The Tribune received numerous complains from the community concerning the electricity outages in Wesselton for the past three weeks.
Members of the community are angry with the inconvenience of the outages, “We have to bath in cold water in the winter, whereas we pay for electricity.  Even worst, we are not warned that there will be electricity failure, it comes as a surprise,” a member of the community said.  The community is in the dark, and living without electricity increases chances of homes being burnt because of the use of candles or gas stoves.  People experience the electricity outages which last for more than a day.  Bread has became the choice of dinner  to the Wesselton residents because they are unable to cook, due to the electricity outages. Octavia  Mkhonza

The Jehovah’s Witnesses held a Special Assembly in Piet Retief and Bethal on Saturday, 9 July, and Sunday, 10 July, with almost 900 attendees at the morning and evening assemblies in Piet Retief.
The program was enormously rich with spiritual food and all in attendance were definitely refreshed.  “We had five candidates who showed their dedication by baptism.  In the morning session we had 872 in attendance and in the afternoon we reached the peak of 879.  Sister Sbongile Mbatha was the oldest baptismal candidate in this assembly,” said Milton Dludlu of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.   The management of Piet Retief Town Hall, where the assembly was held, were absolutely marvelled when the assembly Jehovah’s Witnesses left the hall sparkling and spotless. LM

University students take part in Mandela Day DUT (Durban University of Technology) students took part in a community outreach on18 July, at the Ithafa Comprehensive School, to inform matriculants from Lindile Secondary School, Cebisa Secondary , Reggie Masuku and Ithafa Comprehensive School, how to apply for University entrance and bursaries. Pupils who can’t afford University fees, were only one of the issues discussed, as youths do not know that they can apply for a loan at the University, which will cover academics, residence and meal allowances. Three students were chosen from the University to take part in the 67 minutes for Mandela which entails making changes in people’s lives. The students are Chicco Tivane, who is doing his third year in Electrical Engineering, Sipho Mkhize, a public relation student and Musa Mthalane, who is doing BTech in marketing. The program is made possible by Ermelo Inn, who is sponsoring the three students with accommodations throughout the entire program and Mr NA Tivane, who donated airtime to the students so as to be able to contact the people to be at the event. Matric students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible using their June exam results. Octavia Mkhonza

Ek wil graag met hierdie brief ander inwoners van Ermelo waarsku teen ‘n tweedehandse motor handelaar in Ermelo.
Ons het Desember 2010 ‘n tweedehandse voertuig by hom gekoop.  Ons moes self die voertuig registreer en die koste dra, net om uit te vind dat dit nie die regte voertuig is wat op ons naam is nie, omdat die handelaar vir ons die verkeerde voertuig se vorms gegee het.  Ons kry toe die regte vorms en is terug verkeersafdeling toe.  Daar gekom hoor ons die kar moet nog deur die toets gaan.  Terug na die handelaar.  Hy sê toe hy sal dit uitsorteer, ek moet die voertuig by hom los.  Die voertuig is toe in ‘n ongeluk, volgens hom was dit sy nalatigheid.  Hy bied toe aan om die kar na ‘n vriend te neem om te laat afskryf en dan met die versekeringsgeld ‘n ander voertuig vir ons aan te skaf.  Ek was nie hiervoor te vinde nie en het self paneelkloppers toe gegaan.  Hy reël toe dat die derdeparty se versekering betaal vir die herstelwerk.  Na ‘n eis ingedien is, vind die versekering uit dat hy verantwoordelik was vir die ongeluk en weier om die eis te betaal.
Hy weier nou om verantwoordelikheid te neem en ek is na ‘n prokureur.  Hy keer my toe voor by die prokureur se kantoor, na ‘n geveg jaag hy weg met my kar en is ek polisie toe.  Ek het probeer ‘n saak oopmaak by die polisie vir diefstal, aanranding en bedrog, want ons het steeds geen bewys dat die foutiewe kar nie meer op ons naam is nie, maar sê die polisieman agter die toonbank vir my, hy sal my nou nie kan help nie want: “It sounds like maybe it’s a civil matter, but actually I don’t know.”  Die polisie het toe wel later ‘n saak geopen en die motorhandelaar is op Woensdag, 20 Julie, gearresteer en het die volgende dag in die hof verskyn. Ek vrees egter nou vir my en my gesin se veiligheid, aangesien my huis se sleutels in die kar was en ek dit nie teruggekry het nie.  Kan iemand my met advies help oor wat my te doen staan?
Johann Lubbe