15 July 2020
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Published every Wednesday by CXpress 2006 (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors
So… where’s the pot of gold? Photo: Crystie Spurrier
This gorgeous photo of a rainbow over Plett’s Whale Rock Ridge was shot on Monday morning, when the entire country collectively started to digest how president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Sunday night address - which reinstated the ban on alcohol with immediate effect, and introduced a new countrywide curfew - would impact our lives anew. Turn to page 3 to find out more about the current state of tourism.
Surfers unite for Lloyd - p4
Malcolm’s advice: ‘Vasbyt’, retirees! - p5
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CXPRESS
NEWS & VIEWS
15 July 2020
Heavy rains, floods, high winds - a survival guide ITH stormy weather upon us, it’s essential to remain vigilant and adopt a more proactive approach to avoid damage to property, injury and loss of life. Says Ricardo Coetzee of Auto & General Insurance: “South Africa is renowned for its mighty storms - often a beautiful display of nature’s power, but also bringing with it the risk of quickly escalating into a full-blown disaster.” Remember these practical tips to stay safe in adverse weather conditions. • Regular home maintenance: Checking structures around your house for weak spots, clearing debris from gutters, fastening items that could become deadly projectiles, cutting away dead trees and branches and ensuring adequate drainage, are essential and will significantly reduce your risk. Reinforcing vital structures if you live in a rain, flood or wind prone area is also a good idea. • Good vehicle maintenance: Make sure that your vehicle is in tiptop shape and won’t let you down, even when the proverbial “high water” comes. • Eye on the weather: Always keep an eye on the weather forecast and look out for warnings of heavy rains and high winds. Avoid danger areas where possible. • SOS on speed dial: Make sure to have all emergency numbers, including that of your insurer, saved on your phone or memorised. Make sure that your whole family is thoroughly briefed on what to do and who to call in an emergency. • Raise the alarm: If you notice a possible safety hazard due to bad drainage, cracking structures, landslides, etc. in a public area, alert the authorities immediately.
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PALM SUNDAY: This photo of power cables lying in the road close to Fancourt in George was posted on social media after the roof of Palmiet Winkel blew off on Sunday night; it was accompanied by a voice note warning drivers of numerous palm fronds that had been ripped off trees along Barkhuizen Drive in the vicinity of King George Protea Hotel, forcing drivers to disembark and clear the road before being able to continue - severe weather conditions are foreseen for the remainder of this week along the Garden Route and beyond
Heavy rains • Standing firm: Make sure that your outdoor furniture and accessories are safely stored or firmly secured and that all gates and doors that need to be locked, are. • Beware the bolt: Heavy rains are often associated with lightning. It’s best to have surge protection plugs in place and/or to unplug appliances before the storm arrives. • Under cover: Where possible, park your car under cover and delay travelling until the storm has subsided. If you are caught in a heavy storm and you feel it’s not safe to drive, look for cover, pull over and/or seek shelter. This could include a covered car park, a petrol station or under a bridge. Don’t park under trees as there is a danger of falling branches and debris. Take extreme care when pulling-over, put on your hazard lights, and don’t risk your safety or the safety of others by dashing madly for cover. Stay in your car and only leave the safety of your sheltered spot when the storm has passed.
Floods • Sand savvy: It is sensible to purchase your own supply of sandbags, especially if you live in a flood-prone area. These can be placed against doorways and low-level vents in times of flooding to help minimise the amount of water that enters your home. • High value, higher up: Move high value items to the highest possible floor or shelf if a flood threatens. • Flip the switch: Turn off electricity and gas supplies if flooding occurs to limit the risk of electrical shock or a fire. • Make the call NOW: If you see warning signs like water seeping through the door or water eating away at your home’s walls and foundations, it’s best to head for higher ground immediately. Do not wait for it to become a life-threatening crisis. • Cars don’t swim: Motorists should not attempt to drive in flood conditions. Remember that just 15cm of moving water can knock you off your feet, and water just 60cm deep can sweep a vehicle away. You also run the risk of flooding your vehicle’s air intake, which will stall the engine. Generally, if the water is deeper than the bottom of your doors or the bottom third of your wheels, it is not advisable to drive through it. • High alert for low-lying spots: Flash flooding often occurs when rivers flow over lowlying bridges. Avoid crossing bridges or roads next to rivers
during heavy rains. If you do get stuck on a flooded road, switch to the lowest possible gear and proceed slowly. • Easy does it: If you approach a flooded spot at speed, it is advisable to take your foot off the accelerator and let your speed drop gradually. Never use the brakes suddenly because this may cause the car to skid or aquaplane. • Bail out: If your vehicle gets stuck during flooding, or starts to get washed away, abandon the vehicle and get to higher ground. It is dangerous to try and drive out of the water to safety. High winds • Wind and fire could be dire: Wind and fire are a deadly combination. Be extremely careful when you make a fire, dispose of a cigarette, or when there’s a fire close to you on a windy day. Be wary of embers that can be picked up by the wind. • Window wise: Even a slight breeze can cause curtains to topple precious ornaments, so make sure that all windows are in a good condition and closed properly. If your area is often hit by strong winds, consider installing protective blinds or shutters. • Counter steer: One is prone to counter steer against the wind. An approaching vehicle can briefly block the wind and cause you to land up in the way of oncoming traffic. • A firm grip: A strong gust of wind can throw you completely off course, so rather reduce speed and keep both hands on the steering wheel. • Tip top towing: Make use of a vehicle that is big and strong enough for the load it must carry or tow. Also be cautious about how you load it - if it’s top heavy it will be very difficult to control in a strong wind. Remember to have a stabiliser installed for your trailer or caravan just for that extra peace of mind when towing on windy days. • Tie it down: Make sure that any load is properly fastened. A sail flapping in the wind can also easily be plucked off and potentially hamper the view of other motorists. • Obstacle course: Be on the lookout for uprooted trees, branches and other objects lying in the road, especially when driving at night.
NEWS & VIEWS
15 July 2020
CXPRESS
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Amendments to current lockdown level do little to lift spirits - or prospects for repaired livelihoods When the president on July 12 announced amendments to the current Alert Level 3 lockdown regulations, the initial sentiment was relief that there was no mention of a return to more stringent levels - but the prohibition once more on alcohol sales, a new curfew, and especially the turnaround on leisure tourism regulations left many hopeful citizens out in the cold once more HE most significant amendments for employers, as announced by president Ramaphosa on Sunday night, relate to the provision and wearing of cloth masks in the workplace. In terms of the new regulations, an employer must provide every employee with a cloth face mask, homemade item, or other appropriate item that covers the nose and mouth. Even though this requirement is not new, there is now a legal obligation on employers to enforce the wearing of masks when at work. An employer who fails to take reasonable steps to enforce the wearing of masks in the workplace now commits a criminal offence and may be liable for a fine, or six months imprisonment, or both. The amendments further impose a curfew between 9pm and 4am during which time every person should be at home, except those travelling for work, medical emergency or security reasons. The amendments also clarified the confusion that seemingly ex-
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isted surrounding the accommodation sector, confirming that accommodation establishments may only operate for purposes of business, quarantine or for remaining tourists. Accommodation for leisure purposes is therefore still not allowed. The remainder of the amendments deal with access to public places and the obligation to wear masks, as well as limitations on public transport. Explains Plett Tourism CEO Marius Venter: “Just over a week ago, restrictions on several tourism businesses in Plett and other towns along the Garden Route were lifted to Level 3, allowing some employees and owners to return to work.” He adds that it has been a slow process, made even more so due to Sunday night’s presidential speech, which also reinstated the ban on alcohol. “The economy has taken a severe knock, and we are in for a few more bumps. We are missing the SA-resident holidaymakers and foreign visitors who gen-
Knysna and Plett join forces to retrieve telecoms infrastructure A breakthrough was achieved in the fight against destruction of valuable telecommunication infrastructure when cellphone signal tower batteries with an estimated value of R150,000 were recovered last week. The intelligence-driven operation involved SAPS members of Knysna and Plett. The information was operationalised and led SAPS members to a house in Hornlee, where two batteries were discovered hidden in a room. Further investigation resulted in the additional discovery of empty gas cylinders as well as a range of power tools and electrical equipment, all of which were confiscated. Further leads took the police to separate houses in Concordia and KwaNokuthula where a total of three more batteries, two and one respectively, were confiscated. Subsequently, two suspects were arrested for the possession of suspected stolen items and remained in custody until they were scheduled to appear in Knysna Magistrates Court. Said Southern Cape police spokesman sergeant Christopher Spies: “The possibility that this find could be linked to the recent theft of cell phone tower batteries in the area is being probed by the Knysna Detective Branch.”
erally come to Plett and stay for a week or two during the June/July school holidays, and businesses are feeling the pinch. “Just as our economy is reopening in stages, so is the return of tourism with a focus on domestic intraprovincial and business visitors who can drive in from the Western Cape and along the Garden Route. Some businesses are ready, while others remain hesitant. “Many people working in this region have lost their jobs when accommodation establishments, restaurants, and activities shut down. Some have been rehired, but many businesses remain closed. “It hasn’t been easy. People
walk in. You become a policeman. Where’s your mask? Did you spray your hands? You can’t stand that close. It’s sad, but it’s the new normal and can cause tension,” says Venter. “We are continuously engaging with key stakeholders in the national and international tourism industry. On a local level, we are in constant contact with Bitou Municipality and Plett Business Chamber to try keeping tourism alive.” Venter concludes that this includes engaging with the organisers of Plett Rage and developing strategies to promote Plett nationally and globally for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. Visit Knysna general manager
Colleen Durant concurs: “Our industry worldwide is experiencing unprecedented challenges, but tourists will return, with new expectations of unique experiences. “The greater Knysna area and Garden Route are characterised by large open spaces, which allow for a wide range of outdoor leisure activities that respect social distancing. “Visit Knysna, together with Wesgro and our industry partners, will continue to lobby for the safe resumption of leisure tourism which is vital to our regional and provincial economy.” • Visit www.cxpress.co.za to read the report on action taken by Western Cape minister David Maynier.
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CXPRESS
NEWS & VIEWS
15 July 2020
Wearing Lloyd’s gift with pride Surfing Plett soccer star Merrick van der Gaast Purdon was proud to wear Lloyd Chapman’s wetsuit during last Wednesday’s paddle-out, and to do so on the Spowy Board belonging to his buddy Jordan Marais - one of the many youngsters who grew up surfing in Lloyd’s wake and who thought the world of the well-loved local, but who couldn’t make it back from various cities and towns around the world in time for his memorial because of international Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Surfers, friends, and family say their last goodbyes to beloved Lloyd A paddle-out at Lookout Point on July 8 paid tribute to Plett native Lloyd Chapman, who passed away on July 5, and was attended by a sedate crowd of local and visiting loved ones - read his partner Pam’s letter of gratitude below; we thank photographers Andrew Bell and Gwen Penry for sharing images included here O all the wonderful people of Plett: thank you from the bottom of my heart for the best send-off any person could wish for. I have no words to express what it meant to me. Lloyd was, is, and always will be my true soul mate. To quote Henry Scott Holland: “Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that
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we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. “Whatever we were to each other that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. “Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an ef-
fort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. “What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner.” “All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trou-
ble of parting when we meet again!” Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions many of Lloyd’s friends were unable to witness his stunning tribute. With this in mind, I am appealing to anyone who did attend and took photos or videos to please post them on Facebook and tag Lloyd Chapman, or email me at lgchapman1967@gmail. com so that absent friends will have the opportunity to see the love and respect displayed by all of you. Forever grateful, Pam
Rainbows abound, if not all ‘round...
P MC
This shot of a rainbow spanning the George skyline on Monday morning July 13 was taken by Outeniqua High teacher Hendri Swanepoel. The top-performing school is one of several in CX Country where meticulous planning and stringent adherence to Covid-19 protocols and regulations have enabled a majority of students to return to their desks and salvage what remains of an extremely challenging academic year. Visit www.cxpress.co.za and read ‘Call for local schools to close…’ on page 3 of the July 8 edition.
BUSINESS
15 July 2020
Pay portal launched to fast-track money owed by government N Monday, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen announced the launch of the party’s platform to assist small businesses left frustrated due to late payment by government for services rendered. “Small businesses are the heroes of job creation in South Africa. Everything possible should be done to ensure they survive and thrive,” said Steenhuisen. “Yet, as if government’s stifling regulatory regime and its extended lockdown have not already killed many and brought thousands more to their knees, government is also notorious for making them wait much longer than the agreed 30 days for payment.”
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Investor Focus
He continued that their ‘Pay Us On Time’ platform provided for small businesses to submit details of overdue invoices. “Small Business Development shadow deputy minister Henro Kruger will deal with each submission, taking the fight where necessary, whether to the Small Business Ministry, government departments, portfolio committees, or to his colleagues in the shadow cabinet.” Steenhuisen said that in SA, “it tended to be the little guy who bears the heaviest brunt of government failure - those least able to stand up for themselves”. “In failing to pay on time, government departments put not just the survival of small business
service providers at risk, but also the livelihoods of the millions of people they employ and the wellbeing of their families. “Late payment is simply unacceptable, even more so when most small businesses are in such a precarious position. At over 10-million jobless people, unemployment was already sky-high before the government imposed an extended lockdown. “Millions more have now lost or risk losing their jobs. Only a government that does not care about the little guy or appreciate the challenges of running small businesses would pay invoices late, amid this social devastation,” he said. Steenhuisen concluded
that they recognised the central importance of small businesses to the SA economy and society, and were keen to do whatever possible to help them survive and thrive. Visit www.da.org.za/ campaigns/pay-us-ontime to find out more. • Simon Revington of RE/MAX Plett champions the drive to support local small businesses struggling to stay afloat during lockdown - email simon@remax-plett. co.za or call him on 072 204 4486 to find out how you can help or be helped, and read ‘Let’s join forces to bolster small businesses in Plettenberg Bay’ on page 5 of the May 27 edition at www.cxpress.co.za for the full story.
Malcolm Stewart – Investment manager at Michaelides Parker Wealth Knysna & Plett
Investment turmoil hits retirees where it really hurts ARKETS have been experiencing unprecedented turmoil for over six months, and now face exceedingly difficult times. It is often said that the first step in solving a problem is to try and understand it. The virus We only really seem to know three things about this scourge: firstly, it is very contagious; secondly, the mortality rate is lower than we thought and, finally, the medical fraternity is fast learning how to keep you alive until it has run its course through your body. Lockdowns gave the world’s healthcare services time to prepare for the worst. What we do not know is for how long it will remain a serious threat, and how bad the “second wave” will be. The first market reaction The initial reaction to the virus threat was dominated by absolute fear. Markets crashed within days, and the lockdowns stopped virtually all economic activity. Many investors panicked and dumped their investments at the bottom. Rescue operations Central banks around the world reacted with incredible speed and initiated both rescue and stimulus actions. Interest rates vir-
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tually disappeared, and the global financial system is still awash with free money funding many distressed businesses. Governments announced vast fiscal packages to fund the urgent restoration of neglected health services. The second market reaction This saw the “recovery trade” - this is to say that improved understanding of the virus, plus the steroids applied to the monetary system, saw markets rebound. Those sectors hardest hit were in the consumer sectors, since there were virtually no consumers during lockdown. Shopping malls were closed, retailers saw zero trade, and the travel/ tourism industry all but disappeared. The economic damage done by the virus is now being assessed and the “staged removal of lockdowns” is progressing. Companies are starting to report the effects of the lockdowns with very mixed reports. We are learning how companies are affected by two months of negligible trade. Telecoms fared well, while the banking sector is still taking strain. The return to reality This will be dominated by free money for several
years, resulting in equity markets continuing to see strong support (some are already overpriced). Investors will remain highly selective looking for value and seeking those who will resume dividend payments. In South Africa, we will return to the climate of political uncertainty, strikes, unemployment and do not forget Eskom. Our national debt is possibly our greatest worry and will probably lead to further downgrades. On the positive side, the inflation rate is sharply lower, and our foreign reserves are strong. One must remember that after the last “lost” decade we now have a new set of hands at the tiller. President Ramaphosa and his team, the minister of Finance, and the National Prosecuting Authority are all of a vastly different ilk to their predecessors. Even Eskom has a new and stronger driver. For the retiree This has been an absolute nightmare for retirees. Living annuities have been devastated, while income from dividends and REITS have stopped. The only protection was to guard cash holdings and not to panic out of
the market. Interest income has been decimated with few deposits offering much over 6%. So, the search for income begins anew. It appears that some REITS will still pay shareholders but at reduced levels. Many companies will attempt to pay dividends, again at a reduced level. Government bonds are currently the better of many evils, paying taxable interest of 8% but with capital risk. Retirees must remain conservative for at least another year and not be tempted into what may appear to be attractive rates. It is in this climate that fear is used to market investments. Long-term deposits of five, 10 or 20 years are being offered, ignoring 20 years of inflation and tax while others offer very high rates. Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. So retirees must remain vigilant - circumstances will improve from here on. • Malcolm has been in the investment industry for nearly 50 years. He has written this column in CXPRESS for the last 22 years and is a specialist in managing retired wealth. See the advert on this page for contact details.
CXPRESS
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CXPRESS
INTERVAL
15 July 2020
These funny facts are stranger than fiction • A serious collector actually paid $10,000 for invisible artwork: An art collector once paid $10,000 for a ‘non-visible’ sculpture created by actor James Franco. The artwork was billed as an “endless tank of oxygen.” Um, yeah… it’s called air. We’re breathing some now, for free! • Cows moo with regional accents: “In small populations such as herds you would encounter identifiable dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group,” explains one UK professor in an article for BBC News. In other words: You can take the cow out of Jersey… • A US town had a threeyear-old mayor: In the small town of Dorset, Minnesota, where a new mayor is picked every two years by drawing names out of a hat, a three-year-old named Robert Tufts was elected mayor in 2015. His governing style: “Being nice and no poopy talk.” We can all agree that the world could use more Robert Tufts in higher office. • Barry Manilow didn’t write his hit song I Write the Songs: And before he recorded it, Barry didn’t even think it was a particularly good song. 1
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• Flowers like Viagra: If you put some Viagra in a vase, it will make flowers stand up straight for a week beyond when they would normally wilt, according to one study conducted by Israeli and Australian researchers. • Terrorist instructions were once replaced with cupcakes: Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service once hacked an Al-Qaeda website and replaced the bomb instructions with a cupcake recipe. • There’s an American town with a population of only one: Monowi, Nebraska, is the only town in the United States with an official population of one person. Yes, she owes taxes… to herself! She’s in her 80s, and she’s employed as the village’s mayor, librarian, and bartender. • Some passengers go
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San Francisco, without revealing her true identity. She lost to a drag queen. • A Kiwi actually changed his name because he lost a bet: After losing a drunken poker bet in 2009, a New Zealander had his name legally changed to ‘Full Metal Havok More Sexy N Intelligent Than Spock And All The Superheroes Combined With Frostnova’. It took five years, but the name was finally approved by the government. All 99 characters of his new name are on his passport. • People hate privacy policies and reading the fine print in general: It would take 76 workdays (if you work an eight-hour day) to read every online privacy policy you agree to in an average year. • High heels were originally designed for dudes: When high-heel shoes first came into fashion in the 10th century, they were intended for men. It wasn’t until the 18th century that more women wore high heels than men. • Cows don’t like Willie Nelson’s music: A dairy cow will produce up to 3% more milk when listening to music. But they don’t like country music - especially Willie Nelson. They need something with a decent beat.
to insane lengths to avoid baggage fees: In 2012, a man wore 60 shirts and nine pairs of jeans on an 11-and-a-half hour flight from China to Africa because he didn’t want to pay the extra baggage fee. Though hilarious, we don’t recommend it. • One brogrammer had an unusual way of weaning himself off Facebook: Maneesh Sethi, a computer programmer, hired a woman (at $8 an hour) to slap him in the face every time he tried checking Facebook during working hours. Smartphone addiction is real, people! • Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s surprising other career path isn’t what you’d guess: While he was in graduate school, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson considered becoming a stripper to earn extra money. He visited a club and watched dancers perform to the song Great Balls of Fire. Tyson left immediately and became a maths tutor instead. We’re thrilled, of course. • One Norwegian town has a super ironic name: There’s a village in southern Norway actually named Hell. And get this: every winter it freezes over! • Dolly Parton lost a look-alike contest: Dolly Parton once entered a celebrity lookalike contest at a club in
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ON THE SOAPBOX
15 July 2020
Letters to the Editor
Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600
Genocide of minorities and plight of child brides offer better reasons to protest Following his pro-Israel comments our chief justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng, has unleashed a wave of anti-Israel protests, as well as calls for him to resign and people even questioning his capability to dispense justice in light of such views. How absurd! What has happened to the freedom of speech in South Africa? He is correct in what he says: the SA government has broken diplomatic ties with Israel, thus has in ef-
fect removed the potentially influential part it could play in the Israel/Palestine conflict given our experience of apartheid. By doing this, South Africa becomes part of the problem and not part of a possible solution. If all the protesters against Mogoeng - unbelievably, some church groups included - were really objective with their remonstrations, one would imagine that they would also protest against the on-
going genocide of people such as the Rohingya, who are possibly one of the world’s most persecuted minorities, and the Kurds. The way of life known as ‘Kurdish’ is disappearing at an alarming rate. What about objecting to some of the real horrors of this world, such as child brides and female genital mutilation that still take place in parts of Africa and the Middle East, based on some cultural mumbo-jumbo.
Now, here is an opportunity to stage some really objective protests on two truly awful concepts to assist thousands of traumatised and terrified young girls. Sadly though, as is expected, the silence on the persecution of the Rohingya and the Kurds is deafening and in reality the protesters are not really pro-Palestine, but rather anti-Israel, which is both dismal and subjective. Kevin Meineke, Plett
Food for thought: could the Cape succeed in bid for secession from rest of South Africa? Plett resident COLETTE GOEDHALS shared excerpts of a letter gleaned from the CapeXit Facebook page, saying she supports the movement because Western Cape citizens deserve a better government - read the below to see if you agree CapeXit is an independent, non-political movement for all people of the Western Cape, regardless of race, religion or political views. We need the support of 1,600,000 people to force a referendum with the SA Government. Failing the government’s approval we will seek the support of the United Nations, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. It is clear that most citizens are deeply concerned about the rampant crime and horrific violence which has escalated throughout the country. Over half a million South Africans have been murdered since 1994. South Africa suffers from the highest rape rate in the world. Almost everybody is deeply concerned about the safety of their family and particularly their children. The deteriorating quality of education, which in many cases seems indistinguishable from political indoctrination, has led to a major growth industry of thousands of independent schools and home-schooling. All of this is a massive vote of no confidence in the Ministry of Education. Of course, most people are deeply concerned for the economy, the lack of jobs, unemployment, inflation and the deteriorating buying power of the Rand. Economist Steven Goodson, once a director of the South African Reserve Bank, has stated that the buying power of the Rand has deteriorated to one500th of its buying power in 1982. In other words, R1 in 1982 could buy more than R500 can today. The massive erosion of pensions, savings, and
earnings, particularly over the last two decades, has been catastrophic. Taxations, corruption, and inflation are collectively looting the country. Deforestation, the destruction of so much of the environment, including laying waste to entire forests by massive arson, wide-spread litter, and destructive pollution are major threats to the environment and all the wildlife on our land, on our shores and in our oceans. Deforestation of the Cape has obviously led to the drought affecting us, which also massively impacts on our country as an attractive tourist destination. The impact on jobs, the economy and the viability of our country is immense. There are serious concerns for the erosion of free speech, freedom of conscience and religious freedom. The CRL Commission’s proposals requiring all religious practitioners to register and be regulated by the state is going ahead, despite widespread opposition and the legal evaluation that this legislation is unnecessary, unworkable and unconstitutional. The rise of nationalism worldwide as evidenced in the Brexit vote of Great Britain, the Trump Revolution in the States, the doubling of the votes of Marine Le Pen’s National Front in France, the dramatic growth of the Freedom Parties in Austria and the Netherlands, the steady growth of parties resisting the European Union, and other globalist movements all indicate a significant increase of support for those rejecting politics-as-usual and globalisation. In the Western Cape, the growth of interest in
secession is also a remarkable development. But is secession of the Cape of Good Hope (Western Cape, Northern Cape and a portion of the Eastern Cape) viable? Many countries in the world are products of secession: Switzerland seceded from Austria in 1291; the USA from Great Britain in 1776; Belgium from the Netherlands in 1830; Texas from Mexico in 1836; Nicaragua from Guatemala in 1838; Norway from Sweden in 1905; Finland from Russia in 1917, The Republic of Ireland from Great Britain in 1922; Pakistan from India in 1947; Singapore from Malaysia in 1965; Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1970. In 1991 Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia seceded from Russia; Croatia and Slovenia from Yugoslavia, and Eritrea from Ethiopia. Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia in 1993; East Timor from Indonesia in 2002; and South Sudan from Sudan in 2011. So what policies could enable Cape independence to succeed? The basic building block of any successful society is the municipality. It is absolutely essential that municipal control is handed back to ratepayers and home-owners. Decentralisation is vital. The uni-cities are expensive, catastrophic failures. Cape independence can succeed by following the decentralised confederation model of Switzerland and the free enterprise models of Singapore and Hong Kong. A successful independent Cape of Good Hope would be an example of excellence for other regions of South Africa, such as the Kingdom of Zululand, to also become independent.
In order to attract investors, the Cape would need to slash taxes, or preferably abolish them altogether. Cape Town becoming a tax haven would attract many investors, employers, and tourists, so that literally hundreds-of-thousands of jobs would be created - ultimately millions. Free enterprise provides incentive by rewarding initiative, ingenuity, and hard work. It would be essential to restore respect for life and property. The quickest way to do this would be to decentralise the police force down to local level. One could consider the American model of voting for your town’s sheriff or police chief. Localised police forces, answerable to the municipalities and controlled by homeowners and ratepayers, will quickly restore law and order on the local, municipal level. Tourists are attracted to beauty and nature in safe, clean and neat environments. It would be essential to restore our beaches, parks, forests, and mountains by eradicating crime, violence, litter, pollution, and eye-sores. Mosquitos breed in stagnant water. In order to get rid of the flies, close the trash can and move it out of the kitchen. By removing the political trough for parasites and political opportunists, public life can be cleaned up. No career politicians should be tolerated. No pensions for elected officials. No high salaries for elected officials. Mayors, town councillors, premiers and members of parliament should receive no higher salary than teachers, policemen, nurses or firemen. No corruption can be tolerated. • Visit capexit.org for additional information.
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15 July 2020
Read CXPRESS online at www.cxpress.co.za
Paws
Plett Animal Welfare Service