Hadeda News - 28 April 2023

Vier broers wat arm grootgeword het, het verder gaan studeer en het almal suksesvolle professionele loopbane gehad.. Hul bejaarde moeder wat hulle alleen grootgemaak het, het ver van hulle gewoon en hulle het selde by haar gekom. Een Kersfees eet die broers saam en elkeen vertel trots van die duur geskenk wat hy vir hulle bejaarde moeder gegee het. Die eerste sê: ‘Ek het vir Ma 'n groot en weelderige huis laat bou.’

Die tweede sê: ‘Ek het ‘n tuisteater van R100,000 vir haar laat insit.’

Die derde spog:’EK het gesorg dat my Mercedesagent ‘n nuwe SL600 vir haar aflewer.’

Die vierde antwoord: ‘Julle weet mos hoe baie Ma daarvan hou om die Bybel te lees, maar dat sy nou byna heeltemal blind geword het

en nie meer self kan lees

nie? Ek het by ‘n unieke troeteldierwink ‘n papegaai

ontdek wat die hele Bybel uit sy kop ken! Dit

het 20 leraars 12 jaar geneem om hom alles te leer Ter betaling moes ek belowe om vir die volgende 20 jaar jaarliks R100,000 aan die kerk te gee, maar dit was die moeite werd. Nou kan sy net 'n Skrifgedeelte noem, en die papegaai sal dit vir haar voordra.’Die ander broers was beïndruk.

Ná Kersfees stuur die tannie toe haar dankiebriewe: ‘Dewald, dankie vir die huis wat jy laat bou het. Maar dit is eintlik heeltemal te groot. Ek kan net een kamer gebruik, maar ek moet alles skoon hou en ek is doodmoeg.’

‘Leon , jy het vir my die fantastiese tuisteater gegee wat plek het vir 50 mense, maar my vriende is ongelukkig al almal dood of in ouetehuise. Ek hoor

boonop maar sleg en sien

amper niks nie. Dankie nietemin vir jou geskenk.’

‘Martin, ek is te oud om te reis, en my kruideniersware word afgelewer. Ek kan die Mercedes dus nie regtig vir enigiets gebruik nie. Maar dankie vir die gedagte.’

‘Liewe Werner, jy was die enigste seun wat mooi oor my behoeftes gedink het voor jy jou geskenk gegee het. "Baie dankie – die hoender was absoluut

heerlik, net effens taai!"

Koos is genoegsaam gerehabiliteer om huiswaarts te keer, volgens sy jongste evaluerings uitslae! Die paneel besluit toe om n' Psigiater saam met Koos te stuur in die Ambulans, sodat die n' finale toets kan doen by Koos se huis!

Die Bestuurder stop toe dieAmbulans oorkant

Daar kom toe twee tieners by die hek uit met rugsakke oor hul skouers en Koos se:"My seun en dogter, oppad skool toe!"

Vyf minute later kom n' vrou in n' blou tweestuk broekpak, met groot handsak oor die skouer by hek uit, kyk op armhorlosie en kies koers padaf!

Koos:"Dis nou my vrou, sy's bietjie laat vanmore!"

Koos se woning, die Maandagoggend! Net toe die Psigiater die ontslagvorm wil teken, kom daar n' man met n' aktetas en n' kospakkie by die hek uit en Koos se:"EN DAAI IS NOU, EKKE, OPPAD WERKTOE!"

PETRADiamonds recovered some lost ground during the March quarter increasing production and predicting a one million carat increase in diamond output during its 2025 financial year

In January Petra sharply cut its production guidance for the next two financial years following the decision to shut its Koffiefontein Mine in South Africa and the suspension of mining at the Williamson mine inTanzania after a failure at the mine’s tailings dam.

Reporting today on the results for Petra’s third quarter to endMarch CEO Richard Duffy said Petra expected to deliver on its revised guidance of 2.75m to 2.85m carats for the year to June 2023.

He added that, “with Williamson targeted to resume production in the first quarter

of the 2024 financial year we are well positioned to increase production by around 1m carats to between 3.6m and 3.9m carats in financial year 2025.”

Duffy said total diamond production during the March quarter increased by 3% to 653,700 carats as production improved 14% at Finsch following the introduction of new equipment despite some ground handling challenges.

“Production at the Cullinan mine increased by 7% supported by higher tailings and ROM (run-of-mine) grades. Together, this more than offset the temporary suspension of production at Williamson and the placing of Koffiefontein on care and maintenance.”

Despite this Petra’s revenue dropped to $67.8m (December

UPINGTON

quarter – $241.7m) and consolidated net debt rose to $124.7m ($90.8m) because of the timing of the company’s diamond sales tenders.There was one tender during the March quarter compared with two tenders in the December quarter

Turning to the diamond market Duffy said diamond prices were improving

because of the post-COVID 19 recovery in demand from China and commented, “we continue to expect a supportive diamond market in the medium to longer-term as a result of the structural supply deficit while noting potential volatility in the nearterm owing to recent geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.”MiningMx

Richard Duffy, CEO, Petra Diamonds

Kan ‘n mens ‘n kind wat nie van lees en skryf hou nie, oorreed om ‘n storie te skryf?

Is it possible to convince a child who doesn’t like reading or writing to write a story?

Wenke van Welbekende Gepubliseerde Skrywer -

Annerle Barnard

kreatiwiteit uitleef.

Hoe ver trek ons?

Ons het die beplanning gedoen. Die twee seuns het op die karakters se name en persoonlikhede besluit. Ek het die plek voorgestel. Die seuns het met die plot vorendag gekom. Ek het notas gemaak.

Wat ek dink?

Ek is vreeslik opgewonde oor die karakters en die storie. Ek is opgewonde oor ons spanpoging, oor die idee.

Mag ek tog net noem: die feit dat die seuns bereid is om saam met my ‘n storie te skryf, is ‘n wonderwerk!

pics of the owls in his book. I honestly hope that the teacher read his journal entries!

The big adventure

“My favourite character in my favourite story died? What is left? There is nothing I want to watch.” Tween’s head was hanging. ‘Dippy lippy’, as a friend calls it.

“Why don’t you write your own story?”

“Mom, are you sure you’re OK?” Teen laughed and rolled his eyes.

Wie sou kon raai?

Dit klink na dagdromery, maar skynbaar is dit moontlik.

Jongste moes gedurende grendeltyd (vlak 5) ‘n dagboekinskrywing skryf!

“Ek gaan dit nié doen nie! Ek haat skryf!” Jongste is rooi in die gesig. Hy klap die boek toe.

“Jy móét dit doen, Seuna.” My paaiery val op dowe ore. Skielik dink ek aan sy opgwondenheid oor die uile. Ons woon op ‘n hoewe en hier is ‘n gesin uile in een van die hoë bome.Tydens vlak 5 en 4 van grendeltyd het ek en die seuns die uile soggens vroeg bekruip om foto’s te neem.

“Jou juffrou ken nie uile nie, want sy het nie uile in haar tuin nie. Sy sal daarvan hou om meer van die uile te wete te kom. Kom ons skryf vir haar iets oor die uile.” Ek haal al my botterbek-truuks uit.

Voila

Jongste skryf drie verskillende dagboekinskrywings — alles oor die uile en dit wat ons waargeneem het. Ons plak selfs foto’s van die uile in sy boek. Ek hoop die onderwyser het sy uil-inskrywing gelees.

Toe kom die groot onderneming

“My gunstelingkarakter in my storie is dood. Wat moet ek nou kyk?” Jongste se kop hang.

“Hoekom skryf jy nie jou eie storie nie?

“Mamma, jy voel seker nie lekker nie?” Oudste lag en rol sy oë.

“Waaroor sal ek skryf? Niemand sal my storie wil lees nie, my handskrif is lelik en my spelling suck.” Jongste sug.

Spreek lewe, preek ek altyd vir die seuns. Ek wens net hulle wil dit onthou en toepas. “Ek sal jou help met die spelling en ons tik jou storie, dan hoef jy jou nie oor handskrif te bekommer nie.

“Oukei. Wat maak ons dan met die storie?”

“Kom ons skryf dit net eers klaar, dan besluit ons.”

“Ek sal vir julle illustrasies doen.” Oudste is mal oor teken, maar het nog nooit enige lesse/klasse gehad nie. Ek heg een van sy illustrasies aan (the Flash). Of dit goed of sleg is weet ek nie en ek gee ook nie om nie — vir my gaan dit oor jou

Is it possible to convince a child who doesn’t like reading or writing to write a story? Dreams only?

It might sound like daydreaming but it seemingly is possible.

Tween had to write a journal entry for school during level 5 of lockdown “I refuse to do that! I hate writing!” Red-faced and fumingTween closed the book and got up from the dining room table where the boys normally do homework.

“It is an instruction and not a request, my boy.” My attempt to calm him down seemed unsuccessful. Suddenly I remembered his passion for the owls. We live outside town and we have a family of owls roaming the tall trees. During lockdown (levels 5 & 4) the boys and I sneaked around the area early mornings to try to take pics of the owls.

“Your teacher doesn’t know owls as well as you do. She doesn’t have owls in her garden. She would love to know more, I’m sure. Write about the owls.” I printed the pics we had taken.

Voila

Tween wrote three different diary entries — all about the owls and what we had seen. We stuck the

“What will I write about? Nobody would want to read my story. My handwriting is terrible and I suck at spelling.”Tween’s lip dipped even farther

Speak life and not death, I always tell the boys. I just wish they would apply and remember it. “I’ll help you with the spelling and if we type your story, nobody will see your handwriting.”

“OK. What are we going to do with the story?”

I almost fell off the bed.

“Let’s just get it on paper and then we decide. OK?”

Have we made any progress as yet?

We have done the planning.The boys decided on the characters’ names and personalities. I suggested the setting.The boys came up with the entire plot. I took notes of everything they had said. My thoughts?

The exam is starting in a few days, so we will have to attempt this during the school holiday

I’m very excited about the characters and plot, about the entire idea.

The mere fact that they are willing to attempt this with me, is a miracle.

Manie’s Bistro

Soet Boere Hoender Kerrie

HOENDER

250 ml (1 k) koekmeel

15 ml (1 e) kerriepoeier

sout en peper na smaak

10 hoenderstukke (dye en boudjies)

3 uie, gekap

2 groenrissies, gekap

375 ml (1½ k) sultanas

SOUS

125 ml (½ k)

tamatiesous

125 ml (½ k) blatjang

125 ml (½ k)

braaivleissous

125 ml (½ k)

waterVoorverhit die oond tot 200 °C.

HOENDER

Meng die meel, kerriepoeier en sout en peper en rol die hoender daarin.

Meng die uie, rissies en sultanas.

Skud die oortollige meel van die hoender af en pak lae van die uiemengsel en hoender in ’n oondbak. Eindig met uie.

SOUS

Meng al die bestanddele vir die sous en giet oor die hoender. Maak seker die hoender is heeltemal bedek.

Bak die hoender 45 minute of tot goudbruin en gaar

Sit warm voor met rys en gebakte pampoenskywe.

Wenke

Sny oortollige vet van die hoender af.

Skud die meel goed af en maak seker die hoenderporsies is goed met sous bedek, anders is daar droë meel tussen die lae hoender

Bron: Faceook/ http://lekker resepte vir die jongergeslag. blogspot.com

Resep Danksy Manie’s Bistro - Master Chef

1. Op Pad na Grysberg is 'n epiese fantasie. In watter genre skryf jy gewoonlik? Ek skryf rillers, memoirs en stoomromanzas. Ek lees nie eens fantasie nie, so hierdie was vir my 'n geheel en alle nuwe ervaring.

2.Noem asb. 'n paar ander titels van boeke/draaiboeke wat jy geskryf het. Seks, Leuens en die Internet, Die Kontrak, Die Bewonderaar, Dominique. 'n Nuwe riller, Salemstraat, kom in Junie uit.

3. Hoe het jy by die projek betrokke geraak? Stefaans het gevra of ek iets wil skryf, maar toe besef ek nie daar is guidelines nie, en ek skryf toe sommer net mooi wat ek wil. Dit het wel by die storie gepas, maar dit het dit in 'n baie spanningsvolle rigting gestuur Die ding is, my hoofstuk was net na Sidney Gilroy sn so ek moes net eenvoudig die spanningsknoppies nog hoër draai as syne! Ek meen, dis Sidney Gilroy! Stefaans is toe so geskok of meegevoer deur die hoofstuk dat hy toe vra of ek die hele boek op die ou einde

sal saamtrek en sorg vir eenvormige tyd- en gebeurelyne en ook dat die storie vloei en sin maak.

4. Watter hoofstuk het jy geskryf en tot watter genre behoort jou hoofstuk? Ek kan nie onthou watter hoofstuk ek geskryf het nie, maar dit was hier aan die einde rond. Ook het ek nie besef ek moet in 'n genre skryf nie! Ek het ook toe ek die boek geredigereer het (Anschen Conradie het die taalredigering gedoen) die genres – as daar was – uitgehaal en die spanning en vloei en energie van die skrywerstem behou. En dan ook M se stem. dIt was vir my die belangrikste.

5. Het jy die hoofstukke voor joune vooraf gelees?

Natuurlik ja, want hoe sou ek geweet het wat om volgende te skryf!

6. Het jy vooraf geweet hoe die laaste hoofstukke in die roman lyk of was dit vir jou 'n verrassing?

Ek het dit natuurlik gesien ja, maar dit was 'n heerlike einde. Ek het die einde op die ou einde

minder abstrak en meer gelukkig gemaak maar Kerneels het 'n fantastiese werk gedoen.

7. Hoe het dit vir jou gevoel om deel van 'n projek te wees, eerder as om iets op jou eie aan te pak? Dit was verskriklik moeilik om met al die style en stories en stemme te werk en 'n common demoniator te vind, maar toe besef ek…dis M se stem en M se storie en toe het ek daarop gekonsentreer

8. Sal jy dit oorweeg om in die toekoms iets soortgelyks saam met ander skrywers aanpak?

Ja, dit was pret! Ek dink ons moet letterkundige skrywers kry en dat hulle saam met Romanzaskrywers 'n romanza skryf sodat hulle kan voel hoe dit is om 'n boek te skryf wat mense actually lees. Ha, ha.

10.Hoe het jy dit gevind om saam met skrywers van ander genres te werk? Dit was ongelooflik en omdat ek so nou met hul skryfstyle gewerk het, het ek ongelooflik baie geleer Ek kon eerstehands sien watter tegnieke hulle gebruik.

Madelein Rust, Dibi Breytenbach, Annerle Barnard, Sidney Gilroy, Elsa Winckler, Hannes Barnard, Stefan Enslin, DuaneAslett, Jan Vermeulen, Henk Breytenbach, Didi Potgieter, Brian Fredericks, Ferdie Swanepoel, Erla Diedericks, René van Zyl, Christelle Van Rooyen Wessels, Irna van Zyl en Kerneels Breytenbach is van die skrywers wat saamgeskryf het.

22 van die land se voorste skrywers in verskillende genres, het hul tyd en talente ingespan om saam aan ’n enkele roman te skryf.

Little Podlet Weevil May Beat Back Invasive Mesquite Tree

The thorny mesquite tree with its yellow flowers and long pods was brought to SouthAfrica to provide food and shade for livestock and for firewood but this useful tree has become invasive, reducing grazing and groundwater

Mesquite (Prosopis species) were brought into SouthAfrica by the government in the late 1800s and promoted for planting until the 1960s, according to the Agricultural Research Council.

Professor Brian van Wilgen, of the Centre for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University, says, “The mesquite comes from arid areas in theAmericas and was brought to SouthAfrica to provide shade for livestock in dry areas, as a fuel wood and also because the pods are highly nutritious and can be used as a food source by livestock.”

It also provides nectar for honey production and timber for furniture.

The main Prosopis species that have been introduced are P glandulosa (honey mesquite) and Pvelutina (velvet mesquite) and Pchilensis (Chilean mesquite). It looks similar to an acacia but it’s only a distant relative.

This tree is defined as invasive because it spreads rapidly and is harmful to the environment, affecting people’s livelihoods. It forms large stands, uses huge amounts of water and because nothing grows under it, it eliminates grazing, he says.

“The introduction of mesquite was a big mistake,” says Van Wilgen, adding that the government knew that the trees were invasive 50 years ago, but there weren’t programmes put in place to manage it. Mesquite is found in drier parts of SouthAfrica, particularly the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Free State and North West.

Philip Ivey, a researcher at the Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University, added that Prosopis invasions also have serious negative effects on biodiversity. NumerousAfrican countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Uganda and South Africa have problems with this invasive species. It is also considered a serious invader on several islands, the Middle East and parts ofAsia andAustralia.

Research by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) shows that “Dense stands of Prosopis trees use more than

five times the amount of water (544mm a year) than sparse indigenous trees (91mm), substantially reducing groundwater resources on which people are almost entirely dependent in these arid areas. The invasion also changes vegetation structure.”

The CSIR found that the problem has reached a stage where the invasions are set to grow exponentially, which could result in the collapse of sustainable agriculture across vast tracts of land unless adequately addressed.

The invasions are also a significant threat to biodiversity; native species decline sharply as a result of direct competition or because the habitat becomes unsuitable for indigenous species to grow

Seed-feeding beetles

In the 1980s beetles that feed on mature Prosopis seeds were introduced in 2020 as biological control agents in SouthAfrica, but don’t have a meaningful effect on the rate of invasion, according to Ivey

After extensive discussions with farming communities, researchers studied another biological control agent — the podlet weevil from SouthAmerica — that damages immature pods and Prosopis leaves respectively

The department of agriculture, land reform and rural development, approved the release of both the seed-feeding beetle and the podlet weevil.

In 2022, Rhodes University, in collaboration with the universities of CapeTown and the

Witwatersrand as well as the Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas (FuEDEI) in Argentina, facilitated the first releases of the podlet weevil.

UCTresearcher Catharina Kleinjan, who manages the project, said the weevil attacks immature pods and kills the developing seeds. Because the pods are attacked while they are still immature they are not yet attractive to livestock and wildlife, she said.

Taking seed out of the system early could make a substantial contribution to the management of Prosopis because the consumption of mature pods with viable seeds is one of the factors considered responsible for the rapid spread of the tree.

Regardig the status of the project Kleinjan said: “We are now at the

point where 1) tests confirming that the podlet weevil only feeds on Prosopis have been completed 2) permission to release this agent has been granted, and 3) the first releases of the podlet weevil have been successfully achieved.This is a significant milestone, but it is still just a very early step in the overall development of this biological control agent.”

The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment’s natural resources management programme has provided support and funding for the research into development of biological control agents for many invasive alien plant species in SouthAfrica, including Prosopis.

MannaBrew

Anew use for the mesquite has been found by two brothers,Aam and Brandt Coetzee, in the Northern Cape.Their company, MannaBrew, is using the seed pod to brew coffee after first developing it as a health supplement.

“We started Manna Health in 2005, making supplements from mesquite pods. Manna Blood Sugar Support was our first product.Then later we started with the shakes.About three years ago we started experimenting with making coffee with mesquite pods.After many tests and trials, we landed with MannaBrew,”Aam Coetzee says.

The brothers say the presence of this tree has created jobs for people in Prieska.The people in the area collect the pods which are then weighed and they are paid according to the weight of the produce collected.This helps to provide them with seasonal work and supports their local economy

“We create seasonal jobs where the products are harvested. Between 500 and a 1 000 people

at a time are involved with the harvest.The processing is done in Somerset West and we employ local people there. It is a win-win for everyone involved,” says Brandt Coetzee.

The brothers say it would be impossible to completely remove the plant and that the mesquite’s invasion could be limited if it were managed.

“We are working with different universities and the government as part of the management of the mesquite. It would be impossible to totally eradicate the plant, but there is a lot of potential when you start to use different parts of the plant in the management process, creating numerous jobs,” says Brandt Coetzee.

Harvesting the seed pods helps to reduce further infestation, protecting valuable farmland and scarce underground water reserves which sustain people’s livelihoods.

“There is good and bad in every plant/tree and one just needs to think out of the box regarding the value that can be added,” says Brandt Coetzee.

Not a total solution

Van Wilgen says that the way in which MannaBrew is dealing with the invasive tree will not do any harm but it also won’t solve the problem.

“The problem is too big.The value of the coffee they produce is tiny compared to the damage that this plant does.”

He says there is no way the removal of the mesquite can be held off because of the damage it does.

The best way to deal with it is to clear it in certain areas by getting some insects to attack it to make the job a little bit easier” says Van Wilgen. - Mail & Guardian

Mesquite (Prosopis species) were brought into South Africa by the government in the late 1800s and promoted for planting until the 1960s, according to the Agricultural Research Council. Photo: Supplied

No Phala Phala, No Problem

There’s not a cloud in sight as President Cyril Ramaphosa hosts his Namibian counterpart, Hage Geingob, for his first state visit to our fair, but somewhat shopsoiled, Republic.

It’s rather kind – and timeous –of Geingob to come to South Africa, given that the G7 doesn’t love us right now and we can do with a friend or two.

It’s also another reminder that Namibia has actually forgiven us for 75 years of armed occupation, murder and atrocity by the apartheid regime.

I would have been part of that army of occupation myself if I hadn’t dodged registration for the army at school – or if I’d handed myself in at Natal Command when they caught up with me – probably the smartest moves I’ve made in my life.

Hiding in plain sight in Durban while my classmates got called up was actually pretty easy –about as hard as secreting

some money in the sofa – as the regime wasn’t as efficient as it was made out to be.

Getting a job and opening a bank account with no ID book was difficult, but not impossible, and way more fun than invading a neighbouring country in defence of white minority rule.

There are no cash-stuffed couches visible – exotic animals likewise – as the two heads of state meet to discuss matters of mutual interest, including trade, regional security and the RussiaUkraine situation.

One would assume that the drama at Phala Phala won’t be on the agenda for discussion between the two leaders – or between their ministerial teams holding bilateral meetings as part of the state visit – or even at the banquet held after the day’s business has been done.

One would also assume that the millions lifted from our jefe’s sofa at Phala Phala was not counted as part of the $3

billion in SouthAfrican exports that crossed the Orange River into Namibia in 2020.

Nor too, are the discussions on mutual security likely to focus on some border jumping that allegedly took place in an attempt to get Ramaphosa’s stash of shekels – and the mob who lifted it – back.

Fair enough.

NoAnkole, mystery Sudanese billionaire or burglary jokes from the master of ceremonies before Ramaphosa’s welcoming speech at the gala dinner

No one liners about abduction, torture or illegal border crossings to break the ice.

Most definitely no rendition of Pata Pata by the SouthAfrican National Defence Force (SANDF) band – just in case anybody sings along.

Like many of my fellow South Africans, I’m not in the least surprised that Cyril won’t be going to the upcoming G7 Summit in Japan to charge his iPad.

It’s not because our minister of electricity, Kgosientsho Ramakgopa, has been able to keep the lights on since Easter ended, obviating the need for the president to go abroad to power up his personal devices.

Ramakgopa hasn’t saved the day, to which our move to stage six of load shedding for the foreseeable future will attest.

Given that Ramaphosa has failed to remove powers from Gwede Mantashe to give Ramakgopa the powers to

secure power, the electricity minister appears – like the rest of us – to be powerless – or at least disempowered – through no fault of his own.

Ramakgopa may have the moves, but Mantashe has the muscle, and it’s already pretty clear that the real power when it comes to our energy policy will remain with theANC national chairperson, and not with the electricity minister – or the president.

Cyril also didn’t fail to make the invite list for the G7 invite list because of our foreign policy and our stance on the war in Ukraine, which isn’t exactly in line with the positions taken by the member states of the bloc.

It also wasn’t our move to extend the life of Eskom’s coal powered fleet, which may have costly implications further on down the road, that got our man dumped by the world’s richest and most powerful nations.

The real reason the Japanese government didn’t add Ramaphosa to the guest list for the forum in Hiroshima next month is that our president has ducked off from such forums to deal with the power crisis at home so often in the recent past that it no longer makes sense to invite him.

That said, if the G7 are already peeved with Ramaphosa and the rest of us for failing – how much more so after SouthAfrica hosts Russian president Vladimir Putin later in the year, when he arrives in Mzansi for the Brics summit and heads home afterwards, unarrested.

We are led.

Kalkloot Intermediêre Skool Nuus

I/School Kalksloot in support of campaign GBV. Every Thursday staff members are dressed in black to show their support to act against the abuse of women and children.To the far right is the principal, Mr WADu Plessis and staff members.

Verenzo Isaacs seuns Onder 14 verspring

Klein in aksie tydens boeresport-item.

Akiela Mienies eerste plek in 400m tydens DKM Byeenkoms

Op foto voor staan Mnr Maasdorp (DH Seniorfase) en verregs is Mnr Koper (veiligheidshoof) en Juff Steenkamp besig met inspeksie en koppe tel.

Light Shone On Historical Journey

The historicApolloTheatre in Victoria West in the Northern Cape will soon shine its lights on “Ancestral Journeys” duringThe Forgotten Highway Route summit.

This summit takes place on Friday, 19 May, and Saturday, 20 May, with the Karoo Development Foundation (KDF) as host.

Crafters from across the Forgotten Highway Route and its region are invited to exhibit and sell their products during this event.

The summit follows the successful launch of the Forgotten Highway Route in October 2022, funded by the KDF

This was the first route to connect the Cape in the south with the northern inland region, and is the longest heritage route in SouthAfrica. It stretches over approximately 1 000 km from Tulbagh and Ceres in the south to Kuruman in the north, with numerous side-paths.

It follows the two-way traffic roads of ancient travelers and was used by the !Xam, KhoeKhoe,Tswana, missionaries, explorers and others to travel into Central Africa.This is from a period as early as the late 1700s.

Prof. DoreenAtkinson, a KDF trustee and summit co-ordinator, said 22 speakers from local communities along the route will be showcasing the heritage and tourism assets of their towns and districts.

The key themes include the origin of the route and the expanding frontier; the prehistory of the route: fossils and ancient civilisations; early explorations and encounters; the towns and their origin; expanding the Forgotten Highway Route; and building synergies and collaboration amongst route stakeholders.

Two movies, created by the nongovernmental organisations Africa MeetsAfrica, will be showed in theApolloTheatre.

These movies are Pathways to the Interior, and My Room at the Centre of the Universe.

The conference will be opened by Prof. Nigel Penn, author of

The Forgotten Frontier. Penn will also give a lecture on the Koornlands Kloof massacre, which took place in the Roggeveld.This will show how case studies on historical events can provide fascinating detail about life on the frontier

Presentations will be in English andAfrikaans, and Power Point presentations will assist in translations.

Attendance costs R300 per person, per day

Visit the website karoofoundation.co.za/summit for further information and to book online; or contactAtkinson on doreen@karoofoundation.co.za or via WhatsApp on 071-4012583.

Summary of the summit programme

Friday, 19 May

08:30 – 09:00: Registration.

09:15 – 10:45: Session 1: keynote address, “Encounters with the unknown, 1760-1860”, delivered by Penn of the University of CapeTown (UCT);

Atkinson talks on ancestral journeys and key sites along the route.

11:15 – 12:30: Session 2:The prehistory of the route: fossils and early civilisations;

Jaco Groenewald: “The dinosaur legacy of the Roggeveld”;

Marinda Oberholzer: “Die dinosaurus-spore van Fraserburg”;

David Morris: “Wonderwerk cave: Human record from the dawn of time”.

13.30 – 15:00: Session 3: Early explorations and encounters along the route;

Claus Riding: “The travels of William Burchell”;

John Martiens: “The magic of Witsand”;

Denzil Kruger: “Strominge in Griekwaland, 1800-1840: Koranna, Griekwas, Bergenaars, Hartenaars, en die Oranjerivierbendes”;

Mpho Molema: “Celebrating the Tlhaping heritage in the Kuruman region”.

15:30 – 17:00: Session 4: Our towns and their origins; Rosette Jordaan: “Tulbagh en Ceres: Die beginpunt van die roete”;

Marné Marais: “Sutherland en die NPvan Wyk Louw-projek”;

Cora Steenkamp: “Williston en die grafsteen-roete”;

Jan Julies: “Fraserburg se erfenis en die eggo’s van die gedwonge verskuiwing”;

Philippolis celebrates 200 years.

19:00: Movies shown in the ApolloTheatre.

Saturday, 20 May

09:00 – 10:30: Session 5: Our towns and their origins;

Jan Engelbrecht en Heidi Fivaz: “The built heritage of Daniëlskuil”;

William Jarvis/Amanda Scott: “Jenn-haven en die Khosiserfenis”;

GertTheart: “Die 1914-rebellie

en die tog deur GriekwalandWes”;

Rev. Johannes Stuurman: “The Moffat Mission – climax of the route.”

11:00 – 12:30: Session 6: Building the Forgotten Highway Route;

Fanie Minnie: “Why and how regional development works”;

Simo Mdala: “Linking tourism to local economic development”;

Caroline Ungersbock: “What is required for an effective tourism route?”;

Thabiso Macheoane: “Communities of the route exploring their own back-yard.”

12:30 – 13:30: Session 7:The way forward: Reflections on route synergies and collaboration;

Ingrid Schofmann (KDF trustee);

Closuring remarks by Prof. Zachy Matebesi (KDF).Noodkaap Bulletin/News24

The Apollo Theatre was built in the late 1920s, and is known as a last example of an art deco cinema in South Africa. Photo: Facebook /Apollo Theatre

PRINT SIGNAGE DESIGN Hey Leah Hey Leah

"Jongmeisie se geloof triomfeer oor teëspoed: Janifa Juanita Swartz se inspirerende getuienis”

Kom Maak ‘n Draai By Die Poort Beton

Stalletjie by die Landbou Expo

Wines of South Africa Struggle to Be Globally Relevant

SouthAfrican workers in the wine sector were fighting against poor working conditions for farm workers at several vineyards in the country and the wine retailers were supporting their actions.

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), wine and fruit farm workers in SouthAfrica live in on-site housing unfit for occupancy, are exposed to pesticides without appropriate safety equipment, have limited (if any) access to toilets or drinking water while working and have many barriers to representation by unions.

EconomicAsset

Farm workers add millions of dollars to the economy of SouthAfrica; however, the people who produce the goods are among the lowest wage earners in the country. According to the Paris-based Organization of Vine and Wine (OVI, 2021) data, SouthAfrica ranked eighth among the world’s largest wine-producing countries, ahead of Germany and Portugal, behind Australia, Chile, andArgentina.

The wine industry in the Western and Northern Cape contributes R550 billion (approximately US $30 billion) to the local economy and employs almost 269,000 people.The annual harvest produces approximately 1.5 million tons of crushed grapes, producing 947+/- million liters of wine. Domestic sales record 430 million liters of wine; export sales total 387.9 million liters.

There are 546+/- listed wineries in SouthAfrica with only 37 crushing over 10,000 tons of grapes (producing 63 cases of wine per ton; 756 bottles per ton). Most of the wine produced is white (55.1%) including Chenin Blanc (18.6%); Colombar(d) (11.1%); Sauvignon Blanc (10.9%); Chardonnay (7.2%); Muscat d’Alexandrie (1.6%); Semillon (1.1%); Muscat de Frontignan (0.9%); and Viognier (0.8%).

Approximately 44.9% of South African vineyards produce red varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon (10.8%); Shiraz/Syrah (10.8%); Pinotage (7.3%); Merlot (5.9%); Ruby Cabernet (2.1%); Cinsau (1.9%); Pinot Noir (1.3%) and Cabernet Franc (0.9%).

It is interesting to note that although SouthAfrica is a recognized producer of fine wine, the alcoholic beverage of choice among South Africans is beer (75% of total alcoholic beverage consumption), followed by alcoholic fruit beverages and spirit coolers (12%). Wine consumption accounts for only 10%, with spirits coming in last at 3%.

Preferred Grapes

White Wines

Chardonnay accounts for 7.2% of all vineyard plantings. Chardonnay tends to be medium-bodied and structured; however, some producers

prefer to make Old World style (heavy and wooded), while others select a New World approach (lighter and unoaked).

The Chenin Blanc grape was one of the first wine grape cultivars introduced to the Cape by Jan van Riebeek (17th century). It has high acidity making it a versatile grape for producing a variety of wine styles from still, dry, and sparkling to wellbalanced sweet wines. It is highyield, versatile, and grows on land unsuitable for other white grape varieties.

The Colombar(d) varietal was planted in SouthAfrica in the 1920s and is now the second most planted grape in the country. It was primarily used as a base wine for brandy production until the end of the 20th century when Cape Winemakers discovered it could produce a pleasant drinking wine with good acid content ensuring a fresh, fruity, and interesting palate experience. It was developed from a crossing of Chenin Blanc with Heunisch Weiss (aka Gouias Blanc).

Sauvignon Blanc presents as a crisp and refreshing wine.The first records in the Cape date to the 1880s; however, a high rate of disease led to most vineyards being ripped out and replanted in the 1940s.This variety is the third most planted white wine in SouthAfrica and styles run from green and grassy to light and fruity

Red Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon was first recorded in SouthAfrica in the late 1800s. By the 1980s it made up 2.8% of all vineyards; now it is found in 11% of vineyards.The varietal produces very good wines that develop well with age and mature into a spicy, full-bodied, complex taste experience.The wines range from intense with perfume aromas, spicy and herbaceous on the palate, or soft and well-rounded with berry notes. It is also found in Bordeauxstyle blends.

Shiraz/Syrah dates back to the 1980s. It is the second most planted red grape variety representing 10% of plantings sparked by the Australian Shiraz popularity in the 1980s. Styles present as smokey, and spicy developing over time; frequently used in Rhone-style blends.

Merlot began as a single-hectare vineyard in 1977 and has increased to be found in approximately 6% of red wine vineyards. It ripens early, is thin-skinned, and is highly sensitive to drought making growth and production challenging.Traditionally used in Rhone-style blends to add softness and breadth to Cabernet Sauvignon, increasingly it is bottled as a single varietal that is usually medium to light-bodied in style with a touch of herbal freshness.

Pinotage is a SouthAfrican cultivar created by ProfessorAbraham Perold in 1925 and is a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsault). Currently, it can be found in approximately 7.3% of the vineyards. Pinotage is unpopular in export markets but a favorite in the country The grapes can produce complex and fruity wines as they age but are pleasantly drinkable while young. Pinotage easy drinking styles produce rose and sparkling wines. It is the main component in Cape blend making up 30-70 % of the wine sold in SouthAfrica.

Exports

In 2020, approximately 16 % of the wine produced was exported (480 million liters).The level was reached because of increased demand from African markets and the industry’s strategy to grow exports.There has been growth in wine exports to other African countries from 5% in 2003 to 21% in 2019.This is expected to continue as theAfrican Continental FreeTradeAgreement (passed in 2021) is implemented and becomes operational (2030).The member nations present a potential market of 1.2 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of $2.5 trillion. It is the end result of many negotiations started in 2015 among the leaders of 54African nations.

SouthAfrica has a free trade agreement with the EU and exports to the US via a duty-free agreement under theAfrica Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA.The largest export is bulk wines and the EU is the biggest

market.

Organizations representing the wine industry include:

• SouthAfrican Liquor Brand OwnersAssociation (SALBA). Manufacturers and distributors of liquor products on issues of common interest (i.e., lobbying the government on regulatory matters).

• SouthAfrican Wine Industry Information Systems (SAWIS) supports the wine industry through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of industry information; administration of the industry’s Wine of Origin system.

• VINPRO. Wine producers, cellars, and industry stakeholders on issues that impact the profitability and sustainability of members and the entire industry (i.e., technical expertise, specialized services from soil science to viticulture, agricultural economics, transformation, and development).

• Wines of SouthAfrica (WOSA). Represents producers of wine who export their products; recognized by the government as an Export Council.

• Winetech. Networking of participating institutions and individuals supporting the South African wine industry with research and technology transfer. - Written by Dr. Elinor Garely - special to eTN and editor in chief, wines.travel

Accredited Training Centre

Social Media Groups

Green Kalahari Tourism & Accommodation

Springbok, Aggeneys & Pofadder Bemarking / Marketing

Groblershoop, Prieska & Douglas Bemarking / Marketing

Noord-Kaap Bemarking / Northern Cape Marketing

Hartswater & Jan Kempdorp Bemarking / Marketing

Kathu, Kuruman, Olifantshoek & Dibeng Bermarking / Marketing

Upington, Keimoes, Kakamas Besighede

Namakwaland Help Mekaar

Namakwaland Diamond Coast

Springbok Ads & Specials

Northern Cape Guest Houses

Upington Online Company

Kathu Online Company

Kalahari Online Company

Springbok Online Company

Calvinia Online Company

Vredendal Online Company

The Northern Cape Online Media Company

Hadeda News Live

Social Media Marketing Northern Cape

Namaqualand Tourism and Accommodation

Besigheids Bemarking Upington

Northern Cape Guesthouses

Northern Cape/ Noord Kaap Marketing/ Bemarking

Northern Cape Municipalities Targeted For Orange River Filth

We recognise that some things are taking longer than others, and we have huge wastewater treatment plants that were affected and that’s not going to be a quick fix, but simple things in place at some of these sites might make a significant difference to how water is being put into the outflow,” said Janet Simpkins of Save Our Rivers and Seas.

Simpkins was speaking during a webinar on the crucial work being done by organisations to combat river pollution in SouthAfrica.

The webinar was facilitated by Dr FerrialAdam, executive manager of WaterCAN, and the speakers included Fritz Bekker of Gariep Watch and Paul Maluleke ofAlex Water Warriors.

The start

Simpkins’s water journey started with a campaign called Save our Rivers in KwaZulu-Natal.After being on the ground, she started to recognise that things weren’t right with the water “Recognising that perhaps things weren’t right and there was something wrong with our water, and wanting to understand that a bit better, so evolved the campaign and the formation of a full nonprofit to tackle head-on the really complex issues in and around our rivers,” she said.

Although the organisation started in the Msunduzi River catchment, it has broadened its reach. “We have connected with groups north and south, community members, other organisations, towns, communities inland, as well as across the country.”

Simpkins added that it is not a oneprovince issue since many provinces face similarly dire problems.

‘More than the eye can see’

Simpkins is also director ofAdopt-aRiver, an organisation that monitors KwaZulu-Natal river pollution and does regular river clean-ups. It also tries to connect the corporate sector to work with municipal departments and the government. “That is ultimately our goal – to find an area of need, establish what the problems are. Some are really complex and are not going to be solved overnight – but just to put the right people in the room and find positive ways forward,” she said.

Tackling the waste problem revealed there was more waste in the water than could be seen. “Often the smell meant… sewage and change in colour of the river water meant that there were also other things at play,” she said.

KwaZulu-Natal has faced a series of problems including the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 riots and the 2022 floods, she said.

“It was one of those watershed movements that I think broke open and exposed more [of] the underlying issues of sewerage and infrastructure. We recognise that it’s happening around the country, but we had significant infrastructure damage in our province and that was sewerage but also water supply.”

This had kicked off the campaign as

there were towns and large communities left without water and the flow of sewage just continued.

The December holiday period, a highlight on the calendar for local tourism, had been badly affected by the inadequate infrastructure and sewerage problems.The need arose among “a number of concerned individuals, ranging from businessmen to water users and the local community” to tackle them on “another level… and that is how Save our Rivers and Seas from sewage came about”.

It is now a registered NPO, with experts and professionals on board with the knowledge and expertise needed to engage the right departments in the municipality to have an oversight function, and also offer support for what is needed, she explained.

It is a way for the private sector to get involved to escalate or try to fasttrack some of the issues that need to be addressed, and find ways to maintain stable infrastructure.

Ecotourism inAlexandra

Paul Maluleke, founding member of Alex Water Warriors, has a background in tourism. One of the income-generating opportunities his community ofAlexandra had was through ecotourism.

“The first project that we wanted to carry out was to clean our image as Alexandra because it is forever on the news for the wrong reasons and the stigma is bad. It is not easy to sell Alexandra as a tourism destination when our name is not clean,” he said. The first step towards cleaning the nameAlexandra was cleaning the environment, which was not welcoming.This was “a matter of emergency”.

United by the river

The Covid-19 pandemic posed new challenges for the people of Alexandra because many had lost their jobs, he said.The Jukskei River, which is heavily polluted by urban runoff, is prone to bursting and affects residents in shacks along its banks.

In September 2021,Alex Water Warriors started clean-ups of the river

“We have around 11 groups; we clean from the previously called London route; right now it is Vincent Tshabalala to Marlboro,” Maluleke said.

Across the river, different groups are addressing different issues. “Some of the parts by the river banks, there are no communities that are staying there, but there are other parts like Sjwetla where there are lots of informal settlements.”

Maluleke said they are also trying to address many other issues such as illegal dumping in the rivers: “There are other crimes that are happening within the river, like illegal sand mining, and it is obvious there are people who are using the river for their own activities.”The river was also a spiritual place used by

prophets and traditional healers.

Alex Water Warriors now has more than 500 volunteers, and while Maluleke is pleased with that, he acknowledges that people cannot volunteer forever: “We now have a few contracts like the social employment fund and we have a working relationship with City Parks.”

He added that he has seen residents come together: “We are saying enough is enough, we are tired of people dumping in our river systems, so now we want to clean our river systems.”

Holding people accountable

Gariep Watch, a civil organisation that protects rivers by monitoring them, collecting data, scientifically investigating and encouraging public participation on the subject of river pollution, has laid criminal charges for sewage pollution.These have been filed against the municipal managers of Vanderkloof, Hopetown, Upington, Kakamas and Vredesvallei on the Orange River, as well as Bloemhof, Christiana, Warrenton, Vaalharts, Jan Kempdorp and Barkly West on the Vaal River

Fritz Bekker, a founding member of Gariep Watch, said they are also prosecuting the municipal managers in the lower Orange River and Middle Orange River

Gariep Watch started with a study requested by the agricultural industry in the lower Orange River in 2017. “I did a first-face investigation in 2017 and based on that I initiated the quarterly monitoring programme,” he said.

They used the Water UserAssociation to do the monitoring. “We have trained them to take the samples and we have changed the sampling localities to not reflect the Department of Water localities, but to reflect upstream and downstream from the major point sources of pollution.”

‘Uncharted territories’

Local authorities are the biggest polluters in SouthAfrica at the moment, according to Bekker. “We are finding ourselves in uncharted territories with the amount of pollution in the river, we’ve never seen something like this in SouthAfrica.”

Several municipalities discharge sewage into the river, he said, and a two-tiered approach had been adopted to try to rectify this. “We take forensic quality samples and we research the

effect of the sewage pollution of the river systems, and the second tier is to follow a legal process.”

The samples revealed very high levels of bacterial concentrations, with a mix of pathogens and toxins going into the river. “E coli, very high COD [chemical oxygen demand], total nitrogen, suspended solids, and water phosphate,” he said. Municipalities are required to monitor E. coli, salinity and dissolved oxygen.

JHowever, there is more to sewage than that, said Bekker

“We developed a toolbox that looks at environmental toxicity and sediment toxicity and a whole range of variables to accurately monitor the dangers of sewage.”

What does the law say?

It is a criminal offence to pollute water, said Bekker. Using section 24 of the Constitution, the National WaterAct, the National Environmental ManagementAct, the HealthAct and municipal legislation was key to successfully laying charges. “All combined it is actually very good legislation to use.”

Gariep Watch essentially creates dockets for the police. “They are not specialists in water quality management, so we create the docket, we lay the charge at the police station and we get the case or docket number,” he said. “We get that docket to the environmental inspectorate because they have got the personnel and then we make sure that everyone does their job.”

WaterCAN’sAdam added that it was important to share resources, documentation and practical steps on how to approach the police. “We need to create an awareness among the SouthAfrican police to say that it is okay for us to issue a criminal charge for pollution.”

Safeguarding the country’s waterways

Adam stressed the importance of working in collaboration with one another and educating the public about this issue:

“We have to continue building this movement, we cannot be working in isolation… We cannot be piecemeal organisations trying to fix a river that flows throughout our country.”

DM/MC/OBP

From left: Janet Simpkins of Adopt-a-River and Save Our Rivers and Seas; Paul Maluleke, founding member of Alex Water Warriors; Fritz Bekker, founding member of Gariep Watch; Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN executive manager. (Photos: Supplied)

Eerste vir STAAL

Atribute to the late Jaci Farrell, an extraordinary woman who made koeksisters in faraway places.

Brandvlei. If you like the bright lights, if you like to boogie (as the old disco song goes), then pass on by. Brandvlei is the front door to the Big Nothing, the frontier lands between the Karoo and Bushmanland, where the Kalahari begins.

If you ever staged Survivor Brandvlei, your best contestants would be a Gobi desert yak driver, anApache hunter from the dry wastes of New Mexico, anAborigine tracker from the Australian Outback, aTuareg warrior from the Sahara and Leon Schuster, because you need one helluva sense of humour to survive out here.

Ou Brand’s town

Brandvlei was named after Ou Brand, one of the leading trekboers of this area between Calvinia and Kenhardt, near the Orange river And even Ou Brand didn’t stay for long around here. He would hunt a bit, graze his flocks for a short while and, keeping an eye cocked on the weather patterns, would move off to greener pastures like Loeriesfontein in the west.

Brandvlei is also where the Sak river comes to die. It rises 450km away in the Nuweveld Mountains near Beaufort West, meanders its way up here and simply expires into the Groot Vloer (Big Floor). Which is a bit like a dried-up mini-version of the Okavango Delta.

Brandvlei and environs were once the hunting grounds of the San Bushmen.Their numbers were wiped out in the ongoing wars with trekboers and other

pastoralists, but they’re still here in practically every face you see in town.

In 1929, Sir Malcolm Campbell passed this place on his way to Verneukpan to try to break the world land speed record in his Blue Bird.

Paragliders occasionally hang out here because the air is pretty thermic. Birders come here to seek out the endemic red lark.And then there are the usual suspects: backroads travel journos like us, tourists who have lost their way and people like Jaci Farrell, who always had the urge to live in places so remote that carrier pigeons, sniffer dogs and US Army drones would have to work really hard to track her down.

We met the reclusive Jaci Farrell back in September 2009, on our first visit to Brandvlei. Jaci would have fitted in perfectly with the characters of the infamous Rick’s Café Americain in Casablanca. She was a free-spirited woman of mystery who had been living in remote spots around the country for much of her adult life.

Hollywood in Brandvlei

Sometime in the mid-2000s, she relocated to Brandvlei from the West Coast, bought a little house and turned it into an art deco shrine to some of Hollywood’s long-dead movie stars. Jaci ran a coffee shop out of the house and slept in a back room – in splendid isolation. We saw her again in the spring of 2013, when we returned to her town – which some of the more witty locals call “Brand Fly”.

Jaci’s house was now the Casablanca B&B and Camping

Site. She came out to greet us and I was thrilled to see Jaci still retained the aura of an international woman of mystery She wore dark glasses and a peaked hat that half-covered her face.And she still had itchy feet.

“I’ve just come back from Luderitz,” she said, with a certain degree of longing.

Jaci’s ultimate dream is to own a fully equipped Unimog allterrain truck she can live in. “I would drive around the country and make jams from all the wild fruits in the veld.”

The koeksister queen

On her travels through the years, from dorp to dorp, Jaci Farrell used her koeksisterbaking skills to pay her way People still talk about her amazing koeksisters, which she has smoused from Hartbeespoort Dam to Hofmeyr, Paternoster to Brandvlei, which is not that far from Putsonderwater

Jaci was the queen of the “koeksister surprise”: she dipped some in Schnapps syrup, others in white chocolate. “And then I make a koeksister dipped in brandy – I call it a dronksister,” she said.

We dropped the gear off in our room in Casablanca.The walls were festooned with Elvis Presley and James Dean posters, old Coke signs and, even more remarkably, a selection of church and party dresses from the 1960s.

Ghost town in the dry country

The next morning, well before a velvet grey dawn, we drove out to find the ghost village of Onderste Dorings (Bottom Thorns) which lies on the instep of the Groot Pan (Big Pan).This is how you get there.You drive about 30km north and then turn right on the Swartvlei road and drive on for two klicks until you see the windpump on your right – and a gate on your left.Then scan the horizon for a ruin.

You could see this was once a fairly substantial settlement. Although thick walls still stood firm here and there, thorn bushes and birds had taken over the interiors and the roofs had been stripped long ago; and even though a tiny windpump dam showed signs of groundwater, the landscape was one season away from

desert.

This made it hard to believe that, nearly 150 years ago, Bishop Simon of Pella and his assistant, Brother Leon, trekked down here with a Khoikhoi retinue in the midst of a monumental flooding that left their wagon “on a little island surrounded by water as far as the eye could see”.

He added:

“The inhabitants of the district have learnt to take advantage of the river floods.They have ploughed these lands and planted them to wheat, oats, and rye. In good years, they reap thousands of bags of grain.” But that was all a long, long time ago.

Back to the Kitchen

We had to rush back to Casablanca for my wife’s first koeksister masterclass with Jaci Farrell. I was an interested behind-the-camera observer and tasting volunteer. In the kitchen, Jaci had already prepared some of her legendary pastries; we were astonished to find that one did not plait the dough together. She took two lengths, about as long as your hand, pinched them together at one end, twirled them and tossed them with the deftness that spoke of long practice. Then the twisted dough was dropped into the waiting hot oil. When it was golden, it went into the cold sugar syrup and then into a colander to drain.

The koeksisters had a lingering taste of cinnamon or nutmeg. Delicious. My wife asked for the recipe and it was as if she’d requested the guide to inhaling and exhaling:

“Just some flour and water and salt and so on.” Nothing could have been easier to Jaci, it seems.

What fascinated us was the economic set-up of a koeksister enterprise. For 30c of ingredients, you can generate a rand of turnover. Koeksisters have the additional virtue of freezing well, so they are easy to store.And who doesn’t love a koeksister, that juicy and secret budget stretcher of women all over SouthAfrica? Certainly not the patrons of Casablanca OvernightAccommodation & Camping up in Brand Fly There by the pans where the Karoo and Kalahari meet. - DM/ML

The Three Amigos wind pumps on the way to Brandvlei. Image: Chris Marais

Jaci Farrell showing Julienne du Toit the secrets of a good koeksister Image: Chris Marais

Brandvlei – low maintenance gardens and lots of space.

Image: Chris Marais

Kom Skou Saam Met Ons in Upington

28 April 2023

Ouma Mina word 95

Matjieskloof nuus - Ouma Mina het Sondag, 23 April, haar 95ste verjaarsdag gevier Gister oggend het leiers van die NCM, tesame met die Burgemeester van Nama Khoi Munisipaliteit, familie en vriende hierdie heuglike geleentheid gevier. Sy is bederf met blomme, 'n heerlike koek en ander happies. "Vir haar familie en vriende is dit 'n groot voorreg om Ouma Mina nog in ons midde te hê. Haar liefde en gebede is onontbeerlik en ons almal wens haar seën en goeie gesondheid toe vir die jare wat voorlê," sê Anita Cloete, haar dogter. Richie Cloete, NCM Voorsitter, laat sing ons almal die lied 'Bind us together, Lord.' 'n Baie mooi lied, wat diep ontroer en die hoop en liefde uitdra wat hierdie besonderse tannie uitstraal. Die NCM bid vir Ouma Mina bestes en allermooiste seëninge toe. Mag Ouma Mina altyd wees wat God oor u geroep het.