NEIGHBOURLY NOTES
IN 2019, everyone was talking about Day Zero, the day when water would run out for the city of Cape Town as well as quite a few other places in the Western Cape. Yet, at the same time the water situation along the Sunshine Coast is just as dire, if not more so.
Makana, Nelson Mandela Bay and many other places, including Ndlambe, are in need of rain or else we will be faced with more hardships as the taps finally run dry.
Municipalities have tried to push back “Day Zero” by imposing water restrictions, but these are not followed by everyone. We can live for weeks without food but only a few days without water. It is therefore critical that we learn to conserve water.
However, maybe it’s time the provincial and national governments did a check on Amatola Water to see why, having spent tens of millions of taxpayers’ money, they have not even begun to resolve the water crisis in the area. Quick wins? THE Bathurst 50 (a group of protesters, mostly women) made their first court appearance on public violence charges last Friday, and are due to appear again on February 22. But on Wednesday morning, the protesters were out again, blockading the R67 between Bathurst and Makhanda.
It’s an ongoing saga. It is difficult to determine the rights and wrongs of this stand-off between the municipality and the protestors. Certainly the protesters have every reason to be angry at service delivery problems, as they see it.
Communities throughout the region have similar problems. They want housing, water, sewerage and electricity – just basic things.
On the other hand, damaging property, blocking the free flow of traffic with burning tyres in the road, and throwing stones at passing vehicles are destructive and will not resolve the problems the people of Bathurst are facing. If you want schools, burning a school building is probably not the best way forward. If you want roads, don’t destroy the ones you already have.
Don’t prevent others from earning a living by stopping them from working. None of these things hurt the people who you are really angry at, just ordinary people, and necessitate wasting more money rebuilding the things that were destroyed.
If we work together we have more power and will be able to come up with solutions that suit everyone. But fighting among ourselves is a waste of time and effort. You have the power in your hands, so make sure you are registered to vote in the May 2019 election and let’s make our voices heard. IN other court news, convicted murderer Tonny Donile appeared briefly in the Port Alfred Regional Court last Friday to appeal his sentence (two years for housebreaking to run concurrently with his 17-year sentence for murder, plus 10 years for culpable homicide – effectively 27 years imprisonment). His leave to appeal was dismissed. Donile’s latest attorney, Mark Botha, seems determined to take this case to the Supreme Court of Appeal if necessary, saying that 10 years for culpable homicide is not justified. Yet Donile’s only real defence throughout the trial was that everyone has been lying and there is a conspiracy against him (racism was initially used as a motive for this). CALLING all charity organisations. Talk of the Town is trying to compile a complete list of charity organisations in Ndlambe and Makhanda. Please e-mail details, along with contact name, e-mail address, phone number to HAPPY birthday and all the best for the year ahead to everyone celebrating a birthday this week, especially Chulumanco Siyolo, Brendan Bessinger, Sylvia Avery, Cheryl Cock, Robin Collett, Anthony de Bruin, Daphne Stott, Raymond Pearson, Shirley Oliver, Adrian Mouton, Daniel Hilpert, Logan Strydom, Ros Clayton, Nerissa von Pletzen, Warrick Beetge, Eric Garner, Anthony Katz, Gary du Randt, Bruce Coates, Mike Brown, Kate Bendeman, Emma Thorp, Merna McCabe, Merryl Uys, Michael Tarrant, Alex Harris, Kirsty Jooste, Heston Botha, Fransje Spieker, Louise Wiggett, Helene Taylor, Karen Elliott, Mansard Wienand, Belinda Botha, Lindy Heny, Tracy Painting, Clair Wepener, Sas Pringle, Leon du Plessis, Lorraine Mitchell, Beryl Goddard. FURTHER success and good luck for the future to all businesses and organisations celebrating an anniversary. Congratulations to Salon Florence, Hi-Tec (coastal) Security, Gary Grapentin’s East Cape Shotokan-Ryu Karate, First PA Sea Scouts / Cubs, Albany Vintage Car Museum.
Other important dates to remember this week are the 41st annual Sun Met (previously known as the J&B Met) Horse Racing Day, which is on this Saturday January 26. The theme for 2019’s illustrious event is “African Luxury: Precious Metals”. Inspired by opulence, this is a celebration of luxury with racing enthusiasts and fashionistas expected to shimmer and shine on race day. THE World Economic Forum is meeting in Davos, Switzerland and there is a great deal to discuss. With more than 3,000 attendees, the highlights for discussion are improving global co-operation, enhancing the digital revolution and climate change.
However, some politicians will not be attending, including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Teresa May, due to their own domestic concerns. The decisions the World Economic Forum will reach will therefore not have been ratified by some of the most powerful people on the planet. We will just have to wait and see what comes out of this forum.
With 2018’s figures in brackets to compare against the rand was trading at R13.93 (R11.97)/$; R18.06 (R16.83)/£ and R15.83 (R14.77)/ Gold was trading at $1,285.35 ($1,347.52), Platinum trading at $793.10 ($1011.35) and Brent Crude was $61.81 ($69.22). SPECIAL thoughts and prayers are with all those folk who are not well, having or have already had tests, operations and treatments. ‘Sterkte’ to Roy Potter, Andrew de Vries, Jenny Groenewald, Rowena Collin, Marian Eaton, Malcolm Cock and Brenda Shelton. CONGRATULATIONS to Clinton and Lize-Marie Millard on the birth of your beautiful daughter, Harper Lily, on Tuesday January 15. Also huge congratulations to the grandparents Marisa Daneel and Mike and Lynette Millard. We know that she will bring all the family lots of love and happiness. BRAVO and best wishes for many more happy years ahead to everyone celebrating an anniversary, especially Warwick and Lindy Heny, Brian and Megan Wright. THOUGHT for the week: “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself”. BEST regards as always, The Team.