4 October 2017 by CXpress

4 October 2017

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

FREE Photo: Marc Rodgers

Far out, man… On S Sunday unda d yO October ctob ber 1, loc local all NSRI and CapeNature volunteers representing the South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) freed a 14-metre juvenile Humpback whale from entrapment at 45 nautical miles off the Southern Cape coastline - the furthest out to sea that an SAWDN operation has ever been conducted. More importantly, the whale’s entrapment in fishing rope and a buoy serves as urgent reminder that man-made pollutants are fast diminishing the health of our oceans and everything in it. Visit www.nsri.org.za for a video clip of the rescue mission and read the story on page 2.

Beale sentencing in Knysna - p3

Jesse’s Italian adventure - p5

It’s Tour de Plett weekend! - p12

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NEWS & VIEWS

4 October 2017

Garden Route tops in visitor growth as National Parks Week figures tallied ARDEN Route National each section, these including an extremely enticing destinaG Park (GRNP) has doubled seahorse talks, forest walks, tion for both local and internafigures of visitors received durand estuarine exploration in the tional visitors for offering such ing the recently concluded SA National Parks Week campaign. The week-long campaign from September 16-23 attracted a total of 7,449 visitors to the Park, with most visitors recorded in the Tsitsikamma section (3,714), followed by Knysna at 1,734 and Wilderness with 1,506 visitors. Park management had prepared activities to showcase the diverse nature experiences that could be enjoyed within GRNP. Said manager Paddy Gordon: “Knysna has South Africa’s single largest complex of indigenous forests and fynbos areas, and we also manage seascapes and estuaries. “SANParks invests millions annually to protect and maintain the area for conservation to the benefit of current and future generations.” Educational initiatives featured among the activities for

company of experienced People & Conservation Officers. Gordon expressed gratitude to visitors, “who make it worthwhile to protect and conserve natural assets forming part of our GRNP and its surrounding buffer areas”. SANParks Communications manager Rey Thakhuli said the Garden Route had the highest stable increase in the country, realising a 56.8% growth within the context of the Frontier Cluster of National Parks, also comprising Addo, Camdeboo, Karoo, and Mountain Zebra. “GRNP performed extremely well, with the Garden Route recording the highest in the stable at 56.8% growth from 3,519 visitors in 2015.” The total for 2016 was 4,750. “Comparatively, runners up Addo registered a 26.4% increase from 6,236 in 2016 to 7,884 in 2017.” The Garden Route remains

diverse ways of venturing into nature: hiking, cycling, ziplining, segways, scootours, and water activities such as snorkelling, diving, boat cruises, canoeing, and more. Wildlife includes a wide range of mammals such as the blue duiker and honey badger (which is on the Red Data List as a critically-endangered species), leopard, caracal, bushpig, bushbuck, African clawless otter, marsh mongoose, South African large spotted genet, Chacma baboon, Cape grysbok, Cape grey mongoose, Cape porcupine, velvet monkey, the elusive Knysna elephant, and others. Marine mammals like whales and dolphins are of course rife in the Knysna (including Plett) and Tsitsikamma sections of the Park, the former being especially active at this time of year. Email nandi.mgwadlamba@ sanparks.org for more info.

HAPPY HERITAGE HAILED: A Cultural Day on September 23 in the Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park was attended by a variety of residents in traditional garb

Whale freed by NSRI and CapeNature volunteers HILE crowds were gathering at Garden Route seaside spots to spend a glorious Sunday in the surf, a juvenile Humpback whale was seemingly anchored to the seabed with fishing rope around its tail, about 45 nautical miles offshore between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) received a call from a passing vessel at 9:30am on October 1, alerted them that the crew had happened upon a whale entangled in rope and a single floatation buoy.

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The NSRI Plett sea rescue craft Leonard Smith, accompanied by SAWDN volunteers, including Henk Nieuwoudt of CapeNature, and carrying specialised cutting equipment, launched from Central Beach at 12:20, while the Knysna crew launched Colorpress Rescuer simultaneously to respond as back-up safety boat. Both craft arrived at the GPS coordinates provided by the skipper of the passing vessel at 1:50pm, when the volunteers got to work first cutting the tail line to free the whale from its anchored entrapment, and

then the floatation buoy. All lines and the buoy cut free were recovered after the 20-minute cutting operation. The whale swam off confidently, appearing hale and healthy after its ordeal - which hailed the furthest out to sea SAWDN operation to date. • The South African Whale Disentanglement Network was established in 2006 in order to manage entangled whales using specialised equipment, and is comprised of trained SAWDN volunteers from the NSRI, KZN Sharks Board, Department of Environmen-

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NEWS & VIEWS

4 October 2017

CXPRESS

Child-porn case draws to a close as sentence proceedings kick off in Knysna today Close to three years after a high profile Plettenberg Bay baby pornography arrest rocked the town, sentencing proceedings are expected to conclude in the Knysna Regional Court this week - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports LETT computer engineer William Beale pleaded guilty to about 19,000 charges of possession of child pornography in February this year, following his arrest by international police in January 2015. Beale was the first South African to have been arrested as part of Operation Cloud 9 - a joint effort by SA and Belgian police that focused on taking down an international child pornography ring linked to a cyber meeting space for paedophiles whose fetishes seem to be the sexual abuse of babies. Some of the images found included the torture and murder of babies as young as only a few days old. When Beale was arrested, police found sections of

files containing thousands of videos and violent assaults as well as internet addresses of more than 300 alleged paedophiles. Sentencing proceedings are expected to resume today. Local anti-child abuse group Green Hearts spokesman Janet Harding said while they hoped the court would “apply the law to its maximum force and remove this villain from society”, there was very little protection for children from these predators. Harding explained that, under the current laws, watching child pornography could constitute the offence of possession, which is an offence in terms of section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Films and Publications Act (1996)

and any person convicted of such an offence could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. She said although there was a perception that watching child pornography was not a serious offence, collectors of child pornography stimulated the demand not only for more child-abuse images, but for more violent images of younger and younger children. “Child pornography, in effect, creates child pornography and leads to the abuse and torture of more innocent children.” Harding said downloading child pornography from the internet, perpetrators could be charged with two offences: possession under the above-mentioned act,

Housing, jobs, and crime addressed by Bitou mayor ‘face to face’ ITOU mayor Peter Lobese hosted a memorable meeting last Thursday, when the Bicycle Shed adjacent to Plett Industria was packed by members of the Bossiesgif/Qolweni community for a first-ever face to face audience with the mayor. First on Lobese’s agenda was the pressing issues of employment and housing. He said 200 young people were involved in a recent Public Works Programme and would now be employed at R120 per day. “Our budget was affected substantially by the June fire disaster, and we will start building houses for Qolweni residents soon, but we cannot build houses for everyone,” Lobese said, adding that building sites may be offered for temporary structures while formal housing was awaited.

“It will take a long time for every poor citizen to own a house, because there is not enough budget for Housing. Bitou received R48million but the number of residents grow very fast.” Lobese said the number of those in need of housing was pegged around 15,000 during the latest database dating from 2016, and that this number grows daily. “People arrive searching for work or due to challenges faced elsewhere. The Province needs about R5billion for housing alone, but we also need roads, water and electricity among others,” he said. The mayor said Nelson Mandela University had a Bitou branch in the pipeline for youth and elders who wanted to study further. “This will not compete with South Cape College but will complement it, giv-

ing people who are willing to study trades like electricity, plumbing, and construction the opportunity to do so.” Recognition and proper documentation for people who already had these skills would also be facilitated by the university. Lobese said another job creation project was an investment conference planned for March next year. He pledged Bitou’s support of those in need of bursaries and urged registered NGOs to apply for funding. Finally, the mayor addressed the high crime rate, and ever-increasing problem of the use and sale of alcohol and drugs. He advised of a planned crime indaba involving the local SAPS and Police minister Fikile Mbalula in 2018, for which preparation would “start soon”. - Khaya Mbesi

and creation in terms of section 27(1)(a)(ii). The accused would then be facing a maximum of 10 years imprisonment on each count. Women and Men Against Child Abuse Western Cape spokesman Joanne Barrett said she too hoped the court

would treat Beale with the full might of the law. “We are expecting a tough sentence to be handed down so that this will send out a strong message that every image of child pornography is a child being sexually violated, and we

want the sentence to reflect the horrific crime that is child sexual abuse. “The sentences in these cases must punish all who view, manufacture, or distribute these images. Every image is a crime scene,” Barrett said.

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

4 October 2017

Robberg no-take zone feared to have dire effect on livelihood of Plettenberg Bay’s fishing families Plett fishermen are awaiting a decision by the Department of Environmental Affairs about a proposal to prohibit fishing along stretches of the Robberg Marine Protected Area - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports NTERESTED parties had until September 19 to provide input on the matter, which has sparked major outcry from the fishing community in Bitou with claims that this move could have a devastating impact on many residents’ livelihoods. Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa earlier this year published draft regulations for the management of the Robberg MPA by rezoning popular fishing spots to no-take zones. Since several organisations and fishermen provided input stating that closing the area for fishing would have a negative impact especially on those who offer their ghillie services to tourists. They claim that the vast majority of angling activity on Robberg target pelagic species such as garrick, yellowtail, bonito, and the occasional tuna - these species

being migratory by nature - which would therefore not impact fish populations. The stretch on the western coastline from Agterstraat to Kwaaiwater, which the proposal also sought to close for fishing, was the only area where non-pelagic species such as musselcracker and galjoen could be caught. This area they say are however “lightly fished” due to various factors, including inaccessibility. Derek Philander, a representative of the New Horizons fishing community, said at a public participation meeting before the input deadline, that all they knew to do for an income was to ghillie for families who had been holidaying in Plett for generations. “The skills were passed on from my father by his father to me and my kids. We are dependent on this,” he said.

He added that this was how the ghillies in the community put food on their tables and put their children through school. “It is in our blood, it is our lifeline.” He said ghillies acted as security in the area, as tourism ambassadors and as bait controllers, and that they were first on the scene when someone was in trouble. “What about our history? What about our traditions?” Quinton Snyman, a representative of the Kranshoek fishing community, agreed. He added that the subsistence fishers should not be “locked out” and that the R40 entrance fee at Robberg was already too much for them to pay. “How do we feed our families, as we have done for generations?” Snyman said. It is still unknown as to when a decision on the matter would be taken.

NEWS & VIEWS

4 October 2017

To Italy’s Po Delta and back - with insights regarding our very own biosphere reserve Plett native and NMU George nature conservation student JESSE WILDEMAN responded to a call for applications from the youth in biosphere reserves globally to participate in an international seminar on the subject recently - this is her story N Saturday September 16, I began my journey to the Po Delta Biosphere Reserve in the north of Italy. I arrived with no idea of what to expect and high levels of nerves and excitement, having never travelled out of South Africa before. The Po Delta welcomed approximately 300 young people from many countries around the world to take part in the firstever Man and Biosphere (MAB) Youth Forum. The aim of this gathering of youngsters from all over the globe was to explore and find answers to the question: “How can young people be more effectively involved in the MAB programme and in the biosphere reserves’ life?” The forum kicked off on Monday September 18 with a series of introductory workshops, and an official opening ceremony in the evening, which included an orchestral performance by the Municipal Theatre of Adria. The following day saw participants engaged in workshops discussing the opportunities and threats

FIELD TRIPPING: Excursions embarked on by Jesse and fellow forum goers highlighted the specific challenges and goals for the Po Delta - participants were taken around the Delta by bicycle, canoe, on foot and by boat, making the most of the beautiful scenery - pictured below is a gondola repair man plying his trade, at left, and a view of San Basilio from the river, at right

within their respective territories, and presenting to the MAB programme coordinators the most recurrent possibilities and issues from reserves around the world, from the perspective of the youth. In the days that followed, further sessions were held addressing the outcomes of the previous workshop. Ultimately, we wanted to ascertain how young

people could get more involved in the biosphere reserves they represented. From these workshops, a final declaration for the forum was drafted by the participants with the help of coordinators, which is to be submitted to Unesco’s MAB Programme, and eventually made accessible to biosphere reserves around the world, including our very own Gar-

den Route Biosphere Reserve… Watch this space! We were lucky to enjoy multiple excursions that gave a better insight into the Po Delta, and how the communities living there are dependent upon and integrated with their biosphere reserve. These excursions also highlighted the specific challenges and goals for the Po Delta. Participants were taken around the Delta by bicycle, canoe, on foot and by boat, making the most of the beautiful scenery. Most memorable about the MAB Youth Forum was the potential for youth involvement within biosphere reserves, and I was greatly encouraged by hundreds of my peers from all around the world who have similar values, interests, and hopes for our beautiful planet and the amazing cultures around the globe. I brought home from Italy a deeper understanding for the need to educate people about Earth’s finite resources, and how we could possibly develop and thrive on our planet in sustainable ways.

CXPRESS

CANYON

CXPRESS

HELP! Bernie is in deep trouble... After nine months in kennels, and in spite of plenty of attention and adoration, Bernie is showing signs of kennel stress and needs a home - NOW! He is a handsome, medium-sized, friendly, housetrained and gentle dog and would love a large property to roam about. On a small property, his human will have to walk him daily. In either case, he’d need canine and human company. Please help PAWS to find him a home urgently. He is currently healthy but his sponsor will pay for any veterinary care he might need in future - what a bargain! He can be adopted to anywhere in SA, and flown home free thanks to CemAir. Call PAWS on 083 287 9917 if you would like to adopt Bernie.

NEWS & VIEWS

4 October 2017

Born in Africa kids now brighter of sight replaceables… and whiter of perlies Visiting the dentist is perORN in Africa (BIA) boasts a total of 385 children in its programme, comprising of primary school and high school as well as tertiary students. Says director Isabelle Brink: “Offering these students the best possible education and social support is what we do on a daily basis, and taking care of their health issues is a primary concern. “So this year, our mentoring programme includes dental, eye and skin care, and more. We have already managed to complete dental and eye sessions and what brilliant outcomes we have had!” In the beginning of the year, the BIA Meetjiesland team joined their

Plett counterparts for a month and conducted initial eye tests of all the children in the Bitou outfit’s care. This process was enable by an eye-test kit offered by Spec Savers. “They also trained our Meetjiesland experts on how to conduct the testing,” explains Isabelle, adding that after-school appointments were made for 39 candidates, of whom 31 required glasses.

“This just goes to show what a brilliant job our Meetjiesland team did with the initial testing. We are most grateful to sponsors Soroptimist International Gent Scaldiys and our UK-based BIA supporters for assisting us with this project.” Isabelle also extends a sincere word of thanks to Spec Savers for their excellent service. Onto the next set of ir-

BETTER TEETH, BETTER HEALTH: Some Born in Africa kids show off their brand new brushes and toothpaste

haps a little more terrifying than having your eyes tested, and for this reason a fierce dental campaign was presented by the BIA mentors… no buts! The kids were taught about oral anatomy and taking care of their teeth. They were educated, too, on the subject of foods beneficial for a healthy smile, and daily good dental habits. “Each child in the BIA programme were given a toothbrush and toothpaste and many brushing sessions followed. A special bright and smiley thanks go to Uncle Harry for sponsoring this project. As the saying goes: ‘Better teeth, better health’!” Isabelle says - with a smile.

Notice Board • A benefit concert for Dave ‘Cold Front’ Atkinson takes place at Plett’s Market on Main tonight from 7pm, featuring the brilliant Chris Morningstar’s rendition of ‘Lappieskombers’ - instrumental tunes and songs of love, peace and fun. Turn to page 12 of the September 13 edition at

www.cxpress.co.za to find out about Coldie’s plight, and bring cash for magichat donations and to enjoy some of The Market’s wide range of excellent food offerings. Call Stephanie on 082 261 9542 or email info@gogardenroute.co.za for more details. • Bitou SACP invites all

members and SACP followers to a meeting on October 5 at Simunye Library in KwaNokuthula from 5:30pm. Call Thamsanqa Dazela on 083 723 2676 or Mxolisi Sjama on 060 402 0038 for more info. • Don’t miss the incredible assortment of musicians that will grace CX Country

with their presence when Voices for Hospice is staged at Knysna DRC hall on October 14 and Plett DRC in Marine Drive on Sunday the 15th. Contact Lady Conyngham on 044 533 5178 or at aconyngham@telkomsa. net and see the advert on page 7 for more info.

BUSINESS

4 October 2017

What’s propping up the rand? HE rand has taken a dip against the dollar, sterling, and euro over the past week or three due to a combination of technical factors. Nevertheless, considering that South Africa’s investment rating has been declared “junk” by three global agencies; that the country is embroiled in political chaos, violent protests, rampant corruption and theft of State assets on an unimaginable scale, the currency has held up reasonably well. What, it would be fair to ask, is keeping the rand going? A major part of a complex answer is that foreign investors love us! The rand is among the better performing Emerging Market currencies, with SA government bonds offering returns considerably higher than investors can get elsewhere. As a result, foreign capital inflows into SA bonds now total R63-billion, according to the Reserve Bank. SA bonds have been the best performing asset class over the past 12 months - up 19%. Another consideration that can govern the rand’s strength, and weakness, is what economists term “Power Parity Pricing” (PPP) - a theory which predicts the relationship between the inflation rates of two countries over a specific period, and movement in the exchange rate between these countries over that period. The premise is that disparities in the price of goods create arbitrage opportunities to move goods across borders (without risk), enabling the purchase of items at a low price in one place and selling them at a higher price in another. PPP also tells us that if a country has a

CXPRESS Stuart Murray

Critical to the rand outlook is the decision a fortnight ago by the SA Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.75%. In answer to questions, governor Kgan-

yago warned of a further fuel-price increase this month and, more ominously, that risks have increased for possible further ratings downgrades. • Stuart Murray (stuartmurray758@gmail. com) is a former senior assistant editor of Financial Mail and co-founder, editor, and CEO of Finance Week. He is retired.

It’s World Financial Planning Day! HE Financial Planning Institute (FPI) recently launched its Financial Planning Week - a Big Drive 4 Financial Freedom initiative, which forms part of the International Organisation of Securities Commission World Investor Week from October 2-8, and World Financial Planning Day on October 4. As part of its global campaign, IOSCO has invited securities regulators from six continents, South Africa being part of this, alone or in partnership with local and international non-profit groups to provide programmes and events to promote the importance and value of investor education and protection. FPI, supported by the Institute’s network professionals, in September embarked on a drive to promote access to professional financial planning and provide financial education across SA. With the current household debt at R1.6trillion, the debt ratio at 74%, over R3-billion spent on gambling and one in two people confirming they would have to rely on

OMINOUS OUTLOOK: South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago Photo: Puxley Makgatho (www.businesslive.co.za)

high inflation rate, then the value of its currency should decline. Our current inflation rate is slightly down, sitting at 5.3% for this year to date and forecast to average 5% next year, according to Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago. However, some economists argue that PPP doesn’t generally hold in practice since there are various transaction costs and barriers to trade, which limit the ability to make prices converge. We in South Africa have more than our fair share of these…

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their family for financial support when they retire, it is clear that South African consumers need assistance with financial planning. During World Financial Planning Day, Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) and its network of member organisations representing a global community of over 170,000 Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals will provide programmes to promote consumer awareness and understanding of financial planning topics including debt management; preparing for an unexpected financial emergency; home ownership; building savings; investment planning; and preparing for retirement. Said David Kop, CFP Head of Public Policy and Consumer Affairs at FPI: “Our ongoing objective and aim of our financial education programmes is to promote professional financial planning for all. It is about creating awareness and starting a conversation about money skills and financial planning.” Email mymoney123@fpi.co.za or visit www.letsplan.co.za for more information on financial literacy education.

CXPRESS

INTERVAL

4 October 2017

South African English... let it not be said we’re not unique! - Part I • How do you explain the word ‘sommer’ to someone who is not a true South African? It’s not only a foreign word, it’s a foreign concept. Perhaps the English never do anything ‘just sommer’. There really is no equivalent. “Why are you laughing?” “Just sommer.” • ‘Bakkie’ is another one. It’s very useful around the house for all sizes and shapes of containers and dishes. Also used for what they call ‘utes’ in Oz or ‘pickups’ in England. • We all know ‘voetstoots’ of course. It’s been officially adopted into South African English. There’s no concise, oneword equivalent in English. ‘As is’ just doesn’t hack it. Also, it’s such a humorous word, conjuring up images of pushing that brand new car home. • There’s no good English word for ‘dwaal’. It doesn’t mean dream, or daze. It’s close to absentmindedness, but that’s not quite it.

• ‘Gogga’ is the most delightful word for insects. Children all over the world should use it. ‘Insect’ just doesn’t stand a chance. • And then there’s ‘gatvol’. It’s rather rude, but so very expressive. ‘Fed up’ doesn’t have half the impact. ‘Gatvol’ is a word used more frequently than ever in the workplace these days, with increasing intensity. • While we’re on the subject, another phrase which outstrips any English attempt is ‘Hy sal sy gat sien’. ‘He’ll get his comeuppance’ definitely lacks the relish in comparison. • ‘Donder’ (or ‘donner’) is another very useful word. As an all-purpose swearword, it again has no apt English translation. Used as a verb, it can express any degree of roughing up. As a noun, it is a pejorative - as they politely say in dictionaries - to mean whatever you want it to mean. There’s no good translation for ‘skop-skiet-endonder’ either.

What a nail biter WO older women were fussing about their husbands over tea one day. “I do wish my Leroy would stop biting his nails. It makes me terribly nervous,” the first

one said. “Oh, my Elmer used to do the same thing,” the other woman commented. “But I broke him of that habit real quick.” “What did you do?” “I hid his teeth.”

Outhouse vs cherry tree man gathered all of his children together and said: “Children, when George Washington knocked down the cherry tree, he told his father honestly that it was him. Now answer me honestly: who knocked down the outhouse? Finally, the youngest son admitted it was him, for

which he received a lashing he wouldn’t soon forget. “That’s not fair,” complained the son. “George Washington didn’t get punished when he told the truth.” “Son,” replied the father, “the difference is that George Washington’s father wasn’t in the tree when he knocked it down!”

SOCIAL SCENE

4 October 2017

CXPRESS

SAX GOSPEL HIS JAZZY HERITAGE: Prophet Prince Elisha Mark blows his favourite saxophone opposite KwaNokuthula taxi rank on September 24, playing his melodic gospel tunes to celebrate Heritage Day along with fellow members of Kwano’s True Worshipers Assembly. - Khaya Mbesi

People, places & events

GLORIOUS AT ONE-OH-FOUR: Lady members of the Plettenberg Bay Bridge Club enjoyed a wonderful afternoon on September 25 at Plett Country Club. Says club secretary Cynthia Ecker, who shared this photo: “Lee Berman, one of our much-loved members, celebrated her 104th birthday doing what she loves best… playing bridge! Members brought flowers and cakes were baked to make this a special day for her. Many congratulations, Lee.” Pictured at left with her is partner Dot Wilson.”

PIETER FINDS FINAL RESTING PLACE BEYOND THE BLINDERS: On Sunday September 24, the family of Pieter ‘Hond’ Barnardo gathered at Plett Ski-boat Club to say final farewells and scatter their beloved relative’s ashes on the far side of The Blinders beyond the Beacon Island. A man of many names, gentle Oom Pieter was also known as Piet Stompies and was part of the Central Beach furniture - turn to page 5 of the August 30 edition at www.cxpress. co.za to find out more. Pictured at top left are Ski-boat Club stalwart Rosie Jafta and Pieter’s brother Thomas Barnardo. The other images show family and friends gathered to say their final farewells before a hearty meal thanks to the Ski-boat Club crew. Thanks go to Oliver ‘Rockin’ Tonkin of Offshore Adventures for availing his boat and now world-famous skipper skills (after catching the best set of the day ‘boat-surfing’ at this year’s J Bay Open) for the occasion, and to Lourika Pienaar for pulling together the day’s proceedings in style. - Photos: Martin Hurwitz

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CXPRESS

4 October 2017

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ON THE SOAPBOX

4 October 2017

Letters to the Editor

CXPRESS

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

I will never give up on this world Someone once created this beautiful world and put it in the hands of mankind. Are we taking care of it? How selfish we are; we let wealth run our lives. Where is this “humanity” everyone speaks about? Because I don’t ever see such a thing. I’m sorry, I forgot. It’s about who drives the latest car and who lives the most luxurious lives. And no, we don’t do damage to this world, it’s just Mother Nature that has a very good sense of humour. How selfish we are; we let all creatures suffer so that we can have the best. We take their homes, we take their food and the saddest thing of all - we take their lives. Then we act like this is normal. We talk about tomorrow like it’s promised. Our actions definitely don’t suit our intentions or our dreams. We treat this world like a rubbish bin. It may only be a pizza box or a paper. You are one person out of a BILLION. If eve-

ryone thinks it’s only one paper then please, times that one by a billion! We use natural resources like there’s enough for the rest of mankind. How selfish we are; we only think about our generation. What about our children - and our children’s children? I will never give up on this world, and I hope you won’t either. “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, this world will find peace.” Let’s make a difference. Marita Gerber, Plett (Marita’s mom, Elaine, explained that her environmentally switched on daughter was so alarmed after seeing the multiawarded documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that she became physically ill. She emerged from this state with a burning desire to share her convictions on issues including the detrimental effect of poisons, pesticides, and pollution on the planet, while being painfully aware of our dwindling natural resourc-

es and pursuing various ways of saving water. We think it’s commendable that a youngster like Marita - a Grade 11 student at Wittedrift High

who was recently selected as deputy head girl - is brave enough to go public with her plight for everyone to do their bit for our precious environment. - Eds.)

Communal attitude benefits all It seems that the people of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay think of ‘self’ only. I have just read the letter by ‘Richard’s [turn to page 14 of the September 27 edition at www.cxpress.co.za] with its query over our ongoing water woes. If everyone in this region got together then the water and the accommodation problem would be solved at the minimum expense to our municipalities. I don’t know if your readers without Internet would be able to access a recent World Bank-produced YouTube clip on the subject of water, but it makes

for essential viewing. It’s ironic that we are all close to such an expanse of water and nobody thinks of purifying water from the ocean. With regard to accommodation, everyone seems to be going their own way and a prime opportunity for sustainable reconstruction is being lost. Never mind, that’s how the majority of mankind acts. But I do think people need reminding that a communal attitude benefits all in the long run. Dennis Ring, Plett (Google ‘World Bank Water’s Promise YouTube’ to see the video referred to. - Eds.)

Help kit out Storms Brigade members in smart uniforms When you visit Storms River Village, you might hear the drumbeat of the Brigade for Boys and Girls when they march through the streets. Some are dressed neatly in uniform, tie and cap, and one feels like marching with them. The followers who do not have a uniform yet are smartly wearing their school clothes. A local inhabitant of Storms River, Mr Pieter Jephta, is the captain of the Brigade and would like to see all of his boys and girls dressed in uniforms. Donations will be gladly accepted. This initiative was

started by the Moravian Church of Thornham and Storms River to engage young boys and girls in an ethical past time and to keep them away from unhealthy temptations. Youngsters of any background are invited to join. They are asked to pledge obedience, to lead a good life, to be of service to all who are in need, to abstain from bad language and deeds, and not to cause suffering to their fellow beings. It is heart-warming to see this type of initiative and how extremely keen the youngsters are to take part in the Brigade.

Yellow glory now covers scorched earth

Timothy Twidle shared these pics and wrote: “In the aftermath of the horrific fires that swept through the Garden Route in June and after recent falls of rain, large stands of Bobartia orientalis, a member of the Iris family, have come into bloom in the environs of Kranshoek, near Plett’s Airport Road.”

PROUD MARCHERS: The banner of the Boys’ Brigade of Storms River Village being shown off by a member

Estelle Hester, Storms River Village (Contact Estelle on 082

356 6713 if you would like to contribute to this worthwhile cause. - Eds.)

Timing of horse sickness vaccination explained I write with reference to your report on vaccinations against African Horse Sickness (AHS) in the September 27 edition [turn to page 5 of that issue at www.cxpress.co.za]. Currently there are definitely no reported, confirmed or suspect AHS cases anywhere in the Western Cape Province. The reason that people are vaccinating against AHS now is that this is the only time they are allowed to vaccinate in the AHS controlled area. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has restricted the period of vaccination from June 1 until October 31, but only with permission first

from the State Vet Boland. The reason for this is that previous outbreaks in the AHS zone were determined to be due to the use of the live AHS vaccine in the high risk AHS season between November and May each year. Hopefully this restriction will prevent further vaccine induced outbreaks, so it is quite normal for people to be vaccinating against AHS now. Bronwynne Jooste, Cape Town (Bronwynne is the spokesman for the provincial Agriculture department email her at Bronwynne. Jooste@westerncape.gov. za with further queries in this regard. - Eds.)

La Luna

CXPRESS

SPORT & ADVENTURE

4 October 2017

Read CXPRESS online @ www.cxpress.co.za

Big names and young bucks to share superb Tour ‘17 track OLIN Shave of Kwano Cycling Academy (KCA) has been a very busy man - and not only over the past weeks and days, when preparation for this weekend’s long-awaited Tour de Plett (TdP) necessitated, for instance, a full Monday spent in the forest to mark the 87km route. But Shave has also been running the Tour’s primary beneficiary and this task has taken up more than the average professional’s day job, and then some, in terms of hours spent working toward a multi-faceted goal. Suffice to say, the Academy under Shave’s leadership has been changing lives in Bitou’s most populous wards since inception in 2014, by giving youngsters with limited recreational options a chance at mastering the sport of cycling, while broadening young horizons to include academic and social development. Based at Murray High School, this NPO is a success story that everyone in Bitou should be proud of as is the fact that 100% of profits from this year’s Tour will be reinvested in KCA’s development programmes. Other local beneficiaries of Saturday’s seventh TdP are Plett NSRI and Wittedrift High School. “MTO Group is our title sponsor, and has been loyal partners for the last few years. But we are particularly grateful for their support this year, considering the many challenges they have faced,” explains Shave. And the sponsors are

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THIRD TIME LUCKY: KCA rider Masixole Tom looks forward to the 57km Marathon, and hopes to break the three-hour barrier in his third Tour de Plett Photo: Sandi Smith

not the only ones back for more: big names like Dylan Rebello, HB Kruger and Waylon Woolcock, all of whom have enjoyed a highperforming cycling year, will brush sides with KCA riders like Masixole Tom, 21, who regards his third go at the 57km route this year as the biggest chance yet to make his mark among the pros. Explains Plett cycling royalty Kevin Evans: “Coming off back the back of last month’s successful Dr Evil, numbers are gener-

ally up for Saturday’s event. The pros and other highlyskilled riders rated the nonsanctioned Dr Evil as an excellent precursor to the sanctioned Tour de Plett. “Local fans should again keep an eye on the winning Plett Bike Shop team of Rogan Smart and Aiden Connelly, who are sure to chase a repeat of their recent Dr Evil victory.” Apart from the many reasons why racers sign up for “the best one-day ride in the country”, spectator attractions also abound - not just along the route, but in and around the Central Beach race village. “A 30x10-metre marquee will form the heart of the Race Village, offering craft beer, wine, pizza, cappuccino à La Cafeteria and hamburgers thanks to Peppermill Café, as well as a big-screen TV broadcasting Saturday’s test against the All Blacks. “So we encourage everyone to come and enjoy the buzz at the finish of the race and stay on with friends to eat and watch the game,” says Shave, adding that there are still spots available in all three race distances (87km Marathon, 60km Half marathon, Family Fun ride). Enter online today at www.tourdeplett.co.za and see the advert on this page for details. And if you have not yet signed up for Sunday’s Robberg Express trail run, visit www.racingsnake.net or register at Robberg Reserve car park from 7am on October 8.