Lentegeur policeissue warning onfakecases
LAURENO'CONNOR-MAY
Lentegeur police havewarned that people caught opening fake robbery cases will find themselvesfacing criminal charges
LentegeurPolice Station spokesperson
Const Navon van Houten said it has been found that people are lodging fake charges at the station for varying reasons, including to commit insurance fraud
He made an exampleofarecent case involving a15-year-old girl
The girl visited the stationon15 January and reported arobbery, but the investigating officer noticed discrepancies in her statement
After further questioning it was discovered that she had opened thefake robberycase to fraudulently claim from insurance.
She was charged for perjury but not arrested, because she is aminor.
Shewas instead released into the care of her mother and now has acriminal record.
VanHouten warned that people who opened fraudulent cases notonly risk facing charges themselves but could also skew the area’s crime statistics which interferes withlegitimate police work.
Strandfontein, with 82,9%, alsodropped to 13th place from ninth place with 80,1% in 2024
Mitchells PlainHigh School in Portland landed in 14th placewith 80,9%, down from10th place in 2024 with 79,8%
Lentegeur on the other hand improved fromlastplace in 2024 with64,2% to 15th place in 2025 with 77,6%.
AloeHighinLentegeur dropped eight places from eighthplacein2024 to 16th place in 2025, witha percentage drop from 86,7% to Aloe 75,3%.
PrincetoninWoodlands remainedin 17th place with75,0%,animprovement on 2024’s 68,4%.
This year Tafelsig was in 18th place with 75,0% despite achieving ahigher percentage rate compared to 2024’s 74,8%.
SECONDCHANCES
The country overall hasanincrease in thematric pass rate. TheDepartment of Basic Education (DBE), however, has issuedastatementonits social media channels reminding matriculants whose gradesare lowerthanthey would have likedorwho did notpassthat the Second Chance Programme services are free.
"The departmentstressed that it does not endorse any private or commercial services thatrequire payment for
participation in the Second Chance Programme," the announcement said.
Candidates who wish to make use of the programme were advised to visitDBE’s official website for details.
Theprogramme forms part of the National Development Plan objectives and basic education sector goals aimed at increasing learner retention rates.
Participants gain exposure to bursary opportunities for further studies, according to the department. The initiative specifically supportslearners unable to meet NSC or extended Senior Certificate requirementsthrough their initial attempts.
‘NGOsarefailing theirmandate’
ALAURENO’CONNOR-MAY LAUREN.OCONNOR-MAY@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA
child-rights activist says some social-work organisationstowhich the government outsourcesthe care of vulnerablechildren arefailing in their mandate.
Zona Morton, an activist who has worked with policeand thedefence force in monitoringpolicebrutality, children in custody andchildren in conflict with the law, hasgiven TygerBurger an example of achild referred to asocial-work nongovernment organisation (NGO) ending up in adangerous situation.
Shesaid the boy, an intellectually disabled14-year-old, was twice referred to an NGO appointed andfunded by the Department of Social Development (DSD) in Macassar, but both times the care was unsafe.
“Twoyearsago Iwas alerted by a community leader to amentally- and physically-disabled child who was not getting hismedication andwas being neglected by his mother.”
Morton added thatthe boy had two younger siblings. She called DSD’safterhourssocial-work team, who went out and assessed the situation. They then transferred theboy’s casetoDSD’s designated NGO in the area. Morton said theboy was supposed to be referred to safe care.
“DSDoutsources these services because it obviously can’t gettoall the areas.”
Mortonassumed the situation had been resolveduntil shereceived acall from
THREECALL-OUTS ON THE SAME AT-RISK CHILDREN HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR ASSESSINGRELEVANT NGOS
the community leader last week about the same boy. She sent her avideo of the boy being slapped by aman after he had entered astranger’s house.
Morton discovered that the boy had been returned to his mother’scareand was still not receiving his medication and was allowed to roam the community unsupervised.
She once again called DSD’s after-hours social-work team, whom she commended for always responding immediately to emergency call-outs.
“They found all three children at risk due to the condition of the house, and they also said to me the mother is asubstance user. They took him to Helderberg Hospital and because he’saminor,they had to take his mother with. But they left the other two children in the safe careofa neighbour.”
This time the team referred all the children to the same NGO. Morton said she followed up with DSD after the boy was discharged and was assured hissafety had been secured.
THIRDCALL-OUT
Later that evening, however, Morton received athird call from the community leader. “So Irepeated the process; Icalled Social Development again and asked, ‘How is it possible that the NGO made a statement that the children are safe if they are still at home?”
Theafter-hours team went out to the house again, but by this time the youngest child, a12-year-old, had run away.
“So they took the 16-year-old mentallyand physically-disabled boy and 14-yearold girl and placed them with safety parents,” Morton said. “They then gave me the commitment that the next morning they would go back and open acase of child abuse and neglect, which they did.” She said the 12-year-old child was found two days later and also taken to safety. Morton said she was concerned the NGOs DSD was outsourcing to do not have sufficient oversight.
DSDRESPONDS
DSD spokesperson Esther Lewissaidthe department had oversight mechanisms that include quarterly reporting and on agreed-on indicators. Each NGO has acomplaints mechanism with and escalation process for people to follow if unhappy with the service received.
“Activistsshould please report any specific issues they encounter with individual funded social sector NGOs to thedepartment,”Lewis said. “We fund more than 1000 organisations and most are rendering excellent services.” She said until recently social work relied heavily on apaper-based system to track and report progress on cases.
“The introduction of the Social Work Integration Management System (SWIMS) app, and ongoing rollout to NGOs –and training on how to use the system –will contribute to better supervision of cases and caseloads, and to address instances where cases may fall through the cracks.
“Where an NGO is consistently underperforming in spiteofefforts to assist them, or if one declares it is unable to continue rendering services, we stop funding it and find another suitably capable organisation to step in or we take the area over with our own social workers, which usually requires appointing additional personnel.”
. Service-deliveryissuescan be reported to DSDfor investigation on 0800220 250orat SD.CustomerCare@westerncape.gov.za
WATDIE HART VANVOL IS ’n Ouer se grootste vreesmoet nie skoolvervoer wees nie
Veertien jong siele het Maandag onderweg skool toe gesterf toe die bussie waarin hulle was, met 'n vragmotor gebots het. In 'n land waar so baie kinders steeds die reg tot gehalte-onderrigontsêword, is 14 dooie kinders te veel. En weer, soos in baie kere tevore is die beweerde beskuldigde iemand wat veronderstel is om met kinders vertrou te kanword —die bestuurdervan die skoolvervoermotor Nog vars in ons geheue is die Buttskoptragedietoe 10 kinders grusaamdood is omdathul bestuurder ongeduldig geraak het en probeer het om die treinspoor oor te steek. Die res van die storie is te hartseer om hier te herhaal, so lees maar self op wat op sy onbesonne daad gevolg het.
Ongelukkig is baie ouersdeesdae uitgelewer aan skoolvervoer, wat net daarop uit is om die maksimum geld te maak, maar nie 'n duit vir die kinders omgee nie. Hulle prop soveel as moontlik kinders in dikwels onpadwaardige voertuie om die winsnaald te laat styg. Of hulle tel verskillendegroepe kinders op verskillende tye en plekke op, wat veroorsaak dathulle soos besetenes moet jaag om betyds by die skole te wees Nadat ek uit Oudtshoorn verhuis het, moes ek desperaat virmyeen seun 'n nuwe skool soek. Die ideaalsou wees dat hy by 'n skool naby aan die huis aanvaar word, sodat hy sommer kan stap. Onswou hê hy moet in Afrikaans klas kryenhet veral uitgereik na skole waar daarnog in sy moedertaal klas gegee word.Een van die nabygeleë skole hethom aanvaar, maar toehulle sê daar is reeds meer as 50 leerders in die Afrikaanseklas,het my moed my begewe. Ons moes ‘n ander plan maak.
Baieouersisaandieeuwelvan skoolvervoeruitgelewer
Uiteindelik is hy by die Laerskool De Kuilen aanvaar, wat 'n hele entjie van ons huis af was. Ons moes dus ‘nplanmaak dathy'nplekkie op 'n skoolbussiekry. Metons eerste besoek aan die eienaaris ons hand en tand belowe dathynet die beste belange van die leerders op syhart dra. Ditwas met 'n swaar hart wat ons soggens douvoordag die arme siel in die bussie moes laai, soms amper aandie slaap. En omdat die bussie sobaieleerders moes aflaai in die middae, het hy eers middae na 16:00weer tuisgekom.Soms later.
Twee weke nadat die skoolbegin het, sit ek een Vrydagmiddag by die werkenmy selfoon lui. Dis 'n onbekende nommeren toe ek antwoord,sêdie vrouestem aan die ander kant: "Meneer, jou graad 1-seuntjie staan voor die skool en die hekke isreeds gesluit." Dadelik bel ek die eienaarvan die bussie
Dieverskoning? Hy was haastig, want hy moesna'nbegrafnis buitedie stad gaan. Hierdieis'ngesinskoerant en daarom kan ek nie die woorde wat ek gebruik het, herhaal nie, maar daardieeienaar het goed gehoor wathydalk niewou nie. Na nogeen of twee voorvalle het ek uiteindelik besluit, laat ek maarself die klong skool toe neem. Hy het verledeweek sy matriekuitslae gekry en het baiegoed geslaagengaan een van diedae verderin sy gekose veldstudeer. Ek dank die Here vir die voorreg wat ek konhêomskool toe te ry. Daar is egter ouerswat dit nie kan bekostig of motors besit nie, en is aan die euwel van skoolvervoer uitgelewer.Ek ken daai vrees dat jou kind dalk niehuis toe gaan kom nie, maar jy kanhom ook nietuis hou nie. Dus is diegebed van my hart dat elke ouer wat soggens hul kinders skool toe stuur, hul weer in die middae sal ontvang. —BRENDEN RUITER
SLICEOFLIFE
Matricschoose your path
Congratulations to allmatriculants on theirhardearned matric results. Standing at this crossroads is both excitingand daunting. As youconsideryour next step,here’sarealistic look at whatlies ahead.
Thegood:wide-open doors:
Aquality qualification unlocksmorethana career,it buildscritical thinking, skills forthe future, and lifelong connections. Today, respected universities and TVET ll ff bust dist le in allowi ut
teachers andgraduates who’vewalkedthis path. Budget honestlyand useyour institution’ssupport services, counselling, tutoring, and financialaid exist to help.You don’t have to face this alone.
Theugly: avoid the traps: Beware of unregistered “fly-by-night” colleges offeringcheap,quickqualifications. They take your money andleave youwith aworthless certificate. Always verify institution’ egistrati with theD tment of
ABURST OF COLOUR: TheGreen Point Fan Walk willonceagain come alivewith an explosion of colour and entertainment as the 16th editionofthe Cape Town Carnival returns on Saturday 21 March.Over 1500 performers will showcasetheir talent under thetheme“Follow Your HeART.”The theme wasunveiled last week at thelaunch of this year’s event,heldatNasdak in Cape Town on Thursday15 January.
Yield to right at circles
In answerto"Concerned motorist,Durbanville" regarding trafficcircles ("Mini trafficcircles need bettersignage and awareness", TygerBurger).I'm suretheyare the ones who doesn't knowhow circles operate. At alltrafficcircles, youyieldtotrafficon your right.Thereisnosuch thing as "first to arrive, first to go"atacircle.
DAVE TAYLOR,Brackenfell
Goodwood pool renovation excels,but Civic Centre repairs stillpending
TheCityofCape Town is to be congratulated on its choice of acompetentcontractor to renovate the GoodwoodSwimmingPool. Even afterthe extensive work undertaken, the contractor completed the projectwithinthe specified timeframe.Moreover, sincethe pool wasoriginally built,ithas neverbeen in such apristine condition! With the extremelyhigh temperatures, people
flocked to findrelief, with manyfromsurrounding areasbeginning to queue from 08:00. Of the numerous peopletowhomIspoke, therewas nothing but praise. Regrettably, the above success contrastedsharply with the varying, conflicting, andcontradictory notices andutterancesbythe City's officialsoverthe past year.The Maycomember forcommunityservices and health referred to merely"cosmetic repairs" being
undertaken, whichIcategorically refuted (TygerBurger, 5March).
Onecan only hope that the town hall (erroneously known as the Civic Centre) willfinallyreceivethe extensiverepairs it requires (due to the neglect of maintenance) andthatthesewillbecompleted this year.After all, it hasbeen closedfor four years!
DBEELDERS,Vasco
PHOTO: KAYLYNNE BANTOM
GU INZE
T: C:
gurshwin.heinze@novusmedia.co.za
LANSDOWNE YOUNGSTER SHINESININVESTECCHALLENGE
Lansdowne resident and Stormers player Imaad Khan beats theattentionofGeorgePearson,left; and GabrielHamer-WebofLeicester Tigers to scorehis team’sfifth tryofthe match to win 39-26during the Investec Champions Cupmatch played at theCapeTownStadiumonSaturday17January.
