1 July 2020

1 July 2020

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

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Shark spotting Caitlin Judge shares accounts of her close encounters with Plett’s visiting white sharks, and explores the culture of fear built around these incredible and mostly peaceful creatures - turn to page 5 for the full story

Business in a time of Covid-19

Virus facts and Garden Route figures

Tips to make winter warmer

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

1 July 2020

Navigating through the Covid-19 lockdown scandal

Some facilities are opened… but just not yet HE bureaucrats involved in the detail surrounding Covid-19 regulations really need to wake up and take responsibility.

Amended lockdown regulations pertaining to restaurants, casinos, theatres, cinemas and conference facilities, were published on June 25. Although the amendments effectively only confirm what the president announced on June 17, it took the bureaucrats a further eight

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days to confirm that by means of a meaningless gazette.

The regulations stipulate that, although these sectors are permitted to open, they may only do so provided that they comply with the relevant social distancing and safety measures.

However, these measures are not yet known as they are still to be gazetted. Therefore, the minister’s amendments have no practical effect: these estab-

Gerhard Papenfus

lishments will still not be able to open, as they do not know what they need to comply with.

While businesses are severely prejudiced by the lockdown, there is an astonishing lack of urgency on the side of the bureaucrats; they do not feel the pinch. Another contributing factor is the absence of a plan on how to open up these sectors, without looking foolish.

What we experience in this in-

stance, once again, proves that South Africa is plagued with an overstaffed, overpaid and under-productive public service.

Aligning the public service to the national interest, in terms of size, cost and output, is a national priority. The political will, however, does not exist.

• Gerhard Papenfus is the Chief Executive of NEASA, which provides legal representation to employers and advice in terms of labour law. Call its 24/7 national hotline 086 016 3272 or email info@neasa. co.za for details.

Sun International brushes bid aside, while Mr Price looks for deals Stephen Gunnion - Managing Editor: InceConnect

UN International fell 10% as the market opened on June 25, giving back some of the strong gains it made late Wednesday after it emerged that it had been approached by a Latin American investor with a possible R22 per share offer to take control of the local group.

While Sun International said Nueva Inversiones Pacifico Sur’s interest wasn’t new, and one of its biggest shareholders dismissed the offer as too low, its shares recovered most of the previous day’s losses. Investors may be pricing in a formal of-

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LIGHTS OUT: Anne Beale of Plett Ski-boat Club shared this photo with CXPRESS last week and wrote: “I don’t think anyone in town has ever seen the Beacon Island like this before - not a light in sight…”

fer and even a hostile bid for the hotel and casino operator.

With many companies under pressure, those in a position of strength are looking for deals and Mr Price may be one of them. Alongside its annual results it reiterated its plan to increase its share capital so it can take advantage of opportunities. While sales were impacted by Covid-19, it reported strong growth in online transactions as lockdown restrictions were eased.

Hudaco has also seen a recovery in sales and hopes its second half will be more profitable than its first, which was also impacted

by December’s load shedding.

Bitou budget does nothing to curb Covid-19 impact on Plett Bill Nel - DA caucus leader, Plettenberg Bay

URING the initial stages of Level 5 lockdown, Plett found itself in a relatively isolated bubble with only five confirmed cases. With the onset of Level 4 on May 1 and its initial window period of free movement within and between provinces, we still had only five cases, all of which had recovered.

Movement spreads the virus and as the economy opens gradually, movement between towns will increase. This is clearly illustrated in the total cases reported in Bitou between May 1 and June 21. We then suddenly had 33 confirmed cases, of which 17 were still in recovery.

Initially, lockdown caused severe disruptions to normal council business, particularly to

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the annual IDP and budget processes which, by law, should have been completed by end-March.

Fortunately, emergency amendments to legislation permitted the extension of the public participation period and final approval of the IDP and budget to mid-June. By mid-April virtual Skype municipal council and committee meetings had become the new normal.

On June 11, the 2020/21 IDP and budget was approved by majority ANC/AUF vote. Although the proposed revenue streams, rates and service tariffs were adjusted downward to accommodate the impact of C-19, the DA still could not see its way clear to vote in favour of adopting the tabled budget.

The DA’s vote against the budget was based on the following considerations:

• With outstanding rates and service payments already standing at over R260-million for the year and the payment collection ratio dropping from 90% in January to as low as 50% in May, we believe the anticipated revenue was not adjusted down enough to provide for the impact of the C-19 pandemic.

• The continued deduction of outstanding municipal debt from prepaid electricity purchases made by mostly township residents is not justifiable given the severe impact of C-19.

The sharp rise in unemployment in the wake of the pandemic must be considered here.

• Budgeting for unfunded RDP housing projects which are not project ready and thus not officially gazetted or funded by provincial government simply cannot be supported. Worse

still is that the budget provides for the almost total depletion of municipal investments to fund these unready projects.

• Staff cost at over 36% without an increase in headcount is totally unacceptable. This is 6% higher than the accepted norm of 30%. The anticipated expenditure on overtime of up to R20-million is equally unacceptable. The DA also proposed that all senior managers sacrifice their unlawful scarceskills allowances to significantly reduce the staff cost.

• Given the massive impact of the pandemic on municipal revenue, the DA finds the budget provision for yet a further replacement BMW for the mayor as well as a new unspecified vehicle for exclusive use of the deputy mayor an insult to our citizens To page 3

NEWS & VIEWS

1 July 2020

CXPRESS

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Mossel Bay facility first port of call for local isolation and quarantine cases Western Cape Health spokesperson NADIA FERREIRA on Monday provided an update on the state of Covid-19 in the Garden Route and Central Karoo districts

Y Monday June 29, the Garden Route had recorded 20 Covid-19 deaths - of these, one was recorded in Hessequa and two in Mossel Bay, while 12 people had succumbed to coronavirus-related causes in George, four in Knysna, and one in Bitou.

At the time of writing, there were 44 patients admitted in public and private hospitals, five of which were in intensive care units.

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have been screened and 635 referred for testing.

Garden Route cases and recoveries per sub-district Bitou 68 cases, 18 recoveries; Knysna 155 cases, 89 recoveries; George 541 cases, 169 recoveries; Hessequa 24 cases, 17 recoveries; Kannaland five cases, three recoveries; Mossel Bay 199 cases, 71 recoveries; and Oudtshoorn 68 cases, 24 recoveries.

Isolation and quarantine The purpose of isolation facilities is to accommodate patients with mild to moderate symptoms, providing a location where they can recover from C-19, which usually takes 14 days; quarantine facilities cater for those awaiting test results.

People who cannot isolate or quarantine safely at home, can be referred to either an isolation or a quarantine centre. These facilities are safe and comfortable, and those referred for isolation or quarantine receive free transport, meals, and a laundry service.

The PetroSA West Camp is currently the only activated isolation and quarantine facility on the Garden Route. More facilities will be announced if and when the need arises, or once the capacity is exceeded at PetroSA, where there are currently 53 people in isolation.

If you are referred for quarantine or isolation, readers are advised to pack some snacks; extra clothes and pyjamas; a toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries, including towels, a face cloth, and soap.

Community testing and screening The approach to active Covid-19 case finding within the rural areas remains that of community testing and screening, with a focus on people aged over 55 years, the vulnerable, and those at high risk because of comorbidities.

To date 121,095 people

Remember to pack any chronic medication, and a charger if you have a cellphone. Finally, it helps to have something that reminds you of your loved ones, for example a family photo, as well as books, magazines, or crafts to keep you occupied.

What to expect Transport to and from the facility will be provided and, upon arrival, a room with access to a bathroom and regular meals.

You will be expected to monitor and report your symptoms, and to stay in touch with your loved ones using your own phone. Although there is a laundry facility, you have to keep your own room clean.

There are rules to protect other guests and staff, most importantly that you will not be allowed to leave your room or receive any visitors.

No alcohol or drugs are allowed. Before returning home, you will receive advice from your health and social worker.

Primary healthcare Although we urge patients to only visit their nearest clinic for essential services, we remind parents and

Bitou budget does nothing to curb Covid-19 impact on Plett From page 2 - more so since Bitou deputies have never before been provided with exclusive-use vehicles.

This frivolous expenditure will cost our town a further R1.65million. The DA proposed that the existing mayoral vehicle be sold to be replaced by a Toyota Corolla for shared use by the mayor and his deputy.

Since the beginning of lockdown, DA ward and PR councillors have been deeply involved in the coordination of food-parcel distribution and the setting up of approved soup kitchens within their respective wards.

DA wards have been particularly successful, setting the

benchmark for other wards, and we also seconded Ward 2 councillor Dave Swart, to serve on the Central Covid Committee where he is making a notable impact.

The DA would like to express its deepest appreciation to our private donors, volunteers, churches and NGOs who continue to work tirelessly to keep the unemployed poor people fed during these difficult times.

They also funded and organised the isolation hospital, given out 50,000 cloth masks, raised funds for PPE, sanitised public places, and brought Bitou to the place where controlled help can be provided.

caregivers that services such as immunisations are still rendered. It is important to attend all your confirmed appointments.

Services such as women’s health (family planning, antenatal and post-natal care), child health (immunisations) and consultations with TB sufferers are still rendered.

Stable chronic-care patients must collect the relevant medication from the

chronic off-sites. Should you require guidance or advice around your current treatment or scheduled appointment, please contact your clinic or hospital.

As Covid-19 cases are increasing along the Garden Route, we should all do our part and adhere to the Five Golden Rules: • Keep 1.5 metres away from others (social distancing) and wear a cloth mask when you go out.

• Wash your hands often with water and soap or hand sanitiser.

• Do not touch your face.

• Cough and sneeze into the fold of your arm or in a tissue.

• Stay at home when you are feeling sick.

Visit www.cxpress.co.za for additional news on the local Covid-19 front, with updated facts and figures pertaining specifically to Plett and Knysna.

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CXPRESS

1 July 2020

WINTER FEATURE

NEWS & VIEWS

1 July 2020

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CXPRESS

The ‘Great’ White Shark

Caitlin Judge

Did we miss our chance to break down the fear culture built around awesome ocean creatures? ’M sure most of us have by now seen ‘that shark video’, which has gone viral over the past week: drone footage showing an encounter with a respectably-sized white shark in Plettenberg Bay. It really is awesome footage of a very calm but close interaction between a shark and surfers. I’m one of them, just out of frame, but in the water surfing when this footage was shot [see the interview at right].

He cruised past me, very relaxed, which isn’t abnormal. Plett is a great white hotspot so they naturally congregate here and will be around during most surfs one has here during the winter ‘sharky season’.

It becomes the norm to see them at some point on pretty much every surf around this time - some very close, some in the distance. I have personally had numerous encounters.

We are aware of whom we share the ocean with, and most encounters are of the same nature as pictured by the drone footage.

However, the media representations of this interaction paint a very different picture. The internet has been rife with headlines of the ‘chilling footage’ coupled with ominous music and

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Jaws references - not just nationally, but worldwide.

In nearly all articles we were ‘lucky to be alive after a terrifying life or death encounter we will never forget’.

I’m most disappointed that this is still the main narrative for the species.

This could have been a great opportunity to highlight a relaxed interaction, which is much more the norm than an attack; a chance to work on reframing the identity and fear culture we have unfairly built around this species for years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating being ignorant to the fact they are here - sharks are most definitely to be respected.

They are powerful apex predators, so it’s always good to be warned of their presence. However, we are not their preferred or natural prey. I don’t deny that attacks happen, or the sadness that follows when they do, but it is a very rare occurrence indeed.

Compare these statistics: in 2018 750,000 people were killed by mosquitos, 437,000 by other humans, 35,000 by dogs, 500 by elephants, 40 by jellyfish, and six by sharks. Yet the annual estimate for shark species killed by humans

stands at 100-million.

Great white sharks are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and face an array of anthropogenic threats such as fisheries bycatch and entanglement in gear.

For the most part, sharkhuman encounters are just a case of these creatures being inquisitive - and they are an incredible species to witness.

So yes: be aware, be safe, and look out for each other in the water. But be sure

to enjoy the ocean and the creatures that call it home, without being dragged down by a fear largely created by people who haven’t had the opportunity to experience these creatures first hand.

When comparing man to that great white shark, I’m sure of which I’m more afraid of, and which of the two is most urgently in need of our protection.

• @Caitlinjudge_: Plett surfer, biologist, and conservation communicator.

LOVING THE RIDE: Hailing from the UK, where she completed her degree in zoology, Caitlin set out on a solo adventure that ended up behind the Dolfyngordyn… where she “very happily” decided to stay; she has been living in Plett for the past three years, and started her surfing journey during that time

Interview with a now world-famous drone operator CXPRESS chatted to Plett shark-spotter Zack Berman on the day after his video went viral HEN we tracked down Zack Berman, 14, on Wednesday June 24 to get the backstory of his ‘shark among the surfers’ drone footage that went viral the previous evening (Zigzag mag was one of the first to check with Zack if they could post his vid!), we encountered a Bishops College student who has been using his time in Plett to observe marine movements by way of a drone that belongs to him and dad Saul.

Zack says they have been ‘locked down’ in Plett since arriving at their holiday home on March 10, so he’s had plenty of time to perfect his filming and the

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shark sightings have become increasingly frequent during the past few weeks.

When flying the drone over Robberg 5 in the late afternoon of June 23, he realised that a shark was fast approaching a group of surfers and paddlers.

“I was about 100 metres down the beach from the surfers, so when seeing the footage we immediately called my dad’s friend [Plett NSRI station commander] Marc Rogers, who raced to the scene to get the surfers out of the water.

“But the shark was moving incredibly fast, so it reached the surfers before the NSRI crew could,” says Zack.

Fortunately, the curious creature soon turned around and swam away from the scene, but that real-time scenario made for a breathtaking 31 seconds of footage, which was immediately downloaded by Zack and shared with NSRI head office to ensure that they reiterated their shark warning released on Sunday, urging swimmers, surfers and paddlers to be especially vigilant along the Plett and Jeffrey’s Bay coastlines.

Regular readers will remember a story printed in April last year, when the family Berman - including Zach and his sis Leah - were involved in the rescue of a

friend of the family who was caught in a rip current in front of their holiday home [read ‘No joke when Joburg teen got caught in a rip on April 1’ on page 7 of the April 10, 2019 edition].

It seems that young Zack in this role as self-appointed shark spotter is continuing the Bermans’ legacy of keeping Plett’s beach users safe from rips and razertooth carnivores alike.

• This article was posted on our website on June 24, but we included it here for readers who may have missed it.

Visit www.cxpress.co.za or the CXPRESS Facebook page if you haven’t seen the video yet.

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CXPRESS

INTERVAL

1 July 2020

Animals also have a sense of humour... for me!”

Rabbits vs wolves Two rabbits were being chased by a large pack of hungry wolves. The wolves chased the rabbits into a thicket.

After a few minutes, one rabbit turned to the other and said: “Well, do you want to make a run for it, or should we stay here for a few days and outnumber them?”

The captain’s parrot A magician worked on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. His audience would be different each week, so the magician did the same tricks each time.

However, there was a problem, as the captain’s parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how the magician did every trick.

Once he understood, he started shouting out the secrets in the middle of the show: “Look, it’s not the same hat.” “Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table.” “Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades?”

The magician was furious but couldn’t do anything - it was, after all, the captain’s parrot.

One day, the ship sprang a leak and sank. The magician found himself with the parrot, adrift on a piece of wood, in the middle of the ocean.

They stared at each other with hatred, but did not utter a word.

This went on for a day, then another, and another.

Finally, after a week, the parrot said: “Ok, I give up. Where the heck is the boat?”

King of the jungle A vain lion wanted to find out why the other animals were not as beautiful as he.

First, he asked a giraffe.

The giraffe did not know.

Next, the lion asked a bear. The bear had no answer. Then the lion asked a hippopotamus, and again got no answer.

Finally, the lion met a mouse. He asked the mouse: “Tell me, why aren’t you as big, as strong, and as beautiful as I am?”

The mouse looked up at the lion and said: “Well, I’ve been sick for a very long time.”

Baby mozzie It was a baby mosquito’s first day to fly out from the safety of his home.

When the mosquito came back home later that day, the father mosquito asked: “How was your journey?”

The baby mosquito replied: “It went great.

Everyone was clapping 1

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The bankrupt snail A snail entered a police station and told an officer: “I just got mugged by two 3

turtles. They beat me up and took all my money!”

The officer replied: “Why, that’s terrible. Did you get a good look at them?”

“No sir, it all happened so fast!”

Joe heard Steve screaming behind him.

“I thought I told you to be quiet!” said Joe.” “Hey, I kept quiet when the snake bit me,” said Steve, “and I was quiet when the fox attacked me, but when the two chipmunks crawled up my pant leg, I heard one ask the other: ‘Should we eat them now or take them with us?’”

Cheeky chipmunks Joe took his friend, Steve, hunting for the first time and reminded him to be covert and keep quiet.

An hour into the woods,

BUT SOFT!

WHAT LIGHT THROUGH YONDER ACORN BREAKS?

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A B C L E S C N F E R D O I T P R T A B L E S R W O R E G O N L Z R D H A K E V N S I N E D C V

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H C S O P H O L R L D O V B M S A N E C N K E R E O N I S E O U P U R L O N T

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M O O N B U G G Y

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ON THE SOAPBOX

1 July 2020

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

Warning: dodge the poop piles by day; don’t venture out in the dark…

I was inspired to put my thoughts in writing by the well-written and thought-provoking response from Bruce Richardson in your June 17 issue [read ‘Query from Cape Town regarding Plett crime…’ on page 7 of that edition at www. cxpress.co.za].

As per Richardson’s response, there is much to be admired about Plett while, at the same time, there is much to be improved on.

Just after moving to Plett three years ago, I was peeved when I noted a message pinned up at the Sanctuary Beach platform, which in short was appealing to visitors to pick up after their dogs, i.e. don’t leave the dogs’ faeces on the beach.

I recall thinking at the time this message was misdirected, as the major-

ity of dog walkers I came across were locals.

When the lockdown was implemented, effective midnight March 26, my thinking was that after a couple of weeks of no dog walking, the walkways would be a better place; then the lockdown was extended by a further two weeks and I thought it was a dead certainty.

After five weeks of lockdown the situation was better yet, if not exactly perfect.

And then we were given our freedom… and it’s right back to where we were, i.e. every pathway, walkway, verge, trail, open area, boardwalk, field, etc. is a veritable minefield. Do not attempt to walk after dark or before sunrise!

This past Sunday (June 22), I did an inventory on the brick walkway from

the end of Beachy Head to the wooden walkway at Sanctuary: 33 piles of poop, and counting!

It seems to me there are three distinct types of dogwalkers - on-leash, freeroaming, and ‘professional’ walkers. On-leashers are clearly in close proximity to where the dog is, and thus much more aware of when the poop drops (so hopefully more inclined towards cleaning up).

Off-leash? Out of sight and out of mind (although not all, then definitely the majority) - I mean, how can you take responsibility for something you haven’t witnessed? The professional walkers, cellphone earphones plugged tight, are often walking three or four dogs simultaneously (presumably for an employer), heads down and on the move.

I have on occasion encountered locals who, when they see me picking up after pooch, go so far as to say: “Why bother?

It’s natural fertiliser!”

So, while we are quick to say it is the visitors who are largely responsible for fouling our little piece of paradise, shame on us, there are very few non-locals about at this time and we could quite literally play join-the-dots between piles of poop.

What an encouragement for visitors!

Let’s look to the future, as behaviour does not change overnight; clearly, Bitou Law Enforcement needs to take a heavyhanded approach and hand out spot fines. Or do we allow our apathy to get the better of us and stop caring at all?

Adrian Speight, Plett

Shocking inefficiency gets paid super high senior salaries I am still completely bowled out after having read our Bitou budget announcement (municipal notice 145/2020) in yesterday’s What’s New in Plett.

How on earth must one believe that firstly, the notice is placed under the name of our ‘previous’ municipal manager, TC Ndlovu, and secondly, it addresses in all three languages the ‘2018/2019’ annual budget.

For the record, most of us know that our present (acting?) municipal manager carries a name which differs completely (proof of this can be found in another Bitou notice on the opposite page), and

also we are already halfway into 2020 with Bitou’s financial year starting in a few days.

This lack of attention to detail, when your ratepayers and other public stakeholders are to be advised of perhaps the most important of annual business documents, is to my mind a shocking demonstration of inefficiency and carelessness.

Budgeting and planning, and all other managerial tasks, need the utmost professionalism in all respects.

One shudders to think of the contents of our Bitou budget and its implications, and the account-

abilities, which should be non-negotiable. We must also bear in mind that senior management are paid (earned or not) large amounts in compensation for this type of inferior quality work.

It now seems clear that this appears to be a cutand-paste budget, which was prepared before any of the devastating Covid-19 implications could be considered or planned for on the income or expense side.

This cannot be seen or explained as a lockdown problem; these are purely unacceptable standards, which stems from a critical fact of our present

communal life - namely total mutual disrespect, in this case for neglected values and quality which elected and appointed public officials bring to their community.

I suppose my questions should be: For how long will this be the case? And what are we doing about it? And who will carry the consequences?

However, I submit that those responsible for this weak state of affairs must come to the point where they will show and use more respect and pride in the tasks they have taken upon their shoulders.

Pieter Luttig, Keurboomstrand

Geliefde tandarts Dr Dina Grabe groet Plet na 43 jaar Dit is met ‘n dankbare tog swaar hart wat ek hierdie aankondiging maak om na 43 jaar my praktyk in Plettenbergbaai te sluit. Dit was vir my ‘n groot voorreg om ‘n diens te kon lewer aan die inwoners en vakansiegangers gedurende hierdie tydperk.

Nadat ek my B.ChD graad in 1976 aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch voltooi het, het ek die praktyk in 1977 in

die Lookout Sentrum geopen, waarna ek in 1987 geskuif het na die Atmar Sentrum. Oor die jare het ek, my man Kysie, en ons vier kinders goeie vriendskappe gebou met pasiënte en die inwoners van Plettenbergbaai.

Ek kan nie aan ‘n beter plek dink om my loopbaan te kon begin en te eindig nie.

Hiermee wil ek graag my pasiënte bedank vir hul vertroue in my en vir

hul lojaliteit oor die jare.

Te danke aan julle was hierdie reis van meer as vier dekades beslis die moeite werd en kan ek terugkyk op ‘n suksesvolle loopbaan.

Ek bedank ook graag my span, Moekie Oelf wat vir 23 jaar stoelassistent was, Belinda Bothma wat vir 15 jaar ontvangsdame was, en ons skoonmaker, Nicky Britz (vier jaar). Dankie vir jul getroue diens en bydra tot

EINDE VAN ‘N ERA: Dr Dina Grabe, middel, groet haar pasiënte en span - Belinda Bothma, links, Moekie Oelf, regs, en Nicky Britz - met tonne goeie herinneringe en ‘n hart wat oorloop

die praktyk. Julle daaglikse teenwordigheid gaan gemis word en dit was ‘n voorreg om saam met julle te werk.

Alhoewel dit die einde van my werksloopbaan is, gaan ek steeds betrokke wees in die gemeenskap en julle sal my beslis sien in en om Plettenbergbaai.

Ek groet my praktyk, span en pasiënte met ‘n vol hart.

Dina Grabe, Plettenbergbaai

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SANParks on allegations of neglect Thank you for bringing the quality of channel markers and signage in and around the Knysna estuary to our attention [read ‘Distressing lack of Knysna Estuary maintenance...’ on page 5 of the June 24 edition at www.cxpress.co.za].

The last big maintenance job was in December 2019, in time for holidaymakers. Due to Covid-19 lockdown-related restric-

tions on spending the SANParks budget, all maintenance work was given a thumbs up only under Level 3.

It’s now all systems go and work is already underway in open-access hiking trails and most areas of Garden Route National Park (GRNP), including the estuary and surrounds.

Nandi Mgwadlamba: GRNP comms manager, Knysna

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CXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS

1 July 2020

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