NEIGHBOURLY NOTES
THIS weekend is the start of the Pineapple Cricket tournament, so get ready for some great games and a whole lot of fun all around the area as teams line up to compete in this perennial competition. See the match line-up on our web page FOLLOWING recent extensive repairs to the wheel, Bradshaws Mill is being opened to the public with no entry fees between 10am and 4pm on Sunday. Get along to witness this piece of local history come to life, and enjoy a picnic and a glass of wine at the mill. WAR Rooms have been a topic of conversation ever since it was revealed that the ANC had set up such a thing in an attempt to discredit opposing political parties. However, the War Room discussed in Ndlambe is a different animal entirely. It seems that these War Rooms are intended to address problems with projects and service delivery issues that have not been fixed through the channels of ward committees and the council itself. In other words, the War Room is a parallel structure, manned by unpaid volunteers (typically, worldwide except in South Africa, a volunteer does not get paid). The project is named
which means “carry together”, but it would seem that these volunteers are expected to do something that the current municipal structures cannot. Perhaps, rather than placing a cumbersome plaster on a broken system, someone should just endeavour to fix the system. THE recent festive season was discussed at a debriefing session, held at the council chambers this week, and the same old issues were raised. These included drinking in public, glass on the beach, deliberate and unconscionable littering of the beaches, recreational areas and in town generally, the lack of ablution facilities and the lack of rubbish bins. Unfortunately, although they were apparently all invited, the only councillor present was DA councillor Ray Schenk. With an influx of more than 30 000 visitors on New Year’s Day, it is necessary for everyone in the area to be involved in ensuring the safety and comfort of all our visitors as well as locals over this period. If the councillors cannot be bothered to attend debriefing and planning sessions on such important matters, then perhaps we should relook at why we chose them to represent us? IT was great meeting legendary Proteas cricketer Pat Symcox last Friday. Symcox was the guest speaker at the Sunshine Coast Hospice Port Alfred Golf Day supper, held at the Royal Port Alfred Golf Club. Symcox is a master story-teller, and regaled the 190-strong audience with stories from his past in the national side, as well as sharing his thoughts on the modern game and its players. Symcox, who is the holder of several Remax franchises in KwaZulu-Natal was originally brought from Griquas to Border Cricket Club by none other than Port Alfred Country Club president, James “Foxy” Fox. Symcox, along with his wife, Estelle, also undertook the Stride with Pride beach walk that took place on Saturday morning. Thanks to Symcox for making this important event even more special. NATIONALLY, it has been yet another week of political intrigue, beginning with possibly the most openly greedy appointee (after Hlaudi Motsoeneng) by the ANC government, former Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) CEO Collins Letsoalo who, despite having been publicly dismissed by the Prasa board, maintains he is still the boss. He told Jeremy Maggs in an e.tv interview that he has not received any letter to inform him he has been sacked and that only the minister of transport, Dipuo Peters, can fire him. Letsoalo was fired from his position after he increased his salary from a whopping R1.7- million to an astronomical R5.9-million. He said he deserved the increase based on his responsibilities and to bring him in line with former, now disgraced, CEO Lucky Montana. HAPPY birthday and may the year ahead be the best ever, is what we wish everyone enjoying a special day this week, especially Delonore Schafer, Colleen Shaw, Amber Oelofse, Sima Booi, Mauneen Charter, Kaine Charter, Orpa Westraadt, Darryl Hanstein, Amelia Hanstein, Jill Long, Monique Harvey, Athol Waters, Dave Tyrrell, Gordon Bunting, Kathy Turner, Stuart Vincent, Angela Welsh, Kathy Mansfield, Bev Monaghan, Liz Cooper, Peter Francis, Carole Christie, Lee Anne Sawyer Repinz, Gwen Venters, Sue Neame, Sanelle Fourie, Jimmy Neave, Linda Clur, Michael Ford, Pat Wilson, Dawn Friderichs, Trenton Webster, Brenda Hulley, Saskia Swart, Tilly Strickland, Andre van Vuuren, Cyril Tyson, Ivor Gray, Bob Ford, Blake Brent, Ivan Schaefer, Ken Butler, Isobel Timm, Elsabe Wiseman, Louise Grottsch, Trisha Van Wyk, Dominique Pattie, Sanelle Fourie, Lynn Coetzee, Andre van Vuuren, Natasha Pawley, Stella Reifman, Giles Shepherd, Jeremy Kohler. CONGRATULATIONS, best wishes and continued success to all businesses having an anniversary, especially to Decadent (Post Masters Village), Zest (Van der Riet Street), Top Carpets (Rosehill Mall), Pick n Pay Liquor (Heritage Mall), Kowie Vet Clinic (corner of Southwell and Atherstone Road), Mr. Video (Christie Centre) and LP Gaz (Bathurst Street, East Bank). THERE’S a lot of talk at the moment as to the future of the national treasury, and whether Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will be replaced by newly-appointed member of parliament and former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe. While this is still only conjecture, the snot-nose ANC Youth League president Collen Maine, who called Gordhan an “(spy) and said he should be dealt with as such. Just to remind everyone, lest we forget, this would mean necklacing him, just like the ANC did in the old days. How can we have a stable economy when children with no experience of the past make such statements? With last year’s trading figures in brackets to compare against, the rand is R13.06 to the dollar (R15.59), R16.17 to the pound (R21.93) and R13.77 to the Euro (R17.07). Gold is trading at $1 244.90 per fine ounce ($1 228.37) with Platinum at $1 025. ($934.10) and Brent crude oil at $56.76 per barrel ($36.63). SPECIAL thoughts and prayers are with all folk who are not well, who are having or have already had tests, operations and treatments. “Sterkte” to Roy Potter, Andrew de Vries, June Hart, Linda Hulley, Dot Fetherstonhaugh, Ben Kember, Blake Squires, Llewellyn Wicks, Malcolm Cock, Philly Dell, Myrna Keet, Barbara Tee and Brenda Shelton. SO sorry to hear of the passing of David de Wet on Saturday February 25. Our condolences to his family and friends. HAPPY anniversary and best wishes for many more to the following couples – Kevin and Marlene Brown, David and Megan Waddington, Trevor and Stephanie Warner, Tyler and Sasha-Lee Schafti, Kenny and Liz Hill. FINALLY, the Proteas lost the fourth ODI to New Zealand, making the last match at Eden Park, Auckland, on Saturday the decider. Good luck to AB and the boys. THOUGHT for the week: “Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.” BEST regards as always, The Team.