Pretoria News Weekend Saturday, December 5, 2020

Athlete puts best foot forward for charity ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za Oupa MOKOENA African News Agency (ANA) GIVING back to the community is the raison d'être for Pretoria runner, Themba Mathebula, who yesterday started a 450km run from the capital to Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga to benefit schoolchildren. Mathebela is raising awareness and funds for school shoes and sanitary pads for the start of the 2021 school year. As the sun rose yesterday, Mathebula, a member of the Irene Athletics Club and Comrades Marathon runner, and his team set off on their journey which will take them to December 15. Mathebula grew up in Bushbuckridge and knew about children going to school in rain or shine without shoes. Supported by BackaBuddy he now hopes to raise enough to supply children in 14…

Saved by friend from the jaws of death ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za WHAT was supposed to be a relaxing outing turned horror story for two friends after being caught in the jaws of a crocodile. But Gerard Daffue did not hesitate when he saw the huge jaws closing around his friend Bertie Fick’s leg. He fought the crocodile off with all his might, injuring himself. Both men are in hospital being treated for their wounds. It all started last Friday when the friends decided on a quick getaway to go fishing at the Rust de Winter Dam, north of Pretoria. Fick’s sister, Mercia du Plessis, told the Pretoria News that her brother had walked into the water to cast his line when the crocodile appeared out of the depths and attacked…

Matrics to rewrite two exam papers Disappointing first in history of NSC exams VAL BOJE val.boje@inl.co.za DIMPHO MAJA African News Agency (ANA) FOR the first time in the history of the country’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, there will be a national re-write of two exams. This comes after both the Maths Paper 2 and Physical Sciences Paper 2 were leaked two weeks ago. According to Department of Basic Education (DBE) Minister, Angie Motshekga, Maths Paper 2 will be written on Tuesday, December 15 at 2pm and Physical Sciences Paper 2 on Thursday, December 17 at 2pm. “It was not an easy decision to take but one which is necessary under the circumstances. We need to work hard to deal with the human factor in the examination system.…

Reprieve for outstanding licence holders to 2021 STAFF REPORTER GOVERNMENT has announced that licences which expire by the end of this year remain valid until August next year. This comes as local authorities deal with a huge backlog in renewing licences after services were interrupted during lockdown. According to a governmnet gazette, learner’s, driving licence cards, temporary driving licences and professional driving permits that expire between March 26 this year and December 31 will have an extended period of validity. Currently licencing centres in Gauteng are opening earlier and even on weekends to try and clear the backlog.…

Meeting up with Miss SA at Time Square I MET Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida, and was impressed. From keeping step in the hit song Jerusalema, holding her poise as she presented a punter with a cheque for R1million, or sipping on a glass of red wine and chatting, she was at ease. Last weekend I had the pleasure of getting to know Shudu, who was crowned a month ago during a virtual event I watched on TV with my daughter. She was a guest at Sun International's Time Square, Pretoria, for the glitzy and glamorous finale of the Black Pearl Roulette competition, a great event after months in which the Arena stood empty due to lockdown. And, placed at her table were a select few, among them three journalists…

WIDE AWAKE South Africans score poorly in sleeping well Karishma Dipa karishma.dipa@inl.co.za South Africans, just like a multitude of other nations across the globe have been struggling to get some shut-eye this year. The findings formed part of the 2020 City Sleep Index with researchers suggesting that the Covid-19 pandemic may be responsible for keeping citizens around the world more awake at night. “2020 has been an undeniably difficult time for people all over the globe, and stress and anxiety are known disruptors of sleep,” they explained. Those living in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, had the best sleep quality in the study and that those in Sao Paulo, Brazil had the worst. The sleep index was conducted by VAAY, a Berlin-based well-being and CBD lifestyle brand who created a shortlist…