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www.thevillagenews.co.za
2 September 2020
Dear Village NEWS Reader... Become a VILLAGE INSIDER and help your proudly-local newspaper to continue bringing you the Good News every week.
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n the eve of our fifth birthday, we thank all our loyal readers for their unwavering support during the long, frustrating months of lockdown. Although our online readership has grown exponentially during this time, we have also been inundated with calls and messages from people who want to know where they can get access to a printed copy of our weekly newspaper. It is clear that there is a huge demand for more copies of The Village NEWS to be printed and distributed each week, and our top priority now is to increase our print run. This is where you, our readers, come in. We need your help in order to continue spreading the Good News. For over five years, The Village NEWS has been bringing you positive and uplifting news from the Overstrand. Along this journey, our publishing editor, De Waal Steyn and our small team of journalists, columnists, photographers and designers have won numerous awards for the outstanding quality of the paper.
advertising all but dried up, because it was important to provide accurate and factual information during this time of crisis. We are here as the fourth estate to inform, enlighten and entertain our readers, offering insight into our community without fear or favour. We do this in aid of our unique region, our communities and residents. While many publications, in print and online, desperately search for ways in which to make a news business model work, The Village NEWS has from its inception held firm on two dictums: 1. We believe in good news. If the news is not good, we try to find the good in the news. We were told by our peers that good news will never work. Boy, did we prove them wrong! 2. You will never pay for news. There will never be a paywall on our electronic channels and we will never charge a cover price for our printed edition.
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Writer De Waal Steyn
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n anticipation of Wednesday’s Council decision not to approve the construction of an astronomy facility on Rotary Way, the Hermanus Astronomy Centre (HAC) has developed an alternative proposal for an astronomy education display at Gearing’s Point, which has been approved by both the Ward 3 Committee and the municipality. “We have been waiting for more than 18 months to receive final confirmation that the initial proposal to build an astronomy centre has been denied. Once we have received that in writing, we can go back to the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) with a revised application, together with a project plan and a budget, for the funding that was allocated for the centre,” said Pierre de Villiers of HAC. “The objective of the new plan is to convert the whale-watching viewing ring at Gearing’s Point into a self-guided Astronomy Education Centre by mounting more than 30 tablets of engraved engineered granite, measuring 600 mm wide by 800 mm high, on the inside of the existing ring wall. The tablets will be engraved with educational themes of an astronomical or geographical nature and will give a concise but comprehensive overview of current knowledge and insight. “In addition, we want to upgrade the old trig beacon by adding an information plaque describing the history and the importance of trig beacons in land surveying, as well as adding a Shepherd’s Sundial around the top of the existing beacon base and four granite engraved vertical sundials just below the Shepherd’s Sundial facing north, east, south and west. Lastly, we want to add six cardinal
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The facility would have included a day-time astronomy centre with sundials and sun telescopes, as well as an amphitheatre and small kitchen. Anina Lee of Whale Coast Conservation said they are delighted that the original proposal was not approved. “We cannot allow for development to take place within the FNR and the revised plan makes a lot more sense. The new plan has no impact on conservation and in principle we support it,” she said.
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Jenny Parsons from Pringle Bay captured this beautiful photo of a Spotted Eagle owlet while it was learning to fly in her garden. It took refuge below her deck once it was done practising for the day.
Orcas kill bronze whaler shark Writer De Waal Steyn
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wo Orcas named Port and Starboard are believed to be behind the first recorded carcass of a copper shark (also known as bronze whaler shark) last week in the Walker Bay area. Port and Starboard made international headlines in May 2017 when they were linked to the killing of several great whites, as well as sevengill sharks in South Africa. The carcass of the three-metre-long
bronze whaler shark was found on Wednesday, 5 February after it washed up on Grotto beach. Resident Riekie Louw spotted the carcass on the beach and alerted The Village NEWS, which in turn contacted the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) team, who collected the dead shark. “The female shark was torn open at the torso with its liver and heart completely removed. The previous day, Port and Starboard were observed in False Bay, 100 km west of Hermanus. This orca pair is con-
firmed to have predated on both sevengill and white shark species in this manner off the Western Cape coast, but this was the first copper shark carcass to be linked to them. The pair is known to specifically tear open their shark prey to extract the large lipid rich liver and discard the body,” said Alison Towner, a DICT biologist. “We can confirm the presumption of orca predation, as the injuries were similar to other shark species predated on by them. There were also raker marks (tooth impressions) of killer whales on the carcass.
“This behaviour is being observed more frequently in South Africa, causing ripple effects in certain shark species’ distributions, as well as potentially influencing the ecology of the Western Cape coastal areas, because of sharks avoiding their traditional aggregation sites for extended time periods,” said Towner. Louw said she went for her daily walk on Grotto last Wednesday when she happened upon the carcass just 100m from the main beach. “When I took a closer look and saw the gaping hole, I immediately thought this must be an orca attack. I read the
stories in The Village NEWS in 2017 and remembered that these wounds looked exactly like the pictures I had seen. I instantly went back home to fetch my camera to take pictures in order to let the newspaper know,” she said. It has been confirmed that the pod of orcas that were observed interacting with white sharks in Mossel Bay and Knysna during early November and February are not Port and Starboard, as their dorsal fins are different.
See picture on Page 5
on’t be alarmed. Be Prepared.” Those were the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday as the country, and especially the Western Cape, braced itself for the predicted wave of new Coronavirus infections. “More than half of all cases since the start of the outbreak were recorded in the last two weeks. During this week, we can expect the total number of cases to pass the 50 000 mark. Sadly, we are also likely to record the 1 000th death from this devastating disease,” Ramaphosa said in his weekly letter to the nation. “While these numbers are broadly in line with what the various models had projected, there is a big difference between looking at a graph on a piece of paper and seeing real people becoming infected, some getting ill and some dying. “We can draw some comfort from the knowledge that the nationwide lockdown, in achieving the objective we had of delaying the spread of the virus, gave us time to prepare our health facilities and interventions for the expected spike in infections,” he said. The president added that he’d spent last Friday in Cape Town to get a better sense of the work that was being done to manage the disease in the province that accounts for around twothirds of all confirmed cases. “I am impressed with preparations, but even with the preparations that have been made, they will need more bed capacity as the disease reaches its peak. They need help from outside the province, including additional funding and health personnel,” Ramaphosa wrote in his letter.
On Monday the province had 32 048 confirmed cases. In the Overberg the number of infections stood at 262 and the Overstrand at 109. The Overberg also recorded its fifth COVID-19-related death. Last week Premier Alan Winde announced that because of the testing backlog and short supply of test kits, the province would be changing tack in its testing approach by prioritising people at high risk of contracting the virus, those in hospital or seriously ill, those over 55 years old with COVID-19 symptoms, and those with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Victoria Young-Pugh of Victoria’s Pantry has moved from her premises in Long Street Arcade to Tulip Coffee Bar on the c/o Hope and Dirkie Uys Streets, where she now forms part of the Hope Street Market, along with Justin Dods and Megan McEwan of Tulip Coffee Roasters and Rickey Broekhoven of Maillard & Co. (Read more about these young entrepreneurs on P10) PHOTO: Taylum Meyer
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The Western Cape Government is also exploring the potential for a second 800-bed hospital at CTICC 2 to meet the bed numbers that its updated models anticipate will be required at the peak of infections.
clarity on the new provisions.
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“The regulations now enforce the mandatory wearing of a face mask, which includes a cloth face mask, homemade item, or another appropriate item that covers the nose and mouth, in public and in public places. Any employer, manager or owner of a building used by the public to obtain goods or services, will be responsible if any person enters and remains onsite without wearing a mask. The penalty, should they not take all reasonable measures to ensure masks are worn, is a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both such fine and imprisonment,” she said.
The president said these measures were necessary as the country remained under Level 3 of the risk-adjusted national lockdown. He said returning to higher levels would have a devastating impact on the economy.
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On Sunday the country recorded 12 048 new cases and an additional 108 deaths. At the weekend, the Western Cape had a total of 77 476 cases with the Overstrand standing at 1 071. Since the start of the local outbreak in March, some 4 080 people have died from COVID-19, with a quarter of all deaths reported in the last week. Sunday also saw 230 000 new cases of the virus recorded worldwide and South Africa moving into the 10th position in the list of countries with the most infections.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on Monday gave more
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Writer De Waal Steyn
he government moved swiftly on Sunday night to gazette the renewed ban on alcohol sales and reinstatement of a night-time curfew minutes after these announcements were made by Pres Cyril Ramaphosa.
The new regulations also include a curfew between 21:00 and 04:00 and the legal requirement for citizens to wear face masks in public. Other changes see the taxi industry being allowed to operate at 100% capacity for short-distance travel. For long distances, the industry can operate at 70% capacity. The industry would also need to ensure compliance with the wearing of masks and sanitising passengers, as well as the opening of windows during travel.
Monday also saw the Hospital of Hope at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) admitting its first COVID-19 patients, exactly one month after work on the site first began. According to Winde, a total of 10 patients were admitted. “As the hospital is a new facility, additional beds will be activated in a phased manner until the entire hospital is fully operational. The temporary hospital is the biggest COVID-19 field hospital in Africa and will be staffed by over 900 people when all phases are operational.”
3. How do I know my VILLAGE INSIDER donation will only go towards the printing cost? On a regular basis, The Village NEWS will report on the number of VILLAGE INSIDER members and how much has been received. We are committed to full transparency. 4. What about the rest of the costs of producing The Village NEWS? While it won’t be easy, we will continue to sell advertising to cover the remaining costs of producing The Village NEWS as best we can. What remains most important to us is being accessible to our readers and that our advertisers get the exposure they deserve. 5. Why 12 months? Most economists believe that it will take at least a year before we can expect to see economic recovery. It may take longer but we will take it one step at a time and continuously innovate to overcome obstacles and ensure that positive community journalism in the Overberg survives.
To become a VILLAGE INSIDER contact Raphael da Silva on:
NEWS Unlike previous regulations that took a few days before being gazetted, government ensured that immediate meant immediate, catching several residents off-guard, with one remarking that despite the stormy conditions she had made an early morning trip just to see if all liquor stores were indeed closed on Monday morning. They were.
The expected spike in infections mirror that of global trends that have seen new cases rising faster than ever worldwide, clocking up more than 100 000 a day over a seven-day average. Authorities in 214 countries and territories have reported about 6.6 million cases and 391 000 deaths since China reported its first cases to the WHO in December.
2. Why does The Village NEWS focus on GOOD NEWS? While bad news travels fast, we believe that GOOD NEWS travels faster. There are plenty of publications that focus on ‘crime and grime’ but in a community that is so dependent on tourism and protecting its natural heritage, it is even more important to share the many positive stories about Hermanus, the Overstrand and the Overberg.
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THE VILLAGE
Be prepared for spike in Stricter regulations infections enforced D Writer De Waal Steyn
1. Why are you raising money just to increase your print run? Within the Overstand, people love to have a physical newspaper in their hands, especially one that doesn’t smudge their hands! More importantly, having a physical newspaper ensures that we remain accessible to everyone. Many people do not have access to the internet or can’t afford data costs. Across the Overstrand there are also many retirement communities that look forward to their weekly copy of The Village NEWS, as it provides them with a form of entertainment and connection with the community. Schools receive the paper as well.
www.sacoronavirus.co.za • National hotline: 0800 029 999 • Provincial hotline: 021 928 4102 • Whatsapp "Hi" to 0600 123 456 Keep your distance
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On the positive side, South Africa’s case fatality rate of 1.5% is among the lowest in the world. This is compared to a global average case fatality rate of 4.4%.
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According to the municipality’s Department of Infrastructure and Planning, the reasons for not approving the centre on Rotary Way include non-compliance with the National Environmental Management: • Protected Areas Act; • the fact that the necessary due diligence on the impact on the Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR) was not done; • the impact on the road and parking facilities have not been adequately addressed; • the safety and security of the facility on an ongoing basis has not been addressed; • and the impact on the area surrounding the facility was not factored in to the motivation of the application. The construction of an astronomy centre has been on the cards since 2009 when council first approved the facility. Subsequently, an official application for the construction was made in November 2015, after which it was incorporated into the FNR’s 2016 Integrated Management Plan. During the public participation process, more than 50 letters of objection were received. The original plan included a 288m² facility next to the existing parking area on Rotary Way.
10 JUNE 2020
www.sacoronavirus.co.za • National hotline: 0800 029 999 • Provincial hotline: 021 928 4102 • Whatsapp "Hi" to 0600 123 456
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direction (solstices and equinoxes) sunrise and sunset viewing ‘V’-slots into the top of the ring wall,” said de Villiers, adding that “This type of activity is sure to draw not only school groups but also other tourists to the CBD.”
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New plans for astronomy centre Susan Skog enjoyed a scenic walk on Babilonstoring on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge recently when she came across this beautiful king protea (Protea cynaroides). These proteas have the largest flower head in the genus and are also known as giant, honeypot or sugarbush protea. PHOTO: Susan Skog
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We had come so far in a few short years, but without your help, the road back will be an uphill battle over the next 12 months. One of our strongest messages has always been to support local – and there has never been a more crucial time for all of us to stand together and turn this sentiment into a reality. As a truly local business, founded, owned and operated by locals, we thank you for becoming a VILLAGE INSIDER and joining us on our journey.
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Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, The Village NEWS team committed to continue publishing each week despite the fact that businesses had to lock down and www.thevillagenews.co.za
Where other news organisations are searching for solutions, The Village NEWS is leading by example. By becoming a VILLAGE INSIDER and supporting us financially you are not paying for news but are assisting us in covering and sharing the stories of our communities. In order to do this, we have to increase our print run – the largest cost of publishing a news-
paper – to keep up with the demand for our unique brand of Good News. Our aim is not to flood the market but only to ensure that each and every reader has easy access to their weekly copy of The Village NEWS. In order to satisfy the demand, we need to get back to our pre-Covid print run of 10 000 copies.
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All this has been provided to readers for FREE. Instead of charging a cover price, The Village NEWS has relied on the generosity of advertisers who are charged affordable rates to reach their target audience across the different platforms we offer and get the best results for their products and offerings. In return, we fully support community and environmental organisations, tourism initiatives and local businesses – the backbone of our economy – by writing about them and sharing their stories with our readers and users.
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While we regretted having to give up our lovely offices in Royal Street and we all now work from home, we are seeing these challenging times as an opportunity to embrace a new and exciting business model that is aimed at keeping our economy growing.
While giant media corporations with far more resources than a small, locally-owned newspaper like The Village NEWS have had to close their
Since starting out as a newspaper, we have established a strong presence on social media across various platforms with an ever-growing number of users upwards of 50 000, we have introduced a website that reaches readers in over 200 countries and territories around the world, and we have expanded our digital reach by publishing The Village NEWS on ISSUU, PressReader and Magzter, three of the largest global publishing platforms.
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doors due to the economic fall-out of the Covid-19 pandemic, our readers have expressed their amazement at, and their gratitude for, our ability to continue publishing and distributing weekly. We can assure you that it has not been easy! It has come at a cost, of course, and just like most other small businesses our revenue plunged dramatically, forcing us to cut down on our expenses, including salaries.
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T: 062 837 3122 or E: raphael@thevillagenews.co.za
“We have reintroduced the prohibition on the sale, transportation and dispensing of alcohol, because the risks associated with alcohol are far too high and we must limit the pressures on our health care system. When there was an absolute prohibition on the sale of alcohol, the overall number of visits to trauma units in South Africa dropped from 42 700 to approximately 15 000 visits. Following the lifting of the prohibition on the sale, transportation and dispensing of liquor in Alert Level 3, health facilities have seen a substantial rise in alcohol-related trauma injuries and death, resulting in added strain on the capacity of health facilities,” according to Dlamini Zuma. The minister also elaborated on some of the other regulations: Parks can now be used for exercising but beaches will remain closed. The prohibition of social gatherings such as visitation to families and friends stays in place, and no social gatherings other than funerals are permitted. Interprovincial travel will also again be subject to obtaining a permit. The use of accommodation (such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, lodges) for leisure activities is prohibited. “At this stage we can only permit the use of such establishments for persons travelling for business purposes or where these facilities are used for quarantine or where there are remaining tourists. The establishments must also maintain a record of patrons,” she said.
Mike Fabricius from the Grootbos Foundation captured this beautiful photograph of a Boomslang hatchling on a Protea obtusifolia. Despite being one of the most venomous snakes in our region, this snake is thankfully very passive and reluctant to bite. Boomslang should be a welcomed guest to any garden, but are best left alone. The Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy, driven by the Grootbos Foundation, consists of 45 landowners from Stanford to Gansbaai and inland towards Baardskeerdersbos. The focus of the conservancy is research, conservation land-use practice and linking protected areas with an ecological corridor network for movement of wildlife, pollinators and seed dispersers. PHOTO: Mike Fabricius
Banking Details Nedbank Hermanus 111 0744 218 Cheque Account Branch code: 196 005
