Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened?

Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened?: Watch this recently aired BBC documentary Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened? The film attempts to give the most complete picture of what may have happened in the early hours of February 14th.

Dear Mr President and all your Advisors

Dear Mr President and all your Advisors

5 Months in Hell

Beware when renting property…

I am writing this to all of you to make you as aware as I am now.  At the End of January this year my landlord had informed me that he needed to take occupancy of his home back and that I had to move.

So myself and a friend decided let’s get a house together instead of us living in two separate flats. This sounded like a great idea because technically we should save together instead living separately. So we missioned to find a house. We searched all the property places on the internet, Property24, Private Property, GumTree, and then the local papers.

I went and saw some very small pokey places claiming one thing in the ad, and wow some owners really have delusions of grandeur when it comes to the price of a property. Mind you it is also the market. So we looked at some really nice houses and some really nasty ones. But there was one house in Vorna Valley that we just fell for. But it wasn’t the house it was the garden we fell for should I say.

It seemed perfect, 4 beds, maid’s quarters (if we ever wanted to get a domestic), lapa, pool, even jungle gyms for all our friends’ children. It was going for R10,500 per month excluding water and lights. We jumped at the house, we signed all the legal documentation, paid the deposit and the rent and the place was ours…

We took occupancy the Saturday the 25^th February 2012, giving my old landlord also time to move back into his home. We off loaded the trucks and bakkies and started trying to find each piece of furniture’s new home.

In the first hour we discovered our dream home had plumbing issues, we would flush the toilets and nothing would go down, we would run the tap and water wouldn’t empty out the basin, shower, or bath. So we spoke to the new landlady, informing her of this issue. That night we went to bed and my buddy battled to sleep as she is a light sleeper and there was something in the ceiling. She told me the next morning and I said I heard nothing as I am a very heavy sleeper. Needless to say I went home after work and heard the noises myself; on a closer examination outside I could see rats/ mice tails sticking out of the roof where the tiles and wall meet.

Again we informed the owner, we also then filled out a snag list of all the issues within the house when we took occupancy, we were supposed to get a copy of the owners and previous tenants list but for some reason we never did. Probably because they were not done by them. As you can see by the list we listed many things wrong.

After being promised that these things would be amended we continued to unpack and prepared to live in this house, looking back now I ask myself why? But in that moment we took the landladies words on good faith that she was keen to keep us as her tenants and keep her home in a good order. Boy were we wrong.

The plumbers that came out were not your normal run of the mill plumbing service like Rotor-rooter or something. This was two very old very over weight Afrikaans boys who arrived with a plunger to remove roots from the plumbing and it ended up taking them over 3 hours to this job instead of it taking a max of 30 minutes.

The landladies ex husband/ boyfriend came over to fix the lapa lights and threw rat poison in the ceiling and slowly the rats ate that and started to die… once the silence came so did the smell of rotting rats and mice in our ceiling, Maggots started falling through the light fittings in the lounge and this started happening the day before we opened our home to our friends so they could see our home.  Spraying doom frantically to kill the maggots hoping none would fall onto our guests….

Our House warming was the 31^st March and the night before Johannesburg and Pretoria had a freak storm and we woke up to 5 cm of water in our house, Ruining the TV cabinet, the power had tripped, and we had no idea the extent to the damage of the electrical appliances yet, we let the Landlady know and she came over to see what she could do. We started mopping up and trying to save what we could of the furniture.

Her plan was to knock a hole through the wall. Making the water run upstream (which doesn’t normally happen) up the gradient, over the step and down the drive way instead of straight into the lounge. What a joke? Anyways, the only way I proved this theory unsound was with the hose pipe as it never rained again whilst we stayed there to test my theory on its failure. Anyways, just before I forget no, maggots didn’t fall on anyone but did fall on the couch and were noticed.

That night when we tried to put on the lights they didn’t come on, I assumed it was water from the rain or the rats from before. Then we discovered my T.V didn’t work, obviously it didn’t work it got fried between the water and electricity, thankfully I bought an extended warranty with my TV which was two years old. That extended warranty allowed me the privileged of having my TV inspected by the maker to see if it was fixable, to be fixed if fixable, or replaced. The mother board had fried and so on the TV wasn’t fixable. So I had to get replacement T.V.

Then I tried to use my iBurst internet which is another blog all on its own, but it didn’t work due to signal and well I wasn’t and am still not about to purchase some extra booster without knowing and seeing it working, seeing as I bought into their product originally without seeing it or knowing it working and it doesn’t... So from experience I don’t trust them. Anyways... so we noticed there was a Telkom plug in the main room, so we asked the owner was there a phone and would she put the fixture in place and we will pay the rental and the internet we then got to go with the line. She asked us to do all the leg work, do all the research and we did it, hoping that spoon feeding would move it along and basically making it so that she only had to Call Telkom and order the line... But finally when it came down to it, she pleaded poverty, saying she is a single mom, and if we want it so bad we must pay for it and just cancel the line when we leave... This response did not impress us, why would we add features to someone else’s home?

Then my friend plugged her pc in and it too started beeping and wouldn’t work, so she took it to her office and asked the I.T guys there to have a look at it and guess what??? The mother board is fried.  So now she has to upgrade and replace the parts damaged by the power surge.

When we again tried to speak to the owner about the issues still un-resolved she gave us an ultimatum, which usually blow up in people’s faces, anyways, our options were foot stoets and or leave, so we gave her our notice for the end of June.  We also contacted Alan Levy Attorneys after I did some research online about the new Consumer Protection Act, as well as our normal rights as tenants.

I came across The Estate AgencyAffairs Board website, and there they have a page where you can type in the estate agency that did your lease and who we dealt with from them, the agent. Not to my surprise they weren’t registered. So I began the process of asking them to do an investigation. Sending them all the proof and documentation plus we took photographs of the house, and all the other problems us to girls never saw when we looked at the house. Exposed wiring, shoddy roof and wiring work. Quoting the handyman saying,” this house probably isn’t earthed and he doesn’t think it’s safe.” Alan Levy wrote us a letter informing the owner and Rental agent of our notice and that we had the right to take matters up legally and are awaiting our request to proceed.

Again we had to search for a home, trolling the internet websites, seeing lots of houses, and discovered a little treasure closer to what we feel is civilisation after our experience in Midrand.  This time we paid more attention to the house, and less to the garden, all we looked at was size for our two puppies.

Since we have moved we have been hassled and had accusations of theft of something we have no clue what they speaking of, I have gladly offered to take a polygraph test at the owners expense to prove our innocence in their so called accusations, as well basically requesting hand outs from us. We have also been informed that the Estate Agency Affairs Board is doing a full investigation into the going on of the rental agency that keeps changing names every time this house has a new tenant.

All I ask of all of you looking at a home. No matter buying or renting, Know a lil about your rights, I know you think you do but really most of us don’t. Do your homework, make sure where you’re moving to allows what you currently have to continue to work or run, i.e. Internet, mobile phone signal and so on. Also really look around before you sign that offer to purchase or that lease. Make sure you have checked inside the ceiling, wiring is a big thing, you don’t unwanted fires, or sorting/ power surging, also view the house more than once. Go as many times as you want. Take pictures. Don’t take a home on face value. You will be sorry.

Go onto the Estate Agency Affairs Board website and check to see if the agent is registered and actually allowed to work. Instead of someone de- frauding you. Also use the internet to Google the agent or agency you’re dealing with. If they legit they have a website, business cards with a registration number on them, There name will come up on property searches, use Facebook to see if you are dealing with someone who says who they say they are.

Good luck, may your home experiences be better than this one.

Property24 has an article on knowing your rights as a tenant, I suggest you read this as well.Knowing your rights

Reflective gear for our pets

This last weekend  I went shopping for curtains for the new house I just moved into, and I came across what I think is a brilliant idea...one I wished I had around when I was growing up. Maybe just maybe many lives could have been saved and many tears saved.

Its a Bow Miaow flouorescent pet vest! Thats right... a pet vest like what I as a biker wear so motorist can see me in the early hours of the morning.

I had to buy one, for my sister, especially as she had to put her beloved cat down last week because someone didnt see him. Whether he was in the road, under their car or behind it, either way he wasnt seen and the person broke his paws and fractured his hips. The operation would have cost R15 000. When weighing up his age, quality of life after the operation, it was decided to put him to sleep. Would Tigger Thomas James Taylor be alive today if he was wearing this reflective jacket, most probably... so I purchased this vest for my sisters other cat Stark who is a black and white Tuxedo cat.

Today we put this very clever jacket on Stark and he darted around the room and collapsing on his side as cats do when something is around them. It was very entertaining to watch, but slowly they get used to it.

 Where to find this great discovery?

Mr Price Home, they are R49.99 which is nothing to help make our furry friends and family members more visible to everyone at night.

Can cannabis cure cancer?

Can cannabis cure cancer?: I've never been one to shy away from controversy. A useful attribute to possess in a country like South Africa.

Video: Saving dolphins on a beach in Brazil

Video: Saving dolphins on a beach in Brazil

ToxiNews: Gross wages of SA government employees higher than...

ToxiNews: Gross wages of SA government employees higher than...: When this happens to a country it spells the end of the economy. South Africa is busy sinking under the weight of the public service. ...

You know there is something wrong when....

You know there is something wrong when....

When you have to wait 5 hours for an ambulance to try save a life only to have to wait another 4 hours for the hearse because the ambulance didn’t get there in time. Sick to think about, isn’t it?

Well sadly this is the reality of a person in South Africa without medical aid, and you can’t classify this person into any class or race as anyone will tell you the first place people cut back on in tough times are medical aid, insurance and so on. Sadly this story is one of my other mom, the mom that brought me up when my biological mom had to go to work, and no this was not a lesbian relationship my other mom is my mom’s domestic worker Catherine. The mom who’s been in my life as that role since I was two and a half, who now that I am out the house I see played a huge part in who I am today. Which is why I can’t just accept what I am about to share with you.

On Sunday the 15^th April Elizabeth Radebe was released from hospital and came to stay with her mother Catherine who resides with my mother in Sandton Johannesburg, as her live in domestic of over 30 years. Today Tuesday the 17^th April, Catherine came to my mom and sister and said Elizabeth doesn’t look well and she thinks she must call an ambulance. My mom gave her the 10111 number because Elizabeth didn’t have medical aid.

Catherine first started dialling 10111 at 7 am this morning. At some stage she finally managed to get hold of someone and request an ambulance. This was when her wait began...  she waited and waited, but Elizabeth couldn’t wait any longer and passed away in her mom’s single bed. Catherine had to wait till 11:20 before the ambulance finally arrived, only after having to walk up to the Gallo Manor Police station to ask them to call the mortuary.

The death piece of paper that the ambulance emergency staff left Catherine and her deceased daughter declares her deceased at 11:47. Which is when I got notified of what had happened? I being the closest left work to go and be there for her. We sat there waiting and waiting.

At 15:45 the hearse finally arrived, and removed Elizabeth’s lifeless body from her mother’s bed. I’m sorry I cannot see how anyone can think this is okay? Would Elizabeth have lived if 10111 wasn’t always engaged? If the ambulance had come when initially called? If she hadn’t been discharged from hospital? Whose fault is it that there are two sons with no mother or father? Why is it that our health system stinks so bad one really can’t actually say where they need to start because it’s all collapsed? Is it the governments fault that money isn’t being used for what it meant to be?

This same day the 17^th April, In Sunninghill a taxi had an interesting incident where he was speeding and the traffic light changed and to avoid hitting cars and going through the intersection of LeeuKop and Witkoppen, (DRA Corner),he ramped up the embankment and straight into a telephone line and then slide into the storm drain. When myself and a colleague went to go see what happened and take a photograph because how often do you see a taxi in a storm drain? She started speaking to all the people around and found out that this happened an hour ago and they awaiting someone to help the driver who needed to be checked out. I went back to work and when I heard the fire trucks I went out again and had a look see at their work. They attended to the driver and looked at the accident and tried to figure out probable possible ways to retrieve the vehicle from the drain.

Basically what I want to know is what is up with our Emergency services.... not even the private ones are up to scratch. When someone calls this service it’s because of an emergency, accident, death, shooting, house robbery, How is it okay to allow a traumatised and grieving mother to sit with her dead child’s body all day? Imagine how insignificant she felt and how she has now been shown that life isn’t precious, no one cares, if you have money then you might have more chance of survival than someone without money. Seriously? Is this our reality? Is the man on the street nothing more than some sort of pimp for the ANC government to use in election time? There is clearly no response team unless you’re someone in government.

Everyone has a right to life; a right to have someone believe your life is worth saving.

There is something seriously sick in the world when people are left for hours on end to stare at the cold lifeless body of someone they love dearly because no one but them sees the urgency in this. There is no respect or regard for the living, nor the dead in South Africa.

I want to know for the public;

1.       How many people die a day waiting for emergency services to arrive?

2.       How many people die due to poor medical conditions in hospital as well as Doctors?

3.       How many South Africans really have medical aid and how many really don’t?

4.       Is this conducive to a healthy happy country?

5.       Are our lives being lost because our standard of education is lower than it’s ever been?

I want to hear how many other people have suffered because of poor health care on the part of our government? I want to know how many people have suffered at the same hands of our murdering ANC government. This is pure Negligence.

Speak up, let’s be heard. Take a stand! For yourself, a friend, a family member, a work colleague. No one deserves to be disregarded like I witnessed today.

Today I am embarrassed and disgusted to be a South African Citizen.  No one should have to wait Five hours for an ambulance and the four hours for a hearse. I don’t care who it is.

Other related articles I have found of complaints againts 10111:

IOL

News24

The Tokoloshe

The Tokoloshe: 400 years ago Africa might as well been another planet in our solar system.

ZARFEST

When i heard that Lil Kim, Ciara and Timberland were coming to South Africa and all performing together, I was totally amped and informed my friends that enjoyed this type of music and off we went to Computicket to go and book our tickets. We were extremely worried as we were buying our tickets a day before the concert.

We were very surprised to be able to still get tickets and we each paid our R500 per ticket. The 3rd of June was the day of the concert, and we created a group for ZARFEST where we could share our excitement, and the whole day we were going on and on about how awesome this was gonna be.

We all got to our meeting spot which was a mates house where we all got ready together and worked each other up about Timberland and Ciara, the rest we weren’t so excited for but thought we were scoring, R500 for Lil Kim, Ciara, Timberland, Fat Joe and Dj Scratch.... What a line up seriously.

What a score....

Before we knew it, it was time for us to head on over to the Coca-cola Dome in Northgate, we drove into the parking lot and were shocked... What? Where are all the cars, We checked our tickets we are on time, so we go right up to the Dome and see cars and people and shew the concerts still on. YAY!!!!

We park, empty out what we don’t need from our pockets and head for the gates, we prepare to be searched and have our tickets torn as we get closer to the door... Excitement levels are so high.... and then we walk into the Dome, and they had Barricaded up half the dome, to push the crowd forward... hmmm... was this a bad marketed concert? Well the answer is yes.

Ticket sales were very poor and I’m sure the organiser Kenny Kunene for Club Zar lost millions in doing this whole thing and I keep thinking to myself why? Why didn’t you get a promoter? You could have made a killing. Once the ticket is sold the money is there.

It wouldn’t have mattered if this was probably one of South Africa’s poorest put together concert ever, and to be honest I don’t think the artists when they saw the outcome, took it seriously and didn’t put in their best show effort, Fat Joe and his entourage were off and out and no one could hear much, Lil Kim, well i don’t know... she seemed off too, maybe Rapping isn’t meant to be live, maybe it was a sound issue. I’m not really sure, Ciara came out and looked like she wasn’t singing but lip singing... and Timberland, well let’s just say we left whilst he was on. The performer was DJ Scratch and why, because it was just music.

The 10 minute sound checks between artists also seemed a lil tacky and to be perfectly frank the whole thing was a big disappointment for everyone who attended the concert, and I’m pretty sure it was for even Kenny and the artists that came.

Next time in my opinion get a promoter, and go BIG!!! People want to see these artists. Just do it properly...

Sites:


• Kenny Kunene

• Briony French

• Computicket

• Lil Kim

• Ciara

• Timberland

• Fat Joe

• Coca-Cola Dome

• DJ Scratch