Pam Golding King & Queen of the Kromme 2026 Crowned

by SFT | Apr 8, 2026 | St Francis

by Richard Arderne

The Pam Golding KING & QUEEN OF THE KROMME 2026 are Jade Wilson and Andy Birkett.

For paddlers, Jade and Andy are household names.

For others, rest assured, these are two of the top paddlers on this planet.

As the sponsor, it’s wonderful to have them win the trophies.

Pam Golding Queen and King of the Kromme 2026, Jade Wilson and Andy Birkett, with Richard Arderne, Pam Golding franchisee

Star-Studded Field

It wasn’t easy for Andy, with eight men, including the famous Mocke brothers, all capable of winning the 20km Long Course.

Also not easy for Jade, with two other world-class ladies breathing down her neck.

Last year’s Queen of the Kromme, Nix Birkett, was a close second, with two-time earlier Queen, Chloë Bunnett, taking the bronze.

In the men’s race, it was the two Plett youngsters who put Andy under pressure at the end, rather than local ace Phil Smith and the Mocke brothers, or Dawid’s son Sam.

Liam Stephenson, only 16, and Matt Coetzer, recently turned 19, took second and third. Liam was in contention until the end through a clever portage, but then delayed because he nearly missed the final buoy.

This pressure resulted in Andy, now a St Francis local, having to break his own record, with a new remarkable record time of 1hr 21min for 20km.

Can you believe there was another slightly older, unrelated Matt Coetzer from Cape Town in fourth place?

Other notable performances in the long course were Brendon Thompson, over 60, just behind the first eight, then new local Dale Houzet, followed by the youngest paddler, under 14-year-old Jack Moore, with the oldest, the first over 65, legend Pete King.

Then perennial top East Cape paddler Kirstin Scott, relatively new but super enthusiastic Warren Knezovich, and then very experienced Neil Barrow.

Jade and Andy now join Jasper Mocke with three titles.

Conditions on the Day

What a beautiful sunny day it was, with just a very gentle westerly to cool us a bit, helping us on the way back with the outgoing tide.

The tide wasn’t too low on the way up, but rather low on the way back, making for some tricky decisions on the best route.

There were also a few doubles, who were very welcome, but it’s primarily a singles race, with no prizes for the doubles, nor for the one ladies K3.

The Short Course

There was also a well-attended 12km short course, won by Jack’s and Josh’s father, local James Moore, ahead of still slightly injured local Gordie Spalding, and local waterman Jaco Prins, with his wife Janine, the first lady.

And fast under 12, Jake Knezovich was the first under 18.

It was great to see so many intermediate locals paddling this race, some for the first time, braving the passing speedboats on Easter Saturday.

Thanks

Thanks so much to the timekeepers. Not an easy task.

Thanks to the braaiers and other organisers. They know who they are.

Thanks to our safety boat drivers, Ralph and Alex Alberts.

Thanks also to all the paddlers, their families and supporters, and to everyone else who came along to watch.

Red Tape

It’s no longer like 20 years ago, when I started organising races here, when I made the coffee and most other things, with Pete King.

Red tape didn’t exist back then. Now there are municipal and other approvals, an ambulance, and, sadly but understandably, all paddlers have to be registered with Paddling South Africa.

My Own Race

I decided to paddle the short course so that I could watch and video the world’s best paddlers finish the long course.

So with my paddling partner for the last few months, Pete Mitch, in the back, we set off in the rather shallow water for the first 1km, with singles Pete King and Jack Moore riding our slip.

To our dismay, we saw Ricky Talevi and his nine-year-old son, also paddling the short course, with the bunch, too far ahead for us to catch up to, so our chances of being the first boat home were scuppered.

But Ricky didn’t attend the race briefing and missed the turn mark.

So we took the lead.

But disaster struck when wily James Moore took a clever shortcut, keeping left after the big bridge, with 2km to go, whilst we took the safer but slower deeper route.

And he pipped us rather easily. His careful pre-race research had paid off.

The Next Race

Our next race is in July, the Pam Golding Canals Doubles Winter Challenge.

Kouga strengthens water security with revised Drought Mitigation Plan

by Craig Jarvis | Apr 8, 2026 | St Francis

KOUGA – Kouga Local Municipality has taken a decisive step to safeguard its water future, with Council approving a revised Drought Mitigation Plan while intensifying water restrictions and conservation measures across the region.

The updated plan responds to ongoing operational challenges and follows the declaration of the current drought as a disaster by the National Disaster Management Centre on 31 January 2026.

It builds on interventions introduced since the 2021 drought plan and is aimed at strengthening water security, improving risk management, and aligning mitigation strategies with the municipality’s current capacity and long-term objectives.

Key interventions outlined in the plan include the development and expansion of groundwater sources, rehabilitation of existing boreholes, upgrades to water treatment works, enhanced leak detection and monitoring, and the implementation of emergency water carting where necessary. Priority areas identified for intervention include Patensie, Hankey, Loerie, Thornhill, Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, and St Francis Bay.

The plan also places strong emphasis on public awareness, water conservation, and demand management to reduce pressure on potable water supplies. Funding requirements for the implementation of these measures are estimated at R36.2 million, primarily directed towards infrastructure upgrades, groundwater development, and securing emergency supply.

Kouga Speaker, Lorraine Maree, said the approval of the revised plan marked an important milestone in the municipality’s response to ongoing drought conditions. “The revised Drought Mitigation Plan is a vital step in ensuring that our communities continue to have access to safe and reliable water, even during challenging conditions. It reflects Council’s commitment to proactive planning, sustainable resource management, and the well-being of every resident in Kouga,” she said.

In parallel with the adoption of the plan, Kouga has intensified water restrictions following directives from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) affecting allocations from the Kouga, Churchill, and Impofu dams. Although these restrictions are still pending publication in the Government Gazette, they have been in effect since 1 November 2025.

The prolonged drought in the Eastern Cape has significantly reduced dam levels, with combined storage currently at 40.11%. To manage the constrained supply, a 10% restriction has been imposed on domestic allocations from the Kouga Dam, while a 25% restriction applies to domestic allocations from the Kromme system, which includes the Churchill and Impofu dams. Should storage levels in the Kromme system fall below 35%, Part C tariffs will be implemented.

The municipality is also rolling out an intensified public awareness campaign to encourage responsible water use. Residents are being urged to adopt water-saving practices and avoid excessive consumption.

Strict monitoring and enforcement of restrictions will continue as the municipality works to protect its limited water resources. Residents are encouraged to play their part in conserving water while Kouga explores additional supply options to mitigate the impact of the ongoing drought.