Springbok Lodge & Restaurant is ‘n familie besigheid wat reeds sedert 1947 deur die Kotzé-familie bestuur word. Die hoofgebou van die lodge in Voortrekkerstraat huisves die ontvangs, kafee, restaurant, boek- en curiowinkel en foto’s oor die geskiedenis van Namakwaland.
Jopie se bekende klipversameling is reeds ouer as 50 jaar en word ook in die hoofgebou ten toongestel.
Akkommodasie is beskikbaar in die bekende geel en wit huisies binne loopafstand van die hoofgebou. Die interessante name van die huise reflekteer die geskiedenis van die geboue. Huise soos Die Ankerhuis en Huis Kallie Fischer is ingerig as en suite dubbelkamers. Die Stoor en Ou Sendingpastorie kan groot groepe akkommodeer. Selfsorg eenhede soos Bergmanns Hof en Ou Dokters is gewilde keuses vir dié gaste wat graag vir hulself wil sorg tydens hul kuier.
Die restaurant voorsien lekker etes soos ons gewilde melkskommels, heerlike omelette en immergewilde ete van die dag. Hier kry jy nog régte boerekos soos tamatiebredie en kerrie-afval. Die restaurant is gelisensieerd en ons spyskaart spog met gewilde streekswyne.
Die boekwinkel beskik oor ‘n wonderlike versameling boeke oor ‘n wye reeks onderwerpe.
Ons doen moeite om die beste boeke oor blomme, plante, geskiedenis en plaaslike stories in voorraad te hou. Afrikaanse boeke lê ons na aan die hart en hiervan kry jy genoeg in die boekwinkel vir oud en jonk.
Ons boekwinkel het ook ‘n interessante curio-afdeling met klein geskenkies, aandenkings, handgemaakte items en die beste produkte, van koffie en konfyt tot seep en die bekende vet skapies uit die Karoo.
Die nuutste toevoeging tot die lodge is ‘n kunsgalery op die boonste verdieping met kunswerke deur Namakwalandse kunstenaars. Kom loer gerus in om te kyk hoe talentvol Namakwalanders ook met kwas en verf is.

Uitslae/Results
Wedvlugduiwe

OMEGA RACING PIGEON CLUB
Victoria West – 7 Augustus
1 Manuel Lofts 13:31:30; 2 Shane Arendse 13:41:59; 3 Stan The Man 13:43:31; 4 Hok Smith & Edas 13:45:21; 5 Shane Arendse 13:45:56; 6 Hok Smith & Edas 13:46:47; 7 Kasu Family 13:47:09; 8 Hok Smith & Edas 13:48:03; 9 Stan The Man 13:50:46; 10 Kasu Family 13:51:22; 11 Team Neo Vision 13:54:01; 12 Stan The Man 13:54:32; 13 Kasu Family 14:01:15; 14 Manuel Lofts 14:02:39; 15 Leukes & Garth Loft 14:05:31

MALMESBURY POSDUIF VERENIGING
Britstown JO2 – 7 Augustus
1 Limbardi 1373.4198; 2 J.A. Lombaard Jnr 1373.3088; 3 Team Neo Vision 1373.2829; 4 D De Villiers 1371.7331; 5 LF van Dalen 1367.9792; 6 Lewisham Lofts 1361.5917; 7 Limbardi 1349.1593; 8 Limbardi 1342.0209; 9 Lewisham Lofts 1322.5403; 10 Lewisham Lofts 1320.5307; 11 J.A. Lombaard Jnr 1309.9017; 12 Kotze Familie Hokke 1309.7265; 13 Bordeaux A 1303.6851; 14 Kotze Familie Hokke 1299.0829; 15 Lewisham Lofts 1297.6278; 16 D De Villiers 1296.6647; 17 J.A. Lombaard Jnr 1295.9172; 18 J.A. Lombaard Jnr 1295.8184; 19 Limbardi 1295.0777; 20 Marais Hokke (Ksd) 1284.7849

Britstown Ope 2
1 J.A. Lombaard Jnr 1367.3420; 2 Lewisham Lofts 1364.4970; 3 Limbardi 1360.9907; 4 D De Villiers 1358.0377; 5 Kotze Familie Hokke 1357.9383; 6 Kotze Familie Hokke 1354.9357; 7 Bordeaux A 1351.4839; 8 Kotze Familie Hokke 1339.0895; 9 Limbardi 1338.0057; 10 D De Villiers 1336.9446; 11 G Williams 1334.8644; 12 J.A. Lombaard Jnr 1321.5654; 13 G Williams 1320.1604; 14 D De Villiers 1316.8113; 15 Limbardi 1310.5078; 16 G Williams 1309.8618; 17 Kotze Familie Hokke 1305.7985; 18 Limbardi 1301.5747; 19 Bordeaux A 1290.5580; 20 Team Neo Vision 1285.4706

RIEBEEK VALLEI
Prieska – 31 Julie

1 MJ Hokke 15.00.56; 2 Kuiler Hokke 15.05.29; 3 Dawid Loft 15.18.25; 4 Abrahams Hokke 1515.16.11; 5 Alex Family Loft 15.11.25; 6 Mentoor Hokke 15.24.19; 7 Mentoor Hokke 15.40.41; 8 Amen Hokke 15.43.34; 9 Abrahams Hokke 15.45.269; 10 Mentoor Hokke 15.47.03; 11 Alex Family Loft 15.46.30; 12 Mentoor Hokke; 13 Mentoor Hokke 16.27.40; 14 Daniels Hokke 16.28.38; 15 Alex Family Loft 16.31.31; 16 Amen Hokke 16.57.29; 17 Pigeons Nest 42 16.58.13; 18 Alex Family Loft 17.00.04; 19 Alex Family Loft 17.07.03; 20 Mentoor Hokke 17.15.50

Lt. Col Johan Scott, commander: Stock Theft Unit Vereeniging, gives producers the following safety hints on how to prevent livestock theft:
Livestock owners should keep all fences and gates in proper condition to protect their livestock. The employment of a specially-trained employee can be considered for daily fence patrolling. This person can see to it that holes in and under fences are repaired at once. Inspect these reparations yourself.
Loading ramps in paddocks or on farms away from direct supervision should be kept locked or obstructed at all times.
If you consider buying an additional farm, remember: “absentee landlords gather no crops”. Rather try and buy close to your residential farm.
Prevent stolen animals from being hidden on your property. Stock posts serve as ideal overnight stopovers to hide stolen livestock. Unknown livestock found at such posts should immediately be reported to the SAPS.
Livestock at stock posts should be counted by the livestock owner him/herself, at least once a week.
If employees at stock posts possess their own animals, a good preventative measure against stock theft (if involvement of employees is suspected) is to allow the animals to mix and graze together.
Many court cases are lost because of disputes regarding the proper identification of animals. If an animal is marked with a registered brandmark or tattoo, disputes will be avoided. Employees should mark their livestock properly, according to the Animal Identification Act, 2002 (Act No. 6 of 2002), preferably by branding them.
Be particularly watchful during full moon, weekends and at the end or beginning of a month or during periods that you know from your own experience, when stock thefts (slaughtering for the pot) occur. Report unknown animals among your animals immediately to the SAPS and your neighbours. Livestock owners should at all times report al livestock theft cases on their property immediately. The longer the delay, the less the possibility of achieving success in an investigation.
The regular herding and counting of animals are of obvious importance. Also check up upon your employees’ livestock. If it is not possible to count your livestock everyday, try counting your animals at least twice a week on irregular days. Avoid any routine, especially at stock posts, as your employees may be informers to stock thieves. Shortages and signs indicating possible thefts should immediately be reported. The livestock owner must count the animals him/herself and cannot leave it to his/her employees to do the counting or to lodge any complaints.
When considering applicants for employment, enquiries should be made at previous employers to establish the real reason why an employee had left his previous job. Enquiries should also be lodged at the SAPS to determine whether the applicant has a criminal record. Establish what kind of criminal record the applicant has. Employees should be trained to pay attention to irregularities. Ask your employees to be careful about what they say in the presence of strangers regarding activities on the farm. Careless talk can lead to livestock losses.
Report immediately to your stock theft unit when animal speculators and hide bone buyers or livestock dealers from neighbouring countries are active in your area. Keep proper record of all prospective livestock buyers as soon as you enter negotiations.
The necessity of a thorough stock register cannot be emphasised enough. Commit to paper as much details as possible and keep the register up to date yourself.
Do not allow loitering on the farm or any idle and unemployed people to settle on your property. Strangers entering the farm or visiting labourers should first obtain your permission – implement a visitors control system, wherein all particulars of visitors to the farm are noted, whom they’re visiting and when they’re leaving.
It often happens that stock theft cases have to be withdrawn due to a lack of interest or reluctance shown by some complainants to attend court proceedings. Show interest and attend all court cases.
Cooperate with the local SAPS and stock theft unit and do not work against them. Support them in their efforts to help you.

As the flowers face the sun, a good general principle is to travel north relatively quickly and then do most of your flower-viewing in a southerly direction so that the flowers are always facing you.
Similarly, as the displays are noticeably better if you travel with the sun behind you, you should plan your daily circular route accordingly. So try to travel in a westerly direction in the morning, southerly during the day. And then turn east in the afternoon.
The flowers are at their best between 10:30-11am and 4.00pm in the afternoon. So there is no need to rush out straight after breakfast, (unless you have some travelling to do before you get to the flower region).
The flowers will not come out in heavily overcast or rainy weather. So you should plan to visit other sights on such days.
Get out of your car and walk amongst the flowers – you will appreciate them so much more! Pick up a printed flower guide to add to your enjoyment. These are available for not much money from various tourism offices in the region. They will give you photos and names of the most common flowers you are likely to see. Use the local tourism offices in each area to find out which local routes have the best flower displays at any one time. Or ask your guesthouse as they usually are ”in the know”*
Don’t pick the flowers!
Source: https://www.cedarberg-travel.com/tips-for-flower-viewing-in-namaqualand-the-cederberg-west-coast/

Die Swartland is besig om sy lappieskombers-uitrusting aan te trek met die groen en geel graan- en kanolalande wat nou helderkleurig is. Die Swartlandse plase is altyd ‘n miernes van aktiwiteite.

Foto: Zander Garcia

Die vlakke van die damme in die water-voorsieningsnetwerk van die Wes-Kaap staan nou op 97.5% met ‘n daaglikse gemiddelde verbruik van 739 megaliter vanuit hierdie netwerk.
Die Bergrivierdam was Maandag 100.5%. Die dam se vlak het onveranderd gebly in die afgelope week.
Die Laer-Steenbrasdam was Maandag 88.4% vol, in vergelyking met die vorige week se 86.3%.
Gedurende 2017, toe die Wes-Kaap gebuk gegaan het onder erge droogte, was die dam op dieselfde tyd 29.5% vol.
Die Theewaterskloofdam was Maandag ook vol en het die watermerk by die 102%-vlak gestaan. Die dam was die vorige week 102.2% vol in vergelyking met 2017 se 21.6%.
Die Voëlvleidam, die Swartland se enigste bron van water, was Maandag 86.4% vol. Verlede week het die dam se vlak op 83.8% gestaan en in 2017 op 21.9%.
Die watervoorsieningskanaal se vlak het die afgelope week met 0.6% gestyg.
Die res van die week word mooi en sonnige weer voorspel, met reën wat slegs vir Saterdag voorspel word.
Bron: www.capetown.gov.za

The Corona virus pandemic not just effected people physically over the last year, but also put a mental strain on teenagers and adults.
Here are some tips provided by Unicef to help you cope.

1. Recognize that your anxiety is completely normal
   If school closures and worrying headlines are making you anxious, you are not the only one. Actually, that is how you should be feeling.
   “Psychologists have long recognized that anxiety is a normal and healthy function that alerts us to threats and helps us take measures to protect ourselves”, says Dr. Lisa Damour, expert adolescent psychologist, best-selling author and monthly New York Times columnist.
2. Find a distraction
   “Psychologists know that when people are in chronically difficult conditions it’s helpful to divide the problem into two categories: things they can do something about, and then things they can do nothing about”, says Dr. Damour.
3. Focus on yourself
   Have you wanted for a while now to learn to do something new, to start reading a new book, or to devote time to playing an instrument? Now is the time to do all that.
   “I have been making a list of all the books I’ve wanted to read and all of the things I’ve wanted to do for some time now”, says Dr. Damour.
4. Connect with your feelings
   Missing events with friends, hobbies and sports is very disappointing. “These are major losses. They are very upsetting for all, including teenagers”, Dr. Damour says. What is the best way to deal with disappointment? Allow yourself to feel it. “When it comes to having a painful feeling, the only way out is through. Go be sad, and if you allow yourself to do it, you will feel better soon.”
   Everyone processes their feelings in a different way. “Some children are going to make art, some are going to want to talk to their friends and use their shared sadness as a way to feel connected in a time when they can’t be together in person, and some children are going to want to find ways to get food to food banks”, says Dr. Damour. It’s important to do what you feel is right and useful.
5. Be kind to yourself and others
   Some teenagers are facing online bullying and violence due to coronavirus. “Activating bystanders is the best way to address any kind of bullying”, says Dr. Damour.