tame TIMES
BOKSBURG - BENONI
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FRESH APPROACH TO LOCAL NEWS
Volume 02, 7 October 2014, Week 40
Delivered every Tuesday
Tel: 011 862 8500 Fax: 011 869 7335
Amy-Mae Campbell
amymae.campbell@tametimes.co.za
NEWS
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t around 12:00 on Thursday afternoon there was a shoot-out at the Boksburg Taxi Rank in Leeuwpoort Street. Between five and eight shots were fired and 10 suspects were arrested, of whom one escaped. Fortunately no-one was shot or injured. The street was temporarily cordoned off to allow police to investigate the crime scene. According to Lt/Col Scheepers, Commander at Boksburg Investigations Unit, the shoot-out was caused by taxi associations from other areas trying to hijack the routes of local associations. Four new taxis had appeared in the local area on Thursday morning, threatening the local association, he said, and one taxi had overturned opposite the Boksburg prison, as the suspects tried to escape from the police. Fortunately, however, the taxis were not transporting any passengers at the time. Two taxi-drivers who were on the scene, but not implicated in
the shooting, explained that all the drivers at the Boksburg Taxi Rank are members of the Reiger Park/Boksburg-Windmill ParkVosloorus route. Taxis that do not belong to this association are not allowed to transport passengers travelling along this route, but many independent groups do not adhere to the allocated routes and literally bully other associations out of an area. “I was asleep and when I woke up there were people moving up and down,” said the witness. “They were chasing those who were already parked here. After that they started the shooting. The tension is bad. Those Kombis did not have a sticker showing which route they are allowed to operate. The previous time a lot of people lost their lives. What happened today we can say was minor compared to past disputes,” tame TIMES was told. According to another taxi-driver at the rank, “There are two groups here. The one wants to take over here. They want to take over the entire route to Windmill Park and back. We are scared, but there is nothing we can do about it.” Continued on page 2
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Continued from page 1 Both of the taxi-drivers who spoke to tame TIMES asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. According to Isaac Dhludhlu, Deputy Director: Strategy and Media Liason at the Department of Roads and Transport, the Department is aware of the taxi violence in this area and have put measures in place to try to curb violent incidents: “There are legislative measures stipulated to stop taxi violence as outlined in Section 79 and 91 respectively of the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009. The Operating License may be revoked/cancelled or suspended in terms of Section 79 or alternatively the Association responsible for route infringements may be declared closed by means of publishing notice of such intention in the Government Gazette.” Dhludhlu further explained that the chairperson of the relevant taxi association, together with the relevant municipality and regional taxi structures, jointly decide which route each taxi association uses. The relevant municipality in terms of Section 55 of the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009 determines the integrated transport plans. “Routes are therefore allocated by the relevant City, taking into account the availability of ranking facilities and terminals. Minibuses should comply with the allocated routes and not operate wherever they wish. It is a cause for concern as it leads to conflict and violence and possible loss of lives,” Dhludhlu says. Police are still investigating the evidence uncovered at the crime scenes to determine what charges the suspects may face. Lt Ndaba from Boksburg SAPS told tame TIMES that the two most likely charges will be attempted murder and public violence. Police are working through statements from witnesses
who were on the scene and are recovering fingerprints from the taxis as well. Sniffer dogs were brought on to the scene to find all stray bullet shells. Lt Ndaba explained that, due to the fact that there were two crime scenes (the scene where the taxi overturned and the shoot-out where a bullet shell was found), it will take time to put together all the evidence. The suspects will appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court soon. In the meantime, Dhludhlu appeals to taxi-drivers to adhere to their allocated routes. With regard to invading taxis, Dhludhlu explains that it is not difficult to identify a taxi belonging to a different association, because all taxis have identifiable stickers on their windows indicating which association the vehicle belongs to. Dhludhlu advises taxi-drivers who see taxis belonging to a different association in their area to: •
Contact the Department of Roads and Transport, Directorate Registration and Monitoring to log the complaint on 011 355 7300.
•
Ensure that vehicle details and taxi association details are available, as well as a route description of the area.
After this has been done, the Department of Roads and Transport will engage Regional Taxi structures to address the complaint and conduct an inspection-in-loco of the affected area, and will engage law enforcement agencies to monitor the affected area.
This past month many Boksburg and Benoni residents have complained that they have not received their post for almost four months, due to Post Office workers being on strike. However, the City of Ekurhuleni has warned rate-payers that the Post Office strike is not an excuse for residents to avoid paying their municipal accounts or to pay them late. Residents, they say, who skip payments or do not pay on time will incur arrears on their accounts. “We are aware of the effects of the strike by Post Office workers; however, it was in view of circumstances like these, amongst others that the municipality introduced numerous options which only serve to make accessibility of statements and payments easy. The nonreceipt of a statement does not exempt any person from the liability to pay such an account,” said Themba Gadebe, the Metro’s spokesperson. Residents are encouraged to pay similar amounts to those in their previous month’s statements should they not have received their current statements. Residents who receive neither full statements by post nor summary statements by SMS are encouraged to visit their Customer Care Centres to update their contact details. The municipal basket of improved payment methods includes the online system, which enables customers to view and pay their accounts online. Therefore residents are encouraged to register on www.e-siyakhokha.co.za to be able to view their statements online. Residents can also pay their accounts at the Customer Care Centres or outlets identified on the backs of their statements. The online system also enables residents to pre-date payments (you can set the system to pay your account on a set date with a set amount if you are on leave or on holiday); the system also immediately gives you notification of payment and keeps records of your accounts and payments from the time you register to use this method. In addition, you can query your account while online.
ID: One of the association stickers in a taxi window
ID: Another sticker indicating the route this taxi may use
STRAY: bullet casing found in Leeuwpoort next to the taxi rank
“It is important to note that the due date for payment is fixed and it does not change from month to month, which helps you not to miss your payment. When in doubt, customers may phone the numbers at the back of their previous statement,” Gadebe said, adding that alternatively they can email their account numbers including contact details to accountenquiries@ ekurhuleni.gov.za.
CANINE DETECTIVES: Sniffer dogs were brought in to search for any other casings
So October is breast cancer awareness month. I read on the CANSA website that cancer globally kills more people each year than HIV/Aids, malaria and TB combined. Shocking, isn’t it? Breast cancer is the most common female cancer globally and in South Africa. Almost every friend I have knows someone, or is related to someone who has/ has had breast cancer. What is even more interesting is that not only women develop breast cancer - men do too! It is much more common in women, but men need to research the warning signs as well. Cancer is unpredictable, silent and aggressive. You need to look out for it before it is too late. This month I want to challenge the community to reach out to someone with cancer, or to get involved in a cancer initiative. The more awareness we create, the more lives we can save. Delivery on Wednesday to all households and businesses in Boksburg. Published by Tame Communications Corner Michelle Avenue and 37 Sangiro Close, Randhart. PO Box 17699, Randhart, 1457. Tel: 011 862 8500, Fax: 011 869 7335 Editor: Amy-Mae Campbell: amymae.campbell@tametimes.co.za
Sub editor: Linda Yates linda.yates@tametimes.co.za Production Manager: Gillian Ryan gillian.ryan@tametimes.co.za Advertising Executives: Loreen Fletcher 074 581 9327 loreen@tametimes.co.za Shane Stander 071 671 7264 shane@tametimes.co.za
Classified Manager: Tessa Arthur 011 862 8500 tessa@tametimes.co.za Distribution queries: Happy 011 862 8500 Next issue: Tuesday 14 October 2014 Deadline: Friday 10 October at 14:00
Although reasonable efforts are made by tame Communications (Pty) Ltd and the owners, directors, publishers, editors and staff thereof (all referred to as “TAME”), no responsibility is taken by TAME for any errors and/or incorrect aspects and/or misstatements in any format published herein, and whoever provides TAME with any information, including any editorial, advertorial and/or advertising material, in any format, indemnifies TAME against any claim of whatsoever nature which may be brought against TAME by whoever.
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categories: High Risk Learners Camps, Residential Matric Camps and Walk-In Camps. The High Risk Learners Camps will be held across the province from 6 to 10 October. 5318 learners from all 15 districts who have been identified as performing below set standards by the Department will be bussed to 15 camps.
This year, says the GDE, a total of 101 265 full-time candidates and 42 382 part-time candidates have been registered. They will be writing in 928 centres across all 15 GDE Districts in Gauteng. The GDE has appointed 8090 markers and 4789 invigilators in 11 marking centres across the province.
From 13 to 24 October, 13 712 learners will be accommodated in 19 Residential Camps across all 15 districts.There will also be Walk in Camps in the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni areas that will accommodate 40 327 learners in 108 sites. Matric Revision Camps have been running since the beginning of the year on Saturdays and during school holidays. As part of their measures to support learners during this period, the Department also has a standing agreement with ChildLine to assist learners who find themselves in stressful situations as a result of pressure they might experience from the exams. Learners can phone ChildLine on 08000 55 555 for counselling assistance. The results of the 2014 Matric exams will be released on 6 January 2015 at schools.
Matric Revision Camps Matric Revision Camps will be held across the province in areas such as Magaliesberg, Hammanskraal and Vanderbijlpark. They will focus on covering key topics that have not been sufficiently covered during the year and drilling learners in possible exam questions. The GDE has divided the camps into three
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In under twenty days, 143 647 Grade 12 learners across Gauteng will begin their year-end National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations and the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) says it is fully prepared for these final school examinations, which will begin on 27 October.
“WE ARE READY:” Gauteng MEC for Education, Mr Panyaza Lesufi, and Mr Edward Mosuwe, the DDG: Curriculum Management Delivery, addresses the media on the province’s state of readiness for the Grade 12 exams. (Photo supplied)
The 10th edition of the National Inter-Metro Games 2014 hosted by EMPD commenced on Sunday 21 September, with the opening ceremony taking place at Charl Baard stadium in Brakpan and culminating in an Awards Evening ceremony which took place at Esselen Park Hall on Thursday 25 September. The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department hosted Durban Metro Police Department (DMPD), Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), engaging one another in nine sporting codes viz. soccer, netball, volleyball, cycling, running, golf, darts, pool and shooting. Esselen Park was the venue for soccer, netball and pool. Kingsway Club in Brakpan was used for darts, while John Barrable Hall in Benoni was the venue for
indoor volleyball. Shooting took place at Rooikraal Shooting Range in Heidelberg and Ebotse Gold, State Mine, Kempton Park. Royal Oak golf courses hosted the golfers and cyclists did their riding in and around the Boksburg Stadium.The games commenced in earnest at the various venues on Monday 22 September and concluded around midday on Thursday 25 September. The EMPD Shooting team excelled, taking gold medals in both individual best female and best male categories, a silver medal in the female team category and a gold medal in the male team category. The EMPD shooting team also took the coveted floating trophy for the best team overall category in shooting. In netball, the EMPD team took the silver medal and so did the EMPD darts team. Overall, DMPD were first, TMPD second and JMPD third.
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Investigating a Boksburg hijacking led police to arrest two Malawian nationals and to confiscate computers and printers suspected of being used to produce fraudulent car licences and vehicle registration documents. A Mercedes Benz sedan hijacked last week in Boksburg was tracked down in Johannesburg through a joint effort comprising of EMPD Intervention Unit and SAPS Observation Task Team members. They picked up the hijacked vehicle’s signal in Bez Valley at around 4:00 on 1 October and followed it, arresting the Malawian national driver when he stopped for fuel in Ormonde.
At the suspected hijacker’s home in Ormonde, they arrested another Malawian national and confiscated computers and printers suspected of being used to produce fraudulent car licences and vehicle registration documentation. R45 000 in cash was also found in the home. The two suspects, whose ages are 22 and 31, were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle at Booysens Police Station. The police are currently conducting in-depth investigations to analyze the equipment confiscated, with a view to establishing the extent of the suspects’ illegal activities.
One person was killed and five were injured in a three-vehicle collision on the R21 in Benoni on the evening of Saturday 27 September. When ER24, along with other emergency services, arrived on the scene, they found three vehicles scattered along the dark road, with one of them having actually ended up on top of a barrier. Paramedics then discovered that one man had already succumbed to his injuries. There were also two patients
with critical injuries and three others with minor to moderate injuries. A medical helicopter was called in to treat and transport one of the critically injured to hospital, while paramedics provided the remaining critical patient with advanced life support. They also treated the less severely injured patients and then transported all four to a nearby hospital for further medical treatment. The cause of the collision is not yet known, but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations. It was reported that a similar incident had occurred just a few hours earlier.
While on patrol in the Brakpan CBD the Friday before last, Metro Police Equestrian Unit members arrested three men after finding them in possession of a dozen packets of dagga and drug paraphernalia.
Last week, after a two-hour blitz of the area in which they tested 16 suspected motor vehicles and stopped and searched 77 people, police arrested 33 residents of the N12 informal settlement in Benoni. Metro Police officers from the Equestrian Unit combined with the Bromberg Precinct to raid the settlement between 9:30 and 11:30 1 October 2014. Suspects included thirty-two undocumented persons and one person suspected of possessing and dealing in dagga. A tip-off led to the arrest of the 40-year-old man found with a kilogram of dagga, which is worth about R6 000 on the street.
panelbeating business and an illegal tavern, after which the chop shop and shebeen owners were slapped with fines. All the suspects were booked in at Crystal Park Police Station and were expected to appear in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court last Thursday.
The trio, whose ages are 19, 25 and 28, were charged with possession of dagga and drug paraphernalia at Brakpan Police Station. They were expected to appear in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 29 September.
The Equestrian Metro Cops also arrested three undocumented men in the Brakpan CBD.
Police also confiscated equipment used in illegal mining - gas bottles, sifting buckets, grinders and jumper cables - and shut down an illegal
A man who was allegedly rushing to pick up a pastor at the airport was clocked last week doing 168km/h on the N12 freeway. The 66-year-old, who was driving a white Range Rover, was arrested at 07:10 on the N12 eastbound between the R59 and Voortrekker turnoffs, which is a 120km/h zone. The man claimed that he was exceeding the speed limit because he did not want the pastor to be late for his early morning sermon. Two more speedsters, one on a Kawasaki motorbike and the other in a Ford Fiesta, were nabbed between 9:00 and 09:18 doing 177 and 161km/h respectively. Both male drivers in their thirties, they both also claimed they were rushing to their respective homes.
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All three arrestees were locked up at Alberton Police Station and later released on bail of R1 000 each. They are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court soon to face charges of reckless and negligent driving. Another male driver, this time in a 70km/h zone, was caught the Friday afternoon before last doing a shocking 124km/h in a BMW 1 Series sedan. He claimed that he was a businessman rushing to the bank to withdraw money in order to pay his employees. The 38-year-old was arrested along Swartkoppies Road between Hennie Alberts and Vermoten Streets in Alberton, charged with reckless and negligent driving at Brackendowns Police Station and later released on bail of R1 000. He is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court soon.
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DANGEROUS: A woman was arrested near a primary school in Brakpan after being found in possession of dagga valued at R800. Last Friday, sharp-eyed members of the Equestrian Unit of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department approached a woman carrying a suspicious-looking bag and discovered dagga in sachets, as well unwrapped dagga. The 35-year-old woman, who was seen lingering around Commando Primary School in Brakpan, was found with thirty-five packets of ready-for-sale dagga, as well as a plastic bag full of unpacked dagga. The dagga was confiscated and the suspect was detained at Brakpan Police Station for possessing and dealing in dagga. She was expected to appear in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Monday 29 September.
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On Sunday 26 October, Avon Justine will host the ninth annual iThemba Walkathon breast cancer awareness event at Marks Park in Johannesburg. Suitable for the whole family, the event attracted a record 20 000 participants in 2013 to become the largest event of its kind geared towards breast cancer awareness in South Africa. Ekurhuleni residents are urged to take part in the awareness campaign.
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articipants can also make a donation into the iThemba Fund and can raise additional funds by being sponsored for every kilometre they walk simply download the form on the registration site and ask friends, family and colleagues to sponsor each kilometre. All funds raised go towards breast cancer education and awareness in South Africa. One in 29 women is diagnosed with breast cancer annually in South Africa, a significant increase over the last statistic recorded by the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) in the previous national cancer registry in 2003. Avon Justine works with the Breast Health Foundation to ensure breast cancer education and awareness in communities, particularly
To ensure that children are kept safe from tetanus, measles and cervical cancer, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will be conducting a tetanus, measles and human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization campaign during the month of October.
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accinations against tetanus (Diftavax Td) will take place during the upcoming school holidays from 4 to 10 October, at the clinics and selected strategic communication points for children aged 6 to 12 years. The measles second dose vaccine is a
in rural areas such as the vast Sedibeng region in the Vaal. Since 2010, the unit in the area has reached over 100 000 women with education by breast cancer survivors. Avon Justine has also funded a mobile unit in the Western Cape in partnership with Curves and in the Free State for CANSA. Together these units have educated just under 180 000 women, with over 436 women referred for treatment (surgery or chemotherapy) since 2012. In addition, Avon Justine donates R180 000 worth of products to Look Good...Feel Better for their workshops with women cancer patients across the country. This programme has helped 25 000 women. Adults pay R95 while children under 12 pay R75 to participate in the Walkathon, with toddlers up to the age of two entering for free. The event will start with an 8km and a 5km walk at 08:00 and 08:30 respectively, with loads of live entertainment, various food stalls and other activities available for participants to enjoy when they finish their walk. There will also be a kiddie’s corner to keep toddlers and young children entertained. All participants must pre-register on www.ithembawalkathon.co.za by Saturday 11 October. The walk takes place at Marks Park, Johannesburg (Judith Road, Emmarentia).
booster for the children who have missed the first dose of the measles vaccine. It will be administered to children from 18 months to 5 years at crèches and clinics, until the end of October. The HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer will be made available for girls aged between nine and 14 years at schools where the vaccination procedure will be performed by school health nurses. The Ekurhuleni Metro encourages all parents to participate in these catch-up campaigns by bringing their children in to be vaccinated. Consent forms will be sent out to parents whose children attend crèches and nursery schools to obtain permission for the vaccination.
A According to the 2007 National Cancer Registry, breast cancer is the number one most diagnosed cancer in women. The lifetime risk of breast cancer in South African women is 1:35. In SA it accounts for 15.6% of female cancer deaths. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here are a few important facts and tips to ensure that you prevent breast cancer, or spot it early on:
ccording to Dr Ivan Campbell, General Practitioner at the Clinton Hospital in Alberton, women can visit their local laboratory, doctor or hospital to ask for a genetic test: this is a blood test that spots cancer genes that can potentially cause a type of cancer in future. Women can have a gene test done to determine their risk of developing breast cancer.
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Breast self examination should be done once a month during ovulation (preferably at the same time of day). An online research article by Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, posted on 5 September this year, called “Bra Wearing Not Association with Breast Cancer Risk: A Population-Based Case-Control Study,” (www.breastcancer.org) found that neither the type pf bra, nor how women wear it, is directly linked to cancer. According to their research, these include:
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cup size
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how long the bra is worn
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wearing an underwire bra
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age when you first started wearing a bra regularly
• In front of a mirror, check for any changes in the normal look and feel of your breasts, such as dimpling, size difference or nipple discharge • Inspect four ways: arms at sides; arms overhead; firmly pressing hands on hips and bending forward 2. Lying down • Lie on your back with a pillow under your right shoulder and your right hand under your head • With the four fingers of your left hand make small circular motions, follow an up and down pattern over the entire breast area, under the arms and up to the shoulder bone, pressing firmly • Repeat using right hand on left breast 3. While bathing • With your right arm raised, check your right breast with a soapy left
hand and fingers flat using the method described under step 2 (‘Lying down’) • Repeat on the other side • Women aged 36+ can go for mammograms. Women from 24+ must start doing self-examinations.
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The Boksburg Athletic Club would like to congratulate Jillian Sotto Corona on being the 2nd Veteran Lady to finish the Sasfin Gerald Fox Memorial 21km race held in Johannesburg on Sunday 21 September. Gillian finished in a time of 98:18. The Club also commends Rita van Wyk for being the 2nd Master Lady to finish the 3d Clover Irene Village Mall 21km race held in Irene on Saturday 20 September. Rita finished in a time of 2:00:07.
The Kasi Trade Exhibition will take place at the Reiger Park Civic Centre from Tuesday 7 October to Thursday 9 October. Boksburg and Benoni residents are invited to come and support this local event. The Exhibition is an initiative that was started with the aim of giving local businesses, mainly SMMEs in the manufacturing, production and other specialised services sectors, broader exposure, and the chance to take part in a real exhibition. Another goal is to attract big businesses that can invest, develop and form partnerships with these local SMMEs and others. With the current high rate of unemployment, the organisers of this event - Reiger Park Business Forum, community leadership and Mpogang Trading - also hope that this exposure will result in an increase in business opportunities, which in turn will result in more employment opportunities. Everyone is invited to come and experience the Kasi Trade Exhibition, and see what is on offer from businesses in Reiger Park. The three-day Exhibition starts at 09:00 daily.
Vandag is ek bietjie nostalgies want Oktober is Borskanker Maand, en ek dink nie mense, veral vrouens, besef elke dag hoe algemeen hierdie soort kanker is nie en dan laat hulle hulself nie gereeld ondersoek nie. Verlede week was ‘n baie hartseer week want my liewe vriendin se ma is oorlede aan borskanker, wat op die einde na die res van haar liggaam versprei het. Mens dink anders oor hierdie kanker (of enige ander kanker) sodra iemand naby aan jou daardeur geraak word. Ek wil elke vrou, jonk en oud, aanmoedig om gereeld vir ondersoeke te gaan. En as jy belangstel om Borskanker te ondersteun SMS die woorde “Breast Cancer” na 38844 om R10 aan die bewusmaking van borskanker te skenk. Tip: Geniet elke dag en wys waardering vir jou geliefdes. Wees ‘n steunpilaar vir iemand wat jou nodig het.
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tame TIMES
Nobody likes to queue. There you are, waiting in line somewhere, and you just know there are a million other things you could be doing with the time you are wasting. It does not matter what you need - you will have to queue. Need to register your car? You may as well take the day off work. Pay your municipality bill? Stand and shuffle. And usually you even have to queue behind the person who is doing it the “easy” way and paying a bill in a supermarket. Need a stamp? Queue. And yes, you are very lucky if you do not have to queue to buy bread and milk, especially if, like most people, you work all day and have to do your shopping on the way home or at the weekend. But queuing is not a South African phenomenon. Oh no. England is well known for queues. During the Second World War I was told that if a housewife saw a queue, she would go and stand in it, even though she did not know what people were queuing for, because whatever was handed out at the front of it would be something she needed. I cannot say I have ever done that (somewhat before my time) but I did spend a great deal of time in England waiting for a bus. There was always supposed to be a time-table, but I do not think the drivers had heard about that as I always seemed to have just missed one, the one I wanted was late, or the bus had been left at the depot that day and was not running at all. I had to catch a bus halfway to and from high school every day (and walk the rest) but often walked all the way home because it was easier. I and my friends would wait for a bus and then said bus would go sailing past because it was full of children from one of the other schools and we could not be bothered to wait a long time for the next one. I have come to the conclusion that people who work in places where folk have to queue fall into two camps. There are those who are patient, have a cheery smile and are models of efficiency; and there are others who look as though they would rather be somewhere else and cannot wait for the next tea-break. I will mention nowhere in particular, but I am sure anyone reading this can think of a few places where the latter applies - and have you noticed that rarely are all the queuing windows inhabited? When I lived in England as a child, it was not a good plan to be ill enough to have to see the doctor. At that time, doctors mostly had solitary practices, so you really had no choice as to which one you saw and they were only available at certain times of the day. The waiting room, with hard benches around the edges, was consequently always full. This made it very difficult to keep away from the coughs and colds, and often people would go home with more germs than they had gone in with. Later, doctor’s receptionists started to make appointments but you still had to wait because, as we all know, doctors often run late due to emergencies, they go in
Khume Ramulifho: MPL DA Gauteng Shadow MEC of Education, writes: Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, claims that the province is aiming for a 90% Matric pass-rate this year; however, this is not commendable when half of your learners have already dropped out before exams even start. According to a response to written questions from the DA, only half the province’s Grade 10 learners who enrolled at the end of 2012 will be sitting for Grade 12 final exams this year. At least 50 000 of the 176 138 Grade 10 learners enrolled in 2012 at public schools repeated Grade 10 in 2013, while many others have simply dropped out completely. This response indicates a very poor (52%) retention rate in Gauteng public schools from Grade 10. This is the true Matric pass-rate in the province. There are 101 351 learners registered to write the 2014 NSC examinations at schools in Gauteng. Of these, 91 823 learners are registered in public schools while 9 528 are registered at independent schools. Retention of learners is key to a
for lengthy explanations, or they just like to chat. When I was teaching in England, there was a minor ‘flu epidemic and a colleague of mine went down with it. She was off for a whole week but when she came back to work, she did not have the required doctor’s note. It turned out she had not been to the doctor and had had to resort to over-the-counter remedies because when she asked for an appointment, she was told the doctor would only be able to see her in a week’s time – the day she felt better enough to go back to work. For sure, the worst place to have to queue is a government hospital waiting room. Then you not only have to take a day off work - you have to get up at four o’ clock in the morning to start the process and get there before about fifty others. And by the time nine o’ clock comes, there are about five hundred. Sit on a chair and move along to the next one all the time. Do not get out of the queue to go to the toilet or get a cuppa without asking someone to keep your place or you will have to go right to the end again. And the regulars are very pushy if you do not know the ropes. I have been there. I cannot complain about the doctors I saw, but that queuing really got to me and I hope never to have to do it again. One has to queue at English government hospitals too, and when I lived there, private hospitals were by no means the norm. The waiting rooms were painted industrial green and cream, had uncomfortable chairs (they did not want to encourage long stays) and no-one ever told you what was going on. They were, however, not as crowded as the hospitals here, but then things may have changed because an article in an English paper a few years ago made me wonder. It said that a hospital in England had a waiting list of ten months for its maternity ward! (Think about it.) So, queuing is one of the facts of life. It’s as well to be as patient as possible, take your sandwiches and cold drink and be prepared for a long wait. I can understand why on-line shopping is popular. By Boksburg local Joy Kearsley
quality pass-rate and something which should be given serious consideration when assessing the province’s Matric success this year.
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Page 8
7 October 2014
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VICTORY: Francois Hougaard gave the Boks hope with his try.
Stephanie Conradie
stephanie.conradie@tametimes.co.za
The Springboks ended the Castle Lager Rugby Championship season with a great win over the All Blacks with a score of 27-25 at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Y
oung player Handre Pollard scored two tries, adding 19 points as the Boks showed their determination in the first hour. South Africans gathered in the legendary Ellis Park
and the atmosphere was electric as the build-up continued in anticipation of the two best sides in the world facing each other. Man of the Match Duane Vermeulen had a great impact on the team. The first try was scored by Francois Hougaard, who stepped out of Israel Dagg’s tackle to finish off an 80- metre try that gave the Boks hope. Pollard showed everyone, on the stroke of halftime, that he had earned his Springbok colours when he beat both Aaron Smith and Barrett, rolled through Richie McCaw’s tackle and
put the Boks up 21-13. Pollard added another penalty shortly after halftime to extend the lead to 11 points. The All Blacks, as always, put up a fight and it was not long before Conrad Smith scored. Dane Coles raised the suspense when he took the All Blacks into a 25-24 lead in the 70th minute. Liam Messam’s tackle, that ended up being a swinging arm, rewarded the Boks with a penalty and of course Pat Lambie made it count. It was a victory that not only ended a 22-match unbeaten record for the New Zealanders, but also allowed the rest of the rugby world to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they are not invincible.
Lyle Karam defeated Tyron Bester via submission (Guillotine Choke) 1:20 into round 1. Heinrich Potgieter defeated Sydney Mokgolo via submission (Triangle Choke) 1:32 into round 2. Mthobisi Buthelezi defeated Sindile Manengela via TKO in 1:40 in round 3. Warren Allison defeated Cameron Meintjies via submission (Kimura) 3:26 into round 3. Marino Cutendana defeated Sibulele Swekile via KO in 0:33 into round 1. Oumpie Sebeko defeated Lourens Botes via split decision. Hanru Botha defeated Nelson Feiteira via KO 1:14 into round 1. Tumisang Madiba defeated Pierre Botha via submission (Guillotine Choke) 1:33 into round 1. Champion Dalcha defeated Pete Motaung via submission (Armbar) 3:51 into round 1. Andrew van Zyl defeated Vandam Mbuyi via tapout due to strikes 3:10 into round 2.
PROUDLY SUPPORTING:Boksburg Spar representatives, Alistair and Clive Hans, and NuDebt joined tame TIMES at Ellis Park for the victorious Bok game against the All Blacks.
Demarte Pena defeated Francois Groenewald via TKO 4:34 into round 4. Leon Mynhardt defeated Sibusiso Mdoko via submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:37 into round 3.