FREE!
12 AUGUST 2022
072 757 0514
info@veldbrandmediasa.co.za
NOW YOU KNOW!
Veldbrand ERMELO | CAROLINA | BREYTEN | AMERSFOORT | HENDRINA | CHRISSIESMEER
060 405 8979
@veldbrandvonk
@news_nuus
@veldbrandnow
Abandoned coalmines – a death trap for our local communities
Abandoned coal mine in Wesselton on the northern outskirts here in Ermelo, where 14year-old Sifiso Yende and 17-year-old Xolani Mthembu died. (Image: Human Rights Watch)
ARTICLE on Page 4
02 | Veldbrand | NATIONAL NEWS
LOCAL. USEFUL. DIGITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
news you need to know… South Africa’s three musketeers against the Eskom-power-crisis! ■ WESTERN CAPE
CAPE TOWN | VELDBRAND NEWS
The energy experts, stepping forward to help solve the country's energy crisis, collectively have more than five and half thousand years of experience. Trade union, Solidarity, on Thursday last week, sent its list of 300 power experts to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter. Solidarity Chief Executive Dirk Hermann emphasised that Eskom must be stabilised as soon as possible, and these specialists have the knowledge and skills, to make this happen. “This list contains some of the country’s leading experts in the field and we are
astonished, not only by the wealth of expertise and knowledge of these individuals offer but also by their willingness and eagerness to tackle South Africa’s energy crisis,” he said. Hermann said the current crisis at Eskom is too extensive for a single party, including the state, to solve on its own. “About seventy percent of the experts on the list are involved in generation, while sixteen percent can be involved in distribution, six percent in transmission, and around eight percent of the experts offer commercial management and other skills,” stated Hermann. media@veldbrandmediasa.co.za
Volg Veldbrand nuus op Facebook vir meer nuus, sport, weer en aktualiteit elke dag… Kliek op die skakel om aan te sluit - https://www.facebook.com/veldbrandmediasa
LOCAL. USEFUL. DIGITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISEMENT | Veldbrand | 03
04 | Veldbrand | LOCAL NEWS
LOCAL. USEFUL. DIGITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Abandoned coalmines – local deathtraps CAROLI NA | CORNÉ VAN NOORDWYK
The town of Carolina faced the biggest disaster in its history approximately 10-years ago. In January 2012, heavy rainfall led to the collapse of the town’s water system. Scores of residents fell ill, and local authorities were slow to tell them the water was unsafe to drink. The Boesmanspruit Dam, which supplies drinking water to the town, was damaged by overflow acidified by coal mines in the area. The only places where clean water could be drunk in the town for the rest of the year were water tankers and mosques. The water crisis sparked protests, and a High Court ruling later in 2012 directed the South African government to address the acid mine drainage crisis. After a sluggish response from Carolina’s municipality, the town’s water infrastructure was eventually cleaned. However, this did not address the problem at its root: instead, it only deferred it until the next time there was torrential rain. A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) released in July 2022, says not much has changed since the 2012 ruling. Community members still regularly report upset stomachs and other illnesses they believe are from contaminated water. “The ongoing water crisis in Carolina underscores both the potential impacts of unchecked acid mine drainage but also the lack of
One dead and 10 injured near Ermelo after bakkie rollover
government attention to these issues,” Vuyisile Ncube, Finberg fellow in the Environment and Human Rights Division at HRW, says. “Even when the government was directed by the court to address poor water quality it hasn’t done so. South Africa’s communities deserve better.” Carolina is among hundreds of communities in our country that are threatened by unmaintained coal mines. HRW reported that of roughly 6,000 abandoned coal mines in South Africa, at least 2,322 are classified as “high risk” to the public. But only 27 of these have been cleaned since 2009, South Africa’s auditor general reported in 2021. High risk and uncleaned mines can cause accidents and the leeching of highly acidic water in a process known as acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD increases the risk of widespread soil and water acidity around the communities. It destroys the environment, leaves farmland unusable, corrodes municipal infrastructure and leaves water unsafe to drink. AMD is a threat to South Africa’s already limited water resources and is costly to treat, especially if it is not addressed at an early stage. However, it is common for mining companies and local governments to neglect mines where AMD is rife. The HRW report, which included data and interviews with
affected residents, artisanal miners, health workers, and local officials, highlights Golfview mine and Imbabala Coal (Pty) mine, which are located here in Ermelo, about 65km south of Carolina. The Imbabala mine was abandoned by the company in 2011 after the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) found the mining business did not have the necessary license for water use. Five years later, when the derelict mine had filled up with water, 17-year-old Xolani Mthembu and his 14-year-old friend, Sifiso Yende, drowned in the mine while swimming. “That mine wasn’t rehabilitated and there isn’t even a warning sign, so the children saw it as a swimming pool,” Thomas Mthembu, Xolani’s uncle, says in the report. “The worst part is that my nephew will not be the last one. There are still children that will go there.” After the accident, an official from the Msukaligwa local municipality, one of the authorities in Ermelo, promised the government would restrict access to the site. But the report claimed that its operations were completely accessible in 2021. A media house claim they have made contact with the Msukaligwa municipality to comment. media@veldbrandmediasa.co.za (Information from an article by African Business – Jack Dutton) ERMELO | CORNÉ VAN NOORDWYK
PHOTO: ER24 (SUPPLIED)
A man was killed and 10 others injured when the bakkie they were travelling in rolled on the R65, about 10km outside Ermelo, here in Mpumalanga, last weekend. “ER24 and the provincial fire and EMS arrived at 5.50pm on Saturday 30 July 2022, to find the bakkie upright on the side of the road. Several patients were seen lying around the vehicle,” ER24 said in a statement. It said the medics found that one man had already succumbed to his numerous injuries. “The ten other patients, including a three-year-old child, had sustained injuries ranging from minor to critical.” media@veldbrandmediasa.co.za
Five injured in another rollover PHOTO: ER24 (SUPPLIED)
ERMELO | CORNÉ VAN NOORDWYK Five people were injured when their vehicle rolled off the R56 just outside Ermelo, here in Mpumalanga, last weekend (Saturday 30 July). ER24, Ermelo emergency services and local authorities arrived at the scene at around 06h55, said Meiring. They found a car on its side in a storm water drain. Russel Meiring from ER24 told the media: “A man and woman were trapped inside the car, while two other men and another woman were lying outside the car.” Two men and two women are in a critical condition. The fifth patient has only minor injuries. “Rescue services had to use specialised equipment to free the man and woman from the car. Once released, medics treated the patients and provided the critically injured with advanced life support.” They were all transported to nearby hospitals for urgent care, said Meiring. media@veldbrandmediasa.co.za
Veldbrand | LOCAL & SCHOOL NEWS | 05
LOCAL. USEFUL. DIGITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Weapon and ammunition linked to robbery found behind washing machine HENDRINA | CORNÉ VAN NOORDWYK
PHOTO’S: SAPS (SUPPLIED)
Police here in Mpumalanga have recovered an AK47 assault rifle and several magazines, stuffed behind a man’s washing machine, close to the scene where nine alleged cash-in-transit robbers had a shoot-out with police on Friday last week. The Hawks have been roped in to probe the circumstances which led to the automatic rifle being hidden behind the washing machine. “An AK-47 rifle as well as some magazines and ammunition were recovered on Saturday, 6 August, 2022, at a certain house here in Hendrina, next to the scene where a total of nine alleged CIT robbers were arrested on Friday. The recovered items are suspected to have been deliberately hidden by the suspects during a gun battle with the police,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala. “According to the information, an AK-47 rifle as well as three of its magazines and 69 rounds of ammunition were found on the said day at about 8am by a resident who noticed something strange on his laundry machine which was placed outside the house.” It is said the washing machine had been shifted from its original position. The owner then adjusted his washing machine and discovered the assault rifle, magazines and bullets. “The police at Hendrina were then alerted and upon arrival together with other role players, the items were confiscated and will form part of the investigation which has been assigned to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) in Mpumalanga. “The items will also undergo some forensic tests as part of the ongoing probe wherein nine were arrested so far. However, police are still in pursuit of other suspects,” Mohlala said. media@veldbrandmediasa.co.za
Hoërskool Ermeloskaak speel goeie wedstryde tydens Gert Sibande-uitdunne
FOTO: EHS (FACEBOOK)
ERMELO | HOËRSKOOL ERMELO
“Die skaakspelers van Hoërskool Ermelo het op Maandag 1 Augustus vir sowat 7-ure meegeding in skaakwedstryde tydens die Gert Sibandeuitdunne te Ligbron Akademie vir Tegnologie. Alhoewel dit ’n vreeslike lang dag was, het elke skaakspeler baie geleer en hulle vermoë tot die uiterste getoets. Die uitslae is soos volg: Die o.19span het sewe rondes gespeel, waarvan hulle vier gewen en een gelykop gespeel het. Die span eindig derde. Die o.17-span het ook sewe rondes
gespeel, waarvan hulle drie gewen en een gelykop gespeel het. Dié span eindig vyfde. Die o.15-span het vier rondes gespeel. Hulle wen een en speel een gelykop en eindig vierde. Baie dankie aan elke skaakspeler wat pligsgetrou elke Woensdagmiddag skaak oefen. Ermelo Hoërskool wil veral baie dankie sê aan Mnr. Maarten van Schalkwyk vir sy tyd, geduld en moeite wat hy aan die Erries se skaak verleen. Dit word opreg waardeer!” – Inligting en foto: Facebook
Erriegholfers vaar goed MPU-liga ERMELO | HOËRSKOOL ERMELO
FOTO: EHS (FACEBOOK)
NOW YOU KNOW!
Veldbrand A local digital independent community newspaper focussed on informing our readers with news – local and regional - that is useful, objective, credible and reliable. VELDBRAND IS PUBLISHED BY LIVERO MEDIA (PTY) LTD. TINNIE VAN ROOYEN STREET 3, CLOCOLAN, 9735
GOOD TO KNOW WHO ARE WE? This new spaper was formerly known as REKORD but underw ent a name change in 2022 to Veldbrand as the publisher, Livero Media deemed it fit to use a name that w ould not be in conflict or used by an another publication.
WE FORM PART OF 76 WEEKLY LOCAL D I GITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Livero Media publishes 76 local digital new spapers across al nine provinces in South Africa. The new spaper is distributed by e-mail, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Tw itter, Telegram and Issuu and soon on a dedicated Veldbrand w ebsite.
“Hoërskool Ermelo se Cgholfspan het op Maandag 1 Augustus aan die Mpumalanga Skolegholfliga-finaal te Walker Park Gholf Klub, Evander, deelgeneem. Rynard Herholdt, Leo Luyt, Zané du Plessis en Ziné Jacob speel op die dag goeie gholf en dra as volg punte tot hul span by: Herholdt 35; Jacob 34; du Plessis 33 en Luyt 27. Dit gee hul ‘n spantotaal van 102 punte en besorg aan die Erries die derde plek in Mpumalanga. Baie geluk aan al hierdie spelers. Die Erries is ongelooflik trots op julle.” media@veldbrandmediasa.co.za
EDITORIAL TEAM PU BLISHER ED ITOR ENGLISH: ED ITOR AFRIKAANS: ASSI STANT EDITOR: D I GITAL MEDIA EDITOR: AD V ERTISING: MARKETING : SU BSCRIPTIONS:
GERHARD OLIVIER LEBOHANG TLABA CORNÉ VAN NOORDWYK NTHABISENG MOHLAKOANA LI NDIWE LUTHANI KLEINTJIE KOEN D I MAKATSO THABO PU LENG NETLA
98.1%
OU R ADVERTISING SATISFACTION RATING F R OM OUR RETURNING ADVERTISERS WH O ADVERTISES FOR 3 MONTHS OR L ONGER
TH E DEADLINE FOR ADVERTS & NEWS IS FRIDAY, 15:00 PRIOR CONTACT US | 072 757 0514 WH ATSAPP US | 060 405 8979 E-MAIL US AT
info@veldbrandmediasa.co.za COD E OF CONDUCT THIS PUBLICATION IS OBLIGATED TO REPORT NEWS TRUTHFULLY, ACCURATELY AND FAIRLY. SHOULD YOU FEEL WE DO NOT ADHERE TO THE PRESS CODE YOU CAN SUBMIT A COMPLAINT TO THE PRESS OMBUDSMAN AT PRESSOMBUDSMAN@OMBUDSMAN.ORG.ZA ALL RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTION MATERIAL PUBLISHED IN THISPUBLICATION ARE HEREBY RESERVED IN TERMS O F THE COPYRIGHTACT.
MEMBER OF AIP TH IS PUBLICATION IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT PU BLISHERS OF SOUTH AFRICA
06 | ADVERTISEMENT | Veldbrand
LOCAL. USEFUL. DIGITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
LOCAL. USEFUL. DIGITAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISEMENT | Veldbrand | 07
What’s on
OPENVIEW is for everyone!
OVHD
e.tv is South Africa’s biggest independent, free-to-air television channel and is the most viewed English language channel in the country They are the destination of choice for local and international entertainment – a place where viewers can come together to set watch the best in local and international entertainment. e.tv, Home Of The Best Local & International Entertainment. ■ LEBOHANG TLABA
BEST SHOWS TO LATCH-ON DURING THE WEEK AND IN THE WEEKEND Pick of the Week!
DStv ordered to reinstate axed eMedia TV channels This comes after the competition appeal court has delivered a victory to e.tv parent eMedia Holdings in its fight with MultiChoice Group over the termination of four of eMedia’s channels on DStv. In a judgment handed down on Monday, 1 August 2022, the court – which is a special division of the high court – overturned an earlier decision by the Competition Tribunal that the channels could be removed from MultiChoice’s DStv
bouquets. This is pending the final determination of the complaint, which has been referred by the appeal court to the Competition Commission for further investigation. The appeal court ordered MultiChoice to reinstate the channels that were removed from DStv at the end of May. MultiChoice terminated the channels immediately upon receiving the decision of the tribunal. The channels that were cut and that now must be
reinstated pending the commission’s investigation are eToonz, eMovies, eMovies Extra and e.tv Extra. It’s understood that MultiChoice has also been ordered to pay eMedia’s legal costs for the appeal, including the cost of two counsel. eMedia dragged MultiChoice to the tribunal in April to seek relief after a renewed channel supply agreement between the parties saw DStv opting not to carry the four channels.
E.TV - Channel 104 & E Extra - Channel 105
TELENOVELA WEEKDAYS - 05:30 PM
MONDAY - THURSDAY - 11:00 PM
Droomverlore
Vierspel Vuurspel
- PG13L - Telenovela - An important presentation is rescued by an elaborate big white lie, when the client wants to withdraw due to Can and Sanem's absence. Leyla jumped in and convinced the client to at least attend the presentation. (2018)
- 13VL - Telenovela - Yesim feels increasingly uncomfortable about Celal's attitude towards her. Alyanak finally finds out where Kudret is held. Mert takes Sarp to Celal. Does death await him? Sarp's life is hanging on a thread. While Sarp’s life is hanging on a thread, he is accused of killing Yusuf. Only one person can clear his name. (2016)
WEEKDAYS 08:30 PM Dokter Ali - 13V - Telenovela Ezo has it out with Vuslat. Ali confesses that Vuslat was behind their estrangement. Ferman and the assistants battle to save lives on the scene of a multivehicle collision.
WEEKDAYS 06:30 PM - Elif
WEEKDAYS – 07:30 PM - FENIX
- 16V - Telenovela Selim is starting to doubt Umit. Asuman manages to get Arzu to make a move but with unexpected consequences for Arzu. Elif visits Yusuf in jail. Zeynep for keeping secrets. The girls at the workshop beg Melek to come back. (2016)
- PG13L - Telenovela Celebi's night takes an unexpected turn for the worse when Cemre takes matters into her own hands and speaks up. The reality of Iskender's actions begin to sink in. The excitement of Celebi's arrest quickly wears off for Cemre as more trouble hit.
E Reality - Channel 108
REALITY WEEKDAYS at 04:45 PM Family Feud
WEEKDAYS at 07:00 PM MasterChef Australia - PG13 L - Reality MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking reality show based on the original British MasterChef. Top Australian Chefs judge passionate home cooks who participate in competitive culinary challenges.
- PG13L - Game Show As one of television's longest running, highest rated and most loved gameshows, Family Feud reveals that the simplest question can generate the most outrageous answers. (2014)
E Movies Extra 107
FRI – 05:15 PM - - 13V - Action The saga continues as new heroes and galactic legends go on an epic adventure, unlocking mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past. Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill (2017) Rian Johnson
Mr Bones 2: Back From The Past SAT at 06:10 PM - PG13VL Comedy - A white African witch doctor visits India and must return a cursed stone to its rightful home. Tongayi Chirisa, Leon Schuster (2008) Gray Hofmeyer
The Cobbler
Sunday, 14 August
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Saturday, 13 August
Friday, 12 August
MOVIES
SUN at 04:00 PM - 13VL - Comedy Adam Sandler stars as a cobbler continuing his family's business in New York City when he discovers a magical heirloom which transports him into the lives of his customers. Melonie Diaz, Adam Sandler (2014) Thomas McCarthy