Ø       Background The Financial Intelligence Centre Act (hereinafter referred to as “FICA”) was passed by Parliament in December 2001 and is being promulgated in a phased approach.  FICA effectively establishes a partnership between the private and the public sector to assist in the identification of proceeds of unlawful activities thereby combating money laundering activities.  In terms of FICA, the Money Laundering Advisory Council and Financial Intelligence Centre (hereinafter referred to as “FIC”) were established. 

• An automatic reporting duty relating to cash transactions and electronic transfers of money to or from the Republic in excess of the prescribed amount (not yet implemented).
•  Reporting of suspicious or unusual transactions. This means the business believes it has received or is about to receive the proceeds of unlawful activities. 
•  Reporting of evasion or attempted evasion of a duty to pay a tax, duty or levy imposed by SARS. 
•  Reporting that a business has been or is about to be used in any way for money laundering purposes. 

The above should be seen as very brief comments on FICA and our interpretation thereof and should not be seen as an extensive guideline.  Should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Johan van Heerden or Peter Dykes or visit the web-site of the Financial Intelligence Centre at www.fic.org.za or the web-site of the Estate Agency Affairs Board, being, www.eaab.org.za.

Cape Town  Tel : 021 910-1911 Fax : 021 910-4911 E-mail: capetown@dykesvanherden.co.za Unit E4/2, Edward IV 120 – 122 Edward Street Bellville 7530, South Africa Docex 42, Tygerberg Web-site: http:/www.dykesvanheerden.co.za

The extended period in which to obtain valuations for the purposes of capital gains tax finally expired on the 30^th of September 2004.  As a result anybody who is the owner of property which was acquired after the 1^st of October 2001 will no longer be entitled to use the valuation method for capital gains tax if the property had not been valued prior to the 30^th of September 2004.  A person (natural or otherwise) who was in fact the owner of immovable property as at the 1^st of October 2001 and who obtained a valuation of such property prior to the 30^th of September 2004 may still use the valuation method for capital gains tax purposes.  However such party must submit the valuation for the property in the tax return for the year in which the property is sold.  Failure to do so could result in the Receiver of Revenue not being prepared to accept the valuation method.  

A person who purchased immovable property after the 1^st of October 2001 may use the method referred to as the normal method referred to in 1 below for the purposes of calculating capital gains tax.  A person who purchased the property prior to the 1^st of October 2001 and obtained a valid valuation before the 30^th of September 2004 may use any one of the four methods referred to below.  A person who purchased a property before the 1^st of October 2001 but did not obtain a valid valuation before the 30^th of September 2004 can use either method 1, 2 or 3 below. 

A          For properties acquired at any time (i.e. before or after the 1^st of October 2001) 

1.         The normal method. The capital gains tax is calculated on the difference between the price for which the property is eventually sold and the purchase price which was initially paid for the property.  In addition transfer costs, estate agent’s commission (on the sale of the property) and the documented costs of any capital improvements to the property can be deducted from the capital gain.  It is important to note that capital improvements refer to items which increase the value of the property and do not constitute maintenance of the property.  This would include things such as adding an extra bedroom to the house or installing a swimming pool.  It would not include costs of repainting the property, repairing the roof or any other items which are treated as expenditure for income tax purposes.  Thus the interest on the bond, rates and taxes, charges for water and electricity and similar charges cannot be deducted for the purposes of calculating the capital gains profit. 

B         Only for properties purchased prior to the 1^st of October 2001

 2.         Time apportionment method The capital gain is calculated as in (1) above.  The net capital gain is then pro rated according to the number of years for which the property was held after the 1^st of October 2001 in relation to the number of years in respect of which the property was owned prior to the 1^st of October 2001 with a maximum of 20 years prior to the 1^st of October 2001 being taking into account.  Thus for example if the property was purchased 10 years before the 1^st of October 2001 and sold 5 years after the 1^st of October 2001 only one third of the resultant capital gain would be added to the tax payers tax i.e. only 5 years of the 15 years will be taken into account as the property was owned for 15 years but only 5 of those years were after the 1^st of October 2001. 

3.         The 80/20 principal  In terms of the same, 20% of the capital gain is effectively exempted from capital gains tax.  Accordingly 20% of the proceeds is considered as the value of the property as at the 1^st of October 2001 and the capital gains tax is then calculated on the remaining 80%.  

C         For properties purchased prior to the 1^st of October 2001 and a valid valuation was obtained before the 30^th of September 2004

4.         The valuation method Capital gains tax is calculated on the difference between the price for which the property is eventually sold and the valid valuation of the property as at the 1^st of October 2001.  In addition estate agent’s commission (on the sale of the property) and the documented costs of any capital improvements to the property affected after the 1^st of October 2001 can be deducted from the capital gain.  Capital improvements prior to the 1^st of October 2001 cannot be deducted as they have already been taken into account in the valuation of the property as at the 1^st of October 2001. 

Any tax payer who owned the immovable property before the 1^st of October 2001 and sold the property subsequent to the 1^st of October 2001 is entitled to elect which of the four methods referred to above such party wishes to utilize (assuming of course that such party obtained a valid valuation prior to the 30^th of September 2004).  If the party did not obtain such valid valuation prior to the 30^th of September 2004, then the party can only use methods 1, 2 and 3 referred to above.  It is advisable for a taxpayer to work out the nett effect in respect of each of the methods before electing which of the methods to utilize.  Once one has determined the capital gain, one has to take into account the inclusion rate of 25% linked to the individual tax payer’s income tax rate of between 0% and 40% which means that the capital gains tax payable by the tax payer will be between 0% and 10% as a maximum.  For a Close Corporation, Company or a Trust, one has take into account the inclusion rate of 50% linked to the Company and Close Corporation income tax rate of 30% which means that a Company or Close Corporation will pay capital gains tax at a rate of 15% and the Trust income tax rate of 40% linked to the inclusion rate of 50% means that the capital gains tax payable by a Trust is 20%.  However if the income is taxed in the hands of a beneficiary of a Trust, the rate will then be a maximum of 10%. 

One must of course take into account the fact that any natural person who is the owner of an immovable property where the property is the primary residence of such person and does not exceed 2 hectares in size is exempted from paying capital gains tax on the first million rands profit.  A primary residence is the residence in which the person lives.  The question is often raised as to whether the husband could have one primary residence and the wife another.  Unless the parties are separated from each other and genuinely live in separate residences this could not be the case as a husband and wife normally reside together.  The Receiver of Revenue would check on one’s water and electricity account, postal address and other such items in ascertaining whether or not the property is in fact the primary residence of the taxpayer.

Cape Town  Tel : 021 910-1911 Fax : 021 910-4911 E-mail: capetown@dykesvanherden.co.za Unit E4/2, Edward IV 120 – 122 Edward Street Bellville 7530, South Africa Docex 42, Tygerberg Web-site: http:/www.dykesvanheerden.co.za

20 November 2003

Departement van Minerale en Energie (Die Regering van Suid-Afrika)OUTEUR: Department of Minerals and Energy

OPSOMMING:This publication gives consumers tips on how to save electricity and energy.

FUEL SAVING TIPS

• When possible establish lift clubs
• Switch to radial-ply tyres because they offer less rolling resistance and have a longer life than the cross-ply variety.
•  Avoid driving with under inflated tyres because a tyre pressure that is too low not only increases consumption, it also markedly reduces a tyre’s life.
• Avoid stop-start driving 
• Accelerate slowly
• Do not speed. The faster you drive the more petrol you use.

Source: Department of Minerals and EnergyHierdie inhoud is ook beskibaar in Afrikaans | Le nkcazelo iyafumaneka nangesi XhosaVERWANTE INLIGTING·                       Gratis Water en Elektrisiteit (Diens) ·                       Energy: Electricity Focus (Openbare Inligting) (net in Engels beskikbaar)  

I’m living in a house with prepaid electricity. And always sort of at the last moment I think I have to buy “krag”. Somebody told me a long time ago about ibuy and I would like to share it with you too. It is so convenient to buy “krag” sitting behind your computer. Go to www.ibuy.co.za and register yourself and buy energy the easy but still carefull way.

Always at your service,

Linda van Nes

Being born and grown up in Holland I always look up articles related to real estate on Dutch websites. So I came along an article about new rules when selling a property in my “home” country.

The latest regulation in Holland when selling your house is the need of an Energy Label. This label indicates if and how your house is insulated. This has been already a big issue in Europe for years. Winters are, as you might know, fairly cold and so the costs of heating a property are high. This Energy label gives the house a ranking as shown below. At level A the house is well insulated and the energy leakage is limited to a minimum. At level G the energy leakage is extreme. The value or desirability of your property is influenced by the level of the insulation.

I don’t want to introduce more rules and regulations when selling your home but I’m really concerned about how careless we are with energy. The frequency of our power cuts recently are hopefully a big concern to you as well.

And now you think why does Linda tell us about this “isolated insulation story”. Our winters in Somerset West are not as cold as the winters in Europe. True ………… but our summers are much warmer and insulation can help us in summertime to stay cool.  Which means we don’t need air-conditions to run whole days and so we save energy. Even in our Somerset West winter we do get days that it is getting inconvenient cold and quite some people do heat their homes up using electricity. With my “isolated insulation story” I would like to invite you to think about the way you are using energy. 

Please follow my blog for new posts where I will give you energy saving tips. I hope home owners in Somerset West can give energy saving a go in South Africa.

In a chancing market or let me say in a buyers market you need to make a significant first impression. And a first impression you only can create once! With a big pool of houses to choose from buyers need to remember your house ……………. in a positive way.

Generally, buyers are not good at analyzing homes or knowing which house will be the best “fit” for them. Instead, they make predictions based on their first impression and then act in a manner that makes the outcome become what they initially expected. Simply put – they act on emotion. For example, if buyers have a great first impression of a home, they will communicate more with a seller, look at fewer other homes and work diligently to ensure that what they have envisioned comes to fruition. Unfortunately, studies have shown that first impressions may not be the most accurate, but they are often self-fulfilling. The reality is that buying a house is an emotional and psychological decision for the buyer. Studies show that most buyers make a decision about a house within 10-15 seconds of walking in the front door. In fact, they were already forming an opinion as they pulled into your driveway. To achieve the greatest possible outcome, a home should always be presented at its best the first time around. There is little room for error.

One thing I realized after years working in an “easy sellers” market is that sellers don’t always understand the psychology of selling a home. Please view this video and just think you are the buyer. A nice fresh, clean, uncluttered and easy to manoeuvre in and around house is SO pleasant. Make your house stylish and be creative, simple… not flashy.

Is home staging a new fashion or a need? Home Staging also called House Fluffing, Real Estate Staging, Home Styling, Real Estate Merchandising is the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top dollar. As said earlier your house must be pleasant to enter. That might implicate that you have to rearrange your furniture, take away picture’s of the whole family. The buyer must be visualising themselves in the house. It must be light and bright, rather in crème’s and white’s then in orange, green and more radiant colours. Your house must smell clean, meaning that we don’t smell the dogs and cats or granddad.

Chuck that clutter & trash the kitsch. If you use your food processor only once a month, purge your cabinets of unwanted items to make more room inside for it and other countertop appliances you rarely use.

Colour Your World. Cabinets, drawers, walls, even a laminate backsplash and countertop can be re-painted (use melamine paint for laminate) to give your kitchen a whole new look.

Pull Together. Replace cabinet knobs and drawer pulls . . . In fact, by just changing towels (colour-coordinated, of course), a new shower curtain, adding flowers and a fresh coat of paint, you can even create a new bathroom in a single day. Other simple solutions that complete the picture include changing outdated light fixtures. For some reason, a new lighting isn’t one of the top jobs on most consumers’ remodelling To-Do lists. Many homeowners are stuck with the same rack lighting that once was the pinnacle of style and a staple in countless suburban cookie-cutter homes. Swap them for halogen lights, which more closely resemble natural sunlight.

Driveway and frontdoor. The driveway needs to look clean. Take away bits and pieces you have dropped there over the years. Plant some colourful plants and make it a happy welcoming drive into your property. Repaint the front door if your dogs or children made there marks on it. One can of paint will make a world of difference. Lastly, do not forget general landscaping around your home. Trees and scrubs can beautifully add to the character of your home, but unless they are trimmed and tame, they appear to make your house dark. Add some colour – it is always a winner! You can do it yourself or I can give you advice. But there are professional home stagers available. Invest in your house, invest in yourself and invest in your future.

Situated in a quiet and small security complex this is a great house in Somerset West to either scale down or to start as a property owner. The complex in Somerset Ridge has got easy access to Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Somerset Mall and the new and popular Waterstone Village shopping center are just minutes away.

The lovely open plan livingroom does have a good flow to the private garden with covered braai area. 2 Spacious bedrooms consisting ample cupboards. The family bathroom offers a bath, toilet and basin, the en-suite bath room offers a shower toilet and basin.  

The direct access garage gives you the convenience of space to park your car and storage.

Asking Price R 925 000

Erf Size: ±225m²  House Size: ±100m²  Rates: ±R 185 pm    Levies: ± R 190 pm

Contact Linda today to not miss out. Cellulair +27 82 532 3383 

Personal Safety Tips With ADT

With the holiday season fast approaching, we are left with many decisions and preparations to make before packing our trailers and making our way to our holiday destinations. Ensuring the security of family and property is a key priority at this time.”Statistics clearly show that criminal activity increases during the holiday season and it is therefore imperative for homeowners to take the right precautions and not let their guard down,” says Richard McGhee, Sales and Marketing Director of ADT Security, one of South Africa’s leading security companies.

Holiday Safety Tips

According to McGhee, there are several handy holiday safety tips to bear in mind which can help alleviate the risk to family and property. “The first and most important step to take is to ensure that your alarm is in working order. People tend to forget that an alarm system, like a car, has parts that age and wear out and therefore should be serviced at least once a year.”Spectacular thunderstorms, which are rampant in the summer months, can also wreak havoc on alarm systems. As a result of this, clients should regularly check their systems in case of lightning damage. Homeowners who have house insurance should also consider that in the event of a burglary, their insurance company will, in all likelihood, check whether they have properly maintained their alarm.”December is traditionally a busy period for security companies, so you should try and test your alarms at least three weeks before going on holiday. Testing should be done outside of peak hours (between 8am and 4pm or after 8pm) and if a fault is discovered, it should be immediately reported to the security service provider’s technical team.”McGhee highlights that, due to increasingly high walls, electric fencing and other desperate measures that homeowners resort to in order to protect their property, the emergency reactions of armed response officers can be hindered. He strongly suggests that homeowners check with their security service provider about alternate access options available such as an EZI pad.The EZI pad, is an electronic device that is attached to the driveway gate, and allows the security officer access to the property once a secret code is activated.Another important holiday safety tip is to be discreet when preparing to go away. “People should park their cars behind closed doors, if possible in their garage. Homeowners should also never leave a message on their answering machine stating that they are out of town,” advises McGhee.

Additional Personal Safety Tips For the Holidays

• Advise your security company if you are going away and ensure that you supply all the necessary information regarding nearby key holders, in case of an emergency
• Inform your neighbours of your holiday plans so that they can keep an eye on your property
• Stop all newspaper deliveries and ask a friend or neighbour to collect your post. A bulging post box is a dead giveaway that you are not at home
• If hiring a house sitter, ensure that you teach them how to use your alarm correctly
• Double check that you have locked and secured all windows and doors before leaving home
• Ensure that all your outside locks are a minimum of four lever locks or double cylinder security locks
• Never leave a key in the inside of an outer door which has glass panels or glass near the door lock
• Having security gates fitted on outer doors is a highly effective security measure that gives you an extra line of defence
• Sliding doors can be secured simply by placing a piece of timber cut to size in the sliding rail. Make sure that sliding doors cannot be lifted vertically
• Full fencing and sturdy gates are a good deterrent
• Have good exterior lighting, preferably on a timer
• Do not leave tools like ladders or spades outside, as they can be used to break into your house
• Clear signage indicating that you have security also helps to discourage burglars

Learn about other personal safety tips that ADT has to offer.

 AUGUST 2007 

Dear Sir/Madam 

Helderberg Development Centre funding request

The Helderberg Development Centre (HDC), a training NGO situated in the town core of Somerset West in the Western Cape, has been operating successfully for the past five years in training unemployed semi-skilled persons, and finding employment for over 90% of the more than 110 learners who annually complete the training.  HDC is an associate of the highly successful Bergzicht Training Centre in Stellenbosch that has been in operation since 1992. The courses that are offered at HDC were developed by Bergzicht Training Centre. 

Since 2002 HDC was funded by private volunteers from the local area but it has been decided, after five years of successful operation, to apply for more formal donor support as local sources have become unsustainable as the centre has grown over the years. 

HDC’s vision is to contribute to poverty alleviation and it serves potential learners from all communities in the Helderberg Basin which include Somerset West, Strand, Gordon’s Bay, and the adjacent township areas.  Research conducted at the onset identified unemployment and a lack of appropriate skills as the main contributing factors to the high incidence of poverty in the region. Specific needs for trained workers in the areas of frail care, tourism, educare and housekeeping were identified, on which the centre decided to focus. 

This is a proven project that needs at least R 220.000 in funding for the 2007/2008 financial year to be able to continue its excellent work. Your willingness to contribute this amount, or a part thereof, will be greatly appreciated. In order to expand and pay salaries to staff volunteers, additional funds will also be needed in the future. Attached is more specific information about the project for your perusal and please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if more information is needed.  

Yours sincerely,

Melanie EngelbrechtCentre Manager 

Educate a man and you educate an individual – educate a woman and you educate a family (Agnes Cripps)               

Brief Business Plan

Helderberg Development Centre

1.         BACKGROUND 

1.1       The history of the Helderberg Development Centre The Helderberg Development Centre (HDC) was officially opened in February 2002 in Somerset-West.  It was created after the completion of a comprehensive study of the poverty situation and general poverty relief processes conducted by all the churches in the Helderberg Basin.  Unemployment and a lack of appropriate training skills were identified as the main contributing factors to the high incidence of poverty in the region. A specific need for trained workers in the areas of frail care, tourism, educare and housekeeping was identified as first stage objectives.  A group of individuals from within the Helderberg Dutch Reformed Church launched the first project by donating their expertise and time not only to start the independent training centre, but also to contribute in a way they saw fit to alleviating the poverty problem in the Helderberg Basin. Although the centre operates according to Christian principles, it was clear from the onset that we had to act independent without links to any church, and without discrimination based on person, race, gender or religion. 

1.2       Focus on adult education The need to educate and create an opportunity to find employment is central to the objectives of our development centre.  As in the rest of South Africa, the Helderberg area is also faced with large numbers of illiterate people.  Unemployment figures in the Helderberg fluctuate between 30 and 70 percent and the potential for employment is also in line with national figures.  It was therefore decided to focus on core skills development through adult education, in order to make a contribution to a solution for these problems in the area. 

1.3       Vision and mission The Centre’s vision is to: “play a meaningful role in alleviating poverty in the Helderberg Basin area”. The Centre’s mission is to: “train and uplift unemployed people in life skills, career- and entrepreneurial skills, and endeavour to find employment for the successful candidates”. 

2.         PROJECT DESCRIPTION The HDC project operates as a life and educational skills enhancement programme through which unemployed and semi-skilled people in the Helderberg Basin are trained in career and entrepreneurial skills. Individuals are taught the basic principles to fulfil their role as an employee, and they are empowered through this process to negotiate a decent living wage, and become financially independent. Our intention is to place at least 80% of the successful learners into positions that are identified and negotiated by the Employment Bureau that is operating from the Centre. The HDC meets its objectives by following a quality training programme, offering practical skills, effective and unbiased recruitment, and careful selection of candidates for these courses. HDC also gained valuable experience during 2003 and 2004 when it participated as an accredited training provider of the Services SETA, in their domestic worker learnership programme. Twenty-five out of thirty enrolled successfully completed the course. 

2.1       Courses offered (Maximum 14 Students per course) The centre offers the following five courses: Home managementFamily meals Advanced cookingVarious short skills coursesChildminding The Home Management fulltime course is run over 6 weeks and includes the following modules: Life skills, Personal health, Cleaning skills, Laundry skills, Kitchen skills, Business skills, and Bible study. Students pay an enrolment fee of R 50 necessary for ownership of the programme, but the actual cost per student exceeds R 2000. The part-time Family Meals course is run over a 5 week period (one morning per week) and includes the following modules: menu planning, economic purchasing, healthy breakfasts, light lunches, hearty dinners, impact meals, teatime surprises (e.g. baking of rusks), and different cooking methods.  The total course cost is R 400 per person. The part-time Advanced Cooking course is also run over a 5 week period (one morning per week) and includes the following modules: special baking skills, formal catering, starters, main meals and desserts for special occasions, garnishing and table decorations. The total course cost is R 550 per person. The short skills courses are presented to home helpers who join the Home Management course students just for selected modules (of 6 day duration each) such as laundry and washing skills and cleaning skills. The cost of attending one module is R 300. The part-time childminding course is run over a 5 week period (one morning per week) and includes the following modules: basic baby care, nutrition techniques, first aid, safety, baby health and illness, and stimulation. The cost of attending is R 300. All courses except for Home Management (and selected Home Management modules) are advanced courses. Applicants for these advanced courses must be in employment or must have first completed the home management course.  Part of the future planning of the HDC is to also offer the fulltime speciality courses in educare, frailcare, and hospitality and catercare currently offered by Bergzicht Training Centre in Stellenbosch. In order to do so, however, this will pose additional funding challenges. 

2.2. Recruiting and selection A basic understanding (functional literacy) is really the only requirement for acceptance as a trainee. In order to prevent candidates with potential from failing to meet this requirement, applicants are encouraged to do an introductory literacy course at a literacy expert institution (SHARE) in the Strand.  Once we have assessed the logistical capacity of the candidate trainees through a fair and equitable screening process, candidates are selected for the basic home management course. Our applicants should preferably be older than 18 years. All students pay a small course/ registration fee of R 50. Each student receives study material that they keep after completing their course.  We believe in providing a sense of achievement and a certificate is awarded to all successful students at a formal bi-annual certificate ceremony. Only on completion of the basic introductory course may the student, in consultation with the trainer, choose one of the advanced programmes.  Again our only criterion is to assess the logistical capacity of the trainees for enrolment on these courses. After successful completion of the course, the HDC Employment Bureau will endeavour to assist the student with securing full-time employment. The Bureau will prepare the candidates for their interview, and she is assisted in negotiating a fair contract and a reasonable remuneration package. We undertake to monitor the progress of the candidate in collaboration with the employee, and where appropriate, interview potential employers to ensure a successful placement process. 

2.3       Accreditation The Centre is affiliated to the Bergzicht Training Centre in Stellenbosch, a like-minded organization (fully accredited by the Department of Labour) active in running a similar service successfully for the past 15 years. All courses offered are based on the course material of Bergzicht. The formal accreditation processes of the Helderberg Development Centre’s courses are being completed with the assistance of Bergzicht. 

2.4       Infrastructure At present the HDC rents an old house at 10 St. James Street in Somerset-West. Due to the restricted space in this house only a limited number of learners can be accommodated in each cycle. Fully equipped rooms for training and a well developed adequate administrative system is in place.  

2.5      Management and staffing 2.5.1   Board of Directors The Board consists of 7 members with specific portfolios, a chairman and a secretary. The Board is responsible for strategic and financial control of the centre. The chairman and two nominated members form the executive committee which handles urgent matters. The Board meets quarterly and minutes and agendas for all meetings are kept. Below follows a list of current board members.  

 2.5.2   Management Committee  The Management Committee consists of 8 members (listed below) with specific portfolios, a chairman and a secretary. The chairman and two nominated members form the executive committee that co-ordinates the management of the centre. The Management Committee is therefore responsible for the operational management of the Centre. The Management Committee meets quarterly and minutes and agendas for meetings are kept. The organogram of the centre is also depicted below:

 2.5.3   Operational Manager Helderberg Development Centre is managed by the Operational Manager who is responsible for strategic management in co-ordination with the Board of Directors, as well as operational management. The Operational Manager is currently operating on a part-time basis. 

2.5.4   Executive Committee The Executive Committee consists of three (3) members, i.e. the Operational Manager and two nominated members of the Management Board. This Committee contributes and supports the Operational Manager in managing the Centre. The Executive Committee meets as required. 

2.5.5 Administrative Assistant The Administrative Secretary is responsible for the day to day administration of the Centre. From 08:00 until 15:00.

2.5.6 Lecturers They are all qualified volunteers, who teach a subject/subjects in the Home Management Course. They completed the “Train the Trainer” course by either going to Bergzicht Training Centre for training, or attended classes at the Centre’s Home Management Course (previous experience taking into account). The lecturers are attending staff meetings on a regular basis. CV’s of all staff members are available on request. 

2.5.7 General assistent The responsibility of the General Assistant includes the cleaning of the centre and assisting lecturers as needed. The Kitchen Assistant works twice (2 days) a week – (Mondays and Thursdays). 

2.5.8 Gardener The Gardener is responsible for keeping the outside premises and garden neat and clean. The Gardener works once every fortnight on a Thursday.  

2.5.9   Other staff A volunteer staffs the employment bureau and she has the responsibility of placement of trainees once they have completed their course at the HDC. The administrative assistant manages the day-to-day duties of the centre, but the Operational Manager co-ordinates the operational duties. All our lecturers are volunteers and have completed Train-the-trainer courses at Bergzicht Training Centre. During 2002 two lecturers qualified as assessors with the Services SETA. 

3.         VALUES, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES           

3.1       Values and goals To operate a centre of excellence that contributes effectively in addressing poverty in the Helderberg Basin;To obtain effective and continuous input from various targeted communities and to co-operate with other similar institutions; To act as an example for other poverty alleviation organisations; To present training of the highest standard based on Christian principles without discrimination with regards to gender, religion and race; andTo ensure that all training adheres to Department of Labour standards and is accredited.    

3.2.      ObjectivesWe strive to: Operate a centre with sound management, adequate facilities, trainers and  training material;Obtain accreditation at SAQA for the courses presented; through BTCInstitute transparency in financial management, including the provision of a comprehensive Business and Operational Plan with a budget and control measures;Train 70 students in Basic Home Management per year;Expand the current facilities;Secure sufficient funding in order to become self-sufficient through sponsorships and donations to finance all the training requirements of the centre;Market the project by active involvement of the media, public, donors and key role-players in the various activities of the HDC;Develop and implement further accredited courses that will suit various needs as identified through involvement in local communities and market place;Endeavour to place at least 80% of all successful students in full-time employment;Develop and launch an operational plan where the Centre can become totally financially independent within the next 5 years through operating appropriate income generating projects such as cleaning services, caring facilities and other services;Be in a position to pay salaries for lectures and managers;Find sponsors for Home Management courses; and Find sponsors to establish Educare and Waitressing courses. 

4.         FINANCES 

4.1       Financial status The Helderberg Development Centre is registered as a non-profit making company.  We are registered with the Department of Finance as a training centre under article 18(A) of the Income Tax Act thus allowing us to receive tax-deductible donations. 

4.2       Funding support to date The HDC has obtained and managed funds from a variety of sponsors during the last five years.  Donors included private companies, the Helderberg Dutch Reformed Church and a number of individuals. Our financial records are audited and open for scrutiny by all potential funders, as well as to members of the public.  Money was also earned by assessments undertaken for the Services SETA. We do, however, realise the importance of long-term funding viability and therefore need to make provision to ensure the availability of funds. 

4.3       Funding required A variety of sponsors are required to fund the overall project. It is planned to secure a project Patron to promote the image of the Centre and to act as a facilitator for raising adequate funds.  The total amount of funding required (without paying salaries to volunteers) is R220,000 for the 2007/2008 year. 

4.4       Acknowledgement Donors and supporters will be acknowledged and receive exposure to their respective needs and as agreed upon. Main sponsors will be prominently acknowledged in all correspondence and publications. Sponsors will also be able to advertise at the Centre in a manner approved by the Board of Directors. The main sponsors will be invited to attend Board meetings and representatives of the community will be approached to serve as Directors. Supporters will receive exposure at formal annual fund raising functions to ensure that their relative contributions are recognized and that they gain maximum exposure and benefit from their involvement with the Centre. 

4.5       Budget The proposed budget for 2007/8 is attached hereto for your perusal. 

5.         Support documentation. A comprehensive Statues, Operations Manual, Budget and Course outlines are available on request. The Centre office can be contacted at 021-852 5720 for further information or to arrange a visit. The Centre’s Manager, Melanie Engelbrecht, can be contacted for further information at 021-852-5720.  

BANKING DETAILS: ABSA BANKBranch: Strand , No 334312

Cheque Account No: 4054623361 

AUDITORS:Auditing firm: Financial HubbAuditor: A. Du RandtUnit 7 Canal Edge 3Tyger Waterfront Carl Cronjé Drive Bellville021-914-81130