‘Branching out’ into dump
The Carel Du Toit Centre for children who are hearing impaired were the beneficiaries of the annual Algoa FM Charity Golf Day.
The funds were utilised to build a jungle gym and upgrade the centre’s the wireless FM system.
Having a new jungle gym will help with the holistic preparation of the children for mainstream schooling.
Climbing helps children learn how to solve problems and also exercises the memory because they need to remember certain grips and the location of hand and foot holds.
“We have children from previously disadvantaged communities who don’t only need assistance with their hearing aids, but also with meals and clothes,” said Carel Du Toit Centre principal Paula Kumm.
“We recently had a fundraising event where we hosted Miss Deaf South Africa Lethiwe Ntaka and managed to raise R5,000. In another event we had a few weeks ago, we raised R23,000 which will make a huge difference for the centre.
“We would like to thank Algoa FM for choosing us as their beneficiaries, and for spreading much-needed awareness about the Carel Du Toit Centre,” Kumm said.
“It is thanks to the wonderful support our charity golf day receives from golfers of all walks of life that we are able to support this one-of-a-kind centre in our Border broadcast region,” said Algoa FM marketing manager Toinette Koumpan. Despite numerous complaints to Buffalo City Municipality, little has been done to clean up the corner of Belgrave and St Matthews roads after a truck crashed into a tree and caused the intersection to be completely blocked by fallen branches (“Truck crash leaves Belgrave Road blocked off”, February 21).
The initial incident occurred on the morning of February 17 when a truck crashed into two jacaranda trees, breaking off large branches which then lay across the road and prevented access.
According to local resident Tessa Booth who the GO! & Express first spoke with on February 18, workers only arrived on February 21 to remove the debris from the road.
However, instead of taking the debris away to be properly disposed of, they left it on the pavement.
“Then they came a few days later with a bakkie and a trailer with about six people and all they did was sit there and talk,” she said.
The GO! & Express visited the area again last Thursday.
Not only were the branches still heaped on the pavement, but rubbish had begun piling up in the gutters.
“Now people are starting to use it as a dumpsite,” Booth said.
She also said the lack of proper disposal was causing security concerns in the area.
“People have been sleeping in [the piles of branches] and when my people come in, they are being attacked.”
The municipality had not responded to a request for comment at the time of going to print.