Letter of the week
Accolades for Ngwelezana Hospital staff
On Monday morning my sister, Sharon Souchon was involved in an accident on the P253. When I was told that she was taken to Ngwelezana Hospital, my heart dropped. However, on arriving at the hospital the sight that met my eyes would have made anyone just break out in huge smiles. Family, friends, community members and people I had never met flooded the car park. I then spent two days with my sister in the trauma ward, at that time headed up by Dr Wood. What an incredible team. I, at ALL times, felt so confident and knew that no matter what was put in Sharon’s path, she was in the best hands that God could ever have given her.
Thank you Dr Wood and your team for your understanding and allowing my family to constantly stand holding Sharon’s hand and rubbing her feet (which she loves) during the first two days.
I have no doubt that allowing us to heal her with constant prayer and gentle singing pulled her to the next level of enabling her to move to the clinic. I will never forget your professionalism and genuine concern shown for all your patients in the trauma ward.
And I apologise for my preconceived opinion.
DULCIE OLIVER
Calling all senior citizens
I do not know who put the call for help in the ZO of 20 January on the Letters Page, but I am very grateful. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the information given regarding the Golden Years Club was incorrect. Our Club meets every Wednesday, except during the school holidays, at the Richards Bay Bowling Club, which is behind the Veldenvlei Community Hall, from 9.30am - 11.30am. We are also looking for donations of wool (double knit and 4ply), stuffing and material in order for us to do our charity work.
LYN ADDYMAN
New construction causes water problems
Since the construction of a new development started in Bottlebrush in Richards Bay, the houses in our street were without water due to a ‘construction-fault’ on two occasions. Surely the developers must work according to a plan indicating the location of water pipes on the site. There is also a very unhygienic and foul smell originating from this site as toilet facilities seems to be inadequate for the builders. There seems to be one portable toilet situated right in the middle of the site which, however, does not seem to be adequate or is not cleaned regularly.
MRS S NEL
(Response: the Suid-Afrikaanse Vrouefederasie (SAVF) is busy with the erection of the first of its kind village for older persons and a ‘We-Care Community Centre’ in Veldenvlei. The site was handed over to our contractor in October 2011. We therefore, are not responsible for the management of the site before it is handed back to us.
However, to protect our good standing with the community, we feel obliged to react.
According to the plan supplied by the municipality all their water pipes are beneath the sidewalks.
To our dismay we discovered pipes on our plot when our contractor excavated for the foundations (on two occasions).
We are waiting on the municipality to move their water pipes to beneath their sidewalk where it should be.
The chemical treated toilet facility for the construction workers is serviced on a weekly basis. It is also locked when not in use.
HENNIE TERBLANS
SAVF Richards Bay
Inconsiderate drivers
Every morning I have to navigate inconsiderate drivers at Richardia and Hoërskool Richardsbaai. These inconsiderate drivers I am referring to are the ‘lift clubs’ who transport about 100 children to school every morning in the back of bakkies with canopies. At both these schools they simply stop on the side of the road, which is clearly marked as a no stopping area, to drop off children before proceeding to their next destination.
There is a specific drop-off area - use it! The overloading is also just bizarre!
The children fall out of the canopy because of overloading.
On Tuesday mornning (24/1/2011), two of these ‘lift club’ vehicles stopped a few metres on after dropping the children.
One driver got out and proceeded to have a chat with the other driver causing obstruction of the traffic.
Really people - you are not the only road users.
PATIENT DRIVER
Give us a break!
The sea in front of us will apparently soon be in the hands of Chinese miners. Cheers to the coral and other sea life. The rhinos are poached at alarming rates, not to mention all the other game. The fish in the Kosi lakes are almost all gone - you just need a bakkie and some money and the ‘traditional’ fish kraal owners will fill it for you - that’s if you can use undersized juvenile fish.
The number of these fishing kraals has trebled in the last few years.
You need permits to go to Kosi mouth, no fishing kayaks are allowed off that coastline, no family trips to the beaches on certain days unless you are part of that traditional pilgrimage, and so on and so forth...
And still we are reminded about the sensitive dune areas, the ghost crabs we kill driving on the beaches and the forever ‘always keep your recreational fishing ‘silences’ on you.
Give us a break!
PETER SCHONERT
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