19 April 2017

19 April 2017

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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Focus on shark fishing Passers-by delight in the sight of a ragged-tooth shark landed off Hobie Beach by resident sport anglers, who release their catch back into the ocean after removing their hooks from the jaws of each fish - turn to page 5 to find out more about a current debate about this practice in Plettenberg Bay

Letters from Down Under - p2 Bitou comes out clean - p3 WWI secrets revealed - p8 Photo: Micaela Pretorius

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

19 April 2017

Henk’s Little Travelogue: Australia/Tasmania/New Zealand - Part I

Petting wallabies and discovering the famous Blue Mountains National Park Regular contributor HENK BOLHUIS is currently exploring the wonders of Down Under with wife Rentia, and will entertain CXPRESS readers over the next few editions with his travel tales and images have visited many cities all over the globe and Sydney in Australia, the state capital of New South Wales on the continent’s east coast, is certainly one of the world’s most modern and attractive cities.

The city boasts many beautiful, broad tree-lined streets, a vast number of parks and green areas, lovely rivers and the largest natural harbour in the world.

One is also immediately impressed by its incredibly efficient and clean public transport that enables you to get virtually anywhere by bus, train or ferry within minutes and at a very reasonable price.

On our first outing, after three days of jet-lag torture, we finally picked ourselves up and decided to visit the Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside, near Blacktown - a suburb about 40km west of the city’s CBD. The zoo, on about seven acres of land, was originally a poultry farm but was later converted to a nursery and in 1972 became a wildlife park, specialising in Australian native wildlife including birds, reptiles and a variety of marsupials in an area populated with Australian native trees and plants.

Over the years the park has become one of Sydney’s foremost attractions, and has won the Australian Major Tourist Attraction award twice, first in 2005 and again in 2009.

We arrive together with a large Chinese tour group and, when I express my concern

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about there possibly not being much room to move around and see the animals, our host is quick to point out that “before you know it they’ll all be gone�.

Sure enough, within 15-20 minutes, like a whirlwind they all leave again and quiet returns to the park.

One of the key attractions of this unique zoo, with more than 2,000 species of birds and animals, is the fact that many of the marsupials such as wallabies and koalas run around free, and some are so tame that we can actually hand-feed and pet them.

Also present are the hairy wombats and a number of ugly-looking Tasmanian devils - those you don’t touch!

In the reptile pavilion we encounter a large number of Australian lizards and some of the world’s most venomous snakes.

We are just in time to watch the daily feeding of the fairy penguins, the smallest of the penguin species, being only about 33cm tall.

About an hour and a half later, and with some food and coffee in our tummies, we are ready to tackle the day’s second outing - a visit to the famous Blue Mountains National Park.

Our trip, a drive of roughly 90 minutes by car from Sydney, takes us via the M4 motorway to the Blue Mountains Grand Circular Tourist Drive, a scenic road through rocky mountains and deep forested valleys.

The greater Blue Mountains

OUT OF THIS WORLD: Petting a wallaby at Featherdale Wildlife Park something not many people from other corners of the globe may have had the privilege of experiencing

Region comprises an area of over 800,000 hectares and boasts an annual average rainfall of just below 3,000mm, something that we as South Africans find difficult to believe.

No wonder that everything around here is lush green with rivers and waterfalls everywhere.

Our first stop is at Leura population just under 5,000 - a quaint little place and one in a series of small towns alongside the Main Western Railway Line and the A32, the Great Western Highway.

At an elevation of 985m, the mountain air is crisp and in spite of the outside temperature being just over 30C, one feels very comfortable walking the picturesque main street, the median of which has been planted with flowering cherry trees, and with all kinds of small shops

lining the street on both sides.

Although by now I have discovered that in general Australia is very expensive compared to South Africa (the going conversion rate is about R10 to the Australian Dollar), I get the surprise of my life and am nearly blown away when my wife buys a single scoop of ice cream and has to pay $4.50 - R45!

Our next stop is Katoomba, the region’s administrative headquarters. Its name was derived from Katta-toon-bah, an Aboriginal term for “shining falling water�, referring to a nearby waterfall.

The town has a permanent population of about 10,000 people, 40% of whom are in some way connected with the tourist industry in this beautiful mountainous region.

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NEWS & VIEWS

19 April 2017

Bitou gains clean audit for third consecutive year

It was a hat trick for Bitou Municipality when it recently won a Gold Certificate of Excellence for a ‘Clean Audit Opinion’ pertaining to the financial year from July 2015 to June 2016. The award - signed by Western Cape minister of Finance Dr Ivan Meyer and Anton Bredell, the province’s minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning - was formally presented to Gerrie Groenewald, Chief Financial Officer of Bitou Municipality, in Cape Town on Monday April 10. It was showed off to CXPRESS last Thursday by Bitou mayor Peter Lobese, right, while Municipal Manager Thabo Ndlovu proudly displayed the trophy that accompanies these coveted awards. - Timothy Twidle

W-Cape top province in audit outcomes URING a ceremony held on April 10, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu awarded deserving provincial, municipal departments and entities - and at the same time confirmed the Western Cape as South Africa’s top province in the 2015/6 provincial and local audit outcomes.

The Western Cape Government was officially certified with 100% un-

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qualified audits. A total of 23 out of 30 Western Cape municipalities were also awarded clean audits, whereas the province achieved clean audits for 12 of its 13 departments.

This is the fourth year running that the Western Cape came out tops in South Africa, with 2015/6 audit outcomes the best to date.

Representing the Western Cape Government at

the awards ceremony, Finance minister Dr Ivan Meyer said the Provincial Treasury actively supported municipalities and provincial departments to promote good governance, strengthen financial management, and encourage accountability.

Premier Helen Zille expressed her pleasure at the progress in financial management practices.

Heavy traffic as holidaymakers return home N a statement on Monday, the national department of Transport released statistics of road traffic volumes as the Easter weekend drew to a close.

“The country’s major routes experienced very high numbers of traffic volumes this Easter Monday as people returned from their holidays and religious pilgrim-

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ages,” said departmental spokesperson Collen Msibi.

Below are figures of vehicles that were recorded on national roads between midnight and 1pm on April 17: • N1: 75,216 - average number of vehicles per hour: 6,268 • N3: 54,636 average number of vehicles per hour: 4,553 • N4: 33,207 - average number of vehicles

per hour: 2,767 • N2: 22,441 - average number of vehicles per hour: 1,870 • N12: 6,302 - average number of vehicles per hour: 525.

By going to print, it was announced that the national total of road fatalities over Easter had dropped from 166 during 2016, to 105 over the same period this year.

CXPRESS

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

19 April 2017

Wittedrift Road upgrade delayed despite significant dangers Words & photos: Nikki Ridley

LARMED by the dangers posed to motorists and the schoolchildren bussed along the MR395 - known to most as ‘the Wittedrift Road’ members of the Boschfontein Residents Association came together on Saturday April 8 to voice their concerns over a four-year postponement on an upgrade originally scheduled to begin this year.

An email notification dated March 15 stated: “The construction of the road has been moved out to 2021. That is a Provincial decision and it is mostly based on funding constraints.”

According to residents, this ‘unacceptable delay’ comes after a prior official notification, dated March 13, 2014 (a copy of which has been supplied to CXPRESS), which expressly details the urgent need for the road (designated as ‘Main Road’) to be resurfaced and upgraded to ‘Class 3 Standard Roads’.

Also listed is the urgent need for various repairs to pipe culverts, new signage, and road markings that would improve general safety of users.

The upgrade was planned along with that of Plett’s Airport Road, the latter project now completed.

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NO BARRIERS: While trees provided some protection before the fires, there is nothing now between any vehicle losing traction on gravel - or the inevitable corrugations that occur even days after grading - and a steep slope into the valley; grading does help, but local residents say it needs to be done as often as twice a week, although that does not make up for lack of barriers

EROSION EMERGENCY: A massive crack under the upper part of the Wittedrift Road shows the seriousness of the erosion that undermines the stability of the road

La Luna

Residents gathered at last Saturday’s meeting wanted to know “what happened to the money” - because “we were promised it” and because “the road is a potential death-trap”.

Dangers posed by the dirt road that winds down between the N2 and Wittedrift are not new, the meeting and approach to the press motivated primarily by questions over the apparent renege on an urgent upgrade for which all preliminary work and impact assessments have been completed.

Said Boschfontein resident Peter Rae: “The Residents’ Association was assured by the Department in 2016 that work would begin in January 2017, as soon as tarring of the Airport Road had

been completed.

“When this didn’t happen, we were told the work had been postponed until 2021. This delay is completely unacceptable. The Department acknowledged the urgency and the safety issues as far back as 2012, when they asked for planning approval.

“So postponing the tarring until eight years after permission was granted is utterly ridiculous.”

Rae said he would be seeking a meeting with the Department as soon as possible to find out what had happened to the funds already allocated to the project, and to urge immediate action.

“We also want to know why heavy logging trucks are allowed to use the road, as they are the pri-

LEEWAY NON-EXISTENT: Deep gulleys line the lower part of the road - of serious concern with all the associated traction issues, as the road is shared by school busses, taxis carrying kids, and logging trucks

mary cause of the surface degradation,” he said.

“In the meantime, we hope that publicising the dangers would warn everyone to take extra care on this treacherous surface.”

At the meeting, it was also explained that there was an added urgency as existing dangers had been exacerbated by recent fires that devastated the area.

In many sections, the upper slopes are now full of dead trees that can (and reportedly already have) started falling onto the road, and the slopes below the road are all but denuded of what was once the only barrier to stop cars tumbling off the road in the event of a slide or accident.

In addition, there is concern that increased soil erosion from the burned slopes will further undermine the structure of the road.

Furthermore, residents cited the likelihood of a significant increase in traffic along with planned development in Green Valley, and on-going damage being done to the road by the logging trucks from nearby plantations.

However, the major worry voiced by all in attendance at the meeting was the safety of children transported to and from school via the MR395 every weekday in minibus taxis and buses.

Bakkie crashes shortly before April 8 meeting

Adding extra validation to residents’ concerns, a bakkie skidded and went off the Wittedrift Road, hitting a tree, about an hour before the meeting mentioned above, despite the road having been graded a few days before. Although no official details are available, photographs taken at the scene show injury to at least one person. - Photos: Peter Rae

NEWS & VIEWS

19 April 2017

Shark-catching off Hobie Beach sparks debate on bather safety CUT IT LOOSE: This ragged tooth shark is pretty harmless to humans, but forms an integral part of ocean ecosystems.

According to local marine expert Tony Lubner of the Orca Foundation, “it is no great accomplishment to catch a ragged tooth shark - like taking candy from a child - and cluedup fishermen will always release them, as they are far more valuable alive than dead”.

Photo: Micaela Pretorius

HEN the cover image and photo on this page landed at CXPRESS earlier this month, its arrival coincided with discussions on shark-catching among parents and visitors to Plettenberg Bay. The gist of the debate concerns the safety of resident youngsters training in front of Plett Surf Lifesaving Club and holidaymakers simply frolicking in the waves, in close proximity to where local anglers regularly land a variety of shark and other fish species before releasing these catches back into the ocean.

There is nothing illegal about this socalled tag-and-release practice, and no fingers are being pointed as such at the fishermen who gather frequently at the Hobie Beach parking area, where their rods are secured alongside vehicles while awaiting the next bite and ensuing battle to beach each particular catch.

However, those opposed to this sport taking place so close to a main swimming beach are speculating over the type of bait used to lure sharks or other large species hooked in the process.

The main concern seems to be that “chumming” of sharks is generally regarded as habit-forming - in other words, if these creatures get used to finding food in a certain part of the ocean, they will return to the

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spot when next in need of sustenance.

But none of the anti-faction could confirm that this luring method was indeed used by local anglers.

CXPRESS has over the years reported

on a handful of shark attacks in the bay and beyond: • Former international bodyboarding champion, now surfski star and Plett NSRI volunteer Neal Stephenson was attacked off Keurbooms Beach in May 1998, two weeks before the first edition hit the streets on June 1 that year.

• In August 2011, Plett local Tim van Heerden lost his life when attacked while surfing off Lookout Beach.

• June 2015 saw two shark attacks in two days, the first being Plett native Dylan Reddering’s encounter at Lookout, and the second taking place at Buffels Bay, where Caleb Swanepoel of Prins Albert lost his leg.

The world at large took note when elite world-tour surfer Mick Fanning averted injury during a close shark encounter at Jeffreys Bay in July of that year.

But significantly, in a report of that incident at the time (www.brandsouthafrica.com), the SA Sharks Board is quoted on stats which remind of the fact that driving a car is 100 times more risky than setting foot in the ocean.

“Since 1990, only 26% of attacks have resulted in serious injury and only 15% were fatal. This equates to an average of one serious shark-inflicted injury every year, and one

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shark-inflicted fatality every 1.2 years along some 2,000km of coastline from the Mozambique border to Cape Town’s Table Bay.” Finally, Plett shark expert and NSRI veteran Bruce Noble explained that anglers targeting sharks at Hobie Beach generally do so in the evening and into the night, when these fish come in close to feed.

“This is not a demarcated bathing area, and most are experienced anglers who use the correct tackle and practise tag-andrelease. The same thing happens at many places along our coastline.

“I would not regard it as a problem, unless it was done while people were swimming in close proximity.”

Readers are invited to email editor@ cxpress.co.za to share their views in this regard.

• According to Wikipedia, chumming is the practice of luring various animals, usually fish such as sharks, by throwing “chum” into the water. Chum is bait consisting of fish parts, bone and blood, which attract fish, particularly sharks owing to their keen sense of smell.

Chumming is illegal in some parts of the world because of the danger it can pose by conditioning sharks to associate feeding with the presence of humans. It is a common practice seen as effective by fishermen all over the world, typically in ocean waters.

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

19 April 2017

Beat the herd by plotting your future options in Grade 9 N coming months, Grade 9s will have to select the subjects they want to pursue from next year until they write their final Matric exams. While making the call is an exciting exercise for some, others struggle with the commitment, especially when they are not yet sure what they want to study after school.

“Subject choice season requires some serious soul searching and big decisions, which are too important to leave until the day when you are presented with a checklist to indicate your choices.

“It should already be top of mind now for learners who want to give themselves the best chance for success in Grade 12 and beyond,” says Nola Payne, Head of Faculty: Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education - SA’s largest private higher education institution.

Payne says time really is a learner’s best friend at this stage, and it is important that the subject choice conversations should start between them, their parents, guardians, teachers and friends.

It is also important to not try and make decisions based on crystal-ball gazing, but to use the various resources available to assist with this choice - particularly when learners are unsure about their vision (or lack thereof) for their future, she says. These resources include: Educational psychologists “An educational psychologist associated with a higher education institution, whether public university or private, or even a professional in private practice, can be approached to do an aptitude test,” says Payne.

“These professionals are trained to use reliable assessments to gauge where the learner’s talents, interests and strengths lie, and can be used as a strong indicator of the career directions and options the learner should consider.”

Institutional advisors By spending time speaking to advisors at higher education institutions, learners will get a good idea of the range of potential qualifications they can pursue, and what the entrance requirements are.

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DON’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE: Faculty head of Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, Nola Payne advises Grade 9 students to start discussing sensible subject choices with their parents, guardians, teachers and friends

“Your first stop is to visit the websites of various institutions of higher learning, and thereafter, you can further discuss your options with an advisor at the University or Private Higher Education institution’s careers centre,” says Payne.

She says that once the learner has an idea of what qualifications or careers excite them, they will be able to make informed matric subject choices.

“Your subjects should be very carefully selected and the decision must not be based on doing what your peers are doing or choosing all the easier subjects in the hope of scoring better marks,” she says.

Instead, the following factors need to be taken into consideration: If you already know what you want to study Look at a range of different institutions and courses within your field of interest to allow yourself some choice and a Plan B after Matric. Always consider a second option to avoid disappointment should you not be successful in your application for your first choice of a qualification.

If you don’t know what you want to do after Matric Choose subject combinations that will leave you with options and room to manoeuvre. If you struggle with Maths and Science, consider keeping only one of them so that you can focus your efforts and achieve good results.

Maths Literacy should only be considered as a last resort, as many courses re-

quire Maths and you could be rejected based on the choice you made in Grade 9.

Figure out what makes you happy As you spend time at your desk every day, going from class to class, and completing your homework, be alert to which subjects you feel most comfortable with. Do your research and find out how your favourite subjects manifest in the working world, because they might be relevant to a field that you are not yet even aware of.

Determine your strengths Choose at least two subjects that will boost your average. Admission to higher education is performance-based, so it makes sense to do very well in some subjects rather than badly in all of them because you chose only gateway subjects in an effort to keep your options as open as possible.

Understand the different routes to success You may think you won’t stand a chance of getting good enough grades to enter higher education after Matric, but there are now many options for further study.

The South African National Senior Certificate and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) have four levels of pass, so even if you do not get a degree pass, you could still qualify for diploma or higher certificate study.

Diplomas and higher certificates are normally vocationally or career-focused, and give you access straight to the world of work and even degree study.

“The key to making the best Matric subject choices for your future self is to ensure you do your research thoroughly, and at a comfortable pace so you don’t have to rush the decision,” says Payne.

“These choices will have a profound impact on access to preferred qualifications and the career possibilities thereafter.

“This is one of the first opportunities that teenage learners will have to practise strategic decisionmaking, which will have a lasting effect on their lives.

It should be looked at as an exciting first step into their future as adults, and also a valuable learning and problem-solving lesson.”

BUSINESS

19 April 2017

‘Voetstoots’ does not provide buyers or sellers with an honesty backdoor OU may believe that as a seller of a property, the voetstoots clause in an offer to purchase protects you against having to fully disclose all known defects to a buyer. Likewise, as a buyer, you may think that you have no recourse if you agree to the voetstoots clause and discover latent defects after the sale has gone through.

Both these assumptions are wrong.

“Voetstoots merely means that as a seller, you are selling the property with the existing problems, so the buyer takes it ‘as is’. There is one very important caveat here - as seller, you still have to fully disclose all known problems with the property in order for the buyer to make an informed decision.

“A voetstoots clause will not provide any legal protection if you intentionally conceal defects in bad faith and with the purpose of defrauding the buyer,” explains Lee-Ann Dobrescu, head of Group Business Development at Hollard, and co-creator of Hollard’s Home Warranty.

Since the introduction of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), the voetstoots clause has become redun-

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dant as the CPA requires sellers and purchasers to be fair and equitable in their contractual interaction.

The purchaser must be informed that the property is offered in a certain condition with any specific defects listed, and must expressly accept the property in that condition.

How can you protect yourself ?

For the seller, there’s always the pressure of the defects disclosure list and hoping that you have remembered everything, even that niggling problem that you haven’t really fully investigated the extent of.

For buyers, there is always the point where postoffer anxiety sets in and you worry about what will happen if something does go wrong and you can’t afford to fix it.

“All of this worry and hassle can be easily done away with by taking out a home warranty. Hollard’s Home Warranty addresses the issues around defects with a professional property inspection that is coupled to an insurance policy.

“Both seller and buyer are protected against the financial ramifications of any hidden defects that could

emerge in the property for two years after the transfer, says Dobrescu.

“It also means you don’t have to go through stressful and costly litigation to recoup your losses, or defend any claims, should something untoward be lurking behind a voetstoots clause.”

The cost of the home warranty is covered by the seller - all you have to do is specify it in your offer to purchase and the premium can be paid from the proceeds of the sale, much like the estate agent’s commission.

Premiums are determined on an individual basis, but typically you can expect to pay around R12,000 for a warranty on a R1-million home, R17,400 for a R2million home and R27,500 for a R5-million home.

Peace of mind comes standard When it comes to property transactions, a home warranty is the best solution for making sure the homework is done by experts who know what to look for. It’s a product that should be attached to the ‘for sale’ sign of every wellmaintained home for peace of mind and the best possible outcomes for all parties concerned.

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Registration renewal now due for second-hand goods dealers N its effort to curb the sale of stolen property, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is calling upon pawn brokers and dealers of second-hand goods to apply for the renewal of their business registration.

During the release of the latest crime statistics, aggravated robbery was highlighted as one of the most problematic crimes. Another area of concern is the issue of cable theft, which has serious implications on electricity and telecommunication infrastructure and ultimately impacts on service delivery at large.

Therefore, every person who runs a business of dealing in second-hand goods in South Africa had to apply to be registered under the provisions of the SecondHand Goods Act (Act No 6 of 2009).

All second-hand goods dealers who have registered from May 2012 onwards must note that the five-year registration period is expiring and registration to continue doing business in dealing with second-hand goods must now be renewed. (The Act came into effect on April 30, 2012.)

The following renewal

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process is now applicable to all existing, registered second-hand goods dealers: • An application for renewal of registration must be made in terms of Section 11 of the Act no more than 180 days and no less than 90 days before the expiry date of the existing registration.

• This application must be made at the designated second-hand goods officer at the police station in which area the business is currently registered.

• A renewal application must be made on an SAPS 601(e) form: ‘Application for Renewal as a SHG Dealer/Recycler’. The form must be accompanied by all relevant supporting documents (a checklist is available on the SAPS website www.saps.gov.za).

• A renewal application may only be granted if the dealer/recycler shows that he/she still complies with the requirements of registration in terms of the Act. • If an SAPS 601(e) renewal application has been lodged within the prescribed period, the registration remains valid until the SAPS 601(e) renewal application is decided on and a new Certificate of Registra-

tion has been issued to the second-hand goods dealer.

• Should a registered dealer decide not to apply for renewal, his/her registration will terminate upon the expiry date of the current Registration Certificate and he/she will not be allowed to continue dealing in secondhand goods. Not applying for renewal within the registered timeframe will be regarded as an immediate termination of registration.

• All applications for the renewal of registration is free of charge.

Dealers can visit www. saps.gov.za for more information on the Act, as well as relevant application forms and other related material. Call Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo on 082 567 4153 for further details.

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INTERVAL

19 April 2017

The German and American stalemate of WWI N World War I, trench warfare was the norm, but neither the Americans nor the Germans could get the upper hand. They were reaching a stalemate.

One day, an American came up with a plan that would win them the war.

This private explained his plan to his trench mates, and they figured ‘Why not? It’s not like we have any better ideas.’

In the trench the next day, an American soldier called out: “Hans?!”

A German popped up and shouted back: “Ja?!”

Boom, the German was

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shot dead.

The next day, the Americans shouted again: “Hans?!”

“Ja?!”

Yet another German was shot dead.

This process continued over the next couple of days. The Germans were losing large numbers, and were now finally catching on, so they had an emergency meeting.

They thought they could come back from the heavy losses using the same tactics as the Americans.

Thus, a German asked: “What is a popular

If you had to choose between marriage or fishing...

Would you pick saltwater or freshwater?

Too much of a good thing drunk walks into a bar and slurs to the bartender: “Give everyone in the house a drink, pour yourself one, and give me the bill.”

So, the bartender does just that and hands the man a bill for R500.

The drunk says: “I haven’t got it.”

The bartender slaps the guy around a few times then throws him out into the street.

The very next day the same drunk walks into the bar and once again says: “Bartender, give everyone in the house a drink, pour yourself one, and give me the bill.”

The bartender looks at the guy and figures to himself that he can’t possibly be stupid enough to

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pull the same trick twice, so he gives him the benefit of the doubt, pours a round of drinks for the house, has a drink himself and hands the drunk a bill for R500.

“I haven’t got it,” the drunk says.

The bartender can’t believe it, so he picks the guy up, beats the living daylights out of him, then throws him out.

The next day the same drunk walks back into the bar and again says: “Bartender, give everyone in the house a drink, and give me the bill.”

In disgust the bartender says: “What, no drink for me this time?”

The drunk replies: “No, you get too violent when you drink.”

American name?”

“John!” replied another.

The next day, the Germans decided to execute their plan.

A German soldier

shouted: “John?!”

An American called back: “Is that you Hans?!”

“Ja!” And that is how the Yanks won WWI.

The problem with crows ESEARCHERS for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston recently, and there was concern that they might have died from Avian Flu. A bird pathologist examined the remains of all the crows and to everyone’s relief, confirmed the problem was definitely not Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts. However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colours of paints appeared on the birds’ beaks and claws.

By analysing these

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paint residues, it was determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a car.

MTA then hired an ornithological behaviourist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills.

He quickly concluded the cause: When crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger.

They discovered that while all the look-out crows could shout “Cah!”, not a single one could shout “Truck!”

Cah! Cah!

SOCIAL SCENE

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Photos: Martin Hurwitz

19 April 2017

MARKET MEDLEY: A great many people made their way to Plett’s popular Harkerville Saturday Market on April 15. One of several groups hailing from Nelson Mandela Bay on the day included, above from left, Winston Malgas with Rushaan, Kiyaam, Tatum and Azraa Dowers, and Roderick van Heerden. At left, Isaac Beutler, who hails from Washington DC in the United States, made friends with Stanley, a Boerboel Basset owned by Lesley Fox of Knysna.

Below, Jacoba du Toit who runs the Sand Art Stall at Harkerville Market shared a moment with Anko Fourie, left, and her young son Louis. - Photos: Timothy Twidle

UNDER-10S OVER-ACHIEVE! During the Nippers Nationals hosted by King’s Beach Lifesaving Club in Port Elizabeth from April 6-8, sea conditions were so rough on two of the three days that a great many surf events - including individual and relay swimming, board and taplin races - could not be concluded. Nippers falling in the U12 age category lost out most significantly in this regard, when the organising committee and officials of Lifesaving South Africa concurred that no conclusive result could be awarded under the circumstances. Competing with 23 clubs from around the SA coast, Plett’s U14s attained a most commendable seventh position overall. Doing their club particularly proud were the U10s, most of whom are pictured above, when it was announced that they finished in second place again. This achievement is even more impressive when taking into account that multiple medallist at last year’s Nationals and points-machine in the beach events at every Nippers Carnival in-between, Megan Plumbridge broke her arm during the Flags finals, thus missing out on the beach sprints and relay events in which she was sure to add even more points to her able team’s tally. Pictured in white above, brave Meg wore her cast with a smile and was rooting for her buddies for the remainder of the competition. Below, some of Plett Surf’s coaches crack smiles at the lens. Congrats are due to Geo and Deon, left and second from left, and Hilton, at centre below, for not quite killing themselves during the ‘grown-ups’ Flags competition. With them from left are André, Harry and Divo.

People, places & events

CASH-DASH DRAMA: Port Elizabeth-based Richard von Wildemann, above, was the lucky winner of last Sunday’s BUCO Dash for Cash event - the highlight of the Easter Surfski Challenge run off Central Beach for the 10th time this year. Says organiser James Stewart of Muddyfoot Adventures: “Von Wildemann has taken part in all 10 editions of our Easter Surfski Challenge, previously under the Pennypinchers banner and now sponsored by BUCO, and his win followed a drama-filled final of the Dash for Cash around Plett’s Blind Rocks.

A photo finish declared him the deserving winner of the R5,000 purse.” Pictured at right is Jasper Mocke as he claims victory in the men’s K1 category earlier that day. Find full results and more images on the BUCO Adventure Facebook page and email muddyfootadventures.co.za for further information.

EASTER HAMPERS FOR GOOD HEALTH: These pics were taken last Friday afternoon when two members of Plett Rotary Club’s caring Anns gifted local seniors with goodies to commemorate this important religious holiday.

Explains Carole Damp: “Easter eggs were dished out to Formosa Garden Village residents, as the Rotary Anns have been doing on an annual basis, to wish these important members of our community a happy and healthy Easter.”

Carole is pictured here with fellow Ann Fiona Woods, right, who helped handing out the highly-appreciated hampers.

Photo/s: Glenn Murray Photography

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CXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS

19 April 2017

Paws

Plett Animal Welfare Service

ON THE SOAPBOX

19 April 2017

Letters to the Editor

‘n Spesiale dankbetuiging

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

Aan al die wonderlike inwoners van Stormsrivier, Kareedouw en die hele omgewing - dit sluit in die NG Kerk Sandrif gemeente, en bruin, wit en swart inwoners.

Ek kan nie almal se name plaas nie, want daar is te veel om te noem en ek wil niemand uitsluit nie.

Ek wil net aan almal van julle sĂŞ baie, baie dankie vir al julle gebede en hulp, en jul

Unleashing to be considered only once safety from dog attacks can be guaranteed With reference to the letter ‘Robberg Beach is big enough for all of us’ [turn to page 19 of the April 5 edition for the letter, and also the article regarding the beach-leash issue on page 5 of the April 12 edition at www.cxpress. co.za].

As a dog owner and lover myself, I fully understand those calling for a section of the beach at Plettenberg Bay to be made available to unleashed dogs. But there is something that must be confronted first: the small handful of delinquent dog owners who are creating the real problem.

A few months ago my wife was attacked and chased into the sea (literally) to save herself from being bitten by a pair of

unleashed dogs. They came within a whisker of savaging her.

The attack so terrified her that it took her months to venture back onto the beach, and she now carries pepper spray and a Taser. A woman who witnessed the attack was reduced to tears by its viciousness.

This attack came just days after we saw another woman being bitten by an unleashed dog while running on the beach. Both my wife and I have on numerous previous occasions been chased and harassed by unleashed dogs.

We have subsequently learnt of a number of others who have been attacked, three of whom needed medical attention. Others have had

their own dogs attacked and injured by unleashed dogs. We simply cannot pretend that such attacks are not a problem.

I am fully aware that it is a minority of dog owners who are responsible for these unfortunate incidents. However, until we can have an assurance that people are safe from this minority of unleashed and uncontrolled dogs, how does the municipality deal with the problem apart from insisting that all dogs are kept on leashes?

I wish there was another way, but I also don’t want to run the risk of another unprovoked attack on my wife or myself, or anyone else for that matter. And I certainly sympathise with the municipality, which

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CXPRESS

may be held legally liable should someone be badly injured (or worse) on a beach on which it failed to enforce its by-laws.

The relevant Bitou bylaw states very reasonably and sensibly that no person may allow a dog “to constitute a source of danger or injury to a person outside the premises on which such dog is kept�.

So, much as I’d like to see dogs (my own included) allowed unleashed use of at least a section of the beach - in exchange perhaps for more control of dogs on Lookout Beach, where there are many breeding birds I know that our more urgent need is for a plan to control the minority of delinquent dog owners.

Derek Luyt, Plett

onbaatsigtelike bystand.

Julle is die wonderlikste mense wat ek ken. Dit is ‘n voorreg om deel van jul gemeenskap te wees.

God seĂŤn julle vir al die bystand en opregte gebede.

Hou asseblief aan met bid.

By God is niks onmoontlik nie. Weereens baie dankie aan almal.

Koos Stoltz en familie en vriende, Stormsrivier

Read CXPRESS online at www.cxpress.co.za

sunglass boutique que

Dogs poo, but people ruin the planet‌ “Here is my take on Plett’s ‘dogs on beaches’ issue.â€?

Jonathan Davis, by email

Dog-policing on beaches: owners to blame, not law enforcers We refer to the letter ‘Robberg Beach is big enough for all of us’. A couple of assertions are wildly off the mark, e.g. “we all pick up dog poo� (in our experience, the best a majority of dog owners can manage is a ‘comb over’ with sand), and “free-roaming, friendly dogs� are acceptable and the norm (we regard uncontrolled dogs as an endangerment to other beach users, to each other, and to wildlife).

As commented in CXPRESS in May 2016, dog owners incapable of controlling or clearing up after their dogs are giving dog owners in general a bad name.

If anything, the situation has deteriorated and so the dogs on beaches issue falls into the same category as car-parking in the centre of Plett, or boat control in Keurbooms Estuary i.e. people find it impossible to adhere to guideline legislation, so there is no alternative but to increase law enforcement presence and issue fines.

As to why we need to control dogs on beaches, let’s start with: • Plett is now an all year round destination, largely due to the phenomenal

work of Plett Tourism, so the argument that the beach is “big enoughâ€? or “emptyâ€? out of season is no longer relevant. This situation will progress as full-time occupancy in the area, particularly in retirement developments, comes to fruition. • Various conservation agencies have worked tirelessly to protect our beach environment. Intrusion of dogs into breeding sites is now a proven cause of declining wildlife populations and damage to the coastal eco-structure. • Few owners clean up after their dogs, creating a health hazard and eyesore. Do we really want our children playing in dog excrement? Numerous beaches have ‘poo bag’ dispensers providing bags free of charge, but even this is not enough for some owners to do the right thing and pick up after their dogs. • Many owners clearly have no control over their dogs and are unable to call them off when they approach other beach users - who have no idea if a dog is friendly when approached by it, only that it is clearly out of control.

Do owners really think

it acceptable for their dogs to run up to people, and for the onus to be on those people to find out if the dog will attack or not? • Certain owners who live close to the beaches allow their animals to roam free with no attempt at any form of supervision - you know who you are!

What responsible owner leaves dogs to wander, breaking every law while risking impoundment, or their pets being taken by dog-fighting syndicates?

Read the press, guys these things happen! • We now have five Blue Flag beaches as well as being part of the Hope Spot initiative. Such recognitions, and the tourism and development they bring, cannot be compromised by selfish dog owners.

Typical of such owners is the abuse Wessa Beach Stewards were subjected to when carrying out their duty of keeping Blue Flag beaches dog free over the past season. • Numerous signs have been installed by conservation agencies and Bitou Municipality advising dog owners of their responsibilities. These have been consistently ignored.

Vandalism of signs re-

lating to dog restrictions took place on Lookout Beach last year; a cyclist was bitten by a dog on Robberg Beach; dog attacks on birds have been reported at the protected breeding colony; and we have heard horror stories of the extent of abuse suffered by Beach Stewards at the mercy of dog owners on Blue Flag beaches.

All things considered, we salute the municipal law enforcement officers for actively enforcing regulations - an intervention we believe is overdue and necessary as self-regulation has failed spectacularly.

If the only thing that will get dog owners to comply with legislation is a R500 fine per dog per violation, so be it.

If responsible owners had been more active in their objections to those who clearly have no intention of controlling their dogs, then maybe such an escalation of policing wouldn’t have been necessary.

Many beaches in the Western Cape now fully exclude dogs and this situation will no doubt be repeated in Bitou if ALL owners don’t take a more responsible attitude.

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12

CXPRESS

SPORT & ADVENTURE

19 April 2017

Join three Dutchman, one lady and a lettuce in preparation for Expedition Africa 2017 HE seventh edition of the annual Expedition Africa, one of 11 around the globe and part of the Adventure Racing World Series (http://arworldseries.com/) is a non-stop race over seven days, during which teams of four navigate an unmarked route by trekking, cycling

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and paddling.

This year, South Africa’s only multi-day adventure race takes place in the Baviaans and Kouga regions from May 14 to 21, with Cape St Francis acting as base of the competition.

Plett Ski-Boat Club members Meyer van Rooyen,

Hanlie Sinclair, Johan Janse van Vuuren and James ‘Lettuce’ Stewart, with Plettenberg Bay Angling Association (PBAA) chairman Chris Schorn as support team member, will navigate their way between control points through the Baviaans and Kouga by map only.

To assist the team in gathering the cash required for participation, the Club is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday April 22 at 5:30 for 6pm. Well known and much loved South African entertainer Mel Botes will be on vocals and a silent auction will be held as part of the fundraising initiative.

Tables of six are being sold - and are going very quickly - at R750 each, and this includes the food, a bit of booze, first-class entertain-

ment, and fun raffle prizes.

To secure your table, chat to Hanlie on 082 688 3152 or visit www.quicket.co.za/ events/27441-mel-botesconcert/#/schedules and follow the easy instructions to book online.

Of course no event of this kind is ever complete without the fantastic support and sponsorship of local businesses, and for this event the PBAA team has managed to bring several firstclass companies on board,

including Plett Air Safaris, Shell Lodges, Abseil Africa, Garden Route Gliding, Ocean Safaris, Offshore Adventures, AfriCanyon, LM in Plett, Monkeyland, Birds of Eden, Jukani, Maggie Zeelie Secretarial Services, Garden Route Timber, Coastal Tool Hire, and AT Coetzee Builders.

If you would like to be part of the sponsorship team or make a cash donation, please email Sue at market ing@plettskiboatclub.co.za or call her on 073 845 4141, and see the advert on this page for further details.

Bitou bowlers back sea rescue crew with Sunday-play funds UNDAY April 9 marked the annual NSRI fundraiser of the Bowls section of Plettenberg Bay Country Club (PBCC), kindly sponsored by Warwick Wealth.

Teams representing the hosts, NSRI Station 14, Plett Bowling Club, and PBCC golfers filled the greens, several participants trying their hand at the game for the first time ever.

More than 50 people enjoyed a very tasty lunch of paella lovingly prepared and donated by Chris and Karin Kastern from Robberg Fine Foods’ The Store, while Elly Swinley availed a dish of delicious butter chicken for those allergic to seafood. This was followed by a mouth-watering dessert of meringues, donated by Alida Marais and plated by Elly.

Thanks to the generosity of the local community, a very large selection of prizes was available and everybody present at prize-giving won something. Thanks to the financial support from Warwick Wealth, proceeds

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KAROO VIEW

COTTAGES

www.karooview.co.za

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SAVE IT: Plett Country Club Bowls president John Swinley, left, hands the fat cheque to Dave Haysom of Plett NSRI

of R7,000 could be handed over by Bowls president John Swinley to Dave Haysom of Plett NSRI. Said John: “We all acknowledge the fantastic work done by this unit, run solely by volunteers, and we trust that our contribution will help to maintain Plett Station 14’s position as the best in South Africa.

“We thank our local restaurants for donating numerous vouchers, while super prizes were received from KwikSpar, Woolworths, Sportscentre, Curves, Summer Sands, LA Sport and Face

Facts. Dave Haysom also supplied numerous NSRI gifts, which added to the day’s great tally of prizes.”

The restaurants in question include Off the Hook (over R1,000), Lookout Deck, The Table, Fat Fish, Moby Dicks, Spur, Island Diner, Clover Café, The Med, LM in Plett, Surf Cafe, La Cafeteria, Le Fournil, and Plett Ski Boat Club.

Finally, John thanked his fellow club members for donating goodies to fill two gift hampers that were raffled off to further add to the day’s fundraising fun.