It’s been a horseplayhigh jinks-hoopla-andhilarity kind of year

Editor

It's that time of the year again to kick back with some preprandial eggnog or umbrella-laden libation and expatiate about what a year this was, to reflect on the fine instances and excruciating moments that randomly occurred from January 2018 to this very day a mere drink or 50 away from Father Christmas embarking on his frantic annual search for chimneys.

Panting over politics

And while this year would have particularly distinguished itself from last year in that there were no wildfires, until there were, 2018 was still unique for Knysna in that, for the first time ever, a mayor was deposed by a faction in her own party and a new DA mayor (elected by an ANC caucus) who has since been hounded by his own party to resign. If that sounded too complex and convoluted to follow, welcome to local politics.

Altogether one mayor and two municipal managers were lost in the fray but all's well that ends awkwardly and in the true tradition of our country, where every possible misstep is followed by a promotion and former first citizen Eleanore Bouw-Spies (implicated in serious misconduct) was duly appointed as Garden Route District council Speaker on 13 December.

We look forward to seeing to which status our recently resigned MM Johnny Douglas (implicated in noncompliance) will be elevated in the very near future.

Apart from thus far coming across refreshingly corruption-free and as an altogether decent fellow, our new mayor Mark Willemse also surfaced as an adequate ribbon cutter and eventually a bit of a people's hero when he announced a year-long waiving of availability fees for fire victims – while the lone voice of dissent which is Peter Myers remained firmly entrenched in his status as most vilified municipal official on planet Knysna with Gloria Gaynor (I Will Survive) as auditory backdrop.

Dagga dubiety

Failing Plett airline CemAir was grounded for the first time in February (and again in December) while a young boy from Joodsekamp narrowly survived a severe savaging by dogs in March.

The local pro-dagga contingent was strapped into a roller coaster for the entire year when firstly the customary peace of the Judah's Square community was harshly disrupted by a police raid.

A period of momentary elatedness followed when justice Raymond Zonde declared the recreational use of cannabis constitutional but a series of home raids in the wake of the announcement covered the entire effort in a sopping wet blanket of unprecedented proportions.

In the interim, the Literary Festival gained good ground and the Simola Hillclimb garnered record crowds while the Oyster Festival continued to try and find its feet.

An uber-cool outdoor gym park was introduced on George Rex Drive and remains of the elusive pachyderm Aftand were rediscovered.

All which was dampened when Marie Ostbo from Norway went missing in Sedgefield on 18 April and has not been seen or heard of since.

Illegal electricity connections caused the death of a 10-year-old boy, the young Knysnarian Phillip Bunge was sentenced to five years for an assault that led to the death of Capetonian Jared Lomas during the 2015 Oyster Fest and an already half-empty Woodmill Lane was emptied of staff as well after a masssacking by the new owners who, rumour has it, now harbour plans to revamp and convert the complex into a set for a cinematic version of The Jetsons by covering it with a transparent dome.

Murder most foul

Protests went large in 2018 – notably those by the EFF and ANC railing against the management of the provincial hospital and most significantly, the masses gathered outside the magistrate's court on a regular basis to protest the bail applications of those accused of murdering the wellrespected councillor Victor Molosi.

Closer to year's end the region's appalling paedophilia portfolio increased again when a Knysna teacher was accused of assaulting students.

Happily however, hope for honeybees was enhanced as beehives started thriving again and trips to the Featherbed Nature Reserve resumed for the first time after the June 2017 devastation.

Plett and Knysna estates were ranked in the SA top 10. One Kallie Erasmus was named top masters angler in the country and the Plett Jaguars took home the SWD President's League trophy while Greater Knysna Rugby club narrowly missed winning its final.

All while Hornlee residents are still standing cross-legged waiting for working toilets.

In summary, a somewhat bumpy yet not altogether unexciting anno.

We look forward to joining you for more horseplay, high jinks, hoopla and hilarity. Have a great Xmas and a recovering New Year.

* With sincere apologies to all the heroes and villains who were left out due to space constraints.