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Light back in granny’s life } Boipelo Mere MAGGIE DIKGETSI from Bloemanda in Kimberley will possibly be amongst the first in the Northern Cape to receive one of the new smart ID cards. This is after the SAPS Women’s Network assisted her to apply for a new ID at the Department of Home Affairs on 11 July. It was discovered that Dikgetsi, whose plea was published in the Express Northern Cape of 3 October 2012, is not 61, but 73 years of age. The discovery was made by a pathologist who was approached by the SAPS Women’s Network and the Community Policing Forum (CPF) after seeing the article. Her correct age was determined after an estimation was done through her next-of-kin. In the previous article Granny Dikgetsi appealed to the community to help her get a proper house as she had been promised many times. She was also not receiving an old-age grant and had been surviving on her grandson’s child support grant. “My biggest wish is to get a proper roof over my head, then I can die in peace,” she was quoted as saying. Dikgetsi, who stays in an old, dilapidated shack, lives with her four-year-old grandson. She suffers from shortness of breath due to the cold and cooking on an open fire since her daughter passed away earlier this year. She has also been unable to buy electricity because her metre number was registered under a different name. On Mandela Day, the SAPS Women’s Network and the CPF put a smile on Dikgetsi’s face as she was helped to switch on her lights for the first time. She also received a donation of a bed, clothing, blankets and food parcels for her and her grandson. Whilst the SAPS Women’s Network and the CPF are in negotiations with the Sol Plaatje Municipality to rectify her title deed and arrange for her to receive the house of her dreams, Katz
Northern Cape
Roofs and Bricks volunteered to sponsor a descent shack for her in the meantime. Susan Mapitse of the SAPS Women’s Network said that they would continue to assist Dikgetsi with emotional support. She also said that the programme of identifying the vulnerable would continue until the 16 Days of Activism against Woman and Child Abuse was over. “We will assist her in getting a house and an old-age grant as soon as we can. We also appeal to anyone who can assist us or the granny in any way to come forth,” said Mapitse. SAPS Galeshewe station commander, Brig. Francis Hender, said that this was a step in the right direction for the SAPS. “We have a responsibility to uplift our people and assist in pushing back the frontiers of poverty in our communities. We will continue, with the CPF, to improve the lives of our people and to try our best to protect our communities and improve lives,” he concluded.
THE bed, clothing, blankets and food parcels that the SAPS donated to Maggie Dikgetsi. Photos: Boipelo Mere MAGGIE DIKGETSI can now proudly use electricity, thanks to the SAPS.
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NEWS
Happy to share birthday with Madiba } Boipelo Mere
ALL SMILES: Emily Letsapa with her ice-cream cake during her birthday party on Mandela Day.
“KE a mo itse mokgalajwe, mme go utwisa botlhoko tota go utlwa gotwe o a lwala (I know the old man, and it is sad to learn that he is ill. Our prayers will always be with him).” These were the words of Emily Letsapa who celebrated her 94th birthday on Mandela Day on 18 July. “I have seen him twice during his visit to the Galeshewe Stadium,” she mentioned while chatting to Express Northern Cape, while Dr Ruth Mompati, ANC branch member, in conjunction with the Healing and Victory Centre, did her laundry. The two organisations had spent the day before cleaning the granny’s house and painting it and then hosted her birthday party at Gaasca on the 18th. In responce to a question about what she wishes for on her birthday, Letsapa said: “Lots of nice food and tea.
“Even though one does not get any younger, people keep encouraging me to enjoy my birthday, because Mandela’s party hosted my parties when I was turning 92 and 93, with nice food.” The granny further added that she enjoyed walking around the yard and hates to sit still, although she does not walk so fast anymore. “When I sit still my muscles become tense – I then have difficulty standing up. I feel blessed that even though my eyes seem to be giving in, my feet can still carry me to the kettle where I would make myself a cup of tea, when my grandson Reginald is not at home. All he has to do is to keep the kettle filled with water.”
RUTH MOMPATI, ANC branch member, working in conjunction with the Healing and Victory Centre. Photos: Boipelo Mere
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Celebrated Mandela Day in Kby } Boipelo Mere MOTSWEDING FM BROADCASTERS commemorated Mandela Day by getting their hands dirty with both the staff and patients at the Kimberley Provincial Hospital. The station also broadcasted live from the hospital in an effort to inspire individuals to take action and help change the world for the better. This initiative was not only to seek to encourage and drive audiences to giving their 67 minutes of community work towards service delivery, but also to afford ordinary members of the public the opportunity to be at the forefront of service delivery and understand by walking a mile in the shoes of those providing service delivery on a day-to-day basis. The commemoration further allowed Motsweding FM listeners to voice their expectations and also suggesting ways of bettering service delivery, and in addition, encouraged them (listeners) to take part in ensuring effective delivery of basic services. According to the station, the Mandela Day activity was also aimed at giving the station the opportunity to interact with audiences in the Northern Cape province in preparation for the CI launch and unveiling of its new look and feel this coming September, which will also be the celebration of 51 years of Setswana broadcast excellence. The Angels, as Motsweding FM staff call themselves, was joined by the Northern Cape Health MEC, Mxolisi Sokhatsha, in honouring Nelson Mandela and bringing the Madiba legacy and keeping his dream alive by celebrating his 95th birthday as dedicated ambassadors of goodwill, reinforcing Motsweding FM as a caring brand.
The Kimberley Hospital staff and Motsweding FM presenters on Mandela Day.
Photo: Boipelo Mere
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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE, WEDNESDAY 24 JULY 2013
NEWS MEMBERS of the 101 Field Workshop at Lohatlha Military Base, in conjunction with Khumani Mine, also did their share of community work on Mandela Day at the Maikaelelo Primary School in Olifantshoek. The group of men and women cleaned the the whole school yard. They also assisted on cleaning the classroom windows, after which they all enjoyed a cup of hot soup with all the learners. Photo: Ilse watson
Dimakatsi Lechwenyo
Woman in my mirror
} Dimakatso Lechwenyo
WOMAN in my mirror . . . you are beautiful and that’s a fact. You are strong and that’s non-debateable. You are a miracle and that’s philosophy to your name. And you are the cultured soul that remains true to Africa’s breast. Woman in my mirror . . . tell me how . . . How is it that beauty can be a curse and even the strongest of woman can be so vulnerable? How is it that your looks are always recognised and your merits are compromised? How is it that the miracle is short-lived and even the cultured soul is threatened to submission? By mentally colonised beings? How is it that African beauty can be traded and the strength and endurance of women become a gambling commodity in the hands of men who are supposed to protect? Take care and provide for these women. How is it that I am loved yet this is only applicable behind closed doors? How is it that I am told that I am the best yet this man cannot be vocal about it and let the world know? How is it that I must always remind this man that I am his equal and that the respect I give would be appreciated if returned? How is it that I settle for moments of pleasures that can never be compared to death do us part? How is it that I say yes when my very standards scream no? Woman in my mirror tell me how . . . How is it that we fail to strike the balance between root and flower? How is it that we cannot join the dots between culture and the modern world? How is it that we are quick to compromise who we are to recognise customs? And lifestyles that were never our own? Woman in my mirror . . . How is it that your beauty is the cause of your heartache? How is it that your strength is the cause of your tears? How is it that the “miracle” to whom you opened your heavens is nowhere to be found? Woman in my mirror . . . How is it that we are defined better by all else outside? Whilst we struggle to make sense of everything that is inside. We are defined by brands, labels, price tags and attachments. We are defined by men, by the mouth-piece between our legs and by any fool who thinks he knows it all . . . Woman in my mirror . . . How is it that there are too many mirrors with broken beings? Too many beings who look at their outer reflection without making time to reflect inside. How is it that there are too many women avoiding those nagging questions at the back of our minds? I would not say I and we if this was not our story . . . to some more similar than to others. I would be damned if women continue to attach a small value to themselves. We are way too strong to be crushed, too confident to be convinced otherwise. Too wise to lose the debate. We are whole and we owe only answer to one being. And for each of us its being is that woman in the mirror.
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Learner’s design a clear winner DIRK COETZEE (17), a matric learner of the Adamantia High School in Kimberley, has won the South African leg of a competition that challenged young artists to design a helmet for Wing Commander Andy Green who will be driving the Bloodhound supersonic car. “I love the bold and exciting South African theme of Dirk’s design and the big sunrise and gemsbok adding a Northern Cape element. “Superbly finished and proudly South African – it is perfect,” Green commented. The helmet design competition was used as an opportunity to get children from South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK) involved in the Bloodhound SSC Project as part of its education programme. Dirk’s design will feature on one of the two helmets that Green will wear during his attempts to break the current land speed record and reach up to 1 000 miles per hour (1 610 km/ h) with the Bloodhound SSC at Hakskeenpan. The other design will come from the UK winner, 11-year-old Sam James. The competition attracted nearly 1 000 entries, about half from the Northern Cape in South Africa and half from UK schools. The William Humphrey’s Art Gallery and the Northern Cape Department of Education also supported the competition with the gallery’s outreach team visiting many schools to provide expert advice to learners who wished to enter the competition. “When we start running Bloodhound, I will
have two helmets available – on the basis that we should always have a spare for anything important,” Green explains. “Of course the helmets do not have to be painted the same, and with two different designs, this gave us a great chance for a competition.” The two winning designs are reported to be with an expert helmet designer/painter from JLF Designs in the UK for application to Green’s helmets. Green described the rules for the design very simple. “The colours had to be compatible with the Bloodhound blue and orange, the helmet need-
ed to be identifiable as Bloodhound and it needed to identify me as the driver. There were a couple of other things that I did not include, as I wanted to see what they could work out for themselves. I was looking for bold, vibrant shapes, and two distinct national designs of some sort, one UK-themed and one South African. This was where the entrants could really show some flair,” he added proudly. Other learners from the Northern Cape also submitted designs that really impressed the judges. These were category winners or runners-up. The winner in the category for gr. 4 to gr. 6 was 11-year-old Lindiwe Maganelo of the Mole-
habangwe Primary School who submitted a clean and simple design which would work well in Bloodhound colours. Enrique van der Merwe of the Postmasburg Primary School won the category for gr. 7 to gr. 9 with a simple and effective joining of UK and South African flags in Bloodhound colours. The runner-up in the category for gr. 10 to gr. 12 is 15-year-old Mogomotsi Mandela of the Adamantia High School who is also a learner at the Maths and Science Leadership Academy in Kimberley. While the colours were unusual, the design was exciting and very South African, influenced by a Kimberley diamond mine theme.
Switch off your geyser between 5pm and 9pm. Here’s why:
The reason we ask you to switch off your geyser between 5pm and 9pm, is that the country uses more electricity during this time and supply is under severe pressure. Switching off your geyser helps free up power for other things and relieves the pressure on the grid. Here’s an interesting fact, the huge demand for energy during the evening between 5pm and 9pm is the equivalent of one power station. There is an estimated 5,4 million electric geysers in homes across South Africa. 3YV GSQFMRIH GSRXVMFYXMSR QEOIW E WMKRM½GERX HMJJIVIRGI Switch off your geyser every day between 5pm and 9pm, and help us beat the peak to keep South Africa powered up. For more information visit www.eskom.co.za/idm DIRK COETZEE (17), a matric learner of the Adamantia High School in Kimberley, has won the South African leg of the Bloodhound helmet competition. Photo: Supplied
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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE, WEDNESDAY 24 JULY 2013
NEWS
MORE than 50 youth members from around Homevale, Homelite and Homevale Extension, who were later joined by learners after school, got their hands dirty and cleaned the abondened building on Mandela Day with the aim of utilising it for skateboarding practice. Photos: Boipelo Mere
Youths get their hands dirty } Boipelo Mere
THE Ikhayalethu Victim Support Centre, Phakama Productions, Karona Trading and Palace of Praise Church are renovating the abondoned shopping centre, previously known as the Tips Tavern, in Homevale and turning it into a youth centre. The stakeholders combined and are working as an NGO to rehabilitate and support the youth dealing with arts in their newly established studio. More than 50 youths from around Homevale, Homelite and Homevale Extension, who were later joined by learners after school, got their hands dirty and cleaned the abandoned building on Mandela Day, excited that they will be utilising it for skateboarding practice. The Northern Cape FET College also handed over many computers for the centre. Even parents joined in the work because they said the place had turned into a haven for criminals where people traded and used drugs. Justin Abrahams (20), who was amongst those who painted the walls of the building, said that it was also an effort to contribute towards the 67 minutes to Mandela’s birthday. “We are a community that has the culture of helping each other. We were advised by the NGO to come and assist in cleaning the building in order to rather practise skateboarding here. My friends and I chose to come and assist instead of watching our brothers wasting away their lives smoking drugs on the premises,” said Abrahams. He added that as much as they are young and poor, they do not wish to end up as non-roleplayers in their community. According to Thami Sikhupelo, they will be turning Tips Tavern into a tips haven to benefit the youth in the area. “We are also working with Business Against Crime, who will send us some of their learnership youth to train,” he added proudly. According to Dawn Theys, the EPWP project manager, they are also working with the Department of Public Works to revitalise the building and turn a section of it into a community bakery.
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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE, WEDNESDAY 24 JULY 2013
Lucky Lekgwathi (left), Orlando Pirates skipper, and Itumeleng Khune, Kaizer Chiefs captain. Photo: Barry Aldworth/Backpagepix
Giants go head-to-head SOUTH AFRICA’S soccer giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will go head-tohead in the 2013 Carling Black Label Cup on Saturday at 15:30. The Carling Black Label Cup is now in its third year and champion coaches from both sides will lead their teams at the FNB Stadium. Tickets for the match are officially sold out – in fact, the “Sold out” signs went up three weeks ahead of the much-anticipated showpiece. “We are delighted about the sold-out status of the Carling Cup. This is indicative of the power of this campaign and how champion coaches desire to see their starting lineups. “We are excited and looking forward to the encounter on Saturday,” Vijay Govind-
samy, Carling Black Label’s general manager, said. “We would like to thank our consumers for the support they have shown to this initiative for the past two seasons. “It certainly appears to have fulfilled their aspirations,” Govindsamy concluded. Pirates proved to be the kings of this popular event by winning two previous editions. They will go into the game as favourites to defend their title. However, Chiefs will also be motivated going into this fixture, after lifting the Gauteng Cup after defeating Bloemfontein Celtic 4-1 at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday. Once again, this competition gave fans an opportunity to select their desired starting lineups for both sides.
The SMS competition line closed last night and the line-ups will be revealed today.
For more news and photos go to our website at www.expressnews.co.za
} Sidwell Guduka