20 May 2020 by CXpress

20 May 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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Photo: Corinne Fernley

Yearning for freedom Plett resident Corinne Fernley, who shot this week’s cover image, writes: “What strange and surreal times we’re living in right now. I’ve missed getting out and about to photograph the beautiful things we often took for granted, but fortunately there is a host of birdlife on the dam in front of our home, and I managed to capture this African Sacred Ibis from our verandah as it flew off into the deep blue yonder of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. I must admit, I felt a twinge of envy while watching the Ibis flapping gracefully away it seemed to epitomise the freedom we all long for.” Another important flighty wonder is celebrated today, as May 20 is World Bee Day - visit www.cxpress.co.za for details.

Don’t mess with Mr Murray

C-19 cases rise in CX Country

Bidding farewell to Bob

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Locked down with She Who Must be Obeyed... STUART MURRAY shares a few lockdown thoughts and questions ECALL Alexander Dumas’ rollicking French Court drama The Man in the Iron Mask? Well, I’ve become The Man in the Ironed Mask! It’s more of a pantomime than an adventure story, but it’s also a direct result of the draconian lockdown imposed by a caring government. In tandem with many friends and acquaintances, I have been from time to time confused by the often conflicting edicts issued by government’s War Cabinet, i.e.… • If you live in a housing estate, President Ramaphosa declared, you may walk within its precincts. • No you can’t, says the Police minister

NEWS & VIEWS

20 May 2020

who, incidentally, then arbitrarily imposed a ban on the sale of liquor (he’s a teetotaller). • You may go out to shop for essentials while trying not to rub shoulders with fellow shoppers. This includes meandering around malls and car parks, at all times wearing your protective mask, while scratching your head as to why you seem to be the only person bothering to do so. • You may now walk or cycle for a few hours in the early morning (waiting for daylight to break through). You may amble along coastal roads, but you may NOT walk on the beach!

Perhaps this latter ruling may induce our diminishing fish stock to increase their fornicatory efforts - on the off-chance that the Far Eastern fishing fleets will also be taking a breather (no pun intended). But there is no need to politely mask (sorry!) your impatience... I’ll get to the point. I admit to being a tad forgetful, and She Who Must be Obeyed has stressed that this marital crime is worsening. One of my failings is omitting to put on my social distancing mask when I discard my furry slippers for my walking boots (remember the song?). In an attempt to win a few points back one

nightfall I washed my mask - homemade by SWMBO - in the sink and hung it up. Next a.m. fumbling in the early morning gloaming and eager to make a break for freedom, I grabbed the mask, loudly praised its attractive design, and was about to make a break for it when... a call that would have been at home in a parade ground had the cat bolting for cover! “You can’t go out in public (?) wearing that mask! It hasn’t been ironed! Give it to me, please.” Nemo me impune lacessit? Bollocks! • Stuart Murray (stuartmurray758@gmail. com) is a former senior assistant editor of Financial Mail and co-founder, editor and CEO of Finance Week. He is retired (in an ironed mask) and lives in Plettenberg Bay.

Whatever level, it may be too little too late for small businesses HE president’s announcement indicated a move from Level 4 to Level 3 at the end of May for most of South Africa, except for the hotspots. Cape Town and Johannesburg, the two dominant areas for small businesses, are firmly set in the Covid-19 red zones, therefore uncertainty remains in these areas. Even at Level 3, 75% of small businesses still have enormous restrictions on rights. During the remainder of May, more parts of retail might well be opened up, this sector being SA’s biggest employer. E-commerce restrictions have already been removed. “You cannot improve the health and wellbeing of a nation by making your country poorer - this has never been achieved by any country,” says Mike Anderson, CEO and founder of the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC).

The president’s latest announcements were too little, too late for many small businesses. A continued lockdown with no end in sight is not in the best interests of this sector and the broader economy. According to Anderson, small businesses need more direction and assurance so that they can plan and prepare. “The recently launched Covid-19 Small Business Relief and Recovery Centre, powered by the NSBC, helps small businesses by doing whatever we can to take their pain away during this crisis and then to bring them back way after the pandemic has subsided. But this could take years,” says Anderson. “Small businesses are vital economic engines. A flourishing small business sector is the future of job creation. We have to ensure that we bridge businesses through these trying times. Our goal is to make sure business-

es stay in business and that we keep workers employed,” he notes. “Our plea to the mercurial job creators within the small business sector throughout the nation is to hang in there. You are resilient and courageous and you must believe that you will triumph and come out stronger. Now is the time to stay calm, be positive, adapt, learn new things and try new things. “In the words of Winston Churchill, ‘if you are going through hell, keep going’. So don’t give-up, you will be OK. The NSBC will keep fighting the good fight to get you back into business and help you to prosper; we ask you to keep fighting too,” concludes Anderson. For more information about The Covid-19 Small Business Relief Centre, visit www. nsbc.africa or email covid19@nsbc.africa with queries.

Weather the storm of retrenchment by reskilling HEN my husband was told he was being retrenched thanks to the economic effects of Covid-19, it was a call we were expecting but still a big shock. Gosh, I thought to myself. What do we do now? Hubby had been retrenched temporarily under the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme but just like our lockdown extension, it could easily get extended. We sat down that night and prepped ourselves for a difficult conversation on our plan of action. With many people experiencing the same situation, this is some of the thinking that is influencing us. The last few years we have seen a language - a new narrative - develop in businesses. A seed was planted as the first surge of the fourth industrial revolution trends began to set in. It was a discussion about reskilling ourselves to prepare for the future. Many futurists, who have been talking about this for the past five years, did not predict Covid-19. Everyone was focused on either the machines coming for our jobs or the impact global warming would have on business. But regardless of whether it’s machines taking over, or a global pandemic that has ravaged our economies and left many without work, the message remains relevant. Peter Drucker puts it beautifully: “The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning new skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.” In other words, reskilling. For a long time we have thought in terms

of degrees, certificates, MBAs, and assessments. All of these are important, but we have forgotten the idea of skills or rather, knowledge applied. And the wonderful thing about reprograming yourself to think in terms of skillsets, is that more opportunity exists for you. Case in point. Many years ago, my husband worked in the entertainment industry as a DJ and MC. Those are technical skills, but when we drilled down, we realised that what that really gave him was an ability to connect with others, to entertain, the confidence to speak to strangers among many others. These came in handy when he decided to shift directions in life. He ended up working as a ‘ground handler’ for a tourism company - effectively a taxi driver who drives tourists from the airport to Kruger National Park and back. But to do that, he called on the skills he had as an MC, and also had to reskill himself. He had to learn how to drive a minibus, perform basic first aid in the case of emergency and improve his South African general knowledge. But it did provide him a way to leapfrog from one industry to another, without much effort. Financial wellbeing is not only about the financial, it is also about building resilience. These steps will help you set out a plan to weather the storm we are facing. Step 1 - Skilling: What skills do you currently have? It doesn’t matter what they are, spend some time thinking about it and list them. What can you do?

Jessica Matthysen

Step 2 - Upskilling: Take the list of things you can do and spend time researching which of those could have a longer shelf life post the crises. Which of these skills could you possibly spend time honing and refining? Can you take it from completing routine technical tasks requiring basic skills with general supervision or guidance to mastering the skill from broad to complex and specialised? Step 3 - Reskilling: Think about what industries you’d like to work in - which hold the test of time? Where do you see yourself and what do you see yourself doing? Now get yourself there from a skill and knowledge perspective. What is one small step you can take today, to move you closer to achieving that goal? Step 4 - Breathe. You are not alone in this; a lot of people are in the same situation. There is no need to feel ashamed, the pandemic is beyond anyone’s control. Reach out, search for knowledge, ask for help, take small steps, and before you know it, things will be different. A parting thought from Brene Brown, one of the most inspiring and relevant researchers right now on the importance of courage and vulnerability: “You have what it takes to survive those cringey awkward moments. “Knowing that we have the strength to survive those moments and come out on the other side with new information, new ideas, new habits, new skills, that’s how we get braver with our lives and with our hearts.” • Jessica Matthysen is head of customer success at Alexander Forbes Empower.

NEWS & VIEWS

20 May 2020

Criminals more brazen as lockdown drags on Plettenberg Bay crime fighters have warned residents to be vigilant following a spike in incidents in just over 12 hours last weekend - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports LETT Watch spokesman Lisa Nagel said that from 5pm on Saturday until 6am on Sunday, nine crimes were reported on the Longships/Robberg side of town. “These are only the incidents I have been made aware of,” Nagel said. “Disaster management patrollers have encountered a number of known criminals walking around on the pretext of collecting food. These guys are persistent and keep returning even if they are removed from the area. They are scouting properties as they go.” Nagel, therefore, implored Plett residents not to feed these individuals. “Various organisations are doing just that and if you would like to help, rather get hold of one of them and donate through the correct channels. “If need be, get the person’s details and ask the feeding schemes to assist them. By letting anyone come to your home, you are inviting trouble for yourself and your neighbours. “These criminals are looking for opportunities wherever they go and are not afraid to take chances.” Nagel said another burglary method had also come to their attention. “The criminal flips a switch

at your generator from mains to generator, and that then turns off the power to your house if the generator is not running. “They wait until your alarm battery has run flat, and then break in without the alarm going off. The criminal will also turn your electricity off at any outside electrical box that has a breaker in it.” She urged residents to secure trip switches and make them tamper-proof. “Also ensure that any switches from your mains to your generator are tamperproof. If your power goes off, please be extremely cautious and vigilant before you rush outside to switch on your generator. It could be a ruse to get you out of your house.” Nagel encouraged residents to be extra vigilant and aware of any “strange people or movements” in their midst. “Ensure you activate your alarm and keep all doors and windows locked to prevent criminals gaining entry. If you hear noises or notice intruders on your property, press your panic button and switch on all your lights. “If you suspect an intruder is in your house, lock yourself in your bedroom, use your panic button, and call the authorities immediately.” Garden Route Media

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Knysna Covid-19 cases jump to 25 as second municipal worker tests positive; Plett data now up to speed with nine cases reflected CTING municipal manager Dr Michele Gratz on Monday announced that a second Knysna municipal worker tested positive for Covid-19. “As with the first case, the required steps were immediately taken as soon as results had been received. “The worker was placed in quarantine and the entire team was tested on Saturday morning. Nine members of the team are in quarantine at the moment. As with all our offices, the work area frequented was disinfected and cleaned. “The tracing process to find those he had been in contact with outside the workplace has started, and we are assisting the Health Department at Knysna Provincial Hospital and the Covid-19 Command Centre where we can,” said Gratz. “Internally, we strictly follow the Health Department guidelines and ensure all staff wear PPE. Temper-

atures are screened daily and social distancing measures are practised in all our workspaces.” Gratz added: “As expected by government, the number of cases are increasing. In Knysna we are now at 23 cases, of which nine are active [see the latest count at the end of this article]. “As the lockdown measures are eased it is more important than ever for all of us to act responsibly. Following the prescribed Covid-19 preventative measures is essential if we want to keep infection numbers down. “Make sure you wear your mask, wash and disinfect your hands regularly, do not share food and drinks, and practise social distancing. Level 4 is NOT open season. We are still in lockdown - stay home when you can. Stay safe.” Gratz said that, as promised by Knysna Municipality, all essential services would continue.

Bitou Covid-19 numbers up from five to nine confirmed cases After weeks of speculation about the number of confirmed cases in Bitou, daily data disseminated by the Western Cape provincial government on May 18 finally displayed a truer state of affairs. Whereas cases in Plettenberg Bay and surrounds had been sitting on ‘five confirmed, five recovered’ since the start of the lockdown, by Monday this number had escalated to ‘nine confirmed, six recovered’. Scroll down to ‘Letters to the Editor’ at www.cxpress.co.za to read this week’s Bitou Covid-19 Response Team newsletter. The latest available numbers of confirmed cases elsewhere on the Garden Route are: Knysna 25 (17 recovered), George 27 (16), Hessequa eight (seven), Kannaland one (0), Mossel Bay 26 (19), and Oudtshoorn four (three).

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20 May 2020

People think that in Africa we ride lions and elephants to work. That’s ridiculous - we don’t have jobs!

Things comedians say… inspiration. KEVIN HART • I think if you get kicked in the face you deserved it, because that means that you watched the foot come to your face. • I hate when new parents ask who the baby looks like. It was born 15min ago; it looks like a potato. LOUIS CK • Your phone doesn’t suck. Your life sucks around the phone. • There are two types of people in the world: People who say they pee in the shower and dirty liars. MARK TWAIN • Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company. • I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it. MITCH HEDBERG • Rice is great when you’re hungry and you want 2,000 of something. RICKY GERVAIS • You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway. • Remember, when you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It is only painful for others. The same applies when you are stupid. ROBIN WILLIAMS • Never pick a fight with an ugly person - they’ve got nothing to lose. • If women ran the world we wouldn’t have wars, just intense negotiations every 28 days. RYAN REYNOLDS • Went to Disneyland be-

BILL MURRAY • The best way to teach kids about taxes is by eating 30% of their ice cream. • People are like music. Some speak the truth, and others are just noise. DAVE CHAPPELLE • You know you must be doing something right if old people like you. ELLEN DEGENERES • Accept who you are, unless you’re a serial killer. • People always ask me: “Were you funny as a child?” Well, no, I was an accountant. JERRY SEINFELD • What is a date, really, but a job interview that lasts all night? The only difference is that in not many job interviews is there a chance you’ll wind up naked. • A two-year old is kind of like a blender, but you don’t have any top for it. JIM CARREY • Behind every great man there’s a woman rolling her eyes. • You know the trouble with real life? There’s no danger music. JIMMY FALLON • Sometimes I wish I had a terrible childhood, so that at least I’d have an excuse. • Thank you, 2:30 in the morning, for always being the first sign that tomorrow’s gonna suck. JON STEWART • I have complete faith in the continued absurdity of whatever’s going on. • Insomnia is my greatest 1

cause my daughter’s obsessed with Mickey Mouse. She was so excited when I got home and told her. • People in LA are deathly afraid of gluten. I swear, you could rob a liquor store with a bagel. STEPHEN COLBERT • Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for people with attention spans. • Here’s an easy way to figure out if you’re in a cult: If you’re wondering whether you’re in a cult, the answer is yes. STEVEN WRIGHT

• If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments. • I’m writing a book. Sor far, I’ve got the page numbers done. WILL FERRELL • Facebook is like jail, you sit around and waste time, you write on walls and you get poked by people you don’t know. • Sleep is so cute when it tries to compete with social media. WOODY ALLEN • I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens. • Sex is the most fun you can have without laughing.

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B I G B R O T H E R

ON THE SOAPBOX

20 May 2020

Letters to the Editor

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

CXPRESS

We will always remember you, Bob

What Plett should know about Level 4 restrictions and moving towards restoring our economy No doubt the Covid-19 lockdown has come as a massive shock to all of you, but none more so than those who either own a business or otherwise earn a living in the Bitou area. The extension of the lockdown for a further two-week period undoubtedly caused even more concern but in many ways the most frightening aspect of the entire exercise is yet to come - and that is re-entering the workplace with great concern as to what you will find when you get there. In many ways it will be a bit like re-entering an area after a natural disaster. Nothing will be the same. If it was back to business as usual, some hard work and determination would soon rectify the interruption in momentum and income but, sadly, it is not going to be like that. Even if your business was permitted to open on Friday May 1, many businesses upon whom you depend for your turnover may not be permitted to operate yet, as a result of which you may be facing similar expenses with a lesser income. For employees this may mean that you will be made redundant or your salary reduced, if that has not happened to you already. To add to the challenges, our most important industry, tourism, will have been the industry most severely impacted upon and the most challenging to resuscitate. Historically, we have been very dependent on inbound tourism, which is now subject to restrictions of its own. As an inevitable knock-on effect, many other businesses depend on tourism and will be negatively impacted. The question is: Where do we go from here? Clearly, reinventing the way we do business and moving as rapidly as we can towards Level 1 and beyond must be first and foremost in our minds. Shortly before the president’s address to the nation when he announced

the extension of the lockdown, an eminent doctor was interviewed who brought valuable perspective to the predicament faced by our country. In essence, he said two very important things. The first was that the initial predictions concerning the spread and potential impact of the coronavirus were just that - predictions in the absence of any real scientific data, as the virus had only just recently appeared on the scene. We believe we are already seeing that some of the more dire predictions have not come to pass, including those pertaining to the spread and impact of the virus in South Africa. At this point in time, we are way behind predicted levels of spread and we share this in common with most of the rest of the world. This is encouraging but by no means any reason for complacency, which leads directly into the second and most important point, and that is: What will happen depends on what we do - or what we do not do. In short, the spread and impact of the disease is in the hands of the individual and all of us cooperatively as a town comprising of individuals, each one of us acting sensibly and diligently, doing what we are being instructed to do. Whether you’re an entrepreneur desperately striving to save your business, or a retired person wondering when you will be able to once again enjoy a cup of coffee with your friends at a coffee shop or get your hair done, the answer is the same. We are all in this together. If we all pull together and make maximum effort as a town, we should be able to quite rapidly revert to relative normality with most businesses opening so that we can commence the restoration process. Conversely, if there are those among us who, for one reason or another, believe that the protocols laid down do not apply to

CX humour goes global

them, we will walk a far longer, harder and lesspleasant road with a far more severe impact on our economy. It is as simple as that. Diligently wearing an adequate facial mask is increasingly being recognised as the key to any strategy to contain the spread of the virus. Germany, which has traditionally shunned masks like many other countries to their cost, have legislated the wearing of masks as part of their strategy to reopen the economy. As an indication of how seriously the Germans now take this issue, a fine of up to US$5,000 can be imposed on those failing to comply. As of May 1, the law requires all of us to wear face masks at all times when in a public place. It is up to all businesses and each one of us to ensure that every individual in our town wears a mask at all relevant times. No individual should be admitted to business premises or be engaged in conversation unless wearing a mask. A common practice that has been observed is pulling down one’s mask when talking. Talking spreads droplets and is a high-risk of spread occupation, so a mask should not only be worn, but in place at all times. Moving back to normality will also have its challenges, because once we are heading there, we will have more visitors in our town while we are striving to preserve that relative normality. At the time of writing, we have zero active Covid-19 cases in the Bitou area and no new cases have been detected for some weeks despite extensive testing in some areas. We must strive to keep it that way by not only diligently practising recommended guidelines, but also insisting that those visiting our town do likewise. Insofar businesses are concerned, you need to have in place the full raft of protocols in active use, as well as insisting that those who enter your

“This is brilliant, we’ve disseminated it worldwide already!” commented Plett resident Chris van Gass shortly after our May 13 edition hit the shelves and if you didn’t manage to get your hands on a hard copy, turn to page 6 of that edition at www. cxpress.co.za

premises adhere to those protocols by having their hands sanitised and wearing a mask at all times. A recent review of supermarkets and other businesses currently open revealed a high degree of non-compliance with recommended guidelines and carelessness in implementation, even when protocols were in place. Among these non-compliancy issues were the following: 1. Staff not in possession of masks - plastic shields are no substitute for a mask but can be used in addition to a mask for additional protection; 2. Staff (and management) in possession of a mask but the mask strung around the neck or otherwise not properly in place; 3. Ineffective hand cleansing facilities at the entrance. Remember the principle of ‘your mask protects me and my mask protects you’. Those failing to adhere to mask wearing requirements are a risk to our society. It is a question of preventing virus containing droplets being ejected into the air - this is what a cloth mask achieves. As a community, let us pull together and unite in a common effort like never before, to beat this virus and to restore our ailing economy. Detailed instructions on how to avoid contracting Covid-19 are available on the Plett Tourism and Business Chamber websites. Finally, but equally important, support local business whenever you can and think ‘innovation’ in the way you conduct business. Let us together restore that wonderful Plett feeling to our town. Yours in the love and preservation of Plett. Mike Scholtz & Marius Venter, Plett (Mike is chairman of the Plettenberg Bay Business Chamber and Marius is the CEO of Plett Tourism. Visit plett-tourism. co.za for additional information. - Eds.)

Former Plett local Bob Huckle (born June 21, 1961) passed away in Cape Town on Tuesday May 12. Longtime manager of Plett Ski-boat Club and friend of many in the fishing fraternity and beyond, his loved ones in CX Country were quick to pay tribute to Bob once news of his passing spread on social media. Said sister Margaret on May 13: “Yesterday at 8am South African time, our beautiful bigger than life brother Bob passed away after a long painful battle with cancer. He is survived by siblings Michael, Margaret, Cathy, Mark and Greg. May Bob Rest in Peace.” Norman Mayall wrote: “A really sad day yesterday but your suffering is over - may you RIP, mate. We sure had some great times together, from golf trips to Durban to having epic parties at Ski-boat Club and Flashbacks. I hope you’re having one with Keith. You will be missed by many.” Finally, PJ Ausker penned: “I’ll remember you when I’ve forgotten all the rest. You to me were true. Rest in Peace, my friend.”

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20 May 2020

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