A MEETING to launch a campaign against the proposed tolling of the N1 route to Cape Town will be held at the German Club in Klein Parys, Paarl, on Tuesday afternoon at 16:30.

According to organiser Dagmar Hamp, residents of Paarl and Wellington who commute to Cape Town can expect to pay at least R20 a day in toll fees if a toll plaza is erected on the N1 near Kraaifontein.

This will negatively affect businesses dependent on the N1, which could lead to job losses.

"It is expected that the toll tariffs will drive up the price of food and commodities due to increased transport costs which will especially impact on the fruit industry of the Boland.

"The toll tariff at present prices is expected to be about R10 at the Joostenberg Vlakte plaza. This means that commuters from Paarl can expect to pay a minimum of R400 a month at current prices to travel to Cape Town for work using the highway," says Hamp.

"Add to that the R14 at Du Toit's Kloof and R20 at the proposed toll plaza at Sandhills (south of De Doorns) and visitors from the north would have to pay about R35 to reach the Western Cape.

"Back roads could also suffer from increased traffic by those trying to avoid paying toll. Such roads are the Franschhoek Pass (to avoid the N2 toll plaza), Agter Paarl, Bottelary and the Durbanville-Wellington route."

Dagmar Hamp can be contacted at 863-2466. To register as an interested and affected party, contact Nomi Muthialu and Associates on 0800-005-668 or e-mail nmacpt@global.co.za.

'n TIENERSEUN van Paarl-Oos is sy lewe te danke aan 'n motorwerktuigkundige wat sy duim in die gapende wond aan die seun se nek gedruk en so die bloedvloei gestuit het.

Kevin Petersen was Sondagoggend verlede week buite sy woning in Magnoliastraat toe hy gesien het hoe seuns op 'n sypaadjie voor 'n woonstelblok stry.

Kevin het die seun dadelik te hulp gesnel en sy duim in die wond gedruk. So met sy hand teen Charl se nek is die twee na die Paarl Hospitaal gebring waar mediese personeel oorgeneem het.

Charl is met 'n bloedoortapping gestabiliseer en per ambulans na die Tygerberg Hospitaal geneem waar 'n operasie uitgevoer en hy drie dae lank behandel is.

"Dit was aaklig," het Charl later gesê.

"Ek het gedink ek gaan dood. Was dit nie vir Kevin nie, het ek nie vandag gelewe nie."

* A Paarl teenager's life was saved when a bystander pressed his thumb to the gaping knifewound in his neck.

THE Drakenstein Municipality would rather block development than encourage it. In fact, if the Planning Department could administer the death sentence, Paarl would have a shrinking population.

This accusation levelled at the municipal planning department, was one of many complaints aired at the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) area meeting for Paarl in the town hall on Thursday night.

The meeting was one of six held last week to elect area committees which will constitute the Representative Forum for Integrated Development Planning.

The Forum will advise the Drakenstein Municipal Council on its budget planning in future.

But budget planning was far from the minds of the 40 people (including four councillors) who attended the Paarl meeting. Instead it was an opportunity to complain about the lack of support for development and job creation in Paarl.

Said architect Johan Malherbe: "Paarl does not have a development strategy. All planning decisions are taken in an ad hoc manner, depending on public opinion.

"Past planning has been based on promotion of the agricultural industry. If anyone comes to Paarl to ask about development opportunities, the Municipality cannot help them. There is no forum to promote economical development - only parking requirements and regulations.

"The Tygerberg Municipality is prepared to meet developers rand for rand. But in Paarl, despite our beautiful environment and deserving residents, there is no encouragement for development which could create jobs - only envy and harrassment," said Malherbe.

His concerns were echoed by lawyer Lloyd Fortuin, who attended the meeting as representative of school parent bodies.

"Paarl has lost many jobs during the past few years, especially in the fruit canning industry.

"We must create conditions for people to want to do business here. We must have a municipal council which is 'friendly' to business and industry."

"Instead, the planning department would rather block progress. If it were able to administer the death sentence, Paarl's population would be shrinking," said Fortuin of the municipal department which has had three heads in the last two years.

Representatives of the sports sector also had complaints about poor planning in Paarl.

"We have a great need for sports facilities. The Kraal sportsfield in Huguenot has been standing empty for decades now, but if one enquires at the planning department as to the future plans for this land, no-one can tell you anything."

Asked another member of the community, Sharon Davids, "What is the Municipality doing to encourage job creation and skills development for those who have lost their jobs? The deterioration is visible in the rise of crime, especially among the youth."

Added Zelda Fortuin on behalf of the health sector: "Crime prevention goes hand in hand with social development. We need jobs and we need funding to address the alcohol and drug abuse which causes our hospitals to be inundated with the victims of violence over weekends."

At the conclusion of the meeting municipal manager Jacques Carstens said that he was "optimistic" that the IDP process would promote co-operation and communication between residents and the Municipality.

The newly formed IDP Representative Forum consists of six area committees (Paarl, Wellington, Gouda, Hermon, Saron and Rural) of at least six members each.

It will advise the Municipal Council on priorities for the budget, focusing on economic development, social development, infrastructure, environment as well as safety and security.

For enquiries, contact municipal IDP manager Stiaan Carstens on 807-6218 or idp@drakenstein.gov.za.

BOERE in die Stellenbosse munisipale gebied, insluitend dié by Franschhoek, sal van 1 Julie moet opdok om 'n tussentydse eiendomsheffing te betaal, hoewel die amptelike waardasie in landelike gebiede nog nie afgehandel is nie.

Hierdie stap is genoodsaak, omdat munisipaliteite reeds sekere pligte van distriksrade in die landelike gebiede oorgeneem het, asook die personeel wat daarby betrokke is.

Hoewel die Boland Distriksraad tot dusver hierdie koste gedra het (in Stellenbosch se geval beloop dit sowat R6 miljoen in die huidige boekjaar) is daar geen versekering dat dit na 1 Julie steeds die geval sal wees nie.

Gevolglik het die Stellenbosse munisipale raad op 29 Januarie 'n konsepverordening in beginsel goedgekeur, wat die weg baan vir die heffing van belastings in die landelike gebiede.

Die voorgestelde verordening word nou geadverteer vir insette/kommentaar deur die publiek.

Tydens 'n onlangse inligtingsvergadering met landbouorganisasies soos die Franschhoek Boerevereniging, Vignerons de Franschhoek en Stellenbosch Wingerde het Piet Smit, voormalige stadsklerk van Franschhoek en nou verantwoordelik vir Transformasie-aangeleenthede by Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit, verduidelik dat onafhanklike waardeerders 'n voorlopige waardasielys sal optrek.

Eienaars wat nie tevrede is met die waardasie van hul eiendom nie, sal geleentheid kry om 'n eie gewone waardasie (opgestel in terme van die nuwe kapitaalwinswetgewing) aan die Raad te bied wat dan as basis gebruik sou word.

Sou 'n finale waardasierol in die komende boekjaar afgehandel word, sal dit die oorgangsheffing vervang, terugwerkend vanaf 1 Julie. Enige oor- of onderbetalings sal dus reggestel word.

Landelike waardasies sluit die waarde van die woonhuis in, maar nie geboue soos wynkelders of arbeidershuise nie. Restaurante en gastehuise op plase word volgens besigheidstarief aangeslaan. Vir navrae, skakel Smit by 808-8146.

Landelike heffings moet volgens wet teen 2003 deur alle munisipaliteite ingestel word.

In die Drakenstein munisipale gebied is die tender vir die algemene waardasie vir landelike gebiede reeds toegeken vir implementering in Julie 2003.

Die databasis sal volgende maand deur die waardeerder beskikbaar gestel word sodat die aantal grondeienaars in die gebied bepaal kan word.

Die moontlikheid dat 'n tussentydse heffing reeds van 1 Julie vanjaar ingestel kan word, sal daarna in die Raadsvergadering bespreek word.

Volgens Erik Marais, 'n eiendomswaardeerder, sal die eiendomsheffings na verwagting distriksraadsheffings vervang, en die landboubedryf so meer inspraak gee in munisipale begrotings.

* A tax on rural property is to be instituted in the Stellenbosch municipal area on 1 July.

THE residents of the White City informal settlement in Mbekweni are picking up the pieces after a devastating fire swept through nearly 100 shacks last week.

Residents, who sought temporary refuge with relatives, are erecting new houses in the ashes.

Noyisoni Vutshane is one of the shack-dwellers that lost all her possessions.

The victims have received support from World Vision South Africa (WVSA). Food parcels, blankets, kitchen utensils, sheets and mattresses were distributed amongs the victims this week, to get them back on their feet again.

"There are children who have lost everything in this fire. We have seen the destruction caused by it. That is why we have undertaken to do whatever we can to help them," said Themba Hlengani, communications manager of WVSA.

Pumla Mgayi, development facilitator of the Area Development Project in Mbekweni, said they were planning on extending their support to the whole of Paarl, depending on the funds available.

"With this project we can support the community with any disaster taking place in the future. We have networked with the Fire and Rescue Services to determine how many families were affected by the fire," she said.

DIE vonnisverrigtinge van Maureen Muller, die Paarlse vrou wat haar man laat vermoor het, is in die Kaapse Hooggeregshof uitgestel tot 15 Maart.

Die vertraging in vonnis, wat reeds twee weke gelede voltrek sou wees, is veroorsaak deur die versoek van Muller se regspan dat 'n sielkundige evaluasie as versagtende getuienis toegelaat moes word.

Ook het haar suster en medebeskuldigde, Faisa Allie, haar regspan afgedank en moes 'n nuwe advokaat aangewys word.

Maureen is skuldig bevind op die aanklag dat sy haar man, Edmund, byna vier jaar gelede met die hulp van haar suster, dié se vriend Marshall Februarie, en 'n medepligtige, Desmond Ortell, laat skiet het.

HE has already sold his farm between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, and if the theft continues, Mike Orpen might just be forced to sell his Simondium fruit farm as well.

While February should be a time of rejoicing on a grape farm, Orpen, like .

"We always had petty theft - a bag here and a bunch there - but over the years it has escalated to the current unbearable situation," Orpen says.

Thieves break through boundary fences and cut through barbed wire to carry crate-loads of grapes to waiting vehicles.

In February 2000 hawkers and accomplices, mostly unemployed men from the Simondium area, stripped bare a block of his vines in three nights.

The thieves had carried off Red Globe export grapes to the value of R120 000, not including the damage to the vines.

Two hawkers from Pniel and three squatters from the vicinity were subsequently traced and apprehended, but set free on bail and are able, as Orpen suspects, to continue their raids. The case is still being prosecuted.

From mid January last year dozens of hawkers made arrangements with unemployed residents of his area, Orpen suspects, and thefts of up to 500kg of top quality grapes occurred every night. By that time Orpen had employed watchmen.

"We made many arrests and held the thieves for the Police. We laid charge after charge, but to no avail, the reason being the difficulty of proving in court that the grapes were actually stolen."

Orpen made enquiries about the feasibility of having the confiscated grapes DNA-matched to that in his vineyards, "but that would have been extremely expensive," he said.

Last year his losses totalled more than R200 000 - the equivalent of 10 000 cartons of grapes.

This year security guards were employed and placed in the main blocks. Coils of razer wire were rolled over boundary fences.

Despite all the expensive efforts a hole was cut in the barbed wire boundary along the Simondium-Klapmuts road on Wednesday night last week.

Orpen lost Red Globe and Waltham Cross to the value of R80 000 in one night. On Thursday Orpen's security guards recognised the same hawkers' vehicles hovering near his boundaries, before they drove on.

"We heard later that neighbourings farms were raided that night and Friday night - not only of grapes, mealies and plums too.

"I do not know how long it will still be worth farming under such conditions," a frustrated Orpen said and added, "We seem to be fair game to the criminals."

After careful planning, Groot Drakenstein Police arrested three men and a woman on Tuesday. They identified the bakkie and trailer with which Orpen's grapes were transported to be sold on the street at only R4 a shopping bag.

Pieter Samuels (47), a Kraaifontein hawker, and unemployed Simondium squatters André Pietersen, Klara Matthews and Daniel Langley, face several charges

THE one moment he was taking cash from the safe and the next moment there was a gun in his side.

Christopher Droomer was at his garage in Wellington on Saturday morning when robbers struck.

"I do not know what would have happened had my daughter been with me," a shocked Droomer said after the traumatic experience.

Marelize (3) usually accompanies her father on Saturday mornings.

Three men had appeared as from nowhere at 07:20 while he was in his office at Protea Motors in Main Street.

While an attendant was gun-pointed, a robber slipped into the office and demanded cash and the keys to Droomer's blue Toyota Camry.

They fled in the car, leaving a stunned Droomer to call the Police.

The car was found abandoned in Dalvie Street, Newton, fifteen minutes later. It had been stripped of its CD player.

Two of the suspects had worn blue overall jackets, the one with a white floppy hat on his head. The third man wore a black V-neck T-shirt.

According to the investigating officer, Insp Johan Coetzee (807-4066), the robbers might have caught a train to Wellington and then arrived at the garage on foot.

OP Wellington is daar 'n paar honderd meisies wat al 'n week lank nie bad nie.

Dit, nadat Loerbroer-wenner Ferdinand Rabie Vrydag die dorp ingeval het en gelate - en soms met tonguithang-lekkerte - sy naam op al wat 'n kaal maag moes teken.

Die Ferdi-aanhangers het in hul hordes by die Wellington stadsaal opgedaag om sy stem te hoor en, soos een meisie gefluister het, "sy lyf lewend" voor haar te sien.

En die Boesman het hulle nie teleurgestel nie. Almal het gejuig toe hy vertel hoe hy met die Engels kon saamleef in Big Brother omdat hy darem so tussen-in die "Afrikaans kon gooi".

Verder het hy nie veel oor die Huis te sê gehad nie, want, soos hy dit stel, "let sleeping horses lie."

Niemand het geweet dat Ferdinand Vrydag eintlik hondsiek was nie, en met baie vitamines en griepkapsules in daardie einste lyf die een na die ander bewonderaar moes omhels.

Wonder wie almal siek was ná die ontmoeting met die Vallei se superster?

Die besoek aan Wellington is gereël deur die nuwe eienaar van Kontiki restaurant, Chris van der Westhuizen.

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