Latest news with #Soca
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maryland's Longest Running Reggae Festival Returns with a New Name!
Summer Soca Festival Ticket Sales Open to the Public MOUNT AIRY, Md., May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Linganore Winecellars opens public ticket sales for their newly named festival, the Summer Soca Wine & Music Festival (previously the Summer Reggae Wine & Music Festival) to be held on July 19th and July 20th, 2025. The Maryland Winery believes this shift better portrays the musical offerings and general vibe of their sensational summer festival. Eric Aellen, Vice President and Vineyard Manager, reflects on the name change of the festival, saying "The decision to change the name of our reggae festival was a tough one. It is our longest running festival here at Linganore Winecellars, but over the years our dedicated festival goers have enjoyed the more upbeat dance-oriented Soca. Our wines have always reflected summer fun, and we want to continue this in the parties we host. Please come and enjoy!" Tickets are available for purchase via with various ticket options such as early gate access, general admission, and VIP tickets. Optional discounts are also available for active and retired military, designated drivers, and children ages 18-20. Children under 18 are free. Tickets include live performances by local bands and DJ Sprang International, authentic island cuisine, local artisan vendors, and tastings of 19 Linganore wines and multiple Red Shedman beers. Linganore recommends the use of Tixel for anyone looking to sell their already purchased tickets, or for guests looking to purchase tickets that have sold out. Tickets are available to purchase at: Linganore Winecellars is a 49-year-old family-owned business. As the largest family owned winery in Maryland, they are proud to be the champion of east coast wine festivals since the 1970's. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Linganore Winecellars
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Food, Wine & Fête is bringing Caribbean culture to Virginia Key this weekend
Get a taste of the Caribbean without leaving South Florida at the annual (and all-inclusive!) Food, Wine & Fête festival, which returns to Miami's Historic Virginia Key Beach Park this Saturday, May 17. The culinary and cultural extravaganza will celebrate the feel and flavors of the islands, with signature dishes and cooking demonstrations from renowned Caribbean chefs and culinary creatives, as well as Soca music, rum-splashed cocktails and good vibes aplenty. Among this year's featured tastemakers are Emmy Award-winning chef Simeon Hall, Jr., Troy Tingling, Kimesha Chong, Myriam Charles, Paul Griffith and Christian Barruos-Brens. From 5pm to 11pm on Saturday, attendees can feast their way down "Foodie Avenue", lined with local vendors offering authentic Caribbean specialties; sip and savor handcrafted cocktails and fine Caribbean spirits from the fest's spirits partners and signature bars; and potentially take home exclusive getaways to your favorite Caribbean islands from the event's partnering tourism boards. The festivities will cap off with a one-of-a-kind drone show, powered by LunaLite Drone Show Technologies, for an epic and illuminating finale. General admission tickets will get you all of the above but if you really want to splash out, you can opt for a VIP experience which will include a live chef sampling and tasting from South Florida restaurateurs, a private bar, a Prosecco pop-up with free-flowing bubbly, a grazing table of tasty Caribbean bites, premium cigars and swag like flip-flops, fedoras and a signature branded Food, Wine & Fete goblet. "Vanessa James and Marcos Rodriguez envisioned their beloved Food, Wine, and Fete experience in 2018 with a heartfelt mission to honor their Caribbean roots and showcase the immense talent of the vibrant diaspora," reads the event's website. "Infused with a deep love for carnival, Soca music, the rich tapestry of the islands and its flavorful cuisine, Food, Wine, and Fete was born—a celebration of all things uniquely Caribbean."
IOL News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC factionalism rears its head in Johannesburg
ANC Greater Johannesburg secretary Sasabona Manganye says the region is avoiding factionalism. Picture: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers Image: Timothy Bernard The ANC in the greater Johannesburg region has been thrust into factionalism and divisions after its chairperson and mayor, Dada Morero, delivered his State of the City Address (Soca) on Wednesday. Senior party members are aggrieved, claiming that Morero delivered the speech without consulting them. Disgruntled sources within the party have criticised Morero, saying he is running the organisation like a dictator and has single-handedly run down Johannesburg. "He has continued to make promises when the people of Johannesburg are looking for action…we have been saying to the organisation that he is not fit but they do not listen, now we are expressing our dissatisfaction to the media," one source said. However, another senior member attributed these claims to the upcoming regional elective conference, dismissing it as factionalism and to those that did not want Morero as chairperson and mayor. "Where have you ever heard of party members criticising their own party? Our comrades lack discipline and content…We are in a situation where we have lost the Metro because of the continuing internal fighting. This must stop," the insider said. Efforts to reach ANC regional spokesperson, Masilo Serekele, were unsuccessful. However, regional Secretary Sasabona Manganye had previously acknowledged that factionalism has always been a challenge in the organisation but that the conference preparations were being conducted organisationally, without consideration for factional divisions. "Factionalism has always been a challenge in the organisation, and unfortunately, it is something we are still battling to defeat," Manganye said. "In Johannesburg, historically, branches have rejected factional slates of leadership." "The preparations processes are done organisationally, and no considerations of any divisions or factional groupings," Manganye had said. The ANC Johannesburg region is preparing for its upcoming elective conference, scheduled to take place from June 20 to 22 this year. It was previously indicated that the elective conference is expected to be highly contested, with two candidates vying for the position of chairperson. 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 ✕ Meanwhile, ActionSA's City of Johannesburg Chief Whip, Lebo Madukanene, has slammed Morero's Soca, calling it "long on nostalgia and short on substance". Madukanene accused the Mayor of painting a picture of optimism that is not recognisable to the people living in Johannesburg's seven regions. She said that the Mayor's address was "full of high-level targets and bureaucratic jargon, but without any accountability for decaying infrastructure, mushrooming informal settlements, and the daily indignities suffered by residents". Madukanene accused Morero of downplaying the city's issues or attributing them to external forces, ignoring the City's own mismanagement. "The Mayor conveniently ignored the electricity surcharge—a burden placed on residents already battling inflation and load-shedding," Madukanene said.
Daily Maverick
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Five key takeaways, including a ‘bomb squad', from the Joburg State of the City Address
A month after President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the decaying City of Gold, Mayor Dada Morero announced a turnaround plan that includes a 'bomb squad'. Under pressure to deliver, City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Executive Mayor Dada Morero delivered his maiden State of the City Address (Soca) on Wednesday, acknowledging the complex challenges his administration has been grappling with and his priorities for reform. 'Our challenges are complex,' he said, 'and we don't have infinite resources. Alone, we will not solve these challenges. For instance, the city is not financially stable, infrastructure is decaying and service delivery backlogs have reversed the gains we have made. Covid-19 alone set us back by 10 years.' Here are five takeaways. Jozi's 'bomb squad' One of the major announcements made by the mayor was the introduction of a high-power implementation impact team known as the 'bomb squad', which will be led by ANC veteran Snuki Zikalala. While perhaps more commonly associated with the Springbok forwards who come off the bench en masse, the mayor explained his strategy in military terms. 'In military language, a bomb squad has the responsibility of examining and removing bombs that are found and to prevent them from exploding. This CoJ bomb squad must remove constraints that [are] impacting on the city's ability to create the Joburg we want to see,' said Morero. The team's introduction is part of the city's turnaround plan aimed at revitalising Joburg's economy, improving service delivery and ensuring the city's financial sustainability. The plan comes a month after President Cyril Ramaphosa paid an official visit to the city (of which he is a resident) and didn't like what he found. The visit was part of a government intervention aimed at arresting Joburg's decline in service delivery. Ramaphosa's trip came as the city grapples with governance failures, financial mismanagement, crumbling infrastructure, crime, lawlessness and unreliable service delivery. The state of Joburg was a key concern for Ramaphosa as the city will host the G20 Summit in November. In his address, Morero also announced his administration's intention to invest in neglected areas to fix infrastructure problems and make these communities economically stronger. The city has set aside R3.03-billion in the Medium-Term Revenue Expenditure Framework to improve eight of the most underserved areas: Diepsloot, Southern Farms, Ivory Park/Kaalfontein, Orange Farm, Soweto, Riverlea, Zandspruit and Eldorado Park. Zikalala is a straight-talking ANC leader who hasn't been afraid to call out corruption. His bomb squad, combined with the intervention team from Operation Vulindlela, could provide an extra layer of impetus and accountability to address the city's challenges. Water cuts Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Morero's address was his focus on water, or, more accurately, his lack of focus. The water cuts that plagued the city for much of 2024 have eased, and Joburg has a water turnaround strategy that's been welcomed by civil society, but as Dr Ferrial Adam of WaterCAN told Daily Maverick's Ferial Haffajee, not enough is being done to fix its 20 broken reservoirs. On Wednesday, Morero committed to 'building resilience and reliability in water security through Joburg Water, which commands the largest average capital allocation. This programme is delivering a series of large-scale interventions aimed at securing Johannesburg's water future.' He noted the R40.3-million project to build the new 10-megalitre Carlswald Reservoir, but did not elaborate on the city's key water problems — ageing infrastructure and rampant leaks — except for mentioning that it would use AI to help detect leaks. While the water crisis appears to have been temporarily averted, Morero's lack of focus on the issue could be concerning for residents who continue to face interruptions in supply. Inner city revitalisation The inner city is crucial for South Africa's richest metro and its 4.8 million residents. Morero's administration intends to prioritise the revitalisation of the inner city, which was once vibrant but has become run down, with hijacked and abandoned buildings as well as concerns over crime. At the core of the city's major development plan is the inner city revitalisation project, which aims to upgrade infrastructure, renovate abandoned buildings, improve street lighting and bring safety and dignity back to the city's centre. 'This investment will unlock mixed-income housing, attract commercial tenants and reignite the economy of the Central Business District (CBD). Key precincts such as Marshalltown, Jeppestown, Hillbrow and Braamfontein will benefit from this multilayered programme. 'The inner city is not just being restored, but we are transcending the so-called urbicide. It is being repositioned as the economic epicentre of the Gauteng city-region. We are reclaiming the inner city. This is personal,' said Morero. Inner city revitalisation has been high on the agenda during the terms of the many Joburg administrations in recent years, but there's been little to show for it. The Lilian Ngoyi Street explosion and its delayed rebuild, as well as the Usindiso fire, are but two examples of how bad the situation is. There have been pockets of improvement, including Braamfontein and Hillbrow, but Morero will have to present tangible plans and reverse the inner city's rapid decline to make it attractive to visitors and, more importantly, livable for its many residents. Electricity tariffs Electricity issues affect residents across the city who continue to face frequent outages and high electricity tariffs. The recent introduction of the R200 surcharge fee has only added to the problem, and electricity costs under City Power are scheduled to increase by 12.74% this year. While Morero's administration had previously promised to reverse the R200 fee, he did not address this on Wednesday, only acknowledging the struggles of industrial customers. 'The city is aware of the high electricity tariffs our customers are paying, especially industrial customers. These customers are major employers in our city and we need to support them so they are sustainable and financially viable. Through City Power, we will provide a relief tariff option to our industrial customers,' said Morero. That will provide little solace for residents already buckling under the pressure of the increased cost of living and repeated outages due to City Power's aged infrastructure. Morero said the city was trying to reduce its reliance on Eskom, and last year had unveiled a recommissioned open-cycle gas turbine at the John Ware Substation, which would add 50MW to the grid. 'The big idea aims to reduce our reliance on generating capacity from Eskom. This new energy mix is designed to relieve the pressure on Eskom,' said Morero. The mayor said R296-million had been allocated to connect informal areas in Diepsloot, Orange Farm, Ivory Park and Kya Sands to the grid. 'This initiative will provide safe and legal electricity access to thousands of households, integrating them into the urban energy system and laying the groundwork for service upgrades and formalisation. The programme also supports the city's energy transition, through complementary investments in substation upgrades and energy efficiency retrofits,' said Morero. City Power said it connected 2,675 households in informal settlements in the 2023/24 financial year, above the target of 2,500. According to the 2022 census, 94.1% of households in Joburg had access to electricity for lighting. Waste infrastructure Waste disposal and collection were still a headache for many Joburg residents, said Morero. To solve this, the city is working on improving Pikitup's landfill sites and waste systems to help Johannesburg move toward a circular economy. The plan includes upgrading landfill sites at Goudkoppies, Marie Louise and Robinson Deep, setting up material recovery facilities and biodigesters, and getting a new waste collection fleet to improve services across the city. In April, News24 reported that the lifespan of the city's Ennerdale and Marie Louise landfills would end this year when they reach capacity, while Robinson Deep and Goudkoppies would reach capacity in 2026. It's unclear how much time the upgrades will give Pikitup before it has to find new sites. DM
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
'Drastic times call for drastic measures': Johannesburg Mayor unveils turnaround plan
City of Joburg Mayor Dade Morero has promised, during his state of the city address, to revamp the city after President Cyril Ramaphosa voiced disappointment over its state. Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has unveiled a turnaround plan aimed at revitalising the city's economy, improving service delivery, and ensuring financial sustainability. The plan, which was presented during the State of the City Address (Soca) on Wednesday, seeks to address the city's challenges through a series of drastic measures. Morero has been under fire in recent months after opposition parties demanded answers for the state of the Johannesburg city center, that has become a shadow of itself with high crime and a state of decay. It has been nearly two years since a gas explosion tore down Bree Street, now known as Lilian Ngoyi Street, in central Johannesburg but it has yet to be fixed, prompting opposition parties to demand answers as to why the street's rehabilitation has stalled. The city closed the street after the blast forced some businesses to shut down when the road caved in leaving a series of ditches. Morero delivered his addressed under a cloud after the DA in Johannesburg, merely hours before the Soca, tabled a motion of no confidence against Morero, and the Speaker of the Johannesburg City Council, Nobuhle Mthembu, asking them to resign after failing the residents of the metro. However during his Soca, Morero emphasised the need for extreme actions to resolve the city's challenges, saying "drastic times call for drastic measures". "We must behave in an unusual manner so that we can see and yield different results," he said. His plan includes several key components, such as economic growth where he aims to achieve an average GDP growth rate of 3% over the next five years through the addition of an economic workstream within the Presidential Support Package. Morero emphasised the importance of efficient service delivery, citing progress made by the Service Delivery War Room established in March 2025. He said the war room had led to a decline in service delivery protests and improved collaboration between government departments and state-owned entities. Morero also said for financial sustainability, the city plans to overhaul its revenue collection approach to improve liquidity. This includes robust revenue collection from large consumers of electricity and water and daily monitoring of cash flow by senior managers, with a target of collecting at least R200 million daily. Lilian Ngoyi in Johannesburg (formerly Bree Street) was hit by a gas explosion two years ago. Jo'burg mayor Dada Morero, during his state of the city address promised to revamp the street. Image: File / Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers He also vowed to zoom in on infrastructure development where the metro would invest in infrastructure projects, such as the Northern-Farms Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is expected to generate economic benefits, create jobs and stimulate local businesses. To ensure the successful implementation of the turnaround plan, Morero announced the establishment of a high-power implementation impact team known as the "Bomb Squad". This team, led by ANC stalwart Dr Snuki Zikalala, will be responsible for removing constraints that impact the city's ability to create a better Johannesburg. Morero urged residents to play their part in making Johannesburg a functional, vibrant, livable, and resilient city. He emphasised the importance of working together to ensure that no one is left behind and encouraged residents to support revenue collection initiatives and comply with city by-laws. During the presentation of his plan, Morero sent an email to President Ramaphosa that contained his full turnaround plan with loud cheers from the councillors attending the Soca. Ramaphosa had been critical of the state Johannesburg during his visit earlier this year, saying that it was in a bad state and needed to be prioritised. This prompted Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Morero to apologise to the president. [email protected]
