Absa in Polokwane donated R10 000 via JacarandaRMfm Cares to the granny soccer players of Nkowankowa near Tzaneen in Limpopo. The grannies are between 47 and 84 years old an are the world champions in their age group.

When Mall of the North shopping centre in Polokwane opens in 2011, it will boast a three dimensional (3D) cinema, the first in Limpopo.

The 2,100sqm, 996 seater cinema complex will feature six state-of-the-art cinemas with full digital sound. One of these cinemas will offer 3D.

“Ster Kinekor has chosen Mall of the North as the location for the brand new theatre complex as it is the first super-regional mall of its size and stature in Polokwane. Mall of the North is strategically positioned and will serve the entire northern region, including the cross-border market,” says Crawford Leitch, Group Property and Development Executive for Ster Kinekor Theatres.

The new Mall of the North Ster Kinekor is expected to create employment for between 15 and 20 people.

Leitch says, “The cinema complex is geared for all customers. It will also offer a kiosk with a full range of drinks, popcorn and confectionery and it will be user-friendly for our disabled customers.”

The massive 75,000sqm Mall of the North shopping centre, with its 180 new shops offering a wide selection of leading brands and fashion, is expected to draw shoppers from across the province, and further afield.

Anchor tenants include two supermarkets which are in excess of 5,000sqm, Pick n Pay and Checkers, joined by Edgars, Woolworths and Game, as well as the Ster Kinekor cinema complex.

“Mall of the North will bring the best shopping and entertainment to the people of Polokwane and its surrounding areas. The Ster Kinekor cinema complex is a powerful draw card, and the cinema will also benefit from the shopper volumes that we expect will support the mall,” says Patrick Flanagan of Flanagan & Gerard.

Mall of the North’s excellent line up of popular restaurants and great eateries will complement the cinema offering.

Ster Kinekor has 55 cinemas in South Africa, comprising over 400 screens, with an approximate 65% market share. Jointly with Mall of the North, the well-established cinema complex is set to become an iconic venue and firm favourite within the province.

The coal mining town of Lephalale in the Limpopo province today welcomed the much anticipated launch of Fruit & Veg City’s brand new Fresher Food Store – the retailer’s 82nd store in South Africa to date.

Investing in the local community, the new Fresher Food Store will offer customers a wide variety of the freshest fruits and vegetables sourced from the nearby farming communities.

This 780m2 store features a dairy department with a selection of cheeses, an extensive dried fruit and nut department, and the convenience of a ‘fruit stop’ that offers lunchtime foodies healthy and affordable on-the-go snacks, including the freshest fruit salads and smoothies.

“Our latest Fresher Food Store aims to serve customers who are pressed for time – during their lunch breaks, as well as when they get home and have to prepare dinner. We’ve introduced a complimentary service called ‘Shortcuts’, where expert staff conveniently cut and prepare vegetables to your specifications,” says Brian Coppin, co-founder and managing director of Fruit & Veg City.
Situated in the heart of the community’s retail hub, this Fresher Food Store offers customers sufficient parking and is situated in close proximity to major public transport routes.

Fruit & Veg City’s Fresher Food Store is situated on the corner of Pika and Hendrik Street, Lephalale in the Limpopo province. Operating hours are: Mondays-Fridays from 07:30-17:00, and Saturdays from 07:30-18:00 (closed on Sundays).
For more information contact the store on 083-628-0616 or visit the Fruit and Veg city website

Schalk van der Merwe of Prism Architects who designed the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, explains in this video the characteristics of the stadium and how the Baobab and landscape of Limpopo were used in the design.

Limpopo se Staatveartsdiens wat onder die Departement van Landbou val, gaan binnekort antwoorde in die hooggeregshof moet verskaf oor hoe dit gekom het dat buffels wat blykbaar in twee aparte sake positief getoets het vir Korridorsiekte toegelaat is om Limpopo in te kom.
Buffels vrek nie self aan die siekte nie, maar is draers daarvan. Die siekte word deur ‘n bruinoorbosluis oorgedra en wanneer beeste besmet word, vrek hulle. Daar is huidig geen teenmiddel teen die siekte wanneer dit in beeste voorkom nie.
In die een geval, het ‘n bekende Polokwane dokter wat ook ‘n plaas in die Tolwe/Swartwater gebied het, ‘n trop 21 buffels aangeskaf van ‘n area waar daar nie Korridorsiekte is nie. Volgens inligting, het een van die buffels positief getoets vir die gevreeste siekte maar die Staatsvearts het dit na bewering afgeskiet as “n laboratorium fout” en die buffels is toegelaat op die dokter se plaas. Toe dit wel bevestig is dat die buffels nou draers van die siekte is, het die Staatsveaarts in die area die plaas waarop die buffels is onder kwarentyn geplaas. Die buffels word tans in ‘n boma op die plaas aangehou en streng bosluis beheer word toegepas.
In die tweede geval wat voorgekom het in die Mokopane gebied, is die eienaar van die buffels wat besmet is deur die Mokopane Staatsvearts gevra om die buffels so gou as moontlik te verwyder. Die plaas is ook onder kwarantyn en die buffels word in ‘n kamp aangehou. Dit is nie duidelik hoe die buffels toegelaat is om die provinsie in te kom nie.
Die oplossing op die probleem is dat die buffels na ‘n Korridorgebied (laeveld of Kwazulu-Natal) verskuif moet word of dat hul van kant gemaak is. Die probleem is egter dat die markwaarde van die diere kan val van soveel as R300 000 per buffel tot so laag as R30 000.
Beide boere het nou regsaksie aan die gang teen die provinsiale Staatsveartsdiens en kon dus nie kommentaar lewer nie.
Beide die betrokke Staatsveeartse het aangedui dat daar huidig min gevaar bestaan dat die siekte beeste kan besmet aangesien alle moontlike aksies in werking gestel is om oordrag te voorkom. Alle moontlike aksies is geneem om seker te maak dat die siekte nie na beeste versprei nie, maar die kanse is tog daar dat die buffels kan uitbreek en beeste besmet.
Mnr Jan Viljoen, voorsitter van TLU SA Noord, het sy dank teenoor die departement uitgespreek vir die inligting en het die boere wat betrokke is versoek om hul samewerking aan die veeartse te gee.

Polokwane: MEC for Roads and Transport Pinky Kekana has urged motorists to drive safely as we move towards the festive season, when traffic volumes are expected to soar. Kekana made the call after an unacceptable number of fatal crashes were recorded over the past weekend. “We urge all our road users to be extra cautions during this time of the year. Limpopo has already recorded an unacceptable number of fatal crashes since the start of Decembe,” Kekana said. Since the beginning of this month, 26 people (10 drivers, 12 passengers, 3 pedestrians and one cyclist) have been killed in 16 fatal crashes. Nineteen of these were killed during this past weekend. Driver error and attitude is the biggest contributing factor to these fatal crashes, she added.
Kekana, who is due to launch the 2009 Festive Season Arrive Alive campaign on Thursday (today) warned motorists that the department would take serious action against road traffic offenders. “During this festive season, we will deploy the full might of our traffic law enforcement agencies supported by SAPS to support road crime. We will have 63 high-impact road blocks in December and 54 in January. We will also deploy 10 speed units on the N1 everyday and 17 in all districts. Our focus will be on speeding and drunk driving,” Kekana said.
The Arrive Alive operation started over this past weekend. Six people were arrested on the N1 in the Matoks area for drunk driving between 01:46 and 06:00. Also at Matoks, three drivers were arrested on the N1 for doing 96km, 114km and 116km in a 60km zone and another for reckless and negligent driving.
On the same day, officers in Mogwadi (Dendron) arrested a minibus driver with a Toyota Quantum for overloading 39 passengers in a minibus with 13 passenger capacity.

Polokwane: The Department of Roads and Transport will no longer proceed with the disciplinary action against its suspended general manager of Corporate Support Diphoko Mahango after he offered to go on retirement.
Department spokesperson Wisani Ngobeni said Mahango was suspended on 1 October 2009 after it emerged that he had awarded a departmental bursary to a dependant. He was suspended on full pay pending a disciplinary inquiry into the matter.
While on suspension, Mahango submitted a request for retirement with effect from 31 December 2009. The department accepted the request and based on this, decided that it will no longer be necessary to proceed with the disciplinary hearing against him, Ngobeni said.
However, both parties have agreed that Mahango will pay back an amount R58 841.40 in respect of monies paid by the department by way of bursary for the benefit of Mahango’s dependant.
The department will also cancel the 3-year-long bursary, which would have cost the department approximately R180 000 over that period. The university has since been informed on this decision.
Department MEC Pinky Kekana welcomed the fact that the department suffered no loss and managed to recoup what would have been a potential cost of R180 000 to the taxpayer.
“We remain firmly committed to clean government and to fighting any form of corruption. This department is absolutely critical to government’s programme to create a better life for all. We provide roads that enable our people to access housing, education, and healthcare and stimulate economic growth in mining, agriculture, and tourism. We provide a transport system that enables our economy to function properly and prosper. It is absolutely critical that we remain focused on improving the department’s ability to serve the people of Limpopo and contribute to the economic growth of our province,” Kekana said.
“We urge our people to take responsibility and report corruption especially as tomorrow, 9 December 2009, is International Anti-Corruption Day.”