The Village NEWS 10 March - 16 March 2021

THE VILLAGE

NEWS

10 MARCH 2021 YOUR FREE COPY #ALLOVEROVERBERG The next issue of The Village NEWS will be out on 17 March 2021.

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A year of Covid-19 Writer De Waal Steyn

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his week, on Thursday 11 March, we will mark one year since the first Covid-19 case was reported in the Western Cape and as the warm summer days make way for cooler autumn weather, many of us are taking stock of the past year and the battles we were faced with.

In those early days we did not know much about the virus, but we knew from what we saw in other parts of the world that changes were in store for us. Little did we know how irrevocable these changes would be and what devastation the pandemic would wreak on the fabric of our society. If you somehow survived the year completely unscathed, you are one of the very few lucky ones.

And while we ready ourselves for the coming long-weekends and the Easter holidays we must, at the same time, be aware that scientists are already warning of a third wave of the pandemic.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said last week that while the data currently shows that we have overcome a significant and serious second wave, our work is not done. “We must prepare ourselves for a third wave, to save lives and limit the impact of Covid-19 on the livelihoods of our residents.”

But unlike a year ago, when a hard lockdown to give the country time to prepare its health services was the only option, this year the preparations for a third wave include the roll-out of current stock of vaccines, and the procurement of more vaccines by the Western Cape Government.

“Over the past six weeks, the Western Cape has recorded significant declines in the number of Covid-19 infections in the province. While we are in this space between peaks and waves, it is imperative that we all take personal responsibil-

ity to ensure that we remain safe,” the Premier said.

According to Winde, Western Cape epidemiologists are part of a technical working group who are preparing a response to a possible third wave. “While we know that a third wave is likely, we cannot predict the timing, location or magnitude of a resurgence.

We do however know that it could be driven by six key factors.”

These factors are: • Changes in viral transmissibility which could be brought about by changes in the weather and seasonal changes in behaviour such as the Easter weekend and funeral attendance.

• Behavioural changes among the population such as the changes in restrictions and adherence to quarantine and isolation protocols.

• Changes in interactions between connected subpopulations such as movements between provinces and movement between urban and rural areas.

• Changing immunity/reinfection risk, as there is some evidence to show immunity post infection. However, this may wane over time.

• Viral evolution, as new variants like 501Y.V2 could affect viral transmissibility.

• Speed, impact and uptake of vaccinations will also impact the severity of a third wave.

“Between peaks, our focus must be on containment, and ensuring that clusters of cases, related to a specific place or event, do not result in widespread community transmission. Once community transmission has been established, containment efforts become ineffective and the focus must then shift to mitigation measures, to reduce the numbers of deaths, ensure that our healthcare system does not become overwhelmed and protect our healthcare workers,” Winde said.

Continues on P 2

It was a special moment for Jenny Parsons from Pringle Bay when she found this Table Mountain Beauty (Aeropetes tulbaghia) feeding on the honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) in her garden. This beautiful butterfly – the largest of southern Africa’s satyrine (Brown) butterflies – is abundant at this time of year when they pollinate various red flowers in the fynbos. The Table Mountain Beauty is also the only pollinator of Disa uniflora. If the Table Mountain Beauty should go extinct, so will the Disa.

PHOTO: Jenny Parsons

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10 March 2021

Western Cape LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL Curro Gala Matric Awards is ready for third wave From P 1 Containment responses must focus on prevention behaviour and increased testing and surveillance, while mitigation measures include retaining core field hospital capacity and making use of the additional infrastructure put in place during the first two waves.

The province has also implemented a surveillance strategy that focuses on determining the proportion of and places where previous infections have occurred; tracking the rate, areas, and the molecular characteristics of new infections; and tracking individual new cases which allows for tracing contacts and advising them to isolate or quarantine in order to contain cluster outbreaks.

“Our waste-water testing system is an excellent early warning system which we continue to use. Scientists across the country and around the world are also constantly working to identify new variants which may have an impact on the third wave,” Winde said.

According to the province it has completed the first tranche of just over 13 000 vaccines, and the second tranche is currently being rolled out to frontline medical staff.

“The general population will begin to receive vaccinations in phase two of the rollout and it is important that we urgently vaccinate priority categories within the next three months in order to mitigate the impact of a third wave. As phase 2 includes many of our most vulnerable including those over 60 years old, and those with serious comorbidities, this phase is important in reducing deaths, and protecting our healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed,” Winde said.

He added that at this stage, the only vaccines currently available in the country are those being used as part of the J&J Sisonke study. “Given this limitation of availability, contingency plans to procure vaccines for the country and the province must be explored urgently. Members of the public who qualify for vaccination during phase 2 will be informed when they can register on the national Electronic Vaccination Data System.

“We must not lose sight of the fact that Covid-19 is still with us – in the Western Cape over 1 000 people are currently still in hospital, and we have lost 11 258 lives. We must still do everything we can, every single day to ensure that we protect ourselves and our loved ones so that we can save lives,” Winde said.

The annual Curro Matric Gala Awards took place on Friday morning for Curro's top students around South Africa. All the schools would normally meet for this prestigious event in Johannesburg, but due to Covid-19 restrictions each school held a function in their hometowns for their top students and their parents.

Curro Hermanus held the event at Arabella Hotel and Spa, where the top students, their parents and the Grade 12 teachers were treated to a small breakfast and later lunch and non-alcoholic champagne to celebrate the students' and Curro Hermanus's achievements in the 2020 academic year.

After the breakfast and some tea/coffee, everyone gathered in the conference hall to watch a video sent by Curro Holdings Head Office, which congratulated the students who later received beautiful glass trophies and a cash award. The video also announced the

top 10 IEB students in South Africa (who all had an average of 90% or more) and the academic school awards, of which Curro Hermanus won a Merit Award.

Jean Michael Weight, who got 8 distinctions (all As) and 100% for Mathematics, placed 10th in the top 10 IEB students.

He was the only student in the top 10 to receive 100% for a subject and was also

awarded a Trophy of Excellence for his results and a R1 000 PNA voucher. Out of the 1 525 Curro learners in South Africa, there was a 99.5% pass rate for 2020.

Well done!

– Taylum Meyer From left to right are Jean Michael Weight, Luke Grindley-Ferris, Shanéa Smith and Melissa Jordaan. (Absent: Shanelle Prins and Tiah Stannius).

Trees for High Street Overstrand Municipality started planting trees in High Street on Friday as part of the CBD revitalisation project. A panel of experts decided that the best tree for the project was the Syzygium guineense (also known as waterberry or waterpear). The trees are being planted by the contractor under the supervision of Overstrand’s horticulturist Lauren Rainbird. The municipality would like to thank businesses and property owners for beautifying the area and keeping an eye on the trees.

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10 March 2021

Environmental rock stars in Antarctica Writer Elaine Davie

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f this planet is ever to be saved from the shambles we’ve created, it’s going to depend on our youth, and to inspire them we need young environmental rock stars to lead the way.” This was the thought that drove well-known adventurer and explorer, Riaan Manser of Betty’s Bay to launch his five-year ‘Matrics in Antarctica’ project.

“You can tell people until you’re blue in the face that because of the wanton, wholesale felling of 350-year-old giant Redwood trees, fertile soil by the ton is washing into the ocean, but until they see it for themselves, as I have done, it will have no meaning. So that’s the main objective of this project, to expose young people to the damage being inflicted on the earth and the importance of protecting it,” he explains.

For the past two years Riaan had been planning his own trip to Antarctica, following in the footsteps of the early explorers, but then along came Covid-19. “When it became clear that I would have to put those plans on hold, I decided to make use of the knowledge I had already accumulated and to do something aimed at developing environmental warriors for the future.”

With his characteristic enthusiasm, drive and energy, he had soon sold the idea to a range of partners, from Professor Jonathan Jansen, who became the project’s patron, and a team from Stellenbosch University, to the Minister of Education, Angie Motshekga; Minister of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy and a number of funders with deep pockets. The next step was to launch a call for applications from matrics around the country.

Applicants were required to compose an answer of no longer than 100 words to the question, ‘Saving the planet is a global issue, but what would you do in your own community to make a difference?’ The deadline was November last year. “We weren’t necessarily looking for the top student in the class, or someone who was studying maths or science,” explains Manser. “We wanted to be moved by the applicant. We needed to see a sincere message of concern for the environment, expressed in very few, but powerful words.”

Students from approximately 400 schools submitted between 4 000 and 5 000 applications, with girls predominating four to one. After an exhaustive – and exhausting – process of elimination, the judges were able to whittle down the numbers to 10 finalists. The top five would go to the Antarctic and the five runners-up

would participate in an exciting environmental programme at De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Finally, the excited winners, each from a different province, were announced – Ayakah Melithafa, Centre for Science and Technology, Khayelitsha, Western Cape; Boiketlo Lamula, Sedaven High School, Gauteng; Cobus Burger, Höerskool Duineveld, Northern Cape; Kelby Barker, Diocesan School for Girls, Eastern Cape and Thea Earnest, Mountview Secondary School, KwaZulu-Natal.

Together they represented a diversity of personality types, each with strengths and skills of their own, but all were passionate lovers of nature, with a strong desire to restore and protect the environment.

After the winners were announced, they faced their first challenge.

Instead of grabbing their bags and jumping straight on to the plane, they had to endure two weeks of Covid isolation in Cape Town. But, let’s face it, if you get to spend them in the luxury Table Bay Hotel, that’s a pretty good deal. And certainly they weren’t left to twiddle their thumbs.

Thanks to the coordinating efforts of Delecia Davids of Stellenbosch University, they participated in a full programme of talks, videos and workshops to prepare them for the trip.

Then, at last, it was 26 January and after a final Covid test, it was A for away, their emotions swinging wildly from suppressed excitement to trepidation. The logistics company ALCI would be flying them in to Novolazarevskaya where there is an airstrip on a rocky outcrop close to the Russian and Indian research stations.

The flight was six hours long in howling wind. Riaan describes this as potentially the most dangerous part of the expedition, because if the pilots are dealing with head winds all the way, they might conceivably run out of fuel.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly and they made a perfect landing on the ice. “The kids stepped off the plane and were absolutely gobsmacked. The expressions on their faces at that moment were enough to make the whole trip worthwhile for me,” laughs Riaan.

The guest house, known as Oasis, consisted of three well-insulated wooden cabins and they spent the first day settling in. Accompanying the five matrics were Riaan, Maryke Musson, a marine biologist in charge of the Two Oceans’ education programme, Professor Fadli Wagiet from Stellenbosch University, all of whom had been on the selection panel, and two film-makers to video the expedi-

tion. The programme of activities had been carefully designed by Delecia to make maximum use of the time available, but needed to be flexible enough to fit in with the weather.

Unfortunately, the group could not visit any of the research stations or meet the scientists, because of the dangers of Covid, but they were able to log onto them online and explore the data they had collected and the projects they were working on. The weather station, for example, has been recording data since the 1800s; since then, the temperature has increased by 3.7oC, half of that in the past 20 years.

An activity they were not expecting was picking up and separating throw-away waste (yes, in the Antarctic), mainly metal objects and building materials, like nails – the detritus of earlier construction at the bases.

Highlights included a night of camping in tents on the ice, swimming in 0.3oC water and climbing partway up a vertical ice wall, 30 to 40 metres high which had been formed over a period of thousands of years. But perhaps what excited them most was a spectacular flight organised by ALCI across the continental shelf.

And then, suddenly, too quickly, six days had passed and they were heading back home. As Riaan points out: “They will never forget this experience; it will have a dramatic effect on how they see the world from now on. I think what struck me most was the enormous personal growth that occurred in each of them in that short period of time – especially in self-confidence. This and their deeply-felt gratitude for this opportunity was what emerged very strongly in the reports they wrote afterwards.”

Now they are all on a country-wide road show to share their insights and to spread the word about the 2021 tour. The deadline for entries will probably be around July/August this year.

Keep an eye on www.matricsinantarctica.co.za for updates.

TOP: Camping out for even one night on the ice is not for the faint-hearted, but is an experience the young environmentalists will never forget.

ABOVE: Iced lollies of a different kind for Kelby and Boiketlo.

LEFT: Explorer-adventurer Riaan Manser whose brainchild the ‘Matrics in Antarctica’ project was, accompanied them on the expedition.

BELOW: Antarctica at last! The five adventurers disembark at the Russian research station at Novolazarevskaya. From left are Ayakha Melithafa, Thea Earnest, Boiketlo Lamula, Kelby Barker and Cobus Burger. PHOTOS: Supplied

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10 March 2021

Space Weather Centre to be expanded T

he Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, visited the SANSA Space Weather Centre in Hermanus on Tuesday, 9 March as work begins to expand the centre into a multimillion rand 24-hour state-of-the-art facility.

For the past 10 years, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), has been operating the centre with limited research focus and capacity, and the expansion is a significant development in South Africa's space weather research.

SANSA has appointed a Research Chair to ensure advanced space weather research capabilities, growth in human capacity, maximum exploitation of data outputs for enhanced research outputs, and the development of new knowledge.

The DSI has to date invested R40 million in the project and will transfer a further R30 million in the next financial year. Over the three-year establishment period, approximately R15 million has been committed for the creation of jobs and development of the necessary scarce skills to ensure service and product excellence. It is expected that the Space Weather Centre will be fully operational as a 24/7 full-service centre from 1 October 2022.

Tuesday's sod-turning event also coincided with SANSA's 10-year anniversary, including 80 years of magnetic operations by this partic-

ular facility of SANSA. The space weather station is SANSA's leading space science programme, with several ongoing space science and space weather related projects in Antarctica. South Africa, through SANSA, was selected as an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) designated Regional Space Weather Centre in 2018.

This designation means that a fully operational capability that meets the ICAO requirements must be in place by 2024, along with advanced research capabilities in the space weather field.

So far, development work has started on new space weather products to increase the suite of available impact information, and the SARChI Chair in Space Weather, specialising in Solar Physics, has been appointed and will officially start on 1 April 2021.

Members of the media were invited to attend the event as the Minister, joined by the Executive Mayor of the Overstrand, Ald. Dudley Coetzee, captains of industry and students toured the facility. Two students were given an opportunity to talk about their exciting projects at SANSA. The Minister concluded his visit at the Houwteq site near Grabouw to assess technological operations in the areas of defence, security, aerospace and related technology solutions at the facility operated by Denel.

Hacking volunteers needed for Cliff Path

A group of volunteers, coordinated by Paula Combrink, met last week to clear aliens on the Cliff Path. They tackled the all-invasive kikuyu grass. “There is a certain satisfaction in ripping it out by the roots and freeing the indigenous vegetation of its stranglehold,” said Anina Lee, chair of the Cliff Path Management Group (CPMG).

In just one hour they uprooted enough kikuyu to fill a bakkie with blue trash bags full of the invasive grass. “But that's just a start – kikuyu is everywhere,” says Anina.

This group will meet for just an hour once a month to make a difference on the Cliff Path.

Many more volunteers are needed.

If you enjoy walking on the cliff path, imagine how much more you would enjoy it knowing you helped to keep it beautiful.

If you would like to join the jolly band of hackers, please email hermanuscliffpath@gmail.com with your name and cell number. Every pair of hands make a difference. No-one is too old or too young to join.

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10 March 2021

Busy weekend for Hermanus Scouts Writer & Photographer Taylum Meyer

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he 1st Hermanus Sea Scouts had their first big meet this past weekend after the Covid-19 regulations were relaxed to Level 1.

The troop took part in the Tide Turners Plastic Challenge which is a global initiative developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), adopted by the World Scout Organisation as an integral component of its Earth Tribe Initiative. This challenge helps the youngsters understand the impact that people have on the planet when it comes to plastic use and how you can promote a clean, healthy planet that will contribute to a more sustainable world.

The Hermanus Scouts decided to clean the area behind Hermanus Animal Welfare that is used to walk the dogs after their Troop Leader, Felix le Roux adopted a dog from HAWS and saw how much litter there was.

On Friday afternoon the Scouts, armed with black bags and gloves, set about clearing the area with the help of Felix, Wepener van der Walt (Assistant Troop Leader) and friend of the Scouts, Mark Easter (also an ex-Scout). They managed to clean half of the area over two hours, collecting 27 black bags and one big bag, before their time ran out

for the day. They plan to go back another day to finish the job. Once they had taken all the bags back to the welfare’s offices, the Scouts were treated to some water and a snack bag from HAWS as a thank you for their fantastic work. The cleared area will now be much safer for both the dogs and their walkers.

The Scouts were busy once again on Saturday as 18-year-old James le Roux completed his last requirement for the Springbok Scout Award, which is the highest award achievable by any Scout in South Africa. This must occur before the applicant’s 18th birthday in order for him/her to qualify, but due to Covid-19, an exception was made for James.

The final requirement James needed to complete for the award was the Pioneering Project in which he had to build ‘an appropriately scaled model (1:10 or 1:20) of a proposed pioneering project’ that he had not built before; and to train ten Scouts and lead them in the building of the project. As there were not enough older Scouts (16-17 years) in the Hermanus troop to assist James, several Scouts from a troop in Somerset West drove through on Saturday to assist James and his team. They started at 06:30 and had until 19:00 to complete the structure. Although James and his team ran out of time before they could complete the build, they learnt much through the

process and had a lot of fun doing it!

Scouting helps children and young adults develop leadership abilities, teamwork skills, self-motivation, commitment, perseverance, environmental and cultural awareness, and strong values. These are just some of the life skills that Scouts acquire while having fun and learning by doing. According to Scouts South Africa, positive peer pressure and outdoor activities all contribute to individuals growing up with the belief that they can and are changing the world in order to leave it a better place than how they found it.

If you would like to get involved in Scouts, they are looking for a responsible female leader to join the troop, to become a role model for their female Scouts and assist them in regularly facilitating their Scouting activities (such as camping, hiking, first aid, etc.). Contact Wepener for more information on 082 468 7393.

If you are interested in enrolling your child (between 11 and 18 years) in Hermanus Sea Scouts, visit www.facebook.com/1sthermanus/ for more information or contact 073 273 3624. The Scouts normally meet every Friday from 19:00 – 21:00 during the government academic term at the Scout Hall (between Hoy's Koppie and Hermanus High School in Scout Lane).

ABOVE: The Hermanus Sea Scouts embarked on a large clean-up project behind HAWS on Friday where they collected over 27 bags of litter.

LEFT: James le Roux (18) and his team of ten Scouts between the ages of 16 and 17 years spent the whole of Saturday building James’s structure for his Pioneering Project, one of the requirements for the Springbok Scout Award.

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FROM THE EDITOR

10 March 2021

A world in one community

As we approach the anniversary of President Ramaphosa’s declaration of a State of Disaster and we look back on the past year, most of us may want to add several exclamation marks to that designation.

Let’s face it, it has probably been the toughest year most of us will have experienced in our lifetimes.

As the Coronavirus spread like wildfire through the land, a new virus followed on its heels: increasing poverty, food insecurity, loss of jobs, loss of life and loss of hope.

But, because nothing is ever all bad, we have also experienced wonderful acts of kindness and concern for the welfare of others.

cines in record time is an example of humankind’s consistent ability to rise to the occasion when conditions call for it.

We have witnessed firsthand the dedication of health care workers and demonstrated our own adaptability by learning new and often better ways of functioning. But mostly, we have become more aware of the importance to us of other people and of nature. In a word, there is much to be grateful for.

Of course, changing the condition of the entire world is a daunting prospect, enough to send most of us crawling back into our shells in the hope that no one will notice us.

The development of effective vac-

THE VILLAGE

NEWS

Sugar & Spice

WhatsApp or SMS your stories and photos to 083 700 3319 De Waal Steyn

E: dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Hedda Mittner

CONTENT EDITOR T: 083 645 3928

E: hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

Raphael da Silva ONLINE EDITOR T: 074 125 5854

E: raphael@thevillagenews.co.za

Elaine Davie

JOURNALIST T: 084 343 7500

E: elaine@thevillagenews.co.za Taylum Meyer PRODUCTION MANAGER, PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN T: 084 564 0779

There are both wealth and poverty, hunger and plenty, a pristine natural environment and proliferating slums, flourishing businesses and unemployment, high-quality educational institutions and ECD centres operating from shacks.

Proudly South African has as its slogan ‘A world in one country’. But what if we were to drill down to a more manageable variation, ‘A world in one community’. We have every-

So what if we were able to concentrate, not on the world, country or even province, but just on our own backyard? What if we each had the

will to focus on just one action that would make a difference to our community? We have a wealth of resources, whether in the form of talent and skills, or time and compassion.

Simple deeds, nothing major, could change the life of our entire community in a breathtaking way. It doesn’t need to hit the headlines, it’s a person-to-person thing, recognizing that the need in others is the same as the need in ourselves.

This is the good NEWS – Ed.

From the ridiculous to the... ridiculous

By Hélène Truter

PUBLISHING EDITOR T: 083 700 3319

thing here in microcosm that the rest of the country has, sometimes in greater abundance.

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'm staring at the blank screen. I have to find a topic for my column. My helpful editor reminds me that soon it will be the 1st lockdown anniversary. Whoopee. Ironically, just after Human Rights' Day. And just before Freedom Day. Alas, I have nothing profound to utter about either day.

Somewhere way back in my muddled brain a little light bulb flickers feebly – come on, you can come up with a witty line. Nope. Total darkness descends like Eskom’s Stage 4. Is it coincidence that blackouts and cancer are measured in stages? Back up, sister. This is getting a tad depressing.

Ah, but this is life. And we're only human.

Apparently. So yes, people will moan. They will try to swindle you. Even mid-pandemic.

Your family will annoy you. Your politicians will annoy you even more. And you will lose your temper and throw stuff at the TV. Your husband will turn off the news and you will be angry because you want to see it, because it's important to know just how crappy life is right now. I've just re-read that sentence and realised how ridiculous it sounds.

But life is pretty ridiculous at the moment.

The whole world is panicking and closing their borders and getting paranoid about

the South African Variant. (Which apparently isn't exclusively ours, but no one's listening.)

Actually everyone's getting paranoid about everything. Period. And that's where we have an advantage. If you were born here, you've become accustomed to life being ridiculous.

There's even a Facebook Page entitled Only in Africa. I would advise you not to visit it, pretty depressing stuff. However, as I was trawling the internet I did pick up a couple of titbits about Africa that made me smile. Wryly, but a smile nonetheless.

another interesting and very true titbit about the Milnerton market where you will find a stall selling second-hand dentures. I'm not sure if this is covered by your medical aid.

And now for the sublime... in no particular order: We have Nando’s, Siya Kolisi, Mrs Balls’ Chutney, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu. (The latter right on our doorstep, in fact.)

The CAT scan: developed by a South African.

The richest man in the world: South African.

The best tennis player in the world is half South African (okay, quarter, kind of – no need to split hairs, I'm on a positive roll here). Gift of the Givers: founded by a South African doctor.

Cape Town: the best city in the world. JRR Tolkien: born in South Africa (yes, the guy who wrote Lord of the Rings). The Kreepy Krauly was invented in Springs. The best rugby team in the world is South African. And will probably remain so for a long, long time because no one wants to come here to play. Or allow us to go there. Always an upside, ladies and gents.

Seen on the back of a Bakkie: I'm not drunk, I'm just avoiding potholes. Do not arrest. I could have told him he has nothing to worry about, the police have far more important things to do. Like Bheki Cele holding court at a media conference informing the media that they should stop accusing him of seeking media attention. Is it just me or is there a little bit of logic lacking there?

Let me take you on a quick tour of the ridiculous. Sign on a lamp post: Spouse Removal.

With a cellphone number nogal. (No, I'm not giving you the number.) As we near a farm stall: Pure Horney for Sale. Makes perfect sense actually. First you remove the spouse, then you get yourself some horney. At the same farm stall there's a special on Slightly used toilet rolls. Moving swiftly along.

Because of Covid, local holidays have become dirt cheap. For a small monthly fee (well, at least less than my monthly insurance payment) I can book and pay off a world cruise in 24 months' time. And if the unions get their way we'll have even more public holidays. And finally, a note to the parents from a desperate school master: Dear Parents, we are no longer receiving chickens as school fees.

Things get even more interesting once you hit the farm roads: Trespassers will be prostituted; Close gate. Please don't steal it. Fair enough.

And my own personal favourite: Bumpy road, please remove dentures. Which brings me to

And there we go: Back to the ridiculous. Welcome to Africa.

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Tides

De Bos Dam 84.59% Last week N/A Weekly Rainfall 12mm Last week N/A

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01:50 07:59 14:04 20:14

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LOCKDOWN LEVEL:

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COVID-19 DASHBOARD OVERSTRAND

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10 March 2021

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EL

TOTAL CASES AS OF 8 MAR 2021:

OVERSTRAND TOTAL CASES: TOTAL (ACTIVE)

WORLD: 117 603 192 SOUTH AFRICA: 1 521 068 WESTERN CAPE: 276 528 (18.17% of cases in SA) OVERBERG: 13 212

• FISHERHAVEN: 44 (0) • GANSBAAI: 185 (1) • HAWSTON: 459 (11) • HERMANUS: 719 (6) • KLEINMOND: 677 (9)

• MT PLEASANT: 357 (2) • ONRUS: 205 (4) • SANDBAAI: 218 (0) • STANFORD: 380 (1) • VERMONT: 95 (1) • ZWELIHLE: 1 088 (5) TOTAL: 5 015 (40)

LAST WEEK'S TOTAL CASES: WORLD: 114 756 819 SOUTH AFRICA: 1 513 393 (16th in the world) WESTERN CAPE: 275 366 OVERBERG: 13 258 OVERSTRAND: 5 015

(1 MAR)

LET'S TALK

It’s‌ ‌time‌ ‌to‌ ‌connect‌ ‌the‌ ‌cliff‌ ‌path‌ ‌ –‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌good‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌ The full-page advertisement under the heading Save Our Shores (The Village NEWS, 10 February edition) refers. As a daily cliff path user and regular visitor to the difficult-to-access Poole’s Bay area, I was taken aback by the blatant misinformation published – complete with random pictures off the internet, none taken at this location.

This amateurish, skewed presentation was a transparent, emotional appeal to nature lovers like me. Addressing each egregious point listed will take up too much space, but the main red herrings posed need urgent refutation – even if the window for public comment on extending (completing!) the cliff path via Poole’s Bay closed on 18 February.

The first is the barefaced statement that the property owners along this stretch of coast are accepting of visitors below the high tide mark – as if the choice of access was ever theirs.

The irony is evidently lost on them when they, not a few lines further down, lambaste the Cliff Path Action Group (CPAG) for clearing the narrow, overgrown and boulder-strewn footpath that leads down to Poole’s Bay. Worse, upon a recent visit all the handy blue direction markers placed

by CPAG had been removed (illegally as it turns out, as it forms part of a public process) and replaced by these misleading SOS signboards.

The adjacent property owners have the fullest right to protect their properties against trespassers, as is the case for every one of the many other properties along the cliff path all the way from Westcliff to Voëlklip. But none of those property owners claim the right to private seafront access, and neither does SA law allow it. Yet, elsewhere in the advert they readily acknowledge that agile members of the public already access Poole’s Bay,

legally. So one has to wonder who exactly they’re so desperately afraid of?

Thieving families with small children?

Criminal pensioners? Marauding bird watchers?

volunteer groups, including children and less mobile older citizens, to collect rubbish from this section – as they regularly do elsewhere along the cliff path.

To be clear: Completing the pedestrian pathway will allow fast and easy access by security services, whether it be HPP patrol guards, the SAPS or Nature Conservation reacting to vagrants or criminals or poachers taking advantage of this poorly accessible area. As a ratepayer I will be much more comfortable with public oversight to protect this piece of coastline than trusting the vested say-so of the adjacent property owners that all is in order – especially when a number of these are only occupied during holidays.

The emotional reference to resident otters, oystercatchers and the bird colony is another transparent attempt at misdirection. As a regular user of the cliff path I, like many others, can attest to all of these species appearing in good health elsewhere along the cliff path – which is, after all, a nature reserve. I also know that the many caring and observant nature lovers that frequent these areas daily quickly report anything askew, unlike the less accessible Poole’s Bay area with its setback and shuttered holiday residences.

Then there is the myth that this piece of coastline, apparently preserved under the careful watch of the private property owners, is in pristine condition. Any regular user will attest that the opposite is true, especially when compared to any part of the adjacent Fernkloof coastal reserve. This 850m stretch of shoreline contains a large number of broken and degraded concrete and ceramic pipes (sewer and stormwater), complete with rusting steel inserts. Furthermore, it is heavily littered with rubbish, including a large amount of marine-life-threatening plastic material that washes ashore or arrives in the stormwater run-off.

Moreover, there is an inordinate amount of building rubble (bricks, concrete, ceramic and glass) in the pebble beds, not seen anywhere else along the 16km of cliff path.

The cliff path not being completed had nothing to do with the difficulty of navigating this area. It was simply an egregious planning oversight, left to fester despite regulatory progression.

The engineering that will be required in a few limited places is not complex at all, and certainly not nearly as challenging as, for example, the tiered walkway constructed by the Overstrand Municipality (OM) below the Windsor Hotel.

It is quite apparent to the impartial observer that the owners of the adjacent properties are not exercising good care of this natural asset on behalf of the rest of us. On this point too, connecting the cliff path will allow

Neither will the OM be asked to provide ratepayer funding, as CPAG indicated that the cost will be raised independently – with a number of private contributions already pledged.

The cliff path is undoubtedly the most popular natural attraction in Hermanus. It is a great asset for all residents and visitors alike, but currently marred by the missing pedestrian link via Poole’s Bay. Connecting the last 850m to turn the cliff path into a continuous 16km showcase for nature, shore-life and whale watching will be good for experiential tourism – the premier job

creator in Hermanus. It will also be good for the neglected Poole’s Bay shore.

Finally, it is quite evident that the 16 property owners are sensitive to accusations of protecting their unfair privilege – as they should be. But all local cliff path users should have the choice of experiencing the natural environment in this area firsthand instead of having to rely on the word of a few, vested-interest gatekeepers. The Save Our Shores gaslighting exercise

is nothing but a ham-fisted attempt to divert attention away from the true intent, which is exactly that: to keep the public out of their “private asset” ocean fronts.

The world has moved on from such unearned and unjust privilege. It is time to put this relic behind us and allow unhindered access for all to enjoy the full splendor of our coastline.

M T Wessels Eastcliff

The Overstrand Hospice 600 Club monthly draw was done on Thursday 18 February 2021 by Ronelle van Zyl (middle) Chairperson of the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk. Ronelle and her team are actively involved in raising funds for Overstrand Hospice as the second beneficiary of the annual L2L Charity Walk. Also present at the draw were Lyn Sillifant from Don Adams Auditors Sister Lynette Gloy from Overstrand Hospice. The winners were: 1st Lorraine Kruger, 2nd R Hultzer and 3rd R van Weele. For only R50 a month you can join the 600 Club and support Hospice in the work that they do in the community. There are cash prizes up for grabs every month. Please contact Suzette Botha on 028 312 4679 or 600admin@overstrandhospice.org.za for more information or visit the Hospice offices at 10 Hope Street, Hermanus. Your contribution can make a difference in the life of a patient.

WHAT’S ON

OVERBERG 10

WEDNESDAY

Piano Concert Pianist and poet Lara Kirsten gives her debut performance with a stirring programme featuring some famous (and not so famous) piano pieces, including the ever-popular Minute Waltz by Chopin, the effervescent Rustle of Spring by Sinding and the haunting melodies of the soundtrack of the 1993 film The Piano. Limited tickets available at R100 pp. Please book by contacting Helma on 082 443 2292.

Andanté theatre, Harbour Rd, Kleinmond | 18:00

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FRIDAY

Explore the Enneagram Join Karin Wellman, Enneagram practitioner, teacher and master coach for a one-day workshop (either on Fri or Sat) to examine your unconscious patterns and gain greater self-knowledge and self-acceptance. R2 880 per person includes an enneagram type assessment and 42-page profile report. Bookings can be made by sending an email to christine@hermanusvarsity.co.za.

All proceeds will be donated to the Hermanus Varsity Trust.

Hermanus Varsity Hub | 09:00 – 16:30 (Fri & Sat) Neuroplasticity & Creativity Workshop Join Dr Arien van der Merwe from The Green Healing Space in Hermanus for a learn-play-grow experience that will include relaxation training, information on food, sensible supplements and herbal remedies, as well as easy, fun exercises, creative activities and refreshments. All materials will be supplied. Limited tickets available at R650 per person (incl. a recording of the event, eBook on Neuroplasticity and relaxation track). To book a spot, please contact Hermanus@DrArien.co.za or 067 116 6111.

Fernkloof Hall | 10:00 – 13:00 (registration at 09:30)

Core Hermanus:

SHOP ONLINE WWW.CORECATERING.CO.ZA WE DELIVER

Shop 16c, Lifestyle Centre 028 313 1775

Wine Down Friday Celebrate that TGIF feeling at The Wine Glass at the end of a busy week!

Enjoy the vibe and get two for the price of one on selected wines, beers and nibbles. Book via www.thewineglass.guru or call 082 082 0007.

The Wine Glass, 2 Harbour Rd, Hermanus | 16:00 – 18:00 Bottomless Bubbles Fridays Start the weekend in style at the iconic Marine Hotel with bottomless bubbles from L’Ormarins and chef’s welcome canapés at R200 pp, every Friday. Booking is essential on 028 313 1000 or bookings@themarine. co.za.

The Marine | 17:00 – 19:00

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enjoy entertainment and refreshments at this popular kuierplek. For enquiries, contact 028 384 1439 or doulene@gansbaaitourism.co.za Kapokblom Street, opposite Gansbaai Tourism | 09:00 – 13:00 Craft Beer & Bratwurst Celebration Enjoy an afternoon of good vibes in The Courtyard with local craft beers, delicious bratwurst, live music, wine and cocktails. The Wine Glass’s full menu will also be available. Call 082 082 0007 to book.

The Wine Glass, 2 Harbour Rd, Hermanus | 13:00 – 18:00

SATURDAY

Hermanus Country Market A favourite among the locals. Young, old, two-legged and four-legged family members are all welcome. You’ll find wholesome goodies, home-made crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music.

Next to Hermanus Cricket Field | 09:00 – 13:00 Stanford Saturday Morning Market Come and sample the artisanal delights on display, from home-made sheep and goats’ cheeses to woodfired ciabattas, pastries and pies, farm-fresh vegetables, free-range eggs, flowers, preserves and deli delights (including gluten-free, wheatfree and vegan goodies) to tantalise your taste buds! #Nomasksnoservice.

Stanford Hotel Stoep | 09:00 – 12:00 Junktique Market One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Pop in and give new life to a previously loved item. Treats and nibbles also available. R50 per stall. To book contact 028 341 0340 or book@ stanfordinfo.co.za.

Stanford Tourism Office Courtyard | 09:00 – 12:00 Gansbaai Farmers’ Market Specialising in fresh produce, homebaked foods, and crafts. Come and

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MONDAY

Creative Expansion Join this fun art class presented in a magical milkwood forest. R200 pp includes art guidance, snacks and a bottle of Lomond wine. For more details and to book, call Susan van Heerden on 082 823 4872.

Lomond Wines near Gansbaai | 09:00 Overberg Quilters Guild Quilters are invited to join the Guild for their next meeting. For enquiries, contact Elize on 082 374 1533.

De Wet Hall, Roos St, Onrus | 09:00 for 09:30

10 – 22 MARCH 2021 Send your events to hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

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THURSDAY

La Pentola Food & Wine Pairing Join Chef Shane Sauvage and Neethlingshof Wines for a delectable fourcourse dinner expertly paired with four wines. Booking is essential at R350 pp and a time for the event will be confirmed with you when you’ve booked your spot. Call 028 313 1685.

La Pentola, Marine Drive, Hermanus

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SATURDAY

MyRyde Put your skills to the test over an exciting course including various terrains, from gravel roads to grass and sand. MyRyde is not only an event for young riders from the age of 8 years across all ability levels, but for the whole family. Bonus: If you enter for a race category, you can also join the social race as a family at no additional cost. Coaching will be available before the first race kicks off, for anyone interested. There will also be face painting, boerewors rolls, coffee and snacks on sale. Register at www.ryryde.life.

Curro Hermanus, Sandbaai | registration from 07:00 (first race starts at 08:00)

and any companies or individuals who would like to sponsor these clean-up events should please also contact Doulene.

Meet at Strandveld Museum | 13:00

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MONDAY

Human Rights Trail Run Celebrate your human right to run (or walk)! Choose between a 5km and a 10km route (no loops) on this beautiful wine estate located in the Bot River Valley. Everyone will be timed and receive a medal. Stay for breakfast afterwards and enjoy a free wine tasting (over 18s only). There will be prizes for the top 3 men and top 3 women in both the short and long routes, plus lucky draws and prizes for the best Instagram pics of your run. R120 pp. Enter at raceday. co.za or contact Japie Swanepoel on 082 4433 033.

Wildekrans Wine Estate | 07:00

Betty’s Sea Farm Coastal Run Join the Hangklip Athletics Club for a lovely coastal trail run with the option of a 10km around Sea Farm or an 18km around Sea Farm and continuing along the coastline to Hangklip Lighthouse.

Meet in carpark at Silversands Beach, Betty’s Bay | 07:30 Gansbaai Coastal Cleanup Everyone is welcome at Gansbaai Tourism’s first coastal cleanup of 2021. All bags, data sheets, pencils, gloves, etc. will be provided, but bring along something to drink to keep you hydrated. All Covid-19 protocols will be observed. To RSVP, contact Doulene on 082 841 1670 / 028 384 1439 or doulene@gansbaaitourism.co.za. Anyone with a bakkie willing to transport the collections

OnVerWag AGM All residents are welcome at the annual general meeting of the Onrus-Vermont Neighbourhood Watch.

Please contact theowl@onverwag. org.za for more information.

Dutch Reformed Church, Berg St, Onrus | 14:00

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10 March 2021

LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL

Turning up the heat in Hemel-en-Aarde Writer & Photographer Taylum Meyer

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rom sweet bell peppers and red chillis, to jalapenos and habaneros, chilli peppers (from the genus Capsicum) are regularly used to improve the taste of any meal with their flavour. This can come in the form of the actual pepper itself, or as a spice/sauce. Their primary compound, capsaicin, gives them their distinct taste and spiciness.

Most people have eaten at least one type of pepper in their lives and some use them often when cooking, but how many have had the chance to eat (or have even heard of ) a Carolina Reaper?

The Carolina Reaper is as nasty as it sounds and it is largely regarded as one of the hottest peppers in the world, sitting at an astonishing 1.4 – 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the Scoville Scale, which is used to measure a pepper’s spiciness. To give you an idea of just how HOT that is, a habanero measures at just 100 000 – 350 000 SHU, jalapenos come in at 2 500 – 8 000 SHU, and bell peppers come in at 0 SHU (meaning they don’t have any heat to them at all).

Thanks to Suné Eksteen, the culinary master behind Maná at Bartho Eksteen Family Wine farm, and the Eksteen’s longtime family friend, Rod Haestier, we now have the chance to taste this infamous pepper right here in the Hemelen-Aarde Valley!

At the end of 2018, Rod completed a 55-day solo sailing trip across the Atlantic from Brazil, and after arriving in Hermanus, was invited by the Eksteens to stay and mentally reset on their farm after the challenges he had faced on his journey.

Suné and Rod both share a love for gardening and spicy food, so it was only a matter of time after he’d settled in that the two set about growing Suné’s pepper collection and food forest (a

diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature).

Thanks to its location and the fact that it is on a slope, the farm has several microclimates which have allowed Suné and Rod to grow a variety of different plants and peppers, of which there are now ten different types on the farm: Serrano peppers (10 000 - 23 000 SHU), Habaneros (100 000 - 350 000 SHU), Pimientos (100 - 500 SHU), Hungarian Black peppers (5 000 - 10 000 SHU), Scotch Bonnets (100 000 - 350 000 SHU), Jalapenos (2 500 - 5000 SHU), Bird’s Eye peppers (50 000 - 100 000), Pequin peppers (30 000 - 60 000 SHU) and now Carolina Reaper peppers (1.4 -2.2 million SHU).

Whilst the other peppers are fairly easy to source, the Carolina Reaper is not such a common occurrence in South Africa as of yet. Both huge lovers of spicy food, Suné and Rod decided that they wanted to add one of the world’s hottest peppers to the already impressive assortment of peppers on the farm and, after searching around, Rod managed to order some seeds online which they then germinated on the farm.

Unfortunately, Rod left Hermanus not too long afterwards and was not here when the Carolina Reaper peppers were ready to harvest a few weeks ago.

Suné, who was sitting with quite a few peppers from the harvest, decided to create a sauce for other pepper lovers to enjoy. Because of how hot they are, she has only used one pepper in four litres of a tomato-based sauce to try and cut some of the heat – and it’s still spicy!

For those who are brave enough to try it, the sauce is available at Maná at the Bartho Eksteen Family Wine farm. While it is spicy, Suné’s sauce is very delicious and well worth a taste – after all, it is not every day you get to say that you ate one of the world’s hottest peppers!

ABOVE: Suné makes a variety of spicy sauces which can be bought at Maná. They include Spicy Tomato Sauce, Chilli Jam, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Chilli Sauce, Thompson’s Ring Sting and now Carolina Reaper Sauce. In front of her on the table are the ten peppers they grow on the farm: (from left) Serrano pepper, Habanero, Pimiento, Hungarian Black pepper, Scotch Bonnet, Carolina Reaper, Jalapeno, Bird’s Eye pepper and Pequin peppers.

LEFT: Suné’s Carolina Reaper sauce (available at Maná) is carefully labelled ‘Be Afraid!’ for those who haven’t heard of the pepper before and don’t know how spicy it is. BELOW: These Carolina Reaper peppers are not quite ready to harvest yet. Peppers get hotter as they age and these still need to turn red.

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MY BOOKS

What's new in review Compiled by Hedda Mittner

Two eagerly anticipated books that were released on 2 March and can now be found on the shelves of local book stores are Klara and the Sun by Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro and Beyond Order, Jordan B Peterson’s sequel to 12 Rules for Life, both published by Penguin Random House.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Hailed as another masterpiece, Klara and the Sun is Ishiguro’s eight novel, and his first since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2017. In this brilliant novel, the author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day expands on the theme of what it means to be human, exploring loneliness, faith, sacrifice, love and loyalty through the eyes of an android with exceptional observational qualities.

It tells the story of Klara, an AF – Artificial Friend – who watches carefully the behaviour of those who come into the store to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. Programmed to understand humans and serve their needs, this solar-powered android is also capable of human emotions. “I believe I have many feelings,” says Klara.

“The more I observe, the more feelings become available to me.”

The solar-powered AFs are bought by parents as companions for their lonely, anxious, home-schooled teenage children in this futuristic world (which feels eerily like our present), and Klara remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. When she is finally chosen by a frail 14-year-old girl, Josie, Klara is taken home by Josie and her mother to live with them in their home in the countryside, where she has to

learn to navigate unfamiliar and confusing terrain.

Through Klara’s beguilingly simple android mind, with its peculiar mix of intelligence and naivety, Ishiguro explores the fundamental question of what it means to love. In Alex Preston’s review in The Guardian he writes: …“the narrative of Klara and the Sun is energised by the friction between two different types of love: one that is selfish, overprotective and anxious, and one that is generous, open and benevolent. It feels like a message for all of us as we go about our drearily circumscribed days.”

Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that makes us feel afresh the beauty and fragility of our humanity.

In its award citation in 2017, the Nobel committee described Ishiguro’s books as “novels of great emotional force” and said he has “uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.”

About the author Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His previous works of fiction have earned him many honours around the world. His work has been

translated into over 50 languages, and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have each sold more than 2 million copies. He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. Ishiguro studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia, going on to publish his first novel, A Pale View of the Hills, in 1982.

He has been a full-time writer ever since. According to the Academy, the themes of “memory, time and self-delusion” weave through his work, particularly in The Remains of the Day, which won Ishiguro the Booker prize in 1989 and was adapted into a film starring Anthony Hopkins as the duty-obsessed butler, Stevens.

Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life

by Jordan B Peterson In 12 Rules for Life, which has sold over 5 million copies around the world, acclaimed public thinker and clinical psychologist, Jordan B Peterson offered an antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to modern anxieties. His insights have helped millions of readers and resonated powerfully around the world.

Now, in this long-awaited sequel, Peterson goes further and delivers twelve more lifesaving principles for resisting the exhausting toll that our desire to

order the world inevitably takes; showing us that part of life's meaning comes from reaching out into the domain beyond what we know, and adapting to an ever-transforming world.

In a time when the human will increasingly imposes itself over every sphere of life – from our social structures to our emotional states – Peterson warns that too much security is dangerous.

What’s more, he offers strategies for overcoming the cultural, scientific, and psychological forces causing us to tend toward tyranny, and teaches us how to rely instead on our instinct to find meaning and purpose, even – and especially – when we find ourselves powerless. While an excess of chaos threatens us with uncertainty, an excess of order leads to a lack of curiosity and creative vitality. Beyond Order calls on us to balance the two fundamental principles of reality – order and chaos – and reveals the profound meaning that can be found on the path that divides them.

In times of instability and suffering,

Peterson reminds us that there are sources of strength on which we can all draw: insights borrowed from psychology, philosophy, and humanity's greatest myths and stories. Drawing on the hard-won truths of ancient wisdom, as well as deeply personal lessons from his own life and clinical practice, Peterson offers twelve new principles to guide readers towards a more courageous, truthful and meaningful life.

About the Author After working for decades as a clinical psychologist and a professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto, Peterson has become one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals.

His YouTube videos and podcasts have gathered a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions, and his global book tour reached more than 250 000 people in major cities across the globe.

With his students and colleagues, he has published more than 100 scientific papers, and his 1999 book Maps of Meaning revolutionised the psychology of religion. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his family.

LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL

Zama lekker in Sandbaai!

A re you one of the many people who have noticed the intriguing little building on the Sandbaai common, right opposite the Sandbaai Superette? Is it a tiny home, or maybe an office pod? you may have wondered.

Well, actually it’s a bit of both!

Richnard Marais and Jurie-Jan Swart are two young locals who have decided to pool their talents and partner in a new business venture. Jurie-Jan, who hails from Stanford and manufactures bespoke furniture, has channelled his interest in architecture into designing and building this small modular home as another cost-effective alternative to the growing popularity of container homes. Of course, it could also be used for office space or a small business –

and that is exactly what the partners are hoping to do with this one.

On the one hand it showcases Jurie-Jan’s craftsmanship in designing and building pods (or ‘tiny homes’), and on the other, he and Richnard are hoping to open a coffee shop here on the ground that they’ve purchased. Not just any old coffee shop, mind you, but a modular drive-through one where you don’t even have to get out of your car. As far as they are aware, it will be the first of its kind anywhere in the country.

The interior has already been kitted out to serve their brand, Zama Coffee, to customers, and they are just waiting for the necessary permissions to open

shop. Richnard and his wife, Charlize, who spent several years teaching in South Korea, say they wanted to return to Hermanus to give back to the community. All of them had grown up here and matriculated from Hermanus High School.

“Young people often leave Hermanus to go and do something cool in the city but we decided that we wanted to do it here,” says Richnard, “because it’s Zama lekker in Hermanus!” By the way, the Zulu word ‘Zama’ means to try your luck or take a shot at fortune – a most appropriate name for this innovative venture.

Watch this space to see when Zama Coffee will be open. – Hedda Mittner

Jurie-Jan Swart and Richnard Marais are the owners of this attractive little pod in Sandbaai, where they are hoping to open the first drivethrough coffee bar in the Overstrand.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

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LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL

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A busy night for galleries T he consensus among several gallery owners is that Friday evening’s Artwalk was the busiest one of the year, as art lovers and weekend revellers took to the streets to enjoy a night out on the town. With the noise and disruption in High Street still ongoing, Jenny Jackson of Gallery 19 and Leon Müller of Art Thirst did not open for the Artwalk, but at all the other galleries it was business as usual.

There was a lot of activity around the galleries – and The Wine Glass – in The Courtyard, where artist Andree Noska has taken over the premises where The

3. Artist Cathy Brennon and her friend Gail Lewis, both regular First Fridays supporters, taking a break during Friday’s Artwalk.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer 4. Geta Finlayson enjoying a glass of bubbles with her winemaker-husband, Peter Finlayson, in front of her studio gallery in The Courtyard.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer 5. Simon Shone of Jewellery Art in front of JA by Simon in The Courtyard.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer 6. Lizeth Gates from Johannesburg made a pretty picture next to these colourful artworks in Terry Kobus’s gallery, Originals.

PHOTO: Terry Kobus

Handmill opened a few months ago; in turn, The Handmill has moved into an attractive new, bigger shop in Harbour Road which previously formed part of Hemingways Bookshop.

Apart from the opening of Andree’s Art, the Hermanus Art Circle (HAC) also celebrated the opening of their permanent art exhibition at the Whale Museum. No longer a pop-up gallery only on First Fridays and Saturdays, the public now has the opportunity to view and buy paintings at the HAC Gallery every day during opening hours.

In her opening address, Whale Coast Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd said the 20 active members of the HAC had managed to introduce positive change through collaboration, even in these challenging times. “Today we need art more than ever,” she said. “Thank you for making the HAC a permanent part of our art scene and the institution of Hermanus First Fridays.”

The next Hermanus First Fridays Artwalk will take place on 2 April over the Easter weekend.

– Hedda Mittner

1. Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd opened the Hermanus Art Circle’s permanent exhibition at the Whale Museum on Friday. On her right is the HAC chair, Adéle Nortje.

PHOTO: Supplied 2. Andree Noska celebrated the opening of her new little gallery, Andree’s Art, in The Courtyard on Friday.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

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7. Di and James Rattle (left and right), creators of the delicious Hermanus Old Harbour Beer with Michael and Suke Baker, who enjoyed the Artwalk for the first time on Friday.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer 8. Chantel Louskitt of the FynArts Gallery with artist and restaurant owner Jiri Kobos.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

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10 March 2021

LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL

HOGS bikers donate big to Hermanus Night Shelter T

he peace and quiet of Mt Pleasant was shattered on Sunday morning, 28 February when approximately 35 Harley Davidson motor bikes roared into the area on a mission – to visit the Night Shelter under construction in Malva Street, which they had been supporting for the past four years, and to hand over a cheque for the proceeds of the November 2020 Cape Seal Rally held in Hermanus.

for R65 000 which took everyone by surprise, especially in view of the current economic downturn due to Covid-19!

The building and completion of the Night Shelter is totally dependent upon the availability of funding and to date the total capital expenditure on the project is in excess of R2.5 million.

When the Directors of the Harley Owners Group (HOGS) approached the then Mayor, the late Cllr Rudolph Smith, with a request to become involved with a local charity, he suggested the Hermanus Night Shelter as his charity of choice. This is where the relationship started with the HOGS, who then used their annual Cape Seal Rallies to generate funds to support the construction of the shelter for the homeless.

Accepting the cheque on behalf of the Hermanus Night Shelter Association (HNSA), the Treasurer, Ray Hartmann, explained that construction of the Night Shelter had required a leap of faith by the Trustees, who decided to proceed despite a lack of funding.

Building commenced on 9 April 2018 and thanks to the support of the local community and donors, the stage had now been reached where there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.

By means of fundraising activities, donations, auctions etc., they raised funds each year so that by 2019 they had already donated R110 000. But this was before the big reveal of the amount raised by their 2020 fundraising initiative – a whopping cheque

Ray was visibly moved when he first thanked the big-hearted bikers for their efforts, then the Overstrand Municipality, represented by Deputy Mayor Elnora Gillion and finally the Trustees and building team for their hard work and support. According to

Treasurer of the HNSA, Ray Hartmann, receiving the cheque for R65 000 from Malvin Meyer, Director of the HOGS - CPT Chapter, which will go a long way towards helping to complete the NIght Shelter before winter.

PHOTOS: Sue Raven The Director of HOGS - CT Chapter, Malvin Meyer, the feedback received from all those present on the progress of the project was very positive and he promised their continued involvement.

The next priority will be to pave the parking area and access to the shelter

so that it is wheelchair friendly and to install cupboards where needed. This will be followed by furnishing the dining/lounge area and the sleeping quarters, and installing kitchen appliances at an estimated cost in the region of R300 000. To add finishing touches to the project such as gutters and downpipes linked to the grey

water harvesting system, electric fencing etc., will require a further estimated R100 000.

It is hoped that the Night Shelter will be ready for occupation before the onset of winter 2021 but this will be dependent upon the availability of funding.

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10 March 2021

Laptops for Africa!

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heo and Angie Krynauw, the founders of Sparkle Kids, were very excited on Friday to hand over repurposed laptops to four of their most sparkling students who are fast on their way to becoming responsible, educated adults with a bright future ahead.

The lucky recipients were 21-year-old Solethu Sitiki, a third year law student at the Free State University; Sibongile Khala, also 21 and a third-year tourism student at CPUT; Asiphe Memani, now in her third year of business management studies at CPUT; and 18-yearold Oyama Mfiki, who graduated from Qhayiya last year as the school’s top matric pupil and is applying to study medicine next year.

The handover of the laptops took place at the Sparkle Kids House in Northcliff, where several other Sparkle Kids gathered to congratulate their friends. All of them had attended Qhayiya Secondary School in Zwelihle and have been mentored over the years by Theo and Angie, who are very proud of “their” children’s accom-

plishments.

This latest donation again came from Frank Wardenberg from Bremen in Germany, where he has created a hub for the non-profit global platform, Labdoo, which collaborates with people all around the world to bring laptops loaded with educational software to needy schools and education centres and NGOs. Labdoo is a global collaborative project founded in 2010 with the dream to make education accessible to every child on the planet by repurposing computer devices. Since then, Labdoo has spread to more than 135 countries helping more than 600 000 students through hundreds of hubs and thousands of volunteers who engage by collecting, preparing and bringing educational devices to more than 2 000 schools globally.

The idea behind Labdoo is for people to donate a laptop or a tablet they no longer use to the Labdoo platform. All existing data is securely deleted and the laptop is then repurposed into a

powerful educational device and delivered to students who do not have access to these crucial technological devices.

This was the fourth time Frank had travelled to Hermanus to bring more laptops. The biggest problem, he says, is transporting more devices without having to go through customs. That is why Labdoo also makes use of volunteers who are travelling, either on holiday or for their NGO or business, to help carry a laptop and connect them with a school at their destination to hand it over.

Everyone involved in the Labdoo Project is a volunteer and none of their members receives any remuneration for the time contributed to the cause, other than the satisfaction of seeing the joy of a child or young person receiving the means to an education.

“We are just ordinary people working for an extraordinary cause,” says Frank, whose “real” job is in tourism – he runs Ajimba African Tours with two partners in Germany. Needless to say, this industry has been heavily

It was an emotional moment when four overjoyed Sparkle Kids were handed their laptops on Friday. From left are Oyama Mfiki, Angie and Theo Krynauw, and Frank Wardenberg in front, with Sibongile Khala and Solethu Sitiki sitting behind Frank. (The fourth recipient, Asiphe Memani was absent when the photo was taken.)

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

impacted by the pandemic and Frank has been able to spend more time and energy than usual on the Labdoo project.

“I spoke to my clients and asked them to help me do something good for the area we love so much,” he says.

“So while my clients are unable to travel to Africa right now, they have

donated these devices specifically to the Sparkle Kids of the Overstrand.”

Anyone who has a laptop or tablet lying around that they no longer use, is welcome to visit the labdoo.org website to find out how you can make a contribution to this very worthy project.

– Hedda Mittner

10 March 2021

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Rotary's diaper dash H

ermanus Rotary Co-President John RossSmith recently secured a valuable windfall of 8 000 baby diapers through his business contacts in Johannesburg.

The first problem was to arrange transport to bring the consignment to Hermanus – but this problem was solved by Kobus of Kobus Le Roux Transport, who, knowing this was for charity, delivered it for free.

after a fruitful and constructive meeting with Sister Anita Rust and the excellent staff at the Hermanus Provincial Hospital, who immediately found space to store the diapers. Sister Anita, together with Social Worker Vernice Gertse have enthusiastically undertaken to repackage the diapers into smaller bags and then to distribute them throughout their network of clinics in the Overstrand to the families who desperately need them.

The next problem was how to distribute the diapers to the families most in need, especially during these difficult days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, this problem was overcome

They will provide regular feedback to Rotary on the progress of the distribution and the club is hopeful that it will be able to arrange further shipments in the future.

Rotary Co-Presidents Lourina Wilson and John Ross-Smith, Sister Anita Rust, Social Worker Vernice Gertse (kneeling down) and Rotarian Ferdi Marais.

PHOTO: Supplied

MY WELLNESS

15

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10 March 2021

LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL

ProActive Fitness is moving house Writer & Photographer Taylum Meyer

P

roActive Fitness at the Mussel Centre in Hermanus Industrial has been an integral part of the Hermanus fitness community for almost 12 years, since the gym first opened its doors on 11 May 2009. The popular gym is owned by Mathew Browne, a cycling enthusiast, and will soon be moving to an exciting new premises at the Hermanus Sports Club on 1 April.

Mathew, who has always had a passion for fitness, grew up in Durban and went on to study Human Movement Studies (now commonly known as Sport Science) from 1993 to 1996 at the University of Durban-Westville.

Shortly after he graduated, Mathew got an opportunity to work overseas at a fitness club in the UK, where he stayed until the director of the club asked him to move back to South Africa to manage a gym he had just taken over: Hermanus Health and Fitness located above Eastcliff Spar.

Mathew didn’t know much about Hermanus at that time, but took a risk and moved here in 2002. He settled into his new job fairly quickly, thanks to his clear passion for fitness and his ability to make every client feel welcome, comfortable and important.

In 2003, ex-Springbok Captain and Laureus World Sports Academy legend, Morné du Plessis, introduced himself to several individuals in Hermanus including Mathew at Hermanus Health and Fitness, to talk about the concept and feasibility of opening some kind of sports centre for the community, on the exact land where the Hermanus Sports Club is now. Mathew took to the idea immediately and Morné went on to approach the Overstrand Municipality with his vision for Hermanus as the perfect location for a sports centre.

Mathew’s meeting with Morné planted

a seed, and since 2003, he has dreamed of creating a state of the art wellness and fitness centre that would put Hermanus on the map in the fitness community.

He remained the manager at Hermanus Health and Fitness until it was sold in 2009 and he decided it was time to take yet another risk and start his own gym. He was joined in his new business venture by Alex Smith (Mathew’s colleague at Hermanus Health and Fitness), Marion du Plessis and Nosipho Memani, who became, respectively, a gym instructor, receptionist, and receptionist / female attendant at Mathew’s new gym, ProActive Fitness – where they still work to this day.

Mathew’s dream of being part of a sports centre never wavered and when the Hermanus Sports Club was founded behind Hermanus High School, he set about the process of surveying and securing a plot of land to build on and, after several lengthy delays, a 45-year lease was officially registered at the deeds office. The dream finally started to become a reality!

Mathew (the Director of ProActive Fitness & Building Development) found some investors and started working on the project with the help of his new building co-directors Derek Wheals and Claude Tyers. Once the final architectural drawings done by Engelbrecht & Scorgie Architectural Office were approved by the relevant parties, the building of ProActive’s new 2 100m2 gym began.

The new ProActive Fitness promises to be everything it is now – and more. The walls of the building have been fitted with large glass panes in place of walls to allow in lots of light and the roof throughout the building is fitted with special sheeting which will prevent the gym from overheating on hot days.

The entire building is also wheelchair friendly.

Upon entering the building on 1 April, you will be greeted by the same friendly staff as always at their new reception area. To the left of reception is Mathew’s office and to the right is a 100m2 pilates and yoga studio. Behind that is Wilson & Schneider Biokineticists Inc., a 200m2 privately-run studio with therapy rooms. Directly behind reception is the health café which will offer free WiFi, coffees, shakes and a variety of healthy foods. The Sauna and TanCan, and the men’s and women’s spacious changing rooms are located behind the café.

To the left of the café is a 590m2 openplan, purpose-built, double-volume gym area that most of ProActive’s members and nine excellent personal trainers will surely be looking forward to: the training section consisting of cardio machines, free weights and resistance machines. With a staggering length of 63m, members will be able to move freely and enjoy more space in their workouts.

Behind this massive room and to the left of Mathew’s office are three health and beauty rooms, and at the other end the second of the gym's studios at 100m2, the dance studio which will be used for classes like Zumba, Pound, step and tone, body pump and aerobics. When this room is unoccupied, members will be able to use it to train in if they want a bit of privacy.

Behind the dance studio is possibly Mathew’s favourite room, the 100m2 RealRyder studio, equipped with its own sound system for spinning sessions and 25 state of the art indoor RealRyder cycling bikes, which Mathew spent four days putting together straight from the box.

To the right of the dance studio is another private business, run by Schalk Holloway, dubbed ‘The Arena’.

This 300m2 room will be used for functional training (a classification of

ProActive Fitness will be opening on their new premises at the Hermanus Sports Club on 1 April at 5am.

GRAPHIC: Engelbrecht & Scorgie Architectural Office

exercise which involves training the body for the activities performed in daily life), combative skills (such as Krav Maga Israeli Combative training) and self-defence. SAJKA Karate (Sensei Ronnie), Kenjitsu (John), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (Deon), and several other martial art styles will also be presented inside The Arena.

The last section of the new gym, and probably the pièce de résistance, is the outdoor, 300m2 high-quality AstroTurf which is accessible from The Arena and the massive training room. Members will be able to use this area to do training, which includes things like battle rope, sled pulls, the farmers walk, etc.

– all while enjoying the fresh air and a beautiful view of the mountain.

Mathew hopes that the addition of the gym to the Hermanus Sports Club will make it an epicentre for sport, health and fitness which touring teams will want to visit and where international sports events can take place. Already at the Club are six tennis courts, four squash courts, two netball courts, a restaurant and bar, and a new BMX

track and skatepark.

ProActive Fitness at the Mussel Centre will be closed from Friday 26 March to Wednesday 31 March, and the new premises will open on Thursday 1 April at 05:00. Mathew asks all his members to please bear with them while they are closed. They are moving all the equipment themselves to ensure that everything remains in pristine condition. If you are currently a willing member who would like to assist the ProActive team in their move you can contact Mathew on 084 358 9827.

For Mathew, this is an 18 year old dream come true and he can’t wait to share it with his members and to ‘knock their socks off’! We wish Mathew and his fitness family good luck as they move into their new home and begin this new adventure together.

The new gym will be open from Mon to Fri 05:00 - 19:30, and on Sat 06:00 - 13:00. Follow them on Facebook for updates on their progress of the new building. If you have any queries call 028 313 2074 / 084 358 9827.

10 March 2021

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

Mathew Browne (Director of ProActive Fitness & Building Development) on the right with his new building co-directors Derek Wheals (left) and Claude Tyers (middle) on the state-of-the-art outdoor AstroTurf at the new premises.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

ProActive’s new premises can be located next to the Hermanus Sports Club.

GRAPHIC: Supplied

ProActive Fitness’s new building is located in between the Hermanus Sports Club building (left) and the Old Boys Club (right) behind Hermanus High School.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer Members can look forward to a café at the new gym which will offer coffees, shakes and a variety of health foods as well as WiFi and a seating area.

GRAPHIC: Engelbrecht & Scorgie Architectural Office

PHOTO: Juan Hugo (edited by Michelle Halford)

PHOTO: Juan Hugo (edited by Michelle Halford)

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10 March 2021

MY ENVIRONMENT

Have you seen a fig flower?

By Dr Anina Lee

O

f course you have – you’ve seen lots and lots of them. Every time you break open a lovely lush fig you see the flowers inside. A fig is actually the stem of an inflorescence, very enlarged and fleshy, that surrounds the tiny flowers inside. And the crunchy bits under your teeth are the seeds.

Fig trees are unique in that their flowers are completely concealed within an enclosed inflorescence, with the hundreds of tiny florets lining the inside of a central cavity.

So if the flowers are hidden from view, what pollinator would visit such an un-showy non-flower? How does it get pollinated? Well, this is the really interesting thing about figs. A unique flower requires a unique pollinator. All fig trees are pollinated by very small (female) wasps of the family Agaonidae. These little wasps are just able to squeeze through the tiny hole on the front of the fig. Sometimes the squeeze through the little hole on the front of the fig is so tight that the wasp loses its wings in the process – but no matter, because it will never leave the fig again.

The wasps are so specialised that each species of wasp only pollinates a particular species of fig tree. As the song says: “You can’t have one without the other”. This is an example of obligate commensalism, developed over around 60 million years of co-evolution.

The whole story is further complicated by the fact that some fig species are monoecious and some are dioecious.

Monoecious means that the trees produce figs that have both male and female flowers. Dioecious means that the species has trees that produce figs with only female flowers as well as trees that produce figs with only male flowers.

Monoecious figs So to recap: In monoecious fig trees both the male and female flowers are found in the same fig. How does it prevent self-pollination? The fig has a neat strategy.

When the female flowers inside the immature fruit are ready for pollination, the fig emits an enticing aroma that attracts only female wasps of the specific species for that tree. After squeezing inside, the tiny female wasp runs around the interior of the fruit visiting many of its flowers and laying her eggs inside the future seeds. The wasp carries pollen on her body from another fig where she was born. In the egg-laying process the pollen rubs off and fertilises the female flowers, allowing all the seeds to grow – not just the ones where she has deposited eggs, which will naturally prevent these seeds from maturing.

The styles of some flowers are so long that the ovary is safely out of reach of the wasp’s ovipositor. This means that the wasp can’t lay her eggs in them and those seeds can reach maturity. Having fulfilled her life's mission to lay eggs, the female wasp dies inside the fig.

The eggs hatch into grubs that grow inside the seeds. After completing their full development in a few weeks the little wasps, both male and female, emerge from the seeds. The males hatch first and start looking for females to mate with. They are smaller than the females and don’t even have wings; they don’t need them because they will never fly. After mating they, like their mother, die inside the fig. They never see the light of day. Don’t worry, when you bite into a ripe fig, you are not crunching wasps – they are digested by the fig long before you pick the fruit.

When the female wasps emerge from the fig, they have already been fertilised and are ready to find another fig in which to lay their eggs. At this point, the male flowers inside the fig are ripe and loaded with pollen, so when the female wasps leave the fig, they are loaded with pollen to carry to the next fig.

This incredible partnership requires very fine tuning and synchronicity on the part of the plant and of the pollinator.

Dioecious figs Dioecious fig species have separate male and female plants. Pollination of these fig species is a bit more complex.

In dioecious fig species the male trees produce figs containing flowers that all have a short style length (blue flowers in the diagram). The pollinating female fig wasp can thus reach all the ovules with her ovipositor and hence manages to lay eggs in all the flowers. By the time the grubs in these flowers have metamorphosed into adult wasps, the male flowers have produced copious pollen.

The wasps emerging from these flowers get covered in a load of this pollen before they leave the fig they have been bred in, searching for a female fig tree.

Female trees produce figs that all have a long style, preventing the pollinator from reaching the ovules with her ovipositor (which is much shorter than the style length). However, the wasp does deposit pollen on the stigmas (which are on the end of the styles) in the process of attempting to lay her eggs. These fertilised flowers will thus set seeds that are consumed by fig-eating animals and are dispersed far and wide.

Figs on female trees are really traps for the wasps, as they do not manage to reproduce in the female figs. The wasps do not learn to avoid female figs as these sirens of the forest successfully mimic male figs.

Figs are among the most important plants in tropical and subtropical ecosystems, because so many animals depend on them for food. Over 1 274 species of birds and mammals eat figs.

In other words, more than 10% of all bird species and 6% of all mammal species eat figs. And that’s just among vertebrates! We don’t even know how many insects use figs for food, but it’s a lot.

Figs are so popular because they grow on every continent (except Antarctica) and they are available in all seasons.

There are around 850 species in the genus Ficus. An individual tree can even produce crops at different stages of its development, providing a much extended fruit season. So hail the humble fig.

ABOVE: Monoecious Illustrations © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of South Africa) BELOW: Dioceious

Boredom Busters!

Dogs chew furniture & shoes & dig holes in the garden when they're bored or frustrated.

Dog Days has a range of toys to suit every dog's needs Find them at EberVet Vetshop, Station Mall Call 028 312 3028

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10 March 2021

MY ENVIRONMENT

Autumn in the Atlantic sharks, whales and dolphins try to scatter the shoal from below.

The result is chaos at the surface, with waters turning white as the animals churn and hunt below.

By Jax Bath

M

arch marks the beginning of autumn, with a coolness setting into the mornings and the sun dipping below the horizon ever earlier. March also happens to be one of my favourite months at sea. Like the leaves falling on land, autumn in the Atlantic is marked by certain changes that make the onset of winter apparent. Autumn is the time of year when pelagic seabirds reappear on our tours, the cheeky Sub Antarctic Skua takes their place in the sky parallel to every boat that leaves the harbour and, most of all, it is the beginning of the sardine run.

Over the years, I have seen a number of bait balls of varying intensity. Often there are only birds feasting and whilst this is lovely, nothing quite compares to when dolphins join in on the feast. I’ve also been lucky to see this several times, but only once have I come across a bait ball that really encapsulated the majesty of it all, where every possible predator arrived to create burning water so awe inspiring that both the day and date are forever etched in my memory. It was an overcast autumn day with a chill to it, the sort of day on which you may not want to go out to sea if you consider yourself a fair-weather sailor.

Setting out to sea at this time of year comes with a certain type of anticipation. The ocean might be quiet and yield no mega fauna at all, but, more than any other time of year, there is also a chance to happen upon the best the ocean has to offer. At this time of year, sardines begin to make the annual migration from the cool waters of the west towards the warmer Indian Ocean.

Surprisingly little is known about this natural phenomenon, but it is often claimed to be the largest shoal on earth as billions of these little fish move east. It is believed that some spawning takes place on the Agulhas bank, and the abundance of adult fish moving through attracts a host of predators that will gauge themselves on these oily fish.

As we rounded one of the ragged points so typical of the Cape coastline, the sight was almost too much to take in. Shades of grey, yellow, white and the deep blue of the ocean collided as thousands of Cape Gannets and Common Dolphins formed an army around an already infiltrated school of sardine. The first sight I remember really taking in was that of the Cape Gannets on the water, so full that they could not fly, but so curious as to whether or not they could take another bite that they simply sat on the water and stuck their heads below. Like a small child in a rock pool, they watched as their food swam by before popping their heads up for a breath and moving out of the way of a surfacing dolphin.

From a wildlife watching perspective, what you’re really hoping to find out at sea is what we call a bait ball. This is when a school of fish moves together, staying as close as possible to one another in the hopes of surviving predation. The bait ball may give rise to the commonly used phrased “packed like sardines” and these little fish know all too well the importance of this.

Unfortunately for them, their predators have learned to work in unison to divide them up and create a feeding frenzy that Blue Planet compared to burning water. This is what every wildlife watcher wishes to experience out at sea, the dance between predator and prey as birds provide an aerial attack while seals,

The dolphins surfaced and chased food below, flashing us with their golden flanks and in between them every so often, 20 tons worth of Brydes Whale would erupt from the surface, engulfing mouths full of water and sardine which would find themselves trapped in the whale’s baleen. There were easily 10 whales which had joined the party, the largest aggregation of Brydes Whales I have seen to this day. Later in the bait ball, we began to notice how Bronze Whaler Sharks had also surfaced, showing off their dorsal fins as they indulged in their favourite foods. These bait balls don’t typically last all that long, the fish are decimated in a surprisingly short amount of time and one might pass by an hour later to find no sign at all of what had happened.

Though these events are very much a hit and miss, luck of the day type of occurrence, I would encourage everyone to make an attempt to get to sea during what I like to call dolphin season.

The dolphins have been out and about in Walker Bay in the past weeks, indicating an early but promising start to autumn on the ocean. If boats seem a little ambitious, sometimes these bait balls occur close enough to land to spot with a good pair of binoculars, so keep your eyes peeled on the ocean over the coming weeks to spot one of autumn’s best-kept secrets.

Until next week!

Local expertise, national presence and international audience

F I N E & C O U N T R Y P R O U D LY P R E S E N T S

ANSIE POTGIETER P R O P E R T Y C O N S U LTA N T I was born in Gauteng and raised in the Free State in Bloemfontein where I enrolled at UOVS to study nursing, married and started a family. Our children were raised in the Free State before we embarked on a new journey in Jeffreys Bay, where I discovered my passion for property.

My love and interest in discovering all types of homes led me to explore the luxury real estate market in Jeffreys Bay, and I further discovered I have a real passion for matching buyers with their dream homes. We have just recently stumbled upon Hermanus and have fallen so in love with its charm that we have decided to stay. I am eager explore all the splendour, beauty, lifestyle and attractions Hermanus has to offer and combining that with Fine & Country’s bespoke marketing approach when presenting your homes to the market.

Saying goodbye to a much-loved home doesn’t need to be a stressful ordeal when you team up with a trusted and proven property partner like Fine & Country.

Your home is not just bricks and mortar and we take seriously the privilege of being instructed to sell your home, presenting it as if it were our own. Fine & Country personalises the lifestyle aspects of your home, connecting the lives, dreams, and aspirations offered by your unique home with those of the right buyer. As your partner in this process, we offer an expert personal service that will take you through each aspect of the sale and transfer process with the least amount of inconvenience. Our mission is to achieve the best price for your home.

Fine & Country offers you the benefit of our trusted international expertise and ensures that the process of selling your home is a happy one.

Ansie Potgieter +27 (0)81 270 6255 ansie.potgieter@fineandcountry.com

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R14 500 000

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MOTORING

F

on cars

Compiled by John Floyd

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team

A

ston Martin is back in Formula One. The new era has officially begun.

After more than 60 years away from Formula One, Aston Martin returns to Grand Prix racing in 2021 with the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team.

With one of the most iconic emblems in the world, and a team of almost 500 passionate men and women at its heart, this is a team with both a rich heritage and a fresh perspective – bringing new energy to the sport with a determination to shake up the order and compete at the sharp end.

A growing family, where likeminded people from all walks of life are encouraged to be a part of our journey and given a platform to thrive, our mission is to use the global platform of motorsport to engage a new wave of fans – showcasing the technology and innovation which live at our core.

10 March 2021

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10 March 2021

Land Cruiser 78 Back by Popular Demand T

he Land Cruiser 70-series needs no introduction, having etched an enviable reputation amongst off-roading enthusiasts, game rangers, farmers and other utility-minded users.

The 70-series is offered in three main guises; bakkie (79), station wagon (76) and wagon (78). Due to reduced demand, the decision to drop the ‘78’ from the line-up was made in August 2015, with the ‘76’ and ‘79’ continuing sales.

The rugged construction and infallible Toyota engines have earned it the reputation of “it just keeps going”.

Following some specific market requests for this type of vehicle, Toyota South Africa is pleased to announce the re-introduction of the Land Cruiser Wagon 78.

The specifications mirror that of the previously-offered model, with the

exception of a switch to drum brakes in the rear (which provide improved durability in high-dirt operating conditions).

The LC 78 is powered by the triedand-true 1HZ 4.2-litre inline-6 diesel engine, producing 96kW at 3800rpm and 285Nm at a low 2200rpm. This is paired to a heavy-duty 5-speed manual transmission and low-rangeequipped transfer case.

The LC 78 rides on heavy-duty steel wheels shod with 7.50R16C tyres and is available in two exterior

colours only – Ivory White and Sand Beige.

A 3 year/100 000 km Warranty forms part of the purchase, with service intervals being every 5000km. Customers can purchase tailored service plans and/or warranty extensions from their Toyota dealer.

Model Line-up & Pricing: LC 78 4.2 DIESEL WAGON R 716 000* *This model will be sold on a customer order only basis.

Top Championship Contender?

R

ed Bull Racing’s new RB16B hit the track for the first time as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez got behind the wheel of the Team’s 2021 charger at an official filming day at Silverstone.

Max and the Team’s Official Test and Reserve Driver Alex Albon also drove the RB15 as the Team gathered promotional footage ahead of the season start in Bahrain next month.

On a cold, blustery day, Sergio was given the honour of steering the RB16B onto Silverstone’s National Circuit for its first laps and after a series of trouble-free runs the Mexican driv-

er admitted it had been an emotional moment.

the afternoon and was pleased to get an initial feeling for the new car.

“Driving a new car is always special – for the driver and also for the Team.

They have been working so hard through the winter, so to finally take the car on track, it’s quite an emotional day,” said Sergio. “I can say I think there is a lot of potential. The conditions were not great but it was nice to get a feeling for the car. It’s pretty exciting. Earlier this week I drove the RB15 but today I could feel a step in overall grip and top speed.”

“I started with the RB15 to just get a few laps in after the winter break and then I jumped into the RB16B. Days like today are all about getting comfortable with the car and with the new power unit, trying to make things run smoothly and trying to be well prepared before we go testing in Bahrain. It’s always good to be back driving a Formula One car and the first time you go out of the pits is such a great feeling.”

After driving the RB15 in the morning, Max jumped into the RB16B in

Team Principal, Christian Horner, added: “It’s always great to see a new

car hit the track for the first time and to see the drivers get their first laps in. Today is mainly just about making sure all the basics are functioning well before it all gets packed up and sent out to Bahrain and in that regard today was a success. It was good also to have Alex here driving the RB15 along with Max. It’s important for Alex to stay sharp as he’s going to play a crucial role in the development of RB16B.” For Alex, the opportunity to drive the RB15 and to share notes with Max and Checo on the RB16B was particularly useful as he embarks on the intense process of helping develop

the car ahead of testing in Bahrain in just under three weeks’ time and through the season.

“Being back at Silverstone is great and any day you get to drive a Formula One car is a good day and it was mega to get behind the wheel of the RB15 again to keep my eye in,” Alex said. “On my side, today was about understanding the personality of the RB16B, talking to Max, Checo, the engineers and getting their feedback so I can take it back to the factory where I’ll be doing a lot of work to help with development, especially now so that we can hit the ground running in Bahrain.”

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10 March 2021

Unique Mustang Helps Restore Iconic Spitfire T

he last remaining Spitfire warplane in South Africa took a step closer to achieving its first flight after more than twenty years, following the purchase of a unique Mustang created between Vaughn Gittin’s authentic RTR Vehicles, Performance Centre, the South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum, and Friends of the SAAF. During a handover event at the Swartkops airbase on 12 February, the excited new owners collected the keys to this one-of-a-kind Mustang and in the process made a valuable contribution to the overall restoration of Spitfire #5518. The Spitfire warplane was flown by the British Airforce and Allies during World War 2 and remained in service until the 1950s. The Spitfire’s elliptical wing design gave it a top speed of nearly 600km/h - higher than many other warplanes during the time.

This unique collaboration was formed with the sole purpose of converting ten standard 5.0L Mustangs into RTR Spec 5 wide body versions, each based on an accurate interpretation

of South African aviation history. With every ‘Spitfire’ Mustang, Performance Centre will make a donation of R75 000 which will go towards the repair and restoration of this iconic Spitfire, which crashed at Swartkops airbase in the year 2000.

The first finished Mustang has already enabled the construction of a new hanger where work on Spitfire #5518 can begin. This includes placing the aircraft on a full-sized rig that was previously too large for the existing hangers at Swartkops airbase.

Through the Warriors of the Sky program, prospective customers can choose one of the listed South African airmen and their military aircraft as inspiration for their own unique Mustang. After this point Performance Centre, based in Centurion, will carry out the full list of upgrades.

The first of these special iterations is the DBH RTR Spitfire Mustang, which is the first Mustang RTR Spec 5 wide body in the world and shares a slice of provenance with Ace Capt. Bob Rogers. Rogers was assigned to 208

Squadron (RAF) in Egypt, where he flew Hurricanes and Spitfires in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Austria. By December 1943, he had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and placed in command of 225 Squadron, RAF. For his services he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Distinguished Flying Cross (DSC).

To maintain absolute authenticity and credibility, every cosmetic detail on these hand-painted supercharged Mustangs is significant and replicates the insignia from those aircraft flown by famous South African airmen in World War 2. On this Mustang, this includes the yellow markings on the wheels which mimic those found on the propeller’s leading edges.

The badge on the Mustang’s nose is named after the manufacturer of the Spitfire’s propeller and the dash plaque inside the car is made from an actual piece of the crashed Spitfire plane.

Upgrades carried out by Performance Centre, in Centurion, on each Mustang are comprehensive, including engine, brakes, alloy wheels and

interior. The supercharger kit has been specifically developed for the new 5.0L V8 and features dual-fuel, high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection technology for increased power and efficiency. Power is raised to 710hp while adding a distinctive soundtrack.

Furthermore, Brembo 6-piston aluminium fixed front calipers and Brembo 4-piston aluminium rear calipers as well as cross-drilled rotors sit behind RTR Aero 7 alloy wheels which were designed in conjunction with Vaughn Gittin Jr. The Aero 7 wheel’s look is completed in a high-quality charcoal finish, or alternatively, painted in satin black.

Adding the finishing touch are the black leather 4-way manual adjustment Recaro seats which embody the Ford Performance brand.

“It’s been really great to work with these teams; the support from all involved has gone far and wide. The car specifically was a labour of love and we welcome the new owners to the family. I think it’s important that whoever bought this car understood

and appreciated the heritage. This is the most iconic vehicle we’ve ever done and we trust that this is the first of a whole lot more we’ll be doing,” says Grant Askham, CEO of Performance Centre.

“Passion and emotion have always epitomised the Mustang nameplate and these are highlighted by this unique collaboration,” says Atloli Lesela, Brand Manager at Ford South Africa. “It’s hard not to get goosebumps when you see how this Mustang has brought everyone together for a worthy cause. This is only the first chapter in a much bigger story but it’s off to a very encouraging start that is already taking the Spitfire a step closer to the sky.”

Pricing (including purchase price of the vehicle and Vat): 5.0 Mustang GT plus Ford Performance Spitfire conversion - R2 500 000 Contact Performance Centre for more information by mailing andrew@performancecentre.co.za

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

10 March 2021

Meet the new Opel Crossland SUV O

pel South Africa, a subsidiary of Stellantis, is proud to introduce the new facelifted Crossland SUV which features a bold new look and striking new front-end design called the Opel Vizor.

The Opel Vizor can be closely linked to the past iconic Opel models, however, the new Vizor is not just a design statement, it also makes all Opel models ‘future ready’ by providing housing space for the sensors and cameras required by modern vehicles.

Organically integrating the grille and headlights, the Opel Vizor of the new Crossland extends in one single sweep, across the front of the vehicle.

The brand’s legendary lightning-flash emblem proudly dominates the centre. The Vizor will become a hallmark of all Opel models in the future.

The makeover also incorporates new dark tinted taillights at the rear, and the new high-gloss black Tailgate surface (available in combination with the black roof ) which makes the new Crossland look wider and stronger.

Also new are the front and rear skid plates, LED fog lamps (on the Elegance model) and stylish 16-inch light alloy wheels. Another distinguishing characteristic is the rear Crossland badge which is laid out

across the tailgate.

Crisp and compact on the outside, spacious, and versatile on the inside with a cool modern and distinctive SUV look, this new Opel Crossland SUV is the first to adopt the brand’s unmistakeable new face.

Enthusiastic drivers will especially enjoy the improvements Opel has made to the new Crossland’s chassis.

Engineers in Rüsselsheim have developed new damper tuning for the McPherson strut front Suspension and the torsion-beam rear axle giving the Opel Crossland a distinctly ‘Opel’ Ride and Handling.

Combined with an improved steering position which offers precise handling and a gear change which is quick and light, the Crossland’s chassis delivers a more dynamic drive with an optimum balance of comfort and agility as well as stability when navigating the country’s highways.

Trendsetting lighting technology and innovative assistance systems The new Opel Crossland is an SUV that is solid, spacious, comfortable, and comes with a host of safety features and numerous ultra-modern technologies and assistance systems.

All models come with LED lights

which are much brighter than halogen bulbs.

The most important safety features of the new Opel Crossland at a glance: • Forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection - operates at speeds above 5.0km/h. If a vehicle or pedestrian ahead is approached too quickly, the system sounds a warning and displays a message in the Driver information Centre. If collision is imminent, the braking system is prepared and if necessary, emergency braking is deployed to minimise the effects of a potential collision.

Below 30km/h the system can bring the vehicle to a complete stop. If speed exceeds 30km/h, speed is reduced, and the driver must actively brake. The system uses the front camera and in conditions where the visibility is poor it may not respond.

• Lane Departure Warning - issues audible and visible signals of it registers that the lane is being left unintentionally.

• Driver Drowsiness Alert - evaluates the fatigue level through the driving style and alerts the driver if braking is necessary.

• Front and Rear Park Assist - Front and Rear proximity sensors as well as rear view camera aid safe parking

– number of sensors and camera are version dependent.

• Cruise control with speed limiter - together with Speed sign recognition, enables quick and easy adherence to the speed limit.

• ABS, EBFD and Hill Start Assist ensures a smooth and safe pull off whilst on an incline.

Interior Inside the Opel Crossland, the updated 7” colour touchscreen infotainment system, which runs the Apple Carplay/ Android Auto, dominates the driving cabin.

With Apple Carplay and Android Auto you can project your smartphone apps on the colour screen, while the Bluetooth compatibility ensures that you are able to make hands-free calls and play music from your Bluetooth enabled mobile device through the Crossland’s six premium speakers.

The abundant feeling of space and the first-class AGR ergonomic front seats in the Crossland ensure long trips are even more comfortable.

The SUV also convinces with high level of flexibility, thanks to the 60/40 split in the rear seating, offering outstanding functionality and increasing the boot space from 410 litres to a class-leading 520 litres in seconds.

Folding the rear seats completely increases boot volume to 1,255 litres.

The Crossland SUV line-up includes the Crossland Edition 1.2 60kW 55-speed Manual, and 1.2 Turbo 81kW 6-speed Automatic and the Crossland Elegance 1.2 Turbo 81kW 6-speed Auto.

Engines / Powertrains On the engine front the Opel Crossland SUV is offered in two powertrain configurations.

Steering wheel adjustment and multiple way seat- adjustments offer better support for drivers and soft touch materials with chrome and gloss black finishes on the dashboard and interior door panels give the Crossland’s interior a more premium feel.

The 1.2 naturally aspirated engine mated to a 5-speed manual shifter is offered on the Edition model.

Generous head and legroom front and rear provide enough space for families to drive in comfort.

The new facelifted Opel Crossland will arrive at dealerships throughout South Africa in February 2021.

The more powerful 1.2 litre turbo petrol engine, coupled to a 6-speed automatic gearbox is offered on both the Edition and Elegance models.