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HERALDHERALDNumber 199 • Friday 6th June 2008
Telephone 033-330 6000 • Fax: 033-330 6950 • P.O. Box 1500, Howick, 3290e-Mail: [email protected] • Proprietor and editor: Russell Barnes
The MidlandsThe Midlands
Halfway Toyota Howick033-330 2175
www.halfwaytoyota.co.za
PROPERTY PROFILE— Tim Lindsay-White —
8 000 papers FREEFREEEst. May 1996
Right:Cyndi Jonker and
Khumbulani Ndaba restat sunset after
ascending a high pointin the Vulture’s Retreat
area of the CentralDrakensberg. The
piece of spine falling offon the left is part of the
lower end of theDragon’s Back.
Photographer JohnHone returned to this
spot in the Cathkin areain the Central
Drakensberg threetimes before he finallycaptured the mood he
was after.
The picture is one ofnumerous full-colourphotographs he has
taken over the years inthe Drakensberg — now
featured in a beautifulnew 277-page
coffee table book,Encounters with the
Dragon. See our reviewon page 14.
JohnHone’s
encounterswith the
‘Berg
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12 Market Street, Mooi River, 3300Tel.: 033-263 1852 or 263 1454
Fax: 033-263 2480 • Cell: 082-926 2196
H. BUDHU —Building Contrac-tors, for all yourbuilding require-ments. Contact
Suresh at082-782 8585.
• Hire of TLBs & tip trucks
KKK Logistics,for all your long
and short-distancehaulage,contact
Kimesh at082-929 6950.
Kwikot geysers/fittings and sinks on special !!
Recovery of Rates by a Municipality
In terms of section 28 of the Local Government
Municipal Property Rates Act, if an amount due
for rates levied in respect of a property is un-
paid by the owner, the municipality may recover
the amount in whole or in part from a tenant,
despite any contractual obligation to the con-
trary! The amount recoverable from a tenant,
however, is limited to the rent due to the land-
lord, and is deductible by the tenant from the
rent payable. The tenant, on request by a mu-
nicipality, is obliged to furnish a written state-
ment specifying all payments to be made to the
owner. Furthermore, a municipality may, despite
the Estate Agents Affairs Act, recover the amount
due for rates on a property from the agent of the
owner if this is more convenient for the munici-
pality!
Banks Limit Full Bonds
One by one the banks have exercised increasing
caution in their loan-to-value lending policy, de-
nying 100% bonds and costs to all but first time
buyers, and then only to a maximum value of a
million Rand.
12%
The number of sellers leaving S.A.!
R 1 million Plus
The best selling sector of the property market at
present, illustrating that there are still monied
locals who have faith in South Africa, and for-
eigners who still see good value here!
Continued on page 2
Hi-Q Countrywide
Tel: 033-266 6748
Fax: 033-266 6754
Hi-QNottingham Road
Wishing all Dads
a very Happy
Father’s Day
Sotheby’s International RealtyTel: 033 330 3865
Philips 32-inch LCD TV — R9 499Telefunken 30-inch LCD TV — R5 399
Philips radio/CD/tape — R399Philips 160gig HDD DVD
recorder — R2 299Teac DVD player — R399
2-bar halogen heaters — R120Gas heaters from R799
Akira emergency lights — R179Sunbeam 17l microwave — R499
Household sewerage flows freely into theUmgeni River at Howick from the pump sta-tion below York Road on a regular basis.
The pump station transfers sewerage tothe works on Main Road below the Fairwayson Main shopping centre.
“Previously — as far back as two yearsago when I reported it to Umgeni Water —it wasn’t handling it at peak hours but now
Sewerage flows foully
into Umgeni River at Howickit’s even worse with the extra demand fromthe new developments,” resident Rob Mac-kellar told The Herald.
“Then with the power outages, the pumpsof course switch off too but they don’t comeon again automatically.
“So during outages the sewerage flows di-rectly into the river.
“If the operator doesn’t call on the pump
station — and he doesn’t necessarily everyday — then it doesn’t restart.”
He pointed out that 28 babies had re-cently died in the Eastern Cape as a resultof water contamination.
He had contacted the Department of Wa-ter Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) in Dur-
For all your small plant hire requirements
including:
• Trailer• Bomags• Mobile Generator/ welder
•Concrete Mixers• Power Tools• Water Pumps• Breakers
We will happily deliver anywhere you requireWe also service and repair small engines
Tel. 033-330 5965 60 Main Street,
Cell. 082-922 3735 Howick, 3290.
MIDLANDSPLANT HIRE
The Midlands HeraldPage 2 — 6th June 2008
B. Pharmacy (Rhodes) 1973Adv. Dip. in Hearing Aid Acoustics
(Pretoria Univ.) 2005
LAURIE BUTLIN
By appointment, in Howickand Pietermaritzburg
Hearing Aid Acoustician
Howick: 103 Main Street; tel. 033-330 3601Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Cell: 082 444 5426Pietermaritzburg: Wembley Pharmacy
Parklane Centre; tel. 033-394 7855Tuesday and Thursday
he Demarcation Board’s decision not
to include surrounding municipalities
into the creation of the Msundusi
Metro has left several parties in uMngeni
municipal area dismayed.
The belief was that the best combination
would be to include the area bordering from
the Durban Metro Durban of Mhlabathini
(i.e. the Camperdown area) all the way up
to Nottingham Road (i.e. uMngeni).
Both the Pietermaritzburg and uMngeni
chambers of commerce felt that these mu-
nicipalities should have been included as they
are a natural conduit of business, transport
and the movement of people.
Questioning this, uMngeni councillor Tim
Lindsay-White said that there had been a
strong expectation from uMngeni that the
boundaries would be extended — “so are we
to expect this at a later date?
“Why would the ratepayers from World’s
View to Nottingham Road in uMngeni con-
sider motivating to be part of the Msundusi
proposed metro when there’s no real cer-
tainty of how they would be treated once
the decision would have on the municipali-ties left out.
If Msundusi Metro now will receive threetimes as much national funding as before,what effect is that going to have on the sur-rounding dormitories that remain — creat-ing extra jobs, extra taxes, etc. and thusgreater attraction to Msundusi, but not toneihbouring municipalities
“The question of money coming up hereis an important one as it is said that 80% ofuMngeni’s local economy is spent inPietermaritzburg, so all of the taxes that arebeing raised don’t come back here.
“The local Chamber and the ratepayers’associations wanted to be part of it so theycould realise some of that investment.”
Finally, he said: “It would have made
For the people of the Midlands the
current Eskom power outages are
something that interrupts their daily
lives.
But for businesses it is more than just a
minor nuisance.
“We shut down totally,” said Giovanni
Fardella of Giovision in Howick, who re-
pairs televi-
sion sets and
v i d - e o
mach-ines.
“ T h e
only thing
that prior
notification
does is al-
lowing the
completion
of work that
is of great
importance.
But once the power is off the work stops
because the business can do nothing with-
out it.”
Howick Pharmacy is experiencing a simi-
lar situation.
Without power the business does not func-
tion effectively, and the partners have been
investigating obtaining a generator.
“An uninterrupted back-up power genera-
tor for two tills and the mainframe would
cost R30 000,” said Paul Hodkin.
What was most annoying was when busi-
nesses were given no notification of when
the power would be out and when they did,
Eskom did not always do what it says.
Mr Hodkin’s solution was that they
should turn the power off at night between9 pm and 6 am, although that would defeatEskom’s point.
“It is bad planning on their behalf,” hesaid.
KFC in Howick is a popular place to buyfood, and equally cannot function withoutpower.
To put in a generator to be able to run thebusiness adequately would cost aboutR300 000.
Manager Ashley Richardson said thatEskom’s service centres should be more“jacked up”, and alert the community aboutimpending load shedding.
A petrol station is another entity that hasno hope of continuing to run if there is nopower.Because it does not have back-uppower it comes to a halt.
“Judging by Eskom’s current situation,”said dealer principal of Halfway Toyota Theovon Mollendorff, summing it all up, “it willbe years until everything returns to normal.”
Above: Paul Hodkin of HowickPharmacy.
Below: Giovanni Fardella at Giovision.
41 Bell Street, HowickTel 033-330 8116 • 330 5546
Cawood Accounting
Solutions cc
C&M Mechanical033-330 7803 or 082-578 3884
86 Main Street, Howick
We wish Russellwell and hope
he gets better soon !For all your fuel, oil & gas requirements,
contact Chris or Lesley: Tel/Fax —033-266 6390 / 033-266 6119
AFROX’s
official supplier of gasto the Midlands
Nottingham RoadGAS SUPPLIES
Get well, Russell. We
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LONGONOT
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they’re part of it — i.e. would they besidelined and see the money go elsewhere?
“Yet the main ratepayers associations likeHowick, Hilton and Nottingham Road metto discuss the issue and made individual de-cisions that they wished to be included.
“Such an amalgamation would have re-quired the standardisation of voting wards,with uMngeni ward sizes likely to have dou-bled from 3 000 to 6 000 voters — as is cur-rent in Pietermaritzburg, meaning that 50%of uMngeni councillors would not have founda position for themselves in the next elec-tions.
“Hence the likelihood of resistance fromthose councillors that may have lost theirseats, and management that would not havebeen employed in the new Metro.”
He said that minor technical changes areproposed to the boundaries, which is in con-flict with the Demarcation Board’s statementthat it was leaving the boundaries intact.
“Is this a political decision to protect theuMgungundlovu District Council?”
More importantly, he asked what effect
ban, which had sent a technicianto take water samples from theriver.
These had shown conclusivelythe presence of raw seweragewith high E.coli counts.
The Herald spoke to ZakheGumede, acting executive man-ager: operations, for theUmgungundlovu District Coun-cil, who said that the pump sta-tion was overloaded as it hadonly been designed to be con-nected to a few buildings like theGreendale Shopping Centre.Most dwellings in the area oper-ated on their own septic tank.
The pump station was checkedseveral times a day, he said.
On his way home he wouldcall in at the sewage works to
Continued from page 1
give instructionsto schedule anadditional dailyvisit.
He disagreedthat the problemhad existed fortwo years, sayingthat it was caus-ed by Eskom’sload-shedding.
Sewerage flows most foully
Above and left: Walkers along the banks of UmgeniRiver have noticed that sewerage is flowing straightinto the river from this pump station at the bottom ofYork Road in Howick.
Metro decision raises many questions for uMngenisense to utilise the resources of uMngeni.
“We have plenty of land to develop, par-ticularly for industry and commerce, whichis in short supply in Pietermaritzburg, andthe natural corridor of the N3.
“In addition, it would have been an idealopportunity to control the water resourcesfrom the headwaters of Midmar Dam to thelower reaches below Albert Falls Dam, withthe enormous development opportunitiesthey represent, which have been squanderedby uMngeni.”
Furthermore, an important considerationwas that with the broader rates base, the ex-pectation was that the rate randage foruMngeni ratepayers — a sore issue at present— would have dropped.
When Eskom fails
business . . . By Amy Jordaan
T
Page 3 — 6th June 2008The Midlands Herald
Can the
1987
floods
happen
again?Recently — following the 20th anniversary of the 1987 floods
in the Midlands in September and the high rainfall patterns in thefirst half of summer — The Herald examined the question of whetherthis disaster could recur, particular the situation of having an uncon-trolled flow of water over Midmar Dam, as happened then.
Since the dam wall was raised by 3,5 metres just a few years ago, thereare those that now consider that this will forever prevent it.
A civil engineer specialising in water toldThe Herald that the answer is that it solelydepends on how much water is in the dam atthe time and the (totally unpredictable)
amount of rainfall to hit the area.So the floods can occur again.Howick is an unusual town in that
it rather queerly finds itself perchedjust downstream from a massive dam andabove a spectacular waterfall.
The current position regarding develop-ment along or near a riverbank sees the De-partment of Water Affairs and Forestry chargingthe local municipality with the responsibility ofoverseeing that it adheres to the 100-year floodline.(Until not long ago it was the 50-year level).
When the disaster hit Howick, the most affected ar-eas were the low-lying industrial area in Campbell Roadthat today include Howick Test Centre and Mahindra,KwaMevana (the soccer field was flooded), and several houses
THE HOWICK
VILLAGE PHARMACY
Howick Medical Centre, Main Road, HowickTel: 033-330 7020 • Cell: 082-854 2413
Wishing editor russell
barnes all our very best
wishes as he makes his
recovery to full health.
in Moonwalk Road.These properties should be just as vul-
nerable if the water comes down again.
* For the effects of this on
Howick at the time, view our feature
with pictures on pages 4 and 5 over-
leaf.
Above left: The 1987 flooding of Howick — IanJohnson and policeman Wayne Lotter in theformer’s rubber duck rescue two Impendle BusService employees (in centre of boat) after theUmgeni River burst its banks, trapping them onthe premises, in the industrial area of ExchangeLane. Monty’s Hydraulic Services in thebackground is now the Howick Test Centre.
First Wednesday of every month:
9 am: Technical cluster committee.Second Wednesday of every month:
9 am: Social services cluster committee.Third Wednesday of every month:
9 am: Management cluster committee.Fourth Wednesday of every month:
12 noon: Exco (Executive Committee).2 pm: Council
These meetings are open to the public, who are welcometo attend, and all take place in Council Chambers at themunicipal premises at 5 Dicks Street, Howick.
uMngeni Council —
Calendar of meetings
The Midlands Herald — notice
We wish to apologise for the non-appearance of The Midlands Herald
over the past nine months. The news-paper has not been published since editorRussell Barnes contracted an illness forwhich he is still being treated. We look
forward shortly to being able to bring thenews to you on a more regular basis.
Howick
Insurance
Brokers
033-330 3601 • 103 Main Street, Howick
We have enjoyed
our dealings with
The Herald over
the years and
our good times
together. Get
well soon,
Russell !
F A R M E R S ’ M A R K E T
Kark loof
2.6km from Howick • Along the Karkloof Road• Access off the D507 • Contact
• Kim - 082 851 8649 • Andrea - 082 820 8986
EVERY SATURDAY 07H00 - 11H00
Read all
about it!
The
Midlands Herald
The Midlands HeraldPage 4 — 6th June 2008
“Normal business and community lifenearly came to a standstill on Tuesday whenUmgeni River broke its banks and startedflooding low-lying areas in the early hoursof the morning.
“Approximately 30 houses in the lowerparts of Howick bordering on the Umgeniwere flooded out and had to be evacuated.Most of these houses were in the white grouparea with 12 houses in KwaMevana havingto be evacuated.
“The occupants of the houses inKwaMevana and 20 families from HowickSouth have been given temporary shelter atMidlands Hospital, the total amount beingjust over 200 at time of going to press.
“The whole of Jupiter and Moonwalkroads had to be evacuated plus parts ofOakleigh Drive.
The 1987 floods — so
what did happen 20 years ago?
The front-page story of the editor, GarthSutherland, of the town’s Weekly Herald,
in its 30th September 1987 edition.
According to editions of the local news-paper of the time, The Weekly Herald,widespread rains fell over the Midlandsarea from Saturday 26th to Wednesday30th September.
“So far no deaths or injuries have beenreported and the Borough’s Civil Defenceorganisation have done a marvellous pieceof work in keeping essential services oper-ating almost normally.
“Some of the cables stretching across theUmgeni which supply Howick with electric-ity were broken at various times but thanksto the Borough staff’s sterling efforts mostresidents were only without electricity for ashort period on Tuesday morning.
“All of the residents from these areas have
been given temporary shelter by friends, rela-tives or neighbours.
“Water pipes across the Umgeni were alsobroken and at the time of going to press itwas still necessary for residents to take pre-cautions with drinking water — purifyingby boiling, etc.
“At this stage residents can be thankfulthat there has been no loss of life and al-though damage by floodwater has been fairlyextensive let us not relax our vigilance asmore rain has been forecast for the week-end.
“It was a weary Mr Strydom, the TownClerk, who told me on Tuesday night thathe had nothing but praise for the commu-nity and colleagues for the marvellous wayeveryone has rallied around to handle thisdisaster.”
“Flood!”
Above: KwaMevana’s soccer field — here seen under water during the height ofUmgeni River — was severely eroded during the 1987 floods, in this picture fromThe Weekly Herald of September 30th 1987.
This 20-year-on look at the 1987 floods was being prepared by Herald editor Russell Barnes for publication on its anniversary last September, when he contracted aserious skin disease and suspended all future editions of the newspaper. He is now on his way to recovery, and for your interest still presents this look at those events.
On Monday 28th traffic authorities re-ceived reports of flooding of dams and riv-ers in the Boston area.
At about 3 o’clock that afternoon theUmgeni River started to rise above the nor-mal dam overflow level, and Howick’s CivilDefence thereafter maintained constant com-munications with the superin-tendent at the dam wall.
The Borough of Howick, asit was then called, convened ameeting at 8:30 pm to carry outan appraisal of the situation,attended by town clerk GerardStrydom, its “chief of civil de-fence”, chief traffic officer IanStuart, borough engineer andassistant head: civil KenHobson, assistant town clerk GGarside, and senior traffic of-ficer Johnny Oosthuizen.
They took measurements ofthe rise in the river and paid afinal visit to the Midmar su-perintendent at 10:30 am, after which MrStrydom informed the South African Policeand the mayor of the threatening situation.
At this time the rise in the river had al-ways been gradual but by 10:45 am it con-tinued at an alarming rate of over 30 cm per30 minutes.
Umgeni River bursts its banks
The flooding continued to worsen and theUmgeni burst its banks, threatening housesalong the riverbank and the lower industrialarea.
The river reached its highest peak in theearly hours of Tuesday afternoon and main-tained that level until Tuesday evening.Thereafter it began to subsidise.
Extent of flooding and
details of affected areas
Midmar Dam: At the peak of the floodMidmar Dam was in extent over 130% fullwith water calculated as flowing over the wallat a rate in excess of 1 000 kl per second.
Howick: The N3 bridge across the Umgeniwas closed to traffic, which was then divertedthrough the town. At the town’s bridge, theriver was flowing at 4-5 metres above itsnormal level whilst further upstream 3-4metre rises were measured.
Two houses in Moonwalk Road wereflooded, one to second-storey level and theother to ground-floor window level, andthree houses in Jupiter Road to window level.
In KwaMevana, the waters reached underwindow height in two houses, the tennis
court was washed away and the soccer fieldwas severely eroded.
In Howick West seven wattle-and-daubhouses were damaged, and in Howick Southa number of houses were made uninhabit-able as a result of run-off storm water over-flowing into the buildings.The hiking trail and the natural vegetationthat had been newly created along the riverbelow the residential area were also de-stroyed.
Howick industrial areaThe lower industrial area in Exchange
Lane, Power Lane and Campbell Road sawvarious buildings flooded, including theBorough’s electrical workshop, its stores and
other workshops, Trentyre, the Lions RiverFarmer’s Exchange (now Afgri), Monty’sHydraulics and the Impendle Bus Company(now Mahindra Howick).
Despite the evacuation of the propertieslisted above, loss or serious damage was suf-
fered to heavy equipment, tools, office equip-ment, and vehicles and stores.
One of the more dramatic elements of thedisaster was the washing downstream andover the Falls of one of Impendle Bus Com-pany’s buses. According to stories it hasnever been found.Services: Three overhead mains cables werelost and related cables damaged, and vari-ous other power lines suffered temporarydamage.
Power to the town was maintained miracu-lously through a single lineacross the Umgeni bridge!
The sewer main betweenthe SPCA’s premises inCampbell Road and ImpendleBus Services (now Mahindra)was washed away. The sewagepump station adjacent the riverwas unable to cope with theflood and stormwater enteringthe system, and sewerage be-gan flowing directly into theriver.
Numerous septic tanks —mostly in Howick West —overflowed.
There were water losses.The 6-inch main pipe across the Umgeni wasswept away, which meant that Merrivale/Heights and the lower end of Howick Westand Greenfields were without water.
Umgeni Water’s pump station adjacent theriver was flooded and for a while Howickwas left without a supply.Roads: Throughout the town roads sufferedvarying degrees of damage, compounded bythe fact that the Natal Provincial Departmenthad closed the N3 freeway and rerouted traf-fic through Howick.
As the supports to the Umgeni bridge wereunder a raging torrent of water, it was notpossible to ascertain damage to the bridgeand officials were extremely concerned asto the stability of the structure at the heightof the flood.Telephones: In many parts of the town, tel-ephones were disrupted, including those ofthe Civil Defence.The Weekly Herald, 4th November 1987
The 1987 floods hit the Midlands hard
O & SELECTRICAL
Electrical, air conditioning& refrigeration contractors
Wishing Russell
a speedy and
successful recovery.
Telephone 033-330 540584 Main Street, Howick
98 Zeederberg Rd, Merrivale • 033-330 5408
AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS
ENGINEERING
Get Well Soon,Mr Editor
Telephone/fax: 033-266 6728
Nottingham Road * Natal Midlands
Nottingham Road Brewing Co.
May you make a goodrecovery and get backto your usual beatcovering thecomings & goingsof Nottingham Road . . .
Let us help youget well, Russell !
HOWICKPHARMACY
1 Main Centre • 330 2102/3 • a/h 082-800 5256
“David (Taffy) Walters and his wifeMichelle and their two children aged6 and 9 years have had to move in withtheir neighbours, the Christians, be-cause of the devastating damage doneto their home, the ‘Old Mill’, by thefloods.”
“Caversham Mill
damaged by floods”
The Weekly Herald, Wednesday 21st
October 1987
Page 5 — 6th June 2008The Midlands Herald
Below: A crowd of people looks on at the floodwaters that spilled over into theindustrial area, today occupied by Mahindra (at right) and Afgri (at left).
Below: A closer look at today’s Mahindra property, then occupied by theImpendle Bus Company, whose buses are mostly under water here. One buswas washed over the Falls — and it has never been found, to date.
Far left: The two-storeyedthatch cottach in MoonwalkRoad was flooded to the top ofthe first floor.Left: The Moonwalk Roadsignpost peers out — but onlyjust ! — from the waters.Below left and right: The twopictures below, if joined at thetelegraph pole, show apanorama of the flood thatincludes the Midmar Dam walland houses in Jupiter andColumbia roads.Bottom left: Mills Falls (behindtrees at left) disappears underthe deluge of Umgeni River.Bottom right: Residents ofupper Oakleigh Driver might beforgiven for thinking that theyreally did have a waterfront !
All thephotographs ofthe effect of the
September 1987floods on the pagebelow were takenby editor Russell
Barnes’ latebrother, Graham
(pictured at right).
The Howick Museum has a display of articles and photographs of the “1987Floods”. The display is up from May to September. Natural disasters arestudied as part of the Gr. 7 Geography curriculum, and local schools areencouraged to use the display at the museum as an additional resource.
Museum: Tel. 033-239 9240; fax 033-330 8051; [email protected]
The 1987 Floods
in PicturesEVERDON
ESTATETel: 033-330 2071
The Home of Organic Avocados
Wishing Russell a Complete
and Speedy Recovery —
and to seeing him soon !
Stephen Glutz
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Agric. Hall, 1 Falls View Drive, Howick
Come and join us for a relaxing meal !
* Sunday Roast* Light Lunches
* Breakfast all day!* Mighty Milkshakes* Toasted Sandwiches* Delicious Desserts* Pensioners’ Lunches
Read all about it!
The Midlands Herald
The Midlands HeraldPage 6 — 6th June 2008
Good food, good vibe
at Harry Jack’s
Family RestaurantOur dining experience at Harry Jack’s
Family Restaurant in Howick started off withCatalina and me thinking that the cold fronthad spoilt our chances of sitting on the at-tractive outside deck.
Not so. Management had booked us a ta-ble right next to the fireplace, pulled theshutters down and brought up an additionalgas heater to ensure that we were cosy forour visit.
Elsewhere, the restaurant was busy thatevening, providing a pleasant, convivial at-mosphere.
Catalina and I started off by ordering alarge house salad (R23-00).
For her starter, she followed this withbaked mushrooms (R25-00) — grilled blackmushrooms with stir-fried fresh vegetablestopped with melted mozzarella cheese andbaked — while I favoured the chicken liversperi-peri (R25-00), which were sautéedchicken livers with a peri-peri sauce, andserved with toast.
The service was attentive, and the man-ager for the evening friendly and helpful.
Catalina’s legendary ability among thewines soon had a 2005 Zonnebloem Merlot(R75-00) plonked on our table.
She was perfectly right: it was smooth andeasy drinking, and complemented well themain dishes we were about to order.
Catalina’s 250g fillet steak (R68-00),chargrilled to order, with mash and aMadagascan peppercorn sauce, she pro-nounced tender and tasty.
Likewise, my succulent gammon steak —served with pineapple and fried egg, andcreamy mashed potato (R45-00).
For dessert, Catalina enjoyed a smallchocolate milkshake at R7-00 and I had ahomemade creamy chocolate mousse (R17-00).
Our evening was memorable — warm andcosy, with a wonderful exchange of conver-sation and hours to enjoy it all.
Owners Sean and Rebecca tastefully re-stored a century-old house and almost twoyears on, have settled into a winning for-mula. Telephone Harry Jack’s at 033-330 5036. Russell Barnes
Dining out in the Midlands
Below: Regular Harry Jack’s customers in the form of the Wakefields Estate Agents family — Theresa Wil-liams, Delene van der Westhuizen, Steven Willaiams, Juzzy van der Westhuizen, Helen Wakeford (daughterof the owners of Harry Jack’s), Luke van Rooyen, Harry Jack’s chef Happy Zwane and Lara Williams.
The Lions River Heritage So-ciety (LRHS) honoured Mrs NooDorning on Heritage Day lastyear for her contribution towardsthe preservation of Midlands her-itage.
Members of the Societygathered at the Howick Museumto honour the occasion.
In particular they expressedtheir gratitude to her for her deepinvolvement and dedication inmaintaining our heritage.
The members were proud to
present her with a well-earnedreward, namely a framed pictureof early Howick.
LHRS president Alf Lincolnsaid to The Herald afterwards:“Mrs Dorning has such a deep
Above: Alf Lincoln, president of the Lions River Heritage Society (LRHS), Mrs Noo Dorning, Moira Crookes (chairman, LHRS) and guestspeaker on myths and facts about King uShaka, Dr Tony Cubbin, at the Howick Museum on Heritage Day last year. Mr Lincoln is holdingthe society’s floating trophy, an aerial photograph of Howick presented in recognition of her contribution.
knowledge and she’s been verydedicated to the cause of heritageover many years.”
Mrs Dorning is also the au-thor of a book on the historicalproperties of the Midlands,Chimnays in the Clouds, firstpublished in 1997 and which shehas recently revised and re-printed in a fuller edition.
At the time of the first launchshe said: “I hope that it makespeople aware of the heritage inthe area, and of just how fragileit is, particularly in the countryareas of KwaZulu-Natal”.* The editor regrets that this ar-
ticle and photograph, dated Sep-
tember 2007, were unable to be
published earlier due to illness.
Scholarship Surname First Name School
Major Open McDonald Michael Ruzawi SchoolMinor Open Schram Nicholas Highbury Prep. SchoolOpen Exhibition Holzbach Sebastian Cordwalles Prep. SchoolOpen Exhibition Potter Matthew St Peter’s Prep. SchoolMajor Trust Clowes Steven Underberg SchoolMinor Trust Mgoduso Lonwabo Montrose Primary SchoolClosed Morkel Justin Clifton Prep Sch., Nott. RdClosed Joubert Matthew The Ridge SchoolExhibition De Beer Darren Waterkloof House Prep.Sch.Exhibition Thompson Ryan Pridwin Preparatory SchoolExhibition Wolfson Adrian Highbury Preparatory Sch.Sports Bird Cameron Highbury Preparatory Sch.Sports Oldfield Gregory Highbury Preparatory Sch.Sports Exhibition Bouwer Michael Westville Sen. Primary Sch.Sports Exhibition Stevens Luke Westville Sen. Primary Sch.
Michaelhouse School’sscholarships for 2009
Michaelhouse provides a range of merit-based scholarships for students of outstand-ing academic, musical and sporting ability.Awards are made to boys enteringMichaelhouse in Grade 8 and are valid forthe five year duration of their career atMichaelhouse.
The Academic Scholarship examinationis written by invitation, at Michaelhouse,and awards are hence based upon the candi-dates’ performance in the Scholarship ex-amination.
Sports Scholarship awards are based uponthe submission of a curriculum vitae andperformance at an afternoon of sport at theSchool.
The Music Scholarship awards are basedupon the submission of a satisfactory cur-riculum vitae and an audition with an exter-nal adjudicator.
Michaelhouse takes great pleasure in an-nouncing the following Scholarship Awardsfor 2009:
A Festival of Fairy
Tales will be produced atThe Hilton CollegeTheatre by the pupils ofthe Ros NicholsonSchool of Ballet on Fri-day 13th June at 6 pm andSaturday 14 th June at2 pm and 6 pm. Pro-ceeds will go to theHowick SPCA.
Tickets at R40 foradults and R25 for chil-dren are available at thedoor.
Below: Pupils of the Ros Nicholson School of Ballet in “The UglyDuckling” in A Festival of Fairy Tales.
A Festival of Fairy Tales ballet
Local heritage award
presented to a
worthy recipient
The Midlands Herald Page 7 — 6th June 2008
Brookdale Health Hydro celebrated its15th anniversary last year and many recentadditions and upgrades are testimony to theendurance of the quality health and lifestyleexperiences on offer.
Bordered by forest and farmland with ameandering stream running through theproperty, the Brookdale estate consists of themain Health Hydro with accommodation andtreatment facilities, and a separate Day Spa.
This is popular amongst guests who arepressed for time or are simply looking toescape for the day.
The potential of a special placeIn 1989, Tony and Wendy Somers-Cox
purchased an old farm and immediately re-
Brookdale Health
Hydro — leader in Health
and Wellbeing
alized the potential of this special place.The estate was developed intensively over
a period of 18 months and opened in 1992as Brookdale Health Hydro.
Through the years, the facilities have con-stantly been upgraded unobtrusively to en-sure that Brookdale remains a leader in itsfield of health and wellbeing.
Through passion and commitment,Brookdale has grown from twelve rooms to23 rooms ranging from Standard rooms toExecutive Suites.
Garden courtyards border the guest suitesand the whole environment is conducive torelaxation and tranquillity.
A limit of 34 guests and an unusually high
B Bl l la ack e
Glodina , proud supplier of 100% quality towels ,
congratulates brookdale health hydro on their 15th anniversary
Glodina , proud supplier of 100% quality towels ,
congratulates brookdale health hydro on their 15th anniversary
www.glodina.co.za
Over 50 years of uncompromisingcommitment to quality,affordable luxury and durability
A L L C O T T O NA L L C O T T O N
ratio of qualifiedstaff to guests ensurethe personal atten-tion and exclusivitythat has become ahallmark.
Today, Brookdaleis considered one ofthe premier healthdestinations inSouth Africa, havingwon numerousawards and acco-lades over the years— including theGuinot PrestigiousSalon Award, HealthSpa Guide Spa of theYear, Les NouvellesDestinations Spa Fi-nalist, GetawayReaders’ ChoiceAward for best Spadestination in SA(2007).
Above: Tony and Wendy Somers-Cox — founders ofBrookdale Health Hydro.
Right: Roomslead onto a
magnificentcentral courtyard
at BrookdaleHealth Hydro.
Telephone/fax: 033-266 6208
Email: [email protected]
www.brookdale .co.za
The Midlan
Congratulations to all at Brookdale.Wishing you all the best for the future.
PEEL’S HONEY, MERRIVALETELEPHONE 033-330 3762
Our congratulationsto all at Brookdale!
For all your building &hardware requirements
033-330 3928 • 38 Main Street, Howick
F&F
KITCHENS, BICs, PUBS AND CUSTOMISEDWALL UNITS IN ALL POPULAR MATERIALS
Over 30 years of combinedexperience in the kitchen is thefoundation of our personalised
attention and realistic prices. Agentsfor Inovar Floor and Fin Floor
Brand new showroom at:
6 BULMAN RDMKONDENI
TEL/FAX: 033-386 1400/1
e-mail: [email protected]
Congratulates Tony, Wendy
& their Staff of Brookdale
Health Hydro on
their 15 successful years!
Plenty of onsite parking
A garden labyrinth has been planted and is currentlybeing treated with tender-loving care to establish it asa place of meditation and rest for the future.
At Brookdale, deep relaxation is at the core of de-stressing and qualified therapists present a range of pam-
pering treatments focused on restorationand rejuvenation.
Only reputable products from es-tablished brands are used in treat-
ments, which range from Swed-ish massages, facials, reflex-
ology and relation tech-niques to the signatureheavenly twin mas-sage, which is under-
taken by two consultantsmassaging opposite sides
of the body in synchronicity.Brookdale recently
launched its own stunning cof-fee-table book, written by re-
spected radio personality and author,M o n i c a Fairall, packed with useful tips,healthy lifestyle information and mouthwatering reci-pes.
The book, appropriately titled Heavenly and Healthy
— The Brookdale Experience, is available by onlineorder via their website, from the Hydro at NottinghamRoad, or from Big Sky Marketing in Durban (telephone031- 266 9653).
Guests are encouraged to set realistic goals towardsmaintaining a healthier lifestyle once they plunge backinto the pressures of every day living.
Facilities are geared towardsguests’ relaxation and healing
The crisp KZN Midlands winters have long been anattraction to visitors, but now even ifit’s snowing outside you can es-cape into your own warmworld at the indoor wet areaof Brookdale.
Swim leisurely in a heatednatural-look pool surroundedby a sandstone terrace, loungeon the glassed deck while gaz-ing over peaceful farmland andforest, or lose yourself in a bookin the sunny conservatory.
The wet area also includes a jacuzzi,sauna and steam rooms and a health bar.
In addition, the hydro also offers a mosaicsteam room, sauna, hydrotherapy baths and a fullyequipped gym.
It’s a place where you can retreat from the world,relax the spirit and refresh the soul.
The Studio at Brookdale offers a quietly spectacularplace to relax your mind and tone your body with Pilates,Yoga and Guided Relaxation classes.
An expansive wraparound deck with sweeping viewsoffers space to unwind after a class, or simply soak upthe sun while enjoying birdsong, fresh air and the natu-ral stillness.
Above: Tony and Wendy Somers-Cox with the 2007 team of Brookdale consultants.
A typical healthyday at Brookdale
A typical day atBrookdale Hydrobegins with a walkthrough the forestand farmlands, fol-lowed by a healthybreakfast.
The unique andrealistic Nutri-fitProgramme hasbeen scientificallydeveloped to incor-porate good diet,moderate exerciseand stress manage-ment.
Three delicious,balanced meals areserved daily andfasting is not en-couraged.
While the mealsare low fat, they are
delicious and beau-tifully presented.
Daily informa-tive talks on stressrelief and coping,nutrition, exerciseand supplementa-tion are fitted inbetween activitiesand treatments.
“. . . a forest walk, followed by a healthy breakfast”
Tel. 033-394 0870 • Fax 033-394 3834231 Greyling Street, Pietermaritzburg
www.ontap.co.za
We are proud to be
associated with
Brookdale • Wishing
you all the very best
for the future.
Proud suppliersto Brookdale Health Hydro
• C • C • W •
CATERINGSuppliers to the Catering Industry
24 Winston Rd, Pietermaritzburg
Tel: 033-345 4505/345 4536Fax: 033-394 2935
Our very best wishesto you on this
unforgettable occasion
Page 8 — 6th June 2008
nds Herald
FOODPAK(MIDLANDS)
Congratulations to Tony & Wendy & all their Staffon the 15th birthday of Brookdale Health Hydro!
We are suppliers of Foam Trays, Foil Containers, Clingwrap, Plastic Cupsand Tubs, Plastic and Paper Packets, Refuse Bags, Cake Boxes,
Baking Ingredients, Serviettes, Toilet Rolls and Cleaning Chemicals.
Tel: 033-394 5309 • 394 5310 • Fax: 342 4574157 Victoria Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201
The Organic Health and Nutrition Specialistswww.absoluteorganix.co.za
Congratulations from
Spa Nail & Beauty Suppliers
Happy Birthday
“BROOKDALE HEALTH HYDRO”
May you enjoy another 15 years from all of us at Upfront Distribution
E v e r y t h i n g y o u n e e d u n d e r o n e r o o f
Head Office: Dianic House 55 Goble Road Morningside Durban 4001 Tel: 031 – 312 3502 / 312 1266 Fax: 031 – 303 2461
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.upfrontdistribution.com
Page 9 — 6th June 2008
Clockwise from above: Brookdale’s magnificent indoor pool and heated wet area; Time stands
still in between blissful massage treatments at Brookdale; The body is gently massaged by numerous
air and water jets during a hydrotherapy bath; Exercise and professional support help ease back
pain; Dining al fresco on the deck overlooking the outdoor pool at Brookdale; and early morning
walks enjoyed in the crisp Midlands air.
is distributedmonthly door-to-door in Hilton,
Merrivale, Howickand in Oak Parkand Montrose inPietermaritzburg,as well as in shopsin Boston, Mooi
River, Rosetta andNottingham Road
The Midlands
HERALD
TO TONY, WENDY & STAFFOUR VERY BEST WISHES ON
THIS SPECIAL MILESTONE FORBROOKDALE HEALTH HYDROCANDICE, TERRY & NORMA
NOTTINGHAM ROAD
HAVE YOU VISITED OURBIGGER, BETTER,
BRIGHTER STORE?JOIN US ON THE 20TH JUNEFOR OUR GRAND OPENING
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK —PUBLIC HOLIDAYS & SUNDAYSTake Away/ Bakery/ Groceries
Tel: 033 2666 710
Cosmotech Natal
Tel. 031-764 5764 • Fax 031-764 45753Tasica House, 12 Charles
Way, Kloof, 3610
Distributors of Environ(R)
Our congratulations
to Tony, Wendy & Staff at
Brookdale Health Hydro !
Dulcet
Farms
Karkloof
Sending you ourwarmest wishes
onyour15th
birthday
On Tap
AFROX’s
Nottingham RoadGAS SUPPLIES
For all your fuel, oil & gas requirements,contact Chris or Lesley: Tel/Fax —
033-266 6390/033-266 6119
official supplier of gasto the Midlands
Chris, Lisa and Staff
wish to congratulate
Tony & Wendy of
Brookdale Health Hydro on
your 15th birthday!
Thank you for your support.
Page 10 — 6th June 2008
All the very bestto Brookdale Health
Hydro for the future
Tel. numbers: Office: 033-330 558424-hr control room: 033-330 3777
Riaan Claassen:082-877 0662
44 Main Road, Howick • [email protected]
For all your security needscontact Riaan. Armed response,alarm monitoring and guarding.
Telephone/fax: 033-266 6728
The NatalMidlands
NottinghamRoad
Peter, Deon& StaffcongratulateTony andWendy on 15splendid years !
Our best wishes toBrookdale on this special
occasion.Congratulations!
Promotional clothingand gifts
Congratulates
Brookdale on 15
successful years!
Telephone 031-262 8143wwwmegaski.co.za
No. 2 Cullinan Place, Cullinan Close,Morningside • Tel. 011-305 1600
• A proud supplier
to Brookdale •
Congratulations on
your success •
We look forward to
many more years of being
of service to you ! •
FarmarkTelephone 033-386 2538
Cell 082-574 4257
To Tony, Wendy& Staff
Congratulationson your 15th
Anniversary —from Farmark cc
Suppliers of Specialised Chemicals
TEL/FAX: 033-330 3908CELL: 082-759 1691
Congratulations to youboth. Delighted to havehelped you over the last
15 years. Lookingforward to the next 15.
Specialised Cleaning ServicesP.O. Box 754, HOWICK, 3290
183 Pietermaritzburg Street, PietermaritzburgTelephone 033-394 1233; Fax 033-345 2005
Congratulationsto all at
BrookdaleHealth Hydroon their 15thAnniversary
Pietermaritzburg’s LeadingPaint and Wall Paper Specialists
Gary Brokensha of D&G Printcongratulates Tony & Wendy together
with all your staff on your 15thbirthday. Thank you for your support,
which is very much appreciated.
2 Wareing Road, 35 Wareing ParkPinetown 3600P.O. Box 15070, Westmead 3608Tel. (031) 701 5177Fax: (031) 702 0322
The Midlands Herald346 Greyling Street, Pietermaritzburg, 3201Tel.: 033-394 5412 • Tel/Fax: 033-342 2181
Congratulations
to Tony, Wendy
and Staff !
Proud supplier to
Brookdale Health Hydro.
Wishing all atBrookdale Health
Hydro the very beston the occasion of
their 15thAnniversary.
A proud supplier toBrookdale Health Hydro
The Lawnmower
Shop, Howick16 Campbell Rd • 033-330 2504
Congratulations toBrookdale Health Hydro.
Keep going!
22 MAIN STREETHOWICK
TELEPHONE: 033-330 6515
First Photo CentreKodak Express
Congratulations from a proudsupplier to
Brookdale Health Hydro
The Midlands Herald
can feature your
business expansion or
anniversary, too.
Give us a call at telephone
033-330 6000 or e-mail
The Midlands Herald
Read all about it
drills, angle-grinders,lawn-mowers, waterpumps etc for hire. 033-3305965/082-922 3735.TC
NetFocusInternet
service-providerTel. 330 3543.
TC
Hilton Boarding Kennelsand Cattery. Phone 033-343 3492.TC
10 am - 6 pm weekdays,9 am - 12 noon Satur-days. After hours on re-quest. 033-330 7886/083-777 [email protected]
Carpet Care — prompt,professional cleaning ofcarpets and upholstery.Free quotes. 033-330 2625.TC
Bomag rollers, c/mixers,generators, ladders,
Page 11 — 6th June 2008The Midlands Herald
From the Chamber — the Municipality Matters
Carpet Care
LAZY LIZARDBOOKTRADERS
New and nearly newbooks to suit all agesand tastes. 56, Sym-monds Lane, Howick,
Books
For Hire
Dargle Dale Kennels andCattery. Boarding,grooming and clipping.Heated kennels. 033-330 6035.TC
Country Craft That-ching, established 1974.Big on workmanship,moderate on price. Tel/fax 036-438 6243,Anthony Carte.
Classified adsClassified ads
Kennels
KennelsAntiques For HireBooks
InternetThatching
“Democracy is the worst form of government.Except all the others that have been tried” — Sir Winston Churchill
CouncilComment
Cllr Tim Lindsay-White
A country can have one of the best constitutions in the world with some of
the finest supporting legislation, but if it is not consistently applied through
the tiers of government allowing for full public participation at grass roots
level it will still be denied democracy. Our closest experience of govern-
ment is invariably the local council where we are most likely to have
personal contact with our elected representatives, so it is disappointing to
consistently battle with the growing tendency of the administration to ig-
nore legislation and policies that emphasise the need for meaningful pub-
lic participation and effective communication — the corner stone of de-
mocracy.
Towards the end of the last council term a building, later termed a
“recycle centre”, was erected at the edge of our precious heritage site
valley, in the prime heart of the CBD, without public consultation and in
contravention of legislation. Early in the current council term, unsightly
urban billboards sprouted up at the entrances to Howick and Hilton, de-
stroying the village atmosphere, disregarding hundreds of petitioners. Fol-
lowing a petition of over 1 100 concerned residents to be appraised of the
plan and reasons to unceremoniously fell the town’s trees, altering its
leafy appearance for posterity, Municipal Manager Dumsiani Vilikazi once
more refused to address the people at a public meeting. With the aliena-
tion of the only green public space in the CBD to be used by a pub and
restaurant for parking, the concern of members of the public to erosion of
the “sense of place” of the town centre was ignored. Then again when
requested to consult the public before closing the caravan park, the Mu-
nicipal Manager dismissed it as undesirable.
Last year municipal manager Vilakazi closed the Oversight Committee
meeting into the annual report not only to the general public but equally
against councillor observers, in defiance of the Municipal Finance Man-
agement Act and the Constitution itself. This year, just two years into the
current five year term, a disturbing culture of out-put based, rather than
out-come based, meetings had clearly set in. The outcome of a recent
facilitation meeting by the uMngeni Chamber of Commerce and Industry
together with a service-provider on the issue of the Howick Falls Master
Plan emphasised the need for the restoration of meaningful public partici-
pation and effective communication but barely weeks later the municipal-
ity refused to go back to the people for submissions when they arbitrarily
raised property rates by 7,5% instead of the previous 6,2% they had pre-
viously advertised for comment. Then came the debacle of denying Ward
Committees a direct conduit to council as legislated!
It is little wonder, therefore, that when the Demarcation Board adver-
tised for comment on the proposed Msundusi Metro, ratepayer associa-
tions from World’s View to Nottingham Road motivated to be included.
When asked why they would take this step, not knowing for certain if
things would actually be better, the response was to escape the non-par-
ticipatory management of municipal manager Vilakazi (considered by some
down the hill in Msundusi to be their greatest weapon in driving uMngeni
into the arms of the Metro!!!).
Tim writes in his personal capacity
You can contact him on 083 379 8051
The Democratic Alliance (DA) andInkhata Freedom Party (IFP) lockedhorns with the African NationalCouncil (ANC) in the uMngenicouncil over the freedom of the wardcommittees to report to council, andto be reported back to by counciland not be diverted by the munici-pality.
The issue arose after CllrLindsay-White called for the wardcommittee needs to be a standingitem on the council’s agenda, hav-ing pointed out on several occasionsthat not once had the ward commit-tees been represented in council norreported back to by council as re-quired by legislation and the mu-nicipality’s own policy. “Councilhas simply not been carrying out itsmandate with the people,” he said.“The majority of ward committeesare non-functional, whilst the fewthat have been regularly meetingsince July 2006 when establishedhave received no reply to any of thematters raised in respect of theirwards.”
“What is particularly worryingto the residents of uMngeni is theway the ANC caucus consistentlyallows the municipal manager todictate to them, dismissing the con-stitutional imperative to preserve theseparation of powers between ad-ministrative and political bodies,and thus having the effect of themunicipal manager dictating to thepeople he is there to serve.”
“Ward committees are not struc-
the council reach the ward commit-tees”. The speaker’s office would bethe best to co-ordinate this require-ment, but this recommen-dation bythe DA and IFP was dismissed bythe ANC.
The municipal manager has fur-ther sought to dictate what could andcould not be discussed by the wardcommittees ! It was resolved that “thediscussions during meetings shouldbe based on the needs of each wardand must be developmental in its
nature”. However, section 74(a) ofthe Structures Act clearly states that“a ward committee may make recom-mendations on any matter affectingits ward”, which would include mu-nicipal operational issues that areconstantly receiving com-plaints thatare not being answered.
It was further resolved that “a sys-tem be instituted in order to have away of assessing the nature of dis-cussions that take place and the na-ture of intervention that council canapply in dealing with the matters”.
Such a Draconian measure wouldbe an infringement of the Bill ofRights enshrined in the Constitu-tion !
With Ward Committees beingforced to report directly to the mu-nicipal manager and not to the mayor(as chair of the executive) or to thespeaker (as chair of the Council), theposition is far from satisfactory andneeds to be addressed as a matter ofurgency.Tim Lindsay-White
Mayor’s houseis “tool of trade” —uMngeni’s attorneys But auditor-general says money
should be recovered from him
Commenting recently on the uMngeni Mu-nicipality’s annual financial statements, theauditor-general has said that the provision of ahouse, electricity and water for the mayor,Edward Dladla, contested by the DemocraticAlliance and Inkatha Freedom Party council-lors, did not fall within the framework of thePublic Office Bearers’ Act.
Thus, if occupied at no cost to the mayor, itwould result in a transgression of the Munici-pal Finance Act and constitute irregular ex-penditure. He indicated that the market-relatedvalue of this benefit should therefore be recov-ered from the mayor.
Attorneys acting on behalf of the munici-pality, however, contended that the mayor’shouse, and the perks that go with it, were notremuneration but a “tool of trade”, similar tothat of a car for a travelling salesman, withoutwhich he could not do his job.
A SARS consultant supported the auditor-general’s interpretation that the house was con-sidered a perk that should be classified as re-muneration. Democratic Alliance councillorPam Passmoor called the municipality’s legalinterpretation “disturbing in that, if not con-tested, it could literally open the door for 283other municipal mayors to claim their houseexpenses !”
uMngeni ward committees muzzled
The “big sleep-over” at the FernHill Hotel on theweekend of 14th and15th June last year,where 200 delegatesto a youth summitwere accommodat-
“Big sleepover” cost R332 000
tures of the administration; on thecontrary they are overseers of theadministration. They are legislatedcommittees of council, chaired bycouncillors, are obliged to report tocouncil, and council is obliged toreport to them. The object of a ward
committee is to enhance participa-tory democracy in local governmentstructures (Structures Act section72(3)). The primary function of award committee is to be a formalcommunication channel between theward community and the council andits political structures. Neverthelessthe municipal manager, supported bythe ANC caucus, is trying to forcethe ward committees to report tohim, with him alone deciding what,if anything, is relayed to councildespite section 74(a) of the LocalGovernment Municipal StructuresAct, 117 of 1998, clearly stipulat-ing that recommendations be made“to the ward councillor, or throughthe ward councillor to the local coun-cil/executive committee”.
Furthermore, the Policy for theEstablishment of Ward Committeesfor uMngeni Municipality requiresthat “the recommendations from theward committees reach the council,and ensure that resolutions made by
ed for the duration despite living in ornear Howick, has cost the ratepayerR332 000.
The total cost worked out at R1 661per delegate. More than R170 000 wasspent on banners, gifts and advertising(although the function was by invitationonly). It was also needlessly advertisedtwice in The Witness and in The Mercury
at an estimated cost of about R2 400 peradvertisement.
For the event, uMngeni Municipalitybooked out the entire hotel of 27 roomsfor municipal officials from uMngeni and144 places at Midmar Dam for the youth.
At Exco on 27th September 2007, CllrPam Passmoor queried whether Councilhad ever approved the expenditure, as itwas never presented to Council.
An item on its agenda for 1st June gavethe background of the event and issuedinvitations to all councillors to attend.Minutes of the meeting merely state thatthe staging of the summit was “noted”.
Municipal manager Dumisane Vilakazireplied that the figures had been presentedwith Council’s budget for 2007/2008, andspeaker Surya Pillay added that the mayor,Edward Dladla, had taken the money andput it towards the youth. She was referring
to a meeting on Wednesday 3rd May 2006where Cllr Dladla had consented to areduction of R100 00 from an allocationof R500 000 for the purchase of a mayoralvehicle, to allow the extra money to beutilised for community welfare.
““What is particularlyworrying . . . is the way theANC caucus consistently
allows the municipalmanager to dictate.”
Antique Furniture,
Silver, English Tea Sets,
Books, Stamps, Wine,
Jewellery, Figurines,
or anything collectable!
We buy and sell — Call
Wanted:
033-342 3870/3
Pat or Ross Cannon
Two Howickbusinesses
under one roof
Le Miel Cosmetics have recently movedto their new premises at 3A Mare street (for-merly Thabo’s Antiques building). Our factory is fully operational for con-tract manufacturing, and our standards arecompliant with international requirements. We have our own “in House” range of
cosmetics, manufactured in our factory. Our products are based on aromatherapyand physiotherapy —No animal testingNatural IngredientsScientifically formulated and tested to in-ternational standards
Cawood Accounting Solutions CC haverelocated to our new premises upstairs at 3AMare Street, formerly Thabo’s Antiquesbuilding.
Cawood Accounting Solutions CC havebeen in Howick for 10 years this year.
We started as a very small bookkeepingservice, offering only a bookkeeping serv-ice; however, over the last 10 years we have
grown to 18 staff members, offering a widerange of services:
Standard monthly bookkeepingOn Site contract bookkeepingCompany registrationsAll statutory registrationsTax and all related tax issuesMentorship
Payroll BureauCompany AuditsCipro annual returns
Tax season is looming again. Please feelfree to come in and have a chat with us andsee how we can be of assistance to you as anindividual tax payer or for your companyrequirements.
Above: Bi;ly and Carol Cawood pose at left with the large staff of Cawood Accounting Solutions CC, which has grown steadily over the 10 years of business.
Above: An exciting move — comfortable, centrally-situated premises in Howick for Cawood AccountingSolutions CC, upstairs in the old Thabo’s Antiquesbuilding.
Below: Beautiful and natural — pop in today and see the wonderful range of in-house cosmetics manufactured by Le Miel —the French name means “the bee” — Cosmetics at the old Thabo’s Antiques building at 3A Mare Street, Howick.
Le Miel Cosmetics, 3A Mare Street, Howick. Tel. 033-330 8388/9
Cawood Accounting Solutions CC3A Mare Street, Howick. Tel 033-330 8116.
Page 12 — 6th June 2008 The Midlands Herald
Moving the way people thinkabout Ingredients
for food, cosmetics,pharmaceutical,nutraceutical, and beyond...
Suppliers of speciality raw materialsfor foods, flavours, cosmetics and
pharmaceuticals
Tel 27 11 454 5400 • Fax 27 11 454 6549 • www.sharonbolel.co.za
02 th
SharonBolelCHEMICAL MARKETING
ANNIVERSARY
We are proud to beassociated with Le Miel Cosmetics
SharonBolelCHEMICAL MARKETING
Two Howickbusinesses
under one roof
SHAFT PACKAGING(PTY) LTD
LION MATCH PARK892 Umgeni RoadDurban4001
P.O. Box 35431Northway 4065
Telephone: (031) 303 8014Fax: (031) 303 9615
Congratulations on
your past achievements.
We look forward to
dealing with you for
many years to come.
Your specialists for computer sales,repairs, upgrades and networking
Tel. 033-330 5144 • 1 Harvard Street, Howick
LONGONOT
COMPUTERS
Go for it, Carol! We’rebehind you all the way.
20 Main Street, Howick • Tel. 033-330 2105
Our
congratulations
to all at Le Miel
from Management
and Staff
How can we help you?
3A Mare StreetHowick
Telefax:(033) 330 3433Renetta Bosse
Cell:082-457 0391
E-mail: [email protected]
Protective Clothing * Safety EquipmentUniforms * Chef Wear
Carol & Staff, here’s wishingall the very best to youall in your two ventures !
Left and below: Comfortable, centrally-situated premisesin Howick for Cawood Accounting Solutions CC, upstairs inthe old Thabo’s Antiques building at 3A Mare Street, Howick.
Page 13 — 6th June 2008The Midlands Herald
P.O.BOX 631WESTVILLE3630REP.OF SOUTH AFRICA..Email: [email protected]
14 - 18 WESTMEAD ROADWEST MEAD
PINETOWN 3610TEL: (031) 700 4168/9
FAX: (031) 700 3508
We are proud to beassociated with you !
Wishing you all the verybest for the future.
Cosmetichem isproud to supplycosmetic raw
materials to Le MielCosmetics, and
congratulates youon
your recentexpansion.
Telephone 011-704 2282
The Midlands HeraldPage 14 — 6th June 2008
Outstanding photographer’s encounters with the Drakensberg
Brenda George’s first epic novel, Falling
Leaves and Mountain Ashes, was seven yearsin the writing and researched from 1981.
In 1982, Brenda had two very powerfulrealistic dreams, one week apart. The firstgave her her main characters, and the sec-ond her story.
The day after the second dream, shestarted writing.
It is a forty-year saga of life and love onthe dreaded Claw Mountain in the Blue RidgeMountains of Virginia, America, amidst thelawless Buchanan clan headed by the de-praved patriarch, Obediah Buchanan.
18-year-old Mary Harley elopes withhandsome Zachary Thomas, the eldest sonof the wild and dangerous “Buckos”, andfinds herself caught up in a web of brutalityand violence, including a vicious, senseless
22 years ago, in 1985, a first novel by anunknown South African author was pub-lished in America, the British Common-wealth and several foreign countries.
A Man Cannot Cry, the twenty-years-in-the-writing saga, became an internationalbestseller widely compared to The Thorn
Birds and Gone with the Wind.It received rave reviews worldwide. In
America The Washington Post called it “awonderful book” and it was a PEOPLEMagazine Top Ten Book of the Year, whilein Britain it was voted “a bookseller’s mostpromising title”.
Its moving and unforgettable story ap-pealed to both sexes, young and old, andover the years Mrs Keverne has receivedscores of sequel-begging letters from inter-national fans who expressed the hope thatshe would take less time to put out her nextepic.
Unlike Margaret Mitchell, she has finallyproduced another work.
But her second 20-year stint has causedher long-suffering family and friends towonder if her painstaking pace is a worldrecord!
Readers who loved her first novel will beequally enthralled with the trilogy, which,like its predecessor, is largely set on a mis-sion station in Africa.
It is also solid mainstream fiction featur-ing adventure, suspense, mystery and astrong central love story with the additionaldimension of a ground-breaking spiritual
Gloria Keverne has brought out her long-
awaited second novel to follow her inter-
national bestseller, A Man Cannot Cry,
while sister Brenda George has released
her first novel, Falling Leaves and Moun-tain Ashes — the first in a five-book se-
ries.
Below: From left to right, international bestselling author, Gloria Keverne with her author sister and free-lance editor and literary agent, Brenda George, at the launch at the Maritzburg Golf Club late last year of thelatter’s first published novel, Falling Leaves and Mountain Ashes, and Musa E. Zulu, motivational speakerand author — who launched his own book The Language of Me in 2004.
Gloria Keverne
The Divine
Dawning
Local sisters publish novels simultaneously
Brenda George
Falling Leaves and
Mountain Ashes
dimension.Originally written as a single book, the
trilogy was split into three when it was foundto be way too large to be contained in a sin-gle book.
The three books in the Josiah’s KingdomTrilogy are titled: The Divine Dawning, The
Sacred Dream and The Holy Purification.The first has just been released; the sec-
ond and third will follow at successive in-tervals.
* The Divine Dawning published byChrysalis Dreams can be bought at Adams& Co. in Durban or in Pietermaritzburg atShuter and Shooter, or ordered through Ex-clusive Books.
The publisher or author can be contactedat [email protected]. Or tel-ephone 033-343 1625.
feud with the neighbouring Galtrey clan.But Mary is determined to improve the
lives of her primitive moonshine-imbibingin-laws, and constantly comes up againstthe evil Eli, the meanest Bucko of them all.
Years later, Eli suffers a traumatic “darknight of the soul” and a heinous childhoodsecret is revealed.
Starting in 1899, and set against the back-ground of the isolated wilderness of the BlueRidge Mountains of Virginia, BrendaGeorge weaves an elaborate tapestry of rich,compelling characters, and a passionatestory of love, courage, violence, heartacheand humour.
Annette Handley-Chandler, ex-literaryagent, Hollywood screenplay agent, EmmyAward winning producer and writer, said:“Brenda’s writing is lyrical and visual — amovie in the making! Don’t miss this com-
pelling, page-turning read!”Brenda was a semi-finalist last year in the
annual USA Hidden River Arts Awards withher book.
She was the only non-American namedamong the winners from many thousands ofentrants from all over the world.
* Brenda George grew up in NorthernRhodesia/Zambia and now lives inPietermaritzburg.
She has been a freelance editor, a literaryagent, a convenor of novel-writing work-shops and a novel-writer of longstanding.
She edited the international best-seller, AMan Cannot Cry, and the recently-released
Divine Dawning, both of which were writ-ten by her sister, Gloria Keverne.
* Falling Leaves and Mountain Ashes is pub-lished by Sherando Sun Publications.
Professional photographer John Hone thinks that theDrakensberg is a treasure but I surmise rather that it’sJohn Hone that’s our treasure.
For this native of Durban has just compiled a mag-nificent coffee table book called Encounters with the
Dragon of his photographs taken over the years whilehiking and camping in these mountains.
As an example of his wellknown work, there can-not be too many Natalians that won’t recognisethe photograph at far right, which was taken fromthe skies above Durban on 12th July 1988.
Mr Hone took three attempts to get it rightfinally while a heavy covering of snow lay onthe ‘Berg (the burning of fire-breaks usuallymars the skies) — and bear in mind that eachtime he had had to charter an aircraft.
To date, he has sold over 50 000 largecopies of the picture.
If you have bought or just looked at postcards of the‘Berg, the chance is also that he took most of them,reproduced by his publishing business, Art Publishers,in Mayville.
Mr Hone brings the same sense of perfectionism tohis book, Encounters with the Dragon, and concurrentlydemonstrates that he is one of the finest landscape pho-tographers we have in the country.
Drakensberg’s origins and its early settlers
The book is illustrated by the photographer’s beauti-ful pictures, all in full colour except for older pictures.Here is a master photographer who is prepared to getout of his sleeping bag to catch a sunrise at dawn’sfreezing weather — in all seasons — to travel to the
samesetting on several different occa-sions until he has captured thatperfect shot, or who risks slowinga hike in order to record the expe-rience faithfully.
The chapters set out to tell about
The legendary, pioneering climbers of yore
Particularly enthralling is the account of the “legendary” climberswho set their sights on scaling peaks never before climbed, from BrianGodbold who started in the 1920s to those of the 1950s.
One of these latter, Martin Winter, who still resides on his farm nearWinterton,like his climbing mates surmounted major peaks in justveldskoens or takkies as no fancy climbing shoes were then available,and with minimal protection gear.
“Four or five pitons and a hard rope was all we had,” he recalls today.Page upon page of John Hone’s spectacular photographs
But the real attraction of Encounters with the Dragon is its magnificentarray of full-colour photographs — page after page of mountain peaks andclefts, hills and valleys, rivers, clouds, sunrises and sunsets, oddities ofcamping life, its colourful characters, and mountains, mountains, moun-tains. It is truly a priceless addition to ‘Berg literature — a real treasure.
the geological origins of the Drakensberg, the oldestidentified inhabitants the Bushmen, the settling of thearea by whites and the Zulu in the 1800s, his own earlyexperiences, the tragedy of climbers that have lost theirlives, the many colourful characters and the ‘Berg itself— its nature, beauty, and the unpredictable weather thatcautions one to give it the utmost respect.
Above: John Hone.
Right:Art
Publishersto date has
sold over50 000
largecopies of
this picturethat John
Hone tookfrom
Durban on12th July
1988.
Above left: The front cover — camping in snow on a level terrace on the TrojanWall.
By Russell Barnes
* Encounters with the Dragon is available at most Midlands book stores.
Page 15 — 6th June 2008The Midlands Herald
the gate — but saw her chances of the titlefade when a small mistake near the finishmeant she slipped a place.
Competitors assembled their bikes fromthe pieces that they had brought in, whilethe rain conspired to render the track unus-able.
On a special indoors track built overnight,the 49-year-old raced for the first time inher own age group and not against twenty-somethings.
“The outdoors track there was beautiful,”she said, adding that it was drizzling whenshe had arrived earlier in Vancouver for thepre-worlds event.
“I came third in the 19-and-over class ona special indoors track built overnight, asthe rain conspired to render the outdoor trackunusable.”
Back home and later in the year, Sharlenewon the “Ladies’ BMX Rider of the Year”award at the Standard Bank Cyclist of theYear 2007 awards held at The Emperor’sPalace in Johannesburg in November.
She received a cheque for R500 “and a
See overleaf:• Craig Paul in Scotland
and Italy; and• Sharlene McGilvray inFrance, Brazil, Canada
and China
Continued from page 20
humungous bunch of flowers; itwas like carrying a smallchild !”
For the second year runningshe also earned her KZN col-ours and has been re-selected forthe SA squad attending the 2008World Championships.
In May she will be leavingfor Tauyuan, near Beijing.
She will still have to pay herown travelling expenses, but forthe first time in ten years shewill be competing with fullsponsorship from RobCunnington of Cycles Africa —kit and an Intense BMX bikewith Sinz components —andproduct sponsored by USN.
All her South African raceentry fees and licence fees arefully paid.
“They obviously saw howpassionate I was about BMX so
I got lucky !” she laughs, andthen says enthusiastically: ”I’malso writing an all-South AfricanBMX book aimed at JuniorSchool kids.
“It’s going to be 32 pages ofSA BMX news — where to go,how to start, who’s who, etc.
“Shuter and Shooter are go-ing to publish it and all the roy-alties will go back into the de-velopment of BMX, so that’ssomething I’m really looking for-ward to doing.”
Sharlene teaches spinning atthe Midlands Health and FitnessCentre in Howick on Tuesdaysand Thursdays and trains at Vir-gin Active in Pietermaritz-burg.
And finally, with all the abovecredentials, not surprisingly shewill be featured in Femina’s Julyissue.
Look out for it !
Local cyclists making their mark
internationally
Right: The winners of the women’s 45+category at last year’s BMX World
Champs in Canada — from left, 1st,Liesbeth van der Jagt (NED); 2nd,Sharlene McGilvray (South Africa);
3rd, Ellen Kuiper (Canada); 4th, JoniSiebenlist (USA); 5th, Kathryn
Bostrom (USA); and 7th and partlycut off, Kittie Weston-Knauer (USA).
Dale Morphew of Howickhas been chosen to representSouth Africa at the Eighth Ca-noe Polo World Champio-shipsin Edmonton in Canada from20th to 27th July. Six of theseven team members are fromKwaZulu-Natal.
Dale has been playing forNatal A since 2004, havingbeen selected for the U21 sidein 2001 while a Grade 10 pu-pil at Weston.
. . . and Dale’s
travelling to CanadaRussell Barnes
The game of canoe polo isplayed in an area of 23 metres by35 metres on pools, dams andeven — as he discovered on anoverseas trip in 2005 — on ca-nals in Belgium.
Each side has five players andthree substitutes.
According to the rules, eachhalf lasts 10 minutes, with just atwo-minute break in between.
The world championships areheld every second year, and thiswill be Dale’s first trip.
Below: Dale Morphew — travelling to Canada in July for the Eighth Canoe PoloWorld Championships. In this file photograph taken last year he is holding hisNatal colours for canoe polo and gold medal for Natal’s winning efforts at the 2007SA Champs.
Fundraising golf day at
Gowrie to aid Nottingham
Road Tourism
Polo season beginsWhat is the Midlands without its century-
old tradition of playing polo on its beautifulfields ?
And remember, all tournaments welcomevisitors, and have excellent catering, freeentrance and the promise of lovely days inthe sunny winter countryside at a lovelyvenue.
Up at the Karkloof Club
The Karkloof Club’s polo section will behosting three major tournaments this win-ter.
First up from 13th to 15th June is theKarkloof Polo Classic, the most popular tour-nament of its kind in the country. Two weekslater, from 27th – 29th June, there will be theSAPA tournament, a new event from theSouth African Polo Association.
Then a fortnight later — from 11th to 13th
July — the South African Championshipswill be playing for the century-old BeresfordCup (circa 1890).
A special feature of these three top tour-naments is that the senior section is rated at15 goals — the best level in South Africa atpresent.
“The winning performer over the threematches will be awarded the Triple Crown,which is a new feature,” said Mike Benson.
“It’s as good polo as you’ll get here.”Across at the Lions River Polo Club
The Lions River Club was a bustle of ac-
tivity last weekend, with a Seniors Tour-nament of five polo teams of the over-50splaying on Friday and Sunday, accordingclub vice-captain, Julia Rees.
On Saturday the Natal Horse Fair washeld in aid of the Horse Care Unit, whichis a “horse version” of the SPCA.
The fair featured displays of varioushorse breeds, and sports such aspolocrosse, show-jumping and dressage,as well as talks by various horse expertson horse communication, caring forhorses’ eyes, a farrier speaks, etc.
From 20th to 22nd June the club’s an-nual tournament takes place with 12 teamsdoing battle. A cocktail party will be heldon Friday night.
On 2nd and 3rd August the club will behosting a 4x2 tournament — a smaller,local event that aims to encourage youngerplayers and beginners, playing with themore experienced players.
Then up at Mooi River
Early birds Mooi River have alreadyhad their annual Mooi River Polo Tour-nament, which was held from 9th to 11th
May, club captain Clive Cole said.For the remainder of the season the
team will now be busy playing varioustournaments in the area, but will be host-ing a season-end mini tournament in Sep-tember.
The new Gowrie Golf Course atNottingham Road is holding a fundraising“Golf Day” in aid of Nottingham RoadTourism on Friday 13th June.
The competition format will costR280-00 per golfer and consist of a four-ball alliance, with two scores to count.
There will be prizes for longest driveand closest to the pin.
Halfway Toyota, Howick, are sponsor-ing prizes for the winners of the BetterballStableford competition, run in conjunctionwith the 4-ball alliance competition.
Teeing off will be from 11h am atseven-minute intervals.
Please supply names of four balls.Gowrie has 10 caddies. Players should
let management know should they requireany further caddies.
Tea/coffee and biscuits will be servedat 10 am.
Halfway house will be a choicebetween pie, gravy and gravy or quicheand salad, while dinner will consist ofbeef stroganoff, salad and rolls.
Dinner for partners will cost R65-00per head, numbers to be confirm beforethe time for catering purposes.
The registration table will open at10 am, where golfers will be given theirscorecards, local rules and info on thecourse.
Prize-giving and dinner will be hostedat the Clubhouse after the golf day.
The club is also appealing to busi-nesses to sponsor a hole @ R500-00 perhole.
This is an opportunity to showcaseyour business, promoting it by means ofbanners, promotional gift packs and/ormaking your “hole” the most fun andwacky of the day.
Branding/banners need to be at theGowrie Golf Course by Thursday 12th
June.Please contact René at Nottingham
Road Tourism ASAP to reserve your 4-balland/or sponsorship for this prestigiousevent. Telephone or fax 033-266 6308, ore-mail: [email protected]
HERALDHERALDThe MidlandsThe Midlands
Number 199 • Friday 6th June 2008
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Two local cyclists have much to
look forward in 2008 to. For
each year, Sharlene McGilvray
and Craig Paul, both of
Howick, compete in the an-
nual World Championships as
well as starring in the
numerous local races. Varsity
College graduate Amy Jordaan
caught up with them.
Right: Craig Paul ofHowick in action at theoffroad mountainbiking
World Championships inScotland last year. Craig
was further honouredwhen the picture was
used for promotion in theSA mountainbiker
magazine.
Local cyclists
making
their mark
internationally
Craig Paul of Howick competed in theoffroad mountain biking World Champion-ships in the foothills of Ben Nevis in Scot-land last September.
He was among a group of 19 South Afri-cans racing in the under-23 age group.
Back in South Africa, and now 23, he iscurrently third in the elite men’s category(age 23 to 29) in the local championship.
He finished second last year in the U23category.
In Scotland at the World Champs, com-petitors were required to complete the 7.8kmcircuit five times.
The first lap started with multiple crashesbut Craig managed to recover later on.
The lap began with a track width ofaround 10m, narrowing down to five metresfurther on before further decreasing to a sin-gle-lane track less than one metre wide.
“This causes the competitors to bottle upand meant that there was a large amount ofwaiting, running and walking, while wait-ing for the bottleneck to clear,” he explained.
“In an international event the competi-tors are all so evenly matched that the bot-tleneck obviously gives some an advantage.”
The answer would be for Craig to com-pete overseas more — from the small spon-sorship available to South African cyclistshe manages only to attend the World Cham-pionships — and thus obtain an internationalseeding.
Continued on page 15
Hence — those starting lower down in thefield getting caught at the bottlenecks.
From the second lap onwards everythingsettles down to racing per se, he said.
In 2006 Craig finished 73rd in New Zea-land and in Scotland in 2007 improved tofinish 58th overall. Burry Stander from theKwaZulu-Natal South Coast finished a stag-gering 6th overall in the event.
“I was a lot more satisfied this year com-pared to last year,” Craig said, noting thatthe experience is helping.
The 2008 World Championship will beheld in Italy in June, and as a reserve Craigwill only go in the event of injury.
SharleneMcGilvray in France,
Brazil, Canadaand China
Craig Paul in Scotland and perhaps Italy
Sharlene McGilvray is looking forwardto competing in her fourth BMX WorldChampionships this year, in China.
In Canada last July she was placed sec-ond in her class.
Riding a Crusader (a BMX bike with 24-inch wheels), she managed a “hole shot” —the vital achievement of being first out of
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