Residents of the Mopani District will be the eventual losers as the politicians continue to play their games in search of power. And certainly not power to households and businesses over which they were appointed to govern. Power for themselves. And it should be shocking that one section of a ruling party can take another section of its party to court over internal matters that could be internally addressed. Such is the case currently in the fight between the Mopani District Municipality (MDM) and the department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs in Limpopo (CoGHSTA).
To clarify; the Mopani District Municipality (MDM) governs over the local municipalities including Tzaneen, Phalaborwa, Hoedspruit, Modjadjiskloof and Maruleng. The provincial government which includes (CoGHSTA) governs over District Municipalities. The provincial government is headed by a Premier, in this case it is Stan Mathabatha and under him there are various MEC’s who head various departments.
The MEC at the helm of CoGHSTA is Basikopo Makamu. The Mayor at the helm of the MDM is Pule Shayi who was the former Mayor of Phalaborwa and the former chairperson of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).
In March this year, CoGHSTA declared that it would place the MDM under mandatory intervention after it found that the municipality was poorly managed which led directly to poor service delivery in the district.
The MDM hit back at CoGHSTA and was awarded an interim order against the department in the high court to prevent the mandatory intervention pending a hearing on the merits of the case which is scheduled for the 19th of July this year.
The department is expected to argue that the reason for the mandatory intervention is based on audit outcomes that pointed to poor governance within the municipality that led to among others, their failure to provide communities with clean drinking water.
Shayi approached the high court seeking interim relief against the provincial government for placing his municipality under mandatory intervention. The province instituted the intervention after the MDM received a disclaimer audit for the 2021/2022 financial year. According to CoGHS TA the municipality failed to maintain “complete and accurate records to support its financial year.
Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) which supplies water to the local municipalities and is paid by the MDM, this year again imposed a 20% water supply restriction on the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality because of the MDM’s outstanding water bill of roughly R257-million. LNW did the same last year in the Phalaborwa and the
Greater Letaba municipalities again because of the MDM’s failure to pay their water bill.
This year the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) which services neighbouring areas such as Letsitele, Nkowankowa and Lenyenye is experiencing massive water shortages due to infrastructure collapses that fall under the MDM’s responsibility.
The Democratic Alliance in the province has expressed its concern over the current stalemate in the ANC-governed province. In a statement the DA said they were deeply concerned that residents will be the most affected by the Mopani District Municipality and provincial COGHSTA department’s impasse over the section 139 intervention in the municipality.
This impasse between the municipality and the provincial COGHSTA is now likely to result in a protracted legal battle that will result in large legal costs at the expense of residents of Mopani.
“We believe the intervention is necessary in the wake of yet another embarrassing disclaimer audit opinion for the 2021/2022 financial year,” said DA Councillor in Mopani District Municipality, Lebbeus Ramalepe.
“The municipality’s finances are plagued by large amounts of unauthorized, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, unfinished Regional Bulk and Water Services Infrastructure Grant projects, the bulk of which date back to as far as 2009. This is compounded by R200 million in water debt owed by municipalities, departments, and other entities.”
The DA called on the MDM to desist from entering into protracted legal battles and said that the municipality must focus on implementing the AGSA action plan to track progress on the 2021/2022 findings and to implement the internal audit action plan for 2022/2023 to ensure that residents receive the much-needed services of uninterrupted water delivery.
Meanwhile it has emerged that the root cause of the current fight between the two legs of the same government stemmed from factional infighting within the ruling party in the province. It is reported that Stan Mathabatha and Pule Shayi were in opposing factions during the last ANC provincial conference where Shayi hoped to challenge Mathabatha for the position of Premier but failed to garner enough support. Shayi was also unseated as the chairperson for SALGA and Mathabatha was re-elected for a third term.
This is a developing story and we will keep our readers updated as it progresses.
Die Laerskool Tzaneen se eerste-, tweede- en O/11 rugbyspanne het vanaf die 31ste Maart tot die 4de April in Pretoria aan die gewilde Noord Suid Rugbytoernooi deelgeneem. Die eerste- en tweedespanne is as te ware die O/13A- en B-spanne van Tzaneen.
Op Vrydag die 31ste Maart het al die Larries se spanne teen die 15-talle van Laerskool Anton van Wouw te staan gekom. Die eerstespan het met 12-17 verloor. Die O/11-span het nouliks met 15-12 verloor, maar die tweedespan het ‘n wen in die sakkie verseker toe hulle met 17-12 geseëvier het.
Na ‘n dag se breuk het die spelers op Saterdag die 1ste April weer met alle erns teruggekeer na die slagvelde. Die teenstanders vir dié dag was die spanne van die Laerskool Vastrap vanuit Rustenburg.
Die eerstespan het teruggekap na hul verloorslag in die eerste rondte se spel en wen met 22-10. Die tweedespan was egter nie opgewasse vir hulle teenstanders nie en verloor met 24-5. Die O/11-span het wel hul wedstryd gewen, maar moes diep delf en het die wedstryd naelskraps met 22-19 gewen.
Die wedstryde was op Maandag die 3de April hervat waar die O/11A-span teen Laerskool Constantia slaggebied en met 5-0 gewen het. Die eerste- en tweedespanne het teen Pretoria se Elarduspark te staan gekom.
In die tweedespan-stryd het Elarduspark die oorhand gehad en met 27-5 gemaklik gewen. Die eerstespan van Elarduspark het op
hul beurt ‘n wen van 31-5 teen Tzaneen behaal.
Die Larries se spanne het almal die laaste dag van die toernooi, Dinsdag die 4de April, op ‘n wennoot geëindig. Die O/11A-span moes weereens alles in die stryd werp om Laerskool Roodekrans met 20-17 te wen.
Beide die Larries se O/13-spanne het teen Laerskool Wynland se spanne gespeel en die tweedes het ‘n breëbors-oorwinning van 22-0 aangeteken. Die eerstes van die Wynlanders was egter ‘n gedugter eenheid, maar die Larries was meer as opgewasse vir die stryd en het uiteindelik met 14-8 die wen gevier.
Hoërskool Ben Vorster se hokkiespanne het gedurende die eerste week van die onlangse skoolvakansie die stof van hul stoksakke afgeskud en aan verskeie toernooie buite die provinsie gaan deelneem.
Op Bethlehem het die seniorspanne hulself goed van hul taak gekwyt en tydens die ECHS-toernooi het drie van die Vossies se O/19 spelers met individuele toekennings weggestap. Thapelo Malatji is as die O/19-speler van die toernooi aangewys terwyl Lethabo Moagi en Yvette Mokwena onderskeidelik die
O/19 verdediger van die toernooi en die O/19-voorspeler van die toernooi verower het.
Tydens die Menlopark Toernooi het ‘n groep O/16 spelers van Ben Vorster goed genoeg gespeel om in die toerspan ingesluit te word wat gedurende Desember in Nederland sal kompeteer en ook afrigting ontvang. Hierdie spelers is Janice Ngobeni, Sharice Smith, Dreyer van Heerden, Lourens Kriel en Musa Nkuna.
Die eerste meisiesspan het algeheel derde geëindig en die seunsspan algeheel tweede.
■ Jeff Jackson
■ Joe Dreyer
The role of a shepherd is to protect the flock. Or rather, herd them and ensure that the wolves and other predators don’t devour them. Because if this happens, the shepherd will have less food and less wool for himself. There seems to be this complete misperception that the shepherd loves the sheep and wants to have loving relationships with them (perhaps the Australian shepherds), but this is not at all the case. Literally the only reason a shepherd herds the flock is because the flock is his supply of food and resources for the manufacturing of clothes and blankets, or to be used as a bartering commodity. Modern shepherds exist and so do modernized sheep. Mark
Zuckerberg (Meta), Shou Zi Chew (TikTok) and Sundar Pichai (Google) are perhaps the most prolific herders of our time. They feed off of your time and use your posts to generate an income for them. You and I are nothing more than commodities to them and through the use of clever semantics, they have convinced most of us of their pure intentions in guarding us from miscommunication through their so-called fact checkers and algorithms designed to root out fake news and “hateful” content.
How frightening is the reality though? That these shepherds cannot protect you from your partner using fake Instagram profiles to build up a folder of nude selfies collected from the wives of other men in your community? Or that these caring shepherds can do nothing to stop online affairs or intercept messages between criminals planning a cash in transit heist or even murder. They can only “protect” you from the information they don’t want you to know.
The same law applies outside the virtual life many of us lead. In real life, nobody will come to your rescue and you best learn that there are no shepherds who truly care for your wellbeing. You need to learn to stand up for yourself and accept that people will do what people do and should you not pay close attention, you will become a faceless statistic.
Ironically, the very “safety and privacy” mechanisms our thoughtful shepherds engineered to guard us from harm, are the very mechanisms the predators use to prey on their flock.
In ons dae, voor die ‘kassie’ ons huise oorgeneem het, het jy, as jou ouers nie op ‘n Vrydagaand uitgegaan het nie, Inryteater toe gegaan. Dis waarom ‘n Vrydagaand daar was. Saterdagaand was jy “sat” en Sondag moes jy jou ‘son’de bely (waarvan daar baie was, veral na ‘n Vrydagaand).
Ek onthou die ou storie van jou vriende in die kattebak laai om nie te betaal nie, totdat die amptenaar met die flitslig tussen die motors deurgestap het of jy onverwags by die betaalpunt gevra is om die kattebak oop te maak en jy nie genoeg geld gehad het om jou vriende te trakteer nie.
Van ‘n vry aand was daar nie sprake nie. Die bestuur wou dit net eenvoudig nie toelaat nie. Die bestuurder (van die motor) moes maar opdok…op ‘n manier.
Dit was ook ‘n plek waar jy kon sien watter motors het lugversorging gehad, aangesien van die motors se ruite elke nou en dan toegewasem was. Wanneer die wasem verdwyn, kon jy weet dat die lugtversorging in daardie motor werk.
Nie dat jy wou sien wat in die ander motor aangaan nie, want wanneer die ruite skoon was, het dit voorgekom asof daar niemand in die motor was nie...of hulle het in die kattebak weggekruip.
Daar was ook die sopkombuise, waar jy 50 sent betaal het en dieselfde fliek die heel dag oor en oor kon kyk, en dan het jy nog vry koeldrank ook gekry. Indien jy weer vir een van die
tonele in ‘n skrikmaakfliek wou skrik, het jy nog ‘n paar skrikke gehad om te beleef.
En van die flieks was GODZILLA, wat vertel het van ‘n dinosaurus wat ‘n skrikbewind voer, op die doek en in die teater...en is nie ‘n verwysing na voormalige leiers van politieke partye nie.
Weyers vertel dat hy een aand in ‘n inryteater gesit het en vir ‘n halfuur na ‘n liefdestoneel gesit en kyk het voordat hy agtergekom het dat sy motor in die verkeerde rigting geparkeer is.
Hy kon ook nie veel sien nie, net wanneer die wasem opgeklaar het, Hy het ook in ‘n stadium met ‘n meisie uitgegaan wat jy saam vat na ‘n fliek toe as jy die fliek wil gaan kyk. Hy en sy meisie kon een aand in ‘n teater nie in die agterste ry plek kry nie, toe kyk hulle maar na die fliek.
Toe vra Dawid: “Wat doen ‘n ou deesdae met TV op ‘n Vrydagaand?”
Kommissaria antwoord toe: “Jy koop ‘n sjokolade en gaan kuier vir haar by haar huis. Dan gee jy die sjokolade vir haar ma, ‘n stywe handdruk vir haar pa en sit die TV op die Disneykanaal, maar dis nie wat julle gaan kyk nie.”
Al wat Weyers toe kon sê was: “Jou klein rakker!”
You are a commodity, and your shepherd wears your wool
Altesaam vier kranige O/15 tennisspelers van Merensky Landbou Akademie het onlangs hul Limpopo kleure in tennis verwerf. Dié vier tennisspelers, Zoë Venter, Barend Fourie, JP Botha en Righardt Erasmus, het by ‘n gekombineerde Nasionale- en Interprovinsiale Tennistoernooi in Pretoria teen ander provinsies meegeding.
Hierdie toernooi was vanaf die 25ste en tot die 28ste Maart aangebied.
Dit was veral Venter wie besonders uitstekend gespeel het en gelei het dat die keurders haar as reserwe vir die Suid-Afrikaanse O/15-span gekies het. Sy lê tans 30ste op die O/16-spelers ranglys in Suid-Afrika.
JP Botha, die 15-jarige spiesgooier van Merensky Landbou Akademie, het aan die SASA Hoërskole Nasionale Kampioenskappe in Germiston deelgeneem en weereens ‘n goue medalje vir die Limpopo-span verower. Hierdie geleentheid was vanaf die 2de tot die 5de April aangebied.
Vroeër die jaar, in Maart, het Botha gedurende die Suid-Afrikaanse Skole Atletiek Kampioenskappe op Pietermaritzburg ook die botoon gevoer om die goue medalje te verower.
Nie net het hy sy teenstanders in die Germiston se atletiekstadion laat les op sê nie, maar het ook sowat vyf meter verder gegooi as die atleet wie uiteindelik die tweedeplek beklee het. Hy het in die eindrondte sy spies op ‘n afstand van 59,05 meter die kleim vir die goue edelmetaal afgesteek.
Zuan Marthinus vanuit die Wes-Kaap wie met die silwer medalje tevrede moes wees, kon slegs ‘n beste afstand van 54,68 meter aanteken.
■ Roelof de Jonge ■ Roelof de Jonge
Die Laerskool Tzaneen se O/12 en O/13 netbal meisiesspanne het op Maandag die 27ste Maart by die jaarlikse netbaltoernooi van die Laerskool Menlopark gewys mens kan nie met Limpopo se netbalspelers mors nie.
Die twee Larries-spanne het ‘n aantal wedstryde gespeel en tientalle van hul teenstanders op hul neuse laat kyk.
Die O/12-span klop Middelburg 9-1 en het Stellenbosch met 11-7 gewen. Hulle is aan die wenkant teen Windhoek Gimnasium met 14-9 en teen Garsfontein met 12-8. Hulle brand egter teen Helderkruin vas wat met 12-8 gewen het.
Die O/12-meisies het in al vyf hul oorblywende wedstryde geseëvier. Hulle het die spanne van Jordania (16-10), Roodekrans
(15-7), Goedehoop (6-4), Witpoort (18-1) en Monumentpark met 16/5 geklop.
Die O/13-netbalspan het in vier van hul wedstryde die onderspit gedelf en sommige wedstryde het hul teenstanders nouliks die oorwinning geproe, maar het in vyf wedstryde wel met vasberadenheid hul teenstanders uit oor lê.
Hulle het Monumentpark met 12-6 geklop en teen Middelburg is hulle met ‘n allemintige 17-6 aan die wenkant. Die kragmeting teen Rustenburg was ‘n taai affêre, maar tog het die Larries met 13-11 die wen gevier.
Teen die span van Jordania het hulle met 10-4 die wedstryd beklink en teen Vryheidsmonument se span het hulle die wedstryd met ‘n telling van 17-11 redelik gemaklik gewen.
The Galaxy Bingo Wolfpack 4 in 1 will be held on 15 April 2023 at Merensky High School from 05:30
Enter online
For more information contact Tracey van den Dool on 083 968 0902 or email tracey@ warriors.co.za
Joe Niemand is performing on 15 April 2023 at The King’s Court Christian School from 18:00.
Tickets available at Quicket
For more information contact 082 934 8562 or email admin@ tkcschool.co.za
Die EG Kerk Tzaneen bied ‘n visvangkompetisie aan op 22 April 2023 by die Piesangdam Letaba Landgoed vanaf 05:00 tot 16:00 teen R100.00 vir 2 hengelaars. Vir meer inligting skakel Thys Steynberg by 076 410 9503.
The Haenertsburg food & wine festival will be held on the 29th and 30th of April. For more information contact Kurt on 083 326 5836 or email kurtwacker182@gmail.com
Joshua na die Reën tree 6 Mei 2023 op by The Olive Tree vanaf 17:00 teen R200.00 per persoon. Vir meer inligting skakel Clinton by 076 961 3761 of Belinda by 072 877 0184.
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in two early tries, but Northwood came back strongly to draw even at half time and then took control in the second half to win 30-15.
The second day of the Festival, Saturday the 8th of April, Queens College produced what was arguably the best performance of the day. The Queens team weathered an early storm by a plucky Ben Vorster side, and took control at the end to win by 32-10. Half time the score was 15-3 in favour of Queens College.
On the final day, Monday the 10th of April, the squads of Ben Vorster and Nico Malan produced an entertaining contest. Ben Vorster drew first blood and were still in the game at half time, trailing Nico Malan by 7 – 0. The boys from Humansdorp however took control after the break and drew well clear in the end to win 24-5.
The King Edward VII School in Johannesburg held its 19th Annual Easter Festival, the KES Easter Sports Festival, on the 6th, 8th and 10th of April.
The first rugby team of Ben Vorster High School once again competed in this event which attracted top schools from across the country.
The red and white clad team from Tzaneen may have returned winless after playing against some formidable opposition but will nevertheless take from this tournament some valuable lessons that can only be beneficial for the rest of their rugby season.
On the first day, Thursday the 6th of April, Ben Vorster’s team came up against the side of Northwood. The Tzaneen team ran
LIQUIDATION AND DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT IN DECEASED ESTATE LYING FOR INSPECTION
In terms of Section 35(5) of Act 66 of 1965 notice is hereby given that copies of the liquidation and distribution account (first and final) in the estate specified below will be open for the inspection of all persons with interest
therein for a period of 21 days from the date of publication hereof, and at the offices of the Master in Polokwane and the Magistrate’s office in Ga-Kgapane. Should no objection thereto be lodged with the Master concerned during the specified period, the executors will proceed to make payment in accordance with the account.
Registration Number of Estate: 2083/2022. Surname: LOOTS, Name: JOHANNES HENDRIK.
Identity Number: 3404025008088. Last address: 19 Doreen Street, Modjadjiskloof. Joubert & May Attorney, 50 Boundary Street, P O Box 35, 0850, Tzaneen. Tel (015) 307 3660. Ref.: Mr Rech/ avs/R15883
Full Colour Work
Invoice Books, Statements, Receipt Books, Delivery Books, Order Books, Credit Books, etc. Programmes, Wedding Cards, Invitations, School Reports, Certificates, Mark Schedules, Advertising, Pamphlets, Calendars, Business Cards, etc.
Tel: 015 309 9382 • 078 1919 111
info@hobbyprint.co.za
■ Roelof de Jonge
The Badgers celebrated their 25th anniversary this year by hosting their inaugural Easter Sports Festival from the 5th to the 10th of April this year. “Easter Festivals are an old South African school tradition and despite schools being spoiled for choice, it was fantastic to host nine other schools on our beautiful campus,” said Beth Coetzee, Stanford Lake College’s Head of Marketing. “The weather could not have been better and although it got a little hot on the Festival’s main day, Saturday, the rain stayed away throughout and we managed to fulfil all fixtures.”
It was a week of intense competition on the netball courts and on the rugby field. However, despite the teams going head to head, the real highlight of the Festival was that outside of competition the pupils really enjoyed spending time with their contemporaries from other schools. The visiting staff also had a blast and it was good for the local coaches to make new friends and acquaintances. The visitors had many amazing things to say about the school. “It’s humbling to be reminded of how lucky we are to live, work and play in this beautiful area.”
The Badgers’ First rugby boys battled against Beaulieu and St Peters College, where they just could not gain momentum and gel as a team. However, they really stepped up in their game against a much bigger Tom Naudé on Saturday, where they not only showed improvement and courage, but also managed to score two tries.
The Second Netball girls played some really tough competition. However, the improvement in the team throughout the festival was huge and the girls are now ready for a strong showing this season. The Stanfordian First Netball girls played some fantastic, fast netball and beat all other teams to go unbeaten in their home Festival, despite playing much bigger schools.
“I would like to thank everybody who contributed to making our 25 year Easter Festival the success that it was. There are too many of you to thank each one of you, as it was a real Stanford team effort. Most of all I would like to thank the Stanford pupils who gave up their Easter weekend to host our visitors and who played their hearts out on the field and courts.”
