A landslide buries an entire Swiss Village, pretty much.
Luckily, the residents had been evacuated a long time ago.
Further reading: Jordy Smith Winner’s Trophy – Photo Of The Day
‘I lost everything’: Residents in shock after landslide buries Swiss village – Around 90% of the picturesque village of Blatten was engulfed in ice, mud and rock on Wednesday after part of the Birch Glacier broke off, triggering a massive landslide.
Jordy Smith Winner’s Trophy from the Western Australia Margaret River Pro – goes into the number one slot in the world on the World Surf League Championship Tour
Photo Beatryz Ryder/WSL
The winners of the recent Pam Golding Ladies Golf Open were Lauren van der Merwe and Lelané Straw, pictured here with Pam Golding’s Saria Blaauw and the Pam Golding Properties – St Francis Bay Trophy at the prize-giving.
They finished with an astonishing 91 points, ahead of the rest of the huge field of 160 ladies from 45 clubs around the country.
Lauren scored excellent gross rounds of 72 at St Francis Bay Golf Club and 69 at St Francis Links, playing with a +1 handicap. Lelané scored 85 and a remarkable 74, with a 12 handicap. They are both from the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club.
In second place, for the second year in a row, were the vivacious Sardinia Bay pair, Elize Strydom and Marlene Groenewald, on 88 points.
The ladies were all treated to great weather, two fun evenings at Full Stop and Joe Fish, and a warm-up nine holes on the par 3 course on Friday, but sadly, no one shot a hole-in-one, so the R380,000 VW T-Cross is back at Dirk Ellis VW.
The plan is to have 200 players next year!
The Pam Golding Ladies Open Final Results.
1st Lauren van der Merwe & Lelane Straw 91 pts (41 + 50)
2nd Marlene Groenewald & Elize Strydom – 88 pts (44 + 44)
3rd Tarryn Borsutzky & Gillian Birk – 87 pts (43 + 44)
4th Lihle Sibiya & Moyo Nothando – 85 pts (43 + 42)
5th Janet McNaughton & Jess Peens – 84pts c/in (36 + 48)
6th Sherry Pienaar & Britta Unger – 84 pts c/out (42 + 42)
7th Rita Du Plessis & Karen Gascoyne – 83 pts c/in (41 + 42)
Day 1
7th Hole: Melissa Botha
14th Hole: Marian Juta
Day 2
7th Hole: Shelley Stretton
14th Hole: Fiona Richard
Day 1
3rd Hole: Renee Keusgen
17th Hole: Adri Voster
Day 2
3rd Hole: Brenda Fegen
17th Hole: Sonja Sauerman
Day 1 Results:
St Francis Links
1st: Shirley Pope & Cherise Milne – 41 pts c/in
2nd: Louise Muller & Suzette van Schalkwyk – 41 pts c/out
3rd: Allison Bain & Delia Dakin – 40 pts
St Francis Bay Golf Club:
1st: Megan McCallum & Fiona Richard – 46 pts
2nd: Ellen Clark & Debbie McCracken – 45 pts c/in
3rd: Isebel Visser & Heidi Swinton – 45 pts c/out
Day 2 Results:
St Francis Links
1st: Yolandi vd Westhuizen & Jane Uys – 43 pts
2nd: Ansu Human & Nives Schabort – 41 pts
3rd: Bev Purslow & Ronel van Eyk – 40 pts
St Francis Bay Golf Club:
1st: Joan-Louise Manthe & Brenda Fegen – 43 pts
2nd: Sue Cogswell & Elmari Maarschalk – 42 pts c/in
3rd: Liebie Meyer & Paula Bester – 42 pts c/out
“Many thanks again to our sponsors, Pam Golding (Title Sponsor), Albert Saunders Attorneys and Oobo Home Loans, for making this day possible for us.
And to all those who gave so generously to our hampers and prizes, we appreciate you hugely!
And another special thank you to the Pam Golding Committee for all their hard work and dedication over the last many months.
And lastly, to all our players, without you, we would not have had such a great tournament!
We look forward to seeing you all again next year!
Further reading: Dog on a bike with goggles and the lighthouse – Photo Of The Day by Flavii
There was a time when the mall felt like a symbol of progress. Escalators, air conditioning, a fountain, and McDonald’s. It had everything: shops, snacks, sunglasses you didn’t need but somehow bought anyway. You could spend a whole Saturday under its fluorescent hum and come out blinking, slightly poorer, vaguely satisfied.
But the world has moved on quietly, without a word.
Toothpaste arrives in a box now. You click, you pay, and it shows up on the same morning. Sometimes in the same hour. Groceries, furniture, and a new phone cover shaped like a beer bottle, all sourced and sorted, without having to find parking or dodge the well-meaning but irritating kiosk guy who wants to clean your takkies. The mall has lost its edge.
Here, SPAR’s efficient delivery service is quick, functional, and done with a smile. Woolworths does effective St Francis runs, and Takealot and The Courier Guy vans are visible all day, every day, zigzagging across our village and delivering purchases to homes in our area.
Meanwhile, retail has also been quietly mutating into something stranger: dark stores. Retail spaces that resemble shops but aren’t fully accessible to the public. These are warehouses disguised as supermarkets, existing solely to fulfil online orders. No windows, no music, no promos. Just shelves, scanners, and someone in a hairnet packing your almond milk with grim efficiency. These places aren’t meant for browsing; they’re meant for speed. And they’re multiplying, like gremlins and water.
And while we were distracted by fast delivery and digital checkouts, the bigger signs began appearing. Cinemas, once the jewel of the mall experience, are closing down across South Africa. They might be getting bought and taken over or under new management, but they are totally beleaguered. The writing is clear. Netflix and screens at home it is.
If a movie on the big screen — the whole point of going out — can’t hold its ground, what hope does a rent-burdened pay-as-you-weigh sweet shop have in a mall? Or a biltong shop? (Actually, judging by local biltong sellers, the stuff actually costs about the same as gold today, by the gram, so they will probably be all right.)
Of course, people still enjoy shopping. But more and more, they like it on their own terms. Slippers instead of shoes, and undies instead of chinos. Search bars instead of escalators. No queuing. No witnessing customers moaning. No being ignored by disinterested staff who have had a huge Friday night and are nursing a hangover so deep it has settled from the top of their head into their jawbone, and no, they couldn’t be arsed to show you where the frosted flakes are.
None of that.
So, what will malls become?
They’re too big to be charming. Too generic to be local. Too slow to beat the algorithm. Some might adapt, perhaps becoming lifestyle nodes or experience hubs. However, popular opinion suggests that over time, most will simply continue to slide into irrelevance.
And yet, we still feel nostalgic for the idea of them. The food court trays. The free samples. The moment of human connection when someone handed you a bag and showed you, as a customer, an iota of respect.
But nostalgia doesn’t pay rent.
We don’t actually need malls anymore. Not really. Not in a world where convenience wins and madding crowds are optional. We might miss the memory of them, but not the function. That’s already been outsourced.
The malls won’t vanish. We’ll just stop needing them. And barely notice when they leave.
Readers, feel free to comment.
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Further reading – 12 reasons why visiting East London is basically tourism self-harm.
Kouga – Kouga Local Municipality’s budget for the 2025/2026 financial year was officially tabled and adopted by Council on Thursday, 29 May 2025, during a virtual Council meeting.
The budget, which comes into effect on 1 July 2025, amounts to a total of R1.845 billion, including both operational and capital budgets.
Despite economic pressures, including rising bulk electricity costs and infrastructure demands, the municipality remains committed to delivering services efficiently and sustainably.
“We are proud to present a budget that prioritises service delivery and infrastructure development, while also remaining sensitive to the financial pressures our residents face,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman. “Through careful planning and efficient financial management, we are able to continue investing in our communities and supporting our most vulnerable residents.
“The Integrated Development Plan (IDP), approved by Council today, directly informs the municipal budget and Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP),” said Bornman. “This alignment ensures that community priorities are not only recognised but actively implemented.
“More than just numbers, the budget serves as a blueprint for meaningful impact — driven by our shared vision of progress, equity, and service excellence. We thank our residents for their valuable input in shaping the IDP.
“The needs outlined in our IDP far exceed the resources available within our current budget. As a result, Council must prioritise critical and urgent infrastructure upgrades to ensure we keep pace with the rapid growth of our towns.”
The municipality’s total operating revenue for the 2025/2026 financial year has increased by 7.83%, or approximately R106.6 million, when compared to the 2024/25 Adjustments Budget.
The total operating expenditure for 2025/2026 is projected at R1.581 billion, representing an 8.31% increase from the previous year’s adjusted budget. This results in a budgeted deficit of R112.431 million for the current financial year.
“The deficit is mainly due to depreciation – a non-cash cost – that is not fully funded in the budget, said Bornman. “For 2025/2026, depreciation is budgeted at R144 million, with a shortfall of R112 million.
“Treasury regularly reviews the adjustment and final budgets, and in recent years, they have been deemed funded. The current budget tabled to Council is also funded.
“The municipality is committed to reducing the deficit within the next three to five years and move towards a zero-based budget. In 2023, Council approved a Long-Term Financial Plan to give critical guidelines to our financial sustainability.”
Key cost drivers within the 2025/2026 operating budget include employee-related costs, which account for 33.22% of total expenditure, followed by bulk electricity purchases at 27.89%. Other significant expenditure items include contracted services (9.03%), depreciation (9.01%), inventory consumed (7.24%), general operational costs (6.43%), and debt impairment (4.12%).
The operating budget is primarily funded through revenue generated from service charges — including electricity, water, sanitation, refuse removal, and environmental management fees — which collectively account for 51.84% of income. Property rates contribute 20.73%, while grants and subsidies from National and Provincial Government comprise 14.62% of the total funding.
The capital budget of R 265,462 million for 2025/2026 is R 5,708 million or 2.2% more than the 2024/2025 Adjustments Budget.
“The municipality has secured a R200 million loan from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to upgrade roads across the region, with the project set to pick up speed in the new financial year,” said Bornman.
“The capital budget also supports the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP), which funds important infrastructure upgrades to improve living conditions of residents living in informal settlements.
“Future budgets will depend on extra funding from grants, loans, or internal savings.”
To balance affordability and sustainability of services and infrastructure, the following moderate tariff increases are to take effect from 1 July 2025:
“With NERSA determining electricity tariffs, the cost of bulk electricity has increased by 6.69%. An extra R27.66 million compared to the 2024/2025 adjustment budget,” said Bornman. “This means nearly 28% of the municipality’s total operating budget for 2025/2026 will go toward electricity. The increase is based on NERSA’s approval of an 11.32% hike in bulk electricity prices.
“The municipality launched a petition against the proposed 40% electricity tariff increase by NERSA. This was signed by more than 7 000 residents. We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who supported the initiative. The approved 11% increase remains substantial. However, we are pleased that the collective effort helped significantly reduce the initially proposed hike.”
In a bid to become more self-reliant in electricity generation, the municipality has allocated R25 million for battery storage infrastructure. This to support its Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) project. A strategic initiative aimed at reducing reliance on Eskom, stabilising local electricity supply, integrating renewable energy. Also, improving energy security during load shedding.
“This forward-thinking investment positions Kouga as a provincial leader in energy innovation. It underscores our commitment to building a sustainable, future-ready municipality,” said Bornman.
Furthermore, an additional R20 million has been earmarked for the project’s rollout over the next two financial years. This alongside R4.7 million for the electrification of 1 250 Ocean View households. Also, over R6 million for the installation of high-mast lighting in informal settlements.
“Similarly, our water tariff remains directly linked to the increases implemented by the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
“We have taken a balanced approach to tariff adjustments, ensuring minimal impact on households. This while securing sufficient revenue to maintain and improve essential services.”
“We are investing heavily in infrastructure to unlock economic opportunities and create capacity needed for the future growth of our towns,” said Bornman.
Some of the major capital projects include, but are not limited to:
In addition to investing in critical infrastructure, the municipality remains committed to supporting its most vulnerable residents through a range of targeted relief measures. This includes:
In addition to property rate relief, the municipality also provides a range of monthly service subsidies to registered indigent households, helping to ensure access to basic services for those who need it most. The qualifying criteria to receive these subsidies are set by National Government.
This includes:
“This budget reflects our vision of a growing and inclusive municipality – one where services reach every household and no one is left behind,” said Bornman.
“We thank our residents for their unwavering trust in the municipality to manage public funds responsibly and use them effectively to uplift and benefit our communities.”
For more information on the 2025/26 Budget, visit www.kouga.gov.za.
Read more: Kouga celebrates local environmental champions with inaugural community awards launch 29 May 2025
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