lifestyle and provocative commentary from leading columnists Read more Cape Town – The mother of 8-year-old Chante Matthews who was electrocuted after stepping on an illegally connected electrical wire at the weekend says she doesn’t know how she will be able to bury her little girl said the death was unexpected and nothing could describe the pain that she was feeling Yesterday I had a panic attack when I heard the news,” Matthews said The family was now trying to plan the funeral “She grew up with her grandmother and grandfather and they are also not handling it well Her grandfather went to work this morning but he was sent back because the boss could see he was not okay “We are not getting any assistance and we are now trying to find out how much the funeral will cost,” she said said they had been trying to get the issue of illegal and unsafe electrical connections resolved for years This is not the first time a child dies because of these connections “Three years ago an 11-year-old was killed by illegal connections This is something that we have been trying to resolve for years now and hope that we get a resolution soon.” Eskom said Chante’s sister suffered minor burns when she tried to assist her Provincial distribution manager Alwie Lester said they were saddened by the incident “We express our deepest condolences to her family A full investigation has been launched into the incident I am deeply saddened by the passing of this child whose future has been so tragically taken from her.” Eskom said six people had been killed in the past year as a result of illegal connections “Hillside Hostels in Grabouw is an active electrification project initiated by the local municipality “The electrification project is scheduled to start in September 2020 over a phased period “While the electrification of Hillside Hostels will reduce illegal connections in the immediate area it will never eliminate the risk of such connections.” South Africa (02 April 2025) – Imagine the sun shining brightly and whistles blowing at the start of competitive swimming gala races This is the thrill that SOS Africa hopes to revive at Grabouw High School An exciting new initiative aims to raise £50,000 (R1,204,569) required to redevelop the school’s 25-metre swimming pool and reopen it to the school students and wider community later this year Grabouw High School’s swimming complex used to be one of its most celebrated facilities hosting competitive swimming galas for the region’s athletes and vital swimming lessons for beginners of all ages this cherished facility fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic and vandalism leaving a void for both students and the wider community According to SOS Africa the loss of this invaluable resource has been felt both by the school now forced to remove swimming lessons from its curriculum and the local community not if SOS Africa has anything to do with it the inclusion of swimming lessons as part of the school timetable and seeing many children being equipped with vital swimming skills will be a part of Grabouw’s schedule once again “It is unthinkable that the children of Grabouw will grow up without learning how to swim this appeal will enable generations of children to learn this vital skill We (SOS Africa) are proud to facilitate this impactful project and cannot wait to bring it to fruition by the start of the summer term,” says Matt Crowcombe the proposed renovations will include relining the pool landscaping across the 2,000 square meter site and installing security features to prevent future break-ins the pool will host daily swimming lessons for Grabouw students and inter-school swimming competitions The school also intends to allow regular supervised access to children from the wider community Surrounded by a large grass area and many trees the pool area can also function as an outside shaded learning space for Grabouw students during the summer months emphasised that the pool will not only provide our students with essential swimming skills but will also be open to learners from neighbouring schools “Given the alarming number of drownings occurring annually on local farms By teaching both children and adults to swim we can significantly reduce these tragic incidents the pool will serve as a community swimming club fostering a spirit of unity and promoting a healthy lifestyle for all town residents Your sponsorship will make a profound difference in enhancing safety and well-being in our community,” adds Bezuidenhout SOS Africa and Grabouw High School’s collective effort hopes to bring this vital resource back and promises a brighter and more vibrant future for the community of Grabouw Donations can be made in the following ways: Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "ad72cc028dcd47cacaaabd46d6b8774a" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Would you like to receive truly phenomenal inspirational 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Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again The Western Cape Government (WCG) is committed to a 365-day approach to addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) not just during these 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Among the many interventions by the provincial government is the resident-centric GBV Ambassador Programme by the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) This model – which sees trained volunteers from the community helping the Department to raise awareness about GBV support services – has been implemented in Swartland Western Cape Minister of Social Development launched the fifth one in Ceres (joining Swartland He was joined by various officials from different spheres of government including Chairperson of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament Standing Committee on Social Development Wendy Philander National Parliament’s Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development Deputy Director for the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bilateral Health Office.  “Strong partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable development Through our government-to-government agreement [designed to elevate the provision of services for vulnerable children in South Africa we as USAID are proud to collaborate with the Western Cape Department of Social Development to uplift communities and ensure brighter futures for those we serve.” Cape Winelands District Municipality Executive Mayor Dr Elna von Schlicht said “It is through partnerships that the need for local ‘ambassadors’ was identified It is through partnerships that we launch this wonderful project on the rural platform today who selflessly assist their neighbours when they are at their most frightened and vulnerable It serves as testimony to the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s commitment to partnerships that we celebrate today.” The event was followed by the launch of the third DSD mobile office in the province this one is for the Cape Winelands/Overberg region.  Last week the Department launched one in Elands Bay The Central Karoo was the first one to benefit with its mobile office launching in October Witzenberg Local Municipality Executive Mayor Trevor Abrahams said “In difficult economic times services need to continue and are often more needed Both the GBV Ambassadors and DSD Mobile Office projects are a no-excuse effort of a caring government in the Western Cape to bring service to our communities.”  GBV Ambassador and Prince Alfred-Hamlet resident “It’s very difficult coming into town for social services because sometimes there isn’t money for transport “The Western Cape Department of Social Development’s service model is unique compared to other provinces We have our local offices in the bigger towns and then we have our mobile offices which take social services to the doorsteps of residents We are utilising our limited resources to the maximum extent We’ve seen the ever-increasing need for services DSD social workers are reaching clients in the farthest corners of the province using innovations like the mobile office and the Social Work Integrated Management Application (SWIMS App).” we are working across the province and with communities It is a resident-centric model that places the resident at the forefront of the solution working side-by-side with the department because they know best what their communities need And we certainly cannot do it without our partners Thank you for taking hands with us in addressing social ills like domestic violence and abuse.” To access more information about services offered by the Department for GBV victims, call our toll-free number on 0800 220 250, send an email to SD.CustomerCare@westerncape.gov.za  or visit:  ____________________________________________________________________ Monique Mortlock-MalgasMedia Liaison Officer: MinistryDepartment of Social DevelopmentEmail: Monique.Mortlock@westerncape.gov.za  Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio At the heart of the Elgin Valley in the Overberg region beyond Sir Lowry’s Pass is the bustling and slightly chaotic village of Grabouw Apple orchards sweep across the picturesque surrounding countryside, also known for its high-end cool-climate wines and adventure tourism.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads But somewhere in the midst of all this are the ghosts of the old pioneers who built Elgin Valley’s first steam train railway bridge across the Palmiet River including author and war correspondent Rudyard Kipling the old railway track was moved to the adjacent bridge construction site The old 1901 bridge became private farm property remaining unused and forgotten for more than a century – until recently with many stops and goes entangled in its fragile history sweat and tears of those who had the crazy belief that carving a railway line through solid rock over the Hottentots Holland Mountains and Sir Lowry’s Pass was doable The Cape Government Railways’ puffing steam train travelling at just under 20km/h up the steep mountainside became a familiar sight at the turn of the previous century The first steam train reached Elgin on 1 August 1902 The legacy of the beloved steam train is part of the Overberg story Who better to tell this tale than Pieter Silberbauer, a mountain bike enthusiast and longtime resident of the Elgin Valley who has taken a keen interest in not only the history of the bridge, but also in helping to preserve it.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “For many years conversations have centred on restoring the 1901 bridge,” Silberbauer explains “We knew that it would be a huge labour of love and require expertise and funding The support pillars were still intact and it could still be used for light traffic a wildfire damaged the supporting timbers underneath and the gravel started falling away making any thoughts of restoration almost impossible.” “I fell through one of the wooden slats and landed in the river below!” The belief among local farmers and mountain bikers was that if the original track could be restored as a usable commuter and bicycle track bikers and workers commuting to their place of work and to the iconic Elgin Railway Market and the biking trails on the other side of the river It would also cut out the need to go through Grabouw whose streets are hugely busy at weekends and during commuting hours Plans for the restoration were well under way when disaster struck again. On the Heritage Day weekend of 24 to 25 September 2023, the worst floods in the region’s history turned the normally subdued Palmiet River into a fast-flowing torrent.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Bridges were washed away and the spiderweb of tracks used by intrepid mountain bikers for many national and international events was reduced to piles of splintered wreckage It was a devastating time. Farmers struggled to come to terms with the damage, and the cancellation of the upcoming Wines2Whales international mountain bike event would have spelled further economic disaster for the Elgin Valley.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Mountain biking is a way of life or many people in the Elgin Valley “There was no time to lose,” Silberbauer recalls “Once the floodwaters had receded we only had two-and-a-half weeks to get the job done to ensure the event could take place It meant around-the-clock restoration and repairs to bridges and cycle tracks.” Once the Wines2Whales event was done and dusted and the flood-damaged trails were usable again the focus was back on the 1901 bridge – now named the Overberg Meander Crossing “It was a bigger job than we had ever anticipated,” Silberbauer says. “The fire had burnt a lot of the supporting timbers and we needed to prop up the underside of the bridge where gravel had fallen away. It required more funding, specialist engineers and large amounts of ready-mix concrete.”advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Those involved say that getting this mission off the ground was nothing short of a miracle – a mixture of positive energy willing volunteers and respect for history and the environment the Overberg Meander Crossing is a timeless reminder of courage and determination against tough odds It has become an iconic part of Elgin Valley’s history Elgin, a training terrain and race location for mountain bikers, has been evolving a more unified trail network that began in the 1990s. There are now more than 200km of marked mountain biking routes, largely single tracks, including the Grabouw Forest Trails and Oak Valley’s international class tracks.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads multiday gravel-biking or bike-packing trail through the rural Southern Cape rugged gravel passes and rolling hills to the scenic beaches of Cape Agulhas at the southernmost tip of Africa The South African War severely restricted new railway building as labour, rolling stock and materials were to be commandeered by the Imperial Military Railways to aid the British war effort.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads construction over the Hottentots Holland Mountains commenced in 1898 and George Pauling a leading railway contractor in the development of southern Africa during the late 19th century The Caledon line was officially opened to the public on 1 August 1902 although it had been used by the British army before that date for shipment to Cape Town of fodder for their horses This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper A resounding slap in the face for the ANC government which has allowed so much destruction of our historical landmarks We salute the community who’s huge and dedicated restoration work has protected this piece of SA and Western Cape heritage Not sure the utility of @Rae Earl’s opening remark but I certainly agree with the second vote of praise ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The SOS Africa Charity staff and trustees are delighted to share the exciting news that an SOS Africa sponsored child has been appointed as Head Boy of Grabouw High for the 2025 academic year It is the first time that such an honour has been bestowed on an SOS Africa sponsored child and has sent a ripple of excitement throughout the charity’s education programmes across South Africa 100 more children from different parts of the region have followed in Ameleo’s footsteps and now look up to him and his classmates as role models The news was first announced during a school assembly and came as quite a surprise for Ameleo: “I was very nervous when I heard my name being called out to be Head Boy for next year I will try my best to fulfil this role and be an example to the rest of my peers and I am very grateful to SOS Africa and the school for always believing in me.” It was less of a surprise for SOS Africa Grabouw Centre Manager Sharnice Barties who has seen the leadership potential of Ameleo for some time: “Ameleo has always been a learner with leadership qualities and is liked and respected by everyone at SOS Africa We were all so excited when we got the news that he is to be Grabouw High School Head Boy in 2025 We are all so proud of him for being the very first SOS Africa sponsored child to be given such an honour!” It was an emotional time for Ameleo’s parents who were filled with both pride and gratitude when hearing the news: “We are very grateful to SOS Africa who made it possible for Ameleo to attend school since he was 6 years old ​​We are very proud of him and are filled with of joy Thank you very much SOS Africa and Grabouw High School for supporting him throughout.” we would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Ameleo for this incredible achievement and wish him luck for next year Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of SOS Africa, on Friday 18 October, 2024. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/ SOS Africa Charity Sponsored Child Appointed as Grabouw High School Head Boy The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has confirmed to GroundUp that the occupiers of the Khoisan settlement in Grabouw belongs to the Department of Public Works and it is managed by the DFFE DFFE spokesperson Albi Modise said the department would “like to proceed with evictions” but is awaiting feedback from the public works department on whether it will support the court process.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads only a few people settled on the land with the purpose of reclaiming it Since then the occupation has grown significantly Modise said that the department offered alternative land for human settlement on condition that the residents relocate noting that the land is part of the Kogelberg Biosphere and of “environmental importance” 1,800 hectares of the land are under a containment court order meaning that no residents are allowed to move onto or build further on the property said they want the containment order removed and they want to begin negotiating to have the land handed over to the community Andy Wynand told a crowd in July that they are going to work hard to have the containment order from the Western Cape High Court removed On 30 July, about 150 people from the community gathered for a meeting close to the entrance of Knoflokskraal where Wynand addressed the crowd about the future of the occupation.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Wynand told GroundUp that they are now looking into a process of mediation with Public Works Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news CEO of the Grabouw Development Agency (GDA) saying the community had to establish a leadership and develop a proper plan for the land and then take it to government and try to do a mediation process outside of court We previously reported on Knoflokskraal leadership wanting to establish a sovereign Khoisan community on the occupied land Residents said that they are reclaiming the land based on their rights as indigenous Khoisan people But Wynand said that the current leaders of the occupation are “not coming to the table” and “not willing to accept certain things” He said the leadership “could never reach a consensus on what they wanted” and that the occupation “kept on walking away from mediation” “We received a mandate from the community to take their interests further with the negotiation process,” Wynand said He said that community representatives have in the meantime also met with the Theewaterskloof Municipality GroundUp sent questions to the municipality asking about its involvement in the negotiation process whether it will support the eviction proceedings and whether it has considered providing water and sanitation services to the residents did not respond to follow-ups despite saying they would “respond in the coming days” She said that it’s necessary for everybody in the occupation to come together and for them not to be so divided the DFFE will be briefing the National Assembly on the investigation into the “organised land invasions” at the Khoisan occupation in Knoflokskraal First published by GroundUp Interesting on how the government wants to push EWC yet here where the community is not trying to destroy farmland and may have a valid reason for using the land and seems to be doing it without causing anyone harm Typical of the morally empty people trying to ruin this country from the offices of government and the list of demands goes beyond hijacking the land; they also demand all municipal services he didn’t quite get the question … that occupants will just do their own thing No sense of duties and responsibilities beyond their demands of getting Time for Patricia de Lille to work out how she’s going to evict squatters from the her department’s land without losing their support for her political party Whether we eat it at Umlazi shisa-nyamas or agricultural shows in Elliotdale this coil of cholesterol brings us together it is impossible to imagine a school fête or sporting event without a boerewors-roll stall Perhaps the ultimate boerewors king is Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu Speaking at the 2007 inaugural National Braai Day (with a boerewors roll in one hand and a braai grid full of scorching sausage in the other) the cleric confessed that “boerewors is really my favourite thing for a braai Most of us agree with the Arch that boerewors is lekker On one level everything you need to know is right there in the name We all know what taste (beef and coriander) texture (coarse) and diameter (approximately 2cm casing) of sausage we mean when we say the word We all know that we mean a foodstuff of Afrikaner origin you should know that the aforementioned regulations state that “raw boerewors shall be manufactured from the meat of an animal of the bovine porcine or caprine species or from a mixture of two or more thereof It shall be contained in an edible casing and shall contain a minimum of 90% total meat content and not more than 30% fat content” The regulations continue that “there shall be no offal except where such offal is to be used solely as the casing of the raw boerewors and it shall contain no mechanically recovered meat” the act is very specific that “no ingredients shall be added except cereal products or starch if you see a suspiciously cheap supermarket sausage marked ‘wors’ or ‘braai wors’ you can assume that it does not meet the criteria set out above Think soya and cereal fillers and then walk away There are no legal guidelines as to the specific contents of regional sub-categories but convention generally dictates that the prefix of ‘Ossewa’ boerewors implies a strong clove flavour while Grabouw indicates mild spicing and Cederberg suggests a sausage that is highly spiced we do still all feel that he who holds the boerewors controls the country The nationalist appeal of boerewors has adapted over time but it is no less potent a gastro-political power tool today than it was in 1938 ANC bigwigs celebrated the ANC’s 99th birthday with a banquet in Polokwane at which the starter served was Jack Daniel’s honey-glazed beef boerewors on red onion and tomato salsa In the same month the AfriForum Youth wing and the Potgietersrus District Agricultural Union grilled 290 continuous metres of the sausage to make a new world-record boerewors at the Windpomp Festival in Naboomspruit The AfriForum Youth spokesman said that money raised from the sale of the record-beating boerewors would be used to fund their Equality Court lawsuit against ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema And so the struggle for control of the sausage sizzles on… In the light of the above it seemed only fitting that the boerewors recipe served up in this piece should come from a First Lady not one of our current First Ladies have yet published a sausage recipe but Tini Vorster (wife of BJ Vorster and First Lady 1978- 1979) did and here it is… Makes 3kg of sausage (enough for roughly 20 boerewors rolls) If all the stuffing and fiddling around with casings seems too much bother chef Heston Blumenthal has a recipe for a boerewors burger where he makes the spiced mince and then simply forms the mixture into a patty Renata Coetzee’s The SA Culinary Tradition (1977) suggests the addition of sage leaves and orange zest thyme and a mixture of equal parts wine and vinegar be worked into the boerewors mixture Lannice Snymann in Rainbow Cuisine (1998) adds allspice Some other recipes call for Worcester sauce Whether you are braaiing or cooking on the stove top Do not ever poke boerewors while cooking – the aim is to keep all the juice in so as to retain the flavour Braai over medium heat and do not clamp the sausage tightly into a grid as this will prevent the fat from mingling inside the casing start the sausage in liquid to soften the casing and to prevent bursting This method also has the advantage that it allows excess fat to be drained away A two-centimetre diameter sausage should be simmered with about half a cup of cold water wine or stock for approximately five minutes Drain off any remaining liquid and cook over a medium heat until brown We recommend a lighter-bodied red like Cinsaut or Grenache The gentle spice of the boerewors should highlight the pretty fruit that both varieties typically offer Please read our Comments Policy here one journo sees how many times he can use the word sadie other articles all about how the industry needs fixing sadly it seems like its dying if not already dead….come Christian add some zing !! Tried a few other recipes until I came across this one Made some tweaks and ended up like Suzi less the ground coriander Solids are weighed in grams not measured in millilitre I found the cuts i had did not have enough fat so added some pork fat – this is now a great sausage Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The biggest insight to arise out of a recent Cape Winemakers Guild technical tasting on Cinsaut presented by Etienne le Riche of Le Riche Wines is that there is no.. And now Fairview also comes to the Cinsaut/Cinsault party with this 2016 from Paarl vineyards over 30 years in age winemaking involving fermentation in open-top oak fermenters Cinsaut/Cinsault’s shift from fringe to mainstream continues apace with the Cellar Selection 2016 from Kleine Zalze selling for R67 a bottle From a combination of Darling and Paardeberg grapes Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Subscribers receive daily reviews and in-depth reports before release to the public SUBSCRIBE NOW When you lose everything that you’ve worked hard for it’s like your entire world just crumbles away You don’t know which way to go and who to ask for help and the worst is having to answer for your children who want to know where they will sleep or when they will get their next meal They really took some of the stress off of our shoulders,” said Thuleka Mbeka one of those affected by the recent Grabouw fires personal belongings and essential groceries were all immediately taken away for many residents in the Waterworks informal settlement after a devastating fire that swept through Grabouw on Friday Up to 66 homes were destroyed in the blaze leaving more than 250 people displaced by the fire community halls within the Theewaterkloof Municipality have been opened for emergency accommodation for those affected “It is crucial that we get these essential supplies to those affected by the fires as soon as possible especially as these residents have been left without a home during these cold winter months,” says Ghairunisa Johnstone-Cassiem “We will also be continuing our work with the great Grabouw community as poverty in this region has increased over recent years.” If you would like to support Mustadafin’s relief efforts in Grabouw items can be dropped off at their head office located at 154 Antelope Court Bridgetown To find out more about Mustadafin and how to can donate, visit: https://mustadafin.org.za/donations/