The annual Mayoral Golf Day took place recently at the Eye of Africa Golf Course. It was a very successful day and very well supported. The money raised on the day will go towards aiding the elderly in Midvaal. The Midvaal Municipality would like to thank everyone contributing to the day’s success and in particular their sponsors.
 


 

The Meyerton High School launched a  vegetable garden project, called the Garden of Eden, as a local feeding scheme as well as job creation initiative.

This project was the brainchild of Teboho Moeketse, a pupil at Meyerton High, who founded the project and contacted the Department of Agriculture for support in getting the veggie garden started.

He will be supported by pupils of the school in the running of the project.

“I realised that agriculture is often taken for granted in South Africa, but is a very important element of the economy. I would like to make people aware that agriculture can be used to make the economy grow and can create jobs,” said Moeketse.

“We are hoping to have the community benefit from our vegetable garden by using the produce for a feeding scheme and, when successful, employing people to work for and manage the project,” he said.

They have already received tools and fertilizer form the Department of Agriculture and the Midvaal Councillor, Marie Schoeman in Kookrus, has facilitated local support.

Schoeman arranged with the Destinata School to help out with a tractor and operator to plough the piece of ground that will be used for planting, which Destinata did free of charge.

The project is in immediate need of equipment and material to fence around the vegetables to protect it from unwanted interest, such as birds or other animals.

If anyone would like to support the project can phone Teboho Moeketse on 078 639 5362.

The yearly Art in the Big Top art exhibition was combined with a Super Cool Circus show starring Nadine Blom at the Boswell Wilkie Circus in Randvaal this year. Part of the Art in the Big Top fun was an art exhibition. The executive Mayor of Midvaal, Timothy Nast made time to hand over prizes to the winners of the competition. The Midvaal Council also sponsored some prizes. On the photo is all the winners with the Mayor of Midvaal in the big tent.
 

This young lady, Amy Bathgate (26), is a local sports star. She received S.A colours for indoor cricket and will be representing the ladies open team at the World International Indoor Cricket tournament to be held in Bangalore, India in September this year. Amy needs R25 000 to cover costs for the tour and the Midvaal Council helped her on her way with a cash donation. Any other sponsor that could make a donation will be very welcome. Phone the Midvaal Council on 016 360 7418 to pledge donations.

Die uitvoerende burgemeester van Midvaal, Timothy Nast het onlangs die dames van die Vrolike Vroue Vereeniging (VVV) se dag gemaak toe hy by hul vergadering gaan inloer het.  Nast het kompleet met sy eie selfgebakte kaaskoek opgedaag wat op die daad deur mev. Erna Church beoordeel is.  Die dames moes eers ietwat oortuig word dat die burgemeester sy skepping eiehandig aanmekaar geslaan het, maar hulle ...het hom uiteindelik geglo.  Church het die koek soos dit enige goeie beoordelaar betaam van hoek tot kant beskou en goed geproe voordat sy die burgemeester 80 persent vir sy poging gegee het, glad nie sleg vir ‘n eerste VVV inskrywing nie!  Na die beoordeling het Nast met die dames ‘n gesprek gevoer oor die stand van families in Midvaal en Suid-Afrika in die algemeen. 

Volgens Nast is daar ‘n duidelike verval in gesinstrukture te bespeur en wonder hy of die ekstra druk op die moderne vrou tot dié stand van sake bydra.  Die VVV vroue was dit eens met Nast dat die familie-struktuur van ons moderne bestaan veel te wense oorlaat.  Ingesteldheid en ‘n wil om ambisie na te streef is volgens hulle ‘n baie belangrike deel van iemand se karakter.  “Daar is mense wat bloot net nie gehelp wil word nie. Met die regte houding kan jy egter ver kom en baie beredder. Dat daar wel ‘n groot nood is die gemeenskap is nie altemit nie,” sê die VVV vroue.  Hulle doen hul deel deur klere, kos, skoonmaakmiddels en badkamer benodighede vir ouetehuise, skole en so meer in te samel.  Die Midvaal Raad en die VVV het ‘n ooreenkoms aangegaan om wanneer die munisipaliteit van hulpbehoewendes bewus is, hulle dit aan die vroue sal deurgee en hulle so ver moontlik sal help.

The Midvaal Council now boasts two brand new fire vehicles recently bought by the Midvaal Protection Services for the Fire and Rescue Services, to enhance service delivery to the community. They are top of the range and first in their class in Sedibeng.  These vehicles are an Engine 2, Pierce multi purpose urban rescue pumper and Rescue 2, Marce urban rescue vehicle concept.

“This vehicle was bought to enhance service delivery by enabling the Fire And Rescue team to reach victims fast in order to perform treatment for life threatening injuries. This vehicle will be used for vehicle fires, motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian vehicle accidents, special services and all types of rescues. It cost R1 million,” said Chief of Fire, Mr. Hannes Steyn.

The Hollard Foundation handed over an Early childhood development(ECD) facility to Midvaal Council for the benefit of the Bantu Bonke community recently.

This facility will serve as a much needed ECD centre for pre-school kids in the Bantu Bonke informal settlement.

“Early childhood development is extremely important because this is the period in which a child’s personality and value system is shaped.

Children are like sponges; they soak up everything around them and learn more in a day that adults do in a week. This is why it is so important to stimulate and activate young minds,” said the executive Mayor of Midvaal, Mr Timothy Nast.

“The most recent UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) report indicates that in South Africa we are doing very well in providing facilities for children to be cared for, but the Quality of care is not good. The Bantu Bonke pre-school child will now have an attractive, well equipped and stimulating environment to develop their young minds,” the Mayor reiterated.

Investing in children is an investment in communities, society and the country at large. The Hollard foundation and Midvaal partnership is making a real difference in the lives of our communities and for this from the Midvaal Municipality we would like to salute the HF for their contribution in the past 5yrs and also looking forward to the years ahead, a very Big thank you. said Nast.

The local Sports Star Amy Bathgate, returned victorious to sunny South Africa  from the Indian   Indoor Cricket tour in which she represented S.A.  

Amy captained the SA Ladies team to a convincing whitewash of the Indian Ladies at the India Invitational Cup and came home champions with a huge trophy and many good memories. She was also awarded the trophy for the leading run scorer at the tournament.

“I can hardly believe the tour has now come and gone. Bangalore was humid but definitely an awesome experience,” said Amy.

The Indoor Cricket SA teams departed for India on September 12.

After a long flight and a 3 hour stop-over in Dubai, they finally arrived in Bangalore on the 13th.

After a short rest at the hotel, it was off for an acclimatisation training session at the XLR8 Indoor Cricket Centre.

“The arena was very similar to the facilities found back home in SA, and all the teams adapted quickly. The 14th saw the teams doing a little sight-seeing and shopping and then back to the arena for some more intensive practice. The opening ceremony of the tournament made everyone feel welcome and Suneel Gavaskar declared the tournament open by lighting the tournament torch,” said Amy.

The S.A men’ s team went undefeated against two Indian teams and Sri Lanka - and beat India in the finals to come home as champions as well.

The u/18 men’s team went undefeated against India in all 4 of their match ups.

“I would like to make use of this opportunity to thank the Midvaal Municipality for their help in getting me there. It is greatly appreciated  and I am very grateful to you. Thank you so much for helping to make it happen,” said Amy.

 She will also be playing in the Action Cricket World Cup, to be held in Fourways, Johannesburg starting 7 Oct.  

The Midvaal Council visited the Early Learning Centre in Sicelo as part of their Mandella Day contribution

A public meeting was recently held in the Sicelo Informal Settlement Community Hall regarding housing. The Aim of the meeting was to host a workshop regarding title deeds, housing contracts, rental tribunal and law of succession. Around 300 people attended the workshop. Representatives from the Midvaal Council and Mayoral Committee as well as the Department of Housing hosted the workshop. Members of the community also had a chance to pose questions to the panel of representatives
 

A lot of debate has been going on regarding the municipal strike and what can be done about the mess left behind. The Midvaal Chamber of Commerce decided to do something and so also the Dr. Malan High School. Learners form the school cleaned up Loch Street 19 August 2011

The Midvaal Chamber of Commerce assisted in the clean-up action at the Midvaal Municipal Offices. Rubbish in and around the offices and Library were cleaned up.
 

The youth from the Molefi Oliphant and Midvaal Council Youth Leadership Programme held a women's conference on Women's Day at the Meyerton town hall. Dynamic speakers and a good attendance made this day a success.




 

Media Launch on 11 March 2011 for Midvaal Youth Leadership Programme. Executive Mayor, Councillor Timothy Nast and Dr. Molefi Oliphant are calling on local young people who have completed their Grade 12 in the last three years to be part of this life changing programme

For more information ... click here

Residents are up in arms regarding what they consider to be irregular electricity tariffs and unfair rates.

“A new block tariff structure for electricity payment was implemented on July 1, 2011 causing a lot of frustration and misperceptions. This system is in line with the prescribed National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) proposed tariffs. It implies that consumers using more electricity will pay more for usage and those who use less will pay less. Every individual’s usage is stored on the system and rates are charged according to their usage history,” said Mary Sanderson, Midvaal Council PRO.

Changes to Residential tariffs:
The residential tariff had to be changed to what is called the Incline Block Tariff to provide protection to lower usage residential consumers against price increases.   The rates to be applied by the Midvaal Municipality have been determined by NERSA as follows: 0-50 units 74c/unit, 51-350 units 88c/unit, 351-600 units 113c/unit and  600 + units 133c/unit.   An inclining block tariff is a tariff structure with tariff charges that change based on the amount of consumption. As consumption increases, the tariff rates become more expensive.