Breederivier
Year 17 • 29 Januarie 2013 | Tel. 023 626 5212
Bybels ’n verjaardag verrassing
Die graad 7-leerlinge van Willem Buchholz Primêr het weer, soos in die twee vorige jare, Bybels van die NG Moedergemeente op Robertson ontvang. Elke leerling kry vanjaar ’n Bybel op sy of haar verjaardag.
Road could lead to local riches DALEEN FOUCHÉ
Tourism in the Langeberg is expected to receive an extra boost this year with the transformation of the Klaasvoogds dirt road into a tarred road. According to local tourism and agriculture businesses in Klaasvoogds, this transformation will have a very positive influence on business and the quality of life in the area. The project, valued at over R25 million, is set to start at the end of February and will see the 8,45 km Klaasvoogds East, West and School roads tarred. Francois van Eck, executive director of infrastructure development at the Cape Winelands District Municipality, said the provincial roads authority has already approved the project and the design of the road. Van Eck, however, said environmental ap-
proval is still needed for the sections of the road that cross the river. The building of these areas will be postponed until environmental approval is obtained. Dawid Smit, owner of De Heuwel farm in Klaasvoogds and committee member of the newly formed Klaasvoogds Landowners Association, said residents of this area have been asking for the tar road “for decades”. He said that when landowners realised that the project may become a reality, the association was formed to communicate with the district municipality and to organise landowner contributions to the road. The association will now be the vehicle for further positive developments and change in the area. Landowners will pay a R2 million contribution to the project, each contribution being based on the landowner’s ability and willingness. “We have about 12 months to raise the
money.” Smit said the dirt road has many negative consequences for the community and businesses, including a negative impact on the health of farmworkers and children who live close to the road – the dirt kicked up by the trucks can cause lung problems in children. Furthermore, a tar road will be beneficial to the primary and high school children who have to travel by bus to the local Klaasvoogds Primary School and high schools in neighbouring towns. Smit said the current road, which has “several sharp turns”, will be made safer for the buses if tarred. According to Smit, dirt on fruit being transported for the export market also has a negative impact on farmers. The road is in a bad condition, “especially after rains”. This often deters tourists from reaching “high end” tourism destinations in Klaasvoogds.
Lindi Busch, owner of Pat Busch Nature Reserve in Klaasvoogds, believes that the road will have a very positive impact on tourism in Klaasvoogds. “The area already boasts several accommodation establishments, restaurants, wineries and a spa.” She said tour buses have been reluctant in the past to venture off-road. “With a tarred road, Klaasvoogds West and East will see a lot more business from people passing through the area and travelling on to Route 62.” According to Busch, the existing dirt road has not been very well maintained in the past and this “improvement in infrastructure” will benefit everyone living in the area. Van Eck said the district municipality has been busy with upgrading rural roads for the past 15 years to develop rural areas economically, to improve living conditions and to promote tourism.