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WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2013 WWW.EXPRESSNEWS.CO.ZA
Zuma fights hunger Chickens, seedlings, Nguni cows and goats handed over
} Boipelo Mere THE community of Batlharos and others who were bussed in from other villages and townships around the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, braved a hot, windy
day and patiently waited for seven hours at the Batlharos Stadium for President Jacob Zuma. The event was scheduled to start at 11:30 but only started at 16:30 due to the late arrival of the president. The president apologised and ex-
plained that he was held up in important meetings in Cape Town following the much talked about midterm budget presented by the minister of Finance, Pravin Gordan. The excitement of seeing the president let bygones be bygones as the
community ululated and screamed the name of the number one citizen of the country. The Fetsa Tlala project is a multisectoral approach by government to deal with structural problems of food security.
The president planted seedlings. Left: Cows that are already on the premises, three days after the president’s visit. Bottom: Chickens that were handed over. Photos: Boipelo Mere
This initiative is supported by various programmes including the Integrated Food Production Programme championed by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). Through Fetsa Tlala, the government intends to assist small scale and -holder producers to put at least one million hectares of arable land under production by 2019 across the country. Prior to addressing the community in Batlharos, the president visited a Fetsa Tlala project in the Manyeding Village where its cooperative received R5 million from the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) during the 2013-’14 financial year. The crops produced by the cooperative includes organic herbs and vegetables which are currently supplied to markets in the province. In his address to the community, Zuma recalled the olden days of subsistence farming when he said: “There was a time in our history, not too long ago, when households had gardens and grew their own vegetables and fruit. “They kept chickens and livestock. That is what Fetsa Tlala seeks to revive. “Through Fetsa Tlala, all underutilized agricultural land must be put under production. We are encouraging people to go back to farming and to develop a food garden. We want to see women’s cooperatives and community groupings focusing on vegetable production, livestock or chickens to earn a living and fight hunger and poverty.” Some 20 households received vegetable starter packs, two groups were given 24 Nguni cattle, another two groups 20 goats and 100 point of lay chickens were given to ten groups in Manyeding. The president used the opportunity in Batlharos to launch the DAFF’s Primary Animal Healthcare Programme (PAHC) as part of the department’s initiative to combat animal diseases and to improve access to veterinary services, especially in remote rural areas. DAFF is to deliver and hand over the first batch of mobile clinics and ambulatories to various provinces as they are already completed.
‘There was a time in our history, not too long ago, when house holds had gardens and grew their own vegeta bles and fruit. They kept chickens and live stock. That is what Fet sa Tlala seeks to re vive.’
– President Jacob Zuma
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ONE of the delegates in De Aar asking a question to a SARS official concerning her catering company. Photo: Boipelo Mere
Summit teaches skills } Boipelo Mere DE AAR was the fourth district in the Northern Cape to host the Mme Re Ka Thusa Women’s Economic Empowerment Summit. At least 300 women around the Pixley ka Seme District, including high school learners from different schools, attended the summit last week. It was a collaboration with Seda, GCIS and Nocci at the De Aar community hall. According to the provincial manager of Mme Re Ka Thusa Trust Fund, Gladys Motshele, the summit aims to equip women with enough knowledge to start and run their own businesses, not only to offer loans and grants to women’s businesses. Motshele added that the partnership with the district municipalities is aimed at coordinating and checking the available opportunities and ensuring suitable environment. According to Motshele, some of the women fail along the way due to a lack of information
and these women were also helped. She further revealed they have already visited John Taolo Gaetsewe, ZF Mgcawu and Namakwa when they visited Calvinia and Springbok. “We have a team of stakeholders who are able to advise women on how and where to go when they start and run their businesses. Like CISP and Sars,” she said. According to Sindisile Madyo, the LED manager of Pixley ka Seme, they included young women in gr. 11 to build prospects for them. “They will be exposed to different opportunities. We are looking at sharing exposure and grooming their leadership skills with the different talents they have. “We further encourage them to work on their confidence by fully participating in the question and answer sessions,” said Madyo. Motshele added that they visited the municipalities to do follow-ups on their clients, where they also engage in business talks and feedback in a build up to the provincial summit.
EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE , WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2013
Funds will be protected
NEWS
} Boipelo Mere NO one will be allowed to touch the R6 million Kay Motsepe Trust Fund meant for the Frances Baard district, except the beneficiaries. That was proven last week when Patrice Motsepe and his delegation arrived in Kimberley for their follow-up visit to meet the newly elected committee members in the Frances Baard. Motsepe clarified that the R6 million had to be used in the next eight months. The foundation pledged R500 million was to be made available by the Motsepe family over the next three to five years for development and upliftment projects in the nine provinces. Everyone who was approached by Express Northern Cape seemed pleased that even the newly elected committee members will not touch the money, but will only have the responsibility of sending a list of recommended applicants to the foundation who will complete the process of sending the funds directly to the beneficiaries. All 33 committee members, including the provincial chairperson and secretary from all ten sectors of beneficiaries being women, religious leaders, workers organisations, education, sports, music and arts, NGO’s youth, business and traditional leaders were elected on the day of Motsepe’s visit. The city hall was not as packed as it was during phase one of the visit because that community members, who thought that they were to submit their applications directly to the foundation, got clarity on the procedures. Explaining to the community members that only those from the Frances Baard region are supposed to benefit from this initiative, Kabelo Mosito, the spokesperson for the Motsepe Foundation, explained that Motsepe was on his way from the John Taolo District Municipality in Kuruman for the same purpose.
PATRICE MOTSEPE during his recent visit to Kimberley. Photo: Boipelo Mere “We do not want the money to be lying in the bank, it must use it effectively. Next year we will be back with Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe for feedback in all the areas that we have covered.” Mosito said that they do not foresee any irregularities amongst the committees as they saw this as a very fair and transparent process and do not expect any inside fighting. “We believe that the application will be reaching the final stage when it reaches us. We do not decide who will get funding, the community themselves who know one another were given full responsibility of proposing and electing people whom they trust to make the recommendations,” said Mosito. The premier of the Northern Cape, Sylvia Lucas, encouraged the community to allow the seed of the partnership with the Motsepe Foundation to grow into a big tree. “If you want to be part of this programme, you dare not disappoint yourself,” added Lucas.
Painted the town red FROM the left are Letshego Molehe, Matshidiso Mohlakwana and Moleboheng Nthoba posing for a photo in Rocklands, Bloemfontein. Photo: Voight Mokone
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Simulators bridge training gaps } Boipelo Mere
THE simulators are not just computer programmes, but hyper realistic systems and modelled vehicles that operate in a 3D world. Photo: Supplied
BREAKTHROUGH advancements across many technological aspects enable organisations to make more efficient decisions in the development of their staff and further achievements in their pursuit of their vision for the future. Kumba Iron Ore has heeded the reality of the new age of intelligent advancements in contributing to the outcome of any entities vision nowadays.
It relies completely on the rapid growth of technology. Through their zero-harm mindset, Kumba has demonstrated their commitment to safety by using simulators that are not just computer programmes but hyper realistic systems and modelled vehicles that operate in a 3D world. The simulators, which assist in bridging the gap between theory and best practice equipment operations emulating the Sishen operations, deal with real-life work situations.
According to Kumba, there are normal operating procedures on mines designed to get people home safely every day and there are the everyday incidents that remind miners of the possible dangers they face if the rules are not followed. For example a driver descending an incline in the wrong gear puts stress on the braking system which could result in a brake failure, or rain could make controlling a front-end loader difficult and dangerous. Wynand de Klerk, Sishen’s senior training officer, say that simulator technology enables his trainees to learn, practise and repeat procedures as often as necessary in order to correct mistakes, fine-tune their skills and optimise outcomes. De Klerk believes that Sishen’s safety record, lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) of 0.10 per 200,000 hours worked, is lower due to the fact that operators can develop and refine their skills without compromising the safety on the mine. Sishen’s training facility also allows Kumba Iron Ore employees to be trained to react safely and efficiently to emergency situations like a brake failure or engine fire. Novice operators are given at least three months’ training on a simulator before they are allowed to go near an actual piece of heavy machinery. This training programme, says De Klerk, allows the company to see benefits in three different areas: safety, productivity and best practice machine use. “By the time a new operator takes control, he has been trained to standards that make operations safer and more efficient. “He is trained in best practice for equipment use and simulators mean we don’t have to impede operations by taking real machinery out of production during training,” he added. The simulators at Sishen allow instructors to set standard exercises and then inject different hazards into each scenario. The advanced computing system allows instructors to monitor real-time operations and measure them against the student’s historical performance. It also allows instructors to replay each simulation with the trainee to help identify and work on shortcomings. The simulators simulate a tracked bulldozer, a wheeled bulldozer and excavator, surface drill rig, haul truck, face shovel and front-end loader to cover the four critical mining processes (hauling, drilling, digging and loading). Training these skills is also an ongoing process. Follow-up testing in the simulators is conducted after the first three months on the job. “We run refresher courses for every operator every year. With the simulator we are able to test theoretical and practical knowledge,” adds De Klerk. Linda Sambu, Kumba Iron Ore’s chief safety officer, concludes that the value of simulator training has been a boon for Sishen’s operations. “Simulators allow us excellent integration between training and operations and ensuring the best possible operating standards. “In line with Anglo American’s vision to achieve Zero Harm, we regard employee safety as our number-one priority and simulatorbased training is one of the key contributors to achieving our goal.”
Exams are in full swing
THE year-end 2013 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations for gr. 12 learners started on Monday. This year’s examinations will be written by 70 7136 learners and are taking place across more than 6 699 examination centres in South Africa, according to the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, Umalusi. The exams will be overseen by about 65 000 invigilators and will be marked by over 35 000 markers in 118 marking centres across the country. Results will be announced on 7 January 2014, and learners can collect their results at their schools on this day. In her message to the class of 2013 earlier this month, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said these exams were the culmination of years of schooling and are crucial in ensuring that matriculants are able to establish a platform from which they can launch themselves into their desired future. “Remember, your future is in your hands. Only you can make the choices that will determine your future,” said Motshegwa.
EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE , WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2013
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Three arrested for armed robbery } Boipelo Mere THREE suspects were arrested by the Hartswater police for armed robberies they allegedly committed at taverns in the area after the police had followed up on a complaint of three unknown men who were robbing people outside taverns of their cellphones, money and jewellery. Reports received that the suspects were armed with firearms and they allegedly fired four shots in the Thagadipelajang area. Upon following up on the information, the police reported that they managed to arrest two of the three suspects’ hours later at a tavern in Bonita Park.
The police searched the suspects and found two firearms, seven magazines, ammunition, a gold ring, three cellphones and watches. The first two suspects known as Piet Maike (36) and Vusile Bretman(19) appeared in the Hartswater Magistrate’s Court, where their case was remanded to 30 October for a formal bail application. The third suspect handed himself over at the Hartswater police afterwards and made his first court appearance. Piet Maike is also charged with house breaking and theft as it is alleged that he stole the two firearms, ammunition and other valuables from a farm near Hartswater over the same weekend.
SUSPECTED Hartswater armed robbers.
Photo: Supplied
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Helpful guidelines for matrics DR FELICITY COUGHLAN, director of the Independent Institute of Education which provides higher education on more than 20 registered campuses in South Africa gives matriculants the following tips: ) Hold on to Mathematics as long as you possibly can, but don’t place yourself at risk of not achieving an NSC at all if all
the indicators are that you will in fact be better served with Maths Literacy. ) Base this choice on facts: Your performance and the need for Maths to achieve your goal (as opposed to a dream). ) Choose subjects that stretch you and choose at least one you love or are very good at. ) Ask more than one person for
advice, but make a goal-based decision. (The same structured decision-making should inform a learner’s choice of where to study.) ) Your dream may be to study engineering at one of the “big five” institutions and there is no reason not to aspire to this if you are doing really well in Maths and Science and all your
other subjects. ) If your performance isn’t stellar, then begin to chase a goal that is more within your grasp – either by way of a different course or a different institution or both. ) Remember that there is both a public and a private sector – keep your options open by considering both in relation to
your goals. (Big decisions loom, but the anxiety of making them can be mitigated by chasing goals and not dreams.) “Doing so means you will make solid decisions that will have more managed and manageable consequences, because the match to the things that you will do to achieve your goals will already be in place.”
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Women dominate in a man’s world } Boipelo Mere
THE overall winner of the Women in Transport Awards in the transport industry category, Lina Simboyia, said winning came as a surprise but that it was about time women took charge of the male-dominated taxi industry. Simboyia is a taxi operator, regional chairperson for the Namakwa Santaco and serves on Santaco’s PEC. She was amongst the women who were awarded by Mac Jack, the MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, in Upington for playing a role in transforming the Northern Cape transport industry. The awards in their second year recognises the outstanding achievements of women in the Northern Cape transport industry. “It is a big victory for the industry as a whole, especially for us women to be recognised. I have been operating in the taxi industry for ten years with the aim of developing the rural area of Namakwa called Pella,” she said. She already motivated other women to enter the industry and encouraged seven other women to join the industry while women in other areas were also making strides. Her runner-up was Thieka Bella Sebitloane, a taxi owner and member of Santaco, Kuruman. According to the MEC, the Women in Transport Awards was not only aimed at celebrating achievements of women in the transport industry, but is also geared towards consolidating their quest to make a meaningful
‘It is a big victory for the industry as a whole, es pecially for us women, to be recognised.’ – Lina Simboyia
HERE is the winner of the best outstanding law enforcement role in the transport industry Tanya Anders (Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison’s Provincial Transport Inspectorate), Mack Jack (Northern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison) and Lina Simboyia, winner of the women entrepreneurs in the transport industry category (taxi operator, regional chairperson for Namakwa Santaco and serves on Santaco’s PEC). Photo: Supplied impact moving forward into the future. “We have all said over and over again that this industry has been dominated by men for a very long time, to the disadvantage of women. “We must continue to speak in one voice and say that is history. Women have arrived,” said Jack.
He added that it was time for a woman-friendly transport environment in the province. “Conducive conditions in this industry must be created to ensure that women’s skills are enhanced. We need a shift in corporate culture that realises the aspirations of our women in transport,” concluded Jack.
The other award was for women with the best outstanding law enforcement role in the transport industry. The winners were Tanya Anders, with runners-up Ballisa Tuku and Kayleen Brandt. The winners and runners-up received certificates, gifts and cash vouchers and the winners received trophies and holiday vouchers.
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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE, WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2013
Safa has to pay up
Association set to address issue } Teboho Setena
For more news and photos visit www.express-news.co.za
THE cash-strapped South African Football Association (Safa) is set to address the overdue matter of non-payment of monies towards the 144 teams that campaigns in the second division. This comes after an urgent meeting between the owners of the clubs and Safa’s national executive committee led by newly-elected president, Danny Jordaan. The meeting held on Thursday and Friday last week in Gauteng was meant to address grave concerns of the owners regarding Safa’s non-payment of monies to clubs. Monies owed to teams include travelling allowances, match officials and prizes for the 2012-’13 term. The country’s football federation has failed to pay teams their monies due to financial crises, apparently arising from alleged mismanagement of funds. This past season – 2012-’13 – the majority of the clubs had to provide for themselves and also take the responsibility to pay monies for the matches. Due to non-payment of monies to clubs Safa decided to delay the start of the 2013-’14 season second-tier competition by two months during which it strove to source funding to pay teams their monies. The Goldfields Express reliably learnt that the owners of the clubs had at the two-day meeting reached a consensus to play first league fixtures on Saturday – pending Safa’s fulfilment of the promise to pay teams monies owed for 2012-’13. The football federation’s executive had apparently made a commitment to pay all monies owed to clubs at the latest tomorrow.
SAFA is set to address the matter of non-payment of monies towards the teams.
The Goldfields Express reliably learnt that the owners of the clubs had at the twoday meeting reached a consensus to play first league fixtures on Saturday – pending Safa’s fulfilment of the prom ise to pay teams monies owed for 2012’13. The 2013-’14 term will see 147 clubs in stead of 144 compete for this year’s Safa second division championship. The increase in the number of the participating clubs by three comes after judgment was passed against Safa in legal matters in three provinces: the Free State, Limpopo and North-West. The provinces in question will each have 17 teams compete in the league in stead of the expected 16 as with the rest of the provinces. Safa’s financial crisis to ensure the smooth running of the second division competition and to bankroll it, came after long-time sponsor Vodacom ended its sponsorship towards the league two years ago. The association has since then been unsuccessful to secure any sponsorship deals for the second-tier league since the mobile company pulled out.
Photo: Sidwell Guduka