If you live in Suurbraak or its environs and need a fence constructed or repaired, a chicken hok rooikat or otter-proofed, bollards constructed or your lawn mowed, then Japie Presence is your man.
No one can tame a fence like Japie Presence
Tag Archives: Suurbraak
LinkedIn Learning is a life-changer – or was, for me
This unsolicited post will argue that you should take out a trial subscription to LinkedIn Learning to rivet those joints: yours and/or your employees
Photography has featured strongly in much of my working career in education (photographic clubs, school magazines, newspapers, newsletters, websites, press releases and social media), so I reckon I knew something about how to shoot a reasonable image.
However, mine was always just-in-time learning based on a lifetime of hands-on, manuals, physical courses, YouTube and Adobe Support videos.
In short: Heath Robinson.
Continue reading LinkedIn Learning is a life-changer – or was, for me
The Buffeljags is running dry
“This is the first time in 30 years the river has been this low,” reports Bertrim Oliver, who lives in Suurbraak, a small village that straddles the Buffelags Rivers on the way to or from Barrydale in the Western Cape.
Where I live, in line with the confluence of the Caledon and Buffelags, neither river seems to flow anymore, and the Buffeljags is fast drying up.
“Never seen it this bad,” comments Matthew Mentz, “but we have had worse droughts, which makes me think water tables are disappearing.”
Continue reading The Buffeljags is running dry
A hidden geography
The longer I live alone here, off-grid in Suurbraak, managing my son (Matt) and daughter-in-law’s (Sasha) small Niche Unity farming operation, the more absorbed I become in what I call a hidden geography, captured also in a short film by Green Renaissance:
Ostensibly, the film is a creation of Justine du Toit (producer), Michael Raimondo (director), Warren Smart (cinematographer), and Jackie Viviers (editor) all of Green Renaissance. Continue reading A hidden geography
Suurbraak rolling mass action: a commentary
Commentary on the march held in Suurbraak Sunday 14 May, 2017.
This report provides:
- commentary on the march
- commentary on the period shortly after the march ended
- commentary on the handover of the list of demands
- update on the racial incident
- ruminations about where this is all heading
Continue reading Suurbraak rolling mass action: a commentary
‘Ons soek huise’: Suurbraak march for housing
This report gives you a taste of the day as it happened and is divided into three sections:
- The march itself
- Shortly after the march ended
- Handover of the letter of demand
For commentary on the day please go to: Suurbraak rolling mass action: a commentary
1. The march itself
Continue reading ‘Ons soek huise’: Suurbraak march for housing
Reasons for, report on, and thoughts about the Suurbraak protest
I reported earlier how I came away troubled from a meeting I had attended two weeks back called by the Swellendam executive mayor, Councillor Nicholas Myburgh, to address a host of community-related issues.
Flowing from that meeting was a protest action this past Sunday 7 May 2017, which ended in the symbolic burning of a banner depicting Swellendam Municipality. Continue reading Reasons for, report on, and thoughts about the Suurbraak protest
Housing protest in Suurbraak
A demonstration is planned (at 14:00 on Sunday 7 May 2017) on the Suurbraak braak (village green) to which the press has been invited in order to protest the non-delivery of housing because (as I understand the talk) of alleged routing of sums of money meant to be utilised for Suurbraak (an ANC-controlled ward) for use in Swellendam (run by the DA), to the detriment of the people of Suurbraak, and of housing. Continue reading Housing protest in Suurbraak
Canaries in the Suurbraak coalmine
I came away troubled from a meeting I attended on Monday 24 April 2017 in the Suurbraak community hall called by the Swellendam executive mayor, councillor Nicholas Myburgh, to address a host of community-related issues.
After prayers the meeting immediately turned ugly when Myburgh laid down the rules: only three questions allowed for each point on the agenda, the meeting would end promptly by 21:00, if we didn’t abide by these rules he would pack up and drive off. Continue reading Canaries in the Suurbraak coalmine
Portent
I manage a small agroecology farming operation in Suurbraak on behalf of my son (Matt) and daughter-in-law (Sasha). On my return Japie Present reported that when he had tried to secure the ducks and chickens for the night he wasn’t able to find the fourth duck.