Mapepeza Vol.9 Issue 13 (December 2022)

FESTIVE SEASON GREETINGS FROM THE MAPEPEZA NEWS MEDIA TEAM

Gift Mhlophe crowned 2022 Miss Ratanda!

Gift Mhlophe is the newly crowned Miss Ratanda 2022 after a spectacular event was held at the Lebone Centre on Saturday, November 26.

Mhlophe is a 22 year old Ratanda-native and third year student doing a Bachelor of Commerce General qualification.

Lungile Matuoane and Bongiwe Radebe took the First and Second Princesses respectively. As winners, the young ladies took home gift hampers, Miss Ratanda sashes, crowns and certificates. The reigning queen, Mhlophe, walked away with a R1000 cash prize.

The Special Awards winners were: Tshiamo Motaung (Public Choice), Lebohang Mabote (Miss Personality), and Gift Mhlophe (Influential Model of the Year).

According to the director and founder of the pageant, Nkamoheleng Monyulo, Miss Ratanda aims to educate, celebrate and empower young women in her local community. She confirmed that this will be an annual event.

“We will be visiting local schools for better communication regarding 2023 entries. We also hope to reach

out to as many young girls as we can, to bring change in the community,” Monyulo explained.

The young ladies from across all parts of Ratanda township dazzled the finale with various costumes coupled with their signature poses and walks on the runway. They also participated in a question and answer sessions with the panel of judges.

The event was led by MC, Miss Mai with Dj Gcina on the decks. The judges for this year’s pageant featured Faith Gounder, Princess Mbuyi, Nonhlanhla Mkhonza and Mathapelo Nyambose.

The Miss Ratanda crowd was entertained by local acts Arfa, Ama Venjula and MK de Savage. The Miss Ratanda organizing team is made up of Nkamoheleng (director) and

Artist

Miss Ratanda wa proudly sponsored by:

•Style & Image

•Nandos

•Oasis water

•Glory to Glory

•Thandolwethu Foundation

•Photography by CKAYNON

“The Miss Ratanda Team will work hand in hand to approach more sponsors,” said Monyulo.

Looking forward, Nkamoheleng said that the initiative has big goals to grow the event have more categories like LGBT+ community and people living with disabilities.

For pictures of all the contestants, beauty shots and more visit the Miss Ratanda Facebook page.

Gugulethu Mabuza as the PR Executive.

Mandla Hischild and Thabo Mofokeng assisted the team as well.

We hope you had a positive 2022 filled with progress, peace and power as we recover from the pandemic. Let’s wish the best for 2023 and to be resilient and remain looking forward to the good in life and learning from our past events.

Mapepeza will be closed from December 23 and will be opening January 9 at our new office in central Joburg!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

PUBLISHER/CO-FOUNDER, STEPHEN SEAKGWE

News News

SASSA gold card ATM transactions suspended!

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant beneficiaries using the Postbankissued gold cards have been requested to withdraw their benefits from retail merchants this month.

This as the withdrawal of funds at ATMs has been suspended for the month of December.

The suspension of the service comes after the Postbank uncovered a series of network attacks by criminal elements on its system.

SASSA beneficiaries using the Postbank-issued SASSA gold cards are requested to withdraw their social grant monies at any retail outlets nationwide that provide the cashback functionality. These include Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay and Boxer.

Mixed signals for December fuel prices!

There will be relief for some consumers from Wednesday, December 7, as the price of all grades of diesel and illuminating paraffin decrease.

Petrol and LP Gas consumers, however, will have to dig deeper into their pockets as prices of the two are expected to increase.

The new prices, as announced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), are as follows:

• All grades of petrol will increase by at least 59c

• Diesel 0.05% sulphur will decrease by some R1.57

• Diesel 0.005% will decrease by R1.52

• Wholesale illuminating paraffin decreases by 57c

• The Single Maximum National Retail Price for illuminating paraffin will go down by 57c

• Maximum LP Gas Retail Price will increase by 95c

The department explained the factors behind the increase in petrol prices.

“Petrol prices increased due to higher demand by motorists travelling for the thanksgiving season in the US amid limited supply emanating from the Russia Ukraine conflict. Increased demand resulted in a decrease of gasoline inventories and higher prices.

“Refiners are producing more middle distillates, such as diesel, illuminating paraffin and gas to meet extra winter demand in the Northern Hemisphere and consequently producing less petrol.

“These factors led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Price of petrol by 64.87 cents per litre and lower contributions to diesel and illuminating paraffin by 122.47 c/l and 9.09 c/l, respectively,” the department said.

Higher gas prices has been driven by the increase in propane and butane prices.

These SASSA grant recipients can also use the SASSA gold cards to make purchases at any place that accepts bank card transactions as the SASSA gold cards function fully within the national payments system similarly to any other bank card.

“In the recent months, Postbank has been experiencing a number of technical glitches that disrupted the smooth withdrawal of social assistance benefits.

“Following extensive investigations, we have now uncovered a series of network attacks by criminal elements determined to commit systematic ATM card fraud related crimes on Postbank payments using sophisticated modus operandi, which require further investigation.

“As a mitigating exercise, and in

December 27 declared a public holiday!

South Africans will get to enjoy an extended Christmas with 27 December 2022 declared as a public holiday in recognition of Christmas Day falling on a Sunday.

This follows a declaration to this effect by President Cyril Ramaphosa in terms of Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994).

A recent statement released by the Presidency stated that in terms of the 2022 annual calendar, Christmas Day, 25 December, falls on a Sunday.

“In view of the unique circumstances around the 2022 calendar, and to uphold relevant labour law principles and practices, President Ramaphosa has declared Tuesday, 27 December, as a public holiday in lieu of Christmas Day,” the Presidency said.

The Presidency explained that Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act provides that “whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a public holiday”.

In this instance, the Monday following the 25 December 2022 is another public holiday, Day of Goodwill.

“If the holiday of Sunday 25 December were to be moved to Monday 26 December, this would cancel the holiday of 26 December or cause the two holidays – which are part of 12 paid public holidays annually – to overlap.

“This would mean workers would only have 11 paid public holidays in this year, while Section 5 of the Public Holidays Act provides that “… every employee shall be entitled to … at least the number of public holidays as provided for in this Act,” the Presidency said.

consultation with our partners following the resurgence of these criminal activities at the inception of the December payments, it has become necessary that Postbank suspends SASSA grant withdrawals at ATMs for those clients using the PostBank issued SASSA gold cards,” the Postbank said on Tuesday.

The Postbank has assured customers that a dedicated team of professionals, assisted by experienced external experts as well as law enforcement agencies, have been assigned to deal with this challenge.

Great progress has been made to close down all avenues used by these criminals.

“Postbank is aware of the impact that this change in payment channels will have on the social grant beneficiaries and other stakehold-

ers, and we apologise for the inconvenience.

“Social Grant beneficiaries are also assured that the Postbank-issued SASSA gold cards are still valid and have not expired. Therefore, beneficiaries should not be misled into changing the cards unless if they wish to do so on their own accord,” the Postbank said.

Postbank will notify social grant beneficiaries when ATM transactions via the SASSA gold cards are available again.

Chris Hani memorial site vandalized as his assassin gets released!

The City of Ekurhuleni strongly condemns the vandalism of the Chris Hani Memorial Site at the Thomas Nkobi Cemetery in Boksburg.

The vandalism to the ‘Four Pillars of the ANC struggle’ portion of the facility and the Information Centre and kiosk was discovered by municipal officials when they reported for duty on Monday, November 28. The lighting system of the facility was removed and one of the pillars was badly damaged. There was also a break in at the Information Centre which is situated along the Walk of Remembrance linking the Wall of Remembrance to the Chris Hani Memorial.

The facility was officially opened by former President Jacob Zuma in 2015.

What makes the situation even more puzzling is the timing of the incident considering the recent judgement by the Constitutional Court on the case, which has subsequently ordered the release of Hani’s killer Janusz Walus on parole.

The Polish-national assassin, Walus was hired to murder Hani in 1993 in an apparent assassination hit of the Anti-Apartheid political activist.

At the time, South Africa was facing its bloodiest moments in history as the negotiations towards the transition from the apartheid regime to the first democratic elections.

“Such incidents are extremely regrettable. The city is doing its best to preserve its rich heritage, but there seem to be some people out there who are hellbent on ensuring this does not happen. Our people should take pride in such facilities instead of destroying them,” said the metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

This is not the first time that the memorial site has been vandalized. A few years ago, Hani’s grave was shot at, in an incident that caused a major public outcry.

The city wants to make it clear that no amount of sabotage, theft or vandalism can erase the contribution stalwarts like Chris Hani, who is indeed a free person of the City of Ekurhuleni, played in the liberation struggle of this country.

The late Thembisile ‘Chris’ Hani, a stalwart of the liberation struggle and leader of the South African Communistg Party (SACP), was assassinated on April 10, 1993, outside his house in Dawn Park, south of Ekurhuleni

The City of Ekurhuleni conferred the Freedom of the City to Chris Hani posthumously in November 2006, and declared April, the month he died, Chris Hani Month. Hani’s grave is a National Heritage Site.

The city is currently assessing the facility to determine the amount of damage. The matter has also been reported to the EMPD for further investigations.

President denies Phala-Phala saga allegations!

This as the independent Section 89 panel – formed to look into the robbery at the Phala Phala game farm – found that the President may have seriously violated sections 96(2)(a) of the Constitution and Section 34(1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities (PRECCA) Act.

“I have endeavoured, throughout my tenure as President, not only to abide by my oath but to set an example of respect for the Constitution, for its institutions, for due process and the law.

“I categorically deny that I have violated this oath in any way, and I similarly deny that I am guilty of any of the allegations made against me,” President Ramaphosa said.

In a statement, the Presidency said it “noted” the report of the panel which was handed over to National Assembly (NA) Speaker Nosiviwe MapisaNqakula on Wednesday, November 30.

“The s89 process has presented an unprecedented and extraordinary moment for South Africa’s constitutional democracy. The conclusions of the panel require careful reading and appropriate consideration in the interest of the stability of government and that of the country.

“The Presidency appreciates that according to the rules of the National Assembly, the NA needs to consider the report and determine the most appropriate way forward.

“The President is giving consideration to the report and an announcement will be made in due course,” the Presidency said in a statement recently.

The Speaker said the NA will consider and adopt a resolution on the report of the Section 89 independent panel into President Cyril Ramaphosa soon.

The panel investigated whether there is sufficient evidence to show that President Ramaphosa violated any grounds of impeachment set out in Section 89 of the Constitution linked to his conduct related to a robbery at his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.

The section provides that a sitting President can be removed on these grounds:

• serious violation of the Constitution or the law

• serious misconduct

• inability to perform the functions of office

Heidelberg hosts International Civil Aviation Day 2022

Residents across Heidelberg were treated to a showcase of aerial maneuvers from the country’s best pilots at this year’s International Civil Aviation Day (ICAD). The Heidelberg Aerodrome was home to a variety of airplanes from leading aviation institutions like the South African Air-force, the South African Civil Aviation Authority, Heidelberg Aviation Association, South African Police Service amongst others.

The top features in this year's ICAD Airshow included spectacular parachute drops and aerobatic displays from world class pilots. The two day event also invited hundreds of learners from surrounding schools to the local airfield and shared valuable information on careers in aviation.

The event’s programme was graced by speeches from the deputy Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Director of Civil Poppy Khoza, Sedibeng District Mayor Lerato Maloka, Lesedi Local Municipality Mayor Mluleki Nkosi as well as other key aviation and government dignitaries. This year’s theme is: “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.

Rapist in Ratanda arrested

In the early hours of Saturday morning (November 26), a lady was walking down Chauke street in Ratanda when she was approached by an unknown man.

The unknown suspect pulled out a knife demanding that she must not scream or she will stab her.

The perpetrator then closed her mouth with his hand and put the knife on her stomach, pulled her to a unknown shack and he told her to lie down behind the informal dwelling.

The suspect took off the victim’s clothes and raped her at knife point.

When the suspect left the shack, he left behind a cap which the lady took as evidence.

The victim went to inform her boyfriend, who traced the suspect and the victim identified him, which led to his arrest.

The suspect was detained at Heidelberg police station and will appear in court soon.

Heidelberg Police looking for MTN Shop robbers

Police in Heidelberg have released information into the robbery that recently occurred at the MTN Store inside the Heidelberg Mall.

Police are in search of four African males and one African female, believed to be the perpetrators of the crime. On Saturday, November 26, one of the store’s employees was about to close the door and knock off for the day when an unknown woman came to the door and she asked to be helped quickly.

“As the complainant explained to her that they are done working for the day, one unknown african male came along and pushed the door. He then closed the door and pointed the firearm to complainant. The female suspect also had firearm which was hidden under a sling bag,” said police spokesperson Constable Doris in a statement.

Three other suspects of the came in, one of the suspects forced the MTN employees to the back of the shop and instructed the manager to open the safe.

There was a time delay on the shop’s safe, delaying the robbery, which angered the perpetrator and led to the manager being assaulted. She sustained an injury from being hit with a firearm on the head. Eventually, the suspects ran away with six cellphones, belonging to a customer and staff.

About 60 cellphones, two laptops, four routers and R200 in cash was stolen.

The suspects ran away by foot towards their getaway car, a silver VW polo with an unknown registration number. All of the suspects were wearing hats and with no cover on their faces.

Police are in possession of CCTV footage at the mall, however there’s no positive identification yet. According to a statement from the victims, one of the suspects spoke in a isiZulu dialect and the other had a Nigerian accent.

Suspects are unknown and still at large. Anyone who has information on the suspect or about the missing cellphones can contact the Heidelberg Police or their nearest station.

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contact the Press Ombudsman at 011 484 3612/8, fax: 011 4843619 Website: www.presscouncil.org.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he “categorically denies” allegations that he has violated his oath of office.

Meet Lesedi’s Young Woman Peace builders!

Two young leaders in the Lesedi Local Municipality have been selected as finalists for the Young Women Peace Builders Awards (YWPBA 2022).

The top 12 finalists were picked from a long list of young women making an impact in their communities across South Africa.

The YWPBA are meant to implement and promote the National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security. One of the objectives of the plan is to promote, protect and respect an inclusive, safe, and peaceful society in South Africa. These awards aim to inspire young women and gender non-conforming persons who are building a better tomorrow for their communities in South Africa.

Caroline Busisiwe Bukwana is a Youth development practitioner and skills development facilitator by profession and qualification, spanning over a decade of community development experience.

Bukwana is a community builder and young leader from Ratanda township. She is also the Currently Youth Advisor to the Executive Mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality Lerato Maloka, Bukwana is the Deputy Secretary of the Gauteng Local Government Youth Development Forum (GP-LGYDF).

She is also a National Camp Stewards for the Department of Sports Arts Culture & Recreation and a Love Life coach. Bukwana is the founder of the popular community Facebook pages, Damn Ryt Ngibuye Ratanda and Ratanda local Youth office.

African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) Regional Executive Committee Deputy Secretary in the Sedibeng District.

As a community leader, Busi is always on the front-line in local forums and community programmes that particularly involve young people. She leads the local Youth Crime Prevention Desk, a programme from the Gauteng Department of Community Safety meant to build young people to take charge of their safety and join in effort to combat crime. Bukwana is also a mentor at MoTsha Change In Motion.

Pretty Kekana is a founding member of the MoTsha Change In Motion, a non-profit organization based in her hometown of Ratanda, that transforms youngsters into young leaders in their communities.

MoTsha offers life skills, counselling, mentorship and training to boys and girls - empowering them to become confident and resilient leaders presently and in the future.

The youth development non-profit organization has grown over the years to serve and teach hundreds of scholars and young adults on life skills and tackling issues they face in society head-on. MoTsha Change In Motion has been assisting disadvantaged families in Ratanda and surrounding areas, especially when the lockdowns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic left many families vulnerable to poverty.

Recently, she has made several mainstream media appearances, promoting the organization to get more support and reach more young people. Pretty’s passion for building her community has led being awarded the Gauteng Provncial Legislature’s Vita Basadi Community Builder of The Year: Runners-up in August this year.

The awards are part of the South African Nation-

al Action Plan on Women’s Peace and Security or SANAP-WPS in short, a programme that is sponsored by the United Nations Women. The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda offers a general approach to security covered in four main pillars: Participation, Conflict Prevention, Protection and Relief and Recovery.

Mapepeza News Media team hereby congratulates these leading ladies of Lesedi.

Ratanda’s Pretty Kekana and Busi Bukwana are finalists of the Young Woman Peace Builder Awards.

Gauteng Government looking to new sources of making money!

Finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo, pictured, recently delivered his maiden budget address where he outlined the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) and Adjustment Budget on Thursday, November 24.

In his speech, he announced that the Gauteng government is looking at new sources to boost its revenue. An estimated R7.2 billion will be collected from the existing revenue sources as part of its efforts to finance the government’s priorities in the midst of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and an unstable economy. This collection will be driven by their Revenue Enhancement Strategy, endorsed by the Executive Council earlier this year. The strategy is supported by two pillars and features 16 money-generating projects.

Pillar one entails maximizing current revenue sources that Gauteng government has. They include the collection of: motor vehicle licence fees, casino fees, patient fees and interest on short-

term investments of surplus funds.

Under this pillar, the new revenue initiatives include the establishment of new vehicle impound lots, automation of casino license operations, new bookmakers and bingo licenses, online renewal of motor vehicle licenses, the licensing fees of private health facilities, road-side advertising and billboards on government-owned facilities and leasing of vacant land parcels, besides others.

Pillar two focuses on new sources of revenue that need to be explored, with a focus on closing loopholes and making use of technology to enhance revenue collection.

The Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) is expected to be a cash-cow for the province, upon its commercialization. As the leading province in the e-waste management initiative by Government, Gauteng is also considering the potential in projects in this sector.

Taking into account the challenging economic environment, MEC Mamabolo said the Provincial Departments have been forced to explore innovative, creative methods of raising revenue, including leveraging on private sector investments.

"Part of the efforts towards increasing own revenue collection will focus on efficiencies through the elimination of loopholes in the collection mechanisms, as well as exploring new revenue sources for the Gauteng Provincial Government," he said.

By growing its own revenue, Gauteng assists government’s objectives in ensuring that more funding is allocated for key priorities while facilitating economic growth to create jobs, public education, health, and social welfare.

Congratulations to all graduates!

The Ratanda Disability Desk Association held their graduation ceremony at the Ratanda New Hall on Wednesday, November 30.

The graduation certificates were presented by Doctor A.A Ntuli (Skills Development Facilitator) to all the learners. Mr Sipho Mabuyane, treasurerer, received the certificate of Organasition on behalf of the executive committee. The special guest was Ward 1 Councillor Khathithe.

“We as Ratanda Disability Desk Association like to thank the local business people who donated for us; IGAGASI Restaurant and P. Motoiye Consultanting,” said the organization.

Living with a disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. These challenges may be present from birth, or occur during a person's lifetime.

The graduation ceremony was held at the

midst of South Africans observing National Disability Rights Awareness Month (November 3 - December 3). The Disability Awareness Month offers an opportunity for all of us to remove these barriers and to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities through concrete action.

Established in 2020, the organization has a vision to empower, educate and assist people living with disabilities. They help beneficiaries with accessibility devices like wheelchairs and getting employment and skills development opportunities.The executive committee members are: Trully Maduna (Chairperson), Sbongile Mkhonazi (Secretary) and Sipho Mabuyane (Treasurer).

As an non-profit organization that caters for locals living with disabilities, the Ratanda Disability Desk Association requests donations of funds and resources for their activities to be sustained and reach more residents.

Please call the Secretary, Sbongile on 0781972250 or Treasurer, Sipho on 0765287191 for contributions or enquiries.

Gauteng continues placing of learners for 2023!

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has as of Wednesday, November 30, successfully placed a total of 268 192 Grade 1 and 8 learners, whose parents applied for placement in government schools using the online admissions system.

This translates to a total of 135 465 Grade 1 learners and 132 727 Grade 8 learners who have been placed in preparation for the 2023 academic year.

“It must be noted that, after conducting a thorough analysis on our online admissions system, it is unlikely that the remaining number of learners will be placed by end of business today, as purported in our previous communication to the public. As such, we wish to profusely apologise to parents for this inconvenience.

“Subsequently, only 31 549 (8 142 for Grade 1 and 23 407 for Grade 8) remain to be placed, and our officials across the province are working tirelessly to ensure that these learners are adequately placed,” the GDE said in a statement on Wednesday.The department assured parents that the process will continue until all unplaced learners are placed.

“As mentioned previously, our challenge is capacity at schools in high pressure areas that received large volumes of applications which exceed the number of learners they can accommodate. We have therefore decided to increase capacity at all identified high pressure schools by providing mobile units that will be delivered before the commencement of the 2023 academic year,” the GDE said.

The department said that it has also strengthened its transfer placement system, meaning that some learners who could not be placed at preferred schools due to capacity constraints have been, and will continue being, transferred to schools with available space.

From Thursday, 1 December 2022, the department will commence with the process of placing all applicants who were unable to provide their proof of address during the application period.

During this process, all applicants who submitted

incomplete documents (proof of residential address) will be offered placement at schools with available space.

Parents will receive transfer placement offers via SMS, and they may also log on to the System to check their placement status.

The system will be open from 20 December 2022 until 20 January 2023 for late applications to accommodate parents who were unable to apply.

The department added that parents who applied during the application period must not re-apply during the late application period.

The GDE urged parents to note that applications made during the late application period will be placed at schools with available spaces.

Schools that have reached full capacity will not be available for parents applying during the late application period. Late applicants will be allowed to submit only one application, which will result in immediate placement.

Upon submitting a late application, applicants are urged to submit all documents physically at the school(s) they applied to from 9 January 2023 to finalise their placement.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has appealed to parents to be patient as the department finalises the placement of all unplaced learners.

“We wish to assure parents that when the 2023 academic year commences, we are adamant that every Grade 1 and Grade 8 learner in Gauteng will be at a desk with learning material in a class with an educator receiving quality education. As such, we appeal for patience among parents as we embark on the process of finalising the placement of all unplaced learners,” Chiloane said.

Building a brand that the community loves!

THOKOZA KHEHLA is the brainchild of Ratanda’s very own Mpho Moagi. The brand has recently received much support throughout Gauteng townships and surrounding areas, even getting featured on Tshepo 1Million’s Facebook page.

Speaking to Mapepeza, Mpho (32) shares his experience of starting his own clothing label. “I started this business this year around March after leaving a where I was a Bouncer. I had saved a sum of R1500 in my account and decided to use it to start my business,” he said.

As a hustler of note, Moagi also volunteers at the South African Council on Alcohol & Drug Dependence (SANCA) in Heidelberg. He also works as a bouncer on weekends.

The brand, Thokoza Khehla, has a range of quality apparel for everyday needs. Currently their catalog has sweaters, caps, bucket hats, beanies, hoodies, t-shirts, golf tshirts and body warmers. Another spin-off to the brand is Thokoza Gogo, also owned by Moagi.

Currently, the brand is on the verge of being formalized as Mpho is looking to get funding opportunities to grow. To promote his products to potential customers he uses Facebook and interacts with people face-to-face, which he attributes to the ever-growing sales. “Thokoza Khehla has reached many places I can mention few: Maboneng, KwaThema and Free State. The sales are looking good and people are so supportive,” he explained.

Mpho says the level of support the people of his hometown, Ratanda have given his brand is overwhelming and has shared his words of gratitude, saying: “I feel like crying seeing how people love and appreciate my brand. It takes a community to raise a child and today I'm that child because of Ratanda Com-

munity. Firstly I would like to thank God the Almighty for this brand and also my ancestors for their guidance during this journey. My parents for letting me do whatever I want and to follow my dreams. To the Ratanda Community and my Friends, thanks for supporting me even when you going through hard times but you still manage to support me. To my girlfriend, she's been there from day one till now supporting me thank you babe. Lastly to my friend Thapelo Thedima Mokoena thanks for being my cheerleader, always inspiring and motivating to make this brand successful.”

In his plans for the future of Thokoza Khehla, Moagi said that he is looking forward to his journey as a businessperson and family man. He aims to inspire more young people to believe in themselves and follow their dreams. “As long as you believe in yourself and it's possible to start something from nowhere to something. With THOKOZA KHEHLA you'll never go wrong,” he concluded.

To get the latest available range from the brand, look for Mpho Gift Moagi on Facebook or contact 0731965960.

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The Presidency Internship Programme

The internships are based in Pretoria and Cape Town. Candidates must be willing and able to find their own accommodation in Pretoria and Cape Town, considering that they will not earn a salary but only a stipend. The programme is for Unemployed South African graduates/post graduates who are younger than 35 years of age, with a tertiary qualification in one of the fields of study mentioned in a specific advert, who have not been previously employed under any internship programme.

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Paper lay Sudoku

Riddles

1. What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

2. What begins with an “e” and only contains one letter?

3. A word I know, six letters it contains, remove one letter and 12 remains. What is it?

4. What would you find in the middle of Toronto?

5. You see me once in June, twice in November and not at all in May. What am I?

6. Two in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What is it?

Spot the Difference

7. I am the beginning of everything, the end of everywhere. I’m the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?

MMaze

Sudoku 19-22

is a great activity to sharpen the mind. The object of Sudoku is to fill in the empty spaces of a 9x9 grid with numbers 1-9 in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains all numbers 1 through 9. It's fun and challenging for all ages.

MatchMaze

Musical Instruments Zoo Animals

Find and circle all of the musical instruments that are hidden in the grid below. The remaining letters spell a secret message.

Sports Sports

Netball World Cup tickets now on sale!

Following the team draw which took place live in the Eastern Cape recently, supporters across the world can now secure tickets to watch their favorite teams in action across 59 matches.

Hosts South Africa, together with Australia, England, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Uganda got automatic qualification to the World Cup due to their world ranking.

South Africa joins Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in carrying the hopes of the African continent in this year’s showcase.

From 28 July – 06 August 2023, the Netball World Cup will be held in South Africa taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

The first round of tickets for the 2023 Netball World Cup have started going on sale since Monday, December 5.

In phase one of ticket sales, the Netball family will be able to book their seats for the much anticipated opening group matches between the 28th and 30th July 2023, with semi-final and final matches to be made available at a later date.

Tickets are available for purchase via nwc2023.org.za, starting from R500.

There will be a range of tickets available across the tournament – taking place from 28th July to the 6th August at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

South Africa find themselves in pool C paired alongside Jamaica, Wales, and Sri Lanka. The Spar Proteas have faced these teams at a World Cup before.

South Africa have been drawn with Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls in a group at a World Cup on three previous occasions, in 2003, 2011 and most recently 2019. South Africa last shared a group with Wales in 1999 and Sri Lanka in 2015. South Africa is ranked fifth in the world, Jamaica fourth, Wales ninth and Sri Lanka 16th (World rankings based on matches up to 3 November 2022).

“We are happy with the draw because we believe that it turned out the way it was supposed to. We would like to wish all the teams well and everything of the best as they continue to prepare for this world cup. Our players are hard at training already as they prepare themselves for a podium finish,” said Ce-

cilia Molokwane, the Netball South Africa President.

Eleven-time world champs Australia are in pool A with Tonga, Zimbabwe, and Fiji while pool B is made up by England, Malawi, Scotland and Barbados and the last group will see New Zealand face off against Uganda, Singapore, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Fans are advised that tickets available have been classified in various categories inclusive of gold, silver and bronze levels, as well as adult and junior prices, making it accessible for everyone to be part of the action!

Spar and Telkom sponsor World Cup showcase

Earlier in the week of the draw, the Netball World Cup welcomed two new sponsors, retailer SPAR and telecoms giant Telkom, for next year’s tournament.

In her remarks at the announcement of official sponsors of the Netball World Cup, Gauteng’s Sports Arts Culture and Recreation MEC Morakane Mosupyoe acknowledged the significant contribution both

brand have played in the development of the sport.

She also wished the organizers of the international contest the best of luck in hosting a successful event.

“With the level of expenditure we have all invested in this major sports event, failure is not an option,” MEC Mosupyoe said.

Gug’othandayo: Ekurhuleni hosts Golden Games

The

Tuesday, December 6,

The National Golden Games are a flagship programme of the Department of Social Development, hosted annually in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation and the South African Older Persons Forum to promote active ageing, healthy lifestyle, and social integration amongst the elderly people.

In her keynote address to officially open the games, Minister Zulu greeted all provinces in attendance and stated that the Monday’s programme was an epitome of success and represented older persons well in their active years of aging.

The Active Ageing Programme started on Monday, December 5 with an official launch at the Birchwood Hotel and concluded on Thursday, December 8, on the last day of the Golden Games. Next year, Mpumalanga will be the host province for the Active Ageing Programme and Golden Games. A handover ceremony was done at the Germiston stadium.

Government introduced the Active Ageing Programme to transform the ageing experience and empower senior citizens to stay active and engaged so that they can continue to enjoy healthy and purposeful lives.

SAFA invites local FIFA23 gamers to eCup!

The FIFAe Nations Series 2023 kicks off with the announcement of a FIFA23 competition to find players for the next national team in 2023.

The competition is part of the global FIFAe Nations Series 2023 where 81 of the 211 FIFA member associations participate, and South Africa is currently ranked number 38 after the FIFA22 finished in July.

The SAFA eCup will start on 14 January 2023 with the online qualifiers while the national finals commence on 25 March, with the best 16 FIFA23 players in South Africa battling it out for honours.

The new SAFA eCup champion and the runner-up will be inducted into the national team for 2023.

SAFA invites all gamers over the age of 16 who play the FIFA23 game to register on www.safa.gg where they will get the competition details.

If you believe that you have what it takes to become South African champion in FIFA23 on Playstation 5 and be part of the national team, then register for the SAFA eCup.

You will then compete with the best and make the final 16 in the SAFA eCup grand finals on the 25 March 2023 to determine the new national team for 2023.

“We believe that gaming will get us closer to our youth and the SAFA eCup is the starting block for gaming enthusiasts who aspire to play amongst the best in the world. As members of FIFA we relish the opportunity to offer South African youth a channel to participate in this global competition. It is also encouraging that not only have Mamelodi Sundowns joined Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in the FIFA23 game, the Pretoria side are also hosting tournaments to help players improve their skills in preparation for the SAFA eCup,” SAFA CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe said.

The SAFA eCup registrations will opens from Monday, December 12 and close on January 6, 2023.

Golden Games started on

at the Germiston Stadium in the City of Ekurhuleni. The Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu joined by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MECs from provinces and other dignitaries officially launched the games and also played part with the elders.

An elderly woman participates in the ‘Duck Walk’ race at the National Golden Games at the Germiston Stadium.