Trekvoëls vind 'n tuiste in ons oord

Alhoewel Steve (71) en Felicity (68) van der Merwe amptelik van Pietermaritzburg afkomstig is, was hulle meenthuis in daardie stad slegs die basis waarvandaan hulle die afgelope twaalf jaar met hulle woonwa en bakkie die land platgereis het.

Felicity en Steve van der Merwe

Die afgelope drie jaar het hulle dikwels in die Kleinbegin-vakansieoord, buite Bela-Bela, tuisgegaan. Dis waarskynlik waar hulle liefdesverhouding met die Bosveld beslag gekry het. Toe hulle na ʼn vaste tuiste begin soek, het hulle ons oord met sy pragtige terrein en vriendelike inwoners, gekies.

Felicity het in 1966 aan die Wartburg-Kirchdorf High School naby Pietermaritzburg gematrikuleer. Daarna het sy as ʼn regsassistent by die Natalse Hooggeregshof in Pietermaritzburg begin werk en later as ʼn mediese sekretaresse vir verskeie mediese spesialiste in George en Johannesburg. Steve het op Kokstad grootgeword, in 1963 aan die Hoërskool Kokstad gematrikuleer, waarna hy by die SA Polisie aangesluit het. Hy het mettertyd die BA Polisiekunde-graad aan UNISA behaal, ʼn vingerafdrukdeskundige geword en op 49-jarige ouderdom as ʼn brigadier by die SA Kriminele Buro uitgetree.

Steve en Felicity is in 1970 in Pietermaritzburg getroud. Hulle het twee seuns. Warren en sy gesin woon in Dubai en Charl en sy gesin in Brisbane. Hulle het vier kleinkinders.

Les bes, Pa en seuns is gekwalifiseerde tennisafrigters.

Indigenous tree of the month (1)

When the developers of our village decided to establish their fifth security retirement village on a property in the tranquil Bushveld town of Warmbaths in the late eighties, one of the (unintended?) consequences was to retain as many of the indigenous trees and shrubs as possible.

Residents soon embraced indigenous trees and shrubs as their legacy and have since purposefully dedicated themselves to their conservation. For example, Par.16.3 of our Rules of Conduct states that “trees and plants that have established naturally must not be damaged … “

Our monthly newsletter, Kwêvoël, recently declared that it will provide information about the indigenous trees that occur in our village in the coming months.

This month Kwêvoël starts the series with the Poora-berry (Vitex pooara) tree. As far as can be ascertained, only two specimens grow in our village.

The Poora-berry (Vitex pooara) tree

The Poora-berry is described it as a small deciduous tree; occurring in bushveld on rocky hillsides, usually in sandy soil. Its hairy leaves are a dull yellowish green.

Its hairy leaves are a dull yellowish green

It bears fleshy fruit that are edible and popular with the workers in the village. However, the fruit is rather unpleasantly scented, said to be reminiscent of bedbugs. Hence the unflattering vernacular names, such as stinkbessie or weeluisvrug or weeluisbessie.

It bears fleshy fruit that are edible 

Locals often use the young leaves to produce a spinach-like dish, while they (the leaves) are known to enhance the taste of traditional dishes such as skaapbredie. Livestock farmers often depend on the foliage to keep their animals from starving during the dry months when there is little grass. 

Lastly, indigenous people often use the twigs as chew sticks to clean their teeth.

Sosiale Aksie-uitstappie na Kolonnade

Die staatmakers van die Sosiale Aksie het onlangs weer eens ‘n uitstappie na die Kolonnade-winkelsentrum, Pretoria, onderneem.

Op die foto verskyn (vlnr) Mel Smith, Linda Grobler, Rina Steynberg, Koos Grobler, Kobi Breed, Ria Bester, Rita Vosloo, Linkie Ellis en Dimmie Smith

HPH Publishing skenk boeke aan ons biblioteek

Philip en Ingrid van den Berg, direkteure van die uitgewersmaatskappy HPH Publishing, het onlangs ‘n stapel van hulle pragpublikasies aan die oord se biblioteek geskenk.

Philip en Ingrip van den Berg oorhandig die boeke aan Hester Botes. Hester behartig die oord se biblioteek reeds elf jaar lank.

Philip en Ingrid woon in ons oord.

Nadat die Van den Bergs die onderwys in 1997 vaarwel toegeroep het, het hulle hulle op hulle liefhebbery, wildlewe-fotografie, toegespits. 

Kort voor lank het hulle gesoek na 'n uitlaatklep vir hulle allemintige skeppeningsvermoë en siedaar: HPH Publishing. Hulle seun, Heinrich, is die besturende direkteur. Hy is self n bekroonde foto-joernalis wat reeds talle plaaslike en internasionale toekennings ontvang het.

Sedert 2002 het die maatskappy reeds meer as 35 hoëgehalte-koffietafelboeke gepubliseer wat hoofsaaklik op die interaksie tussen plant en dier fokus.

Klik HIER om die HPH Publishing-webtuiste te besoek.