Umkhanyakude Municipality prioritizing Airport

Umkhanyakude district municipality betrayed the citizens of Umkhanyakude by prioritizing the airport at the expense of Izidingo nqangi like water. The district is currently without water but Umhlosinga Development Agency has been awarded to develop Mkuze airpot. Umasipala wethu ufana nesundu lona elishanela le ek'deni liyeke eduze nesiqu. Hospitals under Umhlabuyalingana were forced to pay an amount close to R5 million for water last year, but still our areas are still facing water scarcity. It is quite obvious that we are led by people who are heartless, and who will never take our lives seriously. Umhlosinga Development Agency is meant to enrich few individuals. They forget about the voters. Airport in this case is a luxury and I am sure it is not going to benefit any poor Men or Women in this region.

Baby Boy (Thando Jabulani Skhumbane)

Baby Boy: Thando Jabulani Vumase has joined the family on 24 January 2010 @ 07h00, weighing KG 3.14. We thank you 4 your support & love. Musa & Nokwanda of Thandizwe KZN & Florida GP.

Matric results a huge success at Manguzi

More Matric learners managed to obtain bachelors this year than the previous years. Star of the Sea High School got 94% pass rate in 2009 and has been followed by Hambisanani (82%). Some schools like Mshudu High moved forward by obtaining 71% pass rate. This indeed has been a great move for our community. Most schools who under achieved for the past five years managed to improve their results, such schools are:- Dumangeze High, Sthembinhlanhla High, Shengeze High, all made a giant leap. Thandeka Nhlozi from Star of the Sea also got wonderful matric results, the Inkosi Mabhudu Tembe also committed the Tribal Authority to fund her Education. Hopefully this would motivate more learners to spend most of their quality time in their classrooms.

Shark attack at Ponta Duoro at Mozambique (cited from News24)

- The South African man who survived a shark attack in southern Mozambique last week says it will be a long time before he dares to go back into the sea. Peter Fraser, 27, of Rustenburg, was speaking on his arrival at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday after he was discharged from a hospital in Richards Bay.He said he survived the attack by a Zambezi shark, in calm water at Ponta d’Ouro, by hitting the creature with a flipper.“I don’t think I am unlucky that I was attacked so much as lucky to have survived,” he said.WoundsHe did not (as reported by Sapa on Sunday) lose any limbs in the attack, but doctors had to close a wound more than 20cm long on his back. The shark also bit a chunk of flesh from his right shoulder, and bit his right upper and forearm, his chest and his right hand.“During the attack I felt nothing. It wasn’t sore. Only when I got out of the water and saw the blood did I realise how serious it was,” he said.The attack lasted only seconds. “I first felt the thing bump my legs, but I couldn’t see anything in the dark water. Only later, when I hit its head away, I realised it was a shark.”He estimated the shark was about two metres long.“One always hears what you should do during an attack, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t really think of anything. I just wanted to get away.”'We were in their world'Fraser said he doesn’t think the attack could have been prevented. “We weren’t in deep; the water was about shoulder height. It was just a case of, we were in their [the sharks’] world, not them in ours.”Fraser’s girlfriend, Nicolene Latsky, 27, who witnessed the attack, said he had lost a lot of blood by the time he got out of the water.Her father, Kobus Latsky, loaded Fraser on his bakkie and raced him to a first-aid post. From there, Fraser was airlifted by helicopter to Manguzi at Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal.“They couldn’t treat him there, so he was flown to Empangeni hospital, where they operated for four-and-a-half hours to close the wounds,” she said.The next day, Fraser was transferred to a hospital in Richards Bay to recover.

Lack of access to clean water unacceptable

It is unacceptable that most rural communities still do not have access to clean water, says President Jacob Zuma. Zuma, who was speaking during the official launch of the upgrade of the Nsezi Water treatment plant in Richards Bay on Saturday, urged local councillors to work together with Mhlathuze Water and other state owned utilities to provide people with clean water, proper sanitation and decent shelter."Our communities demand nothing less of us than to deliver on these necessities." Zuma said government will begin to stream services to the affected areas. He said challenges in the electricity sector have taught government the importance of addressing future problems before they happen."The challenge that we still need to address include an ability by some municipalities to roll out infrastructure, and to operate, maintain and rehabilitate water and sanitation infrastructure," he said.The President said it was important that the infrastructure was in place to provide clean water to meet the growing demand, because government's objective was for people to have access to water by 2014."Our country has a critical obligation to meet the Millennium Development Goals. One these goals is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation," Zuma said.The President said the launch of the Nsezi Water Treatment Plant is the first step to ensuring that rural communities also get clean water and will service domestic, mining and industrial areas."Without water, we run the real risk of not meeting our objective of improving the quality of life of all South Africans, particularly the rural poor."Zuma also commended Umhlathuze Water for implementing extensive water schemes in Shemula, Mandlakazi and Umkhanyakude in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.Proper sanitation and clean water brings dignity to people living in rural areas, he said."Having clean water and toilets bring dignity to people living in rural communities. People living in these communities will consider themselves as sub-human if this problem is not dealt with," said Zuma. Manguzi is still lacking proper water infrastructure. We are still behind the rest of the world

Bhekisisa Ntsele on the move to start a Snake Park at Manguzi

Bhekisisa Ntsele pictured above is dreaming of starting a snake business. He is passionate of hunting snakes and monkeys. He breeds them at home. His bedroom is home to a number of animals i.e. Monkeys, Snakes and Bees. He is currently working on a site to start a snake park. A site has been identified around Manguzi and He is still waiting for Authorisation letter to go ahead with his project.
The Python that we see on this picture was taken by Nature Conservation and was brought back to the wild. This man loves animals and his family too, is really supportive.
He normally goes around the Manguzi Shopping centre with his snakes. He always feeds them with bats, frogs and rats.

He further said that love for animals was developed by his Ancestors (Idlozi). He is also a traditional healer and He keeps animals.

Maputaland Community Radio winning Internationally

Kwazulu-Natal rural community radio station – Maputaland Community Radio – has put the country, region and community radio on the world map after winning an international award for its contributions to children’s programming.
The Unicef award is granted to stations in the southern hemisphere for their contribution to International Children’s Day for Broadcasting, which is held annually on the first Sunday in March.
The awards are announced in November in the United States.
“On the day we dedicated our programming for and about children,” said station manager Simon Ntsele.
“We allowed children to be part of the programming where they talked about their hopes and dreams and shares information with their peers.
“This year 77 stations competed ,” he said.
Ntsele made the trip to New York last week where he received the award at a glittering gala dinner.
“I was proud to represent SA in the United States. It certainly proved that community radio, especially one like ours, is vital to the development of the rural communities we serve.
“The programme broadcast by children spoke about the challenges faced by children infected and affected by HIV-Aids.
“It also highlighted the reality faced by children forced to head households after their parents died.
“The children offered each other advice and were aided by a local NGO working in the area.”
The station is based in north-east Kwazulu-Natal in the uMkhanyakude district and broadcasts to 119000 listeners.