TOURISM NEWS - The AIR Festival is set to make its grand debut in Kranshoek a small yet culturally rich village in the heart of South Africa hosted by the Cape Town Arts Festival in partnership with the Ariva Arts Foundation promises a day filled with vibrant celebrations of culture the AIR Dance Challenge will take center stage drawing national champion rieldansers from across the country a traditional South African dance that blends rhythm will take pride of place at the festival.  the Griqua Rieldansers have become renowned for their exceptional skill and passion in bringing the dance to life including nationally renowned groups like the Griekwa Knersvlakte Rieldansers from Vredendal and the GB Batt Rieldansers from Montagu Rieldans is more than just a dance—it’s a medium of storytelling and cultural expression deeply rooted in the struggles and triumphs of the communities that perform it.  As the dancers perform in celebration of Human Rights Day they will reflect on the enduring importance of human dignity equality and the artistic right of all cultures to express themselves is the perfect setting for this celebration the Griqua people have faced immense challenges blending indigenous traditions with influences from various South African communities.  The AIR Festival reflects this spirit of unity invites everyone—regardless of background—to join in celebrating the richness and diversity of South Africa’s people The AIR Visual Art Exhibition will open at 11:00 am featuring local and regional artists whose works explore South Africa’s multifaceted cultural landscape Curated by emerging fine artists Gatsby Mpoyi the opening will include live performance art set in the African craft village The festival will also feature the legendary Professor Dizu Plaatjies head of the Ethnomusicology Department at the University of Cape Town who will perform with his dynamic group Ibuyambo.  Professor Plaatjies is an icon in South African music having performed in over 90 countries and sharing the stage with global legends such as Sting Tracy Chapman and more during Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday celebration at Wembley Stadium in 1989.  His performance at the AIR Festival promises to be one of the many unforgettable moments of the day the festival will offer a vibrant mix of local food Festival-goers can explore the AIR Craft Village featuring handcrafted goods from local artisans.  Culinary enthusiasts can sample Griqua and Traditional African cuisine showcasing the region's rich culinary traditions The day’s festivities will culminate in a musical celebration as Breeze’n Tolos the DJ and Dj Mjilo will also keep the vibe going  into the early evening The AIR Festival is not just an event—it is a movement It’s a chance for all to come together As the AIR Festival brings together the very best of Kranshoek and South Africa’s cultural heritage and human rights—a day that promises to leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all who attend The AIR Festival is proudly presented in partnership with Ariva Arts Foundation and supported by Bitou Municipality It is funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) Presidential Employment Stimulus Program (PESP5) Western Cape Government Cultural Affairs and Sport  (DCAS) and the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) Development Fund ‘We bring you the latest Garden Route NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports received through a community Whatsapp group of a drowning in progress at Stilbaai between Robberg Nature Reserve and Kranshoek had reached a residence above the cliffs of a popular hiking trail and the popular fishing coastline had been swept off rocks by a wave at Stilbaai It remains unclear to NSRI the circumstances of the 2 men being at Stilbaai The man reported that he had tried to save his friend but after all attempts to save his friend and with no cell signal at the remote location he had made the difficult decision to run for help Covering a significant distance he reached a farm residence above the cliffs where he appealed to the residents to raise the alarm alerted Tech Security and NSRI was activated along with WC Government Health EMS Metro Control and the SA Police Services (SAPS) The NSRI rescue craft The Courtenay's Rescue and Free Runner were launched and responded to the scene our NSRI rescue vehicle and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter responded volunteered to respond aboard his private boat Duran is commended for assisting to volunteer in the extensive search efforts It was determined that because of the significant distance that the man had needed to cover to reach a place where the alarm could be raised some significant time lapse had passed since the incident had happened The friend had later been brought back to the scene by Police to point out exactly where his friend had been swept off rocks by a wave sea conditions were found to be rough and extensive search efforts were commenced air and shoreline search has revealed no signs of the missing man SAPS WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were activated SAPS WPDS are continuing in an ongoing search and Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident who had reportedly earlier tried desperately to save his friend before making the difficult decision to run for help despite the significant distance he needed to traverse to raise the alarm was later transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition for care for shock compassion and thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time NSRI Plettenberg Bay medics and NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew had responded to Robberg Nature Reserve - to The Gap - where a 28 year old Mossel Bay lady had suffered an injury while hiking in good spirits and in the company of her fellow hikers was found to be stable but unable to continue to walk because of the injury she had sustained NSRI and SANPark rangers took turns to "piggy back" the lady to the Robberg car park where being in a stable condition and not in any critical medical state but in good spirits and in the good care of her friends she was taken to hospital in Mossel Bay by friends using their private transport NSRI Plettenberg Bay and SANParks rangers were activated following reports of a 33 year old Italian tourist lady who had suffered an injury at The Point NSRI rescue crew were attempted to be delivered to The Point aboard the NSRI rescue craft The Courtenay's Rescuer but in rough sea conditions that could not be achieved SANParks rangers and NSRI medics hiked to the scene from the car park NSRI medics further assessed the injury and the lady was able to walk unassisted with regular rest intervals during the walk back to the car park An extraction by sea had been investigated (for the lady to be brought to The Point Beach to be transported aboard our rescue craft to Plettenberg Bay but sea conditions were too rough to risk a sea extraction With the injured lady able and willing to help herself in the company of the rescue party and her fellow hikers without compromise she reached the parking area where she was then transported by friends Rescue Incidents around WILDERNESS (George) We’re proud to announce that our newly rebuilt NSRI Station 21 in St Francis Bay is now officially open we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III .. Gqeberha — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) today officially celebrated the blessing of its latest state-of-the-art Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC) at a ceremony held at the PE Deep Sea Angling Club building Subscribe today for information about NSRI rescues Plettenberg Bay woman who was reported as missing last week The Knysna SAPS and the Knysna CPF had sought the help of the community during their search for Dalene Wiesie who had failed to return home after she was discharged from the Knysna Provincial Hospital on Monday 6 January She had last been seen close to the hospital at about 14:30 on Tuesday 7 January apparently hiking in the direction of Plettenberg Bay the media spokesperson for the police in the Southern Cape confirmed on Monday 13 January that Wiesie had been located It is not yet known if she has returned home thank you Lord," Marie Smith posted on Facebook Previous article: Help find missing Dalene Wiesie German reader Christian Pertschy sent in this scenic shot last a while back at the “Kranshoek viewpoint near Plettenberg Bay in South Africa I rode with ZA pro Sarah Hill and Leon van der Westhuizen and had a really great time The MTB trails around Plett are awesome and some of the best in ZA.” as the trail itself has been closed for quite a long time due to fire damage that hit the area hard back a couple summers ago We always love seeing photos from where you are riding and are happy to share them with our readers around the world here on the Pic Of The Day. Send in your pics with a brief description here Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com Cory has been writing about mountain bikes gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years even before the industry created some of these names Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability has designed bike shops & bike components Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes meeting with key European product developers industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed but don’t want to deal with solvents Simpyfast claims their Lube Cube is the easiest way Peak Performance expands on their MTB specific clothing with new pants Apparently that’s an option when you’re designing products for the GOAT We spotted Cofidis racing an all-new prototype wireless 13-speed Campagnolo Super Record 13 WRL SC road groupset Canyon Bicycles is now selling select models directly through Amazon.com Want wireless shifting but don’t want to have to buy a whole new drivetrain Be protected from the sun with the new UV Hooded Trail Shirt… OrNot The new Van Nicholas Astraeus is a beautiful titanium road bike that’s limited to just 50 frames Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio A day of celebration ended in sadness for the Jacobs family from Kranshoek in Plettenberg Bay after five-year-old Bradlin died when he was electrocuted while playing with friends on Saturday The Jacobs family are accusing officials at the Bitou Municipality of negligence for not fixing vandalised cables at the local stadium. The family say Bradlin was attending a Heritage Day soccer tournament with his mother Jayden Jacobs.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Jacobs said they went to the toilet and Bradlin asked if he could play with his friends on the stadium grounds She said she was startled when minutes later she heard people screaming for her to go inside the stadium She found her son’s lifeless body on the ground “He is my only child and everything I did was for him,” said Jacobs said he rushed to the stadium which is five minutes from their home “When I got there my grandson’s feet were warm Some people performed CPR but he didn’t wake up.” Moss said Bradlin was rushed to hospital but there was nothing doctors could do He said they were told that the stadium’s caretakers had alerted the Bitou Municipality that an electrical box had been vandalised and needed repairs He said he would take the municipality to court “They must account for the dark cloud they brought to my family,” said Moos Ward 7 Councillor, Annelise Olivier, told GroundUp that cables being vandalised is a major problem in the community. She said some areas have been without power for up to a week due to vandalism. Olivier said reporting faults directly to Eskom does not always work immediately.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news Bitou Municipality said officials “regret the fatal electrocution incident in Kranshoek” initial reports indicate that the electrical box at the Kranshoek Sportsfield was vandalised to allow for unauthorised access to live electricity this is also how the five-year-old boy gained access even though the municipality’s padlock was still in place.” Municipal spokesperson Andile Namntu said the councillor and deputy mayor and Speaker visited the family on Monday Namntu said that the City could not comment on the family’s threat of legal action “Preliminary reports indicate that the mother and child went to the bathroom on the local sports ground another person alerted her that her child was laying on the ground outside Reports suggest that the boy was electrocuted by the electric power box on the sports field near the entrance,” said Pojie Jacobs said she would never recover from his death. “My boy was cheerful, vibrant with a loud laugh. He was the life of the party and a good boy who loved school,” said Jacobs. Bradlin was in grade R at Kranshoek primary school.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The Jacobs family is waiting for the forensics report and plans to bury Bradlin next Saturday First published by GroundUp advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " who are central to the South African land question came under the spotlight during a presentation made to the Van Plettenberg Historical Society on Thursday 19 September Historian Mike Kantey took the audience on a route followed by the Griquas to various places where they established settlements - including ending up in Kranshoek In the presence of members of the Griekwa Nasionale Konferensie van Suid-Afrika (GNKSA) Kantey recounted that for most commentators of the coastal holiday town of Plettenberg Bay the Griqua community amounted to only one particular group based in Kranshoek the true history of those known by that name for over 150 years involved different patriarchs at different times in different places Adam KokThe prominent clans are those of the first Adam Kok The places where they found temporary refuge included Piketberg with them only arriving in Kranshoek as late as the 20th century Mike Kantey gives a talk on the Griqua people at the Van Plettenberg Historical Society’s meeting at Emily Moon’s on Thursday 19 September Kantey made a rough sketch of the personalities giving "a rare glimpse of how history is not confined to one man or one category of race but is always the result of a dynamic flow in fortunes and favours" Roderick Williams of the GNKSA office in Kranshoek gave some further insights into the Griqua heritage and the fact that the Griquas still owned land in Philippolis in the Free State.  He also corrected what he called some misconceptions He also recounted the role the GNKSA played through diplomatic and other government channels to relocate the remains of Sara Baartman from France to her final resting place in South Africa Baartman was exhibited as the "Hottentot Venus" in the 19th century The Griquas descend from the original Khoikhoi and Williams said the GNKSA was reaching out to the San people as well of the Griekwa Nasionale Konferensie makes a point during the talk on the Griqua people by Mike Kantey GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Anniel Groenewald from Mossel Bay has joined his father two older brothers and two sisters-in-law in the teaching profession He is the youngest son of Ridgeview Primary School principal Sharlton Groenewald and his wife Annaline Anniel obtained his Bachelor of Education from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Gqeberha Anniel is teaching at Kranshoek Primary School in Plettenberg Bay is a departmental head at Rosemore Primary School in George.  at Garden Route Primary School in Mossel Bay Sergio is also the acting deputy principal at Garden Route Primary currently PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Kranshoek residents will no longer have to trek into Plett for certain essential services revamped multi-purpose community centre will house a satellite police office an office for the department of social development a municipal housing office and a Western Cape provincial E-centre on the corner of Charlotte Ross Street and Trekker Road Read more in Knysna-Plett Herald this week PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - It is still all systems go for the Kranshoek Zipline project despite the recent fires which raged in the area The procurement process started with a call for suitable service providers to submit proposals Public advertisements were published in local and regional media on November 3 2016 and a due diligence site visit was held two weeks later Only one bid was received despite the use of multiple communication platforms used to relay the information regarding the tender process.  Documents detailing the Request for Proposals (RFP) were also downloadable from the SANParks website The successful bidder was SA Forest Adventures (Pty) Ltd Garden Route National Park (GRNP) spokesman Nandi Mgwadlamba said that since the bidder was announced the area had been affected by the recent fires which swept through Knysna and Plettenberg Bay “The GRNP team met up with the SA Forest Adventures to assess the site post the fire and found that the project could go ahead The development phase begins in September and should be completed by March or April next year,” Mgwadlamba said All activities including the zipline must comply with the Garden Route National Park’s zoning plan The zoning of an area indicates what activities may take place in different sections and the conservation objectives of those sections The bid indicated strict adherence to an Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) for working within the forest location to ensure that there will be limited or low impact on the natural environment site visits with SANParks EIA specialists and scientists will take place to discuss technical details for the construction of the zipline a site visit was arranged with representatives of the Department of Environmental Affairs to ensure compliance with Environmental legislation “This is to ensure what is on paper translates to appropriate actions on the ground that are environmentally sensitive and our business is to protect nature at all costs and ensure minimum impact to it,” GRNP manager Paddy Gordon said They are seeking what we already offer- ‘affordable unique and memorable experiences with nature.’ 'We bring you the latest Plettenberg Bay GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Garden Route National Park (GRNP) announced this week that the ever-popular Kranshoek hiking trail in Harkerville the picturesque day hike is about 9km long and the team currently rehabilitating the trail is doing additional maintenance and will notify hikers once ready Di Turner of the Outramps Crew Group in the Southern Cape said about the trail after walking it last year immediately after the 2017 fire: "Kranshoek is undoubtedly one of the premier day hikes in the world "The views of the rugged and beautiful coastline are unparalleled."  This sight for sore eyes – and feet – can be found on the Kranshoek trail 'We bring you the latest Garden Route news' PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS – The presence of mind of a concerned Kranshoek resident on Saturday 18 March resulted in a successful operation on a drug den involving members of Kranshoek Rapid Response (KRR) and the South African police Intelligence provided by the resident on activity at a drug house led to the arrest of the drug dealer impressive results and well done to all," said Otto Olivier head of the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association's (PBCPA) operations Olivier said the operation involved Sergeant Charlin Cassels of the Knysna Police "Drug abuse has a devastating impact on our community not only socially but personally: it affects the mind but the permanent effects of drugs on the body can slowly destroy vital systems and functions culminating in permanent disability or even death," said Olivier can cause significant problems that cannot be easily undone; and for some illegal drugs and excessive consumption might not even be necessary for lifelong damage to occur," said Olivier He said drug lords use drugs to lure the youth and their addiction leads to criminal activity Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker