The stage is set for the opening ceremony for the Orange African Nations Championship South Africa 2014, which kicks off in Cape Town on January 11.

In a statement, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) said it had roped in South Africa’s most celebrated Musos to choreograph and perform at the CHAN 2014 opening ceremony, which will take place at the Cape Town Stadium ahead of the kick-off of the first game between hosts South Africa and neighbours Mozambique.

LOC CEO Mvuso Mbele said nothing had been compromised in the planning of the tournament.

“The Opening Ceremony of any event sets the tone for what is to follow and that is why we have pulled out all the stops to ensure that Africa and the rest of the World experience one of the most memorable ceremonies in history. We urge everyone to get their tickets now and join us at the Cape Town stadium as we Celebrate Africa.”

Award winning muso Micasa and celebrated choreographer Somizi Mhlongo will be part of the line-up that is set to entertain fans during the opening ceremony.

The Cape Town Stadium will host the opening match along with other Group A games, the quarter finals and the final on 1 February. Group B fixtures will be played at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, while Group C and Group D clashes will be played at the Freestate Stadium in Mangaung and the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane respectively.

Bafana arrives in Cape Town

The LOC also announced that Gordon Igesund’s Bafana Bafana has already arrived in Cape Town ahead of their mouth-watering clash with Mozambique, which now means six national teams have touched down in the mother city for the tournament.

Mbele said: “It has always been our resolve and belief as the LOC that we have full confidence that 16 nations participating at this tournament will select their best squad for this completion. We therefore welcome Bafana Bafana as they join Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria in Group A.” – SANews.gov.za

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will today release the 2013 National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric results at the SABC in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.

The minister will announce the matric pass rate for the class of 2013 live on television at 6pm on SABC 1.

It’s widely believed the pass rate will increase slightly from last year’s. The matric pass rate for 2012 was 73.9 percent, an improvement of 3.7 percent from 2011's pass rate of 70.2 percent.

The results of more than 500 000 full-time and more than 130 000 part-time registered matriculants will be available on 7 January 2014, Tuesday.

Candidates will be able to obtain their results at schools/exam centres or in major newspapers.

They will also be able to view their results on the DBE's website from 7 January 2014 from 6am.

They can also obtain them via the SABC Education SMS service. – SAnews.gov.za

The great football legend Eusebio dies at the age of 71. Born in 1942 in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique, Eusebio was to make his stamp on world football, being the top scorer at the 1966 World Cup in England. He scored 9 goals in the tournment, bagging 4 against North Korea. Born Eusebio [...]Eusebio dies at 71 is a post from: Time-4-Sport


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Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has announced that a comprehensive forensic investigation will be conducted within the South African Police Service (SAPS) Service Termination environment.

The move follows the arrest of four suspects in relation to alleged service payout fraud, corruption. The four are Eunice Sifunda, Daphney Mdluli, Nomcebo Sono and Agnes Nkuna and all appeared in court last week. Nkuna is an employee of the SAPS, attached to the Service Termination section.

The section is responsible for processing and payment of service termination benefits of former employees of the SAPS, those employed under the SAPS Act as well as the Public Service Act.

It has a mandate to ensure that such payments are processed timeously, efficiently and in most instances, deals directly with the widows and widowers of the former employees. It is therefore one of the essential sections within the SAPS.

Police Ministry spokesperson Zweli Mnisi said the arrests came after a son of a late Warrant Officer opened a case of fraud in Pretoria last month. The case was then handed over to the Hawks for investigation.

The suspects are accused of amongst others of organizing clients (false dependents or beneficiaries) and completing false documents such as a proof of relationship. This would lead to legitimate beneficiaries not receiving monies due to them and the sums being fraudulently deposited to the suspects’ accounts, Mnisi said.

Mthethwa was quoted as saying it would appear the arrest of the suspects was a "tip of an iceberg".

"It seems there is a serious syndicate that may involve more SAPS employees and other external people. What is more perturbing is the fact that one of the suspects is our own employee, someone who is entrusted with ensuring that the families of the deceased receive what is rightfully due to them".

“We will ensure that we get to the bottom of this rot and anyone who may be involved must face the full might of the law,” said Mthethwa.

He vowed that the SAPS would not allow a few individuals to tarnish the department’s name.

“We cannot have criminals disguised as employees swindling deserving beneficiaries. For this reason I have instructed the police management to institute a comprehensive forensic investigation within the environment of service terminations".

When Nkuna was arrested, she was on vacation leave and therefore her vacation leave has been converted to leave without pay for the period that she is in custody. While the criminal proceedings were underway, the employee was served with intended suspension on 19 December.

The Hawks have said more charges may be added later as the investigation progresses. – SAnews.gov.za

Endurance Challenge 2068km was started James Colbert and Sean Buckley, who plan to undertake a record triathlon feat by cycling through every county in Ireland, swimming 120km of the River Shannon and running in four consecutive marathons, a total of 2068km, all in just 22 days. The event is in memory of Sean’s father who [...]Endurance Challenge for Charity is a post from: Time-to-Tri


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Endurance Challenge 2068km was started James Colbert and Sean Buckley, who plan to undertake a record triathlon feat by cycling through every county in Ireland, swimming 120km of the River Shannon and running in four consecutive marathons, a total of 2068km, all in just 22 days. The event is in memory of Sean’s father who [...]Endurance Challenge for Charity is a post from: Time-4-Sport


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Former Deputy Minister and Member of Parliament Peter Mokaba’s mother, Priscilla Mokaba, will receive a Special Provincial Official Funeral, says the Presidency.

“President Jacob Zuma has declared a Special Provincial Official Funeral for the late former activist and veteran of the liberation struggle, Mrs Mapitsi Priscilla Mokaba … The President has ordered that all flags in the Limpopo Province fly half-mast during the funeral on 28 December 2013,” said the Presidency on Wednesday.

Mokaba, 76, reportedly died of lung cancer in Polokwane last Sunday.

She will be laid to rest on Saturday. - SAnews.gov.za

In a typically provocative move, Freud called the book that forged his reputation “The Interpretation of Dreams”. He presents the book as a contribution to science – it is an attempt to show that a set of apparently random and meaningless mental phenomena can in fact be explained scientifically and shown to have meaning. But [...]Interpreting Dreams or Explaining Dreams? is a post from: Wittgenstein and Freud


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When I started this blog two years ago, I was planning to write about Wittgenstein; I am not sure what aspects of Wittgenstein I planned to write about, but in the years before starting the blog I had not spent much time thinking about philosophy, so the blog was part of a wish to reawaken [...]A Change of Focus is a post from: Wittgenstein and Freud


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Thousands of mourners, many dressed in South African and ANC colours, this morning lined the streets between 1 Military Hospital and the Union Buildings to ensure they witnessed the late former President Nelson Mandela’s cortege passing by.

Members of the public were encouraged to gather on the streets to give the struggle icon a fitting send-off.

Madiba’s body, transported in a black hearse, escorted by South African National Defence Force members, left 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane shortly after 7am and en route to the Union Buildings.

The procession was met with some people crying, others saluting, flags waiving and cheers and ululations.

The cortege made made its way down Old Pretoria Road towards the city, where it joined Kgosi Mampuru Road until the intersection of Madiba Street. It then proceeded in an eastern direction towards the Union buildings.

Madiba’s body will for the last time lie in state at the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre on Friday.

Members of the public will have from 8am to 5.30pm to make their way to the venue, where they will file past the casket and pay their last respects to the Father of the Nation as he is affectionately known.

The City of Tshwane has once again implemented park-and-ride facilities at the venues, namely Fountains Valley, LC de Villiers Sports Facility and the Tshwane Events Centre. Some mourners have been queing since last night to ensure they get onto the free busses to take them to the Union Buildings.

Madiba’s body with be flown to the Eastern Cape on Saturday, ahead of the State Funeral on Sunday. – SAnews.gov.za