Edition / Uitgawe 11 27 September 2013

Locals finalists inSA competition – 3

Brenden in top 10Idols – 7

No cause foralarm – 5

If the Eskom plug is pulled...

Read page 3

4 000 km forchildren – 6

Goodbye, Dannyand Isabel – 4

22 GGPPSS NNeewwss

From the editorGPS News’ vision is the following:The reporting and publishing of goodnews. This must be an instrumentwhereby the reporting of positivenews can motivate and uplift us allin this negative world we have dodeal with every day.Although this is our standard and

we will not deter from it, we feelthat the letter received by Eskom(see p. 3) has to be shared with thepublic, and to not publish it wouldbe denying individuals and compan-ies the opportunity to respond.

We must refuse to respond negat-ively by just talking about it – weneed to do something. Write emailsor visit Eskom, write letters to themayor or contact Thaba Chweu, butdon’t do nothing. To not have elec-tricity in our towns will cripple oureconomy and in the end we will allsuffer, not only financially, but emo-tionally and health wise.Let us all start praying for a su-

pernatural outcome and trust thatGod will give us wisdom in this situ-ation.

GPS News

22 Main Road, Sabie

Tel: 01 3 764 31 27

Fax: 086 57 43454

Editorial/Advertising:

Valerie Kemp, tel: 083 565 9458

E-mail: editor@gpsnews.co.za

Reporters:

Christine Roussouw (Sabie,

Pilgrims): 079 233 4801

Gerda van den Bos (Graskop): 083

324 7254

Shirly Mathebula: 083 331 7695

Editing and layout: Pedrie Roberts

Every Friday at 20:00 @

Caimambo – drumming circle and

drinks special.

28 September

Danie Botha-konsert by Panorama

Secondary School, Graskop, ten

bate van Fanie Stoltz-aftreeoord en

Panorama-skool. Kontak Maria:

01 3 767 1 093.

26-29 September

Festival, street parade and South

African National Gold Panning

Championships in Pilgrim’s Rest.

Wheelbarrow street racing as well

as other fun things. Contact Judith

Mason: 01 3 768 1 471 .

4-5 October

Annual Flower Festival @ St Peters

Church. Entrance is R1 0 pp that

includes cuppa tea and cake.

8 October

Sybrand van Niekerk Flinkdink

general knowledge evening. 1 8:30.

Join us for fun and learn facts you

never knew. Did you know.. . armad-

i l los have four babies at a time and

all four babies are of the same sex.

1 9 October

Sabie Moth (Jock Shellhole) Golf

Day. Sabie Country Club. 07:1 5-

11 :00. Prize giving: 1 5:30. R1 50 per

player (four-bal l al l iance), incl.

snacks. Contact Jannie Pieterse:

076 596 31 64, Sabie Country Club:

01 3 764 2282.

4 November

Special ist speaker on Alzheimer’s,

causes and facts. Sabie Methodist

Church. 1 8:30. All welcome.

Refreshments wil l be offered.

Let us know about any

events for placement in the

Social Calendar. It is free!

SSoocciiaall CCaalleennddaarrSSoossiiaallee KKaalleennddeerr

gpsnews @editorKemp

gpsnewsblog.

wordpress.comwww.gpsnews.co.za

If you need help – I understandFor those still suffering, my name is Gert, and I am an al-coholic.I have been to Elim Clinic for rehabilitation, and then I

joined Nelspruit AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) until 30 May2002. We then opened an AA branch in Sabie.I have a lot of fine memories and made many dear

friends, but unfortunately I am at a very sad crossroad inmy life, and it breaks my heart.For nearly 14 years, I have been running the AA branch

in Sabie, but now it seems to me there comes a time that Iwill have to say goodbye. We seem to have such a blessedtown with no alcoholics living here. I sit alone at the AAmeeting place week after week, waiting for someone thatneeds help, but no one turns up.We are in the process of negotiating to open an AA

branch in Graskop since it is our calling to be there for theones suffering that want to be helped.Keep your eye on the press or contact me on 072 841

6389. If you need help – I have walked the road and under-stand.Thank you for the past, and just a reminder: AA is a fel-

lowship of men and women who share their experiencesand support each other. There are no dues or fees andeverything that is said stays between four walls – that iswhy it is called Alcoholics Anonymous.– Gert

TEN experience changes livesFirst of all, I would like to thank everyone that supportedand came to the Teach Every Nation (TEN) Bible school,launched by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson and Judea Harvest Min-istry in Sabie.This took place from 11 to 14 September in Harmony Hill

at Mountain of the Lord Church. There was a live satellitefeed from Pretoria. It was well-attended by an average of15 students per day. The youngest student was about 13years, with a nurse and school principal attending thecourse on Saturday. There were also two police officers thatattended all three courses.This has been a life-changing experience for all, and they

cannot wait for the next courses in March and Septembernext year. This will continue for the next four years, whenall the students will graduate and receive a certificate.Anyone that could not attend these courses will get an-

other chance as the courses will be available again beforeMarch next year.I would like to apologise for not being able to advertise

the event sufficiently to the whole of Sabie, as we had lim-ited time of only eight days to get our decoders and dish in-stalled and to advertise, inform and visit schools,businesses, institutions and churches.

Advert was very successfulDear Editor, GPS NewsI would like to let you know that the vacancy advert I

placed in your last edition has been very successful, and Ihave received many mails from interested persons. Clearlyyour newspaper is widely read.I also did not realise that there were so many excellent

and well-qualified persons in the area. The CVs were ingeneral of an exceptionally high standard. I have quite adifficult job ahead of me to draw up a short list. Thanks toall those who showed interest.– The Owner: Chemit

Anyone interested in attending these courses can contactme on 082 528 7824. To God be the glory.– Past. Roy Roach, Mountain of the Lord Ministries

Hulle help ander se lewe beter maakBaie dankie aan almal wat gehelp het om Lelievlei in Ly-denburg van kos te voorsien.Veral baie dankie aan Tony en Pat vir hul finansiële by-

drae, en aan Sandra Barnard vir haar insette om die lewevir die mense beter te help maak.Dankie verder aan die boere van Hazyview vir die sken-

king van groente en die hulp wat in die toekoms verleengaan word.– Olive Steyn

Stel jy belang in dié ondersteuning?Ek wil weet of daar dalk mense is wat belang sal stel in ’nondersteuningsgroep vir mense wat kinders aan die doodafgestaan het. Dit sal ook wees vir kinders wat ’n boetie of’n sussie aan die dood afgestaan het.Dit is net om te praat met ander mense wat dieselfde

seer as ons het en wat verstaan. Dit sal glad nie in kerk-verband of professionele hulp wees nie.Dis net om daaroor te praat – en dalk kan jy ander help

om die seer ligter te maak. Dit sal net een keer per maandwees.SMS my by 082 925 0949 as jy belang stel.– Wilna Volsteedt

4-5 OctoberAnnual Flower

Festival @ St Peters

Church. Entrance is

R1 0 pp that includes

cuppa tea and cake.

33GGPPSS NNeewwss

Two locals amongst top business women in the provinceA school principal from Graskop andan employee of York Timbers areamongst the three Mpumalanga fi-nalists of this year’s Business Wo-man of the Year (BWOY) compe-tition, run by the South AfricanCouncil for Business Women(SACBW). The finalists were an-nounced on Friday 13 September.Those from Mpumalanga are

Rachel Jacobs from Panorama Sec-ondary School in Graskop,Jacqueline Prinsloo from YorkTimbers and Alison Blair from TwoRed Pens.The finalists were successful in

the previous rounds and have been

selected to compete at the nationaljudging level, which will be heldduring the SACBW’s national con-gress on 16 October in Potchef-stroom.The winners will be announced at

the gala dinner on the same evening.The SACBW started the BWOY

competition over 25 years ago to cel-ebrate and acknowledge the successof women in business. There arethree categories – entrepreneur, cor-porate and professional – and it isopen to women in business in SouthAfrica who have shown exceptionalgrowth and success in their busi-nesses and positions of leadership.

Hester de Bruyn (SACBW national vice-president, left) with the final-ists from Mpumalanga – Rachel Jacobs, Jacqueline Prinsloo andAlison Blair – and SACBW president Melinda Stark.

HHeellpp ssttoopp tthhee bbllaacckkoouuttA letter from Eskom, ad-

dressed to the Sabie Cham-ber of Commerce and

Tourism, was forwarded to the of-fices of GPS News. This is regardingThaba Chweu municipality’s out-standing debt of more than R146million to Eskom and Eskom’sthreat to disconnect the whole mu-nicipality’s power supply if not paidby mid-October.According to the letter, Eskom

would like to request response fromall parties who are likely to be ma-terially and adversely affected bythe disconnection of the bulk electri-city supply to Thaba Chweu muni-cipality scheduled for 16 October.GPS News contacted Eskom to

confirm this letter. An email fromEskom spokesperson Sabelo P. Fak-ude was received confirming it, andin a telephonic conversation men-tioned that “it will be the very lastresort to take such drastic steps”,but that they “cannot continue al-lowing such large amounts of debtoutstanding for such a long time”.In response to Eskom’s letter,

Themba Sibiya, Thaba Chweu mu-nicipality’s Media Relations Officer,

issued an official media release,saying: “The Thaba Chweu mu-nicipality is in continuous en-gagement with Eskomregarding the debt; the muni-cipality was placed under ad-ministration twice and duringthat period the municipalitywas not generating sufficientincome, which caused thedebt to escalate. Eskom isbetter placed to respond onthe cut-off, TCM will notspeak on their behalf.”Eskom’s Fakude re-

sponded with the follow-ing: “I have been readingcomments from honestpeople and all that theyare telling Eskom is thattheir accounts with themunicipality are up todate. Some have pre-paid meters, and onewonders where thosepayments then go to as it neverreaches Eskom, hence the situationthat we all find ourselves in today.”GPS News says: Members of the

public, this is not a hoax or hearsay.Let us stand together and contact

Eskom. The contact details are inthe letter above To try and envisagehow it will be without electricity isunthinkable – a solution must be

reached. Contact Eskom with sug-gestions, but please do not attack orcomplain to them because Eskom isnot at fault here. This problemneeds to be approached with a posit-ive attitude to find a solution benefi-cial to all.

44 GGPPSS NNeewwss

Pilgrim’s Rest says goodbye to Danny and Isabel JacobsChristine Rossouw

Atthe end of the year, Pilgrim’sRest will bid farewell to acouple whose contribution to

the historic village has left a deep im-print.Danny and Isabel Jacobs moved to

Pilgrim’s Rest from Port Elizabethfive and a half years ago after Dannywas offered the management positionat the local mine TGME, then ownedby Simmer & Jack Mining Co. andsince acquired by Stonewall Mining.For Danny, who has spent his whole

life in the mining industry, the oppor-tunity to come work at the Pilgrim’sRest mine was appealing, and histerm spent there very rewarding.“I have been a mine manager for

twenty years, but at Pilgrim’s it wasthe first time that I got technically in-volved in metallurgy, a field I hadpreviously taken for granted. It wasvery interesting and fulfilling and Ilearnt so much,” he says.In addition to metallurgy and the

surface mining techniques employedat the mine, Danny says he got toknow the history of the village and thegeography of the area very well.Prior to moving to Pilgrim’s, the

couple had only visited the villageonce a number of years before. “It hadbeen so picturesque then and we werereally struck by the deterioration ofthe town and the unsightly view ofhawkers selling wares at makeshiftstalls at the entrance to the town,”says Danny.Danny then approached Simmer &

Jack, and under the company’s socialand labour plan, managed to haveproper stalls erected at the entranceto town for the hawkers. He then ap-proached the government about con-structing stalls for the other hawkersthroughout Pilgrim’s Rest.“There are approximately 60

hawkers who are supporting entirefamilies from their trade and this isvery important for job creation,” saysDanny, who is still assisting thehawkers in Pilgrim’s Rest to this day.Most recently, he assisted thehawkers with the drawing up and fi-nalisation of their constitution.Danny also assisted in the re-nego-

tiation and re-establishment of thePilgrim’s Rest Business Forum andwas actively involved the past fouryears. He will now hand over thechairmanship of the business forum.While Danny’s great contribution

was made to the formal and informal

business community of the village,Isabel’s efforts were invested in theyouth. Three years ago, she took onthe role of coaching and personallyfunding the can can girls. “I enjoyed itso much. We changed the costumes,choreography, music and routines. Itwas fantastic seeing the girls’ person-alities and confidence blossoming,”she said.Isabel became well-known in the

area as freelance “journalist and pho-tographer” for Ulusaba News, all on avoluntary basis. She felt it importantto share news from Pilgrim’s Restwith the rest of the Lowveld. She isalso the treasurer of the Friends of thePilgrim’s Rest Museums.Isabel will leave a stunning legacy

at the local schools. For four years sheworked on a voluntary basis and as-sisted the Pilgrim’s Rest crèche,primary and secondary schools withvarious initiatives. Over the past year(under TGME’s social and labourplan) she was able to organise somemuch-needed maintenance and re-pairs to the schools, erect fences andschool signage, as well as sponsoringof calculators and printers. She alsohad badges made for the secondaryschools’ Representative Council ofLearners.In 2010, she organised the Pilgrim’s

Rest City Secondary School’s matric

farewell function – a tradition she haskept up for the past three years. Thisincluded not only the organisation ofthe posh function, but also sourcingall the clothes, jewellery, transport,entertainment, etc. etc. “I thoroughlyenjoyed it and felt it was important togive back to the community,” saysIsabel.Rolling up their sleeves and making

a difference in Pilgrim’s Rest camenaturally to the couple, who foundthemselves in a community they feltvery drawn to.“The residents of Schoonplaas are

truly appreciative and grateful. Theyare so genuine. They don’t expectanything from you and we in turnhave only received kindness fromthem. Thank you so much; you are myextended family and I will miss youall so dearly,” says Isabel.Isabel added they wouldn’t have

been able to do all they did withoutthe assistance and support of theiremployees, Gertrude Maile and Jeal-ous Mokoena.The couple, who are parents of four,

with five grandchildren and anotheron the way, will move to Pretoria atthe end of the year.GPS News wishes Danny and Isa-

bel, who will be sorely missed, ablessed and prosperous new chapterin their lives.

WW oorrtthh tthheeiirrwweeiigghhtt iinn ggoolldd

Danny and IsabelJacobs... pillars ofPilgrim’s Rest.

55GGPPSS NNeewwss

NNOO CCAAUUSSEE FFOORR AALLAARRMM!!Sharon Mandy

I am technologically handicapped.I admit this unreservedly, andalthough people have told me to

just relax and embrace technology, Ihave tried, but when I hug my com-puter it doesn’t hug back. I always at-tribute this handicap to my advancedage, and most people fall for it, but myhusband is older than me and he lovestechnology.Before my husband left to go to

Cape Town, he updated our housealarm so that it connects to his phone.I couldn’t see the logic in this as hewould be 2 000 kilometers away, buthe said the reason I couldn’t see thelogic in it was that my brain hasalready shrunk from overuse. I couldhave taken offense, but coming frommy husband it was a compliment – hecould have said my brain was shrink-ing from under use. I was quitetouched really.This alarm makes his phone ring

when I activate it. It also makes hisphone ring when I deactivate it. Italso makes his phone ring when thealarm goes off, and sometimes itmakes his phone ring just for fun.Meantime he is 2 000 kilometers awayand going crazy because at the very

least he believes that someone is club-bing me to death, and using his mar-velous powers of deduction, hecalculates that he may not get here intime to stop them.When I do not set the alarm, he

worries, and he phones me to remindme to set it. When I do set it he isusually asleep, as luck would have it,and he wakes up in a flat spin becausehe does not know if I have set thealarm or if the alarm has gone off. Hephones me to see if someone is slittingmy throat (he has the most overactiveimagination ever) and I am usuallybrushing my teeth as it is the lastthing I do before going to bed, so he isgreeted by these indistinct garglingnoises, so he thinks it is the deathrattle – evidently he has never hearda death rattle – and once again hegoes into a stress induced shouting fit.I found that when the alarm is left

to its own devices, it often just goes offfor no reason at all, and once myneighbour, who has a guest house, ap-proached me and begged me not to setthe alarm in the day as it kept goingoff, and he had checked, only to findthere was no reason for this at all. Ofcourse, I already realised that it hadkept going off because my dear hus-band had been tirelessly phoning me

every half hour in a state of near col-lapse. His voice had been reduced toan unintelligible croak.This has caused me to be very

sneaky. I set the alarm, then I discon-nect the connection to his phone, and Ihave to run because it is the other sideof the room (and if it dares to go off, Ican expect a panicked phone call), andI deactivate the alarm. When I comehome I activate the alarm, run acrossthe room and reconnect hubby’s

phone, and then run across to deac-tivate it, only to repeat the process inthe evening and again in the morning.Not bad for someone that is so tech-

nologically handicapped. It is almostlike someone getting up and walkingout of a wheelchair – same miraclestuff.This way I keep my husband de-

stressed and my neighbour happy.Who says that one can’t keep all of thepeople happy all of the time?

66 GGPPSS NNeewwss

Starting on 1 September, the Grahamstowncouple Dylan and Misty Weyer has beenmountain biking from Beit Bridge to Cape

Point via Lesotho in order to raise funds for childrenwith cerebral palsy. They travelled through Pil-grim’s Rest on 12 September and upon seeing GPSNews at a shop, they visited the newspaper office inSabie on Friday 13 September.They will be “Riding the Dragon’s Spine for

Cerebral Palsy” and plan to complete the 4 000 kmroute in less than 65 days, avoiding as much tarmacas possible and with no form of support crew. The“Dragon’s Spine” is a public mountain bike routethat follows the edge of the escarpment as it runsthrough South Africa and Lesotho.Misty is an occupational therapist specialising in

the treatment of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).CP is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement,and motor skills (the ability to move in a coordin-ated and purposeful way). CP is usually caused bybrain damage that occurs before or during a child’sbirth, or during the first three to five years.The brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can

also lead to other health issues, including vision,hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabil-ities. There is no cure for CP, but treatment, ther-apy, special equipment and, in some cases, surgerycan help a child who is living with the condition.Misty and the other medical team members go tothe rural areas to train the parents/caregivers in thevarious therapy methods enabling them to care forthe children with CP. They provide basic compre-hensive training that enables them to optimally carefor the patient.

Sabie residents Monica and Andries Otto under-stand the challenges caring for a child with CP.Their son Morne (5) needs special treatment, likephysio, speech and occupational therapy on an on-going basis. They have another son, AJ (6).Monica works at Sabie Stationers to supplement

their income, seeing that the treatment is extremelyexpensive. They have a medical aid, but the fundonly pays for 11 physio sessions per year, and Morne

requires a minimum of three a week. An urgenttreatment needed by Morne is speech therapy, butapparently there is no such service available in theSabie area. Regular trips to White River are in thefuture plans should they not be able to obtain aqualified person to assist them in this area. Shouldyou be able to assist in this manner, please contactthe GPS News offices on 013 764 3127 and speak toValerie.

4 000 km for childrenDylan and Misty Weyer

The friendly and efficient staff from the Mpu-malanga Veterinary Services in Lydenburg.Standing are Petrus Msibi and Elana Bester.In front are Olga Makgetla and KennethMashile.

77GGPPSS NNeewwss

PPuubblliicc ssccrreeaammss BBrreennddeenn iinnttoo ttoopp 1100Gerda van den Bos

OnSunday 15 September the eight male fi-nalists in this year’s SA Idols competitionperformed in front of a packed audience at

the State Theatre in Pretoria. One by one theyperformed songs that have featured on the Top 40charts this year, and nearly everyone receivedharsh comments from the judges.And then it was the turn of Brenden Ledwaba

from Graskop. He sang “Stay” by Briana, and hadmost of the audience on their feet long before thesong ended. After his performance the crowd kepton cheering for so long that Gareth Cliff, one ofthe judges, had to ask for silence just to get aword in. The reaction to his performance actuallyraised 100 dB on the Strepsils Scream-o-Meter –the highest of the night.Idols judge Unathi Msengana said Brenden has

a rare gift as he has the ability to make everysong he tackles totally his own. “You are a star,”she said.Judge Randall Abrahams predicted that

Brenden would go through to the top ten.After the show, the public voting lines opened

for the first time in this year’s competition. View-ers got to vote for their favourites, as only five ofthe top eight men could go through to the top ten.On Tuesday 17 September, the results were

made known in a live broadcast: Musa Sukwene,Sonke Mazibuko, Benjamin Tainton and InnocentMabushe all received the green light. After theumpteenth ad break, there was only one spaceopen and three guys left, one of them beingBrenden. After a nerve-wrecking couple of mo-ments when it felt like the presenter, Proverb,would never get to the point, Randall’s predictionhit the mark, and GPS local boy Brenden took hisplace among this year’s Idols top ten.Brenden’s father, Past. Phineas Ledwaba of

Christ for Life Ministries in Graskop thankedeverybody for their continuous support.We will see Brenden again on Sunday 29

September. Tickets for the actual show at theauditorium of the Moreletapark NG Church on 27September are available at Computicket for R20-R40 per person.The eight female SA Idols finalists will compete

for their positions in the top ten on Sunday 22September.

Free vaccinations something to bark aboutGerda van den Bos

I don’t take my dogs on car trips often, and recentlyI remembered why not. The MpumalangaVeterinary Services gave free rabies vaccinations tothe dogs in Graskop on 12 and 13 September.Knowing how dangerous this disease can be for dogsand humans alike, we decided to make use of thisopportunity. Easier said than done. It took me halfan hour just to get all of them into our double-cabbakkie – no use trying to get them into the back;they prefer the passengers’ seats, thank you!The largest and oldest of the lot, she is a Labrador

mixed with something huge, loves to go for a drive,but unfortunately she wants to sit in front. Thesmaller German Pointer/Labrador doesn’t likehaving her choke chain on and runs away when youwant to put her into the car, while the smallest, astray Jack Russell that decided to move in a coupleof months ago, is simply terrified of going away fromhome.When we finally hit the streets, it was a sight to

see... The Jack Russell on my lap, his legs aroundmy neck, the Pointer trying her best to stick her

nose through the front window, and the big old lady,trampling on everything, still upset because shewanted to sit next to her dad.Fortunately, it didn’t take us long to get to the

spot behind the library where the vaccinations weretaking place. And those animal health techniciansfrom the state veterinary in Lydenburg sure knowwhat they are doing! Within two heartbeats andwithout the dogs even feeling a thing, they had allthree vaccinated. Although, I do think I nearly gotvaccinated as well, as by that time I was covered inblack and white dog hairs, looking like some kind ofhuge doggy myself!Elana Bester, one of the animal health

technicians on duty, said they had vaccinated wellover a hundred dogs in the two days. Rabies is a bigproblem in our area, and they were glad so manypeople responded to their call for vaccinations. Theyhave been providing this service for over 20 yearsnow, and apparently their efforts are appreciated bydog owners.Although, next year I think I will take my dogs

one at a time... I was exhausted by the time we gotback home.

88 GGPPSS NNeewwss

Hope to see end ofsewage spills

Christine Rossouw

It’s no secret that Sabie and the Sabie River have beenplagued by sewage spills for years. At the end of 2011, afterthe issue was reported on extensively, the office of the PublicProtector took note and began an investigation into the situ-ation. However, little came of this and sewage has continued tospill into the precious Sabie River by three blocked manholesunabatedly. Another blocked manhole in Mount Anderson hasbeen contaminating the surrounding wetland for years.Water test results taken at several points along the river in

May this year, show extreme volumes of E.Coli, especially atthe Sabie Waste Water Treatment Works’ (WWTW) dischargepoint, upstream from the WWTW and at the Sabie Falls.But finally the town have been given a glimmer of hope as

the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and itsmonitoring agency ICMA’s enforcement arm issued a directiveto Thaba Chweu municipality on 26 July.According to Marcus Selepe of the ICMA, the municipality

responded to the notice in writing by 30 July and indicatedthat repairs to five blocked manholes throughout town wereunderway. An inspection by ICMA officials on 13 August re-vealed that blockages at the Maritz Street and Living Watersmanholes had been removed and reconstruction at two othersat the caravan park and old bridge were in progress. While nowork has been done at a fifth problem spot, the municipalityhas been instructed to address this as a matter of urgency.With a little bit of luck and the continued pressure exerted

by the DWAF and the ICMA, Sabie may find itself sewage spillfree in the near future.

Hawkers receive business trainingShirly Mathebula

To run a successful busi-ness is now the aim of the20 hawkers at Sabie Mar-ket Square after they havereceived business trainingfrom York Timbers at Sabietown hall on 18-20 Septem-ber.In appreciation for host-

ing the Sasol Rally for 22years in Mpumalanga,Sasol, in partnership withYork Timbers, invested inthree community uplift-ment projects worth a totalof R600 000. As part of the investment, notonly were 20 permanent stalls built at Sa-bie Market Square, but the hawkers werealso offered business development training.York Timbers Learnership Facilitator

Victoria Mashele said: “The training wasaimed at equipping the hawkers withknowledge on how to develop and sustaintheir businesses.”The hawkers received training in finan-

cial literacy and business literacy. At thetraining, Maria Mokwena (55), a hawker forfour years, acknowledged that it was thefirst time she had attended training thatwould equip her with the knowledge sheneeded to run her business.Juliet Mashile (27), also a hawker for four

years, said: “I have learned that for my

business to succeed, I must save the dailyprofit I make. I must make sure that I savethe money in the bank and not misuse it.”Gerald Mavimbela (31), a hawker for the

past seven years, said: “The facilitatortaught us about setting goals for ourselvesand our businesses.”Inocentia Ntimane (32), who has been a

hawker for two years, said: “After thistraining we are now equipped to maintainour businesses on a higher level than be-fore.”Mashele said that they are grateful that

the hawkers used the opportunity to takepart in the training programme and hopedthat the training had equipped them withthe business skills that they need to runtheir businesses successfully.

The hawkers received their certificates after havingcompleted the programme.

99GGPPSS NNeewwss

Sudoku: The objective is to fill the 9x9 grid with digits so that eachcolumn, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that composethe grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9.

LLoowweerr yyoouurr iinnkk aanndd ttoonneerr ccoossttssThe cartridge refilling business is arecession proof business. It is actuallyrecession friendly: in difficult econ-omic times, everyone tries harder tocut costs. Refilling printer cartridgesand laser toners is, without a doubt, agreat way to save money for both in-dividuals and companies that rely onvast quantities of printing to run theirbusinesses.The good news is that a business is

opening up in Sabie early in Octobercalled Toner and Ink Dr.Eric and Elmarie Harper recently

relocated to Sabie from Lydenburgwith their two children. They hadmanaged numerous franchisebranches in the ink and toner refillingindustry. Their dream was to becomeowners of their own business andprayed about it, but they had to waittwo years before it became a reality.When visiting Sabie recently, divineintervention happened and within anhour, they found suitable premises forthe business as well as a house torent.Eric says: “There is a misconception

regarding ink and toner refills. Ourmethod is not the same as the onesthat you buy over the counter and fillyourself. What we do, is we open upthe cartridge and then refill it afterhaving removed all the old ink ortoner. We only use original toner andink and our product is guaranteed.Our product will not damage yourprinter.“We also sell the generic ink cart-

ridges and laser toners. Generic cart-ridges are imported from abroad andare either completely new in every as-pect or at most have re-used plasticcores (even original cartridges are of-ten made from remanufactured cores,as part of the green movement to re-cycle and save the earth).”If you want to save money on ink or

toner, bring your existing empty cart-ridge or laser toner and visit theToner and Ink Dr. shop next to Nse-mani, supplier of PPE requirements,and Coet-Lands. Another free serviceoffered by Toner and Ink Dr. is givingprofessional advice on what printer tobuy to suit your requirements.

Moet dit

nie misloop

nie!

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1122 GGPPSS NNeewwss

Children get chanceto learn computersShirly Mathebula

Computer skills training hascome to the children of Simile,Sabie.

The Sabie Blessing CommunityComputer Centre – at a quiet locationat 28 Ncancasane Street – was offi-cially opened in May. It is a non-profitorganisation founded by Glen Cor-mark from Sabie Cares, a division ofthe Sabie Chamber of Commerce &Tourism.Project leader Alice Masinga (24)

said: “The centre is the right place forchildren to learn how to use a com-puter and to assist them with theirhomework.”The schools in Simile do not offer

computer lessons, but the centre hasalready impacted the lives of dozens ofchildren since its inception.“We even installed educational soft-

ware in an effort to improve the train-ing and learning,” said Alice.

Not only are the learners gettingbasic education and a day-time shel-ter, but they are also given the oppor-tunity to acquire basic skills that willhelp them become self-sufficient in thelong term and ultimately employable.“Computer knowledge and skills

play significant roles in children’seducation. Lacking a fundamentalknowledge of how computers work andthe ability to perform simple taskswith common applications, such ascreating a word processor document,puts a child at a disadvantage andisolates them from the benefits en-joyed by computer literate people,”said Alice.Students from grade R to grade 12

are invited to register at the centre atno cost. It is open from 13:00-16:30from Monday to Friday.The centre is looking for more com-

puter materials to improve its service,and will welcome donations in this re-gard.

Children at the centre in Simile learning more about computers.

Graskop Primary School un-derwent some major changesover the last year. The groundslook immaculate; the class-rooms are neat and even theentrance shines with new paint.Another transformation tookplace in the gr. R class with theappointment of a new teacherin July. Michelle Barnard, ori-ginally from Memel in the FreeState, says she enjoys living inGraskop. She loves the childrenin her class and looks forwardto a long alliance with theschool. – Gerda van den Bos

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AA nniigghhtt ttoo rreemmeemmbbeerrffoorr PPaannoorraammaa’’ss mmaattrriiccss

Gerda van den Bos

There was something magical in theair on the night of 23 August.After a few days of freezing weath-

er, the evening was mild. The windlulled itself into a gentle breeze, play-ing with the fairy lights that decor-ated the trees towards the mainentrance of Kruger’s Gold Restaurantjust outside Graskop. Small candles inglass holders decorated the pathway.Inside the restaurant, the tables

were set for a feast; music was play-ing; and a warm fire awaited the ar-rival of the special guests – thematrics of Graskop’s Panorama Sec-ondary School.It was time for the school’s annual

matric farewell function... and theydid it in style. The youngsters trans-formed into princes and princesses forthe night, looking glorious in theirevening wear.There were lots of laughter and fun

throughout the evening, giving thelearners a night to remember beforedigging into the final exams.GPS News wishes all the matrics

the best of luck with their examina-tions. Stay focused, stay calm... andyour hard work will be rewarded.

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Committed to help fight hungerShirly Mathebula

TheUbuntu Com-munity Care Centre, anon-profit organisa-

tion based in Simile, Sabie, isrunning a soup kitchen pro-ject that feeds about 300 vul-nerable people a week in theinformal settlements ofSimile and Harmony Hill.Coordinator Hlengwa

Malele (28) said: “The soupkitchen project is a move-ment with the vision andcommitment to fight hunger.The project was started threeyears ago and operates fromMondays to Thursdays. Itfeeds vulnerable people fromthe informal settlements, es-pecially those who are sick orunemployed, as well as chil-dren from very poor familiesto provide them with at leastone nutritional meal.”Administrator Vicky Bry-

ant said by taking the soupout to the settlements, theyare able to identify the reallyneedy.“It is a way for us to identi-

fy people who are sick or un-able to come to the [Ubuntu] centre, and to alsopromote the centre and give people hope that thereare those who care for them.”She gave the assurance that this work will con-

tinue. The project is partially funded by localchurches, the retirement village in town and indi-viduals.Hlengwa said: “The vast majority of hungry

people live in the informal settlements. A personwho suffers from malnutrition is at risk of serioushealth problems. In the informal settlement we havecome across a child suffering from malnutrition. Byproviding the soup we give them a nutritional mealto ensure that they don’t get sick.”According to Vicky, the centre was established in

2009 with the vision to bring the light and hope ofJesus Christ into the Sabie community, “showingour faith by what we do and how we do it”.All the people working at the centre are volun-

teers. The centre is currently running eight projects,among them one for gogos, a school project and aproject to help orphans that is sponsored by theMethodist Church in Sabie. Greenview Spar donates

50 loaves of bread a week to be distributed with thesoup and the retirement village in Sabie providesone big pot of soup every week.The centre will also continue with the fill-a-bag

project that has impacted many lives in the lastthree years. Greenview Spar has allowed the centreto place a stand inside the shop. Anyone can buy abag, which is then filled by Spar with the non-per-ishable food listed on the bag. It is estimated thateach filled bag can feed a family of four for ten days.The centre collects the filled bags and distributesthem to the very needy.Ubuntu Centre is now in dire need of bigger

premises. For this, they hope to raise R10 000. Youcan help by making a financial contribution towardthe purchase of a new centre.Absa account name: Ubuntu Community Care

CentreAccount number: 9279939065Branch code: 6957For more information contact Vicky at vick.bry-

ant7@gmail.com or 083 489 1361 or centre managerMyriam Bryant on 081 270 8673.

Ubuntu Community Care Centre Administrator Vicky Bryant givingsoup to people in the informal settlements.

Popwenner!GPS Nuus se kompetisiepop het haar “mam-ma” gevind.In die vorige uitgawe van die koerant was

daar skoenlappers weggesteek wat lesersmoes soek en laat weet hoeveel hulle kry. ’nOngelooflike 31 inskrywings is ontvang. Netvier het die regte antwoord van twaalf skoen-lappers gehad. Ongelukkig kon daar net eenwenner wees.Die wenner is Danette Bezuidenhout (9)

van Laerskool Sabie. GPS Nuus het haarmamma, Sonette (wat toevallig ons eerstekompetisie vir ’n foto-onderskrif gewen het),gebel om haar in te lig dat Danette die wen-ner is. Sonette en haar man, David, het tjoep-stil gebly en haar na GPS se kantoor gebring.Toe sy hoor dat sy inderdaad die wenner is,

was haar vreugde oor die pop iets om teaanskou. Sy het summier haar pop die naamNonna gegee.

Danette Bezuidenhout met haar pop watsy gewen het.

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Smalls

MMaaxx bbrriinnggss hhiiss ppaassssiioonn hhoommeeChristine Rossouw

GPSNews caught up with Sa-bie mountain biking hero MaxKnox, who was in town for the

York Enduro Mountain Bike challengethis month.The 25-year old Sabie local, who has

become one of South Africa’s topmountain bike cyclists, has just re-turned from two months in Europe,where he competed in the MountainBike Marathon World Championships,and the 800 km Trans-Alps (interna-tional off-road equivalent of the Tourde France) stage race, where he fin-ished fifth and won one stage.Max’s mountain biking journey

started at the age of nine when he re-ceived a bicycle from his father. Atthat stage, mountain biking as a sporthad really started gaining in popular-ity and Max was a natural. He parti-cipated in his first race in 1997 – aprovincial cross-country race in Kwa-Zulu-Natal. Max reached for the skyand has been a professional athletesince the age of 18.Max has competed in races all over

South Africa, the United States,Europe and Canada, but he says hisfavourite race remains the SabieClassic, which he won in 2009 after adramatic sprint finish against thenu/23 world champ Burry Stander. Theinternational mountain bike legend,who Knox says was possibly SouthAfrica’s best cyclist, was hit by a taxiand killed earlier this year.“It was a great shock to the sporting

community and a reminder of how oneday you can be the world champion

and the next day it’s over,” said Knox.The possibility of having your career

cut short prematurely is a harsh real-ity faced by sportsmen the world over.When your body is your tool, an injurycan spell disaster and even cause yourcareer to come grinding to a halt. ButKnox, who recently suffered a fracturein his rotator cuff after a crash, sayshe doesn’t let himself dwell on suchthoughts.“That’s sport and a reality you have

to accept. I just enjoy riding. It’s mypassion and I’m grateful that I get todo it as a career,” he says.The dedicated sportsman, who last

year was crowned the 2012 SA Mara-thon Mountain Bike Champ, mayalready have numerous trophies andhighlights to his career, including the

record for most wins at the famousBarberton Marathon, but he says it ishis goal to go to the Olympics in threeyears’ time and win the Absa CapeEpic.He trains between three and four

hours a day, but his training schedulevaries according to the race he is pre-paring for and the time of year.With racing seasons taking him all

over the world, Max says he only getsto spend approximately three monthsin Sabie every year.“I like to come home whenever I

can. The area of Sabie has to be thebest area for cyclists in the countryand maybe even the world. The localcycling community is great and I’msure I’ll live here for the rest of mylife,” he says.

Global training revolution reaches rural areasGerda van den Bos

History was made on 11 September, when Teach EveryNation (TEN) was simultaneously launched in sevenAfrican countries at over 500 sites, one of them the Em-manuel Assemblies of God church in Graskop. In Sabieit was presented at Mountain of the Lord Ministries inHarmony Hill.TEN is a new initiative by world-renowned author

and church leader Dr. Bruce Wilkinson to “train un-trained pastors, their leaders and teachers to become allGod dreamed they would”.The first of these training sessions took place on 11

September, when Wilkinson presented the first coursethrough live satellite streaming from Pretoria. All theregistered students had workbooks and each site hadtrained deacons who facilitated the course. In Graskop,the facilitation was done by Past. Ken Scrimnger andDanie van Niekerk.The full-day courses looked at relevant topics such as

“How to double your church, business and personal pro-ductivity”, “Releasing God’s abundant blessing on yourlife, family, church and business,” and “Anyone can be-come a great communicator.” They plan to have thesatellite broadcasts biannually with continuous onlineeducation courses at minimal cost.Past. Ken said the course was a life-changing experi-

ence and that he wished someone had thought of this 20

years ago.• For more information visit www.teachevery-

nation.org.

The group of Teach Every Nation students fromGraskop. They said they enjoyed the course andthat it was a life-changing experience.

House to let

In Sabie. Newly painted, three bedroom,

two bathroom, lounge, study, kitchen

and garage with big garden. Pre-paid

electricity. Rent: R4 000. For sale:

R800 000 negotiable. Contact: 082 789

4401 .

Employment wanted

Honest, responsible and wil l ing to work

hard male (49) in Sabie is URGENTLY

seeking employment. Contactable ref-

erence and good track record. Expe-

rience with structural engineering. Wil-

l ing to do any legal work for an income.

Contact Albert du Toit: 071 399 3724.

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Panners find gold at world champsGerda van den Bos

The 2013 World Gold PanningChampionships were held in Zubi-enna, Biella, Italy, from 19-15 Au-gust. The provincial Department ofCulture, Sport and Recreation(DSCR), in partnership with theSouth African Gold Panning Associ-ation (SAGPA), sponsored ten parti-cipants of the South African goldpanning team, while five more SouthAfricans joined the delegation oftheir own accord.The team, consisting of Bridgette

Masheilanem, Chariman Kgwedi,Elna Gundry, Martin SibusisoNsimba, Albe de Nysschen, MateteMokgotho, Mia Mason, SharonKahts, Surprise Tshepo Thulelo,Coen Vermaak, Sendra Nsimba, An-drew Mason, Thembi Mbuyane, LoisPeens and Sanjay Singh, all per-formed well at the world champion-ships.In the team events, Coen, Sendra

and Surprise’s three person teamachieved gold, while the nationalteam, consisting of Coen, Sendra,Lois, Sharon and Surprise, won abronze medal. Lois Peens from

Graskop also achieved gold as partof a five person team, while she wonthe silver medal in the proficient

ladies (individual) category. Miawon the bronze medal in the juniorsindividual category.

Team SA in Italy. Photos supplied by Judith Mason

Martin Nsimba preparing topan.