TA B L E V I E W
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B u r g e r Wednesday 16 May 2012
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) Frequent sightings ‘not the norm’
Sharks looming large
The area in front of the Seli 1 wreck is a favourite spot for surfers, stand up paddlers and kitesurfers. Stand up paddlers and a beachgoer recently reported seeing two different sharks here within a week. Photo: Leon Steenkamp
LEON STEENKAMP
Shark encounters along the local coastline seem to be on the rise with several incidents reported over the last month. After a tweet about a possible great white shark sighting at the Seli 1 wreck last week, TygerBurger questioned several water users about the presence of these sharks in the waters of Bloubergstrand and Melkbosstrand. A local water safety officer, Derrick Frazer, who is involved with many ocean events in the area, confirms the presence of one specific great white shark off Bloubergstrand. “On 26 April I had to pull two
swimmers who were trying to complete the swim from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand from the water when I noticed a shark. That was 1,5km from the beach,” Frazer says. He says it is rumoured there are two female great white sharks cruising the water but others speculate that it might be the same shark that has been periodically seen over the last two years. “They are seasonal and travel up to Mozambique at this time of the year. These sharks can travel up to 1 000km a day which means the shark you saw today can be gone tomorrow,” he says. He had recently researched the occurrence of sharks on the Atlantic side of Cape Town. “I did quite a bit of research into
this. The last recorded shark incident was towards Clifton’s side and that was 40 years ago.” Frazer says the risk of sharks is always a factor. “Sharks will always be there. It is part of the risk of being in the ocean, but it is still much riskier driving to the beach,” he says. The sighting at the Seli wreck is however noteworthy as the shark was seen on the coastal side of the ship which is stranded 800m from the beach. The Wreck, as the area is known among locals, is a favourite spot for stand up paddlers, kiteboarders and surfers. Caryn Jones from Durbanville was the person who reported the shark sighting to Sharkspotters last Tuesday.
HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING? The most frequently asked question of Marvellous Maids is ‘How much should I pay my domestic worker?’ This is like having to answer ‘How long is a piece of string?’ which is not particularly helpful. So, how much should we pay our domestic workers? As a starting point, we should pay more than the legal minimum, which is currently R1625.70 in urban areas. Taking transport into account, that leaves barely over R1000 a month, so my first suggestion is to establish your worker’s transport costs and add that to the basic wage. The recent rises in fuel, electricity and food impact on all householders’ budgets, but even more so on that of your domestic worker. Consider the cost of a meal out, having your hair or nails done and the difference that would make to your worker’s budget. Consider, too, the true value of having help in your home, especially when it comes to caring for your children when deciding on a worker’s wage. Conspicuous wealth and affluence can expect to pay more, especially when the volume of the work is increased due to the size of the house. So, for example, if you are a glitterati with a Maserati and the biggest house in West Beach, expect to pay more than a battling single mom in a tiny flat in Parklands. Money is not the only motivator. Be sensitive about arriving home with bags full of designer clothes and letting your worker pack them away for you. She
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“We were sitting on the beach to the right of the wreck when I saw this substantially big fin standing out of the water. It moved like I would imagine a shark would. “It was moving towards the beach and when the waves came up you could see the shape through the water,” Jones says. She judged the animal to be about 100m from the beach. “We were there for about an hour and a half and watched it kind of patrolling along the shore. It disappeared about 15 minutes before we left. It was difficult to judge the size but it was big, bigger than a seal or anything else I have seen before.” She says at the time there were surfers and stand up paddlers in the water closer to the wreck.
“The water wasn’t very cold that day, I remember thinking that it wasn’t as cold as I would imagine it to be,” she says. Stand up paddler Michelle Fourie from Melkbosstrand spotted two sharks in one week recently, also at The Wreck. “We were chased out of the water by a shark about two months ago. A whole bunch of us spotted the shark. It was about 20m away. It didn’t come toward us or follow us. We didn’t feel threatened that it was there to eat us,” Fourie says. Fourie, who has been surfing for 14 years and has almost never seen a shark up close, says it is strange to suddenly experience two shark sightings less than a week apart. . To page 2.
can see that the cost of those jeans is more than her monthly wage and that will fuel resentment. Workers are often unable to take advantage of specials, such as Fruit and Veg’s Whacky Wednesday and the R20 combo goes a long way towards feeding her family and fostering good will. Know your domestic worker, her name (not just Mavis!), her family and her circumstances. Truly cannot afford to pay more? Try and arrange an extra day or afternoon’s charring to boost her wages. You might have a neighbour who needs ironing done on a day that you come home early or be able to free her up a day a week to work for a friend. Okay, Kate, you say, you still have not answered the question. Here are my suggestions. Not less than R2000 a month for a basic domestic worker, rising to R2500 if that worker has excellent long term references. With added skills and experience such as cooking or looking after children, you are looking in the R2750 to well over R3000 range. Drive, cook soufflés, play the piano and the sky is the limit! All my recommendations are exclusive of transport, or, if the worker lives in, food and accommodation should be provided in addition to the wages. Finally, no amount of money is a substitute for treating people with respect. Show your appreciation for work done well and motivate to have it done better. Remember, marvellous madams make marvellous maids. Kate Shuttleworth Langa 10th May 2012
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