The Village NEWS 15 April - 22 April 2020

15 APRIL 2020

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Local SAPS Commander tests positive Writer De Waal Steyn

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am staying positive despite the fact that I tested positive,” said Col. Luthando Nosilela, Station Commander of Hermanus SAPS, after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

Heilbron said the police station decontamination and sanitation process was expected to be completed by Tuesday afternoon and that the station would be fully operational by early Tuesday evening.

of the municipal law enforcement squad who were in contact with Nosilela have also been asked to self-isolate. None of them have shown any symptoms thus far.

“The medical advice we received was that there was no point in havCol. Luthando ing all the members Nosilela “I want to be an example to tested now. It is only those who think that this virus is a necessary to have a test joke, or just something that other people if you display symptoms. We contract. It is neither. I have not travelled will obviously monitor their recently; I have never been overseas, and I did health very closely over the not attend church. I contracted the virus while coming days,” Heilbron doing my job. The virus is out there and everysaid. one who does not adhere to the lockdown rules increases their risk of contracting COVID-19.”

Contact tracing continues for other members of the An upbeat Nosilela said in a telephone intercommunity who may also view on Monday that he started feeling feverish have come into contact on Thursday evening, 9 April. “On Friday I visited with Nosilela and they the pharmacy for medicine, and they suggested are also being placed in that I go for a test, which I subsequently did. I self-isolation. was tested on Saturday and on Sunday I was informed that I had tested positive.”

Nosilela said on Monday that although he still had a high fever, Shortly after it became known that Col Nosilela he was feeling optimistic about beathad contracted the virus, the Hermanus police ing the virus. “The headaches have gone, station was evacuated. and my throat is not as sore anymore, and while my body still aches, I am confident that According to Brig Donovan Heilbron, Cluster the medicine I received from the pharmacy is Commander of the Overberg District, all SAPS helping. In my culture it is believed that in order members from Hermanus have been informed to save many, you must sacrifice the best few. I and those who were in close contact with Col am not going to die, but I want people to know Nosilela have been asked to self-isolate for 14 that anyone can fall sick with this virus. This is days. None of these members have shown any why I decided to make my status public.” symptoms. All members were informed that if they show any symptoms, they must have He appealed to all members of the public to adthemselves tested immediately. here to the lockdown regulations and practise good hygiene by washing their hands regularly In addition to the SAPS members four members and practising social distancing.

“All SAPS members have been issued with face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser and they must use these at all times,” said Heilbron.

He added that it seemed as if people were adhering more strictly to the lockdown regulations than in the previous few weeks. “The streets are quieter, but we have a huge challenge with the various feeding schemes aimed at assisting those in need.

While it is admirable what the community is doing to help, it carries with it the inherent risk of assisting the virus to spread. Therefore, we call on members of the public to please work through the official channels when distributing aid.” (Read more on page 9) Hundreds of masks are being made by locals for members of the community.

See more on P8.

According to Heilbron, there are still those who are breaking the law and a large number of fines have been issued. “At the moment we are issuing fines to the value of R250 000 per day to those who do not comply with the legislaPHOTOS: Cynthia Young & Supplied tion.”

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15 April 2020

The importance of contact tracing Writer De Waal Steyn With several members of our law enforcement agencies now self-isolating after having been in contact with SAPS Hermanus Station Commander, Col Luthando Nosilela, who contracted COVID-19, many people are asking: how does contact tracing work?

According to The Conversation, this form of tracing people who have been in contact with someone who is infected with a transmittable disease was first used almost a century ago to limit the spread of sexually transmitted infections from and to American troops, and has since been a pillar of communicable disease control in public health.

The eradication of smallpox, for example, was achieved not by universal immunisation, but by exhaustive contact tracing, followed by isolation of infected individuals and immunisation of the surrounding community and contacts at risk of contracting smallpox.

In short, it means assigning a ‘contact tracer’ to interview each person with a confirmed case of COVID-19. The contact tracer, through swift and painstaking detective work, finds out who else might have already been exposed to the infectious person, and possibly contracted the virus.

In South Africa, the Red Cross' George Mamab-

olo is the acting National Programmes Manager in charge of contact tracing. According to him, those who had contact with a COVID-19 patient may not necessarily know that they have been exposed to the disease and, because the symptoms of COVID-19 don’t necessarily manifest immediately, they may continue with their normal lives during that time, potentially infecting others unknowingly.

The infected person is interviewed by a contact tracer to establish how many people they may have been in contact with and who those people are. In terms of international regulations, close contacts are those who have had face-toface contact with a confirmed case for a period of more than 15 minutes, or those who have shared an enclosed space with a confirmed case for more than two hours. This does not include people you may have encountered in a shop or passed in the street.

According to Mamabolo, the identities of the infected person and the contacts are treated as confidential.

The contact tracer will get hold of the contacts through different means, usually by phone.

There is no specialised technology used. “The process of tracking must incorporate personal distancing to reduce infection. We call people and send messages via SMS or WhatsApp and follow those messages up with a phone call,”

said Mamabolo. “They are then asked to come to a specified location to get screened. If they display any symptoms during screening, they are tested and told to self-isolate pending the results.” These contacts are then also asked about who they may have had close contact with, and the process is repeated.

The regulations explicitly state that nothing in the regulations entitle the Director-General of the Department of Health, or any other person, to intercept the contents of any electronic communication. The public can rest assured that voice conversations and messages will not be listened to.

To assist in the tracing process the government is setting up a COVID-19 database to track people who have contracted the virus and those they had contact with. To this end the Department of Health now has the power to demand location data from cellphone companies, going back to 5 March.

Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has assured South Africans that contact tracing in COVID-19 cases will not be used to spy on citizens.

Under the rules, the Director-General of the Department of Health can direct any licensed electronic communications company to provide information on "the location or movements of any person known or reasonably suspected to have contracted COVID-19", as well as "any person known or reasonably suspected to have come into contact, during the period 5 March 2020 to the date on which the national state of disaster has lapsed or has been terminated", with someone thought to be infected.

Six weeks after the state of disaster ends, individual data must be destroyed, and the database must be de-identified in order for the information to be "retained and used only for research, study and teaching purposes".

“When we say we are going to use cellphone numbers, it doesn’t mean we are going take anybody’s number. Those that test and are found to be positive… it is those people that the Department of Health will seek permission from the Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) licences to access their geolocation," the minister said.

In turn, people who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be identified through the process of contact tracing.

“We do respect that everyone has the right to privacy, but in a situation like this, our individual rights do not supersede the country’s rights.

The most important and critical right is ensuring the safety of South Africans,” she said.

‘We want to come home’ Writer Taylum Meyer

Roughly 3 000 South Africans stranded abroad are desperately trying to make their way back home while most of the world is in lockdown.

Many stranded South Africans are running out of money and are now unemployed; they can no longer afford to pay for their accommodation and have nowhere else to go. To make matters worse, those with life-threatening medical conditions are not able to access chronic medication and now face serious health challenges.

A group called ‘Home Away from Home’, which was established a few weeks ago by a number of volunteers and officials here and abroad, has been supporting these nationals and assisting with efforts to repatriate them. The group, which is working closely with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), was initiated after many of the stranded South Africans took to social media to share the dire circumstances in which they found themselves abroad.

In-country WhatsApp groups were created, in an effort to provide support and information to stranded citizens, and to help them register with DIRCO. Psychological counselling WhatsApp groups have also been set up in order to assist those who have been struggling with anxiety and stress during these unprece-

dented times.

One of these groups was created for over 60 citizens stranded in Ghana, which included three people from the Overberg who have chosen to remain anonymous – one from Hermanus, one from Gansbaai and one from Cape Agulhas.

The overall sentiment amongst them last week was that they did not feel like valued South African citizens. One member of the group said that “other governments are flying their people home, but ours doesn’t seem to be doing anything for us”.

MPP Beverley Schäfer (Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Head of International Relations for the Western Cape and part of the Home Away from Home team) said that other countries had repatriated their citizens weeks ago, several through arrangements with South African Airways (SAA). However, the South African government has subsequently used return flights from other international airlines in a concerted effort to bring home its citizens.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, recently stated that those in extreme difficulties would be assisted first, and that those who could stay where they were, should do so. As per the new lockdown rules and regulations, commercial SAA flights have been suspended and the stranded South Africans either have to wait indefinitely to be ABOVE: The crew who operated the flight from Heathrow to Cape Town, which brought citizens home to South Africa on Sunday 12 April.

PHOTO: Stan Coetzee, South African Airways LEFT: Helen Lombard with a member of the SA Embassy in Ghana who helped them get home. PHOTO: Helen Lombard

repatriated, or they have to charter their own flights.

The Ghana group received the good news late last week that a flight returning from Germany to South Africa would be stopping in Ghana to pick them up and take them home on Monday 13 April. The group members had to ensure they were on the DIRCO list for the flight and had to pass screening tests in order to board the plane where their temperatures were taken before taking off.

When asked how he was feeling on Friday, the Hermanus resident said it had been a traumatic experience. “It was like being a child waiting for your parents after school and they don't fetch you. After a while you see all the other kids leave and start to wonder if they have forgotten you. It seemed as if South Africans in other countries were getting much better support from their embassies; in our case, we just feel stressed and frustrated and want to come home.”

Fortunately, the Ghana group landed safely at OR Tambo Airport on Monday night and are now being quarantined for 14 days in one of two facilities in Johannesburg. The entire process from the airport in Ghana, to their arrival at the facilities in Johannesburg went smoothly and the members are grateful to the embassy in Ghana for their great assistance in the end.

Before being allowed to go home to their fam-

ilies, those in quarantine have to test negative for COVID-19. When they are allowed to leave the facilities, it will ultimately be up to them to find their own way home, at their own expense.

At the time of going to print, approximately 1 000 South Africans had been successfully repatriated, many through return flights from other countries.

Home Away from Home was created to assist all South Africans stuck abroad, but has recently had to close its database to new entries due to the overwhelming number of people who are stranded. It does, however, still encourage people to join the Home Away from Home group on Facebook. DIRCO's database will remain open.

“Our aim is to ensure that any South Africans who choose to come back, particularly those whose jobs have been terminated, are allowed to return. We have hundreds of teachers across the globe who have no work. They are in dire straits financially and we must help them get back home,” said Schäfer.

“If government does not have the means, then my call is to large multinationals to assist us.

Let us not forget that South Africans are united in Ubuntu – compassion for one another! This storm will pass. South Africans are resilient and we will get through this together.”

15 April 2020

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Pulling out the stops to protect elders Writer Elaine Davie

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et’s be honest now. As the pandemic sped at an alarming rate from China and the rest of Asia, to Europe and the US, claiming thousands of lives, how many of us involuntarily sneaked an anxious thought: Thank goodness I don’t fall into an ‘at risk’ category – the old and the infirm? And then just as quickly, shoved it guiltily aside!

Luckily, Hermanus residents and those whose business it is to care for the elderly have risen to the occasion. From those who manage retirement villages and especially Frail Care Centres, to the carers who look after the elderly in their own homes and the NGOs and individuals who have thrown their weight behind the municipality’s disaster management services, they have pulled out all the stops to protect the elderly and the infirm. In many ways, it’s a token of gratitude to those who have contributed so much to our own lives and on the other hand, recognition of the important role they still have to play in our families and communities.

And it hasn’t all been easy. Many of those carers who spend every day with old people, have had to take on the role of counsellor, confidant and friend, not only for their patients but also for the family members who no longer have access to them.

Head Nurse at Onrus Manor Frail Care, Sister Annemarie Adshade gives an example: “Amongst our Alzheimer’s residents is an elderly gentleman who is visited every single day by his wife. As she left on the last day before total lockdown, she said to me: ‘What if he has forgotten who I am after this is all over?’ It nearly broke my heart. Until then, that thought had never even crossed my mind. Our staff have just been amazing though, despite the huge emotional stress it places on them. Perhaps what they have been through will only really hit them afterwards.”

It is often very confusing for dementia residents to make sense of what is happening outside, causing them great anxiety. “We serve meals in our dining room for those who want to eat there,” says Sister Adshade, “but each of them has to sit at a separate table and they find this so distressing that they prefer to eat in their

own rooms. Then there are those who are still sound of mind: their primary form of social engagement is their weekly game of bridge, and visits from friends and family members. In their absence, the restrictions have a serious impact on their state of mind.”

Johan Botha, General Manager of Kidbrooke Place agrees that their greatest challenge is to shield residents from loneliness and heightened feelings of hopelessness. He was very pleased when the Care Centre suggested to residents of the Village that they make masks for the carers at the centre. “Several ladies got together and have made nearly 200 beautiful, colourful, happy masks in their own homes.

Once the carers had all been given masks, they just carried on and made some for the independent carers and also for all the security personnel. They are still making them and are now sending them to the homes of staff members. It has been a wonderful group effort. It gives them a sense of being able to contribute to the needs of others and has been very therapeutic.”

Dewcare is probably the largest supplier of independent carers in the Hermanus area and General Manager, Dylan Lok emphasises that the pandemic has required them to institute strict protocols to protect both clients and carers. Because many of their clients are very frail, they fall into the category of those at greatest risk of infection.

“Our 36 to 40 carers have been given intensive Coronavirus training and in many cases, depending on the specific needs of clients, they have actually moved into their homes for the duration of the lockdown,” he elaborates.

“Those who come in on a daily basis, bring their uniforms with them in a plastic bag and change into them when they arrive, taking them away to be washed when they leave.

“The carers have also been taught to be particularly vigilant in identifying potential COVID-19 symptoms. Many of the clients have existing respiratory problems and it is important to be aware of any unusual additional symptoms. In some cases, what the client under lockdown and deprived of physical contact with friends and family needs more than anything else is just the companionship of a carer. However, at the same time, she is able to keep an eye on personal hygiene and health-related issues and call for professional intervention, if necessary.”

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

exercises and tell each other stories (sometimes several times over) till the cows came home.

Now all that has been taken away, leaving a huge gap in their lives.

“Things are bad in the townships,” says Christine May, Proportional Councillor for Ward 4. “So many families have no income – the builders, the fishermen are earning nothing. Some workers have been retrenched; others have been paid three weeks’ leave, but what happens now that lockdown has been extended by another two weeks? And as usual, it’s the children, the elderly and the sickly who are the worst affected. Some grannies, many of them members of those clubs for the elderly are still caring for maybe three grandchildren from their meagre pensions. Think what would happen if they were infected.

“But we’re on it,” adds Christine. “It’s unbelievable how many businesses, especially the supermarkets, individuals, churches, NGOs have come to the party big time. Disaster Management and the Food Bank have their hands full trying to see that everyone’s needs are met, but

at the same time, avoiding duplication. I am making sure, for example, that the 25 members of Lombardi receive enough fresh fruit and veggies, together with cooked meals, when these are available, to keep them healthy. And Soraya Pieterse of the Love, Hope, Faith and Happiness soup kitchen is still preparing cooked meals every day for the 140 or so children she was feeding before, but is also supplying meals to some sickly and elderly residents in her area.”

But what of the companionship that was so important to the members of the two social centres? “Well you’ve got to understand,” says Christine, “lockdown is a bit different in the townships. People are moving around, many of the old people still live with their families.

I’m sure they miss their friends at the centre, but not many of them are what you would call lonely; they are still part of the community.”

And perhaps that is one of the most important principles the pandemic has driven home: the importance of connectedness, and empathy.

When the chips are down, it’s one for all and all for one.

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PART 3: Early development of business in Hermanus 3

In Part 2 of his comprehensive history on the early development of business in Hermanus, DR ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society examined the important factors that allowed businesses to gain momentum in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This week, Part 3 focuses on the period 1915 – 1930.

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t least three banks opened in Hermanus in the early 20th century, the largest of which was The National Bank of South Africa (Pty) Ltd, with premises in the Balcony Building in Harbour Road. This was the forerunner of Barclays Bank and, later, the First National Bank (FNB).

Physical evidence of the presence of the bank remains in the building, in the form of a safe. The door of the safe is still in excellent working condition and reveals some interesting information. The manufacturer was a firm in London by the name of John Tann. This firm was the oldest and best safe-maker of its time in England, having been established by Edward Tann in 1790. National Bank installed the safe, which was later used by Alex Grant, the pharmacist, to store dangerous medicines, and later still, by The Factory Shop. It is still fully operational.

Development started in Harbour Road, from Visbaai (the Old Harbour) to the Balcony Building. Doctors Cohn and Daneel set up rooms in Harbour Road; the family of JJ du Toit divided their business into three departments in Harbour Road, with one department where Warrington Place is now, distributing building materials. Supplies went from here to the renovation of the Windsor Hotel in about 1930. I have personally seen the stamp of JJ du Toit on the timber used for the stairway of the hotel.

In Main Road, the Rainsford family took over the original general dealer’s business belonging to the Warringtons and developed it into a full department store before selling

to the du Plooy family.

Johnny Stemmet started a mineral water factory behind the Warrington house in Marine Drive. He had bought the house and developed it into Stemmet's Private Hotel, later to become the Esplanade Hotel. He named the mineral water business The Springbok Mineral Water Factory.

It was successful, and Stemmet later sold it to Eric Westcott. The new owner moved it to Main Road and later to the east end of Mitchell Street, where abundant pure water was available.

Westcott expanded the business to supply the entire Overberg and, when he won the Coca-Cola franchise, business boomed. In the 1940s he was able to buy a large house in Eastcliff, known as Roman Rock.

From about 1920, service stations (garages) started to be opened.

Prominent amongst these were Lister's, Marriott's, and Groenewald's in the village, and Brookhill Motors in Voëlklip.

The tempo of establishing new businesses quickened in the period 1920 – 1930. The Bay View Hotel was built on the site of Roskeen, the old Morton residence and school in Eastcliff. The Lipschitz family took over from the Oblowitz family at Lemm's Corner. Two modest accommodation facilities opened – the De Hoop Boarding House and the Aberdeen Street Guesthouse, under Mrs Steyn and Mrs Geldenhuys respectively.

Warrington's shop was extended and moved to a new location in Main Road and another general dealership named Slabbert's opened on the

corner of Church and Myrtle Streets.

Eastcliff was growing, too, and Bekker's Store opened on the corner of Main Road and Stemmet Street.

The Balcony Building was constructed in the early 1900s, perhaps as early as 1906, by Robert Walter MacFarlane (1874 – 1955), son of one of the original settlers. Several of the men in the family were named Walter, so Robert Walter was generally known as Wattie. He constructed the Ocean View Hotel at about the same time as the Balcony Building.

The Balcony Building was almost certainly the largest commercial building in Hermanus at the time it was built, and was well-situated, at the junction of the two best-known streets in Hermanus, and adjacent to the Anglican Church. It was also diagonally opposite the Victoria Hotel which belonged to Walter MacFarlane Snr. On the ground floor, fronting on to Harbour Road in the early 1920s, was I Davies Pharmacy, the first pharmacy in Hermanus. It was a branch of a similar business in Caledon owned by Idris Davies, who recruited Alexander Grant from Scotland to manage the branch. After a few years, Grant was able to buy the business. He changed the name to Alex Grant Pharmacy and managed the business himself until the early 1970s. Now owned by Hermanus Pharmacies, it continues to operate under the same name, at the Gateway Centre.

We also know that at one time, the firm of Beunderman's Electrical had a shop next to Alex Grant Pharmacy.

1.Market Square in Hermanus, circa 1930.

2. Stemmet’s Private Hotel in Marine Drive, where the owner, Johnny Stemmet, started The Springbok Mineral Water Factory.

3. The Balcony Building in Harbour Road was the largest commercial building in Hermanus at the time it was built around 1906.

PHOTOS: Old Harbour Museum Facing on to Main Road and St Peter's Lane, was a business belonging to the Nigrini family. The owner was Malita (Bunny) Nigrini and locals described it as a toy shop with a bicycle shop at the rear. Later, a women's clothing shop known as Leonie's operated from these premises.

Other firms that rented space in the Balcony Building included Hermanus Construction, owned by master builder George Vermeulen, who built some of the public building edifices and several private houses in Stanford and Hermanus. Two other businesses we know of were those of accountants, Maddocks and JW Koegelenberg. Two dentists, Dr Wrigley and, later, Dr Seeliger, practised in the Balcony Building. A photographer, Arthur Wilson, also had a studio in the building – the late historian, SJ du Toit described him as a favourite for portraits, family, and wedding groups.

The municipality regularly rented office space in the Balcony Building, especially during long, drawn-out controversies about where to build the new municipal offices. At one stage, the town clerk suggested that the municipality should buy the Bal-

cony Building as its new headquarters. The sheriff of Hermanus, in the latter part of the 19th century, also had his office in the building.

Many of the historical themes in connection with business development in Hermanus come to light in the growth of Harbour Road and the building of the Balcony Building. We see the conversion of family homes for business purposes; the strong presence of early settler families is still felt in various businesses; and businesses grew by the addition of activities related to an original shop, and degrees of specialisation in business services.

The Balcony Building was an indication of yet another capitalist economic development: the spread of specialisation. Retail firms no longer had to build their own premises or convert part of their domestic accommodation. Instead, they could rent space from the owner of a building and focus on the quality of service in their own businesses.

In Part 4 of this article, the author will be taking a close look at the many changes that led to the development of a CBD in Hermanus.

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Conversations with a modern-day martyr Writer Elaine Davie

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n 9 April 1945, 75 years ago last week, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged by the Gestapo in Flossenbürg concentration camp in Germany, implicated in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

He was only 39. He died two weeks before the camp was liberated by US troops, three weeks before Hitler committed suicide in a bunker in Berlin and a month before Germany surrendered to the allied forces to end the Second World War. Tragic as these circumstances were, you would have thought they would have signalled an end to this troublesome priest, who had persistently spoken out against the policies of the powerful Third Reich and even his own church, which had, to a large extent, been co-opted by the state.

However, history has proved otherwise. For 18 months before his hanging he languished in a succession of Nazi prisons and concentration camps and his writings from there, together with earlier lectures and sermons, have been collected together in an archive of 17 volumes, thanks largely to the efforts of his best friend, Eberhard Bethge and his fiancée, Maria von Wedermeyer.

Many of his books have been published in English (and in numerous other languages), the best known being The Cost of Discipleship, which interrogates the meaning of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

Through the years, he has continued to speak powerfully and personally to a growing number of followers, both old and young around the world, not only theologians and philosophers, but also ordinary men and women. Although he belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran tradition, he is revered by Christians of all denominations, from Catholics to Pentecostals and even members of other faiths, who see his message as fundamental and universal in its attempt to understand what makes us human.

Because much of his writing was generated during his period in prison, at a time when the world was in the

swers. Think of our present situation in lockdown. In prison, he had to deal with isolation, and amongst the issues that particularly challenged him was trying to make sense of time and how to avoid boredom.

In a letter to his parents, he listed a number of phrases that had to do with time: empty time, finding time and especially, killing time, eventually concluding that he had been given a wonderful gift of time which he should use productively.”

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged by the Gestapo in 1945, mere weeks before the concentration camp where he’d been imprisoned was liberated by US troops.

PHOTO: sojo.net Among the volumes of writing he penned before and during his captivity was The Cost of Discipleship.

Cut off from physical contact with others, he realised how greatly we depend on inter-personal relationships. Like time, these, too, should be treasured. Living through a period of global horror, which he realised he was unlikely to survive, one of his questions was: How should we live today in order to create a better world tomorrow?

Prof John de Gruchy’s wide-ranging research on Bonhoeffer over the past 40 years has led to a vast body of work on the German theologian, including Bonhoeffer’s Questions – A Life-changing Conversation.

grip of unprecedented brutality and destabilisation and millions of people were dying, it speaks very strongly to our present-day condition. As the Corona virus sweeps through one continent after another, infecting and killing thousands, many millions more live in fear and isolation from one another.

Emeritus Professor, John de Gruchy of the Volmoed Retreat Centre in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, first encountered the writings of Bonhoeffer around 50 years ago as a theology student, first in South Africa and later in Chicago, and in 1976, he was privileged to attend and present a paper at the Second Bonhoeffer Congress in Geneva where he met Bonhoeffer’s friend, Eberhard Bethge. Over the past 40 years or so, his wide-ranging research has led to the generation of a vast body of work on the German

“The interesting thing about Bonhoeffer,” adds De Gruchy, “is that he was by no means a one-dimensional personality. He was devoted to art and literature and especially music, which in many ways preserved his sanity. It is said that he was good enough to have become a concert pianist and some of his letters are written in staves and musical notation, as he recreated the music he had loved on paper.

theologian, including lectures, conference papers and several books, his latest being, Bonhoeffer’s Questions – A Life-changing Conversation. Appropriately, it was launched at the 13th International Bonhoeffer Congress held in Stellenbosch in February this year.

When Professor de Gruchy was first introduced to Bonhoeffer, he was looking for a message which spoke to the South Africa of the ‘60s and ‘70s, straining under the imposition of apartheid policies which so closely paralleled those of Nazi Germany in the ‘30s and ‘40s. He saw him as a heroic figure, prepared to put his life on the line for the sake of human rights and justice. However, he soon found that it was not easy to follow his example and that there was a lot more to it than that, including the great cost of discipleship.

As the subtitle of his book indicates, he began to engage in a virtual conversation with Bonhoeffer, specifically around several core questions the latter struggled with throughout his life, but especially during his time in prison, questions like, Who am I; Who is God; How do I live today for a better future? Bonhoeffer believed that the greatest learning occurs in conversation – with oneself, with others, with God. In 1944 he wrote: “In a conversation, something new can always happen.” Physically cut off from others in prison, he became a prolific writer of letters in which many of these questions were raised for discussion.

“He has been fundamental in my growth as a theologian,” says De Gruchy. “The questions he asked then are just as relevant today and we are still struggling to find our own an-

“The other important fact about Bonhoeffer 75 years after his death is that he speaks to younger people as much as he does to my generation. Our Stellenbosch Congress in February was attended by about 150 people from all over the world, both young and old and one of the pleasures of being with them was to engage in conversation, as Bonhoeffer would have done, gaining new perspectives and understanding as we wrestled with his timeless questions.”

John de Gruchy is currently presenting a series of meditations called ‘Faith in a time of plague’. His blogs can be found under John de Gruchy: theologian and woodworker. wordpress.com, or you can ask to be placed on the Volmoed mailing list by visiting www.volmoedhermanus.co.za. His book, Bonhoeffer’s Questions, is stocked by The Book Cottage, along with some of John’s earlier books.

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6

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15 April 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

We need to create the ‘new normal’ The next edition of The Village NEWS will be available on 22 April 2020. The NEWS can be found at over 300 distribution points in the Overberg.

028 312 2234

6 Royal Street, Hermanus

De Waal Steyn

PUBLISHING EDITOR dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

It is difficult to explain the deep sense of despondency that at times overwhelms one during this extended lockdown.

Our normal daily activities have ground to a halt and the comfort of our daily routines are fast fading into the background as we realise that not only the world we live in, but even more so our close-knit community, will never be the same.

But when it is proclaimed that the present state of disaster will be a “new normal,” we have a duty to do more than listen. We need to start a conversation on what we need the new normal to be. When we finally get back to “normal,” what should it look like?

For us to create a new normal, now is the time we already need to ask and find answers to the questions on how to be strong enough to survive, but also flexible and innovative enough to adapt to all the new challenges.

We have no choice but to adapt to a new normal without any certainty as to exactly what it will be. Scientific arguments dictating the COVID-19 response are to be respected, and

The extended lockdown has already had a devastating impact on our economy, and the livelihoods of many of our residents are in jeopardy. We are already starting to see its

As we find these answers, we must start to implement them sooner rather than later. It is possible to be both strong and adaptive. In this time of crisis, constructive engage-

Hedda Mittner

hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

ONLINE EDITOR

raphael@thevillagenews.co.za

Elaine Davie

By Murray Stewart murray.stewart49@gmail.com

C

heer your friends and family up during these stressful times with some interesting facts that will elevate their moods from morbid boredom to ‘for fact’s same, I didn’t know that’. Works every time.

Oranges and lemons

SUB-EDITOR & JOURNALIST elaine@thevillagenews.co.za

Taylum Meyer PHOTOGRAPHER & PRODUCTION MANAGER taylum@thevillagenews.co.za

Alta Pretorius MARKETING MANAGER alta@thevillagenews.co.za

Charé van der Walt MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE chare@thevillagenews.co.za

Tania Hamman

ment and proper scrutiny of our approach are critical to ensure we are always on the right path.

As a first step, we need to challenge our old ways and start supporting local only. This is not easy, but ask yourself whenever you go out to buy essentials: Is this money staying local, or will it end up in corporate coffers?

Remember to be kind, compassionate and caring, and of course, to stay at home. If we do this, we will emerge stronger from this crisis.

This is the good NEWS – Ed.

Cryptic art, trivialities and mother-munchers

CONTENT EDITOR

Raphael da Silva

impact as businesses buckle under the pressure and thousands of people go hungry. This effect will be felt for years to come.

right now we need to heed the warnings and advice of scientists and doctors.

Mark Twain was a shrewd observer of humanity’s frailties and foibles. He had the knack – while blindfolded – of being able to find a hammer and a nail in life’s satirical storeroom, and hit it squarely on the head without mincing words or thumbs.

Few escaped his irony or caustic wit, and he was somewhat cynical about some of the famous French and Italian Renaissance painters with their murky interiors, unappetising bowls of food and gloomy flower arrangements.

“If the old masters had labelled their fruit,” he wrote, “we wouldn’t be so likely to mistake pears for turnips.”

Which brings us to the question of

the humble orange – thankfully not the one in the White House, but those depicted in some dubious renditions of historical events. Like the Last Supper, for example.

Famous artists like Titian, Sandro Botticelli and even our more famous chum, Lenny da Vinci were lured by the orange temptation – perhaps to inject more colour into their works, or perhaps it was simple ignorance – but sadly they got it wrong. These Renaissance painters were depicting scenes from the time of Christ, 15 centuries earlier, and to put it bluntly, there were no oranges in Jerusalem back then.

In the 12th century, when the Crusaders returned to Europe from the Middle East, they brought with them a fleshy, juicy, bright orange fruit which had only recently arrived there from exotic lands much further to the east. Wisely, they decided not to call it a plum or an aubergine, and seeing that it was orange, they decided to call it one.

By the time the painters created their masterpieces, centuries after the Crusades, oranges were not uncommon

in Europe. But whether they labelled them or not, an orange on the table in any depiction of the Last Supper was, though colourful, just wishful thinking. There weren’t any – full stop. Not for over a thousand years.

More words, words, words • Hitch-hike - This term originated in the 19th century to describe how two men could travel with only one horse.

One would ride ahead for an allotted time, then hitch the horse and continue on foot. Number two, who was on foot, would arrive at the horse, hop on and ride past number one for the similar allotted time. He’d then hitch the horse again for number one and start hiking.

• Gazette - Newspapers often incorporate this in their titles. A gazetta was a small Italian coin which was the price of a government newspaper published in Venice around 1536, and the term spread. Alternatively, some say it may come from the Italian gazza – tittle-tattle or gossip.

• Deliberate - This originally comes from the Latin libra, referring to scales – to ‘weigh in the balance’. Anyone making a decision after careful thought is said to be acting ‘deliber-

ately’. From the same root comes the pound weight – lb.

• Trivial - In ancient Rome, serious business was carried out in the Forum, the main gathering place for constructive debate. Gossipers among the less privileged would gather outside at a crossroads of three streets, the Tri-Via, and the word came to reflect the idle chatter they exchanged.

Mother’s delight Don’t discuss this over dinner. There is a type of fly, the cecidomyia gall midge, which reproduces by either laying eggs fertilised by a male, or by parthenogenesis, which basically means the female can self-fertilise without rumpy-pumpy.

In these cases, the female never reaches adulthood. She reproduces while still a larva or pupa, and the kids develop inside mom’s body tissue – not just the uterus. In order to grow they eat mom from the inside and when they emerge, all that remains is her shell. Within a couple of days the kids’ own kids start developing and devour their moms in turn.

What a life!

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LET'S TALK

Easter bunny brings a ray of hope

A new SA after COVID-19 When FW De Klerk announced the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, he made the bold statement that all the people of the land could now become part of the ‘New South Africa’.

Political and economic changes over the next few years did herald several positive changes. During the rule of Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, financial discipline was maintained in government spending and the inflow of foreign investments resulted in general improvement in the living standards of the poorer segment of the population.

We are all facing a hard time during this lockdown and are trying to stay positive. Luckily, the Easter Bunny got special eggs-emption to still be able to deliver chocolate eggs and spread some cheer – and he did just that!

On Friday he woke up, washed his hands, put on personal protective equipment and made some deliveries to those who are working on the frontline in our community and were unable to spend Good Friday with their families.

The Easter Bunny wants to thank the friends that helped out and give a huge big thank you to Food

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15 April 2020

Lover’s Market for ensuring that there were enough eggs for these deliveries.

The visit by the Easter Bunny put a smile of love and hope on people's faces and they were able to enjoy their day at work away from home.

Giving a bit of light in these dark times is the most wonderful feeling ever. Even though Food Lover’s is already assisting other causes with food donations, they still didn't hesitate to help with the Easter Project.

Thank you to everyone involved. Be safe.

On Thursday 9 April, the residents of Northcliff went into their gardens at 18:00 to cheer for the essential personnel as they drove through the area.

The procession was organised by the Westcliff/Northcliff Neighbourhood Watch after several residents asked on their community WhatsApp group if it would be possible for them to do a drive through. Many residents in different parts of the Overstrand have been cheering at 20:00 every evening since the start of lockdown, but most of the essential personnel hadn’t been able to witness it for themselves.

Representatives from Westcliff/Northcliff Neighbourhood Watch, the Fire Department, EMR, Hermanus Public Protection (HPP), ADT, Guarding

Unknown Little Lights

This progress was halted when Jacob Zuma took office in 2008. Over the next nine years, widespread corruption through the looting of state assets and numerous cases of cadre deployment resulted in the destruction and severe damage of key state institutions.

When Cyril Ramaphosa replaced Zuma in late 2017, he started with the process of addressing corruption through the setting up of a commission of enquiry into state capture, and the replacement of key management positions in several state institutions. The slow progress of economic recovery was dealt a devastating blow by the world-wide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The drastic reduction in international and national economic activities pushed our economic growth rate

and Protection Services, Securi-Team and SAPS joined the procession.

The waiting Northcliff residents banged tins together, whistled, clapped and cheered in thanks as the cars and trucks drove past. Their gratitude was not only for those in the procession, but for all those in essential services, from health workers and members of the traffic department and refuse removal, to shop owners and their staff.

Even though the lockdown still has a few weeks left to go and South Africa is yet to face the full effect of the virus, these residents and many others like them throughout the Overstrand are proud of and grateful to all the essential services personnel. Westcliff/Northcliff Neighbourhood Watch patrols and responds to calls in Westcliff, Northcliff, Old Industrial area and the CBD. Emergency contact no.: 076 077 3570.

into a recession and the credit rating agencies downgraded our financial position to junk status.

by officials appointed on merit, with clear goals governed by responsible spending;

The first 25 years of our new democracy has not resulted in a new South Africa, but rather in a broken old South Africa. For large numbers of the population, the achievement of political freedom has not been matched by economic freedom.

A new South Africa with focused state projects to develop and maintain strategic services with electricity, road, rail, harbour and airport services, to serve the needs of the economy and the people;

Within this dark outlook we are desperately looking for glimmers of hope. Several commentators are expecting positive changes after the pandemic in, for example, the expanding use of technology, an increase in the role of the private sector in the economy, improved education and health care, and a deepening of social responsibility. What possible changes could be envisaged for South Africans in the post COVID-19 period?

A new South Africa with focused and relevant teaching at schools to develop the specific talents of children to prepare them to fulfil their rightful future role in society; A new South Africa with a comprehensive and efficient public service health system to meet the needs of all citizens not covered by private sector health schemes;

A new South Africa with a pact between government, business and labour, to ensure responsible labour union actions in the interests of the country; A new South Africa with the replacement of the expropriation of land without compensation plan with land allocation with individual titles, to place poorer people in a position to access funding for housing; A new South Africa with the effective provision of basic services by municipalities in towns and cities, unaffected by petty political squabbles.

Are the above just a pipe dream?

Not if we consider the example of a bunch of young men from different racial and cultural backgrounds uniting around a common vision to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup. These dreams can indeed become reality in a new South Africa when citizens share a common vision.

A new South Africa with a streamlined and effective civil service staffed

Andre de Villiers

Northcliff says 'thank you!' .

Several essential personnel drove through Northcliff so that the residents could cheer for them and show their thanks. CIRCLE: For some of the residents, the event was overwhelming as they felt overcome by all the stress and emotion they had been feeling since the lockdown started.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

Local expertise, national presence and international audience

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This spectacular heritage home offers four bedrooms, main-ensuite with stunning sea views, the second bedroom also overlooks the sea, whilst the other two bedrooms enjoy magnificent mountain views. The home has two guest bathrooms. The openplan lounge and dining room overlook the ocean and leads out onto the veranda where lifetime memories will be built. The generous family country-style kitchen, barbeque room with builtin barbeque, cosy family room and study complete the picture perfectly. Also offering a double garage, ample paved secure parking, an outside laundry, additional staff or managers housing, and a well-thought-out garden. The position and ambiance of this enchanting home also lends itself to be run as a guest house or B&B. Exclusive instruction.

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Not all heroes wear capes Writer Taylum Meyer

O

ver the past few weeks of lockdown, we have heard stories of people doing wonderful things for the community.

Another such story, which has been happening quietly in the background until recently, is the donation and distribution of face masks.

people have come forward to donate face masks, including a couple from America, David Altman and Mary Weatherford, a well-known artist.

They were in South Africa when the lockdown began, and have chosen to stay in Hermanus even after being offered a flight home by the US Embassy.

Since the start of the lockdown, there has been a lot of back and forth on this topic: should you wear a mask or not? Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has now recommended the widespread use of face masks. Mkhize is asking for members of the public to leave the surgical masks for the medical personnel and to wear cloth masks with three layers, while still maintaining social distancing and practising good hygiene.

David was in Hermanus Pharmacy recently when he saw some cloth face masks made by local resident, Cynthia Young. He noted that the masks were well-made and conformed to the recommended three layers, and were packaged with instructions for usage along with health guidelines in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. He and Mary knew they could make a difference in the community by supporting this initiative and decided to buy 400 masks from Cynthia and donate them to emergency personnel.

But not everyone can afford to buy face masks, or even get access to them. Although several members of the public have been sewing handmade masks and have tried to make them as accessible as possible, there is still a huge need for them.

Since the start of the lockdown many

When asked why they decided on masks rather than food or financial donations, Mary said, “My brother is an EMT in San Diego and I understand that health workers and law enforcement officials are at great risk from all the people they are helping. David and I are here as tourists

and want to contribute to our local community which, at the moment, is Hermanus. If everyone covers their faces and washes their hands we have a better chance to slow the spread of the virus.”

Cynthia and her mom Beulah, with the assistance of Cynthia’s dad Ronnie, have been sewing non-stop since she received the order for the 400 masks. “We have chosen to keep our team small as we want to adhere to the lockdown regulations as much as possible to limit exposure,” she said.

So far, 40 of the 400 masks have been donated to Hermanus SAPS by David and Mary, while 160 have been handed over to Dr Salomé Froneman at the Hermanus Provincial Hospital, where she distributes them amongst the staff. Another 100 masks will be donated to the police station and the other 100 will go to either the Hermanus Provincial Hospital or the hospital in Caledon later this week.

“Everyone was incredibly grateful and many have phoned me and sent messages of thanks,” said Cynthia.

“David and Mary have also now gen-

ESSENTIAL SERVICES – WE ARE OPEN

15 April 2020 erously offered to pay for another 400 masks to be made and donated. The need is great, so their support is very welcome and much appreciated!”

Cynthia has also been involved in the Masks4AllOverstrand campaign which was initiated by Willem Kamstra when he saw the urgent need for masks in the community, especially for frontline workers and their families.

Two local doctors immediately jumped in to help and together they started testing concept masks from research on the internet and other sources, before realising that Cynthia would be able to assist with material and manufacturing detail. Willem was later introduced to Denise Eady, who is part of the Women’s Fellowship group at the United Church. At the time Denise already had over 30 ladies from her Fellowship group voluntarily sewing masks, but wasn’t sure where to distribute them.

“The problem for Maks4All is funding,” said Willem. “We would like to cover some of the expenses, such as the cost of the material, electricity, usage instructions, packaging and transport, as well as hopefully providing some income to the ladies who really need it. For this reason, in addition to donating, we will be selling the masks to the community. The

money made from these sales will go straight back into Masks4All to help with the running of the project.”

The masks will be available for sale later this week at Green Ways Health Shop (Gateway Centre), Oasis Water, D'lish at CEM Motors (Voëlklip) and C Beyond Health Shop (Eastcliff Village Shopping Centre).

The team has already managed to make 1 000 masks to be distributed to emergency personnel and those in the community who need them most, including health workers at the Hermanus Provincial Hospital, Mediclinic and community clinics, old-age home carers, the homeless at Moffat Hall, taxi operators and to Shofar Church, where they are added to the food packages that are distributed to those who are struggling to feed their families in these unprecedented times.

If you would like to volunteer to make masks, please contact Denise on 082 902 1245. For those who would like to make a financial contribution or have questions about distribution, Willem can be contacted on 082 448 3685.

Banking details are as follows: Masks4AllOverstrand Capitec Hermanus 470010 Acc no.: 153 689 2074 Ref.: make more mask.

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15 April 2020

Mask-makers in the Overstrand

How can you help?

Most of these ladies are working with materials they have at hand (the shops are closed, remember), so orders for specific colours or fabrics may not be an option.

• Amanda: 082 870 6744. She works in Onrus. WhatsApp her to order.

• Angela: 083 969 0687/062 289 3387/cuoredaycare@gmail.com.

She supplies the Hermanus area.

• Cynthia: She supplies the Hermanus area. Find her masks at Green Ways Health Shop (Gateway Centre), Oasis Water, D'lish at CEM Motors (Voëlklip) and C Beyond Health Shop (Eastcliff Village Shopping Centre).

• Susan: 082 294 3412. She works in Sandbaai. You can buy them from Sandbaai Kafee (opposite Sandbaai Hall).

• Vainquer Bags: The Vainquer Bags team supplies Hermanus, Sandbaai and Hawston. You can buy them from Sandbaai Superette, Sweetland Hermanus or from Billy Booysens (065 810 4516) in Hawston. For every mask the team sells, a percentage is donated to a charitable cause. Visit https://www. facebook.com/vainquerbags/ for more information.

Many Overstrand residents are facing challenging times because their livelihood has been affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Those hardest hit include the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, young children, temporary workers and those living on daily wages.

Communities in the Overstrand are known for rallying together in times of crises. From the Gansbaai-Stanford Administration to Greater Hermanus and Hangklip-Kleinmond, people always stand together in times of need by lending a helping hand to others.

Knowing that all are affected by the current circumstances, Overstrand Municipality wishes to thank everyone for their efforts, and especially appreciates the assistance of those fortunate enough to be able to support others. Donations of non-perishable food (dry food items) and toiletries will be of particular benefit to the less fortunate.

Overstrand Municipality kindly requests the public NOT to deliver donations at any hall or drop-off facility, but to make use of designat-

ed trolleys at the supermarkets and shops listed below. It is important to follow these guidelines in order to help flatten the curve by limiting the risk of spreading the virus.

The Municipality’s Disaster Management team, with the assistance of registered humanitarian relief agencies and the Hermanus Network of Care (NoC), will distribute donations amongst households who need food parcels. The donated items will be sanitised and then stored in, and distributed from, a food bank which conforms to hygiene protocol.

Remember that only essential services personnel are on duty during this period, therefore the process will be carefully handled to ensure maximum compliance to health and safety protocols at all times. The municipality wishes to assure the public that it has measures in place to safely co-ordinate donations to keep team members and communities safe.

Who to contact: Families in need are advised to contact their ward councillors for assistance. Alternatively you can phone:

ESSENTIAL SERVICES – WE ARE OPEN

Hermanus Administration: Cllr Jean Orban on 072 955 2986 Gansbaai-Stanford Administration: Cllr Riana de Coning on 083 597 2781 Hangklip-Kleinmond Administration: Cllr Grant Cohen on 072 436 9068 Trolleys available as drop-off: • HERMANUS - OK Foods (Gateway); OK Mini Market (Onrus and Voëlklip); Pick n Pay (CBD); Checkers (CBD and Whale Coast Mall); Woolworths (CBD and Whale Coast Mall); Food Lover's Market (Mall).

• GANSBAAI – Spar; OK • KLEINMOND – Spar; OK; any other local food store • HANGKLIP - Rooiels Village Shop; Mini Mart, Pringle Bay, Village Deli, Pringle Bay, Centre Shop Betty's Bay and Penguin Place Betty's Bay Items most needed: 5kg Maize Meal, 2kg Rice, 2kg Samp, 2kg Beans, Canned Foods (specifically Tomato & Onion Mix / Braai Relish; Baked Beans; Pilchards), Toilet paper, Toothpaste, Soap bars, Sanitary towels, Baby nappies, Antibacterial cleaning products, Washing powder, gloves, Hand wash, Black bags and other non-perishable food products are welcome as long as they are sealed in their original packaging.

Financial donations: Deposits can be made into the following bank accounts. Bank statements are audited: Account Name: Overstrand LMC, ABSA Cheque Account, Account No: 4052379259 Branch Code: 334812, Confirmation email: rianadec122@gmail. com, Reference: COVID-19 HMS (as example) * Donors must please use the reference COVID-19 followed

by GB = Gansbaai, HK = Hangklip/ Kleinmond, HMS = Hermanus or ALL = non-specified (shared equally between the three administrations). Residents are also welcome to use the Ward number as reference (as example: COVID-19 Ward 1 or COVID-19 Hawston) The following two accounts can only be used for Greater Hermanus donations: Account Name: SA Red Cross,Standard Bank, Account No: 082261938. Branch Code: 050-312, Reference: DM COVID19, Confirmation cellphone: 072 609 8655 or Account Name: Relief Life Disaster Management Trust, First National Bank, Account No: 62336798501, Branch Code: 200-610, Business Cheque Account, Swift Code FIRNZAJJ, Reference: Hermanus C19

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The ABC of Property Transactions

By LB Vorster

The transfer process

O

nce the transferring attorney has received instructions to transfer immovable property from a seller to a purchaser in accordance with a concluded deed of sale (an accepted offer to purchase), the office of the attorney will attend to the following: 1. An online Deeds Office search to confirm the identity of the seller and to obtain a description of the property, as well as details of any bonds, servitudes or other interdicts registered against the title deed; 2. Letters sent by e-mail to both the seller and the purchaser requesting the required FICA documentation and other general information for preparation of the transfer documents; 3. A letter sent by e-mail to the purchaser requesting payment of the deposit (if provided for) within the number of days stipulated in the deed of sale and providing details of the Trust account into which payment has to be effected; 4. An online request to the relevant municipality in respect of the annual rates and taxes (in the event of a sectional title unit, or a property within a particular development, a letter to the Body Corporate for the applicable levies).

This will determine the appropriate amount that the seller has to pay in advance prior to registration of transfer in order to acquire the Rates Clearance Certificate or Levy Clearance Certificate; 5. A letter by e-mail to the existing bond holder (normally a bank) to request its cancellation requirements, a copy of the existing title deed which the bank holds as part of its security, and details of the attorney who will be cancelling the bond on behalf of the bank (‘the bond cancellation attorney’);

6. A letter by e-mail to the bank where the purchaser has applied for a mortgage bond to ascertain progress with such bond’s processing and to obtain details of the attorney who will be registering the bond, in order to provide the latter with whatever documentation and/or information may be required; 7. Prepare the transfer documents with a printout of the Deeds Office search (1 above), the FICA documentation (2 above), a copy of the title deed (5 above) and details of the rates and taxes, or levies, as the case may (4 above), comprising one set for signature by or on behalf of the seller and a separate set of documents for signature by the purchaser; 8. Present the two sets of transfer documents (personally, by courier or e-mail) to the seller and to the purchaser respectively for signature.

The latter will also receive a detailed estimate of the transfer costs, comprising the relevant transfer duty (tax), transfer fee (attorney’s fee), levies (if applicable) and any disbursements; 9. A letter by e-mail to the attorney who has to register the mortgage bond in favour of the bank (see 6 above) to furnish him/her with a copy of the draft title deed, in accordance with which the bond documents have to be prepared; 10. On having received payment of the deposit (3 above) and the transfer costs (8 above) from the purchaser, invest the deposit (normally for the benefit of the purchaser) and payment of the transfer duty to SARS and the rates and taxes (or levies) to the municipality (or Body Corporate); 11. Request the bank (6 above) by e-mail to issue a guarantee for payment of the outstanding amount of the seller’s bond to the bond cancellation attorney (referred to in 5 above) and the balance of the bond amount to the transferring attorney;

12. Request the purchaser by e-mail to furnish a guarantee for payment of the balance of the purchase price, if any, or to pay the amount into the Trust account of the transferring attorney, to be added to the investment of the deposit in anticipation of registration of transfer; 13. Ensure that the original Electrical Certificate of Compliance, the Gas Compliance Certificate (if applicable) and the Borer Beetle Certificate are in his/her possession prior to proceeding to 14 below; 14. Liaise with the attorney who will be registering the purchaser’s mortgage bond (6 above) and the attorney who will be cancelling the seller’s existing mortgage bond (5 above), in order to simultaneously lodge their respective documentation at the Deeds Office; 15. On the date that the Deeds Office notifies the respective attorneys that the transaction is ready for registration, attend to whatever the Deeds Office may require prior to actual registration of transfer (commonly referred to as the documents being ‘on prep’); 16. Upon having satisfied the requirements of the Deeds Office relating to the documents ‘on prep’ (referred to as the Deeds Office’s ‘notes’), liaise with the bond registration attorney and the bond cancellation attorney in order to simultaneously hand in the docu-

ments for registration on the following business day; 17. On date of registration of transfer: • advise the seller, the purchaser and the relevant estate agent that transfer has been registered; • present the guarantee (11 and 12 above) to the bank for payment; • withdraw the investment of the deposit and the balance of the purchase price (if applicable) and transfer to the transferring attorney’s Trust account; • account to the seller in respect of the proceeds of the sale; • account to the purchaser in respect of the transfer costs and the accrued interest on the deposit (and the balance of the purchase price, if applicable); • payment to the suppliers of the Electrical Certificate of Compliance, the Gas Compliance Certificate (if applicable) and the Borer Beetle Certificate; • payment of commission to the relevant estate agent/agency.

18. Upon delivery of the new title deed by the Deeds Office (normally after a few weeks), forward it to the new owner (purchaser) or the bank in whose favour the bond was registered (6 above), to be retained by such bank together with the registered bond document as part of the bank’s security.

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

15 April 2020

MY SPORT

Major tennis tournaments disrupted By Toni O'Hagan

T

ennis fans around the world have been sorely disappointed by the announcement that Wimbledon 2020 has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This will be the first time that it won’t be held since World War II. The implications for last year’s finalists are even more devastating, as eighttimes Wimbledon men’s champion, Roger Federer and seven-times women’s champ, Serena Williams are both 38 years old and may not have many more opportunities to win another Wimbledon. In men’s tennis, it could also curtail the efforts of Federer’s opponents to smash his Grand Slam record.

Roger Federer currently holds the record of 20 Grand Slam titles (commonly referred to as ‘Slams’) arising from victories in the four Major tournaments on the tennis calendar, the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

Breathing down Federer’s neck, is Rafael Nadal with 19 Slams and Novak Djokovic on 17.

The novel Coronavirus has caused

multiple disruptions to the 2020 tennis calendar, including not only Wimbledon but all summer grass-court events, which are only viable during spring and summer.

In addition, several clay-court and hardcourt events have had to be postponed following the announcement that professional tennis will not recommence before 13 July.

tre, which houses one of the main courts, is being utilised to prepare 2 500 meal packages per day for patients, workers and children.

Novak Djokovic, three Slams behind Federer, is favoured to equal or surpass the record. At 33 years old he has age on his side, being a year younger than Nadal and six years Federer’s junior.

I guess one can never The Wimbledon record holder in the men’s singles, Roger discount Federer but, Federer, lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2019 finals. at 39 this year, I think another Major may be a bridge too far for the player who is referred to by many as The French Open in Paris, normally problem, the US Open, a hard-court the greatest of all time. scheduled for the last week in May, tournament, is scheduled to finish has now been postponed to 20 Sepjust one week before the French Federer’s loss to Djokovic in last year’s tember. For Nadal, who has won 12 Open. Nadal is the defending chamepic Wimbledon final, after holding French Open titles, this tournament pion in both these tournaments and two match points, could be the last probably offers the best opportunity will therefore be in the draw at both ‘hurrah’ for this tennis giant who has for him to equal Federer’s record. events, but his preparation for Paris deservedly been called the foremost However, postponement of the event will not follow his preferred schedule. ambassador of the sport. Over the and cancellation of the traditional last decade, Djokovic and Nadal have clay-court circuit prior to the French Furthermore, these dates are subject dominated the Majors. Djokovic has Open could disrupt Nadal’s normal to the containment of the virus in amassed 15 Majors during this time, preparation for this Major. time to make the necessary prepaNadal 13 and Federer 5. rations. At present, the Billie Jean Known as the ‘King of Clay’, Nadal National Tennis Center, home of Any further disruptions, leading to makes use of the tournaments in the US Open in Queens, New York cancellations or postponements, Monaco, Madrid, Barcelona and Rome has been turned into a make-shift could hinder Nadal and Djokovic in to build up to the Paris event. Now emergency hospital to assist with the their endeavours to equal or better all these lead-up tournaments have treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Federer’s Slam record. Let’s not forget been cancelled and to compound the Louis Armstrong Stadium in this cen-

either that there are a bunch of ‘young guns’ ready to make a move on the ‘Big 3’ who have earned 56 Grand Slams between them. The pretenders to the throne include Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The leading all-time Grand Slam winner on the ladies’ front is the Australian, Margaret Court who accumulated 24 Slams in her career. Serena Williams, just one behind, overtook Steffi Graf’s 22-Slam mark at the Australian Open in 2017 and has had a number of opportunities to equal Court’s record, but fallen short at the last hurdle. She will celebrate her 39th birthday this year and like Federer, another Major may be a bridge too far, but Williams has competed in the finals until recently and could just bag one more.

The aspirations of athletes in many sporting codes could be adversely affected by cancellations or postponements of sporting events. Every sport has been affected but one must feel for the athletes who have prepared for an event like the Olympic Games, a highlight in their careers, which only comes around every four years. We hope for an early rather than a later end to the pandemic, not only for the sake of the athletes but also for us couch potatoes longing to watch and support our favourite athlete or team as we watch them on the field of play.

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15 April 2020

Runner completes Locals keep running, backyard marathon lockdown-style Johann Kotze and several other members of the Whalers Athletics Club have certainly not allowed the lockdown regulations to curtail their activities. Instead of getting together for their weekly runs at the Hermanus Sports Club, this intrepid bunch has improvised ‘backyard trails’ around their homes and created personal challenges for themselves to keep them motivated and on the move.

Writer Raphael da Silva

A

passionate runner successfully completed the equivalent of a full Two Oceans Ultra Marathon on Saturday by running a distance of 58 km around the Sandbaai property of his future parents-in-law’s and raising over R21 000 for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa.

On Saturday they, too, decided to run their own ‘No Oceans’ Half Marathon – Home Edition. Among the locals who took up the challenge was enthusiastic runner and restauranteur, Rudolf van der Berg, who completed the 21.1 km distance by running around (and around, and around…) his house. “I usually do 10 km on the treadmill every morning but for the No Oceans we all ran outside our homes, setting off at the same time at 07:00.”

“It was great. Physically, I could have gone on running. But mentally, it was exhausting keeping myself stimulated while going around in circles,” said Alan Hradaker (46), who completed 485 laps of the 120 m rough track around Sampie and Ritamarie van Zyl’s property.

When the Two Oceans Marathon was cancelled due to the Coronavirus lockdown, Alan realised that many charitable organisations around the world would be losing much of the additional income they depend on to keep going, due to the cancellation of fundraising events. So, one morning as he was walking around the Sandbaai property where he and his fiancée, Margriet van Zyl, are spending the lockdown period with her parents, Alan, who is a financial advisor based in Cape Town, decided to go ahead and run his own Two Oceans Marathon to raise money for the CHOC Foundation.

Alan chose this non-profit organisation, which provides comprehensive countrywide support for children with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders and their families, because of his own experience with the disease. His mother died of lung cancer in 2012 and Magriet was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after they got engaged, which necessitated two years of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

“After what I personally went through with my mother and Magriet, I could only imagine what parents must go through when their children are stricken by cancer,” said Alan.

Even after doing a number of preparation runs,

Alan Hardaker completed his own Two Oceans Marathon by running a circular backyard trail around his future parents-inlaw’s property in Sandbaai.

PHOTOS: Magriet van Zyl

Our locals all made it to 21.1 km, including Johann’s wife Heidi and some oldies such as Johann’s parents, Johann Snr and Elsabé Kotze. But Johann Jnr, who first made the news when he ran the astonishing distance of 100 km around his house on Saturday 4 April, had to quit halfway due to inflammation of his

one foot. “Because of the painful bunion I had to stop after 10 km,” he says.

This does not take anything away from this four-times Two Oceans and four-times Comrades veteran’s achievement the previous weekend, though. Running in your backyard is not the same as running on the open road – manoeuvring around tight corners and over different terrains of grass, gravel and paving is hard on your joints and prevents you from getting into your usual running rhythm. “It’s also difficult to focus and stay motivated,” says Johan. “Because of the confined space and the monotony of having to do so many laps, I had to change direction every 2 to 4 km as my head started to spin!”

Johann completed 1 000 laps of 100m in a time of 13 hours 45 minutes and 4 seconds.

His fellow club members sponsored him at R1 per lap and the proceeds were donated to Relief.Life which is coordinating the food bank at Bosko Church that supplies food packages to the neediest members of our community during the lockdown.

– Hedda Mittner

Alan knew that completing the marathon distance over the uneven sandy terrain would not be easy. “I knew it would be mentally challenging to keep running so many monotonous circular laps, but Magriet and her family were supporting and cheering me on all the way, while also manning a water table. It turned into an awesome morning of running.”

Alan finished in just over seven hours and has managed to raise a total of just under R22 000 for CHOC through direct donations and the Givengain platform. The link, which will remain open until 30 April, can be found on Alan’s Facebook page (Alan Hardaker) and anyone is welcome to contribute to this worthy cause.

LEFT: Johann Kotze of the Whalers Athletics Club recently ran 100 km around his house in one day to help raise funds for Relief.Life. MIDDLE: Johann’s mom, Elsabé Kotze, joined the rest of the family in running the 21.1 km ‘No Oceans’ Half Marathon this Easter weekend. RIGHT: The owner of Burgundy Restaurant, Rudolf van der Berg, was one of several local runners who successfully completed the ‘No Oceans’ Half Marathon on Saturday.