![Festive cheer makes its way to Toti early [Pics]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.citizen.co.za%2Fsouth-coast-sun%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F39%2F2025%2F07%2Fxmas-1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Festive cheer makes its way to Toti early [Pics]
Also read: Amanzimtoti CPF empowers community
Christmas cheer made its way to Amanzimtoti, with stalls spreading pre-emptive festive cheer, snowmen welcomed visitors who supported local artisans and their creative crafts, NPOs and more.
For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
15 hours ago
- The South African
Bobby gets adopted - SPCA concerned over online animal cruelty
The SPCA has shared another heartwarming update about Bobby, who went from starving and neglected to now being adopted into a happy home. The female dog made headlines after she appeared emaciated and in poor health in a video posted by a social media influencer. Her owners, as well as the content creator, are facing charges of animal cruelty under the Animal Protection Act. On the X platform, news was shared that Bobby had found her forever home after being adopted. Bobby was placed for adoption last month at an SPCA branch in Boksburg. In images posted on social media, she now appears happy and healthy. From being severely malnourished and living outside in the cold, Bobby now has a garden to play in and a warm bed to sleep on. 'She is the most lovable dog, handing out kisses to everyone since the moment she arrived! Forced to eat plastic to survive, Bobby was found severely malnourished, suffering from fly strike, and covered in ticks and fleas', the SPCA shared after rescuing her from her neglectful owners. Meanwhile, the SPCA has noted with concern many more alarming videos of social media influencers featuring starved and abused dogs in their posts. The SPCA shared in a post, 'Online animal cruelty is rising, and you can help stop it. Every report matters. Every voice counts.' The animal activists shared practical advice on how to help protect animals online. It included: Don't engage – commenting or sharing spreads the content further. Report it to the platform using in-app tools. Alert SMACC – search 'SMACC Report It Hub' to submit cruelty found online. If filmed in South Africa, contact the SPCA via DM or email: nspca@ You can also report cruelty on their website by clicking on the 'Report Cruelty' button. Send evidence – links, screenshots, usernames. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NSPCA (@ Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
They once shared recipes, now her family is starving in Gaza
Ghada holds a photo of her uncle and cousins in Gaza. Image: Pete Kiehart/ The Washington Post Danielle Paquette They used to swap TikTok recipes and photos of mouthwatering spreads: crispy falafel, baked chicken, grilled beef kebabs. Now her aunt in Gaza appeared on a WhatsApp video call with sunken eyes. The proud foodie was down to three cups of lentils and her last sack of flour. 'We can make that stretch,' Aunt Fairouz was saying, 'for two more days.' Perched at the marble island in her fully stocked Maryland kitchen, Ghada Tafesh listened and silently did the culinary math. No configuration of those ingredients would nourish a household of six. The youngest, 12-year-old twin boys, had each shed 22 pounds in the last year, a quarter of their body weight. The doctor's diagnosis was all too familiar. Acute malnutrition. The family hadn't eaten meat since early March. 'I pray for you every day,' Ghada replied. Over almost 22 months of war, she had watched from afar as they all shrank: Her 47-year-old aunt with a pent-up flair for hosting; her 21-year-old cousin, Yasmeen, who'd fainted during her volunteer-nurse shifts at the hospital; the twins, Kareem and Ayman, both Cristiano Ronaldo fans who'd lost the energy to play soccer. The Washington Post is identifying them by only their first names because they fear retaliation. No one in their family group chat was surprised when the leading global authority on food crises said last week that the 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip' and predicted 'widespread death.' The emaciated children in images circulating worldwide resembled ones Yasmeen said she saw daily in the emergency room. They all rejected the Israeli prime minister's insistence that there was 'no starvation' in Gaza. They weren't sure what to make of President Donald Trump publicly contradicting him. 'That's real starvation stuff,' Trump had remarked. 'I see it, and you can't fake that.' Ghada, a 30-year-old biologist and newish U.S. citizen, wires cash every other month to her family in the battered enclave, her hometown, despite the transfer fee that fluctuates as high as 60 percent. But the bigger challenge is finding anything edible for sale, and Aunt Fairouz is willing at this point to pluck out the maggots. Ghada prepares dinner in her Maryland home. Image: Pete Kiehart / The Washington Post Thieves loot the aid trucks that manage to roll through Israel's strict blockades, she told Ghada. Otherwise, where were street hawkers getting tomatoes to sell for $20 apiece? She urged her children to avoid supply convoys, fearing stampedes and bullets. Their survival strategy: Stay indoors - though not literally, because strikes had blown out their doors - and wait for those shameful merchants with their bags of questionable produce. Three cups of lentils, for instance, used to cost $2. Now the price tag is closer to $25. They have no choice but to venture out to the water truck, which rumbles down their unpaved road on a frustratingly irregular basis. The twins know to run outside with buckets, shouldering a chore their father used to handle. Sami, who'd worked as a Palestinian Authority police officer, died in January 2024 from a heart attack. There had been no doctors around with the right training to treat him. As far as the family knows, he hadn't been included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll, which last month passed 60,000. But the Israel-Hamas conflict has crushed access to even basic medical care, so Aunt Fairouz views her government's tally as incomplete. 'I pray that things get better,' Ghada said for what felt like the millionth time. What she was thinking: I am so afraid to lose you. All my fears are about losing you. She blew a kiss to the screen. Another aunt sent Ghada a photo of all the food she could find over one day of searching in Gaza. Image: Pete Kiehart / The Washington Post The last time they'd embraced was in 2021, when Ghada visited Gaza after nine years away. Visa complications, she said, had trapped her in what stung like exile. She'd first visited the United States as a high school exchange student and returned on a college scholarship, eventually earning a doctorate degree in biological sciences from George Washington University. In June 2024, she became a citizen. All the while, Ghada missed her family's cooking. Food was how they kept in touch. Food was how they showed love - 'our pride and joy,' she explained. During that last trip, Aunt Fairouz and her daughters whipped up all the special dishes. There was chicken with caramelized onions, pine nuts and warm pita. There were ducks stuffed with rice, carrots, peas and potatoes. There was strawberry shortcake and pastries laced with sweet cream. The family's doors were still on their hinges. The second floor was still intact. They still had electricity and running water. Ghada's parents and brother still lived nearby; their house hadn't yet collapsed, and they hadn't yet fled to Cairo. The boys still kicked their soccer ball. Kareem wanted to go pro like Ronaldo. Ayman was more into his mother's laptop and styling himself a 'good hacker.' In an extended family of dozens, they are the only twins. 'Mini-celebrities,' Ghada called them, with bright futures. Now? 'I just want things to be normal,' Kareem muttered on WhatsApp behind his mother's shoulder. 'I pray for you every day,' Ghada tells her family. Image: Pete Kiehart / The Washington Post
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Sheppie Lions roar with pride
Port Shepstone Lions celebrated the club's 55th annual presidential induction and awards dinner at their den at Port Shepstone Country Club recently. Guests of honour included Port Shepstone Country Club chairperson John Beekman and his wife Jay, Lions Colin and Carol Mackintosh of the Amanzimtoti Lions Club, and Suzette Smit. Outgoing club president Denis Meyer paid tribute to the Lions for a successful year of community service and fundraising projects. These projects included providing ongoing support to South Coast Hospice, Reinhardt's Place, Assisi Mission Orphanage, Dumisani's Creche, Hibiscus Food for Life and Suid Natal Kospakke Kinders. The club also successfully hosted its annual Lions Leadership Retreat and Blind Bowlers weekends. Senior citizens projects included the annual Christmas luncheon held at Port Shepstone CC, monthly games afternoons, and frozen meals provided on a monthly basis thanks to the efforts of the Lion Ladies. The club was involved with the sponsorship of 10 cataract operations during Sight Week in October last year, and donated R10 000 to the Lions Clubs International Foundation which provides support to natural disasters worldwide. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Citizen of the Year award to John Beekman in recognition of his ongoing support of Port Shepstone Lions as well as his outstanding leadership of the country club and generous support of and contributions towards many other charitable causes. The Lion of the Year trophy was presented to Richard Borradaile for his 35-year commitment as club treasurer. A special top club chairperson and club president's appreciation award was presented to Jean Masson for his dedication to the fundraising, clubhouse and bar portfolios. Appreciation awards were presented to Steve McCarroll, Pete Surtees, Gary Vogt and Mike Heathcote. A special award was presented to Cathy Masson for her commitment to the monthly Lions' Market project. Stirrer of the Year went to Mike Heathcote. Membership pins were presented to Hilton Horsley (40), Denis Meyer (30) and Jean Masson (25). A special award plaque and president's appreciation medal was presented to lady president Bev Rolfe for her outstanding leadership of the ladies' club. Appreciation gifts were presented to secretary Cathy Masson and treasurer Jane Massey. The Lion lady of the year award went to Cathy Masson A special award was presented to Suzette Smit for her ongoing support of many of the club's projects and events. Past council chairman Paul Brauteseth formally inducted Clayton Curnow as club president for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. Clayton thanked his predecessor for his leadership and undertook to continue the club's legacy of fellowship, friendship and service. His wife Inika will serve as the Lion ladies' president for the forthcoming year. HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Herald's Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
