THE roadshow of South Africa's very own astronaut, Mark Shuttleworth, hit Paarl on Friday with a bang.

Mark, MC "Sky 189", DJ Hamma, the Mad Professor Carl and the Hip2B² team had pupils from local schools all fired up to take an interest in science and dream again with their energy and vibe road show "Formula for Success".

The enthusiastic Mark guided onlookers through his space adventure, after which Prof Carl Ahlers dazzled spectators with his scientific antics.

Scratch DJ Hamma provided the beats throughout the show and "Sky 189" the atmosphere, as well as a graffiti art extravaganza.

Mark, who studied business at UCT and whose space travelling dreams were inspired by reading and the space movie "The Right Stuff", connected with the children and also moved between them when answering their questions.

His future plans include completing the Roadshow and then a possible African adventure.

Hip2B² is made possible by Interactive Africa of which former New Orleans Secondary pupil, Dale Cupido, is the sports project manager.

"Afronaut" Shuttleworth inspired the students with the way he has placed South Africa on the map in terms of technological progress.

NETJIES ingeryg en kleurvol staan die rye, rye HOP-huisies in Groenheuwel, Paarl, se Projek 59 (fase 3).

Oral is bouwerk nog aan die gang en hope stene, sement en pype lê gestrooi. Net een ding kort - daar is geen straatligte en geen oorhoofse kragdrade nie.

"Ons gebruik maar paraffienlampe en -stowe, niemand het gesê wanneer ons krag sal kry nie," is een vrou se gelate opmerking.

Die behuisingsprojek bestaan uit 'n totaal van 1354 huise. Die projek het reeds in 2000 begin.

Die inwoners van Fase 1, met 173 huise en Fase 2 met 266 huise het ingetrek sonder enige elektrisiteitsprobleme.

Fase 3, met 399 eenhede, is nou in aanbou en dit is hier waar die krag-gogga sy kop uitgesteek het.

In 'n verslag voor die stadsraad se Behuisingskomitee word gemeld dat aansoek vir die voorsiening van elektrisiteit in behuisingsprojekte deur die Hoof van Elektriese Dienste by die staat se Nasionale Elektrisiteitsreguleerder (NER) ingedien is.

Aangesien hierdie geld deesdae eers geëis mag word wanneer bostrukture voltooi is, moet oorbruggingsfinansiering vir die voorsiening van die hooflyn-elektrisiteit en dienste-aansluitings deur die Munisipaliteit verskaf word.

Die Hoof van Elektriese Dienste, Jan Coetzee, het bevestig dat aansoek vir NER fondse ingedien is en dat aansoek by die Hoof van Finansiële Dienste (Hennie Barnard) gedoen is vir oorbruggingsfinansiering. Daar is egter nie daarvoor begroot nie.

Verskeie raadslede het ook melding gemaak van probleme wat kopers met hul nuwe huise ondervind.

Daar is verwys na gevalle waar huise laer as straatvlak geleë is en oorstroom word. 'n Versoek is gerig dat daar gekyk word of die tegniese vereistes nagekom is.

Raadslede is gevra om alle probleme met topstrukture by die Munisipaliteit aan te meld.

Inspeksies sal uitgevoer word na gebreke met topstrukture. Die kwessie sal dan met die ontwikkelingsagent opgeneem word, of by projekvergaderings bespreek word.

* Houses in the new RDP housing project in Paarl have been erected without access to electricity.

PAARL photographer Johan Dempers is eager to continue his exploration of the Amazon, despite a narrow escape at the hands of an Indian tribe.

Dempers (33), with colleague Joe Brooks (64) from Somerset West, was rescued by Brazilian police after being kidnapped by Indians.

"I am ready to continue what we set out to do," Dempers told his friend, Marilee Potgieter, in Paarl this week.

"As soon as Brooks has recovered fully, we will be on our way again."

Dempers and Brooks - aerial and wildlife photographers respectively - have been on a sponsored expedition to photograph the Jurua River, a little known tributary of the Amazon, for the past two months.   

Determined to do no harm to the environment, they were travelling in a canoe that they paddled themselves.

The police later told them that their route was one much used by cocaine smugglers.   

They were travelling downriver from Peru to Brazil, their destination the town of Thaumaturgo, to get medical attention for insect bites that had gone septic.    

On August 28 they were intercepted by a party of Ashenika Indians in a motorised canoe. The Indians were unarmed, except for one with a bow and arrow.

They tied the South Africans' canoe to theirs, and towed them to their village. Dempers and Brooks decided not to resist.

Once there, they were held for six days. Dempers said they were stared at by both children and adults much of the time.    

Dempers said the Indians spoke some Portuguese, which was how Brooks was able to communicate with them.

The South Africans were fed local food, but received no medical attention until the third day, when a woman arrived with a western-style first aid kit.    

Dempers said he had 28 open sores from the insect bites.

They had considered trying to steal one of the Indians' canoes to escape in, but decided against it.

He said there are no roads in the jungle: "The river is the road."   

Later on the third day of their captivity, the Indians said they would take them down the river to Thaumaturgo in a canoe of their own, but they changed their minds, and said the South Africans could not leave.   

Word of the photographers' plight reached the police in Thaumaturgo, who arrived by boat on September 3 and freed them.

They were taken to Thaumaturgo, and then flown to Cruzeiro do Sol for medical treatment.  

The Indians kept the photographers' canoe and a tape recorder, but the South Africans were able to retain the rest of their equipment.

"Their main problem now is having to obtain another canoe," Marilee said yesterday.

"It is all so primitive. You cannot just draw money with your creditcard. But at least there is a telephone, and I was able to speak to Johan."

The adventurers hope to achieve their goal and then fly out of Sao Paolo on December 1, as originally planned.'

PLAASLIKE sakelui en ander belanghebbendes het nog tot môre kans om besware by die Drakenstein Munisipaliteit in te dien teen die beoogde N1 Parkways Tolpad.

Die Munisipaliteit tree as fasiliteerder op om besware en voorleggings saam te voeg en aan die betrokke owerhede voor te lê. Die adres is Tolpad-besware, Posbus 12, Paarl 7620.

'n Woordvoerder van die Munisipaliteit het gevra dat individue en maatskappye gemotiveerde besware aan hulle moet stuur voor 15 September. Waar moontlik moet daar ook van amptelike briefhoofde gebruik gemaak word.

Sakelui en pendelaars in die Vallei se sakke gaan waarskynlik geruk word as die projek voortgaan.

Heelwat pendelaars maak daagliks gebruik van die N1 tussen Paarl en Kaapstad. Gereken teen dieselfde tarief as die Hugenote Tonnel (R15) sal 'n persoon wat vyf dae per week werk toe en terug moet ry, R600 per maand of R7200 per jaar moet opdok.

'n Koerierdiens wat gemiddeld tien keer per dag Kaap toe en terug ry, sal tolgeld van R72 000 per jaar uit die sak gejaag word.

Hoe groter, hoe duurder natuurlik en dit is wanneer 'n mens na die swaar vragmotors kyk wat jy die werklike finansiële impak besef.

Een van die groot, plaaslike vervoermaatskappye maak sowat 500 keer per week van die N1 gebruik. Teen die huidige tarief van R96 by die Hugenote tolhek, en sonder enige afslag, kom dit te staan op R48 000 per week, of R2,5 miljoen per jaar.

Intussen gaan die beplanning vir die projek volstoom voort en daar word gemeen dat die voorlopige omgewingsimpakverslag in September beskikbaar sal wees vir openbare insae. Daar sal ook openbare vergaderings plaasvind.

* Opportunity to submit objections against the proposed N1 toll road to Drakenstein Municipality ends tomorrow.

HY het eers gedink dis 'n grap, toe 'n man vir hom sê: 'Mr Allie, this is a robbery.'

Ebrahim Allie, bekende sakeman van Huguenot, het Maandag kort na oopmaaktyd tussen kruideniersrakke gebuk om 'n pak beskuit op te tel.

Dis toe dat hy die paar skoene van 'n rower voor hom sien.

"Mr Allie, I am not playing the fool. This is a robbery."

En toe was die loop van 'n pistool teen Allie se regterslaap.

Daar was vier gewapende mans tussen die klante om 07:15 in Huguenot Fruit Supply and Supermarket in Jan van Riebeeckweg.

"Ek het die ander drie rowers gesien en besef dit is wel so. Daarom het ek onmiddellik na die kluis in die kantoor begin stap."

Twee rowers het hom en 'n assistent voor hulle uitgedruk, terwyl die ander twee die deure toegedruk en daarna klante en werknemers agter na die winkel aangejaag het.

"Daar was 'n oomblik toe ek gedink het dis verby, toe ek my hand onder my baadjie druk om die kluis se sleutel uit te haal," vertel Allie.

"Hulle het gedink ek haal 'n vuurwapen uit en druk toe 'n pistool met 'n baie lang loop, hard teen my kop. Ek het vinnig verduidelik dis net die sleutels."

Die rowers was nie met sowat R70 000 tevrede nie, en het 'n bottel petrol oor Allie en sy medewerkers uitgegooi. Met 'n aansteker in die hand, het die rowers nog geld geëis.

Daar was nie meer geld nie, en die rowers het uiteindelik die supermarkeienaar geglo en met hul buit ontsnap.

Insp Henry Hansen van die Paarl-Oos Speurtak (807-4000) ondersoek die saak.

* A Paarl shopkeeper was held up and terrorised by robbers.

A LITTLE girl (6) is being treated in Paarl Hospital for serious injuries after being raped on Saturday.

She had been playing on the Mbekweni soccer field at 11:45 that morning when a man offered her a packet of chips.

Hundreds of people watched the day's sports games as the little girl was dragged away and raped behind the field.

When the child arrived back at her parents' home in White City, her mother tried to comfort the crying child. It was then that she realised that her daughter was bleeding profusely.

The mother went in search of her husband and together they reported the incident at the police station.

While policemen and members of the public launched a search for the suspect, Sgt Jerome Steenkamp rushed the girl and her parents to Paarl Hospital.

Anyone with information regarding the rapist, a tall man with a beard, can contact Insp Steenkamp at Mbekweni 868-3036.

* A four-month-old girl was freed from the hands of a suspected rapist in Wellington on Friday.

The baby's mother had taken a nap while her baby slept in another room in their home in the OR informal settlement. Also in the house was her 24-year-old cousin.

She awoke from her daughter's screams and found the little girl's clothes and nappy discarded.

She grabbed her daughter from the suspect and ran for help. The baby was treated for injuries to her private parts.

Siyabulela Mdabula (24) was arrested by police shortly after the incident. He was charged with attempted rape and remains in custody.

A TEENAGE boy was shot dead and a young girl seriously wounded outside a shebeen in Smartietown, Paarl East, at the weekend.

The shooting occurred outside the Klein Bongi's shebeen in Barbara Crescent on Friday night.

Vujani Mjikwa (16) of Santana Street, Milkytown, had allegedly been involved in an argument shortly before he walked back into the shebeen.

The suspect followed him, and allegedly fired wildly at Vujani. He bled to death on the floor of the shebeen. During the shooting a 14-year-old girl, Mavis Leva of Schoongezicht farm, was wounded in the chest. She was rushed to hospital.

Paarl East police combed the area, but the suspect, Oscar Domingo (24) of 21 Candice Street, Smartietown, had fled.

The investigating officer, Insp Lydia du Plessis, learnt on Monday that a man fitting his description had been arrested by Franschhoek police on Saturday night.

He had been detained for possession of an unlicensed firearm after a report of an attempted shooting at the Wemmershoek Sawmill outside Franschhoek. Mavis was released from hospital on Tuesday, Insp du Plessis said Domingo, who has a record of assault and theft, remains in custody.

Witnesses can contact Insp L du Plessis 807-4000.