
WAU Soirée celebrates chairlady's special day with creativity
Simangele Khoza Less than a minute
The Women's Agricultural Union, Soirée branch, recently hosted their monthly meeting and get-together.
The meeting, on May 17, featured a delicious meal, followed by a macramé workshop where participants rediscovered old skills and learnt new ones.
A special celebration was also in order, as chairlady Robyn Schmidt's birthday was marked during the gathering.
'Happy birthday to our incredible chairlady, Robyn. Your leadership and dedication inspire us all. Wishing you, Mama, more years filled with love, laughter, and success,' said the Soirée members.
Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok
Chat to us: info@witbanknews.co.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
When you say ‘I do'… to the kids, the ex, and maybe the maintenance bill
Your spouse's ex can claim maintenance from you if you don't have a prenup. It's not unusual for people to get married to someone who already has children from a previous relationship. But what many don't realise is that because of the type of marriage contract you opt for, you could end up in the middle of a child maintenance claim, even if you're not the biological parent. Child maintenance disputes can get messy, especially when a previous relationship ended on a sour note. South African attorney and TikTok creator, Legal Ames, recently shared a video explaining how it all works. She says that if you marry in community of property to someone who already has children, their ex could potentially claim maintenance from you as well. She explains that in a marriage in community of property, you and your spouse share a joint estate.

IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Could your spouse's ex claim child maintenance from you? Here's what to know
Your spouse's ex can claim maintenance from you if you don't have a prenup. It's not unusual for people to get married to someone who already has children from a previous relationship. But what many don't realise is that because of the type of marriage contract you opt for, you could end up in the middle of a child maintenance claim, even if you're not the biological parent. Child maintenance disputes can get messy, especially when a previous relationship ended on a sour note. South African attorney and TikTok creator, Legal Ames, recently shared a video explaining how it all works. She says that if you marry in community of property to someone who already has children, their ex could potentially claim maintenance from you as well. She explains that in a marriage in community of property, you and your spouse share a joint estate.


The South African
3 days ago
- The South African
Etiquette in 2025: Outdated or a modern social currency?
Etiquette once meant knowing how to address a formal letter or which fork to use. However, it has evolved to encompass a lot more, including virtual and digital etiquette. This includes how you conduct yourself during Zoom meetings, how and when to WhatsApp colleagues, and what you post on publicly accessible social media channels. In a South African context, etiquette spans two worlds. On the one hand, there are Western behavioural norms, which are often important in business settings. But on the other hand, traditions such as respecting your elders and community customs remain central. This mix creates a truly South African version of modern etiquette in 2025. While we try to hold on to our traditions, globalisation and social media have blurred the lines between local and international etiquette. South African teenagers who consume content on TikTok might pick up slang and mannerisms from other cultures. Likewise, a businessperson in Johannesburg might adopt Japanese meeting customs. The global village creates cross-pollination, which can either enrich our lived experience or lead to cultural missteps. Traditionally, etiquette placed high value on reserved speech, formal dress codes, and clear hierarchies. For example, addressing a person older than yourself using their titles and surnames instead of on a first-name basis. In today's fast-paced world, many of these conventions have fallen by the wayside. Many people have more casual workplaces which don't require men to wear suits and where women are free to wear trousers if they so wish. Many of these offices also encourage casual greetings and an atmosphere of equality where everyone is called by their first name. Although certain occasions still demand formality. For example, funerals, weddings, and official state events. Etiquette is employed as a sign of respect in these contexts, whether it be wearing black to a funeral or remaining quiet during a wedding ceremony. Despite the benefits of a society where everyone adheres to a set of norms, etiquette has been slated as an exclusionary tool for sowing class divisions. This particularly comes into play when people who grew up in a culture where etiquette was taught have to integrate into different social settings as adults and may be overwhelmed. For example, if someone grew up mostly eating simple meals, then as an adult they attend a formal dinner with several courses' worth of cutlery at their place setting, and they don't know where to begin. This may embarrass them, which can cause resentment and even self-isolation. However, many believe that etiquette, when applied with empathy, can unite people. It is not meant to be a list of hollow rules, but rather a way of showing respect for others and carrying oneself with dignity and grace. In 2025, how you conduct yourself online will become of utmost importance. Sending long voice notes that could have been an email, ignoring a direct question in a group chat, or eating in a Zoom call can all tarnish your reputation as much as if you were rude in person. There is also a definite age gap in how online faux pas are dealt with. Older professionals tend to prefer complete sentences in emails and formal greetings, whereas Gen Z colleagues tend to add humour into the mix. If someone makes an etiquette mistake, they will call it out gently and playfully. As new platforms emerge, so too do new online social etiquette norms, also known as 'netiquette.' A 2023 study by Maxi Heitmayer and Robin Schimmelpfennig (from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Lausanne, respectively) found that netiquette is not a fixed set of digital social norms, but is dynamic in its response to online trends. South Africa, with its 12 official languages and a multitude of cultural traditions, demands an inclusive and flexible etiquette. If you know how to greet someone in their mother tongue or when to code switch (the act of switching between languages mid-conversation), you can gain someone's trust, which is beneficial both socially and in a business context. Every South African should know the basic greetings which are most common in the areas where you live (for example, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and English in the Western Cape) and should practice observing how others conduct themselves before assuming that you know the etiquette of an area. You can also be guided by the concept of Ubuntu, which champions respect, empathy, and a community-first approach in how you carry out your daily life. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.