The Village NEWS 29 April - 6 May 2020

29 APRIL 2020

YOUR FREE COPY

www.thevillagenews.co.za

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

THE VILLAGE

NEWS 2m

2m

2m

Marion Zeegers was overjoyed to find this beautiful chameleon in a lavender bush in her garden, describing it as "a little gift from heaven!"

Tim Deverson's children Emma-Paige (7) and Paighton (4), helped him hunt down some chameleons in their garden in Hermanus last week.

Yay for May Day Writer De Waal Steyn

A

s the country prepares for the easing of lockdown regulations to Level 4 on Friday 1 May, many questions remain unanswered as government works through the thousands of submissions it received on the proposed regulations.

At a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon it was announced that the ministers who serve on the National Coronavirus Command Council will in due course provide further details on their proposed socio-economic relief interventions.

While residents are eager for clarity on issues such as the relaxation on restrictions of movement and what and how businesses will be allowed to resume trade, the hospitality

industry, including restaurants and accommodation establishments, are also anxiously waiting for a verdict on whether they’ll be able to access the government’s Tourism Relief Fund.

This comes after trade union, Solidarity and civil rights group, AfriForum took the Minister and the Department of Tourism to court for using race as the criterion for granting COVID-19 economic relief aid. The case was heard in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, but judgement was reserved and a verdict will only be given at the end of the week.

Both complainants believe that the R200 million support fund is racially discriminative towards some South Africans. Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said due to the court case, no funds have yet been

distributed. Both accommodation establishments and restaurants are reliant on this fund to help see them through this tough economic time.

It is estimated that some 1.5 million South Africans will be able to work again as the government begins to lift a fraction of the COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel on Saturday gave a broad framework of what is to be expected during Level 4.

At the time of going to press, some of the proposed regulations will see all agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing and related services, including the export of agricultural products, permitted to operate.

From Friday, restaurants will be able to sell hot, cooked food for home delivery. Sit down or pick-ups are still

not permitted. Retailers and informal traders will be allowed to sell any food product, including non-alcoholic beverages and animal food, but no hot, cooked food (unless it is delivered). Winter clothing, bedding and heaters may also be sold.

While the ban on the sale of alcohol will remain in place, stationery and educational books, as well as tobacco products will be available.

Sales of personal information and communications technology equipment, including computers, mobile telephones and other home-office equipment, will be permitted under the relaxed regulations.

The recycling of glass, paper and metal, including by informal recyclers, will be permitted at 50% capacity.

Fitness enthusiasts will breathe a sigh of relief, as they will be able to exercise under certain restrictions yet to be announced. These include no training in groups, while the ban on recreational facilities and gyms also remains.

Regarding personal movement, interprovincial travel is not permitted except to return to work or for funerals (with approval). No recreational travel or to meet friends or family will be allowed and it will be mandatory to use a cloth mask and ensure hand hygiene when in public or the workplace.

The elderly and persons with co-morbidities are encouraged to continue to self-isolate and only leave home for exceptional reasons. Social distancing of 2 metres must be applied in public when shopping and visiting health facilities such as pharmacies and clinics. Stores must ensure that there is temperature screening of patrons and that hand sanitisers are available.

All public gatherings are still prohibited. Curfews will remain between 20:00 and 05:00. Provincial premiers will have the authority to intensify the lockdown levels applicable in the province, districts and metropolitan areas, depending on the infection numbers and how equipped their health systems are.

2

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Our Village Heroes Compiled by Elaine Davie, Taylum Meyer, Karen Winter and Hedda Mittner Almost five weeks ago, our lives changed in ways we could never have imagined. Our normal way of life came to an abrupt end and as we were forced to adapt to the harsh restrictions imposed by the lockdown. Most of us were no longer able to work, children were unable to go to school, elderly relatives in care facilities could no longer have visitors, dogs could not be taken out for walks… It’s no wonder there were times when it felt more like a punishment than the ‘right thing to do’, for the sake of our own health and safety, and that of our loved ones and our communities.

But while for many of us the biggest challenge during the ‘hard lockdown’ was devising ways to keep ourselves occupied and entertained, other members of the Overstrand community did not have that privilege. Instead of moaning and groaning, they rolled up their sleeves and got on with their jobs, providing essential services without which we simply could not survive. The Village Heroes featured here are but a tiny fraction of the many selfless men and women who continue to put their lives at risk in order to help others. We thank you all for keeping us safe, healthy, homed and fed!

Dr Hanré Zeelie, Dentist

We as dentists are restricted by the government’s lockdown regulations to limit our services in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. This inability to fulfil my duties as a dentist and to generate an income has been very frustrating, but at least we have been able to help patients experiencing emergencies such as severe pain and swelling.

lips now is the Coronavirus, we tend to forget about the terminally sick and elderly patients and their families needing holistic, end-of-life care and emotional support. Overstrand Hospice provides that service with the help of our professional nurses and social workers. During the lockdown period, visits are limited, but regular telephonic follow-up calls are made to re-evaluate pain and symptom control. Social distancing is difficult when it restricts the need to comfort patients and families in times of need.

Gayle Smith, General Manager, SOFCA

Sister Petra Dippenaar, Hermanus Pharmacy Clinic

Sister Esmé Potgieter, Overstrand Hospice

While the most talked about topic on everybody’s

professionals the day before lockdown was announced. The administration manager and I have been working remotely from home, while our nursing manager, Hester Janeke remains active at SOFCA. Our kitchen supervisor, Soubie van der Merwe not only runs the SOFCA kitchen, which caters for some 48 residents, but also took on the additional task of supplying meals to the elderly residents of Fynbos Park Retirement Village during the lockdown. Stringent health and safety measures are in place, including the use of PPE equipment, escalated sterilisation procedures and on-going staff training. I thank all SOFCA’s staff members for their cooperation and selfless dedication to our residents during this difficult time.

SOFCA is a 24-hour residential Frail Care Home for elderly and infirm residents who are no longer able to care for themselves. To ensure the safety of our residents and staff, we instituted a 'No Visitation' policy for families, volunteers and any non-essential health care

As the hospitals are largely off limits, we have been helping a lot more people

with chronic medicines and check-ups. We are trying to help people as much as possible to feel safe in what has suddenly become an unsafe world.

All our services have been available during the lockdown, including basic nursing and providing immune-boosters, and flu and pneumonia vaccines.

We have had some very busy days and have seen a lot of patients with lots of questions. We have had to deal with people not wearing masks, which is very stressful, as they do not see the importance of being safe and protecting the elderly. We sanitise and clean regularly to ensure the safety of our staff and our customers.

Sister Rita Mostert, Albertyn Pharmacy Clinic, Kleinmond

The first few days of lockdown were absolutely crazy and I was seeing up to 48 patients a day. But since then, the numbers have gradually tapered down. We’re being very selective about the type of patients we’re seeing. For example, although I’m not currently doing any baby immunisations, because they shouldn’t be out and about anyway, I am still doing family planning. Of course, there’s still a huge demand for normal flu injections, but we ran out of stock a long time ago. We’re even having difficulty obtaining injections like Vitamin B12 and Zinc, which are excellent immune system boosters.

Quite a few of our elderly patients, especially those who live alone, have been presenting with insomnia and heightened anxiety and stress levels. Actually, I think they’re mainly looking for someone

29 April 2020 to talk to, but Rescue Remedy does wonders, if all else fails.

Karlien Venter, Pharmacist, Albertyn Pharmacy, Kleinmond

My greatest concern is for the protection of our customers, my staff members and their families, which is why I introduced strict safety measures even before lockdown started. Apart from limiting the number of customers in the pharmacy at any one time, masks are absolutely obligatory, in line with a recent directive from the Pharmacy Council.

Customers are also not permitted to touch any items on the shelves; one of our assistants will take down whatever they want. We have suggested that customers order their chronic medication telephonically and then we deliver to their homes. This is a first for the pharmacy. We are currently delivering from Rooiels to Botrivier twice a day, incidentally providing our contracted driver with his family’s only income during lockdown.

Dr Julienne Fenwick, Best of Both Wellness

I’m a medical doctor with a holistic medical practice, Best of Both Wellness. My services during lockdown include

telemedicine consultations, home and farm visits for any of my patients in need, and vitamin C infusions to boost immunity. I also support my patients in handling stress and anxiety, and equip them with practical advice on how to optimise their health. I have restructured my days during the lockdown and make use of my mobile medical office (wellness on wheels!) to attend to patients in the Overstrand region. Not only are my patients grateful for this new service, but I’m enjoying the change from my regular office practice and am gaining a better insight into my patients’ lifestyles. I take a holistic view and try to ensure that vulnerable patients have access to healthy food and whatever else they may need during the lockdown.

Dr Arien van der Merwe, The Green Healing Space

I am a medical doctor specialising in natural, holistic, integrative and functional medicine. My practice at The Green Healing Space in Hermanus has been open throughout the lockdown period, offering advice, support and general, holistic health consultations (including stress management), natural immune support injections for now and throughout winter, as well as weight-loss solutions for those who have added some padding during this time. Business has been quiet, as I think people are staying at home and are afraid to go to the doctor. Fortunately Ariani Health Solutions has developed online options, which means that I’m able to offer online video consultations and courses, in addition to

email and WhatsApp video consultations. I also post regular immune support and stress tips on my Facebook page to help people stay positive and support their health and wellbeing.

Steyn van Riet, Medical Doctor, Onrus Trading Post

a difference in this difficult time by supporting and advising the public to the best of our ability. For that, I not only thank all our diligent staff members but all the essential service providers working during this time.

Our biggest challenge now is to stay healthy ourselves and to make sure that our clients are not endangered, which is why I urge people to remain patient and to follow the rules, for their own and everyone else’s safety.

Ingrid Taylor, Kleinmond Animal Welfare Society

I have continued as normal with my medical practice, while taking all the necessary precautions to protect myself and my patients from becoming infected, or infecting others. Life must go on and people have not stopped getting ill or developing medical problems just because there is a pandemic. It is important that they should feel safe to contact their doctor for checkups or to receive treatment for ailments as they normally would, otherwise potentially dangerous illnesses and conditions may go undiagnosed.

Theo Agenbag, Pharmacist, Onrus Pharmacy

We don’t have any dogs in our kennels, but we do have about 380 of them in foster care and we are providing all of them with food during lockdown. Each week we distribute around 500 kg, so we are extremely grateful to the municipality for the 46 x 8 kg bags they have given us since lockdown. It has been a huge help, because of course, the 18 cats we have in the cattery also have to be fed.

Together with Dr Dave, the local vet, we are still doing at least two sterilisations a week and are always on call to deal with emergencies or injured animals.

Maarten van Dalsen, Vet, Bergview Vet

We are privileged to be able to continue with our business during the lockdown, while also experiencing more pressure and stress, just like everyone else.

There is a lot of fear and even paranoia about the situation we find ourselves in. Like other essential services, we are trying to make

3

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

We have been providing a 24/7 emergency service as usual during the lockdown.

We want to assure our clients that the same standard of care is still available for their pets, especially those on life-saving chronic medications. Conditions of the skin and ears can become serious very quickly if left too long and puppy vaccines are also extremely important. Our days have been busy as we have to space our appointments further apart to ensure the safety of our patients, their owners and our staff. Clients who have lost pets during this time touch us even more than usual, as their sense of loss is even worse while they are in isolation.

We have also had some strange emergencies, such as dogs that have been living in the same house for years suddenly getting into serious fights. The lockdown is not only stressful for us – it most certainly is affecting our furry friends too!

out, we have offered home deliveries where possible. We also launched a campaign to collect donated pet food for pet owners who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown.

So many pets face starvation because their owners can’t afford to feed them, which is why we are collecting food donations in all of our Vetshops and sharing them with local animal welfare organisations like HAWS. Takesure Razah / Desmen Rooi / Sam Gege / Shepherd Mapfumo, Hermanus Animal Welfare Society

During the lockdown, we have been looking after all the animals at the kennels, walking the dogs individually every day and brushing the cats while giving each one much-needed TLC. We have also been providing pet food to members of the community who can’t afford to buy food for their pets. While we may not be able to feed every dog and cat due to the high number of animals in Zwelihle, we have made sure that we reach the neediest ones. We are assisted by volunteers who collect food from us and distribute it in other areas such as Hawston and Mount Pleasant. Our days have been stressful due to fears of contracting the Coronavirus when interacting with people, as some of them are very casual in their approach when it comes to social distancing and the wearing of masks and gloves.

LB Vorster Attorneys

Corine Geyser, Manager, EberVet Vetshop, Station Mall

We have been supplying pet owners with the same efficient service as before, while being extra cautious when interacting with customers. That’s been really tough, because we pride ourselves on taking the time to chat with our clients and find out more about their pets. We’ve also had to be vigilant about sterilising everything in the shop as often as possible, including door handles, counter tops, food bags and clients’ credit cards, and have made hand sanitisers available to our clients. As we understand that some people may be nervous about going

Although legal services in general are not considered essential by the government during the lockdown, we decided to try and continue rendering our services remotely, to our existing clients as well as to the community at large. We have been offering our services free of charge during the lockdown from 10:00 to 13:00 on weekdays, to which we’ve had a very positive response. We posted this offer on our firm’s Facebook page, along with an invitation to community members to suggest law-related topics for discussion, in response to which we then post the relevant information, ranging from living wills and the importance of having a last will and testament, to the

process of nominating an executor and the process of administering a deceased estate, as well as the transfer process of immovable property. We wanted to use the lockdown period to make our services available to those who otherwise may not have the means or confidence to approach an attorney for advice.

Babalwa Kama, Cashier, OK Foods Gateway

We have been continuing to serve customers during the lockdown by providing food and essential products. For me it has been very stressful as I constantly worry about my safety and the safety of my customers. But we are taking all the necessary precautions by ensuring that our work stations and all surfaces are sanitised regularly. I also sanitise my customers’ hands. It has been a challenge to deal with customers who listen to fake news and we try to help by giving them the correct information.

Michael le Roux, Shift Manager, OK Foods Gateway

We have tried our best to supply our customers with the freshest produce and required essential goods during the lockdown. It has also been very heart-warming for us to be able to support our com-

4 munities by donating food and assisting our customers in doing the same. This is a stressful period for everyone and we are also concerned about the safety of our customers and our staff. That is why we are adhering to strict hygiene protocols and ensuring that all areas and surfaces in our premises are clean and sanitised. We have never dealt with a crisis like this before and it was a challenge to keep our heads above water when the ‘panic buying’ started. We have tried our best to keep our prices as low as possible, and have extended our month-end promotion for an extra two weeks to assist our customers during the first phase of the lockdown.

www.thevillagenews.co.za ed and supported during this stressful period. A lot has been happening behind the scenes, with additional hygiene protocols such as sanitation, and making sure people maintain social distancing and are wearing masks. Our customers need to be educated, too, which is why we have put up notices with information on how to stay safe. We have also been supplying farm produce and other essential goods to several soup kitchens and food banks to help families in need.

Natalie Munro, Food4Love movement

our community, and to those who come to the centre for help. We support the Hermanus Community Day Clinic by serving a cup of soup to patients on site at 10:30, Monday to Friday. Our supplies are sourced from Food4Love, Red Cross Hermanus, Overstrand Disaster Management, local churches, social clubs and other generous donors. It is a real group effort where we combine our resources to provide up to 700 cooked meals and 400 food parcels per day.

We are making our best efforts at adapting to this new way of life. Fiki is helped by a number of people at the RDP Centre such as Trevor Nkoyi and Maggie Ponoane below.

Andrew Martin, Manager, Kleinmond Superspar

On the whole our customers are very well-behaved and stand patiently waiting to come into the shop. The trolleys for the collection of groceries for our needy residents are emptied at least twice a day by the municipality for distribution. The one thing that has really hit our customers hard, though, is the ban on cooked food, especially on Sundays when we prepare a full Sunday lunch for as little as R65. Many of our pensioners make regular use of this service and they miss it. I also have a message for the President: Please, don’t lift the ban on alcohol on a Friday, with the weekend ahead. The people have been building up a big thirst and we don’t want to be flattened in the stampede.

Food4Love is a humanitarian movement that supports soup kitchens, other NGOs and families in need by collecting and distributing food parcels. The challenge during this lockdown period has been to reach as many people as we can in the most effective way.

At a time like this, feeding is not just about sustaining life but empowering people with self-worth so they don’t feel forgotten.

We now make up about 2 000 food parcels a day that each provide about four meals. The soup kitchens we support, such as the RDP Centre, have been essential in providing meals to the most vulnerable members of the community. Food is the fuel of humanity and no person should go without.

Children, especially, should never have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

Fikiswa Gxamesi, Kitchen manager and coordinator at RDP Centre

Dino Petim, Food Lover’s Market co-owner, Whale Coast Mall

Food Lover’s has been providing fresh produce to the public on a daily basis, in addition to the butchery and essential groceries. Lockdown has been challenging because we have a large staff complement and they have to interact with so many customers every day.

Part of my job is to ensure they are properly informed, protect-

Soraya Pieterse, Love, Hope, Faith & Happiness Soup Kitchen

We are operating as a Monday to Sunday community food support centre during the COVID-19 lockdown. We serve cooked take-away meals daily from 11:00 until 14:00 at the RDP Centre in Zwelihle. We also distribute face masks and hand sanitiser, which are donated by church groups, sewing clubs and businesses.

We are ambassadors for the Food4Love movement, distributing food parcels to the homes of vulnerable people in

Since the lockdown there have been many more hungry children and I now cook breakfast and lunch, seven days a week, not only for the children but the elderly too. I also make up food parcels for families in need. I’m up at 04:00 every morning and live day to day, never knowing where the next meal will come from.

But God always provides and on Sunday we were able to feed lunch to about 270 people. I am very grateful for the support from community members, local businesses and churches, but the need is great and there are always more hungry mouths to feed. I’m too busy to worry about getting sick, but have been teaching the children about the importance of washing their hands and staying at least one metre apart.

Ward Councillor Kari Brice, Hermanus

29 April 2020 Ward Councillor Grant Cohen, Kleinmond

vouchers which I’ve used to buy groceries and food for the homeless and needy families. I am so proud of our communities and local businesses who are supporting the soup kitchens all over the Overstrand.

Nicholas Komase, ‘Head of Security’, Kleinmond Town Hall

During the lockdown I have been multi-tasking, assisting my colleagues wherever possible, securing donations for feeding schemes, organising food for the homeless and those in need, and sourcing and delivering basic goods and food where needed.

Council has been working as a team, not necessarily in a specific ward but for the entire community of the Overstrand.

We have all been very busy and unlike others, have not had time to enjoy innovative home activities! Another important service has been to keep the community informed, as factual information at a time like this is key to everybody’s wellbeing.

The situation we find ourselves in is fluid and, while we may not have answers or solutions at our fingertips all the time, we simply have to do our best. Providing legitimate information daily and hourly, as it becomes available, has kept my constituents informed.

Archie Klaas, Deputy Mayor, Overberg District Municipality

As a councillor, I chose to volunteer at Hermanus Community Day Centre to enable the clinic staff to help more people. My days are split into three parts: From 07:00 to 13:00 I assist at the clinic, where I make sure that people do not crowd together. They are directed into five service lines while maintaining social distancing. From 14:00 to 17:00 I help out with the provision of meals and food parcels at the RDP Centre. This includes the sourcing and transportation of ingredients, and the delivery of food parcels and meals. I also communicate information to the community and report on our activities. After 17:00 I deal with government-related community issues like UIF and help to keep the ODM staff and management motivated.

Maybe it’s because I can’t cook myself, but I thought it was important for each of the needy residents of our area to get a hot, tasty meal a day, and not just food parcels. So we’ve organised 10 to 20 volunteers at 15 sites from Pringle Bay to Kleinmond to do the cooking. We’re up to around 1 200 meals now, delivered every workday of the week.

On Fridays, the families get an extra pack of dry food to last the weekend. The children of Kleinmond Primêr are also part of this, thanks to the WC Education Department’s feeding scheme. The food is delivered to each household individually by two teams of firemen, which means they don’t have to stand in queues. One thing’s for sure, in a crisis, the people of this area are amazing, they simply fall over themselves to offer assistance, whether it’s by volunteering or donating goods or cash. It’s a privilege to be part of this team.

PR Councillor Christine May

As councillors we were presented with permits as essential workers and after I heard that the homeless would be accommodated at the Moffat Hall during the lockdown, I volunteered to help out. My days start at 07:00 every morning and end at 21:00. I work with three other volunteers, preparing three meals a day, doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. There were a lot of challenges during the first few weeks, as some of the homeless developed withdrawal symptoms and were craving drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The support from the Municipality, Disaster Management, Law Enforcement and SAPS, as well as private sponsors from all over the Overstrand has been overwhelming.

The Food bank at Shofar assists many of the most vulnerable members of our community. Generous individuals and businesses such as OK Foods have also donated money and

Grant Cohen has a very special lockdown story to tell about Nicholas: On the very first day that our food distribution team began packing parcels in the Town Hall, this diminutive, neatly-dressed young man presented himself and asked if he could help. Whatever we gave him to do he tackled body and soul. After that, he arrived every day dressed in his suit and tie, first in the morning, last to leave. We were so impressed with this 19-year-old’s commitment that we decided to give him the unofficial title of ‘Head of Security’. It’s his responsibility to sign visitors in and sanitise their hands, which he takes very seriously. He also volunteered to distribute sanitary and toiletry packs to passing women and girls. He and the firemen who distribute the food parcels have formed a particularly strong bond and because he dropped out of school at Grade 7, they say they want to make sure he receives some kind of technical training after lockdown.

Zingani Tshefu, Regional Inspector, Training & Development, Control Room Operator

The Control Room at Disaster Management deals with call-ins regarding fires, accidents, rescues, missing persons – any emergency.

Once we receive a call and have more information from the caller, we dispatch the relevant department (SAPS, Fire Department, Traffic etc.) to deal with the emergency.

During the lockdown we have received a lot of calls about trading permits. We have to stay up-to-date with new information and regulations so that we are able to respond to the public

correctly. This is why all our meetings are so important.

We have stopped all walkins and have been working with two people (instead of the usual three) at a time in the control room to maintain social distancing.

The COVID-19 case at the Hermanus Police Station was a huge wake-up call for many in the community.

All our departments follow strict hygiene protocols and we all wear masks. Enforcing social distancing has been a challenge, especially at the end of the month when people get paid or collect their grants, and officers are doing their best to ensure that people adhere to the law and to lockdown regulations.

Rudi Fraser, Senior Manager of Traffic and Law Enforcement & Xen Titus, Assistant Chief of Traffic and Administration

In addition to continuing to provide our usual services during lockdown, we have also implemented more roadblocks to check permits and screen people travelling to and from the area. Our traffic offices have been closed but all our staff are working during the lockdown. We have extended our hours to run 24/7 and are working 12-hour shifts. We have had lots of meetings to keep up to date with the new rules and regulations. In addition to our normal day-to-day functions, we have to enforce the new lockdown regulations and ensure that people are compliant. It is a stressful situation for our staff members, who are making huge sacrifices and spending longer hours away from their families in order to keep the community safe. The higher visibility of Traffic and Law Enforcement has led to a decrease in crime and most people are complying with the new regulations.

We try to ensure the wellbeing of our staff by following strict protocols, but not everyone is following the rules and we have been issuing about 100 fines to pedestrians and motorists daily. The more people stay at home, the less chance

5

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020 there is of the virus spreading to our communities.

Lester Smith, Head of Disaster Management, Fire and Security Services

I have been in charge of coordinating all COVID-19 related issues in the Overstrand, working handin-hand with the Municipality. Everything has to go through DM – the provision of security, collection and distribution of food to the needy, operation of the emergency call centre and the cleaning of contaminated areas such as the SAPS office in Hermanus.

We have been patrolling 24/7 and our control room (where people can call in with emergencies) has also been functioning 24/7.

We have all been working 12-hour shifts and many of us haven’t had a day off in over a month and we are tired. I have four conference calls/meetings every day and have to ensure that everyone is updated with the same information on the constantly changing rules and regulations. I also have to ensure that all our staff members follow strict hygiene protocols and that our offices are sanitised every 3 – 4 hours. Apart from our usual responsibilities (responding to accidents, crimes, fires etc.), we have been able to assist in feeding schemes within the community by working closely with several NGOs and organisations.

Hermanus Public Protection team

It has been work as usual for HPP during the lockdown.

We are fully operational, 24/7. Zones are monitored by CCTV, patrollers and response vehicles in order to detect and report suspicious movements immediately and address law transgressions. We work with SAPS and Law Enforcement when needed, and also respond to reports from members of the public. With fewer people out and about, it has been quieter than normal and most people are complying with the restriction of movement. HPP’s visibility has helped to curb crime and daily

reports are distributed widely to our members, giving them peace of mind that their safety is still our priority during the lockdown.

Marius van Wyk, Deliveries, The Village NEWS

I travel to the printers in Cape Town every week to collect the best newspaper in the Overberg, and to deliver copies all the way from Elgin, Caledon and Botrivier to Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond, and throughout Hermanus to Gansbaai. With hundreds of distribution points along my route this is no simple task, especially now during the lockdown when we are operating with fewer staff members. It is quite stressful going home to my family at the end of the day with the possibility of having contracted the virus while on the job. I know they worry about me but it is important to help our readers stay connected and informed.

Shamielah, Petrol Attendant, Onrus Garage

Half our staff members have been retrenched and there are just two of us petrol attendants left here. It’s been quite hard on us as it’s not always quiet. We are also at great risk, because some people don’t want to wear masks or gloves, or sanitise their hands. Most of our local customers still pop in for basics such as milk and bread, and others who are also working during the lockdown know where to come for the best service! We always try to help everyone with a smile no matter how we are feeling.

Jan Gildenhuys, Owner, Oasis Water

Oasis’ main product is the distribution and supply of purified, ozonated water to our customers. We also offer purified ice and 100% fruit juice. We are surely blessed to be able to trade during the lockdown. From the time Oasis opened its doors in 2010, we have built up a loyal customer base. Some of our customers are on medication or suffer from a medical condition that requires them to have access to 100% pure, virus-free water. At the beginning of the lockdown period, customers were very unsure and scared but that has changed and people are calmer and more accepting of the situation now. Although our turnover is less than half of what it usually is at this time of year, we are still trading. Our prayers go out to all our customers and other local businesses.

Renico Barnard, Plumbing

Renico Plumbing has been offering emergency plumbing services during lockdown. The lockdown rules are very strict and we can only assist with emergencies such as blocked drains, burst pipes, lack of hot

water and burst geysers. A big challenge has been continuing to provide plumbing services while keeping myself and my clients safe from the spread of the coronavirus. Plumbers play a vital role in our community by ensuring that people have good sanitation and running water to wash their hands – something that is critical at this time.

the time they are unable to leave their homes.

Jackson Zihluphile, General Manager, Build It

Theresa November, M&E Electronics

Multichoice Hermanus is open as an essential service for device swaps, accounts, payments, queries and more. On the M&E Electronics side we have been able to do callouts to help sort out any TV problems people are experiencing.

During the lockdown we have seen a huge decline in business for both sides of the business. It is challenging to make sure that we and our clients are safe and protected. We all wear masks and before clients enter the shop, they are asked to sanitise their hands. Our essential service ensures that clients are able to keep their TVs going so that they have some form of entertainment during

We have been supplying essential goods such as electrical globes, plumbing essentials and security products, as well as gas and wood products. We are allowed to supply these essential goods to registered essential service providers on presentation of a certificate.

We can also supply tradesmen who are not registered with CIPC, on declaration that the goods will be used for essential services. The days have been slow and I am eager for the town to get back into the swing of things again. Not having all our employees at work and having to social distance from my friends and family has been hard. Other challenges we have faced is having to deny customers access to items not deemed essential, as we don’t want to do anything against the law. But at least now people can repair roof leaks, replace light bulbs and cook with gas during these trying times. Essential workers such as builders and plumbers can now also get what they need to do their jobs.

6

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

Early tearooms, cafés and restaurants in Hermanus In Part 5 of this series of articles on the early development of business in Hermanus, DR ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society turns his attention to the large number of references to formal and informal gathering places for residents and visitors that his research has brought to light.

T

hese early tearooms, cafés and restaurants had two functions in the Hermanus of the late 19th century and the first 80 years of the 20th century. The first was the primarily commercial purpose of providing places where residents could have a meal, buy food, and groceries at certain times when the larger grocery shops were not open.

The second function was to provide meeting places where residents could socialise, catch up on the news and, sometimes, hold formal meetings. For instance, a crucial series of meetings leading up to the re-establishment of the Hermanus Botanical Society in 1960 were all held in the Princess Café.

Since the 1980s, the number of restaurants has increased dramatically, while tearooms have disappeared, replaced by coffee shops. As far as I know, there are no cafés in existence today that play precisely the role of the old cafés.

In her overview of the development of the town as the 1920s began, Joey van Rhyn Luyt wrote: There were three cafés in the Main Street: the Princess Café, Haman's Café, and the Balcony Tea Room (where eggs and bacon and grills could be had late at night after the dances.) Above the harbour Miss Rubery ran a popular tea room, the Cypress Tree; beyond the Bay View, the Kraal Rock Tea Garden served teas and homemade scones in rustic summerhouses surrounded by rockeries and lawns.

One of the people I interviewed (who belongs to one of the foremost Hermanus families of that period) indicated that competition and co-operation went hand-in-hand in the stillsmall village.

The owners of the four well-known cafés (Joe Smith, Naartjies de Villiers, Ivan Johnson, and Magiel du Plooy) used to go to the Epping Market late at night to buy fruit and vegetables to sell in their businesses… All the different shop owners had solid relationships with each other. "Live and let live" was the motto.

Restaurants Restaurants were venues which provided full meals to seated customers. There were only a few businesses of this kind for most of the 20th century, for two reasons.

First, all hotels provided their guests with a 'full board and lodging' service, which naturally included three meals a day. Tourists had little

motivation to pay for a meal in a restaurant when they had already paid for it at their hotel.

David Rawdon at the Marine Hotel in the 1980s was the first to break with the hotel holiday format. His hotel tariff applied to rooms only – guests were at liberty to take meals in the hotel or elsewhere.

Not many guests chose to eat breakfast outside the hotel, considering that the Marine's breakfast menu consisted of fresh fruit, fruit juice, bread, eggs, gammon, sausage, fried tomato, fried potato, toast, tea, and coffee. All for the bargain price of R5!

One of the earliest successful restaurants in Hermanus was Willem’s Steakhouse, which operated from the premises of ‘Ham se Winkel’ in Voëlklip. Magiel and Sarie du Plooy had bought the store at an auction in 1971 and, at first, their daughter Maureen and her husband Willem Botha managed it as a grocery store.

Willem was a keen chef, and he turned the shop into a steakhouse. It became extremely popular as 'the first steakhouse in Hermanus'.

In 1982, Willem sold the business to Heine Rosenstrauch who made a great success of it.

Over the next few years, the restaurant was open three nights a week for eleven months of the year and six nights a week in the summer season. And still queues stretched around the block!

In 1986 Rosenstraucht sold the business just as the rapid growth of restaurants in Hermanus was starting and competition became fierce.

The steakhouse ceased activity soon after that.

Tearooms Tearooms have virtually disappeared now but were popular venues in the 20th century. The customers were seated, usually at small tables, and served by staff or the owner, with a version of the English' high tea', comprising sandwiches, cakes, scones and other confectionaries to be eaten on the premises. Tea was the only beverage offered – no coffee or alcohol. Tearooms were decidedly middle-class, with an emphasis on table manners and quiet conversation.

One of the most popular meeting places was the Cypress Tree Garden, located in the traditional fisherman’s cottage where Burgundy Restaurant now is. In 1902 John Louis (nicknamed Swede) Wessels planted a cypress tree in the small garden around his home and business.

‘Willem’s Steakhouse’ in Voëlklip was one of the earliest successful restaurants in Hermanus in the late 1970s.

The Princess Café in Main Road, which operated from 1940 to 1970, is fondly remembered by many residents.

By the time the property was bought by Miss Edith Rubery in 1928, the tree had flourished.

She converted the property to a tea garden, naming it after the cypress, and it continued under that name until after WWII. Janet Divecky, daughter of Gertrude and Alexander Grant, remembers Miss Rubery well. In an email to me from Canada where she now lives, she writes: My godmother was Miss Edith Rubery of the Cypress Tree Tearoom. As a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in WWI, serving in Egypt, she had met TE Lawrence. During WWII she worked tirelessly for St Dunstan's. One of her most famous quotes was when Hermanus was moving to install septic tanks: "Well, what with the war and everything, darling, I don't feel quite ready to plunge into a septic tank."

At one point, the building was nearly lost. SJ du Toit describes events that started in 1968: In 1968, the building was almost lost to the greed of developers. When villagers heard that plans were afoot to demolish the old building… concerned citizens made every attempt to save the building. By the generosity of Jack and Pamela Swart, who provisionally bought it, a breathspace was created, delaying demolition.

In 1979 the building was acquired by Tim Hamilton Russell who used it as a tasting venue for his wines. He gave it the name of The Burgundy.

Cafés Cafés were smaller establishments, catering to a less affluent clientele than either the hotels, restaurants or tearooms. They stocked small quantities of the same groceries, fruit and vegetables as the general dealers, but were open for longer hours.

They also sold bottled soft drinks, ice cream cones, sweets and the like in small quantities, especially to children and teenagers.

One example is the Princess Café in Main Road which, according to SJ du Toit, was situated in the oldest shop building in central Hermanus. It was built by Fanie Pheiffer in the 1800s and run by his brother-in-law, Christian Warrington, as Warrington General Dealer for many years.

When the Warrington family sold the business and building to the Stergianos family, they built family accommodation upstairs and changed the shopfront. The General Dealer’s was relaunched as the Princess Café in 1940, with the Greek flag flying outside the shop.

SJ du Toit describes it as “a café where tea and other refreshments were served and where business people loved to meet and clinch business deals”. Annie Healey (born Henn) also remembers the Stergianos family and their Princess Café “where we gathered on Sunday nights for a cold drink".

Another resident told me that the owner, ‘Oom Stratis’ was quite a character who had apparently arrived in Hermanus as a young man with only a bicycle.

Tannie Jean, Oom Stratis, the boys, and daughter Marina lived above the Princess in a family flat. In those days business people, the police and traffic police used to come to have a drink with Oom Stratis in his office just as the shop was closing for the night and they used to ‘kuier’ till late, especially on a Friday night.

I remember that they had a games room in the front of the café and teenagers used to play games there. The great thing about the Princess Café was that they made the most impressive 'draai roomys' or soft-serve ice cream cones. It was a pastime for the families to go on a Saturday evening, buy ice cream cones, walk down Main Road, and do window shopping. Or just to sit in the car, eat your ice-cream and see the people coming and going. Yes, Hermanus was a tiny town in those days.

7

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

Cruise of a lifetime upended

by Coronavirus outbreak Writer Hedda Mittner What was supposed to have been a pleasure cruise turned into a deadly voyage for an 86-year-old Hermanus resident, who was quarantined on a cruise liner for several weeks after an outbreak of COVID-19 among its passengers and crew members left them stranded at sea.

In a scenario that sounds more like the implausible plot of a nightmarish sci-fi movie, Dorothy Jones not only managed to keep her wits about her, but was finally able to make her way to her son in Ireland, where she has once more been stranded for weeks and still has no idea how or when she will be able to return home.

Dorothy’s (mis)adventures started when she booked a ticket on the MS Zaandam, one of Holland America’s luxury cruise liners, for a 31-day trip around South America that started in Buenos Aires on 7 March. According to Dorothy’s son, Barry, who also lives in Hermanus, his mom is a fit and healthy octogenarian and a seasoned traveller. “My wife, Debbie and I had discussed joining my mom on this trip but in the end we didn’t go – fortunately, as it turns out!”

Setting off on her own, Dorothy flew from Cape Town to Buenos Aires via London on the same day that the first case of COVID-19 in South Africa was confirmed. At the time no one realised how the spread was about to escalate and engulf the world. The Zaandam departed as planned and the itinerary included stops in Montevideo, Uruguay and the Falkland Islands.

“From there we sailed around the southernmost tip of South America and were looking

forward to our next stop at Punta Arenas, near Cape Horn, where we were to spend two days,” says Dorothy. However, only four days into the cruise, on 11 March, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic and a ‘no-sail’ order was issued for all cruise ships.

have a few crossword books to keep my mind occupied, but we had no reading material, very limited TV channels – ironically, one of the films that was screened was 'Titanic' – and no form of exercise. All this time I was dying for a cup of tea!” Dorothy recalls.

“The first leg of the Zaandam cruise would have ended in San Antonio, Chile, but I had booked two back-to-back cruises and the second one would have continued on to Florida and concluded there on 7 April. We were advised by the captain that the second leg had to be cancelled and we were all to disembark at the San Antonio port and organise our own flights back home. My son, Barry managed to book me on a flight leaving the following day, but before I could get on it, the Chilean government locked down all the airports. That’s when we were told to all stay on board.”

As the days dragged on for the more than 400 passengers and about 600 crew members, some of whom were seriously ill, frantic arrangements were being made for the Zaandam’s sister ship, the MS Rotterdam, to come to the aid of the stricken vessel. While en route from Mexico to bring the Zaandam much-needed medical supplies and equipment, the news broke that four elderly passengers had already died (at the time they had not been diagnosed and it was later confirmed that three of them had died from COVID-19).

Worst of all, people on the ship were starting to get sick. At first it was mainly crew members who were affected, but within days several passengers also developed symptoms. For those already trapped on the ship, the situation became even direr. “We were placed under quarantine and told to remain in our cabins.

We were not allowed to have any contact with other guests or staff until further notice,” says Dorothy.

Now unable to dock at any scheduled South American ports, the Zaandam’s captain continued to sail north, destination unknown.

“We were completely isolated for two weeks while the ship was out at sea. Food was dropped off outside the cabin door and empty trays left outside for collection. I was grateful to

The Rotterdam’s assignment now included picking up passengers who were well and symptom-free, in order to prevent the disease from spreading further. The rendezvous happened off the coast of Ecuador. “We were packed into the Zaandam’s life rafts and made the choppy ride across to the Rotterdam, where we were once again placed under quarantine in our cabins,” says Dorothy. The sick guests and crew members, and those they had been in close contact with, stayed behind on the Zaandam, with the medical supplies they had received, including COVID-19 testing kits.

Dorothy recalls that they languished at sea for another few days while the cruise line company negotiated with Panamanian authorities, including the Ministry of Health, to allow both ships passage through the Panama Canal so that they could continue on to Florida. Special permission for the transit was finally given “for humanitarian reasons” and Dorothy says they had to pass through the canal at night when there were no other ships in the area.

The next step was getting authorisation from a body of local authorities to dock in Florida, which the Governor of the state at first refused.

“It was only after President Donald Trump intervened, because there were so many American passengers on the ships, that we were allowed to dock at Fort Lauderdale on 2 April,” says Dorothy. Healthy passengers were given permission to disembark, while 14 critically ill passengers and crew members were evacuated to local hospitals (one crew member later died).

Those with non-life-threatening symptoms had to remain on the ships in isolation – 90 guests and 143 crew members on board the Zaandam, and 17 passengers on the Rotterdam who had also become infected.

The ill-fated MS Zaandam (left, in the background) and its sister ship, MS Rotterdam, off the coast of Ecuador.

PHOTO: Getty Images INSERT (RIGHT): While quarantined at sea, passengers on board the MS Zaandam sent out pleas for help.

PHOTO: Reuters

Dorothy Jones with her husband, Ron, shortly before he passed away two years ago. Dorothy is a keen traveller who went on several cruises around the world with Ron. PHOTO: Supplied Although she was back on dry land, Dorothy was still far from home and flights were hastily organised to repatriate over 1 000 passengers.

“After a full medical check-up, I was bussed – under police escort – to the airport along with some fellow passengers. Arriving at the airport after a four-hour trip, I discovered that I had been booked on a flight to Frankfurt instead of London, as requested. My luggage had to be retrieved and it was another four-hour trip back to the ship – total mayhem!”

The next day Dorothy went through the same exercise again and finally boarded a flight to London, another eight-hour journey. “When I arrived at Heathrow I was unable to fly home on my return ticket as South Africa was in total lockdown. My only other choice was to fly on to Dublin, where my other son, Neal and his wife, Jolinda live. It meant another costly air ticket and another three-hour wait, but I was very relieved to be met at the airport by Neal at 23:00 that night. The final hurdle was trying to get a taxi, to no avail, so we made our way home by bus. There was a beautiful glass of red wine waiting for me, which I so appreciated after three days of travelling!”

With strict orders to self-isolate for another 14 days, Dorothy yet again found herself quarantined, this time in Neal and Jolinda’s apartment, prompting Barry to remark that “my mother has been in quarantine for, like, forever!”

Desperate to return home to Hermanus, Dorothy has been trying to get on a repatriation flight to South Africa, but says they are “scarcer than hen’s teeth” – not to mention prohibitively expensive. “Many of the South Africans still stranded overseas are simply unable to cover the cost of coming home. Fortunately the SA Embassy in Dublin have been very helpful and I’m currently waiting for a direct flight to Cape Town. The others all fly to Johannesburg, where I would once again – you’ve guessed it – have to be quarantined for 14 days before being allowed to return to Hermanus. And after two months in continuous quarantine… here’s hoping!”

GET CASH BACK AND FREE MEMBER BENEFITS If you as the policy premium payer are claim-free for five consecutive years, you’ll get your fifth year’s premiums back in CASH*.

MEMBER BENEFITS* In the event of retrenchment, the policy premium payer receives a six-month premium holiday

PLUS FREE funeral benefits* provided by AVBOB Funeral Service

You get ALL this on top of your full policy pay-out – it’s all 100% FREE* to AVBOB members.

Contact AVBOB Hermanus on 028 312 1156. *Terms and conditions apply. Free funeral benefits only apply if AVBOB Funeral Service conducts the funeral.

AVBOB is an authorised financial services provider. AVBOB is a level 2 B-BBEE contributor. FSP 20656. www.AVBOB.co.za Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

AVB-VIL-191127

A FREE basic funeral valued at R11 000, which includes the funeral arrangements, a specified coffin and hearse A R2 500 immediate cash payment for initial expenses FREE transport of the deceased within the borders of South Africa

Local expertise, national presence and international audience

R 3 300 000 FINE & COUNTRY FEATURE NORTHCLIFF, HERMANUS, WESTERN CAPE Charming home, set close to schools This delightful home, set in a lavish garden, accommodates three bedrooms, three bathrooms, the main-en-suite, in the main house. The lounge has a fireplace and there is well-fitted kitchen along with a great entertainment area in garden. The property has an income-generating full cottage, with an en-suite bedroom and kitchenette.

Generous space to move about without losing that quaint, cosy atmosphere when it is time to cuddle up by the fireplace with a good book.

Situated in the ever increasing popular neighbourhood of Northcliff, you will wake up to the sound of birdsong and be able to enjoy your breakfast in the lovely garden.

Being in close proximity to schools, the town and hospitals, you will be able drop the children at school and still arrive in time for work.

Separate laundry, recently upgraded.

Retha Snyman van Heerden 082 262 7578 Stephen De Stadler 082 441 0120 WEB: 1524236

R 3 295 000 FINE & COUNTRY FEATURE VERMONT, HERMANUS, WESTERN CAPE Rustic country lifestyle.

Experience a relaxed rustic country lifestyle in this spacious bright and light home, offering all the modern facilities.

This home is ideal for the extended family and situated in Vermont. The spacious open-plan lounge with wooden floors and lovely fireplace, will pave the to many memorable gatherings.

The open-plan family living and dining areas, with another cosy fireplace and a separate pizza oven, feature screed flooring.

Stacking doors lead out onto an established garden, enhancing the ambiance associated with a country lifestyle in a coastal town.

The spacious farm-style kitchen features Caesarstone counter tops, a gas hob stove along with a separate scullery and laundry for all the appliances.

There are three large well designed and stylishly appointed bedrooms, two being en-suite, with a third bathroom for guests.

The double garage and good security, garden are additional features to this country-style home.

Jenny Küsel 082 262 7578 Stephen De Stadler 082 441 0120 WEB: 1511530

Hermanus Office 16 Hope Street, Hermanus, 7200 + 27 (0)21 205 7135 hermanus@fineandcountry.com

Park Lane Office 119/121 Park Lane, London, W1 +44 (0)207 079 1515 admin@fineandcountry.com

Regionally 20 offices throughout Western Cape Nationally 50 offices across South Africa Internationally Over 300 offices globally

www.fineandcountry.com

10 8

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

Localism is the lekkerder choice The next edition of The Village NEWS will be available on 6 May 2020. The NEWS can be found at over 300 distribution points in the Overberg.

028 312 2234

6 Royal Street, Hermanus

De Waal Steyn

PUBLISHING EDITOR dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

The announcement that lockdown restrictions will be relaxed to Level 4 on 1 May has brought a sense of relief and cautious optimism to residents, especially those business owners and their employees who will now be allowed to resume trade.

Although the Overberg District is fortunate enough to have recorded 11 recoveries out of the 12 confirmed cases in the area to date, it is by no means an indication that the threat is over. It simply means that the hard lockdown measures of the last month have worked.

CONTENT EDITOR hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

ONLINE EDITOR

raphael@thevillagenews.co.za

Elaine Davie SUB-EDITOR & JOURNALIST elaine@thevillagenews.co.za

Taylum Meyer PHOTOGRAPHER & PRODUCTION MANAGER taylum@thevillagenews.co.za

Alta Pretorius MARKETING MANAGER alta@thevillagenews.co.za

Charé van der Walt MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE chare@thevillagenews.co.za

Tania Hamman

ADMIN & FINANCE admin@thevillagenews.co.za

Now is the time for us to pay even greater heed to social distancing rules (especially while shopping), wearing masks whenever we leave our homes, and washing hands frequently. Ensure that you routinely keep up all the hygiene protocols that will reduce the risk of the virus spreading among our communities.

That includes knowing how to use a mask, how to take it off and clean it properly.

If you are committed to sticking to these rules, we encourage you to fully support the local businesses that are allowed to trade. Our business community desperately needs your backing in order to restart our local economy.

It is time for us to stand together and embrace the notion of localism.

For the foreseeable future, globalism as we have come to know it will

need to be put on the back burner.

The return of global tourism, as it pertains to our economy, is still a far way off and therefore our aim in the shorter term needs to focus more on local.

Our essential service providers and especially the restaurants that will offer delivery services need your support to survive. When faced with a choice, support local. Because localism is lekker.

This is the good NEWS - Ed

Agony and ecstasy, History sped up and Weird words

Hedda Mittner

Raphael da Silva

But with the relaxation of restrictions comes the need for greater responsibility. The dreaded Coronavirus has not magically disappeared, and the threat of infection is still very real.

By Murray Stewart murray.stewart49@gmail.com

100 Hours of history

and found that she had broken her ankle in several places.

H

ere’s another instalment of astounding facts to share with your dear friends and family.

Share it anyway, even if you don’t like them.

No pain, no migraine At some stage in our lives, starting when we were kids, we’ve all wished we were born almost invincible, immune to pain. We could then do things others couldn’t, because we were fearless. We couldn’t get hurt.

When others would be screaming in agony, Lizzy just carried on obliviously, making healing virtually impossible.

People experience two types of physical pain – sharp and instant, or a dull ache. For both types, messages are carried to the brain through the spinal cord, but on different nerve/ fibre networks, like Instagram and Postnet.

As we stagger and stumble over life’s unpredictable hurdles, I’m sure many of us wish it was a real possibility and not fantasy. No more migraines, arthritis, anaesthetics or hangovers.

Sounds enticing, but it would be disastrous.

The Instagram pain is flashed to the brain, telling you to snatch your hand away from that hot stove because it bloody hurts. The second ‘dull’ pain is transmitted slower through Postnet, and tells the brain that the hand is injured, and unless treated, will continue to throb until healing takes place. Fascinating stuff. But there’s more!

In the last century, only a few dozen people around the world have been recorded who felt little or no pain at all. When Elisabeth Andrews’ leg became swollen, her parents and the doctor put it down to childhood rheumatism. But her leg continued to swell and got worse, and after a few weeks the doctor had an X-ray taken

The brain is the computer that mysteriously allots different people varying pain thresholds. Research has shown that physical labourers generally have a higher threshold than office workers. Women, probably because they’re programmed for childbirth, have a higher threshold than men.

Just accept it, guys.

It’s almost impossible for us to comprehend the vast sweep of time since the earth evolved out of cosmic gas and dust, thousands of millions years ago. So let’s imagine the earth’s history condensed into one century, and we’re at year 100 looking back.

Bearing in mind the leap of this imagined timeline, the oldest known rocks were formed in the year 15, and primitive forms of bacteria and algae in year 26. From 26 to 80, life evolved slowly as the continents drifted apart, but it wasn’t until 8 years later (± year 88) that amphibians struggled onto dry land.

knowledge exploded, we discovered thousands of Exoplanets – worlds in other galaxies which are in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone of having the potential for life as we know it. If any one of them was only 5 seconds older and more advanced than Earthlings, they’d surely have conquered the science behind space travel and time-warps – still a conundrum to us.

This leads us to the prickly subject of millennia-old extra-terrestrial interactions here on Earth, which governments have stringently covered up since the 1940s. But that is another story.

Words words words

Dinosaurs appeared only 8 years ago (year 92), but became extinct the following year. In the last year of our journey – year 99 – things hotted up somewhat and need to be broken down further. Three weeks ago, the first man appeared in Africa using tools and walking upright.

Hoodlum In 1870 a journalist in San Francisco conjured up the word to describe the local young ruffians.

He reversed the gang-leader’s name from Muldoon to Noodlum, but his handwriting was so bad, the typesetter thought the N was an H. The word stuck.

The last Ice Age ended two hours ago and the Industrial Revolution started two minutes ago. In earth’s ‘100 years’ of history, we sent the first man to the moon a mere 3 seconds ago.

Quarantine To prevent the spread of communicable disease or pests, sick people or those suspected of being infected, were subjected to 40 days of isolation – quarantena in Latin. Thereafter they were pronounced either not contagious, recovered or dead.

In the last 2 seconds, as our scientific

WEEKLY WEATHER & DE BOS DAM LEVELS

Proudly Sponsored By

Talisman Tool Hire

Wed | 29 Apr

Thu | 30 Apr

Fri | 1 May

Sat | 2 May

Sun | 3 May

Mon | 4 May

Tue | 5 May

13°/22° Clear

14°/20° Clear

14°/21° Mostly Clear

14°/20° Mostly Clear

14°/16° Rain

13°/19° Clear

12°/19° Some Rain

Nickey Jackson

DTP DESIGNER nickey@thevillagenews.co.za

Ilana van der Merwe

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ilana@thevillagenews.co.za

De Bos Dam 38.74%

Weekly Rainfall 0 mm

Last week 40.38%

Last week 0.3mm

WEEKLY TIDE TABLES HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

00:32 06:47 13:04 19:35

High Low High Low

01:47 08:00 14:25 21:00

High Low High Low

Tides sourced by www.sanho.co.za

03:35 09:42 16:07 22:34

High Low High Low

05:10 11:17 17:27 23:47

High Low High Low

06:15 12:24 18:28

High Low High Low

00:44 07:07 13:16 19:18

High Low High Low

01:32 07:52 14:02 20:03

No clarity yet on when schools will reopen W hile some local schools are steaming ahead with online learning, learners from government schools and higher education students need to wait a bit longer to hear what will happen to their academic year after a briefing by the government, scheduled for Monday 27 April, was postponed.

ening any existing learning gaps during the remote learning period”.

Last week the Department of Basic Education (DBE) encouraged pupils to continue working on their lessons in partnership with the SABC, telecommunication companies, and even local radio stations which communicate lessons to pupils in all areas of the country.

However, the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), which represents 10 000 members serving the education sector in the Western Cape, said on Monday that a survey sent to all its members in the Western Cape overwhelmingly rejected a return to school until it was safe to do so.

Despite last week’s announcement that the government plans to gradually phase in learning after the lockdown, it seems as if it’s not all plain sailing for the Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education.

On Monday the Teachers' Union, SADTU said in a press release that parents, students and pupils were still unsure about what Lockdown Level 4 meant for the education sector, but that it believed pupils in some grades would be allowed to return to school.

"Above all, we are concerned about the readiness of the provincial departments with regard to the availability of health and safety essentials that have to be put in place in the learning institutions at least two weeks before any activity can take place,” SADTU said, adding that "We need to do our best to avoid wid-

11 9

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

SADTU General-Secretary Mugwena Maluleke said there was no view towards scrapping the entire academic year and that the union wanted to collaborate with the government to make sure the year could be recovered.

“Most of our members are in favour of the indefinite closure of schools until COVID-19 is brought under control.

Some respondents indicated that it was too late to salvage the academic year,” Naptosa said in a statement.

This beautiful photo of Sandbaai was taken by drone about 70 metres up in the air on Sunday morning. It was a warm, wind-free morning with hardly any clouds in the sky.

PHOTO: Martin Etsebeth

Cape Whale Coast charity music livestream event Several talented artists from the Cape Whale Coast will take part in a livestream event on Wednesday 29 April at 19:00 to assist with raising funds for disaster relief measures in the area.

Hermanus-based comedian Barry Hilton will host the show and make sure there’s a chuckle or two

According to the organisation, social distancing would be difficult to manage if schools reopened and it was therefore in favour of a phased-in approach.

Schools need to be deep cleansed; sanitation stations need to be erected and testing facilities, including digital thermometers need to be made available together with facemasks for learners and staff, Naptosa said.

At the time of going to press no indication had been given on when the government briefing on the rest of the academic year would take place.

between the music of Frazer Barry and his Tribal Echo band, Betty’s Bay’s Debi Best of In The Mood on saxophone and Alida Venter on keyboard.

Everyone is invited to link to www. streamit360.tv or Cape Whale Coast’s Facebook Page @whalewatchingsouthafrica at 19:00 to

watch our first livestream Overberg collaboration.

There will be an opportunity to make donations to Relief.Life which has been at the forefront of assisting our communities in need with the assembling, packaging and distribution of food parcels and other necessities.

#binisolationouting Well done to Hermanus High School teacher, Dayne Nel – you are the winner of our #binisolationouting challenge! We just loved your photo and the caption that accompanied it: "As a teacher I miss my kids so much, so I decided to dress like them for this challenge. I'm wearing my original school blazer." We are sure that your learners are missing you, too, Dayne and that they will enjoy seeing these photos of you having a laugh.

The Bin Isolation Outing is something that people have been doing around the world during lockdown. Get dressed up before you take out your trash, and then take a video or some photos and post them to the Facebook group below. The hilarious posts provide a welcome dose of humour while we go through this difficult time. Thank you to those who entered for joining in the fun!

Visit the Facebook group "Bin Isolation Outing" for more amusing videos and photos of people worldwide.

Download The Village NEWS digitally. magzter.com/ZA/The-Village-NEWS/ The-Village-NEWS/Newspaper/

issuu.com/dwaal Every week, readers from over 100 countries download nearly 2 000 copies of The Village NEWS digitally to read on their desktop, tablet or smartphone.

Don't worry if you can't find a copy of the printed newspaper, you can always find them online on:

By doing so, you are helping to support quality journalism in the Overberg and ensure that we can keep our doors open during COVID-19. You are also supporting our many advertisers that are still open during this time.

#alloveroverberg #thevillagenews pressreader.com/south-africa /the-village-news

083 700 3319 theagency@thevillagenews.co.za

12 10

www.thevillagenews.co.za

ECD Centres receive food parcels from EET

OPEN

Bernard van Niekerk, Category Manager of Gateway Spar, with Magriet Peter and Mabel Saul of Enlighten Trust and some of the parcels waiting for delivery.

Thanks to a wonderfully generous donation of R100 000 from an anonymous local donor, the Enlighten Education Trust (EET) was able to deliver 425 food parcels to unregistered ECD centres in Zwelihle, Mount Pleasant, Hawston and Kleinmond last week. While registered centres receive funding for food from the Department of Social Development, children who attend unregistered centres in the poorest informal settlements of this region have been left stranded with no food.

Magriet Peter, Trust Manager of Enlighten Trust would like to thank the management and staff of Gateway Spar for making up all the individual parcels for delivery. Enlighten Trust is now calling for children’s books and toys (in good condition) which they can distribute to young children in the same communities. Please contact Magriet Peter on 082 4395860.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES – WE ARE

29 April 2020

ESSENTIAL SERVICES – WE ARE OPEN

14 12

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

Why some transfers take so long

By LB Vorster

It is generally accepted that the transfer of immovable property can take anything between one month and three months. Some transfers may take even longer. Why is that?

The transfer of any particular property may involve as many as 17 role players, the most important of which are (although not limited to) the transferring attorney, the estate agent, the seller, the purchaser, the existing mortgage bond holder (bank), the attorney cancelling the existing mortgage bond, the bond originator, the bank granting a mortgage bond to the purchaser, the attorney registering the mortgage bond, the local authority, the home owners’ association/body corporate, the electrical inspector, the beetle inspector, the person inspecting the gas installation, the bridging finance company, SARS and the Deeds Office.

Among those mentioned, the purchaser is actually the only one that has to provide his/her/its continuous cooperation throughout the entire process. It is therefore no surprise that the purchaser is in the ideal position to, intentionally or not, manipulate the duration of the transfer process to the detriment of the seller,

as well as one or more of the other role players referred to above.

Normally the purchaser has to: furnish the attorney with the required FICA documentation; • complete, sign and return to the attorney an ‘Authority to Invest’ form in the event that a deposit is payable; • pay the deposit, if any, into the trust account of the attorney; • ensure that the application for a mortgage bond, if any, is submitted and approved in time; • sign (and return) the transfer documents to the attorney; • pay the transfer costs into the trust account of the attorney; • sign the mortgage bond registration documents; • more often than not comply with additional documentary requirements of the bank that has approved the mortgage bond; • pay the mortgage bond registration costs to the attorney attending to such registration; • pay/guarantee payment of the balance of the purchase price to the attorney.

•

Although these are all straightforward actions and obligations, the

transferring attorney often has to perform an almost impossible balancing act between, on the one hand, the seller and the estate agent involved who eagerly require the proceeds of the sale and, on the other hand, the purchaser who is less eager, for example, to attend to a required payment, be it the deposit, the transfer costs, the mortgage bond registration costs or the balance of the purchase price.

It is therefore somewhat peculiar that the ‘Offer to Purchase’ forms that are used by many, fail to adequately provide for swift action by the transferring attorney in the event of a purchaser being in breach of contract. For example, with advanced technology at everyone’s disposal nowadays, there is hardly any justification for contracts to still provide for the delivery of notices by registered mail.

In the vast majority of property transactions in our area, the purchaser presents an Offer to Purchase via email to the estate agent who, in turn, forwards the offer to the seller by email, the acceptance of which is similarly advised by email; the deposit is paid electronically, guarantees

ESSENTIAL SERVICES – WE ARE OPEN

are furnished electronically and the bank’s final grant is emailed to the purchaser. However, in the event of the purchaser’s breach and in order to enforce the terms of the accepted Offer to Purchase, it is expected of the seller to have a formal notice delivered to the physical address of the purchaser by registered mail, allowing 4 days for delivery and anything between 7 to 14 days within which to remedy the breach. Why not simply provide for all communications and notices of a formal nature to be delivered by email?

Failure by a purchaser to perform any one of the actions listed above can delay the transfer process by up to three weeks. Imagine the time implications where a purchaser fails to perform one or more of these actions and the seller repeatedly has to deliver formal notices by registered mail to the purchaser’s residential or other chosen physical address.

The process for obtaining a replacement copy of a lost title deed has been changed since 1 January 2020.

A seller now has to publish a notice of his/her/its intention to apply for a replacement copy of the title deed in a local newspaper, granting the public

14 days within which to object to the issue of a replacement copy. Upon expiry of the 14-day period, provided no objections have been raised and confirmation thereof submitted to the Deeds Office, the replacement copy of the title deed will be issued.

There are of course other factors that can also delay the process, for example, the municipality running behind schedule with the issue of rates clearance certificates (which these days with the technology at hand does not often happen), the existing mortgage bond holder (bank) having mislaid the existing title deed, entailing the procedure above in applying for a replacement copy, or the seller failing to settle any arrear rates and taxes, outstanding income tax, an unsafe electrical installation and/or the presence of beetles in the timber of the property. However, these factors are by far in the minority.

Therefore, in order to prevent unnecessary delays during the transfer process, it is important that an Offer to Purchase is carefully drafted and that the parties’ respective rights and obligations, as well as the sanctions in the event of breach by either party, are clearly stipulated.

15 13

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

MY ENVIRONMENT

When is a frog a toad?

By Anina Lee

A

ll toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads. Let me explain.

All frogs, including toads, belong to the order Anura – meaning ‘without a tail’. The order Anura contains many families, one of which is the Bufonidae, or toad family. So toads are a family of frogs.

So what are the characteristics that distinguish toads from frogs? In plain language, when is a frog a toad?

There are some obvious distinctions, but be aware that these are general characteristics and there are exceptions to every ‘rule’.

The Bufonidae or ‘toads' have a thicker, drier skin than other frogs.

A toad's skin is often covered with bumps and glands, which is probably why some people think you can get warts by touching them. While this is a myth, frogs and toads alike can secrete any number of toxins through their skins.

Having a thick skin permits toads to live away from water longer than most frogs, so you're more likely to see toads on dry land. Because they need a different kind of camouflage to live the terrestrial life, toads are often brown in colour, which

PHOTO: inaturalist.org

is another way to distinguish them.

Toads also prefer to walk while most frogs hop or leap. If you see an amphibian leaping into a pond or river, it’s a true frog, not a toad.

Most frogs and toads are carnivorous, have species-specific mating calls and reproduce and develop in water.

And most importantly, both frogs and toads are under intense extinction stress from human activities.

Frogs are some of the most fragile, most environmentally vulnerable species on earth, which is why they are so good at telling us whether their natural environment is healthy or not. If their habitat is degraded, they won’t be found there.

In essence, they can be regarded as ‘mining canaries' for the entire planet.

It's the very sensitive skin that makes them more susceptible to environmental pollution. And it is cause for great concern that frogs are declining significantly in numbers and diversity. Their demise could signify major problems for the global ecosystem.

Western Leopard Toads (WLT) One toad is of particular interest in the Overstrand. Most people know about the endangered Western Leopard Toad (Sclerophrys patherinus). These toads have captured the imagination of the public due to the efforts of volunteer groups in the Cape Peninsula and Stanford to save them from getting squashed by cars.

These toads are particularly vulnerable during July and August when they return from their foraging grounds to their breeding

PHOTO: David Sykes

ponds to mate and breed. A week or so later they trek back to forage again. In the process they cross busy roads, or fall into steep-sided swimming pools, with deadly consequences. The tiny baby toadlets emerge from the breeding sites about 10 – 12 weeks later in spring to seek food.

They, too, have to cross roads and other physical obstacles, often leading to a great loss of numbers.

In the words of CapeNature: “This beautiful toad can reach an impressive size of 140 mm in body length and, like all toads, has a rough skin and a large parotid gland behind each eye. Its upper body has chocolate to reddish-brown patches on a bright yellow background, and there usually is a yellow stripe running down the middle of the back. The underside is granular and cream coloured, with a darker throat in males.

The mating call of the males is a deep snoring sound repeated every few seconds, and in chorus sounds like a tractor or motorcycle engine.

ABOVE: Cape River Frogs (Amietia fuscigula).

PHOTO: Sheraine van Wyk

RIGHT: Raucous Toad (Sclerophrys rangeri).

LEFT: Western Leopard Toad (Sclerophrys patherinus).

“This species is endemic (restricted) to the coastal lowlands of the south-western Cape, with a distribution range that extends from the Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats to the Agulhas Plain. Sadly, its distribution is now very fragmented and these toads have not been recorded in the area from Pringle Bay to Hermanus in recent years.”

According to Sheraine van Wyk, Whale Coast Conservation’s frog fancier, Western Leopard Toads can still be found on a few farms along the Klein River in the Stanford area and in ponds down the coast to Pearly Beach.

Difference between a Western Leopard Toad (WLT) and a Raucous Toad A number of people in Hermanus have excitedly re-ported seeing what they believe to be a Western Leopard Toad in their gardens. But in reality, it is most probably a Raucous Toad (Sclerophrys rangeri). Urban expansion and human activities have destroyed the WLT habitat from Pringle Bay to Hermanus. The closest you will see them nowadays is in the Stanford area.

PHOTO: Sheraine van Wyk As mentioned above, the WLT is generally brighter and yellower in colour and the markings are a distinct chocolate brown. But there is another way to tell the difference.

Look at the dark markings on top of the head/neck behind the eyes. In the WLT the dark marks are interrupted in the midline (not continuous) so they don’t form a solid band. In the Raucous Toad the dark patches are fused into a bar behind the eyes.

Many people living in the Cape Whale Coast region are environmentally conscious and attempt to have eco-friendly gardens that will attract bees, chameleons, butterflies and other wildlife. If a frog of any kind

BOTTOM LEFT: Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus)

chooses to live in your garden it indicates the ultimate approval. Even if it is only a very raucous toad, you can be very proud indeed.

A last word from the Table Mountain Fund: ”The sobering reality is that frogs were here before the human development that now threatens it.

Conservation efforts aim to protect the Western Leopard Toad and recover the population to a point at which the species can thrive. Equally critical, though, is maintaining a healthy Western Cape biodiversity, with fit, functioning wetlands and pesticide-free gardens that complement our natural ecosystem. How do we know if we’re doing this? The toad census will tell us.”

16 14

www.thevillagenews.co.za

29 April 2020

MY SPORT

For the love of exercise M

By Tony O'Hagan

asters athlete Leo Benning has an inspiring message for all of us which has been encapsulated in a new book, For the love of it, to be published soon: Exercise and keep fit, no matter what your age.

Following this motto throughout his life has resulted in excellent health and longevity for Leo, who will celebrate his 87th birthday in June this year and is still an active member of the Whalers Athletic Club in Hermanus, where he has lived since his retirement in 2002.

Leo had a passion for track and field from a young age. During his high school years, while living with his family in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town he used to run in hilly terrain in the area.

“Maybe it was an omen of my future passion, but the road I ran along then was called Bennington Road,” Leo recalls. As a learner at the South African College School (SACS), he participated in school athletics, competing in multiple events such as the 100 and 200 metres, and high jump.

After matriculating, he attended Stellenbosch University where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in Physical Education and Geography.

He then went on to Rhodes University in Grahamstown to complete a teaching diploma (UED) before embarking on a career as a school teacher.

Leo went on to teach at a number of leading schools and universities, including Grey High School (Port Elizabeth), Rondebosch Boys High, SACS, Pretoria University and UNISA. Although his main subjects were Geography and Afrikaans, it was physical education that gave him the greatest pleasure.

“I was not always comfortable in the classroom and preferred the extra-mural sporting activities,” says Leo. In due course he was able to add an Honours Degree in Physical Education from the University of Pretoria to his CV, and later studied for his Masters in the same subject at Stellenbosch University.

Throughout his teaching career, he participated in track and field. While teaching at a University College in Durban, he learnt about the Comrades Marathon. At first he was a bit puzzled, says Leo. “I couldn’t understand how anyone

could enjoy getting up at 3 am, driving to Pietermaritzburg and then running back to Durban!”

He also thought it was much more pleasant to be on a track or field than running on a road, but, always up for a challenge, he decided to give it a go. “I had done a few road races and decided that I must compete in this event.” In 1969 he ran his first Comrades and finished the race in the allotted time. He went on to complete eight Comrades Marathons, winning a silver medal one year.

Back in Cape Town, Leo joined Celtic Harriers Club and later the Pinelands Athletics Club, which focused more on track and field. He competed in 25 consecutive Two Oceans Marathons, also winning a silver medal one year to add to his Comrades silver.

The World Masters Athletics, started in 1960 by American, David Pain (who died last year aged 96), was followed in 1976 with the advent of the South African Masters Athletics led by Springbok athlete, Danie Burger. A year prior to this in 1975, Leo had founded the Western Province Masters Athletics which he spearheaded and promoted right up until recently.

Leo participated in South African Masters Athletics until 2017, when he was 84. During this time, he won the high jump on 35 occasions, breaking the record in each age group, starting at 40 years. Some of these records still stand today. He also participated in the World Masters Athletics on 15 occasions, winning gold, silver and bronze medals. His

ABOVE: Leo Benning (far right) running with David Pain (middle) and a group of athletes in Kirstenbosch in 1975, when Pain visited SA to establish the feasibility of a tour by American Masters.

CIRCLE: Leo with Philip Rabinowitz, who, at the age of 100, had just broken the 100 m sprint world record for men in the 100–104 years category in July 2004 at the Green Point Stadium. last appearance at this world championship was in 2013 in Brazil, at the age of 80. He was also the manager of the South African Masters Team on eight occasions.

Leo exercises regularly and when I asked him how he was coping with the current lockdown due to COVID-19 he said, “I do weight training, sit-ups and press-ups in my garage. I also run/walk a circuit of 2 km around my house.”

He adds that most of his fellow members of the Whalers Club are continuing some form of exercise during the lockdown and setting challenges for themselves. Alas, there seems to be no excuse for becoming a couch potato during lockdown!

Congratulations, Leo, on your lifetime achievements on the track and road, on your new book, and the way you continue to be an inspiration to us all.

For the love of it is “A collection of experiences on the health benefits of exercise for over 35s”. Compiled

by Leo, the book contains personal accounts by physically active people from all walks of life, paying tribute to the ways in which exercise can enhance the quality of life in our mature years. It is an inspirational read that is sure to motivate sedentary people to embrace a more active way of life – just for the love of it. Copies can be ordered online at www.publisher. com or from Leo Benning. He can be contacted on 028 316 4960 or leobenning@lantic.net