South Africa good news

Photo: Pixabay

South Africa has got good news: Here’s what you missed

These are all the good news stories you missed this week.

South Africa good news

Photo: Pixabay

For the most part of this week in South Africa, we have all been encapsulated by the news around the commission of inquiry into state capture, the fire department building burning down in Johannesburg (RIP to our brave firefighters) and of course, land expropriation without compensation.

As much as current affairs shape our present and future, they also shape a narrow perspective of our beautiful country.

It is not always bloodshed and politicians spitting cuss words at each other. There are stories of people who work every day to make South Africa a better place, and we will take the time to shine some light on them.

These are the five great feats achieved by proud South Africans this week.

Nine-year-old Adetibe signs contract with Arsenal

Every Capetonian was rallying behind the SuperSport United Soccer School alumni, Jayden Adetiba, who was pictured with his family seated at the club’s London offices, with the Arsenal emblem hanging behind him.

His soccer skills and attitude towards committing to training every day caught the eye of the world-class football club.

His father, John Adetiba, who surely is a major influence in Jayden’s life, had some advice for every kid in Cape Town whose dream was to achieve what his son did.

“I have always been a firm believer in allowing all children to have big dreams, but explaining to them also that the pursuit of such dreams must be accompanied with hard work. Over the years, I’ve heard over and over children being told that very few make it as professional players. That may be true, but children must be encouraged to believe that they could one of the few if they work hard,” he added.

Read – Proudly Capetonian: Nine-year-old Adetiba lands Arsenal FC contract

22-year-old student develops a clean water system for rural South Africa

Six days ago, Good Things Guy published a story about a Chemical Engineering student, Busisiwe Mashiane, who has found the solution to the issue of contaminated water in rural areas of South Africa.

Busisiwe is currently in her fourth year at the University of Witwatersrand’s School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering.

She, like the World Health Organisation (WHO), believes that the slow sand filter method in treating water is a cheap and very effective way to address the water issues that plague rural communities in the country.

“Our aim is to develop a low-cost but highly efficient water treatment system that can treat river water effectively and make it consumable. We want to ensure that, because people in these communities cannot afford elaborate water treatment methods, our system can assist in their basic human right of having access to clean potable water,” she added.

Her drive to help South Africans in rural areas has been propelled by how invaluable education is in life.

“Many South Africans living in disadvantaged communities across the country not only have difficulties accessing water but also face many health risks due to the lack of access to clean drinking water,” Busisiwe explained.

Keith Oxford asks for a free haircut and gets more than he bargained for

We are always inspired by ordinary people coming together on social media to create extraordinary moments.

Keith Oxford is like many of us who are always trying to save where he can to survive another day in this vicious economic climate we live in.

Well, Good Things Guy covered a story about Oxford, the unemployed lad who posted on the Facebook group, I Know a Guy, asking to be a hair model for any hairdresser in exchange for a free haircut as he had a job interview the next day.

“Anyone help a guy out? Willing to be a model for a hairstylist. Unemployed and got an interview tomorrow. Must try look decent” he posted.

Within minutes, a member of the group, Lisa Delport, who works at Exclusive Styling in Bryanston, replied, offering to cut his hair for free.

Thereafter, unexpectedly, Oxford had scores of members wishing him good luck for an interview. One member even offered him a job interview at his company should he not make it in that one.

Nomtha Mboneli opens up her to abandoned Eastern Cape children

Using the child grant of only one child, Nomtha looks after ten abandoned children in her home in Hlwahlwazi Village, Eastern Cape.

The story was originally published by GroundUp, and it spread faster than a wildfire because we would love to read about people as amazing as Nomtha is.

As difficult as it is for her to manage, Nomtha is committed to giving these children a chance at life.

“What I’m doing is to give a safe and warm home to these children. I also make sure that they go to school every day,” she exclaimed.

Cape Town dam levels up to 67.4%

Ask any Capetonian if they foresaw the love we’ve been getting from the wet weather lately and they would’ve not believed it.

Thanks to this rainy season, Cape Town escaped the haunting Day Zero. Currently, dam levels are sitting above 65% for the first time since 2016.

Read – Cape Town dams: Theewaterskloof dam is now more than half-full

We may be stepping into the Spring season but we can still expect more rain next week. Yeah, we would appreciate some sunny weather to flaunt how we’ve kept to our new year’s resolutions. However, it would be great to have relaxed water restrictions.