News

8 December 2023

Powerplay – CSA Coach Education Newsletter 1St Issue

Location: Sport

It gives me great pleasure that I am putting pen to paper for this edition of the PowerPlay newsletter. This...

8 December 2023

From Trash to Treasure

Location: News

The Bellville library opened its doors for an exhilarating Waste-to-Art Exhibition end of November 2023. The city-funded event is the culmination of The Greater Tygerberg Partnership’s (GTP) exhilarating Climate Change School Holiday Programme which took place in October 2023. The exhibition was a visual feast, showcasing the innovative creations and projects conceived by young participants …

8 December 2023

Pretorius to add speed and versatility to Blitzboks

Location: Sport

Springbok Sevens head coach Sandile Ngcobo named Tiaan Pretorius as the only new player in his squad for this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Cape Town tournament, with the former SA Schools centre replacing the injured Christie Grobbelaar from the squad that won the Dubai tournament last weekend. Grobbelaar injured his ankle in Dubai and was ruled …

8 December 2023

NHI: All You Need To Know

Location: News

On 12 June 2023, the National Assembly (NA) passed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. The NHI Bill seeks to provide universal access to health care services in the country in accordance with the National Health Insurance White Paper and the Constitution of South Africa. The Bill envisages the establishment of a National Health Insurance …

8 December 2023

Habana inspires next generation of Sevens stars

Location: Sport

With Rugby Sevens fever ramping up in the Mother City ahead of this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Cape Town, one of South Africa’s most revered World Cup-winning heroes, Bryan Habana, took time out of his schedule to add to the building excitement with an HSBC TAG Rugby event at Green Point Salesian Football Club on Thursday. …

8 December 2023

Baloyi and Dolf added to Springbok Women’s Sevens squad

Location: Sport

Kemisetso Balyoi and Byrhandrè Dolf will replace the injured Zintle Mpupha and Libbie Janse van Rensburg for this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Cape Town tournament, which will see Dolf making her debut for the national sevens squad. The Bulls Daisies player will come in at flyhalf in place of Janse van Rensburg, her provincial and Springbok …

8 December 2023

KZN disaster teams respond to storm-affected families

Location: News

KZN disaster teams respond to storm-affected families

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) has responded to the disasters caused by thunderstorms in the Umgungundlovu and Harry Gwala Districts, following the inclement weather on Sunday and Monday night in Pietermaritzburg.

According to the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) preliminary reports, various areas were affected by heavy storms in the form of hail and heavy rains, which affected a number of areas.

The affected areas, including France, Mpumuza, Henley, Machibisa, KwaPata, kaShange, Ashdown and parts of Imbali Township, were left damaged with roofs blown away and some houses were completely destroyed.

The department said the disaster management teams, working with Msunduzi Local Municipality, are conducting ongoing assessments and providing relief to affected families.

In the Harry Gwala District Municipality, strong winds and hail storms were also reported in various wards of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, causing damage to households.

The reports indicate that seven houses were totally destroyed, with 19 partially damaged, and seven people left homeless. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.

The department said the disaster teams have provided relief materials to the affected families and the teams are also conducting damage assessments in other wards within the Umzimkhulu area.

KZN CoGTA MEC, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, has expressed sympathy to all affected families and urged the disaster teams to ensure all affected families are profiled to receive assistance.

“As the department, we sympathise with all families that have been affected by this damaging weather in all areas. Our disaster teams are currently on the ground conducting assessments to ensure that all affected communities get assistance.

“We have engaged our sister departments, including Human Settlements and Social Development, to render their services, especially to those who may have lost identity documents, and Human Settlements will provide relief to fix damages,” Sithole-Moloi said.

The MEC urged the communities to take precautionary measures to minimise the impact of the current disasters.

“As the rainy season is upon us, we are experiencing this damaging weather more often as the province. Let us make sure that we move to safer areas where there are no threats and avoid traveling during heavy rains.

“Our disaster teams have activated the joint operations clusters where we work with all municipalities, NGOs, and law enforcement agencies to respond to the disaster matters. The PDMC has engaged all districts to report any incidents and indicate any support required,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:07

179 views

8 December 2023

Cape Town is the second round of HSBC SVNS 2024, featuring the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams in the world

Location: Sport

The stage is set for HSBC SVNS Cape Town on 9-10 December at DHL Stadium as the world's best 12 men's and women's rugby sevens teams are ready to showcase their incredible talents on the pitch.

Meanwhile a huge entertainment line-up, including live music, mass- participation sports activities and food from around the globe will create a vibrant festival experience for fans to enjoy off the pitch as the reinvigorated HSBC SVNS aims to take the Olympic sport to the next level.

On Wednesday the captains enjoyed a taste of Cape Town at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market in the shadows of the famous stadium, which hosted Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

An exciting new era for rugby sevens began in Dubai on 2-3 December as the highly anticipated HSBC SVNS 2024 kicked off with South Africa men and Australia women taking victory in the opening round to lead the early standings.

VIEW POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE: https://apo-opa.co/41flRrj

The HSBC SVNS CPT action kicks off at 09:00 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday with the pool matches. Day two begins at 09:00 on Sunday with the quarter-finals and culminates with the women's gold medal final at 18:43, followed by the men's final at 19:23 local time. Tickets are available from R150 at Ticketmaster.

With the number of teams reduced from 16 to 12 in the men's event this year the competition will be intense from start to finish.

South Africa's hugely popular Blitzboks will play Ireland, USA and Great Britain in men's Pool A. Last season's runners-up Argentina face double Olympic champions Fiji alongside France and Spain in Pool B. Pool C sees reigning SVNS champions New Zealand take on Samoa, Australia and Canada.

South Africa men's captain Selvyn Davids said: “We thought we had a tough pool in Dubai and how close it was indeed. Our ‘reward' is yet another one this weekend and that is the beauty of this new format. Not only does every match count, the reality is that you could be defeated by any of the 12 teams if you are even slightly off your game.

“The Cape Town crowd has been a faithful one for us and it has been a while for them to celebrate a win. We have this opportunity now to give them another title. The Springboks showed the way in France, now we have a chance to make good as well.”

In the women's competition, Australia will start Pool A in confident mood following their victory in Dubai last weekend and they will come up against Fiji, Japan and Spain. Pool B sees the current SVNS title holders New Zealand together with Ireland, Brazil and Great Britain. France were impressive bronze medallists in Dubai and they will take on Canada, USA and the hosts South Africa who were promoted from the Challenger last season and will be looking to make their mark on home turf in Pool C.

South Africa women's co-captain Mathrin Simmers said: “It feels different for a number of reasons. We are at home of course and that always creates a special buzz. The fact that I missed last year's tournament through injury adds to my excitement to play.

“The real anticipation for us, going into the second tournament as the newcomers onto the series, is to see if we can back up on what we did in Dubai last week. The squad felt good about the fact that we landed on our feet in the series, took some great teams to the wire and got our first win for the season. How excited that we now get another opportunity to do it all over again.”

The competition format replicates the Olympic model and sees the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams qualify for the quarter-finals from where it is knockout rugby.

VIEW HSBC SVNS 2024 CALENDAR: https://www.SVNS.com/en

World Rugby's revamped and rebranded global celebration of rugby sevens is taking place across eight iconic destinations and is set to supercharge the sport's global appeal.

The new-look HSBC SVNS 2024 features seven regular season events – in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore – before the Grand Final in Madrid. The top eight placed teams based on cumulative series points after seven events will compete in the new ‘winner-takes-all' Grand Final, where the women's and men's champions will be crowned.

Madrid will also play host to the high stakes relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger, with the top four placed teams securing their place on HSBC SVNS 2025.

The reimagined competition model means fans can expect even more excitement, entertainment and nail-biting jeopardy. And with the clock counting down until rugby sevens kicks off the Olympic Games in Paris on 24 July, 2024, the action will be hotter than ever on and off the pitch.

In line with World Rugby's commitment to grow the women's game, all HSBC SVNS events will see men's and women's teams sharing the platform equally to showcase their incredible strength, speed and skill on the biggest stages around the world.

Welcoming the teams and fans to Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor of Cape Town said: “To all the players, coaching and management teams and, most importantly, the thousands of traveling fans who have made their way to Cape Town for the HSBC SVNS CPT, I wish you a very warm welcome to the Mother City.

“Sevens and Cape Town have a wonderful decade-old relationship, with our city putting on a show every year that must surely rank among the highlights of the season. For us, the annual SVNS tournament is one of the most important events on our calendar as the world tunes in to Cape Town during a magical time of the year and sees our city at its very best. We are ready to put on our best SVNS party yet, and our iconic DHL Stadium with its brand new pitch, is going to set a standard in this competition that will not easily be matched.”

WHERE TO WATCH: https://apo-opa.co/3Gz7XH6

Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcaster partners or online on RugbyPass TV. All matches taking place on pitch two in Cape Town will be live streamed on RugbyPass TV.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.

Media files
World Rugby

Download logo

8 December 2023

SAMATU commends adoption of NHI Bill

Location: News

SAMATU commends adoption of NHI Bill

The South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) says the adoption of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill represents a monumental achievement in South Africa's journey towards accomplishing universal health coverage.

“This milestone signifies that the nation realises the importance of universal health coverage as a means of addressing the inequalities that exist in the current healthcare system,” said SAMATU General Secretary, Dr Cedric Sihlangu.

The union commended the Ministry of Health for the significant strides made in the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, which was passed by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.

The SAMATU noted with great satisfaction the Ministry's inclusive and comprehensive approach, particularly through robust stakeholder engagements, transparent communication, and a well-considered phased implementation strategy.

Sihlangu said SAMATU views these efforts as “key components for the successful execution of this critical healthcare reform.”

“SAMATU recognises and supports the Ministry's emphasis on a rational, structured, and phased approach to the implementation of the NHI. The acknowledgement of the role of transitional arrangements and the impeding proclamation of specific sections of the Act as law are crucial elements in realising the transformative impact of the NHI.

“We understand the intricacies involved in implementing such a fundamental reform and appreciate the Ministry's foresight in ascertaining that the effectiveness of the Act's provisions is undeniably linked to the subsequent introduction of accompanying regulations, directives, and operational procedures,” Sihlangu said.

Sihlangu’s comments come as Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, has described the adoption of the bill as a historic and important milestone.

According to Phaahla, the Ministry has since developed and adopted a comprehensive approach to stakeholder engagement to ensure diverse perspectives are considered as the country forges ahead with implementing NHI.

“Regarding the next key steps, we look forward to the Bill being forwarded to the President for consideration and promulgation. Once it receives Presidential assent, the Bill will become an Act of Parliament, creating a statutory mandate for the Minister and the National Department of Health,” Phaahla said on Wednesday.

Sihlangu added that the Constitutional provision empowering the President to set dates for the effectiveness of various provisions within the Act is recognised, and SAMATU is confident in the Ministry's commitment to navigate through these processes with due diligence and steadfast focus on the public interest.

“SAMATU stands ready to offer unwavering support and collaborate with all stakeholders involved in the NHI implementation processes. As a union that represents doctors, we are committed to provide valuable insights and engage constructively to ensure the realisation of a healthcare system that guarantees equitable access to quality healthcare for all South Africans.

“As we move forward, SAMATU reaffirms its commitment to advocating for the best interests of healthcare professionals and the public. We eagerly anticipate the successful realisation of the NHI objectives for the benefit of all citizens,” Sihlangu said.

About the NHI

On 12 June 2023, the National Assembly (NA) passed the National Health Insurance Bill.

The NHI Bill seeks to provide universal access to health care services in the country in accordance with the National Health Insurance White Paper and the Constitution of South Africa.

The MEC will be joined by the families of the victims as they remember the women who were raped and murdered.

According to Nkomo-Ralehoko’s office, almost 10% of all victims of all sexual offences seen at the Kopanong Hospital Thuthuzela Care Centre are from Midvaal with a significant proportion of these being from Sicelo.

“MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko will take this opportunity to call for continued collaborative efforts to intensify the fight against gender-based violence and femicide as part of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children to promote public knowledge of the services available to victims of these inhumane offences,” the department said.

This year marks the 25th anniversary since South Africa initiated the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.

This year’s theme will focus on accelerating actions to end gender-based violence and femicide and leaving no one behind. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Thu, 12/07/2023 - 10:00

429 views