What and who made the front pages of the City Times in 2019

January 11: School’s out – forever! GDE schools in Benoni joined IEB students on the celebratory spoils of their final results on December 4, after it was announced that Gauteng had the highest pass rate in the country at 87.9 per cent.

January 19: Welcome, Grade Ones. Local GDE schools welcome scores of Grade One learners on Wednesday last week, most of them happy and excited to get into the classroom.

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January 25: Domestics must be alert. Benoni police have urged domestic workers to be alert at all times following a number of house robberies and attempted break-ins in which domestics were targeted over the past few weeks.

February 1: No respite at Pauline Davis. Unacceptable conditions continue to plague the Ekurhuleni-owned Pauline Davis Court. One resident who regularly and bitterly complained about conditions at the flats for the aged died suddenly on January 15, days after again speaking to the City Times about the struggles of daily life for the many aged who lived there.

February 8: Plaza to be demolished. The Benoni Plaza is to be demolished by the end of June. This is according to the Ekurhuleni metro which the City Times has pressed for comment regarding the dire state of the plaza, as reinforced during another visit to the site by one of our journalists and the ward councillor for the area, Sinethemba Matiwane, recently.

February 15: Learner trapped under car. A car to be lifted off a Tom Newby learner (13) outside Hoërskool Brandwag, in Northmead, recently, after he was hit while crossing the road. The youngster is recovering in hospital and his family needs financial help for his care. DA youth representative for Ward 27 Andrew Smith said the metro needs to prioritise road safety around schools.

February 22: A ‘plane’ and simple hobby. Local aviation and Rynfield resident for more than 50 years Bert Denman (98) recently granted Alan Smith, a Boksburg hobby shop owner, the privilege of flying his latest model plane, a Piper Cub.

March 1: Gogo to open case. The family of an 80-year-old victim of a hit-and-run in Brodigan Street, Northmead, has confirmed to the City Times they will, in fact, be opening a criminal case in connection with the incident.

March 8: Benoni is over long grass. While residents continue to complain about the state of parks and pavements, the DA claims the metro has no diesel to carry out essential services, like refuse collection and grass cutting. The metro has denied this, stating the grass-cutting schedule backlog is due to the recent rain.

March 15: Strong words from Lesufi after learner-attack video. “Attempted murder“ and “an embarrassment to the Department of Education and the country” were the words used by Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi to describe a video that went viral last week of Crystal Park High School Grade Eight and Grade Nine learners assaulting a fellow learner.

March 22: Police work to defang Snake Road criminals. The Benoni police will increase surveillance in the area following the unabated criminal incidents involving weapons at the corner of Golden Drive and Snake Road, in Morehill.

March 29: Northmead garage is a lifeline for Mozambique. Northmead resident Dawn Viljoen is appealing to the public to provide assistance to disaster-hit Beira, Mozambique. This comes after Cyclone Idai recently made landfall in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, with the most devastating effects being felt in Beira.

April 5: Praise for Penning. Former Benoni ward councillor Victor Penning (77) died in his sleep at his home in Kensington, Johannesburg, on Sunday (March 31). Vic, as he was fondly known, was born in 1942 and lived in Benoni from 1970 until 1996.

April 12: Dairy Product of the Year proudly made in Benoni. After scrutinising more than 800 products, the judging panel at the Agri-Expo Qualité Awards named a “humble little specimen”, made by a Bapsfontein cheesery, South Africa’s 2019 Dairy Product of the Year.

April 19: Project to elevate Benoni. The Northmead Elevated Water Tower project, in Hospital Road, is set to put Benoni on the map. Once completed, this water tower will be the biggest in Ekurhuleni and one of the biggest in the country. The mayor was in town recently to get up to speed with the project, which is close to the halfway mark at the moment.

April 26: Hit-and-run claims mom. The evening of May 22 turned into a nightmare for a Rynfield woman whose elderly mother walked across the road to buy some groceries at a shop and was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident. The family is seeking answers as the only clue they have is an eyewitness account of a taxi having hit the pensioner and sped off.

May 3: Making their mark with Benoni in their hearts. Former Benonian Danielle Thaysen may have moved abroad, but she still loves South Africa, visits often and has a lot of family here – all reasons she chose to cast her special vote, along with thousands of other South Africans living overseas, on April 27.

May 10: Benoni loses two Lions. The Benoni Host Lions Club president and one of its long-standing members died within two days of each other recently, leaving fellow members in shock. The club and their families pay tribute to Diane Crompton and David Featherston as selfless community-orientated people who helped many.

May 17: Crafters jet off to Venice. The sky is the limit for members of the Intuthuko Embroidery Group who flew to Italy on May 6 to showcase their work at the Venice Biennale.

May 24: ‘War’ on drugs in schools. Crystal Park High School was paid an unscheduled visit by the police and officials from Modderbee Correctional Services recently. The operation was aimed at eradicating the trend of criminal activity in local schools. A variety of contraband was found, including drugs, knives and screwdrivers, and four learners appeared in court for possession of drugs.

May 31: Putfontein horror was ‘not a random attack’. The family of one of the shooting victims who died on the Putfontein bridge on Sunday afternoon has enlisted the help of a team of private investigators to unravel the motive for the senseless murders and bring the perpetrators to book. Johanco Fleischman (19) and his girlfriend, Jessica Kuhn (24), both of Petit, were gunned down while waiting for assistance after their bakkie ran out of fuel, just before midday. The investigators believe firmly the killings were the work of an organised crime group in the area and gave insight into how the tragedy unfolded that fateful afternoon.

June 7: Crimes on N12 continue. According to police, there have been at least 13 murders and 12 other serious crimes, including robberies and hijackings, reported on the N12 between the Etwatwa and Atlas Road off-ramps since January, prompting them to declare this stretch of the highway a high-risk area.

June 14: Travel bug with a big heart. Members of the Benoni-based Round Table Golden East 181 are soon to embark on a six-week journey in a 1970 VW Beetle from Cape Town to Romania in aid of children who need heart surgery.

June 21: Sting operation nabs cops. An intelligence-driven joint operation between the SAPS and the EMPD on June 12 saw the arrest of three police officials who were allegedly attempting to extort money from the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) in charge of Human Settlements, Clr Lesiba Mpya.

June 28: Famous Irish author visits his home away from home. It’s not every day that you get to interview a New York Times bestselling author in Benoni, so the City Times was thrilled to seize the opportunity to meet crime fiction author John Connolly. He was on a brief visit to South Africa last week, which included staying at the Northmead home of the family of his partner, former City Times journalist Jennie Ridyard, where editor Lana O’Neill chatted to him.

July 5: Tense time in Emandleni. Residents of the Emandleni informal settlement, on the border of Wattville and Actonville Extension Four, are warning of bloodshed over a new part of the settlement which is being developed by Ekurhuleni metro as part of a reblocking project, citing alleged housing corruption and an influx of illegal immigrants as their main concerns.

July 12: BCT on the catwalk. The City Times is excited to announce our media partnership with Rampage Modelling Agency for the Mr and Miss Benoni 2019 pageant which takes place at the Koponong Hotel and Conference Centre in October.

July 19: Every dog has its day and you can help too. The Benoni SPCA visited the Chief Albert Luthuli informal settlement on July 10, where they assisted about 200 animals and vaccinated 50 as part of their special sterilisation and vaccination campaign.

July 26: Cat’s romp ends with dart into laundry room. The Benoni SPCA is investigating whether a male leopard cub, which was darted in an outside laundry room at a private home in Hazel Road, Benoni North, at about lunchtime on Monday (July 22), may have escaped from a breeder.

August 2: Pedestrian held up for bags and phones. The Benoni police and the Community Policing Forum (CPF) are urging pedestrians to be extra vigilant to avoid falling victim to street robberies.

August 9: Drama? Yes, please! Caitlin Arries (18), of Farrarmere, was named the winner of the reality series Drama-mammas last night (August 7), a journey she walked with her mom, Cel.

August 16: Time to read a book. Caxton Local Media has thrown its weight behind this year’s National Book Week, which takes place from September 2 and ends on International Literacy Day (September 8). As part of encouraging Benoni residents, especially children, to read and enjoy books, the City Times has joined hands with Northmead Square to host a children’s book drive. Residents have until August 30 to donate a children’s book in good condition. Only children’s books will be accepted. Benoni is also home to some wonderful children’s authors, one of whom we feature in this issue.

August 23: 60 years of service to us! It was a day filled with emotion and pride for the members of the Benoni Host Lions Club when they celebrated the club’s 60th birthday on Sunday (August 18), although the club officially turned 60 on Monday.

August 30: Round Table Golden East named best in the world. On August 24, Benoni-based Round Table Golden East 181 was awarded Club of the Year 2018/19 by Round Table International at the international meeting hosted in Romania.

September 6: Brentwood runs dry. The City Times has received numerous complaints from Brentwood Park residents about water being cut in the area.

September 13: Woken by dog barking, intruders, shot fired … A case of murder is being investigated by the Benoni SAPS after Brentwood Park resident Wynand Labuschagne (27) was shot and killed at his home in a complex at around 3.10am on September 6.

September 20: Putfontein parents talk. It has been almost four months since Petit couple Johanco Fleischman and Jessica Kuhn were gunned down on the Putfontein bridge after their bakkie ran out of fuel. Their distraught parents spoke to the City Times about life without their children, the investigation into their murders and about the hopes and dreams lost forever.

September 27: Benoni SPCA encourages social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship has been introduced at the Benoni SPCA as a means of empowering the community with skills development and in turn generating donations for the organisation.

October 4: Mr & Miss Benoni crowned. You are never too young to reach for your dreams, and that is what Mr and Miss Benoni 2019, both 17 years old, proved at the crowning on Sunday (September 29). Alexia Cawood and Jacob Nkwamba were ecstatic when announced the overall winners.

October 11: Support White Cane Day. The Lions Clubs of South Africa, through the Lions BrightSight initiative, are reviving White Cane Day (October 15) to raise awareness for blindness.

October 18: Child welfare needs you. An appeal for board members was made at the recent AGM of the Greater Benoni Child Welfare, which took place at the premises in Third Street, Northmead.

October 25: When your beard must fall for a ‘velly’ good cause … There is barely a club member who does not recognise the ginger-bearded Michael Veliotes in the corridors, watering holes or on the fields of the Benoni Northerns Club. Veliotes has decided, after five years of meticulous cultivation, to discard his renowned beard for a good cause, to raise funds for the incredibly talented Benoni Northerns Athletics Club development runners.

November 1: ‘Walk in his footsteps’. The month-long celebrations, undertaken by the Ekurhuleni metro for the the late Oliver Reginald Tambo, culminated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tamboville Cemetery in Wattville on Sunday (October 27), where President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address.

November 8: Pipe caused sinkhole. According to the Ekurhuleni metro, a broken stormwater pipe, caused the sinkhole that formed on the corner of Snake Road and Golden Drive on Saturday (November 2). The road remains closed in both directions as Gauteng Department of Transport officials assess the repairs needed.

November 15: Touching tribute at Reveille Shellhole. Members of the Memorable Order of the Tin Hats (Moths) and organisatons for ex-servicemen hosted the 101st annual Rembrance Day service at the Reveille Shellhole on Sunday (November 10).

November 22: Benoni loses a jewel. Benoni pioneer Joe Civin died on November 14 at age 100.

November 29: Toys galore at 37th run. About 18 000 toys were collected at the 37th annual Gauteng Motorcycle Toy Run, which saw bikers from across the province descend on Benoni Northerns on Sunday (November 24).

December 6: Charity cakes raise spirits. Benoni’s Cake Decorators Network hosted its annual charity Christmas cake handover on November 27, benefiting 21 charities this year.

December 13: Rotary market is music to learners’ ears. Learners at Ekukhanyeni Primary School in Wattville can look forward to an exciting year ahead since the Rotary Club of Benoni Van Ryn has raised funds and stationery for the school.

December 20: Happy holidays! Little Electra Coetzee (4), of Northmead, was one of the visitors to Christmas Cottage on Friday (December 13). The festive spectacle of lights can be found at 47 Eleventh Avenue, Northmead, and will delight visitors with Christmas displays until December 31.