A similar hyacinth invasion is at the dam in the area Picture: Jacques Naude Independent Newspapers Work is under way to clear the hyacinths at Bronkhorstspruit Dam which have been identified as the cause for a breakdown at a local water treatment plant This comes after residents in Region 7 have been forced to bear the brunt of water shortages due a broken water treatment plant affected negatively by the invasive plants The affected areas include Bronkhorstspruit Ward 105 councillor Kgaugelo Phiri last week told residents about a breakdown at the raw water plant in Bronkhorstspruit the plant operated at very low capacity for more than three weeks owing to equipment failure at the raw water pump station and unforeseen power outages Phiri said the invasive plants from the Bronkhorstspruit Dam were destroying the pumps at the abstraction point must first clean the hyacinths before the plant could be repaired In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) the City of Tshwane confirmed that the water treatment plant was still experiencing challenges “We are removing hyacinth in order to increase pumping As soon as the hyacinth is removed we will be able to fix the leak Water supply to Region 7 areas is affected,” the City said it was reported that the plant has challenges at the raw water abstraction point due to high hyacinth growth causing blockages on the pumping line “Volumes abstracted for purification have dropped and reservoirs are now sitting at very low levels to empty,” it was said Frustrated residents have taken to social media to demand a speedy solution to the problem Our service delivery from Tshwane never gets better I think we need to go back to our old Kungwini (local municipality).” The municipality was dissolved and absorbed into the City of Tshwane in 2011 Other residents were itching to know about the time frame for restoring water supply has expressed serious concern over a foodborne illness that broke out this morning at Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School in Zithobeni about 25 learners fell ill after allegedly consuming snacks purchased from street vendors outside the school.“The incident was reported in the morning when learners began showing symptoms of body itching and stomach pains approximately 30 minutes after consuming the said snacks.“Emergency services responded swiftly to the call A total of 25 learners were transported to medical facilities for treatment eight learners were taken to Kungwini Clinic and 17 to Zithobeni Clinic all by Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) ambulances,” the department said. The department said that out of the 25 learners who were affected by the food poisoning incident 22 have since been discharged after receiving treatment.  “Two learners were taken to private medical facilities by their parents and one learner remains at Zithobeni Clinic where they are still under medical observation The condition of the remaining learner is being closely monitored,” the department said. Law enforcement and health authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident to determine the safety of the products being sold by the street vendors and to prevent future occurrences.Chiloane emphasised the importance of ensuring that learners only consume safe food Our priority is the health and safety of our children and we wish the affected learners a full and speedy recovery,” he said General Enquiries newsfiles@gcis.gov.za Tel: 012 473 0213Editor Roze Britz roze@gcis.gov.za News Editor Janine Arcangeli janine@gcis.gov.zaEditor-in-Chief Zanele Mngadizanelemngadi@gcis.gov.za  Home | South Africa The City of Tshwane has temporarily shut down the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant due to a decline in raw water quality caused by increased cloudiness following recent heavy rainfall City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo says technicians are monitoring the situation and operations will resume once the water quality improves “The following areas in Region 7 are affected: Bronkhorstspruit Town Thembisile Hani Local Municipality (cross-border water supply) Roaming water tankers will be arranged for all the affected areas The City of Tshwane apologises for the inconvenience that may be encountered as a result of this temporary shutdown.” AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale EKURHULENI- Six children have been rushed to hospital after allegedly consuming food from a spaza shop in Bronkhorstspruit Community members have gathered to shut down the shop This incident comes shortly after inspectors from the National Consumer Commission conducted day two of their operations on Spaza Shops eNCA reporter Pule Letshwiti-Jones is on the scene — eNCA (@eNCA) October 17, 2024 Bronkhorstspruit residents are destroying products from local spaza shops. This after six children were rushed to hospital after allegedly consuming snacks from a shop in the area. #DStv403 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/jJazmzAw19 — eNCA (@eNCA) October 17, 2024 Angry Bronkhorstspruit community members are burning products from a local spaza shop. This after six children were rushed to hospital after allegedly consuming expired snacks. #DStv403 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/rvBxvZ4cb4 — eNCA (@eNCA) October 17, 2024 JOHANNESBURG - Three pupils are being treated in hospital after allegedly eating snacks bought from street vendors in Bronkhorstspruit. Twenty-five children from the Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School, in Zithobeni, were rushed to health facilities after complaining of stomach cramps on Thursday morning. The Gauteng Education Department said 22 learners had since been discharged after receiving treatment. Angry residents have now embarked on demonstrations targetting local shops to shut them down. Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona: "Law enforcement and health authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident, to determine the safety of the products being sold by the street vendors and to prevent future occurrences.” Meanwhile, in Naledi, Soweto, a memorial service took place on Thursday, for Katleho Olifant, who died on Sunday. Olifant and five of his friends died from suspected food poisoning, after eating snacks bought from a local spaza shop in the area. Sections The City of Tshwane says the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant is currently out of operation due to the poor water quality The city has attributed this to the recent heavy rains which have resulted in water that is difficult to treat Tshwane Spokesperson Lindela Mashigo says their technical team is closely monitoring the situation and working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible Mashigo added that the plant will resume operations once the water quality improves to a level that allows for safe and effective treatment “The following areas in Region 7 are affected Bronkhorstspruit Town Thembisile Hani Local Municipality as well as Zithobeni Temporary shutdown of Bronkhorspruit Water Treatment Plant. pic.twitter.com/MnuNuVp1jL — City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) March 4, 2025 BRONKHORSTSPRUIT - Parents in the Zithobeni township in Bronkhorstpruit are worried about their children's safety after pupils at a local school consumed poisonous snacks seven learners from Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School were rushed to hospital after consuming chips allegedly bought from street vendors This led to community members looting spaza shops in the area • Bronkhorstspruit community says only matter of time until they shut down foreign-owned spaza shops • 3 Bronkhorstspruit pupils treated in hospital after allegedly consuming snacks from street vendor As a group of frustrated parents picketed outside Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School others made their way to their local hospital hoping their children were recovering from stomach cramps an elderly woman whose grandkids are enrolled at the school said it was frightening that children were no longer safe in their communities "We are scared of buying from spaza shops now because we dont know what's in the goods said that the government was failing the community "We are tired about what is happening in our location The government must come and intervene because there is a problem with our government." The Gauteng Education Department said it would be difficult to intervene in an incident that occurred outside the school's premises Gabangani Sambo, a frustrated resident, expresses his anger at police for halting their protest against foreign owned spaza shops. @Alpha_Mero25 pic.twitter.com/UoPq53auPc by | Apr 1, 2025 | Motorcycles | 0 comments After a delayed start to the 2025 Cross Country season due to heavy rains the Brother Leader Tread KTM team finally lined up for their season opener in Bronkhorstspruit this past weekend Despite the worry of yet another postponement the team made the most of the muddy conditions and delivered an impressive performance on a rewarding track set by Louwrens Mahoney who is on a mission for championship glory this season in the Open Class making up significant time to finish second on the day and earn valuable championship points I found a good flow but I still have a few things to work on and it changed a lot after lap three with all the rain we’ve had which made things really interesting and fun.” Kerim Fitz-Gerald (#108) delivered a masterful performance to secure a first-place finish Starting the main race from seventh after a less-than-ideal time trial Fitz-Gerald encountered brake issues just a few kilometers into the race “I wasn’t too happy with my time trial result and I kept pushing and managed to bring home the win,” he commented Matthew Wilson (#88) also put in a determined ride in the OR3 class overcoming an early crash within the first 10km that set him back he pushed hard for the remainder of the race Luke after four hard hours of racing and claiming second To finish that close after such a long and tough race feels great,” Wilson shared With a strong start to the season despite the unpredictable conditions the Brother Leader Tread KTM team has laid a solid foundation for the championship battle ahead they remain focused and ready to take on whatever challenges come their way KTM secured the manufacturer award in both the Junior and Senior categories This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our riders Leading the manufacturers’ championship after round one sets a strong foundation and we’re motivated to carry this momentum forward into the next rounds Photography by: Sage Lee Voges – ZCMC Media MSA Publishes media releases from a host of different sources on our website as a service to the sport It is not practically possible to vet/approve every release that is published Some news items and articles are written by correspondents and do not necessarily represent MSA’s views Weekends and South African Public Holidays MSA Website Terms and Conditions msa@motorsport.co.za | website queries: jaco@motorsport.co.za Please note that all transactions on the MSA Online Licence Portal is in South African Rand (ZAR) MSA Return and Refund Policy © 2023 | Motorsport South Africa All learners at Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School at Zithobeni in Bronkhorstspruit outside Pretoria, who were rushed to health facilities following a food-borne illness that broke out this morning have been discharged. The 25 learners fell ill after allegedly consuming snacks purchased from street vendors outside the school. Gauteng Department of Education Spokesperson Steve Mabona says samples of the snacks have been taken for testing. “Necessary tests must be undertaken before you are conclusive whether it is anything beyond. We will give them that space. We know they would have taken the samples of the foods that happened in Hammanskraal. They took the samples to conduct those necessary tests. We should be able to pronounce the results. Because some of the previous cases which were suspected to be of food poisoning were found not to be,” says Mabona. Parents earlier rushed to the school after hearing about the incident:  protesting foreign-owned spaza shops in the area following the hospitalisation of seven pupils at the Mshuluzane Primary School after experiencing stomach cramps JOHANNESBURG - Community members in the Zithobeni township in Bronkhorstspruit said it's only a matter of time until they shut down foreign-owned spaza shops in the community This followed the hospitalisation of seven pupils at the Mshuluzane Primary School after experiencing stomach cramps It's understood the learners consumed expired snacks allegedly bought from street vendors outside the school ALSO READ: Police on guard in Bronkhorstspruit as community demonstrates against sale of contaminated food Dozens of residents protested in the township on Thursday demanding an urgent solution to the sale of expired goods A spaza shop that was once packed with snacks and other goods has been left with nothing but empty shelves and empty packets of chips This is the result of frustrated residents who stormed foreign-owned stores in the township which they believe are at the centre of selling expired foods said it's time community members took matters into their own hands "This is also happening in other townships That is why people are raiding these spaza shops." But police have vowed to prevent community members from destroying any more spaza shops in the Pretoria East township by | Feb 23, 2025 | General Comments when the Covid-19 pandemic had provided a breather following a sharp wave of infection I drove from my office at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa in Pretoria to a farm in Bronkhorstspruit Bronkhorstspruit is a small town of roughly 3 720 people located 50 kilometres east of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa black commercial farmer who hails from the Esikhawini region of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal He started farming commercially in Bronkhorstspruit after a successful stint at McCain Foods South Africa (McCain) where he had progressed to crop manager on one of their farms After he left McCain to start his own enterprise he leased a farm from the South African government which it had obtained from private owners for the purpose of land reform – known as Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) farms one of the land redistribution strategies introduced in 2006 The farms acquired in this manner are not transferred to black land reform beneficiaries; instead they are given non-tradable short-term leases while the ownership of the land remains with the government The commonly cited challenge is the lack of collateral which leaves the land reform beneficiaries cash-starved and often causes their farming ventures to fail Gift’s story on the day of my visit was a positive one The Cable News Network (CNN) was shooting a segment for its show with journalist Eleni Giokos showcasing the success of African farmers and the untapped potential in this sector to show the success of young black farmers but was shared with me by the producers in our conversations after the shoot Gift was in the middle of cabbage harvesting one of various vegetables produced on his roughly 350-hectare farm My role there was to speak broadly about the untapped agricultural potential and avenues of investment in South Africa’s agriculture and in other parts of the African continent The expansion in area of plantings that focus on labour-intensive and high-value agricultural commodities and investment in various value chains were some of the issues we discussed along with opportunities for agricultural input providers I sat down with Gift to chat about agricultural conditions which in his case were positive as South Africa received a lot of rain in the 2020/2021 summer season Gift was curious to know about the agricultural policy discussions in Pretoria and what we thought was the way forward to improving the participation of black farmers in commercial agriculture black farmers have produced between 5% and 10% of total agricultural output in South Africa What Gift was essentially asking about were the practical means of confronting the dualism that exists in South Africa’s agricultural sector while simultaneously ensuring the growth and sustainability of the sector The poor and slow implementation of land reform inefficient government decisions and support systems drought and diseases have all entrenched the divide between commercial agriculture (mainly white) and subsistence farming (mainly black) few people probably thought that South Africa would still be battling with the phenomenon of ‘two agricultures’ – or dualism – nearly three decades on as black farmers have joined commercial production and supply chains there are commodities in which the inclusion of black farmers is much better than others where black farmers’ contribution is more than 9% There has been a deliberate effort by both the private sector and government to jointly support black farmers in these commodities; hence their inclusion at the commercial level is notable that this is at best a guestimate and unfortunately hides the amazing progress in maize production commercial beef output (where black farmers are responsible for a substantial share the numbers also do not consider transactions in informal value chains and sales in small local markets This is because the reported shares are largely extracted from records provided by the commodity organisations as part of their commitment to transformation The incomplete picture is also a result of how the agricultural census conducted by Statistics South Africa was done by only including Value-Added Tax (VAT)-registered farmers The 2017 agricultural census excluded 92 634 households that practised commercial farming as their main source of income and a further 122 200 households that practised commercial farming as a secondary source of income (these are estimates from Statistics South Africa’s Community Survey of 20166) one can assume that around 214 800 farming households (black and white) who practise some forms of commercial farming were excluded from the agricultural census Most of these are micro-enterprises with gross farm incomes below R500 000 per annum but still are commercial since they sell produce Reasons for the slow progress of black farmers There are several reasons behind the slow progress in black farmers’ total share of farm output critical and fast decision making in the national and provincial governments as well as poorly designed programmes to support black farmers to become part of the commercial sectors there has been poor adoption of the latest technology to increase productivity whose output has more than doubled in real terms since 1994 was able to leverage technological innovation and expansion in export markets when South Africa integrated into the world economy after years of isolation but new entrants have not always succeeded in doing so there is a lack of collaboration between the government and the private sector as manifested in commodity organisations This results in the slow implementation of farmer development plans The farmer organisations are frustrated with the lack of delivery and extreme bureaucracy Fourth is the inefficiency of many of the provincial departments of agriculture This results in poor and non-delivery of critical programmes to support farmers with effective broad based support programmes especially in the former homeland regions in KwaZulu-Natal but it is to provide a reader a feel of the challenges that confront new entrant black farmers in South Africa These many factors contributing to the continuation of dualism in South African agriculture and frustrations for young black commercial farmers like Gift Mafuleka only require effective policy making and the right incentives This book will focus less on history and more on the present and the future My motivation in writing this book was to understand why the agricultural sector is still marked by inequalities nearly three decades after the onset of democracy The contribution of this book is to explain why these disparities have persisted in the democratic era I dissect these issues against the backdrop of major shifts in the agricultural landscape occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic you will find the story of the evolution of South Africa’s agriculture since 1994 and the particular challenges facing the sector the often ignored importance of agricultural finance the importance of trade for South Africa’s agriculture The book is intended to give the reader a full picture of the sector painted less in arcane numbers and more in a narrative form A Country of Two Agricultures, by Wandile Sihlobo, is published by Tracey McDonald Publishers and is available in all major bookstores in South Africa. You can buy it online here. The Kindle version of the book is here If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my newsletter here for free. You can also Follow me on X (@WandileSihlobo) He is a Senior Lecturer Extraordinary at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University Sihlobo is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance and a Research Associate at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University Sihlobo was appointed as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019 (and re-appointed in 2022) having served on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture from 2018 He is also a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA) and a Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) His weekly podcast, “Agricultural Market Viewpoint with Wandile Sihlobo“, is available on all podcast platforms. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University. JOHANNESBURG - Controversial diamond dealer and alleged fraudster Louis Liebenberg is set to appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates Court on Thursday morning Liebenberg, along with eight others, including his wife, Dezzi, was arrested last week on charges of racketeering He is commonly known for being outspoken about his support for former President Jacob Zuma to an alleged con artist - that’s the new outfit Liebenberg will don when he appears alongside eight others in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates Court stands accused of running a massive investment scam in which they allegedly conned thousands of people into investing R4 billion in a diamond scheme The alleged scam was run through two companies owned by Liebenberg as well as directors and employees of the companies in question During his first appearance last week, Liebenberg abandoned his bail. JOHANNESBURG - Alleged diamond scam kingpin Louis Liebenberg and seven others appeared before the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate's Court They allegedly scammed diamond investors out of more than R4-billion since 2019 WATCH | Hawks arrest 8 for alleged diamond investment scam The Liebenberg legal team has told the court they don’t wish to apply for bail and would inform the court when ready.  Accused 2 Magdelena Kleynhans and 4 Helena Schulenburg have been granted 20k bail Accused 8 Walter Niendinger has been granted R100 000 The court ruled that the passports of the accused needed to be handed over to the court.  The condition to report to a police station was dismissed.  The court has ruled that passports needed to be handed over to the court. The condition to report to a police station has been dismissed. The magistrate says SA is not so vast for people to elope. #eNCA #LouisLiebenberg — Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) October 24, 2024 Residents of Zithobeni township in Bronkhorstspruit outside Pretoria are expected to march to the city centre this morning They say they are marching there to shut down all the shops and warehouses owned by foreign nationals that are selling food and snacks, which have resulted in learners falling sick after consuming them. residents went from shop to shop removing packets of snacks and placing them in a heap before setting them alight About 25 learners from Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School fell ill after allegedly consuming snacks purchased from street vendors outside the school. Residents say the march will be a peaceful one. One of them says, “We’re going to have a peaceful march in Bronkhorstspruit. We are not fighting with anyone. We just want our children to be safe. Tomorrow (Friday) when we go to Bronkhorstspruit we’re not vandalising any shops. We will not beat up foreigners. We go where there are foreign-owned businesses and tell them to shut down their shops.” The Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant which has in recent times been experiencing mechanical problems has had its key motor refurbished after the Palesa Coal Mine stepped in to assist the City of Tshwane MMC for Utility Services Themba Fosi said the motor played a critical role in the water management system and would see major improvement to the water plant the City grappled with a broken pump and motor at the plant Water was subsequently restored following the installation of a new pump and motor at the plant Fosi said: “Palesa Coal Mine has not only facilitated the process of this refurbished motor but has also conducted an audit to assess further operational needs at the facility.” He said the development was set to greatly enhance the plant’s capacity and improve water service delivery to residents in region 7 “The findings from this audit will be shared with the Office of the Executive Mayor with a view to further collaboration and intervention where necessary This proactive partnership between the City and Palesa Coal Mine demonstrates a shared commitment to ensuring the efficient functioning of critical infrastructure,” he said Fosi added that the plant played a vital role in the region’s water management and that the recent enhancements were expected to reduce downtime and significantly improve water distribution across the area He hailed the partnership with the mining company saying it aligned with the City’s broader goals of improving utility services and supporting sustainable community development “The City of Tshwane extends its gratitude to Palesa Coal Mine for its continued support and partnership in strengthening our service delivery efforts This partnership shows what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together,” he said were a direct response to residents’ needs and proof that the City was committed to ensuring reliable water services for all “To further safeguard the integrity of our infrastructure residents are encouraged to report any suspicious or unauthorised utility connections to the City’s call centre at 012 358 7095/7096 The City relies on the community's vigilance and cooperation to protect our public resources and ensure that service delivery is not compromised,” Fosi said JOHANNESBURG - Bail has been granted to four more accused in the case involving controversial diamond dealer and alleged fraudster and seven of his employees and associates appeared in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates Court on Thursday The accused have been fingered in an R4 billion diamond investment scheme where thousands of investors were scammed out of their money appeared in good spirits in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates court on Thursday despite he and his wife being fingered as the masterminds behind a R4 billion diamond investment scam and eight of his former employees and associates were arrested last week on charges of fraud ALSO READ: Diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg reportedly arrested as Hawks swoop on investment scammers The State alleges the accused swindled money from thousands of investors hoping for massive returns from a diamond investment scheme. The scheme was run through two companies owned by Liebenberg, Tariomix and Forever Diamonds and Gold. Towards the end of the proceedings, Liebenberg grew tired of a journalist trying to take his picture and addressed the court. "May I ask that the journalist remove himself from my face please, they’re intimidating me and it’s unacceptable." Liebenberg and his wife are the only two accused yet to apply for bail, with the State ready to oppose their applications. Their bail application has been postponed to 15 November 2024. The rest of the accused will appear in court next year. Nine suspects, believed to be involved in an alleged diamond investment scam are expected to appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court today The arrests took place in Gauteng and the North West during a multidisciplinary operation on Tuesday and Wednesday The syndicate is accused of dealing in unpolished diamonds and committing fraud The alleged mastermind advertised diamonds on social media promising investors high returns that never materialised “The suspects include a couple wherein the husband is alleged to be the mastermind behind the scam The investors have been scammed of more than R4 billion since 2019 Investigations still continue and more arrests are imminent.” The suspects are expected to appear in Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court on charges that include but are not limited to Diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg together with his wife Dezzi, as well as their seven co-accused, have been formally charged at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court The suspects were arrested in Gauteng and the North West on Tuesday and Wednesday allegedly advertised unpolished diamonds on social media and invited potential investors to invest in his business with a promise of a lucrative return that never materialised The investors were allegedly scammed of more than R4 billion since 2019 Diamond Investment Scam | Louis Liebenberg All nine suspects have been formally charged with fraud with the possibility of more charges being added They are currently making their first appearance in court where three of the accused are applying for bail The state told the court that they will not be opposing these three bail applications they will be opposing the bail applications of the other six suspects the courtroom is packed to capacity with people who claim to have fallen victim to the scam The City of Tshwane reported a power outage that is currently affecting parts of the municipality’s Region 7 following a trip at an Eskom Komdraai Substation in Emalahleni today The city says the blackout has also impacted operations at the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant Lindela Mashigo says Eskom is investigating the cause “The following areas are affected; Ekangala all electrical appliances must always be treated as live (still on) during this interruption of essential service The city regrets any inconvenience that may be encountered as a result of this blackout is regrettable.” Power outage affects parts of Region 7. pic.twitter.com/YVZEKMai8o — City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) March 7, 2025