10 August 2016 by CXpress

Published every Wednesday by CXpress 2006 (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors

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Women at play in the Bay!

Who will rule Plett?

Manhunt launched

Face the freeze

These participants in Saturday’s Polar Bear Plunge showed their mettle when charging the Vic Bay surf in a show of allegiance with those who feel the winter cold most – read more on page 12.

Photo: Bob Hopkin

10 August 2016

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

10 August 2016

Powerful performance by female duo will blow you away this Sunday ‘Women’ is the buzzword around the world this month, and this weekend will serve as showcase for some of CX Country’s most fantabulous female-kind… LETT music lovers are in for a rare treat when the Thalassa Duo performs at St Peter’s Anglican Church on Sunday - not least because the talents of musicians Anneke Lamont and Adri Smithers combine to offer a feast of organ and violin mastery seldom before experienced in Plett. Anneke Lamont (née Van Heerden) had already played 12 Preludes and Fugues from the ‘48’ by JS Bach by the time she was a 12, and the student of Josias van der Merwe. She is currently the director of music at Oakhill School in Knysna in the Western Cape. She received a PhD in 2006 from the University of the Free State with promotors Albie van Schalkwyk and Stephanus Muller. As winner of the UNISA Overseas Scholarship as well as a SAMRO bursary in 1986, she furthered her studies in Hanover, Germany with Arie Vardi. Anneke was involved in the performing of modern South African compositions through a project called ‘Obelisk’ and was twice invited to perform at the RAU Master Piano Series. She participated in the project ‘Zeno’ with William Kentridge and Kevin Volans and since 2000, has performed regularly at National Music Festivals in Grahamstown, Franschhoek, and Potchefstroom. She was the accompanist for cellists Alexander Ivashkin

FORTUITOUS RENDEZVOUS: One of the best outcomes when Adri Smithers, left, moved to Plett was that she met up with fellow virtuoso Anneke Lamont, right, resulting in Thalassa Duo seeing the light

and Gary Hoffman on their concert tours of South Africa in 2005 and 2008 respectively and has been an official accompanist for the UNISA International singing and string competitions since 1990. In collaboration with Salon Music, Anneke has recorded numerous albums and was the producer of Charl du Plessis ‘Piano Man’ in 2009. In that same year, she participated in masterclasses with Angela Hewitt on the interpretation of Bach’s keyboard works. She has partnered Handri Loots, Anzel Gerber, Nicholas Nicolaidis, and Christopher Duigan (in their Crowson Duo) over many years. Anneke is an examiner for the UNISA Music Examinations and was on the screening panel for the 2008 Internation-

al Piano Competitions. She is a jury member for ATKV Musiq and was actively involved in the creation of the newly-formed ‘Musiqanto’ for singers. She also served on the Artscape panel between 2011 and 2013. She is a member of the SuidAfrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and is associated with the Music Department at the University of Pretoria as a piano accompanist and coach, while also being enrolled for post-doctoral studies at the University of Radboud in Nijmegen, Holland. Adri Smithers started her musical career on piano at the age of five before moving to violin, studying under Jack de Wet. After playing many Eisteddfods, she was selected at the age of 12, to join the OFS

More wonderful women involved RGANISER of Sunday’s Thalassa Duo performance Annabelle Conyngham popped in at the CXPRESS office to explain that, apart from the musicians mentioned above, the diverse talents of two other female residents of the beautiful Bay will be sure to enhance the evening. “The famous 60s folk singer and artist Jill Kirkland (now Wells) will introduce each piece played by Adri and Anneke, lending her knowledge and charm to an event already brimming

with promise. “Another item of interest is that the Nativity Scene by Dawn Leggat will be on display in the hall of St Peter’s Church. These life-size figures include the animals gathered around the crib and are most cleverly and artistically fashioned out of cardboard and paper. “They truly equal the expressiveness of puppets produced by the Handspring Puppet Theatre.” Email aconyngham@telkom sa.net or call 044 533 5178 for additional information.

Jogging Down Memory Lane

Do you remember those times - the place and people? LAGOON HOLIDAY RESORT: The advert states that the resort is situated 10km from Plett on the east side of Keurbooms Lagoon THE AFRICAN MARKET: ‘Why tour Africa when you can get it at The African Market?’ states this advert for the shop in Main Street’s Lookout Centre BEACON ISLE SERVICE STATION: According to this advert, you could call these agents on ‘309’ for Mazda, Volvo, Chrysler, and outboards

F these advertisements ring a bell, ask yourself: What memories and recollections do these old Plett businesses bring back to you? What do you remember of the place or people involved? Who owned the

I COMPERE PAR EXCELLENCE: Well-known South African artist and actress from the late 1960s, Jill Kirkland is known for her talents in folk music and composing, as well as teaching

Youth Orchestra. She later joined the South African Youth Orchestra. Adri received a BMus (Honours) with Distinction from the University of the Free State, under the tutelage of Pierre de Groote. She joined PACOFS as a First Violinist and played with them for many years. During this time, she also played First Violin for Odeon String Quartet. On moving to Johannesburg, she became a music teacher at Kingsmead College where her duties encompassed violin, piano, choir leadership, string ensembles and direction of musicals. Adri and her husband are now permanent residents of Plettenberg Bay - a move that culminated in her fortuitous meeting with Anneke Lamont. They share a love of performing and their recently formed Thalassa Duo will undoubtedly become an eagerly anticipated fixture of the Garden Route’s classical music repertoire. The show on Sunday August 14 will benefit The PlettAid Foundation/Hospice Plett as well as the 10 soup kitchens run by the Anglican Churches within the Parish of Formosa. Doors open at 5:30pm with a welcoming glass of wine and tickets at R150 can be obtained from Barney’s Kiosk at The Market Square. Alternatively, you can email plettinfo@telkomsa.net or call 044 533 3219.

business and who worked there at the time? Email your reminiscences to haus@mweb.co.za (with or without your name), or drop it off in hard copy at the CXPRESS office at 6 Park Lane in Plett CBD.

NEWS & VIEWS

10 August 2016

CXPRESS

Vote-count complaint still pending in Plett, while Knysna prepares for ‘good cooperation’ It was a tight political race in Plettenberg Bay and Knysna following the local government elections on August 3, with hung councils in both coastal holiday towns - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports T has been a particularly uncertain time in Bitou since the vote tally was released last week, resulting in a complaint with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). While the Democratic Alliance (DA) received the majority of votes in Plett (48.58%) - enough to give the party six seats - it was not sufficient for an outright majority. The African National Congress (ANC) received 40.99% of the support, also giving it six seats, while the Active United Front (AUF) managed 5.36% of the votes for the final seat. It was a similar picture in 2011, when a subsequent power struggle between the two main parties ultimately led to severe political turmoil and several court battles in 2014. Following the latest results, the DA in the Southern Cape lodged a complaint with the IEC of SA over calculation issues. DA Southern Cape manager Jaco Londt said the party had lodged a complaint with the IEC shortly after the results became available, as experts believed there were likely issues with the count and the loading of final results. “We’ve done our calculations and it could just be that the DA won an outright majority, but we will have to wait and see until the results are verified.” He explained that preliminary results showed the DA won its seventh seat by about 300 votes, but when results were loaded it showed it had lost this seat by 41 votes. The IEC was set to provide clarity this week, but had not done so by the time of going to print. Both the ANC and the

DA had since started coalition talks with the AUF. During the last local government elections, the Bitou branch of Congress of the People (COPE) secured the final seat in what became a hung council. It subsequently formed a coalition with the DA to lead the municipality. After three years, however, the COPE member and deputy mayor at the time, Adam van Rhyner, went against his party’s national coalition agreement with the DA in hung councils and opted to side with six local ANC councillors. This coalition called for a special council meeting to ‘A power struggle between the two main parties ultimately led to severe political turmoil and several court battles in 2014’ serve a motion of no confidence in, among others, mayor Memory Booysen. This followed three lengthy Western Cape High court applications, including a bid to prevent the meeting from taking place. This battle dragged on until the sudden resignation of one of the ANC councillors, Nolan Stuurman. This subsequently led to a by-election in September of that year, which the DA won, giving the party outright majority in council. It also meant that the ANC councillors and Van Rhyner no longer had the majority votes to serve the motion. Van Rhyner was later suspended by the party after breaching its national coalition agreement with the DA. ANC mayoral candidate and former Bitou mayor Euan Wildeman said he

did not want to comment on election matters before “talks had been completed”. In the meantime, parties in Knysna had also started coalition talks after results revealed that here, too, the municipality had a hung council. While the DA managed to garner 49.61% of support, it was not enough to secure the outright majority obtained in 2011. The party was allocated 10 seats. The ANC received 32.14% of the support and were allocated seven seats. COPE, the Knysna Unity Congress (KUC), the ACDP, and an independent candidate obtained one seat each. Londt and ANC Southern Cape secretary Major Sokopo said coalition agreements were currently underway with the parties that received a seat each. “We are hoping that they would take into account the progress we (the DA) had made while governing Knysna over the past five years,” Londt said. In the meantime, the party’s mayoral candidate, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, was cautiously optimistic about the future. Should talks go her way, it will not be the first time she had donned the mayoral chain. Bouw-Spies was the ANC mayor for Knysna from 2007, following a floor-crossing window, until 2011 when the DA won outright majority during the previous local government elections. She then joined the DA, when she announced that she would be running for the Ward 5 seat that includes Rheenendal and Brenton-on-Sea, after the party’s councillor for the area, Magda Williams, died in April 2014.

Bouw-Spies added that once talks had been concluded, she planned on hitting the ground running. She said the party had set a good track record in terms of governance since 2011 and wanted to continue the momentum during the next term. The plan included the four pillars of job creation, stomping out corruption,

bettering services and providing better governance. “One of the first priorities is improving our communication with residents, as this would form a good foundation to build on,” she said. She added that she would also take a “hands on” approach to leading the municipality. “As a ward councillor, I’ve come to

know the importance of really being involved with my community. I also want good cooperation between councillors and myself. “It is so important to be plugged into your community as mayor, and a way to do this is through a good relationship between the mayor and the various councillors.” Garden Route Media

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

10 August 2016

Taxi burnout at KwaNokuthula

Mid-morning robbery at Plett shopping centre Yolandé Stander

OLICE have launched a manhunt after a man robbed a Plettenberg Bay resident of a large amount of money near The Market Square shopping centre on Saturday morning. Police spokesman Captain Marlene Pieterse said the 37-year-old woman was walking from her place of work to the Standard Bank at the centre to deposit money at about 10:30am. She had placed the money in a sealed blue bag inside her black backpack.

P Social media platforms reported the fact that a ‘taxi’ was on fire close to the Plettenberg Bay approach to KwaNokuthula around lunch time on Friday August 5, but claimed that no one was injured in the blaze - which was doused in good time by Bitou firefighters, but caused early weekend traffic to come to a temporary standstill

“On the way, close to the carwash, she was approached by an African man, who showed her a silver firearm. He grabbed her, and she fell to the ground,” Pieterse said. She added the suspect took the backpack with the money and jumped into a blue Toyota Tazz with a CX-registration number. “The vehicle sped off in the direction of Knysna.” Pieterse said witnesses flagged down a passing Bitou law enforcement vehicle. The officer then gave chase. “Another traffic vehicle

assisted and followed the suspects’ vehicle to Ladywood. The suspects had an accident on the way and ran away. The traffic officer heard what is believed to be a gunshot and jumped back into her vehicle. No one was injured.” Members of the police dog unit followed the scent of the suspects through the bushes in the direction of KwaNokuthula. Pieterse said police are investigating a case of robbery with a firearm opened. No arrests have been made.

News Briefs • Knysna residents as far afield as Brenton and Welbedacht were alarmed at the sound of an explosion at around 11pm on Sunday night August 7. Within minutes there were reports of a truck having exploded on the lagoon road near The Point, after passing motorists saw flames at the rear end of the truck. Fortunately there was no evidence of injury to other parties. According to one passing motorist, Knysna Fire Department arrived at the scene within minutes and extinguished the flames with a handheld fire extinguisher. Fire Department spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhout said that the truck’s tyre had burst as a result of heated brake pads. He said that the road was temporarily closed while the flames were extinguished and the tyre was changed. www.candiceludick.com • A preliminary report from the Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services indicates that 16 road us-

ers died on the province’s roads over the weekend. Among the fatalities were three passengers and one pedestrian on Saturday, and three drivers and nine passengers on Sunday. Officers arrested 27 motorists for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol on August 5 and 6; 12 were arrested in the Mossel Bay service area, five in George, three in Somerset West, three in Swellendam, two in Vredenburg, one in Vredendal and one in Worcester. Breath testing was performed on 1,703 drivers at 26 alcohol blitz roadblocks across the province. The highest breath alcohol reading was recorded in the Vredenburg service area where, at 1,16mg of alcohol per 1,000ml of breath, this driver was five times the legal limit of 0,24mg per 1,000ml. A total of 9,568 vehicles were screened for speeding and 1,047 speeding offences were recorded. Fines in the amount of R349,800

were issued for a variety of reasons ranging from driver offences to vehicle fitness violations. The highest speeds recorded were 170km/h in a 120km/h zone on the Brackenfell N1, 141km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Swellendam N2, and 109km/h in an 80km/h on the N2 close to Knysna. • On Wednesday July 20, Knysna police urged the public to assist with the search for Nico Larry Cannon, 34, who was reported as missing from his Nekkies home the previous day. Last seen on Friday July 15 dressed in a black fleece top, blue jeans and a black beanie at the time of his disappearance, circumstances surrounding his disappearance were sketchy. But Sergeant Chris Spies of Corporate Communication at Knysna SAPS on Monday confirmed that Cannon returned home unharmed over the weekend. Call Knysna police on 044 302 6678 or KnysnaSaps@ saps.gov.za to report crime.

NEWS & VIEWS

10 August 2016

CXPRESS

Shweshwe - a South African classic now reinvented in Plett OST South Africans are familiar with the stiff, printed cotton fabric known as Shweshwe, widely used for traditional Sotho clothing. This fabric has come a long way from its origins as a dyed indigo fabric. From the rather limited original blue, brown and red fabric we now have an enormous choice of vibrant colours and patterns. The characteristic overall patterning has remained but evolved into many more bold designs, including stripes, florals, squares and circular geometric patterns. Plettenberg Bay residents will soon be able to enjoy a collection of sophisticated, handmade Shweshwe items during an open day to be hosted by Jetty Oppenheimer. Jetty, a long-time Plett resident, has always had a passion for textiles. “Having studied art, I love colour and texture and I have always enjoyed discovering interesting fabrics on my travels,” she says. Growing up, she often used to visit the family textile business in Helmond, The Netherlands, where the Vlisco brand of fabric was produced. Founded in 1846, the Vlisco Company

produced affordable handprinted fabrics, mainly inspired by Indonesian batik. The company found a ready market in West and Central Africa where the colourful designs were adapted to local tastes and soon grew into an essential part of African style culture. As a child, Jetty loved watching the roller printing machines producing the colourful “Dutch Wax” fabrics, leading to her life-long interest in African textiles. When she came to live in South Africa, after spending most of her life in Switzerland, she discovered local textiles and found that Shweshwe had a lot in common with Vlisco. In Plett, she started using Shweshwe to produce simple items for domestic workers, such as aprons and “doeks”. These proved to be so popular that she approached three local seamstresses to make a few other items. “I was delighted to find that they shared my love of the fabrics, and were enthusiastic about learning to create lovely décor items out of Shweshwe,” she explains. “While they were learning new skills, I was very happy to put some-

ALL-ROUND APPLICATION: Apart from traditional clothing, Shweshwe has been used in contemporary South African fashion design for men and women from all ethnic groups, and is increasingly enjoying popularity in other applications like accessories, upholstery and quilting

thing back into the community by empowering and encouraging them.” After many months of commitment and hard work from these women, Jetty is ready to showcase their handiwork. Over the years and in addition to traditional wear, Shweshwe has been used in contemporary South African fashion design for men and women from all ethnic groups, and is increasingly enjoying popularity in other applications like accessories, upholstery, and quilting. Also called Seshweshwe or Seshoeshoe, the name is derived from the association with King Moshoeshoe who received fabric from French missionaries in the 1840s. It is also known as “German print”, Sekeremane in Sotho and Ujamani in Xhosa, after 19th century German and Swiss settlers imported the “blaudruck” (blue print) fabric for their clothing and so helped to entrench the fabric in South African culture. Shweshwe is traditionally used to make Sotho dresses, skirts and wraparound clothing. It is worn by newly-married Sotho women known as Makoti. Xhosa

women have also incorporated the fabric into their traditional ochre-coloured blanket clothing. Previously imported into South Africa from Europe, the trademarked fabric has been manufactured by Da Gama Textiles in Zwelitsha, outside King William’s Town, in the Eastern Cape since 1982. The company owns the sole rights to Three Cats, the most authentic and popular brand. Shweshwe is manufactured with an acid discharge and roller printing technique on pure cotton calico. It is printed in widths of 90cm, in allover patterns and A-shaped skirt panels for easy sewing. The genuine product can be recognised by the stiffness of the fabric, the smell, the solid dyed colour and from trademarks on the reverse side. You are invited to join Jetty and the local women who produce this attractive range of Nojo Design gifts and home décor items, including cushions, floor cushions, blankets, small bags and staff uniforms, on Saturday August 13 from 10am to 1pm at 2 Hood Point Road in Plett. Call Jetty on 044 533 3903 for further information.

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

10 August 2016

Live theatre aids Eden youth in dealing with HIV issues HILE Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Bill Gates and Charlize Theron were attracting a lot of attention at Durban’s International Aids Conference recently, Plett’s Lunchbox Theatre was beating its own prevention-is-betterthan-cure drum loudly in Eden District schools. Apparently, out of 37-million HIV-positive people worldwide, 20-million are not receiving treatment and 16-million are unaware of their status. This does not bode well for the future so the Lunchbox team, who educates Eden youth about social and environmental issues through live theatre, decided to do something about the situation in SA. For this purpose, they joined forces with awardwinning actor and director Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to work on his play Thand’ Impilo. An analysis of close to 1,600 people showed that, in our country, women and young teenagers most often contract this dreaded disease, and they generally get it from men aged eight

years their senior. The transmission dynamics between young adolescent women and teens showed that men in their 20s were highly infectious, unaware of their status, and not on treatment. How do you get a delicate yet very important message across to these youngsters? Live theatre is in your face. It conveys important messages in a very engaging and memorable way. And this is exactly what Lunchbox Theatre is doing with Thand’ Impilo. The intrepid acting troupe conveys the messages of ‘Make the Right Choice’ and ‘Know your Status’ with much compassion, and even manages to throw in a bit of humour on this serious subject. “Several youngsters came to me and told me how great it was, because the show ‘made it real’ and was much more engaging that the usual posters and printed material. One boy said he’d learned that there was a more optimistic way of handling the disease if one was positive,” said Greenwood Bay College

teacher Kathy Fielding “Lunchbox Theatre conveyed a serious message with a fresh and authentic approach through the accessibility of live theatre. Another learner confided that he would ‘use protection’ and that it was very necessary for learners to be reminded of the pitfalls of indiscreet sexual encounters,” said Mrs Manual of Plett Secondary School. Since early 2016, the show about avoiding Aids has been performed 26 times to over 6,564 senior primary and high school learners within the Eden District. Lunchbox Theatre thanks the National Arts Council of South Africa and National Lotteries Commission for their important contributions towards the creation and performance of this play. They have some funding from government and are very active in schools within the area; however, if you would like to assist this production in reaching a greater audience, call Stuart Palmer on 083 423 0083 or email info@lunchbox.org. za for more information.

BEATING THE DRUM: From left are Mncedisi Ncedani, Siyabonga Zabo, Gaillene Isaks, Amanda Valela and Lunchbox founder Stuart Palmer, who remains hands on involved in the troupe’s every production - Photo: Vinthi Neufeld

BUSINESS

10 August 2016

Plett family-owned business skills result in Prof’s ground-breaking research On July 25 Professor Shelley Farrington (née van Eeden), who grew up in Plettenberg Bay and matriculated from Wittedrift High School in 1985, presented her inaugural lecture on family-owned businesses at NMMU in Port Elizabeth ID you know that Volkswagen is a family-owned business, with the Porsche family owning more than 30% of the company’s shares, and that the Walton Family owns more than half the shares of United States retail giant Wal-Mart? In fact, family businesses are estimated to account for approximately 70% of global GDP annually and for more than 50% of jobs in most countries. And when the financial climate is tough, it is family businesses that tend to outperform their non-family counterparts. These are some of the insights Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Prof Shelley Farrington shared in her inaugural lecture as a full professor on July 25. “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that family-owned businesses account for the largest percentage of economic activity in the western world,” said Farrington, who is a founder member of NMMU’s Family Business Unit and one of only a handful of South African researchers in the emerging field of family businesses. It is a field that has only been of interest to scholars for about 30 years. Through her lecture, titled ‘Family Business: A legitimate scholarly field’, she hoped to intro-

BITOU-VALLEY BREWED: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Professor Shelley Farrington, a founder member of the University’s Family Business Unit, calls Wittedrift High School her alma mater

duce more people to the subject, while increasing the pool of South African researchers. Predominantly overseas research has indicated key differences between family-owned businesses and those not owned by families. For a start, the psychology behind each is different: in the former, the family’s values are at the heart of the business. Where many businesses base decision-making on predicted financial wealth, family businesses have more than financial gain or loss at stake, including the reputation of the fam-

ily. Thus their decisions are also based on preserving the family’s “socioemotional wealth”. “A family-owned business generally won’t take a decision, no matter how profitable it could be, if it will affect the family’s reputation, as the family’s name or identity is associated with the business, and is linked with pride and confidence.” Other factors that fall under the socio-emotional wealth umbrella include the need for belonging, meeting family expectations, adhering to family values, and fulfilling the family’s objectives. Farrington said there was a “reciprocal influence of the family on the business and vice versa”. “The affairs of the business are intertwined with the family and there are strong emotional overtones, among them love, hate and jealousy. The boundaries between the family and the business are often blurred.” Farrington herself co-owned a business in Plettenberg Bay with her two brothers for 13 years, so has first-hand knowledge into family-owned affairs. Her doctorate in business management, completed in 2009, was titled ‘Sibling partnerships in South African small and medium-sized family businesses’. “Family businesses

should be positioned as an independent field of study. More often than not, studies on family businesses form part of a broader study of management or marketing… I want to show that it’s a legitimate field of study on its own.” In South Africa, Farrington said there was virtually no research on black African familyowned businesses, and this was an area she would like to pursue going forward. “The African culture would likely influence the way these businesses operate. I would like to compare their strategies for doing business, with the strategies of other cultures.” She said most of the world’s research on family-owned businesses was in the United States, Europe and, increasingly, in South America and Asia. • Shelley Farrington, who is a National Research Foundation-rated researcher, was the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences’ researcher of the year in both 2012 and 2013, and received an NMMU Research Excellence award in 2013. She has authored or coauthored 39 national and international journal articles and 80 conference papers, and co-authored the book Starting and Managing your own Business.

CXPRESS

INTERVAL

10 August 2016

Grounds for divorce judge is interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce and asks: “What are the grounds for your divorce?” “About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by.” “No,” the judge says. “I mean what is the foundation of this case?” “It is made of concrete, brick, and mortar,” she responds. “I mean,” he continues, “what are your relations like?” “I have an aunt and uncle and 12 cousins living here in town, as well as my husband’s parents.” The judge takes a deep breath and asks: “Do you have a real grudge?” “No, we have a two-car carport and have never

really needed one because we don’t have a car.” “Please,” he tries again, “is there any infidelity in your marriage?” “Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don’t necessarily like the music - all that hip hop and rap tap - but we can’t seem to do anything about it.” “Ma’am, does your husband ever beat you up?” “Yes, he gets up every morning before I do and makes the coffee.” Finally, in frustration, the judge asks: “Lady, why in hell do you want a divorce?” “Oh, I don’t want a divorce,” she replies. “I’ve never wanted a divorce, my husband does. The fool says he can’t communicate with me.”

Candidates for Bad Parents of the Year

The skilled lumberjack man comes up to the owner of a lumberjack business and says: “I need a job and I think I’m pretty good.” The owner replies: “Okay, show me what you can do. Chop down that redwood over there.” The man says okay and leaves. Five minutes later he comes back and is

done with the job. The shocked owner asks: “How did you chop that tree down so fast?” The man replies: “I got a lot of practice in the Sahara.” The owner asks: “You mean the Sahara desert?” “Yes,” he says, “or at least that’s what they call it now.”

Mirror, mirror on the wall AUREN was frustrated. She had complained dozens of times to her daughter about her newest gag of kissing the bathroom mirror after applying lipstick, but it was

all to no avail. Finally, one day after spending half an hour scrubbing the mirror, only to find another kiss mark an hour later, Lauren had had enough.

“Lizzy!” she hollered. “What is it?” came her daughter’s reply through her bedroom door. “I can’t find the toilet brush that I’ve been using to clean the bathroom

mirror. Do you have any idea where it is?” After hearing the gagging from behind the door, Lauren knew her days of cleaning kiss marks off of mirrors were over.

SOCIAL SCENE

10 August 2016

People, places & events THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE: Danette Kapp and Kirsten Wylie, left, photographed here on the Zambia side of Vic Falls, had a glorious tug of war trip to that country during the holidays. Says Lynn’e Kapp: “We had an amazing Tour to Zambia and Danette and Kirsten performed like the champions they are. Danette received four golds on the Friday and Kirsten three. On Saturday, Danette achieved a further four and Kirsten two top medals, giving them a total of eight and five golds respectively. They pulled against powerhouse teams from the hosting country Zambia, as well as Zimbabwe, Kenya and a few invitational teams. We would like to thank each and every individual and business for their contributions towards making this exciting trip possible.” Well done, ladies, and here’s wishing you the same great outcomes for your next tug of war event at George Show Grounds on August 27.

GEEZERS UNITE: The jorl had at Plett’s recent Geezer Rage was second to none, with fire charmers and belly dancers and disco demons showing off their inner animals, first at LM in Plett and then on the dance floor at Zanzibar. The organisers thank everyone who made it possible to raise funds for the vigilant volunteers of Plett Watch through their attendance and good cheer.

CXPRESS

MEET MR DE BEER: Knysna Plett Concert Series presents pianist Willem de Beer on Monday August 22. This first-time appearance of the young talent opens the second half of the Series’ musical year. A multiawarded musician, his achievements include winning the Arts Trust National Piano Competition, the first Atterbury National Piano Competition, and the UNISA South African Piano Competition. He is also a member of the esteemed Golden Key Society for excellence in academics. De Beer will perform works by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin, among others. Join the classical fun and feel the magic of the Knysna Music Society offerings once more at the Dutch Reformed Church Hall in Fichat Street. Tickets from the door cost R120 (scholars pay R30) and the show starts at 7:30pm.

CXPRESS

10 August 2016

Paws

Plett Animal Welfare Service

CLASSIFIEDS

ON THE SOAPBOX

10 August 2016

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

CXPRESS

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There’s an angel at work in Home Affairs Plett’s Home Affairs office has restored my faith in the government systems of our HA Department. Thank you, Tokozani - you are an angel. After repeat applications to have the place of birth corrected on my daughter’s unabridged birth certificate - at a personal cost of time, energy and money - it has finally happened. And it took

almost seven years! The process involved multiple HA departments, including HQ in Pretoria. From 2009 until 2016 I have been frustrated to the point of tears and complete disbelief. I went into Plettenberg Bay HA last week, expecting my latest attempt to apply for the correction of place of birth to again have to be sent

to Pretoria and, like the last attempt, to probably take years for a new birth certificate to be printed hopefully corrected. I was already psyching myself up for months of following up with the Call Centre in Pretoria. Instead, I got Tokozani: a woman with a sense of humour (although I wasn’t quite on the same humour wavelength that

morning) and oodles of intelligence to understand what I was needing. Most importantly, she had the ability to action a solution to my problem then and there. Thank you Tokozani for correcting my daughter’s birth certificate and printing it for me. I feel like I’ve won the jackpot! Colette van Heerden, Plett

Gratis community veterinary services explained About three months ago, my gardener asked me where he could take his dog to be neutered. I told him that there was an organisation called the Community Veterinary Clinic (CVC) that did this service for people unable to afford paying normal vet prices. The following week when he arrived for work, he told me that he went to the CVC in Marine Way but they said that they would charge him for the neutering and when he had told them that he could not afford what

they were asking, they had sent him on his way. I told him to try Plett Animal Welfare Services and the following week he advised me that PAWS had neutered his dog at no cost to him. All I can say is, please support PAWS in the amazing work they do within our disadvantaged community. Malcolm, Plett Tina van Reenen of Bitou CVC and Marine Way Animal Hospital responded as follows: Dear Malcolm, thank

Pansy shell inspires wallmounted wooden wonder

you for taking the trouble to write. You are quite correct in thinking that the CVC offers the service to sterilize animals for people who cannot afford normal vet prices, and we continue to do this on a weekly basis. Your gardener probably came to us at Marine Way, where we told him that we could help him, as our policy is NEVER to turn anybody away that arrives with an animal. To my knowledge the dog was not with him, however, so we asked him to bring the dog along and, if he had no transport, that PAWS would

help him collect it from where he lives - which is indeed what happened. PAWS then brought the dog to us for neutering. As you may know, we work very closely with the PAWS team, assisting them in the amazing work they do with animals from disadvantaged communities. We are grateful to you and other members of the Plett public for ensuring that animals belonging to your staff are also being looked after. I hope this has cleared up any confusion. Thank you for your interest in Bitou CVC and PAWS.

THE SOUP KITCHEN & AYETHU EDUCARE CENTRE

Illegal dumping irks The photos below were shared by a Plett reader who told of the impact the discovery of this mess had on his Vote Day outing to Keurbooms Heights. ‘A cyclist stopped on the hill past Berlin’s to report that the driver of a white bakkie had dumped this rubbish on the side of the road, and closer inspection showed it was the case indeed.’ Unfortunately no registration number is available but readers are urged to report similar incidents so that perpetrators can be named and shamed. - Eds.

Drop off point at Sotheby’s, 25 Main Street, Summer Hill, Plett

In need of dry/canned food, new/used clothing & stationery for the centre...Please give generously.

BACK-LIT BEAUTY: The giant pansy crafted from reclaimed wood will add eye candy to any environment

The purpose of this letter is to tell you about a very special pansy shell made from ‘reclaimed’ wood, as a wall-mounted unit with lighting from the back. The size of this masterpiece is 650mm x 550mm. My father is an 80-yearold veteran carpenter and craftsman. Born in Germany, he has lived most of his life in South Africa and has been resident in Plettenberg Bay for over 30 years. I have embarked with him on a little hobby project of manufacturing beautiful products made from reclaimed wood, and we have had some good responses and orders. We craft any special requests, but for now we would like your readers to see our version of the town’s special icon, and tell the residents of Plett what significance the pansy shell holds for us.

Primarily, it symbolises the life and death and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - and much more. We suspect that this particular ‘sand dollar’ is only found on the shores of Plett. We will obviously appreciate any enquiries from readers who would like to obtain such a masterpiece, as it will greatly inspire the old man to see some recognition. Christian, Plett (A brochure showcasing the work of Christian and his father, Hans Jochen Koter, was attached to the email bearing this message and although it is not the norm to use our Letters page for the furthering of commercial causes, the fact that your interest may inspire a deserving octogenarian has resulted in this exception. Email almostperfectdesigns@gmail.com to find out more. - Eds.)

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CXPRESS

SPORT & ADVENTURE

10 August 2016

Knysna teens make history riding high in East Africa Two Knysna scholars recently returned from the journey of a lifetime - CANDICE LUDICK reports RANDEN van Staden, 16, and Courtney Austin, 15, of Oakhill School were part of a team of cyclists who completed a 360 degree tour around the base of Kilimanjaro as part of a charitable challenge between July 16 and 22 - the first group ever to cycle to Shira Plateau. In the process, the duo made history as the youngest cyclists to reach the Shira Two helipad on Kilimanjaro. Courtney also became the first and only woman, to date, to have reached this point by bicycle. Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania has been sponsoring an annual Kilimanjaro charity climb to the benefit of various HIV/Aids orphanages and other HIV awareness

programmes in the Geita region of Tanzania for the past decade and a half. This year, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of this annual event, a team of cyclists joined the challenge. The cycling group comprised 27 riders and five guides, including Knysna resident Andrew Austin, who led the team, along with the two Oakies. They started and finished at the same point as the climbers and also cycled to Shira Plateau which, at an elevation of 3,800m, is two thirds of the way up Kilimanjaro’s summit. The group cycled 420km and climbed 7,400m during the course of the sevenday excursion; 80% of the ride was on dirt roads and

CLOUDY PEAK: The summit as seen from the cycling teens’ aeroplane window - at 5,895 metres, Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world - www.livescience.com

tracks, covering an average distance of 50km per day. It was a tough challenge and the team were very impressed with the tenacity and perseverance of the youngsters. Branden said what would stay with him about this once-in-a-lifetime experience was witnessing how such diverse cultures continued to exist in Africa, whereas South Africa had become so westernised. Two HIV/Aids orphans from Tanzania, roughly the same age as the Oakhill scholars, were also part of the cycling team. Spending a considerable amount of time with them under extreme circumstances meant that friendships not otherwise possible have now been forged.

BIKE BUDDIES: Courtney and Branden are good friends and avid cyclists who used the passes around Knysna to train for their unforgettable Kilimanjaro ride

The team spent a night in a Maasai village immersed in traditional culture. They lived alongside the tribe and partook in the evening meal and traditional jumping memories to last a lifetime. Courtney and Branden

are good friends and avid cyclists who trained on the passes in and around the Knysna area. This training was further augmented by two hours per week with Chris Nel of Coaches Corner in Knysna.

Polar Bear Plunge pulls the crowds Words & photos: Bob Hopkins

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P L E T T E N B E R G B AY A N D K N Y S N A

The inaugural Polar Bear Plunge, held in Victoria Bay last Saturday, drew more than 400 participants, as well as spectators less willing to throw themselves in the freezing sea in aid of charity. Organised by George Rotary Club the event proved that, in spite of having one of the chilliest winters in recent memory, Garden Routers are more than willing to expose themselves to icy Cape waters for a good cause. Joint organiser Donald Goldfain said that the occasion had both moral and practical purposes. ‘Many of the less fortunate in the area suffer miserably in our winters without adequate heating and warm clothing. The swimmers deliberately submit themselves to this discomfort as a symbol of sharing their distress. The practical aspect is that the entry fee is one blanket per person, which we undertake to ensure is delivered to a local residents in need. We are delighted to see that we have some 410 blankets contributed,’ he said. Celebrity surfer Roxy Louw, above at right, who travelled from Cape Town to join the swimmers, said although it would be unpleasant in the water, she shared the sentiments of the organisers. Comedian Barry Hilton, above at left, introduced the event, but used his talents to draw laughter from the swimmers rather than joining them in the water. He said the organisers were promoting the concept with the objective of it becoming an annual affair at Vic Bay and hoped it could be introduced nationwide in other seaside resorts.