People’s Post Athlone/Lansdowne E-edition 7 April 2026
Manenberg SecondarySchool is celebratingits 50th anniversary andthe Alumni groupofthe school is hostinga dinneratBarron’sEstatein Philippi on Friday 17 Apriltomarkthe milestone.
Theschool wasestablished in 1976 and, despiteManenberg beingknown forits gang violence,ithas maintained asteadyenrolment of learners throughthe years.
“The Alumni Groupwas establishedinFebruary2016bythe firstgroup of matriculants at theschool ,” said PatThompson, chairof thegroup.“Thealumniassisted with the40th celebrationand we invitedthe then principals, Cammy Williamsand Cheryl Backman, to our firstmeeting. Also presentwerealumnimembers,LeilahBarronand Fakhri Nasiep Barrongavecasualemploymenttolearnersin thepastand Nasiep makesregular donationsof food to be used in theschool’s feedingscheme.
“I wasnever alearner at theschool,but started teaching thereinJanuary 1980 andretired in March2024,”Williamssaid. “WhenI became thecurator principalin2019wemanaged gradually to increase thepassrateofmatriculantsfrom33,6% to 66% when Ileftin2024. We received many awards from theWestern Cape EducationDepartment[WCED]aswellas National Education.”
Theschool hada very good cricketteaminthe past andplayedunder thebannerofWestern Province,which fell underthe SouthAfrican CouncilonSport (Sacos)which,inits operations, actively fostered non-racial sport, against thegrain of itsday.One learner, Fuad Benjamin, wasa WP andSacos player in 1978
“Weare very proudofDrIrvin Kinnes, a former learner, whobecamea criminologist knownfor hisresearchintogangs,violence
Theschoolhas maintained asteady enrolment since itsfounding in 1976.
andpolicinginSouth Africa,” said Williams.
“Heholds aHigherDiploma in Educationfrom theUniversityofthe WesternCape, andan MScincriminology from theLondonSchool of Economics. Having served as aPoliceTraining ProgrammeManager andisnow AssociateProfessorofCriminology at theUniversityofCape Town,DrKinneshas been involved in various
committees andreceivedthe United NationsVienna CivilSociety Awardfor hiscontributionto civilsociety in 2002.Hepreviouslyworkedas thecontent advisorfor thePortfolio Committee on Police in Parliament.” Currently theschool hasa limitedsubject choice,a problemlearners of thepastdidn’thaveatall.
“The school hadwoodwork, mathematics,
physicsand Xhosa, whichare no longer part of thecurriculum, despitemaths’and physics’ importance today,”saidWilliams. “Ithas a21year partnershipwithStoke on TrentCollege, Manchester (UK),which sees exchange visits.” . Ticketstothe golden jubilee dinner at Barron’s Estate cost R150 per person.Formoreinformation contact AsaEnoson073 4795771or082 7135814.
PatThompson(left), chair of the Alumni Group of ManenbergSecondarySchool, with some of thealumniwho
aspecial dinner at Barron’s Estate in Philippi. PHOTO:SUPPLIED
Uphill battle forcitizens
Ithas been atough starttothe month forconsumers as thefuelhikewas implementedfromWednesday 1April as well as an averageelectricity tariff increase of 8,76%for Eskomcustomers
Neil Roets, chiefexecutive officer(CEO) of Debt Rescue,warns that theincreases are“disastrous”for consumers.
“Thispricestwo of themostessentialnecessities –petroltodrive theirvehiclesand electricitytoheatfood andkeep thelightson– beyond thereach of theaverage citizen– andthisspells disaster on alevel we have notseen yet.”
He warnsthatSouth Africans arefastfalling deeper into financialruin.
“Itisdeeplyconcerningthatauthorities are notrespondingmoreurgentlytothe writingon thewall.”
ANYRELIEFINSIGHT?
Despitegovernment’sannouncement to temporarily reduce thefuellevybyR3per litrefor petrol anddieselfor this month, Roetssaidthe pricehikes will stillhavea dramatic impact on SouthAfricans.
“Petrolisa mainstay of themonthly budget
GOVERNMENT IS SCRAMBLING TO SECURE FUEL SUPPLYFOR THE COUNTRY
of everyhousehold,whether youare avehicle ownerornot,and many ruralhouseholdsstill useitto fire up theirgenerators.
“Whenthe priceofpetroland diesel increases, it’s inevitable that otheressentialgoodswillgo up in pricetoo,withstaplefoodsatthe topof thelist, as we seethe knock-on effectonroad andrailtransport.”
THEDIESELDEBATE
He said in SouthAfricadieselretailpricing is notregulated in thesameway petrol is.Unlike petrol,where thegovernmentsetsa regulated pump pricethatall stations must follow, diesel’s retail priceisonlyguidedbya monthly referenceprice
This meansthatfuelstationscan adjust diesel prices at anytimeduringthe month.
“Itisencouraging that ourgovernmentis
scrambling to secure fuelsupplyfor thecountry forthe upcoming months,withreports coming in that SouthAfricaisseekinga standard contract fora 12-month supplyfromNigeria,”
Roetsnotes
“Right nowthough, we only have enough to seethe countrythrough forthe next fewweeks.”
ESKOM’SDARKAGE
Roetswarns that thenationalpower utility Eskomwillalsobehardhit by thedieselprice hike
Theprice increase will placeseverepressure on Eskom’s finances forthisyearbydramatically increasing theoperational costsofits Open CycleGas Turbines (OCGTs).
This forces Eskomtoeitherfundhigheroperationalcosts or reduce usage, potentially risking higher stages of load shedding or more outages, notesRoets
“Loadshedding is somethingweSouth Africans believed we hadleftbehindfor good,” says Roets. “Householdssimplydon’t have the wherewithaltowithstand anotherround of plannedpower outages, especially at this time when they arefacinginsurmountable financial challenges,” he warns.
Taxisandbusesmonitoringtheoilmarket
TheSouth AfricanNationalTaxiCouncil (Santaco)saidgiven that most minibustaxis operate on diesel,which is largelyunregulated,the significant priceincreasemeans theindustry will continue to absorb thegreatestimpactof thecurrent fuel priceadjustments
Motoristsare feelingthe squeeze, with petrol increasedbyR3,06 perlitre anddieselspiking by R7,37.
Santacosaidwhile it welcomes theR3fuel levy relief as anecessary short-term intervention,the overallincreaseinfuelpricescontinuestoplace significant pressure on thetaxi industry andits dailyoperations.
“Based on theseassessments,associations will communicate directly with theircommuters regardingany potentialfareadjustments.”
Phalasaidthatany fare increasesimplemented by associations will be approached with “caution,transparency, andresponsibility”
Phalasaidnationally,Santaco leadership remainsactivelyengaged with government to explorefurther supportmeasuresaimed at softeningthe ongoing financialstrainonboth theindustryand commuters.
“These engagementsare critical to ensuring that theburdenofrisingcosts does notdis
“Santaco calls forunderstanding andcooperationfromcommuters during this challenging period,asthe industry workstobalance sustainabilitywithaffordability.”
MeanwhileBronwen Dyke-Beyers, spokesperson forGoldenArrow,saidthe busservices remainscommittedtosupportingthe communities that they serve.
Shesaidcurrently Golden Arrowdoesnot plan to implementfareincreases
“Wewilldoeverythingpossibletoshieldour passengersbyabsorbing theseadditional fuel costsfor as long as possible. However, should thesepressurespersist or intensifythere will come apoint wherefareadjustments become unavoidable.”
“Wewillcontinuetomonitor thesituation closelyand will always communicate transparentlywithour passengersshouldany changes become necessary.”
As fleetingand unpredictableas theweather canbe, so toohave ourpersonallives become in the ever shifting globaland economic landscape. We find ourselveswrestlingtounderstandwhile we keep ourheads abovewater.These daily anxietieswrackingour brains have been compounded by theraging warinthe MiddleEastand the conflictoverthe Strait of Hormuz whichhas caused an unprecedented fuelhikethatpunctured our pocketsaswelookedonhelplessly at theprice of petrol anddiesel skyrocketing as we approached the monthofApril Ironically thefuelhikearrivedon AprilFool’s Day, howapt we find ourselvescaughtinthe middleof ajokewhere onecan only laugh insteadofcry at theimminent risingcosts andinflationthatawaits
us in thecomingweeks. Research showsthatthe increase in petrol (fuel) prices is asignificant global economic shockthattriggers a “chain reaction,leading to higher inflation, increasedcostofliving, andslowereconomicgrowth” Slowly we’llsee howthese fuel hikesaffectthe grocerieswebuy as fuelis“essential” fortransporting goods, agriculture, andmanufacturing Rising oilpricescreatea negative supplyshock that spreadsacross theentireglobaleconomy.This feelingofhelplessnesscan be quite draining as we deal with ourown personal problems andissues affecting ourfamilies, notmissing thefactthatthe SouthAfrican National DefenceForce hasdescended upon theCapeFlats to bringa senseofsafetyand security amid thealarmingrates of violence and gunshots affecting residents. Themerefactthatthe army had to be calledintoquell andcurbthe amount of shootings is notonlya worryingsignfor ournationwhere
everynew Stateofthe Nation speechbringsthe “promise”ofa SouthAfricawhere theconstant issues of unemployment,housing, educationand economic freedomhavestarted to show signs of improvement. Insteadwe’re constantly seeing ourcalls falling on deaf ears Ironically,itseemsgovernment seemstolistenmoreattentively when election season is loomingand more voters need to be groomed.
So we’llsee more politicians showingthemselvesinthe poorer communitiesand mingling with thedisadvantaged andoffering more illusionsofhopeona horizon that neverseemstoreach us despitethe yearsthatpass. Whymustour crimestats andthe number of bodies of youngpeople killedsenselesslybecomepiled into such aunsettlingstatistic that ourpoliticians andkey figurescan “wakeup” andtakeaction? On Tuesdayevening,driving past apetrolstation in Cape Town,I
wasamazedatthe long queues of cars seekingfuelattendants andthe sightseemed so grim as Iwatched thecarsstand still anddrivers patientlywaiting.At timesitcan be such an exercise to remain hopeful andgrateful watching thenewsand seeing all thedestruction andinnocent lives everywhere we go.Whether we’re hearingabout disturbing murders on ourphones, television or on the radio, we’reconstantlyswarmed with notonlynewsreports,wenow have influencersdissectingthese storiesfor us andoften sensationalisingthese incidentswithmore gruesome detail It’s becoming harder to stay optimistic andtosupport each otherin this ageofrapid informationand anxiety. Butoften theright thingtodo requires themostdisciplineand in theend becomesthe most rewardingfor notonlyourselves,but also in aiding anotherhuman beingby simply listeningand understanding.
KAYLYNNEBANTOM
Santacosaid it welcomes the R3 fuel levy relief PHOTO: SUPPLIED
AJOURNO’S VOICE
KEANANHARMSE
AProcession changes rhythm from fear to love and unity
AVRILFILLIES
Thestreetsofthe ManenbergPolicingPrecinctcamealive on Sunday 29 Marchwiththe vibrantsoundsofthe annual Palm Sunday Processions, signalinga profound shiftinthe communty’satmosphere. Theusual silenceof theearly hourswas replaced by apowerful and familiar symphony of church brigades,igniting faith.
“The Manenbergcommunity wasawoken notbythe echoes of conflict, butbythe sounds of localchurchbrigades. Themelodic flutes, thesteadybeatofdrums andthe singingof traditionalhymns filledthe air, reclaiming the streetsfor thefamiliesand diversecommunity whocallthisprecincthome,”saysBrigJayce Naidoo, StationCommander of Manenberg police
Fora community that hasfrequentlyfaced trauma andthe loss of life,Sunday’sprocessionsoffered more than just areligious observance, they provided avital spiritualupliftment. Theprocession lead by thebrigadesacted as a heartbeatfor theprecinct, changing thelocal “rhythm” from oneoffeartoone of love and unity.
“The Anglican Church of Reconciliation,the Holy Family Catholic Church andthe Church of theHolySpiritinHeideveld united the
community in asinglemomentofsolidarity to proceed down themainstreetsre-enacting thePalmSundayProcession.The procession wasthe enactmentwhere JesusChristentered Jerusalem, beinghailedKingofthe Jews,but yetinthe next fewdays, thesamecrowd stood before theRomanswanting to crucifyJesus,” says Naidoo.
“How profound.We find ourselvesina similar situationwhere we cannotunite around God’s holy word of faith, joy, hope andlove.
“Christiansentered theperiodofHolyWeek whereweshoulddemonstrate theloveofGod throughour sacrifice in doinggood,inchanging theway we live andbelieve in theeverpresence of God.
“The community experienceda fear-freewalk throughthe heartofthe precinct,weshouldbelievethatthe church injected theareawiththe love of Godovercomingall theeviland dark We believethe Holy Week andGod will change thefaceofManenberg
“The police andthe community believethe time forhealing forManenberg hascome. My prayer is that thelight will prevailoverthe ManenbergPolicePrecinctsothatcommunities in theirdiversity canrepentand turn from their wicked ways,asGod will hear from heaven our prayerstohealManenberg,” says Naidoo.
Gardening empowers youngminds
AVRILFILLIES
Children attendingChildrenofthe LightEducare in Athloneare benefitting from thegardeningprogramme whichwas introduced to teach them abouthealthy andsustainable living
“Our garden hasbeen part of ourprogramme formanyyears.Wegrowvegetablessuchas spinachand beetroot,which helpschildren understand wherefood comesfromand encourages healthychoices,” says AnikaSingh, spokesperson of thefacility.
Throughgardening thechildrenalsolearn to care forthe environmentand it helpsthemto developa senseofresponsibilitybynurturing living things
“One of ourmainprojectsisthe worm farm, wherewefeed andwater theworms.The gardenhas apositiveeffectonthe children,asit allows them to learnthrough hands-on experiences. They developpatience, responsibility and appreciation fornature. In addition,throughout theyearthe children care forsucculentsby watering them andobserving theirgrowth,” says Singh.
At theend of theyear, each childdecorates theirown potand takeshomea succulent they
have nurtured themselves.Thisservesasa symboloftheir growth anda reminder of thecare andresponsibilitytheyhavelearned
“Meanwhile ouryouth programme haskicked off againwithwonderful momentum.The children enjoyeda fullday of Yoga andVedic chanting.Theywerewonderfully receptiveto thesacredvibrationsand arealready making excellent progress in theirchanting,”Singh says Theteachings andactivitiesatthe educareare centredaroundthe needsofthe childand based on theprinciplesofIntegralYoga– serve, love, focus, learn, be good anddogood.The class teacherunderstands each child, theirmoods, tantrums,familyenvironment andbirth history.The teacherhas to be creative andworkfrom aplace of love to draw outthe fullpotential of each child, shesays.
Brigades, clergy and the communities in theManenbergPolicing Precinct walked through the streetsas part of the annual Palm SundayProcession
TheManenbergpoliceleads the annual Palm SundayProcession throughthe streets of Manenberg.
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Searchisonfor gifted performers
CapeTownbracesforTwo OceansMarathonweekend
Runners canlook forwardtoachieving their goalsonrace-dayasa team of seasoned pace setters returnstoleadthe wayatthe Totalsports TwoOceansMarathon.
Theseexperts will be hard at work inspiring, guiding, andhelping participants chasetheir goalsfromstart to finish during theUltra MarathononSaturday11April andHalfMarathon on Sunday 12 April.
TheWestern Province Pace Setters Group, led by Paul Murphy,a member of theBlueNumberClub, hascoordinated theofficial pacing programme at theevent since2015.
This year theteamwilldeploy41pacesetters in theUltra Marathon and28inthe Half Marathon, guidingrunners targetingspecific finish times.
Sevenpacesetters in theUltra Marathon have BNCstatuswiththree goingfor their10thUltra this year.Inthe Half Marathon sixpacesetters have attained BNCstatus.
“Weplace pace setters in each batchappropriatetothe runners’expected finish timesbased on theirseedingtimes,” explains Murphy.“Predicting finishingtimes in theUltra Marathon is complexand is notanexact science. There canbea wide rangeof finish timesfor runners with similarqualifying/seedingtimes,sowe
do thebestwecan with thequalifying/seeding informationavailable.The pace charts we use areroute profile sensitive. i.e. slower on uphills, quickerondownhills.And basedonanalysis of real resultsfrompreviousraces,wefollow aslightpositivefadeapproach that allows for runners slowingdowninthe second half of the race,which is what 90%ofrunners do.” He advisedrunners aiming fora specific finish time to remain with theirtargetpacegroup during theearly stages of therace.
“The danger is goingout toofastinthe first half when theroute feelseasy,”hesaid. “From 28km,there is then 18km goingupand down Chappies andthenupConstantiaNek between 44km- 46km,which is theworst part of the route. If youstill have energy at thetop of Constantia Nek, thereare about10kilometres mostly downhill to the finish whereyou can increase thepace.”
WEEKENDPLANS:
. Friday 10 April, TotalsportsTwo Oceans Marathon TrailRun starting at 07:00 . Saturday 11 April, TotalsportsTwo Oceans UltraMarathon, starting at 05:15 . Sunday 12 April, TotalsportsTwo Oceans Half Marathon,from06:15
Totalsports TwoOceans Marathon Pace Setters. PHOTO:DEVIN PAISLEY
