KEEPING IT BRIEF

Protecting African culture

Suggestions relating to the protection of African culture were received from the public during meetings held countrywide. The end result will be a draft Heritage Transformation Charter to be published in October. The draft charter will be presented to the Department of Arts and Culture.

Some of the recommendations will ensure that:

- Access to heritage sites will be affordable for all South Africans.
- Local people, including traditional leaders, can own cultural places and display objects without big companies taking advantage of them.
- Cultural practices and values will be taught at schools.
- Heritage or cultural names for places and public objects should take preference over what is called, Christian or colonial names.

- BuaNews

Northern Cape

The provincial health department started a programme called Care for the Carer in Langly near Kimberly. The programme aims to develop and promote support for people who offer home-based care, as well as voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) programmes for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS and other chronic illnesses. It will benefit about 700 home-based carers, 380 VCT counsellors and 22 peer educators, as well as NGOs from all five districts.

- BuaNews

Mpumalanga

To help the province manage low-cost housing projects, an additional 93 community development workers will be appointed. The additional workers will bring the total number to 420. They will keep waiting lists up to date and will contact housing beneficiaries to tell them when their houses will be ready. They will also help municipalities to find households affected by disasters and in need of emergency help.

- BuaNews

Limpopo

The provincial department of local government and housing is completing low-cost houses that were left unfinished by some contractors in Pienaarsrivier near Bela-Bela. The department has put aside R331 million to complete 8 495 unfinished units across the province. More than 500 units have already been completed in Blouberg, Modimolle and Pienaarsrivier. All the outstanding units are expected to be com-pleted by the end of March next year.

- BuaNews

KwaZulu-Natal

The province's Department of Education has adopted a plan that will turn schools into centres where care and support is also offered. The plan, called Inclusive Schools, aims to remove barriers to teaching and learning. These are lack of facilities at schools and poverty. They also include the plight of homeless children, HIV and Aids and other health problems, lack of teacher support and social or psychological problems.

- BuaNews

Eastern Cape

The signing of a memorandum of understanding, will speed up the building of 20 000 houses in the Zanemvula Human Settlement project in Port Elizabeth. Almost 20 000 houses will be built for about 100 000 people, making this the biggest housing project in the Eastern Cape. It will give relief and housing security to people living in informal settlements in the flood plains.

- BuaNews
 

North West

An Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme started by the province's Department of Social Development, will teach adult employees about things like career development. It is for low-level workers who cannot read, write and count well. The programme includes training in language, literacy and communication; maths and mathematical sciences; natural science; arts and culture and technology.

- BuaNews
 

Free State

At least 21 engineers have been sent to various municipalities countrywide in an effort to get rid of the bucket system in formal settlements. Seven of the engineers were sent to the Free State because of the serious backlog in the province. The Free State accounts for
84 per cent of the backlog, follow-ed by the Eastern Cape with 16 per cent and the Northern Cape with six per cent.

- BuaNews