The Village NEWS 19 Aug - 26 Aug 2020

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19 AUGUST 2020

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www.sacoronavirus.co.za • National hotline: 0800 029 999 • Provincial hotline: 021 928 4102 • Whatsapp "Hi" to 0600 123 456 Keep your distance

THE VILLAGE

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Optimism over Level 2 lockdown Writer De Waal Steyn

stood at 3 692. The country’s recovery rate stands at 80%.

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On Monday the total number of active cases in the Western Cape stood at 6 336 and in the Overberg on 118.

here was a palpable sense of excitement amongst business owners and the public as the Overstrand eased into the more relaxed Level 2 lockdown restrictions that came into effect at midnight on Monday 17 August.

Several local businesses owners said they expect to see a rise in turnover in the next few weeks as economic activity starts stabilising and increasing.

Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd said most accommodation establishments, activity operators, wineries and restaurants have decided to reopen completely. “Luckily, most wineries have a restaurant so visitors will be able to enjoy estate wines with their meals over weekends,” she said.

“Activity-based tourism is becoming exceedingly popular and the Cape Whale Coast has no shortage of activities to entertain the whole family.”

A new work-from-second-home trend can be seen in our towns as many holiday home owners from other parts of the country who can work from home are moving into their holiday homes instead of staying in big cities.

According to Lloyd, forward bookings for accommodation and activities are showing a steady increase and are expected to climb further.

The relaxation of the lockdown restrictions has come as the country sees a steady decline in new case numbers. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that at the peak of infections just one month ago, South Africa recorded around 12 000 new cases a day. This has dropped to an average of around 5 000 a day over the past week, and on Sunday the number of new daily infections

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

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Although the new lockdown restrictions bring a greater level of freedoms, Ramaphosa warned that it was too soon to celebrate. “We are still very much in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has claimed over 11 000 lives in South Africa.

At more than half a million confirmed cases, we still have the fifth highest number of infections in the world. And there is always a chance of a resurgence of the disease,” he said.

He mentioned New Zealand and several parts of Europe as examples where stricter lockdown regulations were reintroduced as a ‘second wave’ of infections were reported soon after restrictions were eased.

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa said we now need to manage this risk and ensure the gains we have made thus far in containing the pandemic’s spread are not reversed. “The greatest threat to the health of the nation right now is complacency. It may be that we are now permitted to meet friends and family, to visit entertainment venues, to travel for leisure and to consume alcohol in restaurants, bars and taverns.

But as the old adage goes, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

“The ‘second wave’ of infections that several other countries have experienced is an ever-present possibility for us too. Although many restrictions have been lifted, it does not mean they will not return should we experience a significant rise in infections. This pandemic is a matter of life and death. We need to adapt, and we need to be vigilant,” he said.

Continues on P3

Sculptor Anton Smit recently gave the owner of Rossouw Modern Art Galleries, Jozua Rossouw, permission to ‘mask’ his artworks in the Sculpture Park at Lemm’s Corner.

“Mask wearing is something that is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. We thought this was a fun way of reminding everyone to WEAR YOUR MASK!” said Jozua.

The wheel turns again… Join us at Beaumont Family Wines on Saturday 29 August 10am – 3pm for an exciting day of Milling and to celebrate the launch of our new Deli space!

Our Deli will be o ering a fresh new Spring brunch & lunch menu. As always, we will have delicious co ee, baked goods, Made at Home frozen meals, farm produce and (‘Hope’fully) wine! • Our historic Mill will be running with Master Miller, Andy Selfe at the helm, producing freshly stone-ground flour.

To book a table please contact info@beaumont.co.za or call us on 028 284 9194

We are all delighted to be able to welcome you back!

Although our doors have been shut, we have been working hard, behind the scenes, to get everything ready to welcome you back to our tasting room and dining room.

Safety measures for our guests in our tasting and dining room.

• We will be open according to local regulations.

• Guests and staff are asked to wear masks whenever possible.

• Guests will be asked to have a contactless temperature test check, and will be asked for their names and contact number, as well as being asked to use hand sanitizer.

• We have put in place robust and systematic cleaning procedures of all areas and guest touch points.

• All the team have been fully trained in the new procedures.

Their temperatures will be checked on arrival at work and this information will be logged. Staff will NOT be allowed to work if there are any concerns.

To say thank you, we are offering a special offer of six bottles for the price of five with free delivery within the Overberg, and 10% off the bill in our dining room.

This offer will remain open until 18th September, and is subject to any changes in local legislation, during the period of this offer.

• Antibacterial hand sanitizers will be readily available.

• Menus and wine lists will be sanitized after each use. Cellar Door price lists and tasting notes will be disposable.

• Direction arrows will be in place to indicate a one-way system where feasible. Please note this will not affect our mobility impaired guests.

Everyone at Sumaridge would like to thank you for all your support and patience during these extraordinary times.

To enter a competition to win a 12 bottle case of our lifestyle wines, please visit the cellar bringing this advertisement or a photo’ of it with you!

We can’t wait for you to come up and say hello!

Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus, South Africa.

Tel: 028 312 1097 GPS: -34° 22' 1.416" , 19° 15' 19.116" www.sumaridge.co.za

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19 August 2020

Efforts to save economy underway From P1 According to Pres Ramaphosa, in the days, weeks and months that lie ahead, we must urgently focus our efforts on recovery.

“Our economy and our society have suffered a great deal. As we return to economic activity across almost all industries – and work to repair the damage done – we have a responsibility to not let our guard down as individuals, employers, communities, families, professionals, workers and citizens. None of us wants a return to the early days of extreme lockdown restrictions. We want to move on with our lives. We want our friends and loved ones to remain healthy and safe.

“As a nation, let us continue to work together to ensure that we progress. The move to Alert Level 2 of the lockdown is not a ‘free for all.’ The rules on social distancing, mask wearing, and social gatherings remain,” said Ramaphosa.

In his response to the easing of restrictions, Western Cape Premier

Alan Winde said he welcomes the announcements which will help ease the burden that many businesses have faced over the past few months. “We now need to tackle the second pandemic of unemployment, hunger and increased levels of poverty which we face.

“As a province, we welcome the announcements which will impact the tourism, hospitality and agri-processing industries, which are significant job creators in the Western Cape. As the Western Cape Government, we are going to be committing our energy to developing a recovery plan which will focus on jobs, safety, dignity and wellbeing, while ensuring that our hotspot interventions remain in place to slow the spread of the virus,” said Winde.

“We have worked around the clock as a province to slow the spread of Covid-19 and to put in place all of the medical interventions that were required for this pandemic. We will not lose any of this focus and drive as we now turn our attention to the economy, to saving jobs and

addressing the humanitarian crisis.

In return, we ask the people of this province to partner with us. To step up and to take personal responsibility to ensure that as we restart the engines of our economy, we continue to contain and slow Covid-19.

“Businesses must operate safely, with all of the correct protocols in place, and as individuals we must abide by the remaining regulations, wear our masks, practice social distancing and keep up with hygiene practices such as hand washing and regular cleaning of surfaces,” he concluded.

The following is allowed under Level 2 restrictions:

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All inter-provincial travel is allowed; Accommodation, hospitality venues and tours are permitted according to approved protocols to ensure social distancing. For the first time since lockdown started, Airbnb establishments are allowed to operate; Restaurants, bars and taverns are permitted to operate according

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to approved protocols in terms of times of operation and numbers of people; The suspension of the sale of alcohol is lifted, subject to restrictions that include the sale of alcohol for on-site consumption in licensed establishments until 22:00. Liquor outlets are allowed to sell alcohol for off-site consumption from Monday to Thursday between 09:00 and 17:00. Thus, you are allowed to consume alcohol at a restaurant or bar until 22:00 on a weekend; Restrictions on the sale of tobacco are lifted; Family and social visits are allowed, although people are urged to exercise extreme caution and undertake such visits only if necessary. No more than 10 visitors are allowed at your house at one time; Beaches, parks and nature reserves are open; Gyms and fitness centres will reopen with strict health and safety protocols in place.

The following restrictions will remain in place:

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Current restrictions on international travel; No gatherings of more than 50 people will be permitted. Among others, this includes funerals, weddings and religious events.

Night vigils are still not permitted; Spectators will not be permitted at sporting events; No more than 50 people are allowed at events, in cinemas or gyms. The same applies to sports grounds and fields as well as swimming pools; The curfew will remain in place between 22:00 and 04:00; While restaurants and taverns may open with a limit of 50 people, nightclubs must remain closed; No initiation practices are allowed for males or females until the national state of disaster is over; The wearing of masks in public places still remains obligatory.

People are encouraged to stay at home if they can and, if possible, to work from home, especially if they are over the age of 60 or have underlying health conditions.

No HPP patrols until SRA is completed Writer De Waal Steyn Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) patrols came to an end on Friday 14 August after it was announced

by HPP that the current cash reserves are running low and that services will need to be scaled down further.

This comes after residents were informed at the end of last month about a delay in the establishment of the Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA) process.

“Indications are that HPP will only have the authority to function as the HSRA management body from October 2020. Cumbersome processes to fulfil obligations in terms of the Overstrand Municipality’s SRA policy and bylaw are in part the cause of the delay,” said HPP chairperson, Errol van Staden in a letter.

“Whilst property owners within the

HPP area will commence payment of a mandatory HSRA levy with effect 1 July 2020, these monies will not be transferred to HPP until all statutory processes have been completed, and a finance agreement finalised.”

In the meantime the municipality said in a statement: “As has been undertaken by Mayor Dudley Coetzee, and until such time as the management body of the newly-established HSRA has been registered as a non-profit company in terms of the Companies Act, Overstrand Law Enforcement Officers will assist with foot patrols in the CBD area, Cliff Paths and Hoy's Koppie on a daily basis. Members of the Law Enforcement Task Team and Traffic Services will also assist during this period.”

Municipal Manager, Coenie Groenewald said the municipality assisted residents since February 2019 in following the legislated process in preparing submission of an applica-

Professor André van Zyl

Dental Implant Clinic Hermanus Specialist in Oral Medicine and Periodontics Dental implant surgery Cosmetic gum surgery Gum disease treatment Oral disease diagnosis and treatment Cone Beam CT scanning

Please visit our website for information on our COVID-19 treatment approach

www.andrevanzyl.co.za

tion for approval of the HSRA. “This process was completed, inclusive of executing a perception survey, publishing notices to inform members of the community and conducting several public meetings.

A voting process was subsequently attended to by the HSRA Steering Committee, followed by submission of an application to Council for approval of an SRA, and completion of the objection period during March 2020.

“The proposed additional rate was thus also part of the tabling of the Draft Budget and proposed rates and tariffs on 25 March 2020, with the final budget approval by Council on 27 May 2020, inclusive of all rates and tariffs applicable from 1 July 2020,” he said.

According to him the HSRA Steering Committee indicated that the existing HPP company, which served

as the management body of the old Central Improvement District, will be the preferred company to register a new Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) as a new HPP non-profit company (NPC), in accordance with the prescripts of Special Rating Area legislation. HPP is in the process of winding up as a management body in terms of a Council resolution.

dance with the finance agreement can be made to the HSRA,” said Groenewald.

The MOI, as a requirement for registration of HPP NPC as the HSRA management body, was finalised in a collaboration between the HSRA Steering Committee and the municipality during June, with the final version made available on 2 July 2020.

Suburbs included in the HSRA are Westcliff, Westdene, Industria, Northcliff, the Central Business District (CBD), Eastcliff, Hermanus Heights, Fernkloof, Kwaaiwater and Voëlklip. The special rate levy that property owners will pay, is available on the HSRA website at www. hermanussra.co.za.

“Registration of the new HPP NPC is currently awaited, to sign the finance agreement with the municipality, as finalised in collaboration with the HSRA Steering Committee. On receipt of the necessary documentation, monthly payments in accor-

COVID-19 and Gum Disease – a dangerous combination?

Gum Disease (GD) attacks the gums and bone around your teeth and the classic signs are swelling, redness and bleeding on brushing or flossing, while late signs include spaces/ gaps between teeth and loose teeth.

Almost all people develop GD at some stage in their lives.

as well. The most disturbing thing about GD for the patient is the fact that it very rarely causes discomfort and almost never pain. Periodontitis – or, as older people might remember it, Pyorrhea – is the reason for the old saying, ‘Getting long in the tooth’ as the gums recede.

Correct brushing and flossing techniques are essential to prevent Gum Disease (GD). It may however develop into periodontitis, which is the more serious type of GD affecting not only the gums but destroying the jawbone

Now the latest research to be published in the USA in October 2020 also points to a connection between GD and adverse outcomes to Covid-19 infection. GD affects more than two thirds of people over the age of 65,

“The additional rate as raised on municipal accounts in the HSRA mapped area, are payable at the latest by 20 August 2020 to the municipality, to continue for the full term of the HSRA as approved.”

The foot patrollers will be visible in neon orange reflective bibs.

Any suspicious activity can be reported to the 24-hour law enforcement number at 028 313 8996.

which is also the age group more prone to serious Covid-19 disease.

Periodontitis not only plays a role in cardio-vascular disease but also diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer’s disease. It is a risk for systemic disease through the secretion of inflammatory messengers into the bloodstream, which may cause damage elsewhere in the body.

These inflammatory messengers are also seen in Covid-19 infection and are responsible for the more serious sequela of the disease.

André

Karen

Treating GD will lower the systemic burden of inflammatory mediators and reduce the risk of developing respiratory complications when contracting Covid-19 infection.

A: 9 College Rd, Hermanus, 7200 | T: 028 312 1510 | AH: 064 640 8394 | E: info@andrevanzyl.co.za

Marietjie

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The Village NEWS is excited to present readers with interactive newspapers.

During lockdown, more and more of our readers have been using our website, social media, ISSUU and PressReader to get their fix of The NEWS. ISSUU is an online platform which allows publishers to upload their newspapers or magazines in an e-format for those who like to read online.

Apart from being easy to use, ISSUU also allows its creators to add website links, as well as video links to adverts and photos, allowing for an even more exciting read online.

All you have to do is go to issuu.com, search for The Village News, and click on the cover of this week's newspaper and keep and eye out for a "play" icon in the top right corner of adverts and photos that shows there is a video available to watch:

Hover over photos or pictures in the adverts and click play, then enlarge to full screen and enjoy!

Go to ISSUU and try it out with the Fine & Country full page advert.

Interactive newspapers not only allow our advertisers to show more of their products that are on offer, but also allow our readers to watch videos taken during events without having to search for them on Facebook.

The video links work on both desktop and mobile, so no matter what device you are using to get The NEWS, you will be able to watch them.

Let us know what you think of them by messaging the number below!

www.pressreader.com www.issuu.com/dwaal 083 700 3319

theagency@thevillagenews.co.za

19 August 2020

Get set for the next My VILLAGE Online Auction Writer Raphael da Silva

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he second My VILLAGE Online Auction will take place on Sunday 30 August 2020, after the first one achieved R85 905 in sales, with R6 814 raised towards fighting hunger in the Overberg.

“Although there were some technical glitches with some people struggling to get online to bid on the day of the auction, I am thrilled with the results,” said Andrew Paterson of Bidsworth & Co, the company that manages the auctions on behalf of The Village NEWS. “As a result, those lucky folks who pre-bid on some lots before the live online auction on 1 August got some great bargains.

“We had bidders from across South Africa and the world and this helps to put a spotlight on the Overberg region.

What is better still is that we were able to raise some money for food relief. The second auction is going to be even bigger with some really interesting lots on the auction block.”

The highest-selling item was a gold-plated, sterling silver 30-piece set of replica Cape coins that were in circulation between 1600 and 1834, which went for R13 000, while Hermanus-based artist Duncan Buchart’s specially-created poster-print of the Overberg sold for R1 500. One of 10 signed and numbered Overberg poster-prints will come up for auction at every event, with 100% of the proceeds going towards fighting hunger. A personalised 4-course dinner for four people donated by Chef Shane Sauvage of La Pentola Restaurant sold for R1 000.

A Johannesburg-based art collector, who also won 10 other artworks on the auction, paid R5 000 for a South African Master painting by Dutch-born artist Johan Oldert, Cape Oxcart, at the high end of its estimated value, while Zolile Phetshane’s Piano Man fetched R5 750.

“The few pieces of classic furniture on auction

were very well received, with a pair of replica Le Corbusier LC4 longers fetching R4 000 and a large 14-drawer shop cabinet selling for R4 500. This has led us to include more antique and classic furniture in our next auction,” said Andrew.

For the second auction, there will be over 200 lots with an estimated value of over R500 000.

My VILLAGE Online Auctions, an initiative of The Village NEWS, is an innovative way of putting desperately-needed cash into the hands of Overberg residents and businesses, while also supporting the fight against hunger, the single-biggest consequence of the economic pillage from Covid-19.

In a unique model focused on building up communities, My VILLAGE Online Auctions, in partnership with Bidsworth & Co, offers residents and businesses the option of putting collectable items or experiences (known as lots in the auction trade) up for sale to earn an income or as a donation. 100% of the selling price of a donated lot will go towards food relief, while 5% of the selling price from non-donated lots will be given to food relief organisations.

My VILLAGE Online Auctions focus on: • Collectables – anything of interest to any collector, ranging from vintage bric-a-brac, militaria, model trains, Africana and collectable books, to Retro classic design, and everything imaginable in between; • Art – classic and modern fine art at secondary market value, along with selected new artworks offered directly by established artists at studio prices; • Wine – regional wine lots donated by local winegrowers, along with “investment” wines from the area, including collectable vintages and outsize presentation bottle releases; • Antique and classic furniture; • Experiences – a wide range of local culinary, wine-tasting, travel and adventure experiences at a great value, many of which have been donated, for immediate or later redemption.

ABOVE: This circa 1917 signed 33cm-high bronze bust of President M T Steyn of the Free State Republic by Anton van Wouw (1862–1945), who is regarded as the father of South African sculpture, is one of the very interesting lots up for auction. LEFT: A 1990’s coloured glass Citera Lamp by Andrea Anastasio designed for Artemide, Italy is an unusual collector’s piece that will be auctioned off on 30 August 2020. Artemide is a design-oriented Italian manufacturer founded by Ernesto Gismondi and Sergio Mazza in 1960. Based in Pregnana Milanese, a suburb of Milan, the company specialises in the manufacture of lighting designed by designers and architects.

The second My VILLAGE live online auction starts at 10:00 on Sunday 30 August. The auction catalogue will be available for viewing online on Monday 17 August. If you would like to put up or donate a lot for sale, please go to bidsworth.com/contact/ or WhatsApp 076 215 0725 and a member of the Bidsworth team will contact you. In order to participate in the second auction as a Buyer or Seller, go to www. bidsworths.com for further information and instructions. If you are interested in hosting a My VILLAGE Online Auction for your organisation, please contact Raphael da Silva (raphael@thevillagenews.co.za) on 062 837 3122 for further information.

19 August 2020

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Safety first at Babbel & Krabbel Writer & Photographer Hedda Mittner

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abbel & Krabbel has become an institution in Hermanus; ask anyone about it and they’ll tell you it’s been there “for as long as I can remember”. Many prominent local residents spent their formative years at this preschool but, like most institutions and businesses in the Overstrand, gigantic efforts are required to keep it going during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Fortunately, Principal Lorna Such, who started the first pre-primary class way back in 1979, is up for the challenge and has gone to astonishing lengths to keep her staff and young charges safe.

Now known as Hermanus Pre-Primary and Babbel & Krabbel Aftercare, this Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre has 276 learners from the ages of three months to six years (Grade R), and also provides after-school care for both its own learners and those form Hermanus Primary School. However, not all their learners have returned, as some parents are still apprehensive about the possibility of infection, while others are no longer able to pay the school or after-care fees due to salary cuts and lay-offs.

“We are doing our best to accommodate those parents who are struggling, by making special payment arrangements,” says Lorna, adding that the school is also continuing to offer online teaching and e-learning for those children who are still being kept at home. Those who have returned, however, are very happy and excited to be back at school. “They have clearly missed their teachers and the social interaction with their friends,” she says.

Working parents are probably just as happy and relieved – and, judging from the stringent protocols being followed by the school, the children are arguably safer there than anywhere else. The entire premises are sanitised at the end

of every day, each child’s temperature is taken three times a day, there are no towels in the bathrooms (instead, the teachers use paper towels to dry the children’s hands) and every piece of equipment, be it a building block, a book, a ball or playground apparatus, is sanitised after a learner has used it. Also, school bags are no longer used and in their place each child now carries a plastic container, which is also sanitised at the start and end of every school day, along with the children’s hands and even the soles of their shoes.

It all seems quite daunting, not to mention exhausting, and yet Lorna and her dedicated staff – 13 teachers and 15 assistants – have shown that it can be done. “I studied every single Gazette, the Standard Operating Procedures, the guidelines from the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Social Development, the Disaster Management Act and the Department of Employment and Labour Workplace Preparedness Act to ensure that the school complies with all the health and safety policies,” says Lorna.

While it might seem an impossible task to teach such young children about the need for social distancing, sanitising and the wearing of masks, Lorna says it has been heart-warming to see how quickly they have adapted and how eager they are to cooperate. “With many households under financial pressure and parents having to juggle working from home with taking care of their children’s needs and education, there has been increased stress at home during the lockdown,” says Lara Such, Lorna’s daughter who is also a Grade R teacher at the school.

“Far from inducing further stress, the new pro-

tocols at the school seem to make the children feel more safe and secure – especially because the rules are applied consistently, without exception. It has simply become the ‘new normal’ for the children and they enjoy participating in all the new rituals, such as frequent hand washing and having their own designated work space behind a screen. Because they can’t all be let loose to play outside at the same time, brain gym activities have been introduced in the classrooms on big TV screens to make sure they get enough exercise. “It also helps them to focus better on their work if we alternate periods of concentration with periods of fun and games,” says Lara.

Lorna adds that although the world has changed so much since schools first closed way back on 17 March, she and her staff stayed in touch with the children and their parents right through the lockdown. In addition to compiling and designing all the e-learning material, Lara, who seems to be the tech boffin in the family, also made videos of the teachers singing songs for the children that were designed to teach them about health protocols such as hand washing and mask wearing. So they were already familiar with these new behaviours by the time they returned to school.

Lorna also completed a trauma course during lockdown so that she would be able to support the children emotionally. Although everything possible is being done to ease their way back into a more normal routine, Lorna says it is still unclear when, or if, the school will be able to host their usual events such as concerts or diploma ceremonies. An even bigger problem is the fact that all their fundraising events had to be cancelled, which adds to the school’s finan-

ABOVE: Shani Eksteen with one of her Grade RR (5 years) learners, Kimberley Louskitt, who is very happy to be back at school. CIRCLE: Janine van Niekerk with one of her charges in the baby class (3 – 18 months) at Babbel & Krabbel Aftercare. cial challenges.

“The parents on the school governing body have been very supportive and have initiated several fundraising efforts such as raffles and the donation of food and used clothes for the learners and their families. And even though salary cuts were inevitable, I am very grateful that we were able to keep all our staff members.”

However, until parents are able to afford the school fees and all the children have returned, and until their main fundraising events can again be held, both the school and especially the aftercare centre will continue to experience a shortfall that puts this 40-year-old institution in jeopardy.

Anyone who would like to sponsor a child whose parents are no longer able to afford school and/or aftercare fees, is welcome to contact Lorna Such on 028 313 1025 / 072 904 3666 or principal@hermanuspreprim.co.za FAR LEFT: The principal of Hermanus Pre-Primary and Babbel & Krabbel Aftercare, Lorna Such, with teacher Hettie Maree in the 3 – 4 year-olds’ class at one of the work tables that have been partitioned to ensure social distancing.

LEFT: Michelle Swart, who earlier this year won the national award for Excellence in Grade R Teaching, with Lara Such in front of a television screen displaying the e-learning material that Lara designed during the lockdown.

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19 August 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

Economy should be top priority The next edition of The Village NEWS will be available on 26 August 2020. The NEWS can be found at over 300 distribution points in the Overberg.

De Waal Steyn PUBLISHING EDITOR E: dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za T: 083 700 3319

Hedda Mittner

On Saturday before the speech by Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa social media was awash with predictions of doom and gloom. But in the end, the move down to Level 2 of the lockdown, and the lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco culminated in a cumulative sigh of relief from Covid-weary South Africans.

However, the pessimism displayed by thousands of citizens indicated a growing sense of distrust in our government’s response to the pandemic.

Suspect reasons for maintaining the ban on alcohol and tobacco sales,

We need bureaucrats who have reThis may be looked upon by some as just one unfortunate aspect of the ceived their full salary all this while,

Raphael da Silva

Elaine Davie JOURNALIST E: elaine@thevillagenews.co.za T: 084 343 7500

Taylum Meyer PRODUCTION MANAGER, PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN E: taylum@thevillagenews.co.za T: 084 564 0779

Charé van der Walt MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE E: chare@thevillagenews.co.za T: 082 430 1974

Nickey Jackson

We were asked to accept lockdown as part of our new reality, but now it is up to government to ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to assist in creating a new normal where economic growth, rather than disaster is the norm.

to realise that the time has come for them to contribute as much as every other citizen has been called upon to do. When a non-essential activity or project comes up for consideration, the question must be whether it will be to the benefit of all our citizens and the welfare of the country as a whole.

Given the extent of poverty and other widespread social crises in South Africa, wasteful expenditure and nice-to-have can no longer be an option.

This is the good NEWS – Ed

A lift-jockey’s lament and The horns of a dilemma

E: hedda@thevillagenews.co.za T: 083 645 3928

E: raphael@thevillagenews.co.za T: 074 125 5854

new normal, but it should not necessarily be accepted as inevitable.

We are in this situation as a result of a world-wide pandemic that has wreaked havoc on thousands of people’s lives and livelihoods in this country.

The effect the lockdown has had on most South Africans is clearly discernible. You do not have to look far to find households in distress.

Neither do you have to search hard to find people desperately looking for jobs. In many instances financial ruin is just one pay check away.

CONTENT EDITOR

ONLINE EDITOR

together with questionable medical responses to the pandemic in some provinces and a growing discomfort over our slumping economy have left many with a bitter taste in their mouths.

By Murray Stewart murray.stewart49@gmail.com

alive, and after some medical treatment, was deposited into another lift to the ambulances waiting below.

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he articles in the For Fact’s Sake columns are – according to Google and the Duck ’n Fiddle’s Explanation of Everything – based on facts. Occasionally though, names and places have been changed to protect innocent people involved.

Take a plunge On a muggy summer’s day in 1945, twenty-year-old Betty Lou Oliver arrived promptly at work as an elevator operator in the world’s tallest sky-scraper back then – the Empire State Building in New York City.

Lift-jockeys experience more ups and downs daily than we would in years, but little did she anticipate one of her downers would get her into the Guinness Book of World Records.

As fate (and a dollop of pilot error) would have it, a B-52 service plane smashed into the 80th floor, a couple of levels above where she was working, and dislodged a concrete slab which crashed through her lift’s ceiling. Only slightly injured, she managed to crawl out, thankful to be

Well, that move didn’t go quite as smoothly as anticipated. The plane’s impact had severed most of that lift’s cables, and her extra weight was the last straw. Snap! She started free-falling. One can only wonder what goes through a lift-jockey’s mind – or anybody’s for that matter – on hearing the twang of the overhead cable, and starting to plummet inevitably towards death.

Before smashing into the basement, Betty Lou had the horror of free-falling for a full 75 floors and the instant flash-backs of the joys and regrets in her short life seemed to take forever.

Fourteen people died that day, but the fickle finger of fate favoured our Betty, and she wasn’t one of them.

Although somewhat scuffed up – like a broken back, neck, pelvis, both legs and some fingernails – a couple of things miraculously saved her bacon.

As it fell, the lift cage acted like a downward-moving blockage in the lift- shaft, and the air pressure under it increased as it approached the

ground, creating an air cushion and a slightly softer landing.

Secondly, the cable attached to the underside of her lift cage – all 75 floors of it – was busy coiling itself on the basement floor as she fell, and although not quite as effective as a spring, it also softened the impact somewhat.

After putting her together again, Betty Lou lived another 54 years and still holds the record for the longest surviving plummet down a lift shaft, mainly due to a dearth of challengers.

Poker Face Over the years we’ve discussed some of the world’s more ridiculous sports, but this could only happen in America – inside a prison nogal.

In Louisiana, the popular Angola Prison Rodeo draws thousands of local rednecks into the specially-built stadium to watch and bet on various competitions between inmates and angry bulls. There is the regular ‘how long can you stay on’ stuff, and the crowds lap it up raucously, but they go hysterical during the somewhat unusual events, unique to this penitentiary.

One challenge involves the removal and presentation to the judges, of a casino chip glued onto the forehead of a raging Longhorn bull. Another event – which doesn’t involve a bull – is Wild Cow Milking. Inmates armed with tin mugs chase ‘undomesticated’ cows around the arena trying to extract milk from the highly mobile beasts. The first inmate to somehow fill his mug wins.

Then there’s Convict Poker. Four inmates sit at a table in the middle of the arena playing poker. An angry bull is released with the sole purpose of disrupting the game by violently unseating a gambler on each charge.

The last man remaining seated is the winner. What an athlete.

These so-called ‘sports’ wallow in the same swamp occupied by similar contests like shin-kicking, bog-snorkelling, dwarf-throwing or toe-wrestling.

Fortunately, Virtual Sports have come to the rescue. Whether you log in and participate on your interactive Play-Station, or just watch on TV from your couch, there’s little chance of injury. Thumb cramps and obesity maybe, but no broken bones.

HERMANUS: SEVEN-DAY WEATHER AND TIDE TABLE Wed | 19 Aug

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LOCKDOWN LEVEL:

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COVID-19 DASHBOARD OVERSTRAND

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

19 August 2020

2

EL

TOTAL CASES AS OF 17 AUGUST:

OVERSTRAND BREAKDOWN OF CASES: TOTAL (ACTIVE)

WORLD: 21 913 659 SOUTH AFRICA: 587 345 WESTERN CAPE: 101 037 (17.15% of cases in SA) OVERBERG: 3 233

• FISHERHAVEN: 14 (0) • GANSBAAI: 275 (14) - 5 deaths • HAWSTON: 112 (4) - 1 death • HERMANUS: 163 (4) - 4 deaths • KLEINMOND: 97 (5) - 2 deaths

• MT PLEASANT: 133 (1) - 1 death • ONRUS: 53 (5) - 3 deaths • SANDBAAI: 34 (0) • STANFORD: 86 (5) - 3 deaths • VERMONT: 18 (2) • ZWELIHLE: 548 (11) - 5 deaths

TOTAL: 1 533 (46) - 24 deaths

LAST WEEK'S TOTAL CASES: WORLD: 20 141 343 SOUTH AFRICA: 559 859 (5th in the world) WESTERN CAPE: 98 656 OVERBERG: 2 935 OVERSTRAND: 1 416

(10 AUG)

LET'S TALK Healthy and robust debate are crucial for democracy. The Village NEWS firmly believes in freedom of the press as well as the right of individuals to freely express themselves, as long as they don’t infringe upon the rights of others.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors therefore do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Village NEWS. Letters may be shortened and/or edited for clarity and style.

Enjoy our paper. Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za.

Hermanus bypass: Open letter to the Mayor Clarity is urgently required on whether Overstrand Municipality (as an entity, not merely some of the bureaucrats therein) supports the Hermanus CBD bypass proposal. The Amended Final EIA Report (currently out for public comment) includes a letter from Overstrand Municipality dated 9 September 2019 and signed by Municipal Manager Coenie Groenewald, confirming support for the bypass road. This directly contradicts: 1. The contents of your press statement of 3 July which, referring to the roadworks currently underway at Stanford and Hawston, states: “Only once this work is completed should consideration be given to the possible need for a bypass road, and the most suitable route that such a road should follow.”

2. The DA’s press statement of 6 July which confirms that position: “It should moreover be reiterated that once the aforestated roadworks are complete, only at that stage will the possibility of a bypass road be considered and, as such, what the best suited route could then be.”

3. Your WhatsApp to me on 7 July, wherein you deny that council has approved a bypass road in Hermanus. You specifically state: “Dear Sandy the Council dit (sic) not approve the letter from the MM nor was approval required. The MM replied on behalf of the Overstrand Administration to questions asked by the Provincial Administration regarding the amendments to the EIA prior to publishing the EIA for public comment.

Council has not approved a bypass road in Hermanus and I have issued a statement in this regard stating the position

of council Regards Dudley.”

4. Ward 3 Councillor Kari Brice’s WhatsApp to me on Monday 6 July 2020, wherein she clearly states: “Nothing has appeared before Council for approval. The DA Councillors unanimously support the statement as issued by the Mayor.”

Considering the position stated in points 1 – 4 above, please formally retract the letter of approval currently appended to the Amended Final EIA Report. Several written requests for a retraction have gone unanswered by your office. Overstrand Municipality cannot have it both ways. The position of bureaucrats needs to be brought into line with that of the public’s elected representatives.

Sandy Van Hoogstraten The Mayor of the Overstrand Municipality, Ald Dudley Coetzee’s response: In her first point, Ms Sandy Van Hoogstraten misquotes what I said. The current roadworks in Hawston do not have anything to do with the traffic congestion into Hermanus. This work is being undertaken to ensure that the residents of Hawston can safely enter or cross the R43.

What I have repeatedly said is the following: The traffic congestion on the R43 leading into and out of Hermanus, from the Hawston side as well as the Stanford side, must first be addressed before consideration is given to a possible road being built to allow through traffic to bypass the town.

To fill in the background, the planning of a realignment of the R43 provincial

road to bypass the CBD of Hermanus started in 2008. In 2012 SRK Consulting were appointed by the Department of Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape to undertake the Environmental Impact Study for a proposed bypass road along the urban edge of Hermanus on the mountain side of the town.

After being published for public comment, the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs & Planning in March 2018, but was rejected. A number of amendments were requested by the department. These amendments have now been completed and the revised EIR has been published for public comment to be submitted by 30 September 2020.

On 29 August 2019 the Deputy Director General, Roads Infrastructure Management in the Western Cape Government wrote to the Municipal Manager requesting written confirmation that the Overstrand Municipality supports the amendments to the EIR. This confirmation was given in writing by the Municipal Manager on 9 September 2019. It is now this confirmation of the amendments to the EIR that is seen by some, including Ms Van Hoogstraten, as approval by the Municipality for the construction of the bypass road. This is simply incorrect.

Having said this, I have given an undertaking to follow up with the Minister of Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape to ensure that he shares Council’s view on this matter. Should the Minister be of the opinion that the comments by the Municipal Manager constitute approval to proceed with the construction of a bypass road, I will have an item brought to Council to correct this misconception.

Compliments to Hermanus Traffic office The Overstrand Traffic Department bears an unenviable public relations burden, and all too often the public will snatch their pens or iPads and berate people who are mostly only doing their jobs. Last Friday I had to visit the Hermanus Traffic offices for a lost driver's licence that had to be replaced and also renewed.

Even under the difficult Covid-19 conditions, including registering and having your

temperature taken out in a cold open space (good idea, because the cold wind would dispatch any viruses straight off to Stanford) and the inevitable queues imposed by social distancing, the whole experience was quite a pleasant surprise. The officials there were business-like, efficient and friendly. Thank you to our traffic cops; maybe we the public whinge too readily.

Gert Cloete Voëlklip

Death by bypass Hermanus residents must unite against the building of the bypass.

The bypass will destroy everything we as residents hold dear in Hermanus – we will lose our sense of place.

The bypass’s main function will be to divert traffic away from the CBD or Old Town. No traffic, no spending. Why would we want to divert buying power? Village culture as we know it will disappear and the Old Town will be declared dead.

Businesses will lose their income and ultimately people will lose their jobs. And unemployment brings other problems like unrest and riots. Another problem to consider is that property owners will not care who or what their tenants are if the Old Town is a dead zone.

These tenants will not always be sound businesses. Unsafe towns do not attract tourists. Whales or

fynbos will not save Hermanus if it has gone this route.

Hermanus is a unique town.

Where in the world can you watch whales while eating a waffle, walk along the cliff path to a secluded restaurant, have wonderful social evenings like the artwalk and festivals during the year, showcasing the best of Hermanus? Let’s rather focus on how Hermanus residents and business owners can promote the town. Let’s create an economic hub that will benefit all the people in Hermanus and Overberg District. Take action and speak out against the bypass. Do not let outsiders decide what happens to your livelihood, business, property and village culture.

Death to the bypass – life to Hermanus.

Broodryk Family

8

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy has turned Bistro Burgundy into an away-fromhome office space with complimentary WiFi.

What's Cooking

19 August 2020

Emilia Knight has extended The Gallery Café & Deli Food Store by adding additional premises to her popular deli where she’ll be offering a daily harvest table from 1 September.

Fabio Lenci has gone back to his native roots by opening Dal-Italia Delicatessen, a fresh pasta factory, deli and coffee shop all in one.

Eateries reinvent themselves to beat Covid-19

By Hedda Mittner

I

n an attempt to adapt to the crippling restrictions of the Covid-19 lockdown and the absence of international tourists, our local restaurant, bar and coffee shop owners have had to roll up their sleeves and fight for their survival.

While the extension of the curfew until 10pm and the lifting of the alcohol ban have brought some relief, many establishments have also come up with innovations that are not only testament to their resilience and determination to keep their doors open, but also to offer their loyal customers added value.

I’m adding bold new brush strokes.

It’s like a playground for my creativity.” There certainly is nothing stagnant or ordinary about Emilia, and her remarkable energy and enthusiasm knows no bounds.

The new buzz word at The Gallery Café & Deli is #ZeroWaste. “That means that the menu is small and everything is freshly made to order – nothing gets old and nothing goes to waste,” says Emilia.

While The Gallery Café has reopened for sit-down breakfast, brunch and lunch, the deli will continue to offer coffee, pastries, bread, fresh produce, flowers, cheeses, preserves, sauces, oils… and in the new additional deli space Emilia is launching a daily harvest table on the first day of spring that can be enjoyed at one of the tables or window-seat counters in the shop.

”The only way forward is through innovation because the way we did business before simply won’t work anymore,” says Emilia Knight of The Gallery Café & Deli Food Store. At a time when business owners are simply trying to keep going, Emilia, who has garnered a strong following with her unadulterated ‘good-mood food’, has decided to expand her operations by taking over the small gallery space on the other side of the High Street entrance to Walker Bay Modern Art Gallery and The Gallery Café.

She is especially excited about her new soft-serve ice cream machine which she’ll use to make traditional dairy vanilla ice cream as well as strawberry and coconut gluten- and dairy-free vegan ice cream. With spring on our doorstep, the mere notion of homemade ice cream is enough to conjure up pleasant images of the summer season ahead. Find The Gallery Café & Deli at 22 High Street or call 076 837 4231. Closed on Mondays.

“It’s all still a bit deurmekaar,” she laughingly told me last week, “but I see this as a blank canvas to which

Over on Marine Drive above the Old Harbour, Rudolf van der Berg decided to keep Burgundy closed for almost

four months and only reopened – with quite a bang – on 24 July. “We used the lockdown to make some changes, to paint and renovate, and to plan the way forward over the next 24 months,” he says. That’s how long Rudolf thinks it might realistically take to get back to ‘normal’.

One of the biggest changes was merging Burgundy Tapas with Burgundy Restaurant, and turning the previous tapas kitchen into a pastry kitchen. The restaurant now comprises three distinct areas – the Bistro Room with its enclosed verandah, the Cypress Room (the main part of the restaurant) and the more private Clock Room. And when the weather is good, the outside seating area remains ever-popular, with its inspiring views across Walker Bay. The menu has been consolidated to include breakfast, lunch and sweet treats during the day, and there is a separate one for evening dining. “We are supporting local suppliers as far as we can, because our salvation now lies in looking after one another,” says Rudolf. “Visitors want to experience food with a local flavour, so fresh seasonal produce from the region is where our focus lies. Our wine list has also been adjusted to offer exclusively local wines.”

Another clever innovation that Rudolf has come up with, is turning the Bistro Room into an away-from-home office space on weekdays, where locals can enjoy complimentary WiFi in a private cubicle. The mobile

partitions can be set up to accommodate a single person working alone, or up to four persons working together at a table. An added bonus is that Burgundy’s excellent coffee is just a minute away, as is a light lunch should you get hungry. This new offering is proving to be extremely popular and Rudolf says the space was fully booked on Friday morning.

“There are no strings attached and anyone is welcome,” he says, adding with a grin that bringing your own flask of coffee and a Tupperware of sandwiches would obviously not be acceptable. Burgundy Restaurant & Bistro is open seven days a week.

To make a booking, call 028 312 2800.

Fabio Lenci of Fabio’s Ristorante and now Dal-Italia Delicatessen is another restaurateur who put the lockdown period to good use. “Coming from a family of Italian restaurateurs, pasta is our passion and the idea of opening a fresh pasta factory in Hermanus popped into my head,” he said. “We already had the ideal location (where Tosca was before, in Aberdeen Street) and because we had no customers I could go ahead with acquiring and installing the pasta-making machines and training my staff in this traditional Italian art, made from closely-guarded recipes that have been handed down the family,” he says.

In his search for a name for this new enterprise, Fabio returned to his native roots and “after much thought,

sketches and scribblings, Dal-Italia seemed just right. The idea of fresh and homemade meant we suddenly found suppliers of local produce asking if we could sell their goods, and so the Dal-Italia Delicatessen was born.” I highly recommend you pop in to get the freshest pasta possible – if your timing is right, you might even see it being made, as fresh pasta sheets and tagliatelle are turned out several days a week. You even have a choice of traditional pasta made with free-range eggs or egg-free vegan pasta.

The panzerotti is Fabio’s speciality – half-moon shaped pasta pillows with delicious fillings, either gluten-free or made with normal pasta. The fillings range from organic spinach and ricotta, to beetroot or pumpkin with parmesan, toasted onions and sunflower seeds, to chicken and porcini mushrooms, and even prawns and crayfish! There are also homemade sauces available to accompany your choice of pasta, or you could take home a ready-made pasta meal (fresh or frozen) such as gnocchi or lasagne.

And now I haven’t even mentioned the range of deli cheeses, charcuterie and dry goods or meat products – best you pop in and discover all these delights for yourself! The deli now also includes a cosy coffee shop where you can enjoy authentic Italian coffee along with one of Fabio’s daily blackboard specials. Find Dal-Italia in the bright red building at 13 Aberdeen Street or contact 028 313 0333.

www.thevillagenews.co.za

19 August 2020

9

Upskilling staff part of Creation’s lockdown innovations Writer & Photographer Tweet Gainsborough-Waring

W

ith the local wine industry suffering severe financial and job losses as a result of the government’s ban on alcohol sales, producers have had to think out of the box to keep staff and maintain an income, even if somewhat depleted. At Creation, co-owner and marketing manager Carolyn Martin has seized the ban on international travel as an opportunity to focus on the local market and on streamlining their operations.

Lay-offs have been inevitable and the restaurant at the tasting room, for example, has lost seven of its chefs. The significant drop in guest numbers, however, gave the three remaining chefs the time to develop an entirely new menu of local fare from quality seasonal produce, which they were

ready to serve when local tourism started reopening. Another innovation for the chefs was the serving of delicious ‘street food’ at the Hermanus Country Market.

“With the farm busier than expected over the recent Women’s day long weekend, we have been able to recall some of our staff,” says Carolyn. “This means an extra chef in the kitchen, and some of the tasting room staff are back serving breakfast to cyclists and other passing guests, as well as lunch and afternoon tea.”

Not that the tasting room staff had just been sitting around with time on their hands, though. Instead they were encouraged to attend a pruning course, run by The Old Vine Project (OVP). Carolyn was enthusiastic about the course as it meant the farm could now draw from its own staff when pruning gets into full swing this

month. In addition the knowledge could be used when giving presentations to guests.

At the course the OVP’s Project Manager, André Morgenthal explained the ABOVE: The team from Creation with viticulturist, Rosa Kruger of the OVP in the importance of good prunvineyard to learn all about pruning old vines. BELOW LEFT: From left are Kirsten ing when working with old Myburg, JC Martin, Rosa Kruger and Glenn Martin. vines. He said it could give an older block a second chance at life. Different to pruning connoisseurs.

The search for old vineyards is carried young vines, he described it as a out across regions and cultivars. more gentle approach, and likened The OVP is funded by South African Currently only 5% of South Afriit to talking with your grandparents. business mogul, Johann Rupert, who can vineyards fall into the old vine “The vine has spent years surviving has a keen interest in heritage and category. They are mostly Chenin extremes of climate that have given old vines. They began the search for Blanc because it was one of the first it a built-in ‘wisdom’ which demands old vineyards in 2002. It was greatly varieties to arrive in the country and respect,” he said. It was essential to helped by the fact that the South later the KWV encouraged farmers have skilled pruners, he added, as African Wine Industry Information to grow it for distillation into brandy. poor pruning was detrimental to the and Systems (SAWIS) Association had OVP believes the future is in the 24- to long-term health of the vine. records of every vine planted, which 34-year-old vineyards and farmers has helped producers looking to are being encouraged not to pull out The OVP started running pruning satisfy the criteria required for a SAWIS the older vines but rather to keep courses for members in 2017. NumCertified Heritage Vineyards Seal. them for the heritage wines which bers are kept to 12 to 14 students South Africa is the only country with a are gaining in popularity. It is hoped per course, and participants must dedicated certification by which you this will give a long-term boost to the include the farm manager and the top can trace an old vine wine to its origin. wine industry. pruner. This is because OVP believes in training the trainers, who can pass the The preservation of old vines comes The production of wine from old knowledge on to their pruners using with considerable benefits both for vines is close to the heart of Creation’s the terminology they understand. the aficionado and the producer. Mor- Swiss winemaker and co-owner, JeanClaude Martin, who comes from a genthal said that when you buy an Creation is a member of the OVP, old vine wine it goes beyond buying a tradition of producing wine from old as are Hamilton Russell Vineyards, vines. He has committed all the farm’s commodity, as it has a strong humanGabriëlskloof, Beaumont and Alheit vineyards to the project, considering itarian aspect to it. It becomes emoVineyards. The object of this project it to be, along with upskilling his staff tional, because with that purchase is to find and preserve old vineyards to prune effectively, an investment in you are not only supporting a legacy, (35 years and older). These older the tradition and future of the local but also helping to better the lives of vineyards produce grapes that bring wine industry. those involved in the production of another dimension and character to wine. He believes old vine wine will a wine. Sculpted by the elements, old become a niche market pushing point vines tell a story of the land, its culture of sale prices higher. This will benefit More information on The Old Vine and history. Globally these wines Project can be found at oldvinethe farmers, and those dependent on are becoming sought after by wine them. project.co.za/

Main Road, R43, Sandbaai, Hermanus, 7200

info @shopwhalecoastmall.co.za 021 476 0994

BECAUS E WE CAR E

In the unprecedented times of COVID-19, we have had to adjust our safety protocols to ensure that the safety of our customers and sta� members enjoy precedence and that our community can continue to enjoy the shopping environment, knowing that all the necessary precautions have been taken to ensure their safety.

Precautionary measures taken:

Protocol for COVID-19 cases:

1. COVID -19 information signage placed at all entrances, in restrooms and various other high tra�c areas of the mall 2. Hand sanitising units available at each mall entrance, all restroom facilities and high risk areas, such as lifts 3. Foot tra�cc cotrol measures have been implemented at all entrances – only one customer at a time per segment of the revolving doors and no entry allowed at the sliding doors – these serve as exits only 4. Detailed signage has been erected in terms of the wearing of masks: our policy is ‘no mask, no entr y’ – we also do not allow scarves, bu�s, etc.

5. Dedicated cleaning sta� have been allocated to restrooms and high risk areas 6. Sintol 30g is the only chemical allowed on site for the cleaning of all surfaces, high tra�c areas, etc.

7. The mall itself (including all passages, restroom facilities, entrances, lifts, escalators, security control room, cleaning quarters, centre management, etc.) received a precautionar y decontamination and deep clean just over a week ago.

We are visited by the local health department on a regular basis. We meet with them and undertake a walk-through to ensure compliance – to date there have been no issues, or arrangements we have had to change.

1. Upon being notified by the tenant, their premises are closed with immediate e�ect and all sta� membes on that shift are required to go into isolation 2. The majority of tenants have split sta� shits, which means that a full set of sta� members who have not been in contact with the contaminated individual will be able to continue working directly after decontamination 3. The a�ected store is required to decontaminate following the listed protocol as per the health department’s regulations. It works side by side with Centre Management to ensure that as little disruption as possible is created 4. The store is only allowed to open again once their cer tificate of decontamination has been issued 5. We have been available to assist each tenant that has gone through this process so far, as it can be quite daunting to those who have not previously experienced it. Centre Management engages in frequent communication and store visits to ensure that the sta� members are in good health and good spirits.

We acknowledge that this is a time of uncertainty for our community, but we would like to assure our customers that their safety is at the forefront of our minds and we have implemented appropriate measures to this end.

We would also like to welcome back our beauty tenants and salons, who can now operate again and they are super amped to serve their loyal customers, with all the necessary safety protocols in place.

If the lockdown has left you with a mop of unruly hair, don’t worry! We are pleased to announce that The Barber Shop is open for business again and ready to help our loyal customers, with all hygiene protocols in place. Come and pay us a visit for a professional haircut and friendly service.

Locally-owned and open since 2017, Sorbet Hermanus is excited to welcome you back. With all hygiene measures in place, we continue to passionately serve our guests. Our therapists are ready to assist with Sorbet, Environ, 365 and Dermalogica. Call 028 312 2260 for nails, facials, waxing and so much more!

We are welcoming back our loyal clients for their favourite hair treatments. Following all prescribed safety protocols and armed with our friendly smiles and superb styling skills, we can’t wait to welcome you back to our store again.

Call us on 028 312 2981 to book an appointment.

FABRIC • HOMEWARE • BEDDING • CURTAINS • TOWELS • CLOTHING • GIFTS AND MORE

Happy Women’s Month T: 028 312 3265 | E: hfshop@mweb.co.za 62 Main Road, Hermanus

Thank you for your loyalty and support

Machine Sale | Machine Service & Repairs | Supplies & No ons | Sewing Pa erns | Quil ng Fabric | Embroidery Service

T. 087 808 9213 | 087 803 3794 • C. 072 987 2512 (WhatsApp) E. hermanus@crea veno ons.co.za • W. www.crea veno ons.co.za Shop 34A, Hemel-en-Aarde Village Hemel-en-Aarde Road, Hermanus

@crea veno onshermanus

12

www.thevillagenews.co.za

19 August 2020

MY HOME

Holiday rentals – is the market shifting?

By Stuart Cohen CabinCare Property Management & Project Specialists

T

he Women’s Day long weekend was an inspiration to all in the Overberg and spirits are soaring amongst management and staff of hotels, guesthouses and all graded or accredited establishments. Whilst the traditional Airbnb host still fails to comprehend the stance of the Tourism Minister, and rightly so, that has not stopped people from accepting bookings and welcoming guests, albeit at a distance.

It is clear that the majority of citizens have reached the peak of their frustration with the regulations and, with a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect, all hosts are going out of their way to get back to business and provide accommodations while implementing the strictest of cleaning protocols.

The formal establishments are obviously not complaining and kudos to them for all they do to make the tourist experience a memorable one. The wide range of self-catering accommodations listed on the online portals like Airbnb, Booking.com and the rest are all starting to

gear up in the hope that there will be a surge in intra-provincial travel like we saw over the Women’s Day weekend.

A lot has been written about the cleaning protocols for self-catering accommodations and Airbnb is one of the companies that has released detailed instructions on the process to follow. Many people glibly think it is a ‘no-brainer’ but when one looks into the detail of what needs to be done, then the realisation hits that it takes time and thoroughness to ensure that accommodations are Covid-19 ready.

As part of the preparation for this new era of hosting, people need to ensure that their listings reflect the status of their compliance to hygiene regulations, as this is something which guests are now concerned about with most booking enquiries. Whilst the guidelines set out an endless string of the obvious, it is worthwhile for all hosts to familiarise themselves with these.

The question has been asked a number of times as to what the Hermanus holiday rental playing field will look like moving forward. Prior to the arrival of the Coronavirus, there was already an oversupply of holiday rentals as a result of the 2018 riots, compounded by the ever-increasing stranglehold on the economy of the country that we have become familiar with. We saw

many new listings appear across all the portals but more and more the nightly rates were being driven down as holidaymakers found themselves spoilt for choice.

A quick research exercise on Property24 gives one an eye-opening picture of what has changed in the past number of months. There are a lot more properties listed for long-term rentals, many of which were traditionally holiday rentals. There is also a phenomenal number of properties for sale and some suburbs are showing a higher number of listings than six months ago.

These are all signs of the overall impact of both the economic crunch and the Coronavirus fallout which has changed the face of the rental and sales market for the foreseeable future.

The interesting dynamic is that in both the long-term rental and sales markets, pricing hasn’t necessarily seen the decline one might have expected. Of the 171 rental listings across the broader Hermanus area, 62% are in the R 10 000 to R 20 000 per month rental bracket.

Only 3% (five properties) fall below R 10 000 per month. If one then breaks this down further by suburb, the trend is very much the same.

Another interesting point to note is that there are over 800 listings of properties for sale in the

area, from Arabella to Voëlklip. Sandbaai leads the pack with almost 180, followed by Westclliff with 153. The listings in Onrus (114), Vermont (103) & Voëlklip (102) also show that price flexibility does not appear to be the order of the day and, according to most of the local agents, only correctly priced properties are selling quickly.

The one factor that is clearly evident is that many people can, for a multitude of reasons, no longer hold onto their second properties and are not getting the expected return on investment from those that were purchased as income-generating holiday homes. The uncertainty of how long it will take to rebuild a revenue stream from these properties has also taken its toll on the desirability of owning a holiday home.

So the future remains a mystery, for now. Market dynamics change by the week and we can only continue to find ways to spread the word about what a perfect holiday destination the Overberg is – and to attract the South African public to our shores whilst waiting for the international borders to reopen.

The good news is that many of our fellow countrymen who have not been here before will realise what they have been missing and that will hopefully have an impact on rebuilding the local economy.

13

www.thevillagenews.co.za

19 August 2020

Women’s Month – Empowering women to keep them safe F

She explains that many opportunistic criminals will be on the look-out for what they perceive to be ‘soft targets’, especially now during the pandemic. “This means that being aware of your surroundings and potential threats is perhaps one of the most valuable lines of defence.”

Hattingh says the following tips can make a positive difference to keeping safe:

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• •

•

•

Of utmost importance is to trust your instincts. Women have great intuition and should listen to their instincts. If someone or something makes you feel uneasy, avoid the individual and leave the area.

Make contact with your private security service provider and ask them if they offer a mobile panic alarm service, which could be downloaded to your mobile phone.

Tell someone where you are going and the time you expect to return. Save the details of the person to be contacted in the event of an emergency to your mobile phone or memorise it.

Be aware of people around you when heading to your vehicle, especially at places such as shopping centres and petrol stations.

Ensure that you take a moment to check the street before pulling into a driveway, be it your own or a friend’s.

If you are driving, the first thing to do once you are inside your vehicle is to ensure that all the doors are locked. Never drive with a handbag or any other valuable items on a

She further recommends:

• • PHOTO: freepik.com

inding ways of empowering our country’s women and keeping them safe is an important consideration for Women’s Month, says armed response company Fidelity ADT. “We can do this by following basic safety tips and making sure we share these tips with our loved ones,” says Charnel Hattingh, National Communications and Marketing Manager at Fidelity ADT.

seat or in view of anyone looking into your vehicle from the outside. Try to make your car a mobile-free zone so you can concentrate on your surroundings and keep you and your family safe.

“Talk to your loved ones about these tips. By sharing them and by working with the brave men and women of our law enforcement and security partners, we can make a difference and make the world safer for our women,” Hattingh says.

Fidelity ADT has also issued a call on the public to use caution and vigilance when travelling to and from busy shopping centres, following a number of incidents in recent days in Gauteng and Somerset West.

Hattingh says there seems to be a definite increase in the number of car hijackings. “The majority of incidents are taking place during the day and much of it appears to be opportunistic,” she says. Vehicle tracking company Tracker was also quoted by media last week, warning of an increase in car hijackings, while the latest crime statistics released by the SAPS at the end of July

•

shows that cases of carjacking have seen the biggest increase year-on-year.

According to Hattingh, the majority of carjacking cases happen when shoppers are followed home from a mall or shopping centre and hijacked in their driveways. “Criminals are aware shoppers have a car full of newly-purchased items and are generally easy, distracted targets.

Awareness is your most effective defence. Keep an eye out for any suspicious vehicles that may be following you and, if in doubt, drive to your nearest police station or security provider guard house.”

Remember the general hijacking safety tips such as waiting in the road for the gate to open before driving in, adds Hattingh, and make sure the gate is closed properly behind your vehicle before getting out.

When it comes to staying safe in malls, she encourages shoppers to carry as little as possible in handbags or pockets and rather leave unnecessary bank or store cards and large amounts of cash at home. Drawing money at an ATM also needs to be done with care.

•

Avoid shopping after dark and rather do it when there are other shoppers around.

Leave expensive items such as jewellery at home.

Another risk is remote jamming. Always park your car in a well-lit, properly secured parking area, ideally with security personnel on duty.

When you leave your car, make sure the doors are properly locked. Never just assume that your remote had in fact locked your doors. The extra few seconds it takes to make sure the car is properly locked and secured are worth it.

If you need to draw money at an ATM, use a machine in a busy, public area. Be aware of anyone standing nearby and never accept help from strangers when entering your PIN. Put your money in your purse or wallet before you walk away from the ATM. If you think someone has followed you from the machine, walk into the nearest shop or up to a mall security guard.

“Criminals depend on their targets being distracted. It is when people aren’t paying attention that they become easy targets for would-be thieves. The best option is therefore to be on the lookout for anyone following you or someone loitering at your car in the parking area. Trust your instincts and call for help if you feel unsafe or unsure,” says Hattingh.

The Department of Social Development has set up a helpline service for victims of gender-based violence. Contact them on 0800 428 428 or visit their website for other contact options http://gbv.org.za/contact-us/

- Issued on behalf of Fidelity ADT by HWB Communications Pty Ltd.

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19 August 2020

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He shall have music wherever he goes Writer Elaine Davie

Axolile loves introducing pre-schoolers and their teachers to music. “If you reach them really young, they just soak it up,” he says.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

W

hether it’s Bach or the Beatles, there’s nothing like music for lifting the mood. And, arguably, we’ve never needed it more than now, or, for that matter, the musicians who produce it – such as the wandering minstrel of the Overberg, flautist Axolile Hoza.

Lockdown has been particularly difficult for the teaching of a hands-on nuanced subject like music, but Axolile says they have experimented with various options like sending the students short teaching videos and getting them to send back videos of their own. The teachers have also received regular 15-minute videos.

Fortunately individual learners can now be accommodated in face-to-face classes, but group activities have had to be suspended for now.

Just under a year ago we told the remarkable story of this talented local-boy-made-good from Caledon, who had earned acclaim as an outstanding young performer both in South Africa and on the world stage (The Village News, 25 September 2019).

At that time, Axolile had just returned to the Overberg, and turning his back on fame and fortune, decided to plough back his skills into developing the musical potential of the children of this region.

He had joined his original teacher, Stefné van Dyk as part-time Artistic Director of her Kleinmond-based Handevat music project. In a recent FynArts zoom talk, he retold his inspiring story. Like a troubadour of old, every week he moves from Kleinmond to Bot River to Hermanus, reaching, teaching and inspiring literally thousands of children.

Apart from his love of singing, his professional instrument of choice has been the flute (as we previously recounted he was personally presented with a silver flute by the iconic flautist, James Galway). Now, for teaching purposes, he has been challenged to master a whole range of additional musical instruments, from the marimbas to clarinet, saxophone and even violin. And he’s still learning. Through Hermanus

ducks to water and are learning to read music, as well as introductory level keyboard technique. Zwelihle and Mount Pleasant Primary Schools had each been given a piano by the FynArts Development Fund, but since no one knew how to play them, they just sat there gathering dust. Now, with the help of Axolile, they are beginning to use them for choir practice and were recently proud to participate in a choral eisteddfod.

Varsity and its relationship with the London School of Music, he’s currently doing a teachers’ diploma course in piano.

In Kleinmond, for Handevat, he works twice a week with 18 individual students as well the organisation’s prize-winning marimba bands (although the latter has not been possible during lockdown); in Bot River, for Lucky Point, also twice a week, he and his colleague, Marlon van Rooyen, again have individual students, as well as a rapidly improving marimba band. But then, in Hermanus, as part of the FynArts development programme, his focus changes completely.

“It’s in the early years that it should begin – a love of music and a basic understanding of how it works. Most children are not really exposed to the mechanics of music-making until at least Grade 3, but I think if you reach them really young, that’s when they learn the most – they just soak it up.” You can hear the excitement in

Axolile’s voice. “But then we decided to take it a step further and teach the teachers, so that there is a multiplier effect.”

As he explains, most of the teachers at the three ECD centres that he visits once a week, together with Zwelihle Primary and Mount Pleasant Primary, have had no musical training themselves, with the result that they dodge the subject as much as they can.

“I spend about an hour at each school,” he explains, “the first 15 minutes doing a presentation myself; then the teachers give a practical demonstration of what they have learnt and afterwards we spend about half an hour on discussion and feedback.

“What we want to do is to get the children to understand the basics, like rhythm, pitch, tone – we’ve even created some new songs with them,” he laughs. “So when they’re older and want to learn to play an instrument, they’ll already have a baseline.”

Most of the teachers have also taken to it like

Something Axolile says a lot is how happy he is where he is, and how fulfilling he finds teaching; what a huge kick he gets when a struggling student suddenly ‘gets it’. He still tries to keep honing his own professional skills and tries to play whenever he can. He has been invited to join the MIAGI Youth Orchestra with which he performed before, on a tour to Paris in October.

Time will tell, of course, whether this will be possible.

In the meantime, he, Stefné and Professor Caroline van Niekerk, formerly of the University of Pretoria, are working on a very exciting collaboration with Hermanus Varsity. Not only is the Varsity planning to place a strong emphasis on the arts, especially music, in new courses it is introducing, but the rapidly evolving dream is to create a full orchestra for the Overstrand, under the joint auspices of Handevat and the Varsity.

All in all, there can be no doubt that this enthusiastic young musician (he is only 25) will always be knee-deep in the action and, come what may, there will always be music wherever he goes.

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

19 August 2020

Turtle dissection reveals ingestion of plastic Recently a deceased green turtle (Chelonia mydas) washed up in the Gansbaai area, near Die Gruis.

A team from the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation together with biologists from Marine Dynamics and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust in Kleinbaai dissected it to determine the cause of its death.

The sub-adult green turtle measured 50cm in total length and was considerably larger than the small loggerhead turtles that often wash up in the Overstrand.

During the dissection, performed by veterinarian Brandon Spolander from Aquavit Africa and consulting vet to the Two Oceans Aquarium, the group looked at various possible external and internal causes of the death of the turtle.

Several pieces of plastic were found in the intestines of the animal. While this was unlikely the cause of death as it did not seem to have caused any blockages, it could have led to secondary malaises. One possible cause could have been liver disease, as the liver showed some abnormal growths and discoloration.

Overall, the cause of death was uncertain.

All species of turtles are considered threatened, and the green turtle is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Plastic pollution is a continued threat to marine life around the world. Turtles are one of many species that are threatened by the increasing amount of plastic floating in our oceans, as a plastic bag often looks like, and mimics the movement of, their jellyfish prey.

The rescue Line Number for the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) in Kleinbaai, Gansbaai is 072 598 7117.

– Hardus Botha

19 August 2020

Floating object identified as a Fish Aggregating Device D uring a recent research trip, our biologists and crew picked up a large object floating in the waters near Dyer Island.

This object turned out to be what is known as a FAD – a Fish Aggregating Device – that is used by various fisheries to attract target species such as tuna, marlin, and sharks.

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Coastal and Marine guiding course Six students awarded with certificates

This highlights the importance of daily monitoring of the Marine Dynamics/Dyer Island Conservation Trust team.

This huge square grid with large netting attached below was floating a few metres below the water surface, with a large transponder attached and seen on the surface. FADs are used by fisheries to create a mini-ecosystem floating just below the surface, providing food and protection for a variety of fish species.

Once the FAD has created enough of a biomass, fishing vessels will approach and use massive nets, catching the accumulated fish species, often with huge amounts of bycatch, including sharks, turtles, and juvenile fish.

Six enthusiastic Marine Guide students received certificates to enable them to work as legal registered Coastal-Marine Nature Guides. From left are JG Smit, Anthea van Zyl, Dickie Chivell, Susy Alexandersen, Reuben Rustzen, and Herman Oosthuizen.

This fishing method is not legal in South Africa. However, quite a few of these devices have been found washed up on South African shores, likely from neighboring countries.

Based on a large amount of biofouling, it had been in the water for a very long time and was likely to have blown into the Kleinbaai area during the recent storm.

However, this highlights the presence of ghost-gear in our waters, abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear. With whale season in South Africa, this gear creates a hazard for the southern right whales, humpback whales and Bryde's whales that frequent this area. The research team recovered the gear and brought it back to shore for it to be properly discarded.

A FAD is a big square grid with large netting attached below which creates a mini-ecosystem that attracts a variety of fish species.

This device, which is not allowed to be used by fishing vessels in South Africa, was found floating a few metres below the water surface in the Kleinbaai area.

PHOTO: Marine Dynamics / Dyer Island Conservation Trust

Marine Dynamics Academy ran a one-month Coastal-Marine Nature Guide mentorship programme for six students. The programme included the subjects required for the Nature Site Guide (NQF2) Skills program and the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) Level 1 Marine Guide Certificate. The course included theoretical and practical training in 17 modules ranging from geology to astronomy with a focus on the fynbos environment and the marine ecology of the Western Cape.

Lecturer, Grant Hine, conducted the practical training and final assessment on foot along the shoreline of Gansbaai and De Kelders and the marine assessment was done by

boat. Upon declaration of competence and graduation with Marine Dynamics Academy, the students attained the Marine Dynamics Academy certificate as well as the FGASA and CATHSSETA Certificates enabling them to register with the National Department of Tourism to work as a legal registered Coastal-Marine Nature Guide.

The Marine Dynamics Academy, Coastal-Marine Guide Course provides professional training and development for prospective guides who wish to conduct guided experiences in the coastal marine environment. Interested people in guiding courses can send an email to academy@marinedynamicstravel.com

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19 August 2020

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MY ENVIRONMENT

Losing nature is a big deal

By Dr Anina Lee

T

he value of biodiversity is widely recognised in South Africa – both politically and legislatively.

There is also growing recognition of the importance of biodiversity to the tourism industry. Research has established that destroying even a small natural area has a large knockon effect.

If the Hermanus bypass is built according to the present plans, Fernkloof Nature Reserve will lose just over 5 hectares of its 1 800 hectares. Is this a big deal?

Supporters of the bypass say, “No”.

But they are wrong. The bypass will have many negative impacts, even if it is only 5 hectares (remember, this is the finished area – the area of destruction caused by the roadworks will make this much larger). These 5 hectares are also in the most vulnerable part of the reserve – its long, thin tail, situated on a steep slope.

The first impact will be a violation of the principle of protected areas.

Fernkloof is a formally proclaimed nature reserve and is governed by the Protected Areas Act (NEM:PAA). This is a wide-ranging piece of enlightened legislation. The SA Government understands the importance of protected areas and the biodiversity they contain. That is why there is excellent legislation in place to protect South Africa’s natural capital.

Why is biodiversity important?

In addition to NEM:PAA, the SA Government supports a broader view of biodiversity. On its website the Government states: While environmental and economic concerns may appear to be very different issues, and in fact at odds with each other, they are actually deeply intertwined. Government and businesses are realising that the economic and social development of the country is dependent on healthy ecosystems

and biodiversity.

The South African National Development Plan: Vision 2030 confirms that national economic growth is dependent on the environmental sustainability of our proposed development path… the political importance of biodiversity needs to be understood at the highest levels. Government policies and business practices need to adopt more innovative approaches that recognise the value of biodiversity for economic and social prosperity.

In addition to its own intrinsic value, South Africa’s biodiversity provides an important basis for economic growth and development. Equally important is the need to keep biodiversity and ecosystem functions intact to ensure the ongoing provision of ecosystem services on which socio-economic development is based.

A recent estimate of the value of ecosystem goods and services to South Africa’s economy places this at R73 billion per annum, equivalent to 7% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems provide us with essential services – pollination of crops, a regular supply of clean water, and prevention of flooding and soil erosion.

(My emphasis is bold).

Biodiversity and nature-based tourism The document is more specific as regards tourism: The role played by biodiversity and nature in the South African tourism value chain is of strategic importance to the sector. Nature-based tourism relies on biodiversity and diverse ecosystems to attract visitors. Opportunities to view biodiversity and ecosystems are a major asset for the tourism sector and visits to natural areas are estimated to account for about 50% of all global leisure travel.

Two of the last remaining endangered plants in Fernkloof – right in the path of the bulldozers – are (left) Gladiolus grandiflorus (PHOTO: Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust) and (below) Rafnia elliptica (PHOTO: Hermanus Botanical Society). to national legislation? Or do they believe that national legislation and policies do not apply to them and Fernkloof? Or does 5 hectares seem entirely dispensable from this tiny reserve? We need to remember that despite our magnificent natural environment, only a paltry 8% of the country is legally protected, whereas the world average is 15%. Shamefully, South Africa ranks a very low 144 out of 192 countries.

We must resist all and any attempts to reduce that too small percentage further, such as taking part of FNR for the totally unnecessary bypass proposal. Every square metre of our protected areas must be defended against exploitation.

Why is a mere 5 hectares important?

A recent study published in the journal Nature has shown that when habitats are lost, the destruction of plants and animals is not proportional to the loss of habitat. In fact, the impact on biodiversity of the remaining area is far greater. So losing 5 hectares from Fernkloof represents a far greater loss in species and services than we would expect from the lost area.

Fernkloof Nature Reserve is one of Hermanus’s most popular tourist attractions – and we all understand that tourism is the basis of the town’s economy. Does a provincial road with noisy traffic, fumes and light pollution add to the tourism value of a peaceful natural area? Certainly not.

The loss of species from a protected area is also exacerbated if the area is adjacent to an urban area. Imagine the loss of wildlife – tortoises, chameleons, snakes, bokkies and birds – when the reserve is bordered by a provincial road.

Does the Provincial Roads Department (and our Municipality) understand this but still act in contradiction

Equally concerning is the loss of rare and endangered fynbos plants from the proposed road reserve area.

The special plants of Fernkloof The area above Northcliff, site of the proposed bypass, has always been known as the most botanically diverse part of the Fernkloof Nature Reserve. The Hermanus Botanical Society found a surprising number of new plants there after the fire of January 2008.

A five year follow-up survey of re-emerging plants listed more than 380 species of plants for this area alone. Hermanus Botanical Society’s regular surveys have shown that a small area at the westernmost end of Mountain Drive is particularly rich floristically.

They found a record 74 species in just one area measuring 20m x 10m – compared to half the number elsewhere. This area contains species which occur nowhere else in Fernkloof. This biological richness is a result of a mixture of two different types of

fynbos in this small area of Fernkloof.

There are at least 10 species that will be entirely lost to Fernkloof and another 16 threatened or vulnerable species in the proposed road reserve.

If you think that there should never be a road through Fernkloof – now or any time in the future – please fill in a very simple electronic form at https:// forms.gle/1rR9WB8mESPoQ2NB8 Or scan the QR code below:

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