Latest news with #Afriforum
The Citizen
a day ago
- General
- The Citizen
2026 School admissions open in July: How to apply for grades one and eight
2026 School admissions open in July: How to apply for grades one and eight The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced the 2026 online admissions for grades one and eight will open on at 08:00 on July 24 and close at midnight on August 29. All parents and guardians in Gauteng with children going to Grade One or Grade Eight in the 2026 academic year must apply online to be admitted to a Gauteng public school. All applications for these learners will be processed through the GDE Online Admissions System only. Parents must apply within the application period because schools become full and will not be available for late applications. Parents with children that are currently in Grade R must also apply online for their children to be admitted to Grade One (there's no automatic progression to Grade One). All Grade One applications will be processed and qualified in line with the admissions regulations. Parents are reminded that the GDE Online Admissions System currently only services applications to Grade One and Grade Eight. Applications to other grades must be made directly at the school(s) of choice. ALSO READ: Afriforum en GPF ruk park in Struisbult reg To apply, parents and guardians must first register on which will go live at 08:00 on July 24 for applications. Parents will not be able to access the system before it goes live. All parents are expected to register, as previous login details will not work. Only parents with children going to grades one and eight seeking space at a public school in Gauteng for the 2026 academic year will be able to register and apply online. Applications will then close at midnight on August 29. No new applications will be accepted once the application period has closed. After registering on the system will prompt parents to create login credentials (username and password) which they will use to access the online admissions system to view and manage their application details. Once applicants have gained access to the system, they must begin with the application process and ensure that they complete the five-step application process. ALSO READ: Young minds inspired by visual art at Springs Gallery walkabout The five steps are: 1. Register parent/guardian details 2. Register home address details 3. Register learner details 4. Apply to a maximum of five schools 5. Uploading documents to system or submitting documents at schools (within seven school days of applying) Applicants must ensure that they complete the full five-step application process. Applicants who have registered their details without applying to any school will not be considered for placement. As such, it is important to register one reliable and active cellphone number to receive SMS notifications reminding you to complete your application. Incomplete applications are those submitted without the parent choosing a school or without the required documents, a parent creating a profile with no application submitted, or application with proof of residence that cannot be confirmed/verified or is different from the physical address used to apply. In an effort to make resources accessible, 81 decentralised walk-in centres have been prepared by the GDE, and they are set up across Gauteng to assist parents with registration and applications. Parents are encouraged to ensure that their information is correctly captured on the registered profile when being assisted with registration and applications at these centres to avoid errors. ALSO READ: Inwoners van Presidentia Aftreeoord maak self hul omgewing skoon Assistance and applications at any one of the decentralised walk-in centres is free. Bogus businesses are scamming parents and falsely promising them a guaranteed placement if they pay a certain fee. The GDE does not charge parents a fee when assisting them to apply. Every step of the application process will be confirmed via SMS for security and verification purposes. During the application process, there will be weekly pop-up messages on the system and SMS notifications sent to registered applicants as reminders to complete their application. SMS notifications will also be sent to parents to acknowledge submission and verification of documents. Parents are encouraged to use the home address within school feeder zone application option to see schools with feeder zones that cover their home address. To increase the chances of placement closer to the parent's home address, parents should select schools with feeder zones that cover the parent's home address. When applying, parents are urged to select a minimum of three schools and a maximum of five schools. Parents who select one or two schools when applying could miss an opportunity of the child being placed at selected schools when the first or second schools reach full capacity before their child is placed. Electing more schools increases the chances of being placed. Parents cannot make more than one application for one learner to the same school. Placement will be based on the placement criteria and availability of spaces according to each school's capacity. Parents must submit certified copies of one type of identification document and all of the following other documents: • SA parent ID or passport and child's birth certificate or passport, refugee permit, asylum seeker permit, permanent residence permit or study permit • Proof of home address • Proof of work address • Latest Grade Seven school report (Grade Eight applicants only) • Clinic card/immunisation report (Grade One applicants only) All required documents must either be uploaded online onto the online admissions system or must be submitted to all schools selected by applicants. When submitting physically, ensure all documents are certified and accurate. Proof of home address is the most important document when applying. Parents are urged to submit additional information relating to proof address as requested by schools. Certified copies of the following documents are accepted as proof of home address: • Homeowners: Municipal account not older than three months in the name of the applicant parent bearing the full residential address • Tenants/renters: Municipal account not older than three months in the name of the landlord (homeowner) bearing the full physical residential address, and the lease agreement signed by landlord and tenant, not older than three months bearing the full physical residential address, and rental payment slip with full physical residential address not older than three months, and statement of any account in the name of the applicant parent bearing the full physical residential address SMSes with placement offers will be sent to parents from October 16. Applicants who may not have access to internet or resources required to apply can visit any one of the walk-in centres located across 15 education districts where officials will safely assist with applications. The GDE head office and all 15 district offices and schools will serve as walk-in centres. For more information, call 0800 000 789, WhatsApp 060 891 0361, email gdeinfo@ or visit At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
#TwoBits: Trump vs Ramaphosa White House showdown raises reasonable questions
After a brief cold spell, the Transkei coast has been bathed in warm sunshine for the last few days and life here is as calm and unhurried as when we lived in these parts nearly 50 years ago. I had to make a conscious choice to find a television to watch the shootout in the OK Corral at the White House. President Ramaphosa and his PR team of Johann Rupert and golfers were falling over themselves to prove to Trump and the world that SA is doing just fine, thank you. It may be the crime capital of the world, but there's no genocide, so don't believe the naysayers like Afriforum and the 49 'Boers'. As SA's richest man, Rupert needs to catch a wakeup. He wants us to believe he sleeps with his doors unlocked? Ja sure, in the secure estate of Leopard Creek behind razor wire and security patrols, not in Ballito or Nkobongo or Stanger Manor where real people live. Genocide there may not be, but living in constant fear of becoming victims, as most citizens do, is not considered normal by most of the world. Donald Trump is not picky about being correct on details. He makes broad statements, often inaccurate. His tactic is to destabilise his adversaries, throw them off balance, and attack. And attack he did. Not brutally like he did to Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky, but by shoving Julius Malema's 'Kill the Boer' and the display of white crosses representing murdered farmers alongside a road outside Newcastle, firmly in Cyril Ramaphosa's face. Ramaphosa had no response. He floundered with the weak story that the song is protected by freedom of speech. 'Why hasn't that man been arrested?' Trump asked. Good point. Nobody at the top in government has said they disapprove of the song. The courts may have said it's okay, but then the law is an ass. It is morally wrong to go around stirring hatred. Make no mistake, that is what Malema intends to do by singing it. By refusing to condemn it, Ramaphosa's ANC is saying they approve it. Well, they're not reading the room. The world doesn't like it. So the real question is, why is Trump hellbent on belittling South Africa? Surely we're a little country of no consequence? Not quite. Our sins are many. First, we're far too pally with America's arch enemy, Iran. The Iran that sponsors Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran that wants to be a nuclear power. The Houthis that are disrupting shipping in the Red Sea and the Hamas that we're so keen to defend in the International Court of Justice. The world also suspects that Iran funds the ANC. Second, we sit astride the vital trade route around Africa. There's no threat to world shipping just yet, but who knows what the future holds if South Africa is allowed to continue on its reckless path? Which segues into the third reason, that we're also too pally with Russia and China. Remember we held naval exercises with China not too long ago. Many media observers have trumpeted that the White House meeting was a resounding success for SA. Based on what, I don't know. There has been no public shift in relations, no lifting of tariffs, no recommitment to the Agoa trade treaty. Maybe Elon Musk's Starlink will get a leg up but all that fuss wasn't just for Starlink. The real benefit to all South Africans, in my mind, is that Trump provided a stage for the airing of SA's problems to the world. The politicians now know that the world is watching them. They need to think twice before just going their merry old way. *** I am pleased to announce that I have found the perfect fried egg. Ordering a fried egg is a hit-and-miss business. I like them medium, not runny, not hard, just soft in the middle. And mostly they are cooked in over-hot oil, so the edge gets a burnt, frilly lace. Confession: I can't fry an egg myself without it looking like a road accident. For that reason I mostly just order scrambled eggs, 'cos who can mess that up? Well, at Wavecrest Hotel in Southern Transkei Wild Coast, where the welcome is friendly and the staff lovely, their magician of a chef produces a perfect medium fried egg, every time. Picture above to prove it. Well done, Wavecrest! Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
3 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
'No doubt there's a white genocide' – Oscar Pistorius's father
Henke Pistorius, the father of Oscar Pistorius, claims that there is a targeted 'white genocide' against white farmers in South Africa. This statement follows discussions about these genocide claims during a meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump at the White House. In an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored , Henke claimed that white farmers were being specifically targeted, and he also touched on his relationship with Oscar Pistorius. 'No doubt, no doubt about that and unfortunately, no farmer is in a position that they can rely on a kind of protection from authorities or police,' Pistorius said when asked if there was a white genocide. 'Well, you just have to look at the figures and compare the figures of murders amongst white farmers with any group internationally and you see for yourself where that fits in.' During the interview, Piers Morgan referenced South African crime statistics from the police, stating that 26,000 people were killed, and out of that number, only 44 deaths occurred in the farming community. Pistorius claimed that the police crime statistics were inaccurate. 'If you want to get the correct figures, you should speak to organisation like Afriforum,' Pistorius added. When asked about his relationship with his son, Henke revealed that his relationship with the disgraced athlete was strained. 'I am already in trouble with Oscar as I'm sitting here, because I said too much,' Pistorius said. 'We don't [speak regularly] because he knows how I feel. To him, he's guilty of murder because of the process that he's gone through. The facts just do not support a finding of guilty of murder.' On 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria. A year later, he was initially found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison This conviction was then overturned by South Africa's Supreme Court in 2016, which instead found him guilty of murder and extended his sentence by a further six years. Pistorius was released from prison on parole in January 2024. 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.
eNCA
22-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Why did you not arrest that man?
JOHANNESBURG - Plenty of talking points coming out of yesterdays historic meeting between president Cyril Ramaphosa and US president Donald Trump. One of the issues, as predicted was the claims of 'White Genocide' taking place in South Africa. Ramaphosa and his delegation that included businessman Johann Rupert and golfer Ernie Els all responded to the issue, saying it's not only white farmers being killed, but all races of people. Trump played the video of EFF Leader Julius Malema singing the 'Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer. The Constitutional Court has dismissed Afriforum's attempts to have the song banned.
Bloomberg
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Fringe White Afrikaners See How Lobbying of Trump Can Work
The fringe group that planted the seed for some of Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims that South Africa is persecuting White farmers saw years of lobbying US politicians pay off. At a meeting in the Oval Office, the US president lambasted his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, in what the foreign delegation called a 'well-orchestrated, well-planned' ambush. It all began with Trump asking for a video to be played that echoed the output of Afriforum, a White Afrikaners rights group that met with his allies during his first term.
