It's that time of the year, and complaints have been received about loud music and noisy parties. If you  are affected by the noise, (and this applies to noise from any source which is unacceptable) please  complete the Affidavit (see below) and either take the original copy to the Environmental Health Dept at Alphen Square North, Unit 6 & 7, Cnr George & 16th Road, Randjespark, or drop it in the tube at the gate of 82 Donovan Road.

SEE  BELOW   HOW  TO DO THE  AFFIDAVIT AND  HAVE  IT  STAMPED  AT THE MIDRAND POLICE  STATION

Affidavits may be in any format on condition that it complies with the standards required per definition in order for it to be acceptable to court.

1. An affidavit; 

1.1   is a, usually written in the first person, individualised, voluntarily statement of fact made by a person (deponent) about an incident/matter and how he/she experienced the incident and/or witnessed the incident, under oath and/or affirmation that it is the truth. If more than one person experienced and/or witnessed a particular incident/matter each must make his/her own individualised, voluntarily statement of fact under oath and/or affirmation that it is the truth. 

Deponent (a person who makes a statement and signs it under oath) 

1.2  must be sworn and/or affirmed as being the truth and the deponent must sign in the presence of a person duly authorized in this capacity by law, whom is to certify in terms of the Regulations Governing the Administering of an Oath or Affirmation, R 1258 of 21 July 1972 as Amended, that the deponent has acknowledged that he/she understands the contents of the statement, has no objection in taking the prescribed oath and/or affirmation, and considers the prescribed oath and/or affirmation binding on his/her conscience.

This serves as evidence to the statement’s authenticity and is required for legal action and court proceedings. 

2. An Affidavit must; 

2.1  identify the individual making the statement (deponent). 
2.2  affirm where he/she resides. 
2.3  state; 
        2.3.1 when 
        2.3.2 where 
        2.3.3 what happened 
        2.3.4 and how it effects and/or has impact on the deponent and what led up to the  statement. 
2.4  be to the point about the incident and facts related to it and verification thereof. 
2.5   refer to and identify supporting evidence affixed, if any. 
2.6  be signed by the deponent in the presence of the authorised person certifying that he/she  acknowledges the content of the statement to be accurate and the truth and that he/she considers the prescribed oath and/or affirmation binding to his/her conscience. 
  
3. An Affidavit may not; 

3.1         be addressed to a specific person. 
3.2         address unrelated incidents. 
3.3         make assumptions or reflect hearsay as fact. 
3.4         make demands. 
3.5         be on behalf of a group of people. 

4.  By signing the affidavit, the subject is making an oath of honesty. All facts within the document must be true. If they are found to be false, the person making the statement may be punishable by law and/or guilty of contempt of Court. 

The 2010 tree of the year is the well-known Acacia xanthophloea. This spectacular tree with it’s straight, luminous yellow trunk and its feathery, spreading canopy is rightfully one of our most popular indigenous trees. The common name, Fever tree, comes from the early settlers who thought the trees were responsible for the fever they contracted when they were in the vicinity of these trees. In fact, it was malaria that they contracted from the mosquitoes that lived in the swampy areas where the trees are commonly found.. Many bird species and especially weavers, use the Acacia xanthophloea for building their nests as the thorns offer shade underneath the canopy is perfect for smaller plants that require some protection from harsh sunlight.  Whether this magnificent tree is used as a focal point in the landscape or planted in a group or as an avenue, the effect is always absolutely breath-taking. 

​As night falls over the Makgadigadi Pans, large trees stand starkly against the horizon, leafless branches reach for the light. As the sun sinks lower, the sky drains of all colour until just red remains. On the opposite side of the sky, Earth’s shadow is rising, bringing a curtain of indigo and the promise of a clear night. Science and art merge as a myriad of stars burn fiercely overhead, dissolving into infinitude, and our thoughts follow. – Beth Moon
 
Did you know that trees grow faster when high levels of cosmic radiation reach the earth’s surface, and impacts tree growth even more than annual temperature or rainfall?
 

• Tree buds changed shape and size rhythmically, in regular cycles all through winter, directly correlating to the moon and planets.
• The oak for example, appears to change with Mars, the Beech with Saturn and the Birch with Venus.

Curiously overhead power lines disrupted this planetary influence.

Elize Fourie is the project leader of the Rose-ringed Parakeet Project at the University of the Witwatersrand. These birds are listed as a Category 2 Invasive Species in South Africa and the aim of the project is to further investigate the occurrence, distribution, ecology and behaviour of these birds in Gauteng.
 
She has been receiving data on sightings and roosting/breeding locations of these birds from the citizens of Gauteng. Hereby, she has found that these birds may tend to feed, roost or nest in residential estates. Therefore, she is contacting us to find out whether we have sighted these birds at in our estate and also whether these birds feed, nest or roost in Glen Austin.
 
If you have any information on these birds or know of any breeding/roosting sites in your estate or anywhere else, please contact Elize on urbanparakeets@gmail.com. You can also submit any data to the project by following this link: http://goo.gl/forms/OvbdSanz4B. 

Kind regards,
Elize Fourie
The Rose-ringed Parakeet Project
DST-NRF Intern 
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg