The US Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams arrived at the Table Bay Harbour

The US Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) arrived at the Table Bay Harbour on Saturday for a planned port visit.

The visit builds on U.S. maritime partnerships with African nations and improves maritime safety and security in the region.

“The visit is yet another indication of the deep abiding partnership between South Africa and the United States. This is a partnership that builds shared prosperity, saves lives and creates security both in South Africa and the US and around the African continent.’’ says acting U.S Consul general in Cape Town, Will Stevens.

‘’Ships like the USS Hershel Williams are the backbone of America's commitment to contributing not just to our own security, but to ensure that the world's oceans remain free and open,” added Stevens.

Stevens said the US was eager to partner with South Africa and like-minded partners in the African region and to ensure that the region could be free from piracy, illegal fishing, terrorism and transactional threats. We must never take for granted the security of our seas.

‘’With over 90% of the global trade travelling the world's oceans, seaborne trade is the lifeblood of global trade. South Africa, as the Western gateway to the Indian Ocean, and an important continental exporter, plays a crucial role in ensuring safe and secure maritime access to this region.’’

The marine recently celebrated the launch of Trade and Investment Promotion Partnership between the U.S and the Western Cape.

“I am confident that we will see increases to the already R15 billion in annual bilateral trade between the US and the Western Cape. Trade is only possible because of this secure port and the safe and secure sea lands,” said Stevens.

 

PICTURE: Logo of the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) 

 

PICTURE: The US Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel ‘’Woody’’ Williams 

 

PICTURE: From left - Acting U.S Consul General, Will Stevens; U.S Commanding Officer, Capt. Michael Concannon; SA Navy Rear Admiral, Andre de Wet.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

D-day for ECDs to apply for Stimulus Relief Fund

Friday is the last day for Early Childhood Development (ECD) services and programmes to apply for the ECD Stimulus Relief Fund (ECD-ESRF)

Applications opened on 5 February 2021, and will close at 23h59 on the 26 February 2021.

The Social Development Department extended the deadline by a week.

The ECD-ESRF is part of sustaining employment opportunities in the sector in light of the high unemployment rate and job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ECD operators/owners/managers must apply on behalf of their ECD service, and if successful, would pay the ECD employees. Individual ECD workers cannot apply to the fund themselves.

Successful applicants can only use the funds to subsidise the cost of employment for workers.

The financial support will amount to a maximum value of R4 470 per staff member.

The Western Cape’s Social Development Department said that, as at 24 February 2021, a total of 2 820 applications have been received in the province. According to the provincial Department of Social Development's (DSD) database, there are approximately 4 282 ECD centres and programmes (both registered and unregistered) in the province.

‘’ECD centres and services who have not yet applied can contact designated NPOs for assistance with completing the application forms, guidance on opening bank accounts, as well as help with registering on the Central Supplier Database.’’ Said the Social Development MEC, Sharna Fernandez.

Before making an application, applicants must ensure that they have the following in place:

• Banking account: All ECD services making an application will need to have a bank account in the name of the ECD service.

• Loaded on the Central Supplier Database (CSD): ECD services that do not currently receive funding from Provincial DSD will need to be registered on the CSD database, which can be done via this link: https://secure.csd.gov.za/Account/Register.

• The registration number generated from the CSD database will be required for the stimulus application.

 

How to apply:

Applicants must use the govchat.app portal, or https://ecd.gov.za/ to apply.

For assistance with the application, call 0800 089 666, or email ecdstimulus@dgmt.co.za.

 

For more information about the qualifying criteria, visit www.dsd.gov.za

 

Firefighters are continuing to battle a wildfire in the Cape Winelands

Firefighters are continuing to battle a major wildfire in the mountains in the backend of Banhoek and Jonkershoek valleys, in the Cape Winelands.

The fire has been burning high in the mountains for some days with most fire lines that have been inaccessible. The Cape’s South-Easter and high temperatures is also not helping the situation, either.

There are currently 107 fire fighters on the fire and eight purpose built firefighting vehicles. The Stellenbosch Fire Services and emergency services are on standby.

The Western Cape’s Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC, Anton Bredell, says the fire teams worked throughout the night in efforts to contain the fire.

“Fresh teams replaced the overnight shift this morning and the work continues, particularly within the high-risk areas. Aerial resources will be deployed when conditions are favourable. The terrain is very mountainous and the strong wind isn’t helping. The forecast for the weekend is for the hot and windy conditions to prevail.”

All trails in the area have been closed until further notice.

“Please avoid the area and trails leading to the area as the variable winds can change direction at short notice which may pose a serious threat.”

Residents in the vicinity of the fire and in particular the Jonkershoek Valley are advised to take some precautionary steps including:

·        Remain Hydrated.

·        Keep windows and doors closed until further notice as protection against smoke and heat.

·        Keep pets indoors where possible.

·        Move garden furniture that is flammable under cover where possible.

·        If the situation gets worse, residents will be alerted timeously.

 

In the event of an emergency please contact:

·        Stellenbosch Fire Services – 021 808 8888

·        Cape Winelands – 021 886 9244 / 021 887 4446

·        Provincial Emergency Number – 112

 

“There is no need for panic or fear, there are experienced teams on site and the situation is being closely monitored at all times,” says Bredell.

Done By: Mitchum George

Humans won't be affected by African Swine Fever, following outbreak in pigs in Mfuleni, says Agriculture MEC

African Swine Fever has been identified on two smallholder farms in Mfuleni, Eerste River.

This was confirmed by the post-mortem samples submitted to the ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute.

This as Veterinary Services of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture try to determine the cause of the pigs dying in the area over the last two weeks.

“A survey to determine the extent of the disease's spread in Mfuleni and the immediate surrounding area had already been initiated and will include the collection of blood samples from selected sick pigs from suspect farms within the affected area.” Said Western Cape’s Agriculture MEC, Dr. Ivan Meyer

The MEC announced that a ban had been placed on the sale and movement of live pigs from Mfuleni to limit the disease's spread.

“I urge pig farmers to ensure they only purchase pigs from farms with a proven clean health history.  Farmers must practise good hygiene management practices on their farms to minimise the risk of disease introduction or spread of the disease through good biosecurity measures.”

The MEC also confirmed that there is no danger of the disease infecting humans.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

13-year-old shot and killed; 3 others injured, in M/Plain

Mitchell’s Plain police are probing the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident that occurred in Beacon Valley on Thursday evening, whereby a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed and three others, aged between 14 and 18, were wounded.

‘’The circumstances surrounding a shooting incident last night (Thursday) at about 20:50 on the corner of Cadillac and Riley Streets Beacon Valley, Mitchell's Plain, are under investigation by Mitchell's Plain SAPS.’’ said Colonel Andrè Traut

According to reports, the occupants of a white vehicle opened fire at the victims. The motive for the shooting is unknown at this stage, and the suspects are yet to be arrested.’’ Traut added.

In a separate incident, police was called to a scene on the corner of Cadillac and Austin Street, Beacon Valley.

The body of an 18-year-old male was found with gunshot wounds to his neck.

‘’The victim was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel. Cases of murder and attempted murder were opened for investigation.’’

Anyone with any information about these incidents is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

A man and 2 children died in a fire in Crossroads on Friday morning

A man and two children, aged 3 and 5, have died in a fire in Crossroads on Friday morning.

‘’The City's Fire and Rescue Service received the emergency call at about 5.30am, alerting them that an informal structure was alight in the Thabo Mbeki Informal Settlement, on the corner of Symphony Way and Govan Mbeki Road.’’ Said spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse.

Carelse added that Gugulethu’s fire crew was first on the scene and firefighters were told that there were people missing.

‘’They managed to extinguish the fire just after 6am and, on searching the property, found the bodies of the man, a girl, 5, and a boy aged 3.’’

The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.

Done By: Mitchum George

Ten thousand hectares of alien vegetation cleared in the Western Cape and the Atlantis Aquifer

Ten thousand hectares of land, stretching across seven critical mountain water catchment areas in the Western Cape and the Atlantis Aquifer, has been cleared of invasive alien plants.

The Western Cape’s Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development Planning MEC, Anton Bredell, says the work that has been done to date, is delivering a sustainable yield of 4.8 billion litres of water per year.

“A total of R 21.3 million has been invested by several partners within a collaborative, pioneering partnership over the past 12 months to reach this milestone. The partnership includes The Nature Conservancy – a global agency - CapeNature, the City of Cape Town, WWF-South Africa and Working on Fire.”

Bredell says the program was launched in 2018, the same year Cape Town came close to running out of water.

“The Nature Conservancy launched the Greater Cape Town Water Fund that year. The fund is all about removing invasive, thirsty and highly combustible tree species such as pine and acacia, which consume large amounts of Cape Town’s water supply. Since then the partners have been working hard on this program. CapeNature contributed R 1 857 008 towards the fund and has cleared 2 520 hectares of the total to date.”

Bredell says the program ultimately aims to clear 54 300 hectares across the catchments, and 5 000 hectares across the Atlantis Aquifer.

“The effort will not only free up some 14.5 billion litres of water for Cape Town each year but also reduce the risk of wildfire and restore native wildlife habitat.”

Furthermore, the total capacity of dams supplying the Cape Town metro decreased by 2% in the last week, from 80% the previous week to 78%. In the same period last year, dam levels were at 63%

Daily water consumption within the City, decreased to 803 million litres per day in the past week, compared to 807 million litres the week before.

The latest average dam levels in the Western Cape is at 58.6%.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

97 more people succumbed to COVID-19 in SA

97 more people have succumbed to the coronavirus in South Africa, over the last 24 hours.

Of these, 30 are in the Free State, 22 in the Western Cape, 15 in Gauteng, 8 people each have died of COVID-19 related deaths in KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga province each recorded 7 COVID-19 fatalities. This takes South Africa’s COVID-19 death toll to 49 150

South Africa’s COVID-19 daily infections continue to drop, with only 792 new infections being recorded, taking the total confirmed cases to 1 504 588.

1 413 566 people have recovered from the coronavirus in South Africa. This translates to a recovery rate of 93.9%

According to the National Health Department, the number of healthcare workers vaccinated under the Sisonke Programme has risen to 23 059 as of 22 February 2021.

Over 1 700 vaccines were administered to healthcare workers in the Western Cape, over the weekend, with 861 administered on Saturday and a further 932 administered on Sunday. A total of 2 756 vaccines had been administered to healthcare workers in the province by 5pm on Sunday.

‘’This is the biggest vaccination drive in the province and the country, with a number of technical and logistical moving parts. We have been working hard to ensure that the rollout has been smooth and to make adjustments as required. I am heartened by the growing number of vaccinations being administered daily.’’ Said Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde.

Healthcare workers who are interested in receiving the vaccine, and who have not yet done so, must register on the electronic system. Once registered, you will be allocated a vaccination and site to go for the vaccination.

Winde said that he had been receiving regular enquiries from the media and public asking whether he will be getting vaccinated, and said that while he does intend to get the vaccine he “will not be doing so at the expense of our health-care workers”.

 “They must be our priority. The entire Western Cape cabinet has made the same commitment to wait until it is our turn, in phases two and three of the vaccination roll-out.” Winde added.

Winde urged citizens to continue adhering to COVID-19 protocols.

‘’The rollout of this J&J vaccine implementation study is very exciting news but it does not mean we can let our guards down. We must continue to be vigilant and ensure that we are still wearing our masks correctly, washing our hands regularly and practicing social distancing. Avoiding crowds, close contact and confined spaces can help to prevent infection and protect you and your loved ones.’’

PICTURE: WCGov - Latest provincal COVID-19 cases

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Western Cape Education MEC pleased with 2020 NSC matric results, despite 2.4% drop

Western Cape Education MEC, Debbie Schäfer says she is pleased with the province’s matric results, despite a 2.4% decline.

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, announced an overall 76.2% pass rate for the Class of 2020 on Monday. This is a decline of 5.1% from the previous year.

The Free State is the top-performing province for the Class of 2020 at 85.1%, followed by Gauteng at 83.8% and the Western Cape which achieved third place with 79.9%.

‘’While all provinces saw their pass rates decline – an understandable outcome during a pandemic that severely disrupted schooling around the world – I am pleased to report that our pass rate has suffered the least of any of the provinces.’’ Said Schäfer

‘’While we have seen a decline in the ‘pass rate’, there are many things to celebrate.  Despite the lockdown, the disruption to the school calendar, and the uncertainty throughout the year, we have seen that the quality of our matric passes has once again improved, as has the overall retention rate from Grade 10.’’ Added Schäfer

The number and percentage of bachelor’s passes has also increased in the Western Cape, to the province’s highest level ever, of 43.8%. 22 634 of the 51 633 candidates that wrote in the Western Cape achieved a Bachelor pass.

‘’The Western Cape continues to ensure that more of our learners from Grade 10 go on to write their matric exams two years later. 66.6% of our learners from Grade 10 in 2018 wrote their matric this year – the highest proportion in the country. This has increased steadily over the past two years.‘’ said Schäfer.

The province saw increases in both the Mathematics (70.8%) and Mathematical Literacy (82.9%) pass rates, as well the Western Cape boasting the top two candidates in Mathematics, nationally, for the second consecutive year.

PICTURE: WCED - Education MEC with province's top achievers

FROM LEFT:

2nd place in Quintile 3: Ayabukwa Nombela (Manzomthombo SS)

1st place in Mathematics: Daniel Alwyn Gouws (Hermanus HS)

2nd place in Mathematics: Veren Naidoo (Rondebosch Boys HS)

3rd place in Quintile 5 and Nationally: Sonica Roux (Outeniqua HS

Special Ministerial Award: Sonja Jamima Jonkers (Jan Kriel School)

Far right: Western Cape Education MEC, Debbie Schäfer

Done By: Mitchum George

Two more victims retrieved at the notorious lookout point near Herolds Bay.

 

 A search-and-rescue operation was launched on Saturday at 6pm to recover the bodies of two women, both aged 75. They were found at about yesterday morning at 3.50am. Bringing up the number of victims to have plunged down the site since 2016, the number has risen to 8 with the site being called the “Clift of death”.

Last month a 34-year-old mother and her two-year-old daughter were also killed when their car went over the cliff. The toddler's body was found at sea two weeks after the incident. An eight-year-old survived after escaping the car before it crashed.

George residents, who have been calling for local government to engage with the owner of the land where the cliff is situated, have now started a Facebook page to bring attention to all the tragic deaths at the site.

Executive mayor Leon van Wyk said the municipality continued to facilitate discussion with the relevant stakeholders within the limits of its municipal mandate.’ The land in question is privately owned with jurisdiction for the gravel road falling under provincial administration, and on that basis no council item has served with regard to the closure of the road or barricading it via gate, fencing and/or barriers, as municipal funds cannot be spent on land that it does not own or have jurisdiction.

By Everngelista Muza

ECD Relief Fund applications extended

The Social Development Department has encouraged Early Childhood Development (ECD) services that have not yet applied for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund (ESRF) to apply before the new closing date.

The department has extended the closing date of the applications for the ECD-ESRF from 19 February to 26 February 2021.

‘’The importance of ECD services cannot be understated. ECD centres and programmes provide children with the emotional and cognitive tools to develop into productive citizens at the latter stages of their lives, and also provides a place of safety for children, whilst their parents are at work.’’ said Western Cape Social Development MEC, Sharna Fernandez.

As of the 17 February 2021, 1574 applications for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund, have been received from the Western Cape.

According to the provincial Department of Social Development's (DSD) database, there are approximately 4282 ECD centres and programmes (both registered and unregistered) in the Western Cape.

 

Before making an application, applicants must ensure that they have the following in place:

• Banking account: All ECD services making an application will need to have a bank account in the name of the ECD service.

• Loaded on the Central Supplier Database (CSD): ECD services that do not currently receive funding from Provincial DSD will need to be registered on the CSD database, which can be done via this link: https://secure.csd.gov.za/Account/Register.

• The registration number generated from the CSD database will be required for the stimulus application.

 

How to apply:

Applicants must use the govchat.app portal to apply. For assistance with the application, call 0800 089 666. For more information about the qualifying criteria, visit www.dsd.gov.za

 

Done By: Mitchum George

W.Cape Social Development Department to provide counselling for matric learners and parents ahead of 2020 NSC results

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, is expected to announce the results of the 2020 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on Monday.

The department’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said that they are on track to release the results, but noted that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, things would be somewhat different from the previous years.

“We are on schedule. We are just putting on the final touches…We’re doing things differently this year, because of COVID-19 so we can’t gather in one place and do what we have done before. We have come up with a different plan which we are working on right now, but it looks like all province are ready,” Mhlanga said.

The announcement of the 2020 NSC results and top learners by the national minister takes place between 16:00 and 17:00

Western Cape Social Development MEC, Sharna Fernandez, says her department is on standby to provide counselling to learners and parents.

‘’A possible disappointing matric result outcome can be difficult for both learners and parents to come to terms with, and the best way forward may not be clear,” said Fernandez.

“There is no doubt, that a learner’s disappointment about their results, may trigger trauma or other feelings of deep unease. The provincial DSD has trained professionals, who are more than willing to assist both learners and parents, who require psycho-social support during what may be a challenging time.’’ she added.

The support being provided includes debriefing, counselling, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

To mitigate the challenge of accessing psycho-social support services during the coronavirus pandemic, services are also being made available via telephonic services, to prevent the further spread of the virus.

You can visit any of the Social Development regional or local offices closest to them, or by contacting the DSD hotline on 0800 220 250 for information on how to access help.

PICTURE: WC DSD

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Environment, forestry and fisheries minister wants small-scale fishing rights process in W. Cape reviewed

Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Barbara Creecy, will ask the high court to scrap the process of awarding small-scale fishing rights in the Western Cape.

In a statement, department’s spokesperson, Albi Modise said: “Based on legal advice, the minister will seek the review of the entire process of those who originally applied for all Western Cape communities.’’

Modise said numerous steps will be taken by the department to minimise the impact of the court application on fishing communities in the province.

These would include bringing the application as quickly as possible, prioritising the new verification process and conducting it as swiftly as possible.

“These steps are aimed at shortening the period of impact. Importantly, the court application will request to maintain the current dispensation of providing access to fishing by fishing communities.”

Modise said Creecy will ask the court to order that whatever form of access to fish communities and individual fishers have will remain in place until the new verification process is completed.

In addition, Modise said the department is exploring ways to improve this interim relief dispensation that will apply during the court application process to ensure better and more equitable access for fishing communities in the Western Cape.

Modise said the Creecy’s decision to approach the courts followed multiple complaints from community members about the fairness and accuracy of the process.

The internal audit process was launched in 2019 and concluded that the verification process was “wholly inadequate” and that the “results of these assessments cannot and should not be relied on for any decision-making purpose in terms of the regulations”.

 Among the errors identified, said Modise, were problems such as the inaccurate capturing of information and the incorrect adjudication of applications by community panels.

“There was inconsistent application of criteria between communities, an incorrect and incoherent application and appeals process as well as incomplete and inaccurate data, including lost applications,” Modise said.

If the court application succeeds, registered individuals will have an opportunity to submit new information to support their applications.

“While the minister understands that there are some communities who have no objection to the outcome of the verification process, these could not be singled out for different treatment given that the problems with the process are widespread that the only available option is to review the process for all communities in the Western Cape.” added Modise

 

Done By: Mitchum George

THE FIRST BATCH OF THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON HAS ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY

The first 80 000 of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine arrived on Tuesday night at OR Tambo International Airport, Gauteng. The single-dose vaccine will be utilized to inoculate frontline healthcare workers in both the private and public sector. 

Health officials, the military and police spent the night distributing them to all 17 sites across the country. The 17 vaccination centres include the country's biggest hospital, Chris Hani Baragwaneth Hospital, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, both in Gauteng. In the Western Cape, the rollout will begin at Groote Schuur, Tygerberg and Khayelitsha district hospitals. To start inoculation drive, scientists established the Sisonke Open-label COVID-19 Vaccine Programme.  

The Health Department said that all COVID-19 vaccination sites would go live at 2pm. President Cyril Ramaphosa joined by the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, will on Wednesday receive a vaccine shot in Khayelitsha. Mkhize said this was to demonstrate their confidence in the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. 

BY CHWAYITA HLANGWANA

TRAINS IN LANGA HAVE STARTED OPERATING AFTER SUSPENSION SINCE NOVEMBER 2019

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane welcomed rail commuters at the resumption of the service between Cape Town and Langa on Monday. The passageway that goes through Mutual station has been suspended since November 2019, with Prasa teaming up with the provincial department of transport and public works (DTPW) and the City to reestablish the rail organization.

Prasa's move follows in the wake of Transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela's engagement with around 7 500 illegal occupiers, who had put shacks on top of train lines, pleading with them to calmly move from Prasa's subjugation. The presence of illegal settlements has been an obstruction to development work on phase 2 from Langa to Khayelitsha.

BY: CHWAYITA HLANGWANA

Truck driver dies after crashing into a bridge on the N1

A truck driver has died after the heavy motor vehicle, allegedly swayed and drove off the road, crashing into a bridge on the side of the road on the N1, in the direction of Cape Town, between the Klapmuts and Klipheuwel turn offs. The driver in the truck with a double trailer was on his way to Cape Town when the incident occurred.

‘’The call for assistance came through at 05:12. Bystanders witnessed the truck swaying and eventually driving off the road and crashing into a bridge on the side of the road.’’ Said the EMS’ Deanna Bessick.

PICTURE: WCGH's EMS

‘’Unfortunately, the truck driver died on the scene. EMS Rescue had to use Jaws of Life to extricate the patient. A crane and two rescue vehicles assisted with the operation.’’ Bessick added.

 

PICTURE: WCGH's EMS

Done By: Mitchum George

Three months extension for R350 special distress grant

 At the state of nations address President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the R350 special COVID-19 social relief of distress grant to be extended for another three months. The grants had been set to pause at the end of January. He also mentioned the extension until march 15 for Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Temporary Employee-Employer Scheme (TERS) only for business sectors unable to operate.

Folling the announcement the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has advised for grantee to apply online via their website instead of physically doing to their offices. Senior manager of communications and marketing at Sassa, Sandy Godlwana said there was no need for reapply for those already in the system, and those who have been paid through the post office should get bank accounts, and upload those details on the system.

Clients whose applications for the Special 350 Covid-19 SRD Grant were declined, can lodge an appeal for review on the Sassa Covid-19 portal – https://srd.sassa.gov.za

Declined applicants who already lodged appeals need not re-apply nor re-appeal.

Picture: sassa

By Everngelista Muza

 

Warning From Goverment to schools, not to force parents to pay for registration fee.

 

The Department of Basic Education said that they have been overwhelmed with calls from parents whose children couldn’t be registered because they are unable to pay registration fees upfront.

Spokesperson Elijah Mlanga said that this practice was unlawful for schools to deny pupils placement in school if their parents could not afford to pay school fees upfront. He advises schools to refrain from this particular activity as it generates unnecessary tension between parents and schools, and creates a lot of pressure to parents without the finance. Parents are urged to report these unlawful practices to the nearest district or provincial education department office.

Public schools are set to reopen next week after the start of the new school year was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Notice: Basic education

By Everngelista Muza

Plans to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street

The City of Cape Town has invited residents to comment on it’s proposal to convert Queen Victoria Street in the Cape Town Central Business District (CBD) into a one-way street.

The municipality said that over the years, it has received numerous complaints about congestion along Queen Victoria Street, which runs past the Western Cape High Court, the South African Museum, Planetarium, and Company Gardens.

The City invited residents to comment on a proposal to convert Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street, in the direction of Wale Street towards Orange Street.

‘’Our traffic engineers have done preliminary investigations and considered various solutions. The most feasible and easy to implement, is the proposal to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way, from Wale Street all the way towards the mountain where it intersects with Orange Street. Traffic flow will be improved, we will see fewer accidents as there won’t be conflict between vehicles from different directions, and pedestrians will be safer given that they will only need to negotiate traffic coming from one direction,’’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Felicity Purchase.

 

The choice of direction for the proposed one-way street is based on the following:

·        Bus stops are located on the left-hand side of Queen Victoria Street when travelling towards Orange Street. Thus, by turning it into a one-way street, pedestrian safety will be improved as commuters will have near-side boarding and alighting facilities, and would not need to cross the busy street

·        Road safety will be improved as traffic along Orange Street heading towards Buitengracht will not be permitted to turn right into Queen Victoria Street

 ‘’We have also investigated the possible impact this proposal may have on signalised intersections in the area, taking diverted traffic into account. From our analysis the additional traffic can be accommodated with changes to the timing of signals along the affected routes,’’ added Alderman Purchase.’’

 Comments, recommendations, and input on the proposal to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street can be submitted:

·        Online: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay

·        By email: Public.Participation@capetown.gov.za

·        By hand: Good Hope Subcouncil Administration; 11th Floor, 44 Wale Street, Cape Town

 

The closing date for submissions is 11 March 2021.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

A shocking robbery for joggers in Table Mountain

 

A very shocking morning for two joggers who were attacked while on their usual morning jog by assailant wielding knives and metal bar.

35-year-old Eddie Moyo and his friend Clive where running along Tafelberg Road near the lower cable station at 5:30 on a Saturday morning as part of their usual routine when the attack happened.  According to Moyo he believes the three assailants were hiding in the grass before they suddenly appeared on their sides making demands. He further stated that the robbers looked to be in their early twenties, thus tried to reason with them.

The men showed aggressive behavior and assaulted Moyo with a metal bar on his right eye and mouth-(his two front teeth fell out), shocked he ran down towards Deer park where he was aided by a passer-by in a car after falling on his knees and leg.

His friend was seriously injured with deep stab wounds in his upper body fortunately he was assisted to the Somerset hospital by passing hikers. Moyo said he will be lodging a complaint at the Cape Town police station today.

His employer, Justin Hodge at Fluffi and Friends, said he was trying to get help for Moyo and the support has been overwhelming. Hodge said he has applied to BackaBuddy to get financial assistance for Clive.

The incident came just a week after a man was also mugged at Signal Hill.

By Everngelista Muza

No load shedding for Thursday, says Eskom

Eskom has announced that it is not will not implement load shedding on Thursday as the generation capacity has sufficiently recovered.

The ailing parastatal had implemented Stage 3 load shedding yesterday, due to a loss of generation units. In a statement, it said that this week's rolling blackouts were necessary after several generating units at its power plants broke down.

“Over the past 24 hours, Eskom teams successfully returned our generation units to service, helping ease the capacity constraints sufficiently to enable us to not require load shedding. Another five units are expected to return to service during the next two days.’’

“Eskom would like to thank the people of South Africa for their patience and support during the load shedding, which is implemented as a last resort to protect the integrity of the system.’’ It added

The power utility urged consumers to use electricity sparingly as the system remains ‘’vulnerable and unpredictable.’’

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Five-month-old twin girls amongst those killed when light motor vehicle drove into truck in Worcester

Four people, amongst them a five-month-old twin girls and a three-year-old girl, were killed and two others injured when a light motor vehicle drove into a stationary truck that broke down on Wednesday evening, 5km from Touws River in the direction of Leinsburg, near Sandhills train station in Worcester.

‘’A call for assistance came through at 04:34 on Thursday, 11 February. The light motor vehicle was transporting six passengers - two adult females, three children (five month old twin girls and a three year old girl); and one adult male. One EMS rescue vehicle and three ambulances were at the scene.’’ Said EMS’ Deanna Bessick

‘’Unfortunately, one female and the three children sustained fatal injuries and were trapped in the vehicle. EMS Rescue extricated the patients at 08:07. We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. The male and one female are critically injured and have been transported to Worcester Provincial Hospital.’’ Added Bessick.

 

Done By: Mitchum George