Curro appoints new school head

JohannesburgCurro Holdings has appointed Wynn Haupt as head of school for Curro Jewel City in Johannesburg.

Haupt’s passion for the education sector and equal opportunities for every learner has motivated him to work with various NPOs over the years. He spent the last five of his 13-year education career in Cape Town as a senior manager for the Collaboration Schools initiative, a partnership with education sector NPOs, Acorn Education and Common Good.

As an innovative educator, Haupt won the Johannesburg East District National Senior Certificate Award as a Top Achieving Educator in Computer Applications Technology in 2016, a fantastic fit for Curro Jewel City, which is one of Curro’s four DigiEd schools. These technology-driven schools are aimed at helping equip South Africa’s youth with critical skills to navigate the fourth industrial revolution.

Haupt has senior leadership experience in both primary and high school environments, and explains that his vision for education revolves around building strong, innovative and mission-aligned school management teams that can lead staff with integrity.

“I believe this will lead to teams that prioritise personal professional development, learning over teaching, academic excellence and learner well-being with the support of a data-driven culture,” he explains.

Haupt holds an honours degree in Biodiversity and Conservation and a postgraduate certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of the Western Cape. He is also an ARK certified teacher trainer and his leadership style places priority on learner performance and development.

As a family man, Haupt is a devoted husband and father, a handyman, an avid sportsman and a runner who has completed the Two Oceans and Comrades marathons. “As a family, we believe in leading balanced, healthy lives and sowing back into our communities,” he says.

Free training empowers jobless youths

Johannesburg - Participants of the bartending and mixology programme provided by spirits company Bacardi, get trained to develop a career and work experience in some of the industry’s top bars and restaurants, giving them a chance for a fresh start in life.

The free bartender training programme called Shake your Future is for disadvantaged youths.

The South Africa launch marks the expansion of the programme, which was originally launched in 2018, and has trained youths in France, Spain and Italy, and 80% of its graduates have secured careers in the hospitality industry.

The 16-week programme started with 20 aspiring bartenders, 10 in Gauteng and 10 in the Western Cape, and plans for rollouts in the coming months.

Country manager for Bacardi in South Africa, Yeshene Singh says they support the needs of bar owners searching for talented bartending staff.

“We are proud to bring this transformative programme to South Africa. We have seen it change lives and build a brighter future for our graduates in other countries, and now we cannot wait to do the same here in Gauteng and the Western Cape provinces,” Singh says.

Bacardi has partnered with Managed People Solutions (MPS) and Thirst Bar Services in South Africa on candidate selection and creation of a programme that provides students with experience in bartending, including the art of bartending and mixology and behind the bar skills.

Graduates receive a globally recognised certification with Wine and Spirit Education Trust Level 1 accreditation, which gives them career opportunities in the hospitality industry and beyond.

For more info visit https://www. bacardilimited.com/corporate-responsibility/shakeyourfuture.

NSPCA celebrates jailing of dog rapist

Roodepoort - The Roodepoort magistrate’s court recently sentenced a man to eight years imprisonment for raping his neighbour’s dog.

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) celebrated when Mojalesa Mofokeng of Soweto was found guilty of bestiality after raping his neighbour’s dog, known as Moana.

The NSPCA brought criminal charges against him, and a guilty verdict was delivered on April 28.

The magistrate said no distinction should be made between the rape of an animal and that of a human, as the courts have a duty to protect the rights of animal victims and impose sentences to avoid communities taking matters into their own hands.

In a statement the NSPCA said in the early hours of November 21 2020, a tenant living on a property in Soweto witnessed the man naked and precariously positioned in Moana’s kennel.

“He was then apprehended by community members. The NSPCA found the dog severely violated and in need of urgent attention. The dog was taken to the NSPCAs veterinarian for an emergency examination and treatment. Dr Bryce Marock confirmed that the dog, named Moana, was inhumanely restrained, and demonstrated injuries consistent with rape. Moana was only 11 months old at the time,” said the statement.

The NSPCA said Mofokeng was granted bail after his initial arrest. “However, he did not appear before the court, which resulted in him being rearrested.”

The NSPCA added that with the original witness being absent, the conviction’s success rested on NSPCAs veterinary consultant Dr Marock and inspector Shiven Bodasing of the NSPCAs Special Investigations Unit.

The NSPCA said this is the highest direct imprisonment ever imposed for animal cruelty in Africa, and sets the precedent nationwide. NSPCA director Marcelle Meredith said bestiality is a serious concern in the country. “It is a shameful crime that is swept under carpets to protect perpetrators, forgetting that bestiality usually progresses to the abuse of children and eventually other adult human beings. We hope that other bestiality cases will follow suit as a precedent has been set, and that animal rapists have been cautioned of the consequences,” she said.

She encouraged communities to report bestiality, and bring this evil to its knees.

Moana has made full recovery under the watch of the NSPCA, sterilised, vaccinated, microchipped and dewormed.

The NSPCA added that it will continue to assist Moana and her human family as they are also victims of this crime.

Expert advises parents on ECD

Johannesburg - The transition of Early Childhood Development (ECD) from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education, to be effective from next year, will change how the academic development of children is approached.

Among the changes is the obligation on parents to send their children to school from Grade 00, as opposed to only being compulsory from Grade 1.

An education expert says parents who need to consider where to send their children must choose carefully to ensure the school approaches ECD from a child-led learning perspective. This will ensure they start their academic journey appropriately for their age, build strong foundations and have positive association with attending school.

Academic advisor at ADvTech Schools, Lynda Eagle says schools have different programmes and approaches.

“Parents may be seduced by the idea of sending their child to a strictly academics focused ECD institution which will turn their little one into a mini Einstein before they even head to big school. However these good intentions are likely to fall flat, as this is not the correct and age-appropriate approach. The early years are exceptionally important, but learning should be playbased as far as possible. One of the best approaches to this is contained in the Reggio Emilia philosophy of learning. Bombarding children with a curriculum more suitable for older students is entirely counterproductive,” Eagle says.

When looking for an early learning campus, parents should search for a school that is not only aesthetically pleasing but more importantly where the student’s wellbeing is placed at the forefront.

“Young children learn best when provided with opportunities to play, where they can explore, discover, and experiment to make sense of the world around them. The school and teachers need to be cognisant of this and facilitate the child’s learning journey through careful observations and relevant opportunities,” says Eagle.

Other things to look out for the right ECD environment for a child include that teachers are appropriately qualified to teach in an early learning environment, have a caring and positive disposition where a child is viewed as capable; a strong sense of community; teaching is engaging, relevant and interactive; and the school follows a positive discipline policy, students guided positively and supported as they develop their social and selfregulation skills.

“Approaches to teaching and learning in the early years such as the Reggio Emilia approach are well documented and provide schools with prime examples of best practice. The emphasis is not on equipping a school with expensive resources, but rather connecting the student with natural elements in meaningful ways, with rich learning experiences and helping them to reimagine and repurpose available materials, resulting in rich learning opportunities and possibilities,” Eagle adds.

Toy gunman held for hair-salon robbery

Johannesburg - Last Friday police in conjunction with security guards arrested a 23-year-old man for business robbery and possession of a dangerous weapon, which turned out to be a toy-gun, at corner Commissioner and Von Brandis streets.

Police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said seven suspects alleg- edly stormed a hair salon and one pointed what appeared to be a firearm at clients.

“They robbed the security guard of R700 and his cellphone. They then rushed to their getaway white Toyota Quantum, but two of them failed to jump in and one was arrested,” Mbele said.

Winners of the previous edition of

Partnership launches awards for innovators

The prizes range from R250 000 to R500 000 in grant funding. In addition to the funding, each award winner also qualifies to receive business coaching, mentorship and technical support.

Johannesburg - The South African Breweries (SAB), in partnership with the SAB Foundation, has launched this year’s SAB Sharp Awards and is open for entries. Applicants with innovative solutions that seek to develop existing social innovations are encouraged to apply.

The awards target innovators, social entrepreneurs, institutions, students, researchers and social enterprises with innovative ideas or prototypes that empower women in at-risk communities, either by assisting them to become economically independent or by addressing issues associated with foetal alco- hol syndrome or gender-based violence.

The prizes range from R250 000 to R500 000 in grant funding. In addition to the funding, each award winner also qualifies to receive business coaching, mentorship and technical support. This programme is flexible and adjusted to the needs of each awardee, as mutually agreed by both awardee and mentor.

SAB entrepreneurship director Barbara Copelovici says: “We are excited to work with the SAB Foundation on this initiative and hope it introduces us to some of South Africa’s finest innovators we can partner with to develop sustain- able solutions for women in our communities.”

SAB Foundation social innovation specialist Itumeleng Dhlamini says they seek new opportunities to empower social innovators.

“We look forward to receiving applications this year that will help find innovative solutions that will help solve one of our country’s social challenges,” Dhlamini says.

Applications are open to South African citizens aged 18 years and above, and only those submitted on the SAB Foundation portal will be accepted; and close on 1 June. For more visit www:sabfoundation. co.za/social-innovation-awards.

Man rapes, attempts to kill woman

Johannesburg - Police have arrested a 28-year-old man who allegedly raped and stabbed a 49-year-old woman at a field near the Mall of the South in Swartkoppies Road.

Police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said the suspect, Lesotho national Kgotso Rakgaleye, allegedly attacked the woman on 21 March, and appeared at the Booysens magistrate’s court on Tuesday.

“The victim was selling mielies next to a taxi rank. She went to a nearby field to fetch water when she was confronted by the suspect. He raped her and after that told her he had to kill her because they knew each other. She sustained multiple stab wounds in her upper body and he left her thinking she was dead. The victim crawled to the taxi rank and taxi drivers called an ambulance. She told them about her ordeal and gave a description of the suspect who was wearing a cultural Lesotho blanket. His homeboys went to the field and apprehended him, with his blanket soaked in blood,” Mbele said.

He added that the victim spent a month in hospital.

“Police would like to thank the Orange Farm taxi rank drivers for calling an ambulance and the Lesotho nationals who handed the suspect to the police. Good working relationship between the police and the community will subdue the escalation of crime in our community,” he said. Court proceedings had not completed by the time of publishing.

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