Wednesday 15 December 2004

This site will be updated on 22 December 2004.

Nuus - News

• Moord-swerm takel honde
• Down the drain
• Memorial ceremony in cemetery on Reconciliation Day
• Mayor goes to court
• Ten years celebrated at Drakenstein Prison

'n Byekenner is nader geroep en die bye is verwyder. So was die boom byloos, tot Dinsdag.

'n Swerm bye het dié dag onverwags hul intrek daar geneem en toe werkers dit besef, was die drie honde in die kampie onder die boom oortrek van die bye.

Gerard Frater van die plaas Hou Moed is haastig ontbied. Geklee in 'n byvangerspak het hy die reeds slap Bonkie uit die malende bye-massa getel.

Dié hondjie, en die Bull Mastiff  wat soos 'n besetene op die erf rondgehardloop het, is dadelik na 'n veearts geneem.

Joseph het opgedaag en na sy Bulla begin soek.

Dié het hy honderd meter verder gekry, nadat die hondjie uit die kamp gespring en oor die spoorlyn gevlug het tot in die KWV se wingerd.

Ook Bulla is by die veearts gelaat terwyl Joseph 'n anti-tetanus-inspuiting gekry het  omdat hy in die soektog sy hand in 'n kaktus gedruk het.

Klein Bonkie het dit nie gemaak nie. Hy het waarskynlik 'n allergiese reaksie teen die bye se histamien gehad, het die veearts vir Joseph gesê.

"Dis nie net die verlies aan my hondjie nie, dis die manier waarop hy gesterf het, waaroor ek so hartseer is. Daar was tot bye binne-in sy bek."

Edzard se Bono en Joseph se Bulla was die hele week op 'n drup by die dierehospitaal.

Hulle kon eers huistoe kom  toe die swelling gesak en hulle weer behoorlik op die been was.

"Hulle ore het soos jellie gevoel, en Bono se tong het gelyk asof dit met sigarette gebrand is."

Intussen het Joseph se werkgewer vir hom 'n nuwe Jack Russel-hondjie gegee, 'n woelwater van sewe weke genaamd Tony.

Kenners meen 'n eekhoring kon die bye gesteur het, en dat dit tot die aanval gelei het.

"Nou skrik die honde selfs vir vlieë," sê Joseph.

"Bye is nie meer welkom op die werf nie. Mense moet besef dat bye gevaarlik kan wees vir troeteldiere."

* A swarm of bees attacked three dogs in Paarl, killing one of them.

WITH 60 000 litres of KWV's award-winning Sauvignon Blanc wines down the drain, winemakers there hope the dust will now settle in the cellars.

They want to continue making champion wines, without illegal assistance. They do not want to add to the R1 million loss to the company, should wine need to be destroyed again.

Gideon Theron and Ian Nieuwoud, the two winemakers who were caught with green peppers in their tanks, were rapped on the knuckles and are no longer on the KWV's payroll.

The first indication of an odour in the cellar came in October, with the results of chemical analysis. A month later fingers were pointed at a second lot.

Theron's 2004 Laborie Sauvignon Blanc which was crowned with a national gold at this year's SA Young Wine Show as well as Nieuwoudt's 2004 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve had been tampered with.

That was when KWV's  CEO, Dr Willem Barnard, ordered the launching of an own investigation.

While all other current Sauvignon Blancs were free of flavourants, Nieuwoudt had also been doctoring his 2003 KWV Reserve, a double gold Veritas award winner with a beautiful aroma.

On Thursday last week 65 000 bottles of the 2004 Reserve, already bottled and boxed for the market, was poured back into tanks and  trucked to a rubbish dump.

On Friday the 12 500 litrs ofe Laborie Sauvignon Blanc was pumped from its tank in the cellar amid the KWV farm's lush vineyards along Main Street.

As the wonderful wine swirled into the oil-stained waste container, Laborie employees did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"What a waste," one employee echoed their feelings.

THE first sod for a memorial to honour local youths who laid down their youth, dreams and lives in the struggle against Apartheid, will be turned tomorrow on Reconciliation Day at the Heroes' Acre in Paarl's Parys cemetery.

It is the brainchild of the Khumbula Healing Centre and is supported by Drakenstein Municipality.

According to the organisers, the keynote address will be delivered by the Premier of the Western Cape, Ebrahim Rasool, at 11:00.

The programme starts at 09:00 with the opening and welcome by Mayor Herman Bailey, followed by a prayer and the National Anthem (SAPS choir).

At 09:20 the speeches will start, with Deputy Mayor Anthea Sheldon, Liz Abrahams (former MP) and Mzwandile Petros (Provincial Police Commissioner). This will be followed by the laying of wreaths at 10:00.

Colonel Sindi Mbobo will then read poetry and at 10:20 Mkuseli Jama Matakata (chairperson of Khumbula Healing Centre) will speak on the development of the Heroes' Acre.

At 11:30 the families of fallen heroes will lay stones and at 11:45 the Endurance Brass Band will play the Last Post.

According to the organisers, the ceremony to re-inter the bones of fallen comrades at the Heroes' Acre last weekend, was postponed due to an overwhelming response by relatives of MK and other soldiers that also want their family members who were killed during the Apartheid era awarded the same honour.

Opportunities for the youth

* The Educational Skills Development Lead Employer's Unit of the Department of Labour (ESDLE), Western Cape, will use Reconciliation Day to launch several learnerships to demonstrate how the cultural and historical resources of the province can be utilised to create employment opportunities for the youth of the rural areas.

Fifteen unemployed youths from the Paarl area will be signing on as learners in a Tour Guide Learnership. Their primary focus will be to research the area to find out as much as possible about the events leading to their parents' torture and death.

The knowledge gathered by these students will form a part of the body of information about the history of the different cultural groups in the area.

It is hoped that a better understanding of the history of the various groups will lead to reconciliation and acceptance of each other.

After the programme at the Heroes' Acre in Paarl, the National Director of the South African Heritage Resource Agency, Beverly Crouts, will visit Drakenstein Prison's Mandela House.

She will announce Sahra's intention of declaring the house in which Nelson Mandela was held prisoner as a National Heritage Site. Future plans are to incorporate the house in the Nelson Mandela Route.

There five currently unemployed entrepreneurial students from local informal settlements who will be put on a learnership in New Venture Creation, will be introduced.

An additional five students will also be introduced as new learners on the Tour Guide Learnership.

Pniel

Afterwards will follow the opening of the historic slave route in Pniel. It is at this mission station that freed slaves settled in the 19th century.They will celebrate their historical and cultural uniqueness by way of a Community Festival tomorrow.

At 11:00 a group of Pniel community members, dressed as slaves, will be chained and participate in a symbolic Walk to Freedom.

On the community sports fields they will be "auctioned" to members of the public before Beverly Crouts will symbolically unlock their chains.

More learnership students will be introduced here.

At 18:00 the ESDLE Unit Isivuno will officially be launched at the V&A Waterfront, with several more learnerships announced.

THE court application brought on an urgent basis by the Upper Berg River Main Irrigation Board against Drakenstein Municipality, the province and the national department of Water Affairs, will be heard in the Cape High Court today.

The Board, which represents farmers dependent on the Berg River for irrigation of their crops, lodged the application to force the authorities to act with resolve against the pollution of the river by run-off from informal housing areas as well as pollution from inadequate sewerage systems in Paarl and Wellington.

The pollution from human waste has made the river hazardous for human contact and irrigation of crops.

The Municipality is opposing the application, on the grounds that R6 million has been spent over the past two years to address the problem in the short term.

According to a report by consultants, funding to the value of R8,6 million (excluding VAT) must be obtained to address various emergency projects to reduce pollution from informal settlements.

An amount of R55,6 million will be needed for longer term solutions and projects, including basic services for informal settlements, and a Newton Canal Wetland.

SOUTH AFRICA's ten years of democracy was celebrated with a special programme at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility last week.

Among the speakers were Deputy President Jacob Zuma, Minister Ngconde Balfour, Minister Trevor Manuel and Ahmed Kathrada.

Several activists who were imprisoned at Drakenstein when it was still known as Victor Verster Prison, were also present.

About 5000 people attended the day which was aimed at promoting healing and restoration of dignity of those who were incarcerated as political prisoners and detainees under apartheid.

"We must turn prisons into correctional facilities and re-educate and rehabilitate offenders," said Deputy President Zuma.

Minister Manuel read a message from former president Mandela saying that we should respect each other, be decent to each other and remember that the warden in the section is the most important person in an offender's life.

It was also announced that Madiba house, where Mandela was incarcerated on the premises of Drakenstein, is to be declared a national heritage site and will be developed as a museum to become part of the Nelson Mandela Route.

The entertainment was provided by Amampondo, Ezra Ngcukana and Friends and gumboot dancers. Inmates also read poetry.

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