She might not have returned home with another Paralympic medal - having just missed out on a second bronze in the 400m at the Paris Paralympics last week - but Sheryl James remains a true champion in the hearts and minds of residents.

An enraged learner at Thohoyandou Technical High School went on the rampage, damaging a teacher's car and attacking its owner.

Met Louis Trichardt nou al vir die derde agtereenvolgende week sit met droë krane weens die Vhembe Distriksmunisipaliteit (Vhembe) se onvermoë om water vanaf die watersuiweringsaanleg by die Albasinidam na die dorp te pomp, was daar Woensdag darem weer ‘n belofte dat inwoners teen die naweek sal water hê. Inwoners is egter al daaraan gewoond dat Vhembe se beloftes meestal net so leeg is soos die dorp se krane.

The National Heritage Council of South Africa (NHC) honoured three exceptional women who have made immeasurable contributions to preserving the region's culture during a special function held at the George Phadagi Town Hall in Thohoyandou on Friday, 23 August.

One of the oldest living Tshivenda authors, Ms Ndivhudzannyi Emelinah Sigogo, is encouraging young people to start writing books in their own language and has urged them to learn from older and more experienced writers while the latter are still alive.

On Thursday, 29 August, as Women’s Month came to an end, a living monument to what women entrepreneurs can achieve opened its doors in Thohoyandou. The new Premier Hotel Thohoyandou, built at a cost of almost R200 million, promises to set a new benchmark for the tourism industry in Vhembe.

Seven years after construction started, the sports stadium at Waterval has still not been completed, though at least R28 million has been spent on the project. Residents are now fed up with the Makhado Municipality’s promises and excuses.

The Vhembe District may not have the worst municipalities in the country, but they fall short of expectations, especially considering the millions spent on consultants and special initiatives aimed at improving financial accounting standards. Last year, the amounts spent by local municipalities on unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure reached nearly R800 million, with seemingly no consequences for the officials and politicians involved.

Ndivhuwo Matshaya, better known as Prophet Matshaya of the Power of Light Divine Ministries in Hamakuya-Domboni village, was tragically shot dead at Thengwe-Mutangula on Wednesday, 28 August.

Readers may recall the adventurous exploits of Louis Trichardt mountain-bike cyclists Jernay McLeod (58) and Johan van Dijkhorst (62), who completed the gruelling Trans-Baviaans mountain bike race, covering more than 230 km in just over 17 hours on 10 August this year. This race is considered one of the toughest single-stage mountain bike races in the world, with an elevation of some 2,500 metres and cyclists having 24 hours to complete it.

Drama unfolded at the Sibasa Regional Court when the mother of Murendeni Ralinala, a 21-year-old man brutally killed in Dopeni two years ago, stood up and walked out crying during the court proceedings.

Die twee personeellede van Soutpansberg Koelkamers wat op 15 Desember 2022 op klagte van diefstal gearresteer is, die 36-jarige Shannon Martin Venter en 46-jarige David Ntovholeni Makhani, is verlede Woensdag, 28 Augustus, in die hof op Louis Trichardt skuldig bevind.