The Village NEWS 15-21 August 2018

NEWS NEWS

Village

The

15 August 2018

Cape Whale Coast

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August is the month when the Overberg’s canola fields are in fool bloom, turning the landscape into a patchwork of golden yellow, brown and green. These canola fields are a big attraction for bees and different types of birds such as canaries and bishops. They are also a popular breeding ground for our national bird, the blue crane.

PHOTO: James Luckhoff

Major upgrades planned for R43 De Waal Steyn

W

ith the contentious Hermanus bypass on the back burner, for now, other road projects are set to go ahead that will transform the Overstrand’s road network.

According to Western Cape Transport and Public Works Minster Donald Grant, his department has set aside R150 million for the upgrading of the R43 to a dual carriageway between

Fisherhaven and Sandbaai. Work on the environmental impact assessments of this project, which has been registered as a separate project to the infamous bypass, is set to start in March next year.

The Fisherhaven to Sandbaai upgrade is in addition to the R406 million that has been budgeted for the widening of the R43 between Hermanus and Stanford, on which work is expected to start in November this year, said Grant at a DA public meeting on Thursday 9 August at the Fernkloof Hall.

“The Provincial Government is aware of the urgent need for the upgrading of the R43 west and east of Hermanus. The upgrade between Fisherhaven and Sandbaai will include the widening of the bridge over the Onrus River, which will help to alleviate the congestion over peak periods.”

Facing a barrage of penetrating questions from residents regarding the proposed bypass road, Grant said the final decision on whether to continue with the project lies with Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmen-

tal Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP).

project lies with Minister Bredell,” said Grant.

“It is true that millions of Rands have been spent on consultant fees for the bypass road. But that is not unique, and it is not an indication of whether the project will proceed or not. We often spend money on studies so that we have the relevant information available should the need arise in future. In some instances, the projects are parked by the Provincial Government after the studies have been completed.

The final decision on the bypass

According to him no provision has been made in any budgets for the commencement of the bypass project within the next three years.

Whale Coast Conservation Manager (WCC), Rob Fryer, however noted that according to their latest information the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was rejected in March this year by the DEA&DP. Continues on P 3

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15 August 2018

Not clarity yet on bypass From P 1 Sue Reuther, Principal Environmental Consultant and Associate Partner at SRK Consulting, at the time said a final decision and timeline on the way forward has not been taken, but once agreement on this has been reached, an amended final EIA report will be released.

“The DEA&DP issued a letter rejecting the final EIA report and listing a number of aspects that need to be addressed in an amended final EIA report, which must be released for public comment once amended and before being resubmitted to DEA&DP for decision-making.

These include aspects relating to biodiversity offset and the golf course wetland, an alternative market site, a timeline, and a specialist study review,” she said in a statement to interested and affected parties.

Since the rejection of the EIA no new

information with regards to the changes to it or the public participation process has been released.

According to the rejected EIA report, more than 500 comments were received during the four formal commenting periods of the last few years, with most of them being critical of the bypass. Attendees at Thursday’s meeting made Grant aware of the fact that a luxury housing development is being built on the ground earmarked for where the bypass will link up to Main Road in Eastcliff.

They also noted that the current layout of the Bosko Church, the cricket club and Generation Schools Hermanus will make it near impossible to divert the bypass, as is suggested by the EIA, via Fernkloof Drive to Main Road.

Mayor Dudley Coetzee earlier in the year stated that he supports the notion of solving the traffic issues in Hermanus by upgrading

the R43 to the west and east of the town. “We must first solve the problems of getting into and leaving town before we look at bypassing it. It is more important to improve the traffic flow on the R43 coming into Hermanus from Bot River and leaving the town towards Stanford.”

The question of public transport for the Overberg was also discussed. “Hermanus is no longer a retirement town and we need to plan in conjunction with local authorities what the future of public transport in the area must be.

It is evident that there is great need for this,” he said.

Archie Klaas, Deputy Mayor of the Overberg District Municipality, said the responsibility for creating a public transport plan for the Overberg falls within the mandate of the District Municipality. “We are planning an indaba to discuss this before the end of the year,” said Klaas.

Bustling long weekend for Hermanus as thousand return to our shores The long-weekend saw thousands of visitors return to our towns to not only celebrate Women’s Day but also welcome the whales and their calves to our shores.

“We had a wonderful weekend as far as business is concerned. In fact, our figures show that trade was on a par with what we experience during the December season. Many of the people who came to our restaurant were return customers who either regularly come for a long weekend or people who own holidays homes in town,” said Rayno Rabie of Betty Blue Bistro in Main Road.

According to several other business owners in Main Road, brisk trade in the area already started on Wednesday afternoon and continued Thursday through Saturday. “The mild and sunny weather helped a lot and people were walking around town, browsing and supporting local businesses,” said one trader. Several stall owners at the Old Market Harbour also said they had the best weekend in months.

Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy Restaurant said trade was up by between 12% and 14% compared to the same time last year. “We were truly blessed with the good weather and sunshine that enticed people to the Old Town to look at the Sculpture on the Cliffs and enjoy a relaxing meal at one of the restaurants. Our best trading days were on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with

Sunday taking a dip due to the rain. Interestingly enough the restaurant was almost fully booked on Sunday evening,” he said.

Rudolf said while most of the visitors were from the Cape Peninsula there were also a number of people who travelled from Johannesburg for the weekend.

Bern van Niekerk, co-owner of Eastcliff and Gateway Spar, said their shops were much busier than normal. “We could see that there was a big influx of people, especially from over the mountain. Most of the visitors did the bulk of their shopping on Thursday and topped up on supplies throughout the weekend. In terms of trading figures, we are up by 12% on last year’s figures,” he said.

According to Bern, the Eastcliff branch especially had a large number of people visiting the store. “Judging by the car registration plates in the parking lot and the number of faces that have become regular weekend visitors, we can confidently say that most of the people were from over the mountain, many of whom own holiday homes here.”

Gideon Serfontein, owner of Ocean Basket at the Village Square, said they had a phenomenal weekend in terms of trade. “From Thursday through Sunday we served more than 1 200

people. While there were a few locals in our restaurant, the vast majority of patrons were visitors. This has without a doubt been one of the best weekends we have had for the last few months,” he said.

Jozua Rossouw of Rossouw Modern and Space art galleries said while not many works were sold during the weekend, he is more than happy with the number of people who visited the galleries.

“More often than not, buying an artwork is not an impulsive decision. This weekend we had a lot of visitors who showed interest in certain works and I am confident that they will return cash in hand when the First Fridays Artwalk starts again on 7 September.”

Whale Coast Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd, said most accommodation establishments were fully booked for the weekend, not only in Hermanus but also in other towns on our coastline.

“Visitors felt welcome and safe and they thoroughly enjoyed all the events and attractions available. It must be noted that we experienced a record weekend even though the Kalfiefees and Wine and Food Festival were not held on the same weekend, as has been the case for the last few years. This shows that more events will attract more people to the area,” said Frieda. The Wine and Food Festival will be held on 5 and 6 October this year.

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15 August 2018

Hermanus couple walks ‘The Walk’ Hedda Mittner

Q

uaint sayings such as ‘follow your heart’ or ‘sometimes later becomes never’ acquire new meaning when you meet Erlo and Lauren Brown, the intrepid walkers who are well on their way to realising their dream of walking the west coast of South Africa and Namibia, from Cape Agulhas to the border of Angola – a journey of more than 3 000 km.

The young couple, who has been living in Hermanus since 2013, left in November last year and proceeded up the coast with nothing more than the bare essentials in their backpacks, covering distances of between 20 and 30 km per day and sleeping in a small tent at night. By April they had reached more than 300 km into Namibia when a series of setbacks forced them to take a break.

Erlo and Lauren Brown on their epic coastal walk from Agulhas to Angola. The photo above was taken on the West Coast just north of Lamberts Bay and on the right they are walking through the Cape Point National Park. On the photo below the couple is walking through the Namibian desert to Lüderitz in a sandstorm

Unable to obtain the necessary permits from the Namibian Department of Environmental Affairs to proceed along the coast from Lüderitz to Walvis Bay, they had to return to Aus and take an inland detour on a gravel road of 650 km. Within a few days, however, an injury to Lauren’s foot became so painful that she could not walk any further and with Namibia’s infamous winter winds approaching, they decided to return to Hermanus to allow Lauren’s foot to rest and heal completely.

“I have spent this time working on my film while Lauren is working on her book,” says Erlo. A few weeks ago he received the exciting news that his short documentary of their trip so far, entitled ‘The Walk’ has made it into the top ten finalists of the Jozi Film Festival’s ‘Don’t Stop Wondering’ Award, in partnership with Discovery Networks. The film was also aired on the Discovery channel on 2 August. And only a few days later came the great news that the short film has been accepted by the International Festival of Outdoor Films.

Once they have completed the walk, Erlo says he’ll have enough footage for a feature documentary or a series, while Lauren will write a book based on the journals she is keeping of the walk.

“We still have more than 1 000 km to walk, so this adventure is far from over.

We hope to set out again in September. We trust that this time-out has given us renewed strength to finish the walk strong.”

And Erlo knows what he is talking about; he has, incredibly, done this before. In fact, both Erlo and Lauren, although still in their twenties, have already taken on more challenging adventures than most people experience in a lifetime.

They met as students in Pretoria almost a decade ago, when Erlo was studying visual communication and Lauren animal science. Erlo says he had always enjoyed being in nature and at the time he was feeling claus-

trophobic and unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. “I told Lauren that I wanted to just take a backpack and walk along the coast.”

To his surprise, Lauren encouraged him to do just that and soon he set off on his first walk – an epic journey from Kosi Bay on the Mozambique border to Alexander Bay on the Namibian border.

Erlo walked about 3 400 km in 299 days, accompanied by his border collie, Zeta. “I was young, inexperienced and very naïve,” he grins. “But anyone who is not naïve would never do something like that!”

Only a few days into the walk, he’d encountered estuaries and rivers that he had to cross, while the strong wind and soft sand made the going difficult and very, very slow. “I realised at some point that after one hour I had only progressed one kilometre. I’d had enough and wanted to give up already! I called Lauren and told her I’m coming home, but she told me that I had to finish what I started. I don’t think I would have carried on without her support and encouragement.”

In the end Erlo completed the walk, wearing out eight pairs of shoes in the process. When he developed tendonitis while walking on the soft sand between Elands Bay and Lam-

berts Bay on the West Coast, he realised that he needed to take a break and returned to Pretoria for a month.

By this time Lauren had graduated and she accompanied Erlo on the last 500 km of his walk from Lamberts Bay to Alexander Bay. “Lauren showed amazing mental strength on that walk,” says Erlo. “She has the ability to live in the moment without always thinking about where we are going and how far it still is.”

With his mission accomplished, the couple got married and Erlo started working as a professional photographer while Lauren went into teaching. “But we always knew we wanted to live near the sea," says Erlo.

They visited several coastal towns and when they arrived in Hermanus they knew this was it. “We just loved it,” says Lauren.

They settled in Vermont in May 2013 and Lauren started teaching at Camphill School while Erlo continued with his photographic career.

They were already thinking of their next walk, but were unable to finance it themselves. “We didn’t really want to approach anyone for sponsorship because we wanted to do it on our own terms,” says Erlo.

In the end they saved up for the walk themselves by teaching English in

South Korea for two and a half years.

“We were living and working together 24/7 and learnt a lot about ourselves during that time,” says Lauren. They also planned their trip, contacting the authorities in Namibia to obtain the necessary permits, while cycling and walking a minimum of 10 km per day to build up their strength and fitness. “We also bought equipment in South Korea, including a new tent, and tried everything out.”

They returned to Hermanus in August last year and by November they were back on the road – or, in this case, the beach. “We planned carefully and were much better prepared this time,” says Lauren.

“We walked with backpacks all the way up to Port Nolloth, and from there we loaded everything onto a custom-made trolley. This was necessary because in Namibia we would not encounter any people in the desert for days on end and needed to carry more provisions, including food and water supplies.”

Because water is needed for cooking and they can’t afford to waste any, the couple lives on dry food such as biltong, nuts, dried fruit and highly nutritious ‘granny shakes’ and nut butters. A beach umbrella is attached to the trolley so that Elro can be shaded from the blistering Namibian sun while pulling it. Amazingly, he says it’s easier to be dragging the trolley than walking with a heavy backpack. “We have even managed to do 39 km in a day this way,” he says. Another invaluable item is a fold-up solar panel to charge their phones, cameras and laptops.

Along the way the couple says they have met with untold kindnesses and generosity from the people they encountered on their walk. What has upset them the most, is the amount of plastic litter and debris they have found on the beaches, including plastic straws, lollipop sticks, bottle caps, chips packets, fishing line, crates and ghost nets.

“We thought it was only bad along built-up areas such as False Bay, but even the most desolate beaches are awash with litter. Some of the worst affected beaches on the West Coast were within proclaimed Nature Reserves. The currents sweep the plastic along and dump it where it returns to shore. So, even if there are no people in the vicinity it does not mean that there is no pollution,” says Erlo. “In the eight years since I did the previous walk it has gotten so much worse and there are no pristine beaches left at any point along our coastline.”

Apart from gathering information on plastic pollution the Browns also used their trip to collect data as citizen scientists on the population growth and distribution of the Black Oystercatcher. The good news is that this bird has gone from endangered a few years ago to a healthy and thriving species.

You can vote for Erlo’s short film ‘The Walk’ at www.discoveryafrica.com.

Click on the 2018 Top 10 Vote Now button and follow the instructions.

Once you cast your vote a confirmation e-mail will be sent to you. Ensure that you click on the link in the email to validate your vote. Even if you have already voted, it will only count if you validate the vote.

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15 August 2018

T

Kalfiefees grows into a whale of a festival

he 18th Hermanus Times Kalfiefees from 8 – 12 August was again a huge success and proves to be an enduring favourite on the cultural calendar. It also confirms the popularity of our town as a festival destination.

This annual highlight, which brings top theatre productions, music performances, actuality and literary discussions, and children’s shows to Hermanus, has had its best year ever.

According to the Kalfiefees chair, Jimmy Hattingh, last year’s festival was the biggest one up until then, with ticket sales up 20% on the previous year – and after the 2018 festival this record has now been surpassed by a further 12 % growth. Jimmy says several shows were sold out weeks before.

Among the most popular events were the children’s shows, the Stellenbosch University Choir, 3 Susters, Soebatsfontein, Mike en Mavis, Operasie Holm and Daniele Pascal’s Paris Amour. The art exhibition in the Municipal Auditorium and the book discussions (Boekemakieties) were also very well attended. Jimmy expressed his gratitude to Woodenways for supplying the venue and to Hermanuspietersfontein for sponsoring all the wine.

“Festivalgoers came from all over the Western Cape and we again had the old regulars who

The Kalfiefees gala evening was attended by Olivia Dickson, Mayor Dudley Coetzee, who officially opened the festival, Deputy Mayor Elnora Gillion, Frieda Lloyd, Astrid de Vos, Jimmy Hattingh, Daleen Fouché and Thys Sutherland. travel down from Gauteng for the Kalfiefees.

Many made the most of the long weekend and stayed for several days.”

It is an annual Kalfiefees tradition to hand over a commemorative tile to a person who has made an exceptional contribution to

Afrikaans arts and culture. This year the recipient was the celebrated playwright Pieter Fourie. Film producer, director and actress Katinka Heyns handed the tile over to Fourie during the gala evening in the Sandbaai Hall on Wednesday, 8 August.

– Hedda Mittner

Completion of Bientang pump station upgrade postponed Construction on the Bientang pump station above the Old Harbour has been halted by the Municipality until next year. In the meantime the construction area at the amphitheatre will be rehabilitated with grass and paving.

The decision followed requests from the tenants of the Village Square Centre whose businesses were dealt a double blow by first the construction work and then the unrest which resulted in the loss of trading days.

“Having considered this request, the Municipality has agreed to interrupt the construction project with the proviso that it must be completed within the 2018/19 financial year.

Given that the Bientang pump station dates to

the 1960s, a comprehensive upgrade is a matter of necessity.

“Nevertheless, having considered the risk of keeping the over-capacitated sewerage pump station in operation for yet another peak season, all parties have agreed that work on the project should cease and that completion must be postponed until April 2019.

“Overstrand Municipality undertakes to do its utmost to prevent any spillages and to ensure that a proper maintenance regime is followed in the interim. It is planned to continue with completion of the balance of the work from April to June 2019,” says the Municipality in a statement.

The new rising main pipeline must still be completed and connected to the existing system. This will not only impact on tenants of Village Square, but also businesses along Marine Drive and Main Road as well as those on Market Square.

“Unavoidably, whilst construction is underway, sections of Marine Drive, Market Square and Main Road as well as the parking lots in the affected areas will be closed temporarily to vehicular traffic. Pedestrian traffic will be accommodated as far as possible. Nevertheless, work at the pump station itself and rehabilitation of the site will be completed as far as pos-sible before civil construction is suspended in October 2018,” says the Municipality.

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15 August 2018

Let’s Talk

THE

NEWS

Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Revitalisation of CBD now more important than ever This is an Open Letter to the Mayor and His Council of the Overstrand.

will not alleviate the real issues and massive crisis which has to be faced.

The recent disturbing situation which erupted in our town has left me, and certainly many others, with the knowledge that we have been living in a bubble which has exploded, creating ongoing detrimental consequences in Hermanus, especially to the local business community.

The following needs to be considered urgently:

Looking at this situation, we are faced with the disturbing reality which has been simmering in Zwelihle for a long time before it detonated into a war zone, taking not only the town but also the Provincial road leading into Hermanus hostage.

On reflection, it would seem that the only way forward in resolving the problem is to realise that although not an overnight fix, action needs to be taken to avoid further anarchy in the community. Yes, the immediate solution required is undoubtedly housing for the large population, but this in itself

The hospitality and tourist industry has been severely affected during the current times, resulting in closures and many businesses reeling from the impact and still struggling to survive.

A further damaging result is unemployment as many business owners have had no option but to reduce staff. A major factor in getting the message out there – ‘we are still here’ – is to revitalise and set up a vibrant and welltrained team to operate the existing defunct tourism bureau.

Remembering the famous ‘Winds of Change’ speech by the Prime Minister of Britain which created a furore at the time, I believe the following suggestion needs to be taken into consideration: There is a dire urgency for

Hermanus to be industrialised.

The existing future planning for the demarcation of the town makes no provision for the availability of large industrial sites.

Large factories or manufacturing organisations are the only answer to the massive unemployment being faced.

It is of the utmost importance to stop being dinosaurs believing that Hermanus is still a fishing village and seaside resort; the time has come for a radical change in regard to this illusion.

Hermanus is located close to the city of Cape Town, as well as Bot River, 30 kilometres away, with a station providing daily cargo trains.

Scrap the bypass road and proposed theme park at Fernkloof and sort out the bottle-neck main access road between Sandbaai and Onrus, which is a severe handicap to motorists and delivery trucks. We need to face the facts – ‘no work, no pay’ – and we are creating a major crime

situation. Housing for the homeless is only the tip of the iceberg; what is needed is to take up the challenge and adopt a different vision for the future.

sented and accepted by both the Municipality and residents some years ago should be put into immediate effect for the benefit of Hermanus and its community.

Revitalising the CBD is paramount. If the heart of the town is allowed to die we are doomed, as the Old Town is where Hermanus originated and it is this location which needs to be featured prominently to attract tourism – our major industry in this area.

The Municipality has been putting all its eggs into the Whale Coast Mall’s basket and other proposed developments such as a wellbeing sports centre instead of concentrating on the real needs of the Old Town as well as the critical existing situation of Zwelihle.

A vision is needed to tap into the potential of the Old Town. For example, Lemm’s Corner, once a vibrant craft market destination popular with locals and visitors, is now a desolate area attracting vagrants and layabouts which could be transformed into an indigenous park connecting with our famous Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Currently this heritage site is not even signposted and tourists have no idea as to what this green space represents!

I would implore you to consider these suggestions for the sake of the future of Hermanus, bearing in mind that the CBD of Somerset West virtually collapsed and became redundant due to the development of their everexpanding Mall. It still struggles to survive.

We should learn from this and realise that we too are facing a similar and critical situation.

The proposed redevelopment of the Old Town which was pre-

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15 August 2018

Socio-economic rights differ from political rights This direct quotation from Albie Sachs’ book The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law is apposite to our situation here in Hermanus regarding the land and housing situation. You will of course know that Albie Sachs was a Constitutional Court Judge for 15 years. He gave two presentations at this year’s FynArts Festival.

The problem with enforcing socio-economic rights (health, housing etc.) is that resources are limited and such rights involve rationing. Socio-economic rights are different from civil and political rights.

The right to free speech is not rationed and everyone over a certain age can vote.

The exercise of a right (eg. housing) that by its nature is shared, often competitively, with other holders of that right, is different from a classical individual right that is complete in itself. In the provision on access to adequate housing there is an obligation on the State to take reasonable legislative and other measures progressively, to realise the right.

It is the State’s duty to protect the fundamental dignity of human beings and it is the role of Government to determine the priorities and detail of the manner in which it should fulfil its responsibilities.

Mike Mathews

THE

NEWS

The Team

OPINION Matters

6 Royal Street, Hermanus

028 312 2234

News you can use on a Wednesday When you open this edition of The Village NEWS you will notice that the publication date now shows a Wednesday rather than a Tuesday.

After months of deliberations we have taken the decision to move our weekly publication back by one day in order to serve both our readers and clients better. This change enables us to cover more events over the weekends and to bring you the freshest local news every week by extending our deadlines, while also allowing our advertisers greater flexibility.

From today onward you will find your copy of The NEWS every Wednesday.

While on the topic of good news, the upgrading of the R43 to the east and west of Hermanus indeed falls into that category.

We all know what a nightmare the traffic can become during peak times. Last year during the Whale Festival traffic was backed up past

Fisherhaven at times and it took commuters more than two hours to reach the CBD. The building of a dual carriageway from Fisherhaven to Sandbaai will go a long way in alleviating these huge traffic jams. It will also entail the widening of the bridge over the Onrus River which has been one of the main reasons why the upgrade has not yet been undertaken. This will allow for better traffic flow, especially in the morning and afternoon rush hour.

The widening of the stretch of the R43 between Hermanus and Stanford is also welcomed. This road has over the last few years become extremely dangerous due to the high traffic volume and the narrow surface with no hard shoulder. In addition to these projects a further R406 million has been set aside by the Provincial Government for the widening of the road between Stanford and Gansbaai. In a region growing as fast as ours these upgrades will go a long way in assisting economic growth.

This is the Good NEWS - Ed

The Blight, the Beer and the Bigotry We had just hosted and won the Rugby World Cup. Madiba and the rainbow democracy were celebrated worldwide, and never more so than in rugby-playing countries. A couple of us had planned a golfing/music trip to Ireland anyway, so the timing was perfect.

After the Final, hawkers in Cape Town were desperate to offload their stock.

A R25 Springbok jersey would later pay for two nights B&B in the little village pubs across Ireland, to be proudly displayed alongside the All Blacks, French, Ozzie, Welsh and Scots jerseys.

The white jersey of England was rare.

Anyway, from Dublin Airport we hightailed it diagonally down west to Skibereen, the town hosting an intimate Van Morrison concert we’d heard about.

Turned out, this was part of an annual festival in the bottom left county, where Ireland’s fingers reach out into the Atlantic. But being 150 years since the famine, this year’s week-long gathering was a festival and somber memorial combined.

Back then, the English taxed the Irish into poverty by confiscating crops and livestock in lieu of cash, so the locals rebelled by cultivating only potatoes.

When the blight infected the entire island, communities simply starved to death.

To survive, families were fragmented and those chosen to emigrate would be gone forever – as if dead. Local fishing villages were known as ‘coffin harbours’, where the lucky ones boarded ships to the New World. Back home, the bitter taste of old English mustard lingered on.

Being legitimate Van Morrison group-

A Far Kraai

Anyway, one afternoon while quietly reading the paper in the little harbour pub, one of the local fishermen staggered across from the bar counter towards me and loomed over my table. They’d noted my folly in ordering an Old Hooky beer (north/Protestant) instead of a Murphy’s (south/Catholic) so they smelled the blood of an Englishman.

This ghastly beast, reeking and looking like rotten bait, sneered and locked eyes with me.

“Do you believe in the Mother Mary?” he growled menacingly.

My brain froze. We all know of the slight misunderstanding between Catholics and Protestants – courtesy Henry VIII telling the Pope to take a hike – and Paddy and Pommy have been killing each other ever since.

So, was I a Catholic or a Protestant?

I had a fifty percent chance of dying.

Content Editor Hedda Mittner 083 645 3928 hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

Design and Layout Nickey Jackson 079 408 7722 nickey@thevillagenews.co.za

Office Administrator Tania Hamman admin@thevillagenews.co.za

YOUTUBE: Cheers4Ears

Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

ies and with our Springbok giveaways, we became mini celebs (Springbok Van Fans) for a while, and made the front page of the local paper. We hob-knobbed with the mayor, judged a local beauty contest and officiated at dog races down the main street. Unaware of the objective, these domestic dogs – when released by their owners – would dash off in all directions at once except the finish line, yapping and yowling to the thigh-slapping hysterics of the whiskey-soaked spectators lining the sidewalks.

Money changed hands.

Publishing Editor De Waal Steyn 083 700 3319 dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Marketing Manager Kathy Bentley 083 581 7219 kathy@thevillagenews.co.za

Where the hell was Chuck Norris?

“Well?” His stench was overwhelming.

“I… I’m… an African!” I gurgled between dry-heaves (binne-barf). Thankfully this seemed perfectly acceptable because, although somewhat perplexed, he just belched more baitbreath over me, and lurching back to the counter mumbled, “Well, he’s not feckin’ English,” which got them all cursing the Poms and spitting on the pub floor. This was apparently the norm around there because we’d noticed other locals gobbing whenever the word English was mentioned. Kids would play a type of ‘tag’ game called Gob the Pom, a quaint tradition proudly passed down from father to son.

Grace Jones + Pavarotti Two icons of the sung word, but in vastly different arenas, sing duets at this concert for Angolan refugees in 2002. We’re all aware that Pav can let rip on occasions, but I bet you’ve never heard Ms Jones wail the warts off an opera. Amazing voice and costume. Just type Grace Jones + Pavarotti.

“Funny you mention that,” I replied, and started recounting how many Gob the Pom episodes I’d encountered. While being frog-marched out I just managed to yell over my shoulder, “So what’s it like growing up and living in racist Ire… (door slam)?”

Journalist Elaine Davie 084 343 7500

Photography & Social Media Taylum Meyer 084 564 0779 taylum@thevillagenews.co.za

The following day I was booked for an interview on Cork Radio. Between the rugby and Van Morrison, we’d have plenty to chat about. I was looking forward to it…

“In the studio we have one of the Springbok Van Fans, here for tomorrow’s concert. So tell us,” smirked the smarmy DJ out of the blue, “what was it like growing up and living in racist South Africa?”

Marketing Representative Laetitia Prinsloo 082 738 3765 ads@thevillagenews.co.za

WHERE TO FIND US Bee Gees + Blown in the Wind Many will remember the Bee Gees from the ‘60s and ‘70s (Words, To Love Somebody) and more so their later Saturday Night Fever and Staying Alive period. This 1963 clip from Australian TV programme Bandstand shows three nervous teenagers singing the first of thousands of live performances. Type Bee Gees + Blown in the Wind.

The Village NEWS is published every week and the next edition will be available on 22 August. The NEWS can be found at over 300 distribution points on the Cape Whale Coast, from Pringle Bay to Gansbaai. Get your FREE copy from major retail stores such as Spar, Checkers and Pick n Pay, and at restaurants, tasting rooms, galleries and shopping centres. Should you wish to receive a copy, call us on 028 312 2234 or 083 228 7523 or pop into our office at 6 Royal Street, Hermanus.

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15 August 2018

What needs to be seen (and what not) We put up fences, shoot baboons, plan theme parks in pristine nature reserves and then go and create a furore over the sculpture of a goat at Gearing’s Point. Why stop there?

We could wander a little further along the path and cast a suspicious eye at the fat man, a sculpture of ungainly proportions, but certainly a realistic reflection of our society’s modern epidemic of obesity.

At least sculptures like these can be packed up and shipped off somewhere else. Not so with the offensive brick and mortar ‘sculpture’ constructed on the Cliff Path in close proximity to the historical Fick’s Pool and heritage site of Hermanuspietersfontein’s spring.

This massive monstrosity with its slabs of wraparound views currently boarded up in a silent shroud

of absenteeism, publicly advertises the larney holiday home syndrome of Hermanus. Recently, passing by on a morning walk, I watched two African labourers putting the finishing touches to the property’s surrounding security fence and wall – the length of which probably costs more than a suburb of RDP houses.

This ostentatious and brash architecturally designed pad with its outsized Alcatraz footprint carved into a prime (and what should be preserved) area, smacks not only of tasteless opulence but shows an insensitivity and disregard for the natural jewel of the coastline.

Each to his own maybe, but how this atrocity got past the Heritage Committee beats me.

Any more of these huge monu-

ments glorifying power and materialism erected on the Cliff Path and soon it will become the bling-bling of Sandton-at-the-Sea. Surely in these modern post-colonial times, some consideration and insight into our country’s current turbulence and great class divide should be applied instead of recklessly building a private home the size of a hotel – marring the landscape both symbolically and physically forever.

If we are on the hunt for evil connotations perceived in some artist’s creative imagination, what about the far more obvious deadly sins of greed and indulgence running rampant today – but unlike a poor innocent goat’s head, go unquestioned and, such as in this case, are simply accepted as the norm.

Beth Hunt

THE

NEWS

Let’s Talk

Outstanding service from Hermanus Day Hospital In a world where we are quick to publish negative comments, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to some very special people.

I had surgery at the Hermanus Day Hospital on 19 July, and I want to publicly record my sincere thanks to the wonderful staff who afforded me the most attentive care during my short stay there. Nothing was too much trouble for them.

Wilna Bothma (Admin Manager), Megan, Celeste, Tania, Ansie and Petro (and Christel in theatre) are shining examples of professional people who love what they do – and they do it with passion.

Thank you, ladies, for service that can only be described as outstanding; it is greatly appreciated.

Christine Hohls Struisbaai

Plotting the way ahead on radio Whale Coast FM has decided to bring various role-players together over a period of time, to discuss a way forward after the recent protests in Zwelihle.

“There is no doubt that severe losses have been experienced by various sectors in the Hermanus area and the consequences are devastating. It is important to try and understand why this happened and how the underlying problems can be solved,” says WCFM host Dr Nelia Louw.

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• • •

In a discussion on Wednesday 1 August, guests on the panel made the following recommendations:

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To ask the Education Department to open a School of Skills (FET College) for youth in Hermanus.

To ask individuals and businesses

to employ young people and to give them an opportunity to develop as whole persons.

To ask individuals and organisations to create opportunities for the development of talents and leadership.

To address racism on all possible communication platforms. Let us not be ruled by colour.

To talk about the healing power of forgiveness.

To improve empathy in the broader community by educating children to develop their emotional intelligence.

To ask local government to make it simpler for small businesses to flourish.

To train lay counsellors and peer counsellors in order to address the wide-spread trauma in the townships.

WCFM, as a channel of communication, would like to invite organisations and individuals to contact the radio station at 028 312 2314 if they would like to be part of such a panel discussion. A podcast of the first discussion can be heard on www.whalecoastfm.co.za

Gerhard Swanepoel, criminologist/ victimologist, Thuli Martins, Daniel Morake and Nelia Louw of WCFM are part of the team leading discussions on how to solve the underlying problems of our region.

Hermanus History Society honours Dr John Philip Eight members of the Philip clan were among those who attended the informative talk by Prof John de Gruchy entitled Dr John Philip: A prophet before his time, hosted by the Herma-nus History Society on 6 August. These descendants of Dr Philip include (from left) Ross Philip with his wife Shelley (from Caledon), Ann Passmore (née Philip from Woking in Surrey, UK) and her sister, Janet Nagel (from Stellenbosch) who are holding a signed portrait of their ancestor, Andrew Philip behind them, with his son Marc, his mother Anne and his sister, Sue Raven, all Hermanus residents.

As superintendent of the London Missionary Society in South Africa, Dr Philip was one of the most influential figures in the Cape Colony during the early decades of the 19th century, championing the cause of the indigenous people. In his high-ly acclaimed book, Dr Philip’s Empire, Cape Town historian Tim Keegan writes: “If John Philip had succeeded in his campaigns for racial equality and justice, South African history would have been very different. So I think it is time to revisit his legacy. ” According to Anne Philip, a gathering will be held in February 2019 to commemorate the arrival of Dr John Philip, his wife Jane (née Ross) and their two sons, William Enowy and John Ross on the Westmoreland in Table Bay, in 1819. For more information, Anne can be contacted on 028 399 3925.

Village

EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ART • NATURE

‘Poetry without words’ to celebrate women

W

omen’s Day on 9 August was celebrated in style at Sumaridge Wines with the opening of a solo exhibition by Elise MacDonald.

With beautiful paintings of women, created by a woman, and the event itself organised by a woman – the diminutive but highly energetic tasting room manager, Lorraine Loubser – the evening developed into a jovial affair where the estate’s highly-acclaimed wines flowed freely.

Elise's paintings are best described as magical realism. Although her subjects are rendered realistically, the paintings are pure fantasy – a beautiful woman, adorned with flowers and plants, interacting with brightly coloured birds is a recurring theme. Her works are quirky and whimsical, lush, exotic and full of detail; the beauty of the woman is echoed by the bountiful beauty of nature.

Elise MacDonald next to a work in progress, which soon found a buyer on the opening night of her exhibition at Sumaridge.

Jozua Rossouw of Rossouw Modern Gallery with Liz Coates, chair of the Hermanus First Fridays Artwalk.

Catherine and Lawrance Brennon with Ed Bredenkamp of Lembu Gallery.

The new owners of an Elise MacDonald original painting, Guy and Lorna van Cuyck with the artist’s brother, Ian MacDonald (left) of Lembu Gallery.

The intriguing quality of her paintings rests on a narrative element that invites the viewer to enter the realm of Elise's imagination where multiple realities coexist; worlds within worlds. “Painting has been described as ‘poetry without words’. I prefer to say ‘every picture tells a story’,” says Elise. “Figures, flowers and birds are depicted realistically but in fantastical situations – thus they become symbols of innocence, beauty and freedom.”

Elise's working process is slow and painstaking. Her technique is precise and meticulous as she builds up thin layers of paint and glazes until she is satisfied. “Occasionally ideas come in a flash of lightning but more often they percolate for a while; images are juxtaposed and adjusted until an inner logic emerges and the painting begins to make some kind of weird sense, to me anyway.” When asked to explain the 'meaning' of an artwork, Elise says she

prefers the viewer to “make up their own story”.

Elise has a BA Fine Art degree from Wits University. In 1982 she had her first sell-out exhibition at Crake Gallery in Johannesburg. Thereafter she exhibited at the Everard Read Gallery in several group shows. After moving to

Knysna in 1996 her work was shown at Trent Read's Knysna Fine Art gallery.

During this period her art output dwindled as she focused her attention on her family and on establishing a career as a freelance writer. However, as the nest emptied, her passion for painting reignited and from 2011 she once more became a full-time artist.

She relocated to Hermanus with her husband in 2016 and now exhibits her work at Lembu Gallery in Harbour Road, owned by Edward Bredenkamp and her brother, Ian MacDonald.

Her originals are in high demand with both overseas and local buyers, which is why the current exhibition consists

of limited edition signed fine art prints on canvas. At the opening party there were only two originals on exhibit – one from a private collection and the other a work in progress displayed on an easel, which sold on the evening.

The exhibition at Sumaridge will run until the end of October.

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15 August 2018

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Wednesday 15 August

■ Hermanus Bird Club: Join the club for their monthly meeting where guest speaker Pinky Ngewu of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust will do a presentation on the rehabilitation work done at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary near Gansbaai. Wine for a donation will be served and visitors are welcome. At the Fernkloof Hall, from 18:00, with the talk starting at 18:30.

Good Guide ■ Rewind: Join Soul Café every Friday night and relax to the tunes of their resident band as they perform all your favourite hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. R50 pp. Call 028 313 2137 to book. At Soul Café, 181 Main Road, Hermanus, at 20:00.

Saturday 18 August

Thursday 16 August ■ Rotary Club of Hermanus: Visitors are welcome at Rotary’s weekly meetings. Contact Frank on 082 870 1187 to confirm your attendance. At Mollergren Park, every Thursday at 19:00.

Thursday 16 August – 6 September ■ Clothes Pattern making Course: Join Creative Notions for an interactive 5-week pattern making course. At R3 250 pp you’ll be part of a small group, receiving individual attention and making new friends. For more information or to book, contact Sylvia on hermanus@creativenotions.co.za or 028 312 2182. At Creative Notions in Long Street, either from 09:00 – 12:00 or 18:00 – 21:00 on Thursdays.

Friday 17 August ■ Bhuki Café: Join the Friends of Hermanus Library for tea, coffee and eats for only R20 and help to raise funds for the library. Every Friday from 09:00 – 11:30, at Hermanus Library.

■ Kolwyntjie Teetuin: Everyone in the area is welcome to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at a nominal fee, and make new friends at the Onrus Care Centre (Dienssentrum). At the Onrus Dutch Reformed Church, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

■ The History of Ancient Egypt: This popular DVD series presented by U3A Overberg resumes this week with the topic of Dynasty XIX: Ramses the Great, the early years. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 10:00.

■ Hermanus parkrun: Meet for the weekly 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome. Set off from the Overstrand Training Institute (OTI) farm on Camphill Road in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, at 08:00.

■ Vine 2 Valley: This trail run series of six events on Hemel-en-Aarde wine farms kicks off with a 5 km fun run at Newton Johnson. The entry fee is R120 pp and a percentage will be donated to the Pebbles Project and Ella Gordon Crèche. Enter online at www.quicket.co.za. For more information, contact organiser Bianca le Roux on 082 075 7477 or info@coastlineevents.co.za. At Newton Johnson, at 09:00.

■ Hermanus Country Market: A favourite among the locals. Young, old, two-legged and fourlegged family members are all welcome. You’ll find wholesome goodies, home-made crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music. Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market: Where local and international foodies and wine lovers meet. You’ll find real plates and real cutlery; real cups and real glasses; a real hangout for real people. In the courtyard of Hermanuspietersfontein wine cellar at The Village, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Market in the Garden: Hunt for treasures at this peaceful market set among the shady trees of a beautiful garden. At St Peter’s Church in Main Road, Hermanus, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Critical Mass: Everyone with a bicycle is invited to join Critical Mass, a social bike ride to celebrate cycling as a healthy, safe and eco-friendly mode of transport in Hermanus. For more information, contact Carel Kushke on 074 849 5936. Meet at the Whale Garden on Market Square, at 18:00.

■ Fioré Country Market: Browse this new country market in Bot River for homemade crafts, books, local treats, fresh fruit and more. Stands are free and in the event of rain the market moves indoors. For enquiries, contact Debbie Randall on 028 284 9220. At Fioré Garden Centre & Coffee Shop, Bot River, from 09:00 – 14:00.

■ Botrivier Hotel Market: For hand-made crafts and tasty treats, come and browse the new weekly market in the hotel garden. New vendors are

welcome; contact Erna at ernastark@outlook.com or 028 315 2582 or WhatsApp 076 708 0818 to book your stall. At the Botrivier Hotel, every Saturday, from 10:00 – 14:00.

■ Haws and Hounds: Join in an evening of fun, food and frolicking at this extravaganza show in aid of Hermanus Animal Welfare. Tickets are R250 pp, available from HAWS in Steenbras Street, the HAWS charity shop in Mitchell Street, the Vetshop at the Station Centre or Tulip Coffee Bar in Dirkie Uys Street. Bring your own drinks; corkage donation of R30 pp. For enquiries, contact 082 225 5789 or 082 901 8643. At the Grobbelaar Hall, at 19:00 for 19:30.

■ Jack Stone Live: Singer, songwriter and producer Jack Stone, the man with the smooth and soulful voice, will be performing at Hermanus’ trendiest night spot. Call 028 313 2137 to book. At Soul Café, at 19:45.

Sunday 19 August

South Africa and abroad. He will be performing works by Joseph Haydn, Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph, Maurice Ravel, Sergei Lyapunov and Alexander Scriabin. Tickets are R150 (R60 for students) and available from the Tourism Office on 028 312 2629.

For further enquiries, contact René du Plooy on 082 940 4238. In the Municipal Auditorium, at 15:30.

Monday 20 August ■ Overberg Quilters Guild: Join this enthusiastic group of locals who share a passion for quilting.

The speaker is Helen Granville and the vendor is Country Quilting from Villiersdorp. All are welcome.

For more details, contact Pat Hewson at fredpat@ sonicmail.co.za. In the De Wet Hall, Roos street, Onrus at 09:30.

■ The World’s Greatest Geological Wonders: U3A Overberg presents a DVD course on two of the world’s greatest geological wonders: The Amazon Basin – Lungs of the Planet and Iguazu Falls – Thundering Waterfalls. Each of the two lectures lasts 30 minutes. In the Catholic Church Hall at 10:00.

■ Hermanus Business Chamber meeting: The Chamber invites all businesses to come and meet the new committee members and hear about the portfolios they will be representing at this open meeting. R100 for members and R120 for nonmembers. Bank details: Hermanus Business Chamber, Standard Bank Hermanus, branch code: 050312, Account no: 082257833. Use your company’s name as reference and email proof of payment to hermanusbusinesschamber@gmail. com. Any business/tourism owner is welcome to join the Chamber by contacting secretary Alta Pretorius at this email or by calling 028 315 1619. In the Municipal Auditorium, at 18:00 for 18:30.

■ Our Weird and Wonderful Universe: Join the Hermanus Astronomy Centre for their monthly meeting, where John Saunders will present a talk on Our Weird and Wonderful Universe. For more info, contact secretary Peter Harvey on 081 212 9481 or petermh@hermanus.co.za. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 19:00.

■ Staalwater Trail Run & MTB Challenge: The ninth edition of the Staalwater MTB Challenge returns to the one day only option with four mountain bike distances: 15 km, 40 km, 60 km and a new 75 km route. A Trail Run will take place on the same day with an easy 15 km route. The late August date coincides with vast fields of yellow canola blossoms and lush green wheat fields, making for a visual feast not to be missed.

Both mountain bike and trail running events offer routes for amateurs to advanced mountain bikers/trail runners, so bring the whole family for a fun-filled outdoor adventure experience! Enter online at www.dirtopia.co.za. Registration at the venue from 07:00. For more details contact info@dirtopia.co.za or call the Dirtopia Trail Centre on 021 884 4752. At the Caledon Casino, Hotel & Spa, from 09:00.

■ Lemm’s Corner Market: This popular Sunday market offers exclusive arts and crafts, and handmade local products. At Fisherman’s Village (between Cattle Baron and Fisherman’s Cottage), from 10:00 – 15:00.

■ OAK piano concert: Following a performance with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra on Thursday, Overstrand Arts/Kunste is privileged to host Megan-Geoffrey Prins on Sunday. This talented young pianist, who hails from Riversdale, is studying for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music in the USA. Praised for his technical prowess, imaginative interpretation and keen sensitivity, Prins has received numerous awards from competitions in

Tuesday 21 August ■ Teddy Bear Workshop: Learn how to make a delightful teddy bear at this creative one-day workshop. R280 pp. For more information or to book, contact Sylvia on 028 312 2182 or hermanus@creativenotions.co.za. At Creative Notions in Long Street, from 09:00 – 16:00.

■ Are Bees in Crisis? Whale Coast Conservation presents a talk on The Global Bee Crisis: Fact or Fallacy? by host guest speaker Mike Allsopp, who has been working with honeybees for 35 years and has been running the honeybee section of the Agricultural Research Council since 2001. Contact Anina Lee on anina.wcc@gmail.com or 083 242 3295 for more details. At the Green House in Vermont, at 17:30.

■ Agatha Christie: As part of their Literary Anniversaries series, U3A Overberg presents a talk on Agatha Christie: Why is she the world’s bestselling author of all time? In the Catholic Church Hall, at 10:00.

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15 August 2018

To bee or not to bee worried

W

e have all read the dire warnings about the imminent collapse of bee colonies around the world. Any number of newspaper and magazine articles, TV and social media, even books and scholarly publications, have spread the Doom (literally).

MY NEWS Environment THE

The message is that the world’s bees are dying because of stress resulting from overuse, pesticides, disease or poor forage and that there won't be enough bees to pollinate our crops.

This in turn will threaten jobs, the economy, food security, and even the very existence of humankind.

Will there be enough forage to sustain these bee colonies? All indications at present are that the answer will be No – there will not be enough forage, and there will not be enough colonies available to satisfy the demand. The only thing that can change this outlook is the rapid development of additional bee forage, allowing more colonies to be sustained.

What is the truth about bees in South Africa? To find out I asked Mike Allsopp at the Plant Protection Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Centre, who is South Africa’s premier bee expert.

According to Mike, there is no doubt that there are very real global concerns about the health and vitality of pollinators such as bees due to loss of natural areas, human population growth and pollution (especially pesticides). This includes very real concerns about the availability of commercial pollination (essentially honey bees) for insect-dependent crops.

In truth the world’s bees themselves are not endangered, but some parts of the world, especially Western Europe and the USA, are struggling to maintain the numbers of honey-bee col-

tralia. Eucalypts are, however, regarded as aliens that should be removed. It is vitally important for the future of our bees and the agriculture they support that only invasive species of Eucalypts are removed, and only when they affect water security.

onies that they need to support their industrial-scale insect-dependent agriculture.

Do we have enough bees in South Africa and will there be enough 10 years from now? We actually don’t know how many managed honeybee colonies there are in South Africa, or how many beekeepers we have, or what the pollination de-

mand is, or will be.

Indications are that pollination demand in South Africa is set to increase dramatically over the next decade due to more intensive agriculture. A good estimate is that the demand for pollination units in South Africa will at least double in the next decade. Will there be enough bee colonies to go around?

What do we mean by bee forage?

Don’t they get all their food from the crops they pollinate? No, the crops are seasonal and bees need to eat allyear round. Bees need natural areas to sustain them during the agricultural “off-season”. We simply do not have enough food for the number of bees that will be required. The everdecreasing bee forage has seen honey production in South Africa decrease by 75% in 30 years.

Ironically, Eucalyptus trees are the main forage for bees in the Western Cape. While many plants in the fynbos are bee-pollinated, fynbos does not support many bees. The local bee industry only became possible when Eucalypts were imported from Aus-

Moreover, theft and vandalism of hives make beekeeping in South Africa very expensive, and prevent the utilisation of some forage resources.

Inadequate policing of adulterated and 'fake' honey and the mass importation of honey at prices below the production price in South Africa harm our bee industry. So does a lack of government regulation and support for the beekeeping industry.

So what can we as ordinary citizens do to help the bees? We can fill our gardens with bee forage and avoid all insecticides. And we can begin a love affair with non-invasive species of gum trees like the majestic flowering gums that burst into vivid colour around Hermanus in the summer.

– Anina Lee Reference: Bees & pollination: should growers be concerned? (2017) Mike Allsopp and Tlou Masehela, SA Fruit Jnl. Jun-Jul p. 60 Mike Allsopp will be the Whale Coast Conservation guest speaker on Tuesday 21 August 2018 at the Green House at 17:30.

All are welcome.

How to continue with your recycling Hermanus has been on the forefront of recycling waste but since the destruction of the Walker Bay Recycling plant during the unrest, residents have been forced to abandon their recycling efforts.

All the infrastructure at the recycling plant in Swartdam Road, including the conveyer belt and baler have been burned and it is unclear at this stage whether the recycling plant will reopen.

According to the Municipality recycling bags will no longer be provided and any recyclables collected will be landfilled with normal refuse at the Karwyderskraal landfill site.

In the interim those who want to continue their recycling efforts can use the following alternative drop-off points: Hermanus: Voëlklip drop-off in 7th Street (household waste, black bags only) Monday – Friday 08:00 – 18:00 Saturday 09:00 – 16:00 Public Holidays 09:00 – 14:00 Voëlklip Prawn Flats drop-off (garden refuse only) Monday – Friday 08:00 – 18:00 Saturday 09:00 – 16:00 Public Holidays 09:00 – 14:00

Hawston drop-off in Church Street (garden and general waste) Monday – Friday 08:00 – 18:00 Saturday 09:00 – 16:00 Public Holidays 09:00 – 14:00 Karwyderskraal landfill (builder’s rubble, garden waste and general household waste) Monday – Friday 08:00 – 18:00 Additional recycling options: • Save your bread tags and plastic bottle caps and drop them off at any of our libraries.

• Home Schoolers Recycling Community Project produces eco bricks and collects any type of lids.

For more information, contact Lana on 072 931 2344.

• Overberg High School in Caledon recycles paper. Old newspapers can be dropped off during the week at the school.

• Child Welfare in Kleinmond collects egg boxes, plastic carrier bags and clear plastic bags used for bread, fruit, etc.

• Kleinmond Owl Rescue (Kleinmond Tourism) collects all hard plastics such as yoghurt tubs, plastic milk bottles, cool drink bottles and straws.

• Doppies Operation Smile at Municipal Finance Department Kleinmond collects plastic caps for cool drink and milk bottles.

The Recycle Swop Shop in Zwelihle reopened last week and the children could hardly wait to bring the waste they had collected to be weighed. The children earn points with which they can ‘shop’ for essential items. They are also treated to a healthy snack. Although the waste can no longer be recycled at Walker Bay Recycling, the children help to keep the streets of Zwelihle litter free and learn the valuable lesson that hard work will earn them a reward.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

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FOOD & WINE

15 August 2018

Gabriëlskloof lays the table for a spring celebration

I

t's almost time to bid winter farewell and celebrate the arrival of spring. And no one does this better than the wine community of Bot River, who will once again host a weekend of fancy-free festivities over the weekend of 1 - 2 September.

While each wine farm will offer their own unique entertainment centred on food, wine and various activities, one of the highlights will undoubtedly be the Gabriëlskloof Little Spring Market, featuring all things fresh and fabulous.

"Spring is the season of rebirth and rejuvenation, and it's this energy we hope to capture and share with our friends through our new spring market on our beautiful estate," says Nicolene Finlayson, tasting room manager of this family-owned winery, and wife of Gabriëlskloof cellarmaster Peter-Allan Finlayson.

The Little Spring Market invites everyone to emerge from hibernation and enjoy a rejuvenating country kuier at Gabriëlskloof. And remember to bring your basket along as the market presents the perfect opportunity to clean out your pantry and restock it with fresh, homemade goodies.

Visitors will be able to browse an eclectic selection of goods, from plants to crafts and toys to jewellery. Live music will add to the relaxing ambience, while scrumptious, spring-inspired food will naturally feature alongside Gabriëlskloof's diverse and excellent wine collection.

“In addition to its focus on spring, Gabriëlskloof's Little Spring Market is intended to be a

laid-back get-away to the country, so we've limited the number of stalls. It’s also the perfect warm-up for our popular festive season market in December," says Nicolene.

The market coincides with the Bot River Spring Weekend and kicks off Gabriëlskloof's trio of season-inspired markets. The highlight event, the Gabriëlskloof Favourite Things market, will return from 14 - 16 December, followed by the

inaugural Autumn Market that will take place on the weekend of 20 April 2019.

The Little Spring Market is a continuation of a proud Gabriëlskloof tradition. In addition to being a producer of excellent wine, this Bot River wine and olive estate has a solid reputation as host of intimate, family-orientated events when its lawns around the aesthetic wine cellar are transformed into a festive

wonderland.

Visit the Little Spring Market on Saturday 1 September from 10:00 – 18:00 and on the Sunday from 10:00 - 15:00. For more information contact Nicolene Finlayson on 028 284 9865 or nicolene@gabrielskloof.co.za. You can also get the latest information by liking Gabriëlskloof on Facebook or following them on Twitter and Instagram.

HERMANUS

15 August 2018

FOOD & WINE

Continuing the proud tradition of Wine & Co

T

he character building in High Street that houses Wine & Company has operated as a wine shop for almost two decades, ever since winemaker Bartho Eksteen settled with his family in Hermanus and his wife Suné started this iconic wine shop.

Now managed by Gary van der Walt, Wine & Company continues to enchant visitors with its cosy ambience and choice selection of premium South African wines.

Conveniently situated in the heart of town, wine lovers tend to linger as Gary guides them to make the best choices, while introducing them to local wines they’d perhaps never heard of and exchanging information and stories about the winemakers and wine farms. As a specialist shop, Wine & Company has a wellearned reputation for stocking hard-to-find, small-batch wines and Gary strives to continue this tradition.

Wine is clearly a subject close to his heart, although he’s only made a career of it for the past six years. “It all started when I moved to the Cape from Johannesburg in 2001 and found out that visiting wine farms over weekends was what people do here,” he says.

In his previous lives he was an Avionics Technician, an IT Manager and a teacher of English as a foreign language. Gary has also travelled extensively to 30-odd countries and it was when he returned to Cape Town after a few years working on Norwegian cruise liners that he was offered a job at Wine Concepts. He went on to work in some of the foremost boutique

wine shops in Cape Town, including Caroline’s Fine Wines and Sunset Beach Wines, before relocating to Hermanus a few months ago.

“My brother Tjaart and I had wanted to go into business together for some years and Hermanus offered us the ideal opportunity,” says Gary.

Tjaart, who also owns My Design, was happy to leave the running of Wine & Company up to his brother – and the business is clearly in good hands.

What he enjoys most, says Gary, is getting to know his clients and their preferences. “Many clients return again and again and it’s cool to recognise them and carry on where we left off, thereby creating ongoing relationships. Most people who walk in here are interested in wine, they are well-informed and know what they want.”

Gary adds that people in Hermanus are generally very friendly.” They are all connected in some way as everyone seems to know one another.” Getting to know the locals and their wine preferences is high on his priority list, which is why he hosts wine tastings every Friday afternoon from 15:00 – 18:00. So the next time you knock off work early on a Friday, remember to pop in and enjoy some social down-time at Wine & Company’s convivial wine bar.

You’ll find Wine & Company at 7 High Street (the entrance is at the side next to the parking area) or contact them on 028 313 2047.

– Hedda Mittner

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ART

15 August 2018

New exhibition opens at FynArts Gallery

T

he FynArts Gallery, in collaboration with Lizamore & Associates, will showcase a solo exhibition by Lwandiso Njara entitled Engineering the New Jerusalem II, which opens on Friday 18 August.

Growing up in a traditional Xhosa household, Lwandiso Njara’s Catholic schooling by nuns from India and Switzerland exposed him to different ideologies and technologies. In Engineering the New Jerusalem II, Njara depicts his understanding of a changing identity – as influenced by his upbringing and education. This body of work takes form in pen, graphite & charcoal drawings, and sculptures in PPC cement, resin, animal bone and steel.

The artist portrays a cross-pollinated sense of identity which emerges from the physical hybridity of his sculptures and drawings. “I believe that my work resembles or explores the new contemporary robotic or technological African urban identity,” says the artist.

He often blatantly merges polarities in one body through using the lamb, the goat and the cow fused with mechanical gears and engines, all acting as signifiers for the artist’s own hybrid sense of identity.

Njara was born in 1987, in Libode, Eastern Cape. He obtained his Matric certificate at Port Elizabeth College

Lwandiso Njara’s solo exhibition of drawings, Engineering the New Jerusalem II will open at the FynArts Gallery in The Courtyard on Friday. and a BTech (Fine Art) from the Tshwane University of Technology.

Among his proudest accomplishments are the 2009 runner-up award and the 2014 Merit award he won at the PPC Young Sculptor Competition.

He also won first prize in the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards in 2012.

Njara’s work has been shown in several group exhibitions and three solo exhibitions entitled Altar, Engineering a New Jerusalem I and Engineering a New Jerusalem II. The artist regularly exhibits with Lizamore & Associates and his work has been shown at the Cape Town Art Fair, the Turbine Art Fair, Trent Art Gallery in

Pretoria and the Ron Belling Art Gallery in Port Elizabeth, amongst others.

Njara’s work is centered on the contradictions between his Catholic education and ancestral Xhosa rituals. The artist treats these two polarities as binary opposites which he does not necessarily seek to resolve, but rather uses to construct a new emergent identity.

His work can be viewed as a negotiation between his Catholic education and his traditional upbringing; not in any way suggesting that identities are singular and fixed, but that

they could possibly be perceived as multi-faceted and fragmented.

Through his pieces, he explores an experience of identity construction, spiritual awakening and development during his boyhood years in rural Transkei. He brings this investigation of his own identity in conversation with the human existence within technocratic social orders.

These post-colonial constructs of identity are explored through the use of large bronze/concrete sculptural works. Njara’s work is often unpolished and raw, exposing the internal workings of machines through tools, cogs and mecha-

nisms. These relate to his need to deconstruct these binaries and consider each mechanism’s contribution to his identity and reflect the hybrid contemporary African identity.

Although Njara’s work conveys a personal investigation of his identity, this exploration can be applied to a collective conscious, where the diversity within South Africa is creating a hybrid third culture, and essential, separatist, understandings of identity are disappearing as our nation becomes transconscious.

The exhibition will be opened by Gordon Froud at 17:30 on Friday.

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Gallery marks a new start

Combining art, poetry and coffee The Courtyard is a delightful space reached by way of a small alley leading off Harbour Road. Here you’ll find several gems tucked away from the hustle and bustle, including four excellent art galleries – Kunskantoor, Geta Finlayson Studio, FynArts Gallery and now also THE StART Gallery, which had its opening on Saturday 11 August. Owned by long-time friends, Theresa le Roux and Annette du Toit, THE StART is a welcome addition to this creative space and a new departure for its owners, who have never run a gallery before – hence the name. The courtyard has been beautified with benches, plants and sculptures, and provides the ideal space for informal parties and gettogethers. Several friends, family members and well-wishers gathered here on Saturday to toast the opening of THE StART. Another exciting business that will be opening soon is The Wine Glass, a spacious wine-tasting venue whose premises front onto Harbour Road and expand all the way down to The Courtyard. This joint venture by partners Brennan Davis, Mark Kahts and Jacques le Roux, who also happens to be Theresa’s husband, will showcase premium wines and craft beers from local producers all the way from Elgin to Agulhas.

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

Slam poetry festival Hermanus witnessed its first ever poetry slam event over the long weekend when it was presented at Enlighten Education Trust on 10 and 11 August. Entitled the Imbiza Yochuku Poetry Slam Festival, this event was organised by four young men from Zwelihle – Spiwo Malanjana, Olwethu Mfanakiso, Ronwyn Watala and Khonzie Karim Kibido. Due to all the unrest of the previous weeks, the festival almost did not happen, but thanks to some support from the community it was able to become a reality.

Slam is spoken word poetry, and is closely related to hip-hop or rap, minus the music. It not only sharpens the poet’s skill at manipulating language, but involves rhythm and movement and offers the opportunity for selfexpression and developing self-confidence.

The event was a wonderful opportunity for local children and teenagers to discover what poetry slam is and to showcase their talents.

Spiwo and his friends would like to hold the festival every year and are hoping that more of the Overberg schools will become involved.

Spiwo Malanjana, one of the organisers (back row sixth from the left), stands with the performers who participated in the festival as well as some of his friends (musicians, judges and a magician) who entertained the spectators in between the poetry performances.

Standing, from left are Namhla Phantsi, Sphamandla Booysen (singer from Worcester), Akhona Mosala (aka Moshka the Magician), Asemahle Jonga (won Best Writer), Lihle Cwebeni (won third place for Best Poet), Spiwo, Bongani Madubela (won first place for Best Poet and also the prizes for Outstanding Achievement and Overall Winner), Melihlanga Ntiya-Ntiya (judge from Khayelitsha), Inga Mfundisi (won second place for Best Poet) and Thabang Mbolekwa (beat-boxer from Worcester). In front are Busisiwe Ludwanga, Totyelwa Ngcingi (coach) and Amanda Tyhaliti.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

Post@The Courtyard is the venue for a new pop-up exhibition of oil paintings by co-owner Leoni Aucamp, which opened on Women’s Day, 9 August. Entitled Reflections, Leoni says this collection of work is an ‘ode to water’. Except for one larger focal painting, the rest of the exhibition consists of small works that were specifically made for Post’s intimate space. Each painting is accompanied by a poem. Leoni has worked in oils for the past 13 years and as a nature lover, her interest in water and how it moves was inspired by her daily walks by the ocean. “Hermanus has so much to offer,” she says. “My next exhibit will probably be inspired by rock formations or fynbos.” Leoni and her business partner, Carel Kuschke, opened Post less than a year ago. It is a quaint little coffee shop (right next door to THE StART) which promotes the nostalgic custom of writing postcards to loved ones back home or far away, while enjoying their caffeine fix. The artisan brew served at Post is made from single-origin beans from Africa and is popular among locals and tourists alike. At the opening party Ingrid Conlin and Jason Blaauw from Whalehaven were on hand to offer the guests an additional treat in the form of a chocolate and wine pairing. Post@The Courtyard is open Monday to Friday from 08:00 -16:00 and on Saturdays from 09:00 – 14:00. The exhibition runs until 18 August.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

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WOMEN’S DAY: Young and old joined in the Women’s Day celebrations hosted at the RDP Youth Centre in Zwelihle. Guests were entertained by various performers with music, dancing, poetry and motivational talks. Many of the women were dressed in traditional attire and the youngsters enjoyed having their faces painted. Tasty eats and drinks were served, courtesy of The Beanery and Food Lover’s Market.

BELOW: Fikiswa Gxamesi, co-owner of the Zwelihle Youth Café with Whale Coast Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd and MC Maria Pieterse.

15 August 2018

SPACE ODYSSEY: SANSA's National Science Week Open Day in Hermanus included fun, hands-on activities such as satellite launches, science shows, planet building, engaging with exhibits in the science centre and space expo, and launching liquid nitrogen rockets. Visitors were also treated to tours of the facility and two fascinating space talks. If you missed out on the open day be sure to join the SANSA team for the free weekly tour which takes place every Wednesday at 11:00.

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15 August 2018

Zwelihle Youth Café gets a new lease on life

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rom its humble beginnings in a single garage four years ago the Zwelihle Youth Café celebrated its new 600 m² premises at the RDP centre in the township on Women’s Day.

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evenings every third Thursday of the month where everyone is welcome to come and showcase their talents, be it in art, music, food or song. We want to create an environment where people of all races can come and enjoy time in each other’s company.

A place where bridges are built, and healing takes place. A lot of anger and frustration were created during the unrest, especially between the different races in our town. Our aim is to start to remove those stumbling blocks and create a unified town.

HELPING Hand Sponsored by Hermanus

“This has been not only a labour of love, it has become a beacon of hope for the community,” says William Ntebe who manages the café together with his wife, Fikiswa Gxamesi.

“When we started out, we had a computer plugged into a single socket in the wall and a dream that one day we would be able to make a difference for the youth in our community. From the get-go we knew that we wanted to create an environment for the youngsters where they could not only feel safe and welcome but where they could also learn new skills and develop enterprises that would one day turn into successful small businesses,” says William.

“We want to show the world that we have the same energy to build positive things as we have in sometimes breaking things down. Imagine if the energy that went into the unrest could be used to clean up our township or to build new infrastructure that can help residents become successful entrepreneurs. That is what we want to do,” says William with a determined look on his face.

After more than a year in the garage the Youth Café, with the assistance of Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy Restaurant and Herman Breedt of The Mentoring Project, was able to move to Fikiswa’s RDP house.

“This was a proud moment for us as we had three rooms where we could accommodate people and assist them in taking their lives forward. We used the one room as a computer lab, the second as a meeting room and the third as a coffee shop. During this time Theo Krynauw of Sparkle Kids assisted us not only with mentoring and training the youngsters but also in procuring more computers and equipment which helped us grow in leaps and bounds.

“From the start Fiki (as she is known to all) and I knew that the Youth Café must be an enterprise that will generate its own income as we wanted it to be something that was driven by the community and not government.

It was important for us to create that

Fikiswa gave a talk to the guests who attended the official opening of the Zwelihle Youth Café at the RDP Centre on Women’s Day. William is happy for his wife to take the limelight while he stands in the background. self-pride in what was happening.

That is why we started the coffee shop and also with the support of the Swedish tourism company Sydafrikor were able to start township walking tours. The tours, which we conduct from November to March, have been a great success and all the guides are locals who were trained in conducting tours,” relates William with a proud smile.

He says aside from training youngsters as tour guides and waiters, the Through Their Own Eyes project was

also started through the Youth Café.

“This project aims at supplying the youth with cameras and letting them tell the stories of their communities through pictures. With the help of Wilco den Otter of Dunya Cake Delights in town we were able to publish a book of photographs that has become not only popular with readers but also an opportunity to showcase life in Zwelihle as seen through the eyes of children.”

William becomes enthusiastic and animated as he tells of their new

premises at the RDP centre. “It is ironically situated on the corner of Mbeki and Zuma Streets and for us it shows that no matter who you are, if you are willing to bring positive energy everyone is able to work together towards a brighter future.

“The new premises give us the opportunity to expand the computer lab, which now has 18 PCs, set up a sewing room for small entrepreneurs, build an organic vegetable garden and create a cultural centre.

Our aim is to start hosting cultural

Fiddling with his dreadlocks he says he shaved them off three years ago when he started going through tough times on a personal level. “For me cutting my locks off was a way of refocussing. After the official opening of the Youth Café on Thursday I braided them back onto my hair to show that for me this is also a new beginning. A time of hope, learning and rebuilding.”

William says a lot of work is needed to make their dream a reality. “We need assistance with repairing some of the buildings at the RDP centre as well as creating the vegetable garden. We are not only looking for financial assistance but also wisdom and helping hands. We are still youngsters and if people with experience can come and teach us how to do these things we are willing to learn and in turn teach others.”

William can be reached on: 076 696 5830.

– De Waal Steyn

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15 August 2018

The importance of health screenings

ealth screenings are essential in identifying health risks that we may not even be aware of, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, overweight and obesity, depression, osteoarthritis, cancer, heart disease, and chronic inflammation, amongst others.

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MY Health

It is therefore recommended that a qualified medical professional, specialising in natural and integrative medicine, is consulted for an accurate diagnosis and management of health risks through coaching and discussions.

LDL-Cholesterol is known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol. High LDL can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible (atherosclerosis). Blocked arteries in the heart can increase your risk for heart attack, and in the brain, stroke.

At the Weight Control Clinic Hermanus (started in Pretoria by Dr William Gauché in 1974), partners Dr Arien van der Merwe, Anri van Rooyen and Dr Michelle Emett aim to address your health risks, especially insulin resistance and the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Before identifying your risks and helping you to manage them through their unique Weight Control Clinic program and holistic Health Counselling process, the following health screenings will be done:

Triglycerides is a form of fat the body uses to store energy. Elevated triglyceride levels in the blood can be caused by inactivity, obesity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates.

Glucose is a type of sugar that travels through the bloodstream and is the primary source of energy for your cells.

Glucose levels that remain high over time may be indicative of diabetes which can cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels. Very low glucose levels is known as hypoglyceamia and should be reviewed by your health care provider.

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT Cholesterol: Total cholesterol on its own is not recommended – rather do a complete lipid profile (even finger prick test available of total, LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides).

Total Cholesterol – is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all of your body’s cells. It plays an important part in maintaining a healthy body, but high cholesterol levels in your blood can build up in your arteries (forming plaque) and can eventually increase your chances of developing heart disease.

HDL-cholesterol is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol. High HDL is desirable as it can protect against heart disease. Experts believe HDL carries cholesterol away from the artery walls and removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque (atherosclerosis), slowing down its build-up. Lower HDL may increase risk for heart disease.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the relationship between weight and height.

A high BMI is associated with an increased risk for many diseases and health conditions including cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

Dr Arien van der Merwe, Dr Michelle Emett and Anri van Rooyen, the coowners of Weight Control Clinic Hermanus, at the official opening hosted at Mission’s House in Onrus on Saturday.

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

Blood Pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure indicates

that your heart is working too hard, putting a strain on your heart muscle and arteries. The extra workload can lead to serious health problems.

Cardiac Age (CA) is based on the Framingham Heart Study. CA is calculated by using gender, biological age, total cholesterol, HDL, blood pressure, and history of smoking and diabetes. It is desirable to have a CA that is the same or younger than your biological age.

INBODY The InBody is an accurate Body Composition Analyser based on the worldwide standard using Direct Segmental Multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (DSM-BIA) to assess the four main components that constitute total body weight: water, protein, mineral and fat. It clearly indicates why body weight alone is not a good measure of body fat. The InBody also gives a fitness score and so much more.

FITNESS SCREENING Fitness screenings are important to determine fitness level and also to measure progress with any exercise and healthy eating regime. Our fitness screenings include body measurements with a measuring tape, flexibility and fitness tests (measuring strength and cardiovascular fitness).

- Dr Arien van der Merwe is a medical doctor and author specialising in natural, integrative medicine. She works as a Holistic Health Counsellor and co-owner of the Weight Control Clinic at Refine in Hemel-en-Aarde Village. Contact 028 316 4122 or visit www.drarien.co.za/ weight-control-clinic

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15 August 2018

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Free range is a lifestyle, not a label

very chef and food lover will attest to the fact that the one thing that cannot be negotiated when preparing a scrumptious dish is the quality of the ingredients. And while some food fads come and go, ethical farming has become a key factor for many consumers.

and for the important roles they play in their communities.

“Over 300 000 people earn a living in our region because of agriculture, and when we look at our country’s struggle with youth unemployment, this is the sector that can help solve it. There are huge opportunities for young people, and especially young women in this sector. We hope that awards like these will help to encourage more women to take up careers in the sector.”

“To this end, for us at Elgin Free Range Chickens being authentically free range means more than free roaming,” says owner Jeanne Groenewald. “It means our chickens are free from stress, and free to behave naturally.

They are also raised with a high-quality maize-based diet that is free from routine antibiotics, animal byproducts, and growth promoters. This keeps our chickens and their immune systems healthy, the natural way.”

Due to her commitment to supplying only the best quality chicken to the market, Jeanne was named Top Entrepreneur: Processing at this year’s Female Entrepreneur Awards (FEA) hosted by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture on 8 August.

The competition is a joint effort between the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Provincial Department of Agriculture, and seeks to reward the efforts and contribution of women in

Elgin Free Range Chickens started 22 years ago with a few backyard chickens and now supplies major retailers and employs over 600 people. Jeanne says she hopes to develop and grow her company’s national footprint going forward.

Minister Alan Winde with the 2018 Western Cape FEA winners. From left: Leandre Mitchley, Marta Klein, Magdalene Campbell, Liebre Jacobs and Jeanne Groenewald.

PHOTO: Gizelle van Wyk job creation, economic growth and poverty alleviation. Jeanne was also named the Western Cape’s Top Commercial Female Entrepreneur at the FEA in 2014.

Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde says the competition serves to recognise the

work women are doing in agriculture, which is historically a maledominated space. “It honours the role they play in food security, job creation and bringing foreign exchange into our economy. But more than that, each year as we go through the entries, we as a department are able to identify

To advertise in The Village NEWS, phone 028 312 2234 or email ads@thevillagenews.co.za

where the women are, see what they’re doing, and find ways to help nurture them, and help their business grow.”

According to Minister Winde, congratulations are in order for these women for their hard work and commitment to their enterprises,

Quality is at the heart of everything they do. “From the very beginning, we’ve been committed to giving our birds a good quality of life. That’s why we’ve been South Africa’s most trusted free-range chicken producer for over 20 years. We are the leading, exclusively free-range chicken supplier in the country, because to us, free range is a lifestyle, not a label,” she says.

Bergsig Business Park, Sandbaai (Behind Whale Coast Mall) Tel: 066 475 8649

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15 August 2018

Growing demand for homes with green features

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he continuing drought, reintroduction of load shedding by Eskom and rapidly escalating costs of electricity and water have made energy- and resource-efficient homes increasingly appealing to home buyers, says Pam Golding Properties.

In a recent survey conducted among their real estate agents, 70% of respondents estimated that homes with ‘green’ features such as solar energy, grey water systems, rain water collection tanks, boreholes and waterwise gardens may command a price premium of approximately 5 - 10% over similar ‘non-green’ homes. The participating agents also said they are experiencing heightened interest from buyers in the green properties of a home.

Says Anthony Stroebel, Pam Golding Properties’ head of real estate services and a director of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA): “Nowhere is this trend towards homes with alternative, more efficient sources of energy and water more evident than in the Western Cape, where the recent prolonged drought has made water conservation a key imperative both now and into the future.

“It has also underlined the additional value placed on these features, with many consumers doing their utmost to go partially off the grid, in some cases even entirely. Almost overnight it’s become relatively commonplace in

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consists of an on-site inspection, coupled with the installation of datareading and on-site metering, which then results in an energy profile on how to reduce consumption and adopt more efficient technologies and alternative sources of electricity – tailor-made to suit your home and requirements.”

MY Home

Cape Town to see lawns replaced with indigenous shrubbery and succulent gardens, as well as artificial grass, not to mention a proliferation of water-storage tanks and rooftop solar panels.”

“With rising utility costs and an emphasis on sustainability, there’s a major green revolution rapidly unfolding, and in support of a more sustainable future, Pam Golding Properties has partnered with Enel X, the multinational alternative energy company, to bring innovative power solutions to home owners and home buyers via an energy audit. Initially, this is being offered to selected suburbs in the Western Cape and Gauteng on a pilot basis, with a national roll-out envisaged for next year.

“During the audit, energy inefficiencies in the home and intervention opportunities are identified. This

The Enel X energy audit includes a full evaluation of the home’s energy usage, with the installation of metering equipment to monitor appliances, geyser, pool pumps et al, over a period of weeks. At the end of this, the technical team analyses the results and provides a diagnostic report with recommendations of ways to reduce your consumption over both the short and long term.

Adds Stroebel: “Just as one example, findings may reveal that an old refrigerator is consuming as much as 30% of your electricity bill. By the end of the audit process and installation of energy-efficient solutions, you could achieve up to a 70% reduction in your electricity consumption resulting in considerable cost savings.”

Stroebel says apart from homeowners who are retro-fitting their homes with green features, new builds are increasingly green, through the construction of apartments in green precincts and apartments and freehold properties in eco-estates.

Source: sapropertyinsider.co.za

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15 August 2018

Curro Matric Farewell Curro Hermanus held their annual Matric Farewell Dance on Wednesday 8 August at The ONE Heaven and Earth function venue, located at the top of Shaw’s Mountain Pass. This romantic venue with its large expanses of glass and panoramic vistas provided the perfect setting for an unforgettable evening. The students and their dates arrived dressed-to-impress and in keeping with ‘The Great Gatsby’ theme of the evening. The venue itself was beautifully decorated with an assortment of white flowers and candles, and the hanging lights and plants created a magical ambience. The students could also enjoy the outside area with its cosy fire pit and bean bags, while a large area inside the venue was used as a dance floor. Celebrations continued well into the night.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer At the back, from right are Emme-Jé Hatton, Christoff Jordaan (Curro), Kirsten Larney (Curro), Anke Bielfeld (Curro), Anri Kotzé, (front) Fransie Streicher, Marnus Hamman and Franco de Villiers. The group of friends were excited to see each other all dressed up for the occasion.

Llewellyn van Rensburg and Tania Theron (Curro) were stunned by the beauty of the venue and the décor.

Amé Vorster (Curro) and Pedré Labuschagne were all smiles when they arrived at the venue.

Xavier Simons arrived with Kay-Leigh Claasen (Curro) who wore a beautiful baby pink and gold dress, complemented by Xavier’s outfit.

To advertise in The Village NEWS, phone 028 312 2234 or email ads@thevillagenews.co.za

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15 August 2018

Surprised by success, the conquering hero returns And this, of course, led him into a wealth of interesting by-ways.

Although he stopped playing chess for 22 years because he had so many other irons in the fire, one of the unexpected diversions on his life’s path was the acquisition of a newspaper, The Times of Hermanus.

Although he describes himself as dyslexic, he and his partner, Pierre Hugo, enjoyed finding new ways to streamline the publishing business. It was the first newspaper to introduce desktop publishing and one of the first to use the earliest version of Corel Draw, in the process, winning a national award for layout.

Elaine Davie

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ere it not for the huge gold medal hanging on his wall, Hermanus resident, Andrew Southey would not believe that he is the new Senior Chess Champion of the Commonwealth. “It’s all quite unreal, to be honest,” he says with a bemused look on his face, “especially because it all happened so suddenly. One minute I was happily minding my earthworm farm and the next I was trying on my new Proteas’ blazer and on the plane to Delhi.”

Andrew was a last-minute inclusion in the South African contingent of about 50 players of various ages and categories which flew out to India to participate in the Commonwealth Chess Championships from 25 June to 4 July this year – and the only one to return with a medal! “This thing came out of nowhere,” says Andrew (as most things seem to have done in this man’s eventful life).

“I had concussed myself late last year by walking into a tree,” he explains, “so I had been playing very little chess for the past couple of months – it just required too much concentration and stamina – and whenever I did play, I didn’t do very well. Then, one day, I get a call out of the blue from one of the selectors and he asks if I would like to go to India as South Africa’s only Senior player, with all expenses paid by the Indian event organisers! Well, I mean, how can you refuse that? So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a go’.”

So there he was at the competition, in sweltering, chaotic Delhi, absolutely gob-smacked by the prowess of the Indian players who have now taken over from the Russians as the top chess players in the world. They start the children young, because it is so good for their concentration, planning and problem-solving skills as well as self-discipline. He couldn’t get over how young some of the competitors were and how self-assured. He, too, was very relaxed, since there seemed

In due course, Pierre left the paper to focus on the veterinary practice and later to establish Abagold. Andrew sold the newspaper but was not done with the publishing business. In 2013 he self-published a novel set in and around Hermanus called Krabben Hood.

Long-time Hermanus resident, Andrew Southey, who plays Western Province league chess, was pleasantly surprised when he recently won the Senior Commonwealth Chess Championships held in India.

PHOTO: Eduard King Photography little likelihood that he would be in the reckoning for a place.

Although a Sri Lankan player kept popping out of the woodwork to assure him that he thought he stood a very good chance, it was only in his final game that he suddenly came to the realisation that, hey, perhaps he could make it. And he did! While the bus waited to take the South African contingent out to the airport, he received his medal amidst much applause, but his greatest reward was the reception he was given on the waiting bus. From the youngest to the most experienced, all his team-mates rushed to hug him.

With this boost, he is back in the swing of Western Province league chess and is also coaching Elizabeth Montgomery, a promising young chess player from Curro, to prepare for tournament play. He is finding this incredibly challenging and says it

has stimulated his interest in reading up on theory and new strategies. He is also a keen internet contestant, playing against people from all over the world. “I also have to confess,” he says with a grin, “that I’m absolutely hooked on ‘Blits’ chess on the internet, which means finishing a game in under five minutes. In the ‘Bullet’ you have to wrap it up in less than one minute! They say this kind of game produces a stronger adrenaline rush than any other sport.”

It seems as if the direction Andrew’s life has taken has mostly been unplanned, but as someone with a passionately enquiring mind, he has been prepared to grab whatever opportunities have come his way.

This goes for chess, too. When he was younger and living in Cape Town, one of his brothers came to visit and introduced him to chess. Then a neighbour, looking for a chess partner, cajoled him into playing with him regularly and joining the Clare-

mont Chess Club. At that stage he was working in a very busy veterinary practice in Cape Town and feeling it was taking over his entire life, leaving time for very little else.

Then one day he came to play in a chess tournament at the Bayview Hotel in Hermanus and impulsively decided it could be just the place to live.

Up to then there had been no permanent vet in Hermanus; Dr Ricky Wilson used to visit the town once a week from Caledon. Andrew immediately made contact with him and arranged to take over the Hermanus side of the practice and instead of once a week, operated a clinic every morning. “I wasn’t going to let it take over my life like it had before,” he remarks, “there were too many other things I wanted to explore, so although I had specialised in small animal work and did some fascinating things like open-chest surgery, I kept my afternoons free.”

Next on his bucket list of things to do, though, was property development and again, purely by chance, he and a small group of partners saw the opportunity to develop a new housing estate above Onrus, Chanticlaire; his home was one of the first to be built there.

And so it continues with Andrew and his long-suffering artist-wife Charmé – always something new and fascinating on the horizon. From a chance discussion with his late brother, John, he has now become obsessed with earthworm farming, which is growing in importance, with more and more medium- to large-scale farmers realising the value of turning to natural methods to fertilize their crops.

Not content with the superficialities of the business, Andrew is making an intense study of soil composition and other factors influencing bioagriculture. He may struggle to read and write, but he has the benefit of an excellent memory which has helped him become a champion chess player, and an insatiable curiosity which, one might say, makes him something of a Renaissance Man.

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15 August 2018

Davidowitz takes another title Vine to Valley Trail Run

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reetings once again. Life at the Golf Club was lekker busy this week, with the public holiday and sunny weather really helping to bring in the golfers.

The Putting Pirate Julian Shaw

“The Vine to Valley Series will introduce everyday road runners and their families to a new world which combines trail running, scenic beauty and a healthy lifestyle,” says Vine to Valley Trail Series coordinator Bianca le Roux.

“Wine has become such an important part of South African culture, it was only natural for me to find a way to combine two of my biggest passions – trail running and wine!”

This is the second Matchplay Championship Tyron has won, having taken the title for the first time last year.

Tyron is practicing hard each day and has his eyes firmly set on the prize of a Professional Tour card early next year.

Hermanus Open and Daysh Cup These two major events on the calendar are coming up this week. The Hermanus Open is to be played on 9 September and entries for this tournament have just opened. The maximum handicap is 9. Golfers can email the club on bookings@hgc.co.za or call in for details.

Then we have the premier Ladies event, The Daysh Cup, also coming up on 3 November. This fantastic team event, which attracts ladies from all over the province, will be run this year for the 70th time. Best of luck to this amazing event, celebrating its platinum anniversary.

Until next week, keep calm and go golfing.

Julz and the team

The Vine to Valley Trail Series is an easy to intermediate trail running series of six events on the wine estates of Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. The first event will kick off at Newton Johnson Vineyards on 18 August.

Whether you’re driven to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle or just out to have a fun outing with your family or friends, get ready for trail run heaven on earth, surrounded by scenic vineyard views and an amphitheatre of mountains. Imagine leaving your footprints on wine farms that are producing some of South Africa’s most iconic wines – and getting to taste these award-winning wines after a run through the vineyards where they originated.

Congratulations to Tyron Davidowitz This young man’s name keeps on cropping up, and each time for the right reasons. This time he has added another major title to his lengthy list of achievements, that of The Hermanus Club Matchplay Championships.

He managed to beat well-known long hitter Philip Taberer on Thursday.

One thing’s for sure: if he carries on like this he will be a major contender, not only for the professional tour but to actually win the gruelling tour school.

Keep up the good work, Tyron!

Series kicks off

The Vine to Valley Series is presented by Coastline Events, with partners Homes International Hermanus, local tourism and the Hemel-en-Aarde wine estates, to inspire and ignite your passion for the outdoors and a healthy style of living – balanced of course with fine wines, camaraderie and a good dose of fun!

Philip Taberer congratulates Tyron Davidowitz (right) on winning the Hermanus Club Matchplay Championship.

Scores at a glance SUNDAY MIXED 10 AUGUST - 4 Ball Alliance Stableford Winners: Boetie & Sharon Strydom and Ben & Antionette Pieters - 80 points C/I Runners-up: Clive & Heather Rabie and Jon & Pauline Metcalf - 80 points C/O SATURDAY ALL TOGETHER 4 AUGUST - 4 Ball Alliance Winners: Deon Esterhuyse, Frans Esterhuyse, Peter Gibson, Tony Runkel - 97 points Runners-up: Peter Sulley, Ray Calitz, Andre du Plessis, Mike Bryant - 96 points 7 two clubs Ball pool paid to 92 Best gross: Mike Frost - 72 Attendance draw was sponsored by Sterling Renault fellow member Gerrie Du Plooy and was won by Kim Davies.

TRAIL DATES AND DISTANCES Newton Johnson Vineyards 18 August Bosman Hermanus 29 September Sumaridge 27 October La Vierge 24 November Hermanuspietersfontein 8 December Benguela Cove Wine Estate 15 December

5 km 6 km / 12 km 5 km 6 km 6 km / 12 km 6 km / 12 km

Trail runners who complete the entire series will receive a Vine to Valley series medal accompanied by a bottle of superlative wines from each wine farm in the series. Only the 10 km and over trail runs will be timed, and the first 10 runners to cross the finish line at each race will receive a gold medal.

The short distances are untimed and purely fun trials.

These untouched vineyard running trails will offer a unique vineyard running experience, after which participants can enjoy a selection food, coffee and wine with family and friends while the kids get to play in nature.

Please note the play areas are unique to each wine farm and are all outside.

TUESDAY LADIES’ DAY 7 AUGUST Cancelled due to inclement weather

“Caring for the community is a part of who we are, and R20 of your entry ticket will go towards supporting local initiatives such as the Pebbles Project, Hermanus Child Welfare, Ella Gordon Crèche and other local farm school projects,” says Bianca.

WEDNESDAY MEN’S 8 AUGUST Betterball Medal 114 players Winners: Tony Behagg and Peter Sulley - 61 nett C/I Runners-up: Neil Malan and David Sawtelle - 61 nett C/O 6 two clubs Ball pool pays to 65 Best gross: Sam Simpson 67

CONTACT AND BOOKING INFORMATION The cost for the short distances is R120 per run or R600 for the series, and for the longer distances R150 per run or R410 for the series.

Enter online at www.quicket.co.za/events/49848-vine-to-valley For more information, contact Bianca le Roux on 082 075 7477 or info@coastlineevents.co.za

24

15 August 2018

THE

NEWS

MY Sport

Corporate netball challenge On Thursday 9 August, Hermanus Netball hosted a friendly corporate netball tournament at Hermanus Primary School. Local businesses were invited to enter teams of 10 men and women in total, with no more than three men on the court at one time.

Friends and family members of the players were invited to come and support their teams, with drinks and food on sale for the spectators. A total of 11 teams entered: Ismile Kokkedore (Ismile Orthodontic Rooms), Just Property Patriots, Better in Blue (Harcourts), Sportzone, Shosholoza Sports, Coastline Kings, Van Vuuren Fisio’s (Visagie Van Vuuren Physiotherapy), Run Walk for Life, Hermanus Radiology, Ford Hermanus and Seeff Stars. All the teams played extremely well, with Run Walk for Life winning overall (they also won best-dressed team) followed by Visagie van Vuuren Physiotherapy, Sportzone and then Hermanus Radiology. Ford Hermanus won Best Team Spirit.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer Kobus Botha (Run Walk for Life) steals the ball from the opposition’s goal shooter and passes it back to his team.

Johan du Toit (Hermanus Radiology) and Jean Franken (Sportzone) jump for the ball after it rebounded off the goal post.

Shani Nortje (Hermanus Radiology) was closely defended by Hennie Bothma (in green playing for Sportzone).

Xandré van Dyk (Sportzone) passes to her team’s centre after intercepting the ball.

Ricky Broekhoven was a valuable centre for the Sportzone Hermanus team with his catlike reflexes.