FIRST, let’s look at what’s on this weekend. Don’t miss the art exhibition taking place in Campbell Street (in the CBD) from today to Saturday. The Cause for Applause Music Academy is holding a concert this evening at 66 High Street to show off the musical talents of the students. Then, tomorrow night, it’s Ian von Memerty at the Kenton Town Hall. Saturday sees St Paul’s Christmas Fete taking place at the church, as well as the Alexandria Christian Academy’s Golf Day at the Alexandria Golf Club. Also on Saturday, don’t miss the Lionel Hunt Elvis Tribute at the Lodge in Port Alfred. It’s a pretty full weekend so, for more details see our Diarise This section.
NOW, for all you cruciverbalists out there, there seems to have been a problem with the answer to clue 16 Down in last week’s crossword. Slip lines in crystals are called Lueders (sometimes spelt Lüders) lines, or “slip bands” or “stretcher-strain marks”, but they seem to have stretched the credulity of many of our readers. So, to avoid a debate (and, by the way, no correspondence will be entered into on this matter), and as only one person managed to get this right, we put all other entries in the mix to pick our second winner.
AS for local news, the stop/start on Southwell Road has had a few drivers tearing their hair out. Please be patient; the road is having stormwater pipes laid under it to ensure good drainage on this often dangerous stretch of road. If you are in a hurry then use the back roads to avoid the traffic hold-up.
OUR country has experienced a lot of drama this week, beginning with the news that the new public protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, laid charges against her predecessor, Thuli Madonsela, at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria to test if Madonsela breached the law by releasing tapes of President Jacob Zuma being asked about state capture. The problem is that Zuma lied about not being given an opportunity to comment on the State of Capture report – that much is obvious. Also, the transcripts of the tape were released in the report, so this is just another “smoke and mirrors” deflection by the president and his cohorts who, despite his blatant contempt for the law and constitution, was supported by the majority of the ANC’s national executive council (NEC) on Tuesday.
FOLLOWING his victory at the NEC meeting, President Zuma flew off to Cuba on Tuesday evening to attend the funeral of former communist dictator Fidel Castro. The world has had a mixed reaction to Castro’s death, some saying he was a great leader who delivered free education and healthcare to his people, while others point to the state of the public hospitals and the dilapidated schools and say he was a violent and uncompromising despot. Fact is that, despite supposedly avoiding colonisation, his country is still under the yoke of the resurgent Russian empire (except Cuba is still communist while Russia abandoned that failed Soviet experiment a quarter of a century ago).
HAPPY birthday greetings, congratulations and all good wishes to everyone celebrating a birthday in the week ahead, especially Derick Moll, Leo Rossouw, Malcolm Nel, Lynn Stirk, Solly Faroa, Nola Timm, Louise Carter, Diana Tremeer, Dot Fetherstonhaugh, Nancy Kember, Willie van Gass, Darron Beetge, Nick Donaghy, Tyler van Breda, Jenny Kieck, Candida Oosthuizen, George Bax, Marianne Fryer, Orme Burn, Ilse Wicks, Anita Thompson, Jen Elliott, Mary Lloyd, Ryan Reynolds, John Moss, Garner Rieger, Fred Dragsund, Deyzel Burger, Declan de la Mare, Jean Brummer, Derek Phillips, twins Keagen and Ross Coetzee, Elton Marney, Charidene Malan, Janine Groenewald, Wanda Kelbrick, Koleta Nkwinti, Cleo Black, Danyel Keet, Shauna-Lee Stephens, Podge Wansbury, Dave Young, Carla Fryer, Glynnis Pike, Elsabe Badenhorst, Colleen Thorp, Charmaine Pauls, Kaylin van Heerden, Jenni Schoeman, Mike Warren, Onica Mukharbuli, Peter Watson, Maire Holhausen, Inge Schlemmer, Isobella Mitten, Shaun Botha, Mark Deenik, Ethne Barnard, Rosemary Cawse, Vivienne Reid, Caleb Bouwer, Pam Wilmot, Amanda Funani, Janine Collins, Andrea Elliott, Kathy Botha, Adelina Snyman, Dennis Woest, Andy Nel, Beuhlah Meyer and Jane Denton.
CONGRATULATIONS to all businesses celebrating their anniversaries and may you enjoy even more success in the future, especially Pick n Pay Clothing, Lady Biscay Kowie Cruises, Tyre Smart Continental Partner, Audie Attorneys, Bikes, Boats and Cars, LP Gaz and Bliss Beauty Treatments.
BOTH Moody’s and Fitch have downgraded the South African sovereign currency to just one level above junk status last Friday, and now it is up to Standard & Poor’s to put forward their rating tomorrow. Having already downgraded power utility Eskom to sub-investment, it seems likely that the rand will suffer a downgrade as well. The latest decision by the ANC NEC not to recall Zuma, and with the new public protector suspected of being a Zuma puppet, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shaun Abrahams denying responsibility for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s run-in with the Hawks, plus a whole lot of other issues, it seems South Africa could be facing job losses and increased poverty among its people unless someone puts on the brakes and pulls us out of this mess. With last year’s figures in brackets, the rand is trading at R13.97/$ (R14.44), R17.45/£ (R21.75) and R14.89/ß (R15.32). Commodities are trading with gold at $1 187.76 per fine ounce ($1067.79), platinum at $919.70 per ounce ($838.00) and Brent crude oil at $46.45 per barrel ($44.31).
SPECIAL thoughts and prayers are with all those folk who are not well, who are having or have already had tests, operations and treatments. “Sterkte” to Harry Thackwray, Roy Potter, Andrew de Vries, June Hart, Linda Hulley, Dot Fetherstonhaugh, Ben Kember, Blake Squires, Llewellyn Wicks, Malcolm Cock, Philly Dell, Myrna Keet, Barbara Tee, Bevan Edwards, Jonathan Walker and Brenda Shelton.
COMMISERATIONS to the family and friends of Port Alfred resident Hugh Ellis who passed away on Sunday after a brave fight following complications from a medical procedure.
WEDDING anniversary congratulations with best wishes for many more happy years ahead to all couples celebrating such an occasion. Many more memory-making years ahead to Gerry and Wanda Loxton, Sizwe and Julia Mvunelwa, Trevor and Melinda Linforth, Gavin and Annie Muir, Marcel and Laurie-Ann Raven Fabe and Michael and Kathryn Kimberley.
TALK of the Town is the proud media sponsor of the 2016 Dirty Pineapple Mud Run, to be run on Friday December 16 at Rufanes River Farm. It consists of the 2km Mud Run, 2km Mudfish Mud Run (includes a swim), 6km Extreme Mud Run and the Mudman Extreme. You’ll have to wait until next week’s TotT to read more about this annual event, but you should probably get yourself prepared for some dirty fun at Rufanes on Reconciliation Day.
THOUGHT for the week: “The world is full of abundance and opportunity but far too many people come to the fountain of life with … a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little and as a result they get little.”
BEST regards as always,
The Team
