DAY 105 of the national lockdown and lots of things have changed over the past week. Schools have reopened more to allow other grades to attend but not all parents are happy about sending their children back to school The problems associated with hildren maintaining social distance along with wearing masks over a prolonged period have been highlighted, but many parents cannot manage to effectively homeschool their children while working. How do you feel about the safety procedures at the school your child attends?
PENSIONERS and other grant recipients collected their grants from financial institutions in town this week, but there was no need for blocking off Main Street as there had been in previous months. Walking around Port Alfred CBD it seems that many people are simply ignoring the rules about social distancing and wearing masks. At a time when infections in the Eastern Cape are on a dramatic rise we need to ensure we adhere to the sensible regulations applied to slow down the spread of the virus. However, police seem to be scarce around town, particularly when enforcing lockdown regulations. At the same time, many sectors of the economy are left awaiting news of the new regulations, hesitant to open their doors because of lack of clarity. Some restaurants opened for sitdown meals last weekend but, with the ban on selling alcohol with meals, many remain closed claiming that there is no profit in selling food alone. Supermarkets and other stores are following the regulations by only allowing 50 people in at a time, wearing masks, sanitising and taking customers’ temperatures as they enter.
HOUSEBREAKING continues to be a crime of concern in the area. On several occasions, residents were home at the time and it could have been worse had they encountered the burglars. We cannot just dismiss these incidents with the rationale that the perpetrators are starving and have no money to buy food. They are criminals and crime cannot be justified in this way. The criminals sell their illicitly acquired loot to someone, and if people refused to accept stolen property, the scourge would be halted. Do not accept stolen property and report those who commit these crimes to the police – tomorrow it may be your home.
THERE are people who have been on Damant Lodge’s waiting list for many years. However, when the lodge attempts to phone many people to offer them a vacant cottage, the contact number they have they often is no longer in operation because of cancelled landlines. Christine Haworth has asked that people on the waiting list please contact her and make any changes to their contact lists to ensure they can be contacted when a unit becomes available.
ON a personal note and as an unrepentant smoker, I do not accept the regulation on the tobacco ban and cannot understand how other smokers are coping and why there hasn’t been more outrage at the stalling tactics of the politicians and the courts that allow them to procrastinate. Or are the millions of South African smokers okay with paying exorbitant amounts (more than R2,500 per carton as opposed to the normal price of about R650) for cigarettes? Plus, during these times of economic collapse, couldn’t the government find a use for the taxation they would receive from legitimate tobacco sales?
WE have heard of a new rule apparently developing in queues at store entrances and till points. When there are social distancing markings on the floor and you have not moved to the next mark when the music stops, you have to go to the back of the queue.
HAPPY birthday to everyone celebrating a special day in the week ahead. May there be many wonderful times ahead for all, especially Justin Maddocks, Johnathan Riddin, Steve Gardner, Joan Boucher, Joshua Linforth, Jacques Johnson, Derrick Newson, John Crawford, Siobhan Stötter, Peter Metcalf, Simon Boucher, Jolanta Hanstein, Ian Cunningham, Lydia Gimbel, Cheryl van de Spuy, Liezel van der Westhuizen, Lynette Matthews, Zandisile Qakamfana, David Roll, Inez Victor, Ryan Murphy, Marleen Coetzee, Ronald van Niekerk, Johan van Zyl, Portia Gwente, Rob Owsley, Carel Scheepers, Hayden Hanstein, Jacqui Reed, Charl Hilpert, Kenny Turner, Dylan Cox, Ben Ford, Oliver Robinson, Mary Walker and Peter Fleischack.
HAPPY 70th birthday to Marlene Coetzee on July 14. Best wishes from Owen, Colleen and Dawn.
BUSINESSES celebrating the success of another year – best wishes for many more anniversaries to ReMax Ocean Club Kenton-on-Sea, and Sungwa Bricks.
THE financial markets are in a huge state of confusion at this time as industry begins to restart around the world. Crude oil production is picking up and the price is increasing. Trade deals have effectively ceased between the world’s two biggest economies, the USA and China, and as a result investors are reluctant to commit resources until deals are in place. Europe is in turmoil as some countries relax lockdown regulations while others are beginning to reintroduce harder lockdown regulation in certain areas. Travel is still a big issue and airlines and all other aspects of the tourism industry are in crisis mode in attempt to ride out the storm. The coming weeks will see how relaxing regulations will play itself out. At the time of going to press and with last year’s figures in brackets to compare against, the Rand was trading at R17.17 to the Dollar (R14.16), R21.41 to the Pound (R17.63) and R19.35 to the Euro (R15.87). Gold was trading at $1,776.57 per fine ounce ($1,393.95) with platinum at $741.93 ($813.65) with Brent Crude Oil at $43.16 per barrel ($64.53).
SPECIAL thoughts and prayers are with all those folk who are not well, having or have already had tests, operations and treatments. Sterkte Roy Potter, Andrew de Vries, Emilene Bruwer, Jenny Groenewald, Olof Ferreira, Jan Haig and Bev Young.
CONGRATULATIONS to all couples celebrating a wedding anniversary this week, especially Darryl and Jolanta Hanstein, Ryan and Jo le Roux, Gavin and Amanda Rathbone.
THOUGHT for the week: “Prosperity depends more on wanting what you have than having what you want.”
BEST regards as always,
The Team
