A month from now, on 29 October, World Stroke Day will be celebrated - a day meant to create awareness for people suffering from the effects of a stroke. The day is also meant to make people aware of the dangers of a stroke and what symptoms to watch out for.

Sekerlik een van die mooiste verhale van omgee en naasteliefde oor die kleurgrens heen het homself die afgelope week in die Soutpansberg afgespeel. Dit is die verhaal van oom Ockert Maritz wie se lewe deur ‘n wildvreemde egpaar gered is.

In what is widely considered a victory for transparency and accountability, a local magistrate has ruled that the Makhado Municipality must make documentation relating to tenders awarded for the sale of a public park available to the Zoutnet group of newspapers.

The Makhado Municipality’s “partying” ANC councillor, Cllr Tebogo Mamorobela, was in the news again this week for all the wrong reasons. Once again, the main contributor to this prominent 39-year-old ANC member’s proverbial downfall appears to be alcohol.

The death of a headman from Madobi village has sparked turmoil and resulted in at least two houses’ being burnt down by angry community members. The headman allegedly committed suicide last Tuesday after being informed that he was to be removed as traditional leader.

The police are still searching for the killer or killers of a man whose body was found dumped outside Louis Trichardt near the railway line. The body was found a fortnight ago and the man was identified as Mr David Muvhango (60) of Matshavhawe.

Judging by the number of unusual events occurring in Louis Trichardt over the past few weeks, one might mistake the events as coming out of an episode of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.

The exploitation of the Soutpansberg’s rich mineral resources seems to have gained new momentum as the country slowly wakes up from its lockdown slumber. Last week, the Zoutpansberger reported on the first round of public-participation meetings regarding the proposed Musina-Makhado SEZ. At the same time, notice was received that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) had granted an Integrated Environmental Authorisation (IEA) for a Musina copper-mining project.

A home in Siloam was burnt down last week when angry community members went there in search of a suspect in a murder case. The unfortunate homeowner lost most of his possessions, such as his car, furniture, and clothes, in the attack.

A mother’s instinct to save her baby probably drove a young woman from Musina to rush into a burning building and rescue her eight-month-old child.

Government’s plan for the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with a metallurgical cluster between Musina and Makhado gained some more momentum this week with the first round of public meetings being held as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public participation process. This process will ultimately determine if the SEZ is given a “yea or nay”.

Die befaamde beeldhouer Phil Potgieter het Louis Trichardt vandeesweek besoek waar hy by kunstenaarsvriende gekuier het.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating allegations that members of the Tshilwavhusiku police station assaulted a young man from Ravele.

“I will be a happier mother and I will have peace of mind for the rest of my life if the municipality removes the name of my son as the name of the stadium. There is actually nothing good about the stadium,” said Gladys Manyathela, mother of the late soccer star, Lesley Phuti Manyathela.

All is definitely not well at the Mara Research Station, but the situation will hopefully change for the better soon through the intervention of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD).