Zolani Runeli took part in the VW Herald Cycle Tour on Sunday 1 February 2009 as a practice run for the Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour, held in March 2009. His winning time over the 105 km route was 6.07.40. Zolani competed alongside John Marriner, who completed the 75 km race in 5.06.35. John had been ill on and off over the last 18 months and this was his first official race since the 2007 Argus.  

Yvonne Anderson had a vision, and that was to open a club for the disabled in PE. But how to go about it? As fortune would have it, she was to meet up with Jann and Geoff a short while later at the Toastmasters Conference on 22 May 2004, where they presented District 74 with the John Whiffen Helping Hand Trophy, and launched the John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust (JWGCMT).

Yvonne and Beth Thomas explained to Jann and Geoff about the combined plan for the club, who immediately agreed it would be a great idea to add a second club to the JWGCMT. Wasting no time, Yvonne, Johan Steyn (who served with Yvonne on the Cerebral Palsy Eastern Cape Committee) and Willie Chinyamurundi (Toastmaster from the University of Port Elizabeth Club) immediately gathered together the 20 prospective members necessary for a new club and submitted the necessary paperwork and money to Charter the Club on 30 June 2004, the last day of the Toastmasters’ year.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Johan Steyn receiving his Charter Certificate from Beth Thomas

Willie Chinyamurindi is a Charter Member of the new University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) Toastmasters club, and is recognised for his outstanding contribution to both this club and that of Area E 1 (Port Elizabeth). Willie was placed second in 2002 and 2003 in the annual UPE public speaking contest, and regularly conducts successful Master of Ceremony functions.

Willie makes it his business to ensure Toastmasters is as visible as possible through as many channels he has access to, encouraging new membership whilst maintaining the keen interest and enthusiasm of existing members. He is a full time Human Resources student who hails from Zimbabwe where, while attending Churchill High School in Harare, he learned the skill and art of public speaking. On his arrival at UPE he was persuaded to join UPE Toastmasters, which he considers “worth every dime invested as I learnt so much from all the speakers and exciting roles to play within the club”. 

During his term of office as Vice President of Education at UPE Toastmasters he planned, produced and distributed quality programmes. He continues to assist all members, as well as training the newly elected Executive Committee members.

Willies “works” for the UPE newspaper as the Arts and Culture Editor, where he promotes Toastmasters at every opportunity. Indeed, its first edition enjoyed a full review of the organisation and the benefits of membership. 

He also recently began producing his own paper, entitled “Cultura Indaba”, which includes a standard feature, “Societies on Campus”, which encourages guests to visit the club under the feature. “Campus Toastmasters,” the club newsletter, is also his initiative, which he considers a privilege and an honour to produce and distribute.

While home on vacation in Harare he has assisted with competitions and delivered project speeches, attaining his CC Award after being a member for only eight months.

Having been a sponsor for this club I have personally seen this young man, and young Toastmaster, in action on many of my club and executive meeting visits, and firmly believe that Willie Chinyamurindi  CTM is worthy of consideration as the 2003 Young Toastmaster of the Year.

Yvonne Anderson

There was an amazing turnout of Golden City Toastmasters members representing various clubs at the Toastmasters District 74 annual conference in Port Elizabeth on 16 and 17 May 2008. Entitled The Treasure Conference, the theme was to "seek the treasure within" yourself and each other by actively participating in each event and activity. Twenty-two Golden City Toastmasters from all over South Africa did us proud at this event. Fifteen hailed from Madiba Bay Golden City; two from Egoli Golden City; Beth Thomas and Shirley Du Bruijn from Rainbow Nation; Keith Bowen from Transformers; and Lois and Craig Strachan from the Cape Town Club.

The formal gala banquet was held on the Saturday night, leaving Friday free for a fun and relaxed pirate bash. Complete with live band and fancy dress, our team showed the others how to party!

Jannie Fick having a ball!

Wickie Wickner, Cynthia Marcus, Heidi Humple and Dylan Griffiths, all from Madiba Bay Golden City

Said Jann Jevons, John’s sister and a Trustee of the John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust, “There are few better ways to keep John’s spirit alive than through our enthusiastic and talented Golden City members mixing with their able-bodied peers. Many thanks to everyone involved for their ‘behind the scenes’ efforts to make this a record-breaking achievement in the history of the Trust thus far!” 

Give him a hand

Zolani Runeli has set his sights very firmly on competing in the Paralympics. Positive, determined, focused and undoubtedly talented, Zolani is like any other successful athlete with a dream. For him, his disability is a reason to go for it, rather than an excuse not to.

Before his life changed completely in June 1999, Zolani had taken a job as a taxi driver as the first step in his plan to be a taxi owner. He later entered into a partnership with a friend in the industry, but left the business when taxi violence became too much of a threat.

Zolani then met and married his wife, and together they opened a hair salon. While getting out of his car one day he was approached by a thug who demanded to be taken to Zwide. An argument ensued and the attacker shot him, leaving him a paraplegic and changing his life in a split second. 

His many operations and ongoing rehabilitation took longer than anticipated, but Zolani fought hard to regain his independence. Through the Quadriplegic Association of the Eastern Cape he became a resident of Quad House, where he is currently developing special skills to become employed in the open labour market. At present, he is undertaking an IT Technician course, having already completed a fundamental computers course, and hopes to be an IT specialist.

Zolani’s love affair with the hand cycle was born quite simply from need: he needed transportation to his new job as Head of Security at Pick ‘n Pay (Port Elizabeth). He built a basic clip-on hand bike, adapted from an ordinary wheelchair, and he took to the roads. However, it wasn’t a practical way to cover the substantial, difficult and busy road to work, so he had to take another part-time job closer to home, this time as a Trainee Manager for Compu Till. Despite this set back, Zolani continued to use his hand cycle, and grew passionate about the feeling of freedom and control that mastering the bike gave him.

It wasn’t long before Zolani had a new goal, and in February 2006 he took part in the Outeniqua Chair Challenge, a 21km half marathon in which he competed in his standard wheelchair. From there he was very keen to try a hand cycle, and friend and Toastmaster Tina Freund facilitated the purchase by the Trust of a secondhand hand cycle. Secured only three days before the 2007 Cape Argus Cycle Challenge in which he took part as a member of Team Whiff, Zolani didn’t have much chance to get used to his new equipment, but had a fantastic race, nonetheless. He also took part in The Herald VW SA in 2008, a 105kms cycle race in PE.

Zolani has a special talent with his hand cycle, but to go to the top he needs equipment to match his aptitude and vision. Therefore, the Trust is currently trying to raise funds to buy him a brand new, lightweight hand cycle.

Understanding too well the pain, despair and confusion that people with spinal injuries are besieged by, Zolani is a Board Member of the Quadriplegic Association of South Africa; offers counseling to his fellow paraplegics and quadriplegics at Livingstone Hospital; is a mentor at the EP Children’s Home; is a co-ordinator of the Arrive Alive Campaign in Port Elizabeth; and is the National Representative of the Quad Para Association Eastern Cape.

Out of Zolani’s heartbreaking story comes a message of strength and determination. He has found his place in society again, with both able-bodied and disabled people, and has shown others that when life changes in this drastic way it doesn’t mean that it ends, simply that your dreams and goals need to change too. 

A very excited Wicky Wickner, a Charter member of the Madiba Bay Golden City Toastmasters Club, was Toastmaster for the first time on 26 May, assisted by Jannie Fick. Wicky was born with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, which affects his muscle control. He is unable to walk and talks in such a way that he is understood only by those very close to him. He has no children of his own but delights in writing personalised short children’s stories for young readers. He painfully types these stories and his speeches on an old typewriter, using one finger and an almost uncontrollable arm. His A5 books are sold at R40 each.

Madiba Bay Golden City currently has six Cerebral Palsy members.

Wicky receiving his Charter Certificate from Beth Thomas, 22 October 2004

Wicky and friends on an outing to Addo Elephant Park, December 2007

Speech presented at Madiba Bay Toastmasters Club

Good morning Dr Nel, teachers, boys and girls, old pupils and honored guests. This morning it is a great honour to speak to you all on this very special occasion where we are celebrating the school's 50th birthday. Ek was gevra om met hulle te deel wat die skool vir my beteken het.

Ek wil begin deur te vertel dat Kaap Recife vir my soos ‘n tweede huis was en nog steets is. I arrived here in 1974 as a boy aged 3 and left at the age of 17 at the end of 1987. I spent 14 years of my life at this school. The school and its staff meant a lot to me - in fact, they still do. There are still a few faces around today that were around when I left here in 1987. Don't get me wrong if I say this, I love my mom and dad dearly, my dad not even being with us any more, but I had good moms and dads here at school too. Ek dink aan mense soo Mr Coetzee, Mev Wolf en Mev Evens wat phisho teripete was en ook Lianda, Ricky al die huis moeders en assestente wat na my omgesien het deur die jare. Of course, there are people like Mrs Post who was my last teacher and now one of my best friends, that also had a very big impact on my life and needs - a very big thank you. I would never have admitted it while I was at school, but this school and its expertise has made me the man I am today, and for that I thank everybody involved in the school.

Woorde soos "Johan die lewe buite daardie blou hekke is een wat swaar is en baie uitdagings het." I did not believe her then, I was a very hard-headed teenager. Judi, I must tell you that I believe you today that life is much easer when mom and dad look after you.

My personality and confidence were shaped here, and I was taught to face the world with your chin up, and that is just what I have done. Today I work at the NMMU as an admin clerk, and have my own life living happily at Cheshire Home just around the corner. I also represent the Eastern Province Association for Cerebral Palsy, which is the sponsoring body of the school's Governing Body. It gives me great pleasure in doing this because it is a great opportunity for me to give something back to the school.

As ek aan my koshuis dae en al die friende wat ek daar gemaak het dink moet ek julle se dit was die lekkerste dae van my lewe! I cannot tell you here today what we all did in the hostel, but believe me if I say that we had fun!

I want to end by saying: boys and girls, you will not believe me today if I tell you this, but your school life are the best days of your life and you have to give it your all - at the end its all worth it. If you get to my age you will see what I mean. Dankie Dr Nel vir die geleenthied wat my gegun was om met hulle almal te praat en ek wens almal betrokke by hiedie wonderlike skool net die beste toe. Mag die volgende 50 jaar net beter wees as die 50 wat verby is.

Thank you.

Speech Presented at Madiba Bay Toastmasters Club

Take people of the same sex that get married for instance - the Bible says that they're wrong. But would it be right to pull two people that love each other apart? It is so hard to find the right person to spend your life with. Believe me, I know, I am talking from experience. Does it really matter if it's a man or a woman? And shouldn't they have the same privileges as a man and a woman?

A few years ago on M-Net there was a gay couple who wanted to adopt a baby boy. My friend and I had a disagreement. My friend said it was wrong for two men to bring up a child, but my opinion was that it was far better for the child to be brought up in a loving home, than being an orphan.

Another question raised against gays is that animals never mate with other animals species of a different breed, but only their own. However, on 50/50 I saw that animals do mate with other animals as well.

Another question should be: can a white couple adopt a black baby and take it away from its people? Perhaps the white couple can provide the baby with a better life.

The other thing is that some black South Africans are losing touch with their own language. I heard a black South African writer on the radio, now living in Canada, bemoaning the fact that some black South Africans are only speaking English. They are losing touch with their own language.

President Bush wants to ban stem cell research! Why? I can't understand. They can be grown into new arms and legs, or anything else that the human body needs, which is useful to mankind.

The other night I heard a doctor say that in a few years men will be able to have babies. I'm sure that that will not be such a good thing! The world is over-crowded as it is.

One wonders what the world will be like in two hundred years time. Will man be able to travel at the speed of light, or be able to live on the planets and other stars? Or there might be a big explosion that will blow the earth out of orbit and put an end to the human race.