Off topic, but essential: killer earthquake hits Spain

http://frank-heydenrych.blogspot.com/2011/05/another-serious-earthquake-this-time-in.html

Zapiro on the toilets

I have had a few comments on the issue of the ANC and DA slinging mud (or other stuff) at each other re the uncovered toilets in Cape Town and Viljoenskroon.

It would have been OK for an issue like this to be debated in the time of Blackadder and Baldrick.

Even, maybe, when Verwoerd was in power.

But given the commitment of the Mbeki regime to eradicate the bucket system, and all subsequent governments, local, provincial and national, to give people dignity, there surely must be a better way.

DA blames Malema's stormtroopers. ANC says it didn't know.

ANC, DA, both hang your head in shame.


http://frank-heydenrych.blogspot.com/2011/05/zapiro-on-toilets.html

ANC clarifies its plans for Linbro Park

http://mg.co.za/article/2011-05-08-sexwale-promises-r99m-to-alex-residents

 Sexwale promises R99m to Alex residents

The government had identified 12 hectares of land in Linbro Park, Botshabelo extension and Lombardy East for redevelopment.

He (Tokyo Sexwale) promised nearly R100-million in development funds for the area.

Neighbour Owen Williams comments: What are we doing about this I wonder? For the past 15 years or so they have been the current regimes councillors have been  in charge, is Tokyo saying he is acknowledging that the current regime's councillors are the boss of the people; "  On the 18th, we are going to elect councillors who are servants of the people and not the boss of the people,”

I wonder if they (the residents as addressed in the rally) will ever get the promises made in the run-up to the election or will the vote go to the bosses who have promised much and consistently delivered less to the voters? So far the track record does not look so good.

Maybe we could get Mr Zuma to bring his machine gun and set it up on 3rd Road for the next couple of nights, and maybe the attempted robberies are in fact perpetrated by "boers"  as they appear to like skulking in the agricultural properties, (Maybe planting late season crops?) and maybe Mr Malema could sit there with Mr Zuma's machine gun and get rid of them for us?

What our ministers earn ... this will enrage you and blow your mind

http://frank-heydenrych.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-our-ministers-earn-this-will.html

Proof that the ANC has no regard for people's dignity

The ANC makes huge capital of the DA's difficulty with toilets in Cape Town. Yet this situation has persisted for eight years.

 http://www.timeslive.co.za/specialreports/elections2011/article1055734.ece/The-lid-is-lifted-on-another-toilet-saga

ANC-run local municipality has left loos open since 2003
May 7, 2011 11:57 PM | By ISAAC MAHLANGU
For months, the ANC kicked up a stink over open toilets in the Western Cape - now it appears the ruling party has its own share of shame in this department.

It has emerged that 1600 toilets, some built as far back as 2003, in parts of the ANC-run Moqhaka local municipality in the Free State have been left uncovered for years.

A moment of happiness in Linbro Park

My beautiful son Matthew loves his early morning walk to check the diggers, rollers and tip trucks at the southern end of Hilton Road. One or more of our dogs accompanies us. This is a lifestyle that is departing faster than the government's credibility, but for now, what a moment. This snapped Thursday morning.

And yet another armed robbery

Update: Danielle van Eck reports: Last night at 7.15, 2 armed men entered the property through Papale empty property again.

They tried to break in to my son’s car, he shouted at them through the window upon which they proceeded to shoot 5 shots at him.

The police responded within 10 minutes.

These robbers are no longer just interested in stealing property, they now come to kill.

How is it that the police has not put a task team together to catch these criminals that repeatedly attack us????

 From now on, we will shoot on sight!


Update: It is worth noting that my son raised the alarm two days ago when he saw a white vehicle coming up our driveway. This was at around 3.30pm. When I made my way down the driveway, the vehicle rapidly reversed and drove off towards Ronald.

It all happened so fast we did not get a licence plate or vehicle ID. But Nic's report re a white vehicle cruising, and the Van Ecks' and Michelle Nel's armed robbery attempts fit the picture. In hindsight, we were probably very lucky.

And an update from Michelle Nel:

They came to Roger’s house next. At around 8pm we had an incursion at 52 3^rd road at Roger Price. We heard the Van Eck gunshots and were just about to leave when Roger said I should get inside the house and he want to investigate. He saw three men walking down Third Road as he was pulling open his gate. One had a gun. Roger raced back inside the house. The one guy followed him in and next thing he was standing at Roger’s locked back door (glass) with his gun cocked. Roger had set off the alarm deliberately. I ran and hid and Roger called the cops. They and ADT were there in 5 minutes.

Nic Nel reports:

Another armed robbery at Van Ecks 53 2nd Road tonight

About 19h45 Gerrit’s wife saw movement at their cars outside. Gerrit shouted out and then ducked when he heard a gun being cocked. As he stepped back 3 bullets fired through his window into the wall behind him narrowly missed him.

Fortunately Juan had the San Car Sector numbers I sent them yesterday and the police were quickly on the scene but could not get access until I arrived and pointed them to the lower gate to the property.

Access to the property was again gained from the Papale empty stand at 54 3rd Road. I could raise neither Dave nor Danielle on the cell phone numbers I have for them.

A black old Golf 1 Reg. XCH676GP with 4/5 males was seen slowly cruising 3rd Road this afternoon.

I used to get crime tip-offs against the payment of a R30 reward cell-phone recharge.  This system has been abrogated because the Provincial CPF Chairman, Andy Mashaile, threatened me with arrest, claiming that only the Police and the NIA are allowed to gather “intelligence”. Despite repeated requests, he has not been able to refer me to a legal passage supporting his intimidation. His prohibition of my system has undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence in crime in Linbro Park.

I repeat my mail of yesterday:

The Police have introduced a system of Sector Policing where the public have direct access to at least 2 Police vehicles on Patrol in a particular Sector – much like we can call ADT Car direct. For the most part, response time is about 5 minutes.

The Linbro sector police vehicles are

0716756028

0716756129

The ADT car is

0834112664

Note the numbers before it is too late.

Another armed robbery in Linbro Park

Unedited, here are the reports from Owen and Melody Williams and Nic Nel:

Started out at 21:10 contacted ADT (Leemack?) who was at 29 first Road drove there 2 ADT cars in attendance told by ADT afterwards that it was an armed robbery with reportedly 6 assailants. Drove immediately to Second & Third roads looking for parked cars and the like adjacent to the unkempt, unkept open properties. No vehicles in sight and no pedestrians. Still a lot of plots with no clearly identifiable numbers at night. I wondered where all the rubbish in Linbro went during the garbage strike, look no more a lot of it is on Douglas Road. With so many overgrown plots you could hide an army let alone a few criminals.  Saw ADT at 9:50 driving around plus Chubb, no one had seen anything. A couple of obvious residents driving home and 1 or 2 pedestrians.

Knocked off at 22:17.

Melody & Owen

The robbers were waiting for the tenants when they returned home at about 20h20.  Their Panic Button was not working but they had not reported the fault yet to ADT.  The gardener alerted Stephen Papale who reported to Sandringham and then contacted me.  I sent ADT to the scene from Hilton Road where he was patrolling.  I then phoned the Sandringham Sector Patrol Car and it had just arrived at the crime site.

Between 5 and 6 BM robbers were involved, 3 of whom were armed.  Computers and laptops were taken but nobody was physically injured.

Nico Nel

Greenstone yesterday

Update: Alex Eliseev of 702, who covered the Japan earthquake in fine detail, is reporting that several cars were hit by the hijackers as they opened fire at random in an effort to get SAPS off their trail. No one was injured, but the thought of having bullets hit your car as you come down from the M54 is chilling.

Secondly, it was not Blockwatch folk, but a contracted security company, which pursued the criminals.

Original post: My wife Karen was on her way to a client meeting with me in Bryanston when she saw the most extraordinary police activity down Modderfontein Road.

Here, as far as we can work out, is what happened:

* A Glenhazel man was robbed and hijacked after leaving an FNB branch
* Three men raced away and were pursued by local Blockwatch folk
* A SAPS helicopter and SAPS in cars cornered them in Modderfontein
* A fierce gun battle ensued, with the robbers firing at random at drivers, no more than 3km from the M54, which links Linbro Park and Modderfontein
* No one was injured. The Corolla was badly damaged, but after a 90-minute manhunt the three suspects were caught and are in jail.

And this happened.

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=65007

Greenstone Mall evacuated after bomb scare
Jacob Moshokoa | 10 Hours Ago

Staff and shoppers were evacuated from the Greenstone Mall on Gauteng’s East Rand on Tuesday following a bomb scare.

Police received a tip-off that a device was placed at the FNB bank in the Edenvale mall. Shoppers were then evacuated and streets around the mall were cordoned off.

“A lady received a telephone call from a guy who said there was a bomb in the bank,” said the police’s Robbie Roberts. “The Greenstone management evacuated the whole Greenstone Mall and a bomb disposal unit is at the scene at the moment.”

The ANC has made much of the DA's supposed failure to provide covered toilets in the Cape

Update: Daily Maverick on the toilet issue. In my view, DA 1 ANC 0.


http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2011-05-03-of-unenclosed-toilets-and-enclosed-ballot-booths

Original post: Here is the truth (and PS, this pic is an ANC toilet from the Free State).


http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=141542

Sad toilet saga shows ANC puts politics first
EVEN if you assume Judge Nathan Erasmus’s ruling in the Makhaza toilets case is correct in strictly legal terms, which is open to debate and possible appeal, you have to wonder where justice comes into it.

It is common cause that the council has tried on several occasions to enclose the minority of toilets that hadn’t already been enclosed by the residents themselves in accordance with the community agreement Erasmus decided was unlawful. It was prevented from doing so by members of the ANC Youth League, who tore down the wood and iron structures as quickly as they were erected.

DA meeting Wednesday 4 May

Darren Bergman is holding a DA presentation at Modderfontein Golf Club Wednesday 4 May 6pm to 7pm. If you can be there, you will hear his and the DA's plans for Linbro and environs.

Stuff for purchase

At 87 Hilton we have tons of stuff we no longer need. That's what happens as your family grows and your needs change.

Happy to post pics:

1 good-quality Lenovo PC with all fittings: R890
1 exercycle, in perfect nick: R490
1 Orbitrek, in perfect nick: R490

1 coal stove, needs a little work (R1 490 - I know Mario Cremonte was interested in this)

All of these items are being sold at under 50% of market value. Interested parties can contact me on frank.heydenrych@gmail.com