Pretoria News is a local newspaper circulating in the Tshwane Metropolitan area. Pretoria News covers a range of local news, as well as national and international news, comment and analysis by experts, sport, entertainment and lifestyle.
Williams is new Tshwane mayor SAKHILE NDLAZI JACQUES NAUDE African News Agency (ANA) HE IS the first mayor of the capital in the eight months since Stevens Mokgalapa resigned from the post in the wake of a sex scandal. Before the vote, the ANC’s regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa said it would not field a candidate to oppose Williams, and its members abstained from voting. Williams won 97 of the 125 votes cast, with 25 for the EFF’s MoAfrika Mabogwana, and one spoilt ballot. The voting took place under the eye of Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) officers during the first official council meeting since lockdown, with results announced by Speaker Katlego Mathebe. The election comes after a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal upholding a judgment by…
RELIEF Court rejects urgent bid to extend special grant top-up ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za ABOUT 7 million beneficiaries of the special Covid-19 caregiver grant will from next week receive R500 less than they have been during lockdown. Gauteng High Court judge Nana Makhubele struck the application by the Black Sash Trust to continue with the payments while Covid-19 is still with us off the roll as it did not meet with directives relating to urgency. The urgent application was brought by the Black Sash Trust assisted by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies on the eve of the expiry of the special grant. Counsel for the government, in particular the Minister of Finance, had called for the matter to be struck from the roll as it was not deemed urgent. Acting…
GOOD NEWS Wonderboom waterfall to be restored SAKHILE NDLAZI sakhile.ndlazi@inl.co.za JACQUES NAUDE African News Agency (ANA) IT HAS been said that a setback is a set-up for a comeback and that is the case for Pretoria’s once famous Die Poort waterfall in the Wonderboom Nature Reserve. The water supply to keep it flowing has been shut off for more than two years after the city faced water shortages and water restrictions. But now, finally, plans are in place to restore the waterfall which can be seen from the R101 when one heads north from the CBD alongside the Apies River. “Last week team members who are spearheading this project came together to start planning the restoration of the waterfall,” said Xander Loubser, operational manager of Best Care emergency service. “Measurements…
SECOND WAVE President expected to give Covid-19 update soon PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation again in the coming week, but an end to lockdown is unlikely. Speaking to the National Council of Provinces earlier in the week, he said he wanted to look at a report from health experts closely and would address the country on what needed to be done. He did, however, dismiss rumours that the country would be put back into lockdown level 3, saying it was “simply not true”. However, what can be expected is restrictions on the size of gatherings and the current tourist travel plan in place at least for another month. South Africa went to alert level 1 of lockdown at midnight on September 20. The resurgence in Covid-19…
DOWN THE DRAIN Police crack down on illegal alcohol traders in Tshwane JAMES MAHLOKWANE james.mahlokwane@inl.co.za THE police find that alcohol is the main crime generator in terms of murder, assault, and gender-based violence. So said Tshwane district police commissioner Major-General Hilda Mohajane before leading the disposal of more than 1 465 litres of illegal liquor at the Daspoort Waste Water Treatment Works in Marabastad yesterday. Pouring the liquor down the drain was endorsed by president of the Concerned Tshwane Liquor Traders Association Oupa Mthombeni and chief executive of the Gauteng Liquor Board Raymond Martin, who joined her on site. They said people who abused alcohol and owners of establishments that contravened their liquor trading licences deserved to have their liquor confiscated and disposed of. Mohajane said the Tshwane police worked…
GLOBAL: ADDRESSING WASTE AND FOOD SECURITY Nothing wrong with brown bananas NORMAN CLOETE norman.cloete@inl.co.za AN estimated 170 million tons of food produced globally ends up as waste, according to to the World Wildlife Fund. In South Africa, this figure stands at 10 million tons, which is about a third of food produced annually in the country, at an estimated value of R61.5 billion. By cutting down on food waste, South Africa will not only decrease carbon emissions but significantly turn around the food insecurity felt by many. According to head of food sciences at Stellenbosch University, Professor Gunnar Siggi, food waste is directly linked to the consumer’s demand for fresh produce and the fact that fresh produce, especially, is often not available in “loose format”. “We are slowly…
