NEIGHBOURLY NOTES
IT’S sad news that our office coordinator Valencia Samuels will be leaving Talk of the Town tomorrow after two-years’ service to pursue her post-graduate studies to become a teacher. We wish her all the very best in her future and hope she comes and pays us a visit sometime (particularly during the loooong school holidays she can now enjoy). IF YOU travel to Bathurst this Sunday, you must visit the Bathurst Bookfair taking place at the Village Green and local booksellers. The fair is a Mecca for thousands of visitors who travel from all over the area to find their favourite books, as well as those written by new writers, and to enjoy the beauty of village life. There’s also the Bathurst Agricultural Museum Farm Fair on Saturday which should be interesting and a definite place to visit. There is also the Engage Art Studio First Photographic Exhibition on Friday evening. And let’s not forget the Siza Fit half marathon on Saturday that begins and ends at the Port Alfred High School. AS FAR as regional news is concerned, there seems to be no love lost between Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Council DA Mayor Athol Trollip, and his deputy UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani. Bobani recently accused Trollip of treating the council like a farm (Trollip was, after all, a successful farmer) and more recently of being a racist. This was after Trollip ordered the seizure of councillors’ laptops to identify the source of several problems encountered by the council. Such strange bedfellows were probably destined to lead to problems in the government of Nelson Mandela Bay, but perhaps the UDM councillor should be more accepting as, should there be a snap election, he probably won’t be given the opportunity to be deputy mayor again. IN CASE you haven’t heard, South Africa’s nuclear deal has been declared unlawful in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday morning. The deal would have cost South Africa more than R1-trillion (enough to make millionaires out of one million people), but there has already been millions spent on request for tender documents which will never be recovered. Former energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson did not follow procedure when she accepted the tenders from Russia, the US and South Korea, and there was no public participation, according to Judge Lee Bosalek. The deal would have added 9.6 giga-watts of power to the national grid. While this judgment is definitely proof that our judicial system works and is independent, it raises the question of how competent is our government to allow such things to happen in the first place. WE KNOW many people don’t like to be reminded that they are getting older, but there are others who maintain getting on in years is just about a number, as they feel just the same in their hearts. Anyway, here’s to wishing everyone celebrating a special day in the week ahead a wonderful birthday and best wishes for many more, especially to Pieter Pretorius, Hazel Whitham, Glenn McCreath, Taylor Thorp, Tony Border, Andrew Marshall, Dries Meyer, Wally Vandermeulen, Jacoba Maritz, Lauren Brunette, Warren Currie, Grant Marais, Paul Crous, Jed Thurgood, Graham Webber, Steve Lambert, Timothy Riddin, Monty Colville-Reeves, Lindsay van der Schyff, Mercia van der Westhuizen, Rowena Collin, Trish Reed, Meryl Bodill, Anne Foonk, Syanthanda Rungqu, Karl Meinzer, Clifford Samuel, Zel-René Jacobs, Helen Thompson, May Bennett, Tristan Clayton, Richard Msesiwe, Rob Joiner, Merin Eaton, Caitlyn Japp, Wilma Slicker, Kyle Henning, Natasha Kenny, Cecile Oosthuizen, Thulani Makinza, Cecile Nelson. ALSO, a special belated birthday wish for Peggy Southey who reached her 83rd milestone on April 23. CONTINUED good luck and success to all businesses celebrating another year in trade. All the best to C’est la Vie (Stewart Road), PA Vet Clinic (Gluckman Road), and Home Essentials (Rosehill Mall). NOW to money matters. The rand seems to have stabilised after the disastrous and largely inexplicable firing of former finance minister Pravin Gordhan. Although former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba has replaced Gordhan, the international community is very aware that Gigaba was the man responsible for several controversial moves while at home affairs, including demanding unabridged birth certificates for children travelling to South Africa. Gigaba is in Europe, attempting to restore confidence in South Africa as an investment hub, and his new economic adviser has tabled a blueprint that puts banks, insurance companies and mines in the line of fire for radical economic transformation. The two things do not add up to a stable economy. At the time of going to press (and with last year’s figures in brackets to compare against), the rand was trading at R13.23 to the dollar (R14.48), R16.98 to the pound (R20.97) and R14.42 to the euro (R16.31). Commodities such as gold were trading at $1 264.09 per ounce ($1 223.80) and platinum at $958.20 per ounce ($1 015.50). Brent crude is trading at $51.86 per barrel ($44.37). SPECIAL thoughts and prayers are with all those 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, Dot Fetherstonhaugh, Ben Kember, Myrna Keet, Barbara Tee, Brenda Shelton. CONDOLENCES and deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Genevieve Cannon who passed away Friday April 21. A woman of courage and conviction. May her dear soul rest in peace. Her memorial service was held in Alexandria yesterday. SINCERE condolences to the family and friends of Robin Webster, who passed away recently. A memorial service will be held at the Celebration Centre in Port Alfred (Old Victoria Hotel) on Tuesday May 2 at 11am and all are welcome. HERE’S to many more terrific years together and our heartiest congratulations to everyone celebrating a wedding anniversary, especially to Kudu and Beryl Pancoust, Dennis and Sue Chandler, Gert and Jean van der Merwe, Matthew and Antoinette Buchholz, Jannie and Elsabe Badenhorst, John and Diana Lardner-Burke, Harold and Jeanette Wooding, Des and Tosca Spenceley. THOUGHT for the week: “I have found if you love life, life will love you back”. BEST regards as always, The Team