Day: June 26, 2022

South African police are investigating the deaths of at least 20 people at a nightclub in the coastal town of East London early Sunday.

It is unclear what led to the deaths of the young people, who were reportedly attending a party to celebrate the end of winter school exams.

Local newspaper Daily Dispatch reported that bodies were strewn across tables and chairs without any visible signs of injuries.

"At this point we cannot confirm the cause of death," said health department spokesperson Siyanda Manana.

"We are going to conduct autopsies as soon as possible to establish the probable cause of death. The deceased have been taken to state mortuaries," Manana added.

Police Minister Bheki Cele was expected to visit the scene Sunday.

The owner of the club, Siyakhangela Ndevu, told local broadcaster eNCA that he had been called to the scene early Sunday morning.

"I am still uncertain about what really happened, but when I was called in the morning, I was told the place was too full and that some people were trying to force their way into the tavern," he said.

"However, we will hear what the police say about the cause of death," Ndevu added.

Source: Voice of America

As the world marks International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the City is chipping away at the problem through a series of interventions, underpinned by its Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Strategy.

The City’s Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy is aligned to the National Drug Master Plan and the Provincial Blueprint, and a number of City departments are involved in its implementation through the Cape Town Alcohol and Drug Action Committee (CTADAC).

The strategy focuses on four key themes, namely prevention, intervention, suppression and coordination.

‘A lot of very hard work has gone into breathing life into this strategy, and making a tangible difference in communities that are vulnerable to substance abuse and the related socio-economic impacts. The action committee has compiled a report, outlining the work done over a 12-month period, and it is truly remarkable what they’ve been able to achieve, despite many challenges – not least of which was the Covid-19 regulations, which hampered the ability to do community programmes and outreach work.

‘We often hear about drug abuse in the context of enforcement, and while this is a critical aspect, there are numerous other interventions, particularly around prevention, led by our Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department, as well as our substance abuse treatment programme which uses the Matrix® model of treatment, spearheaded by City Health. Then we also have our Library Service and Recreation and Parks Department, assisting with after school programmes to ensure that children and young people are kept engaged and protected from undue influence,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.

Between March 2021 and March 2022, transversal interventions had the following outcomes:

• 231 families participated in the Strengthening Families programme - an evidence based prevention programme, aimed at improving family relationships. The City has trained facilitators who offer the eight-week, 10 session programme across the metropole

• 779 learners participated in the Essentially Me programme, devised by the Substance Abuse Unit within Social Development and Early Childhood Development. This programme promotes the enhancement of protective factors within learners and is aligned to prevention principles as outlined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). As a response to Covid-19, the Substance Abuse unit converted the programme into an activity book, which was disseminated within communities.

• 753 learners participated in the Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Simulator programme

• 3 000+ learners participated in After School programmes at 29 sites, involving various departments. This programme provides learners with a safe space after school, with programmes covering themes including sport and recreation, arts and culture, academic, and life skills

• A monitoring project by the City’s Library and Information Service found that 19 181 substance abuse related books were borrowed from the libraries

SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT

The City’s eight substance abuse treatment sites, utilising the Matrix® treatment model, have treated 1 400 clients in this financial year, with a clean drug test rate of 81%, against a target of 75%.

The top three substances that persons seek treatment for are methamphetamine (Tik), dagga and alcohol.

On Friday, 24 June 2022, 23 clients from the Tafelsig and Parkwood Matrix® sites received certificates for completing the full 16-week programme, while 42 others received commendations for completing their first month in the programme.

‘Our substance abuse treatment sites too are evolving, and including more elements designed to give the client a more holistic outcome. In the past year, we have used EPWP workers to conduct home visits in Manenberg to help bring defaulters back into the programme, our Eersteriver site moved into a bigger premises; clients are participating in visual and performing arts, as well as digital literacy programmes, courtesy of partnerships with other City departments, and then we have our NGO partners, who offer job skills training and employment opportunities to street people who have completed the substance abuse programme.

‘There are numerous success stories of families reunified, Matrix® clients moving off the streets, finding work, resuming their studies and getting a new lease on life. Addiction is a very difficult battle, made all the more challenging by socio-economic circumstances that impact on clients’ ability to remain in the programme. We commend those who’ve made it, and to those who fell along the way, we say that our door remains open and that hope and help is available,’ added Councillor Van der Ross.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town is doing what it can to reduce the impact of flooding following recent heavy rains and encourages residents living in informal settlements to also help. In various areas across the metro, the City is unable to assist due to the residents settling in a floodplain, dam, road reserve, water retention pond, wetland or other waterlogged areas, as well as on privately owned land. The City performs various services to reduce the risk of flooding where it can, but those in areas situated on waterlogged land are especially vulnerable.

The City expects flooding incidents this winter to impact the newly formed informal settlements which were created through the many organised unlawful occupations on flood-prone areas such as in Dunoon, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein and Mfuleni since the start of the national Covid-19 lockdown periods in 2020. The vast majority of the occupations happened on land that is not suitable for human settlements. The City can do little to assist those who are unlawfully occupying low-lying and flood-prone areas.

A number of City departments, including Informal Settlements Management, Roads and Stormwater and Disaster Risk Management, do their utmost to help residents by constructing canals to lead flood water away from affected areas where possible and monitoring high risk priority areas on a daily basis to determine flooding risks, while giving advice to residents on how to reduce risks. Unfortunately, we can only help on land that was planned for housing purposes and not prone to flooding, and in areas that aren’t situated on land meant to catch water, such as dams and ponds. We continue to look at all options to see how assistance can be provided. Do-it-yourself proactive measures will also help to reduce the impact.

‘The high densities without planned and dedicated emergency access ways make it difficult to deliver basic and emergency services in particularly times of fire and floods. Often the settlements are formed on private land or land where services cannot or may not be delivered. The City does what it can to deliver housing opportunities, upgrade informal settlements and prepare for flooding and other natural disasters, and partnerships are key.

‘We continue to work to reduce the impact of flooding but we ask our residents and communities to help and to implement some no cost tips to reduce the risk of flooding. Making a DIY sandbag and digging furrows around dwellings are two simple ideas which residents can easily implement at no or little cost,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.

Help to reduce flood risk:

• Clear out drainage systems

• Raise the floor level of a structure so that it is higher than the natural ground level

• Raise furniture on bricks to clear from the floor to limit water damage

• Make sandbags

• Dig trenches around the house to divert water away from the house

• Report blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping – illegal dumping in the stormwater canals and sewers make flooding worse

• Waterproof roofs, clear gutters and remove dead tree branches

How to make a sandbag:

• Cut off the arms of a long-sleeved top and tie the bottom end to close it

• Fill up with sand. If you don’t have enough sand, use a mixture of sand and soil

• Close the top end and place the sandbag outside and inside the door or doorway

• If you do not have a long-sleeved top, you can use old pillow cases or the legs of long pants filled and tied on either of the open ends or black bags

There is a huge risk of fires during winter as has been seen across the metro recently. Never leave an open flame unattended.

Emergencies can be reported to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre by dialling 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town consistently ranks among the top performing municipalities in South Africa according to Ratings Afrika’s annual Municipal Financial Sustainability Index (MFSI) report. The City is the only metro still considered to be financially stable for 2021 with a score of 67, outperforming the rest of the metros by a large margin.

Cape Town is the only metro to remain stable in its financial sustainability over the year in review, which speaks volumes of what the City is doing.

Ratings Afrika’s Municipal Sustainability Index looks at operating performance, liquidity management, debt governance, budget practices, affordability and infrastructure development. It then gives a score out of 100. The City’s scored 67 and is the only metro that is still considered to be financially sustainable.

‘Most municipalities in the country, outside of the Western Cape, are showing worrying operating deficits and working capital shortfalls, as well as low revenue collection rates. In contrast, the City of Cape Town has maintained a consistently high revenue collection rate (98,5%), sound liquidity position, and robust investment in our capital programme. This underlines that prudent financial management is at the core of governance, planning and programme implementation within the City. Because of this, the City is able to continue delivering services and developing infrastructure, while at the same time maintaining the reserves required to absorb financial shocks. Even though the last of the Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions have finally been lifted, we have to be prepared for and mitigate against future shocks and stresses.

‘While the consolidated national results and findings are alarming, the MFSI’s results for the City of Cape Town continue to demonstrate that our prudent financial management is at the core of our governance.

‘Noting the slight decrease of the MFSI for the City for 2021 as analysed by Ratings Afrika, our Corporate Finance Department has undertaken an extensive independent analysis and has concluded that the financial sustainability of the City is not decreasing and our financial health remains stable and sustainable over the medium- to long-term.

‘The analysis and financial model of Ratings Afrika primarily focuses on a profit orientated outcome while the City’s modelling includes budgetary strategies such as financing, cash management and capital investment. Ratings Afrika would not have had insight into these budgetary strategies when undertaking their analysis.

‘The City continues to welcome independent analysis of not only the budget but also actual financial performance in strengthening oversight and will continue to work closely with rating agencies and other commentators such as the National Treasury and the Western Cape Government is striving for continuous improvement,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Councillor Siseko Mbandezi.

Source: City Of Cape Town

On Friday, 24 June 2022, the City’s Training and Development Department hosted a reading competition for employees who are enrolled as students in the Adult Education and Training (AET programme). The competition was held at the Banqueting Hall at the Civic Centre and Alderman Theresa Uys, the Mayoral Committee Member for Corporative Services, was also in attendance. Read more below:

‘Tat’ uMadiba once said: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.’ This rings true for our contestants. and I am proud of all these City employees, who took part in this competition. It takes a lot of courage to read in another language in front of a hall full of people. Reading is a critical skill that helps unlock opportunities as we have seen with the previous contestants who have been promoted as a result of increased and improved reading skills. Others have gone further to obtain their matric and qualifications in further education and training,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys.

The reading competition forms part of the Adult Education and Training curriculum in the General Education and Training Band of the National Qualifications Framework advancing literacy and numeracy skills for City employees who are seeking to obtain their first qualification, the General Education and Training Certificate.

The purpose of the AET reading competition is to encourage and promote a reading culture and lifelong learning. It is aimed at increasing literacy and numeracy skills for adult learners, and to advance the AET students participation both in the workplace and in their respective communities. The biggest asset of the City of Cape Town is our staff, and we need to invest and build capacity to ensure that we deliver services to our customers in a professional and proficient manner.

Contestants competed at AET Levels 1 to 4 offered on the programme, in the General Education and Training Band. The winners of the first, second and third place were awarded trophies according to their reading abilities for AET Levels 1 to 4.

The winners are:

• Level 1 : Nosipho Gatyeni

• Level 2 Veronica Pekeur

• Level 3 Ralph Pekeur

• Level 4 Martin van Niekerk

‘A mind that can read is a mind enlightened. Thus, I encourage the contestants to keep on reading, and most importantly, to enjoy the journey while doing so,’ said Alderman Uys.

Captions

Picture 1- Alderman Theresa Uys, Nosipho Gatyeni

Picture 2 – Veronica Pekeur

Picture 3 Ralph Pekeur

Picture 4 Maring van Niekerk

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town wants to inform residents and all road users of partial road closures along Jakes Gerwel Drive this week due to rehabilitation work that is required at the Viking Way intersection. The work will take place at night between 28 June and 30 June 2022; and over the weekend from 2 July to 3 July 2022. Read more below:

The rehabilitation of this intersection forms part of the rehabilitation of Jakes Gerwel Drive between Blue Gum Street and Viking Way.

The night work will take place as follows:

• On 28, 29 and 30 June 2022 between 19:00 and 05:00

• This is to accommodate the removal of the existing layerworks and replacing this with asphalt base. Work will be done in various lanes at a time to ensure that there will be through traffic along Jakes Gerwel Drive.

The weekend work will take place as follows:

• On 2 and 3 July 2022 between 07:00 and 19:00

• The placing of the asphalt surfacing needs to be done during the day because the asphalt layer is thin and loses its heat too quickly at night in winter, which means adequate compaction can’t take place as without proper compaction the layer will fail prematurely.

‘Jakes Gerwel Drive is one of our busiest roads and a key transport link, not to mention the Viking Way intersection. The rehabilitation work this week will improve its condition and lifespan and improve the travel experience for all road users, especially those from surrounding suburbs including Langa, Bonteheuwel and Epping. Roadworks are happening only after hours and on the weekend to best accommodate the traffic in the area and to limit the inconvenience associated with roadworks. We would like to thank residents who have cooperated with the contractor during the road rehabilitation project along Jakes Gerwel Drive and ask for their patience as we attend to the last stretch of the project,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Councillor Rob Quintas.

Overall the City has a 5% target for local labour with the rehabilitation of Jakes Gerwel Drive. At the end of May 2022, the City has spent up to R2,6 million on local labour.

The detour routes to accommodate traffic during these partial closures are as follows:

• Traffic that needs to use the detours during these works will be diverted from Gunners Circle in the south and from the Grand West off-ramp in the north.

• Traffic being diverted on Viking Way will use the slip lane to the left to Denneboom Road when travelling east and will be diverted left along Jakes Gerwel Drive to Gunners Circle when travelling west.

All lanes will be affected at various times. Work areas will be demarcated to regulate traffic flow, and to assist pedestrians. The basic plan is to keep at least one lane open in each direction along Jakes Gerwel Drive at all times.

The final aspects of the project to still be implemented include pathcing work around the Frans Conradie Intersection near the N1 and various ancillary works that will have minimal impact on traffic. The work is scheduled to take another month to complete, pending unforeseen delays and inclement weather.

The Jakes Gerwel Road Rehabilitation project also included minor improvements to the sidewalks and repairs to guardrails, which benefit pedestrians along this stretch of road.

The City asks that road users continue to assist by:

• Reducing travelling speeds

• Paying attention and adhering to road signs

• Being vigilant in and around the roadworks area

• Looking out for uneven road surfaces

• Being mindful of construction workers

• Factoring in extra travel time

Source: City Of Cape Town

CAPE TOWN— South African police said 17 people were found dead in a tavern in the country’s southeastern city of East London early Sunday, local media reported.

“We do not want to make any speculations at this stage, our investigation is continuing,” provincial police spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana told a local television. “We are hoping that at a proper time before the end of the day, we will know what exactly made the accident.”

The police and Emergency Service workers remain on the scene. Numerous people were also injured. A forensic investigation is also underway to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.

“Some of the residents are waiting, some of their children did not come home yesterday. So they are thinking some might be there. It is something that is not fathomable and they can’t understand what lead to it.”

Initial reports indicate that a stampede was triggered inside the tavern, an incident described as bizarre.

The spokesperson for the department of roads and safety, Unathi Binqose, says more detail will emerge during the day.

“We don’t know if they were poisoned or something else happened. The police are on the scene along with forensic experts to piece together what lead to this bad incident.”

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK