8 NEWS
PEOPLE'S POST | FALSE BAY Tuesday, 1 August 2017
SEA POINT
‘Single mothers need support’ AISHAH CASSIEM @aishah_cassiem
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t is not easy raising children on your own. And if you are a divorced parent caring for a child with disabilities, it comes with significant challenges. A teacher of Sea Point High School, who does not want to be named, is one of many single parents fighting for justice for the child she is raising. The 51-year-old says after seven years of court appearances, she is still struggling to get the department of justice to hear her plea. The distraught mother cares for her severely disabled son who could end up in an intensive care unit every second month. “I have been divorced for seven years, and the father of my disabled son has almost nothing to do with him. “He is thousands and thousands of rands in arrears, which is still outstanding despite
appearing in court on numerous occasions,” she explains. “He has recently put in an application for a reduction and the maintenance court has given this priority over dealing with the arrears, which is not standard practice.” She says her family lives off a basic teacher’s salary with her entire life revolving around the school and her home. “There are many challenges as a single parent; therefore it is important to have a good support structure,” she says. “My ex-husband has only taken in my youngest son, but not our disabled son who was last in his care in 2011. And when he visits it’s only for an hour. “I was forced to get a lawyer, spending almost R10 000 of money that I don’t even have. It’s been a constant battle, especially with the maintenance.” The department of justice must look at the current system being used, she pleads.
“They must also provide training to all staff members on the new maintenance laws. Women are being treated as secondclass citizens, which is a perfect illustration of patriarchal society. I have been looked at and treated like a criminal; this is not good at all. There are many mothers battling for maintenance assistance and this is draining us by the day.” Advocate Muhammad Abduroaf, a legal attorney from Abduraof Incorporated, says there are many reasons why mothers do not get the required maintenance. “One simple reason is that the father just cannot afford to pay. “You can’t get water out of a stone. However, if the father can afford to pay, then in my experience the maintenance courts are efficient. “But then there is also the flip side. You have fathers who just do not want to pay,” he says.
“You cannot force a parent to love his or her child and to make an effort. In such a case, the court can only deal with the situation as it is. If the father lies and does not disclose the income the mother says he has, what can the court do?” explains Abduraof. “We cannot say that the system is really failing this mother, but if it is, then I suggest the mother would have to see someone higher. But they cannot put money into the father’s pocket to pay her.” A lawyer could speed up the case by helping to track down the father, taking a summons to the sheriff and do some investigations, he says. “Sometimes a lawyer is very busy, and he will only be available many months later, but the lawyer will know the law, the court processes and would advise you on your case,” he says. V For more information call advocate Muhammed Abduroaf on 083 731 9876 or visit www.ourlawyer.co.za.
Locals lead the new economy
“Rock Dog” – acrylic on canvas – is one of the paintings that will be exhibited at the Intle Art exhibition on Saturday.
Some of the children from Intle Art working on “Hope” – mixed media on canvas – for their coming exhibition.
Art project gives teens hope TIYESE JERANJI @jeranji What started as a Saturday morning initiative to satisfy the desire of a handful of children to learn to draw is growing from strength to strength. It has now become a hit among local teenagers. When a couple of learners from Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay asked their literacy teacher if she knew anyone who could teach them to draw, Intle Art Club was born. Everyone is welcome to join Intle Art but most of the boys attending are aged between 12 and 19. “We’ve been going since 2015 it’s evolved into something far greater than drawing lessons. We now do painting as well. The youngsters are developing marketable skills and are learning to run a little business. Apart from just doing art we are teaching them to do the bookkeeping and stock taking. This is a holistic ap-
proach and we show that you can make a career out of art,” says Jenny McKay, founder of Intle Art. On Saturday they will be having an exhibition from 10:30 to 17:00 at Workspace, 31 Harbour Road in Hout Bay. There are 35 pieces that will be exhibited and the main picture, called “Hope” will go on a silent auction. “We try to do two exhibitions a year and are most grateful for any support. The money that we get from the exhibitions goes to the learners but most of it is used to buy supplies to keep the programme going. We will also give something to Workspace. They have helped us with a venue free of charge and they have their own programmes that they run as well so it will give something to them,” says McKay. McKay says the “Hope” piece is collaboration by all the artists. “We are auctioning this one as it is the heart and soul of everyone in the programme. Honestly I don’t know why it was called “Hope” but the chil-
dren named it that. I believe it tells a story about their area and where they see things going. Over the last couple of months there has been so much going on in the area so I guess this is where things are going for them,” she says. “The children that come here are so talented. They keep coming and others want to come in the week to finish up their work. They love what they do so that passion has kept the group going because this is something that they have always wanted,” she says. McKay believes that the children are also kept safe and off the streets. “Just by coming here they are safe and not roaming the streets. It’s just nice to see how children get together and work together nicely. They are from different communities and backgrounds but they really work well together and help each other.” V For more information about Intle Art or the exhibition email intle.art@gmail.com
Young computer programmers are helping to develop answers to the water crisis, and create systems for families to better manage household tasks. As part of a month-long programme focused on highlighting the region’s up-andcoming innovators, last week Alan Winde, provincial minister of economic opportunities, visited Absa Aliens, the bank’s software development and design office based in Gardens. Young people from across the city are working on products at the development centre, and shared their experiences with Winde. Fifteen software developers are participating in the programme this year. The centre specialises in native mobile development and is at the forefront of the Microsoft Xamarin technology, which allows programmers to share code across platforms, rather than having to recreate the code for different platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows. The team also specialises in the internet of things, where devices around the home or office collect information from the environment that is sent to a central place such as the cloud. Game development for virtual reality technologies is another focus area. Keanu Arendze, one of the software developers, said during his experience at Absa Aliens he had learnt a range of different programming languages. Arendze is part of a team that is developing a water-monitoring sensor system for Absa’s own premises. The device will calculate the volume of water used in the office. Amina Latief, another developer, had worked on the Mega U application, which was made available to the public a few weeks ago. The app allows parents to set tasks for children who are given “pocket money” when they complete the tasks. Latief said she had received valuable experience at Absa Aliens, and hoped to grow her career as a software developer. Winde said the young programmers had an important role to play in ensuring South Africa, and Africa, led the way in the new digital economy. “We need to own our space in the new economy. The fourth industrial revolution is going to make a massive difference to how the world works, and we can’t simply be consumers of products and systems created elsewhere. “Here at the southern tip of Africa, we must be creating products we can sell to the world,” said Winde. The visit was the final part of Winde’s programme in July, which focused on highlighting how residents are using innovation and technology to improve lives.