Tag: South Africa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Oom Paul statue excluded from monument; EFF threat to topple it

Oom Paul statue excluded from monument; EFF threat to topple it

OOM Paul’s statue at Church Square is the subject of debate yet again, after the city council resolved to support a motion by the EFF that it be excluded from the Lalela Freedom of Expression Monument. However, there is still no mention of whether the statue will be removed or not.

The resolution was passed during a council sitting on Thursday.

It was opposed by the ANC, which said this would be “against the party policies on statues and heritage”.

Last year, mayor Solly Msimanga said Church Square would be transformed into a place of open-air entertainment, called the Lalela Freedom of Expression Monument. Work has already started at the historic site.

Msimanga said the Lalela project was aimed at bringing about vibrancy in public activities in the inner city.

At the time, he said the statue would remain in place as the inner city regeneration project changed the face of Church Square around it.

EFF councillor MoAfrika Mabogwane proposed that Paul Kruger’s statue should not form part of Lalela because the apartheid leader represented “a history which is in stark contrast to the values that the monument seeks to promote”.

Mabogwane’s motion read: “The mayor in his inaugural budget speech spoke about the Lalela Freedom of Expression Monument which will be in Church Square.

“The statue of Paul Kruger which is in honour of the Boer leader represents a history which is in stark contrast to the values that the monument seeks to promote.”

According to documents dated January 25, the council resolved that the statue would not form a part of the ongoing Church Square facelift.

ANC leader in the council Mapiti Matsena said: “The ANC position is clear; there has to be a decision that statues like that of Paul Kruger be kept in some museum as part of our heritage, as part of our history, painful as it is, but it is important to keep that history.”

Mabogwane said the DA supported the EFF motion, but held the stance that the statue should not be removed.

He said he found the DA’s stance to be contradictory.

“The DA is using apartheid legislation not to remove the statue. We only want the statue of the freedom fighters,” Mabogwane said.

He threatened that EFF branch members could at any time demolish the statue.

“There is a national mandate to all the EFF branches to remove all the apartheid statues and symbols,” he said.

He declined to reveal the date on which the statue would be toppled.

“You can’t announce a day for a revolution. One day people are going to wake up and find the statue not being there,” he said.

The Lalela project was first hatched under the previous ANC administration four years ago, but never came to fruition.

The ANC emphasised its significance as introducing African cultural ownership of the square, and to acknowledge Struggle stalwarts.

Late president Nelson Mandela’s legacy was meant to be part of the exhibition on the square.

The proposed monument will feature rock excavated from a limestone quarry on Robben Island, where forced labour was used.

The estimated cost of the project, as calculated by the ANC municipality, was at least R12million.

At the time of the announcement, Msimanga said the DA-led administration was committed to creating an inclusive society and sharing the resources of the city.

“The former administration loved to talk big about creating an inclusive society in which all South Africans from different walks of life may share,” he said.

“Yet they sat on this project for almost four years after it was passed by the previous mayoral committee.”

By: iOl News

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

ANCYL, Vat Alles workers vow to bring Pretoria CBD to a standstill

ANCYL, Vat Alles workers vow to bring Pretoria CBD to a standstill

No application had been received by Monday night for Friday’s planned shutdown of the city spearheaded by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) Greater Tshwane region.

Mayoral spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said: “We are aware of the planned shutdown. However, no application has been received to our knowledge and thus the march will be unprotected and illegal.”

Mgobozi said the DA-led administration hoped there would be no loss to life or limb, or damage to property, and that proceedings would be conducted within the ambit of law.

Metro Police spokesperson Nonhlanhla Mgiba also confirmed that no application had been received for the planned march.

Mgiba said the City had only received a request for a march by former Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) employees.

Mgiba said the ANCYL march had not yet been approved due to requirements still pending.

However, the route to be taken would be communicated once the march was approved.

“Should this march be approved, the streets that will be affected will be communicated prior and our officers will be deployed to monitor the situation. Motorists will also be advised to avoid the CBD and use alternative routes.”

The regional ANCYL and former EPWP – Vat Alles – workers have vowed to bring the city to a standstill when they march to Tshwane House and the Union Buildings.

The former contract workers, in collaboration with the ANCYL, are demanding the reinstatement of those whose contracts had expired.

ANCYL regional chairperson, Lesego Makhubela, also ANC metro councillor said the DA promised people jobs in the run-up to the election.

However, it had turned around and put people out of employment.

Makhubela – taken to task by the DA last week for statements which the party said encouraged the use of petrol bombs – said the information being channelled through by the DA was nothing more than hogwash.

He said the vast majority of workers who were part of the EPWP had been working at keeping the city clean for six years.

Moreover, he said picking up papers was not a skill that could be used to find further employment, or set up sustainable businesses.

Makhubela said what the DA-led administration was doing was “witchcraft” as it had taken people out of jobs, only to hire older people. “The DA has employed people aged 58 to 63 years, on the understanding that the backbone of the ANC is old people. So, they are using this opportunity as a way of buying votes,” he said.

Makhubela said in other areas where the EPWP had been implemented successfully by the former administration, it was taking people coming from colleges and upskilling them in the area they had specialised in. Another issue was for the re-employment of the security guards who were to be replaced by metro police recruits.

Makhubela said having metro police officers replace security guards had removed food from thousands of family tables.

“Although the court declared the move invalid, no worker has been reinstated by the City,” according to Makhubela.

He said the court had said the removal of workers was unlawful and ordered that they be rehired by the City and reimbursed from the time of termination of the contracts.

The protest is also for the plight on informal traders, who Makhubela said were constantly harassed by metro police.

“They abandoned all negotiations with traders and even stopped the payment of bursaries to their beneficiaries,” he added.

The march is scheduled to start from Burgers Park at 8am and proceed to Tshwane House to deliver the first memorandum before heading to the Union Buildings, where a second memorandum will be submitted.

The marchers will also be demanding land for churches, which the ANCYL said was promised to them, as well as a reduction of high rental rates.

Pretoria News

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pretoria bus with passengers hijacked during feud between taxi operators

Pretoria bus with passengers hijacked

A bus with passengers was hijacked in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon after a feud between several taxi operators on the city’s express bus service.

Sheila Lynn Senkubuge, Mayor Committee on Roads and Transport, said on Wednesday that the A Re Yeng bus was allegedly hijacked by “double crossed ” bus drivers who disregarded an agreement between the Tshwane metro and three taxi ranks.

The company entered the agreement with the taxi associations of Hammanskraal, Stinkwater and Eersterust in December 2017. According to the company, taxi drivers are reimbursed to no longer enter the city center, but to pick up and drop off commuters at a newly built taxi and bus stop at the Wonderboom Junction shopping center at R17 per ride. From Wonderboom Junction, commuters will then be transported with A Re Yeng buses to the city center at R8 per ride.

This agreement was implemented on January 8.

“On Tuesday afternoon, taxi drivers from all three taxi associations refused to take passengers from the taxi stand back to Hammanskraal, Stinkwater and Eersterust. They have also asked R24 for a ride instead of R17 since 8 January, “she said.

The bus was hijacked during the protest action and later found in Stinkwater with all the passengers in it. The bus was escorted back to the taxi and bus stop with the help of the Tshwane metro police.

The incident meant that the bus service between the city center and north of the city had been delayed for about two hours.

It was not immediately clear whether someone was arrested because of the incident.

Senkubuge said the incident was unfortunate, and the metro has already urged a meeting with the associations to ensure that all their members respect the agreement.

“If they do not mind, the metro will take legal action to correct the situation to ensure commuters get the service they are entitled to,” Senkubuge added.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

EFF Members created havoc at Swedish retailer’s stores in up-market malls in Pretoria

EFF Members created havoc at Swedish retailer’s stores in up-market malls in Pretoria

RED T-shirt clad Economic Freedom Fighters closed down South African branches of the international clothing retail giant H&M, including at Menlyn Mall in the city – and will close down any other shop that behaves in a racist manner.

On Saturday EFF members stormed the Swedish retailer’s stores in up-market malls in Pretoria, Joburg and Cape Town, upending racks and pushing over shop dummies.

A video taken at a Menlyn Mall shop has gone viral on social media.

The reason for their violent protest action was an advert for an H&M product, a boy’s green hoodie, modelled by a young black child bearing the words: “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”

After objections were first raised abroad, H&M apologised for the advert and withdrew the item from its online store. “We strongly believe that racism and bias in any shape or form, deliberate or accidental, are simply unacceptable,” H&M said in a statement.

“We have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry.”

But “sorry” is not enough for the EFF which wants to send H&M packing from South Africa.

The party has warned that any other store that undermines black people will also be shut down.

EFF commander-in-chief Julius Malema made no apology for his fighters’ conduct on Saturday, saying their actions should have taught the massive international retailer a lesson.

Referring to the slogan on the T-shirt, he said the humiliation of black people should not be allowed to continue. “No one should make jokes about the dignity of black people.”

EFF spokesperson Floyd Shivambu praised the protest on Twitter, claiming H&M was “facing consequences for its racism”.

Tshwane EFF chair Benjamin Desoloane warned yesterday that if H&M tried to reopen its Menlyn branch, the fighters would be back – every day if necessary.

“We believe we made it clear that we want the store closed permanently and not temporarily we hope the mall management received our message,” he said.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said no injuries were reported but the police have opened a case of malicious damage to property.

Police have not arrested any suspects but investigations are ongoing, he said.

Despite numerous efforts, Menlyn Mall management could not be reached for comment.

Several shoppers have spoken of their experience at Menlyn. A woman who was shopping with her daughter said they heard the noise of chanting and looked down from the floor above to see the EFF arriving. She anticipated trouble so they quickly left the mall.

A man who was nearby said he saw the destruction caused by the EFF in the store but when he tried to take pictures with his cellphone they stormed him and threatened him.

When the Pretoria News got to the mall on Saturday, the staff were inside the large store, shaken by what had happened.

Yesterday the doors were locked, windows empty and paper prevented curious shoppers from looking in.

H&M is a major Swedish clothing retailer which entered the South African market in 2015 with a store at the V&A Waterfront. It went on an expansion drive, including being part of the grand relaunch of the extended Menlyn Mall last year.

H&M said it would “continue to monitor the situation closely and will open the stores as soon as the situation is safe again”, read a statement.

Referring to the garment, it said it was investigating what had happened to ensure that nothing similar happened again.

Clothing for H&M is not sourced locally but in various countries, with about 40% reportedly coming from China. It is not clear who was responsible for the slogan, but H&M’s statement read: “We stress that our wonderful store staff had nothing to do with our poorly judged product and image.”

However, the mother of the child model, identified as living in Sweden, was reported as describing it as an “unnecessary issue”, saying she did not see it as a racial incident as she could refer to her son as a “cheeky little monkey”.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Father severely beaten during house robbery in north of Pretoria for a cellphone and TV

A 43 year-old male was severely beaten during a house robbery that occurred in north of Pretoria on Tuesday morning around 01:00.

Police spokesperson Captain Rebecca Phatlane stated the following: “The home was invaded by two armed men who tied the homeowner and his daughter’s feet and hands then assaulted the owner,” she said.

Phatlane stated that the robbers fled with a cellphone and a TV.

“The owner was seriously injured and taken to hospital. The daughter was unharmed.”

A case of house robbery and assault was opened, she said.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pretoria Zoo rejects grumbles from dissatisfied visitors

Pretoria Zoo rejects grumbles from dissatisfied visitors

Dissatisfied visitors took to social social media over the festive season, saying that Pretoria Zoo had shoddy maintenance and a lackluster workforce.

Zoo visitors spend too little time at enclosures and if they don’t see the animal immediately, they walk past and assumed the enclosures were empty, says Pretoria Zoo spokesperson Angeline Schwan in response to recent visitor complaints about the absence of animals.

On Facebook, Christiaan David Vdm Cardoso vented his frustrations, saying he would not be visiting the zoo again.

His post outlined his qualms, which included staff not doing their job properly, poor conditions and a run-down facility, among others.

“I cannot express my utter and sickening discuss at how the zoo has turned out!!!

“As an avid zoo visitor annually I am saddened to say that you will not see me and my family ever again,” he wrote.

Saying it was a depressing place to go to, Cardoso said: “I am 37 years old, have been coming to the zoo since I was 4 and now with my own daughter wanted to continue the tradition.

“However, I am saddened to say it will not continue.

“The zoo has officially turned out like any public office eg a clinic, hospital or Home Affairs, tattered, run down and staff that do what they have to, to have and keep a ‘job’, with no one that truly cares about anything around them besides their direct duty. This includes management.”

Other people in the group also claimed to have had terrible experiences at the zoo, saying they too were no longer interested in visiting it.

They raised issues like overgrown, empty enclosures, saying that some appeared to be outdated and depressing for the animals.

According to the visitors, there were untidy enclosures filled with cans.

During a visit there this week, the Pretoria News team was shown around some of the enclosures.

Schwan explained: “What happens often is that the animals from that area might be resting, so you assume it’s empty. You don’t take a little while longer just to see if you can see something. We have that issue at the gorilla enclosure.”

Explaining the “overgrowth”, she said: “Animals, just like people, need to have a sense of privacy and in that way, by giving a more natural look and feel, they get the opportunity to rest and to be a little bit out of the public eye.”

Normally, the animals would be kept away if they were ill, had just had babies or were being moved from one area to the other, but a sign would be put up to indicate the reason, she said.

And as she took the Pretoria News team on the tour, they almost walked past a green mamba cage, which appeared empty, but the snake had wrapped itself around the leaves.

Schwan said snakes also sometimes hid under the rocks and could not be seen.

On Facebook, users complained about the pygmy hippo enclosure, which they said was filled with soft drink and beer cans.

Schwan said this was sometimes due to the wind blowing them into the enclosure when dustbins were full.

“As you can see, the dust bins are very close. So if the bin overflows, the wind blows the stuff in there.”

In addition, she said their staff was dedicated and doing all they could to ensure the area was clean, but it was also the visitors’ responsibility not to litter.

“We’ve got signs at the zoo that say ‘Please do not litter’.

“It is very difficult to control visitors and sometimes the wind can blow dirt in, but our staff clean that out.”

Responding to the issue of staff not doing their job, she said the complainant probably came around the time they catered for a lot of people and struggled to please everyone.

All in all, Schwan said, the zoo remained highly maintained, as clean as possible and with everything it promised.

By: iOL News

Posted on by — Leave a comment

12-jarige sterf by gewilde vakansieoord oos van Pretoria

12-jarige sterf by gewilde vakansieoord oos van Pretoria

ʼn Rotspoel by ʼn gewilde vakansieoord oos van Pretoria het Maandag die lewe van nog ʼn besoeker geëis.

Die polisie het bevestig ʼn 12-jarige meisie is by die Nkwe-oord naby Tierpoort dood toe sy glo in ʼn rotspoel naby ʼn piekniekarea in die oord ingegaan het om haar kleiner sussie te red wat in die moeilikheid beland het.

Kapt. Kay Makhubela, woordvoerder van die polisie, het gesê die meisie het toe ook in die water in die moeilikheid geraak. “’n Lid van die publiek het ingespring om te help, maar net die een kind kon opgespoor en gered word,” het Makhubele gesê.

Volgens inligting op sosiale media het omstanders solank as ʼn uur gesoek vir die meisie se liggaam sonder professionele hulp.

“Daardie wonderlike mans wat gehelp het (waarvan drie van hulle my kêrel en sy twee vriende was) is huis toe met uitputting, skraapmerke, hartseer, skuldgevoel, woede, frustrasie en teleurstelling. ʼn Kennisgewing alleen is nie genoeg veiligheidsmaatreëls om so ʼn verlies te voorkom nie,” het iemand op die oord se Facebook-blad gesê.

Nkwe-oord het op dié inskrywing geantwoord: “’n Absolute tragedie. Ons diepste medelye aan Jabulile se familie en dankie aan almal wat gehelp het.”

Maroela Media kon ondanks talle telefoonoproepe en boodskappe nie daarin slaag om kommentaar oor die voorval van Nkwe te kry nie.

Makhubela het gesê die polisie doen ʼn geregtelike doodondersoek.

Die 12-jarige meisie se dood kom nadat ʼn 24-jarige man in Maart verlede jaar by dieselfde oord gesterf het toe hy van rotse af in ʼn rotspoel gespring het. Maroela Media het vroeër berig Ephraim Tshabalala (24) van Soshanguve, noord van Pretoria is in Maart 2017 dood toe hy vermoedelik sy nek gebreek of ʼn kopbesering opgedoen het toe hy iets getref het.

Dr. Hennie Annandale, eienaar van die oord, het kort ná hierdie voorval aan Maroela Media gesê die rotspoel is ʼn gewilde besoekpunt en piekniekplek aangesien dit ʼn natuurlike formasie langs die rivier is. “Daar is duidelike kennisgewings by die watergat aangebring wat mense waarsku dat hulle op eie risiko daar swem,” het Annandale destyds gesê.

Hy het toe gesê daar het al voorheen mense in die rotspoel verdrink.

Deur: Maroela Media

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Slagpale in Pretoria gesluit ná bakterie in vleismonsters gevind word

Slagpale in Pretoria gesluit ná bakterie in vleismonsters gevind word

Die Gautengse department van Gesondheid het ‘n slagpale in Pretoria gesluit na vleismonsters van dié slagpale positief getoets het vir die Listeriose bakterie. Die slagpale mag nie enige produkte verkoop tot hulle aan die vereistes van die departement voldoen nie. Dit sluit in dat die bron van die organisme bepaal word, ontsmetting van die perseel plaasvind en monsters van die werksoppervlaktes en water voor en na ontsmetting gedoen word.

Vroeër vanjaar het die Nasionale Departement van Gesondheid ‘n uitbraak van Listeriose aangekondig na ten minste 365 gevalle van dié toestand en 28 sterfgevalle aangemeld is.

Die departement van Gesondheid het die afgelope tyd hard gewerk om die bron van die uitbraak vas te stel. Na ‘n pasiënt onlangs met die toestand gediagnoseer is, kon die department die bron van die besmette vleis na die betrokke slagpale in Pretoria naspoor.

Die Gautengse Department van Gesondheid het ook monsters ook aan die “National Institute for communicalble Diseases (NICD)” gestuur vir verdere ontleding en analise.

Die department het ook inwoners van Pretoria gevra om hul volle samewerking vir amptenare van die department terwyl verdere ondersoeke in die gemeenskapps gedoen word.

Lees meer hieronder oor Listeriose

Wat is Listeriose?
Listeriose is ‘n ernstige en potensieël dodelike infeksie wat deur die Listeria bakterie veroorsaak word. Hierdie bakterie word veral gevind in grond en besmette water, pluimvee en kudde diere en kan dus daarom in ongepasteuriseerde melk en vleisprodukte voorkom. Dit kan ook deur rou groente en vrugte wat besmet is versprei word.
Die infeksie het tipies gastro-intestinale klagtes soos naarheid, braking, diarree, buikpyn. Dit kan ook “griep-agtige” simptome soos lyfseer en koors veroorsaak.

Is dit gevaarlik?
Listeria infeksie is potensieël dodelik in ouer mense en jong kinders en babas, mense met ingekorte immuunsisteme (soos byvoorbeeld HIV positiewe mense) en swanger vroue. In die meeste gesonde mense is listeria infeksie self beperkend en is daar geen ernstige komplikasies nie behalwe vir ongemak en glad nie lekker voel nie. Dít gesê, moet die toestand nie ligtelik opgeneem word nie! As jy wel simptome ervaar, is dit belangrik om tóg ondersoek te word aangesien die infeksie vinnig kan versprei en ernstige gevolge kan hê.

Waarvoor moet jy op die uitkyk wees?
Simptome kan vinnig ontstaan – binne 9 tot 48 uur na infeksie, maar dit kan selfs tot 30 dae neem voor simptome verskyn. Tipies is die volgende teenwoordig: koors, diarree, naarheid en braking, buikongemak,erge lyfseer. Kyk ook uit vir nekstyfheid en verwarring. Baie mense kan selfs die simptome met lugweginfeksie simptome verwar.

Hoe word dit gediagnoseer?
Indien jou dokter ‘n sterk vermoede het dat jy moontlik listeria-infeksie kan hê, sal hy/sy sekere bloedtoetse aanvra om vir die teenwoordigheid van die organisme te soek, en om dit te bevestig.
(Let wel, hierdie toetse word nie gewoonlik roetine-weg aangevra nie.)

Kan dit behandel word?
In die meeste gevalle is die toestand self-beperkend en is slegs ondersteunende behandeling nodig. Genoegsame vloeistofinname, en kosse soos brood, rys, piesang en appels kan die diarree onder beheer hou. Behandeling sal deur jou dokter begin word indien dit nodig is. In meer ernstige gevalle, swanger vroue, ouer mense en kinders asook mense wat moontlik komplikasies van die infeksie het, word antibiotika gebruik om die infeksie te behandel. Onthou, as jy simptome ervaar is dit belangrik dat jou dokter jou ondersoek.

Hoekom is dit gevaarlik?
Listeria infeksie kan ernstige nagevolge soos breinvliesontsteking, hartspierinfeksie, septisemie (ernstige bloedstroom infeksie) hê. In swanger vroue kan dit voortydse kraam en selfs miskrame veroorsaak. Met erge diarree kan ontwatering volg. Veral kinders ontwater vinnnig. Dit is daarom belangrik om notisie te neem van simptome en vroegtydig daarna te laat kyk.

Is daar iets wat mens kan doen om dit te voorkom?
Goeie higiëne is altyd die beste begin punt- veral handwas. Kook alle voedsels deeglik, en was alle groente en vrugte behoorlik af voor jy dit eet. Gebruik gepasteuriseerde produkte. Hou gaar en rou vleise in verskillende houers en maak seker voedsel en water kom van betroubare bronne.

Dit is belangrik om vroegtydig op te tree as jy moontlike infeksie vermoed. Hou veral kinders dop. As jy twyfel, besoek jou dokter of naaste hospitaal. Dit is ook belangrik om te onthou dat, al het jy baie van of al die simptome, dit nie noodwendig Listeriose is nie! Daarom is dit belangrik om jou dokter te besoek as jy siek voel.

Hierdie inligting is slegs vir opvoedkundige doeleindes en moet glad nie gebruik word om self-diagnose te maak nie. Besoek jou dokter vir diagnose en raad.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Passasiers kaap glo 2 Prasa-treine by Hercules-treinstasie in Pretoria

Passasiers kaap glo 2 Prasa-treine by Hercules-treinstasie in Pretoria

Twee treine van die Passasierspooragentskap van Suid-Afrika (Prasa) is glo Dinsdagoggend by die Hercules-treinstasie in Pretoria gekaap deur passasiers wat na Saulsville wou reis in plaas daarvan om terug te keer na Koedoespoort.

Luidens ’n verklaring van die vervoervakbond Untu het die passasiers die treinspoor omstreeks 07:00 vol betonblokke gepak waarna hulle die drywers gedwing het om na Saulsville te ry.

Volgens Louwrens Erasmus, wat die pendeltrein tussen Koedoespoort en Hercules beman het, het hy uit sy kajuit geklim om in die teenoorgestelde kajuit te klim toe die passasiers hom voorgekeer het en hom gedwing het om aan te hou ry.

“Ek het besef ek moet saamwerk of ek en my Metro-wag gaan seerkry. Toe ek uit die kajuit klim om in die ander een in te klim op na Koedoespoort toe het die ontstoke passasiers my teruggedruk en betonblokke op die spoor agter die trein gepak. Ek het vir my lewe gevrees en daar was geen Prasa-veiligheidswagte in sig nie,” het Erasmus, wat al 39 jaar as ’n treindrywer werk, aan Untu gesê.

Ek is baie getraumatiseer. Ons het geen beskerming nie en ons is oorgelewer aan die passasiers. Ons lewe beteken niks.

Erasmus sê dieselfde het met sy kollega, TG Modjadji, wat die trein langs hom bestuur het, gebeur.

“Hulle het dieselfde met hom gedoen. Hy het probeer om vir hulle te sê dat ons nie kan ry waar ons wil nie, maar hulle het nie nee vir ’n antwoord gevat nie.”

Erasmus sê hy het die beheerkamer ingelig dat die trein gekaap is en dat die passasiers dreig om dit af te brand. Hy moes eers die passasiers by Saulsville aflaai voordat hy kon terugkeer na Hercules waar hy kon voortgaan met sy werk.

“Ek is baie getraumatiseer. Ons het geen beskerming nie en ons is oorgelewer aan die passasiers. Ons lewe beteken niks.”

Steve Harris, Untu-sekretaris, het ná die voorval gesê dat Cromet Molepo, Prasa se pasaangestelde uitvoerende hoof, ’n dringende vergadering belê het om die situasie waar treine in die Wes-Kaap ontwrig en gevandaliseer word te bespreek.

“Ek sal ook die kaping van die twee treine op die agenda plaas, sodat ons ’n oplossing kan vind en ’n tragedie kan voorkom,” het Harris gesê.

Volgens die verklaring kom die vergadering, wat vir Donderdagoggend beplan is, nadat Untu in die Wes-Kaap ’n dispuut met Prasa geopper het oor die inwerkingstelling van veiligheidsmaatreëls.

Harris beweer Prasa volg nie die mees basiese maatreëls nie. “Genoeg is genoeg. Untu weier om arms gevou terug te sit en te wag dat ons mense doodgaan,” sê Harris.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pretoria east residents see red over blackouts

Pretoria east residents see red over blackouts

A DARK Christmas looms for Pretoria east residents, who have since called on the City to shed light on their predicament.

Residents in Mooikloof, Faerie Glen, Zwavelpoort and Olympus have been plagued by random power outages in recent months.

Mathlodi Kgapola said her Mooi- kloof residence and surrounding estates had two outages at least twice a week without any explanation or warning.

Another resident, from Faerie Glen, said they were tired of the City’s “lame excuses”. These ranged from stormy weather and trees not being felled that disturbed electricity poles to cable theft. “Every time it is a new story,” said the resident.

She understood that even in the most well developed cities there were power outages, but “the City must let us know in time so we can make alternative plans for the festive season and security”.

Once criminals knew the City was not doing anything about the power outages, they would capitalise on it, especially during the festive season while families were away on vacation, she said.

Alarms and beams were not fully operational when there was a power failure, she added.

Marius Groenewald from Zwavelpoort said his smallholding had been inundated with power outages that put his family at risk.

Criminals thrived on chaos and darkness was their playground. “Load shedding provides both of these environments for lurking lawbreakers seeking to capitalise from this.”

MMC for Infrastructure Darryl Moss said power outages arose from a number of causes – cable theft, vandalism, trees falling on power lines, lightning strikes, cable faults, backlogs in maintenance and overloading of the energy network.

Moss said many of the power outages were unforeseen, and needed to be dealt with as they arose. The City had been upgrading the electrical network, which would reduce the number of outages.

“We have been putting measures in place to shorten the time that the power is out. We are seeing some success, but with the maintenance backlog it will take time to get everything sorted out.”

The outagein some areas in the east was a trip on the 132Kv line, which was identified quickly, and power soon restored, he said. “We do not see any reason for the residents to worry unduly. Outages will occur, but our electricity teams are on standby, and should be able to deal with the problems quickly.”

No maintenance work was planned on the network during the next month, he said, so there were no planned shutdowns in the pipeline until after the middle of January.

On the brighter side, there was a new water reticulation network for parts of Pretoria east.

The eight-month project, is expected to be completed by August 2018. During construction residents would be duly notified of any water supply interruptions, he said.

“The R12.9million upgrade is part of an overarching city-wide project to replace old and dilapidated water networks,” the City said.

The area has been plagued by leaks and water supply interruptions over the years, causing frustration for residents especially in Elarduspark, Rietvalleipark and Waterkloof AH.

Many pipes needed replacing because they were past their design lifetime, and there was a R2billion hole in the budget for the work, the City said.