SAPS Take Out Two Of Durban's Most Wanted

Weeks before the call from the Deputy of Safety and Security Minister Susan Shabangu's controversial "shoot-to-kill" statement, the Provincial Task Teams had shot and killed two of Durban's most wanted suspects.

Shabangu told police at an anti crime Imbizo in Pretoria West last week: "You must kill the bastards if they threaten you or the community. You must not worry about the regulations." She urged police to make use of their weapons in order to deal with criminals in a decisive way. She added that the constitution stated that criminals must be kept safe, but she responds with an affirmative, 'No!' She comments, "I say we must protect the law abiding people and not the criminals." It seems that competition was rife among the criminals to become the most wanted but their successes were short lived when they both died by the gun.

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Give Slade A Chance To Live

His family is strongly urging all South African's to register in the hope of finding a local donor match for him or any other patient suffering with leukaemia or a life threatening leukaemia . "It only takes two test tubes of blood to become a donor and if you are a successful match, the donor process is as painless as donating blood," explains Tenley Voogt, PR Manager for The Sunflower Fund in KwaZulu Natal.

"Bone marrow is no longer surgically removed but additional white blood cells are harvested directly from the blood stream much like donating blood or platelets. Donors must however be aware that they are joining the registry to help any patient in need of a transplant," continues Tenley. Slade was seven when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. The family noticed that Slade's left eye appeared slightly droopy and at times he was slow to respond.

After a full brain scan they picked up the leukaemia in the soft tissue behind his left eye. Slade was treated intermittently with chemotherapy for the past three years. Four months ago he went into remission but this was short lived.

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Eskom Load Shedding: Time To Take Real Action

Load shedding has fast become the hot topic of conversation in South Africa. Amid all the frustration and blame shifting, we are forced to stop and realize that fighting higher powers, without doing our part to save electricity, is futile.

Statistics SA recently revealed that electricity consumption in the month of February 2008 had increased by 2,3 percent compared to February 2007. The estimated value of electricity consumed from December 2007 to February 2008, increased by 0,7 percent compared to the consumption from December 2006 to Febuary 2008.

Despite the implementation of load shedding programmes by Eskom the estimated production of electricity in February 2008 has allegedly increased by 2,7 percent compared to February 2007.

President Thabo Mbeki has on occasions voiced his concern that South Africans are not responding well to governments instructions to conserve electricity.

"I get the sense that we have not quite got the message that there is a national challenge that requires a response from all South Africans," said President Mbeki. He went on to make an example of the floodlit billboards and corporate buildings along the Ben Schoemen Highway between Pretoria and Johannesburg whose lights where, allegedly on the entire night. Mbheki himself has allegedly done his part in instructing his staff at his official residence in Pretoria to take measures to conserve electricity. However, he acknowledged that his attempts had not been entirely successful.

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Rey Foundation Spreads Hope

On Thursday, 3 April, the Life Entabeni Hospital received an Easystand Evolv (which assists patients to either stand or sit) courtesy of the Nicholas Rey Foundation.

FHM model, Tanya van Graan, was the Honorary guest. Tanya recently started a foundation called Foundation of Hope this year. She commented: "We need hope, we need faith." Her message to people is that "you can walk again, and for those of us who are able bodies, we need to spread the message to those that are injured."Tanya also claimed that "it is an absolute privilege to be associated with Nicholas Rey".

The Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust was successfully launched on 15 October 2005 at the Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom.

The Parton of the Foundation is Nicholas Rey, son of our very own former Miss. World, Penny Coelen Rey and her husband, Micky Rey. On 27 June 2004, Nick suffered a severe brain injury while playing at a polo tournament, and has spent the last year in and out of hospital and rehab. He is completely dependant, cannot move much, requires full nursing care and is unable to speak or express emotion.

However, he has all his mental faculties, a full understanding of any conversation and can hear and see well. Basically he has full intake capabilities, but very limited output. He knows what to do, say etc. but his brain cannot get the information through to carry out the command. He communicates by blinking, nodding or spelling off an alphabet chart by eye gaze.

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North Coast Beaches Retain Blue Flag Status

Durban has lost the majority of its "blue flag" swimming beaches, mainly because of a recent surge in sewage pollution in water quality samples according to media reports.

Four out of six flags have been removed from the cities beaches, and one of the remaining two flags is likely to be pulled soon because of consistently unacceptable faecal pollution readings stretching from Amanzimtoti in the south to Westbrook in the north.

Over the past five months, Westbrook Beach (one of the last two beaches with a blue flag) has failed 50 percent of tests. Ansteys, South, Amanzimtoti and Bronze (Umhlanga) beaches have also failed 40 percent of tests. The scheme allows for a maximum of 20 percent of non-compliant samples in a year to cater for unexpected pollution from rain or isolated sewage spills.The only remaining beach with consistently high water quality was Umhlanga main beach.

The South African co-ordinator of the international Blue Flag beach scheme, Allison Kelly, said this week that there was no clear explanation for the sudden deterioration in beach water quality.

City Manager Dr M Sutcliffe lashed out at Kelly's findings. In a media statement he stated the following, " the recent politically-inspired and charged media statements which have surrounded the cleanliness of our beaches require comment.

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