THIS IS LIFE . . . . .

Beautiful flowers in the veld next to Nigel

WATCH WHAT YOU THINK,
IT BECOMES WHAT YOU SAY.
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY,
IT BECOMES WHAT YOU DO.
WATCH WHAT YOU DO,
IT BECOMES YOUR CHARACTER.
WATCH YOUR CHARACTER,
IT DETERMINES WHAT YOUR FUTURE WILL BE LIKE..

Support For Campaign Against Illegal Dumping

Initially, when I started with my campaign against the illegal dumping of rubbish in Nigel which was prevalent, I thought that I was fighting a losing battle and at one point my attitude nearly changed to one of  'if you cannot win them, join them'. I even felt like Don Quixote, fighting windmills!.

But,now it seems that there is some support, and in this regard I want to thank Nigel & Heidelberg Rekord. It seems they are also now giving attention to this sickness. Here is a news item which was published in the Rekord of 25 September 2012:

 

Please, join us in fighting this illegal dumping of rubbish! 

This is our town - let us take back our beautiful environment and nature!

PS: Thanks to our Ward Counselor, Mr. Labuschagne for his involvement!

Caught In The Act: Illegal Dumping of Rubbish in Nigel

This is an email I sent to the Manager of Angelo Superspar in Nigel on 14 September 2012:

'The Manager,

This morning, about 09:15, as I passed the back entrance of Spar (old Heidelberg Road towards Heidelberg) I found one of your employees (Name given as Patrick) busy to dump rubbish of Spar just outside the gate in the grass just next to the road. I confronted him and he indicated that he was dumping the rubbish on instruction of his 'boss', 'Jimmy'. He also confirmed that he is an employee of Spar and I saw him coming through the gate of Spar with one of the municipal waste bins.

Since my arrival here in Nigel in 2010, incidentally the same time Angelo Mall opened, I came aware of the illegal dumping of rubbish on the outskirts of Nigel and it is especially the old Heidelberg Road running from The Mall towards Heidelberg that is being targeted by irresponsible persons to dump their rubbish. With time this tendency of dumping rubbish as we wish, where we wish, became worse and as a ratepayer I just could not keep quiet anymore and I tried to get the two local newspapers involved, but to no avail. Then I started a blog to raise concern and you can follow this link: Article Illegal Dumping

After I published this article, The Record suddenly 'became involved'. However, matters got worse and this morning I took a video of your employee with the rubbish. Follow this link: Caught in the Act

Please, I know he could be making it up that his 'boss Jimmy' instructed him to do it but the matter of the fact it is an employee of Spa is doing this and where will it end? Just go and look outside your gate and further on towards Heidelberg, it is ugly!! What is also a concern is that there was one of your security guards also outside who threw away rubbish and as he went inside, this Patrick passed him with the bin and the guard did not even looked into it - he could just as well been taking stock out!

So, please, stop this illegal dumping, and if you could, try to clean up the mess just outside your gate.

Thanks.

Apologies for not giving my name but I have been victimized once too many!'

On  17 September 2012 I  received the following reply from the Management:

'Good day,

Thank you very much for brining this matter to our attention.

We have investigated this matter and found the person who was dumping waste water into the veld was from a outside cleaning company and did not receive any instructions from as so called Mr. Jimmy.

It was of his own accord and apologized for his actions.  Our company sees this in a very serious matter and will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again.

Our sincere apologies.

Regards

Management'

 I accepted this response in good faith and the matter is closed. 

The lesson here, is that this beautiful town is ours, we must be proud citizens. Not only proud, but good citizens - good citizens do not litter or dump rubbish illegal. And the best of all is, we must show each other on our mistakes and work hand in glove to make this town and environment beautiful!!!!

 

The Lonely Sentinel

As I walk this earth and my hometown, I stumble upon some beautiful and interesting things.

At first glance, nobody will think an object has any noteworthy interest; but it is how you look at life that makes a difference. I always take my camera wherever I go!

Recently I stumbled upon this pillar made out of sandstone. It is on a deserted farm on the outskirts of the town and it is obvious that it was either part of the farm’s fencing or part of a gate.

However, it just looks like a sentinel, guarding over the past!

If it could talk!

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Life as a mom can be hard, especially when it seems like no one notices everything you do.

A Book From Nigel!

Ivan and the Magic Ring

For Sale, Books - Magazines in South Africa, Gauteng, Nigel. Date August 27

For Sale in Nigel

Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality Budget for 2012/2013

An operating budget of R23.8 billion and Capital budget of R2.6 billion was tabled and approved for the 2012/2013 financial year by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan on 31 March 2012.

The budget was compiled with the following goals in mind:

·         Build local economies to create more employment, decent work and sustainable livelihoods;

·         Improve services and broaden access to them;

·         Build more united, non-racial, integrated and safer communities;

·         Promote more active community participation in processes within the Metro; and

·         Ensure that the metro become more effective, accountable.

But, what will the budget be used for?

The budget will be used for the following key service areas:

·         Water and sanitation provision;

·         Providing electricity;

·         Waste removal and management;

·         Health and social services;

·         Roads and storm-water;

·         Environmental resource management - such as grass cutting and park maintenance;

·         Sport, recreation, arts and culture;

·         Housing;

·         Economic development;

·         Transport; and

·         Safety and security.

The following tariff increases came into effect on 1 July 2012:

Electricity: from -12% to 13.5%

Assessment Rates: 7.5 %

Water: 11.3%

Sewer: 10.68%

Refuse Removal: 15%

To help alleviate the burden of poor households, they will continue to receive free electricity. In addition, the cost of electricity has been reduced. In an inflationary environment where costs are ever escalating, the Metro is reducing the cost of energy to its communities. A household using 300kWh of electricity will pay 25% less for their monthly electricity bill, while a household using 400kWh will pay 27% less.

For more detailed information on the budget you can visit the Metro’s official site at www.ekurhuleni.gov.za

 

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“But I Don’t Want Eldercare!” is packed with useful, easy-to-understand information on a wide range of care topics from communicating with aging parents to heading-off and tackling medical problems, creating a safer home, finding in-home helpers and making difficult decisions.

The Anthills and Humanhills of Nigel

Nigel is scattered with anthills and humanhills.

But what is an anthill?

A Masterly Sculptured Anthill

 An ant-hill, in its simplest form, is a pile of earth, sand, pine needles, or clay or a composite of these and other materials that build up at the entrances of the subterranean dwellings of ant colonies as they are excavated. A colony is built and maintained by legions of worker ants, which carry tiny bits of dirt and pebbles in their mandibles and deposit them near the exit of the colony. They normally deposit the dirt or vegetation at the top of the hill to prevent it from sliding back into the colony, but in some species, they actively sculpt the materials into specific shapes, and may create nest chambers within the mound.

And what is a humanhill?

Haphazard Sculptured Humanhill 

A humanhill is a pile of rubbish, either household refuse or building rubble dumped by stupid, ignorant, could-not-care-less and self-centred people without thinking about themselves, their neighbours, future generations or the environment. The why they are not thinking is that they are already brain-dead!

Once the stupid humans moved in, the ants are complaining that their neighborhood is down the drain!

 So, who are the better and more advanced specie? 

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Church Celebrates 40 Years

The congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church Nigel South celebrated the church’s 40th year of existence on 19 August 2012.

It was a joyful occasion for the congregation with a special church service on 19 August - to bring all honor to God and to reminiscence about the past 40 years. The congregation was established back in 1967 but it was only in 1972 that they could afford a church building. The church cost a mammoth (for that time) R110 000 to build. The church was inaugurated on 19 August 1972. The first reverend was Rev. AW Celliers and the current reverend is Rev. Pieter Kruger.

Notes: The top caption of the photo means ‘Dutch Reformed Church; Congregation Nigel South’. The bottom caption means '40 years: A place of prayer; 19 August 2012.’

Boost Your Self-Esteem!

Illegal Dumping of rubbish in Nigel

Nigel is a beautiful town. I love it, especially the nature and tranquillity here.

However, there is one thing that bothers me - the illegal dumping of household refuse and building rubble. The outskirts of the town is littered with these ugly ‘human-hills’. It is citizens of this town who are responsible for this - but they do not care. And, they can say what they want, but Nigel’s refuse services are one of the best in Gauteng - so, why bother to litter our town?

I tried to address it but in vain:

I brought it to the attention to the Heraut, community based newspaper for Nigel and Heidelberg. 

Here is the email I send to them:

The Editor

I refer to the letter ‘Waar Is Ons Verkeersmanne?” in Heraut of 1 August 2012.

I agree with the writer. 

It seems there is a general tendency of lawlessness in Nigel.

1. Stop-signs and other traffic signs are for the birds.

2. Our streets became drag-racing strips or de-stressing zones.

3. Intersections are there for showing who can do the best ‘dough-nuts’.

4. Our suburbs are terrorized by thugs (sorry, I cannot think of a better or more appropriate description) on off-road motor bikes and quad bikes, especially on Sundays. I have no problem with them using the dirt roads around the town, but they are also in our streets, making it hell for inhabitants. Sorry, for mentioning it, but what were two 14 year old boys doing on an off-road bike (‘veld fiets’) in Eeufees Road about three weeks ago when they collided with a truck. What type of parent allows this?

Then there is the illegal dumping of rubbish, just on the outskirts of the town. When I look at the photos attached hereto, I asked myself, are we a civilized society? It will not take long before the entire Nigel is engulfed by rubbish!

We are our Metro police indeed.

After all is said, it is not the responsibility of the Metro police - we as citizens of Nigel should stand together and take back our streets and environment!

Anti-Lawlessness

Here are the photos I send them:

I also brought the matter to the attention of the other local newspaper, Nigel & Heidelberg Rekord by email. Here is the email I send them:

Dear Editor,

I refer to your news report 'Other towns to get refuse bin system' in the Rekord of 31 July 2012.

The people of Nigel are complaining about the bag system vs the bin system as applied in Nigel. I do not know why they complain - the bins take at least 5 bags and sometimes when I clean up my house and garden I have another 2-3 bags additional which I place next to the bin outside and never (in 3 years) did they refuse to take it.

But anyway, I think there are many people who try to spite the municipality (Nigel) by dumping their rubbish in and around the town. Just go and look at the back of Angelo Mall and the adjacent old Heidelberg Road (from the Angelo Mall until it reach the new Heidelberg Road). (See attached photos 01, 03 and 04). Photos 03 and 04 contains old windscreens and this may be an indication the culprit can be one of the few class merchants in town. What baffles me is that there is bank- and cell phone statements lying around with a person's name and address on it. (This person never heard of identity theft?) Then there is the veld at the back of the stadium, also a nice dumping place - see photo 02. At the background you can see the houses. These photos were taken with my cell phone but with your professional cameras you will be able to capture this rubbish dumping better. 

What baffles me further is that we are paying monthly for refuse removal, which is compulsory, but we still mess up our environment. And we are quick to point fingers to the municipality for poor service delivery, but refuse removal is one of the strong points of Nigel municipality.

Daily I see this illegal rubbish accumulating and it won't take long before it will engulf Nigel.

We must realize this is 'cut your nose to spite your face', if it is indeed a case of spiting the municipality, which I doubt. I think it is just a case of uncivilized and ignorant people!

Thanks.

Anti-Dumping 

Here is the photos I send them:

Then I brought it to the attention of the Municipality by means of the News24.com Neighborhood Watch, also nothing!

It seems nobody, except me cares about this ugliness. Then who am I anyway?

Nigel Olifaunt