Author: Dumani Moyo

Diepsloot Sports against Crime Tournament aims to lessen drug abuse

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Diepsloot Sports fanatics partnered with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and organized a two day soccer tournament to fight against drug abuse and crime.

Diepsloot Sports against Crime Tournament is a holiday sports program which is done every end of school term to keep the youth away from the streets.

The tournament against drug abuse comes just month after South Africa’s Constitutional Court passed down a judgment that makes it legal for adults to cultivate and smoke marijuana in their homes. The 29 to 30 September tournament saw 34 soccer teams from Diepsloot and Cosmo City participating. The following are the teams which won during the tournament: Diepsloot junior chiefs (Under 12) Oliven junior chiefs (under 14) Bophelong (under 16). The winners were awarded kits trophies and medals.

“It is sad that girls are also starting to get involved in Nyawope drugs,” said Thabo Wesi the general secretary of Diepsloot Stream. “This Nyawope drug has taken away a lot of joy from the Diepsloot youth, and it drives the youth to be thieves and robbers.”

Wesi added that the tournament was an opportunity to raise awareness about the side effects of drugs and crime to the youngsters.

“The tournament was well organized and soccer has become a great tool to address such social issues,” Wesi said. “A child in sports is a child out of jail. We have to make a good pathway for the children by using sports to take them out of bad habits.”

He said that it is important to keep the youth busy as it would keep them focused.

 

Sin-Gwen Models grace Cosmo City

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Glitz and glamour prevailed at the Sin-Gwen Models’ Mr. and Miss Teen pageant held at Cosmo City’s Multipurpose Centre on Saturday October 6 2018.

The free-entrance event attracted scores of teenagers from the Cosmo City Community. Incredible performances by local artistes such as CiarDiko, Scima, B Reezy, Moses The Spoken, Ceejay, Lekgowa da DJ  and many more gave the event an electrifying atmosphere and kept the audience captivated and celebrating.

It was down to the wire as the judges, facing a peculiar case of splitting hairs, narrowed their selection from 17 contestants to 8 finalists. However, the night clearly belonged to Masana Mathye and Naledi Luyanda Methula who were crowned the King and Queen respectively.  Other winners were as follows: Bongani Mthethwa (1st Prince), Ayanda Sandile Sibanda (1st Princess), Morena Ernest Lefeea (2nd Prince), Angela Nmanku Moseki (2nd Princess), Bafana Innocent Dewa (Mr Personality), TshepangMoketle (Miss Personality). Brooklyn Driving School awarded the King and Queen an opportunity to do learners licences. Moove Gym also offered the King and Queen three months membership. Sin-Gwen Models awarded medals to all the models.

“We are taking the youth away from negative activities which result to teenage pregnancies,” said Sindi Dambuza, the co-founder of Sin-Gwen Models. “Our aim is to uplift the youth and showcase their talents at an early stage. We advise them to focus on their studies and continue studying after high school. Modeling is important because it enables people discover and develop their leadership qualities.”

Dambuza said they appreciate the support from the community and surrounding areas, who filled Multipurpose to its maximum capacity.

“We aim to get more stakeholders involved in our events as we are not only focusing on Cosmo City but other communities like Zandspruit and Diepsloot,” she said.

Dambuzo also thanked the ward councilor Mapula Mosito for Multipurpose venue and the following for making the event a success. MCs:  Tumelo Dopex, Tebogo “Queen of the north and Tumelo Sibeko. Judges: Skhumbuzo Ndlovu, Eve Segone, Audrey Chabalala and Mastermind;  Sponsors: Nufsed Entertainment, Moove Gym, Malebo Salon, Brooklyn Driving School, Antiqua Lounge and Visionary Print Solutions; Photographer: Cyril;  Makeup artists: Ravuka and Yonela Poto.

 

Eco Culture Team explores Cosmo City’s sewage crisis

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Cosmo City’s persistent sewage crisis has propelled Eco Culture Sechaba Foundation to conduct research about a situation that has caused serious health scares in Cosmo City, especially in Extension6.

Eco Culture Sechaba Foundation is Non-profit Organisation that focuses on developing and implementing environmental sustainability programmes in both schools and communities. In an interview with Cosmo City Chronicle, Marylin Ndhlovu of Eco Culture Team said it is important for residents to understand the causes and consequences of the sewage crisis.

“We believe the sewage problem is one of the causes of illnesses that affect people living in Cosmo City,” she said. “It tends to affect a lot of Cosmo City residents, especially ones who stay near the manhole or those who pass by the sewage spill immediately after an occurrence.”

Sewage spill introduces numerous pathogens into the environment such as bacteria and viruses from human faecal matter, she said.

“The pathogens become airborne when the spills occur during windy days because they are too small to see even with the naked eye,” she explained. “People who walk past the sewage spill breathe the air and the pathogens are introduced into their body systems.”

According to the Eco Culture Team, in some instances the sewage spill blocks pathways where people need to move from one place to the other. Bricks and pieces of cardboard are usually placed on the road to allow access, but as the sewage water accumulates, the bricks and cardboard end up being covered with wastewater.

“Somehow the water ends up on the skin – the feet and legs – as people pass, which can cause skin irritation when people just wipe it off,” said Ndhlovu.  “In cases where the spill occurs on a road surface (South African Drive and Angola), cars splash the sewage water into the air. This causes pathogens to be moved a greater distance from the spill, which impacts people nearby or children playing in surrounding areas.”

Research shows that some people in Cosmo City do not use safe water for irrigation, she added, which also allows the spread of pathogens. Soil and vegetation in the surrounding environment where a sewage spill may have occurred are going to be impacted, Ndhlovu said.

 

 

 

New Ackerman’s shop robbed in Cosmo City

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Nine armed robbers invaded the newly opened Ackermans shop in Cosmo City’s Shopping Center on 2 October, getting away with R3000 and cell phones valued at R100 000, according to Honeydew Police who are still investigating the matter.

The shop was robbed two days after opening. It was not the first shop in the community to be robbed soon after its opening.

Honeydew Police spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan told Cosmo City Chronicle that the robbery took place at about 10 am and no one was injured.

“Three of the armed robbers entered the shop, pretending to be customers,” he said. “The other six followed and forced nine employees to lie on the floor before demanding for cash.”

Captain Muthan said police were still hunting for the robbers.

“The shop does not have cameras yet,” he explained. “The available footage captured by external cameras shows that the robbers travelled in a white Nissan Almera and a maroon Hyundai.The vehicles did not have registrations.”

When Cosmo City Chronicle visited the shop on 3 October, it was already operating on its normal business hours. The Ackermans manager Julius Matlou described the incident as unfortunate.

“It was not expected, and we could not control the situation. We will see our way forward after taking the stock, but it has really affected us,” he said.

A resident who witnessed the incident said the robbers moved very quickly as they shoved one of the security guards inside the shop.

“I was just coming from the other shops and I saw about six men violently pushing a security guard into the shop,” said the resident who identified himself as only Mabhena. “I could not understand what was happening, I tried to get inside the shop but the door was closed. Through the window I could see the employees lying on the floor and I assumed it was robbery. A few minutes later they got into their runaway cars and escaped.”

The community feels insecure from armed robbers as the festive season approaches, Mabhena said.

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