18 february

18 February 2015

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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Another child murdered

It’s party time!

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Notes on nation’s state p4

One step closer to Mars p9

Are you aged between 25 and 95 and dead-keen on a shindig of note? Then sign up for Plett Geezer Rage, happening all over town next weekend - turn to pages 2 and 9 for details...

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CXPRESS

News & Views

18 February 2015

Geezers - that’s YOU, 25-and-over-year-old - party for Plett NSRI

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RESCUE RAGERS: Don your best blue jeans or rock ‘n roll threads for three main events during Geyser Rage from February 27 ‘till March 1 – all proceeds go to the volunteer rescue crew of Plett NSRI (most of whom are sure to feature big at this event, being fun-loving party animals and all...)

ON-PROFIT organisation Geezer Events, in collaboration with Rage and Plett Tourism, presents the first-ever Geezer Rage as a thank you to the community for all their support during the Plett Rage student festival.

The event is loosely based on the Rage concept, but caters for those with a few additional years on the clock, giving them the opportunity to let go and have some fun, old-school style.

Taking place from February 27 to March 1, Geezer Rage consists of three main events.

‘The Asylum’ Party at VIP

Superclub will see DJs spinning out classics from the 60s through to the 90s.

The ‘Post-mortem’ Spit Braai on the lawns of Rod & Reel restaurant will feature live bands and musicians belting out all those golden oldies we love to love, while Geezers can also look forward to the ‘Rock & Roll Psycho Circus’ at Flashbacks, where they will be treated to serious rock tunes by Plett’s own Mad Brad.

Various local restaurants have also come on board and will be offering a 20% discount to all Geezers for the

duration of the weekend.

This is a party where age counts and anyone over the age of 25 qualifies as a Geezer, so dust off those dancing shoes, book those baby sitters and get ready to party both for and with a purpose as all proceeds from the event will be donated to the Plett NSRI Station 14.

Tickets can be bought online at geezerrage.nutickets.co.za or from the Book-it Plettenberg Bay office on Main Street. Go to www.geezerrage.co.za or email enquiries@geezerrage. co.za for more info, and see the advert on page 9.

Meet Zanne and Elna for Tea with Puccini at Ouland Royale

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Our 10 000 free copies are distributed every Wednesday to a multitude of outlets along the Garden Route, with emphasis on Knysna and Plett and drop-offs at *Sedgefield Tourism *Caltex StarMart in Wilderness *Lynn Schroeder, Build It and other select outlets in George *Storms River Village and Bridge in Tsitsikamma - phone 044 533 1004 (o/h) with distribution queries.

If you’ve missed out on a hard copy, read the electronic version online at www.cxpress.co.za

LETT residents were privileged to enjoy the fabulous Zanne Stapelberg in cabaret at Ouland in November last year, when she performed some of our favourite French songs as well as many other showstoppers.

So it’s excellent news that she’s back by popular demand with a very different show on Sunday February 22 at 2:30pm.

Says Ouland’s Wilja Reitz: “This time Zanne will thrill us with our favourite opera arias in French and Italian - Handel, Mozart, Bizet, Wagner and Puccini will all be represented, and she will throw in a Spanish Tango, too!”

Zanne is one of South Africa’s most celebrated sopranos, with numerous important awards under her belt, including the Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, and Best Young Opera Singer Award from The Friends of the Cape Town Opera.

She was nominated for a SAMA for her album Uqwn" qh" Hktg with Kathleen Tagg.

Having graduated cum laude from the University of Stellenbosch, Zanne was described by one critic at the Grahamstown Festival as “a national treasure”.

Xqkeg" qh" Cogtkec‚u Darren Taylor wrote about her: “Judging from her recent shows, Stapelberg is hurling classical music and opera into the laps of audiences who previously would not have listened to these genres, while

FINEST COMPANY: Elna van der Merwe received SAMRO recognition for her excellent accompaniment services

NATIONAL TREASURE: The dramatically beautiful Zanne Stapelberg is one of SA’s most celebrated sopranos

not cheapening the styles and maintaining their integrity.”

She will be accompanied by Elna van der Merwe - an artist in her own right and one of the

country’s most sought-after accompanists. Elna regularly performs with international artists such as cellist Maria Kliegel and celebrated violin-

ist Zanta Hofmeyr, and has co-starred with Zorada Temmingh in Israel and London.

She was recognised by SAMRO for excellent accompaniment services to Overseas Scholarship Competitions.

“Wilja Reitz is becoming renowned for putting on shows of exceptional quality at Ouland Royale - her marvellous Baroque Barn, where she will be treating us to a scrumptious High Tea before the show,” says co-organiser Marsja Hall-Green.

“This musical event promises to be another Plett highlight for Ouland, and it is definitely not to be missed.”

See you there on Sunday afternoon February 22 at 2:30 - tickets at R300 per person can be bought from Wilja on 082 859 1250.

Knysna’s inaugural Celtic Fest set to kick off

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IPERS, drummers and Highland dancers from all over SA will flock to the Route end February, when the inaugural Knysna Celtic Festival comes to town!

Knysna’s Main Road is set to come alive on the morning of Saturday February 28, when over 100 pipers, drummers and dancers assemble at Memorial Square after their Street March competition, to form a Massed Pipes & Drums parade.

They will march back down the N2 towards Pledge Square - a very grand and impressive event to witness. Limited Edition, a hugely talented performance drum corps from Manenberg in Cape Town, and special guests at the Sundowners Concert later that evening, will also be taking part in the parade.

Taking place from 9:3010:30am, it will be the first time that anything of this magnitude hits the town of Knysna, so this FREE event is certainly not to be missed.

Main events of the Celtic Festival continue at Loerie Park from 11am to 3pm. The skirl of pipes, bang of drums and balletic grace of Highland dancers will unite in a full programme of activities.

Pipe band, solo piping and drumming, and Highland

SKIRTING THE ISSUE: The Knysna & Districts Pipe Band performs at the 2014 Sundowners Celtic & Bluegrass Concert catch them at the Knysna Celtic Festival on February 28

dancing competitions will be complemented by a Scottish country dancing display and the Knysna Highland Games powered by CrossFit Knysna.

A ‘Celtic Village’ will include a pub, food court, arts & crafts stalls, and children’s activities so go along during the day to show your support for the bands and dancers and to watch all of these stirring events. Entrance costs just R30 for adults and R15 for children - pay at the gate.

As the pièce de résistance of the Knysna Celtic Festival, the Knysna & Districts Pipe Band (who last November had the accolade of being the first non-military band ever to play at the Cape Town Military Tattoo) teams up for the

fourth successive year with iconic Cape Town Bluegrass band Blacksmith for a unique concert in aid of the Knysna Sea Cadets.

High quality food vendors and the pub will be open all evening, so do plan to have your dinner during the concert from 5-9pm. Tickets at R80 each are available from all Sotheby’s branches in Knysna, Sedgefield and Plett, as well as Bosun’s Bar & Grill on George Rex Drive.

From start to finish, the day promises to be a truly memorable experience. Please help to put Knysna firmly on the Celtic map forever by attending all of the events - see the advert on this page for further information.

News & Views

18 February 2015

CXPRESS

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Zama’s murder next on ever-growing list of local child killings The senseless murder of an 11-year-old Knysna boy has become the latest in a series of shocking child killings along the Garden Route over the past year - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports

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HE body of Zama Mani from Khayalethu was found in dense bushes off a footpath in Hunter’s Home on Sunday, two days after he went missing.

This comes just a month ahead of 18-year-old Lulama Candani’s next appearance in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping and murdering eight-year-old Sesona Bhayibhile from Bossiesgif in December.

And just some months ago, 32-year-old Ewald Booysen was handed two life sentences for raping and brutally murdering the petite nineyear-old Rosaline Philander in Rheenendal, after luring her away from friends with a promise of chips and R10.

In the most recent incident, police suspect the boy was lured away from Fraaisig Primary School by a 51-year-old local man after he was spotted at the school early on Friday morning. He

WHY? This photo of little Zama Mani was used by police to try trace the boy after his mother reported him missing last Friday

never made it to any classes that day.

When he did not return home, his mother reported him missing at about 9pm on Friday. A large-scale search was launched by Knysna police, the dog unit, the Knysna municipal disaster management team, local forensic pathology and emergency med-

ical rescue services, ER24, the Knysna community police forum (CPF), neighbourhood watch volunteers and community members.

During search operations information was obtained revealing that Zama had been spotted in the company of a local man on Friday.

“Further investigation and video footage led police to the residence of the suspect where it was found that he had been taken into custody by members of the community. He was interrogated and revealed the whereabouts of the missing boy,” Southern Cape police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie said.

The suspect then agreed to point out the body.

“He led police to a footpath in dense bushes near Howard Street in Hunter’s Home where he revealed the body of the boy, who was still fully clothed. Police found the boy with a shoe lace around his neck. The motive for this

Robber who allegedly shot Knysna couple arrested in Hunter’s Home

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IGILANT and diligent police investigations resulted in the arrest of a 31-year-old Tanzanian national in connection with a house robbery in Queen Street, Knysna, on the morning of Friday February 13 at about 3:30am, according to an SAPS report released on Saturday.

“Information reveals that the occupants of the house, a 30-year-old woman and her husband, were woken and surprised by two men with firearms who had gained entrance to the house by breaking the burglar bars to a window.

“It is alleged that, without any reason or altercation, the suspects fired shots at the

couple, hitting both husband and wife in the chest. Both victims were transported to a local hospital to be medically treated for the serious gunshot wounds they had sustained.”

The report continues that the two suspects were neatly dressed in black, and that they fled the scene in a blue BMW, which was later spotted at a house situated in Hope Street.

“Police confiscated the vehicle which was taken in for forensic tests and further investigation. Leads were followed up, which took the persistent investigators to Hunter’s Home, where they arrested the 31-year-old suspect in the street. Police

searched and found evidence in his possession that links him to the crime scene.”

The suspect was in detention by our going to press, and scheduled to appear in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on charges of attempted murder and house robbery on Monday February 16.

Anyone who has any information regarding this incident is requested to contact the Knysna SAPS on 044 203 6600 or crime Stop on 08600 10111.

George Cluster Police management and Knysna station commander, Colonel Atwell Metu, commended the members involved for their commitment in bringing the suspect to book.

tragic murder is still under investigation.”

Authorities are in the process of conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death and the suspect ap-

“We encourage parents to ensure that their children are always under the supervision of a trusted individual - even if it is just to school. Parents should as far as possible al-

‘The suspect led police to a footpath in dense bushes where he revealed the body of the boy, who was still fully clothed’ peared in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Police warned that the latest surge in child abduction and murder was seen in a very serious light.

ways know the whereabouts of their children. Also teach your children never to leave with a stranger,” Pojie said.

He added that police would continue with several child

safety drives in Knysna and Plett and would work around the clock to ensure that those who harm children were brought to book.

“Throughout the year we also do talks at schools about safety issues, and work closely with the Education Department’s Safer Schools programme.”

According to child abduction statistics, a child goes missing every six hours in SA and 1,400-plus children disappear annually. More than 13% are never found.

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CXPRESS

News & Views

18 February 2015

Does State of Nation chaos affect us here behind the ‘Dolfyngordyn’? ...That is the question CXPRESS asked of a few long-time readers and pen-pals in Plett, Knysna and beyond after last Thursday night produced a chuck-out of Economic Freedom Front (EFF) members, and walk-out of DA parliamentarians - not to mention the drop in our currency as the world first foresaw, then actually saw on live TV - the current state of our nation’s leaders

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HESE are some of the responses received when we invited local sentiment over the pandemonium in Parliament that set the country abuzz. We thank you for sharing these pearls of wisdom - and adhere to the anonymity request of those who thought their retirement might be derailed if their identities were revealed...

Dcukn"xcp"Tqq{gp."Rngvv Any South African watching the opening of Parliament on TV must have been both thrilled and alarmed thrilled that finally we have something nail-biting and fascinating on SABC2 worth watching, and alarmed that such weird stuff could happen in our country’s Parliament, source of the laws that govern our land.

My first reaction was to rather enjoy chief clown Julius Malema and his irritating henchmen being chucked out by the poor hassled speaker but, gradually, three things have sunk in.

One, the unprecedented jamming of the Internet plus the turning away of official cameras from the most newsworthy part of the proceedings, which both smack to me of old-time National Party censorship.

Two, the unprecedented invasion of Parliament by armed policemen dressed as waiters, like something out of North Korea.

Three, the ghastly grin on the face of No. 1 while all this was happening. He was truly enjoying himself with no concept of how this would

come across on international news media. Or perhaps he knew but did not care, which is even scarier.

One cannot help feeling all of this must present some turning point, but a turning to where?

Two days later I was scanning the international news websites for further comment, but everyone had moved on to more outrageous happenings in Nigeria and Syria and Ukraine.

News media have short attention spans, but we South Africans remember stuff forever. We still get excited about Jan van Riebeeck landing in the Cape, and the Zulu and Boer wars, for goodness sake.

Most of the population will have these amazing events imprinted on their minds for life, like Mandela’s release or 9/11, and it will change the way we perceive the world or, at any rate, our local political world.

Maybe this is a short-term storm in a tea cup, maybe the harbinger of worse to come.

Julius is a bad boy, but he is Zuma’s creation. They are two sides of the same coin.

We do not need their sort to be telling us what to do and how to behave.

Can you imagine them as role models for the politicians of the future?

The outside world will watch on cynically and our ‘Standard’ and ‘Poor’ rating will probably go down a notch or two, but if the economy keeps going (a big IF), it will go up again (provided Eskom gets itself sorted, eventually).

What effect it might have on tourism, goodness only knows. My niece from New Zealand who visited recently told us that her friends at home were appalled at her visiting “the continent of Ebola”. As South Africans, we just grin at the idiocy of foreigners and shake our heads.

But the perceptions created by media count for tourists.

When recently visiting Turkey, we were told that American tourism to that country stopped dead after 9/11 and never recovered, regardless of the fact that 9/11 had absolutely nothing to do with Turkey - it was enough that it was a Muslim country, therefore tainted.

a political system we could best describe as the closest thing to a democracy, have to stand by and watch the Republicans do everything they can to thwart President Obama, a Democrat. It’s not about running the country.

Westminster spends most of its time squabbling about the EU and immigration, the European Union is in a bureaucratic logjam and were it not for Germany, would be in a bigger mess.

As for the Middle East, it’s tribal and I doubt the region will ever see peace. We (humans) don’t seem to “get it”.

Back home, I fear that we are slowly drifting away from a form of government that

‘We South Africans remember stuff forever. We still get excited about Jan van Riebeeck landing in the Cape, and the Zulu and Boer wars... ’ If our leaders start behaving like the Mugabes and Gaddafis of the world, it is only too easy for the country to become painted with the same brush, and we all know how dependent we are in these Garden Route towns on the flow of tourists from overseas.

But OK, we are tough and adaptable people and, I guess, if we could have survived the events leading up and around 1994, we can survive this. If only we had another Mandela to lead us.

Cpqp"%3."Mp{upc I try not to let the shenanigans of politics disturb me.

The American peoples who are governed, I suppose, by

Mandela fought for and we now have a President that is on a completely different tack.

Visit www.financialmail.co. za/coverstory/2015/02/12/ state-of-the-nation-inzumas-iron-grip for an excellent read that sums up the individual running our wonderful country.

We are in trouble.

As for last Thursday’s shambles? To be absolutely fair, we must first ask ourselves how we would go about handling the situation.

As a result of a hopelessly inadequate education system, we now have a situation in which groups of seriously under-educated individuals are being voted into parliament. The result is there for

all to see.

What can we do about it? I really do not know. We cannot, by law, keep the red overalls out of parliament, and they by the same token cannot continue to behave like hooligans. It’s a very tough nut to crack and I am glad it’s not my job to sort this mess out.

Cpqp"%4."Mp{upc Thanks for the invitation to contribute some speculation as to the possible local impact of the unseemly Parly fracas.

There’s not much room left to comment on the many aspects of this circus-like performance because your readers will have already been bombarded with opinions/ reports/debates/etc., by the media - nationally, locally, and internationally.

As for the local fall-out, I trust there will be no measurable consequences, and certainly not in the foreseeable future. In our neck of the woods we are fortunate enough pqv to have been blessed with a significant representation of the EFF. Had we been, I would not be overly sanguine about our future, because there would exist a propensity for them to import their disruptive tactics into our municipal management systems.

The danger is that other local minority political groups might copycat EFF behaviour if it is perceived to be succeeding elsewhere.

We can only hope that our local citizens are given enough evidence of the efficacy of good planning, management and delivery, to make them see the benefits of civilised methods of dealing appropriately with the many challenges of governance.

Oktgknng"Ygpigt."ogodgt" qh"Yguvgtp"Ecrg"Rtqxkpekcn" Iqxgtpogpv"*FC+ The events that unfolded during the afternoon and evening

of the State of the Nation address are cause for much concern. First, the removal and arrest of party activists who were lining Adderley Street, peaceful and unarmed, raises questions about increasingly autocratic governance and the role of the police as a political tool.

Second, the jamming of cellphone signals as well as the refusal to allow news agencies their own cameras, forcing news reporters to use Parliament’s exclusive video of proceedings is a blatant curtailing of basic civil liberties and the shutting down of a people’s parliament in favour of state-sponsored censorship.

Third, the forceful invasion of the parliamentary chambers by armed police officers to remove democratically elected representatives was a violation of the Constitution, and a trampling of the separation of powers between the legislature and the executive.

Mmusi Maimane said: “To allow one arm of government to suppress the work of another is a very dangerous precedent for our constitutional democracy.”

The ability of municipalities such as Bitou to create environments that encourage jobs and growth is impacted on by national government’s policies and legislation. Attracting investment and tourism is certainly curtailed by the power crisis, visa requirements and competitiveness.

Rgvgt"Ycnnkpivqp."Rngvv" Vqwtkuo"ejcktocp We do not believe an incident of this nature will negatively impact tourism.

There are many robust democracies in the world and we believe travellers discount to some extent what could be described as “the internal workings” of a travel destination, even if at times they appear irregular.

News & Views

18 February 2015

CXPRESS

Great Scott - there’s treasure to be found in the Bay!

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HE latest edition of the free local glossy mag Uwoogt" Ftgcou featured a novel and entertaining Treasure Hunt, which challenged participants to complete a crossword puzzle and decipher Plett-related clues to compete for a particularly appealing first prize.

Up for grabs was a weekend for two at Hog Hollow Country Lodge, including a horse trail adventure offered by the Lodge, which allows for first-hand encounters with the interesting creatures that call Monkeyland and Birds of Eden home.

As if that wasn’t enough of a spoil, the top ‘hunters’ also scored dinner for two at Ristorante Enrico - multiple winners in the CXPRESS Garden Route Culinary Awards - and gift vouchers from Global Village and Love of Linen to the value of R1,000.

Come January 30, when the final draw for first prize took place, the merry team of Margaret and Gordon Lamont walked off with the loot.

Says William Ashurst of Uwoogt" Ftgcou creative team, DreamLink Art Studio: “The Lamonts thoroughly enjoyed completing the treasure hunt and the travels and experiences we put them through.

“They found the treasure chest at Global Village in the

Piesang Valley and can now look forward to their weekend at Hog Hollow, horse trail and divine dining at Enrico’s, as well as spending those gift vouchers.”

He explains that the hunt’s puzzles and cyphers sent them from The Market Square to The Mill in The Crags to Old Nick and Global Village, where the treasure chest was hidden and locked with a secret code that took four days to unravel.

So who are these intrepid explorers of Plett’s best tourism treasures? Margaret gives some background: “Gordon and I are both retired now.

We originally came to South

OPEN SESAME: Gordon Lamont checks out the treasure chest at The Global Village in Plett Photo: Margaret Lamont

GOOD VIBES: Summer Dreams Treasure Hunt winners Margaret and Gordon Lamont enjoy the beach during their seasonal visit to Plettenberg Bay

Africa from Scotland 32 years ago and stay in Orkney in the North West Province.

“We come to Plett quite regularly as our son in law has roots here, and our daughter bought a place at The Dunes in Keurbooms. This is the second time we have been down during the Christmas period and although it is very busy, it also has an excellent vibe.

“There is so much to like about Plett - the people, the beaches, lots of interesting places all around, and a general feeling of contentment.”

What worthy winners! If you would like your own copy of the Uwoogt"Ftgcou holiday guide, feel free to contact William or Astrid Ashurst from Dreamlink Art Studio at design@dreamlink. co.za or on 073 213 1806.

Chasing the dream to put Plett on the national map Plett-born ‘n bred mover ‘n shaker Trevor Lonwabo pictured at right with presenters Aaron Moloisi and Kamo Bombe of the SABC1 show ‘Shift’ at the Randburg studios of production house Urban Brew in Joburg - chatted to us after appearing on national television last Tuesday. The reason for his TV interview was to talk about #DreamChaserSalute, the non-profit company founded last year in Cape Town

by Trevor and friends Andre ‘TheBeatBoxer’ Williams and Sivuyile Nkomo. ‘#DreamChaserSalute is all about pushing young people into business and further education. Its reach grew to a national scale in no time, showing the talent and potential we have here in Plett. I want to tell the youth of Bitou to never stop believing in their talent. Work hard and make things happen. Parents, please support your children in the field of arts and entertainment, as we have so much more to explore in that business. To local government: drugs, crime, and violence will never abate until you guys make sure that you support our talent and create platforms for growth, allowing the upcoming generation to put Plett on the map.’ Trevor thanked his mother Nyameka Basakabini and father Mkhululi Mapitiza for their support, and Plett Tourism chairman Peter Wallington for believing in him.

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CXPRESS

News & Views

18 February 2015

Second Plett Music Festival for Kurland kids a runaway success Words & photo: Timothy Twidle

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HE White House Theatre staged a mix of contemporary, choral, traditional, jazz and blues music during this year’s Plett Music Festival from February 4-8.

Six performances over five days were enjoyed by capacity audiences of Garden Route residents, alongside the many visitors from foreign climes that holiday in the area at this time of year.

Aspiring artists Gemma Schumann, 19, of Durban and Sienna Widd, 13, of Cape Town were accorded cameo slots on two evenings.

All proceeds from the festival will benefit Kids of Kurland - a project that seeks to improve the quality of education for pupils of The Crags Primary School, which serves the community of Kurland.

The festival opened with a delightful rendition of a selection of songs of the popular idiom sung by Mia Swart in English, Afrikaans, Dutch, German and French, accompanied by Olga Schoeman on keyboards or guitar.

Next up, SA guitarist of international renown Derek Gripper gave a magnificent solo recital of the music of Mali, to rapturous acclaim.

Andrew Young, a highly accomplished player of the soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, played Oqtpkpi" Ognqfkgu under glorious sunshine to an audience seated beneath the sylvan shade of the White House courtyard, and in an evening performance of Uwoogt"Ucz"("Ucn/ uc had everyone movin’ and groovin’ to his music.

Rhodes University’s Chamber Choir sang sacred and spiritual music, while giving

a new slant to some modern favourites, and the Anda Masala Jazz Quartet traced the history of the blues, jazz and popular music.

The Crags Primary choir, made up of 30 young learners, performed an anthem and a Xhosa folk song/dance on two occasions, to the unalloyed delight of the audiences.

On the last evening of the festival, a 10-piece combo called Cappuccino, based in George and made up of young men rehabilitated from substance abuse and petty crime, played a splendid curtain-raiser.

The event’s able organising committee - Carmen Clews, Michelle Dugmore, Ann Fermor and Jill McIlleron - is to be commended for their hard work and sound planning to ensure that the festival ran seamlessly. (See more photos on page 9.)

DELIGHTFUL: A the beginning of the second evening of the Plett Music Festival on Thursday February 5 at The White House in Plettenberg Bay, a short address was given by Ann Fermor of the organising committee prior to a performance of two songs by the choir of The Crags Primary School - at right is Claud Schmidt, who provides tuition to choirs of Bitou 10 Foundation schools

Notice Board Mp{upc"Ictfgp"Enwd will be meeting on Wednesday February 25 at 9:45 for 10am.

Says the club’s Elinor Clegg: “This is our first meeting in 2015 and we will be going to Garden Roots Nursery in Rawson Street. This relatively new nursery stocks healthy plants at bargain prices and is conveniently situated opposite the Checkers parking entrance. Our guest next

Wednesday is David James, who will be speaking about plant symbiosis. Many plants will be happier, or unhappy, depending on the company they keep.” Phone Elinor on 044 87166 for more details.

At a loss about what to do with already-read books cluttering up your bookshelves?

Rngvv‚u"Htkgpfu"qh"vjg"Nkdtct{ would be very grateful for

any donations of good books and current magazines. Says the charity’s Di Butlin: “We restock Bitou’s libraries with the donated books, while replacing tatty books and selling whatever is left over. To date, we have placed thousands of books on the shelves of our local libraries.” If anyone has books for this good cause, please contact Di on 082 569 2571 to arrange for collection.

Business

18 February 2015

So, you want to pay off your bond in 10 years?

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F you’ve just bought your first home, the day that your mortgage will be fully paid off and the property will really be yours probably seems a very long way off.

The good news, however, it that there are tried and tested ways to bring that day much closer - and save yourself tens of thousands of rands in the process, says mortgage origination group BetterBond’s CEO, Shaun Rademeyer.

“Did you know, for example, that if you have a home loan of R800 000 at an interest rate of 9.25%, you could drop your bond repayment period to 17 years instead of 20, and save R178,000 in interest, just by paying an extra R500 a month into your

bond account?

“And if you were somehow able to make an additional payment of R2,950 every month, you could slash the bond payoff period to 10 years just like that - and save R532,000 worth of interest.”

Unfortunately, though, most homeowners just don’t have that amount of extra income to hand every month, especially if they are firsttime buyers, so they need to find other ways to chip away at their home loan balance and repayment period.

Here are some expert alternative suggestions: • Become a scrooge. Start eliminating all unnecessary expenses, review your insurance premiums and put a limit on your cellphone usage.

Investor Focus Malcolm Stewart – Investment manager at Michaelides Parker Wealth Knysna & Plett

Passive investing and exchange traded funds

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FTER the strong recoveries of 2012 and 2013, 2014 was a particularly difficult year for portfolio managers. The JSE Top 40 index rose by only 9.7% last year with dividends reinvested; it rose by 26.1% in 2012 and by 21.9% in 2013!

However, when digging a little deeper we see that mining shares, which form part of the Top 40, were the culprits. They have shown negative returns for the past seven years, including a drop of 15% in 2014.

It is clear that a portfolio or a unit trust without mining shares would have performed far better. It is in this area of investment management that benchmarks are so important.

A unit trust benchmarked to the All Share index will automatically be forced to have some exposure to this poor performing sector.

In the world of exchange traded funds (ETFs), there is a wide selection of these low cost instruments that do exactly that. Some ETFs allow a portfolio manager to access indices in the property, industrial, financial, mid-cap and foreign markets.

This group of ETFs performed as follows: • Proptrax Ten ETF 30.6% • Satrix Fini ETF 26.01% • RMB MidCap ETF 18.6% • Satrix Indi ETF 16.6% • RMB Inflation-linked Bond ETF 10.6% If one then looks to foreign markets, there is the DBX Tracker MSCI World ETF

which returned 23.86% in Rands, or the DBX Tracker USA ETF which returned 23.22% - all in 2014.

These are all low-cost funds of which the management is computer-driven, sticking exactly to their specific benchmark.

Professionally managed portfolios using only ETFs are now available in the market, and can be used for RAs or for Living Annuities.

The overall performance of such a balanced portfolio of ETFs will, however, always depend on the skill of the manager that puts the portfolio together.

For the global investor who either is too small for most foreign investments or who does not want to go through the whole offshore gambit, foreign ETFs offer a very exciting alternative. One can access most foreign markets and still retain a relatively low-cost portfolio.

The skilled portfolio manager or investment advisor should be able to combine a selection of ETFs and normal unit trusts and thus develop a most useful portfolio.

In this way, one can still access the skills of recognised portfolio managers while at the same time using ETFs as so-called satellite holdings.

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• Increase your annual earnings. Take extra shifts at work, sell something at weekend markets, or look for some evening, holiday or freelance work to bring in extra income that you can put straight into your bond account.

• Rent out some space. Even if you don’t have a spare room to rent out, you can perhaps still make some extra cash to put towards your “bond liberation day” by renting out a storage space, garage or carport.

• Make a lump-sum payment. If you receive an inheritance, tax refund or bonus, apply it to the principal balance of your home loan.

The interest savings are likely to be better than most other investments.

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Interval

18 February 2015

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A marriage made in Heaven...

O N their way to get married, a young Catholic couple was involved in a fatal car accident.

The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St Peter to process them into Heaven.

While anxiously waiting they began to wonder; could they possibly get married in Heaven?

When St Peter arrived, they asked him if they could get married in Heaven.

St Peter said: “I don’t know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,” and he left.

The couple sat and waited for an answer... For a couple of months.

While they waited, they discussed the pros and cons.

If they were allowed to get married in Heaven, should they get married, what with the eternal aspect of it all?

“What if it doesn’t work?

Are we stuck in Heaven together forever?”

The master writer

T

HERE was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.

When asked to define ‘great’ he said: “I want to write stuff that the whole

world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!”

He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.

Son-in-law to be… ?

A

20-something-yearold girl finally decided to introduce her boyfriend to her parents. She hid him from them because she was afraid of how they’d react to the fact that he was very religious. But now that they were engaged, she couldn’t hide him any longer.

The boy shook the father’s hand firmly and sat down for a talk.

“So I understand you want to marry my daughter. Do you have a job to support her?”

“With God’s help Sir, some day soon, I’ll find a job.”

“Are you planning on hav-

ing kids?”

“With God’s help Sir, some day, yes.”

“I understand you’re a student. How are you going to pay for your tuition and afford a baby?”

“With God’s help Sir, I’m very certain both of these are possible goals.”

The conversation continued pleasantly and politely.

After the boy left, the mother asked the father: “Well, what do you think of the lad?”

The father replied: “He seems pretty nice - the only problem is, he seems to believe that I’m God.”

Defeat, detail, defence

A

school teacher asked her primary class to construct sentences with the words ‘defeat’, ‘detail’, and ‘defence’.

There was a pause be-

fore little Johnny raised his hand and said he could make a sentence with them: “The cow jumped over defence, and detail went over defeat.”

Yet another month passed before St Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled.

“Yes,” he informed the couple, “you can get married in Heaven.”

“Great!” said the couple.

“But we were just wondering, what if things don’t work out? Could we also get

a divorce in Heaven?”

St Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard on the ground.

“What’s wrong?” asked the frightened couple.

“OH, COME ON!” St Peter shouted. “It took me three damn months to find a priest up here!

“Do you have ANY idea how long it’ll take to find a lawyer?!”

Social Scene

18 February 2015 DOWN TO THE LAST 100... Plett residents Theo & Marie-Anna Marais heard on Monday that their daughter Adriana, left, was one of just four South Africans who made it through to the next round of 100 candidates worldwide selected for Mars One. ‘I’m over the moon!’ tweeted the clever young quantum biology researcher, who was one of 705 Mars One Round 2 Candidates until this week’s good news. We hope to track her down for a chat at some stage but ‘till such time, visit https://twitter.com/adrianamarais for more details on the project.

LOOK OUT FOR THE PROLIFIC MZ QUIN: To celebrate 60 years as a professional artist, a book on the work of Maureen Quin was published last year. ‘Quin Sculpture: Six Decades of Sculptural Excellence’ honours her contribution to the SA art landscape. A collectors’ leather-bound edition with an original Quin bronze in the cover has been printed in a limited edition of 30 books, numbered and signed by the artist, making it an invaluable addition to any collector’s anthology. Maureen Quin is no stranger to the Plett art community, having given a talk on her work to local U3A members and a workshop on armature for sculpture to an art group in recent years. On Saturday February 21 at 10:30am, Dawn Stephens at Look Out Gallery will host the introduction of Maureen’s book to the Plett public. The artist will give a short talk and will be available to sign her book. Call 044 533 2210 or email quinart@mweb.co.za for more info.

People, places & events TA FOR THE PRETTY TUNES: The second evening of The Plett Music Festival, held from February 4-8 at The White House Theatre, was attended by Emma Matavu, at left above, with her parents Sally and Charles Worthington of Devon, England. The team that managed the festival’s sound engineering in a most capable manner were, from left, Pila Meril, Leon Swart and Greg Ovenstone. - Timothy Twidle

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HONOURING MOM WITH MUSIC: At the first Knysna-Plett Concert of the year held on Monday February 9 were, from left, Debbie Pines, Adrian Vlok and Sue Gay. Originally from Knysna, they had all flown in - from Namibia, Qatar and Australia respectively - to honour their beloved mother, Amanda Vlok. A past life member of the Knysna Music Society, Mrs Vlok died recently at the age of 96 after a full and active life. The evening featured The Korngold Project - a group of seven musicians drawn from South Africa, England, The Netherlands and Germany, who played two pieces by celebrated 20th Century German composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold. - Timothy Twidle

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18 February 2015

Classifieds

On the Soapbox

18 February 2015

Letters to the Editor

CXPRESS

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

Consider solar lighting instead of those noisy fuel-guzzlers during Eskom blackouts While the rest of us minions have to put up with no electricity for two hours during load shedding at night, some

folk happily start up their noisy generators.

Good luck to them - Lord forbid that they may have to

On dead seals and dirty beach ablutions Can you please find out why the dead seal on Robberg Beach near the lifeguards’ hut has not been removed?

It stinks.

Also, my brother Willie would like to know why the beach-side ablutions near the Beacon Isle car park are not being cleaned. He said they are an awful mess.

Last year, when he walked the beach every day, there would always be a lady cleaning them.

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Front-riders of the storm... not!

Keurbooms River resident Jill Mouat shared this dramatic pic and wrote: ‘I photographed this ominous-looking sunset scene from our home on Monday night February 2. Isn’t it quite amazing that it didn’t result in an almighty storm?’

read a book by candlelight, or go outside and enjoy the stars, which are normally invisible due to street lighting.

The incessant droning of my neighbour’s generator sounds like a jet warming up for take-off in my back yard.

Now, if he was running a business or a restaurant, I could find my earplugs and sit tight - but no, he is merely

lighting up his mansion and, with due foresight, has positioned the noisy equipment well out of his own earshot and close to mine.

Solar lighting is clean, efficient and silent. I would implore people to consider this alternative instead of a diesel-guzzling, noisy engine that disturbs the neighbours. flUnggrnguu‚."Rngvv

Alternatives do exist for Knysna’s dangerous dogs I read the article on Knysna’s vicious dogs by Yolandé Stander [in CXPRESS of February 11] with interest and it brought to mind that in the UK and parts of Europe, dogs that are known or considered to be dangerous have by law to wear a muzzle when in a public place.

The owners face prosecution when contravening this law. Could something similar not be considered in Knysna’s case? It is not always the dog’s fault, but often the handlers’ lack of control and supervision.

Recently when going around from Brenton on Sea to Knysna town, I noticed a sudden display of signs in some coffee shops and eateries, ‘No dogs allowed under the food and beverages law’.

On enquiring why, I was informed that this was a municipality ruling and “we could lose our trading licence if inspectors find dogs on the premises”.

SA has spent years removing discrimination from society, but in one move Knysna Municipality has reintroduced discrimination against visually and physically handicapped people by banning their guide/helper dogs from these establishments.

It is hard enough for such people to lead “normal lives” as it is, and these dogs are essential to enable them in this goal.

Similar rules/laws and signs do exist in other parts of the world, BUT those signs include the following phase: ‘Excluding/with the exception of guide/helper dogs.’

Interestingly, in the United States on internal flights, you can carry your pooch through the board gate onto the aircraft, where it sits in a cage on your lap during the flight, and is then allowed to join you in the hotel lounge or bar for that ‘made it’ cocktail.

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Belated festive thanks from the people of Pine Trees On December 23, the Pine Trees Community Outreach Project for Families and Children held a Christmas party for the area’s disadvantaged people. Many were grateful for what they received, as otherwise they would have no Christmas cheer.

The Pine Trees community

extend their gratitude to Outreach project director Shaun Terblanche for everything he organised during December. Donations were received from various individuals, institutions, and businesses including Lynne Faasen, Plett Methodist Church, Pennypinchers, Charmaine Wild,

Standard Bank Plett, and Francois Geldenhuys (DA).

Beneficiaries were children and needy households - 50 adults received food parcels and 70 disadvantaged children got presents from the Outreach Project. The Methodist Church and DA donated the food parcels, while Lynne

and Charmaine contributed toys and party pack to put a smile on the children’s faces.

The beneficiaries were blessed to have such a wonderful Christmas - even though organiser Shaun was hospitalised just two days before the party! flRgqrng"qh"Rkpg"Vtggu‚."Rngvv

Read CXPRESS online at www.cxpress.co.za

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CXPRESS

Sport & Adventure

18 February 2015

Local fans root for Evans in epic Garden Route 300 field

T

OP international mountain bikers are raring to descend on Knysna for a serious three-day fitness test during the Garden Route 300 stage race from February 27.

Leading the pack will be three-time Cape Epic winner Stefan Sahm of Germany’s Team Bulls, who joins forces with former GR300 champ Timo Cooper for a crack at this year’s title.

Also on the starting line will be Austria’s Wolfgang Krenn, who counts the 24hour European champion’s title among his successes. He will ride with South African partner Craig Boyes.

But many a local fan will be rooting for the pairing of Max Knox and Plett native Kevin Evans - strong con-

tenders in their own right after finishing second and third respectively in the fiveday Trans Hajar MTB Race in Oman two weeks ago.

The race also marks the return to competitive cycling of Evans’s former partner David George, who will ride alongside Shane Thomson.

The star-studded field further includes Brit Catherine Williamson and South African rider Nizaam Esa in the mixed category. Williamson has claimed category wins in almost all of the country’s major stage races, including the Nedbank sani2c, the Old Mutual joBerg2c, the Wines2Whales and Cape Epic.

They will face tough competition from celebrity adventurers Riaan Manser and Vasti

F R E S H

Geldenhuys, who became the first couple to row across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to North America.

Race organiser Louise Wil-

son of Garden Route Events said an innovation this year was the R10,000 Craft Attack spot prize for the first rider in any category to reach

the top of the iconic 4km Phantom Pass on day three this in addition to the main prize purse of R100,000.

“Probably one of the greatest contributors to the success of the race is its awesome scenery. Cool indigenous forests, vast mountain views and unrivalled coastal beauty make this a route that’s hard to beat.

“Route director Pax Mos-

DO IT AGAIN, SAHM: Three-time Absa Cape Epic champion Stefan Sahm - pictured here winning the Pennypinchers Origin of Trails - heads up a star-studded field for the Garden Route 300 mountain bike stage race in Knysna from February 27 to March 1 - Photo: Jetline Action Photo

terd has put it together in such a way that each day is totally different from the previous, and each stage its own adventure.”

Wilson said the stage race’s position on the national calendar - a fortnight before the Cape Epic - ensured that it was ideally placed as recommended preparation event.

And for those with fewer miles in their legs, the new GRlite option provided the perfect racing alternative.

“The GRlite still offers three days of mountain biking heaven, but is a full 45 kilometres shorter than the feature race.”

A spectator-friendly event with plenty of accommodation in town, both racing options would make an ideal weekend getaway for adventurous families, she added.

Entries for the Garden Route 300 are limited to 500 riders - visit www.gr300. co.za or email admin@gar denrouteevents.co.za for additional information.

Knysna dames rule Plettenberg Bay greens during which was represented by annual Ladies Day Tournament Janey Wigg who kindly at-

T

HURSDAY February 5 saw Plettenberg Bay Bowls Club transformed into a wonderful marine scene for the annual Ladies Day Tournament.

Beach umbrellas, buckets of sand and shells, surfboards and fishing tackle littered the clubhouse as called for by the jolly occasion’s nautical theme: ‘Beside the Seaside, Beside the Sea’.

Twenty four teams entered from along the Garden Route, the furthest afield being Groot Brak River. Most of the teams made a huge effort to get into the spirit of the day with an array of interesting outfits.

Says the club’s Larry Deferville: “We men who ran the day for the ladies, including the kitchen, were suitably attired as sailors, slave labourers and general waterfront riffraff.

“The main sponsor for the day, without whom we could not run such an event, was Knysna Lifestyle Estates,

AYE AYE, CAPTAIN: Groot Brak’s Best Dressed bowlers were, from left, Ria Louw, Mary Anne Pretorius and Annetjie Vorster

GREENS QUEENS: The Ladies Day Tournament was won by the Knysna team of Lester Ballantine, Barbara Brown and Arlene Bosse, who received their prizes from Janey Wigg of main sponsor Knysna Lifestyle Estate, right - Photos: Derek Rushton

tended to support us and hand out the prizes.”

Many other sponsors also generously supplied prizes for the day, including A&T Design Emporium, Betty Schultz, Body Knots Massage, Emily Moon, Garden Route Gliding, Goose Valley Golf Club, Greenhouse Salon & Spa, Harbour Bay, Merle’s Zumba dance classes, Mike’s Plumbing & Home Maintenance, O My Goodness, Old Nick Village, Plett Optical, Lookout Deck, The Treatment Room, Village Book Shop, and Julie Deferville’s Trash to Treasure.

Winners on the day were the Knysna Bowls Club team of Arlene Bosse, Lester Ballantine and Barbara Brown. The Best Dressed prize, for enormous effort in this department, went to Ria Louw, Mary Anne Pretorius and Annetjie Vorster from Groot Brak.

“The day was a huge success and much enjoyed by all the participants,” concludes Larry. “Do join us next year!”

Super sporty specials at The Market in Plett

Join the Seafood On Main crew at The Market in Plett for live World Cup cricket and Super 15 Rugby, with daily breakfast and lunch specials. Grab a beef or chicken Prego roll + chips for only R40, or breakfast from R25, all day long. Call Sean on 071 170 0055 to pre-order.