Latest news with #GreenArmy
West Australian
20-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Super Netball 2025: Perth turns green as West Coast Fever thrash NSW Swifts in major semifinal
Perth turned green as fans flocked in droves to witness Super Netball history as West Coast Fever booked their place in the 2025 grand final. And the home side gave the 11,838 supporters that packed RAC Arena a show, thrashing the NSW Swifts by 32 goals in the major semifinal to extend their winning streak to a remarkable 13 games. And it was a party inside the venue as the 'Green Army' watched the record-breaking afternoon unfold in front of their eyes. Among the VIP invitees was Olympic polevault gold medallist Nina Kennedy, while Perth Lynx stars Steph Gorman, Alex Ciabattoni and Kiara White also turned out courtside. Liberal leader and former Perth Mayor Basil Zempilas also turned out to be part of the Green Army as he continues his rising political career. Education Minister Sabine Winton — who played netball at the Wanneroo Districts Netball Association — was also courtside, as was Netball Australia chief executive Stacey West who watched the heavyweight clash. Fever coach Dan Ryan praised the immense support they had all season which had helped drive them to a premiership. 'I always have a moment just before the first centre pass where everyone has got their mobile phones out and I make sure I do a 360 and take in the experience because it's so easy to take this for granted,' he said. 'It's the best netball arena in the world; it's in front of the most passionate fans in terms of numbers and merchandise in this competition. It's something to be very connected to because it's not normal, it's elite. We really try to embrace that. 'You do take it in because they're very much a part of the journey and you've got to make sure that you embrace that. What we get to do here is something pretty special.'
West Australian
18-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Super Netball 2025: West Coast Fever's ‘Green Army' ready to cheer them in major semifinal against NSW Swifts
Perth has been taken over by the Green Army as fans flock to support the rampaging West Coast Fever on their pursuit of a Super Netball premiership. Fever have become the hottest ticket in town, playing in front of consecutive record-breaking crowds in the lead up to finals on the back of an incredible 12-game winning streak. And it's set to go to another level, with more than 10,000 tickets already sold for Fever's major semifinal against the NSW Swifts at RAC Arena on Sunday. There is plenty on the line with the victor of the clash booking the first spot in this year's grand final. Should Fever extend their winning streak they will play in their fourth decider in eight years and look to add another premiership to the win they claimed at the venue in 2022. Fever coach Dan Ryan said the support from their passionate fans had been instrumental in their historic run which has captured the attention of sports fans in WA. 'We talk about it all the time as to how grateful and privileged we are to get to play on centre court at RAC Arena in front of 12,000 fans,' he said. 'No other team in the competition gets to do that week-in, week-out and the game day experience is like no other. 'Just the moment before the game where we soak it in, we look around and see the very top row in the stadium filled. It's just amazing. 'It is something we hold very dear to us and it's something that is very unique to our team and our club and we're really proud that's what we get to. We want to do our best in those moments because it certainly is something pretty special.' Fever captain Jess Anstiss said they couldn't wait to play in front of the famed Green Army. 'Having a final on our home court with all our family, friends and supporters makes it even more special,' she said. 'We have the best fans in the league and can't wait to see them on the Sunday.' Defender Fran Williams said: 'Playing at home is always special but to be playing in a final knowing we will look up and have our Green Army cheering back at us makes it all more motivating to get that win.'
Daily Maverick
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Panyaza Lesufi's Nasi iSpani plagued by payment chaos while relaunch looms
Less than a month after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced that his highly criticised Nasi Ispani employment recruitment initiative would be relaunched, more information on the initiative's struggles to pay Expanded Public Works Programme workers has come to light. In 2024, more than 4,000 workers in Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's Nasi iSpani 'Green Army' project faced significant payment delays, with millions of rands having to be diverted from other departments to cover the stipend shortfalls. The revelation comes as Lesufi pushes ahead with a controversial relaunch of the employment initiative, sparking concerns about its funding and sustainability amid a fragile public trust in government programmes. In a written reply to a question from the Democratic Alliance in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, the province's Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, revealed that between June and November 2024, 4,716 workers in Lesufi's Green Army project were not paid on time by both the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of the Environment. Lesufi's Green Army project was launched unfunded in May 2024. According to MEC Ramokgopa's reply, the Expanded Public Works Project (EPWP) workers involved had previously been funded by a budget allocated to the departments of the Environment and Agriculture and Rural Development, which ran from April 2023 to March 2024. When the Nasi iSpani project ended abruptly in November last year (along with all other projects under the Nasi iSpani banner), it had already spent R73-million on the Green Army, an expenditure that left the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development unable to pay service providers. Additionally, another R59-million had to be diverted from the Environment Department between September and November to pay the stipends of the 6,000 workers in the programme. According to Ramokgopa's reply to the DA's questions, this was because the programme's extension from June to August 2024 for the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and from June to November of the same year for the Environment Department, was not budgeted for. 'Reckless' 'This reckless extension, which was not budgeted for, meant that the EPWP workers had to be paid from the goods and services programme. This has had a negative effect on all creditors being paid within 30 days,' Gauteng MPL and DA Shadow Agriculture MEC Bronwynn Engelbrecht said. In a statement released on Tuesday, 17 June, Engelbrecht said that her party was demanding that before Lesufi relaunched Nasi iSpani, the Gauteng premier ensured that 'there is enough money to pay all workers on time and that money is not taken from the budgets of other service delivery programmes'. The benefits that public works employment programmes create, particularly for young and marginalised people, have been well documented. They provide pathways into employment and education, effectively combating unemployment and poverty. However, for them to be successful, they have to be well-planned and adequately funded. In cases where they are not, as with Nasi iSpani, the job programmes fall short of providing the long-term security and skills development that young people need to build sustainable livelihoods. 'Demoralising' Adam Cooper, researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), told Daily Maverick that while employment programmes act as a lifeline for young people, they can be deeply demoralising when not implemented properly. 'To many young people, the money they get from public employment programmes is a kind of security for them while they are also fighting the war [on poverty and unemployment] on a bunch of other fronts. If that money doesn't come in, it can be very disheartening to young people and frustrating for them to keep trying to find employment,' Cooper said. In South Africa's current sociopolitical climate, the relationship between people and the state was very fragile, he said, adding that confidence in government programmes was already low, and when promised opportunities turned out to be unreliable, it further eroded trust. 'If programmes are advertised and then they don't pay, it can be very damaging to people having confidence that the government is trying to support them,' Cooper said. The challenges highlighted by Cooper — such as late payments, poor planning and the erosion of trust between young people and government — underscore the need for a more reliable and accountable approach to public employment programmes. In response to these issues, the DA's Engelbrecht said that 'a DA-led Gauteng provincial government will not implement any job creation programme without first ensuring that there is a sufficient budget for the programme. Our unemployed residents need a government that is willing to ensure that they are paid on time for services rendered and do not have to wait longer than the payment date stated in their contracts.' Nasi iSpani 2.0 concerns arise The ball is already rolling on the relaunch of Nasi iSpani, despite heavy criticism from within the African National Congress (ANC) and from opposition parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA. In May, Lesufi announced that his employment drive, which has been labelled an 'electioneering gimmick' by critics, would receive a second instalment, this time focusing on placing teacher assistants in schools across the province. This instalment of the programme aims to create 40,000 jobs, and while it has been welcomed by the Congress of South African Trade Unions, it has come under fire from parties such as the DA. Refiole Nt'sekhe, MPL and DA Gauteng representative for Social Development, referenced an oral reply made by Social Development MEC Faith Mazibuko, who revealed that – similar to what happened in the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development – the Department of Social Development had had to make a special request for R48-million to be reallocated to cover the cost of the stipends for workers in the Nasi iSpani programme. 'This confirms that Nasi iSpani is an unfunded mandate that expects departments to create jobs without funding to meet this objective,' said Nt'sekhe. However, during the relaunch of the project, Lesufi hit back at critics, saying, 'We are not doing this for political mileage; we're doing this to fight unemployment. On one hand, you see poor homes, incomplete infrastructure, and unmaintained roads. On the other hand, youth are unemployed. So we train them, pay them and get them working.' Daily Maverick asked how the premier intended to ensure the relaunch of Nasi iSpani was well funded, sustainable and did not negatively affect the programmes in other departments. Lesufi's office had not responded to the request for comment by the time of publication. DM
France 24
30-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Nigerian women forced into prostitution in Senegal
While eastern Senegal is experiencing a gold rush, our team on the ground report how the mining boom has seen an explosion in prostitution with hundreds of Nigerian women being trafficked into the region. Also how the American transgender community is being targeted by President Donald Trump as he rolls out a series of policies, including a controversial ban on trans individuals serving in the military. Plus we meet India's 'Green Army'; a group of women helping to regenerate a mangrove forest near Kolkata in the hope it will also help to protect their homes.
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Keralite Ganga to be face of TN's war on waste
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ganga Dileep C, a 38-year-old architect and urban designer from Kerala, is on a mission to revolutionise solid waste management in Tamil Nadu. She has been appointed as the first CEO of Clean Tamil Nadu Company Ltd which was formed under 'Thooimai Mission' for sustainable waste management in Tamil Nadu. The mission was formed under the vision of Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin. Ganga Dileep, who has spearheaded many innovative initiatives including the successful Toilet Tales, (an initiative that maps public toilets in Thiruvananthapuram) in Pune and other parts of Kerala got this opportunity to work in Chennai from 2022. Since then, a team led by Ganga has been working on various verticals of four slum rehabilitation projects in Chennai. 'I have worked in the constituency of Udayanidhi Stalin and we recovered a canal and helped rehabilitate the slum dwellers. The Clean Tamil Nadu Company will work as a strategic and administrative backbone, providing leadership, policy direction, framing and approving guidelines along with inter-departmental coordination. This is a special and challenging opportunity for me,' said Ganga. Born and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram, Ganga is the founder of Green Army under Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation - a voluntary-based initiative that promotes green protocol. 'The main challenge will be to bring together all the stakeholders, especially the informal sector in sanitation and waste management in Tamil Nadu. There are over 12,000 local self-government institutions in the state and unlike Kerala, the urban-rural divide is evident here. Urban areas like Chennai are densely populated, and compared with other metro cities and rural areas, have better waste management practices,' she said. 'I began my career in Kerala and the experience I gained from here is the foundation. Both the states are different and here the main difference I noticed is that Kerala is more into planning and here they focus on implementation. Both planning and implementation are important for any initiative to succeed,' she added.
