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The Citizen
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Mzansi's people: From packer to manager
Best part of her day is when she sees the tills flowing smoothly You stand in line. You put your shopping on the counter. It gets rung up and packed. You pay. You leave. When grocery shopping most of us are on autopilot and we hardly take notice of anyone and anything else while doing so. That is, beyond a few pleasantries and platitudes. But all anyone really wants to do is get out of the supermarket to somewhere we can lick our spending wounds. A supermarket is like a beehive. Cleaners, merchandisers, personal shoppers, butchers, bakers and cashiers to name a few. Ditoro Sefoka has been in retail for well over a decade and is presently the front-of-house manager, meaning the supervisor behind the cashiers, at El Ridge Checkers on the East Rand. She's one of the many faces and personalities that make the whole retail ecosystem work. Keeping the queue moving Born and raised in Limpopo, she moved to Boksburg for schooling and completed an office administration course after matriculating. Work in retail was never part of her grand plan, but once she started, she stayed. 'I began as a packer,' she said. 'From there I moved to being a cashier and stayed in that position for three years before becoming a controller. It was not easy, but I managed.' That was nearly 10 years ago. She has been at the same store the entire time. 'It's not easy working with customers all day,' she said. 'People have different personalities, but you must accept that. If someone is rude, I tell myself maybe they are having a bad day, and I help them as best I can.' Ditoro Sefoka has been at the store for nearly 10 years, but loves her job. Picture: Hein Kaiser It's a pressured environment and has its own rules of engagement that you'll only get when you are in it. Her mornings begin before sunrise, with a long day ahead. 'I am on my feet the whole day,' she said. 'But if you enjoy what you are doing, it is easier.' For Sefoka, the job is as much about managing people as it is about keeping queues moving. 'Every morning, I tell the team what kind of day it will be. If it is a busy day, I tell them to wake up, drink their tea and be ready. We are here for customers,' she said. The best part of her day is when she sees the tills flowing smoothly. 'When it is busy, I push the team to move the queue faster. When I see that they are winning, I enjoy it,' she said. 'Customers always want a smile and if you are not smiling, they feel it.' ALSO READ: Mzansi's People: How an online seller found her niche Dealing with difficult customers Not all days run without hiccups. Customer complaints are the one thing she dislikes most. 'I hate customer complaints because it shows we are not doing our job right,' she said. 'Even if the customer is wrong, you must empathise with them. You never know what else in their lives, perhaps, contributed to their state of being in the moment.' There are also moments of humour. 'One day the team told me that when I get angry, I only speak English,' she said. 'I didn't even realise I was doing it until they reminded me. Most of them are Zulu-speaking, but when I am upset, English just comes out.' Part of her role is making sure store policies are followed, even when people try to bend the rules. Still common, teenagers attempting to buy cigarettes without ID cards. She said they are quickly sent away. 'I ask them how old they are, and if they don't have ID cards, I tell them to bring an adult so I can talk to them,' she said. ALSO READ: Mzansi's people: From roadside to rustic retreat for this Gauteng businessman Outside work, she prefers a quiet life. 'I don't have a TV set,' she said. And it's by choice. 'When I get home, I chill and drink tea. I just want to relax and unwind.' She enjoys spending time with her teenage son, now 15. She has raised him as a single mother. Sefoka is ambitious and she's learning on the job, every day. 'In five years' time, I want to be a store manager,' she said. 'Why not? I can do it.' NOW READ: Mzansi's People: Teen 'cannot see future', looks beyond SA for work
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- The Citizen
Daily fight to keep animals out of snares and safe from poachers and thieves
A dedicated Kruger team patrols daily with K9 units to stop poachers targeting animals for meat and medicine. It is not rhino horn or ivory poaching that takes up ranger Edmund Thorne and his team's time. While they are part of the antipoaching operations at Kruger National Park, his team has snares, bushmeat poaching and the illegal trade of animal parts for medicines to combat. Thorne heads a private antipoaching unit established and funded by the Mdluli Safari Lodge and corporate sponsors. 'This is a daily fight,' Thorne said. 'Every day we patrol on foot, in vehicles and through planned operations. Daily fight 'We cover a different section of the reserve each day. Everything we see gets reported. If there are animal tracks, snare marks, or signs of fence tampering, we act.' It is a carefully coordinated effort between role players. On the other side of the park fence, environmental monitors patrol the boundaries, checking for breaches and damage. 'Everyone plays their part,' Thorne said. ALSO READ: Vultures lead rangers to one of SANParks' largest poisoning events He helped establish the antipoaching unit two years ago. 'I run the field side of things and make sure the patrols happen.' Visibility is central to their strategy. 'We are right next to the community, so it is important people see us out here. We also work with K9 units. Our dogs are trained to track suspects if needed.' Different types of poaching From left, Ruan Lombard, Zander van der Westhuizen and Dylan van Tonder. Picture: Hein Kaiser While rhino poaching makes headlines, the real problem on their stretch of land are different types of poaching, Thorne said. 'Some people are snaring animals for food. Others are part of the bushmeat trade, supplying meat to buyers in places like Joburg. Then you get poachers who target animals like hyenas and leopards for traditional medicine. Different animals, varied reasons. Same threat.' ALSO READ: Mozambican man killed, another injured in Kruger National Park shootout Incidents of animals caught in snares, for example, have dramatically dropped since the unit came into being a couple of years ago. 'In the past two years, we lost one buffalo to a snare,' he said. 'Another was found in time, treated, and released.' Animals caught in snares 'Outside our area of responsibility, others face bigger problems, but I believe our approach with patrols and dogs is working.' Thorne said the biggest risk changes depending on the season. ALSO READ: PICTURES: Funniest photos so far in 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 'In December, we see more bushmeat poaching because people are at home and need to feed their families,' he said. The team covers a different section of the reserve each day. Picture: Hein Kaiser Thorne has had a few run-ins with poachers. 'Twice we caught people who came in with dogs. Both times we arrested them before they could catch or kill anything.' Rhino poachers are organised crime groups Rhino poaching is a completely different kettle of fish. 'Those are organised crime groups. They work on information. When they know about a rhino in an area, they go for it. ALSO READ: Armed robbers steal meat from delivery truck near Kruger Park 'It has nothing to do with the season. That is about demand. 'When there is a rhino nearby, we monitor it for as long as it is inside our patrol area. As soon as it leaves, we hand it over to the wider security network wherefrom the trail is picked up and monitored.' Thorne is no stranger to dangerous work. He worked in mining security, focusing on illegal operations. Before that, he served in the police and as a bodyguard to politicians and ministers. No stranger to dangerous work 'I came to the Kruger Park thinking I would stay for six months,' he said. 'That was 11 years ago. I thought I would move on. But this place got under my skin. I stayed. And I am not planning to leave anytime soon.' NOW READ: WATCH: Elephant chases away police at Kruger Park
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Safari lodge shining example of land claim that works
A land claim turned into opportunity, Mdluli Safari Lodge is driving economic change and tourism growth near Numbi Gate. A lot of hard work was put into the lodge. Picture: Hein Kaiser Mdluli Safari Lodge, on the edge of the Kruger National Park next to Numbi Gate, is a working example of a land claim turned into a successful community tourism initiative. It's delivering employment and economic benefits under a public-private partnership that is majority-owned by the Mdluli community. Chris Schalkwyk, director at the lodge, said the project was based on the vision of Chief MZ Mdluli. 'He wanted to reclaim the community's land to create employment and use it for conservation and tourism.' Lodge based on the vision of Chief MZ Mdluli The land was returned to the community in the late '90s after a lengthy negotiation process. 'It took from around 1994 until 1998 to get the land back. After that, it was another 27 years before the lodge could be built due to environmental approvals and raising capital,' Schalkwyk said. Construction started in 2019 and the lodge opened in January 2020. However, the Covid pandemic forced a temporary closure within weeks of its launch. ALSO READ: Vultures lead rangers to one of SANParks' largest poisoning events The lodge has since stabilised and now operates as a fully functioning business. It has focused on community involvement throughout its operations, Schalkwyk said. 'We have drilled boreholes supplying water to about 4 000 people in the nearby village. We are also working on an egg-laying project that will supply eggs to the lodge and the community.' Local businesses supply produce and services A lot of hard work was put into the lodge. Picture: Hein Kaiser Local businesses supply fresh produce to the lodge and services such as waste removal and staff transport are provided by small enterprises in the community. 'We also run a bush-clearing project that employs 10 people. The community's tribal authority sells the harvested wood for revenue and some is used by the lodge,' Schalkwyk said. ALSO READ: Mozambican man killed, another injured in Kruger National Park shootout Alien plant removal projects are also underway. The lodge currently employs 130 people on a permanent basis. Schalkwyk said additional jobs have been created through support services, including waste removal, transport, bush clearing, and landscaping. Additional jobs created 'In total, close to 200 people are employed. Considering that many households in the area have eight to 12 dependants per breadwinner, the economic impact reaches over 2 000 individuals,' he said. 'We recruited around 70% of our staff from the community, including many who had not worked in tourism before. Experienced staff from other lodges were brought in to support training and skills development.' ALSO READ: Armed robbers steal meat from delivery truck near Kruger Park The lodge draws employees from four villages and has implemented a policy to distribute job opportunities evenly.
The Citizen
05-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
WATCH: Children fall from airborne jumping castle
A video of the accident, sent to The Citizen by a concerned attendee, shows the inflatable rising rapidly before the children are flung from it. Two young children sustained serious injuries last weekend when a jumping castle was swept into the air during a school festival in Krugersdorp. The inflatable structure, allegedly unsecured, was lifted by a gust of wind while two junior jumpers were still inside. Both children fell from the airborne castle as it tumbled above the school grounds. The incident occurred at Protearif Laerskool's Protea Fees (festival), an event hosted on the school premises. A video of the accident, sent to The Citizen by a concerned attendee, shows the inflatable rising rapidly before the children are flung from it. 'I looked at the video again and again,' said the bystander. 'While I saw that other inflatable structures were secured, it did not look as if the jumping castle was tied to the ground in any way.' It was unclear from the footage whether any ropes, tethers or anchoring mechanisms had snapped, or if the castle had been unsecured from the outset. The castle reportedly reached a height of two to three storeys before the children fell. Watch" Two children were seriously injured at a Protearif Laerskool event in Krugersdorp when they fell from an allegedly unsecured jumping castle that became airborne. @TheCitizen_News — Hein Kaiser (@heinkaiser) June 5, 2025 Children injured in fall Melissa Vere Russel of ABC Jumping Castles explained that any inflatable structure with a roof or enclosed area must be properly anchored. 'It can behave like a parachute,' she said. 'A wind can simply pick it up and carry it away.' She added that all jumping castles are manufactured with mechanisms to secure them to the ground, and failing to use them can be fatal. According to sources at the event, one child sustained a skull fracture and the other a broken arm. The injuries were not officially confirmed at the time of publication. Protearif Laerskool principal Donna Lourens did not respond to questions regarding the incident. His assistant, Lauren van der Merwe, said the matter has been referred to the Department of Education and is currently under investigation. Any update from the department will be included once received. This is not the first time an inflatable attraction ended in tragedy. In 2021, six children were killed and one seriously injured in Devonport, Tasmania, when a jumping castle was swept into the air by a dust devil whirlwind. An investigation later found the inflatable had not been properly secured. This is a developing story
