Gerbera.org - Barberton Times

13 July 2005

Taxi dictators ousted

By Richard Nkosi

The Barberton Taxi Association (BTA), despite the absence of its previous chairman, Sukane Mavimbela and his committee, held its annual general meeting as planned, last Thursday. A new executive committee was elected. Mavimbela, Amos Maluleka, Rubber Fakude, London Mwale and Mandla Gwebu, the previous executive committee, had been accused of misusing the association’s funds. The AGM was postponed on three occasions because invitations that came from Ehlanzeni District Taxi Association (EDTA), didn’t reach the members. It was alleged that Mavimbela dednied an interim committee access to the association’s office to scrutinize its financial. This interim committee was recommended by MEC of road and transport, Fish Mahlalela, and elected after he recently held a meeting with the BTA members, at which they aired their grievances about the management of funds. For the past five years, since Mavimbela became chairman in 2000, no AGM were held and neither were financial reports made available to members. According to Dominic Mandlazi, the newly elected chairman, who acted as a chairman while Mavimbela attended family matters, R30 880 was missing. He said they also uncovered that Mavimbela and his committee had been operating with two financial books. Mandlazi said the association bank account was frozen and members have since been making monthly contributions of R250 to pay the administration staffs and rank marshals. Mavimbela on the other hand said that he is not going to move from his position. “Nobody informed me about the AGM, so I am still the BTA chairman. The allegations that I mismanaged the association funds are rubbish,” he said. Mandla Dube, EDTA spokesperson, said should Mavimbela not evacuate the office, they will be forced to take legal action. He said the National Land Transitional Transport Act of 2000 stated that if a term of office of office expired, that particular office bearer should quit or campaign to retain his position. “However, they failed to comply to this and they have to quit the office as they are no longer competent to occupy it,” Dube said. Mavimbela had seven days, from last week Thursday, to voice any protest against the newly elected committee. The election nearly didn’t take place at all, as members almost failed to constitute the voting quorum. Only 36 of the 87 registered members turned up to vote. The new executive committee were Dominic Mandlazi (chairman), Doreen Chibi-Khumalo (deputy), Douglas Ndlovu (secretary), Idah Themba-Thabethe (vice), Million Mhlongo (treasurer) and Bright Mdakane (training officer). Mandlazi has opened a case at the local police station against Mavimbela and the other members. They are charged with common assault, crimina injuria and damage to property. (Mandlazi said they stopped him in his car and assaulted him.)

Black B’ton rugby players taunted

By Richard Nkosi

Once again, in a rugby match that took place between Lydenburg and Barberton, in incident of racism threw a shadow over the game.
The fixtures between the two clubs took place at Lydenbrug Rugby Club last Saturday. Racism has for years been a constant cause of friction between the two clubs, but this time the committee of Barberton has had enough and is taking the matter further.
According to coach Louis Koen, six of Barberton’s black second-team players sat on the pavilion supporting the first team during their match. As they always did, they shouted and sang in support of the team and this seemed to bother some Lydenburg supporters, who were sitting in the VIP area and they threw chicken and rib bones at the Barberton players. A glass was also thrown, but did not find its target.
One of the Lydenburg supporters allegedly shouted to the Barberton supporters in a black language, to which one politely answered back in perfect Afrikaans.

After the match Louis Koen and Thinus Breedt, club captain, spoke to some of the Lydenburg committee members to resolve the matter and they denied having any knowledge of the situation. “I cannot believe that all of them sat in a relatively small area and not one of them saw anything,” an obvious upset Thinus said when Barberton Times spoke to him on Monday.

Later that evening at the clubhouse, the situation ended in a fight when Louis lost his temper and slapped the culprit who had thrown the glass. “Although I apologised for losing my temper, we are going to take this matter further,” he said.

According to Breedt they have had this problem with Lydenburg for the last six years. “Everytime we report their racist behaviour to the Mpumalanga Rugby Union via the Lowveld Rugby Union, nothing is done. We want to know what they are going to do about it this time - or is it yet another wrong that is going to be swept under the carpet?” he said.
Koen and Breedt both added that this was not in the best interest of rugby. “Is this the example Lydenburg wants to set for their black players?” they wanted to know. According to Breedt the black second-team players indicated that they were going to open a case of racism against the Lydenburgers. “I will support them in any action they want to take and as a committee member of Barberton I want answers from the union,” he concluded.

Christo Mulder, chairman of Lydenburg Rugby Club, said they would like to resolve the problem as soon as possible. He offered Lydenburg club’s full cooperation, should the involved parties wish to resolve the matter as “supporters of rugby and in comradeship”. “Unfortunately it is sometimes difficult to control spectators during a sports event, and even more so, to identify those involved in a situation like this,” he said. “As far as the bone-throwing episode is concerned, action has already been taken by the club, and the person, who was not a member, has on recommendation by the club, apologised to Barberton.”
Concerning the incident involving Koen, Mulder said, “We see the case as a personal matter between Mr Koen and the other person. We as a club have no ill feeling towards him.” Mulder said Lydenburg has had an action plan since 2003 to promote black participation in the club. It has seven black players and two black management members. “There is no racism in our club, every player can testify to this,” he concluded.

Wild

Smile for the camera

A visit to the Kruger National Park is most probably the most relaxing way of spending a winter day: driving around in the park, sitting at a waterhole, watching the animals come and go, switching your mind off from the everyday chaos of the office.

You leave the park revived, with a sense of purpose. Many waterholes are dry and even the veld needs rain so it can once again become lush and green.

However, winter conditions are excellent for game spotting. This lioness was photographed in the KNP last Sunday. Photo: Lynette Louw.

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