Bulletin Newspaper 16 December 2022

Photo: Joe Dreyer

Promises, promises, empty promises

■ Je Jackson

President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ministry of Water and Sanitation have assured the communities of Giyani and Mopani that the problems they experienced with water will soon be a thing of the past. This was after a visit to the area by President Cyril Ramaphosa and minister of water and sanitation, Mandla Mchunu on Sunday.

The visit was aimed at assuring residents that their water problems were still attended to by the government. Ramaphosa told residents that minister Mchunu was working around the clock to solve the problem. This after the project to supply residents of 55 villages turned into another white elephant when it could not be completed after it started in 2014. A mere R500 000 was in-

flated to R4 billion, but residents are still without water with officials being litigated to recover the lost monies.

Addressing residents of Giyani, Ramaphosa said water was not only life but a right all the people have, and as government they accept that all the years people of Giyani were denied their constitutional right to have clean, running water.

“The minister knows of all the challenges faced by the country and is committed to making changes. He knows that there are problems with water supply and the minister has promised that progress is being made in that regard and where there are problems, a solution would be found. People of Giyani you have rich soil here and all you need is clean water,” he said.

Limpopo premier Stanley Mathabatha, during a visit to the area two years ago, also assured residents the

problems will be solved and people of Giyani would have clean water but to no avail.

The project came into being after a visit to the area by then President Jacob Zuma. He promised to fight the water woes through extracting water from Nandoni dam into Nsavi dam and though infrastructure was built through the laying out of a pipeline, and the construction of reservoirs, nothing came out of the project.

In 2018 Ramaphosa ordered the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate officials at the Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) and the company given the contract, LTE, aimed at recovering the lost monies. LNW former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Philemon Legodi had since stepped down and his pensions payout was frozen by the SIU in order to recover the lost amounts.

More than 10 000 rapes reported

More than 13 000 women were victims of assault with intend to cause grievous bodily harm, 1 277 were victims of attempted murder, and 989 were murdered during a three-months period in South Africa.

Furthermore 10 000 rape cases were reported nationwide during the same time, whilst malicious damage to property increased in Phalaborwa by a staggering 450% compared to the previous year.

This is according to the latest crime statistics released by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, compared to the same period over the previous year of the third quarter which includes July, August, and September.

According to Cele’s statistics, no murder cases were reported at the Phalaborwa Police Station in the third quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, Lulekani Police Station only experienced a 50% decrease in murder cases in the quarter. Whilst, sexual offences reportedly increased by 33.3%, rape by 40%, and one case of sexual assault was reported in the last three months.

They also had a 100% decline in theft of motor vehicles or motorcycles, and

experienced a decline in shoplifting as it went down by 75%.

The Namakgale Police Station is the only station in the Ba-Phalaborwa region that had an increase in murder cases, reporting three cases, a single case more when compared to the two that was reported in the same period last year.

The rape cases also increased by 8.3% in the last quarter. However, sexual assault cases declined by 80%, carjacking also went down by 83,3%, robbery at non-residential premises went down by 50%, and cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs declined by 400%.

The Phalaborwa station also recorded a 50% reduction in sexual offences, 66.7% decline in rape cases, and a 100% decline in robbery at both residential and non-residential premises.

Cele expressed his concerns over the rate at which women are abused, raped, and violated throughout South Africa during his speech when he released the new statistics. He said that more than 25 000 cases of violence against women were reported nationally between July and September and that some of these women were unfortunately killed by the people they know, love and trust.

Municipality allowed to take photos

The Hoedspruit community, and the Property and Home Owners Association have questioned the local municipality’s procedures in doing their property valuations. This was after a Hoedspruit resident posted on the Hoedspruit Town Facebook page a few weeks ago asking if it was allowed for a municipal valuer to take pictures inside her home.

Well, this question caused an uproar as residents felt like their privacy was being invaded by the municipality, with some stating that the unnecessary exposure may cause a threat from Machiavellian people.

“I am trying to find out whether they are entitled to enter the house let alone take photos. Municipality hides behind the POPI Act all the time. I believe that them being allowed to take photos is an invasion of my privacy. I understood that they could only view from

the outside,” wrote Joan Arnestad. She also advised residents to sue the municipality if they have not signed a POPI Act disclosure, “they are not allowed to take photos of anything”.

Arnestad also stated that she had found some legal advice in the form of an attorney who was also a qualified valuer. “It is not normal for a Municipal Valuer to have to enter a house. Valuations are normally done by driving past and consulting area maps. Photos are only used in the case where someone contests the valuation and lodges an objection to the Appeal Board,” she was told.

Nanki Hoeane, the Municipal Manager of Maruleng Local Municipality, confirmed that pictures were taken by municipal valuers.

“Pictures make up the data that the municipality uploads on the Ovvio system,” she explained, also stating that the municipality has, over the last couple of

months, encountered a number of challenges from the community in relation to property valuations.

She said that some of the issues encountered by valuers were that sometimes they are refused entry to allow them to conduct inspections, then are later objecting to the value of the property.

“There is also a misrepresentation of information claiming that some stands are vacant while there are existing structures, and some are conducting business contrary to their land use,” she stated. “Take note that like any public institution, for example the Demarcation Board and other agencies, who goes even further by taking aerial photographs of properties to conduct their official duties, the same are applied by the MLM,” she continued. “The POPI Act in this case must be read in conjunction with Section 41, 42 and 44 of the MPRA that outlines inspection on properties, access to information and disclosure of information.”

■ Billy Sibuyi

■ Billy Sibuyi

R850 000 to host IDP strategy session

The Greater Tzaneen Municipality deemed their employees of such high importance that they spent R850 000 to send 136 of them to a luxury holiday resort in Mpumalanga. The directors and senior management including all municipal councillors were housed at the Forever Resorts Blyde Canyon from Sunday evening, the 11th of December to Wednesday afternoon the 14th of

December.

The municipality paid for all meals and accommodation and will reimburse all those employees who travelled to the holiday (meeting) destination in their own vehicles according to AA rates. This equates to a further estimated R80 000 in travel expenses that will be forked out by a municipality unable to fix a pothole adequately.

According to the spokesperson for the municipality, Vutivi Makhubele, this is perfectly justified as these exalted public servants are of such importance that they dare not be disturbed during their three-day

meeting where very important issues would be discussed and dissected. So important are these chosen members of the public service sector that they could not be accommodated by any of the lowly local venues. The same local venues which have in the past 12 months been perfectly adequate for the inauguration of the new councillors including the mayor, municipal manager and speaker, among other important gatherings. Instead of pumping much needed finances back into their own local economy, these very important people opted to spend their taxpayers’ money in another province at a holiday resort 143 kilometres away where they could not be disturbed (because phones cannot be switched to silent within the confines of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality’s borders – although phones can remain unanswered in case of emergencies).

In defence of their decision to ignore local business, the GTM, through their spokesperson said that they are obligated to spend money in other municipalities. “GTM makes use of local venues 90 percent of the time, we have invested and will continue to invest in local businesses. However we will make use of other venues if needs be, in as much as we expect and appreciate business support from outside the municipality,” she said.

Why is it necessary for the Strategic Planning session to take place over 3 days at a resort, when it could be hosted in Tzaneen? “For convenience and safety purposes, they are all required to be at an isolated and common venue conducive for them to focus on the strategic session. They are also expected to arrive early in the morning and knock off late for the three days,” Makhubele explained.

What will be discussed at this Strategic Plan-

ning session? “The state of the municipality and progress report from previous resolutions. Annual performance report 2021/22 from previous resolutions. Internal Audit Report, Risk Management, council processes / procedures. Departmental Reports and the Financial status report of the GTM.”

We asked whether the issues surrounding the illegal activities of the Traffic manager, Johannes Malatji would be discussed and the answer was no, they would only discuss strategic issues. Seems rooting out corruption in their senior management was not a strategy at the moment?

When we stated that it made no sense to spend R850 000 on what was essentially a holiday for the servants at the expense of the rate paying public, Makhubele defended the decision stating “it makes sense for the number of people that are here and time that will be spent and also meeting the objectives of this important session.”

We put it to Makhubele that had the GTM decided to use local venues such as Ivory Tusk Lodge or Tzaneen Country Lodge, they would have saved the ratepayers at least R500 000 in accommodation and catering aside from the R80 000 in travel expenses considering that she admitted that most of the 136 attendees travelled to the venue in their own vehicles. Bulletin is of the opinion that the reimbursement of these public servants opens up an entire new avenue for fraud, although considering the illegal selling of water by their traffic manager remains overlooked and even defended, we digress.

Perhaps the more important question would be; “did anyone notice the absence of these very important people until the local media inform you of it?”

their adequately. the servants they

Photographer puts Tzaneen’s face on map

■ Je Jackson

“Well it all started as an office joke really. We thought either we break a record or start an Onlyfans account and given my striking good looks, we decided on the easier one of the two options,” said owner and editor of Tzaneen’s beloved local newspaper, Far North Bulletin, Joe Dreyer shortly after he broke the world record for the most individual studio portraits taken in a single continuous session.

Locals were introduced to his photographic portfolio shortly after the Covid-19 lockdown, but in his own words he describes photography not as a hobby, or a passion, but as an essential part of who he is. Though known mostly for his “gloves off ” approach to journalism and his especially vocal approach to local government corruption and service delivery failures, Dreyer boasts quite a number of photographic accolades. These include winning the Forum for Community Journalism Excellence Awards’ Photographer of the Year in 2019 and having exhibited at both the Graham’s Town Arts Festival and Innibos Kunstefees next to some of the country’s biggest names in the art world like Wim Boshof.

“I always giggle when someone calls and asks me whether I still “do” photography. It’s like the impression is that photography or any other artform for that matter, is just a little something you do to keep yourself busy on weekends or something,” he said as he sipped his coffee. “Photography is as much a part of me as music and writing is. If you take any one of them away, I don’t exist anymore.”

On Saturday, the 10th of December, Dreyer and his team setup shop at the Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre to achieve a goal they decided upon only a week before. “It was really like that,” said Tessa Thompson, Chief Designer at Far North Bulletin. “We were on deadline that Thursday afternoon, and we needed a photo for the frontpage. So, with less than half an hour to go until the printers started calling, Joe said he’ll break the record so we may as well put it on the front page and make it official. So we did, and forced him to put his money where his mouth is.”

The record in question was for the most individual studio portraits taken in a single session and for the longest continuous studio portrait session. It was set by an Austral-

ian-based photographer Rajesh Kumar back in 2012 at a festival in Australia. Kumar managed to take 1 011 individual portraits in eight hours.

“Well, I looked at the record, and thought given the time of year, lets take one at a time. So I went for the number of portraits,” Dreyer said. “The longest continuous studio session I’ll do next year.”

The shoot started officially at 09:15 on Saturday and by 14:45 Dreyer had surpassed Kumar’s 1 011, by snapping a total of 1 015 portraits with more than an hour to spare. The feat was accomplished using a Canon 7D Mark II with an 15-85 Canon lens and two Elinchrom RT4Lite studio strobes fitted with Elinchrom soft boxes.

Though unofficial as yet, given that there is a process that needs to be followed and a fee that needs to be paid in order to have the record acknowledged in the Guiness Book of World Records, the event itself was a great initiative and well supported by Tzaneen’s locals. It also doubled as a worthy cause where attendees were asked to donate soft toys on the day which will be distributed to children in hospitals over the festive season.

Azelle Grobler from Beyond Borders Animal Sanctuary exhibited some of her exotic rescue animals during the event which was hugely popular among the visitors and helped create awareness for the plight of the many exotic animals Grobler has rescued and rehabilitated. Pay her page a visit on Facebook to find out more, or to stock up on supplies for your own beloved pet.

Those who took a seat and helped breach the record can find their portraits online by accessing the Far North Bulletin’s subscriber-only site on Facebook. Here’s how: 1. Head over to Far North Bulletin on Facebook, 2. Under the cover image you will see the “subscribe” button, 3. Click on the button and decide how you would like to pay your subscription and viola, you’re officially a subscriber.

Or simply scan the QR code below.

The subscription is only R17 a month (one dollar) and will give you access to exclusive content only visible to subscribers. This includes galleries, video interviews, prize giveaways and more. All for less than the cost of a loaf of bread a month.

View more of Joe’s work at www.reallyjoereally.co.za or on Instagram @photojoedreyer

Tzaneen CPF drives safety for festive season

■ Roelof de Jonge

With the December holidays upon us once again, and with people already at their holiday destinations, most homes are left abandoned for the time being and not all are protected by security firms which makes properties vulnerable to possible burglaries and theft.

Various security firms in Tzaneen namely Letaba, Northern and Large Security together with Tzaneen Community Policing Forum (CPF) and

Tzaneen Neighbourhood Watch combined once again for the annual December Anti-Crime Campaign.

This Anti-Crime Campaign was supported by the local community and businesses who donated items that were distributed at the crossing at Minitzani park for free to motorists and pedestrians alike by the various security cluster members. The security members also handed anti-crime pamphlets which provide tips to ensure your house and property is safe against possible intruders.

The chairperson of Tzaneen CPF, Uwe Kröh, said this campaign was important to inform and remind residents to stay alert concerning crime, especially during holiday seasons.

“I would like to send our sincerest gratitude to all the members involved that came and help to promote our Anti-Crime Campaign. A special thanks also to all the above mentioned security companies along with Tzaneen CPF and Neighbourhood Watch that came to assist us.”

Kröh and his Anti-Crime partners also thanked Slash, Sasko, Canine Security, Meyer Jacobs and other private individuals who donated items that were distributed along with the anti-crime pamphlets.

“There are several items that were not handed out, except for the bread which we handed out completely. We plan to distribute the other items next year (2023) during the April holiday.”

Ironic is that this Anti-Crime campaign was held in support of the Tzaneen SAPS. The SAPS members however arrived late, when the Anti-Crime campaigners were busy packing up to leave the scene.

Golden oldies bring back Golden medals

■ Billy Sibuyi

Senior citizens from around Limpopo were happy to leave their homes and mingle with their confrère during the National Golden Games, which were held at Germiston Stadium last week, the 5th of December. The Golden Games is an initiative by the Department of Social Development that was

initiated in 2006 to keep elderly people from 60 years and older active and healthy.

The elderly people from Limpopo enjoyed various sporting activities as they challenged each other on sporting codes such as soccer, netball, athletics, dress-up, duck walks, and many more activities.

The defending champions, Team Limpopo, failed

to uphold their form as they only managed a bronze medal at the three-day event.

The Games kicked off on Monday, the 5th of December, at a filled Germiston Stadium where the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, officially started the ceremony and wished the senior citizens the best of luck for the three days.

One member from Phalaborwa who was a part of the team told Bulletin that he was not too pleased with their performance as they failed to retain their title and lost it to Team Natal.

The team member explained that they could defended their title had the event not been disturbed by the Covid-19 pandemic which scorched the entire world.

He explained that these were their first games since 2019. “You can imagine not being active as a team since 2019, the chemistry was not there. We did not even have some of our star performers but we gave it our best,” explained one of the team members.

“We take this bronze medal and move on, we have noted the wrongs and the rights we did, and we will take it from there,” said

another member who only identifies as an executive committee member.

The 200m sprinter, Freddy Rikhotso, who on the previous event at Port Elizabeth had won a gold medal, only managed a silver this time around in the 70+ years category. He however was still pleased with second position, and plans on training harder for the following event which will be hosted in Mpumalanga next year.

A Tzaneen based athlete, Rikhotso Nkhensane, won a gold medal in the 200m sprint, for ages between 60-69 years. The provincial team was accompanied by the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Nakedi Kekana, and the MEC for Social Development, Nandi Ndalane.

“These kind of games affords us an opportunity to meet other elderly people from all over the country and sometimes we find distant relatives which we would have never found,” said one of the team members.

all

Na vier jaar in diens van die Uitsaaikorporasie in Johannesburg, was ek in ‘n doodloopstraat. Dit was die een wat reg voor die SAUK verbygeloop het. Ek moes iets anders doen om my loopbaan ‘n skop te gee en iets doen wat my laat uitsien om te gaan werk...wat net nie moontlik is nie. Ek het in elk geval na ‘n uitweg gesoek.

Tydens ‘n gesamentlike funksie van die SAUK en die Johannesburgse stadsraad, om die verkeershelikopterdiens se 10-jarige bestaan te vier, was goeie vriend, wyle John Pearce, ook teenwoordig. Hier gesels en daar gesels toe vra ek uit die bloute, en nie uit die helikopter nie, of hy dalk vir my ‘n ‘joppie’ het. Dit was die maklikste aanstelling wat ek nog ervaar het. Dit was ‘n Vrydagaand “ja” en die Maandagoggend was ek in my eie kantoor en in diens van die stadsraad.

Een van my pligte was om die maandelikse stads-

raadvergadering by te woon. Die mees opvoedkundige van die vergadering was die ete wat bedien was. Omdat politiek oorheers het en ek ‘n werknemer van die raad was, moes ek soms aan die linkerkant van die tafel sit en soms aan die regterkant. Dit sou miskien ‘n goeie idee gewees het indien hulle ‘n draad in die middel van die tafel gespan het.

Een van die raadslede was ‘n mediese dokter.

Tydens een vergadering wou ‘n sigaretmaatskappy ‘n funksie in Johaannesburg borg. Die dokter het hewig tye velde getrek teen die moont-

like borgskap en die nadele van rook beklemtoon.

“Rook sny die suursrtoftoevoer na jou liggam af!”, was sy groot betoog. Nadat hy sy rede gelewer het, het hy darem ook tyd gehad vir ‘n storie. Hy sê sy buurvrou het hom eendag, onwetend dat hy ‘n dokter is, dringend kom soek, aangesien haar seuntjie ‘n muntstuk ingesluk het en die in sy keel vassit.

Hy het daarheen gehaas en die seuntjie onderstebo aan sy voete opgetel, so paar keer geskud en toe val die muntstuk uit.

“Baie, baie dankie”, sê die vrou toe. “Jy moet seker ‘n dokter wees!”

Hy kon die versoeking nie weerstaan nie en sê toe: “Nee, ek is van die ontvanger van inkomste.”

Absolutely

Bel Marlien vir enige trekke. Groot of klein, naby of ver. Ons doen ook verpakking 083 252 8928.

Wisani

Burial Society 24 Hour emergency numbers 083 513 4988 helene@wisani.co.za

Pest Control Specialists

Workplace readiness solutions. Protect yourself, your staff and the health of your customers. 015 307 4065

Jobseeker

Domestic/O ce

My name is Mabjalwa Julia Makgate. I am looking for full time domestic work. Can start immediately. Contact me on 060 680 8574

Domestic

My name is Linah Mahasha. I am looking for office work. Cleaning or typing in Security. I have references. Contact me on 079 143 2570.

Domestic

My name is Makoma Julia Sithole. I am looking for domestic work. Full or part time. Sleep in or out. Please contact me on 071 158 2618.

Events

• 16 December

The Christmas Carols & Social will be held on 16 December 2022 at The Village Hall from 17h00 at R80.00 per person.

For more information contact Michel on 079 212 0598.

• 16 December

Get Together Summer Chillas will be held on 16 December 2022 at the Smokehouse Diner from 17h00 at R50.00 per person. For more information contact 063 471 9892 or 078 551 7176.

• 18 December

Assupol presents Homecoming 2022 on 18 December 2022 at Nkowankowa Stadium from 10h00 until 22h00. Tickets available at Computicke. For more information contact 061 517 3974.

• 25 December

The XMAS Family Breakfast will be held on 25 December 2022 at Hotel @Tzaneen from 06h30 until 12h00 at R200.00 per person. For more information contact 015 307 7534 or email booktzaneen@hotelsa.co.za

• 25 December

The Fairview Christmas Buffet will be held on 25 December 2022 at the Le’Thaba Restaurant & Patio Bar from 11h30 at R520.00 per person.

For more information contact 015 307 2679 or email reservations@fairviewhotel.co.za

Letters

Die Pioniers bedank die volgende persone: Tzaneen Koelkamers vir die maandelikse hoenderpakkies wat Steven vir ons afgelewer het. Die Veteraan Motors met ‘n rit deur die dorp en die heerlike eetgoed. Litchies van ‘n anonieme dame.

■ Ben Theunissen

Van ‘doodloopstraat’ na stadsraad politiek

Airsoft takes a break this Christmas

■ Roelof de Jonge

Deon Coetzee, one of the event organizers from Tzaneen Airsoft Club, participated in this outdoor sport for a couple of years before establishing an Airsoft Club in Tzaneen. “In 2021 an Airsoft Club was established in Polokwane. In this year, a few months before we established Tzaneen Airsoft Club, a club was established for Phalaborwa. This outdoor activity is an absolute passion for me, and I am grateful for the interest from our local community.”

Coetzee said their final ‘battle’ for 2022 was an epic one amidst the searing summer heat of Tzaneen. The club’s members use about six hectares of terrain for their battles, which the Letaba Bushveld Hunters and Wildlife Conservationist Organization made available to them.

According to Coetzee Airsoft has been established in South Africa for the past 12 to 13 years, but it is still a relatively unknown sport activity in Limpopo. In short, Airsoft is a military simulation sport where players participate in mock combat with authentic militia gear.

“It is all about people enjoying being outdoors and having fun. We do have indemnity forms which participants are expected to complete and no foul language is allowed at Airsoft since we cater for

children, boys and girls, too.”

The terrain of the Letaba Bushveld Hunters is currently their headquarters for all their epic battles, with an alternative terrain on a farm on the outskirts of Tzaneen. Coetzee says they are always looking for new battle grounds, but it is not always easy to access new terrains.

The money from membership and event fees is used to maintain and develop the terrain of the club. Tzaneen Airsoft Club currently consists of 35 members, but the numbers can differ at events, depending on how many participate on the day.

“With Tzaneen, Phalaborwa and Polokwane combined, we are in the region of 140 members. We are affiliated to COF Airsoft, a community of comrades who enjoy the sport in Johannesburg. Once a month or every second month, we travel to Johannesburg to participate there as well.”

Tzaneen Airsoft’s ‘battle worn soldiers’ will now take a welcome rest for the holiday season and will commence in the new year. People who would like to contact Tzaneen Airsoft Club, can contact Deon Coetzee through WhatsApp messages only at 076 359 9859 or fellow member Dean Maritz at 064 607 0040. Alternatively follow them on their social media pages on Facebook or send an email to tzaneenairsoftclub@gmail.com

Amidst the searing heat members of Tzaneen Airsoft Club battled it out.

It was an epic battle during the last event of 2022 for the members of Tzaneen Airsoft Club.

Spor t

Bones se laaitie word Protea

HIn April vanjaar het die Letaba Bass Masters hengelklub sy derde nasionale, oftewel Pro-

Tydens die Suid-Afrikaanse Baars Hengel Vereniging (SABHV) se Junior Nasionale Kampioenskappe in KwaZulu-Natal het Matthew van der Merwe die Noordelike Divisie-span verteenwoordig en hom deeglik laat geld onder sy mededingers.

Van der Merwe het op die eerste dag van die kompetisie die voortou met die grootste vangs met ‘n algehele gewig van 7.46kg geneem. Hy het deurgaans in die kampioenskap rekening van sy vermoëns gegee en het hy uiteindelik ‘n uitstekende derdeplek vermag wat aan hom sy Junior Protea Baarshengel kleure besorg het.

Die afgelope naweek vanaf die 9de tot die 11de Desember het van der Merwe saam met die res van twee Suid-Afrikaanse Junior-spanne vir ‘n toets na Zimbabwe gereis waar hulle die bure op hul Kyle Meer aangedurf het. Die eerste dag was ‘n oefensessie vir die spanne en op die volgende twee dae het hulle mekaar be-

Die rede waarom Suid-Afrika met twee spanne gereis het is dat die span van 2021 weens Covid-19 hul toer misgeloop het en is hul vanjaar saam met die 2022-span die geleentheid gegee om ook die toer te kon meemaak.

Die toets was uiteindelik deur die Zimbabwe se span gewen. In die vorige ontmoeting het Zimbabwe ook die botoon gevoer en die

Suid-Afrikaners met 1,6kg geklop. Vanjaar was dit wéér die buurland se hengelaars wat die Junior Proteas met 5,48kg geklop het.

Paul Stonley, die SABHV Junior Nasionale President, was egter vol lof vir die Suid-Afrikaners se poging en het beaam dat dit altyd moeilik vir besoekende spanne is om toetse teen ander lande op hul waters te wen.

Tydens die debuuttoets vir van der Merwe het hy so effe van ‘n bloutjie geloop waarvoor hy na die tyd in uitstekende sportmangees sy ‘flops’ pakslae, met komplimente van die buurland se hengelaars, soos ‘n ware baarshengelaar gevat het.

Toe sy Zimbabwese visvangmaat saam op die boot teen 12:00 nog nie ‘n enkele vis vir sy pogings kon wys nie, bied van der Merwe toe een van sy visstokke aan. Die uiteinde van die storie is dat die Zimbabwese hengelaar een kneuwel van ‘n baars met die ‘geleende’ visstok gevang het. En so leer ‘n mens.