14 March 2018 by CXpress

14 March 2018

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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Ancient footprints found at Brenton on Sea

Working in a confined area, Dr Charles Helm is pictured exploring the ceiling of a cave where numerous tracks of our early ancestors had been unearthed, representing the largest and best-preserved archive of Late Pleistocene hominin tracks found globally to date. Turn to page 4.

From dreamer to lawyer p2

Plettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fire Fund in action p3

Catch stunt brothers at the Buff p12

Photo: Guy Thesen

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

14 March 2018

First-hand account of voyage from high-school dreamer to South African High Court attorney Doyenne of education in and around Plett for the past few decades, Rosemary Murray shared this inspirational letter with CXPRESS and said: “In 2009, I submitted an article about three young students to whom we had awarded scholarships. Of the three, only NOKUBONGA NCERA completed her studies and I feel publication of her recent letter to me will greatly encourage potential students to further their studies.” OOD afternoon, Mama Rose. This is my happiest update email to you yet - I am smiling as I write. It has not been an easy journey, but I am grateful for every bit of help received along the way. I recall this small girl sitting at a desk in Murray High, drawing a young lady wearing a court robe as depiction of her dream to be a lawyer one day. Many of her peers laughed at her, thinking those dreams too big. How would she become a nonAfrikaans speaking lawyer? How would she do it without History as high school subject? How could her retired manual worker father and domestic worker mother pay for it? I applied in any case and when accepted into university, I was sure that the worst was over. The growing up needed to transition from a small-town high school on the Garden Route to one of the most prestigious law faculties in South Africa was scary, but it has added much value to my life. Mama Rose, I am writing to tell you that on February 2, nine years later, I took my oath as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. I am

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MADE IT! Nokubonga Chichi Ncera on the day she took her oath and was admitted as an attorney

LONG ROAD AHEAD: After having been selected as top students by their respective Bitou high schools, the 2009 article (published on April 22) on Bitou Community Educational Trust bursary recipients was accompanied by this pic featuring a youthful Nokubonga Ncera, at right

now officially a lawyer. I often have to remind myself that I’ve finally reached this milestone. Based in Cape Town, I’m currently working as junior legal

advisor for one of the biggest names in the global renewableenergy industry. I am so grateful that when all the odds seemed to be against

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the dreams of a young girl, there was someone to lend a hand and nurture them. I truly cannot imagine where I would be had it not been for the support - not only financial - of my community. I truly hope more local scholars would get the same opportunity, and pray that my letter may cause a re-birth of dreamers in our community. It is very hard to dream big in a town such as ours, because we see very few of our own older brothers and sisters achieving their dreams. It feels wrong to want more for oneself, and peer pressure gets in the way of success - one would rather be popular than a bookworm. I do not have a flashy car or flashy clothes because material things can always be taken away from us, but I have an everlasting legacy of education, which is attached to my name forever. Please keep on nurturing young people’s dreams. • Bitou Community Educational Trust was established in 2008 to support local matriculants unable to continue their studies at higher education institutions without financial assistance.

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NEWS & VIEWS

14 March 2018

CXPRESS

First home rebuild begins from fire funds HILE nature has started to heal itself and residents come to grips with the devastating June fires, several Plett locals from some of the town’s poorest communities, who lost their homes and belongings during the disaster, are still battling to survive. This, however, is about to change as the first destroyed home is being rebuilt as part of the Plett Fire Fund imitative. The Plett Fire Fund was started by a small group of locals who wanted to restore the dignity of the poor who lost their homes in the

fires that ripped through the area. By the end of the week their efforts will come to fruition when construction on the first home starts. Marius Venter, who along with residents Sally Turner and Neville Peterson created the fund, said they had been involved in relief work during the disaster and by so doing realised how hard the Kranshoek community in particular had been hit. He added that most of the victims have had to turn to family and friends for shelter, some even living in the gardens of loved ones. Venter said they did

not have the money to rebuild their homes. He added that waiting for government to intervene was not viable as these people’s lives came to a standstill following the fires. “So we decided to do something about it ourselves.” They started a non-profit organisation, which is audited, and started raising funds to provide the victims of the Kranshoek fires with homes. To date they have raised almost R600,000 and are waiting for a mayoral fund payout of a further R374,000. The Snyman family is the first set to benefit from the

Building gear donated by Bitou not worth the transport bucks Words and photo: Khaya Mbesi

HREE shacks in Bossiesgif burnt down to the ground on Monday morning March 5, the owners of which claiming to have collectively lost material valued at close to R50,000. Most shack owners in this disadvantaged Plett neighbourhood do part-time jobs, if employed at all. The most recent fire victims said

Bitou Municipality contributed building materials but that no door frames, windows, or doors formed part of the municipal aid. CXPRESS visited them late last week when they were busy rebuilding their shacks. Asisipho Bandla, 24, said she was the only woman present when the fire started. “I live with my boyfriend, who said he had heard noise coming from the municipal electricity poles

DEVASTATED: Asisipho Bandla, Ntokozo Mapeyi, Athenkosi Nkosi, Mzikabawo Bhudaza, and Loyiso Bambisa show the damage caused by Plett’s most recent shack fire

when he left for work that morning. I woke up before leaving for my mid-day shift as community development worker, and went to the bathroom outside. “When I came back, I saw my neighbours running and when I got closer to my shack I saw that it was full of flames. I couldn’t rescue anything, my uniform and my other clothes were on fire. “All my documents - IDs, certificates and everything else, as well as those of my boyfriend - were inside the shack and burnt out. Everyone in the shacks around us was also affected by the fire,” said Bandla. They are currently staying with neighbours, as are fellow fire victims Ntokozo Mapeyi, Mzikabawo Bhudaza and Loyiso Bambisa, who claim they paid R200 for transport to collect building materials that Bitou Municipality was getting rid of. “We wish we could be reimburse the money we paid for this transport - only to collect old material that we cannot use. We are very angry about this,” said Bambisa.

initiative. Winston Snyman, his wife and three children, lost all their belongings and their home in the fire. Last week the foundation for the home was built and, come Thursday, construction is set to start. Each home will be about 50m2 and will include all amenities needed to live com-

fortably. Venter said they use a product called Stumblebloc to construct the homes. He explained that the bricks fit together like Lego and was very easy to work with. It does not require specialised skills and therefore the community and families will be part of the building process. Each

3 Yolandé Stander

home is set to cost about R150,000 to complete. Anyone wanting to contribute to the fund can deposit money into MA Hurwitz Attorney Trust Fund, Nedbank Plett (branch code 109014), account number 1090043813. Use Plett Fire Fund as reference. Garden Route Media

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

14 March 2018

Forty steps closer to tracking our hominin ancestors… The palaeontological world was rocked this month when news about the discovery of 90,000-year-old human footprints at Brenton on Sea was released in a scientific journal

IN BRIGHT 3D: An international team of researchers led by Dr Charles Helm of the Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre in British Columbia discovered up to 40 hominin tracks, evident in the form of natural casts on the ceiling and side walls of a 10m-long cave at Brenton on Sea - in some of the tracks, this photogrammetry three-dimensional image clearly shows the presence of five toes - Imagery: Richard McCrea

HEN Canadian palaeontologist Dr Charles Helm and friends discovered tracks in a cave at Brenton on Sea about two years ago, no one could have guessed that their find would become the first reported hominin track-site in the world from a time period of approximately 900 centuries ago. Said the doc with regard to his article in the latest edition of open-access journal Scientific Reports: “It thus adds greatly to the sparse global record of early hominin tracks while representing the largest and bestpreserved archive of Late Pleistocene hominin tracks found to date.” Knysna artist Guy Thesen

has a keen interest in palaeontology, Khoi-San shamans, and our remote past in general. He remembers clearly the day of discovery. “In 2016 Charles, his wife Lynda and I went looking for fossilized animal tracks in the Brenton on Sea area because it has the right kind of hardened sandstone that has been layered by wind action over thousands and thousands of years. “On the day, we found these under-tracks hanging down from the exposed surface of a small cave, but weren’t sure what animals had originally made them. There was no time to study them carefully as it was getting late and Charles and

Lynda had to return to Canada shortly after. “But the Helms returned to this site the following year as Charles wanted to have another look - something about the tracks intrigued him, and the couple of photos he had from that first visit further puzzled him. “He called me one morning and said to come down to the cave immediately, as he needed me to confirm something - so I rushed down there. The morning light entered at probably the perfect angle and, helped by good flashlights, we suddenly noticed five toes on the end of a clearly-defined human footprint. “The more we looked, the more vague footprints started to appear on the dimlylit surface. We could hardly believe it, as human tracks are so rare to find, the only ones in this rough timeframe of around 100,000 years ago having been discovered at Nahoon and Langebaan. “Here, right on our doorstep in a small sea cave near Brenton on Sea, were over 30 hominin tracks - some less defined than others, but clearly reinforcing our unbroken history as Homo sapiens along this rich resource-filled Southern Cape coastline.” Visit www.nature.com/arti cles/s41598-018-22059-5 for the full report and see www. guythesen.co.za for further info and artful eye candy.

NEWS & VIEWS

14 March 2018

Following Madiba’s example by helping Bitou folks in need HE fact that new president Cyril Ramaphosa declared 2018 as the year to honour Nelson Mandela has propelled the Active United Front (AUF) KwaNokuthula branch to do what Madiba would have done without asking for funds from their organisation. AUF members identified two households, perceived as “the poorest of the poor” because they live in unstable homes and have had their electricity cut off after incurring huge debts they would never be able to repay. The first house that was upgraded belongs to Asanda Campher, 19 - a Grade 12 student at Murray High School. Asanda was abandoned by her mother more than a year ago. She was left with no food to eat and an empty, dilapidated house. At the same time, she realised she was pregnant. This caused her to stay away from school and to stop eating for days. Kind neighbours rescued her from the verge of death. Sisima Simakuhle opened her heart and ‘adopted’ Asanda for six months, feeding and dressing her and organising necessities for her child.

PROUDER NOW: Wandile Totana at his newly-painted house in the Joe Slovo section of KwaNokuthula

A BIT BRIGHTER: Asanda Campher and her baby are grateful for the assistance to upgrade her house

Another problem, however, is that Asanda does not have an ID book and as a result her child does not have a birth certificate. This means that she does not qualify for a grant. Sisima and other neighbours’ pleas to Asanda’s

mother - who stays elsewhere with her current boyfriend - to return to her house and children, have fallen on deaf ears. Asanda’s twin brothers are looked after by Knysna social services. “I have to write my mat-

ric exams this year but can’t do so without an ID number,” said Asanda. “I am so worried because I want to study to be a human resource officer but will need a bursary to further my studies.” Neighbours said she liked school very much and passed her Grade 11 very well. “My only hope - my best friend right now - is my education. The boyfriend that gave me a child has disappeared. He does not support my baby.” Another house benefiting from the AUF members’ charity belongs to Wandile Totana and is situated in the area called Joe Slovo, in Kwano Phase 3. After being without electricity for three years, Wandile’s power was reconnected, his house painted, and surrounding vegetation trimmed. AUF spokesman Nicotee Mayila said: “We collected the money from our own pockets to help these disadvantaged residents, choosing the poorest of the poor. We also assisted Murray High when we saw the need. “We are going to ask the mayor to visit these homes and if he sees fit, he may do more to help.”

CXPRESS

Words & photos: Khaya Mbesi

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

14 March 2018

Zeelas Charity Shop will help you pay back the blessings new charity shop opened in Plett last December, initiated by Catholic Church stalwarts Leela Verity and Zee Peters, hence the name Zeelas. It sells mainly second-hand clothing, linen and a few odds and ends, at very cheap prices. Donations are welcome and various charity events are sponsored from the money raised. Says Leela: “Our January charity event consisted of helping a new church in Kranshoek with supplies. The Life Giving Gospel Church International has services twice a week, and after each service they open their doors to feed the hungry.” In February, the charitable Zeelas team provided gift packs containing personal hygiene items (sanitary pads, deodorant, soap, etc.) to 100 young girls at a school in The Crags. “They also heard a talk on the subject of their bodies being the temple of God, and how to protect and preserve it - especially in the light of free sex and the schoolgirl pregnancies so prevalent today.” This event coincided with Leela’s birthday and the

GIFTS FOR GIRLS: In February, Zeelas distributed gift bags containing personal hygiene items to 100 girls - with Monica, standing at left, Leela, seated in front, and Zee, standing at right

BACK TO CHURCH: In January, Zeelas assisted a new church in Kranshoek, who open their doors to feed the hungry

girls blessed her with song. “To have 100 young girls singing Happy Birthday with such sweet voices was very, very special. Thank you to everyone who donated, and special thanks to Monica Medea who was instrumental in organising this event, and to Sylvia from St Vincent de Paul for their generous donation,” says Leela. Zeelas also sponsored the venue and snacks for a design workshop to inspire and train women to start their own businesses, featuring celebrated fashion guru David Tlale.

Organised by Melissa Medea, who is passionate about empowering young women, Zeelas availed St Christopher’s Church hall for the event, and each participant received a beautiful handmade goodie bag. Zeelas is located in Harrison Grove building, in Marine Drive, between Mellville’s Corner and the taxi rank. Pop in to check out their range of quality clothing and other goodies at fantastic prices. You will be blessed by the bargains and your money will go towards blessing those in need.

PROMOTION

14 March 2018

CXPRESS

INTERVAL

14 March 2018

Fietsry is beslis nie vir sussies nie… OMENDE Maandag kyk ek op TV hoe trek ‘n klomp malles weg op die Cape Epic. Terwyl ek my popcorn en brannas solank begin regkry wonder ek of ek nie ook maar moet fiks word nie, want daar is altyd ‘n paar mooi boudjies op daai baasiekels. Maar ek is so verdomp unfit ek kry milt steek as ek badkamer toe loop. Ek het mos hoeka vir die kinders elkeen ‘n grênd baaisiekel gekoop, op rekening nogal, en nou ry ek hulle met die kar skool toe, en daai helse duur martelpype staan en op roes in die garage. Nou kyk ek waar op die ding is die carrier vir toebies en ander padkos, maar die simpel ding het net so ‘n draad rakkie - vir water sê die laatie. Water en wat? Daar sal mos nooit ‘n bottel J&B inpas nie! Ek moes seker gekyk het vir een of ander weight limit, want as ek ‘n 3-liter Toyota bakkie op sy knieë trek as ek inklim gaan iets sy gat sien op die ou draadraampie. Die kinders het loop dekking slaan onder die vêrste bed in die huis met een of ander sign wat sê: “Ek ken nie daai ou nie… ” Het julle geweet Spandex broeke het ook ‘n rek limiet? Dis soos om daai maer vroutjie van 7de Laan, Hilda, se super small bloomer om ‘n blou walvis se agterwêreld te probeer trek. Jou aambeie skuif tot

onner jou oksels. Dank die Vader die pienk fiets se ketting lyk soos iets wat mens in Richardsbaai se hawe vergeet het van die roes, so ek pick die laaitie se kapoen-geel een. Ek het een van die kinders se helmets geleen, al kon die twee net uit decency vir my gesê het dis ‘n skateboard helmet. Nou onthou, ek het laas fiets gery toe ‘n Chopper nog ‘n professionele resies bike was, en ek beklim die stukkie draadrank terwyl ek aan die prieël vashou om nie om te voeter nie. So met die been oorgooi, gee die Spandex op en flash ek my vrou in die kombuis en ek hoor net koppies val in die wasbak. Nou moet ek my gewone

I saw a car in London with a bumper sticker... “Ek mis Suid Afrika”

So I broke the window, stole the radio and laptop and left a note that said... “Voel jy nou beter?”

PT broek dra, maar die saal is vir iemand gemaak met minder cleavage as ek, en so met die sitslag verdwyn daai saal met my nuwe onnerbroek en die helfde van die PT broek die onnoembare in en verstaan ek skielik wat ‘n wedgie from hell is. Dis finkenol teen wat ek nou beleef! Die arme fietsie se shocks lê halfpad verby hul optop level en al is die tyres 104.7 bar gepomp lyk hulle steeds pap, maar vandag word ons fiks! Nou die wat die plek ken waar ek woon, weet van

die enigste koppie in die omtrek net agter die huis. As ek hom nou kan uittrap en terugkom sal ek in ‘n kort rukkie fiks wees, reken ek. Vader, die munisipaliteit se lorries kom nie eers daar uit nie en na ‘n ongoddelike strawwe, bloedswetende, asembenewede eerste 12 meter vang ek ‘n lift met ‘n bakkie op tot bo. Afkom lyk makliker… Nou die wat nie fietsry ken nie, weet seker nie dat die voorbriek nie goed werk op ‘n afdraend nie. Nevermind, met my skateboard helmet, PT broek driekwart in my watchemaycallit, vellies en rugbykouse, bespring ek daai martelpyp bo-op die koppie ten aanskoue van ‘n ander gesinnetjie Cape Epic wannabe’s. Die ma druk sommer die dogtertjie se oë toe, want ek het later by die ambulansman gehoor ek het cleavage gegooi vir Afrika. Toe die predikant my kom besoek het vanoggend wou hy weet of ek so in die afkom dalk ‘n bees in volle vaart met een of ander geel ding in sy alie daar sien afkom het. So op sy droë manier kan hy ook maar ‘n nare vent wees. To hell met fiks word. Boude is mooier op TV en my gips kom anyway eers oor agt weke af. Groete, Petrus

SOCIAL SCENE

14 March 2018 FRIDAY MOVIE FUN: On March 16, the fulllength home-grown flick ‘Meerkat Maantuig’, erm, launches at Route Mall in George. Making this beautiful film significant on a global scale is that it has already been accepted for screening at 12 international film festivals all over the world, even before its South African release - a magnificent achievement for any local production. It is written and directed by Hanneke Schutte, constituting another empowering feat since female directors are few and far between in SA. The film stars Anchen du Plessis, left, Themba Ntulu, and veteran actors like Pierre van Pletzen, Rika Sennet and more. Email rachellecrous@ gmail.com for details.

CXPRESS

People, places & events DIAMONDS FOR THE TAKING: Due to the overwhelming success of Andrew Young’s show ‘Summer Sax & Salsa’ staged previously at Plett’s Barnyard in The Crags, the world-renowned saxophonist is now returning and much looking forward to performing his new show ‘Diamonds’ at the same venue, with Rene Piet on piano and keyboards joining him on stage. An international recording artist, Andrew has selected some best-loved classics to be included on the ‘Diamonds’ album - all of which are sure to delight his local ‘live’ audience. “Like old friends, these melodies have continued to accompany and inspire me throughout my touring career and travels. Every song on the album is very special to me - each song a classic, each song a diamond!” he explains. Born in Liverpool, Andrew studied clarinet and saxophone from the age of eight. He has performed for Queen Elizabeth and worked with Dionne Warwick, Gino Vanelli, Shirley Bassey, Jonathan Butler, and Sir James Galway. Hailed as ‘The Prince of the Saxophone’, you can expect an evening of awesome music fired by the energy of a true sax master when Andrew takes to The Barnyard stage on March 23 (see advert below for details). Newsflash: Three lucky readers can win double tickets to the show! The question: Where was Andrew Young born? Email your answer, name and contact details to jeanne@stormproduktionz.co.za by noon on March 19. Winners will be informed in time to pack their picnic baskets for a brilliant night of sax…

BEST LITFEST YET: The Knysna Literary Festival from March 9-11 brought writers and political pundits of note to the town, for three magical days of scintillating presentation and debate. The first two days of the festival were held at Thesen Harbour Town and kicked off with a résumé of the book ‘Churchill & Smuts’ by Richard Steyn. Thereafter ‘Enemy of the People’ author Adriaan Basson chaired a fascinating discussion entitled ‘Fate of the Nation’ with his co-author Pieter du Toit, who is pictured above at right flanked by Sunday Times columnist Ranjeni Munusamy and professor Jonathan Jansen (‘As by Fire’). Some few days prior to the festival, Ranjeni famously tweeted: “South Africa is too much. A foreign family took control of the state, a city surrounded by water has no water, the third-largest political party is determining the national agenda, and polony is killing us.” In the afternoon, Jacques Pauw (‘The President’s Keepers’) held the floor, and the day concluded with Liezie Mulder in conversation with Penny Rathbone on the launch of her second book of recipes, named ‘Anytime’. Day two was hosted by The Turbine Hotel and featured Clive Walker (‘Rhino Revolution’), Sally Andrew (‘Recipes for Love and Murder’) and Glynnis Breytenbach (‘Rule of Law’). In the evening the ever-popular Delicious Word Journey allowed aficionados of literature to meet with well-known wordsmiths Sam Cowen (‘From Whiskey to Water’), Mandy Wiener (‘An Underworld Explored’) and Professor Jonathan Jansen, all the while enjoying good cuisine and wine. At Mitchell’s Brewery on Sunday Jeremy Thompson - a journalist and broadcaster of 50 years’ experience and until recently with Sky News - gave an enthralling account of his career, as set out in the book ‘Breaking News’. Jeremy is pictured above left at back, with his wife Lynn and Clive Walker. The festival closed with renowned story teller Michael Charlton (‘My Father’s Coat’), talking about 200 years of tumultuous history as seen through the lives and times of Mzilikazi, Paul Kruger, Cecil Rhodes, Jan Smuts, and Nelson Mandela. This year’s event was the ninth and surely best to date, with seats for every presentation sold out weeks beforehand. Ling Dobson of Pam Golding Properties and her team are to be warmly congratulated on the success of Knysna Literary Festival 2018. - Timothy Twidle

CXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS

14 March 2018

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ON THE SOAPBOX

14 March 2018

Letters to the Editor

CXPRESS

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

Relations between Plett Tourism and Bitou Municipality at an all-time low Truth be told: as things stand currently, the relationship between Bitou Municipality and the Plett Tourism Association leaves much to be desired. Whether we like it or not, these two key stakeholders need each other to function properly - it’s a two-way street kinda relationship. Not only does the municipality, through the political leadership, cut budgets for Plett Tourism year in and year out, but there seem to be a plan to organise a palace-coup, replacing the current Plett Tourism board and management by people sympathetic to the political leadership. What’s more, it appears

that the council itself is found wanting on this impasse. Plett Tourism has for most of 2017 made endless pleas to have matters resolved once and for all, but there seems to be no appetite nor political will to attend to the problem. As a result of council’s lack of interest in solving the matter, along with dirty politricks played by the political leadership, the administration is caught between a rock and a hard place. The Local Economic Development (LED) department, for starters, by design supposedly the key liaison between Plett Tourism and the municipality, is reluctant to work

with Plett Tourism, fearing purging from their political principals. There is little to no coordination between the municipality’s Communications department and that of Plett Tourism. How are we going to market the town if we don’t package in unison and sing the same tune? It boggles the mind! This whole fiasco has more questions than answers. Why is the political leadership hell-bent on interfering with the work of the Plett Tourism Association? What’s their end-game? Diplomacy does not seem to be working, so the saga now requires from us an approach this

radical. Which part of Plett Tourism’s actions does the political leadership find so incredibly wrong? Can we have a genuine conversation? Then again, it’s become clear that we’re talking among ourselves here, ever since the tourism debate has caught fire some weeks ago. I haven’t seen a single response from Bitou Municipality or its council, for that matter. But I can’t say that I am surprised. Although I consult at Plett Tourism as content writer and run a regular blog on their website, I wrote this letter in my personal capacity. Wandisile Afrika Sebezo, KwaNokuthula

Things are not always as they appear to be… I am referring to the letter ‘Abuse of disabled parking is alive and well in Plett’, which appeared on February 28 [read it on page 11 of that edition at www.cxpress.co.za]. I would have appreciated it if CXPRESS could have maintained an impartial stand and contacted us to establish the facts before going to press. I do understand our neighbour, Mrs Antoinette Egan, and her sorrows with her quadriplegic son, but that is no reason to publicly slander me and in fact attempt to start a witch hunt “naming and shaming this individual”. Yes, I did have a hip replacement operation some 21 month ago, but

that is not my only medical problem. And yes, I do have an international disabled ID card, but it is not 18 month old; it dates from 08.09.2017. It was issued as ‘permanent’ after a consortium of German doctors had assessed my medical case more than a year after the operation. I have also been assessed by South African doctors with the same results. Based on such certification, I have been issued with an official permanent disabled certificate (sticker) from Bitou Municipality. That sticker is also not 18 months old it dates from 19.02.2018, i.e. it was issued nine days before the letter was published - enough time for

CXPRESS to establish the facts. Mrs Egan, are you now saying that your medical diagnostic abilities are better than German and South African specialist doctors combined? Lastly, Mrs Egan, my walking capabilities happen to depend on the amount of pain killers taken - something you may not have considered either. So I would expect a public apology for your slander. From CXPRESS I am requesting a public retraction of the call for the witch hunt to “watch out for the man described and his selfish actions”. ‘No Easy Walk’, Plett (CXPRESS is in possession of copies of the

documentation mentioned in this letter, and we absolutely concur that claims as to the invalid nature of these documents were false indeed. It must be reiterated that we did not include Mrs Egan’s supplied photographs, specifically because we did not want to bring any businesses involved into disrepute. The opinions by readers on our Soapbox page is not those of CXPRESS management or staff, and we do not have the manpower to investigate any or all claims made by the authors of letters to the editors. We stand by our call for readers to keep a lookout for those who abuse disabled parking bays. - Eds.)

Tanker drones and desalination now cheaper than ever I was very interested in watching the presentation by Helen Zille during the State of the Province address. She came up with a lot of facts and figures against the background or hubbub of opposing parties wishing to put

their ‘oar’ in - especially when they heard of the achievements listed by the Western Cape Premier. There was a lot of blaming the other political tier (state versus province versus municipality, for instance), but perhaps

the constitution is at fault here. After all, the USA added quite a few amendments to its constitution. Several technical innovations were mooted, including the latest in drone tanker delivery and the continuous improvement

in desalination. Like all green energy, the cost of a lot of these technical developments has been reduced considerably enough so to make them preferable over their 20th century equivalents. Dennis Ring, Plett

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CXPRESS

SPORT & ADVENTURE

14 March 2018

Le Riche Brothers in action during this weekend’s Buffalo Rally Mossel Bay plays host to the ever-popular annual Buffalo Rally this weekend, with the Show & Shine and Le Riche Brothers Stunt Show on Saturday March 17 a sure highlight. Presented by Garden Route Casino (GRC) in association with Nomads Motorcycle Club, the day promises to be action-packed with stunts, live music, food stalls, motorbikes and incredible prizes. A must-do on the Mossel Bay social scene, entry to the event is free. The Show & Shine bikes will arrive at GRC’s main parking area at 11am for a public exhibition - allowing guests to admire these extreme machines and interact with the owners. An exhilarating stunt show by Brent and Bruce le Riche, pictured at right, kicks off at noon. With the Cruising for Cash draw running on March 17 and 31, guests can win big with a lucky draw offering gamers playing slots and tables the chance to win a motorbike or Hyundai Grand i10 to the value of R150,000. Alternatively, winners can walk away with their share of the R100,000 cash prize. Visit www.nomads.org.za/ event/2017-buffalo-rally for more information.

BUCO Adventure Weekend

A Super Six start, surf-ski finish, and lots of running-cycling action in-between! ITH the BUCO Easter Surf Ski Challenge now in its 11th year and numerous events having grown off this solid base, Easter in Plett certainly has a serious feel-good side. The weekend kicks off with the inaugural Super Sixes at Plettenberg Bay Country Club (PBCC) on Friday March 30. This exciting new format of golf is currently being showcased around the world, and the Easter tournament boasts PBCC Golf Development as first-ever beneficiary. Easter Saturday sees all the sports action moving to Cairnbrogie Farm for a host of trail-running events and mountain biking with a difference. Sponsorship from BUCO allows for a full day of family fun at the Cairnbrogie Trail Park. The trail races cater for any level of runner, distances ranging from 1.5-17km. All runners will get fresh milk and a choc chip cookie in place of finisher’s medals. The morning starts off with special guests from the Sabrina Love Foundation having their own Easter egg

hunt around the farmyard among the calves. Apart from all the locals who are involved with trail clearing, marshalling and selling home bakes, the main beneficiary of the day will be #SoundstheCall. This new NPO was set up in the wake of last year’s fires, which decimated the area to the west of Plett. A serious need to equip Bitou’s many volunteer firefighters was identified and a group of selfless men and women have driven this project for the last 10 months. “I was among these volunteers who stood and faced the fire as it approached Cairnbrogie. We were able to divert the fire away from the homestead but that did nothing to stop it burning timber, grazing, and other people’s homes further down the line,” says James Stewart of Muddyfoot Adventures. “This year, with the efforts of #SoundstheCall, I know that we are better prepared and equipped to handle this type of scenario far more effectively in the future,” he says, adding that runners will cross a section

of the Robberg Coastal Corridor - another project to receive some of the day’s takings at Cairnbrogie. With runs out of the way, there will be an early afternoon start for the BUCO Cairnbrogie Kids Fun Ride. A new event this year will be the BUCO Adventure Rally MTB Ride from 3:30pm, when riders will follow a rally-style route guide for 25km of spectacular mountain biking. “With entries for a number of teams from Kwano Cycling Academy sponsored by the organisers, and those who don’t take part being employed as marshals and helpers, these youngsters will all have a great day out,” he says. Sunday sees a full day of surf-ski races off Central Beach, with hosts Plett Surf Life Saving Club in charge of safety duties and NSRI Station 14 receiving a donation from race organisers to bolster this great bunch of local volunteers. So be in Plett this Easter, ‘coz everyone’s a winner. See www.muddyfootadven tures.co.za for details.