Picture: (North West University logo)

BY REGINALD KANYANE

POTCHEFSTROOM- The Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano will deliver the lecture to the students of the University of North West (Potchefstroom campus) tomorrow.

Energy department spokesperson, Johannes Mokobane said Amano will be accompanied by Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo from the South African Permanent Mission in Vienna and other senior managers in government.

“Yukiya is visiting South Africa to attend an International Radiation Protection Agency Conference in Cape Town. This was part of the visit at iThemba LABS in Cape Town and will be followed by an envisaged lecture at the North West University in (Potchefstroom) on Wednesday at 11h00,” he said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has stirred parents into a new debate after stating that he would like the South African flag on all school uniforms.

Lesufi took to Twitter to tell his more than 22‚000 followers: “My wish is to ensure that from 2017 all school uniforms must have our SA Flag just like national sporting teams.”

This patriotic proposal follows on the Department of Arts and Culture’s Flag in Every School Campaign‚ which started in 2014. The campaign involves hoisting the national flag‚ the correct way of singing the national anthem‚ reciting the preamble of the Constitution and learning about our national symbols.

While Lesufi did not say whether he was proposing the emblem should be stitched onto a lapel‚ a badge pin or if it should be a more elaborate design‚ parents immediately questioned the additional cost of the change.

“Seriously? Will that be free? Because it costs us parents a whole lot of money!‚” Bernice Le Roux ‏@bernice__leroux said.

James Brodie ‏@Gyrator thought there was a better goal for the MEC‚ stating: “Focus on educating the children please.”

Lesley Blake ‏@JoburgBlake also chimed in‚ saying: “@Lesufi INSTEAD: Make sure each school has enough teachers. Make sure each Principal is at his post because YOU chose him‚ not SADTU.” The comment came as the country is waiting to see a report commissioned by the Education Department into the alleged buying and selling of teacher posts‚ implicating members of the South African Democratic Teachers Union.

Lesufi’s idea garnered support too‚ with Bus.Reg.Cipc.Beecert ‏@OhNganeYami tweeting: “Visionary Mr Lesufi‚ very proud to be a South African right now”.

Radovan Dimitri ‏@FidellCastro commented‚ “Bra @Lesufi can make other Education MECs non-existent in as far as innovation is concerned. Thumbs up”.

“It’s very doable‚ leadership‚” iMtolo ‏@Thulani_Mtolo added.

Kwena Sekoaila ‏@Skoax took a contrarian stance in the debate: “That is going to be a tough one… I am against school uniforms”.
Source: Timelive

Rustenburg – A 29-year-old man was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition in Mmakau near Ga-Rankuwa on Tuesday, North West police said.

Police spokesperson Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said the Zimbabwean national was arrested at Selosesha Section in Mmakau.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

AN uncle told Daily Sun he had been living in the shack for almost four years with the girls after their mum died and they can’t force him out of the shack.

But the girls, aged 18 and 19, say their uncle has no authority over them. Now the single room shack with the two side-by-side beds has been broken down.

Richard Ngubane (36) from Wattville, Benoni, Ekurhuleni told Daily Sun he asked the community to help.

Residents then chased away the teenagers and demolished the shack.

Richard claimed for nearly a year his nieces have been giving him a hard time.

“They wear miniskirts and stand by the side of the street looking for men.

“They tell me to go out even if I want to rest on my bed. It can happen at any time, day or night. The girls bring different men to the house.”

Richard said he would sometimes find used condoms under his bed and when he asked them about it, they would swear at him instead. The two teenagers, Phumelele Mhlongo and Palesa Mareka, told Daily Sun their uncle must get a life.

Source: Daily Sun

Cape Town – If no drastic action is taken against unaffordable cancer and TB drugs, the country will be counting body bags like it was at war, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Tuesday.

“Anybody who is desperate to remain alive and tries to obtain treatment at current costs will end up in poverty,” he said.

Motsoaledi was presenting his budget vote in Parliament, where he bemoaned the high costs of medical care, using cancer drugs as an example.

“Just as the price of ARVs were unaffordable then, cancer drugs are devilishly unaffordable today.

“Two years ago, I was regarded as exaggerating, or outright insane by some, when I spoke openly against pharmaceutical companies that were planning a price onslaught against us. Today, that onslaught, which I had foreseen, is here with us,” he said.

He called for the same solidarity that was employed to reduce the price of ARVs, to be used in the fight against non-communicable diseases and drug resistant TB.

Pretoria – Residents of Spoorview, in Ga-Rankuwa, were on Tuesday protesting against exorbitant fees for municipal services.

They blocked roads in the area, with its large bonded houses, with burning tyres, rocks, and rubble. Police were keeping an eye on the situation.

Ruddy Maseko, secretary of the United Ga-Rankuwa Spoorview Community, said their biggest problem was the exorbitant fees they were paying for water and electricity.

“Our community is said not to be on the map. We have been paying services for over 20 years, but today they say we are not on the map. They must return our money since we are not recognised,” he claimed.

Source:  www.news24.com

Johannesburg – Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and beleaguered High Court Judge Mabel Jansen have requested that Justice Minister Michael Masutha place her on special leave, the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) said on Tuesday.

“The CJ and Judge Jansen met and agreed to request that the minister place her on special leave,” JSC spokesperson advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza told News24.

For more http://www.news24.com

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in Durban South slammed overcrowding in schools during a protest at the provincial education department headquarters in Durban on Tuesday.

Around 100 protesters in red Sadtu attire held placards calling for a end to overcrowding in schools, while Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni addressed a media briefing inside the building.

For more http://www.news24.com

MORE than fifty girls from two local schools in Dryharts village, near Taung received sanitary towels from Mooketsi Road Construction Company on Friday. Coordinator, Neo Segwele said they came up with this initiative with other stakeholders.

Mooketsi Road Construction Company was paving the road in the area. They bought sanitary towels as their social responsibility after completion. Segwele said they delivered boxes of sanitary pads to Jerry Mahura Secondary and Motlhamare Primary Schools.

“We all know that limited access to safe affordable and convenient methods for dealing with menstruation has far reaching implications in rural areas. So we saw it fit to come up with this initiative to bring dignity in physical, social and mental well-being of many female pupils.

“Some pupils said they have been using newspapers and toilet rolls because they live in abject poverty. Adolescence is a crucial stage of life and one that is challenging for most girls because of its physical and psychological changes. They said one of the major physiological changes in adolescence girls is menstruation,” Segwele said.

He said some of the learners stay with their grandparents and have no money to buy sanitary pads. Segwele said menstruation was not only a health concern, but also an educational challenge as some of pupils missed classes during their periods.

Motlhamare primary school teacher, Mary Thaganyane said: “We highly appreciated what has been done by various road contractors in our village. This really shows that they do not only care about getting tenders, but have the interest of the pupils at heart. Menstruation is a barrier to the educational rights of adolescent girls especially in rural areas.

“We need to teach girl children about new development within their bodies. They need to be aware of physiological changes such as increased body size and the ability to reproduce as well as psychological changes, including the ability to think critically, an expanded reasoning capacity, identity formation and sensitivity to the new body image.

“However, for most girls in rural areas, this phase often brings challenges that push them out of school and social activities. These challenges have often been underplayed, even though research has shown that their effects are significant.”

Grade 7 pupil, Onthatile Maleta shared the same sentiments. She said the initiative was good as some of the pupils come from poor backgrounds. However this will cease the situation.

“Some of learners come from poor background and that pushes them to miss classes. However it eases one’s mind knowing that you can always approach teachers for help with sanitary towels. Some girls are very shy to talk about these new developments within their bodies, but we encourage them to get educational help to understand what’s going on,” Maleta said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com