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Articles by Simthandile Ntobela
Coalitions will remain in Rustenburg Municipality’s future: Sapa
The South African Political Association (Sapa) says coalitions will remain the Rustenburg Local Municipality’s future, as they have been in the past 10 years. They are part of the ongoing discussions with eight other parties about working together in councils in the Rustenburg Municipality and other local municipalities in the Bojanala, after the Local Government Elections (LGE).
Govt to launch Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station at NWU
Breaking News Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station was completed in February last year. Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina is expected to officially hand over a Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station (MHRS) and formally open the Rapid Prototype Training and Testing Facility (RPTTF) at the North West University (NWU) in Potchefstroom in the North West.
Competition watchdog targets digital middlemen
The Competition Commission is probing online retailers and platforms, saying they throttle small businesses 26 August 2021 - 05:00 Simthandile Ntobela The Competition Commission has set its sights on the digital marketplace, where it says small businesses are exposed to exorbitant fees, which hamper their growth. The online economy has become an environment where "there’s scope to mistreat businesses", says the commission’s chief economist, James Hodge...
Biowaste: don’t throw it away
In an effort to combat poverty and climate change, Ivory Coast’s smallholder farmers are turning to biowaste BL PREMIUM 12 August 2021 - 05:00 Simthandile Ntobela For most of the 25-million people living in Ivory Coast, agriculture — smallholder farming in particular — is the primary source of income. But farm life in the West African country is rarely easy.
SA unrest: how locals are rebuilding the country
In the wake of the horror of last week’s unrest, SA’s affected communities are picking themselves up and starting the work of rebuilding the country BL PREMIUM 22 July 2021 - 05:00 Simthandile Ntobela Last week, former Orlando Pirates defender Lucky Lekgwathi’s R400,000 investment and retirement dream were wrecked — casualties of the unrest in parts of SA.
Matric hard-knocks class of 2020
The class of 2020 endured a disruptive, difficult school year. While the pass rate is down on previous years, there are some reasons to be upbeat BL PREMIUM 04 March 2021 - 05:00 Simthandile Ntobela The 76% matric pass rate might be a better result than the carnage that was expected after a year of pandemic lockdown and disruptions.
WELFARE: Tighten your belts, ye poor
budget 2021 Paltry social grants reverse Mboweni’s earlier prioritising of people over fiscal consolidation, says welfare advocate BL PREMIUM 25 February 2021 - 06:00 Simthandile Ntobela It came as a surprise that social grants were at the receiving end of austerity measures in the budget, never mind the finance minister’s insistence that this was not an austerity budget.
The fashion show must go on
‘Soweto Fashion Week [SFW] has been a really good platform for [designers] to grow, particularly in the early years," says local fashion designer Funeka Sukazi. She’s been showcasing her label, Deja Vu Designs, at the annual event for the past eight years. "We had great travelling experiences, and learnt a bit more from other experienced designers overseas in Europe and the US," Sukazi says.
Will Ramaphosa’s R500bn stimulus reach SA’s poor?
Millions of South Africans’ lives have been upended by Covid-19 and the government’s five-week lockdown to arrest the spread of the virus. But those living in townships and informal settlements are bearing the brunt, as poverty bites BL PREMIUM 23 April 2020 - 05:00 Simthandile Ntobela Lebohang Motloung, a grade 11 pupil, lives in Tembisa, the sprawling township on the East Rand. He stays in a single room shack and cares for his sick mother and father.
Spaza shops: access to capital opens doors for entrepreneurs
Spaza shop owner Ntombizonke Mkhize has a dream. Since securing a small loan last year, she has been able to buy new stock, hire two new employees and even open a new shop. Speaking outside her spaza, Sisters Tuck Shop in the KwaZulu-Natal township of KwaMashu, Mkhize says the funding has helped her. "I also sell 10kg maize meal now, I’ll soon have my own supermarket — that’s my dream," she says. For now, she is happy to be able to provide for herself, her son and their extended family.
ENTREPRENEUR: Theo Baloyi, founder of Bathu Shoes
At a time when the SA economy is shedding jobs, Bathu, a local sneaker brand, has bought office and storage space and expects to have 100 employees on its payroll by June. That is more than double the 48 permanent staff it currently employs. The man in charge, Theo Baloyi, 30, is a former accountant in a plaid suit and chameleon sneakers (they change colour according to their exposure to natural light). It is easy to label him as another street-smart, fashion-forward, fun-loving guy.
Continuing disaster of the unavailable set-top boxes
The government does not have a timeline for when SA will officially switch off its analogue broadcast services in favour of modern digital platforms, communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams tells the FM. That means South Africans may, for at least another two years, pay on average R150 for 1GB of data.
‘Chill, Chat, Eat.’ The Secret to Life Without Power
JOHANNESBURG—Africa’s most developed economy can’t manage to keep its lights on, but South Africans are trying to see the bright side anyway. In the weeks leading to national elections on Wednesday, the nation has been enduring the worst blackouts in decades. The rolling power cuts, called load-shedding, occur throughout the day and night and last for hours at a time. They are meant to prevent a collapse of the national electricity grid. ...
South Africa Bails Out Scandal-Struck Power Company
PRETORIA, South Africa—The South African government announced a $5 billion bailout of its troubled power utility Wednesday as part of a tough national budget less than three months ahead of elections. President Cyril Ramaphosaneeds to shore up Eskom, but is also under pressure from international investors and credit-ratings firms, which are threatening to further downgrade South Africa’s sovereign debt. The...
Power Struggle: Electricity Outages Hit South Africa Months Before Election
JOHANNESBURG—The biggest test to the South African president’s power right now: Can he keep the power on? Africa’s most-developed economy this week is experiencing its worst blackouts in years, with households, businesses and key infrastructure left without electricity for up to nine hours a day.
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