m a g a z i n e

ISSUE 22 | SePTeMBeR 2016

O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N e O F T H e W e S T e R N C A P e G O V e R N M e N T

Artisanal careers in high demand

PLUMBING PERFECT

Service excellence

A legacy of innovation

STreeT SOccer

WOrlD cUP

A second chance at life

Better Together magazine 1

28

4

18

14

Editor’s Note

BETTER TOGETHER MAGAZINE TEAM:

Editor in Chief:

Faiza Steyn

Editor:

Maret lesch

Proofreaders:

leah Moodaley, Aré van Schalkwyk

Afrikaans translation:

Aré van Schalkwyk

isiXhosa translation:

luvuyo Martins

Contributors:

leah Moodaley, Haybré Philander, Tania colyn,

Stacy Mclean, Hector eliott, elzona Swartz,

ean Steenkamp-cairns, Sweetness Sixubane,

Petro van rhyn, Fc Basson, christo Muller, Jason Mingo,

Shereen Pearson, rudolf van Jaarsveldt, Pat Jenniker,

lucas Jacobs, Ferdie Jacobs, Ayesha Augustus,

Dian cronjé, nosizwe Wakeni, Tersia Pretorius

Models:

Avanah de villiers, Dian cronjé, Badr Bassadien,

nomapelo Sikoti, Avela Bulana

Art director:

Trudine Scannell

Layout and design:

Trudine Scannell

Photographer:

Zanele Jam-Jam

Intern:

Justin Plaatjies

Administration:

nokuzola ngcizela

Communication and liaison:

Portia Percival, nokuzola ngcizela

Editorial Committee:

Advocate Brent Gerber (DG), André Joemat (SG),

Faiza Steyn (Head of corporate communication),

Sylvanus du Plessis (Head: creative);

Maret lesch (editor)

Telephone: 021 483 3806 Fax: 021 483 8267

Postal address: Better Together magazine,

P.O. Box 659, cape Town, 8000

Email: Better.Together@westerncape.gov.za

All letters and competition entries can be sent to the above email or postal address. Only Western Cape

Government employees may enter. Note that all cash prizes are subject to tax.

Dear colleagues

i had the privilege of attending the Service excellence

Awards event in September. What an amazing experience!

The positive energy and sense of unity made me feel very

proud to be a public servant.

Working for government is about more than only

providing a basic service to citizens. in order to make a real

difference, we must go above and beyond the call of duty.

We need to place ourselves in the shoes of our citizens and

endeavour to make our services accessible and their lives

easier. it’s about empowering people to make their lives

better.

An excellent example is the South African Homeless

Street Soccer team, who recently participated in the

Homeless Street Soccer World cup in Glasgow. Many of

these young people walked away from a life of violence and

drugs. They turned their lives around and with the help of

the nPO Oasis ‘reach For Your Dreams’ they now have the

support to bring about change in their communities.

Thanks to our successful ePWP, many previously

unemployed youth are now qualified tradesmen and

artisans, and earning a salary. By equipping our young

people with skills and confidence, we empower them to

make a valuable contribution to our economy and reduce

our skills shortage.

Of course this issue is also about heritage and the legacy

we leave behind. Minister Anroux Marais initiated the Oral

History initiative late last year. Through this project we can

now record people’s stories and experiences and preserve

this form of living heritage for future generations. it also

gives communities the opportunity to come together and

celebrate their collective history.

change is not always easy. The Safely Home team had

to employ powerful evidence-based messaging to warn

road users of the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt. Many

of us resist change in the workplace and it can cause

unnecessary stress. read our article on building resilience

to help you embrace change and innovation.

let’s not forget change begins with you. it is never

too late to give it your all and make a real difference in

someone’s life. i look forward to telling your inspiring

stories in the next issue!

Until next time,

Maret Lesch

Disclaimer: The Department of the Premier’s corporate communication Directorate has copyright

on all intellectual property and artwork in the Better Together magazine. All content in the

Better Together magazine adheres to copyright law.

On the cover: Lilndelwa Mhlambiso and Isabel de Koker are two of the first three female plumbers in the Department of Transport and Public Works’ ePWP. There is an artisan and skilled tradesmen shortage in our country and qualified artisans are in high demand.

FEATURES

3 Technology

Geospatial apps

4 Motivation

SA Homeless Street Soccer Team

6 Main feature

Service excellence Awards: leaving a legacy

12 What’s new

innovative water system a first for Africa

14 Game Changer

We need qualified artisans

16 Inspiration

Blind teenager wins gold

18 Heritage

Preserving our stories

20 Innovation

Success story of the First Kiss campaign

26 Did you know?

SA is the third fattest country

ADVICE

22 Personal finance

Buying a house

25 Health

Sit up straight!

28 Self-development

Building resilience

30 Workplace

How to lay a grievance

31 Our organisation

First WcG children’s Parliament

32 Inside info

Treasury's new communication platform

OTHER

2 Letters

34 Support services

cOnTenTS

Better Together magazine2

TechnologyLetters

Do you have any stories about excellent government officials? Perhaps you have seen someone do remarkable work or go the extra mile for a citizen or a colleague? Write a short letter and tell us about them!

Win R500!

Dear BT mag

How fair is the Western cape

Government recruitment process?

i have recently been invited to

two interviews at two different

departments. On both occasions,

there was already someone

earmarked for the post. Both

individuals were already working

in the respective departments and

fulfilling the role of the advertised

post, one of them for years.

it was a disheartening experience

as i thoroughly prepared for both

interviews and thought i had a

fair chance of being appointed. i

understand that it was probably fair

for them to be awarded the post

as they have gained the necessary

experience and knowledge. What

i don’t understand is why they

would waste our time as well as

government resources following

the lengthy recruitment process

when they already know who will

be appointed.

Thank you

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous

vacant posts are advertised to

test the market for availability of

appropriate skills and to compare

the competencies, work knowledge

and abilities of persons who apply

for jobs. We attract large numbers

of applications, often between

1 000 and 4 000 applications per

advertised post.

The shortlisting process

becomes quite complex when

Please send us any questions you might have on processes, procedures, programmes and projects within the Western Cape Government. We will ask the appropriate department or directorate to answer you and you might see your answer in the next issue.

such large numbers of applications

are received. it is impractical to

interview all qualifying applicants

and a selection panel is given the

responsibility to find the six to

eight best suited candidates to

interview. Shortlisting is based

on the information supplied by

the applicant on the e-recruit

registration page, as well as the cv.

To narrow down the shortlist, the

panel will first select applicants who

meet all of the job requirements,

and secondly use job-specific

experience and knowledge to

further reduce the number of

candidates to a reasonable and

practical number of interviewees.

For this reason, it may happen that

someone who already possesses

practical experience in a particular

position may score higher on

the shortlisting criteria than

someone who has never worked

in a particular environment. Our

recruitment processes are however

closely controlled and shortlists

are checked for compliance and

consistency (fairness) before the

interview process commences.

The aim of the interview process

is to find the best-suited candidate

for the job. This is why we ask

all shortlisted applicants exactly

the same questions during the

interview and use a score sheet to

ensure a fair process. competency

tests, where appropriate, and

practical tests during the interview

are further measures to ensure

that we find the best candidate for

the position. As in the cases you

have mentioned, the person with

experience in the particular position

you both applied for and were

interviewed for probably scored

higher because of their position-

specific experience and knowledge.

However, it is still important to give

the panel the opportunity to find

the best candidate for the job and

to follow a fair recruitment process.

Being invited for an interview

is an excellent opportunity to

‘market’ your knowledge, skills and

competencies and should never be

regarded as a waste of time. Do

not lose hope, you will never find

the perfect job if you do not apply.

Kind Regards

Elsa Olivier

Director: recruitment

Better Together magazine 3

Mapping the futureTwo new applications from the Department of Agriculture allow all

agricultural stakeholders to use geospatial tools to aid in decision

making and planning. By FC Basson

Geospatial information

(Gi) and technology has

become ingrained in our

daily lives without many of us

even realising it. Well-known Gi

tools, such as Google Maps, are

embedded in most devices and

software platforms and assist

us with answering questions

about a location. in recent years,

these tools have also played

a crucial role in planning and

designing the world we live in by

providing people from various

sectors with valuable location-

based information and powerful

analysis capabilities.

The Western cape

Government, especially the

Department of Agriculture

(DoA), uses geospatial tools

to aid in making decisions and

ensure good governance. The

DoA maintains a large database

of geospatial data from various

sources and has developed

innovative online applications to

make the geospatial database

and information available to end

users and the public.

These applications include the

capeFarmMapper (cFM) web

application and cape Agricultural

Mobile information System

(cAMiS), a web application

for mobile devices. These

applications are freely available

to agricultural stakeholders

and the public. Modern web

technology ensures quick and

easy access to geospatial data and

information used for farm planning,

environmental management and

land evaluation.

The geospatial data is presented

as layers, which can be viewed

on top of familiar base maps

(background images). The detail

and resolution of the layers

vary depending on the type

of information and the scale

at which the data is optimally

presented. layers that can be

accessed and viewed include

administrative demarcation

boundaries, agricultural

commodities, agricultural potential

(dryland potential, land capability,

grazing capacity, etc.), broad soil

descriptions, long-term climate

parameters, conservation methods,

vegetation classification, and water

resources.

The capeFarmMapper

application is designed to work

on any desktop and tablet device,

giving the user instant access to

geospatial information by simply

clicking anywhere on the map.

The user can activate any of the

demarcation or resource layers,

obtain basic cadastral information,

draw features on the map and

export maps to JPeG or PDF up to

A2 size. The capeFarmMapper can

be accessed at http://gis.elsenburg.

com/apps/cfm.

The cAMiS mobile application

allows the user to take the

geospatial information into the

field and perform location-based

queries. cAMiS runs in mobile

browsers (the decision not to

develop a native application for

iOS or Android was purely for

cost-saving measures) and uses

HTMl5 and GPS technology

to return positional and layer

information at the user’s location.

The application is also available

in a ‘lite’ version with a text-

based interface and low data

consumption, ideal for areas with

poor 3G reception or eDGe. You

can access cAMiS at http://gis.

elsenburg.com/mobile/camis.

The DoA is committed to

keeping the content and data in

these applications up to date to

provide the latest information,

and research new technologies

to improve spatial data access

through web portals and develop

new data and online tools.

More applications and tools

developed by the DoA can

be found on the Elsenburg

website www.elsenburg.com

under the Agri-Tools drop-

down menu.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine4 5

Left: The Homeless Street Soccer team that

participated in the 2016 World Cup in Glasgow,

Scotland. Below: Minister Anroux Marais says

the team is very close to her heart because of the

fantastic way they turned their lives around and are

now making a difference in their communities.

real-life heroesThe 2016 Homeless Street Soccer World cup team is living proof of

how young people can turn their lives around with the necessary

support and opportunities. By Maret Lesch

“i was messed up and i’ve done a lot of

things and hurt many people. Sometimes

in life you get a second chance, and i got

it. So i took it with both hands.”

Grizelda Magosie is very honest and

straightforward about her past and how she

changed her life. By joining the South African

Homeless Street Soccer Programme earlier this

year, she managed to turn her life around. She

describes her experience and the Programme

as “the best thing that could have happened in

my life”.

The Homeless Street Soccer Programme is

managed by Oasis ‘reach For Your Dreams’,

a registered non-profit organisation focusing

on sport development programmes to equip

young people from marginalised communities

with opportunities for an education and

life skills. Participants in the Street Soccer

Programme get a second chance and the

opportunity to change their own lives as well

as initiate change in their communities.

The Programme is registered with

and funded by the Department of Social

Development and incorporates life skills

training, Hiv/Aids awareness, and helping

participants with their exit plan and finding

employment after the World cup and

becoming involved in their communities.

The Programme is open to youth between

14 and 35 years and aims to create soccer

leagues in 20 local communities by 2020. The

team is comprised of young men and women

who live on the streets or those in very difficult

living circumstances in informal settlements.

The final eight players for the 2016 Homeless

Motivation

HOMeLeSS STReeT SOCCeR

The game is played with four players on a side, in two

halves of seven minutes each, with a one-minute break for

halftime. Women can play on the men’s teams. each team

consists of up to eight players. Three field players and one

goalkeeper can be on the court at a time.

The 2016 World Cup team:

Manager: Clifford Martinus

Assistant Manager: Bongani Mathiso

Coach: Ricardo de Reuck

Assistant Coach: Sergio van der Ross

Captain: Xolisa Sobada

Players: Grizelda Magosie, Michael Frans, Fuzile Doyi,

William Flandorp, Angelo Seakhla, Faizal April, Pozisa Dipa

Street Soccer World cup in Glasgow in July

this year were selected over a two-month

period based on their performance and

personal development.

Grizelda is one of the success stories of

this year’s Programme. not only is she one of

the two female players in the team who went

to the World cup, she walked away from a

life of drugs and turned her life around. “The

Programme helped me to be strong in my

mind and heart. it made me a better person.

To make a change in your community is not

a problem, but the change begins with you.

I must first work on myself before I can help

my community. it is possible for one person

to make a difference, but only if you believe in

yourself and give it your best. it doesn’t matter

if you fail, just stand up and try again.”

Faizal April says the opportunity to join the

Programme and go to Scotland to participate

in the World cup changed his perspective and

gave him a sense of belonging. “For six years i

was sent around to live with different people. i

never lived with my own family or had a place

where i belonged. Then Oasis came along and

changed my life around.”

Since his return from Glasgow, he spends

almost all of his time ploughing back into his

community. “i’m volunteering at a school where

i teach PT, life skills and dancing. All i’m trying

to do is to change one other person’s life. Then

i know i did for them what Oasis did for me.”

An important part of the Programme is

continuous support to ensure that the players

don’t go back to their old habits and to keep

them motivated after the World cup euphoria

wears off. “When i came from Scotland i still

had to face the problems i’ve faced before. i

want to find a paid job so I can provide for my

family. i used to drink and smoke dagga. Since

i’ve joined the programme, i can see how it

has changed my life and i’ve left those things

behind,” says Faizal.

The captain, xolisa Sobada, explains that the

Programme equipped him with the life skills

needed to make important decisions. “i come

from a community where there is a lot of crime.

i was involved with people who committed

crime and drank a lot. The Programme helped

me to understand what is right and who

to involve in my life. i want to change my

community and young people who are part of

gangs and part of the problem.”

The 2016 South African Homeless Street

Soccer team finished in the 14th place at

the World cup in Glasgow, which is a huge

achievement considering that they only played

as a team for a month before they went to

Scotland.

The Department of cultural Affairs and Sport

sponsored r150 000 for this year’s team to go

to the World cup and Minister Anroux Marais

has taken a special interest in their journey.

“i’m so proud of what they’ve achieved. it is

fantastic that they used this opportunity to rise

above their circumstances and to change their

lives. They are proof that there is good in every

person, which is why they are so close to my

heart. They are examples to the children in our

communities. i think they are real-life heroes.”

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine6 7

Kumsitho wokuWongwa kwabaGqwesileyo

eMsebenzini, inkulumbuso yeli phondo iphawule

into yokokuba kufanele sijolise ekudaleni izinto

ezintsha ukuze zikunyusele kumgangatho ongentla

ukunikezelwa kweenkonzo. inkulumbuso igxininise

kwinto yokokuba urhulumente ojongene noshishino

uza kulukhuthaza ushishino kwiphondo lethu.

Urhulumente kumele aluthathele kuye uxanduva

lokukhokela ekuveliseni izinto ezintsha kunye

netheknoloji.

Bonke abaphumeleleyo babonise ukukwazi ukucinga

bavelise izinto ezintsha ukuze bafumane izisombululo

ezinozinzo ekuhambiseni iinkonzo nokuphucula ubomi

babemi beli phondo. Baza kushiya ilifa lokwenza izinto

ezintsha ngokwenza umsebenzi ongaphaya kwalo

kulindelwe ukuba bawenze.

Die Premier het by die

Toekenningsgeleentheid vir

Diensuitnemendheid dit uitgelig dat ons

op innovering moet fokus om ons openbare

diens na die volgende vlak te neem. Sy het dit

beklemtoon dat ’n entrepreneuriese regering

entrepreneuriese aktiwiteit in ons provinsie

sal aanmoedig. Die regering moet weer die

voorloper van innovasie en tegnologie word.

Die wenners het almal gewys dat hulle

buite die boks dink om volhoubare

oplossings te vind wat die lewens van

burgers verbeter en doelgepaste dienste

lewer. Deur meer te doen as wat van hulle

verwag word, gaan hulle ’n blywende

nalatenskap van innovasie nalaat.

Service Excellence Awards

LEGACy

XA

BeST PuBLIC SeRVICe LeADeR (SeNIOR MANAGeR)

Pieter van ZylDepartment of environmental Affairs and Development Planning

This year all of our winners demonstrated extraordinary

initiative in how they put the needs of our citizens first.

As we as a government progress and

grow, we must continuously focus

on how we can serve our citizens in

new and innovative ways. At the third annual

Service excellence Awards on 8 September

2016, we recognised our public servants who

have used the resources available to them to

change and improve service delivery.

in her keynote speech, the Premier

highlighted that we need to focus on

innovation to take our public service to

the next level. She emphasised that an

entrepreneurial government will encourage

entrepreneurial activity in our province.

Government must reclaim its place as the

frontrunner of innovation, new ideas and

technology.

This year, the winners of the various

categories all demonstrated out-of-the-box

thinking in order to find sustainable solutions

that improve the lives of citizens and help us

to deliver fit-for-purpose services. By going

above and beyond the call of duty, they will

leave a lasting legacy of innovation.

The Department of Health was the winner

of the Best ethics Provincial Department, with

the Department of environmental Affairs and

Development Planning winning silver and the

Western cape education Department winning

bronze.

conservation Agriculture from the

Department of Agriculture was recognised as

the winner in the category Best implemented

Programme/Project for 2016. Silver went

to Agricultural Partnership for rural Youth

Development (Department of Agriculture)

and bronze to Service Delivery integration

(Department of local Government).

The Western cape Government congratulates

all nominees and especially the winners of the

various categories, and thanks you for your

tireless work and the wonderful example you

have all set. May we continue to serve our

communities to the best of our abilities.

Pieter is the Head of Department and

Accounting Officer of Environmental Affairs

and Development Planning, and forms part of

the Western cape Government SMS/PTM.

He actively takes on new challenges and is

always conscious of the consultative process

to ensure buy-in. He has an insatiable appetite

for any new idea that can be materialised,

and enthusiastically champions the following

initiatives:

• The Berg river improvement Plan:

cooperation Agreement with the

netherlands;

• instituted Quarterly liaison Forum with city

of cape Town as an iGr Forum;

• Smart-Agri in collaboration with the

Department of Agriculture; and

• Bi-monthly engagements with Western cape

Property Developers’ Forum.

Pieter is considered to be a world leader

in urban waterfront regeneration and

management. He is an innovative leader,

always looking for opportunities to span

the horizon. As such, he initiated the

Manenberg Youth lifestyle campus as an

intergovernmental Steering committee, and

spearheaded the national SPlUM-Forum

impact for the Western cape, creating a single

planning system in South Africa for the first

time in 80 years.

“The success of

our department

is based on very

good teamwork. We

focus on building

partnerships,

especially with our

sister departments

and municipalities.

By establishing

partnerships we can

continue to deliver

services. The legacy

i would like to leave

is that government

work better together

than when i started.

Then i’ll know i’ve

achieved something.”

– Pieter van Zyl

of innovation

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine8 9

BeST FRONTLINe PuBLIC SeRVICe eMPLOyeeBeST FRONTLINe PuBLIC SeRVICe eMPLOyee

Feature

Nazier MeyerDepartment of Health

Steven ParenzeeDepartment of Health

Steven has been a nursing Assistant since

1976 and has served for 40 years to date. He is

currently operational at the Mitchells Plain cHc.

Steven reports for duty at 05:45 every

morning, although his official working hours

are 07:30 – 16:30. He utilises the extra time

proactively to attend to patients who have

arrived as early as 05:00, despite appointment

slots only allocated from 07:00 to 11:00. Steven

tends to these patients to the extent that

an average 25% of the patients have already

been assisted by the time medical staff report

for duty. in many cases, these patients would

otherwise be penalised for absenteeism from

work due to long waiting periods. He also

noticed a high patient volume of referrals from

nazier is a Senior Administration clerk at

the Mitchells Plain community Health centre

(cHc), dealing with patient admissions.

Mitchells Plain cHc is one of the most

demanding healthcare facilities in the province,

attending to more than 1 800 patients daily.

nazier was instrumental in having the patient

queuing system installed at the facility, which

provides for patient monitoring at the main

reception.

nazier deals with approximately 1 500 cases

per day. Since June 2015, he has displayed

accountability by voluntarily performing the

additional duties of chief Administration clerk;

as the vacant post could not be filled due to

budget constraints.

secondary and tertiary institutions, as well as

from local clinics. He then arranged that all

scholar patients be scheduled for the afternoon,

from 12:00 – 16:00, unless it is a medical

emergency, to curtail absenteeism from school.

Steven goes the extra mile by returning after

hours to perform Occupational Health and

Safety (OHS) duties. He tends to approximately

40 patients per day, which consist of booked

patients, walk-ins and ad hoc cases. long

waiting periods at service points were the

result of a lack of organised filing space. Steven

improved the process by having the folders of

regular dressing room patients decanted to the

various dressing rooms to minimise queuing at

service points.

Going the extra mile, he visited the

Worcester District Hospital centre to

learn about their queuing system and

obtained information on how to improve

the Mitchells Plain cHc PHciS Booking

System accordingly. innovation is evident

in his approach to having the folders of

booked patients pre-drawn and issued to

doctors a day in advance. This has resulted

in patients bypassing the reception area

to proceed directly to the doctor’s rooms

and drastically reduced patients’ waiting

time. He was also the key driver in obtaining

additional filing space for shelving; this

action enabled the removal of more than

200 000 dormant folders.

“i took initiative from my

other colleagues, they

came up with the ideas,

and i ran with the ideas.

i live in the community. i

walk to work and see the

condition our community

is in and put myself in the

people’s shoes. When i

walk through the facility,

it’s not about earning a

salary, i see the person

on the other side of the

window there to receive

service from us. if you

respect that person, that

person will respect you.

By putting yourself in

another’s shoes, you will

be able to serve them to

the best of your ability.”

– nazier Meyer

“i want to leave a

legacy to encourage

other people to

do better and help

others out of their

situation. i will

encourage them to

do as i have done,

by being an example

to them and going

the extra mile to

show them what

it means to fulfill a

specific role.”

– Steven Parenzee

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine10 11

Feature

HIV/TB and Home Base Care TeamDepartment of Health

Marianne TiemensmaDepartment of Health

BeST OVeRALL BATHO PeLe (CITIZeN-CeNTRIC) PuBLIC SeRVANTBeST BATHO PeLe TeAM

The community-Based Services (cBS) and HAST

(Hiv/Aids, STi and TB) are community health

programmes based at the Southern Western Sub

Structure (SWSS) office. The team consists of

Ebrahiem Kriel, a HAST Medical Officer, and Yvette

Andrews, a clinical Programme co-ordinator. The

cBS primary target group includes street-based

people and sex industry workers.

The team believes in consultation, and fosters

extensive collaborative partnerships between the

public sector and nPOs. They focus on providing

a holistic service to street-based people in an

environment that is friendly, non-judgmental and

safe. When healthcare is needed on a higher level,

referrals are made with the patient’s permission;

the aim is a patient-centered health service.

Dr Marianne Tiemensma is a Specialist clinical

Forensic Practitioner at victoria Hospital in

Wynberg. She renders direct basic patient

care in cases of rape, sexual assault on adults

and children, driving under the influence, DNA

specimens for SAPS, age determination, court

assistance in the determination of mental illness

and torture allegations, and appears in court as

an interpreter of medico-legal documentation.

changes in practice often obstruct patients

from receiving medical treatment and advice

after alleged sexual offences have taken place,

especially if a criminal case has not been opened.

The impact, sustainability and cost effectiveness

of Marianne’s work has changed the notion that

a case needs to be reported to the police before

citizens are informed that the service is

free and run by Home Base carers under the

supervision of public health staff. every patient

is counselled regarding the services that they are

entitled to receive.

In terms of efficiency, the programme utilises

Home Base staff who are already employed,

whilst supplies are sourced from the robbie

nurock cDc. An MOU exists with robbie nurock

cDc to fast-track the patient journey, thereby

minimising contact with regular cDc patients.

records indicate that 450 street-based people

have used the service to date. All referrals to

services for chronic disease management, other

than Hiv, have been successfully linked and

retained in care.

the individual can receive medical attention.

Marianne strives to ensure that all standards

and procedures conform to national and

international practice, which is crucial to patient

care. She developed a patient booklet containing

treatment protocols for survivors of sexual

offences with basic information on follow-up

visits and dates, and medicinal information.

Marianne’s involvement in treating an

American tourist at the Forensic Unit resulted

in a relationship with the American embassy;

forming a support system between the Forensic

Unit, USA embassy and SAPS FcA.

She also introduced the comfort Pack to

patients, which is by funded by nPOs, citizens,

and volunteers.

“We want to provide

patient-centered

healthcare for all

by taking services

to the people who

need it most. it’s

about providing

equitable, accessible

healthcare services

to street-based

people. Secondly,

it’s about promoting

integrated solutions

and partnerships

that work.”

– Yvette Andrews

“Marianne is

authentic; she

genuinely cares

about people. She

is able to work in

the most difficult

environments,

knowing that the

difference made to

someone’s life is

worth the struggle

and the effort. She

has the passion,

commitment and

desire to not

just change the

individual, but to

change service

across the province.

She has found her

purpose and lives

according to it.”

– Melvin Moodley (Marianne’s line manager)

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine12 13

NATURE KnOWS BeST

The Genius of SPAce initiative is

the first African project to apply

methods observed in nature to

solve urban problems. By Maret Lesch

The drought in most parts of South Africa

highlights how important it is that we use

our existing water resources innovatively.

This includes keeping the water in our rivers

and dams clean, and mitigating the effects of

pollution.

in many informal settlements access to

clean running water and sanitation is a daily

challenge, and many families have to live with

the reality of stagnant water and rubbish in

their streets. There is no existing affordable

method to collect and treat grey water and

manage stormwater run-off. Stormwater is

contaminated with solid waste, grey water

and litter, and flows into our rivers. When that

water enters our water system, it can have

far-reaching effects, such as contaminating

drinking water, degrading natural ecosystems,

affecting human and animal health, and

polluting water used for agricultural irrigation.

To address this problem, the Department

of environmental Affairs and Development

Planning, in collaboration with the departments

of economic Development and Tourism and

Human Settlements, has rolled out a pilot

project called Genius of Systems for People’s

Access to a clean environment (SPAce)

in the informal settlement community of

langrug, near Franschhoek. “The project

was initiated as part of the transversal

approach and collaboration under the Berg

river improvement Plan (BriP) and DeDAT’s

Green economy, to assess and develop

new approaches to mitigate the impact of

pollution in such a way that it promotes socio-

economic upliftment and improvement in

What’s new?

Ad

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HOW IT WORKS

About 6 000 litres of waste water from

115 households are treated per day. All

grey water is emptied into disposal

points that are sunk into the ground and

connected to underground piping. The

water is cleaned and treated and used to

water trees and plants in the settlement.

Micro wetlands and tree gardens are

combined to create a natural filtering

process assisting with cleaning of the

water. It also slows down the flow to

reduce erosion and break down the waste

in the water.

A large “eco machine” or

bioremediation plant is being built on

the edge of a sports field close to the

Langrug entry point. It comprises a series

of connected tanks that contain different

combinations of living water creatures,

plants and vegetation to purify the water.

The GoS water cleaning system will

connect with this bioremediation plant

to ensure a sustainable water drainage

system.

To dispose of waste and create

economic opportunities, a system of

upcycling and downcycling is encouraged.

Waste material will be reprocessed to

add value and create products of a higher

quality. If the waste cannot be upcycled,

it will be broken down into materials of

lesser quality which can then be re-used.

The aim is to reduce the consumption of

virgin raw material and energy.

restore a greater sense of dignity to those in

the informal settlement. Through the story of

this project we hope that residents who have

been involved will have the opportunity to

inspire members from other communities and

set a new benchmark for how we mitigate

pollution and engage with communities from

informal as well as formal settlements,” says

Jason.

the overall environment of the community,”

explains Project Manager Jason Mingo from

the Berg river Task Team of the Western cape

Government.

The Western cape Government has

appointed Greenhouse Systems Development

and BiomimicrySA to assist in solving this

problem in a new and innovative way. Genius

of SPAce (GoS) is based on biomimicry – a

concept whereby problems are solved by

mimicking nature in order to find unique and

environmentally friendly solutions.

langrug was chosen for the pilot project

owing to its close proximity to the Berg river’s

mountain source. Another important factor was

that residents had already come up with their

own solution for the water drainage problem by

laying underground piping,

and had several water and

social projects in place.

“langrug has been through

an extensive process of

working with community-

based organisations,

especially the community

Organisation resource

centre (cOrc), which has

developed a leadership and

representative structure

with which we could work

and engage,” explains

Jason.

He adds that the success

of the project hinges on

buy-in from the community

as well as their active

engagement, and that

they have ensured both

from the beginning. “The community has been

actively engaged through a process of co-

designing and co-creating of the interventions

to the management and appointment of labour

and set-up of the operation and maintenance

of the systems put in place. The involvement

has been so successful that the community has

set up their own logo which is used as part of

our communication for the project, and is thus

presented as a strategic partner.”

They key objectives of the GoS project are

the economic upliftment of the community

and giving residents a greater sense of

dignity. “Ultimately, we want to see economic

opportunities being derived from the improved

management of waste as a result of the

interventions being put in place, which will

significantly improve the living conditions and

Tim

oth

y G

ab

b

Main image: The Berg River is an important water

resource in the Western Cape. Insert: Rubbish and

litter from small streams can contaminate stormwater

run-off and have far-reaching effects when it enters

our water system.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine14 15

Game changer

crafting a careerThe Department of Transport and Public Works’ ePWP pilot plumbing

apprenticeship's inclusion of young women was a huge success and

paves the way to reducing the skills gap in our province. By Maret Lesch

Many little girls grow up wanting to be

the princesses they admire in their

favourite Disney movies. However, in

the real world, fantastic opportunities exist for

women to be artisans in their own right.

The expanded Public Works Programme

offers three-year apprenticeship opportunities

to young people who want to train and qualify

as artisans while earning a monthly stipend.

In 2013, the first intake of six students for the

plumbing apprenticeship course kicked off and

proved to be a huge success. All six plumbing

students passed their trade tests this year in

July and qualified as artisans. The three ladies'

practical learnerships resulted in permanent

employment at their host company.

By training as an artisan, young women can

help to reduce the huge shortfall of skilled

artisans in South Africa. At present we are

producing an average of 13 000 qualified

artisans per year which is less than half of the

30 000 artisans that we should produce by the

year 2030. The Department of Public Works

ePWP training interventions focus on critical

and scarce skills needed in construction trades

like carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring,

bricklaying and welding.

liteboho Sethobane says that qualifying as

a plumber is not something she had dreamed

of as a girl, but she is extremely grateful for the

journey she has had with the Department of

Transport and Public Works’ ePWP.

“To be on site is never a girl’s dream. i

wanted to be a climatologist but did not get

a bursary. i was working as a SASSA intern

when a friend saw the advertisement offering

carpentry and plumbing apprenticeships. i

decided that it is better than to sit at home. As

i met the minimum requirements of science and

maths as Grade 12 subjects, i decided to apply.”

Before she applied, liteboho had to ask

someone what plumbing is. “He said it has to do

with water and how you put water in the house

and get rid of the waste. i thought i can make

a career of this. in the beginning i did not enjoy

the apprenticeship. it was a long process and

we had to pass a lot of tests. My feelings soon

changed and now i enjoy what i do and i know

this is the career for me.”

isabel de Koker says she too fell in love with

plumbing once she realised what she is capable

of and the opportunities it offers. “i applied to

study nursing but it did not work out. i now

know it was for the best. Plumbing is interesting

and challenging and i can build a career on it. it

was a lot of hard work and sacrifice to become

an artisan but it was worthwhile. i now have

a permanent appointment as plumber at the

company i did my practical.”

One of her favourite aspects of an artisanal

career is the immediate job satisfaction. “Before

you start a job, everything is raw. After you

completed the job you can step back and see

everything you did. You can see that you did a

good job and take pride in it.”

Plumbing is traditionally seen as a male-

dominated field and the girls admit that they

do experience some resistance from their male

counterparts on site. “i have experienced that

often some of the men think a woman can’t

work on a site. When they see a woman on a

construction site, they assume she is a cleaner.

They don’t realise that female artisans can

be just as capable and professional,” explains

lindelwa Mhlambiso. She adds that there are

also men who help them and mentor them on

site.

Unlike liteboho and isabel, lindelwa

dreamt of a career in construction. “i went to

the college of cape Town to become a civil

engineer or even a quantity surveyor. i’ve

always wanted to be in construction. Then i

heard of the apprenticeship and i immediately

applied. i like my work and want to start

my own business when i’ve gained enough

experience.”

All three ladies agree that they will definitely

advise young girls to apply for artisanal

apprenticeships. “i would advise women to

follow this direction and qualify as an artisan. it

is not just a man’s job. A woman can also do it.

nothing is impossible,” says liteboho.

ePW PROGRAMMe

Nosizwe Wakeni is the Training Liaison

Officer for the Metro region in the

Department of Transport and Public

Works and worked closely with the

three girls. She explains that this was

a pilot apprenticeship programme.

“We advertised in 2013 for students

with Grade 12 with maths as a subject

to apply for the plumbing and

carpentry apprenticeships. Our service

provider is Northlink College and the

apprenticeship includes theoretical

learning and a lot of practical

experience.”

She says this programme can

change lives and that it contributes

to the Provincial Skills Game Changer.

“By completing the course and passing

the trade test, these young ladies

can qualify as artisans and get better

jobs. This programme plays a big role

in helping to reduce the shortfall of

skilled tradesmen in our country.

“It is absolutely fantastic to see how

unemployed youth are empowered

and capacitated with knowledge and

skills during the training interventions.”

For more information on the EPWP

and how to apply, please contact

Ferdie Jacobs on 021 483 8541 or

Ferdie.Jacobs@westerncape.gov.za.

Main image: Lindelwa Mhlambiso

always dreamt of working in

construction. Below: Lindelwa

Mhlambiso, Isabel de Koker and

Liteboho Sethobane qualified as

artisan plumbers this year and are

now permanently employed.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine16 17

Vision beyond sight

There are two ways of seeing things: through your eyes and through your mind’s

eye. Using your eyes allows you to see a situation as it is, using your mind’s eye

allows you to see a situation and see beyond it. Both are called vision.

By Leah Moodaley

The many yellow-faced corridors at

Athlone School for the Blind are riddled

with memories, and the sound of pupils

reciting their lessons behind their classroom

doors. One door, in particular, opened to the

laughter and chitter-chatter of a Grade 7

history class, taught by former pupil,

Mr rodney van Staden. in the middle of the

classroom sits 12-year old Joel Greek, calm

and ready for his interview.

Joel has a degenerative eye condition

called an optic glioma, which was first

diagnosed when he was six months old. He is

currently blind in one eye, with partial vision

in the other. Brain tumours, Mris and regular

check-ups have not made him any less of

a thinker, dreamer, believer, or reader. Joel

has demonstrated the type of vision that

transcends his visual impairment, in fact, one

could instead call it a different way of seeing

things. As his mother, inga Greek, describes it,

“obstacles and experiences build strength”. The

Grade 7 learner received the grand prize in the

lion’s club international essay competition

this year for his essay on “Share Peace”, which

recognises inspirational individuals and shares a

message of hope for our future.

When asked about Joel and how he finds

inspiration in historical figures and past events,

the answer was simple: when you don’t feel

inspired, draw inspiration from people you

admire. Joel’s mother, inga, says, “As a single

mother, sometimes it’s very difficult to give

direction to a young boy. i took inspiration

Joel’s outstanding contribution towards youth excellence was recognised with a 2016 Ministerial Award for

youth Excellence from the Department of Social Development. The award ceremony was hosted by Minister

Albert Fritz.

Inspiration

from anybody and everybody. i love quoting

and Joel quotes too; you can’t improve on the

words of incredible people, so we use them as

inspiration”.

Joel wrote his award-winning essay just

a few days before the deadline. His posture

changes in excitement as he explains, “it just

came to me one Saturday, during the time i was

reading about so many things, i was focusing

on Greek mythology and that is where Pandora

came to mind. i just used all these inspirational

people through history.”

Joel expresses his strong love of history

and his intentions of becoming a historian one

day. “i love history, and i love learning about

the past. each of the people mentioned in my

essay came to me specifically.” Joel’s keen

interest in history is clear as those mentioned

in his essay date back to the early 1800s, for

example, laura Bridgman. As inga explains it,

“He learnt to love history because, how do you

know where you can go in life if you don’t know

where you come from?”

Since winning the competition, Joel has

spoken at the United nation’s conference in

new York and has also visited Japan where

he met nobel Peace Prize joint-

winner Kailash Satyarthi, which

Joel describes as "a dream come

true”.

According to inga, the irony

is that Joel has been recognised

for something he does for fun; for

something he is passionate about.

“What we really want to share is

that Joel is not one of a kind, any

child can achieve this if they follow

their heart and have the right

support.”

Joel hopes to be an inspiration

to others and to make a difference

in the world, whether it is big or

small. The ancient Greeks believed

that evilness came out of Pandora’s

Box; this Greek believes that there

is always hope in the world.

Situated in Bellville, Athlone

School for the Blind caters

to both partially sighted and

blind learners. They teach the

same curriculum as mainstream

schools, but make use of Braille

and Apex readers to carry out

daily lessons.

Joel and Inga Greek would

like to thank Athlone School for

the Blind and the Western Cape

Government for their ongoing

love and support.

“How do you know where you can go in life if you don’t know where you come from?”

LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL 2015/2016 ESSAy CONTEST

THEME: SHARE PEACE NAME: JOEL GREEK – GRADE SIX

ATHLONE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

As a young person in today’s society i feel world peace is possible in our lifetime. The challenges we face have always been the same; racism, inequality, discrimination, and poverty these are part of our story.

The difference today there are many people standing up for their rights. Knowing we are all connected my success is influenced by others and when they suffer it will affect me too. The world has gotten smaller in many ways. You can get on a plane and go anywhere in the world in less than a day. You can go onto the internet and connect with different people from around the world in a instant. Yet with all the advances we have also become disconnected and have lost ourselves in a world where what you wear and how much you have is more important than your character and values.

There are wonderful role models all through history. People that had the courage to stand up to tyranny and faced incredible odds. children like Anne Frank who believed in the goodness and humanity in people until her life was taken by the system that did not even see her as a person. nkosi Johnson a young boy from our own country who knew that his Hiv-status did not make him less than any other child and believed every child deserves equal opportunity. Laura Bridgeman who became the first deaf, blind person to be properly educated. Malala Yousafza who defied the Taliban and demanded that girls receive the same education as boys.

There have always been bullies, tyrants those that believe they are better, they deserve more. every day around the world there are the Anne Franks, nkosi Johnson, laura Bridgeman’s and Malala’s standing up for their rights and less fortunate, underprivileged, those without voices the unseen but today the heroes outnumber the villains.

i myself am a young boy with a disability, the only one in my family. Yet they accept me knowing i am capable of anything. We have an opportunity to change the world. By accepting our ownselves, our differences, our imperfections, our shortcomings, we will be able to accept others, their differences, their imperfection and their shortcoming.

in Greek Mythology there is Pandora who opened a jar and every disease and evil came out into the world. After all the things left the jar, the only one left was hope. i believe that is our world today. Filled with all kinds of evil and war. Yet there is hope, there will always be hope. Someone said; “evil triumphs when good men do nothing.” in today’s world there are too many of us that will do something and stand up. We are more especially the youth because they are the future. ensuring the evils of the past are not repeated, and to make our tomorrow better than our today. nelson Mandela said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

enD

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine18 19

celebrating Heritage Day highlights the importance of our

personal history and experiences in bringing communities

together. By Maret Lesch

We all have a story to tell. For

centuries the way we kept our

history alive was by passing stories

on to the next generation by word of mouth.

By sharing our stories we can help people from

other cultures and backgrounds understand

what we’ve been through and where we come

from.

Minister Anroux Marais from the Department

of cultural Affairs and Sport recognised how

important it is to collect, preserve, protect

and disseminate living heritage. in August

2015, she initiated the Oral History initiative

(OHi) to record the people of the Western

cape’s memories and their testimony of what

happened in the past.

“in a time where our world needs much

healing, more social inclusion and rather

celebrating our diversity as opposed to it being

a dividing factor, sharing personal stories is

significantly relevant to making a positive

change in our communities. it will ensure that

personal histories and experiences are kept

alive in communities and within government

so that future generations can celebrate their

heritage,” explains Minister Marais.

Western cape library Services were

engaged as the primary partner to facilitate the

project in collaboration with the Western cape

Museums, Heritage and Geographical names

Services, and the Provincial Archive Service.

neville Adonis is the project manager and

ethney Waters is responsible for the logistics

and liaising with municipalities. core team

members from library Services are Hoeda

Salaam and Szerena Knapp. ronny nyuka,

Jeremy Jephta, Peter-Jon Grove, Kauthar

Behardien, and Shaamiel Harris from Museum

Services are also key members of the OHi

team.

Neville says at first it was one of the most

difficult projects he had to manage. “I did not

understand the concept of oral history. Once

i understood that it is much more than just

people telling stories and that we are recording

and preserving history, the project became a

passion.”

The OHi is a unique project and the Western

Cape Government is the first province in South

Africa to drive it. According to neville some

libraries started with a similar project but they

did not have the resources and equipment to

see it through.

“it is a socially inclusive project. The plan is

to roll this initiative out to all the areas in our

province. Once we’ve identified an area, we

look at the specific themes and topics that

are unique to that area’s history, for example

traditions, sport, medicine, protests, and

relocations,” explain ethney Waters.

neville says the project has been received

very well in the areas it has been rolled out to,

such as Goedverwacht, Hawston, Bonteheuwel,

and Beaufort West. “Once the person starts

talking, it is as if they don’t want to stop. They

have such a passion for the place where they

Heritage

grew up and their history. not only do they

leave a lasting legacy by having their story

recorded and preserved, telling their stories

brings healing.”

ethney nods her head in agreement.

“We cater for all our communities and try to

include everyone in the project. Telling our

stories brings healing in a time of racial tension

and conflict. We must be sensitive in how we

talk about our history. i’m not really one for

history but the Oral History initiative helped me

to see our history, where we come from, our

people, and how everything fits together in a

different light.

“For example the stories about the removals

and struggle made me reflect and think about

the past and what people experienced. it gave

me goose bumps and shook me emotionally.

i knew about the relocations but had no

understanding of the pain the uprooting

caused. it is vital that future generations know

what exactly happened in our past. For us as a

country to move forward, we have to know our

history.”

neville adds that he believes the timing

is perfect for this project. “People are ready

to talk about their past and things that are

important to them which they feel should be

preserved for future generations. Many of these

stories have never been documented before.

We have such a rich history in the Western

cape and it's amazing that we can now record

and preserve it. Without this project these

wonderful stories, history, and unique dialect

and culture of each area would have died with

the older generation.”

In the first phase of the OHI in an identified

community, stories and personal histories are

captured and recorded. During the next phase,

the recordings are prepared, branded with the

storyteller’s name, community and contents,

e.g. stories on medicine, traditions, or personal

history, and made publication-ready. The video

material is then available in the local library for

the community to listen to. The original copy

of the recorded history is sent to the Provincial

Archive for its digital repository.

Minister Marais envisions that the project will

bring people together and once again establish

libraries and museums as social hubs. “Because

libraries will be the place to share our stories,

this initiative will promote libraries and museums

as social hubs, where communities are able to

gather, engage and document their stories and

at the same time enrich their relationships with

fellow community members.”

Heritage

“not only do they leave a lasting legacy by having their story recorded and preserved, telling their stories brings healing.”

Above: ethney

Waters and

Neville Adonis

from Library

Services are part

of the Oral History

Initiative team

and responsible

for recording

the personal

histories of people

in our diverse

communities.

Keeping stories Alive

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine20 21

More than just a First KissHow do you get people to change their behaviour? You appeal to their

emotions and make them remember how they felt. By Leah Moodaley

“My first kiss: It was on a warm starry night

and the city lights shone bright. His eyes

sparkled against the backdrop of stars and

lights; you could hardly tell the difference

between the three. it was magical.”

This is the fantasy usually attached to

a first kiss. The brains behind the First

Kiss Safely Home campaign, however,

used this magical moment in a very impactful

way, to appeal to our thoughts and emotions,

and essentially to change our behaviour. They

achieved this by combining an impactful

moment with the deadly impact of a passenger

not wearing their seatbelt.

For those who have not seen the advert,

the scene is quite similar to the description in

the quoted paragraph above. A young couple

waits for the perfect moment to share their first

kiss, but before they do, they are involved in

a car crash. All but one of the four passengers

is wearing a seatbelt. The force of the crash

hurls his unbuckled body around the car in

different directions and he kills the other three

passengers.

in a turn of fate, his lips touch hers when

he is thrown against her, but the speed of the

movement breaks her neck. Suddenly, the long-

awaited first kiss is the last kiss.

The First Kiss campaign quickly became a

heated topic of discussion for media outlets

across the country. it formed part of the WcG

Safely Home road safety calendar, run by the

Department of Transport and Public Works,

on which safety themes alternate monthly. The

themes include: #SeeAndBeSeen, #WalkSmart,

#SaveKidslives, #itcanWait, #BeThechange,

#AlwaysBuckleUp and #BoozeFreeroads.

First Kiss was launched under the

#BeThechange theme over the months

of March and April. “The increased media

attention to road traffic injuries and crashes

around easter means there is strategic value in

launching a road safety campaign at this time,”

explains Hector eliott, Strategic co-ordinator

for Transport Management. The theme also

underpins our WcG value of accountability, in

taking personal responsibility for your life and

the lives of those affected by your actions.

For this campaign, cinema as the primary

medium helped to localise the campaign in the

Western cape only. it provided a more personal

and intensified broadcasting of the advert and

the opportunity to restrict viewership to movie-

goers aged 13 and older owing to the graphic

nature of the advert. Additional airings on Tv

helped to reach an even wider audience. “We

also did a huge amount of Tv – 270 airings with

numerous prime time slots on national Tv and

Innovation

on prime bouquets on satellite,” says Hector.

Supporting media included variable message

signs, billboards, social media, and radio.

The abovementioned aspects are just a

few of the things considered when creating

communication material for road safety in the

Western cape. You need to know your target

audience, how to reach them and how to

express the message in a manner they would

understand and relate to. According to the

Safely Home Attitudinal Survey 2015, “The

biggest challenge is that everyone believes

that they are a safe and responsible road user,

despite knowingly disobeying multiple rules

of the road. And law enforcement measures

aren’t seen as much of a deterrent.” One way

to overcome this challenge may be as simple

as good communication and messaging,

“evidence-based powerful messaging”, as

Hector describes it.

The apparent new approach to recent road

safety messages is that they’re being presented

in a different, more relatable way. As Hector

explains, “in July, we had focus group sessions

to assess the value of future advert concepts

and what was interesting was the amount of

positive feedback we received from the First

Kiss campaign through that process. Our target

demographic is really responding positively to

our genuine effort to speak to them in their own

voice.”

Hector adds that the goal at the start

of the First Kiss campaign was to create

something impactful. “What i really wanted

to achieve were real results; that’s what i

really care about.” As with every project and

campaign implemented by the Department,

“monitoring and evaluation is built into the

process to track performance and impact”.

From concept to product, First Kiss was based

on thorough research and evidence. Hector

explains that before the campaign launched,

researchers were stationed at carefully selected

intersections in the city and actually looked into

people’s cars to determine

whether or not they were

wearing their seatbelts. The

exact same exercise took

place six weeks after the

launch, and it will take place

again at the beginning of

October to assess how well

the impact of the campaign

has sustained itself. The end

product was based on a

combination of qualitative

and quantitative research

and adapted from an advert

created by the northern

ireland Department of

environment. However, it

only truly came to life with

the creative direction of both

Young & rubicam and egg

Films. Young and rubicam

managed the conceptual elements of the

campaign while the Tv ad was directed and

produced by egg Films, and edited by post-

production facility Upstairs ludus.

Six weeks after the launch of the campaign,

the wearing of back-seat seatbelts had gone

up by 161%, 51% for front-seat wearers, and

passenger fatalities had decreased by 30% over

the same period.

The First Kiss narrative was meant to echo

the reality of a young couple hoping for a future

together. “it was meant to get the audience

interested in the story of this young couple, to

get them to want to have a bright future and

then take it away, to illustrate how tragic the

consequences are of not taking the tiny step of

wearing a seatbelt,” says Hector.

There is hope for us, we have the opportunity

to make the change, and we have the choice to

make our roads a safer place. With September

being seatbelt awareness month on the road

safety calendar, let’s #AlwaysBuckleUp and get

home safely.

DID yOu KNOW?

The First Kiss TV ad won

three advertising industry

awards:

• Saturday Star Orchids

& Onions 2016 (local):

Orchids to the WcG for

having the guts to realise

the concept, to Y&r cape

Town for organising the

Safely Home campaign and

to egg Films’ Jason Fialkov

for a finely crafted, gut-

punching piece of cinema.

• Marklives Ad of the

Week April 2016 (Africa)

for smart and engaging

advertising.

• Craft Certificate Award for

editing at the 38TH Annual

loerie Awards 2016.

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Better Together magazine 23

Personal finance

BUyING A HOUSE

if you are ready to purchase

a property it is important that

you do your homework before

making one of the biggest

investments of your life.

By Maret Lesch

Buying a house is a big and exciting

decision. You should do your homework

and ask the right questions to get the

right answers to ensure the right choice.

if you feel a little overwhelmed, it might be a

good idea to approach buying your house step

by step:

1. The first step would be to find out what

you can afford. Pre-approval (see pg 24)

will give you a good idea. Many bank

and property websites also have a bond

calculator you can use. Then, decide on the

neighbourhood, type and size of house,

whether you are willing to renovate, and

other features such as a garden, parking

area, pool, and braai.

2. contact estate agents in the area you are

interested in to show the houses listed with

them. You can also use property websites

and newspapers to find houses for sale.

An estate agent will be able to guide you

through the process.

3. A new house comes with a lot of bills and

you have to keep in mind that you are

not only going to pay your monthly bond

instalment. Ask to see the rates and taxes

payable to the municipality, levies if in a

complex, and the water and electricity bills

from the past few months. Keep in mind

that you will also need to take out a home

insurance policy and have money available

for general upkeep and maintenance.

4. Be aware of the ‘hidden costs’ involved

when you buy your property. You might

need to pay some upfront expenses, like

transfer duty, transfer fees, bond initiation

fee, and the bond attorney’s fee. Properties

to the value of r750 000 or less are not

subject to transfer duty.

5. visit the house you like at different times

during the day. This will help you to see

what the neighbourhood is like, whether

the residence is well kept, whether the

neighbours are maintaining their houses

(this will determine future resell value of

your property), and the extent of traffic

during peak times. inspect the property

thoroughly and take photos of anything

that you will need to fix after buying the

house.

6. Ask the owners why they want to sell and

what the neighbours are like. Also ask

whether they have experienced any crime

over the past two years. Other things you

might want to ask include when last the

geyser was replaced, if there are any water

leaks or damp areas, and whether they still

have the invoices for insurance purposes.

7. if you want to make an offer on the house,

you will have to complete and sign an Offer

to Purchase (OtP) document. You can

make a lower offer than the selling price.

You will stipulate a time frame during which

the owner must decide to accept your offer

or not. if it is accepted, the owner will also

sign the document, which will then serve

as the Deed of Sale. if you have to obtain

a bond or sell another property, you can

stipulate that your offer is subject to those

conditions being met. You should also

include an occupation date, occupational

rent and deposit amount (if relevant) in

the OtP. Also include a list of items that

are included in the sale, such as the pool

cleaner, blinds, satellite dish, garage and

gate remotes, etc.

8. Once your offer has been accepted, you

can work with a bond originator, bank or

SA Home loans to obtain a home loan.

Usually, you will need to pay your first

instalment once the house is registered in

your name – about three months after your

OtP was accepted. Discuss the loan term as

well as the interest rate. Also, ensure that

you will be able to pay extra money into

your bond account where possible in order

to reduce the amount of interest you owe.

9. You will need the following documents

when applying for a home loan: your latest

payslips, copy of identity document, copy

of marriage certificate and contract if

applicable, copy of OtP, and a statement of

your personal assets, liabilities, income and

expenses.

HOUSING ALLOWANCEPermanent employees, including those with

fixed-term contracts, who own a home, can

apply for the Government employees Housing

Scheme (GeHS). Qualifying employees can

receive a monthly home owners allowance

of r1 200 (tax will be deducted).

The allowance is payable for only one home

and you or your immediate family must live in

the house.

You can benefit from the housing allowance if

you own a home through a title deed, deferred

title, or traditional ownership.

To enrol for the GeHS, complete the Home

Owners Application form. You can find it in the

Blue Pages on the intranet. Hand the completed

form in at the Hr Helpdesk. (continue pg 24)

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Dian Cronjé, an

economist from

Treasury, recently

bought a house.

Better Together magazine24

Flag Header

Better Together magazine 25

Personal finance Health

Back on trackif you have a desk job you are probably

sitting almost eight hours per day. Add your

commute and time spent in front of the

television and you might find yourself seated

for more than half the day! By Maret Lesch

Sitting for extended periods of

time can affect your health.

if you experience headaches,

shoulder and back pain, carpal

tunnel, numb fingers and arms, dry

eyes, weakened eyesight, digestive

problems, and decreased fitness,

you are probably spending too

much time in a sedentary position.

POSTUREPosture is the way you position

your body while standing, sitting

or lying down. When your posture

is correct, your spine is correctly

aligned. The correct sitting posture

will prevent backaches and

headaches.

You should:

• Sit up with your back straight

and your shoulders back and

relaxed, not rounded or elevated.

Your buttocks should touch the

back of your chair. Keep your

head level and in line with your

torso.

• Bend your knees at the right

angle and keep your feet flat on

the ground. Your hips must be

level with your knees or slightly

higher. Do not cross your legs.

• Avoid sitting in the same

position for more than 30

minutes.

• Adjust your chair height so

that you can sit closer to your

workstation. You must be able

to rest your elbows and arms

on your desk and keep your

shoulders relaxed. Your elbows

should be close to your body

and bent between 90˚ and 120˚.

• Be able to look straight at your

computer screen and not have to

tilt your head up or down.

• To get up from your chair,

move your buttocks to the front

of the chair and stand up by

straightening your legs. Avoid

bending forward to get out of

your chair.

• consider sitting on an exercise

ball at your desk for an hour

every day to strengthen your

core muscles.

To find the correct sitting position

in your office chair, you must

start by sitting at the end of your

chair and slouching completely.

Then draw yourself upright and

accentuate the curve of your

back. Hold this position for a few

seconds. release the position about

10 degrees. This is the correct

sitting posture. You can use a

rolled-up towel or lumbar roll in the

small of your back to maintain this

position.

GET MOVINGThe ideal is to reduce your daily

sitting time by at least two hours.

You can do this by:

• Moving around for 1 – 3 minutes

every half hour;

• Standing up when using the

telephone;

• Walking to a colleague’s desk

instead of calling them;

• exercising for at least 45

minutes per day and include

core strengthening exercises to

strengthen your back muscles.

STRETCHINGA few simple stretches during the

course of your day can help to ease

strain in your back and shoulders.

• Start by shrugging your

shoulders by lifting them up

towards your ears, hold them

there for three seconds and then

drop them. repeat three times.

Then nod your head up and

down three times and move it

side to side three times.

• Try a torso twist. Turn to the

right and grab the back of your

chair with your right hand and

the arm of the chair with your

left hand. Twist your torso as far

as possible. release and repeat

on the other side.

• extend your legs by holding on

to the seat of your chair. extend

your legs straight in front of you

so that they are parallel to the

floor. Flex and point your toes

five times. Release and repeat

three times.

PREVENTIONAccording to the BnH Spine

Centre, you can prevent bad office

posture by:

• creating an ergonomically

friendly working environment;

• changing your posture every 1-2

hours in order to rest muscles;

• Stretching your muscles during

the day to maintain muscle

flexibility;

• Avoiding tasks that require

muscle contraction for a

prolonged period; and

• Managing stress and resting

sufficiently. So

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Health

POINTeRS

Dian cronjé, an economist at Provincial

Treasury, recently bought a new family

home. He shares his four favourite tips:

• Work through an originator.

Originators are experts in their field

and you submit documentation to

them once. They then apply on your

behalf to various financial institutions.

no need to contact several banks

on your own. Originators often have

longstanding relationships with

well-placed individuals at financial

institutions which cuts out the red tape

of going through a call centre agent.

• Pre-approval is key. Many people

apply for a bond only when they find

their dream home. As the approval of a

loan is usually a timeous process, they

end up losing out to other cash buyers

or buyers with a preapproved bond

who would be granted first option

on a property by the seller. Obtain a

preapproved bond when you decide

to buy. essentially a bank will consider

your financial position and in principle

approve a certain loan amount. it

gives you a good indication of what

you can afford and serves as a form

of guarantee to a seller that you will

qualify for the pre-approved amount.

Once you find a property you want

SA HOMe LOANS

if you are a member of the GePF, you qualify for a special

home loan package from SA Home loans. This is done

under the umbrella of the GeHS, of which SA Home loans

is a financial partner.

Whether you are already a home owner with an existing

bond or a first-time buyer, you might qualify for a home

loan with the following benefits:

• A flexible term up to 30 years;

• A discounted interest rate for GePF members paying by

salary stop order;

• Up to 100% of the purchase price, depending on

affordability;

• A unique edge Home loan with three years of interest-

only repayments; and

• A discount of 50% on bond attorney costs, unless it is

covered by the developer.

For more information, visit the SA Home Loans

website www.sahomeloans.com or call Client Services

on 0861 888 777.

to buy and you have a pre-approved

bond, the bank usually only takes a day

or two to process the formal mortgage

offer. As sellers want to sell as soon as

possible, first option is usually given to

buyers with a pre-approved bond.

• Bargain with the seller. The majority

of sellers would like to obtain the best

possible price for their property. They

however often overlook certain general

maintenance issues that would require

attention if you are to move in. To this

extent, do a thorough sweep of the

property when you view it for the first

time. Don’t be overly pedantic, but look

for general issues that would require

attention, for example, leaking roof,

mould on the walls, broken tiles, doors

that cannot lock, etc.

• Consider interest rates. in the current

economic climate, banks are very

stringent with their lending rates and

do not often give rates below prime. To

this extent, obtain pre-approval from

more than one bank. That way you can

use the offer from one bank as leverage

to obtain a more favourable lending

rate from another bank.

FLISPThe Finance-linked individual Subsidy

Programme (FliSP) assists qualifying

households by providing a once-off down

payment to those households that have

secured a home loan from a bank to acquire a

residential property for the first time.

To qualify for FliSP, you must earn between

r3 501 and r15 000, be a South African citizen

or a permanent resident, not have qualified

for a government housing subsidy before, not

have owned a fixed residential property before,

be over 18 years of age, married or cohabiting,

or single with financial dependents.

For more information on FLISP, call

021 483 3977/4198/6466 or email

Human.Settlements@westerncape.gov.za.

Better Together magazine 27

BURNING CALORIESHOW LONG yOU HAVE TO WALK TO BURN IT OFF

Did you know?

IT’S A FA(c)T!With South Africa being the third fattest country in the world, national

Obesity Week from 15 to 19 October is a good time to have a look at the

statistics and causes of weight gain.

OBESITy CHILDREN

SOUTH AFricA HAS THe HiGHeST OverWeiGHT AnD OBeSiTY rATe in SUB-SAHArAn AFricA:

Of the 70% of overweight South African women,

42% ARE oBEsE

Men in developed countries have

higher rates of obesity, while

women in developing countries

exhibit higher rates of obesity

DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITy

in a growing number of African

countries, undernutrition coexists

with obesity and both need to

be addressed, especially since

studies show that undernourished

children and those fed formula

milk have a greater tendency to

become obese adults.

Of the world’s 667 million children under five in 2014,

50 MILLIoN (7.5%) were underweight

41 MILLIoN (6%) were overweight

In South Africa,

oNE IN FoUR GIRLs and

oNE IN FIVE Boys between

the ages of two and 14 years

are overweight or obese.

NATIONAL EFFORTThe national Department of Health

realises the significance of the obesity

crisis, and has included this in the

national non-communicable diseases

strategic goals to address the obesity

problem in South Africa:

INTERESTING FACTSThe term “SUGAR” refers to sucrose (table sugar),

while the term “SUGARS” is used to describe the

monosaccharides (glucose, fructose and galactose) and

disaccharides (sucrose, maltose and lactose) in food.

in South Africa, the staples, MAIZE MEAL and

WHITE AND BROWN BREAD FLOUR, have been

fortified with several micronutrients since October

2003 to contribute to dietary adequacy.

evidence suggests that DAIRy INTAKE may protect

people from becoming overweight and obese.

Findings by Welsh and Dietz indicated that the

consumption of sugar-sweetened SOFT DRINKS

was positively associated with energy intake,

weight gain and the incidence of diabetes.

Sources: http://bhekisisa.org; www.heartfoundation.co.za; https://africacheck.org; www.webmd.com; www.healthyeating.com; www.today.com; www.mirror.co.uk

sEVEN oUT oF 10 woMEN and FoUR oUT oF 10 MEN

have significantly more body fat than is deemed healthy

yOUR BODy

61%

30%

GloballySouth Africa

OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITy RATES

Vs

1. Increase physical activity by 10% by 2020

2. Reduce the consumption of alcohol by 20% by 2020

3. Reduce the percentage of people who are obese and/

or overweight by 10% by 2020

type 2 diabetes strokeheart disease hypertension

(high blood pressure)

joint pain certain cancers

= BMIBODy WeIGHT (KG)

BODy HeIGHT2 (CM)

in the SA national Health and

nutrition Survey, most South Africans

surveyed acknowledged that they

were overweight, but the majority

were HAPPy WITH THEIR

“FAT” BODy IMAGE.

excess body weight and a high

BMi is a contributing risk factor in

7% OF DEATHS in South Africa.

BETWEEN 25 AND 30 = OVERWEIGHT

HIGHER THAN 30 = OBESE

BMI = weight-to-height ratio

Better Together magazine26

171 calories

31 MIN

Blueberry muffin

449 calories

1 HOUR 23 MIN

1⁄4 of a large pizza

138 calories

26 MIN

Soft drink

171 calories

31 MIN

Small bag of potato chips

229 calories

42 MIN

Standard chocolate bar

118 calories

27 MIN

Large latte

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine28 29

Self-development

Get your cope better with

stressful situations

and change at

work by learning

strategies to build

your resilience

and improve your

flexibility. Information

supplied by ICAS

One of the buzzwords in the workplace

at the moment is resilience. What

exactly is it and are you born with it or

can it be learned?

resilience is your ability to bounce back

from trauma and setbacks, deal with significant

amounts of stress, and adapt to change. By

increasing your level of resilience, you become

more mentally and emotionally flexible and

learn to adapt to and cope better with stress

and change.

We all react differently to change and

stress. Being resilient does not mean you don’t

experience difficulty or distress. It means that

you have learned the necessary skills and

mechanisms to deal with it in a healthy way.

RAISE yOUR RESILIENCEThe American Psychological Association

identifies 11 key steps in building resilience:

1. Seek support. caring and supportive

relationships with friends, family,

colleagues, and mentors or role models

offer encouragement and reassurance and

will help bolster your resilience. Accept

help and support from those who care

about you.

2. See setbacks as temporary. Avoid

seeing a crisis or your situation as

insurmountable and maintain a long-term

view of the future. You cannot change

the fact that stressful events happen, but

you can change how you interpret and

respond to it. Take note of all the small

things you can be grateful for.

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3. Embrace change. Accept that change,

and the need to adapt to it, is part of life.

certain goals may no longer be attainable.

Accept that you cannot change this and

focus on the circumstances and times

when you can change and set new goals.

4. Set realistic goals. Focus on smaller goals

that can be accomplished regularly. This

will help you to move towards your bigger

goals.

5. Take action. Take decisive action rather

than wishing your problems away. Don’t

let your problems cripple you. Take action

to progress, even if it is only a small step.

6. Be flexible. learn to compromise.

Understand that your way is not the only

way. This will help you to move through

a stressful time or difficult situation and

improve your relationship with your team.

7. Self-discovery. Use the situation to learn

something about yourself. You might

discover new skills or abilities. A positive

view of yourself will give you more

confidence in your strengths and abilities.

8. Gratitude. Maintain a positive attitude.

Try to make a mental list of everything

you can be grateful for before you go

to bed at night. Gratitude is one of the

basic underpinnings of contentment and

resilience against stress.

9. Maintain perspective. Even in difficult

situations, try to see the stressful situation

or setback in a broader context and keep

focused on the bigger picture. Avoid

blowing the situation out of proportion.

10. Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your

needs and feelings. engage in activities you

enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly and

eat healthy food. By taking care of yourself,

you help your mind and body to deal with

situations that require resilience.

11.1 See stressful situations as opportunities.

resilience is about facing stress head-on and

looking at stressful situations as opportunities

for growth. Stress builds character and

exercises your problem-solving ability. When

you see stress this way and take it in your

stride, you will begin to appreciate life more,

enjoy challenges and overcome the obstacles

that temporarily block your way.

SMART SKILLSequip yourself to deal better with situations and as a

result build your resilience. Start by improving your

communication and problem-solving skills.

Avoid making impulsive decisions and try to

manage strong feelings and emotions before taking

action. it might be a good idea to wait a few hours

or even a day or two before you say something or

send an email you might regret later.

FLeXIBILITy

Maintaining flexibility and balance in your life when dealing

with stressful or traumatic situations is an important aspect of

increasing your resilience. Try to:

• allow yourself to experience strong emotions, but know when

to avoid these emotions in order to continue functioning;

• step forward and take action to deal with your problems and

also step back and rest to re-energise yourself;

• spend time with loved ones to gain support and

encouragement; and

• rely on others when you need help and learn to trust yourself

and know what you are capable of.

For free assistance you can contact ICAS, our independent

counselling and advisory service, by calling the toll-free number

0800 611 155 (CSC), 0800 111 011 (Education), 0800 611 093

(Health) or dial *134*905# and they will call you back.

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BOUNCEback

Flag HeaderWorkplace

raising a grievanceif you’ve ever had questions about our grievance procedure, the following

article is for you. Compiled by Maret Lesch

You can lodge a

grievance (excluding

cases of unfair dismissal)

when you are dissatisfied with

an official act or omission that

adversely affects you in the

workplace and you could not

solve the problem by having

an informal discussion with the

parties involved.

For example, if you were

unfairly disciplined or victimised

(official act) or if you did

not receive the performance

bonus (omission) you feel you

deserved.

You have to lodge your

grievance within 90 working

days from the date you first

became aware of the issue.

lodging a grievance cannot

affect you negatively. it is a

right that you have in terms of

national legislation.

1. Download the Grievance Form

from the intranet’s Blue Pages

(http://www.psc.gov.za/forms/

Annexure14_2002.pdf).

2. complete Parts A and B accurately

in writing. You can ask a fellow

employee, or a representative or

official from a recognised trade

union to help you. They can also

help you throughout the entire

grievance process.

3. email your completed form and any

other supporting documentation

or evidence you think should

be included, to the Directorate:

employee relations, rebecca.

Mohamed@westerncape.gov.za.

You can also fax it to 021 483 2272

(for attention rebecca Mohamed)

or personally deliver it to the

Directorate: employee relations,

on the 16th floor, Atterbury House.

4. You must receive a copy of your

form, signed in the block below

Part B, to indicate that your

grievance has been received.

5. All decisions taken during

the grievance resolution

process must be in writing

and indicated in Part c of the

grievance document.

6. Your department will now

have 30 days to deal with

the grievance. They will start

by liaising with the relevant

parties to investigate and

then recommend appropriate

remedies to address your

dissatisfaction. if you are not

satisfied with the suggested

solution, you can ask for the

grievance to be escalated to

the next level of authority.

7. The procedure must assist

and enable you and your

employer to address your

dissatisfaction in a speedy,

fair, impartial, and unbiased

manner. You will be kept up

to date with the status and

progress made to resolve

your grievance.

8. if your grievance cannot

be resolved, the executing

authority must inform you

accordingly in writing.

HeLP

You can ask a fellow

employee, or a representative

or official from a recognised

trade union to assist

or represent you. A

representative from your

trade union will also be able

to help you to complete the

grievance documentation.

For more information on how

to raise a grievance, you can

contact Christo Muller from

the Directorate: Employee

Relations on Christo.Muller@

westerncape.gov.za.

STEP By STEP:

Better Together magazine 31

Who are better equipped

to find solutions for their

daily challenges than our

school-going youth themselves?

The nelson Mandela children’s

Parliament provides a platform

where children’s voices can be

heard regarding issues that affect

them.

The children’s Parliament is an

annual national event, but this year

the Western cape Government took

a big step to enhance this platform

by hosting a provincial sitting

as well. Aeysha Augustus from

the Department of the Premier’s

Directorate Priority Programme

co-ordination explains that the

reasoning behind the Western

Cape Government’s first Children’s

Parliament is “to allow more

children to participate and to find

solutions to our unique concerns

and challenges”.

At the Provincial children’s

Parliament hosted in July 2016,

we focused specifically on our

dynamics in the Western cape by

building on the way the national

children’s Parliament functions.

“The format replicates that of the

national Parliament, however we

hope that with future iterations the

Western cape children’s Parliament

has a more localised programme

that highlights and reflects the

needs of our children and youth,”

says Aeysha.

The 80 child representatives

who attended our first provincial

sitting included previous child

parliamentarians from De la Bat

School for the Deaf, the Western

cape Schools Debating Board,

Siviwe School of Skills, and the

city of cape Town Youth council.

it was hosted by the current child

Ambassador for the Western

cape, Aviwe Jemane from De la

Bat School for the Deaf. luandre

Wynne, the 2015 Western cape

children’s Ambassador, was

nominated as the Speaker for the

2016 Provincial Parliament. luandre

was part of the programme in his

Grade 12 year and is now studying

law at the University of the Western

cape.

The learners were split into

groups to focus on the themes

of women’s rights, bullying and

intolerance, social ills, and unlocking

opportunities. They identified

several issues affecting them,

including:

• Young women must learn to be

independent;

• career guidance from Grade 7

must be intensified;

• Programmes for young

entrepreneurs must be

developed;

• Face-to-face engagements

with government must be

increased; and

• Mentoring programmes for

young girls and boys must be

developed.

These recommendations were

also made to the Speaker of the

Western cape Parliament and

Aviwe will provide feedback to the

national children’s Parliament in

October 2016.

A task team was identified

with representatives from the 80

learners to further investigate the

comments and recommendations

made under the guidance of the

Directorate Priority Programmes

co-ordination. The children’s

Parliament has highlighted the

issues that challenge children’s

rights to safety and security, basic

health, and education. The WcG

will continue to engage with the

learners and encourage them to

participate on platforms that allow

us to better understand their needs.

The intention is that the points of

concern identified in the Provincial

children’s Parliament are escalated

to the relevant departments to be

addressed.

The WcG hosted

its first Children’s

Parliament to

discuss challenges

facing our youth.

Information supplied by the Directorate: Priority Programmes Co-ordination

empowering our youth

Our Organisation

Aviwe Jemane from

De La Bat School for

the Deaf is the ambassador for

the Children's Parliament.

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Better Together magazine32

Inside Info

Geared for success

A new communication platform aims to support

women in Treasury with their development and

career growth by ensuring that policies are

gender responsive. By ean Steenkamp

Treasury is going to great

lengths to address the

challenges that women

face on a daily basis. The aptly

named committee, Women in

Treasury (WiT), was established

and officially launched at a special

event on Monday, 8 August 2016.

The national Gender equality

Strategic Framework implemented

in 2008 has had very little effect

in addressing the challenges

that women face in the working

environment. Besides the existing

Women in Management committee

at Treasury, WiT will support the

framework and work towards

achieving gender equality through

the empowerment of women.

“Gender equality is not only the

responsibility of management, it

should be an inclusive approach

and we therefore invited all female

staff members to contribute

ideas and solutions to challenges”

says Sweetness Sixubane, the

chairperson of the Women in

Management committee.

Through WiT, a structure

will be created to support and

capacitate women to ensure their

Wit (noun): The capacity for inventive thought and quick understanding; keen intelligence

WOMeN IN MANAGeMeNT COuRSe

The Provincial Training

institute offers this course to

women on salary levels

9 to 13 who are in managerial

positions. The goal is to

empower women with the

relevant skills and knowledge

to effectively fulfil their roles

as managers and leaders.

Find the course prospectus

on the intranet under the PTi

tab. You can contact your

unit’s course coordinator for

more information, or to book

your place for this course.

development. “Women are the

natural nurturers but often neglect

to nurture themselves. in order

to nurture others, one should

start nurturing yourself,” explains

Sweetness, who is also the driving

force behind WiT.

A dedicated communication

platform has been created to

share gender-specific information

related to health, wellbeing and

development besides creating a

platform for women who wish to

share their experiences, motivate

others or seek advice from peers.

“Forget about your normal day-

to-day, boring, administrative

intensive government committees.

This committee will be informal,

fun, exciting, agile, and can respond

to our changing needs,” says

Sweetness.

creating an enabling

environment gives women a voice

and promotes open communication

between staff on all levels. WiT

will review policies and make

suggestions to management to

better address current challenges

faced by women in the workplace,

such as gender equality, the way

we work whilst taking our family

life into consideration. Some of

the challenges, such as spending

enough time with our children, also

affect male counterparts and will

form a base for male colleagues to

work with WiT to overcome these

challenges.

WiT hopes that this initiative will

leave a non-sexist legacy and that

it will encourage other departments

facing gender equality challenges

to start similar initiatives.

Your toll-free number: cSc: 0800 611 155 | education: 0800 111 011 | Health: 0800 611 093

USSD code for a call-back: *134*905#

The employee Health and Wellness Programme (eHWP) consists of professional, independent counselling & Advisory Services – free of charge to all to all WcG employees.

if you have any problem that feels too big to handle – be it personal, family, health, or

work-related – or you need information on a legal, financial or family care matter, phone

toll-free for confidential, professional and free assistance and advice.

employee Health and Wellness Programme

What are the services on offer?

• Counselling Services which include unlimited

telephone counselling as well as short-term

face-to-face counselling for individuals and/or

couples at a time and place convenient to you.

• Practical advice services on financial matters e.g. debt

management or financial planning and budgeting, legal

advice e.g. divorce or maintenance, consumer issues

or wills and estates and family matters e.g. childcare,

care for the elderly, education and allowances.

• Trauma counselling for groups and individuals after

involvement in a traumatic incident. if it was a work-

related trauma, the counselling will happen at the

workplace.

• if the problem requires specialist help or a longer

period of counselling, you will be helped with referrals

to other organisations or resources.

Why are these services a good source of support? They are:

• Confidential (your identity, or the specific details

of your call, will not be revealed)

• Impartial (the counsellor you speak to doesn’t

represent anybody else’s interest)

• Professional (helpdesk manned by clinical or

counselling psychologists)

• Independent (the services are provided by an outside

service provider, icAS)

• Multi-lingual (you can choose to speak in your home

language)

• 24/7/365 (service is available any time during day and

night, every single day of the year)

• Direct access to you via a toll-free number free of

charge to you.

How to contact us?

1. if you have access to a landline, contact is free of

charge on our toll-free number.

2. call us from your cellphone and as soon as you speak

to a counsellor, ask them to phone you back on your

cellphone so that you don’t incur the cost.

How will it work when I phone ICAS?

1. When you phone the toll-free number, an automated

voice message will welcome you to the employee

Health and Wellness Programme.

2. You will then be asked to choose your language

preference by pressing the relevant number on your

phone.

3. Your call will be answered by a professional counsellor

who will assist you with your concerns.

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Better Together magazine34

THe VALueS:

AccountabilityWe take responsibility.

IntegrityTo be honest and do the right thing.

CaringTo care for those we serve and work with.

ResponsivenessTo serve the needs of our citizens and employees.

CompetenceThe ability and capacity to do the job we were employed to do.

THe VISION:

External visionOpen opportunity for all.

Internal visionTo be the best-run regional government in the world.

Better TogetherThe Western cape Government has a duty to provide opportunities. citizens have the responsibility to make use of them.

let’s make use of provided opportunies and make the Western cape BETTER TOGETHER.

InnovationTo be open to new ideas and develop creative solutions to problems in a resourceful way.