TygerBurger Brackenfell Bladsy 14
Nuus/News
Woensdag 1 Februarie 2012
The worst road in the country There are times to be grateful that we live in the Western Cape. I say this because I have just returned from a holiday in the Eastern Cape and an encounter with what must surely be the worst road in South Africa, a road so bad that the local farmers have taken to driving in the veld alongside the road! The road in question links the little towns of Adelaide and Tarkastad. It used to have a good gravel surface but it has now disintegrated into a rocky ridge with corrugations so deep that no city car can venture onto it without having its bottom scraped. So city cars, too, turn off the road and drive in the veld. All this has prompted the local farmers to consider reverting to horses. Trouble is most of the horses available today are such pampered creatures that they would expect to be taken to town in horse boxes pulled by Land Rovers. When I was in the area the farmers were all watching the Dakar rally on TV in the hope of learning useful new driving techniques. But at the end of it all there was a collective shake of the head and a suggestion that the Dakar drivers should visit Adelaide to learn from them. Just how the road got so bad can be explained in one word – neglect. The local powers that be have very little regard for farmers.
And they understand that farmers don’t have to attend important meetings in Bisho. Farmers should stay on their farms and farm! But things are not going well in the Eastern Cape and many farmers have had to send their wives out to work so they need the roads. To make this possible they use tracks alongside the ruins of the road. Every now and then the track is diverted onto the rocky ruin to avoid a ditch or to cross over to the other side where the veld in the road reserve may be a little flatter. There is no prospect of tarring the road. All the available asphalt is needed to fill the potholes on more important roads. They also use asphalt to create rough strips on roads approaching a stop sign or junction. This has become necessary because standard road signage no longer has the desired effect and it has become necessary to shake up cars and wake the drivers. One solution might be to go back to cement strip roads. But if one is progressing into the past it might be better to go back a little further and try wagons again. Think of all the jobs it would create. One person to lead the oxen, one or two to walk alongside cracking the whips and another seated on the wakis to give the orders. In the Eastern Cape, the future is not what it used to be.
Highway to Jerusalem The Messianic Testimony Cape Town is having its annual conference on Saturday 11 February. Go listen to three renowned speakers: Dr Sam Gordon, Leigh Telli and Baruch Maayan on the subject of Israel and the Middle East, including Africa’s part in the “highway”
between Cape Town and Jerusalem. The conference will start at 08:45 for 09:00 until 13:00 at the Powerhouse Ministries, Pasita Park, 1 Pasita Street, Rosenpark, Bellville. Those attending need to confirm, for tea and coffee purposes. Phone Leigh Telli 082 828 8073.
Hard aan’t sing: Hoërskool Bellville was Vrydag 27 Januarie die gasheerskool van die Norman Hauzeruit nodigingsatletiekbyeenkoms waaraan die Hoër Jongenskool Paarl, Hoër Meisieskool Paarl, Hoërskool Bredas dorp en Strand deelgeneem het. Dié byeenkoms val saam met die skool se 75ste verjaardag. Die byeenkoms is vernoem na Norman Hauzer, vir etlike jare atletiekorganiseerder by die skool en ’n man wat Bellville tot groot hoogtes gelei het. Norman was die eregas by die byeenkoms. Hier is Bellville se leerlinge kliphard aan die sing. Foto: Carina Roux
Dié skool visse swem ver Toe die graad agt-leerders onlangs by Hoërskool Stellenberg se hekke instap, het ’n taai week vir hulle voorgelê, maar dit het ook ’n goeie dosis pret en plesier ingesluit. Die tema vir die oriëntasie vir vanjaar was visse – wat in die groot see Stellenberg toe geswem het. Die doel van die oriëntasie was om ’n uiteenlopende graadgroep van verskillende laerskole te verenig. “Hoogtepunte was die waatlemoenfees, deurnag en waterdag,” het ’n groepie graad agts saamgestem. Maandag 16 Januarie het hulle vir oulaas hul graad 8-liedjie vir die matrieks gesing, waarna hulle hul Stellenberg-baadjies aangetrek het. “Jy voel trots om deel te wees van Stellenberg,” was die graad agts dit eens. “Kom ons hoop dié skool visse swem heerlik vir die volgende vyf jaar,” sê Chrisjan Wust, lid van Hoërskool Stellenberg se studenteraad.
’n Skool Stellenbergvisse op parade.
Man praat oor sy lewe ná ontploffing Die Reik na Herstel-borskankerondersteuningsgroep se eerste byeenkoms van die jaar vind op Woensdag 15 Februarie om 10:00 by die Bellville-biblioteek plaas.
Bruce Walsh is die spreker en sal praat oor sy lewe ná die Planet Hollywood-bomontploffing. Vir meer besonderhede, bel Elsabe by 084 703 7994.
Frikkie van Tiddens (regs), agterkleinseun van die Van Tiddensstamvader, by die WesKaapse Van Tiddense by hul familiesaamtrek.
Van Tiddense nou 130 jaar in SA Just cruisin’: Pat and Colin Bester from Kenridge recently celebra ted their 70th cruise with MSC Starlight Cruises, by sailing on the MSC Melody from Cape Town to Durban. Their most memorable crui ses are on the MSC Rhapsody. Colin just loves being at sea and will be cruising again soon!
Die Van Tiddens-familie het einde verlede jaar ’n familiesaamtrek by Stellenbosch gehou om die koms van hul stamvader 130 jaar gelede na Suid-Afrika te vier. Frikkie van Tiddens van Welgele-
gen is ’n agterkleinseun van Harm van Tiddens wat as 20-jarige uit die noorde van Nederland na Suid-Afrika gekom en hom in Piketberg en later in Kenhardt gevestig het. Volgens Frikkie woon die meeste
Van Tiddense steeds in die Boesmanland in die Noord-Kaap in die Kakamas- en die Pofadder-omgewing. Die Wes-Kaapse Van Tiddense het die saamtrek bygewoon.