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25 October - 30 November 2018

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Drinking increases death risk Page 7

Education project for autistic children ‘This lab will provide children with autism ability to connect with the world through technology to enhance their self-worth and address their educational needs’ Corine Saunders

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Health and Social Development MMC Mpho Phalatse

he City of Joburg, in partnership with Autism SA and iSchoolAfrica have launched an education programme that supports children with autism.

Joburg’s Health and Social Development MMC Mpho Phalatse said the project, named Jozi iSchool Africa lab was launched recently at Nokuthula Special School in Lyndhurst. She said the partnership intended for the most vulnerable would enhance the tools for teaching autistic children.

“The Jozi iSchool Africa lab will help children with autism to connect with the

world through technology. The city has taken a serious stance on early childhood development programmes as one of its Diphetogo projects, to ensure that children’s human rights of access to quality education is realised,” she said.

The MMC added that the partnership with iSchool Africa aimed at empowering teachers with educational technology and classroom practices that assist learners with autism to overcome their learning difficulties. “This lab will provide children with autism ability to connect with the world through technology to enhance their self-worth and address their educational needs,” Phalatse added.

The managing director of iSchoolAfrica Michelle Lissoos said the partnership with the City of Joburg is important for the education of children with intellectual disabilities, including autism.

“It is important to support programmes that build an inclusive society and empower the children. We have seen huge successes with use of iPads among children with autism. With the iPad, children with autism have even greater opportunities to improve their communication, motor and cognitive skills,” Lissoos said.

The partnership has benefitted 20 pupils with autism, and 20 iPads were handed over to the school during the launch.

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Diepsloot Messenger

News

25 October - 30 November 2018

Community welcomes crime prevention drive Dintle Makgoba

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Police officers visit a shop during the crime prevention exercise

uring the recent Gauteng Community Safety Thuma Mina Peace Walk in Diepsloot, police raided suspicious shops and arrested three crime suspects.

Community members thronged the streets and expressed happiness to see the officers conducting crime prevention activities in their neighbourhoods.

During the raids three men were arrested, and one confessed to be a nyaope user and asked to be taken to a rehabilitation centre.

Community Safety spokesperson Hlulani Mashaba said there is a scourge of drugs in many Gauteng communities. “This walk is also aimed at warning communities about the dangers of engaging in substance and alcohol abuse. Community mobilisation is key in the

fight against the drugs,” he said.

Mashaba added that the Thuma Mina walks are aimed at enhancing community policing relations. “We have noticed that police trust has deteriorated, so this is one way to restore trust with the communities,” he said.

A man was arrested after papers resembling material used for motor license discs were found at his internet cafe. At another block of shops two men were found with bank cards and identity documents belonging to several people, and were also arrested.

A self-proclaimed nyaope user Mduduzi Dladla, 28, said he has taken the drug since 2007, and asked to be taken to a rehabilitation centre. “I stopped attending school in Grade 11 because I did not have support at home, which made me fail to go ahead with education.”

Dladla added that before he started taking drugs he worked for a Johannesburg exhibition company between 2012 and 2016.

“At work we had to carry heavy equipment, so they would test us for drugs. I usually managed to pass the test but I got caught when a random test was done and I was fired. Now my family wants nothing to do with me, because when we take drugs we mess things up and sometimes even for the neighbours,” he said.

Dladla added that he did not care if the drugs killed him because that would probably bring peace of mind to his mother.

“But I wish the department could assist us faster because this drug eats the body. At the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) we only get help after some months and we lose hope,” he said.

Court jails Diepsloot killers Corine Saunders

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he Randburg Magistrates’ Court recently sentenced two men who are twins to an effective 12 years in prison, for murdering their sister-in-law’s boyfriend.

Magistrate Lebogang Leshaba found the 28-year-old twins, Luvo and Siyamthanda Gontsana guilty of murder.

The two brothers from Dieplsoot‚ stabbed Samuel Mokgane to death in September 2016. That was after they found the deceased in the shack that their brother shared with his wife‚ Andisiwe Diko.

Magistrate Leshaba pronounced Diko as a credible state witness during the murder trial of the men. In her statement Diko said she tried to stop the two men from attack-

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ing Mokgane‚ but they pushed her away.

“Samuel Mokgane also tried to plead with them not to stab him. He asked them to talk about the issue but they refused to listen to him‚” Diko’s statement said.

The twins’ family members apparently did not attend the court session. The men showed no emotion and had their heads bowed most of the time.

Magistrate Leshaba said the twins showed no remorse, and direct imprisonment was the only suitable sentence.

“You both pleaded not guilty to murder, and never admitted what you did. You also never told the court why you did what you did; even after it found both of you guilty of the murder‚ you still maintained that you were innocent‚” the magistrate said.

25 October - 30 November 2018

Diepsloot Messenger

Some of the community members to participated in the cancer awareness campaign.

Community in cancer awareness campaign Dintle Makgoba

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he Momes Foundation and the Sedumedi Hope Foundation recently conducted a Cancer Awareness Walk to raise awareness about the disease.

Participants wearing pink and white clothing took a five-kilometre walk along Ingonyama Road, beginning and ending at the Diepsloot Youth Centre.

Gauteng Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa also attended the event, together with Momes Foundation chairperson Nonhlakanipho Nedzamba and local Councillor Kate Mphahlele.

Sedumedi Hope Foundation founder and

cancer survivor, Refilwe Sedumedi said in 2013 she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. “The lump was on my left breast for about three years before I consulted a doctor. I underwent surgery to remove the cancerous lymph nodes and then chemotherapy; and I was healed. If I had not gone through that, I would not be who I am now. We must fight to the finish, no matter how many times we fall,” she said.

Sedumedi encouraged all people to get regular screening for cancer.

“This is especially so with women, they must undergo mammograms at least once a year, and quickly contact health practitioners if they have any symptoms,” she said.

Wits varsity bans dagga Johannesburg - Wits University says its rules prohibiting cultivation and use of dagga at its campus stand, regardless of the recent and celebrated landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court decriminalising the private use of the drug.

In a recent statement the institution said: “The ruling is not prescriptive and the university retains the right to regulate activities within its precincts. After a thorough consideration of the ruling by the university’s legal advisors, the university is confident that its rules need not be changed in light of

this partial relaxation of the law pertaining to cannabis. For the avoidance of doubt, no part of the precincts of the university may be considered ‘private’ or a ‘private place’ for purposes of the use, possession or cultivation of cannabis.”

In September the Constitutional Court upheld a Western Cape High Court ruling that the private use of dagga by adults is legal.

The Constitutional Court judgment however stressed on legalising private use only, which ruled out public consumption and commercialisation of the dagga.

News

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Diepsloot Messenger

News

25 October - 30 November 2018

Call for drastic measures against tobacco smoking ‘Higher prices also discourage adolescents and teenagers from starting to smoke. Smokers therefore cut down or stop completely. This in turn reduces the tobacco-related harm, including the burden of disease and death’ Corine Saunders

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NCAS director Savera Kalideen

he National Council Against Smoking (NCAS) is campaigning for a 70 percent increase on tax for cigarettes; to reduce consumption and address the deficit between money spent on prevention and treatment of diseases caused by smoking.

NCAS director Savera Kalideen says the tax increase means the price of the product increases, making it less affordable to the smoker. “Higher prices also discourage adolescents and teenagers from starting to smoke.

Smokers therefore cut down or

stop completely. This in turn reduces the tobacco-related harm, including the burden of disease and death. Taxes collected from tobacco sales do not cover harm caused by the cigarettes they produce, R13 billion in tax income versus R59 billion in tobaccorelated harm,” she added.

Kalideen says NCAS wants tax gained from the industry to go towards prevention.

“The illicit cigarette trade, which makes cigarettes cheaper as they are not declared at SARS, and not taxable, is another challenge law enforcement must deal with. The illicit cigarette trade

is criminal activity. It’s not the person that is buying but the one making them available who is the problem. When someone is doing something illegal we expect law enforcement agencies to find those criminals and stop them,” she said.

Ilze Enslin of SARS legal policy unit said they are making inroads into clamping down on the illicit cigarette trade.

“An integrated approach with various business units within SARS has led to a seizure of 61.4 million sticks of cigarettes in 2017 during 383 enforcement actions conducted,” Enslin said.

Man jailed for killing ‘robber’ Johannesburg - The Johannesburg Regional Court recently sentenced a taxi driver to 15 years jail for murder, following an incident where he took the law into his own hands, according to police.

Police spokesperson Xoli Mbhele said Peter Mudau confessed to killing Themba Ndlela in August last year, when he accused Ndlela of having robbed him of money and two cellphones.

Mbhele said Mudau stoned Ndlela to death at corner Lilian Ngoyi and Fraser streets in the Joburg CBD. “Police had a difficult time calming Mudau when they arrived on the scene. He continued to assault the deceased with bricks even when police had instructed him to stop.

Ndlela sustained severe injuries to his head and paramedics declared him dead on the scene.”

“We appeal to the public to refrain from taking the law into their hands, and hope this sentence will warn people against committing such crimes,” Mbhele added.

School addresses social media bullying Dintle Makgoba

Diepsloot - A group of University of Johannesburg (UJ) students recently conducted an event to raise awareness about the dangers of cyberbullying for pupils of the Diepsloot Combined School.

During the event, which was held in collaboration with the Nokuzotha Networks NPO; UJ student Refilwe Motshegwa said they want the youth to be aware that cyberbullying can cause mental disturbances and more damage to the victims.

“The youth experience a lot of pressure as digital platforms rule our lives, and it is important for them not to bully others through social media,” Motshegwa said.

Another UJ student Andile Ncube

said cyberbullying occurs when people are not conscious of the things they say to each other, and when driven by jealous, envying what the other has.

“Most find it easier to bully someone while hiding behind a screen and to put someone down; and tend to be malicious because they know they can get away with it. We need to stop the chain of cyberbullying.

If the youth witness someone being cyberbullied, they must act against that, and be a support structure for the person being bullied.”

Diepsloot Combined School’s William Rambau said the event made a serious impact on the pupils. “This is an important issue as today everything is digital and most spend time on social media,” he added.

Protesters block the road during recent protest action in Zandspruit.

Bid to improve Zandspruit services

Corine Saunders

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ollowing protests that rocked the area, the City of Joburg and Eskom have decided to take steps to improve services in the area.

Residents of Zandspruit recently blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres protesting against illegal electricity connections. The protests flared up when two children were reportedly electrocuted by illegal power connections.

Joburg Environment and Infra-

structure Services MMC Nico de Jager arranged a meeting with City Power, Eskom and Zandspruit residents to look at their concerns.

In that meeting Eskom and the City of Joburg reached an agreement to rid the settlement of illegal electrical connections.

De Jager said about 19 000 people in Zandspruit are affected by illegal connections, and about half of the area is not electrified. “While some areas in Johannesburg are electrified by the City itself, others are supposed to be electrified

by Eskom, and Zandspruit is one of those,” he said.

De Jager added that City Power

has committed to provide public lighting to the Zandspruit community, and a budget has been made available to do so.

“Eskom has agreed to electrify the area, and this would be done in phases. Funding is needed from the Department of Energy, and this has now been arranged. The City will also bring the Department of Housing on board to see what can be done from its side,” he added.

Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said they held meetings with the community last year.

“Eskom committed to electrify the area, but part of the problem is the layout of the settlement that needs to be changed. The area needs proper streets and adequate space between houses, before electrification can be done. That is the function of the City of Johannesburg,” he said.

Phasiwe added that the City of Joburg agreed to relocate some residents in terms of their spatial planning.

25 October - 30 November 2018

Diepsloot Messenger

News ‘The armed criminals pounce on victims mainly at night, after throwing rocks from a bridge to hit vehicles, causing them to stop, or drivers get forced to stop when they find the road blocked with rocks’

Part of the deadly accident scene where four people were killed.

JMPD spokesperson Supt Wayne Minnaar

Four die in heavy vehicle crash Undercover cops to catch freeway thugs

Randburg - Four people were recently killed and 15 seriously injured when two trucks collided in Malibongwe Drive, Cosmo City.

ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said paramedics found two trucks in the middle of the road, one partially beneath the other.

“Several people who had been riding in the back of one of the trucks were scattered around the scene. Local authorities closed off the road while paramedics began to help the patients. Upon assessment, paramedics found that four people had sustained fatal injuries. Unfortunately, nothing could be done for

them and they were declared dead.

About 15 other patients were assessed, and four were found to be in a critical condition, while the remaining patients had sustained minor to moderate injuries.”

Meiring added that the patients were treated for their injuries, and the critically injured provided with advanced life support interventions.

“Three of the critically injured were airlifted to nearby hospitals, one by the ER24 helicopter. The remaining patients were transported by ambulance,” Meiring said.

He added that the details surrounding this deadly incident were not

yet known, but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.

Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi expressed sorrow about the incident to the families of those who were killed in the accident. “We would like to express our condolences to the families of all the deceased, and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery,” he said.

Vadi added that details concerning the cause of the accident were not yet known. “Law enforcement authorities will conduct a full investigation into the accident,” he said.

A screenshot from the video of the taxi driving in the wrong lane.

‘Reckless driving’ taximan arrested

Fourways - Following a video of a road rage incident that circulated on social media, police have arrested a taxi driver for alleged reckless and negligent driving.

Eblockwatch recently released the video of a fight between people believed to be a taxi driver and a motorcyclist, after the latter confronted the taxi driver for driving on the wrong side of the road.

Eblockwatch spokespersons Andre Snyman said the incident unfolded in Fourways after the motorcyclist confronted the taxi driver for driving on the wrong side of the road.

“The motorcyclist argued with the taxi driver who was driving on the wrong side of Ballyclare Drive in Bryanston; until the taxi driver reversed to drive on the correct side of the road.”

The video, uploaded onto YouTube, shows the biker stopping in front of the taxi driver, preventing him from driving into oncoming traffic. The driver protests, while other drivers shout at the taxi driver.

He eventually reverses and joins the correct lane.

Another driver who also challenged the taxi driver to use the

correct lane says: “You must not be driving on the wrong side of the road; you are putting people’s lives in danger.”

After the video footage circulated on social media, Joburg Metro police arrested the taxi driver at the Ivory Park taxi rank.

Metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said Metro police Chief David Tembe instructed a special unit that deals with hard-core cases to trace the taxi driver. “He was arrested at the Ivory Park taxi rank and faces charges of reckless and negligent driving,” Minnaar said.

Boy takes dad’s gun to school Pretoria - A teacher at Burger Right primary school recently found that a 14-year-old boy had a gun on school grounds, confiscated the weapon, alerted police and handed it over to them.

Police spokesperson Constable Tumisang Moloto said the gun

belongs to the boy’s 60-year-old father. “At this stage, it is unclear how the boy managed to get hold of the firearm. However, the father was arrested for negligence in safely keeping the firearm; and police will investigate the incident in collaboration with the Depart-

ment of Social Development.”

Moloto added that Tshwane West Cluster Commander Major General Tommy Mthombeni has raised concern with owners of licensed firearms, warning that they should adhere to the Firearms Control Act Number 60 of 2000.

Corine Saunders

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ollowing a spate of rockthrowing crimes on the N12 freeway, Joburg Metro police has launched undercover operations to arrest the criminals, according to spokesperson Wayne Minnaar.

This follows reports of violent incidents along the N12 freeway between Lenasia and the N1 freeway.

Minnaar said a motorist was killed recently after he lost control of the vehicle, after a rock hit his vehicle, and that motorists have been robbed and assaulted.

“The armed criminals pounce on victims mainly at night, after throwing rocks from a bridge to hit vehicles, causing them to stop, or drivers get forced to stop when they find the road blocked with rocks. We then decided to have undercover officers patrolling the area,” Minnaar said.

He added that the officers are patrolling in unmarked vehicles to prevent them from being identified by the criminals. He would however not reveal the number of officers working undercover, saying this would jeopardise operations.

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The Arts / Entertainment

Diepsloot Messenger

25 October - 30 November 2018

Actress consulted church

before taking witch role Dintle Makgoba

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zansi Magic drama The Herd actress Winnie Ntshaba says she first sought counselling from her church before she took up the role of MaMngadi the witch.

“I approached my pastor and told him this is a huge opportunity for me, but I also don’t want to enter the realm of darkness, as I know spirits and spells exist. I can’t turn around later and say, ‘I was joking’. The pastor said the church would cover me in prayer, so that I would be protected from any evil forces, and advised me to pray and go ahead with the role, because it is work,” Ntshaba says.

She became a big name as Khethiwe in Generations in the 1990s, and says she took a break from major roles after the Generations controversy when actors went on strike for their rights and payments.

She also changed her surname from Modise to her maiden surname after her divorce in 2013.

Actress Winnie Ntshaba

“Acting is my calling, I decided to put all my effort into it and go for auditions when my agent called.

That’s how I scored this current role,” she says.

Ntshaba obtained her BA drama honours degree at the University of Natal in 1997 and her first role was

on e.tv’s Backstage, where she played a pregnant streetkid.

Ntshaba says her role as a witch is a challenge. “I couldn’t research the current role, but I know that evil happens and tapped into my skills to bring justice to the character, it’s all about passion.”

She also credits her newfound self-confidence in her maturity. “I am enjoying my 40s; I have been through so much in my personal and professional life, I do not regret those experiences, and thank them for the lessons they taught me.

Now I am no longer a people pleaser, I am doing me and I am happy,” she says.

The actress adds that it is not about being relevant in the acting industry.

“The need to be relevant is why we have talented artists being depressed and killing themselves.

It’s way too much pressure; I am no longer a liker of things who wants to be seen at every social gathering. I am content being with my family and at peace,” she says.

Dumi Mkokstad

Thinah Zungu

Gospel collaboration creates golden sounds

Arts Correspondent

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n a collaborative effort gospel stars Dumi Mkokstad and Thinah Zungu have created a powerful album with great sounds and vocals.

The 15-track album, Ebeke Walunga uThixo, is the culmination of years of experience in the music industry. Mkokstad (Mdumiseni Nzimande) says fans called for the album. “We did a song together and gospel fans loved it, and have been asking for this collaboration since then. We thought a single wouldn’t work and decided on a full album.”

The album has received positive response on radio and in sales, as it has achieved gold status after over

20 000 copies have been sold.

Zungu says they used a different studio to ensure the sound is unique.

“Dumi is very strong on the spiritual side, and I am very strong on motivation. We combined the two flavours to produce something unique.”

Ebeke Walunga uThixo speaks to those who have lost faith in the power of God. “We are saying whenever we go through a situation in life we tend to doubt His power; if you count your blessings, you will realise that God has been good to you.

Don’t give up now,” Zungu adds.

Some of the songs were composed together with uMhlobo Wenene radio presenter Nomonde Vakalisa, and song writer Senzo Khumalo.

Cast members MaNgcobo (Dawn Thandeka King), Nkunzi (Masoja Msiza) and MaMlambo (Gugu Gumede)

Uzalo sets new TV record Dintle Makgoba SABC 1 television show, Uzalo has reached viewership of 10.2 million viewers, a new record-high for South African TV. Uzalo, set in KwaMashu in Durban is produced

by Stained Glass Pictures. On 25 September it reached a combined 10 251 231 viewers for the wedding drama when the scorned MaNgcobo (Thandeka King) turned up in a wedding dress with a gun at the wedding of her common-law husband Nkunzi (Masoja Msiza) and love rival MaMlambo (Gugu Gumede).

Uzalo producer Mmamitse Thibedi says they are thrilled to hit this milestone. “The team gives memorable and enthralling story lines, and audiences keep their screens locked onto Uzalo, we are all committed to continuing on this upward trend.”

SABC1 commissioning editor Fabian Rainers says Uzalo’s magic is in its consistency in story lines that resonate with society and deliver cred-

ible story lines. “The drama connects with audiences, making real impact.”

SABC group executive for TV, Nomsa Philiso said the partnership with Stained Glass Productions keeps exceeding all expectations. “We are confident that the programme is in line with our strategy of growing audiences, and meeting the expectations of the South African public.”

Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane congratulated the producers, actors and actresses and crew of Uzalo.

“This is the first time a project led by a young, black and female producer has hit such a milestone in South African TV history. Where there is hard work and dedication, there is success. A baby in the industry at just three years of existence, it achieved what its peers with decades are yet to achieve. We celebrate black excellence and hope that with our migration from analogue to digital television, more young, black producers will exploit the opportunities from the new multichannel environment,” Mokonyane said.

25 October - 30 November 2018

Diepsloot Messenger

TB remains world’s deadliest infection

Health / Nutrition

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‘It is unacceptable that millions of people lose their lives from this preventable and curable disease’ Amy Green

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n 2017, 1.6 million people around the world died of tuberculosis (TB) which persists as the globe’s top infectious disease killer, despite being preventable and curable.

This is according to the recently published World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest Global Tuberculosis Report, which includes data from 205 countries.

Deaths are down slightly from the 1.7 million in 2016, but the disease still claims 4 000 lives every day.

WHO’s TB programme head Dr Tereza Kasaeva said it is unacceptable that millions of people lose their lives, and many more suffer daily from this preventable and curable disease.

An estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB in 2017, just under the 2016 figure of 10.4 million.

Two thirds of these new cases were found in just eight countries, including South Africa.

The number of new cases is falling

by an average of 2% a year, which is not nearly enough to meet the global target of ending TB by 2030.

South Africa is one of the countries with the most significant decline in new cases with a 7% reduction between 2010 and 2017, mostly due to access to new diagnostics, medicines and HIV medication.

South Africa has the largest share of people living with both HIV and TB (39%), but is one of only eight countries that achieved over 50% in terms of access to HIV medication for patients with both conditions.

According to the WHO report, the deadliest form of the disease, DRTB, remains a global health crisis.

Treating DR-TB takes up to two years, and barely half of the people who take their medicine religiously are cured. Yet, only one in four people with DR-TB had access to the right drugs.

But South African patients with DR-TB fare much better than the global average and the country ranks second for the proportion of

Treatment Action Campaign members marched to Parliament in 2015 demanding government to halt the spreading of TB. Pic: Esa Alexander

DR-TB patients who received the right drugs, behind Kazakhstan.

Almost two thirds of the 15 986 patients with multi-drug resistant TB in South Africa received appropriate DR-TB treatment.

This is, in part, due to the fact that South Africa was the first country to offer the blockbuster anti-DR-TB drug bedaquiline to all patients.

WHO has included bedaquiline in

its DR-TB guidelines, as it is less toxic and more effective than existing treatments, following South Africa’s decision. About 80% of TB patients on bedaquiline reside in South Africa and Russia.

Doctors Without Borders’ Sharonann Lynch said. “Seven years in a row now, about 40% of people with TB persistently remain undiagnosed, when we have the means to

do so much better. If we’re not even diagnosing people with TB, how are they supposed to get treated?”

WHO’s Kasaeva said: “We need to join forces and root out this disease that has a devastating social and economic impact on those who are ‘left behind’, whose human rights and dignity are limited, and who struggle to access care. The time for action is now.” Health-E News

Drinking increases death risk

Daily drinkers 20 percent more likely to die prematurely than less frequent drinkers Silvana Comugnero

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rinking a daily for health reasons may not be so healthy after all, suggests a new study from Washington University School of Medicine.

Analyzing data from more than 400 000 people aged 18 to 85, the researchers found that consuming one to two drinks four or more times per week, an amount deemed healthy by current guidelines, increases the risk of premature death by 20 percent, compared with drinking three times a week or less.

The increased risk of death was consistent across age groups.

The study is published online on October 3 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

First author Sarah M Hartz, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry says: “It used to seem like having one or two drinks per day was no big deal, and there even have been some studies suggesting it can improve health. But now we know that even

the lightest daily drinkers have an increased mortality risk.”

Although some earlier studies have linked light drinking to improvements in cardiovascular health, Hartz said the new study shows that those potential gains are outweighed by other risks. Her team evaluated heart disease risk and cancer risk, and found that although in some cases, drinking alcohol may reduce risk of heart-related problems, daily drinking increased cancer risk and, as a result, mortality risk. “Consuming one or two drinks about four days per week seemed to protect against cardiovascular disease, but drinking every day eliminates those benefits.

With regard to cancer risk, any drinking at all is detrimental,” she said.

The new study follows research published in The Lancet, which reviewed data from more than 700 studies around the world, and concluded that the safest level of drinking is none.

But that study looked at all types of drinking; from light alcohol con-

sumption to binge drinking.

Hartz explained that a 20 percent increase in risk of death is a much bigger deal in older people who already are at higher risk. “Relatively few people die in their 20s, so a 20 percent increase in mortality is small, but still significant. As people age, their risk of death from any cause also increases, so a 20 percent risk increase at age 75 translates into many more deaths than it does at age 25.”

She predicted that as medicine becomes more personalized, some doctors may recommend that people with family histories of heart problems have a drink from time to time, but in families with a history of cancer, physicians may recommend abstinence.

“If you tailor medical recommendations to an individual, there may be situations under which you would think that occasional drinking potentially could be helpful. But overall, I do think people should no longer consider a glass of wine a day to somehow be healthy.” Science Daily

Drinkers of all ages risk premature death, the researchers indicate.

Sport Amakhosi founder Kaizer Motaung

Tribute to Kaizer Chiefs founder Johannesburg - Hundreds of celebrities‚ soccer pundits and fans recently paid tribute to Kaizer Chiefs founder Kaizer Motaung on his 74th birthday.

They uploaded pictures and 300 characters that flooded social media with birthday wishes for him.

Motaung founded Amakhosi in 1970 as a breakaway from Orlando Pirates‚ later going on to be one of the top South African clubs.

Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana legend Neil Tovey said it must be extremely pleasant for Motaung to see how everything has come together since he formed the club 48 years ago.

Tovey‚ a former Chiefs defender and Bafana Bafana captain in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations winning team said: “People say a person gets wiser with each birthday‚ which means we can still expect a lot from the man who founded Kaizer Chiefs. He built an empire‚ that’s what the club is. It must be extremely pleasant for him to see how everything came together after the club was founded on January 7‚ 1970. When Chiefs started‚ he may not have realised how big the club would become. He is a remarkable person and I wish he continues to contribute to SA football.”

SASFA chairman Mandla Mazibuko, Danone Southern Africa managing director of Hendrick Born and other officials with the winning team at Dobsonville Stadium.

Team prepares for ‘Kids World Cup’ Sports Reporter

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ollowing the recent winning of the under-12 Danone Nations Cup national soccer title at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto, Nomlinganiselo primary school of Nyanga, Western Cape, will represent South Africa in the world finals to be held in Spain in 2019.

Known as the World Cup for kids, the Danone Nations Cup is the world’s largest international soccer tournament for 10 to 12-year-old youths, in which over 2.5-million boys and girls compete every year.

Twenty eight countries are set to compete in the finals.

South Africa is one of the few countries that have participated since it started in 2000. The country is also

one of only two countries that has won the tournament three times; in 2003, 2007 and 2009; with France being the other.

To celebrate Danone’s centenary in 2019 and mark the 20th edition of the Danone Nations Cup, both the 2018 and 2019 world finals will take place in Barcelona, Spain. The dates are still to be announced.

The competition provides an opportunity for scouts from professional clubs and development academies to get an early look at the young talent. Many have gone on to compete in the professional leagues and even play for Bafana Bafana, such as Kamohelo Mokotjo, Kermit Erasmus, Ronwen Williams and Luther Singh.

At least 10 young talents were identified during the 2018 national finals

and will be attending trials at various academies.

Nomlinganiselo coach Ntokozo Mazwi described that win as the finest of his career. “I am extremely proud of my boys. Our school has poor soccer facilities and limited equipment for training, yet still managed to beat schools that have much more than us. The primary focus now is to prepare the boys for the experience.

I will teach them all about Barcelona and the countries we will be playing against, while continuing to build their confidence. We are going to look for support from the local structures to find better training facilities to get the boys used to playing on good surfaces,” said Mazwi.

Danone Southern Africa internal communications manager Chantel

Ehlers said the Danone Nations Cup reaches out to millions of children all over the world. “It reflects our approach to bring people together in a spirit of fun, openness, sharing, emotion and respect, and to get them believe that anything is possible, while instilling our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible. We look forward to 2019 and helping make dreams come true for the next crop of young soccer players.”

Former French international footballer Zinedine Zidane is the international Danone Nations Cup ambassador.

The local competition is run by the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA), and 3 000 schools competed in the 2018 tournament.