THE first day of school is a day some of us never forget. Remember when you were dropped off on your first day at school and you cried so hard and would not let go of mommy’s hand?

trufm presenter DJ Pastor (Phiwe Nozewu) remembers his experience, over 20 years ago, like it was yesterday. Pastor speaks about his first two days at school at Dower Primary School in Uitenhage.

“On my first day I cried, so I went straight back home with my mom. I went back the next day and I guess the idea had sunk in, because by the break I had forgotten about going home,” he said.

Uviwe Tuswe, of Khanyisa High School, was one of the province’s top achievers for 2008. He said initially he did not understand the purpose of going to school but just wanted to go out and play.

“I was with my cousin, so I felt safe. We were both going to Grade 1 and (the) excitement we felt that day … It was unbelievable,” said Tuswe.

Cricketer Monde Zondeki said that he was nervous about his first day at Dale College. “I was always at a boys’ school but was worried about being bullied. The fact that I was with all my primary school friends helped and made the whole experience less daunting,” said Zondeki.

Boxing trainer and businessman Mzi Mnguni shared his experiences at Khwezana Lower Primary School in Alice. His first challenge was to prove that he was old enough to be there by putting his arm over his head to touch his ear.

If his hand could touch his ear, then all was well.

“I wanted to go to school because everyone who went to school got new clothes. I was relieved about not having to go to the fields to look after my family’s cattle. Upon our arrival (with a group of friends), was the shocking realisation that we would be separated. When I saw other kids crying I knew that this place wasn’t what I thought it would be,” said Mnguni.

Buffalo City mayor Sakhumzi Caga spoke about his first day at Chuma Lower Primary School in Mdantsane. “I was scared and confused. I had not even been to pre-school and my mom just left me there. At break time I had no problem playing with the other kids but during class time I wanted to go home. Even though the teacher tried to make sure that we enjoyed ourselves, I felt confined,” said Caga.

source Daily Dispatch

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FOR a woman thrust into the political spotlight as the third in charge of newly formed Congress of the People (Cope) three weeks ago, Lynda Odendaal, who hails from Nelson Mandela Bay, shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Standing little over 1,5m tall the diminutive Odendaal, 44, has already shown her size has nothing to do with her political stamina, working almost non- stop during the most crucial time for party campaigners – the build-up to this year‘s elections in May.

“The first week was a bit of a challenge in terms of media coverage,” admitted Odendaal, who now lives in Johannesburg. She was speaking to Weekend Post in between busy meetings on Thursday.

“The (frantic way of life) is natural now, except for the media attention. But it‘s important we communicate with our members and potential members and I want to maintain that.”

Having grown up in Uitenhage where she attended Riebeek College, Odendaal later went on to study at commercial college Beckleys in Port Elizabeth. Then she wasted no time in getting into business.

“I‘ve been in commerce for the last 20 years,” she said.

She left her position as chief executive of Network Support Services, an information and communication technology company, to focus on her burgeoning political career.

An enterprising business woman, Odendaal also owns recruitment, development and human resources companies which she keeps an eye on while not strategising with party officials ahead of Cope‘s election manifesto launch in the Bay on January 24.

But she insists her foray into politics was never planned.

“I haven‘t been actively involved politically up until now,” she said. “I‘ve been more involved with issues like women‘s rights and transformation and I still want to play an active part because there is still a lot to be done in these areas.”

Despite her hectic schedule, Odendaal managed to spend some quality family time over Christmas, quietly sneaking back home to visit her parents Anna and John in Uitenhage from December 24 to January 4, with her husband André and 12-year-old son. She also has three grown up children.

“I was in church with my parents on Christmas Day. I sneaked in and spent some time with my family. It‘s important. You never know when you‘ll get that time again.”

The decision to name her as the second deputy president of the party came as a shock even to Odendaal who found out about her new position just hours before Cope was officially launched in Bloemfontein on December 16. Many had expected ex-ANC Eastern Cape Amathole region chairman Mluleki George to be third in charge, but he was named national organiser instead. Since the launch there has been no let-up from the media wanting to know more about the woman who until last month was relatively unknown.

Observers believe Odendaal‘s appointment was a deliberate bid to attract voters looking for a different profile to the ANC, as well as to further Cope‘s bid to be “an inclusive” party, rather than appealing to any one race group.

With her pale face and blonde hair, she stands out among the Cope leadership previously associated with the ANC.

While she burst onto the scene in a similar fashion to US Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Odendaal by contrast speaks with clarity and a definite strategy.

Having begun work with the party behind the scenes after being moved by a radio interview with Cope president Mosioua “Terror” Lekota, Odendaal said it was Lekota‘s talk of change which struck a chord.

source Weekend Post

Popularity: 24% [?]

Patrick Cull

IF you think your rates increase was excessive, spare a thought for a Uitenhage resident whose bill has increased by a whopping 1837960 per cent.

But this was all down to a past blunder. The property had been incorrectly valued and cost the owner just 10 cents a year in rates. The value is now put at R380000 and the owner will pay R1838,06 a year, or a fraction over R150 a month.

This is just one of the anomalies brought to light in the recent general valuation in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The second highest rates increase was 652900% for a property in KwaNobuhle that had also been incorrectly valued previously with rates of just 10 cents a year. Now valued at R150000, the new rates are R653 a year.

The owners of several other properties, incorrectly valued in the past, have also received hefty increases in percentage terms.

One in Motherwell, for example, was paying R2,05 a year, a figure that has been increased to R333,75 after the house was valued at R84000.

A number of houses in Greenbushes, Bethelsdorp and Parsonsvlei were also affected, the owners having been paying rates of between R1,64 and R11,29 a year because their properties were incorrectly valued on the previous roll.

source: The Herald Online, 14 August 2008

Popularity: 2% [?]

Welcome to the first ever Uitenhage focussed blog. This is a project driven by a couple of guys from the garden town and is not associated with any municipal or government department. You can make contact with us here…

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