Cape Winelands: News

Death Unimagined

Communication Dept — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:20:42 GMT

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Leaning on the stone wall of the bridge, looking down at the wreckage of the truck that took the life of his 20-year-old daughter and seven other people, Joschim Jenkar sobbed as he recalled some of the memories he once shared with his daughter.

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By Zolani Sinxo
Leaning on the stone wall of the bridge, looking down at the wreckage of the truck that took the life of his 20-year-old daughter and seven other people, Joschim Jenkar sobbed as he recalled some of the memories he once shared with his daughter.
“She was a fine little girl, we enjoyed every time we had together and we miss her so much,” said Jenkar.
Community and family members of the eight deceased farm workers who died in a tragic accident, which took place at the Kleinberg bridge close to Saron, gathered at the bridge to remember their loved ones in a memorial service organised by the Cape Winelands District Municipality on Wednesday, 8 February 2012.
According to Mr. J. Cornelissen who is the Traffic Manager in Drakenstein, the truck driver saw a caterpillar in the opposite direction and thought it would make way for him before he reached it.
“However, the caterpillar was parked stationary on the road; trying to avoid a head-on collision. The truck driver swerved the vehicle to the right and tragically drove off the bridge,” said Cornelissen.
He said the truck driver was a legal driver and sober at the time; the truck was also tested for roadworthiness and passed all requirements. No arrests have been made as the matter is still under investigation.
About ten people survived the accident and some are still in hospital, battling for their lives due to their severe injuries. Jenkar’s daughter, Janene Joubert, was not among the lucky ones as she died on the scene.
“As a family we are saddened by her death. She was a wonderful child and never gave us any problems. To come to terms with her death will be a difficult thing, but we pray to God to keep us strong during these difficult times,” said Jenkar in a quivering voice.
Jenkar said he hopes that he will never witness something like this again; he urged government officials and political heads to make sure that people are always safe on the road and to tighten traffic laws to avoid such incidents.
Among those who attended the memorial service, was CWDM speaker, Cllr. C. Meyer and the CWDM Deputy Executive Mayor, Cllr. H, Jansen together with local and provincial traffic heads and other local government political heads.
Words of comfort were conveyed by the attendants to strengthen families of the deceased and assistance and support were offered to help them get through these difficult times.
A mass funeral was held for the deceased Saturday, 11 February 2012 at the Wolseley cemetery.

Date Released: 2/22/2012 12:00 AM

Making our Roads Safer

Communication Dept — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:17:26 GMT

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On Friday, 13 January 2012, motorists were surprised by the presence of traffic officers and government officials along the N1 route close to Huguenot Tunnel in Paarl.

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By Zolani Sinxo
On Friday, 13 January 2012, motorists were surprised by the presence of traffic officers and government officials along the N1 route close to Huguenot Tunnel in Paarl.
As part of the on-going “Safer Roads” campaign, the Cape Winelands District Municipality, together with the Department of Community Safety, held a roadblock to assess unroadworthy vehicles, validate driver’s and car licences and to educate motorists about road safety
Community Safety MEC Dan Plato, the Cape Winelands District Municipality Executive Mayor Alderman C de Bruyn, Speaker C Meyer and a team of councillors from CWDM and Drakenstein Municipality took part in the campaign to assist traffic officers at checking vehicles and handing out pamphlets to motorist.
Numerous motorists were issued fines for a variety of offences, including driving without a valid driver’s licence or driving a vehicle that is not licensed or roadworthy.
The Speaker of the Cape Winelands District Municipality, Cllr. C Meyer, requested that these roadblocks become a continuing occurrence on our roads. She has pledged to be involved on a consistent basis with these awareness campaigns in order to demonstrate solidarity by educating the public and engaging with the community regarding road safety issues.

Date Released: 1/23/2012 12:00 AM

Drawing athletes with the 27 For Freedom Run

Communication Dept — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:11:46 GMT

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The third presentation of the fast-growing 27 For Freedom Run on 11 February 2012, coincided with the anniversary of the release of former President Nelson Mandela from almost 27 years of incarceration. The race, first launched in 2010, is a partnership between the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM), Drakenstein Municipality, Drakenstein Correctional Service Centre (DCSC) and Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU). It was established to commemorate the release of South Africa’s most famous political icon, fondly known as Madiba, from the then Victor Verster Prison.

The route followed by the participants is the same as the one that was followed by Madiba as he left prison – beacon by beacon – from the Madiba house, along the path famously named the Long Walk to Freedom, all the way to the statue of Nelson Mandela at the entrance of the Drakenstein Correctional Service Centre (renamed in 1998 from the erstwhile Victor Verster Prison).

From a total of 3 849 runners in 2010, the number of participants has grown to 4 100 in 2012; a moderate, yet steady growth. This growth is partly due to growing awareness of the race through word-of-mouth as well as increased media coverage. For the first time since it was launched three years ago, the 2012 event of the 27 For Freedom Run was run on the exact date of Madiba’s release, 22 years ago. Media coverage was also particularly wide because of the wider interest on this particular date. 2012 also saw the introduction of a floating trophy for the overall winner, an incentive that, it is hoped, will help draw elite runners to the event over time.

This event fits well with the CWDM’s ongoing promotional efforts to increase awareness about some of the Cape Winelands’ hidden tourist gems. Local runners get to be reminded of the natural beauty of the region, while visitors get exposed to the scenic splendour, some of them for the first time. Having been exposed to the beautiful valleys and world-class wine destinations, they will either extend their stay in the area or return in future to experience it with friends and family.

“The hosting of events such as the 27 For Freedom Run fits in well with our overall strategy to grow awareness about our region,” explained a representative from the CWDM’s tourism department. “We also regularly host travel writers who are taken around the region to generate good publicity in various print and online media in order to reach out to readers in faraway locations. A number of charity organisations in the five B-Municipalities of the Cape Winelands have been designated as recipients of some of the proceeds from the run,” he said.

Date Released: 2/28/2012 12:00 AM

Healthy Talks Across the Table

Communication Dept — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:07:17 GMT

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n the spirit of cooperative governance, the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Ald. C.A. de Bruyn, hosted two business networking breakfasts on 22 and 23 February 2012 respectively.

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Healthy talks across the table
In the spirit of cooperative governance, the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Ald. C.A. de Bruyn, hosted two business networking breakfasts on 22 and 23 February 2012 respectively.
The networking events provided a platform for the Executive Mayors of Drakenstein Municipality, Cllr. (Adv.) G. van Deventer and Breede Valley Municipality, Cllr. B. Kivedo, to share key elements of their economic development plans with the business fraternity. The dialogue revealed that the business sector is keen to collaborate with the local and district municipalities to create an environment conducive for growth and accelerated job creation. Much appreciation was expressed by all role players for the initiative taken by Ald. de Bruyn and they agreed that more regular interaction of this nature should take place between the parties.

Date Released: 2/29/2012 12:00 AM

A Cut Above the Rest

Communication Dept — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:08:35 GMT

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The “Yunus Barber Research” has been launched in honour of a barber who turned his work station into a photo gallery, displaying some of the memorable pictures of his community that dates back more over five decades.

The research was launched at Worcester on 28 February 2011 by the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Tourism Department as part of the development of Freedom Route icons in the Cape Winelands District.

This research documents the life of Yunus Lakay, a local barber in Worcester who went beyond cutting hair to collect historical pictures of his community and display them in his barbershop. Included in his collection are photos of local sportsmen and sportswomen, heroes and heroines who fought tirelessly for the abolishment of apartheid and some of the memorable events and buildings of Worcester.

The Cape Winelands District Municipality have agreed with Yunus to display his collection in the Worcester Museum, where it will be preserved as part of the local history for everyone to see and to learn from.

Date Released: 3/1/2011 12:00 AM

Early Childhood Development Training

Communication Dept — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:57:33 GMT

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A need was identified by the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in partnership with the provincial Departments of Social Development and Health, to equip Early Childhood Development (ECD) educators with the necessary skills and education to enhance the lives and education needs of children at crèche level.
Eight training sessions took place over the past two months across the Cape Winelands, after 50 ECD centres across the district were identified to receive the training and to receive educational toolkits.

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2012 Early Childhood Development Training
By Zolani Sinxo
A need was identified by the Cape Winelands District Municipality, in partnership with the provincial Departments of Social Development and Health, to equip Early Childhood Development (ECD) educators with the necessary skills and education to enhance the lives and education needs of children at crèche level.
Eight training sessions took place over the past two months across the Cape Winelands, after 50 ECD centres across the district were identified to receive the training and to receive educational toolkits.
A holistic approach was followed with regard to the training, including topics such as the normal development of children, feeding, dental care, speech and language development, as well as getting a crèche registered and up to standard according to legal specifications.
The different health and wellness aspects, development aspects as well as legal aspects with regard to their current situation were dealt with. Furthermore, they were trained how to stimulate children through play as well as how to create toys and stimulation models with recycled material. They realised that one does not have to have fancy toys to teach children or stimulate certain of their developmental aspekts.
With this newly-gained knowledge, they are now more aware of the various development stages from baby to toddler, and can thus conduct on-going assessments of the development of the children in their care. They are also now better informed about various illnesses and when to refer the children to their local clinics without delay. Good relationships have been forged with the staff of the Department of Health within each municipal area, which will ensure future referrals and assistance to be dealt with timeously.

Date Released: 3/1/2012 12:00 AM