WHAT MADE NEWS: Reflecting on a rough local ride through 2015

After all, 2015 was a year marked by constant load shedding with Eskom at one stage facing a complete crash of the grid, while towards the end of the year SA was hit by a severe drought which sparked water restrictions, even in Ekurhuleni.

The drought is set to have a lasting impact on 2016, especially on food prices which are set to soar and thus hit consumers even harder while the Rand keeps plummeting against the dollar.

Locally, news was once again dominated by poor service delivery and the relentless crime wave, including the escalating drug trade and the turf war sparked by illegal mining.

Crime statistics of 2015 paint a morbid picture of Boksburg, along with the entire Gauteng, remaining a violent city.

Environmentally, the Boksburg Lake is in a mess with the water still polluted, even thought the metro has injected R1,2-million into upgrading the recreational facilities.

Good news, however, was the erecting of a new fence around the dam at the Leon Ferreira Fire Station. This follows two years of complaints by residents who were concerned over the safety of the geese.

A number of locals made their mark, flying the Boksburg flag high.

This includes Cynthia Maqunguho from Ramaphosa who was selected as one of four finalists of the 2015 Centrum Guardians accolade. Maqungu, a reservist firefighter for Ekurhuleni Metro Emergency Services, saved three people from a burning shack in the Ramaphosa informal settlement.

Then there were a number of beauties who shone in different pageants like Julia Williams (Miss Junior SA finalist), Babongile Mqwathi (semi-finalists for the Mrs South Africa pageant), Jacqui Fernandez (Top 25 Mrs South Africa finalist), Mmina Ndala (Miss Earth semi-finalists) and Neetasheni Devnarain (finalists Mrs India SA Pageant).

Then we also have a number of authors who have done us proud, such as Garth Hodnett who published I believe, which is an English translation version of Dutch theologian AA van Ruler’s works.

Dave Francis is also finishing the Return to Orion, which is the sequel to Hit them with what you’ve got.

Talking about creativity, former mineworker and now sculptor Louis Chamane’s artistic works can now be seen in the Constitution Hill Precinct while baker Shawn Govender competed in the Atlasville The Great South African Bake Off reality TV show.

Talking about cooking, Team Gee-Gee from Boksburg, consisting of grannies Christine Vermaak and Tracy Graham, gave it a mighty go in the Ultimate Braai Master.

We also salute 66-year-old Reiger Park resident and educator Elizabeth Foster who was named the Heroine of the Year in the highly contested national Everyday Heroes Award.

Here are some of the local news events of the year:

January

* As the matric results rolled in, Liesl Theiss (eight distinctions) walked away as the top student of Boksburg, while Mpumelelo Nomzaza was named one of the country’s top three performers in maths and science, having received 100 per cent in both subjects. Another top pupil from Boksburg was Licia Roberts, who was the second-best overall performer learner for Ekurhuleni.

* Boksburg Regional Court finds a Kempton Park businessman and his bookkeeper of guilty of defrauding Sars of R1.8-million.

* The Hawks uncover R100 000 worth of marijuana, which was grown in a sophisticated hydroponic drug lab in Farrar Park, Boksburg.

* Boksburg SAPS commander Col Biggs Govender comes under fire, after being accused by fellow police officers of running the station according to a poor leadership style. Protests were held outside the station, demanding Govender be removed from office. Subsequent investigations, however, cleared Govender who remained in his chair throughout the year.

* The 2014 SPCA Christmas Cheer Fund comes to an end with R58 262 being raised thanks to the generous support of the community

* Two pupils of Hoërskool EG Jansen are caught in possession of steroids. Both children were later removed from the school by the parents.

* Hi-Fi Corp in Boksburg is robbed by 10 armed men.

February

* The Advertiser sits down to chat with Kyle Pienaar (19), who is SA’s youngest craft brewer.

* Home Corp is robbed by five men.

* A man arrested for stealing seized alcohol from the Reiger Park police station.

* It is announced that the East Rand Mall will undergo a R400-million plus revamp over the next several years. Most of the changes will be made in and around Entrance 4 and the food court. New shops will be added. The upgrades will also include revamping shop fronts. The revamp follows the news of the reconfiguration and renovation of East Point (East Rand Galleria) to the tune of R411-million.

* A four-year-old girl from Bartlett survives a rinkhals bite. She was “attacked” while playing in the garden.

* Zimbabwean woman arrested in Boksburg for illegal selling of medicine. Found in her possession were 50 doses of 100mg/2ml schedule six pethidine.

March

* The Advertiser interviews Mahalia Matshete from Vosloorus who has joined the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild Protége Programme.

* In one of the big stories of the year, two shoppers are verbally and physically attacked by a group of approximately 15 people in the East Rand Galleria (now known as East Point). The assault appeared to be racial. No arrests were eventually made.

* Crime, which remained rampant throughout the year, reached boiling point in Angelo informal settlement when two alleged thieves are brutally beaten up by “fed-up” residents.

* Cansa again holds its annual Shavathon, during which supporters of Cansa shave their heads or colour their hair for a good cause. In March such a Shavathon was held at the K90 Centre and the East Rand Mall.

* Staff and more than 1 600 students enjoy the new Oos Rand Secondary School facilities, with the state-of-the-art revamp costing around R80-million.

* The Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Clr Mondli Gungubele delivers his State of the City Address, in which he outlines plans to improve employment and service. By the end of the year, many of these promises are still hanging.

April

* New entrance at Sunward Park High School causes an uproar. Residents are upset after the school erects a waiting area for learners within the school yard, with its entrance/exit on Totley Road. Despite the uproar, the school’s new waiting area still functions.

* In a bizarre story for 2015, a man is robbed by four assailants following a steamy romp in the bushes during which R10 was paid to a prostitute for her services.

* The Advertiser speaks to Ntsiki Mkhize, Miss South Africa second princess, who was educated in Boksburg (Wit Deep Primary and Sunward Park High School).

* We sit down for a straight shooting interview with Suellen Sheehan, who was one of tennis legend Bob Hewitt’s rape victims. She was 12 years old when she was raped by Hewitt, during a tennis lesson in Boksburg.

* There is music talent in Boksburg as the music video of Nico de Beer’s Agter die Boereworsgordyn makes it into the Top 26 of Afri-Visie Skryf ‘n Treffer-competition. He unfortunately didn’t win the top prize but he sure did provide for some entertainment along the way.

* In a wave of xenophobia attacks in South Africa, foreign owners of shops in different parts of Boksburg also came under attack. Some of them were forced to flee their homes and shops until the violence cooled down.

* SPCA manager Wilma Steynbergh bids farewell to the local society after more than three years of service.

May

* The Advertiser reports on the proposed Parkdene Extension 7 development, which will see around 3 000 residential low-cost houses to be built across the road from Parkdene. This development, which is a priority with the Ekurhuleni Metro, will also feature a clinic, schools and sport facilities. Concerns have, however, been raised over associated problems with crime, infrastructure and devaluation of surrounding properties.

* Impala Park resident Sandon Mienie grows a beard for a year in support of the Little Fighters Trust.

* Boksburg resident Louis Jansen van Rensburg is shot dead during a road rage incident in Kempton Park.

* In a horrific crime, a five-year-old boy was stabbed multiple times during a hijacking. The child was left at the scene of the robbery while his father was later dumped further down Trichardts Road.

* A veld fire destroys more than 200 vehicles at the EMPD impound lot, next to the Licensing Department.

* A hike in metro service tariffs is announced during the metro’s budget speech, which includes 12.2 per cent hike in electricity and 14.5 per cent for water.

* A fire guts a storage facility at Tambo Memorial Hospital, destroying R7-million worth of medical supplies.

June

* Impala Park CPF patroller Jacques Day and his partner Jacqueline Roos, die when the vehicle they were travelling in exploded after hitting a lamp post.

* The government introduces new laws to regulate travelling of minors, which eventually has a huge negative impact on the tourism industry.

* Fire burns down a factory in the south of Boksburg.

* A R1.4-billion home care factory is opened by Unilever in Boksburg.

* Break-in at Vonk recording company’s offices as valuable date of artists signed to the label is stolen.

July

* Reiger Park resident Altovise Lawrence (24) is crowned the winner of Top Actor SA, the brand-new BET (Black Entertainment TV) local reality show. The competition saw 12 upcoming actors from different backgrounds come together and go through various challenges that put their acting abilities to the ultimate test.

* July will always be known as when Madiba Day is celebrated, prompting businesses and individuals to give their time or a helping hand to support the needy and less privileged.

* Impala resident Margaretha Compaan undergoes a horrific ordeal after being kidnapped from Presley’s nightclub. She managed to escape her captor’s home the same night. It appears as if she was drugged and assaulted.

* A Vosloorus police officer, Eric Buthelezi, is killed during a robbery and shootout.

August

* A lucky escape for some as part of the roof above one of the courts at the East Rand Mall collapses. No one in injured.

* Katlego Phoku, who was found guilty for killing Cuburne van Wyk (3) from Reiger Park, is sentenced to life in prison.

* A suspected criminal is beaten to death in what seems to be a case of mob justice in Comet.

September

* Three thugs are shot dead while fleeing from the Hawks on the N12 highway.

* The dangerous stunt of flames by Enrico Schoeman from Boksburg and André de Kock in Parys is undone by rain. The pair, known for their daredevil antics, attempted to ride a motorcycle and a car through a burning caravan. The slippery muddy conditions, however, had the last laugh.

* Edward Thomas Morton, found guilty of murdering Wayne Alberts from Boksburg, is handed a 113 year sentence.

* Boksburg se Inspan Volkespelelaer vier hul 50e bestaansjaar.

October

* The yearly Spring Fiesta hits Boksburg once again, with 13 000 plus revellers converging on the city for this yearly celebration. Once again, the festivities draw a lot of criticism from residents regarding the level of noise and the amount of littering in the streets.

* New EMPD Chief of Police Bafana Andries Mahlabe is introduced. He vows to take back the streets for the citizens of Ekurhuleni.

* Harley-Davidson Africa hosts its yearly mass ride through the streets of Ekurhuleni, including Boksburg, as part of the Pink Glove Run in aid of breast cancer.

November

* A massive crime awareness campaign is held by the SAPS and the CPF. About 200 participants riding on the back of motorcycles, along with about 100 driving in a fleet of police vehicles, take to the streets of the Brakpan Cluster, which includes Boksburg.

* A family of Reiger Park, after years of trouble, finally receives help from the metro, following rivers of sewage constantly spilling onto their yard as a result of a malfunctioning underground sewer system.

December

* The Boksburg Magistrate Court hands a dangerous trio of criminals a combined sentence of 127 years in prison for terrorising Boksburg communities.

* Ekurhuleni Metro’s Festive season campaign, with the theme Operation Bumper-to-Bumper kicks into gear in the hope of ensuring greater safety on the roads during the holiday period.

* Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), in the Ekurhuleni East region, stages a protest in Boksburg in a bid to address the escalating slaying of police officers.

* The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa’s Children Ministry stages a march in Boksburg to raise awareness about gender-based violence. The march was held in support of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign.