Good News 14:00

BULLETIN 31 January 2 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will spearhead the launch of the Welisizwe rural bridges campaign in Umgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal, today. The joint effort between the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and the South African National Defence Force seeks to build 96 bridges annually over the next three years. These bridges will enhance access to markets, job opportunities, and vital social services for residents in remote areas. Implementation has already begun in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Free State, and North West.

# Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink says the metro will continue with the successful implementation of the Urban Management Plan in Hammanskraal and Mamelodi. The plan has reached all seven regions of Tshwane, driving core basic services with a special focus on key major routes, including public spaces such as parks and key buildings. Brink says in Mamelodi, teams are working towards ensuring a stable supply of water for all residents, and as of yesterday reservoir levels have improved:

# Ten staff members from the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate are now able to analyse insects in the river network to assess water quality and ecological integrity. They recently underwent accreditation testing to obtain a three-year accreditation from the National Department of Water and Sanitation. Mayoral committee member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says it is important to periodically evaluate the health of the aquatic river systems and to do that successfully, various ecological indicators need to be assessed:

# The City of Ekurhuleni says it will establish a permanent Vehicle Operating Company to manage its Bus Rapid Transit system Harambee. The city’s spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, says in 2019, over 900 minibus and taxi operators underwent a registration process as a build-up to the establishment of the permanent VOC. He says this will make a huge difference for commuters:

# And finally: The TuksRace is back and set to breathe life into the streets of Pretoria on Saturday the 17th of next month at the University of Pretoria’s Hillcrest Sports Campus in Hatfield. Runners of all fitness levels are invited to enter the 21.1-kilometre half-marathon, the ten or five-kilometre races, or a colourful one-kilometre fun run or walk. Entry fees range from 40 to 180 rand. Some of the proceeds of the race will go towards supporting students in the form of two bursaries to the value of five-thousand-rand each.

Stay tuned for more news………….