28 February 2018

Photo: Ewald Stander

28 February 2018

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

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Schoongezicht murder accused denied bail p3

Knysna water restrictions relaxed p4

The reality of 2018/19 budget p7

Rocky road ahead… A challenging h ll i year llies i ahead h d ffor Pl P Plett l tt d drivers i as roadworks d k affecting fff ttii B Beacon W Way and d other th crucial i l iintersections t tii are now under way, the former set to continue well into October. Find out more on page 3.

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

28 February 2018

Driving Miss Crazy

Airport trip dredges memories of Die Groot Krokodil and his Pink Blancmange JEEVES shares his adventures as Garden Route chauffeur extraordinaire...

LL this talk about corruption makes me wonder just how much of our tax money has been stolen!

If you can believe the investigative scribes, the figure runs into billions. And it seems that the only people who are likely to face charges are those on the periphery.

What got me thinking a little more deeply on the subject was a drive I took to George Airport recently. A young lady called me to say her father had been visiting and needed a lift to the airport - and could I take him in her car.

She would have done it herself, but she was managing a B&B and couldn’t get away because guests were arriving.

The father was a taciturn man with the expression of someone who has just bitten into a lemon. He didn’t say much at first, except to comment on the fires in June. He reckoned they were man-made, but perhaps not deliberately started.

“Oh really?” I quizzed.

“Yes. Because I don’t happen to believe in spontaneous combustion,” he said, pointedly looking out of the window at charred tree stumps up on a hill, as if that was all he wanted to say.

So, you may ask, how did the subject of corruption come up?

Well, as we approached the lakes near the Wilderness, he said he remembered the place as he had spent a couple of days there in 2008. I said nothing and waited for him to continue.

“Yes,” he said. “It was only 10 years ago but a helluva lot has changed in this country since then.”

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WILDERNESS STATE ABODE: Die Anker, last home of late South African president PW Botha

“Ja,” I grunted.

Then it all spilled out.

As a reporter in Cape Town, he had been assigned the job of attending the auction of the last home of former president PW Botha. The president’s last years were spent in the Wilderness - a place he loved.

His constituency had been Mossel Bay, and he and his cronies were suspected of making millions from insider knowledge about the Mossgas project. It was said at the time that the top Nats bought up all surrounding land and offloaded it at inflated prices.

Sound familiar? Would Zuma have done differently?

“I was expecting to find this huge mansion on the edge of the lagoon,” said my passenger.

“You know, the most expensive pile carpets, Persians, fine art pieces, and world-class furnishings and fittings.”

“And?” I asked. “What did

you find?”

“A very ordinary house, quite big, with cheap carpets and tiles. Nothing special. The one thing I remember clearly was the pink sanitary ware in the bathrooms - hardly the sort of effeminate finish a tough politician like PW would want.

“And then I remembered that his first wife, Elize, had the nickname ‘Pink Blancmange’ because she always wore pink hats and coats.”

“What happened at the auction?” I asked.

“Well, it was interesting to say the least.” Clearly he had warmed to his subject. “All the bidding was done by phone, so you never knew whether a bid was genuine or an attempt to drive up the price.

“To be honest, it looked suspicious, but the sale eventually went through for a price of around R3.5-million. In 2011, I believe the house was resold for

R8-million.

“At the auction in 2008 - two years after Botha’s death - the first buyer was not present at the auction, but he arrived soon afterwards and I was surprised to see it was a black man.”

Our intrepid reporter had his story! A black man had bought the home of the man dubbed ‘Die Groot Krokodil’.

“In an interview,” he said, “I asked the buyer if it bothered him to be living in the home of the kingpin of apartheid.

Wouldn’t Botha have turned in his grave?

“The buyer - a very charming fellow - laughed and said he wasn’t worried about the ghosts of the past. In fact, he was looking forward to moving in.”

“A good story,” I said. “But where are we going with this?”

He laughed bitterly. “It just goes to show that everything is relative. If Botha was so corrupt, why did he live so modestly? The same is true of Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, former state president CR Swart, and John Vorster.

“They never lived on anything approaching the scale of Zuma and the other ANC bigwigs.”

He told me that, in fact, the house two doors down the road was a tin structure ostensibly used as a holiday “pondok”.

Soon it was time to wave goodbye to my new friend.

From frosty beginnings to a hearty farewell at the airport, it had been an interesting drive, and I had the return trip to ponder on what he had said. Food for thought…

Until next trip, buckle-up!

- Jeeves

NEWS & VIEWS

28 February 2018

CXPRESS

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Roadworks at crucial Plett nodes set for most of 2018 Tempers were flaring this week as two of Plett’s main roads were closed for maintenance at the same time - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports OT only was Beacon Way - which is expected to be under construction until October - closed on Monday, but the lower part of Odlands Drive was also temporarily closed to traffic for resurfacing.

This meant that motorists were forced to enter Plett only from the N2, causing major traffic congestion.

Motorists wanting to visit Poortjies, including The

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Market Square shopping centre, can only do so from the N2 as Beacon Way is closed from the Zenon Street turn-off.

Poortjies residents needing to get to Main Street have to travel towards the N2 and enter town from Marine Way. Motorists wanting to get to the Longships area had to travel along Piesang Valley Road to do so, due to the Odlands upgrade.

Traffic came to a near standstill until pointsmen were allotted to regulate traffic from various congestion points, including the Piesang Valley Road and N2 intersection.

The upgrade of Beacon Way came after years of complaints about the state of the road.

Acting municipal manager Johnny Douglas last month announced that the

Schoongezicht accused claims Cumming was a ‘client’ and pledges to cooperate HE man accused of raping and brutally murdering 63-year-old hospice nurse Penny Cumming in her Schoongezicht home last month was denied bail in the Plett Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday.

The 30-year-old suspect, who cannot be named before he has pleaded, was arrested on January 30 - where he was allegedly hiding near a school in KwaNokuthula - following the grisly discovery on January 29.

The rape and murder sent shockwaves through the community and led to massive support of a petition demanding that the accused not be released on bail.

When court proceedings started last week Joanne Barrett - a local resident who spearheaded the campaign handed in a petition signed by more than 5,000 locals.

The calm and confident suspect took his place in the witness stand during his bail application and told the court that he had previous

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warrants out for his arrest as well as a pending domestic violence case, which his mother opened against him.

He told the court he had three children, but that they lived with their respective mothers and that he did not “fully” support them financially. He further said that although he grew up in Plett, he had been living in Cape Town for several years where he managed a night club in the city centre. He also admitted that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.

Investigating officer detective warrant officer Wynand Westraadt said police had a strong case against the accused as, among others, fingerprints positively linked him to the crime scene.

He added that there was also video footage, which was currently being analysed by a forensic team, showing the suspect leaving the estate following the crime.

The suspect testified that he had known Cumming

for about a year and that she had been one of his “clients”. He did not want to elaborate on the nature of the business. He also “promised” the court that he would cooperate with police during their investigation and that he would attend court.

Westraadt, however, said that he believed the accused was a flight risk and that he had a propensity for violence - the pending case of domestic violence being an example. “If he is released on bail, the community will definitely feel that the justice system is being undermined,” Westraadt said.

The court ruled that there were no exceptional circumstances warranting his release and therefore denied him bail. As rape and murder is a schedule six offence, the onus is on the accused to prove that there are exceptional circumstances for his release. The matter was postponed to March 28 for further investigation.

- Yolandé Stander

upgrade would include a large section of Beacon Way that runs through Plett’s Poortjies area.

The project includes a stretch between the Salmack Street and Market Square intersections. Construction started in February and is expected to be completed

by October this year.

Douglas apologised for any inconvenience caused by the roadworks. “We appreciate your patience in this regard,” he said.

It is however not only mo-

torists that were inconvenienced, but also the informal traders who have become a popular attraction in the coastal holiday town, selling their goods - from plants to homemade baked products - and who had been moved during the construction phase of the project.

Bitou Municipality has however availed a new site on the corner of Church and Sewell Streets, behind the main municipal building, for them to continue trading.

The Odlands and Beacon

Island Drive resurfacing affects the Beacon Island/ Longships intersection to the Piesang Valley circle, as well as the Hopwood/ Odlands intersection to the Piesang Valley Circle. This project is expected to be completed by March 2.

For more information, contact Ferlin Stuurman at the municipality’s project management unit in the Engineering Services department at fstuurman@plett. gov.za or on 044 501 3287.

Garden Route Media

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

28 February 2018

Investigation to prevent ‘Gupta-style’ capture of our institutions Saga of reliable bus service for Phakamisani Primary kids continues - KHAYA MBESI reports delegation from the Western Cape Department of Education, led by Circuit 4 manager Suzette de Villiers, told the parents of Phakamisani Primary School students they were introducing a new bus service to collect children between Pine Trees, Bossies-

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gif and Qolweni, and that previous contracts with Pika and Jansen transport services would finally be terminated.

When the residents wanted to debate this item, they were silenced by school governing body (SGB) chair Charles Bokuva.

“You wanted your children to be taken to school in safety. Now they won’t be transported by Pika or Jansen, but they’ll definitely get to school,” he said.

“The department is here to resolve this issue so that we can live in peace with one another.”

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The meeting was the result of extended unhappiness over rival companies that came to a head when parents traded places with their children on one of the buses and headed for Education department offices in Knysna to find a solution (read it on p4 of the January 31 edition at www. cxpress.co.za).

Community pastor Gcobani Mjatya thanked the departmental delegation for the manner in which they managed the transport problem.

The was also an opportunity for the SGB to provide a status report on the school and the progress in terms of development, in anticipation of new SGB elections on March 19.

Indeed, on Thursday morning a new bus arrived to collect Phakamisani students, as was promised by the department. It arrived earlier than normal and the kids quickly filled it.

Alas, the bus struggled to make its way up a hill in Bossiesgif and the children were forced to walk uphill

LET’S GET ON WITH IT: Local Education department representative Suzette de Villiers, left, reports on the new service, assisted by Phakamisani principal Michael Spies, and SGB chairperson Charles Bokuva, right - Photo: Khaya Mbesi

on foot alongside.

Parents mobilised immediately, sharing suspicions that the bus belonged to Pika bus services. Once again, they took transport to Knysna to complain to De Villiers - who had said the bus service was new to the area and not part of the Pika fleet.

“I heard the driver asked directions on the route from a previous operator.

The challenges encountered Bossiesgif were also reported to me, said De Villiers, adding that children should board at Robberg Fine Foods to avoid the worst of the hills.

“This transport saga and the school’s finances

are under investigation by our forensic unit, and we hope by the time their SGB meeting takes place, a report in this regard would be ready,” she said.

In an seperate conversation with De Villiers, she would not venture to guess what such an investigation would find, but said the outcome would inform their way forward.

“The report will provide insights on the future of the school’s management.

“Our country is just starting to recover from a statecapture fiasco. So we discourage criminality in our communities and refuse to allow the Gupta-style capture of our institutions.”

Knysna’s water restrictions relaxed N a statement last week, Knysna Tourism said it was pleased that the town’s status with regard to water restrictions as indicated on the Western Cape map - which appears on the Western Cape Water Wise Tourism website - had been changed from ‘Severe’ to ‘Moderate’ restrictions at the tourism body’s request.

“This more accurately reflects the situation in Knysna where Level 3 water restrictions are in place to ensure the security of water for all users,” it said, adding that this should not blind residents and visitors to the fact that Knysna is a water-scarce town - “it is

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vital to use water wisely”.

“While we are not as severely affected by the drought as other parts of the Western Cape, we continue to encourage residents and visitors to be conscious of our limited water resources.

“We must also ensure that the current situation does not negatively impact tourism and continue to encourage business and leisure travellers to visit the area… and that events and conferences go ahead.”

The statement quotes shadow Tourism minister James Vos thus: “Right now, tourism is one of the best performing sectors

in our country’s economy.

We have a strong competitive advantage with global growth in outbound tourism and our favourable exchange rate, presenting us with a magnificent window of opportunity.

“The Western Cape is one of the world’s leading destinations. This is as a result of a focused approach to growing tourism through facilitating a flow of private sector investment in the hospitality sector,” the minister said.

Figures reveal that tourism supports more than 300,000 jobs and contributes about R40-billion to the provincial economy.

Long-time local’s leg crushed by truck RMSTRONG Vuyani Magidigidi, 77, was violently knocked down by a goods delivery truck last month. The accident happened when the truck was delivering oil at Robberg Fine Foods and has left him bedridden.

“I was going to a shop in the Industrial area. I saw a big stationary truck in front of me and walked past it. Somebody shouted at me and when I returned the greeting, something smashed into my foot. I fell down immediately.

“I was taken by ambulance to Knysna and then to George. I am feeling better now but I must still go to the police station to open a case. It has been very painful and my life has been standing still since that day.

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“I thank my family who have been visiting me. I have five children but most of them are old now. I feel better but still use the pain pills they gave me at the hospital. I have been living in Plett since arriving here in 1961,” said Magidigidi.

When visiting Robberg Fine Foods, CXPRESS met with Zanoxolo Yawa, who was busy unpacking boxes of oil from a truck.

“I am the one who shouted at the truck driver to stop after Mr Magidigidi was knocked down. The truck knocked him to the ground and there was blood everywhere.

“Someone called the ambulance. The driver left his truck to see what had happened. He went to report the case to the police - I was part of the delegation

BEDRIDDEN: Armstrong Magidigidi’s injury has immobilised him

who went to the station,” said Yawa.

When CXPRESS contacted the truck driver, he rudely refused to divulge any details, saying he wanted to be contacted by the police only. The SAPS communications officer said that Magidigidi had to open a case file at the police station. - Khaya Mbesi

NEWS & VIEWS

28 February 2018

Former mayor to tell all about Plettenberg Bay’s transition to full democracy ELL-KNOWN local architect and Van Plettenberg Historical Society committee member Paul Scheepers will next month address the society on the subject ‘Transition to Democracy: The 1990s in Plettenberg Bay’.

Having qualified as an architect at the University of Cape Town, followed by a short stint in London, Paul first opened a practice in Plettenberg Bay in 1976. By 1983, he was elected as a town councillor, and became mayor of Plettenberg Bay in 1992.

Paul will be speaking about that time in the 1990s when South Africa was emerging as a truly popular democracy and how the transition affected ordinary people in the local municipality. As Paul says: “It was not the best

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of times, but we made it.”

His talk will cover inward migration from the

Eastern to the Western Cape; the establishment of the Plett Housing Trust

WE MADE IT: Paul Scheepers served as mayor of Plett during a particularly interesting time in South Africa’s history - hear all about on March 8 at Plett Angling Club

and subsequent development of low-cost housing in Kwanokuthula; the building of Plett’s Clinic, as well as the period of intense violence that accompanied the transition, as various factions jostled for ascendancy.

Members and friends are cordially invited to this meeting of the Van Plettenberg Historical Society on Thursday March 8 (5:30 for 6pm) at Plett Angling Club on the banks of the Keurbooms River. Entrance costs R30 per person and subscriptions are R70 per member.

Dinner will be served by prior reservation at the same venue after the talk for R120 per head. For reservations, please contact Christo Oberholzer on 083 625 4310 by no later than Monday March 5.

This road trip with a difference aims to save some of our most special sea creatures VERY year, thousands of loggerhead and leatherback turtles hatch on the beaches of northern KwaZulu-Natal. They then head to sea and are carried southward by the warm Agulhas current.

Facing high levels of predation and strong currents, many hatchlings find themselves off the Cape’s south coast - stunned by the cold, weak and often injured - where they inevitably wash up and are stranded on beaches.

Without help, these stranded hatchlings have

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no chance of survival.

The conservation team of Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium thus decided to undertake a ‘Turtle Road Trip’ to visit communities from Muizenberg to Plett most likely to find these stranded turtles, to educate and equip them with network points able to care for these hatchlings and to transport them to the Aquarium’s turtle rescue, rehab and release centre.

At each of the 10 stops, members of the public are invited to join the turtle conservation team for a

short presentation about what you can do to help sea turtles, as well as the work being done at the Two Oceans Aquarium to help stranded hatchlings.

Find out what actions to take when encountering stranded turtles, and what you can do to help them out on the other 364 days of the year, too.

Events at the stops are open for all to attend - all the team asks in return is that you help save our turtles by spreading the message using the #TurtleRoadTrip hashtag. The

road trip sets off from Muizenberg beachfront on March 1 and reaches the Garden Route on March 4 with a noon stop at Dias Museum in Mossel Bay. Next up is Ebb and Flow Rest Camp in Wilderness on March 5 (6pm) and Knysna’s SANParks offices on Thesen Island on March 6 (6pm), with Plett stops on the 7th being Tenikwa Wildlife Centre in The Crags at 11am and NSRI Station 14 on Central Beach at 6pm. Visit www.aquarium.co.za/tur tles for more information.

CXPRESS

Read CXPRESS online @ www.cxpress.co.za

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CXPRESS

28 February 2018

NEWS & VIEWS

BUSINESS

28 February 2018

CXPRESS

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Budget 2018/19: Prepare to pay more for everything F Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment as president brought about a mood of euphoria and positivity, last Wednesday’s budget speech quickly brought us crashing back down to reality, says Jaco Nel of NJN Consulting.

“There is a projected R48.2-billion shortfall in government’s budget for

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taxes,” says Nel. In addition to a 1% increase in VAT, effective as of April 1, commuters will face a 52c increase in the fuel levy, a health promotion levy (sugar tax), and a below inflation increase in personal tax brackets; R1.345-trillion is expected to be collected in tax and levies in 2018/19, although government is still

‘Social grants have been increased to compensate the poor for the increase in VAT, but it’s marginal’ the next year, and a total of R57-billion for free higher education and training has been provided for over the next three years.

“Unfortunately, this means a higher tax burden for the man in the street as the government looks to raise an additional R36billion through increased

expected to borrow an additional R191-billion to cover expenses.

“Not only will you effectively have less money in your pocket, you’ll also likely pay a good deal more for your monthly groceries as fuel (and the ongoing drought) impacts the cost of food production and

transport. It will be a tough year for consumers.”

Social grants have been increased to compensate the poor for the increase in VAT, but these increases are marginal, according to Nel. “Child support grants are increased by R25 per month, foster care grants

by R40, and old age grants

by R95.”

“Tax brackets have been adjusted to provide some relief for the effect of inflation.

Individuals below the age of 65 were required to pay tax from R75,750 in 2017/18, ages 65-74 from R117,300, and ages 75 and up from R131,150. Those numbers have shifted upwards to R78,150, R121,000, and R135,300 for the 2018/19 tax year. Rebates have also increased.”

Both consumers and business will have to tighten

K&S Labour Law Practitioners welcomes Stephen Smith to their Plett bureau &S Labour Law and Human Resources Practitioners was founded on the Garden Route 22 years ago. Although a sustainable national footprint has been established since then, the team’s affinity is firmly based in their beloved Knysna.

K&S opened its first office in Plettenberg Bay, where Willie Kruger started operations in the Look Out Centre in 1996.

“And it seems we’re coming full circle since we’re now re-affirming our brand in Plett, where we’ve recently experienced an exponential growth phase,” says Willie.

“We were privileged when Stephen Smith - a Plett local - joined us late in 2017. Stephen was previously employed at Spier in Stellenbosch and brings a wealth of knowledge with him, relating to management, labour relations and disciplinary matters.”

The K&S ethics and val-

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FRESH IN THE FOLD: Plettenberg Bay resident Stephen Smith is the latest member of the able K&S team

ues of integrity, honesty and fairness are supported

by Stephen’s relationshipdriven management style.

Says Stephen: “Working with people is one of my strengths. I have a passion for seeing to it that companies and their employees succeed.”

Stephen will be supported by the K&S team, who will assist with the full spectrum of labour law and human resources matters, CCMA

and Labour Court cases, development, training and all other workplace-related needs that clients may have.

Senior partners Willie Kruger and Leigh Cole collectively boast more than 40 years of experience in labour matters and human resources practices, and both hold master’s degrees in law as well as degrees in Industrial and Clinical Psychology.

“We are excited about Stephen’s involvement and look forward to a mutual beneficial relationship between our company and the Plettenberg Bay business community. Through this association we will be able to provide more support and efficient service delivery to clients in Plettenberg Bay,” says Leigh.

Please join them for an Information Breakfast Session on the New Minimum Wage Act at the Plettenberg Bay Country Club on Tuesday March 20. See the advert on this page for contact details.

belts and brace themselves for a tough year ahead, says Nel. “It’s not all doom and gloom though, if all goes according to plan. The Budget was designed to slow down the threat of downgrades and to reform many struggling public sectors, with the aim of growing the GDP and lowering consumer inflation by 2020.

“We will have to adjust our spending and refrain from borrowing where pos-

sible, keeping the end goal in mind. Now is the time to find yourself a good tax consultant and financial planner.”

However, Nel does say that he hopes some of the increased taxes will go towards the root of the problem the country is facing.

“We knew that even free education would come at a price, as will the reclamation of land, so these increases are not wholly unexpected,” says Nel.

“While the free tertiary education plans are heartening for many families, we should start by using funds raised to improve the under-performing schools at primary and high school level. First and foremost, the schooling system needs to equip students with the skills and knowledge to obtain a university degree.”

• Jaco Nel has over 15 years’ experience in the financial industry and owns NJN Consulting.

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CXPRESS

INTERVAL

28 February 2018

The importance of communication helicopter was flying around above Seattle when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft’s electronic navigation and communications equipment.

Due to the clouds and haze, the pilot could not determine the helicopter’s position. He saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, and held up a handwritten sign that said “WHERE AM I?” in large letters.

People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a

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If you only focus on the problem

large sign, and held it in a building window. Their sign said “YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER”.

The pilot smiled, waved, looked at his map, determined the course to steer to SEATAC airport, and landed safely.

After they were on the ground, the co-pilot asked the pilot how he had done it.

“I knew it had to be the Microsoft Building because they gave me a technically correct but completely useless answer,” the pilot replied.

How many sheep?

N accountant is travelling with a farmer client around his farm.

They pass a large group of sheep and the farmer says: “You’re pretty good with numbers, Keith. How many sheep do you reckon are in that paddock?”

The accountant looks

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at the sheep for a moment and says: “One thousand, eight hundred and thirty two.”

The farmer is amazed.

“Exactly right,” he says.

“How did you work that out so fast?”

“Easy,” says the accountant, “I counted the number of feet and divided by four.”

Noel Coward arrived at Sydney Airport for his first visit to Australia.

The burly Aussie immigration officer was not at all impressed with this Limey nancy before him.

“Mr Coward,” he said, “do you have a criminal record?”

“Oh sorry, dear boy,” replied Noel, “I didn’t think that it was still compulsory.”

- Submitted by Mike Mc Donnell from Knysna in response to last week’s Angela Merkel joke (find it on page 8 of the February 21 edition at www.cxpress.co.za)

I spent a couple of hours defrosting the fridge last night... or “foreplay” as she likes to call it.

You might miss the easy solution

Finding the right one...

ITTING in a bar one day, George asks his 40-year-old long lost friend, John: “How come you aren’t married?”

John replies: “Becauce I haven’t found the right woman yet.”

“So what are you looking for?”

“Oh, she’s got to be real pretty, a good cook and

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housekeeper. She’s got to know how to handle money, have a pleasant personality, and money.

She’s got to have money.

And a nice big house wouldn’t hurt either.”

“A woman like that would be crazy to marry YOU!” says George.

“Oh, it’s okay if she’s crazy,” replies John.

SOCIAL SCENE

28 February 2018 HAMBURGERS AND HOMIES: At the opening evening of the Plett Performing Arts Festival on Tuesday February 20 were, from left below, Anthea Louw, Shireen Jack and Meagann Hartnick, all members of staff of The Crags Primary School in The Crags, which derives financial assistance from the proceeds of the festival. On the third festival night, local talent Julie-Ann de Lange, at centre left, rubbed shoulders with Dagmar and Klaus Busacker, who live near Hamburg in Germany and are presently on holiday in South Africa.

The award-winning play ‘The Snow Goose’ hails the festival’s final performance tonight.

Call Ann Fermor on 082 452 8764 for details.

CXPRESS

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People, places & events

Photos: Timothy Twidle

FIGHTING CRIME THROUGH DANCE: PlettActiveYouth is a community-based arts and culture organisation that focuses on building character towards realising dreams and true potential, especially for previously disadvantaged youngsters faced with everyday social ills like drugs and crime. Their second HipHopvsCrime weekend takes place on March 2 and 3, featuring SA’s top break-dancing crew Concrete Apostles from Cape Town, along with SA champs Prophet Style Dance Crew Academy from Oudtshoorn. Both shows - on Friday at the Formosa Primary School hall and on Saturday at Knysna Secondary School hall in Hornlee from 6:30pm - will provide local artists with an opportunity to share the stage with these well-known outfits. Among the local performers count Jodene Brown, Mark Davids, Enrico Sam, Axe Krew, GL Funk Breakers, T3 Gang, Broken Puzzle, KB, OSG Girls, Dope Gang, Future, and Animation Crew. Double and single-show tickets are sold at R50 and R30 respectively - what a steal! There will also be free free-dance training sessions and a workshop at Formosa Primary from 11am to 1pm on Saturday. Call 078 986 3554 or 062 064 3831 for more information.

what we love, since 1948 HAPPY TREE-HUGGERS: The proud Eco Club of Kranshoek Primary and Grade 5 learners enjoyed a day themed ‘Planting a tree, saving a planet’ recently. One and all were very excited about their special new partnership with nature.

FUN WITH FILTERS: The Plett PhotoFUNatics’ first February theme was ‘Filters’, applicable either on camera or during post-processing of pics. “It was an opportunity for everyone to let their creative minds run rampant with an anything-goes element,” says Derek Rushton, who welcomes new members Marie Morley, Garth Ensley, and David Lewarne. “Marie and Garth both submitted photographs and we can see right off the bat there’s plenty of hidden talent. Our next theme is ‘Photo Journalism/ Street Photography’, so visit our Facebook page to see the latest entries,” he envites. Pictured here are ‘Filters’ winners Annie Hattingh (junior) with ‘Cosmos Flower’ and Carol Phillips (senior) with ‘Male Lion’.

Nicolene 072 720 8677

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CXPRESS

28 February 2018

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CLASSIFIEDS

ON THE SOAPBOX

28 February 2018

Letters to the Editor

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

Shocked by municipal charges for vacant is a property stands in absence of services intervention rates holiday for a period I was disgusted when I queried my Knysna Municipality account last Tuesday morning only to discover that fire victims who lost their homes and all their possessions in the June fires are being charged basic charges for vacant stands while they are rebuilding, thus hiking the costs of these charges up by approximately 300%.

The municipality should be ashamed of itself.

Their talking heads ap-

pear on television and social media telling about how they are assisting fire victims by not charging rates, etc. but then recovering it in an underhand way by increasing other services - none of which we had!

Initially we were told that there would be no municipal costs for properties that were lost. And now this!

Please make your readers aware of this shocking case of an uncaring mu-

Elliotts love CXPRESS!

“I was very impressed yesterday evening [Wednesday February 21] to see the guy from the spare parts shop in Plett One reading CXPRESS in his car at the Whale Tail viewpoint - and then to see the car guard there, called Elliott, also poring over his copy of CXPRESS. It just shows again that your wonderful newspaper is loved by all levels of society. Well done! I still remember the early days when the late Julian Furman introduced us to the brilliant CXPRESS concept: ‘We are the paper, you are the news.’ Was that in 2000?”

- Shanette Elliott, Plett (Thanks, Shanette - our first edition saw the light on June 1, 1998, which means that we’re about three months away from our 20-year anniversary, yay! Be sure to celebrate with us… - Eds.)

A fantastic Plett stay indeed - or was it?

I read the letter ‘Is Plett no longer a prime holiday destination’ in the January 10 edition [turn to page 19 of that issue at www. cxpress.co.za] during our stay in your town at the beginning of the year. We had a fantastic stay indeed - we love your town and visit every year in January.

Enclosed please find my letter to the restaurant in your town where we had a good time indeed. Never ever again!

Dear Mister X, thank you so very much for hosting us in your restaurant during our holiday in Plett.

During one evening’s supper with you, the waiter gave us excellent service.

My wife ordered welldone steak and got it rare, so sent it back to the kitchen. When it came back, she refused to have it. My Greek salad was shocking, but I didn’t want to say a word to that nice water.

When we left my motherin-law, 89, and wife said:

Never ever again at your place. We come every year in January to Plett. More than R500 went down the drain. I wish you a happy new year, and will be waiting for your letter.

Nachum Arnoni, Cape Town (Well what do you know?

More to the point, we’re not sure we know whether Mr Arnoni had “a good time indeed” or quite the opposite during his stay in Plett.

When not one but two envelopes addressed to CXPRESS arrived by snail mail from Cape Town, we were rather excited to read them; as it goes, handwritten contributions are typed up while being read so before we knew it, this confusing correspondence actually made it to the page.

Thanks, we think, Mr Arnoni for sending the same letter to us twice, and for making us wonder if we should look forward to welcoming you back here next January, indeed. - Eds.)

nicipality that employs sneaky methods and is not transparent about its intentions or actions.

Anne McLellan, Knysna Knysna Municipality provided the following response: In order to provide relief to the fire victims, the municipality approved a number of relief interventions, such as the waiver of building plan fees and connection fees. But perhaps the most significant

of 12 months.

This property rates rebate alone amounts to R16.5-million, which will not be recovered from Provincial or National government.

Council’s approved tariffs in terms of vacant stands come into effect on these stands where owners have decided not to build.

We strongly disagree with the writer’s assertion that we are an uncaring municipality.

Abuse of disabled parking is alive and well in Plett I remember an article in your paper a while back about able-bodied people abusing disabled parking spaces. Recently, for the second time, I have seen a German man who runs a B&B establishment in Plett abusing these special parking places.

When confronted he whips out an international card that he got about two years ago when he had a hip replacement and struggled to walk for a few months. He also has a large disabled sticker in his car.

The said man has been walking perfectly for the last 18 months, but continues to abuse the power of his sticker. He becomes defensive and abusive when confronted.

I have a son who is a quadriplegic and so this matter is close to my heart. We live in a town

where there are many elderly people who really do need these parking spaces.

I hope you will consider naming and shaming this individual and herewith attach photographs taken outside Woolworths on the morning of writing.

Antoinette Egan, Plett (The photos referred to have not been included as they reveal the registration number and name of the accommodation establishment, but also the disabled sticker as mentioned, the validity of which is not for CXPRESS to decide.

We have no reason to doubt the author’s claims, however, and readers are urged to keep an eye out for the man described and for all other transgressors who prevent those truly dependent on disabled parking bays from access through their selfish actions. - Eds.)

Do you know the owner of this lost iPhone?

John Mulder of Plett’s Metal Detect Team shared this image after finding an iPhone on Lookout Beach on January 15, and asked: “Could CXPRESS please publish the pic requesting that the owner or anybody who may know the owner should contact me?”

(Get hold of John on 044 533 2117 or email lostringfinders@ gmail.com if you know the people in the photo. - Eds.)

Short sweet shots W.O.W… I picked up the CXPRESS yesterday [February 21] and to my astonishment and delight, what should I find on the front page and within, but our very own Homo naledi. Thank you so very, very much. You must have had quite a lot of fun putting it together. It made me laugh.

Lady Conyngham, Plett

Thank you very much for publishing the article on the Scouts. Already we have had people enquiring about the Plett Sea Scout programme.

Much appreciated!

Bronwen Pfister, Plett (Turn to pages 9 and 12 of last week’s edition respectively at www.cxpress.co.za if you’ve missed the stories referred to above. - Eds.)

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CXPRESS

SPORT & ADVENTURE

28 February 2018

Plett Tourism backs Lunchbox Legend’s Argus fundraiser N a bid to support Lunchbox Theatre, Plett Tourism is sponsoring Lunchbox Legends team member Brendon Morris in the upcoming Cape Argus cycle tour, which

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takes place on March 11 along the Cape Peninsula.

“I’ve cycled the Argus twice before, but never for a cause,” says Brendon, who is currently training twice a

week in preparation for the world-famous event.

“This year I got invited to join the Lunchbox Legends and frankly, it’s an honour to be chosen, so how could

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Regular CXPRESS readers would know about the amazing work done by the Lunchbox Theatre crew - in Plett, Knysna, on the Garden Route and beyond.

“My kids have come home from school a number of times telling me how they were magically entertained in the hall by the Lunchbox gang.

“Our children need to be informed about the myriad of social and environmental issues facing all of us these days, and what better way than through live stage acts and plays. It’s entertaining and gets important messages across without boring the kids.”

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Brendon will be cycling the Argus along with the team in 10 days’ time, and aims to raise R10,000 for Lunchbox Theatre in the

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