#Back2School Special: The focus is on education and some of the initiatives that can help young people excel in school and also prepare them for tertiary or life after Grade 12. Perhaps they can motivate you too to make a positive contribution in your community

Established in 2014, Phakamani Young Minds Academy is a non-profit organisation providing academic assistance to learners throughout their schooling career – from foundation phase right up to their final year of secondary schooling. They operate in Freedom Park and Eldorado Park

Guest: Bokang Mokoena, Founder, Phakamani Young Minds Academy

They focus on after-school tutoring that enhances content knowledge through reinforcing work done by educators in classrooms, the provision of extra lessons, homework supervision, exam preparation, extramural activities and facilitating learning in a safe environment. Supporting learners with little help at home, PYMA ensures that like other students, all our beneficiaries submit completed homework at school.
They also provide access to post-school opportunities (such as tertiary education, learnerships and employment) to matriculants who require it, as well as encourage them to return and help others do the same

#Back2School Special: How do we best approach this academic year?

Life coach and speaker Thabo Magano is urging society to discard the idea that a matric fail or not getting the perfect marks is permanent failure.

“We need to remove the permanency of the moment and do away with the idea that if you fail matric you did not achieve the entry level to life”
 
Affectionately known as Coach T, Magano works with high school and university students offering life coaching, transformational talks, individual and group tutoring and also hosts educational and subject enrichment workshops

#Back2School Special: The focus is on education and some of the initiatives that can help young people excel in school and also prepare them for tertiary or life after Grade 12

We talk to movers and shakers within the education sector….PSconnect is an easy to use online system that connects high school learners to over 450 universities, TVET colleges as well as funding schemes around the country; exposing learners to careers, funds and courses in post-secondary education. 

Guest: Thabiso Ramadiba, Co- Founder PS Connect and PS Foundation

As an  Edutech expert, Thabiso engages in topics surrounding education such as late applications, matric results, career guidance, fees must fall, etc.

PS Foundation, in partnership with corporations, offer an innovative rural career development programme for Grade 8-12 Learners as well as the youth  from disadvantaged communities in which these corporations operate in.  These programmes –which run annually- aim to promote community development and sustainability by increasing the number of employable and skilled graduates to access and localize jobs opportunities within their respective communities and abroad. 

Since 2018, the rural career development programme has assisted 5000 learners in various provinces such as Limpopo, Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape as well as the Western Cape. The program has been impactful by enabling 70% of learners to further their studies after high school.

Friends, former colleagues and family of the late businessman icon Richard Maponya gathered at the Rosebank Union Church in Rosebank for his memorial service. Maponya died on Monday morning at a hospital in Johannesburg after a short illness at the age of 99. He started his business empire in Soweto in the 1950's. Maponya's business interests included retail stores, car dealerships and property development. Here is how his nephew William Maponya remembers him....

Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was buried in his hometown of Kerman earlier today, just hours after Iran attacked two Iraqi military bases that house US troops in retaliation for the US airstrike that killed him. Soleimani was killed by a drone strike in Baghdad on Friday in a dramatic escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran. We spoke to Na'eem Jeenah, Executive Director of the Afro- Middle East Centre in Johannesburg, He is currently in Iran.

eNCA Statement:

eNCA has parted company with its Director of News Kanthan Pillay with immediate effect. This follows outrage and condemnation after a tweet he posted.

The tweet does not represent the views of e-Media Investments and the channel.

After intense overnight investigation and consultation, the channel decided it had no alternative but to end its relationship with him. Although he was acting in an individual capacity and his posting was unsolicited, he was nonetheless a senior member of staff and the channel believes there was no room for any other outcome and that damage control was imperative.

Serious allegations have also been levelled at eNCA about Pillay’s censorship of stories and his management style. The channel takes the allegations of censorship very seriously. To that end eNCA is co-operating fully with the SA National Editors Forum that has requested clarity.
The channel will be appointing an external expert to investigate these claims.

Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Maggs says: “All news organisations have one currency and that is credibility. It is clear this negative attention has adversely affected eNCA’s reputation and credibility. However with the talented and dedicated staff we have, I believe the channel can recover. Right now our immediate priorities are to mend strained relationships and to rebuild credibility with its audience and other stakeholders as soon as possible.”

We speak to eNCA's former Political Journalist Samkele Maseko on Update At Noon

Eastern Cape Traditional Affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha has expressed shock at the CRL Rights Commission's declaration to shut down 15 initiation schools in four regions of the province. CRL Rights Commission Chairperson David Mosoma has called on communities to help put an end to non-compliant initiation schools. 24 initiates have already died in the current summer season. We speak to MEC Nqatha

Former Lily Mine workers near Barberton in Mpumalanga, who went underground to search for the bodies of the three workers who remain trapped, say it will take them at least about four months to retrieve their bodies. Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyarenda and Yvonne Mnisi were trapped underground when the mine collapsed three years ago. Families of the workers have been camping near the mine in an attempt to push government to assist in the situation. We speak to our Reporter Mthobisi Mkhaliphi….

Eskom is implementing Stage 4 rotational load shedding which is expected to continue until 11pm tonight. This follows Eskom implementing Stage 6 load shedding last night after power supply to the incline conveyors feeding coal to the silos at Medupi power station failed. This resulted in a loss of a number of units while flooding at both Kriel mine and the power station located in Mpumalanga led to no coal deliveries via the conveyor belt. We speak to Director General for the Department of Public Enterprises, Kgathatso Tlhakudi..

Meanwhile The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen says there is more to the issue of loadshedding than what meets the eye.

However, Eskom’s Chief Operations Officer Jan Oberholzer says there is no need for the country to panic. He says Eskom has to reduce the demand of the country when it is required because Eskom has to protect the integrity of the electrical network at all times in order to avoid bigger problems in the future. Our economic reporter Liabo Setho spoke to him

Interestingly, The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) has called for an immediate release of available wind power into the national grid. Wind Energy Association CEO, Ntombifuthi Ntuli says operational wind energy plants have excess capacity of about 500Mega Watts which is available immediately.

Founder and Chief Executive of Pan-African Investment and Research, Dr Iraj Abedian says the longer government focuses on rescuing Eskom the more the economy will weaken, more jobs will be lost and brand SA will suffer.

ANC veteran and former parliamentarian Ben Turok has passed away at the age of 92 this morning. His family has just confirmed the news. We speak to Turok's son, Professor Ivan Turok