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At Oakleigh Funeral Home, our staff uphold our company values, one of them being compassion – ensuring that whether they are guiding a family through a loss, or assisting someone in putting their affairs in order compassion is emphasised.
Our removal teams are consistently complimented on their “bedside manner”, quiet, calm, efficient, and loving care that is so important at a time for those having lost a loved one, and when feeling so vulnerable.
We also have adopted a very professional approach to consulting and assisting families through the obstacles and challenges that may occur along the way, when pre-planning your funeral or putting funeral insurance in place.
Our families and clients are not just a number, but as we see it, an opportunity to walk alongside and really help. We aim to not just pay lip service to going the "extra mile" but constantly find ways to do so.
More about Oakleigh Funeral Home
It was a fairly quiet, relaxed week at the club.
The Greendale SuperSpar Competition due to be played on Saturday, 04 December turned into a quiet afternoon of snooker, board games and relaxed conversation due to the inclement weather. A draw took place to decide who would go home with the generous vouchers provided by Greendale SuperSpar. The lucky winners were Koos Marais, Mike Scheffer and Graham Sharp. Thank you to the management team of Greendale SuperSpar for their continued sponsorship and the platter of delicious sandwiches provided.
FORTHCOMING DECEMBER SPONSORED COMPETITIONS
Wednesday, 08: Halfway Toyota Howick - Tabs in by 13h15 Dress Casual
Wednesday 15: Annual Prize-giving will take place after tabs in, Dress Code: Whites/club colours. This will be followed by a braai. See club notice board for further details.
Tuesday, 21: J Leslie Smith Drawn 2-4-2. Start time 08.30. Pre-entry required by Saturday, 18 Dec.
More about Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club
Located at the well known Ground Cover Leather factory & shop in Curry's Post, the Barn Owl has become legendary in its own right. Designed by owner, Ryan Solomon, the café has won awards and although we don't profess to be coffee snobs, we can see why!! The alchemy of sublime coffee, locally sourced and delicious food, gorgeous setting and inspiring design really make this café something special!
But that's not all...
It became a refuge for KZNTR post-lockdown where we first started facilitating trails and the 5km, 10km and 15km routes were known to be beautiful but with a bit of a bite...just how we like it!!
So come celebrate the end of another crazy year. Run some epic trails, eat some delicious food and lets be merry!
Festive attire encouraged, but not compulsory... ????
QUICK INFO:
SATURDAY 11 December
Barn Owl Café, Curry's Post Road
15km | 10km | 5km
R205 | R170 | R125
6am | 6:30am | 7am
1km Santa Dash for kiddies ????????????
Masks/buffs compulsory at the start / finish area, sanitising… you know the drill!
"It is important for all of us to realise that the world and it's amazing beings are precious resources that we all share. SHELL's planned activities off our coast should be rejected by everyone. The endless greed that drives people to keep taking from the earth for profit purposes is shameful and should receive our urgent, collective, rejection. Me and my family will not buy anything from any SHELL garage until they withdraw their threat to nature. If the South African government allows this to go ahead, we should decisively deal with them too." shared Makhubalo The Storyteller.
SPONSOR A KENNEL. SUPPORT A FUTURE.
The season of giving is upon us! Why not give the gift of supporting the animals in our care?
For R200 a month, you can sponsor a kennel and have your name (or business' name) as a sign that you are a supporter!
All contributions are eligible for Section 18A tax deductions.
Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Copper pipes are once again a targeted item. There were 7 incidents in Howick West. There were 6 incidents in Howick. There were 5 incidents in the Merrivale area. There were 3 incidents in Hilton. There was 1 incident in Boston. There was 1 incident in Tweedie. There was 1 incident in Mpophomeni. There was 1 incident in Birnamwood.
More about Knight Security Solutions
This spring, the Snakes in the City TV series team has been hard at work saving snakes in the greater Durban area. Their antics have been well documented on National Geographic Wild for the past 7 years.
Dealing with dangerous snakes is one thing… but the human factor is quite another. Simon Keys and Siouxsie Gillett say they encounter numerous clients who have an irrational fear of snakes. Part of the mission of the show is to try and “convert” them by allaying fears and dispelling myths about snakes.
“It’s called ophidiophobia…” explains Simon. “…it’s quite remarkable that people living in this lush tropical climate aren’t aware of how many snakes they are literally living next to! Yet when faced a snake in their garden, home or work place, they’re petrified out of their wits. We have to empathise with them and try to help them to get over this fear.”
“Much has been written about this fear of snakes. Some say our fear is evolutionary – since time began we’ve been taught to avoid them as one or two species could possibly kill you,” continues Siouxsie. “We see the bad rap they get in everything from cultural myths & beliefs, to children’s stories and even in film. That brave adventuring character Indiana Jones got all icky when faced with a tomb full of them! Parents also play a role in passing this fear down generations. Snakes aren’t cuddly or fluffy. People often assume that a snake's skin is slimy – which pushes them further down the likeable scale.”
When Simon & Siouxsie capture a snake, there’s a great opportunity to let clients touch and interact with the snake. “I would say we are able to “convert” people 75% of the time,” says Siouxsie. “It’s truly remarkable seeing the realisation that these creatures are quite beautiful and for the most part just want to keep to themselves.”
“In reality most snakes are not dangerous, and are doing far more good than bad in our eco-systems. They are an important part of the food chain - snakes for example are able to control rat populations very efficiently."
“People often kill snakes in reaction to this fear, but this is devastating to eco-systems and the environment – every creature and plant has a role to play on this planet, and so people should be thinking more holistically.”
“At the moment there's a lot more water around after our recent rain. That means a lot more frogs, all busy breeding,” explains Simon. “Because of this, snake activity increases because there’s more food, and therefore more human encounters.”
Their advice? Keep your eyes open! And don’t be scared. “Snakes will always try to avoid you first,” says Siouxsie, “But they are more active when it's warm and wet, so stay alert and watch where you walk.”
Flooding also flushes snakes out of hiding places. People should watch out for log piles, building rubble, old tyres, under houses or sheds, places where snakes could go to keep dry.
If you encounter a snake, consider how useful it is to the environment. Simon and Siouxsie are available to capture and relocate snakes free of charge whilst filming the series. The caller, with permission and depending on the conditions of the call out, could be on the TV series. All SA Government CoViD-19 protocols are observed.
The Snakes in the City number to call for snake removals in the Greater Durban Area is 063 234 6932.
News supplied.
Four organisations in Durban, have been collaborating to support and develop the exquisite Lower Molweni Valley for local and international tourism, in an effort to stimulate and drive the community’s economy in a setting that has high tourism potential.
Lower Molweni is a short drive into the Valley of 1000 Hills from Hillcrest and is a hikers, birders and nature-lovers paradise. Now Durban’s Green Corridors, with its vision to see communities thrive in balance with the habitats around them, is working together with the local organisations: Kloof Conservancy, Philangethemba Impact, and 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation, to develop eco-tourism initiatives that create local employment and business opportunities and at the same time protect the environment.
These organisations, which have varying mandates, have pooled resources and ideas with Green Corridors: The Kloof Conservancy, aims to promote environmental awareness and conserve the area’s natural habitats; Philangethemba Impact, is a collaborative empowerment programme between the social outreach ministry of St Agnes Anglican Church in Kloof, and the neighbouring Molweni Valley community, and 1000 Hills CTO, is the local community tourism organisation promoting tourism in this area.
Currently, in this area there is a network of community-developed nature trails that lead hikers through the spectacular rugged cliffs and forests of the area, just on the outskirts of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. This reserve is a biodiversity treasure trove including 50 mammals, 253 bird, 35 reptiles, 150 butterflies, 273 tree and over 1500 plant species.
Much work is being done by partners on the ground including the community of Lower Molweni Trust around various new and exciting tourism opportunities, including a 1.4km zipline, which is planned to be the longest in South Africa, experiential and cultural tours around the local community, and Pop up Camping - Green Corridors’ unique portable camping experience which can move from site to site.
For local community members, microbusinesses have started up, as a result, providing employment opportunities and are expected to grow as interest in the area increases. Businesses include trail clearers who cut paths and remove alien plants from the trails; litter and waste controllers, a catering business K&X Café and Ibongezi Crafters based at the Philangethemba Impact site – the start point of the nature trails. Local trail guides are being trained and mentored by experienced Green Corridors nature guides.
“We aim to develop local tourism opportunities and help stimulate community-based economies, through our vision to connect people to the planet,” says Duncan Pritchard, of Green Corridors. “The support of tourism in this area plays a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term conservation of this incredibly beautiful part of Durban. This is all achievable by integrating socio-economic needs with conservation needs, and by working hand in hand with local organisations and the communities in and around the area.”
“Our overall goal is to create hope and tangible outcomes for the people in this area,” says Siphiwe Gumede of Philangethemba Impact. “Adding an adventure aspect to the offering like the zipline, will help to draw people to the area, and stimulate the various small businesses that rely on tourism.”
“Central to what we do is to promote the area to support businesses operating in this exquisite environment here in the Valley of 1000 Hills,” says Jennifer Gregory, of the 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation. “Key to this is ensuring the environment lives up to the promise, so part of that is to have local buy-in and interest in what is being planned, to maintain its natural beauty.”
Paolo Candotti, Chairman of the Kloof Conservancy says, “This is a really exciting collaboration for us all, as we work together to find the solution to the social and environmental needs of the people in this area. As we collaborate to find workable and sustainable ways to develop the tourism offerings, we are always open to sharing knowledge and welcoming other organisations and partners who are interested.”
All trails are guided. For more information or to book contact: +27 (0)31 322 6026/7 +27 (78) 726 4890 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Photos by Val Adamson: A welcome break during a hike atop the granite waterfall, with muffins and juice catered for by K&X Café with rugs and cushions created by the Ibongezi Crafters.
News supplied.
Dear UCSI Supporters
The UCSI continues to play a significant role in our community fight against crime. The support offered to Security companies, SAPS and Law Enforcement and even the CPF groups is critical in monitoring who is moving in and out of our areas. The UCSI has been able to assist SAPS and the community with valuable support and information.
UCSI Operational Stories
01 Nov: A vehicle was spotted in Damagtenburg with people and dogs. This is a big red flag so vehicle was loaded to system for observation and movement in the Karkloof and surrounding areas. It was eventually stopped in Karkloof by local resident and Magma security. Vehicle occupants found to be actually looking for a missing person involved in separate poaching incident from previous month. This vehicle has been cleared and removed from system.
A quick informative photo sent to the local security and a vehicle is cleared
01 Nov: A suspected stolen vehicle activated a camera between Mpophomeni and Merrivale. Security companies and SAPs quickly responded by setting up watch and monitor posts on the N3 off ramps to Pmb. Vehicle evaded all off-ramps from Merrivale to Pmb. Sompisi security followed and spotted vehicle in Hayfields area on N3. A stop was made with assistance from another security co from Pmb. Vehicle was eventually escorted to Alex SAP for processing.
Well done to our partner Sompisi Security.
12 Nov: Another suspected stolen vehicle activated cameras in Howick area going towards Hilton. Hilton response group activated by member of Knight security. Vehicle followed by KSS and SAP, Backed up by Magma, Sompisi and MI7. Vehicle stopped on Cedara rd. Shots fired and one suspect fled on foot. A search for single suspect unsuccessful. 3 suspect detained by SAP. Vehicle used actually not stolen, the number plate used on front was from a stolen vehicle. Firearms and ammunition confiscated.
Well done Lance and Hilton response team.
13 Nov: I have found a vehicle that continuously travels through Currys Post area during curfew hours. It also seems to be around during the times that farmers report livestock missing. Now I have loaded this vehicle so that we can monitor it in future but here is our problem, There is no response group available to report suspicious movement too.
Without a response our information is void.
13 Nov: Hilton response group held a training exercise using cameras and groups to track and observe suspect vehicles.
A fun and informative morning was had by all.
17 Nov: Today we did not make use of our camera system. Today our operational WhatsApp group was used to co-ordinate teams to assist with a farm attack in Boston area. Information and positions shared by all teams to get medical attention on scene as fast as possible and security teams to form net to catch perpetrators. Unfortunately suspects not caught but victim was treated on scene and taken to hospital where full recovery was made.
Sharing of information and pooling all resources saves lives.
24 Nov: Deon traveling through Karkloof area spotted dogs and handler in the veld next to road. A call onto Karkloof response team we had two Magma vehicles searching the area. Person found and cleared, he was looking for his cattle that had escaped. Magma suggested that dogs be returned to home and not used in the search.
I could have saved an Oribi today....
25 Nov: A suspect stolen vehicle activated cameras in Hilton area. Confirmation of vehicle been sought was made and search of Hilton area located the vehicle within half an hour. It was impounded by Flying squad police, assisted by KSS member.
Quick communication, quick arrest.
November was a quiet month on the positive activation. But this did not mean that it was a quiet month for Security services and SAPs. There is a substantial increase in vehicle crime towards month end. We are expecting Livestock crime and poaching to increase during the festive season as well.
Be safe and vigilant at all times. If something feels "off" report it to your local CPF, Security or SAPs member, no matter how small.
You could be saving a life that you will never know about.
Other news from the office: We are moving our office desk down the hall to form a hub point with HDLA, Fire protection and Midlands security. The projected Ops room is almost fully kitted out, so soon we will have a centralized point of contact for all information sharing.
Thank you to HDLA for assistance and I-Uncapped for moving all our communication'into the new office
Affiliated security companies
The UCSI welcomes Magma Security who have joined Sompisi Protection Services, Knight Security Solutions (KSS) and Ballid Security as subscribing security companies to the UCSI.
How can you get involved?
The UCSI will not be sustainable without monthly community support from business entities, shopping centers, hospitals, schools, estates, security companies and private individuals. Please join the UCSI as a contributing member. There are still some critical gantries that need to be erected – primarily in the Merrivale and Mpophomeni areas.
Contact Deon from the UCSI by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or whatsapp 063 068 9652 for more information on how to join and contribute. Private individuals from R50pm and business entities from R300pm. Affiliated members have access to ask for assistance in any reported crime involving a vehicle.
We may assist, to look for wayward teenager children, but they could end up cutting our lawn for a couple of months.
The UCSI is also able to issue Section 18A certificates for CAPEX and OPEX donations of any amount.
Stay safe – we got this!
Yours sincerely
Deon Tegg Operations Manager
The UCSI Board of Directors
Themba Ndulini (Chairperson), Krish Ramkuber and Terence James
More about UCSI
Employee engagement is defined as the emotional connection that an employee has to the organisation, the organisation’s values and its goals. The degree of engagement is reflected in how much discretionary effort (going the extra mile) an employee is willing to put into their job.
Global studies indicate that only 13% of employees are engaged, a dangerous figure considering that so much in an organisation depends on whether an employee fulfils their function.
An engaged employee lives your brand, they treat your business as their own and look out for their employer’s interests. A disengaged employee is one that when the employer leaves the office he or she downs tools and messes around for the day. The ultimate would be to have all your employees engaged, a tall order, just increasing the level of engagement will take your business places.
Lets’s look at practical factors that can be implemented to increase engagement.
1. Company Vision, Mission and Goals:
Everyone needs a direction and a goal to achieve. Communicate your goals to your staff, express them daily, encompass them in your behaviour and encourage them to act out the goals in their behaviour. As a leader eat, sleep and breathe your goals and keep reinforcing the goals in a positive light. A good way to communicate goals is to equate the goals to how they will affect the individual employee such as “if we improve quality, we increase customer satisfaction which leads to more orders and therefore sustainability of jobs.” Employees should be encouraged to take responsibility for their role in achieving the goal, however small it may be, and to hold their peers accountable for their actions.
2. Celebrate achievements:
The greatest psychological motivator within the workplace is a sense of achievement. Create an environment where an employee feels that they have achieved. Achievements needn’t be big things. Help the employee to achieve, by providing them with guidance and the necessary tools to achieve the outcomes of their job. An employee who feels they achieved something at the end of the workday will be far more motivated to push through the boundaries of their limitations tomorrow.
3. Resources:
Providing resources is very important for the employee to fulfil the outcomes expected of them. There is nothing more demotivating than an expectation from the “powers that be” to achieve outputs, and even worse if the “powers that be” don’t understand the employee’s frustration or what the employee has to go through to achieve the expectation with very little or no resources. Engage in constant dialogue with staff, stop and chat with your staff, make time to spend with employees to understand what goes into their job. Lower-level staff love their seniors being interested in them, they feel valued and not just a cog in the wheel to achieve profits that they feel they see very little of.
4. Buy-in:
Encourage buy-in from staff, ask them for their opinions and their inputs, there is a lot of value to be gained by getting a different perspective.
5. Belonging:
A sense of belonging goes a long way, develop a culture on inclusion and avoid exclusion. Make sure your practices are fair and don’t distinguish and discriminate against a certain person or group of people
6. Feedback:
Employees thrive on feedback. Do not leave your feedback for an annual review. Employees want regular feedback and discussions, they really do want to know how they are doing. Regular feedback provides a quick and immediate fix to problems and is a regular motivator that reinforces the concept of achievement where staff are doing well.
7. Certainty:
Certainty in all aspects of work are crucial for engagement, the employee needs to feel psychologically safe to perform to the required standards. The employee will require a framework to work in and hence job descriptions, policies and procedures and standard operating procedures are crucial to set parameters for certainty and expectations.
8. Lead by Example:
Lastly, a disengaged leader creates a disengaged team, lead by example and make sure you are a hundred percent invested and engaged before expecting others to follow, what you say and do will rub off on your team.
If you find yourself saying, “Why don’t my employees do their job, they just don’t make the effort” you may have an issue with engagement. Try some of the suggestions above to improve the levels of engagement. 13% Employee engagement in the world is devastating for economies and companies which could be so much greater than they are. If you have disengaged employees you are not alone, but a step in the right direction may help to change that.
If you would like assistance with employee engagement, developing a company mission, vision and the associated company culture and l behaviours, or the tougher task of dealing with disengaged employees in a legally acceptable manner, please feel free to contact Sindy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Kate-Marie Hearing Solutions, is a private Hearing Healthcare Practice owned and run by Kate-Marie Butlin, a qualified hearing aid acoustician with 11 years of experience working in the hearing healthcare industry.
Kate-Marie has had consulting rooms in Howick, Hilton and Pietermaritzburg.
Kate-Marie works with all leading international hearing aid brands, she is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and is affiliated with ALL Medical Aids.
Kate-Marie’s patient centered approach to hearing health care is linked to a focus on improving quality of life, and living a “Better life through hearing”
To celebrate the season of giving, Kate-Marie is offering a free gift to all patients who bring a copy of the advert below with them to their appointment during the month of December 2021.
Call 082 067 7698 to book and show the advert below when you go for your appointment.
This past week ended on a high note with the year end Woodstone Craft Cafe Two Bowl Trips Competition being played in grey, wet weather which did nothing to dampen the spirits of all the teams who arrived to play.
The winners were Bob Chetty, Bev Vorster and Barry Fairbrother. The runners up of the main event were John Pattrick, Barend van de Merwe and Debbie Stobie.
The Plate event was won by Kevin Palmer, Grace Abrahams and Petro Castle.
Well done to all the winners who took home chocolates, liquid refreshments and vouchers to be used at Woodstone Craft Cafe.
On Saturday afternoon BNI Nguni held their Christmas function at Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club where everyone had great fun. A game of “Last Man Standing” was played. The winner was Kevin Palmer.
FORTHCOMING EVENT TO START THE NEW MONTH:
Wednesday, 08 December: Halfway Toyota Howick Drawn Trips. Tabs in by 13h15
Pictured above; Fun in weatherproof jackets.
More about Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club
Acclaimed South African short story writer, Dr Tod Collins has again shared a collection of tales covering a wide range of subjects.
"The Scapegoat" provides easy, light reading, though more discerning literary types will enjoy the deeper, underlying seams.
More about Nuts About Books & Toys
Harvard Electrical Wholesalers are stockists of industrial and domestic components for the building industry, indoor and outdoor lighting, switches, ECC and surface cables and lots more.
There is a full range of LED globes and lamps available. All LED's are guaranteed for 12 months.
Secure customer parking at the door.
Visit Harvard Electrical Wholesaler's showroom at 22 Harvard Street, Howick.
News supplied Harvard Electrical Wholesalers.
What a good week we have had with good bowls and an exciting wedding.
The wedding went off according to plan with the bride and groom being blissfully unaware of preparations such as catering and decor! They both thanked everyone who helped in any way to make the day so special. The Rev. Ron Howard officiated at the service and was accompanied by his wife Des. Thank you Ron and Des for remaining to enjoy the festivities with all the guests.
RESULTS:
The pre-drawn 2-4-2 Competition sponsored by J Leslie Smith and Dr Alan Sara was won by Ed Sharpe and Petro Castle; Lisa Nagel and Colin Brown came second and the winners of the plate event were David Mainprize and a visitor to our club. Well done to all the above.
Prizes were presented by Margaret Mc Cullough of J Leslie Smith.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
26 November: 08H30 Woodstone Two Bowl Trips. Please send entries in by Thursday, 25 November. Unfortunately, the spit braai has been cancelled.
Registered players from all clubs are welcome to participate in all our sponsored days.
Coaching by registered coaches is available. Phone/Whatsapp 071 164 3162.
Caption: The Newly Weds David and Grace Mainprize.
Photo Courtesy of Eric Hamberger.
More about Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club.
A gift of a FreeMe Wildlife Custodianship will not only bring benefits to human family and friends, but to our wildlife family and friends too.
Corporates can be Custodians too.
To gift a Custodianship to someone special, go to:
https://www.freemewildlife.org/custodian
Our 2022 calendars are almost ready so don't delay and get your orders in now. This year we have changed the shape and decided to go with the smaller, desk calendars (tent shape). We are selling them at R80 each plus postage. (Free delivery if you live in the PMB, Howick, Hilton areas.) Great for overseas Christmas gifts and stocking fillers.
To place your order, please email Lisa : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More about Funda Nenja