Good Housekeeping from a Security Point of View

Because SAPS and security providers cannot be everywhere at any given moment, it’s crucial to underline the relationship a home-owner needs to have with their respective security provider. 

The best way to get the message across is by using one simple word: HOUSE-KEEPING!

Would you leave sharp objects lying around the house, waiting for someone to hurt themselves? Then why leave sharp objects lying around your yard? Opportunistic criminals will see these as house-breaking implements, and will certainly target your home!

Do you drive around with your spare car and house keys all day? No, you keep them separate. Why not put them in a secure location so that they cannot be accessed easily. It takes you a long time to realize your spare keys are no longer in your possession, which by that time, might be too late!

Do you like it when your house is cluttered to the ceilings? ‘Cluttered’ gardens offer great hiding spots for criminals waiting to attack.

Do you buy a new cell phone and then never use it? Statistics show that a high percentage of people who have alarm systems, never use them. Always arm your alarm when going out, and ensure your regular checks are done! Do you use that new cell phone at night to set your alarm clock? Your home alarm should be set at night as well!

Do you go out and forget to give the baby-sitter your contact details in case there is an emergency? Your domestic worker should be armed with all relevant contact details, including all emergency services contacts!

Your daily security House-Keeping routine should be as follows:
1. Set the alarm at all possible moments
2. Check your alarm status every two weeks (always phone your response company prior to testing)
3. Make sure all windows and doors are secure
4. When leaving home, take note of anyone walking nearby, and only drive away when the gates are closed
5. When coming home, drive in, and immediately put your car into reverse (if someone follows you in before the gate closes, you will be able to get away quickly, or harm the intruders before they harm you)
6. Make sure your outdoor areas are well lit at night
7. Keep your garden clear of bicycles (cost commonly stolen items), brooms or rakes (used to ‘fish’ through open windows to steal handbags etc.), screwdrivers (used to wrench open doors/windows), garden shears (used as dangerous weapon), and dark bushy areas (used for hiding spots)
8. Ensure that everyone in your home has all the correct emergency contact details and procedures

SAPS, security providers, and Law Enforcement, can only do so much; the rest is up to you!


Dental Care

Looking after your pets’ teeth is just as important as looking after your own and yet many pet owners neglect this essential
part of their pets health. This month we are going to look at dental care and why it is important for your pet.

We all know the importance of dental hygiene and why we need to take care of our teeth but what about your dog or cat? Well dental hygiene is just as important for them too!

As humans we are able to brush our teeth as often as we like. We know that by doing this we are removing bacteria that can build up on the teeth causing tooth decay and gum disease.   
    
The same thing applies to your pets teeth but because most of us don’t brush our dogs teeth bacteria is always present.

How tartar builds up:
When bacteria dies it becomes calcified and forms a hard substance called tartar or calculus on the teeth.

Once this foundation has been laid down calculus can continue to build up on itself eventually forming a hard covering on the teeth. It pushes the gum away from the tooth opening up areas for infection:
This results in:
gingivitis - inflammation of the gums
The gums look very red and bleed easily. As the gum becomes infected and inflamed it loses its ability to protect the tooth. This exposes the root cavity to more infection. Eventually the tissue surrounding the tooth is destroyed and the bony socket holding the tooth erodes away, teeth can become loose or can even become ankalosed – fixed in a bony mass.

Dental disease can have serious side effects on your pets’ health,  the presence of bacteria can lead to systemic infection causing:
  • lack of appetite –reluctance to eat
  • general ill health
  • heart problems – bacterial endocarditis

Your pet can have severe dental problems and appear to show no symptoms. The amount of dental pain an animal suffers is not fully understood but your pets’ health will still be affected.

What can you do?
Although there are finger toothbrushes and special toothpastes available we don’t expect everyone to suddenly start brushing their pets teeth! However, there are lots of things that can improve your pets dental hygiene.

i) chews and pellets can help to remove tartar. There are even dental chews available designed to do this
ii) get your vet to check your pets teeth even if you are going to visit for something else.
ii) be aware- if you notice your pet has bad breath , salivates more or doesn’t seem to be so keen to eat.
NB : Cats can be particularly intolerant to teeth brushing and suspicious of dental treats!

What can we do?
The Vet will normally check your pet thoroughly when you visit for your pets annual booster vaccination. This is often the time we pick up problems that the owner may not be aware of, depending on the severity of the problem we can do various procedures :

Dental Scale and Polish
If there is just a buildup of tartar on the teeth we can clean and polish them. Just the same as a your visit to the dental hygienist!

Extractions
Teeth that have been compromised can be extracted and your pet will be treated with antibiotics if necessary. In severe cases a patient may need to be referred to a dental specialist.

It is important to note that almost all dental procedures are performed under general anesthetic.
So keep your pets’ mouth healthy!

Smile!

WINTER & NUISANCE WITH TREES AND LEAVES!


Good fences make good neighbors, so the adage goes.   But often more than a fence is needed to maintain good neighborly relations! Very few of us want to kick up a fuss about a plant that is growing over our fence which we have to cut back frequently, or the fact that your neighbor’s mulberry tree is dropping berries all over your driveway. Rightly so as these irritations may seem trivial when weighed against the value of maintaining civil relations with those living in close proximity to you.

The difficulty, however, arises when the actions of our neighbors, whether direct or indirect, make us suffer some kind of loss, whether this be a loss of the use and enjoyment of our property or a monetary loss.

NEIGHBOUR LAW
In terms of our (private nuisance) law, every property owner has a right to unimpeded enjoyment of his land. So does the neighboring owner, meaning that the latter’s health, well-being or comfort in the occupation of his land must not be interfered with. Clearly a conflict between these two rights is possible and when courts are presented with such disputes, a balance of the interests of the two parties is considered.  Some particular instances are described hereafter.

Plants growing on neighbor’s land
The case of Smith v Basson dealt with encroachment of bamboo trees planted that were planted as a division between two properties. In this case, it was confirmed that if neighbor B plants any form of vegetation on neighbor A’s property, then those plants become a part of neighbor A’s property. Accordingly, neighbor A may do with those plants as he pleases, which includes having them removed.

Overhanging branches and roots causing damage
In instances where branches overhang from the trees of a neighboring property, neighbor A may request that neighbor B remove those branches and if neighbor B refuses, then neighbor A may have the branches removed and claim the cost of removal from neighbor A.

In Malherbe v Ceres Municipality (1951)the Court confirmed that if the branches of your neighbor’s tree overhang onto your property, or where the roots grown onto your property you may chop these off at the boundary wall provided you have asked your neighbor to do so and he refused.  Your neighbor will be liable for the costs incurred.

The 2003 matter of Vogel v Crewe is also significant in this regard as environmental concerns were included in the assessment of what was objectively speaking, reasonable. Vogel and Crewe were neighbors since 1993 and in 1995 they jointly erected a concrete fence between their properties. There were altogether 21 trees on Crewe’s side of the property, planted within 2 meters of the boundary wall. The good neighborly relations which existed between the two parties were gradually being marred by these trees as Vogel was of the opinion that the trees were causing a nuisance to him.  Vogel applied to Court for an order to have the trees removed, alleging that the trees had given rise to problems caused by overhanging branches and encroaching root systems.  These, he complained, were blocking gutters and the sewage system, shedding leaves in his swimming pool and surrounding areas and were also damaging the concrete wall and his parking area. 

The Court confirmed that the test to be applied in deciding whether the nuisance complained of is actionable (in other words, is worthy to be determined by means of a Court action), is the objective reasonableness test which seeks to strike a balance between the competing interests of the parties.  It is an objective reasonableness enquiry, the test requiring the complaining party to show that ”the inconvenience complained of is in fact more than fanciful, more than mere delicacy or fastidiousness; that it is inconvenience materially interfering with the ordinary comfort, physically of human existence not merely according to elegant or dainty modes and habits of living, but according to plain and sober and simple notions.”

Applying these principles, the Court indicated that it is also important to bear in mind that trees form an essential part of our human environment, not only in terms of giving us aesthetic pleasure, but also functionally in the provision of shade and oxygen and environmental soundness.  And, like any other living thing, trees also require in return for pleasure provided a certain amount of effort and tolerance.

Based on the evidence before it, the Court dismissed the application as:
1.            it was not shown that the concrete wall was seriously damaged and could not be easily repaired, rather than remove the trees. No case had been made out why the removal of the trees was necessary;
2.            regarding the overhanging branches, the Court found that the problem could be resolved by way of Vogel requesting Crewe to prune his trees. If Crewe should refuse, Vogel will then be entitled to cut off the overhanging branches, in line with the boundary;
3.            in respect of the leaves in the swimming pool and gutters the Court indicated that although the leaves may have been from these particular trees, they were not exclusively from these trees as there were many other large trees in the area and specifically also on Vogel’s property; and
4.            as far as the blockage of the sewage system was concerned, the Court pointed out that no evidence was presented before it to prove the trees were the cause.
One may think the Court’s decision in the Vogel v Crewe matter was perhaps too “environmentally friendly.”This is however not the case as a proper analysis of the Court’s judgment shows that the Court’s referral to the importance of protecting our environment also served the purpose of illustrating the competing interests of Vogel and Crewe and the degree of inconvenience involved, were not serious enough to warrant the removal of the trees.  In any event, Vogel’s case on the merits was weak as he did not have conclusive evidence that the damage to the parking area was caused by the root system of the trees; that the blockage of his sewage system was caused by the leaves of the trees; or that the leaves in the swimming pool and gutters were exclusively from his neighbor’s trees.)

LESSONS TO LEARN
Less drastic measures could be taken to deal with problems relating to the overhanging branches, as the owner could simply request that his neighbor prune the trees and upon his neighbor’s refusal, would be entitled to cut off the overhanging branches in line with the boundary. (This should not be seen as an encouragement to neighbors to take the law into their own hands as our law does make provision that the owner of an adjacent property may cut overhanging branches himself only after he has requested his neighbor to do so and he has refused.  The branches can only be cut in line with the boundary.) The Court further indicated that the concrete wall was not severely damaged and the parties could repair the wall rather than remove the trees.

Therefore,  if you approach the Court and present a convincing case why the removal of trees is necessary, the Court will grant you the relief sought. You must therefore be able to convince the Court why the removal of the trees should weigh heavier than your neighbor’s right to retain them.
A very important development which this case brought about, is that the Court highlighted the changed times we are living in and the increasing awareness of the importance of protecting our environment which means that even if the inconvenience and damages are apparent, the Courts will not hastily decide that trees be removed if there are other less drastic measures which could be taken to deal with the problem rather than removing the trees.

TREES ON COUNCIL OWNED LAND
The City of Cape Town’s Tree Management Policy (2014) mentions that due to the large number of trees in the municipality’s jurisdiction, the total management responsibility cannot practically reside only with one City department.  It is accepted that City Parks is the lead department responsible for tree management including streetscapes and avenue planting, cluster planting, historic trees and all other occurrences of trees within the City. However, trees occur in various places and therefore the respective land “owner” departments in the City must manage the trees within their areas of responsibility. 

Trees on city-owned land that has been leased out, is the responsibility of the lessee, but approval for any work must be obtained from City Parks in writing.

Damage
Clause 7.1.3.7 of the policy mentions that trees that are planted on City land that cause damage to private property must be reported to City parks and claims lodged with City Insurance Section for investigation.

Pruning/removal
Requests for pruning or removal of trees on municipal property shall be done by City Parks or its appointed service providers.  Requests therefore must be directed to the Area Manager for City Parks for the particular area where the tree is located.

For assistance with all your property related issues, contact STBB (Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes) at info@stbb.co.za.

Harfield Village Heritage



Harfield Village’s special zoning provisions

In 2002, the special heritage value of Harfield Village was recognized by the City of Cape Town which designated it as a "special area" in terms of section 14 of the then applicable zoning scheme regulations. This required certain design guidelines to be met.

Recently the City of Cape Town’s zoning scheme regulations were substantially overhauled and new provisions became operative in March 2013. In terms hereof, Harfield Village falls in a “local area overlay zone”, demarcated in Plan LAO/2 in the regulations, which means that the area  is subject to the provisions we list below.

But before looking at the provisions, do take note of these definitions that are specifically made applicable:
  • 'dormer’ means an upright window under a gable, built out from a sloping roof;
  • ‘facade’ means a main containing wall of a building, other than a wall of an internal courtyard;
  • ‘street boundary wall or fence’ means any structure erected on or near a street boundary for the purposes of defining such boundary, but shall exclude planting such as a hedge along the boundary or on the structure concerned, or an outbuilding.

The relevant provisions then stipulate, with regard to Harfield Village, that:
  • The maximum height of a building, measured from base level to the wall plate, shall be 6 m, and to the top of the roof shall be 8 m.
  • All roofs in new developments shall be double-pitched, with slopes of between 35o and 42o .
  • No point on any building may be erected nearer than 1 m to any street boundary.
  • The common boundary setbacks specified in the zoning scheme shall apply to all dwelling houses, second dwellings, group housing, blocks of flats, residential buildings, or outbuildings to any of the foregoing.
  • The coverage provisions of the zoning scheme shall apply to all dwelling houses, second dwellings, group housing and blocks of flats or outbuildings on any site smaller than 350 m². Permitted coverage on sites greater than 350 m² in extent for all of the above buildings shall be 65%.
  • Any proposed parking or garaging areas and the access thereto shall be shown on building plans submitted to Council, which shall have the right to approve or refuse such plans. These parking and garaging areas shall:
(i) not be located forward of the front facade of the main dwelling on a land unit;
(ii) be subsidiary to the main dwelling, with frontages not exceeding 3 m in width;
(iii) have a height not exceeding 3,3 m or the eaves line of the main building, whichever is the lowest; and 
(iv) no double garage doors shall be permitted.
  • No person shall erect any street boundary wall or fence without the prior approval of Council, and such street boundary wall or fence shall be in accordance with the following provisions:

    (i) the height of a visually impermeable street boundary wall or fence, including a solid masonry wall, shall not exceed 1,5 m;
    (ii) masonry piers, or visually permeable wooden slats, railings or similar structures, shall not exceed 2,1 m in height, provided that Council shall have the right to demand a height of less than 2,1 m where, in the opinion of Council, such lesser height is required for reasons of aesthetics, safety or the public good;
    (iii) for the purposes of (i) and (ii) above, the height of such street boundary wall or fence shall be measured from the level of the footway immediately adjacent to such wall or fence
  • No person shall fell, uproot or cause to destroy a mature tree or hedge without the prior approval of Council.

To view the zoning maps and provisions, visit the City of Cape Town  website and download the regulations and maps provided under the header ‘Zoning Scheme’.


The Story of Oats


Generally in South Africa when we think oats we think of the regular or the instant rolled oats.  But this is just one the many types of oats that exists and can be used.  Let’s take a look at how oats originated and what types we can use.

History
Evidence of the first cultivated grains is found in caves in Switzerland that are thought to be from the Bronze Age.  However, although archaeological studies show that they were found from about 2000 BC in Asia, they actually originally grew as weeds in other grain crops.  It was much closer to the birth of Christ when oats were purposely grown.

Oats were not as preferred as other grains because they had a bland taste and tended to mould quicker.  Many people believed they should rather be used as animal feed.  Interestingly, before they were used as food for humans they were used for medicinal purposes (to protect against cancers and heart disease, soothe skin conditions, use as an antispasmodic etc.)  However, with the cool weather being an ideal climate for growing the grains oats became a staple in Germany, Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, and most popular in Scotland, where ‘Scottish oats’ are still a favorite to this day.

With time, oats became an important crop until about 1920.  At this stage the land which had been used to grow oats was replaced by soybeans, as these were a more marketable crop.  However, as knowledge of nutrition improved, oats got attention for its beta-glucans and water-soluble fibres which can help inhibit cholesterol absorption.  Oats therefore became known as a healthy food in the mid 1980’s and have become more popular for human nutrition again.

Types of Oats
First, we get the newly harvested raw oats.  This is the oats fresh from the field, before the kernels have been separated from the hulls and stalks.  You won’t find them in the stores in this way!

Once the oat kernels are harvested, cleaned, and have all their inedible hulls removed they are known as whole oat groats (groat is another name for a grain kernel).  Because the grains are still whole, they take the longest to cook.  Earth Products, which is sold at Wellness Warehouse, have the whole oat groats.  

The whole oat groats are cut into two or three pieces using a sharp metal blade, resulting in steel cut oats.  These oats cook a little quicker, but still have the nutty, chewy texture of the whole oat groats.  Woolworths sells steel cut oats under their brand (see product of the month).  Steel cut oats are also called Irish oatmeal.  This is different to Scottish oatmeal where the whole oat groats are ground to create broken bits of different sizes, resulting in a softer porridge.

The old fashioned rolled oats are made by steaming the whole oat groats and then rolling them into flakes.  This causes the oils in the oats to become more stable, thereby keeping the product fresher for longer, and it allows the oats to cook faster.  With the quick or instant rolled oats the flakes are thinner and the oats are steamed for a longer period of time, reducing the cooking time to the point where you just have to add boiling water.

Oat bran is different to oats as the bran, rather than the germ or endosperm, is used.

Keen to try oats?  With the colder mornings arriving oats can be delicious as a porridge, but a bircher muesli is just as delectable!









Hampstead Park

Wow!!!  An eventful month - Dominated by the railway clean-up, HAMPSTEAD upgrades and Yippee – Another phase of irrigation in. Tom’s Bench finally in and looking good!

The 17 May, a crisp autumn morning, saw a gathering of about 50 folks outside Fat Harrry’s to enjoy their excellent coffee and a bacon baps, from Graze, before setting off down the railway line from Kenilworth Station - black bag in hand and litter being the mission. 

The 2015 Harfield Railway Clean-up had begun.  Cllr Iverson and James Fernie both turned up to do their bit, along with a contingent from Metrorail, SAPS, Wynberg Girls and Bergvliet High.   3 Hours and 100 Black bags later – it was done!  Participants were rewarded with Pizza from Oblivion, Caribbean soup from Banana Jam, Rolls, apples and water from Metrorail and one lucky lady, won the Lucky Draw of R500 cash sponsored by Norgarb Properties

Big thanks to Joy Skene who carted 16 loads of bags back to the collection point. What a pleasure to drive past the station and see neatly trimmed areas free of litter and the Aloe garden neatly revamped.  
We were however disappointed in the low turnout by Harfield residents – with only about 20 locals arriving.  Trusting that next year more of you will be there and two hours will see the job done and leave some time for a bit of neighbor chit chat.

Hampstead  - Our focus park for May - We would love to hand over small sections of each park to some adoptive garden parents to do their thing.
Hampstead is a shining example of what can be achieved this way – Tina’s bed on 3rd Ave (in front of the green wall) is doing so well, as is The Secret Garden that Ingrid and Tamsin care for.    
 
Mandy would have been thrilled to hear a little girl – dragging mom by the hand – saying – “Please can we go and visit the fairy castle” – loving created by Mandy and Ingrid and a total delight for kids.   
The veg garden in Hampstead and herb spiral in Surrey are nurtured by myself and Francine,  we both have a passion for the “Food is Free” philosophy – and we have been hugely supported with these projects.    We have been very excited to see Gabriella Garnette’s Patchwork page on Facebook,   grow to 63 within 1 month – Harfielders who are growing their own veg.
 
Hampstead had another park picnic table added and two benches installed on the section closest to 3rd Ave – yes we know they do not face the view – but they were placed in the shade.    We will be installing some lovely,  all a wooden benches,  like Tom’s that faces the lovely view of the mountains.  Currently in negotiation with one of our generous business supports for this.  The veg section has also been fenced off to protect it from too much dog traffic.
Big thanks to Brian Cruz who come along to the Hampstead work party armed with his metal detector – the kids were thrilled and turned up some marvelous treasure.
 
Purley Park
Tom’s bench is finally in at his park - Purley and a great way to remember this special Harfield Hero!

Princes Park - the hard work of the committee and the generosity of our friends has enabled us to complete the 2nd phase of irrigation in Princes Park – it is now completely under timed irrigation and set to be looking as good as Surrey Park by this time next year.

Surrey Park – is looking gorgeous and has had two additional pop ups added to its irrigation system and it now reaches the back bed and the section of the herb spiral that was going dry.  Once again Cllr Kempthorne stepped forward and found a bit of ward budget for this as well as getting our trellising installed for the Jasmine creepers to cover the graffiti walls and the test compost bin is back
The Very First  Annual Harfield Garden Competition will taking place in September with final voting day 1st weekend in Oct  - the 5 categories will be traditional garden, pavement garden,  complex garden, veg garden and patio garden –Prizes are going to be awesome so – good time to put on that planning cap and watch out for entry forms from 1st June.
  
For the rest - winter is upon us and this is the time the committee put their feet up, so no more work parties till August.  Our last work party was, I know on a long weekend,   a bit short of volunteers – we would love to see more of you, once we start up again.  Please tell us how we can entice you to join in future park gardening parties?  

Keep Warm and Keep Planting

Gail Brown
Chairperson

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

The age old saying prevention is better than cure is all too true for type 2 diabetes.  We often focus so much on managing diabetes that we take our eye off the fact that it is a preventable disease!  There is some interesting literature about preventing type 2 diabetes.  Professor Renée Blaauw took the time to sift through the latest literature and presented her findings in a most interesting seminar.  In this article I am summarizing the main findings.

Obesity
Although not a new finding, it is important to mention that obesity (BMI > 30) is strongly related to diabetes.  This is because obesity is connected with inflammation, and this disrupts the insulin action, contributing to insulin resistance.  The key is to stay in a healthy weight range by not eating an excess of calories.

Protein
High protein diets have shown positive effects on weight loss and glucose control in the short term.  However, what is now showing in studies is that if protein is eaten in high quantities, especially if it is eaten instead of carbohydrates or fats, it actually results in an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.  Interestingly, in a study by Ericson et al the difference in protein intake between the lowest and highest intakes was 7% (14g for women and 18g for men), and this led to a 63% increased risk in type 2 diabetes.  A large egg contains 7g of protein.

Grains and Fibre
It is well known that refined grains are not good for our health.  The protective effect of whole grains was quantified as a 32% decrease in type 2 diabetes from 3 servings of whole grains per day in a meta-analysis by Aune et al.  Is it the whole grains per se or the fibre content?  A meta-analysis of the relationship between dietary fibre and risk for type 2 diabetes by Yao et al demonstrated that there is a 19% reduced risk for type 2 diabetes.  Two points of interest from the study were 1) that there were different results for the different fibre components (the risk reduction was far greater for insoluble fibre and cereal fibre – 25 and 23% respectively – than for fruit fibre – 6%) and 2) that there was a dose-response effect (15g of fibre resulted in a 2% risk reduction; 25g an 11% reduction; and 35g a 34% reduction).  From this we can see that it is important to eat your fibre and to eat a variety of foods for best benefit.

Red and Processed Meat
The picture is not so pretty for red meat.  The total intake of red meat is linked with an increased rate of type 2 diabetes.  A review done by Feskens et al found that there is a 15% increased risk with the intake of unprocessed red meat and a 32% increase risk with the intake of processed red meat.  Substituting one serving of red meat with one serving of nuts, low-fat dairy or whole grains per day has been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16-35%.

Dairy
Quite contrary to meat, dairy has been shown to have a protective effect.  Studies have shown that there is a 10% lowered risk for every serving of dairy per day.  And the fat content of the diary products produced different results.  Studies using the low-fat dairy and yoghurt (as opposed to the high-fat diary ad whole milk) had the greatest percentage decreased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Fish (Omega 3 Fatty Acids)
We would assume that eating fish and especially fatty fish would protect us from diabetes.  However, the literature is very neutral!  There is no significant relationship between fish consumption and type 2 diabetes.  So there is no harm, but also no benefit.  The only noteworthy point is that there is a distinct difference between the data from North America and Europe versus Asia.  There is an increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes correlated with fish consumption from the North America and Europe data and a small decrease in the incidence of diabetes from the Asia data.  This could be due to type of fish consumed, method of preparation of the fish as well as pollution of the waters.

Dietary Patterns
In the real world we don’t focus on individual nutrients, but rather on the overall diet or diet pattern.  There are often interactions between nutrients and accumulative benefits that cannot be seen in single nutrient studies.  Studies on dietary patterns are showing us that there are certain dietary patterns that can help prevent type 2 diabetes.  What is key is that even without weight loss, they are helping to prevent diabetes.  These eating patterns include the Mediterranean, DASH, prudent and low-carb (with plant fat) diets.

Conclusion
There is no substitute to having a healthy diet.  Focus on eating real, whole foods, incorporating variety.  Before you dismiss carbs in their entirety cut out the refined ones, sugar as well as the junk food and fast food.  The quality of your food is the most important factor in any diet!

Princeton - consequence of load shedding



We recently wrote an article regarding the consequence load shedding has on your alarm system, however in this article, we felt it necessary to write on the affects of crime during load shedding.

We all experience the complete darkness in our neighbourhoods, and we have all learnt how to carry on with our daily lives without load shedding affecting us too much; however there is a criminal element lurking in these blackouts. The important thing to remember is that the load shedding schedules are public domain, and therefore criminals are well prepared for instituting crime in your area while the power is out.

Over the last few weeks, we have experienced an increase in crime, and this could possibly be due to load shedding; or it could simply be the fluctuation in crime we generally see on the annual statistic graphs. Either way, we’re going to focus on giving you some helpful hints on how to secure yourselves and your families during the rolling black outs.

1. When in your home, ensure doors are securely locked, as your visibility to the outside is impaired.
2. THE STREETS ARE DARK: Taking a quick walk to the shops alone is no longer an option, as you are an easy target. Walk in groups, and make sure you have little to no valuables on your person.
3. When leaving a friend’s house, finish your chat within closed gates, rather than standing outside – an idling car or person with keys in hand is a soft hi-jacking target!
4. BE VIGILANT! Look around carefully in the general vicinity before turning your back to buckle in your child, or load items into your car. You are at your most vulnerable when your back is turned.
5. Constantly be aware of your surroundings
6. Do not think that just because there is no electricity, criminals stay away! In darkness, your vision is impaired, and criminals will use this disadvantage against you!
7. ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCT!
8. Stay up to date with current crime trends, and plan your routine carefully to eliminate any security vulnerabilities
9. If you have a remote panic button, keep it on you at all times!

Security & safety awareness courses are available (physical and non-physical). These courses focus on the self-defense aspect, as well as the ability to ensure you are not a target.

SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOPS: These sessions comprise of 4 sessions (2 hours each). The cost per person is R 395. If you are a Princeton client, the subsidized rate is R295.

NON PHYSICAL WORKSHOP: There are only 2 sessions in this workshop that provide a highly interactive preparative awareness training, which would enhance your perceptions and situation awareness and offer you basic tactical thinking; with a prepared response relevant to each person’s personal scenario and routine.

These workshops are done in organized groups, and should you wish to take part in them, please email: shelleys@princeton.co.za. Once there is enough participation, a date will be set for these workshops to commence!

Take care, and keep safe! 

Kenilwoth Vet - Puppy Training


Each year hundreds of dogs are abandoned, left in shelters and rescue organizations or are euthanazed due to behavioral problems. Often this troubled behavior is due to a lack of socialization, habituation and training at the most important time of a dog’s life: when it is still a puppy!

So, this month we are going to PUPPY SCHOOL!

Why Puppy School?
It is essential that your puppy is socialized at an early age, so any puppy no matter what breed it is should have some kind of puppy training between the age of 8 and 20 weeks .Puppy school provides a safe, controlled environment for puppies where they can:

• Socialise with other puppies.
• Learn how to behave with other dogs.
• PLAY!

Puppy school is also there for YOU, the owner and will help you:
• Gain the knowledge & skill to take care of your puppy, it will teach you about vaccinations and health care, nutrition and grooming tips.
• By working closely together with your pup, you will gain the skill to train your puppy and help him/her to develop into a socially acceptable dog.

WHO DO YOU TRUST? - Not all puppy schools are equal!

Try to find a puppy school that has an experienced trainer who:
• has been properly trained in early canine development.
• Uses only positive reinforcement training
• Makes classes a fun experience for you and your pup
• Is approachable and happy to answer questions
• Is polite to puppies and their owners
• Gives individual attention when needed

Try to choose a puppy class that is not too big, too many puppies in a class can end in chaos!

The most important lesson your pup needs to learn is socialization, so there needs to be time during the class when your pup has a chance to interact with its classmates.

The classes should ideally be held in a secure, safe environment either outdoors or indoors with plenty of space so the pups don’t feel cramped. There should be shady areas, grass and fresh water available. Classes should be run in a relaxed but organized fashion. Everyone should be having a positive experience and FUN!

KENILWORTH VET in conjunction with Hill’s Pet Nutrition is happy to announce that we will be starting puppy classes in May 2015. For more details please contact the practice!