The Village NEWS 12 - 18 June 2018

NEWS NEWS

Village

The

Mayoral Entrepreneurial Winner

12 - 18 June 2018

Cape Whale Coast

FREE COPY

NSRI HERMANUS Best in South Africa

P3

WHAT’S COOKING Restaurant news

P 12

This sculpture entitled ‘Stop’ by Mark Chapman forms part of this year’s outdoor FynArts exhibition at Gearing’s Point, Sculpture on the Cliffs.

See more photos of the FynArts opening weekend on P 16 & 17.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

Progress made with housing issues De Waal Steyn

R

esidents of Hawston and Mt Pleasant had the opportunity on Sunday to air their demands with regards to housing during meetings with representatives of the provincial department of Human Settlements and the Municipality.

This follows a week of unrest in Hawston and neighbouring Bot

River, during which residents showed their dissatisfaction with housing delivery in the Overstrand and Overberg. The protests caused both the N2 and the R43 to be closed at times, leading to traffic jams on the Karwyderskraal Road in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.

Sporadic incidents of cars being stoned were also reported. During the unrest in Bot River a police vehicle, the Post Office and the municipal

offices were destroyed in fires.

Western Cape Human Settlements Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela said in a meeting in Hawston on Sunday that he was surprised to learn about the unhappiness of the community, especially if it is considered that 489 houses are being built in the area.

opportunities in the area and high unemployment. “What does it help houses are built but not one of us can afford to buy it? We need access to affordable housing and the government must look at developing an environment where jobs can be created,” one community member said.

According to community members they are frustrated at the lack of affordable housing

Deputy Mayor Elnora Gillion said the Municipality is doing everything in its power to as-

sist the residents of Hawston.

“To this end we are making R5 million available for the development of land where businesses can be erected.

We will also make 4 ha of land available for communal farming and the creation of an abalone farm for Hawston is still in the pipeline,” she said.

According to Madikizela he was taken aback by the anger of the community and by the fact that they took it upon them-

selves to close down the R43 with burning tyres and rocks.

“I can assure you that the housing project in Hawston will continue despite the financial problems of the developer. I also want to squash any rumours that are busy dividing our communities along racial lines. One of them being that the land at Schulphoek will be used exclusively to cater for the housing needs of Zwelihle residents.

Continues on P 3

2

12 - 18 June 2018

OPINION NEWS Matters THE

E WS

The Team

6 Royal Street, Hermanus

028 312 2234

Publishing Editor De Waal Steyn 083 700 3319 dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

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

Great strides taken towards a new future The last week has seen a plethora of meetings taking place to meet the demands of angry residents and business owners.

The good news is that many of the meetings were fruitful and that plans are afoot to address the critical housing shortage in the area. Meetings with various provincial ministers and civil society groups have also yielded dividends and it is indeed a welcome sight to see various communities putting aside their differences to work together to the benefit of all.

With tempers in especially Hawston flaring and the R43 and N2 blocked by rocks and burning tyres, Hermanus residents and by default many visitors to the FynArts Festival were effectively locked out of town. But in true South African spirit, festivalgoers were undeterred, taking one of the scenic detours to get to Hermanus. On Sunday an agreement was reached with the

Hawston community to refrain from blocking the road in future.

The community leaders of Hawston and Zwelihle have also decided to bury the hatchet and work together in building a community united in its fight for freedom and economic development. So too, have the communities of Mt Pleasant, Westdene and Paradise Park joined forces in negotiating with the Municipality.

It is, however, important to note that most of the plans that have been agreed on offer only short-term solutions and that a lot of work lies ahead to overcome the problems we as a community are faced with.

There is a need for both government and civil society to work together to find solutions that will be in the interest of all communities. A practical and implementable structure needs to

be developed whereby all spheres of government and civil society can work side by side towards solving the housing problem while at the same time creating an environment wherein sustained economic growth can be attained.

Without jobs the delivery of housing would be a fruitless activity.

The time has come for all role-players to work together towards a common goal and in this we need government to create the forums to attain this goal – and public participation to become the number one priority. The voices of all the residents of this region need to be heard.

We commend all the leaders who have shown determination and public spirit during a difficult time in our region and we as the residents pledge our support to their cause.

This is the good NEWS - Ed

Hit us with your best shot

Office Administrator

Design and Layout Nickey Jackson 079 408 7722 nickey@thevillagenews.co.za

Tania Hamman

admin@thevillagenews.co.za

Marketing René Hartslief 083 648 8700 ads@thevillagenews.co.za

Marketing Kathy Bentley 083 581 7219 kathy@thevillagenews.co.za

Journalist Elaine Davie 084 343 7500

Photography & Social Media Taylum Meyer 084 564 0779 taylum@thevillagenews.co.za

The theme for our next ‘Photo of the Month’ competition is ‘Winter on the Cape Whale Coast’. The winning photograph will be published on the cover of The Village NEWS, 7 August edition.

REQUIREMENTS: • Photographs should be at least 1 MB in size • No over-editing • No more than five photographs per entrant • Your name and surname must be included in the email as well as a short description of the photo (where it was taken, what is happening in the photo)

WHERE TO FIND US

Send your entries to taylum@thevillagenews.co.za

The Village NEWS is published every week and the next edition will be available on 19 June. The NEWS can be found at over 100 distribution points on the Cape Whale Coast, from Pringle Bay to Gansbaai.

This striking photo of a Yellowbilled duck was taken early morning at the Apple Dam bird hide near Stanford

by James Luckhoff.

Get your FREE copy from major retail stores such as Spar, Checkers and Pick n Pay, and at restaurants, tasting rooms, galleries and shopping centres. Should you wish to receive a copy, call us on 028 312 2234 or 083 228 7523 or pop into our office at 6 Royal Street, Hermanus.

MEMBER OF

Weather forecast for the next week & De Bos Dam level Tuesday 12 June

Wednesday 13 June

Thursday 14 June

Friday 15 June

Saturday 16 June

Sunday 17 June

Monday 18 June

11°C / 22°C

15°C / 25°C

15°C / 17°C

12°C / 18°C

12°C / 18°C

12°C / 18°C

15°C / 17°C

Clear

Clear

Rain

Rain

Clear

Clear

Cloudy

www.yr.no De Bos Dam Level

36.4 % full

3

12 - 18 June 2018

Hermanus Station 17 named best NSRI station in the country

T

he hard work and dedication of the NSRI volunteers of Hermanus Station 17 were rewarded this weekend when they were awarded the Pat O’Sullivan Award as the best Class 1 Station in the country.

According to Station Commander Deon Langenhoven, the award recognises the work done by the volunteers who selflessly brave the waters in treacherous conditions to assist those in need. “While we are humbled to be named the best Class 1 station in the country, we are bursting with pride. The men and women of Station 17 work hard to ensure that everyone in our waters is safe. We all have fulltime jobs and families but each and every one of us is willing to drop what we are busy with to help save someone in need.”

The members of Station 17 not only save human lives. They also regularly make use of their whale disentanglement kit to assist whales caught in lines and nets. The team has also saved baby dolphins from the breakers, birds entangled in netting at the golf course and assisted a paraglider who was stuck in a tree near the Old Boy’s Club a few weeks ago.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is a charity that has over 1 000 unpaid volunteers nationwide who respond 24/7/365 to save lives on South African waters. They also teach children in disadvantaged communities about basic water safety through their schools programme.

The history of the NSRI in South Africa dates back to 1966 when 17 fishermen drowned at Stillbaai

Hermanus NSRI Station 17 receives a surprise cheque from loyal supporters, Sumaridge Estate Wines for R755 000 on Saturday. In front is the owner of Sumaridge, Holly Bellingham-Turner with Station Commander Deon Langenhoven and crew members. after three fishing boats sank in a terrible storm. There were four boats out that day and only one came back. Oom Gerhard Dreyer, now deep in his 80s, was the skipper of that boat and remembers how he and his crew threw everything that they could, including the fish they had caught, off the “skuit”… to make it as light as they could. He then turned the bow into the storm and headed out to sea. In the small hours of the morning, as the storm was abating, Oom Gerhard turned back to shore, and amongst the wreckage of the other three boats he found a lone survivor. It was fisherman John Aries, who was clinging to a life ring, and was so shocked that he could not talk.

Following this tragic incident, Miss Pattie Price, whose own life

had been saved by an RNLI lifeboat in the English Channel, began a committed letter-writing campaign to motivate for the formation of a sea rescue organisation in South Africa. Captain Bob Deacon and Ray Lant were the first volunteers to respond to this call and in 1967 the South African Inshore Rescue Service (SAISRS) was born – its first rescue craft, a 4.7 m inflatable boat called Snoopy was donated by the Society of Master Mariners.

Soon the SAISRS became the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and today carries on the proud tradition of volunteering started in 1967. All rescue crew of the NSRI are still unpaid volunteers.

To cap the recognition of winning

the Pat O’Sullivan award, Station 17 was also given a surprise donation of R755 000 by loyal supporters Simon and Holly Bellingham-Turner of Sumaridge Estate Wines. “Holly and Simon have truly opened their hearts over the last few years by assisting us with generous donations.

This makes the world of difference for us. Last year, thanks to the generous assistance of the Bellingham-Turners, we were able to launch our brand-new 4,2m vessel, dubbed Maritimus after Sumaridge’s flagship white blend.

This rescue vessel is equipped with a 50-horsepower engine and is ideal for rescue operations in the surf area and up to 1 nautical mile from shore,” says Deon.

Hawston won’t block R43 again From P 1 “That is not the case. Once the land is bought back from the developers, it will be used to create housing opportunities for all members of the Overstrand community,” he said.

A resolution was taken at the meeting that the R43 will not be blocked again by residents.

This was followed by a meeting with the residents of Mt Pleasant and Westdene, where it was an-

nounced that 10 new plots will be created in Westdene, while a piece of land apposite McMillan House could be used for temporary housing for those displaced from Paradise Park before it is developed into rental accommodation.

Ward 4 Councillor Anton Coetsee also said that a total of 323 housing opportunities will be made available in Upper and Lower Mt Pleasant and that it will include both free housing and affordable serviced plots.

4

12 - 18 June 2018

Photography for all in the digital age Then came the move which was to change her entire life.

On a visit to her brother who had recently moved to Gordon’s Bay, she travelled up the coast to Hermanus and was so captivated by the beauty of the area that, there and then, on a whim, she bought a property and relocated to the Overstrand. In the five years she has lived here, her entire family, including her mother and daughter have joined her. And she has never looked back.

Elaine Davie

F

rom the youngest age, Leanne Dryburgh could not imagine doing anything else with the rest of her life but be a photographer. As a child, she loved to hang out with her commercial photographer dad in his dark room and become part of the magical process that transformed shadowy images on a roll of film on to paper.

Leanne and Peter own The Photo Shed on Market Square, a photographic gallery where they sell camera equipment, accessories and stock images.

They are also in the process of creating a wonderful platform for their clients to display and sell their work.

Her happiest memory, she says was when he presented her with her first camera, her grandfather’s old Nikon F, which she still has. “It’s older than the one on display in the Nikon Head Office in Johannesburg!” she laughs.

In many ways, she believes that life was easier and more lucrative for photographers in the days of film. Nowadays, when everybody has access to digital cameras, professional photography has come under pressure. Having said that, Leanne adds that there is still a large market for professional photographers, especially those who have been in the industry for many years.

ABOVE Peter Hassall and Leanne Dryburgh setting up for one of their Cellphone Photography Workshops during FynArts.

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner BELOW Leanne conducting one of thephotowalkers.com’s many outdoor educational workshops and photo tours.

PHOTO: thephotowalkers.com

“Here’s an interesting fact,” she says. “The number of photographs taken in the last two years, exceed all the photographs ever taken in the world since the advent of the camera.

And beyond that, never have the youth been more photographed than now. Yet – and this is the really interesting part – in 10 years’ time, almost none of these photographs will have been preserved; no record will remain for future generations to enjoy!”

In the 27 years since she obtained her photographic diploma from the Durban Technikon and became a professional photographer, Leanne has been on this roller-coaster ride of change in the industry. She has had to learn to adapt and to keep pace with the technological and social changes which have completely transformed it. Today, she must be one of the busiest professionals around, yet she is adamant that first, foremost and always, good, honest photography is what it’s all about.

Leanne is married to Peter Hassall, the National President of SA Professional Photographers. “We understand each other’s lifestyles and the challenges the profes-

sion presents, which nonphotographers sometimes find difficult to appreciate. Peter’s speciality is architecture photography and this takes him to many major cities. Although he travels a lot while I’m based in Hermanus, we have a great cross-over, complementary partnership.”

quickly learnt that in order to go bundu-bashing, one needed a suitable opportunity. With a deal of chutzpah, she persuaded a Game Lodge in Botswana to allow her to use their motor vehicles and boats free of charge and in exchange she would work for the lodge for no wages.

The range of work Leanne undertakes is quite astounding. When she left the Technikon, clutching her diploma, she wanted to try her hand at wildlife photography, but she

And so began what she calls a ‘mutually exploitative’ relationship. She subsequently sold her prints to the Endangered Wildlife Trust and at the Organic Market in Bryanston.

Back in Johannesburg, Leanne began specialising in portraiture and weddings. She enjoys including animals in her portrait portfolio, and has photographed celebrities. She loves building relationships with her clients from one generation to another and is proud to have taken wedding photographs of the children of parents whose wedding she photographed in those early years. She calculates that probably 80% of her work is for repeat clients or word-ofmouth referrals.

With a renewed awareness of the importance of family as well as the transitory nature of digital photography, Leanne started an exciting initiative with families who want to return to the old notion of family albums.

over South Africa and when groups are larger than 10, Peter joins Leanne in accompanying them. “When it comes to photography, nobody rushes. We’ll stop whenever anyone wants to take a shot. It’s brilliant. We’re all on the same mission and having a great time doing it.”

Leanne also loves teaching teenagers photography, which is now a matric option at some schools. She taught at Curro Hermanus and has been involved with the Oprah Winfrey School in Gauteng. With this in mind, one of the workshops being offered by Leanne at this year’s FynArts Festival is aimed at teenagers from Mount Pleasant.

All youngsters love taking selfies and her workshop on Youth Day is going to focus on funky new ways of taking them. “I love doing this kind of thing”, she says. “Photography is such an empowering art form; it gives the kids a new way of looking at their environment.

“I think FynArts is a fantastic initiative which we support 100% and this is our way of giving back to the community,” she continues. “The festival gives the public the opportunity to interact with the artists and, for us, it’s a great marketing tool.”

“I was approached by a granny,” she explains, “who wanted to create a record of her grandson’s childhood, so every year or so, I take selected images from her cellphone and print them in a photo book with appropriate captions. I have another client who does a photo book of his family every three months and prints a copy for everyone who is in it. It’s a great tradition to start, I think,” she smiles.

Two of Leanne and Peter’s workshops: Cellphone Photography for Beginners and Advanced Cellphone Photography have been sold out twice over, but there are still a few places left for the Lowlight photography workshop on 14 June.

But the most important development in her professional life since moving to Hermanus was the establishment with Peter of thephotowalkers.com. They realised that although many people own cameras, they don’t all understand how to use them.

Leanne is very excited about it.

“We will pick the participants up by bus in the Dutch Reformed Church parking area at 17:00 and take them to the most beautiful secret destination where we will take photographs as the sun sets and darkness falls. It’s two hours they won’t forget,” she promises.

Now, besides being professional photographers, teaching and travelling have become their fun business adventure which gives them and their clients enormous satisfaction.

This year they have offered 15 Educational Photo Tours, both local and abroad, to countries as diverse as Italy, India and Botswana. Next year their destinations will include Cambodia and Croatia.

This energetic and enthusiastic photographer considers herself the luckiest person alive to be living her dream in a place as beautiful as this and her desire to share her skill and good fortune are indeed an enriching gift for her adopted community.

Their local 4-day Photo Tours are a hit with people from all

Leanne can be contacted on 083 293 7208 or tours@thephotowalkers.com More details about their workshops and photo tours can be found at www.thephotowalkers.com

5

12 - 18 June 2018

New budget and IDP approved by Council

T

he Overstrand Council on Wednesday, 30 March approved the Municipality’s revised Integrated Development Plan (IDP) as well as the operational and capital budget for 2018/’19.

Operational budget The approved operational budget for 2018/’19 amounts to R1,134 billion compared to the current amended budget of R1,052 billion and represents a 7.8% increase.

The new municipal budget and revised Integrated Development Plan will be effective from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.

Salaries, wages and allowances comprise R378 million or 33.3% of the operational budget. This figure includes the remuneration of councillors. Salary increase negotiations for municipal employees have not yet been finalised at a national level; hence provision for a 7% annual salary adjustment has been made in this budget.

According to a municipal press release the tabling of the draft budget at the end of March solicited some comments and objections from the public. “All comments were noted, and in some instances, changes were made to the budget.

“Combined, the budgeted operational and capital expenditure for 2018/’19 will amount to R1,328 billion (R1,134 billion operational + R194,2 million capital).

“The hikes cost to the consumer has been kept to a baseline increase of 6% in property tax and consumer services, with the exception of electricity from Eskom where the increase will be 6.84% on average,” said the Municipality.

Capital budget At the time of tabling the 2018/’19 budget, Mayor Dudley Coetzee emphasised that the Municipality will continue to invest in and upgrade bulk infrastructure over the long term, which basically boils down to replacing ageing and leaking water reticulation mains as well as undertaking sewerage reticulation projects.

The proposed capital budget for 2018/’19 amounts to R194,2 million, an increase of 66.5% from the 2017/’18 adjusted budget of R116,6 million.

Capital budget spend from own funds will be R132,2 million, funded in part by an external loan of R54 million. In addition, an amount of R6,5 million has been earmarked for ward-specific projects, amounting to R500 000 in each of the 13 wards.

The budget also provides for a zero-based approach to all expense items that can be controlled. Nevertheless, the need to manage scarce commodities such as water optimally, the increase in the price of electricity and the cost of chemicals required to purify water did have an impact on operational costs.

Budgeted revenue The total budgeted revenue for 2018/’19 amounts to R1,080 billion, excluding capital grants.

This is in comparison with an adjusted budget of R1,048 billion in 2017/’18, and represents a 3.1% increase.

The basic charge for electricity will increase by 9%. To offset this, units will increase as follows: First 350 units by 5.8%; next 250 units by 6.1%; all units above 600 by 6.85%.

For water and sewage, tariffs have been set according to the cost of delivering the service, with an average increase of 6%.

The water usage block tariff has, however, been restructured based on the tariff for 0 – 6 kℓ of water, a tariff which increases by 11.5% and amounts to R3.60 (VAT included) per month. This is in line with a National Treasury directive, which specifies that the level and structure of water tariffs must be fully cost reflective. At present the

cost of providing water stands at ± R24 per kℓ.

Water-borne sewage for single and intermediate residential units will be calculated at 70% of potable water consumed with a cap of 35 kℓ. Water-borne sewage for general residential units (blocks of flats) will be calculated at 90% of potable water consumed with a cap of 50 kℓ.

In terms of water-borne sewerage, all properties will also pay a basic charge subject to the classification of the service.

The tariffs for refuse removal are set to increase by 6% in accordance with the 2018/19 budget.

TARIFF INCREASES Property rates: Residential 6% Electricity: 6.8% Water: 6.38% Sewerage: 6.04% Refuse: 6.01% Copies of the revised IDP and documentation pertaining to the approved budget can be viewed at the offices of all area managers, all public libraries within the municipal area and on the municipality’s website (go to www.overstrand.gov.za, click on strategic documents and then on budget or IDP).

Top 10 Major Capital Projects for 2018/’19 The capital budget of R194,2 for 2018/19 is 66,6% more when compared to the 2017/18 Adjustment Budget.

The Top 10 projects comprise of 46% of the total capital budget.

The increased own funding from surplus is due to gash generated from operations, which includes a further portion from the recent land sales.

Further projects from the proceeds of land sales will be prioritised in future budgets, subject to maintaining minimum financial sustainability levels. Own funding (borrowing) is anticipated at R54m per annum over the 2018/19 term. These borrowings contribute to 34.8% of the funding over the 2018/19 term. The balance will be funded from internally generated funds (25,7%) and capital grants (39,5%).

Top 10 Capital Projects for the next year Project Description Ward Blompark housing project Ward 02 Water treatment waste upgrade – Sanford Ward 11 Hermanus: MV & LV Upgrade/ Replacement Ward 03 Water master plan implementation Overstrand Masakhane housing project Ward 01 Upgrade Hermanus well fields phase 1 Ward 04 New reservoir for Pringle Bay Ward 10 Stanford IRDP Ward 11 Sewerage vehicles Overstrand Hawston industrial hub Ward 08

Amount R16 313 610 R16 177 180 R10 150 000 R10 000 000 R 8 449 062 R 7 000 000 R R R R

5 862 505 5 517 519 5 050 000 5 000 000

6

12 - 18 June 2018

THE

NEWS

Let’s Talk Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Demonstrators deny constitutional rights of others Chapter 2 of the Constitution provides, in part, that everyone has the right, peacefully and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present petitions.

The key point about this is that claimants to a right to protest also carry the responsibility to avoid infringing on the rights of others. This point the demonstrators (actually “criminals”) have missed entirely. Blocking roads with burning tyres (necessitating the rehabilitation of the roads affected), throwing stones at school buses, stoning cars, can never be peaceful. It is criminal and to call it anything else is the worst form of euphemism as it lends legitimacy to criminal conduct.

I’ll look at some of these thirdparty rights below but, for present purposes, note that the demonstrations were not and are not peaceful and so were not and are not lawful.

Apart from that, the conduct of the demonstrators will deter any person who might have been thinking about coming to Hermanus, whether to invest or simply spend some money in the local economy, to the direct or indirect benefit of all. The demonstrators have entirely missed this point as well.

Everyone has the constitutional right to freedom of expression, but this right does not extend to incitement to imminent violence.

Many people seeking to go about their business peacefully were threatened with just that.

Everyone has the constitutional right to freedom of association. This includes the right to go to work or school, which was denied to many people by the demonstrators.

tional right to freedom of movement. This was denied to countless people when roads were made impassable. Messages were circulated on social media calling on residents in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and on the road between Hermanus and Stanford to join in the demonstration (read “criminal activity”) and totally cut Hermanus off by blocking these roads.

The demonstrators need to make a study of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution and stop acting like bullies and criminals. They clearly do not understand how the Constitution is meant to work. They do not have any right to protest unlawfully or in any manner that infringes on the constitutional rights of others. All rights are equal.

Everyone has the constitu-

Dairmuid Short

Attention architects and planners Are you a qualified, professional architect or planner, retired or in practice, resident in the Hermanus area?

Overstrand Unite wishes to put together a small working group of experienced professionals to review future land use and

housing needs and prepare a report to be presented to the council.

Please can you help us?

Contact Adrian Kwaan at kwaantel@hotmail.com

Don’t allow lawless people to ruin our town In their diatribe against my letter objecting to unfettered squatting and the concommitantly growing lawlessness in the Hermanus area, the writer KEA makes a number of unfounded assumptions. Primary amongst them is that living on our "upmarket estate" is "based on race and privilege". Far from it.

Every race and many nationalities have invested in said estate, and in fact, the largest and most valuable property on the estate was bought just last year by an upstanding West African gentleman, who has, since the rioting and lawlessness broke out in Hermanus, put this property back on the market. He is not the only one who is now considering disinvesting in Hermanus and leaving the area.

Be careful what you wish for, KEA, when you suggest that "you and your ilk" (presumably, conservative residents) who object to our town being swamped by squatters should "head north to Orania” or "leave for abroad".

It beggars belief that KEA can refer to law-abiding, hardworking, taxpaying people who are justifiably concerned for their investment and safety as "racist"

and "trash" who "do not deserve to be part of this town, province or, for that matter, this country”.

In my own case, it took more than a decade of hard work in primarily Third World countries, helping to educate, train, assist and uplift many thousands of "underprivileged" persons of many different races, and at much personal sacrifice, to be able to eventually earn the "privilege" of being able to live in our own home, in a desirable location.

Secondarily, to assert that my letter was in any way racist, is libellous, but trueto-form for vacuous leftists who invariably attack the person, and not the problem; ad hominem. The problem is uncontrolled squatting exacerbated by the double standards that the Municipality applies to housing.

This very concern has been raised of late by the selfidentified Coloured community. They rightly assert that, as long-standing residents of the area, they should be at the forefront of any Municipal initiatives to alleviate the housing shortage. Thousands of jobless squatters are placing an unbearable strain on our taxpaying community,

and there appears to be no end in sight to the influx of entitlement-minded people who bring no investment, taxes or skills to the table; only "demands".

The only semi-valid point in KEA's ravings is the quote that "everyone has the right to live where they please". Well, that is only true to an extent.

Try erecting a shack on a privately owned prime seafront property anywhere in the civilized world, and count the minutes until you are arrested! Indeed, if I wanted to live in a "Little Lagos" I could, like the West African gentleman, have invested there. Instead, like him, I decided to invest in the "Little Monaco" that Hermanus once was.

As the West African gentleman – who is now withdrawing his substantial investment in Hermanus – wisely commented: "Don't let limpwristed leftists allow lawless people to ruin your town.

They think that they are scoring points with the masses, but lawless people are not intimidated or impressed by liberal credentials. Right is right. Be fair but firm. All that these self-righteous hypocrites are doing is feeding the crocodile." I couldn't agree more!

Realist, Hermanus

Retired but still willing to help With regard to the spate of unrest in our region due to a critical housing shortage, I would like to know why the authorities have not set up a think tank to assist them with their future planning.

In a town where there is an abundance of retired people with a wealth of knowledge, one would think that something like this would be a given. Many of us who are enjoying our retirement would not mind

becoming involved in assisting our community at no cost.

Being a part of a group that can make a real difference to the country we leave behind for our children and grandchildren would be an honour for us. I am sure many of my fellow retirees feel exactly the same way. When can we expect a call to duty?

P. Willis

7

12 - 18 June 2018

Do the right thing, Rabcav Here is a suggestion that needs thinking about with regards to the proposed sale of the Schulphoek land back to Provincial Government.

To save all the hassle and time wasting, why doesn’t Rabcav simply do the right thing, and donate the land to the Provincial Government or Municipality?

Imagine the huge amount of positive public relations this would generate for Rabcav, let alone the “feel good” factor and positive energy.

OK, maybe that is a bit extreme, but how about suggestion number two – selling it back to the Provincial Government for the same amount they paid for it, which I think would only be the cash amount of R5,3 million, plus the charges and levies of R1,4

million (the balance of R14,3 million and R3,0 million were not spent as “to date no development has taken place”).

Then donate a portion of that (or preferably the whole amount) towards some sort of housing scheme, in which Rabcav would be involved – they are developers after all.

Instead of a luxury housing estate of 245 houses, build a whole lot of decent RDP houses that might actually add value to the area.

Come on, Rabcav, put the usual property developer greed aside and do the right thing – we challenge you. Be the example for the rest of the private sector in South Africa to follow. Somebody has to start.

Shane Alberts and Lea Fabian Kleinmond

Arty Pharty Ken and Barbie, let’s go party Being plumb in the middle of the FynArts Festival, I was asked – actually threatened with a staple-gun – not to write anything derogatory about the arts in general, which I found extremely challenging. So passing the buck, I uncovered an assortment of educated critics in the various art forms who had plenty to say.

Lawrence Durrell – famous author of My family and Other Cannibals – was asked his opinion of the Mona Lisa by Winston Churchill during a marathon darts match in the original Duck ’n Fiddle near Slough in England.

They’d been playing since the Boer War and were both quite sloshed, so Larry waited for Winston – an enthusiastic cigar smoker and phlegm generator – to get things off his chest and disentangle himself from the spittoon before answering.

“She has the smile of a woman who has just dined off her husband,” he claimed to raucous laughter from the other drunkards. Take a closer look next time – her smug satisfaction is clearly evident.

“I wouldn’t have that hanging in my home,” agreed Winston. “Like our chum Mark Twain says, it’d be like living with a gas leak.”

Well, some folks might disagree.

It is after all one of the world’s most famous paintings. Prints are available globally, and sold without a health-hazard warning, so we can assume that nobody was asphyxiated after buying one. However, there’s no guarantee with a Tretchikoff. Twain also claimed that if the old mas-

Wit’s End Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

ters had labeled their fruit properly, one wouldn’t be so likely to mistake pears for turnips.

Art fortunately isn’t confined to paintings and sketches. It incorporates other genres like sculpture, photography, literature, music and pole-dancing.

Yes, dancing is regarded as an art form although one should draw the line somewhere.

Perhaps before twerking?

The Tango, as we’ve mentioned before, is just a crude form of Ballroom, and is the closest one can get to a public display of rhythmic pornography without being arrested. Understandably, tangoing ‘commando’ outside of Argentina’s tribal homelands is frowned upon these days, unless overseen by a nun or qualified chiropractor.

In the sphere of sculpting, Aphrodite, better known as the Venus de Milo, had her shortcomings. Due to regular opium overdoses, her creator – believed to be Alexandros of Antioch – decided she looked fine without arms. Or maybe he thought they were already there, so he stuck her in the Louvre anyway.

Michelangelo, another wouldbe sculptor, chipped away at a slab of marble to create a 5metre tall statue of David. As an afterthought, he decided to give him arms – probably to upstage Venus – and as a result

ran out of stone, so he couldn’t afford Dave the modesty of a jockstrap. Sies! Is that art? He should have stuck to painting church interiors.

But on to another art form – music. Our pal Mark Twain claimed that Wagner’s music was better than it sounded, whatever that means. Samuel Johnson maintained that of all the noises, music was the least disagreeable. The Sex Pistols weren’t around yet.

Once upon a time, rock music was played by youngsters to irritate the oldies. Nowadays it is played by oldies to embarrass the young, so please, no more pub-band revivals like Status Quo, AC/DC or Smokey. Bob Dylan was asked by Rolling Stone Magazine how, after 30 years of playing the harmonica professionally, he showed no sign of improvement, and Bing Crosby described Elvis as an unspeakable, untalented and vulgar youngster with a bleak future.

But back to the art of painting.

I recently saw a large watercolour in a gallery in Hermanus which had me stumped. It was of honey-coloured wheat fields, undulating gently as far as the eye could see, and cost a whopping R3,500. Well, to me that’s a rip-off. For that amount of money, one would expect they could at least chuck in a tree or two.

Whale Coast Tourism needs your input We are experiencing challenges and tough times in the Overstrand. We would like full engagement from all stakeholders to see what innovation can come from the process and how we can move forward.

tourism@overstrand.gov.za or via WhatsApp to 083 305 7319. Our doors are open for discussions and we welcome your input. We will use this input to convene a public meeting and discuss measures.

For the benefit of the entire community and our guests, we need to restore our destination’s reputation as a safe and memorable one. Please share initiatives and ideas on how we can achieve this.

Behind the scenes much work is being done to address concerns. We look forward to hearing from you.

Send your suggested solutions to

Frieda Lloyd Cape Whale Coast Tourism

Think outside the box… or rather shack If the low-cost housing crisis affecting Hermanus is to be resolved, a far more innovative approach will be required. The delivery of housing and land will need to be speeded up if short-term solutions are to be found. In particular, a new approach to housing construction is required.

Some may remember the introduction of prefab housing in post-war Britain to address the housing shortfall. Some 200 000 were built at a rate of about 2 per day per site, with a life expectancy of 10 years.

Some are still occupied. The point is the crisis demanded a different approach.

The council should be embracing the lowcost options that are readily available. The

‘10x10 Design Indaba for Low Cost Housing Projects’ was launched in 2007 to provide innovative and dynamic design solutions for the low-cost housing sector. Alternatives to conventional building techniques allow for faster, cheaper production and the use of unskilled labour. Communities can be easily trained to participate in construction of their own homes.

Can you build/erect an attractive 20m² home in less than a week for under R50 000? A quick review on the web suggests you can.

Is the Municipality looking at these opportunities? I hope so, as time is running out.

David L Worrall, Westcliff

8

12 - 18 June 2018

5

US

28

AN e 0

RM er

2

31

5 33

HE th

s

ke a T

u

Good Guide

yo

■ Market in the Garden: Hunt for treasures at this peaceful market set among the shady trees of a beautiful garden. At St Peter’s Church in Main Road, Hermanus, from 09:00 – 13:00.

Wednesday 13 June

■ SAARP monthly meeting: The Hermanus Social Club of the South African Association of Retired Persons will host their monthly club meeting, with guest speaker Adriaan Windt, who will do a presentation entitled How to deal with the loss of a loved one. For more information, contact Ingrid on 028 316 2390 (office hours: Mon to Fri 08:30 – 13:00) or 082 081 6889. At the Sandbaai Hall, from 09:30 – 11:45.

■ Fynbos 101: Join Whale Coast Conservation for a Guided Walk in Fernkloof with Dr Pat Miller and Anina Lee. Adults R100; children free. Booking essential. Contact anina.wcc@ gmail.com or send a WhatsApp to 083 242 3295.

At Fernkloof Nature Reserve, from 15:00 – 16:30.

Thursday 14 June

■ Arabian Nights Arabesque: Join Eunice Rademeyer for a cooking demo of Arabian delights. You’ll learn Lebanese ways with yoghurt by making (and tasting!) Roasted aubergine with yoghurt and pine nuts, stuffed zucchini cooked in yoghurt, and a light yoghurt & lemon delight. The cost is R100 pp and booking is essential as seats are limited. Contact sales@goozi.co.za or 028 312 4979. At Goozi Kitchenshop, at 10:00.

■ Hermanus Hacking Group: All volunteers are welcome to join the hacking group in the clearing of invasive vegetation. Contact Charlyn Vosloo on mcvosloo@mweb.co.za or at 082 558 8731. Meet every Friday at the bottom end of Rotary Drive, at 06:45 for 07:00.

■ Bhuki Café: Join the Friends of Hermanus Library for tea, coffee and eats for only R20 and help to raise funds for the library. Every Friday from 09:00 – 11:30, at Hermanus Library.

■ Kolwyntjie Teetuin: Everyone in the area is welcome to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at a nominal fee, and make new friends at the Onrus Care Centre (Dienssentrum). At the Onrus Dutch Reformed Church, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

■ Botrivier Hotel Market: For hand-made crafts and tasty treats, come and browse the new weekly market in the hotel garden. New vendors are welcome; contact Erna at ernastark@outlook.com or 028 315 2582 or WhatsApp 076 708 0818 to book your stall. At the Botrivier Hotel, every Saturday, from 10:00 – 14:00.

■ Art, Wine & Lifestyle Auction: This fundraiser in aid of Okkie Smuts Primary School in Stanford has become a popular annual event.

Tickets at R175 include cheese, wine and canapes and are available from the school, Stanford Tourism Office or Coffee Corner. For additional info or if you'd like to make a donation, please call Amelia de Villiers on 076 157 9688 or Okkie Smuts School on 028 341 0611. At Stanford Valley Guest Farm, from 18:30 – 21:00.

■ Bollywood Vegetarian: Join food photographer, stylist and writer Hein van Tonder for a cooking demo of exotic vegetarian delights.

The cost is R100 pp and booking is essential as seats are limited. Contact sales@goozi.co.za or 028 312 4979. At Goozi Kitchenshop, at 10:00.

Saturday 16 June

Sunday 17 June

■ Hermanus Women in Business: Female entrepreneurs are invited to a networking session where they will have the opportunity to market their business and enjoy a light lunch with fellow business owners. There will be a guest speaker, lucky draws and much more.

R180 pp. To attend, contact Anneke (079 872 9631), Berenice (083 578 3237), Marlene (072 796 4993), Cornel (083 704 8636) or Renate (082 709 6686). At Source in Hemel-en-Aarde Village, at 11:30.

Friday 15 June

■ Fioré Country Market: Browse this new country market in Bot River for homemade crafts, books, local treats, fresh fruit and more.

Stands are free and in the event of rain the market moves indoors. For enquiries, contact Debbie Randall on 028 284 9220. At Fioré Garden Centre & Coffee Shop, Bot River, from 09:00 – 14:00.

it? R20 donation for environmental education.

Contact Anina Lee on 083 242 3295 or anina.wcc@gmail.com. At The Green House, R43, Vermont, at 17:30.

Wednesday 20 June ■ Hermanus Bird Club: The club meeting will include a presentation by Peter Dagg on The Search for the Angola Cave Chat. Refreshments will be available for a donation. At Fernkloof Nature Reserve Hall, at 18:00 for 18:30.

Thursday 21 June ■ Hermanus Business Chamber: Join the HBC for a Soup & Sherry/ Wine evening that will chase away the winter chill. The theme will be ways of finding closer collaboration and considering an umbrella body where all parties can have representation, whilst retaining their unique character and role in the community.

The HBC will also do a collection of warm clothes for organisations like SOFCA that care for the elderly from all communities. At Ocean Basket, Village Square, at 17:30.

Friday 22 June

■ Lemm’s Corner Market: This popular Sunday market offers exclusive arts and crafts, and handmade local products. At Fisherman’s Village (between Cattle Baron and Fisherman’s Cottage), from 10:00 – 15:00.

Monday 18 June

■ Hermanus parkrun: Meet for the weekly 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

Set off from the Overstrand Training Institute (OTI) farm on Camphill Road in Hemel-enAarde Valley, at 08:00.

■ Hermanus Country Market: A favourite among the locals, old and young. Four-legged family members are also welcome. You’ll find wholesome goodies, home-made crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music. Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market: Where local and international foodies and wine lovers meet. You’ll find “real plates and real cutlery; real cups and real glasses; a real hangout for real people”. In the courtyard of Hermanuspietersfontein wine cellar at The Village, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Hermanus Astronomy Centre: The HAC’s monthly meeting will include a presentation on The Story of the Hermanus Astronomy Club

by Pierre de Villiers and John Saunders. For more information, contact 081 212 9481 or petermh@hermanus.co.za. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 17:00.

Tuesday 19 June

■ Hermanus Botanical Society: At BotSoc’s monthly talk, primatologist Joselyn Mormile of UCT’s Department of Biological Sciences and the Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, will present a fascinating talk on The human-baboon interface in the village of Rooiels.

Having worked with baboons throughout South Africa for over seven years, Joselyn is currently doing research in Rooiels for her PhD, which focuses on the challenges people and baboons face when competing for space in urbanised landscapes. In the Fernkloof Hall, at 17:30.

Friday 22 – Monday 25 June

■ The Pollinators: Who done it? Join Whale Coast Conservation for a presentation by Giorgio Lombardi on The Pollinators: who done

■ Gut Health Yogi Retreat: Packages for this 4-day retreat in the nurturing environment of a boutique guest house & wellness retreat start from R5 300 sharing, and include luxurious accommodation, all meals consisting of delicious food to restore gut health, daily BodySensing mindful movement and meditation facilitation, individual coaching sessions and a Gut Harmony Program to continue after the retreat. For more info or to book, contact Nicholas on 082 437 9776 or nicholas@guthealthyogi.com. At Forty Trees Guesthouse, Hermanus.

Village

EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ARTS • NATURE

The ins and outs of food and wine pairing

D

o food and wine pairings really matter and which wine goes with which food? The answer depends to a great extent on your individual palate, how you perceive food, and what types of wine you enjoy.

Wine and food pairing preferences are very individual. However, it is undeniable that certain food groups simply pair better with certain wine types.

And, when you discover that near perfect match, it truly does enhance both your food and your wine.

In the days when our choices were just red or white, it was easy to notice that red wine went with beef and white wine went with fish or chicken. But food and wine pairings are no longer this simple. Moreover, rules are quite often broken, as there is no universal way of matching food and wine, and experimentation is often the key to success.

First off, when pairing food and wine, it is important to pay attention to the following elements of wine: the grape variety, body, flavours, acidity, and alcohol content. The wine producer and vintage can also play a significant role in the style of the wine and you also need to know the dominating flavours of food to be able to match it well.

Today’s wines, both red and white, are so varied in flavour and texture that it’s impossible to pinpoint the best food match with 100% accuracy. Instead, look for a wine with the flavours, aromas and weight that most closely match the characteristics of your meal.

It’s all about balance.

In general, it is recommended to pair the wine with the sauce, seasoning or dominant flavour of the dish, rather

PHOTO: leopardleap.co.za than the protein. For example, a blackened (spicy) fish will go better with a Merlot (red) than a Chardonnay (white). But if you are eating a white fish with a delicate sauce, that Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc should be just fine.

In order to reach balance in food and wine pairings, a variety of seasonings is often used. For example, to make the wine taste milder, you can use salt, lemon, mustard or vinegar. If you need to make it taste stronger, use sugar or some savoury ingredients.

One of the most important aspects of wine and food pairing is matching the body of your wine with the level of intensity in the flavours of your food. You don’t want to pair a light wine with a meal containing heavy

foods and sauces. Conversely, you don’t want to pair a full-bodied wine with a meal containing light, delicate foods.

Balance is the key word when it comes to perfect food and wine matches: neither wine nor food should overpower each other. Ideally, the flavour of the wine should be slightly stronger than the matching flavour of the meal.

If you are serving more than one wine at a meal, stick to the general rules of serving lighter wines before full-bodied ones, dry wines before sweet wines, and lower alcohol wines before higher alcohol wines.

White wine is normally a good match for salads and lighter dishes, red wine goes perfectly well with steaks and heavier meat sauces, and

ports usually end a meal, pairing well with a piece of cake.

It goes without saying that you should match quality of food and wine. Select a wine for an occasion, following an easy guideline: the more significant the occasion, the better the wine. Wine and food pairing, much like wine tasting, is a skill that takes time and experience to acquire. So, relax and enjoy the process. You’ll quickly learn what doesn’t go well together and will have had fun figuring it out.

We recommend writing down your observations about different wines as you go. And, do not underestimate the power of a creamy mushroom soup with Pinot Noir or dark chocolate with a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Always put the people who will be eating your meals and drinking your wine before any wine pairing rules.

Every individual’s sense of taste is different. So, if someone doesn’t like seafood, he/she won’t appreciate your perfectly matched white wine along with it. But thanks to the diversity of options, you can always find a compromise that would suit all your guests.

Food and wine pairing is a unique art, and as in any art, each person should find his or her own favourite style, respecting the tastes of others. The best pairing is excellent food, excellent wine and a good company of friends.

- Proudly brought to you by the Wine Village

10

12 - 18 June 2018

What about the Schulphoek milkwoods?

I

n the last month Hermanus and surrounding towns have seen unprecedented activism around the issue of land for housing. The dire lack of land is in part the consequence of Hermanus lying between the ocean and the mountain, with not much room for expansion.

MY NEWS Environment

The Hermanus Botanical Society will present a course entitled Fynbos Explained at Fernkloof Nature Reserve over five weeks, from 7 July to 25 August. Consisting of two one-hour talks, the course will be presented on Saturday mornings from 10:00 – 12:30, with a tea/coffee break at 11:00.

THE

Thousands of people annually move into Hermanus. It’s a very nice place to be. Hermanus has excellent municipal services, good schools, a functioning health service and at least a chance of some employment.

So where will they live? Presently many people are forced to build backyard shacks and are often exploited in the amount of rent payable.

Schulphoek in Hermanus has been the flash point for the housing protests that erupted recently. It is a prime site just between Zwelihle and the sea.

The sale of the land by the Municipality to private enterprise was dogged by controversy from the start. One positive condition of the sale was that the lovely milkwood forest on the property would be protected and maintained. As we are all aware milkwood trees are protected in South Africa, because they grow precisely where the most desirable coastal properties are.

So the promise by the powers that be to the residents of Zwelihle is that the Schulphoek property would be acquired (at hugely inflated cost) from the consortium that now owns it and would be made available for low-cost housing. There are a few voices heard that threaten to burn the milkwoods down and occupy the land.

I have been asked by several people: “What will happen to the milkwoods?”

Well, here is an opportunity for all to become positively involved – local and central authorities, landscape designers,

Learn more about our fabulous fynbos

The dates are Saturday 7 July, 14 July, 21 July, 18 August and 25 August. The speakers are Di Marais, retired virologist, active conservationist and aspirant botanist; Vic Hamilton-Attwell, retired zoologist, environmentalist, aspirant botanist and arachnologist; Pat Miller, local botanist; Anina Lee, retired biochemist, communications manager of Whale Coast Conservation and reluctant activist; Christopher Whitehouse, botanist and owner of Phillipskop Mountain Reserve; and Johann du Preez, plant ecologist and environmental consultant.

On 7 July the topics of the two talks are Fynbos Introduction: General, presented by Di Marais; and Fynbos Introduction: Flower Parts, by Vic Hamilton-Attwell.

On 14 July the topics are Proteaceae presented by Vic Hamilton-Attwell; and Ericaceae by Pat Miller.

On 21 July the topics are Geophytes and Orchids presented by Pat Miller; and Restionaceae by Anina Lee.

architects, environmentalists and the people of Zwelihle.

Never again should those mindless and soulless RDP houses see the light of day.

The fact is that with such a shortage of land we can no longer afford to build little square boxes, each on their own plot. For one thing, providing services to each individual house is just too expensive. Social housing has to be built up – not high rise, but at least duplex rowhouses. Concentrating your services is cheaper. Other countries have done it for hundreds of years.

What if we could provide housing and also keep the milkwoods?

Imagine a township that is not

based on the housing model of a century ago. Think imaginative design incorporating the main body of the milkwood forest as a place for cultural activities, a place of respite and peace, and a safe place for children to play.

In less-densely wooded areas houses can be built in clusters around individual milkwood trees with the shaded space under the trees forming the focus of community life, a place where children can play rather than in the streets of a shanty town.

Imagine a township that is a model of innovative and imaginative design that attracts tourists from far and wide to see it, to experience life with the local people. It

would create entrepreneurial opportunities for coffee shops, restaurants serving traditional food, B&Bs, souvenir shops, cultural guides, and guided walks through the milkwood forest.

Cultural tourism is big. Tourists no longer want to just look at things – they can do that watching television. They want to experience local life.

Let’s turn Schulphoek into an experience that will boost cultural tourism and create the job opportunities so lacking in our town.

A pipe dream? Maybe, but without dreams nothing will change.

- Anina Lee, Whale Coast Conservation

On 18 August the topics are Endemic and large Cape genera presented by Chris Whitehouse; and Mesembryanthemaceae

by Johann du Preez.

On 25 August the topics are Fabaceae and Polygalaceae; and Asteraceae, both presented by Johann du Preez. The talks will be followed by a practical workshop at 14:00.

The cost for Hermanus Botanical Society members is R1 000 for the entire course; R100 for single talks or R200 for a morning of two talks. The cost of the workshop is R 200, available to the first 20 people who book.

The workshop will sum up all the topics covered in the course with microscopic studies on parts of plants. For the general public, the cost of the entire course is R 1200 or R 250 per Saturday session of two talks.

Booking forms are available from Di Marais at maraisdianne@gmail.com. Payment can be made to: Hermanus Botanical Society, FNB Hermanus: Acc 5247 2034 711: Branch 250655. Send proof of payment to botsochermanus@telkomsa.net and use your SURNAME and COURSE as the reference.

The takings from this course will finance microscopes for BotSoc’s Research Centre.

11

12 - 18 June 2018

Unique fishing line bins highlight marine pollution

O

n World Oceans Day on 8 June, Dyer Island Conservation Trust, in collaboration with Plastics SA, strategically placed a unique fishing line bin in Stanford’s Cove, De Kelders, in an area commonly used by fishermen.

This latest bin forms part of the Fishing Line Recovery and Recycling Programme launched

by DICT along the Gansbaai shoreline in 2010 as an innovative project aimed at reducing the severe environmental damage caused by discarded fishing line on our coastline.

amount of fishing line entering the marine environment, as well as to increase the amount of fishing line being recycled.”

Wilfred adds that DICT has formed strong partnerships with organisations that help the reach and management of this project. The first 20 bins were placed in partnership with Overstrand Municipality in the Gansbaai area. Since then bins have been placed at various locations around the country, including alongside Blue Flag beaches, and is proving to be an icon for the fight against marine pollution.

“Our marine animal rescue team has seen some of the worst injuries on seabirds, seals and sharks caused from discarded fishing line,” says Wilfred Chivell, CEO of DICT, which has to date collected over 5 000 km of fishing line.

Since 2011, DPI Plastics has been providing the material for these bins, a dedicated and critical sponsorship that was arranged by John Kieser of Plastics SA.

“This project, which includes regular beach cleanups, helps create public awareness about the negative impact that fishing line debris has on marine life, water quality, and human welfare. We place bins at our local beaches and popular fishing spots, encouraging anglers and beach walkers to dispose of their used fishing line. In this way we hope to reduce the

“Monofilament fishing line is non-biodegradable and can last for hundreds of years in the marine environment where it entangles wildlife and is mistakenly ingested by birds and animals, resulting in injury or death, and is also hazardous to boaters and swimmers,” says Anthea Paulsen of DPI Plastics. “DPI Plastics would like to enlarge our

eco footprint and be seen as eco leaders in our industry. We look forward to the continued reach of the fishing line bin project. It can grow so much further, not only along the coastline but also inland for rivers and dams where the same problems exist."

Kieser is also responsible for organising interested organisations in South Africa to take part in the International Coastal Clean-up Day in September every year. Kieser provides all bags, gloves and data cards for this annual event as well as all clean-ups that take place throughout the year.

“It is important that we collate the data to form an accurate picture of marine pollution and its sources in South Africa, so we can assess and advise plastic manufacturers where required. Product design can be revised minimising waste issues. The fishing line bin has been well received along the coast and a roadshow is planned for 2019,” says Kieser.

For further information, visit www.dict.org.za or contact Brenda du Toit on 076 061 3114 / fundraising@dict.org.za

After enjoying a whale trip on World Oceans Day on 8 June with Dyer Island Cruises, reminding all on board of the marine world that needs protection, representatives of DICT, DPI Plastics, Plastics SA and the Overstrand Municipality placed a fishing line bin in Stanford’s Cove, De Kelders. From left are Creshwell Michaels and Anthea Paulsen (DPI Plastics), Pinkey Ngewu (DICT), John Kieser (Plastics SA), Benjamin Kondokter (Overstrand Municipality) and Meredith Thornton (DICT).

12

12 - 18 June 2018

A new buoyancy at Ocean Basket

O

cean Basket is a proudly South African brand that hardly needs introduction. Its colourful history is related on its website, where I learned that the first restaurant opened its doors in 1995. Back then, seafood restaurants were reserved for the upper crust, and a portion of prawns was a real extravagance.

brother is a student at Stellenbosch University) arrived in Hermanus earlier this year, determined to start a new life in a small(er) town where they could get involved with the local community and hopefully make a difference.

What’s Cooking RESTAURANT NEWS Hedda Mittner

They are hardly strangers to Hermanus; Gideon’s parents retired to Hermanus and the family spent their holidays here for over 20 years. “We always had an interest in the town and Michelle, who grew up in Durbanville, always wanted to return to the Cape,” says Gideon.

That’s when Fats Lazarides, always one to swim against the current, decided to create a restaurant that exclusively served seafood that was not only delicious, but affordable.

The first Ocean Basket opened in Menlyn Park Centre, Pretoria. It was just 60 square metres, with six tables, and the menu offered only a handful of dishes, including prawns, hake, calamari and kingklip. That was it. Plus, the landlord imposed restrictions on what could be sold; only one wine and a small selection of soft drinks could be served. In true Ocean Basket spirit, Fats invited customers to bring their own drinks and even their own salads.

Fats was born to serve and knew every customer by name. His mom, Liza Lazarides, added a touch of her own special magic to the brand by baking the baklava and kataifi desserts.

Soon, Pretoria had fallen in love with this loud, crazy, Mediterranean restaurant, which in those early days included a deli.

Today there are over 201 restaurants in 16 countries around the globe, from Kazakhstan to Kuwait, Dubai to Durban, Nelspruit to Nigeria, and Harare to…

Hermanus.

This is the legacy that Gideon and Michelle Serfontein, the new owners of Ocean Basket Hermanus, have inherited. It’s not that they were specifically looking to purchase an Ocean Basket franchise, says Gideon, but when the opportunity presented itself to take over an established anchor business on

Gideon and Michelle Serfontein with their front and back of house staff members at Ocean Basket Hermanus. the waterfront, it made perfect sense. Not only is Ocean Basket a well-known brand and one of the largest restaurants in Hermanus located in a prime position, it also boasts some of the best ocean views in town, with high ceilings and elevated, wrap-around windows.

When I visited this engaging couple last week, I have to admit I had not set foot in an Ocean Basket for a number of years. No reason, really, except that I tend to gravitate to more intimate, bistro-type eateries.

I was quite surprised by two things, though – those views really are quite something, and the menu has changed quite a bit since I last ordered a meal in an Ocean Basket restaurant.

For one thing, there is more variety – among the starters I

spotted not only the usual mussels and calamari but also an inviting mezze platter, Mediterranean rice balls made with halloumi cheese and served with a herb mayo, Spanish anchovies served with a Mediterranean salsa consisting of tomato, olives and capers in a zesty herb mix, a hearty tomato fish soup, and a seared salmon or tuna salad served with fresh avocado, ponzu sauce and sesame seeds.

Another pleasant surprise was their ‘Pick of the Season’ – Silver Warehov, which is a deep Pacific game fish with rich succulent flesh. This is served either as goujons – perfect little nibbles of golden battered fillet that are deep fried and served with a zesty mayo – or thick fillet pieces that are grilled with a spicy butter and served with

a side of your choice as a main course. At R39 the goujons offer real value for money as a tasty starter or even as a light meal. And then there is always that extensive sushi menu…

The famous mains, combos and platters are all still there, with their popular fish and chips selling at a most affordable R70. What was also new to me, though, was the mouthwatering array of desserts that have been added to Mama Liza’s legendary baklava and kataifi, including a pear and white chocolate pudding, icecream with Turkish Delight, a toffee nut pie, and baklava cheesecake.

But back to Ocean Basket Hermanus’ new owners, Gideon and Michelle, who are perhaps the most interesting combo of

all. They met as students at Stellenbosch University and have been together for a quarter of a century; she is English and vivacious, with a background in education; he is Afrikaans and more measured, with a background in high finance. Both are passionate entrepreneurs and involved in lecturing – Michelle in marketing and business ethics and Gideon in investment banking and sustainable development.

After 23 years in banking, mainly with Absa, Standard Bank and as head of Barclays Africa’s Citizenship agenda, Gideon was ready for a change.

“In Johannesburg we lived well, but there was no joy,” he says, adding that he felt there has to be more to life than just work.

And so Gideon, Michelle and their teenage son (whose older

What they had not expected, were the sporadic incidents of unrest that started before they’d even unpacked, but this only seems to have made them more determined. “As a result of the protests we have became more involved with our staff members and their families, their circumstances and challenges, and we’d like to make a meaningful contribution to their lives,” says Gideon, adding with a smile that one should never waste a crisis.

“We want to be part of the solution.”

To this end he is looking forward to becoming involved with the Hermanus Business Chamber and other community initiatives that will encourage and support the growth of black entrepreneurs. “We are now part of this community,” he says. “Our son has settled in well at Hermanus High, we have invested in the restaurant, and we are here to stay.” I can’t help feeling that not only is the Ocean Basket in good hands, but Hermanus is fortunate that the Serfonteins decided to make this their new home.

The Hermanus Business Chamber will be hosting a soup & sherry networking session at Ocean Basket on 21 June. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11:30. To book call 028 312 1313.

12 - 18 June 2018

13

15

12 - 18 June 2018

Bona Dea shares its many splendours with guests

B

lounge, separate dessert room, two luxurious lounges with wood-burning fireplaces, wrap-around patios, a treed garden terrace and, of course, those scenic views that form the ultimate backdrop for wedding photographs. The Estate also offers a wide range of event critical services on site, such as creative styling, floristry, furniture and décor hire, and a fully equipped kitchen for catering. Every function is personalised to suit clients’ individual needs.

ona Dea Private Estate recently hosted a networking luncheon at their luxurious wedding venue and conferencing destination in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Completed in 2015, the venue complex is now in its fourth season of hosting weddings, conferences, fashion shows, corporate dinners, floral and business seminars, and the annual Pinot Noir Celebration.

The networking luncheon was initiated by Stephni Hardie from TopVendor Wedding Awards (TWA) and provided an opportunity for Bona Dea to introduce their new team, including General Manager Rina de Wet, who previously headed up The Village NEWS’s marketing department.

In order to show off the reasons why Bona Dea Private Estate was awarded the top TWA 2017 Award for Best Wedding View, guests were taken on a site tour of the facilities before sitting down to a delicious threecourse meal prepared by Two

Chefs Catering and paired with local wines from Bosman Family Vineyards and Sumaridge Estate Wines. Guests also took home a bottle of Ashbourne Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay sponsored by Hamilton Russell Vineyards in their gift bags.

The guest list included Overberg locals and dignitaries, and representatives from

Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Somerset West. The majority of the guests were from the event and wedding planning industry, including florists, makeup and hair specialists, photographers and videographers, and members of the media. The networking luncheon also provided an opportunity to introduce the Hemelen-Aarde Valley as a top wine

Olive Hamilton Russell, Jozua Rossouw, Anthony Hamilton Russell and Talita Engelbrecht.

PHOTOS: erlobrownphotography.co.za

producing region, with Anthony Hamilton Russell presenting an interesting talk on the colourful history and unique terroir of the valley.

Bona Dea has a sophisticated and talented team capable of organising and co-ordinating weddings and corporate or private functions in the lavish Ballroom and Venue Complex, which includes a cocktail bar

The venue complex offers luxurious accommodation for six people in Dendrobium House, upstairs from the venue complex, which has three bedrooms and two beautifully appointed bathrooms. The nearby Olive Cottage offers a self-catering option for six people, with a lounge, dining room and kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, and a bedsitter downstairs with full en-suite bathroom and outside patio with braai area.

“Hermanus has the beauty of the valley, the town and the seaside, and offers many activities for wedding and function guests. The bottom line is that Hermanus is a very viable destination for events and we would like to do whatever we can to promote this,” said proud host, Robert Johnson.

Life is full of occasions. There are birthday parties, baby showers, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, board meetings, conferences, workshops and weddings. And the truth is that while it’s usually fine to host these occasions at home or at the office, a venue with a little more pizazz, space, professional décor and preparedness might add a lot in the way of making hosting an event easier, more spectacular and forever memorable.

For more information visit www.bonadea.co.za or contact Restelle Olivier, Event Planner & Co-ordinator on 028 050 0370 or info@bonadea.co.za.

Bona Dea event planner and co-ordinator Restelle Olivier, Mayor Dudley Coetzee and his wife Shirley, Ald Nicolette Botha-Guthrie, Robert Johnson of Bona Dea and GM Rina de Wet.

16

FYNARTS

12 - 18 June 2018

B

y all accounts the opening weekend of Hermanus FynArts 2018 was a rousing success, with accommodation establishments reporting good occupancy and the restaurants doing a brisk trade. Despite incidents of unrest at Bot River and Hawston last week, when both the N2 and the R43 had to be closed to traffic, it appears that there were very few cancellations. At a gathering at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate on Thursday evening, Festival Director Mary Faure thanked everyone, from administrative coordinator Chantel Louskitt (photo left, with her husband Roderick) and the FynArts committee members to the sponsors and volunteers, for their ongoing support. The evening at Benguela Cove also saw the opening of Brand Ambassador Samarie Smit’s (photo far left) exhibition, My Love Affair with Wine. On Saturday the winners of the Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award were announced, with Juanita Oostuizen’s (below right) tondo entitled Timeless Vintage taking the first prize. Among the many exhibition openings was FynArts Festival Artist Kate Gottgens’ (photo below left, on the right, with Mary Faure and Marilyn Martin) exhibit, Greener Grass at the new FynArts Gallery. These exhibitions will run for the duration of the 10-day festival.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

12 - 18 June 2018

FYNARTS

17

The opening of the ceramics exhibition Beyond Fire at the Windsor Hotel also took place on Saturday. This popular exhibition was again curated by Liz Coates, and opened by well-known ceramic artist Tania Babb (photo right), who is one of more than 30 participating artists. A thread runs through it: Collaborative Relationships at the Old Synagogue, opened on Saturday by Karen McKerron (below right), features pairs of visual artists – one fibre artist and one painter – whose artworks are hung together. One of the fibre artists taking part in this exhibition is Noseti Makubalo (below left). Saturday also saw the launch of Through their own eyes, a project now in its fourth year that entails children being given cameras to photograph their families, friends and neighbourhoods. The opening of the exhibition, which is on display at Lukhanyo Primary School in Zwelihle and Dunya Cake Delights in Hermanus, coincided with the launch of the project’s annual publication, Through their own eyes. The children who participated in the project were very excited to see their photographs in print (bottom left) and the occasion was celebrated with singing and dancing at Lukhanyo (bottom right). FynArts 2018 continues until 17 June, with an exciting line-up of music and ballet performances, talks, workshops, book readings, films, chefs’ demonstrations and the popular Wine Plus Series at The Marine.

PHOTO: Wilco den Otter

19

12 - 18 June 2018

T

The value of tourism to real estate

he word tourist describes someone who is visiting South Africa for a limited time and is probably not going to buy a property here – so why is the tourism industry so important to the real estate sector?

tourists to other countries.

THE

NEWS

MY Home

There are two main reasons. The first being the jobs that tourism creates, and the rising number of people that are thus directly enabled to become tenants, home buyers and property investors.

past few years than manufacturing.

According to the latest available figures from StatsSA, almost 700 000 people were employed in SA’s tourism sector in 2016, compared to just over 500 000 in 2006. This means that more people are employed in tourism now than in mining, and that tourism has proved to be better at creating new jobs over the

In 2016 total employment in South Africa (both formal and informal) amounted to 15,8 million people, of which 4,4% (or 1 in every 23) were directly employed in the tourism sector, which includes road and air transport, food and beverage, accommodation, tourism-related retail and

travel agency services. What is more, whites accounted for only 9% of the tourism workforce, indicating that the sector is a leader in transformation and empowerment.

The second reason for the real estate sector – and the rest of SA – to get excited about tourism is how much tourists spend, and how much good that money can do in ex-

To put this in perspective, that is a bigger amount than the total currently being generated by agriculture and construction put together, and equal to about 80% of what mining generates.

panding the economy and creating even more employment.

The StatsSA figures show that the sector contributed a total of R186 billion to the economy in 2016, with R144 billion coming from domestic tourism and R42 billion being the net gain from inbound spending, less the amount spent by SA

It is also 186 times the amount the government has just allocated to build new student housing at 17 institutions around the country, 186 times what Nissan has spent over the past three years to upgrade its massive car manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, and 186 times the amount that the City of Cape Town raised last year to expand its sustainable water infrastructure.

So, the news that tourism is growing is definitely a reason for real estate and many other

industries to celebrate. The latest stats show that 9,5% more foreign tourists entered SA in March this year than in March 2017. Most of these (almost 69%) were visitors from neighbouring African countries and 29,5% were overseas tourists, with the balance coming from the rest of Africa. The countries of origin with the highest increases in the number of tourists to SA were Botswana, Angola, Germany, Australia, Cameroon and Ghana.

The recent unrest on the Cape Whale Coast had an enormous impact on the region’s tourism sector, with many establishments reporting a substantial drop in visitor numbers. A promising whale season, together with a concerted marketing effort, will assist in lessening the blow for operators.

Source: RealNet.co.za

20

12 - 18 June 2018

How to manage those weight-loss wobbles

S

cience has proven the effectiveness of low-carb diets. It’s important to know that though initial weight loss may be fast, there often comes a time when you reach a plateau and weight loss slows down, or even stops, on the way to your target weight.

Understanding some of the reasons why this happens, as well as making peace with your body’s setpoint changing to a lower one, will help you cherish and appreciate the wobbles on your weight-loss journey. Don’t give up!

You might be losing fat, which is actually your ultimate goal!

Losing weight and losing fat are two different things. Understanding this is crucial.

Especially if you are also doing the correct type of exercise (specifically interval training, with strength/weight training) where you’re gaining muscle while losing fat, but the total weight may remain constant.

If you look thinner and your clothes become loose fitting, you are losing fat, no matter what your scale reveals!

At our Weight Control Clinic, we show you how this works, by doing a full body composition analysis to determine water weight, bone mineral content, weight loss compared to fat loss and muscle gain. Another point to ponder is that too much of a

THE

NEWS

MY Health

good thing is also not ideal.

Let’s consider an example: nuts are great and super healthy, but having too many, will still hamper your fat loss regime. Nuts are high in fat, albeit healthy fat, and contain many calories. Therefore, watch the portions: a handful once a day is enough.

Eliminate fruit temporarily, as you might be eating too much. Fruits contain fructose and may spike blood sugar levels that cause spikes in insulin secretion, which in turn leads to fat storage, rather than fat breakdown.

High stress levels from personal, work, financial or relationship challenges may hamper fat loss. Long-term stress puts the body in constant fight or flight mode and leads to increased cortisol levels, which in turn will increase fat storage and lead to cravings and hunger. Schedule daily time to relax. Go for walks in nature, learn how to meditate.

Choosing a low-carb diet is

more than just limiting carbohydrate intake. Replace your carb intake with nutritious and wholesome foods. Avoid processed foods such as protein bars, crackers, and longlife pre-prepared products.

Use probiotics (in liquid form) for gut balance.

One of the most important things you can do for not only your weight, but for general health and wellbeing, is getting 8 hours’ sleep in quiet and darkness. Lack of sleep causes weight gain and obesity. Too little sleep makes you feel hungry, tired and less motivated to eat well and to exercise. Your cortisol levels do not decrease either, causing weight gain. If you struggle to sleep, consider using a good quality supplement containing calcium and magnesium in the correct ratio, with boron, vitamin C, vitamin D and potassium, and in an amino acid chelation, as your body can absorb this form more easily.

Interval training, combined with strength training is crucial for fat loss. It convinces

your body to use fat for fuel – a win-win situation!

Come to us for a body composition and health screening.

Slow weight loss might be due to low thyroid function, diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Intermittent fasting (IF) has amazing benefits. You don’t eat for a 16-hour period – have your last meal between 6 and 7pm, sleep for 8 hours, and postpone breakfast until 10 or 11am the next morning. A five-day-a-week regime will work wonders to encourage fat loss.

There is an erroneous belief that the less you eat, the more weight you will lose. This is simply not true! Your body will hold back the fat, to supply your body with fuel when necessary, as the body trans-lates too few calories as a threat to its survival.

Metabolism is like a burning fire; if you feed it, it will burn. If you eat too little, your metabolism becomes sluggish, leading to long-term weight gain as the body goes into starvation mode.

You might have unrealistic expectations. We often find that patients expect to lose a lot over a short period. You did not gain weight overnight, so be patient with yourself.

We hope these guidelines will help you on your journey to healthy, long-term, rapid fat loss. With a successful weightloss history since 1974, let us help and support you to reach your target weight and beyond!

Make the SMART choice by choosing our Weight Control Clinic Program to support you through your weight-loss

wobbles: Specific (LCHF: low carb, healthy fats – plant oils); Measurable (we focus on blood screenings and body composition, not just total weight); Achievable (it fits into your lifestyle); Relevant (adjusted to ongoing science and research and medically supervised); and Time Bound (give us 8 – 12 weeks to help you transform your body).

Written by Dr Arien van der Merwe and Anri van Rooyen, co-owners with Dr Michelle Emett, of Dr Gauche’s Weight Control Clinic. The Hermanus branch of the Weight Control Clinic operates from Dr Michelle Emett’s Aesthetic Clinic, Refine, in Hemel-enAarde Village. Contact 028 316 4122 for more details.

Visit www.DrArien.co.za

21

12 - 18 June 2018

Successful Xtreme to return in April next year

M

easured by the success of this year’s HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme (WBX) it has the potential to become one of the largest sporting events on the local calendar.

Old School Group’s Gerhardi Odendaal, one of the organisers of the event, shared this conclusion with local stakeholders at a feedback meeting held in Hermanus last week.

“This year the festival grew by more than 60% compared to last year and we expect the festival to show continued growth over the next few years. To this end we have already set the dates for next year’s event. It will take place from 26 to 28 April 2019,” says Gerhardi.

The WBX is not only known for the beautiful setting in which the different sporting events take place, but it is also fast becoming a family favourite as it caters for both young and old and athletes of varying fitness levels.

The provisional programme offers participants a choice between 12 different events, including the ever-popular triathlons, MTB Criterium, open water swim, Cliff Path runs and swim-run-jump challenge, while new additions to the 2018 event lineup – including the Valley Xtreme MTB Challenge and Marine Mile sprint – will make a welcome comeback.

The 2019 edition of the Walkerbay Xtreme will also include a golfing event.

“In 2018, approximately 900

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer athletes of all ages and fitness levels – more than 85% of them from outside Hermanus – competed in the events on offer.

This represents an increase of 53.3% from 2017. A total of 201 athletes entered more than one event, leading to a total of 1 233 event entries (showing growth of 62.5% from last year).

R2.4 million.

Respondents in the study indicated that the range of events, atmosphere and beautiful setting were what they enjoyed most about the WBX. Just over 94% of them said that they would love to return next year, while close to 95% of the respondents indicated that they would recommend the event to friends and family.

“Noticeable was the number of families participating in the sports festival, with shorter distances in the MTB challenge and open water swim, a fun run as well as a junior triathlon catering for younger athletes and beginners,” says Gerhardi.

According to Rick Oosthuyzen, one of the organisers of the event, the aim of hosting a sports festival in April is to boost business in the area.

According to an event study conducted by Old School Group, the average length of stay for participants was 3.8 days and the estimated direct financial injection into the town’s economy was more than

“After the Easter weekend, it becomes very quiet in town.

We need more festivals and activities to stimulate business during the quiet winter months and these events/activities need to be longer than one day

PHOTO: Pia Nänny to encourage people to stay in town longer.

“This event brings athletes from across the country to Hermanus and showcases what the area has to offer. Unfortunately the public holidays in 2019 do not fall kindly for us, but that will not prevent us from hosting a spectacular WBX event once again. The growing popularity of the HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme shows us that we have all the right ingredients to create an iconic, one-of-a-kind, world-class adventure festival.”

For more information, visit www.walkerbayxtreme.com or follow Walkerbay Xtreme on Facebook (www.facebook.com/walker bayxtreme), Twitter (@walkerbayxtreme) or Instagram (@walkerbayxtreme).

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

22

12 - 18 June 2018

Hermanus bowler triumphs at SA Nationals

S

onya Kruger lifted the Senior Singles Bowls trophy at the recent South African Nationals played at Edenvale in Gauteng. This was a great achievement as Sonya only took to the greens seven years ago and furthermore, this was her debut appearance at this prestigious event. Prior to this, Sonya had already gained Boland Provincial colours for bowls.

The senior singles entries were for bowlers over the age of 65 drawn from all over the country.

This event was decided over three days and Sonya had to battle her way through a very tough section, which included a victory over the defending champion. After winning her section, she advanced to the quarter-finals, which were decided on a knockout format.

Thereafter, it was the semifinals, culminating in the final, after three gruelling days.

Sonya was also a member of the Hermanus Fours team with Jean Greyling, Elsie McGeoch and Louise Loediger who won the bronze medal in the open division. Congratulations to our girls and bravo, Sonya!

– Tony O’Hagan

Local bowler Sonya Kruger lifted the Senior Singles Bowls trophy at the recent South African Nationals played at Edenvale in Gauteng.

SPORT NEWS? Share your sport news, results or photos with us! It has never been easier. Just send the information and image to admin@thevillagenews.co.za and we will gladly consider it, whether it be competition results, a friendly rivalry, a funny anecdote, a once-off feat or a major tournament. We look forward to hearing from you.

KARATE KIDS: SA JKA Karate Hermanus was ecstatic to have eight of their Western Province karate ka selected at the recent SA JKA Nationals to participate in the upcoming Africa Cup. This event is only for the elite Brown and Black belt karate ka and promises to be a tough championship. The SA JKA Africa Cup will host at least eight African countries this year and will be overseen by the Chief Instructor, Master Ueki Masaaki of Japan.

Sensei Ronnie says he is very proud of the number of ladies selected as it shows equality and growth within karate. The team’s training will now intensify in preparation for the event on 1 September. At the back, from left are: Siyathemba Qotayana, Callum Haskell, Johan van Zyl (coach), Nazli Gillion, Christian Pearce (coach), Sensei Ronnie Knott, Morgan Maroudas, Elmar van der Westhuizen, Tegan Burger and Casanra Saayman.

Absent: Mignon van Zyl. PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

23

12 - 18 June 2018

Young player chases his dreams

G

reetings once more from a cold pirate! The weather has been extremely mixed, cold as the Arctic and warm as Bermuda (albeit for only one day!). Anyway, it’s great to see the rain and we pray for much, much more. I see there are more water restrictions in place for our town now, so let’s all be water sensitive.

This week I am shining the spotlight on one of the best golfers to have come out of Hermanus Golf Club in recent years, 19year-old Tyron Davidowitz.

Tyron has been around at the club for a long time now; indeed, he started at six years of age, and in just one short year of playing recorded his first hole in one aged seven. I remember it well, there was much excitement in the club that day. He has won the Junior Championships here twice and our senior Club Championships for the last three years in a row.

Now he has again been selected for the premier Boland interprovincial side to play in Johannesburg later this year, which is fantastic news. Tyron has won 10 junior tournaments up and down the country, including two Opens at Citrusdal and Ceres. Last year he was picked for the Golf RSA junior team which played at Atlantic Beach with a number of senior provincial sides. At the time he

The Putting Pirate Julian Shaw

was ranked 5th in South Africa. He has his dreams, as many youngsters do, of winning a major or two, especially his favourite – the Masters.

But unlike many young people his age he actually stands a chance.

Already he has a team surrounding him, headed up by club member Desmond Sauls, for organising daily arrangements, the Putting Pirate himself for his swing and golf skills, Mathew Brown and Riaan Schneider for his gym training to ensure fitness, strength and agility, and Hermanus Golf Club as his practice and polishing ground. So from all of us at the club, well done Tyron for attaining a spot on the IPT side. Good luck and I’m sure you will do us proud.

Tyron also has his eyes set on the professional circuit and has already put his name down for tour school next March, which is a gruelling process to sift out a small number of players to join the guys on the main South African Tour. On the off-chance

Scores at a glance SATURDAY 2 JUNE ALL TOGETHER Alliance Stableford The wind and rain tried to blow the day away but 56 brave souls prevailed.

Winners: Steyn van Riet, Peter Bennett, Terence McCarthy and Johan Stander - 86 points Runners-up: John Ruddy, Hennes Schreuder, Piet de Clerk and Audie van Noordwyk - 85 points Ball pool paid to 80 Best gross was Johan Stander - 81 One 2 club The attendance draw was sponsored by Sterling Renault and was won by Brodie league - Kleinmond beat Hermanus 4 - 2.

SUNDAY 3 JUNE MIXED ALLIANCE STABLEFORD 48 players Winners: Dave Sawtelle, Caron Lee, Petro Streicher and Neels van Niekerk - 86 points Runners-up: John and Pauline Metcalf, Abby Wentzel and Raymond Calitz - 82 points LADIES 5 JUNE Medal and Putting 25 players Silver division winner: Heinke Douglas - nett 71 gross 87 Bronze division winner - Pat van Renen - nett 72 gross 91 MEN’S 6 JUNE Betterball Stableford 125 players Winners: Mike Frost and Willem de Clercq - 48 points C/I Runners-up: John Ruddy and Roydon Pybus - 48 points C/O Ball pool pays to 45; 4 two clubs Best gross Tyron Davidowitz - 69

Tyron Davidowitz

there is anyone interested in helping financially with this young man’s future, please email me at golf@hermanus.co.za.

baby now?"

"No, not yet," said the mother. A while later the guests asked again: "May we see the baby now?"

Last laugh With all the new fertility technology now available, an 88-year-old woman was able to give birth to a baby. When she was discharged from the hospital and went home, various relatives came to visit.

"No, not yet," replied the mother. Growing impatient, they asked: "Well, when can we see the baby?"

"May we see the new baby?" one of them asked. "Not yet," said the mother. "I'll make coffee and then we can visit for a while." Another half hour passed before another relative asked: "May we see the new

"When it cries!" she told them.

"When it cries?" they gasped.

"Why do we have to wait until it cries?" "Because, I forgot where I put it." We love our senior citizens!

Until next week, have a great time and remember: keep calm and go golfing.

Julz and the crew

24

THE

NEWS

12 - 18 June 2018

MY School

CURRO ACHIEVERS: In front are Mignon van Zyl and Tegan Burger who have been awarded their SA JKA National Karate Colours and will be representing the South African team at the SA JKA, All Africa Cup 2018. This event will be hosted on 1 September at the Ellis Park Arena, with 10 African countries expected to participate in this major event. At the back are the Curro Hermanus pupils who participated in the Celebration of Dance Eisteddfod held at the Bellville Civic Centre from 14 – 26 May. Dancers from Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Hermanus participated in this event, which included ballet, modern dance, hip-hop and tap dance. From left are Shae Mans (Highly Commended for her modern solo); Omar Salem (High Honours for hip-hop improvisation solo and Highly Commended for ballet solo); Gabriella Kumpf (Honours in ballet solo); Amelia Mouton (Highly Commended for ballet solo) and Charlotte Westerhout (Honours in ballet solo).

TOP HONOURS Daniela Marziale, who matriculated from Hermanus High in 2010, graduated from CPUT (Cape Peninsula University of Technology) in 2017 with Cum Laude in BSc Radiation Therapy. She was recently awarded the Vice-Chancellor's medal after achieving distinctions in all of her 26 subjects. Her final aggregate over four years of study was 87.6%. Daniela also completed a BSc degree in Human Life Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch in 2013. With her at the graduation ceremony are Senior Lecturer in Radiation Therapy, Bridget Wyrley-Birch and Head of the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Aladdin Speelman.