The Village NEWS 15 August 2017

Village

NEWS NEWS The

15 - 28 August 2017

Cape Whale Coast

FREE COPY

BABOONS

War not over yet

PAGE 05

NEW MALL

We take you inside IT BITES The recent behaviour of killer whales off the coast of Gansbaai resulted in the disappearance of great white sharks during the peak shark cage diving season, which has impacted dramatically on the local tourism industry. Read more about the extent of this setback on local PHOTO: Jax operators onBath P 20. - www.WhaleWatchSA.com PHOTO: White Shark Projects

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Harbour developments in the spotlight De Waal Steyn

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he Cape Whale Coast is set for sustained economic growth as it readies itself for hosting the first three-day Small Harbours and State Coastal Property Marketing Conference starting on 15 August at the Municipal Auditorium in Hermanus.

Investment proposals have been made for the development of amongst others a water park, hotel, retail shops and a marina, with a specially designed harbour with moorings for pleasure yachts and small boats in the New Harbour in Hermanus.

The development of the Gansbaai Harbour will focus on manufacturing.

The conference forms part of government’s Operation Phakisa, aimed at unlocking the economies of the country’s harbours and attracting investment for further economic opportunities, says Dhaya Govender, Public Works Deputy DirectorGeneral (Small Harbours and Coastal Properties).

According to him South Africa

has 2 800 km coastline and many communities depend on this coast and South Africa's oceans to sustain their livelihoods.

“Over 300 businesses currently lease state-owned coastal property that includes fishing, recreational, sport, leisure, retail, tourism, mining, farming, hospitality, logistics and energy operations.”

Phakisa focuses on six growth areas, including marine transport and manufacturing, offshore oil and gas exploration, aquaculture, small harbour development, marine protection, and coastal and marine tourism.

It is expected that Phakisa will add some R177 billion to the economy and create more than a million jobs

over the next 15 years.

Last year it was reported that R80 million has been earmarked for the rehabilitation and maintenance of small harbours, including that of Hermanus and Gansbaai, and another R400 million for aquaculture.

Read more on P 3

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The Team 6 Royal Street Hermanus

028 050 1319

THE

NEWS

OPINION Matters

Will the mall pall our CBD? Publishing Editor dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Content Editor

Hedda Mittner 083 645 3928 hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

Design and Layout

Nickey Jackson 079 408 7722 nickey@thevillagenews.co.za

The Whale Coast Mall has been on residents’ lips since the initial planning started more than seven years ago.

There have been numerous debates regarding the viability of a mall, on what the impact on the CBD will be, on whether especially national tenants will keep their outlets in the CBD while opening another in the mall and various other aspects. The Village News is grateful to the developers Dorpstraat and its MD Jannie Kruger for allowing us first access to the building site and offering transparent insights into the development. Read more on pages 8 and 9.

The theorising about what the eventual impact will be, will become a concrete reality by the end of the year when the mall is set to open its doors. It is with cautious optimism that we await the opening as there is no doubt that the effects of the mall will have wideranging implications, not only for Hermanus but also for our neighbouring towns.

It is important that the Hermanus CBD receives

urgent attention. No budget has been made available in the current Independent Development Plan for the upgrading of the CBD, but the Municipality has indicated that funds from land sales in the CBD will be used towards this.

The Overstrand area is also known as the Cape Whale Coast and everyone is thankful for the return of so many whales this year. What is very disturbing is the negative impact the shortage of great white sharks has had on especially the economy of Gansbaai.

Without the money spent by tourists in our towns our region’s economy will suffer immensely. In the last decade, we have seen population growth of more than 15% while the number of households with no income has been measured at almost 16%.

Luckily it seems as if the sharks are slowly but surely returning to our shores.

This is the GOOD News – Ed

WHERE TO FIND US

Office Administrator

Tania Hamman admin@thevillagenews.co.za

Marketing Manager

Rina de Wet 083 604 0808 rina@thevillagenews.co.za

The Village NEWS is published fortnightly and the next edition will be available on 29 August. The NEWS can be found at over 100 distribution points on the Cape Whale Coast, from Kleinmond to Gansbaai.

Get your FREE copy from major retail stores such as Spar, Checkers and Pick n Pay, and at restaurants, tasting rooms, galleries and shopping centres. Should you wish to receive a copy, call us on 028 050 1319 or 083 228 7523 or pop into our office at 6 Royal Street, Hermanus.

Ombudsman The press exists to serve society. Its freedom provides for independent scrutiny, and is essential to ensuring demo-cracy. It enables citizens to make informed judgments, a role that is recognised by the Constitution. The Village NEWS subscribes to the South African Press Code and thus to the South African Press Council and the South African Press Ombudsman. Should you feel our reporting is not fair, free or unbiased and without prejudice, or that serious errors have been made, you are welcome to lay a complaint with the Ombudsman.

Reach him on 011 484 3612/8, e-mail pressombudsman.org.za or visit www.ombudsman.org.za

The numbers game in nature What are ‘Fibonacci numbers’? Why do plants seem to know about them? And what do they have to do with rabbits?

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eople who like to play around with numbers will know that Leonardo Fibonacci was the greatest European mathematician of the Middle Ages. He is credited with introducing the Arabic decimal system into Europe where they were still using Roman numerals. And the rabbits? He used a thoughtexperiment to illustrate the mathematical sequence that now bears his name. Fibonacci formulated the question he wanted to answer as follows: How Many Pairs of Rabbits Are Created by One Pair in One Year?

A certain man had one pair of rabbits together in a certain enclosed place, and one wishes to know how many are created from the pair in one year when it is the nature of them in a single month to bear another pair, and in the second month those born to bear also.

He proposed that the sequence 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 etc. would provide the answer. The sequence arises from adding the first number to the second to make the third, adding the second number to the third to make the fourth, adding the third number to the fourth to make the fifth, and so on.

In a year, he concluded, he would have 144 pairs of rabbits.

Real rabbits don't breed as Fibonacci hypothesised, but the sequence appears frequently in nature, as it seems to capture some aspect of growth.

It is said that the Fibonacci numbers are Nature's numbering system. They appear in the leaf arrangement in plants, in the pattern of the florets

of a flower, the bracts of a pine cone, or the scales of a pineapple. The Fibonacci numbers are applicable to the growth of every living thing.

Look at the arrangement of leaves on the stem on a protea. They form a spiral pattern up the stem.

Every 8th leaf of the spiral is directly above the leaf three spirals below it. In other words, it takes three spirals to complete the pattern. There we have it – 3 and 8 are Fibonacci numbers.

Obviously, plants do not know about this sequence. They just grow in the most efficient ways.

Many other plants besides the protea show the Fibonacci numbers in the arrangement of the leaves around the stem. Some pine cones and fir cones also show the numbers, as do daisies, succulents and sunflowers. Sunflowers can contain the number 89, or even 144.

Why do these arrangements occur? Leaf arrangement in, for example, cabbages and succulents may be related to maximizing the space for each leaf, or the average amount of light falling on each one.

Over many generations, any arrangement that provides an advantage to the plant would come to dominate.

Dr Chris Whitehouse will shed a lot more light on this topic at Whale Coast Conservation’s monthly talk on Tuesday 22 August at 17h30 at the Green House on the R43 in Vermont.

– Anina Lee

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Whale Coast set for growth through harbour developments From P 1 According to Mayor Rudolph Smith, the Cape Whale Coast covers a pristine section of shoreline and the potential of our shores stretches beyond its natural beauty, offering more than a leisure destination during the peak holiday seasons.

“Our coast is indeed a place where visitors arrive from across the globe. In addition, it offers investment opportunities beyond what is currently realised. This week investors and locals will meet with the Department of Public Works and other national departments, including the Department of Forestry and Fisheries, Coastal Provincial Government and other local municipalities to consider the development of our oceans' economies.

“The aim will be to attract investment to assist with further economic growth. It is about the money and the people. Through public participation we look forward to

business expansion, new business development and an increased economic transformation.

“With the three harbours on the Cape Whale Coast we are honoured to host this conference and look forward to discussing growth potential with investment stakeholders. Current investment

priorities include the development of Gansbaai and Hermanus harbours with other safe boat launching facilities,” says the Mayor.

Development plans for Hermanus and Gansbaai harbours are centred around the waterfront concept which has been done

with so much success in Cape Town, where the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is the benchmark for seafront development. Combining leisure with harbour and marina activities has been very successful and Walker Bay provides one of the most scenic backgrounds to replicate a visitor friendly harbour.

Fisherhaven marina up for tender Neither rain nor the cold could keep residents of Fisherhaven and members of the Lake Marina Yacht and Boat Club (LMYBC) away form a public meeting on Saturday 12 August.

This follows after the Overstrand Municipality extended the lease for the property for only 24 months.

The club has leased the ground from the Municipality for the last 40 years on two 20-year leases.

“The short lease concerns both the LMYBC and the Fisherhaven Rate Payer’s Association (FRPA) as the club is the only community feature in our town. We are concerned that the club members and residents would lose control and access to this area after talks that developers might want to build a conference centre and a hotel,” said Sam Sampson, Chair of the FRPA. The lease agreement with the Munici-pality came to an end on 30 June.

Stephen Müller, Municipal Director of Infrastructure and planning, said at the meeting that the change in the lease agreement is mandated by the Municipal Finances Act, which stipulates that all high value properties must at the end of their current lease agreements be put up for auction or go out on tender.

“The Municipality has decided that the land would not be sold and that a tender will be put out for the management of the land and the facilities on it. We appointed surveyors to ensure that we have all the correct measurements of the erf before we start the tender process. We estimate this process to take at least 18 months and therefore we offered the club a 24-month lease agreement.”

According to Stephen there are no plans to develop the area.

“The current land zoning only allows for a public open space and recreational use of the land.

Because of its heritage status and ecologically sensitive nature, the process to change that to allow for development will take more than 5 years and will be a difficult process.”

Stephen said that the club will have the opportunity to tender for the land. “The club has been here for 40 years and is an important asset to the town and therefore we would like to see the same kind of development as is already established.

The new lease after the tender would be for a period of 10 years,” he said.

A show of hands indicated that all of the residents were opposed to any form of large development on the waterfront. “This is our waterfront and we want to pro-

tect it for all residents and rate payers,” said Sam. During World War II, Royal Air Force (RAF) Squadron 262 established a diversion base at the lagoon and Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats operated from here. Landing ramps were built on the site of the present club and other facilities included a slipway, workshops and stores.

The land on which Fisherhaven is situated was originally part of the Afdaksrivier farm which was first recorded in 1754. Before that the area of Middelvlei was originally settled by the Khoisan people who frequently camped on the banks of the Bot River and watered their cattle. They called the river Gouga, meaning “much butter”, which was then translated by the early travellers into “Botter” and later shortened to Bot.

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Increase in housebreakings in July

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ol Luthando Nosilela, Station Commander of Hermanus SAPS, wants it said out loud and clear to all residents that we are not yet living in paradise. In the Hermanus Community Police Forum’s latest newsletter she is quoted as saying that “we are working towards it, but are not yet there”.

She goes on to say: “Crime is real and housebreakings are attempted at a rate of about four a day in the Hermanus area at the moment. We all have to do what we can to discourage and prevent them from happening. Lock your doors. Arm your alarms. Close your windows and curtains at night. Keep gates and garage doors shut. Do not leave loose tools unattended. Please do not be negligent, look for weak areas on your property / in your neighbourhood and be mindful of them.”

July was a busy month for SAPS with an increase in housebreakings across the area.

Zwehile, Voëlkip, Sandbaai and Onrus got most of the attention from criminals and Eastcliff the least. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley had no residential break-ins in July and the new Hemel-enAarde Neighbour-hood Watch (NHW) deserves a round of applause, says Col Nosilela.

The trend for July was that

housebreaking happened mostly between 16:00 and midnight, but there were also a percentage of break-ins that occurred during daylight hours, with Saturdays being the most popular day. SAPS have run operations through the night on various occasions in all problematic suburbs, and Col Nosilela wants to thank all the neighbourhood watches, security companies and camera monitors for their cooperation.

Interestingly, last year July was also a busy month for housebreakings. SAPS have identified that some areas are very dark at night, which makes it easy for criminals to hide. The Community Police Forum (CPF) encourages residents to please leave outside lights switched on at night if possible. There is smart technology available such as day-night switches and light bulbs that have day-night sensors that turn themselves off at dawn.

Any streetlights that are not working should be reported to the Municipality or to the CPF, which will take it up with the Municipality on residents’ behalf. Another trend mentioned at the weekly JOCOM (Joint Operations Committee) meeting was that about 80% of the time a break-in happens in the

room where the TV is housed.

It is suggested that people with holiday homes, and residents who will be out of town, hide their television sets in another room before they leave. This will make it more difficult for criminals who are running against the clock, as the alarm triggers when they enter and they might not have time to go searching for the ‘missing’ TV. It is reported that the main items stolen are flat screen television sets, laptops, cellphones and, as one would expect, criminals won’t leave jewellery behind if they come across it. However they have left other valuable items behind when breaking into some houses, leaving only with the TV. Col Nosilela appeals to the public to report SAPS members who are rude or uncooperative in the charge office.

Record their name, date, time and the circumstances of the incident and report to hermanuscpf@gmail.com.

Need to get through to the Police Station? This is the 24 hour number to use: 028 313 5300. Looking for the Detective Branch (CID)? Call 028 313 7000 during operating hours from 07:30 to 16:00.

Greening projects get thumbs up from Arbor City Awards judges Overstrand Municipality hosted the panel of judges of the National Arbor City Awards during the second phase of the evaluation process of the competition on 8 August.

This follows the Municipality receiving news earlier in the year that it had made the shortlist for this prestigious award based on having met the necessary greening and landscape management criteria.

During the visit, Overstrand’s horticulturist, Lauren Rainbird, provided the judges with a comprehensive and informative overview of the different tree planting and greening projects initiated in the various towns across the area.

Input was also received from the Director of Economic Development and Tourism: Solomzi Madikane, the Director of

Protection Services: Neville Michaels and the Director of Community Services: Roderick Williams, who respectively gave some insight into to how their portfolios aid the management and implementation of the Municipality’s greening practices.

Elements that were mentioned included beautifying the surrounds, creating an environment that is aesthetically appealing to residents and visitors, establishing an investor friendly climate, promoting awareness and appreciation of environmental conservation and development, the sense of social cohesion that arises from the interaction with nature, the implantation and adherence to sound governance structures and the efficient deployment of resources in accordance, to name but a few.

Added to that, Lauren said:

“Our aim is to ensure our communities can coexist with nature, and that a mindset that allows for a healthy and secure living environment is inculcated.”

The judges then posed several questions which were ably fielded by the contingent of Overstrand officials present, following which a tour was conducted of the various greening initiatives in the region.

It is anticipated that deliberations should take about a week or so, after which the winning Municipality of the 2017 National Arbor City Award will be announced.

This is the 15th year that the competition will be held.

Last year the Alfred Duma Municipality in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal was the winner in the Local Municipality category.

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Battle against baboons almost won, but war not over

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De Waal Steyn

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he new virtual fence that has been created to keep the Fernkloof baboon troop out of town is bearing fruit after the first week of a two-week blitz. The blitz is the first step in setting up the virtual fence and is conducted by three volunteers of Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS).

The virtual fence makes use of the sounds of animals in distress, predators roaring and bear bangers to create a landscape of fear some 100 meters out of town. Once the baboons have been convinced that the area next to town is dangerous they will move higher up into the mountains and not return to town. The technology, developed by HWS, has been successfully implemented on the Cape Peninsula in amongst others Gordon’s Bay, Constantia and Steenberg.

”

that a record of their behaviour can be compiled,” says Philip.

There have been unconfirmed reports of a large baboon and a few juveniles attacking a domestic worker on the gravel road in Hermanus Heights.

Fanus Ferreira, Pilasande Mbotshane, Cllr Kari Brice and Lungisile Nova are fighting the good fight against the baboons that have been harassing town for the past few months.

Fanus, Pilasande and Lungisile are from Human Wildlife Solutions and responsible for the implementation of the virtual fence.

The system makes use of sound boxes that emit the sounds and monitor the movements of the baboons via trackers on collared baboons. A signal of where the baboons are is sent to a cell phone. If they are too close to town the sound boxes are deployed to scare them away.

Two of the Fernkloof baboons named Stevie and Nicki have been collared, although the one collar is not fully operational and will be replaced in the next few weeks. More than R100 000 has been spent to buy the equipment, collar the two baboons and set up the radio and relay stations in the mountains.

The system was first tested locally in May but could not be implemented due to a lack of volunteers to run the project.

According to Fanus Ferreira who heads up the current HWS blitz, the baboons have been restricted to the mountain for more than 90% of the time.

“They are pretty well behaved, unlike some other areas where they tend to hide behind walls and in nooks and crannies outside houses. Once we start playing the sound effects they pick up and leave. They are still

The problem has become critical and drastic action needs to be taken

pretty wild and luckily for the residents they are still used to sleeping out in the wild.

“Twice when we have used bear bangers to make a loud clapping sound, the police have arrived on scene after complaints of gunshots were reported. But it was only us chasing the baboons,” laughs Fanus.

He says in the past week, the baboons have only tried twice to breach the virtual fence but they were able to quickly drive them back up the mountain towards the dams.

According to him an aggressive male and a few rogue baboons of the Vogelgat troop have tried to enter town but they have also been chased out.

Dr Philip Richardson, Behavioural Ecologist at HWS, says the virtual fence system has been able to keep baboons out of residential areas for more than 98% of the time in other areas of the peninsula.

“After the baboons were collared in May we have been able to track their movements.

In the period 25 May to 3 August the troop was all but

living in town. We could see that they spent all their time in residential areas and during this time there were several raids on residences and thousands of rands worth of damage was done.

“We have found that if individual rogue baboons become a big problem and their behaviour cannot be changed over time that selective euthanasia is a solution.

Although this should not be a problem once the virtual fence is fully operational, we urge residents to identify and keep track of any rogues so

Ward 3 Councillor Kari Brice says the battle may be almost won, but the war is far from over. “In order to maintain the virtual fence, we will need at least three baboon monitors to be employed. This will include a manager and two helpers. Furthermore, we have need of a vehicle, petrol, a smartphone, even if someone donates a second-hand one, and durable clothing.

“We also need to buy two more sound boxes at R9 000 each. Funding for the project thus far has come from Hermanus Public Protection (HPP), the Hermanus Ratepayers’ Association and the Ward 3 discretionary budget. Another option is to place rangers from HWS in Hermanus fulltime. We are waiting for a quote on this,” she says.

“To fund the ongoing project, we will either need to do continuous fundraising or raise a special levy on rates and taxes that could possibly be paid into the account of Hermanus Public Protection (HPP). But although these are still only suggestions we need to make haste as the HWS team is still here for only a week. After they leave we must have our house in order and the people in place to continue with the programme. At the moment, the HWS team is training one local volunteer that I am

paying more than R200 per day out of my own pocket.”

According to Kari she has taken on the task of orga-nising the management of the baboons as councillor and in her personal capacity as the problem has become critical and drastic action needs to be taken.

The Municipality earlier said management of the baboon problem does not fall within their mandate. Municipal Manager, Coenie Groenewald says the Municipality has been aware of and concerned about the baboon problem in the Overstrand area for many years.

“As a result, in 2013 we obtained a senior counsel’s opinion as to what powers we had to take action and to assist residents with baboon control. The opinion categorically states that the Municipality has no powers to undertake baboon control.

“The Municipality must adhere to legislation and it can only act on and expend funds on functions which are assigned to it by the Constitution and legislation.

The opinion was confirmed by senior counsel last year after queries were raised about a judgment handed down in a matter brought by the City of Cape Town. The facts of the matter were different and the case was wrongly decided. A Municipality does not have the duty or power to control baboons.

“Baboon control is a function assigned to the Provincial and National spheres of government by the Constitution.

Following this, the Nature Conservation Ordinance 19 of 1974 confers this power on the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board (“CapeNature”).

CapeNature, therefore, has the power and duty, as conferred on them by the Nature Conservation Ordinance, to identify and manage baboons that are causing damage.”

The Municipality has appealed to CapeNature to act to protect its residents from the baboons that have caused damage to property and demanded that they fulfil their duties and control the baboons.

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THE

NEWS

Response to concerns raised by AfriForum

Let’s Talk

Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Community approaches AfriForum about Special Ratings Area Concerned members of the communities of Onrus and Vermont in the Overstrand have approached AfriForum for advice on the proposed Special Ratings Area (SRA) that is being planned for the area.

This follows an article in The Village News of 1 August (Onrus and Vermont start process to create Special Ratings Area).

The article states that the purpose for the SRA is for the funding of, amongst others, the installation of security cameras and the running of a control room, the improvement of policing in the area, the improvement of water quality in the Onrus Lagoon and better management of the greenbelt area. The article further states that depending on the survey, other services that can be added to the list of services that the SRA can fund, would be the

transfer station and street lights.

Municipal services are set out in parts B of Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution. The installation of security cameras and the delivery of neighbourhood watch services are not included.

Services such as street lights are however included.

the district. This mechanism refers to either a municipal department or a service provider. For the installation of security cameras and running of a control room, it may not be a municipal department as it is not a municipal function in terms of the Constitution as stated above. The municipality should also not procure such services through supply chain management procedures such as tenders because providing neighbourhood watch services and installing security cameras does not fall within the ambit of municipal services in terms of the Constitution.

In terms of the Municipal Systems Act, when a municipality establishes an internal municipal service district, the municipality must determine the mechanism that will provide the service in

The municipality may establish a committee composed of persons representing the community in the district to act as a consultative and advisory forum for the municipality. This committee

An SRA is a mechanism through which a municipality collects a special levy from property owners in a specific area for raising funds for improving or upgrading that area.

can act in an oversight capacity.

The SRA stands alone and is driven by all the community organisations active in the area. It is a legal entity as stated in the by-law and other acts.

The Onrus-Vermont Special Ratings Area committee currently consists of members representing: Onrus-Vermont Neighbourhood Watch, Onrus Ratepayers Association, Onrus Estuary Forum, Vermont Ratepayers & Environmental Association, Vermont Conservation Trust, Vermont Coastal Path Committee, Onrus Trading Post and NG Church Onrus.

The article reports that there are 2017 residential, 115 business or commercial properties and 403 vacant stands in Onrus and 1 292 residential, 20 business and 308 vacant stands in Vermont.

If we take a conservative amount of R100 per month levy per property it equates to R415 500 per month and just under R5 million per annum.

This will also increase annually with property rates.

The SRA does not replace OnVerWag as Neighbourhood Watch, but is an entirely separate entity. Although policing/security is a national function of government, most municipalities have community safety departments that provide local law enforcement to police by-laws and improve community safety. (Municipal police is referred to in Section 206 of the Constitution and Chapter 12 of the Police Act.)

A further aspect to be considered is that the SRA levy will be levied for the duration of the service and until the service is halted. It appears the services which the SRA is planned for are continuous, which would make it difficult to residents and property owners to have the levy removed once it is approved.

Policing is one of the municipal services that we want to top up through the SRA. The mechanism of using monitored cameras will be just one of the ways in which we want to improve the community safety.

The Property Rates Act clearly states that an SRA can be created for “improving or upgrading that area”, and that is our only intention.

AfriForum would urge the communities of Onrus and Vermont to be properly informed before voting for an additional levy on their property rates which may or may not have the desired outcome. If the levy is implemented, all inhabitants of Onrus and Vermont will be obliged to pay it. AfriForum have already established 9 neighbourhood watches in the Overstrand and provided them with all the necessary equipment as per their unique need, with no additional cost to their member fees.

All our meetings so far with the municipality have been attended by the municipality’s Legal Department to ensure that every part of our memorandum of intent and proposed business plan falls within the scope of municipal services and are aligned with all legislation.

We cannot yet make any of these documents public as they are still working documents and subject to the municipality’s final approval.

Johandré van Zyl, District Coordinator: Southern Cape AfriForum

We are currently only at the perception survey stage in which we want to find out what the overall perception of Onrus and Vermont is by its residents. We thank the community for their participation and as of Saturday

morning we have more than 700 completed surveys.

The results of this survey will then be used to decide whether the SRA is a viable option and which services are most in need of a topup. There will then be various public meetings to inform all property owners and residents of the rest of the process and what the SRA impact will be.

There will be various opportunities for community input and questions.

Regarding the amount of money needed and the term of the SRA, just the following: If the SRA is deemed a viable option, the municipality will decide what they believe is an affordable rate to levy according to the financial profile of the property owners; and determine if this amount will match the envisaged business plan. We can say that we foresee the rate being lower than the conservative estimate given by AfriForum.

The business plan will also be completely open to the public when approved by the Municipality. The SRA term is for 5 years after which it can be renewed or dissolved according to the needs of the community.

Another point to consider is the following: There is another organisation very similar to an SRA in the Overstrand already; as HPP was established on the same principle but under older legislation. They provide monitored cameras and patrols out of funds levied by the municipality. Various SRAs in other municipalities also provide similar services all over the Western Cape and the rest of the country.

OnVerWag was in discussions with AfriForum regarding becoming an AfriForum affiliated neighbourhood watch but decided against it because we wanted to remain independent and not fall under their code of conduct and regulations. One of the issues we had is that an AfriForum NHW cannot raise its own funds, and we wanted to be able to raise funds for our own projects.

Abner Inghels, Chair: SRA Steering Committee

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Fick’s Pool no longer an ‘idyllic spot’ In Dr Robin Lee's excellent and well-researched article Fick's Pool: Past, present and future in The Village News of 1 August, he refers to "an unattractive face-brick building to be seen there".

(See picture below.)

It will be interesting to ascertain when this eyesore which mars what was once a beautiful spot on our coast was built. The Municipality could have built the public toilets/ablution block higher up on the east side close to the Cliff Path where it would have been relatively unobtrusive. It could have been designed aesthetically and dressed in stone as the one at The Marine tidal pool.

In a local Hermanus tourist brochure the pool is described as follows: “Fick's Pool is an easily accessible smaller pool with a sandy floor that is popular with local children. It lies in a sheltered rocky bowl in a wide crack in the cliff, where at high tide the

waves crash over the wall into the pool, eliciting squeals of terrified delight."

Yet in 2009 the municipality wanted to award a tender to develop and operate a restaurant at the pool and in its official motivation it described the pool as a "harsh, unfriendly, neglected, dirty, unsafe and inaccessible environment, which is difficult and potentially dangerous for the young and elderly to use" (Noseweek, September 2009, P 32 ). I inspected the toilets on Thursday morning, 10 August, and found them to be dark, damp, dingy, dirty and dismal to say the least.

Perhaps the Municipality can remove the eyesore and restore Fick's Pool to the idyllic spot it used to be.

Perhaps locals and visitors to Hermanus will then enjoy Fick's Pool again as in the olden days!

Izak Kenney Hermanus Heights

New deli opens in Hermanus

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he new kid on the block – or rather, on the old Zebra Crossing’s corner – is It’s a DELI Affair Delicatessen which recently celebrated its official opening. It is a great example of a growing phenomenon – the deli-as-café.

With a well-stocked deli on the one hand and a delicious menu consisting of antipasti platters, handmade pastas and pastries, served with a strong espresso or a selection of South African and Italian wines and German Beers, locals are in for a new culinary treat.

Co-owner Lionello Giovanetti says: “Expect the usual Italian

fare, but better, and you'll soon be well on your way to living la dolce vita.” And he should know what he’s talking about, as the Giovanetti family have already put Italian cuisine firmly on the Overstrand map with their restaurant, La Trattoria, in Stanford.

Their new partners in It’s a DELI Affair are husband-andwife team Ronald and Doris Dettke, who previously owned and managed a guest farm near Port Alfred and now live in Stanford.

Find It’s a DELI Affair at 125 Main Road (c/o Long Street).

Open Tuesday to Sunday.

Call 072 141 2375.

Your hosts at It’s a DELI Affair - Father and son team Lionello (left) and Corrado Giovannetti (right) and husband and wife, Ronald and Doris Dettke.

HAVE A BALL Twelve teams entered the Hermanus Netball Corporate Challenge at Curro on Women’s Day. All the teams gave it their best shot but in the end the Run Walk For Life team (below) walked away with the trophy. There were also prizes for the best dressed team that in some instances made up more than enough for ‘skill’ on the court. The day was held to raise funds for the Hermanus Netball Club. The club is well known for its annual Netball Whale Festival Challenge and competes in the Boland Division. They have participated in the Boland and Western Province Netball Super Leagues with outstanding results.

General Knowledge Quiz Games – the Horror Quizzes in various forms have been around since Eve and her partner. They differ only in who the questions are aimed at, and what prizes are on offer.

Sometimes even gambling is involved – like roulette or the horses – guess the right answer and you win.

But that is today. The origin of this ‘quiz-game’ folly goes back to ancient times when tribal leaders held a bosberaad and conjured up a series of ten questions, the answers to which they didn’t know themselves.

The real object though, was to keep their subjects occupied so they didn’t have time to wage war on each other. Each question, dispatched one at a time, was purposefully difficult, so each answer had a one-year time limit.

The first question was a stinker.

“How many stars?” As you can imagine, it involved each

Wit’s End

which flourished for centuries.

got a Nobel Prize for this.

questions. And so the Quiz Master was born. However, because these quiz contests were now held more regularly, competition between the tribes soon reached breaking point, which led to an outbreak of shouting, stabbing, kidnapping, flatulence and murder.

Some famous QMs over the years posed questions still asked today. A bloke called Shakespeare, who was the rage in England and Scotland for a while, would ask what Macbeth could “see before me, the handle toward my hand”. Was it: a) a dagger, b) a plough, or c) a vacuum cleaner. As you can imagine, he didn’t last long as a QM, and after retiring to his hamlet in Denmark, he pursued his passion for jotting down meaningless drivel, and faded into obscurity.

With the times a-changing, so did the formats and audiences. Springbok Radio for example broadcast The Surf Show Pick-a-Box, and listeners at home would yell “money” or “the box” at their wirelesses. TV created variations like Who wants to be a Millionaire, The Weakest Link and Flink Dink.

As time passed, these quizzes became more refined and gentile. Prominent figures in society often became sought-after Quiz Masters, who kept a strict watch on participants’ behavior. This allowed the art of quizzing to diversify into various outlets,

Another celebrity – I forget his name – would sometimes even sing his questions to the enthralled participants.

“How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?”

Is it: a) all of them, b) six, or c) Cecil John. He apparently

Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

member of each tribe counting from dusk till dawn, and during the day they still had to tend their flocks, get the kids to school and do the washing and ironing. It certainly kept their spears and swords blood-free the whole year considering the daunting task at hand. And just when they’d all finally cracked it, question two was “Name them”. Bugger!

After a few centuries the masses realized they were being hoodwinked and decided, among themselves, to organize their own quiz shows with more reasonable

More recently however, quizzes have taken to the streets. Regular folks like newspaper editors, crayfish smugglers, radio personalities, farmers and boutique owners are often found wallowing in the fetid swamps of the everpopular ‘Pub Quiz’.

Here skullduggery and chicanery between rival teams is intense and although no blood is spilt, the butterknives and sushi forks are out.

The questions though, are just as difficult today as they were back then. Last week one particular question had the crowd in an uproar.

“Van Gogh used horse-hair bristles in his brushes when painting the Mona Lisa. Name the horse.”

Contestants were incensed. Off course everyone knew the horse’s name was Harry, but wasn’t it Nat King Cole who made the Mona Lisa famous?

The jury is still out on that one, but after consulting the Duck ’n Fiddle’s Explanation of Everything, it appears she was sketched – during his lunch break - by some interior decorator called Lenny who was painting the ceiling in a chapel in Rome.

I just hope the questions get easier. People’s lives are at stake.

8

15 - 28 August 2017

It’s mall or nothing as opening approaches Like any good film, the Whale Coast Mall has its share of characters – from independent store-owners to teens and major-league property developers. Kitted out in a hard hat and neon vest, LEIGH-ANNE HUNTER side stepped building equipment and ducked under scaffolding on a pre-opening tour of the mall to get an update on the mall epic.

S

omebody call Woody Allan. The debates around Whale Coast Mall (WCM) warrant a movie. How about Mall Mania as a title, hey Woody?

Speaking of flicks, there may be disappointment in store for many residents who are looking forward to having a typical movie multiplex on their doorstep. It turns out that the much-anticipated mall cinema will be more of a “buffet” venue with not just movies but things like theatre shows and music gigs on the menu.

“Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro are of the opinion that the Hermanus market is not big enough to sustain the cinemas for their business model. They like multiplexes where there are multiple movies.”

That’s the word from Jannie Kruger, director of Dorpstraat and one of the founder shareholders of this Stellenboschbased investment and development company that is adding WCM to its portfolio. Jannie says they have developed and owned, or co-owned, more than 60 shopping centres in the last 20 years.

“You’ll need this,” Jannie says, handing me a neon vest and a hard hat before we venture on a pre-opening tour of the Sandbaai mall, which will house a mix of 80 stores.

“

Even with missing tenants, the entire mall will still open to the public on 30 November as scheduled

”

I see labourers on scaffolding furiously at work to complete ‘The Admiral Theatre’ – the proposed name for the multipurpose centre. There’s not much to see yet as they are still in design stage. Jannie rolls out plans showing a 200-seater auditorium.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility where artists such as Elvis Blue and Karen Zoid can perform, and Kalfiefees can have shows.

We are talking to the likes of Mel Botes about bringing artists. When there’s less demand, the space will double up as a conference centre.”

Great stuff. But what about the

movies? Jannie: “Our primary focus remains movies, which will include new releases. We said to the people of Hermanus we will include movies.”

Whereas Jannie previously said that the tenants for the cinema had not yet been confirmed but that it would be privately managed, he now anticipates that the mall coowners (through centre management) will oversee management of the facility.

“Epic Cinemas will be a consultant and secure the movies for us. This is an independent operator that has done cinemas at Sun City and on the Wild Coast.”

He adds: “We will determine the number of screenings based on demand. Typically in season, you’ll have lots of movies and fewer in winter.

The theatre can show five movies a day.”

Creative use of the plans has been required to account for the new concept. “We will knock down this wall here,” Jannie says. This will link the main theatre to a smaller kiddies’ movie theatre cum foyer for when there are theatre shows in the main auditorium. “We’re planning it in a way that it will be a flexible space.”

It’s not just the cinema space that is a work in progress.

According to Jannie, 80% of the lettable area has been snatched up by retailers, the same figure quoted more than six months ago. He doesn’t see rentals as being a reason for the shortfall. “Our rentals are relatively competitive.”

Erwin Rode, CEO of Rode & Associates, a firm specialising in real estate economics, property research and town planning, says the reasons could be the recession, or that the mall is too large for the size of the market. “Having said that, most new malls initially battle to fill up as they must still establish a track record.”

It is the lower level that is currently lacking most of the missing tenants. “I anticipate that by Easter the tenant mix of the lower level will be complete,” says Jannie, who adds that even with missing tenants, the entire mall will still open to the public on 30 November as scheduled. “It has taken a lot of effort and time. Eight years of planning – to get the environmental assessment done and zoning rights, for instance – and two years of building.”

“

It turns out that the muchanticipated mall cinema will be more of a ‘buffet’ venue

”

He adds that: “The mall is arguably the biggest private investment to date in Hermanus.” He won’t reveal the project cost, however, R750 million for a mall of this size is the estimate from Erwin Rode.

The scale of this project (when I walked it in my cheap takkies) seems mindboggling.

But at 30 000 square metres, WCM is actually smaller than Dorpstraat’s Mountain Mill Mall in Worcester, for instance, which is 38 000 square feet.

But Jannie says WCM will be a “similar facility” to this mall, adding that: “In time there could be a second phase.” How big could the mall get?

ON SITE Jannie Kruger, director of the development company Dorpstraat, which is adding the Whale Coast Mall to their extensive portfolio of shopping malls.

Douglas Parker, who ran Douglas Parker Associates, a market research company specialising in feasibility studies for shopping centres, says that the “potential for such a centre” will increase to as much as 39 000 square metres by 2024.

“It’s going to look really nice,” says Jannie, pointing up to the whale tail feature above the main entrance. The maritime theme continues inside, with part of the roof being modelled to resemble the underside of a boat. “We expect an average of between 300 000 to 400 000 people per month in the first year.

McDonald's will be the only drive-through. They are keen to come back to Hermanus.

“The bottom line is that the mall will be a major investment into the local economy. Think major job creation (560 temporary jobs confirmed by Isipani Construction of which 60% is local labour) and upgrade of infrastructure. We will also make a considerable contribution towards rates and taxes.

“The idea is to bring depth in range to Hermanus as more people settle down here, not to mention the opportunity to attract the considerable spend of visitors during high season.”

MEN AT WORK Construction of the Whale Coast Mall is progressing on schedule for its 30 November opening.

We asked Hermanus residents for their views on the mall, from the (sort of ) cinema to the effect on the CBD… “It’s a pity about Nu-Metro and Ster-Kinekor but apparently there was proper research done.

People want to make money; they’re not here for our good. Movie tickets are pricey too and many retirees can’t afford going more than once a month. I don’t think the mall will affect the CBD. It has got so much to offer in terms of shops and scenery and will still attract tourists.

I think we’re fortunate in that way. I think the town is already repositioning itself.” – Estelle Spaarwater, a resident of Hermanus since 1995 and previously chairperson of the Hermanus Heritage Committee.

“Even though they say we will have a cinema, how many screenings will there be? It’s very disappointing. Why build a mall if people still have to go to Somerset Mall cinema?” – Alida Theunissen, domestic worker and resident of Mount Pleasant.

“What amazes me is that Hermanus, tiny as it was years ago, supported two cinemas – in

Village Square. People are sick of looking at a device; they want an experience which is what cinema is about. I don’t think the CBD is under threat. I think Gateway Centre is because who will go? It will become more like an N1 City.” – John Morris, owner of The Book Cottage.

“The problem with a privately-owned cinema is that they probably will show old movies. Kids want to see fresh, new movies. This would bring us there every weekend to also hang out with our friends. There is nothing to do for teenagers in Hermanus in the evenings. Boredom is one of the main reasons the youth gets involved in too much drinking and drug abuse.” – 18-year-old Thalika Janse van Vuuren from Sandbaai, a Hermanus High School learner.

“Cinema is a dying industry. They pay very poor rentals. These days with Netflix very few people go to the movies anymore.”

– Douglas Parker of Douglas Parker Associates.

9

15 - 28 August 2017

How does the mall check out so far?

L

et’s press rewind on our movie, Mall Mania, shall we? In 2011, Douglas Parker Associates published a feasibility report about the mall.

What is retail cannibalisation?

“Retail cannibalisation” is an increasingly common trend in the domestic market where a business’s new stores poach customers from established branches.

“I did the project for the Overstrand Council to see to what extent a regional centre will be warranted in Hermanus,” says Douglas Parker, who now lives in New Zealand.

How is this broader trend relevant in regards to Whale Coast Mall? Erwin Rode says: “When their leases run out in the CBD, the big retailers will move out. I can’t see the duplications lasting.

“Dorpstraat, then Retail Africa, used it in their motivation to Province. The rights they were granted were in line with the report.”

“We saw it in Bellville when Tyger Valley Centre was built.

Woolworths moved from the CBD and the building stood empty for 20 years I think.

That’s a beautiful example of retail cannibalisation.” Erwin adds: “I’m afraid this is the beginning of the slide of the CBD. It’s a great pity. The mall should never have been allowed. We’ve gone through this in Worcester, George, Vredenburg, you name it. But we never learn.”

Over the phone, Douglas says that interviews with people throughout the Overstrand revealed that, “there is a substantial amount of money being spent elsewhere… principally, Somerset Mall [where] people do a lot of their big-ticket shopping”.

He tells me: “My recommendation was that they build a centre of 28 000 square metres because that would provide the people of Hermanus and the rest of the Overstrand and nearby towns with sufficient choice of shopping to satisfy the bulk of their needs.

“Now to do that there are certain things that [the shopping centre] needed to provide.”

Douglas detailed these recommendations in his report. In the table below we have a look at how the mall checks out so far:

✔ A MAJOR SUPERMARKET Douglas says: “One of the key things was to have a major supermarket.” Woolworths and Shoprite Checkers (which is the adjacent landowner that owns 6 000 square metres of the total mall area) are the main anchor tenants.

Q GAME Douglas says: “The mall needs to have a Game or similar store to draw people away from Somerset Mall. If they don’t, it is not going to do the job.” Jannie, on whether Game will be in the mall, says: “Not yet. We would love to have them but some national retailers are finding trading tough. But we anticipate that a Game type store will be in phase 2.”

✔ FASHION SHOPS Douglas says: “My report stresses that the very nature of a regional shopping centre is a fashion mall.” Jannie’s verdict? “The bulk of the mall – 60 to 70% of the tenant mix – comprises national fashion.”

He says this includes Cape Union Mart, Duesouth, Mr Price, Miladys. Truworths, Identity, and several of the

The interior of the mall has a maritime theme, with part of the roof modelled to resemble the underside of a boat.

PHOTOS: Leigh-Anne Hunter brands within Foschini Group.

“Fashion shopping is all about comparative shopping,” Jannie says. “Shops in town are too small and can’t carry the full range.”

Q LIMITED NON-CHAIN OUTLETS

To minimise potential negative impacts on the CBD, Douglas’s report contains the specific recommendation to the developers that “they limit the amount of space provided for non-chain outlets in the mall”. The status from Jannie is this: “We will be looking at local non-chain stores. We started with nationals and anchors. The focus now is on line-shops. We will send out a notice to shops where local operators can also apply. We will identify categories. We would like to have a local hairdresser, pizza take-away, small bookshops, for example.”

The idea is for these shops to fill some of the remaining 20 percent of the mall.

? IMPACT ON THE CBD Douglas wrote in his report: “If the centre is not big enough or sufficiently well tenanted to be a viable alternative to Somerset Mall, it will fail to draw the secondary

catchment business…” One potential outcome of this scenario, he tells me, is that: “The mall would try and fill empty space by courting people from Hermanus itself by offering them sweet deals. We don’t want that.

We want Hermanus to stay as it is and for the mall to cater to a larger community.”

I asked Jannie about the threat that inviting nonchain tenants to the mall might pose to the CBD. He says: “There will be a shortterm impact. But we build shopping centres like this to stand for the next 30 years.

One must keep perspective.

‘Village Values, City Choices’ is our slogan and we are trying to stay true to that. We recognise we are in Hermanus and we must tie in with the local community.”

The future of our CBD’s nonchain stores is “not so clearcut”, says Erwin Rode. “The big question is whether the small shops will be able to survive in the CBD when the supermarkets move out… If the tourists stay, then of course they will have a future in the CBD, but eventually many of the small guys will relocate to the mall.”

“

Douglas Parker gives his view: “I warned in my report that there would be an impact on Hermanus in the sense that you’re going to have some of the major chains considering moving.

They have to think very carefully [about] whether their business is tourism or local. It’s very likely that the likes of Edgars or Woolworths or even some of the others

might consider relocating to the new centre. This is a danger.”

He adds: “What we don’t want to happen is for the independent stores in Hermanus CBD to move to the new mall.

Because that would really hurt Hermanus as the magical little place that it is. I went so far in the report to say if we did lose Edgars to the centre, for example, it won’t kill Hermanus CBD. That space could be taken by other small stores, and it’s small independent stores that make Hermanus special.”

Jannie provides an update, saying that Foshini, Woolworths and Checkers have confirmed that they will not close down in the CBD, adding that: “National tenants do detailed market research.” He says Checkers is hitting capacity in town. However, he says he cannot speak for all the larger retailers in the mall such as Ackermans on their position on closing down in the CBD. CEO Bernie Brookes of retail company, Edcon Group, cites retail cannibalisation for the firm’s decision to shut down stores around Africa. Hermanus is host to Edcon stores, including Edgars and Jet. Jannie says that Jet will be in the mall, but Edgars will not feature.

The mall is arguably the biggest private investment to date in Hermanus

”

Not all doom and gloom?

Despite concerns, Douglas Parker remains optimistic, saying that the mall could even provide the CBD with an opportunity. “Hermanus is becoming more of an art and antique, and tourist centre, and that will become exacerbated with the opening of the new mall.” This, however, seems to be based on the proviso that the mall remains mainly a big-ticket shopping destination.

“I think there’s going to be a settling in process and you might find a few holes in the CBD for a few years,” says Douglas. “Provided that landlords and entrepreneurs come up with good ideas to fill that space with things for tourists, the CBD will be successful.”

Douglas adds that the tourism market alone will not be enough to sustain the CBD, but he believes that locals

will still shop there. “You’re not going to lose Pick n Pay and Checkers because for a lot of people those are the most conveniently located stores.”

He adds: “The mall won’t kill Hermanus. It will change it.

People mustn’t lose heart about the CBD because that is the magic of Hermanus. The other thing to remember is that by providing a lot of the ‘serious shopping’ at the mall, you will take pressure off the CBD in terms of traffic.”

Regardless of whether or not major retailers will discontinue operations in the CBD, Erwin Rode believes major change is on the horizon. “The upper end of your purchasing power will move to the mall.

The CBD will go through a period of anguish. Shops will have to transform what they are selling because they will have a different clientele.”

Adapt or die, right? But how much control is really in the hands of the CBD’s non-chain shop-owners? “There’s a lot that can be done to make Hermanus an even better place than it is,” Douglas says. “There’s much antipathy to the bypass road but people have to realise that without it, the Municipality will not get control of Main Road and then they can’t fulfil revitalisation ideals.”

Some CBD shop-owners are saying: why wait? John Morris, owner of The Book Cottage, says: “The Municipality could be doing things under their current mandate to tidy up the place. Where is the treeplanting, the fixing of pavements? Where are the speedbumps so BMWs don’t carry on speeding down here at 120km per hour?”

It would seem that the script for Mall Mania is still being written.

So Woody, how about that film?

10

15 - 28 August 2017

THE

NEWS

Good Guide

REGULARS Every Monday ■ Classic Monday Bridge Club: Duplicate Bridge, every Monday at 13:00, at Fernkloof Hall.

To join the club, contact Riekie on 072 230 9179.

Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday Thursday 17 August ■ Hermanus Business Chamber: Festivals and Special events will be the topic of discussion at the HBC’s next cocktail event. Come and hear all about local events, how they contribute towards the local economy, and how your business could benefit. The Global Golf Challenge representatives will do a presentation, followed by the Hermanus Flower Festival and Whale Festival. Feedback will be given by the Kalfiefees and Hermanus Wine & Food Festival. At the Woodenways showroom in The Village (next to Hermanuspietersfontein), at 17:30 for 18:00. The cost is R100 for members and R120 for non-members. RSVP: Alta on 028 315 1619 or ceo@hermanuschamber.co.za

Monday 21 August ■ Overberg Quilters' Guild: The next meeting will take place at the De Wet Hall in Roos Street, Onrus at 09:00. The vendor is Alma Schwabe of Houtenlap. For more details, contact 082 444 9172.

■ The Business Gym: Power your small or medium business by improving your business management and marketing skills. The Business Gym’s latest MBO Course offered right here in Hermanus comprises 6 sessions (every Thursday for 6 weeks), with the first session kicking off from 16:30 – 19:00. Contact chris@thebusinessgym.co.za or sylvia@thebusinessgym.co.za for more info.

Friday 18 August ■ Politics, the Pill and Pop Music: Session 3 of U3A’s series on the 1960s is entitled From artisans to artists; the Beatles go off the road and into the recording studio. Presented by Dr Robin Lee, at the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

Saturday 19 August

■ U3A Overberg: An Afrikaans presentation by Dr Francis Galloway on Vlam in die Sneeu - die liefdesbriewe van André P. Brink en Ingrid Jonker.

At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

■ Hermanus Astronomy Centre: The guest speaker at the HAC’s monthly meeting is Prof Amanda Sikafoose, a senior director from the SAAO and an Honorary Member of the HAC. As the person who was instrumental in the investigation and naming of Asteroid Hermanus, her talks are always lively and fascinating. At the Catholic Church hall, at 19:00. Contact Peter on 081 212 9481 or hermanus.astronomy@gmail.com

Friday 25 – Sunday 27 August ■ Poetry in McGregor: This literary event is also a heartfelt get-together for lovers of the written word and specifically poetry, now celebrating its fifth year. The beautiful village of McGregor is the perfect location to celebrate poetry. All the intimate venues for the festival are within walking distance of one another and the starry skies, good local wine, log fires and the relaxed company of poets and poetry lovers make this an unforgettable experience. The theme of this event’s annual competition is Poetry against Poverty and all are invited to enter. For more information contact billyk@lando.co.za or Jenny at info@mcgregorpoetryfestival.co.za or visit www.poetryinmcgregor.co.za

Saturday 26 August ■ Winemaker’s Table Dinner: Join Strandveld Vineyards winemaker Conrad Vlok for a winepaired dinner at their long table. This will be a fun evening of fantastic wine, a three-course dinner, and tea or coffee. The cost is R275 pp.

At Strandveld Vineyards, from 18:30 – 21:00.

To book, contact 028 482 1902 or sales@strandveld.co.za

Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 August

viticulturalist for a day and join Beaumont Wines planting their new red wine vineyard, followed by a delicious three course lunch paired with Beaumont wines in their barrel cellar. As it is a real vine planting pull on your gumboots and come prepared to get your hands into the Beaumont farm soil. From 11:00, at Beaumont Wines’ Compagnesdrift Farm, Botrivier. R465 per head. To book, send an email to info@beaumont.co.za

Sunday 20 August

■ Plant Patterns: Whale Coast Conservation will host guest speaker Dr Chris Whitehouse, who will talk about the beautiful patterns that plants produce in the way they grow. These patterns are not just for our delight but based on simple mathematical formulae to maximise efficient growth of the plant. This talk will explore some of these simple models and explain the reasons for these attractive adaptations. At The Green House on the R43, Vermont, at 17:30.

Contact Anina on 083 242 3295 or anina.wcc@gmail.com

Thursday 24 August ■ U3A Open Meeting: The guest speaker is Sara

Pienaar, who will talk about the Ten Days that Shook the World – the Bolshevik Revolution and the West. At the Municipal Auditorium, at 17:30.

Friday 25 August

■ Ben Schoeman Piano Recital: Overstrand Arts/Kunste (OAK) is privileged to host internationally acclaimed pianist Ben Schoeman for the first recital of his upcoming South African Tour. His programme will include: Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ by Bach/Busoni; Kreisleriana by Schumann; Dances of Marosszék by Kodály; Concert Suite from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky and Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor by Rachmaninoff. At the Municipal Auditorium, at 15:30. Tickets are R140 pp (R60 for stu-dents). Bookings can be made at the Hermanus Tourism Bureau (028 312 2629). For enquiries, contact René on 082 940 4238 or email renedup@telkomsa.net

Every Thursday ■ Rotary Club of Hermanus: Weekly meetings every Thursday at Mollergren Park, at 19:00.

Visitors welcome. Contact Ian Wallace on 082 895 8738 or Metcalf Fick on 082 568 2193.

Every Friday ■ Hermanus Hacking Group: Meet at the green reservoir off Mountain Drive, close to the Gateway intersection, at 07:15 for 07:30 until 09:30 every Friday. All volunteers welcome.

Contact Charlyn Vosloo on 082 558 8731 or mcvosloo@mweb.co.za ■ ‘Kolwyntjie-Teetuin’: Everyone in the area is invited to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at the Onrus Care Centre (‘Dienssentrum’) of the Dutch Reformed Church, Onrus for only R30, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

Tuesday 22 August

■ Flight for Birders Course: Join BirdLife

■ Beaumont Barrel Cellar Lunch: Become a

■ Walker Bay Walkers: Join this group of about 30 walkers who meet 3 times a week and do 3 different routes of 6 – 9 km. Meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 07:30 at the Hermanus Bowling Club. For more information call Lynn on 082 471 3637 or Angela on 082 445 8376.

■ Politics, the Pill and Pop Music: Session 4 of U3A’s series on the 1960s is entitled Brexit Songs: Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, Hey Jude, Let it be, Imagine. Presented by Dr Robin Lee, at the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

Overberg for a Bird Identification & Conservation Course, developed to assist novices and experienced birdwatchers to become more involved in conservation actions. The course is illustrated with more than 1 600 slides and drawings. The cost of R550 pp includes a practical outing, basic notes and certificates endorsed by BirdLife South Africa. The course starts at 09:00 on both days, at the Environmental Education Centre, Fernkloof Nature Reserve. To register, contact Elaine on 082 455 8402 or mwjasser@mweb.co.za

Tuesday 29 August ■ Whale Coast Technologies: Join Whale Coast Conservation for the launch of their latest initiative which offers green energy and other technologies for sustainable living as well as expert environmental consultation services. At The Green House on the R43, Vermont, from 17:30 – 18:30.

Wednesday 30 August

■ Bhuki Café: Enjoy tea, coffee and eats for only R20 (2 eats) or R30 (3 eats) to support the Friends of Hermanus Library, every Friday from 09:00 - 11:30.

Every Saturday

■ Hermanus parkrun: Meet at Hermanus Forest in Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at 08:00. Free timed 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

■ Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market: In the courtyard at HPF cellar, The Village, from 09:00-14:00. Where wine and food lovers both local and international meet.

■ Eisteddfod Prizegiving Gala Concert: Overstrand Arts/Kunste (OAK) will host the 6th Gala Prestige Concert for winners in each category of the Overberg Eisteddfod. This event gives the learners a platform to perform in front of an audience and boost their confidence. Each participant receives a small financial token from OAK to encourage their interest in the performing arts as well as a certificate. At the end of the evening a panel chooses an overall winner.

Concert goers are invited to arrive early and look at all the visual art on display in the banquet hall prior to the concert. Tickets are R40 for adults and R10 for children, available from the Hermanus Tourism Bureau (028 312 2629). In the Municipal Auditorium, commencing at 19:00.

■ The Hermanus Country Market: A favourite among the locals, young and old. Fresh local produce, wholesome goodies, and home-made crafts. Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00-13:00.

■ Market in the Garden: Set among the trees in the heart of town, at St Peter’s Church in Main Road, from 09:00-13:00.

Village

EXPLORER EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ART

People flock to celebrate fine wines N ot even the steady downpour on Friday and Saturday could dampen the enthusiasm of wine lovers and foodies who descended upon the Curro school grounds for the 19th Hermanus Wine & Food Festival presented by the Wine Village.

With a vast collection of South Africa’s finest wines, craft beers, and artisanal gin; food trucks, stalls and marquees with a lip-smacking range of eats and deli products; live music performances and a kiddies’ corner, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Megan Parnell pours Mitch Boy from Jan Harmsgat (HG Collection Wines) a glass of Domaine des Dieux bubbly.

This annual wine celebration, rated as one of South Africa’s Top Ten Wine Festivals, was attended by local residents and visitors from far and wide, who all commented on the quality of the products and the warm hospitality of the festival. I think it is safe to say that a fine wine time was had by all!

Mark Pepper from Black Oystercatcher sampling some of Spioenkop’s wines with winemaker Koen Roose.

The Wine Village reported that ticket sales were up and they definitely had more feet than last year. This is the second year that the festival was hosted at the Curro School, and the large grounds and ample secure parking have enabled them to keep growing and to keep offering more to festivalgoers.

Wihan and Lise Brink of Hermanus visiting Jozua Hoffman and Vicky Turner at the Truter Family Wines stand.

PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner

LEFT: The gin stands were a popular feature at this year’s festival.

Charmaine Burger, who relocated to Hermanus from Gauteng only a few months ago, was very impressed with Blue Bee Gin’s products.

RIGHT: James and Juliana van Rensburg came all the way from the Kalahari to visit their daughter and son-in-law, Teresa and Blair Milne from Sandbaai, and to attend the Kalfiefees and Hermanus Wine & Food Festival. Melanie Lourens treated them to a tasting of Raka Wines.

Naas and Elsabé Terblanche from Vaalvlei Wines in Stanford chatting to locals Amanda Acker and Janes le Grange.

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A thrilling encounter

nternational bestselling crime author, Deon Meyer, had a devoted audience of fans enthralled when he came to bookmark last Saturday for the launch of his latest novel Fever (the English translation of Koors).

A master of suspense, Deon is very proud of this compelling epic which is like nothing else he has written before. He considers it his best work yet, and the one he has most enjoyed writing. He had been toying with the idea for a number of years, and felt now was the time for a novel with a futuristic dimension.

Eat your Words Among the regular book events hosted by The Book Cottage was the launch last week of The Book Club Cookbook – Eat your Words

by Louise Gelderblom. Louise is an artist who specialises in ceramics by day, and a compulsive reader and keen home cook the rest of the time. She has been a member of the Eat your Words Book Club for 24 years, where great literary fiction, intimate conversation and good food rule.

Corinne Hendry, the owner of bookmark, with crime author Deon Meyer.

Deon considers writing not so much an art which depends on inspiration, but rather a job to be done. “Just sit down and start writing the story within you,” he advised. While working full time, Meyer used to wake at 04:00 and start writing. He is more relaxed these days, he says, wakening much later at 06:00.

Book lovers queued up after his talk to have their copies of his books signed by the author.

And the good news for Bennie Griessel fans is that there are two more books in the pipeline!

15 - 28 August 2017

Fans eagerly lined up to have their books signed by Deon Meyer at bookmark.

In conversation with Ann Donald, Louise said the idea for this collection of recipes started with the premise that not all readers are necessarily confident cooks.

Neither are some social people who want to invite a group of friends or family over for a catchup or special celebration. Eat your Words is designed to help you prepare a great meal for your gathering with a bit of planning and without too much stress, she said.

For this reason the emphasis is on simple but delicious dishes that can be prepared and often completed before the guests arrive.

With snacks prepared from recipes in Eat your Words, wine by Creation and Louise’s trademark sense of humour, the launch was a memorable occasion in true Book Cottage fashion.

Author Louise Gelderblom, owner of The Book Cottage John Morris, publisher and designer Libby Doyle of Quivertree Publications and Ann Donald.

Louise Gelderblom in conversation with Ann Donald.

PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner

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MY BOOKS

15 - 28 August 2017

Collecting literary treasures Hedda Mittner

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othing gives us more pleasure than when someone looking for a rare book enters the shop with the words, ‘I don’t suppose you’ll have this book…’ and we are able to say, ‘Yes, we do!’” says Chris Steyn of The Book Collector, which opened its doors in December last year.

Chris recently joined Benadé Kruger as a partner in this quaint little shop, filled to the brim with rare antiquarian and collectible books in all genres. Specialising in quality second-hand books, The Book Collector is tucked away at the back of the Royal Centre in Main Road, directly opposite Market Square. Not only is it a welcome addition to our town’s book offering; it marks the start of a new adventure for these two bibliophiles.

Benadé hails all the way from Hoedspruit in Limpopo, where he grew up as the youngest of six children on the family farm.

When he ventured off into the wide world after matriculating, he studied at Pretoria University and pursued a career in financial management and insurance.

The corporate world, however, was not for Benadé and he always harboured the dream of owning an antiquarian bookshop in a seaside village.

“I always thought it would be something I’d be able to do when I retire,” he says with a chuckle. But when he found himself in Hermanus last year during the Whale Festival, he realised that he might have found his Shangri-La sooner than expected.

Having stumbled upon a tiny bookshop called The Book Collector, Benadé casually asked the previous owner, Deon Steyl, how the business was doing. “He responded by asking, ‘Why, do you want to buy it?’ Two months later I was the new owner of The Book Collector,” he says with a smile.

Benadé took over Deon’s stock and added his own impressive collection of over a thousand books, some of which were precious family heirlooms, like his mother’s FAK Sangbundel which she had been given when she was 18 years old. “It was the

Fernkloof Nature Reserve Book Chris Steyn and Benadé Kruger, co-owners of The Book Collector, amid their treasure trove of rare and collectable books. first book I could have sold, but it was the only book I’ll never sell. It became a symbol for me that I can no longer afford to be sentimental,” he says. “My books have become my business and I have bills to pay!”

Meanwhile, Chris had also arrived in Hermanus from Pretoria and was in the process of buying a house. “I had already discovered The Book Collector and was a regular customer when Deon introduced me to Benadé,” she says.

As fate would have it, she was also looking for a tenant and Benadé was looking for a place to live.

Soon they were not only living under one roof, but Chris was spending more and more time at The Book Collector. “I was interfering more and more in the running of the shop and I enjoyed it so much that I started hinting at becoming a partner in the business.”

Now that they have joined hands, Chris says her new venture as co-owner of a bookshop feels like a natural progression from her life as a journalist and author. “I’m in my natural habitat here at The Book Collector. Every morning when I open up the shop I have to ask myself ‘how happy can I get?’”

Back in the eighties, Chris stumbled into the world of journalism accidentally via a secretarial post at the Sunday Tribune’s Johannesburg bureau.

She proved herself a useless secretary but found her niche when her boss sent her out on stories instead of firing her. She

ENGLISH FICTION Box, C.J. – Vicious Circle Clare, Cassandra – Lord of Shadows Deaver, Jeffery – Burial Hour French, Nicci – Sunday Morning Coming Down George, Nina – The Little Breton Bistro Grisham, John – Camino Island Haslett, Adam – Imagine Me Gone James, Peter – Need You Dead Johansen, Erika – The Fate of the Tearling Johansen, Erika – The Queen of the Tearling Kalmer, Harry – A Thousand Tales of

went on to make a name for herself as a journalist for The Citizen, Rand Daily Mail, The Star, Cape Times and The Times of London.

Her hard-nosed style of reporting also landed her in a fair share of trouble during the final years of the apartheid regime, but she remained undaunted. As the editor of the Independent Newspapers Investigative Unit she continued to uncover major political and criminal scandals, which are described in her book Publish and be Damned, and make for riveting reading.

Now happily settled in Hermanus, Chris says her partnership with Benadé works very well, because each one enjoys doing what the other doesn’t like to do. “I’m more like Bernard in Black Books and Chris is more of a combination between Manny and Fran,” says Benadé.

What they do share is a love of books and both have been ferocious readers since childhood – Chris reads “everything that’s interesting” while Benadé’s special interests are history, politics and philosophy. He spends much of his time doing research on the internet, handling online buying and selling, and is currently busy expanding their stock of rare Africana and military history books, while Chris devotes more time to the daily running of the shop.

Although they take pride in their stock of antiquarian and collectable books, especially Africana and Militaria, there is

nothing snobbish or elitist about their shop, says Chris.

“We want The Book Collector to be accessible and we want everyone to be able to afford a book.”

They offer daily specials with a table of R10 books and a basket of R20 books displayed in front of the shop. In addition, they offer random discounts, while some people who can’t afford to buy specific books are sometimes even allowed to use the shop as a library. “I find it terribly distressing to meet people who want to read, but who do not have enough money to buy books,” says Chris.

It’s all about sharing for these two, but Benadé insists it’s reciprocal. “It’s the generous donations of books from the community that enables us to give back.” And while every bookshop in Hermanus has its own unique features, they are not in competition with one another. “If we can’t help a customer we will always refer them to one of the other bookshops,” says Chris.

The Book Collector is open 7 days a week from 10:00 – 17:00, and stays open later during peak holiday periods. Find them at the Royal Centre (behind KFC), 141 Main Road, Hermanus. Call 028 313 2341 or 078 1200 120 during office hours.

Books can also be sourced and purchased online; visit www.thebookcollector.co.za or send an email to thebookcollector@hermanus. co.za

To celebrate Fernkloof Nature Reserve’s 60 year anniversary, a group of dedicated Hermanus Botanical Society members have combined their expertise in their various fields of interest to create a book on this botanical gem. Never before has a book been written on Fernkloof, which has more than 1 300 recorded plant species in its 1 800 hectares.

The book will be launched at the Hermanus Flower Festival in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve from 22 – 25 September. Come and celebrate the reserve’s Diamond anniversary at this special festival; get your copy and use it to explore and appreciate this beautiful piece of Paradise.

The book contains 184 pages of glossy colour, with more than 400 photographs of plants and creatures, large and small, which can be seen in the reserve, accompanied by a description for each and useful tips for identification.

The A5 soft-cover book also has photographs of the stunning views, descriptions of the 60 km of hiking trails, maps, geology, and so much more. It is intended as a field guide which will be of interest to all visitors to Fernkloof.

Although the Fernkloof Nature Reserve is the smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world, it boasts the highest concentration of indigenous plants per square meter and extraordinarily high fynbos diversity.

Apart from Whale Coast Conservation’s Citizen Science hikes (read more on P 17), there will be plenty of other activities for the whole family, including:

New books at Hermanus Library Johannesburg Koch, Herman – Dear Mr M Lee, Krys – How I Became a North Korean Lette, Kathy – Best Laid Plans Moody, Rick – Hotels of North America Patterson, James – Murder Games Pearse, Lesley – The Woman in the Wood Rose, Karen – Monster in the Dark Rosenberg, Joel – The Tehran Initiative

Rosenberg, Joel C – Dead Heat Rosenberg, Joel C – The Ezekiel Option Rosenberg, Joel C – The Last Days Roy, Arundhati – The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Shreve, Anita – The Stars are Fire Swallow, James – Exile Walker, Alice – Color Purple NON-FICTION Smith, Daniel – How to Think Like Einstein

Eurich, Tasha – Insight Aczel, Amir – Why Science Does Not Disprove God Westad, Odd Arne – Restless Empire Bogaards, Japie – Koelreën Parsons, Paul – 50 Science Ideas You Really Need to Know Woodford, Chris – Atoms Under the Floorboards Hawking, Stephen – The Grand Design Smith, Daniel – How to Think Like Stephen Hawking

• Mini demonstration gardens - back by popular request. Learn how to make a very special mini garden; • Land Art - create your own sculpture with what nature has to offer; • More than 400 specimens and glorious flower arrangements; • Bunches of Proteas and other Fynbos for sale in the Marquee, as well as many items of a botanical nature; • Slithering Snake Fynbos Demonstration – one of the most popular features; • Special schools programmes for children from all communities; • Raffle with great prizes, including a weekend away sponsored by CapeNature.

• Fynbos restaurant.

The Hermanus Flower Festival is organised by the Hermanus Botanical Society which has a mandate to protect the flora and fauna and is passionate about educating people on the need for conservation of the Reserve.

For more information visit www.fernkloof.org.za or www.facebook.com/ hermanusbotanicalsociety or email botsochermanus@ telkomsa.net – Alta Pretorius

Andraka, Jack – Breakthrough Byatt, A.S. – Peacock and Vine Humphrey, Burton – Menuhin: A Life Winder, Robert – Half-time Hitchcock, Susan – Dawn to Dark Photographs Grundling, Erns – Elders Grundling, Erns – The Moth Bret, David – Edith Piaf Tomson, Shaun – The Code Whittock, Martyn – The Third Reich Montefiore Simon – Romanovs Van Vuuren, Hennie – Apartheid, Guns and Money Maritz, Callie – Die Suid-Afrikaanse Melktert Versameling

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Tasty new life for a heritage cottage

f there is a chef in Hermanus who has a lot on his plate it’s Warwick Taylor. It’s been hardly a year since he opened his first restaurant, Source, in Hemel-en-Aarde Village and he’s now also taken over Mon Desir in Marine Drive and renamed it Heritage Cottage.

What’s Cooking

suppliers as far as possible and his wine lists also focus on wines from the Overberg region, including wines from smaller, lesser-known producers.

RESTAURANT NEWS Hedda Mittner

At Source, Warwick and his wife Anita have succeeded in creating an edgy, original, quality-consistent and valuefor-money restaurant which focuses on daytime trade and offers what is arguably the best coffee and breakfasts in town, along with an innovative lunch menu. In little over a year it has become a highly popular eatery among locals and visitors alike, and the venue of choice for private functions and parties.

This charming fisherman’s cottage, which forms part of The Misty Waves Hotel, is one of the earliest built in Hermanus more than 150 years ago. Last year it became The Deck & Galley Restaurant, with Kim MacLean and Paul Buckingham at the helm, but closed down in April after they were issued with restraints by the Municipality regarding the enclosure of the outside seating area and utilisation of the upstairs area as a bar.

With the restaurant running smoothly, Warwick seized the opportunity to spread his wings even further, and I have no doubt that Heritage Cottage will soon gain a solid reputation as a culinary destination of note, especially for fine dining in the evening.

Warwick first stepped in two months ago to take over the breakfast service to hotel guests and since the 1st of August he is running the whole restaurant, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. The unauthorised enclosure outside has been removed and the interior of the restaurant has been stripped back to its original simplicity. Natural wood, stone, and whitewashed walls set the tone, creating a restful and welcoming ambience.

Chefs of Warwick’s calibre are a huge asset to Hermanus with its ever-increasing number of seasoned international tourists and Heritage Cottage is conveniently situated in an area with a high concentration of upmarket accommodation establishments.

The understated elegance of this establishment is carried through to the menu, which offers no more than half a dozen starters, mains and desserts to choose from, but is so well thought out that it caters for all tastes.

No stranger to international standards, Warwick paved his way through a number of five star hotels in southern Africa, including the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and the Michelangelo in Johannesburg before heading overseas.

The dishes are prepared with Warwick’s trademark attention to detail and embody classical sophistication on a plate – think duck liver paté with brandy sultanas, raspberry and mustard dressing, and brioche; or cauliflower soup with truffle and blue cheese; leg of duck with beetroot, beans and mushroom ragout; or fillet of beef with rosemary potato, caramelised onions and mustard cream; Amarula crème brulee with peppermint tuille;

THE HERITAGE COTTAGE TEAM Chef Warwick Taylor with Trisha-Lee Herholdt, Timo Nyamadzawo and Michael Badenhorst in a relaxed mood in the kitchen on the opening night of The Heritage Cottage on 1 August. or baked apple pie with vanilla crème anglaise. Perfect execution, presentation and service adds to the overall experience.

Warwick appears totally unruffled by his workload – he is confident and competent, his staff is well-trained and his establishments operate like well-oiled machines. “Working with a great team of chefs and front of house is what makes it all possible – and rewarding,”

says Warwick. This is one chef who knows how to get the basics right and who doesn’t believe in fussing too much.

“It’s all about getting back to basics and supporting local,” he told me last year shortly after opening Source.

At the time he had just left Creation, where his exceptional skill in creating gastronomic delights had food and wine enthusiasts flocking in droves to this popular wine-

tasting venue in Hemel-enAarde Ridge. He chose the name ‘Source’, he said, because it refers to the produce and ingredients that form the basis of every dish.

In order to serve good honest food, Warwick feels the focus should be more on the fresh, high quality source of the food rather than what you do with it on the plate. He believes in supporting small local

He and Anita spent four years on the Channel Island of Jersey, where she headed up the international reservations team at the 291 bedroom Merton Hotel while Warwick worked as sous chef at the Pomme d’ Or Hotel and as Chef de Partie at the four star Longueville Manor.

During their time in Jersey, they travelled extensively in Europe and explored the culinary delights of the continent.

Back in Johannesburg, the couple decided to swop city life for the more relaxed lifestyle of the Overstrand. Shortly after their wedding in October 2016, Warwick was appointed by the Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa. He spent six years at Arabella, working his way up from Sous Chef to Chef de Cuisine and ultimately to Executive Chef.

He was also tasked to assist Starwood Hotels with the opening of the Costa Navarino property in Greece, consisting of two 5 star hotels that together make up the largest luxury resort in Europe.

In 2013 Warwick and Anita established a high-end catering and consulting company, Concepts in Flavour, and the kitchen at Creation was outsourced to them and their team, where Warwick developed the menu of heavenly food designed to complement Creation’s wines.

But the couple had the goal of eventually running their own establishment since relocating to the Overstrand more than 10 years ago – and with Source and now Heritage Cottage Warwick is finally coming into his own as a chef of note, while Anita utilises her skills in marketing, finance and human resources to keep the wheels turning smoothly at both establishments.

Considering that they are also parents to very energetic sevenyear-old twins, James and Amy, all I have left to say is hats off to the Taylors!

Find Heritage Cottage at 21 Marine Drive, Hermanus. They are open 7 days a week for breakfast from 07:30 to 11:00 (includes a cold buffet and small hot a la carte menu for R140), lunch from 12:00 – 16:00, and dinner from 18:00 – 21:00.

Booking is advisable. Call 028 312 2859.

Source is situated at 12 Village Lane, Hemel-en-Aarde Village.

Open 7 days a week from 08:00 – 16:00. Call 028 125 0025.

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BirdLife Overberg – giving conservation wings Hedda Mittner

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embers of BirdLife Overberg celebrated the club’s 15th birthday with a fund-raising Xmas in July Dinner held on 29 July. To mark this milestone anniversary, founder member and chairperson Anton Odendal also announced the club’s intention to prioritise the spending of their available funds and future fund-raising and conservation efforts to focus on our region’s coastline and estuaries.

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To this purpose, BirdLife Overberg will host a weekend long workshop on 2 & 3 September, in collaboration with the Nature’s Valley Trust and Dyer Island Conservation Trust. “Profits from the enormously successful fundraising dinner have enabled us to present the workshop free of charge,” says Anton. “Anyone wishing to attend can reserve their spot by registering.”

According to Anton, they are organising the Coastline and Estuary Workshop in September with a view to getting as many possible individuals and agencies in our region to become part of their conservation efforts. Representatives of the other BirdLife clubs of the Western Cape Birding Forum have also been invited to come and participate as observers.

“In the long term we want to roll out and sponsor meaningful and sustainable educational campaigns along our coastline and estuaries. We have invited a variety of prominent speakers to share their experiences with us and there will also be time for questions and discussions at the end of every presentation,” says Anton.

“From this we will decide on our future fund-raising and conservation efforts during the final session of the workshop.

This will be a directed brainstorming session to come up with specific outcomes – what are the three main areas where we want to initiate projects to make a tangible difference, who would do them, and how this would be done. This will imply that the workshop ends with an expectation, with responsibilities, of work that will be done in future.”

Anton relocated with his wife Elaine from Newcastle to Hermanus in 2002 and soon founded BirdLife Overberg, an affiliate of BirdLife South Africa.

The club has grown to approximately 150 members and organises monthly birding outings, monthly meetings and talks by guest speakers, as well as weekend outings and longer birding tours.

BirdLife South Africa is a registered non-profit, public benefit environmental organisation and the only

Why should we conserve our birdlife?

■ Birds are an important part of our region's biodiversity, providing important ecosystem services.

■ Birds are indicators of the state of the environment. In general, places that are rich in bird species are also rich in other forms of biodiversity. Their presence indicates a healthy environment.

■ One of the Cape Whale Coast’s greatest assets is the sheer diversity of bird species found in the area as it hosts a sundry range of highly sought-after endemic and near-endemic species.

■ The bird watching industry is a growing economic force and a key element in revenue generating eco-tourism. The Cape Whale Coast has an outstanding tourism infrastructure and a plethora of accommodation establishments that are wellequipped to cope with the demands set by domestic and international bird-watchers.

■ Societies value birds for economic, cultural, ethical and spiritual reasons. Birds have inspired artists, and bird images are frequently used to adorn everyday objects like coins, bank notes and postage stamps.

BirdLife Overberg Coastline and Estuary Workshop Programme:

dedicated bird-conservation organisation in South Africa. It has more than 5 000 members in more than 30 bird clubs throughout the country and produces its own birds and birdwatching magazine, African Birdlife.

Anton says the basic aims of BirdLife Overberg are: • To allow people in the Overberg with an interest in birds to become involved in birdwatching by participating in the typical activities associated with BirdLife South Africa and its international partners; • To place strong emphasis on educational programs in order to get participants involved in the meaningful conservation of birds and their habitats; and • To market the Overberg as a top birding destination, thus contributing to the region’s already impressive tourism infrastructure.

Among those who have congratulated the club on their 15th birthday is Mark Anderson, the CEO of BirdLife South Africa, who said: “BirdLife Overberg has been a model bird club during the past decade and a half.

“The club has an active programme of lectures and outings and, what I have appreciated during my various interactions with the club, is the camaraderie amongst the members. It is important for bird clubs to have fun, and BirdLife Overberg certainly does!”

SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER MORNING SESSION – Chairperson: Anton Odendal 08:30: Registration and coffee/ tea 09:00: Welcome and introduction to the goals of the workshop – Anton Odendal, chair of BirdLife Overberg 09:15: Keynote address – ShareTheShores: mitigating the impact of people on beach breeding birds, with a focus on successes with educational campaigns – Dr Mark Brown of the Nature’s Valley Trust 10:10: Focus on the work of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust: The rehabilitation of seabirds at the African Penguin and Seabirds Sanctuary – Brenda du Toit The environmental education manual being implemented in local communities– Pinkey Ngewu 11:00: Tea break 11:15: The annual False Bay Nature Reserve BIRDATHON – Dale Wright, the Western Cape Conservation Manager for BirdLife South Africa 11:55: The Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot and some initiatives being planned for the future – Liezl de Villiers or Tarron Dry of the Environmental Department of the Overstrand Municipality 12:30: Lunch AFTERNOON SESSION – Chairperson: Carl Swart 13:00: BirdLife South Africa’s work on estuaries in the Western Cape – Dr Giselle Murison, Western Cape Estuaries Conservation Project Manager, BirdLife South Africa 13:40: A water course / wetland rehabilitation programme for the Mill Stream in Stanford – Sheraine van Wyk of Whale Coast Conservation 14:10: Tea break 14:30: The Padda – Skilpadsvlei proposal review – Tracy Sampson, Environmental Control Officer, Western Cape Government 15:10: RAMSAR status for the Bot-Kleinmond estuary: a video presentation – Johan Rothmann 15:25: Monitoring and research on estuaries – Pierre de Villiers, Estuaries Manager, CapeNature EVENING: Social event being considered - this will be confirmed with participants.

SUNDAY 3 SEPTEMBER MORNING SESSION – Chairperson: Dale Wright 08:30: Coffee/ tea 09:00: Coastal clean-ups along the Overstrand Coast, including those involving schools - Antonio da Silva-Swart 10:00: Plastic pollution in paradise: working towards clean beaches – Dr Mark Brown of the Nature’s Valley Trust 10:55: Feedback on the success of fishing-line bins by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust – Brenda du Toit 11:10: Feedback on the success of Whale Coast Conservation’s cigarette butt bin project – Sheraine van Wyk or Antonio da Silva-Swart 11:40: Stony Point: The Origins of a Main-land Seabird colony – Cuan McGeorge of CapeNature 12:30: Lunch AFTERNOON SESSION 13:00 until closure: A Brainstorming session on the road forward FASCILITATOR: Dr Mark Brown ADMIN (Minutes): Anton Odendal & Carin Malan

The BirdLife Overberg Coastline and Estuary Workshop will be hosted at the Community Hall, Mollergren Park, Main Road, Hermanus. Entry is free and you can reserve your spot by obtaining the registration form from Elaine at mwjasser@mweb.co.za or by calling 082 455 8402.

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A very special Fernkloof frog

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hale Coast Conservation calls all keen hikers and/or frog enthusiasts to help them on three days during the Hermanus Flower Festival to find ‘Moses’ the Moss Frog. You will have an opportunity to hike into the Fernkloof Nature Reserve to help with a survey of the endemic Drewes’ Moss Frog. ANINA LEE tells us why we should care about a tiny frog that can be heard but not seen.

Frogs are interesting little critters. Sheraine van Wyk and some of her colleagues at Whale Coast Conservation have, over the years, become especially interested in the frogs of the Overstrand. It’s not always easy to spot them amongst vegeta-tion, but they are a dead give-away during the mating season when the males call out for attention from the females.

Each species of frog has a distinct mating call, so they can be identified from their calls, as one can with birds.

Drewes’ Moss Frog (Arthroleptella drewesii) is a small, extremely well-camouflaged frog and, as the name implies, it hides under moss and other dense vegetation. It even lays its eggs in the damp vegetation where they go through metamorphosis into fully formed froglets. The adult is only 18 mm in size and the colouring varies from blotchy brown to black. It’s a rare privilege to catch a glimpse of one.

In fact, so seldom are they seen that Louis du Preez and Vincent

Carruthers in their book Frogs of Southern Africa (2009) describe the conser-vation status of the Drewes’ Moss Frog as “Data deficient” and the distribution range as “uncertain.”

Michael Brits, a student at Stellenbosch who is experienced in GIS mapping, and Denfred Bruintjies, Sheraine’ s colleague at Whale Coast Conservation who is a whizz at recognising frog calls.

So not surprisingly, frog enthusiasts were thrilled to hear these frogs calling in Fernkloof Nature Reserve in October 2015. The calls were surprisingly wide-spread in the reserve. It was evident that not much was known about the exact locations and the numbers of this species in the Reserve.

In the first week of July 2016 they traversed more than 28 km of hiking trails in Fernkloof.

They listened for the distinct calls, closed in on them and, using a hand-held GPS device, marked the location. These little frogs are so confident of being unseen that they don’t bother to stop calling when one approaches.

When they were heard again at the end of May 2016 it sparked a decision to survey the population to find out more about this Fernkloof favourite. Whale Coast Conservation undertook the survey with the financial support of the Hermanus Botanical Society.

So it was possible to estimate the number of frogs calling at each identified location.

Michael and Denfred recorded the calls and, where possible, took a picture of the habitat.

The GPS data was used to create maps to show where the Drewes’ Moss Frog occurs and roughly how many there were.

Sheraine devised the survey method and supervised the two field workers. They were

As one might expect, the little frog was heard in all the damp places and seepages in the

central Fernkloof water catchment after the first winter rains.

Although Michael and Denfred could hear the frogs, it proved to be nearly impossible to find one in the dense vegetation. It became a personal challenge for them to find at least one!

For four days they tried in vain until, on the very last day, Denfred heard one calling from a little temporary rivulet high up in the mountain. And there, under a stone, was the prized little fellow. What a find!

Denfred was so excited and his hand shook so much that most of the photographs he took of the frog were out of focus. But he managed one great shot of the frog sitting on his finger.

And how many frogs were there? Well, let’s say there was a very healthy population of several hundred. Although a concentration of one species in such a small area makes them vulnerable to any catastrophe, Fernkloof is a well-managed reserve. Our

very special little Drewes’ Moss Frog is well protected.

However, they have no defence against climate change with drier, hotter summers and less rain in winter. Early indications in 2017 are that there are far fewer frogs calling this winter.

Are they just waiting for more rain or did they not survive the summer? We need everyone to help us to find out.

How can you get involved?

During the Hermanus Flower Festival there will be 3 conducted hikes with WCC during which you can help with a count of the (male) frogs calling on that day. Your survey results will be added to the data collected in July 2016.

1. Saturday 23 September 10:00-12:00: Red Route for any hikers, including children 2. Sunday 24 September 10:00 – late: Galpin Peak for serious hikers.

3. Monday 25 September 10:00 – 12:00: Three Dams route for moderately fit hikers,

Michael Brits and Denfred Bruintjies including children.

Booking is essential for these citizen-science hikes as numbers are limited by the terrain. There is no extra charge – just your R25 entry to Fernkloof. Email anina.wcc@gmail.com or book at the WCC exhibit in the marquee at the Festival where you can also find out more about this project.

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Enjoy Vulture Culture at De Hoop

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e Hoop Nature Reserve now offers bird and nature lovers the rare experience of getting up close and personal with the endangered Cape Vulture, a huge and impressive bird with a wingspan of about two and a half metres.

Known as one of the Western Cape’s largest and most beautiful nature sanctuaries, De Hoop is set within a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Bredasdorp stretching towards the ocean, which becomes the playground of Southern Rights during whale season.

The area comprises unspoilt sand dunes along the coastline, a vlei which is a Ramsar site, several mountain trails, and diverse fauna and flora, including more than 260 species of birds.

The only surviving colony of vultures in the Western Cape can be found on the Potberg mountain in the reserve. A wellplanned vantage point – the vulture deck – can be reached by a hiking trail (approximately 1 hour) to view the Cape Vultures near their breeding colony.

Visitors are able to see the vultures circling in the sky above the rocky gorge where they nest, swooping, diving and flying by – sometimes so close you can hear the wind rushing under their wings.

“Among our outdoor experiences a trip to Potberg and viewing the vultures is an absolute must,” says head guide

Dalfrenzo Laing. “To get to the trail, set amongst rare fynbos species and with unparalleled views over the ocean and dune fields of De Hoop, only takes an hour’s drive from the De Hoop Opstal reception and you’ll be accompanied by a field guide who will explain more about the plant life and the vultures.”

The steep cliffs on Potberg Mountain provide the perfect habitat for the Cape Vultures.

The cliffs and gorges are shared with Peregrine Falcon, Verreaux’s Eagle, Jackal Buzzard and Rock Kestrel, and close by the Black Harrier nest on the fynbos flats and Martial Eagles make occasional overflights.

This colony of about 200 vultures has grown in the last decade from about 100 birds. Many experts believed they wouldn’t survive – and it’s true they were almost wiped out because of destruction of their natural habitat, an increase in farming, as well as poisoning.

“It is because CapeNature embarked on raising awareness and educating local communities that the vultures are now seen as a real asset in the area,” explains well respected conservationist photographer, Peter Chadwick.

“Interestingly the birds no longer scavenge on natural prey, such as the Eland and Bontebok which occur in good numbers in the nature

reserve - they instead feed on livestock carcasses.

With the Overberg being a sheep and dairy farming area, the farmers are now very positive and proud of ‘their’ vultures. Some have created ‘vulture restaurants’ where the car-casses of livestock are taken to a safe location and the birds can feed without being disturbed.”

The farmers also keep a watchful eye out for any sick vultures; when one is found it is taken through to the Bredasdorp vet clinic and treated at no cost. As soon as the vultures are well enough they are returned to the colony and released.

This joining of hands by the farmers and the community has played a positive role in the protection and conservation of the vultures and ensured their survival in the area.

Bookings for the Vulture Experience can be made at the Opstal Reception. A nature guide accompanies guests to see the vultures at 09:00 and the cost of R550 pp includes a picnic backback. Guests must be 12 years or older and a maximum of 10 people can be accommodated. Day visitors are welcome. Prior arrangement and bookings are essential, in order to avoid disappointment.

Contact 021 422 4522 or res@dehoopcollection.co.za.

Visit www.dehoopcollection.com

PHOTOS: Peter Chadwick

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MY HEALTH

15 - 28 August 2017

Spring clean your body with mindful eating

“

By Sarah Taylor

F

resh, ethically sourced food, bursting with flavour: this is ‘clean eating’ at its best. Timed to coincide with the arrival of spring, inspired foodie Emilia Knight will be hosting two Clean Eating demonstrations at the Goozi Kitchenshop in Hermanus on 1 & 2 September.

“I want to show people how simple clean eating can be.

It’s about finding fresh, local ingredients and combining them in a simple, versatile and presentable way. What we eat should be good for us, it should taste amazing, and it should be equally beautiful so it’s irresistible!” says Emilia.

– Appetite Knight

”

diploma at the Institute for Culinary Arts in Stellenbosch.

The first day will involve Emilia demonstrating three dishes, while the second day will include a hands-on demo with the participants.

Emilia grew up on a farm near Stellenbosch where her mother encouraged her on her food journey by inspiring her to be creative in the kitchen. “I’ve always had a passion for food.

It’s one area in which I am uncompromising,” she says.

It’s important to be aware of where our food comes from, and how it is manufactured and processed

Clean eating for Emilia is mindful eating. “It’s about being aware of what you are eating and where it has come from. It’s the opposite to a glutinous approach to food. In my food adventure, I’ve been a vegetarian, a vegan, a rawtarian and a lacto-ovo vegetarian… but I think at heart I am a flexitarian: a flexible vegetarian.”

“My mother was a florist, and the baking and preserves she sold at local farm stores and wine farms was a sideline for her.”

Swellendam (The Milestone).

She has lived in Hermanus for nine years and launched her Clean Eating Facebook page two years ago, which has attracted nearly 3 000 followers from around the globe.

A mother of three, a hiker and talented photographer, Emilia has travelled throughout Europe, owned an events company (which included the children’s offering, Arty Farty Party) and owned a bistro in

“I love European food culture: the markets, heirloom veggies and artisanal cheeses. I have great respect for something that has been produced with passion and quality ingredients.”

Her interest in clean eating began to evolve 20 years ago, while she was living in Scotland, although it was only in 2012 that she completely cut out ‘bistro-style’ ingredients from her diet, like butter and cream.

“While living in Edinburgh I ditched processed foods, including sugar, after realising how compromised farm produce was becoming. It’s important to be aware of

where our food comes from, and how it is manufactured and processed. Only a few years ago I eliminated butter and cream, which I love, but it’s holiday food. With clean eating, one will feel more energised, healthier and won’t experience that postmeal slump.”

life through my workshops.

She was a tough cookie in the kitchen, but she was very patient in teaching me. She had such a vibrancy and people adored her cooking.

Together we would pit the apricots and she showed me how to slice green beans finely with a razor blade.”

Her mother and mentor passed away recently. “My mum would have said, ‘Life goes on’, and so it does and I am celebrating her

Emilia’s eldest son, Scotty, has caught her passion too. The 23-year-old is currently in his third year of a City & Guilds

Emilia’s passion led her to her purpose and she is now a freelance food consultant, advising restaurants.

■ Follow Emilia as Appetite Knight on facebook, instagram and twitter.

■ To book for the Clean Eating demonstrations, contact Emilia Knight on 076 837 4231 or visit her Clean Eating Facebook page. Space is limited to 20 people per demo.

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15 - 28 August 2017

Shortage of Great Whites leaves shark cage industry out in the cold

W

ho would have thought that the behaviour of a few killer whales could so dramatically affect the lives of predominantly land-lubber humans? Although up to three great white sharks have been spotted again off Gansbaai this past week, their disappearance for a total of six weeks until the end of last month, possibly because of the visiting and predating orcas, has severely affected the multi-million-rand shark tourism industry. SARAH TAYLOR investigates.

The bodies of four great whites, one, a female, a staggering 4,9 m in length, washed up along the coast in May and June this year, showing evidence of having been attacked by killer whales which removed only the sharks’ nutritious, squalene-rich livers. A small pod of the orcas has been spotted in the area in the past few months.

cost R1 750. He has seen the local industry grow in leaps and bounds, particularly as film crews visit South Africa and then share their great white footage with the wider public, attracting more shark tourists.

PHOTO: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

“What makes South Africa so special is that we don’t have to go far into the ocean to see the great whites in False Bay, Mossel Bay and Kleinbaai/Gansbaai. In many places off the coasts of California, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand you need to travel up to seven hours in a boat to get to the sharks, compared to about 15 minutes from Kleinbaai, and those trips can involve two-to-three days at sea, costing in excess of US$20,000. We have become the great white capital of the world because our sharks are so much more accessible.

As a result of the sharks having stayed away for such an extended period, the longest according to those in the industry, fewer tourists visited the area this winter, a time usually considered prime season for great white shark viewing off Dyer Island. Tour companies have been refunding tourists a portion of their fees if trips resulted in a no-show of the famous apex predator. A three-to-five-hour shark-diving trip can cost between R1 750 and R1 900 per person depending on the operator.

Supreme Sharks, one of the eight companies licensed to conduct shark cage diving tours from Kleinbaai, has suspended the operation of its business for now because of the financial strain, while a local shark curio business closed its doors last month. Guesthouses have reportedly laid off cleaning and gardening staff as they have felt the financial pinch.

Supreme Sharks CEO Nozuko Lungcuzo told The Village News: “The business, which started operating in 2011, is not closing but going through major financial strain. We are currently in a process of looking at alternatives for finance but certainly the lack of sharks has caused major setbacks in this regard, as the industry is now no longer regarded as (a) good investment like it used to be.”

Elna Caravias, who closed down her Kleinbaai-based Shark Alley curio shop at the end of July and retrenched two staff members, said she was exploring other options for income generation. She opened the shop in 2009: “I was forced to close the shop as a direct result of there being fewer sharks and so fewer tourists. Sales dropped by at least 85% and I could no longer afford to cover the overheads, like the rent and staff salaries.

Even if the sharks and the tourists come back, I won’t consider running such a business again. It is too risky,” she said.

“

Definitely, this is the most extreme paucity of great white sharks on record

”

Meaghen McCord Gray, founder and director of the South African Shark Conservancy, concurred: “I feel awful for the industry. The realisation has sunk in that nature is uncontrollable and relying on a single source of income in marine-based tourism is challenging.

“It is common with all sharks that they tend to disappear if one is predated upon. But it is impossible to tell in this instance if it is a direct result of the orcas or rather the result of the mortalities themselves which are deterring the great whites. So little is known about killer whales, and members of this pod have not been tagged, so we have no information about them.”

Wilfred Chivell, founder and owner of Marine Dynamics and Dyer Island Cruises, as well as the founder of the not-

for-profit Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT), said the lack of great whites has had a “massive domino effect” on the local economy.

He alone employs 90 people and has managed not to retrench any staff during this difficult time. Marine Dynamics also funds the research conducted at DICT to the tune of R1 million annually. The company has also covered the costs of retrieving the dead great white sharks from the surge zone and flying in national experts to assist with the necropsies.

DICT marine biologist, Alison Towner, said it is unprecedented for there to be a rivalry between two species of apex predators, “as their territory normally doesn’t overlap”.

“Definitely, this is the most extreme paucity of great white sharks on record,” said Alison.

Wilfred noted that the company has a daily blog of their marine sightings. “We are very transparent with our clients about the lack of great white shark sightings, so they know what they are getting into when they join a shark cage dive tour. If we don’t see any sharks, we offer 25% of the fee back, which means we are running at a significant loss. Our staff are very knowledgeable and so we can show our clients other sea life on

these trips, including seals, whales, birds and fish, as well as some of the shipwrecks along the coast and explain the history of the area.

“We do wonder if it is because of something we as humans have done that has driven the orcas into this area. Did we take their food away with over-fishing? I firmly believe it is some pressure somewhere.”

Kim ‘Sharklady’ MacLean said perhaps it is global warming that has destroyed the pack ice in the Antarctic off which the orcas traditionally snatchand-grab seals, as they are not agile enough to hunt these animals in the open water.

“The disappearance of the sharks has caused havoc. It has been very, very stressful,” said Kim, who has been working with great whites for 35 years. “And the killing of four of them has been very distressing. To keep the business afloat and so as not to retrench any of my 15 staff members, I have had to cash in my pension, policies and dig into my savings.”

She noted that her company Sharklady Adventures has recently begun offering deep blue scuba dives 35km south of Hermanus with mako and blue sharks, without a cage to encourage shark tourists to continue to visit the Herma-

nus area, despite there being fewer great whites. “We also give our great white shark dive clients 50% of their money back when we don’t see any, so we have been running at a loss. I lost three film shoots this winter. The shark businesses in Kleinbaai put that town on the map and led to a lot of investment and development there, but recently it has become like a ghost town.

“This whole experience does teach you to respect nature though, because this could happen next year again.”

“

The disappearance of the sharks has caused havoc.

It has been very, very stressful

”

Brian McFarlane, owner and founder of Great White Shark Tours, has been in the business for almost 20 years when he started with one small, six-man boat. He now has a vessel with a capacity for 40 tourists and five crew. Tours

“This is the first time in 19 years that I have experienced such a long gap in seeing the great whites. It’s also my first time to see orcas here, which were first spotted along our coast by a fisherman in 2015. If the weather is good, we normally have a 99% chance of seeing the great whites on any trip,” said Brian, noting that in January 2016 they stayed away for almost three weeks before slowly returning.

“There is a lot we don’t know about great whites, although we do know they are migratory and don’t tend to stay in one area. but may return to visit for a few weeks at a time each year.

A total of 45 sharks in South African waters were tagged with satellite tags about four years ago and the data from this was astounding. One, named Nicole, travelled all the way from Gansbaai to Australia, 22 000 km, in 99 days, going to a maximum depth of 900 m.”

Brian said that when the crew of his company stopped seeing the sharks, they first gave back the disappointed tourists the full amount of R1 750. “Then we gave back 50%, because we still had staff and operational costs to cover. Now we explain clearly beforehand that there is a chance that no great whites will be seen and we return 25% of the cost of the trip if that happens.

“It has been a very, very trying time. I’ve lost in excess of R3 - 4 million. The Overberg as a whole has probably lost hundreds of millions of rand in revenue, from the guesthouses,

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15 - 28 August 2017 hotels, restaurants and shops.

But my personal loss is not the issue: it’s the disappointment on the faces of those who have planned their holiday for years, although they do appreciate us being honest from the start.

Shark cage diving is one of the top five things that tourists to Cape Town want to do alongside a visit to Table Mountain, Cape Point, Robben Island and the Waterfront.

“Normally each shark tour boat would have about 15 to 20 different sharks, but in the past few days we’ve all been sharing between one and three sharks.

Between January and July, we’d normally have 1 000 tourists a month, but these past few months have been very slow.”

Charmaine Beukes, one of the owners of White Shark Projects, said the company has managed to sustain their employment numbers, “but it has been bad”.

“The challenge for us is to rethink what we do and to see how we can diversify. We just have to save the boat now… we can’t jump ship, especially as we have spent an enormous amount of money on marketing

the great whites,” said Charmaine, who added that the company has begun doing ‘eco trips’ for R800 to look at other marine life, including seals and other sharks. “We have had to work hard at managing clients’ expectations.”

White Shark Projects’ crew members Jerome Josephs and Thobile ‘Benz’ Nomandela said the last few weeks have been nerve-wracking.

“This is a first for all of us to have orcas feeding on the great whites. We don’t know what to expect. And it’s not just this industry. The bed and break-fasts and the shops around here are also being affected. When tourists contact us from overseas and they hear that there are no sharks, about 80% of them don’t want to come anymore,” said Jerome.

Benz added that this issue is affecting the whole Overstrand area, including Hermanus: “When we have sharks in Kleinbaai, tourism picks up in Hermanus. When we have nothing here, everything goes down.”

Dave Caravias, owner of sharkbookings.com, a central booking office for shark diving in South Africa, said that “when the sharks disappear, it does impact us, as 80% of our clients want to do shark diving”. But they are more flexible and can redirect their clients to Mossel Bay, for example, where there have been plenty of great whites and no orcas this winter. Dave also runs guesthouses in De Kelders as well as fat bike beach tours.

“If the sharks disappear, we will need to push other businesses,” he said. “Who knows if the orcas will come back in future? But hopefully this is the end of the story.”

“

When tourists contact us from overseas and they hear that there are no sharks, about 80% of them don’t want to come anymore.

”

White Shark Projects’ crew members Jerome Josephs and Thobile ‘Benz’ Nomandela

PHOTO: White Shark Projects

PHOTO: African Wings

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15 - 28 August 2017

Flea, fly, foe... how to shoo away fleas and flies

F

leas and flies are to pets what mosquitoes are to humans, so put an action plan into place before the weather warms.

Fighting fleas The flea is very persistent and resilient and eliminating infestations can be time-and treatment-intensive because their lifecycle is so long. Your pet sheds flea eggs throughout the house and those eggs take 30 days to reach adulthood.

Once your home is infested, it can take up to three months to completely drive fleas out.

THE

NEWS

MY Pet Dr Hilldidge Beer

Your action plan The best time to tackle fleas is before the weather warms, when there is the best chance they will become less active and fewer in number.

drawn to dogs’ ears, belly and backside. The best way to keep them at bay is to be vigilant about hygiene. Keeping your dog clean and healthy and your yard free of faeces and garbage will go a long way to keeping the flies off. Wash garbage bins regularly with heavy-duty disinfectants and keep your dog’s water and food bowls clean.

■ Not all treatments are suitable for all animals, especially if your dog or cat is breeding, pregnant or lactating. Talk to your vet about what’s right for your pet.

Flies can be drawn to a dog’s coat, especially if it is matted or unclean as a result of an illness, skin condition, or diarrhoea.

Keep a sick dog clean and indoors.

■ Flea infestations in young animals can be deadly but treatment must be ageappropriate.

■ Monthly treatments may not be enough to tackle the problem, leaving gaps in protection that allow reinfestation. The longer the treatment lasts, the easier it will be for you to keep your pet and house protected.

■ Fast-acting treatment is critical. Look for treatments that get to work quickly. There are new spot-on and chewable options available that start

■ Look for solutions that provide both immediate and persistent control: you need fast-acting, long-lasting protection. There are prescription-only treatments available for cats that can kill over 95% of fleas within 12 hours. For dogs, similar treatments can kill up to 100% of fleas and ticks within a few hours. Ask your vet for advice.

working quickly and reach 100% efficacy within 12 hours.

■ It’s essential that your treatment does not interact with other medications your

pet may be taking. Check that the treatment option you choose does not have any adverse effects when used concurrently with other medicines. It is always best

to discuss your pet’s treatment, whether prescriptiononly or over-the-counter, with your veterinarian. Your vet is your pet’s health care expert.

■ There are chewable and spot-on treatments available.

Look for products that can provide you with the flexibility to care for your pet in the way that works for you. If you choose a spot-on treatment, choose one that allows your dog to swim or bath without loss of efficacy.

Shoo away flies Flies are a persistent summer pest that are particularly

If flies are biting your dog, Shoo-fly is a pleasant smelling, easy-to-use spray-on fly repellent. It’s safe to use on open wounds and lasts for two to three days per application, but make sure ears or areas you are spraying are cleaned of blood and dirt before spraying.

Available at EberVet Vetshops.

As with all pet ownership issues, diligence is key. A pet that is well cared for is healthier and happier and a pleasure to have in the home.

Hilldidge Beer is CEO of the EberVet Pet Care Group and EberVet Vetshops

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15 - 28 August 2017

The team from Hermanus Animal Hospital during their Outreach in the Eastern Cape last week, with two local helpers from Mthatha SPCA. From left are Dr Sandy Waddingham, Lucky Mqhoboka, Jennifer Mackenzie, Mondi Magawu, Marlene Deneeghere and Avis MacIntyre.

Dr Sandy Waddingham (left) in action during the Spayathon in the Eastern Cape, where 70 animals were sterilised and treated for various conditions such as mange, cuts, abscesses, eye conditions and many more.

Spayathon by local vets a huge success The Hermanus Animal Hospital Outreach Spayathon at Mdumbi in the Eastern Cape last week could reasonably have been called a Vetathon, as animal owners arrived at the makeshift hospital in a rustic campground, needing a plethora of treatments for their animals.

Headed by veterinarian Dr

Sandy Waddingham, the three-day project resulted in the sterilisation of 70 animals and all-round treatments ranging from euthanasia, vaccination and deworming to the treatment of mange, cuts, abscesses, eye conditions and many more.

The animals included not only cats and dogs but also

goats and cattle. The team were even asked why they could not treat people.

There was a sense of rodeo in the outside waiting area, with reluctant and very wild dogs bucking the ropes around their necks.

Castrating bulls in open fields presented its own problems.

Since the animals had long

distances to walk home, surgery stopped at 3pm to allow time for them to recover.

Many personal connections were made during this Outreach and the enthusiasm of all the local helpers was almost palpable.

elders to pay their respects and give thanks was the ultimate stamp of approval and the team members were individually thanked for coming such a long way and giving their time and expertise to help the people and animals in this impoverished area.

A solemn visit from tribal

A big thanks for the success of

this outreach must go to all the generous donors in Hermanus who pushed the target figure of R20 000 to be used for drugs and fuel to over R44 000 by the time of departure. Donated money left over will go towards the next spayathon which will take place in Hermanus later in the year. – Avis MacIntyre

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15 - 28 August 2017

Seafront home with history and soul

n exceptional property in Voëlklip that is marketed

by Seeff Properties Hermanus has come onto the market for R35 million.

The original gabled house was built in 1925 and to date it has only been owned by five families.

After a devastating fire in 1996, the current owners sympathetically rebuilt the house to the old standard on the same footprint but with modern living in mind.

To retain the old world charm a number of fixtures and fittings were sourced from importers of products produced in continental Europe and even as far afield as Australia.

THE

NEWS

MY Property

The property regularly receives admiring attention from locals and visitors to Hermanus alike. To many it is a recognisable beacon and epitomises the spirit of this seaside suburb.

But it is more than just a beautiful home – it is all about location, location, location, that international mantra of the discerning and savvy investor. Here you can sit on the front veranda and watch the children at play on the grassed commonage while schools of dolphins pass by in the background, and in season, watch the whales frolicking in the surf, while cormorants and seagulls nestle on the distinctive rock formation in the sea directly in front of you, from whence the

suburb of Voëlklip derives its name (Afrikaans for ‘bird rock’).

Stepping out of the front gate you find yourself on the coastal strip of Fernkloof Nature Reserve with views across the bay to Hermanus village. No roads to cross and Kammabaai beach, the preferred surfing spot of that dedicated fraternity, is a mere minute or two away, as is the popular Voëlklip beach, immediately to the left.

Not to forget Langbaai, a secluded swimming spot a few minutes to the right, amongst many other charming coves to explore.

Only 5 minutes away there is Grotto beach, with its white stretch of sand that extends around the curve of Walker Bay to Gansbaai over a distance of about 25 km that is bordered by the CapeNature Reserve – a nature lover’s dream. Your

backdrop is the mountains (peaking at 842 m) making up the 18 km² of the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, with 60 km of trails to explore within easy reach by foot from the house.

All this is right on your doorstep, offering the lifestyle that dreams are made of!

To view this property, contact Seeff exclusive sole agent Lynda Terblanché: 060 070 1959 or lynda.terblance@seeff.com

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15 - 28 August 2017

BC Design brings a touch of class to walls and floors

B

C Design, a successful tile supplier based in Johannesburg, has opened a new showroom in Hermanus at The Carriages Centre. This intimate space (situated opposite Col’Cacchio and next to Quirk & Leopard) has been tastefully fitted and decorated to show off their exquisite selection of upmarket tiles and mosaics.

THE

NEWS

MY Business

To enter this shop is to be instantly seduced and inspired, especially if you have an eye for quality and beauty.

“

We are amazed at how friendly and helpful the locals and the Municipality have been

than Hermanus. We are amazed at how friendly and helpful the locals and the Municipality have been.

Owners Brad and Cathy Louw recently celebrated the opening of their new venture and couldn’t be more pleased about trading the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg for a more chilled, coastal lifestyle.

and they work with property professionals such as developers, architects and interior designers, as well as private home owners.

”

Brad says although he grew up in Johannesburg they spent many a family holiday in the Cape.

“Not only is this a beautiful part of the world but everything works so well – the town is clean, it has enough water, the roads are in a good condition.

We are really looking forward to settling down here, engaging with the locals and building relationships with our clients.”

“My parents bought a holiday home in Hermanus in 1995, so we have been coming here for 20 years and know the area well,” he says. Last year he and Cathy bought their own home, which they have just finished renovating, and soon they’ll be living here full time.

The couple says they are both hands-on and pride themselves on being serviceoriented. “We’re from Jo’burg,” laughs Cathy, “so if a client needs something immediately, we’re on it!” She has, after all, been in the tile supply business for over 20 years.

“We were ready for a change,” says Brad, “and what better place

The owners of BC Design, Brad and Cathy Louw, recently celebrated the opening of their new showroom in The Carriages Centre in Hermanus.

BC Design has both commercial and private clients,

BC Design’s personal service includes site visits and in-house consultations to find just the right architectural and interior inspiration for your project.

“Finishes are the most important aspect of any building project,” says Brad. “That is why we only deal with the highest quality imported products. We also have international factory backing which guarantees after-sales service. As tile suppliers we do not do installations ourselves but we work in collaboration with selected contractors.”

The showroom is a welcoming space where you can browse, page through their supply of inspiring home magazines and chat to the owners about your design needs. If Brad or Cathy are not there, office manager and sales executive Terri Jago will be at your service.

You may even take your pooch along – the Louws are dog lovers who emphasise that this is a family and animal friendly store.

You’ll even find a bowl of fresh water at the entrance!

Find BC Design at Shop 3, The Carriages, Centre, Hermanus. Call 028 312 2366.

- Hedda Mittner

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15 - 28 August 2017

A new chapter in Hawston’s history

motions of joy and elation ran high in Hawston on Thursday, 10 August, when the new Hawston Primary School was officially opened by Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Enver Surty.

The school was built at a cost of R64 million and caters for 1 147 learners, 720 of whom are in Grade R. Surty said the opening of the school is a great day for Hawston. “It is something you will never forget; something you will tell your grandchildren about. It is your future, respect that and make use of the opportunities that you are afforded. There are many people in this community that have sacrificed a lot in the past so that their children can have a better future. Never forget that.

COMPUTER ROOM Director of the Overberg Education District, Bertram Loriston, Principal Julius Swart and Mayor Rudolph Smith attended the opening of the new Hawston Primary School.

HAPPY: Mayor Rudolph Smith joined in in the singing and dancing at the opening of the new Hawston Primary School.

not only remains clean, but is safe from any form of vandalism and theft. If we can read well we can learn well,” he added.

learning takes place and make sure our learners and educators are safe and secure.”

assistance in making this day possible and creating a positive attitude for learners towards their education.

“I do not want to hear about drug abuse and violence and gangs in this school. Make this school the centre of your community and ensure that it

The school was one of four schools in the Western Cape plagued by structural defects and declared structurally unsafe by engineers in 2015.

Principal Julius Swarts said a new chapter in Hawston’s history has been written and he cannot be prouder. He thanked his staff and all other stakeholders for their

Mayor Rudolph Smith said he has a long and proud history with the school. “You have been afforded a wonderful opportunity to be at this school.

Make the most of it.”

The new school was built under the auspices of the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative that aims to eradicate schools built from inappropriate material and to provide stateof-the-art schools that include a spacious hall with kitchen facility, Grade R centre with own toilets, sick bay and play

area, science and computer laboratory, a library and an administration block.

Chairperson of the School’s Governing Body, Dean Martins, said the responsibility for the new school falls on the whole community. “It is a fresh start, in a new school - let’s take ownership to ensure quality

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MY SPORT

15 - 28 August 2017

Offside Tony O’Hagan

W

ith the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championships around the corner there is much speculation about what we can expect from our national team. TONY O’HAGAN says he hopes the Springboks do better than the Proteas! For that reason he took an in-depth look at the game and came across some interesting issues, such as what the reason could be for the increase in the size of the average Rugby World Cup player and whether there should be an orange card that indicates 40 minutes in the sin bin instead of the punitive red card. What do you think?

Are rugby players getting bigger?

A recent report by the BBC indicates that the size of the average Rugby World Cup player has progressively increased to a significant extent since the first World Cup in 1987.

THE NEW 2017 SPRINGBOK JERSEY The match jerseys feature a tight fit with minimum underarm seams for maximum comfort as well as a traditional rugby collar with modern quick release snap closure. The body and neckline seams have reinforced taped constructions for optimum strength when it comes to how the jersey stretches and snaps back to its original position.

Greater expectations from Springboks Alister Coetzee has picked a 34 man squad for the 6th edition of the annual Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championships.

After a three test clean sweep over France in June, the Springboks will be hoping for an improved performance in this year's Rugby Championships.

In 2016, the Springboks lost a first home test to Ireland and had two narrow home victories over Argentina and Australia in the Rugby Championships. The team ended behind New Zealand and Australia on the final league table last year.

The 34 man squad consists of 8 Stormers, 8 Bulls, 7 Lions, 6 Sharks, 4 Cheetahs, and

SPORT NEWS?

Francois Hougaard from Worcester Warriors in England.

Newcomers to the squad include flyhalf Curwin Bosch (Sharks), No. 8 Dan Du Preez (Sharks), and fullback Warrick Galant (Bulls).

The challenges that lie ahead will be more difficult than the encounters with the French.

The All Blacks will again be favoured to defend their title, while the Wallabies are on a six-week training camp to improve the poor showing of their teams in the Super 18.

Argentina will also be competitive, especially at home so the Springboks will have to be at their best to improve on last year's Rugby

Championship results.

South Africa kick off their quest for top honours with a home encounter against Argentina on 19 August, followed by an away fixture against the same team a week later. Thereafter it’s Australia and New Zealand away, with the culmination of the event via home encounters against the Wallabies and the All Blacks on home soil.

Supporters of the Springboks will be confident of an improved performance this year and at least four victories in the competition as opposed to the two wins achieved in 2016. Go Bokke, go!

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Just send the information or image to sport@thevillagenews.co.za and we will gladly consider it. Competition results, a friendly rivalry, a funny anecdote, a once-off feat or a major improvement – all news is welcome. We would like to feature our community’s major sport stars as well as its unsung sport heroes – just let us know. We look forward to hearing from you.

The National Institute of Sports and Physical Education in France found that the average weight of a competing 1987 World Cup rugby forward was 104 kg and the average back weighed in at 83 kg.

By contrast, in the current game the backs weighed in at 91 kg – an 8kg increase in weight. The current average forward now weighs 111 kg, an increase of 7 kg over the last three decades.

The most significant increases in size and weight occurred in the period between the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cups.

However, between 2003 and 2015 there was no significant change in terms of player size in height and weight, perhaps a maximum of 2 kg.

Overall research suggests that we have actually now reached a size plateau in professional rugby players. Furthermore, if players were to increase in size, it would negatively impact on their performance in the modern game and the work rate required to compete at the highest level.

A survey shows that an average of 94 tackles and 164 passes per game were

made at the 1991 World Cup against 197 tackles and 253 passes per game in the 2011 event. The ball is also less often out of play in the modern game due to a significant fall in interruptions from lineouts and scrums.

The average weight of players in the top tier of international has started to plateau. Players in the 2015 England World Cup team were in fact an average of 1,4 kg lighter than the England side that won the World Cup in 2003.

The pace of the modern game dictates that there has to be an upper limit to the useful size of a rugby player and the demands made via the current style of the game.

Is the red card punishment too harsh?

The debate on the red card for foul play was again raised by rugby pundits after "Kwagga" Smith was sent off in the recent Super Rugby final in Johannesburg. The consensus was that his transgression warranted a red card in terms of Laws of Rugby Union (10.6).

of the game, despite a brave fight back by the Lions. One of the suggestions on the red card put forward by rugby fundi Nic Mallet is that the transgressing player be sent off the field but after a time span (say 10 minutes), another replacement be introduced to take part in the game.

However, 14 men against 15 normally shapes the outcome

This would allow a 15 versus 15 men contest and have less

of an impact on the outcome of the game. Furthermore, the player sent off for a red card normally receives a ban for a number of weeks, punishment in itself.

The debate continues but one feels there should be a revision of the law to ensure a fair contest instead of a foregone conclusion as is currently the norm.

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15 - 28 Agusut 2017

THE

NEWS

MY Sport

MUD BATH The U 19 A rugby teams of Hermanus High School and Hoërskool Strand had to battle it out on a muddy field on Saturday after the rain during the morning. The home team was victorious with a final score of 27 - 5. In hockey the U 19 boys A team also won their match 2 - 1 while the girls’ match was a 0 - 0 draw. The U 19 A netball team narrowly lost with 32 - 33. All Hermanus High’s sport teams are poised for this weekend’s Winter Interschools against Overberg High School in Caledon.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer, Titanium Photography

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Help Kleinmond boy reach his rugby dream

roenberg Secondary matriculant and local rugby sensation, Chantin Wildschut has been invited to participate in the Tony Stoops tour to Scotland during September and October.

Dubbed Lomu (after the late All Blacks wing, Jonah Lomu) by his teammates for his extraordinary rugby skills, this young and upcoming star has been at the top of his game this season and rightly

deserved his draft into the Tony Stoops 2017 Invitational Rugby Team.

Chantin’s mother, Cheredine, says that he has a profound commitment and dedication to the sport and while he intends to study Sport Sciences after completing school, he may very well have a great professional rugby career ahead of him.

Craven Week where he performed brilliantly from day one. In his first game he obtained the man of the match title. Chantin is a fullback with a foot of gold.

His kicking ability is a work of art. Chantin was awarded Sportman of the Year 2016 at his school and that made him even more of a superstar amongst many youngsters,” says his mom.

The Tony Stoops rugby festival is the largest U19 rugby festival of its kind. This year Groenberg Secondary was crowned champions and Chantin scooped up multiple ‘man of the match’ titles.

and Manchester, where three matches will be played against local opposition.

This is indeed a prestigious opportunity for young talent to develop and broaden not only their rugby skills, but also for these youngsters to build international relationships and experiences vital to understanding the global game and influencing it locally.

“Last year he was chosen to represent Boland rugby at

Chantin says his ultimate dream is to become a Spring-

The touring teams will visit Glasgow, Edinburgh, Durham

Chantin still needs some financial support to fund

bok, something many young boys in his community only dream of. He says: "I want to make everyone in Kleinmond proud.”

his ticket to Scotland next month. His parents have diligently raised money since April towards the total cost of R38 430. The costs include flights, taxes, travelling and kits.

The family is in the homestretch of reaching their goal and need urgent support to meet the 18 August deadline. For more information contact Elvisia Wildschut on 076 780 0358. Let’s help Chantin realise his dream!