Overview of the year 2020

JANUARY

A black spitting cobra (Naja nigricinta woodi) was the last thing a family in Sandbaai expected to find in their home in the early hours of the morning. The snake, approximately 1.6m in length, was first thought to be a ring-necked spitting cobra (rinkhals) as black spitting cobras are not found in the Overberg. The only plausible explanation was that the snake had hitched a ride with a family member who visited Sandbaai from the Cederberg, by slithering into her car or luggage. Luckily, the man who found the cobra behind his bar fridge was wearing reading glasses that protected his eyes from the snake’s cytotoxic venom when it spat at him.

The matric class of 2019 made history when the Minister of Basic Education announced on 7 January that the national pass rate had exceeded 80% for the first time since 1994. Overstrand schools celebrated their results, with Hermanus High achieving a 99.4% pass rate, Gansbaai Academia 89.4%, Qhayiya Secondary 84.7% (a massive improvement on the previous year’s 73%) and Hawston Secondary 80% (also up from the previous year’s disappointing 65%). Northcliff House College and Curro Hermanus each had a 100% pass rate.

FEBRUARY

Three Special Rating Areas (SRAs) are on the cards for the Overstrand after Hermanus secured the required number of votes to start with the application process to the municipality for the establishment of a Hermanus SRA. A majority of yes votes had already been secured for the establishment of SRAs in Onrus-Vermont and Kleinmond.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 2+3)