Andrew Birkett wins the Inaugural Calamari Festival Pam Golding Bruces Surfski Dice

Andrew Birkett wins the Inaugural Calamari Festival Pam Golding Bruces Surfski Dice

By Richard Arderne

Young Andrew Birkett was way too fast, finishing the two laps (about 10km) on Friday, 20 September, in an amazing 40min 36sec, a comfortable 90 seconds clear of the chasing pack.

Andrew, now based in London, is the son of Dave and Minky, owners of a house in Cape St Francis, where they spend about half the year.

We were treated to a sunny, calm afternoon for the 4.30 pm start with a slightly choppy, very high tide, making the entry on the slipway tricky, as James and son Josh Moore discovered, damaging their rudder in the process.

There was an excellent turnout, especially considering it was a Friday afternoon, which is not easy for many of our regular PE paddlers.

 

Evergreen AC Carter finished second, with new local Marc Holtzhausen in third, just behind AC.

Then came Carbonology’s Jason Goedhals and local vet champ Pete King. Behind them was “Q” Rutherford who holds the world record of about 240km on the sea in 24 hours!

First mixed was Kerry Louw and Fabian Smith, and Kirstin Scott was the first lady (as usual!)

Some slackers did only one lap, won by yours truly, but I had to light the fire, so I couldn’t do a second lap! Charl van Wyk, organiser of SA’s biggest surfski race, the Pete Marlin, also only paddled the short course!

We enjoyed a boerie and a beer on the lawn at Grannies afterwards. It was a very lekker evening all around.

 

Thanks to the St Francis Paddling Club Team Effort

To our ever-present timekeeping/registration team of Mandy McGregor (and usually Anita Dabrowski, but she’s in Oz) and Magda Boshoff (who also does lots of upfront event admin, e.g., ambulance and muni red tape). And our treasurer, Carol Rothero, jumps in to help with lots of other stuff, too.

Marie Louw runs the East Cape Canoe Union and is an amazing resource to us. Our race starter, Dave, who, apart from all his development training over many years, had the bright idea to resuscitate the Friday Bruces Dices in January.

 

Charlie Jonsson and Jen Vallance always bring good energy. This time, they cheerfully braaied the boeries (and all I could say was that mine wasn’t hot enough). Jen always takes great photos and videos. And Jaco Prins ably stood in for Pete Mitchley as Club Safety Officer (last time I pipped him … this time he not only beat me by a few meters … but he turned around and did another lap!).

Also, Ken McGregor for offering to braai but being beaten to the job by Charlie and Jen. And Greg West had his boat on the water—very nice if there had been a drama. He and Francis Brombacher took some great pics and videos. Sheryl Maskew was our spotter with binoculars from her Tom Brown house.

We look forward to another Pam Golding Bruces Surfski Dice at the next Calamari Festival. In the meantime, we paddle every Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at Bruce’s. Would you like to join us?

 

See also: St Francis Kids Represent at Sea Harvest SA Junior Surfing Championships – Gallery

Kouga Municipality Container Appeal and Cleanup

Kouga Municipality Container Appeal and Cleanup

Kouga Local Municipality (KLM) wishes to thank ALL resident and organization volunteers who have contributed much time and effort following the loss of containers from at least three vessels over the past six weeks due to adverse weather conditions. Beauty products and medication containers, medications, wooden products, furniture, foodstuffs, and tea have formed most of the content washing ashore.

Disaster Status

SAMSA announced that working in collaboration with relevant authorities and the owners of the affected vessels, a monitoring, recovery and clean-up plan had been rolled out across the affected areas. The status of this disaster is still live, and cleanup efforts continue.
In response to the disaster, Kouga coastline is being coordinated through the Sara Baartman District Municipality JOC. SAMSA has appointed two cleanup specialist companies, SpillTech and Xtreme Projects (KLM area) to lead the clean – up efforts.
KLM has been putting cleanup teams in the worst affected areas and a beach clean-up was arranged on 21 September 2024 and several debris were collected. As of 26 September 2024, Xtreme Projects has 25 fieldworkers doing cleanups in St Francis, Cape St Francis, Gamtoos and Jeffreys Bay areas. They will assess, on a weekly basis, whether to increase or reduce the size of the fieldwork team.

Bag disposal

Residents who are continuing to engage in voluntary cleanups are requested to please dispose of their bags by:
• Delivering them to the Fire Station in St Francis Bay or Jeffreys Bay OR
• Leaving them at the closest official car park, OR
• If they are too heavy to carry out of more remote areas, send a location pin to Extreme fieldwork team on 060 900 5920.
It’s important that the real cost of the cleanup is computed, which should include the accounting of the community effort that has been taking place.
To assist with this, all volunteers are requested to send a Whatsapp to the Xtreme reporting person on 079 104 8585 outlining:
• The number of bags collected
• Description of collection area
• Description of the contents.
The public is urged not to consume these items under any circumstances as they may pose serious health risks.
Members of the public can also report sightings to KLM Call centre or any slicks on the surface of the water should immediately be reported to the Xtreme fieldwork team on 060 900 5920.
KLM would like to thank you for your vigilance and help towards reducing the impact of this disaster on our coastal assets.

Communities Invited To Help Review Integrated Development Plan

Following the adoption of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Budget Process Plan by the Kouga Municipality Council, the municipality has now embarked on the third review of its five-year IDP for 2022/2027 and the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) Budget.
As part of this process, the municipality is required to engage with stakeholders to review the IDP for 2025/2026 and the MTREF budget allocations for the 2025/2026 to 2027/2028 period.

Communities Invited To Help Review Integrated Development Plan

This participatory process is mandated by Section 16(1) of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, No 32 of 2000.
The outcome of the consultative and interactive processes in the municipality’s wards with communities, public representatives and various stakeholders is valuable and will contribute towards the achievement of the overall municipality’s objectives. It is within this background that the municipality invites all residents, community entities, organisations, and interested parties to actively participate in the engagement sessions.
Public consultative meetings will be held from 01 October 2024 to 28 October 2024 at venues across Kouga to provide residents with progress on the IDP implementation and all other development initiatives that is happening within their wards.

Gill Marcus Water Treatment Works (WTW) upgrade completed

Gill Marcus Water Treatment Works (WTW) upgrade completed

Strengthening water supply for the future

 HUMANSDORP – The much-anticipated upgrade of the Gill Marcus Water Treatment Works (WTW) in Humansdorp has recently been completed, marking a major milestone in Kouga Municipality’s efforts to ensure sustainable access to clean water.

The project, valued at nearly R5 million, introduced advanced borehole water treatment capabilities to the facility, a necessary enhancement due to the growing demand for drinkable water in the Gill Marcus area. This includes Kruisfontein, 7de Laan, Maak `n Las, Donkerhoek, Mooi Uitsig, Hopeville, Ext 391, Arcadia, Moerasrivier, Graslaagte, and Vaaldam, communities that were previously last in line to receive water from the current reticulation system.

“This upgrade is a significant achievement for our municipality,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman. “We are now able to meet the increased demand for water while ensuring that our water supply system is sustainable and capable of handling future growth.”

The project, which spanned 2.5 months, also focused on diversifying water sources to enhance long-term sustainability. The existing Gill Marcus WTW was originally designed with a capacity of 1 Ml/day for treating surface water. The improved facility can now manage a combined flow of surface and borehole water, reaching up to 3.5 Ml/day.

“By modernising this essential infrastructure, we have taken an important step towards securing reliable access to clean, safe water for our communities,” added Bornman.

Scope of work

The scope of work involved extensive design, construction, and installation efforts.

Key elements included the replacement and installation of mechanical and electrical equipment, new treatment and control systems, and the renovation of existing structures.

Disused equipment was removed, and the old reservoir was repaired and upgraded to align with modern water treatment standards.

“This project will have a lasting positive impact on the lives of our residents,” said Bornman. “We are proud of the progress made and remain committed to delivering sustainable solutions that meet the needs of our communities.”

 

Buffalo City beats Cape Town to win the Freedom Cup at the 2024 Sea Harvest SA Junior Championships presented by SMTH Shapes

Buffalo City beats Cape Town to win the Freedom Cup at the 2024 Sea Harvest SA Junior Championships presented by SMTH Shapes

Verified by MonsterInsights