The Village NEWS 05 Aug - 12 Aug 2020

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5 AUGUST 2020

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After the recent rain storms, the Overberg is decked out in glorious fields of yellow canola.

In the foreground is Deon Steenkamp of the Hermanus Photographic Society.

PHOTO: James Luckhoff

Whale Coast is open Writer De Waal Steyn

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usinesses and accommodation establishments are readying themselves for what is expected to be the first bumper tourism weekend since the national lockdown started on 27 March.

With Women’s Day being celebrated on Sunday 9 August and Monday being a public holiday, this will be the first time in more than 125 days that accommodation establishments across the area will be allowed to welcome guests, albeit under strict lockdown conditions.

According to the new regulations, accommodation establishments are permitted no more than two people per room, except for a nuclear family (parents and their children). Establishments are also legally obliged to require and keep a copy of proof of identity of visitors.

Tour operators can conduct guided tours in

open safari vehicles, subject to provision for both social distancing and maximum ventilation.

reserves are ready for rediscovery. And so is the irresistibly beautiful countryside surrounding the towns.

Visitors to Hermanus will be welcomed by a tablecloth-and-bedding banner, displayed in the Old Harbour. This ‘hospitality flag’, stitched together from squeaky-clean linen by tourism business owners, is a warm invitation to visitors from across the Western Cape. The banner, which will be put up on Friday, will bear the hashtag #HermanusIsOpen.

“Hospitality establishments, business owners and their staff have used the Covid-19 lockdown period to implement hygiene and safety protocols that enable visitors to enjoy the diversity and natural beauty of the region safely. And the town’s famous champagne air is an immune booster in its own right.

“The banner signals that Hermanus is collectively open for business. It also symbolises the town’s commitment to offering visitors the best of the Whale Coast in a safe, hygienic environment,” said Whale Coast Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd.

With the annual whale season at its peak, she said visitors from across the province are expected to visit the Whale Coast. “Our restaurants, art galleries, adventure activities and nature

“The doors and hearts of Hermanus are wide open. We can’t wait to welcome you!” said Lloyd.

“We rely on Capetonians and residents of surrounding towns to take up the open invitation we’ve extended. We have missed you and look forward to welcoming our loyal friends back!”

Lloyd said indications are that all the towns across the area will be busier than they have been since the lockdown started. “Accommodation bookings are looking favourable and several establishments are reporting bookings

for the rest of the year. With our towns reporting busier weekends over the last few weeks, the upcoming long-weekend is just what we need to give our economy a much-needed boost.”

With inter-provincial travel restrictions still in place, this is the perfect opportunity for visitors from over the mountain to explore beyond their neighbourhoods and remind themselves why Hermanus is one of the premium tourist destinations in the world.

David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities said the lifting of restrictions on leisure travel is welcomed by the provincial government. “This finally ends months of flip-flopping which has caused immense financial damage and significant jobs losses that could have been avoided if a common-sense approach had been taken from the start. We call on all people who can, to book a holiday or even just a night away, to support the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape,” he urged.

Continues on P2

Local expertise, national presence and international audience

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This stunning vacant stand is approxamitely 1 208sqm and situated in Sandbaai, the ideal place to design and build your dream family or holiday home with never ending magnificent sea and mountain views. Hermanus has grown to become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, it’s rustic charm and natural beauty preserved and intact.

As a breeding ground for the Southern Right Whales, Hermanus is one of the World Wildlife Fund’s top twelve best whale watching destinations in the world.

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5 August 2020

‘Tourism has been thrown into crisis’ From P1 The excitement over a return of visitors to our shores comes at a time when it seems as if the spread of the Coronavirus is starting to stabilise in the Western Cape, with a decline in numbers being recorded in some areas, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said over the weekend.

On Monday, a total of 81 309 recoveries in the Western Cape were recorded out of a total of 95 406 confirmed cases. In the Overstrand there were 1 397 cases and 1 207 recoveries, in Cape Agulhas 222 cases with 185 recoveries, and in the Theewaterskloof 1 073 cases and 880 recoveries. The total number of deaths in the Western Cape stood at 3 143.

“While this is good news, it does not mean that we can rest on our laurels. On the contrary, it means we must be even more vigilant. We must keep our curve moving in the right direction, in all areas – downwards. If we let our foot off the pedal now, and do not continue to change our behaviour, then we risk new flare-ups and an acceleration of cases in the future. We cannot allow this to happen,” said Winde.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday said the country’s case fatality rate, which is the number

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of deaths as a proportion of confirmed cases, remains at 1.6% – significantly lower than the global average.

“While South Africa has the fifth highest number of total Covid-19 cases globally, we have only the 36th highest number of deaths as a proportion of the population. For this, we are grateful for the work of our health professionals and the innovative treatments they have pioneered.

“The national lockdown succeeded in delaying the spread of the virus by more than two months, preventing a sudden and uncontrolled increase in infections in late March. Had South Africans not acted together to prevent this outcome, our health system would have been overwhelmed in every province. This would have resulted in a dramatic loss of life,” Ramaphosa said.

While there is much anticipation for the coming weekend, the newly released Draft Tourism Recovery Plan highlights the profound impact the pandemic has had on the tourism sector.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in its 2020 travel and tourism recovery scenarios projects the global travel and tourism GDP to experience losses during 2020 of between $2

686 billion in the best-case scenario and $5 543 billion in the worst-case scenario.

“Tourism in South Africa, as is the case in the global economy, has been thrown into crisis by the Covid-19 pandemic, putting thousands of businesses and jobs at risk. The priority for the sector is to resume operations as early as it is safe to do so, but re-opening will just be the start of a difficult recovery. The situation requires an urgent response, but also a recognition of the constraints that hamper South Africa’s tourism development,” states the draft plan.

“This recovery plan proposes a series of measures to protect and rejuvenate supply, reignite demand and strengthen enabling capability.

Together, these actions can preserve some R189 billion of value, helping the sector to recover to 2019 output and employment levels in 2022, and positioning the sector for long-term sustainable growth.”

billion in foreign income at risk.

According to the draft recovery plan, the pandemic has devastated the global travel trade and South Africa has not been spared.

By late March, hotel occupancy was down 50% year-on-year and, with the rest of the sector, has declined further to effectively under 5%, mainly serving as quarantine and isolation sites and providing for essential services workers during the Level 5 lockdown.

Booking sites in South Africa have largely reflected global trends, with Airbnb experiencing a 77% decline in traffic from a peak in March, and with booking.com seeing an 80% decline over the same period.

A copy of the draft plan is available at www. tourism.gov.za. All stakeholders and the public are encouraged to comment on the plan. Submissions can be sent to recovery@tourism.gov. za until 15 August 2020.

The tourism sector accounts for 2.9% of GDP (8.6% indirect), supports about 725 000 direct jobs (1.49 million direct and indirect) and accounted for 8.2% of total investment activity in 2019. Perhaps most importantly, inbound tourism generates R82.5 billion in direct foreign spend (R126.7 billion total tourism expenditure), contributing an equivalent of 9.2% of total national exports.

It is estimated that R54.2 billion in output may already have been lost between mid-March and the end of May. The sector faces a potential 75% revenue reduction in 2020, putting a further R149.7 billion in output, 438 000 jobs and R80.2

Implementation of two SRAs postponed Writer De Waal Steyn

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request by the Onrus-Vermont (OVRA) and the Kleinmond (KSRA) Special Rating Areas to postpone the implementation of the special rating areas with a year was approved by council during a virtual meeting on 29 July.

The first additional monthly levy for the KSRA and OVSRA will now be payable from 1 July 2021. The Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA) and the operational implementation of the ratepayer approved business plan is going ahead as planned.

Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) will be the management body of the HSRA once all documents have been finalised. The full implementation of HPP Management services, in particular, Crime Prevention, Public Safety and Cleansing services, may be expected later this month.

Suburbs included in the HSRA are Westcliff,

hampered / restricted by the various levels of lockdown we have experienced throughout these trying times. For example, we could not finalise the Financial Agreement and Memorandum of Incorporation with the municipality due to the challenges of holding meetings during this time,” writes Inghels.

remained untouched by this unprecedented situation, including our entire community. We are currently finalising discussions with the municipality regarding the agreements that need to be put in place and the processes we need to follow to get the NPC up and running and ensure implementation in 2021.”

“Due to Covid-19 Regulations we cannot at this stage, nor could we for the past four months, hold a public meeting for the community to participate in and elect the board of the new non-profit company (NPC) required to manage the SRA. This needs to happen within six months of the creation of the NPC according to the by-law,” reads the letter.

According to him, due to the current situation regarding the pandemic, many people may also be under serious financial strain. “We must keep in mind that many pensioners and retirees (of which we have many in our area) rely on their investments for an income and these are currently severely impacted. The SRA could therefore be another financial strain to many community members at this stage. We therefore felt the responsible decision was to postpone the implementation of the SRA levy for a year.

The OVSRA includes all areas in Ward 13 (Onrus, Onrus North, Berghof and Vermont). The proposed first phase will entail purchasing and putting up CCTV cameras and implementing patrolling services. For more information, email the steering committee at onrus.vermont.sra@ gmail.com

“We could also not register the NPC as the department’s systems were down for a great part of lockdown and have only become operational recently. Many of the arrangements regarding the implementation of the SRA have been

“We trust that the community understands our difficulty in making this decision, and the disappointment of seeing our committed efforts to getting the vote through in time for 2020 implementation dashed. Nobody has

Westdene, Industria, Northcliff, the Central Business District (CBD), Eastcliff, Hermanus Heights, Fernkloof, Kwaaiwater and Voëlklip.

The special rate levy that property owners will pay, is available on the HSRA website – go to www.hermanussra.co.za for further details.

According to a letter sent to residents by Abner Inghels on behalf of the OVSRA Steering Committee, there were several reasons for making the request to postpone the implementation.

The KSRA will include all properties in the area within the boundaries of Kleinmond, being the eastern boundary of Heuningkloof, the coastline as the southern boundary, the western boundary of Palmiet and the informal settlement, and the mountain as northern boundary.

The proposed first phase will be the purchasing and putting up of CCTV cameras. For more information, visit www.kleinmondsra.co.za.

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5 August 2020

New technology to replace ADSL Writer De Waal Steyn

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esidents in Hermanus who make use of Telkom’s existing ADSL network will soon have to switch over to a fibre internet connection after it was announced that the telecoms company will shut down its ADSL offering on 1 September.

According to Openserve, the wholesale connectivity division of Telkom Group, all areas where fibre connectivity is available will be affected by the shutdown. According to a list provided by the company, Hermanus and Onrus will lose their ADSL connection.

Other towns in the Overstrand are not listed for shutdown.

In a letter sent to internet service providers (ISPs) the company said this move was part of its continued drive to upgrade services to next-generation technologies and reduce infrastructure duplication. The network requested the assistance of ISPs to help migrate customers from older technologies to fibre, noting that the standard cancellation and ordering processes would apply. The network added that all fibre installations for ADSL services that are migrated will be free.

“Openserve assures you of our intention to carry out our broadband network infrastructure upgrade with the least amount of disruption to your customers. We remain confident that the Openserve modernisation programme will benefit your business and your customers in the long run,” the company stated in the letter to ISPs. “Our strategy is to work closely with our ISP partners to offer fibre

connectivity and support them to migrate their customers on to it. With the increase in the need for faster and stable speeds for people working and learning from home, we believe this initiative ‘connects’ with the end-customers’ expectations,” according to the company.

Openserve CEO Althon Beukes said that in its drive to give the end-customers the best experience, Openserve will be discontinuing its copper-based broadband connectivity in areas where it has replaced it with the Openserve Fibre to the Home (FTTH) solution, and would encourage users to proactively move to its FTTH connectivity proposition through Openserve’s ISP partners, the company stated.

“We are encouraging all customers to move on to our modernised FTTH network and experience the joys of being able to connect and consume all required services on it,” Beukes said. He added that in areas where Openserve is yet to build out end-to-end fibre infrastructure, and finds its current copper infrastructure to be stable and reliable, the company will continue to support, maintain, and provide ADSL and VDSL services. “Openserve will also be taking strict measures not to sell services in areas where the copper infrastructure is old, of poor quality and has been prone to theft, vandalism and breakages.”

Beukes stated that while Openserve will migrate copper-connected customers to fibre where possible, it will continue to support its copper infrastructure as part of a hybrid fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) solution.

He said that the widespread need to have stable connectivity across a greater number of homes has led it to

believe that both fibre and copper can act effectively in quickly and reliably fulfilling the needs of customers.

“This hybrid use of both fibre and copper has proven very successful in many parts of the world including USA, New Zealand and UK to name a few.”

Openserve’s hybrid FTTC solution comprises a fibre connection to the curb or cabinet on the street and a copper connection to the individual customer’s home. According to the company, this solution can scale up to speeds of 40Mbps, which it said will allow it to compete with FTTH at more affordable wholesale prices.

According to fibre network provider, Lightstruck, work is continuing unabated to install fibre cables in Hermanus. “Lightstruck began installing fibre cabling in town last year and we are currently busy with installations in Fernkloof and Hermanus Heights,” said CEO Hannes Pieterse.

According to him there have been some delays during the lockdown but the company is confident that the current projects will be completed soon.

The installation process has been completed in the CBD and Eastcliff.

“The areas to follow will be Westcliff and Sandbaai, where there is good demand for fibre connections. At this stage we are unable to give a firm date on when work in these areas will start, but residents are welcome to visit www.lightstruck.co.za for more information or to register for a connection. We offer uncapped connections between 20Mbps and 100Mbps either through your existing local ISP or through our own suppliers, YUTiLiTi,” said Pieterse.

Deon Langenhoven has stepped down as Commander of NSRI Station 17, Hermanus to take up the role as operations manager at NSRI Head Quarters. André Barnard was voted in as the new Station Commander on Saturday. Members of the NSRI thanked Deon for his many years of service and dedication and welcomed André in his new role. Hermanus NSRI recently took occupation of their brand-new base in the New Harbour. More than R14 million has been spent on building the new station (see building design

by Nicolette Lloyd Architectural Design below), which will also take delivery of a new ORC search and rescue vessel to the value of R15 million at the end of the year.

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5 August 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

Good, good, good vibrations The next edition of The Village NEWS will be available on 12 August 2020. The NEWS can be found at over 300 distribution points in the Overberg.

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

Hedda Mittner CONTENT EDITOR E: hedda@thevillagenews.co.za T: 083 645 3928

Raphael da Silva

There is no doubt that many of us are feeling thoroughly ‘down and out’ after more than four months of living in a State of Disaster. And there is no denying the devastating effect that this situation continues to have on most sectors of our community.

which every citizen enjoys the dignity of food security, a house to live in and the right to develop to his or her full potential; where anger turns to productivity and where we protect our precious environment, instead of destroying it?

Still, at the beginning of a new month, with the first green shoots of spring in evidence, perhaps it’s time to celebrate creativity and our unique good fortune to live in this space. Everywhere we go, we feel the energy and the good vibrations.

How often does an entire generation have the opportunity to create the kind of world we dream about – one of kindness, rather than greed; one in

Yet, this is the kind of creative environment we inhabit where, in the midst of despair, people are fashioning exciting new ways of doing things. In recent weeks, we have heard about hundreds of individuals and organisations who have stepped into the breach, throwing body and soul into providing food and other necessities to those members of our community who have most been bat-

Sugar & Spice

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

Elaine Davie SUB-EDITOR & JOURNALIST E: elaine@thevillagenews.co.za T: 084 343 7500

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

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

Nickey Jackson

tered by the disaster. We have seen businesses of all kinds make plans for survival and in many cases, find a solution that exceeds the challenge.

No wonder the strange little bi-pedal Hominids who roamed the hostile African veldt, stone axe in hand made such a go of it. They had the will to survive, they were thinkers, artists and musicians. Most importantly, they respected and lived in harmony with the natural world. Somewhere along the line, though, they grew too big for their boots and it has taken the most minuscule pinhead of living matter with no brain at all to change their perspective.

So there are fisher folk who have had

the bottom fall out of their trade, now helping scientists provide answers to the degradation of marine life; teachers from Pre-school to Grade 12 and beyond have found ways to reach out to their learners and keep them on track; organisations like Whale Coast Conservation, FynArts, U3A and OAK, instead of sinking into a state of despondency, have picked up the baton and gone online with stimulating and inspiring offerings.

Whether we realise it or not, we are creating the world we want. So get with the vibe y’all, and make it happen.

This is the good NEWS – Ed

Surviving on a shoestring

By Hélène Truter

I

can do anything. Yes, I can. Firstly, I'm a woman. Secondly, I'm South African. Thirdly... I'm still thinking about that one. Ah, got it. I'm creative.

A creative working South African mother. Strongest mammal on earth.

Approach with caution.

Making good TV drama isn't easy.

Making TV drama in South Africa is what the politicians call “a challenge” (i.e. a balls-up). Making TV drama in SA during Covid-19 is Mission Impossible.

(And Tom Cruise can't join us due to travel restrictions.) However, TV is a hungry medium and my bank account is empty. After all, the new SA motto is: F*cked but Focused. Oh, get off the floor, we're mid-pandemic. Swearing is the least of our problems.

Many people ask me how to get into the film industry. Here's a short summary of how the process of creating a TV drama works. Especially when working for the National Broadcaster.

1) It all starts with wild enthusiasm.

Whoop-whoop! This is going to be a fantastic creative experience. I'm going to change the world.

2) Meetings galore. With unenthused non-creatives. They will look at the budget.

3) There's no budget due to “a challenge” (i.e. theft).

4) Utter despair/depression. Me. Not the suits.

5) Wait. Wait. Wait. Okay, not going to happen. Oh well, let's go out, have a fabulous time and drink. Damn, none of the above allowed. Maybe if we go in a taxi?

6) Unexpected phone call. Can you start immediately? What? Now? No! I mean, can I eh... get ready quickly?

(Been in my pjs for a week.)

7) We get the all-clear. No contract yet but the legal department is working on it. The Caretaker Executive CFO is on compassionate leave. (i.e. doesn't feel like working.)

8) Rainbow team compulsory. Okidoki.

Work, work, work. Pressure, pressure, pressure. “Challenging” to write a love story where the actors have to keep their social distance. Every location has to be sanitised daily. No budget for PPE. 9) More budget cuts. Huh? I haven't received any money. What's to cut?

(Except your throat, Mr Fatcat in the Suit.)

10) Token Search for the guilty party ensues. Tantrums. Walk-outs.

11) Persecution of the innocent. Promotion of the incompetent.

12) Nervous breakdown.

13) Get up and carry on.

doesn't make her a big spender. It makes you an idiot… Huh-uh. Last word, remember? A man will pay R100 for a R50 item that he needs. A woman will spend R50 on a R100 item that she doesn't need. Because it was on sale, of course. So, who's the big spender, huh?

And that was only the script-writing process. Still want to be in the movies, sweetheart? After months of trauma, two people remained standing: Yip, you guessed it. Two women. Hey, this is Woman's month, so indulge me.

I know women are stunning creatures, but I'm biased. So, I did a random search.

However, I'd like this to be a useful article for men as well. If you're married you probably know this, but now you have confirmation: you're not alone.

A woman knows all about her children. From most-hated subject to latest crush, friends favourite food, secret fears, hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument. Women need the 329 items in the bathroom. Just because you can only identify 18 of these products,

Jacinda Ardern, Simonetta Sommaruga, Angela Merkel. Yes, all heads of State. Not such a big deal, many women have run countries. But: go check how they have steered their countries through the current Covid-19 pandemic. Mi'lady, I rest my case.

One of the main reasons why my business has survived is the fact that women love ‘pretty’. Not so practical.

Keep that in mind next time you want to spoil her, which should be at least twice a day. One of my most prolific suppliers sums up how a business can survive: “We've done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.”

Yes, she's a woman. South African. Creative. Like me.

HERMANUS: SEVEN-DAY WEATHER AND TIDE TABLE Wed | 5 Aug

Thurs | 6 Aug

Fri | 7 Aug

Sat | 8 Aug

Sun | 9 Aug

Mon | 10 Aug

Tues | 11 Aug

7°/12° Rain

10°/14° Rain

9°/17° Clear

9°/20° Partly Cloudy

11°/14° Rain

12°/14° Partly Cloudy

8°/15° Clear

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE E: nickey@thevillagenews.co.za T: 079 408 7722

ADMIN & FINANCE E: admin@thevillagenews.co.za

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Talisman Tool Hire Weather: www.yr.co.za / Tides: www.tide-forecast.com

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Weekly Rainfall 0mm Last week 1mm

07:42 13:40 20:08 01:43 De Bos Dam 49.03% Last week 49.03%

LOCKDOWN LEVEL:

LEV

COVID-19 DASHBOARD OVERSTRAND

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5 August 2020

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EL

TOTAL CASES AS OF 3 AUGUST0:

OVERSTRAND BREAKDOWN OF CASES: TOTAL (ACTIVE)

WORLD: 18 354 493 SOUTH AFRICA: 511 485 WESTERN CAPE: 95 407 (18.65% of cases in SA) OVERBERG: 2 928

• FISHERHAVEN: 13 (3) • GANSBAAI: 243 (43) - 3 deaths • HAWSTON: 102 (14) - 1 death • HERMANUS: 143 (23) - 4 deaths • KLEINMOND: 85 (14) - 1 death

• MT PLEASANT: 127 (14) - 1 death • ONRUS: 50 (5) - 2 deaths • SANDBAAI: 27 (7) • STANFORD: 70 (6) - 2 deaths • VERMONT: 15 (1) • ZWELIHLE: 522 (41) - 5 deaths

TOTAL: 1 397 (171) - 18 deaths

LAST WEEK'S TOTAL CASES: WORLD: 16 535 241 SOUTH AFRICA: 445 433 (5th in the world) WESTERN CAPE: 91 180 OVERBERG: 2 751 OVERSTRAND: 1 334

(27 JULY)

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

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

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

Dear Mr President, we need your help Your country is tired, scared and most of all running out of hope that they will survive this struggle. I am sure you have received thousands of letters, all saying the same thing: your people need your help. They don't know what to do.

What happens when the people dying of hunger become more than those dying of Covid-19? Will you then decide that we should be allowed to work?

How do you suppose these South Africans will be able to live an honest, lawful life if you take away their only income, especially when they have families to feed? How many times have you had to look your family in the eye during this lockdown and tell them you don't know if you’ll be able to pay rent this month, or put food on the table?

I understand that there are relief funds but Mr

President, have you tried applying for any of these funds? Have you spoken to anyone outside of your ministers and your inner circle about this disaster that is happening? Have you heard a single voice of any of your people crying out for help? How can you issue these irrational bans and regulations and say they are in our best interest, and not realise that they have left millions of South Africans unemployed, bankrupted, hopeless and hungry? Why should people be forced to resort to illegal activities as a source of income?

Please Mr. President, I know like the rest of us you are tired of Covid-19. But it did not need to come to this – a country in ruins, our economy broken, the highest unemployment rate South Africa has ever seen. Please Mr President, let us work, let us live.

Waistcoat

Why are ablution facilities still closed?

As a fairly level-headed, logical individual, I’m confused as to why we’re now allowed to exercise and enjoy our beautiful outdoors as much as possible, yet the public toilets / ablutions are still locked and off limits?

I walk regularly along our Hermanus Cliff Path or Onrus / Vermont Coastal Path and I’m wondering how joggers, dog walkers and families with children manage to plan their exercise routine to include a quick detoured sprint into one of the restaurants now open at the Old Harbour Waterfront, or cross their legs until they reach Dutchies at Grotto Beach?

I was under the impression that most nature reserves and parks were recently opened to the public again – shouldn’t the public ablu-

tions also be? Those with bladder problems have surely had to resort to squatting in the bushes on emergency occasions since the beginning of Lockdown – enough is enough!

Perplexed Hermanus Resident Response from Overstrand Municipality: All public ablution facilities at beaches are currently closed in compliance with the Level 3 lockdown regulations. Only about 50% of our Beaches and Parks employees are back at work due to the restriction on this department’s services. The municipality therefore does not have essential workers to clean and maintain these facilities and there is a risk of them being vandalised if they were to be open 24/7.

Gavin Turner: Goodbye, my friend On Thursday, 30 July 2020, Gavin Turner, one of our dearest friends slipped and fell to his death at Vogelgat Private Nature Reserve while photographing the Verreaux's Eagles.

He was accompanied by close friends John and Erna Dry, who were familiar with the area and were experienced mountaineers. On realising that Gavin had fallen, Erna immediately raised the alarm by calling the Vogelgat office, while John climbed down the very dangerous cliffs to look for Gavin and stay with him until the rescue teams could get to them.

When they arrived, Erna directed the way to follow down the gorge to find Gavin, but on their arrival, tragically, they found that he had already passed away.

Nineteen years ago Gavin and Cynthia Turner decided to move down from Gauteng to the Western Cape, and after looking around, they decided to settle in Onrus. From the outset, they realised that being Vaalies, they would have to reach out to make friends in their new home.

Gavin joined the Whalers Athletic Club and they both joined the Photographic Society and the Hermanus Bird Club, and started a cycling group. They regularly attended the U3A presentations and their love of music saw them attending many music performances.

They have always been very keen travellers, both overseas and through Africa.

They have travelled from the Himalayas to Antarctica, from Alaska to New Zealand, and were still planning to cross over Afri-

ca, from Morocco to South Africa. When we moved to Onrus many years later, we became neighbours and very close friends, and we started travelling with them all over Southern Africa. Gavin and Cynthia are both excellent photographers and their love for birds have led them to every corner of Africa, where they could get pictures to add to their bird list, which was the reason for the walk in Vogelgat.

When Gavin slipped and fell to his death, he was engaged in doing what he loved most – mountaineering, birding and photography. He was a gentle, kind person who was always prepared to help you, give advice and walk the extra mile with you. He was loved by all who knew him and will be sorely missed.

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MY WELLNESS Dr Arien van der Merwe is a medical doctor, author, holistic health counsellor, stress management consultant, and specialist corporate health & wellness service provider. She teaches group and individual meditation and relaxation classes online and at The Green Healing Space, 16 Hope St (c/o Dirkie Uys St), Hermanus. Visit www.DrArien.co.za or contact 067 116 6111 / Hermanus@DrArien.co.za.

Youthful Living

Mental health in a changing, uncertain world

By Dr Arien van der Merwe

S

tress is insidious and as the survival tool for fight, flight or freeze, it has an impact on every one of the 50 trillion cells in our bodies. This reaction is essential to avoid immediate, physical danger, such as hitting the brakes to avoid an accident. However, stress is mostly triggered by our inner default mode of how we feel and think – ruminating, worrying, and being fearful or angry.

The body experiences stressful feelings as though they are physical dangers and the whole cascade of the stress reaction is triggered throughout our mind and body. Prolonged periods of this incessant and unnecessary reaction leads to distress that can cause many chronic diseases and ailments, from mental to physical.

It also robs us of joy and a sense of wellbeing.

Let’s now return to our cells – the functional core of our bodies. Every one of these tiny cells is an intelligent life form that governs what goes on in our bodies. What we tend to forget, however, is that they are extremely obedient.

Our cells listen to every word we say, every thought we think, and every emotion we feel – and follow our instructions to a tee.

And that is why it is very important to manage fear by monitoring, through constant aware-

ness, how we feel inside. It is essential that we learn how to keep the heart, brain and mind healthy to support immune system and heart health, while curbing inflammation.

The wonderful, hopeful fact is that we can change our stress reaction through various practical ways, including a deliberate daily relaxation practice, to develop calm centeredness and peace of mind, at will. It takes some practice, perseverance, and patience (I call them the three Ps), but we can all learn to master our stress reaction through mental-emotional training.

We all intuitively know how bad stress is for us. At the root of stress is fear, which has been around since just after we crawled out of the primordial soup! While we know it’s destructive, it is also insidious and very difficult to overcome, because it has become an ingrained brain pattern with a survival bias – deep inside the reptilian, instinctual part of our brains. Fear has been established over many years and many generations. We get this default setting from our genetics handed down from our ancestors.

It is time now for us to break this negative programming and take back control of the instructions we give our cells. And the good news is: every single one of us can learn how to do this and improve our inner fitness. Practical stress management and relaxation training for mindful mental wellbeing, using principles of neuroplasticity to rewire and reconnect to deeper values, are solutions we can apply on a daily basis.

Always remember that we are free, sovereign souls embodied in a physical body whose natural state is to be happy, whole (the meaning of the root word of ‘health’), joyful and free! Fear is an impostor and here is a way to deal with it to restore calmness and inner peace: Become aware of, and feel this fear, sit with it, find where it is located in your body, and notice

how it changes, like all emotions do if we pay attention to them. Don’t resist the feeling. Be with it, accepting and allowing, letting it wash through and out of you, and drop through the layers to reach, even for a moment, an awareness of a deep place inside yourself. A place of stillness, of quiet and peace, of unconditional love.

Then ask, from within this space, what the right choices are for you. When you believe this safe space to be true, and you are firm and sure, you will always have a bubble of protection that won’t allow people in who try to scare you into making choices based on fear, and that are not in your own best interest. Choose from within the ways to enhance and restore your natural state: health and wholeness, living in joy and inner peace, doing what you love as a calling, rather than slogging away at a job – it’s all in the attitude, intention and mindset of how you go about your daily life.

How do we find the necessary calm, creativity and focus to not only cope and adapt, but to thrive? The following exercise is another starting place: Breathe deeply to connect with this moment.

Allow the breath to enter every cell, straighten your spine and be grateful for this life; feel the breath of life (light, love, chi, prana, life force) in your whole being, invigorating every single cell,

and every one of the 50 trillion molecular geniuses that make up your physical form. Exhale all the fear and worries into a neutralising bubble. Focus in your mind, on what delights you, what makes you truly happy and joyful. Breathe in your surroundings, taste the air and the freshness of the day, notice the blessings and wonders of nature around you. A few moments of mindful breathing and sense awareness can make all the difference to your day.

Practise these two exercises every morning and evening, even if it’s only for five minutes. They will go a long way to alleviate that ominous feeling that we get so often in our everyday lives (and especially now!) and to send the correct happy messages to our obedient and hard-working little cells.

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A role model of substance for local women Writer & Photographer Hedda Mittner

M

ore than ever before, 2020 has been the year when people around the globe are sitting up and taking notice of the impressive way in which female world leaders are steering their countries through a devastating pandemic.

From Angela Merkel in Germany to Jacinda Adern in New Zealand, these women have demonstrated the ability to be both warm and authoritative in times of crisis, with an effective leadership style that is driven by humility and kindness, and a willingness to listen to representatives of diverse backgrounds and expertise.

These are the very qualities that the Overstrand’s Deputy Mayor, Elnora Gillion possesses. Born and bred in Hawston, she comes from a family of community activists – among them was her aunt, Florence de Villiers, a founding member and the first general secretary of the South African Domestic Workers Union in the eighties who later served as an ANC councillor. It seems almost inevitable that Elnora, too, would become a pillar of strength in her community and end up in the political arena, fighting for the vulnerable and the oppressed.

Her father was a fisherman who was often away at sea for days and weeks at a time. The family moved often and Elnora remembers one time when her father came home and couldn’t find his family. “We’d had to move again because my mother couldn’t afford to pay the rent and my father had no idea where we were!” After asking around, community members soon pointed him in the right direction and the family was reunited.

After attending primary school in Hawston, Elnora spent her high school years at Swartberg High in Caledon, matriculating in 1993. “It was a tumultuous time,” she recalls.

“Big changes were afoot in our country.” The second daughter in a family of four girls, Elnora was the only one

to matriculate. Growing up in a poor community was never easy, and she knew that she would have to look after herself. During her high school years, she often worked at the Sonesta community hall at Meerensee, washing dishes, and later got a job at Strati’s Superette in Hermanus.

Although as a teenager, Elnora’s dream was to become an air hostess and travel the world, she decided that acquiring more technical skills would stand her in good stead, and after matriculating, she enrolled for a computer course at Boston College in Bellville. Staying with family members in Eersterivier, she travelled alone by train to attend her classes and was proud to achieve her first post-matric qualification.

Back in Hermanus, Elnora was packing shelves in Strati’s when the bank manager of the newly-opened Nedbank branch in town came into the shop. Wasting no time, Elnora told him that she thought she would be an excellent candidate for a job in the bank. After giving him her CV, the job was hers.

“Having a victim mentality will never get you anywhere,” she says simply.

“You have to have the courage to believe in yourself and your abilities.”

As her career in banking progressed, first at Nedbank and then at FNB and ABSA, Elnora moved up through the various channels, from the enquiries desk to business banking, expanding her knowledge along the way by earning further qualifications. She was the bank manager at ABSA’s Gansbaai branch for a number of years before going back to business banking, her real forte. “I enjoyed building solid relationships and supporting my small business clients,” she says.

In between working full-time, Elnora got married to Craig Gillion, a teacher at Gansbaai Academia (they recently celebrated their silver wedding anniversary), had two babies – Hazel-Ann is now 24 and Noah is 21 – and more

recently took in a foster child, Riley, when she was eight months old. The family is currently in the process of legally adopting Riley, who is now seven.

“In my banking career I often had to make tough choices,” says Elnora.

“Challenging male colleagues, and especially male superiors, was a big no-no. But I have always stood up for what I believe to be right. My family had shown me that if you don’t agree with something, you speak out – even if it lands you in jail.”

This fearless defiance is part of what makes Elnora such an effective leader.

The other part, however, is even more important. As a woman, she has true empathy and compassion for others; she is open, direct and accessible, and forges relationships built on trust. She is confident and comfortable in her own skin; has no need to put on airs and is always ready to listen and help. “Just as I always try to be the best I can be, I also see the best in others. Whenever I’m approached with a problem, I always want to know more, because we should never think that we know everything. So I always try to find out what motivates people, and I believe in engaging with them to find out how we can solve a problem.”

Even during her banking career, and while raising her children, Elnora was always involved in community work, including CSI projects and social welfare programmes, such as soup kitchens and the rehabilitation of tik addicts. Her community work did not go unnoticed, and in 2016 the DA approached Elnora to stand as a candidate councillor. “I worked very closely with the late mayor of the Overstrand, Rudolf Smit, and I realised it was time,” she says, “for me to use my political affiliation as a vehicle to bring about change.” In the 2016 election, Elnora was voted in as Councillor for Ward 8 (Hawston, Fisherhaven, Honingklip and Arabella) and also chosen as a member of the Mayoral Committee.

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Deputy Mayor of the Overstrand, Elnora Gillion, relaxing at home with her family. From left, at the back, are her husband Craig, Elnora and their son, Noah. In front are daughters Hazel-Ann and Riley with the family’s rescue dog, Bella.

“During the past four years, there have been significant changes within the municipality, including more budget implementation in areas such as Hawston, Zwelihle, Kleinmond and Gansbaai. This is important because policies and bylaws must benefit all residents – not just some of them,” says Elnora firmly. “Some of them were promulgated ages ago and need to be adapted. The municipality also needs a strategy to change people’s perception about local government by engaging more regularly with civil organisations and building bridges.”

Known for her skills as a mediator, Elnora says it is important for people to feel that their voices are being heard. “Many residents in my ward have valid concerns about housing allocation, for example, and when meetings are held, they have to be given the opportunity to express their frustrations. I’m not afraid of conflict and I always remain calm, even when people start throwing chairs around!” she laughs. “People don’t feel removed from me because I’m the Deputy Mayor; I stand among the members of my community and they know I am there for them.”

For the same reason, Elnora took up the cause of the restaurant owners during the recent ‘One Million Seats on the Streets’ protest, urging the police to let the protesters’ voices be heard when they demanded that the restaurateurs remove their tables and chairs from the streets. “Although I knew that it went against the State of Disaster prohibition on gatherings, I believe in their cause and I had to follow my heart and support them.”

Being elected as Deputy Mayor in February 2019 was “a great honour and also a great responsibility”, says Elnora. Her hectic schedule leaves little time for her family, but they are very supportive of the work she does and are clearly very proud of her.

“We all have a dream for ourselves and, while women may have to overcome more obstacles than men, there are always opportunities.

People will try to put you down, but you have to be brave and persevere, take good care of your health, and surround yourself with positive people who believe in you. Now is the time for us to be hopeful and to take hands as there is a lot of hard work that lies ahead.”

5 August 2020

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Hermanus Varsity fired up for the digital era Writer Elaine Davie

D

elana Finlayson, CEO of the Hermanus Varsity Trust (HVT) is excited. “We’re on a roller coaster ride at the Varsity; lockdown has opened up so many possibilities for us, especially in the field of digital education. Our target group is the youth and they’re hungry for anything digital. There are all sorts of brilliant projects planned for next year, but right now, our first consideration is to offer support to local matric students – and, for that matter, Grades 10 and 11 as well.”

HVT is tapping into a telematic system operated

by Stellenbosch University which offers review packages for all the main Grade 12 subjects.

Live presentations are given in real time by a panel of what Delana refers to as “brilliant, passionate and inspirational teachers”. These are interactive sessions, but they are also available in recorded form. Students will be able to log into them from home, but if they do so from the Varsity Hub, there will be local facilitators on hand (specialists in the particular subject being covered), who will be able to lead a discussion on the work or clarify issues. Unfortunately, because of lockdown regulations, no more than 20 students will be able to attend these sessions at a time.

“We’re introducing so many exciting courses next year that we’re hoping many of this year’s matriculants, especially those who for one reason or another are not able to leave Hermanus for further study, will register for one of them,” says Delana. “Lockdown has given us the time and space, not only to restructure our programme, but also to add new courses, especially in the digital and technological fields.

“All courses now fall under one of several Schools at the Varsity,” she explains: Business Leadership (including courses like Project Management); Environmental studies (including law enforcement and conservation, with an internship at CapeNature); Aquaculture (with courses designed by Stellenbosch University), Agro-Ecology, and Music and Art, under the leadership of Prof Caroline van Niekerk.

“What we would really like to see,” says Delana, “is a situation where as many students as possible obtain Bachelor’s passes. More especially, we are hoping that borderline students will make use of this opportunity, those who without this extra boost, might just miss the cut-off point to obtain a tertiary-level pass.

This support programme is absolutely free to the learner and we’re starting it this very week, when the Grade 12s are back at school.”

“Music courses are being certificated by Stellenbosch University and the London School of Music, giving us an international connection. We are also working with Stefné van Dyk of the Handevat Foundation and her team, for practical training and the hugely exciting initiative to establish an Overstrand orchestra. Our Visual Arts programme will be launched next year, with the emphasis on marketable skills like graphic design. We are also hoping to mount an art exhibition at the Hub at the end of the year, pandemic permitting.”

For those who aren’t able to log into the live presentations at the Hub, bandwidth, speed and data availability at home might be a problem, but the Varsity would be happy to set up the system for them on their own laptops.

All the information about the content and how to sign up for this programme, including study material and workbooks for Grades 10 and 11, can be found on the Varsity website, www. hermanusvarsity.co.za.

A School of Education is being established in partnership with Stadio, the tertiary arm of Curro, starting with an ECD Higher Certificate, incorporating a strong music component.

Depending on interest, a B Ed will also be introduced. Another project under the auspices of the School of Education will be a Career Guidance Centre. Students will be able to undergo professional psychometric testing, as well as career counselling. Most local schools

PHOTOS: Johann Kruger

LEFT: Qhamani Mafilikane started at Hermanus Varsity with no knowledge of computers. She has since joined the Excel for Business Course and is passing modules with marks above 80%. ABOVE: Safety protocols such as mask wearing and social distancing are practised at the HVT Hub. don’t have this facility and as Delana emphasises, no one wants to land up as a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, simply for lack of insight into the kind of career that would suit them best.

Another innovative School currently being developed is the School of Digital Studies under the enthusiastic leadership of Torben Pheiffer, with his 20 years of international experience in this field. These courses will focus on providing young people with skills for local employment – incidentally, a great option for those wanting to work from home.

“Of course there is a need for a certain aptitude for this field of study,” he says, “but we can give them the necessary skills and a choice of options and then it’s up to them to take the ball and run with it. We’ve divided the courses into four streams: Digital Project Management is for naturally collaborative people, structured in thinking and approach and who value creating results through teams; Digital Technology would suit the stereotypical techie nerd, as it involves deep concentration and hours of focus while coding. We will provide a basis in several languages – HTML, Javascript and Python.

“Then there’s Data Analytics, enabling students to capture data from different sites and create strategic reports for scenario planning, for example. The last is Digital Content, which includes courses in videography, photography and copywriting. The emphasis is on practical product development for the creative personality who wants to get into web design or the production of marketing material. A year in length, it starts with a foundational overview of all four disciplines lasting six months. The following six months are spent specialising in one of the four streams. The basic requirement for digital development is, of course, the availability of ubiquitous, reliable fibre connectivity. We must band together as a community to make this available in the Overstrand. ” So! Instead of falling into a state of lethargy, HVT is clearly riding a wave of creative productivity. “Sometimes it all seems totally overwhelming,” laughs Delana, “but it’s so inspiring that it keeps me on my toes; it’s great to be part of such an exciting team and while we’re going full steam ahead to meet the educational needs of the community, we’re having fun as well.

What more could you ask?”

Registration for all 2021 HVT courses will take place this month. Please check the website: www.hermanusvarsity.co.za.

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5 August 2020

MY HOME

The time for change is now By Stephen de Stadler Managing Director Fine & Country Hermanus, Arabella and Kleinmond

I

received a deeply disturbing call last week from a friend of more than 20 years. He and his family are leaving the country, prepared to emigrate to literally anywhere in the world that will take them. This a family whose ancestors have never lived anywhere else apart from South Africa.

It is not difficult to understand the logic behind decisions of this nature. Even if we ignore the economic effects of this global pandemic called Covid-19, the South African economy has to also withstand the apparent disregard for those basic fundamentals that one would assume form the basis of a properly governed country. A duly elected and constituted government works for the people, all the people, to ensure that a country delivers the best possible economic conditions so that its citizens can live and thrive in relative security.

There are many examples of failed governments, failed democracies, failed monarchies, but that does not mean that South Africa has to be one of them. This last week has again seen an outpouring of emotion that leads to

death and destruction.

The main highways of the Western Cape became impassable at times as land invasions on a mass scale turned violent when the security forces intervened. I am not saying for one minute that land invasions should be allowed, and when they occur they have to be stopped, but the root of the problem lies with the government. You cannot promise housing for all for more than 26 years and expect people to merely accept non-delivery. The government would do well to remember the English proverb: you reap what you sow.

The provision of housing does however require funding being made available from the government coffers. In a pre-Covid, growing South African economy the money should have been available. I say should because it is not there. I pause here to acknowledge our current leader, President Ramaphosa, who I submit is working tirelessly under very difficult circumstances, within an Executive that may not fully support him, or certainly don’t all appear to when

The views expressed below are those of the writer in his personal capacity and may not necessarily reflect the views of Fine & Country as a national and international brand.

viewed from the outside.

From the perspective of the average person, how does it make any sense to ban the sale of tobacco products, and continue to do so, when it is obvious that the illicit trade in cigarettes has merely stepped in to fill the gap? Take this further and consider that these illegal tobacco products are being brought across our borders, also illegally. The banning of a legitimate business has caused a proliferation of crime in two other respects. How does this make sense?

We need to arrest the wholescale theft by people in power, of money that should be directed to the provision of housing, education, and health care. We need to work within our communities to resolve our problems at local level. We must recognise that rioting and destruction of property are unlikely to change the ability of the government to provide additional resources. They frankly do not have the money, because of the widespread corruption in the higher echelons of power. I dare say that

President Ramaphosa now needs our support, more than ever before, to root out corruption at all levels of government.

We call on our President to do the right thing; to get rid of those elements that have forgotten that political governance is not about enriching yourself but rather about serving the people that elected you. Mr President, you have a large support base across South Africa.

Please, have the courage to do that which is truly in the best interest of South Africa and know that it will increase the support of your citizens. Use consultants that do not have vested interests, accept that politicians with personal agendas should be removed from power and, above all else, trust the process.

Trust that South Africans genuinely love their country, and want to thrive in this country, and do not want to leave for so-called greener pastures.

In closing, allow me to express my sincere thanks to the many of you that have sent me personal messages relating to my executive appointment to Fine & Country South Africa. I assure you that I will, however, always be local, and dedicated to encouraging South Africans to stand together to ensure that our country returns to a position of economic growth, coupled with the peace and unity that has been evidenced on numerous joyous occasions.

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5 August 2020

MY ENVIRONMENT

R.I.P. Hermanus Bypass?

By Dr Anina Lee

M

ost people in Hermanus are aware of the saga of the CBD bypass road. It has now reached a critical point.

If the provincial environmental authority (DEA&DP) gives the project environmental authorisation, the way will be open to build a provincial road that will cut a swathe through a very special section of our own Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR).

You may well ask how that is possible.

Surely Fernkloof is a protected nature reserve? Yes, it is. South Africa has laws in place that are designed to prevent the loss of conservation-worthy land.

But there is a caveat. If the supporters of the road can prove that there is no feasible alternative and that the need for the incursion into the reserve is critical, then a so-called “biodiversity offset” can be motivated to make up for the loss of protected land.

themselves in the feet, their aim could not have been better.

Authors of the offset report Let’s first look at who wrote the “Biodiversity Offset” Report. No, not an “independent biodiversity specialist”, but a trio made up of an employee of the Overstrand Municipality (hardly independent) and two members of the consulting team that is trying to justify the bypass in the first place (who are neither independent nor biodiversity specialists).

Who are the specialists who reviewed the report? They are none other than an engineer connected to the company that stands to gain if the road is built, and an employee of the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works who wants to build the road.

And there seems to be no budget specified for the alien clearing, even for the five years specified, let alone after that.

For many years the Onrus Estuary Forum has been asking the municipality to clear water-sucking trees and to repair damage to the Onrus River watercourse caused by previous failed attempts at clearing, which resulted in large trees being felled into the river, to no avail. Attempting to rectify this under the guise of a biodiversity offset can charitably be called disingenuous.

As Whale Coast Conservation Chair, Dr Pat Miller says: “The offset plan is supposed to provide an environ-

mental compensation for the loss of land from a formally protected area and the loss of wetland protected by a previous Environmental Management Plan. These are extremely serious issues. This Offset Plan does not even begin to approach the gravity of the issue. It should be rejected out of hand.”

However, it is not quite the end yet.

If you would like to have a voice in the outcome of the bypass saga, please fill in an easy-to-use online form that you will find at: https:// forms.gle/1rR9WB8mESPoQ2NB8.

As of this weekend, the Whale Coast Conservation campaign has already elicited over 1 000 responses.

Is the proposed exchange a fair one?

What is offered as fair exchange?

So what is being proposed in exchange for running a road through the most vulnerable and biodiverse section of FNR? What piece of land is so biodiverse that it is a suitable exchange for land in Fernkloof?

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NEWS 2m

Is there another piece of land so special that it can be exchanged for a slice of Fernkloof’s unique fynbos?

Whether DEA&DP approves a route through Fernkloof hinges largely on this issue. DEA&DP instructed the road consultants to appoint an “independent biodiversity specialist” to conduct a study to see if such a piece of land can be identified. This study had to be included in the Amended Final Environmental Impact Report.

Drum roll for the big reveal… If the consultants had wanted to shoot

Even if it were cleared, have the private property owners been involved in this offset proposal? Again, no.

None of them have been consulted on this plan, nor has the Onrus Mountain Conservancy with which the properties are associated. No consultation has been held with any of the conservation organisations in the area, nor has it been put to the Fernkloof Advisory Board.

Add to this the fact that in any case the municipality has an existing legal obligation to keep its property – especially in a riverine area – clear of aliens, offset or no offset. This has not been done in any significant way. So not much gain for Fernkloof there.

2m

2m

After the recent rain storms, the Overberg is decked out in glorious fields of yellow canola.

In the foreground is Deon Steenkamp of the Hermanus Photographic Society.

PHOTO: James Luckhoff

As the offset, the Overstrand Municipality has offered to clear portions of the Onrus River catchment area between the De Bos Dam and the R43 of alien invasive vegetation for a maximum period of five years.

Well over 70% of the affected land is in private ownership, over which the municipality has no control and which the nature-loving public would not be able to access. The rest is owned by the Overstrand Municipality (and a negligible portion is public land).

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Whale Coast is open Writer De Waal Steyn

B

usinesses and accommodation establishments are readying themselves for what is expected to be the first bumper tourism weekend since the national lockdown started on 27 March.

With Women’s Day being celebrated on Sunday 9 August and Monday being a public holiday, this will be the first time in more than 125 days that accommodation establishments across the area will be allowed to welcome guests, albeit under strict lockdown conditions.

According to the new regulations, accommodation establishments are permitted no more than two people per room, except for a nuclear family (parents and their children). Establishments are also legally obliged to require and keep a copy of proof of identity of visitors.

Tour operators can conduct guided tours in

What is a “biodiversity offset”?

It’s supposed to be a fair swop. The proposers can identify a piece of land that is equally conservation-worthy, that can reasonably be incorporated into the FNR, and will be protected and maintained forever – just like the rest of FNR. DEA&DP has asked the project to propose such an exchange of like-for-like fynbos as compensation for land that will be lost to the road in FNR.

www.thevillagenews.co.za

5 AUGUST 2020

You be the judge. Above is a photo of the pristine fynbos next to Mountain Drive. The finished road plus pedestrian walkway would cut a swathe 30 metres wide through the vegetation (photo below). Of course, getting to that point would entail a far wider area of impact, as the current Hermanus to Stanford roadworks make clear. The photo at the bottom shows what the Overstrand Municipality offers in exchange.

PHOTOS: Whale Coast Conservation

open safari vehicles, subject to provision for both social distancing and maximum ventilation.

reserves are ready for rediscovery. And so is the irresistibly beautiful countryside surrounding the towns.

Visitors to Hermanus will be welcomed by a tablecloth-and-bedding banner, displayed in the Old Harbour. This ‘hospitality flag’, stitched together from squeaky-clean linen by tourism business owners, is a warm invitation to visitors from across the Western Cape. The banner, which will be put up on Friday, will bear the hashtag #HermanusIsOpen.

“Hospitality establishments, business owners and their staff have used the Covid-19 lockdown period to implement hygiene and safety protocols that enable visitors to enjoy the diversity and natural beauty of the region safely. And the town’s famous champagne air is an immune booster in its own right.

“The banner signals that Hermanus is collectively open for business. It also symbolises the town’s commitment to offering visitors the best of the Whale Coast in a safe, hygienic environment,” said Whale Coast Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd.

With the annual whale season at its peak, she said visitors from across the province are expected to visit the Whale Coast. “Our restaurants, art galleries, adventure activities and nature

“The doors and hearts of Hermanus are wide open. We can’t wait to welcome you!” said Lloyd.

“We rely on Capetonians and residents of surrounding towns to take up the open invitation we’ve extended. We have missed you and look forward to welcoming our loyal friends back!”

Lloyd said indications are that all the towns across the area will be busier than they have been since the lockdown started. “Accommodation bookings are looking favourable and several establishments are reporting bookings

for the rest of the year. With our towns reporting busier weekends over the last few weeks, the upcoming long-weekend is just what we need to give our economy a much-needed boost.”

With inter-provincial travel restrictions still in place, this is the perfect opportunity for visitors from over the mountain to explore beyond their neighbourhoods and remind themselves why Hermanus is one of the premium tourist destinations in the world.

David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities said the lifting of restrictions on leisure travel is welcomed by the provincial government. “This finally ends months of flip-flopping which has caused immense financial damage and significant jobs losses that could have been avoided if a common-sense approach had been taken from the start. We call on all people who can, to book a holiday or even just a night away, to support the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape,” he urged.

Continues on P2

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