2016: A year of weather, violence and accolades
The year 2016 was not the easiest of times to negotiate, and plenty of news was made for all the wrong reasons.
It was a year of storms and flooding, of crime and poor service delivery, but it was also a year of plenty of interesting stories and achievements.
Last year will be remembered as the year of weather, with the great drought (which is spilling over into 2017) and flooding causing widespread havoc, even here in Boksburg.
It was the year that the Democratic Alliance (DA) won in key metros, such as Tshwane and Johannesburg, of the pressure being mounted on President Jacob Zuma and the increasing volatility of the economy.
And now 2017 beckons and the road ahead may be uncertain, but for the moment let us reflect on news highlights in and around Boksburg for 2016.
As mentioned, the drought also impacted Boksburg, with the Ekurhuleni Metro imposing water restrictions. At the same time, it caused many Boksburg residents to spring into action to be part of campaigns to collect water, such as the ‘Oos Rand Staan Saam’ initiative.
Such community efforts again displayed the humanity and care of our residents. Tireless work of organisations like the Rotary Club, the Lions, Round Table and the St Vincent de Paul group continued in 2016 to characterise Boksburg’s giving heart.
Boksburg residents and companies also rallied together on Mandela Day (July 18) to reach out to the needy.
Talking about charity, in 2016 the Advertiser partnered on two community projects with local entertainer Gerhard Steyn. One was an event at Flora Farm where grandparents were honoured and celebrated and the other was a blanket drive in partnership with Ford Consolidated.
The Advertiser also backed East Point Shopping Centre’s Shoe Box of Love project where companies or individuals were urged to donate stationery for underprivileged school children.
It was the year of the local government elections, held on August 3, with the ANC winning the Ekurhuleni Metro and naming Mzwandile Masina as the new mayor while the DA stood strong in Boksburg with new ward councillors being inducted.
q There were also numerous other highlights locally.
* Local craft brewery Just Brewing Co won a worldwide competition and was a VIP guest at Europe’s leading brewing fair, at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre, during the second week of November.
* Michelle Moodie took part in the The Voice South Africa and made it into the #Team Khan team.
* Boksburg residents got to hear about the compassionate efforts of drag queen Zenja Collins who lives in the body of Boksburg resident Henning Joubert.
* Then there was Abrie Viljoen who helped ensure that anti-gay pastor Steven Anderson did not enter South Africa. Anderson was hoping to preach in Boksburg.
* The Advertiser covered the story of Emmanuel January who won a competition which resulted in 350 shacks around Boksburg being fitted with fire detectors.
* The sky is the limit for Dawn Park resident Owami Masehela, who plays the role of Victor in the telenovela The Road. The drama aired on Mzanzi Magic.
* Kosie Beukes (8) is a musical genius, already having mastered 13 music instruments.
* The revamping of the East Rand Mall and East Point Shopping Centre took place.
* The St Dominic’s Saints gain the title of 2016 South African Elite League Champion of Champions. The South African Majorette and Cheerleading Association National Championships was hosted at the Germiston Athletics Stadium.
q The Advertiser also carried some interesting profiles, including:
* Corrie Adriaanse, who has been collecting postage stamps since the age of seven. When the Advertiser paid him a visit, he was more than eager to display some of the approximately 52 albums of stamps which he has collected over the years.
* Southern Mathibeng, who is better known as Southern Comfort, who lives and breathes poetry. Mathibeng, who lives at the nurses’ residence at Tambo Memorial Hospital, describes poetry as a diagnostic tool to articulate and address human conditions at the same time as expressing yourself.
* Multi-talented author Steven Webb launched his third book titled The Helderberg Conspiracy, Fact or Fiction.
* Oscar Buthelezi, of Vosloorus, the son of a taxi driver, became the first South African ever to win the prestigious Kurt Jooss Prize, in Essen, Germany. The 25-year-old is, today, an international award-winning dancer and choreographer.
* An incredible knitted portrait blanket of Madiba, made by Boksburg resident Lazetha Lötter, has been added to the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day collection.
* Local girl Tshenolo Seabi became a new face on our television screens, presenting Selimathunzi on SABC1 – a show spotlighting special events and glamorous functions, while highlighting the latest trends, fads and fashions.
There was also a lot of negative news in Boksburg, with crime remaining out of control and continuing poor service delivery.
Many families were left homeless as numerous fires raged throughout the city, destroying shacks, factories and also an apartment.
The verdict is still out on whether the poor drainage system in the city exasperated the floods in Boksburg towards the end of 2016.
Colonel Daniel Baloyi was appointed Boksburg SAPS’s new station commander. The friendly colonel took over on January 21, assuring residents of Boksburg that he will make sure that his police station delivers the best service to the community.
Baloyi succeeded Col Biggs Govender, who spent about 10 years in the service of the Boksburg community.
Then there is Lieutenant Colonel Sipho Mathebula, who was appointed as the head of Boksburg North’s Visible Policing Unit. He was the acting commander of the Reiger Park SAPS.
Reiger Park SAPS also got a new station commander, Lieut Col Elsie Mashinini, who vowed that she and her members will do more to win the war against the scourge of crime and violence that afflicts the area.
Poor service delivery also saw violent protests erupting in Villa Liza over the allocation of RDP houses. Numerous RDP homes and vehicles are burned and destroyed.
At least the metro did something right in 2016 when the demolition of the building in Market Street, which has been an eyesore in the Boksburg CBD for a long time, was completed in June.
Here is looking forward to another interesting year ahead.
