Nkhensani Mthombeni – Scrolla.Africa

Stokvel robbers pounce on year end savings

Nkhensani Mthombeni — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 15:19:25 +0000

By Nkhensani Mthombeni

Three men robbed women at a stokvel gathering before fleeing in a red sedan without number plates, police say.

In a separate attack in Mokwakwaila village, gunmen targeted a homeowner who had recently received money at a gift-giving celebration.

Sixteen women gathered to collect their year-end stokvel savings in Limpopo were robbed of R30,000 by armed men.

Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the women were meeting at a house at about 8am on Saturday, 7 November, when three men entered.

One wore a balaclava and two carried pistols.

“It is alleged that three unknown men, one wearing a balaclava, entered the house. Two of the suspects were armed with pistols and pointed their firearms at the women while demanding money,” said Ledwaba.

The men allegedly took the stokvel contributions before searching the women.

Ledwaba said 11 women were also robbed of additional cash collected from other stokvel groups, as well as their cellphones.

The suspects fired shots before escaping in a red sedan without number plates. Police said an unidentified woman was allegedly driving the getaway car.

The attack followed another robbery in Mokwakwaila village in the early hours of Sunday, 1 November.

Two armed suspects stormed a homestead demanding money the homeowner had recently received at a xiseveseve celebration.

Xiseveseve is a gathering where friends shower someone with money and gifts.

The robbers searched the house and took an undisclosed amount of cash. One fired several shots before they fled.

The attacks come as stokvel members prepare to collect savings intended for groceries, household goods and school costs.

Sonia Morobela, from Ramotshinyadi, expects to receive R17,000 from her group in December.

She plans to buy a fridge and groceries and put money towards next year’s school fees.

“We don’t believe in banking our money, because the banks also charge us fees and come with a lot of admin. On the day of collection we just want to leave with our hard-earned cash,” she said.

Morobela said each member contributes at least R500 a month. The money is lent to members, who must repay it by December.

At the year-end gathering, members receive payouts according to how much they saved during the year.

Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers condemned the robbery and urged stokvel groups to avoid keeping large sums at private homes.

“We urge community members to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures when handling money,” said Scheepers.

“Stokvel groups should consider safer alternatives, such as banking their contributions, rather than keeping large sums of cash at homes, where they may become targets for criminals.”

He said police would intensify efforts to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

Umbrellas arrive but the taps stay dry

moving from stall to stall, buying from each trader. — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 07:24:20 +0000

Premier Ramathuba gave 50 Tshalovha Fruit Market hawkers in Venda umbrellas to protect their fruit and vegetables from the sun.

Chairperson Irene Nemalegeni asked for water once a week from Thulamela Municipality and Mayor Miyelani Chauke promised to address it.

The 50 hawkers at Tshalovha Fruit Market in Venda got umbrellas and a visit from the Premier this week. Their water problem is still not fixed.

The market has supported families for decades. Parents wake early to sell avocados, macadamia nuts, bananas, pawpaws and other fruit and vegetables. Most of the hawkers are women.

On Tuesday afternoon, Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba, who is originally from the Venda area, visited them. She came with Economic Development MEC Tshitereke Matibe, Vhembe District Municipality Mayor Miyelani Chauke and other dignitaries.

Ramathuba thanked the traders for being the backbone of the local economy and for working to put food on their families’ tables.

“Through the money that you are making from selling you have raised families and produced professionals such as doctors, engineers and teachers,” she said.

She also praised them for doing something about their situation instead of complaining about the lack of jobs.

She gave the hawkers 50 big umbrellas to protect their fruit and vegetables from the sun. She also bought from every hawker, saying she had taken up their selling time and the least she could do was pay them for it.

Market chairperson Irene Nemalegeni thanked her, then raised the market’s problems.

“We have a challenge when it rains and especially during the floods earlier this year, it was muddy. We also have a problem with water and we ask that we get water from the Thulamela Municipality at least once a week so that we can work well,” she said.

Chauke promised to address the water problem immediately.

The Premier and the dignitaries ended the day by moving from stall to stall, buying from each trader.

In August, Ramathuba spent her birthday with women from Tshakuma Fruit Market in Thohoyandou, where she prepared and served them lunch.

Tzaneen families raid mango trees to put bread on the table

the end of the day, I will bring back home money which will help us," he said. — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:36:15 +0000

Tzaneen residents are picking green mangoes before they ripen and selling them for atchar, to pay for bread and electricity.

A full bakkie load can fetch R1,500 to R3,000 or more, but farmers say thieves steal their mangoes at night.

Tzaneen households short on cash are picking their green mangoes and selling them for atchar, instead of waiting for them to ripen.

The high cost of living is pushing residents to do it. It is mango season, and atchar factories across the region are paying cash to anyone who brings in green mangoes. Most households in Tzaneen’s townships and villages have at least one mango tree.

Some home owners load their green mangoes onto a wheelbarrow or a bakkie and take them to a factory of their choice. They come back with money for bread, electricity or whatever else they need.

Bakkie owners also go door to door, village after village, asking home owners to let them pick green mangoes for cash. Some pay home owners R150 to R200 per 20kg box. A factory can pay for a full bakkie load anything from R1,500 to R3,000 or more, depending on the weight.

Gondwana Chauke, a bakkie owner and father of three, says the season brings relief to his family.

“I love this season, because I am able to move door to door and look for mangoes then sell it to the factories and I know that by the end of the day, I will bring back home money which will help us,” he said.

For farmers, it is a different story.

“As much as it is supposed to be a joyful time for us, in recent years it has turned into a hurtful moment, as people come to our farm at night and steal from the orchard and in turn we are running at a loss,” said Khazamula Nghulele, a mango farmer.

The mangoes will start to ripen in late November to December. By then the factories will no longer take them, but juice factories will need ripe mangoes.

Limpopo men bare all to save lives

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:21:46 +0000

Men from Nkowankowa Township in Tzaneen joined the 2026 Hollard Daredevil Run, running in purple speedos to raise cancer awareness.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation says one in four Black men will get prostate cancer, against one in eight white men.

A group of men from Nkowankowa Township in Tzaneen ran in purple speedos in the 2026 Hollard Daredevil Run, to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancer.

Rugby player Vonani Mongwe was one of them. He ran in honour of his father, who died of cancer. The run, held on 23 October, asks men across the country to run in purple speedos.

Mongwe says he wants to support people who have cancer, and encourage those affected to speak up because help is available.

“I want to tell someone out there that cancer is not the end of the world, there is still hope. This is why it is important to do regular check ups, so we can prevent it or detect it early before it spreads,” he said.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa (PCF) says one in four Black men and one in eight white men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Black African men have a 60% higher risk of developing it, and are 2.5 times more likely to die from it.

When it is caught early, five year survival is above 98%. Once it has spread, that drops to 30%. A 2023 study of men in Limpopo found nearly two thirds did not know enough about the disease, and more than 80% knew nothing about screening.

PCF chief executive Andrew Oberholzer says the Daredevil Run donation is the largest single donation the foundation receives each year. He says it pays for educational material in several languages and helps keep free PSA screening running across the country.

The run raised R1.2 million in 2025.

You can support the campaign through the Back a Buddy account, by asking your employer to let staff join, or at hollard.co.za/daredevilrun.

Rain Queen runs to help mothers and babies at Limpopo hospital

hosting a race to raise money for Kgapane Hospital in Limpopo. — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:29:14 +0000

Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji VII hosted her first annual race to raise funds for beds, maternity wards and children’s healthcare at Kgapane Hospital.
Hundreds of residents joined the five and 10 kilometre races as the Department of Health confirmed medicine supply shortages across South Africa.

Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji VII has stepped forward to help sick children and new mothers by hosting a race to raise money for Kgapane Hospital in Limpopo.

The young Balobedu queen launched the first Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji Annual Race on Saturday, 24 October, bringing hundreds of community members together for a good cause.

Runners took part in five and 10 kilometre races, with proceeds going towards improving hospital beds, maternity and children’s wards and maintenance at the hospital.

The idea came after Queen Masalanabo visited Kgapane Hospital in August.

During her visit, she spent time in the maternity, postnatal and children’s wards, where she met mothers and their babies.

After seeing the hospital’s needs, she decided to do something to help.

On race day, Queen Masalanabo officially launched the event by cutting a ribbon before participants took to the road.

Members of the royal family joined her, along with Mopani District Municipality Mayor Dagma Mamanyoha, representatives from Greater Letaba Municipality and hundreds of residents.

The race comes at a time when South Africa is dealing with shortages of some medicines.

The country’s death rate for children younger than five stands at 35.1 per 1,000 births, according to figures cited in the report.

In September, the Department of Health assured South Africans that medicine supplies remained stable and urged people not to panic.

However, department spokesperson Foster Mohale confirmed to Scrolla.Africa that the country was experiencing shortages of some medicines.

He said several problems, including tensions between countries around the world, were affecting supplies.

Mohale said the government was providing alternative medicines when patients could not get their usual treatment.

“Bottom line is that our people are receiving medication, if the medication they were getting is not in stock, there is an alternative which we offer,” he said.

He said patients who needed treatment or contraceptives were still receiving alternatives.

Mohale said these arrangements would continue while the department worked towards a lasting solution.

For Queen Masalanabo, the race is a way of helping the community she leads.

Although she does not have children of her own, her visit to the hospital showed her the needs of mothers and babies who depend on public healthcare.

The annual race is intended to support improvements at Kgapane Hospital and bring the Balobedu community together to help those who need care.

Tzaneen hawkers want next council to stop taking their stock

Nkhensani Mthombeni — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:43:07 +0000

Hawkers in Tzaneen without trading papers say the municipality takes their stock until they pay a fine, and they want the next council to listen to them after the 4 November elections.

ActionSA says it will fight for hawkers and has found municipal land for flea markets, while the municipality says there are more than 200 hawkers in the town centre but fewer than 100 are legal.

Hawkers in Tzaneen want the next council to stop taking their stock, and one party says it will fight for them.

Thandi Mohale, a mother of three who sells fruit and vegetables, said the municipality took her stock because she has no trading papers. She keeps going back to the same spot because it is her only income, and if she does not sell, her family goes hungry.

Mohale said she expects the next council and mayor to take hawkers seriously after 4 November. She said there are not enough jobs, and the municipality cannot take away her business when she is only trying to feed her family.

Peter Mhlongo, a father of four, sells phone screen protectors, chargers and pouches. He said he hopes the new council will stand up for hawkers instead of fighting people who make an honest living. He said hawkers steal from no one but are treated like criminals.

The Greater Tzaneen Municipality said it has fewer than 100 legal hawkers, running businesses such as hair salons, fruit and vegetable stalls and phone screen repairs. But spokesperson Vutivi Makhubele said more than 200 hawkers sell in the town centre, making it crowded and dirty.

She said the municipality and law enforcement officers repeatedly remove hawkers and take their stock until they pay a fine.

ActionSA mayoral candidate Dr Mikia Ramothwala, a former ANC member, said his party will fight for hawkers who are removed from their trading spots. He said ActionSA has found municipal land in the town centre between Boxer and NTK where hawkers can run flea markets and trade freely.

Ramothwala said the party wants to help mothers and fathers earn an income and add to the local economy, like the flea markets in Cape Town and other municipalities.

Two months ago, ActionSA and the EFF protested at the municipality and demanded that hawkers be allowed to keep selling. Hawkers are now back on the streets, but it is not clear if officers will remove them again after the elections.

ActionSA, the EFF, the DA and Mayibuye iAfrica are campaigning door to door in the municipality. Parties have promised jobs for young people, no cadre employment in the municipality and opportunities for people over 35. They have also promised that poor households will not pay for electricity.

Takalani turns job snubs into sweet success

Nkhensani Mthombeni — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:03:48 +0000

By Nkhensani Mthombeni

Takalani Tshivhase started his own baking company in the Sibasa area after employers refused to hire him over his disability.
The determined baker now sells large buckets of fresh muffins and runs an organisation that helps other people find wheelchairs.

Takalani Tshivhase could not find a job. Employers did not trust him because of his speech impairment. So, the 33-year-old from the Sibasa area decided to create his own work.

Tshivhase lives with epilepsy, learning difficulties and a speech impairment. But he refused to let his health stop him from making a living.

He founded T Chibase Disability Resources, a company that bakes scones, biscuits and muffins. He learned to bake by taking classes and now runs the entire business on his own.

Before baking, he studied welding at the Grace Love Special School in Thohoyandou. When he finished, he struggled to find anyone willing to hire him.

“Growing up was not easy. People would always say nasty words to me because of how I speak,” Tshivhase said.

“But I had to learn to believe in myself, work hard and start something which will put food for me on the table,” he said.

He sells his baked goods in buckets ranging from two litres to 20 litres. Prices range from R210 to R650.

Running the business is not easy. High electricity and food prices put pressure on his profits. Tshivhase says he shops around to find the best prices for ingredients, especially sugar, which constantly goes up in price.

When he is not baking, he runs a non-profit group called Takalani Creation and Disability Vision. The group helps people get wheelchairs and skills training.

“I started the organisation because I saw how people living with disabilities are marginalised,” he said.

“I wanted to be someone who pushes them to become their best and for them to unleash their potential,” he said.

Tshivhase wants to open a full bakery one day. He hopes to hire people from poor homes so they can feed their families.

Half of Nyiko’s customers left over R5 and she kept selling

50%. She kept selling, and her old clients gradually returned. — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:55:12 +0000

Nyiko Mabasa sells porridge in Johannesburg from 5:30am before her day job, after ingredient costs rose and forced higher prices.

Mabasa is the sole breadwinner and makes about R2,500 on a good day, before paying for gas, electricity and restocking.

Nyiko Mabasa raised her soft porridge from R10 to R15 a cup, and half her customers walked away.

Mabasa, a commodity specialist at a state owned company, sells mabela soft porridge, sandwiches, fat cakes, pap, mogodu and chicken in the Johannesburg CBD before work. The BCompt graduate from Ennerdale says margarine, milk, sugar, cups and spoons kept getting more expensive, and she was losing money at R10.

After she told her clients about the new price, her customers dropped by 50%. She kept selling, and her old clients gradually returned.

Her day starts at 4am. She takes a bus at 5am, sells from 5:30 to 7:50, then walks to work, which starts at 8:30.

She began selling last year to raise money for her work as an evangelist. “I would ask donations from people, but only a handful will donate and that frustrated me, until I prayed to God and He told me to start selling soft porridge,” she said.

The business now has four employees, including her mother from Giyani. Two sell at other spots, including Bree Taxi Rank, while one helps her prepare food at home. After the morning food sells out, they prepare mogodu, pap and chicken for lunch.

The employees take home R100 a day plus R32 for transport, and her mother gets R200. Mabasa makes around R2,500 on a good day, not counting gas, electricity and restocking.

She is the sole breadwinner, after her husband was shot in 2020. He is still recovering. She has two daughters and an adopted three year old boy.

Mabasa says fuel increases and the high cost of living are making things worse. “I’m not ashamed of my hustle,” she said.

Amajita bag a hat-trick of COSAFA titles

Nkhensani Mthombeni — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:07:05 +0000

Amajita won all five matches at the tournament, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three, without losing a single game.

The win sends Amajita to the 2027 U20 AFCON in Ghana, where they will defend the title they already hold.

Publish time:2026-0

Amajita have won their third straight COSAFA U20 title, beating 10-man hosts Mozambique 2-1 in the final in Matola on Sunday.

Goals from Oarabile Booysen and Steven Mendes sealed the win. South Africa finished the tournament with a perfect record, winning all five of their matches. They opened with a 3-0 win over Lesotho, then beat Angola 2-0 and eSwatini 2-0.

In the semi-final, Amajita came from behind to beat Zambia 4-2 in a tough contest, before completing the campaign with the final win over Mozambique.

Across the tournament, South Africa scored 13 goals and conceded only three. Steven Mendes finished as the competition’s top scorer with six goals, and goalkeeper Takalani Mazhamba was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

The win gives Amajita automatic qualification for the 2027 U20 AFCON in Ghana, where they will defend the title they already hold as reigning champions.

Head coach Ray Mdaka said winning back-to-back titles gives the team confidence and consistency. He credited the win to preparation, planning, character, unity within the technical team, and discipline from the players.

“There is a lot of work taking place behind the scenes planning for the games. Our boys were also strong mentally, because in a tournament such as this one there is a lot happening, it was really a tough one,” he said.

Mdaka said the final, the semi-final and the Angola game were the toughest of the tournament. He added that their main focus ahead of the tournament had been winning the semi-final, since that was the ticket to AFCON qualification.

Well-known football fan Mama Joy congratulated the team.

“Congratulations to the coach, Raymond Mdaka, technical staff HOD Mkhabela and the boys,” she said.

She may be small but her dreams are not

Nkhensani Mthombeni — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 05:53:47 +0000

Yvonne Hlaisi, founder of YSJ Interiors, builds tyre coffee tables and trains her husband Vincent Xitsunge to cut business costs.

She is holding a R2,500 hands-on masterclass in Durban’s Musgrave from 1 to 6 October to teach the skill.

Yvonne Hlaisi is petite and people do not believe she can build furniture with her own hands. But she does, turning old tyres and rope into coffee tables, TV stands, bassinets and baskets.

“Most of the people I meet find it hard to believe that a woman can do physical designs that I do,” she said.

Hlaisi runs YSJ Interiors from home. She was born and raised in Giyani and studied Art and Design at Nelson Mandela University, where she graduated with flying colours.

She works alongside her husband, Vincent Xitsunge, who she is training in the craft. The high cost of living means she cannot afford to hire more staff, so for now it is just the two of them.

Materials are getting more expensive too. The rope she uses for her furniture used to cost her R40. After searching around, she found a supplier selling it for R22 instead.

Her smaller items start at R350. Bigger, customised pieces cost a couple of thousand rand.

Hlaisi has already trained many people in the skill, and she is taking it on the road. From 1 to 6 October, she is running a hands-on masterclass in Durban’s Musgrave. It costs R2,500 for the week. After Durban, she plans to take the masterclass to other parts of the country.

“We want people to see that they can use their hands and creativity to create something which in turn can become an income,” she said.

“What keeps me going is seeing the smiles on my clients’ faces,” she said.

“It motivates me to work hard and to improve my craft.”