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The South African
4 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Has Gayton McKenzie failed to deliver on VAR promise?
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has raised concerns over the readiness of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in South Africa ahead of the upcoming Premier Soccer League (PSL) season. This comes despite repeated assurances over the past year that VAR would be introduced in time. Addressing Parliament earlier this week, McKenzie stated that the government is 'still finalising the process of funding VAR' , a statement that contradicts his earlier comments where he claimed the necessary R90 million was already secured. 'We are finalising the process of funding VAR to ensure that football matches, from the Premier Soccer League through to international fixtures we host, are fairer and meet global standards,' said McKenzie. The minister has previously visited Spain to test the technology and assured the public that VAR implementation was imminent. However, his latest remarks have left supporters confused and sceptical. 'Let's give SAFA a chance to finalise,' he added. 'There will be VAR in our soccer in South Africa.' McKenzie initially championed the call for VAR following controversial refereeing decisions in a high-profile match between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. His vocal support led fans to believe the technology would be introduced this year. Despite this, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has yet to provide a formal rollout timeline or details on referee training and infrastructure readiness. Football fans and stakeholders are now questioning whether the long-awaited technology will be in place for the 2025/26 PSL season. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Be a hero, save a life
Society always believes that heroes wear capes, but have you ever thought about how the average person can change or even save someone's life? For Lee-Ann and Alyssa, there are no heroes in capes, but they are hoping an average person will step up as a stem cell donor to potentially save their lives. Here are their stories: Alyssa Alyssa Cas Aldworth is a bubbly 8-month-old who was diagnosed with MPS I. Trysten. Alyssa's father, explained that she had been diagnosed when she was about seven months old. The rare genetic disorder was linked to a mutation in the IDUA gene, which meant her body couldn't produce an enzyme needed to break down certain complex sugars, leading to a buildup in her system. This buildup affected multiple organs, and the condition was inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Both he and his wife Jade were carriers, giving Alyssa a 25% chance of being affected by the condition, a 50% chance of being a carrier, and a 25% chance of being unaffected altogether. Trysten said they discovered the diagnosis after a series of routine consultations with specialists. Alyssa had been born three weeks premature and spent ten days in the NICU due to complications with her heart and lungs. Because of her early health issues, they were seeing a range of specialists – a cardiologist, ENT, audiologist, and ophthalmologist – who began to notice some patterns. These led them to consult a geneticist, who then carried out a full assessment that included physical exams, urine tests, and blood work. The results confirmed the presence of high levels of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), pointing to MPS I. He recalled how, as first-time parents, they hadn't initially noticed anything unusual about Alyssa. To them, she was just their baby. But after the diagnosis, they started to see some of the characteristic physical features associated with the condition, like puffy cheeks, big earlobes, wide- or lower-set eyes, narrow nasal passages, and a high-arched palate. Internally, there were other complications. Alyssa had heart issues, including pulmonary stenosis, and breathing challenges linked to lung obstruction and corneal stenosis. She also experienced sleep apnea. Trysten mentioned that doctors had flagged potential future challenges, too, such as joint abnormalities, skeletal issues, and stunted growth. He said that even though they had braced themselves for the possibility of something serious, the confirmed diagnosis was still emotionally overwhelming. The first weekend after hearing the news was especially difficult. They had told close family, who responded with love and support, although many had questions that they didn't yet have answers to. Trysten shared that there were currently two main treatment paths. One was enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), which provides the missing enzyme but needs to be administered for life and comes with a high monthly cost of around R90 000. The other option is a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, commonly known as a bone marrow transplant, which offered better long-term outcomes but also came at a significant cost, between R500 000 and R1 million or more. He said Alyssa's heart condition, which had been a concern at birth, had improved, and her cardiologist was pleased with her progress. They were due for another check-up in July. Despite the emotional rollercoaster, Trysten expressed that he and Jade were taking things one day at a time, leaning on the support of their community and working closely with medical professionals to figure out the best way forward for Alyssa. Lee-Ann In June last year, Lee-Ann Scholtz (24) was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). 'When I heard the diagnosis, it felt like my world was crashing down. My first thought was my daughter—she's only six years old.' It all started when she experienced drastic weight loss, prompting her to visit a local doctor. Concerned about her health, she was referred to a hospital, where doctors ran several tests but couldn't determine the cause of her symptoms. The following day, she was transferred to another hospital, where further tests were conducted. There, doctors suspected cancer but weren't sure of the exact type. It wasn't until she was moved to yet another hospital that she finally received a confirmed diagnosis of leukemia. Accepting the reality of cancer was incredibly difficult for Lee-Ann. Her family was devastated, especially her grandmother, while her parents tried to stay strong for her. Before her diagnosis Lee-Ann was actively involved in a youth group at church. However, life has changed drastically. She no longer attends church as often and spends most of her time in the hospital. The hardest part? Being away from her daughter. 'My little girl recently started Grade One, and I couldn't attend her first day of school. That broke my heart.' Despite the challenges, Lee-Ann remains hopeful. She knows that this journey is one of the hardest people can face, but she chooses to keep her faith. 'I believe God never gives you a battle you cannot fight. I will overcome this.' *You can be a hero by getting yourself tested as a potential stem cell donor on July 25 at the Amphitheatre at North-West University between 08:00 – 15:00. You might just be the miracle Lee-Ann and Alyssa are praying for. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Understanding Johannesburg's water crisis: Infrastructure failures and community impact
A man collects water from a roaming tanker. Image: File/ Timothy Bernard/ Independent Newspapers Johannesburg, a sprawling metropolis that is home to over 5.5 million people, is grappling with severe water shortages that are affecting residents from all walks of life. The situation has been exacerbated by a combination of failing infrastructure, ongoing maintenance issues, and the dire realities of climate change. According to a 2025 report by Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, the city's water infrastructure is under immense pressure and fails to meet the growing demand. Frequent leaks, an ageing system, and the expansion of residential areas without corresponding upgrades in infrastructure are at the heart of the problem. Currently, Johannesburg is dealing with an estimated 2,300 burst water pipes, which only serves to intensify the crisis. These are the affected areas. Image: Rand Water Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading In a recent maintenance alert, Johannesburg Water announced that Rand Water's maintenance activities would significantly reduce water supply in various parts of the city, notably affecting areas such as Steyn City, Diepsloot, Carlswald, and Kaalfontein from 15 to 18 July 2025. This planned maintenance comes at a time when the City of Tshwane is also facing its own battles with water shortages due to reservoir maintenance, forcing residents to rely on roaming water tankers for their daily needs. Climate change further complicates South Africa's water crisis. As noted by NuWater, changing rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and increased evaporation rates significantly contribute to the nation's water scarcity. The Department of Water and Sanitation has estimated that repairing and upgrading the nation's beleaguered infrastructure will cost an astounding R90 billion annually over the next decade. The importance of water sources from the Limpopo, Inkomati, Pongola, and Orange River, as well as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, cannot be overstated, as they currently support about 70% of South Africa's gross domestic product. Expert insights Ferrial Adam, a water specialist who spoke exclusively to IOL, expressed concern about South Africa's management of its water resources. "South Africa is a water scarce country, geographically we have half the average rainfall that is experienced in most parts of the world, but given that, but given this little water, we are still mismanaging it, we are polluting it, we are allowing it to be wasted." Adam emphasised the necessity of a shared sense of responsibility between government and citizens, alongside a compelling call for increased budget allocations to address these pressing challenges. Supporting the statement, Prof. Anja du Plessis, an Associate Professor and water management expert at Unisa, noted the alarming trends indicating an increase in water stress. "South Africa is a water scarce country, with trends showing an increase in water stress due to a multitude of factors such as increased water demands outstripping available supply, continued water pollution and increased climate variability." Du Plessis added that the unreliable water supply and the longer outages across the Gauteng metros are due to neglected municipal infrastructure. A stark illustration of this was the Vaal Dam, which may be sitting above 100% capacity, yet many areas still experience rampant water outages primarily linked to frequent pipe bursts and demand that exceeds available supply. Water springing from a burst pipe at Cnr Bertha and Stiemens Streets in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. 16 July 2025 Image: Koketso Phasha/ IOL Residents' experiences IOL spoke to South Africans to get their thoughts on the water scarcity Itumeleng Tlhabane, 27, from Pretoria said: "It is quite frustrating, because some of us live in rented rooms, we don't have large water storage capacity and the trucks often come when we are at work, leaving us with just enough water to cook, bath and do the dishes, none for laundry." Tshapang Malesela, 22, from Schoonoord in Limpopo said: I don't recall the last time I saw a running tap, the taps in our village last ran when I was very young, we have since been relying on those who have boreholes to supply us with water at various costs, and the water is often very salty because we don't have money to get the cleaning chemicals. Residents can log water related call to Johannesburg Water using fault@ IOL News
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Britain offers discounts on EVs to boost demand
The British government will offer discounts worth up to £3,750 (R90,058) to buyers of electric cars priced at £37,000 (R888,574) or below, it said on Monday, under a new scheme that aims to better align consumer demand with net zero emissions targets. The government will spend £650m (R15,610,101) on the discount scheme, which will be available from Wednesday to consumers after carmakers sign up for the scheme. As part of a wider goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Britain wants to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. However, demand for electric cars has stalled, with consumers citing high upfront costs as the main barrier. "This EV grant will not only allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money, it'll help our automotive sector seize one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century," transport secretary Heidi Alexander said. The scheme comes after calls from the automotive industry for EV incentive as carmakers effectively need to sell more EVs every year to meet emissions targets or pay fines. Britain scrapped a previous incentive scheme for electric vehicle purchases in 2022 as the then-Conservative government shifted focus to spending on expanding the public charging network. A number of European countries including Norway, which has the highest percentage of electric cars in Europe, and France and Germany offer incentives for EV buyers, including subsidies and exemption from taxes. The British government in April relaxed some EV sales targets for carmakers as the industry coped with new tariffs on sales to the US, its second largest market after the EU. Ginny Buckley, CEO of advice website said nearly one in two electric models will be cheaper thanks to the "long overdue" incentives. The government said the £650m funding for the Electric Car Grant will be available until 2028/29. By contrast, carmakers had spent around £6.5bn (R156,044,980,000) on electric car discounts since the government's EV sales targets were introduced at the start of 2024, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders CEO Mike Hawes told reporters last month. Hawes welcomed the new grant on Monday, saying it was a "clear signal" this was the time for drivers to switch to an electric car.
The South African
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Former Kaizer Chiefs winger in rehab for marijuana
Most Kaizer Chiefs fans still remember Kgaogelo Sekgota. It was only in 2023 when the 28-year-old winger left Amakhosi after two assists in 48 appearances. The Polokwane-born attacker followed that with short stints at Stellenbosch FC and Magesi FC in the Betway Premiership, before the move to Upington City in the Motsepe Foundation Championship. The Northern Cape-based club has confirmed that the former Kaizer Chiefs winger is struggling with drug addiction. Ndlovu makes it 8 midfielders at Kaizer Chiefs Kgaogelo Sekgota at Magesi FC. Image: BackpagePix Reports on social media claimed that the former Bidvest Wits and Swallows star has been struggling with marijuana and alcohol abuse. Last season, Sekgota was dismissed by two Betway Premiership clubs after six months at each club: Stellenbosch and Magesi. 'Orlando Pirates give you R90 000, R100, 000 per month' Meanwhile, his new club Upington, are committing support. 'You can't dismiss a player because he is in rehab, so he still has an option with us,' the club's chairman David Mogashoa told FARPost . 'The player needs support, so I am going to support him. As I speak with you now, you can hear that I am in a car. I am driving to Limpopo to see him. You don't throw away people when they need help; you support them,' he added. 'We are encouraging him, and we also encourage everyone who has an issue to seek help. A player must never be crucified for seeking help. That's why I am driving to Limpopo now to go and see him,' the former Swallows chairman Mogashoa added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
