In the Loop

The JSE welcomesThe City of Joburg

Opening of memorial Acre Service Excellence EMS Courses New Appoinment

INS

IDE

08Issue No.

June 2014

Internal Newsletter

2 – In the Loop

Msimang, the no-nonsense crime-buster7

Youth score big in the City’s EPWP intervention

ContentsCo

nten

ts Welcome

Memorial pays homageto the youth of June 1976

Westbury to get a makeover

City learners take controlof their environment

MMC Lemao leads winter safety drive to save lives

Student Council preparesyouth to be future leaders

City’s MEs doing it for the youth

Service excellence - the new site of struggle for Joburg youth

Youths channel energiesto fight poverty

Record budget for City at work

City officials scoop top awards in environmental excellence

City develops the youth for the workplace

3

5

4

6

EMS fulfils youth’s quest to save lives12

15

13

16

14

17

18

Ballet takes Joburgby storm

22

Youth Month at Joburg City Theatres

19

8

10

11

In the Loop – 3

Use the QR code reader on your smartphone to scan these barcodes.

www.facebook.com/CityofJohannesburg

www.plus.google.com/ 1131415161359973 56931/posts

www.instagram.com www.twitter.com/CityofJoburgZA

www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U

www.flickr.com/photos/city_ of_joburg/

www.linkedin.com/ profile/view?id=2453 26835&trk=tab_pro

Welcome June is Youth Month, a time to recall and celebrate the heroic exploits of the Soweto youth of 1976, but also a time to reflect on the state of our youth today.

Perhaps the biggest problem facing young people of today is unemploy-ment. This edition of In The Loop, reports on the various interventions the City has come up with to give young people a meaningful start in life and hope for the future. Coming out just after MMC for Finance in the City, Councillor Geoffrey Makhu-bo delivered a record budget for the 2014/15 financial year, it demonstrates how the City deploys its resources to forge a brighter future for its young. We report on the way this budget stim-ulates the economy of the City by pro-viding improved infrastructure to make Joburg more liveable, resilient and prosperous.

Nabintu PetsanaGroup Head of Group Communications and Tourism

AcknowledgementsChief Editor:Nabintu Petsana - bintup@joburg.org.zaEditor:Thomas Thale - thomasth@joburg.org.zaContributor:Luyanda Lunika - luyandal@joburg.org.zaPhotography:Enoch Lehung - enochl@joburg.org.za

Cover CreditThe JSE welcomes theCity of Joburg

Executive Mayor, Mpho Parks Tau

Youth are people in the prime of their lives, with lots of energy for society to tap into. In this edition, you’ll see the resilience and resourcefulness of young people as they study, produce food, look after the environment and even save lives to stake a claim for themselves in the future of the City. But young people are also active producers and consumers of the arts. We thus profile the new generation as they turn ballet into a popular art form with assistance from the Johannesburg Ballet.

But the youth of today still have many obstacles to overcome and the City seeks to create an enabling environ-ment for youth across the spectrum to thrive.

A case in point is that of Bernadette Rigney, a young person who has had to overcome her own disability to take up the struggles of the disabled. As the Transformation Officer of the City,

Rigney is behind the drive to create a welcoming environment for people living with disabilities. We also look at how youngsters contribute to the governance of the City through their participation in the Youth council.

With school holidays on the horizon, we also look at what the City’s theatres have lined up for youngsters. This edition of In the Loop leaves the reader confident that the future of our City is in good hands.

4 – In the Loop

Memorial pays homage to the youth of June 1976

The City of Johannesburg marked June 16 by unveiling a new memorial acre and a Garden of Hope dedicated to the class of 1976.

The June 16 Memorial Acre is a building that houses images, artefacts and a June 16 Interpretation Cen-tre. It tells the story of 16 June 1976, when students from across Soweto faced off against security forces whilst protesting against apartheid education. The memorial includes a double-storey building in the shape of an AK-47 assault rifle, a symbol of the strug-gle against apartheid, and a statue of Tsietsi Mashin-ini, one of the student leaders of the march.

Premier David Makhura and Acting Mayor, MMC Mal-ly Mokoena cut the ribbon before the premier gave MMC Mokoena the keys and title deeds, symbolizing the handover of the memorial acre to the City.

MMC Mokoena expressed hope that the interpreta-tion centre would “lead to a new interpretation of our past in order to inspire students, poets, artists and photographers, to infuse life in our history, and ed-ucate future generations about the richness of our heritage”.

She added that developing the June 16 precinct is part of City efforts to change the spatial patterns of

the past. “What we are witnessing today is part of our broader strategic drive to transform spatial patterns in Johannesburg through our Corridors of Freedom and investment in infrastructure, so as to eradicate the legacy of a city divided on the basis of race and privilege and create a more cohesive society.”

Premier Makhura planted a Tree of Youth at the site earmarked for the Garden of Hope. He announced that 23 trees representing students who were gunned down on 16 June 1976 would be planted at the Garden of Hope.

Thousands of participants had earlier joined in the march from Morris Isaacson High School to Phefeni Junior High School. Premier Makhura and MMC Mokoena then presided over the wreath laying cer-emony to commemorate the 38th anniversary of 16 June 1976, which turned the course of South African history and shaped its future.

Wi-Fi facilities were unveiled at Phefeni Secondary School. Premier Makhura urged the youth of Soweto to make use of the Centre to showcase their talent. “The Institute will become a Centre for memory and a resource for young people to contribute to communi-ty development through various youth developmen-tal programmes that will be run from the institute.”

In the Loop – 5

Record budget for City at work

In what has emerged as a powerful testimony to the City of Johannesburg’s determination to confront social deficits in their various forms, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo has unveiled a record R47,1 billion budget for the 2014-2015 financial year.

The unprecedented budget represents a R7 billion increase compared with the one the MMC deliv-ered in the previous financial year. Of the R47,1 bil-lion budgeted for the new financial year, more than R36,7 billion will be spent on operational needs and requirements, while the balance – R10,4 billion – will be channelled to the City’s massive capital projects, including the rollout of the Corridors of Freedom spatial development initiative. All in all, the City’s capital budget over the next three years will total R32 billion.

Councillor Makhubo said through the budget, the City was determined not only to continue making a contribution to the development of Johannesburg but also to “spearhead, champion and coordinate such development”.

“This budget will fund the implementation of our ba-sic programmes and the new ideas for which Johan-nesburg is renowned. It will also speed up the funda-mental transformation of this City and making every citizen proud of living, working and playing here,” he said.

The budget comes on the back of the City’s healthy financial performance following years characterised by challenges such as low cash balances, high volumes of customer queries and qualified audits. However, after the implementation of its Financial Development Plan, the City has:• Built up substantial cash reserves. In the current

financial year, the City has, despite a monthly ex-penditure of R2,2 billion, maintained an average monthly cash balance of more than R5 billion;

• Successfully redeemed R1,9 billion of its munici-pal bonds since entering the municipal bond mar-ket about 10 years ago;

• Scaled up its capital investment from R4,5 billion in 2012-2013 to R10,4 billion in the 2014-2015 fi-nancial year; and

• Received an unqualified audit, a strongest indi-cation yet that the City’s finances are in a healthy state.

The MMC said the City was on track with its pro-gramme to invest R100 billion in infrastructure over a 10-year period. This, Councillor Makhubo said, would be key to the City’s ability to change the urban envi-ronment for the better. City Power received the lion’s when it was allocated an operating budget of R13.2 billion and a further R7,3 billion capital budget to be spread over the next three financial years.

The money is to be spent on, among other things, refurbishment of ageing infrastructure, investment in new bulk infrastructure, investing in a comprehensive system to deal with cable theft and vandalism, and replacement of obsolete meters.

The Johannesburg Water has been allocated an op-erational budget of R6,4 billion for the 2014-2015 fi-nancial year and a further R4 billion capital budget for the next three years. This will enable the munici-pal-owned entity to respond to critical issues around urban water management and provision of water services. Waste management company Pikitup’s op-erational budget for 2014-2015 stands at R1,8 billion, while its three-year capital budget allocation is at

R470 million.

Finance MMC Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo says the massive budget will speed up fundamental transformation of the City

6 – In the Loop

Westbury, a sprawling and dusty township in the west of Johannesburg, is soon to be transformed into a top-class neighbourhood and an integrated com-munity in which residents will have access to a wide range of social amenities in line with the Corridors of Freedom spatial development initiative.

In his 2014-2015 budget speech, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo outlined a number of projects that would be undertaken to turn Westbury into an important “corridor of freedom”.

More than R10,4 billion has been set aside this year for a number of capital projects aimed at, among oth-er things, re-stitching the City to create a different future for residents, linking people to jobs and jobs to people along transport corridors. With the Noor-dgesig-Parktown Rea Vaya rapid bus transit system route already running through the suburb,

Westbury to get amakeover

Westbury will soon see the construction of cycle lanes and walkways along Kretchmar, Dowling and Steytler streets to create safe and interconnected movement and links with surrounding areas.

Over and above that, the City will create a pedestrian crossing at Westbury Station for schoolchildren. The pedestrian crossing will, however, also create a vital link between Westbury and adjoining areas with job opportunities.

On the sporting side, the City will upgrade the Union Stadium Precinct, including the stadium itself, multi-purpose buildings, a park and various sports facilities.Three other parks are to be upgraded or redeveloped to create safe community spaces. The Westbury Clinic will be upgraded into a state-of-the-art facility offer-ing comprehensive primary healthcare services.

Also earmarked for a facelift is the Westbury Library.

Municipal-owned entity/Department Operational budget 2014-2015 Three-year capital budget

Johannesburg and Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) R135 million R2 billion

Community Development R927.1 million R307 million

Health R674.7 million R127 million

Social Development R129.1 million R47 million

Public Safety R2.6 billion R453 million

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo R732 million R356 million

Joburg City Theatres R117 million R20 million

Economic Development R109.6 million R71 million

Transportation R1.2 billion R3.2 billion

Development Planning R275 million R1.5 billion

Joburg Market R304 million R835 million

Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) R425 million R507 million

Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) R79 million R612 million

Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) R814 million R5.6 billion

Metrobus R513 million R506 million

OTHER BUDGET ALLOCATIONS

In the Loop – 7

Msimang, the no-nonsense crime-busterHlula Msimang, the newly appointed Public Safety Head of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), wants to see Johannesburg being counted among the safest cities in the world.

Msimang, who joined JMPD in March this year, has extensive experience in the public safety, security and intelligence arenas.

A former commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the then banned African Nation-al Congress, Msimang spent five years as head of Ekurhuleni Metro Police and another four as chief of the Tshwane Metro Police – valuable experience that stands him in good stead as he starts to chart his new journey in the City of Johannesburg.

Msimang says JMPD is a “solid institution” that has the potential to significantly reduce crime and en-force bylaws effectively using resources currently at its disposal. He says although the unit has done well in traffic policing, there is now a critical need to im-prove the calibre of its officers, both in capacity and conduct, and to enhance existing systems.

“We have been effective at traffic policing,” says Msi-mang. “JMPD is a solid institution that can do more and get better results. We can reduce crime and road fatalities significantly.”

The JMPD’s plan, Msimang says, is to reduce crime in Johannesburg by 30% in five years. “We must deal with the perception of the city as one of the crime capitals of the world. We must deal with issues of lawlessness across the board,” he says.

One way of achieving this, Msimang points out, will be through the refocusing of the department’s resources and operations. “At roadblocks we should search vehicles. We should have dogs sniffing for drugs and firearms. We should check car registrations and fingerprints to pick up wanted criminals,” says Msimang.

He describes the move to merge the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) with JMPD as a “good thing” as it will ensure synergies. A restructur-ing process to amalgamate the two units is presently under way and Msimang has moved to assure employ-ees that “no one will lose their jobs” as a result.

He says the EMS will be adequately equipped to re-spond to disasters in the quickest possible times. The unit’s early warning capacity will also be significantly improved. Resources are key to achieve these objec-tives. Msimang says to this end, the City will acquire additional ambulances, some from the Gauteng Provincial Government and some from within.

Relations with stakeholders, including local commu-nities and the private sector, are of vital importance if EMS is to succeed in its work. “The relations must be dynamic... We also need to ensure that we engage with communities, including those who live on disas-ter flood lines, who we must prepare for impending

disasters,” he says.

New appointment

Hlula MsimangPublic Safety Head of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD)

8 – In the Loop

Student Council prepares youth to be future leadersThe City of Johannesburg’s junior council has become a solid and firm platform to groom the city’s and South

Africa’s future leaders.

The junior council, which consists of 100 energetic

learners from 60 high schools around Johannesburg,

is a critical marketplace of the youth’s ideas, a plat-

form where issues affecting young people are debat-

ed and thrashed out.

The 100 junior councillors have a tough mission of

being the voice for the City’s youths, raising burning

issues and finding sustainable solutions.

This gives them practical local government experi-

ence. They learn everything there is to know about

this sphere of government – from how political deci-

sions are made to how these are carried out by every-

one involved.

Azaraa Moyideen, a 16-year-old learner at Sir John

Adamson High School in the south of Johannesburg,

says being part of the junior council has taught her

many things in life.

She was elected to the junior council in recognition

of her leadership qualities as the captain of a hockey

team in her school and because of her excellent

academic achievements.

“It is sad and tragic that, as the youth of South Afri-

ca will be celebrating Youth Month, parents in Nige-

ria are praying for the safe return of the more than

200 girls abducted by Boko Haram to settle political

scores. It shows how women and children are not free

in Africa.”

Moyideen says members of the junior council have

been tasked to create awareness in their schools

around the “Bring Back our Girls” campaign to show

support and say no to all forms of terrorism.

Branden Molotsi, Moyideen’s fellow learner at Sir

John Adamson High School, says he is delighted to be

a member of the junior council.

The 16-year-old Molotsi says the experience has been

“fruitful” for him as he now knows how the council

and local government work.

“I have met so many intelligent young people from

different schools and different backgrounds. We have

learned a lot from each other and the engagements

we have had,” says Molotsi.

“We’re very lucky as the youth of today because we

have the same opportunities as everyone else and are

given platforms to air our views. We should embrace

the opportunity and make use of it. The junior coun-

cil prepares us to be the future leaders of this city,”

said Molotsi

He says June 16 is a significant day as it celebrates the

role the youth played in South Africa’s hard-fought

democracy. It symbolises the power of the youth and

what they can do.

“As we celebrate this day, we should ask ourselves

this question: Is this what the youth of 1976 fought

for? Would they be proud to see young people

abusing drugs and alcohol?” he asked.

In the Loop – 9

Branden Molotsi and Azaraa MoyideenSir John Adamson High School

10 – In the Loop

Everyone now knows how that fateful, chilly wintry day 38 years ago hastened the pace of the struggle for the freedom that all South Africans are enjoying today.

Now – 20 years into democracy and 38 years after the Class of 1976 made their voices heard in such an emphatic fashion – Joburg youths are, like many of their counterparts in the rest of the country, involved in new types of struggles to make the now-liberat-ed South Africa an even better country to live in. For 34-year-old Rigney in particular, the challenge is to help turn Johannesburg into an efficiently and effectively run City. And she is not alone.

“Many of Johannesburg’s youth today have a vision and a fresh perspective of how a world-class city should look. With the necessary guidance and men-toring, we can assist the City by utilising our energies in a positive and constructive way. This will ensure an efficient and well-run City,” she says.

Rigney is also catapulting change and transforma-tion in another important terrain of the present-day

youth struggle – changing perceptions about people with disabilities and working to ensure that they en-joy the same rights as their able-bodied counterparts in line with the country’s constitution.

A person living with a disability herself, Rigney has, as the City’s Transformation Officer for Disability Awareness, been involved in many activities, projects and programmes aimed at bringing about positive change to the lives of those living with disabilities. She works hard to ensure that the City complies with legislative and social requirements, including the cre-ation of reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities.

“For instance, if a visually impaired person is appoint-ed, the City needs to provide him or her with a braille machine to read documents. The City also needs to provide fully accessible buildings, lifts and ramps. Only then can we recruit new people with disabilities. In the meantime, it is my responsibility to ensure that the current staff is accommodated. I also assist em-ployees with disabilities to pursue their career paths,” she says. Rigney is pleased with the progress the City has made to accommodate people with disabilities so far. “As an employee with a disability, I am in a unique posi-tion to bring to the attention of decision-makers the challenges and issues faced by people with disabili-ties. Working here has not only opened up opportu-nities for me but for other disabled people as well,” says Rigney, who has limited arm and leg movement as a result of a condition called Arthrogryposis.

One of the successes she has achieved in changing perceptions in the eight years that she has been with the City was the training she spearheaded to enable Rea Vaya bus drivers to assist passengers with disabil-ities. “This training was so successful that even Gautrain committed,” she says. “I absolutely enjoy my life. My philosophy is to take every challenge and turn it into an adventure.” Rigney, who joined the City in 2006, is single. She enjoys taking part in awareness programmes and loves shopping and “everything glamorous”.

Service excellence - the new site of struggle for Joburg youth

Bernadette Rigney had not been born yet when Soweto youths rose up in collective anger on 16 June 1976 in protest against in-ferior education in and the dehumanising apartheid system in general.

In the Loop – 11

Youths channel energiesto fight poverty

Matla is one of 12 members of the Rietfontein Youth Cooperative, a youth organisation on the outskirts of Orange Farm, in the south of Johannesburg. The 17-member group is based in Poortjie, southwest of Orange Farm.

In the whole of Region G, a lot of progress has been made setting up food gardens which are central to the City’s Food Resilience Programme, one of the 10 key priorities of the Growth and Development Strat-egy. Seeds were handed out to 767 homesteads, 168 homestead gardens started and 344 homesteads visit-ed since last year. The City assists 87 cooperatives in the region, mostly run by the youth.

They are among an increasing number of youths in Jo-hannesburg who have responded positively to the call by the Executive Mayor, Councillor Mpho Parks Tau, to establish food gardens as part of a City-wide initiative to alleviate hunger and poverty, and promote food se-curity. The long term vision is to have a city where no one goes hungry. It will be realised by among others:• Improving CoJ’s capacity to offer nutritious feed-

ing programmes;• Forstering partnerships with stakeholders;• Improving the knowledgebase of emerging and

aspiring farmers; and• Developing marketing channels for emerging

farmers.

Under the programme, the City supplies seeds, helps with equipment for soil preparation and offers train-ing in food production. With the unemployment rate among the youth unacceptably high, young people are turning to gardening and food production not only to keep themselves occupied, but also as a way of earning an income.

Region C has also helped community members set up over 1 000 food gardens which benefitted over 4000 people. A further 1 100 families received vegetable packs from the Food Bank operated by the City in the region since November last year. For its part, Region D has initiated and supported 158 gardens with 753 ben-eficiaries and trained 60 community members to farm.In Region A, 42 youths are participating in coopera-tives and communal gardens after attending in-house training. Ten of the youths have gone on to set up two cooperatives.

In addition, more than 200 youths are to undergo ex-tensive training in agricultural management and gar-den maintenance at the various agri resource centres in the City’s seven regions.The resource centres:• Operate as advice centres for emerging farmers;• Provide implements and tools to emerging farmers

on a loan basis;• Provide production inputs such as fertiliser, seed,

compost and chemicals;• Assist farming projects or emerging farmers to

register as cooperatives and access relevant fund-ing mechanisms;

• Provide information on how to start farming;• Provide relevant training; and• Support emerging farmers right across the entire

value chain.

“I have realised how important and essential food pro-duction is in general. But beyond that, I enjoy what I’m doing,” says Matla.

According to Johannes Seloane, one of the trainers, the training module covers understanding different kinds of soil texture, seeds and seeding, seasonal rota-tion of vegetables to avoid soil exhaustion or to main-tain the richness of the soil.

Conway Moss, of Creative Business Solutions, says hav-ing your own backyard garden will not only go a long way to building healthy families and communities, but will also reduce the risk of contradicting diseases such as kwashiorkor and malnutrition.

It could also benefit people living with HIV and Aids.A study by the Independent Development Trust con-ducted in 2012 found that about 42% of the poor people in Johannesburg do not have a meal at regular intervals.

After qualifying as an auxiliary nurse, Tumi Matla (27) abandoned the health profession to follow her passion of gardening and food production.

12 – In the Loop

EMS fulfils youth’squest to save livesThe Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Medical (EMS) Training Academy in Florida, Roode-poort, is abuzz with activity as more and more City employees and residents – most of them young peo-ple – throng the venue to undergo various emergen-cy services management courses. This is in line with the City’s aim to save lives and put youth in gainful employment.

The academy offers five courses at present and is working towards offering the formal Higher Certifi-cate in Emergency Medical Assistance and a National Diploma in Emergency Care. The courses on offer at present are:• Basic Ambulance Assistant Course;• Basic Ambulance Assistant Refresher Course;• Ambulance Emergency Assistant Course;• Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher

Course; and• Advanced Life Support Paramedic Refresher Course.

Wynand van der Net, head of the Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services Medical Training Acade-my, says the greatest motivation for people to want to acquire skills in emergency medical services is their passion and desire to save lives. Van der Net says though many who attend short courses might have been persuaded to do so by unemployment, the bulk of those who enrol for the intermediary and advance courses are driven by a genuine desire to help save lives.

He says the academy only provides training in emer-gency medical services. The other aspects of emergen-cy services – such as rescue operations, firefighting and commercial courses – are offered at the Rietfon-tein and Brixton campuses. The courses offered at the Florida campus are divided into short, intermediary and advance training. Short courses are offered over four months or a shorter duration, while the others can last up to a year to two. According to van der Net, the academy is refocusing its attention on intermedi-ate life support and advanced courses “because these provide a wider and deeper understanding of what is required”.

One of the trainees, Lydia Nameng, 33, started work-ing for the City in 2004 as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician. Nameng, who has also under-

gone training in firefighting, says her primary moti-vation to enter emergency services was the “love and concern” for people’s lives. “The training we receive here is very helpful. We get to learn about the differ-ent diseases that commonly affect people and how to treat them. For me and most of my colleagues, it is about saving lives,” she says.

Van der Nest says the courses are open to all City em-ployees and Johannesburg residents. “Anyone with a matric certificate is eligible to apply and stands a chance to enrol and become an EMS student,” he says.

However, prospective students need to write and pass an entrance exam and undergo physical tests first be-fore they can be enrolled. Course Coordinator Clif-ford Mokgatlha abandoned his engineering studies to pursue a career in Emergency Medical Services.Mokgatlha also teaches the Intermediate Life Sup-port Course. Mokgatlha is a graduate of the Univer-sity of Johannesburg, where he is about to complete his honours degree in Emergency Medical Care.

“I find this fulfilling knowing that I can save some-body’s life,” he says. At the moment, there are 12 City employees undergoing training in Ambulance Emer-gency Assistance, a four-month course.

In the Loop – 13

City officials scoop top awards in environmental excellence

Three City of Johannesburg environmental health practitioners were recognised for their excellence in the environmental field when they were presented with the Alfred Nzo Achievement Awards during an environmental health conference at the Metro Centre recently.

The awards are in honour of African National Con-gress struggle veteran Alfred Nzo, one of the African trailblazers in the environmental health space. Nzo, who qualified as an Environmental Health Inspector in 1951, was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs af-ter the 1994 democratic elections. He died in 2000.

This year’s Alfred Nzo Achievement Awards recipients were:• Roxanne Devraj, of Region E, who received her

award for her presentation: “Recycling of Cook-ing Oil”;

• Andre Lourens, of Region A, who was recognised for his offering: “Minimisation of Waste Through the Establishment of an Organic Food Garden in Ivory Park; and

• Bernedette Gentz, of Region B, who was pre-sented with the award for her presentation: “Developing Training Material for Informal Food Traders”.

The trio were presented with the awards as an ac-knowledgement of the significant contribution they made to the City and their involvement in transform-ing environmental health. Some of the topics cov-ered during the Alfred Nzo Research Conference and Awards included the development of training materi-al for informal food traders and the role of informal

waste collectors in waste minimisation and minimis-ation of waste through the establishment of organic food gardens.

The awards ceremony and conference, held under the theme: “Environmental Health Celebrating 20 Years of Democracy”, were attended by, among oth-er high-profile personalities, Clr Nonceba Molwele, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development; and Clr Gabriel Matlou, the Chairperson of Health and Social Development Com-mittee.In her address, Clr Molwele said the environment and issues related to it were central to “the national agenda of our country”. “The City of Johannesburg is committed to a clean and healthy environment.” She singled out rodent in-festation as one of the environmental health threats plaguing the city. “Rodent infestation is more preva-lent in poor communities, besieging hospitals, schools and businesses. “Fortunately, the Rat Cage Pro-gramme, which has also won an Alfred Nzo Award, has worked extremely well in eliminating rats in some of these areas,” Molwele said.

The Alfred Nzo Achievements Award was introduced in 2002 by the National Environmental Health Di-rectorate. The awards are given to individuals who contribute to the transformation of environmental health and create innovative ideas in the advance-ment of environment health services.

Devraj, the 26-year-old environmental health prac-titioner for Region E, said winning the award was really special for her. “I feel both honoured and privileged to have been given the opportunity to represent my region and present my research at the event. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my team, which I am grateful for.

“It is a great feeling knowing that the work we as Environmental Health Practitioners conduct is recog-nized and appreciated. As a young lady, it gives me a sense of hope that anything is possible in a changing South Africa, where young women can excel in a job

that was previously male-dominated,” she said.

14 – In the Loop

City learners take controlof their environmentSeven Johannesburg primary schools shared more than R61 000 in prize money in the inaugural Eco-Rangers Competition, an annual platform to raise awareness and educate young children about environmental issues facing South Africans today.

The competition, the brainchild of City of Johannes-burg waste management company

Pikitup, was launched by the Member of the May-oral Committee for Environment and Infrastructural Services, Councillor Matshidiso Mfikoe, during the Joburg Waste Management Summit in May last year.The competition, which is also called “Pitch In and Pikitup”, is also aimed at raising awareness among primary school learners about the impact of negative environmental issues and how these could be man-aged going forward.

The objective of the programme is to entrench un-derstanding among young children that work needs to start now to secure future environmental sustain-ability.

The winning schools were:• Hlakaniphani Primary in Dlamini, Soweto;• Parkside Primary, Lenasia South;• Laerskool Heldekruin, Roodepoort;• Carter Primary, Alexandra;

• Mvelendzandivho Primary in Tshiawelo, Soweto;• Panorama Primary, Weltevreden Park,

Roodepoort; and• Mikateko Primary, in Ivory Park, Midrand.

The programme, which forms part of the CAPS curric-ulum, reached more than 150 000 learners and 7 000 educators in 200 schools in the jurisdiction of the City of Johannesburg.

It features four characters– Recyclo, Litter-X, Lynx and Sky – which embody and epitomise the objectives of the programme. The learners were given the freedom to choose a project that addressed the four learning parameters – recycling, not littering, conservation and reducing carbon footprint.

Entrants had to state the programme, research it, select a solution, put it into practice, evaluate its effectiveness and present the results.

In the new financial year, Pikitup will conduct an Eco Rangers roadshow and embark on several initiatives to link the 200 participating primary schools and a further 200 with cooperatives for the collection of recyclable materials.

The aim is to eventually have all primary schools in the City running the Eco Rangers programme.

In the Loop – 15

Youth score big in the City’s EPWP intervention

The youth have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of the City of Johannesburg’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The programme, whose primary objective is to create short-term work opportunities for the army of unemployed people in the City, covers a wide variety of fields from which to tap in.

In the 2013-2014 financial year alone, a total of 35 967 job opportunities were given young people in various EPWP projects throughout the City. This made the youth group the largest beneficiary in the City’s important employment and skills development intervention.

All the beneficiaries received training in a wide range of skills, including horticulture, HIV and Aids aware-ness, home-based care, plumbing, carpentry, traffic control, bricklaying, brush cutting, environmental awareness and cable trenching. The City’s assistance to the youth is particularly visible in the streets, where, as JMPD Ambassadors, they can be seen di-recting traffic.

According to EPWP Director Patson Khosa, over and above the opportuni-ty to earn a living, the beneficiaries re-ceive assistance in acquiring learner’s and driver’s licences.

Bokaba Maluleke, Head of the City’s Department of Economic Development, says the primary objective of the programme is to provide the beneficiaries with skills to enable them to find permanent employ-ment in organisations that require such expertise and knowledge.

The City aims to ensure that at least 55% of those taken on board are youth. “EPWP is not intended to provide jobs. Its primary objective is to create and provide opportunities to individuals who may then use the experience to find permanent employment for themselves,” says Maluleke.

On completion of the programme, the beneficiaries are presented with certificates showing the expertise they have acquired. Maluleke says EPWP funding is a top-up to budgets allocated to the various depart-ments of the City. The programme receives requests for funding from the various departments. “On re-ceiving these requests, we assess and evaluate their viability and also ensure that such requests conform or are in line with our principle to create employment opportunities. We insist on labour intensive projects,” says Maluleke.

16 – In the Loop

City develops the youth for the workplaceRecognising that its future lies in the hands of the youth, the City of Johannesburg is offering deserving learners and tertiary education students opportuni-ties to pursue their career aspirations through bursa-ries, learnerships and internships.

In the past five years alone, the City has granted more than 500 bursaries, 831 internships and 180 learner-ships to open up career opportunities for the youth and to enable them to play a meaningful role in the country’s economy.

According to Enoch Mafuyeka, Deputy Director of Employment Relations and Development, the City wants to expand its programme by offering young internships to graduates. “We want to accommodate as many people as possible. The reason that young graduates are not employed is because they are said to lack experience. We want to bridge that gap,” Ma-fuyeka.

At present, the City is exploring the possibility of es-tablishing relations with local businesses to create a platform where all stakeholders could assist young graduates. “Those that we take under our wing and assist must convince us that they are serious about life, that they are worthy of our financial support,” says Mafuyeka. The City has a number of training programmes to meet socio-economic requirements in Johannesburg communities.

Bursaries are given to learners who want to study at tertiary institutions, internships are for those requir-ing work experience and learnerships are aimed at benefiting those pursuing careers within the ambit of the City, including financial and accounting manage-ment, human resource development, and emergency social services.

Mafuyeka explains that bursaries are given to Johan-nesburg learners who not only meet the set criteria but also show potential in fields that are beneficial to the City. “These training initiatives are offered strict-ly to youth or learners whose permanent residence is with the Greater Johannesburg area. Learnerships are also given to Joburg residents. But the purpose of the programme is to give the individual a recognised qualification,” says Mafuyeka.

In the case of learnerships and internships, students receive a stipend. According to Mafuyeka, the City re-cruits interns on an ongoing basis and interested can-didates can drop their CVs at any time of the year for interested departments to consider them. On learn-erships, the City works with the Local Government SETA to advertise vacancies in local newspapers with requirements, closing dates and careers offered.

Applications for City bursaries, including require-ments and the closing dates, are advertised in Sep-tember.

In the Loop – 17

MMC Lemao leads winter safety driveto save lives

The objective of the awareness campaign – conduct-ed in Sitjwetla, an informal settlement near Alexan-dra – was to sensitise residents, especially those living in informal settlements, on the dangers inherent in winter months that would usually see people making fires in an attempt to keep warm.

Councillor Lemao and his team conducted demonstra-tions on how to avert or avoid fire-related hazards. The team consisted of Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, firefighters and members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Depart-ment (JMPD).

The exercise formed part of the City’s Proactive Com-munity Resilience programmes, which seeks to em-power residents with disaster management skills to deal with fires, floods and any other disasters. EMS is at present driving a safety campaign aimed at mainly vulnerable areas, including informal settlements.

The programme involves the establishment of Cham-pions or Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) in areas known to be prone to disasters. So far, more than 800 residents have undergone the train-ing. It is envisaged that by the end of the financial year, at least 1 600 champions will have gone through the programme.

Clr Lemao is known to favour the expansion of the programme to include students. There are efforts un-der way to have the programme included as part of the school curriculum. The City’s Public Safety Depart-ment is engaging the Department of Basic Education to formalise the inclusion.

The purpose of the training, according to Councillor Lemao, is to enable communities to take proactive ac-tion when faced with disasters so damage and fatali-ties are contained.

EMS spokesman Robert Mulaudzi says the campaign will be conducted at all 178 informal settlements. Among the safety gadgets handed out to residents during the campaign were smoke detectors. Council-lor Lemao said places such as crèches and pre-schools will also be supplied with these gadgets. “We hope that eventually all households will be able to acquire these detectors, which will go a long way in saving lives and property,” Councillor Lemao.

City of Joburg’s Member of the May-oral Committee for Public Safety, Councillor Sello Lemao, rolled up his sleeves and got his hands dirty during a campaign to ensure that residents keep safe this winter.

18 – In the Loop

City’s MEs doing it for the youthWith unemployment among the youth rocketing from 32.7% in 2008 to 36.1% this year, according to Statistics SA, the City of Johannesburg and its Munic-ipal Entities (MEs) are pulling out all stops to help ar-rest the scourge.

The MEs – including Johannesburg Water, Metrobus and Johannesburg Market – have developed pro-grammes aimed at assisting the youth to acquire skills that will give them relevant experience and improve their chances of gaining fulltime employment either within the City or elsewhere in the market.

Johannesburg Water has at present 14 interns spread across its various departments, including Supply Chain Management, Human Resources, Internal Au-dit, Communications and Bulk Waste Water and Busi-ness Support.

This brings to 65 the number of interns who went through the programme since its inception in 2003.“Overall, our internship programme has met its objec-tive, with the majority of our interns finding suitable employment upon completion of the programme,” says Johannesburg Water spokesperson Millicent Kabwe.

Over and above this, the ME has awarded bursaries to several deserving learners, especially those from dis-advantaged communities, to pursue their studies at various universities and colleges.

Metrobus has a total of 61 young men and women on its apprenticeship and internships programmes for 2012-2017. Of these, 41 are males and 20 females un-der the age of 35.

Those on the apprenticeship programme are trainee motor mechanics, auto electricians, diesel mechanics and body builders. The internship programme caters for bus or coach drivers and transport supervisors. The Johannesburg Market, with funding assistance from the Wholesale & Retail Sector Education and Training Authority, recruits its interns from beneficiaries of the City’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

At present, six interns – three young men and young three women – are receiving training at the market: two in electrical maintenance (12 months), one in marketing (12 months) and three in financial admin-istration (18 months).

In an attempt to minimise the effect of unemploy-ment and poverty, Pikitup, the City’s waste manage-ment company, employed a total of 850 young peo-ple under the City’s EPWP.

“Besides going a long way towards encouraging youths to do things for themselves, the campaign seeks to enable a change in attitude and behaviour regarding recycling and dumping,” says Project Man-ager Johannes Thakali.

In the Loop – 19

Joburg Theatre Joburg Theatre is hosting Youth Unplugged, a month-long music concert aimed at exposing and unleashing young bands from within Joburg.

Youth Unplugged is a celebration of young people who have shown tenacity, strength and determina-tion to take advantage of democracy and the op-portunities it presents. We are celebrating the youth who have chosen to overcome their own limitations and work for greater heights.

Youth Unplugged is a statement, a declaration and a promise to be unchained from life’s bondages that have enslaved the South African youth. This is an op-portunity to sing a new song of freedom, a song of being unplugged and unchained from poverty, un-employment, drugs and other ills faced by the youth of this country. This is a message of hope.

Programme:

o Week 1• 13 June at 19:30: Dumza (RnB)• 14 June at 19:30: Morena (Neo Soul)• 15 June at 15:00: Double Bill of Dumza and Morenao Week 2• 20 June at 19:30: Soul Tribe (live house)• 21 June at 19:30: Ello (neo pop/soul)• 22 June at 15:00: Double-bill: Soul Tribe and Elloo Week 3• 27 June at 19:30: The Company (Soul)• 28 June at 19:30: Yollandi (Classic/Jazz)• 29 June at 15:00: Double-bill: Yollandi and The Companyo Week 4• 04 July at 19:30: Sim (Pop)• 05 July at 19:30: SOX (Hip-hop)• 06 July at 15:00 Double-bill: SOX and Sim

All shows are at space.com and the ticket is R80.

Youth Month atJoburg City Theatres

Roodepoort Theatre

Ongoing at Roodepoort Theatre is the My Band Proj-ect - a project run by Lunika Productions, in associ-ation with the Roodepoort Theatre. This project fo-cuses on the development of young and upcoming bands in the Roodepoort Area and gives them a plat-form to perform on.

Along with an actual performance, the bands are work shopped prior to going on stage and are taught the tricks of the trade by the service provider. The My Band Project runs until the end of June.

From Friday 27 -29 June Roodepoort Theatre is host-ing a production by StageWorx productions that is aimed at the youth. The production is Tick Tock Boom and the cast consists of children that belong to the StageWorx School

A group of scientist are asked to invent a time ma-chine. Things seem to be going well until a mis-cal-culation causes the time machine to malfunction and muddles up all the time eras. This leaves past icons such as Sonny and Cher and Marline Monroe stuck in 2014. Can the scientists take everyone back to where they belong? Come find out in this musical explosion that is suitable for any age and is sure to get you tap-ping your feet and singing along”

Stageworx Performing Arts School is a fully integrat-ed Arts School. Children with and without special needs, from advantaged and disadvantaged areas, are all working together to create theatre.

What makes Stageworx School Shows different is that the students help conceptualize the story of the musi-cal, help write the original songs, and help design the costumes. They are part of the whole process, so that they learn all the aspects of musical theatre.

For tickets: www.joburgtheatre.com www.roodepoorttheatre.com 0861670670

20 – In the Loop

Soweto Theatre

BOOK OF REBELLATIONS runs at Soweto Theatre from 18th June 2014 until 29th June 2014 in the Blue Theatre

BOOK OF REBELLATIONS, an allegorical fantasy written by Monageng ‘Vice’ Motshabi and Kgafela Oa Magogodi, opens into the world of Kanana in 2024. Kanana, the land of promised freedoms is under the tight grip of Tlhogo Moimele, the benevolent ruler with an acute version of Acoustic Neuroma.

It is directed by Monageng ‘Vice’ Motshabi, with Musical Direction by Kgafela Oa Magogodi and features the tal-ents of Xolile Gama, Nkoto Malebye, Lebohang Motaung, Omphile Molusi, Phosho Lebese and Bafana Ndlhovu.

Kgafela oa Magogodi is currently writing a PhD thesis, provisionally entitled ‘TALKING B(L)ACK: Black Images in the Making of Black Cinema in South Africa’.

DAVID KAU PRESENTS SKHUMBA AND TIPS

• June 28 & 29

Comedian David Kau brings Skhumba’s Comedy Extravaganza to Soweto, featuring Skhumba Hlophe from Tembisa, one of South Africa’s funniest comedians.

Skhumba has made a mark in the South African comedy industry. Since his 1st time on the Blacks Only Comedy stage, he has headlined the show and continued to give the audience some of his best material.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN SAVES GIRL’S LIFE What was supposed to have been a routine awareness campaign on the hazards posed by winter fires turned out to be a real-life rescue operation when members of the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services res-cued an eight-year-old disabled girl found locked inside her mother’s shack in Alexandra.

According to neighbours, the mother of the little girl, who showed extreme signs of dehydration, always locked her inside the shack when she left in the morning.

After the girl was rescued – in an operation led by the Rev Dr Phinda Ngwenya, chaplain of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department [JMPD] – the girl was removed by social workers and taken to a place of safety.

The matter was handed over to the South African Po-lice Service, which was expected to carry out investiga-

tions and come up with appropriate recommendations.

In the Loop – 21

22 – In the Loop

Ballet, a dance form that has for a very long time been regarded as elitist or a “larney thing” in South Africa, is taking black areas in Johannesburg by storm thanks to the Joburg Ballet.

Bankrolled by the City of Johannesburg last year to the tune of R8 million to popularise ballet, especially among previously disadvantaged areas, the compa-ny has, in conjunction with the Department of Edu-cation, performed in front of thousands of learners since the beginning of the year.

“We had given ourselves a target to perform at 40 schools this year. But we’ve already covered 31 schools, where a total of more than 30 000 kids have seen us,” says Joburg Ballet CEO Dirk Badenhorst.

“We perform on the stoeps or on the paving, which are really un-ballet conditions. But we have to per-form under such conditions because we have to achieve what we set out to. And that is to take ballet into the minds of as many South Africans as possible and give them as an option to choose.” Badenhorst is pleased with the interest that the ballet company has generated among Johannesburg’s youth.

“It’s amazing to see the interest that exists and it’s great that so many Joburg youngsters are demand-ing: We also want ballet. The interest is huge because people are also realising that ballet forms the foun-dation for so many other dance forms,” he says.

He says established young black ballet dancers such as Keke Chele and Kitty Phetla – themselves prod-ucts of Joburg Ballet Company who have performed to appreciative audiences all over the world - have become a source of inspiration for aspirant classical ballet dancers here at home. “Ten to 15 years ago, Keke had to struggle to become a ballet dancer. He had to convince his parents and friends to accept him as that. Now his struggle has led him to become a perfect example of success,” says Badenhorst.

He says the question most parents ask him is: Is there a future for my child in ballet? “This is what I always

Ballet takes Joburg by storm

tell them: ‘The best you can give your child is to en-sure that they have the opportunity to become the best they can be’,” he says.

He always gives the example of Andile Ndlovu, a young Soweto ballet dancer who presently works at the Washington Ballet in the United States and per-forms all around the world. To cater for the needs of the growing army of aspirant ballet dancers, the Joburg Ballet has established several development schools, in Soweto, Alexandra, Braamfontein and Olifantsfontein where 500 learners are trained every week.

The ballet company then selects 70 talented school-children – ranging in age from seven to 12 years old – for advanced ballet training at least three times a week based in the Cuban methodology. “These are the ones that have the feet that can point, legs that can stretch and the right physique to be a ballet danc-er,” says Badenhorst.

The next phase is the Academy, which caters for 18 to 20 dancers who have been selected through audi-tions. This is followed by the Graduate programme, in which five or six dancers are trained at a time.

Badenhorst says the funding from the City, which is expected to continue for another two years, assists to create sustainability within the company so it can plan better and pay the dancers. “The funding allows us the freedom not to have to worry. In the past, when we did not have the funding, we could only perform at private schools. But if you go private schools, you are widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Now, for every private schools we go to, we see at least 10 schools in areas that can’t afford to pay for our productions.”

Badenhorst says the company also receives funding from corporate sponsors, adding that it will now also ask top black economic empowerment companies to come on board. “As I speak to you, there are a couple of such companies that are beginning to show inter-est,” he concludes.

A silent revolution is gently sweeping through the city.

In the Loop – 23