The challenge is part of a country-wide campaign to raise R2.5million for cancer control services between March and July 2010 through various golf challenges.

To be part of this campaign to help Cansa save lives, companies or individuals are encouraged to sponsor a tee-box or a green for R500 or donate prizes for the competition.

Profits from the golf day will go towards Cansa. “They can also encourage others to participate in this note-worthy event,” said Fish River Sun operations manager, Wessel Benson.

The resort’s golf course is voted 28th in Golf Digest’s list of the top 100 courses in South Africa, and has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful.

The 18 hole, Gary Player-designed course is a Parklands Course and not a Links, but when the wind blows, it offers a great challenge to all handicaps.

It is also beautifully kept and in designing the course, Player went to great lengths to ensure that the outstanding natural features of the area were not compromised.

Sports promotions sales assistant Stefan Ferreira said the format of the Sanlam Cancer Challenge will be an individual stableford for men and women and tee-off will be from 8am to 10.30am on the day.

“The entry fee of R100 per person will go to Cansa,” said Ferreira.

Winners from each of the three divisions will qualify (these winners must be members of The Fish River Sun Country Club) to enter the regional finals.

The women’s and men’s regional final will take place on August 29 at the Uitenhage Golf Course.

Winners of the regional finals will qualify to play in the finals of the competition taking place at the Sun City, Gary Player course on October 25 and 26.

For more information about the event, contact Ferreira on 0415831968. – By BRIAN McLEAN

source: Daily Dispatch

VW said it would invest about €70 million ($85 million) on top of around €500 million already ploughed into South Africa over the past four years as part of its goal to become the world’s biggest carmaker.

“The Uitenhage plant plays an important role in this context,” a statement quoted VW chairman Martin Winterkorn as saying.

Production at the plant is expected to double this year as its press shop is modernised and expanded with €50 million in investment.

Another €23 million is expected to be spent on a new distribution centre in Centurion, near Pretoria, the statement said.

“Volkswagen is the market leader on South Africa’s passenger car market. Our existing investment, coupled with the new measures, lays the foundation for staying on our growth path,” Winterkorn said.

VW hopes to overtake Toyota as the world’s leading carmaker by 2018.

source: I-Net Bridge/Business Report

And that the designer of South Africa’s iconic flag – said to be the world’s third-best known – attributes his success in heraldry to the nurturing of the Eastern Cape when he was a student at Rhodes University.

Sontonga’s descendants still live in Uitenhage and Frederick Brownell, now in his 70s, lives in Pretoria. Brownell also designed the Eastern Cape coat of arms.

“The powerful impact the Eastern Cape has on people is evident in the immense contributions of Enoch Sontonga and Frederick Brownell,” said Nomfundo wakwa Luphondwana, general manager of provincial communication in the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier.

“Today we celebrate 16 years of freedom and democracy. It marks a milestone in the history of our nation – and a time to reflect and celebrate the journey that we travelled to achieve our freedom and democracy.

“These two national heroes must be commended for the massive role they have played in shaping the symbolic backdrop of South African freedom.”

Sontonga’s beautiful hymn brought comfort and joy to millions of people during the struggle years.

“It reminds us of God’s blessing over our land and people, as we celebrate our unity and ability to forgive and overcome. We are also humbled when we are reminded of Enoch Sontonga’s modest, obscure and short life (he died aged 32) – and the incredible gift which he left us with,” said Luphondwana.

Sontonga – a teacher, choirmaster and lay preacher – wrote the hymn for his school choir in 1897 as a prayer for God’s blessing over South Africa and its people, and also composed the music.

The famous song was reworked after 1994, symbolising the union of South Africa’s people.

He trained as a teacher at Lovedale Training College in the Eastern Cape before going to Johannesburg, where he taught at the Methodist Mission School.

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was first recorded in 1923, thanks to famous South African writer Sol Plaatje’s efforts. Seven verses were added by the Xhosa poet Samuel Mqhayi.

Brownell – who was born and raised on a farm in the former Orange Free State – came to the Eastern Cape in 1959 to study at Rhodes University.

“If it wasn’t for history and my inspiring lecturer Winifred Maxwell, I would not have ended up in the heraldry,” said Brownell of his Eastern Cape education.

Brownell was State herald from 1982 to 2002. He started sketching the flag when the crumbling apartheid government released Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.

“I had just finished the national flag of Namibia in 1990 when it became quite clear to me that the South African flag would have to change. I started soon afterward,” Brownell recalled.

“I couldn’t get there for a couple of years, then one day in about August 1993 it was as though a light bulb had gone off and I came up with the themes of convergence and unification.

“In many ways, the whole process we were going through was around those two ideas and a convergence of the history of flag colours was in order.”

His design, however, remained under cover as a nationwide public competition was under way, drawing in more than 7 000 designs from citizens. Six were presented, but none received support.

Brownell submitted his design only as an interim flag, given the short deadline for the April 27 elections and Nelson Mandela’s May 10 inauguration.

“The challenge was to find something that would be acceptable to (the whole population) – it’s like you have 40 million pairs of eyes on you, a scary process.

“When it came to the crunch, by 1995/96 the people at large had spoken and the interim flag was accepted. All I can say is I heaved an enormous sigh of relief that it had worked.”

Today the South African flag has been adopted as the logo of Brand South Africa, South African Tourism, the Proudly South African campaign and, more recently, it will be rolled out in the Eastern Cape as the Brand Eastern Cape version.

Asked how he felt knowing his design was the third most-recognised flag in the world, he humbly replied that he had had no real sense of the enormity until 1995, when he was awarded the world’s premier award for flag science in Poland. “I realised the enormity of things only after they had happened. I must stress there is no meaning to individual colours. It was a natural phenomenon – but with symbols, you know, they start to achieve a life of their own,” said Brownell.

He also designed the Eastern Cape coat of arms – another legacy he has left the province.

His trips by train to Alicedale and Grahamstown en route to university affected his imagery of the Eastern Cape.

“Hence the iconic use of aloes, an Nguni shield, the rising sun and many rivers of the province, but it’s only a small contribution,” he maintained. — By AMY SHELVER, The Herald, Avusa Group News

source: Daily Dispatch Online

This week Brimstone signalled an intention to cast off its investment in fashion retailer Rex Trueform (RexTru).

Brimstone acquired an effective 34.6% stake in RexTru in late 2007.

At last count, the empowerment company’s interest in Rextru was spread as follows: 242 654 Rextru ordinary shares and 2.6 million Rextru N-shares as well as 254 126 ordinary shares and 3.7 million N-shares in Rextru’s pyramid holding African & Overseas Enterprises.

That’s a holding roughly worth R50m, but – more importantly – a holding representing a big chunk of a company which cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be regarded as one of the JSE’s most liquid counters.

Despite the canine connotation of Rex – having been schooled in the classics at Muir College in Uitenhage, I do know Rex is actually latin for “king” – the company is no dog. Rextru, which owns the Queenspark fashion chain, has proved a remarkably resilient (and rewarding) business over the years.

Originally, Rextru was to form part and parcel of Brimstone’s longer-term plans to build a fashion brand house around its clothing manufacturing subsidiary, House of Monatic (HoM).

I suspect that plan is no longer on the table. And Brimstone directors admit as much in commentary that accompanies the company’s recently released year to end-December results.

In reference to the Rextru investment, they noted: “Events and developments within the clothing industry and specifically within Brimstone’s clothing cluster have given cause for Brimstone to review its strategy.”

Brimstone unlikely to be panicked

In this regard Rextru is no longer considered strategic, which means Brimstone is “actively pursuing opportunities to extract maximum value” from the Rextru investment.

For those that need reminding, Brimstone’s clothing cluster was dealt a heavy body blow when subsidiary Fifth Element was liquidated after some unsavoury business practices were uncovered in an internal investigation.

In any event HoM – which thankfully does hold some valuable industrial properties – posted a loss of R30m after factoring in write-offs and expenses.

Still, Brimstone probably won’t be panicked into selling Rextru. Indeed the empowerment company, which has a strong portfolio ranging from healthcare to fishing and assurance to insurance, can afford to sit back and collect the dividends from Rextru.

I reckon, though, Brimstone has done a clever thing in “putting out” its intentions for Rextru. It certainly would not surprise me to hear that Brimstone was inundated with polite calls of enquiry from interested parties – probably ranging from larger fashion retailers to private equity specialists.

I even wonder whether former asset manager Hugh Roberts, who already holds a sizeable position in Rextru, might be tempted to harness a bigger stake?

While there should be no shortage of buyers for Brimstone’s Rextru stake, there is a question around price. When Brimstone struck the deal to buy out Old Mutual’s stake in Rextru and Af&Over, the shares were trading at around 800c and 600c respectively on the JSE.

The shares have crept up, but are still – according to my calculations – trading below tangible net asset value. NAV aside, the earnings multiple on Rextru is well below its larger peers like Foschini, Mr Price and Truworths.

In other words, I don’t think Brimstone will be looking at a 1 000c/share offer for its Rextru shares or 800c/share for its Af&Over shares.

The thing is that there is so much potential tucked away in Rextru, more specifically Queenspark, that it seems quite possible that a larger fashion conglomerate or private equity firm could well be willing to fork out a premium.

One has to consider that Rextru, run for generations as a family-controlled business, has always erred on the side of caution.

Quite striking is the fact that at last count Rextru had over R100m in the bank and a chain of around 50 Queenspark stores.

Perhaps the real potential of the business could come to the fore with a chain of 100 Queenspark stores and only R50m in the bank?

source: – Fin24.com

Konki, who is International Boxing Federation lightweight contender Ali Funeka’s business manager, said he would not have a problem being the club’s new owner after United owners, Izingwe Holdings’ decision to get rid of the club.

Izingwe Holdings threw in the towel after United’s failure to return to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) next season.

“Izingwe Holdings regrets to announce that Bay United Football Club will immediately cease conducting business while beginning an extensive process that may lead to the sale of the club,” a statement released by the club said.

“I’m going to speak to my legal advisers in Port Elizabeth about whether to get involved at Bay United or not. I could be interested in the club as many people have called asking me to buy it,” said Konki.

Apart from the club’s failure to return to the PSL, the owners say there were other issues that prompted them to give up on Umlilo.

These included the PSL’s imposition of a R1.3 million liability following the club’s retrenchment of players at the end of the 2008/9 season.

Their unsuccessful attempts to get financial and other forms of sponsorship assistance from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the Eastern Cape provincial government and commercial sponsors, also contributed to Izingwe Holdings’ decision. “We will engage with all the creditors of the club, including the players. No final decision will be taken until discussions have been held with all relevant parties.

“We undertake to do our best to resolve this matter in the best interests of all parties,” said club boss Sipho Pityana.

Pityana tried to sell United to Konki after they were relegated from the PSL at the end of last season, but the deal fell through.

Pityana informed Konki last year that he was selling United for R15m, but the Johannesburg-based businessman said he was prepared to part with only R5m. “There was no way that I could pay that kind of money for a team that had just been relegated from the PSL.

“I was only prepared to pay R5m but I got no response after writing to Pityana indicating my interest,” said Konki.

- By MONWABISI JIMLONGO

source: Daily Dispatch

A ONE-OF-A-KIND designer dress and a chance to model it is just one of the great prizes The Herald Spec- Savers Miss Port Elizabeth 2010 finalists can look forward to.

A group of talented local designers has been given the task of designing a dream dress for each of the finalists, to be worn at the gala.

Mum’s has sponsored the 10 designers with R10000 and they have been told to let their imaginations run wild to create the ultimate “red carpet diva” design. The look must be feminine and beautiful, with a subtle underlying sex appeal.

The chosen designers include up-and-coming couturiers Natalie Creed, Megan Holden, Zuhdi Abdol, Ati Qina and Thabo Makhetha, who wowed audiences during the Weekend Post Fashion Challenge last year, and well- known local designers and regular La Femme bridal fair exhibitors Colinda Raath, Lee-Anne Griffiths, Leandra Fourie, Jason Kieck and Johan Wolmarans.

The designer dress prize goes with a host of others for the winner and runners-up, adding up to a total of R546000. The title winner alone will receive prizes worth more than R345029.

This includes an all-expenses- paid cruise on the MSC Sinfonia to Portuguese Island in the Bay of Maputo in southern Mozambique, courtesy of Uniglobe Bay Travel, and the use of a new 1,4 Polo Comfortline, including insurance for the year, from Market Square VW, Uitenhage.

Those interested in winning The Herald Spec-Savers Miss Port Elizabeth 2010 title can go to www.theherald.co.za for how to enter and call 041-5047300 to book a free photographic shoot.

Source: The Weekend Post

Members of Bhisho’s standing committee on education yesterday visited Jubilee Park Primary School, where they promised the woes of the school’s plank classrooms would be a thing of the past.

Standing committee chairman Mzoleli Mrara and chief whip Christian Martin highlighted government’s commitment to building new classrooms and erecting a boundary fence.

Mrara, who visited the school for the second time since October, said the situation at Jubilee was unacceptable.

Some classrooms had no electricity and there were holes in the roof, making it impossible to work.

“I have noted it’s like night time on days when it is overcast and this is unacceptable,” he said.

“There is no fence at this school, and I know it is difficult to control discipline and the school is vulnerable to thugs,” he said.

He said Jubilee Park Primary would be on the education department’s priority list.

“It is our responsibility to restore dignity to this school and I am committing myself to ensuring new classrooms are built.”

Jubilee Park Primary principal Lorna Basuman said 20 new classrooms were needed, including a science laboratory and a library.

Former principal Hamilton Peterson said pupils had suffered over the years.

“In winter water comes into the classrooms.

“The place was even named a health hazard by health department officials and the municipality,” he said.

The committee addressed the Chatty Greenfields community in Booysen Park on plans for the establishment of a mobile classroom.

Mrara said work on a plot for a mobile school would begin next week.

He said 275 children who were idling at home because of a shortage of schools in Chatty Greenfields had been registered as part of a plan to establish a mobile school in the area.

The children, predominantly from grades R to 2, will receive classes at the primary school by next quarter.

Mrara said: “Every child must go to school because we are building the future.”

He pleaded with the community to look after the mobile school and the permanent school that was to be built next year.

source: The Weekend Post

While water restrictions do not yet apply to industry, the tyre firm is trying to save where it can, in light of the Eastern Cape’s critical water shortage.

Utilities manager Douglas North said last week that the Uitenhage plant had adopted a three-fold approach to saving water. It recycled waste water from its boiler house, collected and reused water run-off, and ensured steam condensate from various production processes did not go to waste.

The recovered water was either redirected through a newly-installed, separate plumbing system to the plants’ toilets or used as makeup water for cooling machinery. The firm had also installed numerous water meters to monitor water usage – and further reduce consumption where it could.

North said: “Goodyear’s biggest water user is our boiler house. It uses an electro-boiler – where the water itself is the element and therefore must be very pure. We make use of a reverse osmosis filter plant to purify city water, but it has a high backwash cleaning cycle. For each litre of water it cleans up, about half a litre is wasted. This water used to go into the sewer system. Now, it is directed to our toilets or process water that is used to cool machinery.”

He said the recycled water was being closely monitored by water treatment experts to ensure it was sufficiently clean and not corrosive to the firm’s piping system.

“The water recovered from the reverse osmosis process has a high dissolved solid content. This is reduced by blending it with recycled water.”

Goodyear Risk Control manager Rene van der Merwe said the plant also utilised a pit designed to catch storm water run-off along with any other water resulting from leaks, for example, in the plant.

“The water is passed through filters and then redirected to a storage tank and collected as required.”

The company’s water saving initiative was primarily driven by the severe water shortage in the Eastern Cape. However, it also formed part of a larger Goodyear philosophy termed the “3-R principle” – reduce, reuse and recycle

“From an environmental point of view, Goodyear We evaluate all potential waste by the 3-R principle to minimise our impact on the environment,” Van der Merwe said.

In addition to its water-saving initiative, the plant was recently recognised for its eco-friendly waste management – resulting in an 85% reduction of non-recyclable waste – with its on-site waste management supplier achieving ISO 14001 certification, one of the highest global standards for environmental management systems.

source:  The Weekend Post

PAUL Verryn is a member of the dying breed of activist priests. A church minister since he was 21, Verryn says all he ever wanted was to fight for – and with – the poor.

In an interview just before his suspension by the Methodist Church, this social activist spoke of his history and inspiration.

“My first social conscientising was at a very young age with our helper, Julie Nkadimeng. She always shared stories of how apartheid affected her family.

“What I took from her was that it was a system that alienated black people. She took a bet with me that I would forget what she taught me and I vowed to never forget.”

The embattled 58-year-old Pretoria- born clergyman admits that he “can be rude and my tongue can be cutting”.

He is no stranger to being at odds with the powers that be.

His latest battle with his own church led to his suspension on January 18. His disciplinary hearing, originally scheduled for February 1, has been postponed indefinitely.

Verryn is charged with instituting legal proceedings – without church authority – for the appointment of a curator to safeguard the interests of unaccompanied minors living at the church in the Johannesburg CBD – and of making media statements after being instructed not to do so.

He would not be drawn into commenting on his legal woes but said: “I will find another way of working with the poor, with or without the church. They have become my companions.”

The church is home to thousands of Zimbabwean refugees. While there have been attempts to remove them, nothing has happened.

This week those we approached for comment were reluctant to say much about Verryn’s battles for fear of getting him into more trouble.

Verryn said his political awakening came in 1973 when he moved to Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, as a junior minister. He publicly took a stand against apartheid by associating with the ANC and other liberation movements.

He drew inspiration from other activist clergymen such as Beyers Naudé, Peter Storey and Mvume Dandala, who advocated for social justice.

“The nature of my work has not allowed me to marry and have a family as the church allows. I think the Catholic doctrine of celibacy is more sensible (but) who knows when things will change.”

Verryn was born to a German-Irish mother and a Dutch-French father. They separated when he was still young. “My father was a red-hot Jan Smuts supporter. He went to war (Second World War). My mother was a real Nazi. That always caused tension.”