* Constable Siphiwe Ndlela is a gem of a human being. He is also an asset not only to the SAPS K9 Unit but to our town as well. I was so touched by the front-page story of last week’s Gazette that I read it over and over, and every time I pictured this magnificent man saving the life of an animal. How pleasant it was to read such a feel-good story! Acts such as this will be rewarded by God Almighty, but I sincerely appeal to our municipal authorities to present Siphiwe Ndlela with a civic citation for going way beyond the call of duty to save the life of a cow. The police are more often than not bombarded for failing the community, but the good constable rekindled faith in the police services. I salute you, sir!
* Rumour has it that the New Year may be shelved and our town will remain in 2013. This has aroused tremendous interest from all parts of the world because there are hundreds if not thousands of people who do not wish to get older. They all wish to remain in 2013 for the rest of their lives. The influx of tourists will have a resounding impact on the local hospitality industry. Our town is bound to become a model that could be the envy of the rest of the country. Previously, Ladysmith was world-renowned for the Anglo-Boer War and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Now our town will be known as ‘the town where time stands still’. This extraordinary occurrence is the brainchild of our local municipality. Our city fathers and mothers have decided not to fix the Town Hall clock yet again. Previously, when it was stuck for over a year, some over-zealous employee got it ticking again. Disciplinary action may be instituted against that employee for ruining the municipality’s record of service delivery. Watch this space for future events to celebrate our status quo. Instead of jingle bells played in the courtyard of the Town Hall, there will be sounds of “Hickery Dickery Dock, who the f*&% fixed the clock?”
* It’s either an absolutely brilliant marketing campaign or the most awkward spelling mistake ever. Either way, this Samsung billboard is getting a lot of attention. The original idiom “the pen is mightier than the sword” is displayed on a Samsung billboard as “The penis, mightier than the finger”. The billboard was erected (sorry) in Egypt, Pakistan, Kenya and France.
* A Northern Cape man allegedly raped a six-week-old baby. In another report, an 87-year-old woman was allegedly raped. More allegations of rape filtered through recently, begging one to ask: Is all this hoo-ha about ’16 Days of Activism’ not a load of hot air? There is still a large element in our society that casts a snoot at all these fancy proposals. Annually, there are 64,000 recorded rape cases. These do not include cases that are not reported. Perpetrators range from school principals to police officers – so neither ignorance of the law nor cultural beliefs can be touted as an excuse.
* With national elections around the corner, it is gratifying to see so much activity as far as service delivery is concerned. Those who sleep for four-and-a-half years are usually jolted into life to pull wool over the eyes of those who voted them into office.
* Heartiest congrats to our Correctional Services. They were adjudged the best in KZN by winning the ‘Minister’s Best Correctional and Remand Detention Centre Award’. It was obviously a team effort and each member deserves commendation.
* A lady who deserves a huge bouquet is Donna Iyer – an educator at ML Sultan Primary. She deservedly was promoted to the post of deputy principal. As the ‘2-i-c’, Donna will sustain the high standard of quality education disseminated at ML.
* Another Ladysmithian who put our town on the automotive map is Mr Wayne Byrne, who won himself an overseas trip by annexing the title of winner in the ‘Automark Vehicle Sales’ category. He was tops in the country! Not bad, not bad at all for a young man from a dorp.
* What had been a topic of discussion has finally reared its ugly head – match fixing in English soccer. 33-year-old Singapore national Chann Sankaran and 43-year-old Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, who has dual UK and Singapore nationality, are charged with conspiracy to defraud. They were among seven people arrested last week. More details will follow as the case unfolds in England.
