The time of the year when high volumes of people prepare to return to their home countries through the Beitbridge Border Post has come around again. Traffic is known to stretch for kilometres from the border to Musina over the December holidays, while crime escalates considerably.

Residents of Louis Trichardt and Tshikota must brace themselves for more water shortages after criminals vandalised the Albasini raw water plant on Wednesday evening, 1 December.

Environmentalists celebrated this week after the Chinese government confirmed that it has withdrawn its funding of the 3GW coal-fired power station for the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ). This follows an announcement by Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in September this year that the Chinese government was ending its funding of overseas coal projects. The promoters of the MMSEZ, however, said that they were unfazed by this development and had even welcomed the announcement.

The election of a new mayor for the Makhado Municipality was delayed for several hours on Tuesday while the infighting among the local ANC factions continued. Apparently only after strict instructions were issued from the ANC’s provincial and national executive was the former mayor, Samuel Munyai, re-elected.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) have confirmed that they are investigating the circumstances around the construction of the D959 road leading from Louis Trichardt to the Makhado Air Force Base. The road started to disintegrate within weeks after supposedly being upgraded and resurfaced.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused economic challenges in numerous sectors across the world, with the countless job losses probably being the most worrying result thereof. Another serious problem that has ensued from it in South Africa, though, is delays in the completion of many key projects that are supposed to benefit the country. One such project is the Musina Ring Road, which is currently under construction to the west of Musina town.

Dave van Graan needs no introduction locally, but for those who do not know whom we are referring to – that guy who takes to the road every now and again in his "kilt" and hat, dragging his overloaded, self-improvised two-wheel cart for miles and sleeping next to the road? That is Dave. And no, he is not a homeless man, as a few have (whisperingly) referred to him in passing during his expeditions.

Die Konstitusionele Hof het Vrydag uitspraak gelewer in die Venda koningskapsaak - ‘n oorwinning vir die jong prinses Masindi Mphephu en nog ‘n terugslag vir die waarnemende koning en uiters omstrede Toni Mphephu-Ramabulana. Vrydag se oorwinning was egter ook ‘n besonderse pluimpie vir ‘n prokureursfirma van Louis Trichardt wat die saak al vir bykans ‘n dekade namens die prinses veg.

Motorists using the newly “revamped” D959 road between Louis Trichardt and AFB Makhado passing through Kutama and Sinthumule are appalled at the poor condition of the road after it was rehabilitated at a cost of R8 million. The road has started crumbling, with gaping potholes leaving serious question marks regarding the shoddy work delivered by the contractor.

The Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister of defence, Kobus Marais (MP), has said that he would be asking the Minister of Defence, Thandi Modise, to probe allegations of large-scale bribing of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members along the Zimbabwean border. This follows a Carte Blanche exposé on Sunday that showed SANDF soldiers seemingly accepting bribes from persons wishing to leave or enter the country illegally, as well as smuggling goods across the border.

Wat baie mense seker sou beskou as onsinnig is die enigste ding wat die 60-jarige Patrick Styles van Koster in Noordwes in sy lewe as van waarde beskou ... om met sy kruis op sy skouers deur die lengte en breedte van Suid-Afrika te stap en mense te vertel van die Here se liefde.

‘n Fratsongeluk het die afgelope week die lewe geëis van die altyd-vriendelike Attie Jonker (60) van Louis Trichardt. Attie was welbekend omdat hy altyd almal gegroet het terwyl hy die dorp platgetrap het op sy fiets.