Friday, December 14, 2007

Prince Albert Gem says Goodbye

- Carol Campbell -

One of Prince Albert’s most loved and respected teachers, Jackie Afrika, is leaving town after 19 years to take up a position as head of arts at her old high school in Malmesbury.

Jackie is best known in Prince Albert for her incredible work with the Prince Albert Primary school choir which has sung at virtually every major wedding, funeral and other celebration in the village for the past 10 years. It will continue now under the guidance of PA Primary teacher Emmie Willemse.

Jackie says her decision to leave was motivated by the sudden death of her husband, VGK minister Cyril Afrika, in April this year. “I want to start again,” she says. “The time has come for me to go home.”

Home will be Schoonspruit High School in Malmesbury where she and Cyril met in grade 11 in the 1970s. The couple married in 1986 after reconnecting as students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Jackie’s mother Paulina and many of her family still live nearby as do many of her childhood friends.
“These are people who I haven’t seen in two decades. There are so many friendships I would love to renew,” she says.

Jackie and Cyril were called to Prince Albert by the Church in 1989. She immediately took up a post at PA Primary where she taught English, music and needlework. Jackie has a reputation of being a hard taskmaster and confesses that once children have joined the choir “they can’t leave”.

“Once they say they want to be in the choir I insist they stay,” she says. “They have to learn commitment and discipline.” These are values that reap huge rewards for the children who almost all have succeeded in later endeavours. “My choir children are the ones who go on to study further,” she says. Jackie’s musical ability she credits to her upbringing in the Moravian mission at Elim. “It was a legacy left by the German missionaries,” she says. “Everyone in the community can play several instruments.” Jackie plays the piano, guitar and recorder. Her formal training was expanded when she studied a music teaching degree at UWC.

Her children Nomsa, 20, a 2nd year medical student at the University of Stellenbosch and Joshua, 16, a pupil at the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology are both musical. Also in the family is 16-year-old Pietie, a “house child” who Jackie loves as if he were her own. Pietie, from PA, is with Joshua at school. Both boys are part of the SA Airforce’s Young Falcons, where they are training to be pilots.

Jackie says some of the credit for the success with the PA Primary choir must go to community leader Neville Claassen and the school’s cultural committee.
“Without them we wouldn’t have sung as well as we did.”
There is no question this remarkable teacher has left a legacy in our Karoo community and that the voices of the PA Primary choir will continue to bring tears to the eyes for many years to come.

If you can dream it, you can do it

- Denise Ohlson -

Die woorde van Lance Amstrong - toe hy die Tour de France wen nadat hy kanker oorwin het - het Lulu Jooste se lewensmotto geword: “If you can dream it, you can do it”.

Lulu het sewe jaar gelede begin fietsry nadat sy nie meer haar geliefde perd by die Prince Albert Skouterrein kon aanhou nie. Haar eerste wedren was op Calitzdorp - en daarna was daar net een pad voor haar oop: wenpaal toe.

Vol drome en deursettingsvermoë leef sy Armstrong se woorde uit. Sy word vyf keer gekroon as die Suid-Kaap Kampioen, sy wen die Argus vir dogters onder 16, en in die Burger/Sanlam Wedren is sy oor 72 km die eerste dame oor die wenstreep.

Hierdie jaar presteer sy weer uitmuntend: Onse Lulu is nou die WP se Junior Dames Padkampioen!

Vir 2008 het sy twee doelwitte in haar visier: Om te kwalifiseer vir die Wêreld Junior Kampioenskappe en om weer die Argus te wen.
Haar mentor is Anriëtte Schoeman, sesmalige SA Kampioenskapswenner. Ook Anriëtte is vir Lulu ‘n aansporing – sy weet elke harde oefentree teen Prince Albert se onsimpatieke suidewind is die moeite werd. Haar dag begin om 5h30 wanneer sy òf gaan draf òf gim- en strek-oefeninge doen. Ná skool is dit twee tot drie ure op die fiets. Naweke is dit wedrenne of nog baie lang ure op die pad om diep fiks, sterker en vinniger te raak.

Haar grootste “fan” is ongetwyfeld haar broer Chris, wat haar getrou inwag by die wenpaal of, in die geval van ‘n papwiel, alles in ‘n kwessie van twee minute kan “fix”.

Lulu sê dankie aan al haar mededingers, haar oefenmaat (pa Chris), haar ma Louise wat met al die “regte” kosse moet regstaan, haar oupa Christie en ouma Pikkie wat altyd daar is met ‘n bydrae, onderwysers wat verstaan waaroor dit gaan en almal wat so baie geduld op die pad het. En laastens dank sy die Hemelse Vader wat haar elke naweek weer terugbring sonder valle en ongelukke.

‘n Belowende sporttoekoms wag op hierdie 17-jarige dogter van Prince Albert. Haar prestasies tot dusver is indrukwekkend.

Die hele gemeenskap staan agter haar en wens haar geluk en vele wenlinte toe.

Letters - Briewe

Who protects the weak in our society?

On Saturday the 13th of October our domestic helper was severely assaulted by her partner. The first opportunity she got to safely phone the police was on Sunday morning at 7am. After another phone call an hour later and still without a policeman in sight, she eventually managed to walk to the police station on Monday morning in her hurt and humiliated state and finally they arrested the perpetrator.

On prior occasions the police have not arrived when she has called for help, and once, after not having had any results, she and I went to the police together and the officers in charge helped us in an instant: officers and cars were put on the case immediately. Unfortunately when she went to get her protection order, the court had lost the documentation, and much to her detriment she stopped pursuing it after a few more unsuccessful visits to the court.

I am aware that the police and other departments are stretched much of the time, and that they do a very good job in many instances, but I can’t help wondering that if it was me from the 'southern suburbs' that had made those calls for help, I wouldn't have been helped a lot more promptly?

Anonymous
(Writer’s identity is known to the Friend. The letter was forwarded, as a courtesy, to the SAPS and the Magistrate’s Court, Prince Albert. The Clerk of the Court’s response is printed hereunder.)

Klagtes oor dienslewering

Normaalweg word daar nie gereageer op anonieme skrywes nie, maar omdat geweld teenoor gades en kinders stopgesit moet word, gaan ek my bes probeer om die aangeleentheid in perspektief te plaas.

Aangesien die skrywe geen name bevat nie, kan hierdie kantoor nie werklik konstruktief reageer of optree nie. Die huidige personeel dra nie kennis van so ’n voorval waar ’n aansoek verlore geraak het, of die aansoeker onverrigte sake weggestuur is nie.

In die algemeen kan net vermeld word dat ‘n beskermingsbevel deur die Hof uitgereik, nie ‘n voorvereiste is vir die SAPD om op te tree in ‘n geval van gesinsgeweld nie. Sodra daar ‘n klag van geweld of aanranding by die polisie aanhangig gemaak is, moet die polisie volgens hul voorskrifte optree teenoor die oortreder. Indien ’n misdaad gepleeg is moet die polisie optree, ongeag of dit binne gesinsverband gepleeg is of nie. Hierdie kantoor kan nie kommentaar lewer oor die hantering van hierdie geval deur die polisie nie.

Verder dra hierdie kantoor nie kennis van ‘n geval waar ‘n aansoeker om ‘n gesinsgeweldinterdik weggestuur is sonder ‘n interdik nie. Elke saak word individueel gehanteer en in dringende gevalle word die tussentydse beskermingsbevel op dieselfde dag wat die aansoek gedoen is, uitgereik.

Sedert die datum van voorval, soos vermeld in die brief, is daar wel ‘n aansoek om gesinsgeweld interdik in hierdie kantoor ontvang op 15 Oktober. Die aansoek is toegestaan, ‘n tussentydse beskermingsbevel is uitgereik en die datum waarop die applikant en respondent voor die hof moet verskyn, is vasgestel op 12 Desember 2007.

Graag nooi ek die anonieme skrywer van die brief of die persoon waarna sy verwys om my persoonlik te kontak met die besonderhede van die persoon wat haar na bewering nie korrek behandel het nie, sodat persoonlike aandag aan die geval gegee kan word en ondersoek ingestel kan word na die hantering en afhandeling van die spesifieke geval.

SD Kleinhans(mev)
Kantoorbestuurder
Landdroskantoor

Polisiebeampte se vrou in Leeu-Gamka

In ‘n klein gemeenskap soos Leeu–Gamka ken almal mekaar en weet van elkeen se doen en late. Mense kan dierbaar wees, maar ook soms wreed.

Ek is die vrou van een van die ondersoekbeamptes in Leeu-Gamka. Met die inhegtenisneming van die beskuldigdes vir die beweerde moord op die dertienjarige meisie van Merweville, was daar vele koerantberigte waar ondersoekbeamptes as korrup uitgebeeld is. My man was daarvan beskuldig dat hy die dossier van die vorige geval met die twee kinders waarby een van die beskuldigdes ook betrokke was, verlore laat raak het. Twee weke gelede was hierdie bewering ondersoek. Dit het aan die lig gekom dat my man glad nie die dossier ondersoek het nie. Beamptes van Beaufort-Wes wat die saak ondersoek het, het wel die dossier in sy sorg gelaat. Hy het die dossier later afgeteken aan die staatsaanklaer. Verder het hy niks meer met die dossier te doen gehad nie.

Mense gee nie om vir polisiebeamptes en hul gesinne nie. Die inhegtenisneming van die beskuldigdes was vir sommige inwoners die ideale geleentheid om polisiebeamptes by te kom. Dit was veral die wat gereeld met die gereg bots en reeds sake teen hulle gehad het.

My man en ‘n kollega het die verdagtes in hegtenis geneem op grond van kinderverlating omdat die kind nog laas onder hul toesig was. Baie sal met my saamstem dat as dit nie vir die optrede van hierdie twee beamptes was nie, daar nie verdere ondersoek die volgende dag sou wees nie. Die twee beamptes het hiervoor geen erkenning gekry nie, behalwe verdere beskuldigings. Ek voel dat my man geen ondersteuning van sy werkgewer gekry het of dat hulle geen poging aangewend het om die onwaarhede reg te stel nie.

Daarom wil ek ‘n beroep doen op die SAPD om op een of ander manier onskuldige polisiebeamptes van sulke optrede te beskerm. Ek wil terselfdertyd aan diegene vra wat hulle skuldig maak aan valse bewerings en beskuldigings teen die polisie, en dit in koerantberigte plaas om asseblief seker te maak van hul feite. Onskuldige slagoffers is gewoonlik die mense wat daaronder lei.

Dankie aan diegene van Leeu-Gamka se gemeenskap wat by die polisie gestaan het onlangs al die beweringe en beskuldigings teen hulle.

Anoniem
(Skrywer se identiteit is aan die Vriend bekend. 'n Afskrif van die brief is, om hoflikheidshalwe, aan die SAPD gestuur.)


N.G KERK SE KERSSPEL

‘n Kersspel sou op 30 November 2007 in die kerksaal plaasvind, maar as gevolg van onbetrokkenheid, is alles afgelas.

Baie dankie aan al die gewillige spelers, die persone wat die décor sou maak, die musiek en beligting, asook al die persone wat klere verskaf het. Dit was lekker om saam te werk. Nogmaals baie dankie vir julle tyd bereidwilligheid om ‘n mooi aand vir Prince Albert aan te bied. Ek waardeer julle hulp en samewerking. Ongelukkig kan ‘n paar swaeltjies nie die somer maak nie.

Liefde en geseënde Kersgroete
Stefné

In Memoriam Albe Fabricus
† 27/02/1940 to 12/08/2007


Bev and family would like to thank all our dear friends in Prince Albert for their love and generosity. Your kindness and support at this sad time will never be forgotten.

A special thank you to Virna for arranging the memorial service under such difficult circumstances.

Taalgebruik

Ek vind die taalgebruik in die P.A Vriend soms hoogs amusant. Alles verander ook deesdae. Toe ek in die laaste uitgawe lees dat ons nou OP Eerstewater gaan piekniek hou en nie meer BY Eerstewater soos in die outyd nie, het ek besluit om te vertel wat vroeër, toe Kempton Park nog in die Transvaal was, met my gebeur het.

Destyds moes personeel van drankge-lisensieerde hotelle albei amptelike tale magtig wees. Daarvoor moes daar ‘n sertifikaat wees ingeval van ‘n Drankraad inspeksie. Baie kordaat is ek na die Landdroskantoor toe vir my Engelse toets. Praat, lees en sryf, en ek kry my sertifikaat.

Toe wil die landdros weet of ek dink so ‘n toets is regverdig, en my antwoord was “Ja”. Hy stem toe nie saam nie, want sê hy: “ Vat nou maar vir Letjie wat in ‘n skooltjie in die Karoo gematrikuleer het. Sy wil graag in ‘n hotel in die stad gaan werk, maar kan nie Engels praat nie, dus is sy die werk kwyt.” Net daar vererg ek my en sê: Meneer, ek is een van die Letjies van die Karoo en ons kan Engels praat na Matriek!”

Hy het verskoning gemaak vir sy glips oor die Karoo. Waar hy vandaan gekom het, weet ek nie, want op sy sertifikaat, aan die Engelse kant, was “liquor” verkeerd gespel. Maar nou ja, jy hoef hom seker nie te kan spel om hom te kan drink nie!

Laastens – alle sukses aan hierdie jaar se Letjies ( en hulle seunsmaats ) van die Karoo. Ek verneem julle en die spog Engelse skool moet nou ‘n Engelse vraestel oorskryf. Wys vir hulle in die Karoo KAN ons nog!

Gebore en groë in die Karoo.

Magriet Jonker

Bedankings

Na ons heerlike troue op 3 November, wil ek en Stefan graag die volgende mense bedank, wat bygedra het om ons baie spesiale dag glad te laat verloop.

● Tannie Johanna Luttig en Madri Rossouw vir die pragtige blomme en mooi maak van die saal.
● Liz Botes, vir haar nommer 99 hulp.
● Die Freysen en Van Eck gesinne vir die harde werk om die dag vir ons besonders te maak.
● Die Prince Albert Naaldwerkprojek vir my rok en blommemeisie-rokkies
● Vir al ons gaste wat die dag saam met ons geniet het.
● Gawie Breytenbach, vir die gebruik van sy “Vintage” motor.
● Michael Upton vir die foto’s, die gebruik van sy huis en morele ondersteuning.
● Dina van der Walt vir die blyplek aan die familie.

Stefan en Chantelle Freysen

Starry Splendour over Prince Albert

- Hans Daehne -

In December star-gazing can reign supreme again with warm nights and holidays in abundance and with our favourite and well-known constellations in their full glory overhead.

The most eye-catching open cluster, the Pleiades(M 45) or "Seven Sisters", is best seen through a pair of binoculars where 13 to 20 "sisters" can be counted, while with a telescope only four of the seven can be picked out.

M 45 serves as a test for the acuity of your vision: if you can only see fewer than six stars you should have your eyes tested.

At an age of about 60 million years this cluster of stars in Taurus is an example of a star kindergarten with bright, bluish stars in contrast to the red, old Aldebaran close by.

Binocular viewing, by the way, is so ideal for astronomy that the world`s largest binocular telescope (LBT) has just been commissioned on 3,270m high Mount Graham in Arizona. Each of its two primary mirrors is 8.4 m across and as a system will produce images with a clarity of 10 times that of the Hubble Space Telescope.

A binocular view of the Orion Nebula (M42), the bright, fuzzy patch above the three belt stars is also very rewarding, but seen in the eyepiece of a telescope this maternity ward of star formation is awe-inspiring.

The Moon will be new on the 9th of December and full on the 24th. It is at perigee on the 22nd which is also the date of our Summer Solstice.

Venus is the very bright Morning Star.

Mars becomes bright enough to be observed all night between Taurus and Gemini. It is 88 million km away from Earth on the 19th of December and moves close to the horn of Taurus (Al Nath) in January.

Jupiter will only be visible from Gordon`s Koppie in the early evening for the first half of the month.

The yearly Geminids meteor shower is at its maximum in the night of the 14th December and observing should be favourable from midnight onwards.

To the south the two hazy patches high above the Swartberg are the Magellanic Clouds that the seafarer Magellan used to determine south when he could also not see the Southern Cross.

The False Cross rises over the Swartberg first. Look a little above it for a beautiful cluster (binoculars). We will have to wait until January again to see our favourite little Southern Cross, the smallest but brightest of the 88 constellations.

For any queries or observation sessions we are available on a daily basis during the festive season from the middle of December to the middle of January.

Keep the stars in your eyes !

Ledigheid is die duiwel se oorkussing…

Ledigheid is die duiwel se oorkussing… so het ouma Rachel Debora Mynhardt altyd vir my gesê as sy so bo-oor haar bril vir my loer, terwyl sy die kalbassie in nóg ‘n stukkende sokkie steek, of die fynste stekies denkbaar op een van ons tuisgemaakte rokkies maak.

Die museum is ‘n absolute skatkis van handwerkartikels, gedoen deur mense wat geglo het hulle moet hul hande besig hou…

Stel jou voor dis die jaar 1899, die Anglo-Boereoorlog is in volle gang. Onsekerheid en angs vier hoogty in ons land. Manskappe word gevange geneem en as krygsgevangenes uit die land geneem na St. Helena, Ceylon, Bermuda en Indië.

Boere in die kampe weier om te werk. Dit het beteken dat, behalwe vir kosmaak, wasgoed was, onderwys aan die penkoppe en boeresport, daar té veel ure van niksdoen was. Tyd moes verwyl word, en die bekommernis oor die vrouens en kinders op plase in die verre Suid Afrika, het hierdie mans laat gryp na enigiets om hul hande mee besig te hou.

Vir ons mense was volkshandwerk reeds voor die oorlog ‘n noodsaaklike deel van hul lewe en het hulle reeds die kuns verstaan om “iets” uit “niks” te maak. Al wat nou nodig was, was ‘n skerp voorwerp soos ‘n knipmes, en stukkies afvalhout, been, klip, blik en horing, en die ledigheid is hokgeslaan!

‘n Stukkie been het die mooiste borsspeld of kandelaar vir vroulief by die huis geword. ‘n Mooi klip is tydsaam uitgekerf totdat dit die perfekte vorm van ‘n familiebybel het. Houtkerfwerk en houtbrand was veral baie gewild onder die krygs-gevangenes.
Die vlytigheid van dié manne met hul knipmesse, en die beskikbaarheid van kisplankies, het tot gevolg gehad dat ons ook vandag, in die Fransie Pienaar Museum, ‘n besonderse verskeidenheid van knipmeskunsfotorame teen ons mure het.

Vir talle Afrikaanssprekendes, wat groot- geword het met vertellings van konsentrasiekampe en afgebrande plase, bly die gebeure wat hom destyds in ons land afgespeel het, steeds ‘n onwerklikheid - totdat jy na al hierdie ongelooflike kerfwerk kyk: eers dán raak die abstrakte stories vir jou iets tasbaars en eie.

Kom kyk gerus na die pragtige knipmeskuns wat ons uitstal, sodat jy ook weer tasbaar deel van ons land se ge-skiedenis kan word.

Museumgroete
Debbie Badenhorst

Brett the Vet - Can you feel it

Can you feel the breeze on your face and the wind through your hair? Can you hear birds singing sweetly in trees? Can you see wide open sky confined by horizon? Can you taste salt sea, sweet honey, sour lemons, and bitter almonds? Can you smell a rat, cat, or cow pat? Now imagine what other animals perceive. Sensuous delights are not species specific.

Mammals have similar sense organs as man. In the majority of species at least two senses are more highly developed than ours. Evidence even suggests the existence of additional senses in some. When members of our own species apparently experience the world differently from us it gets difficult to imagine how sensations are felt in other animals. But we know for sure that dogs can smell and hear better; eagles seek prey from great heights; a hint of chlorine in the water will deter cats from drinking it; cows feel individual flies touching any part of their bodies.
Ignorance of animal sentience is convenient, but simple observation reveals the miracle of each individual life. We do not need scientific experiments to illuminate carnal conduct although these have been perpetrated with impunity.

Interpretation of feelings is quizzically subjective. Obvious emotions such as excitement, happiness, sadness, anxiety and anger are easier to detect in animals than in humans because they respond openly and honestly. Other emotions, conveniently relegated to behaviour status can be deciphered avoiding anthropomorphism. The implications of an unrestrained, angry bull need no elaboration. We gain further relative insights mindfully regarding the delight of lambs playing together in a field, the distress of separated cows and calves at weaning, the loneliness and aggression of an isolated dog confined to a backyard barking night and day, or the uninhibited exhilaration of horses copulating in sunshine. Subtleties of animal behaviour go unnoticed by the untrained or disinterested eye. A carefully observed cat flaunts a fully developed personality, displaying intricate emotions not dissimilar to ours. More concentration (and time) is required to interpret nuances of reptilian rapture in a tortoise.

We need constant reminding of pain and suffering in animals. They feel pain as we do, and in certain cases more acutely. Some people have higher pain thresholds than others. Some horses will bolt at the sight of a needle. Pain is there for a reason. It is the natural way of drawing attention to an area that needs care or protection. It heightens our awareness. It makes us cautious. It creates emotional responses to physical suffering. It is necessary to feel pain. Many people are unable to interpret pain correctly in their beloved pets or valued livestock. A broken leg is painful and easy to detect: toothache trickier. The basic emotions that underlie all our actions are fear and love. Love demonstrated needs no explanation. Fear reactions with pain range from aggression and withdrawal to mistrust and anxiety. Can you love someone who causes you pain? When fear and love are intertwined we can convince ourselves that one is the other.

In Memoriam Denzil Leslie Reid - 1946 to 2007

- Romy Mathews -

Denzil Reid passed away in October after a short illness.

Some of us in Prince Albert will remember Denzil for his willingness to respond to pleas of help regarding accounting problems. His calm yet cheerful manner did much to assist those with debit/credit brain malfunction!

He was treasurer of the Prince Albert Tourism Office and will be sorely missed by both Zelia and Chantelle as he was always only a phone call away.

Others of us think of Denzil in his Karoo garden, where in a very short time, he worked the stony barrenness into a little green and pretty oasis. He loved Prince Albert and the vast openness of the Great Karoo and was certainly very happy during the time he lived here.


Our condolences go to Shireen and his family. We will miss him, too. May he rest in peace.

Business is Business

- Jo Long -

They do not yet have a name for the Prince Albert business women’s forum – some call it the “Sally Army” as in the Salvation Army, and others “the Daughters of the Revolution” – but the forum came into being earlier this year, and, since then, have had some encouraging achievements.

Not least of these is the successful lobbying of Vodacom/MTN to acquire 3G technology for the town, thus providing faster internet and communication access, and promised to be installed by Christmas.

The forum is open to all women in the town who are involved with or have a business in Prince Albert, no matter how large or small.

The aim is to promote and develop business enterprise by providing a motivational platform for enterprising women and:-

  • To share knowledge and ideas to help members’ businesses.
  • To assist and encourage mutual help between members.
  • To create and maintain a database of available skills in Prince Albert.
  • To identify training and employment opportunities in Prince Albert.
  • To assist with the identification of marketing opportunities and facilities to promote members’ businesses.

Meetings are held every eight weeks – the next one is on 13th December from 7pm to 9pm at the conference room in the Jans Rautenbach Schouwburg at 12 De Beer Street.

At this meeting there will be two speakers including Berti Akersten who has many years experience as a coach/trainer in the corporate world. They will inspire and inform the audience on the subjects of mentoring, and how to market your business more effectively.

The forum is currently working on several initiatives including the compilation of a database setting out all the different skills townsfolk have in PA, and a “yellow pages” directory of services and trades people.

In addition, some of the women are in discussion with the town’s Skills Trust as well as schools, to investigate ways that they can provide work experience and skills training for young people.

This is an open invitation for all women with a commercial interest in the town.

For more information, please contact:
Sally Arnold sally[@]threelilybuds.com
Jo Long longs[@]billybeth.co.uk

Pete Reinders at 60

- Kallie Erasmus-

Pete Reinders really is a doctor. Not that the big-city specialist who had his call repeatedly interrupted by assorted sheep, chickens and turkeys believes that; nor anyone who has seen him issuing referral letters in a script so neat it could have belonged to that irritating girl in Std 4 who was always best at everything.

What proper doctor, one may well ask, has a predilection for bully beef, well-done lamb chops and aimless wanderings wherever the untrodden path takes him, a penchant for telling really bad jokes and an absolute aversion for onions?

As likely to be encountered with friends sipping whisky next to a mountain stream at sunset or cruising down the Leeu-Gamka road to fetch lucerne for Lammie the reprobate Reinders ram, pipe in mouth, as in his rooms, it didn’t take Pete long to become as much part of Prince Albert as AllPay and Skapieseinde.

Before you get the wrong idea, there is plenty of substance behind that laid-back pose. Dedicated, diligent and ever-willing, Pete makes house-calls and never switches his cell-phone off. Adored by the readers of his regular column on medical issues as much as for his whacky sense of humour (the one about the dangers of amorous engagements in restricted camping equipment without due consideration for the passage of time and less supple joints was particularly popular) as for his encyclopaedic medical knowledge, Pete may not look the part, but Prince Albert is really fortunate to have him.

And then he went and turned 60!

Now, for those who are old enough to have played yoyo and dingbats when cold drink companies still cared will know that not too long ago 60 was old. I mean really old – the “he had a good innings” kind of old. Back in the day people were squabbling over breakfast on their 60th birthday about whether to move in with the kids or to cut their losses and ease up to the geriatric buffet at the local old-age home. Not our Pete.

He postponed the joys of spoon-fed mashed bananas, preferring to go walkabout with his sons in the Kalahari instead. By the end of the trip, no doubt, Pete will be puffing contentedly on his pipe as he waits for Richard and Jake to catch up.

At 60, Pete is living proof that life is far too serious to be taken seriously. Whether in the garden with his hands in the dirt, in his rooms (having washed his hands and dirtied the towels to Blommetjie’s unbridled dismay), in front of the braai or on the leather bench in the lounge watching TV with Megan (he is 60!), one thing is sure, he still can’t understand why some people think of him as a grown-up.

And so it goes ….

Kersfees en ‘n Kind se Ontnugtering

-Daddi-

Toe ek nog baie klein was, was ek alreeds bewus van ‘n Kersvader, of “Vader Kersmis” soos ons destyds gepraat het. Ons het daardie tyd nog op my ouers se plasie gebly. Weke voor die tyd het ons al gedroom van die wonderlike geskenkies wat ons verwag om te kry, om nie eens te praat van die lekker koek en “Cider” wat ons ma self gemaak het nie. En ja, gemmerbier wat die prop laat uitskiet. Maar die kersie op die koek was dat Kersvader dan gedurende die nag geskenkies kom aflewer aan kindertjies wat soet was.

Ek wou tog so graag ‘n “mamma”-pop hê, soos een van my maatjies die vorige Kersfees gekry het. Die Oukersaand vra ek toe ook vir my moeder om vir my ‘n kussingsloop op te hang langs my bedjie. My moeder kry ‘n hartseer trek op haar gesig en sê ek moet nie iets van Vader Krismis verwag nie, want daar is so baie kindertjies en ons woon so ver van die dorp. Arme Vader Krismis kan nie so vér loop nie. Ek huil toe met oorgawe, ek wou dan so graag die mamma-pop gehad het. My moeder loop toe uit die kamer en kom na ‘n rukkie wel terug met ‘n sloop. Sy hang dit by my kop, aan die katel. Getroos raak ek aan die slaap.

Skemerdonker die volgende oggend word ek wakker van die mooiste hemelse musiek en ‘n Engel wat sing. Die Heiland is gebore, Bethlehem Ster en Stille Nag. Ek lê asemloos en luister. Ja, dis my moeder wat daar sing en speel op haar serfyntjie. Meteens onthou ek van die kussingsloop. Ek gryp dit vas en ja, sowaar, daar is iets in die sloop.

Ek sukkel met bewerige dom vingertjies om die tou los te kry. Eindelik is dit los en ek steek my hele armpie in die sloop en haal ‘n pakkie uit wat in bruin papier toegedraai is. En daar in my handjie lê ‘n yslike stuk wildsbiltong.

Agge nee, dit kan nie wees nie! Nee, nie dit nie, want daardie wildsbiltong ken ek mos. My ouboet het ‘n week of wat gelede die bokkie geskiet. Ek het nog ewe nuuskierig toegekyk hoe my moeder biltong daarvan sny en met sout invryf. Saans word dit aan hake gehang om droog te word. Soggens weer afgehaal en in ‘n skottel gebêre tot die aand om weer uit gehang te word, todat dit lekker droog is.

Wat ‘n skok was dit! Geen mamma-pop nie - maar die ergste was die besef dat daar nie ‘n Kersvader is nie. Dis maar net ‘n mens se ouers wat die geskenkies geheimsinnig in die sloop of kous kom sit. Ek weet nou nog nie watter die ergste was nie. Die teleurstelling oor die pop of die wrede ontnugtering dat daar nie ‘n Vader Krismis is nie.

Kinders, wees tevrede met wat Kersvader vir julle bring, al is dit net ‘n stuk biltong. Dis tog ook baie leker en beter as glad niks!

St John’s Flower Festival 2007

- Ailsa Tudhope -

I’ll Walk with God, from this time on…” sang Peter McEwan, at the Thanksgiving service for HRH Prince Albert in St John’s Church on the 28th October. The service is part of the annual Oktoberfest celebrations and every year the little Victorian Church is decked with flowers. This year the theme was A Walk with God.

A lovely aspect of the festival is that people from across the community give of their time and talents, and provide gifts from their gardens, to decorate the church, creating a visual feast for villagers and visitors alike.

Our special thanks go to Renee Finn who co-ordinated this year’s event with the help of Dawn Viljoen, Peggy Clow-Wilson, Ione Auerswald, Liz Erasmus, Lettie Breytenbach, Jeanette de Lange, Jeanette Mynhardt, Maeve Kay, Marlene and Laurie Knowles, Johanna van Rensburg, Kay Howes, Sandra Meyer, Lorna Verran, Sonia McKenna and her brother, Clive Heyne, Linda Jaquet, Emmie Willemse and the St John’s Catechism class. Pam Wessels, Johanna Luttig and Mari du Toit donated flowers and members of the congregation made donations to buy oasis and flowers.

Gentle music provided background to the flower displays, three in memory of parishioners who wander through another garden: Sheila Collins, Beryl Tilney and Denzil Reid. News of Denzil’s passing reached us as we arranged the flowers on Friday afternoon and our prayers flew to Shireen and their children. Other displays included personal expressions of experiences on the road through life; reflections on Christ’s earthly journey and the wonder of His resurrection; and our children’s preparation for their Confirmation, expressed in flowers, collages, scrapbooks and Biblical texts.

The Sunday school children coloured in bright labyrinth pictures as part of a display to illustrate the plans for a labyrinth in the church grounds and photos showed the development of the Think Global – Act Local trench garden and composting project.

This year we were delighted to have Kimberley Hoffmann, a student visitor from Germany, read the Gospel in German, which, with rousing German tunes for the hymns and Gudrun and Renee’s gentle prayers, reminded us of HRH Prince Albert’s origins. Peter’s voice and Zelia Mullins’ playing of the piano, each added their beauty to the service. Thank you, one and all. The Flower Festival appears to have become a St John’s tradition – long may it last!

Developing Skills - Giving hope for the future

- Eric Ahrens -

In 2005, a group of like-minded residents of Prince Albert concluded that it was necessary to create a mechanism with which to equip young people leaving school with life and technical skills. So, they set up the Prince Albert People’s Skills Trust (PAPST) which incorporates the Prins Albert Toekomsvaardighhede Sentrum (PATS) as a non-governmental, non-profit organisation which aims to implement sustainable projects for the development of human skills in Prince Albert, Leeu-Gamka and Klaarstroom.

The PAPST has appointed a Board of Trustees and the PATS has designated a Management Committee, both of which comprise residents of Prince Albert from all walks of life.

The overall aim of this initiative is to identify skills deficiencies and related market opportunities locally, to draw on the existing skills in the Prince Albert community, and to transfer these skills to others in need. Given the location and economic profile of our town, the hospitality and construction sectors provide a number of valuable jobs, but other permanent employment opportunities are severely lacking.

While the surrounding farms are able to offer a number of temporary jobs during the fruit picking season, this employment is seasonal. In spite of Prince Albert’s popularity as a tourist destination, the town faces a number of pressing social and economic issues.

The PAPST and PATS also hope to assist the provincial and local authorities to deliver on the skills transfer commitment as contained in the Prince Albert Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the next five years. The IDP’s primary objective is to invest in human capital through skills development strategies, as the majority of employed people are in the service oriented sector of the town’s economy.

Progress on the above initiatives has been slow, but meaningful. The PAPST is a registered legal entity, but funding is proving to be a considerable challenge! This has to a large extent, delayed the creation of the PATS in terms of resourcing the Sentrum with premises, office equipment and a manager to run the various skills transfer and training initiatives that have been identified.

In spite of these difficulties, the PAPST and PATS have already played an important role in either initiating or facilitating a number of training and development programmes within our town. These include a teacher training programme for learners who intend becoming teachers on leaving school; an ambulance paramedic training project; and technical and life skills training for staff at the National Garage, to name but a few.

Both the PAPST and PATS have still some way to go to source funds and resources for the Sentrum. It will provide a vibrant forum where young people can develop skills and technical abilities that will enable them to sustain themselves within the Prince Albert environment and community, or to seek meaningful employment opportunities beyond the town’s immediate geographic area.

Cable Theft Cuts off Klaarstroom

- Sharon Witts-Hewinson -

A series of thefts of Telkom telephone cables along the road between Klaarstroom and Prince Albert cut off landline telephones over a large area for a week during November.

The first raid saw thieves make off with 4 km of valuable communication lines in the vicinity of the farm, Paradys, on the night of Wednesday, 7th November. No sooner had a team of hard-working Telkom technicians replaced the lines in record time, when the thieves struck again on Sunday, the 11th. This time 5 km of cable was stolen near Middelwater. These cables connect Klaarstroom and farming areas as far afield as Zeekoegat with the rest of the world.

According to local Telkom technician, Johan van Zyl, the old cables, such as there are on the lonely stretch of road between Klaarstroom and Prince Albert, contain valuable copper wire. Copper is apparently much in demand in the manufacture of cell-phone technology. Telkom replaces the cables with a new sort of cable which contains an alloy and not pure copper.

According to Constable Japhta of the Klaarstroom Police, sophisticated syndicates are often behind this sort of theft. Although certain cables are alarmed and police can be notified of illegal activity on the line, invariably the thieves are long gone by the time law enforcement arrives. Frustrating for the police and Telkom, in the second theft, two of the cables were left untouched so as not to activate the alarm.

Provincial Minister Opens New Klaarstroom Library

- Jeremy Witts-Hewinson -

Dramatic events in Klaarstroom drew the Provincial Minister of Arts, Culture and Sport’s attention on Saturday, 17 November – for all the right reasons!

The Klaarstroom community was in a celebratory mood in the community hall to welcome and entertain Minister Jacobs who visited the village to open the recently completed public library.

A vibrant dance performance by the local school children was followed by an entertaining address of thanks by Mr. Charles Arries, a local voluntary Community Worker. Mr Arries drew rapturous applause when he suggested that Minister Jacobs, as a visiting minister, is fortunate not to be the Minister of Housing - a light-hearted reference to the current housing crisis in Klaarstroom.

Prince Albert’s Mayor, Mr Andrew Claassen, was also complimented for coming to Klaarstroom, despite the recent rumpus following the debate around the housing issue. Special praise was reserved for Mr April Pienaar, Klaarstroom’s councillor who was noted for working tirelessly in the interests of Klaarstroom’s community.

Councillor Pienaar made a special request to the regional Librarian Mr Pieter Hugo and the Minister to use their influence to allow the mobile library used in Klaarstroom to date to be re-located to North End in Prince Albert for use in the school holidays.

Mr. Pienaar related the sheer joy to be experienced, particularly by the school children, now that book lovers will be able to walk into a real library, rather than wait in a queue in a small office to choose books from a closed trolley!

After a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, Klaarstroomers followed the dignitaries to the entrance of the Library to witness the unveiling of the brass plaque commemorating the occasion.

Tourism Officials Committed to Service Excellence

-Zelia Mullins-

Chantelle and I recently attended a two-day SA Host Customer Care Workshop held at Ko-Ka Tsara Bush Camp just north of Beaufort West. We found the workshop to be informative, well presented and most beneficial. But what exactly is SA Host and why is it applicable to Prince Albert?

SA Host is a National project aimed at improving service standards throughout South Africa and is funded by both government and the private sector. In South Africa, we are faced with many of the same problems encountered elsewhere, namely – a generally low standard of service quality, and an indifferent attitude towards visitors.

Although initiated by the tourism industry, SA Host is applicable to every organisation that has customers. Let’s face it – if you don’t have customers you are not in business, whatever that business may be. SA host aims to change the culture of all organisations so that they become customer driven. That way South Africans as well as visitors will begin to receive excellent service, and the quality of life will improve for all of us. Imagine if you were treated as an important partner in every business and government department that you dealt with – every time!

If you are not working for an organisation designated as part of the tourism industry, you may wonder what a programme involving tourism has to do with you. Most of us think of visitors as just people who come to South Africa on holiday, who invade our local attractions and are sometimes a nuisance. In fact, visitors include business people who may be looking to invest in our country. They may be from outside the country or from other communities in South Africa. They may stay for a few days, or work here for a few years. Visitors to a community impact directly on that area’s economy because they spend money there. Local visitors help to circulate money throughout the country (so don’t get irritated the next time you see those GP number plates filling up all the parking spaces in town), whilst foreign visitors bring in new money and add to the general wealth of businesses, communities and South Africa as a whole.

Every visitor takes away with them an impression of our home, our country and the community in which we live. They spread the word in their own countries about their impressions of South Africa. The people they encounter on their trip create these impressions. Long after they have forgotten about their trip over the Swartberg Pass and through Meiringspoort, visitors remember the people they met.

We want people to leave with a good impression. We want them to come back, stay longer and spend more money here – to help us create jobs and improve our economy. Each of us plays and important role and we are all personally responsible for the environment, in which we live and work.

Chantelle and I now proudly sport SA Host lapel pins which identify us as SA Hosts and as individuals who have made a commitment to provide excellent service and hospitality.

Leeu Gamka hou Erfeniswerkswinkel

Op Vrydag 2 November 2007 het Leeu-Gamka se Toerismeforum ‘n baie geslaagde werkswinkel gehou waarby alle bestaande organisasies, kerke, politieke partye en besighede bertek is.

Dr Frans Jordaan van DEAT Nasionaal en professor Bakker van die Universiteit van Johannesburg het as fasiliteerdes opgetree. Mnr Leon Voster, hoof van Museumdienste in die Wes-Kaap, het waardevolle insette gelewer. Wat die werkswinkel veral besonders gemaak het, was die teenwoordigheid van dr Judy Maguire en mnr Bokkie Botha van Prince Albert, en hul bereidwilligheid om betrokke te raak by Leeu-Gamka se projekte en aktiwiteite. “Daar is so baie kundiges op Prince Albert en die Toerismeforum sal graag wil sien dat hulle almal betrokke raak, want ons omring ons met kundiges van wie ons meer kan leer”, was die inleidingswoorde van die Forum se voorsitter, Letitia Solomons.

In haar toespraak vertel me Solomons dat Leeu-Gamka, wat tans nog die status van ‘n nedersetting het, se eerste bewoners die Khoi en San was – haar voorouers. Khoisan woorde wat behoue gebly het, is Gamka en Dwyka. Tog was die plekkie se eerste naam Bitterwateruitspanning. Al het die water na kruit geruik en al was dit baie brak, was dit steeds ‘n lafenis vir moeë reisigers en trekdiere. Daarna was dit bekend as Fraserburg-Wes en toe word dit Leeu-Gamka: Waar die Leeu en Gamka (wat ook leeu beteken) ontmoet.
‘n Vooruitstrewende dorpie, waar vier passassierstreine per dag stop, ontwikkel toe om die stasie met sy miernes van bedrywigheid soos vragte op- en afgelaai word. Mense soos Paul Kruger en Cecil John Rhodes maak ook ‘n Karoo draai hier...

In hierdie dae wemel Welgemoed en Bloukoppies van makoekoes en Makoekoebult is vol bont sinkhuisies, die binnemure deftig versier met boekblaaie wat nie ‘n tree terugstaan vir winkelplakpapier nie. Daar is Newton Park, Die Gat, Stasie en die Ou Lokasie (Rosemore vir die die geleerdes). Kleihuise, kliphuise en enkele steenhuise neem die grys verlatenheid van die omgewing aan. Sommige huisies lyk later, verweer deur jare se wind en weer, soos perde wat klein-klein holrug gery is, maar die inwoners bly trots daarin. Seer is dit vir baie van hulle toe hulle hul “gehuggies” moet verlaat om in die nuwe skema te gaan bly. Hulle stort trane, want ‘n hele leeftyd moet agterbly en word platgestoot. Mense van Letjiesbos, Luttig, Kruidfontein, Swarts, Dwyka, Prince Albertweg en Palmiet word almal hierheen gebring.

Uiteindelik word die pragtige stasie, die netjiese kantore en geboue toegemaak - soos ‘n boek toegemaak en weggebêre word. Families word weer ontwortel, of neem pakkette en trek weg. Die leerders word al minder en so bloei die eens lewenskragtige dorpie stadig dood. Werksgeleenthede is daar omtrent nie - en daarmee saam kom armoede, met sosiale en ekonomiese verval wat die hoogte ingeskiet. In die Sentrale Karoo word Leeu- Gamka as die armste dorp, ‘n welsynsdorp, beskou. Rassisme is hier ook nie net ‘n
kleurkwessie nie. Leeu-Gamka se rassisme het ook te make met die wat het, en die wat niks het nie. Watter motor jy ry, en watter “skoroskoro” ek ry. Wie watter werk moet kry, en wie in armoede vasgestrik by die huis moet bly.

“Maar vandag, 2 November 2007”, het Latitia Solomons gesê, “is die begin van ‘n nuwe toekoms vir elkeen wie graag daarin wil belê. Dr Jordaan en professor Bakker, Judy Maguire en Bokkie Botha, wil saam met die Toerismeforum help om van Leeu-Gamka ‘n beter plek te maak. Toerism bring werk, en werk beteken geld, en geld beteken ‘n beter lewe en ‘n beter lewe beteken ‘n gesonde gemeenskap. Ons sit met die N1 as polsende goudmyn - en dit word nie benut nie. Duisende toeriste ry daagliks hier verby en dit pla ons nie. Honderde is werkloos, maar ons is tevrede met sporadiese werksgeleenthede op die pad en op ons plase.”

Sy het haar toehoorders oortuig dat, as almal saaamwerk, Leeu-Gamka weer ‘n ware “Oasis in die Sentrale Karoo” kan word.

A Tribute to Elizabeth Lekay 1936-2007

- Mary Anne Botha and Christine Thomas -

On the day of going to print we learned that the people of Prince Albert had suffered a huge loss with the unexpected death of Elizabeth 'Baba' Lekay on Saturday, the 24th of November 2007.

Baba lived her busy life to the full. The year before last she celebrated her 70th birthday in style with her many friends from across Prince Albert and we will remember her imposing presence, both as a singer and as quietly spoken woman with her own voice, free from class and race bias.

Baba lived to serve. As a mother of a large family, she served her husband, Hekkie, her children and many grandchildren. She also served her church, and her faith sustained her enthusiastic commitment to her wide extended family – her choir practice, her role coordinating the 'golden games', her participation in cancer support.

She shone as an icon of reconciliation in a town often divided by its history, willing to be a bridge between its often separate communities, to sit in on council meetings, to further the land restitution process, to work for the library and the museum.

Baba was a Prince Albert treasury of knowledge, recounting memories both joyful and bitter - in her characteristically mild manner. She was a gifted storyteller, and her stories of life in a Karoo village in the voortyd will live on. As a mother, as colleague and as our beloved friend we salute you.

Elizabeth se man en kinders wil almal bedank vir die omgee en vriendskap. Haar lewe sou leeg gewees het sonder U.

Sesde Oktoberfees ‘n reuse sukses

- Stefné Theunissen -

Die aand van 27 Oktober was ‘n heerlike someraand hier aan die voet van ons geliefde Swartberge en dit was tyd om weer met groot oorgawe fees te vier.

Vir Prince Albert se Sesde Oktoberfees is die saal van Hoërskool Zwartberg pragtig versier, vrolike musiek het die gaste sommer met die intrapslag in die regte stemming gehad en tot laataand gesorg dat die dansbaan deeglik benut word. Van die gaste (en al die dansers op die verhoog) was uitgedos in Dirndl-rokke – al die pad van Duitsland af. Te pragtig!

’n Verskeidenheid Duitse en Suid-Afrikaanse kos is bedien en plaaslike wyn en bier (natuurlik!) was te koop. Daar was sitplek vir 180 mense en in ‘n staduim was die saal oorvol – daar is 211 koskaartjies en 254 toegangskaartjies verkoop. Indrukwekkende pryse is gewen in die tombolatrekking – en daarna het meisies in oulike wit stewels en kort rokkies treffers gesing. Die wins vir die aand was R16, 546 - wat weer aan Hoërskool Zwartberg gaan. Die ses feeste tesame het nou al R82, 768 tot die skoolkoffers bygedra.

Volgende jaar vind die Sewende Oktoberfees plaas. ’n Duitse Blaasorkes kom dan spesiaal van Duitsland af vir die fees. Die winsmikpunt is R18, 000 – sodat die groottotaal van R100, 000 as bydrae tot Hoërskool Zwartberg se fondse bereik kan word. Ondersteun dus gerus hierdie grootse poging van Bodo en Gudrun Toelstede. Dit gaan ’n reuse organisasie wees!

Bodo en Gudrun is al die jare die onbaatsugtige werkers agter die skerms vir al hierdie geleenthede. Hul toewyding aan Prince Albert en al sy mense, hul harde werk, deeglike beplanning en uitstekende organisasie om sulke mooi geleenthede vir Prince Albert daar te stel, gaan nie ongesiens verby nie. Gaste van ver en naby het die aand baie geniet en hulle groot lof toegeswaai. En belowe hulle is volgende jaar weer hier!

Bodo laat rande inrol vir skole

- Denise Ohlson -

Bodo Toelstede is al sewe jaar lank hart en siel betrokke by Wildekanisland Kleuterskool en Hoërskool Zwartberg, en die afgelope drie jaar by Babbelbergies, die junior kleuterskool.

Toe hy in 2000 genader is om as beskermheer van Wildekanisland op te tree, het hy die amp met trots aanvaar – sonder om te besef hoeveel werk nog daarmee gepaard sou gaan, want gou was dit vir hom duidelik dat daar baie ouers is wat nie die Kleuterskool kan bekostig nie. Hy besluit om vriende in Italië en Duitsland te nader om elk ‘n kind te borg. Die positiewe reaksie is oorweldigend en sedertdien stel Bodo kwartaalliks vir elke skenker ‘n verslag op van sy of haar kind en stuur ‘n foto daarmee saam.

Sy persoonlike betrokkenheid by die skool brei verder uit toe hy saam met die kinders begin sing. Met sy musiektoerusting is hy altyd bereid om te help met skoolfunksies en hy sê hy werk graag saam met die kleuterskooljuffrouens om te help met die aankoop van boeke, sielkundige ondersteuning en ekstra toetse.

Elke jaar kom hulle bymekaar om die aantal inskrywings te bespreek en te besluit hoeveel Bodo moet bydra om die klasgetal van 25 vol te maak.
Die afgelope sewe jaar was sy totale bydrae R127,717 – wat insluit R25,000 vir Babbelbergies.

Bodo is ook die beskermheer van Hoërskool Zwartberg. Met die Oktoberfeeste wat hy elke jaar aanbied, het hy al R82,768 ingesamel – plus donasies van R165,000 wat direk ingekom het na aanleiding van die Oktoberfeeste. Hy en sy Kieliebeentjies Orkes het al landwyd en ook in Namibië gaan toer – en dit is harde werk! Tussendeur het hy fondse beding met Nestlé, en hy het al twee leerders per jaar geborg gekry.

Die indrukwekkende somtotaal van al sy onvermoeide pogings om geld bymekaar te raap vir die drie skole, staan by te perse gaan op R445,663 – amper ‘n halfmiljoen rand! Dit wys net wat een man kan vermag. Maar dit vra ysere toewyding en ware selfopoffering. Iets wat min mense mee kan volhou. Maar Bodo hou vol en werk al vier jaar met entoesiasme en energie aan die reëlings vir die 2008 Oktoberfees, wanneer hy ‘n volle koperblaasorkes Prince Albert toe bring.

Omkring nou al Saterdag 18 Oktober 2008 op jou kalender. Die Blaskapelle Hemslingen se optrede gaan ’n eenmalige gebeurtenis wees wat nie net heerlike vermaak gaan bied nie, maar ook die skoolfondse ‘n reuse inspuiting gaan gee.

Viva, Bodo!

Hoërskool Zwartberg Art exhibitions

- Ailsa Tudhope -

During the fourth term Di Steyn’s art students held two open days to display their work. Visitors viewed a broad selection of work – all of a very high standard.

The art inspector, Mr Leon Buchner, was very impressed with the portfolios of the three Matric learners, commenting that they were of the highest standard in the Southern Cape. Well done girls, and congratulations Di!

During August the students exhibited at Oudtshoorn High’s Medi-Clinic Art Exhibition and Rique Bothma was awarded a Merit Certificate for her silver jewellery collection. It seems likely that at least two of the Matric artists will continue their art studies at a tertiary level.

The Grade 10 and 11 learners displayed their work a few weeks later. Fragile mobiles, solid little pots, paintings, collages, installations and pencil drawings were the order of the day.

The Grade 11 artists received guidance from John Whitton on designs for their own studios, then went on to develop their highly individual interior designs.

Each also worked on a themed design for a restaurant and created a memory box illustrated with family pictures and mementos.

We can be proud of the young artists in our midst and they are extremely grateful for the support they receive from the community, especially the Prince Albert Gallery.

Cape Times / Vodacom Awards Ceremony

-Ailsa Tudhope –

Fresh from their triumph at the ESKOM Science Expo, Caleb and Sandy Swanepoel were invited to attend the presentation ceremony of The Cape Times Vodacom Environmental Awards programme at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. Since its inception in 1976 the programme has recognised more than 200 individuals, organisations, schools and groups for their work in conservation related activities.

The boys were delighted to find that the Prince Albert recycling/composting project: Think Global – Act Local, was among the finalists: “It was very exciting; we enjoyed talking to and getting ideas from the other participants. Although we didn’t win anything, we were finalists and came 10th out of 86 projects. We hope to continue with our project and make it worthwhile to village life.”

At the Awards Ceremony they met the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Martinus van Schalkwyk, but what gripped their attention was what ordinary people have managed to do and the impact they have made in their communities through protecting the environment.

The awards went to: Environmental Education and Public Awareness Award – SOIL FOR LIFE; Natural Environment Award – BIODIVERSITY PRESERVATION IN THE WINELANDS; Urban Environment Award – FOOTPRINTS RECYCLING PROJECT and Youth Award – INGA VAN WYK – Protecting the Cape Leopard.
Take a look over the St John’s Church fence from Markstraat and you’ll see the Think Global – Act Local project in action. The trench gardens and compost bins are the first steps and the sight of the Swanepoel, Modra and van Heerden children at work has already generated support.

Fred Badenhorst was astonished to see the youngsters digging trenches. He stopped to ask what they were doing and was so pleased to find they were engaged in a public education project - and one that will eventually extend to North-end, that he donated several bags of manure and straw. Nick van der Walt, who constructed the compost bins, gave a substantial discount on the job, to encourage the children. Dr Pete Reinders has given them a training session at his most successful organic garden and provided some plants. The third part of their project, the wormery, where red worms are producing ‘worm tea’ to fertilize crops, is housed at Albert College.

The children are raising the funds spent on establishing their project by waiting on tables at the Lazy Lizard, where an information board can be seen. They are putting their tips into the kitty.

Please visit the site - and keep an eye on it in the months ahead. How wonderful it is that our children are showing their concern for the environment and recognising the need for education about making compost and growing food in Prince Albert.

As the Cape Times journalist who inspected the site said: “What an example!”

Kamp te Welgelegen

- D F van der Ross -

Ons graad 3’s (Prince Albert Primêr) het vanaf 5 – 7 November op mnr André Gouws se plaas te Welgelegen gekamp. Dit was die beste ding wat nog ooit met ons gebeur het. Om so naby aan die natuur, die skeppingswerk van God, te kom, was ‘n enorme belewenis. Die bokkies wat vrylik teen die koppe uithardloop, die muise, die slange, die spinnekoppe, die voëls, die witkruisarende en die hadidas het ons so nou en dan laat verstaan dat ons nou op hulle terrein is. Tog is hulle almal vreedsame diere as jy hulle net wil erken en verstaan.

André Gouws het aan ons gedemonstreer hoedat mens en dier in vrede kan saamleef toe hy slange (eiervreters) een vir een uit sy hemp se sak gehaal het en hulle rustig oor sy hande en arms laat seil het. Dan was daar oom Jaftha Pietersen wat ons in die veld geneem het en verskeie kruie aan ons bekend gestel het. Ons was verstom oor sy kennis en hoedat jy die kruie vir verskeie kwale kan gebruik.

Ons het die lieflikste twee tannies ontmoet wat elke dag glimlag. Marie en Louise, julle twee se manier van gee sal ons altyd bybly. Julle het die hardste gewerk en tog was julle altyd vrolik agter die kospotte! Baie dankie daarvoor. Dit was wonderlik om te ontdek dat ‘n mens in die eenvoudigste manier van lewe die rykste mens kan wees. Die Here seën julle almal vir wat julle probeer om vir die kinders te doen. Julle is ‘n wenspan!

Prince Albert’s Provincial Chess Players

- Linda Jaquet –

Prince Albert Primary School’s young chess players have done it again! Six members of the school’s chess team have been selected to play at two national tournaments in December.

Stuart Delport, Markus Maas, Shaldine Sass and Dawynne Lekay, all U/16–players, as well as Maurice Claassen (U/12), will represent South Western Districts (SWD) at the South African Junior Chess Championships in Bloemfontein from 2 to 6 December. During the same week, Grade 9 learner Nadine Kroon, will be a member of the Western Province chess team that is participating at the All Age Games in Durban.

Their delighted teacher, Neville Claassen, told the Friend that the six learners had participated at the SA Junior Championships and in other national tournaments for the last four years. “All of them are the best players in their respective age groups in SWD,” he said “and do our school and our town proud.

Mr Claassen invited all young people in Prince Albert who were interested in playing chess to get in touch with him.

“Apart from school chess, we run a chess club for non- Prince Albert Primary School kids and have the infrastructure and enthusiasm to help budding and keen players.”

Mr Claassen can be contacted on:
083 4870796 or (023) 541-1980.

Opvoedkundige toer na Kaapstad

- Johndry Miltjiet -

Vir ons as graad 9-leerders was dit ‘n groot voorreg om die Moederstad te besoek. Ons het onvergeetlike tye gehad wat ons vir die res van ons lewe sal koester.

Ons het vanaf die 15de tot 19de Oktober ‘n opvoedkundige toer in Kaapstad gehad. Ons was die heel jaar opgewonde en kon nie wag dat die vertrekdatum moet aanbreek nie. Toe dit uiteindelik aanbreek, was ons so ‘n bietjie senuweeagtig gewees. Toe die bus wegtrek, kon jy sien dat daar baie spanning was. Ons het begin om te sing, te dans en het geluide gemaak, want ons was net te opgewonde!

In die stad kon jy die glimlagte op die kinders se gesigte sien, dit het gelyk asof hulle in ‘n ander wêreld ingaan. Ons het in Simonsstad geslaap by “Simons Town Fresh Air Camp”. Dit is nou een van die pragtigste plekke in Suid-Afrika. Dit het ‘n asemrowende uitsig oor die see. Ons het die kampplek verken, en daarna was ons na die kamers waar ons sou slaap vir die week. Ons was moeg na ‘n dag vol avonture en het sommer lekker geslaap.

Ons kon onder geen omstandighede wag om op te staan nie. Die vars reuk van die see en groen gras was nou vir jou wonderlik. Toe ons die dag se program hoor was ons baie opgewonde. Ons was na die historiese Robben Eiland en dit was nou vir jou lekker. Ons was met ‘n boot na die eiland en daar het ons van al die geskiedenis gehoor wat op die eiland en sy omliggende waters gebeur het. Ons het ook Nelson Mandela se tronksel gesien. Ons het ‘n klomp geboue gesien uit toeka se tyd wat nou nog ‘n bestaan maak op die eiland.

Ons het ook die Kasteel, Peninsula Beverages (Coca Cola fabriek) en die Vloot besoek. By die Vloot het hulle ons met ‘n “tug boat” op die see gevat. Ons was regtig nou bederf gewees. Ons was ook by die Parade, Canal Walk en N1 City Centre. Ons het ook die MTN Science Centre besoek en het wonderlike tegnologiese uitvindings gesien.

Ons wil net alle ouers, inwoners en onderwysers bedank vir hulle harde werk om ons so ‘n wonderlike geleentheid te gee. Ons sal dit nooit vergeet nie. Ons het regtigwaar lekker tye gehad en was dit nie vir hulle nie dan sou ons nie die toer kon meemaak nie.

So, baie baie dankie vir julle lojaliteit en ondersteuning teenoor ons; die Here sal julle seën. ‘n Spesiale dank aan mnr Hennie W du Plessis wat aan ons ‘n skaap geskenk het. Om by die see te braai was wonderlik en dankie vir almal by Prince Albert Primêr.

Former Hoërskool Zwartberg pupil donates his library to the town

-Linda Jaquet-

Hoërskool Zwartberg “old boy”, Piet J de Wit, returned to the town of his birth at the end of October to hand over his personal library to the people of Prince Albert.

His books, including fascinating Africana, magazines, periodicals, old photographs and memorabilia, collected over a lifetime that included service in South Africa’s diplomatic corps, will soon find homes in the Fransie Pienaar Museum, the libraries of the two local schools and the Municipal Library.

In an amusing and at times, emotional address during Hoërskool Zwartberg’s assembly on Monday morning, 22 October, Piet de Wit recalled episodes from his youth: growing up with his Oupa Hennie Snyders and his two aunts on Pastorie Street, playing first team rugby on the School’s stoney pitches against unsuspecting, visiting teams, being the first Prince Alberter to fly, and his memories of the Baster community’s positive contribution to the town.

After matriculating from Hoërskool Zwartberg in 1946, Piet studied at the University of Pretoria and graduated with a BA in Political Science. He returned to his alma mater some years later to gain a Masters degree.

In the meantime, he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs where he was responsible for setting up the section that managed South Africa’s relations with the rest of Africa and went on to serve in South Africa’s diplomatic missions in Nairobi, Leopoldville and Brussels.

He always was an enthusiastic promoter of South Africa’s relations with countries to the north of us and was instrumental in the founding of the Pretoria-based Africa Institute of South Africa.

Since retiring from Government service in the 1980s, he has remained an active member of the South African Institute of International Affairs and oversaw the writing and editing of a history of the Department of Foreign Affairs, a magnum opus which was published last year.
Researching the genealogy of the de Wit family in is what keeps him busy now and remains his undying passion.

Piet de Wit’s recent return to his much-loved hometown with his wife, Doris, by his own admission, was a farewell visit. He took long walks through the village, popped in to the house where he was born and sought out green fig preserve at Samuel se Winkel.

“I’m not getting any younger,” he said, “and I hanker after the smells, colours and sounds of my youth in the Karoo. Ai, man, who knows when I’ll make it back again?”

Wildekanisland en Babbelbergies hou Konsert

- Denise Ohlson -

Berlinda Nel en Marina Nel is nie familie nie, maar hulle is soos bloedsusters as dit kom by die opvoeding van peuters en kleuters. Hierdie twee onderwyseresse het ouers, oumas en oupas en elke belangstellende verstom met hul jaareindfunksie.
Marina se 17 Babbelbergies (2 tot 4 jaar) en Berlinda se 28 Wildekanislanders (4 tot 6 jaar) het gedans en gesing en hulle net te voortreflik gedra.

Hompie-Kedompie, Padda en mejuffrou Muis, Vuurvliegie en al wat ‘n maatjie is, het elke oomblik in die kollig uitgekoop en hul hartjies uitgespeel vir ‘n baie waarderende gehoor.

Daar was eetgoed ewe voortreflik en keurig voorgesit en sertifikate is uitgedeel aan die presteerders in die Wiskunde Olimpiade – met Simon Joubert die trotse Eenhonderdpersenter! Tydens die indrukwekkende “gradeplegtigheid” het elke deelnemer helder en duidelik gesê wie hulle is en wat hulle eendag wil word. Elf Babbelbergies is bevorder tot Wildekanislanders en 16 Wildekanislanders gaan volgende jaar Graad 1 toe!

Berlinda het Bodo Toelstede, beskermheer van Wildekanisland Kleuterskool, bedank vir sy omvattende en entoesiastiese bydrae en gesê dat die skool sonder sy finansiële ondersteuning nie staande sou kon bly nie omdat ouers net nie in staat sal wees om meer skoolfondse te betaal nie.

Dat voorskoolse kinders in Prince Abert onderrig en leiding van die hoogste standard kry, is te wyte aan ‘n spanpoging waarop die dorp net trots kan wees.

Zwartberg trots op presteerders

- Ailsa Tudhope -

Elke jaar, tydens ons prysuitdeling, is die onderwysers en ouers van Hoërskool Zwartberg met reg trots op ons kinders. Leerders se harde werk in die klaskamer en op die sportveld word beloon - en die aand bied ook altyd uitstekende vermaak.

Hierdie jaar het die leerders van Graad 1, 2 en 3 ‘n pragtige geestlike boodskap gebring en Therene Fourie en Lodé Mooneys het Piu Jesu soos engele gesing. Gasspreker Ingrid Wolfaardt het beide kinders en volwassenes geïnspireer met haar boodskap en energie, en almal het die volgende dag nog daaroor gepraat.

Vir die kinders is dit altyd ietsie van ’n verassing om te hoor watter pryse hulle wen. Veels geluk aan ál die pryswenners en spesifiek aan Nina Vermeulen - wat al akademiese volkleure só vroeg (Graad 10!) in haar skoolloopbaan behaal.

Ons waardeer die bydrae wat elke ouer, in welke opsig ook al, maak. Ook die volgehoue ondersteuning van die dorpsmense, hetsy as fasiliteerders by die Graad 11-projek, of as skenkers van die jaareindpryse, gaan nie ongesiens verby nie. Die hulp van elkeen wat inkoop in die waarde van onderrig in ons jongmense se lewens, is van onskatbare waarde. Hoërskool Zwartberg sou daarsonder wesentlik armer gewees het.

Die volgende toekennings vir 2007 verdien vermelding:

AKADEMIE‑BEKER

Frans Gerber Beker - Afrikaans: Jane-Lee Gouws (Graad 11)

VOLLE EREKLEURE (AKADEMIE)

Nina Vermeulen – (Graad 10)

KLASPRESTASIE (GOUD)

Graad 1: Pieter Koorts, Hegan Pipes
Graad 2: Michy Mullins
Graad 3: Thomas Gous, Louis van der Nest
Graad 4: Ismari le Grange, Anneske van Eeden
Graad 5: Zanri Moolman, Sylvan Morris, Christopher Mullins
Graad 6: Ruan Fourie
Graad 7: Michaela Steyn
Graad 8: Abigail Modra
Graad 9: Willem du Toit
Graad 10: Nina Vermeulen
Graad 11: Jane-Lee Gouws
Graad 12: Anneke de Wit
VOLKLEURE IN SPORT

Karate
Ryan Ferreira
Andrea Gouws
Martin Koorts
Nelius Koorts
Meltus Meiring
Mignon Meiring

Tennis
Andrea Gouws

Atletiek
Nikela du Toit

Fietsry
Chris Jooste
Loraine (Lulu) Jooste

SPORTMAN EN SPORTVROU

Hannes Botes Beker : Junior Sportvrou - Nikela du Toit

Hannes Botes Beker : Junior Sportman - Martin Koorts

Gerda v/d Spuy Beker : Senior Sportvrou - Andrea Gouws

Standard Bank Beker : Senior Sportman - Willem du Toit/ Marius Williams

Running IS Fun

- Linda Jaquet -

Twenty-two teams of enthusiastic Prince Alberters of all ages, backgrounds and levels of fitness turned out for the Zwartberg Runners’ first and very successful Fun Relay on Thursday evening, 8 November. That’s quite an achievement for a club that is only a few months old.

Four runners in every team had to run – or puff and pant - two kilometres each on a closed-off section of Church Street between the Lazy Lizard and Koggelmander. They were cheered on by their noisy team mates and a large group of bystanders, who revelled in the fun atmosphere. The SAPS entered four teams, Zwartberg Hoërskool was well-represented by its teachers and learners, employees of various businesses participated despite a hard day’s work and there were a good number of family teams. A team of cyclists, the Forty-plusers, even joined in!

In the end, Petrus Bostander of the Zwartberg Runners, his own one-man relay team, ran in an easy winner, followed by the Dangerous Municipality and Hoërskool Zwartberg in third place. A lucky draw after the race meant that there were prizes galore for the tired, but happy, participants, no matter where they came.

Thank you to the SAPS for their assistance on the evening and to all the sponsors and everyone involved in organising the event.