Fire wipes 250 homes in Kayamandi

Hundreds of displaced Kayamandi residents have started rebuilding after their homes were burnt down on Monday afternoon in Kayamandi Township in Stellenbosch.

Eyewitness Mvuyisi Ntantala said the fire started in a locked house while its owners were at work at the time.

“I thought that someone was burning some papers, since it’s a regular thing in this area, so I went back to my house, but [then] I noticed that the smoke was getting stronger … That’s when I started calling others,” said Ntantala.

Ntantala lost all his belongings in the fire including his identity document and his matric certificate.

“The fire spread rapidly in different areas while we were still trying to fight it,” explained Ntantala.

Most residents were at work when the fire broke in their homes.

Residents from both Snake Valley and Zone O helped to fight the fire using buckets, but most residents were watching the fire carefully to avoid the repeat of 2013 when people thought that the fire was too small to spread but it ended up destroying hundreds of home and leaving thousands homeless at Zone O.

This time residents took their frustration out on the firefighters, throwing stones at them for arriving late. Residents say they phoned for help before the fire had spread.

The fire, which started around 3pm, was extinguished at 7pm.

Portia Jansen, Community Development Coordinator at Stellenbosch Municipality, “There are at least 250 people who gave their names as heads of the houses [that were destroyed], but we will still need to verify it.”

Since February, at least two people have died in fires around Kayamandi. Fires are common in Enkanini, an informal settlement in Kayamandi that does not have electricity.

10 Things Every Career Woman Must Know

We all know how hard it is for women to make sure that both work and home are balancing especially in today's world where they are holding powerful positions in a cooperate . At times it becomes overwhelming for some women to balance their work, home and social life. So here are some of the important things that every career woman must know.

1. We all know that the corporate world is competitive and is run by man, so do your part, don't give it all to the fight.

2.Almost everything can be recycled but time and reputation cannot be, so use your time wisely.

3.Family comes first and time travel fast, so whatever you do remember that you'll never go back and redo things.

4 Its a busy world, it is always great to take time off and unwind. Take time off your busy work and home life and go out with friends. The difference you will feel after wards would be really refreshing. A glass of wine can change everything.

5.You don't have to fight every war that comes your way.

6.At home, you are a mother, sister, aunt or a daughter, at work you the boss or employee, so make sure you separate those. Transparency is not always an option when it comes to work and home. Be transparent on work related issues only.

7.This is the real world, trust yourself. Remember that everything that is not for you is against you so if you don't trust yourself who will.

8. Know what is your first priority in life, your health matters too. So its important to take care of your body and also give yourself time to de-stress. Go to the gym and sweat a little, meet with friends, gossip about the latest stories or the housewives series. You are a woman you were born to socialise.

9.We are created differently and our backgrounds are not the same, people will dislike you for no reason, especially if you are leading a large number of employees, so don't force yourself in,others will let you in their lives, others will not. Its life.

10 stretch yourself to the limit, then you will be the best at what you do. Weather you the employer or employee, you need to grow.

NOTE: all the illustrations and pictures were taken from the web

Nkanini People expend their community

Nkanini people are hoping to expend their little community.  The community was founded by few community members who were renting at the backyards of the school crescent and Snake Valley and others were staying with their families in the hostels.

It hasn’t been easy for these community members since at the beginning they had no electricity and no running water because Stellenbosch municipality wanted them gone. One of the residents who started this small community Josephsaid it wasn’t easy building this community because the odds were against them. “We had to fight with the municipality and the neighboring communities because they both wanted us gone, but we fought as we are still fighting even today”, said Joseph.

The community has grown a lot in the past few years and now they are hoping to make it bigger.  Younger people are seeking independence and they see Nkanini as their stepping stone to a bigger house and perhaps see it as a waiting room to a bigger RDP house.

This past weekend the Kayamandi community woken by the noise of zinks and hummers, people building and others expanding their homes. The crowed moved to start building under the police station where Paarl police officers claimed that it belong to a private owner not to the Cape Winelands District.

Municipality came and demolished them but the community members who were building said they will not give up because similar situation happened before when the first Nkanini dwellers build the first houses that made what we call Nkanini today.

The mayor office said the community agreed to have a meeting with them to resolve this issue.

The area is one of the areas in the Western Cape who were against 2014 elections because of the tribulations they are facing. The person who spark the insanity is still unknown.

Township kids enthused to make movies

The film school Africa is gearing up for another exciting year, according to their former students.

The school is starting their level one class at the beginning of June. The former FSA student and the Cape Peninsula graduate Nosisi Sithole has been busy since the announcement of the new classes because she will be working with the Director of the school Katie Taylor and the school’s own editor Marie  Midcalf.

Taylor said the classes are free of charge “the classes are free of charge but we do require your consistency “said Taylor.

The school had their annual festival, where they show case student films.

The Executive International and Film School Africa’ s Director Taylor said the students did their best ,  and she mentioned the boy who she said his movies were the worse when he started. “We didn’t show Cwenga’s level one films because they were that bad, “but look at him now, the best editor, said Taylor with excitement.

She continue saying that “Hard work pays because this kid who didn’t know how to even edit the movies by the end of his level one.” Said Taylor.

The school started way back in 2008 by Katie Taylor, who was working at Hollywood back then. She started everything from scratch, she thought her students how to tell their own stories on camera, how to pitch their story ideas and how to shoot. Know almost eight years later the school has spread in Strand. And they added some more film levels; they also added Art, Photography and acting classes.

The highlight of the school is always the film festival which happened every year at the end of the years. The students invite their friends and family to attend the community and also attend. The students walk in red carpet, families, friends and the school taking their picture.

One of the former students said film festival is the proof that you make it and you can do whatever you put your mind on it because it’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it. 

Some of the awards winners from last year were given to the best actor, best improved Editor and audience’s choice. The other film makers who went home with awards was Thando Dynatyi ( who currently studying film at AFDA), Azola Anita, Manna Benny Tshengele and Pretty Mcetywa who went home with the best improved director.

Mcetywa said she is happy with her ward, the award inspired her to follow her dreams in Film making industry as she is currently doing grade 12.

 

 The organizers of the Super Club in Kayamandi are satisfied by the progress made this year. The one week fun week for the kids was once again a success after they managed to play games, bond and build relationship with the kids the whole week during the June holidays.  The project organizers Luvuyo Nyamanda and Kutala Tswane said the purpose of the Super Club is to make sure that kids are doing constructive things in a fun way with their holiday time.  

“We want the kids to be kids, we want them to have fun” said Nyamanda. He continue saying that the kids sometimes do not get a chance to enjoy their holiday and to enjoy the beauty of being an infant because of the responsibilities they have at home, so they are creating that platform for them to have fun, learn and make new friends.

The program was started back in 2006 by the coupe from UK and Alfred Jongile who was working at the school at that time as a Mentor in the high school program called Gold.

Nyamanda took charge of it during the world cup in 2010 when they led a campaign to keep kids safe during that time. It was call Keep them safe, and he never look back.   

Kids were energized   by different games lead by young people who are between the ages of 16- 25.

Youth were not left behind, but unlike the kid’s games, the youth had workshop that included movies, poetry, dance, HIV and Aids workshops and drama. The week was completed on Friday by the dance instructed by a dancer Abongile Khwaza and the drama group coached by the drama and dance guru Mbongeni  Mtshali.