Gerbera.org - Barberton Times

1 February 2006

Muddy hell for mountain bikers

By Lynette Louw

Heavy rain that fell last Friday and on Saturday morning nearly turned the 10th Mazda Barberton Mountain Bike Challenge into a river race.

Members of the Rotary Club who organised it, were frantically rushing around on Saturday morning, trying to get onto the mountain for the last preparations. Rivers were coming down in full spate after more than 170mm was measured in town over those two days. They had to make quick decisions and according to Ben Theron, president of the Rotary Club, they had no choice but to change the trail. “There was no way that even vehicles could get onto the 75km route to set up water points and medical facilities. The cyclists would have been at risk of being swept away by the water.”

Fortunately they could bypass Concession Creek on the 40km trail. In both races cyclists participated over the 40km route.

The event could only start at 07:30 after the necessary arrangements had been made. Due to the heavy rains many cyclists turned away and decided to not risk the adverse conditions.

Only 1 483 competitors registered this year. Of these 664 participated in what would have been the 75km race, 717 in the 40km race and 102 in the 7km fun ride.

The results of the two races where as follows.

Mazda Mountain Bike Challenge (40km):
Overall winners in the men’s division were Mannie Heymans (01:25:53), Burry Stander (01:26:14) and Dana Coetzee (01:26:35).

Overall winners in the women’s division were Anke Erlank (01:45:52), Tania Raats (01:47:17) and Yolande Speedy (01:55:00).

The first in each division were:

Junior men – Francois Theron (01:29:52), senior men – Burry Stander (01:26:14), senior women – Anke Erlank (01:45:52), subveteran men – Mannie Heymans (01:25:53), subveteran women – Tania Raats (01:47:17), veteran men – Gary Cooper (01:46:00), veteran women – Bronwynne Swanepoel – (02:28:26), masters men – Jan Lamberts (01:57:52) and grandmasters men – Malan van Rensburg (02:38:34)

RCI race (40km):
Overall winners in the men’s division were: Piet Makokga (01:48:52), Kim Langley Phillips (01:49:53) and Jack Makokga (01:54:54).

Overall winners in the women’s division were: Hannelie Strydom (02:27:45), Erika du Preez (02:28:06) and Chantel van Jaarsveld (02:32:45).

The first in each division were:
Sprog boys (11–12 years) – Gram Walton (02:22:54), youth men (15–16 years) – Mark Malherbe (02:06:51), youth women – Caitlin de Wet (03:26:51), junior men – Louis Harmse (01:57:41), senior men – Piet Makokga (01:48:52), senior women – Erika du Preez (02:28:06), subveteran men – Johann Wykerd (02:02:39), subveteran women – Gratia Fischer (02:45:43), veteran men – Brett Coates (01:58:07), veteran women – Elizabeth Delport (02:48:18), masters men – Kim Langley Phillips (01:49:53), masters women – Ann Pearton (02:37:00) and grandmasters men – John Williams (04:06:43).


Cobus Verster		Andrew Nuns


Hennie Naudé		Peter Bakker


Bruce Malele		Stanley Shongwe

The race started and hour late in order for the organisers to prepare the alternative route

Thieves nabbed

By Lynette Louw

Within 13 hours after Beaulah Lippiatt’s vehicle was stolen in the early hours of January 23, the police found the Honda Ballade and arrested two more men.
Last week Barberton Times reported about the ordeal in which Lippiatt was held at knifepoint and tied up in her home in Sheba Road by two robbers.
Vusi Simba (22) was arrested in her house after the neighbours alerted the police. Musa Nkosi (34) drove away in her Honda Ballade.
According to Const Sakile Mashaba they brought Simba to the police station and from information he provided, they started to search for the vehicle at Verulam but could not trace it.
Nkosi was out on parole and they knew he resided in Low’s Creek. The crime prevention unit searched for him when they were informed that the vehicle was spotted in Emjindini extension 11.
They found Nkosi in extention 7 at a sangoma’s house and arrested him. He took them to the house of Patrick Malaza (23) where they found the car keys as well as the keys to Lippiatt’s house. The red jacket and the balaclava that was worn during the robbery were also at the house. Malaza was arrested as well.
He then took them to the vehicle that was hid in the bushes at Emjindini Trust from where they would have taken it to Swaziland.
They appeared in court on January 24. Both are still in custody.

Const Sakile Mashaba with the Honda Ballade of Beaulah Lippiatt.

Teacher suspended

By Richard Nkosi

A grade eight teacher of Ngwane Primary School in Emjindini has been suspended for alleged sexual harassment.
The incident was reported to have occurred last year at the administration block at school. It was alleged that the teacher, whose name is known to Barberton Times, forced three girls whose age rages from 14 to 15, to undress in front of him and he allegedly touched their private bodies. After he let the girls go they reported the matter to other teachers, who then blew the whistle.

According to Thomas Msiza, Mpumalanga Department of education spokesman, the teacher was suspended with immediate effect. He said the department has charged the man under the labour law. “It would be up to the parents of the pupils to press charges with the SAPS,” he said.

An enraged mother of one of the abused girls said it is sad that pupils were no longer safe at school. “The whole incident has affected my child mentally. It will take her a long time to regain faith in her elders.”

The pupils received counseling from GRIP in Barberton.

According to spokesman, Const Jabu Ndubane, police spokesman, a case of sexual harassment has been opened.
“Due to the fact that minor cases are handled by the child protection unit in Nelspruit, the case is not being investigated by the local police,” she said.

The teacher appeared before the education disciplinary committee yesterday.

Return to the top of Barberton Times

	Barberton	\|	Supporters	\|	Links	\|	Sitemap

E-mail this page to a friend: