KwaNgwanase Education Stakeholders Forum a huge success

The Forum has had a giant leap. Almost all the delegates agreed to assist in refining and developing education in our region. This has been seen as a first step to assist Learners with financial problems at the institutions of higher learning.

The forum intends to alleviate a number of educational related problems in this region. Different Governmental departments were represented i.e. NCS, Health, Social Development, Traditional healers, Principals of schools, Political Parties, Church Ministers, Officials from the Dept of Education, Teachers Unions and many more other departments who committed themselves in lending a hand.

The forum is a brainchild of Inkosi M.I. Tembe. It is a dream come true. It is now clear that there are so many people from Manguzi who spend time thinking much about our education in the area.


The Chairperson on behalf of the Forum extended words of thankfulness to all those who made the conference a success.

Mr Vibe secured a recording deal,

Mr Vibe aka Cebo Mthembu popurlaly known for his talents in Radio Broadcasting, Teaching, and Choir conducting and Mastering has now secured a recording deal. His new album would soon been on shelves. His forthcoming album is titled DONGWE LAMI. Uke wavela nakwi FAMILY BONDS, Kwi DVD ka Mjosty ethi UMPHATHISWA. He is really multitalented. Siyabangena.

Kentuky Fried Chicken (KFC) cooming soon eManguzi

KFC franchise would soon be cooming to Manguzi before the Fifa World Cup. Why not Chicken, eMabovini and formerly Dr Moodley's surgery building would soon be occupied by KFC Franchise. Infact it is long overdue, KFC should have occupied that building by February 2010. A lease was signed somewhere last year.

Manguzi drinking water the worst in the Country

A government report detailing the performance of the country’s drinking water quality management, has found that the Manguzi Area has the worse drinking water in the country. Among bad performers were uMkhanyakude District Municipality in KwaZulu Natal which scored 16% for the water quality in the Manguzi area in northern Zululand.

The top ten performers were eThekwini Municipality, City of Johannesburg, City of Cape Town, Bitou municipality, Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane and Mogale City, Kgatelopele, George and Dr J.S Moroka local municipality.However, nine municipal water authorities have snubbed government's water quality assessment programme. Another concern is that of 787 municipal water authorities assessed, only 38 obtained the Blue Drop for 2010.

Deputy Water Affairs Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi was quick to point out that the quality of water and water authorities that failed to obtain the Blue Drop status was not necessarily poor or unsafe to drink.

'Tap water must be safe'

In the 269-page report, the assessors said it was unfortunate that nine were found to portray a disregard for drinking water quality management when they chose not to adhere to the call to be assessed.Addressing the media before the report was made public, Mabudafhasi said her department would pay attention to the municipalities which were not assessed, saying that it was paramount that tap water was safe.

KwaNgwanase Education Stakeholder Forum 23-25 April 2010

Some concerned member of the community met to discuss Educational related problems in the area. More Learners in the area are faced with many problems i.e. poor matric results, placing learners in the institution of higher learning, Financial aid (Bursaries/Loans).

All these are problems that have been raised recently and they culminated towards the mobilization of the people of the area. A summit of some kind has been organized to deliberate on such critical issues in our district. This in due course would be forced to yield tentative solutions to these problems. Local people are urged to support this initiative since it has got a potential to bring about quality outcomes. The summitt would have an opening day on Friday 23 April 2010 at the Tribal Authority Hall. The business of the day would take place at Esicabazini Multipurpose Centre on Saturday 24 April 2010. For more on this keep peeping on www.manguzinews24.blogspot.com

Charlize Theron: Supporting Umkhanyakude Community

The first time I ever visited the Umkhanyakude district in South Africa was to celebrate the launch of the initial Mpilonhle mobile health unit, which my charity -- the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project -- helped to fund. Mpilonhle is an organization that provides innovative health and education programs to this rural district's schools and communities. Run by Dr. Michael Bennish, Mpilonhle uses mobile health units to treat individuals' medical, psychological, and sociological needs. This care would not otherwise be available in these areas due to the extreme level of poverty.

During this first trip, Dr. Bennish educated me on the challenges individuals face in the Umkhanyakude district. The statistics blew me away. For example, youth growing up in this region have a 50% chance of contracting HIV in their lifetime. 50%! How could that be? With all of the resources today, I found it heartbreaking that people in this country, in my home country, continue to face infection rates like this. Upon learning these facts, there was no question in my mind that my Africa Outreach Project was in the right place to lend our support, and we continue to work with Mpilonhle and their mobile health units.

The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project develops awareness, generates supporting funds, and participates in the enhancement of Mpilonhle's medical units and mobile computer labs. The beauty of the units is that they bring resources to communities that have no means of transportation and are miles away from health services. Mpilonhle's computer labs provide basic computer literacy to students and community members. Through the work CTAOP and Mpilonhle are doing together, many local individuals, especially children, are seeing doctors and experiencing technology for the very first time.

Over the last two-and-a-half years, I have seen Mpilonhle grow -- adding two additional mobile health units and now serving over 10,000 students and 20,000 community members.

Every time I return to South Africa, I can see and feel the difference in the students we serve. This past December, I went back down to visit the students and their villages in the Umkhanyakude district. Traveling with the mobile health units, I went from school to school expressing our support and experiencing what the organization has begun to do for communities. Meeting with local leaders, we worked together to develop new ways to better serve the population in the district.

I was also fortunate enough to sit in on a sexual education class led by an Mpilonhle staff member. Rather than shying away from the topic of sex education, the students in the class were so engaged and honest. I was in awe at the fact that these teens volunteered to demonstrate the correct use of prophylactics using prosthetics. There was a comfort between the youth and the session leaders that showed a desire to protect themselves from the spread of disease. They were willing to push their personal discomfort aside and engage in an education that would inevitably save their lives.

After my visit, Dr. Bennish told me that 75% of the students at the schools want to be tested for HIV, which is an incredibly high number. Students at these schools want to know their status, and they feel safe enough with the Mpilonhle staff to be tested. It's an incredible success and a testament to the impact of the mobile units.

I am excited for the continued service we are providing to the residents of South Africa. Sometimes it seems like change cannot happen, but if you can commit yourself to a cause and to the people, change is absolutely possible.