p2 26 September 2014, PLATINUM WEEKLY, 11 Marais Street, Tel: 014 592 9686, Fax: 011 252 6669, E-mail: [email protected] POLMUSCA 2014 - Top Choirs Competing in Rustenburg - Continued from Page 1 The POLMUSCA was preceded by the SAPS in addition hosting an Educational School Safety Outreach on Tuesday, 23 September, in Wonderkop (Marikana) educating children about crime and violence in schools. The second and third day (26-27 September) of the gathering will be hosted at the Sun City Super Bowl and will see SAPS Choirs from all over the country competing in different categories. These categories include an entertaining traditional indigenous music competition and choral music with a few new competitions thrown into the mix. This year two new categories was also introduced; the first being the traditional cooking (Potjiekos) competition hosted on Thursday 25 Sept; and a Ballroom Dancing competition that will take place at the Sun City Super bowl on Friday evening, 26 September. The Police Music and Cultural Association (POLMUSCA) festival was launched in 1992 to enhance the relations between the police and community. Music is a universal language that could bridge the gap between all the different Police Agencies, for example; the former homelands agencies and the South African Police. It is held on a rotational basis in various provinces – it is however the third time that the North West hosts this spectacular event. This year’s national festival includes a concert performance where the SAPS Band, a guest artist and the Police choir will entertain guests on Saturday before the announcement of the results. This year’s event was hosted in partnership with Workerslife Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) as well as Old Mutual. “We do not only sing, we also express and spread messages to educate and empower community relations and partnership,” Lieutenant General Mbombo, Provincial Commissioner of the North West reiterated. The Platinum Weekly will report on the results of this long-anticipated competition in next week’s edition. 100 men, 24 hours to rescue man Leg amputated to save his life Rustenburg – For Tsenollo Shadrack Rasello, what was meant to be a short trip up and down the mountain to collect “holy water” at the Kloof resort outside Rustenburg, for cleansing and healing rituals, turned into a three-day nightmare of gigantic proportions when he slipped, fell about 70 metres and was trapped in a narrow rock crevice. Three days later, the 26 year-old member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) was still trapped. According to unconfirmed reports, Rasello was frightened by a snake and fell. At about 11:00 on Friday, 19 September 2014, he stumbled and fell in between two cliffs where his one foot became wedged between two rocks. “He fortunately had his phone with him and alerted his family who contacted the police,” Caption Elsabé Augoustides explained. “The family member contacted the Rustenburg Police station; and the search was initiated.” A SAPS search and rescue team was deployed and a helicopter was sent from the Africa Aerospace and Defence Air Show to help locate the trapped young man, but the narrow crevice of about half a metre in diameter in which he was trapped was surrounded by loose rocks, which further hampered the rescue. Eventually his blue overall sleeve was seen and a member of the fire brigade was sent to assess the situation. It was soon realised that freeing Rasello was not going to be easy and the search and rescue mountain club of South Africa was contacted to assist, but they failed to locate Rasello by nightfall and the search was abandoned until first light on Saturday. “On Saturday Rasello was located and Richard Piek, a BTech paramedic from Med247 was deployed to care for Rasello, who was in great pain and severely traumatised. Piek monitored his patient through Saturday until Sunday morning when he was relieved by amongst others Terry Kgame, Nina de Beer and Michael Ramarumo,” Mr Kops from Med247 explained during an interview with the Platinum Weekly. Falling rocks and the possible collapse of an overhang posed a constant risk and specialists from Lonmin and Impala were consulted to assist in the rescue, minimising the risk. By this time Rasello was in severe pain and had lost all feeling in his foot and ankle, and on Sunday morning Professor Frank Plani of the Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital arrived to do the amputation. Plani was at a hospital function on Saturday evening when he was contacted to assist, and said in his 34 years as a surgeon it was the first time he had been asked to amputate a leg in a rock crevice. Plani and Dr Olllie Smith, the anaesthetist, were flown to the site by helicopter. Fortunately the surgeon has experience of rock climbing in the Alps, and was not fazed by the daunting task facing him. By the time they reached Rasello at about 12:00, the patient had been given a tranquiliser and was desperate for the operation to continue so he could be freed. The anaesthetic was administered, but because Plani could get only his head through the opening where Rasello was trapped, he had to give instructions to Smith, who is smaller, to assist with the amputation. The right leg was clamped to stop blood circulation and was amputated just below the knee, and all the while unstable rocks fell around the medical team, where they and Rasello were in danger of being crushed at any time. The operation lasted about 20 minutes and the leg and foot was left where it was trapped. Plani said it was impossible to determine whether the right foot was still healthy as it could not be reached at all. Rasello was hoisted up out of his rocky prison and airlifted to the Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital for further treatment, where by Sun- Photos Supplied: Med247 Chaos as car catches fire in morning traffic Rustenburg – A woman driving her three children to school on Monday morning, 22 Sept, had to evacuate and abandon her car when it caught fire in the middle lane of the very busy Waterfall Mall ‘bridge’ road. The mother, who preferred to remain anonymous, said they were on their way just before 07:00 when they noticed smoke billowing out from under the bonnet of their Fiat Palio Go. “It all happened so quickly,” she explained. “First the children and I saw smoke coming from the bonnet, then in a matter of seconds flames were coming from the sides of the bonnet. I stopped in the middle of the road and we got out of the car in a hurry - luckily no one was hurt”. Two motorists stopped to assist but unfortunately their fire extinguishers ran empty and it was a taxi driver who finally managed to get the fire under control until the arrival of the police and fire brigade. Traffic on the bridge was diverted as a precaution in order for them to completely extinguish the fire. The mother and children were taken to safety by another motorist until they could be fetched by a family member. She expressed her sincere gratitude towards everyone who assisted her and her children. day night he was still sedated and on a ventilator. Ernst Kleynhans of the Rustenburg Kloof resort management, said in terms of an agreement with the local city council, they allow access to members of the ZCC to perform their cleansing ritual. Rustenburg Kloof Management further explained that they are very relieved that the man survived and urged ZCC members not to enter the Kloof via the nature reserve, but rather from the Kloof’s entrance. They also thanked each and every individual that went out of their way to ensure this man’s life was saved. According to reports about 100 people from ten different institutions including at least 30 rescue workers, were involved in the rescue operation. Rob Thomas, leader of the Search and Rescue Mountain Club of South Africa, thanked all the organisations involved in the rescue operation, including the Rustenburg SAPS and fire brigade, North West disaster management, Off-road Rescue Unit, the South African Air Force whose helicopter was used in the rescue, Lonmin and Impala mine rescue, Anglo PROTO, Netcare 911, ER24, Nedi-Assist, Med247 and the University of Johannesburg medical team for accomplishing the mammoth task of saving Tsenolo Rasello’s life. Photo Supplied: SAPS