The Rep 10 November 2017

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THE REPRESENTATIVE 10 November 2017
LOCAL IS LEKKER
Do you live in Dordrecht – or call Cacadu
home? Is Cofimvaba your place of residence
or does Stutterheim have a special place in
your heart? Send us your news
C O U N T RYWAT C H
KOMANI NEWS
SEND YOUR NEWS
Our country correspondents are active in
their respective areas and will gather your
news. Contact sonjar@tisoblackstar.co.za for
details of the correspondent in your area.
Country news deadline: 10am on a Tuesday.
DORDRECHT – The Dordrecht
Stichting from the Netherlands
spent a week in Dordrecht SA.
They are an establishment
from Dordrecht, Holland, that
twin with Dordrecht SA. Three
of the members – Jan Jansen,
Sonja van Oeveren and Merlijn
Timmers – left for SA on
October 30.
Their visit this time was
more to make sustainable
agreements with their
counterparts, other than visit
their projects in Dordrecht. The
members met with Nelly van
Rooyen of the ACVV. The
Woolwash farm has started a
garden project. Seeds have
been distributed to 500
families in Dordrecht to grow
their own gardens.
Another successful training
session was given to the
“garden commission”. The
Dordrecht Stichting is
donating a further R13000
with regard to water.
These funds will be used at
the education centres to teach
children the value of hygiene,
washing their hands etc.
The members visited the
schools to encourage a letter
exchange project between
pupils of Dordrecht SA and the
Netherlands.
A field band has been
established with donated
inst ruments. The band has
been practising and will be
performing at the Dordrecht
Festival on November 25.
Mattresses and blankets have
been donated to the Dordrecht
Old Age Home, Nerinahof.
A workshop has been
renovated at the old station
and entrepreneurs are
encouraged to be mentored.
A Dordrecht multimedia
business project has been
established and run by
Ntsikelelo Speelman and
Mvuyisi Mbebe with the help
STUT TERHEIM – The Stutt
Ladies Golf Open was held at
the Stutterheim Country Club
on Sunday. The event started
in slightly drizzly conditions
which then let up and only
started drizzling again after
they had finished. The
tournament was won by
Debbie Lacey on 40 Stableford
points on a count out from
Karen Hart. Third was Tracey
Thesen on 39 points. Lizaan
Esterhuizen came fourth on 38
points followed by Elaine
Walker on 37. Elze Nel was the
first Stutt lady in. She finished
in sixth place on 36 points.
Nearest the pin on the
third/12th was Hermien Jones
and on the ninth/18th it was
Tracey Thesen.
THE Stutterheim Country
Club Men’s Hockey team
held their awards evening
at the club on Friday. Player
of the year was awarded to
Stephen de Kock. The
award for scoring the most
goals went to Brandon
Hartley and Leonard
Potgieter was awarded
most improved player.
STUTTERHEIM parkrun
TA R K A STA D – Wanda Lounge in
Zola held their first successful "Mid
Week Chillas" event on Wednesday,
November 1, with Band of Kura from
Cradock providing jazz music to the
audience. The organisers hope to
make this a regular event, with
WELCOME: Sonja van Oeveren, Jan Jansen and Merlijn Timmers from the ‘Dordrecht
Stichting Holland’, with Ntsikelelo Speelman of the Dordrecht Multi Media Centre
of the Dordrecht Stichting.
Timmers has been training
volunteers at the media
cent re.
They offer services like the
internet, photocopies,
laminating, photography and
celebrated its third birthday
on Saturday. 72 athletes
completed Event #158 in
warm, dry conditions, a far
cry from the first event
held in 2014 when it was
cold and pouring with rain.
The morning was festive
with many visitors from out
of town who were at the
are sending a monthly
newsletter to Dordrecht
Stichting. They hope to receive
advertising from local
businesses in Dordrecht.
Timmers is the coordinator
between Dordrecht in the
first event coming to
celebrate. There was cake
(donated by SPAR) and
champagne (donated by
Big Daddy’s) for those who
took part. Thank you to
everyone who has been
part of this journey. Special
thanks go to Stutterheim
Country Club for allowing
variety in activities provided
through having poetry nights,
sports nights, live music and much
more in future.
SPARROWS will host an
Asset-Based Community-driven
Development training event
WELL DONE:
Robbie Blaine of
Wa u l d b y,
Stutterheim, left,
won the calf
block test
championships at
the recent Komga
Show. Here Blaine
is with Pakkie
Renton who
presented the
trophy to him.
Blaine is also a
stalwart Dohne
Merino breeder
and was in
charge of the
sheep section at
the Komga Show
Picture: SUPPLIED
Netherlands and SA. He feels
the twinning project is gaining
success.
Mentoring needs to be done
between businesses and
aspiring entrepreneurs in
Dordrecht SA.
parkrun to use their
facilities and to the team of
dedicated Volunteers who
have been out there every
Saturday for the past 158
weeks no matter the
weather. Congratulations to
Duncan Flanegan who
joined Club 10 this week.
Next Saturday will see Greg
Miles becoming the second
local runner to complete
150 parkruns.
ON SATURDAY, Stut terheim
Round Table 103 hosted its
annual DPL cricket day.
This year there were only
six teams playing: Square
Deal Devils, Team Noddy,
Robcaw Rebels, Newden
Dragons, Rance Timber
Lumberjacks and Bolo
Barflies. Unfortunately PnP
Palookas could only enter
into the potjie competition
this year. The resultswere:
DPL champions – Newden
Dragons; potjie champions
– Rance Timber
Lumberjacks and potjie
chef – Graham Richter.
facilitated by Ikhala Trust from Port
Elizabeth from December 5 to 7.
Registration for the event is open
until November 17 with registration
forms available from the office on
telephone (045)846-0052 or by
e-mail from h y p e @ t a r k a s p a r ro w s . o r g . z a
Ilinge area’s
water woes
CHDM tries to provide
ABONGILE SOLUNDWANA
ETHEMBENI residents from Ilinge
are asking the Chris Hani District
Municipality (CHDM) to bring back
the three operators who previously
controlled water systems in their
area.
Community member Lumkile
Jeku said the two reservoirs on
the mountain which had plenty of
water, merely needed technicians
to fix blockages which cut off
water in the area.
“The original operators were
replaced by three casual workers
who have no knowledge of
checking and servicing the water
systems. They only know how to
open the borehole and fill up the
reser voirs.”
The areas affected were
Ethembeni, Zwide Extension 2,
Tinara and Vergenoeg.
“The problems started in 2005.
The biggest one is that valves are
not serviced and after a while rust
builds up.”
Also, the municipality was not
filling up the tanks it provided on
a regular basis.
“Sometimes we wait for a week.
The water is finished on the same
day the tanks are filled, which
forces us to drink unclean water
along with the animals. Many
people drink this water without
purifying it because they are not
aware of the health dangers.”
His other concern was that
people had to walk long distances
which was unsafe.
“I worry about old people who
can not walk that far to collect
wat e r. ”
On September 14, the Jeku
community held a march to call
for municipal intervention.
“They [CHDM] never arrived.
They just tell us about the Xonxa
Dam but no one knows when it
will be completed.”
CHDM spokeswoman Thobeka
Mqamelo said, “We have two
operators who have been
responsible for this since long
before CHDM took over water
provision in 2014 and three
community service providers
(CSPs). No operators were
removed.
“Pipe blockages are caused by
hardness of water which forms a
stone-like material and water carts
supply at predetermined intervals.
The long-term solution is the
Xonxa Dam which is at phase 5,
but the areas fall under phase 6.”
Any other blockage or leakages
are attended to immediately when
reported, she said.
“We urge the community to
report to the call centre on
0800-100-100 or contact
community leaders.”
Mqamelo said the Enoch
Mgijima area was allocated two
water tankers primarily to provide
water in areas where there was no
s u p p l y.
“The schedule for distributing
water is twice a week loading 19
Jojo tanks installed by the
municipality; Gwatyu farms for
three days; Bolotwa for two days;
Lesseyton and Zingquthu has no
specific days as supply is provided
when there is a need and
Whittlesea areas as needed.”
Mqamelo said there were 22
5000-litre tanks in Ilinge
township. “The water carting truck
which is a 14000-litre loader must
do about four loads per nominated
day, which is the maximum
possible, to fill up to eight tanks,
meaning it requires a straight
seven-day service to fill all tanks.
This is not possible given the
vastness of areas that still await
the same service.”
Mqamelo said there was a
serious shortage of water
resources in Ilinge and numerous
illegal connections were making
the situation worse.
Vodacom station in Cacadu
ANDISA BONANI
VODACOM South Africa is set to host
a telecommunication base station in
Cacadu (formerly Lady Frere) which
will provide services to surrounding
areas.
According to the infrastructure
development and human settlements
standing committee report of the
Emalahleni Local Municipality,
Vodacom is expanding its network to
the network coverage in the area and
seeks to provide an improved service
to its clients.
Emalahleni executive mayor
Nomveliso Nyukwana said during a
council meeting last week that the
municipality was proud of the
i n v e st m e n t .
The communities would benefit
from an improved network
connection once the agreement was
finalised.
Vodacom proposed the leasing of
land in the town for a period of nine
years and 11 months with a further
option of renewal of the lease.
The site is said to be currently
va c a n t .
Council recommended that a lease
agreement be entered into by the
municipality and Vocadom.
The infrastructure of the
telecommunication base station will
include a Monopole structure with
radio antennas and placement of a
pre-fabricated container, measuring
2.4m x 3.8m, as well as a 2.6m-high
concrete slab that will house the
radio equipment.
A three-phase power line rooted to
the nearest feasible point on the
existing electricity network metered
separately for Vodacom's account,
will be installed.
Vodacom is set to carry all the
installation costs for the
infrastructure which includes the
upgrading of electrical power if
required and general construction
items.