RAIN in October has caused mildew problems for farmers, but has contributed to increasing dam levels.

That is why the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry together with the City of Cape Town and local water authorities have agreed that water restrictions are not required at present.

Water usage is nevertheless still limited to before 10:00 in the morning and 16:00 in the afternoon.

With the current water demand levels the dams in the South Western Cape system (including Wemmershoek Dam) need to be above 75% to avoid restrictions being imposed by the Department of Water affairs and Forestry.

The good rain in October has delayed the start of irrigation from the dams and for the first time in a number of years dam levels continued to increase in October.

Urban water demands have declined when compared to levels of demand in 2000 when restrictions were applied.

A saving of half the capacity of the Wemmershoek Dam amounting to approximately 30 million cub/m was achieved by increased water use efficiency.

Local authorities will be required to monitor and, if necessary, curtail demands by introducing restrictions.

Report leakages or water wastage to the Municipality at 807-4715.

HY oorweeg siviele eise nadat klagte van korrupsie en bedrog teen hom teruggetrek is, het Dan Kotze, oud-raadslid van Saron, aangedui.

Kotze was saam met die speaker van die Drakenstein munisipale raad, Killion Cekiso, en voormalige raadslede Cupido Rogers (Wellington) en Ben Oliphant (Tulbagh) aangekla daarvan dat hulle behuisingskontrakte teen finansiële vergoeding sou toegeken het.

Die klagtes van korrupsie en bedrog is teen almal teruggetrek, maar 'n alternatiewe klag van versuim om belange aan die Raad te verklaar, is steeds op die hofrol teen Oliphant, Cekiso en Rogers.

Die beslissing van die Direkteur van Openbare Vervolging om nie te vervolg nie, beëindig 'n jaar van hofverskynings en twee jaar van ondersoek deur die polisie se handelstak.

Tenders vir laekoste-behuising op Gouda, Wellington en Saron is tussen 1996 en 1999 aan Gibb Africa toegeken.

Albertus Kilian, raadgewende ingenieur van Gibb Africa, is in September 2002 as medepligtige aangekla. Alle aanklagte teen hom is ook teruggetrek.

Cekiso en Oliphant het volgens bewerings die tender vir die Gouda-behuisingsprojek ondersteun waarna R30 000 oorbetaal is in 'n bankrekening van Facilitation Agencies, 'n beslote korporasie waarvan hulle lede was.

Die ander BK-lede was private individue Martha Williams en haar seun, Rashaan Pillay. Pillay sou staatsgetuie wees, maar is in 'n motorongeluk oorlede.

Cekiso, 'n voormalige burgemeester van Tulbagh, het in September versuim om in die hof te verskyn en 'n lasbrief is vir sy inhegtenisname uitgereik.

Die lasbrief word teruggehou tot 'n volgende verskyning op 20 November saam met Oliphant.

Rogers het belange in 'n beslote korporasie gehad, wat sou gebots het met die toekenning van 'n behuisingskontrak op Wellington. Hy verskyn op 28 Januarie in die streekhof.

Ná konsultasie met 'n regsverteenwoordiger oorweeg Kotze, tans onderwyser op Saron, regstappe  omdat  hy "verkeerdelik aangekla" was.

* Corruption charges against a Drakenstein councillor and former councillors have been withdrawn.

TRAFFIC and police officials clamped down on offenders in the Lower Lady Grey Street area and under the trees alongside Market Street at the weekend.

A total of 56 summonses were issued - also for unlicensed vehicles, driving without a license, defective stop lights, not wearing a safety belt, irregular sound systems, and driving while speaking on a cellular phone.

Tickets were left on 341 vehicles - mainly for parking offences, unlicensed vehicles and headlamps not to specification.

The joint operation between the traffic and police departments was held on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Police charged pedestrians, picknickers along Market Street and visitors to nightclubs in Lower Lady Grey Street, with drunkeness and also possession of drugs.

* Nearly 400 fines were issued to motorists in Paarl at the weekend.

DIE paraatheid van polisiemanne van Paarl-Oos was Dinsdag die ondergang van 'n verdagte wat met 'n gesteelde vuurwapen probeer wegkom het.

Die jong man uit Amstelhof het na bewering die oggend helder oordag in 'n woning in Jan Smutslaan, Huguenot, ingebreek terwyl die huisbewoners nie tuis was nie.

In reaksie op inligting het speurders en misdaadvoorkomingsbeamptes van Paarl-Oos hulle na die toneel gehaas en die verdagte op die wal van die Bergrivier omsingel, net onderkant die Markstraatbrug.

In sy arms was 'n windbuks toegedraai in 'n bruin trui en 'n swart tas met 'n videokamera.

Aan sy voete was 'n paar te groot, bruin leer skoene, vermoedelik ook gesteel.

Die verdagte het ná ondervraging die speurders na die misdaadtoneel gelei.

Aangehou

* Twee tieners is in aanhouding nadat 'n vrou die naweek in Suider-Paarl aangerand en verkrag is. Die 25-jarige vrou het Sondagmiddag by 'n vriend se woning op die perseel van 'n steengroef gaan kuier, toe sy vasgegryp is deur twee seuns van die plakkerswonings by die naburige baksteenwerke, en onder 'n afdak ingesleep.

Die 17-jarige het haar na bewering met 'n stuk yster oor die rug en boude gemoker en met die vuis in die gesig geslaan, waarna sy glo deur die 16-jarige verkrag is.Die seuns was vermoedelik onder die invloed van dwelms.

SY voel "baie blond" omdat sy 'n man se praatjies geglo het en hom met geld uitgehelp het.

Maar "blondes" raak ook kwaai, en nou wil die Paarlse slenter-slagoffer die bedrieër agter tralies sien.

Die man is Donderdagoggend om 11:48 op video afgeneem toe hy by Gelderblom Motors in Jan van Riebeeckweg aangekom het.

Hy het met die petroljoggies gepraat voordat hy by die kantoor aangeklop het.

"Hy het gesê hy en sy pa besit saam Lourens Vervoer in die Paarl.

Hy ken my broer baie goed. Hy is skaam om te vra, maar sy bakkie staan by Kilotreads oorkant die pad, en hy het 'n dringende vrag wat moet Kaap toe.

"Hy is net R209 kort. Hy sal sy besigheidsnaam en selfoonnommer vir my los."

Toe die man die middag nog nie met die geleende geld terug was nie, het die goedhartige vrou begin twyfel.

Die selfoon se antwoorddiens was al wat sy kon kry - tot vandag toe.

"Gelukkig het ons hom op videoband," het sy hierdie week gesê. "En hy moenie wegkom nie."

Die man is 1,8m lank, geset, so 35 jaar oud, met donkerbruin hare, 'n snor en bokbaardjie. Hy was geklee in blou jeans en 'n roomkleurige hemp.

Speur-insp Nico Davids (807-4000) ondersoek die saak.

* An alleged swindler is sought by the police.

TWO teenage car thieves found themselves not on the road, but parked safely in the Paarl police cells at the weekend.

They were apprehended by policemen who spotted the stolen car they were driving in Mbekweni on Saturday night.

A visitor from Riebeek Kasteel had parked her Mazda 323 on the parking lot opposite Articles in Main Street, Paarl, that morning.

"A so-called carpark attendant offered to watch the car, but when I had finished shopping, my car had been driven off by two youngsters," she recalled.

Dog handlers Jan Burden and Connie von Willigh recognised the stolen vehicle in Mbekweni that night.

When the driver refused to respond to signals to stop, shots were fired at the speeding vehicle.

Insp Von Willigh hit a rear tyre and the car came to a standstill. Two boys managed to escape while two 15-year-olds were apprehended.

The locks had been stripped and the undercarriage and left front wheel badly damaged.

"And now there is a bullet hole in the back," the rightful owner managed to smile.

"I have had such unbelievable co-operation - from the people in the shop, the police, the garage people, spraypainters. I cannot thank the Paarlites enough," she said.

A Mazda bakkie and an Isuzu bakkie that were stolen in Wellington's Berg-en-Dal area at the weekend, are still missing.

The thief who tried to steal a Toyota bakkie in Cummings Street on Monday night however, did not get very far.

Police noticed the stolen bakkie in nearby Jordaan Street, and gave chase. The bakkie was abandoned when the thief fled on foot.

At 03:45 police Insp Herbert Sills and his dog, Wolf, found the suspect hiding in shrubs on an open lot a kilometre from the crime scene.

The man, believed to be from Khayelitsha, was apprehended.

'n MAN van Paarl-Oos wat 'n 13-jarige meisie verkrag het, is verlede week lewenslange gevangennisstraf opgelê.

William Wilson (43) het in 1999 die jong meisie na 'n lemoenboord in Klein Drakenstein gelok, waar hy haar gewurg en ernstig beseer het.

Dit was sy vierde oortreding vir verkragting. Die lewenslange vonnis word gevoeg by die elf jaar vonnis wat hy reeds uitdien op 'n vorige aanklag van roof en verkragting.

* 'n Jong man sal 15 jaar lank boet vir die dood van 'n mede-inwoner van Klapmuts verlede jaar.

Wayne Kleinsmidt (24) is in die Paarl Streekhof daaraan skuldig bevind dat hy op Sondag 15 September 2002 vir John Jacobs van Mosesstraat met 'n klip doodgeslaan het.

Hy is tot 15 jaar gevangenisstraf gevonnis.

'n Vrou het gesien hoe Jacobs die Sondagmiddag langs die treinspoor oorval word en het na die polisiestasie gehardloop om hulp te soek.Jacobs was reeds dood toe hulle daar aankom.

A WELLINGTON businessman, Martin van Heerden, appeared in court last week for the second time this year.

In May, the Drakenstein Municipality obtained an interdict against Van Heerden, owner of Wellington Spares, forbidding him from carrying out panelbeating and vehicle repairs on his smallholding on the Lady Loch road outside Wellington. The property is not zoned for such activities.

Last week he appeared on a charge of contempt of court, for continuing with industrial activities within a rural area.

Neighbours have been complaining about the noise from these activities.

Van Heerden admitted guilt and was fined R300. He was ordered to immediately refrain from industrial activities on the property.

He also appeared on a charge of crimen injuria for insulting his neighbour's wife, Deliana Boshoff-Schweifel.

Van Heerden pleaded not guilty, but was convicted after testimony by witnesses and fined a further R300.

DIE polisiemanne van die Vallei is vinnige manne, meen Anna Conradie van Malherbestraat.

Dít nadat sy twee vreemde seuns in haar buurvrou se agterplaas in Malherbestraat betrap het.

Met 'n buitekraan tot hul beskikking was hulle verskoning dat hulle water soek, maar flou. Veral toe sy besef daar is ingebreek en daar is juweliersware gesteel.

"Die polisie was binne vyf minute hier," vertel mev Conradie.

"En ek kon my oë nie glo toe die twee booswigte al agter in die vangwa is nie."

Insp Purvis Johannisen en sers Karel Claasen van Paarl-Oos was die vinnige polisiemanne.

Hulle het gesien hoe twee jong mans in die rigting van die Bergrivier Boulevard hardloop, "so asof hulle aan atletiek deelneem," sê insp Johannisen.

Toe hulle die polisievoertuig sien en skielik begin stap "asof die wedloop verby is", was die beamptes agterdogtig.

Die seuns is deursoek en nadat daar kontant en juweliersware in hul sakke gekry is, is hulle opgelaai.

"Dis toe dat ons hoor van die huisbraak in Malherbestraat," het Johannisen vertel.

"Toe neem ek hulle sommer saam en verras die klaagster."

Later by die polisieselle wou die verdagtes nie hul sokkies uittrek nie.

"Dit het glo aan hul voete vasgesit, want dit was so vuil," het Johannisen gesê.

Die polisiebeamptes het toe gehelp uittrek, en die juweliersware uit Malherbestraat is uit die sokkies geskud.

Bussie

* "'n Mens weet net," sê Johannisen, nadat die rooi liggies vir hom en sy kollega geflits het verlede Dinsdagnag om 03:30.

Hulle was op patrollie in Van der Stelstraat, Chicago, toe hulle 'n bussie sonder ligte gesien ry het.

Hulle het die voertuig agternagesit en na 'n jaagtog tot stilstand gebring. Die man agter die stuur, het in die donker verdwyn.

Toe die registrasienommer getoets word, het die beamptes besef die bussie behoort aan Satchwell Control.

Die regmatige bestuurder, in sy huis in Groenheuwel, het toe nog nie eens geweet die bussie is gesteel nie.

Die volgende nag was vir die polisie van die Vallei ook nie verveeld nie. Toe het 'n skare beamptes agter 'n wit Toyota aangejaag nadat die vier insittendes in Chicago op omstanders geskiet en verdwyn het.

Die voertuig is op die N1 opgemerk, en is agtervolg tot waar dit op die N1 regoor Brackenfell afgetrek is.

Die vier verdagtes, van Belhar, is in hegtenis geneem en 'n vuurwapen is teruggekry.

* Swift action by the police are leading to an increasing number of arrests following burglaries and theft.

VOTER registration kicks off in earnest this weekend at local voting stations.

First time voters are requested to register, while registered voters are invited to check their details between 08:00 and 17:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

Voters who have never been registered, or who have moved since the last election, must go there to register if they wish to vote in next year's election.

Local voting stations are:

* Gouda/Saron (Ward 1): VGK  Gouda, VGK Hall Saron, Seventh Days Adventists.

* Wagenmakersvallei (Ward 2): Wagenmakersvallei Primary, Ruigtevlei shed, Groenberg Primary.

* Paardeberg (Ward 3): Dutch Reformed Church Hall Wellington North, Bergrivier Primary.

* Windmeul (Ward 4): Nieuwedrift Church, Alfons Primary, DR Church Agter Paarl.

* Agter-Paarl/Simondium (Ward 5): Simondium Primary, Berg-en-Dal Primary, St Simons Church.

* Klein Drakenstein (Ward 6): Sonop Primary, Ronwe Primary, E de Waal Hall.

* Daljosaphat/Chicago (Ward 7): Diemersfontein, Daljosaphat Primary, Waterbok Street (tent).

* Paarl South/North (Ward 8): KWV Hall, Gymnasium High.

* Paarl Central (Ward 9): Paarl Town Hall, Paarl Boys' Primary.

* Paarl North (Ward 10): Noordeind Primary, Monte Rio Avenue (tent).

* Huguenot (Ward 11): Mbekweni Admin, Paarl Police College.

* Klein Parys (Ward 12): Paarl Boy Scout Hall, William Lloyd Primary.

* Paarl East (Ward 13): Navolgers van Christus Church, Amstelhof Primary.

* Paarl East (Ward 14): Drakenstein library, Paulus Joubert Primary.

* Paarl East (Ward 15): Klein Nederburg clinic.

* Paarl East (Ward 16): Nederburg Primary, AME church.

* Paarl East (Ward 17): Orleansvale Primary, Paarlzicht Primary, AGS Church.

* Wellington (Ward 18): Huguenot High, Huguenot Primary, Voortrekker hall.

* Wellington (Ward 19): Wellington Youthcare School, Bethesda IOTT Hall.

* Wellington (Ward 20): Weltevrede Sport Hall, Church of the Nazarene.

*Wellington 21): DR Church Vanwyksvlei, Colibri hall.

* Newtown (Ward 22): Safmarine Centre, VGK Newton.

* Mbekweni (Ward 23): Mbekweni Sports Stadium.

* Mbekweni (Ward 24): Mbekweni Community Hall, United Cong Church.

* Mbekweni (Ward 25): Vukukhanye Educare, Chris Hani (tent).

* Mbekweni/Paarl East (Ward 26): Mbekweni Higher Primary, Dalweide Primary.

* Paarl East (Ward 27): Fairyland.

* Paarl East (Ward 28): Daljosaphat Stadium, New Orleans Secondary.

* Paarl East (Ward 29): New Orleans Primary, Huguenot Community Hall.

For enquiries, contact Leonora Jacobs on 872-8213 or jacobsl@elections.org.za or carstensh@elections.org.za.

You may check if you are registered as a voter by visiting the local office of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) at the Paarl Town Hall in Main Street on week days 09:00 to 15:00, or phone 872-4350.

Alternatively, you can visit the website www.elections.org.za.