ZBRRA

Don’t shoot ‘the messenger’

October 16th, 2009

 

Dear member
 
If you live in Zinkwazi you will have heard the sad news of the untimely death of Aidan Quenet.  Although the Quenets moved to live in Durban they spent a great deal of leisure time at their home in Glen drive, and remained an integral part of this community. 
We extend our condolences to Rosie, her children and to Beryl, Aidan’s mother. 
 
A most successful outing was held by the Conservancy last Saturday.  A walk through the Nonoti bush,  and a braai under the trees in Leonotis park had everyone asking for a monthly repeat.  We all enjoyed the social interaction and seemed to learn so much about trees and birds.  Our new nursery alongside is coming on slowly but well.  It will be the meeting place for future outdoor functions.  If you have any seeds or cuttings of indigenous plants to offer, please contact me.
 
Proud’s Pizza, Zinkwazi Cafe, The Ski boat club, Lagoon Lodge and Darnall Club all offer refreshments or meals at good value.   Please support local and encourage others to do so. 
 
Our P403 to Zinkwazi has developed some deep potholes since the heavy rain.  Along with the marking of the road marking, the NPA has promised to fill pot holes next week (!).  Please exercise caution on this road, particularly at night.   The heavy rain early this week severely damaged the servitude between 72 and 74 Nkwazi drive.  I understand that storm damage in Zinkwazi’s was limited compared to other inland areas.
 
I am aware that lower end of Glen drive and the open parks in the village are being used as race tracks for motorbikes and cars.    The park used by our staff to play soccer is particularly damaged by ‘wheelies’ made by a red golf .  This is a selfish activity - damaging to lawns in the parks and dangerous to children on tar roads.  I appeal for your support in stopping it.  
 
 Please expect to be approached for questioning on Friday, 23rd October.  A survey conducted by KDM staff in marked T shirts, will be carried out in Zinkwazi to ascertain your views on past service delivery and the performance of various departments.  Please do not ’shoot the messenger’……….they are not responsible for the pile of refuse on your verge or the wash-away of the servitude next door ……..they are only tasked to record your comments !!
 
Kind regards
Wendy

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Newsletter August 09

September 6th, 2009

 

Newsletter August 2009
 
Dear member
This must be the worst time of year. ….. A time when humans should join bears and hibernate - gusty August wind accompanied by the worst of Natal cold. A dousing of rain over the weekend brought the smell of earth and a promise of spring. My little dry sticks on the verges have sprouted. As they grow into mature indigenous trees you will notice an increase in birds to your area. The varieties planted were chosen for their food value to bird and animals - and to shade our hot streets in summer.
 
The laying of new water reticulation pipes along Nkwazi will be completed early in September. The area affected on the east verge runs from Fist House in Nkwazi drive to the junction of Nkwazi and Glen. Isolation valves, installed at intervals will facilitate repairs to affected sections of the line, without having to deprive all the village of water. Six new and four upgraded fire hydrants, will be installed at 120m intervals along our roads. The PRV chamber, which controls the pressure of water into your house, will be installed at the Junction.  The 7 bar setting of the past was partly responsible for the numerous bursts to old pipes. This will be reduced to 4 bars. Before bpb contractor depart they will have tarred all ruts in roads, trenches will be closed and leveled and rubble removed. A pile of rubble in the soccer field is available free to those wanting fill.
 
Our old rusted post boxes and their leaking shelter has been replaced. New keys are available. To circumvent all residents having to drive to Stanger for the keys I offered to hold them for collection locally. Preshnee of MP Properties, to the left of the boxes, has your keys. Please sign for these and discard the old ones.  My thanks to Margie Prain and Preshnee for effecting this task and to Nesta Cramer who sorted the jumble into meaningful batches for distribution. The Durban Post Master has advised us not to expect any mail this week - his staff are still on strike!
 
Recent labour unrest in our KDM also resulted in strikes and a disruption to normal services last week – this has left us with a backlog of garden refuse on our verges. Please be considerate when cutting putting out refuse on a Tuesday and Friday and bear in mind that the council will only remove two bags on each of these days. Should you have engaged a garden service to clear your garden, they are responsible for any additional loads.
 
In my enthusiasm to get our pavements walk-able, I had some interaction with the 15 staff supplied by Civils to remedy our ills in Zinkwazi over the next 3 months. After ten minutes attempting to demonstrate how to get sand from gutters moved to adjacent dongas on verges, I understood why so little is achieved by those gentle natured men in the KDM offices. I have a new understanding and sympathy of their difficult situation. While the National Taxpayer’s Union, of which we are members, reports collapsing services in other municipalities I feel ours is still functional! We have a willingness to co-operate from our KDM managers – their problem, and ultimately ours lies in the attitude of their labour. We remain committed to working with the KDM management to improve this situation.
 I    attach a newsletter from the National Taxpayer’s Union (of which we are all members) We support the cause of fellow Ratepayer’s Association’s who found it necessary to declare a dispute with their municipalities after protracted debate failed to remedy the state of their collapsed services.  We hope however to avoid having to go this route by working closely with and demanding service delivery on a continuous basis from KDM Management.
 
Spring energy has motivated the municipality to plant up our dune at the beach car park. Masses of small chrysanthemoides and fygie have been popped into the geo-fabric pockets to hold the bank. A paved walk from Nkwazi drive right to the wooden access steps to the beach has been promised. Ideally we should have two concrete benches alongside the steps for exhausted folk to sit while they await their lift home. I would be delighted if someone would like to sponsor these – your donation would be acknowledged.   Next is the upgrade of our beach toilets and the installation of a conservancy tank. 
 
Speaking of donations I would like to thank Glen and Tracy Middleton – owners of the Zinkwazi Hardware for their donation of 500 bricks for the building of a septic tank for the new toilet at our new Hangar Nursery. We are in need of several items which you may have lying around in your store room. I have attached them as a ‘wish list’ Old or new will be gratefully accepted.     Our sincere wish is that the Nursery will be enjoyed by residents, that it will be a place to share gardening knowledge and ideas. In time it will provide a variety of ground covers, shrubs and trees for our local gardens. Until then I can get for you what we do not stock.
 
News from Nigel Simmonds, Chairman of the Ski Boat club is that the interior of the club is being refurbished,  Pat who left for the UK has been replaced at the bar by Jason Bailey. The club’s food license has been approved and they have additional outdoor cooking facilities. We look forward to being entertained at their deck at the sea. Nigel’s wife,  Leizl of the Zinkwazi Café is beautifying the gardens at the Junction. A new extension of the Café in the form of a deck under the trees is a popular tea garden. 
 
Linda Russell at Lagoon Lodge has once more come up with a novel idea for our fireside evenings in the Boma. Join us this Friday night 28th August, for a ‘spud special’    ….. baked potato with a variety of fillings for R25 and lots of good company. 
 
In closing may I encourage you to support all local efforts to improve our community and village…..the various social evenings at budget cost to enable you to meet and interact with other residents, the Neighbourhood Watch to keep the ‘Bobby on the Beat’ for your safety, and ZBRRA, which fights hard (very hard !) to maintain an acceptable standard of service in our village,  run the Conservancy and pays for the maintenance of the security fence around the village. If everyone supported by donated what they could what a good place it would be. George Bernard Shaw said……………‘I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can’. 
 
 
Sincerely yours
Wendy
Website www.zbrra.org for more news
 
 
Fortnightly bulletin for rates and tax payers.
For summaries of all news, please go to the NTU/NBU website www.ntu-sa.net  
Please pass this on to all interested and affected parties.
Number 21
August 24th 2009
 
News: 
  • The ratepayers of Graskop have created a neat paper trail to justify their withholding of rates.  Anyone who would like to see how they have done it, can contact Tiny Jordaan at tv18@mweb.co.za
  • Qualified valuer Norman Maurice has said that, as a legal means to determine rates, the current evaluations as conducted by the Durban-based firm Evaluations is invalid.  This is a strong basis for declaring a dispute.  Norman’s contact details are on the website.
  • Louis Trichaardt has organized a trust account into which ratepayers are paying their rates.  Contact details on the website.
  • The rates in Beaufort West have gone up by 700-800% because of the new rating of farms.  There is, however, a provision in law that the minister can put a cap on increases and Louis Reynolds wants to know if anyone can assist him how they go about approaching the minister for help on this subject.  Contact him on 27824748550@vodamail.co.za
  • According to law, appeal boards have to be set up to deal with rates increase objections.  In KZN, there is no appeal board.  Various reasons have been given for this, but the upshot is that people with incorrect valuations have no recourse.  It is a sad reflection on local government that only half a law is being enforced without the municipality complying with the rest of the law.  This is, of course, another justification for a dispute.
  • The farmers of Douglas have set up a tax working group to deal with the impact on the new property rates on farmers.  Contact Robert Beer on 83 629 9553.
  • The ratepayers of Tweespruit were requested to attend a meeting with their mayor and council as a result of bad press with regard to the collapse of service.  No-one from the council turned up, despite the ratepayers waiting for more than two hours.  (Note that the meeting was at the council’s request!)  If anyone has advice for Harry Lane with regard to what to do about this, contact him at 0824388949
  • The ratepayers of Mpofana (Mooi River) conducted a protest march last week and handed over a memorandum, a copy of which is on the website under the town heading of Mooi River.  It paints a rather depressing picture.  There has been no word of any action from the government.
  • According to newspaper reports, a number of municipal officials are facing charges of fraud, corruption and dereliction of duty.  This is largely as a result of action by ratepayers, so this might be encouragement for all organizations to keep chipping away at corrupt and ineffective local governments.
  • Please check the website under the Contact List and the specific town’s entry to make sure that your details are up to date and correct.  You will see that there are codes for each town in the contact list to summarise your town’s problems and to help other people to liaise with you on similar issues, so it is important that this information is correct.  Thank you.
 
 
If you would like to be placed on this mailing list, please send a reply to nikimoore@7th-Avenue.co.za
 
CONSERVANCY NEEDS
 
bricks, blocks, cement, concrete stone
poles, timber screening, shadecloth,
green paint, marine grease
 
toilet, basin,
taps, in-line valves
50 & 20 mm pipes & fittings
 
tables, chairs, benches,     
long electric extension cord
gas cooker, stove-top kettle, crockery, cutlery, large plastic basin, braai,
 
 
 

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Newsletter from Engela Wium - July 09

July 29th, 2009

 

Now here is a note  from another of our ‘chiefs’ - Engela …You will find her - really see her as you walk down the passage in the junction - she is the one multitasking at the computer with a phone on her ear   - WB

28 July 2009

 
To: All Zinkwazi-errs:
 
Dear Owner, Tenant…. Person who just loves to hear about Zinkwazi beach,
 
Here with a little bit of feedback on what has happened in Zinkwazi beach during the past year.
 
1. The Zinkwazi beach forum:
 
After the “great Zinkwazi war” of 2007/2008 between the ZBRRA and the Ward committee, things came to a sudden halt and several things changed.
 
a) Ward: several members resigned and moved away/on with their lives, an election was held in July 2008 and several new members were elected. Engela Wium was voted chair, Wendy Balcomb was voted in as the 2nd ward representative.
b) ZBRRA: restructured and obtained a new chairman, Mr Neil Wallace.
c) The Ski-boat club: obtained a new chairman and from what I understand some new committee members.
d) The Security fund became the Neighbourhood watch. Tyrone Werner also moved on and handed it over to a committee, represented by James Gilleran and Richard Armstrong.
e) Klaus Achtzehn now heads up the Zinkwazi beach conservancy movement.
 
At this point myself (as chair of the ward committee) and Neil Wallace, chair ZBRRA, agreed that Zinkwazi beach would be better served by bringing all role players together represented by their leaders and try and work together for the betterment of the village.
 
This is how the “ZINKWAZI FORUM” was established. However please note the following about us:
 
1. Nobody is the boss….!
2. Not one group/entity/personality is in charge – we sit around a table every second month with specific goals in mind and we all participate, agree, disagree and pick each other’s brains.
3. Anybody from the public is welcome and needed. If there are other groups who wish to join us, or send a representative they are most welcome. All input and help is welcomed.
4. Nobody gets paid. We all volunteer our time and effort and are motivated by the fact that we love Zinkwazi.
 
We have found presenting a united front to the Kwadukuza and ILembe Municipalities has a far greater impact and things are slowly happening.
 
The Forum currently comprises:
Engela Wium….Chairperson Ward 2 Committee – 082 378 3546
Wendy Balcomb….Ward 2 representative – 083 265 9631
Nigel Simmonds….Chairman Zinkwazi Ski Boat Club – 083 386 8368
Klaus Achtzen….Chairman Zinkwazi Conservancy – 032 – 485 3344
James Gilleran….Chairman Zinkwazi Neighbourhood Watch – 072 600 2034
Neil Wallace…Chairman Zinkwazi Ratepayers and Residents Association – 083 253 0885
 
From time to time expert opinion is brought to the meetings to assist in our deliberations.
 
To Date the following matters have been addressed:
 
1)      Beach and Car park restoration…..Work in progress but will be in good shape for yearend…..ILembe.
2)      Creation of formalised parking along Nkwazi Drive to replace parking lost….Plan to have this done for yearend…….Kwadukuza
3)      Replacement of old Water Reticulation system to reduce leaks and water loss….Major work on vulnerable sections nearing completion…..Illembe
4)      Security and enforcement of by-laws at Black Rock Park…..Boom has been installed and toilets refurbished. Control of access and security under discussion. Plan to have big improvements by year end………ILembe, KDM, SAP.
5)      Replacement of Septic Tank system with conservancy tank at beach toilets and Ski Boat club. Toilets to remain where they are…….Tenders are going out this month…..ILembe.
6)      Crowd and behaviour control over New Year period……Discussions with authorities will be taking place in third quarter. This is a very difficult subject and we plan to make every effort as a combined community to improve the unacceptable situation that has existed over the past few years.
7)      ZNW(neighbourhood watch) are constantly working with Alpha Security, SAP and Municipal policing to improve security and apprehend criminals with some success this year
8)      ZNW with funding from ZBRRA are keeping the Electric fence in good working order and clearing vegetation around the perimeter.
9)      Zinkwazi Conservancy in conjunction with ZBRRA are :
            a) Very effectively attacking the control of Alien Invasive Plants in the village.
                  b) Planting Indigenous trees on our verges and in the Parks.
                  c) Establishing an Indigenous plant Nursery at the hangar site at the Southern end
                      Of the village. This is thanks to the generosity of Gary Prentice and to Clewlow
                    Estates.
10) We have also achieved agreement from Working for the Coast poverty relief program that a considerable portion of their budget over the next three years will be spent in Zinkwazi for projects including; Beach cleaning, Beach access improvement, Re-establishment of walking trails in some of our Pristine Coastal forest areas and removal of Alien vegetation and restoration of indigenous plants where needed in the Admiralty reserve area.
 Projects will be under the control or Emzenvelo KZN Wildlife
 
 
I would like to acknowledge the fact that Wendy Balcomb is greatly involved in much of the work which happens in Zinkwazi beach. Wendy is not only a ward representative but is also employed by the ZBRRA to handle many of these issues on their behalf. Without a paid employee spending most of their day on chasing all and sundry at the various Municipalities and committee’s I am afraid many of these issues would fall through the cracks. The rest of us all have full time employment and can only offer so much assistance and time.
 
We would appreciate any feedback, suggestion and help anybody wish to offer to the Forum. Feel free to contact any of us.
 
2. Other news:
 
You will have noted that over the last month you have received various emails from the following email add: ewium@mweb.co.za – this is from my personal mailing list, and a community service I am offering to let people know what is happening in Zinkwazi beach. This need arises as many of the other organisations only mail their members, and people not affiliated with an organisation miss out. This mailing list is not for political agenda and as it is private, only issues relating to the village which you need to know will be send out. If you have a partner in your property who is not receiving the info, please let me have their details, names, email add, property number.
 
Should you not want to receive any news, please just hit the Unsubscribe option at the bottom of email. I hope you will stay on and also give some feedback.
 
We have had a “little gremlin” with some people receiving each email twice or three times, I hope this is now solved… if this is still happening to you, please let me know.
 
3. Artego bay & Ocean reef:
 
Artego bay did not go under the hammer as a complex as incorrectly reported to you by other writers, only unit 8 was auctioned on the 24/07, because of low bids, the Sherriff reports the bank bought it back @ R1,015 000.00.
 
On the 21/08/09 unit 6 of Artego will go on auction, the previous auction buyer could not get bond approval.
 
Please contact the Sherriff for details on the upcoming auction: time/place/etc.
 
Susan de Witt: 032 – 5512784
 
Ocean reef units have all been sold, but there are some available for re-sale, contact Gordon at Fish Eagle Estates on 032 – 4853000 for more info.
 
The hotel is also reported sold and we await more info on this development.
 
The Ocean reef complex has been upgraded significantly and is looking beautiful. Tracy Potgieter from Ocean Echo is responsible for the gardens and they are looking great. If you’re garden needs some help, call Tracy on: 084 4466 813. As I manage this property I know all at Ocean reef is looking forward to welcoming the new owners and a functional hotel and restaurant.
 
I hope to soon be able to have Artego bay in the same condition and back to its former glory when the Barnard’s owned it.
 
4. Zinkwazi Junction:
 
Toward the end of 2008, with both my partners off on other missions I decided to close the shop down as Driftwood Estates was my primary business and had become very time consuming with large projects looming.
 
At this point things changed again and Leizl Simmonds & Heidi Gaul decided they were up for the challenge. We sold to them and as the lease is and remains in my name, sublet part of the building to them.
 
The question was what to do with the rest of the building?
 
With Gordon Barnard from Fish Eagle Estates help, we joined forces (Gordon & myself) and decided to create a community centre where we could offer Zinkwazi-errs a few different businesses and create an opportunity for local business to have a face/office and be noticed.
 
Currently we sport an Internet café, Zinkwazi café (the shop), A hardware shop (Donna sold to Tracy and Glen), Rosa moved her Physio in, Driftwood Estates (holiday letting and property management – jack of all trade), Fish Eagle Estates, for all your property needs, and soon we hope to have a coffee shoppie, ZBRRA and some other interesting businesses on board.
 
It has been a challenge making space for all and we are continuously looking to make another corner work for someone else.
 
My thanks go to Gordon, who has done all the work and financed it all. Once again Fish Eagle Estates gave unselfishly for the betterment of the village.
 
Currently the aim is to keep rental low, so all business can function in this slow economy, so rental, running cost and power is split between us all according to floor space.
 
5. Water reticulation:
Pipes have been replaced the length of Nkwazi drive. – The area identified to have had the most leaks.  It does not mean that leaks will no longer break out elsewhere however.  Bpb, contractors who carried out the changeover to new pipes, tested the pressure when they first unearthed valves on the line and found that the pressure was much higher than what it should have been. This project is almost at an end and cut over to the new pipes should be completed by the end of this current week. We at the Forum will continue to petition for the upgrading of all our reticulation pipes, but the current help should solve a great deal, we are assured, and alleviate the Festive/holiday season shortages.
 
6. Beach restoration:
This has come a long way and looks good with a new tarred car park, secured in part by palisade and wooden post.  The retaining dune is yet to be planted with suitable sand hugging plants. One set of wooden steps transects the dune to the beach. 
We await the following from the funds still available for restoration:
·      Lighting.
·      A 1 meter walkway on the south of Seagull road, from Nkwazi drive to the car park.
·      An extension of the wooden posts to the north as a barrier to prevent access through the dune to the beach. 
·      From the KDM beach manager we await expert planting to retain the bank and prevent access through the dune.
·      The construction of an underground conservancy tank for waste from the existing beach toilets.   I am informed that the contract for this work is to be awarded shortly.
 
What has not been addressed is the creation of additional beach parking.  The most obvious area for these would be along the north and south of Seagull in Nkwazi drive.  We believe that 33 parking’s were lost when the car park collapsed in the high seas.  In terms of ‘beach restoration’, the onus is on KDM to replace those that were lost.  If the verges of Nkwazi drive are to be used, a great deal of preparation is required to protect existing Eskom installations and iLembe water meters from being damaged by parking vehicles.  We have urged KDM to treat this as a priority if we are to be prepared for the influx of traffic in the December holidays.
 
I hope you have been informed by this bit of news and hope that you will not hesitate to contact me with questions or suggestions.
 
Lastly but most importantly:
 
Please continue to support the ZINKWAZI BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH. If you are not a member join now, and if you are please stay involved.
 
Your contact person is James Gilleran – see Forum details for phone number.
 
Yours Sincerely
 
Engela Wium
DRIFTWOOD ESTATES
P.O. BOX 179 Darnall 4480
1 GLEN DRIVE; ZINKWAZI BEACH
(032) 4853314 T/F
0823783546

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Newsletter - July 09

July 29th, 2009

 

Dear member
 
The Junction  - the closest we have to a commercialcentreon the corner of Glen and Nkwazi drive - has undergone some changes. Upstairs off the front of the Café, Leisl Simmons and Heidi Gaul are creating a sheltered patio area where tea can be served. Enter a separate door and you walk through the rosy offices of Fish Eagle Est. …..down the passage where you will see Engela of Driftwood multitasking. Turn the corner to Theresa Jackson’s efficiently humming hub – our new Internet Café, the next door with lots of traffic in and out is Rosa’s Physio. At the end on the right, an office for ourselves. Chairman Neil Wallace is of the opinion that ZBRRA should be more accessible to members, residents, and the occasional KDM official who cares to visit our village. We hope you will brave the labyrinth to our sunny spot. Come and voice your opinion, get info ….   I am tasked to expand my knowledge of the area to cover the local history, and spots of interest accessible within a day of Zinkwazi for those of you who want more than a beach holiday. Downstairs our friendly hardware, under the ownership of Tracy and Glen Middleton has retained its warm helpful atmosphere
 
Zinkwazi Forum
You will be pleased to hear that the ‘Zinkwazi Forum’ – formed in April 09 by
ZBRRA is functioning well. Its purpose was to draw together Zinkwazi’s fragmented community and to represent views from all sectors of the community. Suggestions and topics for discussion are brought to the table at two-monthly meetings. Those represented are the Ski Boat Club, the Neighbourhood Watch, the Zinkwazi Conservancy, the Ward, and ZBRRA. Please look at our user-friendly website www.zbrra.org to update yourself on village matters and functions of the various bodies
 
The Zinkwazi Conservancy.
Our two trained AIP workers, Dumisane and Wiseman, have systematically rid more than 30 vacant properties of category 1,2 and 3 alien invader plants. Where the property looks devoid of indigenous trees, we plant truncheons in order to encourage rehabilitation. At no stage are pioneer plants or saplings removed. Our team return regularly to inspect these properties and to re-spray if necessary – a long term project which will undoubtedly improve the ecology of our village.  Dumisane personable manner and his keen interest in the environment was recently rewarded with a place on a month’s birding course in Hoedspruit.   He will be put through his paces to expand his knowledge on the history and trees of this area particularly as to their association and use in Zulu culture. 
Che Gophi of KDM Parks department has enthusiastically supported the conservancy’s efforts to rehabilitate the bush in the village. At no cost he has delivered loads of suitable trees which our staff has planted in parks and on pavements. I am aware that some residents are not in favour of trees on their verge for various legitimate reasons. Should you be one, please communicate with me. Our intentions are for the good of the village as a whole, but we are prepared to accommodate your wishes – nothing is set in stone !   
On plant matters my nursery is at a standstill while aliens are at bay. Hopefully we will be ready with shade house and a 10 thousand litre Jo-Jo water tank installed before spring. Without the generosity of members like Kim Haggeman,  a sublease from the Clewlow family and the donation of Gary Prentice’s  Helipad this would not have materialized. 
 
Water reticulation pipes have been replaced the length of Nkwazi drive. – the area identified to have had the most leaks. It does not mean that leaks will no longer break out elsewhere however. Bpb, contractors who carried out the change over to new pipes, tested the pressure when they  first unearthed valves on the line and found that the pressure was double what it should have been!. We applaud the bpb staff for the quick, polite and efficient manner in which they conducted themselves while in our village.
 
Beach restoration has come a long way and looks good with a new tarred car park, secured in part by palisade and wooden post. The retaining dune is yet to be planted with suitable sand hugging plants. One set of wooden steps transects the dune to the beach. 
We await the following from the funds still available for restoration:
·      Lighting on short posts
·      A 1 meter walkway on the south of Seagull road, from Nkwazi drive to the car park.
·      An extension of the wooden posts to the north as a barrier to prevent access through the dune to the beach. 
·      From the KDM beach manager we await expert planting to retain the bank and prevent access through the dune.
·      The construction of an underground conservancy tank for waste from the existing beach toilets.   I am informed that the contract for this work is to be awarded shortly.
 
What has not been addressed is the creation of additional beach parking.  The most obvious area for these would be along the north and south of Seagull in Nkwazi drive. We believe that 33 parkings were lost when the car park collapsed in the high seas. In terms of ‘beach restoration’ , the onus is on KDM to replace those that were lost. If the verges of Nkwazi drive are to be used, a great deal of preparation is required to protect existing Eskom installations and iLembe water meters from being damaged by parking vehicles. We have urged KDM to treat this as a priority if we are to be prepared for the influx of traffic in the December holidays.
 
Service delivery You will be aware that a planned strike by Municipal workers is to take place this week. There is no telling at this stage how long it will last.  In the interests of the village, please store your household and garden refuse within your property until you are notified that the strike is over. Essential services are exempt from the strike.   I hope that the branches from brittle milkwoods that broke off in the wind will removed by Parks once their strike is over. Untidy verges are still common in our village. Home owners are largely responsible for this. If you use a garden service to cut and remove your plant material, please ensure that it is removed within a day or two. It is not fair for residents to be subjected to the eyesore of rotting vegetation of an absent landlord. KDM are only contracted to take two black bags of garden refuse on a Tuesday and Friday, and 2 black bags of household refuse on a Monday and Thursday from each ratepayer. For lager loads, please engage a contractor.    What a pretty village we would have if everyone played ball!
I have an ongoing battle with the Civils department. By mutual agreement, the Civils department undertake to make good the excavations of iLembe. On an inspection with officials from both departments, we visited all the offending craters, dongas, ruts, trenches, mounds of earth on our verges and in our roads.  Both officials nodded heads in agreement when I stated that Zinkwazi was orphaned – a neglected child of KDM  - and both agreed to attend to our problems the next week.   No action…. After a letter last week, threatening exposure in the press, some ruts across Nkwazi dive were filled within a day – but for the rest no still action !
 
Eskom. Street lighting means different things to different people in our village. Some love the darkness and are delighted when the lights outside their home blows and others are unsettled by the dark. I have found Stephen Naidoo at Eskom reliable in responding to my calls for maintenance, so please report the lights you would like repaired. 
 
The maintenance of the P403 to Darnall/N2 falls to the NPA. I was grateful they responded to our request to re-tar the road but did not expect to wait so long for road marking. My letters to Mr Maharaj point out the danger to our residents at night along this unmarked stretch. In preparation of the surface before tar was laid, branches of trees were cut and along with piles of soil they were dumped just over the metal crash bar alongside. The now dry branches are blowing into the P403 and the mounds are sprouting grass – short cuts, no good. Night driving has its share of dangers - I hit a log on the N2 one night recently which destroyed both right hand tyres . I limped to the Zinkwazi fly off nearby and soon after stopping, was joined by another vehicle. The driver was relieved to see I was in the same boat, as he thought he was being hi-jacked. As we changed tyres yet a third vehicle limped past on the freeway, on its rims in the dark  Alpha were quick to responded to my call for help and removed the log before any further damage was caused. I was disappointed to hear from Sappi that nets are not obligatory in KZN as they are in the Cape.  
About two weeks ago fishermen took the fly off to Zinkwazi in the dark and ran over metal spikes which had been placed in the road. The Hi-jackers pushed the vehicle into a lonely road alongside the P403 to change the tyre in order to make off with their prize. When they found that two of the tyres were punctured, they abandoned the car and their victims and made off.  James Gilleran tells me there was a good ending to this story. The same group was apprehended in Empangeni shortly thereafter when they attempted to hi-jack another car.
 
A recent circular from Engela informed us of that ArtegoBay was to come under the hammer. I hear that there was not sufficient interest and that the Bank has retained the development. Ocean Reef ‘s apartments on the other hand have been sold out. All that remains for sale is the central ‘hotel’ component.
 
I must end with good news ……….and social news.
Resident Cliff Hatt responded to Nelson Mandela Day by appealing to Zinkwazi residents to contribute a bag of groceries to alleviate the poverty of orphans in nearby Zamane township. He placed a trailer in the car park at the Junction last Saturday, 18th July, and to his surprise our residents took up the challenge and filled it to capacity. In addition spontaneous generous donations of cash were made. Cliff writes ……I think it speaks for itself when I say that 24 orphans will be fed staple food for 3 to 4 months as a result of this spirit of giving and caring for a community inneed. Should anyone like to find out more about this cause or feel called to support it in an ongoing manner, your call would be gratefully received Cliff’s no is 083-4543596
The downturn in the economy coupled with cold weather has resulted in a dearth of diners at local clubs and restaurants. Linda of Lagoon Lodge and Roy of Miller’s Arms have risen to the challenge. At the club Roy had a games evening with bangers & mash at R25 - I believe the pub at the club came alive.
At Lagoon Lodge, the sheltered Boma with its huge log fire has been the centre of some happy gatherings on Friday nights. We have had a ‘soup and sherry’ evening, a ‘Bunny-chow’ night, a ‘Roti’ meal and this last Friday I attended their ‘Pasta and sauces’ evening - each hearty meal for only R25 The community - young and old find the warm relaxed atmosphere a good place to meet.  Well done Linda !    
 
Good Wishes from

Wendy  ………on this cold Sunday night

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News report from Chairman - July 09

July 29th, 2009

A few salient words from our Chairman who has been the singlemost catalyst for untiy of our little village ……as one resident, Craig du Bernard said ‘we have too many Chiefs and not enough Indians’.  If chiefs all put their head togher, what a good place this could be !  WB

 

ZinkwaziBeach
Working together brings results
 
Our Zinkwazi community comprises several interest groups. These have been coordinating their views and making combined representation to Kwadukuza and Ilembe Municipalities to good effect.
This has been achieved through the creation of the Zinkwazi Forum which meets in conjunction with the Ratepayers Association committee meetings to discuss and agree on issues that are of community importance and to formulate strategies and approaches to the relevant authorities to address these issues.
 
The Forum currently comprises:
Engela Wium….Chairperson Ward 2 Committee
Wendy Balcomb….Ward 2 representative 
Nigel Simmonds….Chairman Zinkwazi Ski Boat Club
Klaus Achtzen….Chairman Zinkwazi Conservancy
James Gilleran….Chairman Zinkwazi Neighborhood Watch
Neil Wallace…Chairman Zinkwazi Ratepayers and Residents Association
From time to time expert opinion is brought to the meetings to assist in our deliberations.
 
To Date we have made considerable progress with the following matters:
1)      Beach and Car park restoration…..Work in progress but will be in good shape for year end…..Ilembe
2)      Creation of formalized parking along Nkwazi Drive to replace parking lost….Plan to have this done for year end…….Kwadukuza
3)      Replacement of old Water Reticulation system to reduce leaks and water loss….Major work on vulnerable sections nearing completion…..Ilembe
4)      Security and enforcement of by-laws at Black Rock Park…..Boom has been installed and toilets refurbished. Control of access and security under discussion. Plan to have big improvements by year end………Ilembe, KDM, SAP.
5)      Replacement of Septic Tank system with conservancy tank at beach toilets and Ski Boat club. Toilets to remain where they are…….Tenders are going out this month…..Ilembe.
6)      Crowd and behaviour control over New year period……Discussions with authorities will be taking place in third quarter. This is a very difficult subject and we plan to make every effort as a combined community to improve the unacceptable situation that has existed over the past few years.
 
Each organization represented in the Forum brings the views of its members to bear on decisions made.
Progress would not have been possible without the full time services of the ZBRRA office and the tireless efforts of Wendy Balcomb and the determination and energy of Engela Wium.
 
We must also acknowledge the support from all the Authorities involved. We have a long way to go to get to acceptable service delivery   BUT BY WORKING TOGETHER WE ARE HAVING A LOT MORE SUCCESS THAN IN THE PAST!!
 
I have only highlighted here the community wide efforts that the forum has been involved in. Each participating organization is progressing with its own worthy initiatives in addition to these. A few examples are:.
 
ZNW are constantly working with Alpha Security, SAP and Municipal policing to improve security and apprehend criminals with some success this year
 
ZNW with funding from ZBRRA are keeping the Electric fence in good working order and clearing vegetation around the perimeter.
 
Zinkwazi Conservancy in conjunction with ZBRRA are :
 
Very effectively controlling the spread of Alien Invasive Plants in the village.
 
 Planting indigenous trees on our verges and in the Parks to rehabilitate the village..
 
Establishing an Indigenous plant Nursery at the hangar site at the Southern end of the village. This is thanks to the generosity of Gary Prentice and to Clewlow Estates.
 
We have also achieved agreement from Working for the Coast poverty relief program that a considerable portion of there budget over the next three years will be spent in Zinkwazi for projects including; Beach cleaning, Beach access improvement, Re-establishment of walking trails in some of our Pristine Coastal forest areas and removal of Alien vegetation and restoration of indigenous plants where needed in the Admiralty reserve area.
 Projects will be under the control or Emzenvelo KZN Wildlife
 
ZBRRA is constantly involved in chasing the municipal and other Authorities on the many service issues of Road, Verge, Lighting, Refuse, Water Electricity, Building regulation, etc.
 
PLEASE SUPPORT BOTH ZBRRA AND ZNW by becoming members if you are not already.
Contacts:
ZNW……James 032-4852034 (H) 072-6002034 (Cell
ZBRRA…..Wendy 032-4853553 (office) 083-2659631 (cell)
www.zbrra.org ( website)
WARD…..Engela   082-378354
 
Sincerely,
Neil Wallace                                  
Chairman ZBRRA
083-2530885

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Newsletter June09

June 16th, 2009

 

Dear member 

‘One mans meat is another’s poison’! …. watch the English Country Road show or visit India to understand how discards of one are highly regarded by another. A faded photo of Noel Coward, in bed dressed in his silky gown, fetched four hundred pounds on the road show!   Brahmin cows delicately lick leaves off the streets in old Deli, where they are later deposited as cow pats, collected, dried and used to fuel cooking fires. 

Our garden refuse – those ugly piles of leafy branches (which should only be put out for collection on Tuesdays and Fridays) can:-

·       Supply cuttings to establish/improve our garden

·       bundles for firewood (I know who will take this)

·       compost to improve your soil

Exhausted KDM staff would have more leisure time. We would have more attractive gardens and verges, and Nyatigaze would have firewood.….give it a try!

 

After much pressure and tenacious follow up by your committee, myself and Engela Wium as ward representatives, iLembe have accepted the fact that the ancient reticulation pipes are the key reason for water shortages in the village. They have contracted out the replacement of the supply pipes that bring water to your home from the reservoir - and the preparation work is well underway. It has been established that the pressure at the end of the village has been double what it should be. As a result old and weak sectors of the pipe would burst. The contractors bpb Construction and JOAT Consulting have advised me that the large holes dug along Nkwazi drive were for the inspection of existing pressure valves. 1.8 million rand is available for the project in the present year’s budget. We have earmarked the old and weak sections of the line along Nkwazi drive to be replaced first. A submission for the replacement of the remainder of the village reticulation pipes will be made for next year’s budget.

 

Beach restoration at the car park is underway and moving to completion at a rapid pace. KDM has assigned work to several contractors to complete different aspects of the work – palisade fencing, wooden stairs etc.. It is encouraging to see their speed and professionalism. For those living away from Zinkwazi I will try and explain the appearance of the car park….. A metal palisade fence runs along the crest of the supporting sand bank at the edge of the car park, from the private property on the south to the centre of the car park. Here a 1.5 m wooden staircase gives access to the beach. Suitable plants will be introduced to support the bank on both sides. On the north of the access steps to the beach the bank is not very steep. Attractive wooden post and rail was being installed today.   I am concerned that this and plants alone will be ineffective in preventing pedestrians from taking a ‘short cut’ up the bank - thereby eroding it. Another topic of discussion to take place with the contractors.

With less parking within the car park, holiday season remains a concern. Discussion with KDM regarding the use of verges along Nkwazi drive will take place shortly. We have requested a 1meter wide concrete pedestrian walk from Nkwazi drive to the car park along the south verge of Seagull. 

The environmental task team quite rightly condemned the use of septic tank toilets on the banks of the lagoon mouth and the danger of pollution this creates. They suggested the existing buildings be demolished and rebuilt at the North end of the car park using a conservancy tank system. At our last Zinkwazi Forum meeting in April an alternate proposal was made that the existing toilet building be retained but converted to a conservancy system with a pump to a storage tank at the north end of the car park allowing easy access by the suction tanker . This was unanimously supported since it is cost and space effective. We await their decision!

 

KDM Rates dep have informed me that existing, registered pensioners need not re-apply for their rebate on rates. Primary properties, in the name of a Trusts may apply for the rebate (in the past trusts did not qualify) I have the forms for new applicants and can send these to you on request. Once completed, a certified copy of the applicants ID must be attached. I will facilitate these being signed by Cnl Pakkies and their delivery to the rates dept. by the end of June.    An 8% increase in rates is to be expected.

The sound of a cane fire is amazingly similar to that of heavy rain when in bed at night. They have vastly dissimilar effect on the farmer !! He either shoots out of bed with torch and van keys or he turns over with a smile his face.  Smiling we are …. after that short heavy shower last night. I am hoping buds will sprout on those dead-looking branches I planted as avenue trees. Please read my attached article on the AIP training course the Conservancy arranged. It’s encouraging to note the growth of participation from residents. I am establishing an indigenous nursery for the Conservancy on the helipad at the end of Glen. My thanks to Tongaat Huletts and the Clewlow family for making this possible. Their enthusiasm and support in all things environmental has made this possible for the benefit of Zinkwazi. Gary Prentice is known for his generosity – but I did not expect the donation of his helicopter hangar. He will be proud to see what we plan for its use in the future.    To Tony and Ryan of Siyavusa construction for 3cu meters of river sand delivered and to site, and to Tina Groom for her precious gift of manure from her stables – nothing could be more valuable a nurseryman !!.  

Linda from Lagoon Lodge (caravan park) has invited us all to a fireside evening in the Boma. At R20 a head for Bunny-chow, music and the best company in town. It promises to be a fun evening so please come and join us on Friday 12th at 6pm All welcome but you do need to book on 032-4853344

 

On that hot note from a cold Zinkwazi 

Good Wishes

Wendy

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Newsletter - April 2009

May 18th, 2009

 

April 2009 

Dear member 

Umgeni Water have notified us that on Thursday 14th May from 08H00 until 16H00 there will be no supply of water to Zinkwazi due to scheduled maintenance.  Please advise your tenants and staff accordingly 

I wish to share with you the serious situation we are facing with regard to non-performance of our municipality.  Most residents are totally unaware of the lengths and effort involved in maintaining an acceptable standard of service delivery for the village.  Frequent communication and endeavours to resolve problems through meetings, telephone calls and letters to KDM are to no avail.   Most issues brought to their attention over the past two years have not been resolved despite constant reminders.  Commitments from local authorities are not honoured, workmanship is shoddy and tasks left incomplete.  Letters go unanswered and phone calls not returned……the list goes on!

Another critical concern is crowd control at Festive Season.  Mid-year discussions are necessary in planning for this potential disaster.  Each department is asked to uphold their particular by-laws to ensure order.  How disappointing that despite the promises and assurances that January 1st. 2008 and 2009 would be well controlled, there was no intent or delivery on the day.

We have come to a point where more stringent action must to be taken to galvanize our KDM into action. 

The attached media release outlines the action of Sannieshof.  Please read the letter as similar action may have to be contemplated by us in Zinkwazi.  Supporting Jaap of Sannieshoff and other across the country in their legal battle is the first step to making municipalities accountable. We are asking for your agreement to register you, as a member of the National Tax-payers Union.  ZBRRA will pay the R20 per annum membership fee on your behalf. 

Please advise me if you are not in agreement with this proposal

 The letter follows…….

 

Media Release issued by the National Tax-payers Union

April 28th 2009

 

A WATERSHED FOR THE RIGHTS OF RATEPAYERS 

It is a well-known fact that service delivery is close to collapse in most municipal districts in South Africa.  It has also been believed that there is little or nothing that the ordinary ratepayer or taxpayer can do about this.  This is about to change..  

Over the last few years, 21 towns have embarked on a pro-active course where they have paid their municipal rates into a trust account .  Another 230 towns are in the process of implementing the same action.

The withholding of the monies is done under the common law principle of  “contractus non adempleti “  ie. when one party to a contract does not perform, the other party is not under an obligation to perform.  The undertaking of services by the residents themselves is under under the common law principle of  “negotiorum gestio”  where, when the owner of a property does not maintain a property, the tenant ( residents) can maintain the property and recover the costs from the owner    

However, these actions are about to be put to the test.  The North-West  Province town of Sannieshof, where services collapsed completely two years ago, declared a formal dispute with their council in November 2007.  They notified the municipality that certain residents would be paying their rates into a trust account, and in accordance with the dispute, waited on the municipality to rectify matters.   When the municipality after a given time period failed to respond, the tax payers started implementing the services themselves by utilizing the withheld funds.  

The guiding force behind this dispute and protest action has been the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).  The success story of Sannieshof – where the town services function appreciably better than they did under municipal supervision - has made the town the poster-child for civil action. 

The municipal council of Sannieshof, instead of working towards improving defective municipal services, has instead decided that it will take the matter of municipal disputes to court.  The ruling in this case will decide for once and for all if pro-active action by ratepayers is legal under South African law.  It must be stressed that citizen actions in withholding funds across the country has never been tested in a court before, and the outcome of this case is going to have a profound effect on municipalities across the country. 

If the Sannieshof council wins the case, it means that rates and taxpayers in South Africa have no legal recourse against poor or non-existent service delivery.  If the Sannieshof residents, backed by the National Taxpayers Union, win the case, it means that all citizens of South Africa can legitimately withhold their rates from municipalities if they are not happy with the way their towns or cities are being run.  As can be seen, the ramifications are immense. 

The Sannieshof council will, ironically, be using tax-payers money to fight this case against tax payers.  The NTU will be fighting this case using money raised from people who believe in civil liberty.  It is vitally important that all ratepayers’ associations, citizen organisations and private individuals support the NTU in this test case.  If every ratepayer in South Africa contributed R20  per annum or R100 for a five year membership towards this pivotal matter, it will provide the funding to ensure the best legal representation possible.  That contribution will be the best investment that a ratepayer can ever make, as it could prevent future abuses of ratepayers’ money by local municipalities. 

Any individuals, organisations or civil bodies who wish to support the NTU in this crucial test action must please contact their local ratepayers associations who can in turn contact NTU chairman Jaap Kelder at info@zanli.co.za  Anybody wishing to  contribute directly to the NTU can pay their contributions directly into the bank account of the  National Tax Payers Union , First National Bank, Account number 6211 203 4921 with their name and town as a reference.

 

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Voting for X-Pats 2009

May 18th, 2009

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Newsletter - March 09

April 12th, 2009

 

Newsletter – March 2009
 

Hi to all, Easter is upon us and we are nearly through quarter of the year. Apart from a few couta and snoek in the beginning of the year, fishing has been very poor

Fishing skis have been a lot more successful this year than the ski-boats, boating some very good fish close in-shore.

 

As a club and committee we would like Gary Prentice to know that our thoughts are with him through these challenging times. There are few words of comfort but thousands for support. Gary has been one of the few members to always come forward and support the club in all it’s endeavours, so it is time for us to support Gary in whatever way we can.

 

The passing of Claudette, Frikkie’s wife, was a sad moment for the club – we followed Claudette’s ups and down during her fight to get better. Unfortunately Claudette lost this battle and our thoughts are with Frikkie.

 
Updates
 
Resignation:

Louis Bezuidenhout, our past chairman, has resigned based on work commitments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Louis for all his efforts and time he has spent making our Ski Boat Club an enjoyable place for all. Hopefully at our next AGM we can thank Louis appropriately for his dedication to the ZDSAC. 

 
Financials

Presently all procedures are being reviewed, this is with regards to managing and spending club funds. At present there are many procedures followed but not documented. These will be documented and a copy kept in the Bar.

Unfortunately we cannot escape the down turn in our country’s economic situation, the club is not as busy as it was same time last year, but then again Zinkwazi Town has not been as busy either. Your support is crucial so bring the family down and enjoy the wonderful facilities we have.

 
Tractor:

The tractor saga seems to have created some anxiety amongst some of our members and probably correctly so as we have not shared the problems and difficulties we have experienced in trying to provide a reliable tractor for safe launching. I have had a few phone calls questioning the “lack of a tractor” so it prompted me to write a news letter and at the same time we can inform all members as to what the latest is with our tractor.

A considerable amount of effort and money has been thrown at our tractor over the last 18 months, to be exact a total of R64 000, which unfortunately has not resulted in a reliable tractor to launch boats, REMEMBERING SAFETY MUST BE THE PRIORITY– it is a matter of time before a ski-boat is left high and dry in the shore break due to the frequent break downs of our tractor.

 

Our plan is to take our tractor out of service for approximately six weeks for a major overhaul. The tractor will be stripped down to the last bolt and rebuilt. We have managed to purchase good spares to the value of around R70 000 for just R11 000, thanks to Dave Bell and Tyron Werner for organising this.

During this period Mike Pullock, Gary Prentice and Andre Joubert have agreed to loan the club their tractor, on weekends only, which is a great help – we thank you for this. Once our tractor is complete we will have a reliable tractor for at least the next two years.

Thanks must also go to John Farndell, Puggs and Gary Prentice who continually help out with their tractors when ours is broken – this is at no cost to the club – THANK YOU GUYS.

 
Friday Evening Suppers

For some time now our club has received criticism about us selling food, this was mainly due to the fact we had no licence or permission to do so. Official complaints were received and the final straw was a visit from the Mayor’s office, Frikkie our Beach Manager was approached at the club and informed we need to stop the selling of food without the necessary licence. Understandably so as every other vender is licensed correctly. We are in the process of securing the necessary licence in order that we can continue to sell food, especially during holidays and Friday evenings. Volunteers are always most welcome.

 
Bar

Pat and Rod have for some time now desperately tried to get the committee to re-look at the layout of our existing bar. The bar has very poor ergonomic features and an incredibly frustrating place to work when the club is busy. Our computers are exposed to the harsh sea spray and our stock and ice is stored away from the bar. Rod has come up with a great idea for changes and we have reached agreement to make the necessary changes, we just need to agree on what the changes will be exactly.

 
Safety

There has been some debate with regards to when one should renew ones sea worthy certificate for your boat. The Small Vessels Regulations states that a sea worthy must be renewed 12 months after the last date it was done. This means if you did it in April 2008 then you only need to renew it in April 2009. Logistically this is not possible tomanage, the sticker for your boat only has a single year printed on it, it does not allow for the overlap into another year. Most safety gear, flares etc, expire at the end of a year and it will be a logistical nightmare for the Safety Officer to know when each boat’s sea worthy expires.

Given these logistical challenges to manage, the committee has introduce a club rule, which in fact has been the rule for many years – just unfortunately not documented in a place we can find it, that states all sea worthy certificates will be renewed annually by the 31st December of each year. A notice will go out in November reminding all Skippers of this.

 
Club Facilities

Frik has been working flat out to prepare the club for the Easter Holidays, the entire wooden deck has been re-varnished. Thanks for your efforts Frik.

 

A meeting was held with all role players regarding the repairs to the car park. In short the dune in front of the car park will be restored and the car park will remain the same size – it will not be restored to its original size. The public ablution block on the beach will be demolished and a new public toilet will be built in the car park. The position of the toilet will be where the disabled parking is. The access to the car park will also be widened, as you drive in taking the corner on your left – the house with the green gate, the corner will be cut away.

The club continues to receive focused attention from the environmentalists who have been involved in the moving the public toilets as they are situated directly in the mouth of the Zinkwazi Lagoon, very much as our club is. It is therefore paramount we conduct ourselves and our activities in a manner that complies with our ROD (Record of Decision) and EMP (Environmental Management Plan).

It was also proposed that the club take over the Black Rock Car Park – this is presently being investigated by the Zinkwazi Beach Rate Payers and Residence Association and the Committee. Nigel Simmonds will represent the ZDSAC at the ZBRRA forum meeting that takes place prior to their committee meeting.

 
Competitions

Nic Nel has been co-opted onto the committee, his portfolio is competitions – look out for the Sunshine Game Fish Species Comp on the 9th and 10th of May. This is one our more exciting comps, does not top the biggest couta comp, but it certainly challenges all our angling skills. Skippers briefing will be at 19h00 on Friday the 8th May. This is in aid of raising funds for the Sunshine Pre-primary School.

The Sunshine comp will be determined on the most species per boat per day, and on a multiplying points system. Launching will be opened from Tugela to Blythdale launch sites.                                                                                                

ZDSAC will also be hosting an Inter-Club and this will be in June. The dates are the 20&21June.

 
General

Given the recent increase in the liquor price our bar prices have been increased accordingly as of the

1st April – no April fools joke in this one.

 

We would like to welcome Eileen back as the Club’s Secretary, working with Eileen is an absolute pleasure given her passion she has for the club and the fact she is incredibly efficient – welcome back Eileen.

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Newsletter - February 2009

March 29th, 2009

 

Dear member
                    

Information overload is a problem in all our lives so I will summarize what I feel is important news for our membership.

 

1    ZBRRA has initiated a Zinkwazi Forum at which all sectors of the Zinkwazi community will be represented:-

The Neighbourhood Watch, The Ski Boat Club, The Ward, The Zinkwazi Conservancy and ZBRRA. 

This augers well for unity in the village.  Issues of major concern are common to all sectors and should be better resolved around one table.

Each sector will keep its identity and retain the right to discuss issues of particular concern ‘in committee’

 

2    Our Conservancy function on 6th February was a great success.  88 members enjoyed Kingsley Holgate’s accounts of his African adventures over a splendid meal at Lagoon Lodge.  The Holgates will repeat the presentation at Darnall School on Friday, 27th March.  Tickets are available from Alet Nel on 083-3756686

We endeavour to host a function or outing every two months.

 

3    ADSL has arrived in Zinkwazi.  Please contact either your service provider or Telkom should you be interested

 

4    Beach Restoration is now in progress.  Bulldozers are working on the first phase which is stabilizing the beach parking area

 

5    The Pensioner’s Rebate has now been extended to properties in the names of Trusts providing that the property is the permanent residence of the ratepayer.

 

6    We are seeking ways to get stringent measures imposed to control overcrowding in festive season.  We need your help in compiling sufficient evidence in the form of reports, photographs and letters to substantiate the fact that our village is subjected to abuse and unacceptable behaviour at that time of year.  Please send me your factual reports and personal experiences on email.

 

7    The Neighbourhood Watch report that the incidence of crime has decreased.  To maintain this, we urge all home owners to display emergency telephone numbers for visitors and staff.  The attached notice should be printed and displayed in staff quarters and residence alike for quick reference in an emergency.  Please make yourself known to your neighbour and to your neighbour’s staff.  Their eyes are your watchdog.

 

8    My work for the conservancy is progressing steadily.  The removal of alien invaders from vacant property is a slow task  - with little short term reward.  Our charge to the property owner covers labour and chemicals only. I would like to plant avenues of Indigenous trees along our roads, but have found this too expensive at R75 a tree.  The alternative is to plant truncheons of selective varieties - fig, erythrina and harpaphyllum - which grow from cutting.  I have a vision of the trunks of lime-green sycamour figs shading the lower area of Glen drive.     This however is limiting. It would be better to have a selection of attractive endemic varieties.  If you have any saplings in your garden you do not want - please notify me and I will relocate them to other areas of the village.  In these difficult economic times I hesitate to ask for donations for trees but you may wish to become involved in the selection of trees for you own area of the village.  If so please discuss this with me.

 
Kind regards
Wendy
 

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