Juan Coetzee participated in the 2020 Teatro Arti Eisteddfod oratory competition on 8 August.
The panel consisted of Louw Breytenbach and the well-known Sean van Noordwyk (Reitz Bekker from Married to Rugby)
Jaun walked away with an A ++ / 93% grading.
Louwtjie Orators Chosen For National Teams
The lockdown definitely didn’t lockdown these orator’s mouths.
Louwtjie orators participated in two online competitions during the lockdown period, with excellent results. Vier van ons leerlinge is gekies om Limpopo te verteenwoordig in die Landsfinale.
*Die volgende Louwtjies sal Limpopo verteenwoordig as deel van die Oppietong Nasionale Span:*
Marissa de Coning made the team for all three of the categories she participated in, namely “Motivational” and “Persuasive” as well as “Afrikaans Motiverend”.
Juan Coetzee maak span vir die “Afrikaans Oorredende” Kategorie.
*Die volgende Louwtjies sal Limpopo verteenwoordig as deel van die Interskole Liga Nasionale Span:*
Mia Limbach and Marissa de Coning made the team for both the “Prepared English” and “Voorbereid Afrikaans” Categories.
Stephi Roos maak span vir die “Voorbereid Afrikaanse” Kategorie.
Congratulations to these learners. We are so proud of you. Thank you, Mrs. Rina Fourie, for the arrangements that you made and for your constant motivation.
Access to water has always been a challenge in communities within the mine’s labour-sending area of Blouberg Local Municipality. With the rapid spread of COVID-19, access to water has become more critical than ever.
As a result, De Beers Venetia Mine has invested R4million in upgrading water infrastructure within the communities of Sias, Simpson, Kromhoek, Donkerhoek and Taaiboschgroet to deliver safe and sustainable water supply and eliminate general health and sanitary concerns. Together with the Capricorn District Municipality, the mine identified an opportunity to accelerate efforts to support the communities with the provision of safe and sustainable access to water. The projects have benefited all five communities that are home to 15 000 people.
Taaiboschgroet Water Project
Faced with an acute water shortage for more than 7 years, the Taaiboschgroet community expressed great delight at the intervention by Venetia Mine. Of an estimated population of 6137, only 20% had access to running water due to the inefficiency of the main water source.
As an intervention, Venetia Mine increased the water supply capacity through extending the current bulk water line and installing a 1,7 kilometre pipeline to ensure a sustainable supply of water across the village. Further improvements included the installation of a 5 000 litre Jojo Tank with a standpipe at the Sebeelwa crèche and the installation of a new water point at the Taaibosch Disability Centre. To meet maximum day demand, the mine has sufficiently equipped the local borehole and has installed an additional six communal standpipes. These improvements will ensure a safe water source for the community, with facilities like the Taaibosch Clinic and the Taaibosch community hall having access to sustainable access to water for the first time in years. In addition, households are no longer further than 200 metres from a tap.
Ward 18 Blouberg Municipality councillor, Godfrey Modingwana, who led the community’s quest for water says life before the mine’s intervention was difficult.
“The water supply had very low pressure and water was not reaching most of the areas within our community. We used to go five to six days without water and had to walk long distances to collect some. We appreciate what Venetia has done for us – making it easier for our community to access water. If I think of what the situation was like before this intervention, particularly here at the Taaiboschgroet Clinic where we had been without water for 10 years, I want to cry. So, when we say are grateful, we mean it because our lives have changed – for the better,” he said.
A nurse at the Taaiboshgroet Clinic, Sr Moloko Moneatse noted that the new water system had eased the burden of the challenges they had been facing and is assisting them in these Covid-19 times. “Proper hygiene is one of the best ways to handle preventable diseases. The current COVID-19 pandemic is driving this point home stronger than ever. This was obviously a huge challenge for us given that we had no access to water. We are happy and feel safer because hand-washing is one of the best tools we have in slowing the spread of the disease. May Venetia continue to ease the burdens faced by many others as they have done for us,” she said.
Sister Moloko Moneatse, a nurse at the Taaiboshgroet Clinic is visibly excited as she washes her hands at the newly installed water point.
The Taaiboschgroet water project has not only contributed towards empowerment of local contractors and suppliers but also facilitated job creation. A total of 16 individuals from the area were employed to work on the project and ensure its timely rollout.
Venetia Mine’s Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, Gregory Petersen said: “Since the start of the national lockdown, supporting our communities in the fight against COVID 19 has been a key focus area for us. We realised early that water was a challenge for communities and we are grateful that, together with our key stakeholders, we were able to assist those communities around the mine to access to water. We are more delighted that we have been able to do this in a way that will ensure a sustainable supply of water and importantly, bring water closer to our communities.”
The other water projects that have been undertaken by Venetia mine include:
Sias and Simpson Water Project
Of an estimated population of 3 000, only 20% could access water. While the villages have concrete reservoirs, they were not entirely operational – resulting in water supply shortage.
To reduce the devastating effect of water shortage and to help the community get required access to water, Venetia Mine extended the water pipeline by 4km, installed a 6000 litre water storage reservoir and upgraded the current borehole to an electrical driven pump and motor. The project also entailed installing 33 (thirty-three) additional standpipes and restoring the existing communal standpipes. Additionally, a 10 000 litre water tank was installed with four additional water points and the existing 100 000 litre reservoir was cleaned, repaired and recommissioned – restoring access to sustainable water supply for 80% of the community.
Kromhoek Water Project
With an estimated population of 6 000, the Kromhoek village has four boreholes which were previously not operating on full capacity. Of the four, one borehole did not have a pump in place, exerting strain on the water supply.
This project improvements include the reinstatement of three current pumps and motor, installation of a new pump and motor and installation of a pipe extension for overflow. These have ensured that the village has access to consistent water supply.
Donkerhoek Water Project
With a diesel pump borehole as the main water source, the community was restricted to collecting water once a week. This was due to the existing water reticulation being non-operational and resulted in community members walking approximately 1km to access water.
This project included the installation of a 90 000 litre water storage reservoir and the upgrade of the current borehole to an electrical driven pump and motor. The mine also extended the current water pipeline, installed additional communal standpipes and restored existing ones. These water systems improvements will now ensure that 80% of the community will have portable water 200m from their household.
