Latest news with #DylanPetzer
The Citizen
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
New partnership helps vulnerable youth enter motor industry
In the spirit of Mandela Month, the Tyre, Equipment, Parts Association (TEPA), a member of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), is joining hands with Kids Haven to bridge the gap between vulnerable youth and real-world employment opportunities. 'Youth unemployment is at an all-time high and remains to be one of the country's most pressing challenges,' said Dylan Petzer, TEPA national vice chairperson. 'As members of the motor industry we have a responsibility and a real opportunity to be part of the solution. 'Partnering with Kids Haven, we are creating meaningful pathways for young people, who have so much to offer, but often lack the access and support needed to take their first steps to gainful employment.' ALSO READ: Mandela Day sparks generosity across Germiston as groups give back Kids Haven's Pathway Programme offers a holistic approach in supporting youth in their care to transition from shelter care and into employment, education or training. Tackling obstacles such a transport, childcare, confidence and access to information, the organisation ensures that young people are not only work-ready but supported throughout the process. 'Youth unemployment is a national crisis. Corporates have the power to shift outcomes through inclusive skill training and placement partnerships,' said Ilka Stein, Kids Haven's manager: youth and skills development. 'The model is flexible and individualised with success stories showing the power of exposure, connection and support. The current partnership with TEPA is one such success story.' Stein explained that the new partnership will see TEPA members offering facility visits, mentorship, short-term internship training and potential employment placements for youth, aligned with automotive sector needs. ALSO READ: Avril Elizabeth Home invites community to Mandela Day Walk-A-Thon fundraiser 'Our broad industry network and focus on skills development though an impactful collaboration,' said Petzer. 'There are various positions within our sector that are both rewarding and do not require a matric certificate, all that is needed is passion, a willingness to learn and a foot in the door.' Stein concluded by saying that in an effort to reduce the financial burden on business while offering their youth exposure to the job market, Kids Haven covers stipends and transport costs ensuring a strong support structure remains in place. 'We are not just connecting our kids with potential employment opportunities; we are working together to build futures,' she said. For more information on this initiative and how your company can get involved email [email protected] or [email protected]
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
The war on potholes: what you need to know
Pothole-related damage and rim replacements have more than doubled over the past few years in Gauteng, according to the Tyre, Equipment and Parts Association (Tepa). 'It's officially pothole season thanks to the April rains, and motorists are dodging craters like it's a real-life game of Mario Kart,' said Dylan Petzer, national vice chair of Tepa. Apart from posing a serious road safety threat, hitting a pothole can lead to expensive car repairs. It's not only tyres that take the hit, and Petzer noted that in about 80% of cases it's the rim that is bent, cracked or wrecked. Rim damage can also impact a car's alignment and suspension, and that's when things go from annoying to expensive. But what is being done against the scourge of the dreaded wheel-busting holes on our roads? According to the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral), the Vala Zonke national pothole campaign has made meaningful progress in tackling deteriorating road infrastructure but remains underutilised. Launched in 2022 by the department of transport and overseen by Sanral, the programme tackles deteriorating road infrastructure. A joint effort by the nine provinces, the campaign aims to standardise and simplify the way potholes are reported by the public and repaired by road authorities through a centralised electronic system and a dedicated Vala Zonke app available on smart phones. When the project was launched, then-transport minister Fikile Mbalula said the road infrastructure maintenance backlog was estimated to be more than R200bn, and 40% of the provincial network was reported to have reached the end of its life cycle. It's estimated 80% of the national road network is older than its 20-year design life, Mbalula said. The Vala Zonke app allows road users to report potholes directly from their phones. Each report is geotagged to aid in reduced response and repair times by the Vala Zonke War Room, a centralised operations hub that monitors the reports and ensures each pothole is assigned to the correct road authority for action. There more than 250 road authorities in SA. Despite the successful launch of the Vala Zonke app, it remains underutilised, according to a Sanral spokesperson. 'This limits the war room's ability to maintain full oversight of reported potholes. To date, 120,123 potholes have been officially logged through the app, a number that likely represents only a fraction of the actual potholes on roads due to limited app engagement. A large number of potholes remain unreported in the poorer residential areas due to lack of access to data to report.' The gap in reporting highlights the importance of greater participation from the public and road authorities, both in using the app and in integrating other reporting systems into the Vala Zonke platform. 'Encouragingly, provincial authorities have repaired more than four million square meters of paved road surfaces, showing clear commitment to addressing the crisis. However, accurate data remains critical for prioritising repairs, allocating resources efficiently,and holding stakeholders accountable. We urge citizens and municipalities to make full use of the Vala Zonke app so every pothole can be tracked, reported and repaired,' he said. A challenge hindering the programme's full potential is the lack of training among some road authorities in using the secure systems provided to report back to the war room. 'In many cases, repairs are being completed on the ground, but the status updates are not submitted through the correct channels, leading to data gaps and an incomplete national picture.' Additional obstacles include inadequate funding and the lack of skills, leading to poor workmanship. The latter often results from inadequate preparation of potholes before filling, and such shortcuts can lead to premature failure of repairs which undermines road safety and wasting valuable resources, said Sanral. Sanral is advocating the use of nanotechnology to strengthen road surfaces and extend their lifespan at reduced road repair costs. It has developed a standard named TRH24 and is providing training to road authorities across the country.
