NEWS2 November 2007 Page 3

Gcina Mhlopheto give talkGCINA Mhlophe will give aretrospective lecture at theAlbert Luthuli Museum inGroutville on 15 November,starting at 11am.

Mhlophe, an acclaimedactress, storyteller, poet,playwright and author, willgive the lecture to mark the40th anniversary of ChiefLuthuli’s death.

This event is part of theUmdwebo Lifestyle Festivalin greater Ballito from 9 to17 November. To book,contact Henk Swanepoel on082 444 1825 or emailinfo@umdwebo.co.za .

Crazy Gamesat beachfrontTEAMS from across thecountry will descend onDurban from 5 to 15November to compete inCrazy Games, which will bescreened on SABC2 nextmonth. The show will berecorded live at thebeachfront Amphitheatre, infront of the Elangeni Hotel,and the public are invited tojoin the studio audience.

Teams will don their mostcolourful costumes and areexpected to brave a seriesof challenges and races overextreme obstacles.

City backs waron poverty THE City lent its support tothe fight against poverty andinequality by joining theworldwide “Stand Up SpeakOut” campaign last month.

At a midday meeting onthe City Hall steps,members of the publicjoined officials and DeputyMayor Logie Naidoo topledge their support for thecampaign and wear symbolicwhite wrist bands. They alsosang We are the World.

Greyville gigfor Groban US SINGER Josh Groban hasconfirmed he will be inDurban early next year aspart of his second tour toSouth Africa. Groban will beperforming at the GreyvilleRacecourse on Sunday, 16March. Audiences are invitedto bring picnic baskets,blankets and chairs andenjoy the show al fresco.

Tickets are R250. Call 086 112 1333.

Digital Doveflies highA CO-FOUNDER of theWentworth Organisation ofWomen, Patricia Dove, hasreceived a Jane MetcalfeDigital Opportunity Award inWashington. Dove wasrecognised for her work intechnology in the Austerville-Wentworth community. Shehas also been instrumentalin the leadership of acomputer centre in the area.

IN BRIEF

KEN MCHUNU

A GROUP of unemployedUmlazi E-section residentsis helping to save young liveson the township’s roads bymanning scholar patrols.

Before the group, dubbedUbuntu Bemvelo, startedwith their work in 2005,barely a week would passwithout a child being hurt orkilled in an accident.

But since then there hasbeen a marked improve-ment, as Ubuntu Bemvelo’s47-member scholar patrolteam has put the brakes onjaywalking and helped keepmotorists in line.

Despite a lack of properroad safety equipment andno wages, the goodSamaritans rise at dawneach school day to see thatchildren get to and fromclass safely.

Mandlenkosi Hadebe, afounding member ofUbuntu Bemvelo, said they

were now patrolling at morethan 10 primary schools ineight sections of Umlazi.

Hadebe said most primaryschools in the townships didnot have road safety

facilities.“There are nospeed humps, zebracrossings or robots nearschools. Children areexpected to cut busy roadsto get to schools and this hasclaimed many lives,” he said.

CampaignsHadebe said the City’s

Engineering Departmenthad inspected roads nearsome schools in the area,with a view to installingspeed humps to calm traffic.

Meanwhile, Hadebe andhis colleagues were takingroad safety campaigns toschools on weekends, toimprove children’sknowledge, which he saidwas generally poor.

Hadebe said they had metward councillors who hadarranged for the City’sTransport Authority to handout road safety flyers toschool children.

“Councillors have been

instrumental in the work weare doing.

“We also meet MetroPolice to acquire training sowe can impart theknowledge to children,” hesaid.

Things seem to be runningsmoothly, however Hadebesaid Ubuntu Bemvelo is indire need of funding.

Much of the equipmentthey use is made ofcardboard and plastic.

“The recent rains have leftall our equipment damaged.We have had to buy newboards and make newsignage,” said Hadebe.

Hadebe has appealed forbusinesses to chip in to helpthis worthy course.

He said this would help theteam expand.

“The aim is to cover all ofUmlazi,” he said.

Mandlenkosi Hadebe canbe contacted on078 310 2688.

MchunuK@durbanm.gov.za

THEMBA NYATHIKAZI

THE municipality’s new RatesPolicy comes into effect nextJuly, when properties acrossgreater Durban will be ratedon their market values for thevery first time.

Individual units in asectional title complex willalso now be rated and willreceive their very own ratesaccount.

“The policy makes provis-ion for rebates to pensioners,medically boarded personsand disability grantees, prov-

ided they meet certain cri-teria,” said Krish Kumar, Dep-uty City Manager: Treasury.

“Properties damaged bynatural disaster, land reformbeneficiaries, sporting bod-ies, public benefit organisa-tions and agricultural prop-erty will qualify for rebates.”

For more information pickup a Rates Policy documentfrom the City Hall, libraries,clinics and banking halls, orvisit: www.durban.gov.za andgive your comments by 7December.

Nyathikazit@durban.gov.za

Rates: have your say

Revenue system update

CIVIC SPIRIT: Helping Umlazi children get to schoolsafely are members of the Ubuntu Bemvelo scholarpatrol team Matilda Tlou, Zodwa Hadebe, MandlenkosiHadebe, Busisiwe Chiliza, Zoleka Sibutha, KhehlaLangazana and Petros Mtolo Picture: KEN MCHUNU

THEMBA NYATHIKAZI

THE new Revenue Manage-ment System (RMS) foreThekwini is another stepcloser to reality, with theappointment of a datacleansing team to root outinaccurate records from thedatabase of rates, electricityand water customers.

Deputy City Manager forTreasury Krish Kumar saidthe development was a signof progress towards the final

phasing out of the existing in-house COINS system.

The new system will havethe ability to consolidate acustomer’s various accountsinto one, easily accessedaccount.

“Critical to the success ofRMS is the state and accuracyof the data being migratedfrom the current systems tothe new system,” Kumar said.The Data Cleansing teamwould help ensure this.

Nyathikazit@durban.gov.za

Electricity boss in hot seat

Patrols put brakes on Umlazi road deaths

Green Machine

THE Springboks, back from their World Cup triumph in Paris, delighted their Durbanfans with a tour of the city on Sunday. EThekwini and the provincial governmenthelped ensure a heroes’ welcome by laying on flags and vuvuzelas for supporters.INSET: Captain John Smith with Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo Picture: KEN MCHUNU

GUGU BLOSE

THE Head of the City’s Elec-tricity Department, SandileMaphumulo, was made Pres-ident of the Association ofMunicipal Electricity Under-takings – Southern Africa at arecent function at the ICC.

Maphumulo, who has comea long way professionally,having started with thedepartment as an apprentice,is entitled to a measure ofpride, but he would also dowell to be steeling himself forthe challenges ahead.

His election, at the asso-ciation’s 60th convention,comes at a time when he andhis peers are having to

grapple with manythorny issues.

These include“load shedding”,and the restruc-turing of electricitydistribution in thecountry to a regionalsystem.

Deputy MayorLogie Naidoo askedthe delegates at theconvention to applytheir minds to theseissues.

“We hope you find ways toaddress these problems asyou sit here as experts in yourfield. As Africans our creativejuices flow in time of crisis.This is when we need to get

solutions to theproblems we face,”Naidoo said.

In his appoint-ment speech, Map-humulo thanked hiswife who he said hadbeen a pillar ofstrength.

“My wife hasalways supportedme. And when I havenot done well shehas told me to tryagain until I have

reached my goal,” he said.Also at the convention was

Phindile Nzimande, ChiefExecutive of Electricity Dis-tribution Industry Holdings.

The state-owned company

has been given the job by thenational government ofgetting municipalities to cedetheir right to distributeelectricity to six, still-to-be-established Regional Elec-tricity Distributors (REDs).

The restructuring poses apossible threat to theincomes of municipalitiesand has come in for criticismfrom a number of quarters,including City ManagerMichael Sutcliffe.

Sutcliffe has in the pasturged Nzimande to makesure the reform does not putcities “into a precarioussituation”.

Nzimande gave the con-vention a presentation high-

lighting the road travelledthus far towards restruc-turing. “It is common know-ledge that the first RED inCape Town collapsed but thathas taught us a lot of lessons,”said Nzimande.

“Although the programmehas experienced manychallenges, including delaysin execution, ambivalentsupport from stakeholdersand because the process is anegotiation, the timeframesare not reasonable ones.

“We have, however, madecontingencies for all thesefactors and the process is wellon its way. Have no fear theroad is quiet clear,” she said.

BloseGugu@durban.gov.za

SANDILEMAPHUMULO