The Village NEWS 21 Aug - 28 Aug 2019

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Meet the new HPP Board

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21 AUGUST 2019

'Queen of the Air' in Hermanus

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What's On Overberg

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Principal dancer, Nicole Ferreira-Dill, from Joburg Ballet performing the Grand Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty. Joburg Ballet returned to Hermanus this year for four performances in support of Just Care Aftercare in Mount Pleasant. See more on P 9.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

Illegal abalone off the menu Writer Elaine Davie

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potentially impactful report on abalone poaching was released last week by the Western Cape Police Ombudsman, Mr JJ Brand. His message seemed to be putting the powerful Abalone Mafia on notice: ‘Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for you’.

Responding to a ‘complaint of poor response’ at SAPS stations in Gansbaai, Kleinmond, Hermanus and Stanford to criminal activities in general and abalone poaching in partic-

ular, the ombudsman found that the complaints could be substantiated and made a number of significant recommendations to the Western Cape MEC for Community Safety, Albert Fritz, for his urgent attention.

In an article which appeared in last week’s edition of The Village NEWS, we attempted to sketch a picture of the global abalone industry, both legal and illegal, and the point was made that of the seven or so countries producing abalone for the

international market, South Africa is the only one which has a poaching problem. All the others have tight management and security systems in place to obviate this practice.

Widespread poverty and deleterious policies regarding small-scale fishing quotas in this country have certainly contributed to the crisis, but there is undeniable proof that this is far from being just a local problem. It has become a major transnational racket involving drugs, prostitution and

money laundering run by secretive criminal networks and controlled by powerful cartels in the East.

his findings be urgently escalated to the National Minister of Police, Bheki Cele.

It may be difficult for local law enforcement authorities to tackle the international heart of the problem, but the ombudsman’s recommendations, if implemented, will certainly go some way towards limiting the wholesale stripping of the oceans along the Western Cape coast currently taking place. According to MEC Fritz, the ombudsman has requested that

Apart from once again emphasising the serious need to address the poor police to population ratio and vehicle allocations for detectives in the Overberg cluster, the main focus of his report was on tightening up policing strategies to deal more effectively with abalone poaching.

Continues on P 3

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21 August 2019

Putting paid to abalone poaching remained largely dormant.

From P 1 In the statement issued by MEC Fritz, he undertook also to refer the ombudsman’s findings to the Standing Committee for Community Safety in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, which will further review the report as per the constitutional powers of such a multi-party committee.

Another recommendation was that the Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs should address the backlog concerning the disposal of abalone at the storage facilities with the National Minister of Environmental Affairs and Fisheries.

MEC Fritz gave the assurance that he would work closely with the necessary stakeholders to ensure that these recommendations were reviewed and implemented, using every tool at his disposal to safeguard rural and urban communities in the Western Cape against poaching of any kind.

Although the Chairperson of the Provincial Standing Committee on Community Safety was approached for comment on these developments, none was forthcoming. However, the response from former MEC Beverley Schäfer, Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities, was positive, with certain caveats.

In 2017, following an extensive series of public hearings to explore solutions to the problem of abalone poaching, she had tabled a report making extensive practical recommendations regarding its curtailment, which have, however,

One of the ombudsman’s recommendations which she is particularly happy about is that abalone poaching should be upgraded to the status of a transnational crime in line with rhino horn or ivory poaching.

“I can’t actually believe that it has taken them so long to treat it with the seriousness it deserves and of course that also means fitting the punishment to the crime. Up to now it has been regarded as a relatively minor offence.”

She is also happy that he has made a point of requesting that steps be taken to better control the storage of confiscated abalone. There was reportedly a backlog of over 200 tons stored in the unit until recently when another break-in took place and much of it disappeared, with allegations of inside involvement.

“This is organised crime – it is not a random event and these criminals are not acting on their own,” former MEC Schäfer points out.

“Once again one must also ask, what is happening to the money that is supposed to be generated by the auctioning off of confiscated abalone? It should be going into the Marine Living Resources Fund for the protection of our coastal waters, but it is unclear exactly how much is in the fund and how much of it has been used for this purpose. An urgent investigation should be launched into this matter. I feel confident that very little money has been ploughed into protecting the Overberg’s coastal resources.

“This is an important document and it does

Eight poaching vessels confiscated A total of eight rubber ducks reportedly belonging to perlemoen poachers have been confiscated during the past two weeks.

Members of the Overstrand Law Enforcement Task Team confiscated six vessels on Friday 9 August in Pearly Beach. Another two boats were confiscated in the same area a week later. Noone was arrested during these operations. This follows the arrest of two suspected poachers on Thursday 15 August after they were found in possession of three bags of perlemoen.

On 6 August two men were arrested in Sandbaai after their illegal processing plant was raided by members of the Hawks and the Department of Fisheries. A total of 4 287 fresh and 11 498 dried perlemoen to the value of R3,9 million rand was seized during the operation.

Poachers, with a total disregard for law, have been blatantly removing thousands of units of

perlemoen from local waters during daylight hours. At times more than 150 poachers are to be found at any given time in the ocean on our coastline.

Unless urgent steps are taken to protect abalone, the species faces extinction due to extreme poaching, says TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, in a report titled Empty Shells: An assessment of abalone poaching and trade from Southern Africa.

According to the report, “Over the past 18 years, poachers have stripped South African coastal waters of at least 96 million abalone. Efforts to curb the illegal trade have roundly failed. Once abundant, the population of South African abalone Haliotis midae is declining at unprecedented levels. On average, 2 000 tons of abalone are bagged annually by poachers – 20 times the legal take in an illicit industry estimated to be worth at least US$60 million (R628 million) a year.

attempt to hold police to greater account,” she continues, “but it is also up to National Minister Barbara Creecy to launch a thorough investigation into the officials of the Fisheries Department.

"I believe she must read this report and act firmly in terms of the alleged complicity of members of that Department. I have faith in her effectiveness as a Minister and I will make sure that she also receives my 2017 report, to read in conjunction with this one.”

Schäfer emphasises once again that more effective law enforcement is only part of the solution to the problem of abalone poaching.

Parallel processes should be taking place simultaneously, the most important being the urgent development and implementation of an all-encompassing inter-departmental anti-poaching strategy, involving both national and provincial levels of government as well as agencies like the Hawks, instead of relying on the largely uncoordinated, under-resourced and haphazard efforts currently taking place.

“The DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) doesn’t even have a boat to patrol the coast and it has about two officials trying to monitor sometimes up to 1 000 poachers in the Overberg. Naturally, they are too afraid to take any action. I mean this is ridiculous!”

She is still adamant that the issuing of smallscale fishing licences should be a provincial competency and not a national one. “Only three provinces are really affected and for some official sitting in Pretoria to make these determinations doesn’t make any sense. We are on the ground, we know what’s going on and it would be in everybody’s interests, if we could work with the fishermen to protect our resources.”

What seems clear is that our role as a local authority, environmental group or concerned citizen is to continue putting pressure on the various departments to carry out their mandate, to go on asking questions and to hold all stakeholders to account, before our abalone is only a distant memory.

The following recommendations were made by the Police Ombudsman with particular reference to abalone poaching:

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Ensure that organised projects regarding poaching are initiated and investigated by the Organized Crime Unit of SAPS. Abalone poaching should be classified as organised crime in terms of Section 16 of the South African Police Service Act, Act 68 of 1995; Establish an Environmental Court, in consultation with the National Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development; Ensure that the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT) be urgently submitted to National Cabinet for approval, and Categorise abalone poaching as a serious crime, in line with rhino poaching.

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21 August 2019

‘A New York State of Mind’ Writer Elaine Davie

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arlier this year talented 13-year-old Alianna Isaacs, a learner at Generation Schools Hermanus, auditioned for and was granted a partial scholarship to attend the American Academy of Ballet’s summer school in New York. She tied on her ballet shoes, polished up the stars in her eyes, packed her dreams in her backpack and headed for the Big Apple.

Now she is back, having had an experience that most teens can scarcely imagine. Although the summer school was five weeks long, Alianna only participated in the last week, which was Ballet Intensive – intensive being the operative word (the earlier weeks focused on other genres like hip hop, contemporary and tap).

Thrown in at the deep end, Alianna and her friend Lulu Botha, also from Hermanus, very quickly learnt just how hard ballet dancers have to work to keep ahead of the game. Dancing seven to eight hours a day and 11 hours the day before a final stage performance, her toes were soon bleeding and her legs cramping, but, as she says, she had to learn to work through the pain.

The course was divided into five stages and the participants, who came from all over the world, were categorised according to age and proficiency. In Alianna’s group there were 18 students from countries as diverse as the US, Brazil, Venezuela, Sweden and, of course, South Africa. A typical day was made up of 40-minute classes with 10-minute breaks between. The focus was on classical ballet and tango. One of

the aspects of the course that Alianna found particularly fascinating was that they were taught on a rotational basis by five different tutors – three from France, one from Russia and one, Iain MacDonald, from Johannesburg Ballet.

for Alianna was a visit to the Juilliard School for the Performing Arts.

Alianna was accompanied to New York by dad and mom, Larenzo and Abigail Isaacs, previously a dancer herself. They are passionate about supporting Alianna’s talent and giving her every opportunity to develop it. “I’d sell my left kidney, if that’s what it would take to make her dreams come true,” says Larenzo. “She’s already been granted another partial sponsorship for 2020, so we’ve already started saving for that.”

“We went inside and I could hear music and ballet classes actually happening; it was so exciting. That’s where I want to be one day.” And that certainly would not be beyond the bounds of possibility. Not only is she a talented dancer, but she is also a gifted cellist.

Last week she performed at the local Music Eisteddfod and was awarded gold and cum laude certificates respectively for the two pieces she performed, the judge commenting on her musicality, which is the quality that ballet judges have also invariably mentioned.

But it wasn’t all work and no play for the Isaacs family; they took an extra week after the course and did some sightseeing in New York City.

“Wow, it was so fantastic,” laughs Alianna with stars in her eyes. “I felt as if I was in a movie, as if it wasn’t for real." Amongst the many sights they took in were Ground Zero, Grand Central Station, Times Square and Broadway with its showbiz billboards and bright lights, and the Brooklyn Bridge. But perhaps most meaningful

However, her trip and unforgettable experiences in New York would not have been possible without the support she received from the Hermanus community, says Larenzo. “We were absolutely blown away by the generosity we received from Hermanus people – yes, we had help from outside as well, but what meant most to us was the unstinting outpouring of love for Alianna from our own town. There were too many contributors to mention each one by

“I learnt so much from the different teachers,” comments Alianna excitedly, “each of them had a different approach to technique. It was such hard work, but it was so worth it. I didn’t want to leave and come home; I just wanted more. And I made so many friends while I was there. Actually, I can’t wait to go back and even though classical ballet is my favourite, next time I’d love to be able to do some of the other courses, too.” In the meantime, she was able to link up with Iain MacDonald again last week when she attended Joburg Ballet's Master Class in Hermanus.

ABOVE: Alianna dreams of the big time in front of the Juilliard School for the Performing Arts in New York City.

LEFT: Alianna with the Artistic Director of Joburg Ballet, Iain MacDonald in Hermanus last week.

name, but we want them to know how deeply we appreciate it.”

And so it’s full steam ahead for this enthusiastic, unspoilt child of our town with her head in the clouds, but her feet firmly planted on the ground. Lay out the welcoming carpet, Juilliard, here comes Alianna Isaacs from Hermanus. ’You ain’t seen the best of her yet – Baby, remember her name’.* *With apologies to Fame

21 August 2019

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The future of HPP is in their hands Writer Raphael da Silva

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ontinuation. Collaboration. Commitment.

These three words sum up the vision of the new Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) Board as they work together to build a new strategy and future for the organisation.

The board members took over last week, following the resignation of the previous HPP Board.

The Village NEWS sat down with four of the five HPP board members, Errol van Staden, Tobie Louw, Barry van Vuren and Clinton Lerm, in oneon-one interviews to learn what motivated each member to come on board. The fifth member, Guy Redford, was unavailable.

Errol van Staden A business psychologist by profession, Errol van Staden is the managing director of the Dubai-registered Talent Institute, a “virtual” boutique management consultancy. After working for a number of companies in the transport and mining sectors, Errol and his wife Brenda, a clinical psychologist, decided to set up their own company in 1991. “We’ve been unemployed ever since,” jokes Errol.

He says his interest in safety and security goes back to his days in Zululand, where the couple lived for 22 years along the Natal North Coast before relocating to Hermanus in 2012.

“I think Hermanus is a fantastic destination.

That’s why people want to move here. However, we do have a number of challenges and we need to plan ahead. We need fresh ideas to deal with all the issues,” he says.

But key to success is having a common vision

for Hermanus. “We want to work with the municipality. Our approach is collaborative. We don’t want to create islands,” says Errol, who believes that HPP should be just one part of a larger and more comprehensive safety network.

Tobie Louw A semi-retired civil engineer specialising in water management, Tobie Louw and his wife Runette spend their time between their homes in Cape Town and Hermanus, alternating between the fast pace of city life and the calm of small-town living.

“When we get back to our house in Hermanus, it feels like paradise. I’m fortunate to have these two lives,” says Tobie, who, having spent many holidays here, acquired their Fernkloof home in 2011. It was his passion for wildlife conservation and birdlife, in particular, that eventually led to Tobie becoming involved in HPP. “My mission was to spend more time getting involved in wildlife protection,” he says. But realising that safety and security were just as important for places such as Fernkloof Nature Reserve and the Hermanus Cliff Path, Tobie decided to put his years of managing companies to good use. He was Global Services Group Leader: Water Services for Aurecon, an engineering consulting firm, and also had extensive contacts with South African municipalities and expertise in large international projects. “I thought it was just another way of giving back to the community,” says Tobie.

Tobie has taken his new role seriously and has already visited Cape Town and Stellenbosch to study and better understand the Special Rating Area (SRA) and City Improvement District (CID) structures in these cities.

“Each place is unique and what works in one place may not work in another,” says Tobie, who believes that an SRA works best when a Central Business District (CBD) is included to ensure that sufficient revenues are being received to cover the costs. Tobie believes that “the protection of commerce” is a key part of an SRA. Barry van Vuren An insurance broker and financial planner, Barry van Vuren relocated to Hermanus from Pretoria with his wife, Debbie, and daughter in 2014.

Hermanus was Debbie’s choice and she affectionately refers to the town as “Hermel”, a play on the Afrikaans word, hemel, meaning heaven.

“I first became involved in security and safety issues when I was asked to help with setting up the Forum and its structures,” says Barry, who is now a director of the Whale Coast Business and Community Forum (WCBCF).

In his capacity as an HPP board member, Barry is focused on getting the database from the Overstrand Municipality of the approximately 5 525 residents who were paying monthly fees to HPP until the end of June 2019. The new HPP Board will contact them individually to explain what the current situation is and what is required to extend the life of HPP. Key to this success, says Barry, will be public participation, transparency and communication.

Clinton Lerm Clinton Lerm is no stranger to the Hermanus community. A successful entrepreneur who owns several businesses, including Misty Waves Boutique Hotel and SA Forest Adventures, Clinton is already involved in a number of organisations, including as a director of WCBCF and a member of the Western Cape Southern Africa Tourism Services Association.

But for Clinton, HPP is different. “For me, this is personal. I have young kids. It’s not a matter of just saying let someone else deal with this. I’m involved because we can’t afford to have a gap in security. HPP has been an important part of the safety bubble of this town,” he says.

The new board of HPP consists of Guy Redford (left), Errol van Staden, Tobie Louw, Clinton Lerm and Barry van Vuren.

Ensuring that HPP continues in the interim is Clinton’s key priority. “We were hoping for a seamless transition but this didn’t happen. We got involved in order to fill the gap,” he says, pointing out that Onrus still does not have an SRA after three years. He believes that it will take time to get a new safety and security organisation in place.

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21 August 2019

FROM THE EDITOR Make your voice heard on poaching Abalone (commonly known as perlemoen) poaching in the Overstrand has reached critical proportions. At any given time, scores of poachers can be seen in the waters along our coast. They are brazen in their actions and no longer make any attempt to hide their illegal activities from the public or even law enforcement officials.

found, it seems as if in most instances law enforcement agencies are either unwilling or unable to act against poachers. The problem with confiscating abalone is that it has already been removed from the ocean, contributing to the depletion of the wild stock.

The scourge of poaching, however, is a problem much larger than simply stopping poachers from entering the water or recovering poached abalone.

It has mushroomed into a multibillion-rand industry that involves

Although there have been several breakthroughs in the past few weeks where either vessels were confiscated or poached abalone

several countries. Added to this, it is delivering a steady income to many communities stuck in abject poverty, with no real hope of escaping it.

Poaching has to all intents and purposes become a socio-economic problem which can only be solved by a single-minded focus on changing the circumstances of communities that are dependent on the ocean for their survival. This will entail creating an environment in which people have viable options for making a living other than poaching.

While this may seem an impossible task, it is within our grasp should we as a community keep on raising awareness of this issue in order for politicians to take the first steps in solving the problem. By doing this, the lives of whole communities will change for the better and not only a select few.

Make your voice heard, it is your duty.

This is the good NEWS – Ed

Every breath you take – WHO-PONGS is watching you

A Far Kraai

By Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

Breathing is an important bodily function, and requires our attention come rain or shine. A forgetful slip-up now and then, and it’s goodnight nurse – without the nurse.

And with the world spinning madly out of kilter around us, it is becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. Sadly, in many cases what you’re breathing in has the same tragic outcome – even with a nurse – as not breathing at all.

As a result, we at the Duck ’n Fiddle’s Explanation of Everything, were commissioned by the World Health Organisation’s Prevention of Noxious Gasses Survey (WHO-PONGS), to confirm or dispel certain misconceptions regarding pollution, and clear the air, as it were.

Now air, as we all know, fills the gaps between things. We can’t see it, but it’s there. The only time we can see air, is when there’s something floating in it, like smoke, steam or a rainbow.

Towering plumes of billowing black carbon monoxide from mining and heavy industry are a dead giveaway and should be avoided by skydivers and paragliders.

In densely industrialised regions, like parts of China, the air is so visible, it cuts out the sunlight altogether.

Some teenagers only realise that there is a sun when they run away from home – as all youngsters do sooner or later – or they’re kidnapped and smuggled out as slaves.

One way or another, all of them were totally unaware that trees and grass are actually green, not shades of grey.

(This is where the term ‘in search of greener pastures’ comes from – old Chinese proverb.) They discovered that lakes are filled with clear, blue water that doesn’t look anything like the murky mercury back home. They were also astounded by how much air there was, even if they couldn’t see it, taste it or smell it. Some got woozy and fainted happily from the oxygen overload.

But these types of problems around industrial emissions are only one of WHO–PONGS’s concerns. Dangerous air lurks in the most unassuming

places, and this is where our research team of elves started their investigation – to study and address the source of the invisible, but pungent increase in the dreaded gas known as methane, found not in the industrial complexes, but in the pristine pastures coating the countryside.

ballooning, but it never got off the ground.

Either the outlet from the back of the cow to the balloon would dislodge during the flight and horrify the passengers, or the beast would leap out of the basket immediately and run away in all directions at once.

Now, I’m sure we’re all familiar with Daisy, the cuddly cow with the long eyelashes and smiley face who supplies the world with yummy milk and cheese. What a sweatheart.

Unfortunately, she is also the main contributor to the foul air conundrum, due to her uncontrollable and continual methane emissions, politely referred to as flatulence. (Lat: flatus, blowing).

Anyway, with more cattle than humans in some areas, the density of the methane hovered like an invisible, combustible shroud over the unsuspecting landscape. As part of growing up, many boys will confirm through experimentation that flatulence catches alight, so farmlands are a tonteldoos just waiting to burst into flames.

Cattle, it seems, are at the bottom of things. According to extensive research already conducted by WHO– PONGS, the flatulence generated in a week by an average cow like Daisy, could float a hot-air balloon with six passengers for four hours.

Vegetarians and vegans are thrilled that this topic is being investigated.

Fewer steakhouses and butchers means less beef, which means fewer cows, less methane and less chance of exploding in a fireball during a picnic in the countryside.

So, with a sharp eye on the hospitality trade, a few entrepreneurial beef/ dairy farmers in New Zealand – who had plenty of the gas required for flight – tried their luck at hot-air

However, if cows are to be culled/shot to improve our air quality, a beef/ dairy farmers’ consortium has invited any vegetarian/vegan to pull the first trigger. Don’t hold your breath...

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Healthy and robust debate is 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.

Send your letters to letters@thevillagenews.co.za

LET’S TALK

Thank you for support There aren’t words strong enough to express my gratitude to all the people who volunteered to join the search for my husband, David on Maanskynkop last Sunday. I apologise in advance if I have left anyone out, but please know my heartfelt thanks go out to all.

Guy and Pat Redford and Elima Macready rushed to my side on Sunday. I contacted Sue Taylor of Vogelgat who informed Giorgio Lombardi, warden at Vogelgat Nature Reserve. Guy knew where David was likely to hike and was at Vogelgat within ten minutes.

Giorgio then pulled out all the stops to have searchers on the mountain before darkness and the impending rain.

Joining the desperate hunt were Egnall Brown, Monroe van Niekerk and Ricardo Telling; with their teams were Frederick Coetzee and Riyaad Kies; and Emmerencia Pretorius with her team, Aphiwe Ndukumbini and Ashlyn Brik-

kels of Wilderness Search and Rescue.

Even the assistant fire chief from Overstrand Municipality (OM), Angelo Aplon, and his team of Enrico Solomons, Tyrol Mackenzie, Robin Valley and Jaco Stemmet from Overstrand Fire & Rescue, were searching the trails.

They were assisted where possible by drone operators, Shaun and Kyle Bonorchis and Louwrens Theron.

Peter Hodgskin and extreme trail runner Richard van der Spuy were also out on the trails searching for signs of David.

OM chaplain Mark Robson from One Life and my brother Dirk Gnodde were the ones who together broke the sad news to me. Dr Francois Geldenhuis, Vicky Claassens, Guy Redford, John Simson, Chris Carstens, Robbie Lapping, Clair Cartner, Sue Taylor, Richmond and Avis MacIntyre, Danie

van Niekerk, Terry Demmer and Chris Carstens were all among those helping in the search.

Sniffer dogs came with their handlers, Clive Leader, K9 Savannah and Marianne Wilson, K9 Brook, respectively from Wellington and Somerset West, but before they could set off to track David’s scent, the AMS helicopter crew had found him on the summit of Maanskynkop.

A big thank you to Lizanne Olivier from Oskars for sending beautiful designer sandwiches donated by Johnny Caldo for the teams returning to base on Monday morning. Thanks also to the wonderfully caring people of Hermanus and special family and friends for their love, support, visits, messages and phone calls. Thank you all.

Elizabeth Watson

Moving forward with a Special Rating Area for Hermanus In December of 2018 the Overstrand Municipality (OM) informed the board of Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) that as of the end of June 2019 it would no longer be permitted, because of new legislation, to collect funds from ratepayers on its behalf.

The effect of this notification was that once its funds were exhausted, HPP would have no option but to wind down. This means that a new approach is needed, in the form of a Special Rating Area (SRA).

The Hermanus Ratepayers' Association (HRA) as an organisation that exists to promote and protect the interests of our members and also the public at large, approached the OM regarding the formation of an SRA similar to those operating in Cape Town. This was motivated by concerns around security in particular. Following a very constructive engagement with the OM, a mandate was given to initiate

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21 August 2019

the process of establishing an SRA. A thorough examination of the bylaw and the relevant policy resulted in the compilation of a process document and timeline setting out the critical path towards getting the process going. This has been accepted by the OM and has resulted in the creation of a Steering Committee (SRASC) whose sole mandate is to bring into being an SRA for Hermanus.

The SRASC is representative of the following organisations: HRA, Westcliff Residents Association, Hermanus Business Chamber, Whale Coast Business Community Forum, Afriforum and the golf estates. Having complied with the initial requirements of the SRA process, the SRASC is preparing to conduct its first perception survey, asking ratepayers what their concerns are and which services they want. This will serve as a guide when formulating

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a business plan, which will be tabled at public meetings in order to canvass wide support.

The process of creating an SRA is complicated and time consuming and entails a lot of hard work. The SRASC is going to rely on your support during the public participation phase. There will be many questions on a variety of topics during this process and there will be ample opportunity at public meetings where these can be raised.

As the process unfolds, the SRASC will make every effort to keep you informed of progress.

Please assist the SRASC in its quest to create a new SRA for Hermanus.

HRA EXCO * A document that sets out in detail what an SRA is and how it works can be found on thevillagenews.co.za or on our Facebook group

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Be aware of property valuations Cathrine Gibson’s letter in the 23 July issue of The Village NEWS (Do zero property values equal zero municipal rates?) refers: Whilst Ms Gibson has a very valid point in the situation that most Beach Club owners face, it raises another rates-related question regarding the 2nd SUPPLEMENTARY VALUATION 2018/19.

Upon investigation it appears as if a number of property owners may be subject to unrealistic rates increases and are potentially not even aware of it. The onus is of course on the owner to be aware of the impact of valuations but many appear not to be, for multiple reasons.

In our personal capacity, we have just been subjected to a property valuation increase of 186.32% and after submission of a Valuation Objection were given a “NO CHANGE” decision, with the reasons being a) “House Incomplete as at 18/10/2018” (The house was only completed in April 2019 and the occupation certificate was only issued on 22 June 2019) and b) “During 2019 the completed house will be revalued”.

The vagueness as to when the completed house will be revalued and the fact that we will now anyway be paying rates on a value that is not a realistic property value is a concern that all property owners in Hermanus should be aware of. The new valua-

tion was based on an empty stand even though we submitted two CMAs (Competitive Market Analysis) from local estate agents who confirmed the potential value of the land to be substantially below the new value that the municipality “assessed”.

It raises the question as to why we even bother to submit an objection when clearly the municipality ignores the real state of the property market and wants to justify a hike of grossly unrealistic proportions. I urge all property owners to be aware of this for themselves even though the window to object has been and gone.

One cannot help but wonder if this is a way to fob off ratepayers and generate more income for the municipality or if this is a Western Cape government plan. To quote the City of Cape Town Municipality in a similar situation: “Our valuers are working exclusively to resolve the more than 30 000 objections received during the GV2018 objection process. We envisage completing all objections received by December 2020 – and once resolved the decision will be backdated to 01.07.2019”. If that is the case throughout the province, then what chance does the property owner have to fight what is clearly an unjust process, of which the timelines are so extended and the only party to benefit by the additional cash flow is the government.

Stuart Cohen

HAWS says thank you!

The committee of the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society would like to sincerely thank all the contributors to our 50th Birthday Supplement which featured in the 7 August issue of The Village NEWS.

helping those who cannot help themselves. Many, many thanks!

HAWS committee

Your generous support means the world to us and helps us to continue

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21 August 2019

Fynbos pharmacy: Rooibos Writer Dr Anina Lee

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he Western Cape climate is tough on plants. So fynbos plants have adapted over millions of years to grow in conditions of searing summer heat and drought, cold wet winters and nutrient-poor soils.

In this process of adaptation, many fynbos plants have evolved to produce chemical substances to make them drought-resistant and unattractive to browsing animals. Some of these substances are also good for people. The indigenous people of the Western Cape, the Khoisan, knew about and used this fynbos pharmacy in their traditional medicines.

There are three of these plant species that have now become very popular with the health-conscious, namely rooibos, buchu and honeybush.

Rooibos Rooibos tea is made from the leaves of Aspalathus linearis. This shrub

grows naturally on mountain slopes in the winter rainfall area from about Vanrhynsdorp in the north to the Cape Peninsula and the Betty's Bay area in the south. Rooibos tea is made from selected forms of the species found mainly on the Cederberg Mountains. It is now cultivated on sandy soils in the valleys of the Olifants, Breede and Hex Rivers.

In 1772, Swedish naturalist Carl Thunberg noted that "the country people made tea" from a local plant.

Traditionally, the local people would climb the mountains and cut the fine, needle-like leaves from wild rooibos plants. They put the cuttings into hessian bags and brought them down the steep slopes using donkeys.

The leaves were then chopped into smaller pieces and bruised with hammers, an essential process for fermentation of red rooibos, releasing the enzymes essential for oxidation. This is the time when the plant changes from green into its distinctive amber-red colour, giving it its name rooibos or ‘red bush’. The tea leaves are ultimately left to dry in the sun.

Dutch settlers to the Cape learned to drink rooibos tea as an alternative to black tea, an expensive commodity for the settlers who relied on supplies from Europe. Early in the 20th century, a businessman named Benjamin Ginsberg, experimented with curing

rooibos. He simulated the traditional Chinese method of fermenting the tea in barrels. However, at the time it was not feasible to grow rooibos commercially as the seeds were hard to find and impossible to germinate.

Ginsberg convinced Dr Pieter Lafras Nortier, a medical doctor (and amateur horticulturalist) and Olof Bergh (a local farmer) to get involved in large-scale production. Bergh was already harvesting a large amount of wild rooibos on his farm in the Pakhuis Mountains in the Cedarberg.

Dr Nortier collected seeds in the Pakhuis Mountains and in a large valley called Grootkloof and cultivated the first plants on his farm, Eastside at Clanwilliam. The tiny seeds were very difficult to come by. Dr Nortier paid the local villagers £5 per matchbox of seeds brought to him.

An aged Khoi woman found an unusual seed source: having chanced upon ants dragging seeds, she followed them back to their nest and, on breaking it open, found a granary of seeds. We now know that many seeds have a fleshy appendage called an elaiosome. Ants will carry the seeds off to their nests, where they store the seeds and eat the elaiosomes without harming the seeds.

The ants effectively distribute the seeds and “plant” them safely underground until the conditions are right

for germination.

Dr Nortier's research was ultimately successful and by the 1930s he could show all the loAspalathus linearis cal farmers how to germinate their own seeds. The secret lay in scarifying the seed pods. He placed a layer of seeds between two Netherlands, Japan, the UK and US. mill stones and ground away some of the seed pod wall. Thereafter the Today, rooibos plantations cover seeds were easily propagated.

57 000 hectares of arable land. This is almost double that of a decade Over the next decade the price of ago as more farmers, especially seeds soared to an astounding £80 a pound, the most expensive vegetable those in the Swartland region, have cleared existing grain farmland to seed in the world, as farmers rushed make way for rooibos, which is more to plant rooibos. Today, the seed is drought-resistant. gathered by special sifting processes.

Dr Nortier is now accepted as the father of the rooibos industry. Thanks to his research, rooibos tea became an iconic national beverage and then a globalised commodity. Rooibos production is today the economic mainstay of the Clanwilliam district.

About half of rooibos is sold locally – about 6 000 to 7 000 tonnes. The balance is exported to more than 30 countries, including Germany, the

The rooibos industry currently employs an estimated 8 000 farmworkers, and additional employment is created in upstream activities, such as processing, packaging and retailing.

Next week we’ll look at buchu and honeybush and what makes all three of these fynbos species so desirable in the health and other industries.

THE VILLAGE

EXPLORER

FOOD & WINE | ARTS | HISTORY | EVENTS

THE HOME OF FINE BOOKS 028 313 0834

Dancing to enhance our children’s lives Writer Hedda Mittner

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he Joburg Ballet Company danced its way into the hearts of Overstrand residents when it returned to Hermanus last week for the third year running. The event was hosted this year by Just Care Aftercare in Mount Pleasant.

Founded in 2015, Just Care provides both a safe haven and a stimulating environment for approximately 130 primary school children under the watchful eye of founder and trustee Jacquie Rathfelder, with the support of her staff and several volunteers.

Joburg Ballet’s performance, entitled ‘Dance 2 Enhance our children’s lives’ not only raised much-needed funds for Just Care but also included a charity performance on Wednesday morning 14 August for children from disadvantaged communities. More than 200 children who would not otherwise have had the means to experience the art of ballet benefited from this outreach programme.

This was followed by a Master Class on Wednesday afternoon where aspiring ballet dancers had the unique opportunity to receive one-onone attention from Joburg Ballet’s professional dancers. The youngsters were split into two groups and there was a classical repertoire for dancers aged 8 – 12 years and a contemporary repertoire for 13 – 18 years.

The Gala Performance on Thursday 15 August was followed by a Special Performance on Friday 16 August, where members of the audience were able to meet the dancers (still in costume) after the performance and enjoy snacks and wine together. The final performance was a matinee concert on Saturday 17 August.

The programme included highlights from ballet classics, such as The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, and exciting neo-classical and contemporary pieces: Transcendance, Raymonda and Wakanda.

Wakanda The programme showcased the company’s leading dancers, giving Hermanus audiences the chance to see ballet at its best.

Just Care trustee Jacquie Rathfelder thanked Cheryl, Les Clark and all the sponsors and volunteers whose contributions and hard work had made this event possible. Thanks also go to those who participated in the Joburg Ballet Raffle – and congratulations to the winner, Steve van der Merwe.

On behalf of Just Care and the whole of Hermanus, Jacquie expressed her sincere gratitude towards Artistic Director, Iain MacDonald and all the dancers of Joburg Ballet whose passion and talent inspired and exhilarated audiences. There is no doubt that locals are looking forward to welcoming them back next year!

The exciting performances, which were staged at the Dutch Reformed Church in Onrus, were made even more special by the unique “in the round” format. “It’s a specialised way of presenting ballet and the advantage is that it opens up more space, allowing up to 12 dancers to perform together. The audiences were enthralled not only by the excellent programme, but also by the close proximity of the dancers, something that cannot be experienced at a regular stage performance,” said organiser Cheryl van Niekerk.

Jacquie Rathfelder (Just Care trustee), Iain MacDonald (Artistic Director of Joburg Ballet), Cheryl van Niekerk (Organiser) and Leslie Clarke (Committee member).

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

Revil Yon (soloist) from the Joburg Ballet dance company performing Sing, Sing, Sing.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

Senior soloist, Monike Cristina (above), and Senior Corps de Ballet, Cristina Nakos (left), in Raymonda.

Shannon Glover (principal dancer) and Leusson Muniz (soloist) in Grande Valse.

10 | HISTORY

21 August 2019

Hermanus and ‘The Queen of the Air’ Writer Dr Robin Lee

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or over a century now, Hermanus has been a popular holiday destination. Individuals and groups come from all over the world to rest, relax and enjoy themselves. The economy of the town has depended on the expenditures of those who came.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the arrivals were referred to as ‘visitors’. When hotels were built in response to the increasing demand, the term ‘guests’ came into use.

Only after 1950 do we find the word ‘tourist’ in common usage. Today that term covers everyone who is in the town and is not a permanent resident. A ‘tourism strategy’ is now needed, including various categories of tourist, such as ‘eco-tourist’ and ‘festival-tourist’.

Tourists to Hermanus will come from a variety of places and be of a variety of social classes. Much exciting history can be brought to light by following the lives of prominent tourists, especially if they were famous before they came to our town. One of these was Amy Johnson, who was an aviator of international reputation before she arrived in Hermanus in 1932.

Amy stayed at The Marine Hotel and there met Henry Luyt, the only son of P J Luyt, owner of the hotel. Henry (born in 1899) was 32 years of age at the time, had already been trained as a pilot and fought in World War I with the Royal Air Corps. After only a couple of weeks of combat, his aircraft was shot down over France, and he was wounded. Many years later, his mother, Joey Luyt, described the situation as follows: His plane had landed upside down in a trench, which was fortunately unoccupied. He had extricated himself and had managed to make his way back to the Allied lines… The only wound he received was some shrapnel in the neck, which was not serious.

Back in South Africa after the war, Henry became fully involved in the Luyts’ hotel businesses and, instead of a plane, had to settle for a fast, loud car, referred to by the family as the ‘Red Peril’.

Pioneering British aviator, Amy Johnson, was the first female pilot to fly solo from England to Australia in her Gipsy Moth aircraft named ‘Jason’ in 1930. She was only 26 years old at the time. Two years later she set another record, for a solo flight from London to Cape Town, and also visited Hermanus, where she stayed at The Marine Hotel for a weekend.

Back in Britain, Amy Johnson (19031941) was progressing through her aviation career. It was highly unusual for women to train as pilots and still less usual that they undertake solo intercontinental flights. But Amy qualified for her pilot’s licence in 1929 and a year later embarked on her first record-breaking long-distance flight.

At that stage, her most extended trip had been from her home town, Hull to London. Her biographer describes her flight from England to Australia as follows: Amy left Croydon Airport on 5 May 1930 in a second-hand Gipsy Moth called Jason. Unlike today’s pilots, Amy had no radio link with the ground and no reliable information about the weather. Her maps were basic and, on some stretches of the route, she would be flying over uncharted land.

Daringly, Amy had plotted the most direct route – simply by placing a ruler on the map. This took her over some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain and meant she had to fly with an open-cockpit for at least eight hours at a time. It was essential that she kept to

her route because fuel was waiting for her at each stop.

Despite a forced landing in a sandstorm in the Iraqi desert, she reached India in a record six days, and the world’s press suddenly started to pay attention. She became the “British Girl Lindbergh”, “Wonderful Miss Johnson” and “The Lone Girl Flyer”.

In India, she surprised an army garrison by landing on a parade ground, and when she reached Burma, she faced her biggest challenge: the monsoon. Outside Rangoon, a bumpy landing ripped a hole in Jason’s wing and damaged its propeller.

Amy landed in Australia on Saturday, 24 May to tumultuous crowds. Over the next six weeks, she was treated like a superstar. Women asked their hairdressers for an “Amy Johnson wave” and the affectionate way in which she described Jason – “But the engine was wonderful” – became a catchphrase.

At least ten songs were written about her, the most famous, “Amy, Wonderful Amy” performed by Jack Hylton.

Fan mail poured in, and such was her fame that an envelope addressed to “Amy wat flies in England” reached its destination.

The following year (1932) Amy set the record for a solo flight from London to Cape Town. This was the occasion that she visited Hermanus. Joey Luyt recorded the visit in these words: Once Amy Johnson, the pioneering English aviator, came to Hermanus. She stayed with Mr and Mrs Hendry Herman in Cape Town, and they brought her to The Marine for a weekend. Henry was wildly excited, and the two of them spent hours happily talking aeroplanes.

Miss Johnson signed a tea cloth for me, which I then embroidered…

Amy returned to Britain, and in 1933 she and her husband flew across the Atlantic, flying over water for the entire voyage. On arrival, they were entertained by President Roosevelt.

After several other record-breaking flights, she saw her flight time London to Cape Town reduced by another pilot. So she returned to regain the record in 1936.

When World War II began in 1939, Amy joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, ferrying planes to many destinations around the country as required for military purposes. On 5 January 1941, her life ended controversially.

She was spotted flying a long way off her planned route in adverse weather conditions, and her plane was recorded flying over the Thames Estuary.

Sailors aboard a Royal Navy vessel reportedly saw her plane stall and drop towards the waves. Then they saw a parachute drifting down from the plane and come down in the sea relatively near them. An officer dived in and (possibly) reached her. Some sailors claimed to have seen two bodies in the water. But then her body was washed away again and never recovered. The officer later died from exposure and shock.

Later, rumours spread that she had failed to give the secret code word for the day and had been mistakenly shot down by ‘friendly fire’. For these reasons, her story remains topical and lives to this day.

FOOD & WINE | 11

21 August 2019

Gabriëlskloof Restaurant celebrates 10th anniversary T

he Restaurant at Gabriëlskloof celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and marks the occasion with a special menu of their 'greatest hits'. Presenting some of the most popular dishes of this Botriver wine estate eatery, the menu will be on offer for the months of September, October and November.

"It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed," says chef patron Frans Groenewald, who launched the restaurant in 2009 with his wife, Mariaan, and fellow-chef Juan van der Westhuizen. "It was while working in London that we all first dreamt of owning a restaurant like this."

While Juan subsequently pursued other opportunities a few years ago, Frans and Mariaan have continued to build the restaurant's award-winning status. Central to its success have been the many customers-turned-friends who love the restaurant's inimitable Overberg country style.

Ingrained in the Overberg culture is an authentic generosity dispensed informally, which has long been at the centre of the restaurant's philosophy, along with a focus on seasonal produce.

To celebrate their 10-year culinary journey of honest food and hospitality, Frans and Mariaan have created a ‘greatest hits’ menu for both breakfast and lunch. "The anniversary menu is a big thank you to guests who've become regulars over the years," says Frans.

For the morning line-up, Frans's chart-topping banana bread French toast, served with crispy bacon and mascarpone, has been a favourite for many years. There's also the Croque Braai-broodjie, an aromatic grilled cheese, tomato and onion sandwich bedecked with a cheese sauce and topped off with a perfectly poached egg. Eggs Gabriëlskloof is another classic, featuring a roosterkoek served with tasty bobotie mince, poached eggs and a sublime hollandaise sauce.

The lunch menu is no less mouth-watering

with a delicious pork and duck rillette; butternut and barley risotto; home-crafted wontons; and Frans's signature dish: a pork belly that will knock your socks off. Naturally, the restaurant's ‘Ultimate Burger’ is there too, an ingenious composition that centres around a marrowand-rump steak hamburger – a favourite of Gabriëlskloof cellarmaster Peter-Allan Finlayson.

The dessert headliners include Frans's delectable white chocolate mousse and the all-time favourite, sago pudding. Comfort food at its best!

A decade on, Frans believes honesty is the defining characteristic of the dining experience at Gabriëlskloof. "The industry has seen a myriad of easy-come, easy-go trends in this time. Despite the tumult and evolution, it's still honest food that has stands the test of time."

The restaurant at Gabriëlskloof occupies a wing of the celebrated hilltop winery and has views of the surrounding valley and a large fireplace that's fired up on cold days. When the weather's fair, it's the courtyard stoep that draws families and friends for long, languid mealtimes.

And when it's time to leave, there's ‘Carry Me Home’ – the heart of the restaurant deli that allows guests to take a piece of the Gabriëlskloof experience with them when they leave.

In addition to a selection of fine cakes and artisanal breads, there are seasonal food items, regional hand-made décor trinkets and various earthy gifts.

No visit is complete however, without a stop at the tasting centre where you can explore the top-quality, award-winning wines that have made Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate a household name. If you've never been, now's the time to go! And if you have, the team at Gabriëlskloof looks forward to welcoming you back.

Gabriëlskloof is situated on the Swartrivier Road off the N2, just outside Botrivier. To reserve a table, call 028 284 9865 or send an email to restaurant@gabriëlskloof.co.za.

Mariaan (holding the cake) and Frans Groenewald (standing next to Mariaan) celebrate the Restaurant at Gabriëlskloof's 10th birthday with their team. The restaurant will be serving a special menu of their 'greatest hits' for the months of September to November.

Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons in the Overberg, with the Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate surrounded by canola fields in full bloom – the perfect time to visit this winery and restaurant with its laid-back brand of honest country hospitality, food and wine.

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WHAT’S ON

OVERBERG Wednesday

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performance entitled A Night at the Movies in the conference centre at Stanford Valley Guest Farm (behind the Manor House Restaurant). Tickets at R60 pp (children U12 enter free) and meal vouchers can be purchased from the Stanford Tourism Bureau (Tel: 028 341 0340).

Stanford Valley Guest Farm | 17:00 for 17:30

Swem Sunlower swem Hermanus High School presents a performance of their play which has been entered in the ATKV Tienertoneel competition. Tickets are only R20 pp and all are welcome. For enquiries, contact Dayne Nel on 028 312 3760 or dnel@hermanushigh.co.za Hermanus High School Hall | 18:00

Monday

Extreme Railway Journeys U3A Overberg presents The Railway that created Canada by Chris Tarrant, who begins his journey on one of the earliest sections of track to be built in Canada, heads for the Prairies, and then through the Rockies to the port of Vancouver. On this trip he reveals how 2 500 miles of transcontinental railway was built against huge odds in just a few decades, helping to join together a vast wilderness of isolated communities and create the country that exists today.

Catholic Church Hall | 10:00

Nataniël in Concert Catch Nataniël live in Hermanus when this popular entertainer lights up the stage with Charl du Plessis.

Nataniël has over the past three decades established himself not only as a singer, songwriter, producer, director, designer and public speaker, but also as South Africa's leading exponent of the solo stage act. Call 028 316 4911 to book your tickets.

Curro Hermanus | 19:00

Thursday

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Whalers Athletics Club Join the Whalers for their weekly time trials, every Thursday afternoon.

Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome. Choose between a 3 km, 5 km or 8 km route.

Meet at Hermanus Country Market | 17:30 Rotary Club of Hermanus Visitors are welcome at Rotary’s weekly meetings, every Thursday.

Contact Frank on 082 870 1187 to confirm your attendance.

Mollergren Park, Main Road, Hermanus | 19:00

Friday

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Hermanus Hacking Group Volunteers are welcome to join the HHG, every Friday morning, on Rotary Way. For more information contact Charlyn Vosloo on 082 558 8731 or charlynvosloo@gmail.com Rotary Way | 07:15 – 09:30 Bhuki Café Everyone is welcome at Friends of the Library's Bhuki Cafe where a cup of tea or coffee and delicious eats will cost only R25, every Friday. Each cup helps to raise funds for new books.

Hermanus Library | 09:00 – 11:30 Kolwyntjie Teetuin Enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at a nominal fee, and make new friends at the Onrus Care Centre, every Friday morning.

Onrus Dutch Reformed Church | 09:30 – 11:30 Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington The Life of Napoleon Part III is the

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third lecture in U3A Overberg’s new series that explores the careers, personalities and military strategies of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, and Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. Both were born in the year 1796 and their military careers climaxed at the historic Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Napoleon spent his final years in exile on St Helena whereas Wellington became Prime Minister of Britain.

Catholic Church Hall | 10:00 Wine Down Friday Join Hermanus’s trendiest wine bar for their 2-for-1 special every Friday afternoon. Buy a glass of any of their lifestyle wines, beers or bubblies (MCC), or a tapas dish of dates and bacon, and get the second one free.

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

The Wine Glass, 2 Harbour Rd | 16:00 - 18:00 Rewind Join Backstage Café & Grill (previously Soul Café) every Friday night and relax to the tunes of their resident band, Rewind, as they perform all your favourite hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. R50 pp. Call 028 313 2137 to book.

Backstage Café & Grill, 181 Main Road, Hermanus | 20:00

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Hermanus parkrun Meet for the weekly 5 km timed walk or run, come rain or shine. Run for

MANUFACTURERS OF SIMULATED STONE PRODUCTS

HERMANUS

your own enjoyment at your own pace. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

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

Harold Porter Botanical Garden | 08:00 Market in the Garden Hunt for treasures at this peaceful market set among the shady trees of a beautiful garden.

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

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

Hermanuspietersfontein. Here safe parking is a doddle and life is easy.

Hermanuspietersfontein Wine Cellar | 09:00 – 13:00 Hermanus Country Market A favourite among the locals. Young, old, two-legged and four-legged family members are all welcome. You’ll find wholesome goodies, homemade crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music.

Next to Hermanus Cricket Field | 09:00 – 13:00 Stanford Saturday Morning Market Come and sample the artisanal delights on display, from home-made sheep and goats’ cheeses to cured meats, farm-fresh vegetables and deli delights to tantalise your taste buds!

Stanford Hotel Stoep | 09:00 – 12:00 Gansbaai Farmers Market Specialising in organic, homemade and homegrown products such as fresh farm produce, oven-fresh bakes and pastries, local wines and craft beers, and indigenous plants and herbs. No plastic or polystyrene packaging; only eco-friendly wood, paper, glass and earthenware used to display goods. For enquiries, contact 028 384 1439 or doulene@gansbaaitourism.co.za Kapokblom Street, opposite Gansbaai Tourism | 09:00 – 14:00 A Night at the Movies The Village Voices Choir presents a

Duplicate Bridge All who enjoy playing bridge are welcome to join in, every Monday.

For more information, contact Riekie Louw on 028 314 0662.

Fernkloof Hall | 13:00 Hermanus History Society Meeting Angela Heslop will do a presentation on The Living Tapestry Project – threads that bind us together. This embroidery project was initiated by a group of residents last year, following the unrest and violence.

Working with mostly unemployed people at the Youth Café in Zwelihle, it used art and story-telling to enable people to express themselves and to provide a livelihood. The Zwelihle tapestry was completed in December 2018 and work has now begun in Mount Pleasant. After initial workshops participants were asked to write down all that they remember about events, people and places which would contribute to a better understanding of the scantily recorded history of Mount Pleasant.

These stories were converted into a power point presentation entitled An Oral History of Mount Pleasant, which will be presented at the meeting by Kathie Buley.

Catholic Church Hall | 15:30 (refreshments) for 16:00 (meeting) Mindful Mondays Join Nicholas and Ferdi, holistic health coaches who awaken inspiration from within, for a mindfulness-based movement and meditation session. For more information, contact 082 437 9776.

BodyMind Studio, Sandbaai | 18:00

Cobbles

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fun-filled days and bring your friends along. The cost is R600 for the full two-day course, including the course notes and coffee and tea throughout; alternatively, R250 per individual session. Find all the details at www. westerncapebirding.co.za/events Community Hall, Mollergren Park, Hermanus | Sat & Sun from 08:30

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Free Testing Hermanus Pharmacy is offering free testing for cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure. All are welcome – first come, first served. For enquiries, call Sr Petra Dippenaar on 028 312 4039.

Hermanus Pharmacy, 145 Main Rd | 09:00 – 12:00

Fynbos Bazaar Everyone is invited to the Fynbos Service Centre for Kleinmond’s annual Bazaar. They are still in need of items for their White Elephant stall and are willing to collect. Contact 028 271 3602 on weekdays between 08:00 and 14:00.

Dutch Reformed Chruch Hall, Kleinmond | from 09:00

Naval Disasters & Triumphs U3A Overberg presents Collision at sea: SAS President Kruger and SAS Tafelberg by RAdm Bernhard Teuteberg, former Chief Director of Maritime Strategy. He will tell the story of how, during the night of 17/18 February 1982, in the exercise area south-west of Cape Point, the SA Navy’s frigate SAS President Kruger was involved in a collision with the SA Navy’s supply ship SAS Tafelberg while the ships were involved in an anti-submarine exercise. How did this happen and what was the aftermath?

Catholic Church Hall | 10:00 Hermanus Leeskring Tina Viljoen will give a talk about the prize-winning novel, The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje at the monthly meeting of the Hermanus Leeskring. Guests are welcome at an entrance fee of R10. Contact Anita Sutherland on 082 806 3247 if you would like to attend.

The Blue Room, Fynbos Park, Church Street, Hermanus | 14:45 Overberg Eisteddfod Prestige Concert Overstrand Arts/Kunste (OAK) presents the annual Eisteddfod Prestige Concert, where the Overberg’s top Eisteddfod winners will perform.

Tickets are available at the Hermanus Tourism Office (Tel: 028 312 2629) and cost R40.

Municipal Auditorium | 19:00

Home Industries Market Get your fresh micro-greens, home-processed and home-baked goodies at this family- and pet-friendly market, every Wednesday. New vendors are welcome. Contact Lani on 082 679 7819 or visit www.afdaksrivier.co.za Café Tango & Afdaksrivier Nursery | 09:30 – 12:30

own wine) includes a delicious meal and a R50 donation to the trust for the upkeep of Stanford’s beautiful Wandelpad. Get friends and family together to form a team of eight or join a table on the night. To book, contact Marian at stanfordconservationtrust@ gmail.com or 083 303 4330.

Tikka Palace, Queen Victoria St, Stanford | 18:30 for 19:00

Hermanus Garden Club talk Join the club for a talk by Efecto on Garden Fertilisers and Pesticides.

There will also be a plant sale plus tea and coffee. Contact Sue on 028 314 0072 for more information.

Catholic Church Hall | 09:30 for 10:00

Friday

Grape Expectations Join The Wine Glass for their ‘Easy Wednesdays’ and get up close and personal with Wildekrans Wines.

Arrive to welcoming drinks and canapés, followed by a talk and tasting presented by Braam Gericke. R195 pp includes two courses with wine, plus dessert. Early reservation is essential as the event is limited to 40 tickets.

Contact foh@thewineglass.guru or 082 082 0007.

The Wine Glass, 2 Harbour Rd, Hermanus | 18:30

Thursday

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Graze Farmer’s Market Reduce your carbon footprint and get your fresh veggies – always seasonal, always fresh. Stay for coffee and breakfast. For more info, call Tabby & Alex on 076 243 1930.

Graze Slow Food Café, Stanford | 09:00 – 12:00

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We are songwriters Come and listen to Johnny Luck, singer-songwriter and booze blueser from CapeTown, on his Drinking Away the Week tour. Taking stories from the dive bars and five stars he's come to find himself in over the years, he'll have you tapping your toes, rocking the slow and drinking to the highs and to the lows. Entry to this event is free and certainly not to be missed.

The Gecko Bar, Hermanus New Harbour | 18:00 Think & Drink Join Stanford Conservation Trust’s fun quiz evening, every last Thursday of the month. Only R150 (bring your

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Defrag Dance This is a special chance for you to come into your own rhythm. By dancing to a playlist, from ambient and gentle to funky and energetic, you service your joints, your muscles, your mental fortitude and your mood.

This non-alcoholic event provides a clean, safe space for self-expression and fitness. Live visuals by renowned Cape Town VJ Imagemasterblink of Afrika Burn and Vortex fame. Indulge yourself in musical euphoria while ‘defragging’ your nervous system!

R100 pp. Contact 0820 748 500 or check out the Facebook page, Shake It Out. De Wet Hall, Roos Street, Onrus | 18:30 – 21:00

An evening with Cole Porter A delightful, candlelit evening of delicious tapas and live music, with Bea Whittaker and the Cantare group of musicians. Come and join in this celebration of the life and music of the legendary composer, Cole Porter. Tickets at R200 pp include a tapas-style meal and live entertainment. Bring your own wine or drink of choice. Tickets are available from Withers Antique and Décor or call Shirley on 082 784 8154.

Little River Cottage School, Stanford | 19:00

Saturday

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A Flight Higher This specialist course for more experienced birders by Anton Odendal of BirdLife Overberg is aimed at enhancing one’s experience of birds by illustrating how to look at and listen to these wonderful creatures.

The course was developed after many novice bird-watchers who had attended the Flight for Birders course in the past, requested a specialist course for intermediate and more experienced birders. Register now by contacting Elaine at mwjasser@ mweb.co.za or 082 455 8402 for two

♥ Teetuin ♥ Poeding ♥ ♥ Heerlike gebak ♥ ♥ Pannekoeke ♥ Pasteie ♥ ♥ Vetkoeke ♥ Kerrie & Rys ♥ ♥ Wit Olifante ♥ Handwerk ♥

Food & Wine Dinner The third of The Marine’s series of four Food & Wine Pairing Dinners in partnership with award-winning Hemel-en-Aarde wineries will feature Ashbourne Wines. Hosted by Anthony and Olive Hamilton Russell, with a menu developed by talented head chef Tronette Dippenaar, the evening will commence with pre-drinks and canapés, followed by four delicious courses paired with Ashbourne wines. The evening ends with a lucky draw where there are great prizes to be won. The cost is R495 pp and booking is essential. Contact 028 313 1000 or bookings@themarine.co.za The Marine Hotel | 18:30

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21 August 2019

www.thevillagenews.co.za

MY WEALTH

Q & A with PSG Wealth FOLLOW US ONLINE www.thevillagenews.co.za Each week, The Village NEWS newspaper publishes its editorial opinion piece under the heading “FROM THE EDITOR”. These short well-written articles reflect the thoughts of The Village NEWS on current affairs in our community and are useful references. You can find all our editorials on the website thevillagenews.co.za/category/opinion-matters/editorials/ In case you missed them, here are snippets from past editorials: ON HERMANUS VARSITY: Right time, right place “All in all, the opening of the Hermanus Varsity is a godsend and it is serendipitous that it has found a home in the old Synagogue.

In the coming years, we look forward to homegrown graduates taking their rightful place in our community as winemakers, teachers, municipal officials, marine biologists, conservationists and aquaculture specialists.”

By Jana Visagie, Assistant Portfolio Manager, PSG Wealth, Hermanus Investment by foreigners into the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is often a good indication of how the world views South Africa. What has the trend been so far this year? Does investment by foreigners affect the JSE or are the majority of investors local?

Yes, foreign trading (purchasing and selling of shares) on our local stock exchange serves as an indication of the world’s perception of South Africa, as investors globally try to identify where future returns might come from. However, it’s not only a country’s fundamentals that drive portfolio flows. There are various determinants of foreign portfolio investment in emerging markets like South Africa.

ON PROTESTS: Let’s have more talking and less walking Global events affect the performance of JSE-listed companies and influence the flows of investment from the rest of the world into the JSE. Reference is often made to “risk-on” scenarios, which is when global liquid capital is prepared to take on more risk by investing in emerging markets; and “risk-off ” situations where capital prefers safe-haven assets such as low-interest US bonds. Foreign investors are likely to sell shares on the JSE and keep the money in cash or bonds because of the uncertainty about global economic growth and the trade tensions between the US and China.

“The last thing that Hermanus and the Overberg need is a repeat of the events of 2018. The end result is absolutely clear. Everybody is a loser.

Businesses suffer. People lose their jobs. Fewer visitors come to enjoy our natural beauty and hospitality. The local economy begins to grind to a halt.

In fact, as research has shown, it is those who are the most vulnerable and marginalised in our communities who are impacted the most, the very people who, it is claimed, will be the main beneficiaries of protest.”

Foreigners are currently net sellers of SA-listed shares. There is a combination of reasons why they’ve been selling, as South Africa has some well-recognised challenges, which

impact investor appetite. “Ramaphoria” is gone and South Africa’s fundamental picture remains challenging with an increasing fiscal deficit, record unemployment figures and a sluggish growth outlook. Moody’s, the only major ratings company that still grades South Africa’s debt higher than “junk status”, has also recently warned that the government’s plan to double financial support for state power firm Eskom is “credit negative”.

(They will review SA’s fitness for international investment by November 2019.) Indications are local markets may already have priced a downgrade in.

Despite these outflows, demand from local investors is helping to sustain South African assets. The FTSE/JSE All Share’s year to date (YTD) return has been *9.55% (until 31/07/2019). *Source: Thomson Reuters.

I have three grandchildren and I would like some advice and ideas on what I can do to invest for them so that they will have savings for the future to pay for university, for example, or for a down payment on a property. I would like to invest R1 000 a month for each of them over the next 10 years.

Each individual has different investment needs and objectives as well as a unique risk profile, so it is very difficult to provide a one-size-fits-all solution. There are numerous investment products available in the market. Collective investment schemes, or unit trusts, as they are commonly known, are one option that potential investors can consider for regular monthly investments. Unit trusts are flexible, transparent investment products that cater to a wide range of investor profiles and their specific needs. One can invest monthly (and/ or on an ad-hoc basis) from as little as

R500 per month.

As this proposed investment has a fairly long-term horizon, and the objective is to provide capital growth over time, it is important to be invested in a product that has the potential to beat inflation over time, in order to preserve the capital from eroding. To achieve this, one must invest in growth assets, which consist of shares and listed property. These assets are typically more volatile in the short term than conservative assets like cash and bonds, but they provide the potential to achieve real returns, given time. For longer-term investments, however, these types of investments are likely to be more appropriate, since they are better aligned to your goal. It is always best to consult your trusted investment adviser for more information.

Which is a better strategy: investing monthly or in lump sums?

There isn’t a clear-cut answer and lump sums and monthly debit orders don’t have to be used exclusively, but can be used in combination. The most important thing is that you DO start to save and invest. If you have a lump sum available (maybe because you sold a property, from an inheritance or a pension pay-out) and you can “afford” to invest the whole amount (i.e. you don’t have large debts to pay off, or you have an emergency fund, for example). I would suggest investing the whole amount instead of trying to time the market.

That being said, investment advisers might use their judgement to phase in the money and not invest all of the funds at once, if markets are overvalued (at levels that are too high).

From a mathematical perspective, the sooner you invest and the larger the investment amount, the bigger the effect of compounding will be.

Foreigners Fleeing Overseas portfolio investors are selling more South African assets than ever

ON FERNKLOOF NATURE RESERVE: A FAB idea for Fernkloof

Net foreign flows into rand bonds and stocks $10br

5

0

“Give management control and budget responsibility to the Fernkloof Advisory Board. After all, who is better placed to ensure that the Protected Area Management Plan (PAMP) is adhered to than the people who are most passionately committed to Fernkloof?”

067 770 7629 | theagency@thevillagenews.co.za

BAY TYRES HERMANUS TYRES! TYRES!

THE BEST PRICES IN TOWN

André: 072 717 6004

(Next to BUILD IT, Steenbras St, Old Industrial Area)

-5 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Source: Bloomberg, Johannesburg Stock Exchange Note: Through July 28 for all years

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily those of PSG. The information is provided as general information. It does not constitute financial, tax, legal or investment advice and the PSG Konsult Group of Companies does not guarantee its suitability or potential value. Since individual needs and risk profiles differ, we suggest you consult a qualified financial adviser, if needed.

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21 August 2019

NSRI launches new vessel On Saturday 17 August, volunteers, supporters and Rotarians of Rotary Table Bay, Newlands and Hermanus gathered at the temporary Hermanus rNSRI rescue base to bless their new 6.5-metre rigid inflatable vessel, named 'Rotarian Burnett'. According to station commander Deon Langenhoven, the new vessel was bought with funds received from Rotary. “Some 24 years ago, Rotarian Richard Burnett came up with the idea of hosting an annual wine auction to raise funds for the NSRI. Richard and a committee of Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Newlands and Table Bay have driven this project successfully and this year saw the first annual wine auction in Hermanus on 16 August which raised a total R115 000. This is the reason why we decided to honour both Richard and Rotary for their work by naming the vessel Rotarian Burnett,” said Deon. A total of R35 million is being spent by the NSRI on a new station building in Hermanus and a locally built ORC140 recue vessel. NSRI CEO Cleeve Robertson said they were proud to be associated with an amazing organisation like Rotary. “Thank you for your unwavering support for Sea Rescue and our vision of Saving Lives, Changing Lives and Creating Futures,” he said. Pictured on the left are Chippy and Richard Burnett with Deon Langenhoven, Station Commander of NSRI Hermanus and NSRI CEO, Dr Cleeve Robertson.

Gentlemen’s evening another huge success Writer & Photographer De Waal Steyn

O

ur vision is to turn Hermanus High School into a destination school. What this means is that we want the school to become a reason that people decide to move to our town. A destination is a place you want to be and that is what we are becoming,” said principal Greg Hassenkamp at this year’s Gentlemen’s Evening on Friday 16 August.

venturer, Riaan Manser as he recalled his many adventures around the globe, including his bicycle ride around the edge of Africa that took him more than two and a half years to complete.

A highly successful auction was held with winemaker Niels Verburg wielding the gavel.

The Gentlemen’s Evening, attended by more than 170 men, aims to bring together both supporters of the school and business leaders to thank them for their support during the year and to offer them the opportunity to relax, mingle and support the school by means of an auction.

According to Hassenkamp, continuous fundraising has become a necessity for the school as it only receives an annual contribution of R226 000 from the State. “In addition to this, close on 30% of our learners are exempted from paying school fees. This puts a lot of pressure on us to keep up the academic standards and still be able to offer learners the infrastructure needed to help us on our way to becoming a destination school. The annual budget for Hermanus High for both operational expenses and infrastructure upgrades runs to R19.6 million.

This year the men were entertained by local ad-

“The Gentlemen’s evening has therefore be-

Riaan Manser (right) in conversation with MC Jacques Retief at the Gentlemen’s Evening on Friday night at Hermanus High School.

come an important event for us to raise funds for future infrastructure development at the school,” said Hassenkamp.

Some of the recent infrastructure projects included the irrigation of the rugby field in 2018 at a cost of R250 000, the painting of the school roof at R230 000 and the resurfacing and fencing of the netball courts at a cost of R75 000.

The plans for the rest of this year and next year include upgrading the quads for learners to the tune of R300 000, the upgrading of the pavilion at R310 000 and the upgrading of the cricket facilities at a cost of R285 000.

Hassenkamp said one of the challenges the school faces is upgrading the facilities to accommodate the number of learners. “One of our priorities is to replace the school hall. When the school was built in 1975 there were 150 learners in the school and the hall offered ample space.

Principal Greg Hassenkamp and winemaker and auctioneer for the evening, Niels Verburg.

But this year we have 970 learners and next year it will in excess of 1 000. A new hall will cost in the region of R8 million and we are confident that we will be able to raise the funds.

"When we said a few years ago we wanted to build an Astro Turf hockey field at a cost of R6 million, many doomsayers said we would never be able to do it. Well, the children playing on that field have proved them wrong,” he said to loud applause.

In conclusion, Hassenkamp said the only way in which a town school can survive is with the support of the community. “In Hermanus we are showing the way to do it. We are on our way to becoming a reason for people to move here.

But for us to be successful we need the support of everyone in the community. An investment in our school is an investment in the town as a whole.”

With mouth-watering food prepared by B’stro, the 170 men who attended had a wonderful time mingling.

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21 August 2019

Mon - Fri: 08h00 to 17h00 Sat: 08h00 to 13h00 Tel: 028 316 1532 | 028 316 4122 Hemel & Aarde Village, Hermanus, 7200

Body treatments to get you summer ready By Lindi Prinsloo

O

ur bodies often get a little neglected in winter. It’s just that much easier to ignore healthy self-care opportunities when 90% of our body is covered up 90% of the time. The next thing you know, it’s September and you walk into spring with skin drier than the Sahara desert. Not the ideal way to start the summer season!

Even if you don’t think of summer as “swimsuit season”, you’ll probably be wearing sleeveless tops and shorter skirts – and still want your upper arms, thighs, and the area under your derrière to look their slimmest when summer rolls around. Now is the time to start some of the key summer treatments – fat reduction, cellulite smoothing, hair removal – and if you are running out of time to get your body summer-ready, there is always a spray tan to bring out muscle definition so that you look instantly more toned.

If you want to feel confident and in great shape this summer, both in body and mind, try these topto-toe treatments that do all the

work for you.

Say good-bye to pigmentation dark spots, hyperpigmentation, freckles and age spots, which can make you feel very self-conscious of your hands, forearms, neck and décolleté, there for the world to see. Why not consider a peel or laser treatment (IPL)? You could have clearer, healthier-looking skin, restored to its former glory, this summer.

Show off those legs If you want to ditch your razor for good, laser hair removal is a great way to permanently get rid of unwanted hair. Keep in mind that you’ll require several sessions, not just one, so start now in the cooler months and get beach-ready in no time. We can also treat unwanted facial hair, underarm hair and bikini lines.

Spider veins are another problem that could be tackled in winter – either with sclerotherapy, which involves injecting the veins and is ideal for larger ones, or using a laser such as the Palomar Lux, which works best for smaller veins.

Once you’ve been treated, by either therapy, you will see the veins tempo-

rarily darken for a few days before they finally disappear, much like a bruise. This is why the cooler months are a great time to do it as you can hide your legs under stockings or pants before showing them off in your new summer shorts or skirts.

Skin smoothing Of course, there's nothing wrong with cellulite, but there's also nothing wrong with wanting smoother skin when baring your body, if that makes you feel more confident. If cellulite is a problem for you, try LPG Endermologie, a non-invasive (and pain-free) mechanical treatment that works to improve the quality and appearance of the skin from within. A 2016 study suggested a 67% reduction in cellulite, with visible results in just three sessions. Add some Tripollar radiofrequency for stubborn areas and we could reshape your skin in no time.

Say hello to my little hands…

Always exposed to the elements, your hands probably give away your age more than any other body part.

There are various types of hand rejuvenation treatments you can opt for.

The most common ones are chemical peels, which are effective for hands that are affected by age spots or liver

spots. A chemical peel is applied to the skin, where it makes the age spots disappear while causing the tissue to appear less transparent. The other option is Volume-enhancing Fillers. When these fillers are injected into the hands they can plump up the skin and give it a more youthful appearance. No more hiding those hands for no one to see!

Bingo-wings With the latest technology in antiageing such as the Aptos threads, Dr Michelle Emett places the Aptos suture in the areas where your upper arms have lost their volume and gravity has started taking its toll.

This new generation thread can be used for various “saggy” body parts.

Dr Emett will assess the problem area and design the best direction of threads to lift. In the arm lift, threads are inserted partially around the arm, drawing skin and fat from the triceps area (bingo wings) to the biceps area, which often becomes thinner as we age. The mechanics of the thread is to lift and tighten. Over time the thread is replaced by collagen, leading to a natural tightening of the arm skin.

‘Mommy make-overs’ A ‘mommy makeover’ is a combina-

tion of treatments designed to get mothers closer to their pre-pregnancy figure. While no one denies that having children is one of the greatest gifts, we’ve seen first-hand how the physical changes brought on by pregnancy and breastfeeding can take a toll on the physical appearance of mothers – and most importantly, on how they feel about themselves.

Many women have great difficulty improving these issues with diet and exercise alone, and turn to us for solutions. These can include body-contouring procedures, facial rejuvenation, stretchmark treatments, and other options. Our patients are ultimately aiming for a slimmer silhouette, a more contoured body shape, firmer skin, and a rejuvenated appearance. After a few treatments and with follow-up appointments we notice a change in their posture and the way they wear their clothes; they seem more comfortable and confident. Giving a woman back her confidence is one of the best things about what we do.

Talk to one of therapists today for the best advice on pre-summer rejuvenation.

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21 August 2019

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

Teaching youngsters the value of tourism Writer & Photographer Raphael da Silva

I

n order to demonstrate to students the importance of tourism to the local economy and its link to every business in the Overberg, SA Forest Adventures has launched the “Local Adventure Tourist” campaign.

Over the next two months, 300 youngsters from local schools in the Hermanus suburb of Zwelihle will be taken on a ziplining adventure, a first-time experience for many.

For most of these youngsters, this will be their first introduction not only to an adventure activity but also to the reasons why tourists visit the region. After ziplining, the learners are given a short debrief on the value of tourism, the impact it has on the economy, how income from tourism filters into basically every aspect of society, and why it is important to understand this.

“The tourism sector is the saving grace of

the South African and the local economy. Too often, we assume that everyone automatically understands the impact that tourism has. We are on a drive to educate the youth on the value of tourism as well as the potential job opportunities within the sector,” said Clinton Lerm, the owner of SA Forest Adventures.

Once local Hermanus learners have been given the opportunity to participate, Clinton will extend the campaign to the other five sites that the company operates.

“We would also like to call upon other activity providers or tourism educators to become involved. This, for us, is only the first step in securing smiles and memories for an estimated 2 000 kids in the region, while providing information on the tourism sector,” added Clinton.

Interested schools are welcome to email Clinton Lerm (clinton@saforestadventures.co.za) if they would like to enrol their learners for a free adventure experience.

Learners from Lukhanyo Primary School gear up for a ziplining adventure with the team from SA Forest Adventures Hermanus.

20% Discount on bedding!

14 Dirkie Uys Street, Hermanus Unit 4A, Trading Post, Onrus hermanusvet@telkomsa.net

Tel: 028 312 3065 | Onrus: 028 316 2753

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21 August 2019

There is opportunity in this crisis H

ermanus is facing a crisis, a crisis greater than water supply, poaching or a lack of tourists.

It is the crisis of joblessness and poverty that exists in our communities, often hidden from sight, but impacting our shared environment.

Joblessness leads to hopelessness, despair, loss of dignity, anger and often reactive violence and crime. We know that neither government nor corporates can solve this problem; the solution has to come from the informal economic sector where most new jobs will be created.”

These are the words of Dr Phillip Parsons, one of the directors of Hermanus Siyakha, which aims to assist the poor in obtaining small loans to improve their circumstances.

“This crisis presents all residents of the Overstrand region with an opportunity – an opportunity to be part of the solution and to create a beacon of hope that can spread to other towns and cities as we model a caring, integrated and problem-solving community.”

According to Parsons, Hermanus Siyakha (“Together we are building”) was launched in March this year with this vision in mind. “It seeks to provide small interest-free loans to emerging entrepreneurs in poor

communities and support these individuals with dedicated mentoring provided by a team of experienced volunteers. The mentoring team has grown rapidly and the initial response to the appeal to lend to carefully evaluated projects was encouraging: to date some R82 000 has been loaned to 13 enterprises.

"However, after the initial enthusiastic response, contributions have largely dried up and the prospects that are currently seeking funding cannot be approved due to insufficient financial support. While new loan applications are being received on a regular basis, there is little point in assessing these if no new funds are forthcoming from the community.”

These contributions are initially by way of a pledge, undertaken on the Hermanus Siyakha website. This pledge indicates that the contributor will make the contribution if, and only if, the total amount is reached via pledges from other contributors.

Once the total has been achieved, then those who have pledged are asked to transfer their contribution by way of a loan to Hermanus

Siyakha for the project that they have selected to support.

“In order for Hermanus Siyakha to achieve its aim of ‘Transforming communities by building relationships and growing businesses’ we need financial support from the broad community of the Overstrand. The challenge is to involve as many people as possible so that future loan ap-

plications can be funded. Won’t you go to the Hermanus Siyakha website and see the business projects that have been assessed and are applying for funding? You, too, can make a difference in the lives of individuals, and ultimately positively impact the broader community,” said Parsons.

For more information visit hermanussiyakha.org.za

He said the dearth of loans to Hermanus Siyakha may be based on misunderstandings around the funding model that the organisation employs. “Rather than seeking large donations from corporates or wealthy individuals, the crowd-funding model that Hermanus Siyakha employs relies on a large number of individuals contributing small loans (a minimum of R500 in our case) towards the achievement of an overall loan total. Readers may be aware that over R900 000 has been raised via crowdfunding to pay the legal costs of the Public Protector.”

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21 August 2019

MY SCHOOL

Curro Matric Farewell The grade 12s at Curro Independent School Hermanus had their Matric Farewell at Creation Wines on Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge on 8 August.

The girls, dressed in beautiful gowns and the boys in smart suits, arrived in an assortment of fancy cars at the scenic venue. The learners enjoyed their last big function together before the final exams with lots of laughter, dancing and gourmet food. Curro Hermanus wishes their matrics good luck in their preparations for their finals which will take place in October.

PHOTOS: Tinka Swingler, Curro Hermanus

ABOVE: Luke Fortuin with his date Andrea Schroder, who looked beautiful in a soft pink, off-the-shoulder dress. BELOW: Jethro Biernacki arrived with his date Elke Swart, who pulled off an eye-catching, fitted suit.

ABOVE: Milia Botha and her date Jack Mantell made a grand entrance as they walked down the red carpet, surrounded by coloured smoke. BELOW: Camlynn Timmie and her date Mdu Moshi went for a simple yet elegant look.

ABOVE: Robyn Helmbold turned heads in a striking red dress. Her handsome date is Reese Kleyn.

ABOVE: Joa Beukes and his date Nikita Roxburgh made a striking pair, dressed all in black. RIGHT: Gabriella Fourie shimmered as she walked into Creation Wines with her smart-looking date Boaz Torsen.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an ORDINARY MEETING of the OVERSTRAND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL will be held in the BANQUETING HALL, CIVIC CENTRE, HERMANUS on WEDNESDAY, 28 AUGUST 2019 at 11:00.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HOLIDAY WORK?

KENNIS GESKIED HIERMEE dat ʼn GEWONE VERGADERING van die OVERSTRAND MUNISIPALE RAAD gehou sal word in die BANKETSAAL, BURGER SENTRUM, HERMANUS op WOENSDAG, 28 AUGUSTUS 2019 om 11:00.

OKU KUKWAZISA ukuba INTLANGANISO YESIQHELO yeBHUNGA LIKAMASIPALA WE-OVERSTRAND, iza kuba se BANQUETING HALL, KWIZIKO LOLUNTU, eHERMANUS ngoLWESITHATHU, Umhla we 28 AGASTI 2019 ngeye11:00.

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137459 Village News

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Services

25th August 08:30 Ken Jackson 10:00 James Gray 09:45 Lighthouse Kids & Gen-Z in the Upper Room 18:00 – 19:30 A.D. Kingdom & Empire Video & discussion FINAL EPISODE 028 312 2717 | www.uchermanus.com Corner of Lord Roberts Road and Royal Street, HERMANUS

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21 August 2019

1

MY SPORT

Curro Hermanus wins Inter-schools Curro Independent School Hermanus held their annual inter-schools on Saturday 17 August on the Curro Hermanus sports grounds.

day. Curro Hermanus's mascot also made an appearance, keeping the players' and spectators' spirits high – hear the Curro lions roar!

The air was filled with excitement as Curro Hermanus, Curro Sitari, Curro Century City and Meridian Pinehurst prepared to compete against one another in soccer, rugby, hockey and netball.

At the end of the day, the teams met for a prize-giving. Curro Hermanus won the soccer, rugby, hockey and netball, keeping the inter-schools cup which they also took home last year.

2

All of the teams showed an impressive display of sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the 3

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1-Zarah de Witt, Curro Hermanus passes to a teammate from the centre. 2-U14 netball player Ruva Mapfumo (right) intercepts a ball. 3-Tiah, ShanĂŠa, Jenna and Kayleigh cheer for the hockey girls. 4-Jenna Beineke from Hermanus tackles an opponent for the ball. 5-Melusi Chakuchichi runs the ball upfield to the goals. 6-Luke Swingler and Tiah Stannius cheer for Curro Hermanus. 7-Stephen Jackson, Hermanus first team soccer goalie, blocks a goal. 8-Rae Khoury from Curro Hermanus attempts to score a goal. 9-The Curro Hermanus rugby first team with coaches Aldo Lucas, (left) and Chris Harmse (middle) and the Curro Lion mascot.

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PHOTO: Tinka Swingler

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21 August 2019

MY SCHOOL The gymnasts (back from left): Jenna Lees, Holly Vermaak, Kerry Lees, Fabio Revett, Kym Zimano, Stella Meintjes, Liv Gordon, Summer Thwaits and Khanya Dumont.

Well done to the members of the Grip Gymnastics Club from Generation Schools Hermanus who competed at the Western Cape Championships. All the gymnasts qualified to represent Western Province at the SA Gym Games at the end of September. This year the games will be held in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

If you would like to help these girls by making a donation or becoming a sponsor, please contact Falcon at falcon.sauvage@generationschools.co.za. Absent when the photo was taken were Sophie Cave, Maggie-Lou Fourie, Lily Rose Fourie and Mieke Kuyler.

PHOTO: Generation Schools Hermanus LEFT: Curro Hermanus is very proud of their Grade 7 learner, Sidney Sargeant, who came second in the boys U14 Platinum division at the Boland Wilson tennis tournament in Strand on Friday 9 August.

RIGHT: Mia Winter, a grade 11 learner at Curro Hermanus, competed in the music section of the Overberg Eisteddfod on Wednesday 14 August. She was named the winner of the Senior Piano section.

She will be performing in the OAK Prestige Concert at the municipal auditorium with the rest of the top Eisteddfod students on Tuesday 27 August.

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Eight senior dancers from Marina's Dance Education Centre in Hermanus have qualified to represent the Western Cape in the Dans in Jou Taal nationals in Pretoria on the last weekend of August. On Saturday, they performed their beautiful dance for the finals at the JoBurg Ballet Matinee show. It is called Ons dans kaalvoet in die reën. The top five winning groups at the Dans in Jou Taal nationals will win R150 000 and a video contract. They have managed to raise R55 000 of the R70 000 that they need to go to the finals. If you would like to make a donation or sponsor the senior dancers, please contact Marina on 083 721 6994. The eight dancers are Mieke Ludek, Chanri van Vuuren, Lara Arrison, Twané Botha, Lize Mari Lourens, Francesca Saunderson, Veronique Botha and Adré Kleyn.

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