The newly elected Mayor of Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality, Tumelo Thebe, has wasted no time in setting the tone for his administration, unveiling an ambitious plan to restore dignity, improve service delivery, and rebuild public confidence in a municipality that has struggled with governance and infr...
OPINION - Despite his strong academic and political resume, recent shifts including his removal from key leadership roles, my opinion is that Floyd Shivambu needs to take a break or completely retire from politics just to save his credibility.
He is a smart man, a critical thinker and a well-educated gentleman, but he has always been behind someone’s shadow.
What exactly does Floyd Shivambu Stand for?
His political trajectory started in 2004 as a Student Representative Council at the University of Witwatersrand.
He was in the ANCYL until his expulsion in 2012.
In 2013 he co-founded the Economic Freedom Fighters alongside Julius Malema and served as his Deputy until 2024.
In August 2024, he resigned from the EFF to join the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party as national organizer and Secretary-General.
Earlier this month he was stripped of all his powers from the MK party, demoted from the Secretary General position to being a member of parliament, and was left to have no voice as usual.
“Mayibuye iAfrika”
Political suicide or a rebirth?
Today (27 June) Shivambu hosts a second press conference in less than a week, this time to announce the Mayibuye Consultation Team (NCT) of the Mayibuye Consultation Process.
“As always we will use the opportunity to exercise what Amilcar Cabral taught us that as revolutionaries we should hide nothing from the masses of our people.
“Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures, and claim no easy victory….”
Shivambu says he is humbled by the responses that he has been receiving from people in all provinces and regions who are interested to volunteer and participate in the initiative.
What is his strategy?
Is Mayibuye another break away political party with the same methods and strategies he learned from the ANC, EFF and MKP?
His fall from grace within the MK starts
when he publicly clashes with the MK party leader Jacob Zuma’s favorite daughter Duduzile Zuma.
Who does that?
He has gone from being a man of honor to insulting people and accusing them of being drug addicts.
He has gone as far as visiting Malawi to seek miracles from a pastor who has been accused of being a “a fake prophet”
He is acting out of character…
Please, give that man a hug. He is going through a lot.
Lucky D’s fingers fly across the decks, bringing us acoustic sounds of Soul and R&B. Emerging from Motse Thabong in Welkom, Lucky David Mapena, known as “Lucky D,” is known for crafting a unique blend of soul, R&B as well as Afro Pop and has captivated great audiences with his craft. With his career taking off as a mere hobby, it eventually transitioned into a passion for playing soul/R&B, which landed him huge gigs with the likes of Wilson B, Sentle Lihoko, David Mashabela, the late Peter Mashata, and many more. Navigating the soul/R&B genre presents numerous challenges, as its appeal is limited to a specific audience. However, Lucky D is thriving despite these obstacles. Lucky D indicated that the many occurring challenges within the industry are that there is a vast number of DJs that want to join the pool, gunning for the ball, which seems not to be sustainable for all, and how the people in the industry are disjointed. “Events are just not normal, there is a lot of duplication and there is no creativity at all,” he mentions. With DJ Teddy’s exceptional mentorship, Lucky D has rowed this ship for a good 15 years, making appearances at Bloemfontein’s most astounding establishments like Cubana and Sechaba Lounge. With aspirations of owning a soul and R&B lounge that supports the curation of live music and will be one of the city’s key tourism points. Catch Lucky D at Sechaba Lounge every Sunday for the “Extended Sunday Soul Sessions.”
Following a significant setback suffered by the tourism sector across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is on course to recovery. Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille, on Sunday unveiled the R120 million state-of-the-art Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre set to boost the park and retain its former appeal. She was accompanied by the Free State Premier, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, and MEC for Tourism, Ketso Makume as well as the visibly delighted executive mayor of Dihlabeng Local Municipality, James Tseki. According to De Lille, the centre is a unique interactive facility with a strong potential for both tourism and economic growth in the region, province, and the country. The attraction offers visitors an innovative, creative and quality demonstration of scientific knowledge (paleontological, archaeological and geological), with a broader appreciation of cultural heritage through interactive exhibitions. “It is a joyous occasion for our county as we unveil this new exciting cultural and scientific tourism product. This facility is a wonderful addition to our diverse tourism offerings and it will ensure repeat visits, keep visitors longer, and more importantly, help visitors spend more money in our captivating destinations,” said De Lille. “We envision that this tourism facility will boost economic development, create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for surrounding communities, and further attract investment and development.” Unveiled under the theme: “A Nation That Works for All – Unearthing Our Past, Building Our Future,” the new centre further offers an immersive experience with interactive exhibitions that promise to awaken curiosity and delight in every visitor - young and old. “Our fossil record provides evidence for us to say to the entire world, 'Welcome Home!’. From the fossil evidence, we know that Africa is both the Cradle of Humankind and the Cradle of Human Culture. Our fossil wealth, long rock and fossil record, is so unique that it is impossible to write about the development of life on Earth without referring to the South African fossil record,” said De Lille. Echoing the minister’s words, Makume said the province will ensure that the centre is preserved to further maintain the history of the Basotho nation. “The centre should be used to attract tourists in the province and further create jobs for our people. The Free State should be known as a place to go to and not a place to go through,” he said. Additionally, De Lille revealed that 30 tour guides from the local community, trained by the department, will be employed full-time at the centre.
Teenage pregnancy continues to pose a significant threat to the future of young girls in the North West province, leading to a growing crisis, according to MEC for Social Development Basetsana Sussana Dantjie. With an increasing number of school-aged girls falling pregnant each year, Dantjie has encouraged all stakeholders to join hands in efforts to curb the new pandemic in the province. Dantjie’s plea follows the recent cases of alleged statutory rape involving three young girls in the Lekwa Teemane local municipality. It is alleged that the trio – aged between 14 and 15 – were confirmed pregnant by a medical practitioner last week after visiting the Lekwa Teemane service point without the supervision or accompaniment of parents. According to the MEC, it was further discovered during the preliminary investigation that two of the three girls were by underage boys, 17 and 18 years of age. Expressing her disappointment on the three statutory rape cases, Dantjie said the government has implemented measures to address teenage pregnancy in schools, such as the integrated school health programme which is led by the education, health, and social development departments. She said her department has also partnered with the Shout it Now organisation to educate young people about HIV, teenage pregnancy, and other social ills across the province. “We cannot be deterred by these incidents in our resolve to prevent teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence in our communities. Our social workers, including our social cluster departments and the civil society organisations are on the ground to break the barrier of ignorance among young girls by educating them about teenage pregnancy and other social pathologies that are tormenting our communities,” said Dantjie, adding that the issue of teenage pregnancy requires the collaborative efforts of key role players, which include parents, teachers, guardians, and the community at large. She further confirmed that the three cases were reported to the police for further investigations.
• Overcrowding and staff shortage, a major challenge
• Nehawu threatens a full-blown workers' strike
• Premier warns of the danger of neglecting patient
A persisting severe shortage of staff has hit the functioning of the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein, prompting the staff to launch a protest demanding urgent intervention by the provincial health department. During the recent demonstration outside the hospital by staff members, a number of patients were turned away, while others were left unattended. The demonstration, which subsequently prompted an urgent visit by Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and MEC for Health Monyatso Mahlatsi to the hospital, happened a week ago. Speaking to the Journal News, one of the frustrated staff members, who wished to remain anonymous in fear of victimisation, revealed that workers are grappling to deal with the heavy inflows of patients due to staff crunch. “The situation has deteriorated since the closure of the casualty ward at the National District Hospital last year. We have been receiving an increasing number of patients, trying to assist them, but that has also taken a serious toll on us to the point where we are labeled as lazy workers by the management. We cannot work like this anymore, and we demand that the National District Hospital be opened again urgently,” said the staff member. The National District Hospital was closed in June last year after a fire broke out in one of the wards. No injuries or fatalities were reported as a result of the fire. This was echoed by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu)’s Provincial Secretary Khauhelo Mnqibisa, who said their demonstration is emphasized by non-operational wards and urged the department to address the hazardous working conditions or face a workers' strike. “We have met with the MEC, and a team was established to monitor progress made in terms of decisions taken in the meeting. The demonstration also emphasized that there is a continuous experience of critical influx of patients while operating with severe staff shortages in a form of both clinical and non-clinical staff. This pressure has been exacerbated by the closure of some wards at the National Hospital, which has remained non-operational since the fire incident last year. As a result, Pelonomi is bearing the burden of an overstretched system, leaving its limited staff overwhelmed and struggling to meet the demands of patient care,” said Mnqibisa. However, the dire situation at the Pelonomi Hospital was confirmed by the Head of the Department (HOD), Masechaba Sesing, during her reply at the Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts and Finance (PROPAC) meeting in March this year. She told the committee that the increased patient load is affecting both healthcare workers and the patients themselves. “The closure of National is providing immense pressure on Pelonomi because most of those patients now go to Pelonomi. It affects them badly because they move from the neighborhood that they are close to. It also affects the workers who now have to move from the area that they have applied to and go to another area,” said Sesing. She added that the department has allocated over R500 million to construction projects and servicing facilities across the province, which included an extension to Pelonomi’s maternity ward and the long-awaited reopening of the government mortuary. However, a significant portion of the allocated funds is being diverted toward day-to-day operations, given the shortage of skilled artisans in the sector. Mathae - following her emergency meeting with Mahlatsi and the hospital’s executive management held on Friday - warned that no patient should ever be turned away or left unattended at a healthcare facility. She said that while she acknowledges the challenges brought forward by the severe shortage of space and medical personnel at Pelonomi Hospital, her administration will work relentlessly with all stakeholders to find sustainable solutions that protect the most vulnerable. “We acknowledge that our hospitals operate under strict regulations and norms. But when lives are at stake, leadership demands bold and compassionate action. These patients are not just statistics. They are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, and they deserve care,” she said.
