Notes From The Editor – Where Are We Going?

by Craig Jarvis | Jun 21, 2022 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis

So while the water crisis is an absolute certainty now, the load-shedding is back and is set to ramp up to Level 6 before we know it. The fuel price has risen incredibly, with many bigger vehicles costing about R2k to fill a tank. Additionally, our local airlines are being put to sleep, prices are again up, and availability is down.

So what’s good out there? What can we celebrate?

Well, we have passed the longest night and the shortest day of the year, and now every day will move into daylight a few seconds earlier than the day before.

Also, with these rising fuel and food prices, we have seen fewer people around than the recent norms. This is both a blessing and a curse. Local restaurants and hospitality industries desperately need customers. Still, many residents like to keep quiet about our little piece of paradise.

The accelerated growth in and around the village has been impressive. All builds seem to be on a slightly faster trajectory than the Sand River Bridge project (remember that?). However, there is still lots of development to come.

Will there be enough water and electricity to support these developments? Again, the answer is yes, with the new projects all boasting borehole water projects and rain catchment Jojo tank systems, and solar energy systems to support the estates. So these developments should be fine.

However, currently, not everyone has the ways and means to catch water or store electricity.
Many people who have retired to our village live in thatch houses with no way of catching run-off and no access to boreholes. Others cannot afford the outlay of solar panels and batteries. These people, and others less fortunate, are going to need help.

There will be much intervention from a government level, and water will be bussed in (and out) of areas in Kouga soon, depending on availability.

Just please make sure about the people who live in your bubble. or who you are close to. If you can share any water with those in need, please do. If you can help people who will be in darkness during load-shedding somehow, they will be most appreciative.

We’ll have to weather the long, dark winter of the soul, but we’re in this together.

Notes From The Editor – Day Zero and Load Shedding Stage 3

by Craig Jarvis | May 15, 2022 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis

This water crisis has done one thing – it has seen people make a plan. Granted, some people blame – and there really are people to hold responsible – but eventually, we have seen common sense prevail.

There were possibly mistakes made and missed opportunities concerning borehole water and natural springs, and other water sources, but it is too late for that now. All that will have to come into play later. It is now the time to make a plan. When the taps run dry – and they will unless a miraculous train of cut-off lows starts lining up one after another – it will not help you or your family to point the finger at anyone.

The prudent thing to do right now would be to get any sort of vessel for catching water. While it might change quickly, the forecast is that we will have some rain in St Francis Bay towards the end of the week, and it might be enough for us to stash enough water for a couple of weeks. 

Start off with a small tank – a 1,000 litre – and start collecting water. Then, invest in a small water filter to make the water drinkable. Learn more and research water harvesting if you haven’t already. There is a wealth of information on the Buildit website regarding water harvesting and their Big Blue Filtration Systems.

When the rains come on Thursday, and possibly into Friday, it could be the last gasp opportunity to save water that will get us through the first few days of the impending Day Zero scenario. It will be a challenge for us all – whether at home or in a business environment – to have no water available in our taps, and we need to do what we can. 

Now we need to work on a program to keep the lights on. Any ideas?

See also:

How to efficiently secure your water supply – It’s Important.

Tool Time with Buildit St Francis – Water Storage For Health and Hygiene.

Interview With The Weather Guru – Garth Sampson’s biggest fear right now is a flood.

Notes From The Editor – read this first

by Craig Jarvis | Apr 19, 2022 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis

© Barry Culligan

We’re Back

After a quick two-week break that felt like two days, St Francis Today is back online. 

We have listened to loads of advice and input over the last two weeks. Thanks to all those who reached out and gave us your thoughts. 

There are some slight changes to St Francis Today that you will start noting over the next few days and weeks. 

Firstly, everyone is asking for more local content, so there will be more local content going forward. If any reader has local content or any sports organisation has upcoming events or event results, please feel free to send us a mail with details. If anyone has something else that is local that they would like covered, a quick heads-up mail would be appreciated.

Secondly, people are asking for less of the depressing kind of news, and this we couldn’t agree on more. The Zuma, Gupta and Magashule headlines get the most clicks, but that is not really the point, is it? If people are online and want to find out how our country is doing, they know where to find out. So St Francis Today will cut back on the news about corruption, national crime and ugly politics. We will also cut back on the news about how terribly Eskom is doing because we all know how to find out about load shedding. (Clue: eskomsepush app on your phone). 

Thirdly, more good news, please. We’re into this school of thought as well. There is much to celebrate in our village, and there is much positivity happening each day. St Francis College is rocking. The new issue of The West Wind is live, the Appeal Against Authorisation For Our Long-Term Coastal Protection Scheme has been dismissed, we have a new King and Queen Of The Kromme, and our local surfers are winning events. It’s all happening out there. 

This is what we wish to report to the village. So once again, if you have anything that you would like to see published or tell us all about, feel free to contact us. Use email, Messenger, Whatsapp, Insta DM, Twitter, SMS or any other line of communication. You could even phone.   

We’re also going to be publishing less frequently. Some of the feedback was that there was too much communication, too much information, and too much news. So we will be publishing fewer newsletters, but hopefully with better content.

The Editor

KOUGA SUPPORTS SOUP KITCHENS

by Craig Jarvis | Mar 24, 2022 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis

Kouga Municipality, in conjunction with IFX Brokers Holdings in Jeffreys Bay, recently donated much-needed food items to four soup kitchens in Humansdorp: Chillatude in Vergenoeg, Nita and Relton Willing Hands in Arcadia, Flippie and Marlene’s Feeding Hands in 7de Laan, and Emmanuel Community Project in Maak-`n-Las.

These soup kitchens will be supported for the next three months in order to get them on their feet and sustainable. Equipment, including gas stoves and tables, will be delivered in the month of April, while two more soup kitchens will be identified to benefit from the programme in April.

Pictured are Kouga Special Programmes Unit Coordinator, Elvina Felix, IFX Brokers Holdings Marketing Administrator, Ané Wepener, Vernita Potgieter from Nita and Relton Willing Hands, Manager of the Office of the Mayor and Speaker, Anene Jonck, and Amor Hendricks.