The Limpopo Legislature has closed its business agenda for the year, and will reassemble early next year, after the scheduled opening ceremony on 4 February.

THOHOYANDOU – The Department of Agriculture is the best government department in the province. The department received a platinum award, a R50 000 cash prize, a trophy and a certificate during the premier’s excellence awards ceremony that was held at the auditorium of the University of Venda last Friday evening.

The police in the Mopani area are investigating two murder cases, following two separate incidents that took place in the area over the past weekend.

TSHAKHUMA – Recent figures show that 370 women and children are raped every month in the Vhembe District.

Ms Shula Mashamba, Human Resources Manager of the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme, told Mirror on Wednesday that they are desperately in need of experienced professionals who are willing to volunteer their services to help the raped and abused women and children of Thulamela.

The recent rain brought a windfall to young kids who are now making some cash by repairing a damaged gravel road at Matangari, near Tshiombo. The kids advise their peers to follow suit and do something to earn some extra cash during school holidays.

A man’s efforts to beautify his house and surroundings suffered a serious setback when the artful cement oryx and crocodile he had put on display on the sidewalk of his residence at 52 Jeppe Street were vandalized.

DZANANI – “I cannot allow hunger and poverty to destroy my life because God gave me a pair of hands and a functional mind to use in the war against unemployment. I call on other unemployed women like myself to wake up and use their talents to earn some cash…”

THOHOYANDOU - Artists who recorded and performed in the drama Tshinantovhole in June this year with Phalaphala FM are currently accusing the public broadcaster of practicing slavery in a civilised form.

The police have rearrested two of the eight awaiting-trial prisoners who escaped from the Mhlala Police station cells last Monday night. They were arrested at Mhlala settlement on Sunday.

A psychiatric patient, Mr Thomas Ngobeni (38) of Matsi Village in the Bolobedu area, briefly appeared in the Giyani Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a charge of murder. The case relates to a dramatic incident in which a 38-year-old police officer, Insp David Vuma, and a three-year-old girl were beaten to death with a knobkierie.

Hundreds of angry traditional healers under the banner of Vhembe Traditional Health Practitioners (VTHP) marched to the Mutale Magistrate’s Court on Monday, to hand a memorandum to the Control Prosecutor, to oppose a special bail application of a traditional healer, Balanganani Munyai (84) charged with the alleged ritual murder of a 40-year-old man at Mafukani in November last year.