The Village NEWS 22 - 28 May 2018

NEWS NEWS

Village

The

Mayoral Entrepreneurial Winner

22 - 28 May 2018

Cape Whale Coast

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FYNARTS Gear up for the festival

P9 HISTORY

The Bay View

P 13

WE ARE MARCHING TO HERMANUS Thousands of residents of Zwelihle participated in a mass march to the Municipality on Wednesday 16 May to hand over a memorandum of demands to address the shortage of housing and land in the area.

PHOTO: Marthunis Barnard, MyWhaleCoast

The times they are a changin’ De Waal Steyn

T

he first fragile steps towards a new reality for the Overstrand were taken this weekend after a week of unrest and riots that left Hermanus reeling.

In a meeting on Saturday 19 May the plans for the creation of 148 serviced plots in Zwelihle for backyard dwellers were adopted

by Zwelihle Renewal (ZR), the Overstrand Municipality (OM)

and the Provincial Department of Human Settlements.

The meeting was initially also attended by representatives from Mt Pleasant but after heated discussions, several separate caucuses and the intervention by Human Rights Commissioner Chris Nissen, it was decided that a separate meeting will be held with the representatives from Mt Pleasant. There were some highly emotional scenes when the Mt Pleasant representatives, under the leadership of

Pastor Ronald Nutt, stood up and hugged and kissed the Zwelihle delegation, apologising on behalf of residents for racial slurs and comments that were made against the residents of Zwelihle, both verbally and on social media.

Afterwards the Mt Pleasant delegation excused themselves from the meeting of their own volition to allow the signatories of a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) that was signed on Thursday night, to continue

with the meeting.

The MOU between the OM, Provincial Department of Human Settlements and ZR determines that all the parties confirm their intent to continue with the process of housing intervention for the community of Zwelihle on the available land in and around the township, including Schulphoek.

In terms of the MOU, the pegging out of plots and erection of shacks on the dumping site next to the swimming pool,

now called Marikana, has been halted.

The new serviced plots will be located behind the municipal swimming pool in Mbeki Street and will have 1 outside toilet for every 5 plots and 1 tap for every 20 plots. Each of the shacks, to be erected at the recipient’s own cost, will be supplied with a prepaid electricity box. Earthworks on the plots have already started and the Municipality will give a final date for occupation by Wednesday.

According to the Zwelihle leadership, the most vulnerable members of the community will be given the opportunity to move onto these plots. A complete list of backyard dwellers, numbering close on 7 500 people will be handed over to housing department by Friday after which the vetting process for those qualifying for the different housing opportunities will be done by the Provincial Government.

Read more on P 2, 3, 4 & 5

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22 - 28 May 2018

E WS

The Team

6 Royal Street, Hermanus

028 312 2234

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

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

Marketing René Hartslief 083 648 8700 ads@thevillagenews.co.za

Freelance Journalist Elaine Davie 084 343 7500

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

Office Administrator Tania Hamman admin@thevillagenews.co.za

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

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

WHERE TO FIND US The Village NEWS is published every week and the next edition will be available on 29 May. The NEWS can be found at more than 250 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.

THE

NEWS

OPINION Matters

What can I do? should be our rallying cry Posts, photos and comments about the happenings in Hermanus this week abounded on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Village NEWS Facebook groups last week posted close on 300 updates, while more than 10 000 active users took part in discussions and more than 150 000 people from all over the world were reached. These numbers are astounding and at the same time frightening.

The impact that social media has on any given situation is much greater than what many people realise. We have seen this time and time again during the past week where tempers flared because of a comment or when blatantly false news, often contributing to a sense of unease or fear, is distributed as the gospel truth.

As South Africans we have many rights that are enshrined in our Constitution and we should be proud of that. In fact, we have one of the most liberal and progressive Constitutions in the world, especially with regards to press freedom and the freedom of speech.

These rights should be guarded at all costs and

fiercely defended.

However, one should remember that together with these rights also comes responsibility. On this page is a definition of freedom of speech. It explains in simple terms that the mere fact that you have the right to speak, does not mean that you have the right to infringe on another’s right to dignity.

Human Rights Commissioner Chris Nissen, who has played a pivotal role the last few weeks in Hermanus, said in an interview that although the situation in Hermanus is tense, there is hope. “We all need to realise that through both our actions and our words we can make a difference. You just need to decide if it will be positive or negative.”

Administrators on several social media sites this week had their hands full to moderate the flood of comments. It is unfortunate that hateful and harmful comments regularly popped up, showing a clear lack of understanding and consideration for the situations others find themselves in.

Fake news in particular created a lot of fear and dis-

trust while it did a lot of harm to the image of our town and region.

harmful statements are qualified by “what about them/this /that”.

Both Nissen and SAPS Cluster Commander Brig.

Donovan Heilbron have said that several instances of hate speech have been reported and will be investigated.

The good news, however, is that the majority of the residents of our beautiful region rather opted for “whatcanIdoery”. Volunteering their time and effort to assist those in need and showing true spirit of wanting to work together to restore both the dignity of our fellow residents and the name of our town. For that you must be saluted.

Constitutional expert Pierre de Vos this week in an article on Daily Maverick used the term “whataboutary” describing a familiar situation on our town’s social media pages, where blatantly racist and

This is the good NEWS - ED

What is freedom of speech?

The Constitution protects freedom of speech. So you are entitled to your opinion. But this right has its bounds. The Constitution expressly prohibits “advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm”. So your entitlement is not absolute or without accountability or consequence.

The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (the Equality Act) expands this definition outside of what the Constitution states. This Act disallows any person to publish, propagate, advocate or communicate words against or about any person, that could “reasonably be construed to demonstrate a clear intention” to be hurtful; be harmful or to incite harm; or to promote or propagate hatred.

The Equality Act endeavours to facilitate the transition to a democratic society, united in its diversity, marked by human relations that are caring and compassionate and guided by the principles of equality, fairness, equity, social progress, justice, human dignity and freedom.

Source: SAHRC website / Equality Act

Weather forecast for the next week & De Bos Dam level Tuesday 22 May

Wednesday 23 May

16°C / 17°C

16°C / 21°C

Rain

Rain

Thursday 24 May

Friday 25 May

14°C / 15°C

14°C / 16°C

Cloudy

Partly cloudy

Saturday 26 May

13°C / 20°C Clear

Sunday 27 May

12°C / 18°C Clear

www.yr.no

Monday 28 May

13°C / 20°C Clear

De Bos Dam Level

37 %

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22 - 28 May 2018

Protest action: Timeline of events PHOTO: Henry van Veen

Tuesday 15 May: A meeting with Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela to give feedback on the sale of the Schulphoek land and the way forward breaks down after objections are raised about some of the attendees. Heated scenes play out and after deliberations the meeting is called off. Madikizela calls for a public meeting in Zwelihle on Sunday 20 May to ask the residents who they want to represent them. This meeting is called off later in the week.

Later the evening Zwelihle Renewal (ZR) calls an emergency meeting at the taxi rank where a decision to embark on mass action is taken and a list of demands are drawn up to be handed to the Municipality.

Wednesday 16 May: The community of Zwelihle gathers at the sports grounds before dawn and some 5 000 people march peacefully to the Municipality. A meeting between ZR and Municipal Manager Coenie Groenewald ends in a stalemate after demands that the memorandum of demands must be accepted by Mayor Dudley Coetzee, who was on holiday.

The Mayor rushes to Hermanus, where the crowd is still waiting outside the municipal buildings.

Most shops and businesses are forced to close their doors due to a lack of staff and customers.

The Hermanus CBD turns into a ghost town.

A tense meeting with Mayor Coetzee follows where the ZR leadership hands over their list of demands. They also demand to have immediate access to the Schulphoek land.

The protesters’ demands: • The Schulphoek land for the urgent placement of residents.

• The resignation of Municipal Manager Coenie Groenewald as he is being held responsible for the sale of Schulphoek.

• An accessible information centre to deal will housing allocations.

• A moratorium on implementing the IDP so that budget allocations and development plans can be reviewed.

• The forming of a committee to review the proposed housing plans and building methods to ensure that they address the real needs of the residents of Hermanus and that they are costeffective, practical and sustainable, and contracted to people who use local labour.

• An immediate moratorium on all land sales.

• Urgent response regarding the progress of the building of Hostel 18.

• That Cameron Dugmore, ANC MLP, not be allowed to attend meetings.

Most of the protestors return to Zwelihle by early evening but a splinter group marches through town, damaging some shop fronts and cars and setting alight rubbish bins. A small group of looters at Chikos Chicken in Swartdam Road are accosted by the leadership of ZR and handed over to the police.

Thursday 17 May: Thousands of protesters gather in Zwelihle.

While some are engaged in pitched battles with the SAPS, Law Enforcement and private security companies, others peg out stands on several open pieces of land in the township.

Thousands of rounds of rubber bullets and teargas are fired in and around Zwelihle. The most intense riots are centred in Still and Church streets when rioters try to force their way into the Beach Club Estate and Abagold abalone farm. Some claim that live rounds are used to fire at protestors.

Columns of smoke rise from both Zwelihle and the surrounding Schulphoek land where tyres and shrubs were set alight. A storeroom filled with chemicals at the sewerage station near Schulphoek is damaged in a fire.

For the second day in a row many businesses are unable to operate and close their doors.

During the day it is confirmed that Rabcav, the owners of the Schulphoek land, are willing to sell to the Provincial Government and that negotiations with Madikizela in that regard have begun.

However, the deal is subject to a valuation process and price comparison and in the meantime, nobody is allowed to start building or settling on the land, because a complex procedure involving environmental impact studies, infrastructure provision and a selection process to confirm who qualifies to move on to the land still needs to be done.

Negotiations between the Municipality, the ZR Leadership and the Provincial Department of Human Settlements continue throughout the day and by the evening a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) is signed which restores some calm to the area. The celebratory fires and a braai at the sports centre are so large it prompted several residents to phone the fire brigade under the assumption that the Milkwood forest in Schulphoek is on fire.

Friday 18 May: Calm is restored and most residents of Zwelihle return to work. A strong police presence is maintained.

By 09:00 reports surface that protesting residents of Mt Pleasant have closed down the R43 at Rotary Way. The angry residents say that they must be included in the negotiations on the development of the Schulphoek land.

Tyres are set alight on the R43 and huge traffic jams are caused, with only Mbeki Street linking town with the western suburbs. During the afternoon residents of Hawston close down the R43 with burning tyres and rubble in solidarity with Mt Pleasant.

By early evening the R43 in town is opened and members of the community assist with the clearing of the debris. In Hawston the road is only opened in the early hours of the morning under a strong police presence. Several rounds of rubber bullets and teargas had to be used to disperse he crowds.

Saturday 19 May Plans for the creation of 148 serviced plots in Zwelihle for backyard dwellers are adopted by a housing task team consisting of representatives from ZR, the Municipality and the Provincial Department of Human Settlements (Read more on P 1).

A separate meeting with representatives of Mt Pleasant and Rev. Chris Nissen of the Human Rights Commission takes place in the Moffat Hall in the afternoon. Mt Pleasant resident Desireé April informs the community about the way forward and residents voice their grievances and dissatisfaction about the lack of housing in the area.

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22 - 28 May 2018

Schulphoek: at the centre of the housing crisis

S

chulphoek – the last piece of undeveloped seafront property in Hermanus – stands at the centre of the housing crisis in the area.

A seafront portion of the 45 ha of land used to serve as a recreational and camping spot, but in December 1999 the then Greater Hermanus Municipality entered into a Development Facilitation Agreement with the property development company Rabcav to develop designated land owned by the Municipality.

In 2005 Rabcav initiated a process for the development of 245 luxury houses in a security complex on the beachfront at Schulphoek. By 2010 the development was still not underway and the Municipality wanted to regain the development rights of their land from Rabcav. A deal was struck to sell the land to the developers at a cost of R23.2 million. The method of payment was: an access and link road (R14,3 million); electrical services (R3 million); fees, charges and levies (R1,4 million) and cash of R5,3 million.

The site was transferred to Rabcav, a joint venture between Rabie Property headed by John Rabie, and Cavcor Properties, headed by Leslie Viljoen, in January 2010. To date, no development has taken place.

This week, Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela revealed that

PHOTO: Marthunis Barnard - MyWhaleCoast

area completely.

“It gives us the opportunity to make provision for mixed-use developments, ranging from serviced plots to GAP and affordable housing, as well as community centres.”

He added that a second opinion will be sought on the state and future of the protected Milkwood trees on the Schulphoek land.

negotiations have started with Rabcav for the sale of the land to the Provincial Government. These developments follow a call by Overstrand Mayor Dudley Coetzee to the Provincial Government to either buy back the land at a reasonable price or expropriate it with compensation. In terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act the Municipality may not buy back the land themselves.

While the negotiations with regards to the sale of the land are in progress plans for the development of the land have already started. Several processes, including a valuation of the land and a site evaluation still

need to be completed before occupation of the land can take place.

One of the negotiation conditions is that no structures will be allowed on the land before the sale is concluded.

According to Rodney Williams, Municipal Director of Community Services, it is hoped that the occupation date for the land will be sooner than the registration of the transfer to Province. “There are legal processes that need to be followed that take time to complete and we want to get started so that we can deliver housing options as soon as possible. These processes include an environmental impact assessment, a public participation process and a housing

development plan.

“From the outset it has been made clear that the community of Mt Pleasant must be part of the process as they too have a historical link to the land,” said Williams.

At this stage, should the sale of the land to the Provincial Government be concluded, it is unclear who will be responsible for the construction of the road and the delivery of the bulk services.

Stephen Müller, Municipal Director of Infrastructure and Planning, said that the addition of the Schulphoek land changes the housing plan for the

“Initial site inspections have shown the vegetation to be in a degraded state.

With regards to the Milkwood trees, the National Minister of Fisheries and Forestry has the authority to allow for the removal of protected species if there is a great social and humanitarian need to do so.”

According to Gcobani Ndzongana of Zwelihle Renewal, housing is and remains the community’s biggest need.

“Some of the Milkwoods can be preserved in a park that can serve as a recreational area, but the trees are not more important than the people,” he said.

They also want to see the development take place as soon as possible and requested that the community must have a direct say in vetting the list of those who qualify for housing.

– De Waal Steyn

5

22 - 28 May 2018

A new dawn brings a new reality

A

fter a week filled with protests and intense negotiations, residents of the Overstrand are struggling to come to grips with the events of the past few days and the complexity of the issues that led to this state of affairs.

Although housing and a shortage of land are the central issues, many other factors come into play. These include the protection of the environment, the role and mandate of the Municipality, Provincial and National Government, and legislation that guides both the application of finances and the processes that follow.

cumstances under which we live.

“We know the lifeblood of our economy is tourism and we want to work together with all role players to help make Hermanus great again. We are willing to be true ambassadors for the Cape Whale Coast and help bring tourists back to a safe and peaceful town,” says Ndzongana.

Municipal Manager Coenie Groenewald and Mayor Dudley Coetzee at the negotiation table on Wednesday 16 May.

In addition, there are many role players who have a stake in planning the way forward, including concerned residents and business owners whose very survival depends on the peaceful resolution of the process.

Social media was awash with posts and opinions, and news of what was happening in Hermanus was relayed in real time to a worldwide audience.

Gcobani Ndzongana and Theron Mqhu of Zwelihle Renewal.

According to Zwelihle Renewal, the organisers of this week’s protest action, they represent an angry and disappointed community. “We have been asking for years that the housing problem in Zwelihle be addressed as it was clear as daylight that we were headed towards a disaster. In the end we had no choice but to organise a mass protest to voice our anger and get the attention of all spheres of government,” says community leader Gcobani Ndzongana.

“What has transpired this week should stand as an example that you must never anger a crowd, as it is nearly impossible to handle the consequences. We must all learn to choose our words carefully as you never know how easy it is to cause pain to someone else that can lead to anger and then action.”

Ndzongana said Zwelihle Renewal must thank the SAPS leadership for the invaluable role that they have played in both containing violence and negotiating calmly during tense situations.

Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd says the days of Hermanus selling itself to tourists are over.

“From now on it will take hard work. Our economic development relies heavily on the tourism sector and with the message that Hermanus is not the tranquil and safe destination it used to be, tourists will think twice about coming here. It will take a great deal of hard work and effort from tourism’s side, together with the government and the communities, to change the current perceptions about the region. If we do not do that a large part of our economy will be at stake,” says Frieda.

Mayor Dudley Coetzee says the Overstrand Municipality has committed itself fully towards working with all the communities and stakeholders to try and solve the housing crisis.

Ward 4 Councillor Anton Coetsee addressing the crowd during Friday’s protest by Mt Pleasant residents.

PHOTOS: Marthunis Barnard - MyWhaleCoast “We understand that SAPS at times had to use rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the angry residents. It is fully within their mandate to keep law and order and to act if they feel under threat.

We do not hold that against them as they are only doing their duty.

Not one life was lost. That is the most important thing.”

He said that Zwelihle Renewal

wants to apologise to the residents and business owners who suffered losses during this time.

“We are truly sorry that cars and shopfronts were damaged and that many businesses had to close down because of the mass action.

But we need to emphasise we did what we had to do to better the lot of our people. We ask for people to understand the cir-

“There is no question that this is a crisis, but the Schulphoek land becoming available changes the whole picture. We will now be able to assist with the development of housing options that will cater for all the communities of the Overstand.

“It is unfortunate that businesses had to endure losses and that our tourism image was tarnished, but the good news is that people from all the communities are willing to work together to reach a point where we can once again be a peaceful and tranquil region. All I can say is hang in there, things will improve,” he says.

– De Waal Steyn

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22 - 28 May 2018

THE

NEWS

Let’s Talk Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Do you find the Overberg to be a segregated place?

Our not so little town of Hermanus has had a frustrating year thus far with the protests in March and this past week, but we have also had an incredible year with many of our businesses winning awards and charity organisations receiving help from the community - proof that this community can come together in a time of need.

Social media has been both a blessing and a curse during these tough times: a blessing in a sense that people could be kept up to date, and that the community could be called upon when donations or volunteers were needed, etc. and

a curse in the sense that fake news seems to spread faster than the truth and that people used the platform to attack each other for voicing their opinions.

It will definitely take some time for friends to forgive each other for angry words spoken and for people to

trust one another again. A few editions ago, the Village NEWS published an article about a 2016 report that was made by Stats SA: "Stats SA found that if we look beyond the largest cities and consider all 234 local municipalities, the Overstrand is one of the most racially segregated communities in the country."

Yes

140

No

69

I am not sure

24

Municipality is facing a lose-lose situation Having invested in an upmarket estate in beautiful, unspoilt Hermanus 14 years ago, and then departing for a decade of travel and work abroad, we returned three years ago to a very different town. Gone was the former 'Little Monaco' living potential; replaced by a 'Little Lagos'.

How did this happen? I'll tell you how: Double Standards.

If we simply want to enlarge a window in our house, we have to get Municipal planning permission, obtain a 'solar efficiency certificate' and generally jump through myriad bureaucratic hoops.

But, if someone wants to erect a rickety tin shack in their backyard in Zwelihle, they simply go ahead.

Don't forget, that suburb was originally the town's airfield, was 'invaded' and then lowcost housing developed there; all at taxpayers' expense. Now, according to recent newspaper reports,

there are over 10 000 people living in myriad 'illegal' backyard shacks.

Hence, riots and threats to invade pristine Schulphoek land.

The blame for this unacceptable situation must be placed squarely at the feet of the Municipality. They have allowed uncontrolled influx and squatting to Hermanus. To make matters worse, instead of the planned 245 luxury houses on a secure estate in Schulphoek, with the concomitant injection of capital, skills, investment and job opportunities for local builders, suppliers and services, and not to mention the surge in funds from collectible municipal taxes, we instead face another surge of backyard squatters into another, extended 'low-cost' housing area in Schulphoek; bringing no capital, negligible skills, no investment, an exacerbated surplus of

jobless people, more crime and 'uncollectable' municipal taxes.

Then, I was appalled to read in this newspaper that the new Mayor of Hermanus suggested that the Schulphoek land should be 'expropriated without compensation' from the owners/ developers! It seems that this official has already 'bought in' to this potential anarchy; even in advance of any Constitutional Court ruling.

Property rights and their legal protection are the building blocks of civilization. This is not the town we 'bought into' and I urge the Municipality to rein in squatting and stop applying double standards to suburbs; or face an outflow of taxpaying residents: a lose-lose situation. It's not too late.

Realist, Hermanus

Hermanus doth protest too much Hermanus is a perfect example of our Rainbow Nation. Our not so little community represents all the major race groups of black, coloured and white folks. Hermanus has a few Indians too, but not enough to even get a decent curry in town.

This Rainbow Nation of ours dons rugby shirts and drinks karate water every time there is a rugby match, regardless of your ethnic background. We all stood together in the pouring rain a year ago waving placards of ‘Zuma must fall’ and so forth.

On the title page we are all so politically correct. Did you know that Hermanus makes 700 Santa shoeboxes at Christmas time for underprivileged children?

I made a shoe box, I have no white guilt this year; I have done my bit. I even gave my staff a Christmas party. But the reality is that the dichotomy between the haves and have not’s is a chasm so wide and deep that the middle class of Hermanus has fallen in and virtually disappeared.

Just before Easter our black brethren of Hermanus started protesting about land.

The issue of land is a national one, but in our beautiful sleepy hollow of a town the dynamics are unique. In a nutshell, our white predecessors in power sold land earmarked for the black community to a white man who wanted to build yet more luxury housing and more security estates for the Nouveau Riche. The white predecessors in power needed to sell the land to fill the Municipal coffers, so the deal was done all behind closed doors, fat white hands shaken and backs

slapped in congratulations on a job well done!

to be when Brian Habana is clocking up points?

Meanwhile the little community of Zwelihle was growing bigger as the years ticked by and splitting at the seams. Eventually out of total frustration the people of Zwelihle joined forces and moved en masse. Now this is where life gets really interesting. Everyone in the greater community has an opinion and a solution which they are so eager to splash across social media screens, for their captive audience of 100 followers.

The entitlement is rampant with statuses like “these blaady blacks should go back to where they came from”, or “it’s the ANC to blame bringing in busloads of people to prop up voting party numbers”.

I see Hermanus becoming stranger and more broken, but we should all learn to steer our own conscience through the quagmire of hate and racism. Some still seem to want to do it down the barrel of a gun calling for the army to be bought in and live ammunition to be shot into crowds of people. The people in the crowd are just in a poverty trap, the trap that is so difficult to pry open and escape from.

I have yet to meet anyone who has been given a ticket and herded onto one of these busses from the Eastern Cape. The ANC loves all the bells and whistles; do you really think that the ANC would have missed this photo opportunity? I mean the busses would have been big, black, gold and green. I’m yet to see one of these busses, even on social media.

I wonder to myself how many “non-Zwelihle residents” have moved into this town too over the past twenty years. The schools are overflowing and prestigious private schools are flourishing due to demand in the area. So tell me, at what point do you lay claim to Hermanus? After five years? Ten years? Everyone has the right to live where they please – it is the beauty of living in a non-totalitarian state. It’s called a democracy, you know the one the Rainbow Nation professes

The fight and plight of these people is for a piece of ground measuring about 5 x 5 meters, essentially the size of my living room. All this illegal civil disobedience which the suddenly not-so-rainbow part of the nation is calling “savagery” is about collective unity for a common cause, a basic human right.

If you are angry about people getting the land for free – and please remember that the Provincial Government is compensating the owner financially – but if you are still bitching about the free 5 x 5m plots not being paid for by the residents, then perhaps you should start alleviating the problem by paying those residents who clean your house or mow your lawn a living wage to be able to get themselves a mortgage bond.

People are threatening to leave Hermanus and move to Dubai, a place where the Arabs will treat you as outsiders forever, kind of like the residents of Zwelihle, but you will be persuing a safer life, kind of like the residents of Zwelihle. Where is your rainbow now, South Africa?

Imma Human Letter shortened - ED

Is this how communities get what they need?

I am a resident of Westcliff. I have lived here for 17 years.

In the last 10 years we, the residents, have lamented the traffic situation on Westcliff Drive.

in the form of traffic calming measures. Traffic offenders who violate and abuse us mentally, physically, emotionally and verbally on a daily basis.

what they want. So, must the residents of Westcliff too, threaten the community with violence, sow fear and disable the economy of the area to get what we need?

We have request-ed, time and again, for there to be some action taken against the habitual traffic offenders

In light of the past weeks’ havoc in Hermanus, we have been made acutely aware of how residents get

With all due respect.

Mariclaire Day Day Dreamers – Container Home Projects

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22 - 28 May 2018

Need for constructive dialogue to find harmony and prosperity for all I read the latest copy of your publication and have a feeling of confusion and disruption raging in my mind and heart.

Thank you for going above and beyond It was a phone call you never want to receive.

During the protest action of last Wednesday, a vigilante group of protesters entered the CBD towards evening and ran amok down Harbour Road, smashing car windows and shop fronts.

Just after 6pm we received a call from Hermanus residents Nic and Lizzie, with the news that our gallery window had been smashed and that we should come immediately as there was a gaping hole leaving the Gallery unsecured and vulnerable.

Nic and Lizzie had been having an evening sundowner at the bar two shops down the road when the vandalising happened – and their own vehicle parked outside was not spared. When they discovered the damage to our gallery, Nic made the call and he and Lizzie remained on the

scene to guard our gallery until we arrived. They even started packing items from the window display, reaching through the jagged glass to retrieve them, and carefully laying them into a box.

On our arrival Nic and Lizzie continued to stay and helped us to clean up the glass and board up the window.

While experiencing all the emotions that go with seeing the business you love vandalised, I was overcome with gratitude towards two strangers who had shown such concern and kindness.

We only know them as Nic and Lizzie, but they have restored our faith in human kindness and community spirit, reminding us of why we moved to Hermanus.

Terry and Roelof Originals Gallery

Over the past couple of weeks we were bombarded with public and civil unrest; this having a detrimental effect on business confidence and damaging the image of Hermanus as a world-class destination.

This week the old sad song of the bypass surfaced again. One can only be driven to a conclusion of a lack of leadership, shortsighted vision, lack of competence and absence of real commitment. Clearly priorities are actioned in accordance with what is on the daily crisis menu.

Very late on Friday night we were travelling from Cape Town to Hermanus. We had attended an Allan Gray Mentorship event and were discussing the positive initiatives and hope of future achievements while driving and listening to some great late-night music.

Getting closer to home we were redirected via Hawston and ended up in the centre of a "war zone". Tyres and tar were burning, with rocks and stones covering the road. Demonstrators were kept at bay between the houses by riot police with automatic rifles. In and

amongst the flames and smoke the images of an Angolan war flashed through my mind.

The passenger in the vehicle started crying. Reality kicked in and fear subsided with the added adrenalin of survival mode. With freezing not being an option and fighting not even considered, as no weapons were in the vehicle, flight from the scene emerged as the only alternative.

With my Land Rover bundubashing over the pavements and rocks, across burning tyres, charcoal branches and broken glass bottles, it could just as well have been an exotic advertisement for some motor vehicle manufacturer. The inviting blue lights flickering half a mile ahead where covered by the smoke and it felt like a casevac. What an exciting start to the weekend.

The trifecta principle of aligning mind, body and soul, and all from a platform of gratitude, will result in the abundance of peace, joy, happiness, good fortune and wealth. Without the synchronisation of these essential elements, disaster will prevail. The law of cause and effect cannot be overruled and forms the essence of life. Every action has a direct proportionate reaction. Zero action will result in nothing.

As a solution seeker and problem solver I could identify with the current scenario in Hermanus. I would like to propose a committee or rather a mastermind group where urgent priorities can be identified, a strategic plan compiled and the foundational key to success of such a plan being actioned.

A mastermind group should be formed by business leaders, the community and government with clearly defined goals and milestones.

The housing need is a priority for the residents of Hermanus and the business community.

The development of neighbouring townships is a long overdue matter and should be number one on the list.

Without a sustainable solution we will end up time and again in the same situation. For this we need vision, executable plans and not just quick solutions. Communities will buy into a plan where all can benefit and not only a few property developers and corrupt officials.

An example of priorities could be any of the following but need to be contemplated, debated and constructed into actionable plans: Urgent Housing need and development; Entrepreneur Education; Job Creation; Leadership Development; Environmental and Conservation; New business development; Socioeconomic Impact and interaction. Many more ideas and solutions will come forward once an active positive group gets formed.

But action is the foundational key to success. As a ratepayer and an ambassador for Hermanus, we need to start momentum and enter into constructive dialogue to find harmony and prosperity for all. We need to stop criticising and rather add value by doing something to change for the better.

The ongoing disputes and the amount of energy going into the Bypass to me is ridiculous. Will this be an evacuation road? A service delivery road for trucks? A road taking more muchneeded feet from the suffering businesses? A danger to our environment? An escape route for the abalone poachers?

I trust that your publication will be a driving force, by adding a positive mental attitude to your readers and the community, all tourists and the rest of South Africa.

Please encourage all to take hands and join a positive movement in the right direction to weed out the negative and broadcast good news.

Together we can do it. Teamwork makes the Dream work.

Len Hauptfleisch

He who laughs last doesn’t get it Humour is like wine – sometimes dry, sometimes dark, and sometimes spicy, but always intoxicating.

Genres of humour are often geographical. I’m generalising now, but I’m sure you’ll agree that American comedy is brasher, more in your face and more slapstick than, say, the British approach which can be more subtle and dry. Similarly, what Australians find thigh-slappingly funny doesn’t even crease a cheek in China or curl a lip in Lapland.

Our parents and peers obviously influence what we hear, read or see, which usually maps out which paths we follow for a chortle or two.

Without mentioning the war, some Northern European countries are lampooned for being somewhat dour and humourless.

Take Gretchen Disselboom from

Wit’s End

Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

Belgium for example. She had aspirations and definite prospects of developing a dry sense of humour, but was force-fed slap-stick ‘slip-on-a-banana’ or ‘pie-in-the face’ type of eyebubblegum served up by local TV stations, and she’d had enough.

“You know how difficult it is to pretend to laugh at jokes you don’t get?” she confessed. “If my friends laughed I’d just join in till they stopped. Then I’d stop. I had no idea what the joke was.

It was terrible.”

To avoid these harrowing ordeals, and perhaps discover if

she actually had a dry sense of humour, she moved to South Africa, but was mortified to find they shot full-length movies of these candid-camera-type jokes played on ‘unsuspecting’ actors. She was even more shucked to find how popular they were, and worse still – they kept making them.

So, to escape the absurdity once again, she found sanctuary in the employment of the municipal mortuary outside De Aar, where company policy forbids any form of mirth – specifically deadpan.

Humour tickles our funny-

bones through cartoons, graffiti, movies, books, music and social media. But to me, the most difficult must be the stand-up comics, who need to fine-tune their particular styles so they stand out from the rest – some more successfully than others.

They rely on tried ’n tested tools when playing the room.

Some strut up and down gesticulating energetically. Others engage with some unfortunate target in the front row to throw insults at. Many rely on pulling funny faces after a punch-line to secure their laugh – like needing an exclamation mark to make a sentence funny.

Some rummage below the belt for their laughs, albeit out of nervous embarrassment.

Others can just stand virtually motionless, and dry as a bone, deliver a deadpan monologue.

With a brilliant script and im-

peccable… timing, they have the audience wetting themselves, and could perform in the dark to the same response.

Charlie Chaplain was an unusual case. He could combine deadpan with slap-stick successfully, and had an extraordinary first ‘live’ performance at age five. Mum, a music-hall performer, lost her voice one evening and had to leave the stage. Young Charlie stepped up to complete the well-known song Mum had started. Halfway through, showers of money poured onto the stage and he stopped. He told the audience he’d pick up all the money first – pause – then he’d finish the song… second. This was his first of a million laughs.

Over the years we’ve followed who we find amusing. Great story tellers like Jan Spies, Tolla van der Merwe and Rowan Atkinson spring to mind, as do

the Marx Brothers, John Cleese or Trevor Noah, whatever schucks your perlemoen. Others can just be irritating, like permanently damp underwear.

Anyway, according to an international survey, this joke was determined to be the funniest – perhaps not to everyone in the world – but it was deemed to have the funniest common denominator.

Two hunters are out in the woods when one collapses. He’s not breathing and his eyes are glazed. His pal calls 911.

“I think my friend is dead! What should I do?”

“Relax sir,” the operator replies, “I can help. First make sure he’s dead.”

“Hang on,” the guy says. There’s a silence, then a loud bang. “OK, now what?”

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Tuesday 22 May

■ Whale Coast Conservation: Join WCC for a fascinating talk on The Mill Stream Project and the dragonfly connection, presented by Sheraine van Wyk and Gabi Kietzka. R20 donation for environmental education. WhatsApp 083 242 3295 or email anina.wcc@gmail.com. At The Green House on the R43, Vermont, from 17:30 – 18:30.

Thursday 24 May

■ Goozi Iftar Dinner Table: Eunice Rademeyer of Goozi Kitchenshop is well-known for her interactive cooking demos and now invites you to gather around her Iftar Dinner Table for a celebration of hospitality, sharing and strengthening of friendship. Eunice will be serving a multi-course meal comprising a selection of traditional middle-Eastern eats.

Bring your own wine / alcoholic beverages. The cost is R250 pp and booking is essential as seats are limited. Contact 028 312 4979 to book. At Goozi Kitchenshop in Mitchell Street, Hermanus, at sunset (17:30).

Friday 25 – Sunday 27 May

■ Book launch: You are invited by Penguin Random House and bookmark to the launch of Irna van Zyl’s new crime thriller Death Cup. Chanette Paul will be in conversation with the author and forensic pathologist Dr Linda Liebenberg. RSVP: books@hermanus.co.za or 028 312 2000. At Source in Hemel-en-Aarde Village, at 17:30 for 18:00.

■ Classics for All: The charming Overberg villages of Greyton and Genadendal will host the 14th Classics for All, an intimate and fun festival that celebrates the magical sounds of classical music. There are 10 concerts on the programme and wherever you go music will be permeating – busking at the market; a flash mob on Saturday morning; violin, guitar, piano, and opera in the restaurants. Get all the details at www.classicsforall.co.za

Saturday 26 May

(those who benefit from or support the charity organisation) to attend their 2018 AGM. Any persons interested in serving on the 2019 L2L Ladies Walk committee are also invited to stand for election. Any queries can be addressed to the chairperson, Janine Boshoff via e-mail: admin@lighthouse2lighthouse.co.za.

In the Herman Swart Hall, Dutch Reformed Church, Hermanus from 18:00 – 19:00.

Wednesday 30 May ■ 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.

■ Hermanus Garden Club: The guest speaker at the club’s monthly meeting is Duncan Butchart, who will talk on Garden Birds in Southern Africa. There will also be a plant sale. For enquiries, contact Sue on 028 314 0072.

In the Catholic Church Hall, at 09:30 for 10:00.

Sunday 27 May

Thursday 31 May

■ OnVerWag Car Boot Sale: One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Book your boot and sell junk from your trunk, on the empty plot in Van Blommenstein Street in Onrus, between the Hire Centre and Aida. All proceeds go to OnVerWag Neighbourhood Watch for the greater good of the whole Onrus/Vermont community. To participate at R100 per boot, contact Michelle on 076 617 8203 or mheks@hotmail.com. In Van Blommenstein Street, Onrus, from 10:00 – 14:00 (set up at 09:00).

■ Fynbos Forage and Lunch: The Grootbos Foundation invites you to visit their ‘Growing the Future’ farm with Whale Coast Conservation to search for edibles in the veld, after which lunch with a local fynbos flavour will be served. The cost of R180 for adults and R120 for children includes the lunch. Booking is essential; contact Anina at anina.wcc@gmail.com or 083 242 3295.

At Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, from 10:00 – 13:00.

■ 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.

Friday 25 May ■ Hermanus Hacking Group: All volunteers are welcome to join the hacking group in the clearing of invasive vegetation. Contact Charlyn Vosloo at 082 558 8731 or mcvosloo@mweb. co.za. Meet every Friday at the bottom end of Rotary Drive, at 06:45 for 07:00.

■ 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 South African Wine Industry: U3A Overberg presents a talk on Wines of the World by David Brice, followed by a lunch at Gabriëlskloof that will entail platters of food to be shared between two people and paired with a selection of Gabriëlskloof wines. The cost is R220 pp (incl. gratuities) or R440 per couple. Book your places by making an EFT to: University of the Third Age, Nedbank, branch no. 19876500, account no.

1345024185. Email POP to U3A’s Treasurer, Rod Pringle at rpringle@global.co.za. Meet at parking lot of the Catholic Church Hall at 11:00 to consolidate transport to Gabriëlskloof.

■ 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-enAarde Valley, at 08:00.

■ Hermanus Country Market: A favourite among the locals, old and young. Four-legged family members are also 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.

■ OAK Concert: Overstrand Arts/Kunste (OAK) will host the Michaelis Players who took their name from the Michaelis Collection of fine Dutch and Flemish art housed in their home venue, the Townhouse Museum on Greenmarket Square. Barbara Kennedy (cello), Lucia Di Blasio Scott (violin) and Valda Fuhr (piano), will perform Piano Trio Op 1 No 1 in E flat major by Beethoven, 6 Miniatures by Frank Bridge and Piano Trio Op 17 in G minor by Clara Schumann.

Tickets at R140 pp (R60 for students) are available from the Tourism Office (028 312 2629).

Contact René du Plooy on 082 940 4238.

At the Municipal Auditorium, at 15:30.

Tuesday 29 May ■ The Mystery of the Giant Statues of Easter Island: As part of U3A Overberg’s Travel and Adventure series, John Saunders will present a fascinating talk on The Mystery of the Giant Statues of Easter Island. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 10:00.

■ L2L Ladies Walk Annual General Meeting: L2L Ladies Walk invites all stakeholders

■ Book Launch: The launch of Cuddle Me Kill Me by Richard Peirce that was cancelled last week due to the unrest, will now take place on Thursday next week. This book is a true account of South Africa’s captive lion breeding and canned hunting industry. In a brief talk, conservationist and author, Richard Peirce will take you behind the scenes and the owners of Panthera Africa, Cathrine S. Nyquist and Lizaene Cornwall, will also say a few words about this ethical big cat sanctuary featured in the book.

There will be a fantastic raffle at R25 per ticket – Buy 4 and get the 5th for free. All funds raised will go to Panthera Africa. RSVP by 28 May to bookcottage@whalemail.co.za. At The Book Cottage in Long Street, Hermanus, at 17:30 for 18:00.

Friday 1 June ■ Pro Musica Female Chamber Choir: The Hermanus Pro Musica Choir will perform a programme for female voices with the Enlighten Education Trust Youth Choir, in aid of the Orchestra. This concert forms part of the ladies’ preparation for the Interkultur World Choir Games in July, where they will be representing Hermanus. Tickets are R150 pp. For more information or to book, send an email to hermanuspromusicachoir@gmail.com or contact Gwyneth on 082 876 6190. In the Municipal Auditorium, at 19:00.

Village

EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ARTS • HISTORY

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A fine line-up for FynArts 2018

rom the Opening Concert, Best of Baroque on Friday 8 June with Camerata Tinta Barocca, until the Closing Concert on Sunday 17 June with Cape Town Concert Brass, Hermanus FynArts will fill our town with art exhibitions, music, workshops, talks, demonstrations, films and much more.

The music programme includes ‘Nataniël in Concert’ with the Charl du Plessis Trio; Richard Cock and the FynArts Festival Orchestra and Choir; soloists Cecilia Rangwanasha, Johannes Slabbert, Tim Moloi; and violinist Sarita Uranovsky.

Other performances include ‘Dance Delights’ by Cape Town City Ballet; ‘Jam Every Other Day’, a beautiful and heartfelt piece of theatre; ‘Late Night Jazz’ at Soul Café; and an afternoon book reading when Christopher Hope will read from the ‘Love Songs of Nathan J Swirsky’ – tender, sad and funny tales.

Art This year the number of exhibitions and art-related events has almost doubled since the festival debuted in 2013.

The 2018 programme of highlights includes the large FynArts group exhibitions: ‘Sculpture on the Cliffs’, with the human figure as its subject this year; the ceramic exhibition, ‘Beyond Fire’; the Art of Thread exhibition, ‘Collaborative Relationships’; and the exhibition of the finalists in the Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award. There is also a photographic and a jewellery exhibition at The Marine Hotel.

Nineteen galleries and other venues in Hermanus and Hemel-en-Aarde Village will again present a special festival exhibition. More art exhibitions will be found on wine farms and at Curro School.

This year’s festival artist Kate Gottgens, one of southern Africa’s most accomplished artists, will be presented in the new FynArts Gallery in The Courtyard, off Harbour Road. Kate’s exhibition of new works will be curated by Marilyn Martin in association with SMAC gallery.

The Strauss & Co Lecture Series This popular series includes a number of speakers who will present a wide range of illustrated talks related to South African art and artists, including Wilhelm van Rensburg, a Strauss & Co art specialist, who will discuss the work of Christo Coetzee, the leading exponent of abstract expressionism in South Africa and Europe in the 1960s.

Judge Albie Sachs, who headed the Artworks Committee of the Constitutional Court, will show a DVD and talk about the art collection in the Constitutional Court, and Karien Trengove, will talk about the transition ‘From Grain Silos to Zeitz MOCAA’ as one of the team of South African

architects who worked on this project. RachelMari Ackerman, graphic designer in the Philatelic Services of the South African Post Office, will talk about the history of art behind stamps and highlight some design principles.

Other art topics include photography and Christopher Hope will be ‘In Conversation’ with photographer Jennifer Gough-Cooper, who will exhibit her work at The Marine Hotel.

A more international slant will be taken by Marilyn Martin in ‘Art Safari 2017’, comprising two richly illustrated talks – the one about a pilgrimage to Rome, Pompeii and Venice and the second, a discussion on her visit to the five-yearly Documenta in Kassel and the once in a decade Münster Sculpture Project, both in Germany.

As well as art topics, there are discussions with writers about their books, current affairs and investigative journalism, including Sylvia Vollenhoven (Keeper of the Kumm) who will talk to Shado Twala; Christopher Hope (Café de MoveOn Blues) will be in conversation with Bryan Rostron; Sally Andrew (Recipes for Love and Murder) and Jennifer Friedman (Queen of the Free State) will discuss their books with Petrovna Metelerkamp, and Sindiwe Magona will talk to Nancy Richards.

The FynArts Legacy Award will be presented posthumously to Hugh Masekela at a special memorial event. Bra Hugh’s sister, Barbara Masekela will accept the Award on his behalf from Richard Cock. Sibongile Khumalo will talk about her professional relationship with the legendary musician.

Workshops Daily workshops range from a few hours to three days with the latter being ‘Quick Sketches - an artist’s diary’, presented by Willie Jacobs. A oneday workshop, ‘Life Drawing’, will be offered by Christopher David Reid, winner of the 2017 Benguela Cove Wine Estate Life Drawing competition. A half-day workshop, ‘Paint en plein air’ will be offered by Alyson Guy of Volmoed Retreat.

Ceramic workshops are also on the programme.

On the opening weekend Hennie Meyer will present two one-day workshops, ‘A Day in the Life of a Clay Worker’, and Tania Babb will offer children aged 7 – 10 years two half-day workshops, ‘Ravishing Rhinos’ and ‘Elegant Ellies’. On the second Saturday, Youth Day, Madoda Fani will present a one-day workshop on ‘Techniques – coiling, carving and burnishing’. During the week, a one-and-a half-day workshop on the entire ceramic process, from raw clay to the glazed and fired product, will be offered by local ceramic artist, Catherine Brennan.

Three workshop ‘firsts’ for FynArts are ‘Make a

micro-mosaic pendant’ with Carol Tait, ‘Floral Art’ with Alyson Kessel and ‘An introduction to working with pewter’, with Heather Fleming. The popular jewellery workshops with Ralph and Heidi Walton as well as photography workshops with Leanne Dryburgh and Peter Hassall are again in the festival line-up.

In addition to these workshops in the visual arts, there are art tours and an eclectic range of artrelated workshops that include writing, making sushi, wine blending, cake decorating, and drumming.

Food and Wine A full programme of twice daily demonstrations by top and celebrity chefs is back on the programme. Due to the popularity of these demonstrations, a FynArts pop-up kitchen, designed by hospitality consultant Garth Stroebel, will be installed in the United Church.

The series of Chefs Demonstrations will daily showcase top and celebrity executive chefs, including Craig Cormack (Salt@Paul Cluver Estate); Rickey Broekhoven (The Restaurant at Newton Johnson); Sebastian Smith (NomNom Eatery, Somerset West); Greg Henderson (Forage at Wildekrans); Andre Kruger (Stonehouse Cheese); Oliver Coetzee (Birkenhead House); Tullishe le Roux (Restaurant at Hermanus Golf Club); Gregory Czarnecki (The Restaurant at Waterfkloof); Benjamin Conradie (Grootbos); Christiaan Campbell (The Werf Restaurant, Boschendal); Rudolf van der Berg (Burgundy Restaurant) and Danie Vorster (Overberg Honey Company).

This year’s Wine Plus Series of Tutored Tastings is again curated by Melvyn Minnaar. The title ‘Names of Note’ refers to those on the bottles from producers known by every wine-enjoying person. The presenters are well-known cellar masters and established estate owners – and two ‘outsiders’ with inside experience. Also on the programme are gin, brandy and barrel tastings, and an opportunity for festival goers to try their hand at blending their own wine.

There will be food and wine pairings, dinners, and the popular FynArts Supper Club – this year it will include a fun quiz with Richard and Sue Cock.

Visit www.hermanusfynarts.co.za for the full programme. Programme booklets are available at Hermanus Tourism, the library, art galleries, bookshops and participating restaurants.

Bookings can be made at webtickets.co.za, the Hermanus FynArts office in the Station Building, Mitchell Street, and selected Pick n Pay stores.

Bookings can also be made on 060 957 5371.

Look out for our special FynArts edition of The Village NEWS on 29 May.

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Winter brings tough times and great specials

ermanus restaurants, along with many other local businesses, have taken some hard knocks this year, with many reporting a dramatic drop in turnover. May is of course a traditionally difficult month, which is why several establishments choose this time of year to close for their winter break.

What’s Cooking RESTAURANT NEWS Hedda Mittner

Rayno also pointed out that loss of income from trading was not their only headache, but also food and stock that needed to be thrown away.

“Not everyone has the resources to weather this storm and if it carries on I will not be surprised if businesses start closing.”

However, it normally follows on good Easter trade, with the Easter holidays referred to as “second Christmas”. Which, as we all know, did not exactly happen this year, due to the protest action that erupted just prior to the Easter weekend and now again at a time when businesses need to stay open for trading in order to survive the “dead time” of year.

Tough times Restaurants are particularly affected during times of unrest because they employ a large number of staff and are forced to close their doors when employees are prevented from reporting for work. For this reason I was gladdened by the positive attitude of some of the restaurant owners I spoke to, including Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy.

“Our hearts went out to our staff during this difficult time,” he said. “If they are intimidated and threatened it is hardly fair to blame them and withhold their pay.” He added philosophically that even farmers experience times of drought and that one must make the best of a challenging situation. “When we were forced to close last week we used that time to do maintenance work.”

Other restaurant owners were less positive. “These riots are killing our town,” said Rayno Rabie of Betty Blue. “I have never experienced anything like this and it is the first time in our 40 years in hospitality that we were forced to close our doors.

When the town shut down it was not only people that could

not get into town but also delivery vehicles. And for those visitors who were already in town there was nowhere to eat… the long-term damage to the image of Hermanus as a tourist destination is incalculable.”

Lorin Labuschagne (right) and her team at La Pentola greet customers with a friendly smile.

Customers are warmly welcomed at LB Seafood Bistro by Harrison Mtonjeni (left) and his team.

delicious ‘Local is Lekker’ Winter Lunch Menu that offers starters, mains and desserts. You can choose between any two courses at R115 or make the most of a great opportunity and have all three courses for R145.

There are five starters to choose from that include Mushroom & Port Pastry and Portuguese style Chicken Livers; among the five main course options are Mussels Provencal, Honey Mustard Pork and Red Chicken Curry; and for dessert you’ll be hard pressed to choose between a Hot Apple Pancake, Malva Pudding, KWV Coffee and the Chef’s Dessert of the day.

The question of payment is also a moral dilemma for restaurant owners, says Rayno.

“If the schools are closed, many employees have to stay at home to look after their children – what else are they to do? No-one wants to punish loyal employees for failing to turn up for work, but if your business is already suffering not everyone is able to still pay their employees on top of their other losses.”

Paul Buckingham’s LB Seafood is offering seven great specials that include Crayfish at only R145, Tuna Skewers at R120, 200g Rump Steak at R95 and a Fisherman’s Platter featuring hake, fish cakes and calamari for R85. They are also running a Winter Special on their Sushi Platters – the 12 piece at R100, 18 piece at R150 and 24 piece at R220 – and no corkage charge during winter.

Some staff members I spoke to at another establishment told me how frustrated they were, being unable to get to work. Clearly dedicated to their jobs, their attitude illustrated the difference between people who are desperate and have nothing to lose, and those who have everything to lose.

To top it all off these two restaurants have some of the best-trained staff who know how to make customers feel welcome and looked after. I always maintain that this aspect of a customer’s restaurant experience is at least as important as the quality of the food and sadly, it is one that’s too often neglected by restauranteurs.

Winter Specials On a lighter note, May is also the month when restaurants start running their Winter Specials. Two establishments in particular that offer diners outstanding quality and value are La Pentola and LB Seafood Bistro on the Bay. Both restaurants are situated on the seafront, with vibrant décor and panoramic views across Walker Bay.

Re-openings Lastly, several restaurants that closed for their winter break will be reopening soon. These include Bientang’s Cave, which had to close its doors while the pump station just above the restaurant is being upgraded.

They will reopen on 5 June, as will The Barefoot Cook. Fabio’s Ristorante, which closed at the beginning of the month for renovations, reopened this week on 21 May. Mogg’s Country Cookhouse will only reopen on 29 June.

At La Pentola Chef Shane Sauvage has come up with a

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GOING TO THE CHAPEL… Members of the Read-BetweenThe-Vines book club in Hermanus followed and celebrated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal nuptials in style on Saturday 19 May. They not only dressed up for the occasion but also relished traditional British eats and drinks.

From left are Berdine Bezuidenhout, Brenda Kotzé, Rose-Marie Marais, Elsabé Ketteringham en Linda Kotzenberg.

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22 - 28 May 2018

De Waal Steyn, Publisher of The Village NEWS, with Ann Wright, incoming President of Rotary Hermanus and Ian Wallace, current President at the meeting on Thursday evening.

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The Village NEWS wins with Rotary

he Rotary Clubs in District 9350 recently held their annual conference in Lüderitz Bay, Namibia. Numerous awards were handed out and presented by a past Miss Universe, Michelle McLean-Bailie, who was the keynote speaker at the conference. McLeanBailie was also awarded the Paul Harris Award for the work her Children’s Trust does in Namibia. This is the highest award an individual Rotarian can receive for Service Above Self.

The outgoing District Governor, Lynette Stassen, applauded all Rotarians for their exceptional work this past year. R32 million was spent on projects, with the highest sector spend being R9 million on Early Childhood Education projects. Among the numerous District Awards, the Hermanus Rotary Club’s Tree project was one of two runners-up in the

Best International Service Project and the Club won gold in the category ‘Club that best increases the awareness of Rotary in the Community’.

Hermanus scored again with the Public Image Media Award, which is given to the Owner/ Editor of the media in the Rotary District that provides the most effective coverage of Rotary events during the current Rotary year. District 9350 stretches from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay and includes Namibia and Angola.

President Ian Wallace said, “We were thrilled that both The Village NEWS and the Hermanus Times were recognised for their continued support of our Club’s projects. De Waal Steyn and Daleen Fouché were warmly thanked and handed their awards at last week’s meeting.”

Good Works - Thuma Mina When considering all the socio-economic problems we face today, reflecting on our sorry history of inhumanity in this beautiful country of ours, it is easy to despair, easy to become depressed. Clearly, this is not going to improve things. Clearly this is hopeless. We must embrace our new President's call of THUMA MINA – SEND ME. We cannot on our own resolve the massive problems that confront us, but we must do what we can. We must start from where we are. We know our strengths, we know what sort of things we are good at. We can do something. We can make a difference.

Village NEWS is in the process of compiling a booklet (print and electronic format) detailing the activities of all the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the greater Hermanus area. The purpose is to describe what is being done so that: • caring people can get involved as volunteers

• •

•

•

caring people can donate money caring people elsewhere in South Africa (and perhaps in other countries) who may want to start similar projects can see what’s been done, how it’s been done and can seek guidance from these successful undertakings people deserving and wanting to take advantage of what is available can find what they feel they may need for themselves or for their children community leaders can see what is being done thus ensuring support for these initiatives

We have prepared a template for completion by the NGOs themselves so that the booklet has some uniformity. Readers are welcome to tell us about NGOs they know about. Please send an email to dewaal@villagenews.co.za.

We need a better world and every person who wants a better world can help to make one.

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The Bay View Hotel was a grand dame Hotels were at the heart of the popularity and prosperity of Hermanus in the 20th century. After 1925 the Bay View became one of the three top hotel destinations in the town, along with The Marine and Riviera. At its height the Bay View was the largest hotel with 83 bedrooms and public rooms that could accommodate up to 200 guests, writes DR ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society.

I

t also was unique among the top hotels in that it was not purpose-built as a hotel. In fact, the Bay View started life as a private dwelling, built in 1897

by Christina and Walter Morton.

They had inherited land in Hermanus from Christina’s grandfather, Duncan McFarlane, in 1884, but had continued to live on the farm Wortelgat near Stanford.

This all changed when Christina was alone at the house, with a very sick child. The only feasible method of getting to Hermanus quickly was by boat. However, a huge storm blew up and Christina and the child had to make the crossing, risking the lives of both. It is said that Christina wrapped the child in a carpet for protection. They reached Hermanus safely and the child received medical attention.

When the child was well, Christina announced her intention never to return to Wortelgat – and never did.

They moved to Hermanus and built a new house, which they named Roskeen, after a town in Tipperary in Ireland. After a short time, Christina became concerned at the lack of school facilities in Hermanus and started a girls’ boarding school, also named Roskeen. The school operated until 1918 when, on Christina’s death, Walter Morton closed it and sold the building as a boarding house to one Thomas Vincent.

Vincent in turn sold it to Walter McFarlane (grandson of the original settler of the same name), who installed his son John as manager. In 1924 John McFarlane inherited Roskeen and managed it as a boarding house. He retained it for only three years before it was bought by a Mr and Mrs Bennet and a Mr James Ashley. They appointed as manager Basil Musson who was the son-in-law of Mr Ashley, and the hotel (as it now was) became progressively more popular until it burnt down in 1939.

After the fire, Basil Musson and his wife Elma bought the property as it was and spent two years between 1939 and 1941 rebuilding it. They would manage it until 1959 when Basil’s health dictated that he pass it on to his sons – Peter, who became general manager and Frank, the banqueting manager. Peter and Frank were ably assisted by Elma, who still retained an interest in the kitchen and garden, and Sheila, Peter’s wife, who assisted with flower arranging and general organ-

Main Road, where The Links flats are now. The Golf Course was within easy walking distance.

isation.

Frank’s wife, Caroline, originally from Surrey in England, had her hands full raising three sons and maintaining the family farm, Glen Fruin, passed on to Frank by Basil Musson. A portion of the original farm is now Glen Fruin Meadows and Hemel-enAarde Village. Glen Fruin supplied the Bay View with fresh produce and homegrown pork until it became more viable to buy such products elsewhere.

Peter and Frank both trained at the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, after which Peter interned at the Dorchester in London and Imperial Hotel in Torquay, before returning to South Africa to join Frank in the management of the Bay View.

This family tradition has lived on in Peters’ grandsons, Warwick’s Chef School graduates, Connel, a Chef/Charcutier and Seth, Chef de Partie.

Peter (with his wife Sheila) and Frank remained as owners/ managers until the hotel was sold to the Murray and Roberts group in 1984. It was then demolished and sectional title apartments were built on the site. These are still there.

At the height of its popularity the Bay View had 83 rooms, a ballroom known as the ‘Ward Room’, excellent mountain and sea views, two swimming pools, one filled with seawater, and beautifully developed gardens. In the 1960s and 1970s the annual Spring Flower Show was held at the hotel on several occasions.

There was a bowling green in front of the main building and access to tennis courts across

Several well-known residents were associated with the hotel.

Coena Haman, a member of one of the oldest families in Hermanus, worked there as a barman for many years. Later, he became well-known as the proprietor of the Café Royal in Main Road near the Adelphi Cinema. Many teenagers of the time remember it well.

The Bay View Hotel started life as a private dwelling and then a girls’ boarding school before it became a hotel.

Ace fisherman Bill Selkirk donated the jaws and teeth of his largest catches to the pub in the Bay View. It had a nautical theme and was named the Port o’ Call. A portion of the passage adjacent to the lounge was named ‘Gin Alley’, presumably in honour of the habits of regular patrons.

Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies and her companion Marda Vanne became veterans of Hermanus hotel fires. The first of their three experiences was at the Bay View Hotel in 1939. Later, they were staying at the Riviera Hotel and then at the Cliff Lodge Hotel when fires were experienced.

The Bay View Hotel in the 1930s.

Peter, Sheila and Frank Musson lived on in Hermanus until their deaths. Sheila, who died in 2005, was a very well-known figure in charitable activities, especially the Society for the Care of the Aged (SOFCA). A celebration of the later part of her life was written by historian S J du Toit and published in her book Hermanus Stories III.

The Bay View main entrance in the 1940s. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1939.

The Bay View Hotel’s Gin Alley in the 1970s.

The author welcomes any comments or additional information.

He can be contacted at robinlee@hermanus.co.za

An aerial view of the Bay View Hotel in the 1970s.

PHOTOS: Old Harbour Museum

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Networking between Business, Tourism and the Overstrand Municipality

he Hermanus Business Chamber held a networking session between representatives of Business and Tourism and Overstrand Municipality on Wednesday 16 May at the Moody Lagoon, Benguela Cove.

In spite of the unrest that had erupted in Hermanus, the event was well attended by 120 business and tourism representatives from all over the Overstrand – from Pearly Beach to Pringle Bay – and even two visitors from Dubai. Also present were the Executive Mayor Dudley Coetzee with his wife Shirley, Deputy Mayor Elnora Gillion with her husband Craig, and Municipal Manager Coenie Groenewald with his wife Rita.

The theme was the marketing of tourism hotspots in our area, and Overstrand Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd did an excellent presentation about digital marketing. Veteran motor journalist John Floyd highlighted the Floyd & Lloyd discovery excursions featured in The Village NEWS, where the vehicles are sponsored by Ford and Nissan Hermanus.

As usual Chamber members donated wonderful prizes for the Lucky Draws which added to the enjoyment of the evening at the luxurious Moody Lagoon restaurant which opened its

doors recently on the Benguela Cove Wine Estate. Everyone enjoyed the stunning views and the sunset over the Bot River Lagoon before indulging in delicious food and wine.

The Hermanus Business Chamber strives for closer collaboration between Business, Tourism and Local Government to the benefit of the local economy. They also offer training sessions – currently they are inviting businesses to enrol their employees in free Service Excellence Training, presented by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development & Tourism. More information and entry forms are available from ceo@hermanuschamber.co.za. The training sessions will take place during June and July and provision has been made to train 200 employees. At a special Awards evening afterwards, Service Heroes will be announced and will receive prizes. This project is also supported

by Whale Coast Tourism.

Any business person from all communities can join the Hermanus Business Chamber. Small businesses (up to 5 employees) pay R450 per year (R37 per month) and larger businesses R900 per year.

Email Alta Pretorius at ceo@hermanuschamber.co.za for more information.

John Floyd and Frieda Lloyd did a presentation on their trips to the tourism hotspots in the Overstrand, which are featured in the Floyd & Lloyd column in The Village NEWS.

Rita Groenewald, wife of Municipal Manager Coenie Groenewald won a Lucky Draw prize from Wickus Niemand and Tank Coetzee, owners of Ford Nissan Hermanus.

Jeanette du Toit of Jaydee Media and Joke Gonggrijp of Dutchies won vouchers from Allure Hair Couture's Hanrie Vermeulen (middle).

Mercia Horne from Extreme Embroidery and Lourens van der Merwe from Brochure Management with Louis Pretorius and his wife Mireille of Creative Notions.

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Good Guide Wednesday 23 May ■ Graze Farmers Market: Reduce your carbon footprint and get your fresh veggies at Graze Slow Food Cafe. Always seasonal, always fresh. Stay for coffee and breakfast. Contact Tabby and Alex on 076 243 1930. Every Saturday at Graze Slow Food Café, from 09:00 – 12:00.

Thursday 24 May ■ Thirsty Thursday: Join Coffee Corner and the Stanford RePUBlic for an authentic Stanford village experience, now ready for winter with the tent in place and the fires lit. The music is hot, the drinks cold and the food delicious. Children and dogs are welcome at this family-friendly evening. At Coffee Corner, from 18:00 – 21:00.

Friday 25 May ■ Stanford Sunset Market: Food, wine, beer, gifts, live music and friendships – there is nowhere better to be on the last Friday of the month. Please note: This will be the last sunset market for the season before going into hibernation. The market will be back with a bang on 28 September for the new season! On Stanford Market Square, from 18:00 – 20:00.

Saturday 26 May ■ Saturday Morning Market: Winter days are creeping closer but the Stanford Food Market at the Stanford Hotel stoep will cater for all seasons... come and taste and see that it is good! From sausages and salamis to pies, sheep milk cheese, artisanal breads, fresh veg and confectionary delights - there is always something to tantalise the tastebuds! Every Saturday on the Stanford Hotel stoep, from 09:00 – 12:00.

■ Stanford Junktique Market: Come and browse to your heart's content, and breathe new life into previously loved items! For more information, call 028 341 340 or email book@stanfordinfo.co.za. In the Stanford Tourism Courtyard, every Saturday from 09:00 – 12:00.

■ Eikenhoff Open Day: Everyone is invited to enjoy Eikenhoff Orchid Nursery’s May Open Day. Take a stroll through the nursery, ask all those questions that you've been dying to ask about the care of your plants. Choose from the wonderful assortment of orchids on sale and pick up your potting mix and plant food. No entrance fee. Light

Phillipskop - Unwind, Explore, Discover

refreshments will be on sale. For more information, call 076 292 5267. At Eikenhoff Farm, from 09:00 – 14:00.

■ Sushi Saturday: Bring your friends, family, kids and dogs for a fun-filled day at The Zesty Lemon Restaurant. Enjoy their famous sushi or try one of their awesome burgers. For bookings, contact 082 405 1280 or 028 341 0647. At The Zesty Lemon on Sir Robert Stanford Estate, from 12:00 – 16:00.

P

■ Saturday Sunset Visit: Enjoy the evening with your loved ones as the sun sets at Panthera Africa.

This is a magical time of day when the cats come alive after a long day of rest. If you’re lucky, you may even hear and see the lions roar! Only for people 16 years and older. Pre-bookings essential on 071 182 8368 or 076 974 3088. At Panthera Africa, at 17:00.

hillipskop Mountain Reserve just outside Stanford offers spacious chalet-style selfcatering cottages, perched on the slopes of the Klein River Mountains with sweeping views across the Overberg. With the school holidays coming up in June, it is the ideal spot for a family-friendly breakaway or simply a day visit.

■ Maison du Carnivore: Enjoy the Maison on its last day before closing until 7 July. The entire hotel will also be closed for the month of June. To book, call 082 781 1704. At the Stanford Hotel, from 19:00.

The reserve is open daily for guided walks or hiking, and you’ll discover a paradise of fauna and flora, as well as ancient rock art in the Phillipskop Cave, now a designated Heritage Site. A day visit costs only R40 per adult and R20 per child; book in advance by calling 073 621 1808. Regrettably, no dogs are allowed in the reserve.

Sunday 27 May ■ Live Music Sundays: Enjoy wine, beer, food and live music in a relaxing atmosphere at Walker Bay Estate, the home of Birkenhead Brewery. With views to be admired and free wine, beer and cider tastings. Contact 028 341 0013 to book. At Birkenhead Brewery, every Sunday, from 12:00 – 15:00.

Tuesday 29 May ■ Stanford Full Moon Walk: Join Stanford Tourism for their Full Moon Walk. R30 adults, R10 kids, and dogs free. All welcome. A complimentary refreshment will be served at the end. Weather dependent so please call 028 341 0340 to confirm.

Meet at Stanford Tourism Courtyard, at 17:30.

Monday 11 - Tuesday 12 June ■ Watercolour techniques: Join Hermine Spies Coleman for a two-day workshop. The cost is R700 for two days or R400 for one day. You will be required to bring your own materials and a bringand-share lunch. A list will be supplied on booking. For info and/or bookings send your name, email address and cell phone number to hermine.coleman @gmail.com, or sms 082 652 5682. At Robyn’s Studio, 5 Lower Shortmarket Street, Stanford, from 09:30 – 16:00.

Rock Art & Heritage Site The recently discovered Khoe and San paintings in the spacious, sheltered cave at Phillipskop is the only recorded rock art on the Cape Whale Coast. The cave overlooks a waterfall and can be reached by way of a 30 – 40 minute walk from the reserve’s reception and car park.

Hiking Trails In addition to the hike to the waterfall and cave, there are several other hiking trails. Climb up to the rock stacks (David and Goliath) above the cave, and enjoy the stream at the foot of David; ascend to the summit of Phillipskop itself for stunning views across to the sea; explore the secluded valley hidden behind the

peak where you can look out for black eagles, klipspringer and dassies; or head up to the ridge overlooking Tesselaarsdal and across to the mountains beyond. Maps are available at reception.

Geocaching Six geocaches have been hidden along the Waterfall and Rock Stacks Trail – why not try a hike with a difference and see if you can find them all?

Guided botanical walks Would you like to discover more about the fynbos vegetation that makes the flora of this part of the world unique? Phillipskop offers personalised guided botanical walks, suitable for any level. Your guide, who is FGASA qualified and a world expert on the plants of South Africa, will share his extensive knowledge on the local fauna and geology.

For the kids Phillipskop is a children’s paradise where they can enjoy the Fynbos Jungle Gym, then explore further for plenty of back-to-nature play opportunities in the legendary climbing tree, beautiful mountain streams and all around the reserve, where they’ll discover the abundant plant and animal life and wonderful rock formations.

For more information, visit www.phillipskop.co.za

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22 - 28 May 2018

Fernkloof – where the trees are I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree – Joyce Kilmer

the Mossel River basin is part of Fernkloof Nature Reserve and forms a vital green corridor between the mountain reserve and the cliff path.

Not far upstream from the bridge on Main Road near the Voёlklip circle is an arboretum – a copse of beautiful old exotic trees planted in the 1960s by Ion Williams and Eric Jones of the Botanical Society.

This was in a time before the consequences of introducing alien plants were fully understood. The arboretum trees have been retained in this part of the reserve because of their historic significance.

Fynbos is not known for its trees. In fact, there are very few trees that can survive the poor soils, hot, dry summers, fierce winds and fires that define the fynbos landscape – except, of course, pesky alien trees like pines, Port Jackson willow and hakea.

In the Fernkloof Nature Reserve we have a few river ‘kloofs’ where we find remnants of afromontane forest. Here the trees have enough water and are protected from wind and fire.

The best-known forest patch is the waterfall forest along the Fernkloof River. Boekenhout (Rapanea melanophloeos), Assegaaibos (Curtisia dentate), Silky Bark (Maytenus acuminata) and Rooiels (Cunonia capensis) thrive there.

Further up the same stream is the so-called ‘Boekenhoutbos’, a magical place where one can easily imagine fairies flitting through the tree tops. This forest is only visited by those

pleasure of walking this tree trail with the Hermanus Botanical Society. A sweet scent hangs in the air from the myriad white flowers of the box phylica (Phylica buxifolia), a pioneer tree that dominates in the river bed.

an ancient tree – a Cape Holly (Ilex mitis) probably 1000 years old, according to Frank Woodvine, our local tree expert. In true Frank fashion, this agile octogenarian shot up the tree for a leaf specimen to confirm its identity.

Among the 50 year-old trees in the arboretum are fabulous Florists’ Gums, Liquid Amber and Cypress. At this time many trees were planted to beautify the town, including the flow-ering gums that have now become so iconic in Herma-nus. Gum trees are a blessing to bees when they burst into bloom in late summer, pro-viding them with a very im-portant food source.

Below the Rock Fill Dam wall is

It is not generally known that

Harold Porter National Bota-

FRANK BEING FRANK Environmentalist Frank Woodvine scaling the branches of a Cape Holly in Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

PHOTO: Pat Miller who negotiate the ‘Adder Ladder’ – which is, in fact, a popular route to the jeep track and a much easier climb than is suggested by the name.

Another lovely bit of forest in Fernkloof is found along the Mossel River below the Three Dams. Recently, I had the

nical Garden in Betty’s Bay, at the foot of the Kogelberg Mountain, boasts some spectacular forest specimens. Take a walk up one of the deep gorges like Leopard’s Kloof, where you will find ancient forests. It is a relatively short but spectacular walk.

To quote the garden’s own publicity: Two more river crossings take you to the first waterfall. Then a series of ladders lead to the second and on to the third waterfall. The base of this waterfall is your final destination.

Here in season (late December to end January) you will find the red disa (Disa uniflora) flowering in all its glory amongst the water spangled mosses and rocks of the cliffs towering above the pool.

This is a wonderful place, so give yourself time to stop and drink in the serenity of this special spot.

Fynbos has its own attractions and tourists come from afar to experience it. But it is no coincidence that resting places, for both body and soul, are most often under a tree.

– Anina Lee Whale Coast Conservation

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Pet ownership is a serious commitment

t’s easy to fall in love with a cuddly puppy or cute kitten but before you take him or her home there are several important considerations.

Can you afford a new baby?

During the first year of its life, a puppy or kitten will need several vaccinations and sterilisation. A single round of vaccinations can cost up to R500 or more; sterilisation could set you back more than R1 000. But don’t think you can skip these important steps because prevention is ALWAYS cheaper than cure and vaccinating and sterilising are protection against diseases that could cost you thousands in the long term. Parvovirus, for example, a highly contagious life-threatening illness can cost between R5 000 and R20 000 to treat.

A pet is a long-term commitment The average lifespan of a dog is 10-13 years though many live longer; the average lifespan of a cat is 16 years or more. Once you adopt a pet, you are responsible for its care for more than a decade, and that includes financial commitments like food and vet’s bills. Will you be living in a house with a garden in 10 years’ time? Will

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MY Pet Dr Hilldidge Beer

you be having your own baby? Will that change how you feel about your pet? Are you thinking of immigrating?

The answers to these questions could have a significant impact on your decision to adopt.

Know your pet’s genes It’s a fact that some breeds are more susceptible to diseases than others. German Shepherds, and some other large-breed dogs, are at high risk of hip dysplasia; retrievers commonly suffer arthritis; Yorkshire terriers struggle with digestion issues; Pugs battle with breathing; and Cocker Spaniels are susceptible to eye disorders.

Although inherited diseases can occur in both nonpedigree and pedigree cats, they are generally more likely to occur in pedigree cats.

Persians, for example, are known to suffer more from kidney ailments.

One-size-does-not-fit-all Having an older dog in your home doesn’t necessarily mean he can share his food with your new pup. Puppies, like human babies, have special needs. For example, puppies and kittens are more sensitive to nutritional imbalances than adults.

One example is calcium, an essential dietary mineral that plays a critical role in bone development. In excess, calcium can cause a puppy to develop severe bone changes and orthopeadic disease.

Large and giant breed puppies are particularly sensitive to this, and you could end up paying dearly later in life when your dog needs expensive veterinary treatment.

Before taking a puppy or kitten into your home, chat with your vet about his or her nutritional requirements.

AGE IS NO CONSTRAINT Iconic 77-year-old Hermanus fisherman Eugene le Roux (left) won the monthly Walker Bay Boat & Ski-boat Club fishing competition for the biggest fish with a roman that weighed 2.8 kg. Fishing off his boat Midnite, he and his crew also landed a boat load of mackerel which are plentiful in the bay at the moment. Eugene is a founder member of the Walker Bay Boat & Ski-boat Club (WBBSBC) and has been a professional fisherman all his life. He started his career in the late 1940s, rowing out to sea with his fisherman father from the Old Harbour. Club Chairman Walter Mapham (right) reported that 7 boats and 19 anglers, of whom Eugene was the oldest, took part in this month’s competition on 12 May. The WBBSBC holds a competition on the second Saturday of every month. The club is based in the New Harbour and welcomes those with an interest in fishing, the environment or the fishing history of Hermanus, to contact them via the website www.wbbsbc.co.za.

Feeding your baby the best diet you can afford during that first year of life will lay a solid foundation against illnesses in old age. Nutritional needs also differ from breed to breed.

What are your time constraints?

Having a new kitten or puppy in the house is no different to introducing a human baby into your home; they need you, all of the time. You cannot leave a puppy or kitten home alone all day while you’re at work. As your dog grows, he will need daily exercise and

both cats and dogs need playtime. Do you have the time?

Is your home pet-friendly?

Kitting out your home for a new pet can be a costly business. Don’t rush out and buy the first bed, bowls or toys you see. Talk with our EberVet Vetshop staff. They can help you find the best bedding for your pet; a bed that is easily cleaned, warm, and fits the area in your home where your pet will sleep. Some pets can develop allergies to plastic feeding bowls; you may want

a stainless steel bowl instead.

Good quality grooming tools and well-fitted collars and leads will keep your pet safe and healthy. Ask the EberVet Vetshop team for recommendations.

We all love to cuddle a new puppy or kitten but remember, their lives are in your hands for many years to come. Make sure you have the commitment.

Veterinarian Dr Hilldidge Beer is the CEO of the EberVet Petcare Group and EberVet Vetshops – www.ebervet.com

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Inflammation: Both friend and foe

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he body has an inborn ability and inclination to heal itself, using the inflammatory response as part of the natural survival healing mechanism. When we interfere with this process on a physical, mental, emotional or behavioural level, through our lifestyles, unhealthy eating choices or stressful way of living, and especially by the constant stress sparked off by underlying and deeply subconscious memoryemotional triggers, we sabotage this natural response, allowing insidious inflammation to become a threat, and even a silent killer, rather than a support to our health and wellbeing.

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INFLAMMATION: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Most of us have experienced a sore throat, cold or flu, skin rash, insect bite, sunburn, hay fever or injury. We are aware of these because inflammation causes the typical symptoms of redness, pain, swelling and increased heat in the affected area. The acute inflammatory reaction is a normal and appropriate response of the immune system to injury or disease-causing organisms such as viruses and bacteria.

This process is the body’s initial reaction to cellular damage and foreign invaders. It assembles the immune system’s defence mechanisms to protect the integrity of the body, fight these foreign invaders, and facilitate healing by repairing damaged tissue, while removing toxins and residual debris from the body. Without the process of inflammation, the body would not be able to recover quickly from wounds, trauma, injury and infections. This acute inflammatory reaction is good. We need it for survival.

However, the inflammatory process can become a problem when the defence system becomes uncontrollable, like mutinous soldiers or a runaway train. An overactive immune system, with excess and inappropriate inflammation, is typical of allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema and hay fever, or auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn’s disease. Uncontrolled inflammation is also apparent in conditions such as arthritis, bronchitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, gastritis, colitis and appen-

dicitis; the suffix ‘-itis’ meaning ‘inflammation of’.

Many studies show that hidden systemic inflammation (affecting the whole body or a particular system) may be the common denominator linking most, if not all, modern-day chronic diseases, even when the connection is not obvious. This is the bad inflammation, which can become really ugly if unconstrained.

Smouldering incessantly just below the surface of our physical awareness, it can become the silent killer, gradually destroying cell function and ultimately our organs. This is also the inflammation that leads to accelerated ageing.

CHRONIC INFLAMMATION Natural anti-inflammatory compounds usually accomplish the job of destroying infectious agents, clearing away cellular debris and regenerating new tissue. If this response is not completely turned off, however, what started as a normal healthy

immune response turns into an extended, out-of-control reaction that becomes chronic and paves the way for degenerative disease and accelerated ageing.

In the case of auto-immune disease, the immune system response is so out of balance that instead of attacking the source of the inflammation, it attacks and destroys the body’s own perfectly healthy tissue.

Most doctors and scientists agree that the initial manifestation of virtually every illness known, is chronic inflammation in and around the cells. This silent, chronic inflammation does not have the typical symptoms of acute inflammation (redness, swelling, pain, increased temperature/heat), and can persist unnoticed for weeks, months, years, or even a lifetime, only manifesting as a general malaise, tiredness and lack of vitality. Eventually symptoms might appear, often when considerable damage, with severe loss of function, has already oc-

curred. This is why chronic inflammation is referred to as the silent killer.

Chronic inflammation has been associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, obesity, dementia, and even autism. The overactive immune response associated with chronic inflammation also results in common conditions such as allergies, arthritis (inflammation of the joints), dermatitis, acne, eczema, digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (spastic colon) and gastritis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Depression is also linked to inflammation. A study conducted at the Emory University School of Medicine found that psychological stress can lead to an excessive inflammatory response.

ADDRESSING THE CAUSE OF CHRONIC, HIDDEN INFLAMMATION First of all, it is important to identify the triggers for inflammation. Then the body’s natural immune function can be restored through various measures.

Some of the most common underlying triggers or causes of chronic inflammation are the following: • The single leading inflammatory trigger is the consumption of unhealthy food, high in refined sugar and flour, trans- and hydrogenated fats, alcohol, artificial ingredients, and especially artificial sweeteners containing aspartame. Packaged and processed foods, especially those loaded with hormones, antibiotics, colourants and preservatives, are also a major cause of inflammation.

• Nutritional deficiencies, especially the B-complex vitamins, vitamins C, E and D, the minerals zinc, boron, selenium, calcium and particularly magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Prolonged emotional stress (distress), where toxic inflamed emotions can literally act as triggers for inflammation.

• Environmental allergens such as pollen, moulds (mildew/fungi), dust, and so on. These harmless substances trigger a hyper reac-

tion in the immune system, causing an exaggerated inflammatory response.

• Environmental toxins such as mercury, pollutants and pesticides.

• Food allergens causing both immediate and delayed allergies, such as wheat (gluten), dairy, eggs, yeast, corn, peanuts, citrus, soy, shellfish and nuts.

• Repeated infections or chronic low-grade infection with viruses, bacteria, yeasts or parasites.

• A sedentary lifestyle with lack of exercise.

• Excess weight around the abdomen.

• High cholesterol, especially triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), with low highdensity lipoprotein (HDL).

• High C-reactive protein (CRP).

• Prolonged physical trauma and injury.

• Sleep deficiencies (less than seven hours a night).

THE CONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO INFLAMMATION Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin, and steroids like prednisone or cortisone, might be useful for acute inflammation and injury, but in the long term they interfere with the body’s immune response and ability to heal and repair itself. They can also have serious and deadly side-effects, including intestinal bleeding, kidney and liver damage.

GETTING YOUR BODY’S BALANCE RIGHT Always consider underlying inflammation: a simple blood test can sound the red alert. There are several ways to help you in the balancing act of healthy homeostasis – your body’s natural adjustment of its physiological processes to maintain internal equilibrium and function optimally.

You can learn more about inflammaging by attending a talk presented by Dr Arien van der Merwe on 6 June at Refine Clinic.

Dr Arien is a medical doctor who has been practising natural integrative medicine since 1995. She visits Hermanus regularly to present talks and workshops and also consults at Refine Clinic.

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Discover the healing power of writing Elaine Davie

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or a long time we have known that there is an intimate connection between physical wellbeing and mental and emotional health. As the song says, ‘You can’t have one without the other’. It is also clear that a balance between left and right brain activity is desirable. But in more recent times neurologists are discovering the enormous benefits the arts and creativity bring to a healthy cross-over between the hemispheres.

Life writing, in particular, can be a powerful tool for breaking down the barriers that block the full realisation of who we are.

According to Dr Dawn Garisch, who heads up the Life Righting Collective, it gives us the ability to discover what we didn’t know we didn’t know. And she is in a good position to pass an opinion on the subject. A medical doctor as well as a prolific writer and teacher, she says: “Writing has always helped me understand myself and others better. We all have a story to tell from our own lives about how we became who we are. These stories are often invisible to others, but they might still influence the way we think and feel in ways we don’t understand. Writing about your own life can help you connect with the story you are living and it can help to heal or manage trauma.”

Her strong belief in these principles has led her to run workshops to open the door of self-discovery to others.

overcoming difficult times. We need this particularly badly in our country, where we are intensely alienated from one another, creating serious cleavages in society. After all is said and done, there is something in all of us that longs to be heard and seen and acknowledged by others.”

Indeed, the next of her workshops will take place in Kleinmond at The Grail Centre from 8 to 10 June. She emphasises that participants do not need to have had any experience in writing, but reading and a general love of words are important, as well as a strong sense of curiosity. The process has a lot to do with reconnecting us with the ability to play.

This is a wonderful gift with which every human baby is born, but as we grow older, it is suppressed and unlearnt. Rediscovering the joy of play leads to a desire to discover more about ourselves and others and nurtures a sense of compassionate empathy.

“The workshops create a safe space for participants to explore and, by means of the pen, download some aspect of their lives,” explains Dawn.

“They are not compelled to share anything with other members of the group that they don’t wish to, but by confronting their self-critical voice, they tend to grow in self-confidence.

As the barriers are broken down, something really magical begins to happen between real people in a real space, which is nourishing and enriching.

“People tend to live in isolated pockets, and starting to talk and share honestly with one another breaks down the walls between us,” she continues. “There is something deeply moving about discovering our common humanity and learning about the courage and determination people often demonstrate in

She attributes the growth in published personal memoirs by ordinary people to this need to share their story, to leave behind some record of their life.

Indeed, some of the stories produced in her workshops have been so powerful that they have been collected in an anthology which will shortly be appearing in both print and digital form.

Dr Dawn Garisch, a medical doctor and prolific writer and teacher, who heads up the Life Righting Collective.

Dawn runs workshops on life writing, a powerful tool for braking down the barriers that block the full realisation of who we are. Her aim is to open the door to self-discovery to others.

Dawn is particularly excited about the upcoming Kleinmond workshop which is being organised in honour of the late author and teacher, Anne Schuster, who she considers to have been the doyenne of creative writing teaching in South Africa. Anne was associated with The Grail Centre where the workshop is being held, and passed away exactly a year ago.

The number of places available for the three-day course from 8 – 10 June is limited, so it is important to register early. Accommodation for out-oftowners is available at The Grail and the workshops will take place from 09:00 to 15:00 every day.

To register, contact Heleen Sliep at heleen@grailprogrammes.org.za or 083 533 9303. For more information about the Life Righting Collective and its courses, visit the website www.liferighting.com

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The pros and cons of cash purchases

ash is good, and credit is bad. Pay off your debt and don’t take out new loans. Save for the things you want until you can pay cash for them. This is the prevailing advice these days as many SA households wrestle with the ever-increasing cost of living.

So, it is not surprising that many people think it would be a good idea if they could pay cash when buying a home instead of taking out a home loan. However, there are also potential disadvantages to doing this.

“A cash purchase eliminates the need to pay hundreds of thousands of rands in interest on a home loan over 20 years and cuts out the bond registration fee, although you will still have to pay transfer duty and legal fees,” says Cornel Janse van Vuuren of RealNet Hermanus.

Paying cash is also likely to make your offer to purchase more attractive to sellers, because they don’t have to worry about a buyer backing out if they don’t qualify for a home loan. This might even enable you to buy the house at a discounted price, especially if it is

an urgent sale.

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In addition, buying a home for cash will usually shorten the transfer period and enable you to take occupation sooner.

But buying a property for cash could also mean that you are tying up most of your capital in one asset and that you could lose the option of being able to access it in an emergency or investing it more profitably.

“Paying cash for a home is the same as investing it at the current home loan interest rate – and when rates are low, you might be able to get a better return on your cash by investing in shares or commodities, for example,” says Cornel.

Additionally, you are sacrificing liquidity, so it's probably a good idea to buy a home with cash only if you can afford it without emptying your emergency fund. A property can take months to sell, and if you need cash urgently, borrowing against the value of your home can be

very tricky unless you have a bond.

“Strange as it may sound, it is also important for cash buyers to keep an eye on their credit record. Not having a loan could prevent you from obtaining one for a future property purchase as there will be no history of regular and responsible repayment.

“And finally, you need to consider that if the market turns downwards and property prices fall, you will carry the whole loss. If you have a home loan, you will suffer a loss only on the portion of the purchase price you paid as a deposit and have paid off since,” she says.

In short, paying all cash will work for some people but not for others, and a good compromise might be to pay a large deposit to reduce the size of the home loan needed and thus the interest due, while still keeping some cash free for emergencies and other investments. This would also improve your chances of being approved for a home loan – and the best available interest rate. realnet.co.za

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Curro sporting weekend

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urro Hermanus had a great weekend of sport, staring with the annual Curro Chess Tournament on Friday 11 May. A total of 11 teams from Okkie Smuts, Hermanus Primary, Generation Schools Hermanus, Curro Brackenfell, Curro Hermanus and Lukhanyo Primary played matches against each another. In group one, Okkie Smuts and Lukhanyo (team 2) came first, Generation (team 2 and team 3) second and Curro Hermanus achieved third place. In group two, Generation, Lukhanyo, Hermanus Primary, Curro Brackenfell and Curro Hermanus only played three rounds and no winner could be determined.

On Saturday 12 May, the Curro Hermanus High and Primary school rugby, hockey and netball teams played against Curro Langebaan. The U18 rugby team scored their first try in the first 5 minutes and went on to win the match with a score of 94 – 13, while the U11 and U13 rugby teams also won their matches by 17 – 0 and 35 – 10 respectively. The first netball team also scored a victory with 35 - 27.

The U18 boys and U15 girls hockey teams lost their matches 7 - 1 and 1 – 0 respectively. The girls hockey team however showed a fighting spirit throughout the game. The hockey and netball U11 and U13 teams lost their matches.

The 1st Curro netball team: Caylin Lehman, Abigail Bothma, Milia Botha, Mariet Lemmer (Coach), Kaci van Romburgh, Mia Winter and Lane Venter. In front are Zama Kamana and Lara Arrison. The team won their match 35 – 27.

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22 - 28 May 2018

Rafa is hot favourite for French Open

afael Nadal, the ‘King of Clay’ is fancied to win his 11th French Open but could face some strong opposition from "the young guns" of the tennis world.

The French Open will be played on the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros in Paris from 27 May – 10 June, 2018. This will be the 122nd edition of this event, formerly known as the French Championships. The French Open is the second Grand Slam of the year, following the Australian Open in January. It is the only major played on clay and the zenith of the clay court season.

In the men's draw, those who may challenge Nadal could be

Offside Tony O’Hagan

the Austrian Dominic Thiem, or German sensation Alexander Zverev, both youngsters making waves on the tennis circuit.

The more experienced players who will test Nadal should include Juan Martin del Potro, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic and Novak Djokovic, winner in 2016.

Djokovic is still recovering from an injury to his right elbow which has kept him out of the game for an extended period.

Rafael Nadal

He is slowly regaining his rhythm and, if his fitness is at the right level, could provide the sternest opposition for Nadal. Roger Federer misses his third straight French Open. The twenty-times Grand Slam champion has opted to sit out the clay court season to safeguard his body and concentrate on the grass court events later in the summer. The long rallies from the baseline on clay put undue strain on the body.

The women's draw is again another wide-open affair.

Simona Halep, who lost last year's final to unseeded Jelena Ostapenka is a favourite with the bookies. Other players who could come into the reckoning

include Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki and Garbine Muguruza. If Serena Williams is in the draw she cannot be discounted, despite being absent from the game due to the birth of her daughter, Alexis Olympia O'Hanian.

Rafael Nadal was on an unbeaten streak of 21 clay court wins and 50 consecutive sets before falling to Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals of the Madrid Open. Nadal is the leading all-time winner of the French Open with 10 titles, followed by Bjorn Borg with 6 (open era).

Leading the ladies title winners are Chris Evert (7) and Steffi Graf (6).

The tennis stadium in Paris is

named after French aviator and World War I fighter pilot, Roland Garros.

In 1913, he was the first person to cross the Mediterranean Sea by air and took part in the first air battle in world history during World War I. He was killed in an air battle one month before the end of the war and a day prior to his 30th birthday.

The 2018 French Open will signal battles of a different kind when the participants vie for the trophy and some hefty prize money. The men’s and ladies’ winners will each take home around R33 million and the runners up, about R17 million.

Not shabby for two weeks on the red clay of Paris!

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New equipment sponsor after 20 years!

reetings to you all again. I hope this last week has been kind to you and that you managed to get in a game or two! This week was quite an exciting one for me; after being with club manufacturers TaylorMade for nearly 20 years I have switched across to Callaway. My new sticks arrived this week and I am so thrilled with them.

It may be a sign of the times, and something many people can relate to, that I have made a major change in my irons and for the first time ever I am playing graphite shafts! For 35 years I have played stiff steel shafts and have enjoyed every minute, until a few months ago when I really started to notice that I just can’t hit the ball the distance I used to.

For years I hit a 7 iron at the coast and 8 iron up country on 150 m – never really had to jump on it, just hit it! Then a few years ago I dropped to a 6 iron from 150 m and thought it was just at the coast and left it at that. However, a few months ago I noticed that a 6 iron wasn’t quite making the distance either, and as a Club Professional I have heard this story many, many times from both men and ladies: “I can’t hit the ball the distance I used to.”

As empathetically as possible I would enter into a conversation about perhaps changing the flex on the clubs or going to graphite in the irons… and then it happened to me! And to tell

Scores at a glance

The Putting Pirate Julian Shaw

you the truth, a little of the enjoyment went out of the game for me. Whereas I had once relished my Saturday game I actually tried to avoid it, burying myself in club administrative duties and the like.

So, with a good dollop of humility I tested a graphite iron and all of a sudden the distance was back – and with

it the enjoyment, with half the effort, and that old desire to play again! So to anyone who has come through my door with a similar story, you can have a chuckle at my expense.

I actually took the clubs out for their maiden voyage on Friday in the Sundowner and had a fantastic time with Tyron Davidowitz and my son Gordon, both of whom I

coach. Playing with them gives a great on-course picture – well, I haven’t seen the back of so many greens for a long, long time!

So to TaylorMade, many thanks for all the years, I always enjoyed your equipment. And to Callaway, many thanks for coming on board with us here at Hermanus Golf Club. We have lots in store for our members with Callaway and their distribution company Global Golf – all I can say is that there are exciting times coming up!

Having mentioned the new club sponsor in my newsletter and how the new lighter shafts have improved my game, I had a lovely reply from one of my members Leon Serfontein, who can relate to that familiar story of getting older. He writes: “A very unfortunate thing happened to me last year. A week after I turned 70, someone broke into my garage and bent all my clubs to alter the loft so that I get 10 metres less on every club. I think it is a shame that someone could be that mean.”

Thanks Leon, nice reply!

Until next week have a great one and if there’s nothing else to do, come play some golf!

Julz and the crew.

ALTOGETHER SATURDAY 12 MAY Individual Stableford 120 players Winner: Izak Krige - 44 points C/I Runner up: Kowie Ganz - 44 points C/O 3rd: Willie Theron - 42 points Ball pool paid to 38 Best gross: Mike Frost - 75 Saturday attendance draw sponsored by Hermanus Glassmen (fellow member Peter Bouwer) and was won by Peter Gray.

LADIES’ TUESDAY 15 MAY Betterball Stableford, The Charter Cup 44 players Winners: Edith Armour and Pauline Metcalf - 49 points Runners up: Petro Streicher and Kim Davies - 47 points C/I MEN’S WEDNESDAY 16 MAY Betterball Medal 122 players Winners: Simon O’ Sullivan and Shaun Smith - nett 60 C/I Runners up: Pohl de Villiers and Frans Prins - nett 60 C/O Ball pool pays to 62 Best gross: Philip Taberer - 68 8 two clubs (Roydon Pybus and Simon O’ Sullivan, both 3 each!)

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Hermanus High continues to excel in school sport Hermanus High School had a remarkably successful sports day on Saturday 19 May against Bredasdorp in which all of their teams, except for first team netball, either won or drew their respective matches. Most of the games were very close, but Hermanus always seemed to come out on top.

The first team netball girls had an exceptionally challenging match as they faced a “ding-dong battle” with Bredasdorp. They were neck and neck up until the last ten minutes of the game, when Bredasdorp pulled ahead and ended up winning 33 - 27. Hermanus High will be playing away against Worcester Gymnasium on Saturday 26 May.

Even after being tackled to the ground, J’hanco Botha (first team rugby and Hermanus High Head Boy) manages to get the ball over the line to score another try for Hermanus.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer First team Hermanus hockey players (in orange) attempt to win the ball from Bredasdorp in an effort to get it up to their teammates waiting by the shooting circle.

Anje Smith (right) steals the ball from Bredasdorp after they almost managed to score for their team.

Jayden Dickson throws the ball back into play after it was knocked out by a Bredasdorp player.

Janeke Viljoen carefully takes a shot at goal to put her team back into the lead after much back and forth on the points board against Bredasdorp.