Impact of businesses closing down
I read about the valid concern of people when businesses are closing down. The impact on households is sad and the multiplier effect of this, is not only harming the economy of our country, but the socio-economic decline in our communities should be a real concern. It is a fact that the result of unemployment can go haywire and we can expect increased crime rates, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, etc.
It is unfortunate that the South African economy is not build on the principle of remuneration in return of productivity. Millions of people are receiving social grants without contributing productively to the economy. This is an inherited reality and I do not see that we will be able to get rid of it. The point is that economic growth will always be hampered as a result of the above. We can talk economic growth as much as we want, but this fact and the fact that our economy has no manufacturing sector will always make it very difficult.
It is also true that South Africans are being educated to become employees. When difficult times, such as now, becomes a reality, we do not know what to do and where to go. South Africans will go into a panic because our education system is not creating entrepreneurs. It is creating employees. The system does not allow for creativity, and innovation. You memorise facts and are expected to be examined accordingly. The same applies for mathematics from primary school onward. You can get to the correct answer, but if you did not follow the prescribed method, then points will be deducted.
It may be time for us to rethink our strategies. In order to change your future or achieve a different outcome, you MUST change the way you THINK. Start believing in your dreams. When you were a child you had dreams and you believed in it. Why did the dreams of certain people come true? Think of Nelson Mandela, Usain Bolt, the Williams sisters, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Martin Luther King. Did they have everything perfect in their lives? No, they changed the way they think. They did not let their circumstances dictate their futures. They could have been part of the average or normal or main stream, but they decided not be be average (the same as the rest) and they became exceptional individuals.
It is easy to go and sit on the ash heap, but there are other unconventional opportunities available. We must change the way we think and forget about the traditional economy. Look for alternatives. There are many, but we are to scared or brainwashed about certain industries. The time to wake up and smell the fresh roses is NOW!!! A lot of us do not have other options. Become the next exception to the rule and show the world that you are not normal or average. You are not the same as everybody else.
I used to be part of the traditional economy, but I have decided to go for the unconventional economy. It is modern, it is growing, it is creating the most millionaires in the world and it is an option for every person on this planet.
Let us stop complaining and let us do something about the state of our lives and let us create a future for the generations to come.
I am Forever grateful that I took the decision…Article placed with permission.
Author Johan Bezuidenhout
What is Bitcoin (Cryptocurrency/ Block chain)?
The price of a Bitcoin is now at almost $12 000 (almost R170 000), which is well above the $3800 mark of January this year. I believe this is significant, as it proves that Bitcoin and the whole cryptocurrency concept has something to it.
Disclaimer
Before we go on: I am not an expert in Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies. I don’t have the faintest clue what a blockchain is or how it actually works. The same can be said for my computer. I know it’s got a hard drive and a CPU, but exactly how that works is way beyond me. I do know that I am typing this on a computer right now. Even if I don’t know exactly how it works, I know what it can do for me. That is what this article is all about. What does the average Joe need to know, and what can Bitcoin do for you?
What is a cryptocurrency?
It is simply a currency like Rands, Dollars, Pounds and so forth. Except that instead of having a single institution controlling it, it is controlled by everyone. The ‘crypto’ part is just the security aspect of it, as we still want our transactions to be private. So let’s ignore the ‘crypto’ aspect to make it easier to understand. It is just a currency. We get many of them which all offers something different. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Iota, Ripple and many many more. Bitcoin is important, not because it is the best, but because it is the biggest. Currently about 65% of all cryptocurrency worth is in Bitcoin.
Cryptocurrency changing the world
Cryptocurrencies have the potential to change the world and how we transact with other people or businesses. It won’t happen overnight, or not even in the next 10 years, but it is challenging the way we are doing things, such as storing our money, making transactions and saving for our retirement.
Today we entrust our hard earned money into bank accounts which are controlled by people, institutions and a database. Many conspiracy theories exist about a number of people controlling us with these instruments. But let’s not even go there…
Many people think that cryptocurrencies are just a way to transact without paying taxes or leaving a paper trail, and yes it can be. But have you ever received many spam calls just after taking out a loan or getting a new cellphone contract? Hmmmm… Clearly proving that the transactions we are doing are putting us on some database somewhere… It might not be the actual rand and cent information in our bank accounts, but more the behaviour and type of transactions we are doing. Where will this end, and what kind of privacy do we really have?
Practical uses
…ummm… Let me think….No I can’t yet buy a coffee with it…. At least not here in George… So what then…. And exactly this problem is where we are today. We can’t actually do much with a Bitcoin. Think of this as the beginning of the internet. Nobody could envision all the things we are doing today or the implications it is having on our lives. But imagine you could’ve invested money into Apple, Microsoft or IBM in the early 90’s. The tech industry just started and there were many huge successes and failures. Nobody knew the end result (are we there yet?)
Why it is the future
In December 2018 it reached a high of $20 000 and then it took a massive plunge to a lowest of about $3400. Many people lost a lot of money and many said that it was just a bubble and that’s it for cryptocurrency. But it has bounced back, which indicates that it is something to take notice of.
Here is a number that will show how significant it is: The total value of Cryptocurrency is roughly 350 billion dollars. That is roughly equal to the GDP of South Africa. So is South Africa significant? It is the same size…
To show that with zeroes. Here it is in Rands: R 4 900 000 000 000
Understand the dangers
The whole cryptocurrency market is the Wild West at this stage. There are many contradictory messaging and there are definitely people that will try to mislead and extort people. There have already been scams and pyramid schemes and there will be many more. The market is unregulated. But that is exactly the point. It must stay unregulated. The moment someone controls it, it will just become another bank/institution/database.
There are many more aspects to cryptocurrency that cannot all be listed here, and I definitely encourage you to further investigate and make up your own mind.
Why you shouldn’t buy Bitcoin
Because you will probably lose a lot of the money you invested. The price of Bitcoin is very volatile. Increasing or decreasing by 10% in a day is not uncommon. Most people would like to get 10% increase per year on their savings. That is the scale of how things can change.
However: If you have money that you can lose (yes all of it), and you have made up your own mind, then go for it. At this stage the real value in Bitcoin (and most other coins) is not in the actual transactional aspect. The value just fluctuates too much. Imagine buying a pizza today for R100 worth in bitcoin, but tomorrow it is worth R150. That pizza will give me heartburn! Or getting paid for a job, after which it decreases in value…
Conclusion
Is Bitcoin Good or Bad? I don’t know.
What will it be in 10 years? I don’t know.
Is this a good time to buy? I don’t know.
Is it significant? Yes.
Will it change our lives? Yes.
George Nostalgie #4
Ek staan vanaand op my balkon my plekkie waar ek afsluit en gaan dwaal in ou vergete skatte. Die winter koue is nie vanaand in die lug nie, maar so asof daar ‘n berg windtjie oor die berg wil bekruip. Dit lyk of die maan die son probeer naboots met sy vaal skaduwees tussen die huise en die sterre probeer hulle helder glans teen die maan afspeel, en nag voeltjies sing hulle aanbiddings lied in die stille nag. Daar is hierdie soet snaakse reuk ook die laaste tyd oor George ‘n ou bekende reuk maar kan dit nie plaas nie. Ja, hierdie is my George, my tuiste.Ek kan maklik verlore raak in ‘n spokies wereld, as kind onthou ek as oupa begin storie vertel het was ek eerste voor hom, ek het my op my alie geplant en aandagtig geluister. Ons was 3 dogters in die huis en my moeder is ook ‘n sprokies persoon, sy het ons die snaakste gediggies geleer van ‘n speedcop om die hoek met sy grote boep, tot okie pokie vette vark. Ons kar was nooit stil nie, musiek het gespeel en ons drie dogters het gesing, soos ons ouer geword het, het ons later in stemme gesing en my ma wat ‘n koor leidster was het dit vreeslik geniet. Ons het ons eie liedjies gemaak. Ek het geleer droom het nie perke nie en woorde is jou speel terein, natuurlik toe ek ouer word moes ek mooi begin onderskei het tussen sprokie en realiteit, maar tot vandag toe is my droom sprokies wereld my toevlug.So waar pas George vandag in my spokies wereld? Wel ek hou van uitstappies en verdwaal in natuur. Hoe sien ek George? Wel hierdie pragtige Outeniqua berg van ons is vir my ‘n muur. ‘n Muur wat die wêreld daar buite skei van hierdie stukkie hemel, stukkie aarde. As ek op my balkon staan en na die berg staar kan ek net die uitsig oor George verbeel en weet my verbeelding is glad nie so ryk as die werklikheid nie. Ah dit sal waarlik iets wees om te sien!As die wind op steek is my reuk sintuie altyd op aandag, daardie vynbos reuk, as ek gewoonlik deur Wildernes ry is my neus altyd by die venster uit want daar ruik ‘n mens dit die beste. Daardie soet kruie reuk van ‘n natuur bos. Ek wonder soms of die vynbos enige goeie waarde bevat vir voedings waarde of vir skoonheid?Dan die diep blou see. As ek die see sien praat ek altyd met die see, ja ek praat met die see. “Hallo ou grote, watter geheime dra jy vandag?”. Ek kyk na die see se kleur as die see daardie diep donker blou is, lyk die see gelukkig, as die see so grys lyk dan lyk die see hartseer en as die see bruin lyk dan lyk die see siek. Ek weet nie of dit net altyd ek is nie, maar ek kyk altyd of ek enige diere in die see kan sien? En soms net soms dan skiet daar ‘n kattekwaad in my op waar ek iets wil uit skree maar moet my in toom hou “Daar is ‘n haai.. waar waar waar? Ek weet nie, iewers in die see”. En dan daardie dae wat ek net langs die water wil sit, in die golwe wil staar en verlore raak in my eie gedagtes.Die laaste paar weke is ek ook bevoorreg met hierdie 2 groot arende, ek hoor hulle elke dag skree, soms vlieg hulle hier voor my verby en ander dae moet ek diep in die hemel in kyk om hulle te sien. Hulle dans in die lig en speel, asof die hemel aan hulle behoort. Daar is ook die laaste tyd met tye wat ‘n swerm swart voels in my boom kom sit en baljaar, mekaar rondjaag en uitlok. Dit is net vir ‘n paar minute dan vlieg hulle weer weg. En dan is daar ‘n brawe voeltjie in die dorp. Ek het haar die naam gedoop “Ester”. Sy het ‘n nes gemaak in ‘n robort se rooi lig op die hoek van Knysna en Wellington straat. Haar nessie is by die video winkel se kant. So elke oggend as ons by die rooi lig stop wat haar nessie toe maak groet ek haar, en wonder of haar kleintjies daarvan gaan hou om elke dag ‘n rooi lig in hulle nessie te he, dit moet seker soos ‘n diso wees? Maar hoe braaf is sy nie? Om op so ‘n gevaarlike plekkie nes te maak sodat die rooi lig haar eiertjies en dan babatjies kan warm hou deur die winter.Nou kom ons by George se reën. Die “Cold And Wet”. Ek hou van swaar weer, hoe harder die donderweer en hoe groter die storm hoe lekkerder slaap ek. Dit is asof die hemel net sy sluise oopmaak en net “let go”. Dit is iets wat George nie eintlik het nie, ons het winde en veetjie reen. Saggies, soos ‘n hemelse melody wat uit gegiet word uit ‘n harp, wat saggies en liggies val. Die fluister reen wat ons winter gras altyd met groen besprinkel.Dan die George mense. Vriendelikheid is altyd die voorspring. ‘n Paar maande terug was ek daarbo in Noordwes vir amper ‘n week en ek het besef hoe knorrig almal lyk, veral die pampoen boere, ek het sommer net terug huis te verlang om ‘n vrolike gesiggie te sien, ‘n vrolike groet en die woordtjies “hoe gaan dit?”. Meeste mense ken mekaar en almal weet altyd wat aangaan waar. Ons is regtig ‘n gemeenskappie naby mekaar wat nog hart het en omgee wat mekaar ondersteun en mekaar bemoedig.Dankie dat ek vanaand sommer saam met julle kon verlore geraak het in die George Nostalgie, ons plekkie van liefde, vrede en eenheid, wat versier is met skeppings prag, gevul met rykheid aan mense.Lodene Van Blerk
Arrested for animals
So this morning I heard the sirens coming down our street and was wondering what’s wrong and then remembered that the police van is coming for me. Accused by the SPCA with some trumped up charge and having cuffs put on and bundled in the back of the van, only to be met by Sean Snyman, Paul Gerber and a third chap (sorry forgot his name) who were also arrested.We were taken to the SPCA and put into cells with dogs. My cellmate was Scotty a beautiful Scottish Terrier. The people in the cells around me was able to raise their bail a lot faster than I could but after 2 hours we were set free.Well done Salome and the team at the SPCA!
2020 Autotrader South African CAR OF THE YEAR Jurors Announced
The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) today announced the Jury and Trainee Jury members for the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car Of The Year.Love George is proud that no less than three of the journalists writing for our local publication, Ultimate Drive, have been honoured with selection as 2020 COTY Jurors. We believe in quality journalism and Ultimate Drive, as our Motoring Division, delivers just that. The criteria for Jury eligibility includes:
- All candidates must be members in good standing with the SAGMJ
- A Full Member must have completed a minimum of two years of Jury training. Full members who do not comply with this requirement will be considered for the jury programme
- A Jury member must be active members of the SAGMJ for a minimum of five years
- A Jury member must be an industry-recognised journalist who has participated in the industry by attending manufacturer launch events, and/or by driving test vehicles during the eligibility period
- All candidates must be members in good standing with the SAGMJ
- Trainee Jury members must be active members of the SAGMJ for a minimum of two years
- A Trainee Jury member must be an industry-recognised journalist who has participated in the industry by attending manufacturer launch events, and/or by driving test vehicles during the eligibility period
New Kid on the Block – Zontes ZT 310-T
One thing I have to hand to Zontes is that they have an extremely creative design team. They certainly have produced some good looking motorcycles recently. Now they tried their hand at an adventure motorcycle and they have hit it out the park!
Using exactly the same underpinnings as the ZT310-R and ZT310-X they had a solid base to start from. The engine is the same lively 312 cc mill that produces 26 kW and the stubby little exhausts have now become a trademark of the 310 range. On top of that sits a very aggressively styled bike. It has the obligatory ‘beak’ that has now become the norm for adventure bikes. The headlight is an elongated unit with daytime running lights and four powerful LED’s in the middle to provide the illumination.
The windscreen is adjustable through two heights and behind that sits a comprehensive LED screen. Under the screen, Zontes has included a little cubby-hole for cards and small items and there is even a USB-socket for charging devices while on the go. The bike is also fitted with substantial crash bars and a metal bashplate to protect the underside. That rounds out the rugged off-road look.In my mind this bike was never intended to be a proper off-road machine, but rather intended to be used as a commuter with some mild off-road capabilities. To test my theory, I took the bike out on a long stretch of gravel and the suspension handled it surprisingly well. The test unit was fitted with aftermarket luggage, and again, the build quality was good. The cases are lockable and they are lined with canvas. They are easily removable and have a few anchor points to strap things to. The rest of the bike’s build quality is very good and some parts, like the mirror stalks, feel almost over-engineered. It will certainly live up to some adventuring!The bike has keyless entry and everything that can lock or unlock is done from buttons on the handlebars. In terms of performance, the Zontes can hold its own against some serious contenders in this category. The acceleration is brisk, and the bike performs equally well in corners while the brakes are ABS assisted.The ZT310-T is a really good looking bike, and if you fancy a small bike with off-road ability, then the Zontes makes perfect sense. The dealer network is expanding and Zontes have some more exciting models coming. If they keep on producing bikes of this calibre, Zontes is certainly heading in the right direction.Article and Photos: Ultimate Drive Ed.54 (Brian Cheyne)
Using exactly the same underpinnings as the ZT310-R and ZT310-X they had a solid base to start from. The engine is the same lively 312 cc mill that produces 26 kW and the stubby little exhausts have now become a trademark of the 310 range. On top of that sits a very aggressively styled bike. It has the obligatory ‘beak’ that has now become the norm for adventure bikes. The headlight is an elongated unit with daytime running lights and four powerful LED’s in the middle to provide the illumination.
The windscreen is adjustable through two heights and behind that sits a comprehensive LED screen. Under the screen, Zontes has included a little cubby-hole for cards and small items and there is even a USB-socket for charging devices while on the go. The bike is also fitted with substantial crash bars and a metal bashplate to protect the underside. That rounds out the rugged off-road look.In my mind this bike was never intended to be a proper off-road machine, but rather intended to be used as a commuter with some mild off-road capabilities. To test my theory, I took the bike out on a long stretch of gravel and the suspension handled it surprisingly well. The test unit was fitted with aftermarket luggage, and again, the build quality was good. The cases are lockable and they are lined with canvas. They are easily removable and have a few anchor points to strap things to. The rest of the bike’s build quality is very good and some parts, like the mirror stalks, feel almost over-engineered. It will certainly live up to some adventuring!
The bike has keyless entry and everything that can lock or unlock is done from buttons on the handlebars. In terms of performance, the Zontes can hold its own against some serious contenders in this category. The acceleration is brisk, and the bike performs equally well in corners while the brakes are ABS assisted.The ZT310-T is a really good looking bike, and if you fancy a small bike with off-road ability, then the Zontes makes perfect sense. The dealer network is expanding and Zontes have some more exciting models coming. If they keep on producing bikes of this calibre, Zontes is certainly heading in the right direction.Article and Photos: Ultimate Drive Ed.54 (Brian Cheyne)
Nuwe Q8 maak dadelik ʼn impak
Vir baie Suid-Afrikaners is R1-miljoen net té veel geld om van te droom, terwyl vir ander dit kleingeld is. En dan kan jy nog ʼn trap of twee verder gaan en begin gesels oor wat dit is om R1.5m of selfs R2m op ʼn motor te spandeer. Dis vrek baie geld om op vier wiele en ʼn enjin uit te gee, tog is daar mense wie dit kan doen. En dan begin wonder jy oor of Suid-Afrika régtig in ʼn ekonomiese krisis gedompel is. En as daar ʼn krisis is, vir wie raak dit dan nou eintlik?Ek vra so, want einde April 2019 het Audi sy nuwe Q8 kom bekendstel en in Mei het die vervaardiger 39 van hierdie SUVs van die hand gesit. 39 eenhede van ʼn voertuig wat knus onder R1.4-miljoen kos. So wat maak hierdie Q8 dan nou eintlik so spesiaal?
Die Q8 is ʼn heel nuwe SUV wat bo-aan Audi se hierargie sit. Dit is Ingolstadt se nuwe voorbok wanneer dit by SUVs kom en verdwyn selfs die Q7 – wat ook nie klein is nie – amper in sy skaduwee. Dis so groot, in fact, dat wanneer ʼn gemiddelde grootte man dwars voor die Q8 lê dit sal lyk of hy voor ʼn blouwalvis se bek uitkamp. Die Q8 spog met ʼn nuwe sierrooster wat dit beslis teenwoordigheid op die pad gee. Dit lyk wonderbaarlik mooi en sal die Q8 ook voortaan die pas aangee vir wat Audi met die ontwerp van sy SUVs wil doen.
Tog is dit nie net buitekant waar die Q8 beïndruk nie. Binnekant is daar ʼn oormaat weelde en luuksheid en word Alcantara leer mildelik ingespan. Nuwe en aangepaste tegnologieë is tot die insittendes se beskikking en word raakskerms eerder as knoppies gebruik. ʼn Lekkerny is die twee skerms wat die middelkonsole uitmaak en help dit beslis om instruksies makliker in te voer. Sewe passasiers kan in drie rye sitplekke geakkommodeer word en wanneer die twee sitplekke in die kattebak nie in gebruik is nie, is die laairuim ʼn baie gawe 605L. Maar slaan ook die tweede ry sitplekke plat en daai ruimte vergroot met meer as 1000L! Dis ʼn helse klomp spasie, maar dan moet ons ook onthou dat die Q8 ʼn helse groot wa is.Audi het vir eers net een model aan land gebring – die Q8 55 TFSI Quattro – en sal ʼn 3.0-liter V6 diesel, genaamd die 45 TDI, in die tweede helfte van 2019 geloods word. Die 55 TFSI word óók deur ʼn 3.0-liter V6 enjin aangevuur, maar een wat petrol instede van diesel sluk. Hierdie enjin skop ʼn gesonde 250kW en ʼn fris 500Nm uit. Audi praat van ʼn 0-100km/h-lopie wat in 5.9 sekondes afgelê word en ʼn top spoed wat tot 250km/h beperk word. Dis vrek vinnig vir ʼn voertuig wat 2000kg weeg, maar dit word veral aangehelp deur Audi se befaamde Quattro stelsel wat krag, via ʼn agt-spoed outomatiese ratkas, na al vier wiele stuur. En, moenie vergeet nie, die Q8 kan ook met al-wiel stuur bestel word, wat toelaat dat die agterwiele met soveel as 5° kan draai. Heito! Smaak my hierdie wa sal soos ʼn GTI om ʼn draai kan sit!
Audi was nie skaam om die Q8 van die beste te voorsien nie en kan die SUV met reg sy plek bo al die modelle in die Audi-stal inneem. Teen R1.4-miljoen, vóór opsies, is die Q8 nie goedkoop nie, maar Audi slaan alreeds munt uit die nuwe model se aankoms.Artikel vanuit Uitgawe 54 van Ultimate Drive (Charlen Raymond).
Die Q8 is ʼn heel nuwe SUV wat bo-aan Audi se hierargie sit. Dit is Ingolstadt se nuwe voorbok wanneer dit by SUVs kom en verdwyn selfs die Q7 – wat ook nie klein is nie – amper in sy skaduwee. Dis so groot, in fact, dat wanneer ʼn gemiddelde grootte man dwars voor die Q8 lê dit sal lyk of hy voor ʼn blouwalvis se bek uitkamp. Die Q8 spog met ʼn nuwe sierrooster wat dit beslis teenwoordigheid op die pad gee. Dit lyk wonderbaarlik mooi en sal die Q8 ook voortaan die pas aangee vir wat Audi met die ontwerp van sy SUVs wil doen.
Tog is dit nie net buitekant waar die Q8 beïndruk nie. Binnekant is daar ʼn oormaat weelde en luuksheid en word Alcantara leer mildelik ingespan. Nuwe en aangepaste tegnologieë is tot die insittendes se beskikking en word raakskerms eerder as knoppies gebruik. ʼn Lekkerny is die twee skerms wat die middelkonsole uitmaak en help dit beslis om instruksies makliker in te voer. Sewe passasiers kan in drie rye sitplekke geakkommodeer word en wanneer die twee sitplekke in die kattebak nie in gebruik is nie, is die laairuim ʼn baie gawe 605L. Maar slaan ook die tweede ry sitplekke plat en daai ruimte vergroot met meer as 1000L! Dis ʼn helse klomp spasie, maar dan moet ons ook onthou dat die Q8 ʼn helse groot wa is.Audi het vir eers net een model aan land gebring – die Q8 55 TFSI Quattro – en sal ʼn 3.0-liter V6 diesel, genaamd die 45 TDI, in die tweede helfte van 2019 geloods word. Die 55 TFSI word óók deur ʼn 3.0-liter V6 enjin aangevuur, maar een wat petrol instede van diesel sluk. Hierdie enjin skop ʼn gesonde 250kW en ʼn fris 500Nm uit. Audi praat van ʼn 0-100km/h-lopie wat in 5.9 sekondes afgelê word en ʼn top spoed wat tot 250km/h beperk word. Dis vrek vinnig vir ʼn voertuig wat 2000kg weeg, maar dit word veral aangehelp deur Audi se befaamde Quattro stelsel wat krag, via ʼn agt-spoed outomatiese ratkas, na al vier wiele stuur. En, moenie vergeet nie, die Q8 kan ook met al-wiel stuur bestel word, wat toelaat dat die agterwiele met soveel as 5° kan draai. Heito! Smaak my hierdie wa sal soos ʼn GTI om ʼn draai kan sit!
Audi was nie skaam om die Q8 van die beste te voorsien nie en kan die SUV met reg sy plek bo al die modelle in die Audi-stal inneem. Teen R1.4-miljoen, vóór opsies, is die Q8 nie goedkoop nie, maar Audi slaan alreeds munt uit die nuwe model se aankoms.Artikel vanuit Uitgawe 54 van Ultimate Drive (Charlen Raymond).
Beware of crying ‘criminal’ with pics
Deur Desirée Rorke @Dezzierorke 05 Julie 2017 06:01
From <http://www.netwerk24.com/ZA/Tygerburger/Nuus/beware-of-crying-criminal-with-pics-20170704-2>
A hefty fine, 12 months’ imprisonment or a massive civil suit could await you, should you post a picture of any perceived “criminal” on a social media platform.
Legal specialist in all police matters, Advocate Melville Cloete from the provincial police, recently spoke about the legislation surrounding this topic at a talk at Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell.
He addressed members of local neighbourhood watches, warning them of the dangers linked to posting such photos on social media. “You are not allowed to publish a picture identifying an alleged suspect in a crime on WhatsApp or on Facebook before this person had appeared before a court of law,” he stressed.
The South African Police Service Act strictly forbids this.
The same applies to pictures of anybody who might be a witness in a criminal case.
“Members of neighbourhood watches often take pictures of suspects at crime scenes, which you can do, but the moment you send the picture to someone else or post it to a social media platform, it is considered published,” he said.Posting photos could lead to vigilantism Vigilante action is rife in many areas of Cape Town. Advocate Melville Cloete
According to Cloete, the only exception applies when the investigating officer on the scene gives his permission for the picture to be published. In addition to the Police Act, section 35 of the Constitution affords every citizen the right to a fair trial.
“The publication of a photo identifying the alleged perpetrator could thus render the trial unfair and it might result in the suspect being acquitted. The same applies if the perpetrator is identified in public before an ID parade has taken place,” said Cloete
The publication of such a photo could furthermore defeat the ends of justice, by hampering a pending investigation. “It can also lead to vigilante action in cases where the person arrested is innocent, but as a result of the published photo, which depicts him as a criminal, the community takes the law into its own hands.”
Cloete says vigilante action is rife in many areas of Cape Town.
When publishing such a photo a person could also land him or herself on the receiving end of a defamation lawsuit. “Everyone has the right to a good name and reputation and the person who taints this with defamatory statements, by posting such a photo, can be held liable for damages in civil court,” said Cloete, adding that numerous complainants have won such cases in recent years.
Danger of unlawful arrest, detention
Lastly the publication of such a photo could result in unlawful arrest and detention. In the case between Mkwanazi and three others, the Minister of Police was successfully sued for an unlawful arrest when the aforesaid men were unlawfully arrested following a WhatsApp post that was picked up by police.
“In the post the men were identified as perpetrators, which prompted police to arrest and detain them only to find out two days later that these were the wrong men,” said Cloete
In this case the policemen involved did not investigate or analyse the information received from the members of the community. “It can happen so easily. We have to be very careful what we publish on social media platforms such as WhatsApp. If you see a person in your neighbourhood and you have grounds to believe him to be a criminal, don’t just take a photo, naming him a suspect, and post it. Rather state the facts around the circumstances and post that,” Cloete advised the audience.
From <http://www.netwerk24.com/ZA/Tygerburger/Nuus/beware-of-crying-criminal-with-pics-20170704-2>Why the English Language is Hard to Learn
21 Reasons Why the English Language is Hard to Learn: There have been a lot of discussion on grammar and lately the English language has prompted me to search for this email I received years ago. I wish I knew who the original author so I could give proper credit to him/her.
- The bandage was wound around the wound.
- The farm was used to produce produce.
- The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
- We must polish the Polish furniture.
- He could lead if he would get the lead out.
- The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
- Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
- A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
- When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
- I did not object to the object.
- The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
- There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
- They were too close to the door to close it.
- The buck does funny things when the does are present.
- A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
- To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
- The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
- After a number of injections my jaw got number.
- Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
- I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
- How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
High-Performance Surfing at Vic Bay Classic – Boost to local tourism!
Images credited (c) Ian Thurtell / Accelerate Sport Victoria Bay celebrated high performance surfing in pristine conditions last weekend in an international championship. Top local and international competitors faced off in the three-day inaugural Vic Bay Classic. Record numbers of spectators, both locals and overseas tourists, lined the point and pier of the local beach to witness superior quality surfing action.George Municipality logged over 1800 visitors at the seaside resort during the City Surf Series event, held from Thursday 20th until Saturday the 22nd of June. The tournament was also streamed on the World Surf League online platform, reaching over 11 000 viewers at one point. Event organiser Accelerate Sport, who hosted the event for City Surf Series, attributes the unprecedented success of the championship to Victoria Bay’s world class waves. “Victoria Bay is one of the most consistent right-hand point breaks in South Africa,” said Edward Gregory, CEO of Accelerate Sport. The event was the first time in 25 years that George’s local beach featured on the South African WSL Qualifying Series. However City Surf have promised to return; “We would love to come back next year,” added Gregory, “being able to surf high performance waves with just four opponents in the water is incredible”. Gregory further acknowledged the support provided by George Municipality, in terms of financial assistance, municipal infrastructure, refuse removal, law enforcement and media coverage.“Surfing related tourism has become a very valuable asset to our local economy,” says George Tourism Manager, Joan Shaw. “The Vic Bay Classic provided a huge boost to local businesses in what is traditionally considered our ‘low season’,” she continued. “We hope this event will continue to showcase our beautiful beach as a year-round surfing destination,” Shaw added. Many of the guesthouses in Victoria Bay were filled and further self-catering accommodation in George and Wilderness benefitted from increased bookings.The popular right-hand point-break produced formidable waves over the duration of the competition, with many clean 4 to 6 foot sets. Over one quarter of the 120 strong field of competitors were international surfers. Entrants from the UK, Holland, Germany, Spain, France, Australia and New Zealand competed in order to contest points towards the international WSL QS rankings. These rankings are then used to qualify and seed surfers in WSL events worldwide. Many of the international competitors have vowed to return to Victoria Bay for more waves, citing plentiful accommodation and safe, clean, fun waves as a huge drawcard. Local surfer Bianca Buitendag took the Women’s title with her trademark backhand attack, netting a prize purse of R24 000. The George athlete’s intimate knowledge of Vic Bay proved to be a massive advantage; “Having grown up here and with all the local support, it was a really great event. We get waves like this almost every week, so I felt right at home,” said Buitendag.Durban’s Slade Prestwich bagged the Men’s title, along with R30 000 prize money. The little pocket bay proved to hold a special place in his heart; “It feels so good,” said Prestwich, “to win my first QS is great, but to win at Vic Bay is really special.” The Classic was the seventh tour date for the World Surf League’s Africa Qualifying Series Tour and the final date for the 2019 City Surf Series.The Vic Bay Classic also rolled out a transformation programme in an effort to draw marginalised local youths into the sport. Surfing South Africa promoted a ‘Learn to Surf’ outreach project in collaboration with Caltex EC and the NSRI. Ocean Pledge called on surfers and spectators to lead a change for the ocean by tackling a beach clean-up. The NSRI offered education workshops about ocean safety and ocean awareness.More information, results and images are available on www.worldsurfleague.com. Information about accommodation, surf camps and surf lessons can be accessed from the George Tourism Office at 044 801 9295.