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Pupils in Eersterust get bicycles

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Pupils in Eersterust get bicycles

Thabo Madalane 

Pupils who walk for more than 3km between home and school in Eersterust have been given a gift of mobility.

MEC for Roads and Transport Dr Ismail Vadi this week went to the area to give them bicycles.

He handed over 150 bicycles to pupils from six primary and secondary schools during an event held at Prosperitus Secondary School.

The handover was part of the Shova Kalula Bicycle Project, a national initiative by the Department of Transport launched in 2007.

To date, more than 30000 bicycles have been donated in communities across the province, 8000 of them in Pretoria.

The project aims to maximise the use of non-motorised transport and eradicate late-coming by pupils who walk long distances to get to school.

“Due to the challenges of traffic congestion and integrated public transport, pupils get to school late and exhausted. This brings a lot of concerns to teachers because the children miss lessons; at times they are overtired to concentrate in class,” said Prosperitus principal Rafael Griffiths.

He said most learners came from disadvantaged settings and walked long distances from home to school, because their parents could not afford to provide transport fare.

Project manager for the Department of Transport Jabulani Mtshali said: “We have selection criteria on how bicycle beneficiaries are chosen.

“And one is that the distance between home and a school for the pupils must be between 2km and 3.5km.”

Each of the primary schools – Nantes, PS Fourie and Norridge – received 20 bicycles.

The secondary schools got 25 bicycles each for beneficiaries in Grades 3 to 12. The schools were Fred Magardie, Eesterust and Prosperitus.

“We want to promote cycling as a mode of transport in communities,” said Vadi. “It is a low-cost mobility solution to low-income households.

“The focus provision for bicycles is mainly learners, because they are the future leaders of our country.

“We must try by all means to curb all the obstacles stopping them getting their education.”

Considering the safety of students who will be riding bikes to school, the department and the project took all the beneficiaries on a cycling rules workshop.

They were taught ways to avoid incidents that could possibly put their lives in danger.

Pretoria News

5 things in Mboweni’s #Budget2019 which will directly affect our pockets

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5 things in Mboweni’s #Budget2019 which will directly affect our pockets

Staff Reporter

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivered his maiden Budget Speech on Wednesday in Parliament.

He concentrated on consolidated government expenditure, peace and security, economic development and health, among other pressing topics.
These are some of the highlights which will affect South African citizens directly:
Learning and Culture 
 
A total of R1.1 trillion is set to go to Learning and culture. Basic education has been allocated R250 billion, University transfers have been allocated R37 billion, and R33 billion has been allotted  for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Skills development levy institutions will receive R21.7 billion from government , while R17.6 billion will go towards  education administration. Technical, vocational education and training have been allocated R12.7 billion.
Peace and Security
 
Peace and Security has been allocated a grand total of R211 billion. Police services is set to receive R104.2 billion and Defence and state security have been allocated R50 billion. Law courts and prisons will get R48 billion while Home Affairs has been allocated R8.4 billion.
Health
 
District health services are set to get R98.2 billion, R43.1 billion will be allocated to central hospital services and provincial hospital services are set to receive R36.7 billion. A total of R8.8 billion has been set aside for facilities management and maintenance. Other health services have been allocated R35.6 billion.
 
Community development 
 
Community Development has been allocated a total of R208.5 billion, with R69 billion going to municipal equitable share, R56.4 billion going to Human settlements, water and electrification programmes, R43.6 billion allocated to public transport and other human settlements and municipal infrastructure  has been allocated R39.6 billion.
 
Social development
 
A total of R278.4 billion has been set aside for social development. R77 billion has been allocated for old age grants, social security funds have received R71.3 billion and R65 billion has been allocated for c hild-support grants. A total of R33.2 billion has been set aside for other grants.  Provincial social development has been allocated R22.3 billion and p olicy oversight and grant administration has had a total of R9.6 billion set aside.
 
Economic development
 
Economic development has been allocated R209.2 billion as economic regulation and infrastructure has been allocated less than half of this amount at R101.3 billion. Government will allocate R37.5 billion for industrialisation and exports. Approximately R30.7 billion has been set aside for  a griculture and rural development. A total of R23.2 billion has allocated for job creation and labour affairs. An amount of R16.5 billion has been budgeted for i nnovation, science and technology.

The #Budget2019

TUT campuses set to open today

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TUT campuses set to open today

Goitsemang Tlhabye

Tshwane University of Technology has finally announced the end of protests and the week-long closure at all its campuses. Academic activities were scheduled to resume today.

The agreement comes after days of negotiations between university management and the student leadership.

University spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said talks between the parties had finally yielded success.

She said a contingency plan was in place to alleviate the pressure on students who were inconvenienced by the suspension of activities.

Management had also extended registration for all students until tomorrow. “Time is not on our side and management appeals to all students to use their time productively to ensure their academic success.”

Further meetings are still under way, she said, and management was continuing engagements with the relevant role players to ensure issues raised were addressed timeously.

The SA Union of Students has lashed out at university vice-chancellors for punishing student activism through suspensions and expulsions.

The organisation met to discuss student protests this week and called on Minister of Higher Education and Training Naledi Pandor to resolve issues faced by students, including being prevented from registering or not having accommodation.

“The minister, instead of lamenting, should be able to engage universities to ensure that academic exclusions are a thing of the past, while equally speeding up the provision of adequate student accommodation on campuses.

“The minister’s failure to respond to this matter is alarming and quite sad, to say the least. It gives the impression that our democratic government sees nothing wrong with the suppression of student and youth activism in general,” union president Misheck Mugabe said.

“Sending police and untrained security personnel to shoot at students only worsens the situation, as it leads to the destruction of property, injuries and even death, as recently witnessed at the Durban University of Technology as well as the Tshwane University of Technology.”

Last week, Pandor issued a directive that students with good academic records who received Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding should sign an acknowledgement of debt form and be allowed to register.

Mugabe urged students not to resort to violence. “We dare not be reactionary, but always be proactive and steadfast in our approach in order to ensure stability in the institutions.”

Pretoria News

Biotech incubator seeks start-ups solving African challenges

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Biotech incubator seeks start-ups solving African challenges

Sibahle Malinga

Cape Town-based biotech incubator OneBio, in partnership with Zimbabwean entrepreneur support organisation TechVillage, invites biotech entrepreneurs to enter its first six-month incubation programme.

Last April, the Cape Innovation and  Initiative, together with energy sector entrepreneur, Michael Fichardt, and Dr Nick Walker, innovation scientist at Next Biosciences, signed a collaboration agreement with the Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research, to launch OneBio.

The biotech incubator aims to support South African and Zimbabwean biotech start-ups at the convergence of laboratory work and computational science, working on solutions aimed at driving change in Africa. It will draw projects and talent from a diversity of disciplines, including biochemistry, microbiology, and genetics and material science.

The programme is funded by the Finnish government through its Southern African Innovative Support initiative and the South African government’s Small Enterprise Development Agency.

“The programme has been  in response to the growth of investment seen in biotech start-ups around the world and the opportunities in the African biotech start-up ,” says Michael Fichardt, CEO and co-founder of OneBio.

“In the past year, OneBio has been working with biotech entrepreneurs and has been blown away by the talent and potential of the region’s start-ups. The programme is purposed to source, amplify and accelerate local life science talent and support a new wave of biotech success stories for Southern Africa. We encourage scientists, bio-hackers, entrepreneurs and anyone using biology to solve large problems to apply.”

Applications are open to biotech entrepreneurs who are late in the research cycle and early in the product cycle; typically scientists who have a great concept but require business acumen and support to get their concept off the ground, notes OneBio.

Entered products and services will cover many sectors, including entrepreneurs solving problems in consumer biology, future food and agriculture, bio-materials, industrial biology, biological tools, animal health, therapeutics and regenerative medicines.

Solutions that arise at the convergence of laboratory work and computational science are encouraged, adds the accelerator.

The six-month incubation programme will deliver three bootcamps, virtual workshops, expert coaching sessions and tailored online content. The bootcamps will take place in Cape Town, with accommodation and flights sponsored for local start-ups needing to travel. Co-working space and lab facilities will be provided to start-ups in Cape Town and Bulawayo.

“The workshops will be themed according to growth hacking, sales and user experience design, etc. We will also have one-on-one sessions where we will work directly with the start-ups. Many of these workshops will be in response to the unique requirements of the start-ups,” notes Fichardt.

The programme is free for participating start-ups and valued at over R350 000 per business. It will culminate in a demo day where entrepreneurs will pitch their companies to local investors.

Selected participants will have access to lab facilities, co-working space, innovative excursions and inspirational fireside chats.

The programme will kick-off with an Immersion Bootcamp on 13 May.

Applications are now open for biotech start-ups seeking support to drive change in Africa, until 10 March. Entrepreneurs can apply here: https://www.onebio.africa/apply

Mokete Mogaila’s fine balancing act of soccer, books

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Mokete Mogaila’s fine balancing act of soccer, books

Tiyani wa ka Mabasa  

Exciting Highlands Park winger Mokete Mogaila is making it in football and education against all odds.

Mogaila, 23, hails from Ga-Mashashane outside Polokwane in Limpopo. This is where it all began for him.

He’s a second-born child in a family of three and has never met his father. Mogaila credits his “superhero” mom for his upbringing and said he’s never slept on an empty stomach.

Mogaila came through the Mpumalanga Black Aces Academy where he played alongside SuperSport United’s Aubrey Modiba.

After the club was sold in mid-2016 and renamed Cape Town City, he starred for Alexandra United in the ABC Motsepe League.

In 2015, he took a gap year and focused on his football, but was able to enrol at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) at the beginning of 2017 and has been studying mathematical science – majoring in computer science and applied maths.

Through UJ, he was able to continue playing football in the SAB League and the Varsity Cup.

He was snapped up by Highlands Park late last year after impressing in the Varsity Cup and given a six-month deal, with an option to renew for two years.

“It’s been a long journey, but I’m here now and I’m happy. I’ve been looking forward to be in this place for a long time and I’ve got the opportunity,” Mogaila said from the club’s training ground at Balfour Park Sports Ground.

With seven PSL appearances to his name, he’s had a great start in the colours of the Lions of the North.

Mogaila, who’s in his third year at UJ, is confident he can balance football and education.

“It’s not that easy to balance education with being a professional footballer, because the course that I’m doing is demanding a lot. I’m doing a lot of modules and most of the time I have to be in class.

“But what matters the most, and this is key, is time management. So what are you doing with your free time? Now that I’m done with training, I have to go cover whatever was done in the morning class. It takes a lot of character and determination.”

Mogaila’s coach Owen da Gama reckons the player has a very bright future in the game.

“You know, this guy is studying applied mathematics and sciences, so he’s a brilliant boy,” Da Gama commented.

“So I think his level of receptivity is very good. He learns quick and he’s highly intelligent, like [another Highlands player] Given Msimango, who’s studying economics.

“I think Mogaila is a player who can emulate Thembinkosi Lorch and Percy Tau, because of his speed,” Da Gama said.

Sowetan

Nine-year-old boy raped at #Curro

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Nine-year-old boy raped at #Curro

Tebogo Monama

A Curro Holdings school has been rocked by controversy following the rape of a learner within its premises.

In yet another case of sexual attack in schools, police in North West confirmed that they were investigating the rape of the nine-year-old schoolboy at Curro Academy Mahikeng last week.

According to Mahikeng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Adele Myburgh, the boy was standing outside the toilets at the elite school last Wednesday, waiting for transport, when he was attacked.

Myburgh said investigations were continuing and no one had been arrested.

The child’s family are still too traumatised to comment.

His mother asked that they be given time to deal with the tragedy.

It is alleged that the school was unable to provide CCTV camera footage because there was load shedding when the rape happened, so their cameras were not working.

Curro Holdings confirmed the matter but declined to comment on what actions they were taking to ensure the safety of learners. They would also not say whether there was any footage of the incident.

Instead, Curro Holdings said in a statement: “The matter is under internal investigation in accordance with Curro’s policies and procedures.

“In order to protect the interests and privacy of the individuals involved, no statements will be released at this stage.”

A source who alerted The Star to the tragic incident said the attack had taken place last week during school hours.

The private schools’ group is one of a string of schools where alleged sexual abuse of children has been reported over the past few months, across the country.

Last week, a teacher at a Valhalla primary school in Centurion was arrested and appeared in court for allegedly sexually assaulting a total of 24 learners.

The 55-year-old teacher had allegedly touched pupils inappropriately from June last year.

His alleged abuse was reported by learners after a safety presentation at the school.

Earlier this month, the Western Cape Education Department revealed that four primary school learners had been raped, allegedly by four of their schoolmates.

The department said the four learners were sodomised by three learners in Grade 7 and another one in Grade 6.

The Star

Girl, 13, commits suicide after allegedly being bullied on WhatsApp

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Girl, 13, commits suicide after allegedly being bullied on WhatsApp

Siyavuya Mzantsi 

A 13-year-old pupil has committed suicide after she was allegedly bullied by friends on WhatsApp groups since last week.

The Sinoville Crisis Centre said the pupil at a Pretoria school allegedly distributed an image and this was forwarded on WhatsApp groups. It is alleged that other learners teased the girl about the image.

The centre’s chief executive, Colleen Strauss, said: “She spoke to teachers to get assistance and reported her schoolmates.

“The girl was afraid to go to school, and her mother went to see the principal to discuss her concerns. Her mother found her body at home later in the morning (Monday).”

Counsellors of the centre were immediately deployed at the school to comfort the pupils and the parents.

Strauss said the Department of Basic Education had started an investigation into the allegations leading up to the suicide.

“This heart-breaking incident is a wake-up call to everyone working with children. Children experience emotions much more severe and can be very impulsive.

“They don’t have the knowledge to realise in the spur of the moment that everything will be okay tomorrow.”

Strauss cautioned that children complaining about being bullied should never be ignored. She said they should be referred to an adult who was trained to help them cope with the situation.

“This incident could’ve been prevented.”

Parents and teachers have been asked to be mindful of warning signs such as changes in eating and sleeping patterns, nightmares, headaches or abdominal pain, moodiness or isolation from daily activities.

Cape Times

Classes at all DUT’s Durban campuses suspended amid fresh protests

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Classes at all DUT’s Durban campuses suspended amid fresh protests

Staff Reporter

The academic programme at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) has been suspended until further notice, the institution’s vice chancellor, professor Thandwa Mthembu, said in an emailed statement late on Monday night.

“The Executive Committee of Senate at DUT has decided to suspend the academic programme at all five DUT campuses in Durban until further notice. The academic programme at the two campuses in Pietermaritzburg will continue as normal,” said Mthembu.

He said the decision was reached following renewed student protests on Monday while management and the Student Representative Council (SRC) were meeting over demands made by the SRC. The suspension of the academic programme was “disappointing”, he said, but the institution was not willing to jeopardise the safety and security of staff and students.

“The threats made by certain members of the SRC has to be taken seriously, especially following the levels of violence that we have witnessed two weeks ago and the challenges faced by some of our sister universities today,” said Mthembu, presumably a reference to on-campus incidents at the Mangosuthu University of Technology in uMlazi, during which several protesting students were arrested for public violence.

Classes were set to resume at DUT on Monday morning following a suspension of the academic programme two weeks ago. That suspension followed the death of student Mlungisi Madonsela, who was shot by private security contracted to the university and later died in hospital.

Madonsela was part of a group of about 30 students – armed with rocks and bricks – that tried to storm an administration building just off the Steve Biko campus. A female DUT staff member was also injured in the violence – she had her nose broken when a student allegedly flung a brick at her. The woman was hospitalised. The students, along with others at tertiary education institutions, were protesting sub-standard accommodation, funding problems and other issues.

The SRC has been meeting periodically with management following the incident, however, on Sunday, a planned meeting had to be abandoned because only a couple of SRC members attended, some arriving late.

Mthembu said that while DUT increased security at the institution on Monday, classes were still disrupted and staff and students intimidated.

“[T]he protestors violated the rights of others by publicly issuing threats against members of the DUT community”.

In their own statement issued over the weekend, the SRC leader, who also leads the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC), said it was not true that the parties had agreed to resume lectures on Monday. He said classes would only resume once “all” grievance were addressed. This included firing the security company that allegedly shot and killed Madonsela.

Mthembu said in his statement that management had to remind the SRC that its president was the one who suggested – in a meeting on February 8 – that classes should resume on Monday.

“No single member of the SRC differed with the fact that the SRC President made that suggestion, although some suddenly added conditions which were not attached when the meeting took the recommendation to SENEX. Although a few members of the SRC registered their dissent, the meeting largely agreed that the condition to only start lectures once all problems are resolved was unreasonable,” said Mthembu.

African News Agency (ANA)

Hoërskool Driehoek tragedy fears shut down Ennerdale school

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Hoërskool Driehoek tragedy fears shut down Ennerdale school

Lerato Selepe

The fear of what happened at Hoërskool Driehoek repeating itself has resulted in teaching not taking place for the past three weeks at Ennerdale secondary School.

The school governing body (SGB) shut the school down as they were concerned about the safety of the learners and teachers in a building they felt was not safe.

For the past two weeks the school gates were not locked and schoolchildren could access the school but not let into the classrooms. However, since Monday the gates are now locked and no one is allowed into the school.

The SGB chairperson, Delphine Botha said the school’s walkway imposes danger as it could collapse at any time.

“We have decided to close the school because of the danger this walkway have on our learners and teachers,” Botha said.

Botha said the decision to close the school was taken following the recent incident at the Hoërskool Driehoek, where a concrete slab of a walkway collapsed, killing four pupils and injuring  more than 20.

“As the SGB and parents, we don’t want to see what happened at Driehoek happen at our school,” she said.

According to one of the teacher who preferred to remain anonymous, the school has for the past years been writing to the Gauteng Department of Education requesting help with rehabilitating the walkway. However, she said, nothing was ever done.

She said the department has been making promises to send temporary structure to the school, but no structure has been set up and learners have now have lost about three weeks of school.

“The department promised us a temporary structure, but no structure has been set up yet. Though we tried our best, our learners have lost about three weeks of school and this will badly impact our mid-year results,” she added.

Gauteng Education’s Steve Mabona confirmed that the department was aware of the matter but that they strongly condemn the disruption of schools by any one.

He said schools were given forms during a meeting with MEC Panyaza Lesufi on February where they were expected to identify all the infrastructural defects then return it to the department.

“We hope the said school has already provided the engineers with all necessary infrastructural defects that need urgent attention,” Mabona said.

“Subsequently, the appointed structural engineers will be dispatched to the said school to identify the defects and respond accordingly,” Mabona added.

The department said the district will immediately intervene and provide catch-up plan to recover the lost curriculum time. He also said they would continue to monitor the situation accordingly.

PPF says ‘chronic ailments’ at NSFAS must be addressed

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PPF says ‘chronic ailments’ at NSFAS must be addressed

Staff Reporter

The Progressive Professionals Forum (PPF) in the Western Cape on Monday said it would like to see serious steps being undertaken to address the “chronic ailments” of governance and management at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), beyond just increased government funding.

“The NSFAS continues to bedevil by inefficiencies which militate against the government’s commitment to providing free education. Every year students from poor backgrounds have to contend with boycott actions in order to seek government attention to the plight of young people in a quest for obtaining higher education,” PPF Western Cape provincial secretary Azania Matiwane said in a statement.

“NSFAS administrative failures not only budget constraints are always central to these strike actions, it is our advise as PPF that as part of the budget speech, the minister of finance should announce measures envisaged to address the NSFAS problems as the institution is central to the working class’ access to education.”

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is scheduled to deliver the 2019 Budget Speech which will give details of spending and revenue collection plans to carry out the programmes presented in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address (Sona).

The forum further urged the minister to make announcements around the review of the compensation regime for essential workers, such as nurses, teachers, police, social workers and soldiers.

“These are workers who are at coal- face of government service delivery to our people and it’s always ever important to ensure their well-maintained motivation as these professions have been neglected over the years,” added Matiwane.

The PPF further said it expected that as part of the funding plans for basic education, the minister should include funding for early childhood development incorporation to basic education, effectively migrating it from social development.

“PPF would also desire an announcement on the establishment of the state bank. Financial services industry continues to be a thorn in the side of the SA economy while it also remains one of the most untransformed industries in the country. PPF expects and desires that the minister of finance makes announcements towards transforming this crucial industry,” Matiwane said, adding that the forum continued to call for legislation for the micro-businesses to be placed under exclusive local ownership. This effectively would provide social stability in the communities who experience attacks of these types of businesses that are owned by foreign nationals.

PPF further urged the minister to earmark at least R10 billion for purposes of encouraging entrepreneurial innovation and tax incentives for new product development.

“South African credit and insurance criteria requires revisiting to reverse the discriminatory nature of these products to black South Africans, and more particularly black businesses, effectively curtailing black participants economically,” said Matiwane.

African News Agency (ANA)

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