Letters / Briewe

Ek Laat van My Hoor

Ek wil net ‘n klip in die bos gooi, na aanleiding van die redaksionele kommentaar oor Afrikaans (Februarie 2009).

Dit is so dat daar te min Afrikaans in die Vriend is, maar as daar nie Afrikaanse nuuswaardigheid geskryf word nie, kan daar mos nie Afrikaans wees nie.

Dié wat wel stories skryf wat nuuswaardig is, is goed. Daar word egter oor ons geskryf, en dan is dit ook in Engels. Ek het niks teen Engels nie, dit is ook ‘n taal net soos enige ander taal.

Gebeur daar dan niks in ons omgewing, straat of op die plase wat belangrik is nie? Ek lig maar net my mening. Ek woon op ’n plaas waar daar erge drankprobleme is.

Van die mense het al hul werk verloor, deur die drankmisbruik. Ek het al verskillende instansies genader, maar daar gebeur niks nie. As iemand miskien met raad en leiding kan help, sal dit waardeer word.

By voorbaat baie dankie

A Willemse

Klaarstroom Kla?

Ek is ‘n inwoner van die Klaarstroom gemeenskap wat ongelukkig is en teleurgesteld voel dat die onderburgemeester van die dorp toegelaat het dat ‘n vrou, wat in ‘n huis op ’n plaas gebly het waar haar pa vir meer as 10 jaar werksaam was, nou ‘n plakkerhut in die plakkerskamp moet opslaan.

Na haar ma se dood het die vrou vir haar pa huisgehou. Die eienaar van die plaas het haar van sinkplate voorsien om vir haar ‘n plakkerhut op te slaan terwyl die onderburgemeester geweet het hoe gekant die munisipaliteit teen plakkers is. ‘n Ander boer vat toe die huis en omskep dit in perdestalle wat baie netjies gemaak is in vergelyking met die ander arbeiders-huise, wat omtrent agt meter van die stalle af is.

Dieselfde onderburgemeester het gehelp om die plakkerskamp van water te voorsien. Daar was ‘n kraan in die middel van die plakkerskamp. Maar net ‘n paar weke daarna laat die onderburgemeester egter die kraan omtrent 50 meter van die plakkerskamp skuif. Daar is gestremde persone wat nou van water afgesny is en wat van ander persone afhanklik is.

Op 23 Februarie 2009 laat die onderburgermeester sy kar was met ‘n oop pyp wat van die gemeenskapsaal af kom en wat nie eens ‘n lae druk spuit aan het nie. Hy praat van watervermorsing in die plakkers-kamp, maar is dit nie juis watervermorsing om ‘n kar met ‘n oop, hoë druk pyp te was nie?

Anoniem

(Identiteit van die skrywer is aan Die Vriend bekend).

Om hoflikheidshalwe is ‘n afskrif van die brief aan die Onderburgemeester voorsien. Dit het die Onderburgemeester te laat bereik om in hierdie uitgawe kommentaar daaroor te lewer indien hy sou wou


Hinkmangesin sê dankie

As Hinkmangesin bedank ons hiermee van harte ‘n ieder en elk wat betrokke was met organisasie en ondersteuning vir die verkryging van ons minibus-taxi:

Mev Rachel Roberts, vir u tyd, raad en ritse oproepe, u was ons laaste uitweg en altyd was daar nog tyd en nog advies.

Ook die mense in die konstitusionele kantoor van die LP Novello J Mack, waar Mev Roberts ook werksaam is.

Mnr Dawid Rossouw vir die hulp en briewe wat u te midde van u druk program geskryf het.

Almal wat vir Willem saamry geleent-heid gegee het.

Verder almal wat nie by name genoem is nie, baie hartlik dankie.

Mev C Hinkman

Prince Albert vs Greyton?

The article “Heritage: Proudly Prince Albert or just another Greyton? (October 2008) refers.

Having lived in Greyton for thepart of four years, I have yet to come across a more caring and giving community than that of this village. No one has ever asked me what I do and how much money I have. They care about me and my well-being. The fact that Greyton is so sought-after has put a premium on property values, which sadly might give it the image of 'keeping up with the Joneses".

The writer’s perception of Greyton is seriously distorted.When last was he here and how well does he know the people? In fact, I have no doubt that Greyton is the centre of the Universe.

Leoné Rouillard

What a wonderful town

In March, four, not so young, beautiful or bold ladies visited your town and fell in love with the place.

We arrived on a Friday afternoon and our first stop was the Museum. It was a wonderful experience and was summed up as a ‘must revisit place’. It was almost homely… maybe because it brought back memories of what we recalled in our Grannies’ homes. A big thanks to Debbie for all the time she spent with us, pointing out certain items of interest and the little parting gift of a very special “Friendship Poem”.

We then rushed ‘home’ to our cottage for the weekend … Vergeet-My-Niet…what a wonderful place and a garden to die for! Unpacked the car and managed to make the Ghost Walk on Friday the 13th. Just our luck, the wind came up and made it rather unpleasant to walk about, so no problem, Ailsa came home with us and continued with all the stories and had us in stitches. I can’t recall when we all laughed so much! Oh, if only we’d had teachers like Ailsa at school it would have been a more enjoyable place!

On Saturday morning we experienced the street breakfast….such a pity there was not a Sunday one as well! Boerie rolls, pancakes & figs & figs & figs……say no more!

Wherever we went, we were asked if we were the ‘Quilters’? At first we were surprised, and then felt honoured! Good news spreads! Yes, we were the quilters, and met your very own Patchwork Dolls.

It was such a pleasure to meet the local group and if we made a noise… apologies! But you can’t expect 12 women, who have such a passion, to be quiet. Naturally we all wanted to talk at once! Hopefully we will be back for a big Show and Tell (Quilt-related… quilters don’t tell tales!) and a big quilt meeting!

But what was just the best: before all the Patchwork Dolls arrived we had a very special visitor… Romy. Never have we had ‘foot fiddles’ in such a setting. Here we all are, sitting in this magnificent garden, feet in baths of cold water and having someone on their knees ‘toeing’ to us. Who needs a fancy beauty parlour when you can have Romy and Pam’s rose garden!
Saturday evening was spent at Karoo Kombuis - a splendid Karoo lamb meal, music fundi….. we agreed that Michael should be on Noot Vir Noot…. he would most certainly win! And a lemon pudding that left you wanting more! Just a pity about the sheep, watching us from the other side of the fence!

On Sunday we returned home, feeling rejuvenated and very privileged to have spent a weekend in a very different type of heaven.

Ruth Casti
Knysna