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In hierdie uitgawe...

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021 Cancer awareness walk in Swellendam

An army of Micro Frogs

A wreck struck off Cape Agulhas

Lees binne...

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Klein padda… ...groot nuus! Foto: Oliver Angus/Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA/FB

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Van die redakteur

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Photo: Cathy van Eeden

Goeiedag en welkom by ons 88ste uitgawe van ons positiewe gemeenskapskoerant OVERdeBERG. Hierdie week is daar weer heelwat nuus en gebeurlikhede om met julle almal te deel. Een van die groot stories is die ontdekking van ‘n subspesie van mikropadda in die Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA. Blaai na bladsy 9 vir die berig. Ons kuier natuurlik weer lekker saam in die kombuis op bladsy 4 en die skolenuus is soos gewoonlik weer lekker propvol. Geniet die uitgawe en baie dankie vir julle ondersteuning hier, sowel as op ons FB-blad. Dit word opreg waardeer! Bly veilig en gesond. Groetnis tot volgende week! “Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.”

Cancer Awareness Walk & Run in Swellendam What an incredible evening it was. A huge support for the Cancer Awareness run/walk.This is an emotional dedicated walk for most but a lot of fun as well. A lovely route through the trails of Swellendam to end at the Drostdy Museum. The sky participated by sending down rays of light on these special folk. Congratulations to the Drostdy Museum staff for organising such an amazing event. (More photos on page 3)

Dennis Prager

Photo: Cathy van Eeden

Photo: Cathy van Eeden 2

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Cancer Awareness Walk & Run in Swellendam

Photo: Cathy van Eeden

380 000 L dam with Rubber Sealant

The original Liquid Rubber

Click below to view

Photo: Cathy van Eeden overdeberg2020@gmail.com

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Kombuiskuier Jacques Louw

Metode: Kook die spaghetti vir 10 minute in kookwater, waarby jy ‘n knippie sout gevoeg het. Moenie die spaghetti afspoel nie – dreineer dit en plaas dit terug in pot en hou eenkant. As jy wil, roer ‘n stuk botter of margarien deur om die spaghetti los en romerig te maak. Braai die uie in ‘n bietjie olie waarby jy die lourierblare, naeltjies, kaneel, komyn en rissie voeg. Sodra die uie sag en deurskynend is, voeg die kerriepoeier, borrie, knoffel, gemmerpasta en tamatiesous by. Roerbraai tot alles lekker deurgemeng is en nie meer rou ruik nie. Voeg ‘n bietjie water by sodat die mengsel nie vasbrand nie. Voeg hdie oenderstukke by en kook tot gaar – omtrent 20 minute. Roer die joghurt by om ‘n lekker dik sous te maak. Meng die spaghetti met die hoendersous. Strooi ‘n handvol klapper oor en roer tot goed gemeng. Die klapper gee tekstuur, geur en neem die dis na ander hoogtes. Garneer die dis met vars gekapte koljander.

Spaghetti-Kerriehoender

As jy dalk ‘n heerlike resep het wat jy graag wil deel met ons al ons tuiskokke, kan jy dit stuur aan ons per e-pos en saam met twee duidelike foto’s:

Bestanddele:

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500 g spaghetti 3 – 4 hoenderborsies (in dikkerige repe gesny) 1 houer Bulgaarse joghurt handvol klapper vars koljander (gekap) Kerriesous: 2 groot uie (fyngekap) 2 lourierblare 3 naeltjies 2 stukke heel kaneel 1 teelepel komyn 1 rissie, grof gekap 1 opgehoopte lepel kerriepoeier 1 teelepel borrie 1 teelepel vars knoffel 1 teelepel gemmerpasta 2 eetlepels tamatiesous Foto’s & resepte: RSG Resepte

Geroosterde Beenmurg Bestanddele: 4 murgbene (bees of skaap) per persoon sout en peper knoffelvlokkies pietersielie (gekap) Metode: Week die opgesaagde murgbene in koue soutwater vir 12 ure – vervang die water elke 4 uur en voeg weer sout by. Verhit die oond tot 230 grade Celsius. Plaas die murgbene regop op ’n bakplaat, en sprinkel growwe sout , swartpeper, knoffelvlokkies en gekapte pietersielie oor. Bak vir ongeveer 20 mininute tot die murg begin uitborrel. Bedien dit met dik snye vars brood en ‘n groenslaai.

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

New Overberg Community projects completed Several critically important high mast lighting projects have been completed in five informal settlements in the Overberg region of the Western Cape.

The new infrastructure will provide these areas with lighting to positively impact community safety and wellbeing. Some of the high mast lights are situated close to the N2 in facility for other SAPS prevention and support programmes. the Grabouw region and lights up the road which contrib- The JDMA is a process that relies on greater collaboration between national government, provincial government, muutes to safer road and pedestrian transport. nicipalities, NGO’s and the private sector. It is a strategy that includes co-planning, co-budgeting and co-implementation between the various partners in order to positively impact the lives and livelihoods of residents. “We are proud of the achievements and want to thank our partners in this endeavour for helping us to do more,” said Bredell. Source: Overstrand Municipality/FB

This project that cost R2.23 million was funded by the provincial Department of Local Government and contributes to the achievement of the Province’s Strategic Priorities. The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell visited a number of catalytic projects across the Overberg District today. These projects form part of the Joint District and Metro Approach (JDMA) which is being coordinated by the Department of Local Government. Following the visit to Grabouw, the Minister also visited a new night shelter/safe house in Hermanus that is in the process of being completed. “This key facility will support some of the most vulnerable people in this community and can now be completed thanks to an effective JDMA collaboration effort. This collaboration includes funding of R400 000 that was secured through the District Safety Forum from the Department of Community Safety with support from the SA Police Service and the Overstrand Municipality.” Bredell noted that once operational, the facility will be able to accommodate 34 homeless people and also serve as a overdeberg2020@gmail.com

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Skolenuus uit die Overberg

Beate Uys en Zach Jooste van Laerskool Bredasdorp, het die naweek van 1 & 2 Oktober, deelgeneem aan 'n Tennis SAtoernooi in Kaapstad. 32 Spelers neem deel, en beide Beate en Zack speel in die 0/12 hoof/1ste trekking. Albei eindig ain die 4de posisie vir die dag. Baie goeie tennis, teen baie sterk kompetisie is gespeel. Zach het ook in die dubbels gespeel, maar verloor ongelukkig in die finale. Baie geluk met julle mooi prestasie en julle hare werk. Foto’s: Laerskool Bredasdorp/FB

Baie geluk aan Hoerskool Bredasdorp se John Dunn en Dian Fourie met hul eerste Cape Town Cycle Tour (Argus) op Sondag 10 Oktober. Baie geluk ook aan mnr. Retief wat sy 21ste Argus voltooi het. Voorwaar ŉ prestasie. Foto: Hoërskool Bredasdorp/FB

Jong BD-wetenskaplikes skitter

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Mnr. Ruben Lubbe en sy Hoerskool Swellendam O/15span behaal silwer medaljes by die Envar Buys Junior Rolbaltoernooi wat vroeer gedurende Oktober plaasgevind het. Foto: Hoërskool Swellendam/FB 6

Vroeer in Oktober het vyf van Hoerskool Bredasdorp se leerders die Wes-Kaap by Eksom se 41ste Wetenskap Expo, verteenwoordig. Hulle het Suid-Afrika verteenwoordig by Taiwan se Internasionale EXPO. Meer as 1000 projekte uit 9 lande het deelgeneem. Die BD's het die volgende prestasies behaal: Goud - Lulah Killinbeck, Silwer - Minke du Toit, Lohann Fourie, Juan Ferreira en Thomas Fourie. Op die foto is vlnr Thomas Fourie, Lulah Killinbeck, Lohann Fourie, Minke du Toit en Juan Ferreira. Foto: Hoërskool Bredasdorp/FB overdeberg2020@gmail.com

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Skolenuus uit die Overberg

Joaline Delport

Jana von Wielligh

Timo Zipfel

Taryn Olivier

Kayla Smith

The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is an annual exposition, or science fair, where students have a chance to show others their projects about their own scientific investigations. The learners from Hermanus High School took part and achieved wonderful results: Joaline Delport (Grade 9) received Gold for her project on Phragmites Australis – Invasive Yet Useful, in the category: Environmental Science, Jana von Wielligh (Grade 8) received “Highly Commended” for her project: Scientific research regarding the effect of different fertiliser types on plants (Category Plant Sciences), Timo Zipfel’s (Grade 8) project on Thermal versus Photo Voltaic (PV) Water Heating earned him Bronze in the Energy category, Taryn Oliver (Grade 8) received Bronze for her Water Generator System in the Earth Sciences category and Kayla Smith (Grade 8) received Bronze for her project: Does different genres of music have an effect on canine behaviour? (Category Animal Sciences). Photos: Hermanus High School/FB Laerskool Bredasdorp se Hope Swart het die volgende ontvang by die Toddler and Tween of the World Pageant 2021 waaraan sy onlangs deelgeneem het: Best Autism Project of Awareness 1st Runner-up (vir al haar Autismmaand se bedrywighede wat sy gedurende April gedoen het), Social Buzz Winner (vir die wat sy op sosiale media gedeel het) en Western Cape Ambassador 2021 (uit elke provinsie word die model gekies wat die hardste werk). Baie geluk Hope! Foto: Laerskool Bredasdorp/FB

Laerskool Bredasdorp se skoolhoof mnr. Dwain Brown (regs) en mnr. Andries de Villiers van Rola Toyota Bredasdorp. Hulle verskaf 'n motorborgskap aan ons skool en het dit volgens die ooreenkoms met ons skool, op die 27ste September hernu. Wees verseker van die waardering en dankbaarheid van almal by Laerskool Bredasdorp. Foto: Laerskool Bredasdorp/FB overdeberg2020@gmail.com

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Skolenuus uit die Overberg

Die saal van Laerskool Bredasdorp… netjies gepak volgens COVID-regulasies en reg vir die 2de konsert wat Woensdag plaasgevind het. Die 1ste konsert was vroeer die aand en baie suksesvol. Mnr. Kobus le Roux was in beheer van die klank. Foto: Kobus le Roux

Erfenisdagvieringe by De Heide Primêre Skool op Bredasdorp

Stuur jou skool se nuus en foto’s aan ons vir weeklikse publikasie by overdeberg2020@gmail.com (e-pos) of WhatsApp by 0656862204 8

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

An exciting Nuwejaars wetlands discovery

An army of Micro Frogs

A new discovery in the Nuwejaars wetlands has created much excitement for amphibian experts and conservationists alike. A new subpopulation of the Critically Endangered Micro Frog (Microbatrachella capensis) has been found in a hidden wetland in the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area.

are being cleared of invasive vegetation and rehabilitated in a project funded by WWF South Africa, with co-funding from the Overberg District Municipality, and research and monitoring is funded by the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust. According to Ross, “During our monitoring activities, we also recently found a number of populations of the Endangered Cape Platanna (Xenopus gilli) here. The Cape Platanna is also in trouble – it’s known from only four locations in the world, and is extremely sensitive to habitat change.” This was the first record of Cape Platanna on the Agulhas Plain.

The Micro Frog is a tiny species, about the size of a person’s thumbnail when it is fully grown. It was previously known from just four subpopulations between the Cape Flats and the southern tip of Africa. If you combine the total area that this amphibian species occupies in the world, it amounts to just 7km².

Photo: Oliver Angus/Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA/FB Protecting these highly irreplaceable wetlands

Photo: Oliver Angus/Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA/FB

The NWSMA is an initiative driven by local farmers and the community of Elim close to Africa’s southernmost tip, covering 47 000 hectares. Landowners have come together to protect the Nuwejaars wetlands system, considered the largest wetland system in South Africa, and threatened fynbos vegetation and wildlife that occur here. They’ve signed title deed restrictions to protect this area forever. The Nuwejaars wetlands system has been described as highly irreplaceable by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

The discoveries of these new species have also caught the eye of amphibian experts. Dr Jeanne Tarrant of the Endangered Wildlife Trust says of the Micro Frog, “As a Critically Endangered species known from just four subpopulations, and having disappeared from several previous historical This discovery appears to show a previously unknown sub- localities, this is indeed significant. It appears to represent population, making it only the fifth left in the world. It also the most inland record of the species and is thus an imseems to indicate that the Agulhas Plain is a stronghold for portant range expansion.” the species, with another subpopulation found in the neighShe says, “It’s great that the NWSMA provides an additional bouring Agulhas National Park. site where the habitat is well managed.” “An unexpected find” Source: Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA/FB/Heather D’Alton The army of around 30 individual frogs was found by University of Stellenbosch student, Oliver Angus, working with the conservation team at the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area. Oliver says, “This find was completely unexpected. We were actually searching for Cape Platanna when we found the Micro Frog. This is an awesome find for the species: this is a whole new catchment for them, and it’s a 20km range extension.” The Micro Frog is Critically Endangered due to this very small range, as well as the habitat lost or degraded within this very restricted range as a result of urbanisation, agricultural expansion and invasive alien vegetation.

NWSMA Project Manager, Ross Kettles, says there have also been other exciting discoveries in wetlands and rivers here. This is thanks to vital funders of the NWSMA: the wetlands overdeberg2020@gmail.com

Photo: Oliver Angus/Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA/FB 9

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Bredasdorp Blomskool kuier rondom die orgidieë

Bredasdorp Blomskool het Woensdag, 13 Oktober 2021, 'n orgidee- en 'staghorn'-varing-demonstrasie op die plaas van Boeta Wessels bygewoon. Die word orgidee is die naam van ‘n groep plante met 25 000 soorte en 150 000 hibriede. Die getalle word daagliks meer, daarom is dit belangrik om altyd ‘n naam of foto van jou plant. Teks: Letty-Ann Möller

Hennie van Robertson Kwekery haal, soos Cecelia Wessels van Bredasdorp Blomskool dit stel, "ons vrees vir orgidee uit". Foto: Letty-Ann Möller

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

The Strandloper Project gets going

Touch, pause, engage. The thrill of preparing to start the 10-day hike from Arniston. Fltr: Mark, Liz, Amanda, Claudio, Melinda, Peter, Jonathan and Chris. Photo: The Strandloper Project/FB

The Strandloper Project: more images from the hike...

Finally, after months of planning, on the 10th of October, the Strandloper Project coastal research team started their third expedition from Arniston. It was a mixed day with highlights of spectacular scenery, exploring the Waenhuiskrans Cave and seeing whales beyond waves offset by kilometers of washed up plastic bottles and public scraping graffiti on the walls of the cave, a national heritage site. A vital aspect of the Strandloper Project's coastal research expedition hike is to heighten public awareness to the extent of plastic pollution as well as the origins of the washed up plastic that we document along the coastline.

Liz putting the monofilament, nurdles and other micro plastics from the transect into a bottle to be carried off the beach. Photo: The Strandloper Project/FB

The digital ecosystem enables real time engagement with a widely distributed audience. In 2019 they had a high school class in an Australian School log onto our social media every morning as research for content for a semester assignment. This year the Seabridge College in Sedgefield will have its pupils log onto our daily updates on our Facebook page as part of their environmental awareness class. For in depth engagement, the pupils will pose a daily question to be answered by the research team in our video report. We welcome the challenge and look forward to sharing our findings with these and other pupils.

Source: The Strandloper Project/FB

Getting closer to Struisbaai they started recording microplastics and plastic lids. There were also lots of washed-up paw paw wrappers. Photo: The Strandloper Project/FB 12

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Adoons-hulle

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...daar doer in die Bosveld

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

Overberg COVID-19 Vaccination Weekly Update

The roving vaccination team also visited SSK in Swellendam during the week. Photo: Overberg District Municipality/FB To date a total of 145 556 vaccinations has been administered in the Overberg District this includes health workers, special groups, and people over 18. Overall, the Overberg District is doing well with the vaccination rollout, and we are happy to see that the communities are open to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, but we can do more, and we need you to play your part by coming for your vaccination. Many of our vaccination sites have a quick, slick and efficient vaccination journey in place. It is also completely free. We know time matters, which is why at most of our sites, from the time you arrive, until you leave, and including the mandatory 15-minute observation period, you will be in and out, vaccinated and protected, within 30 minutes. Over the past week the department of Health has gone above and beyond to ensure that our vulnerable are vaccinated. Our roving teams visited various farms and stores as well as local businesses. In Swellendam the department of Health recently visited Working on Fire and SSK to vaccinated some those who are unable to visit the vaccination sites. Department urges citizens not to delay taking the first vaccination to ensure they have enough time between doses to complete their vaccination by December. If you wish to fully vaccinate by Christmas, your first vaccine should be administered no later than 20 October. 14

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Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

THE SHIP THAT STRUCK A WRECK OFF CAPE AGULHAS Continued from page 16 Positions of WWII (the 1940’s) are given in LAT and LON, but in reality always found miles away. In this case, the chart PA position proved to be no more than 800m from ours. Remarkably accurate for the year 1892. From this, we could surmise that the Alcestis had motored 6nm in close to 7 hours – slightly more than 1 knot per hour. This gave us an indication of how far the Brederode could have sailed in 6.5 hours. The latter fact motivated us to take the old shipwreck position (given to us by a trawler skipper) more seriously. As it turned out, we found the Brederode (close to the location provided by the Skipper) some years later and now know that both the vessels in question sailed at about 1 knot per hour after striking, thus both covering close to 6 Nm from strike to sink. “Hindsight is an exact science”. This whole exercise taught us more than just how fast these vessels would have sailed after striking. We also came across exciting information about the position of another possible shipwreck. When reading through the Court Inquiry report of the Alcestis, the following was found: “She struck on a sunken wreck... After the ship struck, we were informed that several pieces of timber covered with barnacles and weeds were seen floating around the steamer, which led us to believe that we must have struck a sunken wreck. The spot where she struck is said to be 1½ miles from the shore”. From different positions on the ship, more or less the same observation was reported. Yves Gelin, seaman at the wheel, could not see what they had struck, but saw planking and observed the water to be discoloured all around. Carpenter Charles Smith saw the floating timbers also recognised by the others. Mr Greenhorn, the first engineer stated, “I was on the upper platform when the ship struck taking the usual look around. The ship seemed as though she had fallen on something, it gave a shock to the ship and shook her, where I stood she appeared to fall down with a dull thud”. Captain Duff again declared, “I saw some wreckage coming to the surface some 2 min after she struck. There were 2 large pieces and several small ones covered with barnacles and weeds, the largest piece would be about 4ft”.

In next week’s issue… Ups and Downs of finding a treasure wreck...

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What ship could it be? Not many have been reported to have sunk in this area before 1892. We never got around to surveying the area in question, so this leaves another mystery to be solved. Exciting times?

JIMMY HERBERT Retired lecturer: Stellenbosch University (1977-2013) Writer & Specialist in Maritime History and Archaeology overdeberg2020@gmail.com

History of the Overberg Jimmy Herbert

Vrydag 15 Oktober 2021

...above and below the waves

THE SHIP THAT STRUCK A WRECK OFF CAPE AGULHAS

they could not rescue …”. The latter are presumed to have gone down with the ship. Two of the essential facts were that the vessel struck a reef off Cape Agulhas and sank 6.5 hours Who would expect a ship to be wrecked because it after hitting. We had researched another ship that struck a struck a sunken ship structure from yesteryear? Imag- rock off Agulhas and sunk 7 hours later – Alcestis (1892). The ine this author's surprise when, quite by chance, stum- question was, “how far could such a vessel drift/sail in 6.5 to bling onto exactly such a recorded happening. 7 hours?”. In 1988, Aqua Exploration and Agulhas Exploration were jointly pulling out all the stops in an attempt to find the wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman, Brederode (1785). According to the Dutch records, the homeward bound Brederode, returning from China, was commanded by the skipper Godliep Mulder.

All were of the opinion that the position of the Alcestis (1892) would provide us with a good estimate. According to the historical record, the latter vessel struck two miles west of the lighthouse, backed off the obstruction, turned the ship around and headed back towards Cape Town but sank some seven hours later. The position of the sinking was given with the lighthouse as the bearing, S.E by E ¾ at a distance of about 8 miles magnetic. This position has been placed on all Navy charts ever since with the letters “PA” (position approximate) and a wreck sign.

On arriving at the Cape, he gave the following particulars, “… on the 4th of May he had land in sight and was 5½ miles from the southern corner of Cape Agulhas when they sounded and found 50 fathoms (91m) upon soft and uncertain ground, and the wind was East and Southerly. It was a fair and declining wind that they proceeded with small sails to reach towards West by South … with the 3rd glass (21h30) in the first watch they were about 2½ miles from the shore … they then set about to get closer to the wind and further out to sea and reached for the power of more sails until … on the 5th glass (22h30) the ship struck notwithstanding that everybody had kept a good lookout and could see neither breakers or any breaking of the sea at all … the rudder was immediately lost, and speedily there were 6 feet of water in the hold … they tried to keep the vessel sailing with 3 pumps, yet the water was increasing strongly … they also tried to get the ships head towards the shore too, if possible, set the ship upon a good beach so that they could later take some cargo off, but the boat remained to lie with its head to the south while the water kept rising so at about 5 o'clock [2 bells] they decided to leave the vessel. The 'skuit' and the 'boot' were set overboard carrying 87 of the crew apart from 12 more whom 16

To check how accurate this given position was, we decided to find the wreck and compare reality with records. On the first sweep over the PA position, no reading was observed. With Andre Harman behind the wheel, this author behind the then state of the art magnetometer (MAG - apparatus used to find shipwrecks), and Jerry Buirski making sandwiches "with everything on" (peanut butter, jam and cheese), the second sweep (survey line) was done – again with no significant MAG reading. On the third line of the block, we found the wreck, pinpointed the position, checked out the area with our modern colour echo sounder, and eventually anchored above the wreckage. Jerry was first to go down underwater making history as the first human to visit the site since 1892 – no less than 96 years later. What was found was a steel wreck lying at a depth of 42m to 48m, totally collapsed but very localised. Four ribs were observed sticking upward about 4-5m and seen from afar in perfect visibility, with plenty of shards from earthen-ware pots and jars, big fish, flat reef bottom, some wood sleepers, a lot of coagulated lumps of paint with the metal containers rusted away, and a number of earthenware ink-bottles in perfect condition. Continued on page 15 overdeberg2020@gmail.com