« Feb 28, 2013
Op 27 Februarie 2013 was dit Fairworld Merino’s se 25 ste Produksieveiling. Die stoet wat reeds vanaf 1913 bestaan het weereens nie die kopers met die kwaliteit teleurgestel nie. Ons wil die Van Aardt Familie gelukwens met die pragtige museum wat in die skeerhuis geopen is. ‘n Eeu se memorabilia wat uitgestal is, is die aand voor die veiling met ‘n dinee geopen. Lees meer daaroor op bl 10. Die hoogste prys op die dag se veiling was 3 ramme wat onderskeidelik R30 000,00 behaal het. Die gemiddelde beloop R10 300. Dragtige ooie het ook goeie pryse behaal. Dankie aan BKB Cradock vir n suksesvolle veiling.
Top 5 ramme se pryse:
SB de Klerk R30 000
JJ Triegaardt R30 000
Langrivier Boerdery R30 000
SB de Klerk R29 500
Lesotho Livestock R26 000
Op foto verskyn: Agter: Mark Trollip (koper), Acton van Aardt (verkoper), Johan Triegaardt (koper), Willem van Aardt (verkoper) en Stefaans de Klerk (koper).
Voor: Henrie Draghoender en Hans Thomas die hanteerders by twee van die ramme wat die goeie prys van R30 000 behaal het.
ANC Women’s League stalwart Regina Bhuqa, better known by her nickname of MaNtombi, lead the crowd in protest on 22 February. Photo Chris Marais.
STAKING IN CRADOCK
Die onwettig munisipale staking op die dorp het verlede Maandag sy tweede week binnegegaan en geen dienste is gelewer nie. Die munisipale kantore is gedurende die vorige week deur stakers oorgeneem en belastingbetalers wat hul rekeninge wou betaal is deur lawaaierige en dansende stakers geïntimideer.
Op ‘n noodvergadering wat Maandag deur die Demokratiese Alliansie se bestuur gehou is, is die onwettige staking, besetting van die munisipale kantore en wetteloosheid wat heers, ten sterkste afgekeur. Die vergadering het onder meer beswaar gemaak teen dreigemente wat teen nie-stakende werkers gerig word en hulle hul reg om te werk ontneem , intimidasie, verlies van werkure en die finansiële implikasies wat dit vir die dorp inhou, sowel as die totale wanorde wat in die gebied heers.
Die munisipale bestuurder, Mzwandile Tantsi, het ook Maandag bevestig dat ‘n onbekende aantal werkers van die vorige Maandag af staak en dat papiere en ander gemors in die munisipale ingangsportaal aan die brand gesteek is. “Alhoewel dit nie lyk of die leiklipvloer skade gely het nie, kan ons nog nie bevestig hoeveel rookskade daar wel aan die gebou is nie,” het hy gistermiddag gesê. Hy het bygevoeg dat produktiewe onderhandelinge met die stakers nog nie kon plaasvind nie, aangesien die stakers nie afgevaardigdes kon aanwys om met die munisipale bestuur te onderhandel nie.
Tantsi het toe bevestig dat die stakers besig was om ‘n groot optog vir later in die week te organiseer.
Alhoewel baie gerugte die rondte doen en dit blyk dat die stakers omgekrap is oor sekere munisipale personeelaanstellings, kon dit nog nie met sekerheid vasgestel word wat die oorsaak van die staking is nie.
Inwoners van die dorp is oor die algemeen ontsteld dat die hulp van die polisie nie ingeroep is om die belhamels wat verantwoordelik was vir die poging tot brandstigting en kwaadwillige beskadiging van munisipale gebou in hegtenis te neem nie.
Tantsi het bevestig dat werknemers van Middelburg, wat ook onder die Inxuba Yethemba munisipaliteit resorteer, verlede Maandag ook begin staak het.
Open letter to the Premier:
Please act against Teacher Shortages
I feel compelled to write to you, Madam Premier, because it has become very clear that the closure of schools by parents due to teacher shortages is a trend that is spreading throughout the province like wildfire.
The situation is clearly beyond the control of the Eastern Cape Department of Education, which has so far done little to address the issue of excess teachers who refuse to move to schools where they are needed.
Schools where fed-up parents are forcing closures is no longer confined to the northern areas of Port Elizabeth. The Willowmore Primary School has been closed for the past two weeks. Asherville Primary, Spandau Secondary and Union Primary- and High School were forced to close recently. On Monday (4 March 2013) my DA-colleague in parliament, Donald Smiles, and I witnessed school children sitting around without supervision or wandering the streets aimlessly in Ugie and in Barkley East. There has been a lack of political leadership for the last ten years to have excess teachers redeployed to schools where they are needed. We are all guilty of robbing our children of a future by not taking action in this ongoing matter. We have more than 8300 substantive vacant posts with 6 800 teachers in excess. To date only 1 900 teachers have been identified and only 500 teachers have accepted their re-assignment.
Teachers are being intimidated by Sadtu at the slightest notion that they were considering redeployment. The department is fully aware of the challenges regarding post provisioning, yet it does not have the guts to stand.
The lack of teachers has resulted in overcrowding and multi-grade teaching. The DA cannot condone the practise of parents closing schools but one can understand their frustration because there are no solutions coming from the government. I urge the Premier to step in and act:
1. Instruct all Principals and District Offices to complete the process of identification of excess teachers within the next two weeks;
2. Have teachers matched against the profiles of all available posts and instruct them, on the basis of fairness, to report to their new stations within an acceptable time frame, if not, pending consequences should be communicated. This includes no work, no pay, withholding salaries and severance package which can be negotiated with National; and
3. Legal actions should be instituted with dismissal as the final option. Those teachers that are in the age cohort of 50 to 60 and who are not redeployable because of their qualifications should be offered early retirement without any penalties. This will open the door for the large numbers of Funsha Lushaka Bursary holders to be permanently employed.
The Eastern Cape again fared the worst in last year’s matric results. Madam Premier, if you do not act to and stop the teacher shortage and the general chaos in the education system in the province, we will have no candidates to send to matric. You are forcing children into an unending cycle of poverty and disadvantage.
Edmund van Vuuren, MPL, DA spokesperson on Education, Bhisho.
Political meddling in leaver Blue Crane Route without effective service delivery
Mayor tables adjustment Budget to the council
Find vision and purpose at Karoo Mighty Men Conference 2013
Clearing the air at Nxuba Municipality
The Fairworld Story, 100 years
Wolmark sak terug