The Wild Coast Tatler January 2018

HARD DRUGS HIT KEI MOUTH

OUT AND ABOUT IN MAZEPPA BAY

JESSE CLEGG ROCKS MORGAN BAY!

Where is it coming from and going to?

The perfect little road trip with dogs in tow

Hotel packed for dazzling performance

PAGE

3

WILD COAST

Tatler GONUBIE

PAGE 12

PAGE 11

We know where you live.

HOGSBACK

CHINTSA

HAGA HAGA

MORGAN BAY

JANUARY 2018

KEI MOUTH

THE CENTENARY 2018

FREE

MTHATHA

KOMGA

WILD COAST

The legacy of an international legend This year marks a major milestone in the incredible story of Nelson Mandela — the centenary of his birth. The Foundation plans to honour his legacy by building a base towards the future and working towards building the South Africa its founder dreamed of.

by M d’Orleans

M EDITOR Aly Verbaan CONTACT 060 700 0542 aly@thegreatkeitatler.co.za

ADVERTISING Duane Botha CONTACT 063 743 9463 ads@thegreatkeitatler.co.za

The Wild Coast Tatler is looking to employ a newspaper layout and retouch artist who is proficient in InDesign and Photoshop.

Must be familiar with print settings. Graphic and web design would be an advantage, as would photography. We will pay per job completed, not per hour.

Remuneration to be discussed with viable candidates. Please send your CV to alyverbaan@icloud.com if you are interested in this position.

The media’s work is guided at all times by the public interest, understood to describe information of legitimate interest or importance to citizens. As journalists we commit ourselves to the highest standards, to maintain credibility and keep the trust of the public. This means always striving for truth, avoiding unnecessary harm, reflecting a multiplicity of voices in our coverage of events, showing a special concern for children and other vulnerable groups, exhibiting sensitivity to the cultural customs of our readers and the subjects of our reportage, and acting independently. Should you feel that we are not living up to these standards or are compromising these ethics, feel free to contact the press ombudsman and lodge a complaint. We welcome all feedback.

adiba stood for many things. He stood for freedom, democracy, human rights, humility and peace, and believed strongly in the power of education. He believed we should all serve others. He fiercely fought racism, oppression and poverty.

He loved children. He was my hero.

Recently I read a heartbreaking story, an unthinkable story: Children in Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounding areas are literally starving to death. Yes, starving to death from severe malnutrition. They are taken to hospital but usually die within days. Adults are so desperate for food they are assaulting each other. Parents are begging for food at their children’s schools. If this is happening in the Eastern Cape, what is happening in the other provinces of South Africa, I wondered. And I wonder what Madiba would say.

As the centenary of his birth approaches, I miss Tata, I celebrate his life... but I am sad. How would things have been if Mandela was 50 years old now and still president? What would have happened if apartheid had ended far earlier? If Mandela had not spent 27 years in jail? What could we have done differently? And would kids be starving to death in the Eastern Cape?

How can we fight tragedies like this, and how can we celebrate our legend’s life proactively and live his legacy?

Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in the village of Mvezo, Transkei, on 18 July, 1918. His primary school teacher named him Nelson as his “Christian” name. Aptly enough — at least to the National Party — Rolihlahla means “pulling the branch of a tree”, but colloquially it means “troublemaker”.

Defying the odds, he formed South Africa’s first black law firm with Oliver Tambo in 1953.

Mandela joined the African National Congress in 1944 when he helped form the ANC Youth League (ANCYL).

In June 1961 he was asked to lead the armed Struggle and helped to establish Umkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation).

On 9 October, 1963, Mandela joined 10 others on trial for sabotage in the infamous Rivonia Trial. While facing the death penalty his words to the court at the end of his famous “Speech from the Dock” on 20 April, 1964, became immortalised: “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

On 11 June, 1964, Mandela and seven other accused, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Denis Goldberg, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni, were found guilty of sabotage, and the next day were sentenced to life imprisonment. Goldberg was sent to Pretoria Prison because he was white, while the others went to Robben Island. Mandela was released from Victor Verster prison on Sunday, 11 February 1990, nine days after the unbanning of the ANC and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

Mandela made history by becoming South Africa’s first black democratically elected president. As leader of the ANC, he was inaugurated on 10 May, 1994. Mandela stepped down in 1999 after one term. He continued to work with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, which he set up in 1995, and established the Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation. The Foundation was established by Mandela to secure his legacy and to promote peace, democracy and human rights. The Foundation is also the custodian of Mandela’s archives and has a Centre of Memory in Johannesburg.

Board member Nikiwe Bikitsha said: “We will continue the legacy of Mandela through a number of initiatives, projects and events, and strive to complete some of his unfinished dreams.

Last year, leading up to the centenary year, we shared with the world Mandela’s memory. We worked to broaden and deepen knowledge about Mandela and his work, support key projects in the fields of education and community outreach, and convene dialogues, particularly around the future we seek to build.”

On 13 February, 2017, the Nelson Mandela Foundation unveiled “Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018 Be the Legacy”, a twoyear programme to honour its founder, Madiba. He would have turned 100 on 18 July, 2018.

Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95 on 5 December, 2013.

He was remembered across the country in various ways and laid to rest at his Qunu ancestral home.

Foundation Chief Executive Sello Hatang said the centenary programme must inspire a values-based society: “The Foundation wants the values of integrity, passion, respect, service, transformation and transparency to be the pillars of society.

“These are the values we as the Foundation live by and we should transfer [them] to our daily lives if we are to make a meaningful contribution to society,” said Hatang.

• A book project called Letters to Madiba, in which primary school children are invited to submit their letters to Nelson Mandela, was also announced at the event. The book will be published this year.

With the Mandela Centenary this year, the Wild Coast Tatler asked a wide range of people of all races and ages the big question: What does it mean to you?

(A number of interviewees did not want to give their surnames.)

What’s there not to say about Mandela! He’s a world icon, firstly, not just in SA. He’s left an impact on the world itself. He’s inspired a lot of future leaders and has definitely left a legacy behind. He made this country a democracy, brought in different cultures through the freedom he fought for. He’s in the history books for all of time.

— Aiden

He’s set a legacy in place. We haven’t fulfilled his legacy, but we’ve got the grassroots there, and being the melting pot that we are, we are still working out the recipe... and to me it’s positive. I live in Australia, but Africa is my home and we tell Australians to come here because it will always be our home and we come back every year.

— Debra

When my sister went to Mecca, she had the black cloak and scarf on to go to the holy land. Mandela was at a distance and he came to her and said: “What nationality are you, because I want to welcome you here.”

She said: “I’m a South African.” She was so happy she wanted to give him a hug. He showed that he accepted everyone from everywhere.

And that was so sweet of him, he’s such a soft, kind-hearted person, he loved everyone no matter what.

— Faghma The Centenary means a lot to me. Mandela tried to unite us... all our colours and cultures. He stood for unity and the Rainbow Nation. He was everything to the people, whether black, white, Indian, or coloured because he was not the president of the black people — he was a leader of all of us in SA, even the world!

— Nicolas Xam

I think he’s left a great legacy behind. If only people here could carry on living it. Our politicians and councillors would do well to try to live up to the standard set by Madiba, because at the moment most of them are failing us, the people.

— Carmen

I don’t get it. He made as if the white people have money... we are suffering. Everyone thinks we have money but everybody is suffering. The white people, the black people, the coloured people. He did nothing good for the country. He was a terrorist who tried to bomb parliament.

— Storm Hendricks

This country has changed. The kids are smoking, taking drugs. They don’t respect their mothers. They look like street kids but their homes are rich. Mandela, if he was still alive, he would save those kids... he was the one who was fighting for the children.

— Zoleka Sentiwe

Mandela was a good guy, a good father, Father of the Nation. Everybody loved him. He did so much. If only Mandela was still here... he was the guy fighting for the people. That’s why SA is called the Rainbow Nation. He fought for us all — black, white and coloured, doesn’t matter, we were one. If Mandela was still alive I know SA would still be one, but now we are drifting apart because the people who are in charge now... in Parliament, the things that are happening, it’s not right, no respect.

While Mandela was still alive SA was still one Rainbow Nation.

— Asipho Nqayi

It is a sad thing. I wish he was still alive — he was everything to us.

We got things we never had before. We got grants, RDP houses. The time I was growing up, before he was president, we stayed in a shack.

Now we have an RDP house. So he did make a difference. Maybe if he was still alive things could get even better. We lost a hero. He fought for us. We know he suffered for us, even though we were not born yet. If he was still alive it would be better now... people are fighting like children, even in Parliament you would never hit someone if the president is talking. How can you say to the president of the country: “Shut up, why are you laughing.” But even if they change presidents and Zuma is gone, it will be the same thing. They’re going to hate that president — there’s no respect. This thing is not about whether you are black or white. When the fat cats have the money in their pockets they only think about themselves. If Mandela was still alive maybe it would be better but now things are getting worse. They don’t care about us.

— Phelokazi Rode

If Mandela was still alive I think it would be a better life, but now Mandela is gone, it’s difficult. I don’t know who’s going to make things nice in the country. My country is not free; no, people are not free. You can see there’s too much crime, too much corruption. But if Mandela was still alive, everyone would be free.

— Goodman

Nelson Mandela was a truly incredible man, who, in my opinion, saved this country from not only civil war but, to a larger extent, the civil depravities which the country found itself wrapped up in. He gave us a shining example of what we could accomplish as a unified nation, and just how unlimited our potential is.

— Michael Gillham

JANUARY 2018

3

NEWS

Kei Mouth drug rumours causing friction and strife ALLEGATIONS ABOUT DRUG USING AND DEALING HAVE BAR OWNERS CONCERNED

a reliability rate of more than 80 percent. With one of the best instruments available, the correct questioning technique and a well-trained, experienced examiner, results of up to 98 percent can be achieved.”

But across the road from The Bushpig, The Green Lantern Kei Mouth’s owner, Tracey Hoffmann declined to have her staff tested: “I have nothing to hide.

I’m not having people come here and interrogating my workers. I know what my staff are up to. It would be like a smack in the face to tell them I don’t trust them after all they have done, and do, for me.

“Where there’s smoke there’s fire. There’s no smoke in my kitchen. I trust my staff implicitly — I have employed them now for five years without any trouble.”

On the nightclub scene, says Tracey: “I know who all the Kei Mouth kids are and what they’re up to. Kids experiment — we all know that — but they are not dealers or addicts.”

However, two young women known to Tracey were banned from both The Bushpig and The Shed after a spat between the staff of The Bushpig and the young women got physical.

The drug suppliers are thought to be from Cwili, although it is not known where they get their

cache from — or even what exactly is being traded at this stage, although the GKT can confirm that cocaine and tik (crystal methamphetamine) are amongst them.

Local police’s hands seem to be tied. They’ve heard the allegations, but seem unable to substantiate them or get the situation under control.

Belinda and Tracey agree on one thing: the police aren’t doing their bit to curb drug dealing. Belinda says she has called the police on several occasions, but nothing came of that. “So, for my own peace of mind, I insisted on staff taking the polyI isn’t 100 percent graph test. Ut accurate, but it’s pretty close.

I’m happy with the results and I hope these rumourmongers move on to their next target.”

According to the South African Secret Service Agency, the accuracy of polygraph testing has long been controversial. An underlying problem is theoretical: there is no evidence that any pattern of physiological reactions is unique to deception. An honest person may be nervous when answering truthfully and a dishonest person may be calm.

A reason that polygraph tests may appear to be accurate is that subjects who believe that the test works and that lies can be detected may confess or will be very anxious when questioned. If this view is correct, the lie detector might be better called a fear detector.

Further evidence will always be needed in addition to polygraph results, which will only ever be regarded by the courts as supporting other evidence of misconduct — a failed polygraph test is not enough on its own to justify dismissal.

The

SECOND NATURE

by Aly Aly Verbaan by Verbaan

n the midst of the holidays a spat between several establishments in Kei Mouth has erupted, with rumours abounding and much finger pointing, but very little is being done to investigate these allegations.

It is believed that hard drugs are being dealt in in Cwili Village and Kei Mouth, encompassing cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and even harder drugs like heroin and mandrax.

One particular establishment seems to be suffering the brunt of these rumours, and that is The Bushpig Events Bar. Says owner Belinda Johannessen: “I’m not sure where these rumours originate, but The Bushpig is a family venue and we do not tolerate drug taking on our premises. Obviously we can’t stop people doing drugs before or after they come to The Bushpig, but I can control what they do in my establishment.

“We watch the toilets where people sometimes go in twos and threes to snort cocaine or maybe take meth. We watch them go in and out and time how long they were in there for.

Elsewhere in the pub, we have cameras everywhere.”

So desperate did Belinda become to silence these accusations of her staff taking and/or dealing drugs that she called in a private investigator with a polygraph machine to test the honesty of her staff. All passed the test. Nonetheless, the accusations contunue.

Says Belinda: “I wasn’t asked to test my staff — I did it for my own peace of mind, and every one of my staff were clean.”

On their own, polygraph test results are not sufficient evidence of guilt in South African courts. Similarly, in most European jurisdictions polygraph tests are not considered reliable evidence and are not generally used by police forces. Polygraph results however remain popular as forensic tools in criminal investigations and are extensively used in security agencies (like the CIA and South Africa’s State Security Agency).

Coen Pretorius, MD of Polygraph SA and a former national intelligence polygraph expert, told the GKT that there is currently nothing available to mankind with which the spoken truth can be established that is more reliable: “In the past 40 years more than 250 studies have been conducted by research institutions worldwide,

I

HEART PALPITATING? A man undergoes a polygraph test in his workplace.

Green Lantern Restaurant & Bar

Kei Mouth Cell: 078 422 8118 Landline: 043 84 11496

We go out on a limb for you

palm shaping • tree felling alien vegetation removal stump removal • site clearing

Contact Duane Botha 063 743 9463

LUCKY Endinako Himbana (9) narrowly missed being seriously injured by a vehicle on the Morgan Bay main road.

Photo by Aly Verbaan

Narrow escape for young Ngxara boy

by Aly Verbaan

close shave with a speeding vehicle on the main road past Ngxarha Village left a nine-year-old boy shocked and in tears, as well as many of the bystanders, when his foot was skinned to the bone.

Endinako Himbana (9) was crossing the road from the veld to the village when he narrowly escaped a much more serious injury. The driver of the vehicle went to the Kei Mouth SAPS to report the incident.

It is common knowledge that this particular stretch of road has seen numerous collisions, both with people and animals,

A

and the Ngxarha Village feels it is time to put some speed reducing measures in place.

The problem is threefold: one, cars speed into Morgan Bay on the main road; two, youngsters are not educated as to road safety; and thirdly, the shacks have been allowed to be built far too close to the road.

Ideally, one or two speed humps and/or a stop street at the intersection at Ngxhara should be implemented, as well as road sign warnings, as have been done in Kei Mouth.

Speaking to Municpal Manager Mzimasi Mtalo), it was agreed that such measures should be looked at as soon as is feasible.

MAYORAL VISIT GKM Mayor Loyiso Tshetsha joined Amos Mzimeli of the Soto Disability Centre at its Christmas party on Wednesday, 6 December, where some 50 members were treated to a traditional feast and entertainment.

HOME-COOKED MEALS MONDAY TO THURSDAY. SUNDAY LUNCH EVERY SECOND AND FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH.

Booking essential. Phone: 082 487 8324 or Whatsapp.

Address: KMF5 Farm, on the R349, +/- 1km after Morgan Bay turn-off.

4

JANUARY 2018

ENVIRONMENT

Hake has had its chips IS OUR BIGGEST CATCH — HAKE — TO BE BEEN GIVEN A SASSI ORANGE RATING? onsumers who ease their consciences by eating hake instead of endangered, fish species need to think again. Fishing industry experts warn that unless drastic action is taken hake will soon be the size of a sardine—if you can find it at all.

Over-exploitation of hake, mostly by fishing trawlers, has seen catch rates reduced by about 30 percent in recent years. The average size of the fish being caught has almost halved.

Hake is the country’s most valuable fish resource, earning up to R3bn a year.

The South African hake fishery was the first in the world to receive international eco-friendly accreditation.

Barely two years after the industry was awarded the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable fisheries, however, scientists and fishers are warning that hake resources are in serious decline.

There have even been calls for the MSC accreditation to be revised.

“Tons of ‘baby hake’, fresh or frozen and ‘coated in expertly seasoned batter’, are increasingly appearing on the refrigerated shelves of supermarket chains.

“On average these fish weigh no more than 120g and are not much larger than a decent-sized sardine,” said an industry insider who did not want to be named.

“Part of the problem is that transformation of the industry has seen fishing rights extended to more players. While

C

by Fiona Macleod

43 trawlers were registered to catch hake in 1999, more than 200 are registered this year.

The amount of fish each trawler is allowed to catch has reduced accordingly, tempting some trawlers to over-fish and to dump dead tiddlers back into the sea.

One expert estimated that up to twothirds of the hake caught is being thrown back.

“Dumping is illegal, but the bigger the fish, the greater the profit,” said a consultant in the industry. “Local fresh hake buyers have noted a decrease in the size of hake coming off the boats from 4kg or 5kg to 2kg or 3kg.”

Trawlers account for 90 percent of the hake catch. Deep-sea trawlers say longline operators are causing the decline by catching hake breeding stock,

while longliners blame the trawlers for forcing them into the fish’s spawning grounds.

As a result of the increase in operators since 1994, total allowable catch (TAC) rates for hake were permitted to rise from about 135 000 tons a year in 1993 to 166 000 tons by 2001. Operators started noticing smaller fish and decreasing catches after 2000.

Solly Kganyago, spokesperson for the government’s Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) branch, said it had reduced the TAC in recent years in response to concerns about the declines.

Last year’s TAC was cut from 161 000 to 158 000 tons, “pending the development of a new operational management procedure to provide future scientific recommendations.

Critics say this is too little, too late. They point to drastic action taken in February

by Namibia’s Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Abraham Iyambo, in response to similar concerns about the Namibian hake industry.

Iyambo closed the hake fishing season for two months and cut the TAC by 40 000 tons—to below 140 000 tons—until the average size of hake had improved significantly Hake is big business in South Africa, comprising at least 50 percent of the fishing industry. The biggest and best fish are exported to countries such as Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Australia and the United States.

Sharon Mattinson, spokesperson for I&J, one of the two biggest players in the hake industry, expressed concern about the “pressures” on hake resources. “We believe the resource is not performing economically,” she said.

Since 2004 the MSC eco-label has been displayed on most South African hake export products, providing a stamp of sustainable management.

It is not often seen on local products, however.

South African hake has not yet been placed on the orange Sassi list of sustainable fish dishes recommended by the newly launched Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative, which aims to encourage eco-friendly consumer behaviour.

Contact Wendy for all your weekend or holiday accommodation in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GREAT KEI TATLER, PLEASE CONTACT DUANE ON 063 743 9463 OR EMAIL ADS@THEGREATKEI TATLER.CO.ZA wendy@keimouth.co.za or visit www.keimouthaccommodation.co.za 072 541 3087 wendy@keimouth.co.za

JANUARY 2018

5

NEWS

Dolerite mine fracas continues unabated A NEW HOTEL ON THE CARDS FOR KEI MOUTH, OR IS JUST EMPTY WORDS AND BROKEN PROMISES?

by Aly Verbaan

THE BUCK STOPS with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). That’s the long and the short of the continuing debacle regarding the proposed Kei Mouth dolerite mine. The DMR is currently closed for Christmas and New Year, and questions thus far have remained unanswered.

At a site meeting held on Thursday, 30 November, facilitated by Mayor Loyiso Tshetsha.

Despite being given notice of the meeting some three weeks in advance, some Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs) nonetheless expressed displeasure at the municipality’s veto to hold the meeting on Monday, 18 December.

A request for the meeting to be shifted to 18 December was turned down by Stellenryck Environmental Services, which is conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Natalie Sharp of Stellenryk explained to the Wild Coast Tatler (WCT) that that date was prohibited by law: “There’s a period from 15 December to 5 January where no meetings or consultations are permitted. This is according to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). It is not up to Stellenryk to deviate from NEMA’s ruling as a governmental agency.”

The meeting was attended by the Stellenryck crew, the applicant Foster Sikolobo, sole member of Lolo and Lolo Development Services CC, and a number of community members both black and white.

According to the mayor, only five people at a time could ask questions, while Jan van As of Stellenryck said he was not prepared to discuss details that had already been raised in the EIA as that had been captured in the scoping process, which Stellenryk is now working on.

Van As reiterated that whether the mine gets the nod is not up to Stellenryk: “We only do the EIA — no one can give the go ahead except the DMR.” It was added that the proposed quarry would only operate one to two months of the year. “Its size is simply too small to run year-round,” said Van As. When pressed as to what the dolerite was going to be used for, Sikolobo declined to answer at first, although it later came to light that Sikolobo proposes to develop a R150M hotel on the Kei Mouth beachfront.

If this is indeed the case, it would seem to throw a spanner of sorts into the works, as many are opposed to the dolerite mine (or the position thereof ) but most would be in favour of such a hotel.

It therefore appears that Sikolobo is possibly in the pro-

cess of buying the site or will have a share in it.

A dolerite mine would additionally have some other spin-offs, in that the municipality could use excess dolerite for roads and houses, while a hotel would lead to substantial job creation, but not necessarily local, and certainly on a very small scale.

Research on Windeed, South Africa’s leading online search tool for individual, company and property information, a hotel site was turned down for many years by DMR, but is still registered under the same owner, with an endorsement related to Sikolobo for R650 000.

While both Tshetsha and Sikolobo confirmed they had been in touch with all relevant communities regarding the mine.

Regarding concerns about dust and noise from the mine, Natalie Sharp (BSc. 2000 Botany & Zoology; BSc Hons 2001 (Limnology); MSc. 2003 (Environmental Management 2003 — Biomonitoring) of Stellenryk said the dust would be no more than a car driving along a dirt road, and that the noise would not be audible in either Morgan Bay of Kei Mouth as no electricity will be used. The proponent will use diesel.

Asked whether they had looked at other sites for the mine, Sharp confirmed that they

had, and were, still looking at other possibilities, which will be taken into consideration as they work through the draft EIA. Several farms were postulated

by Stellenryk at the beginning of the process, but they were unable to gain entry to John Jeffries’ farm, while the Saint family were in no way amenable to a mine on their farm. David Miles has offered his land, and, according to a geologist it could be promising, but cannot comment further at this stage, other than Stellenryk claimed the dolerite in the other sites it had examined was weathered and not of the same quality as it is in the area they are proposing.

A member of the meeting asked whether Stellenryk had measured the distance from the proposed mine to the high tide water mark on the lagoon. Stellenryck experts said they hadn’t but would be doing so as it was an issue raised in the EIA and would subsequently be reported in the scoping report.

In terms of water, the developer will get it from the old mine from 1980 which currently supplies water to the local cattle, wild animals, buck, aardvark, warthogs, birds of many species, to name a few. Sharp responded that a plan has been made to pump water into a reservoir and that she was of the opinion that the water would be sufficient for all, given the area’s high rainfall

rate and the fact that the reservoir would not be enclosed.

No one could say what or how many jobs would be created by the mine. The mayor seemed to think there would be many spin-offs but declined to define numbers.

According to Sharp, local people would be trained in skilled labour, but reiterated that Stellenryk’s mandate was not to establish job creation, nor to ascertain what the developer would do with the dolerite, but simply to determine whether the site was environmentally feasible. Sharp also pointed out that Sikolobo was not the only developer interested in the site and the development of a hotel.

A big thorn in the community’s side is why the existing mine for which the proponent had a permit was never rehabilitated.

Sikolobo said the DMR was holding back the money that he had to pay in initially so he can’t.

However, the money Sikolobo paid to the DMR is meant to be used for just such rehabilitation.

This is where the DMR finds its head on a block — it requires down-payment from applicants precisely so that if he doesn’t rehabilitate the site, the DMR will do so. The process of the scoping report will continue this year.

More comment was not forthcoming from the DMR, as the offices shut down for December.

The WCT will investigate further.

THE WEEKENDER SPECIAL!

Tel: 043 738 5000 • Email: info@crawfordsbeachlodge.co.za *MOST POPULAR* Mussel Cracker — R975pp/per night sharing Kingfisher — R1075 pp/per night sharing Dolphin — R1275 pp/per night sharing

caressa@kexingas.co.za • 043 555 0555• Park Valley Schafli Road • East Coast

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GREAT KEI TATLER CONTACT DUANE ON 063 743 9463 OR EMAIL HIM AT ADS@ THEGREATKEITATLER.CO.ZA

*ALL-IN WEEKENDER PACKAGE* Mussel Cracker — R1225pp/per night sharing Kingfisher — R1325 pp/per night sharing Dolphin — R1525 pp/per night sharing All local drinks and house wines FREE

JANUARY 2018

5

NEWS

Dolerite mine fracas continues unabated A NEW HOTEL ON THE CARDS FOR KEI MOUTH, OR IS JUST EMPTY WORDS AND BROKEN PROMISES?

by Aly Verbaan

THE BUCK STOPS with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). That’s the long and the short of the continuing debacle regarding the proposed Kei Mouth dolerite mine. The DMR is currently closed for Christmas and New Year, and questions thus far have remained unanswered.

At a site meeting held on Thursday, 30 November, facilitated by Mayor Loyiso Tshetsha.

Despite being given notice of the meeting some three weeks in advance, some Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs) nonetheless expressed displeasure at the municipality’s veto to hold the meeting on Monday, 18 December.

A request for the meeting to be shifted to 18 December was turned down by Stellenryck Environmental Services, which is conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Natalie Sharp of Stellenryk explained to the Wild Coast Tatler (WCT) that that date was prohibited by law: “There’s a period from 15 December to 5 January where no meetings or consultations are permitted. This is according to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). It is not up to Stellenryk to deviate from NEMA’s ruling as a governmental agency.”

The meeting was attended by the Stellenryck crew, the applicant Foster Sikolobo, sole member of Lolo and Lolo Development Services CC, and a number of community members both black and white.

According to the mayor, only five people at a time could ask questions, while Jan van As of Stellenryck said he was not prepared to discuss details that had already been raised in the EIA as that had been captured in the scoping process, which Stellenryk is now working on.

Van As reiterated that whether the mine gets the nod is not up to Stellenryk: “We only do the EIA — no one can give the go ahead except the DMR.” It was added that the proposed quarry would only operate one to two months of the year. “Its size is simply too small to run year-round,” said Van As. When pressed as to what the dolerite was going to be used for, Sikolobo declined to answer at first, although it later came to light that Sikolobo proposes to develop a R150M hotel on the Kei Mouth beachfront.

If this is indeed the case, it would seem to throw a spanner of sorts into the works, as many are opposed to the dolerite mine (or the position thereof ) but most would be in favour of such a hotel.

It therefore appears that Sikolobo is possibly in the pro-

cess of buying the site or will have a share in it.

A dolerite mine would additionally have some other spin-offs, in that the municipality could use excess dolerite for roads and houses, while a hotel would lead to substantial job creation, but not necessarily local, and certainly on a very small scale.

Research on Windeed, South Africa’s leading online search tool for individual, company and property information, a hotel site was turned down for many years by DMR, but is still registered under the same owner, with an endorsement related to Sikolobo for R650 000.

While both Tshetsha and Sikolobo confirmed they had been in touch with all relevant communities regarding the mine.

Regarding concerns about dust and noise from the mine, Natalie Sharp (BSc. 2000 Botany & Zoology; BSc Hons 2001 (Limnology); MSc. 2003 (Environmental Management 2003 — Biomonitoring) of Stellenryk said the dust would be no more than a car driving along a dirt road, and that the noise would not be audible in either Morgan Bay of Kei Mouth as no electricity will be used. The proponent will use diesel.

Asked whether they had looked at other sites for the mine, Sharp confirmed that they

had, and were, still looking at other possibilities, which will be taken into consideration as they work through the draft EIA. Several farms were postulated

by Stellenryk at the beginning of the process, but they were unable to gain entry to John Jeffries’ farm, while the Saint family were in no way amenable to a mine on their farm. David Miles has offered his land, and, according to a geologist it could be promising, but cannot comment further at this stage, other than Stellenryk claimed the dolerite in the other sites it had examined was weathered and not of the same quality as it is in the area they are proposing.

A member of the meeting asked whether Stellenryk had measured the distance from the proposed mine to the high tide water mark on the lagoon. Stellenryck experts said they hadn’t but would be doing so as it was an issue raised in the EIA and would subsequently be reported in the scoping report.

In terms of water, the developer will get it from the old mine from 1980 which currently supplies water to the local cattle, wild animals, buck, aardvark, warthogs, birds of many species, to name a few. Sharp responded that a plan has been made to pump water into a reservoir and that she was of the opinion that the water would be sufficient for all, given the area’s high rainfall

rate and the fact that the reservoir would not be enclosed.

No one could say what or how many jobs would be created by the mine. The mayor seemed to think there would be many spin-offs but declined to define numbers.

According to Sharp, local people would be trained in skilled labour, but reiterated that Stellenryk’s mandate was not to establish job creation, nor to ascertain what the developer would do with the dolerite, but simply to determine whether the site was environmentally feasible. Sharp also pointed out that Sikolobo was not the only developer interested in the site and the development of a hotel.

A big thorn in the community’s side is why the existing mine for which the proponent had a permit was never rehabilitated.

Sikolobo said the DMR was holding back the money that he had to pay in initially so he can’t.

However, the money Sikolobo paid to the DMR is meant to be used for just such rehabilitation.

This is where the DMR finds its head on a block — it requires down-payment from applicants precisely so that if he doesn’t rehabilitate the site, the DMR will do so. The process of the scoping report will continue this year.

More comment was not forthcoming from the DMR, as the offices shut down for December.

The WCT will investigate further.

THE WEEKENDER SPECIAL!

Tel: 043 738 5000 • Email: info@crawfordsbeachlodge.co.za *MOST POPULAR* Mussel Cracker — R975pp/per night sharing Kingfisher — R1075 pp/per night sharing Dolphin — R1275 pp/per night sharing

caressa@kexingas.co.za • 043 555 0555• Park Valley Schafli Road • East Coast

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GREAT KEI TATLER CONTACT DUANE ON 063 743 9463 OR EMAIL HIM AT ADS@ THEGREATKEITATLER.CO.ZA

*ALL-IN WEEKENDER PACKAGE* Mussel Cracker — R1225pp/per night sharing Kingfisher — R1325 pp/per night sharing Dolphin — R1525 pp/per night sharing All local drinks and house wines FREE

JANUARY 2018

7

NEWS

EMERGENCY NUMBERS GONUBIE SAPS Dynamic EMS NSRI Intercare Clinic

043 740 4040 042 726 2225 082 990 5972 043 711 4432 043 711 4432

CHINTSA SAPS Dynamic EMS NSRI Intercare Clinic

043 740 4040 042 726 2225 082 990 5972 043 711 4432 043 711 4432

HAGA HAGA SAPS Dynamic EMS NSRI Intercare

043 740 4040 042 726 2225 082 990 5972 043 711 4432

MORGAN BAY/KEI MOUTH SAPS Dynamic EMS NSRI Intercare Cwili Clinic Soto Clinic

043 740 4040 042 726 2225 082 990 5972 043 711 4432 043 841 1274 043 851 1539

IS the season for stripy tow‘T els, sandy feet and giant inflatable toys as we all try to beat

KOMGA SAPS Dynami EMS NSRI Hospital Cwili Clinic

043 831 1360 042 726 2225 082 990 5972 043 831 1013 043 831 1186

082 990 5972

the summer heat by heading for the beach. But, with a slew of tragic stories about holidaymakers getting in trouble in the water, what are the best ways to stay safe in the sea?

NSRI national spokesperson Andrew Ingram told the GKT that the two biggest contributing factors to swimming fatalities are swimming at beaches where

there are no lifeguards, and secondly, swimming under the influence of alcohol.

Says Ingram: “Alcohol and water don’t mix in this case. Drunk swimming is a massive problem.

We need to tackle this as aggressively as we do with wearing seatbelts when driving, for example.”

Ingram went on to explain: “The best way to help someone in trouble at sea — after calling the NSRI — is to get any kind of flotation device to them, with-

out putting yourself in danger as well. Surfboards, boogie-boards, or any inflatable beach toy can save lives.

If you are caught in a rip current yourself, let it take you to the backline while swimming parallel to the shore. Don’t fight the current — you will just exhaust yourself.

Watch this video with your family before hitting the beaches: www.nsri.org.za/2017/01/ beware-of-rip-currents/

YOUR ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY SOUNDTRACK!

STUDIO LINE: 043 555 9860

VIEWS

8

THINK ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE

R

ight. It’s 2018 and most likely you’ve already broken all your resolutions. You are not alone (original words by Michael Jackson).

Let’s face it: New Year’s resolutions are pointless. They serve only to make you miserable and feel like a failure.

Let’s not make the usual resolutions this time. I don’t mean we shouldn’t better ourselves, but we need to do it every hour of every day. One day or one month just doesn’t cut it.

Meanwhile, there is greater satisfaction to be found in helping someone else.

The effort of helping people or animals is perhaps harder than depositing cash into an account — not that anyone at all is ungrateful for that — but many of us don’t have the cash to ease our consciences with.

Obviously we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be duped — only too easy in these times. If you have a charity of your choice and the money to donate, by all means don’t stop. Increase it with inflation.

But for those who have less tin but a little more time on their hands, here’s a selection of worthy deeds you can direct your good intentions and efforts towards: • Read to schoolchildren or the elderly. Internet research will point you in the direction of the closest facility to your home.

• Help animals in need — a quick google search will bring up many organisations in need of volunteers to assist with all sorts of animals.

• If you’re into conservation, be it fauna or flora, the Eastern Cape is your mecca. Almost every town has an organisation you can join and assist with clean-ups and plant and animal rescue. Marine volunteer programmes are fantastic for preserving the Wild Coast.

• Join a township feeding scheme or soup kitchen. There are umpteen NPOs that help feed children, the elderly or the disabled.

• Donate blood — blood can do what money cannot, and it only takes 10 minutes of your time once every two months.

And you get juice and a cookie.

• Coach township children in various sports if you have the expertise and energy. Sport is a great outlet for excess energy and one of the greatest alternatives to roaming the streets unattended and being at the mercy of drug dealers.

• Be a big brother or sister to a child in a community home.

• Go shopping for the elderly or disabled in your community.

• Volunteer with LifeLine or Rape Crisis — all you need is a phone and compassion.

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.

by Maya Angelou

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard

CAGED BIRD

JANUARY 2018

on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

WINNER! An artistic dog’s life! BRITTANY STRATON of Port Elizabeth wins with this stylish, moody shot of a Wild Coast hound dressed to the nines — and colour-coded, too. This entitles Brit and a partner to a meal on the house at The Green Lantern in Kei Mouth!

My doctor, my pharmacist... and let’s not mention Medicross

I

have just come down with a spectacular cold, surprisingly, since I haven’t had a cold or flu in two decades. Thus this bout is particularly spectacular.

I went to the chemist to buy a little something to make it go away and was appalled to find that, not only did my hoarse Madiba tone fail to impress the pharmacist, but he also saw fit to prescribe me something more suitable for toddlers.

Let me make it absolutely clear that my voice is not scratchy because I have been inciting people to protest against slave wages — an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Be that as it may, I have been earning slave wages for years now, and as soon as I recover, I may feel it necessary to join a trade union.

Anyway, cough mixtures containing alcohol have long been off the market and one needs a prescription to buy medication with anything stronger than codeine in it. What’s the point of being ill if you can’t even take something that makes the trip worth your while?

The government seems hellbent on taking the fun out of everything except shebeens, but perhaps we can pick up interesting herbal remedies there instead. In fact, we might be allowed to brew our own concoc-

ALYWAYS tions in the comfort of our own homes. In the interim, though, we’ll have to settle for getting the good stuff from our GPs. Or so I would’ve thought. When I put on my best hacking cough and nasal voice for mine, he suggested oranges and exercise.

I know someone who knew someone who died while they were exercising. And that person was healthy at the time.

Until he dropped dead.

Next thing doctors will be espousing the virtues of celery and onions for cancer patients.

Our former minister of health will surely back them there.

I couldn’t even score a course of low-grade antibiotics off the doctor. Doesn’t believe in them, he says. What next? The Minis-

ter of Defence not believing in weapons?

It has occurred to me that the tantrum I threw in the waiting room may have had something to do with their reluctance to see me get better any time soon.

I still believe it was justified, though.

When you walk into a medical institution, a time-space warp immediately takes effect. Even if you arrive half an hour after your supposed appointment time, you still have to wait the equivalent half-life to see the doctor. It’s like plutonium. Or something.

I asked him if he knew of any other profession in which one could be consistently late for appointments and still charge R450 per 10 minutes of your time.

He looked at me as if I were mad. Actually, I did feel as if I had a fever, but according to his new thermometer, which doesn’t even have to make contact with you to read your temperature, I was in fact below normal.

I gave up. How can you argue with someone who has equipment like that?

My outrage was renewed, however, when I got home to find that my boyfriend had obtained said antibiotics for a sty.

On his cheek. The sty was so

weak it hadn’t even made it to his eye and yet his doctor talked him into a five-day course of schedule 4 Clamentin. I really must take my outrage to another medical practice.

(I know that antibiotics are not the answer to either colds or flu, but that is not the point.

A sty can turn into flu at anytime when you’re not looking.)

I may not be able to argue my case against a seasoned professional, but I can still pull it off when I’m up against the layman.

The layman being my boyfriend.

I told him antibiotics were evil and that the fact that he would never remember to finish them would make him immune to all antibiotics in future, and this would eventually kill him. He believed me.

I, however, didn’t fall for his ploy when he told me that wine and antibiotics don’t mix. I saw right through his trick of trying to keep the last bottle of cheap red to himself.

What he was really saying was that I couldn’t have the antibiotics and the wine because it wasn’t fair. Please. When was the last time you can remember life being fair?

I know it certainly wasn’t when I woke up with a blinding headache this morning. My cold is clearly just getting started.

9 10

JANUARY 2018

ENVIRONMENT

The life and times of the mysterious monitor lizard

by Aly Verbaan

any of us living near the water have had the terror and the honour of seeing monitor lizards really close up. A number of Morgan Bay residents have found then inside their house or in their gardens, much to their surprise, since these creatures are extremely stealthy and quiet.

Officially known as Nile monitors (scientifically known as Varanus niloticus) they are native to Africa and are distributed throughout the entire central and southern regions of the continent, mostly around rivers. They have muscular bodies, strong legs, and powerful jaws. They have forked tongues, with highly developed olfactory properties. With an almost insatiable appetite, the Nile monitor is renowned for eating fish, snails, frogs, crocodile eggs and young, snakes, birds, small mammals, insects, and carrion, as well as just about anything it can overpower.

Consequently, its diet includes everything from arthropods, amphibians and fish, to birds, small mammals and other reptiles. Hunting strategies vary, but it is rare for the Nile monitor to shy away from a challenge, and will even team up to steal eggs from larger predators such as Nile crocodiles: whilst one monitor provokes a female crocodile away from a nesting site, another will dig up the unguarded eggs.

Propelled by its powerful tail, the Nile monitor is an excellent swimmer and reportedly can spend up to one hour submerged. Although largely aquatic, the mornings are often spent basking in the sun on rocky outcrops or sandy banks.

On land, it walks with a sinuous swagger and will sometimes climb trees to bask, feed or sleep.

However, this species is more vulnerable on land and if threatened will normally do its best to avoid injury and flee to the safety of deep water. When escape is not an easy option, it will boldly defend itself, using its hefty tail, sharp teeth and powerful claws to injure or frighten away the aggressor.

M

EXPERIENCE BEST OF THE WILD COAST ExplorE thETHE bEst of thE Wild Coast THIS DECEMBER IN HAGA HAGA this January in haga haga

• Daily Pub Meals overlook• Fishing ing the ocean • Game Drives Daily Pub Meals overlooking the ocean.

• 23 Dec: 5, 10 and 15km trail •Tidal Pool runs—R100—8AM • Beach Beach.

Tidal Pool. Lagoon.(prizes Swimming pool.

Restaurant/Bar. Pool. Hiking. & giveaways) • Lagoon • Swimming pool MTB Trails. Horse Riding. Bird Watching. Fishing.

Game Drives • 27 Dec: 5km Nite Race — • Restaurant/Bar R100—6:30PM • Pool/Darts Special Accommodation offer for the school holidays. (prizes & giveaways) • Hiking • 31 Dec: New Year’s Bash • MTB Trails Hotel: R1000 per person DBB (DJ Rick Earth) Self Catering: R1550 • Horse Riding per day Tickets R50 • Bird Watching

Following mating, which takes place at the end of the rainy season, the female lays up to 60 eggs (the largest clutch size of any lizard) in termite mounds or burrows. Under fairly constant temperature and humidity, the unattended eggs are incubated over a period of six to nine months before hatching.

The brightly coloured hatchlings survive on a diet comprised almost entirely of insects, and reach maturity after three to four years. They will eventually grow to a length of up to 180cm on average, but the largest specimen know measured in at 244cm. Their adult weight ranges from anywhere between two to 15kg.

The best data available for monitor lizard lifespan is that which comes from captive monitors. A number of species have been recorded to live up to 15 years in captivity, but it is important to note that captive monitor lizards have a different lifestyle than their wild counterparts.

Some people keep monitor lizards as pets, although it is illegal in this country. And there is no denying that a bite from any species of monitor lizard can be downright painful, as monitors have been known to crush bones in humans. Beyond the danger to the skin, bone, and surrounding tissue, monitor lizard bites are also poisonous, resulting in swelling and excessive bleeding.

They can walk underwater, and can use their tongue to smell underwater. When threatened, monitors can be formidably aggressive animals. They can inflict painful bites and scratches, and the largest species are capable of killing a human. However, monitors can be readily tamed in captivity.

The Wild Coast has its fair share of Nile monitors, but because they are so reclusive, it is difficult to establish their numbers with any accuracy.

They are not considered a threatened species, and are endemic to our habitat.

It is not dangerous unless cornered. Other common names are the African smallgrain lizard, water leguaan or river leguaan (leguan, leguaan, and likkewaan).

043 841 1670•www: www.hagahagahotel.co.za haga@intekom.co.za•FB: HagaHagaHotel•haga@intekom.co.za

HAGA HAGA So nice you have to say it twice.

ENDURANCE The Nile monitor has existed from 56 million years ago. The above photos were taken in Morgan Bay this year.

Photos by Tyrone Ping

JANUARY 2018

HEALTH

GUEST COLUMNIST

10

Home sweet home ... or is it really?

Holiday in DIY hell, but it’s worth it, isn’t it?

H

oliday houses are always on the lookout for a sucker.

They perch in picturesque valleys nest to gurgling streams, or on rocky promenades overlooking vast expanses of pristine sandy beach. From these vantage points they sing their siren song and flutter their awnings at passers-by.

Before you know it you’ve ripped up the For Sale sign and you’re enslaved for life, saddled with a colossal mortgage. You’re as chained to your little piece of heaven just as Prometheus was to his rock. Every month the bank sends a statement to peck out your liver.

A holiday house has the whole year to think up ways for you to spend your three or four weeks annual leave, not to mention your money. It naturally assumes you’re a keen DIY enthusiast and dreams up things to keep you amused.

Getting through the front door is usually the first challenge. The key doesn’t fit. That’s a lesson you soon learn. You can’t expect keys to just lounge around for months on end with nothing to do. They wander off or they mate with other keys in the kitchen drawer at home and produce offspring that don’t fit any known lock.

“There’s nothing for it. We’ll have to smash a window. We can get it fixed in the morning,” you say to the wife and kids.

The experienced holiday home-owner would die laughing if he heard that. So will the locksmith and the glazier, when you phone them, and ask them to come round right away.

“Thursday next week, maybe?

I’ll see what I can do.”

What he will actually do is forget all about you the moment he puts the phone down.

There’s no way he’s going to schlep 50km over rough roads for a little job like that. You’ve

by David Muirhead

got as much chance of getting a contractor to come out as you have of getting Kate Moss to do the laundry.

Anyway, not to worry, you’re in.

“What’s that pong?”

What else could it be but the septic tank of course. On second thoughts, I suppose it could be a dead rat under the kitchen sink. Actually, if you use your imagination, there’s no end of gruesome possibilities. You’ll have to open the windows — at least the one or two that aren’t jammed solid — and air the place. It’s a popular misconception that holiday houses are uninhabited for 11 months of the year. If you took a census of the insect and rodent population, you would be astonished at how many individual species are living it up at your expense. The mortality rate is what you’d expect from creatures with a modest life-span — enough to fill five or six dustpans. If you have a wooden house the body count could be much higher.

But enough about the macabre mess: the next important task is to get the geyser going so everyone can have a hot bath. After all the sweeping up the dust and the insect corpses they all really need it. You flick the switch.

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

You would think that electrical apparatuses and appliances would be raring to go after a long lay-off. What kind of wear and tear could there possibly be from just squatting around in the attic or lounging around in the kitchen? The fridge starts up and then gives a kind of garbled fart and that’s that.

It’s just as well you brought a mini toolbox with you, even if the contents now seem woefully inadequate: a screwdriver, a cute little hammer, maybe even a pair of sissy pliers. You probably felt like the ultimate handyman stowing that in the boot of the car. The wife was impressed.

But you’ll be wiser next time after the first holiday in your new home.

Next time you bring a trailer with the heavy-duty stuff. You’ll know how to use it, too, after all those night courses in plumbing, carpentry and electrical engineering.

Somehow or other, at the end of the third week, you’ll have made the place more or less habitable.

That’s when the relatives arrive. Uncle Bob will sit on the stoep and quaff your beers while he tells you about all the many things you still need to do to make the place decent. Aunt Maud will wander around the place saying things like: “I didn’t realise it was so tiny.”

To be fair, not every home away from home is all work and no play. There are some places that are always clean and neat with good solid walls.

You never have to do any maintenance in them: just watch TV, read, go for a stroll in the yard and generally relax from morning to night.

Granted, the view through the window bars may not be anything special, but when you’re looking at 25-to-life you can’t have everything.

Go vegan for one day!

by Aly Verbaan

Are you the sort of person who says they couldn’t live without bacon? Or the kind who simply can’t imagine having to eat nut roast instead of your usual roast chicken? Read on...

A

lmost every country in the world has a national Vegan Day. We don’t. But we should. Vegetables and fruit grow prolifically here, and many of us — if we try — can eat entirely out of our gardens on occasion.

Veganism is not simply a definition of a diet, but a way of living. The word ‘veganism’ denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practicable — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animalfree alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

The case for a balanced plantbased diet has been exhaustively argued by many qualified nutritionists and other professionals.

Vegan diets are widely supported as perfectly healthy for all people, at all stages of life, by mainstream medical and dietary organisations, including the World Health Organisation, The American Dietetic Association and countless others.

Given these prominent endorsements, it is fair to argue that the burden of proof has in fact shifted to those who would continue to claim that a balanced vegan diet is in any way inferior or unhealthy, especially given the numerous studies indicating

its strong correlation with low incidences of many dread illnesses.

If beef is your idea of ‘real food for real people’, you’d better live real close to a real good hospital, says Dr Neal Barnard, MD. Well-planned vegan diets can reduce the risk of some types of chronic disease, including heart disease, and are regarded as appropriate for all stages of the lifecycle.

And if you simply cannot manage — even one day a week — try going pescatarian for a day.

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids, and they’re environmentally friendly. Increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption through foods is preferable.

However, those with coronary artery disease, may not get enough omega-3 by diet alone, so it’s a good idea to invest in one of the many supplements available.

Vegan SA provides a very comprehensive guide and information to vegan living, including a variety of vegan shops in East London, plus plenty of recipes that are easy to make, and leave you with a clear conscience, if only for a day. The site even provides accommodation where you can be sure of a vegan meal, as well as restaurants.

• Vegan SA directory is currently looking for volunteers to help the vegan community in each area. If you have some spare time and are interested in the cause, visit www.vegansa.com

EC Matric pass rate up, but still last The Eastern Cape achieved a 65 percent pass rate last year, improving by 5,7 percentage points from 59,3percent in 2016 — the second largest improvement in the country. However, this is still the lowest rate of all the provinces.

BOOK C L

KEEPING

Falling behind with your admin duties?

Need a partime book keeper?

Book keeping up to trial balance VAT, PAYE, UIF Workmans comp, Payroll It3 & IRP5 certificates

Cell: 082 779 1573 Tel: 043 737 4945 lcbooks@telkomsa.net Lizette Classen

JANUARY 2018

11 11

TRAVEL

Mad about Mazeppa Bay!

OCTOBER

THE UNSPOILT WILD COAST REALLY LIVES UP TO ITS 4NAME

W

by Aly Verbaan

hat happens when two bipolar people who live together get their poles in sync? If it’s the low pole they probably make a suicide pact, but if it’s the high pole they do random things like throw their four dogs and a toothbrush into the car and go on an entirely unplanned road trip, destination unknown. The toothbrush was for us, not the dogs, just in case you were wondering.

This is how we found ourselves traversing the Transkei last Saturday, having thrown caution to the howling wind. My significant other, Duane, has a slightly disturbing penchant for taking the road less travelled, or, even better, no road at all.

After four hours of being all shook up like Elvis, I insisted we stop for the night. I realise this sounds a bit like Hotel California, but in this story nobody was stabbed with any steely knives.

As anyone who has dogs will know, finding somewhere to stay the night with them is usually an extremely frustrating and mostly fruitless exercise. I often wonder why establishments allow children but not dogs. In my experience dogs are far better behaved and much more appreciative of anything you give them.

After about two and a half hours on what are laughingly called roads in the Transkei, we found ourselves in Mazeppa Bay. Assuming that the Mazeppa Bay Hotel wouldn’t want to accommodate four dogs, we drove straight past to the end of the town’s one and only road, intending to set up a rough camp for the night.

Instead, we found paradise at Sunrise Cottage. Johnny and Trish and a hulk of a Boerbull plus a Great Dane that could easily double as a horse came out to greet us and offer us a room for the night.

The dogs got on like a house on fire, and so did we, the people.

I consulted Siri on my iPhone and she sanctimoniously informed me that Mazeppa Bay is so called because of a famous shipwreck in 1842. The SS Mazeppa was a slaver that tried to take shelter in the bay on its way from Port Natal to Delagoa Bay, only to meet its end on the rocky coastline.

Legend has it that its remains are buried beneath the beach, which, it has to be said, is one of the finest beaches I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen plenty. That is as much information I can find on the information highway, so I looked for possible meanings of the word “Mazeppa” in several languages.

The closest I could come was to a character from Lord Byron’s Mazeppa, a narrative poem written by the English romantic poet in 1819. It is based on a popular legend about the early life of Ivan Mazepa [sic] (1639–1709), a Ukrainian gentleman. According to the poem, the young Mazeppa has a love affair with a countess, whose husband, on discovering the affair,

IN THE SWING OF THINGS The Mazeppa Bay suspension bridge somewhat precariously takes one onto the tiny Mazeppa Bay Island.

Photos by Aly Verbaan

HOUND HEAVEN We don’t travel anywhere without our dogs, and this particular weekend we were all in luck.

punishes Mazeppa by tying him naked to a wild horse and setting the horse loose.

The bulk of the poem describes the traumatic journey of the hero strapped to the horse. The poem has been praised for its “vigour of style and its sharp realisation of the feelings of suffering and endurance”. So, basically, “mazeppa” has come to mean “a person likened in some way to the character Mazeppa, especially in the sense of being the unwilling rider of a wild horse.” Not an auspicious name for a ship, one wouldn’t have thought.

After shooting the breeze for a while with hosts Trish and Johnny, we set off to have dinner at the hotel. It was not to be.

The Mazeppa Bay Hotel only serves food to people staying in it, and they wouldn’t give us a slice of bread for love or money.

Having left Morgan Bay on a whim, we were totally unprepared in the way of food. We were allowed to drink there, but not eat, so we had a liquid dinner. The manager promised that if there were any scraps left over from the other patrons we could have those. Well, okay.

After spilling red wine on the bedding at Sunrise Cottage later that night whilst playing truth or dare (don’t ask), I did the honourable thing and ‘fessed up, offering to pay the damages, but Johnny and Trish were having none of it. Instead, being able to hear our stomachs rumbling for lack of lunch and dinner the previous day, they cooked us up a storm of a breakfast out on the deck overlooking the ocean.

If this property were in Cape Town I estimate it would be worth around R30M. There being not much in the way of civilisation in Mazeppa Bay, we decided to partake in a house swap some time in February so that Duane and I could “get away from it all” and Trish and Johnny could come to the “big city”. Not that there’s much civilisation in Morgan Bay either, but it’s all relative.

Not being in the mood to go home, and technically being able to call our travels “work”, we decided to try out the hotel after Trish and Johnny told us that canine guests were indeed allowed.

Well, if the Mazeppa Bay Hotel was my home I would never want for anything ever again. I don’t just give good reviews willy nilly, so when I say this hotel is another step up from paradise, you can take my word for it.

We then realised what had happened re dinner the previous night: the hotel is registered as a country lodge, not a restaurant, so it’s residents-only for meals unless you have phoned well in advance, which we, obviously, hadn’t. All forgiven, we moved the hounds into room 8 and then hit the beach.

Mazeppa Bay beach is characterised by a slightly dodgy suspension bridge — to the bay’s very own little island. Not to be attempted in heels, while drunk or while very young or old, it’s no surprise the local municipality warns “Use bridge at own risk”. I’m sure a fair number of drunken revellers have fallen off it, and fishermen too, because Mazeppa island is famous for its angling.

Food-wise, the day couldn’t have been more different from the day before. While not very diverse (ie. a set menu), the food was excellent and plentiful. It was comparable to a cruise ship in that as soon as we had lunched, afternoon tea was served, followed by dinner two hours later. It was difficult to force down the array of breakfast goodies the next morning, but we did. All meals were quirkily announced by a school-style bell being rung outside each room.

If you don’t already know this, every small town has a person who is as mad as a box of frogs, and we spent the evening listening to Mazeppa Bay’s one’s conspiracy theories, drinking red wine round the fireplace.

We left, somewhat hungover, the following morning, full of regret. Not about the hangovers, but about having to leave so soon.

Oh well, down here on the Wild Coast, the living is hard. We’ll be back.

043 721 2030

Main Road, KOMGA

043 841 1244

Main Road, KEI MOUTH

12

I

BACK PAGE CHOICE

JANUARY 2018

Jesse Clegg

by Aly Verbaan

f you missed the Jesse Clegg concert in Morgan Bay this month, you have not lived. My condolences.

On the other hand there may not have been room for more revellers.

At a capacity packed Venue at the Morgan Bay Hotel on Tuesday, 2 January, Jesse and his band delighted die-hard fans and newbies alike, especially with his as yet to be released single, Grace.

Jesse Clegg (30), while being the spitting image of his dad, Johnny, sports a different style, but with the same stage presence and enthusiasm.

As an international act, it’s Jesse’s little quirk to do a round trip across South Africa most Decembers — some concerts in places no one has ever heard of, just to bring entertainment to towns, villages and hamlets which traditionally have none.

In between songs, Jesse regaled the crowd with titbits about life on the road.

Here’s one: in December, when Jesse plays lesser-known towns like Napier, he found himself flummoxed to find that the venue in the Overberg town where he was to play was essentially just someone’s backyard.

Then, when the stage failed to pitch up, the proprietor suggested the band play in a rather high treehouse. However, the wind came up and plans had to revert to ground level­— but the show went on.

Jesse has an impressive stage persona and is a multitalented musician

ROCKING THE BAY Multitalented Regardt Scheepers (left) and singer/songwriter and guitarist Jesse Clegg give it their all, to the crowd’s delight.

Photo by Aly Verbaan

PENSIVE Jesse bears a striking resemblance to his dad, Johnny Clegg.

VIRGIN RELEASE Things Unseen is Jesse’s latest release and sold like hot cakes at the show.

and songwriter. Jesse’s guitarist, Regardt Scheepers, and drummer Louis Malherbe brought extra sound experience, and by half time the crowds were on their feet.

The sound in The Venue is good and we got the full advantage of that. By the end of the evening many seats had been abandoned to make room for dancing.

It was also a big day for Jesse and his girlfriend, a beautiful redhead called Dani Cooperman — a South African-born Canadian (yes) — who were celebrating their seventh year together.

This was the third time Jesse has performed in Morgan Bay, but with his busy schedule he hasn’t had much time to look around.

Says Jesse: “Dani and I would like to come here for a pure-pleasure, no-work holiday sometime and get to know the Wild Coast.

“We like playing smaller audiences sometimes, as they seem so much more appreciative. For some these tours are a first.

Jesse and his band have received a lot of radio coverage, even up here on Wild Coast FM, hitting number one several times.

At the concert, when Jesse opened his first song, I said to myself, “Here is a man who reads. He’s erudite.” And I was right.

This is a man who has a law degree and an honours in English literature, and pursues knowledge for fun. Hence his lyrics are meaningful in a day and age of bubblegum pop music — makes a nice change.