2012/08-August 2012 - City of uMhlathuze

Zikulise completes
training courses
Zikulise Community Upliftment Project, which leases the Empangeni
Arts and Crafts Centre from Council for skills development and
training, handed out certificates at the end of July to local community
members who have successfully completed courses in baking,
pottery, sewing, industrial sewing, traditional beading and computers.
The training was achieved through funding from the National
Lottery Development Trust Fund, Accenture (SA) Trust and the
ABSA Foundation.
A strong focus at Zikulise is on developing entrepreneurial
talents and some of the trainers are past trainees at the Centre,
who are able to provide motivation and guidance from personal
experience. The programme director, Blessing Nene is a past trainee
who is now employed by Mary Calder, the baking trainer, who runs
her own business. Traditional beading trainer, Linda Masinga attended
training in 2005 and has been a trainer since 2006. He now also
has his own business.
One of the trainees, Thalente Mhlongo spoke to her fellow
trainees about how fortunate they are to have received training at
the centre and encouraged them to use these skills to improve their
lives and possibly start their own businesses.
Taking this one step further, Executive Director of Zikulise Julie
Jonson spoke about “passing it forward” explaining that everyone
who received certificates had received a free gift enabling them to
either be more employable or start their own small business. She
encouraged them to pass the training forward to others in their
community by sharing what they had learnt and thereby becoming
a solution to the unemployment crisis.
Mrs Jonson said that to-date Zikulise has trained over 3 300
people. “If each one of these trainees passed their training forward
and trained only just one other it would mean that 6 600 individuals
had received money-making skills. Obviously if the original 3 300
each trained more people it would have an even greater impact.”
Zikulise Board member, Abby Mchunu gave the vote of thanks
and said she was impressed by the quality of the clothing a beaded
jewellery made and worn by the trainees. She encouraged them to
be “fashion busters” and send their clothing and beaded jewellery
all over the world.
9
Richards Bay Clean Air
Association Monthly Report:
June 2012
SO2 Guideline (Sulphur Dioxide) Exceedances
There were total of six (6) SO 2 exceedances for the month of June
2012, all measured at the RBCAA’s Scorpio Station. Three (3)
measured exceedance of the NEMAQA SO 2 10-minute Standard,
on 6th June 2012. Two (2) measured exceedances of the NEMAQA
SO 2 Hourly Standard, on 6th June 2012. One (1) measured
exceedance of the NEMAQA SO 2 Daily Standard, on 12th June
2012. All six (6) exceedances were attributed to emissions from the
BHP’s Hillside Aluminium Plant. The RBCAA uses the Hawk Model
to produce concentration (dose) maps which predict SO 2 (Sulphur
Dioxide) concentrations in areas where no monitoring equipment
exists.
TRS Odour Threshold Exceedances
TRS is emitted by Mondi and is monitored by the RBCAA at the
Central Sports Complex. There are no South African Standards for
TRS. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends
that in order to avoid substantial complaints about odour annoyance
among the exposed population, hydrogen sulphide concentrations
should not be allowed to exceed 7g/m3 (5ppb), with a 30-minute
averaging period.
PM-10 Exceedances
The RBCAA measures PM10 at 4 sites, Brackenham, Central Sports
Complex, Mtunzini and St Lucia. There no measured exceedances
of the current or future NEMAQA Daily PM-10 Standards.
Air Quality Complaints
There were eleven (11) air quality complaints received for the month
of June 2012.
For more information contact:
Sandy Camminga (Public Officer) Cell: 083 515 2384
Tel: 035 786 0076 E-mail: info@rbcaa.co.za
Complaints can be logged at: complaints@rbcaa.co.za
Website:www.rbcaa.co.za