LOCKDOWN LEVEL:
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COVID-19 DASHBOARD OVERSTRAND
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www.thevillagenews.co.za
10 March 2021
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TOTAL CASES AS OF 8 MAR 2021:
OVERSTRAND TOTAL CASES: TOTAL (ACTIVE)
WORLD: 117 603 192 SOUTH AFRICA: 1 521 068 WESTERN CAPE: 276 528 (18.17% of cases in SA) OVERBERG: 13 212
• FISHERHAVEN: 44 (0) • GANSBAAI: 185 (1) • HAWSTON: 459 (11) • HERMANUS: 719 (6) • KLEINMOND: 677 (9)
• MT PLEASANT: 357 (2) • ONRUS: 205 (4) • SANDBAAI: 218 (0) • STANFORD: 380 (1) • VERMONT: 95 (1) • ZWELIHLE: 1 088 (5) TOTAL: 5 015 (40)
LAST WEEK'S TOTAL CASES: WORLD: 114 756 819 SOUTH AFRICA: 1 513 393 (16th in the world) WESTERN CAPE: 275 366 OVERBERG: 13 258 OVERSTRAND: 5 015
(1 MAR)
LET'S TALK
It’s time to connect the cliff path – for the good of all The full-page advertisement under the heading Save Our Shores (The Village NEWS, 10 February edition) refers. As a daily cliff path user and regular visitor to the difficult-to-access Poole’s Bay area, I was taken aback by the blatant misinformation published – complete with random pictures off the internet, none taken at this location. This amateurish, skewed presentation was a transparent, emotional appeal to nature lovers like me. Addressing each egregious point listed will take up too much space, but the main red herrings posed need urgent refutation – even if the window for public comment on extending (completing!) the cliff path via Poole’s Bay closed on 18 February. The first is the barefaced statement that the property owners along this stretch of coast are accepting of visitors below the high tide mark – as if the choice of access was ever theirs. The irony is evidently lost on them when they, not a few lines further down, lambaste the Cliff Path Action Group (CPAG) for clearing the narrow, overgrown and boulder-strewn footpath that leads down to Poole’s Bay. Worse, upon a recent visit all the handy blue direction markers placed by CPAG had been removed (illegally as it turns out, as it forms part of a public process) and replaced by these misleading SOS signboards. The adjacent property owners have the fullest right to protect their properties against trespassers, as is the case for every one of the many other properties along the cliff path all the way from Westcliff to Voëlklip. But none of those property owners claim the right to private seafront access, and neither does SA law allow it. Yet, elsewhere in the advert they readily acknowledge that agile members of the public already access Poole’s Bay,
legally. So one has to wonder who exactly they’re so desperately afraid of? Thieving families with small children? Criminal pensioners? Marauding bird watchers?
volunteer groups, including children and less mobile older citizens, to collect rubbish from this section – as they regularly do elsewhere along the cliff path.
To be clear: Completing the pedestrian pathway will allow fast and easy access by security services, whether it be HPP patrol guards, the SAPS or Nature Conservation reacting to vagrants or criminals or poachers taking advantage of this poorly accessible area. As a ratepayer I will be much more comfortable with public oversight to protect this piece of coastline than trusting the vested say-so of the adjacent property owners that all is in order – especially when a number of these are only occupied during holidays.
The emotional reference to resident otters, oystercatchers and the bird colony is another transparent attempt at misdirection. As a regular user of the cliff path I, like many others, can attest to all of these species appearing in good health elsewhere along the cliff path – which is, after all, a nature reserve. I also know that the many caring and observant nature lovers that frequent these areas daily quickly report anything askew, unlike the less accessible Poole’s Bay area with its setback and shuttered holiday residences.
Then there is the myth that this piece of coastline, apparently preserved under the careful watch of the private property owners, is in pristine condition. Any regular user will attest that the opposite is true, especially when compared to any part of the adjacent Fernkloof coastal reserve. This 850m stretch of shoreline contains a large number of broken and degraded concrete and ceramic pipes (sewer and stormwater), complete with rusting steel inserts. Furthermore, it is heavily littered with rubbish, including a large amount of marine-life-threatening plastic material that washes ashore or arrives in the stormwater run-off. Moreover, there is an inordinate amount of building rubble (bricks, concrete, ceramic and glass) in the pebble beds, not seen anywhere else along the 16km of cliff path.
The cliff path not being completed had nothing to do with the difficulty of navigating this area. It was simply an egregious planning oversight, left to fester despite regulatory progression. The engineering that will be required in a few limited places is not complex at all, and certainly not nearly as challenging as, for example, the tiered walkway constructed by the Overstrand Municipality (OM) below the Windsor Hotel.
It is quite apparent to the impartial observer that the owners of the adjacent properties are not exercising good care of this natural asset on behalf of the rest of us. On this point too, connecting the cliff path will allow
Neither will the OM be asked to provide ratepayer funding, as CPAG indicated that the cost will be raised independently – with a number of private contributions already pledged. The cliff path is undoubtedly the most popular natural attraction in Hermanus. It is a great asset for all residents and visitors alike, but currently marred by the missing pedestrian link via Poole’s Bay. Connecting the last 850m to turn the cliff path into a continuous 16km showcase for nature, shore-life and whale watching will be good for experiential tourism – the premier job
creator in Hermanus. It will also be good for the neglected Poole’s Bay shore. Finally, it is quite evident that the 16 property owners are sensitive to accusations of protecting their unfair privilege – as they should be. But all local cliff path users should have the choice of experiencing the natural environment in this area firsthand instead of having to rely on the word of a few, vested-interest gatekeepers. The Save Our Shores gaslighting exercise
is nothing but a ham-fisted attempt to divert attention away from the true intent, which is exactly that: to keep the public out of their “private asset” ocean fronts. The world has moved on from such unearned and unjust privilege. It is time to put this relic behind us and allow unhindered access for all to enjoy the full splendor of our coastline. M T Wessels Eastcliff
The Overstrand Hospice 600 Club monthly draw was done on Thursday 18 February 2021 by Ronelle van Zyl (middle) Chairperson of the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk. Ronelle and her team are actively involved in raising funds for Overstrand Hospice as the second beneficiary of the annual L2L Charity Walk. Also present at the draw were Lyn Sillifant from Don Adams Auditors Sister Lynette Gloy from Overstrand Hospice. The winners were: 1st Lorraine Kruger, 2nd R Hultzer and 3rd R van Weele. For only R50 a month you can join the 600 Club and support Hospice in the work that they do in the community. There are cash prizes up for grabs every month. Please contact Suzette Botha on 028 312 4679 or 600admin@overstrandhospice.org.za for more information or visit the Hospice offices at 10 Hope Street, Hermanus. Your contribution can make a difference in the life of a patient.
