Liggies geniet Poësie Kompetisie Christian Izquierdo Ortega wat eerste plek los geslaan het met sy gedig, Stranded At Home. Christian Izquierdo Ortega wat eerste plek los geslaan het met sy gedig, Stranded At Home. 1/1 Share INHOUD VERSKAF 25 Augustus 2020 Ligbron Akademie vir Tegnologie het tydens die grendeltydperk ‘n Engelse en Afrikaanse Poësie Kompetisie vir Graad 8-12 leerders geloots. Daar was verskeie temas en ‘n kriteria waaraan gedigte moes voldoen. Ligbron Akademie vir Tegnologie het tydens die grendeltydperk ‘n Engelse en Afrikaanse Poësie Kompetisie vir Graad 8-12 leerders geloots. Daar was verskeie temas en ‘n kriteria waaraan gedigte moes voldoen. Die leerders het dit vreeslik geniet, en die volgende leerders het eerste plekke behaal tydens die kompetisie: Nhlanhla Mapheto in Graad 8 O, met “If I Were A Popcorn Seed”, Yvette Griffin in Graad 9 L, met “ Avonture Saam Ma”, Jasmine Macaskill in Graad 9 R, met “Where To Now, Mom?”, Zahra Gardee in Graad 10 R, met “A Step At A Time”, Madhiyyah Bhyat in Graad 10 R, met “Petty Fights”, Christian Izquierdo Ortega in Graad 12 E, met “Stranded At Home”, en Akhonakhe Magagula in Graad 11 N, met “Disloyal Eyes”. Akhonakhe het ook tweede plek verower met “Bottomless”, asook Huzefa Patel in Graad 10 R, met “Running On Empty”. Madhiyyah Bhyat in Graad 10 R, met “I Need You”, het derde plek verower. “Baie geluk aan elke Liggie met julle uitstekende skryf styl. Stranded At Home Sunlight overcome by the shine of my darkest fears. No time for hope, no time for tears, yet abundant in time. The promise of return shot down and crashes. Stranded — at home. Family fulfilling, yet hollow; alone. The promise of return burns to ashes. But like the phoenix rises from white, dying embers comes the hope-fuelled desire to admire the garden drizzled with peach blossom's spring of September! My soul sparkling in joy and sticky with pollen flutters across the Highveld with honey glazed wings blissfully glistening in sunlight once fallen. - Christian Izquierdo Ortega < Previous Article Next Article >

Errie-ruiters aangewys as MPU-kampioene Inge van der Walt in aksie tydens die Mpumalanga Dresseer Kampioenskappe. Inge van der Walt in aksie tydens die Mpumalanga Dresseer Kampioenskappe. 1/1 Share SH HATTINGH 10 November 2020 Hoërskool Ermelo se ruiters het tydens die naweek van 15 tot 18 Oktober aan die Mpumalanga Dresseer Kampioenskappedeelgeneem te Badplaas. Die Erries het uitstekend presteer, en EHS se naam hoog gehou. Hoërskool Ermelo se ruiters het tydens die naweek van 15 tot 18 Oktober aan die Mpumalanga Dresseer Kampioenskappedeelgeneem te Badplaas. Die Erries het uitstekend presteer, en EHS se naam hoog gehou. Surika Struwig behaal eerste plekke in Elementary Medium freestyle, warm-up Elementary Medium, Elementary freestyle en warm-up Elementary. Sy word aangewys as Mpumalanga-kampioen in beide Junior Elementary Medium- en Junior Elementary-klasse. Margha Greyling behaal twee eerste plekke in onderskeidelik Open Show Hunter en in 1m Jumping, en tweede plek in Open Show Riding. Sy word aangewys as reserwe Mpumalanga-kampioen in beide Show Horse- en Working Hunter-klasse. Inge van der Walt word aangewys as die Mpumalanga-kampioen in die 80cm ponieruiter-kampioenskapsklas. Walter van der Walt behaal‘n algehele eerste plek in die 1.10m kampioenskapsklas, en word aangewys as Mpumalanga-kampioen. Walter word ook aangewys as Victor Ludorum in die 1.10m-klas. “Baie geluk aan elkeen van hierdie Erries. Hoërskool Ermelo is besonder trots op julle.” < Previous Article Next Article >

COGTA to probe municipal disarray Mandla Msibi, COGTA MEC. Mandla Msibi, COGTA MEC. 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 10 November 2020 “We have adopted a zero tolerance towards unauthorized, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. We have turned down for condonation of the expenditure. We are demanding accountability where wasteful expenditure has occurred.” Msibi said. Co-operative governance and traditional affairs (COGTA) chairperson, China Dodovu, and COGTA MEC Mandla Msibi, are probing the financial status of local municipalities, governance, audit outcomes and service delivery matters were among the key issues that the committee focused on during a visit to three embattled municipalities. More municipalities are under scrutiny, and will be announced in due course. Non-compliance to legislation, lack of consequence management and failure to adhere to payment plans are among the contributing factors that caused the troubled local municipalities, Govan Mbeki, Thaba Chweu and Dr JS Moroka to collapse, the oversight committee of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) announced. “We observed the tendency to ignore legislation in the municipality (Govan Mbeki). We also noted that it has failed to submit financial statements to the Auditor-General (AG). The Eskom debt escalated into millions of rands. This is a serious cause for concern. Where was the leadership when all of this occurred?” asked Dodovu during the sitting in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality. COGTA briefed the committee about the decision to invoke Section 106 of the Constitution as an intervention to deal with allegations of maladministration, and as a measure for clean governance in Govan Mbeki. Msibi told the committee about the steps being taken to address financial mismanagement in all municipalities. “We have adopted a zero tolerance towards unauthorized, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. We have turned down for condonation of the expenditure. We are demanding accountability where wasteful expenditure has occurred.” Msibi said. < Previous Article Next Article >

Ligbron leerders streef hoog Elzaan van de Venter, saam met die Hoof van Ligbron, Mnr. Brand. Lohan Coetzee, saam met die Hoof van Ligbron, Mnr. Brand. Elzaan van de Venter, saam met die Hoof van Ligbron, Mnr. Brand. 1/2 Share INHOUD VERSKAF 1 September 2020 Na die jaar se opleiding, sal hul dan op die televisie verskyn in 2021 saam met die akteurs wat hulle mentor en oplei. “Baie geluk julle twee, die Liggies is baie trots op julle.” Twee leerders van Ligbron Akademie vir Tegnologie, Elzaan van de Venter en Lohan Coetzee, het tydens die grendeltyd ingeskryf vir ‘n toneel talent kompetisie, genaamnd “Mentor My”. Beide leerders het deurgedring, en is gekies om deel te wees van ‘n groep leerders wat aanlyn opleiding sal ontvang. Die opleiding het reeds in Augustus begin, en sal ‘n jaar lank duur. Na die jaar se opleiding, sal hul dan op die televisie verskyn in 2021 saam met die akteurs wat hulle mentor en oplei. “Baie geluk julle twee, die Liggies is baie trots op julle.” < Previous Article Next Article >

Party time is over at the Pet Dam The state of the Pet Dam site, where residents party their lives away, paying no heed to COVID-19 regulations. The state of the Pet Dam site, where residents party their lives away, paying no heed to COVID-19 regulations. The state of the Pet Dam site, where residents party their lives away, paying no heed to COVID-19 regulations. 1/2 Share GK CRONJE 10 October 2020 In light of the blatant disregard from residents who use the dam as a party site, and who pay no heed to social distancing and COVID-19 regulations, Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) has issued a closure of the Pet Dam, with immediate effect. MLM has stated that an increase in COVID-19 cases is the reason for the closure. The Local Command Council (LCC) has made the decision. After numerous complaints falling on deaf ears regarding the Pet Dam and residents who swarm to the site daily in order to get the party started, it has come to pass that drastic measures have been forcibly implemented. In light of the blatant disregard from residents who use the dam as a party site, and who pay no heed to social distancing and COVID-19 regulations, Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) has issued a closure of the Pet Dam, with immediate effect. MLM has stated that an increase in COVID-19 cases is the reason for the closure. The Local Command Council (LCC) has made the decision. Speaking to Mr. Zwane, MLM spokesman, he stated that the Pet Dam’s gates will be locked to prevent access, and that security detail will patrol the area of the Pet Dam to ensure compliance from defiant residents. This is a developing story, and we are awaiting further information from MLM. Read the full article in the next publication of the Tribune Newspaper. < Previous Article Next Article >

Another flat fence for the SAVF 1/2 Share GK CRONJE 10 August 2022 The load bed was filled with sand, which exacerbated the incident. On Wednesday, 3 August 2022, the staff and residents of the SAVF Home in Fourie Street once again watched with shock and awe as yet another heavy vehicle plowed through the palisade fencing near the intersection. According to available information, the vehicle’s brakes failed, whereafter the driver was unable to bring the vehicle to a stop. The load bed was filled with sand, which exacerbated the incident. The vehicle flattened a section of the palisade fencing, and luckily came to a halt as it collided with one of the oak trees in the parking area. Sections of the tree splintered off and crashed to the ground in the parking area. Miraculously, the driver escaped with minor injuries, despite the heavy vehicle’s cab being extensively crushed. No other injuries have been reported during the incident. Provincial EMS, Van Wettens Towing Services, Msukaligwa Traffic, Msukaligwa Fire & Rescue and other roleplayers were on scene in a matter of minutes to assess the scene, which took several hours to clean up. According to the SAPS, no case had been opened. < Previous Article Next Article >

Minister Didiza claims to be in the dark amidst scandal Minister Didiza claims to be in the dark amidst scandal 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 13 April 2021 "And in this incident, those letters were not even given out with authorization of the Minister. So we agreed that there is not going to be any eviction of the farmers we are created in two weeks time the team from the property unit in the Department of Agriculture will come down and all those farmers who have got issues around their leases we’ll meet at the department so that those issues are resolved.” The Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Department minister, Thoko Didiza, on Sarturday held a meeting to appease farmers in the area amidst a massive scandal which involves eviction letters, threats of eviction from department officials via WhatsApp messages, bribery from department officials and various other issues. The meeting addressed issues related to state-owned land leased to farmers, which are now being cut short and unlawfully terminated by department officials. Several farmers in Mpumalanga received letters informing them that they would be evicted from state farms, and some have been lured into paying bribes to officials of up to R25 000 to have paperwork processed and the lease renewed. John Mabasa of Goedehoop farm said that his family had been farming on their family land for over two centuries. When he submitted a land claim in 1998 to formalize his family’s land holdings, the Department claimed that they had no records of the claim. In 2013, after a Public Protector finding instructed the Department to allocate him a farm, he was given caretakership on a portion of land. The award came with the condition that he should farm as part of a co-op. When he refused to pay R25 000 to ensure that a proposed business plan was approved by the Department, his land was advertised for occupation for interested new leases. Swazi Motha of Rietspruit farm is part of a group of three farmers who, in 2013, were granted a lease to a farm. In 2019, when asked to apply for financial assistance, they were told to “pay something” to facilitate the signing of the contract. They refused to pay the bribe, and received a letter of termination in 2019. To date, the department had been keeping mum on the issue. Although the enquiries from the Tribune ePaper have been acknowledged, no response had been received from the department despite several enquiries. However, in a turn of events that is laughable, to say the least, Didiza has assured the farmers that they will not be evicted from the farms, and claimed to have been in the dark amidst this saga, and did not authorize the eviction letters to be sent out. “There is not going to be any eviction and in any way of actions process in terms of state land, you’ll have to involve the Minister. And in this incident, those letters were not even given out with authorization of the Minister. So we agreed that there is not going to be any eviction of the farmers we are created in two weeks time the team from the property unit in the Department of Agriculture will come down and all those farmers who have got issues around their leases we’ll meet at the department so that those issues are resolved.” Didiza stated. This is of very little comfort to the affected farmers, as it is clear that there is a high level of confusion and collusion within the department. This is a developing story. < Previous Article Next Article >

Keep safe during municipal load shedding 1/0 Share GK CRONJE 11 August 2020 The increased occurrence of load shedding means also that there are more alarm activation signals received by armed response companies than usual. If the alarm is triggered because of a power surge, or because of load shedding, please contact your security company as soon as possible to cancel any false alarms. This helps ensure that armed response officers are allocated to legitimate emergencies. In light of the municipal load shedding, which has been ongoing since May 2020, residents have reported a spike in cases of burglaries, poisoning of animals and suspicious individuals skulking around under the shroud of darkness. With Msukaligwa Local Municipality dragging their feet and offering no reprieve or plan of action, the rotational load shedding can be expected to continue for the foreseeable future. This means that home owners, as well as business owners, need to make sure their alarm and security systems are tested regularly and in a working condition. These tests need to focus in particular on the battery backup systems, to ensure that it will still offer monitoring and protection when the power goes out. Many people are under the incorrect assumption that their alarm system is deactivated when the power supply is interrupted. However, if you have a stable and correctly programmed system, coupled with a battery that is in a good condition, it will continue to protect the premises during a power outage, regardless if the outage is because of load shedding or any other technical problem. The increased occurrence of load shedding means also that there are more alarm activations signals received by armed response companies than usual. If the alarm is triggered because of a power surge, or because of load shedding, please contact your security company as soon as possible to cancel any false alarms. This helps ensure that armed response officers are allocated to legitimate emergencies. This helps to free up call centre staff members to concentrate on legitimate incidents that they need to respond to. The only time any alarm system might not function correctly, is if there is a technical issue or the battery power is low. Most modern alarm systems have a back-up battery pack that activates automatically when there is a power failure. It is recommended to consider an additional battery backup pack, as load shedding puts additional strain on the battery. There are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during any power cuts, which includes always remaining vigilant, and reporting suspicious activity in your ward to the SAPS or security agency, and ensuring that all automated gates and doors are secured. With the added inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch-lights are handy alternatives. Test the battery backup system, and consider an additional battery pack for standby. Tests of alarm systems should ideally be conducted every six months. Power cuts can impact on fire systems and fire control systems, so these also need to be checked regularly. The best approach is to test your alarm system, for both your home and your business, and to make any fixes that are required as soon as you can. < Previous Article Next Article >

Uncertainly looms as Motshekga consistently fumbles 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 2 June 2020 The unions said this is a time to show solidarity with the plight of other provinces, and sympathy with the plight of thousands of teachers and children across the country. The unions have called on Motshekga to meet teacher unions and governing body associations on 11 June for "genuine assessment and engagement" about the readiness of the system. “If we follow the protocols and maintain all precautions, we will effectively minimize the risk posed by the coronavirus.” There are the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has urged schools to not reopen until all the necessary precautions are in place. This comes after the return to school for Grades 7 and 12 has been delayed by another week. President Ramaphosa has assured parents that government and all stakeholders are doing all they can to ensure their children’s safety. Teacher unions have called on schools not to reopen amid the chaos caused by government's last-minute 7 day postponement. “We have heard them, we welcome their contributions and are taking steps to address their concerns as well as proposals.” the President stated. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga was expected to address the nation on Sunday evening, and has been heavily criticized for her apparent inability to maintain a sense of order in her department, and with the confusing myriad of conflicting statements made. The Council of Education Ministers (CEM) was concerned that, in some provinces, personal protective equipment (PPE) for pupils had not been received and some schools had not been made ready for their return. Despite Motshekga claiming otherwise, school governing bodies and unions believe it is not in the best interest of children and teachers to return to school while there is uncertainty about health and safety. “The response never came through until the statement which was released after two cancellations of the media briefing, and despite an undertaking in the meeting by the minister on behalf of the CEM. The teacher unions were vindicated by the independent monitoring consortium led by the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) that the system wasn't ready for the reopening of the schools for learners in Grade 7 and 12 on 1 June 2020. The minister asked for time to consult her colleagues, and committed to respond on 31 May, which she did not honour. This is a betrayal of trust, and does not bode well for the credibility of the education system. We want to put on record that the date of 8 June was never mentioned in the meeting, because the focus was readying the system and ensuring that all the provinces comply with the 12 non-negotiables,” unions NAPTOSA, PEU, NATU, SADTU and the SAOU collectively stated. The unions alleges that the Department of Basic Education is "obsessed with dates and ignoring the evidence of provincial readiness. The lack of appreciation for evidence can only be characterized as irresponsible and negligent,” they echoed. The unions said this is a time to show solidarity with the plight of other provinces, and sympathy with the plight of thousands of teachers and children across the country. The unions have called on Motshekga to meet teacher unions and governing body associations on 11 June for "genuine assessment and engagement" about the readiness of the system. The proposed date for re-opening is now 8 June 2020, but is subject to change at any time. < Previous Article Next Article >

Kendall power plant up to be scrapped 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 9 June 2020 Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has already instructed Eskom to stop operations at least at one of two Kendal power station units found to be posing serious health risks to the surrounding communities. Kendal, built in 1982 is not on the list as Eskom began shutting down some of its old power stations in 2019. It shut three units at the Hendrina power. Grootvlei was scheduled to close this year, and Komati by 2021. Environmental activists are mounting on pressure for a complete shutdown of the 4116MW Kendal power plant, located 40km west of eMalahleni, on the grounds its toxic emissions were killing people. However, there are fears that a shutdown of Kendal power station in Mpumalanga would paralyze several small businesses and destroy livelihoods in the coal mining towns. “Poisonous coal power plants must be shut down sooner rather than later, in a fair process that fully involves all coal workers and communities, and urgently replaced with cleaner, cheaper renewable power,” said Timothy Lloyd, attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights. Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has already instructed Eskom to stop operations at least at one of two Kendal power station units found to be posing serious health risks to the surrounding communities. Kendal, built in 1982 is not on the list as Eskom began shutting down some of its old power stations in 2019. It shut three units at the Hendrina power. Grootvlei was scheduled to close this year, and Komati by 2021. Arnot will be decommissioned by 2029. Concerned coal transporting businesses believe the move to decommission stations will put them out of business and leave coal mining towns with no economy. In a notice served on Eskom, Creecy said the power utility must stop operations at either unit one or unit five at Kendal within 30 days. Eskom submitted the units had been repaired, and their present problems were the result of poor coal quality, and due to poor quality of work on site. According to Eskom, it was crucial for the units to remain active for the utility to meet the country’s electricity demands and avoid or limit load shedding. However, Creecy found there was no merit in Eskom’s position, and that Eskom “misrepresented the facts” about the level of emissions from the units. “As an example, they claim that Unit 5 averaged less than 600mg/nM3 in February 2019. But according to the monthly Emissions Report for February 2019, the monthly average is estimated at 1227mg/nM3. It follows that the figure of 600mg/nM3 emanates from the fact that Eskom decided to add days in which the unit was switched off in determining the monthly average. Eskom is well aware that this is an unacceptable practice,” Creecy stated. The decision to force stoppage of one unit took into consideration the need to avoid load shedding, Creecy said. “In essence, the operation of units 1 and 5 should not be ceased simultaneously. In my view, this will allow (Eskom) an opportunity to carry out the required maintenance and remedial work on one unit at a time in order to bring the units in compliance with the requirements of the Atmospheric Emission Licence. I am mindful of the fact that the failure to take action to bring the power station back into compliance, among others, will continue to present serious environmental impacts and health threats to the affected communities,” she concluded. Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha stated that the station has been operating above the emission limits since the strike action late in 2018 left infrastructure vandalised and damaged. “During the strike the interior of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) was vandalised and the functioning of the dust-handling plant compromised. To repair it, the ESPs of several generation units require long outages and the repairs on generation units can only be executed one after the other,” he said. Environmental NGO’s gave Creecy what they termed evidence that emissions from Kendal were responsible for as many as 274 deaths between November 2018 and October 2019. < Previous Article Next Article >

SAPS seizes R500 000 worth of contraband during bust 1/1 Share SM HATTINGH 27 July 2021 Upon investigation, them, more than 580 Heroin sachets were discovered. Police further found an undisclosed amount of cash. The three suspects, Nigerian nationals aged between 28 and 38, were immediately arrested and charged accordingly. An Intelligence Driven Operation has led to police in Mpumalanga arresting five suspects in two separate incidents, at Ermelo and Lydenburg respectively. During these operations, which were conducted on Wednesday, 21 July 2021 and Friday, 23 July 2021, police confiscated drugs to a combined estimated value of approximately R500 000. According to reports, in the first incident; members received information about suspicious illegal drug activities carried out at a certain house in Ermelo. It was further alleged that the suspects trafficked the drugs using a silver Volkswagen Polo Vivo. Members from Ermelo K9 Unit, together with their counterparts from Standerton K9 Unit, then coordinated their resources to act collectively and operationalised the information gathered. On Friday, 23 July 2021, they followed the leads and spotted the identified house, which matched the description as given. Upon their arrival at the residence, the police formations found three people busy packaging something suspicious inside the house. Upon investigation, them, more than 580 Heroin sachets were discovered. Police further found an undisclosed amount of cash, which suggests that the suspects were involved in drug dealing. The three suspects, Nigerian nationals aged between 28 and 38, were immediately arrested and charged accordingly. The trio, of which one is female, appeared before the Ermelo Magistrate's Court on Monday, 26 July 2021. Meanwhile, members from the Lydenburg K9 Unit also conducted an Intelligence Driven Operation, where they intercepted suspects who were in a planned mission to traffic bags of dagga using a Ford Ranger bakkie. This operation was carried out on Wednesday, 21 July 2021, at which police noticed and swooped down upon the mentioned bakkie which had two occupants. The astute members ordered the driver of the vehicle to halt the bakkie. This was followed by a thorough search, where nine bags with dagga were found, culminating in the driver and his crew swiftly being arrested. They both appeared before the Mashishing Magistrate Court on Thursday, 22 July 2021 where they were remanded in custody. Pat Mngomezulu (36), and Michael Molala (33), are expected at the same court next week Thursday, 29 July 2021. The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, has appreciated the efforts by members for their resilience in ridding the communities of drugs. “It is high time we claim back the streets from the hands of drug dealers and criminal elements. The call made by our good citizens to decisively deal with drugs in the community has been heard. We are acting with speed to close all the nets for trading in illegal drugs within the society. The public should continue to entrust us with valuable information as they can witness the positive results thereof,” said General Manamela. < Previous Article Next Article >

MLM VOIP call centre up and running 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 17 November 2020 MLM is establishing a 16-hour service for the clientele community of Msukaligwa who wishes to log in a service, or to get information from 06:00- 20:00. Media Statement - MLM is establishing a 16-hour service for the clientele community of Msukaligwa who wishes to log in a service, or to get information from 06:00- 20:00. MLM is now using a toll free number to make it easier for the customers to reach the municipality, which is 0800 0149 03. The municipality has installed a contact centre solution system, which includes, among others, the soft phones (it enables voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephone calls from computer devices, work in conjunction with headset. It records the interaction between agents and callers. The system has statistics wall board, which track important information, such as how long it takes agent to answer, how many calls they’ve taken, how many they’ve missed, average call time and who answers the most calls. The contact centre has a multichannel communication (USSD, e-mail, WhatsApp). The USSD works on all phones, across all cellular networks, and no internet connection or data needed. The USSD code is *134*3043#. The USSD will commenced on or before Monday, 23 November 2020. The SMS function will assist the municipality to send SMS’s out to residents or clients, informing them about planned maintenance or outages. The e-mail address is contactcentre@msukaligwa.gov.za , you may send a WhatsApp message, voice note or video to 079 503 6729. The role of the community members and customer are to report and log in interruptions, to provide clear and concise information about the interruption area, and to make a follow-up using the reference number. The role of the contact centre agent entails answering the calls, logging of queries on the system, giving reference numbers and information to customers, and to dispatch queries out to technicians. The role of the technician is to attend to the query, report back to the contact centre agent on the progress, or lack thereof. The municipality is currently training the agents on new system. < Previous Article Next Article >