Under investigation is the killing of 34-year-old Simone Rasper from Leonsdale in Elsies River. The mother of three was shot in the chest on Friday night and everyone in the area is on edge. Rival gangs are fighting each other, and people are afraid of leaving their homes.
The chairperson of the Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF), Hamish Arries, says that it is very sad that we have to step on blood-stained pavements, and somebody has got to clean the blood.
He says that our community are caught in a vice grip of lawlessness currently. We just stepped out of the festive season that was calm and peaceful and they hoped and prayed that it would be like that forever, but sadly it was short-lived. There is an escalation of violence in hotspots areas.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen reminds citizens that reporting the whereabouts of illegal firearms on 021 466 0011 can earn them up to R5 000. Should the weapon successfully be confiscated and it leads to an arrest and conviction you will receive the reward.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment are appealing to the public to not eat marine life that are washing up onto West Coast shores because of red tide. The department says that the appearance of washed-up lobsters carries significant health risks, rendering them unsuitable for consumption.
The sea life could be toxic and may be dangerous for human health. Ingestion of these toxins can lead to severe adverse reactions and even fatalities. Red tides are algal blooms that are accumulations of large amounts of phytoplankton - single-cell algae. Scientists are doing research, namely the West Coast Rock Lobster Walkout Contingency Plan.
DFFE spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa says that these blooms may be harmful due to their toxicity and/or due to their drastically reducing oxygen levels in the sea as they begin to decay. These, in turn, often result in mass mortalities of marine organisms. Possibly the best-known impact is on the West Coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii), locally called kreef. Mass mortalities of this species are called ‘walkouts’
The City of Cape Town’s Urban Energy Poverty Programme goals are to give informal settlements safe, sustainable and affordable energy sources. In a statement released access to household power and public lighting remains a pressing concern, exacerbated by the risk of devastating fires associated with open flames.
In a proactive move to alleviate urban energy poverty and enhance community well-being, the City of Cape Town has recently launched the innovative Urban Energy Poverty Programme that focuses on informal settlements where grid-connected electrification is not feasible. City Mayoral Committee Member and Councillor Beverley van Reenen says that they are engaged in collaborative efforts with active community partners and experts in the alternative energy sector. Engaging with organisations such as iShack, Zonke Energy, and the University of Exeter, the city explores innovative solutions to empower communities and enhance energy access.
In the South African constitution, Chapter 2 - Section 24 - Housing: Everyone has the right to have access to adequate housing. (2) The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of this right. (3) No one may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished, without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstances. No legislation may permit arbitrary evictions.
According to the Global Africa Network to deal with what Rali Mampeule - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the African Housing and Infrastructure Fund - for South Africa’s “two-million-unit housing crisis” established the South African Housing and Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF). This is a means of changing the narrative of affordable housing within the landscape of South Africa.
Rali is clear that the goals transcend simply building houses. He adds that at AHIF, they recognise the urgent continental and global need for upgrading or building new infrastructure to ensure accessible affordable housing, clean water, transportation, electricity, sanitation and digital infrastructure.
Utilising day hospitals that focus on same-day surgical procedures, offering operating theatres and ward accommodations at a lower cost compared to traditional acute hospitals. MD of Advanced Health South Africa Bibi Goss-Ross says using day hospitals can prevent excess strain on their medical scheme funds by taking charge of their health-care decisions. Procedures like colonoscopies, cataract surgeries and tonsil removals may be easy on your pocket and can be done efficiently in day hospitals.
Wealthier South Africans are starting to use day hospitals more often with medical aid schemes realising the benefits. When building a new day hospital planners make the space efficient. They keep in mind that surgeons need to focus on many patients and to reduce backlogs they perform procedures in a shorter amount of time.
Goss-Ross says that day hospitals offer cost-effective surgeries while maintaining the highest quality and safety standards. Anyone eligible for day surgery should strongly request this option as the smart alternative in hospitalisation.
Radio is in its second century and is considered the most dependable form of media. The theme for this year is a century informing, entertaining and educating.
Radio’s roots are deeply rooted in the 1800s and according to the history books Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio. He was an Italian electrical engineer. He built on the work of James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz, he then created a working radio transmitter.
Canadian experimenter Reginald Fessenden transmitted the first voice and music signals heard over radio waves in December 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts.
Pictures
Elsies River Day Hospital pictures: Ilhaam Hoosain
