail survivors because of procedural technicalities or an overly narrow interpretation of evidentiary rules,” she said.
Nqaba asked if this case speaks to broader systemic issues, where the voices of survivors are adequately heard, respected and protected in the courtroom? She asked if where rules of evidence applied in ways that unfairly discredited witnesses, especially women survivors?
“Did the court adopt a highly rigid approach that failed to weigh the pattern of abuse? We remind the NPA of its constitutional obligation to act in the interests of justice, especially where there is a strong public interest and a pattern of predatory behaviour.
“We question the integrity and impact of the judgment, while we respect the independence of the judiciary. We are compelled to raise concerns regarding the dismissal of survivor testimony on grounds that appear to undermine the lived experience of victims,” said Nqaba.
She said they are concerned about the over-reliance on legal technicalities, which they fear may embolden other alleged abusers. Nqaba said the message this sends to women and girls is that, even when they find the strength to speak out, the system may not protect them.
“This judgment is a dangerous precedent, potentially reinforcing rape culture and religious cover for abuse. Deportation of Omotoso must be pursued given the serious nature of the allegations even if acquitted and the public outrage, we call on the Department of Home Affairs to immediately review Timothy Omotoso’s immigration status and consider his deportation.
“His presence in South Africa is no longer in the public interest. He is not a citizen, and the allegations involve systemic abuse of local women and minors under the guise of religion. Deportation laws in South Africa allow for the removal of a foreign national, whose presence is deemed undesirable, even absent a conviction,” she said.
She said they urge the government to act boldly to protect women and uphold public morality. Nqaba said justice must be seen to be done.
“This is not only a legal issue but a moral, societal, and gender issue. We must ask ourselves what kind of country allows foreign religious leaders accused of sexual crimes to walk away without accountability, then remain among us, as if nothing happened?
“We stand firmly with survivors. We demand an appeal. We demand accountability and we demand deportation. Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done,” she said.
2 April 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it will file papers in the Western Cape High Court to challenge Parliament’s passing of the 2025/26 national budget. The leader of DA and a Member of Parliament (MP), John Steenhuisen accused Action SA of handing over VAT hike to the ANC on a platter.
Steenhuisen further said what happened was unthinkable, unlawful and unconstitutional. He added that the Action SA and the ANC, were joined in passing this VAT Budget by the IFP, PA, GOOD, Rize Mzansi, UDM, PAC, Al Jama-ah and BOSA, who collectively have chosen to make life more expensive for South Africans.
“The DA has vehemently opposed the Finance Minister’s Budget proposal, and we have negotiated for amendments that would have ensured economic growth and job-creation, because that is what South Africa needs.
“Instead of the budget being amended to address the needs of struggling South Africans, the budget has been passed by the National Assembly with VAT hikes to make life more expensive for South Africans,” said Steenhuisen.
He said yesterday’s sitting of Parliament’s Finance Committee was not compliant with the standing rules of Parliament, in that the Fiscal Framework was not put to the committee to approve or reject, and one proposal during the meeting of one political party was taken as adopted without the other tabled amendments being considered. Steenhuisen said this legal shortcoming was carried forward into the National Assembly today.
“In the National Assembly this flawed Finance Committee report was approved by several parties in the National Assembly, but not the DA. This approval by those parties effectively means that the Budget measures announced by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana in his March 12th Budget Speech have now been adopted by the National Assembly.
“The DA’s court challenge rests on two key grounds such as the procedure of the Finance Committee on 1 April 2025, to consider and approve the Fiscal Framework, and the constitutionality of certain revenue collection and expenditure measures becoming binding through a speech by Godongwana without Parliament having to consider, oversee or approve them,” he said.
Steenhuisen said they are looking forward to this matter being addressed in court, for the benefit of all South Africans who do not agree to this budget. He said they refuse to give in to the ANC’s tax increases.
“They remain hellbent on making people poorer. The ANC is out of touch with the people and if they bought their own groceries or filled their own tanks, they would know how expensive life already is,” said Steenhuisen.
The Guardian 