Author Archives: Ezimtoti News

By KOPANO MONAHENG
A lot of parents complain about their children coming home dirty everytime they went out to play.
    Little do they know that lack of physical activity could actually result in serious health problems.
      Nomawethu Ngadlela, marketing manager at SASKO, said a lack of physical activity in children impacts their growth, muscles and bones.
    She said children needed to partake in physical activities like sport in order to grow well.
     Through their Siyasizana campaign focused on child development and well-being, they aim to positively impact 5 million children by 2030.
    Based on the findings from 2022 Lego research, the following types of play are critical in ensuring that kids grow well and healthy.
      Physical play helps in developing both their fine motor skills and gross motor skills. To do this, children needed to regularly practice a range of physical movements, both big and like running or hopscotch.
      Social play is crucial for children’s development, fostering important skills like cooperation, communication, empathy, and problem-solving.
     Some examples of social play activities for children includes outdoor activities like tag, hide-and-seek, or treasure hunts. These games help children understand cooperation and teamwork and allow them to practice negotiation skills and learn about sharing space and resources.
     While constructive play encourages creativity, problem-solving skills, and social interaction. These are some of the examples that parents and teachers can use as constructive play activities for children:
    Building Blocks: Provide children with different types of building blocks like LEGO, wooden blocks, or magnetic tiles. Encourage them to build structures, vehicles, or anything else they can imagine.
     Puzzle Time: Introduce age-appropriate puzzles to children. From simple wooden puzzles to complex jigsaw puzzles, children can improve their problem-solving abilities while having fun.
     Game with rules Play. Games with rules are not only entertaining for children but also help them develop important skills like following instructions, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Games like Monopoly and Chess are important.
       Monopoly teaches kids a lot about money, including Budgeting: In a Monopoly, players have to budget their money to purchase properties, pay rent, and manage their finances. This teaches kids the importance of budgeting and managing their money wisely.
   Chess helps children develop cognitive skills as well as social skills.
“Our plan is to make sure that by 2030 we have positively touched the lives of more than 5 million ECD and Primary school going children through better quality play and allowing these children to express themselves through positive play.”
For more info visit their website http://www.sasko.co.za

On 1 June, football enthusiasts will converge at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga for the eagerly anticipated Nedbank Cup Final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

     Following a comprehensive safety and security risk assessment, and with the aim of ensuring convenient travel arrangements for spectators, the match has been scheduled to kick off at 15h00, as opposed to the usual evening kick-off time.

     Fans who do not already have tickets are encouraged to watch the match from home.

Source: PSL

The Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies team are thrilled to confirm their participation in the highly-regarded 2024 Women’s Cup tournament that will take place in the United States.
     The reigning champions of both the CAF Women’s Champions League and the Hollywoodbets Super League, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will face some of the top women’s football teams from across the globe, providing a thrilling opportunity to showcase their talent and skill on a new stage.
      Now entering its third edition, the Women’s Cup has become the pre-eminent women’s soccer invitational tournament, and this year will feature Atletico de Madrid, the Kobe women’s team from Japan, and hosts Kansas City Current alongside the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Team.
     This year’s ‘event’ tournament will take place over two ‘game days’ on August 14 and 17. Atletico de Madrid emerged as champions in the European edition of the Women’s Cup in 2023, while NJ/NY Gotham FC won the Latin American edition played this past February in Cali, Colombia.
     The Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies team are the first African club to be invited to the tournament, with this historic opportunity having been facilitated through the club’s consultancy partnership with world renowned agency Roc Nation Sports International.
      Welcoming the invitation to the tournament, the Head Coach Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Team, Jerry Tshabalala, said: “For us to participate in the tournament is incredibly important as it will give us an opportunity to test ourselves against world-class opposition and it will give our players the platform to showcase their talent on a global stage.”  This year’s Women’s Cup ‘event’ tournament will take place at the state-of-the-art CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, which was opened earlier this year as the first privately financed facility exclusively designed for a professional women’s soccer team. The venue can accommodate 11,000 spectators, and the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, known for their attacking style and dominant performances, are sure to be a fan favourite.
      Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe welcomed the announcement.
“The Women’s Cup is a special event that showcases the women’s game, while also creating opportunities for the next generation of female athletes. Mamelodi Sundowns is a proudly African Football Club that values the important role that women’s sport plays in inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds.
     “We are very pleased to be part of the legacy of this event and look forward to testing our South African style of football against some of the best teams in the world.”
     John P Reynal, the President and CEO of the Women’s Cup, said it was certainly an exciting moment to welcome an African club to the participants for 2024.
“Our goal is to further expand and globalise the tournament, tapping into the remarkable growth of women’s soccer on an international scale. The addition of the highly-regarded Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies side is a perfect example of this. We can’t wait to see them take part later this year.

Source: Mamelodi Sundowns

By KOPANO MONAHENG

IT’S that time of year again. Football leagues all around the world are wrapping up their season.
      For some teams, it has been a great season as they finished up on the log table.
Some have avoided relegation. While others have won the league.
        This weekend is the Nedbank Cup Semifinal fixture, and no mistakes are allowed this time around as everyone is looking forward to winning it for their supporters.
    The final goes to Mbombela Stadium on 01 June.
Both Stellenbosch FC and Masandawana go into Sunday’s clutch having won their midweek fixtures along with Orlando Pirates. It is Chippa United who did not do well midweek and they will want to go back to winning ways by upsetting the star studded Bucs side.
        The first semifinal match is at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off), Chippa United host the Mighty Bucs who are the defending champions. Come Sunday 5 May also at 3pm, Stellenbosch FC will lock horns with the high flying Mamelodi Sundowns team who embarrassed Kaizer Chiefs on Thursday beating them 5-1. Chiefs scored a consolation goal from a penalty spot otherwise they could have lost the game 5-nil on the day. The big scoreline was an embarrassment to their supporters who came in big numbers to support the boys.
The second semifinal match will be played at Danie Craven Stadium.
         According to former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs star Simphiwe ‘Shabba’ Tshabalala, no team are the favourites to the Nedbank Cup final.
“All teams that are participating in the cup league want to win. So we’re expecting a great match of football and may the best team win,” said Tshabalala.
Shabba who is not yet ready to announce his retirement from the game said the semifinals are exciting to watch looking at the form from both fixtures.
    Meanwhile the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is deeply saddened by the recent passing of three esteemed individuals within the South African community.
         Dr. Sam Motsuenyane: Co-founder of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC), and African Bank founding Chairman. Each of them made a significant and lasting contribution in their respective fields. JC Xaba: Former Kaizer Chiefs Football Club player. Former boxing world champion Dingaan “Rose of Soweto” Thobela
          The PSL extends its heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the departed. In tribute to their legacies, a moment of silence will be observed at all DStv Premiership, Nedbank Cup, Motsepe Foundation Championship, and DStv Diski Challenge fixtures this week. This marks the second time the iconic 2010 Fifa World Cup venue will host the Nedbank Cup final, following the memorable 2011 final when Orlando Pirates secured a 3-1 victory over Black Leopards at the same venue.

By Desmond Pitoyi

Since the ANC came to power three decades ago, outsourcing government services has been a way of doing things, and it was a decision that has spelled disaster for local government departments. It had all the signs that it was destined for disaster.

   By definition, “outsourcing is a business practice in which a company (government entity in this instance) hires a third party (a service provider) to perform services, handle operations or provide services for the company (or government entity).

   “The service provider arranges for its own workers or computer systems to perform the tasks or services onsite at the hiring company’s facilities or at external locations. Outsourcing is done to focus on an entity’s resources, specifically its core competencies, thus helping it gain competitive advantages.” In South Africa, this practice has resulted in cheap labour.

   Because these are state-owned entities, the taxpayer, as always, foots the bill in this maladministered fruitless, and wasteful expenditure equation.

   Without a doubt, outsourcing has been come another cadre deployment exercise. It has always favoured the well-connected friends in the governing party. Remember, other political parties do have cadre deployment within their ranks. However, the ANC has been infamous for openly abusing this policy to steamroll some of the bills through the back door just because they’re the majority party.

   This has led to wanton looting and hollowing out of a lot of state-owned entities. Anyways, some of the comrades have openly declared that they “didn’t join the liberation movement to be poor”. Therefore, this is their “time to eat”.

   The ramifications of this illogical thinking have led to the shenanigans that we see at metros and the civil service in general.

   Not so long ago, disgruntled security guards and cleaners, represented by the South African Cleaners, Security and Allied Workers Union, staged a nine-day sit-in outside the Department of Health offices following the termination of their contracts which led to dismissals.

  They were contracted to various private companies across Gauteng clinics and hospitals. According to union representatives, workers had submitted a memorandum of  demands calling for the absorption of all security and cleaning staff into the department on 22 March 2024.

   These demands also included problems with the issue of outsourcing, the bane of the workers’ existence. Female cleaners even went to the extreme – going naked in public – because they felt their pleas fell on deaf ears or were simply ignored.

   The department showed workers the middle finger, spat on their faces and ignored calls of consultative engagement. It only responded by stating that it’s only willing to enter into engagements with the gatvol workers after 26 April 2024. That date came and went, and the workers’ demands are still unattended to.

   Political parties like ActionSA feel that the ANC-adopted policy (of outsourcing) has failed black workers. The tripartite alliance (comprising the ANC, South African Communist Party, and Cosatu) has for three decades exploited workers by not insourcing services. This has turned local municipalities into cash cows for self-enrichment rather than improving workers’ living conditions.

   As part of its manifesto for the upcoming elections, ActionSA, as a party that purports to work for social justice, has vowed to continue fighting for the rights of workers across South Africa to improve their lives and create a fair and more egalitarian society.

   In 2017, during Herman Mashaba’s tenure as executive mayor of the City of Joburg, a total of 4 185 security guards and 1 879 cleaners were absorbed by the city through its insourcing policy which became an integral part of the metro’s administration.

   The spin-offs thereof were that hardworking men and women, for the first time, enjoyed the security of permanent employment, dignified working conditions with benefits, and healthy retirement packages.

   Mashaba made sure that the a lot of the services rendered by the city were insourced, “using staff or other resources within its framework”.

   On the other hand, “Insourcing is used to describe a task or function that an entity could have outsourced to a third party. It provides more control over decision-making regarding some elements of the task at hand to be handled by experienced employees who understand the company ethos and its mandate.”

   As predicted, when the ANC was voted back into power it put a stop to what was then a well-oiled machine that ran smoothly. They scrapped policy that Mashaba had implemented. As to why it did that, your guess is as good as mine.

    The Department of Health and other departments should take a leaf from this and begin to listen to the workers’ pleas and take them into confidence by engaging them on what’s to be done, going forward.

   Furthermore, a moratorium should be placed on the hiring of new workers until the matter with the current workers regarding outsourcing has been resolved

By Desmond Pitoyi

This week, I thought I’d detour and be tone deaf to the election noise that has been hogging the limelight since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced and declared the national polls scheduled for 29 May.

I thought I’d tackle something close to my heart, like jazz and radio host Nothemba Madumo, the “Lady of Jazz”, now doing her thing on 702 and CapeTalk Sundays between 6pm and 9pm.

I also intended to write about journalism and this week’s brief closure of The Daily Maverick, one of the country’s thorough and to-go-to publications for perspective, due to financial constraints. Surprise, surprise! Good Samaritans came to the party landed a helping hand to save the ship from sinking. The publication is now back on track, so it seems. Its demise would have been a sad day for investigative journalism in this country.

My wish was to also write about Angie Motshekga’s announcement that the Department of Basic Education was moving straight ahead with its plan to introduce a new school certificate for grade 9 pupils from next year.

Minister Motshekga was quoted, in part, as saying: “It allows for learners, after 10 years of schooling (grade 9), to be recognised for their levels of curriculum attainment, general capabilities and talents.”

Whatever that means, it’s gobbledygook to me! I’ll do a follow-up on this soon.

I wouldn’t allow the moment slip without mentioning the glaring absence of Load shedding. Where has that illusive son of a gun gone? It’s been 24 days, and counting, since the bane of our existence vanished without a trace, and a lot of people describe his disappearance as good riddance to rubbish!

These, and a myriad of other topical ideas, simmer in my brain, making my hands itch and want to put pen to paper, and spark a debate that would get you guys talking.

But, alas, it was never to be. Once again, news events yanked me by the scruff of the neck and forced me to write this piece, kicking and screaming! As you may have noticed, we’re indeed living in confusing, yet interesting as well as exciting times in South Africa.

Never, in the three decades since the dawn of our democracy, has South Africa experienced such vibrancy, not to mention the highly charged political atmosphere ahead of the national and provincial polls. This, by far, surpasses the first democratic elections in 1994. Hence some describe “2024 as our 1994 – a chance at renewal”.

A week in politics is a long time, so they say. And the past week is no different.

As we tiptoe towards election day, and as numbers add up, it’s five weeks before the big day. A lot is at stake for the governing party and others jostling for possition.

Just last week, we saw former president Jacob Zuma and his MK party take the IEC to court over whether his face should be on the ballot paper.

Ramifications of that ruling by the Electoral Court is that the MK party may feel it has gained traction going into the polls and is highly likely to seriously energise the voting process even more. In light of all the theatrics, and Zuma playing to the public galary, I suppose this is part of political campaigning.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the Electoral Court ruled in favour of the former head of state and his crew, and dismissed the IEC’s appeal. As to what the court’s reasoning for this, is still a mystery. I call upon legal eagles to unpack or solve this riddle for us. By all means, this case has left me without a shadow of doubt that the South African legal system still prevails.

However, there’s tension between Zuma and the IEC, and the former president may be gunning for the electoral body days before the polls. The MK party has also accused the IEC of bias and that it’s supporting or protecting the ANC.

When all is said and done, the IEC must uphold its integrity and  be seen to be discharging its obligation to conduct free and fair elections.

As the country mulls over the ramifications of the Electoral Court’s decision to grant Zuma and his party the right to be on the ballot paper, a question arises: will he be back in Parliament, post-elections? Or is this  him just buying face?

I envisage a scenario where the MK party would be using its clout to assert itself in the new political space and in Parliament. This could result in rivalry with the EFF that’s infamous for causing ructions in the National Assembly. I fear the worst though, if a majority party or any coalition resulting from this interesting yet mind-boggling dynamic.

By Malereko Tae 

FROM being the most influential player during his tenure at Orlando Pirates, Linda Mntambo has almost become the forgotten name.

That is primarily due to the injuries he sustained in the game, but that is history now.
Sekhukhune United wouldn’t be sitting top of the DStv Premiership table today if he wasn’t part of the team equation.

Ba Bina Noko are playing a very good football under their new coach Lehlohonolo Seema.

Both Seema and Mntambo picked up the DStv Premiership monthly awards for player and coach in February/March 2024. 

After receiving his DStv Premiership Monthly Award, Mntambo said:

“I’m very excited and proud of my achievements for the accolade that I have just received. It comes from the hardwork I have been in putting behind the scenes to get back to full fitness after a long injury,” he said, thanking both his teammates, the medical team and anyone associated with Ba Bina Noko.

Seema, on the other side was also excited having won his first DStv Premiership Coach of the Month award and he promises to work even more harder going forward to ensure the team finishes well come the end of the current premiership season.

Sekhukhune have been doing well collecting maximum points in February/March period winning five out of five matches, scoring 11 goals and only conceding thrice. 

Seema received huge praise from the judging panel in the way he has got Ba Bina Noko to play an exciting, free flowing style of football as they beat Richards Bay, Golden Arrows, Royal AM, Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates.

However Mntambo, who has missed most of the season owing to injuries, marked his return to action with a consistent run of influential performances by scoring three goals and providing two assists, in crucial victories for his side, earning his first monthly individual award in the league.

This is the first time in the history of the awards that a coach or player from Sekhukhune United win an award.

JOKES GALORE!
By Tana Malinga

IT’S been a long weekend filled with love, joy and laughter.
    Attending the Savanna & Showmax Laugh Africa Comedy Festival on the 5th of April was a highlight of my life.
The festival, which lasted from 5-7 April, was held at the Sandton Convention Centre. The lineup of comedians included Celeste Ntuli, Mel Jones, Nonto R and more.
It just shows how people (crave) entertainment above all else.
     Thousands of youth, early 40s and older, came from all corners of Mzansi to have some fun, and many brought along their better halves.
I personally enjoyed every single minute of the fest.
    But if ever you missed out on this one, do not worry at all. You can still attend
Savanna Comics Choice Comedy Awards hosted by none other than Mpho ‘Popps’ Modikoane. This one will be held at the Gold Reef City on Saturday, April the 13th.
    At convention centre all invitees were given a voucher to buy themselves some booze . Food was also sold at the event. Lots of giveaways at the venue made the event even more exciting.

By Ezimtoti Reporter

WORLD Oral Health Day may have come and gone, but that doesn’t stop children from washing their mouths daily.
        Healthy gums and teeth are the dream of every parent, and with schoolkids now on Easter holidays, it is vital that they keep those lessons in mind – washing their mouths in the morning as well as before they go to bed.
     Curaprox is going around Gauteng educational facilities to teach kids about oral health.
        Curaprox joined the University of Pretoria’s School of Dentistry and their community dentistry staff at the Melusi Holistic Primary Health Centre, west of Tshwane, to provide education on oral health.
         Over 200 children from surrounding nursery schools, between the ages of 2 – 5 years old were screened and educated about oral health.
      Each child also went home with a brand new toothbrush and toothpaste, and it was smiles all around.

By KOPANO MONAHENG

YOU know Mzansi is moving in the right direction when football occupy centre stage in prisons.

    The Department of Correctional Services together with the Supersport United Football Club have partnered to launch the Twinning Project at Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional centre in Pretoria. The project was launched today at the centre. 

     It is an innovative educational initiative designed to drive social change through football. Having received accolades within the criminal justice environments in the United Kingdom, English Premier League and Major League Soccer, the Twinning project is now coming to the South African shores for the first time. 

     The purpose of the partnership is to inspire hope, instil discipline, and promote meaningful transformation. 

    The main aim is to reduce reoffending rates by connecting each correctional centre with a local professional football club. A well-received initiative by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola as he remarked, “football has a unique ability of bringing people together and foster a sense of community.

     By participating in the Twinning Project, inmates have an opportunity of creating a supportive environment for positive change.” 

     This partnership shall involve a total of 48 offenders at the beginning. The 80 CAF License D coaches trained by Correctional Services through South African Football Association (SAFA) will be an additional resource that will be considered during the pilot phase in terms of training to empower offenders, officials and communities with football related knowledge.

     While this is good news to a majority of inmates across Mzansi, a lot needs to be done to ensure that this project reaches them.

      Stan Matthews, CEO of SuperSport United FC, believes in the potential of sports to transcend boundaries and create opportunities for personal growth, and this project embodies that belief.

    “By engaging in football activities, inmates will have the opportunity to develop teamwork, leadership, and discipline as these are invaluable qualities if they are to reintegrate into society successfully,” he said.

     Matthews said they were proud to partner with the Twinning Project in using football to change lives for the better. The Twinning Project will kick off with a soccer match between SuperSport United FC Legends and inmates from Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional Centre. 

    Hilton Freund CEO of the Twinning Project said, “I am delighted to be launching the first Twinning Project provision in Africa alongside our partners the FIFA Foundation and SuperSport United.”