After an eight year absence from the Western Cape’s premier river canoe marathon, Gauteng-based paddler Siseko Ntondini will return to the Berg River Canoe Marathon this year for the race from 7-10 July.
Ntondini’s last appearance at the West Coast classic was in 2012 where he finished in fourteenth place overall, a race that was won by Berg legend Hank McGregor.
It wasn’t a difficult decision for the Soweto Canoeing and Recreation Club member who jumped at the opportunity to get back to the Berg following a long absence from the race.
“I thought that this would be a good year to give the Berg a go,” the Euro Steel/AdReach paddler said. “I have had a good base to work from following the MyLife Dusi and then the Non-Stop so I am fit.
“I am looking forward to giving this year’s race a good go and if I can finish in the top ten then I’ll be very happy because it’s a very strong field.”
Ntondini has put in the long training sessions in the build-up to the race with his eyes set on the Queen Stage of the Berg – the 75km third stage from Bridgetown to Zoutkloof.
“The training started as a bit of a shock having to spend so much time in the boat but I’ve got used to it and know that it can only help me when I am paddling that incredibly long day three.
“I am looking forward to being in the boat and paddling those long days because I have put in the hard training for the race.”
This year’s Berg will form part of a greater plan for the Gauteng-based paddler who is already looking towards the 2022 MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon.
“The Berg will give me a really good base to build on going into the rest of this year and into the river season next year.
“I want to do well at Fish this year and this is an important part of that but also for Dusi next year.
“Given that we don’t run over Burma Road on day three of the Dusi I think that the Berg will help me in preparing for a longer day in the boat on the final day of the Dusi.”
A Western Cape winter brings with it wind and rain which adds to the challenge of the Berg. The weather conditions aren’t something that Ntondini is too concerned about.
“The weather isn’t something I am thinking about, I am used to the cold,” he commented.
Ntondini and fellow SCARC member Benjamin Mntonintshi will lead the charge from the City of Gold at this year’s Berg and Ntondini has been tasked with a mentor role.
“Benjamin is still Under 23 and will be doing his first Berg this year so I have been trying to help him at training.
“It’s going to be a tough race with a really strong field so we are looking forward to the challenge that the race is going to exciting.”

Die inhoud van die watervoorsieningsnetwerk van die Wes-Kaap, sal na hierdie week na verwagting styg, met twee kouefronte wat die provinsie hierdie week tref.
Teen Maandagmiddag was die voorsieningsnetwerk 74.4% vol, 0.60% laer as die vorige week met 737 miljoen liter water wat daagliks gebruik word.
Die Bergrivierdam het Maandag die 86.5%-kerf behaal. Dit het onveranderd gebly. In 2017, die jaar wat die Wes-Kaap gebuk gegaan het onder swaar waterbeperkings weens die droogte, was hierdie dam 34.6% vol.
Die Laer-Steenbrasdam was Maandag 58.2% vol, in vergelyking met verlede week se 60.3%. In 2017 was die dam 28.8% vol.
Die Theewaterskloofdam, die grootste dam in die netwerk, was Maandag 79.8% vol. Die damvlak het met 0.7% gedaal vanaf die vorige week. In 2017 was die dam 17.6% vol.
Die Voëlvleidam, die Swartland se enigste bron van water, was Maandag 60.6% vol. Verlede week was die dam 61% vol en in 2017 was die dam 18% vol.
In die opvangsgebied van die Voëlvliedam, is daar gedurende Junie vanjaar 0.5mm neerslag gemeet. Die totale gemiddeld vir die hele maand oor ‘n lang tydperk, is 115.6mm.

Op die plein op Riebeek-Kasteel, in die Riebeekvallei, in die hartjie van die Swartland, is daar ‘n klein koffiewinkel wat ietwat anders is as die koffiewinkels waaraan ‘n mens gewoond is.
Hier bestel jy, geniet jy en gaan jy.
Daar is geen sitplek vir jou nie, geen gesit en gekuier nie. Jy bestel, geniet en gaan.
Hoekom?
Want dit is hoe dit in Italië gedoen word!
En Nic’s Nibbles is die naaste wat jy aan ‘n opregte Italiaanse koffiewinkel in die Swartland kan kry!
Die klein winkeltjie-eienaar het groot drome.
Amper so groot soos die smaak van hulle smaaklike items wat te koop is.
Hier kan jy teug aan ‘n heerlike beker Lavazza-koffie, terwyl die geure van die varsgebroude koffie in die lug hang.
Wat egter die spreekwoordelike kersie op die koek is, is hulle heerlike sjokolade truffels en opregte Belgiese wafels.
Om nie eens te praat van hulle handgemaakte nougat nie.
Die sjokolade truffels is klein balletjies van heerlikheid wat gevul is met sjokolade genache, gemaak van Belgiese sjokolade.
Daar is drie verskillende geure naamlik melk, wit en donker-sjokolade. Dit smelt letterlik op jou tong en jy is spyt as daardie balletjie lekkerte weg is.
Dan gryp jy die pakkie en soek na nog.
Die nougat is sag, smaaklik en die verskillende opsies maak dit vir jou moeilik om net een te kies, so koop sommer almal!
En die wafels! Hierdie wafels is pof-balletjies-gevul-met-suikerklontjies.
Jy maak hom net vinnig in die rooster warm en geniet. Die suikerklontjies ontplof in jou mond met elke hap en jy kan nie wag om nog en nog en nog te proe nie.
Lig, vullend en smaaklik.
Besoek Nic’s Nibbles, langs Pam Golding, op Riebeek-Kasteel vir dekadente sjokolade, nougat en truffels. Jy sal nie spyt wees nie!

Whether you “Like” it or not, social media has become a powerful presence in our everyday lives. With hundreds of thousands of Facebook status updates, tweets and overly filtered Instagram images posted every second of the day, you really have to think carefully about what we share. Sure, there’s not much to it if you are sharing that viral video of a cat dressed as a pirate, or if you are updating your friends and followers on whether or not you got your gym workout in for the day, for instance. But, it is important to know that a social media platform isn’t necessarily the place for you to say and do as you please; in fact, there could be some serious legal consequences for certain posts, uploads, and comments.
There are limits to free speech in South Africa. As the Constitution reflects: “The right does not extend to propaganda for war; incitement of imminent violence; or advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm”.
Can My Social Media Post Get Me in Trouble?
To put it simply: yes, if it is defamatory in nature, you could land up in court facing a lawsuit. Defamation can be seen as any wrongful, intentional publication of words or behaviour relating to another person that injures or demeans their status, good name, character or reputation.
Defamation Case in Civil Court
South Africa’s landmark online defamation case occurred in 2013 (Heroldt v Wills), which saw Heroldt seeking an interdict against Wills for posting a defamatory Facebook message about him. The gist of Wills’ post was the Heroldt was an unfit parent due to his alleged substance abuse. The court maintained that the assessment for determining whether the information posted has a defamatory meaning is whether a reasonable person, of ordinary intelligence, might reasonably understand the words concerned to convey a meaning that is defamatory. There was also no evidence to support Wills’ accusations. Needless to say, the judge ruled in favour of Heroldt, and Wills had to remove the post from Facebook and pay hefty legal fees.
What If I am Tagged in a Post that Could Be Defamatory?
You don’t necessarily have to be the person who wrote a potentially abusive post to face the repercussions, just being tagged in a message (you don’t even have to comment!) targeting someone else could still implicate you. In Isparta v Richter and Another 2013, the Richter posted a number of slanderous posts about his ex-wife (on Facebook and tagged his current wife, and the judge awarded the Isparta damages of R40 000, which was payable by BOTH Richter and his new wife. The point is, if you are aware of the fact that you are tagged in a potentially defamatory post, and you make no effort to disassociate yourself from it, you could be held equally liable.
Can I get fired from my job for expressing my views on social media?
Many companies have zero-tolerance policies regarding racist, sexist and homophobic comments because whether you are physically in the office or not, you still represent the company.
The CCMA has heard many cases of employees posting information that sheds a negative light on their employer’s reputation and consequently being fired, or have posted about a company’s internal affairs and being dismissed. In 2011, there was a case involving two employees who wrote defamatory remarks about their boss to each on Facebook, and because their Facebook privacy settings did not restrict access, the comments were considered to be in the public realm, and they were slapped with a defamation lawsuit. In 2018, a SAPS officer was dismissed after posting violent remarks about white South Africans on EFF leader Julius Malema’s Facebook page. The Labour Court held that “there can be no doubt that dismissal was a fair sanction”.
Are there any Social Media Terms and Conditions I should be aware of?
In terms of the above discussion, the following social media rules are important to take note of:
Facebook
You may not bully, intimidate, or harass any user.
You may not post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
You may not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory.
You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else’s rights or otherwise violates the law.
Twitter
You may not incite or engage in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.
Instagram
You are responsible for any activity that occurs under your screen name.
You must not abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other Instagram users. You are solely responsible for your conduct and any data, text, information, screen names, graphics, photos, profiles, audio and video clips, links (“Content”) that you submit, post, and display on the Instagram service. Depending on the severity of the case, you might just receive a warning and be asked to remove the post, or if a post is deemed offensive, your profile could be deleted.
At the end of the day, it is imperative that you are completely aware of what you post and make public on social media as it can have far-reaching consequences.

Die uitvoerende burgemeester van die Swartland Munisipaliteit, raadsheer Tijmen van Essen, onderburgemeester Maude Goliath, en lid van die uitvoerende burgemeesterskomitee, Marlene van Zyl, het verlede week hul Covid-19-inentings op Malmesbury ontvang.

Op Malmesbury het daar ‘n juweel oopgemaak – Huiswinkels in Biccardstraat.
Eienaar Hetta Saunderson, eienaar van M4 Events and Promotions, besit en bestuur die afgelope 13 jaar haar eie besigheid waar sy betrokke was by talle geleenthede en feeste.
Teen die einde van Januarie 2020 het sy en haar span na die geleentheidskalender gekyk en besef dat hulle geseënd is met ‘n vol program. Min wetende wat om die draai wag.
Die naweek voor die eerste inperking is die KKNK, waar Hetta en haar span betrokke is, gekanselleer. Talle ander geleenthede het gevolg.
Sy moes haar Skole Kook-televisieprogram ook laat vaar, aangesien die skole gesluit was.
“Die eerste ruk was die skok so groot, dat ek skaars kon dink. Ek het nie geweet of ek dit finansieel sal kan maak nie. Ek het nagte wakker gelê en geweet dat daar baie mense is wat in dieselfde bootjie sit as ek en dat hulle nie uit dit kan kom nie. Ek het met die feeste talle uitstallers leer ken en geweet dat hulle na ‘n platvorm soek waar hulle hul produkte kan verkoop, aangesien hulle nou ook sonder ‘n inkomste was. Met die inperking moes ons almal anders begin dink. So het Huiswinkels.co.za ontstaan,” vertel Hetta.
Sy het ‘n paar uitstallers gekontak en almal was raadop en op soek na hulp.
So het sy ‘n klompie uitstallers gewerf wat op die platvorm wat sy skep, hul produkte wou verkoop.
Huiswinkels.co.za was die middelman tussen die koper en verkoper.
Hier is kwaliteit produkte aangebied teen bekostigbare pryse.
Huiswinkels was eers ‘n aanlyn-winkel, tot sy eendag ‘n oproep ontvang het met ‘n navraag oor waar haar ‘winkel’ op Malmesbury is.
Net daar is die saadjie geplant om die winkel te open.
Die winkel in Biccardstraat, agter die landdroshof, het vinnig vorm aangeneem, met ‘n huis wat omskep is in ‘n gemaklike en rustige koffiewinkel, toegerus met ‘n deli en verskillende vertrekke met ‘n groot verskeidenheid produkte.
Hier kan jy ook Body Reallignment laat doen as jy dalk ‘n verstelling nodig het!
Nie net dit nie, maar Hetta se kombuis verskaf ook aandetes, wegneemetes en vele meer.
Hulle beskik ook oor ‘n afleweringsdiens om die etes af te lewer.
Gedurende die winter is daar daagliks sop beskikbaar en Dinsdae is dit tyd vir melkkos en Vrydag is kerrieafvaldag!
Daar is ook twee kamers beskikbaar om te huur.
Spyskaarte is te vind op Facebook, onder Huiswinkels.co.za.
Kontak 022 487 2000 vir enige navrae of bestellings.

Bysiendheid, ook genoem miopie, is ‘n oogtoestand wat globaal geweldig toeneem. So sê Neels Hattingh van Hattingh Oogkundiges op Malmesbury.
Daar word verwag dat teen 2050, ongeveer die helfte van die wêreld se bevolking bysiende kan wees.
Bysiendheid is wanneer ‘n persoon sukkel om ‘n ver voorwerp in fokus te bring. Indien bysiendheid slegs jou visie aantas sou die probleem nie so groot gewees het nie, aangesien bysiendheid maklik met ‘n bril- of kontaklense gekorrigeer kan word.
Met verhoging in die bysiendheid neem die voorkoms van katarak, retinale loslating en makulopatie ook toe – dus hoër voorkoms van swaksiendheid en blindheid by bysiende persone later in hul lewe.
Sodra bysiendheid eers begin, kan die brilvoorskrif in ‘n baie kort tydperk baie sterker word.
Die progressie van bysiendheid gaan gewoonlik aan tot ‘n ouderdom van tussen 18 en 24 jaar. Daar word gepoog om die vordering (progressie) van bysiendheid so jonk moontlik in die persoon se lewe te beheer.
Een van die nuutste en mees effektiefste maniere om dit te doen is deur vir ‘n jong persoon die nuwe MiyoSmart-lens voor te skryf.
Toetse het getoon dat deur hierdie lens te gebruik, dit die bysiendheidprogressie met 60 % kan verlaag.
Sodra die bysiendheid dan begin om te stabiliseer (18 – 24 jaar) sal die resulterende bysiendheid baie laer wees as wat dit sonder die gebruik van die MiyoSmart lense sou wees en die langtermyn effek daarvan aansienlik verminder.

Die damme in die Wes-Kaap se watervoorsieningsnetwerk is 75% vol, in vergelyking met verlede week se 75.5% en 2017 se 21.9%.
Die Bergrivierdam was Maandagmiddag 86.5%. Die damvlak het onveranderd gebly oor die afgelope week. In 2017 was die dam 33.8% vol.
Die Laer-Steenbrasdam was Maandagmiddag 60.3% vol, in vergelyking met verlede week se 61.6% en 2017 28.8%.
Die Theewaterskloofdam is nou 80.5% vol, waar dit verlede week 81% vol was en in 2017 het die dam se vlak op 15.5% gestaan.
Die Voëlvleidam, die Swartland se enigste bron van water, was Maandagmiddag 61% vol. Verlede week het die dam se vlak op 61.1% gestaan.
In 2017, toe die Wes-Kaap gebuk gegaan het onder ‘n droogte, was die dam 17.6% vol.
Reënvalsyfers wat aangeteken is oor die afgelope maand dui dat in die Voëlvlei-opvangsgebied slegs 0.5mm neerslag gemeet is. Die langtermyn gemiddeld vir Junie is 115.6mm.
Bron: www.resource.capetown.gov.za