Goodluck Class of 2018
Provincial Listeriosis Training Hosted by ZFM
The National Department of Health and Emergency Operations Centre’s Incident Management Team, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, held a two-day workshop for Environmental Health Practitioners in Upington. This formed part of the ongoing support identified during the planning process by the Incident Management Team and how they responded to the outbreak of Listeriosis in not only the country but also within the Province.
It was envisaged that this capacity building process will empower Provinces and Municipalities to continue inspecting and sampling local processing facilities in the efforts to curb and control the outbreak of Listeriosis in the country as well as the prevention of future outbreaks.
On one of the training days a team of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP’s) conducted a site visit at Upington Butchery which was identified as a local raw meat processing plant.
During the visit a total number of 15 swabs were taken by EHP’s to sample for Listeria monocytogenes. The samples were sent to an independent Laboratory for analysis. Environmental Health is proud to announce that no traces of Listeriosis were found in the samples submitted for analysis, and again we want to extend our gratitude to Upington Butchery for availing its facility to be sampled.
The Environmental Health Unit of ZF Mgcawu District Municipality was thanked and applaud the by the National Department of Health for hosting a well-organized and fruitful training.
In recent news, the Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced that the deadly outbreak of Listeriosis is ultimately something of the past. After dozens of deaths, no further incidents of Listeriosis have been reported since June.
"The conclusion is therefore that the outbreak of Listeriosis in South Africa is over," says Motsoaledi.
The ZF Mgcawu District Municipality's Environmental Health Practitioners will be constantly on guard for any and every outbreak that may arise.
ZFM Hosts Nelson Mandela Centenary Lecture
The ZF Mgcawu hosted its first Nelson Mandela Centenary Lecture with the invited guest speaker being Dr Zamani Saul, ANC Provincial Chairperson in the Northern Cape.
The Executive Mayor of ZFM introduced the guest speaker to the hundreds of guests in attendance and articulated both his political and academic career over the course of the last 10 years.
Dr Saul’s speech was both riveting and inspirational, filled with anecdotes and analogies which portrayed his vast knowledge on life. The lecture focused primarily on the life and times of Nelson Mandela, having described him as a revolutionary and a fighter of the liberation struggle, Saul showed that Mandela was no ordinary leader.
Dr Saul used the parable of the biblical heroes, Moses and Joshua and took us through a 7 point plan of what defines a good leader; amongst them being:
- Building unity
- Steadfast in doing what is right
- Determination to correct what is wrong
- Radical selflessness/ sacrifice
- Remain a simple man/woman
- Being simple servants
- Showing respect for others
The lecture was concluded by warm tokens of appreciation to both the public that were in attendance and the guest speaker who honoured the invitation.
ZFM Celebrates Mandela Day
The ZF Mgcawu District Municipality spent their 67 minutes on Mandela day in different ways. The Executive Mayor, Councillor Abraham Vosloo and the Speaker of the District, Councillor Moses Moalosi were at the house of Magrieta Ludick whose house burned down in a wreck accident. The District Municipality has helped to restore the house by building and painting it. The Executive Mayor, Cllr Vosloo, said in his speech that Mandela Day is a global call for action that celebrates the idea that every individual has the power to transform the world, has the ability to impact and it is why the need for the house was identified and addressed.
On the photo from left to right: Executive Mayor of ZFM, Cllr Abraham Vosloo, Ms Magrieta Ludick (Home owner); Cllr Elize Mnyaka (Ward Councillor; Mr Heinrich Bobejee, Mr Hendrik Beukes, Mr Kgololo Taaibosh (Absa NC); Mr Brian Mokete (Absa NC), Cllr Moses Moalosi (Speaker ZFM)
Absa sponsored the furniture for the house as part of their social responsibility commitment to communities. The elderly Magrieta Ludick was very pleased about her new home, "I'm very grateful that you did it for me. I can sleep in my house again tonight. Thank you very much, "she said.
The staff of ZFM donated money, clothing and other accessories and delivered them to various points, including a school in Louisvaleweg, a home in Dakota, Dr. Harry Surtie Hospital and soup was given to street children and the elderly. The Mandela Day campaign has all made it clear that there are people who are less advantaged and that it is our duty to do something about it
