The Rep 4 June 2021

6 Tel: (045) 839-4040 / editorial: mjekulal@therep.co.za / advertising: charodinev@therep.co.za 4 June 2021 THE R E P R ES E N TAT I V E
KOMANI WEATHER
The chilly weather will continue
over the weekend, with Friday
starting off at -1°C and the
maximum going up to only
16°C. It will be partly cloudy
and there will be a gentle
breeze.
On Saturday the minimum
will remain at -1°C, but it will
be a lovely sunny day with just a
slight movement of air. The
maximum temperature is 17°C.
No minus temperature to
start Sunday. Instead it will be
1°C more with the maximum at
19°C. - w w w. a c c u w e a t h e r. c o . z a
Save yourselves for the
future, young girls
A whisky manufactured in 2021
and consumed in 2021 is no
whisky, but it will still be
whispering to be a whisky.
Confusing but true, if you would
bear with me.
Nowadays our senior
secondary schools are infected
with moms instead of girls, due
to unplanned pregnancies. Most
of these girls find it difficult to
concentrate during class as they
are thinking or worrying about
their babies back home. Babies
know the time for breastfeeding
and that is communicated to
their mothers somehow. I feel
for these folks as no one can
deny them an education.
Please, my beautiful young
girls, save your bodies for the
future when you have succeeded
in life. Do not be fooled by rich
people who will use their money
to destroy you.
You have a wonderful world
waiting for you out there.
Alfred Zanemvula Magatya
IN OUR POSTBAG
graphic © liudmyla pushnova / 123RF.com
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Both churches, taverns need to act responsibly
The article by Phumelele Hlathi
in The Rep of May 21 gave me
mixed feelings when he decried
the abrupt stopping of school
sport due to an escalation in
Covid 19 infections.
In the article, Hlathi feels the
real culprits, “churches and
drinking establishments”, have
been left untouched.
The fact that he juxtaposed
churches with ‘drinking
establishments’ left a bitter taste
in my mouth.
He sees these Siamese twins
“... as a possible contributing
factor to the spike in the
infection rate.”
Both twins are accused of
going back to their
establishments in numbers “...
with few or no health
p r o t o c o l s .”
Hlathi confesses to “... have
visited drinking establishments a
few times in the last few weeks.”
I thought he would go
further to state how many times
he visited churches, but did not.
This made me wonder about the
basis of his comparison.
I am not a spokesperson of
the churches, but churches are
expected to observe and respect
all health protocols and
guidelines issued.
Where I am, attendance
registers with people's contact
details and their temperatures
are kept.
All wear masks, observe
social distancing, sanitise at
entry and at certain intervals
during the service.
Whoever speaks, sings or
preaches does so with their
masks on. No one has the right
to take off the mask within the
church. Times for services are
strictly observed.
Having sobered up after the
bitter taste, I decided to be
objective. I found some truth in
what Hlathi penned.
I have attended funerals
where church choir members
sing with their masks under their
chins and sing with gusto, and
nobody reprimands them.
If churches continue with
such an attitude, they should not
cry foul when likened to
t ave r n s .
Some priests and members
of the public take their masks off
when preaching and paying
tribute to the deceased, which is
wrong.
If we continue doing that,
we dare not blame the likes of
Hlathi when they see churches
as belonging to the same
WhatsApp group as taverns.
Let us all act responsibly to
preserve lives.
Sabelo Bantwini Jayiya
FACE 2 FACE with
/ Lonwabo Dinge, deputy director at the Eastern Cape department of health
QWhat do you do and what
do you enjoy most about
it?
AI am in the employ of the
Eastern Cape department of
health, working as the deputy
director responsible for the
Chris Hani District health
planning and reporting. The fun
thing about the job is that one
gets to have in-depth
understanding of the harsh
realities faced by communities
and, at the same time, provides
the space to influence decisions
that could better the lives of
those in need.
Q: How do you think we have
handled the Covid-19 crisis as a
c o u n t ry ?
A: So far so good – plans to
mitigate the rage of the
pandemic have been developed
and are being implemented
swiftly by government. Scientific
guidance is always sought and
followed. Political and
traditional leadership has been
brought on board and is visible,
leading from the front. I do not
think we should worry as long
as communities adhere to and
heed what government or
leadership advises.
Q: Do you think people are still
observing Covid-19 protocols
or are they fatigued?
A: I think we need to applaud
those who, at all times, have
and are still adhering to the
Covid-19 regulations. On a
daily basis in town, malls, work
places people are wearing
masks and sanitising without
being forced. Social distance
becomes a bit of a challenge at
times, but one can see the effort
is there and needs to be
e n c o u ra g e d .
Q: When you are not working,
what are you up to?
A: Probably I would be at home
with my family – we have a new
born baby - with Nombasa my
wife, a handsome baby boy
named Ndalo. He has found a
fixed time in my busy schedule.
Q: Are you a sports fan? If so,
which do you follow?
A: Yes, I am sports fanatic. I
follow soccer, cricket and
cycling. I am a huge fan of the
Mamelodi Sundowns FC which
has recently, for the fourth time
in a row, won the Premier
Soccer League.
Q: What is your take on the
Cricket South Africa (CSA)
disaster?
A: CSA at the moment is in a
rough patch, stagnating all
forms of development in the
game. A review and an overhaul
of how things were done
previously needs to take place
urgently. The sooner CSA
realises that participation in its
leadership and participation in
the national team by talented
players must be through merit
and not by knowing somebody’s
family history or father, the
b e t t e r.
Q: What are your top five wish
list items?
A: To participate in one of the
top South African cycling
events, the Absa Cape Epic
(eight days, 800km), Bloukrans
Bridge bungy jump, and a fiveday-long
road trip with my
f a m i l y.
Q: Are you going to vote?
A: Yes, I am going to vote. I take
voting seriously and as my civic
duty. I also consider voting as a
means to advance the
democratic gains that have been
achieved this far. It would be a
self-inflicted injustice if I were
not to vote while given the
opportunity to do so. Many
South Africans take to the streets
when experiencing social ills
which they could have averted
through voting and then
vandalise schools, roads,
municipal buildings etc…I don’t
want to be part of that, so I
would put my X on the ballot
paper when given an
opportunity to do so.
Q: What are you currently
re a d i n g ?
A: Currently I am reading a
book by Elinor Sisulu titled
“Walter and Albertina Sisulu in
our life time.” The book
references the wisdom and
good leadership qualities of tata
Walter and mama Sisulu and
how their home and family
became an impetus and
moulded the lives of many
young people in the cold face of
apartheid. Selflessness in
advancing the cause of the
people is unpacked through a
lot of examples of how they
once lived.
Q: What do you love about
Ko m a n i ?
A: What I love about Komani is,
big as it is, it is a small town
where everyone knows almost
everyone. People of Komani
hold dear their rich history in
the liberation struggle and to a
huge extent, it has brought them
together and has become of
value to them. Lastly, Komani is
a fun place to be if you want to
build good memories…
SOCIETY SNIPPETS
From birthdays to anniversaries to achievements to notices ...
Share your information with us:
mjekulal@arena.africa or fax (045) 839-4059
Happy birthday wishes to the
following locals: Gift Mpofu (June
4), Hannes Olivier, Anga Mtalo,
Milisa Mdanga, Colleen Knoetze,
Sange Magingka, Laurene Sahd,
Liliwe Mbana and Frikkie Muller
(June 6), Lizanne Bell, Lerato
Maliche, Ronnie Mentoor, Naomi
Mentoor, Hedley Arends, Kenzo
O’Reilly and Syler Mbebe (June
7), Andrea Allcock, Bjorn Hayes,
Christo Nel, Aeryn Putzier,
Asiphumeza Nkula, Sean Warren,
Neels Meintjies, Delia Moorcroft
and Donné Styles (June 8), Kenny
Brown, Nomfusi Ralane and
Charmaine Armoed (June 9),
Melissa le Roux, Glenda
Nicholson, Sheldon Schnehage,
Francois le Roux jnr and Casey
Charles (June 10), Tamara Dinga,
Rosa Viljoen, Martin Wiggill,
Thelma Rawula and Warren
Smouse (June 11), Bongiwe
Joseph, Tanya Rawlins, Aiden
Kilian, Kaylinn Humpel, Jacqui
van der Zee, George Wille,
Hennie de Beer and Simone
Booysen (June 12), Anna
Engelbrecht, Jason Russell, Ashton
Schnehage, Nadine Stander,
Christina Russell, Lindy de Koker,
Chuma Mahlombe, Lucinda van
Schoor, Pamela Mgcineni and
Dylan Allcock (June 13), Rita
Coetzee, Roche de Villiers, Kirsten
McMillan, Gill Gibbens, Amanda
van der Merwe, Colleen Morrison
and Jade Wille (June 14) Linda
Grobler, Sonika Snel, Tristan
Burmeister, Margie Milne, Helen
Morgan, Tracy Warne, Claudia
Redcliffe, Monique Armoed,
Maunice Adonis, Madison Wood
and Dawie Kernekamp (June 15),
Andrea van Oosten, Shaun
Aylwin, Tokkie Lee, Nicole
Naidoo, Adele du Randt, Zizipho
Nqayiya, Celeste Stone and
Athandwa Gungqan (June 16),
Virginia Songa, Mike van der
Merwe and Iris Wormald (June
17), Ruth Miles and Darren
Williams (June 18).
Johnny and Charlene de Villiers
celebrate another wedding
anniversary on June 11, as do
former Queenstonians Bennie and
Ettie Wienekus on June 18.
C o n g ra t u l a t i o n s !
Condolences are extended to the
families and friends of Wonga
Xhamela, Kiki Mvelashe,
Ndzindzi Mehlo, Ncediswa
Futshane, Nontozanele Halom,
Nomonde Yeko and Nowinile
N g wa n e .
YO U R VOICE opinions on the street
What do you think about…
Equal rights under the
law. Last month the
department of home
affairs published a
landmark policy
document calling for
polyandry (the right for
women to marry more
than one man) to be
recognised as a legal
form of marriage. The
Rep reporter, Ntsikelelo
Qoyo, went to ask
people in Komani if they
think polyandry should
be made legal.
Lesley Gegana
from Mlungisi
I can only “quote” the
bible. God created man
and a woman was
created from the rib of a
man. I do not think we
are created the same, nor
do we necessarily want
the same things in life.
LESLEY
GEGANA
Men are possessive. It is
rare for a man to look
past a cheating spouse,
while women are more
inclined to. I do not
recommend parliament
pass such a law.
Dimpo Mpahlela
from the CBD
Anything men can do,
women can do better. If
men are allowed to take
two wives then women
can also have two
husbands. It will work
DIMPO
M PA H L E L A
exactly like polygamy.
Each husband can have
their own house or both
move in with the wife. I,
the mother, will keep the
children though.
Luciano Flusk
from Victoria Park
I am not sure if it is a
good idea, but I can say
it is practical. On the one
hand, men want it and it
follows then that if
women want it they can
also have it. It is not
LUCIANO
FLUSK
CAMERON
LENTOOR
something I can support
because in my culture
we do not have
polygamy so why would
we have polyandry?
Cameron Lentoor
from New Rest
A man is not the same as
a woman. If a wife has
three husbands those
men will fight all the
time. Men are more
jealous and controlling
than women. Females
are stronger than men in
CHRISTINE
L E P P E RT
relationships and they
put up with way more
than men would.
Christine Leppert
from Top Town
If men can do it why can
women not do it? If it is
practical for a man to
have more than one wife
then they can make it
practical for a woman to
have more than one
husband. Husbands can
take care of their
children too!