BETWEEN today and the end of the weekend there are a number of events that you don’t want to miss. First up, tonight there is the Talk of the Town/MyPond Hotel quiz evening in aid of the Port Alfred Soup Kitchen at MyPond Hotel. Quiz master Jon Houzet will tantalise your brain with his own brand of questions. On Friday it’s the Kowie Foundation School who perform the Elves and the Shoemaker with a South African twist that should get the moms, dads and grannies cheering. Also on Friday evening, the NSRI are holding a cheese and wine evening at the ski-boat Club. On Saturday it’s the Settler’s Park Craft Market and, for those who need a little exercise, a clean-up of the Kowie River banks starting at 10am from the Port Alfred River and Ski-boat Club. And, to finish the weekend in style, don’t miss the Sha-Loui End of Year Show at Port Alfred High School starting at 7pm. As for sport, don’t miss the SA v Australia Bodyboarding starting on Friday. Depending on the surf, the event will be held at either East Beach or West Beach. Main venue for the event is Guido’s. For all the happenings in and around Ndlambe, see our Diarise This section in this issue.
SINCE 1975, Lions throughout South Africa have sold Lions Christmas Cakes to raise funds to finance service projects in their communities. In Port Alfred, the Lions are selling their ever-popular Christmas Cakes at Heritage Mall, the Anchorage Centre and Rosehill Mall from 9am to 1pm on selected days in November and December. The cakes are baked in Pinetown and distributed throughout South Africa, Namibia and Swaziland. Their very high fruit content which makes the cakes extremely popular and make excellent gifts and with a fairly long shelf-life, make them useful if unexpected guests pop in for tea. A 1kg cake costs just R85. Cakes can be ordered from Mike Newlands, on 083-631-4511.
WHAT is going on at governmental and corporate level in our country? First, Eskom CEO Brian Molefe resigned, saying he and his family should not have to deal with criticism over former public protector, Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report. Then, another Eskom director, Mark Pamensky resigned. Pamensky allegedly has personal dealings with the now infamous Gupta family and is personally named in the State of Capture report as having benefitted directly through the connection. Now it appears that President Zacob Zuma (also known as Teflon Zuma as nothing seems to stick to him) has asked National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) head, Shaun Abrahams, to give reasons why his contract should not be terminated. And this week, State Security Minister David Mahlobo was implicated in corrupt activities by a convicted rhino poacher, who claims Mahlobo as a personal friend, who can have criminal records wiped clean. It’s a sorry state for the country and does not bode well for South Africa, as international ratings agencies are due to make a pronouncement as to whether the Rand will be downgraded to junk status. With such uncertainty at government and corporate levels, downgrading is virtually inevitable.
ANOTHER year has passed, so it’s time to wish everyone having a birthday especially to Jenny Hoseck, Amy Wilmot, Jenny Nel, Peter Godson, Andre Crous, Denise van der Merwe, Jacques Westraadt, Shelley Handley, Des Spenceley, Clive Haworth, Sandra Hayward, Fiona Timm, Ruan Cannon, Kathleen Hill, Cordelia Quma, Michael Millard, Buks de Kock, Tarryn Hickman, Lettie Plaatjie, Kayleigh Anne Parsons, Deleste Van den Meulen, Cindy Charter, Lynn Roberts, Graham Strachan, Duncan Minott, Richard Rudman, Jill Bax, Colette Reid, Gladman Sontsonga, Hilpert twin sisters Michaela and Monique, Lydia Atteridge, Lynette Keeton, Lisa Tarr, Anne McCann, Jacqueline du Preez, Geofred Duruwe, Josh Alexandre, Chan Kahn, Gary Gailey, Susan Gombert, Basil Terry.
CONGRATULATIONS and even more success for the future, to all businesses celebrating an anniversary, especially the Christie’s Complex in Campbell Street, The Bathurst Farmers Market on 17 marvellous year and, The Goat Shed Bush Bistro at Woodlands in Kenton.
THE good news on the financial front is that Telkom, after posting a multi-billion rand loss just three years ago, is now showing a 19.7% increase in share price. However, any good news about state-owned enterprises (SOEs) was dashed when Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu, said he was concerned about the financial sustainability of SOEs, and was unsure if some could continue operating. Announcing his report findings on Wednesday on state expenditure, Makwetu said that weak leadership and governance had affected SOEs’ operations and audit outcomes and that poor leadership meant instability at board level, vacancies in key positions, inadequate consequence management and poor monitoring and oversight of procurement processes. As we go to press the Rand was trading at a lower R14.34 to the Dollar (was R14.28), R17.85 to the Pound (R21.72), with the Euro at R15.33 (R15.23). Commodities such as gold were trading at $1226.33 per fine ounce ($1071.20) , platinum trading at $940.10 per ounce ($863.75) and Brent Crude now trading at $45.23 per barrel ($43.97).
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, Linda Hulley, Ben Kember, Blake Squires, Llewellyn Wicks, Philly Dell, Myrna Keet, Barbara Tee, Bevan Edwards, Jonathan Walker and Brenda Shelton.
WEDDING anniversary congratulations and all good wishes for many more, to all couples celebrating this special occasion next week. Especially Malcolm and Carole Christie, John and Jaida Ball. Tim and Imare Patterson, John and Sharon Dailkin, Jaco and Cheryl Delport, Leon and Reonette Jansen van Rensburg, Llewellyn and Ilse Wicks.
ON the sporting front, after a magnificent 2-1 win against Africa team Senegal in a World Cup qualifying match on Saturday, it was disappointing that Bafana Bafana only managed a 1-1 draw with Mozambique on Tuesday evening. Coach Shakes Mashaba was not in attendance as he apparently hurled insults at Safa head Danny Jordaan at the end of the Senegal match and was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. Surely, after his lacklustre fight for Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the recent municipal elections, Jordaan should have developed a much thicker skin.
OUR boys, the Proteas, absolutely demolished Australia Down Under in the second of three test matches. They won by an innings and 80 runs, securing the series. The boys are currently clawing their way back up the international ratings in all forms of the game and, if current form is anything to go by, they will reach the top position possibly halfway through next year. However, let’s not count our chickens as sport, as every South African knows, is a very topsy-turvy thing (ask any Springbok supporter).
THOUGHT for the week: “Success, happiness, peace of mind and fulfilment…. are available to all among us, without exception, who make things happen… in the world around them.”
BEST regards as always,
The Team.
