9 september

9 September 2015

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

Carmichele attacker free tomorrow - p3

Meet prolific Amanda Valela - p6

free

Last chance to sign up for bowls fun - p12

Kisses for you!

‘The Marionettes’, aka Miss Sugnet Haggard’s talented Grade 3s, woo the lens before appearing in Plett Primary’s lovely concert last week - find out more on p6

10 000 free copies of cxpress distributed along the garden route every wednesday

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CXPRESS

News & Views

9 September 2015

Excerpts from ‘The Story of Archerwood’ by Charles Westwood

Boris gorges himself on forbidden fruit and gets to father a huge family... or not?

We continue the late Charles Westwood’s account of how Plett’s famous Archerwood was established, having concluded last week’s episode with a near-disastrous festive lunch, when the Christmas pudding turned on its bakers - turn to page 2 of the past four editions at www.cxpress.co.za to catch up on the story thus far

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E always had plenty of youngsters around some locals, some on holiday - who were willing to work in the kitchen for three or four hours a day preparing vegetables or doing other odd jobs.

Dave and Alan Clark, and Brian and Desmond Green spring to mind, all of whom after a number of seasons with us went on to hotel school in Johannesburg and qualified in various aspects of Hotel Man-

agement and Catering.

When we started the restaurant and bought in supplies from SACCA, I&J and others, their prices seemed appropriate.

A 5kg box of Australian prawns without heads cost R12 and crayfish tails R15.

Calamari was called ‘chokka’ then and bought by the local fishermen for bait at a cost of R3 a 5kg box.

It was only in later years that it became ‘calamari’, having become popular in the overseas market. We were able to serve it in the restaurant, having eaten it ourselves for some time.

All our fresh fish was supplied by local spear fishermen who came to the kitchen door, often with a bakkie load of as many as 10 yellowtail weighing 20-40kg. They would quite happily trade them for a case of beer, for which we had paid R8.

We regularly had yellowtail steaks on the menu with chips and salad, and charged R3 for the complete meal.

At that time, 12 Australian prawns peri-peri on rice with salad was on our menu at R3.50, and Crayfish Mayonnaise with two tails was R5...

Eat your hearts out if you were not in Plett at that time!

Today a box of East Coast prawns costs about R150 and a box of crayfish about R250.

BORIS, THE ‘DOG’ One morning in the kitchen we were discussing food scraps and waste, and my lady cook, Katie, suggested we should get a pig.

I thought it was a good idea, but then forgot about it until out of the blue one morning Katie arrived at the kitchen door with a pillowslip over her shoulder giving out squealing and grunting noises.

The kitchen staff gathered around, and Katie emptied onto the floor a tiny threeweek-old black and white piglet. The problem now was what to do with him.

I took him to the family cottage and fixed him up with a little box under the eaves, where at the time we had six

Part V At this time, a photographer stayed at the hotel with his family while making a documentary about Chris Barnard, who was staying at the Beacon Isle.

Mackenzie, the photographer, mentioned Boris to Prof Barnard, who was so intrigued that he came up to Archerwood to see him.

We all ended up in the garden having a mainly liquid lunch, with Boris going through his repertoire of dog impersonations - standing up on his hind legs to give me a kiss in return for a titbit, and generally behaving like a well-trained, if over-large, puppy.

paces - sitting up to beg, giving me a kiss, etc. - and Johnny Truter agreed this was no pig, just a rather overweight dog, and left.

No more was said.

--Boris’s first Christmas was rather unfortunate for him because, unknown to me, the kitchen staff who found him a constant source of amusement had fed him watermelon left over from the hotel dining room and he could not resist it, and ate, and ate, and ate.

For the next few days he lay around in a stupor, belching and farting gloriously.

He recovered, and by the

BARKING PIG: Boris, pictured here with Charles and company, was reared along with a litter of six puppies and had no doubt in his mind that he was a dog, too, with an array of tricks so convincing even the health inspector agreed that there was no pig on the property...

puppies - the offspring of our wire-haired terrier and a mongrel bitch who had arrived unannounced some time before.

The piglet, now named Boris, thrived and put on weight daily, eating the same food as the puppies.

As they all grew bigger, Boris and the puppies would go running around the caravan park during the day, returning to the cottage to eat and sleep.

By the next Christmas, Boris was about nine months old and an established member of the family. He used to sit up and beg when waiting for his food.

The word got around Plett, and a couple of weeks later we had a visit from then health inspector Johnny Truter.

Johnny’s first words to me were: “I believe you have a pig on the premises and you know that, officially, you are not allowed to have one in this area.”

“The rumour is entirely false,” I said, “we have no such animal.”

He insisted, naturally, on seeing for himself, so I whistled up the dogs who all came running, including Boris, yapping away with Boris making pig-barks.

I then put Boris through his

following Christmas he weighed close to 300lbs and was becoming a little bit obstreperous.

Boris was now becoming uncontrollable and we ended up giving him to a friend of ours who had a small pig farm in The Crags.

We were much too fond of Boris to ever enquire whether he fathered a large family or made a good meal.

MAKING ENDS MEET We were always scheming how to make ends meet and thought water-ski lessons may contribute to this cause.

To be continued...

News & Views

9 September 2015

Suspects arrested in George for Mandrax worth R2.4-million

CXPRESS

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Carmichele will not ‘live in fear’ if Coetzee walks free tomorrow Infamous sex criminal Francois Coetzee will be released tomorrow after serving almost two decades behind bars - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports

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SEARCHED AND FOUND: During a search on Saturday morning, police members found 48 bags containing 1,000 Mandrax tablets each concealed in various panels of a suspicious-looking Nissan Qashqai Photo: Garden Route Traffic WhatsApp Group

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NDEAVOURS by national and Southern Cape police to curb the flow of drugs between different provinces through intelligence-driven operations, along with vigilant high density patrols on main entrance and exit routes to the province, has yielded excellent results once again.

This latest victory over drug trafficking comes after the arrests of two suspects aged 32 and 35 years respectively, who were arrested near George on Saturday for being in possession of Mandrax tablets with an estimated street value of R2.4-million.

Says Southern Cape SAPS spokesperson captain Malcolm Pojie in a statement on Monday: “Vigilant members from the Attaqua K9 (Oudtshoorn dog unit) assisted by members attached to our provincial Narcotics Investigation group acted on information received, which took them to the N2 near Kaaimans in George yesterday [September 5].

“At approximately 9am, they spotted and stopped a suspicious looking Nissan Qashqai near Kraaibosch Estate. During the search that ensued, they found

48 bags containing 1,000 Mandrax tablets each, concealed in different panels of the vehicle.”

Pojie said the illegal drugs were immediately confiscated, and the two occupants - men hailing from Sandton in Gauteng, and Gugulethu in Cape Town respectively - were arrested on the spot. It is believed that the tablets were meant for distribution in the Western Cape.

Both suspects, who are detained at the George SAPS holding cells, were scheduled to appear in the George magistrate’s court on Monday September 7 for dealing in the illegal drug Mandrax.

“Provincial management has put a stern warning to potential drug pedlars to refrain from transporting these drugs as they will be caught and brought to justice, as is demonstrated by these arrests,” concluded Pojie.

Eden Cluster commander, major general Oswald Reddy visited the police members while they were busy processing the bust and commended the members involved for their dedication and commitment to bring these suspects to book.

RANCOIS Coetzee, 42, was sentenced to more than 21 years imprisonment for a string of crimes including attempted rape, indecent assault, assault, and the 1995 attempted murder of photographer Alix Carmichele in Noetzie, who he viciously attacked with a pickaxe handle and stabbed with a knife.

Carmichele suffered a fractured skull, badly broken arm and knife wounds to the chest, and had to undergo several surgeries after the attack.

Coetzee was released on parole in October last year, but was arrested in May for contravening his parole conditions after he was caught, by means of his electronic moni-

toring ankle bracelet, near the home of one of his victims.

This meant Coetzee had to serve the rest of his sentence, which comes to an end this week, behind bars.

Carmichele said on Tuesday she had finally been informed by the Department of Correctional Services that Coetzee would be released on September 10.

Various attempts by CXPRESS to obtain confirmation of this date from the department’s communications unit were unsuccessful.

“One thing is for certain, though, I refuse to live in fear,” Carmichele said.

Shortly before his arrest in October last year, he was also

detained after he was found walking along the N2 near Knysna with a panga.

He was, however, released thereafter as the Department of Justice found the circumstances was not a crime.

Coetzee’s crimes had made national headlines on several occasions over the past two decades, including Carmichele’s successful lawsuit against government for failing to protect her against her attacker.

At the time of her attack, Coetzee had been arrested for the attempted murder and indecent assault of another woman, but was released shortly before he brutally assaulted Carmichele - despite

a previous conviction of indecent assault.

In 2002, she won a landmark victory against the government for State compensation when the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed an application by the ministers of Safety, Security and Justice against an earlier High Court ruling deeming them negligent.

Just before his release in October, Coetzee accompanied Department of Correctional Services area commissioner Ndileka Booi to a matric exams prayer meeting at the Khayalethu Community Hall, where he addressed high school pupils about his past “mistakes”.

Garden Route Media

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CXPRESS

9 September 2015

Promotion

News & Views

9 September 2015

Two sex-offence suspects return to George, Knysna courts today

YolandĂŠ Stander

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WO Garden Route men are set to take their places in the dock today over crimes against children.

The 37-year-old Plett computer engineer accused of being linked to a horrific international baby pornography ring is scheduled to appear in the Knysna magistrates court for a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether the case would be heard in a high or regional court.

In the meantime, a 40-yearold George father who allegedly drugged his 12-yearold daughter and six of her friends during sleepovers, raped them and took naked photographs of the young girls is scheduled to appear in the Thembalethu Regional Court today.

The Plettenberg Bay child pornography accused, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, was arrested on January 13 after interna-

Knysna police looking for owners

tional police raided his home following a lengthy investigation by Belgian and South African police.

He was tracked down after his internet address was found on an obscure online chat room for alleged paedophiles with fetishes for the sexual abuse of babies.

After his arrest he was released on R10,000 bail and since then the matter has been postponed on several occasions, including twice

Gain free access to GRNP!

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The Knysna police found a number of suspected stolen items at a local second-hand dealer last month, after the owner of the business contacted them in this regard. These items include an LG Solar DOM and light-wave ovens, a Makita cordless drill and charger, a Black Citizen watch and other appliances. The lawful owners of this property are now urgently sought. Anyone with information is requested to contact the Knysna SAPS Second-hand Dealers Officer sergeant Lionel Constabel on 044 302 6669.

for a decision by the DPP. The George man was arrested at his home by the George Family violence, Child protection and Sexual offences unit in November after a thorough investigation into abuse claims.

The incidents allegedly happened over a two-year period and the accused allegedly administered pills to the girls which resulted in them losing consciousness.

Garden Route Media

A National Parks Week is a campaign to afford all South Africans free access to our parks, and sponsored

by FNB and Total SA. More than 4,000 people visited Garden Route National Park (GRNP, including the Wilderness, Tsitsikamma and Knysna sections) last year, and this year’s campaign runs from September 14-19.

GRNP is a picture-perfect playground for adventurers with 155,000ha of land including indigenous forests, lakes, rivers, wetlands, protected estuaries and Marine Protected Areas. All three

sections boast both forestry and marine components.

Visit www.sanparks.org/ parks/garden_route for more information about activities planned in each section.

Bring proof of ID along on the day - you can either join planned activities or enjoy the park outside of these.

Call 044 302 5600 to find out more about activities in Knysna, 044 877 0046 for Wilderness, and 042 281 1607 for Tsitsikamma, or go to SANParks-Garden Route National Park on Facebook and @SANParksGRNP on Twitter.

CXPRESS

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9 September 2015

News & Views

Life is all play for Lunchbox Theatre’s talented Amanda

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MANDA Valela of Lunchbox Theatre had an extraordinary opportunity a month or so ago when she got to spend two weeks in Linz, Austria, along with other actors, scriptwriters and emerging theatre directors from around the globe.

These young and creative minds exchanged experiences and knowledge about the performing arts, and specifically about creating theatre shows for children and young audiences.

Amanda’s exciting and empowering journey began a year ago when, along with Lunchbox Theatre chairperson Stuart Palmer, she travelled to Sweden as part of a Southern African delegation of young female directors.

Participants were tasked with directing and producing a show about children’s rights, and this theme placed the Lunchbox show iLifa - The Inheritance at centre in the spotlight. The play was developed in Plett and has been performed to 100s of young audiences across Southern Africa - the culmination of which was a trip to Zimbabwe in April, when the Lunchbox Theatre actors staged iLifa at Harare International Festival of the Arts.

The programme, initiated by youth theatre organisation Assitej, also took Amanda to a series of workshops in Cape Town, where Assitej facilitated learning between children and the participants.

These workshops formed part of a programme called Inspiring a Generation and

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BY THE HORNS: Not unlike this scene from ‘iLifa’, where Amanda has the upper hand over fellow Lunchbox actor Nkosinathi Xipula, the budding local actress and playwright grabs every opportunity that life sends her way

explored, through drama and the creative arts, what is really happening in the lives of children and how we can inspire one another.

The fortnight in Linz, formed part of the Next Generation programme, which was a continuation of the journey Amanda had embarked upon with Assitej.

“Over 12 days in Austria, we saw 35 shows while also taking part in workshops.

One of these focussed on a show called Rum that was performed by children,” says Amanda.

“The director of the show presented the workshop, which addressed dealing with one’s body on stage,

and explaining how this specific show had been created with the children. It was truly inspirational.

“We also took tours around the city. I got lost in the trams of Linz! And I loved hearing the German language.”

But her exciting learning journey does not end here.

Amanda is busy writing a piece for Vrygrond Festival in Cape Town - the first show she writes and directs on her own. She is currently casting her actors while sourcing funding for this project.

Plett born and bred, Amanda plans to continue learning about performing arts while sharing her skills and productions with eager audiences.

Let’s make the circle bigger!

Pauline Coubrough of Plett shared this pic and wrote: ‘This beautiful circle of love is formed by teddy bears lovingly knitted by Jackie Bass. The teddies were handed over to Ann Holmes for The Baby Haven - a care centre in one of the poorest areas of Plettenberg Bay. It would be lovely if your readers could be inspired by this photo to help grow our circle of love.’ Call Pauline on 044 533 3723 to find out how you can contribute.

Photo: Brough Coubrough

Notice Board Understand sharks TODAY If you are a surfer, diver, swimmer, fisherman, scientist, or have a passion for the ocean, don’t miss renowned animal communicator Anna Breytenbach’s talk this morning (September 9) at Plett Angling Club from 9am ‘till noon, giving insights into shark interactions and demystifying the relationship with this apex predator. Entrance is free (book ings@orcafoundation.com).

Live music at The Market Catch four-piece live jazz band Breezn at The Market in Plett Main Street on September 10 from 6pm ‘till late. Bring your friends, enjoy the vibe and grab some grub from one of the diverse food stalls - paying divers aged 18 and older are welcome to bring their own alcoholic beverages (soft drinks on sale). Then, on Friday the 11th, you can enjoy tunes by various musicians

from 6pm onwards when the new Shawarma Shoppe opens (see advert on p10).

PAWS annual meeting Readers are invited to attend the PAWS AGM on September 16 at 10am at Plett Methodist Church. The committee will share its successes and challenges, and alleviate any misconceptions about its activities and service to the community. Call Di Butlin on 082 569 2571 for details.

Business

9 September 2015

CXPRESS

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Offshore investing - it’s all about maximising opportunity and minimising taxation

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HE offshore investment universe offers a massive amount of products, asset classes and service providers, making the decision of where and how to invest offshore an overwhelming one for many South African investors.

Mark MacSymon, a wealth manager from Private Client Holdings (PCH) and finalist in the 2015 Financial Planner of the Year Awards, advises that offshore investing offers a myriad of benefits, not least of which is potentially better investment opportunities, improved portfolio diversification, and a hedge against Rand weakness.

“Offshore markets provide a much broader universe of shares, bonds and funds. For example, the Saxo platform alone gives us access to over 19,000 stocks listed in 19 countries across the globe, making the task of finding valuable and attractive investment opportunities so much easier,” says MacSymon.

However, an investor needs to consider what solutions are available - whether to invest directly using a segregated portfolio, or consider a multimanager unit trust portfolios or similar wrap vehicle. And each of

these offers different restrictions and tax benefits.

MacSymon explains that the use of an offshore segregated portfolio using a combination of ETFs (low cost industry trackers) and offshore listed shares provides excellent access to attractive offshore opportunities.

This allows South African investors to gain access to the world’s top global brands and corporate titans, as well as access to sectors and markets not well represented by the JSE, such as biotech and technology stocks.

Depending on the investor’s risk profile, another good opportunity is the use of a multi-manager unit trust portfolio. By blending the investment styles of ‘best of breed’ asset managers with proven track records, a wealth manager can control the risk and return attributes of various portfolio solutions.

Institutionally diversified portfolios spread asset manager risk so that portfolio returns are not driven by the style, strategy and philosophy of only one asset management house.

It is not necessarily only the solution that an investor selects that is important; it is

also deciding on which vehicle you pick to implement that solution.

Offshore investment vehicles MacSymon says there are several effective offshore vehicles that PCH can recommend to investors looking to invest offshore.

There are international retirement and savings plans that provide an effective vehicle for building long-term tax-efficient wealth offshore.

In addition to the taxsaving benefits, retirement plans offer a flexible and cost-effective solution for building wealth offshore and are particularly useful for effective wealth transfer to future generations.

The PCH Offshore Segregated Portfolio, which invests in some of the world’s best global brands, can be positioned as the underlying investment solution within these retirement vehicles.

Alternatively, the use of a sinking fund or an endowment wrapper can ensure that tax on interest and capital gains tax are pegged at a level lower than what an investor might pay in his/her own marginal capacity.

Knysna contractor pays it forward Knysna speaker Eleanore Bouw-Spies and Hugh Lawrence of Direct Solutions recently proved that small businesses play a crucial role in communities through social responsibility initiatives. Bouw-Spies has been encouraging the public and private sectors to work together on improving the lives of ordinary citizens, prompting Direct Solutions to fix a leaking roof at Humpty Dumpty crèche in Rheenendal. Old damaged roof sheets were replaced and the roof was made water proof, while the company also provided financial assistance to the crèche. And earlier this year, it sponsored soccer balls for the Rheenendal Legends.

Said Bouw-Spies: ‘It is great to see a BEE company that was mentored and supervised by Knysna Municipality giving back to the community. We should not just rely on the government to bring about socio-economic change - it is collaborative efforts that will ensure the improvement of the lives of our people.’ Lawrence said he was passionate about community building, especially issues relating to children, and challenged other local companies to lend a helping hand, as ‘every little bit counts’.

Investor Focus

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

Offshore Exchange Traded Funds - The US of A

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FFSHORE investing using ETFs can be achieved with a single lump sum of only R1,000, or R300 per month using a debit order. This is available through ETFSA, using its online website.

The DBX-tracker USA Index is also listed on the JSE and can be accessed through a stockbroker. This index tracks the performance of 625 large and mid-cap shares listed in the USA. Thus it essentially tracks the overall performance of the American stock market.

The current dividend yield is ±2% and the PE ratio is ±20.7. While not being wildly expensive, this index

is not cheap. It is well above its long-term average, and potential investors should be a little cautious before jumping in.

The top 10 companies in this index include Apple 3.77%, Exxon Mobile 1.86%, Microsoft 1.65%, Johnson & Johnson 1.46%, Wells Fargo (bank) 1.39%, General Electric 1.29%, JP Morgan 1.17%, Proctor and Gamble 1.14%, Pfizer 1.13%, and Verizon 1.04%.

The sector allocation is as follows: Consumer noncyclicals 24%, Financials 16%, Technology 3%, Communications 12%, Consumer cyclicals 11%, Industrials 10%, Energy 8%, Utilities

3%, and Basic materials 3%.

The performance is as follows: one year 27.3% (in US$ 10.5%), three years 32.46% (in US$ 13.7%), and five years 24.22% (in US$ 12.22%).

These performance figures are incredible for an index of this magnitude. They show the powerful recovery that has taken place in the USA and, at present, they are probably over optimistic in anticipating its future growth.

Malcolm has been in the investment industry for over 40 years. He has written this column in CXPRESS for the last 17 years and is a specialist in managing retired wealth.

For instance, investors who pay tax at 41% for every additional Rand earned would prefer paying 30% tax on interest.

Similarly, capital gains tax can be pegged at 10% using an endowment or sinking fund structure, which com-

pares favourably relative to the maximum effective rate of 13.67% investors would pay if capital gains were to be taxed in their personal capacity.

Sinking fund or endowment wrappers also have compelling estate planning benefits

that should not be ignored.

When it comes to accessing offshore investments, MacSymon advises that investors wanting direct offshore exposure, given the plethora of international choice, should consider the offshore offerings of local fund managers that they have come to know and trust.

See the advert on this page for additional information.

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CXPRESS

Interval

9 September 2015

Q: Which spice is the worst at keeping secrets?

A: Only thyme will tell.

Crash and hope to survive the runway

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wo guys are enjoying a few drinks in a bar, but after a while just drinking gets boring, so the first guy looks at the second guy and says: “Hey, you want to go up for a ride in my airplane?”

The second guy says: “Wow, you have an airplane?

Let’s go!”

So they get some more beer and go for a tour around the city in the plane.

Eventually they get bored with this too, so they decide to land.

The by now rather inebriated pilot starts circling around looking for a place to land, and he sees an airstrip close by.

He says to his new buddy along for the ride: “Let’s land here. It looks like it’s as good a place as any.”

So he circles around and goes in for a landing, but at the last minute he swerves and pulls back up.

“Hell,” he says, “that is the SHORTEST runway I have ever seen! How is anyone

Golf: all ages welcome

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young avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon.

He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in nine holes before he had to head home.

Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man since he was golfing alone.

Not being able to say no, he allowed the old gent to join him.

To the young golfer’s surprise, the old man played fairly quickly. He didn’t hit the ball far but plodded along consistently and didn’t waste much time.

They reached the ninth fairway, and the young man

found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of him, directly between his ball and the green.

After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the old man finally said: “You know, when I was your age I’d hit the ball right over that tree.”

With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard and hit the ball right smack into the top of the tree trunk, from where it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally been.

The old man offered one more comment: “Of course, when I was your age, my friend, that pine tree was only three feet tall.”

A bachelor, just turned 40, started feeling quite desperate.

“I went to a singles bar,” he told his friend, “walked over to this 20-year-old woman and asked: ‘Where have you been all my life?’”

“Teething,” she said.

Great home remedies

• To avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables, get someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

• For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins (remember to use a timer).

• A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after

you hit the snooze button in the morning.

• If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives - you’ll be afraid to cough.

• You only need two tools in life: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the duct tape.

• If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you’ve got an electrical problem.

supposed to land on it?”

But since it’s the only runway nearby, he decides to try again, with the same result.

Getting pretty irritated, the pilot says to his friend: “All right, I’m going to try ONE more time, and if I can’t land it we’re just going to crash and hope we don’t die.”

So they end up crashing, and miraculously neither of them is hurt.

When they crawl out of the wreckage, the first guy swears and gesticulates wildly at the runway.

“I’m going to find whoever designed this crazy runway and wring his neck! He must be a total moron! No one could land on anything that short!”

The second guy looks around and says: “Yeah, but look how wide it is!”

Revenge parking...

Social Scene

9 September 2015

Photo: Marissa 082 400 2687 / marissastudio@gmail.com

THE FASHION POLICE ARE UPON US! Knysna’s Community Police Forum (CPF) together with partners Knysna SAPS, Famsa and the Knysna Department of Correctional Services, are excited to present Fashion Against Crime 2015, held on September 12 at 7pm at Knysna Primary School. The CPF consists of volunteers who help the police to identify, prioritise and solve problems related to crime in the various sectors of Knysna. Its Fashion Against Crime show is a platform to strengthen partnerships and promote interaction between SAPS, all six Community Police SubForums and Neighbourhood Watch volunteers, and further serves to promote cooperation between other partners such as Correctional Services and FAMSA, acknowledged as vital role players in the fight against crime. Fashion Against Crime empowers the youth and victims of crime by instilling self-confidence as they receive recognition while practising with friends prior to the event, and on the night when they model for their families and peers. Models will include members of Knysna SAPS, other law enforcement agencies, NGO partners, community members and victims of crime, who will be modelling threads from various Knysna retail outlets. Pictured at back from left are Busiswa Mqulwana (Famsa), Surika van der Westhuizen (Knysna SAPS) and Cheryl Britz (Knysna CPF chairperson). Standing in front of them are Denise Crain (Knysna CPF project coordinator), Lezille Payle (Knysna SAPS), Rukia Khan (Knysna SAPS), Adel Meyer (Correctional Services) and Jessica Traill (Knysna CPF PRO). Sitting in the second row are Lou van der Merwe and BernaLee Ewerts of Famsa, with Captain Kidd (Knysna SAPS), Ntlola Mongezi (Correctional Services) and Johannes Maquena (Knysna SAPS) in front.

See the advert on page 7 or call Cheryl on 082 574 9657 for more information.

DIARISE THIS MID-MONTH DANCE DELIGHT: Louné Polson School of Dance has been operating in Plett since 2006 and before that at the German School in Pretoria for five years. Lithe Louné, also famous for her fine eye when choosing Mexican artefacts and other products to display and sell in the Polsons’ beautiful Main Street store, is a qualified SADTA dance teacher and her studio offers quality instruction in Hip Hop and Modern Dance in a pleasant atmosphere, where fun and excitement form part of the learning experience. Says Louné: ‘I am passionate about the development of confidence in children through the discipline of dance. Our bi-annual show staged next week comprises pieces choreographed specifically for this purpose, and showcases around 40 dancers aged four to 18 years. The show’s duration is about an hour and there is no interval - good to know for the performing stars’ families, as it is staged during the week.’ Be sure to get your tickets for this local feast of Hip Hop, Modern and Contemporary dance, with a dash of ballet. Starting at 7pm on both show dates of September 15 & 16 at Plett Primary School, tickets cost but R40 and are available from the dancers or Louné on 082 881 0147, or from 29 on Main, next to The Grand.

Pictured at top right from left are dancers Manya Kuntz, Kalcey Polson, Ava Loots, Robyn de Vries and Josie Bröhm - the senior modern dance group in final preparation of a contemporary work called ‘State of Grace’. Above is the Hip Hop group, photographed during rehearsals for the show’s opening number, ‘Uptown Funk’. At back from left are Kayleigh Packwood, Kalcey, Manya, Robyn, Sarah Lund and Franki Behr, with Megan van Zyl, Kate Selfe and Ayla Chatz in front. See the advert on this page to find out more.

IT’S ALL ABOUT WINE, FOOD AND FUN: Editor of ‘Wine Extra’ magazine, Maryna Strachan, above, will be joining the Sasfin Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival as official Master of Ceremonies. With her pedigree in the wine business, long legs and witty sense of humour she is sure to bring much sunshine to the party in Plett on October 9 & 10. As Editor in Chief of South Africa’s only consumer-focused wine magazine, Maryna has her finger on the pulse of wine industry trends and leaders.

Her experience as communications manager for South Africa’s favourite industry expo, The Wine Show, has also been tapped into by the Plett Tourism team to add value to this year’s event. The Sasfin Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival will showcase more than 30 local wines on Central Beach - the perfect backdrop to sip, stroll and enjoy the finer things in life.

People, places & events

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9 September 2015

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9 September 2015

Letters to the Editor

CXPRESS

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

A brief testimony of God’s infinite goodness The other morning I went into town shopping at Pick n Pay - my shopping list was written in my diary that was in the basket section of the trolley.

After my shopping was done and placed into the boot

of the car, I returned the trolley to the storage stand and drove home.

About two hours later, I discovered that my diary was not among my goods or in the car... panic and prayer!

Ta for enabling Bicycle Project

PROFESSIONAL FINAL EYE: Plett Sports staffer Ricardo Teyise, left, assisted here by Born in Africa volunteer Sander van den Broeck, repaired and checked each one of the 200 bicycles before distribution to deserving learners

At Born in Africa (BIA) we believe that recognising the hard work and achievements of learners plays a crucial role in stimulating educational development.

This year’s project saw 200 second-hand bicycles donated from Germany, being handed out to BIA learners whom attained grades above a specific average in their last school report. The learners were delighted with their new wheels and with being rewarded for giving their best at school.

The distribution of 200 bicycles is no small feat! Each one had to be checked, repairs made where necessary and then transported and given to individual recipients.

Bicycle recipients hailed from Plett Secondary School, Kranshoek Primary, The Crags Primary, and Wittedrift High School. We hope that these bicycles will be a reminder that we can overcome the challenges we face and achieve excellence in doing so.

The project was made possible through the collaboration of many people driven to make a difference, and BIA would like to thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

First and foremost, thank you to the Rotary Club Stuttgart-International under the guidance of Klaus Schuler, to BEN bikes and

Yvonne Tripod and Fahrrad (www.fahrrad.de) for the collection of the bicycles, to the International School of Stuttgart and its headmaster, Tim Kelley, as well as groups of children in the school for providing a collection site and helping to load the bicycles, We thank the Harlem Praise Family choir for adding some cheer to the collection event and giving a monetary donation. Thanks also to Wildermuth-Gymnasium High School (Mr Janisch, Alexander Hauser and Astrid Feifel-Thomas), to the team at Tripl3Leader. com for their efforts, and to Jef Michielsen who raised the funds we needed to buy a helmet for each child.

On a local level, BIA would like to thank everyone who helped to make the distribution of these bicycles possible - in particular, to Deon Coetzer from Plett Sports for discounts of helmets, and his employee Ricardo Teyise for repairing and checking each one of the 200 bicycles with great flair and professionalism.

We thank BIA general coordinator Isabelle de SmulBrink, BIA staff and all the volunteers who helped us to make this project a reality.

Karien Malan - BIA Educational Coordinator, Plettenberg Bay (See more images of the merry bikers at www.cx press.co.za - Eds.)

(That diary holds many bits of personal information.)

I got into the car again and travelled back to Plett, where it had been lightly raining.

I checked the ‘parked’ trolleys - no diary. I went over to the security guard and the guy who collects the abandoned

trolleys - they knew nothing.

Then another Pick n Pay guy comes up to me and points to a bench just inside the entrance. There, on the armrest, lies my diary... and it is dry. Praise the Lord! I give God all the glory.

Henk, Keurbooms

The growing pains of life

The notion of growing up has always been something of a myth to me; the mere thought that one day I will no longer be counted among the youth, a preposterous idea.

It had been easy to lull myself into the false sense of security that I will forever be an adolescent strolling through life, damming the world for not understanding me, along with so many of my peers.

I believed that responsibility would merely be my chores and schoolwork, until the day my time was up.

I rebelled against maturing with every fibre of my being (how ironic, since all I have been doing in the past four years was growing as a person, treading closer to adulthood and drifting further from childhood), refusing to even consider taking on any responsibility and facing the realities of life.

What a fool I have been. As the great saying goes, time is the great leveller - and I am no exception. Within a blink of an eye I found myself in my second-last year of high school, drowning in a tidal wave of work, all the while desperately trying to escape the echoing of the ever-present question: “What will I do after school?”

Day after day I have tried to figure out an answer, baffled by such a simple-seeming subject. Why was it so hard to answer? Millions, no, billions of people seem to partake in this transition without so much as a hiccup.

Why did I, quite an ordinary girl, find it so difficult?

I have asked countless mentors for advice, I have whittled away whole days looking for guidance on the internet, and yet I found no answer.

I merely succeeded in raising even more questions, none of these with easy answers.

For me to know what I want to do, do I not need to know who I am and who I want to be? For me to know who I am, do I not need to know my purpose?

For me to know my purpose, do I not need to know

what the point of life is and why we are alive?

Now I tell you, these are hard questions to answer on a Wednesday night when you know, at least, that your maths homework is due tomorrow.

What happened to our dreams? (I wanted my own farm where I could live in nature.) What happened to our innocence, now corrupted by this world? What happened to the happy endings promised to us, a beacon at the end of this tunnel we call life?

I can go on and on, comparing life to a thousand things with a thousand metaphorical meanings, each one different yet all exactly the same.

But I believe it’s time to get to the point of this story.

I have found that life has no answers. My questions are the same as people had thousands of years before me and, if global warming permits, people will have thousands of years from now.

So I have decided, with all the wisdom a 17-year-old can muster, that I will make MY life what I want it to be. I will live my life respecting myself and others - something I believe we, as humans, need just as much as we need oxygen to breathe.

I will do my best to be happy, to accept the fact that one day I will have to grow old and die, and I will try living in such a manner that my actions leave only positive reactions (Newton’s Third law of motion).

I’ll try to remember that after a couple of years, nobody will remember me. Strangely enough this thought comforts me, because in the end my existence is like the single beat of a butterfly’s wing.

I am smaller than an ant in the grand scheme of things.

So my problems may really not be as big as I thought.

Maybe I don’t have to know what I want to do with my life at this exact moment.

I figure that life is not something we do, but rather something we experience…

Catharina van der Mescht, Plettenberg Bay

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CXPRESS

9 September 2015

Sport & Adventure

48 Hours ‘till greens come alive with Barefoot Bowls

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T’S the final countdown to Plett Surf Lifesaving Club’s Barefoot Bowls fun day, scheduled to take place on Sunday September 13 from 9:30am onwards.

There’s sure to be a fierce rivalry for the myriad of excellent prizes offered for competition winners, but if you prefer to take it easier on the greens, then sign up just for the excellent food and family entertainment that will make the day a perfect way to spend your Sunday.

Early-bird sponsorship opportunities have been grabbed by local businesses and other organisations, but there’s still a few options to get involved on a last-minute basis so don’t miss out on great exposure to a large crowd of consumers from Plett, Knysna and further afield.

Said head of fundraising at the Club Michael Polson: “The five Platinum and 10 Gold slots for main sponsors and teams have been filling up steadily, but a few vacancies remain for Silver category participation so if you haven’t signed up yet, please get in touch.”

Just before this edition hit the printing press, Polson mentioned that the latest sponsorship, of four nights’ accommodation for prizewinners, was confirmed by Beacon Island Resort, with other entries for the day including groups as diverse as Knysna’s Oakhill School, Royston Farms, and Plett Athletics Club.

WE’RE IN! Some of the diverse sponsors and participants who have signed up either for prizes or to compete on Sunday include Oakhill School in Knysna, above, and Beacon Island Resort, which added four nights’ accommodation at the iconic Plett hotel as part of prize-winners’ booty, while The Table, Plett Athletics Club and Royston Farms are some of the other backers challenging local businesses and individuals to sign up for the day - read on to see how you can get involved

“The Table restaurant, who together with The Fat Fish and Le Fournil will ensure excellent lunch and tea time refreshments on the day, challenges all other local eateries to step up to the Barefoot Bowls challenge,” added Polson.

The bowls competition and great food will be complemented by extensive kids’ entertainment, so allowing players to focus on the competition at hand.

The event is PSLC’s main fundraiser for the year, and proceeds will go a long way to benefit the different programmes offered by the Club to ensure safe swimming for youngsters on local beaches, along with a competent Nippers section that feeds into the lifesaving services so essential throughout the year.

Platinum slots include major branding around the

greens and at the venue on the day, big screens to play promotional DVDs, and mentions in electronic and print media before and after the event. It also enters your team of four players into the competition, along with teas and coffees and that worldclass lunch.

Gold tickets afford subtler branding but similar benefits to the Platinum slots, while Silver slots sponsor the entry fee for teams of four players, as well as the Fournil, Fat Fish and Table offerings.

If you can’t be part of the action on the day, your business can sponsor either a prize or part of the additional refreshments offered on the day.

Sign up by contacting Michael at plettsurf@gmail.com or on 082 553 4625 and see the advert on this page for additional information.

All’s well that ends well at Plett Angling Club The #IsuzuTrucksPEPlett MTB kicked off last Wednesday from Wedgewood in PE with over 250 entrants taking part in the race in pursuit of arriving in Plettenberg Bay on Sunday. The four-day event guided cyclists through multiple stunning landscapes, allowing them to indulge in the beautiful coastal views through to the lush mystical forestry of the Tsitsikamma. Each year the #IsuzuTrucksPEPlett follows a different and unique path, ensuring the event is never the same. With the heavy rains the coast experienced recently, the route was varied slightly to accommodate the cyclists as much as possible. Cyclists enjoyed a phenomenal event organised by the Red Cherry crew, and which concluded with great fanfare at Plett’s Angling Club.

Country Club bowlers style

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EWS from Plettenberg Bay Country Club’s bowls section is that a new committee for the next 12 months was elected recently, with Corrie Nel as president, John Swinley as vice and competitions secretary, Wolfgang Stephan as treasurer, Nita Davis as secretary and Rob Windsor in charge of maintenance and grading.

Social functions did not have to play second fiddle to action on the greens, either, and included a Women’s

Day event on August 10, when the gentlemen members of the committee treated all lady members to a delightful champagne breakfast.

Says Nita Davis: “On Friday August 14, we hosted Plettenberg Bay Bowls Club for a mixed tabs-in game and ended the evening with a classic Country Club braai. Congratulations to prize winners Barrie Rickets and Don Duffus with their respective teams.”

Competitions in August included the Seahorse on

Tuesday the 11th, which was won by Carl Louw, Dickson Russell, and Lou Mallam.

This month’s Seahorse took place on September 8, while a Personal Trust competition is scheduled for the 15th.

The club welcomes visitors and anyone interested in learning to play bowls to free coaching on Friday mornings from 9:30am. Bowls are provided, just remember to bring along some flat-soled shoes.

Call Don Duffus on 044 533 2992 or Deon Hugo on 044 533 1585 for further information.