Helderberg Gazette 31 August 2012

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Helderberg

Year 16 • Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Tel. 021 853 0211

H’park lifeguards battle ‘red tape’ NICOLE MCCAIN It is uncertain whether Harmony Park Lifesaving Club will be ready for this summer’s beach-goers. After several people drowned at the popular spot last summer, a motion was submitted to the subcouncil last year requesting lifeguards for the beach. Lifeguards were only appointed to Harmony Park, which has several tidal pools, at the beginning of the year, after two people had drowned there. According to the City of Cape Town, the safety of swimmers is the responsibility of the provincial lifesaving body. Ed Schroeder, regional lifesaving coordinator of Lifesaving Western Province, says he has been approached about establishing a club at Harmony Park, but it is “still in its infancy”. According to Councillor Tandeka Gqada, mayoral committee member for community services, the City only appoints lifeguards for municipal pools, and relies on Lifesaving Western Province to man the beaches. Last year, however, Ward 100 councillor Johan Middleton said Harmony Park is not classified as a formal beach because of its tidal pools. Despite this, though, people do swim in the sea beyond the pool area. Gqada says that, because Harmony Park Lifesaving Club is an external club, it would be affiliated to Western Province Lifesaving. “Western Province Lifesaving appoints lifeguards for the beach areas and they apply their own criteria via their affiliated clubs.”

Should the Harmony Park club not be ready for the season, lifeguards will probably be hired from neighbouring clubs such as Strand, Schroeder says. At present the club has five adults and eight pupils as members. However, four certified lifeguards are needed before the club can be approved, and it currently only has two. Schroeder says that, to become a full lifeguard, one must be older than 16, able to do a 400 m swim in under 8 minutes, and complete a 200 m run, 300 m swim and 200 m run in under 10 minutes. Izzie Engelbrecht, chairperson of the neighbouring Macassar Lifesaving Club, says training for his club is under way, and lifeguards will be taking their exams in September. However, the Macassar club’s lifeguards will not be used for Harmony Park, because they patrol the beaches in Macassar, says Engelbrecht. Engelbrecht says that one of the biggest challenges facing any new club is the “red tape” involved in gaining approval from Lifesaving Western Province. He says a club needs to have certified lifeguards, but it’s very difficult to complete the training and examination unless the lifeguards are already part of a club. Schroeder says Lifesaving Western Province is due to meet with the City next month to establish on which beaches in the City’s jurisdiction lifeguards are needed.

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Die skare oproeriges het probeer om die draad by die polisiestasie af te rem om toegang tot die vermeende verkragter te verkry. FOTO: IAN BAARD

Inwoners rand verdagte aan ’n Negentienjarige man is onder polisiebewaking in die Helderberg-hospitaal nadat hy verlede Dinsdag in Sir Lowry’s Pass in hegtenis geneem is vir die beweerde verkragting van ’n vierjarige kind. Ontstoke inwoners het op hom toegesak, met klippe bestook en met stokke aangeval nadat hy na bewering in ’n buite-toilet betrap is waar hy vermoedelik die meisie verkrag het. ’n Ambulans wat die verdagte na die hospitaal wou vervoer, is ook deur die oproeriges voorgekeer. Die vermeende verkragter is by die Sir Lowry’s Pass-polisiestasie aangehou waarna die skare ook na die polisiestasie is. Polisie het hul hande vol gehad om die verwoede skare, wat toe

ook by die stasie saamgedrom het, te verhinder om by die slagoffer binne die stasie uit te kom. Waarskuwingskote is deur die polisie afgevuur om die skare tot orde te bring toe hul die draadheining wou afbreek. Die voormalige DistriksPos verslaggewer en vryskutverslaggewer vir Die Son, Ian Baard, is ook aangeval toe hy op die toneel aankom en hy moes inderhaas vlug. “Die mense was soos besetenes. Daai byl het my met sentimeters gemis,” vertel Baard. Die meisie is in die Helderberg-hospitaal opgeneem en is Donderdag ontslaan. Sy is in die sorg van haar ouers. Die vermeende verkragter sal in die hof verskyn sodra sy toestand verbeter het.

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