JOHANNESBURG - Residents and businesses in parts of the City of Tshwane will have a tough and dry start to the week, as the city shuts down the Bronkhorstspruit water treatment plant for upgrade work.
The temporary water shutdown is set to run from this morning until mid-month.
This means the affected communities will not have running water due to the upgrade meant to improve pumps at the water treatment plant.
Affected areas include Ekandustria, Ekangala and Thembisile.
The metro’s spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, says residents in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding areas will be supplied with roaming water tankers.
“This inevitable shutdown is scheduled to start on 5 May and will last until 16 May 2025. In a water treatment plant, panels for high-lift motors serve to control and monitor the operation of pumps that lift treated water to a higher elevation, typically for distribution to water towers or directly into the water reticulation system.”
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Ntobeko Vilakazi’s journey as an entrepreneur began in the small town of Ekangala
With R5 500 gifted by her family to buy a new mobile phone
Vilakazi found herself torn between the appeal of a shiny gadget and her deep-seated dream to be her own boss
transforming her home garage into a mini chicken farm
It wasn’t glamorous but as she watched her small flock grow
“Caring for chicks is much like taking care of a baby,” she says
As the proud owner of Luminathi Agribusiness and Projects Pty Ltd
Vilakazi’s day begins with a focused routine
first ensuring her chickens are well-fed with starter feed and fresh water
she turns to sweeping and disinfecting the coop
and scrubbing down feeders and water containers until everything is spotless
looking for any signs of illness or stress,” she says
they observe the chicks’ behaviour for any potential issues
we repeat the feeding and secure the coop doors and windows to protect the birds,” Vilakazi adds
Vilakazi jumped straight into her love for farming by studying livestock production at Buhle Farmer’s Academy
She also picked up some short courses in business management and permaculture at Tshwane University of Technology
Vilakazi’s hard work was paying off and her small operation was doing well – until 2023
when bird flu (avian influenza) swept through
she was forced to press pause on her business
It was a challenging setback but she did not let that stop her
she rented a chicken coop close to home and set her sights on growing her flock from 150 to 1 100 chickens per cycle
She plans to add an animal health course to her studies to expand her business
Luminathi Agribusiness supplies fresh poultry to the informal markets in Ekangala and nearby communities like Light City
she sells the chickens live or processed at the abattoir
I used to slaughter at home with the help of my family
I use the abattoir since the business has grown
Vilakazi explains that young birds are more vulnerable to diseases
“I’m very strict about biosecurity,” she says
“Only my worker and I are allowed inside until the birds reach six weeks.”
Vilakazi dreams of expanding her agribusiness to include pig farming
an area she knows and has some experience in
I saw the impact limited space has on animals
My birds were struggling with heat and disease circulation.”
Vilakazi envisions adding vegetable farming to boost her cash flow
and peppers – a skill set she honed back home
she’s actively seeking funding to bring her plans to life and dreams of expanding her business to eventually employ a larger team
she manages with the help of two seasonal workers
but she sees a future where her farm provides more jobs and opportunities for her community
“I plan to achieve this through strategic planning
and innovation,” she says with quiet determination
each step forward is both a lesson and a victory
she is convinced this is only the beginning of her journey
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young people’s lives are shaped by structural factors and policy-based interventions to do with housing and employment over which they have no control
These determine the local availability of work
the operation of housing markets and access to services in their neighbourhoods
Read in Daily Maverick: Buy food or look for work — the awful choice facing young South Africans
The young people we interviewed express clear aspirations around achieving independence
forging their own lives and obtaining privacy and self-determination
They say they dream of a time when “I am living my life and supporting myself.”
many battle with the costs of everyday living
This is compounded when living on the urban periphery
houses built by the post-apartheid government supply many deprived families with free shelter and a property of their own
For young people without the means to live independently
sometimes with a shared bedroom or for more privacy
though others are frustrated by their dependence and lack of choice
but nevertheless value having a place to sleep
Young people contribute to household costs when they can
but at times are supported by the social grants or earnings of relatives
including income from rental rooms in family yards
“…it offers me… little privacy because I don’t stay alone
it is also affordable to stay at home… I do not have to pay rent
Some young people move with a partner or children into self-built structures on informally settled land
but often having to contend with poor conditions including distant water
lack of electricity and provisional toilet facilities
Renting a room in the yard of a formal house offers a better locality and relatively independent accommodation
but is unsustainable without a steady income
A government house in Ekangala with extensions in progress (Photo: Mark Lewis)
and ever since there haven’t been any firms by Ekandustria… A lot of people don’t work
so the only thing that I think can sustain is for one to sell stuff.”
Opportunities in the economic hubs of Pretoria or Witbank
but prohibitively expensive taxi fares and limited bus provision require departing from home at unsociable hours such as 2am
As renting in those urban centres while job hunting is unaffordable as a strategy, young people are forced to make impossible choices
securing work occurs predominantly through connections and networks
and most young people feel excluded as a result
trying out various opportunities to assess their feasibility and potential for growth
A chicken business run by a young resident in Ekangala (Photo: Pretty Dube)
They’re often hampered by a lack of capital and poor access to Wi-Fi and viable local markets. Young people work hard to forge new skills through self-training, via YouTube for example, and they relish free skills enhancement opportunities and government-backed work experience. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads
family houses provided by the state support some home-based businesses
although municipal regulations governing enterprises can hinder these at times
Spacious yards enable backyard dwelling construction which can provide rental income
young people can move to an independent self-built structure
but unstable circumstances or harsh conditions hamper the viability of this
Access to affordable housing through family provides young people with spaces of relative comfort as they navigate their dreams and efforts towards economic independence
We need to understand work in conjunction with housing, as a research problem and policy issue, to ensure they are addressed simultaneously so that young people have a chance of fulfilling their dreams. Resources supporting young people to find work or earn a living are critical, as is a recognition that affordable well-located housing is essential for sustainable urban living. DM/MC
Dr Paula Meth is a Reader in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, University of Sheffield. She has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, and her research includes the themes of housing, urban change, gender and violence in the Global South.
Associate Professor Sarah Charlton teaches in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her research focuses mainly on housing policy and practice, state interventions in development, and people’s lived experiences of cities. She has a doctorate from the University of Sheffield.
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JOHANNESBURG - Another trench collapse in Tshwane has left one worker dead and three others injured.
In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, the city’s Emergency Services Department says this is the third such incident since 2021 – and it’s raising concerns about safety at excavation sites.
The incident occurred last week where a five-metre-deep trench collapsed on four workers in Ekangala killing one person and injuring three others.
Emergency services were called to the scene near the R568 road just before 5pm.
Firefighters from Bronkhorstspruit arrived to find three workers who had escaped with minor injuries being treated on-site before being taken to hospital.
But the fourth worker was trapped underground and died from his injuries.It’s the latest in a string of incidents.
In August 2023, a trench collapse in Capital Park claimed three lives, and in 2021, another worker was critically injured in Hammanskraal.
The city said contractors must adhere to national safety regulations, including ensuring trenches are properly braced and supervised.
Mongezi Koko24 June 2024 | 4:50City of Tshwane says sabotage may be behind water outages in parts of the metroRethabiseng and Ekangala areas have been without consistent water supply, and the City says deliberate valve tampering may be the reason for this.City of TshwanePicture: Pixabay/balouriarajesh
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Tshwane said that sabotage may be behind a prolonged water outage in Rethabiseng and Ekangana last week.
Hundreds of litres of water gushed out in a nearby veld from the pipe, compounding the water challenge for residents.
The metro said the opening of a valve on a pipe in Rethabiseng may be one of the contributing factors to why the two areas still don’t have consistently running water.
Tshwane city manager, Johann Mettler, condemned this act, describing it as sabotage and labelling it evil and barbaric.
The city said, as a result, residents had been denied their human right of access to water.
In March this year, Rethabiseng and Ekangala experienced a prolonged water outage after the breakdown of a pump at the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant, which the city said had since been resolved.
The water issue in the two areas has seen flare-ups in the past, with police remaining on high alert.
Since last week's incident, water supply has been restored to all the low-lying areas, except in high-lying areas.
Technicians conducted inspections at the Rethabiseng valve, before inspecting other valves to ensure that they were closed.
Investigations into the incident are underway.
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Ekangala residents near Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng are protesting over water shortages in their area
Aggrieved residents say they have been without water for a month
Ekangala Development Foundation chairperson Rankitsing “Asha” Xaba says the area will be under total shutdown today and children will not be going to school
“We want the province to intervene in this issue
and make sure that they resolve this issue because it’s about a month now
we only have six water tankers which can’t even reach the numbers of our people.”
even the school children are not going to school today
If we’re saying we’re sending the kids to school where are they going to bath?” he adds
At the request of the station commander of SAPS Ekangala (near Bronkhorstspruit) in Gauteng
Action Society will now assist the community in its fight to curb rising numbers of gender-based violence
specifically asked Action Society to educate the community on issues around GBV
various stakeholders attended a meeting at the station to find practical plans to attack the problem
cases are withdrawn after so-called “family meetings” to change the minds of or intimidate victims,” said Tshepi Mmekwa
Action Society’s Action Centre coordinator in Gauteng
“We have a lot of work to do in empowering women to stick with their complaints and see through their cases
as well as working with the police and prosecutors to secure convictions for these crimes
and we look forward to bringing real change through this community cooperation project.”
indicated an urgent need for reflectors and torches while doing patrols
To help Action Society bring about more change to local communities, become a supporter at this link
Action Society acts in the interest of the public through active advocacy for policy change
We work within the community to fight for a reformed justice system
holding government accountable for failing to protect South African citizens
03 January 2022: Eskom is implementing load reduction from 05:00 – 09:00 (tomorrow morning
04 January 2022) to avoid network overloading in high density areas
Below is a list of some parts of affected areas:
customers are urged to switch off all their electrical appliances to avoid possible damage due to power surges when supply returns. Failure to do so may lead to transformer trips or failures
and damages to household appliances when supply is restored.
Communities are encouraged to report meter bypasses
illegal connections and vandalism of the electricity infrastructure on the Eskom Crime-Line number: 0800 11 27 22
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The Gauteng department of education has officially launched the Ekangala Engineering School of Specialisation
was led by education MEC Panyaza Lesufi alongside education officials and traditional leaders from the area
is located at the heart of coal mines including Canyon
The department said the school began as Ekangala Comprehensive High School in 1985 and had mainly focused on academics and a traditional curriculum
“Given the school’s proximity to the mines
there was a need to offer a more skills-focused and dynamic curriculum,” said Lesufi
The school boasts exceptionally good performance in engineering
mathematics and information and communications technology
“Learners at the school need to be immersed in mining skills and careers in the industry
Mining is a predominant industry in the area
“They are exposed to the creation and operation of certain machinery and technical equipment that is crucial in each of the skills such as welding
Ekangala is the 21st school of specialisation to be launched by the Gauteng department of education
“We are preparing our learners for the future
Recent statistics show that 85% of matric learners go to universities after completing their matric and become academics
“Schools of specialisation will change that
learners in such schools will be able to work immediately at industry-leading companies
or they will embark on entrepreneurship and start their own businesses.”
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) September 14, 2022
For more education news from Sunday World, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
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Home | LGE 2021
The City of Tshwane is the administrative capital of South Africa and is among the six largest metropolitan municipalities in the country
It covers 6 368 km² of Gauteng’s 19 055 km²
The City has a vibrant and diverse economy
which enables it to contribute at least 26,8% of Gauteng’s GDP and 9,4% of the GDP of the national economy
with government-related business playing an important role in the local economy
The municipality’s main economic sectors are community services and government
and household products are the largest sub-sectors within manufacturing
The City has a well-established manufacturing sector
with the automotive industry representing the most significant component
representing the second-largest concentration after Washington D.C in the United States
the City of Tshwane is home to approximately 2,9 million people
Tshwane’s population is predominantly black Africans representing 2,2 million people
followed by a White population of approximately 600 000 people
The main languages spoken in Tshwane include Sepedi (19.4%)
About 37% of the population is classified as youth
making Tshwane one of the youngest cities in South Africa
The gender makeup in Tshwane is 50.2% female and 49.8% male
Tshwane’s population growth rate breached 3.1%
with an average household size of 3 persons
Census 2011 data revealed that 80.7% of Tshwane’s population live in ‘formal dwellings’; 76.6% were connected to a flush sewerage system; 80.7% has their refuse removed on a weekly basis; 64.2% had access to piped water inside their dwelling and 88.6% used electricity for lighting
The current composition of the council’s 214-seats: DA 93
The municipality was placed under S139 administration on 5 March 2020 by Gauteng premier
overturned by the North Gauteng High Court a month later
with the judge calling the decision unlawful
The mayor of Tshwane is DA’s Randall Williams