20 March 2019 by CXpress

20 March 2019

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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There’s nothing as delicious as a fresh clam - stuffed, grilled, sautéed or steamed. But judging from the whiff on Plett’s Robberg Beach over the weekend, these beauties are past their prime so do not try cooking them at home. Rather check out the marvellous local restaurants and a host of other activities for your entertainment splurged throughout this edition, and turn to page 4 to find out more about the clam invasion. Happy holidays! Photo: Dr Gwenith Penry

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

20 March 2019

District’s use of harmful toxins stirs fear for health of Ramsar site Garden Route District Municipality has admitted to using toxic herbicides on the verges of Island Lake in Wilderness, which forms part of a wetland of global significance - FRAN KIRSTEN reports HE Wilderness Lakes, which includes Eilandvlei (also known as Island Lake) was proclaimed as Ramsar site* in 1991, designating this wetland as one of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. During the convention, an intergovernmental treaty was formalised with its mission as follows: “The conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional, and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.” Residents in the vicinity of Die Vleie and Langvlei reported their concern over the spraying of herbicides on the verges of Island Lake to SANParks and CXPRESS. These concerns pertained to the impact that herbicides could have on the sensitive wetland, and questioned if this practice went against principles of the Ramsar Convention. Garden Route District Municipality confirmed that they had indeed used the herbicide Kilo Max 700 WSG on the verges of Die Vleie road. The Composition / Information fact sheet

THREATENED: Residents are complaining that toxic herbicide is being used by the district municipality on the banks of Island Lake; as Ramsar site, a wetland of global significance - Photo: Fran Kirsten

of this herbicide, under the heading ‘Hazardous Ingredients of Toxicological Concern’, states that the product contains glyphosate and is “harmful”. A paper entitled ‘The environmental impacts of glyphosate’ by Friends of the Earth Europe claims that “glyphosate in water pesticides may be washed by rain into the water in ditches, rivers, and streams”. They may also be washed down through soil and rock layers into underground water sources, such as aquifers, or groundwater.

According to the National Pesticide Information Centre general fact sheet, pure glyphosate is low in toxicity. “Glyphosate may affect fish and wildlife indirectly because killing the plants alters the animal’s habitat,” it reads. Garden Route National Park communications manager Nandi Mgwadlamba said spraying of the herbicide was part of the district municipality’s road maintenance programme. “The valid concern from people who have noticed the activity is because the herbicide is

sprayed onto vegetation on the side of the road that is 1-2 metres tall,” Mgwadlamba explained. “Although the road verge where the herbicide is applied is on a district road, there is no guarantee that the spray will not drift into a nearby water body that is a wetland of global significance. “SANParks marine ranger for Wilderness Jonathan Britton has confirmed that a meeting with district officials concerned had taken place and that they had ironed out sensitivities that could potentially negatively affect the environment.” She said the meeting had resulted in the district reviewing methods used to ensure the protection of the environment. Turn to page 15 of this edition for Garden Route District Municipality’s response to queries posed by CXPRESS. * The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources. Ramsar identifies wetlands of international importance, especially those providing waterfowl habitat. As of 2016, a total of 2,231 Ramsar sites have been protecting 214,936,005 hectares, and 169 national governments are currently participating.

NEWS & VIEWS

20 March 2019

CXPRESS

Tourism stakeholders support Sedgefield’s own, but Wesgro ‘wants to reinvent the wheel’ Sedgefield’s tourism office first closed in July 2018, following the termination of a Service Level Agreement between Knysna Municipality and the non-profit Knysna Tourism company - FRAN KIRSTEN reports

FOR THE LOCALS, BY THE LOCALS: Jurgens van der Walt feels aggrieved that the promised financial support for the current Sedgefield tourism information centre has not materialised, and that Wesgro is now calling for Requests for Proposals for the running of a tourism promotion office in his hometown - Photo: Fran Kirsten

private resident of the Garden Route’s former ‘Slow Town’, Jurgens van der Walt reopened the Sedgefield tourism bureau with the hope that government stakeholders would offer support. Now, six months down the line, he says that promised financial support from Knysna Municipality and Wesgro - the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape - has not materialised, leaving him with a difficult decision of keeping the Sedgefield office open or not. Sedgefield’s economy relies heavily on tourism and with the belief that this economy would severely be affected by the closure of its tourism office, Van der Walt stepped up to the plate and reopened the doors on September 13 last year. “At the end of the day, this office is essentially for the locals run by the locals,” he said at the time. “So much has transpired, but allow me to summarise the facts,” Van der Walt said during an interview with CXPRESS last week. “After both the Knysna and Sedgefield tourism of-

fices were closed, Knysna Municipality chose to reopen the Knysna info centre and paid to keep it open, but opted to keep the Sedgefield Tourism doors firmly closed. “To ensure that visitors got the information they desired, I had originally reopened the Sedgefield tourism info centre at my own expense. Despite the fact that Sedgefield forms very much part of Greater Knysna and has much to offer tourists, the local government decided not to financially support a tourism office here. “After signing of the Wesgro Knysna Municipality Service Level Agreement (SLA) in November 2018, Wesgro still did not see the need for an information centre in Sedgefield, and only supported the Knysna office. “Now, months later, they are adamant to open a tourism information centre in our town, and have issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the running of a tourism promotion office in Sedgefield.” Van der Walt feels aggrieved, as the financial assistance allegedly promised to him prior to the RFP being issued - “by Wesgro, the municipality’s department

of Local Economic Development, and Knysna mayor Mark Willemse” - has never materialised. Knysna Municipality responded to Van der Walt’s claims of promised financial assistance, saying: “We refute these allegations. We have always been clear about the Wesgro process and that it includes Sedgefield. “Wesgro’s RFP is geared to ensure that an inclusive service is offered and addresses the concerns of our Sedgefield residents. “The final operations model may differ from what we previously had; however, the new strategy will be inclusive of every stakeholder and all communities within Greater Knysna.” During a tourism stakeholders’ engagement in Knysna on March 6, Wesgro CEO Tim Harris explained that after consulting with relevant local parties, of which Sedgefield Ratepayers and Residents Association (SR&RA) formed part, it was decided to follow a fair and transparent process and the Request for Proposal was issued. SR&RA chair Phillip Hendrickse confirmed that they had indeed met with Wesgro. “We have minutes of this meeting during which we were told that Wesgro had to follow the RFP route. It was clear that we supported Jurgens’ current information centre.” Van der Walt said he still “clings to the hope” that the local government will reconsider its decision and refund him for the money he spent in setting up a tourism office that Sedgefield can be proud of. He added: “Not only did they renege on their promises, but they did a 360 on the need for an office in the town. Wesgro has now invited bids for a RFP for the running of

the local tourism promotion office for Sedgefield, in essence reinventing the wheel,” Van der Walt concluded. • Wesgro Chief Marketing Officer Judy Lane was asked for comment on the allegations pertaining to promises of financial support to Van

der Walt. As this edition was about to go to print (one week later), the following comment was supplied by Media Relations Officer: Marketing and Communication, Sarah Brownlee: “In response to your question regarding the Sedge-

field tourism office closing as of August 2018 while the Knysna office remained open: Wesgro only signed the SLA with Knysna Municipality on November 1, and we are unable to comment on anything that took place prior to this.”

CXPRESS

Clam chowder, anyone?

Drugs bound for Bay intercepted in Bloem major drug bust in Bloemfontein stopped millions of rands worth of Mandrax tablets reaching Plettenberg Bay last week. Free State police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Thabo Covane said the drugs were discovered on an Intercape bus in Bloemfontein on March 12. He said the bus had been travelling between Pretoria and Plettenberg Bay when police received a tip-off.

NEWS & VIEWS

20 March 2019

MOUNTAINS OF MANDRAX: Free State police inspected four untagged bags on an Intercape bus and found Mandrax tables, divided into transparent bags containing about 500 tablets each

When the bus arrived in Bloemfontein at about 10:30pm police found five big bags that were not accounted for. When police inspected the bags, they found several plastic bags containing Mandrax tablets. Covane said the drugs weighed about 177kg and had an estimated street value of just under R2.5-million. No arrests have been made but an investigation had been launched. - Yolandé Stander

ANPARKS marine scientist Kyle Smith has had his hands full - of clams! - during the past week or so, since millions of the proteinrich molluscs have washed up on Plett’s Robberg Beach. Fortunately, local marine expert Dr Gwenith Penry and an Nature’s Valley Trust team have been helping Smith with data collection whenever washouts happen. “Methods are still being tweaked so that we can get accurate estimates of how many clams are washing out,” said Dr Penry. “We aren’t entirely sure what’s causing it, but suspect it is due to the three days of strong easterly winds that blew last week.

“This causes turbulence in the water and disrupts the sand banks where these clams live, usually burying themselves about 20cm deep into the sand.” According to Smith’s calculations, an estimated

CLAM STATS: Extent of washout - 5,875m²; average number of clams in the deepest section (1m+) 35,300 per m³; total estimated number of clams washed out… 11.5 million!

11.5-million clams have washed out. But that may well be an underestimation, as it only sampled the main concentration at Robberg Beach End. Some clams have been collected for further testing to ascertain any other causes, e.g. algal blooms, which may have resulted in the most recent wash-up. “Personally, I think it is a combination of physical processes - strong winds, big waves, rapid drops in temperature - and that due to the increase in nutrients being washed off Robberg’s seal and cormorant colonies, the clam population has boomed in recent years,” said Dr Penry.

Help save historic Timber Shed site by opposing proposed parking lot Paul Scheepers LETT’S historically significant Timber Shed was built by Johan Jerling in 1787. In 1936, its ruin was declared a national monument. Owners of an adjacent property have appointed town planners from Knysna to apply for rezoning of the single residential erf to general residential. In an email to Waseefa Dhansay of Heritage Western Cape on November 22 last year, it is stated: “Erf 245 will not have ANY impact on Erf 246: The Timber Shed.” Guess what? We have now found out they have applied to cut 12 parking bays off the Timber Shed site. This is preposterous for many reasons, among others: • This space is critical for

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the future use of Plett’s most historic site. • Notice boards will be erected where photos of the history can be displayed and the history written for visitors to read. • It has been proposed that a small museum be built there. A similar application was made for 20 parking bays at Signal Hill for a boutique hotel, and was advertised in the press. The application for the Timber Shed parking lot, however, has not been advertised. This is not acceptable; if you agree and care about preserving the heritage of Plettenberg Bay for future generations, please email Waseefa.Dhansay@ westerncape.gov.za and/or David Friedman of Bitou

Municipality at dfriedman@plett.gov.za with the wording: “I formally object to any interference with Erf 246 or The Timber Shed.” PS: In 1984, the south wall of the Timber Shed ruin started to collapse. With motivation from Van Plettenberg Historical Society members, Bitou Municipality (with approval from Heritage Western Cape) started to rebuild this wall. Many donors contributed to the project, which took two years to complete. The work was done by an old stone mason called Eddie Olivier and two young helpers from Kranshoek. At the opening ceremony, Heritage Western Cape agents could not identify the walls that had been rebuilt…

NEWS & VIEWS

20 March 2019

CXPRESS

Alphabet soup of acronyms nigh conceals Garden Route’s intriguing future Correspondent BOB HOPKIN reports on the Garden Route District Municipality’s annual budget and PMS Forum

MEMORABLE MEETING: District mayor Memory Booysen pursues BlueSky solutions - Photo: Bob Hopkin

OR those of us allergic to the ever-increasing use of acronyms, the invitation to the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) annual budget review last Thursday did not bode well, as it included an IDP (which translates to Integrated Development Plan) and a PMS Forum. Thankfully, the latter was not a discussion of that time of the month when husbands have to cope with irritable spouses, but instead referred to a Performance Management System. With that out of the way the meeting, hosting some 250 delegates, turned out to be interesting and informative, while including aspirations to some quite innovative ideas. The core of the meeting was a presentation by GRDM mayor Memory Booysen on the 2019/20 Budget and Development Plan. Population and demographic data predict that the district’s current population will grow from 635,600 today (in 189,345 households) to 679,213 by 2024, with 40.5% below the nominal poverty line and an average 17.0% unemployed across the district.

Services provision was surprisingly high with 96.9% having water, 96.1% electricity, 94.3% sanitation, and 85.7% living in formal housing. Concerns expressed by the mayor included slow economic growth, increasing population and demand for services, and growing unemployment. The largest wealth creators in the district were the service and financial sectors with 24.9% and the wholesale, retail and hospitality trade at 17.9%, with just 14.5% coming from manufacturing. The municipality expects to balance the books with revenue of some R418million and expenditure of R412-million in the 2019/20 period. Having dispensed with the statistical side of the review, Booysen moved on to the more interesting topic of directions for the future. Among these was a novel suggestion of creating a ‘district agency’. Concerned that the audience might interpret this as an excuse to hire expensive consultants, he explained that his staff were a mixture of politicians and administrators, the former to under-

stand the needs of the people and the latter to manage affairs within the budget. “My idea for an ‘agency’ is to recruit or ‘second’ specialist experts from academic institutions such as Nelson Mandela and Stellenbosch universities to assist us with complex ideas and ‘Blue Sky’ solutions for the future,” he said. Another major issue for the district is waste disposal, current landfill sites being close to capacity and new solutions now of the essence. A municipal-owned site adjacent to PetroSA near Mossel Bay is planned for future use but its downside is a location far from the centre point of the district and, in the case of Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, the high cost of waste transportation. One idea under consideration is using the section of rail line from George to Mossel Bay, which is still in relatively good condition, and creating a spur on to PetroSA to carry waste to the new landfill, and the output of commercial chemicals from the soon to be established by-products factories in the opposite direction to Mossel Bay docks for export. Other innovative ideas included much improved fire services, a regional bulk water supply, and a district fresh produce market. Acronyms apart, our district municipality seems to have no shortage of bright ideas since its transformation from ‘Eden’ to ‘Garden Route’.

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

20 March 2019

Lunchbox Legends wise up local laaities

Fourteen wonderfully caring people from Plett and Cape Town united on March 10 to pedal over 100km in the Cape Town Cycle Tour, in the process raising funds to render ever-wiser our up and coming generation through live theatre shows on important lifestyle and environmental choices. There is still time to support your favourite Legend with a donation (visit https://lunchbox.org.za/product-category/lunchbox-legends/). Pictured at back from left are Daron Chatz, Debbie Fermor, and Matt Covarr; the middle row features Lunchbox Legends Brendon Morris, Wayne Unser, Mikey Fermor, Peter Berning, Luke Brown, and Paul Leger with Stuart Palmer, Anja Wiehl, Tessa van Schaik, Clyde Berning, and Jacques Smit seated in front. - Photo: Nicola Unser

Kwano Cycling Academy rider earns London-Paris invitation During the recent Cape Rouleur, Kwano Cycling Academy member Siphe Ncapayi competed against a field including local and international pros and elite riders. The event covers over 500km in four stages in the Western Cape’s Winelands. For mountain biker Siphe, this was his first event on a road bike - and he exceeded all expectations. He contested every sprint and won ‘King of the Mountains’ with some stunning performances. His overall performance has earned him a fully-sponsored trip in July to train in the UK, and an entry in the London to Paris Race organised by HotChillee. Siphe is a tremendous role model on and off the bike, while being a great ambassador for the talent we have on the Garden Route. Find out more about Kwano Cycling on Facebook.

Celebrate Season

Notice Board • Tshisa Talent is hosting a competition for 56 talented youngsters from Murray High, Plett Sekondêr, Knysna Sekondêr, and Percy Mdala High School. Winners will be chosen out of the 25 acts and, thanks to funding from the National Lotteries Commission, they will be awarded some financial assistance to develop careers in the performing arts. Come to KwaNokuthula Primary School from 2pm on March 21 to see the best of Tshisa (that means ‘HOT!’) high-school talent. Cover charge is R10. • Personal Trust is sponsoring a Fun Quiz Evening for the Differently-abled Awareness Campaign at Plettenberg Bay Bowling Club on Thursday March 28 from 6pm. Enter your team of six members max. Tickets at R100 per person include a meal and there are great prizes to be won. There’s a limit to the first 18 teams to book so call Barry on 072 890 6238 to enter.

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BUSINESS

20 March 2019

Investor Focus

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

Your financial plan - Final few basic principles must be considered the foundation of your financial plan. Firstly, you must make every effort to live off of the income generated by your retirement assets and not use or erode the actual assets. Secondly, you must realise the massive impact of inflation over a 10 to 15 year time span. Using an inflation rate of only 5%, it is frightening that purchasing food, medical aid, and electricity costing R100 today, will cost R155.86 in 10 years’ time, and R199.14 in 15 years, i.e. these costs will double in a mere 15 years. It is crystal clear that the income generated by your retirement nest egg must grow by at least 5% per annum, simply to keep up with inflation. Earning interest may work over a short period but rates rise and fall, so your income will follow suit. Fixed deposits or income funds offer very little growth, so your nest egg is devalued by 5% pa. Over the long term, cash has proven to be the worst retirement asset. I would qualify this under specific circumstances, i.e. the 85-year-old may not need much inflation protection, so a good interest rate may be more practical (R100 worth of goods will cost

R127.61 after five years). Only equities and property offer a sustainable and growing income stream. These two asset classes will always fluctuate in value causing a degree of stress (as in the last three years), but over a 10-year time span will protect your nest egg and provide a growing income stream. It is important to select only high-quality mature companies for the equity component, and equally high-quality REITS for the property allocation. Mature companies do not need to plough back earnings to grow, and tend to distribute a higher percentage of earnings. A good example is Discovery, which retained earnings to fund its new bank. This is a sound growth company, but at this stage of its growth cycle, it needs to retain earnings. Based on a value of R1million (these are approximate yields), a typical asset allocation for a 60-year-old retiree is as follows: • Equities: 50% offering a yield of 4.5% - income R225,000 • REITS: 25% offering a yield of 8.5% - income R212,000 • Cash/bonds: 10% offering a yield of 7% - income R70,000

• Offshore (equities): 15% offering a yield of 3% - income R45,000. This asset allocation offers an initial yield of 5.5% before tax; 75% of the assets offer a growing income stream, while the cash/bonds offer a degree of stability and the offshore allocation offers some Rand hedge cover. For the 70-plus retiree, the asset allocation should be more conservative, reducing some of the equity and REITS exposure. Clearly, the really wealthy retiree’s equity allocation will be higher and taxable income should be reduced. It must be emphasised that after considering your needs analysis, each retiree will have specific demands made on his financial plan, i.e. you may need more ready cash to replace an aging car, or health needs may be more demanding. So you should consult your financial advisor before changing/adopting your plan, and re-visit it on a regular basis. • Malcolm has been in the investment industry for nearly 50 years. He has written this column in CXPRESS for the last 20 years and is a specialist in managing retired wealth. See the advert on page 9 for contact details, and turn to page 7 of the March 6 edition at www.cxpress.co.za for Part I.

Pharmacies closed Western Cape Government Health advises that the following pharmacies along the Garden Route will be closed due to stock taking: • KwaNokuthula Community Day Centre - March 27 • Knysna Hospital - March 28 • Knysna Community Day Centre - March 29. Patients are encouraged to plan their visits before or after these date, where possible. All other services will continue as normal.

Apteke gesluit Die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid lig lesers in dat die volgende apteke op die Tuinroete gesluit sal wees vir voorraadopname: • KwaNokuthula Gemeenskapsdagsorgsentrum - 27 Maart • Knysna Hospitaal - 28 Maart • Knysna Gemeenskapsdagsorgsentrum - 29 Maart. Die publiek word aangemoedig om hul besoeke aan die fasiliteite, waar moontlik, voor of na hierdie datums te reël. Alle ander dienste sal voortgaan soos normaal.

BUSINESS

20 March 2019

CXPRESS

First Youth on the Move event a great start for Garden Route N an important step towards achieving her commitment to creating 250,000 new opportunities for young people in the Western Cape over the next five years, Economic Opportunities minister Beverley Schäfer launched the first-ever Youth on the Move: Gateway to Opportunities event in George last week. The minister met with potential employers and groups working with young people on March 11, and the next day addressed over 200 unemployed youngsters. Involved in various working groups, they answered questions about their barriers to accessing opportunities, how they used technology to advance skills, and how they went about finding work and opportunities. The Youth on the Move project is designed to be rolled out at municipal level and will connect young people looking for opportunities, with employers and organisations who are creating jobs and openings for young people. The event was created in conjunction with the Garden Route District and

JOB SEEKERS: Minister Schäfer interacts with young George residents during the second day of the Youth on the Move roadshow

JOB GIVERS: Minister Beverley Schäfer engages with employers during a breakaway session on the first day of the Youth on the Move event

George municipalities, as well as the Garden Route Skills Mecca. The Garden Route has a growing youth population and in George, the number of people aged between 18 and 35 grew by a percentage point between 2011 and 2016. George is also the fastest-growing city in the province.

Speaking at the youth event, Schäfer said: “Too many young people in SA do not have access to opportunities. Our job as government is to open the gateway between employers and young people looking for jobs. “You need to walk through that gateway and get that first job. Once

you’ve got that job, you’ve got the experience to put on your CV, which allows you to show that you’ve got skills,” she said. Social Development minister Albert Fritz, who also attended the two-day event, said: “Our youth needs work. We need to get our young people into jobs. People always accuse the youth of being bad. Our youngsters aren’t bad, they are phenomenal, we just need to give them a chance and give them an opportunity.” Schäfer added: “Over the past two days we’ve heard from employers that they’re not finding the right people with the right skills, and we’ve heard from young people that transport, safety, and the cost of printing out a CV are some of the barriers they’re experiencing. “By growing digital skills in our province, and encouraging young people to use technology like job-search websites, apps, and services like youth cafés and ICAN Learn programmes, we can start making headway in addressing the concerns expressed by both employers and job seekers,” Schäfer concluded.

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20 March 2019

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20 March 2019

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INTERVAL

20 March 2019

A little twisted humour... • I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol. - Steven Wright • Food is like sex: When you abstain, even the worst stuff begins to look good. - Beth McCollister • I could tell that my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio. - Rodney Dangerfield • If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee. - Abraham Lincoln • You’re only as good as your last haircut. - Fran Lebowitz • My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them. - Mitch Hedberg • My doctor told me to watch my drinking. Now I drink in front of a mirror. - Rodney Dangerfield • What a nice night for an evening. - Steven Wright • I walk around like eve-

rything is fine, but deep down, inside my shoe, my sock is sliding off. Unknown • I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people. - Rodney Dangerfield • I live on a one-way street that’s also a dead end. I’m not sure how I got there. - Steven Wright • Maybe you should eat some makeup so you can be pretty on the inside too. - Unknown • I like Kit-Kat, unless I’m with four or more people. - Mitch Hedberg • I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn’t met me yet. - Rodney Dangerfield • I drank some boiling water because I wanted to whistle. - Mitch Hedberg • Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks? - Steven Wright

Misunderstanding medical terms TUDIES have demonstrated that ignorant people have the lowest stress rate because they do not understand the seriousness of most medical terminology. These are their definitions of medical terms: • Artery: the study of paintings • Bacteria: back door to cafeteria • Barium: what doctors do when patients die • Benign: what you be, after you be eight • Caesarean section: a neighbourhood in Rome • Cat scan: searching for Kitty • Cauterise: made eye contact with her • Colic: a sheep dog • Coma: a punctuation mark • Dilate: to live long • Enema: not a friend • Fester: quicker than someone else • Fibula: a small lie

• Impotent: distinguished, well known • Labour pain: getting hurt at work • Medical staff: a doctor’s cane • Morbid: a higher offer • Nitrates: rates of pay for working at night • Node: I knew it • Outpatient: a person who has fainted • Pelvis: second cousin to Elvis • Post-operative: a letter carrier • Recovery room: a place to do upholstery • Rectum: nearly killed him • Secretion: when you’re hiding something • Seizure: Famous Roman emperor • Tablet: a small table • Terminal illness: getting sick at the airport • Tumour: one plus one more • Urine: the opposite of you’re out...

SOCIAL SCENE

20 March 2019

CXPRESS

IT’S WILD WEST LIBRARY WEEK! Imagine walking into your local library to be met by cowboys? After well-planned preparations, Library Week (March 18 to 23) is now in full swing in Knysna, where this happy librarian collective await your patronage with anticipation. Pictured from left at back are Limise Qorana, senior librarian Elaine Spies, Maureen Cupido, Silakhe Oyo, Monica Frans, Siyolise Stemela, and Magda Bruiners. Seated are cowgirls Beatrice Jonkers and Mathilda Janklaas, with Lusanda Sompani lounging in front. Check out Knysna Library’s brand new collection of Louis L’Amour titles - to join or renew membership, submit your ID and proof of residence to the librarians and your Louis L’Amour adventure, or any other books selected, can be collected the next day.

People, places & events

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WED OF ROSES: Anné, daughter of Dr and Mrs Dave McNally from Plettenberg Bay, married Jeremy, son of Mr and Mrs Vincent Osborne from Cape Town, on Saturday February 16. The ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Bosky Dell Rose Pavilion, situated twixt Plett and Knysna.

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20 March 2019

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ON THE SOAPBOX

20 March 2019

Letters to the Editor

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

CXPRESS

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Many other beaches for anti-horse crowd A&S of Suffolk, please be aware that spreading fake news is very much frowned upon in today’s world. I refer to your letter of a fortnight ago [read ‘How can hazardous horses…’ on page 11 of the March 6 edition at www.cxpress. co.za], in which you stated some so called facts. Do you know these to be false, and that the issue has been dealt with in the past? Firstly, you claim that accessing Keurbooms Beach on horseback is not permitted. Correction: the access point used by riders is on a public servitude road registered in 1954 on portion 5 of Farm 304 Matjiesfontein, also known as Tshokwane, allowing free access for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic to a width of 40 Cape feet. Your second claim that needs correcting regards signage. There is a nonmunicipal sign erected on the inside of the fence of

the old-age home on private property. If you are unhappy with the speed limit of the road on which you live and decide to erect signage on the inside of your private property behind your fence, please don’t be offended if road users disregard your signage. False fact #3: accessing the beach over steep dunes is a hazard to horse, rider, and other beach users. The household cavalry in the UK ride on Holkham Beach, and I seriously doubt such a world-famous unit would do anything to endanger themselves, their mounts, or the public. Furthermore, Dr Mark Brown, with all due respect, something is either legal or illegal. If you feel the need to label something as highly-illegal, I’d say murder, rape, and child molestation fit that bill. But I fail to see how you can justify grouping

horse-riding on the beach in the same bracket. Now let’s look at the facts as they are, with reference to an article published in the local press in December 2013 (and posted to the internet on July 11, 2017). It clearly portrays a handful of Keurbooms residents as aggressors in negative interactions between rider and public. I can provide several sworn statements regarding the harassment riders have had to endure. A public amenities bylaw published on October 20, 2009 (sec 11:2) permits any animal under the control of a person into the public amenity. A trial period was given from January 25 till September 30 back in 2010. After the lapse of said trial period the status quo that existed before the council resolution came into operation and was now reverted to, i.e. horse and rider ALLOWED.

Assurance was also given to the public that we would be informed of any new developments. Dr Mark Brown if you are aware of a change in the status quo which has yet to be made public, under our constitutional right to access to information, please provide the minutes to the meeting where the council made such a decision so that we can see that due process was followed. For the sake of brevity I will end by saying to the small number of antibeach-horse campaigners: you have Robberg Beach End, Solar Beach, Robberg 5, Beacon Isle Beach, Central Beach, Lookout, and Nature’s Valley Beach. If the sight of a horse on the beach offends you, go to any one of those, but stay away from Keurbooms until you are more tolerant. PS: No aliases or pseudonyms for me. Neil Meggersee, Plett

There’s a man in the tree, but who the heck is he?

Derrick de Necker sent these pics and asked: “Do the people of Plett know this guy?” If you read here and know more about the mysterious Norfolk Pine-dweller neighbouring Beau Rivage on the bank of Plett’s Piesang River, please drop us a line at editor@cxpress.co.za… - Eds.

District does everything in its power to ensure best environmental practice I write in response to concerns that were raised by the public regarding the toxicity and impact of the herbicide used by the GRDM Roads Services and Transport Planning Department (hereafter GRDM) for road reserve management. The GRDM engaged with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) to obtain its opinion with regards to the use of the particular herbicide (Kilo Max 700 WSG) commonly known as glyphosate. Firstly, from a legislative perspective, road reserve management - in particular the removal of alien invasive species - seeks to ensure compliance with National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 (NEMBA) and the Regulations (Alien and Invasive Species Regulations, 2014) thereunder. The aforesaid piece of environmental legislation places an onus on organs

of state to actively manage alien invasive species found within their area of jurisdiction. Furthermore, the environmental consequences associated with alien invasive species include reducing water supplies, increasing erosion, exacerbating wildfires, degrading valuable rangelands, threatening the health of people and livestock, reducing productivity in agriculture, and impacting negatively on our remarkable biodiversity. Allowing alien invasive species to continue growing and spreading in a Ramsar site essentially and principally poses a threat to biodiversity. With regards to herbicide use, it is fundamental that the correct herbicide be applied in the correct concentration, and be used to treat the correct species. The GRDM together with the DEADP considered and discussed the most prevalent alien invasive species found in

the area, and deliberated on the most suitable herbicides to be used for the specific species. For example, the DEADP indicated that whereas Kilomax is most effective for use on alien invasive grass species, Astra would be more suitable for use on Blackwood. It is important to note that each herbicide is specific to the target plant and the specific method associated with it (e.g. foliar spray, hand pull, and so forth). The active ingredient in the herbicide that was used by the GRDM is referred to as glyphosate. To this cause, toxicological data of the active ingredient (glyphosate) - providing an indication of the toxicity of the herbicide relating specifically to the active ingredient - was obtained from the DEADP. With regards to the aquatic environment, the lethal dose of glyphosate for fish is more than 2mg/L. This means that if

more than 2mg/L is deposited into the water, it would be moderately toxic to fish. Furthermore glyphosate is considered as non-persistent, meaning that it is broken down in the soil within 15.3 days and does therefore not remain in the soil. In conclusion, it is unlikely that the glyphosate used in the Rondevlei area could cause any adverse environmental harm to the receiving environment, provided that the correct methods are used. As part of the GRDM’s endeavours to practise environmental best principles, workers will be sent on herbicide applicator certificate training. Herman Pieters: GRDM senior communications officer, George (We thank Mr Pieters for the extensive response turn to page 2 of this edition if you’ve missed Fran Kirsten’s report, and email herman@gardenroute.gov. za or call 044 803 1419 for additional information. - Eds.)

The only pharmacy in Main Street

CXPRESS

SPORT & ADVENTURE

20 March 2019

Knysna teens pack for Ireland after rocking boat at canoe polo nationals WHAT THE HORSE WHISPERER HEARD... “Hay Whinnie, where are my wrap-around, jewel-encrusted blinkers?” “Bet you they’re at SKY where you went for your interview, Foxtrot. Maybe JULY Fever is contagious and making you forgetful?”

FABUBLOUS FLEET: From left are Kyla Hanton, Carla Collins, Taya Hanton, Tineke Cooper, Jack Ligeti, Joshua Smith, Jade das Fontes and Aiden Car, all of whom impressed during the recent South African Canoe Polo Champs in KwaZulu Natal

XPRESS last week learnt of some amazing performances by Knysna players participating at the SA Canoe Polo Champs in Durban. Said Belen Sanchez of Magnetic South: “The kids are 16 and younger, but played in the under-21 league where the boys won an outstanding gold medal and the girls scored bronze. “All the teens who participated in last weekend’s SA champs will be in the national team going to the canoe polo world champs in Ireland later this year - that’s eight Knysna kids representing SA on a world scale!” Shongweni Dam was a hive of activity during South Africa’s largest-ever canoe polo championships on March 9 and 10. The much-favoured KZN ladies appeared shocked by the strength of the Southern Cape rookies, whose oldest player is just 16 years of age. Showing a composure normally exhibited by vastly more experienced teams, the Knysna-based combination matched the physicality and astuteness of their up-

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notched high up in the individual seeding and will also be in the SA U18 team to play in Ireland. With Knysna stars Daneel van Wyk and Corban Dean Suite unavailable, Nelson das Fontes was the only Knysna A player selected for the WP team this year. Highly rated as a goal keeper, Das Fontes helped the WP team secure a bronze medal in the men’s open division. Knysna’s amazing canoeplaying stars are now organising different fundraisers to enable their attendance of the world champs in Ireland, as no official funds are provided for. First up is the Zombie Run on March 22 and a Dragon Boat and Spitbraai evening with wine auction, as well as an amazing raffle with prizes to the value of R25,000 (vouchers from various Knysna businesses include Café Mario, Ocean Odyssey, Pezula Hotel, Featherbed Co., Drydock, Garden Route Animal Sanctuary, etc.). To donate time or cash, call Tim on 071 683 4133 or Nina on 082 562 6810.

Karoo conquered, now sailing for Saldanha

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coast opponents’ stroke for stroke, ball for ball. It took the KZN women, fielding players who have represented the country in the national team at worldchamps level, the whole of normal time, plus 15 seconds of extra time, to find the winning goal. Despite the disappointment of the loss the Knysna girls were rewarded with a bronze U21 position and, catching the eyes of national team selectors, all gained places in the SA U18 team to represent the nation in Ireland later this year. Congratulations to Tineke Cooper of York High, Jade das Fontes of Glenwood House, Carla Collins of Knysna Montessori, and Oakhill students Taya and Kyla Hanton for this incredible accomplishment. The Western Cape U21 men, featuring three Knysna players, successfully defended their title as SA champs when beating KZN in the final of the same event. Joshua Smith and Jack Ligeti of Oakhill, and Aiden Carr of Knysna Montessori all

DA Western Cape Premier Candidate, Alan Winde.

During a recent SA Kickboxing Association competition, held in Oudtshoorn and dubbed ‘Battle of the Karoo’, sensei Gee Bleeker of Plett’s award-winning dojo won first place in points fighting, and Shona Gordon scored third place in both points and continuous fighting. In so doing, both fighters qualified for the Eden Kickboxing Federation team to compete at the Western Cape Championships in Saldana Bay on March 30 - give ‘em hell, guys!