I’m writing from KwaNobuhle. We have an electricity crisis in Uitenhage – it’s been two weeks. When we called Kwanolec they told us they were striking.
The second time we called they told us it was Athol Trollip who had stopped giving overtime [payments]. The third time they said they’d answer us in December.
They didn’t have trucks and we should go to Trollip’s office because they were not fighting with us, they were fighting against Trollip.
It’s very tiring because some of our children are pupils and they can’t study at night because it’s dark. We ended up throwing our meats away because they were damaged.
We are a fed-up community and we feel abandoned by our own municipality. It is not taking us seriously and it’s very disrespectful when they don’t even notify us about the switch-off of the electricity.
Is it really worth changing a name when that name is internationally known for various aspects, one of them being home to the largest car factory on the African continent?
Is it worth spending millions of Rands on changing a name when “insufficient funds” are so often named as the reason or excuse for lack of maintenance on basic services?
These are but two of the hundreds of comments, outbursts and reactions from the public on social platforms after the Eastern Cape government announced that it is considering changing Uitenhage’s name to “Qhagqiwa” or “Garden Town”.
Comments like: “if the name Uitenhage can’t even be spelled correctly on nameboards, imagine the new name”, “We will be totally lost, not knowing where the heck it is. Poor tourists … not a good idea”, “Is a name change really necessary? This is a political stunt to gain votes”, “Absurd. There are far more important things to spend tax money on”, “What will be the benefits of it? Surely the money could be much better spent on service delivery?”
There were, however, a few people who felt positive about Uitenhage being named “Qhagqiwa”.
Mountaineer Deshun Deysel was born in Uitenhage
The Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee also announced that public participation hearings would be held after to the local government elections on August 3.
The other name changes include Port Elizabeth (to be changed to Gqeberha) and the Port Elizabeth airport (to be named Sipho Hashe Airport).
Zukile Jodwana, a member of the Eastern Cape geographical names committee said “This is a lengthy process and can take up to six months.
“We have received the applications, but now we have to hold public meetings in the communities where residents can voice their opinions and air their grievances.
“Then we must make a recommendation to the national geographical names committee, which in turn must submit its recommendations to the Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.”
There are various notable persons linked to Uitenhage. Saying that Enoch Sontonga, Allan Hendrickse, Smuts Ngonyama, Sean Burke, Ton Vosloo, Linky Boshoff, Garth Wright, Deshun Deysel and Loyiso Bala hail from Qhagqiwa, simply lacks any significance.
Uitenhage was founded on 25 April 1804 and named in honour of General Jacob Abraham Uitenhage De Mist.
Most of us are ignorant about municipal by-laws in South Africa, let alone, Uitenhage. On Facebook I’m the admin for the Uitenhage Forum group with over 12,600 active members.
This message was posted on by Gershwin Maduna “Enige iemand wat op soek is na pitbull puppys ek ht 3 teefies….enge iemnd wt belangstel kontak my 0828883457 watsapp ook.”
Carrie Pratt reported this post and brought it to my attention:
“It is against municipal bylaws to allow your dog or cat to have a litter unless registered as a legal breeder currently there are 11 legal breeders none for pitbull it is also I legal to hawk /sell puppies which includes social media by allowing such post it supports illegal back yard breeders I and these kind of posts are becoming more frequent which is very concerning I hope you can understand my concern with such posts.
Much appreciated and to add all females over 6 months should be spayed all relevant detail can be obtained from animal anticruelty league and dog control to confirm my statements are accurate.”
Want to win a trip to some of America’s best digital newsrooms?
Your watchdog journalism on #water? and #sanitation? issues could win you a 10-day all-expenses paid trip to the best digital newsrooms in three U.S cities.
Stories can be published / broadcast on any platform, in any format, between between March 30 and July 15.
“We are proud to be associated with TEDx, because AFDA also believes passionately in the power of ideas to change the world,” says Uitenhage-born, Denise Roodt, who is also campus dean. “Our students are taught to conceptualise, develop and create indigenous entertainment products for the local and international market; so, like TEDx, we also nurture local ideas worth spreading“. AFDA is one of the leading outcomes-based film schools in the world and is the only one in Africa ever to have won a student Oscar.
AFDA Port Elizabeth campus opens its doors in 2015
Attending such an event is an inspiring learning opportunity, where you engage with over 100 guests, getting a chance to network, communicate and have exhilarating conversation, with a diverse crowd, having many different experiences and backgrounds. “The TEDx platform connects Nelson Mandela Bay with a global community of innovators and activists,” says Ramon Thomas, founder of TEDxPortElizabeth. “Everyone who attends will join this exclusive community who value ideas worth spreading more than anything else.”
The theme for this year’s conference is, “Through The Looking Glass”, a take on the sequel to Alice in Wonderland. Come and be part of the TEDxPortElizabeth experience as you are captivated by an exciting array of speakers delivering talks from education to personal life experiences. These speakers will examine topics from a different angle, using this creative platform to reveal something you would have never thought of – leaving you with knowledge that is informative and inspiring.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talk videos and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a non-profit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Al Gore, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jane Goodall, Sir Richard Branson, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Salman Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
All existing and prospective service providers/creditors to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality are hereby notified that, with effect from 1 July 2016, the municipal (NMBM) suppliers’ database, on which they may already be registered, will cease to be operative and an electronic Central Suppliers Database (CSD), developed by National Treasury, will be implemented. Accordingly, to be able to do business with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality from 1 July 2016, all existing or prospective suppliers or creditors of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality are required to register on this Central Suppliers Database (Note: Only providers registered on the National Treasury CSD will be regarded as verified providers by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality).
The implementation of this Central Suppliers Database is motivated on the desire to reduce duplication of effort and cost for both business and government. Registering is to be done through self-registering on the CSD website. In the self-registering process, the National Treasury CSD will verify the following information from suppliers/creditors: (1) Business registration (including details of directorship); (2) Bank account holder information; (3) Employees in the service of the state (National and Provincial); (4) Tax compliance status (5); Directors’/Members’ identity details (6) Tender defaulting and restriction status.
Note, however, that the following cannot yet be automatically verified by the National Treasury CSD and must therefore be sent to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) Compliance Office for verification purposes (the Municipality will receive daily updates on all successful applications for registration on the CSD website):
* Municipal Billing Clearance Certificate * National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) Certificate * Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Construction Registers Service (CSR) status and * Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Certificate
The above must either be hand delivered or couriered to the following offices (note that this documentation must be accompanied by a completed NMBM Suppliers Verification Form, obtainable from the NMBM website (www.nelsonmandelabay.gov.za – go to “Public Notices”) or from the offices below):
The Supply Chain Management Compliance Office, Harrower Road Depot, corner of Buxton Avenue and Harrower Road, North End, Port Elizabeth
OR
The Supply Chain Management Compliance Office, Budget and Treasury Customer Care office, ground floor, Town Hall Building, Market Street, Uitenhage
For more details, please contact the NMBM Database Administrator, tel. 041 506 3274/3266; Fax: 0865144305 ; email: scmdatabase@mandelametro.gov.za
On 26 May 2016 the first ever annual Twitter Blanket Drive #TBD2016 to be held in Nelson Mandela Bay will come to an end. Since 2010 people with passion have joined the #TBD2016 call to donate old or new blankets across South Africa for this campaign.
Twitter Blanket Drive started in 2010 in South Africa when Melanie Minnaar challenged the Twitter Community to each donate one blanket during winter. The Twitter community responded with compassion and engaged on the social media platform to collect blankets for some of the country’s most vulnerable people. Over the past six years, thousands of blankets have been collected in the weeks leading up to winter to provide some relief and, of course, warmth to those in need.
During Nelson Mandela Bay’s first participation partners such as the Protea Hotel Marine, Summerstrand; Wild Rapids Spur in Uitenhage and Panarottis in Despatch all hosted the drop-off zones for the 2016 Twitter Blanket Drive campaign.
“The fact that we could participate in this year really warmed my heart, and this really motivated me to collect blankets to keep Port Elizabeth warm,” says Eileen Koeberg, one of the #TBD2016 volunteers. “It opened hearts that my colleagues and friends gave their blankets and those who donated blankets, did so with much love.”
The Salvation Army has been chosen as the NGO to receive the blankets this year as they are known for their work among the poorest and most destitute people in local communities. Twittering people with passion donated over 100 blankets.
“The Twitter Blanket Drive helps people to get involved by helping organisations like ourselves make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than us. It is important for us to count on each other to make this possible,” says Major Valerie Potgieter, head of the Salvation Army in Uitenhage. “We will make sure that those on the streets become our priority with this drive and so meet the most needy during this winter time.“
Twitter Blanket Drive Event Invitation:
All are invited to join the hand-over parties on Thursday, 26 May at the following venues and times:
12h00: Uitenhage @ Wild Rapids Spur, Caledon St & Queen Mary Crescent – Tel. 041-9226977
The Salvation Army’s Uitenhage branch invites you to a weekly women’s support group. The Home League’s Motto: She watches ovr the affairs of her household. This women’s support group is open to all ladies both young and old from Uitenhage, KwaNobuhle and Despatch. Mothers are also welcome to gain support from the more experienced ladies in the group.
The Salvation Army frequently invites guest speakers and conducts a Bible study on the last Thursday of the month. You arel welcome to join in prayer to support each other and the local communities and townships. Below is an example of the topics covered over the last four months.
Sometimes you may feel lonely, other times you may experience high levels of stress. There is no need to keep all the problems bottled up inside of you. Women are good listeners, and can understand the challenges faces by other women much easier. Regular meetings area source of rejuvination for every family and every household, every women and every mother.
So when you need some support or help, feel free to join the weekly meetings. Here’s the details:
The Salvation Army is an integral part of the Christian Church, although distinctive in government and practice. The Army’s doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasise God’s saving purposes. Its objects are ‘the advancement of the Christian religion… of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole. The movement, founded in 1865 by William Booth, has spread from London, England, to many parts of the world.
Grahamstown: Redwood Spur, 123 High Street – Tel. 046-622 2629
Twitter Blanket Drive started in 2010 in South Africa. The Twitter community moved by compassion and has engaged the social media platform to collect blankets for some of the country’s most vulnerable people. Over the past 6 years, thousands of blankets have been collected in the weeks leading up to winter to provide some relief and, of course, warmth to those in need.
“More than any other social media, Twitter is about local conversations,” says Ramon Thomas, local co-ordinator for the Twitter Blanket Drive in Port Elizabeth, and founder of TEDxPortElizabeth. “The #TBD2016 campaign shows how we can use social media to take action in local communities not just for national issues of a political nature.”
“For us as a Twitter community, social responsibility is a serious business,” says Merentia van der Vent, the national co-ordinator and Cape Town host for the Twitter Blanket Drive (TBD). “As winter’s bite fast approaches, we are aware that charities are under a huge amount of pressure to meet the demand for blankets. In today’s digital world, we have the power to make significant change, in the area of social development, harnessing the power of social media.”
The TBD started 7 years ago, in 2010, as a single tweet by Melanie Minnaar, as she contemplated the cold winter ahead and in true Twitter style, tweeted the following thought: “what if each person on Twitter donated a blanket?”
Since then, the TBD movement has exploded and now has a national footprint with campaign drives taking place in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and the West Coast. Previous years it was also held in Bloemfontein, East London, George, Knysna and Mossel Bay and countries like Zimbabwe & Namibia. This year the official hashtag is #TBD2016.
Last year, the Instagram community in South Africa, also supported the #TwitterBlanketDrive and collected blankets on their #Instawalks across the country. South Africans are also asked via Facebook to donate blankets.
In today’s fast paced world, using social media to increase community awareness is not only smart, but essential. According to the founder of the campaign, Melanie Minnaar, the Twitter Blanket Drive has injected a true sense of community into the South African Twittersphere, as the number of Twitter users involved with the TBD has grown exponentially since 2010. Tens of thousands of blankets have over the years been donated, to those in need.
Support Our Twitter Blanket Drive
Blankets can be dropped off at drop-off zones across the country from 7 April to Thursday 26 May 2016.
Call the local co-ordinator 081-4399555 or via Twitter: @RamonThomas
UITENHAGE-BASED poultry group Sovereign has ruled out a predatory swoop by a larger rival following the publication of a cautionary announcement last week. Consider buying this local company on the JSE using EasyEquities trading platform.
The cautionary spurred widespread speculation that a larger competitor — most likely Astral Foods or recently delisted Country Bird Holdings — might be engaging Sovereign about a takeover.
Sovereign, despite a marked improvement in operating performance, continues to be modestly rated by the market. The share has traded at a discount to tangible net asset value, and on an earnings multiple of 8,5 times. About five years ago Sovereign was subject to well documented takeover bids — first by Country Bird Holdings and then by agribusiness conglomerate Afgri.
However, Sovereign — under fire recently for generous performance fees paid to its top executives — said it was “not aware of a ‘competitor transaction’ and the board is not engaged in any discussions in this regard.”
But Sovereign did say it is considering implementing a number of potential strategic initiatives — including the conclusion of a black economic empowerment transaction. The company said this was at an advanced stage.
