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18 Maart 2016
www.bulletin.us.com
Polokwane comes to Tzaneen
In the past cancer patients in the Tzaneen area not on medical aid, had to travel to Polokwane for chemotherapy. This has all changed and chemotherapy is now administered at the Tzaneen Care Centre at 36 Maritz Street. Heading up the chemotherapy division is dr Tumelo Moyaba from Polokwane. He administers chemotherapy every Monday between 09:00 and midday. During this time he also consults with patients who are too ill to receive chemotherapy. Moyaba, born in Musina, was the youngest person in the country to qualify as an oncologist at the age of 29 in 2014. He studied for his medical degree as well as his four-year oncology degree at the University of KwaZu-
lu-Natal. He trained at the fairly new and sophisticated Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Cato Manor, Durban. He opened his private practice in Polokwane at 64 Plein Street in 2015. He says: “Oncology is an ever changing field as there are always new advances in treatment. This is particularly so in the treatment of prostate and breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer. “Brachytherapy is now avail-
Dr Tumelo Moyaba.
able for early stage prostate cancer. Men like to ignore things and also don’t like invasive examinations. That’s all a thing of the past with the advent of PSA screening for men. A recent treatment for patients with brain tumours, inaccessible by operation, is stereotactic radiotherapy.“ On the issue of diet Moyaba says, “Diet has gained prominence due to the fact that processed foods are considered a
cancer trigger. However there is no processed data as yet on this matter. What definitely does cause cancer is nicotine and certain viruses.” When asked about the contentious and as yet illegal issue of cannabis oil, Moyaba said: “There is not enough research on cannabis oil. However, terminal patients who are not on pills for pain take cannabis oil and it’s known to work. However, there’s still no hard evidence that it’s effective all round.” He added that “cancer is on the increase in South Africa and under reported as the focus is on AIDS”. “I reckon that in fifteen years time cancer will overtake AIDS,” he said. — Sue Ettmayr sue@bulletin.us.com
Slange is niemand se speelgoed nie natuurreservaat vrygelaat, terwyl ses deur honde doodgebyt is. Die honde het egter ook in die proses gevrek, omdat hulle deur die slange gepik is. Die wipneusslang word maklik verwar met die Mosambiekse spoegkobra, omdat hulle op ‘n afstand byna identies voorkom. Mense verwar ook die gespikkelde bosslang met ‘n boomslang, terwyl ‘n groot verskil tussen die twee bestaan. Sy raad aan almal is om nie met slange te peuter as hulle in en om die huis gewaar word nie. Ontbied ‘n slangkenner en hou die posisie van die slang fyn dop. As die slang uit die oog verdwyn, hou dit ook ‘n gevaar vir die slangkenner in. In Tzaneen is die swart mamba,
die Mosambiekse kobra, die wipneus, pofadder en boomslang die gevaarlikste. Die savanna voëlslang (twig snake) tel ook onder hulle. Minder gevaarlike soorte is die nagadder en die sypikslang, beter bekend as die Stiletto. Hulle is steeds giftig en moet nie eiehandig hanteer word nie. “Min mense besef dat slange verskillende temperamente het. Sommige gevaarlike slange sal toelaat dat hulle opgetel en gestreel word (beslis nie aan te beveel nie), terwyl ander op die vlug slaan of aggressief sal optree.” Volgens hom beplan die organisasie Limpopo Snake Removal ‘n rehabilitasiesentrum vir slange (slangpark) naby die Eiland in die Letsitele-omgewing. Dit is aan-
gevoor deur mnr Ben Schalkwyk van Modjadjiskloof en reeds in ‘n gevorderde stadium. Daar is egter nog sekere vereistes wat nagekom moet word, oor die grootte van hokke en ander regulasies. Slange wat daar gevestig word, sal na rehabilitasie weer in die natuur vrygelaat word om plek te maak vir nuwe “vangste”. Rees het onlangs ‘n uiters skaars slangsoort in Tzaneen aangekeer. Die slakvreter is ‘n nie-giftige soort en aan die meeste mense (en slangvangers) onbekend. Die slakvreter is nie losgelaat nie, maar na ‘n slangpark gestuur weens sy sonderlike voorkoms. Rees bestry peste en plae as ‘n besigheid, maar vang graag slange gratis weens sy liefde vir die natuur.
Rees is bereikbaar by 073 166 3651 — as daar ‘n seilende koue kalant in jou kamer sy kop uitsteek.
BLUEPRINT 581 BULLETIN/E
Slange is volop in en om Tzaneen, waar hulle weens die hitte en droogte al meer in die openbaar en in beboude gebiede verskyn. ‘n Erkende slangvanger van Tzaneen, mnr Raymond Rees van KillA-Bug, moes Woensdagmiddag juis bontstaan om ‘n luislang in ‘n boomtop in Deerpark aan te keer. Die jong boom is afgekap, maar die luislang het weggeglip na die volgende boom. Dit moes ook afgekap word, voor Rees die slang in die ruie gebied kon aankeer. Rees sê ‘n groot taak lê voor om mense (oud en jonk) oor slange in te lig, ter wille van veiligheid én die bewaring van slange. Hy het die afgelope tien dae op agt wipneusslange in beboude gebiede afgekom. Twee is gevang en in ‘n