Thursday 29 April 2004

This site will be updated on 6 May  2004 at 17:30

People - Mense

• Lizzie Phike still going strong
• Bekende aangestel by kollege
• From car washing to big business for Paarl couple
• Pietie Theron sterf
• Bekende oorlede

Lizzie Phike still going strong

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Susan Botha

HERS is a story of woe and sorrow, but also of a strong woman who refused to be intimidated by a regime that oppressed her people for more than forty years.

This is the story of Lizzie Phike, a stalwart in the Paarl community, who recently retired as ANC member of the provincial parliament.

Born in Jamestown in 1938, her mother moved the family to Paarl while Lizzie was still very young.

They wandered from farm to farm, sometimes living with her stepbrother and other family. Later they moved into a .

STALWART. Lizzie Phike in traditional dress.

house in Paarl South. Lizzie went to the Bethesda school at first, but then came the 50's and the pass laws.

"We could no longer go to the Coloured schools," she remembers. An African school was started for the farm children and I attended this until the end of Std 6.

"My mother, Angeline, only worked in season at the Jones factory (later Langeberg and now Tiger Foods) and WP Tobacco, leaving a winter season without any income.

"I was in Std 5 when I started working on the farms. My mother didn't like this - I was the youngest and she didn't want me to work," she says with a nostalgic smile.

"But my mother was very involved in the politics of the day. Sometimes I went with her to the meetings under the big tree in Tennant Street in Huguenot."

Then in 1956 people started burning their passes.

The government started to move Xhosa people to the newly established Langabuya area. As a result they lost their house in Paarl South and her mother was detained.

Lizzie was only 16. Eventually she and another woman stayed in empty pig sties nearby, until her mother wa released, after which they lived with relatives.

"We couldn't go to Langabuya, as my mother still had no pass. There was no money to go to school and she started working part-time at Langeberg.

"Without a pass I couldn't work full time," but with a twinkle in her eye she recalls Miss Opie, the supervisor, who wasn't very mindful and let her work without checking for a pass.

"Then I fell in love with Joseph Zantsi, the father of my children.

In 1956 she had her first child and soon afterwards they were married according to tribal custom.

Then a supervisor at Langeberg demanded to see her pass.

""You know the pass laws brought much sorrow to us. I had to work, we were poor and my husband had lost his job."

Lizzie and her aunt went to the Bantu Administration offices, where she was issued with a temporary pass.

The only work her husband could find was driving taxis for his brother in Worcester. This was the beginning of the end of their marriage.

"I went to Worcester when I could, but my husband didn't visit me regularly and in the end he found a girlfriend..."

"Then I lost my pass and was caught," she tells of her first encounter with the law.

"I didn't have money for the fine and had to wait in the cells for a court appearance the following day. My son of 16 months was with me."

Lizzie told the magistrate that she had grown up in Paarl and had no other place to live. He gave instruction that a pass be  issued to her, and she returned to work at the canning factory.

Soon she became a member of the seasonal workers' committee, along with the well-known Rocky Mafikeng and Frank Marquard.

In 1979 she was appointed as union official by the Food & Allied Workers Union (Fawu).

Lizzie was politically active and thus no stranger to jail.

The second time she was arrested was during demonstrations against increases in the bread price in 1981.

"We gathered in Jan van Riebeeck Drive at Banana House to protest, but the police waited just around the corner.

"When I heard that, I knew we were going to get a hiding and end up in jail - and we did."

In the ensuing court case Lizzie told the judge that working people couldn't afford the rising bread price: "Bread is a staple food. These prices are killing the people."

The rent campaign followed in 1983. The community in Mbekweni was up in arms over the rent and basic service increases, planned for 1 September 1983.

They decided to march to the housing office in Drommedaris Street and hand over a memorandum. Here they met up with another group of protestors from the canning factory who had walked from Paarl.

"There were police with batons and dogs at the gate. They gave us three minutes to disperse. I put my hand up to talk, but before I could say a word, they had called the vans.

"I was so afraid of the dogs that I advised all the protestors, to get in - 171 of us!"

There were so many people detained that some had to be held at Pollsmoor prison.

She was once again detained in Pollsmoor for two months in 1986, after a funeral vigil at the home of a victim. It was here that she received the sad news that her son, Ntemi (19), had been shot and killed by Azapo.

The night of 26 December 1986 I couldn't sleep. The whole night I was tense and overwrought. I felt like screaming," she says with tears in her eyes.

Following an outcry from the Union and other organisations, she was  released on 1 January 1987, the day before the funeral.

"The oppression got worse when the government declared a state of emergency."

More and more youths were arrested and when she tried to intervene, she was detained once again. She had to appear in court on 17 July and her family and friends felt she had to flee.

Lizzie went underground and worked in Johannesburg under an assumed name, Gladys. She lived with friends in Krugersdorp where she was eventually caught and took to John Vorster Square.

"I was so afraid, because this is where my friend and colleague, Dr Niel Aggett, had been murdered."

She was brought back to Paarl for trial where she was detained in the police cells for a month.

"I slept so badly on those coarse blankets," she recalls.

Lizzie remained involved with the youth, helping them wherever she could. She went to Lusaka regularly and on these occasions made contact with many of the young refugees.

"Many parents were angry with me, like the time the bar burnt down while I sat in the evening service. No-one wanted to believe that I had nothing to do with it.

In the mean time all of them had liquor for Christmas. They didn't like our hard struggle."

Lizzie provided many of the youths with money, or got them help from other sources.

"They would come and ask for money, not giving me details of their activities. Everyone was afraid that someone would spill the beans under torture by the security police."

Lizzie's involvement with the youth didn't have a happy ending.

"It is sad that when the young people came back, none of them remembered me..."

Then democracy came in 1994 and Lizzie became involved in government politics.

She was a member of the Paarl Transitional Council that was in power from 1994 until the first local elections in 1995.

However, she didn't complete her term: "I had to choose between the Transitional Council and the Union for financial reasons."

At that stage the Union's salary was much higher than councillors' remuneration and she decided to resign.

In 1999 she returned to politics, when she was elected as member of the Provincial Parlement for the ANC, a position she occupied until the recent election.

And the future?

"I am a community worker at heart and will continue to work for the people as long as possible."

Lizzie also plans to spend time with her three living children and five grandchildren

HUGENOTE KOLLEGE het onlangs 'n nuwe programhoof van Maatskaplike Werk aangestel. Dr Nicky Alpaslan volg dr Blanche Malherbe op, wat na 27 jaar diens by die Kollege afgetree het.

Dr Alpaslan het bekendheid verwerf as 'n aktiewe navorser, skrywer en mede-skrywer van artikels in vak- en populêre tydskrifte.

Hy het ook twee boeke geskryf: "Hoop en hulp vir die huwelik" ('n Werkboek vir huweliksvoorbereiding en huweliksbegeleiding, en "Methods and means for a meaningful marriage: A preparation for marriage and marriage guidance workbook".  

Dr Alpaslan is ook bekend as geleentheids- en motiveringspreker.  In 2000 het hy 'n bundel met 'n versameling van dié praatjies, met die titel "Potrose, Pêrels, Varke en Volstruise - Verryk jou Verhoudingslewe" gepubliseer.

Van die onderwerpe in hierdie boek het in kerkblaaie, dagblaaie en vrouetydskrifte verskyn en is op KykNet, Radio Kansel, Vrouefokus (Afrikaans Stereo) en Radio Tygerberg uitgesaai.

'n Tweede boek met nog van sy geleentheids- en motiveringstoesprake onder die titel "Liquorice vir die Lewe" is in 2002 by die Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees bekend gestel.

Nicky het prof Murray Janson se rubriek, "Sake van die Hart", in die Huisgenoot oorgeneem en vir meer as 'n jaar in dié kolom lesers op 'n weeklikse basis antwoorde en leiding probeer gee oor vrae wat pla. Die rubriek is "Liquorice vir die Lewe" genoem.

Dr Alpaslan het 'n Turks-Grieks-Afrikaanse agtergrond en is op Klerksdorp gebore.

Hy behaal in 1983 'n Lisensiaat in Teologie met lof aan die Berea Teologiese Kollege te Irene, Pretoria, en is aangewys as die Dux-student van daardie jaar.

Hy skryf daarna in vir Maatskaplike Werk en behaal in 1987 'n BA graad in Maatskaplike Werk met lof. Nicky het met dié studies die Susan van Niekerk-toekenning en die Kirvonprys as beste student in maatskaplikewerk-teorie en -prakties vir sy derde en vierde studiejare ontvang.

In 1989 het hy 'n MA graad in Maatskaplike Werk met lof behaal met 'n verhandeling oor huweliksvoorbereiding.  In 1991 is 'n DPhil-graad in Maatskaplike Werk aan hom toegeken vir 'n proefskrif oor Huweliksbegeleiding deur middel van die aanvullende gebruik van die primêre metodes van maatskaplike werk. Daarna is hy aangestel as 'n senior lektor in die Departement Maatskaplike Ontwikkelingsprofessies by UPE.

Hy het ook 'n deeltydse praktyk waar hy huweliksvoorligting en -beraad, huweliksverryking en egskeidingsbegeleiding doen. Hy bied ook indiensopleiding in huweliksvoorbereiding, -begeleiding en egskeidingsbegeleiding vir maatskaplikewerkers, predikante, sielkundiges en huweliksberaders aan.

University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

Also included in the prize is an M-Web Business Solutions Package, and they'll be sitting pretty with a new office set-up from Xtract Direct office furniture.

But theirs was a rough road to success.

"Five years ago a change took place in my life when we moved from Paarl to George with new dreams, new possibilities," says Marina.

However, promised employment never materialised and with no relatives, friends or acquaintances, the only alternative was to seek employment.

Eventually she found employment, but after three months the business faced bankruptcy and all staff members were retrenched.

"To complicate matters even further, I discovered that I was pregnant.

"My husband found temporary employment but the salary was barely enough to keep us alive."

"Looking for opportunities we notice the vagrants and streetchildren washing cars in parking areas. We decided that it was a good idea that needed to be done professionally."

The next step was to approach office complexes and recruit regular clients.

Without capital, transport or any sophisticated equipment they started off with a backpack and bucket in the hand.

"Coming from a good background, this was definitely not easy for me.

"By contrast, my husband, whose mother had died when he was three months old, lived on the streets as a child until the age of nine."

In 1971 Rudi was "caught" by a relative while selling newspapers at Wynberg railway station and was admitted to the Wynberg Reformatory School.

In 1979 they became entrepreneurs, naming their business Omni Car Wash.

Marina says it was not easy: "Being avoided by friends who were embarrassed to associate with us, fighting racism, false accusations and victimisation were only part of the suffering that we had to endure.

"Walking from one parking area to another to keep our appointments, all the while savouring our little successes, required hard work and courage."

In order to keep expenses as low as possible, they applied a homemade mixture to the dashboards and vinyl attachments of the cars. The customers were very impressed.

"We visualised the idea of our own product. We could see the colour, smell the fragrance, feel the texture, see the product on the shelves and hear the response."

Omni Dash Protector polish was officially born a few months later. It passed the final test when the first box of 36 tubs was sold.

"After the birth of my daughter, I decided to complete my National Senior Certificate as well as a business course (17 years after leaving school), while my husband was promoting and selling Omni Dash Protector."

One of their biggest headaches was finances.

"Financial institutions were interested in collateral and the owner's own contribution towards the business, which we did not have."

Over the years, through trial and error, Omni Dash Protector evolved to become Omni Super Multi-Purpose Polish.

"The breakthrough came when I listened to an interview with Coleman Andrews, then CEO of SA Airways, on the Tim Modise radio show.

"He specifically noted that South African Airways are in the process of promoting Black Economic Empowerment.

"In October 2000 I wrote a letter to SAA introducing our product."

That November one of the senior managers flew from Johannesburg to meet them.

"At the end of February 2001 we received feedback that the product was tested and approved and that we have to do a presentation."

SAA placed an order and the packaging had to be changed to comply with their needs.

"To obtain material in bulk was definitely not easy. As entrepreneurs we did not qualify for credit and orders had to be of a certain quantity.

"In order to produce and meet the deadline, people had to be employed and after working day and night the order was finally completed."

SAA were very impressed with the final result.

Unfortunately a second order for the ground staff did not materialise due to the resignation of the CEO, Coleman Andrews.

An in-depth survey was conducted which caused all existing contracts to be reviewed and new contracts to be put on hold.

Earlier this year they had a breakthrough when a well-known national franchise, Auto Armor, opened their doors for empowerment.

"They enabled us to market our product through their distribution channels and this we believe can only augur well for Omni Care."

The family, who have since moved back to Paarl is full of hope for the future.

Omni Care's main objective now is to develop a range of environment friendly products of which two additional lines will be introduced during 2004.

"Why Omni Care? Looking back to what inspired me, I think the fact that I have been searching for a purpose in life played a significant role.

"I have been travelling a lot and no matter where I went, my faith carried me trough all my circumstances. I noticed while reading the Bible, that God is omnipotent, which means everywhere or all round.

"When we started off as Omni Car Wash the name fitted perfectly because we had to operate in different parking areas and business premises."

'n BEKENDE afgetrede wyndeskundige van KWV, Pietie Theron (82), is op 16 April in Paarl MediClinic oorlede aan hartversaking, nadat hy by sy strandhuis op Stilbaai siek geword het.

Theron, oorspronklik van Tulbagh, het wynkunde aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch studeer voordat hy in 1945 by KWV begin werk het. Daar het hy gespesialiseer in sjerrieproduksie. Hy het in 1986 na 41 jaar diens afgetree.

Hy en sy vrou het in Carlettastraat, Paarl, gewoon voordat hulle agt jaar gelede verhuis het na De Oude Renbaan. Hy was 'n geliefde persoon, bekend vir sy humorsin en nederigheid.

Die begrafnis was in die Suider-Paarl NG Kerk. Hy word oorleef deur sy vrou Ulla, kinders Monica Marais van Bellville en André van Gordonsbaai, asook vier kleinkinders.

'n BEKENDE oud-stadsraadslid en boer van Wellington, Danie Malan, is verlede week ter ruste gelê.

Malan (81) van Jordaanstraat, het nadat hy van sy plaas Olifantskop dorp toe getrek het, naam gemaak as eiendomsontwikkelaar.

Hy was destyds alombekend as beeshandelaar, waar hy tot 1970 op Olifantskop met druiwe en appelkose geboer het.

Malan was direkteur van die Wellington Wynkelder en later voorsitter van die Wellington Sakekamer en raadslid op Wellington.

Hy word oorleef deur sy eggenote Hilda, seun en dogter Andries en Lynette en hul gesinne.

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