Floors2Go
ATHLONE
Quality European Laminated Flooring available from
from
R3999/m
R9999/m
2
2
Porcelain Tiles
Laminate Flooring
INCL VAT
Terms & Conditions apply EXCL VAT
LAY-BYES NOW ACCEPTED
11 Carrick Crescent
DEBIT & CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED.
Athlone Industria-Opp Easy Pack
Tel (021) 633 6156 / Fax (021) 633 8603
TELLING IT AS IT IS
TUESDAY 23 July 2013 | 0021 910 6500 | Fax: 021 910 6501/06 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za | Mobisite: ppost.mobi
Seeds of change A sandy plot between prefab ricated classrooms at Surrey Estate Primary School was transformed into a vegetable garden as part of a ‘paying it forward’ project by Stodels Nurseries, Okuhle Media and Hectic Nine9 to celebrate Mandela Day. The newly es tablished vegetable garden is part of a sustainable food programme initiated by prin cipal Imtiaz Adams as 80% of the 1000 learners daily ar rive hungry. From left are Thabo Fekesah, Yusuf Morris, Kamogelo Mkonto, and horti culturist Nozi Sibisi. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
MANENBERG: AMBULANCE STAFF REQUIRE COPS’ HELP TO REACH GANG VICTIMS
Bloody risk for medics LAILA MAJIET
Instead of saving lives paramedics are being asked to stand down as bullets fly in Manenberg. Residents are being told to call the police should they require the assistance of emergency workers as officers escort paramedics into the area. Recurring gang violence has turned Manenberg into a warzone. A resident is left paralysed after being truck by a stray bullet while she was sleeping next to her two children last Monday. The children were unhurt. Her neighbour called the ambulance and says they are no longer even safe at home. “We have to duck and dive to dodge bullets while in our homes. We have to roll off our beds to find shelter so stray bullets don’t hit us. Two bullets have come flying through my
front door. One missed me by a just a few centimetres,” she says. Residents in Scheldt Walk were forced to carry the victim (21) out of the house and into a car to rush her to the hospital. “Many people in Manenberg do not have cars, so what happens to them should they need emergency medical attention?” the distressed neighbour fumes. Kader Jacobs, Manenberg Community Police Forum spokesperson, says the 21-yearold mom had been shot in the leg at 01:24. “Scheldt Walk is infested with gangsters. It was all-out war between 2:00 and 5:00 that morning – there was a lot of gunfire,” he says. With a passion for their jobs, paramedics say they sometimes risk their lives to help those in need but it may no longer be worth the risk. “It is difficult to just walk away when you
are able to save a life. But we are trained to assess the volatility of the situation and do what is best for our safety and the patient’s well-being,” says a paramedic, who asked not to be named. Paramedics’ lives are constantly in danger, the paramedic says. “We will attend to patients who have been shot in a gang war and the rival gangs will prevent us from treating the patient. The victim’s family will then demand that we treat them, but sometimes it is just not possible. The patient will have to be taken out of the area before he can be treated,” he says. Provincial health minister Theuns Botha says procuring security services for paramedics is being investigated. “We cannot afford to put our staff’s lives at risk,” he says. Provincial health spokesperson Darren Francis says emergency services compromised in gang-ridden areas include Manen-
berg, Mitchell’s Plain, Lavender Hill, Delft, Elsies River and Khayelitsha. “Ambulance practitioners are escorted by police, but at times officers are committed elsewhere and are not always available to assist paramedics,”he confirms. Manenberg police spokesperson Lieutenant Ian Bennett says officers are obliged to assist emergency workers. “We escort paramedics into the area to ensure they are able to do their job. We also have police patrols around the clock,” he says. Gang violence is increasing emergency workers’ response time. “Responses to calls in gang-affected areas could be delayed as police escorts are not readily available. The gang violence has impacted on staff psychologically and emotionally, as they are also caught in the crossfire at times,” Francis says.
Add a smile...
...to an orphans heart by sponsoring their Eid clothes this Eid-ul-Fitr. Go ahead and MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Your donations in cash or kind gladly accepted.
For more information pls contact Shereen Khan on:
021 696 0145 www.islamic-relief.org.za
GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS Bank: Standard Bank Branch: Fordsburg Account name: Islamic Relief SA Branch Code: 005205 Account no: 005318459 Reference: Contact number
CALL 0800 111 898