Latest news with #Parys
News24
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- News24
Team Ford NWM draws first blood in South African Rally Raid
Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer take victory and early championship lead. Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet place second for Toyota and achieve their highest SARRC finish to date. The next round of the SARRC is in Parys from 15-16 August. With an even shorter race calendar compared to previous years, getting the 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) season off to a good start was imperative. That's exactly what the Castrol NWM Ford managed to do at this year's season opener in Bronkhorstspruit, with Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer securing a commanding victory and taking the early championship lead. The team's three-car lineup, now sporting a new white livery with Castrol branding (in place of the familiar blue), showcased exceptional speed with the NWM Evo Plus relishing the fast, dusty conditions. Gareth and Boyd entered the final stage with an 11-second advantage over their Toyota rivals, Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, but they could not rest on their laurels. They did the opposite and grew the lead by nearly three minutes to claim top honours. Quickpic 'Crossing the finish line in first place at the first event of the year is fantastic', said Gareth Woolridge. 'It's nice to get an edge over the competition early on. We were down a bit in position, but I knew that the vehicle had the pace, and if we kept doing more of the same, we would have the pace. We really pushed hard from start to finish, and the car was indestructible! This result is fantastic for the team, and hopefully, this win sets the tone for the rest of the season.' Adding to the team's impressive showing, Lance Woolridge made an unexpected but impactful return to SARRC competition, stepping in for the injured Wors Prinsloo. Alongside co-driver Andre Vermeulen, they kept a watchful brief on the leading pack and were ready to pounce on any mistakes in front. They crossed the line in fifth place, earning valuable points for the team while Prinsloo gets ready to return to action. Brazilian and South American rally-raid champions Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea gave the team an international flavour. They brought their extensive experience to the South African circuit. The duo, multiple Brazilian Cross Country Championship title holders and 2019 South American champions, achieved a steady drive to finish seventh overall as they adapted to the local demands. 'What an incredible way to start the season,' said team principal Neil Woolridge. 'I'm immensely proud of the entire team; their dedication and hard work over the off-season are really paying off. The improvements we've made to the vehicle were clearly visible out there, and it performed flawlessly across some very tough terrain. A huge thank you to every team member and our valued partners and sponsors for their unwavering support. While this result is exactly what we hoped for, there are still valuable lessons to take from the weekend as we push to be even stronger for the rest of the championship,' said Neil Woolridge. While the Castrol NWM Ford Team celebrated a dominant victory, Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) also commenced their 2025 SARRC campaign with a podium finish. Saood Variawa and co-driver Francois Cazalet secured an impressive second place overall at the Renault KEC 400 event, marking their highest SARRC finish to date. They completed the event in 6 hours, 10 minutes, and 02 seconds, precisely 2 minutes 38 seconds behind the winning Ford NWM duo. Despite facing challenges such as two punctures and a two-minute penalty, Variawa was satisfied with the result. 'Still, it's a podium finish, my best so far in the championship, and I'm really happy with the team, the car and our performance.' Other TGRSA crews, like Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena, faced mechanical trouble, while João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro had an early retirement after landing in a river, fortunately without injury. With this strong start, the Castrol NWM Ford Team is well-positioned for what is anticipated to be a thrilling 2025 SARRC campaign. Both teams will now prepare for the next round in Parys, scheduled for 15-16 August.
News24
21-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Court orders dissolution of Ngwathe Municipality amid service delivery collapse
The Free State High Court has ordered the dissolution of the Ngwathe Local Municipality, citing gross failures in fulfilling its constitutional, legislative and regulatory responsibilities toward residents in towns such as Parys, Heilbron, Koppies and Vredefort, among others. The ruling follows a case brought by AfriForum, supported by the Save Ngwathe community group. The parties successfully acquired an interdict compelling the Free State provincial government to immediately intervene in the municipality's affairs. Ngwathe becomes the second municipality in the Free State to be placed under administration. Last month, Matjhabeng Local Municipality was placed under administration following the province's MEC for Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, Saki Mokoena, finally invoking Section 139 of the Constitution, which outlines the process for provincial intervention in municipalities unable to fulfill its executive obligations. READ | Matjhabeng Municipality finally under administration as province moves to address governance collapse Mokoena's actions followed a Bloemfontein High Court judgment, handed down on 23 October 2024, which found financial mismanagement, collapsing infrastructure and poor service delivery. Ngwathe residents allegedly suffered for years According to court papers which AfriForum submitted, pertaining to Ngwathe, the lobby group said residents had suffered for years under dire conditions - including persistent water shortages, raw sewage flowing in the streets, crumbling infrastructure and widespread financial mismanagement. The municipality owes more than R1 billion to Eskom and Rand Water. In delivering judgment on Friday, Judge Johannes Daffue described the municipality and its council as 'dysfunctional' and criticised the provincial government for its inaction. He said the case warranted judicial oversight, calling it a 'suitable case where the court should play the role of a watchdog'. The court order instructed Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and her executive council to: Dissolve the municipal council and appoint an administrator; Develop and implement a recovery plan to restore service delivery and ensure financial stability; Approve a temporary budget and revenue measures to support the recovery plan; and Submit written progress reports to the court every three months under oath. The municipality and eight other respondents, including the premier, were also ordered to pay AfriForum's legal costs. The judgment comes after a series of public protests in 2024, sparked by water cuts, potholes as well as a catastrophic 11% Blue Drop water quality score. The crisis worsened when Free State's Provincial Treasury rejected Ngwathe's R2.099 billion draft budget for 2025/26, citing a falsified surplus based on an unrealistic 100% collection rate. AfriForum's Alta Pretorius called the ruling a 'massive victory' for long-suffering residents. Pretorius said: This not only brings justice, but legal grounds for real intervention. The government can no longer look away. The DA's Carina Serfontein welcomed the judgment, saying it confirmed what residents had known for years. 'We will closely track the premier's progress reports and take further action, if necessary,' she said. The mayor of Ngwathe, Victoria De-Beer Mthombeni, acknowledged the ruling, stating: 'The executive mayor respects the judgment of the Bloemfontein High Court and is studying the judgment in detail and will communicate in due course on the processes going forward.'
Boston Globe
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Thousands of demonstrators rally in Boston for International Women's Day
Advertisement In Boston, organizer Ashley Parys said people need to fight back against what she describes as government intrusion on the rights of women and people of color. 'Today is the start of the next revolution,' Parys told the cheering crowd of people near the State House, which grew to a couple of thousand a little before 1:00 p.m. But, she said, 'It's what we do tomorrow and the next day that matters.' Parys and her mother passed out fliers telling people to contact elected officials, sign online petitions, attend upcoming protests, and boycott companies whose executives have supported Trump. Some demonstrators displayed signs with messages like, 'We will not back down.' The crowd chanted, 'Women's rights are human rights.' Speeches given at the rally addressed a range of issues reproductive rights, racism, immigration, and protections for members of the LBGTQ community. The Dropkick Murphys' song 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' blared over loud speakers and the crowd erupted in chants targeting Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and presidential adviser who has overseen major cuts to federal government agencies. Sean Cotter can be reached at
