The Village News 04 October 2016

Village

NEWS The

4 October 2016

Cape Whale Coast

FREE COPY DOING THE CRANE SHAKE Our Blue Cranes are in the last few weeks of their flocking behaviour as they congregate alongside sheep at feeding troughs in the Overberg. Their elegant display dances have started, and very soon pairs will wander off on their own to start nesting in the fields where they will lay two to three eggs on open ground, or sometimes on raised platform nests, where there is a high water table. Please remember that the breeding season is very important to our Blue Cranes – roughly 60% to 70% of the estimated 17 000 cranes are non-breeding individuals – therefore it is most important to not disturb them on their nests in the coming months. Let’s work together to ensure we have many fluffy fledglings this season.

PHOTO: Keir Lynch - Chairman, Overberg Crane Group

A hole in one for Hermanus

H

ermanus is set to play host to what could become one of the greatest events on the South African sporting calendar.

From Friday 24 February to Sunday 26 February 2017 some of the top women golfers from around the globe will take part in the inaugural Global

Challenge on the Hermanus Golf Course. The challenge will pit 10 players from the Northern Hemi-sphere against their Southern Hemisphere counterparts.

Says Global Challenge spokesperson, Kaz Henderson: “The aim is for this challenge to be on a par

with the Solheim Cup, which is a biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. This event attracted some 25 000 spectators daily at the 2015 event in Germany.

that started out 25 years ago, we will start small, but with the difference that professional women’s golf has grown and with it, the need for a global professional women’s team event of substance, so we expect to grow quite quickly,” says Kaz.

“Similar to the Solheim Cup

“We have spent several years

discussing options with various role players and are delighted to be able to announce that all the planning is now paying off with an exciting field of players, a slew of forwardthinking sponsors and supporters, and a new competition that takes account of the great Southern

Hemisphere players.”

Captain of the Southern Hemisphere team, South African legend Laurette Maritz, expressed her support for the event. “I’m absolutely delighted to be a part of this event and of being invited to captain this invitational side.”

Read more on P 4

4 October 2016

WS NEWS

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The

6 Royal Street Hermanus

Publisher

Dewaal Steyn 083 700 3319 dewaal@the hermanus news.co.za

How proud are you to call the Whale Coast home?

We are indeed privileged to call the Cape Whale Coast home.

Not only are we surrounded by immense natural beauty, but our people make this area a true gem. This is evident in the hard work community members put in to make life easier for their fellow residents and the trouble we take to welcome visitors to our area.

As an example, the effort it took to host a successful Whale Festival needs to be lauded. The organisers of all

Editorial Comment

By De Waal Steyn the various events did a sterling job. Speaking to both residents and visitors it is clear that the festival, now in its 25th year, has become a favourite amongst visitors.

Yes, there are many

objections to a festival of this magnitude in town. It puts a lot of strain on our services and traffic is a nightmare, but the economic value of the festival cannot be ignored.

But, there is a saying: If you moan it, you own it. It would therefore be to the benefit of our town to work together and make the next 25 years of the Whale Festival even greater. The more all of us work together, the better we will do.

Another example is the inaugural Village Ball where

our senior residents were treated to a night of dinner and dance. Everyone who was part of the organising as well as those who supported the event must be congratulated.

The smiles on the faces of those who have served our community well was worth all the long hours that went into the planning and preparation.

The upcoming Global Challenge is another event to be excited about. What an honour to have a golf tournament like this on our shores. The possibilities for promoting the region are

limitless. Do yourself a favour and search online for videos of the Solheim Cup. It is our opinion that the Global Challenge can within a few years reach the same level.

What a joy it would be to welcome thousands of golfing enthusiasts to the Whale Coast.

We should all be proud of what our region has become. In what are otherwise troubling times, it is with relief that we can say the Whale Coast has a bright future.

That is the Good News. – ED

Letters and opinions Content Editor

Hedda Mittner 083 645 3928 hedda@hermanus.co.za

Marketing Manager

Kathy Mulock-Bentley 083 581 7219 kathy@chartwellsupport.co.za

Design and Layout

Nickey Jackson 079 408 7722 nickeyjackson.hermanus@gmail.com

Journalist

Aly Verbaan 060 700 0542 alyverbaan@icloud.com Ombudsman The press exists to serve society. Its freedom provides for independent scrutiny, and is essential to ensuring democracy. It enables citizens to make informed judgments, a role that is recognised by the Constitution. The Village NEWS subscribes to the South Afri can Press Code and thus to the South African Press Council and the South African Press Ombudsman. Should you feel our report ing is not fair, free or unbiased and without prejudice, or that serious errors have been made, you are welcome to lay a complaint with the Ombudsman on 011 484 3612/8, or e-mail pressombudsman.org.za or pay a visit to www.ombudsman.org.za

Evolution is ‘just a Between a rock and a hard place fairy tale for adults’ I refer to Gerhard Coetzee’s letter under the heading “Misconceptions about Evolution” (The Village NEWS, 20 September 2016). In his third paragraph he refers to the possibility of either micro or macro evolution, and comes up with the astonishing answer: “Why not?” That really surprised me! (Micro evolution is not evolution, but variations within a species).

I have been making a study of the interface between Biblical revealed Truth, and speculative evolution for 66 years, having written four books on the subject, mostly in Afrikaans. Mr Coetzee kindly gives God the nod with regard to all the beauty around us, and there I agree 100% with his observation, but when he suggests that God “used” evolution or the Big Bang, we will have to part company!.

Firstly, God could not have “used” the Big Bang, simply because it never happened.

Even the creator of the term “Big Bang”, Sir Frederick Hoyle, declares that the likelihood of the Big Bang having taken place, is just as possible as a whirlwind passing through a junkyard resulting in a Boeing 747 coming out at the other end.

Nobel laureate, Hannes Alfven, in the seventies pointed out that there are 92 prerequisites for the Big Bang ever to have taken place, but only one was present. As another scientist put it: “The Big Bang and evolution are a fairy tale for grownups.”

I have never witnessed an explosion that has led to order – particularly the stunning order we find in the

universe. It is simply not possible. Modern-day physicists like the worldrenowned Paul Davis informs us that the entire universe is balancing on a knife edge.

Alter just one of the factors even by a millimetre, and the universe would implode.

The non-Biblical science journalist, Richard Milton, in his outstanding book, The Facts of Life: Shattering the Myth of Darwinism, says the oldest the universe and earth can be is between 190 000 years at most, and 9 000 as more likely.

Even professor John Eddy, after studying the sun for the whole of his professional life, came to the following astonishing conclusion: “ I suspect the universe to be 4 500 million years old; however, given some new and unexpected result to the contrary, and some time for frantic re-adjustment, I suspect I could live with Bishop Ussher’s value of the age of the earth and sun. I don’t think we have any observational evidence in conflict with that!” Ussher’s creation date, based on Genesis’s historical figures and events, is 4 004 BC. Ridiculous, mad, unscientific?

As Einstein said: “If it cannot be measured, it is not science, but speculation.” Evolution from start to finish is pure speculation. The scientific evidence against it is growing by the day. It is, after all, a belief system. I could quote hundreds of leading scientists in support of that statement, but evolutionists have the microphone – to the detriment of truth.

Pieter Pelser

Congratulations to you and your team for the outstanding publication. I find myself reading articles I would normally not have read. Reason being, firstly in English, and secondly the accurate and informative information.

My response to the letter ‘Chipped windscreens an ongoing problem’ (The Village NEWS, 20 September 2016): I had my front windscreen damaged twice whilst Road-Mac was undertaking repairs to the R43. The first time was from a stone thrown up by a Road-

Mac open truck driving at speed on the down-hill shoulder of the road near Steyn’s Quarry. My windscreen had to be replaced as the hole was in my line of vision and too deep for repair. The second time was after Road-Mac had worked at night, this time from a vehicle with a trailer, pulling out of the Vermont turn-off. PG Glass were successful in repairing this damage.

Numerous attempts to make a claim against them proved fruitless, along with what I believe to be some 50 other

claims. I would be interested to hear if any of the claimants were successful.

That’s not all. For a third time, last week Tuesday another stone hit my windscreen, this time just past Hawston. I drive twice a week to visit my Mom in Somerset West and never had a stone hit my window until Road-Mac began the repairs.

The solution? Ask contractors to clear away all loose stones with those road machines with brushes fitted – that would do the trick.

Lorraine Nuttall

Sipho’s dog tales go viral in the best possible way [This Facebook post on Dogtownsa and BarkingMad by the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society, and then on The Village News FB page, hit the 500-likes mark in the space of three days.]

Eight months ago, a little chap marched into our reception area at Hermanus Animals Welfare Society, stating “N'difuna i-band!”

(IsiXhosa for “I want a leash”) and then said “N'difuna idogmor!” and we kind kinda went “Huh?” Well, he got his “band” and his Dogmore and proceeded to visit us just about every week, each time bringing his dogs along with him.

Time passed and lots of “dogmor” later, we learned that his dogs names were Government, Policeman and Social Worker. As more time passed we learned to know the three dogs pretty well, as this young fellow brought them to us whenever they needed help.

But then we noticed something odd - the little guy, whose name is Sipho, was bringing us way too many different dogs and puppies. So we began asking questions. At first, Sipho was having none of it. But then, slowly, the story began to emerge.

Sipho had made it his selfappointed task to round up every single sick dog in his neighbourhood and see to it that the animals came to HAWS to be treated and healed. But Sipho went even further, and rounded up every single puppy and its owner in his area, insisting they come to HAWS and get the puppies dewormed, kitted out with fancy leashes and collars, and generally health checked (for the puppies) and healthy handling checked (for the owners) by us.

Obviously all of this care has cost quite a bit of cash, and Sipho, bless his little generous heart, has thought it’s all been for free. Sadly, though,

economic realities must intrude for most of us and they have done so with Sipho. This poor fellow is devastated that he can’t have free “muti” anymore.

We simply cannot afford to keep carrying the costs for Sipho, despite his sterling efforts of cleaning up our forecourt and trying to “earn” all his animal care.

Thus, we’d like to ask you all if there are any out there who’d be willing and able to help us start Sipho’s Fund, to which folks can contribute so that this little animal warrior can carry on being the shining example he is trying to be. We ask those who are in a position to help us to please either call Lenke on 028 312 1281 or email her at adoptions@hermanusanimal welfare.co.za so that we can help this future leader succeed.

HAWS, Hermanus The Hermanus Animal Welfare Society, Standard Bank Cheque Account No.: 082263310, branch code 051001 and use “Sipho’s Fund” as your reference.

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October 2016 26 4JANUARY 2016

New faces, challenges for CPF

“So, the lion is walking through the jungle and he comes across a rabbit. He roars, ‘Who is the boss of this place?’ Terrified, the rabbit stutters, ‘You are, Mr Lion.’ Same thing happens with a springbok and a zebra. The lion meets an elephant next and roars, ‘Who is the boss of this place?’ The elephant picks the lion up with his trunk and thrashes him against the trees, before tossing him off into the distance. The lion, suitably chastened, says, ‘Okay, no need to get violent just because you don’t know the answer’.”

— Lt Col Luthando Nosilela, SAPS Hermanus station commander, Hermanus CPF AGM, 27 September.

Aly Verbaan

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swing vote at the Hermanus CPF AGM saw AfriForum Overstrand’s chairperson Elmarie van Dalen scoop the position of vice-chairperson on the Exco, after a 5-5 deadlock against former policeman and Denel security advisor Eddie Holloway (OnVerWag). This follows the resignation of Theuns Coetzee due to other work pressures.

Elmarie said she was surprised at her election, but very happy, as “security is my passion”.

become involved in cases.

• The magistrate’s court buildings are inadequate and, while there was apparently land available for extensions, the Department of Justice was unwilling to pay for it.

• The backlog of cases awaiting hearing is “enormous”, running to over 1 500 serious cases.

• Two projects that were planned last year - Adopt-a-Cop for primary school children, and the Junior CPF for high school learners - could not be implemented, but it is hoped that with the appointment of the new station commander these plans can be put back on the table next year.

• Plans for a dog unit have seemingly stalled after it transpired that land that was promised for this project is in fact not available. If the plans cannot be implemented in the near future the unit will be set up in Grabouw instead, which will not assist in local gang problems.

PRAISE

WOMAN ON BOARD New Hermanus CPF vice-chairperson Elmarie van Dalen.

• The new fingerprint unit has managed to reach as far as Zwelihle this year, in unexpectedly quick time.

• Three neighbourhood watches in particular - Sandbaai, Vermont and Onrus - were praised for a “very successful year”, as well as good combined operations.

PLANS

Eddie was then unanimously voted in as projects manager, filling Chris Nieuwoudt’s shoes, who resigned some time ago, while Caroline Gabb (Onrus Ratepayers’ Association) replaces Carmen Titus as PR officer.

PROBLEMS The following issues were raised: • It is proving virtually impossible to interest younger people in joining any of the neighbourhood watches, leaving the burden of security and administration to an ever-aging CPF. • Similarly, volunteers with legal knowledge cannot be sourced, as they wish to be paid by the CPF, which works on a volunteer basis.

• The SAPS’s phone number changed almost two years ago, but old signage has largely not been replaced, and only some websites have done so.

• The general quality of statements taken by the police is poor.

• Witnesses to crimes in particular areas are especially unwilling to

• A camera surveillance system is “at this stage a pipe dream”, said CPF chairperson Mervyn Milner, “but one that we hope to implement at some point”. How many cameras will be needed, costs involved, and how to fundraise it are all still unknown. “It could be R10 M or R100 M, we don’t know until we’ve had the experts in. We need to work out where the cameras should be placed strategically, and ideally there should be enough to cover the area from Fisherhaven to Voëlklip.” According to Mervyn, it is “the influx from the Transkei that is responsible for the steep crime hike”, and that “for whatever reason, bus loads of migrants and immigrants are dropped off in Hermanus every day.”

• Police personnel are to be trained in taking proper statements by the chief prosecutor.

• It is envisaged that Fernkloof and Voëlklip will need neighbourhood watches of their own soon, as gangs and tend to move in zones.

Zwelihle and AfriForum team up In what may seem an unlikely alliance to many, plans are in the pipeline for AfriForum (Overstrand) to assist Zwelihle in resetting up its own dedicated neighbourhood watch (ZNW).

Despite being intimidated, assaulted and even, on occasion, arrested, some 40 Zwelihle residents are determined to fight the exceptionally high crime in the area. Alcohol, drugs and unemployment are the usual suspects. Says chairperson Vusumzi Tshona, “Housebreaking is out of control, drug dealers have free reign, and rape, assault and murder are another story.”

According to Vusumzi, children as young as 12 are being recruited to sell drugs, which they are then paid a portion of, thus hooking them on drugs as well, and bringing in more business for dealers at the same time. To fund this escalating addiction, burglary is their answer.

Secretary of ZNW, Nomzi Khambi, explains: “The youngsters steal right here in the community and then sell the stuff amongst us. We need to make people understand that they must not buy these wares. They are contributing to the community’s problem. And even criminals from Mt Pleasant come here, rob us and go home.”

According to Nomzi, the criminals try to “defend” themselves to the community by saying they are stealing from whites. “But they steal even more from us. And even if that is true, that’s unacceptable.

We are all people, our blood is the same.”

Says Vusumzi: “In our culture the family will try to sort it out. Women are not encouraged to report abuse to the police, and then there is the problem of the Zwelihle police station itself. There is no trauma room or anywhere private to make a statement, so you have to stand in front of all the police and people in the station and say you have been raped. Then everyone knows.”

Currently there are some 40 foot patrollers, men and women, although on occasion the women have been assaulted when intervening in crime or fights. Nomzi herself was set upon by a group of young boys, who attacked her with rocks. When she hit one back in defence, he ran to his mother, and Nomzi was subsequently arrested herself. “Mothers in particular don’t want to believe their boys are involved in drugs or crime, and will defend them. But the reality is often quite different. And people must also be taught not to protect relatives from the consequences of their actions,” says Nomzi.

breakfast

The patrols are carried out in Kwasa Kwasa and the old location.

In terms of patrols and the growth of the neighbourhood watch, Elmarie van Dalen, chairperson of AfriForum and new vice-chairperson of the Hermanus CPF, has offered AfriForum’s help.

lunch

“We have equipment like torches, radios, boots and jackets, as well as training courses,” says Elmarie.

With regard to rape, there are cultural and administrative issues.

As far as working with AfriForum goes, the trio are only too happy.

“English, Afrikaans, Indian, black, coloured, white - we must all work together to fight this scourge.”

FIGHTING SPIRIT Treasurer Noluviwo Nkoanyane, chairperson Vusumzi Tshona and secretary Nomzi Khambi are on the lookout.

Elmarie agrees: “Unfortunately AfriForum has had some negative connotations in the past, and it’s not to say all current members are perfect, and we do stand for the rights of minorities, particularly Afikaners, but our mission statement is to create and sustain a society where Afrikaners are able to lead a meaningful and sustainable existence, in peace with all other communities. We all need to help each other.”

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126 Main Road, Hermanus TEL 028 125 0037 EMAIL info@bettyblue.co.za @bettybluebistro

Betty Blue Bistro

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4 October 2016

Global Challenge set to tee off in Hermanus From P 1 “I believe it is a great concept and I am so happy there is now a date that fits with everyone’s schedules. I can’t wait to get things rolling,” says Laurette Maritz, captain of the South African team.

Spanish golfer, Maria Beautell team member of the Northern Hemisphere, is also excited about returning to South Africa and playing in the inaugural event. “I have never been to Hermanus but am thoroughly looking forward to being able to finally play on its magnificent golf course with my contemporaries in what is an exciting new event. I can’t wait to go sightseeing along the Whale Coast… and of course if we get to spot some sharks or whales while we are here, that would also be a bonus.”

Pottie Potgieter, dealer principal at Hyundai in Hermanus, is equally pleased to be a frontrunner among local businesses in supporting the Global Challenge. “We are very honoured that Hyundai is the official vehicle ‘driving’ the Global Challenge. We look forward to being part of history in the making.”

Underpinning the community aspect of the event, the organisers have deliberately chosen to stage this international tournament outside of the Cape metropole and in Hermanus, in order to broaden the impact of staging world-

I

class sports events can have on local communities.

To this end, the organisers have chosen Learn to Earn in Mount Pleasant to be the charity to benefit from the Birdie to Learn initiative.

Both the tournament and its outreach have been met with overwhelming support from Cape Whale Coast, Hermanus Tourism, and the members of the Hermanus Golf Club, who on 24 September revealed their new-look clubhouse, which will welcome the players and expected media contingent next year.

Stephen van der Merwe, club captain, says the club is very excited about the prospect of hosting an international event of this magnitude.”

Concluding, Henderson confirmed that the teams representing both hemispheres would shortly be announced but that the organisers had already received responses in the affirmative from all invitations to date.

The event is free of charge and open to everyone with an interest in golf. No booking is required. The event will also provide enter-tainment, food stalls, and much fun for the whole family.

For further news and updates see www.theglobalchallenge. co.za .

Laurette Maritz, captain of the South African team.

The official launch of the Global Challenge will be held during a meeting of Hermanus Tourism members at the Hermanus Golf Club on Thursday 6 October at 18:00. Those who wish to join must RSVP Anneline at 028 312 2629 or hermanustourism@hermanus.co.za no later than Tuesday 4 October.

Maria Beautell from Spain.

MARKETING & GLOBAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN

The global marketing campaign will see the Birdies to Earn challenge come alive around the world, unlocking a unique international funding opportunity.

Together with the players, fans, global golf industries, supporters of the game and all who want to help create sustainable business opportunities will be able to leave a pledge on social media and via SMS to make a donation for every birdie made by the players.

The campaign will continue during selected tournaments after the Global Challenge, keeping the brand alive as we head towards future Global Challenges.

FAN FACTS

SUPPORTING LOCAL LEARN TO EARN is the beneficiary of the proceeds generated by the Global Challenge. All the money earned through the global pledge campaigns will be ploughed into training future entrepreneurs to be able to own, run and maintain sustainable business and income opportunities.

• All the players have a huge number of followers on social media.

• Over 100 000 fans from all over the world passed through the gates to enjoy the 2015 Solheim Cup hosted in Germany.

• 67 countries tuned into the live broadcast for golfing fans to enjoy.

• 13 countries bid to host the 2023 Solheim Cup, which is testament to the need for a truly global event.

All’s not fair in blood and gore

imagine that working in an abattoir must be the worst job in the world. If you are in the slaughter business, what is one’s career plan? When your boss asks you the proverbial “Where do you see yourself in five years from now?”, what can you say? “I’d like to have moved onto bigger and better animals, perhaps some large buck, or even an elephant or two, if things go according to plan”? Poacher, maybe?

Perhaps you would say that, in your daydreams about the future, you see yourself as socalled dentist Walter James Palmer, taking out Cecil the Lion and entire herds of interesting and exotic creatures. But, for now, you say, you would be happy with a step up from pigs and chickens to sheep and cows.

Alyways

Aly Verbaan Of course, it never surprised anyone that our former “minister of environment” has a history of hunting. Indeed, everything has been fair game for old Shorty Pants who else do you know who can boast an entire family of skulls on his wall? I can just

imagine his bar. But, disturbingly, he is by no means alone, or even in the minority.

Not that it’s any consolation, but the Australians are having a similar problem. Their “environmental minister” too has condoned the hunting of one of their national animals, the kangaroo. The marsupials have apparently set up camp on a military base, which must be very convenient for the army’s shooting exercises.

Fortunately our elephants’ memories are long enough for them not to think it’s okay to move to Vlakplaas.

Bloodsport in South Africa has plumbed new depths, and killing animals has paled into anaemic insignificance in comparison to the childhunting plague that has descended upon us.

Yet I could not stop the blood draining from my head last week when I came across photos on a media database of hunters with their kills. Let me state now that I am not squeamish. I have worked in a mortuary. Blood does not faze me and gory conversation does not deter me from my food. Come to think of it, nothing does.

No, what really got my goat was the expressions of sheer delight on the hunters’ socalled faces as they got stuck into the freshly struck down buck’s insides. Indeed, so ecstatic were they that they were painting each others’ faces with the blood of the slaughter.

Now, I know what you are thinking. Am I a vegetarian then? The answer is no (alt-

hough I do try intermittently).

But before you convict me of hypocrisy, allow me to explain. Unfortunately I like meat as much as the next person, but I do not relish the thought of shooting it, maiming it or hacking it apart.

I would, of course, hunt down a baby rabbit if my family’s lives depended upon it, but I would not be delighted. I would not whoop with joy as if I had won the Booker prize.

Much less would I spend my disposable income on gadgets and goodies for weapons and take my holidays in a hunting park saturated with the last breaths of the dying. Please. I live in Hermanus.

And it is this sick enjoyment of killing and death that hunters clearly have that reveals the source of society’s tolerance for violence. It is not

death that is the issue - that will always be with us - but the lust for killing.

This is not a girl thing, in case some of you were heading in that direction. Some of the most despicable culprits of hunting are “women”, and I use the word loosely. I wouldn’t let any of them look after my child.

Normal people do not mentally enjoy picturing their meal being shot through the head with a bolt in a warehouse in Maitland.

This is not to say that we should not face facts. Yes, animals are being killed in order for us to eat in the South African way, but let us rather take pleasure in living things and leave the slaughter to those poor sods who are paid to do it because they cannot do any better.

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264JANUARY 2016 October 2016

Quarter of a century of success for Whale fest Hermanus was stuffed to the gills during the Whale Festival weekend that was described by most as hugely successful. The festival this year celebrated its 25th year.

According to Fabio Lenci, vicechair of the organising committee, the sunny weather conditions added to the triumph. “Judging by the number of cars coming in to town and the throngs of people who enjoyed walking around it, it can be described as one of the most successful festivals yet.”

Fabio said the music tent was packed to the rafters on Saturday afternoon and all the other events, such as the Chris Chameleon concert at the golf club, the half-marathon, and the classic car show drew big support. Karl Janson, who has

his frozen lolly trailer here every year during the festival and had the prime viewing spot of the classic cars, said this year attracted far and away the most vintage vehicular participants.

“Apart from accommodation establishments, wine farms and restaurants also did brisk business. The only problems were not enough ablution facilities and too few litter bins,” said Frieda.

The sporting events at Benguela Cove were also very well attended. There were no serious incidents reported and both provincial and local traffic officials ensured a smooth flow of traffic through the area.

In her opening speech, Councillor Nicolette BothaGuthrie said the festival has become a highlight on the calendar for visitors both local and from further afield.

According to Whale Coast Tourism manager Frieda Lloyd, accommodation in Hermanus was fully booked.

“Not only was it the Whale Festival weekend, but it is also school holidays and thousands of tourists flock to our shores this time every year to watch the whales.

“The Overstrand Municipality welcomes partnership efforts of this nature as it ultimately assists us with the development and improved existence of the community and environment. The Hermanus Whale Festival provides an ideal opportunity for the spotlight to fall favourably on what the Overstrand has to offer,” she concluded.

ORIENT TO OCCIDENT Cathy Liang from Taiwan, who is studying in Cape Town, spent the weekend in Hermanus with her mom, Michelle Chen.

They enjoyed the stalls in the Eco-Marine Marquee, including this exhibit of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.

VISITORS GALORE Ben Viljoen from Hermanus (right) enjoyed the Whale Festival with his friends Lisandro Peralta from Argentina, Sherry Vermaak from Cape Town and Michelle Norton from Durban.

REAL VINTAGE The Classic Car Show drew hooves as well as wheels.

THE JOKER Jarrod Niacker of Pelican Park in Cape Town came through for the day with his family.

SEA WARRIORS Dyer Island Conservation Trust as back in the Eco-Marine Marquee this year.

Manning their stall were staff members and volunteers Hannah Mikkonen, Gerhard van der Merwe, Sean van der Linde, Jamie O’Halloran, Brenda du Toit, Barbara Kahn, Sanchia Chivell, Anne Davison and shark specialist Alison Towner.

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4 October 2016

The sky warrior who survived D-Day Brigadier General Albie Götze: the only surviving pilot in South Africa to have been involved in the D-Day landings Aly Verbaan

S

peaking to 93-year-old Onrus resident Albie Götze, one can well believe the above quote might be true. When I arrive at his lodgings he is poring over an article on splicing defective DNA from the helix and replacing it with new strands.

“

Some people are old at 18, and some are young at 90... time is a concept that humans created - Yoko Ono

”

From a somewhat inauspicious background, Albie Götze literally took his life to new heights as a fighter pilot in WWII. If offered the chance to fly a Spitfire or a Typhoon, or anything really, or parachute out of a plane, chances are Albie would still say yes.

Born on a farm near Prieska to a German father and Afrikaans mother, things went somewhat haywire when Albie was in Standard four and his father, through no fault of his own, went bankrupt. At the same time, his mother, Joey, was ill with rheumatic fever and the family was advised to move to Cape Town for the air.

Attending Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck in Kloof Street, bright spark Albie was put up a standard, thus finishing matric at a young 17 in 1939, just as WWII was breaking out.

At first, Albie worked at Maskew Miller, “changing pen nibs”, as he puts it. He was musically gifted — his mother taught him to play the piano when he was four, but the precocious Albie said he would prefer the violin, which he learnt remarkably quickly. He studied music in Cape Town and formed a trio with Maria Venter and Paul Fouche, playing live on radio. He also played in a brass band, singing and playing the violin at the Cape Town Eisteddfod.

The family was desperately poor, and it was left to Albie to take care of his mother, take himself to school, feed and clothe them, and attend his music lessons, and he loved every minute of it! “But eventually my mother moved back to Prieska and I went to Johannesburg for my public service exams. I had housing in the railway lodging in Langlaagte - it was too terrible,” he laughs.

I was a prefect at the hostel, but a few friends and I were turfed out over some high jinks and a water fight. “We were poor whites, after all!” Forced then to move in to a flat above a bar, the friends quickly took to thrashing the locals at snooker.

“We virtually made our living that way,” he jokes.

“Then we joined the Ossewabrandwag, running through the hills with brooms for rifles. We were just kids. But then I got the opportunity to

THEN AND NOW Albie is almost as on the ball as he was back in the day of 1944.

SKRIK VIR NIKS Albie was summarily dispatched in a glider and informed that ”if you can land this thing, you’re in”. He was just 17 at the time. enlist with the South African Air Force Association (SAAFA) - even though my father was German, he was vehemently anti-Hitler and the SS. I was given a glider on a mountain top and told, “If you can land this, you’re in.” Thereafter, he and a close friend, Henri Kuiper, were duly sent off to flying school at Lyttelton in 1942 and qualified for wings in 1943.

Albie was then dispatched to the Middle East, Egypt and Palestine, and to England with the 127 Spitfire Squadron Royal Air Force (RAF). He flew patrols and bomber escorts into Europe and was also involved in shooting down V1 flying bombs, and provided flying cover for D-Day landings.

After being demobbed in 1946, Albie was asked whether he wanted to join the now SADF permanently. Need I even say that he agreed? Training in simulation in Spitfires, as well as having to become an expert navigator, Albie then participated in the Berlin Airlift, flying supplies in to the besieged city, and in 1951 he completed a tour with the South African Air Force no. 2 squadron to Korea, where he flew P-51 Mustangs.

HAVE WHEELS, WILL RIDE Albie is well known around Onrus Village in his ‘red Ferrari’ - no way was Albie going to be confined to his flat.

“Skrik vir niks”, Albie flew Hawker Typhoon ground attack aircraft at very low levels, which was extremely dangerous, to say the very least. He suffered many hits, but the enemy suffered more.

“You should see the other guy!” he laughs. On one occasion his Typhoon took a hit in the fuselage, but, miraculously, it didn’t explode, and Albie had to come in to land at a 40 degree incline.

In 1944 he was responsible for introducing and implementing the South African air defence system as Chief Air Defence Operations Officer.

OPERATION MARKET GARDEN Despite the best of intentions and planning, the failure of Market Garden to form a foothold over the Rhine ended Allied expectations of finishing the war by Christmas 1944.

Besides his love affair with the air, Albie also acted as secretary to then President Nicolaas Diederichs for three years and managed to find time to get married - twice. His first wife, Betsy, to whom he was married for 44 years, died of cancer in 1993. They had one son, Hugo, who is a pharmacist in Hermanus and pops in regularly to take his dad out in his “red Ferrari” - a mobility scooter that ensures Albie “gets out and about more than enough”, jokes Hugo.

Since moving here Albie has reconnected with fellow fighter pilot Henri Kuiper, who also lives in Hermanus. “Since reconnecting we have enjoyed a close friendship and share memories of air combat, service and aeronautical knowledge,” says Albie.

Nowadays he is also writing a book. “My book is being completed; however, it will be for my family only.” Albie has three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

GOOD

NEWS

264JANUARY 2016 October 2016

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Seniors’ Dance a huge hit with residents

W

ith “oohs” and “aahs”, and “oh my, look how pretty”, more than 200 guests filled the beautifully decorated Sandbaai Hall on Saturday night 1 Octo-ber for the inaugural Village Seniors’ Dance. This music and dinnerdance event for senior citizens was organised by a community committee chaired by Janet Hugo of Sterling Private Wealth.

Janet’s interest was piqued when she heard about a school in Canada that has hosted a senior dance annually for 28 years in a row. Thus inspired, Janet contacted the headmaster of Hermanus High School, Greg Hassenkamp, to collaborate on this project.

The school agreed to have this year’s matric dance on the Friday in the Sandbaai Hall. With the

venue already decorated it created a fairytale setting for the Seniors’ Dance. Mayor Rudolph Smith said in his welcoming speech the Municipality is committed to ensuring the Overstrand stays a safe and affordable haven for the elderly.

“You, as the elders of this community, have done your part for your town and country. We are indebted to you and we want to learn from your wisdom,” said Rudolph.

Mike and Nadine Fairbrother said the ball was a splendid evening with everything perfect from start to finish.

“Credit must also go to the caterers for the excellent meal. It is no easy task to provide top-quality food for so many people.”

Janet Hugo of Sterling Wealth with Gerhard van der Merwe, who was the MC for the Village Seniors’ Ball.

PHOTOS: Keith-Imaging

A new green season for Kleinmond In their endeavour of greening the future, the Overstrand Municipality and the local AfriForum branch planted ten sapling trees in Kleinmond as the conclusion of the organisation’s national treeplanting month campaign of September.

On Thursday 29 of last month, several AfriForum members and Overstrand Municipality officials bought trees, dug holes and planted three types of trees in and around the Kleinmond sports grounds.

Milkwood, White Pear (both protected species) trees were chosen, as well as Boekenhout.

According to Thomas van Dalen, AfriForum’s provincial coordinator for the Western Cape, the organisation’s 130 branches planted more than 1100 trees all over the country in its Arbor Month.

“AfriForum encourages the community to become involved in the campaign and become part of a better, greener future,” said Elmarie van Dalen, chair of the Overstrand branch.

“Tree-planting is a symbol of sustainable environmental management, and an important legacy to leave

behind for our children. Our country is rich in biodiversity and it’s our responsibility to unite and preserve the environment. We must ensure that our natural resources are conserved,” she said.

IN THE SPRING OF THINGS AfriForum Overstrand chair Elmarie van Dalen, Kleinmond councillor Grant Cohen, and AfriForum’s Anton Kruger, Chris Harding and Willem Groenewald digging in.

NEWS

GOOD

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4 October 2016

Admission is R10. At the Municipal Auditorium, at 17:30. For more info, call Robin Lee on 028 312 4072.

Friday 14 October • U3A Oncology Talk: Dr Margarethe van Rooyen, who works as a clinical oncologist at GVI Oncology in Somerset West and consults in Hermanus on a regular basis, will present a talk on the Latest Medical Developments in Oncology. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

Wednesday 5 October • Cliff Path Night Run: Run 10 km from the New Harbour to Grotto beach (entry fee: R120) or do the 6 km fun run from The Marine to Grotto beach (entry fee: R50). Park at Grotto and use the shuttle to The Marine or New Harbour. Registration at The Marine will open at 17:00 and the 6 km run will set off at 18:00. Registration at the New Harbour will open at 18:00 and the 10 km run sets off at 18:30. Prizegiving is at 20:00, with great cash prizes, lucky draws and a Whale Tail medal for all. Full bar and food facilities will be available at Dutchies Restaurant on Grotto. A torch or headlamp is compulsory.

• OAK MOVIE NIGHT: Overstrand Arts / Kunste (OAK) will be screening Gone Girl, a gripping thriller based on the bestseller by Gillian Flynn and starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck. At the Municipal Auditorium, at 18:00. Tickets at the door are R45 pp (R30 for OAK members). For enquiries, contact John Taylor on 079 392 7282 or René du Plooy on 082 940 4238.

Friday 7 & Saturday 8 October

Main Road, 09:00-13:00. A wonderful market set amongst the trees in the heart of town. Join the St Peter’s Coffee Morning and enjoy a sweet treat for only R10 and a cup of coffee or tea for only R5.

Sit down in the shady garden and enjoy the surrounds.

• Visual Art & Design Exhibit: Support our future artists by visiting the Hermanus Visual Art & Design Centre’s exhibition of works by their Grade 12 students from Hermanus High School and Northcliff House College. Wine and snacks will be served. At the Craft Hub in The Village, from 17:30 – 20:00. For more details, call Vivien on 084 513 2804 or Jeandré on 060 676 8652.

• Elgin Chardonnay Colloquium: Enjoy the Elgin Wine Valley’s highly acclaimed Chardonnays at the inaugural Elgin Chardonnay Colloquium Festival. Participating wineries include Almenkerk, Charles Fox MCC, Corder, Elgin Vintners, Highlands Road, Iona, Lothian, Oak Valley, Oneiric, Paul Cluver Wines and South Hill. The two-day programme will entail a seminar and tutored tasting featuring top quality international and Elgin Chardonnays on the Friday, hosted at Rockhaven and followed by a gala dinner. On the Saturday, participants will be able to choose from one of three morning and one of four lunch events co-hosted by participating producers.

Bookings and full programme at chardonnay.winesofelgin.co.za

Friday 7 October

Saturday 8 October

• U3A Chiropractic Talk: Dr Karen Istedis, a registered chiropractor who specialises in the treatment of children, cranial work and low-impact adjusting, will present a talk as part of U3A Overberg’s course on Latest Medical Developments. The topic of her talk is: How chiropractic adjustments affect brain function and health. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

• Mountain biking at Sumaridge: The third event in the Nissan Trailseeker MTB series takes place at Sumaridge Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, from 07:15. The diverse trails and distances cater for all levels of riders. The routes offer majestic views and are aimed at being fun and friendly. Great meals, snacks, drinks, wine and prizes on offer. Get more info and the full programme at www.trailseekerseries.co.za

Thursday 6 October • Rotary Club of Hermanus: Weekly meetings every Thursday at Mollergren Park, at 19:00. Visitors welcome. Contact Ian Wallace on 082 895 8738 or Metcalf Fick on 082 568 2193.

• Ryno Velvet Live: Catch popular musician Ryno Velvet at the Gecko Bar, New Harbour, from 20:00 – 23:00.

• OAK Concert: Overstrand Arts / Kunste (OAK) presents the Spanish four-hands piano duo, Carles Lama and Sofia Cabruja, a paragon of artistic talent in the world of classical music and one of Europe’s most renowned piano duos. The programme will include a selection of movements from the opera Goyescas by Enrique Granados, followed by movements from Suite Española by Isaac Albéniz and two dances from La Vida Breve by Manuel de Falla. At the Municipal Auditorium, at 19:00. Book with Bellini Gallery in the Village Square or contact Klaus on 082 940 4238.

are invited to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at the Service Centre (‘Dienssentrum’) of the Dutch Reformed Church, Onrus for only R30, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

• Boule Tournament: The Checkers Whale Charity Challenge will be held for the thirteenth year on the lawns in front of The Marine Hotel from 10:00 – 15:00. Teams of two, with three boules each, will compete in a round robin knockout format with the finals commencing directly after a light lunch sponsored by Checkers.

Competitors will be welcomed with a glass of bubbly and receive goodie bags filled with fabulous give-aways. There are also prizes for the best dressed team. The cost is R170 per player and R120 per supporter. In the event of inclement weather, the tournament will be played on Sunday, 9 October. No entries will be accepted on the day; first paid, first in. Contact Kari Brice at 083 650 4206 or tikari@hermanus.co.za

• St Peter’s Quiz Night: Roll up with a quirky team name at St Peter’s Church hall for this year’s popular annual Quiz Night in aid of the Hermanus Night Shelter Association, at 18:30 for 19:00 (entrance is from the car park on Marine Drive). Tables for teams of six are available at R85 pp (R510 per team table). Tickets include a light supper; bring your own tipple and glasses, and a pen for the scribe.

Call the church office any weekday between 09:00 and 12:30 to book, or contact Grazia on 028 312 1325 or Anne on 082 399 3925.

• Country Memories: SM Entertainment presents Caroline du Preez, Tommy Oliver and other SA country legends at the Sandbaai Hall, at 18:00. R80 pp. Book with itickets.co.za

Friday 7 & 14 October

Saturday 8 & 15 October

• Hermanus Hacking Group: Meet at the bottom of Rotary Way at 06:45 for 07:00 every Friday to join the hacking group in clearing aliens until 09:00. All volunteers welcome. Contact Charlyn Vosloo on 082 558 8731 for more details.

• Hermanus parkrun: Meet at Hermanus Forest in Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at 08:00. Free timed 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

• Bhuki Café: Enjoy tea, coffee and eats at the Hermanus Library for only R20 (2 eats) or R30 (3 eats), every Friday, 09:00-11:30.

• Lemm’s Corner Market: From 08:30, Main Road, Hermanus. Crafts, clothes, jewellery, bags, toys and art.

• ‘Kolwyntjie-Teetuin’: Senior citizens in the area

• Market in the Garden: At St Peter’s Church in

• Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market: In the courtyard at HPF cellar, The Village, from 09:00-14:00. Where wine and food lovers both local and international meet.

• The Hermanus Country Market: Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00-13:00.

Stunning food, fresh and wholesome goodies.

• Stanford Saturday Morning Market: The Stanford Hotel, 09:30-12:00. Farmers, crafters and hobbyists bring to you homemade and homebaked goodies.

• Chris Chameleon: Catch popular musician Chris Chameleon’s live performance at the Blêr Theatre at Hermanus High School, starting at 20:00.

Tickets are R150 pp. To book, call Amanda on 082 870 6744.

• Swallow Park Market: Browse the new market at Swallow Park between 09:00 and 13:00.

Saturday 15 October

Monday 10 October • Fund-raising Breakfast: The newly revamped Hermanus Golf Club will be the venue for a breakfast fundraiser in aid of the Clive Prins Youth Treatment Programme, starting at 09:00.

The speaker is Peter Bruce, the editor-in-chief of BDFM, whose previous roles include editor of Business Day and Business Report, UK news editor of Financial Times, as well as Madrid correspondent, Bonn correspondent, and industrial correspondent of Financial Times. The cost is R200 pp. Confirm your booking by emailing your proof of payment, the names of the people attending and a contact number, to ann52wright@gmail.com or call Ann on 083 307 0726. (Read more on P 18.)

• Birdlife Overberg Monthly Meeting: Join the Birdlifers for their traditional October braai evening, featuring Brenda du Toit and Xolani Lawu of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. They will highlight some of the latest developments in African Penguin and seabird conservation, and their Pelagic Encounters. This promises to be an entertaining and motivational evening not to be missed. At the Community Hall, Mollergren Park, at 18:30 for 19:00. Catering at R80 per head.

Remember to bring your own drinks and glasses.

RSVP: Helé at birding@southernartceramics.com or 073 456 0393.

Tuesday 11 October • Bird Identification Course: The Hermanus Bird Club presents a four-hour advanced bird identification course entitled Tricky Little Passerines, from 09:00 – 13:00 at the Fernkloof Hall. The course will cover cisticolas, larks, pipits and warblers of South Africa. The cost is R110 for members and R125 for non-members. To book, email peta.mcadam@gmail.com Thursday 13 October • U3A Open Meeting: The speaker at this month’s Open Meeting of U3A Overberg is John Matisonn and the topic is Where did it all go wrong: Mandela, Mbeki or Zuma? Matisonn is the author of several books, including the recentlypublished and highly acclaimed God, Spies and Lies: Finding South Africa’s Future Through its Past.

He has personal knowledge of all three presidents referred to in the title of the talk.

• L2L Practice Walk: Join the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse ladies on a 23 km hike in Betty’s Bay along sandy beach, fynbos trails and gravel road, from 06:15 – 13:00. Meet at OK Mini Market at the Onrus Trading Post at 06:15 for the drive to Betty’s Bay in pool cars. The hike will start at Silversand's Estate, and proceed along the beach and Sea Farm Reserve to the Hangklip Lighthouse and back.

• Starship Dance: Join Hermanus Social Dance Club for their annual bash, from 19:00 until midnight. Their mission is to have as much fun as possible on the dance floor, to seek out strange and wonderful new moves, to interact with new friends and boldly go where no dancer has gone before! Tickets are R350 pp, including eats. Bring your own drinks. To book, call 072 316 5787.

Monday 17 October • OnVerWag Public Meeting: Members of the Onrus / Vermont community are encouraged to attend a public safety meeting with SAPS and other role players, to discuss crime issues in the area.

Come and meet the new Hermanus Station Commander Lt Col Nosilela, and get an update on the OnVerWag CCTV Camera Project. At the Dutch Reformed Church, Berg Street, Onrus, at 18:00.

For more info call 079 419 9276.

• Hermanus Astronomy Centre: Dark skies - the Unseen Universe is the topic of a talk that will be presented by Dr Jenny Morris at HAC’s monthly meeting. At the Scout Hall, at 19:00. Contact hermanus.astronomy@gmail.com Thursday 20 – Sunday 23 October • Karoo Photo Tour: Join professional photographic educators Leanne Dryburgh and Peter Hassall of thephotowalkers.com and discover the unsurpassed beauty of the Karoo’s night skies and landscapes, and the people who live there.

There will be photowalking through Matjiesfontein, Sutherland, Price Albert and Oudtshoorn as you learn all aspects of photography during the day and night. Email funtimes@thephotowalkers.com for all the details. Photographers of all skills levels are welcome.

Village

EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ART

‘Eating out, Hermanus’ by Jenny Jackson

10

Village E x p lo r e r

4 October 2016

Buy? Hold? Sell?

Art Y

es, this is an article about art. No, I have not reverted to a previous private banking career.

Many readers quiz me to recommend local artists whose work will increase in value. They see the ultra-high prices that are being achieved by a small group of South African masters, never mind the truly astronomical prices obtained overseas for international names. So their question arises, couched in discreet terms, about the likely success of an artist whose works they are interested in. It's a tricky one.

A number of our local galleries sell the sizzle, not the steak. This is in line with the best marketing techniques and our gallerists are nothing if not astute businessmen.

If I were an artist and not an art columnist, I would seek an experienced art practitioner with a good client list and a silver tongue who would look after my career, critique my work sensitively, mentor me and above all, sell my work, preferably building my prices as the years go by. It's a winwin game - artist happy, buyers happy and gallery owner feeling pretty good, too.

But let us be realistic. The odds of backing a financial winner are disappointingly small. Not as bad as the Lotto, but you might be better off on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Shares are fungible assets - share number 1 is identical to share number

from looking at it, find it intriguing and long to possess it.

By Patrick Chapman

10 000 of the same company and they are designed to be investments. Not so for artworks, as they are "created to communicate a mood, an idea, a message" - as gallerist Johans Borman, previously of Onrus, says.

He also makes the point that record-breaking prices relate to the wealth of the buyer and his/her passion for a particular piece. The next painting of similar size and quality by the same artist may not fetch nearly as much.

The auction house Strauss & Co, now chaired by Ian Kilbourn, said something just like this a few years ago when the late Stephan Welz was at the helm. "We do not promote art as an investment.

The art market is cyclical and prices paid are driven, and should be driven, by collectors' passion and not investment analysis."

So there you have it. Don't buy art as an investment.

Buy it because you love the work, get pleasure

If, in a decade or two, works by your artist are fetching high prices, that will be a bonus.

When I look at my own modest collection, mainly of South African art, I am keenly aware that three quarters of the works would not even be accepted by the better auction houses for resale. But that does not matter a scrap if one is not planning to sell anyway.

If I were forced by an inquisitor to reveal secrets of the trade, I might say that current low interest rates make holding art as an investment a lot cheaper than in times of high inflation.

I might say you should be prepared to pay upwards of R100 000 and stick to artists who are no longer alive. I would certainly urge you to increase your knowledge of the local art world by attending auctions and by checking the results on the internet. Oh, and do buy the best work of your favourite artist, not a secondrate piece even if it has the right signature.

There are myriad reasons why people buy art. All are valid.

Just do it!

And for a start, join the Artwalk on Friday. The more art you see, the better your eye becomes. If you are worried about the kids fighting after your departure over your Hugo NaudĂŠ or a work by Hennie Niemann, father or son, be like someone I know who, having three children, always bought three works of an artist she fancied.

Now that's foresight!

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4 October 2016

Fabula Nex: Staring death in the face

I

n her exhibition entitled Fabula Nex, which opens at Rossouw Modern’s SPACE Gallery on Friday 7 October, artist Kali van der Merwe explores her fascination with death and its effects on the breakdown of form over time in the process of decay. The animal subjects of this series are predominantly road kill, except for a fatal electricity pylon accident.

death that we no longer have.

“I have a deep interest in the transitional moment where flesh and spirit separate and how that ephemeral yet real event leaves its trace on physical form,” says Kali. “In the high impact deaths at the agency of humans, the violence has left its devastation on a sentient creature. Here is a record of wild animals whose existence is fading as humans make ceaseless, avaricious incursions into their habitats.”

Born in Johannesburg, Kali holds a Fine Art degree cum laude, majoring in sculpture, from the UCT. Initially working in the mediums of ceramics, printmaking and sculpture, a fiveyear sojourn in the chaotic environment of Berlin post the wall coming down led Kali to experiment with many mediums, including taxidermy installation, filmmaking and photography.

Situated in mythical, celestial tableaux, each image is intended as a praise poem to the life of that animal. There is reverence for every form, yet her work also serves as a reminder that all form is ultimately empty. Each image is accompanied by a fabula, story or tale, about how the deceased body was encountered and gifted to the artist.

Returning to South Africa, Kali focused on documentary and experimental filmmaking.

After a successful film career spanning 15 years which saw her documentaries winning several awards both locally and internationally, Kali followed a strong impulse to return to personal creativity in an intimate way.

Elaborating on the title of the exhibition, Kali says: “The Latin word fabula also refers to a matter, a concern or subject under discussion.

The word ‘matter’ originates from the Latin mater (mother) and is the origin of our word ‘material’. So, embedded in the very etymology of the word for the stuff of existence is the feminine and the act of storytelling.

“Nex means blood of the slain, murder, slaughter, violent death. Latin has 27 different words for death and 33 words for kill, which suggests acquaintance with violence but also familiarity with and a nuanced exploration of

“Now more than ever we are staring into the face of death, a collective potential suicide in extinction by our own hand. If we look close and deep enough we might see our own fate in the cloudy, shrunken eyes and bloody mouths of these beings.”

Seven years ago, she opted out of city life for her present-day rural existence in Baardskeerdersbos to manifest that desire.

Here she continues her rich creative trajectory as an artist, creative photographer, experimental filmmaker, sound designer, social activist, media-skills trainer and yoga guide.

Fabula Nex opens on Friday 7 October at 17:30 during the Hermanus First Fridays Artwalk, and bookings can be made to attend an Artist Walkabout on Saturday at 12:00.

Contact 028 313 2222 or info@rossouwmodern.com

Local artist Jaco Sieberhagen with visiting international land artists Soonim Kim, Patrick Tagoe-Turkson and Marie Gayatri.

Land artists visit Hermanus Three international land artists recently visited Hermanus as part of the Global Nomadic Art Project (GNAP), presented by the South African Site Specific Land Art Collective. This project, with the subtitle Stories of Rain, offered a small group of artists from all over the world the opportunity to travel across South Africa from 8 September to 6 October.

Nature art, also referred to as land art, is a nondestructive ephemeral art practice that uses natural materials and structures found at a chosen site to construct or perform a temporary artwork. As the GNAP artists travelled across the country they participated in public events along the way - from presentations to workshops to land art sessions with local artists and interested parties.

Soonim Kim from South Korea, Patrick TagoeTurkson from Ghana and Marie Gayatri Ekedahl from Sweden were part of the group of nine renowned land artists who were accompanied by local artists along the various routes for short periods of time as they toured from the Cradle of Humankind to the foot of Table Mountain. Tracing the legacy of the first nomadic people through varied landscapes and world heritage rock art sites, the visiting artists created temporary nature art responses along the way.

Local artist Jaco Sieberhagen and his wife Sugnet hosted Soonim, Patrick and Marie at their home in Onrus, where they spent time creating land art at Harderbaai using natural elements such as kelp, fynbos, pebbles and rocks. They also visited Hermanus where they had their first experience of land-based whale watching from Gearing’s Point.

At the end of their trip, the artists will gather in Cape Town for a one day symposium on land and nature art on 5 October, followed by an exhibition of their work at the AVA Gallery in Cape Town on 6 October.

Nature art created by Soonim Kim at the West Coast National Park (above) and by Patrick Tagoe-Turkson at Harderbaai in Onrus (below).

4 October 2016

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With the return of warmer weather and the start of the busy season in Hermanus, a day trip to the peaceful village of Stanford and surrounding countryside offers the opportunity to relax and unwind with family and friends at one of the many country restaurants found in this neck of the woods.

Heading out on the R43 will bring you to a cluster of wonderful destinations reached by way of a dirt road turning off to your left just a few kilometres before the turnoff to Stanford. The road leads to Weltevrede Farm, but is apparently nameless; neither google nor the residents in the area could illuminate me, but there are signs, so just keep your eyes peeled.

The first restaurant along this road is The Royal Oke, previously Madre’s Kitchen, situated on the picturesque Sir Robert Stanford Wine Estate with beautiful views of the vineyards and the Kleinrivier mountains.

Owners Else-Marie and Daniel Lenton, who ran The Milkwood Restaurant in Onrus before opening The Royal Oke in December last year, focus on seasonal and locally sourced produce. While Daniel can be found creating wholesome country fare in the kitchen, Else-Marie manages front-ofhouse and is responsible for the delicious cakes and desserts.

The shaded farm stoep is ideal for warm days and they also offer picnics to enjoy next to the dam, from a build-your-own to a readypacked picnic for two. As the parents of three young boys, the Lentons have made sure there is a healthy menu for children and a play area with a trampoline, swings and climbing apparatus to keep them entertained.

The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch from 09:00

uncomplicated and deliciously wholesome. On warm days visitors can enjoy the rural ambience from the terrace while the children run wild on the expansive lawn.

Restaurant News

The Stanford Harvest Restaurant doubles as an art gallery.

The Stanford Harvest Restaurant is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 09:00 – 16:00. To book, contact 083 409 8126 or 081 021 2313, or stanfordharvest@gmail.com

By Hedda Mittner – 16:00. Closed on Wednesdays. They cater for all occasions, from birthdays to weddings. The Sir Robert Stanford Estate’s wines are available for tasting and purchase at the tasting room next to the restaurant, and don’t forget to visit the Fynbos Distillery that produces Grappa, Witblits, Mampoer and assorted liqueurs.

Welcome to the rural bliss of The Royal Oke on Sir Robert Stanford Estate.

For further information or to make a booking, contact The Royal Oke at 028 341 0647 or info@theroyaloke.co.za Next up along the dirt road is The Stanford Harvest Restaurant, located in a renovated stable on the 80 ha Elands Valley farm of Vivienne and Athol McOnie.

‘Naughty’ country cooking awaits visitors to Havercroft’s just outside the village of Stanford.

While Athol farms with sheep and vegetables, and also uses a centuries-old family recipe from Scotland to brew mead from the farm’s honey, Vivienne is both chef and resident artist. The restaurant doubles as an art gallery and the walls are adorned with her artwork, done mainly in oils and acrylic and depicting farm scenes inspired by the surrounding countryside.

At this dog and child friendly restaurant you’ll find homecooked, country-style dishes that are unpretentious,

They serve breakfast and lunch, and irresistibly decadent cakes and sweet treats. Their Sunday pay-byweight lunch buffet is a favourite among the locals, as are their special weekly curry evenings. Vivienne also caters for evening functions for up to 50 people.

The Tasting Room at Stanford Hills Wine Estate is a popular venue for breakfast or lunch.

A little further up the same nameless dirt road you’ll find The Tasting Room at Stanford Hills Wine Estate, situated on the flower farm, Weltevrede, which is owned

by Peter and Jami Kastner.

A renovated original farm cottage overlooking a dam is the setting for this charming eatery and tasting room, which is a popular venue for breakfast and lunch. Ideal for families, there is plenty of space for the children to run around and explore, as well as a sandpit, trampoline and jungle gym, and a number of small boats which can be paddled around on the dam.

The full range of Stanford Hills Estate wines are available for tasting and sales. The kitchen uses local organic and freerange products wherever possible, and the chalkboard menu changes daily, always offering an interesting variety of options. Aside from the hot kitchen and special Sunday roast, there is a mezze/tapas menu to pick and choose from. The Tasting Room also caters for larger groups and special events.

Their opening hours are seven days a week from

08:30 – 17:00 for breakfast, lunch and wine tastings.

For restaurant bookings and function queries, contact 072 639 6135 or thetastingroom@stanford hills.co.za Continuing towards the village of Stanford, you’ll find another country gem on your left – Havercroft’s, owned by Innes (front-of-house) and Brydon (chef) Havercroft.

Located in a cosy farm house, the ambience is relaxed and unpretentious, the service is friendly and the food unforgettable. The small menu offers a handful of options for each course, and changes according to the seasons and the whims of the chef. You’ll be hard pressed to make your choice and sorely tempted to indulge, as every dish (‘naughties’, as Brydon calls them) is quite sublime and takes country cooking to a whole new level. The wine list offers a compact range of local wines to complement your meal.

Havercroft’s is only open from Friday to Sunday for lunch from 12:30 – 15:00 and they do not accept credit cards – cash only.

Regrettably, no children under 12 years are allowed and you are advised to book well ahead, especially during the busy summer season. Call 028 341 0603.

On your approach to the village of Stanford, turning left on to the R326 and travelling a further 10 km will bring you to the Stanford Valley Guest Farm, a peaceful haven which offers self-catering accommodation in several white-washed cottages on the 440 ha farm. A new addition is the Manor House Restaurant, which opened last November and is housed in a beautifully converted farm house surrounded by rolling green fields, a vegetable and herb garden and a dam, with sweeping views of the Akkedisberg mountains.

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4 October 2016

The Manor House Restaurant at Stanford Valley Guest Farm enjoys sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

Mariana’s at Owl’s Barn in Stanford is loved by all.

The restaurant doubles as an art gallery and the interior is rustic and down-to-earth, with a touch of edgy, retro chic.

Special exhibitions, workshops and events are often hosted at the Manor House, and it is just the place for a lazy breakfast, a long leisurely lunch or sundowners and a delectable dinner.

Established a decade ago by locals Mariana and Peter Esterhuizen, there is heart in every dish that comes from the kitchen, prepared from locally sourced ingredients, much of which comes from their own property.

According to owners Reinder and Elsabe Nauta, their aim was to take the natural beauty of the outside and replicate it on the inside and also on the plate – which they certainly have achieved. Renowned chef Madre Malan (of Madre’s Kitchen fame) and her culinary team prepare upmarket country cuisine which has seen the Manor House top The Inside Guide’s list of their 20 favourite Hermanus restaurants.

This is a family-friendly destination and the farm is one

big, natural playground for children. The Manor House is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Thursday to Saturday – and on Sunday for breakfast and lunch. They also take group bookings (minimum 15) any other day of the week. Make your reservation by contacting 028 341 0574 or manorhouse@stanfordvalley. co.za While these country restaurants all offer a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Hermanus and the chance to unwind in a rural setting, the charming village of Stanford also has many home-style eateries, of which the most treasured is undoubtedly the multi award-winning Mariana’s at Owl’s Barn, loved by locals, Capetonians, international visitors and critics alike.

The menu changes according to what’s available and in season; the humble interior is decorated with mismatching vintage furniture and the terrace overlooks the vegetable and herb gardens, fruit trees and the mountains beyond.

Mariana’s is open for lunch from Friday to Sunday from 12:00. No children under 10 are allowed and they have no credit card facilities, so remember to take cash along.

Booking is essential: contact 028 341 0272 or marianas@stanfordvillage.co. za

4 October 2016

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Uncorking the cool-climate wines of Elim

W

inemakers from across the Elim Wine Ward will come together for the fifth year on 5 November to showcase vintages from this unique coolclimate region in the Overberg.

The Elim Wine Festival is hosted this year by Black Oystercatcher Wines, where Dirk Human and his family have been farming for generations. Situated close to Cape Agulhas, the wines from the farm are named after the rare Black Oystercatcher birds that thrive along the coastline.

Something else that is thriving in this southern-most wine producing region are the vineyards, and Elim has not only become the fastest growing wine ward in South Africa, but also one of the most closely watched wineproducing regions globally.

Winemaking started here more than a century ago when sacramental wine was made for the missionary town of Elim.

But for many decades, other agricultural activities dominated the region, until the 1990s when a handful of pioneering individuals recognised its viticulture potential.

One of them was Dirk Human,

who planted vines on his farm in 1998 and, as the owner, winemaker and viticulturist of Black Oystercatcher, bottled his first boutique wines in 2003.

The tasting room and restaurant, which followed in 2008, were recently enlarged to accommodate bigger groups and the farm also offers self-catering accommodation.

The 2016 Elim Wine Festival will offer visitors the opportunity to get to know the winemakers and their wines through tutored tastings where different vintages are compared. The winemakers will tell the stories of each wine farm, and how the unique Elim terroir and extreme growing conditions create wines known for their intense fruit flavours and distinctive minerality.

Participating wineries include Ghost Corner, Strandveld Vineyards, Black Oystercatcher, Lomond, The Berrio, Sijnn Wines, The Drift, Dâbar, and The Giant Periwinkle. The Elim area is also home to craft beer, such as the most southerly brewery, Fraser’s Folly, while the innovative Cederberg Brewery will present their Boggom and

The 2016 Elim Wine Festival will be held at Black Oystercatcher on 5 November.

Voertsek ale. Festival-goers can enjoy meals perfectly paired with the wines and beer, and an array of fresh local produce and locally-made products to take home with them.

Other activities hosted throughout the day will include a vintage tractor parade and archery on horseback, while local musician Nic Stevens will entertain the crowds with his music.

The Elim Wine Festival takes place from 10:00 - 17:00 on Saturday 5 November. Tickets cost R100 pp and include tastings and a branded wine glass. Numbers are limited, so book early. For more information, visit www.elimwines.co.za or contact Heather on 076 627 1576.

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4 October 2016

Youth orchestra strums the heartstrings H ermanus has a very special event to look forward to – a welltravelled youth orchestra from The Hall Boys Preparatory School, London, will be giving a concert in the Municipal Auditorium on Saturday 29 October. Even more exciting is the fact that Enlighten Education Trust’s own Youth Orchestra will be joining them in its debut public appearance.

Thanks to a generous donation from local resident Elvia Bury, in memory of her late husband, Alex, the Enlighten Strings Ensemble was launched by Enlighten in October 2015, with 12 children from six local primary schools.

The commit-ment of this small group has resulted in impressive progress, as it demonstrated to great acclaim during the Hermanus FynArts Festival in June this year.

With the inclusion of several

other young musicians, it has now morphed into a full-scale Youth Orchestra, of which Hermanus can be truly proud.

Music can be a lonely road, but great friends from a variety of backgrounds can be made when playing and practising together. The Enlighten Youth Orchestra aims to provide young people from all the Overstrand commu-nities with this opportunity, and, at the same time, to develop a love of music and the skill to make it live for others.

The Youth Orchestra is a project of the Hermanus Academy of Music (HAM), which, in turn, is a project of Enlighten’s extensive music department. The aim of this school is to offer learners of the Overstrand, especially those from its disadvantaged communities, music tuition at either no cost at all, or at a minimal rate. HAM has pro-

MUSICAL PRODIGIES The Enlighten Strings Ensemble at their dress rehearsal before the concert they performed during the Hermanus FynArts Festival in June. duced UNISA and ABRSM candidates and its students have won a number of awards over the past four years, including several from the International Marimba

and Steelpan Festival held in Gauteng and the annual Artscape Youth Music Festival.

According to Enlighten’s

music co-ordinator, AnnaMarié Kotzé, the music department is running at full capacity, but auditions for study in 2017 will take place in December this year. HAM

offers tuition in pianoforte, voice (under 16 years of age), keyboard, theory, with limited space for violin and cello.

For enquiries, contact Enlighten on 028 313 0974.

Flight Specials offers passion, professionalism and experience

R

etail food chains selling travel products and the numerous “cheap as dirt.com” booking sites that pop up overnight on the internet, have given the impression that we can all become instant travel gurus and that booking your holiday is as simple as buying a tin of baked beans with a few clicks here and there on a keyboard.

Contrary to what most people think, travel consultancy is a career and comes with years of studying and personal travelling experience. Most of us have a passion for what we do and have been in the industry for many years.

A fully licensed travel agency like Flight Specials is audited every year and has to provide IATA with a guarantee that is annually renewed, provided the agency continues to fit the criteria, unlike the fly-by-nights on the internet who are here today and gone tomorrow and

who may or may not be a legitimate service provider.

We ask the question: would you rather spend your hardearned rands with a professional travel advisor, or with somebody in cyber space who will certainly not be there for you if you run in to any problems?

We work on a specially designed travel booking system, for which we are only assigned a log-in code once we’ve successfully completed the course. The system is constantly updated to keep up with the ever-changing travel industry. It is highly secure and cannot be hacked, unlike the internet, where we all know people’s credit cards are being hacked all the time.

More reasons to book with a travel agent: • We are trained in fare construction, so when you have a multiple stop booking,

Owner of Flight Specials Hermanus, Glenda Massyn (centre), with travel advisors Bernadine van Zyl and Tanya Smit. we find the best connections and prices and will give you sufficient connecting times between flights. Unlike the internet that gives you a nice cheap flight, with either way too short connecting times or the other extreme, when you have 13 hours plus at an

airport, which is longer than the permitted transit time without a visa.

• We are updated daily, so are aware of the latest health regulations, strikes, baggage rule changes, flight schedule changes, and weather con-

ditions. We also have accurate passport and visa information and can assist you with your visa applications. One consulate recently made three changes in one month to their visa application process and requirements.

cheaper than the prices on the internet.

• We can advise you on travel insurance and can issue most of the banks’ credit card insurances on our system.

This must surely beat holding on for hours on the phone for the call centre. Should you not have a credit card, we have various other insurance products to offer you, which can be issued while you wait.

• We encourage your input, offer guidance and supply you with the websites, so you can make sure you are happy before making that final decision.

• Booking with a travel agency is not more expensive.

We belong to a franchise that gives us more buying power, as we are able to negotiate bulk deals with airlines, tour operators and hotel groups.

We are given private fares from most of the airlines and hotel groups, which are

• We have a 24-hour emergency phone, so if at any time you run in to trouble during your trip, we are just a phone call away.

• We partner with all the cruise and coach tour companies.

Booking your next cruise or coach tour with us will not cost you a cent more than the published price. If you prefer not to travel in a group, we can tailor-make something for you to suit all your requirements.

Phone us, pop in to our office, or drop us an email, and together we will make your dream holiday a reality.

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4 October 2016

The secret life of Cape Orchids birds, beetles, bees, longproboscid flies, moths, butterflies, and even mosquitoes!

Sarah Taylor

B

udding botanists were in for a treat at the Hermanus Flower Festival last month when the passionate natural historian, Bill Liltved, gave a talk on the botanically remarkable and striking indigenous Cape orchids. It was hard not to be swept up by his accounts of the fascinating pollination biology occurring in what is arguably the largest and most specialised family of flowering plants on Earth.

Liltved described how orchid species have evolved distinctly differing pollination strategies to fool their insect pollinators through mimicry and deception. Many Cape orchids mimic nectar-producing flowers, and some Disa species even deceive male spiderhunting wasps into mating with their flowers. “Aspects of orchid pollination can be highly complex and in recent years pollination biologists have made remarkable discoveries within orchids,” said Liltved.

“For each separate orchid species there is yet another pollination mystery to be unravelled, and this involves

IN BLOOM Co-author and publisher of The Cape Orchids, Bill Liltved, and Fran Jordaan, who rediscovered the Disa forficaria in Fernkloof Nature Reserve earlier this year, 50 years after it was last recorded.

PHOTO: Sarah Taylor

NEW LIFE The rare Disa forficaria.

PHOTO: Ronnie Hazel

“Increased understanding of interrelationships between orchids and insects in the biodiverse Cape Floristic Region so clearly illustrates why it is crucial to conserve biodiversity because species are so intimately interconnected. In certain areas where specific insect pollinators have become extinct, it is only plants capable of selfpollination or vegetative reproduction that have been able to survive.”

A report by the United Nations released in February this year reveals that more than 40% of invertebrate pollinators around the world face extinction and that this poses a considerable threat not just to beautiful flowers but to our food supply, as 75% of food crops rely on pollination by at least one of the 20 000 species of pollinators. These pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, birds, bats, and other vertebrates.

Liltved spoke in detail about

the rare reed-like orchid, Disa forficaria, endemic to the south-western Cape. The type specimen was collected by Johann Drège at Du Toitskloof in the early 1800s and is now housed in the renowned Kew Herbarium.

Since Drège's original discovery, Disa forficaria has been recorded by botanists and field-workers only eight times, either on the southern Cape peninsula or mountains surrounding Elgin. Its previous recorded sighting was exactly 50 years ago in March 1966 in the mountains near Houwhoek – until March this year, when local walker and fynbos enthusiast Fran Jordaan, quite remarkably noticed a single flowering plant of the cryptic Disa forficaria in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

Liltved said when Liz Hutton of the Hermanus Botanical Society emailed him a photograph of Jordaan’s find for identification, he recognised it as Disa forficaria.

He immediately leapt into his car and rushed to Hermanus.

“This was the one plant in the world I wanted to see most,” he enthused, adding that Disa

forficaria is peculiar because of the orientation of the flowers when completely open, the flower presents itself in an upside-down, upward-facing position which is most unusual in the genus Disa. It also has peculiar floral anatomy, such as the curious elbow-shaped petals with hairy apexes that protrude forwards from the shallow hood of the flower.

Generally only one flower was seen to be open at a time.

Liltved said that aspects of the remarkable Fernkloof find are being formally written up by a team of biologists for publication in a botanical journal. Once published this will be announced at Fernkloof, although no date has yet been set.

Over 20 years ago Bill Liltved began collaborating with the professional botanist Steven Johnson now a professor at the University of KwaZuluNatal. In 2012 their twovolume, The Cape Orchids, was finally published to great acclaim. Liltved has donated one third of the proceeds of the sale of the book at the show last Saturday to the Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

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October 2016 264JANUARY 2016

HAWSTON HIGH SCHOOL Haylle Poole, Ja-dee Hartnick and Samoné Davids — traditional lamb and vegetables, plus a beef and rice dish.

QHAYIYA SECONDARY SCHOOL Indiphile Mshenxiswa, Phelokazi Fetu and Zodid Nondumo — traditional tripe and samp.

HERMANUS HIGH SCHOOL (Gr 11) Connor Lange, John du Plessis (Curro), Georgia Moore and Heidi van Dyk — yummy lamb potjie.

HERMANUS NIGHT SHELTER Les Abbott, Ray Hartonkan, Elsabé Wesraad, and Corrie le Roux — boerie rolls the boere way, to raise funds for the Hermanus Night Shelter.

CURRO Chanel Momberg, Chantecler Schroder, Micheala Botha, Annamia Henn, Elbe Henn, Inez Mallandain, Ben Heinse, Kirra Jardine and Daniel Shapiro — exotic lamb tongue and tail, plus lamb shank.

HERMANUS HIGH SCHOOL (Gr 10) Marco Muller, Melissa Vermeulen, Jeanne Wessels, Tiaan van der Westhuizen and Donovan Britz — delicious lamb shank.

PHOTOS: Aly Verbaan

Heritage Day potjie-making competition for schools a delicious success

I

n the true South African way, Builders Express Hermanus celebrated Heritage Day with a potjiekos competition on Saturday 24 September.

Teams from four major high schools in the greater Hermanus area (plus an extra or two) competed fiercely to demonstrate their cooking prowess and incorporate something of their unique culture.

2 Mussel Road, Hermanus • 028 313 0044 • www.builders.co.za • info@builders.co.za

With gazebos set up and the background sounds of Nkalakatha, everyone got cooking, while a confident few broke in to dance in between the cooking, doing the Sokkie Sokkie to the music of Mandoza.

All equipment, utensils, aprons and ingredients

were provided by Builders Express.

Said Brian Wridgway, Builders Express Hermanus store manager: “As Builders we had the idea of involving all the communities in the greater Hermanus area, giving our staff and customers an opportunity to celebrate Heritage Day. “The youth is our future and we wanted to invest in them by giving them the opportunity to celebrate and have a great time.”

In the end Curro Private School took home first prize.

Their courses of a mixed lamp pot, sweetcorn bread and a dessert of chocolate and caramel in phyllo pastry was a firm favourite.

In second place was Hermanus High School’s Dream Team (Gr 10), who served up lamb shank with seasonal vegetables.

Third place went to Qhayiya Secondary School with their traditional dish of sheep tripe and samp. The winning teams walked away with Builders Express hampers to be used at the schools’ discretion.

“The celebration was a success in all respects. The teams had fun, produced wonderful food and didn’t go away empty-handed. Our objectives were achieved,” Brian concluded.

With the event such a huge success Builders is sure to continue the competition next year, giving other talented learners a chance to showcase their cooking skills.

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4 October 2016

Trust tackles teen substance abuse Aly Verbaan

O

n a fateful day in 2014 Abagold Hermanus’s longest-serving employee, Clive Prins, “was stabbed to death by a youngster allegedly under the influence of some substance”, according to Abagold’s statement on their website.

The Abagold Development Trust then realised that substance abuse is prevalent amongst the youth in the Hermanus, Hawston, Mount Pleasant and Zwelihle areas.

They therefore initiated the Clive Prins Youth Substance Intervention Programme (CPYSIP).

Most of this support went to the Sustainable Futures Trust (SFT), an NGO run by CEO Wendy Colyn, that targets youths suffering from alcohol or substance abuse, in the most part schoolchildren in the Hermanus area, as well as some from Gansbaai.

Says Ann Wright of SFT: “At that time Hermanus had absolutely no treatment centres of any

Family dynamics are another monumental problem.

According to Ann, these children’s self-esteem is virtually nonexistent.

description, so we approached all the school principals in the area about helping vulnerable schoolchildren who had been identified as possible drug or alcohol risks.

“We thoroughly researched programmes suitable for voluntary outpatient treatment, and finally decided on the Matrix Model for Teens and Young Adults, a discipline of the Betty Ford blueprint. It’s a 16-to-20 week programme, in which parents must also be involved. We work through schools only, as youngsters are the most at risk developmentally and physically, and are easy prey for drug merchants. This programme is recognised as the most internationally successful model, with the lowest relapse rate.”

The SFT concentrates on alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine (tik), cocaine, and other addictive substances that continually make their way onto the market. “Most people don’t realise that alcohol and dagga have extremely adverse effects on a developing body, plus the

TOUGH TASK Marlinda Wright (social worker), Nonopha Gama (social worker), Ann Wright (programme manager) and Wendy Colyn (CEO of STF). Not in photo: Counsellor Xavier Clarke who was attending a workshop at Tygerberg.

fact that once a merchant has lured them into drugs of any sort, the path is paved for disaster,” says Ann. “The situation is much worse than we originally anticipated - the link between drugs and poaching is patent: We’ve had students in the middle of writing their mock matric exams receiving calls that they must go and dive abalone immediately. They have no choice by that stage.

Children as young as five know what a merchant is.

We work predominantly in Hawston, Zwelihle and

Gansbaai, and one can well understand the desperation for money, food and housing.

The economy is the enemy.

"SFT does not only offer substance abuse counselling; the aim is also to concentrate on cognitive intra- and interpersonal skills, so that young people begin to see that they have options. They have choices, and that is what the SFT team is trying to show these vulnerable youth. The overriding problem is that the youth identify very strongly with the gang culture and don’t see any other place in society for them.”

“They are completely desensitised. We underestimate how harsh families can be, and it’s not even to do with social standing. There’s an entire generation that never hears a word of encouragement or kindness from their parents. They don’t have glittering life expectations,” explains Ann. “It’s not that they don’t have the normal aspirations of matriculating and making it in life, but they are such easy targets for the gangs.”

None of the five of the SFT team are strangers to threats by gang members, should they stand in the way of the recruitment of children into the drug-dealing industry.

“But we are here to stay. We receive a tremendous amount of help from Dr Rudolph Otto, who screens the youngsters and often identifies underlying issues that may explain the substance abuse problems. We have expertly

trained trauma counsellors who treat our clients with the dignity and respect that they that everyone - deserves.”

Keynote speaker at a launch in May, Dr Lize Weich, senior psychiatrist and lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University, spoke on: Clinical effects and treatment of tik use disorders.

She highlighted the fact that methamphetamine usage causes functional and structural deterioration in the brain and how the propensity to violence increases.

Lize advised that if one is to treat this addiction, the Matrix Model is the best option, judging from the statistics currently availabe. Sister Maria Bailey from the Hawston Clinic said: “This programme is long overdue in Hermanus. The timing is perfect and it is important to me, coming from the Department of Health, that the family structure and support will also be addressed in this intervention programme.”

This dream will be determined by the support of businesses and sponsors for the Clive Prins Treatment Programme.

To sustain this programme a fundraiser talk by Peter Bruce, editor-inchief of BDFM, which owns Business Day and the Financial Mail, will be held at the Hermanus Golf Club on Monday 10 October at 09:30 for 10:00. His talk is entitled What will save South Africa. Peter describes himself as a media junkie, a die-hard Protea and Springbok fan and a hopeless Sharks supporter. Tickets are R200 pp, and emailing proof of payment to ann52wright@gmail.com confirms your seat. Please include your name and contact number in the email. Banking details are as follows: Standard Bank, account holder: Sustainable Futures Trust, account number: 082257531, reference Breakfast + your initial and surname. For further details contact Ann Wright on 083 307 0726.

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264JANUARY 2016 October 2016

Growing up ‘different’ with the help of Anima Aly Verbaan

P

lease don’t lose your temper here - we don’t have the time to help you find it.” This notice stuck on the wall at Anima Therapy Centre in Sandbaai must be the understatement of the year. The intensity is overwhelming. But this is the environment in which Jenni Coetzer, five staff members and a number of volunteers work daily. They can’t afford to have a “bad day” - the 16 severely mentally challenged children they look after simply wouldn’t be able to comprehend it.

Helping Hand Sponsored by Talisman Hire

“

These children need our help - they did not bring this on themselves

”

Facing challenges like autism, Down syndrome, spina bifida, Dravet syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Prader–Willi syndrome, cerebral palsy, apraxia and aphasia, to mention just a few, the expenses of treatment, therapy, permanent care, medication and special diets are enormous. Many of the autistic-spectrum sufferers are completely nonverbal, and to this end Jenni implemented Makaton, an international language programme designed to provide a means of communication to those who cannot do so by speaking. In this way, those who cannot speak can “talk” to friends who can.

Founded in 2007 by local architect Andrew Greeff and interior designer Ronél Greeff, Anima started out with just two children, one of whom was the Greeffs’ son, Sebastian, who suffered severe oxygen deprivation at birth, and is still at Anima.

Anima is a child remedial development intervention centre, not a school of any sort, stresses Jenni, who must be directly related to the patron saint of those in need, although she would balk at being described this way. She in fact is what one might call spiritual, which is apt, since the word “anima” means “the soul”. But she would prefer to be known as a “boere vrou” who just helps where she can.

In truth, Jenni is the principal, fundraiser, administrator, factotum and surrogate mother to the children who attend this NPO that caters to the exceptionally high needs of children between 9 and 19 years.

She has nothing but praise

for the parents, particularly mothers, of these children, who choose to send them to day-care rather than to a home. “This is the true definition of multitasking, as they juggle work and financial responsibilities with caring for these children, who can never, under any circumstances, be left alone. I bow down to the mothers.”

The overriding problem for Anima and the parents is, of course, money. Parents often can’t cover all or even most of the costs involved.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN Anima Therapy Centre in Sandbaai provides high-level day-care to severely challenged children (top). Principal Jenni Coetzer (left) is asking the community to help her coninue to do this by donating “anything you can”. JP le Grange is a volunteer physiothrapist, and Dasha Bulanova a volunteer dance therapist (above).

Although most will never be able to hold a job, and rehabilitation as such is not possible, it’s not all bad news.

There are many “success” stories, but not of the type that attract major branding or sponsorship, like Natalie du Toit, or drug addicts who later go on to have successful careers, or even Oscar Pretorius “before the fall”. So while there are many donors (for example, Rotary and the United Church) and businesses who help Anima,

and even a small government grant (which covers the small salaries of one carer and one facilitator), it is difficult to interest companies in major sponsorship - “branding” of the unrehabiltatable is not seen as a particularly good investment, or even as the obligatory corporate social investment scheme.

“We are desperate. I will walk around with a begging bowl if that’s what it takes,” pleads Jenni, who gives motivational speeches and training to other remedial workers in her so-called spare time.

“Some children who have been at Anima have subsequently been exposed to mainstream schooling, but they come back, due to their chronic lack of social and life skills as much as anything else. This is where therapy plays a crucial role. Anima provides this in the form of dance, drama, music, speech, educational psychology therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and even homeopathy, all provided by volunteer specialists.”

Anima tries to acclimatise the children in small ways, like how to use a lift, or not be petrified of circulating doors, or sitting still in a restaurant and looking at the pictures on the menu, or how to stand in a queue. “But there are many more children who need our help, if only we had the funds.

You have to remember this: these children did not bring this on themselves.”

Please donate to: ANIMA THERAPY CENTRE, ABSA Hermanus, 406-944-4778 004-172 NPO or contact Jenni on 078 873 1125.

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4 October 2016

Curb appeal goes digital, but be warned ...

In real estate, the term for this first impression is “curb appeal” – first coined when prospective buyers would drive past show houses or sit in their cars outside for a few moments to get a feel for whether they wanted to buy the property or not.

“Following the for-sale boards on a Sunday afternoon or responding to print ads placed by local agents used to be the only way to view a property, and the initial drive-past would often determine whether or not you would go to an actual showing,” states Shaun Rademeyer, CEO of BetterLife Home Loans, SA’s biggest mortgage originator.

“Consequently, sellers would spend hours preparing the only visible part of the house by seeding new grass and planting flowers in the front garden, painting and even replacing their front and garage doors. They knew that if their home didn’t appeal from the street, buyers would

My Home just move on to the next house.”

And great curb appeal is still a vital part of the home marketing mix, he says, although now it has gone digital. “The rise of smart devices means that because many people have the internet in the palm of their hand, almost every buyer will now get their first impression of a newly listed property from its online photos.

“Instead of driving past your house, prospective buyers will now scroll through pictures of both the outside and the inside of your home before deciding to physically see it – or even to read the description of all its feature – and the reality is that if they don’t like what they see, they will probably never bother to contact the agent about a viewing.”

What is more, Rademeyer says, home listings without photos are likely to get skipped altogether.

“Prospective buyers probably

won’t even read the description of your property if it has no ‘visuals’ and will never know that it perfectly matches their requirements and is right within in their price range.”

need to focus on the interior of your home, to ensure that it photographs well and attracts the attention of buyers within the first few critical weeks after being listed.

In short, while the outside of your home should still be a high priority, it may only get to make a big impression when the buyer gets there, especially if you have a high security wall. In addition, you

You need to declutter, clean, paint and polish your home before you allow any photographs to be taken, and be sure that all toys and pet gear are neatly stored away.

Next, make sure your home is professionally photographed and check the photos yourself before they are uploaded.

And third, work with a professional and reputable agent who can help you post a great listing. These days, buyers receive instant notifications of new listings that match their home search criteria, so you need to make sure your listing is complete.

Being too eager and posting

To advertise in

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VILLAGE

When it comes to selling your home, first impressions count for a lot, just as they do when you’re starting a new job or going on a first date. What buyers see first is going to be what they remember about your house most.

News You Can Use

Phone Kathy on 083 581 7219

an unfinished listing could hinder your sale in the longterm.”

On the other hand, the more beautiful photos you can post the better, as this makes it easier for buyers to get comfortable with the atmosphere and layout of your home and envisage themselves living there before they have even set foot in it. www.betterlife.co.za

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264JANUARY 2016 October 2016

Curb your enthusiasm “What if a collision cannot be avoided and someone is injured in the process?” The answer, however, is not forthcoming.

Aly Verbaan

I

f you are one of the many Hermanus residents who have put money, time and effort into beautifying your pavement, you could be in for a shock if the Municipality goes ahead with plans to charge and fine those whose sidewalks do not cater for pedestrians, prams and wheelchairs.

What is forthcoming is that, “in the next month or two”, municipal officials will start serving warnings on homeowners who are contravening the Overstrand Municipality’s Policy on the Administration of Immovable Property, as well as its By-law Relating to Streets, Public Places and the Prevention of Public Nuisances. You will then be permitted “a reasonable period” of time to make the 1,5 m pavement, which does not belong to you, pedestrian-, pram- and wheelchair-friendly.

According to the Municipality, the law states that the 1,5 m verge outside your property belongs to them and is there for the use of all forms of public transport – in the case of residential areas, mostly pedestrian traffic.

“As much as we appreciate the enthusiasm with which home owners are lending a hand to help beautify our towns by sprucing up their sidewalks, Overstrand Municipality must caution that what is commonly referred to as a pavement is, actually, a road reserve,” a municipal spokesperson explained. “Sometimes, Overstrand’s homeowners get a little over-enthusiastic and allow their gardens to spill over onto the sidewalk to such an extent that it is virtually impossible for any pedestrian – be they on foot or in a

NO NO While effort has clearly been put into this pavement, it may be against municipal by-laws. wheelchair – to move along without having to step into the road and, by inference, into traffic.”

Apparently, this compromises public safety. Added to that is that in most of the villages in the greater Hermanus area, many lanes and streets are only wide enough to accommodate two-way vehicular traffic. The example is given of a mother pushing

a pram along a stretch of road (the pavement decorated by flowers and shrubs) being hit by a motorist swerving to avoid a head-on collision.

According to the Municipality, if this motorist “ends up having to plough through this very artistic sidewalk array, all damages – including that to the other motorist’s vehicle – will be for the home owner’s account.” But there’s more.

The question is put to you:

Should it be found that this warning has not been heeded and no attempt has been made to ensure pedestrian and vehicular safety along the road verge abutting your property, you will be summoned to appear in court and may have to fork out a hefty fine.

What to do? The Municipality suggests: “Imagine you are a parent pushing a baby in a pram from one end of the block to the next. If you have to duck and dive shrubs and trees along the way, find it

ABSOLUTELY NOT While this curb does not belong to its homeowner, it remains their responsibility to maintain it according to the by-law, which would include removing the vegetation.

CURB CRIMINALS The municipality is likely to go to town on this homeowner if its plans go ahead. impossible to keep that pram moving through patches of gravel, mulch or, even worse, a whole bed of sour figs, it clearly is not.”

Section 5(b) of the by-law states: “No person shall in any way obstruct the pedestrian traffic on a sidewalk by bringing or allowing to be brought thereon any object or vehicle”. Here, “object” has the “widest possible meaning” and includes trees,

plants, shrubs, flowers, rocks, logs, loose stone, constructed flower beds, fencing and even gravel.

(For more on what is allowed and what is not, download Overstrand’s Policy on the Administration of Immovable Property from www.overstrand.gov.za.

Alternatively, visit your nearest municipal office and request a copy of said policy.

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4 October 2016

Wheelchair rugby on show in the Overstrand Sport

By Tony O’Hagan

R

ecently two teams from Stellenbosch University visited the Thusong Hall in Hawston to demonstrate the game of wheelchair rugby, which is now a Paralympic sport.

The game has been adapted to cater for the disabled and is played by quadriplegics with spinal cord injuries.

Wheelchair basketball, on the other hand, is played by paraplegics. A wheelchair rugby team is made up of four players – two offensive and two defensive. The two offensive players have a bumper attached to the wheelchair, while the defensive players have hooks attached to the wheelchairs that are used to "hook" those on the offensive and prevent movement.

with Britain and the USA dominant. Unfortu-nately, our national team failed to qualify and have now set their sights on Tokyo in 2020.

The purpose of the exhibition game in Hawston was to introduce this format to the Overberg. Arrie de Klerk, a leading light at the helm of the Overberg disabled, is hopeful of forming a local wheelchair rugby team.

‘MURDER BALL’ Wheelchair rugby teams demonstrate the game at the Thusong Hall.

The game is divided into four quarters of eight minutes and is played with a volley ball.

The player in possession has 10 seconds to either pass or bounce the ball. One point is scored when a player crosses the goal line, similar to Ameri-

Difficult season for Hermanus Hockey The Hermanus men’s hockey team was promoted to the Western Province M3 league this season, but faced a number of challenges in competing in this league.

The necessity of playing league fixtures on an Astroturf field entails having to find a home field on which to play the league matches. For this reason the Pinelands Club in Cape Town became their home base.

The team has to travel to this venue on Saturdays to fulfill

their home fixtures and to other clubs for away games.

Playing on a different surface to that on which practices were held in Hermanus was a challenge, together with the costs of travel and field hire at Pinelands.

As a consequence of these difficulties, the team has been relegated to the Western Province M4 league. At the start of the season there was no Astroturf field in Hermanus, but fortunately the new Astroturf surface is

now in place and should improve playing and results for next season. With the new Astroturf layout, the club is optimistic for next season and is working towards fielding a ladies team in the 2017 season. In future all home games will be played on the long-awaited Astroturf field in Hermanus.

As an aside, Hermanus really needs to upgrade its tennis and squash clubs in line with the updated hockey facility.

Major achievement for Hermanus vet Huge congratulations to Dr Marc Walton of the Hermanus Animal Hospital for being promoted to an International Endurance 4* FEI (International Equine Federation).

endurance rides, both treating the horses and as a line vet, checking the horses every 30 km, as these endurance races are over distances of 120 and 160 km.

A 4* equine veterinarian works with horses that partake in long

This qualification enables Marc to work on the big

international endurance races, especially those in countries like Dubai, where a 4* qualification is imperative.

Marc is one of only a handful of vets worldwide who have this qualification. We are proud of you, Dr Marc!

can football, where the ball is not "dotted" down as in traditional rugby union. The wheelchairs utilised in rugby are fitted with wheels that are equipped to be lower to the ground, enabling easier access for the player to pick

up the ball. There are eight wheelchair rugby clubs in South Africa, two of which are in the Western Cape.

Stellenbosch University has 12 wheelchair rugby players.

Eight nations qualified for the recent Para-lympics in Rio,

David Jacobs, manager of the Maties team, is very proud of the achievements of the university’s paraplegic athletes.

The South African Paralympic team came home with 17 medals, 14 of which were won

by Western Cape athletes and 11 of those from Stellenbosch University. Indeed, a great achievement by the SU disabled athletes.

Smashing day at tennis club’s annual championships… with a few hiccoughs Former pro and current pro coach, Pieter Joubert, beat Francois Barnard, owner of Harbour Rock Restaurant, 6-2 and 6-3 in the Championship Division held at the annual Hermanus Tennis Club Championships on 21 September.

In the Plate Division, the results are as follows: Men’s singles: Thiart Venter (a junior player) Women’s singles: Isabel Fauel Men’s doubles: Charles and CJ Robinson (father and son combo) Women’s doubles: Betty

Moore and Annette McMillan Mixed: John Lewis and Dulcie Sargeant

Pieter Joubert

Isabel Fauel

The exciting day of tennis concluded with a prize-giving and a fabulous braai. The tennis club extends its thanks to its sponsors, who supported the event in great style.

There was high drama in the first set of the mixed doubles between Pieter Joubert and longest-standing member of the club, Betty Moore, vs Francois Barnard and Isabel Fauel when Pieter tore a calf muscle in the first set and had to “retire”, thereby handing the title to Francois and Isabel.

Another repercussion of this injury was that Pieter could also not play in the men’s doubles, making town planner Henk Olivier and Stephan Hansen the de facto champs.

The women’s Championship singles and doubles are still to be played.

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October 2016 264JANUARY 2016

Fire fighters and volunteers come together What do you do if the area you live in is plagued by fires but you don’t have a fire station?

You open one yourself, obviously. In this way, the Pringle Bay Volunteer Community Fire Fighters set up their own fire station with the help of the Overstrand Municipality and declared open season on Thursday 29 September. The station, between Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay, will add tremendous backline and forward support to the understaffed firefighters in the Overstrand region - just in time, too, as we approach the hot season.

FESTIVITIES Councillor Fanie Krige, Councillor Lindile Ntsabo, Fire Chief Lester Smith, Mayor Rudolph Smith and Councillor Andrew Khomani cut the ribbon at the inaugural ceremony.

OPEN SEASON Mayor Rudolph Smith and Director Neville Michaels reveal the new plaque at the Pringle Bay Fire Station.

HOT STUFF DC Joe Schoeman, DC Marlu Rust, Fire Chief Lester Smith, Director of Protection Services Neville Michaels, Station Commander Clayton Francis, Mayor Rudolph Smith, DC Brain Lobb, Cllr Andrew Khomani, Traffic Chief Rudi Fraser, Cllr Fanie Krige and Cllr Lindile Ntsabo get in line.

RED HOT WHEELS Councillor Lindile Ntsabo and Mayor Rudolph Smith share a moment as the big wheels come out.

PHOTOS: Anandi Rust (Department of Communications, OM)

Youth education at the Hermanus Flower Festival The Hermanus Flower Festival has been a regular feature of Hermanus for the last 60 years, when locals and a few visitors come to marvel at the wealth of fynbos species and the splendour of the flowers.

“However, over the past 20 years the demography of Hermanus has changed hugely,” says Anina Lee of Whale Coast Conservation.

“Many of the present population come from outside the Western Cape or do not have a fynbos tradition. In fact, most know very little about it. This is especially true of the youth who have not had the privilege of walks in Fernkloof or hikes in the mountains.

“These young people are the future custodians of our precious fynbos environment and unless they are given the opportunity to connect with it, there will be little motivation to care for it.”

Whale Coast Conservation and the Hermanus Botanical Society have attempted to address this by recently taking expos on fynbos to seven schools in Hermanus and Stanford. The interactive expo exhibits highlighted the

FYNBOS AND FIRE During the Hermanus Flower Festival the learners from six schools in the Overstrand learned about the relationship between fynbos and fire. They also connected with some of the fynbos snakes and discovered about snake behaviour and why they are an important part of fynbos ecology. types of plants that make up fynbos; how these plants have evolved to cope with harsh climate and poor soils; their value to our economy; and the many threats to fynbos.

The lessons learned at these expos were reinforced by an invitation to six of the schools to visit the Flower Festival at

the end of September. Here the children discovered more about wildfires in fynbos, about the many fynbos creatures, including snakes and the endemic Drewes’ Moss frog, and participated in the Clueless Capers adventure.

Following clues and finding the answers in the Fernkloof gardens was both entertaining and educational.

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4 October 2016

Schools A glittering farewell to 2016 Hermies matrics The matrics of Hermanus High pulled out all the stops for the farewell dinner at the Sandbaai hall on Saturday 1 October. With eyes glittering brighter than gem-stones, they arrived in style to take the long and winding red carpet walk to the elegantly transformed hall.

Whether it is the champagne air of Hermanus or simply youthful exuberance of learners and teachers alike, these Hermies certainly know how to have fun. Plus, KFM personality Carl Wastie turned up to lead an impromptu dance contest pushing the excitement beyond Mach 3.

Shooting Range was at the farewell. For viewing and ordering the images, please visit FotoFirst in Main Road.

Kaolin Parkin and Arron Templer

Hanna Sturm and Zephan Potgieter PHOTOS: Leijla Steyn

Jessica Shaw and Tyran van der Sper

Carmen Steyn and Justin Inch

JUST SAY NO Jordan Cunningham and Abigail Coetzer, both Grade 10 learners at Northcliff House College, chose alcohol and drug abuse as the theme for their Life Orientation (LO) project this term. The pair decided to create posters and flyers to create awareness of the dangers of substance abuse, and also did a presentation at the Just Care Aftercare facility at the Mount Pleasant Junior School. They received a letter of thanks afterwards from Just Care trustee Kathleen Sanders who said: “The children listened avidly to Abi and Jordan giving useful information on a subject that needs to be addressed.” Jordan’s proud mum, Hilary Caro, owner of Goodiez, says he and Abi spent many hours doing the artwork and preparing for their talk.

Abi’s grandmother is Jenni Coetzer, principal of the Anima Kids Therapy Centre in Sandbaai. (See P 19.)

Carla-Lee Lewis and her partner

AWARE Jordan, Just Care staff member Tanashe Nyamurowa, and Abigail with Mount Pleasant Primary learner Nathan Jantjies.