Greytown Homepage
28 July 2010
Kranskop armed robbery - 25 year prison sentence
A confession and a plea of guilty by one of the armed robbers who raided KwasSiyabonga supermarket in Kranskop earlier this month lead to a sentence of 25 years being imposed by acting Judge Z.P. Nkosi in the Pietermaritzburg High Court last week.
24 year old Khulekani Ntshalintshali of Ladysmith admitted to the Court that he had been one of a gang of 12 armed men who had robbed the store on Friday 2nd July during the lunch hour. The entire complex was thronged with shoppers and members of the public when the armed gang entered the store.
During the raid five bystanders,including a four year old ,had been shot and injured during a shoot out in the forecourt.
When pleading guilty to five charges of attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances he confessed that he had been one of the gang inside robbing the tills.On hearing gunshots outside they had run out of the store.Ntshanlintshali said he “fired some shots in the air” outside before jumping into get away vehicles with the others.
In the intensive Police and security personnel hunt that followed, Ntshalintshali had been arrested -four other robbers who were also arrested ,two of them being shot and injured, will appear in Court at a later stage.
In passing sentence acting Judge Nkosi said that he had taken into account in favour of Ntshalintshali that he had pleaded guilty;was a first offender; he was young and had good prospects of being rehabilitated. In addition he had shown remorse from the time of his arrest and had co-operated with the Police. However the Judge said it was aggravating that the gang had all put the lives of innocent civilians in danger stating that “his personal circumstances and need for rehabilitation must yield to the need to deal
Saturday started on a happy note for the Richards family of Wartburg but turned into a day of tragedy and sorrow when father, Wesley and son Jason were killed in a plane crash.
On Saturday morning 17 year old Jason Richards received his pilot’s licence by courier and was so excited he wanted to take his parents for a flight. Mother Gayle flew first with Jason at 10 a.m. and said they had a wonderful 35 minute flight around Eston and Richmond before coming into land at Cato Ridge airport. Dad Wesley then took off with Jason -they flew over the Richards’ home in Wartburg round about 12.30.A cellphone tower stands about 500 metres away from the house and several witnesses watched in horror when the right wing of the two seater plane clipped the tower, folded back and the plane spiralled into the ground.
Residents who saw the crash rushed to the cane field where the plane had come down and as they could smell fuel leaking from the aircraft they carried the two out to a firebreak near the wreckage. A doctor from the village and paramedics pronounced them dead at the scene.
Jason was a very popular Grade 11 student at St Charles College where he was held in held in high esteem by all - a memorial service is to be held in his honour at the school on Wednesday at 1 p.m. .With an absolute passion for flying,the day after his 16th birthday last year Jason was one of the youngest people to have received his learner’s licence for flying a light sport aircraft. Having completed his exams and flight test Jason was awarded his licence.
47 year old Wesley Richards was a production manager at Illovo sugar mill in Eston- he previously worked at UCL in Dalton and Noodsberg and was highly regarded,respected and well liked throughout the community.
A combined memorial service for Wesley and Jason will be held on Friday 30th July at 10.30 a.m. at the Christian Revival Church in Wartburg.
ends
GREYTOWN COUNTRY CLUB NEWS
Mike Caldicott won Wednesday Golf on 38 points.
Congratulations to Warrick Pitout who won the attendance draw prize money on Friday evening. It was a big one and well worth the wait The next draw will take place on Friday, 6 August with only R100 in the kitty.
Joanne’s Wednesday Special is on 28 July: Seafood Fiesta with savoury rice @ R45 p\p. Bookings essential, phone Joanne on 072 330 3140.
The Happy Hour draw is on Friday, 30 July. A R20 ticket buys you a shot at R1 000 or a bottle of Chivas Regal, there are also some consolation prizes to encourage the not so lucky ones to also buy a ticket and support the Club.
MOTH Golf Day takes place on Saturday. T-off begins at 11am. The entry fee is only R125 and includes halftime tea and supper. Please enter the 4BBB competition and help the old soldiers stay in their cottages. Phone Tubby on 082 558 1765 or Elmarie on 033 417 2441 to enter.
Dates to diarise:
Wed 28 July - Joanne’s Wednesday Special
Fri 30 July - Happy Hour
Sat 31 July - MOTH Golf Day
Sat 7 Aug - Mascor Monthly Mug
Sat 14 Aug - FNB Golf Day
21 - 28 Aug - Spring treatment
READERS WRITE
Are Municipal bylaws applied selectively?
Sir,
Everyone enjoys, and is entitled to party. But when music and noise level continue for over 24 hours, without any concern for others, this is not acceptable in terms of normal social behaviour.
On Friday 16th a party took place at a house in Ente Street...loud music continued until the early hours. Round about 9 in the morning, much to the dismay of residents , the music once again rocked the surrounds. At midday I phoned 911 Centre to ask if they could assist -911 phoned the Police,as I did too and managing to make myself heard above the deafening noise, to be told by the Police, yes there were probably Municipal bylaws re noise but they could not do anything as Municipal officials were holding the party!
At about 3 in the afternoon I drove past the house and took photos of the partygoers. Driving on I came across a Police van and stopped to enquire what they were going to do about the noise. Then an Audi 7 stopped behind me and three men got out asked why I had taken photos and requested I delete these-I refused.One of the 3, a very senior Municipal official then told me that there was no law regulating noise, one could party anywhere and anytime and he had a permit for the party(which he was not able to produce to show me).
The argument in the middle of the road became quite heated. I emphasised the issue was not having a party but playing deafening music at full blast outside the house disturbing not only neighbours but residents further away.
The music continued throughout the day, slightly softer.
At midnight on Saturday I again phoned 911 Centre to be told that they had received numerous complaints from residents - 911 put me through to the Police who also said they had received many complaints and had asked the partygoers to turn the music down.
Surely it is against all the requirements of a healthy well run town for residents to be told by the Police that they acknowledge there is a problem but cannot take action as the transgressors are the very same officials who are supposed to uphold the law and the rights of the Municipality’s residents!!
And the many residents who complained about the continuous penetrating noise all contribute to the salaries of those Municipal officials!
Go ahead and party and enjoy but don’t disrupt the lives of others and the peace and quiet of the town when doing so.
I am writing this to you on behalf of many others.
S.Rudner
NO CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS!
Living in Greytown for the past 16 years I have mostly experienced Greytonians as very considerate people who respect others and consequently making this a very nice town to live in.
My view has now been rudely shattered by the most inconsiderate individuals who apparently believe that they are above the law and can do whatever they like in the confines of their properties.
On Friday night 16th July property owners in the vicinity of King Edward Park were bombarded with extremely loud thumping music from early evening. This carried on continuously and even though some of their neighbours, police and Field Security tried to quieten them down the noisemakers maintained that “this is the new South Africa, so you better get used to it” to rephrase their own words and the music carried on unabated.
At 3h00 on Saturday morning I was at wits end and on investigating the source of the noise, I was shocked to find that it was coming from a house belonging to the Greytown Municipality, inhabited by an employee of the Municipality – and nearly 1km from my property.
This saga however did not end then . The party just moved over the road to another Municipal property where the drinking and loud music just continued for the rest of Saturday and Saturday night.
I believe, together with all the law abiding property owners and inhabitants in Greytown that such total disregard for fellow Greytonians by certain senior Municipal employees is totally unacceptable. They were not only bringing their employers’ name in disrespect, they are also damaging visitors and business people’s views of our town!
These Municipal employees should always remember that they are there to serve the community and are employed by the ratepayers!
George Nefdt
YET ANOTHER REASON WHY SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU!
”Thank God for small mercies” was the heartfelt comment of Colin Wilson of Wartburg after a really narrow escape from going up in flames. Last Tuesday he was travelling from Pietermaritzburg to Wartburg with his bakkie loaded above cab height with 225 plastic trays on a base board of wood and compressed cardboard. Noticing flames past the back window Colin thought these were a reflection of a cane fire...but suddenly realised the plastic trays on the back were burning (moral of the story do NOT throw burning cigarette stompies out a window).
He immediately stopped the bakkie and began to fling off burning trays to reduce heat and to try to find the heart of the fire. But as the trays landed they set short grass alight so Colin redirected the burning trays onto the hard shoulder of the road. It was a frantic five minutes with drivers whizzing past in their vehicles, fanning the flames and not stopping to help.
But then the driver of a 30 ton truck travelling in the opposite direction, stopped and came to the rescue with a fire extinguisher which controlled the flames averting what could have been a bigger disaster with a burning blob of plastic right above the fuel tank.
Unfortunately in the panic and chaos Colin did not get the name or truck details of the driver who helped so much - anyone who can assist is asked to contact Colin on 033 503 1955
BABY EXPO TO WELCOME SPRING!
Its all about babies-a special day for them (and of course, moms, moms-to-be and grans) at Greytown Country Club on Saturday 4th September from 1 to 5 p.m. Expo organiser Wendy Moss told the Greytown Gazette that there is a tremendous amount of interest and enthusiasm already being shown . To date there will be talks on breast feeding;impact of music on babies; Kammaland address on hand/eye co-ordination;demonstration of eco-friendly nappies and on the clothing side so far hand embroidered items and knitwear from Concordia’s Busy Bees. Anyone interested in promoting any baby related benefit please contact Wendy on 0822 772 4894
LOCAL ARTISTS ON SHOW
A three day art exhibition featuring 15 to 20 local artists will be open over the long weekend at the Senior Service Centre (old Scout Hall) on the corner of York and Okes Streets. The exhibition will be on Saturday 7th,Sunday 8th and Monday 9th August from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
There are many talented artists in the area who will be displaying their works in oils, acrylics, watercolours, graphite, soft and oil pastels, coloured pencils as well as mixed mediums.
Admission is free. Refreshments (tea ,coffee, cool drinks, cake and snacks) will be on sale.
For further information or late entries please contact Gerald Clark on 033 413 2801 between 8 a.m. and 1p.m
ALL SORTS OF THINGS FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Greytown Hospital Occupational Therapists are looking for all sorts of donations for long term inpatients to give them something positive and active to do. This will help to improve the patient’s quality of life whilst at hospital alleviating boredom and feelings of depression. Inactivity leads to decreased energy levels and ultimately decreased health status.
Patients are desperate to have things to do to help pass the time during the day. Unfortunately the hospital is not in a position to fund such items and so the occupational therapists are appealing to the community to donate any items which could be used . Patients have expressed interest in beading, woodwork, knitting, crocheting, painting and quilting. Remember too that things such as odd-one-out serviettes ,warped records , old magazines,World Cup flags etc and old un- used items can all be put to very good use. .Also anyone with the aforementioned skills would be most welcome to come and assist in teaching patients these skills and helping to improve their quality of life.
For more information please contact Rachel and Robyn Occupational Therapists on 033 413 9418
ends.
FOLLOWING IN HIS BROTHER’S FOOTSTEPS!
Its renowned nationally and internationally the unique Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School. In order to be accepted at the school it is not only necessary to have the right voice, but also an above average academic record. The Bentley brothers of New Hanover’s Umshwhati valley both met these requirements with flying colours.
Younger brother Vaughn , an old boy of New Hanover Prep school, who is currently completing his junior school year at Cordwalles in Pietermaritzburg has been accepted at the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. Vaughan’s older brother, Keegan went to the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School when he was ten years old and stayed for five years -he achieved the highest music award in grade nine ,Keegan was awarded a music scholarship for grades 10 - 12 at Hilton College .
Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School is a well known port of call for overseas tourists and locals who visit the school for it’s Wednesday concerts,held in the school auditorium. Although the boys have extensive music training they also follow the private school’s IEB curriculum and tour nationally and internationally every year.
The school will be holding it’s annual old boys and prospective new boys open weekend on 13 – 15 August . Any old boy or interested prospective new boy is welcome to attend.
For further information contact dbcs10@gmail.com or phone the school on 036-4681012 or 0836270183
GSS FAMILY FUN DAY
It really will be a family fun day with so many activities for all age groups at the Greytown Secondary School family fun day this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. at the school.
For the littlies -lots of games and a jumping castle and next age group a form of paintball and quad bikes!
Lots of choice for anyone into body art - face painting, mendhi and tatoos.Then how about the GSS Quik Spa for a soothing hand massage, nails painted and relaxing head and shoulder massages.
On the entertainment front -dancing(including the waka waka!), song items -there will be a Ms/Mr GSS pageant, a baby contest (drop a head and shoulder pic off at the school)and also entrants for the glamourous gran contest. You will also be able to send dedications to your loved ones throughout the day.
Then there’s the boom-boom-pow car sound competition which is attracting much interest.For the active - a fun walk/run/cycle in the afternoon ;the Hi Q 5 a-side soccer;tug-o-war,darts, thunee -its all happening.
To keep up the energy levels -a wide choice of tasty foods on sale at the GSS food stall and in the afternoon braai packs on sale.
There are still a few stalls available (no food though) so contact the school and be part of this exciting day!
21 July 2010
For the thousands of motorists who regularly travel backwards and forwards between Greytown and Pietermaritzburg, and all ports of call along the way, good, careful and responsible driving is the theme for at least the next three months with the detour from the Dalton turnoff to New Hanover adding an extra ten kilometres onto this journey.
According to KZN Department of Transport spokesman, Blake Edwards the main road, R33 from the Dalton turnoff to the New Hanover garage will be closed to all traffic to permit contractors to sort out the sinkhole - that is, coming from Greytown the somewhat scary slide away on the right of the New Hanover hill. Obviously major surgery is required to sort out this section of the road and road users have expressed their approval despite the inconvenience. They have also expressed the hope that this will not be a repeat of the infamous "groot gat" episode which took two years to sort out!
However the Department of Transport is determined to have this road up and running as soon as possible and a site meeting was held with five potential contractors last Friday - it is reported that three will be appointed to excavate the section and the opening of the slip area to assess the extent of the damage and carry out whatever repairs and reconstruction of the fill is necessary.
For the statistically minded -the following facts:
Using the detour via the Dalton turnoff the "new" distance :Greytown/Dalton/New Hanover - 46.5kms (without the detour Greytown straight through to New Hanover -36.4 kms)
Motorists from Greytown when driving into Dalton turn right at the T junction and this will bring you through, ten kilometres further, at New Hanover. Distance from New Hanover to Pietermaritzburg is 36.7km.
There is a somewhat longer alternate and that is at the T junction in Dalton turn left and then right at the Cool Air turnoff: left at the Wartburg turnoff through Wartburg to Pietermaritzburg. This route is 89.8 kms. (Distances calculated by K.Simpson on Tom Tom GPS and Google)
An urgent appeal is made to all motorists to travel safely and carefully . Remember the usual traffic on the notorious Greytown/Pietermaritzburg road is now transferred to the detour section of the route plus cane trucks peeling off at the Dalton mill. Hopefully this detour will only apply for the next three months - the Greytown Gazette will keep readers updated on the progress.
Greytown MOTHWAs, allied to the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHS) will be holding its annual street collection on Saturday 31st July with a collection point outside Greytown Drugstore. This organisation represents ex-servicemen and women who have fought for or defended South Africa in any of the services over the years. The collection is to assist with the upkeep of the MOTH cottages in York Street.
Please give a coin or two to this very worthy cause.
On Friday 16 July members of a multi-party committee led by DA MP Radley Keys met EXCO members of Umzinyathi district municipality together with officials from the four local municipalities.
Unfortunately Umvoti municipality was not represented by officials and only Councillor Ahmed Shaikh who sits on Umvoti and Umzinyathi was able to raise issues and answer questions on behalf of Umvoti municipality.
Issues raised with the committee included :
UThukela Water issue,
493 housing issue,
the degraded road network and the Woolstone/Farmlands/labour tenant electricity issue.
The Provincial Speakers’ committee promised to intervene particularly around the issue of UThukela Water considering that a section 78 assessment is being done with a view to dissolving this entity.
National Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor packed a lot of activity in her day spent in Greytown and Muden last Friday. She started off at 8 a.m. with a meeting with ANC members followed by a session with Umvoti Councillors and officials.
Then it was off to Muden where she visited a number of disadvantaged families together with MEC for Social Development Mishak Hadebe and other officials. Focal point of the visit was the presentation of three mobile laboratories to Mount Ernestina Combined School, Sheshisamsamo and Siphakeme.The donation came about as the result of requests made to the Minister by Muden community organisation, Zibambeleni.
These laboratories, fitted with computers, projectors and equipment, worth R85 000 each were donated by Sasol to be used by under-resourced schools in the Muden area.. Included in the donation is the cost of training teachers and replenishing chemicals.
At the same time in Muden an Imbizo was held at which members of the community were attended to by Social Development officials and SA Social Security Agency personnel who assisted with identity documents and grant issues. At the Imbizo community members expressed their concerns over the lack of services in general and in particular water, electricity as well as the lack of sanitation. A major problem in the district was the limited number of schools. In some areas children had to walk long long distances to get to their schools.
Some of the transport, such as vans used, were not roadworthy and created additional problems. The community expressed their appreciation of the donation of the laboratories which would encourage the children to take science and maths which would be of great assistance to them in their future careers.
INTERNATIONAL POLOCROSSE TOURNAMENT
Congratulations to Andrew and Lita Timm and their committee for a magnificent age –group inter-national polocrosse tournament held at Mooi River last weekend.
The main matches were the U/19 and U/16 tests between South Africa and Australia. Intermingled with these were a number of supplementary matches involving South African, Zambian and Zimbabwean Presidential U/19, U/16 and U/14 sides. Damien O’Sullivan was the only Mascor/Umvoti player in a national side while Ulrich Bosse, Jarryd Jacklin, Janine Meyer, Cavan O’Sullivan, Thembi Madonsela, and Jacquie Minnaar, were all in the president’s squads and on stand-by for Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In the tests proper, each team comprised of four boys and four girls with a boy and a girl standing down for each chukka. Each S.A. player had to provide three pool horses and players drew from the pool. The standard of horses was much the same for both sides with, perhaps, a slight advantage to S.A. They played three games over the weekend.
The U/16 started nervously and never really settled down, making a number of unforced errors giving Australia the advantage. South Africa lost the first game, won the second quite comfortably but lost the third to give the series to Australia.
The U/19, on the other hand, started on a high note and won their first and lost two games. Patrick O’Sullivan was very pleased with his U/16s’ presidents side victory over Zambia. They lost the first game but won the next two to take the title. Ulrich and Jarryd’s U19 side won against Zambia and Jarryd was nominated best number 3 player and his horse, Colgate, was chosen as best number 3 horse. Janine’s U19 side and Jacquie’s U14 side both won their respective series.
Additional games were organised where South Africans filled in where there was a shortage of players. This worked well and is a format worth repeating to give a large number of players quality playing time.
Full credit to all those who volunteered their services to make the weekend a success, These include coaches, managers, horse coordinators, vetinery assistants and the many others required to perform the numerous tasks required to make a weekend like this work. There were many who we are unaware of and appreciative of their efforts.
The final major official tournament of the season, SA CHAMPS, will be held at Noodsberg on the 7/8 and 9th August 2010.
The winner of Wednesday Golf was R Chiazzari on 42 points.
Mrs A Jarvie missed out on the attendance draw prize money on Friday - R1 000 will be up for grabs on Friday, 23 July. This is a biggie so I hope to see all of you at the Club on Friday evening at 6:30pm.
The Aheers Development Golf Day took place on Saturday and it turned out to be a great success. Twenty-two very enthusiastic golfers took to the course. Thank you to our sponsor for the day, Neeran Aheer from Aheers.
RESULTS:
A Division
1st - B Mlangeni on 68 (count out)
2nd - S Dlamini on 68 points
3rd - M Zakwe on 70 points
B Division
1st - B Ngomyama on 70 points
2nd - D Khumalo on 72 points
3rd - M Thusi on 74 points
2 Clubs: S Dlamini and B Mlangeni
Captain’s Putter: T Jila
Most Improved Golfer: B Mlangeni
Congratulations to all the winners. Enjoy your prizes.
To clarify some of the confusion regarding the R35 temporary membership fee that is payable at the Club as from 1 July 2010. The Happy Hour function and Joanne's Wednesday Special is open to the public and everybody is welcome. On these two occasions non-members do not have to pay the R35 fee. A non-member may only be signed in once a month and if the same non-member continues to visit the Club he/she must either join as a member or pay the R35 fee on every visit thereafter. We would like to encourage all the members out there to ask their non-member friends to become members and join our warm happy family at the Country Club. Please feel free to contact the Club on 0334172441.
The Moth Golf Day will be played on Saturday, 31 July and the proceeds will help to keep the old soldiers in their cottages. 4BBB and t-off will start from 11am. The R125 entry fee includes halftime tea and supper.
Please enter by phoning Tubby on 082 558 1765 or Elmarie on 033 417 2441. Please support this event as it is for a very good cause.
Dates to diarise
Sat 31 July - Moth Golf Day
St Cathryns News.
The British Open was first played at St Andrews, 150 years ago with only eight players. Due to the Open being on TV all week-end, St Cathryns was lucky to have 13 players in their Farmers Agri-Care Monthly Mug............IMAGINE 150 years from now how many players we will have.
A burst irrigation pipe made it impossible to irrigate and that made the greens hard and fast... Just the same at St Andrews. The world cup did not produce good results for certain soccer countries, but the Germans overran the other players at the mug. Birthday boy Merwin Rabe was pipped at the post and the committee thought long and hard about it, must have been due to too much birthday cake. 1st: Peter Rommelspacher nett 64
2nd: Merwin Rabe nett 67
3rd: Klaus Kluver nett 69
Captains Putter : Liekie Steyn o.c.o. from Barry Oehme.(First count ever)
Nearest to pin 9/18: Merwin Rabe
2 Clubs : Piet Coetzee, Klaus kluver and Peter Rommelspacher.
The next round of the Sanlam Cancer Challenge will be played on Saturday 15th August . The next Farmers Agri-Care Monthly mug will be held on Saturday 28 August . To book for golf please phone Piet 083 269 1661 ( Telkom lines were stolen, still waiting for them!!) and to book for meals Paul 084 5966 292.
MEDICAL MEMOS
Spring is around the corner! These are the last days of winter and I guess it’s a good time to discuss Atopy.
Atopy is a term that covers as broad spectrum of related conditions due to what the body understands as pollutants. This condition involves a reaction pollutants or what is called allergens in the environment. As such when these interact with the body of predisposed people then there is an allergic response to them and a variety of allergic reactions can take place. Here is a list of the conditions that normally are seen with atopy- allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis (hayfever), sinusitis, contact dermatitis, hives, eczema and asthma.
Allergic conjunctivitis presents with itchy eyes which can both turn red and have lots of tears. It is different from ‘pink eye”- which normally affects one eye.
Allergic rhinitis or hay fever as it is commonly called is when the nose, ears, hard palate and sometimes throat itches. Sinusitis commonly presents with a headache on the forehead with a sensation of the brain ‘wanting to drop out’ when looking down, dizziness and tiredness can accompany this.
Contact dermatitis occurs when the skin comes into contact with allergents and an itchy rash flares up. Hives is almost similar in presentation but differs in that it can be in response to ingested allergens like dairy products. Eczema is a broad condition involving the skin and one of its causes can be an allergic condition.
Different foods, dairy products, drugs, household allergies like-dust mites, cat litter and certain plants can trigger allergents. Treatment of this condition involves identifying if possible the different allergents and avoiding them if possible. As avoidance is not always possible there are drugs that can be taken to control this condition. The main drugs used in this condition are called antihistamines and these stop the production of drugs in the body that are responsible for allergic reactions. Also of use are steroids either on the skin, injection or by mouth which can be of great value.
Please visit your doctor to advise you further.
Dr M.C. Mkhize
MPILENHLE MEDICAL CENTRE
Calling all students who completed their schooling career in the year 2000 at Greytown Secondary School. A glamorous 10 year Reunion has been organized to bring the class together to reminisce and catch up on the years gone by.
Venue for the reunion is the White Horse Function Room at the Golden Horse Casino and date is the 8 August 2010 starting at 6pm. A delicious buffet dinner plus great entertainment will be part of this memorable night. A cash bar will be available and dress code is “ Dress to Impress”.
Cover charge is R 185.00 per person and all money must be in by the end of July..
For any more information including payment please contact Riadhna on
076 3152 109.
14 July 2010
PREMIER’S PROMPT RESPONSE TO PLEA FOR HELP
Although she has very little for herself Thandi Jila gives whatever she can to those in desperate need of help, care and love. She houses, feeds and provides loving care to six disabled youngsters who have no family members around. This amazing lady told the KZN Premier at the meeting in Greytown on 27th June how she was caring for these children -but her home was dilapidated and needed to be rebuilt and also financial assistance was required to kit the home out as well as clothing and food for them. She had not received assistance locally despite requesting it Thandi said so was becoming desperate for the children, especially in the cold weather.
Background to this is that Thandi’s son Sydney, who suffered from a degenerative muscular disease, died at the age of 15 in 2005. Without any family members to support her Thandi, who had worked as a domestic bought some land at Mispah and two years before Sydney died opened her heart and home to others who were disadvantaged.
On hearing this KZN Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize said he would see to it that she was helped.
Last Tuesday, KZN Deputy Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Vilakazi, Ms Mbanjwa, Regional manager and Mrs Ngubane from Greytown Department of Welfare visited Thandi at her home to see what was needed.
In a telephonic interview with the Greytown Gazette, Thandi said that the Premier’s office, through the representatives present, had undertaken to provide a new building, fully furnished, plus clothing and food parcels for her and the current six residents. In the meantime Thandi would appreciate any clothing or food assistance - she can be contacted on 083 692 1437.
Friday evening’s attendance draw prize money rolls over once again as Jody Vosloo was not present. R900 will be up for the winning on Friday, 16 July, but remember you have to be at the Club to win.
The Spot-On Golf Day has been postponed until 18 September.
Welcome back to all the holiday makers. We hope that you enjoyed your holiday and travelled back safely. We hope to see all our members back at the Club.
Sat 17 Jul - Aheers Development Golf Day
Sat 31 Jul - Moth Golf Day
Sat 21 Aug - 28 Aug - Spring Treatment
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2011
Its unbelievable ...this year has already passed the half way mark...and the World Cup is over! For those planning holidays for 2011 the following should be noted:
JANUARY
19th:Schools open
MARCH
21st : Human Rights Day
APRIL
1st : Schools close
11th: Schools re-open
22nd: Good Friday
25th : Family Day
27th : Freedom Day
MAY
1st: Workers day
JUNE
16th:Youth Day
24th: Schools close
JULY
17th: Schools re-open
AUGUST
9th: National Women’s day
SEPTEMBER
30th:Schools close
OCTOBER
9th:Schools re-open
DECEMBER
9th:Schools close
This week shall we talk about arthritis? Many of us have some type of arthritis and have family members who suffer from it.
Arthritis is inflammation ( a reaction of body tissue to injury or irritation, characterized by swelling, redness and heat) of a joint.. Arthritis is not a single condition but is best thought of as a group of diseases that affect joints. There are over 150 conditions that are classified under the term arthritis but it is obviously beyond the scope of this article to discuss them all.
Below is an illustration of a joint, to help understand where the problem lies.
For simplicity of understanding, we will use the classification of seropositive and seronegative arthritis. Seropositive has a rheumatoid factor,a chemical that is found in the blood of people with arthritis( although not all will have it).
Seronegative means lack of this chemical. Rheumatoid arthritis is seropositive arthritis and is an aggressive form of arthitis.It typically affects females over 50 and the joints of the hands , elbows, knees and neck.
Here is a short list of seronegative arthritic conditions : gout, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondilytis, pseudogout, osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is also worth a mention as it is the commonest form of arthritis and affects both males and females equally. It can arise following trauma to a joint and is associated with deterioration of joints with old age. Treatment for Arthritis is divided into drug and non-drug measures. Drugs include NSAIDS such as Brufen, Indocid and Voltaren.Physiotherpy is also important and your doctor will advise you as to the need for consulting one.Also the right diet is essential including oily fish as this contains Omega 3 which aids in the development and strengthening of joints.
For further advice consult your family doctor.
Dr Mkhize
readers write (2) Naughty OOty meter readers!
I would just like to bring the following issue I have had with uThukela water to the public’s attention.
Recently I enquired about my water bill and decided to read my meter.
I was shocked to find out that my meter has been incorrectly read since I purchased the property and perhaps even before then.
My actual reading was 59.6 and has been read as 596 kilolitres, so for the 5 months I have lived here I have been charged 1000 litres for every 100 used.
When I phoned uThukela water they insisted the meter was read correctly, and told me I must have a leak. What an enormous leak I must have had, until they decided to come take a look and discovered they were in fact reading the meter incorrectly.
I then enquired when last my meter actually showed a two digit figure on their system as this property was subdivided only a few years ago and so the meter should be fairly new. The employee told me he had no idea.
Our real water consumption is approximately 7 kilolitres a month.
We are getting charged for 20 and more, our current reading is 78.8 .It would have been read as 788, assuming a consumption of 192 kilolitres, (enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool), leaving us with an approximate bill of R800.
I encourage all Greytown residents to check their actual readings so as to avoid a huge bill.
Christina Swart
end
ADVERTORIAL IMPORTANT ADVICE FOR GRADE 9’S
Subject choice decisions made by Grade 9’s can affect their future careers in that the subjects studied for the final three years of school determine what degree/course can be studied at University or other tertiary institutions.
The CAO (Central Applications Office) which processes applications for admission to KZN tertiary institutions and UNISA sees students having to enrol in courses they are not particularly interested in as they had selected the “wrong” subjects for that particular degree.
To assist young learners who often do not understand the implications of their choices or do not have all the relevant information, the CAO has developed a facility on its website which allows learners to enter their choice of subjects and see what courses they might qualify for at the participating institutions as well as level of pass needed.
Grade 9 learners can use this system to experiment with different subject combinations and see how the changes could impact on their study options.
Students who have already left school or are in Grade 10, 11 or 12 can check what they might qualify for with the results they have. Anyone who has applied through the CAO since 2008 or has written a South African school leaving exam since 2004 can even access their exam results on this database by entering their ID number.
There is no charge for the service, which is publicly available on the CAO website www.cao.ac.za - select ‘Don’t know what to study’ on the home page, then ‘Study Options for Me’ to capture their results or subject choices. They will then be given lists of possible courses, arranged by 25 different career directions ranging from Accounting to Transport.
The entry requirements listed on the website and in the CAO Handbook are guidelines provided by the institutions, and achieving those results does not guarantee admission because places are limited.
ST CATHRYN’S NEWS
Now that the soccer is over, there is more time for golf! Even those of us who usually don’t watch soccer have enjoyed the World Cup. Viva Espania !! Grand Prix standings are as follows :
1st: Paul Els 65 points,
2nd: Merwin Rabe 62 points,
3rd: Peter Rommelspacher 61 points,
4th: Klaus Kluver 46 points and
5th: Piet Nel 41 points.
The race is hotting up...and the next race will be played at the Farmers Agri-Care Monthly Mug on Saturday 17th July from 10h00 onwards. Visitors are most welcome!!
All those who would like to play Golf, please phone Piet 033 4441945 or 083 269 1661. To book for meals - maybe a lovely Sunday Lunch - please phone Paul 084 5966 292 or Tania 084 523 1144.
7 July 2010
46 YEARS OF HUMANTARIAN SERVICE TO UMVOTI
A message of congratulations on 46 years of humanitarian service to the community from Child Welfare South Africa was read out to the annual general meeting of the Greytown branch held on 26th June. In his report the President, Mr R. Maharaj commended the stalwart founder members who still served on the 46 year old Society.
He said that the Society had faced many challenges but continued to assist the unfortunate and underprivileged and would continue to do so.
Currently the Society has four Social work positions and over the year had investigated 32 new cases of abandoned children; 29 orphans; cases of sexually abused and neglected and uncontrollable children - this was in addition to the many ongoing aspects including 57 children who were found in need of care and placed in alternate care. 21 people were assisted in obtaining late registration of birth; therapeutic and counselling services were offered etc.
In addition the Society supports a sub office in Kranskop which handled a total of 81 different cases including 27 abandoned children and 32 orphans.
In conclusion the President said that “we can say with pride that we have achieved our main objective, that is to protect and promote the best interest of our children and families and to safeguard them in our communities”
The new Children’s Act came into operation on 1st April this year. It makes provision for the maintenance of a National register of sexual offenders. All proposed foster parents have to obtain a clearance certificate before a child could be place in their official care. The implementation of this act is going to make demands on the social workers and there is a need for more volunteers to become involved in the organisation.
Mr R. Maharaj was re-elected chairman with Mr G. Govender and Mrs S. Balwanth vice chairmen; secretary is Ms S. Balwanth; treasurer Mr P.D. Roopai and members are:
Messrs: V. Maharaj; F. Aboobaker; D.J. Lembede; S. Zondi: S. Zulu; R. Maharaj; and Mrs D. Singh; K. Pillay; P. Ahmed; Ms N. Biyela and Ms Z. Shongwe.
readers write
Non working telephones...again and again!
Some telephone poles, near Enfield, on the Muden road were cut down and copper cable stolen about a month ago. So no landlines from there along the Muden road as well as no e-mail, internet, fax etc communications. On phoning Greytown Telkom I was told that Telkom was not replacing stolen materials and we should make other arrangements for phones! I was also told that the Telkom security people were “selling cabbages in town”!
I understandably found this totally unacceptable and requested 911 chief, Dave Carroll to follow up with a different Telkom source - Dave was told that this was the case and that the lines would be working again the following week - and this was so.
Three days later the replaced poles were cut again in the same area and again cable was stolen - apparently the same happened on the Rietvlei/Mooi River road.
After being incommunicado for 5 days I contacted Telkom Greytown again to be told that Telkom was putting in some other system and there would be no telephones until the new year.
What I cannot understand or accept is that Telkom appears to be doing nothing to prevent this happening over and over again. Surely they should jack up their alleged security and pressure the Police to undertake some investigating. As I see it, the culprits see that they are getting away with these thefts so there is nothing to stop them continuing. This is happening on main roads,band surely, members of the public driving past must see poles being cut down -please if so, phone 033 417 2911 immediate so that the thieves can be caught.
Sylvan Havemann
ONGOING COPPPER CABLE THEFTS IN THE DISTRICT
There has been an upsurge in the theft of copper cable throughout the country and in this area telephone subscribers living in the vicinity of the Muden, Rietvlei, Dalton, Wartburg, Cramond, Nadi and Kranskop roads have all been adversely affected over the past month or so.
An urgent appeal to subscribers in these areas, and to members of the public, from Telkom is to please report any untoward activity - poles been worked on at night etc. Telkom branch manager Greytown, Mr Ken Hechter told the Greytown Gazette that Telkom had replaced these cables for now so telephones were once again operative.
However because of the high cost of repeated replacing Telkom policy was not to replace in cases of repeated theft. Mr Hechter therefore appealed to members of the public to assist by keeping their eyes open for any suspicious activity in around telephone poles and lines and to report this immediately to the 911 Center at 033 417 2911.
Although Telkom and its security personnel were doing what they could to prevent these cable thefts it was crucial that members of the public assisted by acting as the “eyes and ears” of Telkom.
Beat diabetes...with a shovel
Diabetes is endemic in KwaZulu Natal but a new look at handling it is seen by studies, undertaken in USA, show that a good and healthy way to fight the disease is to garden!
Here’s why:
Gardening combines many physical activities which protect your health. You tone muscles-pulling, digging, planting strengthens your arms and back; trimming hedges and using a push mower tone arm and abdominal muscles;. walking, lifting, carrying and squatting are great for your leg muscles, too - all this movement adds up to better blood-sugar control: The more muscle mass you create, the more those muscles work to pull glucose out of your blood.
Gardening also provides a light but sustained aerobic workout raising your heart rate walking back and forth, dig, carry etc.. Aerobic exercise burns calories, gets blood flowing, improves breathing and keeps joints and limbs active and lithe.
The psychological benefits of gardening are substantial as well. Research has also shown that gardening and yard work relieve anxiety, reduce depression and promote mental well-being -people who routinely garden are less likely to develop depression.
Last but certainly not least, gardening promotes good eating habits. Nothing in the world tastes better than fruit or vegetables grown in your garden.
If you are a diabetic ...or not -give it a try!
SOURCE:”REVERSE DIABETICS’’
COLOURFUL CALENDULAS
No garden should be without calendulas at this time of year; it’s the only way to guarantee a little burst of sunshine when the weather fails you! Whether it’s a sweep of golden blooms or a vivacious display in a pot, calendulas are an explosion of colour on a cold winter day. What’s more, this is a very-easy-to-grow plant!.
Calendulas tend to grow well in rich soil, but can also tolerate average to slightly poor soils. Water the calendula plants once or twice a week. Position them in partial shade or in an area that will receive a full dose of sunshine every day. These plants will flourish in nearly every light condition with the sole exception being deep shade. They do best, however, if planted in sunny locations with rich, well-drained soil.
Don’t forget to deadhead your plants by removing the dying flower heads so that the plants maintain an even blossom production.
Information supplied by the Bedding Plant Growers Association. Go to www.lifeisagarden.co.za for more.
CATERING CONMAN ON THE TAKE
It sounded very plausible - a phone call requesting a quote for catering for 30 people at a meeting to be held in Greytown last Saturday. The caller, Jonathan said he was from Johannesburg and had obtained names and phone numbers from the Municipality for catering , tents etc.
Ms Jane Mthembu received such a call last Wednesday and quoted R9 250 for the catering. She got an sms to say “ quote accepted and that a cheque for that amount had been deposited in her bank account.”Jonathan then contacted her again ,told her to take R5 000 and deposit into his account (number given) as this had been paid in error.
Fortunately Jane checked out her account first and discovered that the R9250 had not been deposited in or credited to her account - she subsequently found out from the bank that Jonathan’s cheque for this amount had bounced and that the account details he had given her reflected a nil balance account.
On checking the sms again Jane noticed that there was no company name, just a cellphone number -she phoned this number and asked about Jonathan but was told by the man who answered that he did not know him.
Thanks to being careful Jane did not loose any money -but she could have . So please anyone who receives such requests - before you hand over any money, no matter how plausible it all sounds, you must:
*check you account to see if the amount stated has been deposited.
*request the bank concerned to check out the bank accounts details in regard to where you are supposed to deposit cash “paid to you in error” by the conman!
Greytown Country club
The winner of the Wednesday golf was R Chiazzari and the runner-up was R Aulfes.
On Friday evening Steve van der Merwe lost out on the attendance draw prize money, so R800 will be up for grabs on Friday, 9 July. Remember, you have to be present to win.
Ten golfers took to the course on Saturday to take part in the Mascor Monthly Mug. Congratulations to all the winners..
1st - S Dlamini on 42 points
2nd - S van der Merwe on 41 points
3rd - B Oehme on 40 points
Captain’s putter: S Khumalo
Spot-On Golf Day takes place this Saturday. The format is a 4BBBS. The R120 entry fee includes half-time refreshments. Please try to enter with a partner. Contact Elmarie on 033 417 2441 to enter.
The last Soccer World Cup game will be played on Sunday and the Club will be open for those who want to see the final whistle blow. Please support as this is outside our normal trading hours. The game will be shown in HD, so for an experience of a lifetime…come to the Club on Sunday, kick-off is at 8:30pm. Hope to see you all with your vuvuzelas and flags to show your support.
10 Jul – Spot-On Golf Day
11 Jul - Final Game of Soccer World Cup
17 Jul - Aheers Development Golf Day
31 Jul - Moths Golf Day
INTER-PROVINCIAL POLOCROSSE
The Polocrosse community held the annual Inter-Provincial Polocrosse Tournament at Noodsberg last weekend with as many as forty-four teams or sections participating.
All provinces were involved in various groupings from U/14 to Veterans with seven SKZN teams turning out for Southern Natal, enjoying varying degrees of success. Patrick O’Sullivan and Jarryd Jacklin represented Umvoti in the Senior Men’s team. This was top polocrosse and SKZN found themselves seriously under-handicapped. However, they played with great character and tenacity and made their presence felt throughout. They were doing very well in their final game until veteran left-handed, Eoin Holland, lost his cool to spend two minutes in the ‘Sin-bin’, which put paid to their chances. Jarryd played brilliantly and was nominated player of the tournament.
Mascor/Umvoti had Steve Gilson and Wesley Flower in the Men’s B team and they won all their games to become B division champions.
Caroline Minnaar and Vanessa Williams were the Ladies’ A team but found the standard very high and had to settle for third place. Jane O’Sullivan’s Veterans also had an indifferent weekend, and, even if they enjoyed the polocrosse, they had little success.
Damien O’Sullivan’s U/16 team had to return to the basics to bring off an amazing victory to beat the outstanding Higgs girls on Sunday to take the U/16 trophy. Their experiments on Saturday allowed Midlands to win but when Damien went to three he got the possession and Steffi Harris shot through the goals.
Janine Meyer, Ulrich Bossi and Dean Flower turned out for the U/19 and came up against some serious opposition, with no success.
Jacquie Minnaar and Cavan O’Sullivan played for the U/14 where they did well to come third. Jacquie and Cavan are two players showing improvement with every outing and are players to watch for the future.
All attention is now on the age-group tests against Australia on the 16/17/18 July. Australia are the leading polocrosse players in the world at the moment and it would be a great honour to beat them. The various groups are busy preparing at the moment and making every effort to become the new world champions. The Australians will be on South African horses and this should give South Africans an advantage.
UMVOTI RESIDENTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE VITAL STATISTICS!
+Only 55% of Umvoti residents were
employed as of 2007 ( Umvoti IDP, 2007)
+44% of children are orphans (SA Social Investment Exchange ( SASIX) Proposal for Umvoti Aids Centre, March 2010)
+68,103 people reported no income in 2002 ( Umvoti IDP, 2010)
+80% of the 140,000 or so residents living in somewhat isolated and rural areas contend with poor roads and limited access to sanitation, water, and services such as clinics, hospitals, and social welfare agencies.
+70% are dependent on Child Support Grants in Umvoti(SA Social Investment Exchange ( SASIX) Proposal for Umvoti Aids Centre, March 2010)
ST JAMES SUPPER
A social supper and evening will be hosted by St James church on Friday 16th July as a fundraiser. Tickets at R50 per person include a tasty three course meal but guests are requested to take their own drinks along. As entertainment see and listen to a DVD of the fantastic Mario Frangoulis of the Moscow Opera company for “Music of the Night” a selection of light and enjoyable music.
For further information please contact Sue Swan on 033 507 0047.
PANNAR/ENGEN JUNIOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT
There was an excellent turnout for the Pannar/Engen junior tennis tournament ,organised by tennis coach Derek Brown during the June holidays and a lot of potential talent was on show.\
Results as follows:
Singles(boys and girls) U 8: Guy Daugherty;r/u: Michael Chiazzari
Olivia Sharatt;r/u:Leah Tedder
U10: Troy Fincham;r/u: Calem Keyser
Emma Sharatt;r/u:Jamie Buchan
U12: Mark Swart:r/u:Jeremy Braithwaite
Erin Jarvie;r/u:Lauren Brown
U14:James Tedder:r/u:Lance Comins
Hannah Pride;r/u:Hayley Brown
U16: Makabongwe Mthiyane;r/u:Simion Jugani
Tess Miles;r/u:Sabrina Miles
Doubles (boys and girls) U8:Michael Chiazzari and Guy Daugherty;r/u:Oliver Pride and Bruce Connell
U8: Leah Tedder and Kerryn Chiazzari
U10 and U12:Calem Keyser and Troy Fincham;r/u:Mark Swart and Tommy Pride
Erin Jarvie and Ivana r/u:Brogan Mason and Lauren Brown
U14 and U16: Thuba Mzila and James Tedder:r/up: Makabongwe Mthiyane and Simion Jugani
Sabrina Miles and Tessa Miles; r/up:Kate English and Donna English
Mixed doubles: U10 and U12: Troy Fincham and Erin Jarvie: r/u: Mark Swart and Hannah Tedder
U14 and U 16: Makabongwe Mthiyane and Tess Miles:r/up: Simion Jugani and Sabrina Miles
There was a great turnout of young tennis players at Dereck Brown’s junior tournament sponsored by PANNAR and Engen
POLICE PRAISE POLICE IN KRANSKOP ARMED ROBBERY AND SHOOT OUT
There were hundreds of people in and around the Kwa-Siyabonga Shopping complex in Kranskop last Friday when a gang of heavily armed robbers raided the premises.
At about 1.30 last Friday as the doors of these shops re-opened an armed gang of 12, surged in with the customers and immediately targetted store owner Ismail Police. At gunpoint they told everyone to lie down and then stepping over those on the floor frogmarched Ismail to his office in search of a safe .They turned the office upside down but there is no safe on the premises. Then still holding him at gunpoint they went back into the store and emptied four tills of cash. The robbers also took airtime and cellphones.
As they were walking out the premises, a bystander with a licensed 9 mm pistol saw the gang members and their weapons and opened fire. An exchange of shots took place and Kranskop Police who were monitoring the taxi rank area came across shooting.
This all happened within a range of 200m of the store and miraculously no-one was killed in the fierce and random cross fire but five people were injured . They were a four month old baby boy who was shot in the shoulder and four females who were shot - all are reported to be in serious but stable condition.
Over 50 doppies were later recovered by the police in and around the premises
The robbers ran to two white bakkies, a Corsa and a Bantam (these were subsequently found by the Police to have been hi-jacked in Johannesburg recently) and a BMW. They made a clean getaway until the alert was sounded promptly and Police and security services swung into action.
There was an immediate response from Kranskop Police as well as Police personnel from Greytown, Matimatolo and Muden. Ismail Police was loud in his praise of the prompt reaction by Lt Colonel Minnaar and her team as well as Investigating Officer Captain Bobby Naicker and all the Police and security personnel who responded so promptly.
Lt Colonel Minnaar said that the Kranskop Police were about ten minutes behind the getaway vehicles along the Nadi/Ngebevu road to the KwaDola area- the Police were in hot pursuit.
In the meantime she had contacted Airwing in Durban and by 2.45 a helicopter was on the scene. The crew picked up a Kranskop Police member who knew the area and directed them.
By this time the gang members had abandoned the vehicles and were on the ground shooting at the Police following them as well as using the Uzi to shoot at the helicopter. One of the helicopter crew managed to shoot one of the gang in his leg, another was shot and three others arrested . One of the robbers had climbed up a tree and was trying to shoot pointblank at the Police with a 45 Magnum -it was later found that the wrong bullets had been loaded into this firearm! He was one of the 5 arrested.
Police recovered all in all 5 of the firearms used.
It is reported that the gang members , all of whom were in their twenties, are from Nkandla, Ladysmith and Tugela Ferry.
The five arrested appeared in Msinga Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of attempted murder and possession of illegal firearms -they were remanded in custody until the next hearing on 13th July. The five arrested will, at a later date, be charged with armed robbery and attempted murder, in the Kranskop Magistrate’s Court. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Investigating Officer Captain Bobby Naicker on 082 469 9189
In a telephonic interview with the Greytown Gazette, Mrs Zaheda Police, said that on behalf of her husband Ismail, her father Ismail Hajat and all those who had been involved and the five injured, she would like to express their deep appreciation and gratitude to Lt Colonel Minnaar and her team for their prompt and excellent response; to the Greytown, Matimatolo and Muden Police, the security services and all the people who had come forward to support and assist in so many ways.She and her family were deeply grateful and believed that if it had not been for such a prompt and full response by the Police the situation could have been a lot worse than it had been
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