Have you ever stopped to think about how much life has changed over the past decade?

Prices were lower, the cost of living was far more manageable, and the news looked very different.

In our Throwback Thursday feature, we’re opening the Courier archives to revisit the stories that made headlines 10 years ago.

Leading the front page was the shocking incident in which more than 900 schoolchildren fell ill after eating food supplied through a school feeding scheme. The food had been distributed to more than 100 schools across northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Some things, however, seem familiar. Umzinyathi District Municipality was grappling with financial challenges after tabling a draft budget that reflected a R13 million deficit, resulting in increases to water and sanitation tariffs.

Health officials also confirmed two positive cases of rabies in Dundee, raising concerns among residents.

Meanwhile, police intercepted a vehicle on the Dundee-Wasbank road and seized 22 bags of dagga with an estimated street value of R9,600.

On a brighter note, the Oriental Golf Day and the Theo Gehren Memorial Bowls Tournament attracted impressive entries from competitors across the region.

The cost of everyday essentials tells its own story of how times have changed. A 10kg bag of sugar that sold for just R41.99 20 years ago now costs around R260…