Latest news with #R220
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Regional event attracts Mopani runners
LIMPOPO – Nkowankowa Athletics Club, in partnership with African Realty Trust (ART), is calling on running enthusiasts to take part in the upcoming Youth Marathon Challenge on Saturday, June 28, at the scenic Letaba Estate Citrus Farm, located between Tarantaalrand and Letaba Hospital. This exciting event offers something for everyone, from experienced athletes to first-time participants. Race categories include a 21.1km half marathon, a 10km run/walk, a 5km fun run, and a 1-mile (1.6km) dash especially for young runners. Participants will enjoy a beautiful course that winds through citrus orchards and open countryside, crossing the Letaba River. The route consists of tarred roads and smooth gravel paths, offering a safe and enjoyable experience for all. The terrain is mostly flat, with a few gentle hills and slopes, making it ideal for both seasoned runners and beginners. Online registration is open at and will close on Monday, June 16. The first 400 entrants in the 21.1km and 10km events will receive a free race shirt. Entry fees are as follows: R220 for the 21.1km half marathon (minimum age: 16) R150 for the 10km run/walk (minimum age: 14) R70 for the 5km fun run (participants must be 9 years or older) All licensed athletes must wear valid licence numbers on the front and back of their vests. Runners using temporary licences must display the temporary number on the back of the vest. Temporary licences will be available at a cost of R50 each. All participants must also wear an official race number on the front, and runners aged 40 and above must display age category tags on both the front and back of their vests. Water stations will be available every 3 kilometres, and medical support will be on standby throughout the event. The official prize-giving ceremony will take place at 09:00. Any race appeals must be submitted to the organisers within 30 minutes of finishing, along with a R500 appeal fee. For more information, contact the race organisers at 015 304 4000 or 082 736 1361. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Action star Tom Cruise pledges to keep the adrenaline going
Tom Cruise, the ageless Hollywood action man, has just delivered news that will thrill fans. At the New York premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning , Cruise declared he has no plans to retire from acting. Not now, not ever. In fact, the 62-year-old superstar insists he'll keep making movies well past his 100th birthday. 'I will never stop,' Cruise told The Hollywood Reporter . 'I will never stop doing action, I will never stop doing drama, comedy films — I'm excited.' Tom Cruise says he's inspired by Harrison Ford, who is still acting at 80 years old. 'I actually said I'm going to make movies into my 80s; actually, I'm going to make them into my 100s,' he joked. Tom Cruise's energy and passion are legendary, he's famous for doing his own stunts. The action star even broke his ankle leaping between skyscrapers in a previous Mission: Impossible film, according to Daily Mail. In this latest instalment, he wing-walks on a vintage biplane and performs a daring underwater sequence. 'How do I feel about fear? Oh, that's exciting. I like the feeling. It's not paralyzing, it doesn't bother me, I enjoy it,' Cruise explained. 'I wanted an interesting life that's very dynamic.' His secret? Preparation and competence. 'People say be careful. I say be competent. Strive towards being capable and look for what you can apply. When you apply it, it gets you the results that you want. It's a constant study.' Tom Cruise also brought Hollywood magic to South Africa when he filmed scenes for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning . He filmed across some of the country's most breathtaking locations. The action superstar and his crew shot dramatic sequences in places like Kruger National Park, Port Edward, and the majestic Drakensberg Mountains Tom Cruise's films have made over R220 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. The action star has been nominated for four Oscars, but the golden statue still eludes him. Yet, he's not bothered. 'There's been so many levels of reward with the filmmakers that I've collaborated with, the crews, the people, the cultures that we've worked in. Everything that I've learned and continue to learn about storytelling, about life, about leadership, about character and every aspect of filmmaking,' he said. 'It's been exceptional, it really is exceptional. I feel very fortunate to be able to make the films that I make and I love it. I love just making movies.' Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits South African cinemas on 23 May. Cruise's message to fans is clear: don't expect him to slow down. Not at 62, not at 80, and not even at 100. As he says, 'I will never stop.' 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
16-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
KZN Legislature vows to enhance oversight on struggling municipalities
Fed-up residents vent their anger against against poor service delivery. The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs(Cogta) said they will do everything possible through the avenues available to perform our oversight role on failing municipalities. Image: Boxer Ngwenya, The Star The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said they will do everything possible through the avenues available to perform an oversight role on failing municipalities. The KZN municipalities came under the spotlight over management issues and the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). The Auditor General South Africa (AGSA) presented the local government audit outcomes of the MFMA to Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) and the Portfolio Committee on Cogta, on Tuesday. Nomalungelo Mkhize, the AGSA Business Unit Leader in KZN, said they had seen an improvement in some of the municipalities but were concerned about their reliance on consultants which amounted to R220 million, down R20m from the previous financial years. Mkhize said irregular expenditure also decreased from R6.2 billion to R5.7bn. The AGSA gave a brief overview of the material irregularities that have been resolved, where appropriate action is being taken and where there was a process of assessing action. The AGSA also found that key infrastructure projects in the province were delayed because of poor management and some contractors were not qualified or capable of performing the required work leading to substandard work. Marlaine Nair, MPL: KZN Cogta portfolio committee chairperson, said each municipality is required to submit an annual performance report. Nair said that apart from the AGSA audit outcomes, these reports give them a clear picture of what is going on in municipalities. Nair said that Scopa and Cogta are limited in terms of oversight of municipalities. 'I have requested these for the portfolio committee and we will scrutinise them as part of our oversight role. We have to hold Cogta to account for failing municipalities,' Nair said. Kirsch Bezuidenhout, a senior legal advisor for Parliamentary Services, said that Scopa does not exercise any direct oversight over municipalities. Bezuidenhout said exercise of oversight extends to departments like Treasury and to Cogta who then in terms of the municipal pieces of legislation are supposed to exercise oversight over municipalities. He said each of these departments have different programs that are specialists in areas of how municipalities should function optimally. Verna Benjamin, Cogta legal advisor said Cogta exercises direct oversight over local government and the Cogta portfolio committee will coordinate these engagements and hold the provincial executive to account in respect of their oversight of these underperforming municipalities. Benjamin said they need to start with the annual performance plan of the department. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ 'We really need to engage and interrogate those department targets so that we can ensure that the end of the day there is going to be an improved achievement of targets as pertaining to the performance of municipalities," she said. 'The rationale here is to prevent these kinds of audit findings becoming repeated. While we strengthen our oversight over the department it will filter down to better performance in terms of the municipalities. Everybody wants to see a good outcome but we need to do so within our respective competencies. We want to see a turnaround strategy of ailing municipalities,' Benjamin stated.
IOL News
25-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Is your insurance cover adequate in a volatile rand environment?
Times are tough, geopolitical tensions are high in global markets, and South Africa is not immune. Continued pressure on- and depreciation of the rand – largely due to factors outside of our control – fuel fears and add financial strain to a struggling economy, which already needs to deal with successive VAT increases over the next two years. These developments have an impact on all business sectors, including the insurance industry. This is according to Ryno de Kock, head of distribution at PSG Insure, who unpacks how rand volatility and depreciation could be impacting your insurance cover, both from a business and personal insurance cover perspective. A weaker rand means imported goods cost more Most consumer goods in South Africa – including cars, electronic devices, and household appliances – are imported. 'A weaker rand means that all these items cost more – which in turn means that their replacement values increase. Insurance companies are likely to experience higher claim values as the rand depreciates and may in time have to increase insurance premiums to cover these,' says de Kock. Don't skimp on adequate cover While this is not good news for households and businesses already under pressure, it is crucial not to cut corners on financial protection. 'Global development aside, your home or business still has the same risks they did before. But the consequences of a loss that is inadequately covered by your policy will be more severe now. As the replacement costs of goods increase, it becomes more difficult – and in many cases impossible – to cover shortfalls out of your own pocket,' he says. Therefore, it is important to bear the impact of the depreciating rand in mind when reviewing your premiums and evaluating whether your cover is sufficient. Review your situation Have a look around your house, or your business. How many items are imported, and what will it cost to replace these if they must be replaced with a weaker rand? First on your list at home is probably your flat-screen TV, followed by your laptop and cell phone – but if you look more carefully, you'll find that almost every item would be more expensive to replace due to the weaker rand. 'At your business, the most obviously affected items will be trading stock, electronics and specialised machinery. The increasing cost of imported stock as the currency rapidly declines can be catastrophic for your business if you don't have contingency plans in place.' Calculate your costs Let's consider how a 10% decrease in the rand affects your insurance. Perhaps the estimated value of the home electronics included in your home contents insurance is around R200 000 but would now cost R220 000 to replace. Additionally, the increased cost of importing vehicle parts is another consideration. As de Kock suggests, 'The best way to protect yourself – or your business – is with a carefully thought through insurance plan that covers you at the full, present-day replacement cost of any items that may be lost or damaged.' Stay covered Most of us don't monitor the exchange rate daily, and it's only one of the many factors that could impact the adequacy of the insurance cover we have in place. This is where the expertise of a qualified short-term insurance adviser is invaluable. If you are unsure about your current level of cover or the replacement values accounted for in your policy, speak to your adviser and give yourself that additional peace of mind. 'Remember that you don't need to wait for your annual policy review to update your insured value and can do so more regularly – such as every six months or whenever you acquire something new that would increase the cover you need,' de Kock says. PERSONAL FINANCE
