Displaced Limpopo farmers battle to make a living
Farmers had been working communal land near Phalaborwa since 2014
Education
Shoprite Group opens pathways to job opportunities for unemployed youth
Shoprite Group opens pathways to job opportunities for unemployed youth This Youth Month, the Shoprite Group is calling on unemployed and unskilled South Africans, aged 18 to 34, to apply for specialist training and education programmes to increase their employability in the retail sector. A staggering 45,5% of South African youth grapple with the reality …
Clearworld Suppliers In Partnership With Sanpellegrino And Acqua Panna Launch Groundbreaking Upliftment Scholarship Programme With Sommeliers Academy In South Africa
Clearworld Suppliers along with Sanpellegrino and Acqua Panna have collaborated with the Sommeliers Academy, to introduce the pioneering Upliftment Scholarship Programme in South Africa. This initiative aims to elevate the standard of service in South African restaurants and bar venues to an international level. Administered by the Sommeliers Academy, this dynamic Scholarship Programme is designed …
Ignition Group Sponsors Local School’s First Digital Library
June 2024, Durban KwaZulu-Natal – Since 2022 Ignition Group (Ignition) has been working in conjunction with The Learn Project on the Book Corners and School Library initiative. “We believe that by supporting literacy and reading programmes for foundation phase, learners at less privileged schools get the base they need to participate in and benefit from …
Treverton pupil selected to play for KZN Midlands hockey team
Congratulations to Sienna Marx in grade 10 at Treverton College for being selected to play in the KZN Midlands U16 B Hockey Team. We wish you every success! Education truly is an adventure. For further information please visit www.treverton.co.za CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. Author: Treverton College Treverton College from Angelfish …
Treverton kayak cross event
Recently Treverton pupils went to the Cooper’s gorge section of the Umzimkhulu River near Creighton in southern KZN to participate in an informal kayak cross event. This discipline involves running a section of river of about 200m where certain obstacles in the form of pipes suspended above specific points on the river need to be …
Arrival of the famous Sardine Run concludes Scottburgh’s Ocean Festival programme
For the second year running, the globally renowned Sardine Run arrived on the final day of the Ocean Festival on the KZN South Coast’s Scottburgh. This is a fitting gesture for the festival, which commemorates World Oceans Day (8 June) while encouraging ocean conservation through its themes ‘Engagement, Education, and Economics’. The dynamic event programme, …
Paddlers race for the KZN Champs title with Nisbet and Chiazzari taking line honours
Top paddlers came out in force on Sunday, 9 June 2024 to compete in the 2024 Leatherback Rum Surfski Challenge at Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast. This doubles race saw Luke Nisbet (Durban) and Brent Chiazzari (Salt Rock) in first place with the ladies’ race won by Saskia Hockly (uMdloti) and Christie Mackenzie (uMdloti). …
Progress in payment of private student accommodation
Progress in payment of private student accommodation
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Administrator, Freeman Nomvalo, says a bulk payment of accommodation allowances was processed by the end of May 2024 and beginning of June 2024, with the next scheduled payment expected by mid-June 2024.
Nomvalo said NSFAS has been consulting with various stakeholders since his appointment as the Administrator, and one of the critical stakeholders consulted are the landlords for private student accommodation who raised concerns regarding the outstanding payment of student accommodation allowances.
Nomvalo has assured the stakeholders that a bulk payment of accommodation allowances has been processed by the end of May 2024.
“The next scheduled payment will be not later than 18 June 2024 to clear all legitimate claims. These interventions are intended to provide the much-needed relief to private student accommodation landlords,” Nomvalo said.
The Administrator has urged the landlords, who still have outstanding payments, not to evict students, as NSFAS is committed to ensuring that all legitimate claims are resolved not later than 18 June 2024.
He encouraged landlords who did not submit their claims for outstanding payments to refer their queries to NSFASAccomProv@nsfas.org.za.
Nomvalo reiterated his call to all Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college students, who still do not have bank accounts, to open them with banks of their own choice and submit their bank accounts on the NSFAS established portal in order to avoid delays in their payment allowances.
“The banking details provided must belong to the student to enable NSFAS to verify these against the student's details on our record and minimise potential risks,” Nomvalo said.
The Administrator also encouraged members of the public to only rely on official communication from NSFAS, as opposed to deliberate misinformation about the work of the scheme, which often appears in various social media platforms.
The Administrator further reiterated his commitment to constructively engage with all stakeholders to find workable solutions for the stability of the Post-School Education and Training in South Africa system and success of the students. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Mon, 06/10/2024 - 10:19
568 views
Hank and Pippa McGregor take on KZN doubles title at the Leatherback Rum Surfski Challenge
World-class surfski paddlers are heading to Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast this Sunday (9 June 2024) to compete in the Leatherback Rum Surfski Challenge doubles race – paddling power couple Hank and Pippa McGregor among them. This epic contest forms part of the second annual Ocean Festival, running from 6 to 9 June 2024, …
City of Tshwane, Water and Sanitation sign agreement to address water issues
City of Tshwane, Water and Sanitation sign agreement to address water issues
The City of Tshwane has set the wheels in motion towards formalising partnerships that will contribute towards addressing the city’s water and sanitation related challenges.
The National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is among the strategic partners which the city has approached not only to be involved as a regulator, but to also collaborate on various issues and leveraging the department’s technical and financial resources to jointly address the metropolitan municipality’s other challenges, including the Hennops River pollution, Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works and inadequate human resources.
The City of Tshwane and the department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on various strategic areas including infrastructure planning and development, water resource planning and infrastructure solutions, and capacity building for the municipal officials.
The agreement was signed on Monday by Tshwane City Manager, Johann Mettler and Deputy Director-General for Water and Sanitation Services, Dr Risimati Mathye, at the city’s headquarters in Tshwane House.
The parties said discussions are at an advanced stage to finalise a flagship engineering candidacy development programme, which will see the secondment of candidate engineers to the City of Tshwane, as well as professional engineers who will be contracted to the city for a three-year period.
A team of engineers has undergone training under the department.
In addition, the Department of Water and Sanitation will offer free mentorship through its database of mentors to the candidate engineers to assist them to obtain their professional registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
Once implemented successfully, the programme will assist the city in complying with the new ECSA Identification of Engineering Work Regulations.
Mathye said collaboration between the two entities is significant, particularly on the Water and Sanitation side, to fulfil its role as a regulator of the water and sanitation sector.
“Addressing our major water challenges requires a collaborative effort between the city and key water stakeholders and the DWS is one of those key players.
“We have been facing significant water challenges which have been affecting some of our residents for a longer period [and] some of these challenges can be linked to ageing infrastructure and maintenance challenges at some of our Water Treatment Plants.
“We are pleased by the will and zeal that has been shown by the city in ensuring collaborative efforts and allow us to work together in different spheres of government to ensure efficient services to the residents of Tshwane. It has always been our intention to work with local government across to capacitate them where we can, to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 6, to realise clean water and decent sanitation provision to communities,” Mathye said.
Other key areas of collaboration that the MoU will focus on include:
• Water resource planning and infrastructure solutions in line with the city’s Climate Action Plan.
• Infrastructure planning and development.
• Collaboration on water and sanitation-related programmes.
• Sustainable Development Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation.
• Training and capacity building including secondment of staff between the parties.
• Education and awareness campaigns.
• Knowledge-sharing.
• Benchmarking of programmes like Green Drop, Blue Drop, No Drop.
• Joint enforcement programmes for water pollution prevention.
• Exploration of alternative water and sanitation technologies with DWS and its entities.
• Key bulk infrastructure in line with the Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework and Regionalised Spatial Development Framework.
• Any other additional area that the parties may agree to collaborate on in future.
The signed MoU reinforces the ideal of the Intergovernmental Relations Act, Act No. 13 of 2005 which implores a concerted effort by government in all spheres to work together and to integrate as far as possible their actions in the provision of services, the alleviation of poverty and the development of society. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Mon, 06/10/2024 - 12:41
185 views
Super Rent joins Totalsports Women’s Race as official Logistics Partner
The organisers of the iconic Totalsports Women’s Race are thrilled to welcome Super Rent as the official logistics partner for South Africa’s premier Women’s Month Celebration. “We are thrilled to partner with Super Rent as the official logistics partner for the Totalsports Women’s Race,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports. “For the first …
KZN learners to represent SA at Stockholm Junior Water Prize
KZN learners to represent SA at Stockholm Junior Water Prize
Sanelisiwe and Sandisiwe Nhlozi from Buhlebemfundo Secondary School in Durban will represent South Africa in Stockholm, Sweden, at the Annual Stockholm Junior Water Prize in August.
The 15-year-old twins emerged victorious at the 2024 National South African Youth Water Prize Competition (SAYWP) held at the Xylem Water Solutions Offices in Kempton Park, Gauteng on Friday.
The South African Youth Water Prize competition is a vital component of the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Education programme, which aims to educate learners and society on water resource management issues including water use efficiency, water quality monitoring, and protection of water resources among others.
The competition, organised in partnership with Xylem Water Solutions, Water Technology, the Water Research Commission, and other key stakeholders in the water sector, aimed to identify a project that would best represent South Africa at the 2024 Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden.
The final competition follows a culmination of months of hard work and dedication from young water and sanitation enthusiasts’ countrywide.
The two learners were announced as the winners of the competition following their impressive presentation on their innovation awareness project “Drop-Drop”, earning them an opportunity to showcase their project on a global platform and compete against other talented learners from around the world.
The duo also walked away with prizes including R15 000 each, tickets to Sweden, laptops, a first-place trophy, R10 000 allowance and bursaries to further their education at the university of their choice.
Sanelisiwe and Sandisiwe expressed their gratitude and excitement for the opportunity to represent South Africa on the global stage.
“We feel super excited, we are so emotional right now. We are so grateful to the teachers, mentors, and everybody who supported us to this far and our family," the duo said.
They also pledged to elevate South Africa to new heights and secure the top spot on the global stage of the competition with their awareness approach.
Following closely behind was Kimberly Technical School, whose impactful awareness project secured them second place. The school received prize of R14 000, bursary, laptops, and a second-place trophy.
Middleburg Muslim Secondary School in Mpumalanga also made a strong showing, earning third place for their outstanding awareness project plus R12 500, a laptop, and a bursary.
The learners from all nine provinces who participated in the national finals were also rewarded with bursaries and laptops to support their academic pursuits.
Pumla Ncumshe from the Department of Water and Sanitation said the event served as a testament to the bright future of the youth in South Africa and their commitment to making a positive impact in their communities and beyond.
“As we look towards the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in August, we cannot help but feel inspired by the dedication and creativity displayed by these young individuals. Their projects serve as a reminder of the importance of water conservation and the role that young people can play in shaping a sustainable future for all.
“Congratulations to all the participants, and best of luck to Sanelisiwe and Sandisiwe as they represent South Africa on the international stage. Also, congratulations to the winners of the 2024 national finals, as well as all the participating schools, regional coordinators, media houses, and stakeholders who contributed to the success of the program,” Ncumshe said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Sun, 06/09/2024 - 11:10
475 views
An action-packed programme announced for Scottburgh’s Ocean Festival
World Ocean Day (8 June) takes centre stage at the conservation-focused Ocean Festival running Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast from 6 to 9 June 2024. Event organisers have just released the full Ocean Festival programme with events for all ages touching on themes of ‘Engagement, Education, and Economics’. “What started as a single World …
Children’s book on Palestine occupation pulled from Exclusive Books’ shelves
“It is sad when a book like this gets pulled from the biggest retailer in the country”
W&RSETA sends 86 graduates to China for a 12 months Internship and Entrepreneurship Programme.
The Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA) has partnered with the Chinese Culture Centre for an innovative internship and entrepreneurship programme. This initiative will see 86 TVET College graduates from 11 TVET Colleges across South Africa embarking on a 12-month training programme in China. The programme, which focuses on cross-border e-commerce and …
Thousands of special needs learners still not placed at schools
Parents of children with disabilities protested in May, demanding that government do more to help their children
Bid to save legendary Lovedale Press
The 200-year-old Eastern Cape press is in a shambles, but there is a plan
Epson’s Heat-Free inkjet printing technology, the efficient and sustainable solution for the Education and Healthcare sectors
On the sidelines of its participation in GITEX AFRICA 2024 (www.GITEXAfrica.com), Epson held a press conference where it unveiled the results of recent research it conducted in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, highlighting the common challenges faced in the Education and Healthcare sectors due to inefficient and unsustainable printing technology.
To meet these challenges, Epson remains committed to providing increasingly innovative, efficient and sustainable printing solutions. The impact of printing on student learning and healthcare staff efficiency is crucial.
Students need printed materials for their learning, but it's equally important that this printing is both efficient and environmentally friendly. This enables them to access quality educational resources while integrating responsible practices. Similarly, for healthcare staff, having efficient and sustainable printing solutions saves valuable time, which translates into greater efficiency in the delivery of care. This balance between operational efficiency and environmental sustainability in printing is the offering Epson brings to these two vital sectors to support both student learning and quality healthcare.
In the education sector, the vast majority of students (91%) in the MEA region (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Kenya) recognize that printed learning materials help them better understand and retain information. Despite this, they often feel conflicted because they fear that excessive printing is perceived as being harmful to the environment. Nonetheless, the study also showed that 89% of the same respondent students recognize that their learning would be improved if their educational institution had more sustainable printing solutions, such as Heat-Free inkjet printers, which consume less energy and produce less waste than laser printers.
In the health sector, workers in the MEA region lose 5850 hours each year, equating to 731 working days; due to slow or non-functional printers. This loss of time has a negative impact on patient care, leading to delays in updating patient records, booking appointments and sharing information. Healthcare workers are calling for action to improve printing technology and reduce interruptions.
92% of healthcare workers believe their IT department should provide faster, lower-maintenance printers to reduce the difficulties caused by printing interruptions.
Environmental concerns also come into play, with 83% of respondents agreeing that the environmental impact of unsustainable printers is a major concern for them personally.
"In both sectors, the use of Epson's Heat-Free inkjet printing technology is presented as a sustainable solution. Heat-Free inkjet printers consume less energy than traditional laser printers, and require fewer moving parts and consumables. By switching to this technology, educational establishments and health services could not only improve their operational efficiency, but also help reduce their environmental impact. It would also meet students' learning needs and improve patient outcomes, while reducing costs and increasing user satisfaction." says Ilias Azzaoui, Epson General Manager - French-speaking Africa and DomCom.
Visitors can discover Epson solutions at stand 4C-40 in hall 4 of GITEX AFRICA, taking place from May 29 to 31, 2024.
Place Bab Jdid, Boulevard Al Yarmouk - Marrakech (opposite Mamounia Hotel).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.
Media Contact:
Siham Zouggarh
Email: siham.zouggarh@briocommunication.com
Tel. : +212 663552985
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About Epson:
Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson will become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion.
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Nyakallo Makgoba and Shazia Patel Donate School Shoes to Casa Do Sol School on Behalf of the Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust
Johannesburg, June 3, 2024 — The Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust is proud to announce a generous donation of school shoes to Casa Do Sol School by Nyakallo Makgoba and Shazia Patel. This heartwarming contribution was made to support the school’s mission of providing an inclusive educational environment for learners with intellectual disabilities and special …
Local trio brings flavour to Scottburgh with launch of stylish Wild Coffee Shop
Residents and visitors to the stunning Scottburgh on KZN South Coast can now enjoy world-class coffee and a healthy meal in the stylish setting of the newly launched Wild Coffee Shop. Started by three local entrepreneurs, Wild Coffee Shop opened its doors to patrons at its corner location on Scott Street (opposite the Blue Marlin …
NIVEA welcomed as official skincare partner of the Totalsports Women’s Race
The organizers of the Totalsports Women’s Race proudly welcome NIVEA, a global skincare and personal care brand, as the official skincare partner for one of South Africa’s most iconic women’s celebrations. “We are thrilled to partner with NIVEA as the official skincare sponsor for the Totalsports Women’s Race in 2024,” says Nikki Crous, Head of …
FUTURELIFE® and Afrika Tikkun Services Empower Entrepreneurs
Futurepreneurs creates exciting business opportunities for young South Africans The Futurepreneur Academy, launched in 2021, is an initiative between FUTURELIFE® and Afrika Tikkun Services (ATS) that is financially empowering young South Africans. It offers a learnership programme that equips budding entrepreneurs with the training, skills and expert guidance to build and accelerate their businesses, selling …
SADC electoral mission gives Elections 2024 seal of approval
SADC electoral mission gives Elections 2024 seal of approval
The Southern African Development Community Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) has described the pre-election and voting phases of South Africa’s National and Provincial Elections as having being held in an “orderly, peaceful and free atmosphere”.
South Africa’s elections were held by the Electoral Commission (IEC) on Wednesday, 29 May.
In a preliminary statement, Former Zambian Vice President and SEOM Head, Enock Kavindele, said some 84 observers were deployed to all nine provinces and they engaged with stakeholders from all parts of society on the elections.
“The mission observed that the country was calm and peaceful in the pre-election, election-day, and the immediate post-election period. I must emphasise that this was a very conducive environment for the elections, where only a few isolated incidences of political violence were reported.
“It was the concern of stakeholders that the incidences prevented special voting and final election campaign events in the areas. Apart from these isolated incidences, our observers deployed across the country witnessed numerous peaceful, well planned, and highly attended political rallies,” he said.
He noted that the South African Police Service (SAPS) “maintained its vigilance and preserved peace” during the election period with “more resources to high-risk areas to address eventualities”.
Best practice and recommendations
The mission praised the IEC for its best practices on the following:
- Online voter registration for citizens, including in the diaspora, which encouraged young and first-time voters to register;
- With the support of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, for facilitating voting by South African residents abroad;
- Implementation of special voting, particularly to include voters who for reasons of infirmity or other challenges, would not have been able to cast their votes at the polling stations;
- Swift responsiveness to false, misleading information, particularly online/social media; and
- Openness to the public and close liaison with political parties and independent candidates.
Kavindele said that while the mission to the South African elections has not expired yet, it has made some recommendations.
These include:
- Government and the National Assembly are urged to ensure that substantive electoral law reforms are debated and adopted early in the next electoral cycle in order to avoid the introduction of electoral reforms close to the election periods
- The IEC is urged to assess options on how best to ensure that the Voter Management Devices do not present challenges encountered on Election Day. The IEC could consider a manual voter’s roll to be displayed at polling stations so that voters can verify where they are registered
- The IEC is encouraged to review its civic and voter education programmes, learning from the challenges experienced in 2024, and design new programmes that comprehensively address the new electoral processes.
- The SAPS should consider recruiting adequate police officers to be permanently stationed all polling stations.
“In conclusion, the SEOM observed that the pre-election and voting phases of the 2024 National and Provincial Assembly Elections were professionally organised, and conducted in an orderly, peaceful and free atmosphere, which enabled the voters to express their democratic will and those who sought office to campaign freely.
“The Mission commends the people of South Africa for the political maturity, spirit of tolerance and calm that generally prevailed during this electoral period. In the event of any electoral disputes, the Mission appeals to all contestants to channel their concerns through established legal procedures and processes,” Kavindele said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Sat, 06/01/2024 - 13:29
183 views