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.
Access for all to Kruger National Park VAL BOJE val.boje@inl.co.za VAL BOJE ITS IS important for South Africans to appreciate the rich biodiversity and culture protected in its national parks, yet many South Africans have never had the opportunity to visit even one of the country’s 19 national parks. For this reason SANParks, the custodian of national parks, holds annually a National Parks Week during which entry to the parks is waived for local citizens to facilitate access. Kruger National Park, the country’s largest and best-known national park, is involved in an effort to ensure disability is not a barrier to enjoying the park. Ahead of National Parks Week, which runs from November 16 to 20, a group of local residents were taken on a tour at the Berg-en-Dal rest…
Treasury sticks to guns on public wage bill SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za NATIONAL Treasury is sticking to its guns to cut the public sector wage bill and maintains that its proposals to freeze salaries for public servants should be viewed in the context of the tough economic conditions facing the country. Acting head of the budget office in the National Treasury, Edgar Sishi, told MPs yesterday that they want to freeze wages for workers in the public sector. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni told Parliament last week when he tabled the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement that treasury wants to cut the wage bill by R300 billion over the next four years. Mboweni also said they wanted to reduce the salaries for ministers, MECs and councillors to free up funds in the fiscus…
SETTLES DIFFERENCES WITH MEC MAILE Mayor Williams backed by province RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za NEW Tshwane executive mayor Randall Williams and Gauteng provincial MEC for local government Lebogang Maile have smoked a peace pipe over their differences on the dissolution of the metro council for the sake of service delivery in the capital. Williams had been a fierce critic of Maile since the announcement in March that the province was to dissolve the council and place the city under administration. This decision was finally overturned by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of Appeal following a legal bid launched by the DA which had been the majority party in council and formed a coalition government. The two men will be meeting soon so that…
Close US results may take days DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Joe Biden last night had a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, putting the White House within his reach. The 77-year-old former vice president to Barack Obama would become the next US president by winning Pennsylvania, or by winning two out of the trio of Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Trump would need to hang on to both Pennsylvania and Georgia and also overtake Biden in either Nevada or Arizona. After Biden took the lead in Pennsylvania the Trump campaign issued a statement saying that the "election is not over". The statement said that the so-called "false projection of Joe Biden as the winner" is based on results in four states that are "far…
Robots to assist Sandton hotel guests HOTEL Sky, an almost R2-billion project, is set to open two properties, one in Joburg and one in Cape Town, featuring the latest technology. At Hotel Sky Sandton (opening this month) and Hotel Sky Cape Town (which will open early next year) guests will enjoy app-based reservations, check-in and room access, as well as various smart technologies such as the three helpful robot assistants. The AI-powered robots Micah, Lexi and Ariel will be programmed to greet and assist guests, answering questions about local attractions and making room service deliveries. They are also available for photos. Managing director of Richland Properties, Paul Kelley, the developer of the project, said that the goal was to “offer a five-star experience and a four-star product at a two-star…
‘Super Stevie’ empowers adoptive families KASHIEFA AJAM KIRSTY Peters first laid eyes on Steven 12 years ago when he was just 2 and about to be baptised in their church. “He was sitting next to us and his beautiful, big, brown eyes just locked into mine. We were spiritually connected, instantly drawn to each other right there in church.” Steven was an orphan and after the service, the Peters couple offered to visit and support the home where the Steven was in care. As they got to know him they fell in love with him and so started the formal adoption process so they could take him home as their own son, “a gift and a blessing from God”. According to Africa Check, there are about 2.3 million orphans in…
