5 May 2020 by CXpress

6 May 2020

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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Your teacher misses you! Mrs Bianca Vollgraaff, a Grade 2 teacher at Plett Primary School, says she is now pulling out all the stops - and skips and jumps - to make up for the fact that she misses her young students to a point of distraction. Turn to page 4 & 5 to find out how some of CX Country’s junior residents spend their lockdown days, as well as handy tips for parents on establishing a healthy but fun routine with their kids.

Remember to spoil your mom on Mother’s Day May 10!

Photo: Dr Pieter Vollgraaff

Lunchbox videos enlighten - p2 Plett soup kitchen razed - p3 Know your Lockdown Lingo - p6

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NEWS & VIEWS

6 May 2020

Spread these informative locally-produced videos... and not the coronavirus! Plett’s best-loved thespians recently rolled out a multi-platform, digitally-driven social media campaign aimed at high-risk, low-income communities to share current and accredited information along with bestpractice tips pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic UNCHBOX Theatre’s main focus is educational shows performed in schools along the Garden Route and beyond, to raise awareness about key environmental and social issues. But when schools didn’t reopen as planned end-March, and with no immediate prospects for these intrepid actors to meet or gather an audience, they took a good hard look at new ways of doing things. Being a creative and innovative bunch, and driven by the need to continue taking positive messages to the people, a new plan was fast set in motion. Says Lunchbox director Stuart Palmer: “With national lockdown tightening its grip, we became acutely aware of the challenges that people in the townships face in accessing correct information about the Covid-19 virus.” Among these obstacles, explains Stuart, count the amount of misinformation being spread, difficulties in getting the correct information to people, and the fact that lack of income means many can’t access data contained in “heavy” media releases. “So we teamed up with Lika Berning of film and media training provider iKasi Media to create a series of 10 short informative videos that raise awareness about the coronavirus and how to best prevent its spread,” he says. Stuart thanks the Bitou Covid-19 Response Team for their endorsement which, along with the dedicated efforts of Plett local Rodney Cowlin, secured a much-needed donation from Bonitas Medical Fund to

#SPREADTHISVIDEONOTTHEVIRUS: These stills show scenes from the short videos produced by the Lunchbox Theatre crew to instil C19 savvy throughout all Bitou wards - above is Mncedisi Ncedani as Tamkhulu and, below, Gaillene Isaks as the quirky Marie

realise the project. Using the skills of Plett-based Lunchbox Theatre actors Mncedisi Ncedani and Gaillene Isaks, Knysna comedian Moses Williams, and the voice of Cape Town local Anele Matoti, the series was filmed and directed under strict Covid-19 safety guidelines by Clyde Berning, who travelled with

an essential service provider’s certificate to the actors’ homes. Keeping it local, they recruited George-based media fundi Carlyle Lodewyk to pull the shots together in the editing room. This campaign focusses on three educational points: • What is the Covid-19 virus? • How can I help to curb the spread of the virus?

• How can I share the knowledge and so help others? “With these videos, we target people in the highly-vulnerable, densely-populated poorer communities where access to data is limited due to lack of income. Getting vital information to many of the people in these communities is a huge challenge,” says Stuart. So the Lunchbox team adopted a novel distribution strategy by speaking to business owners, social media group administrators, and community leaders with extensive databases of people from target communities. These ‘First Contacts’ received two WhatsApp videos a day for five days, and were asked to distribute them to their employees, members and community members. From a base of 70 First Contacts and our exposure on Facebook, the videos had received over 93,200 views by 12h30 on Tuesday May 5. “The videos take you into the lives of Marie and Tamkhulu,” says Stuart. “We see the quirky and lovable Marie as she goes about her daily life learning about the various aspects of Covid-19 from the local Doc, who keeps popping up on her phone. “Tamkhulu [aka the legendary Mnce Ncedani] tackles many challenges that locals can relate to, and invites us into his world to explore how we can deal with them.” Google #SpreadThisVideo NotTheVirus to check all these informative videos on YouTube, or visit Lunchbox Theatre on Facebook for additional information.

‘Oupoot’, oyster catchers and caracal among wildlife spotted in undisturbed Garden Route National Park ATER birds are reportedly in abundance in the Knysna estuary. This was revealed after a team went to check on the status of the waterbody during lockdown. “We have seen a remarkable difference in the number of water birds and particularly those that are vulnerable as a result of disturbance,” says

Megan Taplin, park manager for the Knysna section of Garden Route National Park (GRNP), adding that species included African black oystercatchers and others. Taplin says over the last month, bird activity has increased due to absence of disturbance by boats, bait collectors and fishers. Birds were

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spotted in a reserve where bait is often collected for fishing. Last week, the Knysna team placed underwater cameras to examine activities below the surface. Readers can follow the GRNP’s social media platforms for more findings. Elsewhere in the park, SANParks rangers have shared pictures of wildlife out at play

during the lockdown. Bush pigs were spotted in Nature’s Valley, which forms part of the Tsitsikamma section of GRNP. Caracals witnessed in Wilderness, leopards leaping in the Knysna forest, and the area’s only roaming elephant, Oupoot, add to the list of special wildlife spotted.

NEWS & VIEWS

6 May 2020

CXPRESS

Soup kitchen serving the poor razed in blaze The Plett community came together in a big way after disaster struck last week when a soup kitchen, which services a large part of the Qolweni community, burnt down - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports

ON THE SCENE: The swift response of Bitou firefighters couldn’t save the soup kitchen from being burnt to the ground - Photos: Philip Young

KIZO’S soup kitchen, which operated from the old Qolweni community hall, was completely destroyed in a fire on Friday May 1. While authorities reacted swiftly to bring the blaze under control, at least two other structures were also claimed by the flames, leaving several residents losing all their belongings. Not only did the fire destroy

the soup kitchen building, but also all the equipment, from pots to gas stoves and utensils, used to prepare the food as well as the food earmarked for feeding the needy for the weekend. As soon as the news broke, local residents started pitching in to assist. The Table restaurant in Plett prepared chicken stew for the

day. The following day several members of the community cooked up a storm to ensure that 250 people, including children, would not go hungry. Donations of pots, cookers, gas and food also poured in. Meanwhile, an anonymous donor donated 200 bunches of spinach, 170kg of sweet potato, 150kg of butternut and 300kg of apples, which went to

Muddy Pooches for distribution among the soup kitchens they support. Plett DR Church also contributed towards the food parcels, while The Deli Factory came to the party with chicken and cheese. In the meantime the destroyed site is being cleared and should be rebuilt in the near future.

Plett Level 4 snippets

CXPRESS spoke to Sergeant Buluwa of Plett’s detective services, pictured with his backup constable at left, on May 2 - the second day on which walkers, runners and cyclists across South Africa could benefit from a three-hour window to exercise daily from 6-9am. Sergeant Buluwa said that they had been holding back on issuing fines on May 1, as many of those who bend the rules, especially people walking on the beach, pleaded ignorance during the first day of Level 4 regulations. He urged locals to take note that it’s not just as simple as paying the fine, as perpetrators will be left with a permanent criminal record. An insert screened on SABC’s main Friday night news bulletin showed an array of Plett residents going about their fitness routines and expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to exercise outside of the Level 5 lockdown confines - watch the clip on the CXPRESS Facebook page. Less impressed were the surfers and co pictured at right, who on Tuesday morning around 8am arrived at Central Beach in support of a nationwide demonstration along SA’s coastline, staged by surfers and other beach users, to voice their disdain for the ‘senseless’ ban on ocean sports. Visit www.cxpress.co.za for regular updates including news from Knysna Municipality and Provincial Traffic.

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SO MUCH TO DO! These photos show some of Plett Primary’s Grade 2s and their siblings and couzies as they keep themselves entertained with everything from baking to building cup castles, braaiing marshmallows to painting rainbows, playing with the pet praying mantis to riding a dolphin to looking for hidden treasure in a tree and knitting teddies to make up for lockdown’s lack of playtime with buddies.

NEWS & VIEWS

6 May 2020

Kids at lockdown leisure

SPORTMANBOERE BLY BESIG: As een van Outeniqua O16A se rugbysterre kan Emile Goedhals nie bekostig om stil te sit tot hy weer saam met sy span op die veld mag draf nie. Hierbo bou hy krag met ‘n reuse trekkerband en, met dié dat die Goedhalse op ‘n plaas woon, het hy ook oorgenoeg plek om bietjie agter ‘n gholfbal aan te trek. Links onder gee boet Heinrich Goedhals en nefie Erik vir klein 15-maand-oue Asher sy eerste les in balbeheer.

STEPPING OUT: Plett’s Born in Africa (BIA) team is, of course, also stuck at home because of the current Covid-19 lockdown. However, these intrepid community workers don’t easily stay put - they mask up and step outside! Every week, they bring food parcels to the families of the BIA godchildren who are losing income because of the lockdown. “Everyone is kept safely at a distance for now, but together we’ll remain strong and make a difference.” Visit www.borninafrica.org for details.

NEWS & VIEWS

6 May 2020

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Kids at lockdown leisure HOMEWORK, HOMEWORK, AND MORE HOMEWORK: Austin Nomdoe, below, seems quite content while tackling the work passed on by his Grade 2 teacher, Mrs Bianca Vollgraaff, to ensure he stays ahead of the pack while waiting for school to reopen. At right, sharp young Alex Selfe negotiates mouse rights with dad Howard, who grins knowingly, as is his wont...

FABULOUS HAIR FUN: Riley, at left, gives his best impersonation of a rockstar who’d stuck his finger in the plug (DON’T try that at home…), while Tiaan shared pics of the rugby hairdos he styled during one particularly dreary lockdown day - from left above, a French player with man bun, a typical Wallaby coif, and the groovy natty dreads displayed by many a Springbok rugby player.

Photo: Jafta Engelbrecht

MASKS4ALL: Even the polished snouts of Plett’s dolphin statue were adorned with masks on May 1, when elated locals hit the streets in a sea of colourful sports apparel between 6am and 9am, as ordained by Level 4 lockdown regulations - which of course also means no humans are allowed to stick their noses out sans protective mask in place. This is beautifully demonstrated by Ryan Oosthuizen and Micaela Tockar, below. PS: The shooter of the dolphin pic tells CXPRESS there’s no telling who ensured our dolphins stay disease-free...

READING WITH HARLEY: Dog buddies are best! Then Olivia Guccio added some popcorn and a cuppa to her great-outdoors reading session, and it’s clear that there’s no better way to spend a sunny, lazy lockdown day.

CXPRESS

INTERVAL

6 May 2020

Lockdown lingo tration of not working. Also known as ‘boredeaux’ or ‘cabernet tedium’. Coronadose An overdose of bad news from consuming too much media during a time of crisis. Can result in a ‘panicdemic’. The elephant in the Zoom The glaring issue during a videoconferencing call that nobody feels able to mention. For example, one participant has dramatically put on weight, suddenly sprouted terrible facial hair or has a worryingly messy house visible in the background. Quentin Quarantino An attention-seeker using their time in lockdown to make amateur films which they’re convinced are funnier and cleverer than they actually are. Covidiot or Wuhan-ker One who ignores public health advice or behaves with reckless disregard for the safety of others can be said to display ‘covidiocy’ or be ‘covidiotic’. Also called a ‘lockclown’ or even a ‘wuhan-ker’. Goutbreak The sudden fear that you’ve consumed so much wine, cheese, home-made cake and chocolate during lockdown that your ankles are swelling up like those of a medieval king. Antisocial distancing Using health precautions as an excuse for snubbing

Coronacoaster The ups and downs of your mood during the pandemic. You’re loving lockdown one minute, but become suddenly weepy with anxiety the next. It truly is an emotional coronacoaster. Quarantinis Experimental cocktails mixed from whatever random ingredients you have left in the house. The boozy equivalent of a store cupboard supper. Southern Comfort and Ribena quarantini with a glacé cherry garnish, anyone? These are sipped at ‘locktail hour’, i.e. wine o’clock during lockdown, which seems to be creeping earlier with each passing week. Blue Skype thinking A work brainstorming session which takes place over a videoconferencing app. Such meetings might also be termed a ‘Zoomposium’. Naturally, they are to be avoided if at all possible. Coronials As opposed to millennials, this refers to the future generation of babies conceived or born during coronavirus quarantine. They might also become known as ‘Generation C’ or, more spookily, ‘Children of the Quarn’. Furlough Merlot Wine consumed in an attempt to relieve the frus1

neighbours and generally ignoring people you find irritating. Coughin’ dodger Someone so alarmed by an innocuous splutter or throat-clear that they back away in terror. Covid-10 The 10kg in weight we’re

all gaining from comforteating and comfort-drinking. Also known as ‘fattening the curve’. Finally, finally One sentence to sum up 2020, so far: At one point this week, one toilet roll was worth more than a barrel of crude oil.

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6 May 2020

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6 May 2020

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