Soshanguve Hosts 50 days countdown to COP17



Tshwane executive Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa; Minister of International

Relations and Corporation Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and Gauteng MEC for

Agriculture and Rural Development Nandi Mayathula-Khoza look foward to COP17

 confrence which will be held in Durban.  

  By Mohau Ramashidja

Community members of Soshanguve flocked to Giant stadium in their numbers to be the first to witness and be part of the official 50 day countdown to the United Nations Convention on Climante Change. It is the 17^th Conference of the Parties (COP17/CMP7) on climate change, Which will be held in in Durban from  28 November to the 29^th of December.

The day’s event was filled fun and excitement with every member of the community willing to participate.The day’s proceedings progressed quite well with the Executive Mayor of the Tshwane Metro Mr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, the Gauteng MEC of Agriculture and Rural Development Nandi Mayathula-Khoza as well as the Minister of International Relations and Corporation Ms Maite Nkoana Mashabane were all present to address members of the public about issues of Climate change.“It is very important as for ordinary community members to be aware of issues of climate change and also a basic understanding of COP17. We must be able to correlate it with the lives of ordinary citizens and how it affects them,”  Ramokgopa said.

He also edged by the to monitor their carbon footprints as this also contributes to climate change. “The developed-world must change their ways of energy production and under developed­-countries must ensure that they do not contribute in the deterring of the Ozone layer,” said Ramokgopa. Nkoana-Mashabane who is also the current president of COP17/CMP7 gave a flashback on the tornado incident which affected the community of Ficksburg four weeks ago. She said the negative effects of climate change were upon us as Johannesburg had a snow fall recently. “This serves as a warning that indeed we are negatively affected by climate change,” she said.

 The minister continued by saying that the sudden erratic weather patens are not causes by witchcraft. “I am so glad to be here in the community of Soshanguve to make you aware that erratic weather patterns are not the causes of witchcraft but are caused by climate change,” said the minister.

With the main objective of COP17/CMP7 being to come up with solutions to harmful effects of climate change on food security, agriculture and health; the minster stated that the 20 000 delegates from 194 member countries must come up with a mutual agreement in their resolution to climate change. She continued by saying that “It is in Durban where parties will be held accountable to the global citizenry– ordinary people that suffer daily from the impacts of climate change have high expectations from their leaders to find resolutions to this problem which is currently affecting their livelihood,” she said.

And as for the major contributors to climate change; the minister made her intensions clear that developed worlds were to pay for their negative contribution to climate change.In all the day’s event ended with a rather entertaining twist into it. Artists such as Winnie Mashaba, Solly Moholo, Mckenzie and DJ Cleo went all out to dazzle the crowd.

 Sundowns host trails in Soshanguve

Sundowns development coach Enrique Doran Dias with a group of selected

under 13 players after they were trailed.

By Mohau Ramashidja

Sundowns hosted soccer trails at Giant stadium in Soshanguve last Saturday. Various teams in and around Soshanguve participated in the trails to prove their worth of forming part of the Sundowns devlopment team. “We don’t want anyone  who would be happy to play in small leagues like Castle and Vodacom League. We want International quality,” said Sundowns development Head Coach, Sam Mbatha.



Under 13 players going all out in the field of play



The soccer field was divided in to four sections to accommodate all who were present for the trails. 15 minutes of football turned out to be more intense for the players as they battled one another for a spot in the development; utilising every moment as an opportunity to impress the coaches.

 Amongst those who managed to impress was 12 year-old former Tuks development player Tshegofatso Ndlovu who was happy to be amongst those who were selected. “I feel great because I was previously playing for Tuks Development and had to quit because my school was far away from Tuks and I couldn’t come up with finances to get me to Pretoria,” he said.

Another hopeful made it to the Sundowns’ list; while other players played out of frustration and showing dangerous slide tackles to catch the Sundowns coaches’ attention; 13 year old midfielder Nkosinathi Mhlanga shared his secret on how he got to be the only one who got selected from his local team.

“I always knew that that I was going to be selected, I previously went on trails at Platinum Stars FC and this is where I was taught what is needed from a player. I just focused on the basics of football like trapping, marking and passing and that was it,” he said. Mhlanga’s coach Johannes Matime was not surprised that Mhlanga was the only player who got selected in the team. “He is a good listener and applies everything we tell him,” said Matime.

With the last round of trails bringing the day’s event to an end; another 13 year old defender who surprised his coach was Frans Mamolele from Future stars FC. Knowing very well that he was a defender he trailed as a goalkeeper and got selected.  “I was motivated by Ofentse Mosiliki who is our number one goalkeeper in the team. This being my first attempt on the poles, I managed to give a good performance and I’m happy that I got selected,” said Mamolele.

Former Barcelona FC Development coach Joan Nanoel Nena was quite impressed with the football talent Soshanguve had to offer. “They are a very good talented players but they just need to work on their technique and follow the same methodology to improve their football skills,” he said

Journos visit Robben Island

By Mohau ramashidja

After a well of excitement was stirred up inside journalism students on their first day of arrival in Cape Town; dancing their first night away in the infamous Long-street was their only option to explore the renowned mother city.  The next morning was sure a bang. A bang on the head like they were hit by a train or something, and that something was the mother of all after effects of boozing the night away. A hangover.

This resulted in the unacceptable behaviour of oversleeping and therefore being late for the departure time to Robben Island. “We went clubbing last night at Long-street and returned this morning at around 4am, slept like an hour or so... Dude I’m so hung over right now but what I can tell you is that if you’ve never been to Cape Town get yourself toCape Town, visit Long-street and pee. I think I peed in a couple of clubs and I was there,” said the hangover AfrikaMdolomba the following morning.

The first night at Cape Town certainly proved that students were party animals on the loose ready to tread on the city and have fun while doing it. A 1hour 30minutes walk from Green Point to Sea Point was certainly not their ideal idea of exploring the whole city. “I can’t believe they told us it was a 30minutes while actually it is a 1hour 30minutes walk,” said SimphiweManana who was actually frustrated for having walked such a distance.

Rudzani Makumbe next to a prison cell of
former president Nelson Mandela

While others managed to get there on the required time; majority of the students slacked behind, causing the whole group to be divided into three groups in their visit to Robben Island. This caused several students to scramble for tickets which granted access to the island. The behaviour however shocked other students who were quite astonished by rowdiness of their fellow classmates. “Now they are fighting over tickets. I mean dah... we are the last group to go to the island and it’s going to be so much nice and fun because it will only be a few of us,” elaborated one of the patient students, SesanaMabuza.

Arriving on the island students were taken on a grand tour around the island before entering into the Robben island prison. Luckily enough they also got the opportunity to enter into different cells of former political prisoners such as Tokyo Sexwale, Govern Mbeki and Moses Masemola. “First of all this cell is small for a person to live in. It doesn’t matter that this was in fact a cell meant to keep political prisoners; you can’t expect a human being to live in such a crammed up space such as this one,” said Boikhutso Ntsoko. 

  

The Robben Island prison made up of high walls and, narrow corridors, steal doors and intense hard labour; sure made a state at the island for prisoners an unpleasant one. While touring within the walls of the Robben Island prison; students were also taken on a mind trip of what political prisoners went through. “Each prisoner was given a prison clothes, a prison number and a prison card. The prison number such as of the former president Nelson Mandela 46664 means that the Mandela was prisoner number 466 and he arrived on the island in 1964,” said former political prisoner and now a tour guide at the island, Jama Matakata.

This turned out to be an eye opener for most students; one of the journalism students Kgothatso Madisa couldn’t help it but sense the mode of the prison cells he entered in. “This place is depressing, I already feel like a prisoner, all this walls around. All this messages on the walls about prisoners who were in these very cells; they had it though,” He said.

As the group left Robben Island to the mainland, only powerful memories which serve part of South Africa’s history would remain with the students 

Cape Town an absolute bliss for students

Student journos outside parliament in Cape Town

 

By Mohau Ramashidja

A long awaited day finally arrived as a group of excited second year journalism students from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) embarked on a journey to Cape Town.

The trip was scheduled for a 6 day stay in Cape Town, the seventh being a departure day back to Pretoria in Soshanguve. Students got the opportunity to explore the wonders of Cape Town, making visits to Robben Island, a two day visit to parliament and one of the largest media house in Africa Media24.

“I definitely can’t wait to get there; I definitely can’t wait to see Robben Island, Media24, the parliament and everything else,” said one of the ecstatic journalism students MapulaHloaela.
What was promised to be a 17 hour trip turned-out to be a 22hour long tedious drive for the over excited students. This coursed the group to be a little impatient with the speed rate the driver was driving in. “If the fact that the bus driver could drive at the speed of 200k/h I would be happier. And as for the assignment we are to do in Cape Town I will think about it when I get back. I just want to get there and enjoy everything that we will be doing there, whether it is educational or not,” elaborated one of the students Simphiwe Manana.

Students pose for the camera in the
their first stop to Cape Town 

After making several stops in petrol stations throughout the night; students finally arrived at the highly anticipated Cape Town. Wasting no time it was their very first night being in the mother city that the students endeavoured to explore the streets of Cape Town. There was a lot to explore, but they had to start somewhere. And so it was that they made their way to the infamous Long-street to dance their first night away.

“We went clubbing last night at Long-street and returned this morning at around 4am, slept like an hour or so... Dude I’m so hung over right now but what I can tell you is that if you’ve never been to Cape Town get yourself to Cape Town, visit Long-street and pee. I think I peed in a couple of clubs and I was there,” said the hangover Afrika Mdolomba the following morning.

Although the day of arrival brought an opportunity to explore the streets of Cape Town; amongst those streets being the renowned Long-street; the second day in Cape Town turned out to be a tour of a lifetime for the students. For them it was an experience of a lifetime having to step on the very grounds which political heroes of the country such as Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe and Nelson Mandela stepped on.

Well of course it is not just an island but a world heritage site; a museum filled the rich history of South Africa. From the day Dutch settlers occupied the Cape in mid-1600s and used the island as a prison, to the imprisonment of Muslim leaders from East Indies, African leaders, Dutch and British political prisoners– to the imprisonment of political anti-apartheid activists.

Tshepo Ntsolengoe and Perl Nicodimus
 on the boat to Robben Island

What was supposed to be a 30 minutes’ walk from Green Point to Sea Point turned out to be a one and a half hour walk for the students. This caused for students to be separated into three groups. This caused students to scramble for the first round of tickets which were bought at the nelson Mandela gateway to Robben Island. “I’m so excited, I can’t wait to see where Nelson Mandela was,” said the impatient student Constance Moyo.


Some were quite shocked to witness the raucous behaviour of their fellow students “Now they are fighting over tickets. I mean dah... we are the last group to go to the island and it’s going to be so much nice and fun because it will only be a few of us,” elaborated one of the patient students, Sesana Mabuza
As for what was anticipated to be a drag of the whole Cape Town experience turned out to be the epitome thereof.

There was not a sign of excitement about spending the whole day in parliament amongst the students; being aware of the reluctant faces TUT Journalism department senior lecturer Mr Fannie Groenewald advised the students that they should “Enjoy the day; keep together in groups at parliament and DON’T SLEEP,” he said. The emphasis on the last two words by the lecturer reassured the feeling of the idea that it was sure going to be a long boring day.

The proceedings at the parliament turned out to be the opposite of what the lecturer and the students anticipated. It was in that very day that the state president was scheduled to pay a visit to parliament in order to address issues which concerned the nation.

Students couldn’t help it but to be dazzled by the way the president answered questions and how he out manoeuvred allegations of incompetence against him. One of the Journalism students Neo Manganyi was quite astonished by the parliament proceedings and how members of parliament conduct themselves. “Parliament was just amazing, seeing Zuma addressing all members of parliament in the way he did. And how he matters such as disability issues were addressed it was quite amazing. I feel that more could have been dealt with because there were no resolutions at the end of the discussion,” she elaborated.

 The two day visit to parliament brought a stay at Cape Town to be a short visit; most students turned to be reluctant to about leaving the beautiful mother city. “Do we really have to go home, I’m already missing Cape Town and I’m not even out of this place,” moaned Neo Manganyi who was packing her back on the last day in Cape Town.

Journalism students having
a blast at the beach

“I want to go to the beach,” complained Lerato Motholo who was actually frustrated with the fact that it was cloudy and drizzling the whole week and now that the team was leaving Cape Town; the very day turned out to be warm and welcoming.

 Only good memories will remain in the hearts and minds of the students who paid avisit to Cape Town. Amongst those memories will be the beloved Long-street, the infamous Table Mountain, the iconic Robben Island, the parliament and the diversity of rich cultures and cultural performances by both the coloured and Xhosa people.