SPCAinspectors worked around the clock in dangerousconditions as theyremained inundatedwith distress callsfromacrossthe metropole,according to spokesperson Belinda Abraham.Workinginlockstep with the CityofCape Town’sJoint OperationsCentre,the SPCAhad beenabletocut through the chaos,getting to the right places faster and deploying resourceswhere theywereneeded most.“No animal shouldbeleftoutside without proper shelterinstorms like this,”Abrahamsaid.“Bringanimalsindoors wherever possible.Raise kennelsoff flooded ground.Replace wetbeddingimmediately.Ensureanimalshaveprotection from wind andrain.Theseare not smallcomforts during astorm like this.They arelifesaving interventions.”Residents canreport animalsindistress or request evacuation assistance 24 hours aday by calling 021700 4158 /021 7004159orsending aWhatsAppto021 7004140.Picturedare InspectorElani Graham andtrainee Inspector NakitaSutterwith some of the rescuedpuppies.
Parowbakery securesUK exportdeals
RICHARDROBERTS
RICHARD.ROBERTS@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA
Khayelitsha Cookie Company, based in Beaconvale, Parow is spreading its wings.
It was recently reported that the company will soon be exporting its baked goods to the United Kingdom (UK), as well as seethem serve their products on board British Airways (BA).
Khayeltisha Cookies employs previously unemployedwomenmainly from Khayelitsha and surrounding areas, their bio reads.The women are trained to bake and handpack cookies, brownies and cheesestraws at their factory in Parow.
The cookiesare sold in schools, hospitals, officesand retail stores.
COOKIESGOGLOBAL
It was reported in the media recently that KhayelitshaCookies had secured deals with two UK backedcompanies one whichisanagreementtoserve its products onboard BA flights, Engineering News reports.
It’s reportedthatthe deals were concludedwith support from the UK Trade Partnerships Programme
Business Tech reports that the programme aims to supportdeveloping nationsinutilising the UK’s Economic Partnership Agreement to boost exports. Also part of theexport agreement is the sale of its privatelabelshortbreads to the UK market.
MoneyWeb reports that the two deals totalmore than R1,4million.
Adri Williams,managing director of Khayelitsha Cookies.
COOKIE COMPANY TRAINS UNEMPLOYED TO MAKEAND
PACKAGEBAKEDGOODS
Adri Williams, managing director of Khayelitsha Cookies who has won numerous awards, bought the business in 2013 with apartner.
Learnerstaught about dentalhygiene
Learners at theParow East Primary School were recently taught the importanceoforal hygiene, thanks to a dental outreach programme hosted by a local dentalpractice
TheOzmedFamily Dental Centre in McGuinness Road, Parow North, hosted an outreach at the school where dentist Dr ZaahireenOsmaneducated and demonstratedtothe schools’ Foundation Phaselearners on proper brushing techniques, theimportance of regular dental check-ups, andpreventative care.
Osman was accompanied by dental nurse Olga Plaatjies.
“Our team visited the school to provide basic oral health education, and guidance on good oral hygiene practices. The aim of the initiative was to raise awareness among learners about the importance of looking after theirteeth,”Hope Makwinja, spokesperson, said.
This outreach forms part of our ongoing commitment to giving back to the community, and improving access to preventative dental care, especially for children who may not regularly visita dentist. We believe that early education helps promote lifelong oral health, Makwinja said.
Dr Zaahireen Osman
Grannies‘gunit’atKillarney
Two elderly residents from the Parow Senior Centre/Hernus Kriel Centre in Bedford Street, Parow in Cape Town were recently afforded a once-in-a-lifetime experience —climbing intoahigh-performancecar with an experienced driver behind the wheel, having the car manoeuvred at high speed, with itsengineroaring and tyres smoking.
Badisa, anon-profitorganisation (NPO) of which the centre in Parowisabranch, said residents Sannievan der Merwe (95) and Valerie Laubscher (81) visited the Killarney International Raceway where they took part in aformofmotorsport that focusesonprecision driving,Gymkhana, which involves participants navigating atimed course filled with obstacles such as cones, tight turns and technical manoeuvres. It is askill-baseddiscipline that combines speed, control, and accuracy and is atype of motorsportused by nonprofit company Racing 4Change intheir community outreach events.
Badisa said the duo eargerly agreed to “take aspin” in the performance cars, as experienced driversbehind the wheel performed controlled gymkhana manoeuvres, proving that adventure and excitement truly have no age limit.
NON-PROFIT GIVESSENIORS ONCE IN ALIFETIME OPPORTUNITY AT RACEWAY
Racing 4Change,whichalso incorporatesdriftingand drags, hosted ahigh-energy event at Killarney on Saturday9 May, when they alsopresented the Hernus KrielCentre with adonation of R10 000. Theoccasion alsocreated an unforgettable opportunity for the two elderly ladiestotaketheir seats in roaring performance vehicles, safely accompanied by experienceddriver Johandre Duminy, saidBadisa spokesperson, Zoe Borchards.
‘UNFORGETTABLE’
“Aunty Sannie especially delighted the crowd by happily waving to onlookers,” she said, “while the car spun around in front of the audience,capturing the spirit of theday and winning hearts acrossthe event.
Both women described the experience as “unforgettable”, saying they were incredibly proud to add it to their growing listoflife experiences andachievements. Since the event they have continued
speakingenthusiastically about the warm welcome they received from everyone involvedand the incredibleatmosphere maintained throughout the day.”
One of the highlights for the women were discoveringthat the youngestparticipant at theevent was only five years old.
Racing 4Change was founded by couples Leon and MoniqueEngelbrecht,Johan and JuanitaSchade,and Abdul and Rehana Sayed. TheNPC aims to bring upliftment through motorsport by supporting communitiesthroughfundraising initiatives, offering welding training and work opportunities, andsharing stories of impactthroughits “MoreThan Just Motoring” podcast, said Borchards.
“We wish we hadmillions to give away,” said AbdulSayed, “but we know that everylittle bit counts towards making a difference.”
Organisers andsupporterspraised both women for their bravery and willingness to stepoutside their comfort zones, describing them as powerful examples of active agingand community participation. Badisa alsoextended aheartfelt thank you to Racing4 Change andall the organisers, not only for the generous donation, but alsofor creating sucha meaningful and
unforgettable experience for Sannieand Valerie.
“Their participation stands as apowerful reminder that life continues to offer moments of excitement, connection, and discovery at every stage,” said Borchards.
EstellePretorius,manager,handed over acheque worthR10 000 to Sannie vander Merwe(95)and Valerie Laubscher (81).
Sannie vander Merwe (95) seated in front of aracing carwith experienceddriver JohandreDuminybehind the steeringwheel.
Valerie Laubscher (81)was allsmiles before taking to theracetrack with driver Jarric Tolken.
TrustdonatesOlympicBrainzMonitor
Astate-of-the-art machine was recently handed over to the Neonatology Department at Tygerberg Hospital —marking asignificant stepforward in enhancingspecialised care for the hospital’s most vulnerable patients.
The official handover of the Olympic Brainz Monitor,worth R709 969, wasconducted by Prof Pierre Goussard on behalf ofthe TygerbergHospital Children's Trust and formally received by prof. Gugu Kali, head of Neonatology. Also present at the event were Dr Matodzi Mukosi, chief executive of Tygerberg Hospital, and Dr Sheila Lubega, medical manager for paediatrics TheOlympic Brainz Monitor is an advanced neurological monitoring device used to assess brain activity in newborns, particularly those at risk of neurological complications.Its
FROMPAGE1
It’s not just bad luck, it’s a deliberate decision. It was based on poor political leadershipover many years that has resulted in those cities being where they are, because instead of investing in the basic things that make cities work or not work, those cities spent all their money on more salaries, bigger staff, lots of social programmes and consumption spending. Infrastructurehas gone down,and the result is clear to see,” he said
REPLACINGPIPELINES
“We are currently replacing more than four times thetotal number of pipes of all the other seven major cities in the country combined —including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Bloemfontein.
“I would like to replace much more because our number of pipe bursts is not yet where we want it to be. It breaks my heart and frustrates me immensely when I visit poorer communities in Cape Townand Istill see people living with daily sewer overflows, because the pipes were built for 10 000people and now there are 50 000 people living in that area. We have to go and upgrade those pipe systems and pump stations, althoughitisa long and slow journey.
“Wehave to be clear in our political leadership that we will never allow the failurethat has happened in other citiesto happen here. We will start to take firmaction to address the urban decay issues that were setting in in the cityafter covid. Andwehave set about doing that in afocused,disciplined way. We
ADVANCED NEUROLOGICAL EQUIPMENT HELPS NEWBORN CARE AT THE TYGERBERGHOSPITAL
introduction into the Neonatal Unitwill enable earlier detection of abnormalities, more accurate diagnosis, andimproved clinical decision-making— ultimately contributing to better outcomes for critically ill andpremature infants, said LouiseTheron, chair of theTygerberg Hospital Children’s Trust.
ONGOINGCOMMITMENT
Speaking at thehandover, Goussardhighlighted the trust’s ongoing commitment tosupporting excellence in paediatric andneonatal healthcare. "Thisdonation reflectsour dedication to ensuring thatclinicians have accesstothe bestpossible equipmenttocarefor newborns
have nearly tripled ourcapital investmentssince four years ago, andwehaveput it into all the things thatreally matter to make thecitywork. Weare notthere yet, but we cansee the light at theend of the tunnel when our three major upgradeprojects that arestillunder construction, are completed. When those are allcompleted, we will actually be back where we have spare capacity forCapeTown’s future growth.
“The number of sewerspills andblockages in ourcity is down 30%fromfouryears ago andthe number offreshwater pipe bursts in our city isdown25% in the same period,”hesaid.
TRAFFICANDCONGESTION
“We sawthatthe citycould notcontinueto feel thepressure it wasfeeling unless we did something to help withtraffic andcongestion.Because the trainsystem doesn’t function and is notcontrolled by us, we put ahuge investment into public transport, and we looked at the most pressurised route in the whole city, which is the M2.
“We started implementing the N2CapeFlatsMyCiTiexpansion, which is avery large public transport investment. When it is finished sometime in themiddle of next yearwe’ll see 300 buses running all daylongalongthat corridor— allthe way down through Philippi, Gugulethu, Hanover Park, Mitchells Plain andending inKhayelitsha. It will make amajor differenceto commutertransport,” he said.
MASSIVESEMIGRATION
“What hashappenedas Cape Town hascontinued to succeed and as othercities have continued todeteriorate,iswe have hadmassive semigration. If youthought semigration was strong before covid, we have data thatshows 100 000 families —not people, but families— have moved from Gauteng to Cape Town in thelastfour years —mostlytoSomerset West,Durbanville, theAtlantic Seaboardand Table View.
“We know why they are coming; they alsowant to live in acitythatworks, thatoffers agoodfuturefor their children. What that means is that we’ve hadmorepressureonour roads,morepressureonour infrastructure, more pressure onour schools.Our schools are bursting atthe seams. And of course, more pressureonour house prices,”hesaid
in need," Goussard said. Kali expressed sincere appreciation for thedonation, notingits impact on patient care. "This monitor will greatly enhance our abilitytoprovide specialised neurological care to neonates,especially those with brain injury. Early and accurate monitoringiscritical, and this equipment will makea meaningfuldifferenceinthe lives of the babies entrusted to our care," she said.
The children’s trust continues to playapivotal role in advancingpaediatric healthcare at Tygerberg Hospital by fundingessentialequipment, infrastructureimprovements, and patient-centredinitiatives, said Theron.
The trust was established in 2001 andisdedicated to improving paediatric and neonatal healthcare at Tygerberg
Hospital by addressing critical needs and supporting medical excellence through donor-funded initiatives.
WC drillstars march toward national glory
The Federation of Dance, Drill, Batonand Majorette Western Cape successfully hosted its 4th RegionalCompetitionat JG MeiringHigh School in Goodwood recently, bringing together some of the province's mosttalented anddedicated athletes
The one-day competition featured over14teams competing acrossvariouscategories, including Non–Prop, OpenDance, Baton& Flag, MixedFormations, and theprestigiousLarge Drill Team division.Athletes aged five years to 35 years participated, highlighting both grassrootsdevelopment andelite performancewithin the sport, whichwas hostedbyPresident High School,ChantalLombard, a coach, said.
DISCIPLINE,TEAMWORK
With teams spread across Cape Town and surrounding areas, the event provided avital platform to showcase discipline, teamwork, and athletic excellence, while giving families and supporters theopportunity to experience theenergy and passion of competitive dance and drill sport.
“Welldone to President High for winning the overall Large Drill category for high schools and False Bay Primary school for winningthe overall Large Drill categoryinthe primary school section,” she said.
Building on the success of the recent regional competition, thefederation continues an excitingand busy competitive season, with the next regional competition scheduled for 6
June, followed by the provincial championships on 27 June and 25 July, she said.
Thereafter, attention turns to the highly anticipated national championship, set to take place from 24 September to 1October at Huguenot High School in Wellington.
Thenational championship is expected to attract approximately 1000 athletes from 40 plus teams representing all nine provinces, making it one of the largest and most significant eventsonthe national sporting calendar, said Lombard.
Thechampionship will provide an opportunity for athletes to compete at the highest level while promoting unity, youth development, and sporting excellence.
Project bringscomforttohospitalmothers
Three non-profit organisations —LaLecheLeagueSouth Africa (SA), Project Isabella andThe Front Runners Foundation— joined forcesrecently to make Mother’sDay this yearextra special for youngmothers at Tygerberg Hospital.
Tygerberg Hospital provides specialist medical care to vulnerable sickand pre-term babies. Many mothers remain with theirchildren away from theirfamilies for days, weeks or severalmonths. Others travel in daily to provide vital skin-to-skin careand breast milk, explained GwynnethJacobs from La Leche League SA.
Project Isabella, namedafter thefounder’s own daughter who was alsoborn pre-term, provided sponsoredmeals, nappies and sanitary towels to the mothers.
The ThulaBaby Project provided packs of knitted baby blankets and baby clothes. Journals were also providedtoeach mother
to encourage them to express theirfeelings of fear, despair and anxiety and to record theirbaby’s daily progress.
La Leche League SA, a volunteer-run breastfeeding support organisation, meanwhile providedsupport and motivation for the mothers encouraging them to continue providing vital and life-saving breast milk to theirbabies.
Breastmilk coats the vulnerable gut lining protecting it from infection and toxins and provides brain and nerve cells with vital fatty acids which impactschild development.
Claire Koekemoer from Project Isabella led aspecial prayer on theday for the health and recoveryofall the sick babies.
Koekemoer offers free monthly counselling for the mothers and follows-up with them while in hospitaland after discharge.
Thespecial event was held on Saturday 9May.
From left areDrMatodzi Mukosi,chiefexecutive of TygerbergHospital,Prof Gugu Kali, head of neonatology,and Dr SheilaLubega,medical managerfor paediatricswith Prof PierreGoussard,chair of theTygerbergHospitalChildren’sTrust
Rahmat Bagus(La Leche League SA)and Gaynor Bosman (Project Isabella)atthe event earlier this month at Tygerberg Hospital.
President High School wonthe overallLarge Drillcategoryinthe high schoolssection.
Cape Town’sfour seasons in 48 hours
There is something almost theatricalabout the weather in Cape Town. It doesn’t simply change —itperforms, complete with dramatic lighting, sound effects, and just enough chaos to make everyone briefly question their life choices.
For 48 hours, the city is pushed through an entire weathersystem with verylittle warning.
Gale-force winds arrive first, pushing rain sideways across roads and turning visibility intoagrey blur.Then come the floods, the icy bite in the air, andthe constant roar of wind that makes even solid buildings feel slightly less confident than usual. And then there are the trees. Not just swaying —but uprooted. Entire trees are tornout by their roots, collapsing across roads and open spaces like nature briefly losing an argument with gravity People don’t talk about “badweather”so much as they talkabout getting through it —waiting for the next gust, the next downpour, the next reminder that the storm is still very much in charge. Then, just as suddenly as it arrived,it stops performing.
The wind drops itsintensity. The rain slows. Apatch of blue appears in the sky like someone testing the lighting system And then, almost without ceremony,the storm is gone. And this is where things get truly CapeTown. Because Cape Town has avery specific post-storm personality: complete denial.
THESTORMDOESN’T FADEAWAY—ITGETS SOCIALLYIGNORED.
Within hours, the same city thatwas dealingwith uprooted trees,flooded roads andflying debris begins behaving as if nothing remotely dramaticjust happened As if the previous 48 hours were just a slightly intense dream everyone agreed not to talk about. It is almostimpressive The storm doesn’t fade away —itgets socially ignored. One moment residents are navigating blocked roads and dodging fallen branches. The next, they are discussing weekend plans infull sunlight, with the confidenceofpeople who did not just survive what can only be describedas nature’s aggressive reminder. Lion's Head suddenly becomes apopular suggestion again, as if it wasn’tjust partially hidden behind horizontal rain a day earlier.The coastline follows the same pattern. Beaches refill quickly, even if the sand is still damp and the oceanhasn’t fullyrecovered from itsown moodswing Jackets disappear. Sunglasses return. Iced drinks are ordered with surprising optimism.
Coffee shops reopen their outdoorseating like nothinghappened. Conversations shift from “Did you see that tree comedown”? to “Whatabeautiful day forawalk”. Andthat is the most Cape Town thing of all —not the storm itself, but the speed at which it is mentally deleted.
And yet, within aday or two, it is treated as adistant inconvenience —something that almost happened in another version of the city. Almost like it triedtodo serious damage… and the city politely decided not to remember it thatway
That is thestrange rhythmoflife in Cape Town:extreme weather followed immediately by extreme optimism No slow recovery. No lingering drama. Just areboot. And by Wednesday morning, the same people who were dodging uprooted trees and sandbagging their driveways were posting sunrise selfies from Bloubergstrand beach, acting like the last 48 hours didn’t try to kill us —just briefly interruptedthe weather forecast.
-KAILINDANIELS
Kommentaar // Comments
NEWERA FORSANAVY: Captain ZaneleMadibamade history at NavalBaseSimon’sTownasthe firstwoman to command aValourClass Frigateduring theSAS AmatolaChangeofCommand Parade on Thursday14May.The ceremonymarked the transferofleadership of SASAmatolaand SASKINGShakaZulu,attended by senior navalofficialsand defencerepresentatives.Madiba’sappointmentwas hailed as amajor milestone in thetransformation of the South African Navy.Pictured theSA Navy sailors saluting their Outgoing OfficerCommanding of SASAmatola,Captain Dieter Jones,asasign of respect during theceremony
BRIEWE|LETTERS
ACASHDEAL ON ALLGOODS CLEANING OUT? MOVING? Cash paid forall your unwanted good quality ladies, mens, kids clothing.Shoes, linen, bric'nbrac etc. Christelle % 084 4081437
AANDAG ALMAL kontantvir enige huis-houdelikegoed klere, skoene, beddegoed, gordyne, speelgoed, oudhede, juweliersware -goud, breekgoed, potte, elektroniese ware. MEUBELS yskaste, beddens, Sitkamerstelle, tv's. (en baie meer) % Johan 074474 4275
Secondhand furniture and appliances working or not wanted. Cash offer %084 440 8140 Ek koop kombuisware, linne, ornamente, speelgoed,juweliersware, ou tydse goed. %Anita0829638877
AANDAG ALMAL Werner soek dringend al julle2de handse meubels Betaalkontant. ALLEAREAS 083565 1685 078 1501702
EG REFRIGERATORS & Appliances Repairs Fridges, freezers, washingmachines, stoves, dishwashes, microwaves, tumble dryers. We do insuranceclaims We do allkinds of makes of appliances. Card facilityavailable %Marco 068039 8341
ALL APPLIANCES REPAIRED ON SITE
We repair appliances Fridges,stoves, washing machines with guarantee andregas fromR180.
