Saying farewell to loved locals Saying farewell to loved locals p2

from 2 December 2020

Seaplane s landing revisited Seaplane’s landing revisited p5

OBITUARIES True son of Plettenberg Bay fl exed mental muscles while lavishing love ‘till end of his memorable life

PETER Duminy, who died last Thursday morning at Strombolis retirement village, had a long association with Plettenberg Bay.

On a visit from Johannesburg in 1962, he was lucky to buy a plot halfway up Hill Street, overlooking Lookout Beach. It had just been placed on the market after it was found that Hill Street could not proceed directly down the hill, as had originally been planned.

The house De Meermin, designed by his brother-in-law John Stegmann, was the fi rst to be supplied with municipal electricity and was for many years a well-known landmark.

The son of UCT vice-chancellor JP Duminy, Peter grew up in Pretoria, where he matriculated at Pretoria Boys High in 1948 before graduating at Rhodes with a BA/LLB in 1952.

While completing an honours degree in Economics in 1953, he served as chairman of the SRC. A committed opponent of the apartheid government, he was a founding member of the South African Liberal Party when it was formed in May of that year.

PETER DUMINY: 8 November 1931 - 26 November 2020

Although he completed his articles with Lunnon and Tindall in Pretoria, he decided against pursuing a career in law and joined the Sunday Times, where he was involved in the foundation of the Financial Mail in 1959, later becoming its deputy-editor under the legendary George Palmer.

In 1968, Peter transferred to The Economist in London and three years later became editor of Finance Week in Australia, when it was launched by Rupert Murdoch in 1971.

Publication was halted due to lack of demand after only a few editions had been printed, whereafter Peter became the Economist’s far-Eastern correspondent, based in Tokyo, before returning to Australia to head the publicity section of the Broken Hill Corporation.

After his retirement in 1991, Peter returned to South Africa, where he was SACCOB’s parliamentary representative in Cape Town during the last years of white rule.

Following the death of his mother in 1997, he lived at De Meermin in Plettenberg Bay, where he was a generous host to friends and family from all over the world and where he later operated a bed-andbreakfast. The house was sold in 2004 and subsequently demolished.

During his last active years, Peter was a member of the Van Plettenberg Historical Society committee, his special interest being the preservation of The Timber Shed, whence his ancestor Francois Renier Duminy had taken the fi rst load of timber in 1788.

He continued to use his considerable intellectual abilities and writing skills and was the editor of Trevor McGlashan’s republication of Pat Storrar’s book Plettenberg Bay and the Paradise Coast in 2001.

Unmarried, Peter lavished kindness and love on members of his family and friends. His life will be celebrated during a private function.

JOCELIN KAGAN will be signing her new book

7th DECEMBER 2020 Between 5pm and 7pm On the lawns & verandah

Cash Bar Painted Wolf Wines will be on offer

Tel: 044 050 3767

Gentle Jordan will live on in our hearts

“My best friend and childhood brother Jordan Drew Weyer (11.07.1994 - 19.11.2020) left us for different pastures last Thursday night. He was well known and much loved in Plettenberg Bay, where he grew up and went to school and had tons of family and friends. Many locals will remember Jordy from the time he worked at The Table, but his gentle presence was felt far above and beyond. As I’m writing here, his mom is in Durban saying fi nal goodbyes to her special boy and we would really want her to know that he was loved by everyone in this town.” - Storm Febb

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Strategies to manage resurgence explored, as another lockdown will kill economy to receive treatment while we decongest our healthcare facilities. ing diabetes, hypertension, HIV, TB, immunisations and children and women’s HIV status in order to start treatment if necessary. “Let us also support

BY Monday November and not by provinces.” “As a country, we have “As we have begun imple- healthcare services. those who have HIV or 30, the active Covid-19 Winde reiterated that made signifi cant strides menting our recovery plan, “Managing TB and HIV Aids, and break the stigma cases in Knysna totalled the main priority was to from the early days of the we have been scaling up together will signifi cantly still associated with this vi862 (up by 156 from the last prevent a lockdown that Aids pandemic - we have healthcare with a focus on impact the wellbeing of rus, and which has such a count on Friday November would devastate the local rolled out ARVs that have those services that present a many residents,” Winde said, negative impact on the dig27), with Bitou’s count at economy, saying “the best saved lives, reduced mother low risk but have a high im- and encouraged all Western nity of those living with it,” 529 active cases - a jump of and quickest way to do to child transmission, and pact on outcomes, includ- Cape residents to know their he concluded. 137 from three days before. this is through individuals, made huge advancements

The tally for the entire businesses and civil society in research,” he said. Western Cape Province by 1pm on Monday was playing their part by changing their behaviour”. “But we still face obstacles; stigma continues to stop Houses razed but Qolweni residents 10,057 active infections, with a total of 130,826 confi rmed cases and 116,125 recoveries. Along with The basic rules to avoid further spikes in infection - and thus risk the debilitating return to lockdowns people from knowing and disclosing their status, and we still need to put considerable effort into reducing the relieved that no lives were lost TUMI Tom, 51, has been a member of the here had gas bottles, but I could hear two of these have been destroyed,” he says, adding that everythese fi gures, premier Alan of whatever level - remain number of HIV infections CXPRESS family for the exploding close by. one was grateful when the Winde released a statement unchanged: in high risk groups includ- better part of a decade, and “We quickly ran to the mayor visited the affected that reiterated the serious- • Everyone needs to wears ing teenage girls and young an integral cog of the Van house where the fi re start- area the next morning. ness of the situation and a mask. women, men who have sex Huyssteen/De Villiers clan ed and tried to clear it out, “People who were apsuggested strategies to • Avoid crowds and non- with men, substance abus- for even longer - signifi - but shortly after we put proved to move into those manage the resurgence. essential gatherings. ers, and sex workers.” cantly so when their house these goods in the street little houses built in Boss-

“The Western Cape Gov- • Ensure we do not have Covid-19 has presented was one of those burnt to next to the house, the fi re iesgif will now have to ernment is considering a close contact with others. a further challenge in that ashes in the June 2017 fi res caught and destroyed what wait a little longer, as we variety of different tools “If we follow these proto- fewer people have been ac- that severely affected large we tried to save.” will stay there until our and approaches at our dis- cols, we can make a major cessing health care services, tracts of CX Country. Tom says they believe the shacks have been rebuilt. posal to tackle the resur- dent in this resurgence. This including HIV testing and It was thus with shock fi re started when kids fell The mayor said he would gence in the province, so should be every citizen’s pri- treatment, with a marked and concern we learnt on asleep when waiting for provide mattresses, food that we are fully prepared ority right now,” Winde said. drop in testing and treat- Monday that ‘our Tom’ meat to cook, and their parcels and building maand can ensure that our World Aids Day ment for TB - one of the counted among members little stove overheated, set- terials, but that there was health system is not over- As World Aids Day was leading causes of death for of 30-plus families who ting surrounding furniture not enough planks and whelmed,” said Winde. commemorated around people living with HIV. lost their houses in the ear- alight. But everyone is ex- sheets for everyone to start

He added that, at the time the world on December 1, From early on in the pan- ly hours of that morning. tremely grateful that no one rebuilding immediately.” of writing, no decision had Winde urged citizens not to demic, the Western Cape “It was about three was hurt or killed in the Readers who can been taken yet on localised forget the battles fought and Government has deliv- o’clock on the dot when consequent confl agration. assist with building marestrictions. “We are still won in the Aids pandemic ered medications to stable I heard the sounds of the “Our saving grace was terials are asked to email seeking legal advice on what and the important work that chronic patients in their fi re - the popping of wood the fact that there was no esther@cxpress.co.za. is possible, given that disas- remains in ensuring that we homes, to reduce their risk and iron sheets from the wind that night, otherwise See the report on page 4 ter restrictions are imposed address both the Aids and of Covid-19 infection and heat. Not many people many more shacks would for additional information. by national government, Covid-19 pandemics. to ensure that they continue