Mom's Notes Aug/Sept 2016

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HO ME

is here

With amazing uninterrupted views, and gentle slopes looking north towards the city of Nelspruit, Bushwillow Village will be in a class of its own. This low density village will permit buyers to build the house of their dreams with scope for orientation to maximise the views whilst protecting privacy. Bushwillow Village will have its own statement entrance and access will be off a cul-de-sac on Tamboti Street.This separate prestigious enclave will offer a certain degree of exclusivity within Combretum, as there will only be 9 stands within the village. Stands range in size from 3200m2 to over 6000m2 and prices range from R1.5 million inclusive of VAT to R2.2 million for the largest stand. The developer’s list of preferred architects will be pleased to advise you on the design of the house to meet your needs and the orientation to maximise the amazing views. Planning approval has also been received for a further 14 similar plots in Londolozi Ridge and they are also on the market for sale.

A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME

Comfort, spectacular views and style is what you can expect to find in the range of home designs on offer at The Rest Nature Estate. With secure investment, physical security and the lifestyle offered by the Rest Nature Estate, this offers a unique new place to call home. With a variation of home styles specifically designed to maximise the beauty of the Lowveld bush, the architects and developers have made estate living accessible while maintaining a sense of exclusivity. Our new sales centre is open daily from 9am - 5pm with staff ready to show you around the entire estate to find your perfect stand to build on or to have a look at our many show houses for sale.


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e m o c wel &C

n e m wo

E T A R B E L E Women of South Africa, be proud of what you have achieved. Let the achievements of those who went before you inspire you to unlock your own strength and motivate you to make a difference in your family, your community and your country.

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THE DENIM GUIDE Choosing the best jeans & jacket for your body type..

LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR In this women’s month edition, Adele du Plessis talks about balancing business and family.

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DREAMER OF DREAMS If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books. Celebrating 100 years of Roald Dahl.

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FOOD & WINE SPRING SOIRÉE We explore the best spring has to offer with fresh fruits and fine wines.

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contents

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10 HEALTH SCREENINGS ALL WOMEN NEED

CELEBRATE HERITAGE The Rainbow Nation is title that captures the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity. We’re taking a closer look at all the cultures that call South Africa home.

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NATIONAL TREASURE The mystery of the missing Kruger millions.

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All we can say is thank you.

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ED’ S letter

ith spring drawing closer, there are many of us looking forward to the new lives that await us. Whether it’s the prospect of fresh flowers, the return of many migrations of animals or just the change of seasons, it is with this season that we can again thank the women who gave life to us. Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered us within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. Your natural talent to nurture and grow has lead your family to flourish. Not only are you the one who guides your child’s first steps, you are the anchor as your child makes his/her way along the journey of life. Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, in the service of love and life. Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your understanding and support. Thank you, women who work! You are present and active in every area of life, not only supporting fellow women in business, but inspiring all girls to achieve greatness. Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your nature, you enrich the world’s understanding and help to make life more honest and authentic. To all the daughters, sisters, wives and mothers, we salute you.

Amanda

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for more information or to make a booking contact 061 384 1101 | advertising@momsnotes.co.za | info@tworedpens.co.za EDITOR, DESIGN & LAYOUT

Amanda Espag DESIGN Bronwyn Swart, Chris Broderick PHOTOGRAPHY Eunice Nieuwenhuis ARTICLES Cora Breytenbach, Amanda Espag, PROOF READING Edit Pro ADVERTISING Jenni Zondagh, Amanda Espag, Janica Coetzee PRINTER Paarl Media KZN WEB www.tworedpens.co.za FACEBOOK facebook.com/mom’snotes ONLINE issuu.com © Copyright 2016 Mom’s Notes. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of Mom’s Notes Magazine or TwoRedPens. Mom’s Notes Magazine, TwoRedPens, staff and contractors accept no liability for the loss or damage in any form whatsoever arising from information, submissions or opinions expressed in this publication. Public comment and submissions are published at the sole discretion of Mom’s Notes Magazine. E&OE.

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on this issue’s

COVER

On our cover this issue is six year old Jessica Nieuwenhuis or Kika as she is known to friends and family. Kika has a strong vibrant personality that just lights up a room. If you would like to see your child on our cover, enter his/her photo on our Mom’s Notes facebook page, or email them to amanda@tworedpens.co.za





Article: Amy Michelle Smith

THE

DENIM GUIDE

Choosing the best jeans & jacket for your body type.

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ew things in life can evoke the sheer panic that you experience when it comes time to search for a new pair of jeans. Jeans are at once the simplest wardrobe staple and the most frustrating item to shop for – the item that can take you from confident to selfloathing in a matter of seconds. Scarred by years of child bearing, protruding love handles and other similar style blunders, some women tend to avoid this shopping experience like the plague. And while many celebraties might make a killing off their muffin tops, some of us prefer to keep ours under wraps. Unless you happen to be blessed with a perfectly proportioned figure, there are a load of issues you can experience when trying to find the best jeans for your body type. And even those with the seemingly perfect parts are unlikely to walk into a store and presto - perfect fit! There are pinches in unwanted places, hemming nightmares and an unholy amount of spandex. Fear not, dear readers, all is not lost. The denimgods were not so cruel as to prevent us all from joining in on casual Friday at the office. For every fail there is a fix and the perfect denim duds are out there for you. Our advice? Step one: take a deep breath and jump in. Though the hot, un-flattering fitting room lights are capable of throwing even the calmest women into a tizzy, the key is to just relax. Know that you’re not the only one with this dilemma. Take the time to find the perfect jeans for your body. Consider fit before going for the trendiest pair. To help you out, we’ve scoured through the racks of pudge-pinching, ill-fitting nightmares to find seven essential jeans for every body, shape and size. But remember, these are simply intended as educated suggestions. If you love something and it makes you feel confident, then you rock those jeans like you’re on the runway – power to you, girl! May this helpful guide put the final kibosh on your recurring shopping nightmares.

THE SKINNY

Works for: All shapes and sizes Do you recall the start of the skinny jean phase? We recall a collective loss of breath from those of us convinced there was no chance of fitting our thighs into a painted on patch of denim. It turns out this fit is universally flattering, polished and the perfect day-night transition piece. Be conscious of the rise though. Best for: All SHAPES!! It’s like Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants with these babies.

THE JACKET

The easiest way to shed kilos? Wearing black. The dark wash combined with a nipped waist, flared hip, and seaming that creates structure does wonderful things for any shape. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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THE BABY FLARE

Works for: Tall, Athletic

Right between a classic flare and a bootcut is the baby flare, a cut that was seen all over the spring runway. Best worn high-waisted, the cut is fitted through the leg with a subtle flare and a slightly cropped hem that sits just above the ankle. To be perfectly honest, despite the best efforts, this cut is not ideal for those of us that carry weight in our inner thighs and bum. The slight crop and fitted leg is best suited to those blessed with a slim leg and a bit of height. Though this cut is great for a night out, try the baby flare paired with a cuff-sleeved white tee for a casual weekend look that’s laid back without sacrificing style.

THE JACKET

Those without many curves can fake them with the waistdefining seaming on this jacket

THE BOYFRIEND JEAN Works for: Petite, Athletic, Hourglass

Whether poaching your male counterpart’s denim or scouring the racks for a more feminine fit, this relaxed style can pull together a day outfit that is both chic and practical. The key is to look for a straight cut, with the slightest taper to keep the line of the leg long, while leaving some extra room for the thighs and butts that come with our XX chromosomes. These tips aside, this style works best on a tall or athletic build, adding some volume to a slender frame.

THE JACKET

Denim blazers don’t have to be all buttoned-up. Have some fun with this longer style, which provides optimal booty coverage as the dark ombre draws the eyes upward and away from the rear and hips.

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BOOTCUT

Works for: All shapes and sizes The cut that can send send you on a spiral of horrific style blunder memories from your youth - too long, too tight, too low, just…too, too. But the bootcut is making a comeback, with updates to the silhouette bringing a new element of sophistication to the classic cut. Much like any other style of denim, you want to pay close attention to the rise at the waist, opting for a slightly higher mid-rise (falls just below the belly button) to give the illusion of length, and pull attention away from the thighs. Similarly, the hem can make or break a pair of bootcuts - ideally, you want the hem to be a bit longer than the rest of the jeans in your closet, leaving a bit of length for a great pair of heels to keep your silhouette lengthened and streamlined.

THE JACKET

This jacket combines two of our favorite things - denim and the moto trend, and it’s good news for those with a lot on top. A v-neck keeps the chest open, while the shoulder detail downplays big busts.

WIDELEG

Works for: Hourglass, Curvy

No longer reserved for hippies and crust-punks, a high-waisted pair of wide leg jeans can be the ultimate in sophistication. There are a few things, however, that you’ll want to pay attention to with these babies. The rise is the most important, with a higher waist helping to elongate a curvier figure. For the petite gals, a low rise paired with a tucked in silk blouse and a killer pair of heels will help create the curves this cut is intended for.

THE JACKET

Don’t let the abbreviated length of this jacket scare you off. The dark wash and open chest - no gaping here - is slimming, and a nipped waist with seaming detail flatters the figure by creating an hourglass shape. Plus, the stretch in the fabric makes it comfortable and not constricting. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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HIGH-WAISTED

Works for: Hourglass, Pear Shaped

For those of us with a booty that just won’t quit, there’s a cut to help you show off your best ass… et. Accentuating your natural waist, the high-rise jean – whether flared, wide leg or skinny – draws the attention to all the right places, simultaneously highlighting the smallest point of your torso and your bodacious bum. When it comes to the rise, the higher the better! Try to find a fit that falls just above the belly-button, sitting directly across your waist, showing off the hourglass curves that your momma gave you. This fit pairs perfectly with a casually tucked oxford or silk blouse for a look that can take you from day to night with the slick of red lipstick and heels.

THE JACKET

Not only is this jacket good for hippy women, but its streamlined shape make it just about the fanciest way to do denim, so it’ll likely pass muster in a creative workplace. a strong detailed shoulder draws the eye upward and balances out hips. the vent in the back also allows for a relaxed fit on the hips.

THE CROP

Works for: Petite, Hourglass What’s so great about this style is the great variety of fits that fall under the category. Cropped boyfriend jeans! Cropped skinnies! Cropped flares! The options are endless. With spring on the horizon, it’s time to let those ankles shine, with hems that fall just below the calf, or above the ankle bone. Rocking an hourglass figure and want to try these out? Opt for a wide leg pair with a straight cut and high waist to elongate the thighs and hips, and pair with your favourite pair of sleek heels for a elevated contrast and added height. On the tall and athletic side? Opt for a daring pair of cropped flares that hug the thighs and fall mid-calf.

THE JACKET

Slightly shorter than your traditional denim jacket, this hits above the hip, making it ideal for little frames. The body is tightly fitted to call attention to small proportions. 16

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SEE SEEN SCENE Looking good has never been this easy.

Premium frames. Sturdy hinges. Crystal clear lenses. We carry the finest eyewear from the world’s original independent Australian eyewear brand. At Mopani Pharmacy you’ll find precision you can see and quality you can feel. Crossing Centre +27 (013) 755 5500 | c/o Madiba Drive & N4 | Nelspruit I’Langa Mall +27 (013) 742 2225 | c/o Bitterbessie Street & N4 | Nelspruit White River +27 (013) 751 2267/8 | Chief Mgiyeni Khumalo Drive & Hennie van Till Street | White River Visit us at www.mopani.co.za or find us on Facebook

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LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR TECHNICOLOR In this women’s month edition, Adele du Plessis talks about balancing business and family. Throughout history, women have fought courageously and tirelessly to assert themselves as individuals and experts in their field, something most men have had the luxury of taking for granted. Here Adele inspires us to reach for the stars.

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elebrating being a woman, becomes much easier the older you get.You certainly become less hard on yourself. People often ask me how I manage business and family. There is always one answer. I don’t, there are many compromises. And when I get discouraged or feel guilty about it, I remind myself that I have come too far, to give up. As a wife, mother and employer I find daily motivation in what is most important to me, my loved ones. They are the drive behind my balancing act, to see them happy and cared for, makes me feel alive. I can only follow my dreams, if they are part of them and they always are.

In our new circumstances I found myself always trying to compete. I was hard on myself, failing was not an option. I was not going to allow circumstances to define me. I took every day as my challenge, sharpened my skills, my knowledge. Eventually hard work paid off and I became first a Sales Manager and then a Dealer Principal for a top premium brand in the motor industry. I was one of few women in this role but this fact did not let me lose my ground. I encountered many obstacles but finally passed many challenging tests in both career and life.

If there is one thing I could change in the world it would be for all woman to stop being so hard on themselves. We try to be so perfect and allow ourselves to walk around with constant guilt about the most annoying little issues like, forgetting to buy milk!

The words “If you believe it, you can achieve it” has real meaning to me. My dreams have never stopped, there is a constant burning desire within me to make the best of every day. I believe with every setback another opportunity is created. God has given you a gift of free will. Your choices are your own and as soon as you take responsibility for making them, you are a free person.

Many years ago my life took a drastic turn and I became a single parent with a fulltime career, not the life I romanticized about as a young woman. However, these were the cards dealt and although at the time I didn’t realize it , but it was also the same road that would lead me to many great things.

My children share the same zest for life. They know that things do not always come that easy and most things are not fair, but you either a victim or a warrior. Throughout this journey we have always held our heads high and chosen happiness over fear, this was our victory.

The change made me even more determined to give my children Sonette, Zander and Kayle a good life. My career became survival. Call it instinct, but I had courage I never knew existed.

Much later we found love. The kind of love that does not require you to change who you are. When Barry du Plessis walked into our life, it was as if he had always been there.

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“NEVER THINK YOU CAN’T REACH FOR THE STARS, THERE ARE ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US.”

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Our story is certainly one of Hope. As a single parent your biggest fear is the relationship between your children and partner. When I saw Barry with my children and the way they responded to him, I knew this was not only love between two people, it was love between a family. Yes, it is possible. There is hope out there, don’t let your vision be obscured by circumstances. Happiness is not an illusion, it’s a choice. Finding happiness within yourself first, allows you to find happiness in others. Our family is like standing under a waterfall, love just pours out of us. Have you ever heard the lyrics “That was the river? This is the sea. I made a promise to myself to never think that difficult times are the way it must be.” After we got married and settled down we started building on our dreams. A year later I opened Bodycure. My dream was to give woman a place where they could experience the same premium values I learned to respect so dearly. I wanted them to feel good about themselves, it has become a great passion for me. Perhaps because I know how hard it is to find time for yourself as a woman. We have so many ‘to do’ lists, there is just not enough time in the day. Bodycure has proven to be a dream worth having. Through adversity it became my reality, so never let anyone convince you that your dreams are out of reach. Perhaps the lesson for me out of this journey has been that circumstances should not be what define you.You don’t have to accept things for what they are. Listen to God’s directions. That little voice is in all of us, but you have to take the first step, it won’t happen by itself. My advice to you? Celebrate being a woman, a wife, mother or friend every day. When life gets difficult, give your child, husband or loved one a hug, as this is a blessing not to taken for granted. It is what gives us strength to move forward. My favourite saying of all times is encapsulated in the following words ‘’Shoot for the Moon and even if you miss, you will land amongst stars. Never think you can’t reach for the stars, there are enough for all of us.”

Article: Adele du Plessis Photography: Eunice Nieuwenhuis from NIEU Photography

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Dreamer of Dreams If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books. Roald Dahl is loved by millions of people, young and old, around the world. This year marks 100 years since his birth and we celebrate this important centenary.

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writer of both children’s fiction and ...short stories for adults, Roald Dahl is best known as the author of the 1964 children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (he also wrote the script for the 1971 movie version). Dahl has been described as a master of story construction with a remarkable ability to weave a tale. A YOUNG TROUBLEMAKER Roald Dahl was born September 13, 1916, in Llandaff, South Wales, United Kingdom, to Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood summers visiting his grandparents in Oslo, Norway. He was a mischievous child, full of energy, and from an early age he proved himself skilled at finding trouble. His earliest memory was of pedaling to school at a very fast speed on his tricycle, with his two sisters struggling to keep up as he whizzed around curves on two wheels. After his father died when Dahl was four, his mother followed her late husband’s wish that Dahl be sent to English schools. Dahl first attended Llandaff Cathedral School, where he began a series of unfortunate adventures. After he and several other 28

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students were severely beaten by the principal for placing a dead mouse in a storekeeper’s candy jar, Dahl’s mother moved him to St. Peter’s Boarding School and later to Repton, an excellent private school. Dahl was shifted to Repton School in Derbyshire in 1929. This was where his writing skills first became noticed by his English teacher who said: “I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended.” While he was studying at Repton, the chocolate company ‘Cadbury’ would send boxes of chocolate to get tasted. This is where Dahl took inspiration for his most notable work ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ which was published in 1963. Taking inspiration from his life incidents and people he met is very common in his writings. Another example of such inspiration is in his book ‘The Witches’ published in 1983 in which the main character is a Norwegian boy. Dahl would later describe his school years as “days of horrors” filled with “rules, rules and still more rules that had to be obeyed,” which inspired much of his gruesome fiction. Though not a good student,


his mother nevertheless offered him the option of attending Oxford or Cambridge University when he finished school. His reply, recorded in his book about his childhood called Boy:Tales of Childhood, was, “No, thank you. I want to go straight from school to work for a company that will send me to wonderful faraway places like Africa or China.”

perfect practice for his trade, telling the New York Times Book Review : “Children are … highly critical. And they lose interest so quickly.You have to keep things ticking along. And if you think a child is getting bored, you must think up something that jolts it back. Something that tickles.You have to know what children like.”

THE BIRTH OF A WRITER After graduating from Repton, Dahl took a position with the Shell Oil Company in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Africa. In 1939 he joined a Royal Air Force training squadron in Nairobi, Kenya, serving as a fighter pilot in the Mediterranean during World War II (1939–45). Dahl suffered severe head injuries in a plane crash near Alexandria, Egypt. Upon recovering he was sent to Washington, D.C., to be an assistant air attache (a technical expert who advises government representatives). There Dahl began his writing career, publishing a short story in the Saturday Evening Post. Soon his stories appeared in many other magazines. Dahl told Willa Petschek in a New York Times Book Review profile that “as I went on, the stories became less and less realistic and more fantastic. But becoming a writer was pure fluke. Without being asked to, I doubt if I’d ever have thought of it.”

CONTROVERSY One way that Dahl delighted his readers was to take often vicious revenge on cruel adults who had harmed children, as in Matilda (1988). But even some innocent adults received rough treatment, such as the parents killed in a car crash in The Witches (1983). Many critics have objected to the rough treatment of adults. However, Dahl explained in the New York Times Book Review that the children who wrote to him always “pick out the most gruesome events as the favorite parts of the books.… They don’t relate it to life. They enjoy the fantasy.” He also said that his “nastiness” was payback. “Beastly people must be punished.”

In 1943 Dahl wrote his first children’s story, The Gremlins, and invented a new term in the process. Gremlins were small creatures that lived on fighter planes and bombers and were responsible for all crashes. Through the 1940s and into the 1950s Dahl continued as a short story writer for adults, establishing his reputation as a writer of deathly tales with unexpected twists. His stories earned him three Edgar Allan Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. INSPIRED BY HIS CHILDREN In 1953 Dahl married Hollywood actress Patricia Neal, star of such movies as The Fountainhead and, later, Hud, for which she won an Academy Award. Although the marriage did not survive, it produced five children. As soon as the children were old enough, Dahl began making up stories for them each night before they went to bed. These stories became the basis for his career as a children’s writer, which began seriously with the publication of James and the Giant Peach in 1961. It tells the fantastic tale of a young boy who travels thousands of miles in a house-sized peach with as strange a group of companions as can be found in a children’s book. Dahl insisted that having to invent stories night after night was

In Trust Your Children:Voices Against Censorship in Children’s Literature, Dahl said that adults may be disturbed by his books “because they are not quite as aware as I am that children are different from adults. Children are much more vulgar than grownups. They have a coarser sense of humour. They are basically more cruel.” Dahl often commented that the key to his success with children was that he joined with them against adults.

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“The writer for children must be a jokey sort of a fellow,” Dahl once told Writer. “He must like simple tricks and jokes and riddles and other childish things. He must be … inventive. He must have a really firstclass plot.” WHY A WRITER? Dahl’s children’s fiction is known for its sudden turns into the fantastic, its fast-moving pace, and its decidedly harsh treatment of any adults foolish enough to cause trouble for the young heroes and heroines. Similarly, his adult fiction often relied on a sudden twist that threw light on what had been happening in the story. Looking back on his years as a writer in Boy: Tales of Childhood, Dahl contended that “two hours of writing fiction leaves this particular writer absolutely drained. For those two hours he has been miles away, he has been somewhere else, in a different place with totally different people, and the effort of swimming back into normal surroundings is very great. It is almost a shock.… A person is a fool to become a writer. His only [reward] is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” Roald Dahl died in Oxford, England, on November 23, 1990.

THE GLORIUMPTIOUS ROALD DAHL ROSE A new rose named in Roald Dahl’s honour and developed by David Austin Roses will be launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week.

The English Rose, called ‘Roald Dahl’ (Ausowlish), is a gorgeous, peach-coloured bloom that has been developed as part of the celebrations for Roald Dahl 100. The launch of the rose at the Chelsea Flower Show is the last chapter in this wonderful story, with Liccy proudly launching the rose alongside Sir Quentin Blake. The rose takes centre stage in the David Austin display, which includes a giant copper peach sculpture - a one off piece commissioned as a tribute to the new rose, etched with Roald’s words and Quentin Blake’s illustrations from James and the Giant Peach. All in all, a charismatic rose for a charismatic author.

MOM’SNOTES

giveaway

“THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN MAGIC WILL NEVER FIND IT.”

To stand a chance to win the World’s No. 1 Storyteller Collection simply SMS “MOMS NOTES” your full name and email address to 45797. Prize is proudly sponsored by Bargain Books Nelspruit

T’s & C’s apply and can be viewed at www.bargainbooks.co.za. SMSs are charged at R1.50 per SMS. Free SMSs do not apply. Competition opens on 10 August 2016 and closes 10 September 2016. 30

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WHEN YOU HAND A MAN A BOOK, YOU GIVE HIM THE WORLD

Bargain Books Nelspruit Tel: 013 742 2375 | E-mail: nelspruit@bargainbooks.co.za | www.bargainbooks.co.za Shop UG70 I’langa Mall | Bitterbessie and Flamboyant Streets | Nelspruit Like us on Facebook: Bargain Books SA | Follow us on Twitter @BargainBooksSA Sculpted Book Artwork courtesy of Guy Laramee


Gourmet 32

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CAVALIERI CHEESE HAS BEEN OPERATING IN THE LOWVELD FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS AND HAS BECOME A HOUSE HOLD NAME THROUGHOUT THE REGION This remarkable business is a wholesale and retail outlet of specialised deli products. Owned by Karen Cavalieri, the business grew out of humble beginnings to powerhouse suppliers of top-quality, specialised food. “Our main line of business is obviously cheese but with that comes more - cold meats, pastas, olives, olive oils, infused vinegars, pesto, venison, ducks, guineafowl, preserves, fresh fish, sorbets, beautifully presented room snacks - all of the best quality money can buy,” says Karen. “We pride ourselves on offering top quality at affordable prices.” The Cavalieris believe that it is the perception by the public and customers of Cavalieri Cheese that have put them where they are, as a result they make a point of giving back to the community. “One of our mottos is that you have to give to get back.” Cavalieri Cheese also caters to the publics needs with their available products. These include offering opportunities for the public to taste any cheese they would like to among others. “When supplying the lodges, we cut and pack any size portion cheese so our customers are not forced to bulk buy,” says Karen. “We strive to improve our service levels and are continually sourcing new products or products that chefs request.” You can find Cavalieri at 30 Waterfall Avenue, Riverside Industrial Park or contact them on 013 752 6424 / 6438

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food

THE

& wine

SPRING SOIRÉE We explore the best spring has to offer with delicious recipes from Tieghan Gerard using fresh fruits and fine wines. 34

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Asian basil beef and mango noodle salad INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

• 230g rice noodles • 2 carrots, shredded • red fresno pepper or jalapeno pepper, sliced • 1 red bell pepper, sliced or chopped • 2 green onions, chopped • 1/4 of a green or purple cabbage, shredded • 450g lean ground beef (may also use ground chicken) • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided • 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce • 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated • 2 large handfuls of fresh basil • juice from 1 lime • 1 handful fresh cilantro • 1 mango, sliced or diced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain. Add the carrots, red peppers, hot red pepper, green onions, cabbage and 2 tablespoons soy sauce to a medium bowl. Toss well and set aside. Heat a large wok or heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the beef. Season the beef with black pepper and brown all over, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Once the beef is browned, add the lemongrass, ginger and garlic, cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Add 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce and 1 cup of fresh basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the beef, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup fresh basil, lime juice and cilantro. To serve, divide the noodles among the bowls and top with the beef. Add the carrot/pepper salad and the fresh mango. Garnish with basil, watercress and/ or sesame seeds.

pair w it h WARWICK THREE CAPE LADIES CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Ripe plum and bramberry aromas fuse with a touch of pencil shavings to compliment the full bodied smooth tannins. This “Cape blend” brings the best of Pinotage to the classic French varieties.

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Chicken shawarma naan salad with sweet potato fries. INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

In a large gallon size zip-top bag, combine the ingredients for the chicken and toss to combine. Seal and chill at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

• 450g boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite size chunks • 1 tablespoon honey • 1 teaspoon paprika • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1 teaspoon salt + pepper • juice of 1 lemon • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes • 1/4 cup olive oil

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently toss with your hands or two spatulas to evenly coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-20 minutes more.You want the sweet potatoes to be tender, but crisp. Set your grill, grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces on skewers. Discard marinade.

SALAD

• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks • 2 tablespoons olive oil • salt and pepper • 4 fresh naan • 225g homemade or store-bought hummus • 1-2 heads romain lettuce, chopped • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved • 2 persian cucumbers, sliced • 1 avocado, sliced • 225g feta cheese, crumbled • fresh micro greens, parsley + mint, for serving

Grill chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to plate. To assemble the salads, spread each piece of naan with hummus. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced avocado, feta cheese and chicken skewers. Garnish with parsley and mint and a drizzle of the chipotle tahini (recipe below).

CHIPOTLE TAHINI

CHIPOTLE TAHINI

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add water to thin if needed. Season with salt.

• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) • 2 tablespoons olive oil • juice of 1 lemon • 1 chipotle chile, finely chopped

p

h witGORGEOUS r i a

PINOT NOIR CHARDONNAY

The attractive hue – vibrant pink with a copper tinge – is especially appealing. This wine features spicy, mineral scented aromas of orange blossom, jasmine and pear followed by layers of mouth filling raspberry cream, grapefruit, lime and honeydew melon flavours. A juicy acidity provides the perfect balance followed by a clean, satisfying finish. 36

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So there is salad and then there is this salad.

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Green goddess zucchini pasta with fried halloumi INGREDIENTS • 225g spaghetti, or use gluten free if needed OR more zucchini “noodles” • 2-3 zucchini, spiralized using a veggie spiralizer* • 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) • 1-2 cloves garlic • 1/2 of an avocado (or 1 small avocado) • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 2 tablespoons roasted pistachios • 1 cup fresh basil • 1/2 cup fresh mint • 1 jalapeno, seeded • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/3 cup grated parmesan (or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast if vegan) • salt and pepper, to taste • 225g halloumi cheese, sliced (omit if vegan) • 1/4 cup toasted pistachios and sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Just before draining, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to a bowl with the spiralized zucchini.In a food processor or high powered blender, combine the tahini, garlic, avocado, lemon juice, pistachios, basil, mint, jalapeno and olive oil. Blend until you have a pesto like sauce, adding more olive oil if needed to thin. Add the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Pour the avocado pesto sauce over the hot pasta and zucchini. Toss well to combine, thin the sauce with pasta cooking water if needed. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the Halloumi slices and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Divide the warm pasta among bowls or plates. Top with the halloumi cheese, tomatoes and seeds. 38

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pair w it h

POETRY SAUVIGNON BLANC

This range is about the essence of the grape - openly honest and precise. Good poetry requires the perfect juxtaposition of words, and even syllables, to illuminate a moment, an emotion and even a dream. Flavours of melon and passion fruit entice the nose, with the alluring tanginess of green figs and a zesty citrus twist enlightening the palate. A lovely, lingering aftertaste with a smooth, soft finish.


Garden greens goddess pizza INGREDIENTS • 2 cups lacinato kale or baby kale • olive oil, for drizzling • 230g homemade or store-bought pizza dough • 1 cup basil pesto (see below) • 60g fontina cheese, shredded • 170g goat cheese • 1 zucchini or summer squash, shaved into ribbons • large handful fresh basil and chopped chives watercress, spinach and or arugula, for topping

GODDESS BASIL PESTO

• 2 cups fresh basil • 1/2 cup fresh mint • 1/4 cup roasted pistachios • 1/2 jalapeno, seeded if desired • 1/4 cup shredded pecorino cheese • 1/2 cup olive oil • juice of 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil. In a bowl massage the kale with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for 1-2 minutes or until the kale is well coated in oil.

p

wi r i a

th

FAT BASTARD SHIRAZ

Dark ruby in color with vibrant purple reflections. The nose displays a spicy, yet fresh profile containing tinges of olive, clove and sweet blueberry while the palate exhibits a robust body and invigorating flavors of paprika, tobacco, and peony.

On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until until it is pretty thin (about a 9-11cm circle). Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the dough with pesto (see recipe below) and top with fontina cheese. Add the massaged kale and crumble on half of the goat cheese. Next add the shaved zucchini and the remaining goat cheese. Drizzle the pizza lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil, garden greens and chives. Slice and eat

GODDESS BASIL PESTO

In a blender, combine the basil, mint, jalapeno, pistachios, pecorino with the olive oil until finely chopped. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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Can you feel the spring vibes or what ? 40

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pa

ithSMOOTH VSOP w HANEPOOT ir BRANDY SIPPER

Celebrate the evolution of South African Brandy with this extremely smooth Hanepoot Brandy sipper. Allow the sweet & intense aromas to conjure up images of the oasis like Orange River Valley, snaking its way through the desolate Kalahari desert. A land of contrasts perfectly reflected in the silky smooth, yet intense entry of this unique brandy creation. Savour the lingering Hanepoot raisin finish and share a glass with someone special.


Coconut mess cake with whipped ricotta cream INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

COCONUT CAKE

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease three round cake pans, or line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

• 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt • 1 1/4 cups canola oil • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 cup honey • 3 whole eggs + 3 egg yolks • 2 teaspoons vanilla • 1 1/2 cups full-fat canned coconut milk • zest of 1 lemon • 6-8 homemade or store-bought meringues • edible flowers, for decorating (optional)

WHIPPED RICOTTA CREAM • 115g cream cheese • 450g whole milk ricotta cheese • 1 cup heavy whipping cream • 2 tablespoons honey • 1 teaspoon vanilla

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, divided • 2 cups fresh raspberries, divided • zest of 1 lemon • 1-2 oranges • 2 passion fruits • 6-8 homemade or store-bought meringues • edible flowers, for decorating (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer) beat together the canola oil, sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the coconut milk and mix until combined. Batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the lemon zest. Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Grab 3 large flat plates, line them with wax or parchment paper and invert the cakes onto the paper lined plates. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

WHIPPED RICOTTA CREAM

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer) fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta and heavy cream, continue to whip until the ricotta is smooth and the cream has fluffed, about 6-8 minutes. Add the honey and vanilla and whip until combined. Keep the cream covered in the fridge until ready to assemble.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

In a bowl, mash together 1/2 cup chopped strawberry and 1/2 cup raspberries until you have a loose sauce. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and drizzle lightly with honey. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cream over the cake and then swirl 1/3 over the mashed berries into the cream. Crumble 2-3 meringues over top. Add a handful of fresh chopped strawberries, raspberries, orange slices and passion fruit. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers. Be careful not to over fill your layers with fruit or the cake will be hard to slice. If desired, decorate the cake with edible flowers. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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L AV E D

we love

G&J HERBS PRESENTS

espite our fast paced life and technological advances, I doubt there are many people in our society who has not heard of or come in contact with lavender. People may not be aware of all the properties and uses of lavender or exactly how to grow it, some people have had the odd lavender bush growing in their garden for years without knowing that you can actually use it in your home or in your own cosmetics. So let us take a look at Lavender and see what all the fuss is about.

Lavender or Lavandula as its known in its Latin name, forms part of the great Lamiaceae family with more than 30 species of lavender from which countless cultivars have been developed. The one mostly used throughout the world is Lavandula angustifolia or commonly known as English Lavender. Entire landscapes turn purple during spring in Provence and Grasse in France where this lavender is grown on commercial scale for essential oil production and thanks to this, lavender is the most widely cultivated flower species in the world. Due to its popularity and versatility everyone is growing it and this has created thousands of jobs. In the past 3 years Bulgaria has overtaken France as the world’s top producer of lavender oil and produced over 100 metric tonnes of the essential oil which is quite a feat considering that it takes about 50kg of lavender flowers to make 500g of essential oil. The essential oil is what is used most and one of the most widely used oils in the perfume industry, but one can find every manner of product imaginable, from lotions to hair products, anxiety treatments to biscuits and even lavender sauce for roast lamb. It is truly a must in every garden and it is agreed amongst herbalists around the world that no herb garden can truly be called an herb garden without lavender. In South Africa the climate is not always ideal to grow lavender as it is not used to wet summers and severe winters. But thankfully South Africa has its own varieties!

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NDER One of the best lavenders grown all over South Africa and very well suited to our climate, is Lavandula Intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’. This variety cross pollinated in the Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre outside of Pretoria and has been named Margaret Roberts Lavender by the Nursery trade in honour of her pioneering work with herbs in South Africa. It is very easily grown and available at most nurseries almost all year round. Another variety that accidentally cross pollinated here is Lavandula dentata candicans var. maxima, or commonly called Elegans lavender. This variety cannot be used internally but makes the most attractive garden lavender, well suited to the climate. It flowers virtually all year round, providing you with and endless supply of flowers to toss in the bath for those long days with the aching feet and muscles. (Note: this variety is protected by plant breeder’s rights and only available under the Margaret Roberts/ Malanseuns label) Maragret Roberts Lavender is also the lavender used in South Africa medicinally and internally to reduce pain, to relieve stress and anxiety, to ease depression and to get rid of persistent headaches. The essential oil has been shown to have absolutely no toxicity and has antispasmodic, antibacterial and antiseptic qualities all of which make it indispensable in the everyday household. One of the best and most pleasant uses that we have been practising for quite some time is just sticking two lavender flowers (ONLY use Lavandula intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’) in your coffee in the morning and let it stand for 3-5 minutes before adding your sugar and milk. Enjoy the pleasant taste and have a stress free day! The question we get asked the most is without a doubt, “How do I grow lavender as mine always seem to die?” One must first take note that lavender bushes get ‘tired’ in a sense and need to be replaced after 4 – 5 years, so they will naturally die after this time frame.

To grow lavender you need to find a spot in full sun where it will get at least 6-7 hours of direct sunlight a day, if you cannot provide this then do not attempt it. It will need well-draining and well composted soil and a weekly watering. It is advisable to water at the base of the plant rather than spraying on the leaves as it dislikes wet leaves especially in the evening. So if you cannot water at the base at least water in the morning so by evening the leaves will be dry. Once a year just add a bucket of compost as it is not advised to use chemical fertilisers or sprays if you want to use it medicinally or for cosmetic purposes. It can be grown in pots but then it will need a large pot with some added river sand to the potting mix and it will need daily watering as the soil tends to dry out very quickly. Some of the new varieties available are very well suited for pots but unfortunately cannot be used medicinally or externally. Below is one of our favourite recipes for using lavender:

LAVENDER & OATMEAL BODY AND FACE SCRUB

• 2 cups boiling water • 2 cups fresh lavender leaves (Margaret Roberts lavender) • 2 cups Oatmeal • 1 cup plain yoghurt • 5 drops lavender essential oil (optional) In a large pan, pour the boiling water over the lavender leaves and let it draw for about 10 minutes, Add the oats and mix well, gently heat for 5 minutes then cool to a comfortable temperature. Add the lavender essential oil and the yoghurt. Take a handful at a time and scrub your entire body with this mixture (It gets a bit messy) It will ease aching muscles and relax the entire body, the oats is also great for the skin and removes dead skin flakes.You can use the mix in the bath as well and soak a few minutes afterwards. Simply divine!

Article written by Josh & Gerrie of G&J Herbs. | For any further info: gerrie@gjfarms.co.za | josh@gjfarms.co.za Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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K

idneys are vital to your overall health, so it’s important to look after them. You can do a number of things to keep your kidneys functioning properly and keep them as healthy as possible at every stage of life. The kidneys filter waste products from the blood before turning it to urine. The production of urine involves highly complex steps of excretion and re-absorption. This process is necessary to maintain a stable balance of body chemicals. The critical regulation of the body’s salt, potassium and acid content is performed by the kidneys. The kidneys also produce hormones that affect the function of other organs. For example, a hormone produced by the kidneys stimulates red blood cell production. Other hormones produced by the kidneys help regulate blood pressure and control calcium metabolism. Hydrate, but don’t overdo it. Contrary to popular belief, no studies have proven over-hydration as an effective practice in enhancing kidney function. So, while it’s always a good idea to drink enough water, drinking more than the typical four to six glasses a day probably won’t help your kidneys do their job any better. Eat healthy foods. Your kidneys can tolerate a wide range of dietary habits, but most kidney problems arise out of other medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Because of this, it is suggested that you follow healthy, moderate eating habits to control weight and blood pressure. Preventing diabetes and high blood pressure will help keep kidneys in good condition. Exercise regularly. If you’re healthy, getting your exercise is a good idea because, like healthy eating habits, regular physical activity can stave off weight gain and high blood pressure. But do be mindful of how much exercise you do, especially if you’re not conditioned. Overexerting yourself when you’re not fit and healthy can put a strain on your kidneys, especially if you exercise so much that you cause excessive breakdown of muscle tissue.

90% of kidney function can be lost without experiencing any symptoms

Crossing Centre +27 (013) 755 5500 | c/o Madiba Drive & N4 | Nelspruit I’Langa Mall +27 (013) 742 2225 | c/o Bitterbessie Street & N4 | Nelspruit White River +27 (013) 751 2267/8 | Chief Mgiyeni Khumalo Drive & Hennie van Till Street | White River

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Use caution with supplements and herbal remedies. Excessive amounts of certain vitamin supplements and some herbal extracts may be harmful to your kidneys. Talk to your doctor about any vitamins and herbs you plan to take. Quit smoking. Smoking can damage blood vessels, which decreases the flow of blood in the kidneys. When the kidneys don’t have adequate blood flow, they can’t function at optimal levels. Smoking also increases the risk of high blood pressure as well as the risk of kidney cancer. Don’t overdo it when taking overthe-counter medications. Common nonprescription pills like ibuprofen and naproxen (NSAID’s) can cause kidney damage if taken too regularly over a prolonged period. If you have healthy kidneys and use these medicines for occasional pain, they probably don’t pose a risk. Otherwise if you take them for chronic pain or arthritis, you should talk to your doctor about monitoring your kidney function or finding alternative ways to control your pain. If you’re at risk, get regular kidney function screening. If you have either diabetes or high blood pressure, your physician should screen for kidney dysfunction as part of routine care for those conditions.

#MopaniCares SUCRALOSE SWEETENER: Because sucralose retains its stability even under high temperatures, it is often used as a baking substitute in place of sugar in recipes. It is also often used to sweeten lower-calorie dairy-based products such as yogurt and ice cream, as well as other frozen desserts. Sucralose is reported to be safe on the kidneys, even for those on dialysis.

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HIMALAYAN SALT: Table salt, stripped of minerals and bleached, is a freak of nature.Your body sees it that way, too. Sea salts, unfortunately, are becoming more and more polluted as the oceans fill up with toxins. Real Salt, mined from ancient sea beds, is untainted by toxins and provides a rich source of 60+ trace minerals. Himalayan salt is also mined from ancient sea beds, so it is pure from modern environmental toxins. It provides a whopping 84 trace minerals, plus a unique ionic energy that is released when the salt is mixed with water. Himalayan salt benefits include supporting weight loss, detox, and balanced hormones. Himalayan salt should be freely enjoyed. CRANBERRY COMPLEX: Your urinary tract is a complex system that includes your kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, muscles and urethra. Together, they work to remove waste from your body in the form of urine. The hardest-working part of the system is your kidneys. Many people have problems with their urinary systems, most often from infections. Although cranberries may make you think of holiday dinners, many people have long believed that cranberry juice can help keep your urinary system healthy. One way that cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections is by making urine more acidic. Because bacteria grow best in alkaline environments, the acid helps keep bacteria from thriving. Cranberry complex has properties that can help you fight other ailments as well. These include flu, gastric ulcers and even cavities in your teeth.

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10

Health Screenings All Women Should Have

Mammograms, blood glucose tests, and Pap smears — these are just a few of the health exams that are essential to a woman’s health. Is it time for you to schedule one of these screenings?

A

woman’s health depends on a lot of factors. With today’s busy lifestyles, finding time to visit the doctor can often be difficult but it is important not to forget about our health. Regular health check-ups are important for women. Even in the absence of symptoms, many physicians recommend routine, yearly doctor visits and physicals for females of all ages. So what screenings should you be getting? These 10 are a good start.

1

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING

Starting at age 18, every woman needs to have her blood pressure checked at least every two years. This health screening involves wrapping a cuff around the arm and pumping it up tightly. Ideal blood pressure for women is less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). If your insurance doesn’t cover a blood pressure screening (though most insurance companies do), check into free screenings in your community.

2

CHOLESTEROL CHECK

Women should have their cholesterol checked at least every five years starting at about age 20. This screening is important for decreasing your risk of heart disease, and can be done at your doctor’s office or at a lab with a doctor’s order, as the test only involves drawing a blood sample. Some community health fairs offer quick cholesterol screenings, involving nothing but a finger-prick. If you get a high reading on this screening test, you will be referred to your doctor for more complete testing. The ideal level is below 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) for total cholesterol.

3

PAP SMEARS & PELVIC EXAMS

Beginning at age 21, or earlier if you are sexually active, women need to have a pelvic exam and Pap smear every two years to check for any abnormalities in the reproductive system. Guidelines for this cervical cancer screening recently changed from once a year, as studies found no benefit to such frequent screenings. Barring any problems, women age 30 and older only need a Pap smear every three years if they have had three normal tests in a row.

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The test requires some cells from the cervix to detect any cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer. Your doctor can also screen for sexually transmitted diseases.

4

MAMMOGRAMS & BREAST EXAMS

Starting around age 20, women should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years until age 40, when this should be done annually, according to most experts. This is a manual exam — your doctor uses her fingers to examine the breasts for any lumps or abnormalities. A mammogram is a screening test for breast cancer and involves applying moderate compression to the breasts so that X-ray images can be captured. Mammograms are done every one or two years beginning at age 40.

5

BONE DENSITY SCREEN

Women should start getting screened for osteoporosis with a bone density test at age 65. Women with risk factors for osteoporosis, such as having a slender frame or a fractured bone, should be screened earlier. For this test, you lie on the table while a scanning machine takes X-ray images of certain bones in your body. Healthy bones show a T-score (the measurement used to describe your bone density) of -1 or higher. The frequency of this health screening varies from woman to woman.


6

BLOOD GLUCOSE TESTS

Women should get a blood glucose test every three years starting at age 45 to test for diabetes or pre-diabetes. Before age 45, you may need to have your blood glucose levels tested if you have symptoms of diabetes or several risk factors. Your blood sample can be taken and tested at your doctor’s office or a lab. The range of normal test results can vary, but generally a test result of 100 mg/dL or higher indicates pre-diabetes or diabetes.

7

COLON CANCER SCREENING

Colon cancer screening tests for women generally start at age 50. Depending on the type of test, you will have this health screening at a doctor’s office or a hospital. The more traditional tests are the flexible sigmoidoscopy, a procedure in which a lighted tube and camera are inserted through the anus to look at the lower part of the colon, and a colonoscopy, which involves a longer tube to examine the entire colon. Unless a problem is found, a flexible sigmoidoscopy needs to be repeated every 5 to 10 years and a colonoscopy only every 10 years. The non-invasive virtual colonoscopy is another option. People with a greater risk of colon cancer may need earlier or more frequent cancer screening tests.

8

BODY MASS INDEX

A full yearly physical exam includes measurements of your height and weight and a calculation of your body mass index (BMI).You can also calculate your BMI at home using an online BMI

calculator. BMI indicates obesity, which can assess the risk of serious health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

9

SKIN EXAMINATION

Women should examine their skin every month starting at age 18, and by the time they’re 20, a doctor or dermatologist should conduct the examination during a routine check-up. Women should carefully inspect the skin all over their bodies, looking for any new moles or changes to existing moles to spot the early signs of skin cancer.

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DENTAL CHECK-UP

Good dental health is important from the moment your first baby tooth sprouts, and all adult women need twice-yearly dental checkups and cleanings. Regular dental check-ups, which involve examining the teeth and sometimes taking X-rays, can keep teeth healthy and spot early signs of decay or any problems with the mouth or teeth. Because these tests are considered preventive, many insurance plans cover them. However, there may be certain criteria that you have to meet, such as the reason for the test, the time elapsed since your last test, your age at the time of the test, whether the provider is in your plan’s network, and other rules. While vital for your continued good health, these tests can be expensive — so call your insurance company or check your plan’s certificate to determine coverage before making needed appointments.

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HOPE AGAINST CERVICAL

CANCER

Did you know that 3 quick vaccines over 6 months can help prevent the cause of most cervical cancers later in life? The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes most cervical cancers as well as some cancers of the reproductive region and the oropharynx (back of throat including base of tongue and tonsils). The HPV Vaccine can therefore prevent most cervical and related cancers. Why is the HPV vaccine important? Genital HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never even know it. HPV infection is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s. Most HPV types cause no symptoms and go away on their own. But some types can cause cervical cancer and other less common cancers in women.

Other types of HPV can cause warts in the genital areas of men and women, called genital warts. Genital warts are not lifethreatening. But they can cause emotional stress and their treatment can be very uncomfortable. Who should receive the HPV vaccination? HPV vaccination is recommended for girls and women age 11 through 26 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated or completed the vaccine series; HPV vaccine can also be given to girls beginning at age 9 years. Ideally girls should get the vaccine before they become sexually active and exposed to HPV. Woman who are sexually active may also benefit from vaccination, but they may get less benefit. How long does vaccine protection last? Research suggests that vaccine protection is long-lasting. Current studies have followed vaccinated individuals for ten years, and show that there is no evidence of weakened protection over time. What does the vaccine not protect against? The vaccines do not protect against all HPV types— so they will not prevent all cases of cervical cancer. Since some cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccines, it will be important for women to continue getting screened for cervical cancer. Also, the vaccines do not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

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How safe are the HPV vaccines? The vaccines were studied in thousands of people around the world, and these studies showed no serious safety concerns. Side effects reported in these studies were mild, including pain where the shot was given, fever, dizziness, and nausea. Will girls/women who have been vaccinated still need cervical cancer screening? Yes, vaccinated women will still need regular cervical cancer screening because the vaccines protect against most but not all HPV types that cause cervical cancer. Also, women who got the vaccine after becoming sexually active may not get the full benefit of the vaccine if they have already been exposed to HPV. Techincally speaking There are two HPV vaccines CERVARIX or GARDASIL - both reduce the rates of infection and disease, like HPV, genital warts, preneoplastic lesions and cervical cancer.

THE HPV VACCINE IS AVAILABLE AT MOPANI PHARMACY WELLNESS CLINICS

CERVARIX is an injection that is given in the muscle tissue of the arm. Age 9 to 14 need two doses, between 5 and 13 months after the first dose. Age 15 years and above three doses at 0, 1, 6 months.

Contact Sr. Hazel van Staden at Mopani Pharmacy (Crossing Centre) on (013) 755 5500 for more information.

GARDASIL to be administered the same route as above mentioned, from the age of 9 at 0, 2, 6 months.

Article sourced and edited from the American Centre for Disease Control. Retrieved at http://www.cdc.gov/std/ hpv/stdfact-hpv-vaccine-young-women.htm. July 2016.

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HEALTHY MOM

HEALTHY BABY Sr.Rentia, Sr. Rinie and Sr. Karin of Homegrown Babies at Mopani Pharmacy, Crossing Centre, shared some important points on antenatal and postnatal health and wellness for mom in celebration of Woman’s Day this August. BEFORE PREGNANCY It is important to go for a complete gynae check up before you want to fall pregnant. Find out if you are immunised against German Measels (Rubella). Rubella can be very dangerous to an unborn foetus, but is fully preventable by vaccination prior to falling pregnant - one can not be vaccinated during pregnancy. A simple blood test can determine if you need to be vaccinated. Following a healthy lifestyle before falling pregnant is important. Of course, eating fresh food and less processed foods is the healthier choice. Exercise regularly and rest enough. Be brave and stop smoking, and limit alcohol as much as possible. It is important to restrict medicines to only the most necessary. Mopani Pharmacy’s pharmacists can help you with this, or suggest safer alternatives. Perhaps the most important supplement to take - starting at least three months before conception, is folic acid of ±400mg daily. Folic acid is important for neural tube development in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Also invest in a good daily general vitamin supplement.

DURING PREGNANCY Pregnancy can be difficult and take its toll on your changing body. Variety and balance of healthy food choices are important. Small, frequent meals can help with discomfort and try not to have liquids with food. Reduce allergenic foods where possible and avoid exotic foods high in Vitamin A (like liver pates), soft/blue veined cheeses and raw fish or meat. Other things to cut down on or avoid are caffeine, artificial sweeteners, soft drinks high in sugar and and sweets. Supplementing with the right vitamins can alleviate some pregnancy symptoms. Vitamin B6 is indicated for nausea, while calcium, iron and magnesium are much needed during pregnancy. Be careful of Vitamin A, as an excess of 6000 IU can be dangerous. You may have heard about toxoplasmosis. Avoid working with cat litter and wash your hands thoroughly after working in the garden. WEIGHT GAIN This may be a concern for some women. Please note that fasting during pregnancy is not advised. A good guide is: not to pick up more than 4kg in the first 20 weeks, and during the second 20 weeks you can safely

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gain another 10 -14kg. The average healthy total weight gain can be anything between 8 - 18kg. To keep your weight gain in check, boost your mood and prepare for your new life as a mom exercise in moderation but regularly. Listen to your body and your baby! NEW MOM Continue with your pregnancy multivitamin for as long as you breastfeed or about 4-6 months after the birth of your baby. Make sure that you drink enough fluids, whilst still following a healthy diet.

We are here to help you and your baby along this new road. Plan your visits in advance. The first week after birth, a weight check up can help you see if your feeding strategy is working for you. A third-week clinic visit can support you with the sleepawake routine which will simplify the first 6 weeks with your newborn baby.

We love moms and their babies. Contact Homegrown Babies at Mopani Pharmacy Crossing centre for all your pregnancy, baby and post-baby bump consultations. Find and follow us on Facebook too!

Rest is so important. Try to rest as much as you can - of course this is easier said than done! Don’t be shy to make use of your support network for daily or timeconsuming household tasks. It is important that you follow the instructions of your health care provider on physical activity levels after giving birth. Go outside! A simple picnic or gentle walk in the Botanical Gardens can lift your mood and your mind. Lastly, make sure that you connect with other new moms and babies for real life support.

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Sr. Rinie de Klerk en Sr. Rentia Brueten

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back in a

flush What is menopause?

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enopause is a stage in life when a woman stops having her monthly period. It is a normal part of ageing and marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. Menopause typically occurs in a woman’s late 40’s to early 50’s. However menopause that occurs before the age of 40 is called premature or early menopause. For women undergoing natural menopause, the process is gradual and is described in three stages: • Stage one: menopause transition • Stage two: menopause • Stage three: post menopause 1. MENOPAUSE TRANSITION Menopause transition is the stage where the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen. It can begin 8 -10 years before the actual menopause. It usually starts in a women’s 40’s but can start their 30’s as well. Menopause transition lasts an average of four years and ends the first year after menopause (when a woman has gone 12 months without having her period). The drop in estrogen accelerates in the last 2 years of the menopause transition stage. This is when a woman may start to experience menopause symptoms. Even though there is a change in the menstrual cycle, you should know that there is still a chance of falling pregnant in the transition stage.

If you don’t want to become pregnant you should continue to take some form of birth control until you reach menopause. 2. MENOPAUSE Menopause is the point when a woman no longer has menstrual periods. In this stage, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and therefore have stopped contributing to the production of estrogen. Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has gone without a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. 3. POST MENOPAUSE These are the years after menopause. During this stage, menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes may ease for most women. As a result of a lower level of estrogen, postmenopausal women are at risk for a number of health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease. Medication such as hormone therapy and healthy lifestyle changes may reduce the risk of some of these conditions.

PREMATURE OR EARLY MENOPAUSE

Ovaries are a pair of tiny glands in the female pelvic cavity, they are the most important organs of the female reproductive system. The ovaries are the

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prime location for estrogen production. Anything that damages a woman’s ovaries or stops estrogen production can cause early menopause. Reasons for onset of early menopause are many and varied. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE? When you experience some or all of the following symptoms you may be transitioning into menopause. • Hot flushes • Weight gain and slowed metabolism • Night sweats • Irregular periods • Mood changes • Sleep disturbances

LONG TERM HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MENOPAUSE

OSTEOPOROSIS Women lose an average of 25% of their bone mass from the time of menopause to age 60, a large part of this is due to the low levels of estrogen. Over time, this loss of bone mass can lead to bone fractures. CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE This is the narrowing or blockage of arteries that surround the heart muscle. It occurs when fatty plaque builds up in the artery walls. This build up is associated with high levels of cholesterol in the blood. After menopause the risk for coronary artery disease increases. A healthy diet, not smoking and getting regular exercise are your best options to prevent heart disease. Treating elevated blood pressure, treating diabetes, maintaining cholesterol levels with medication and aspirin therapy for the selected atrisk persons are the standards of care. HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is also known as estrogen replacement therapy. HRT replaces hormones your body no longer produces. It is the most effective treatment for menopause. Estrogen therapy is not recommended for all women due to the risks associated with estrogen.

ADVERSE EFFECTS OF OESTROGEN

Endometrial carcinoma: Oestrogens given without progesterone in women with an intact uterus puts them at risk for endometrial carcinoma. When HRT is the recommended treatment a combination therapy of progesterone and oestrogen must

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be prescribed for women who have not had a hysterectomy. BREAST CARCINOMA: The long-term (>5years) use of HRT is associated with a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of breast cancer. The increased incidence is more associated with progesterone and oestrogen combination therapy. DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT) AND PULMONARY EMBOLUS (PE): HRT is associated with a small but significant increased incidence of DVT and PE, particularly during the first 6-12 months of therapy. The risk increases progressively with increasing age. Women with family history of DVT and PE should be investigated. All women on HRT should be given prophylactic anticoagulant therapy when undergoing surgery. Women who smoke are also at risk and receiving HRT treatment is not recommended.

THE BENEFITS OF HORMONE THERAPY (ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT)

ESTROGEN AND OSTEOPOROSIS Estrogen, a hormone produced by the ovaries, promotes the production of osteoblasts, or cells that produce bone. Estrogen helps protect against bone loss. Replacing estrogen that is lost after menopause (when the ovaries stop most of their estrogen production) slows bone loss and improves the body’s absorption and retention of calcium. ESTROGEN AND CORONORY HEART DESEASE A decline in the natural hormone estrogen may be a factor in increased heart disease among postmenopausal women. Estrogen is believed to have a positive effect on the inner layer of the artery wall, helping to keep blood vessels flexible. That means they can relax and expand to accommodate blood flow, estrogen is also believed to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (the good cholesterol). MANAGEMENT AND COUNSELLING The care of all menopause transition and postmenopausal women must be individualised – age and type of menopause (e.g. early menopause) play a significant role in the risks associated with hormone therapy. The benefits, risks and types of therapy should be discussed with a doctor and a plan of management must be agreed upon. The protective benefits of hormone therapy usually outweigh the risks for women who reach menopause prematurely.

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raising confident P

daughters

arents, and particularly mothers, are a powerful influence. Report after report finds that the way a mother acts in front of her daughter largely influences the child’s behaviour, and there are ways to model a healthy self-image that benefits both of you.

1

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY And it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. How you treat other people—or talk about them— is a good predictor for how your daughter will too. Don’t gossip about people in front of your children – remember, children learn what they live.

2

GET ACTIVE This is a great way to get your daughter to love her body. Giving your daughter the courage and skills to play outdoors will instill a greater sense of her body as a source of strength. Introduce her to tree climbing, bug collecting, and camping, even if you prefer being inside! When your daughter sees you go out for a run, or you dance in the living room together or help her scale a rock wall at the playground, you’re teaching her to love her body. Encourage her to play sport. Girls have more sport options these days, so don’t decide which sports are right for her- she can figure it out for herself if you present a range of options. Putting your daughter in sports at an early age makes her appreciate her body for its strength rather than just its beauty.

3

HELP HER LOVE HER LOOKS If your daughter catches you loving your whole

body no matter what shape or size, she will grow up to love hers. Never put down your own body in front of your daughter, or she will start looking at her own body in a negative way. Tell her what you love about her, and be sincere. It can be hard to feel beautiful if you are bombarded with images of how you “should” look. Make sure she knows that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and that most magazines Photoshop their photos.

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ENCOURAGE COMPETENCE Don’t be too quick to help your daughter with her homework or assignments. Encourage her to try and work things out herself first, or teach her how to do the necessary research. Teach her that she can do anything she puts her mind to, and how and where to get help to achieve success. Take every opportunity, when you’re watching the news or reading the paper, to show your daughter that women – senators, sportscasters, doctors, athletes – can do anything. Reading books with strong female characters is one of the best ways to get the idea across.

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ENCOURAGE ASSERTIVENESS Teach your daughter to express her needs to adults, and speak up and stand up to other children. Teach her to say no if she doesn’t feel comfortable doing something others may be asking her to do. To do this, she needs to understand her own emotions and find positive ways to manage them. Teach her the confidence stance: head up, shoulders back, walk tall and teach her to look people in the eye.

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his heritage month is a wonderful opportunity to share family heritage and traditions with your kids. Many of us have holiday traditions that are connected to our ancestors and have been handed down through generations. Often, children don’t realize why we eat specific foods during these holidays or follow certain customs – they just know that these activities have always been a part of the festivities. This year, make it a point to weave in some cultural education and family learning as you carry out your holiday traditions.

TRACE YOUR FAMILY ANCESTRY

Kids can start a conversation with parents, grandparents and great-grandparents to trace your family’s roots. Where did family members live? What jobs did they have and what fun stories do they remember about growing up? There are some creative ways to encourage kids to collect this information: Create a Book – Highlight family stories in a handmade booklet. Kids can write down family memories and draw pictures to match. They might also ask family members to write down their own stories and put them together in a family binder. Make a Family Tree – Beginning with their generation, have kids assign each member of the family a leaf with their name on it. They can then draw a large tree and tape the leaves along the branches to have a fun visual of their relatives. Family trees can also be made using natural items such as a large branch from the yard and pinecones or acorns with names taped to each. Record Family Stories – While visiting with relatives over the holidays, have kids use a video camera, iPad, or smart-phone to record family stories. Recordings can then be moved to DVD and shared with everyone.

LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAMILY HERITAGE

Where did your relatives live? - Many kids are surprised to learn that their grandparents, and even parents, didn’t grow up in the same city where they live! Make a list of the various countries that relatives called home and then enjoy some fun activities as you learn more about your countries of origin. Map Your Family – Once you’ve learned more about where your family originated, use fun sticky notes to label the various countries on a world map. Talk about how members of your family met one another and moved to different places. Read Some Books – Go to the library and find some fiction and non-fiction books about each country. Kids will enjoy learning about the customs from other countries, along with some of the stories shared with children in the country. Learn a New Recipe – With some of the days off from school, it’s a great time to learn a new recipe! You might try a new recipe that you learned about during your family interviews or one that you learned is a popular dish when reading a story about an ancestral country. Play a Game – Countries around the world have different games that children play. Kids always enjoy learning a new game, especially one that their greatgrandparents may have played when they were younger! Always encourage curiosity – It is important to be open and available to answer your child’s questions. They are, after all, at their most curious age and the more you can teach them about your own heritage and the world around them, the better! CORA BREYTENBACH Educational Psychologist 082 810 2409 | corabreytenbach@yahoo.com 60

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IT’S SO EASY TO ORDER YOUR

FOUR EASY STEPS 1. Choose your message and image. 2. Choose your NiceCream flavours, number of layers and size. 3. Choose your toppings and edging. 4. Place your order in store or by phone 72 hours in advance.

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CELEBRATE

Heritage South Africa is the Rainbow Nation, a title that captures the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity. From the origins of humanity to ancient African kingdoms and South Africa’s emergence as a non-racial democracy, there’s no shortage of heritage to celebrate. We take a closer look at the people who call this country home.

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Xhosa “ONE DOES NOT BECOME GREAT BY CLAIMING GREATNESS”

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here are 11 official languages in South Africa, of which Xhosa is one of the most widely spoken. Approximately 16% of South Africa’s population, cite Xhosa as being their home language. Those that speak the language are usually part of an ethnic group known as the amaXhosa. This language is officially referred to as isiXhosa. The word “Xhosa” is derived from the Khoisan language and means “angry men”. Most of the languages in South Africa that involve tongue-clicking originate from the indigenous Khoisan people, who included plenty of different clicks in their speech and language. Xhosa falls under the umbrella of the Bantu languages, and is a representative of the south-western Nguni family. As a result, South Africa is known to be the native land of the Xhosa folk. This is especially true of the Eastern Cape, where the language is spoken extensively and taught in the schools. The Zulu people of South Africa have their own name for the Xhosa people, the KwaXhosa. When translated, KwaXhosa simply means “land of Xhosa”. Before the arrival of the Europeans in the late 1600s, Xhosaspeaking people occupied much of eastern South Africa. The region extended from the Fish River to land inhabited by Zulu-speakers south of the modern city of Durban. This territory includes well-watered rolling hills near scenic coastal areas as well as harsh and dry regions further inland. Many Xhosa live in Cape Town (iKapa), East London (iMonti), and Port Elizabeth (iBhayi). They can be found in lesser numbers in most of South Africa’s major metropolitan areas. Stories and legends provide accounts of Xhosa ancestral heroes. According to one oral tradition, the first person on Earth was a great leader called Xhosa. Another tradition stresses the essential unity of the Xhosa-speaking people by proclaiming that all the Xhosa subgroups are descendants of one ancestor, Tshawe. Historians have suggested that Xhosa and Tshawe were probably the first Xhosa kings or paramount (supreme) chiefs. Xhosa tradition is rich in creative verbal expression. Intsomi (folktales), proverbs, and isibongo (praise poems) are told in dramatic and creative ways. Folktales relate the adventures of both animal protagonists and human characters. Praise poems traditionally relate the heroic adventures of ancestors or political leaders. Missionaries introduced the Xhosa to Western choral singing. Among the most successful of the Xhosa hymns is the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikele’ iAfrika (God Bless Africa). It was written by a school teacher named Enoch Sontonga in 1897. They are known to be a warm, friendly people that will almost certainly be happy to share some of their heritage with you.

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Zulu “I AM A PERSON THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE. MY HUMANITY IS TIED TO YOURS.”

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or many people, the Zulu are the best-known African people. Their military exploits led to the rise of a great kingdom that was feared for a long time over much of the African continent. The Zulu are the descendants of Nguni-speaking people. Their written history can be traced back to the fourteenth century.

In the early nineteenth century a young Zulu prince, Shaka, came onto the scene and welded most of the Nguni tribes into the powerful Zulu Kingdom. During his reign, Shaka recruited young men from all over the kingdom and trained them in his own novel warrior tactics. After defeating competing armies and assimilating their people, Shaka established his Zulu nation. Within twelve years, he had forged one of the mightiest empires the African continent has ever known. Among the Zulu, the belief in ancestral spirits has always been strong. These are the spirits of the dead. The Zulus recognize the existence of a supreme being. UMvelinqangi (One Who Came First) or uNkulunkulu (Very Big One) is God because he appeared first. This supreme being is far removed from the lives of the people and has never been seen by anyone. No ceremonies are, therefore, ever performed for uMvelinqangi. Zulu people believe that the spirits of the dead mediate between uMvelinqangi and the people on earth. Zulus believe in a long life that continues after death. Getting old is seen as a blessing. Elderly people are believed to be sacred, and are thus are always respected. Among the Zulu, birth, puberty, marriage, and death are all celebrated and marked by the slaughter of sacrificial animals to ancestors. Birth and puberty are particularly celebrated. To Zulu traditionalists, childlessness and giving birth to girls only are the greatest of all misfortunes. No marriage is permanent until a child, especially a boy, is born. The dominant language in South Africa is isiZulu. In KwaZulu-Natal, the most frequently spoken languages are Zulu and English. Xhosa and Zulu are the only two languages that are considered to be mutually understandable. The Zulu language is characterized by hlonipha (respect) terms. Addressing those who are older than oneself, especially elderly and senior people, by their first names is viewed as lack of respect. Therefore terms like baba (father) and mama (mother) are used not only to address one’s parents but also other senior males and females of the community. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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Afrikaner “AS YOU DO FOR YOUR PARENTS, YOUR CHILDREN WILL DO FOR YOU”

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uring the seventeenth century, Dutch colonists from the Netherlands (known as Boers) settled in South Africa. Over the next 200 years, British, French, and German settlers joined them. At first, they settled along the coast, but eventually settlers moved inland.

These settlers developed a unique cultural identity and language and became known as Afrikaners. Their language, Afrikaans, began as a spoken dialect, but developed into a written language, too. Also contributing to the language and culture were slaves brought by the Dutch from their holdings in southeast Asia (especially Malaysians). Settlers also took vocabulary and cultural practices from the native Africa people. Afrikaans first appeared in print during the early nineteenth century. Over the next 300 years, the Afrikaners battled indigenous (native) African peoples. established independent republics in the interior, and fought the British in two wars known as the Anglo-Boer Wars. All territories were finally united on May 31, 1910, to become the Union of South Africa. (The Republic of South Africa was established fifty years later on May 31, 1960.) In 1910, there was a clear division between the Afrikaners (who belonged to Afrikaner political parties, spoke Afrikaans, supported Afrikaner cultural and linguistic endeavors, and belonged to one of the Dutch Reformed Churches) and British-oriented, Englishspeaking South Africans. In 1948 the Afrikaner-based National Party came to power. Under a strong religious philosophy and racist social policy, the National Party started to implement the system of apartheid. Apartheid separated the people of South Africa by law along color lines. By the 1980s, there were many Afrikaners who joined the effort to do away with apartheid. In 1910, the Constitution of the Union of South Africa recognized Afrikaans and English as official languages. Since then, most Afrikaners have been bilingual. In 1991, when apartheid was eliminated, eleven official languages were recognized. Afrikaner religion comes from Protestant practices of the seventeenth-century Reformed Church of Holland. The British brought English-speaking ministers to South Africa in the early 1800s. Next, French settlers brought the ideas of Swiss reformer John Calvin (1509–1564) to South Africa. Calvin believed the church should influence government policy, and that races should remain pure and separate. This led to the development of a unique brand of Protestantism in South Africa. Government policies on apartheid (separation of the races) were supported by Afrikaners’ religious doctrines. After the end of apartheid in 1991, Afrikaners still bore a heavy burden for the actions of their ancestors who developed the philosophy that led to apartheid. Not all Afrikaners agreed with the apartheid policy of their government and not all Afrikaners were racist.Yet, Afrikaners bear the stereotype or label. Their challenge in the late 1990s is to find a role for themselves in the new South Africa, known as the Rainbow Nation. 66

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Venda “WEALTH IS LIKE A FLOODING RIVER, IT GOES DOWN QUICKLY”

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enda is also known as Luvenda or Tshivenda, and originated from the Bantu language. Interestingly, it is also related to Niger and Congo languages. Well over 650 000 of Tshivenda speakers live in the northern parts of South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Those that speak Tshivenda have a royal family line, and adhere to strict traditions that relate to this connection. For example, if the son of a Venda family wants to become a chief or king, his mother must be eligible. If she is not, he stands no chance of reaching his goal. Mothers are required to be part of the royal family, and this ensures that children have royal blood. The Tshivenda culture allows a sister and a brother from different mothers to marry. This is another promise that only royal blood will take the throne. The people of Tshivenda are known for their great respect of women, who are treated well within the culture. Because of this, women are allowed to become queens and chiefs of their tribes. Followers show the Tshivenda women the same great respect that they would show to the men. In the Tshivenda tradition, a Khoro takes place every Sunday. This is a Tshivenda Tribal Council. Here, chiefs and senior citizens get together and discuss matter concerning the community. The Tshivenda people are very proud of their traditions and re-introduce their standards and morals to every new generation to ensure that they do not become diluted. Music is one of the most important components of the life of a Tshivenda. They have music for every major life event – worship, sadness, joy, work and grieving. Drum beats accompany most of their music, and exceptions are made for songs, which are usually murmured. Drums are extremely important for the Tshivenda people, infusing their music with a strong sense of symbolism. The Tshivenda folk dance to the beat of the drums to symbolise the changes that they undergo through the courses of their lives, for example. The traditional cooking is another major part of their culture. The traditional meal is Tshidzimba, which is a mixture of groundnuts, beans and mielie (or corn) grains. Summer is the time in which the Tshivenda people plant seeds. This is also known to be the most workintensive time. After a day spent sowing, caring for cattle, reaping crops, etc... music and dancing are the ideal ways to relax. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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Ndebele “FEAR IS NOTHING, THE REAL THING IS COURAGE”

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he history of the Ndebele people can be traced back to Mafana, their first identifiable chief. Mafana’s successor, Mhlanga, had a son named Musi who, in the early 1600’s, decided to move away from his cousins (later to become the mighty Zulu nation) and to settle in the hills of Gauteng near where the capital, Pretoria is situated. After the death of Chief Musi, his two sons quarrelled over the chieftainship and the tribe divided into two sections, the Manala and the Ndzundza. The Manala remained in the north while the Ndzundza, also known as the Southern Ndebele, travelled to the east and the south. Both groups remained distinctly Ndebele. These should not be confused with the Ndebele speaking folk of Zimbabwe or Botswana, who speak a different language with the same name. Ndebele women traditionally adorned themselves with a variety of ornaments, each symbolising her status in society. After marriage, dresses became increasingly elaborate and spectacular. In earlier times, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs and neck, symbolising her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built. She would only remove the rings after his death. The rings (called idzila) were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. Today, it is no longer common practice to wear these rings permanently. In addition to the rings, married women also wore neck hoops made of grass (called isigolwani) twisted into a coil and covered in beads, particularly for ceremonial occasions. Isigolwani are sometimes worn as neckpieces and as leg and arm bands by newly wed women whose husbands have not yet provided them with a home, or by girls of marriageable age after the completion of their initiation ceremony. Married women also wore a five-fingered apron (called an ijogolo) to mark the culmination of the marriage, which only takes place after the birth of the first child. The marriage blanket (nguba) worn by married women was decorated with beadwork to record significant events throughout the woman’s lifetime. In traditional Ndebele society it was believed that illnesses were caused by an external force such as a spell or curse that was put on an individual. The power of a traditional healer was measured by his or her ability to defeat this force. Some present-day Ndebele still adhere to ancestral worship but many have subsequently become Christians and belong to the mainstream churches.

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Pedi “EVERY MAN IS THE ARCHITECT OF HIS OWN FORTUNE”

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stimated at 7 million, these Sotho speakers are the second largest African language group in South Africa. Three million Sotho and other closely related groups live outside of South Africa, the majority of who are in Lesotho. The Sotho can be subdivided into three groups. The first group is the Northern Sotho also called Pedi and Bapedi. The Pedi society arose out of a confederation of small chiefdoms that had been established sometime before the 17th century in what later became the Northern Transvaal (Northern Province). The Pedi lived in huts, which were round in shape and known as rondawels. Rondawels were made out of clay mixed with “boloko” (cow dung) in order to strengthen it. The roofing of the rondawels was made from a particular grass called “loala” which was strong and long, and they would pack the grass in bangles and roof the houses. Traditional Pedi food consisted of; thophi (a meal which is made from maize mixed with a fruit called lerotse), morogo wa dikgopana (spinach cooked and given a round shape and left to dry up in the sun). Bogobe ba mabele, samp and maswi (milk), masonja (mopane worms) is also eaten as well as vegetables and fruits like milo and machilo. In Pedi culture the chief would wear clothes made out of wild animal skin such as Leopard and Lion to show leadership and he was from the ruling house (moshate). Ordinary people wore clothes made out of domestic animal skin such as goats, sheep and cows. However, the Pedi have changed their mode of dressing because of the present trends in fashion. There are many spoken dialects of Sepedi but only one written language. The Pedi are known for storytelling. The stories are usually told in the evenings but nowadays radio and TV have replaced them. In the 1950s a Pedi migrant workers’ organisation (Sebatakgomo) tried to cast out chiefs, headmen and others who accepted Bantu authorities and rural betterment programmes. In 1958 a major protest took place in Sekhukhuneland in which those who sought to defend the chieftainship were challenged by the new forces. The Northern Sotho homeland of Lebowa was proclaimed a ‘self-governing’ territory in 1972, with a population of almost 2 million. Economic problems plagued the poverty-stricken homeland, however, and the people were not unified. Homeland politics were complicated by the demands of several ethnic minorities within Lebowa to have their land transferred to the jurisdiction of another homeland. At the same time, government efforts to consolidate homeland territory forced the transfer of several small regions of land into Lebowa. Conflict broke out again in 1986 in what had by then become the Bantustan of Lebowa. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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colouring africa African art history has played a significant role in shaping the culture and history of the world. The belief that Africa is the cradle of the history of mankind is virtually unshakeable. The origins of African art history lie long before recorded history, preserved in the obscurity of time. Rock Art is centuries old, while shell beads fashioned for a necklace have been recovered in a cave in the furthest reach of South Africa that are 75 000 years old.

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Tswana “SUCCESS IS SUCCESS, WHETHER YOU SUCCEED FIRST OR LAST”

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he Tswanas are a tribe who migrated from Central/East Africa to southern Africa during the 14th century. The origin of the name ‘Tswana’ is a mystery, but is applied to a number of groups who all speak the same language, have similar customs, but separate names. The Tswana people emerged from the larger Sotho tribe and today number over two million people spread throughout the Northern Cape, Gauteng and North West provinces. The history of the Tswana people is one of continual dissension and fission where disputes, sometimes over chieftain ascendancy, resulted in a section of the tribe breaking away from the main tribe, under the leadership of a dissatisfied chief’s relative, and settling elsewhere. Often the name of the man who led the splinter group was taken as the new tribe’s name. The modern republic of Botswana, formerly known as the colony of (British) Bechuanaland, is named after this people (Bantu languages often use prefixes, in this case bo-, for grammatical flexions and for word derivations, rather then endings and suffixes as is more usual in Indo-European languages). Tswana is believed to be the first Sotho language to have acquired written form when Heinrich Lictenstein produced a book known as Upon the Language of the Beetjuana in 1806. It is also closely related to the Kgalagadi and Lozi languages. In similar fashion to other official African languages, the written form was developed by early European missionaries. Lictenstein’s book was followed with Dr Robert Moffat’s translation of the Bible into Setswana, which was completed in 1857. Later, in 1929, Sol Plaatje, a native Setswana speaker, produced a book with Professor Daniel Jones called Tones of Secwana Nouns. T Sol Plaatje is considered to be one of the most famous Tswana speakers, having played an integral role in the history of our country. He was a journalist, writer and intellectual. In addition, he translated some of Shakespeare’s works into Setswana. Tswana tradition measures wealth and status in cattle. This also determines the size of households as cattle is the currency for paying a bride price and are necessary for feeding the family. In typical Tswana culture, a family consists of the husband, his wife (or wives) and their unmarried children. The man is regarded as the head of the house and is afforded immense respect. It is predominantly in the rural countryside where divisions between men and women are still upheld for the Tswana people. This often means women are excluded from political and religious meetings. Certain places in the village are reserved for the use of men only, while at social gatherings women and men sit apart.

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Sotho “A WORD IS ENOUGH TO THE WISE”

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he Sotho people are an ethnic group living in Lesotho and South Africa. There are two major branches, the southern Sotho and the northern Sotho (also called the Pedi). Southern Sotho people make up about 99 percent of the population of Lesotho. The southern Sotho and the northern Sotho taken together are the second largest ethnic group in South Africa. The division between southern and northern Sotho people is based on the different dialects of the two groups. The southern form of Sotho is spoken in Lesotho, and the northern form is spoken in the Northern Province. The northern dialect is called Sepedi. Southern Sotho utilizes click consonants in some words, while Sepedi does not have clicks. Currently, southern Setho has two spelling systems, one in use in Lesotho and another in South Africa. According to one Sotho tradition, the first human being emerged from a sea of reeds at a place called Ntswanatsatsi. However, little is known or said about the events of this person’s life. Sotho has a rich tradition of folktales (ditsomo or dinonwane) and praise poems (diboko). These are told in dramatic and creative ways that may include audience participation. Folktales are adventure stories which occur in realistic and magical settings. One of the best known of the folk-tales is about a boy named Sankatana who saves the world from a giant monster. The supreme being that the Sotho believe in is most commonly referred to as Modimo. Modimo is approached through the spirits of one’s ancestors, the balimo, who are honored at ritual feasts. The ancestral spirits can bring sickness and misfortune to those who forget them or treat them disrespectfully. The Sotho traditionally believed that the evils of our world were the result of the malevolent actions of sorcerers and witches. Much about Sotho apparel is the same as the apparel of people in Europe and the United States. However, the most acceptable form of clothing for a woman is still the dress, and her hair is expected to be covered with a scarf, head cloth, or hat. The Basotho hat, a conical woven hat with a distinctive topknot, is a symbol of Lesotho’s unification. It depicts a mountaintop, conical and topknotted, which is visible from the fortress and tomb of Moshoeshoe I (pronounced mo-SHWAY-shway) near Masaru. Both men and women invariably wear the wool Basotho blanket as a cloak, regardless of the season. The careful selection of color and pattern allows for individual expression. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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Siswati “A PERSON WHO SAYS IT CAN’T BE DONE SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT THE MAN DOING IT”

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he Swazi reside primarily in Swaziland. It is a small landlocked country of 6,704 square miles (17,363 square kilometers) in southern Africa. There are four distinctive levels of terrain: the highveld, middleveld, lowveld, and the Lubombo mountain range. The total number of Swazis is about 1 million people. The two major cities are Mbabane and Manzini. In 1750, the Swazi successors in South Africa decided to relocate, heading north-west towards the Ususthu River. They chose to move to this river because it provided them with shelter and protection from the warriors and fearsome king, Shaka Zulu. Today, this area remains the home of a Swati community. Followers of the traditional Swazi religion believe in a supreme being known as Mkhulumnqande. He created the Earth but is not worshiped and demands no sacrifices. Ancestral spirits (emadloti) play an important role in traditional religion. Spirits are believed to take many forms. They can possess people and influence their health. The Swazi demand strict adherence to rules concerned with kinship and political hierarchy. These govern forms of greetings, body language, and gestures. Respect must be shown by youths to their elders, and by women to men. Ways that respect is demonstrated include lowering one’s eyes, kneeling, and moving quietly. The Swazi people are known for their many traditional events, but they are most commonly known for their Incwala and Umhlanga. At these events, you will likely see the entire Swazi community dressed in their colourful attire and red feathers, carrying shields and wearing multicoloured beaded necklaces. Another one of their exciting traditional festivals is the eight-day reed dance. This is a ceremony that usually begins in the last days of August and continues until early September. It is for all the single women in the village. These unmarried women perform a dance for the Queen Mother and hand over the reeds that had been cut especially for the occasion. The purpose of this ceremony is to protect the women’s chastity and to praise the Queen Mother. On the last day of the celebration, the King will have his cattle slaughtered and the women may then help themselves to the meat, taking it home with them to enjoy with friends and family.

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Shangaan “YOU DON’T KNOW SOMETHING UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE IT”

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songa is spoken throughout Southern Africa by the Shangaan-Tsonga culture, but is concentrated in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. The speakers of this language are often referred to as Shangaans, but the Tsongas say that this is incorrect, claiming that that term should only be used for the Tsonga people who are living in Mozambique. Although the Tsonga speakers are spread throughout Southern Africa, the majority of them live in the Limpopo Province. The first Tsonga-speakers to enter the former Transvaal probably did so during the 18th Century. They were essentially traders who followed rivers inland, where they bartered cloth and beads for ivory, copper and salt. The Shangaan tribe came into being when King Shaka of the Zulu, sent Soshangane (Manukosi) to conquer the Tsonga people in the area of present-day southern Mozambique, during the Mfecane upheaval of the 19th Century. Soshangane found a fertile place inhabited by scattered communities of peace-loving people, and he decided to make it his home rather than return to Shaka. The Shangaan were a mixture of Nguni (a language group which includes Swazi, Zulu and Xhosa), and Tsonga speakers (Ronga, Ndzawu, Shona, Chopi tribes), which Soshangane conquered and subjugated. Traditionally, the Tsonga lived mainly by fishing for subsistence. A few goats and chickens were raised, and crop cultivation was important. Their tsetse fly-infested coastal lowland habitat made cattle raising an uncommon practice. By the 18th Century, most Tsonga were organised into several small and independent chiefdoms in which inheritance by brothers, rather than sons, was a defining feature of the social system, a practice common in many Central African societies but rare among other South African groups. Compared with common western family structures, the traditional social structures of the Tsonga tribes are quite complex. A living monument to the Shangaan culture was officially opened on 23 February 1999 near Hazyview, Mpumalanga. The Cultural Village aims to enhance tourism and contribute to job creation, foreign currency earnings and economic development. Today, the Shangaan live in areas mainly between the Kruger National Park and the Drakensberg Mountains, in South Africa’s Mpumalanga and Northern Provinces. Their sister tribe, the Tsongas, inhabit most of southern Mozambique. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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NATIONAL

treasure The Mystery of the missing Kruger Millions

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ome say that it (or part of it) was buried in the Lowveld area, whilst others claim that a substantial amount of it was taken with President Kruger when he fled to Europe towards the end of 1900. What is known is that on the 4th of June 1900, President Kruger was forced to flee Pretoria a few days before the British invaded the city. They left Pretoria by train and headed for Machadodorp in the Lowveld. The British army was on the march from the south toward Pretoria, and were nearing Johannesburg, where the Boer higher command could not manage to establish a steadfast front. On the 29th May 1900 it was decided that President Kruger and a small group of the important officials leave Pretoria, which they did that evening. The State Attorney, General Smuts who was also the Auditor-General was left behind, in charge of proceedings, as it was imperative to delay the British troops, who had seized Johannesburg on the 31st May 1900, and to ensure that the ammunitions, money and gold reserves of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek would not fall into the hands of the enemy. On Friday 1 June 1900, the Boer military leaders made their appearance, Generals Botha, De la Rey, Ben Viljoen and others. After their meeting that evening they decided to telegraphically notify President Paul Kruger that the war should be ended. President Steyn of the Freestate however decided that they should continue the war against the British invasion, even if the Transvaal wanted to make peace. This decision by the Freestate gave the generals in the Transvaal new courage, and they decided by the 4 June to pursue the war against the British. With their main charge of protecting and removing the ammunitions as well as money and the gold reserves, it was realized that it was only a matter of hours before the British troops would arrive in Pretoria, and that they would have to delay them. It was General J C Smuts’s task to ensure that the Boer forces delay the British without question. For days General Smuts tried to persuade the Director of the National Bank (Die Staatsbank) to hand over the money and gold reserves to the value of £500 000, that belonged to the Republiek. When his pleas were unheeded, he issued a warrant of arrest, threatening legal prosecution. Eventually on the morning of the 4th June 1900, under the threat of prosecution, they agreed to hand the gold over. On a suggestion by General Botha, a further £25 000 that the bank was holding for necessary war provisions, was also removed. Once Smuts

removed the gold reserves from the Staatsmunt, all the gold was put under police presence, onto a special train. Midday, as the train was pulling out of the station heading east of Pretoria, the British bombs began exploding around the station as well as in the Sunnyside area. General Smuts acknowledged years later, that it was with great pride that he recalls the securing and removing of the R1 million in gold and coins out from underneath the noses of the British, who had £200 million in the British Treasury to fund the war. The young bookkeeper of the Mint, Eduard Meyer, who was of Swiss birth, played an important role in the removal of the gold from the mint as well. On the Saturday of the 2nd June 1900, just before the Mint was closing for the weekend, Meyer realized, to his surprise, that no preparations had been made for the removal of the gold and to get it to a place of safety before the British would arrive. When he asked the mintmaster Mr Perrin why no arrangement had been made, Perrins said that he had received no instructions, and that they would have to adapt themselves to the new regime. On Sunday they could hear the cannon fire of the British. By the 4th June 1900 there were skirmishes with the British at Sesmylspruit. The British takeover of Pretoria was eminent, when Meyer arrived at the Mint on the Monday morning around 7 am, as did Perrin and the mint employee P Callaghan. Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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Usually the gold for minting would be handed out to the various departments. Perrins then instructed that the ovens be ignited and the gold weighed out as if it were just another day at the Mint. Just like on the Saturday Meyer did not want to argue the decision by Perrins the Mintmaster, so he waited until Perrin went home for breakfast, and then warned the smelter and the gold refiner not to place the gold for minting, but rather to wait for an instruction from General Smuts. Meyer felt that Perrin’s allegiance to the government was not questionable, but rather possibly, that he had accepted the mint would fall into the hands of the British. Kruger had issued orders in the 1880s that if the British threatened the capital, Pretoria, the entire reserves of the national bank - gold bullion and coins should be put on wagons and taken into the veld to be hidden. General Smuts and the other officials took the coins and gold that Smuts had collected from the ZAR mint, to President Kruger at Middelburg. The Members of the Volksraad and all highly placed officials realized what the position was then, and co-

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operated fully with the President. It was decided by the Government that Kruger should take leave of absence, for about six months, as the days of the burghers’ possession of the railway line were clearly numbered and the chance of Kruger falling into the hands of the enemy could not be taken. This would mean the remaining ZAR forces would surrender and the Government’s coins and gold reserves, would be lost. The latter danger was of course known to only the top officials, generals and Volksraad members. Kruger sailed to Holland on the Gelderland on the 19th October, 1900. The British tried to encourage the view that he had deserted his post and many sources tried to imply that he had taken the coins and bullion, for his own benefit. Legend has it though that the train also carried a large freight of gold coins and bars and the story gained credibility a few days later when Lord Milner discovered that a huge amount of money had been removed from the SA mint and National Bank. The final tally revealed that over 2 million pounds was unaccounted for when Milner took control of the Republic.


After all, 2 million pounds in 1900 is estimated to be worth over R3 billion today In fact, after further investigation it became clear that President Kruger’s government had started taking gold from the banks and mines a few months before the war had even started, as a preventative measure to ensure it didn’t land up in enemy hands. As most of his faithful aides and generals died in the final days of the war, the exact location of his republic’s wealth has remained a mystery. The wagons were protected by a large Boer commando which came under attack from a British patrol. The wagons, heavily laden with gold, were hidden, probably buried, but the only people who knew the exact location were killed the next day by the British.

OWN TRUE GOLD PIONEERS

In 1905, 5 years after this happened; a man came forward and claimed that he was hired, along with two other men,by the ZAR government to bury gold, coins and diamonds to the value of 2 million pounds. John Holtzhausen made this declaration while he was imprisoned on an unrelated charge and stated that he was actually on his way to the treasure when he was arrested (for stealing a horse and carriage). Unfortunately, the other two men involved had since been killed and ultimately he was the only living person able to refute this remarkable story. Of course, he disappeared without disclosing any further details of the treasure except that it was ‘buried 50 miles north of the Blyde River and north of Leydsdorp.’ As legend has it the treasury funds from Pretoria were divided into three batches, one of which came through Ermelo, and was discovered back in 2001. There are still many hopefuls who believe that this treasure of gold and rare coins remains buried in South African soil. Some historians and treasure hunters do believe that the hoard does exist and may one day be discovered. Some say that if found, it could become one of the most significant discoveries in the world. Although some say that the original amount stashed is largely exaggerated, the fact remains that any gold bars and rare South African coins in that hoard would be incredibly valuable in today’s market, not forgetting the major historical significance surrounding them.

Hold the origins of South Africa’s journey with gold in the palm of your hand. Own a coin from the ZuidAfrikaansche Republiek today. Visit The Scoin Shop Ilanga Mall (Shop UG27, opposite Total Sports) or contact us at: 013 742 2013

Unfortunately, we may never discover the true history of the missing Kruger millions, or if they are in fact still somewhere in South Africa. What we do know is that the possibility of discovering a treasure that exceeds your wildest dreams is enough to keep the faithful positive that it does indeed exist.

SAG946


Rustenburg

Rustenburg, in the North West province, was Paul Kruger’s hometown and was established long before either Pretoria or Johannesburg. These days, due to this rich history, the town is a tourism hot-spot, with areas of interest to entice all types of travellers.

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fficially founded in 1851 by Boers who had trekked into the area a decade earlier, Rustenburg is one of the oldest towns in the North West province and makes for a great base from which to explore areas of interest throughout the region. Rustenburg is also known as the ‘Platinum City’ because of the platinum mining around the area. By far the best-known attractions in Rustenburg are the nature reserves that are all within striking distance of the town. But for those more culturally minded, there are some magnificent churches to be seen, including the Anglican Church (1871) and the Dutch Reformed Church (1898 -1903). There are a multitude of sites with cultural and historical significance in and around Rustenburg. This is no surprise, given the many different communities in the area, such as the indigenous Bafokeng, Bakgatla and Tswana people, whose totemic tribal

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traditions are of much interest. There is also the German community of Kroondal that traces its origins back to 1857.

Pilanesberg National Park is one of the most accessible South African game reserves. It is the fourth largest in the country and is set high in the Pilanesberg mountain range, traversing the floor of an ancient, long-extinct volcano. Pilanesberg features all the major mammal species including the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. There is also the Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, which is famous for its breeding herd of sable antelope. Small numbers of predators, including caracal, aardwolf, black-backed jackal and leopard also occur. More than 320 species of birdlife have been recorded including a breeding colony of cape vultures. The Hartbeespoort dam is another nearby attraction offering plenty of activities near Rustenburg as well as providing irrigation for the entire region. A favoured site for watersports, the dam has many resorts, boat clubs and picnic sites scattered along its banks. Easily accessible and filled with entertainment, Rustenburg is located on major highway routes and offers a wide range of activities for the visitor. Far from peaceful as its name would suggest, Rustenburg is the throbbing centre of the North West province.

SUN CITY HOLIDAY

Internationally renowned Sun City is South Africa’s unrivalled number one holiday resort, delivering


non-stop, big-thrill entertainment every day of the year. If you’re looking for an uncomplicated, multifaceted vacation in a sunny, safe and ever-smiling environment, then a Sun City holiday is hard to beat. It’s no understatement to say that malaria-free Sun City delivers the widest range of holiday activities in Africa: tee off on one of the two Gary Playerdesigned championship golf courses; grab a swim at the outrageous Valley of the Waves or look for the Big 5 in the excellent Pilanesberg National Park just next door. But don’t think it stops there: at night Sun City transforms into a glitzy hub of restaurants, cocktail bars, casinos and spectacular live shows you’re not going to be stuck for things to do at Sun City. The Kwena Crocodile Garden at the entrance gate, is a reptile park and ranch distinguished by its dramatically ‘ethnic’ architecture, its luxuriantly tropical surround, and by the giant Nile crocodiles it contains, including ‘Footloose’, a 120-year old crocodile weighing 800 kg. No prizes then for guessing that a holiday at Sun City is perfect for active parents with even more active children, golfers who want a safari edge to their game and for those who want a don’tmake-me-think vacation complete with impeccable service and first-class accommodation - and what accommodation there is! With options ranging from family-friendly hotels to the glitzy indulgence of the 5-Star Palace of the Lost City, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

06:00 Nelspruit - OR Tambo - Bloemfontein 06:00: 06:00: Nelspruit - Durban (only on Thursdays & Sundays) 07:30: Nelspruit - PTA - Rustenburg/Polokwane 10:00: Nelspruit - OR Tambo 10:00: Nelspruit - PTA - Lanseria 13:00: Nelspruit - PTA 14:00: Nelspruit - OR Tambo - Vanderbijlpark 18:00: Nelspruit - OR Tambo

info@citybug.co.za | 0861 334433 (08:00-17:00) After hours: 082 420 0187 (17:00-20:00 & 05:00-08:00) • Corner of N4 & Graniet street, Nelspruit • OR Tambo Airport Kiosk No3 Buss & Coach Terminal • 165 Haldonweg, Bloemfontein www.citybug.co.za


BIGGER &

BIGGER With over 30 years in Nelspruit, Rudamans promises you good service and good advice for all your needs.

In 1986 Rudamans was opened in Nelspruit by Terry Jackaman where the business was located in a small shop in Anderson Street. Rudamans had grown a lot over the years, building a good customer service by delivering good service and better products. After 10 years of growth in the company we out grew our Anderson Street premises and relocated to our current premises in Plankie Street. Plankie Streets premises gave Rudamans even more room to grow into a bigger more dynamic shop. 82

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With business doing well and expanding we had to decide to take the moving challenge on again. This time we are moving to Riverside Park, close to all your mega stores for more convenience. Looking at our current building premises Rudamans is divided in separate buildings. The aim is to consolidate all of the premises we occupy under one roof, becoming a Rudamans Megastore! We are very excited about moving. It will be a challenge but we can’t wait for the new look and feel. We invite all our existing and new customers to come and experience the transformation to our new feel Rudamans Megastore. We are located at Tranquil Flow Street, Riverside Park. Riverside park will only be the beginning of the next stage for Rudamans. With over 30 years in Nelspruit, Rudamans promises you good service and good advice for all


your needs. Be sure to come and visits our shop once it opens in October 2016. We are committed to being a leading provider of quality products and services, delivering through teamwork and value added services for the beneďŹ t of our clients.

NEW STOREG

COMIN SOON

Follow us on Facebook @ Rudamans Nelspruit, to see how the building is progressing and keep an eye out for the open day details.

Tel: 013 753 3631 Email: info@rudamans.co.za www.rudamans.co.za 1 Plankie Street, Nelspruit Created by TwoRedPens | www.tworedpens.co.za

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WANT TO ADVERTISE? MOM’SNOTES

013 755 5548 | 061 384 1101 advertising@momsnotes.co.za | amanda@tworedpens.co.za www.tworedpens.co.za

WHO ARE WE?

We believe in publications with integrity - that are content driven and valuable to both the reader and the advertiser. Mom’s Notes is an established local magazine especially for Lowveld families with younger children. Mom’s Notes magazine offers advertisers secured distribution to 12 000 domestic households in Nelspruit, White River, Malalane, Komatipoort, Baberton, Sabie,, Lydenburg and Hazyview.

WHY CHOOSE MOM’SNOTES?

Kiddies Parties and so much more! • Themed kiddies parties • Jumping castles • Waterslides • Hiring of tables, chairs, table cloths, and theme related nicolette@monkeymagic.co.za | www.monkeymagic.co.za Unit 11, central park, 12 suikerriet str, nelspruit Tel: 013 010 1245 | 082 388 0594

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Mom’s Notes offers advertisers secured distribution to more than 80 000 readers! Our award winning designers give your company the edge while we corner the market, with over 200 distribution points in Mpumalanga. follow us on facbook






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