The Village NEWS 11 Dec - 18 Dec 2019

11 DECEMBER 2019

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This Blue Crane breeding pair, parents to a four-week-old chick, were photographed near Schietpad, a fragment of Renosterveld north of Napier. Read more about the conservation of South Africa's national bird in the Overberg on P 9.

PHOTO: Herman van Bon

Crocodile found in Sandbaai Writer Taylum Meyer

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member of the public was driving down Jimmy Smith Street near Sandbaai Hall on Monday 24 November when she noticed something strange in the road.

At first she thought it was a plastic toy, but upon closer inspection she realised that it was a metre-long juvenile crocodile heading for the greenbelt. When she stopped her car and got out to take a photo, the crocodile panicked and went to a house on the opposite side of the road.

After going under the house’s gate, the crocodile turned around and started back across the road towards the greenbelt. The woman alerted

the owner of the house, who grabbed the crocodile and went back into his property without saying a word.

lover. Nevertheless, the public is reminded that wild animals do not belong in suburbia, especially without a proper permit. The man was fined by CapeNature for contravening the law.

Hearing about the incident from one of their volunteers , Peter Hansen from HAWS contacted CapeNature. Upon arrival at the house, CapeNature, HAWS and SAPS were told by the owner that the animal was not a crocodile but a leguan (large lizard), and that it was no longer there. However, after a search of the premises, the crocodile was found lying under the duvet on a bed, where it apparently sleeps with the owner’s son.

This was the second animal, which could have posed a danger to the community, to escape from the property. In September the same man also lost a boa constrictor for a month, which was eventually found by his neighbour.

HAWS contacted Johnathan Powers of Snake Removals Hermanus to pick it up and he took the sickly snake to a vet for treatment for a lung infection.

Several snakes without permits were also found on the premises, along with a hedgehog (which is illegal in the Western Cape). When confronted, the owner said that his son was an animal

Between them HAWS and Snake Removals Hermanus not only deal with domestic pets and snakes, but can be called to assist with a variety of other animals. They will also know who to

contact for the animal in question.

Important contact numbers for animal collection: CapeNature - 087 087 9262 Hermanus Animal Welfare - 028 312 1281 Snake Removals Hermanus - 082 352 6000 Law Enforcement - 028 313 5300 PHOTO: Rene Dewar

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11 December 2019

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WBR keeps doors open despite letter Writer De Waal Steyn

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espite an open letter to clients two weeks ago stating that Walker Bay Recycling (WBR) would close its doors for an undefined time due to a lack of support from the municipality, owner Hannes Neyschens this week said he had decided to the contrary.

“We took the decision not to close, but to rather scale back on our operations in order to keep the recycling plant open. We will have fewer vehicles on the road colleting recyclables from businesses and we will no longer be picking up clear plastic bags from sidewalks in suburbs,” said Neyschens.

Although the company is running at a significant loss, Neyschens said that recycling was his passion and he would fight until the last cent before he gives up.

“We are stuck between a rock and a hard place, with the prices of recycling material falling significantly and our running costs climbing. It will still be at least another year before there will be an open tender by the municipality to run the Material Recovery Facility, so we will have to accept that and wait until then,” he said.

According to Neyschens they will focus in the coming months on the recycling that does help pay the bills.

“At the moment, plastic and glass are still profitable and we would appreciate it if residents could bring these materials to us.”

WBR will be operating throughout the season and will be open every day from 08:00 to 17:00 when res-

idents are welcome to bring us their dry recyclables (see graphic right). The company says it spends a lot of money and effort on dumping bags that do not conform to recycling standards, such as mixing dry and wet materials.

Resident and recycling supporter, Miranda Middel said although a company like WBR needs support from local authorities, a lot of the problems currently being experienced can also be attributed to residents not following the correct procedures when it comes to recycling.

“Basically, some people figure that it's okay to include all kinds of non-recyclable goods such as food scraps, teabags, cigarette butts and soiled nappies in their dry-recycling bags. Alas it seems some people still believe in fairies that will sort the bags afterwards,” she said.

According to her, the result is that WBR becomes responsible for getting these refuse bags to Karwyderskraal at their own cost. “At this stage only 20% of what comes through their gates is recyclable or in a recyclable state, and the remaining 80% becomes their baby, so to speak. This translates into a whole truckload that needs to make this trip daily to Karwyderskraal.

"This is a much bigger issue than their fight with the municipality. Please inform the public of the responsibility that is actually theirs,” she said.

A huge public outcry followed the announcement that WBR would close its doors for “a short undefined period of time”. An online petition to ask the municipality to assist garnered close on 3 000 votes.

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11 December 2019

Taking the plunge at Stony Point Writer Elaine Davie PHOTO: SANCCOB

this,” they seemed to be saying, before ducking below the water as if to the manner born, “this is what I mean, guys.”

The three adult and 14 juvenile African penguins were being released after a period of roughly a month at the SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) Rehabilitation Centre in Cape Town.

For CapeNature, which is responsible for the Stony Point colony, and SANCCOB officials, every fit and healthy penguin returned to the ocean is a victory. This is a highly endangered species, which has crashed catastrophically over recent decades and continues to do so.

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t would have taken a hard-hearted curmudgeon not to experience a lifting of the heart as 17 African penguins took to the ocean at Stony Point in Betty’s Bay last Saturday. It was exciting; it brought a smile to the lips and spontaneous applause from the spectators to see them waddling out of their holding boxes, down the short sandy beach and into the water.

Then, sticking close to one another, they seemed to be looking round at the wide vistas of sea and sky in delight. “Wow, just look at

According to Dr Stephen van der Spuy, CEO of SANCCOB, in the 1930s it was calculated that there were roughly 5 million birds on Dassen Island alone; today there are approximately 5 000. In fact, about 50% of the South African population is currently to be found on Bird and St Croix Islands in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape, while in the Western Cape, the most significant colony is that at Stony Point. Although there has been a slight dip in numbers this year, it is the only colony in this province which is showing consistent growth.

As researcher Dr Lauren Waller points out, the

PHOTO: CapeNature declining numbers in the African penguin population are a clear indication that there are serious problems in our oceans, which need to be identified and addressed before we see similar drops in other seabird numbers. Despite the fact that survival is a struggle for these lovable little creatures, they are remarkably tough, says Lauren.

“Without being anthropomorphic, I do admire these little guys. Just imagine now, they have been sitting in cardboard boxes all the way from Cape Town, they have been handled by several people; they have no idea what is going to happen to them; then they arrive here, noise and crowds are all around them, yet they jump

out of their boxes and waddle off into the sea as if they don’t have a care in the world.

“I have seen birds arrive at our centre with really horrifying wounds and I’ve thought this bird will never make it, yet they respond exceptionally well to intensive care and in a remarkably short time, they are as fit as a fiddle again and back in their natural environment. How could one not admire their will to survive?”

With such dwindling numbers in mind, members of the public are urged to contact SANCCOB immediately should they come across a hurt or ill bird. The 24-hour help number is 021 557 6155.

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11 December 2019

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ith the summer season in full swing it is important for residents and visitors alike to ensure that none of the baboon troops living on our urban edges are drawn to the suburbs by the potential food sources left behind in household rubbish.

Over the past few years residents in the affected areas in Hermanus especially have experienced constant home invasions and extensive damage has been caused by the large Voëlklip troop.

The troop has become increasingly habituated to suburbia and troop size has increased significantly over the past three years, said Pat Redford, Hermanus Baboon Action Group spokesperson.

Easy access to human-derived food has caused the troop to spend most of their waking hours in high density suburbia, a pattern of behaviour not previously witnessed. Foraging in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve on the abundant natural bounty is what would be “normal behaviour” for these wild animals. The growth in permanent residents and the increased use of holiday homes has multiplied the amount of refuse and the availability of human-derived food.

However, the virtual fence programme managed by Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS) has started. The virtual fence is made up of a sophisticated radio transmitter system that relays the movements of a troop to a cellular phone. If a troop moves too close to a residential area an alert is sent out and baboon monitors deploy sound boxes that emit sounds of predators roaring, animals dying and other frightening sound effects, including bear bangers that makes a loud banging noise. The baboons are tracked via collars attached to the troop leaders.

But huge quantities of household rubbish will always remain a drawcard to these animals.

The consequence of baboons having access to human food has led to their becoming addicted to starch and sugary foods, and their behaviour has changed over time. As this happens so the youngsters in the troop mimic the elders, and an unfortunate habituation to suburbia has developed over just a few generations.

Scientific evidence indicates changes to the genetics of some troops over time, as a consequence of the dependency on refined starch or high sugar contents in their daily diets.

Aggressive, unpredictable behaviour can be a consequence.

The declared problem-animal areas are Kleinmond, Betty’s Bay, Rooiels, Pringle Bay, Onrus, Voëlklip, Fernkloof (including the Golf Estate), Hermanus Heights, Kwaaiwater and Eastcliff.

The municipality’s solid waste by-law stipulates that each homeowner or tenant must use baboon-proof containers in these areas.

The by-law states: • Bins must be secured with baboon-proof locking devices • Do not leave black bags on top or outside bin • No black bags may be left on pavement or sidewalk Please remember: Only put refuse bins out before 07:30 on the day of collection, not the day before. Each household is permitted one bin with four bags of household waste (which may include one bag of garden refuse). Garden waste should preferably be taken to the Hermanus Transfer Station for chipping and compost-

ing; alternatively it can be taken to the Prawn Flats drop-off point for disposal.

Refuse collection days in affected areas, irrespective of public holidays: MONDAYS: Voëlklip FRIDAYS: Kwaaiwater, Fernkloof, Eastcliff, Hermanus Heights Refuse bags can be dropped off at the Voëlklip Drop-off near OK Supermarket in 7th Street Baboon facts: • Always set your house alarm when you leave. Close all windows; • Young baboons can access a gap 5cm or larger; • Baboons can open sliding doors and turn handles; • If baboons enter your house, make way so that they exit can unhindered; • Keep pets away in a locked room until all baboons have left; • Never threaten baboons or take food items from them; • Warn children to drop food items and move away, if approached by a baboon; • Remove baboon poop using gloves and detergent as soon as possible; poop may carry disease; • Avoid leaving domestic pets outside for extended periods when you are out; • Keep fruit bowls and food items out of sight, away from windows; • Pick ripe fruit from fruiting trees daily.

Vegetable gardens, bird feeders, dog food bowls attract baboons.

For more information, visit hermanusbaboons.co.za or email info@hermanusbaboons.co.za

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11 December 2019

FROM THE EDITOR

some way to mitigating against the vagaries and unpredictability of the tourism market, which is, more often than not, shaped by global events rather than local ones.

Hermanus is open for business Hermanus is and has always been open for business. Three hundred and sixty five days of the year, the town welcomes tourists from overseas and visitors from across the country with warm hospitality, outstanding scenery, sumptuous cuisine and a myriad of activities.

Much of the Hermanus economy, in fact nearly 50% of the municipality’s GDP, is dependent on tourism. When

A Far Kraai

The good news is that we do not need to anymore.

we factor in the number of residents who have chosen to retire or “swallow” here, as well as all the auxiliary businesses that serve the local population, then an even greater part of the economy is ultimately dependent on whether people choose to come here, either permanently or for a holiday.

This isn’t a great situation to be in.

Diversifying our economy would go

Over the past year, a number of events have empowered us radically if we want to reshape our economy. The installation of fibre is a game-changer and we should fully unlock its potential.

Hermanus Varsity will be transformative, leading to even more learners having access to tertiary education.

The UNESCO Gastronomy Creative City designation shines a spotlight on the region and the community’s commitment to sustainability and

conservation. Improved road access between towns in the Overberg and the fact that Cape Town is both expensive and, it seems, in a perpetual state of traffic gridlock, only serve to make Hermanus even more attractive as a place to live, play and work.

All the building blocks are falling into place to position Hermanus as maybe the next Silicon Valley, a town full of entrepreneurial internet start-ups focused on the knowledge economy.

Combined with all the outstanding quality-of-life features Hermanus already has, this would be an amazing future to embrace.

And we can. Hermanus is indeed open for business.

This is the good NEWS - Ed

Strictly Come Prancing briefly link arms with another twirler, and through centrifugal force be flung off blindly in search of another vacant twirler to latch on to.

By Murray Stewart

After numerous enquiries as to what has happened to A Far Kraai, Murray and the editorial team of The Village NEWS have selected a number of his earlier columns to re-run this December and add some mirth to the festive season. Murray is currently taking a much deserved break and his new series, For Fact’s Sake, will launch in January.

thevillagemuze@gmail.com

Let’s face it: dance has been an integral part of our lives since caveman days. Hand clapping and foot stomping around a fire to the clunking of logs evolved into what we have today – good, bad and embarrassing.

Who amongst the older folk can honestly look back on The Twist as a serious dance form? Home movies from that era will create thigh-slapping hysteria among the grandchildren, and your standing as a respected elder, gone forever. You’ll always be remembered as a gyrating geriatric grinding out imaginary cigarettes. Oddly enough, do the same moves without music and with a hoola-hoop, and you’d be deemed cool, dude.

Body contact in dance has varied over time. During the reign of Bach, Beethoven and the Boys, glamorous balls were staged, where minimal physical contact was encouraged.

Males and females in ridiculous clothing launched off from opposite sides of the hall and sort of twirled their way toward the middle. Here they’d

This mindless spinning – sometimes on tiptoe – would continue until the orchestra thankfully took a smoke break and the dancers could avoid fainting from nausea and dizziness.

In break dancing there is also no contact – personal or otherwise – with anything but the pavement. No chance of promiscuity or intimacy here. Although the music – with its derogatory profanities – extols the virtues of bitch-slapping, gang-banging and rampant anarchy, nobody gets killed during the performances.

Snapped tendons, dislocated hips and cracked necks are common, but as any ballerina with ingrown toenails will confirm, all dancers suffer pain.

But the show must go on. Is twerking painful, one wonders, and where does it hurt?

Rock ’n roll introduced a whole new set of moves. Apart from slow dancing, which is really just strolling around together, the fast songs required one to stand away from your partner and shudder in tempo. Hips, elbows, knees and hair were flung in all directions at once while shudder-

ing. The tempo of the music could be ignored at will. Flailing around solo was common and created opportunities to engage with fellow flappers, although the music volume reduced communication to monosyllabic shouts and gestures. Pointless really.

The Argentinians had other ideas.

They invented the Tango, which is really the closest you can get to consensual intimacy on the dance floor without being arrested. The objective of the dance, apparently, is to ascertain what underwear – if any – the partner is wearing with a view to the swift removal thereof – if lucky – at a later stage. Ballroom is only a more refined version of the Tango without the intertwining legs, suggestive poses or underwear investigation.

Morris dancing – more like highspeed pilates with bells and sticks – bears scant mention, but musical pole-dancing was forwarded as a competitive sport at the next Olympic Games, and was overwhelmingly endorsed by the all-male committee.

Talking of music in dance, Stevie Wonder once said he loved going to the ballet. Rossini claimed that opera would be wonderful without the singers, and a London Times critic wrote, “Opera is a loosely connected series of songs designed to make a full evening’s entertainment out of the overture”. Shades of Pink Floyd?

A few years ago (I was four), Mom and Granny took us grandkids to the ballet. Being too young, I don’t remember much about it, but one thing stuck out for me, so on the way home I had a question.

“Why, Mom,” I asked, “do the boy ballerinas have lumps in the front and the girl ballerinas don’t?”

Before Mom could conjure up a suitable answer, my sister – with all the wisdom of a six-year-old – interjected.

“Don’t you know, silly? The girl ballerinas need a place to put their foot when they get lifted up.”

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11 December 2019

Big thank you to HAWS

LET'S TALK Healthy and robust debate are crucial for democracy. The Village NEWS firmly believes in freedom of the press as well as the right of individuals to freely express themselves, as long as they don’t infringe upon the rights of others. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors therefore do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Village NEWS. Letters may be shortened and/or edited for clarity and style. Enjoy our paper.

Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Recycling is a tough business – former owner As we do not live in Hermanus anymore, we want to start off by warmly greeting all our friends and clients.

There is currently a great del of interest over recycling in Hermanus and we feel our years of experience qualify us for commenting on the issue.

Hermanus Recycling (cc) was a private company that operated under our management for 23 years.

Throughout that time, we had a very good relationship with the municipality.

In 1997, two years after we opened our doors, we entered into a longterm lease agreement with the municipality at a nominal rate, after which the company started developing the property at its own cost up until the day it was burnt down in July 2018.

There is a misconception that the management of the material recovery facility (MRF) was automatically awarded to Hermanus Recycling when the facility was opened in 2011.

This is not the case; we competed against well-established competitors during the open tender. Luckily, our tender was successful, and we managed the facility with pride and

dedication.

We are regularly asked if we are planning on tendering for the new MRF. The location of the facility exposes it to the risk of a repeat of what occurred in 2018. This makes it impossible to get comprehensive insurance and we have thus not taken a final decision about this.

We think it is important that everyone reminds themselves of the enormous impact the events of 2018 had on our town before we aimlessly throw accusations around and reproach each other.

In our case, the first priority was to get the MRF back up and running again as soon as possible in order for it to be able to handle recycling at the source, as well as our own products. The second step would have been to repair the facility.

According to the municipality, the community would not allow that and any activity on the site would have been sabotaged. Thus we were forced to close our business and the equipment that was not destroyed in the fire was sold to the current owners of Walker Bay Recycling.

For a recycling business in Hermanus to survive it is necessary to have an affordable site. That is the only way in which to compensate for the extremely high cost of transporting the recycled product.

The price of recycled products was always cyclical, but the current slump is the worst in years. Should Walker Bay Recycling decide not to continue with its work, I would completely understand. High-volume production is normally the counter to low prices, but currently, even that would not be sufficient.

It will be a sad day should Hermanus be left for another year without recycling, especially considering the many accolades the town received over the years.

Can we offer a concrete solution?

Unfortunately, not. As mentioned, the key is in access to an affordable site. It might be a solution to negotiate with the Overberg District Municipality for a site at the Karwyderskraal landfill site.

Recycling greetings, Jan and Arina van Niekerk

I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the staff at Hermanus Animal Welfare (HAWS) for helping me find my beloved 12-year Burmese-Siamese-cross cat called Meako. Also, a big thanks to everyone who helped with social media and with the search.

My cat who has never crossed the road in Voëlklip and has never left the house surrounds in all the time he has lived here was found in another road far from my house and the only way he could have arrived at that house was that he was taken there.

He is friendly and will go up to anyone, even dogs, so maybe you think he is lost. He is not.

Anyone who knows animals, especially cats, knows that from a kitten you have a bond that is unbreakable and over the years you know the traits and wanderings of your feline.

To suddenly one day find that your animal is missing and not in the usual places and does not come when you call him puts the fear of God in you.

So you can imagine after two daysplus you find out that if HAWS had

not looked at the social media pic of Meako and had not phoned me my cat would have starved to death, having been trapped in a courtyard with high walls after slipping out through a door or window. Thanks to the people who took the pic of my cat and posted it on the Voëlklip friends post.

So if you are here on holiday, welcome, but please check your house before you leave for home again, especially in garages and out-buildings and if you see or hear a cat that might be lost take a pic and send it to HAWS who will assist you. Law enforcement deal humanely with feral cats which can be a problem as a mother cat can have three litters in one year producing many kittens.

I am trying to prevent the heartache and pain one experiences with the loss of a friend and companion as all animals deserve kindness, love and caring. In return, you will receive unconditional love and someone who is always pleased to see you, no matter what, and that goes for most animals.

Garry Hermansen Voëlklip

We say thank you for the fibre I want to thank the fibre connection company Lightstruck for their professional and efficient service with the connection of fibre at my home.

Each step – from the telephone call to arrange a date and time, to the signing off on the installation, was hassle-free. Please thank all

concerned on my behalf for their patience, kindness and willingness to go the extra mile.

Quintin and his team from Video TV Clinic and Mark from Maxitec, it was a pleasure to have you in my home.

With appreciation, Roberta de Villiers

Municipality has moral obligation regarding waste I refer to your article and leader in the previous edition of The Village NEWS.

5000 individuals.

I was the one who started the petition, and, at the time of writing, there are over 2 800 concerned individuals who care for the environment and who have taken the trouble to add their signatures.

The response from Overstrand Municipality is typical municipality-speak which tries to disguise their lack of action behind rules and regulations.

In addition, the reference to the drop in prices obtained for recycled items is a red herring.

It would not be too unreasonable to suggest that this represents the potential recycling of waste from over

It may be relevant for private firms, but not for the municipality for which recycling should be a service not

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they have to close down, it would be an absolute disgrace that an area like ours has no recycling facility.

a profit generator (this attitude is reminiscent of municipality taking advantage of the water shortage).

I have absolutely no axe to grind on behalf of Walker Bay Recycling. I think they have been doing a great job (in effect filling the void left by the municipality) and I, and many others, have been taking our recycling to them regularly.

I hope they can carry on but, should

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As I see it, while we wait for the material recovery facility to be built and for the interminable tender processes to be completed, every 't' crossed and 'i' dotted, the municipality should look at ways of bending the rules and bypassing the system (they’ve done it before when it suited them).

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For example, I see no reason why they cannot restart the collection of clear bags of recyclables and “dump” them at WBR as opposed to at the landfill site.

I believe that the municipality has a moral obligation to provide a recycling service and, as I said in my petition, they should get off their backsides and stop their “rubbish” excuses.

Dave Smith

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

11 December 2019

MY ENVIRONMENT #alloveroverberg The Village NEWS covers the many beautiful towns, villages and hamlets all over the Overberg. Kleinmond is one such seaside town, known for its beautiful beaches. Go online to read some of the stories about Kleinmond and its many wonderful residents.

High school plans for Kleinmond thevillagenews.co.za/high-school-plans-forkleinmond/ Just beneath the collective consciousness of many Kleinmond residents is the need for a high school in the town. From time to time it rises to the surface and attempts are made to engage with the Western Cape Education Department. The answer is always the same: the number of potential pupils does not justify the required capital and running costs.

How do dung beetles navigate their way?

By Dr Anina Lee

D

ung beetles eat dung and nothing but dung. They lay their eggs in dung. They feed dung to their babies. You would think that we would be repelled by them, but not so.

Young Kleinmond singer reaches for the stars in LA thevillagenews.co.za/young-kleinmond-singer-reaches-for-the-stars-in-la/ Last year’s annual Kleinmond-Hangklip Got Talent competition was blown away by a 14-year-old schoolgirl who had recently arrived in town with her family. Her name was Dirja Lekas (stage name Didi).

I have yet to come across anyone who does not find delight in watching a dung beetle rolling dung. Even better when the beetle is locked in combat with another beetle who wants to steal his dung. Or when the beetle climbs on top of its ball of dung and does a little “dance.”

Dancing to the slow music of life thevillagenews.co.za/dancing-to-the-slowmusic-of-life/ ANDANTE is the name of a new shop in The Yard on Harbour Road, Kleinmond. ‘In moderately slow tempo’ is how the Oxford Dictionary defines this musical term – which could probably describe life in Kleinmond in general. And certainly as you step through the front door of the shop, nostalgia for an unpretentious, more leisurely lifestyle is what strikes you immediately.

Through their antennae dung beetles pick up chemical odours wafting on the air. The sniff of dung triggers a mad ‘fly-in’ by dung beetles to get their share of the prize. They cut off a piece of the spoils and pat it into a ball that they can roll away as fast as possible from the scrum around the dung.

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It’s even more enthralling if we know what it’s all about. It starts with the smell.

The quickest way to roll the ball away from competitors is a straight line. Once clear of the scrum the dung beetle can eat the dung, bury it for later consumption or bury it as food for its offspring. A female dung beetle will lay her egg in the dung before burying it so that the baby larva that hatches from the egg will have plenty of provisions while it grows, pupates and metamorphoses into an adult beetle.

But how does a beetle know where it’s going with its butt in the air pushing backwards? This brings us to the remarkable ability of dung beetles to navigate their way.

Thousands of species of dung beetle exist all around the world, but the most well-known are found in Africa, where they tidy up after some of the biggest mammalian dumpers. It’s dirty work, but someone has to do it, and the methods employed are way more sophisticated than you might expect. The beetles need to know

where they’re going in order to hide the stash in a good spot, and then they have to be able to find it again, so reliable navigation is crucial.

A new scientific study has revealed that dung beetles store mental images of the sky and use them to navigate. And, according to researchers in Sweden, not only do the little manure-munching insects have the capability of accurately scanning the position of the sun, the moon and patterns in the stars – they memorise the map while ‘dancing’ around on dung balls.

Talk about dancing with the stars!

Authors of the study, published in the journal Current Biology, maintain that dung beetles can tell exactly where they are by comparing their current position to their stored mental images of the sky. According to Lund University’s Dr Basil El Jundi, who led the study, the imaging takes place while the beetles go round in circles, performing an apparent ‘dance’ atop their balls. “They scan the sky and take a mental image of what the sky looks like. When they start rolling they try to match the actual visual scenery of the sky with the mental image they have stored before. And that brings them away in a straight line.”

The scientists conducted tests on the insects at a South African planetarium where there is an artificial sky where light levels and the location of various bodies in the sky can be altered. They discovered that dung beetles could detect many things that human eyes can’t, including polarised light and the “spectral gradient of the sky”. (Cleverer people than me will know what spectral gradients are, but it has something to do with reflection of light and wavelengths.)

With this high-tech toolkit, the beetles are able to use multiple celestial cues and clues, so they’re not reliant on just one object in the sky, like the sun.

Nocturnal dung beetles in the southern hemisphere rely on the difference in brightness between different parts of the Milky Way across the night sky to work out which way to go.

Recent research has shown that dung beetles not only use their mental pictures of the sky but, if all else fails, they will use the direction of the wind to navigate. When the sun is at its highest point in the sky and thus useless

1. These clever beetles pat pieces of dung into a ball to be rolled away quickly.

PHOTO: AnimalAnswers.co.uk 2. Research has shown that dung beetles find their way by scanning the sky and storing a mental image of it.

PHOTO: Dacke ET AL 2

for navigation, dung beetles follow the wind instead. Their navigational tools are therefore flexible, which is surprising considering that their brains are tiny.

So next time you stop to observe a dung beetle going about its life work, look out for the ‘dance’ while it’s taking a snapshot of the sky or testing the wind.

Save the Dung Beetles Dung beetles provide a highly useful service to the environment and to us. How? By simply living their lives, these valuable insects conduct “ecosystem services” that are important to agriculture, such as redistributing nutrients in the soil, controlling pests and reducing greenhouse gases.

Yet, dung beetles are one of the most threatened terrestrial animal species; and one of the main threats is the excessive use of veterinary medical products that are excreted in dung. Systemic insecticides given to dogs to control ticks and fleas (e.g. Bravecto) are excreted unchanged in the faeces. Any dog droppings left on the ground pose a deadly threat to all insects, especially dung beetles.

Dog faeces are not ‘fertilizer’ to be left on the ground or flicked into bushes.

Any dog owner that claims to care about the beautiful Hermanus Cliff Path, will pick up and dispose of dog doo responsibly. It’s the right thing to do for dung beetles.

THE VILLAGE

EXPLORER

FOOD & WINE | ART | EVENTS | BOOKS

Overberg a sanctuary for our national bird Writer & Photographer Tweet Gainsborough-Waring

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R

ising waters, twin Blue Crane eggs and passionate rescuers have contributed to a heart-warming story that started on Oldlands Stud farm in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and is continuing in a bird and animal lover’s home in Napier.

During the last heavy rains of October a Blue Crane’s nest with two eggs was spotted next to a farm dam in which the water was rising. It was clear the water would soon inundate the nest and take the eggs with it. Stud manager Nicolene Dormehl, unsure of what to do, contacted Tracey Chalmers of Eagle Encounters at Spier Wine estate.

with mealworms, small bits of chopped chicken hearts and gizzards, peas, mielies and their absolute favourite, scrambled eggs. Part of the daily routine is an afternoon walk during which they are encouraged to forage. They have become quite attached to Tina and follow her not only around the property but also into the house.

Releasing them when they are ready Tina knows will be hard , but she says in her heart she knows freedom is best and always feels happy when a healthy bird or animal goes back to its natural habitat. She explained that because they are a vulnerable species she is working closely with the Overberg Crane Group. which will ring the birds and advise when they are ready for release.

Tracey and her husband Henk collected the eggs and took them to keep warm in an incubator so that when the water receded they could be returned to the same place, in the hopes that the parents would continue to raise them.

But it didn’t quite work out as planned – within a day of being in the incubator the first egg hatched, with egg number two hatching the following day.

not ideal. Bird and animal lover Tina Borgstrom, who rehabilitates birds and animals as a hobby and had helped Tracey in the past, saved the day when she offered to take them until they were old enough to be returned to their natural habitat.

Once the chicks were strong enough they were taken back to the nest site at Oldlands. They were put in the grass near the parents, where they lay dead still, not making a sound. Sadly the parents wanted nothing to do with them.

The chicks, now five weeks old and growing by leaps and bounds, are kept in an enclosed garden during the day and brought in at night.

Tina, who is passionate about both dogs and birds, has numerous rescued birds on the way to recovery. She said she had looked after injured and sick adult Blue Cranes in the past but, as for looking after chicks, this was a first.

The birds are usually sent to her by The Overberg Crane Group which does rescue work for this vulnerable species as well as others. Tina has successfully cared for birds that have been poisoned but she said those with broken limbs did not always have a successful outcome.

At this point Tracey said she realised that a foster home was urgently needed, as keeping two Blue Crane chicks in a raptor sanctuary where chicks were a regular source of food was

1

The chicks are really cute and have been named William (the older of the two) and Harry. Giving rescued birds or animals a name, she admits, is not always a good idea as it makes it tougher when you release them.

However, for now, William and Harry have a good life eating soaked cat food, supplemented

Among her rescued animals are Cape spotted eagle owls, barn owls, a swiftlet and a witogie chick, hardly bigger than a thimble, which was saved from the jaws of a cat. The witogie is so tiny that it is fed using a blunt-ended toothpick.

firmed sightings in Zimbabwe.

They are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ (IUCN Red List) because the total population has decreased by half to 25 000 since the 1970s. Major threats include habitat loss and poisoning (usually accidental as a result of the misuse of fertilisers and pesticides).

Blue Cranes mate for life and are usually found in open grasslands and agricultural areas. You’ll quite often see them sharing feed troughs with sheep or cattle in Overberg pastures. Their mating dance is like a ballet with graceful bows, jumps, flapping of wings and black tail feathers flowing in the wind. Breeding takes place once a year, and although three chicks may be reared, in the Overberg it is usually one or two.

The Overberg is home to about 50% of the world’s Blue Crane population, so it comes as no surprise that the region is a focus point for conservation of the species. To that end, the Overberg Lowlands Trust and the Overberg Crane Group have formed a partnership to enhance the conservation of these birds, in addition to including the protection and conservation of other large and threatened bird species in the region.

3

Each bird has a special diet, be it chicks for the owls or lightly mashed crickets for the swiftlet; this is indeed a special refuge for those that find their way to her. The little paradise has its drawbacks in that life is so good for the birds passing through Tina’s hands that even after release they have a tendency to return.

There is no doubt that Penny Mxhaphakana, who was busy in the kitchen making the most delicious rusks, is a big contributor to these success stories. She has worked with Tina for 12 years and has developed the ability to assess how their charges are doing quickly and accurately. Not only that, Penny loves the animals and has told Tina she will carry on her work when she’s gone.

The Blue Crane, also known as the Paradise Crane, is South Africa’s national bird and is the world’s most range-restricted crane. It is near-endemic to South Africa. Blue Cranes have also been seen in Northern Namibia, Western Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho, with uncon-

1 & 2. Tina Borgstrom, who rehabilitates rescued birds and other animals, with the two Blue Crane chicks, William and Harry, who are now five weeks old.

3. Penny Mxhaphakana has worked alongside Tina and her animals for 12 years at Tina's home in Napier.

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10 | BOOKS

11 December 2019

Meet madcap adventurer and author, Julia Albu

“Next year I’ll be 80 years old.

My car will be 20 years old.

Together we’ll be 100.

We’re going to drive to Cairo.”

N

Now the fabulous Julia Albu is coming to The Book Cottage in Hermanus to tell us about her odyssey.

Tracy (the Toyota) will be here, too.

ext year I’m going to be 80 years old.

My car will be 20 years old. Together we’ll be 100. We’re going to drive to Cairo.” When octogenarian Julia Albu called into her favourite radio show with this zany, half-baked idea, she had no idea that it would lead her to the adventure of a lifetime.

A cash bar will be available. Enjoy a G&T with Six Dogs and ring in the festive season with us.

Tuesday 17 December 17:30 RSVP: bookcottage@whalemail.co.za

028 313 0834 32 Mitchell Street, Hermanus (On Station Square, opposite Woolworths)

Christmas on the Lagoon Christmas Market at MOSAIC Saturday December 7, 2019, 11:30am-5:00pm (Gallery will be at MOSAIC through mid-January) Location: 1892 Spookhuis at MOSAIC Wortelgat Road, on the Hermanus Lagoon, Stanford

Having recently lost her partner of 33 years, raised four children and been a gogo to nine grandchildren, Julia had decided that it was time to be the master of her own destiny – and what better time would there be to roar off into the sunset, windows wound down, music playing? “People looked at me in horror when I told them I was venturing forth across Africa in a 1997 Toyota Conquest with close to 400 000 km on the clock,” says Tracy.

“But who else would I choose as my partner in crime? For a quarter of my life, Tracy had been my trusty steed.”

And so, with a giant map of Africa and unbounded enthusiasm, Julia set off in Tracy to fulfil her dream. As she said, “This trip is not on the bucket list. It is the bucket list.” On the long drive from the Cape to Cairo – through deserts, over mountains and across grassy plains – she met a host of colourful characters (human and animal).

From helping push a 30-year-old Toyota bakkie up a precipitous mountain pass in Malawi to being ‘adopted’ by the riotous ex-pat South African community in Dar es Salaam and being fed mildly hallucinogenic ‘herbs’ by her Ethiopian driver-guide, nothing deterred Julia Albu from her quest to reach Cairo.

Her account of this journey, My African Con-

Join us for a family day!

Country platters and grilled skewers will be served at Lagoon Cafe’ Wine from Springfontein Wine Estate - Belgium Beer on tap - DIY gin station.

Accommodation at MOSAIC Cottages Beautiful selection of art, gifts and décor Tracy Algar Art - Handbags by UGLEE - Inkomo Nguni hide rugs - Ardmore Jewelry by Beryl Dingemans - Old book collections - Christmas décor Contact: Simone 082 817 2077 or 028 313 2814 admin@MosaicSouthAfrica.com www.MosaicSouthAfrica.com

quest, published by Jonathan Ball, is a funny, feel-good story about adventuring through life – and never acting your age. And now the fabulous Julia Albu is coming to Hermanus.

She’ll be at the Book Cottage next week on Tuesday 17 December to tell us about her odyssey – and Tracy will be there, too. Come and enjoy a G&T with Six Dogs and ring in the festive season with Julia and the Book Cottage. My African Conquest is a great holiday read and the ideal Christmas present for anyone with an adventurous spirit.

ART | 11

11 December 2019

Tretchi’s link to Hermanus Writer Dr Robin Lee

V

ladimir Tretchikoff (1913–2006) remains a very well-known artist of the 20th century, not accorded much value by academics and critics, but extremely popular. He is most famous for the painting Chinese Girl, which has the record of being the original painting of which the highest number of prints have been sold worldwide. The original painting itself is not doing too badly, either. It was sold in late 2013 for R17 million.

The Tretchikoff family lived in Cape Town after World War II. Tretchikoff’s wife and daughter had escaped from Singapore shortly before the Japanese captured the city and the family was separated for four years before Tretchikoff, after several narrow escapes and harrowing adventures, was able to join them.

In South Africa Tretchikoff had to earn an income any way he could and initially worked on advertising campaigns for the Schlesinger group of companies. He also worked on Anton Rupert’s first advertising campaign for Rembrandt cigarettes and was paid in shares in the company because Rupert did not have sufficient revenue to pay employees in cash.

We know that the family enjoyed holidays in Hermanus in December–January of 1950/’51, 1951/’52 and 1956/’57, staying at The Marine Hotel each time.

During one of these holidays, probably in 1956, the manager of the hotel asked Tretchikoff to produce the covers of the Christmas dinner menu.

Vladimir Tretchikoff was born in Russia in 1913, but was never happy there, as the Bolsheviks imposed their totalitarian rule after the Russian Revolution.

He left as soon as he could with his wife, Natalie and baby daughter, Mimi.

The family stayed for a short while in Harbin, a Chinese town that harboured many refugees from Communist rule.

Tretchikoff did produce and sell some works there.

For safety, the family moved on to Shanghai but did not stay long. By 1940, when Tretchikoff was only 27, the family was living in Singapore where he worked as a propaganda artist for the British military. He produced many posters warning against the advancing Japanese forces and urging the populace to resist any attack on the city.

When the Japanese forces closed in on Singapore, Natalie and Mimi were evacuated from the doomed city, along with non-combatants of several nationalities. They eventually made it to Cape Town, where they waited for news about Tretchikoff.

However, back in Singaore, Vladimir's luck had run out. As the Japanese surged into the city, he did manage to board an evacuation ship, but Japanese bombers sank it. The survivors (including the artist) took to the lifeboats and tried to escape by rowing.

They reached Sumatra after two solid weeks rowing but found it already occupied by the Japanese. They could not land, so spent another 19 days rowing to reach Java.

Most of the guests were aware of the usual style of his paintings (such as Chinese Lady, The Dying Swan and Weeping Rose) and they were very apprehensive about what he would do with the theme of Christmas.

Once again, they found that the Japanese had seized the island and were soon captured. Tretchikoff was still a Russian citizen, so he was not sent to the notorious Japanese concentration camps, but allowed to work in Jakarta on parole. He remained there for the rest of the war.

Tretchikoff was aware of these feelings and stunned everyone by producing delicate watercolours of fynbos vegetation. Guests kept most of the menu covers, but some have been put up for sale on the Internet. The set of four covers shown here were priced at R8 000 in 1990 and would probably sell for much more now.

Tretchikoff was released soon after Japan surrendered in 1945, but confusion and lack of transport meant that two more years passed before he was reunited with Natalie and Mimi in Cape Town in 1947. The family decided to stay there. He became a prolific painter. In 1948, Tretchi (as he became known) had his first exhibition in the

ABOVE: Tretchikoff painted these delicate watercolours of fynbos vegetation for the covers of The Marine’s Christmas menu during one of his holidays in Hermanus in the 1950s.

BELOW: Tretchikoff’s most famous painting, Chinese Girl, which sold for R17 million in 2013. On the right Tretchikoff is working on his portrait, Miss Wong. shop of the publishers Maskew Miller, in Cape Town. Queues stretched down Adderley Street.

In 1952, he exhibited in Los Angeles (57 000 visitors attended the exhibition), San Francisco (52 000 visitors) and London (205 000 visitors). The artist participated in every minute of every show and used a hand-operated counting device to keep track of the number of visitors.

Massive public exhibitions became a Tretchikoff trademark which he repeated several times in South Africa.

They attracted media attention and promoted the sales of prints. According to a recent (2013) biography by Boris Gorelik, Tretchikoff held just over 50 shows during his life, attended by an estimated 3 million people.

Very recently, the identity of the woman who was the model for Chinese Girl has become known. She was Monika Sing-Lee (later Pon-Su-san) and Tretchikoff approached her to sit for him when, as a teenager, she was working at her uncle’s launderette in Sea Point.

The model for two other famous paintings has also been identified. She was Valerie Howe who was a friend of Monika’s, and she appears as Miss Wong and Lady from Orient. Valerie Howe died in 1995.

According to Tretchikoff’s biographer, prints from both these paintings have done exceptionally well. In Britain, Miss Wong became the sixth best-selling print of 1960, while Lady from Orient found its way into second place in the British top ten (prints) of 1962, the highest position for any Tretchikoff print since the country-wide poll was first conducted.

Tretchikoff broke with the artistic elite, both in subject matter and style of painting and in marketing his work.

His painting style was influenced by the art deco movement and by advertising work he had seen. His marketing strategy was to avoid art galleries and instead exhibit in department stores, to reach a wider public. He also supervised the production of prints of his works, for purchase by ordinary folk.

Both strategies were highly successful.

South Africa began to change politically in the 1970s, and black artists began to make themselves known.

Tretchikoff found himself accused of representing men and women of colour in his paintings in a derogatory way and diminishing their status. Sales of his works and the prints based on them dropped, and his most recent biographer describes his situation at the end of the 1970s as follows: Tretchikoff was no longer a major newsmaker, even for the local press.

Cape Town papers wrote about him only when he and Natalie attended social events or when Vladimir got into petty disputes. Ons such occasion was when their Alsatian bit a neighbour, Andries Treurnicht, the Minister of Public Works, Statistics and Tourism at the time, on the leg.

However, in the 1990s, prints of his

work began to appear in apartments and houses in many European cities.

The provenance was quite different.

Now the prints were incorporated in the décor of trendy young people, either because they remembered them on their parents' walls or because they represented a single finger gesture towards the attitudes of the established art world.

As far as his original work is concerned, it too has survived criticism and a refusal to consider it as art. In 2010 a retrospective exhibition was held in the National Gallery in Cape Town.

It turned out to be the second most popular exhibition ever held there.

At the same time, prices paid for original works by Tretchikoff began a meteoric rise. It started with a work called Fruits of Bali, which fetched R3 400 000. In quick order, others fetched R1,5 million, R4,4 million and, as already mentioned, Chinese Girl a whopping R17 million. Red Jacket, a portrait of Lenka, the artist’s mistress, sold for R4,5 million in London.

Vladimir Tretchikoff died in Cape Town in 2006. It is not known whether he revisited Hermanus after the 1950s.

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WHAT’S ON

11 – 17 DECEMBER 2019

OVERBERG 11

www.thevillagenews.co.za/whatson Civvio Vine to Valley Trail Run Ignite your passion for the great outdoors and discover your inner trail runner. This month’s V2V Trail Run Series will be hosted by Benguela Cove, offering a scenic 5 km, 10 km and 18 km route through the vineyards on the edge of the Bot River Estuary.

The cost is R120 for adults, R70 for kids 10 – 18 years, and free for kids U10. Your entry includes a medal for your madness and there are loads of prizes up for grabs. Tickets are available at www.quicket.co.za Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate | 08:30 – 12:00

Wednesday

Christmas with Richard Cock Richard Cock is back, this time with one of his protegés, tenor Siyabonga Maqungo, who sings in the Berlin Opera, and violinist Lucia di Blasio Scott.

This year the programme will be a wonderful mix of Christmas music, familiar tenor arias and music for violin by the ever-popular Fritz Kreisler, interspersed with entertaining readings

by Richard Cock. Two concerts will be performed and tickets at R230 pp (incl. wine and snacks) can be booked at the Hermanus Tourism Bureau or online at www.webtickets.co.za.

United Church Hermanus | 15:00 & 19:00 Summer Night Markets The popular Hermanus Country Market has kicked off its new season of Summer Night Markets. The next night markets will be on Wednesday evenings: 11 & 18 December; and 1 & 8 January.

Hermanus Country Market | 17:00 – 21:00 Jannie du Toit Christmas Concert Join Jannie du Toit (guitar and vocals), with Chanie Jonker (piano and accordian) and Susan Mouton (cello) for Die eggo in jou oë. This performance in aid of Huis Lettie Theron will include Christmas carols.

Tickets at R100 pp are available from Huis Lettie Theron. Call 028 312 3721.

Municipal Auditorium | 19:00

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Thursday

Robin Lee Book Launch Robin Lee of the Hermanus History Society will be in conversation with former Mayor, Nicolette Johnson about his new book, For Keeps: Articles on Hermanus History. Copies of the book as well as two other books

by Robin Lee, will be for sale at the venue. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome.

Catholic Church Hall | 16:30 Westcliff Residents' Association AGM The annual general meeting of the WRA will be an opportunity for Westcliff residents to be informed about the challenges and achievements of the past year, and what the WRA is planning for next year. Everyone is welcome to attend and pose questions on topical issues. For enquiries, contact Jan Cilliers on 082 896 0517.

Municipal Auditorium Banquet Hall | 17:30 Rotary Club of Hermanus Visitors are welcome at Rotary’s weekly meetings, every Thursday.

Contact Frank on 082 870 1187 to confirm your attendance. The last meeting of the year will be on 12 December.

Mollergren Park, Main Road, Hermanus | 19:00

100 exhibitors. The perfect place to do all your Christmas and holiday shopping!

Curro Hermanus, Sandbaai | 10:00 – 18:00 (daily until 23 December)

Radio Kalahari Orkes Experience Afrikaans folk rock music at its best! By die Hangklip check 'n mens in… en nie weer uit nie. RKO se musiek strek van 'n diep gewortelde plek, wat Ghoema-, Latyns- en Africana-musiek omarm, insluitend enigiets anders wat langs die grondpad te vinde is. Vir kaartjies kontak 060 692 2963 of 028 273 8310.

The Hangklip Hotel, Pringle Bay | 19:30 Bryan Adams Tribute Show All your favourite Bryan Adams songs are brought back to life by this killer band line-up of Clint Falconer from the Dan Patlansky band, Jason Oosthuizen from Van Coke Kartel, Lost&Found and now OOOTH, Dave Callaghan and Henry Grundling as frontman. Young and old, new and veteran fans will enjoy the ultimate night of rock 'n roll featuring some of the greatest hits from this rock star's career over the last few decades. Tickets are R150 pp and can be booked on 028 313 2137 or info@backstagecafe.co.za Backstage Café & Grill, 181 Main Rd, Hermanus | 20:00

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Friday

The Gift Market A fun event for the whole family.

Beautiful gifts, décor, clothes and accessories will be for sale from over

C LE

AVER

Wine Down Friday Join Hermanus’s trendiest wine bar for their 2-for-1 special every Friday afternoon. Buy a glass of any of their lifestyle wines, beers or bubblies (MCC), or a tapas dish of dates and bacon, and get the second one free.

A great way to wind down your week and ease into the weekend!

The Wine Glass, 2 Harbour Rd | 16:00 - 18:00 Our Favourite Things Market This unique Overberg market will be packed to the rafters with all things handmade, homemade, delicious and fresh – all in one beautiful location!

You’ll find the perfect festive season gifts – plus you get to shop with a glass of Madame Lucy MCC in hand – and lots of delectable food options will entice you to spend the day.

Four-legged friends and children are welcome. Entrance on Saturday and Sunday is free, but Friday night is dedicated to reservations for tables at R100 pp. Call 028 284 9865 to book.

Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate | 17:00 – 21:00

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Saturday

Lomond Triathlon Finish your year well by taking part in this stunning off-road Triathlon, either on your own or in a team of 2 or 3 people (men’s, ladies’, mixed or family) over the long weekend. The Full Triathlon (R695 pp or R850 per team) entails a 1.2 km swim, 30 km MTB and 12 km trail run, starting at

BEST BUTCHERS

08:00; and the Sprint Triathlon (R595 pp or R700 per team) a 400 m swim, 15 km MTB and 6 km trail run at 09:00. There will be great food from local vendors, live music, children’s entertainment, great Lomond wine and other refreshments available.

Register online at www.entryninja. com or at the venue on 13 December from 17:00 – 19:00 and enjoy a glass of wine and pizza while watching the sun set over the beautiful dam. The Lomond Open Water Swim (10 km, 7.5 km, 5 km, 3 km, 1 mile or 500 m) will take place the following day, on Sunday 15 December, at the same venue. For route profiles and more information, visit scuttle.co.za/ scuttle-events/ Lomond Wine Estate | 06:30 – 17:00 Hermanus parkrun Meet for the weekly 5 km timed walk or run, come rain or shine. Run for your own enjoyment at your own pace. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley | 08:00 Betty’s Bay parkrun Join this free weekly 5 km timed run (or walk) where it’s only you against the clock. The whole family is welcome. Grab a post-run coffee in the Red Disa restaurant with fellow parkrunners.

Harold Porter Botanical Garden | 08:00 Groeneweide parkrun Bring the whole family (dogs on leashes are welcome too) and enjoy this free, timed 5 km run/walk at your own pace. Register online at www. parkrun.co.za Groeneweide, Franskraal | 08:00

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Elgin Railway Market This bustling steampunk station market, where Art deco meets Victorian, is unlike any other in South Africa, with more than 30 different stalls providing local wine, craft beer, arts & crafts and artisanal foods. Visitors can greet the steam train on the platform or view its arrival from the upstairs viewing deck. There’s live music throughout the weekend, and plenty of activities to keep children entertained, such as a jungle gym, roundabout, and even indoor and outdoor climbing walls. The market is open Saturdays and Sundays, and the coffee shop with free workspace is open during the week from 09:00 – 17:00.

Oak Avenue, Elgin | 09:00 – 17:00 (Sat & Sun) Hermanus Country Market A favourite among the locals. Young, old, two-legged and four-legged family members are all welcome. You’ll find wholesome goodies, homemade crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music.

Next to Hermanus Cricket Field | 09:00 – 13:00

Die Markie Looking for koek? Vetkoek, pannekoek, soet koekies, sout koekies, lewer koekies? A peaceful place to while away Saturday mornings, glass of wine in hand, with Woefie lying at your feet? Olives, freshly shucked oysters and other nibbles made by real people? Served on real porcelain, using real cutlery, sipping wine from a real wine glass? Then you’ll want to hotfoot it across to Die Markie at Hermanuspietersfontein. Here safe parking is a doddle and life is easy.

Hermanuspietersfontein Wine Cellar | 09:00 – 13:00 Market in the Garden Hunt for treasures at this peaceful market set among the shady trees of a beautiful garden.

St Peter’s Church, Main Road, Hermanus | 09:00 – 13:00

Stanford Saturday Morning Market Come and sample the artisanal delights on display, from home-made sheep and goats’ cheeses to cured meats, farm-fresh vegetables and deli delights to tantalise your taste buds!

Stanford Hotel Stoep | 09:00 – 12:00 Gansbaai Farmers Market Specialising in organic, homemade and homegrown products such as fresh farm produce, oven-fresh bakes and pastries, local wines and craft beers, and indigenous plants and herbs. No plastic or polystyrene packaging; only eco-friendly wood, paper, glass and earthenware used to display goods. For enquiries, contact 028 384 1439 or doulene@gansbaaitourism.co.za Kapokblom Street, opposite Gansbaai Tourism | 09:00 – 14:00 Market to Market Experience Hermanus and see how the locals live by joining the ChillGuru bus and cruising from market to market. Your ticket (R150 for adults and R80 for children U18) includes a round trip to the Hermanus Country Market and Die Markie at Hermanuspietersfontein, with a free coffee or drink and a tasty homemade something to nibble on, followed by a free lifestyle wine tasting at The Wine Glass. To make a booking, call 082 700 4163.

Departing from Lemm’s Corner | 09:30

Our Favourite Things Market See Friday 13 December for details.

Four-legged friends and children are welcome and entry is free.

Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate | 10:00 – 18:00 (Sat) & 10:00 – 15:00 (Sun) Panthera Africa Sunset Visits Come and enjoy the evening with your loved ones as the sun sets and the cats come alive after a long day of rest! Sunset is a magical time of day at Panthera Africa and you may even hear and see the lions roar! Only for people 16 years and older. Pre-booking is essential as only 20 places are

available. The cost is R490 pp. Every Saturday until 31 March. Panthera Africa is a non-profit company and all proceeds from ticket sales go towards the animals and creating a better life for them. For more info visit www. pantheraafrica.com Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary | 17:30 – 19:30 A Trip down Memory Lane Enjoy a fun night of music from the ‘70s and ‘80s with talented musician, Takura Terry. Sing, dance and be jolly as we celebrate the start of the holidays. Each guest will receive a welcoming drink and a meal of fish ‘n chips served eighties’ style in the classic newspaper. The cost is R200 pp and booking is essential. Contact 028 341 0651 or barn@springfontein.co.za.

Springfontein Wine Estate, Stanford | 18:00 Carols by Candlelight Everyone is welcome at the Hermanus Rotary Club’s annual Carols

by Candlelight. Entry is free but donations will be appreciated as Rotary supports a number of charities.

Bring your picnic baskets, chairs and blankets, and settle on the lawns from 17:30 to enjoy the sunset before the evening's performance starts at 19:00. Candles and song sheets will be supplied and Father Christmas will also pop in.

Hermanus Old Harbour | 19:00 Nataniël with Charl du Plessis Before leaving for Christmas in France, Nataniël again concludes his year with a twilight concert in this beautiful forest amphitheatre. He will bring music and stories, old and new, evergreen and original. Wisdom and wonders, imagination and amazement! With Charl du Plessis (with whom Nataniël has shared the stage for 20 years) on piano, Werner Spies on bass and Peter Auret on drums.

A Kaalkop-Kersfeeswinkel will be available. Picnics are welcome and Paul Cluver wines and other beverages will be on sale (no BYO alcohol).

Tickets at R220 pp are available at Computicket.

Paul Cluver Forest Amphitheatre | 19:00 (gates open at 17:00)

15

Sunday

Arno Carstens & Zolani Mahola Sunset Concert This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these two iconic artists

on stage together! Arno Carstens and Zolani Mahola will perform the greatest hits from their careers, including anthems from Zolani's solo career and as lead singer of FreshlyGround, and Arno’s award-winning English and Afrikaans solo album hits, plus his Springbok Nude Girls crowd pleasers. Bring your camping chairs and blankets, and enjoy the afternoon on the lawn at this family-friendly venue from 14:30 onwards, while the young ones are entertained in the kiddies’ area. There will be a variety of food and drinks options, including food trucks, a gin & tonic bar, and Stanford Hills’ exceptional wine selection. Tickets at R200 for adults and R100 for children (U5s enter free) are available online at www.webtickets.co.za.

Stanford Hills Wine Estate | 17:00 (gates open at 14:30)

16

Monday

17

Tuesday

POP-UP IN HERMANUS 17 December 2019 66 Luyt St, Eastcliff 10:00 – 16:00

Last minute best Christmas shopping JULIA ALBU - MY AFRICAN CONQUEST - UR BEST HOLIDAY READ BIZOUS - lovely Indian cotton dresses, tops, tablecloths WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS BULLARUM SOUTH AFRICA CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS JEWELLERY INDALO AND SALT - SOOOOPA CLOTHING FOR MEN LIZ WOODS renowned CHRISTMAS CAKES BEST MINCE PIES EVERRRRR DELISH COFFEE VINO BEER AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!!

Shari Dickinson: 082 490 6317 sharidickinson@gmail.com

Andrew Young Summer Sunset Concert Saxophonist Andrew Young will perform his unique brand of smooth, easy-listening jazz in the natural splendour of the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens. Tickets are R80 for adults and R40 for youths 6 – 18 years (children U6 enter free). No booking is required and tickets can be purchased at the venue entrance.

Call 028 272 9311.

Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, Betty’s Bay | 19:00 (gates open at 18:00)

Book launch Julia Albu, the author of My African Conquest, will be the special guest of The Book Cottage at the first book launch hosted at their new premises.

Julia will entertain guests with stories about her African odyssey and Tracey, her trusted old Toyota that got her from the Cape to Cairo, will also be there. My African Conquest is a great holiday read and the ideal Christmas gift for anyone with an adventurous spirit. A cash bar will be available.

RSVP: bookcottage@whalemail.co.za or call 028 313 0834.

The Book Cottage, Station Square (opposite Woolworths) | 17:30

Festive Night Market The Gansbaai Farmer’s Market hosts a festive night market, specialising in organic, homemade and homegrown products and eco-friendly gifts. For enquiries, contact 028 384 1439 or doulene@gansbaaitourism. co.za Kapokblom Street, opposite Gansbaai Tourism | 17:00 – 21:00 Onrus Ratepayers Association AGM The Onrus community is warmly invited to attend the annual general meeting of ORRA. For enquiries, contact Caroline Gabb on 082 554 0811.

De Wet Hall, Roos St, Onrus | 18:00 Christopher Duigan Piano Recital You are invited to an iconic piano recital on an exceptional Faziolo Grand Piano, by the internationally acclaimed pianist, Christopher Duigan in the magical cellar of the Bouchard Finlayson boutique wine estate.

Christopher will play music from Handel, Liszt, Chopin and Rachmaninov, together with a selection of modern and contemporary music. This annual event, generously sponsored by the Lloys Ellis Family, Bouchard Finlayson and Ian Burgess of Simpson Pianos, is in aid of the Hermanus Cancer Fund.

Tickets at R250 pp are available from www.webtickets.co.za. There will be two performances – on 17 and 18 December. Pre-concert wines and canapés will be served from 17:45 and the concert starts at 18:30.

Bouchard Finlayson Wine Estate, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley | 18:30 (Tues & Wed)

19

Thursday

Sunset Session with Matthew Mole You've heard his songs on the radio, but this brilliant artist’s stage presence is what makes it really special to see him live in action. This performance is part of Matthew Mole’s nationwide tour to launch his new album, Ghost which contains Matthew’s typical eclectic blend of folk, electronica undertones, and positive vibes. Bring your camping chairs and blankets, and enjoy the afternoon on the lawn at this family-friendly venue from 14:30 onwards, while the young ones are entertained in the kiddies’ area. There will be a variety of food and drinks options available. Tickets at R200 pp can be booked online at www.webtickets.co.za Stanford Hills Wine Estate | 17:00 (gates open at 14:30)

16 | FOOD & WINE 14

11 December 2019

Ficks Restaurant opens its doors Writer De Waal Steyn

A

fter months of waiting, Ficks Restaurant at the historic Fick’s Pool officially opened its doors on Friday, 6 December.

While the first guests were enjoying their meals and a sundowner, owners Joke, Just and Daan Gonggrijp welcomed Paralympian tennis and table tennis gold medallist Monique Kalkman to the venue. She was the first disabled person to make use of the brand-new assisted wheelchair ramp offering people with disabilities access to the beautiful Fick’s Pool.

This newest addition to the Hermanus restaurant scene is set to charm 1

diners not only with its delectable Pinchos menu but also with its unique setting right on the water’s edge.

Pinchos (or 'pintxos') is pronounced "peen-chos". (In the Basque region of Spain, the "tx" combination is pronounced like the "ch" of cheese.)

The Gonggrijps, who also own Dutchies on Grotto Beach, are ecstatic about their latest project.

The first steps towards creating this “little gem” were taken two and a half years ago when the Gonggrijps tendered for an outdoor restaurant, which Just jokingly refers to as “just a posh name for a pop-up restaurant – that means that if it rains the restaurant is closed”. He says the three main objectives that guided them through

the design process for this historic landmark was to keep the pool open for public use, to retain the history and sense of place of Fick’s Pool and to preserve the natural environment.

2

“Because the decks of the restaurant are higher than the pool, they do not hamper anyone wanting to enjoy the water,” adds Joke. “It is much the same as at Dutchies, where you can enjoy a delicious meal and the beach and ocean at the same time.”

Daan says apart from the difficulties with the rugged terrain and the huge effort of cleaning up the area, including the pool, they had a tough time getting their new pizza oven in place.

“It was imported from Germany and the oven weighs 3 tons. The work crew who needed to install it were baffled as to how to get it down onto the deck. In the end we were left no choice but to hire a crane that very slowly lowered the oven down. Where it is standing now, it will stay for the next 18 years,” says a smiling Daan.

The concept of the restaurant is based on a 'Pinchos and Wine Bar', with all but one of the wines served being local. The drinks menu also features locally produced gin by renowned winemaker Alwyn Liebenberg of Lieben Wines.

The food on offer includes small plates of borlotti bean salad with avo, apple and boerenkaas, duck breast

with orange and green olives, beef steak fillet with chimchuri dressing and deep-fried cauliflower with romesco sauce and aioli.

Joke explains that the Spanish word ‘pincho’ comes from the verb ‘pinchar’ which means ‘to pierce’. It is used in certain parts of Spain to describe bitesized eats that were usually pierced with a cocktail stick, although it is now used for any small plates of food.

The word appealed to Joke because she had fond memories of family vacations in Spain, and especially “the tastes of Spain”, and also because she is known to always “pinch” Just’s food off his plate when they dine out – much to his annoyance. But now at

Ficks, everyone can “pinch” and share food from their variety of small plates!

The existing ablution building, which was rather an eyesore, has been renovated and remodelled into a brandnew kitchen, with public restrooms at the back.

The decks wrap around Fick’s Pool, hugging the cliff face, with an outdoor wine bar and a stage area under a Bedouin tent where musicians can perform. The pool and the area surrounding it have been thoroughly cleaned up. The surroundings are now spotless and the water crystal clear, promising to be the perfect place from which to watch the sun set over Walker Bay.

Lots of Gluten FREE options, breakfast, lunch & best coffee Variety of take home dishes

Under NEW ownership SPECIALS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK FROM 17:00 - 20:00

MON: ½ Price Burgers TUE: ½ Price Calamari or Hake WED: ½ Price 300g Sirloin Steak THU: ½ Price Calamari or Hake FRI: ½ Price 300g Sirloin Steak

José Burman Avenue, Hermanus (next to Cricket Club) Judy 076 545 9778 or Paul 072 505 1387

FOOD & WINE | 17 15

11 December 2019 3

WINE & DINE

1 & 3. Ficks Pinchos & Wine Bar enjoys an idyllic setting on the rocks above Fick’s Pool.

2. Just, Joke and Daan Gonggrijp with Monique Kalkman, who officially opened the assisted wheelchair ramp to Ficks on Friday.

4. Ficks’ menu features a variety of Pinchos (small plates) to be enjoyed with sundowners.

4

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ESTABLISH THE HERMANUS SPECIAL RATING AREA (HSRA) A separate public meeting pertaining to the establishment of a Special Rating Area will be held immediately following the conclusion of the HPP meeting. Notice is hereby given that: 1. Michael Farr, registered owner of Erf 103, Westcliff Road, Westcliff, Hermanus, 7200, intends applying to establish the Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA), in terms of the Overstrand Municipality’s Special Rating Area By-Law, 2016 read together with the Overstrand Municipality: Special Rating Area Policy, as amended (1 July 2019), to include all properties in the boundaries of: 17th Avenue in the East up to Swartdam Road in the West, with Still Street as the southern border and Fernkloof Nature Reserve as the northern border. Suburbs included in this area are Westcliff, Westdene, Industria, Northcliff, the Central Business District, Eastcliff, Hermanus Heights, Fernkloof, Kwaaiwater and Voëlklip.

2. A public meeting will be held, the purpose of which shall be to: a. Inform all attendees of relevant information pertaining to the application; b. Discuss the practical implications relating thereto; and c. Allow the Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) to present their interim plan for the provision of services until the SRA is successfully established.

Date: Time: Venue:

Thursday, 19 December 2019 17H00 Civic Auditorium, Overstrand Municipal Centre, 1 Harmony Ave, Hermanus.

CALL TO BOOK. OPEN 24HRS

ALL PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE PROPOSED SRA ARE REQUESTED TO ATTEND THE MEETING. Enquiries may be directed to the HSRA Steering Committee at info@hermanussra.co.za For more information visit our website https://hermanussra.co.za

Affordable transport door to door.

0846 885 885

Please call today 061 752 1423 or email us at wcbc2020@gmail.com

18 | ART 16

11 December 2019

Festive artwalk evening for charity 1

T

he last Hermanus First Fridays (HFF) Artwalk for the year took place on the warm Friday evening of 6 December.

As has become tradition, the December Artwalk took the form of The Night of 1000 Drawings, where A5-sized artworks were on sale for R100 each at the participating HFF art galleries in Hermanus Old Town.

The atmosphere was happy and festive as artwalkers browsed through hundreds of artworks whilst enjoying cool wine and good company. The event provided a perfect opportunity for people to hunt for Christmas gifts and to find pieces by their favourite

artist, or discover a new talent.

The artworks were donated to the HFF by both professional and amateur artists, including art students, and were then divided among the 21 participating galleries, which displayed them on ‘washing lines’.

They could be created in any medium – the only requirement being that it had to be A5 in size.

The Hermanus Photographic Society also joined in the event for the first time after joining the HFF earlier this year, and sold A5 prints of photographs taken and donated by its members.

The Hawston Cadets made a special

appearancePHOTOS: later in the evening and Taylum Meyer onlookers were impressed by their skill and discipline as they escorted ‘Santa Claus’, in a tuk-tuk, down Harbour Road to Lemm’s Corner to meet several waiting, excited children who all received hugs and sweets upon his arrival.

All the proceeds from The NIght of 1000 Drawings are donated to local charities. This year the beneficiaries are the FynArts Music Project, Hermanus Visual Art & Design Centre, Hermanus Night Shelter and the Siyazama Service Centre for the Aged.

- Taylum Meyer

ABOVE: The Village NEWS' art columnist, Patrick Chapman peruses the artworks in Art Alley. BELOW: The donated A5-sized artworks were displayed both in and outside the galleries for the Night of 1 000 Drawings.

LEFT: Children from all over the Overstrand were excited to meet 'Santa Claus'.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

The Hawston Cadets escorted 'Santa Claus' to Lemm's Corner to meet the waiting children. The Hawston Cadets were one of the local charities that benefitted from the 2018 Night of 1 000 Drawings.

Our advisers understand your goals, however big or complex.

Contact us for investment solutions tailored to your specific needs.

Our services include: • Portfolio management • Stockbroking • Investments (local and offshore) • Financial planning PSG WEALTH HERMANUS PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT AND STOCKBROKING T +27 (28) 312 1508 | 10 Magnolia Street | www.psg.co.za/hermanusstockbrokers PSG Wealth Financial Planning (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider. FSP 728

19 17

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11 December 2019

The exciting adventures of Rosy Ragdoll Writer Elaine Davie

L

ong before Barbie and Ken, with their hard, angular bodies and outrageous wardrobes, there were soft, cuddly, unpretentious rag dolls which crept into the arms and hearts and beds of little girls all over the world. And for that matter, into those of their mothers before them.

One such mother is Alta Pretorius, a resident of Fisherhaven, who has never lost her love of these little creatures, each with its own personality.

She could tell her doll all her secrets and in turn, the doll would regale her with tales of her own breath-taking adventures.

In the fullness of time, Alta herself had two little girls (and a boy), each with a rag doll, and on long road trips to the sea for their holidays, Alta would keep them spell-bound as she 1

recounted these stories. A journalist by trade, story-telling came naturally to her and she was able to reel off one escapade after another.

But, as children do, her girls grew up, one eventually settling in the UK and the other in New Zealand and they, in turn, had daughters of their own, too far away for Granny to take them on road trips, but she could make each of the two little girls in England a rag doll of their own.

By that time, Alta herself had had many adventures in the media and business worlds, far removed from rag dolls. After a stint managing the Cape Coast Business Chamber in the Mother City, she took a high-powered job at the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Johannesburg, and at last, when she and her husband ‘retired’ to Hermanus, she ran the local Business Chamber, followed by the Hermanus Tourism Bureau.

Yet, through all these years, somewhere at the back of her mind, those rag dolls and their stories still lurked and when she retired ‘for real’ to her little cottage in a magical garden in Meerensee, they suddenly popped out of hiding.

She had always enjoyed sewing (in fact, in her day, she had won several awards for her skill with a needle) and realising that her grandchildren were growing up very quickly – the ones in

New Zealand were already teenagers by then – she decided to make the little girls in England, Emma Rose and Robin, a rag doll each. As she says, “I exchanged my lap top for a lappop.”

3 2

Then, based on the joy the dolls were bringing her granddaughters, she thought, “Perhaps there are other grannies wanting to give their grandchildren the pleasure of owning a rag doll, so I just started making one and then another and another…”

And as someone who had been involved for so many years in the stimulation of entrepreneurship, she made a point of buying all her materials locally. Each doll she made had its own identity and personality and as she worked on them, they told her their names. After a doll was completed she put a photograph of it on her facebook page and not only did they fly off the page, but she received orders, too, even one from America.

But then something else began to happen. As the dolls took shape in her hands they began to tell her not just their names but their stories as well. So, why not write them down for her grandchildren and perhaps for other children to read as well?

Alta’s daughter, Jeanette, in London produced the lively, brightly-coloured illustrations and in June this year, Rosy

1. Alta with a small family of completed and half-finished rag dolls.

2. Alta's two little English grand-daughters, Robin and Emma Rose with their three beloved rag dolls.

3. Alta's book, illustrated by her daughter, Jeanette.

Ragdoll in Deep Water (Rosie Lappop in Diep Water) saw the light of day.

Self-published by Alta, the 68-page story written in rhyme in both English and Afrikaans was named after Emma Rose, her granddaughter (with a nod to her own maiden-name: Roos).

So excited was eight-year-old Emma Rose that she immediately took it to school and read it to her whole class.

Not to be outdone, her three-year-old sister has already insisted that the next story must bear her name.

And the next adventure is already buzzing around in Alta’s head. It will include a boy doll as well, and will be set in the Kruger National Park.

Like the first book, it will be aimed at children between the ages of two and 10. The books, ideal gifts for that special child, can, as with the dolls, be ordered on Alta’s facebook page, but, in addition, they are available at the Book Cottage in Hermanus, where one of the dolls is selling them. Alta has a book for adults knocking on the door as well, but for now, she says she is thoroughly enjoying playing with dolls again.

For more information, visit Alta’s website, www.wordpress.storiesalta.com or her facebook page, storybooks2love. She can be contacted by email on storiesalta@gmail.com. or on cell 073 5383685.

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

11 December 2019

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Where anything is possible

11 December 2019

23 19

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Lighthouse Ladies in a festive spirit

Serenity Massage & Beauty

55 Main Road, Hermanus

DR MICKEY FAUËL & DR HANRE ZEELIE (Bio sculpture, CND shellac)

WE OFFER ALL TYPES OF DENTISTRY INCLUDING IMPLANTS DONE DAILY BY DR MICKEY FAUËL ORAL HYGIENIST | BLEACHING DENTURE LAB ON SITE VISITING ORTHODONTIST DR D MURPHY

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(Basic facials, advanced facials, Peels, Dermaplanning and Dermapen

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071 382 7383

37 Raed-na-Gael, Hermanus Heights raedgael@netactive.co.za | www.serenityhermanus.co.za

Tel: 028 312 1213 Emergency 084 791 3721 Nood Mon - Fri 08:00 - 17:00 mcfauel@mweb.co.za | jpzeelie@telkomsa.net www.tooth-implant.co.za | www.whalesmile.co.za www.hermanusdentalstudio.co.za

Services

T

he Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies held their December practice walk on Sunday on Grotto Beach. The walk was a total of 12 km at low tide from Dutchies to Sopies Klip and back (with a break at Sopies Klip).

Approximately 55 people joined the walk and were asked to dress in red, white or green to show their festive spirit. Some went further by wearing Christmas hats and earrings, baubles and striped socks.

Among the walkers were several of the L2L committee members, and Jami and Peter Kastner from The Butterfly Centre – the L2L chosen beneficiary for 2020 (the money raised will be used to build a new school on the Stanford Hills farm, the first phase of which is already completed). Jami will be joining the ladies on the official walk next year in March and has attended almost all of the practice walks so far, showing her commitment to her cause.

15 December th

Two seals were even seen along the route along with jellyfish, a variety of birds and other wildlife.

GP Care

The next practice walk is 21 km and will take place in the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde Valley along mountain bike fynbos trail routes through some of the wine farms on 18 January. This is a fairly challenging walk and it is usually quite hot so please ensure you are properly prepared.

08:30 Ken Jackson 10:00 James Gray 09:45 Lighthouse Kids Will be looked after in the Lighthouse

Hermanus

Celebrate Recovery

Dr Elise Stoop Dr Marina Barnard

HELP FOR HURTS, HABITS & HANGUPS

Tel 028 007 0274

Arundel Medical Rooms 20 Arundel Street, Hermanus info@gpcare.co.za

Visit the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Facebook page for more information.

– Taylum Meyer

Experienced General Practitioners Providing a friendly and holistic GP Service for the whole family.

Preventative, chronic and acute conditions.

The group was treated to almost perfect walking weather as well as beautiful views.

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Tel: 067 116 6111

Email: Hermanus@DrArien.co.za Website: www.DrArien.co.za

24 20

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11 December 2019

MY HOME

Preparing for the season of goodwill

By Stephen de Stadler Managing Director Fine & Country Hermanus, Arabella and Kleinmond

F

or me this has always been the best time of the year. The school and university academic years are finishing; many businesses are preparing for their year-end breaks; and the annual migration to various coastal cities in South Africa is about to start.

No matter your religious convictions, it really does feel as if ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’. The shopping malls are full of Christmas decorations and songs recorded by Boney M can be heard everywhere.

Every child in the country has suddenly been ‘good the whole year’ while their parents try to balance their budgets between an earlierthan-usual December pay date and a January one which feels so far away.

This is the season for good food and drink, the company of family and friends, and a fair level of relaxation as

batteries are recharged for the start of the new year.

Our country continues to experience wave after wave of perceived negative news, but within this process is a level of delivery which should not be underestimated.

The announcement of a new CEO for Eskom and the placing of SAA into business rescue are important milestones in the regeneration of our state-owned enterprises, and a strong commitment by the government to deliver in terms of the mandate under which they were re-elected.

I don’t have enough insight into the affairs of Eskom or SAA to pronounce with any certainty on the correctness of the decisions taken, but appointing a respected CEO with experience in restructuring to lead the transformation of Eskom seems to make sense.

In addition, by placing SAA into business rescue, which is a method of facilitating the rescue of a financially distressed company, this airline may at least have a future. When a compa-

ny becomes financially stressed, the creditors of that company often have first call over any assets or income from the company. When they feel that the assets or income will be insufficient to either service the debt (i.e. meet the interest requirements) or repay the capital outstanding, the creditors may call for liquidation of the company.

to close the company down, creditors are generally assured of a better net return.

In that case the company often ceases to trade and apart from every staff member losing their job, the assets are often sold at below their real value as everyone scrambles to get a slice of an ever-diminishing pie.

Even if the decision is ultimately taken to sell SAA, under business rescue this can be done without any undue pressure from government or other parties that feel they have a right to dictate the future of the national airline. This is good news for everyone currently employed by SAA, and good news for the country as a whole.

In the business rescue environment, a business rescue practitioner is appointed to manage and run the company during the process of restructuring. Importantly, creditors are generally unable to place the company into liquidation during this process.

The company thus continues to operate, with the aim of placing it on a sustainable growth path, to save as many jobs as possible, and even where a decision is ultimately taken

The business rescue practitioner will prioritise the development of a sustainable cash flow, so as to limit the current reliance on the already over-stretched coffers of the South African National Treasury.

With reference to the residential property market, there has been a marked increase in the level of enquiries over the past few weeks.

The “buyers’ market” continues to be strong, but sellers who have been holding on until “the season” are being correctly price-counselled by the experienced and professional estate agents to look at more realistic selling

prices in this market.

While real returns over the past two years have been negligible, those over the last seven years are still strongly positive. Correctly priced and appropriately marketed homes are still selling in relatively short time periods, as opposed to homes that are being offered at inflated prices.

As explained to a client this week, the market determines the price, not the estate agent or the seller.

The transaction of buying and selling a home is a highly emotional one, and whilst some investors may arrive at a viewing with a price based on land value and cost of improvements, most buyers of property first experience the home before deciding on whether the listed selling price is appropriate or not.

Be realistic in your expectations, take the advice of people who live, eat and sleep this market, and let us use the season of goodwill as an opportunity to sell our lifestyle to those people who did not even realise they wanted it, until they hit our shores

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11 December 2019

25 21

BMXtreme Showdown in Hermanus LEFT: Barry Hilton and Gigs Celliers talk about the races. BELOW: The final Open class race. BOTTOM LEFT: Songo's BMX club from Stellies took part in the races.

BOTTOM RIGHT: CMC was on standby for any falls.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer The BMXtreme Showdown had three categories to compete in: racing, bunny hops and freestyle jumps.

T

he Overberg BMX Club hosted its inaugural BMXtreme Showdown at the Hermanus track on Saturday 7 December. Local riders and out-of-towners from five years old and up took part and excitement was high on race day.

•

Beautiful trophies were up for grabs for the winning racers in each age group, as well as trophies for the best freestyle jump and bunny hop. A Free Agent Team Limo bike was among the exciting sponsored prizes and was won by Amila from Songo’s BMX club in Stellenbosch.

•

The results for the races were as follows: • 5 years girls/boys: 1st Noah, 2nd Adah

• • • •

7–8-years boys: 1st Jessie, 2nd Nathan, 3rd Lingomsa, 4th Lyle 9 years boys: 1st Ovayo, 2nd Isikhanya, 3rd Bulumko, 4th Tim 10–11 years girls: 1st Lydia, 2nd Milay, 3rd Khanya 12 years boys: 1st Zuma, 2nd Yandiso, 3rd Isibo 13–14 years boys: 1st Luke, 2nd Amila, 3rd Lakhanya Open class: 1st Wanga (5th in South Africa), 2nd Brad, 3rd Rickus

David Boyter came first in the freestyle jump with a backflip and seat grab, and Zach Moolman came second with a backflip and 360°.

The competition was enjoyed by both riders and spectators. The entertaining commentators were

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local comedian, Barry Hilton and the owner of Surf Zone, four-time World Kneeboarding Champion and sports commentator, Gigs Celliers.

The OBMX Club would like to thank all their sponsors for their help in making the day a success: LEATT, Kavanagh Diamonds, La Pentola, Lorenzo’s Barber Shop, Land en See, Spur Ocean Creek Hermanus, Talisman, Fisherman’s Cottage, Chad Gordon, Free Agent, Hermanus Sports Club, Barefoot Cook, Dusty Feet, Critical Medical Care and Barry Hilton.

Visit www.overbergbmxclub.co.za or their Facebook page for more information. Alternatively you can contact 064 785 9417 or overbergbmxclub@gmail.com.

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Wishing you a great 2020 ahead!

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11 December 2019

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Here are just some of the many adorable kittens at the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society who are looking for a home. There are all shades and personalities - one of them is sure to be the perfect fit for your household. Please visit them at the HAWS kennels in Steenbras Street or phone Amanda 028 3121281 to enquire about the special adoption fee, which includes their first vaccinations and parasite control, microchip and sterilisation once they are old enough. They have also been tested for feline aids and leukemia.

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11 December 2019

MY SPORT

Share your sport news with us! Send it to admin@thevillagenews.co.za and we will gladly consider it, whether it be competition results, a friendly rivalry, a once-off feat or a major tournament.

Cricket humour to lift our spirits By Tony O'Hagan

I

n the light of all the negative press emanating from the corridors of Cricket South Africa, I thought it a good idea to share a little cricketing humour, which often takes the form of sledging and banter. According to Cricketlab, this reaches "back into the dark ages of the game".

They tell the story of old timer, WG Grace, who, on his dismissal, stated "’T was the wind which took thy bail off, good sir." The umpire responded, "Indeed, doctor, and let us hope thy wind will help the good doctor on thy journey back to the pavilion." Today’s banter and sledging is not as polite and in many instances, not suitable for publication.

There were a number of sledges aimed at South African batsman, Daryll Cullinan who became known as Australian spin bowler, Shane Warne's "bunny". This master spinner had Cullinan's number, dismissing him on numerous occasions. During a series in Australia, at a time when Warne was carrying some weight, he welcomed

Cullinan to the crease with the following chirp, "I've waited two years for a chance to humiliate you again." To which Cullinan responded, ''Looks like you've spent those two years eating."

After being tormented by Warne in Australia, Cullinan arrived in New Zealand to play a series there. When he came in to bat, he faced the first ball from New Zealand bowler, Chris Harris.

Cullinan played the delivery very carefully back down the pitch and with that, New Zealand wicket keeper, Adam Parore yelled, "Well bowled, Warnie!" News travels fast!

In cricket, it sometimes occurs that a bowler comes in to bowl and the batsman "snicks" the ball with his bat and is caught, normally behind the wicket. If the umpire does not give the batsman "out", occasionally (not very often), the batsman will "walk" back to the pavilion on his own accord. Legendary South African batsman, Barry Richards commented, ''The only time an Aussie walks is when his car runs out of petrol!”

He should know as he spent many years playing cricket ‘Down Under’.

Jokes abound in the cricketing arena and one of the oldies refers to a wife who phones the ground to speak to her husband. One of the team members answers the phone and informs the wife that her husband has just gone out

to bat. The wife replies: "I'll hang on, he won't be long.” When Australia were going through a lean patch in their quest to win the ‘Ashes’, an urn that is contested for between Australia and England, the question was asked, "What is the difference between Ricky Ponting (Australian Captain) and a funeral director? The answer, “A funeral director doesn't keep losing the ashes.”

A hat trick in cricket occurs when a bowler takes 3 wickets with 3 consecutive balls. On this occasion, a batsman was out first ball of the over. The new batter came in and was out the next ball.

On his way back to the pavilion, he passed the next incoming batsman, a pompous rival who said, tongue in cheek, "Tough luck, old man."

The outgoing batsman shot back, "It's a shame I had to be right in the middle of a hat trick, see you soon."

ABOVE: Daryll Cullinan, who broke Graeme Pollock's long-held South African batting record.

PHOTO: Getty Images

And finally, one for our beleaguered Proteas: "What do you call a world-class South African batsman?" Retired! Hopefully this prankster will eat his words and our Proteas will come good against England. However, this will entail an upgrade on recent performances. Good luck, Proteas!

RIGHT: Cullinan was labelled Shane Warne, the Australian spin king's "bunny".

PHOTO: Brett Phibbs, news.com.au

OVERSTRAND MUNISIPALITEIT ERF 1494, LYNXSTRAAT, VERMONT: AANSOEK OM ONDERVERDELING EN REGISTRASIE VAN ‘N REG VAN WEG SERWITUUT: PLAN ACTIVE STAD EN STREEKSBEPLANNERS (nms A CARSTENS)

OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY ERF 1494, LYNX ROAD, VERMONT: APPLICATION FOR SUBDIVISION AND REGISTRATION OF A RIGHT OF WAY SERVITUDE: PLAN ACTIVE TOWN AND REGIONAL PLANNERS (obo A CARSTENS)

Kragtens Artikel 47 van die Overstrand Munisipaliteit Verordening vir Munisipale Grondgebruikbeplanning, 2015 (Verordening) word kennis hiermee gegee dat aansoeke ontvang is ingevolge Artikel 16(2)(d) en Artikel (16)(1)(g)(v), vir die onderverdeling van die eiendom in 4 gedeeltes, naamlik: Gedeelte A (±2770m²), Gedeelte B (±2870m²), Gedeelte C (±3068m²) en ‘n Restant (±3207m²) en die registrasie van n reg van weg serwituut.

Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 47 of the Overstrand Municipality By-Law on Municipal Land Use Planning, 2015 (By-Law) that applications have been received in terms of Section 16(2)(d) and Section 26(1)(g)(v) to subdivide the property into 4 portions namely: Portion A (±2770m²), Portion B (±2870m²), Portion C (±3068m²) and a Remainder (±3207m²) and the registration of a right of way servitude.

Besonderhede aangaande die voorstel lê ter insae gedurende weeksdae tussen 08:00 and 16:30 by die Departement: Stadsbeplanning te Patersonstraat 16, Hermanus.

Details regarding the proposal is available for inspection during weekdays between 08:00 and 16:30 at the Department : Town Planning at 16 Paterson Street, Hermanus.

Enige kommentare moet skriftelik ingedien word ingevolge die bepalings van Artikels 51 en 52 van die Verordening en die Munisipaliteit (Patersonstraat 16, Hermanus / (f) 028 313 2093 / (e) loretta@overstrand.gov.za) bereik voor of op 24 Januarie 2020, met u naam, adres en kontak besonderhede, belang in die aansoek en redes vir kommentaar. Telefoniese navrae kan gerig word aan die Mnr H Olivier by 028 313 8900. Die Munisipaliteit mag weier om kommentare te aanvaar na die sluitingsdatum. Enige persoon wat nie kan lees of skryf nie kan die Departement Stadsbeplanning besoek waar hul deur ‘n munisipale amptenaar bygestaan sal word ten einde hul kommentaar te formuleer.

Any written comments must be submitted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 51 and 52 of the said By-law and reach the Municipality (16 Paterson Street, Hermanus / (f) 028 313 2093 / (e) loretta@overstrand.gov.za) on or before 24 January 2020, quoting your name, address and contact details, interest in the application and reasons for comment. Telephonic enquiries can be made to the Mr H Olivier at 028 313 8900. he Municipality may refuse to accept comment received after the closing date. ny person who cannot read or write may visit the Town Planning Department where a municipal official will assist them in order to formalize their comment.

Naziphi na izimvo ezibhaliweyo zingangeniswa ngokwezibonelelo zamaSolotya ama-51 nama-52 kwaMasipala (16 Paterson Street, Hermanus / (f) 028 313 2093 / (e) loretta@overstrand.gov.za) ngoLwesihlanu okanye ngaphambi ko, 24 EyoMqungu (uJanuwari) 2020, ukhankanye igama lakho, idilesi, iinkcukacha ofumaneka kuzo, umdla wakho kwesi sicelo nezizathu zokunika izimvo. Imibuzo ngefowuni ingabhekiswa kuMphathi kuCwangciso lweDolophu, uMnu H Olivier ku-028 313 8900. UMasipala angala ukwamkela izimvo ezifike emva komhla wokuvala. Nabani na ongakwazi ukufunda okanye ukubhala angaya kwiCandelo leDolophu apho igosa likamasipala liza kumnceda avakalise izimvo zakhe ngokusemethethweni

Munisipale Bestuurder, Overstrand Munisipaliteit, Posbus 20, HERMANUS, 7200 Munisipale Kennisgewing Nr. 182/2019

Municipal Manager, Overstrand Municipality, P.O. Box 20, HERMANUS, 7200 Municipal Notice No. 182/2019

UMlawuli kaMasipala, Masipala waseOverstrand, P.O. Box 20, HERMANUS, 7200 Inothisi kaMasipala. 182/2019

UMASIPALA WASE-OVERSTRAND ISIZA ESINGU-ERF 1494, LYNX ROAD, VERMONT: ISICELO SOKUCANDA KWAKHONA NOKUBHALISA IPASEJI YOKUHAMBA ABANTU/YOKUNQUMLA ABAHAMBA NGEENYAWO: NGABAKWAPLAN PLAN ACTIVE TOWN NABACWANGCISI BENGINGQI (egameni likaA CARSTENS) Esi saziso sikhutshwa ngokwemiqathango yeSolotya 47 loMthethwana kaMasipala waseOverstrand woYilo lokuSetyenziswa koMhlaba wowama-2015 Kukhutshwe isaziso esimayela nemiba esithi kufunyenwe isicelo esimayela neSolotya le-6(2)(d) kunye neSolotya lama-26(1)(g)(v) lokukucanda kwakhona nokwahlulahlula isiza sibe zinxalenye okanye iziza ezine (4 ) ezaziwa ngokuba Inxalenye-Portion A (±2770m²), Inxalenye-Portion B (±2870m²), Inxalenye-Portion C (±3068m²) kunye neNtsalela -Remainder (±3207m²) nokubhalisa indawo yokunqumla abantu abahamba ngeenyawo.

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11 December 2019

MY COMMUNITY

SOFCA needs your help Writer & Photographer Elaine Davie

The Hermanus Frail Care Centre t/a SOFCA

T

he ageing process is not pretty, and especially not if you happen to be poor.

Like an old car, scratches, dents, rust and peeling paint mark the passing years. There are signs that the engine is slowing down; going up hills becomes an effort. Eventually, routine maintenance no longer does the job and you're no longer considered road-worthy. However, the final nail in the coffin, as it were, is when the mind slows to a halt.

Society doesn’t know what to do with people who can’t connect the mental dots, who exhibit bizarre behaviour or who can’t remember their children’s names. Families no longer see a beloved mother, father or grandmother with a unique personality who for many years played an important role in their lives; they simply become people who need to be cared for. The family is faced with three options: one member takes on the primary care-giving role; an outside carer is brought in, or the elderly person is placed in a Frail Care facility. Make no mistake, caring for someone living with dementia or Alzheimer’s is not an easy task, whoever undertakes it.

And Frail Care services don’t come cheap; in fact, some of them are so exorbitantly expensive that one has to wonder who can possibly afford them. Certainly not someone living on a state pension, or whose children are not super-rich. For the past 34 years, SOFCA’s Hermanus Frail Care Centre has provided a dedicated service for just such people. It can accommodate 55 residents, most of them living with dementia or Alzheimer’s; some have been there for up to 16 years.

“We make it our business”, emphasises Gayle Smith, General Manager of the centre, “to create as homely an atmosphere as possible; we like to call it a 24-hour residential home, not an institution. I’m proud to say that our 46 staff members, be they nurses, carers, cleaners, laundry assistants or cooks are incredibly dedicated – more than 80% of them have been here for longer than 15 years. It can be very hard work, both physically and emotionally, but they carry it out with love and compassion.”

Financially, it’s an uphill struggle, though.

Private residents currently pay R12 140 per month, which is pretty-well the break-even cost per person, but it is a requirement that 23% of its residents fall into the indigent category. The Department of Social Development pays the organisation, which is a registered NPO and PBO,

Our Christmas Wish List

SOFCA was established 34 years ago as a registered NGO & NPO We are a residential home that offers 24-hour care for the frail & infirm elderly residents of Hermanus and surrounding areas.

SOFCA cares for many residents who are not able to afford their full fees which results in substantial losses for us and makes any capital expenditure an enormous challenge.

In light of this, we are appealing to local businesses and individuals to help us so our residents can live happily, safely and comfortably.

Gayle Smith, General Manager of SOFCA Frail Care Centre, in her office. Gayle is appealing to businesses and individuals to support SOFCA’s crowdfunding drive.

R750 000

the equivalent of a monthly state pension of R1 780 for each of these residents. Obviously, this falls well short of the baseline cost per person, so fundraising is an ongoing challenge.

“This is an old building”, points out Gayle, “which means that maintenance is never-ending, but it also means that some of our furniture and equipment is practically antique and completely unfit for purpose. We have spray-painted our beds more times than I can count, but they and our commodes, for example, are so rickety that they’re becoming unsafe. A number of the beds don’t even have wheels. Some of our residents are permanently bed-ridden, so can you imagine what would happen if we had a fire and had to evacuate the place in a hurry, without being able to wheel the beds out!”

With its many needs in mind, SOFCA has launched a major crowd-funding drive to raise a total sum of R750 000. Gayle says she realises that elder care is not a sexy funding option, but if each medical practice in town had to donate somewhere between R1 000 and R5 000, and the same with attorneys, auditors, restaurants, wine estates, the list is endless … it really shouldn’t be impossible to reach.

Although she loves her job, Gayle says what makes her sad is that some of the residents never receive a single visitor. “We try to beautify the place as much as we can, offer the residents

Wishing You & Your Loved Ones a Wonderful Christmas and a Prosperous New Year Contact Details: SOFCA, 1 Hospital Street, Hermanus 7200 Tel: 028 312 3236 email: sofca@telkomsa.net website: www.sofcahermanus.co.za or find us on Facebook daily activities and encourage family members to personalise the residents’ rooms with their own things and pictures on the walls. Unfortunately, many of them have done nothing.

We are always so grateful when volunteers are prepared to take them for walks or simply keep them company, and we must pay tribute to an organisation like the Old Boys’ Rugby Club, which every year provides our residents with a festive Christmas meal and a small gift for each one.”

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028 313 2183

Bank Details: Nedbank, Hermanus Name of account - SOFCA Branch Code - 147005 Account No. – 1470014343 Ref: Xmas/(your email address)

It might be well hidden, but deep within these men and women, a unique personality continues to exist, one which has experienced love, pain, laughter, grief.

They deserve, as much as anyone, to be honoured and treated with dignity and respect.

And their saintly carers need our support.

Contact and banking details can be found on the advert on this page.

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