SAWS warns of cold weather conditions

Posted on August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 by

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that a cut-off-low is expected to result in cloudy and cold conditions over the central and eastern parts of the country between Wednesday and Thursday.

These weather conditions will be accompanied by isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers in Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and KwaZulu-Natal.

“Snowfall is also expected over the escarpments of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho,” the weather service said.

The weather service will continue to monitor any further developments relating to the weather systems and will issue subsequent updates as required.

Weather updates will be shared on the following platforms: X (@SAWeatherServic), Facebook (South African Weather Service) or other SAWS-supported social media.

Over 600 000 Grade 1 and 8 online applications recorded in Gauteng

Posted on August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 by

Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane has announced that over 600 000 successful applications were recorded during the 2026 Online Admissions application period for Grade 1 and Grade 8.

In a statement, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said this remarkable milestone was reached on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, just under two weeks since the system opened for applications on 24 July 2025.

“As of 2pm on Tuesday afternoon, the system had recorded a total of 600 936 applications, comprising 254 251 for Grade 1 and 346 685 for Grade 8.

“Parents and guardians who have not yet applied are encouraged to do so by visiting www.gdeadmissions.gov.za online on any device before the application period closes on 29 August 2025,” the GDE said.

The department said that after registering, parents must complete the 5 Step Application Process as incomplete applications will not be considered for placement.

All applicants are urged to upload certified copies of the required documents online or submit them in person to each selected school within 7 days of applying.

If uploaded online, documents only need to be submitted once, as all selected schools will be able to view them. The GDE Online Admissions System supports document verification by schools. It will prompt schools to verify and update the status of documents, whether uploaded online or submitted physically.

Parents will then receive SMS notifications once schools acknowledge receipt and verification of documents. Schools will receive automated alerts whenever new documents are uploaded by applicants.

Parents are advised to apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools to increase the likelihood of successful placement.

The GDE said it is also essential to provide a valid cellphone number, as all communication, including placement offers, will be sent via SMS. Parents are urged to keep all SMS communication regarding their application.

“Applicants with complete submissions will begin receiving placement offers from 16 October 2025. Parents should log in regularly to ensure all steps have been completed,” the GDE said.

To accommodate parents without access to digital resources, the department has made support available at all Gauteng public schools and through 81 decentralised walk-In centres across the province.

For assistance, the GDE Contact Centre is available from:
• Monday to Thursday: 07h00 – 17h00
• Friday: 07h30 – 16h30
• Saturday: 09h00 – 13h00

Parents and guardians can reach out to the department on:
• Call: 0800 000 789
• WhatsApp: 060 891 0361
• Email: [email protected]

“The phenomenal number of applications we’ve received is a concrete demonstration of the trust parents place in Gauteng’s education system. We are grateful to all parents for their co-operation, and we continue to urge all parents to apply online,” Chiloane said.

Safety protocols in place after Stellenbosch University Student Dies of Meningitis

Posted on August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 by

Stellenbosch University has confirmed that second-year theology student, Chris Scheffers (19), who passed away over the weekend, died of meningococcal meningitis.

The University said the health, safety, and well-being of staff and students remain a top priority, and Campus Health Services has activated its protocols in line with provincial and national health guidelines.

The institution is working closely with the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness to ensure all measures to prevent further spread are followed.

Contact tracing is underway to identify people who were in close contact with Scheffers over the past ten days. Those identified will receive chemoprophylaxis (preventative medication) within 24 hours.

Both students and staff who had close contact will be directly advised by Campus Health Services.

While no other cases have been confirmed, the University will closely monitor the situation in the coming days. Close contacts are advised to only attend lectures if asymptomatic, wear masks, avoid gatherings such as group singing, and refrain from contact sports.

As a precaution, all meetings and gatherings at Dagbreek men’s residence have been postponed until the weekend.

Meningococcal meningitis often begins with flu-like symptoms — including headaches, muscle and joint pain, and sensitivity to light — but can quickly progress to high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, diarrhoea, cold extremities, seizures, and in severe cases, coma. A red or purple rash that does not fade when pressed may also appear.

Rapid deterioration in healthy young individuals is not uncommon, but secondary infections among close contacts are rare.

About Meningococcal Meningitis
This serious bacterial infection, caused by Neisseria meningitidis, affects the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. It is more common during winter and spreads through close, prolonged contact via respiratory droplets. The incubation period ranges from two to ten days.

President to announce Nationwide Cleanup Day

Posted on August 6, 2025August 5, 2025 by

President Cyril Ramaphosa will designate a specific day for a nationwide cleanup, with all South Africans, including Ministers, participating in community cleanup efforts, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said.

“We’ll dedicate time on the day that the President will indicate that at least on that particular day, for particular hours in the day, we work with our communities, and we clean,” the Deputy President said.

This as he visited the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State as part of the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign.

The Deputy President officially unveiled a comprehensive national cleaning initiative aimed at transforming community hygiene and infrastructure maintenance in the province.

The campaign is an integrated service delivery initiative that was officially launched in Kliptown, Soweto, in June of this year.

It aims to promote cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environments in both urban and rural areas.
The campaign encourages community involvement in cleaning their surroundings, working collaboratively with district and local municipalities.

The Mangaung leg of the campaign was held under the theme: "Bontle Ke Botho: A Free State that works for all – Building clean and sustainable communities."

The campaign emphasises a collaborative approach across national, provincial, and local government levels, highlighting the campaign’s multifaceted strategy.

“We’re not just picking up papers. This campaign is going to be combined with repairing and modernising things, dealing with challenges of potholes, fixing roads and repairing infrastructure,” Deputy President Mashatile told the community.

According to the country’s second-in-command, the initiative also includes several critical components, including weekly dedicated cleaning days and school engagement to instill a cleanliness culture.

“We also went to visit schools to encourage our young children to inculcate this culture of clean-up. So, it’s going very well today,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy President said government plans to address municipal challenges, recognising that many local authorities struggle with limited economic resources.

“Some municipalities are not able to perform critical services because they don’t have an economic base.”

The campaign represents a “whole of government approach,” aiming to create a unified responsibility for maintaining clean, functional urban and rural environments.

The initiative is expected to roll out across provinces to transform South Africa’s approach to community maintenance and civic responsibility.

The Clean Cities and Towns Campaign seeks to revitalise urban areas, enhance service delivery, and combat environmental degradation.

“We used to have bins where people could throw stuff in, and then twice a week or so, a truck comes to take it because if we don’t do that, they start throwing everywhere.”

It is also part of South Africa’s commitment to climate action to preserve the environment, support social cohesion initiatives and prioritise efforts for decent work, poverty eradication, and community resilience