tame TIMES A FRESH APPROACH TO LOCAL NEWS
Volume 01, 17 October 2014 Week 42 Tel: 011 862 8500 Fax: 011 869 7335
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REIGER PARK BULLETIN
Reiger Park Trade & Business Exhibition
INSIDE Car crash into Swimming pool fence
By Julie Whitecomb
Young and old experiencing a Kasi Exhibition Reiger Park is where positive outcomes are celebrated. The ‘Kasi trade Exhibition’ was held at the Reiger Park Civic Centre last week, 7 to 9 October. It turned out to be a huge success - and this for the first business exhibition of its kind in Reiger Park. The aim of the exhibition was so that local small businesses, mostly in the areas of the manufacturing, production and other specialised services, could showcase their products and goods. So there were various businesses (exhibitors) that came to showcase their services and products for public viewing. Everyone who attended the event, including
the exhibitors, were amazed at the wealth of services, products, skills and creativity that was on offer within the community. Among them were steel engineering, dressmaking, nail art, hairdressing, printing, upholsterers, handmade bags, décor, fresh flower decorating, craftwork, knitting, wedding and party co-ordinators, even an engineer who builds his own machinery, stationary retailers, photographers, artists and many more. We had exhibitors who produce and manufacture nutrients to boost your health and build up your immune system. It feels great to say that many made sales. And we trust with the exposure this event gave our local businesses, growth
is inevitable. This exhibition was only the foundation being laid for many more to come. Through this initiative the need for workshops, to help local businesses grow their business models and expand, was identified and will be introduced soon. The interim Reiger Park Business Forum is willing and excited to take local business to the next level. But such initiatives are not intended for business owners only, but for the entire community. In joining hands and growing our businesses, we will minimise unemployment and poverty through jobs becoming available when these local businesses expand. At the closing of the exhibition, I urged community members and business owners to create better lives for all. I asked people not to give up but to follow their dreams. To persevere and to stay focused in what they want to achieve. On behalf of the Reiger Park Business Forum and Mpogang Trading Exhibitions, we thank everyone who made this event a success – God, organisers, exhibitors, the local councillor, and the public. Another event of its kind will be organised during 2015. However, we have plans in the pipeline that will benefit local business growth. We will inform the public of these plans in due time. For more information contact Brian Eckelton from the Reiger Park Business Forum on 079 885 6460, or Julie Whitecomb on 0786521647. Also check out the tame Times Reiger Park Bulletin’s website www. tametimes.co.za regularly for possible updates.
P2 Holiday fun with Jonathan Butler Foundation
P3 Reiger Park Active fun run/walk
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Editor I met Ms Boesak the other day who mentioned that it is her intention to start a “grief share” program. This program, she said, will be so people who had one or the other traumatic experience, especially the death of a child, can meet and share their experiences and how they feel. She went on to explain that she became involved in such a program because she couldn’t find a therapist who could relate to her pain when her daughter died. Through the grace of God, I’ve never lost a child, but at that moment I thought of the pain of so many parents within our community who had lost loved ones. I thought of the rejection many parents feel, because in the eyes of their neighbours and friends enough time has lapsed for them to “be over it.” I thought of those who can’t share their pain because their child was not the best child and in the eyes of many a problem child, but they still feel the loss that a parent feel when losing a child. I thought of the mother who had trouble with her child and prayed for him and saw how God was changing his life and how he was becoming a better person, and then suddenly his life was cut short. We truly have so much pain within our community, and I hope that Ms Boesak will find the help to get the program off the ground, soon. Churches are welcome to help out with a suitable venue. But in the end, unless we truly listen to one another from the heart, we can’t really say that we are neighbours, no, we then simply live next to each other.
Contact me on
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17 October 2014
tame TIMES
Car crash into Swimming pool fence On Sunday afternoon, 28 September, at around 15:10, a maroon Toyota Run X crashed into the concrete fence of the Reiger Park swimming pool. The caretaker at the swimming pool, Ernest ‘Owen’ Bougard, in his account of events, said that he was in the office when he heard a loud bang. He went out to go and investigate and found a man he know as Boesak, stuck in a small gap between the roof and the security gate, at the entrance of the swimming pool. Owen said it was as if the man wanted to enter the swimming pool premises through this small opening. When he asked the man what he wanted, he apparently jumped down from the gate and went to hide behind a wall. The man’s behaviour was highly irrational, according to Owen. On exiting the swimming pool, Owen found an abandoned car that had crashed into the swimming pool fence. The vehicle owner’s brother arrived on the scene and explained that the car was stolen by a family friend that same afternoon. The man the brother pointed out as the suspected thief was the same person Owen caught
The car that crashed into the Swimming pool fence. attempting to enter the swimming pool premises. It seems that the vehicle bumped into the lamp post next to the swimming pool, drove down the ditch and into the swimming pool fence. The matter is still under investigation.
This is second time this year that a car drove into the swimming pool fence, a spot notorious for numerous motor vehicle accidents over the years. The community are cautioned to drive carefully around the bend next to the swimming pool.
Heritage day at St Anthony’s Education Centre By Davreaux Jacobs
I have come to realize that Heritage Day is one of South Africa’s most important holidays. It’s the day we get to celebrate who we are and where we come from without any judgment or questions. It is devastating to me that we’ve been so indoctrinated by society that our celebrations have been reduced to one measly day and we’re ok with it. What are we the rest of the year? Are we not South Africans? The St Anthony’s Education Centre Library celebrated Heritage Day with the students of the Centre in a way that warmed the hearts of everyone that attended the event. It was hosted by Nadine Minaar and The Friends of the Library. There were different types of food from various cultures. Dumpling, chicken feet, vermicelli, breyani, chicken and lentil curry, pap and morogo, “suurtjies”, koeksisters and vetkoek and mince. The students dressed
up in their traditional attire and they all looked amazing. They wore seshweshwe, isidwaba, iphotho, seanamarena, umbhaco, saris and hijabs. The students took part in poetry readings, song items and traditional dances. The library was roaring with happiness and festivities. The event was very well organized St Anthony’s Education Centre students in their traditional and brilliantly executed. attire. knew that, if indeed our nation has to rise It was definitely a day to remember and like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes of by the grace of God, the food was enough division and conflict, we had to acknowledge for everyone that attended. The support those whose selfless efforts and talents received by the teachers of the ABET Centre were dedicated to this goal of nonracial and some of the other staff at the Centre democracy.” That is how Heritage Day was was inspiring and highly appreciated. In born… we need to keep rising. 1996 President Nelson Mandela said “We
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Diamonds and Pearls Oosrand Secondary School’s Matric Farewell By Davreaux Jacobs
Thursday 9 October marked the most exciting day for the grade 12 pupils of Oosrand Secondary School in Reiger Park. It was that time of the year that every high school girl and boy looks forward to - the Matric Farewell. It was a grand affair. The girls were sparkling in diamonds, perfect makeup and fancy evening dresses, and the boys were strikingly handsome in their suits and ties and hair freshly trimmed. The theme this year was “Diamonds & Pearls” and this was reflected in the glamour of the décor. Sherleen Speelman, the owner of R & S Conferences, was the mastermind behind the organising and setting up of the venue, and she did an excellent job indeed. “The venue actually surpassed my expectations, completely,” said one of the puplis, Dwayne Kleinbooi. I had a chat to Mrs Sampson, one of the Deputy Principals at Oosrand Secondary School and a member of the organising committee. She emphasised that this is the only time of the year the pupils get to have fun, together, as a group. She was impressed with how dazzling the 198 matric of 2014 pupils looked on the evening. With regard to the venue, she mentioned that this is the seventh year the banquet was held at The Birchwood Hotel. She pointed out that they are more than accommodating and professional, and are very enthusiastic about
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making the event successful. The guest speaker on the evening was one of Oosrand Secondary School’s former pupils, Cheryl Goeieman. Cheryl was the head girl at Oosrand in 2006. She then went on to attain her BComm in Accounting Science, Honours in Taxation and finally her Master’s in Philosophy Taxation. She is truly an inspiration and a role model for Reiger Park’s youngsters, and showed this by giving up her time to come and speak to the youngsters and share this wonderful evening with them. The smiles on the faces of the pupils and the giggles of nervous excitement from some, as they entered the hall, were truly an indication of what this evening represents for these youngsters now taking their first steps into an adult world. They had this night to feel special, beautiful and very important, and to be care-free, and they took full advantage of it - in formal attire nogal. I wish them all the best for their upcoming final exams and hope that they all keep their eyes on the prize. “Be the change you want to see.”
Holiday fun with Jonathan Butler Foundation and LDAC by Elana Jasson
The Jonathan Butler foundation in conjunction with the Reiger Park Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC) hosted a school holiday program from 6 to 10 October. The theme of the program was “purpose kills addiction.” 500 primary school pupils from Reiger Park enjoyed a life changing week of fun and education with a purpose. Four venues in Reiger Park were chosen and 120 pupils were accommodated, daily, at these venues. The children reported at 9am for a full day of fun and learning. At the venues, professionals in the fields of drama, singing, art and dancing worked with them to teach them skills and prepare them for the grand finale at the end of the week. They were also spoiled with a hot meal, soda, fruits and a chocolate every day. The program did not only benefit these children, but also 40 unemployed young members of the community who were appointed as volunteers, to assist with the training and overseeing of the children. Reiger Rark SAPS also made 20 patrollers available to assist with the safety at the gates. On the last morning of the program, Friday, 10 October, the children, volunteers and patrollers all marched through the streets of Reiger Park to the concert venue, at the Civic Centre. It was an amazing concert. The children truly gave breathtaking performances in drama, visual art, singing and dancing. It was a very proud moment for all, with many of the professional instructors standing in awe at the talent within our community. The message highlighted through this program, was that there is more to life than drug and alcohol abuse. That life can be enjoyed without these destructive habits. And that each one has a purpose in life. With a ‘purpose driven life’ we can overcome all the challenges that our community face, because “Purpose Kills Addiction.”
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# hiddengems
JY SÊ Drama Queen… daai ding? Relax jou
joints en smile
Tjo! Nee, Superman beter ma bly da in Hollywood, want hier in Reiger Park gaan hy tweede kom. As 6 jarige kinders jou kyk met daai “wil jy iets gedoen het” sterk man attitude, waar gaan Superman nog die adults kan handle? Daar is mense wat so sterk is, even hulle bene is van staal gemaak. Of dit lyk anyway so, die way hulle kan stadig oor die pad loop en die kar wat aankom net ignore. So asof hulle loop vir jou moet sê, stamp my, ek sal jou wys. Sometimes dink ek ek wil hulle stamp en sien hoe hulle my gaan wys met gebreekte bene. Maar laat ons nou nie emotional raak nie, daar is genoeg tyd vir dit wanneer jou twee biere hier binne begin praat en jy skeel kyk en nou sommer sien daai man kyk jou vuil, of hy check jou cherrie uit. Dronk mense sien alewig ander mense kyk hulle vuil, dit moet seker maar iets in die drank wees wat vuil kyk in mense uitbring. Maar om terug te kom na hoe sterk mense hier is, somminge mense is even te sterk om te smile. Jy loop af in die straat en kyk na iemand wat jy nie ken nie, en jy smile en groet, hulle sal nie sommer terug groet of smile nie, hulle vra eers onder mekaar, “wie is daai?” … “ken jy daai man?” … en as nie een van die braze jou ken nie, vra hulle, nou hoekom groet hy? So om vriendelik met strangers te wees is somtyds gevaarlik, want jy undermine die sterk man in die ou wie jy groet. Moenie nog as hulle jou sommer straight vra vir wie groet jy, en as jy sê jy groet hom, dan vra hy hoekom, soek jy iets? Maar daai ‘soek jy iets’ kan ook wees omdat daar daai ouens is wat altyd met hulle skelms kom van vriendelik groet, en dan draai hulle om en vra jou vir geld – en daais ken jou altyd so vetterig; hulle ken jou pa en jou family history en alles. Eish… daai ouens gee ook vriendelikheid n slegte naam. Maar strange enough, ons is nogtans een van die vriendelikste en most welcoming communities. So ek wonder dan hoe ander communities survive? Maar ons verstaan mekaar. Ons weet wie om te groet en wanneer om sterk man te speel. Die problem is net: hoe meer ons sterk man speel, hoe meer mis ons uit op goeie relationships. En hoe meer ons uit mis op goeie relationships, hoe verder groei ons weg van mekaar en hoe minder kan ons onself n community noem. En meer en meer verloor ons ons history van omgee vir mekaar; even deur ons differences. Kom ons los bietjie ons yster bene by die huis en vat ons smile saam. Kom ons groet weer mekaar en praat sommer even met die man wat ek altyd sien maar nooit groet nie – hier praat ek met myself ook. Kom ons stop by die stop straat en laat die ou wat eerste gestop het eerste ry, instead van hom uit die pad te wil ry omdat jy refuse om stop signs en die ander man te respect. Kom ons try op die pavement loop. Alles die sal miskien seer maak aan die begin, maar dit sal makliker raak met tyd. En hopelik sal ons minder arthritis kry, want ons hoef nie so tense te wees die hele tyd en gee ook ons spiere en joints bietjie kans om te relax. Laat dit weer die norm raak om vriendelik met almal te wees instead van mense grill of ignore wie jy nie ken nie.
17 October 2014
tame TIMES
Interviewing Altovise Lawrence was such a treat; it was a journey into how she kept her dream alive. Here’s what she had to say about her love for the arts, drama, life and family… Tell me about yourself? This is one of those awkward questions. I was born and raised in Reiger Park; I’ve spent 23 years of my life here. Summer Ridge was my primary school, Boksburg High my high school and then I went to Wits. But before Wits I was studying Engineering at UJ. Then only I started to do art at Wits. So that’s school, but now I am in the real world, I guess you graduate from one real to another real. I am a qualified and trained artist. I believe artists are not artists we’re chasers. You know when you know, then you will feel it and then you will have to invest in it. This way you appreciate it. What made you shift from Engineering to following your dreams? Well, I love the arts, but the reality was always that I am not in America; I’m not Beyoncé or Michael Jackson. I’m not a Nickelodeon Kid, because we are not offered the same opportunities in South Africa. I did engineering, and to tell you the truth, I loved it. I applied at UJ, UP and Wits for Civil engineering, but the only thing that was left was software engineering. So I got in, I did it; I thought I loved it but eventually I hated it and I couldn’t understand why… I decided to finish my first year at UJ and then I applied to study at Wits. What made me change was that passion took the place of common sense, as it was common sense to study engineering, but my love was for the arts. I’m glad I did engineering in my first year and realised that it wasn’t for me, yet I am very capable of doing it. My heart took the place of where my mind was. Who inspires you to do what you’re doing? I would say myself, because that voice has always been there. You don’t even know how, but you just walk and walk and hope that you are walking in the right direction. But in all honesty, I do believe that it is my parents, they are my safety net. I’m not scared of anything now that I have graduated, as the worst thing that you can say to me is NO. And after no I walk out, I get feedback and I go to
my next audition. Yet, I do think that it takes a while to build up that character. Besides knowing yourself you must be able to get lost. As an artist we are able to master things so brilliantly, it can be a gift and a curse there are so many things that I have dealt with that my parents don’t even know about. That’s what scares me about this craft, is that sometimes you don’t even know anymore. I did a piece where I had to play a vindictive woman and I didn’t get out of the character, I only got out the character once we cleared the set a week later. We perform for people, but people don’t really know how dark it could actually get. I think the important thing though - now that I am in this career - is that how I read and prepared for my scripts four years ago, when I started, and how I prepare now are two different things and therefore I believe the arts helps you grow as a person. What motto do you live by? The only way out is through… trust the process. Where to from here? Wow, the things I want to do scare me… I want people to get sick of my face, in a good way. They must understand that I can do it. I must be like a piece of bubble gum, but the bubble gum that people want. Most importantly, I want to create work that evokes emotion. It’s true what Kanye West says, he says he doesn’t care whether you hate it or you love it, the fact that it moved something in you; I’ve done my job. I want to be on TV, I got the opportunity to do a few shoots for Isidingo with Lerato, so that was fun, but I look forward to more exciting shoots in the field. I also want to be on radio, magazines, even if there’s an advert in space and people are watching, I need to be in that advert. People need to want me because they need to trust that I can do a job. Facebook: Altovise Lawrence Twitter: Altovise Lawrence Instagram: Are you aware of other hidden gems like Altovise Lawrence in our community? Please in form me at alexandria.reigerparkbulletin@ gmail.com . We are proud of you Altovise!!
From Sports and Recreation to Police holding cells By Justus Abrams
The open space where the Tennis court stood previously, in John Collins Street, has been earmarked to build a Police Station, with holding cells. The tame Times Reiger Park Bulletin will publish a more in-depth report on the matter in the next issue, with comments from various stakeholders. But this is an opinion piece by a resident, with sentiments shared by other residents I’ve spoken to regarding this new development – or under-development. Something that seems will, again, simply be implemented without considering the real needs of this community. It is as if proper social development has taken a back seat and imprisonment is what most believes to be the solution for Reiger Park residents. The other day I went with the runners to hand out the newspaper and I was astonished by what I saw: the noise of a lawnmower cutting grass at one house, had a group of young 5 – 6 year old kids so fascinated that a group of them stood by the gate watching this happening. If I had money on me I would have bought them popcorn, because they stood there as if this was a movie. But when my fascination with what I saw passed, I came to realise something: although it is wonderful to see the innocence of a child finding the simplest thing fascinating, it also proved to me that most children of this community are not fully occupied and do not have enough to keep them busy in a positive way. So soon that innocence subsides and the time they have on their hands are used for less ideal activities. In Reiger Park we need Sport and Recreational facilities, with people, plans and programmes to manage and grow these facilities. To build a huge Police station, with holding cells, on what was supposed to be recreational property, is to tell the community that they are only good to be policed and imprisoned and we will even remove your development opportunities to show you that. Is ons mense nie goed genoeg vir n indoor Sports and Recreation Centre nie? Moet ons kinders net prepare word vir die tronk? But what also makes no sense is why would they want to move the Police station from its current location, where it is more central, and move it to where it will now even be further away from Popcorn Valley, the Flats and Ramaphosa. It seems like the biggest piece of land that could be obtained the easiest, was grabbed and no consideration was given to the development of the community. Because instead of children being given a chance to excel in some indoor sport, if a sport centre is erected, they will now be kept busy with watching those who fell through the gaps of society, because of a lack of recreational opportunities, sitting in holding cells. But I also think it is time that Reiger Park residents start demanding back their minds and insist that development opportunities should not only be a promise in an annual budget speech, but should be seen happening in our community, instead of building structures that tell people that they are only good enough for prison. Voice your opinion. Let us know how you feel about this matter by sending an email to justusabrams@gmail.com, or Justus.Abrams@tametimes.co.za
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A call for regular Community Meetings in Reiger Park
THE GIFT OF TIME...
R.E.A.L.
Time is a gift from God... by Reagan Klaasen We often do not realise that there are more important things in life than money or material things. One of these invaluable commodities that we give away so freely, is time. Let’s think about it for a moment; once we have given of our time - we can never get it back. Forty or so community members attended the public meeting At the community meeting that was held at the Reiger Park Civic Centre, on Thursday, 2 October the approximately forty residents who attended the meeting called for regular community meetings to be convened by the councillor, Clr Charles Crawford. The three hour meeting was a platform for sharing information about developments in the area and for the community to raise their concerns with the councillor. The Ward 34 councillor, Clr Crawford, gave feedback and shared information on the following issues: • The Kasi Trade Exhibition to be held in the Reiger Park Civic Centre from 7 -9 October. • The Ekurhuleni Metro is experiencing a shortage of water so the community was asked to use water sparingly. • The rules for the application for indigent status have changed and the waiting period, after submitting an application, has been shortened from three months to a few days. So applicants can expect to receive the outcome of their application much sooner. Pensioners, receiving a state pension, automatically qualify for indigent household status, unless they receive another form of income as well, or they are financially supported by a working relative living in the same household. • All pensioners, regardless of their income, qualify for Council rebates. • He raised the issue of the need for speedhumps in certain sections of Reiger Park to avoid accidents due to reckless driving. But he expressed his disappointment with community members who do not complete petitions by refusing to fill in their ID numbers. He indicated that the petition is not valid when ID numbers of those signing the petition are not included. • He said that service delivery from the council can be improved if the community complete petitions in full calling for such services to be rendered urgently. • Clr Crawford also gave an update on the progress with the Leeuwpoort housing development and some background to the controversy around this development. He indicated that some sections earmarked for housing development were now excluded because it has been declared dolomitic land. He also couldn’t say when houses will be built on the other stands, because, according to him, Council has been dragging their feet on the issue. • He shared some background regarding the Tokyo housing development, stating that Gauteng Province planned on building RDP houses, but Reiger Park residents on the waiting list for houses will not benefit from this development. This, according to Clr Crawford, was the feedback he received
from the Gauteng Department of housing. He then opened the floor to the community to speak, and this is when the meeting became heated. Those community members who were present at the meeting raised the following issues and concerns; •There was insufficient communication about this meeting, which may be one of the reasons for the poor attendance. In future there should be advance notification of community meetings called by the councillor. There was a call for more regular meetings so that issues could be discussed in detail. The community members present, about forty or so, said that when meetings are not held regularly the agenda is overloaded and concerns cannot be thoroughly addressed. There was even a call for imbizos to be held. •The process followed in building the new Oosrand High School was also raised as a concern and was discussed. Irregularities in awarding positions and appointing contractors were highlighted, but due to the time that has lapsed and progress made in the construction these processes can not be halted. The Councillor, however, promised to continue to make follow-ups and give feedback. This, as one of the concerns raised by members of the community was why the councillor had delayed in calling a meeting to address problems regarding the construction of the new school. Concerns were raised about reports from an audit at the Reiger Park High School that were not made public although the principal was instructed to do so by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). There were no School Governing Body (SGB) representatives in the meeting who could respond to this matter, and other questions raised about the school, so the Councillor committed to call for a meeting with the school management to address concerns raised by the members of the community. Suggestions were made from the floor that the whole community should be present at such meeting. Many other issues raised made it almost impossible for the Councillor to close the meeting, but at the end it was decided that the Councillor will call another Public meeting for Ward 34, in the first week of November 2014, and he will invite all the NGO’s, Schools’ leadership, and other leadership rendering a service to the community, to attend that meeting and respond to questions about their specific areas of responsibility regarding community service. Clr Crawford will however, in the meantime, go from section to section to conduct meetings regarding all issues pertaining to Title Deeds.
Money can be made and lost- but that passing minute can never be reclaimed. We have become so passive about wasting our time on things that does not matter. We all seem to think that we will always have enough time and that it is available to us in limitless supply, yet this is not true. We often put off what needs to be done because “there’s always tomorrow” and somehow tomorrow never comes. Time...is a gift and yet we so easily give it away to undeserving things. The big question is, what have you been doing with your time? How have you spent the minutes you were given? And more importantly, “How will you be spending your time in the future?”. Time is the most important resource you have and how you choose to spend your time will determine whether you build or break yourself and others. In a busy world, it is so easy to forget that the way we choose to spend our time will leave a legacy for those who follow. 5 Tips in Making Your Time Count 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Keep a visual list of your goals before you at all times. Set a time limit to every appointment. Always stay in movement toward your next appointment. Mark those who always disrespect your time. Develop the habit of looking at your watch.
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17 October 2014
Healing Reiger Park, Lugile Mtshali putting their Labour to the Crop! Prayer Crusade By Anver Jansen
Delegates, including the Ward 34 councillor and MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, attending the prayer drive on the prayer crusade Being hard at work, the Lungile Mtshali team applied all labour to tackling the ‘sour’ trench conditions; trying to modify the flow of underground watercourses. Underground draining systems can become a community’s worst nightmare. Underground drainage blockages not only affect the general underground flow, but can also pose a health hazard. On comment, teamsupervisor (Patsy Dilley) stipulated that, it’s their plea to the ‘Reiger Park’ community to refrain from any form of litter or pollution
caused to the area. What remains as a huge challenge to the team, are local residents still polluting after the team has cleaned up a demarcated section. The residents tend to still litter in the ‘exact’ same spot. So in pleading with the larger community, they wish to sustain a cleaner environment - creating an interdependent relationship with the community. They also hope to establish an “Anti-pollution clique” that will work against all forms of pollution.
Turning Gangsters into Entrepreneurs
By Linda Yates
Paradoxically, South Africa’s prisons could hold some of the answers to South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis. Gangsters have the initiative, energy and drive to become entrepreneurs – they just have to be persuaded that business pays better than crime. Attending a recent prayer meeting in Reiger Park for this Ekurhuleni community which has been ravaged by violent crime in recent months, were three young men from a Yeoville based ex-convict organization called THUG Revolution. Working in conjunction Donald Mochlala and Eugene Dladla with the SAPS, the initiative aims to stop teenage boys from entering a life of crime. The “THUG” in “THUG Revolution,” as Don- inform gangsters about their tip-offs and ald Mohlala explained to tame TIMES, is an that those gangsters will then target them acronym for “True Heroes Under God,” and and their families. Last week a young man change, he says, is “a process that you work was seen by gangsters being asked by poon every day. According to his colleague Eu- lice “Which way did they go?” As soon as gene Dladla, gangsterism starts with “child the police turned their backs, the gangsters chased their “informant,” who fled into a bullying” and “skipping classes at school.” For him, gangsterism ended during his 13 nearby home in which he was given shelyears in prison, during which he suffered a ter, but the gangsters followed and broke stroke and “made the Bible [his] friend.”For the windows and front door of the house, many communities, however, gangsterism demanding that the young man be handed seems to be a never-ending problem. Just over to them. last week, a gang war turned Daveyton up- The top traits of a successful business-perside down. Beginning with the brutal rape son are dedication, creativity and opportunand killing – by means of 18 stab wounds - of ism. Gangsters, it is clear, display unwavera 17-year-old girl who had left her gangster ing passion when protecting their turf and boyfriend, it led to the murder of three young the extensive research and development men, the burning of a number of shacks and conducted by those involved in crime secthe invasion of schools by armed gangsters tors like car theft show a level of ingenuity and expertise that keeps security compaintent on dealing with their rivals. Residents are still hunting down some of nies little more than one step ahead at any these gangsters themselves, as giving infor- given time. mation to the police can be dangerous for [http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/ them. They fear that corrupt officers may 227776]
Heal Our Land’s Reiger Park Prayer Day, which was held at Reiger Park Stadium on Saturday 27 September, was a moving event. Although it did not attract a huge crowd from the community, those who were there were addressed by MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, pastors, their ward councillor, Reiger Park SAPS Station Commander Lt-Col Mathebula and – most importantly – prayed for the healing of Reiger Park. The programme for the day and information from various speakers and prayers by pastors centred around five pillars: Crime, Drug and substance abuse, Child and woman abuse, Unemployment and poverty, School dropout rate and teenage pregnancy. Head of Heal Our Land, Apostle Jackson Moyikwa, urged those present to “do something, don’t just complain.” He also condemned the trend among disgruntled communities of destroying government infrastructure, in the belief that new libraries, municipal offices and so on would simply be produced. Councillor Charles Crawford acknowledged that “Reiger Park is in a mess.” He recalled a murder by gangsters at the Reiger Park Stadium that had taken place once before. The MEC of Infrastructure Development – who attended the prayer day in place of
Premier David Makhura – said, “Government needs partners. We can never achieve the objectives we want to achieve on our own. Government will continue to work together with the community. Working together we can address all the social ills. The Premier says we will leave no stone unturned until this community enjoys peace.” Reiger Park Station Commander Lt-Col Mathebula, who spoke on the pillar of crime, said crime in Reiger Park was mostly generated by drugs. The most serious problem facing SAPS in the area, he said, was crimes against women and children; but 60% of crimes were property-related, with hijacking and house-breaking being major issues. The mindset that leads to rape must be changed, said the Lt-Col and long grass which made it easy for rapists to attack women must be kept short. Also, the SAPS in Reiger Park are under-resourced, said Mathebula, explaining that they needed “a proper police station and not just a house,” and that two years ago Reiger Park was second on the list for a new police station but was now “number 77!” Nevertheless, concluded the Station Commander, “Criminals are few but they occupy much space while we are many but are too scared to occupy that space.”
Arise Women’s Conference
Some women attending the Arise Women’s Conference. Speakers at the Conference included Pastors Bell, Karmen and Miela. The aim of the conference was to remind women that their power lies in God, through prayer. It was a blessed event and God truly worked in hearts of all who attended.
Page 6 17 October 2014
The Death of a Loved One brings back memories
October Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
By George du Plessis Pearl Wallis, better known to her friends and acquaintances as Pearl du Plessis, was born in Benoni location on the 24 September 1936. She passed away on the 22 September 2014, two days before her 78 birthday. Pearl wrote her British matriculation examination at Holy Rosemary Convent, Cradock, and later did a teaching diploma. She started teaching at William Hills High School in 1956. The loss of my sister brought back memories. Our house in Benoni, before the forced removals, was always a beehive of activity where all nations were welcome. The late Oliver Tambo, Ken Gamble with his white girlfriend, aunt Mary Moodley, Derek de Jager, whom we believe was the first political assassination, were all welcome at our house. Sonny Jacobs, who was killed when he was mysteriously knocked down by a car, was also one of the many others who frequented our home. Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo had their office not far from the Clinic where our mother and Regina Partina were nursing. I remember that shortly after Nelson Mandela and the top leaders of the ANC were arrested on a farm at Rivonia, the government started clamping down on the Anglican parishioners. The Anglican Church was the only church who opposed government’s laws that called for division. These laws called for people of different races not to celebrate communion by drinking out of the same cup, or even sit next to one another in church. The Anglican Church refused to promote the government’s separatist policies by treating people differently based on the colour of their skin. So the Government regarded the Anglican Church as the largest communist organisation and the biggest obstacle in their plan to divide and rule. During this clamp down - but also for their activism in separate fights for equality and opposing the forced removal practices of the then Government as well - Aunt Mary
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tame TIMES
Moodley, Baby Singh, Ann Koopman and many others were arrested and incarcerated under the notorious 180 day detention law, and placed in solitary confinement. George Carr, principal of William Hills High School, lost his job, and was harassed by the police. He eventually left the country on an exit permit. At that time there was an exodus of black and coloured people leaving the country to join the armed struggle, or emigrating to Australia, the UK, or other countries. Politics was in a doldrums, after all the bannings, censorship and killings. The previous government must have felt that South Africa would be ruled only by a white government. It was not surprising that Pearl, Sylvia Mabasa and Joan Morton, who grew up in our house, also decided to leave South Africa. Pearl and Sylvia left for Rhodesia where both found teaching jobs, and Joan left for Canada as a nursing Sister. Pearl married Barry Wallis, who was a lecturer at one of the Universities. Barry and Pearl left for South Wales, after Ian Smith broke away from the British Commonwealth and established the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Both Pearl and Barry found work easily in Britain, Pearl started teaching at a school and Barry became lecturer at one of the Universities. Pearl retired at the age of 65. Pearl and Barry had two sons, Darryl and Julian. I was told that hundreds of people attended the funeral, which is something unusual for Britain. My hope for our country is that the sacrifices of those detained, those who opposed the wrongs of an oppressive government, those who were imprisoned, those who fled the country, who were killed, that their memory will stir a feeling of family and community within us all. That what was fought for will create opportunities for our people, so they won’t have to walk up and down the streets begging for a slice of bread.
Grace Warriors indeed MAKE-UP FOR JESUS By Davreaux Jacobs
On the 27th September I had the divine forgot about the very minor problems I had privilege of doing make-up for under- and realized that there are bigger problems out there and young children have to wake privileged children. I spoke to Hayley Adams, one of the up every morning and deal with them. So coordinators, and she gave me a break what was my excuse? Doing make-up is my down of who was doing what and why. gift to the world and I was blessed to share The Grace Warriors is an outreach team it with this group of extraordinary young from Light of the Nations East Rand. Their people. I would like to thank The Grace mission is to love the unloved, reach the Warriors for the amazing work that they do, unreachable and give hope to the lost. For and for allowing me the opportunity to be a their latest outreach, The King and Queen part of this movement even for a little while. hosted a prom dance for 30 underprivileged If there is anyone who will be having any charity events and who needs a children. With the help of numerous sponsors, volunteer make-up artist, please email donations and volunteers, the event was me on davreauxj@gmail.com. a major success and the children were Stay blessed and keep doing your best. delighted. People donated their dresses, suits, shoes, jewelry and their time. With every outreach done by The Grace Warriors; they aim to maintain a culture of “Showing Jesus to the World.” I went there that day with a very heavy heart because I had some of my own issues troubling me and I tried to tell myself that I need to fix my aura and when I got there and started doing the make-up, the smiles I received were just amazing. I completely Davreaux doing a girls make-up.
A note from the Clinic By Ivan Johnston October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. If breast cancer is detected early it can be treated to prevent the cancer from spreading to the rest of the body. Therefore it is vitally important that women examine their breasts regularly to check for any irregularities, like lumps. Women are also advised to have annual mammograms (an examination of the breast using X-Rays to check for cancer) done on their breasts for early detection of irregularities in the breasts. As reported by Health24: “Early detection of breast cancer can prevent the spread of the disease throughout the body. Recent studies suggest that the incidence of cancer could increase to 78% by 2030. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer amongst women. Therefore, early detection is key in the fight against breast cancer, as a woman diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer has an 88% per cent chance of survival compared to a 15% chance of survival of women diagnosed with stage 4
breast cancer.” Visit the Reiger Park Clinic to learn more about the dangers of breast cancer, how to regularly examine your breasts or to be referred to a specialist/hospital for a mammogram. Remember to visit the clinic at least once a year for your breast examination and annual mammogram. The Department of Health is exploring strategies to improve health services provided to the community, so expect to see some changes at your local clinic over the next few months. We want to be in constant communication with the community so the Reiger Park Clinic will be having regular discussions with the general public through the clinic committee and the councillor’s office. We want to have as much public input as possible so that we can ensure proper planning that will lead to a smooth implementation process of any new plans that the Department of Health is planning to improve its service to the community.
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17 OCTOBER 2014 - PAGE 8
Reiger Park Active Fun Run/Walk Justus Abrams
justus.abrams@tametimes.co.za
The winners of the 2.5km race For an October morning in Gauteng, it was quite cold on Saturday, 4 October. This was the day Reiger Park Active celebrated their one year celebration of being active in Reiger Park, changing mind-sets through encouraging clean and healthy living. Reiger Park Active is a community based athletics and fitness club that, through fitness training and road running, has been encouraging the community of Reiger Park to live a healthy lifestyle for the past year. So on Saturday they celebrated their one year birthday with a celebratory fun-run/walk through Reiger Park. Runners/walkers entered for the 2.5km, or the 5km leg. More than 60 people, from primary school children to the over 50’s, entered the race to either run or walk one of these distances. It was a fun filled morning, with everyone simply pitching up to have fun while improving their health. DJ Bolti was also there to entertain the crowd with some music, while also providing the equipment for announcements. The 60 plus runners/walkers set off from the starting line at 07:15, and 10min35 seconds later the winner of the 2.5km distance crossed the winning line. It took the 5km distance winner 20min56 seconds to complete the race. Gert Thys, the world renowned Marathon runner and Olympic athlete, still holds the record for the 5km race that he completed in 16min38 seconds, on 22 March this year.
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The Reiger Park Cricket Club has been running since 1997. It has always been in the club’s interest to develop a permanent junior squad. In the past years the response from schools and parents has been disappointing to say the least. Practice for the juniors will be held every Saturday from 10am at the Reiger Park Sports Arena. Equipment has been supplied to them by the Easterns Cricket Association. There is no specific age group wanted, if your child wants to play, The Reiger Park Cricket Club will groom him into a respected sportsman. The season for the seniors will be starting soon and any senior boys who are interested in playing for the team are welcome to attend practice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Sports Arena (opposite Tech High School) at 6.30pm. For those of you who have been supporting the club for all these years, your efforts and support do not go unnoticed and we hope that you will continue to be the back bone of this club. Thank you and God bless. For more information please call Paul Canham on 083 408 6782 Juniors finishing the race. The final results in the 2.5km race were as follows: Goitsemang – 10min 35secs Luciano – 11min 19secs Yardley – 14min 22secs Yardley was the first junior over the 2.5km line. The second junior was Malik, who also finished 4th overall in the 2.5km leg. The first woman and finishing 5th overall in the 2.5km race, was Sherdeed. The results for the 5km race were as follows: Johannes Pieterse – 20min 56secs Milton Kemp – 21min 15secs Michael Martins – 22min 15secs In the ladies category, Christelle Swarts took first place and 10th overall in the 5km leg. Ricardo Esterhuizen thanked the sponsors for their support, and said that without them it will be difficult to keep the programme on track. Everyone who finished the race walked away with a medal, because at Reiger Park Active it is about driving yourself to complete the race. There was also a lucky draw after the race where the owner of the winning number won a goody bag. People still remained long after the race to enjoy a boerewors roll and simply socialise. For more information on Reiger Park Active, or to join or sponsor, please contact Kieffer Esterhuizen on 074 430 9148.
Dance to the Rhythm
Talent Search
A local dancer laying it down at the Dance to the Rhythm talent scout initiate that came to the Reiger Park shopping centre, Saturday 11 October. Four dance crews from Reiger Park made it through to the finals that will be held at the Tshwane state theatre, on 13 December. The winning crew will walk away with R20 000.
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