ZBRRA

After numerous faxes to Eskom, which were ignored, we now have the co-operation of Service Agent, Stephan Naidoo. It appears he is also struggling with non-compliance or is it incapacity !

Hi Wendy, 

I have requested the TSC to provide me with a deadline by which these street lights will be fixed, failing which I will escalate the request to higher management for their intervention. I will advise you on the feedback as soon as they respond.

Regards – Stephen Naidoo

We are at our wits end in this village with poor service delivery and am most grateful to you for your prompt attention to something of a security risk

I have sent your letter on to our security committee.

Please find attached list for Zinkwazi street lights that are out of order. I know your team was suppose to have been attending to these last Monday. Please keep me up-dated on these.

Thanks – Rgrds SN

Hi Seshan

Pls report a leak at  12 Kinfisher rd

Pls also advise the KDM Civils of their responsibility to repair all the damaged tar after your work is completed. 

You would not be pleased to see

1    76 Nkwazi dr - large hole with tape around it

2    Aloe drive

3    end of Panormal  - tape around work, and the pavement eroded there

4    Cnr of Shelley and Magai

5    Cnr of Kingfisher and Nkwazi dr

May I suggest you come and take a drive around and see how bad things are

Hi Mike
I hope you are well.
At our last meeting with Notha Mapumulo, he was alarmed that the holes dug up to fix pipes in Zinkwazi that were supposed to be repaired by KDM Civils dept had not been attended to - it is now 3 months and we still have not had them closed and tar replaced.  I see that yesterday, Monday 6th potholes were filled but the larger obstructions are the iLembe excavations in Panorama, Nkwazi (2) and cnr of Shelley and Magai.
Pls be so kind as to follow this up with Notha and Nollie so that the work is brought to closure.    I would like this done this week
Regards
Wendy Balcomb
083-2659631

i will chat to the MM of kwadukuza today - i am seeing him at 15h00. we have
a signed arrangement with them on this matter, and it seems that they are
letting us down.
Thank You,
Mike Newton

Thank you Mr Maharaj for the surfacing of the P403.  It looks and feels wonderful to drive.  I have heard several good comments and compliments for the NPA !

I am concerned however that it is taking so long to have the road marked.  With the Easter weekend imminent it is dangerous at night  - especially for strangers to the area.

I would also like to stress another concern, mentioned in earlier correspondence, which is not urgent, and that is the soil which your staff piled up along the edge of the road.  This will spill back into the road over time.  Please could you have this removed and used to level dongas alongside or dumped in a valley nearby

Thank you for your co-operation

Kind regards

Wendy Balcomb

I would like to thank the following for donations of trees or towards the purchase of trees for the rehabilitation of our village

Mike Balcomb                                      50 trees

Ant & Ingrid Balcomb                         15 trees

Richard & Penny Rencken                10 trees

Margie Prain for the gazanias and aloe Bainsaii at the entrance of the village.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 31^st December of each year. A notice will go out in November reminding all Skippers of this.

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.

Nic Nel has been co-opted onto the committee, his portfolio is competitions – look out for the Sunshine Game Fish Species Comp on the 9^th and 10^th 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 8^th 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.

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

1^st 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.