Offshore wind turbines are much more prone to “catastrophic” fires than generally believed, according to a new study by researchers at Imperial...

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Lebohang Phalula was the lady to beat in the 10km Totalsports Ladies Race in Johannesburg on Saturday, 09 August 2014.Â* Held in celebration of National Women’s Day, the Totalsports Ladies Race took place at the Roosevelt High School, Emmarentia.Â* Participants could choose between a 10km run/walk and a 5km run/walk. “I am very happy with [...]Lebohang Phalula wins Johannesburg Ladies Race is a post from: Time-to-Run South Africa


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The transformation of South Africa’s education system requires a sustained focus on the quality of teachers and principals in order to produce quality students, says Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.“Teachers are not the problem. Teachers are the solution to many of our problems,” said...

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Downloads: A new file has been added by TheEd:Totalsports Stellies Ladies Race 2014...

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Sebokeng - The Department of Science and Technology Deputy Director-General, Dr Wendy Ngoma, has encouraged learners to study maths and science to help the country respond to the challenges of economic growth and fighting poverty.

“I encourage each and every one of you to continue studying maths and science, because you are the generation that will take us even further in combating poverty and employment,” Dr Ngoma said.

She addressed over 200 learners at the ArcelorMittal Science Centre in the Vaal on Friday to promote the value of science and technology in society.

She told learners to focus on their studies so they can become scientists, researchers, engineers and inventors.

“Maths and science takes focus, even if you're one of the clever ones. I can reassure you that many ‘average’ people have gone far in these fields through determination and hard work.

“All you need is the passion to learn more about the world you live in,” Dr Ngoma said.

She said South Africa has positioned itself as one of the leading nations in the world in the areas of science, technology and innovation.

“We are one of the few developing countries to have established a government department focused specifically on science and technology, and we have introduced a number of excellent policies to guide and give structure to our National System of Innovation,” she said.

As part of strategies to help the country meet the objectives set out in the National Development Plan, South Africa is focusing on developing a knowledge based economy, which thrives on innovation through research and science.

Producing learners who are knowledgeable in maths and science and funding studies in these fields is one of the ways South Africa can ensure it remains globally competitive. – SAnews.gov.za

South Africa and Chile are looking into advancing diplomatic, economic and trade ties, especially in the mining and energy sectors. This emerged...

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When Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu handed over a new wheelchair to Siyabonga Maphumulo last year, she made a promise to come back and help him and his family with a home that caters for his needs.

Exactly a year later, Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu came back to Maphumulo’s home in Mndeni, Soweto, to hand over the home to VGK Siyazama Construction, so that renovations to make the home wheelchair friendly and accessible can begin.

The four-week-long project will include the instalment of inside bathrooms and plumbing; levelling the yard; making the house one level; plastering and putting up a fence.

Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu said the renovations will allow Maphumulo, aged 20, to be able to move freely in the yard and be independent.

While the renovations are underway, the house furniture, which belongs to Maphumulo’s grandmother, Sophie Khumalo, will be removed and kept in storage.

“We will also take Gogo [Sophie] to [shop] for furniture… because her current furniture is falling apart. We’ll do the official handover of the house and decent furniture by end of September,” Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu told SAnews.

Managing Director of GVK Siyazama Construction, Dumisani Madi, said they undertook the project because they believe in helping people.

“It’s only fair for us as a company to assist needy people, as much as we are in business. We believe that if we work as a team, both government and private sector, the country will have a better society,” said Madi.

An overjoyed Sophie Khumalo, 71, said the renovations will make her life easier, as she has to wheel her grandson around the house and most of the time she struggles to take him to some parts of the house, as it is not levelled appropriately.

“I’ve been struggling with his disability for years and at my age, it is very difficult to manage. I’m so grateful to the Deputy Minister, I don’t even know how to express my excitement,” said Khumalo.

Last year, the Deputy Minister donated a wheelchair to Maphumulo in response to a letter written by his grandmother, asking for help for Maphumulo. The Deputy Minister, who was then Deputy Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, made a commitment to help the family. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has organised workshops for teachers to further improve their skills and competencies in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) subjects.

The Teacher Training Centre Workshops will be launched by Minister Angie Motshega on Sunday at OR Tambo International Airport.

“DBE and Provincial Departments of Education will conduct the workshops for Teacher Training Centre managers, geared to drive the provision of quality training to our teachers in order to improve their skills and competencies,” the department said.

The DBE said content knowledge by teachers across all grades was identified as a challenge years back but action has been taken to address the matter.

“We have noticed a steady and sustained improvement in MST National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results. This is a result of strategic systemic interventions for strengthening and raising performance at all levels of the system,” said the DBE.

In February last year, Minister Motshekga established a Ministerial Task Team for to look into the implementation of the MST Strategy.

The Task Team presented a report of its findings in June last year and made recommendations, which were later implemented in schools.

“We have already established the MST Office, with its main job being to drive the MST curriculum and assessment targets in the sector. The national MST institute and nine provincial institutes will in the next five years increase outputs in order to turnaround MST by 2019,” said the department.

It said the institutes will provide strategic support and advise the DBE on MST matters, conduct research, undertake impact studies, and provide teacher development programmes and support materials to turnaround MST in the country.

Pass rates

The department said the number of passes in Mathematics increased to 142 666 in 2013, recording 20 696 more than the 121 970 passes of 2012.

“In Physical Sciences, we experienced an increase of 124 206 passes in 2013, which is 14 288 more than the 109 918 of 2012 passes, in line with the National Development Plan and the Sector Plan,” said the DBE.

“The detailed diagnostic analysis of NSC results has enabled us to implement improvement strategies.”

Digital learning

In partnership with Vodacom, DBE has connected 40 Teacher Centres across the nine provinces. In addition to the training at the centres, teachers attend weekly webinars to gain knowledge on specific areas of the curriculum.

“Vodacom will further equip and connect 20 new teacher centres. This means that a total of 60 teacher centres will be fully digitised by the end of this financial year,” said the department.

“So far we equipped and connected 40 (31 of these were equipped in 2013/14) teacher centres throughout the country; connected 890 schools, established digitalclassroom.co.za and trained teachers.”

The department said it focused on raising the success rate and quality of passes in MST through various strategic interventions and partnerships.

The department said its partnership with Sasol-Inzalo has resulted in the development of Hybrid Workbooks in Natural Sciences, Technology and Mathematics, in order to strengthen Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) implementation in the senior phase.

“We have also partnered with Japan in the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Project to improve learners’ ability to solve word problems in primary school Mathematics,” the DBE said.

Minister Motshekga on Wednesday launched Subject Committees and Professional Learning Communities to promote discussion and inputs by subject specialists on curriculum policy development and implementation. – SAnews.gov.za

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu will today host the newly appointed Ambassador of Indonesia, Suprapato Martosetomo, in efforts to explore areas of cooperation between the province and Indonesia.

“We want to initiate arrangements with provinces in Indonesia in order to promote cooperation in areas such as tourism promotion, trade and industry, infrastructure development, agriculture and rural development.

“As KZN we are very firm and determined to move with speed with the implementation of our programme of action aimed at ensuring the integration of this province with economies of the world,” said the Premier.

The meeting between the two will take place in Durban.

The Premier said the province serves as an important hub for industrial development in sub-Saharan Africa due to its natural resources and well developed infrastructure.

“Economic activities in the province are mainly concentrated in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, with significant activities in Richards Bay, Ladysmith, and Newcastle as well as on the Ugu District.

“However, we want the remote areas of our province to be an integral part of economic development. We are encouraging potential investors to consider rural parts of our province for investments because of the vast track of land that is underdeveloped,” he explained.

The province wants its rural areas to benefit as part of its efforts is aimed at ensuring sustained and inclusive economic growth.

“In the long run, the provision of infrastructure such as roads, water, electricity and internet connectivity will make rural areas more attractive to potential foreign direct investment.

“It is to this end that we have embarked on a process to develop an Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan for the province. This plan will take stock of what it is that we have, will project what it is that we need to do and how to ensure the proper co-ordination of the provision of infrastructure by all spheres of government,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

South Africans have been called to proudly wear the national team colours on Friday to celebrate Team South Africa’s achievement at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

“This Friday, we are saying, wear your favourite national team jersey… Our message is clear - one nation, one team, one celebration, unite!

“To celebrate our achievements is something great for our nation; it unites people across political boundaries, irrespective of ideological background,” said Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula on Wednesday.

In terms of the celebration, the Minister said the athletes will ride on an open bus, where they will meet and greet their fellow South Africans, and take selfies.

Minister Mbalula, who hailed the athletes for bringing back home 40 medals, said the main celebration will take place at Mandela Square in Sandton in the afternoon, where the event will be broadcast on national televisions.

“To us as a country, to achieve 40 medals at the Commonwealth Games is an important achievement. We are in the age of hope in sport. We are living in the times when our sporting people are doing well.

“This is about seizing the moment, placing sport where it belongs in terms of uplifting the nation and feeding the soul of the nation. Our athletes have done exceptionally well, so they deserve to be recognised and celebrated.”

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee President, Gideon Sam, said: “We are on track now … what you see now indicated that we are beginning slowly to reap the fruits of a good plan. We are grateful that our athletes are receiving acknowledgement and recognition.”

Busaphi Nxumalo, a spokesperson from the Gauteng traffic police, said they are ready to escort the athletes on Friday. “We want to urge South Africans to cheer the fans by hooting and waving to our athletes who will be on the open bus.”

Team SA, which finished in seventh position in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, clinched 40 medals - 13 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze medals.

Team SA participated in 15 different sporting codes including aquatics, wrestling, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, para-powerlifting, rugby sevens, shooting and triathlon. – SAnews.gov.za