tame TIMES BEDFORDVIEW - WITH THE COMMUNITY
04 February 2020, Week Volume 09, 23 May 2017,05 Week 21
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EXECUTIVE MAYOR MASINA REAFFIRMS THE CITY’S COMMITMENT TOWARDS SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT In his address to Council last week, Executive Mayor Mzwandile Masina provided a detailed assessment of the City’s performance in terms of good governance and sound fiscal management. This takes place on the backdrop of the Auditor General having recently released their Audit Findings on the City of Ekurhuleni. The City achieved the following highlights from the audit: • The City of Ekurhuleni achieved an unqualified audit for the financial year 2018/2019; • The City received a Clean Audit on financial statements; • The City incurred zero unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure (for the second consecutive year); • Irregular expenditure has decreased from R215 million in the previous financial year to R5 million in the 2018/2019 annual review;
• The Collection rate stood at 91% for the financial year in review • The City has complied with 30 days payment of all invoices; • Capex expenditure for the year stood at 94.31%; • Overall Grant Funding spending for the year is 94%; • Cash on hand for the year R3,5 billion; • The City has performed very well on cost-containment worth R138,6 million for year under review; • Management of both Water and Electricity losses are both below National Standards; • The City achieved a 70% reduction in the number of non-compliant paragraphs recorded in the audit report; • The City continues to shoulder the cost of a social package of R4 billion per annum; “We achieved this great result through
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various critical mechanisms. For one thing, most instances of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure that were reported in previous years were subjected to an investigation to ensure that consequence management is instituted by the City against transgressors,” Mayor Masina said in Council this morning. The City of Ekurhuleni remains the leader in the area of good governance and financial management amongst the three Metro’s in Gauteng Province. “It is only in so doing that we can all hold our heads up high and proudly proclaim ourselves as public servants who served with pride and distinction. To do less than we committed would be to betray not just our promises, but the people of Ekurhuleni. We dare not commit so atrocious an act,” said Mayor Masina
04 February 2020
A NOTE FROM THE
Four suspects arrested for allegedly robbing Sportsmans Warehouse
EDITOR The Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni Cllr Mzwandile Masina, honoured the best performing pupils of the class of 2019 and the recipients of the 2018 Mayoral bursary programme at the Annual Ekurhuleni Academic Excellence Awards ceremony that was hosted at Alberton Civic Centre on Wednesday, 29 January. The award ceremony focused on the best performing teachers in different subjects and the best performing pupils. The star students from schools with special needs were also acknowledged. The mayor also celebrated and awarded the best performing students who are studying at tertiary institutions through the Mayoral bursary programme. The Executive Mayor was joined by the MEC for Gauteng Department of Education Panyaza Lesufi and Deputy Minister of Basic Education Reginah Mhaule. tame TIMES wishes all the academic achievers well in the future.
Four men were arrested for allegedly robbing Sportsmans Warehouse at The Glen Shop-
ping Centre on Thursday, 29 January. According to police spokesperson
Enock Mpianzi laid to rest
Last week we said goodbye to Enock Mpianzi as the 13-year-old boy was laid to rest. The grade eight pupil died while at a school camp with Parktown Boys High on Wednesday, 15 January. His body was only found two days later on Friday, 17 January. Enock’s funeral service was held at Kensington Secondary School Hall in the east of Johannesburg. On behalf of tame TIMES, we extend our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of young Enock in this time of grief.
Ek en Gysie het die naweek ‘n talentkompetisie bygewoon. My kleindogter het tjello gespeel, en twee van my kleinseuns het gesing. Soos enige ouma het ek natuurlik geglo my kleinkinders gaan wonderlik wees, en Leanzé het pragtig viool gespeel, en was 5de in die kompetisie die einde van die dag. Maar mense, toe stap my eerste kleinseun, Eduard, op die verhoog. Hy sing een of ander popliedjie. Die ‘backtrack’ begin speel en ek sit opgewonde vorentoe. Kyk, ek is lief vir my kleinkinders, maar wat uit daai mond gekom het was erger as ‘n swerm dronk Hadedas wat baklei met ‘n paar Kakelaars. Vir ‘n oomblik het ek gedink
Captain Mavela Masondo, officers spotted the men loading bags into a vehicle near Oakdene, Johannes-
dit is ‘n grap en het ek hardop gelag. Dis eers toe Gysie my so kyk gee dat ek besef dis nie ‘n komiese vertoning nie. Ek het nie geweet wat om te dink nie. Wat sê ek vir die arme kind? Ek moet tog eerlik wees? Uiteindelik is dit klaar. ‘n Ruk later is dit Damon se beurt. Ek het nooit gedink enige mens kan slegter sing as Eduard nie. Damon het slegter gesing. Dit was so erg dat die beoordelaar hom gestop het na ‘n minuut. Met groot oë en skok op ons gesigte sit ek en Gysie en staar vir die stoele voor ons. Na die kompetisie kom die twee seuns na ons toe met blye verwagting op hulle gesigte. Ek staan op, gee elkeen ‘n drukkie en sê:” My liewe kinders, julle albei het ongelooflike talente, maar sing moet julle nooit weer nie, behalwe as ‘n wyse van selfverdediging, want geen mens sal dit kan oorleef nie.” Hulle ouers gluur my geskok en woedend aan. “Moenie die kinders laat lugkastele bou wat nooit sal realiseer nie”, raas ek met hulle. Vir ‘n oomblik is dit doodstil. Toe begin Eduard lag en naderhand is ons almal aan die lag. Hulle albei het onderneem om te bly by kitaar speel. Tip - Skoenmaker hou jou by jou lees
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burg South. When the police officers confronted the men, they fled. The officers chased and cornered the men after their getaway vehicle crashed on the corner of Comaro and Boundary roads. Masondo said the men then ran away, but were later caught and arrested. “On investigation, police found that the men had just committed a business robbery at a sports shop at The Glen Shopping Centre, where they made off with cash and stock. The suspects were armed,” said Masondo. The stolen goods were seized. A case of business robbery is under investigation, and the men are expected to appear in court soon.
We remember the Hoërskool Driehoek students
On Friday, 1 February, it is the first anniversary of the Hoërskool Driehoek tragedy. The Vanderbijlpark schools’ pathway connecting the admin block and classes collapsed and fell on 26 pupils, killing four of them and injuring several. On behalf of tame TIMES our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones on that day.
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04 February 2020
Coronavirus outbreak in Asia: Should South Africans be concerned? The ongoing spread of the coronavirus across China and other parts of the world has raised global concern. This has left many South Africans wondering if they are at risk locally and how best they can keep themselves safe from possible infection, particularly while travelling internationally. Dr Pete Vincent of Netcare Travel Clinics and Medicross Tokai, says that while the World Health Organization [WHO] has now declared the new coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, people should not be unduly alarmed by the coronavirus outbreak, particularly as no cases have been reported in South Africa as at 31 January. He however strongly recommends that everyone, and especially those travelling internationally, take precautions against contracting the illness and that non-essential travel to China be postponed at this time. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that the majority of coronavirus cases have been reported in the Hubei province in China where the outbreak started and has been linked to a seafood, poultry and live wildlife market, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the province’s Jianghan district. To date a number of confirmed cases, of which the majority were ‘exported cases’ with a travel history from the Chinese province, have been reported in a number of countries around the world including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, India, the Philippines, the United States of America, Germany, Italy, Finland and France. Primary transmission “While human-to-human transmission of
the virus has been reported — it would seem that animal-to-human transmission remains the primary mode for the spreading of the virus. However, the fact that some people appear to suffer only mild illness as a result of infection, while others have become severely sick, has made it difficult for global health authorities to establish the exact extent to which the virus is being passed between people at this time and even the true numbers of people who may have been infected,” says Dr Vincent. “In addition, there are concerns that the virus could become more contagious than it currently appears to be, and global and local health surveillance agencies including the National Institute of Communicable Diseases [NICD] and South African Department of Health in South Africa therefore remain vigilant.” Signs and symptoms Those who have fallen ill from the coronavirus reportedly suffer coughs, fever and breathing problems. The virus can cause severe respiratory difficulties, and lead to pneumonia, sepsis and even organ failure in severe cases. As is the case with other viral infections, antibiotics are not an effective means of treatment and it appears that people who are in poor health are at greatest risk of complications from the infection. The WHO reports that the current estimates of the incubation period of the virus range from two to ten days. Protecting yourself “Those who have recently travelled, or are planning to travel, to international destinations such as the Far East should be particularly vigilant. As in the case of other airborne infectious viruses such as influenza, avoiding contact with people showing symptoms and washing your
hands frequently can go a long way towards protecting individuals from contracting an infection,” he advises. The following simple precautions, which are based on WHO recommendations, can assist to reduce exposure to and transmission of the virus: • Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap, towel drying them properly. An alcohol-based hand rub can also be used. • Avoid close contact with others who have coughs, chest infections and/or fevers. • Avoid touching your face, mouth and eyes with your hands. • Avoid direct, unprotected contact with farm or wild animals, particularly when visiting live markets in affected areas. Preferably avoid such markets. • Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to prevent potential cross-contamination with uncooked foods. • Although facemasks do not provide complete protection from the infection from an airborne disease such as this, they may provide at least some additional defence against infection. • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or a flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing. Dr Vincent says that these measures are a means to protect oneself from any kind of infectious illness and are especially important for international travellers to heed at this time. He advises anyone who has severe fever, cough, difficulty breathing and/or chest pain to seek medical attention promptly, and to be sure to share their complete travel history with their healthcare prac-
titioner. Netcare fully prepared The NICD reports that it has, together with the National Department of Health, developed and distributed clinical guidelines and case definitions for doctors and nurses in both the public and the private sectors to ensure improved detection, identification and response to any possible case of imported coronavirus infection. Dr Anchen Laubscher, Group Medical Director of Netcare, says while there are as yet no patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus in South Africa or in Africa, the Netcare Group has, as per normal, taken the necessary steps to ensure its readiness in responding to and managing any cases, should the need arise as well as to risk assess all admissions for possible exposure to the virus “Netcare has developed a set of comprehensive clinical risk assessment pathways in consultation with the NICD. These are used routinely and diligently as a precautionary measure by our emergency medical personnel, doctors and hospital staff to assess any patient who may have been exposed to risk factors associated with coronavirus. These clinical pathways comprehensively cover the risk assessment of these patients as well as their possible need for further management. “Healthcare operations within the Netcare Group continue to cooperate closely with the Department of Health, the NICD and the National Health Laboratory Services in their efforts to monitor and prevent the spread of infections such as coronavirus in South Africa,” Dr Laubscher concludes.
HOME OWNERSHIP VERSUS RENTING
When deciding whether to purchase a home or rent for the foreseeable future, it often pays to evaluate one’s full lifestyle and finances carefully, as you might find that one is wholly better for a particular person, says Richard Blignaut, Chief Operations Officer of City&Suburbs Realty. “The old adage is that owning a home is investing in one’s future instead of paying off someone else’s bond, thereby creating a stable living environment and putting cash into a solid investment. This might have been true until the late 2000’s
but is property still a prudent investment choice, and will you not be better of renting,” asks Blignaut. “It is important to note that in many instances, renting gets you ‘a lot more house for your money’. From our portfolio we have calculated the average rent works out to 80% of what a bond repayment would be on properties over R1mil. The tenant is then in a position to use the money towards other investment instruments such as shares,” says Blignaut, who manages a substantial portfolio of properties in the Ekurhuleni area.
A drawback of renting is that your continuous occupation of the property might be ended if the owner decides to sell or not renew the lease, which then forces the tenant to move, even if they have been a good tenant and have the intention of staying on. “Owning one’s own home ensures consistency. You can live in it for as long as you pay your bond and can afford the upkeep. Many who buy a home look to live in it for the long term, possibly while their children are at school and university, and would possibly even leave it to their heirs,” says Blignaut. At present in South Africa, property is increasing in value at an average of 4.1% per annum, according to a recent Lightstone report, but some areas are better investment options than others. The same report states that: “Over the past couple of months the market activity has stabilised in the 3% to 8% range following a slowdown in recent months as shown by the provincial indices. The inland municipalities Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane and City of Johannesburg metros are growing stably at rates between 2% and 5% whereas the coastal municipalities are generally performing above this range.”
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If one were to rent and invest in shares or funds, the growth might be significantly more on riskier investments and less on the more stable funds, but there is also a risk of losing much if there is a bad investment, or in the case of offshore funds if the exchange rate changes dramatically. The total return of the JSE over the past 5 years has been 9.8% in total and therefore investment in property may have given you better returns with less risk. A point in favour of buying instead of renting is that monthly bond repayments will not increase yearly, the only increase is if there is a rise interest rates, as one’s rent often does - often by 10% or at least the inflation rate. Again, all this money will be going towards someone else’s investment, and not one’s own, says Blignaut. “Whichever is chosen, buying or renting, the crux is to choose something within the proper budget range, and not overextend your finances in any way. It is better to live in a smaller home with low maintenance costs than run a household with high overheads and be burdened financially,” he advises.
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Twizza Super School Series crowns SA’s Best Athletics School
Potgieter came 2nd in the 200m and 4th in the Boys U19 100m. “Winning the trophy today is so unbelievable,” says Janie Blignaut from Menlo Park (Girls Team). “Twizza has given this opportunity to us. It was a great event and we really looked forward to it. We didn’t know how it would go between us and Affies (referring to Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool). We were so close and they can definitely be proud of their performance here today. Menlo has the ‘gees’, it’s just our thing.” Blignaut finished 5th in the Girls U19 200m and 4th in the Long Jump. According to Markus Kotzee, from Menlo Park High School, winning in the mixed team category is breathtaking. “I cannot describe how good if feels. The Twizza Series is an unbelievable event. We get a lot of exposure. It’s great to compete against the best schools in the country. Motivating each other is just a Menlo thing. It’s what we do.” Kotzee came 2nd in the Boys U19 Shotput and 3rd in the Discus.
The Twizza Super School Series produced a riveting display of school’s track and field competition on Saturday, 1 February 2020 at the Bestmed TuksAthletics Stadium with Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Menlo Park High School Girls and Mixed Team claiming the coveted title of SA’s Best Athletics School (in their respective categories).
groups U17 & U19.
Affectionately dubbed the “North vs South” battle, the Twizza Super School Series Grand Finale saw 46 of SA’s leading athletics schools (1125 athletes) participate on the day. Qualifying schools were required to enter 15 member teams (Boys, Girls and/or Mixed) across two age groups U17 and U19. Events that could be entered included: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, short hurdles, long hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot-put, discus and javelin for age
“The success of the series encourages us to now look at populating it to other areas beyond the Gauteng and Cape Town legs to give it more access to other students as well across the country. From here we will start exploring how to grow this competition to other countries who may want to send their athletes here. Not only are we referring to countries in Africa but also from all the other six continents.”
“We are excited that we started the season with a bang,” said ASA President, Aleck Skhosana, “Even more thrilling is that we are affording future stars a chance to experience top level competition while they are still at school. With the SABC now on board as the official host broadcaster, the future is brighter.”
Annual Interhouse Gala at Holy Rosary Holy Rosary High School recently held their annual Interhouse Gala and the following girls excelled overall:
“This was our first live broadcast with the SABC since signing the new agreement this past Wednesday. The seriousness of the agreement has seen SABC’s COO Ian Plaatjes coming to Tuks to ensure that everything was in order. Of interest as well, was to see a lot of senior coaches - including Paul Gorries the national relays coach and elite athletes. We look forward to the new instalment of the series.” According to Eckhart Potgieter from Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, it feels wonderful to be the best boy’s school in the country. “It feels unreal. The Twizza Super School Series is a good opportunity to show just who the best school is. And we did it. I am glad that we could be part of it. As a team we motivated each other just by attending practice every day. We are committed. We just did our best and supported each other at all of the races.”
“The Twizza Super School Series Grand Finale exceeded our expectations,” says Lance Coertzen, Twizza Group Marketing Manager. “We commend each and every school (and athlete) for what they have achieved today. Your dedication and enthusiasm truly inspired us. Congratulations to Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Menlo Park High School, you’ve earned the title of SA’s Best Athletics School and along with that, bragging rights for a year. The Twizza Super School Series has provided us with an excellent platform to support a sport that we believe in, while creating an opportunity for scholars and parents to connect with our brand and experience the taste of our unique products. It is a privilege to be a part of this spectacular experience. We will treasure the special moments that were made. We look forward to the new season and trust that more schools will sign up to #TasteTheMoment with Twizza.”
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Junior Victrix Ludorum – awarded to Erin Buffey, who received her trophy from our guest of honour, Mrs Grobler Senior Victrix Ludorum - awarded to Jessica Grobler, also captain of Rosary house who won the gala. She is seen in the photo with Senior Victrix runner up – Kayla Bishop
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