m a g a z i n e

ISSUE 21 | JuNE 2016

O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E W E S T E R N C A P E G O V E R N M E N T

Bread baker’s success story

SPINACH KING

ENTREPRENEURS

Creating jobs and growing our economy

STRESS

Is it making you sick?

Better Together magazine 1

14

10

30

28

Editor’s NoteBETTER TOGETHER MAGAZINE TEAM:

Editor in Chief:

Faiza Steyn

Editor:

Maret Lesch

Proofreaders:

Leah Moodaley, Aré van Schalkwyk

Afrikaans translation:

Aré van Schalkwyk

isiXhosa translation:

Luvuyo Martins

Contributors:

Leah Moodaley, Tracé Venter, Tania Colyn,

Haybré Philander, Jennifer Skordis, Elzona Swartz,

Chantell Holland, Jannie van der Westhuizen,

Beatrice de Jongh, Millicent Merton, Jo-Anne Otto,

Aziz Hardien, Ean Steenkamp-Cairns, Susan Davis,

Sithembiso Magubane, Bongiswa Matoti,

Petro van Rhyn, Junaid Anthony

Art director:

Trudine Scannell

Layout and design:

Trudine Scannell, Sylvanus du Plessis

Photographer:

Zanele Jam-Jam

Administration:

Nokuzola Ngcizela

Communication and liaison:

Portia Percival, Nokuzola Ngcizela

Editorial Committee:

Advocate Brent Gerber (DG), André Joemat (SG),

Faiza Steyn (Head of Corporate Communication),

Sylvanus du Plessis (Deputy Director: Creative);

Maret Lesch (Editor)

Telephone: 021 483 3806 Fax: 021 483 8267

Postal address: Better Together Magazine,

P.O. Box 659, Cape Town, 8000

Email: Better.Together@westerncape.gov.za

All letters and competition entries can be sent to the above e-mail or postal address. Only Western Cape

Government employees may enter. Note that all cash prizes are subject to tax.

Dear Colleagues

On 16 June we commemorated Youth Day. In 1976, many

young people sacrificed their lives when they stood up for

what they believed in and demanded to have a say in their

education.

We take the role education plays in shaping our future

leaders very seriously, which is why the after-school

programmes are so important to the Western Cape

Government. By giving our young people the opportunity

to learn skills and have a safe place where they feel they

belong, we are giving them a chance in life. Read more on

page 3 about our progress with implementing this Game

Changer.

English teacher, Gafieza Ismail-Le Chat, from Spine

Road High School realised that technology can contribute

positively to how our young people learn. Not only did

she manage to excite her students about learning and

participating in class, she also equips them for life after

school by facilitating workshops and technology training

during intervals. Read about this remarkable woman on

page 14.

Someone who also made education a priority is Justin

Sitzer from the Department of Human Settlements. He

worked for free for almost one year to gain the experience

and skills that will enable him to find paid employment.

His story of hard work and perseverance on page 4 will

definitely motivate you.

Creating employment opportunities in our province

is crucial if we want our economy to grow, which is why

we emphasise a culture of entrepreneurship. A wonderful

example is Lufefe Nomjana. He was jobless and realised

that he needed to create an employment opportunity for

himself. Today he is a business owner and PERA winner.

Read more about this inspirational man on page 10 and how

we are making it easier to do business in the Western Cape

on page 6.

I loved working on this issue. Not only did I meet

truly remarkable people and units in the Western Cape

Government, I also realised that we must give our young

people a fair chance to prove themselves. We are often so

negative about our country and its future that we tend to

forget that our youth already proved decades ago that they

are prepared to stand up for what they want.

Please write to us to tell us your inspirational story. I look

forward to hearing from you!

Until next time

Maret Lesch

Disclaimer: The Department of the Premier’s Corporate Communication Directorate has copyright

on all intellectual property and artwork in the Better Together magazine. All content in the

Better Together magazine adheres to copyright law.

FEATURES

3 Game Changer

After-school programmes

4 Motivation

Working for free

6 Main feature

Encouraging entrepreneurship

10 Inspiration

Jobless to business owner

12 What’s new

Medical innovations

14 Inspiration

Teaching with technology

16 Entrepreneur

Cheese maker creates jobs

17 Our organisation

CA Academy

20 Did you know?

Interesting facts about sleep

28 Sports & Culture

Our table tennis world champion

30 Our schools

Feed more with food gardens

ADVICE

18 Workplace

How to handle conflict

22 Personal finance

Surviving in tough times

24 Health

Stress and burnout

26 Health

Vaccinations

27 Information security

Phishing

32 Self-development

Secretarial Learning Programme

OTHER

2 Letters

34 Support services

CONTENTS

Better Together magazine2

Game Changer

By Tracé Venter

One of the Western Cape

Government’s priority

programmes is to expand

quality after-school programmes

in the province. There are far too

many children leaving school each

day and entering unsafe, violent

neighbourhoods and homes with

no adult supervision.

Our aim is to provide over

112 000 learners from no-fee

schools with access to safe, quality

after-school programmes by 2019.

The programmes offered fall under

four pillars: Sport & Recreation,

Academic Support (including

eLearning), Arts & Culture and Life

Skills.

We believe that regular and

consistent participation of

learners in these programmes

will dramatically improve learner

outcomes, reduce school dropout

rates and reduce risk-taking

behaviour.

We will be leveraging the

infrastructure and after-school

programmes we already have in

place under our Game Changer;

including the Mass participation;

Opportunity and access;

Development and growth (MOD)

Programme at 181 schools across

the province run by the Department

of Cultural Affairs and Sport

(DCAS), the MODYearBeyond

(YeBo) Programme at 22 schools

(and an additional five schools

running YeBo-Lite) run by the

Department of the Premier and

DCAS, the five Youth Cafés and

93 funded after-school partial care

centres run by the Department

of Social Development and the

Tutoring, School Enrichment and

Peer Education Programmes run

by the Education Department

(WCED).

Through this Game Changer,

we are also interested in

experimenting with innovative and

diverse after-school programme

models and have partnered with

six collaboration sites in Nyanga

Junction, Atlantis, Kraaifontein,

Paarl East and a high school-based

incentives pilot.

This is also a joint Game Changer

with the City of Cape Town and

we will be taking advantage of the

scores of libraries and recreation

hubs operated by the Metro.

Through this Game Changer,

we hope to drastically increase

the number of young people

living in the province who have

the necessary support and skills

to advance themselves in life and

achieve their dreams.

However, we recognise that

we will only be able to achieve

this through a whole-of-society

approach where our provincial

government works in partnership

with municipalities, NGOs, the

private sector, principals, teachers

and most importantly, parents and

learners.

This is what we mean when we

say “Better Together”.

We encourage all parents to

enquire at their children’s school

about the after-school programmes

on offer and ensure that their child

attends these on a regular basis.

Regular and

consistent participation of 20% of learners

in no-fee schools.

Just under 50%

of grade one

learners do

not make it to

matric in the

Western Cape

58% of Western

Cape matriculants’

results prevent

them from going

to university

29.9% of youth are unemployed in the province

IMPACT Regular and consistent participation in after- school programmes will:

• Dramatically improve learner outcomes• Reduce dropout rates• Reduce risk taking behaviour

Helping to build the future for our youth BETTER TOGETHER.

TH

E

CH

AL

LE

NG

E Home life plays a key role in learning.

Children whose families live in poverty and in violent communities often lack

the resources and infrastructure to support their learning.

Partners:

• Western Cape Department

of Cultural Affairs and

Sport

• Western Cape Education

Department

• Western Cape Department

of Social Development

• City of Cape Town

• NGO’s

After School Game Changer overview

What we do

AC

AD

EMIC

SPORT AND R

EC

RE

AT

ION

ARTS AN

D

CU

LT

UR

E

LIF

E S

KILLS

Ho

mew

ork

support

, ext

ra

less

ons for G

rades 11 and 12, Various codes of sport offered

recreationally

an

d a

s a

pro

gra

mm

es o

r em

bed

ded

programm

es within other pillars

which build

s m

aste

ry

math

em

ati

cs, s

cien

ce

and la

nguage support specific sport, which b

uilds m

aste

ry

care

er a

dvic

e a

nd o

ther life skills offered as standalone games offered recre

ational

ly o

r as

a s

pecif

ic a

rt f

orm

,

Le

ad

ersh

ip d

evelo

pm

ent, team w

ork, health awareness, Drama, dance, jugglin

g, musi

c, v

isual

art

s, in

dig

en

ou

s

www.westerncape.gov.za | www.yearbeyond.org.za

Opportunities for our youth

Letters

Do you have any stories about excellent government officials? Perhaps you have seen someone do remarkable work or go the extra mile for a citizen or a colleague? Write a short letter and tell us about them!

WIN R500!

Dear Better Together,

It was a very proud moment in my

life when the BT magazine was

distributed with me and my team

mates on the cover of the last

edition. The story has created quite

a stir among my colleagues and

I still get compliments about it. It

was good for me to see how many

people feel inspired by the story

and this has driven me to write this

letter to the magazine’s editorial

team requesting a regular feature

on disability. Because my life was

affected by disability and I choose

to live positively with it. While I do

not fully understand the concept,

but have accepted it with its

challenges as I continue living with

it, I want to share my experiences

and thoughts about disability.

It was fairly easy for me to

reintegrate back into my family

and community and place of

employment due to the accepting

attitude of the community. Far too

many people that face disability

feel excluded from certain activities

that they enjoyed participating in,

but this should not be the case.

We should join hands and embrace

the diversity that each individual

brings. We should in fact look

for opportunities and events that

make it easier for everyone to

enjoy despite their background or

difference.

I feel that disability should have

its own place among all the other

concepts of diversity such as race,

gender, age, sexual orientation and

religion. Disability is an evolving

concept and needs to be included

in every new development. For too

long have people with different

Please send us any questions you might have on processes, procedures, programmes and projects within the Western Cape Government. We will ask the appropriate department or directorate to answer you and you might see your answer in the next issue.

Best Letterdisabilities been ignored and

simply overlooked especially in

the workplace and in society in

general. It does not have to take

an exceptional person to be an

ambassador for disabled people,

but society must create the space

for disability to be incorporated in

everything that we do. In this busy

world of ours we do need people

to be considerate of persons that

are disabled and through various

ingenious ways allow for equal

opportunities for participation in all

activities.

We also have to accept that

there are certain limitations that

will prevent complete or universal

access to some activities, but these

will need to be addressed and the

amount of occurrences reduced

until it is completely eliminated.

I can think of numerous facilities

such as playgrounds, beaches and

sporting venues that are fairly

accessible and that include features

that are very accommodating to

persons using assistive devices

such as crutches, wheelchairs,

canes and guide dogs. These

facilities should be promoted

and used by as many people as

possible. Public transport is still a

challenge for many, but at least

there are some routes that can

accommodate everyone, including

disabled persons. We should

remember that it takes time for

these things to be put in place,

but while it is being worked on, we

should all stay positive, look out for

each other and enjoy the one thing

that we all share, life.

Kind regards

Raven Benny

Better Together magazine 3

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine4 5

“My only option was to prove

myself. That is why I gave

everything and worked hard. I

knew I had to start somewhere, even if it is at

the bottom. It’s much better to do something

and to gain experience, than to sit at home,”

says 21-year old Justin Sitzer about the year

that he volunteered at the Department of

Human Settlements.

Justin was a PAY intern at Local

Government for one year, where he gained

experience in the auxiliary services unit. When

his internship came to an end in March 2015,

Justin did not have another job to go to.

“I knew the kind of situation my parents

were in and I had to come up with a plan B

really fast. As I regularly helped out at Human

Settlements in auxiliary services during

my internship, I knew there was a need for

someone. I wanted to help them and I also

wanted to gain experience to add to my

CV. I then asked if I can volunteer at Human

Settlements, where I had the opportunity to

move to security services.”

Human Settlements reimbursed Justin for

his train ticket from Paarl every day, but Justin

still had to compromise greatly in order to

adjust to working without earning an income.

“It was a very stressful time for me. I

wanted to gain the experience, as I knew I

wanted to work in risk management in the

public sector. I would not have been able

to do it without my parents’ support. I had

absolutely no money. My mom sometimes

gave me R50 for the week and I sometimes

helped my uncle to lay tiles over weekends

to earn some money. My dad is my hero. He

got up at 04:00 every morning to make me a

sandwich for work and to take me to the train

station. The train leaves at 05:15 from Paarl.

“I did not have money to go out with

friends. I just told them that I’m saving and

that I cannot join them to go to the movies

and to go out. To me it was more important

to add to my skills and to build my CV. I also

did not tell the people in the building that I’m

a volunteer. I did not want them to treat me

differently,” says Justin.

As soon as there was a vacancy at the

Department of Human Settlements, Justin

jumped at the opportunity. After a stressful

application and interview process, he was

finally appointed in February 2016.

Justin grew up with strong male role

models in service delivery. His father works

for Drakenstein Municipality, two of his uncles

A leap of faithAfter Justin Sitzer completed his PAY internship, he decided to work

without payment to add to his skills and gain experience rather than

wait for an opportunity to come his way. By Maret Lesch

are wardens and another uncle is a police

officer. In a twist of fate, Justin applied for

a position at the SAPS shortly before his

internship had ended. He always believed that

he was destined to help people. “In January

2016, I did not know yet if my application

was successful and I was offered a job in the

SAPS where I would be responsible for access

control at Parliament. But I wanted to work

for Human Settlements where I knew I could

make a difference and where I can build a

career. I decided to take the chance and stay

at Human Settlements and it was worth it.”

According to his supervisor, Elrico van

Schalkwyk, Justin already made a difference

in service delivery during the year that he

volunteered. “He was a keen and eager

learner and performed his responsibilities

over and beyond what was expected of

him. He assisted the department to achieve

excellent audit results. Because he found

various ways of improving office procedures

and systems in use, we can also improve our

service delivery to the clients of the office,”

says Elrico.

Elrico says helping other people and

putting their needs before his own is also

important to Justin. “He is an exemplary role

model for young adults, as he truly leads by

example.”

Justin believes that his colleagues and

his personal values have motivated him to

persevere, even when he felt despondent.

“I believe in honesty, following your passion

and never giving up. I just pushed through

because I realised I had the opportunity to

build myself up. Some young people just care

about money, but I knew I had to work hard if

I wanted to achieve something. Now I dream

of buying a car and I’m saving as much as I

can. But if my younger brother doesn’t get a

bursary to further his studies next year, I will

help him first.”

Another dream of his is to apply for a

bursary to further his own studies in risk

management once he’s completed his

probation period.

“My passion is to make a difference in the

public service. I believe you should use your

opportunities and I’m very grateful for the

opportunity I had to volunteer. I think if you

don’t have the means to further your studies,

you should find a job where you will be able

to learn a skill and add experience to your CV.

By working hard you will make a success of

your life.”

“It’s much better to do something and to gain experience, than to sit at home.”

Justin Sitzer says

his passion is to

make a difference

in public service.

Motivation

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine6 7

Feature

We are encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship by helping small

businesses to expand in order to create employment and grow our

economy. By Maret Lesch

OOne of the Western Cape Government’s

strategic goals is to grow the province’s

economy by creating opportunities

for jobs. Entrepreneurs play a major role in

achieving this goal as they create a significant

amount of jobs in the Western Cape and

contribute to our province’s Gross Domestic

Product.

Entrepreneurs and small, medium and

micro enterprises (SMMEs) are thus critical

in addressing our high unemployment

rate. According to South Africa’s National

Development Plan (NDP), the majority of the

jobs will be created through SMMEs by 2030.

Unfortunately, we have a low entrepreneurial

culture in the Western Cape, which presents

us with a significant challenge. According to

the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)

report (2014), South Africa’s Early-stage

Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) rate dropped

with 34% in 2014. This means that in order to

address unemployment and economic growth

in the Western Cape, we need to implement

a strategy to create awareness around

entrepreneurship and develop a culture of

entrepreneurship. We must encourage people

to move away from the concept of seeking

employment to one of creating self-employment

and employment for others.

Joshua Wolmarans, Director: Enterprise

Development for the Department of Economic

Development and Tourism (DEDAT), says

our key focus to boosting economic growth

is creating an enabling environment, making

it easier for businesses to do business in

the Western Cape, and instilling a culture of

entrepreneurship.

“It is vital that we inculcate a culture of

entrepreneurship. This is why our flagship

project is the Premier’s Entrepreneurship

Recognition Awards (PERA). In our society, we

celebrate sportsmen and television personalities

for their contribution but we hardly celebrate

entrepreneurs. We created a platform to

celebrate entrepreneurs and to say thank you

for creating jobs, contributing to our economic

growth, and for what they are doing in our

society to deal with socio-economic challenges.

We are recognising entrepreneurs who achieved

success in a particular area and we are using

Future investmentthis platform to create awareness about

entrepreneurship.”

Low entrepreneurial activity can be ascribed

to a scarcity of role models in disadvantaged

communities, explains Joshua. “In disadvantaged

communities we seldom have family or friends

who are entrepreneurs as role models. We are

encouraging entrepreneurship in high school

students. We must influence their minds at a

young age and introduce entrepreneurship

in after-school programmes and teach them

practical skills and the different aspects of

business.

Pat September, the PERA Project Manager,

agrees. “Most of us did not grow up with

entrepreneurs as role models and it is not part

of our mind frame. It is important that we work

with young learners and plant that seed in their

minds that they do not have to become an

employee, but can create their own work. On

the other hand we must also work to support

businesses.”

ENABLING ENVIRONMENTCreating an enabling environment means that

we must make it easier for businesses to do

business in the Western Cape. We are taking

a multifaceted approach to support SMMEs

to grow, access markets and access finance

opportunities. Our initiatives include cutting red

tape, matching entrepreneurs and businesses

with funders, business development support

services and helping businesses to position

themselves in the market.

Sharief Davids, a Project Manager at the

Enterprise Development Unit focusing on

finance opportunities for businesses, explains

that for the past 10 to 15 years, access to finance

has been seen as one of the major obstacles

faced by small enterprises. “It is not a lack of

money, but the mismatch between what the

funders want and what the small businesses

have or are looking for. We are working to

narrow that gap and the Western Cape Funding

Fair is an attempt to narrow the mismatch gap.”

The Western Cape Funding Fair is a public

private partnership between the Western Cape

Government and international professional

services firm Deloitte. This initiative seeks

to educate and empower project promoters

Ten former informal sector

entrepreneurs now have the

opportunity to do business

from the Long Street kiosks.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine8 9

establish the concept of shared services.

We must be creative with what we have;

use mentorship to add expertise and

address challenges identified. We must

also teach people to apply the skills they

have learnt,” says Deon.

One example of how we are shaping

entrepreneurs from informal sectors are

the small businesses occupying the Long

Street kiosks. Sharief Davids says the

kiosks were a Public Works initiative that

was handed to DEDAT. “We are making

it an extension to one of our training

programmes. In 2013, we trained 1 500

informal traders in the Philippi area. In

2014/15, we partnered with the University

of the Western Cape and trained another

1 000 entrepreneurs. The purpose of the

Long Street kiosks is to relocate some of

the township-based businesses we trained

into the CBD. The idea is that they run

their kiosk in Long Street and continue

to run their township-based business

by employing one or two other people.

We want to make the Long Street kiosks

available to new businesses every year.”

Creating awareness and developing a

culture of entrepreneurship has become

a priority. SMMEs represent an important

solution to the challenges of job creation,

economic growth and equity in our

province, as set out by PSG1.

and entrepreneurs on the holistic approach

and processes to follow in turning ideas into

bankable business plans that have a higher

probability of attracting the right type of

funding and investment. The Western Cape

Funding Fair for 2016 was held on 25 May.

Western Cape based businesses, requiring a

minimum of R2 million in funding, were invited

to submit their applications. The applications

were shortlisted and the top 20 applications

were educated on how to turn ideas into

bankable business plans and were matched

with suitable investors, thereby increasing their

chance of attracting the right type of funding or

investment.

The Red Tape Reduction Unit contributes

to making it easier to do business in the

Western Cape. “The World Bank has done

extensive studies with regards to the ease of

doing business and we have taken some of it

on board. The Red Tape Reduction Unit deals

with issues such as legislation, processes,

communication, and stakeholder collaboration.

Our first approach is reactive, where businesses

come to us with obstacles and we address

them. The second is proactive, where we deal

with systemic issues, such as reducing the

number of processes or procedures relating to

business facing services. We also deal with the

unintended consequences of legislation that

could potentially stifle economic growth and

development,” explains Joshua.

Pat says that they are also conducting

roadshows and workshops to inform businesses

of the importance of being compliant, e.g.

businesses must understand the importance

of being registered on the newly implemented

national Central Supplier Database. The unit also

has sessions to educate businesses on Broad-

Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-

BEE), how it affects them, and how important

it is for the business to be compliant in terms of

the BB-BEE Codes of Good Practice.

The Cape Accelerate Programme also

plays a major role in assisting and supporting

business owners to take their business to

the next level and position themselves in the

market, says Project Manager Deon Damons.

“The programme’s intention is to grow existing

businesses in order to create employment. We

go to the business, identify the key challenges,

help them with a communication plan, and

show them how to implement change and

improve efficiency. The idea is to enable the

business owner to think differently about their

business and to identify where they want to go

with the business, what is their core product or

service and how they can maximise it. We must

reorientate the mind of the business owner in

looking at different business opportunities. We

need to make them aware of their challenges

and provide them with the skills to take the

business forward. Part of this is how to package

themselves to access finance, improve the

business and ultimately create employment

opportunities.”

INFORMAL SECTORDeon says creating entrepreneurial activity and

starting a business in the informal sector is a

unique challenge. “Businesses in the informal

sector have a tendency to copy existing

businesses under the perception that they will

make huge profits. Our informal sector approach

is to add a franchise model to duplicate business

models that work. The key is to assign areas to

entrepreneurs who specialised in a product, for

example a small bakery producing fresh bread

every day for their immediate neighbourhood.

The aim is to get each business to generate an

income and sustain itself.”

In the informal sector, entrepreneurs face

tough competition from small business owners

from other African countries such as Nigeria and

Somalia. Deon explains that business owners

from African countries have a natural ability

to work together and that their family-owned

businesses often benefit from a central banking

system. “They operate a business by collective

purchase. The products move in the same

circles and distribution becomes easy through

the informal distribution network. Some of

these businesses have networks that pull into

Africa and locally. They can sell high volumes at

low prices through a successful central buying

system at low profit margins.”

In order for us to make our informal sector

based businesses work and create employment

opportunities, we must focus on collaborating

and using unique business models to push them

forward. “National Government has started

with a cooperative programme and we must

“We must encourage people to move away from the concept of seeking employment to one of creating self-employment and employment for others.”

PSG1

The WCG wants to create an

enabling environment for businesses

to grow the economy and to create

jobs. To achieve this, we are focusing

on two key areas designed to

encourage increased investment and

a more competitive economy:

• Developing our economy, which

includes demand- and supply-

driven initiatives to dramatically

increase our economic

performance; and

• Optimising our infrastructure

and resources for growth, which

include action steps to position

our economy as a regional hub

and a great place to invest, work

and live.

FeatureFeature

X

A

Enye yeenjongo zeqhinga lokusebenza loRhulumente weNtshona

Koloni kukukhulisa uqoqosho lweli phondo ngokudala amathuba

emisebenzi. Oosomashishini badlala indima ebonakalayo enkulu

kakhulu ekufezekiseni le njongo njengoko ingabona badala

amathuba amaninzi emisebenzi eNtshona Koloni nanegalelo

kwiMveliso iYonke (Gross Domestic Product) yeli Phondo.

Ngelishwa, apha eNtshona Koloni asingobantu abakwezoshishino

kakhulu, nto leyo engumngeni omkhulu. Ngokwengxelo yeGlobal

Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) (2014), umlinganiselo weSouth

Africa’s Early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) wehle nge-

34%. Oku kuthetha ukuba ukuze sikwazi ukujongana nentswela-

ngqesho nokukhula kwezoqoqosho eNtshona Koloni, kufuneka

sifezekise iqhinga lokusebenza ukuze sazise uluntu ngezoshishino

kwaye sivelise inkcubeko yokuba ngoosomashishini. Kufuneka

sibakhuthaze abantu ekubeni bahlukane nengqiqo yokukhangelana

nomsebenzi endaweni yoko bazisungulele amashishini abo kwaye

baqashe nabanye abantu kuloo mashishini.

Kananjalo kufuneka siwaxhase amashishini ngokwenza imeko

ekuvumelayo ukwenziwa kwamashishini. Oku kuthetha ukuba

uRhulumente weNtshona Koloni kufuneka akwenze kubelula

ukushishina eNtshona Koloni. Oku sikwenza ngeendlela ezininzi

ukuxhasa iiSMME ukuze zikhule, zifikelele kurhwebo kwaye

ziwafumane amathuba ezemali. Amanyathelo ethu okuqala

malunga noku aquka ukususwa kwemiqathango ebonakala

ithintela ukwenziwa kwezinto ngendlela efanelekileyo, sihlanganise

oosomashishini nabaxhasi ngemali, sibonelele ngeenkonzo

zenkxaso yezoshishino ngokunjalo nokuwanceda amashishini

akwazi ukuzibeka endaweni efanelekileyo kwezorhwebo.

Een van die Wes-Kaapse Regering se strategiese doelwitte is om

die Provinsie se ekonomie te ontwikkel deur werksgeleenthede

te skep. Entrepreneurs speel ’n groot rol om hierdie doelwit te

bereik aangesien hulle heelwat werksgeleenthede in die Wes-Kaap

skep en tot ons Provinsie se Bruto Binnelandse Produk bydra.

Ons het ongelukkig nie ’n baie sterk kultuur van

entrepreneurskap in die Wes-Kaap nie en dit is vir ons ’n

groot uitdaging. Volgens die 2014-verslag van die Globale

Entrepreneurskapsmonitor (GEM) het Suid-Afrika se vlak van

vroeë-stadium-entrepreneurskap (TEA) met 34% gedaal. Dit

beteken dat ons ’n strategie moet implementeer om bewustheid

van entrepreneurskap te skep en ’n kultuur van entrepreneurskap te

ontwikkel om werkloosheid en ekonomiese groei in die Wes-Kaap

aan te spreek. Ons moet mense aanmoedig om weg te beweeg van

die konsep van werk soek na een waar mense werksgeleenthede vir

hulself en ander skep.

Ons moet sakebedrywighede ook steun deur ’n bemagtigende

omgewing te skep. Dit beteken dat die WKR dit makliker

vir sakebedrywighede moet maak om sake in die Wes-Kaap

te doen. Ons het ’n veelsydige benadering om KMMO’s te

steun sodat hulle kan ontwikkel, en om toegang tot markte

en finansieringsgeleenthede te kry. Ons inisiatiewe sluit in die

uitskakeling van rompslomp, om steundienste vir sakeontwikkeling

daar te stel en sakebedrywighede te help om stelling in die mark in

te neem.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine10 11

Born and breadFrom being unable to

put bread on the table to

providing bread for all,

Lufefe Nomjana shares his

journey from being jobless

to being an entrepreneur.

By Leah Moodaley

Bread is a basic food item in most

households, alongside staple products

like milk, butter and oil. However, with

the rise in additives like fructose and sodium,

not to mention gluten, bread might satisfy

your hunger but it doesn’t necessarily benefit

your health. A Khayelitsha-born entrepreneur

has seen the value in creating bread that

does. Lufefe Nomjana, founder of Espinaca

Innovations, stands as the overall winner of the

Premier’s Entrepreneurial Recognition Awards

(PERA) 2015 and the best agro-processor of

which prevent cardiovascular illnesses and

chronic diseases. Boom! That was my first

confirmation that spinach was medicinal.”

Lufefe then realised that he could do more

for his community members and their health. He

volunteered at the local hospital, encouraging

all new patients to follow a healthier diet. “I was

shocked. Every day, there were hundreds of

new people. This was also a confirmation that

what I had to do was something to do with

health.” For one month, he helped the hospital’s

dietician to treat patients with lifestyle diseases.

Around the same time, the

marketing of low GI bread

became popular. Lufefe

took an interest in this and

began researching the

ingredients and what they

mean. “Internet was my only

resource. My idea was to

come up with a substitute for what they were

already consuming... this was healthy, but there

were no vegetables, how about I come up with

spinach low GI bread.” With a smile and a spark

of insight, he states that “innovation is born

after information”. He jokingly explains that just

after the idea for spinach bread, he went online

and googled “How to bake the best bread

in the world”, which led him to a site called

Breaducation. With forty rand and an informed

mind, he began kneading his ingredients

in a bucket and fine-tuning his recipe. “My

vision was bigger than my shack and my

circumstances. If I stopped, I’d be running away

from my calling.”

From its start in 2011, Lufefe’s Espinaca

Innovations is the result of passion, skill

and a clear vision of what he wanted to do

and how he wanted to do it. A large part of

Lufefe’s entrepreneurial journey involved in-

depth research and an inner voice reminding

him of his purpose, despite his financial

circumstances and rejection from potential

investors. Lufefe’s express bakery is situated

in Spine Road, Khayelitsha, and his bread is

distributed to various retailers throughout the

Cape. He continues to support his community

by sourcing his ingredients from a company

called Abalimi, who collect their harvest from

community gardens in and around Khayelitsha.

Espinaca Innovations is currently in the

process of opening a production factory in

Stellenbosch, and a café in Khayelitsha Mall.

Lufefe encourages all young entrepreneurs to

realise their “net worth” and unlock their minds

to the possibilities. “You succeed by starting.”

the year.

Lufefe laughs at the suggestion of his idea

being a “spark of genius” and instead begins to

describe it as more of a journey which resulted

from a number of affirmations along the way.

Growing up, Lufefe recalls collecting water

for his neighbours in exchange for an hour

or two in front of their televisions to watch

cartoons. As he describes the various stages

of his life, the passion in his voice is distinct.

Lufefe Nomjana had something to prove. At

the age of 18, he earned money as a door-

to-door salesman selling his aunt’s tailor-

made traditional clothing. He remembers

travelling as far as Hermanus to sell the

clothing to interested buyers. Lufefe says it

was this experience that first “ignited his fire

of entrepreneurship”. He also spent time as

a casual employee at a large clothing retailer

which added to his sales skills. Although these

opportunities allowed him to develop his

marketing skills, he longed to pursue something

that would help not only him, but also his

family and community. He needed security and

stability – things that a casual

job could not offer.

With his matric and an

NQF 4 certificate in business

management, he clearly

recalls asking himself “What is

my purpose in life; what can

I share in order to receive?”

Finances prevented him from furthering his

education, but a sense of urgency pushed him

to take control of his future.

He approached the community garden

where he volunteered his services to the

elderly women who looked after the plants.

“I understood that there are blessings in

hard work. I knew that it would come with

responsibility and the risk of getting nothing,

but they were happy, I was young, I had energy,

and I was a salesman.” He describes this

decision to volunteer as a “vocational voice”

or his calling; he had to act immediately. With

no background in agriculture, he knew he had

something to add to the garden. From being a

little boy who idolised Popeye the Sailor Man

and his famous cans of spinach, he now planted

and grew spinach; falling in love with the

concept of “giving life” through planting and

nurturing, as he describes it.

In his four months working in the garden,

he converted it from a strictly social garden

to a social/commercial garden, selling every

harvest as a door-to-door vegetable salesman.

In exchange for his hard work and dedication,

he earned the vegetables he needed to feed

himself, and also gained the awareness of

agriculture as a solution to many problems. He

experimented with many ways of preparing

spinach and remembers feeling healthy and

strong, becoming a vegetarian in the process.

At the time, spinach was the most accessible

and affordable vegetable. “From there, I went

online at the library to learn more about spinach;

Internet was the only resource I had. One

spinach leaf contains almost 13 phytochemicals,

“My vision was bigger than my shack and my circumstances.”

Inspiration

Lufefe with

a tray of

fresh spinach

bread from

his bakery.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine12 13

What’s new?

Medical innovationsTruly remarkable service delivery means finding innovative ways to

save costs and help patients with the best care possible. Let’s take a

look at some of the breakthroughs that are changing the landscape of

medical treatment in our province. By Maret Lesch

KEYHOLE HEART SURGERYIn the past, open-heart surgery meant that

surgeons would cut through the breastbone,

resulting in longer recovery periods for

patients. In March 2016, Groote Schuur Hospital

became the first in South Africa to perform an

open-heart aortic valve replacement operation

by using keyhole surgery. The patient was

55-year-old Boniswa Simon from Khayelitsha,

who could go home only one week after her

open-heart surgery.

The cardio-thoracic surgeon, Dr Jacques

Scherman, performed the minimally invasive

procedure by making only one incision of about

6 cm and using an endoscopic camera and tiny

instruments to excise and replace the valve.

This kind of surgery is a standard

procedure in First World countries, but not

widely practised in South Africa owing to a

skills shortage. To prepare for this intricate

procedure, Dr Scherman, who specialises in

keyhole surgery, trained for two years at the

University Hospital of Zurich in Switzerland.

“This surgical procedure results in less

surgical trauma, this leads to faster recovery

times and eventually cost savings for the

hospital,” says Dr Scherman.

The operation was so successful that Groote

Schuur Hospital is now setting up a training

programme in the province.

BREAST CANCER BREAKTHROUGHThe medical technology company, Cape Ray,

has designed and developed a special machine

to make breast cancer diagnosis for women

faster, simpler and less painful.

The Aceso machine is the world’s first

imaging system that combines mammographic

and ultrasound technologies and can instantly

detect microscopic cancer cells without

multiple screening tests. It’s the perfect

solution to the difficulty in analysing dense

breast tissue.

It was officially launched by the Department

of Science and Technology at the Groote

Schuur Hospital on Thursday, 5 November

2015. The machine costs R30 million and

is funded by the Industrial Development

Corporation.

“It produces a low dose of X-rays while

using ultrasound simultaneously. This allows

for an almost immediate detection by sight

and enables us to perform mammographic and

ultrasound funtions at the same time. Not only

do you save time, but you don’t have to have

two machines, so you save money too. The key

to this technology is that it can be widely used

to reach a large number of people, so it is ideal

to use in a public healthcare setting,” explains

Dr Kit Vaughan, the chief executive of Cape Ray.

NEW HOPE FOR BURN VICTIMSPatients with extensive burns spend many

months in hospital and often their only hope

for a full recovery are highly specialised skin

transplant techniques, which can cost up to

R1,8 million and are not always available.

Last year, the head of the adult burn unit at

Tygerberg Hospital, Dr Wayne Kleintjes, and his

team developed a new technique. It involves

growing the patient’s own skin in a laboratory

from skin harvested in a skin biopsy. It is

biologically safe as it uses only the patient’s

skin and no animal cells.

What makes this technique, called the

Tygerberg Burns Unit technique, truly

remarkable is that it costs less than R1 000 per

patient and no immunosuppressant drugs are

needed because the patient’s own skin is used.

The skin can be cultivated in the room next

to the ward without using a laboratory. The

recovery time for patients is also much shorter.

AFFORDABLE IVF TREATMENTMany couples experience fertility problems,

but only a few can afford in vitro fertilisation

(IVF), as it costs R25 000 to R35 000, is only

offered in private hospitals and clinics, and is

not covered by medical aid.

Dr Thabo Matsaseng, a fertility expert at

the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

(FMHS) left his private practice in KZN in 2008

to find a more affordable option in order to

give more couples the chance to conceive and

start a family.

Using Dr Matsaseng’s simpler model, the

fertility unit at Tygerberg Hospital charges

between R6 000 and R7 000 for a cycle of IVF

treatment.

The first step was to cut down on costs.

Dr Matsaseng cut down on human resources

and shared responsibilities amongst his team

members. They also entered into a public-

private interaction with the Aevitas Clinic in

Pinelands to save on the price of consumables

and certain laboratory services.

The treatment process was also changed.

The patient receives less hormone therapy to

produce a smaller but sufficient amount of

eggs. The eggs are then harvested under local

anaesthesia and conscious sedation instead

of placing the patient under anaesthesia in a

surgical theatre.

The success rate of the more affordable IVF

treatment is 25% to 30%, compared to the 35%

to 40% achieved by private treatment – making

it a viable option nonetheless. So

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Better Together magazine Better Together magazine14 15

InspirationInspiration

Teaching for tomorrowThis innovative English teacher uses multimedia and smart devices to

create in-depth resources and enhance the learning experience in her

classroom. By Maret Lesch

“If we teach today’s students as we taught

yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

English teacher, Gafieza Ismail-Le Chat,

says this quote by John Dewey is her guiding

light and the reason she’s pioneering the use

of technology in her Spine Road High School

classroom.

In February 2016, Gafieza was recognised for

her innovative thinking and use of technology

in her classroom when she received the

national award for Excellence in Technology-

Enhanced Teaching and Learning from the

Department of Basic Education.

She says she’s always been technologically

inclined and when she started at Spine Road

High School in 2012, she saw technology as

a way to help her learners who were more

academically challenged to improve their

learning and to make sure that what she

teaches them can also reach them outside of

the classroom.

Since Gafieza started using technology and

e-learning in her classroom, the school has

had a 100% English pass. Learners’ marks have

also improved from 60% in Grade 10 to an 80%

average in Grade 12 over the three years they

have participated in e-learning.

“We live in a digitally-enhanced world. To

get my learners more interested in English as

a subject, I started a blog. I placed slides, PDF

files of novels and the drama and poetry we

are doing in class on the blog, as well as the

resources and questions that I’ve developed.

The blog was very effective, especially during

examination time. However, it has become

a stagnated blog as I’ve improved on that in

terms of the teacher I’ve developed into and

am still developing to be,” explains Gafieza.

She wanted learners to be more involved

in e-learning, which is why her focus became

clearer towards that goal. “Using e-learning

resources in the classroom enhances the

learners’ learning capacity and I started

circumstances, not all the learners could bring

their own or their parents’ devices to school.

To accommodate them, Gafieza made print-

outs for them and they could use the devices in

her classroom during intervals and after school.

She also loaded the material onto memory

sticks for those learners who wanted to use

devices at home to learn.

“There are negatives, but also great positives

when using cellphones in the classroom. Kids

who did not want to learn in the first place

were now first to want to learn and use their

phones to do so. I taught them to back up

constantly, which taught them responsibility

and taking ownership of their work.”

A crucial aspect of being a teacher is to

cater for all the children with different learning

styles in the classroom. “With the multimedia

I present to my learners, I affect different

learning styles. Our kids do not learn the same

and we must accept that everyone learns in

a different manner and accommodate that

learning style.”

Gafieza believes that by using technology

and multimedia in the classroom, she can

show our children that there are unlimited

possibilities when it comes to learning, and that

we must never stop learning.

They will find new means of learning through

that same context. When they come to me to

show me something new, it means they took

the time to find another way to learn. That is

exceptional and very rewarding.”

Many parents and teachers are firmly against

using cellphones in the classroom, but Gafieza

says using smartphones in schools as a learning

tool has obvious advantages. “In 2014 we had

a backlog with textbooks. I asked the Grade 12

learners to bring their smartphones or tablets

to school with their parents’ permission to

ensure I could continue with lessons. I kept

their devices safe in my storeroom and loaded

PDFs of the textbooks on their devices.

Suddenly they became more assertive and

disciplined in taking down class analysis. They

were more intrigued to learn and became more

involved in the process of learning.”

Because of different socio-economic

the edublog https://themarvelteacher.

edublogs.org to succeed the initial blog. It is

more condensed and interactive with more

multimedia. Learners can download content

on their smartphones and study the material

as study cards. They can also listen to audio

readings of class discussions, which assist them

with learning, reading and articulating words

and to understand the meaning of words and

how to contextualise it.”

Gafieza says she can see the difference

using technology in her classroom has made.

“E-learning helps the learners to capacitate

themselves and to become more critical

thinkers. They can now create their own

learning resources and their work has become

more interactive. They try to impress in

class with what they are doing in terms of

technology. I’ve also taught them how to do

annotations and highlight on PDFs when they

use their cellphones or tablets. I encourage

them to use colour to enhance brain activity

and memorisation skills.”

She feels so strongly about enhancing the

learning experience that when she started at

Spine Road High School, she purchased her

own projector and screen for her classroom.

She also facilitates workshops for learners

during intervals. “I assist them with using

PowerPoint in a more interactive fashion and

teach them how to use Microsoft, interactive

tools, and animated videos. They will need

these skills when they leave school and I

want to ensure they are holistic learners and

equipped with skills they can use throughout

their lifetime.”

The learners are not the only ones who

benefit from this approach. Gafieza says she

also learns from them. “We don’t realise what

our children are capable of now. Learners are

also exposing me to new things. They become

excited and enthusiastic when they see you are

interested in this way of learning and teaching.

“E-learning helps the learners to capacitate themselves and to become more critical thinkers.”

Gafieza has won

a national award

for enhancing her

learners’ learning

experience through

technology.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine16 17

Nestled among the greenest

pastures of Stillbaai, in the

heart of fynbos country,

the Kasselshoop cheese makers

and their trusty stud of Jersey

cows work passionately to deliver

excellent service to stores across

the country.

Farming has sustained humankind

for centuries and is still a vital

part of our environmental, social,

physical and economic wellbeing.

Agriculture and agro-processing are

highlighted as key industry sectors

in the Western Cape Provincial

Strategic Plan, and cheese making

is listed among the many required

scarce skills. Kasselshoop Cheese

is a perfect example of how local

farming can sustain economic

growth through food production

and skills development.

The Kasselshoop family business

forms part of the Western Cape Fine

but to improve their lives. Two

of our past cheesemakers went

on to secure permanent jobs at

Parmalat,” says Kasselshoop’s Liesel

Kasselman.

In partnership with the

Department of Agriculture and

the Burgundy Cheese Making

Fellowship, two Kasselshoop cheese

makers were sent to France for

further training. “It was the first

time they saw a machine on a

production line. They were trained

in the production of soft cheeses.”

In addition, employees receive

certified training through the South

African Milk Processors Organisation

(SAMPRO) and the University of

South Africa (UNISA). According

Liesel Kasselman, “Kasselshoop

Cheese is based on integrity – from

our farm, to our produce, to our

people”.

Businesses like Kasselshoop

Cheese fill the gap between our

natural resources and sustainable

economic growth potential. They

pride themselves on excellence,

integrity and creating opportunities

for others. “The three words that

describe our business are integrity,

excellence and family.”

Kasselshoop, or “the hope of

a Kasselman”, has grown into a

successful enterprise that began

with a farmer and a little bit of hope

– hope that the potential of the land

and its people can be reached.

Food Initiative. The farm and factory

has built a 15-year tradition in the

crafting, curing and marketing of

innovative and exceptional cheese.

How can cheese be described as

innovative, you may ask? With 11

unique variations of cheese, and

counting, Kasselshoop has proven

itself to be inventive, creative and

bold in the preservation of tradition

and the development of flavour.

Klein Soebattersvlakte, the

Kasselman family farm, is where

these cheeses are carefully and

methodically produced. In 2000,

the Kasselmans decided to build a

cheese factory to help subsistence

dairy farmers in the area earn a

steady income. Fifteen years later,

these farmers still deliver their

milk to the factory in cans every

morning. The factory continues

to support its local economy,

“Kasselshoop helps the farmers

continue their

business”. Rightfully,

the cheese factory

built its foundation on

an abandoned school

building located on the

farm and continues

to be a centre of

education to all 17 of

its employees who

receive on-the-job

training. “We train our

employees, and not

just for the business,

KASSELSHOOP CHEESES:

• White/yellow Gouda and Cheddar

• Smoked Gouda

• Pickled onion Cheddar

• Olive white Cheddar

• Nettle white Cheddar

• Pepper white Cheddar

• Paprika peppers white Cheddar

• Chilli Gouda

HOPE FOR ALLKasselshoop Cheese

shows us why cheese

making is a scarce but

necessary skill in the

Western Cape.

By Leah Moodaley

Our organisation

Shaping skillsBy creating the Chartered Accountant Academy,

Provincial Treasury is creating a unique talent pool of

chartered accountants with specialised skills fit for the

public sector. Compiled by Maret Lesch

Our Provincial Treasury

took an important step in

securing a suitably skilled

future workforce by establishing

the Chartered Accountant

Academy (CAA) this year.

The CAA gives trainees the

opportunity to become chartered

accountants with an in-depth

understanding of public sector

financial systems and processes.

This is in line with Minister Meyer’s

vision of embedding good

governance across the Western

Cape and entrenching a culture of

financial accountability and best

practice.

The Academy is managed by

Mr Aziz Hardien CA(SA) DDG:

Governance and Asset Management

and Ms Adila Aboo CA(SA), Deputy

Director: Chartered Account

Academy Manager and follows

the formal training programme

from the South African Institute of

Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

According to Aziz Hardien,

the primary goal of the Provincial

Treasury is to improve the

quality and standard of financial

governance throughout the

province with the CAA. “We

are investing in training youth

who wish to become Chartered

Accountants. We offer the trainees

the opportunity to gain the

competencies required by SAICA to

ensure business continuity and we

equip them with the skills required

to be successful leaders and

specialists in the public sector.”

TESTIMONIALS

“It is quite nerve-wracking

to be one of the first set of

trainees in the CA Academy.

However, with the support

and motivation that I’ve

received, I am determined

and enthusiastic to see this

programme through and to

be a part of its success.”

– Ayesha Phillips

“I have always wanted a

career in the public sector.

The CAA has made that

dream come true to me. It

has given me the opportunity

to work with experienced

people who are passionate

about what they do. It is

nothing short of an honour

to be one of the first people

to be part of this amazing

programme.”

– Kabelo Mafiri

“I believe the CAA

programme will be life-

changing experience and it

provides a promise to change

the lives of others in future.

It is an excellent opportunity

that will provide me with the

practical experience to be a

CA in the public sector.”

– Sinazo Mtuzula

“I have always wanted to be a

part of something that would

make a difference; the CAA

has presented me with that

opportunity. It is an amazing

programme which has been

introduced by people who

are passionate about what

they do and it is an honor to

learn from them. This is the

beginning of a great journey;

a journey that will provide

young, driven individuals like

ourselves with a career filled

with endless opportunities.”

– Taryn Jacobs

To do this, the three- to

four-year professional training

programme is aligned to the

processes of government

institutions in a structured manner,

ensuring that trainees gain key

competencies in performance

management, financial statements,

IT controls, expenditure

management, HR management,

supply chain management, and

asset management.

Aziz Hardien explains that the

CAA will achieve this by exposing

trainees to different knowledge

areas and units. “Trainees will

be rotated on a six-month basis

to different units, providing

them with a holistic training

experience. During the first year

of the programme, rotation will be

implemented close to the Provincial

Treasury in order to address

unforeseen challenges pertaining

to the programme. Thereafter, the

trainees will be placed in various

provincial departments and public

entities.”

To qualify for the CAA,

candidates must be in their final

year of a SAICA-accredited degree

or have completed a Certificate

in the Theory of Accounting

(CTA), Postgraduate Diploma in

Accounting (PGDA) or a SAICA-

accredited equivalent, which will

enable them to write the qualifying

board exams. CAA trainees commit

to a full-time three- to four-year

internship contract with a market-

related salary.

For more information on the CA Academy, email Ms Adila Aboo at

adila.aboo@westerncape.gov.za or call 021 483 9081.

Economic growth

The Kasselshoop Cheese team at the SA Cheese festival in May 2016.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine18 19

at work, it is important that you know how

to conduct yourself. According to ICAS, you

should keep the following in mind:

1. Positive thinking: You can choose to be

positive in how you react to situations.

Make an effort to see the benefits of each

situation. You can consciously choose

your reaction to every situation.

2. Build rapport: It will make your working

life a lot less stressful and it will be easier

to resolve conflict situations. A pleasant

work atmosphere allows people to be

more productive, more efficient, produce

better quality work and go home less

drained. Always keep in mind the non-

verbal message you are sending (see the

box on body language).

3. Communicate clearly: If you want your

message to be well-received, be sure of

what you want to say. Think about how

it will make the other person feel and

be careful with your tone of voice, body

language and choice of words.

4. Pay attention: This will help you to avoid

assumptions and understand what the

other person is saying. You should:

• pay attention to the words being used;

• pick up on the tone of voice and the

meaning behind their words;

• observe their body language;

• listen to your gut feeling; and

• see things from the other person’s

point of view.

Workplace

CONFLICTBy working on your communication skills, conflict

situations in the workplace can be resolved with ease.

By Maret Lesch

5. Recognise and work with differences:

Don’t judge people who are different from

you. Find out how they work and use it to

communicate more effectively. Respect

different approaches and perspectives.

6. Deal with conflict: Resolve disagreements

as soon as possible. Try to take a step

back and assess the situation objectively.

Identify the reason for the conflict and try

to find common ground. Don’t use blaming

statements; rather say “I disagree” or “I am

upset” than “You make me angry”.

7. Be considerate: Rude and inconsiderate

behaviour will lead to antagonism and

resentment from your co-workers.

Respect them by avoiding loud telephone

conversations, cleaning up your mess

in the staff kitchen, respecting personal

space, not being late for work or meetings,

not taking credit for someone else’s work,

not having a condescending attitude

toward others, and by pulling your own

weight.

Also, it’s a good idea to consider why people

react to you the way they do. Try to avoid

behaviour that can be seen as inconsiderate

or confusing. Remember that despite our

differences, we can all make a valuable

contribution to the team.

BODY LANGuAGE

According to ICAS, our verbal message provides less than

10% of the message’s impact. The rest comes from non-

verbal cues and it’s important that we are aware of the

unspoken messages we convey.

• Adopt a friendly posture. Keep a comfortable distance;

try to sit or stand next to the person rather than

opposite them and don’t fold your arms, cross your legs

or look down.

• Make eye contact, but don’t stare.

• Use a friendly tone of voice.

• Smile.

• Look relaxed by relaxing your jaw and forehead.

• Speak the same language by listening to how the person

expresses him/herself and use the same format to

convey your message. They will feel better understood

and they’ll be more responsive to you.

• Find common ground or a shared interest, but don’t

pretend to be interested in something when you are not.

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We spend the better part of our day

with our colleagues and it is normal

to have different opinions and ways

of doing things. However, sometimes doing

things differently can create disagreements

in the workplace, which will affect your work

relationships and the way you feel about your job.

Conflict management in the workplace is

an important skill and something we can all

acquire with the right knowledge. According

to ICAS (Independent professional Counselling

and Advisory Service), conflict in the workplace

mostly means that we care enough about

our work to disagree strongly. It is how

we resolve our conflict that will determine

whether something positive comes from the

disagreement.

To establish and maintain good relationships

1

2

3

4

5

7

6

Cut the

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine20 21

Sleep is very important for our bodies and minds to recharge and

something many of us look forward to every night. But how much

do you really know about it?

• There are more than 84 sleep/wake disorders

• Dysania is a condition where you find it hard to

get out of bed in the morning

• 4 in 10 men and 3 in 10 women snore

• Somniphobia is the fear of sleep

• The sudden jolt you feel when sleeping is called a

“myoclonic jerk”

• Sleep apnea, a condition where you actually

stop breathing for up to 30 seconds, is the most

common cause of sleep disruption

• Sleep paralysis or parasomnia is when you wake

up, but can’t move. It’s a weird limbo between

when your mind being awake and asleep. It can

last from a few seconds to minutes

• Sleepwalking is also called somnambulism.

Most sleepwalkers remember little about the

experience. While sleepwalking, a person can

sometimes use the bathroom, eat, or even talk

• Exploding head syndrome is a disorder known to

cause the sensation of an explosion going off in

your head when you wake up

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INTERESTING FACTS

About 75% of people dream in

colour. Before colour television,

only 15% did

IT’S A MYTH that we

swallow about eight spiders

while we sleep

We aRe the only species that willingly delays sleep

GIRAFFES sleep for

only 1.9 hours per day in

5-10 minute sessions

A SNAIL can

sleep undisturbed for

up to three years

16 hours

babies

WE SPENT 1/3 OF OuR LIVES SLEEPING – APPROxIMATELY 25 yeaRs

Some DEAF people use sign

language in their sleep

People born BLIND don’t have

visual dreams, but dream with

their other senses. Those who

became blind after birth do

have visual dreams

You can’t

SNEEZE while

you are sleeping

Many Tibetan monks

sleep UPRIGHT

People can take CAT NAPS

with their eyes open without

even being aware of it

SNORING occurs only

in non-REM sleep

• You can only dream of faces you have already seen

• You can control your dreams. It’s called lucid

dreaming and it involves becoming aware that you are

dreaming, but not letting your mind wake itself up

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

If you fall asleep in less than 5 minutes, you are

SLEEP DEPRIVED.It should take 10-15 minutes

10 DAYS without sleep

CAN KILL YOU

Long-term sleep loss can cause:

• an increased risk of a heart attack

• high blood pressure

• a higher risk of catching a cold or the flu

• a 10% higher risk of developing depression

• 20% of all car crashes

Parents of new babies lose about

SIX MONTHS’ worth of sleep in the

first two years of the baby’s life

Lack of sleep can cause WEIGHT GAIN

of 0.9 KG in less than a week

You might feel HUNGRY, because

your leptin levels (which regulate your

appetite) fall

16 HOURS without sleep leads to a

decrease in performance equivalent to

having a blood alcohol level of 0.05%

A snoring partner can wake his

non-snoring partner an average of

20 TIMES per night, causing them

to lose an hour’s sleep

When executed patiently and

systematically, sleep deprivation is

said to be the single most effective

form of coercion and TORTURE

HEALTH

WHEN YOU SLEEP:

• Your brain recharges

• Your cells repair themselves

• Your body releases important hormones

Bananas, grapefruit, tuna,

yogurt and milk are high

in tryptophan, which

encourages sleep

You burn more

calories sleeping

than watching

television

Regular exercise can help

you to fall asleep at night,

but not if you exercise

shortly before going to bed

Tired after lunch? It’s

normal. You’re actually

most tired at two points in

the day – 02:00 and 14:00

16 10 9 8 6

We need different amounts of sleep depending on our age:

10 hours

3-12 year

olds

9 hours

13-18 year

olds

8 hours

19-55 year

olds

6 hours

65 years

and older SLEEPING CONDITIONS

RIP1.5 HOURS LESS

sleep can cause a 30%

decrease in alertness

THE AVERAGE PERSON SPENDS SIX YEARS OF THEIR LIFE DREAMING

Did you know

Sleep talk

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine22 23

DEAL WITH DEBT

According to recent statistics from Debt

Rescue and Statistics SA, South Africans

are spending 75% of their salaries on

paying off debt. Fin24 reports that a

debt industry survey showed that 51% of

respondents were unable to meet their

minimum debt repayments every month.

Not only will they have trouble paying the

double up payment the next month, the

interest charged on the balance will plunge

them even further into debt.

If you are one of the South Africans

struggling to repay your debt, it is

important that you take action as soon as

possible. Here are a few things to keep in

mind when trying to pay off your debt:

• Do not make more debt to pay existing

debt.

• Make a list of all your debt and identify

the debt with the highest interest rates.

You must pay these off first.

• If you cannot make your monthly

payment, call the bank or retailer and

inform them of your situation and work

out a payment plan. You can end up

with a bad credit record if you ignore

your monthly repayments.

• Do not cancel your insurance when your

budget is stretched. If you bought your

car using vehicle finance, the agreement

is subject to you having comprehensive

insurance for the duration of the

agreement. If your car is paid up, opt

for third party insurance until you can

afford comprehensive insurance again.

• Debt consolidation is also an option.

Short-term debts, such as your credit

card, personal loans and store cards

are consolidated with your long-term

debt (home loan) into a single monthly

payment. Although this can decrease

the amount you pay every month, in the

long run you are going to pay more on

your short-term debt, as the repayment

period is now 20 or 30 years.

• You can consider a debt review. It

should be a last resort, as you will not

be able to take on further debt or use

credit cards, and must stick to a very

strict payment plan. You can only be

released once your debt counsellor

gives you the go-ahead.

Personal finance

SMART SPENDINGSaving money can be difficult in our current economic situation, especially if you

are struggling to pay off old debt. By Maret Lesch

If you are struggling to make ends meet every

month and feel like you are barely surviving

until the next pay day, you are not the only

one. Economists expect hard times ahead for

consumers with the petrol price and electricity

tariff increases, higher food prices and the very

real possibility of even more interest rate hikes.

The first step to financial security is to draw

up a monthly budget and to stick to it. Honesty

is your best tool when you budget – be honest

and realistic about your expenses. For example,

don’t guess how much you are spending on

entertainment and food. Look at your previous

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Mamello Lentsa, Chief Supply Chain Management Clerk, DCAS:

• Make a shopping list before going to the shop and only buy

what is on your list.

• Have sit-ins or dinner parties at home rather than going out to

restaurants.

• Keep track of account balances to help avoid overdraft fees.

Sihaam Nieftagodien, Economist, Treasury:

• Request a review of your premiums from your insurance

provider – you are allowed to request the review annually.

• Regularly check supermarket pamphlets for good deals on

non-perishable goods and buy in bulk if possible.

• Put a data/airtime limit on your cellphone contract and

manage your usage carefully.

• If you drive to work daily, join a lift club.

Leigh Pollio, Tourist Guide Registration Office, DEDAT:

• I freeze bread and only take out the amount I need. The bread

always stays fresh and I don’t have to throw away stale or

mouldy bread.

• Pre-make pasta sauces in bulk and freeze.

• Don’t throw away overripe tomatoes. They are excellent for

sauces.

Alta Schwenk, Case Manager, Health:

• Never go shopping when you are hungry – you always buy

more than you were supposed to.

• If you just need bread and milk, go to the nearest café and not

the supermarket. It will prevent you from walking down the

aisles and looking for “something else I might need”.

• Don’t wash the dishes every five minutes. Rather wait for a

few items before washing.

• Potato peels and leftovers go into the fridge in an ice cream

container. On Saturdays I cook a pot of porridge for my dogs

and add the peels and leftovers. It’s healthy for them and

nothing goes to waste.

Nonzwakazi George, Language Practitioner, Treasury:

• Stay away from Matshonisa (loan sharks).

• Don’t buy clothes on credit. Rather lay-buy or buy cash.

• Buy what you need, not what is on sale.

• Instead of buying take-aways, cook healthy meals at home.

Jennifer Skordis, Client Relations Manager, DotP:

• Don’t bring money to work. If you have cash, you will buy

things you don’t need, for example take-away coffee.

• When you buy clothes, leave the tag on them for as long as

possible. You might change your mind and want to return it to

get the refund when you realise you don’t really need the item.

Ean Steenkamp, Head of Communication, Treasury:

• Review your credit agreements and see if you can’t find better

interest rates elsewhere. SA Homeloans offer members of

GEPF preferential rates on home loans. Contact them to find

out if you could not refinance your existing home loan at a

better interest rate.

bank statements to get a realistic picture of

your spending patterns.

If your monthly expenses exceed your

income, you need to cut down drastically. Curb

your monthly spending by bringing your coffee

to work in a travel mug rather than buying a

take-away coffee every day. Pack your own

lunch and plan your meals for the week ahead.

Keep in mind that if you are using credit to pay

for eating out or buying clothes, you cannot

afford your lifestyle.

We’ve asked some of our staff members to

share some of their best money-saving tips:

For practical advice services on debt

management or financial planning and

budgeting, please call ICAS toll-free on

0800 611 155 or dial *134*905# from your

cellphone and ICAS will call you.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine24 25

Health

LET IT GOWe work in a fast-paced environment and often feel the pressure

of work-related stress. Learn to recognise the signs and deal with it

before it leads to burnout. By Maret Lesch

2. Develop healthier ways of responding to

stress. Instead of indulging in fast food

or too much caffeine and alcohol, try to

exercise regularly, eat healthy and regular

meals and get enough quality sleep.

3. Set boundaries for yourself, for example

to not check work emails in the evenings

and not answer calls and messages during

family time or dinner. It is also important to

say “no” and to learn to delegate at work.

4. Use your vacation days to recharge. Take

time off to unwind and relax. If you can’t

take time off, make time for regular phone-

free activities or hobbies that you enjoy.

5. Learn how to use relaxation techniques

to relieve the stress (see box on breathing

techniques).

6. Talk to your supervisor to find solutions to

the stressors you have identified. Solutions

can include a course in time management,

using employer-sponsored wellness

resources such as ICAS, and amending your

performance agreement to clarify what

is expected of you and to include more

challenging or meaningful tasks.

BURNOUTWhen you are under excessive and prolonged

stress, you can experience burnout. This is

a state of emotional, mental and physical

exhaustion. If you feel that every day is a bad

day, you are so exhausted that you don’t care

about your home or work life anymore, you

are overwhelmed by your responsibilities and

that nothing you do makes a difference or

is appreciated, you might be on the road to

burnout.

Burnout is a gradual process and you can

experience some of these warning signs and

symptoms: sense of failure and self-doubt;

feeling helpless, trapped and defeated; loss

of motivation; feeling detached and isolated;

lowered immunity and frequent illness;

frequent headaches, back pain, muscle ache;

and a change in appetite or sleep habits;

procrastination; using food, drugs, or alcohol

to cope; and skipping work or coming late and

leaving early.

BREATHING TECHNIQuE

Deep breathing is a powerful relaxation

technique. All you need is a few minutes

and a place to stretch. Sit comfortably

with your back straight. Place your hands

on your stomach and breathe in deeply

through your nose. Breathe from the

abdomen to get as much fresh air as

possible into your lungs. You should feel

your abdomen expand under your hands.

Then exhale through your mouth. Repeat

the deep breaths for a few minutes until

you feel relaxed and your mind is clear.

TIP: IF YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO

BREATHE FROM YOUR ABDOMEN

WHILE SITTING UP, YOU CAN LIE

DOWN ON THE FLOOR.

Stress is a physical response that has

helped humankind survive for ages. It’s

not always a bad thing and it gives us

the ability to react to situations quickly and to

fight, flee or freeze.

When we stress, our bodies release

the hormones cortisol, adrenaline and

norepinephrine. These hormones make our

hearts beat faster, giving us a rush of energy

and the sensation of breathing faster.

However, stress is bad when we experience

it over a long period of time. Blood will only

flow to the muscles if we need to fight or flee

and brain function is diminished, which is why

we often feel that we can’t think straight in

stressful situations. When we are in a state of

stress for a long period, it can affect our health

by increasing blood sugar and blood pressure

levels as well as our risk of cardiovascular

disease. It can also cause headaches, eczema,

digestive problems such as irritable bowel

syndrome, and it can supress the immune

system.

People experience stress in different ways.

Symptoms include memory problems, difficulty

concentrating, self-doubt, depression, moodiness,

irritability, anxiety, chest pain, rapid heartbeat,

frequent colds, indigestion, skin complaints,

struggling to sleep, feeling demotivated and an

increased use of alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine.

Fortunately, stress can be managed using the

right techniques. You can manage your stress at

work by following these six steps:

1. Identify which situations create the most

stress and how you respond to them.

Contact ICAS for help if you feel you

can’t cope. Call the toll-free number

0800 611 155 or dial *134*905# on

your cellphone for a call-back.

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If you experience burnout, it is important that

you take it very seriously. You should try to

implement these three steps immediately:

1. Identify and address the issues that

make you feel helpless. For example that

you have little control over your work,

don’t get any recognition, have overly

demanding job expectations, do work that

is monotonous or unchallenging, or work in

a high-pressure environment.

2. Slow down and to take a break from work.

Cut back as many commitments as you can

and give yourself time to rest. Exercise, eat

nutritious food and find a hobby or activity

you enjoy and make time to do it.

3. Don’t isolate yourself or try to deal with

the situation on your own. Speak to your

supervisor and make use of the services

offered by our Employee Health and

Wellness programme.

BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEMStress suppresses your immune system and

makes you more vulnerable to a cold or flu.

Give your body the tools to fight, by exercising

regularly and eating a healthy and balanced

diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Supplements such as zinc, vitamin B

complex, magnesium and omega 3 and 6 can

boost your immune system and help to relieve

stress symptoms such as insomnia, headaches,

colds and flu.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine26 27

WorkplaceHealth

PREVENTION is better than cureBy vaccinating your child, you give their bodies a good chance to fight off deadly

diseases and you help to keep your community healthy. By Maret Lesch

SIDE EFFECTSSometimes your baby can have a

slight fever or symptoms of a cold

after the vaccination. The area

where they were injected can also

be a little red and sensitive.

You can ask the clinic if you

can give your baby something for

the pain before the vaccination.

Sometimes they prefer that you

don’t.

AUTISMIn 1998, the scientist Andrew

Wakefield alleged that there is a

link between autism and the MMR

(measles, mumps and rubella)

vaccine. This article has since been

discredited and Wakefiled admitted

that the data in his article was

falsified. The British Medical Journal

also published a series of articles

to prove that Wakefield was

wrong and that no link has been

established between autism and

the MMR vaccine.

DID YOu KNOW?

Many of the clinics in the Western Cape now have appointment

systems. This means that you can phone or visit your clinic and ask

for an appointment time and date. In this way, you can choose a time

that’s suitable for you instead of waiting in long queues.

In some African countries, the

death toll from measles is so

high that many mothers don’t

give their children real names until

they have survived the disease.

According to the humanitarian

and development agency UNICEF,

more than 500 000 children die

from measles every year. Together,

diseases like tetanus, diphtheria,

pertussis (whooping cough),

pneumonia and meningitis kill more

than one million children worldwide

annually.

Unvaccinated children who

survive these serious diseases are

often left brain damaged, deaf or

blind. The polio disease can cause

crippling paralysis. The possibility

that children will become seriously

ill or die depends largely on

whether their immune systems can

fight off infections. This is why it is

so important that we vaccinate our

children.

Immunisation or vaccination

works according to a simple

principle: The body’s immune

system reacts to foreign bacteria

and viruses by producing

antibodies to fight it. When the

body is infected with this bacteria

or virus in future, it will recognise it

and have a greater resistance to it.

When a child is vaccinated,

a very small, dead or weakened

dose of the virus or bacteria

enters the body and with the help

of the vaccine the body builds a

resistance to that virus or bacteria

without the child being in any

danger of getting sick.

It’s never too late to vaccinate.

Even if your child has missed

some of his/her vaccinations, they

can still go to a clinic to catch up

and receive the vaccinations they

should have received.

WHERE TO VACCINATEWe have an Expanded Programme

on Immunisation (EPI) in South

Africa according to which every

child in the country must be

vaccinated against certain diseases.

Immunisations against these

diseases are free and available at all

government clinics.

If you want to vaccinate your

baby against other diseases,

you can visit a private clinic. For

example, the vaccine for chicken

pox is only available at private

clinics at present.

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DON’T GET CAUGHT!Be careful when clicking on links in emails, as

attackers can try to steal your personal or financial

information through a scam called phishing.

By The Information Security Team

Many of us send and receive

emails every day as a part

of our jobs. Although this

form of communication is vital in

our working and personal lives, it

also gives thieves an opportunity

to steal our personal and financial

information. This is called phishing.

Phishing attacks use false emails

that pose as legitimate emails in an

attempt to get you to provide your

personal or financial information to

attackers, usually by clicking on a

link in the e-mail.

PHISHINGIdentifying a phishing email

An email is likely to be a phishing

scam, if:

• It asks for your personal or

financial information to be

provided or confirmed.

• It uses urgency and fear to trick

you.

• It uses a generic greeting, such

as “Dear Customer” or “Dear

Account holder”.

• The e-mail is short, vague or

strange with promises that seem

too good to be true or if it is

from an unknown sender.

• It has poor grammar or spelling

mistakes.

• It provides a link that you can

click to verify your information.

When you hover your mouse

over the link without clicking it,

you will be able to see the true

website behind the link.

What to do:• Never respond to an email

asking for personal or financial

information. Reputable

companies don’t ask for sensitive

information in an email.

• Don’t click on the link in the

email. To go to a website, open

your web browser and type in

the web address.

• If you need to click on an

emailed link, hover your mouse

over the link to verify what the

actual destination is before

clicking on the link.

• When in doubt, call the

organisation in question via their

official call centre number.

SPEAR PHISHINGThis form of phishing is more

difficult to detect and even more

effective. Spear phishing generally

works by trying to scam a single

person or targeted group of

people.

The email usually looks like it

is from a reputable organisation

and can even have a logo or an

official-looking email address. It will

address you by your name and will

have some information about you

that makes it seem legitimate.

To gain information about

you or the WCG, attackers can

prowl social media sites and

public websites. They can also

monitor recent online transactions

of a person or organisation and

compromise end-user devices to

gain information.

How to avoid spear phishing attacks:• Be careful with information you

make public via social media,

forums, chat rooms, etc.

• Be aware of the information you

have shared on social media

and don’t be fooled by someone

contacting you with this

information.

• If you regularly transact or

communicate with someone,

they will most probably already

have the personal, financial

or corporate information they

require. Don’t be fooled by a

false email requesting this type

of information. Always use

alternate channels, for example

the official call centre, to verify

whether the email is valid.

• Always try to patch (the process

of taking old bugs out and

putting new ones in) and update

all devices, including mobile

devices, as soon as possible.

For more information, email itsecurity.awareness@westerncape.gov.za or call 021 483 4879.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine28 29

Sports & culture

PLAYING FOR KEEPS

SA table tennis champion Shane

Overmeyer says that table tennis

saved him from a life of drugs and

gangsterism. By Maret Lesch

in Africa in 2012. He played

professionally in Belgium for

two and a half years before

coming back to South Africa

to join the High Performance

Centre for Table Tennis at the

University of Pretoria, where

he worked and played for six

years.

In 2012, he lost his job due

to a lack of funding and came

back to Cape Town, where he

successfully applied for the

position of Table Tennis Code

Developer at the Western

Cape Government.

Being a professional player

may sound glamorous, but

Shane says that it takes

hard work and many hours

of daily training. He almost

lost it all because of drugs.

“Before I went to England for

the Commonwealth Championships and the

World Championships in 1998, I used marijuana

and Mandrax for two years. I also drank a lot.

I then went to England and realised I was with

a different crowd and did not crave any of the

drugs.”

“I decided not fall prey to that lifestyle

again when I returned to Cape Town. My good

resolutions lasted for only three days. The

friends I stayed with were all involved in gangs

and used drugs and I joined them again. One

night I had to go to a house in a neighbouring

area that was run by a different gang. They

started shooting at me and I had to run for

my life. That day table tennis saved my life. I

realised that I can have a good professional

career if I choose table tennis and that I will

lose everything if I continue to use drugs and

stay in that area. I moved to Woodstock and

never used drugs again.”

Shane experienced the impact drugs and

alcohol can have on a young person’s life first-

hand and he felt that it was important for him

to motivate children to use their opportunities.

“I regularly deliver motivational speeches at

primary schools. I want to motivate children

to make something of their lives. I want to

show them that there is something better than

gangsterism. Sport is vital in a child’s life. It

gives them a sense of belonging and helps

them with self-discovery and learning their

strengths and weaknesses. It’s also an integral

part of hand-eye coordination and holistic

development.”

He believes that the values a child is taught

at home lay the foundations of the grown-

up they will become. “Children’s values and

education at home are crucial. Values such as

respect and working hard for what you want.

Nothing comes easily. We must teach our

children to persevere and not to give up when

things get tough. We must show them how to

apply their values and to understand that it is

their own responsibility to grow and develop

themselves.”

This is exactly what Shane and his wife of

two years, the singer, performer and poet

Janine van Rooy, more populary known by

her stage name Blaq Pearl, are teaching their

two-year-old daughter. “Whether she likes

sport or culture, we want her to know that

it is important to work hard and to use her

opportunities to make something of herself.”

Shane now plays and coaches for the Bishop

Lavis Table Tennis Club. Although he had to

cut down on his practice time to accommodate

his family life, he looks forward to playing table

tennis for many years to come. “They have a

veterans’ division and even people over 90 still

play. There’s a lady who’s 103 and still plays

table tennis. I will always play. I love that the

game is so technical, challenging and fast. You

have to deal with different kinds of spin and

very little time to react. I love the thrill of table

tennis.”

MINISTERIAL AWARD

On 11 March 2016, Shane Overmeyer’s lifelong

achievements were recognised at the Provincial Sport

Awards. Shane says that his Ministerial Award is one of the

highlights of his career. “It meant a lot to be recognised

in the same category as someone like athlete Wayde van

Niekerk and cricketer Temba Bavuma. After all the years

of hard work and representing South Africa, this was the

cherry on top.”

Ranked as South Africa’s number one

player for the past ten years. Eight

time South African champion and

current South African champion. Gold medals

in doubles and mixed doubles for the South

African Open Championships. Participated at

three Commonwealth Games. South Africa’s

most successful player to date and ranked

number two in Africa.

Shane Overmeyer boasts a list of

achievements in table tennis but says that his

biggest achievement was walking away from

a life of drugs and gangsterism because he

wanted a professional career in table tennis.

With hard work and dedication, this is exactly

what he did.

This Table Tennis Code Developer at the

Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport

was introduced to table tennis at the age

of 13 and it was love at first serve. “I was in

primary school when I decided to play and

this is where my love for the sport started. My

passion was soccer and I was always kicking

a ball, even when I went to the shop, but I did

not like passing the ball. With table tennis I

could play alone. I started playing table tennis

at the community centre. In the beginning, I

kept losing against the same player, but I came

back every day to play against her. One of

the experienced players saw that I was really

keen and he showed me how to play. He soon

became my coach.”

Shane played various overseas

championships and was ranked number two

“My biggest achievement was walking away from a life of drugs and gangsterism.”

Shane Overmeyer wants

to show young people that

drugs and gangsterism are

not the answers.

Better Together magazine Better Together magazine30 31

GARDENING TIPS

• Use empty glass/plastic bottles half-

buried upside down to:

- conserve moisture in the soil;

- divide flower/vegetable beds; and

- scare moles away (the wind causes

an echo inside the bottles which

travels into the ground).

• Make a natural pesticide to keep

insects away using chillies, peppers, or

peppadews soaked in water overnight

with a spoonful of sunlight liquid. This

can be sprayed over your plants using

a spray bottle.

Schools

GOOD GARDENING

Cavalleria Primary School is planting the seed for a new era of fresh

and organic food produce. By Leah Moodaley

should be prepared with each meal, “If it’s a

fish day, we will usually harvest butternut, or

cauliflower”. He jokingly admits that the cooks

cleverly disguise the vegetables amongst the

other food to please the younger children.

The children are fed twice during the course

of each day – maize meal in the morning,

supplied by the NSNP, followed by a hot meal

with vegetables to sustain the children for the

remainder of the day. Any leftover food is given

to needy families or communities, “nothing goes

to waste, even the leaves and roots are added

to the compost”, says Mr Carollisen. The garden

relies solely on rain water collected in tanks

which line the walled section of the garden.

Mr Carollisen adds that the last resort is to

use municipal water. “Apart from avoiding the

chemicals, it is just another way that we save.”

Insects are part of the ecosystem of all

gardens, but in the Cavalleria school garden,

insects are kept away using a homemade

pesticide: a few whole chillies and a tablespoon

of sunlight liquid soaked in a bucket overnight.

According to Mr Booysen, it really works! Not

only has this garden found innovative ways to

keep feeding hungry learners, it has also led to

the establishment of a community food garden

a few streets away.

GARDENS FOR SCHOOLS

The Western Cape Education Department

has a budget of R315,3 million to provide

473 770 learners with two meals per day.

However, with the drought and increasing

food prices, it is struggling to meet the

demand. In the spirit of “Better Together”,

we are encouraging public-private

partnerships and the establishment of

food gardens at schools to continue

feeding our learners.

One of the schools that recently

received a food garden and new kitchen,

is Sarepta Secondary School in Kuils

River. Media24’s leading education

programme, WeCan24, recently teamed

up with Volunteers24 to sponsor Sarepta

Secondary School a food garden.

Sarepta Secondary School is part of the

Western Cape Government’s Safe Schools

Programme. The Programme ensures

safe school environments for successful

teaching and training, and addresses

social environments that influence

learning behaviour.

The team of volunteers expanded the

school’s vegetable garden which supplies

fresh produce to the school’s feeding

scheme, created benches for the learners

around the trees and revamped the

school’s kitchen.

For more information on the

programme, visit www.wecan24.co.za.

Entering the garden, various shades of

green decorate the 50 m2 outdoor area.

Blossoming sights and the sound of

nature excite the senses, but hardly compare to

the intense aroma of fresh basil and rosemary

in the air. Welcome to the Cavalleria Primary

School food garden, home to two trusted

scarecrows and plenty of delicious fruits and

vegetables.

Situated in Scottsdene Kraaifontein, the

food garden stands in striking contrast to the

surrounding residential area. Dense planting

beds are divided by empty wine bottles half-

buried in the soil to conserve moisture. The

smell of natural compost is carried by the

breeze and an earthworm farm frames the

entrance – this may sound unpleasant, but

compost and earthworms have kept the garden

healthy and productive since its start in 2010.

According to the gardener, John Booysen, the

2010 Soccer World Cup brought more than

tourists and soccer fever; “the wine bottles

we use to keep the soil moist were donated

by a hotel during the World Cup when the

garden started”. The idea for the garden

became a reality in partnership with the One

Love Learning Foundation in addition to the

resources provided by the National School

Nutrition Programme (NSNP) which are in short

supply. The NSNP is able to cater for 330 of

the 600+ learners at Cavalleria Primary School.

A good source of nutrition was considered the

best solution to malnutrition and poor learning

progress amongst students. Not only does

the feeding scheme provide children with the

necessary nutrients to focus on their learning,

it also gives students an added incentive to

attend school every day.

Financially supported by the NSNP, stipends

are allocated to pay one gardener and two

cooks who prepare daily meals for the 600

primary school learners. The NSNP also assists

by providing a detailed menu to the school,

which is used to plan which vegetables and

fruits need to be harvested weekly. Meals

include breyani, samp and beans, and pilchards.

School principal, Mr Carollisen explains that

the gardener often decides which vegetables

A learner

helps to

harvest from

the school’s

food garden.

Better Together magazine32

Professional Secretarial Learning ProgrammeBy passing this three to four month course in business administration skills,

participants can obtain a Certificate in Secretarial Studies.

Compiled by Beatrice de Jongh and Maret Lesch

The Professional Secretarial

Learning Programme was

initially instituted to enable

administrative assistants and

secretaries (at salary level 5) to be

upgraded to personal assistants

(salary level 7), in line with the

modernisation processes across

departments.

Since 2013, the course is not

only to up-skill administrative

assistants, but also for other public

servants who want to obtain a

certificate in secretarial studies in

order to qualify for a wider range

of positions.

The learning programme covers

the following modules:

• Business Administration:

Fundamentals

• Business Administration: Office

Practice

• Business Practice Operations

• Executive Secretarial skills

The Cape Peninsula University of

Technology has been procured

as the service provider for the

training. The programme is SAQA

accredited at a NQF level 4 and

is completed over a three to four

month period at the CPUT Cape

Town campus.

Approximately 50

participants enrol for the

learning programme

every year. The course

is concluded with a

certification ceremony

where participants and

their respective managers,

are invited to celebrate

their hard work and

accomplishments.

Nicolette Fielies, a

Personal Assistant

for CEI: Economic

Governance and

Administration, says the course

stimulated her intellect and helped

her to grow academically.

“This is an excellent course.

The class was a hub of valuable

information and to my delight

we could tap into each other’s

experiences, challenges, strengths

and weaknesses. The PTI had been

the glue holding this hub together.

They fed us with information, gave

us the tools and inspired us to

better ourselves and to challenge

ourselves to break free from our

comfort zones. The PTI, and in

particular the lecturers and admin

support, were instrumental in our

development and the success of

our programme.”

The programme has also made

its mark nationally and at Higher

Education Institution level, when

the PTI was granted a National

Public Service Achiever’s Award for

Best Institutional Performance for a

Coal-face Service Delivery Training

Programme during the 2015/2016

financial year, while the Institute

received an Excellence Award

from Cape Peninsula University of

Technology for an Excellent Valued

Empowerment Partnership.

For more information about the

Professional Secretarial Learning

Programme, you can call Beatrice de

Jongh at 021 865 8001 or email

Beatrice.Dejongh@westerncape.gov.za.

Self-development

What are the services on offer?

• Counselling Services which includes unlimited telephone counselling as well as short-term face-to-face counselling for individuals and/or couples at a time and place convenient to you.

• Practical advice services on financial matters e.g. debt management or financial planning and budgeting, legal advice e.g. divorce or maintenance, consumer issues or wills and estates and family matters e.g. childcare, care for the elderly, education and allowances.

• Trauma Counselling for groups and individuals after involvement in a traumatic incident. If it was a work-related trauma, the counselling will happen at the work place.

• If the problem requires specialist help or a longer period of counselling, you will be helped with referrals to other organisations or resources.

Why are these services a good source of support? They are:• Confidential (your identity, or the specific details of

your call, will not be revealed)• Impartial (the counsellor you speak to doesn’t

represent anybody else’s interest)• Professional (helpdesk manned by clinical or

counselling psychologists)

• Independent (the services are provided by an outside service provider, ICAS)

• Multi-lingual (you can choose to speak in your home language)

• 24/7/365 (service is available anytime during day and night, every single day of the year)

• Direct access to you via a toll free number free of charge to you.

How to contact us?

1. If you have access to a landline contact is free of charge on our toll-free number.

2. Call us from your cellphone and as soon as you speak to a counsellor, ask them to phone you back on your cellphone so that you don’t incur the cost.

How will it work when I phone ICAS?

1. When you phone the toll-free number, an automated voice message will welcome you to the Employee Health and Wellness Programme.

2. You will then be asked to choose your language preference by pressing the relevant number on your phone.

3. Your call will be answered by a professional counsellor who will assist you with your concerns.

Your toll-free number: 0800 611 155 | USSD Code for a call-back: *134*905#

If you have any problem that feels too big to handle – be it personal, family, health, or work-related – or you need information on a legal, financial or family care matter, phone toll-free for confidential, professional and free assistance and advice.

Employee Health and Wellness Programme

The Employee Health and Wellness Programme (EHWP) consists of independent, professional Counselling & Advisory Services – free of charge to all our employees of the CSC.

These services are not only available to staff members but also to their “household dependents”, i.e. your spouse and children.

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Better Together magazine34

THE VALuES:

AccountabilityWe take responsibility.

IntegrityTo be honest and do the right thing.

CaringTo care for those we serve and work with.

ResponsivenessTo serve the needs of our citizens and employees.

CompetenceThe ability and capacity to do the job we were employed to do.

THE VISION:

External visionOpen opportunity for all.

Internal visionTo be the best-run regional government in the world.

Better TogetherThe Western Cape Government has a duty to provide opportunities. Citizens have the responsibility to make use of them.

Let’s make use of provided opportunies and make the Western Cape BETTER TOGETHER.

InnovationTo be open to new ideas and develop creative solutions to problems in a resourceful way.