Die Kwêvoël, Thabazimbi

Wegspring

Die fietsryer van Thabazimbi wat die 1000km vir Baba Reef Projek geloods het, Darrel Jennings, het op Vrydag 27 Januarie vanuit Thabazimbi vertrek. Gemeenskapslede het die eerste 8km saam met Darrel gery om hul steun te toon. Op die foto is die Pink Ladies saam met Darrel. Die Pink Ladies het met hul pienk drag, ook deelgeneem aan die Pienk vir Pippie veldtog.

Witspan

Die Witspan, oftewel Rooibokke, het die Interhuis atletiekbyeenkoms wat op Dinsdag 24 Januarie 2012 by Laerskool Thabazimbi aangebied is, gewen. Op die foto is die Witspan-dirigente, geklee in hul Hawaïse-drag, tydens die optog.

Cllr SA Khumalo assessing the damaged bridge between Smashblock and Maroelafontein with Traffic Officers of Thabazimbi Municipality and Department of Roads and Transport.

By Joshua Motsomane

SMASHBLOCK –The year 2011 ended on a disastrous note when more than 100 shacks were blown away by a tornado on 29 December 2011 at Smashblock informal settlement.

Municipality Disaster Management Team, Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) officials together with the ward councillor was on site to assist those who were in need. The shacks were repaired and food parcels and blankets were distributed to the affected families as their food were damaged by rain.

The bridge between Smashblock and Maroelafontein was also swept away by strong water. A motorist drove through and the broken bridge damaged his car. No fatality was reported and one person was injured and admitted to the hospital.

Die taxi wat op sy sy gerol het (hooffoto) nadat dit 'n Toyota Condor getref het. Die ongeluk het op die hoek van Bergstraat en Vierdelaan plaasgevind.

THABAZIMBI – ‘n Motorongeluk tussen twee voertuie het op Woensdagoggend 7 Desember omstreeks 11:00 op die hoek van Vierdelaan en Bergstraat plaasgevind.

Die bestuurder van ‘n rooi Toyota Condor het volgens Thabazimbi Polisie nie gestop by die stopstraat nie en sodoende voor ‘n aankomende taxi, wat 14 passasiers vervoer het, ingery.

Die taxi was onderweg van Eerstelaan af na die sentrale besigheidsentrum en het met die impak op sy sy geval en afgeskuur tot by Sesdelaan. Die insittendes het slegs ligte beserings en is almal na Thabazimbi Staatshospitaal vervoer. Die bestuurder van die Toyota Condor, ‘n senior burger van Thabazimbi, is ook met ligte beserings opgeneem.

‘n Saak van Roekelose en Nalatige bestuur is teen die bestuurder van die Toyota Condor geopen.

Toyota Condor

Die Toyota Run X en groen Tazz wat ook in die ongeluk betrokke was.

NORTHAM – ‘n Ongeluk op Vrydag 25 November 2011 op die R510 ongeveer 10km voor Northam het die lewe van nog ‘n persoon geëis.

Die dodetal op dié pad vir die afgelope maand staan reeds op 18.

Volgens Northam Polisie het die enjinklap van mnr Luther Lombaard (32) se rooi Toyota Tazz in die ry oopgeruk en sy visie beïnvloed. Dit het veroorsaak dat die Tazz teen die kant van ‘n aankomende vragmotor gestamp het. Twee addisionele voertuie, ‘n wit Toyota Run X en ‘n groen Tazz het met dié van Lombaard gebots. Hy is op die toneel oorlede. Die ander twee bestuurders het ook beserings opgedoen, maar is stabiel.

Lombaard se roudiens word op Saterdag 3 Desember om 14:00 vanuit die Evangelie Kerk te Swartklip deur Dominee Willie Olivier gehou.

Sy ouers, sussies en vriende betreur sy afsterwe.

Foto’s verskaf deur Hennies Panelbeaters en Chantell Saunders.

Die ongelukstoneel op Vrydag 25 November net voor Northam.

Riete het Rooikuilspruit so toegegroei dat mens nie eens die bodem van die spruit kan sien nie. Met swaar reën wat verder in die seisoen te wag te kan wees, gaan hierdie riete ‘n probleem veroorsaak deurdat die water nie vinnig genoeg weggevoer sal kan word nie.

THABAZIMBI – Alles dui daarop dat ons ‘n baie goeie reënseisoen kan verwag. Volgens die Suid-Afrikaanse Weerdiens is die swaar neerslae wat reeds in sommige plekke ondervind word, die gevolg van die La Niña weerverskynsel, die teenoorgestelde van die El Niño wat die oorsaak van talle droogtes wêreldwyd is. In en om Thabazimbi het neerslae gewissel van 25mm tot sowat 44mm.

Hierdie verskynsel sal vanaf Januarie tot Maart versterk en heelwat meer reën kan ook in Limpopo verwag word. Die hoër reënval sal ook talle oorstromings meebring en mense in laagliggende gebiede moet hulself maar hierop voorberei.

In Thabazimbi is die situasie betreffende Rooikuilspruit, wat deur die dorp vloei, ook nie opgelos nie. Volgens die verslag deur raadgewende ingenieurs wat die munisipaliteit reeds etlike jare gelede ontvang het was die aanbeveling dat Rooikuilspruit totaal gekanaliseer moes word.

Dit is in ‘n mate gedoen maar niks word gedoen omtrent die riete wat die spruit ingeneem het nie. Een van die aanbevelings van die verslag was dat die riete gereeld verwyder moet word aangesien dit die watervloei in die spruit vertraag.

Nog ‘n aanbeveling was dat die bruggies in Judithstraat en by die munisipale werkswinkels deur drifte vervang moet word om te verseker dat die water nie daar gestuit word deur die pype onderdeur die pad nie. Dit, gekombineer met die riete wat die spruit toegroei, kan ernstige oorstromings stroomop vanaf die ambulansstasie tot verby Hamerkopstraat veroorsaak.

Remofilwe Isabella Mojawesi was killed by a reversing car in Extension 4, Regorogile.

REGOROGILE – Tragedy in the Regorogile Township community, struck yet again, after a 5 year old girl was killed by a reversing car, only weeks after a Gr 1 learner from Ysterberg Primary died after Jaywalking.

Remofilwe Isabella Mojawesi came home from her day at the creche on Tuesday 22 November at 17:00 and went to play outside with the other neighbourhood’s children. About 45 minutes later, her mother heard neighbours screaming and yelling. She ran outside to find her child laying on the ground after being hit by a car.

According to an eye witness, the driver of the Nissan Sentra reversed and lost control of his vehicle at the curve where the children were playing. He hit little Remofilwe as well as a little boy, but instead of stepping on the break, he stepped on the accelerator. The little boy managed to escape with minor injuries, but Remofilwe’s head hit the pavement and was carried underneath the vehicle.

Mr Khlagiso Lesenya, Remofilwe’s father, received a phone call to go to Thabazimbi Hospital. Minutes after Remofilwe was taken to the Hospital, she died due to the severity of her injuries.

A lot of questions were raised by the community as well as the grieving family. According to them, normal accident procedures weren’t followed. Not by the driver and not by the Police. Instead of phoning an ambulance, the driver of the vehicle took Remofilwe to the Hospital himself, perhaps causing more harm than good. Lesenya said that no policemen questioned him or his family regarding the incident, no arrest has been made and the driver’s blood alchohol wasn’t tested after the accident. Police only arrived at the scene of the accident a day after the accident, after Lesenya had to phone them continuously.

Remofilwe was Lesenya’s only child.

Remofilwe Isabella Mojawesi’s funeral will be held on Saturday in Regorogile.

Pastor Joseph Kock from the Elpis Ministries and his congregation, together with the community of Thabazimbi and Regorogile wishes to extend their condolences to little Remofilwe’s family.

A group of residents demanded to see their councillor, Aaron Moatshe, who they say have not helped them resolve the problems in Extension 5.

Brenda Mokgosi and Mary Monare represent disgruntled residents of Regorogile Ext who had no water or electricity during the past week.

Hennie Pauw

REGOROGILE – While the people in Regorogile Extension 5 were up in arms on Tuesday because of power cuts for account backlogs, the only representatives of the Municipality there to hear their complaints were two DA-councillors, Franco Loots and Paul Scruton.

The company contracted by the Municipality to monitor meter readings, credit control and cut and reconnect water and electricity, UMS, on Tuesday cut the power of  many of the residents living in  Ext 5, on instruction of the Municipality.

When one of the residents, Lerato Madibela, tried to stop UMS workers from disconnecting her electricity, the police was summoned. They were on the point of arresting her and taking her to the police station when other residents interfered and stopped the arrest.

Despite the fact that only prepaid electricity is available in Regorogile and the account backlogs pertain to the supply of water, sewage and refuse removal services, the electricity was cut. According to Gert Snyman, chairman of the Ratepayers’ Association, it is illegal to cut a paid-up service for one unpaid. The residents are also entitled to 6 kilolitres free water which must be supplied.

The Municipality acknowledged that residents in Regorogile and Northam are millions of rands in arrears for services provided. Individual bills to the amount R80 000 and R104 000 were showed to the Kwêvoël.

In hindsight it is clear that the problem of non-payment was left for far too long by both service provider and user. It is unclear why services were not cut at an earlier stage. According to Mayor Patricia Mosito residents are to blame for not taking responsibility to pay their accounts, and eventually, after years, being faced with bills which they cannot afford to pay.

According to Municipal Manager (MM) Roger Nkhumise, in the past water was cut to force residents to pay their accounts. However, residents made illegal connections and all that remained for the Municipality to do was to cut the electricity. Since Tuesday, it has been reconnected, but it will be cut again, says Nkhumise, if residents do not make arrangements with the Municipality to pay their accounts.

A financial recovery plan was implemented to help residents who are in arrears. With this 30% of the amount owed, which represents the interest, will be written off and a workable instalment agreed upon for further payment.

Mary Monare, spokesperson for the Ext 5 residents, says that despite a meeting in July, subsequent meetings in the mayor’s office and a council meeting which they attended on 6 October, nothing has improved in Ext 5. Many of the residents qualify as indigents. One of them is Brenda Mokgosi, who earns R841 per month, but who also receives municipal accounts to the amount of R800 per month.

According to Mosito she qualifies as an indigent, but the responsibility rests with her to prove this. Documentation from, amongst others, SASSA and the police, will have to be provided to prove indigent status. The income of all the dwellers serviced by each water and power outlet are taken into account when indigent status is determined. According to Nkhumise and Mosito residents often claim to be indigent while they drive fancy cars, watch DSTV and make extensions to their houses.

The disgruntled residents of Ext 5 complained that the water supply has for quite some time been irregular due to a faulty supply pipe. They have gone for three weeks at a time without any water and other times with water only available for a couple of hours in the middle of the night.

According to the MM, the problem is one of water pressure. Ext 5, positioned higher up in Regorogile, need a separate reservoir which will cost approximately R7m to erect. An interim measure would be to keep the town reservoir at 65% or to install tanks to hold the water. Problems with water loss due to heat and faulty pumps however still hampers a sustainable supply of water.

According to the furious residents their own ward representative, Councillor Aaron Moatshe, is “failing” them and the “mayor is worse”. Moatshe at one stage denied any knowledge of the residents of Ext 5 and slept through the council meeting of 6 October when his constituents complained about their situation. Sources say that he has indicated that the pressures of the job were too much for him and he wanted out.