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Est 2009 Issue 51 - 2016 Tel : 011 024-8210 / 011 402 - 1977 Inner-City Gazette

22 - 29 December 2016 Fax: 086 609 8601

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Joburg council chamber nears completion and glass plates to resemble the City of Gold. They will be environmentally friendly, bright green, with six translation booths, acoustic-draped ceilings, a TV screen and top-of-the-range cameras,” Dinnie said. To involve the public, JPC invited artists and the public to submit drawings, paintings and prints that told unique stories about their communities and history.

About 40 small and medium enterprises as well as co-operatives registered under the Jozi@Work programme were involved in the construction of the facility as sub-contractors of Avaveng-Enza, a joint venture between Grinaker and LTA. Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za

he City of Johannesburg’s new state-ofthe-art council chambers being developed by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) at a cost of R340-million are expected to be ready for use by March 2017. The 3 000sqm development, which is about 70% complete, is part of a multibillion-rand Office Space Optimisation Programme, which seeks to contribute to the transformation of the City through accelerated output, land development, economic growth and service delivery. According to Alan Dinnie, JPC’s Property Development Manager who took the media on a tour of the facility on Tuesday December 13, the council chambers and precinct offices will be consolidated and turned into a hub around which seven regional offices will clustered.

The new facility has been billed as an “iconic African chamber”

Dinnie said the decision to build the new council chambers was taken because there was not enough space in the existing facility to accommodate the increasing number of councillors as well as members of the public and the media. The new facility, which has been billed as an “iconic African chamber”, will accommodate 361

councillors and 158 members of the public and journalists. Dinnie said the drum-shaped, fully paperless and sound-proof chambers will have a people’s square where meetings will be held in a transparent and visible manner. Another important feature in the precinct will be a garden of remembrance. “The chambers will also have a golden roof

Inner-city Gazette

Distribution – Free copies door to door delivery weekly to all households and businesses in the Joburg inner-city. Inner-City Gazette welcomes editorial contributions from readers. They may raise new issues or respond to articles published in the paper. Contributions may be sent to the editor’s address below. Published by Inner-City Gazette 149 Pritchard Street, Johannesburg 2000

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22 - 29 December 2016

Immigrants picket Mashaba’s anti-immigrant comments “Overwhelming evidence that some migrants do not possess paperwork because of corruption, maladministration and bureaucratic hurdles” at Home Affairs, says protest leader By Ihsaan Haffejee

bout 50 people led by the Africa Diaspora Forum (ADF) picketed outside the offices of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba on Monday. This follows comments by the mayor linking undocumented immigrants and criminality in the city. The Daily Maverick quoted Mashaba saying in a news conference to mark his first 100 days in office: “Anyone who’s been in the city illegally must be prepared to face us. We are not going to tolerate illegality in our city… I’m actually declaring war against illegality in our city.” The Huffington Post reported Mashaba saying: “Anyone who is in the city illegally must be prepared to face the law. They must know we are not going to be the government that tolerates criminality.” The protesters were concerned that Mashaba’s comments could endanger immigrants in the city especially given the outbreaks of violence that have taken in place in the past decade.

A large contingent of metro police watched over the protesters as they called for the mayor to come down and accept their memorandum. Marc Gbaffou, chairperson of the ADF, accused politicians of using immigrants as a scapegoat for failing to deal with the challenges facing the country. He said that the high level of undocumented immigrants is also due to the delays and difficulties that immigrants experience at Home Affairs. “There is overwhelming evidence that some migrants do not possess appropriate paperwork because of corruption, maladministration and bureaucratic hurdles they encounter as they attempt to legalise their stay in South Africa, “ said Gbaffou A protester who did not want to be named said that he was upset that the mayor went to the various embassies of foreign nationals living in South Africa. He said refugees and asylum seekers had fled tyrannical governments to seek safety in South Africa. In his view, for the mayor to meet with the representatives of those embassies was to put their lives at risk as they have come to South Africa to hide from those very people due to their differing political views.

Protesters picketed against xenophobic comments reportedly made by Mayor Herman Mashaba. Pic: Ihsaan Haffejee The mayor did not come down to receive the memorandum but it was received by a representative from his office. Gbaffou called for the mayor to retract his statements. He also pleaded for engagement between those in power and organisations like the African Diaspora Forum so that a spirit of mutual understanding between the parties could be cultivated. “In any society you will have bad and good people. You might have a few migrants who are getting themselves into criminal activities. We are encouraging the mayor to arrest them and put them in jail. However not all migrants are criminals. Crime has no nationality. We are calling on the mayor not to stereotype,” said Gbaffou as he addressed the crowd. “Migrants can contribute positively to the economic growth of the city and of South Africa as well. They want to be part of the processes that benefit the city and South Africa. It would be foolhardy for the mayor’s office to appear to be dismissing them all as criminals.” — GroundUp

JMPD issues fireworks guidelines Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za

ohannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers will be out in full force this festive season to clamp down on anyone contravening bylaws regulating the use of fireworks. Fireworks displays to welcome the New Year have often ended in tears for revellers. The danger posed by fireworks is that they may shoot off dangerously and in different directions, striking people or igniting fires around houses. In the past, houses have burnt down, people have lost their fingers and eyes and pets left traumatised as a result of the reckless and unlawful use of fireworks. “The public needs to understand that there are rules and regulations they need to abide by when using fireworks,” says JMPD spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar. During the festive season, fireworks may only be used on Christmas Eve (from 7pm to 10pm), Day

of Goodwill (from 7pm to 10pm), New Year’s Eve (from 11pm to 1am) and New Year’s Day (from 7pm to 10pm). The JMPD has appealed to merrymakers to use fireworks safely and to keep the safety of children and pets in mind at all times. It has also urged them to keep their pets indoors when using fireworks and never to throw lit crackers at them. Minnaar says metro police officers are responsible for enforcing by-laws, while Johannesburg Emergency Management Services personnel respond to injuries and fires caused, in this case, by fireworks. He has appealed to the public to behave in a responsible manner so they can enjoy the festivities. The following are some of the provisions in the City by-laws regulating the use of fireworks: *No person may deal in fireworks unless he or she holds the required fireworks licence in

Lighting fireworks anywhere near animals will be fined.

terms of the Explosives Act; *No person under age of 16 must use explosives without adult supervision; *Fireworks must not be used inside any building, on agricultural holdings, in public places such as schools, old age homes, hospitals, where animals are present, or within 500m of an explosives factory or storage facility, petrol depot or petrol stations; and *Revellers must use fireworks in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

22 - 29 December 2016

Inner-city Gazette

Editors Note

Moses Moyo - Inner-City Gazette Editor

he year is at its end (again) and without you, our readers and advertisers we would not have been able to have achieved the successes of producing 51 edition for 2016, we did and we want to take this opportunity to thank you from everyone on the team. Our offices are officially closed as from 21 December 2016 and will re-open on 6 January 2017. The last newspaper for the year is distributed on 21 & 22 December. We wish you a good rest, peace and looking forward to taking hands again with all you very special people in 2017. May Hashem bless you all. We hope Christmas and New Year bring you new dreams, new hopes, new experiences and new joys. We will be available on WhatsApp +27 76 681 0577 or Twitter @inner_gazette Moses Moyo and the awesome team at Inner City Gazette.

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22 - 29 December 2016

Safety tips for the festive season

he holiday season is filled with happiness and celebration, but it can also be a time of danger for road users. People are urged to to be more careful on the roads. Here are a few friendly tips to ensure your Festive season is a safe one: -Don’t drink and drive Drunk driving is a major contributory factor to road crashes and road deaths in South Africa. If you going to a Christmas party and plan to indulge in a drink or two and get merry, don’t drive. Stay the night or plan a safe alternative to get home such as a cab or designated driver. -Slow down In the rush to get to a Christmas party or do your Christmas shopping before the malls close, you may be tempted to speed. But police presence is greater on the roads both day and night throughout the season, and a speeding ticket and possible accidents are not likely on your holiday wish list. -Wear your seat belt Always buckle up. Wearing your seat belt can reduce your risk of dying in a crash by about half. Also, make sure young passengers are buckled into appropriate safety seats. -Watch for emergency vehicles. In an emergency, every second counts. When you hear a siren, be sure to pull off to the side of the road to allow the ambulance, police car or fire truck to pass. -Obey road rules Always obey the rules of the road. They are there for a reason. Stay within the speed limits at all times. -Carry an Emergency Kit Always be prepared.The kit should include items that would come in handy if you are stranded on the side of the road or involved in a vehicle accident. -Pull off the road if you feel tired Please don’t try to drive when your eyes are shutting; you could kill yourself or others if you fall asleep. Have turns driving if there is another licensed person in the vehicle. Stop regularly to take breaks. Emergency Numbers to always have with you: Police Flying Squad: 10111 Ambulance: 10177

Contact Lorraine Makgale on:

Inner-city Gazette

22 - 29 December 2016

Inner-city Gazette

22 - 29 December 2016

Police Numbers To report crime in your area contact your nearest police station.

Jeppe Police Yeoville Police Braamfontein Police Hillbrow Police 011 624 6066 011 487 5900 011 274 7300 011 488 6511

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