Stellenbosch | Franschhoek | Pniel | Kylemore
Year 15 • Tuesday 3 December 2013 | Tel. 021 887 2840
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Stellemploy graduates
STELLEMPLOY GRADUATION: Students studying in the fields of chef: basic food and preparation, carpentry and general maintenance graduated on Friday at the Stellemploy Training Centre. The group of 36 students was very eager and excited and this prestigious event has attended by Stellenbosch Mayor Conrad Sidego. Stellemploy helps youth to empower themselves and boost their self-confidence. Two of the courses were funded by the Belgium Federal Government as part of City link Dilbeeks and another by the community development department at the Stellenbosch Municipality. Back (from left): Liz Thatcher, Dos Blok (director of Stellemploy),Betta Augustyn (Stellemploy), Sidego, Aldridge Frazenburg and Sadarkar De Villiers (Tjeka trainer). Front (from left): Andre du Toit(business owner from the construction industry in Franschhoek), Gawie Burger (director of Tjeka), Vernon Geduld (Tjek trainer) and Michelle Aalbers (community development department at the Stellenbosch Municipality)
Stay safe this holiday season As the festive season draws closer, Stellenbosch Watch has issued these safety tips for keeping your home safe from burglars this holiday. ) Burglar bars should be installed in conjunction with a burglar alarm system that is linked to a monitoring and armed response service. ) Reduce all heavy foliage near the garage entrance and front door to reduce the possibility of those spots being used as a hiding place. ) The front of the house should be visible to passersby so that any burglar or suspicious activity can be noted. ) Ensure all windows are fitted with ade-
quate locks or burglar bars that cover all glass. ) Fit suitable locks or bolts to all sliding doors to prevent them from being lifted off their tracks (the most common method used by burglars on sliding doors and windows). ) Install security gates on outside doors and keep them locked. ) When approaching your house entrance on foot or by car, make sure that it is safe to enter and that you have not been followed. Be on the lookout for persons loitering at the entrance, vehicles stopping when you slow down or anything out of the ordinary. ) Make sure that your gate and driveway are well lit after dark. Replace fused light bulbs immediately.
) Ensure that the number of your house is clearly visible at all times. ) At night, always lock perimeter doors and securely fasten windows. When retiring to bed, lock inter-leading doors of those rooms in the house that are not occupied. ) Conduct thorough background checks before employing anyone (permanent or casual workers). ) Know your neighbours and build a relationship of mutual trust and support. When going away on holiday inform them, or make arrangements for your house to be watched and unusual activity to be noticed. ) Do not leave curtains open at night as this allows observation into the house.
) Do not go outside alone to investigate at night. Rather switch off all lights and open curtains to allow you to see what is occurring outside. ) Never leave any important documents in your car, including cheque books, bank statements, invoices, telephone accounts, credit cards, keys, remote controls or personal post, or anything that may provide your personal details. ) Photograph and maintain a register of your valuable items, with serial numbers, where applicable. Marking valuable items makes them easy to identify if they are stolen and may even help the police to arrest the perpetrators.