Latest news with #MatomeChiloane
IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
The R13 million library in Orange Farm: A year of unfulfilled promises
The Drieziek Community Library has not seen opened its doors to the community since it was officially inaugurated by the Gauteng provincial government over a year ago. Image: Supplied A state-of-the-art R13 million public library in Drieziek, south of Johannesburg, opened by the Gauteng provincial government five days before the May 2024 national and provincial elections, remains unused. This emerged this week in correspondence sent by DA member of the Gauteng provincial legislature, Kingsol Chabalala, to the province's Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Matome Chiloane, demanding that the abandoned facility in Orange Farm be finally opened. Inside the Drieziek Community Library in Orange Farm. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Chabalala said construction of the library started in February 2014, with a total cost of over R13m. Chiloane's predecessor as Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC, Morakane Mosupyoe, who is now the speaker of the Gauteng provincial legislature, on May 24, 2024, officially opened the library five days before last year's elections on May 29. The DA is demanding answers on why the Drieziek Community Library has still not opened a year later. Image: Supplied It was scheduled to open to the public on May 27 and offer lending services (print and online), reference service and research support, study space and support with access to dedicated study areas and programme implementation, including reading development programmes such as the Battle of the Books and the Story Skirmish starting from July last year. Other promised offerings included e-learning programmes such as digital skills and basic coding for children of all ages, children's services, including homework assistance, story hours, and holiday programmes, as well as photocopying services. The Drieziek library was also meant to fulfil various community-centred roles, such as a community centre, which would be a place for learning, socialising, meetings, business, research, and education for children. There would be an entertainment space offering fiction, audiobooks, and online resources for community enjoyment, an empowerment centre providing digital skills training, reading and learning skills, and assistance with online job applications. Other services were a knowledge and information centre supporting lifelong learning through various print and online resources, an education space encouraging quiet reading, learning and research, and community discussions. However, Chabalala complained that a year later, it remains inaccessible and unbeneficial to Orange Farm residents, while funds are wasted on security and maintenance. He said that when the provincial legislature's Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation conducted an unannounced oversight visit on May 21 this year, members found only a security guard present. 'The DA has tabled questions in the legislature to Chiloane, to determine why this facility is closed to the public and inquire about the amount spent on security and maintenance,' said Chabalala, adding that residents were frustrated because they must commute to nearby townships to access libraries while their own is gathering dust.
The Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
Body of missing Joburg schoolgirl Likhona Fose, 14, found in veld
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane on Monday sent the department's psychosocial support team to offer trauma counselling to classmates and teachers who knew Likhona Fose, who was found murdered at the weekend. The 14-year-old grade 8 pupil at Ikusasalethu Secondary School in Braamfischerville, Johannesburg, is understood to have lived with her grandmother. She went missing on Saturday and her mutilated body was found in the veld at Durban Deep, Roodepoort, on Sunday. 'While police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding this brutal incident, we are devastated by Likhona's death during National Child Protection Week, where we raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in our constitution. 'As the department, we cannot begin to express how disheartened we are by the loss of Likhona, a young girl learner who had a bright future ahead of her. For her life to have been taken from her in such a brutal manner is unacceptable and we call on law enforcement authorities to speedily apprehend those responsible. 'We extend our sincerest condolences to the family and the school community of Ikusasalethu Secondary, assuring them we share their pain,' said Chiloane. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Pupil, 14, murdered, dismayed Gauteng MEC sends counsellors to school
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane on Monday sent the department's psychosocial support team to offer trauma counselling to classmates and teachers who knew Likhona Fose, who was found murdered at the weekend. The 14-year-old grade 8 pupil at Ikusasalethu Secondary School in Braamfischerville, Johannesburg, is understood to have lived with her grandmother. She went missing on Saturday and her mutilated body was found in the veld at Durban Deep, Roodepoort, on Sunday. 'While police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding this brutal incident, we are devastated by Likhona's death during National Child Protection Week, where we raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in our constitution. 'As the department, we cannot begin to express how disheartened we are by the loss of Likhona, a young girl learner who had a bright future ahead of her. For her life to have been taken from her in such a brutal manner is unacceptable and we call on law enforcement authorities to speedily apprehend those responsible. 'We extend our sincerest condolences to the family and the school community of Ikusasalethu Secondary, assuring them we share their pain,' said Chiloane.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Apply online for 2026 Grade 1 and 8 placements in Gauteng from July 24
Apply online for 2026 Grade 1 and 8 placements in Gauteng from July 24 The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced the 2026 Online Admissions for Grade One and Grade Eight Application Period, which will open on July 24 at 08:00 and close on August 29 at midnight. Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Matome Chiloane said it had been 10 years of online admissions. Since its introduction in 2015 in Gauteng, the GDE Online Admissions Application System has successfully assisted hundreds of thousands of parents and guardians in securing a space for their children entering Grade One and Grade Eight at Gauteng public schools. • This system has proven to be much more advanced than the previous manual application approach, which led to thousands of parents and guardians camping outside of certain schools, especially in high-pressure areas, for days when seeking placement. • Accordingly, the system has a 98% placement rate of all complete applications submitted online for 10 consecutive years up to and including the 2025 academic year, when close to 400 000 learners were placed. • For the 2026 academic year, the department intends to continue to ensure that all learners in the Gauteng Province are placed in schools based on reasonable, fair and just admissions criteria. Online admissions system The Online Admissions Application System was created with the intention to achieve the following objectives: • Easy online submission of Grade One and Grade Eight applications by parents and guardians from the comfort of their homes, offices or any one of the Decentralised Admissions Walk-in Centres across the province; • Queue elimination – eliminating the need for parents to wait in long queues at schools during application periods; • Timely placement – all learners are placed within specific timeframes using a sophisticated system; • Capacity-based placement – schools place learners according to their capacity, adhering to infrastructure norms and standards (learners are placed according to the admissions regulations and the school's entry grade capacity, adhering to infrastructure norms and standards); • Efficient management – streamlining of admissions processes across Gauteng; • Provision of accurate statistics for planning and reporting purposes; • Immediate access to data and statistics to facilitate a transparent admissions process; • Centralised database to inform resourcing needs across all functions. The process All parents and guardians in Gauteng with children going to Grade One and/or Grade Eight in the 2026 Academic year must apply online to be admitted to a Gauteng public school. • All applications for Grade One and Grade Eight learners will be processed through the GDE Online Admissions System only. • Parents and guardians applying for Grade One and Grade Eight must all apply during the application period (July 24 to August 29). • Parents must apply within the application period because schools become full and will not be available for late applications. Parents applying late do not have a wide choice of schools. • Entry grade for 2026 admissions is Grade One. • Parents with children who 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 your choice. 2026 online admissions application period To apply, parents and guardians must first register on: which will go live on July 24 at 08:00 for applications • Parents will not be able to access the system before it goes live on July 24. • All parents are expected to register, as previous login details will no longer be valid. • Only parents with children going to Grade One and/or Grade 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 on August 29 at midnight. • 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. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
4 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Online applications for 2026 Gauteng Grade 1 and 8 open on July 24
Online applications for 2026 Gauteng Grade 1 and 8 open on July 24 The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced the 2026 Online Admissions for Grade One and Grade Eight Application Period, which will open on July 24 at 08:00 and close on August 29 at midnight. Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Matome Chiloane said it had been 10 years of online admissions. Since its introduction in 2015 in Gauteng, the GDE Online Admissions Application System has successfully assisted hundreds of thousands of parents and guardians in securing a space for their children entering Grade One and Grade Eight at Gauteng public schools. • This system has proven to be much more advanced than the previous manual application approach, which led to thousands of parents and guardians camping outside of certain schools, especially in high-pressure areas, for days when seeking placement. • Accordingly, the system has a 98% placement rate of all complete applications submitted online for 10 consecutive years up to and including the 2025 academic year, when close to 400 000 learners were placed. • For the 2026 academic year, the department intends to continue to ensure that all learners in the Gauteng Province are placed in schools based on reasonable, fair and just admissions criteria. Online admissions system The Online Admissions Application System was created with the intention to achieve the following objectives: • Easy online submission of Grade One and Grade Eight applications by parents and guardians from the comfort of their homes, offices or any one of the Decentralised Admissions Walk-in Centres across the province; • Queue elimination – eliminating the need for parents to wait in long queues at schools during application periods; • Timely placement – all learners are placed within specific timeframes using a sophisticated system; • Capacity-based placement – schools place learners according to their capacity, adhering to infrastructure norms and standards (learners are placed according to the admissions regulations and the school's entry grade capacity, adhering to infrastructure norms and standards); • Efficient management – streamlining of admissions processes across Gauteng; • Provision of accurate statistics for planning and reporting purposes; • Immediate access to data and statistics to facilitate a transparent admissions process; • Centralised database to inform resourcing needs across all functions. The process All parents and guardians in Gauteng with children going to Grade One and/or Grade Eight in the 2026 Academic year must apply online to be admitted to a Gauteng public school. • All applications for Grade One and Grade Eight learners will be processed through the GDE Online Admissions System only. • Parents and guardians applying for Grade One and Grade Eight must all apply during the application period (July 24 to August 29). • Parents must apply within the application period because schools become full and will not be available for late applications. Parents applying late do not have a wide choice of schools. • Entry grade for 2026 admissions is Grade One. • Parents with children who 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 your choice. 2026 online admissions application period To apply, parents and guardians must first register on: which will go live on July 24 at 08:00 for applications • Parents will not be able to access the system before it goes live on July 24. • All parents are expected to register, as previous login details will no longer be valid. • Only parents with children going to Grade One and/or Grade 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 on August 29 at midnight. • 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. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
