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Paarl Post
Briewe Letters
12 September, 2013
Who is responsible for stray animals? The SPCA and Drakenstein Municipality have eventually buried the hatchet after years of quarrelling over pound fees. Both Paarl and Wellington SPCA have for many years carried the burden of managing the pound for the municipality. Eventually attitudes hardened over late and outstanding payments owed to the SPCA. However, an agreement has now been reached between the two parties and the SPCA will continue with their service to the municipality. But is this going to resolve the endless number of stray and neglected animals in the Drakenstein area? For years the municipality has turned a blind eye to the dilemma of uncontrolled breeding and the many neglected dogs and cats in the area. There are, however, bylaws in place to address the problem of stray animals. Households are officially allowed only two dogs per property, and bitches must be sterilised. Dogs must be secured inside a property. Previously, dog owners were required to obtain an annual licence from the municipality for their pets, which funded the dog control activities of the municipality. But, as in the case of many other worrisome issues, this practice is no longer in place. And so the responsibility of this dilemma is carried by a small charitable organisation which is funded mostly from donations from the public, in addition to the contractual payments. The problem of stray animals is still not a priority of the local authorities. At the end of the day, it is the animals that suffer.
Onkunde is die probleem Ek en u weet duisende onkundiges beklee poste in staats- en semistaatsinstellings. So bewus soos ons is van hul onvermoë tot produktiewe werkverrigting, nét so selfvoldaan is diesulkes. Soortgelyke toestand heers by baie rekenaar- en selfooneienaars. Hulle besef nie hul onkunde oor die sogenaamde veilige gebruik daarvan nie. Kundigheid om dit tot die maksimum voordeel vir hulself en tot stigting van ander aan te wend, ontbreek by té veel. Hoekom anders so baie slagoffers van identiteit-diefstal van selfooneienaars en slagoffers van internetbankdienste? Pas is 8 000 Facebook gebruikers se identiteit gesteel. ’n Onomkeerbare gebeurtenis wat hulle slagoffers gemaak het vir die misdadige gebruik van slenteraars. Skade wat aangerig word deur onnadenkende gebruik van die digitale media as gevolg van onkunde, eis meesal tydsaam sy tol op onskuldiges of boemerang op die eienaar. Die omvang van misbruik van selfone wat besit word deur Piet, Paul en Klaas neem daagliks toe. Nie alleen by gebrek aan opvoeding nie, maar as gevolg van laksheid om ingelig te wees oor verantwoordelike gebruik. In Afrika is reeds meer selfone as mense. Twee hiervan is myne. Lagwekkend of skrikwekkend dié getal, in ag genome die feit dat ongeletterdheid en hongersnood hoogty vier op dié kontinent. Mag selfone liefs die meerderheid bly, want hulle eet ten minste nie kos nie. Ek is nie die wagter op die mure vir dom slimmes en hul onkunde nie. Elektronika het gekom om te bly. Diegene wat nie aanpas nie, sal effe sukkel. Ek sukkel genoeg met die daaglikse brood en wil nie ook nog sukkel met die onafwendbare nie. Dus, die dag toe ek die TV-afstandbeheerder via Hopzing agter Middelkind aangestuur het omdat hy (weer eens) sy selfoon vergeet het, het sy gesigsuitdrukking gesê: “Ma is agter die klip”. My skoonsuster se troos dat dit steeds beter agter die klip as onder die klip is, het nie die noodsaak uitgekanselleer dat ek dadelik in pas moet kom met die digita-
le nie. Dit moes onmiddellik gebeur, want Middelkind skenk my toe, ewe liefdevol, ’n selfoon met dié opdrag: “Ma moet maar self leer hoe die ding werk. Ek is nie lus vir sukkel nie. Hier’s die PINnommer. Onthou dit”. Hy het nie gesukkel nie. Ék het. En geswets ook. Ek moes onmiddellik begin met die opgradering van my oorblywende paar breinselle met meer as sestig diensjare op die meter. Harde werk. Synde my gesukkel met die selfoon en dat ek so-by-so in tale spreek, koop ek toe sommer ook ’n faksmasjien, skootrekenaar en drukker. My breinselle het in over-drive gegaan, óf herlewe, aangeteel óf gerek toe ek daagliks, vir drie weke, ure agtereen bestee het aan die lees en herlees, van elke jota en titel in die handleiding van elke aankoop. Selfs die fynskrif gelees. Vir die praktiese deel was daar die hulp van ’n jong vriendin asook van my kleinkinders. Nogtans was die rekenaar en die drukker in konstante digitale woordewisseling. Doop hulle toe Eliza Doolittle en Henry Higgins, want selfs oumas leer speel-speel baie makliker. Ek is steeds afhanklik van professionele hulpverlening deur die rekenaar-fundi by wie ek my aankope doen. Sy Portugese naam en van is te moeilik vir my Boesmanlandse-tongval, dáárom noem ek hom Vasco da Gama. Sy assistent reageer op Lawrence of Arabia nadat ek hom ’n ietsie geleer het oor die geskiedenis van sy land van herkoms, gedurende die Eerste Wêreldoorlog. Noodgedwonge al nuwer modelle aangekoop. Ook geheuestokkie, digitale kamera, eksterne hardeskyf, en digitale stemopnemer. Ek kan myself help en swets al heelwat minder en is definitief baie bewus van die duiwel wat skuil in die onkundige gebruik van ’n rekenaar omdat slenteraars altyd op jou spoor is. Daar is skrikwekkende goed waaraan mense blootgestel is met die onverantwoordelike gebruik van rekenaars en veral slimfone. Erger as dit is die feit dat baie ouers nie weet waarvoor gebruik hul kinders selfs die eenvoudigste apparaat nie …
Chasing beggars away creates even bigger problems People in glass houses must be very careful when they are throwing stones. What Dr De Villiers raises is exactly what the apartheid system tried to create and that is to enrich some people and on the other hand to create poverty to others (of other colour). By enforcing the bylaws he refers to in his letter, this will not take the socioeconomic inequalities away, hence the poor will always remain with us. Dr De Villiers, it is the capitalist system that created the global economic crisis and it is the same system that cannot rectify the brutality of capitalism. Let us unpack the job losses out there and indeed very close to us, like Pioneer Foods and Tiger Brands, the continuation of using casuals at retail stores and labour brokers who are turning the working class into slaves. Who is making the sacrifices when the system is in trouble? Not the bosses or the owners of the means of production, because they are only worried about profits, while the working class is losing jobs in their thousands by the day.
So when referring to the beggars in front of businesses just think about it – the system that creates your wealth is also the same system that creates beggars and job losses. The observation that there is an influx of homeless people in Paarl is correct, and I want to assume (maybe wrongly) that your business and your home is in Paarl West. Now sir, the situation in Paarl East is even worse, comparing to what you mentioned in your letter. You see, the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” is just getting wider. Just smell the coffee. We are free in this (democratic) country, but not economically
free because the so-called “whites” are still controlling the economy with a few BEE partners. The bad news is that we will see more of these beggars as the economists refer to it as a “meltdown of the economy”, which will make more people homeless and jobless, hence it will force people to become beggars. The funny side of it all is when everything is functioning well in the system, you struggle to see the benefits for the working class. The bosses are quiet about the sudden profits they are making. So sir, it’s not as simple as we think. By giving them food, clothes or money, we are not promoting begging. In fact, by chasing them away, you create more problems. My simple request to you is to become involved in the lives of the poorest of the poor and see how you can improve the lives of the less fortunate. Remember poverty has no colour, as this is a class battle between the working class and the bourgeoisie.
BIG BROTHER PAARL
Let me help your child with a free, home-based programme Do you know of a child (aged 6 years and upwards) who is struggling in school, or is labelled ADD, dyslexic, hyperactive, etc, or is taking a drug like Ritalin? The Centre for Integrated Learning Therapy (ILT) is offering FREE help on Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 September in Wellington. Children will be evaluated to find out the underlying cause of their school difficulties and a therapeutic, home-based but
monitored programme will be designed for them. I am responsible for a training course for psychologists, special needs teachers and other helping professionals. The trainees need to demonstrate their competence by working with children under supervision. We need you and your child to volunteer to receive this service. The course is accredited with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the South
Taxi-tariewe nog nie verhoog Santaco (South African National Taxi Council) het onlangs aangekondig dat die taxipryse gaan verhoog word weens verhoogde inset kostes. Die aankondiging is met gemengde gevoelens onder die operateurs en drywers aanvaar. Hoewel die drie unies, naamlik Hugenote, United Taxi Association (Uta) en Paarl Huurmotors Vereniging lede van Santaco is, beteken dit nie dat die pryse outomaties verhoog sal word nie. Die huidige voorgestelde nuwe pryse is as volg: ) Stasie: van R7 na R8 ) Dorp: van R8 na R9 ) Huis: van R20 na R30 Ons is bewus daarvan dat lede van Paarl en Uta die publiek ’n geruime tyd al R30 huistoe vra. Tans is dit lede van Hugenote wat sonder instemming van die ander twee unies die pryse reeds verhoog het. Die besluit is nie amptelik
deur bestuur geneem nie. Wat die bestuur moet opweeg is of dit haalbaar is om nou pryse te verhoog. Die publiek moet kennis neem dat tariewe al in sekere bussies opgeplak is en al drie unies ’n gesamentlike verklaring sal uitreik oor wanneer tariewe verhoog sal word. Verhogings kan net ingestel word ná ander struikelblokke bespreek is soos roetes wat wettig deur openbare vervoerraad geallokeer aan operateurs is. ’n Voorbeeld daarvan is die Amstelhof/ New York-roete wat volgens die vervoerraad strek uit Klein Drakensteinweg, links in Lloydstraat, regs in Conradstraat tot by Mountview-woonstelle en regs in Klein Drakensteinweg. Alle huidige verhogings is onwettig voor die drie unies nie ’n amptelike verklaring uitgereik het nie.
LID VAN DIE PUBLIEK PAARL
African Education Authorities (SAQA). Volunteers receive this help at no charge (including all therapeutic materials). We have place for 10 children. Both English and Afrikaans-speaking families are welcome. Please visit the website www.ilt.co.za to find out more about this approach. E-mail to info@ilt.co.za for more information and to book a place for your child.
DR SHIRLEY KOKOT WELLINGTON
Dankie vir aandag van munisipaliteit Oorskryding van spoed en verontagsaming van stoptekens in Nuwe Eskdalestraat vind daagliks plaas. Veiligheid van voetgangers, inwoners en ander wetsgehoorsame motoriste het ’n bekommernis geraak. Slaggate in die pad en die toestand van ’n deel van die pad is ook ’n bekommernis. Op 5 September het die burgemeester Adv. Van Deventer, Carel Lotz en Deon Louw tyd ingeruim om die area te besoek. Beplanning om die situasie deur middel van spoedkalmering en ander wyses aan te spreek is gekommunikeer. Slaggate is kort daarna opgevul. Die belangstelling en openlike kommunikasie in belang van die gemeenskap was opmerklik en word werklik waardeer.
NEIL OOSTHUIZEN DE SOETE-INVAL