DENEYSVILLE - Some residents Deneysville living along the Vaal River are taking essential items from their homes following an evacuation order The Department of Water and Sanitation opened a fifth sluice gate after heavy rain pushed the Vaal Dam beyond capacity, which could lead to flooding. People are removing livestock and other important personal belongings. It's a scene of nervous preparation in Deneysville in the Free State. The weather has calmed for now, but locals aren’t taking any chances, moving their most valued possessions and heading for safer, higher ground. One resident told EWN that she had cleared out her holiday home and was back to collect her boat before conditions worsened. "The safety of a boat is important and the poor residents here they've all had to evacuate and I believe it's even worse at the river. We're on our way there now to see what to do, how to go." The Sedibeng District Municipality said that its disaster management teams were on high alert, warning that the situation could deteriorate quickly if rain continued to fall. Sections Home » News By Marizka Coetzer Despite government’s assurances that the worst of the Vaal Dam flooding is over residents of Deneysville in the Free State are battling rising levels A warning has also been issued to those downstream to evacuate With weather services forecasting drier conditions ahead for Gauteng there are no plans to add to the more than the five floodgates already open Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said with the total discharge from the dam at about 800 000l per second – equivalent to filling an Olympic size swimming pool every three seconds – she warned people downstream to prepare to evacuate their properties The Vaal Dam was at 114% capacity yesterday morning The floodgate discharge had already flooded properties downstream on the riverbank and those on the edge of the dam itself Isabelle van der Merwe from the Deneysville Water Sports Club The first row of caravans are completely flooded “The owners of the caravans on the left were told to come evacuate their belongings because it will be too late by tomorrow.” ALSO READ: Vaal Dam flooding: Why residents are shrugging off evacuation warnings Van der Merwe said the water has risen to knee height in the first row of caravans Majodina said the department was not opening any more sluice gates for now “So far there is no need to open another sluice gate but if it rains during the evening and there’s more water coming in we will need to assess the situation and release water quickly “We have engineers monitoring the dam 24/7 to ensure we release water based on facts and have time to warn communities downstream,” she said Majodina said while some communities feel the department should have opened the gates when the dam was at 90% full the department’s responsibility was to store water “We release water when we are above the capacity that we can store We do not want water to overflow and release itself Majodina said people should move from the flood line ALSO READ: WATCH: Residents urged to evacuate after fifth sluice gate opened at Vaal Dam “We are still encouraging those upstream that have built their properties on flood lines and on dam banks to evacuate quickly because soon it will be flooded We cannot be held responsible for their properties if they are damaged because they are not supposed to be there,” she said Department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said the dam outflow remains at 800 cubic metres per second with the current inflows between 1 000 and 1 100 cubic metres per second or 1 million to 1.1 million litres per second Ongoing rain across the country was to blame for the increased inflow into the dam with some places measuring up to 30mm of rain within an hour Vox Weather meteorologist Michelle du Plessis said the rain over the past few days was due to a cut-off layer North West has had between 60-100mm and northern KwaZulu-Natal [Ulundi] area] has received between 80 and 100mm.” Du Plessis said rain in the Western Cape on Tuesday led to flooding in places She said the week ahead was expected to be drier in Gauteng NOW READ: Where to now after indaba on water crisis? AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale DENEYSVILLE, Free State - Business owners in the Vaal say government should be better prepared and not open sluice gates at the last minute. Water and Sanitation Department officials have opened the fifth gate at the Vaal Dam, as inflows surge at an alarming rate, taking capacity to 109-percent. eNCA senior reporter Silindelo Masikane, has already found several flooded areas along the Vaal River. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is raising serious concerns about the misuse of public funds and the apparent neglect of community infrastructure in Refengkgotso which was supposed to be a beacon of community development has become a glaring example of municipal mismanagement Despite substantial funding for its upgrade the project has failed to deliver the promised improvements leaving the sports ground in disrepair and disuse by Cllr Jeff Zwane revealed that the sports ground does not reflect the R7 million reportedly spent on its upgrade through the 2014/2015 Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) The total amount allocated for the project was R14,063,990 but due to poor implementation by Metsimaholo Local Municipality the funds have not been utilised as planned It is particularly alarming that the municipality is now proposing to spend an additional R10 million on the sports ground This proposal raises serious questions about the municipality’s ability to exercise proper oversight and ensure that funds allocated for community upliftment are used effectively The municipality has demonstrated significant mismanagement and a lack of effective oversight in handling public funds specifically those allocated through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) the municipality failed to deliver on its promises to upgrade the sports ground leading to incomplete and poorly executed projects This suggests a broader issue of inefficiency and possibly even corruption within the municipality which has resulted in the community being deprived of essential infrastructure and services The municipality’s intention to spend an additional R10 million on the same project without addressing the existing failures further indicates a troubling pattern of fiscal irresponsibility and disregard for proper planning and execution The DA believes that the failure to manage and utilise MIG funds has deprived the residents of Refengkgotso of the dignity and opportunities they deserve We will write to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and the Minister of Finance calling for a thorough investigation into the upgrade of the Deneysville Sports Ground We demand accountability for the funds spent and insist that steps be taken to ensure that the residents of Refengkgotso receive the infrastructure and services they were promised The DA remains committed to ensuring that government funds are used transparently and effectively to benefit all communities particularly those in rural and disadvantaged areas registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO The Deneysville Sports Ground in Refengkgotso intended to serve as a hub for community development has become a focal point of controversy amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the Metsimaholo Local Municipality Despite a substantial allocation of R14,063,990 through the 2014/2015 Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for its upgrade the facility remains in a state of disrepair and largely unused DA Councillor Thulani Mbana has confirmed that the sports ground is still in poor condition describing it as “a white elephant fading away,” reflecting the community’s growing frustration Efforts to obtain official comments from the municipality have been met with limited response Municipal Manager Basi Motloung ignored our inquiry and spokesperson Dr Gino Alberts acknowledged receipt of inquiries but have yet to provide substantive answers “Good day ….I have forward to relevant department for responses…awaits their response and will revert back to you…thanks,” but no further communication has been received Member of Parliament and Democratic Alliance (DA) representative for Metsimaholo has expressed serious concerns regarding the misuse of public funds and neglect of community infrastructure An oversight visit conducted on 26 August 2024 by Councillor Jeff Zwane revealed that the sports ground does not reflect the R7 million reportedly spent on its upgrade The facility features only two multi-purpose courts and a few containers revamped to serve as bathrooms and shower facilities which are unconnected to water infrastructure and have been vandalised The DA’s official statement describes the sports ground as a “white elephant fading away,” highlighting the municipality’s failure to utilise the allocated funds effectively the municipality is now proposing to allocate an additional R10 million to the sports ground This proposal has raised serious questions about the municipality’s ability to exercise proper oversight and ensure that funds allocated for community upliftment are used effectively The DA has indicated plans to write to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and the Minister of Finance They demand accountability for the funds spent and insist that steps be taken to ensure that the residents of Refengkgotso receive the infrastructure and services they were promised The Metsimaholo Municipality has a history of administrative challenges and allegations of corruption reports indicated that the Hawks were investigating at least 44 cases of corruption and fraud involving 16 municipalities in the Free State One such case involved a company awarded an R24 million contract to build a sports complex in Oranjeville by Metsimaholo Local Municipality Due to community protests and demands for subcontracting resulting in R22 million spent with no sports complex completed a forensic report implicated municipal officials in a controversial security tender The report found that a service provider inflated prices immediately after being appointed leading to overpayments by the municipality The report recommended disciplinary action against the officials involved and suggested that the municipality approach the High Court to review and set aside the irregular tender former Metsimaholo Mayor and current Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Corporate Services An ad hoc committee determined that Motjeane failed to declare her business interests with the municipality The committee recommended a sanction of a one-month salary fine 🔴Central News Special Edition 088🔴 Download the Latest Edition | Top Story: “Gayton McKenzie: South Africa’s Best Minister in 2024” https://www.magzter.com/ZA/Central-News-Pty-Ltd/Central-News/Newspaper/All-Issues  Central News also offers Sponsored Editorial Content,  Podcasts , Radio / Social Media Simulcast, Video Production , Live Streaming Services, Press Conferences, and Paid Interviews (Video/Audio) etc. We guarantee exceptional exposure, reach, and engagement, with an excellent return on investment. 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Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio The Metsimaholo Municipality says the problem is about to be fixed flies and sewage washing up against their walls the Deneysville and Refengkgotso communities near the dam deeply distrust the municipality and do not believe the situation will soon be resolved Because of a lack of maintenance and inadequate capacity to treat the sewage from an expanded population, sewage spills out of pumps and manholes in the area when pumps fail or become too full.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Maria Sefatsa shows how sewage running up to her walls has eroded her home in Refengkgotso The sewage surrounds Refengkgotso settlement — bordered by two pumps — sometimes running through it and into farmlands which is a water source for more than 12 million people in the Sedibeng district The Refengkgotso Wastewater Treatment Works has the built capacity to treat only two megalitres (a megalitre is 1,000,000 litres) of the approximate 4ML of sewage that the area produces a day according to the Gauteng Department of Water and Sanitation (GDWS) Sewage spills out of manholes near houses in Refengkgotso Sewage also spills out of manholes and sewage pumps the sewage will continue to gravitate to the pump station and with the pumps not operational the sumps fill up and [sewage] then spills out into the surrounding area,” and makes its way into the Vaal Dam Daily Maverick has records of the GDWS and the Metsimaholo Local Municipality being aware of this issue since 2010 when the GDWS issued a letter of non-compliance to the municipality The letter detailed the department’s investigation of Refengkgotso which found  “disturbing issues” of a pool of sewage around the pump station and signs of recent overflow This was in contravention of the National Water Act and the department told the municipality to clean up the sewage and prevent future pollution from occurring sewage visibly runs into the Vaal Dam near the Lake Deneys Yacht Club and snakes through the outskirts of Refengkgotso addresses sceptical Deneysville residents at a municipality and community engagement “We had to apply for a municipal infrastructure grant [MIG] and we are not the only municipality in the country that makes use of MIGs — more than 280 municipalities [do so],” said Gino Alberts communications manager for the Metsimaholo municipality explaining why construction began only five years after the non-compliance letter The new plant is anticipated to be completed in the next two months but please don’t criticise us for trying to make things right,” said Graeme Fenwick a project engineer contracted by the municipality at a Deneysville community and municipal engagement on Tuesday The Refengkgotso Waste Water Treatment Works has been under construction on and off since 2017 The project is set to finish in October 2022 The GDWS and the municipality presented their plan to solve the pollution problem to community members The department said the existing wastewater treatment works is a ponds system and neither are the pump stations required to pump the sewage to the treatment works The municipality has a project to fix the pump stations and expand the wastewater treatment works, to enable it to treat 6ML per day — which will be enough to treat the present sewage of 4ML per day, and stop the pollution into the dam, say the department and the municipality.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Alberts said this new capacity would be sufficient for Deneysville, Refengkgotso and Themba Kubheka, and would only require selected expansion in 2037.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads But their plan was met with disdain from community members who say the Vaal Dam has been polluted for more than 12 years chairman of the Deneysville Ratepayers Association at the meeting between the municipality and the community on 8 September “We do not trust the municipality to keep the dam clean,” said Glen McCarroll the chairperson of the Deneysville Ratepayers Association Maria Sefatsa has been living in Refengkgotso for 18 years Her RDP house is near the border of the settlement close to a pond that formed as a result of sewage spilling from manholes and the Sasolburg Road Pump Station On the other side of Refengkgotso is the Cemetery Pump Station where a pond or “quarry” of sewage lies just metres from the Refengkgotso Wastewater Treatment Works McCarroll said this pump station had been dysfunctional for years due to lack of maintenance vandalism of infrastructure and political disputes The GDWS told Daily Maverick that sewage pump stations are used when sewage cannot gravitate to the wastewater treatment works (WWTW).  advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads the sewage gravitates to a low point where it is collected in a sump from where it is pumped to either a high point from where it can gravitate to the WWTW or to another pump station which will pump the sewage to the WWTW,” explained ​​Mpho Manyama the director for infrastructure at the GDWS A quarry filled with raw sewage in front of Refengkgotso Waste Water Treatment Works When the pumps are not operational the sumps fill up and sewage spills into the surrounding areas Sewage runs into the Vaal Dam at Lake Deneys Yacht Club sewage is backs up in the pipes and spills out of manholes or broken pump stations overflowing across farmland and into the Vaal dam as it has nowhere else to go The department confirmed that when the pumps are not operational the sumps fill up and sewage spills into the surrounding areas standby pumps and motors are in place as well as an additional “spare” sump volume which stores the sewage while repairing the problem Sefatsa told Daily Maverick that many times a year eroding the cement on the outside and inside of her home She said sewage flows inside the living room of another house A GDWS engineer said at the meeting on Tuesday that since the appointment of Senzo Mchunu as minister of water and sanitation the department had been working incredibly hard The municipality said ​​that once the project is complete the sewage will be contained in the new treatment works and thanks to the upgraded plants and refurbished pump stations the water will be treated and transferred into the Vaal Dam via an effluent pipeline “This closed system prevents any untreated sewage from flowing into the dam,” said Alberts But the Deneysville Ratepayers Association has launched a petition against the installation of the effluent pipe McCarroll said: “We don’t want the water put into the dam This dam feeds the whole of Gauteng’s drinking water it feeds our water in this community and we do not trust the municipality to keep it clean.” “The quality of treated effluent water is of a way Community members chanted: “No to the pipe!” but the GDWS and the municipality explained that the pipe was installed to return treated water back into the dam which is necessary as the department requires that the treated effluent is returned to the original source of extraction to replenish the source and to prevent resource depletion [the municipality] has a shocking track record” but said that things would change under new leadership and there was a plan to ensure the multimillion-rand treatment plant does not fall into disarray The municipality said it was appointing a new qualified supervisor a laboratory technician and other support staff who will be trained and monitored by a specialist engineer and trainer in the municipality’s consulting team the municipality will have a testing laboratory where the local municipality will conduct daily tests the district municipality and the GDWS monthly tests and all results will be recorded and available to the public Consultants for the municipality recommended “an external private water services laboratory be appointed by Metsimaholo for biweekly testing which should be organised through the Deneysville Residents Association and could be done as frequently as they wish” is not convinced and says that when municipalities run out of money The next municipal election is only four years away Who knows what will happen then?” asked Manten This situation is by no means unique to the small town of Deneysville or even the Vaal Dam — it’s what Maureen Stewart, the vice-chairperson of Save, calls “a story of South Africa” Last year, the South African Human Rights Commission released a report which found that the Vaal water system on which about 19 million South Africans rely for water security mainly due to the “the kilolitres of untreated sewage entering the Vaal because of inoperative and dilapidated wastewater treatment plants which have been unable to properly process the sewage” But perhaps the new team should be given a chance Run an education campaign before the next election so that people understand who’s responsible for all the poo near their homes ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " We’re proud to announce that our newly rebuilt NSRI Station 21 in St Francis Bay is now officially open we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III .. Gqeberha — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) today officially celebrated the blessing of its latest state-of-the-art Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC) at a ceremony held at the PE Deep Sea Angling Club building Subscribe today for information about NSRI rescues Home » News » South Africa By Stephen Tau Refengkgotso Section resident Thembi Radebe on her way to collect water in Deneysville on 3 May 2023 because there is nothing flowing from the taps at her house Instead of getting clean potable water from their taps, several residents of Refengkgotso in Deneysville, Free State have been getting brownish muddy water for some time now The Citizen has been inundated with calls from disgruntled residents that fear for their health over the dire water situation The Citizen was greeted with faces of anguish and fatigue from residents who have been forced to carry or push heavy buckets of water on wheelbarrows for long distances While some who are still lucky to be getting water even though its dirty and pose a health risk a large section of the area has had no water at all for more than a month “I am forced to walk for approximately two hours to go and fetch water daily using my wheelbarrow,” said Jabu Dladla “It is really not easy for people my age to do this daily but its not like one has any other choice but to take the long walks twice a day because we cannot live without water,” the 60-year old Dladla said He said residents have not been getting any clear communication from the Metsimaholo Local Municipality about really has led to the water crisis they are facing Dladla called on the authorities to treat their water challenges as a matter of urgency The area falls under the Metsimaholo Local Municipality which is led by the Democratic Alliance (DA) through a minority government ALSO READ: DA’s Jeff Zwane elected new mayor of Metsimaholo after resignation of EFF mayor Thembi Radebe says walking long distances to fetch water has become the new normal for her and other residents Radebe carries two 20 litre buckets while carrying her child on her back She does this while her other two children are at school She says it would be unfair for her to wait for her other children to return from school so they can fetch water “I don’t want to be seen to be torturing my children who still need to sit down and do their homework “This water problem is not something new as it has been going for many years but the recent problem of not having water at all has been going on for more than a month and there has been no communication from the local municipality about what they are doing to fix this problem,” said Radebe The Refengkgotso area is about six kilometres away from the Vaal Dam which in the recent summer rainfall was overflowing prompting the authorities to open a number of its sluice gates Businesses in the area have also been adversely affected by the water woes Salon owner Junior Mabunda says he is also forced to go and fetch water at a communal tap so he can make sure his business stays afloat “I have been losing a lot of money ever since our taps started to run dry more than a month ago and what makes matters worse is also the never-ending load shedding which we experience twice in one day “There are times when customers come to the salon and find that there is no water and as a result we are forced to turn them away,” Mabunda said Responding to the concerns raised by residents the municipality’s mayor Jeff Zwane admitted that the is inadequate water pressure in the area as well as muddy water running out of residents’ taps Zwane said the water challenges started around 2008, stressing that load shedding has exacerbated the situation ALSO READ: Load shedding: South Africans face cold, dark winter with no end in sight “We are providing water tankers to assist in the interim and we accept that there might be some areas that are very far where people are unable to access the water trucks and we are doing everything possible to address the issue “I am also in communication with deputy minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) giving him a technical report on the situation in Refengkgosto as well as with the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) for further assistance,” said Zwane Zwane said the dirty water coming out of taps is caused by sludge at the water reservoir “We are currently working on removing the sludge at the reservoir because whenever it is low Hence we plan to shut down the reservoir for now while the cleaning work commences “We have also contracted a company that will be replacing valves at the reservoir and the service provider will also be installing new water pumps,” Zwane said Asked if there has been instances where water pumps were damaged as a result of load shedding Zwane said it has happened on a number of occasions “We would like to extend our apologies to all affected residents and I must add that this situation should have been sorted out a long time ago… we should have closed the reservoir a long time ago to remove the sludge,” Zwane said Zwane says the situation was not always as bad as it is now stressing that load shedding made things worse as they did not have generators installed “While we are waiting for the installation of generators to happen next week we are also in consultation with Eskom in an attempt to get an exemption from load shedding,” Zwane added Auctioneers of the castle on the banks of the Vaal River in Deneysville in the Free State are still taking offers for the property Park Village Auctions described the property as a large stand with approved sub-division into a commercial stand and six waterfront residential stands The commercial stand is improved with a wedding chapel and features a vandalised double-storey building resembling a castle The auction house said the castle was previously known as “Castle Marina” and operated as a restaurant and wedding venue Park Village Auctions also auctioned a vacant unimproved portion of land adjoining the Castle Marina residential estate located on the western banks of the Vaal Dam with pending sub-division into 32 single residential stands the auction house said the sale of the property had not been finalised and it was still taking offers Gordon Young of the publication Deneyseville News said the castle was built in 1963 on a 2.5ha plot with one of the finest waterfronts in Deneysville “It was designed as a unique restaurant to seat 400 people inside and outside including a rooftop beer garden It also housed the unique Al Sumner collection of medieval weapons and shields,” Young said the castle was a popular evening meeting place for low-cost meals and 16mm film shows The castle was torched in 1985 and stood derelict for a number of years the castle experienced a new restoration in the early 2000s and became a venue for engagements and website in this browser for the next time I comment Recaptcha Change Image Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The mini documentary on the current water crisis in Deneysville Refengkgotso (Metsimaholo Local Municipality) will be aired today on Central News Website www.centralnews.co.za and Our Digital Media Platforms (Facebook and Youtube) @ 5pm #metsimaholowatercrisis #Deneysville #RefengKgotso #centralnewsza #fscentralnews #beyondthenews The Mike Tsotetsi Foundation recently hosted its 6th Annual Football Tournament in Deneysville Refengkgotso Township at Mbeleng Sports Ground in the Free State from December 26 to 28 The tournament saw the participation of eight top teams from various areas Mike Tsotetsi Foundation Hosted a Successful 6th Annual Football Tournament in Deneysville The participating teams included Young Boys from Deneysville Perfect Academy and Hash Tag from Sharpeville each team paid an affiliation fee of R2000 with a first prize of R20,000 and a second prize of R5,000 for the winners The Young Boys Football Club emerged as the champions of the 2023 tournament showcasing their talent and sportsmanship throughout the competition the annual football tournament aims to bring football clubs together within the Metsimaholo and Vaal cluster to promote the spirit of sportsmanship is keen on keeping the youth away from social ills such as drugs the foundation aims to educate young people and encourage them to make informed decisions that will positively impact their lives.” said Mike Tsotetsi Tsotetsi expressed the foundation’s goals “We seek to encourage the youth to be active in their talents and not to be idle Sports encourages active and respectful citizenship within us as a people particularly the youth who are vulnerable to negative influences.” The foundation extended its gratitude to all the stakeholders and role players for their unwavering support in making the 6th consecutive year of the Mike Tsotetsi Annual Soccer Tournament a success “We take this opportunity to humble ourselves before everybody who partook and contributed to the unbelievable success of the event We equally take full responsibility of any mishaps encountered and any constructive criticism for the future betterment of the tournament.” as well as all the teams that participated emphasizing the importance of unity and a bright future for the community Website: https://www.centralnews.co.za Social Media Platforms (@centralnewsza) : Linkedin #centralnewsza #fscentralnews #nwcentralnews #gautengcentralnews The Metsimaholo Local Municipality say they will do everything in their power to restore the dignity and pride of Deneysville in the Free State after thunderstorms caused significant damage to houses over the weekend Approximately 600 people were left stranded and more then 150 houses were affected in the Refengkgotso area on Friday and Saturday say they are working closely with the different municipalities Gift of the Givers and local businesses to assist people He says members of the community are also jumping in to help “We take pride in the co-operation that we are getting from the community like the friends Businesses are assisting us in ensuring that we give food to the affected families We have also established a joint operation centre and a tactical disaster team As a municipality we are also seeing on how best we can bring in the necessary resources,” says Alberts Bloemfontein Courant is owned by Mahareng Publishing a subsidiary of Caxton Community Papers and joint venture between Caxton CTP and Central Media Group © 2024 Bloemfontein Courant. Developed by Digital Platforms they realised it wouldn’t be enough.But now the couple owns a 450ha animal-husbandry farm in Deneysville in Gauteng’s Vaal area thanks to funding secured three years ago from the Land Bank to support black commercial farmers.Kenneth describes farming as 50% effort and 50% God’s grace.“It’s not an easily controllable or predictable thing and finding them there when you open it tomorrow,” he told Times Select.For two consecutive years “we lost cows due to pneumonic pasteurella”.“This year alone we lost about 40 cows within a period of two weeks We called the veterinarian in: he diagnosed but they still died.“You don’t rely on what you see Sometimes you have 100 calves and you tell yourself how much I will spend on feed … and then pneumonia comes and kills half Unpredictable,” said Kenneth.He believes that many prospective farmers do not really understand what commercial farming is.“The challenge with black people is that they don’t know what commercial farming entails but you need to learn how to reduce costs by producing your own feed and skills development – when people are given a farm they should be given training; it is hard to achieve anything in farming,” Kenneth said.Lesedi said it was important to surround yourself with supportive friends and family.“It’s emotionally you will hear of people who have committed suicide because of the stress: but there is nothing more fulfilling than watching your animals grow to a point where it hurts to sell,” she said.Lesedi said the farming community had been very supportive towards them.“When you ask for help Our neighbours are always watching our back they come running with water,” she said.Kenneth said that they owed their success to their employees.“They understand that they are co-partners and family We treat them like nannies; if they are happy the children will be happy.”The previous year “we had success because we gave them targets and rewarded them with a cow”.“If there’s a loss We try to be as transparent as we can; they know the input cost and output,” said Kenneth.He said young people did not take farming seriously as a profession.“It’s not cool or fashionable If it was advertised as a viable career like being a doctor or lawyer was Some of the fashionable careers like engineering also require you to get dirty so what’s different about farming?”From experience he did not realise the importance of working the land until later in life even though his father had a farm.“I went and practised to be a quantity surveyor but you can’t go wrong with a piece of land you always have liquid assets that you can sell a white child gets exposed to the practicality of farming the parents are good at encouraging and nurturing interest so by the time they go to institutions of learning they enhance their knowledge and get to learn the theory around pH levels temperatures and such.“It’s not a black-white thing but a matter of upbringing.”The couple’s dream is to be “mega farmers” Currently they employ 10 people and breed with Brahman They also want to venture into rabbit farming sheep and beekeeping.The farm supplies Karan Beef said: “We fail to work together as black people There is money in the hands of black people but they would rather spend it in town than buy from their neighbour.”As part of its effort to increase participation in the agricultural sector by historically disadvantaged individuals and contribute to land reform the Land Bank will escalate its support to the emerging sector by increasing the disbursements for transformative initiatives to R3bn during the current financial year.Land Bank spokesperson Sydney Soundy said the aim was to get emerging players involved in the industry.“We are mostly looking at those who have been historically challenged: female Most aspiring farmers approach us with their business ideas and we sit down with them and see how we can help This can be through training and skills development; we liberate funds in a form of blended finance: loans or grants.“We build a partnership between emerging and established farmers We also give shareholding opportunities to farm workers,” Soundy said A subscription gives you full digital access to all our content Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@heraldlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00 Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now Please read our Comment Policy before commenting The Department of Water and Sanitation will monitor the ongoing rising dam level and continuous downpours of rain to determine if more sluice gates at the Vaal River should be opened to avoid further flooding Despite opening five of the gates at the Vaal Dam over the past few days two more sluice gates were opened when the dam was at 110% capacity The first sluice gates were opened on 27 December after the dam level rose to 107% capacity By Monday the department had opened more gates As the level continued to rise a fifth gate was opened on Tuesday The opening of the sluice gates follows consistent heavy rains over the past few weeks in catchments supporting the Integrated Vaal River System and Orange River.  The bridge over the Vaal Dam is now busier than ever as passers-by and motorists stop to watch the water bursting through the open gates and creating a white cloud over the dam the rapid flow of water is so loud it drowns out the voice of the person speaking next to you There is a massive inflow of 614 cubic metres per second and an outflow of 713 cubic metres per second Department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said he could not remember the last time all the sluice gates were open at the dam I think the last time we opened the most it was 12,” he said described a full Vaal Dam as chaotic and said the floods created problems downstream The holiday season at the Vaal Dam was cut short when the sluice gates had to be opened Flooded properties and walls halfway underwater were seen driving around the dam Anchor Creek Resort was one of the resorts that had to close after the water spread almost 200m into the property Deneysville resident Nico Nolte was busy repairing boats at the resort after holidaymakers were evacuated due to the floods “The last time I saw the dam so full was nine years ago,” Nolte said He said he remembered the dam was 112% full at the time and there were multiple sluice gates open “But these past days has been the first time I have seen it flood to this extent,” he added He said the last time it flooded he was working at the resort’s restaurant and the water flooded into it “The resort was fully booked last week but when the water level pushed up this weekend the people had to evacuate for their safety,” he added He said the flood was devastating for the business owners in the area but it has been one of the quietest holiday seasons yet,” he added Nolte said last Friday people were still able to walk and park cars in an area that was now flooded “It was so flooded the water measured up to my knees,” he said The Citizen North West scholar transport operators will finally receive payments Vrystaatse ouerpaar in hof ná kinders doodbrand Besoekers sprakeloos oor skouspelagtige Augrabies UV ontken aantygings oor buitelandse werknemers Ondersoek duur voort ná skietery op Lichtenburg Oekraïne vra Suid-Afrika om ontvoerde kinders te help terugbring Wyle pous Franciskus het begrafnisrituele vooraf vereenvoudig Mianmar-aardbewing: Hulp stroom in ná meer as 1 700 sterftes Suid-Afrikaners wen gesogte blommeskou-trofee in China You’d be forgiven for being a little nonplussed to learn that the NSRI has five inland stations over the years inland stations at five major dams throughout South Africa have been established a small Free State town on the banks of the Vaal Dam As a watersport hot spot for ‘Vaalies’ with a shoreline of 1 300km not to mention the prevalence of turbulent summer storms and icy winters the Station 22 crew have their work cut out for them the Vaal Dam was constructed in response to an urgent need for water due to a tough drought during the Great Depression and a rapidly expanding population – Johannesburg being one of the only major cities in the world not constructed on a large river a small village named Deneysville (after Deneys Reitz Minister of Irrigation at the time of the dam’s construction) was founded it is the centre of activity for the marinas and boating facilities that hug the shore of the dam – as well as NSRI Station 22.In the 80s with the dam’s popularity as a holiday and watersport destination was rapidly rising it became evident that there was a need for a rescue station who founded Manten Marina at Deneyville in 1974 offered his voluntary services to the institute and a station was formed at the end of 1984.Through fundraising the station acquired a five-meter semi-rigid inflatable from the Ruth and Anita Wise Trust (which became known as the Ruth Wise) left a large sum of money in her will for the acquisition of a 7-metre semi-inflatable (aptly named Alice Royston) care of the station has become a family tradition “The station currently has a 5,5 meter rescue RIB (rigid inflatable boat) a RescueRunner jet ski and an Ark rapid inflatable rubber duck for swift-water rescues,” says Jake “But we need a rescue mobile and are looking for sponsors.” Station 22 has undertaken hundreds of rescue operations voluntary crews saved eight people from almost certain death when they were being swept down the raging Vaal River (the dam’s sluice gates were all open at the time) – a dangerous operation where the crew members risked their lives.On a separate occasion 12 people whose craft had broken down near the dam wall at a time of floods and again with the sluice gates open were literally plucked to safety from the second barrier cable by Station 22 crew two rescues were carried out: Vaal Dam duty crew towed a capsized yacht back to its mooring (thankfully no one was injured) and an extensive search for a missing man was conducted after he reportedly fell off the back of a jetski and attempted to swim back to shore South Africa — Charl Schwartzel stands in the middle of the 10-by-12 bedroom where he slept for more than 20 years In the year since he moved out of his parents’ farmhouse the modest space has been rearranged to serve as his little sister’s study One of his few personal items left is the picture of the 14-year-old Schwartzel holding a rifle and standing next to the hanging carcass of a trophy kudu he bagged pale coloring that blends into the landscape keen senses and the speed and agility to jump a 2-meter wall of brush and disappear into the bush Schwartzel flashed the same toothy smile in the picture that he wore 12 years later on the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club He enthusiastically explains the challenge of hunting one of South Africa’s most suspicious and elusive plains game “The kudu is a familiar face in South Africa,” he said with wistful admiration “They call it the gray ghost of Africa.” Outside the bedroom is a hallway filled with pictures and trophies from his golf career The foyer of the one-story home is blocked with the clutter of golf equipment and hunting trophies Outside the window is the yard where he and his younger brother would hit balls toward holes they had dug in the corners Beyond the yard are the chicken houses that are central to the family business Surrounding cornfields provide the feed for the self-sufficient egg-producing operation Schwartzel’s true heart resides a few hours north of Johannesburg at his grandfather’s bushveld farm near Thabazimbi That is where he retreats when he’s not traveling the world playing golf “There’s something about being in the bush,” Schwart­zel said “There’s nothing like the smell you get in the African bush It’s about being in the bush.” Three weeks before the 2011 Masters Tour­nament Schwartzel got his last fix of the bush on the weekend before leaving for the United States With him on the trip were three of his closest friends – Richard Maree and the Van Zyl brothers “A perfectly fine evening around the fire,” Schwartzel said “Then it started to get a little bit rough.” The “rough” began when Maree broke out a coffee liqueur and started pouring shooters he called ponchos Schwart­zel isn’t much of a drinker “I don’t like to get so that I don’t know where I am,” he said “I don’t like the feeling of it Schwartzel couldn’t resist a toast to a nice weekend then another toast to his recent repeat victory at the Joburg Open “I said ‘I don’t want any more,’ ” Schwartzel said we’ll have one more’ and ‘I’m going to win the Masters.’ ” Die Een Is Vir Augusta – “This is for Augusta!” everything was for Augusta,” Gerrie Van Zyl said Ma­ree screamed the battle cry of the evening – Vir Augusta – then jumped off the dam into the cow pool they were all ankle-deep in cow dung and toasting the Masters “They threw me in there ‘For Augusta!’ ” Schwartzel said who lost his cellphone that night in the cow pool: “Like farmer boys do at this side of the ocean that’s the only place to warm up your feet is to stand in the warm cow dung Schwart­zel slipped his arms into a green jacket Schwartzel is often invisible – which is some feat for a Masters champion ranked among the top 10 in the world “Charl is a bit under the radar,” said his father Reporters from around the world have been wearing ruts into the roads of Northern Ireland chasing every move of Rory McIlroy but few have ventured to South Africa to comb through Schwartzel’s roots “I don’t look too much into how famous I am or how much attention I get,” he said I’ve always thrived on proving people wrong It motivates me in a way sometimes to say that other guys get all the attention and saying they’re going to win It’s not a thing that I have sleepless nights ‘Let the clubs do the talking.’ At the end of the day that’s what I do and carry on with what got me to that window and climb on through.” Anyone who overlooks Schwart­zel is grossly underestimating his stature and potential among the game’s elite Since the young South African broke into the top 50 and qualified for his first Masters in 2010 only he and Phil Mickelson have made the cut in every major the past two seasons Only Schwart­zel has finished in the top 18 in each of the past seven majors “I think people sometimes look past how consistent I played,” he said seeing that stat in the majors just shows you that they can say what they like but that was no luck winning at Augusta A boma is a traditional ringed enclosure around a fire pit in South Africa Schwartzel built one just outside the new Blair Atholl home that he and his wife have overlooking the rolling hills of Gary Player’s family estate He relaxes there almost every evening he’s home and listens as a jackal’s howl pierces through the chirps of the frogs and crickets “The sound of the jackal is very common – it’s a beautiful sound,” he said It’s the bush that quickens his heart most He contributed half the money for building a thatched-roof home amid the trees on his grandfather’s bushveld farm which has 2,500 acres loaded with game including kudu red hartebeest and two young giraffes named Charl and Ros Is he more comfortable on the golf course or the bush He loves nature,” said Albert Kruger a teammate of Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen on South Africa’s junior teams “That’s where we always go whenever Charl is back – that’s our first priority,” Van Zyl said of the Thabazimbi retreat “We’ve gone there since youngsters We would fly up side by side and enjoy two nights in the bush without tents or anything If Charl was playing the PGA in South Africa Schwartzel is a driven and skilled hunter with strict principles that anything he kills not die in vain If he shoots a dove on the farm or a warthog in the bush I love just being in nature,” he said “Sometimes I just take my rifle and walk into the bush Said Van Zyl: “He’s an enthusiastic walker and stalker Schwartzel is as focused in the bush as he is coming down the stretch of a tournament He’ll take his shoes off to walk softly through water to sneak up on a warthog “That’s adrenaline standing there with a bow and arrow,” he said “There’s nothing like getting within five meters of something without him knowing you’re there It’s beating him in his own environment What’s the fun of shooting something from 200 meters then you’ve beaten him in his own environment.” Which sport is his favorite – golf or hunting “That’s a hell of a toss-up,” Schwartzel said Said Van Zyl: “When he’s hunting He’s in that mode and will kill anything that comes in his way Never seen anybody as enthusiastic about anything that he’s doing whether it’s flying or hunting or golf.” A chicken farm is an unusual incubator for a Masters champion Schwartzel grew up playing and working on the 32,000-acre farm that has been in his family for three generations There are no fences separating the property which has been divided among family members from the original tract his maternal grandfather accumulated “I love being on a farm,” he said “Used to drive the tractors and do all of those things when I was a youngster That was just something that I liked.” Said his father: “Charl has done everything on the farm The farm has a capacity for 43,000 chickens producing about 34,000 eggs a day with 15,000 acres of corn providing all the feed raises two batches of 6,000 new chicks a year to replace the unproductive older hens The Masters champion is as comfortable behind the wheel of a tractor plowing rows in the soil as he is hitting out of a bunker “He’s never had a fear of these big farm tractors,” said his father “He’s always loved to get on them.” Schwartzel’s contributions to the farm were more along the lines of daily chores that balanced his hours spent at Mac­cauv­lei Golf Course or water skiing on the Vaal River The elder Schwartzel placed limits on his son’s manual labor keeping him from some of the more labor-intensive tasks such as grinding corn and mixing it into feed losing a finger or something like that,” his father said George Schwartzel was a pretty fine golfer himself and is a former pro He competed against many of South Africa’s best in his era He once was a partner with a young Ernie Els and carried them to a victory in a four-ball match before Els set out for international stardom Ernie didn’t help him once,” Schwartzel said his dad claims “Then he came to life on the back nine.” By the time he and Lizette started having children Charl followed his father to the golf course just about every single week,” Schwartzel said “And I used to caddie for him on the Wednes­day and Saturday competitions and played with him on the Fridays Presidents Cup partner Geoff Ogilvy said of Charl Schwart­zel’s swing “If it’s not the best swing on tour it’s in the top two or three.” If there is an architect of that swing “My dad taught me from the start,” Charl said “He’s put endless time into it “He told me from the word go the right grip There’s five key things that we always worked on it will be one of those five that have gone haywire somewhere The elder Schwartzel occasionally took his son to other teaching pros to look at things on camera and get a second opinion but as soon as they started to tinker too much George’s simple philosophy was forged with advice he once got from Otway Hayes “I went to old man Hayes and said I had a problem with hitting it left,” George said aim a bit more right.’ That philosophy was keep it simple What do you want to go and start changing things for?” Schwartzel dedicated his Masters victory to his father and said he wouldn’t have been able to do it without him His dad takes no credit in Charl’s achievements “I think every parent that has a child that plays sport you dream of something nice happening and they’ll become champion It actually happens to very few,” his father said “People don’t understand that every specific person has something unique that makes them a champion their sons have never become what they were “People come from this background without exposure to what you think they should have How can you teach someone to hole those putts from 15 and 16 It’s something special that they have and you can’t teach that.” Hayes and Hobday are great admirers of Schwart­zel’s game and understand well where it came from but there’s no question that he must have got his golfing temperament from his mother because his father was very fiery on the golf course,” said Hobday “He hit a bad shot and three or four clubs got broken He’d take it out on the whole bag.” Said Hayes of the elder Schwartzel: “Golf made him crazy “It made a monster out of me,” he said “I’m actually quite a nice guy until I get on the golf course Schwartzel contended in his first tournament in 1997 at age 13 He didn’t win but shot 69 in one round It proved to be a taste of what became an illustrious amateur career numerous scoring records and national player of the year honors “You see what he achieved when he was that young,” said his father who kept a detailed list of his older son’s amateur exploits “I grew up with a golfer called Dale Hayes He won a European Order of Merit (in 1975) You’re not supposed to do that at that age.’ Then I realized you could see how good he was going to be.” He is good enough to have some status on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour and he holds the family record for the best score with a 59 he posted at Houghton Country Club Charl gets as excited showing off his brother’s scorecard on the wall as anything else in the house “He shot 26 on the front,” Schwartzel said in a tone of wonder Have you ever seen anything like it in your life who consistently displayed the intangibles that made him a winner at an early age and never stopped “Winning anything helps you,” he said “When you win a junior or amateur tournament at that stage it’s the biggest thing in your life It keeps going up and up and up.You’ll never win the Mas­ters without winning any of these other things You’ve got to build a base somewhere You don’t just get thrown into the deep side.” His friends knew from the beginning that he’d accomplish great things in the game “He always had something extra in him,” Kru­ger said Though his swing was always a thing of beauty and rhythm it was his commitment to honing it that stood out “He’s always played excellent golf and his dedication to the game was always much higher and better than anyone else who played on his amateur level at that stage,” Gerrie Van Zyl said “When he was quite young he used to stand and putt there until late at night.” “He’s always been a very hard worker,” he said we always wanted to do something after the round Charl would always stay a little bit extra practicing while we went off and did something else He’sdefinitely a good role model and somebody that you look up to He’s always walked the right path.” Schwartzel’s motivation was to keep improving “Some people are actually happy with an average result I’ve never been like that,” he said “I’ve always sort of pushed myself further I used to stand here at night while everyone else wanted to come off the course and have something to drink I always felt like I needed to push to be a little bit better I need to do a little bit more than the guy that I’m playing against because how else am I going to beat him?” Of all the trophies and pictures that fill his parents’ home It’s a picture of Schwartzel wearing that familiar smile and standing with one of his managers on the day he earned his first European Tour card at age 18 years 81 days – the fourth-youngest player at the time to do so Scribbled across the photo above the date 20/11/2002 and his signature are the words “Mission Accomplished.” “Just to get the card was one of the biggest,” he said of his accumulation of prizes “To play on the European Tour was a dream At that stage I didn’t know what it meant.” Schwartzel got through all three stages of the Q-School on his first try He played as an amateur during the first stage and signed the papers to turn pro halfway through the second stage I remember making the cut after four rounds and if you do you get your full Challenge (Tour) status,” he said of the European equivalent of the Nationwide Tour You’ve got your full status on the Challenge Tour.’ I was so excited.” He continued to play well the last two rounds “I finished birdie-birdie-birdie the last three holes to make it by two shots after six rounds,” he said still as proud of that closing kick as he was making four consecutive birdies to win the Mas­ters “That’s where it all started.” He won his first pro tournament two years later at age 20 winning a playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole of the Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek that can become a big thing if you keep getting close but never get it,” he said The Masters victory at age 26 came in his 17th major but only his second trip to Augusta “I see the questions that Sergio Garcia Luke Donald and Adam Scott get asked – When are you going to get your first major?” Schwartzel said It’s just actually doing it eventually I think it becomes such a big thing that it becomes harder You come down the last 18 holes with a chance of winning and it adds so much more You’ve already got enough pressure trying to play the game properly and finish it off to get a win Now you’re going to get added pressure from everyone.” With a green jacket among his 11 professional worldwide wins Schwartzel’s legacy has been stamped with a seal of legitimacy “If you can add majors to those W’s that you got that’s made you from a good golfer to a great all of the sudden if you’ve had other wins as well you will be in a category of a great It’s difficult to say that they’re not greats will always be remembered as good golfers and not greats To win a major in golf is the ultimate.” That he reached that pinnacle by age 26 is no surprise to Schwartzel “I think of it as my career is going the way I think it should be going,” he said “The wins are coming at the right time I’m not even going into my best years yet A lot of people will turn it around and say you’ve got to try and win two now because they think one is lucky which is a stupid way of thinking about it the second one is probably harder to win.” With Schwartzel taking up his cards on both the PGA and European tours in 2011 time spent in his new home outside Johannesburg or the bush has been limited “I follow the summer everywhere I go where it’s winter all the time,” he said The Schwartzels spend about 25 percent of their time in South Africa which his wife calls “not enough.” “What it’s meant is a lot more time away from your personal life.” Following in the global traveling footsteps of South Afri­can predecessors Play­er and Els had not been one of Schwartzel’s goals “It never interested me to play in America in the beginning,” he said It was only a couple of years ago that I decided I wanted to start playing world golf.” With that comes a whole host of logistical difficulties The shortest one-way flight from Johannes­burg to any tournament outside Africa that Schwart­zel plays is nine hours to Dubai It’s 11 hours to the United Kingdom; 10 hours to Perth Schwartzel says it takes him three days to fully adjust to his new time zone when he leaves home for the U.S “You have to be careful about flying across time zones for just one week,” he said “You’ve got to plan it properly so you’re out there for a stretch The biggest challenge is not to commit to tournaments because you have to If you play too many places too many times in a row Schwartzel barely fulfilled his PGA Tour member requirement of playing 15 events and just missed qualifying for the Tour Cham­pionship at East Lake “I look back and I’ve only played the minimum events in America and it feels like I’ve been out there forever,” he said Schwartzel wants to retain his card on both tours but wonders whether it’s worth it He finished his 2011 season 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings and fourth in the European Tour’s Race for Dubai “There’s no point in playing the minimum on both (tours) and hovering in the middle,” he said “I want to play one where you can actually compete to win the money list – the FedEx or the Race for Dubai often has been questioned about the grueling extent of his world travels and the toll it might have taken on his Hall of Fame career – and Els has long been based in more accessible places such as London and Florida Schwartzel sees the lessons of Els’ example but believes he’ll have to learn for himself how to handle the extreme travel “Every golfer is quite stubborn,” he said “People can say it might be too much for him but maybe it works for you The only way to find out is to do it yourself.” The entrance sign to the Schwartzels’ farm is in two languages – Afrikaans and one of the Bantu black languages English was always a secondary language for Schwartzel making him come across as shy and reserved in early interviews before he became more fluent “So that’s what I grew up with Anything about golf we change straight over into English Sometimes if you listen to a conversation it can be very confusing The most important Afri­kaans term for golf fans to understand is groen baaitjie – green jacket The symbol of Augusta Na­tional has become a constant companion of Schwartzel’s as he travels the world “It’s become like our child,” Rosalind said Said her husband: “We only get to keep it for a year and then you leave it in your locker Instead of leaving it in South Africa and only seeing it every two months – what’s the point of that You obviously don’t put it on every day but you see it and sometimes you just stare at it for a while.” “It’s amazing how much attention that jacket draws,” Schwartzel said “We walk around the airport – I’ve still got it as they gave it to me in the same green bag – anywhere you go in the world people know the stature of what that jacket means.” Schwartzel wears the jacket only to appropriate functions he wore it to the European Tour’s awards banquet making him stand out somewhat awkwardly at the black-tie affair It’s the right color to go hunting in,” he added with a smile though rest assured he has never worn it into the bush The green jacket was the major bounty he dreamed of since he was a child “Darren Clarke said to me that the Open Championship is the only one he ever wanted to win I come from South Africa and the Masters just stands out to me so much more than any of the others The Open Championship is an old championship and has prestige and I would love to win it Every spot on that course has got a memory.” Schwartzel might still be a bit of a mystery to worldwide fans searching for heroes in the new generation of young stars “I had a lot more supporters than I thought,” he said when I’d go in my golf clothes people would recognize me Now I can go with my glasses on and wear anything and people will recognize me People will always look in restaurants or turn around in shopping malls.” It’s not just the typical golf fans who recognize him “What showed me how big it was?” he said “In South Africa you still have guys who put in fuel in your car I wouldn’t think they’d spend their money buying newspapers I stopped at the fuel station dressed in hunting clothes going to the farm I don’t want to make a scene and said that can’t be you did something.’ I said ‘No you’re the one with that green jacket.’  ” For him to know that showed me how much publicity it got in South Africa It wasn’t just the people who play golf This was a guy who worked at a petrol station this is bigger than winning the Johannesburg Open.’” Schwartzel is gaining recognition in the U.S. where he played a full season as a rookie in 2011 a year after finishing runner-up in a final-round duel against Els at Doral “I think last year’s WGC in Doral put me on the map in America,” he said “People actually recognized me and knew more about me It feels like I get a lot of support from behind the ropes It shows they’ve accepted you as a golfer and a major champion and a member of the PGA Tour.” “I’m a modest guy,” he said What Schwartzel achieved with that brilliant finish last April sunk in when he saw a replay a few weeks after it was over “I actually took a picture walking up the 18th,” he said of seeing himself making that familiar champion’s march “I’ve seen pictures of Tiger (Woods) walking up there so many times and pictures of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Pal­mer and Player It sort of gives a little tingle to your spine.” He tells all this while standing in that hallway outside his childhood bedroom surrounded by many of the spoils of his career It is not the achievements gained and the trophies mounted that Schwartzel dwells on It’s the thrill of the hunt that keeps the African ghost engaged “I don’t want it to finish there,” he said of the Masters “I believe that I have so much more in me I don’t want to make it sound like this is my last one Now I’m at a stage where I want to work to get more You can’t celebrate on how it was all the time This site and all its content are representative of The Augusta Chronicle's Masters® Tournament coverage and information The Augusta Chronicle and Augusta.com are our trademarks Augusta.com is an online publication of The Augusta Chronicle and is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the Masters or the Augusta National Golf Club thesouthafrican.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd Reproduction without permission prohibited Home » Dam levels in SA: Vaal Dam reaches 82.4% capacity after recent rainfall Gauteng and Limpopo may have been on the receiving end of the wrath of a very upset weather deity recently but the upside is that dam levels across the country are now reaching capacity while the Vaal dam was 82.4% (a sharp rise from 78.4% on 1 February) as per the water and sanitation department’s latest report.  the Western Cape’s average dam level for the province stood at 63.9% on Monday This is bound to change over the coming days as several provinces still have active flood warning alerts so levels should rise substantially in coming days!” Lots of water finding it’s way to the Vaaldam. This is the Vaal river in flood near the area of origin near Breyten. ?Marianne Reyneke pic.twitter.com/XgkCiQrJ4E Vaal dam catchment area consists of parts of the Drakensberg, Mpumalanga and Lesotho pic.twitter.com/uYzDqedw7A The South African Weather Service (SAWS) on Tuesday warned that disruptive downpours leading to possible floods are expected across large parts of the country Residents in Ventersdorp in the North West province were warned of flash flooding on low-lying roads and settlements and “possible major disruptions to traffic flow.” The statement warned that “disruptions to essential services are also possible and danger to life due to fast-flowing streams” Heavy rainfall was also expected across the following provinces: The SAWS warned that “heavy rainfall could lead to the to flooding of roads and settlements (both formal and informal) and possible damage to roads and bridges” @Bosveldklong Daar kom nog water vir Vaaldam by ons verby. Vaal rivier Standerton. pic.twitter.com/aRHwODMIRQ The Vaal dam level is steadily rising as can be seen from this marker. ?Theresa du Toit pic.twitter.com/Gt06WEHh67 Remember that South Africa is a water-scarce country While there are no water restrictions in place it’s always good to develop water-saving habits The Department of Water and Sanitation recommends the following: Follow us on Facebook for the latest breaking news, polls - and more! Gayton McKenzie has finally registered a foundation in Joslin Smith’s name days after her mom was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking Today’s Daily Lotto jackpot stands at an estimated R520 000 If you want to win your share of the jackpot City Power Johannesburg has announced that a planned power outage will affect 8 suburbs on Tuesday Babylonstoren has announced the opening of BLOU at Keurbooms a new coastal escape on South Africa’s Garden Route Soweto giants Orlando Pirates will battle Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership minus two clutch players After a series of public holidays in South Africa over the last month here is the next one to mark down in your calendar