Looking back at 2021

January

• Booysens SAPS WO Fanie van Staden obtained a guilty sentence when a copper cable thief was found guilty and sentenced to eight years in prison.

• Hazardous substances found in Wemmerpan Dam, this after residents in and around the dam complained about the bad smell emanating from it.

• Kenilworth siblings, Sethusonke and Muzi Ximba, thank Southerners due to the support they had after opening a vehicle repair shop in 2020.

• Nhlanhla Cindi (15) from Ormonde View surprised his parents when he told them he was not interested in having a gift for his birthday, instead he helped children who are less fortunate with toys and clothes.

• Ward 124 mourned young activist, Elihle Ramarumo.

• The City of Johannesburg Mayor, Geoffrey Makhobo, attained a Masters of Science (MSc) in finance (economic policy) from London School of Economics.

February

• Pikitup launched its new waste management model at the company’s Southdale depot.

• The case against businessman Deon Pillay was provisionally postponed due to the change of the prosecutor at Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

• Jimmy Legoabe also known as SyncBeats DJ from Meredale nurtures and guides up-and-coming artists in and around the South.

• Over 1000 new JMPD recruits graduated and promised to make a difference.

• Gauteng welcomes back more than two million learners to classrooms.

March

• Active Youngins Foundation donates school books, sanitary towels, deodorant, school shoes, body creams and masks to Rosettenville Central Primary School.

• Gauteng Social Development MEC Morakane Mosupye receives a donation of 400 tons of food from the Portuguese Forum of SA at Central Food Bank in Reuven.

• Total Restoration Worship Centre International Church donates clothes and food to Booysens informal settlement’s shack fire victims.

• ActionSA’s Thank Our Heroes campaign is met with hostility in Eikenhof and Vlakfontein when they were refused entry to the premises of three schools.

• St Mary’s Children’s Home is scammed by an alleged imposter, who also stole a cellphone from a staff member.

• Two Gauteng Traffic Police officers who were attached to the Compliance Unit are sentenced to eight years following an incident of fraud and corruption that led to their arrest in April 2017.

April

• Senior inspector Ronald Ramalata celebrates three decades at Johannesburg SPCA.

• Mongezi Ntsokolo was appointed as the new CEO of City Power.

• Anarzade Omar from Crown Gardens is one of the 10 winners of the NIVEA Skinfluencer competition.

• Author Zandile Cutshwa from Kenilworth wants to create awareness by helping people understand same-sex relationships through her book called Forbidden Love.

• Former local councillor Linda Lewis dies.

• The City of Johannesburg’s Region F embarked on 120 Days Accelerated Service Delivery programme, which aims for a return to basics and tougher by-law enforcement.

May

• City of Johannesburg mourns the death of former mayor Isaac Mogase.

• Chairperson of The Joseph Principle Ex-Offender Re-Integration Programme Nhlanhla Zwane teamed up with Ravi Naidoo and other members to launch the organisation.

• A member of Johannesburg Harriers Athletic Club (JHAC), Modiba Malebana, launched his book, The Bus Driver – Leadership Lessons from Running Comrades, at Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve in Kibler Park.

• Mondeor Primary School and the South community mourn the death of the teacher and SAFA referee Shaun Olive. He died after sustaining serious injuries in a motor accident close to his home.

• NPO Help4Soul in South Hills helped Moffat View couple Charmaine and Richard Condesso to get married.

• Three young budding creatives made Mother’s Day great with the advert they entered for the KFC pitch.

June

• Quwm Ministries, a church operating at Hoërskool Die Fakkel under PastGlenn Nandh and Past Sharon Hill, delivered 300 meals to the needy.

• The Feed Station Organisation SA continues to help the people of Wembley and Booysens informal settlement.

• Lebogang Thabane (20) from Kenilworth launched her book, A pen filled with emotions.

• A Covid-19 vaccination site opened at the Mondeor Recreation Centre.

• Pedro White from Crown Gardens wants to share his film, Top Class, with schools via free screening.

• Nine people were left homeless when a fire destroyed their shacks at 21 Steelpoort Street in Welfare Park.

• The Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Geoffrey Makhubo received a positive test result for Covid-19.

• Gauteng’s MEC fo Education, Panyaza Lesufi, made an impassioned plea to education sector officials to get their Covid-19 vaccination jabs.

July

• Ayanda Films from Turffontein scooped the Best Local Films Award at the Live Your Dreams Youth SA Awards in Durban for their latest production called Ithuna The Restless Souls.

• A 32-year-old Rosettenville man Bongumusa Khumalo, took the seeds of a tree in the area that look similar to the coronavirus and made ‘corona earrings’.

• The MMC for Housing in the City of Johannesburg, councillor Mlungisi Mabaso, opened a case of fraud, following fake social media accounts opened in his name and the Department of Housing.

• The executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg Geoffrey Makhubo is laid to rest. He succumbed to Covid-19 after he was admitted to hospital after testing positive.

• Fearless Life Ministries and community members braved the cold night to unite in prayer outside Netcare Mulbarton Hospital.

• Meredale’s Tshiamo Modisane (19) and Lindiwe Tyili (19) through their organisation, Sizanathi Winter Organisation, donated food and clothes to the less fortunate on Mandela Day.

• After 24 years, Frik Visagie (65) retired as the Laerskool Suidheuwels Primary School principal on July 30.
August

• Some Johannesburg Society for the Blind (JSB) residents feel they are treated unfairly by the management after rent was increased to R1 700 per month.

• The new City of Johannesburg Mayor, Jolidee Matongo, conformed his 10 MMCs shortly after he was sworn in on August 11.

• Mall of the South celebrated #Holler on Women’s Day at Zeal Cafè.

• About 50 entrepreneurs gathered in Robertsham on August 17, where National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP), Joburg Market Opportunity and Rush Accountants shared information on how they (entrepreneurs) can be assisted.

• Elandspark teen, Simphiwe Radebe developed his fourth app Called Roade.

• A 13-year-old girl from Bellavista died when a wall fell onto her in Turffontein on August 14.

• Salaam Foundation director Fatima Sookharia spoke with COURIER about their involvement and help in the July unrest in the country and the position on unsustainable development.

• The deacon from St Patrick’s Catholic Church in La Rochelle, Walter Middleton, donated sleeping bags to the poor.

September

• It was a dry Spring Day for the communities of Linmeyer, South Hills, Risana and Thulisa Park as they didn’t have water.

• Despite Deon Pillay’s (41) case being thrown out of court due to a lack of evidence, Lucky Sindane from City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Services (GFIS) said they are disappointed by the court outcome.

• Mohamed Mwela (22) was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for the murder of his fellow Forest High School learner Daniel Makwela in 2019.

• Johannesburg Indian Women Association (JIWA) in conjunction with Turffontein’s Christway Religious and Social Services donated 150 boxes of food parcels at Moffat View Old Age Home.

• School governing body (SGB) treasurer Zamile Dlamini and SGB members marched to Diversity High School on September 10 to demand the principal resigns.

• City of Johannesburg Mayor Jolidee Matongo dies in a car crash in Lenasia on September 18.

October

• Moffat View SAPS newly appointed station commander Col Andrew Monegi cherished his many years of experience as an officer.

• A fire that broke out on the corner of Main and Daisy streets in Rosettenville left small business owner devastated.

• The Kit Kat Group’s fifth megastore opened in Crown Mines.

• The six accused of the murder of Babita Deokaran appeared in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court on October 1 and 5.

• The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) led by the Department of Social Development conducted a service delivery blitz in Johannesburg park homes as part of the commemorations of World Homeless Day, observed annually during Social Development Month.

• City of Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Moerane hosted a pass-out parade for 393 new JMPD officers at Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec on October 13.

• Sixteen suburbs were plunged into darkness for at least two days after Robertsham Substation caught fire on the evening of October 18.

• Gun shop fire claims five lives in Glenanda on October 29.

November

• The non-permanent accommodation park homes shelter that caters for 60 male beneficiaries between the ages of 19 and 59 years old was launched by Gauteng Department of Social Development led by MEC Morakane Mosupyoe at Wembley Stadium.

• Gino’s Paesa Pizzeria Restaurant in Robertsham was voted by the public as the best pizza restaurant in South.

• The new branch of Life Choices opened its doors at 140 Albert Street, Rosettenville, on November 3.

• Teacher Amina Farouk (25) from Ormonde wants to be celebrated and all other disabled people as November is celebrated globally as Disability Awareness Month.

• The three top parties did not fare well in the local government elections compared to 2016, with the ANC down by 10.9%, the DA down by 12.3% and EFF down by 0.5%. The new kid on the block Action SA got 16% of the votes while ANC and DA received 33.6% and 26.1% respectively.

• It’s been four years now since Martine Kidiongo’s brutal death when she was butchered and stabbed 15 times by William Biney (Willy), in front of her children in Rosettenville. At the time, Biney accused Kidiongo that she stole R15 000 where he used to live.

• Dr Mpho Phalatse returns as Joburg Mayor and said the time for electioneering is over.

December

• It was a matter of fraction that separated Gauteng and Mpumalanga at the second Youth4SaferSouthAfrica Debate Tournament held virtually.

• Residents in the old council flats, South Hills, are not satisfied with the workmanship by the contractors hired by the City of Johannesburg to do repairs.

• To spread the awareness of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, the City of Johannesburg (Social Development), Sanca, Khulisa Social Solutions, Believers Care Society, Moffat View SAPS and the community had a dialogue on gender-based violence at South Hills Recreation Centre.

• St Mary’s Children’s Home in Rosettenville received two brand new 22-seater buses sponsored by Iveco and Italian Commercial on December 7.

• Gail Johnson, founding director of Nkosi’s Haven, is ecstatic that Nkosi’s Haven was chosen as a beneficiary to the aims and objectives of Nyavani Convoy, with the delivery of much need groceries for the beneficiaries of Nkosi’s Haven.