28 March 2014

Issue 22

One year celebration

After on e year of pu bl i s h i n g G P S N ews , by th e g race of G od , th e s u n s ti l l ri s es for u s every m orn i n g .

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From the editor

Sitting here in the midnight hour with the mist hanging low and the rain falling softly, I reflect on the past year. On 1 April 2013, GPS News opened its doors for the first time... in darkness because municipal workers were striking and the prepaid electricity could not be switched on. That made me think of our lives. We go on our daily business, just surviving and leading a mediocre life. We live in darkness, just going with the stream and just existing. When last did you laugh out loud from deep within, or danced in the rain, watched a sunrise, or just sat and appreciated this God-given place we live in? For the past year, publishing a good news only newspaper has not always been easy because we have been indoctrinated by negative media and circumstances, thus people respond much better to bad news than good news. All honour and glory to Jesus Christ. We are still going strong and have now expanded our newspaper to White River. In this coming year, I want to challenge you to not be satisfied with just surviving, but to live in victory. The

To my staff, Shilleen van Niekerk (printing), Belinda van der Sandt (reception and graphic designing), Pedrie Roberts (so much more than the sub and page layout artist), Michele du Plessis (freelance journalist for Sabie), Gerda van den Bos (freelance journalist for Graskop) and now Frieda Paton (freelance journalist for Pilgrims). THANK YOU!
only thing in life that we have control over, is our attitude. In life it is your choice: be bitter or better. No one can do it for you just you! From my heart, a big thank you to everyone who has contributed to making GPS News the success it is.

Social calendar Sosiale kalender

If you are is interested in playing chess every Thursday afternoon at Sabie Country Club, contact Alfred on 076 901 9858. Donkey derby. SCCT fund raising event. Contact: 072 1 28 1 098. Sabie street fair. Between Post Office and Standard Bank. Contact Jackie for a stall: 072 61 9 3271 . Painting demonstration in oils by Louis Audie. The Loft at Trips ZA opposite St. Peters church. 09:30. Contact: 01 3 764 11 77. Sasol International Rally.

GPS News, 22 Main Road, Sabie. Tel: 01 3 764 31 27. Cell: 083 565 9458. Fax: 086 574 3454 Editorial: Valerie Kemp, 083 565 9458 Advertising: Magda Loubser, 084 580 9969 Sabie reporting: Michele du Plessis, 072 797 1 487 Graskop reporting: Gerda van den Bos, 083 324 7454, @GerdaGraskop Pilgrims reporting: Frieda Paton, 072 41 9 8905 Graphic design: Belinda van der Sandt Editing and layout: Pedrie Roberts Printing: Shilleen van Niekerk

Geroepe vir koerant

Aan GPS Nuus en span Ons kan nie glo die jaar het so gevlieg nie. Ek wil net graag dankie s vir die hulp van GPS se kant af om die AA (Alkoholiste Anoniem) so getrou by te staan. Ons glo julle is geroep deur die Here om die koerant te maak. Gert Versfeld

what used to be a tarred road would have tested the patience of Job. However, despite the absolutely appalling state of this very important piece of road, which leads a multitude of tourists to such attractions as Lone Creek Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Trout and About, we could not help but to be amused by the signage along the way (see the photos). Filling in the holes with wood shavings does not seem to be the smartest solution either. Please, Thaba Chweu, York Timbers and other stakeholders, please consider our other important industry in Sabie, namely tourism, and fix this serious eyesore. Chris Colverd, Wayfarers Guest House

Good restaurant service

We recently had the opportunity to have breakfast at the new restaurant African Elephant in Sabie. What a pleasant experience! The food was excellent well prepared, and presented to us with a broad smile by the waitress. There was a childrens party going on at the time (a lot of adults and kids, and very busy), but at no stage were we left waiting to be served. The manager came up to our table to have a quick chat and enquired if everything was to our liking, which we appreciated very much. Thank you, African Elephant, we will certainly be back. And oh yes, the servings were ample and the prices reasonable. Tobie and Amanda van der Riet

29 March

29 March

29 March

11 -1 2 April 26 April

Dankie vir omgee Humor amidst disaster

Living in Sabie during the prevailing monsoon season definitely requires a sense of humor. Attempting to drive down Old Lydenburg Road to get to a Probus meeting at Lone Creek River Lodge recently on Ons wil vir Sabie se gemeenskap baie dankie s vir al die omgee en liefde met Pam se onlangse hospitalisasie. Ons wil nie iemand uitsonder nie, want die hele gemeenskap was so ondersteunend, maar wil graag vir ons buurvrou, Lizanne Lawrie, baie dankie s vir haar hulp en liefde. Oom Gert en tannie Pam Versfeld

Forest2Falls MTB race, hosted by Shalom Christian School. Vrouekamp te Aan De Vliet. Aanvoerder van die stryd. Spreker: Dr. Leonie Jonker. Kontak: 082 525 1 684. Orienteering. Contact: 082 447 8876. The Graskop Blue Swallow Festival. To participate contact 082 465 2827 or merle@mpu.co.za.

23-25 Mei

7-8 June

1 4-1 5 June

GPS News Prints Flyers

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3
Cancer in Me... simboliese uitbeelding van Andr se stryd teen kanker.

Tree causes power outage

Last Monday (17 March), a violent storm hit Sabie late in the afternoon. In Malieveld Street, massive damage was caused by the high winds that accompanied the storm. An old tree was blown over and it fell on the power lines, ripping it to the ground, resulting in a power outage in the whole area. Denzel Lawrie of Midnight Spark Tree Felling and his father, Dennis, were called in to come and assist, and after clearing the tree off the power lines, they decided to use a cherry picker (a basket crane) to clip and prune all the trees growing too close to the power line in Malieveld Street. Thaba Chweu electricians were attending to the problem until late at night, and the power was restored before midnight on the same day.

S k i l de r he l p ho m kanker ver werk

A
ndr van der Merwe (52), n skilder van Sabie, het van sy skeppings geskenk aan die Children in Distressskouspel, wat onlangs in Witrivier gehou is. Sy skilderye is ten toon gestel en opgeveil saam met di van ander kunstenaars van regoor Mpumalanga. Al die geld is aan die organisasie Children in Distress geskenk wat plaaslike behoeftige kinders en bejaardes bystaan. Andr se skilderloopbaan het begin toe hy as 12-jarige n verfstel by sy ouma as geskenk gekry het. Hy het later meganiese ingenieurswese aan die Pretoriase Technikon gestudeer, maar skilder bly sy passie. Sy sakeonderneming, Bateleur Projects, ontwerp saagmeulens, huise en fabrieke. Tussen roei as sport en sy werk maak hy egter seker dat hy tyd vir sy tweede liefde skilder inruim. Sy eerste liefde is Lanie Steenkamp, en dis opmerklik hoe die kleur, komposisie en samestelling van sy skilderye verander het nadat hy haar ontmoet het. Die tegniek waarin hy spesialiseer, is die druptegniek van Jackson Pollock, en hy eksperimenteer met verskillende soorte verf en mediums. In 2011 is kanker by Andr gediagnoseer. Hy het skilder as terapie gebruik om sy emosies weer te gee en sy innerlike, geestelike en liggaamlike stryd te stry. Om my gesondheid op te bou en teen kanker te veg, glo ek daaraan dat oefening gesond is, asook om reg te eet en gereeld Huisie by die see... helder kleure en vars tegniek n sy ontmoeting van sy liefde, Lanie Steenkamp.

Midnight Spark Tree Felling Services Denzel Lawrie (082455 7153).

vitamien C te gebruik. Daarby probeer ek elke dag voluit leef, s Andr. As jy in kunsklasse belang stel, kan jy Andr by 082789 6347 bel.

4 Probleme met munisipale waardasies? Afriforum sal help

Leon de Jager, voorsitter van Afriforum se Lydenburg-tak, s die organisasie is bereid en gewillig om namens eiendomseienaars op te tree en hul besware teenoor die Thaba Chweumunisipaliteit te hanteer. Hy s eienaars kan n e-pos aan Afriforum na mpubesware@afriforum.co.za stuur met jou naam en fisieke adres, asook jou foonnommers. Gee ook die rede vir jou beswaar, byvoorbeeld wat die waardasie was en wat dit nou is, miskien wat jou bure se waardasie is as dit aansienlik laer as joune is; trouens, kortliks enige inligting wat jou saak kan versterk. As genoeg besware ontvang word, sal Afriforum se hoofkantoor die beswaarsaak dan namens inwoners van Sabie, Graskop en Lydenburg hanteer. Bel Leon by 082885 2664 as jy navrae het.
Is jy beswaard oor jou eiendom se nuwe munisipale waardasie? Hier is iets wat jy kan doen.

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Vehicle knowledge brought to town

FFA Mechanical Services (Pty.) Ltd. recently opened a branch in Sabie. FFA (Forest Fire Association) is a team of qualified and professional people ready to help with all motor vehicles problems. Manager Tobie van der Riet has been involved with the motor trade since 1969. He is a qualified technician, and had his own business in Gauteng, specialising in engine conversions and custom-made branch manifolds and exhaust systems for high-performance cars like Porsches and motor cycles like Harley and Boulevard cruisers. His experience includes working with Lexus and performance modifications like Unichip, Diktator, turbos, dyno tuning etc. Van der Riet has a capable team working with him, comprising of Hendrik Naude, a qualified technician previously with Toyota and Mahindra, with vast experience in New Holland tractors. Wesley Davies is the technician in training and Dennis Mashego the workshop assistant. The admin office is run by Amanda van der Riet, who has also been involved with the motor trade for many years, enabling her to assist the public with

FFA tem (from left): Wesley Davies, Dennis Mashego, Hendrik Naude, Amanda van der Riet and Tobie van der Riet. quotations and general enquiries regarding motor vehicles. On site are the latest advanced snapon electronic diagnostic computer equipment, and almost any component malfunction on vehicles can be detected and attended to. Furthermore, their workshop is comprehensively equipped and their work fully guaranteed. Visit the workshop in Main Street (behind Caltex) or contact them on 083303 3737.

The shop that makes girls and women happy

The shelves are Few things in life can stocked with merchandcompare more pleasurise like nail polish (magably for the female spenetic, fluorescent, glow in cies, from young to old, the dark, crackle and like shopping. When womore), nail accessories, men shop, they are hair colour and products happy. like brushes and clips, Sunette Robinson (33) costume jewellery, had a dream to one day makeup, nail clipper set be the owner of a shop and manicure utensils to where women and girls name just a few. can come and buy affordI love to watch the able girly stuff to their girls faces when they hearts content. come to my shop. They G4EvaRock in Sabie is discover new things all the shop born out of this the time on the shelves, dream. and their whole face light She has always wanted up while browsing the to live in Sabie, and when stock. Although the the opportunity arose, she Sunette Robinson amongst her girlie goodies at G4EvaRock. products are of good relocated and started her quality, the prices are exceptionally good, Sunette says. business in September last year. Sunette is a professional The shop is situated in Sabie Market Square next to Pets nail technician and enjoy experimenting with different colof Eden and under the new African Elephant restaurant. ours and techniques.

GPS News Prints Funeral Letters

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Strange snake seen in Sabie

Fellow employees of Sabie Poles notified Paul Mulder recently of a strange looking snake. Upon investigation on the internet regarding these snakes, it was established that they are worms called bipalium, often loosely called hammerhead worms or broadhead planarians because of the distinctive shape of their head region. They are believed to be native to Indo-China. Land planarians are unique in that they possess a creeping sole on their lower, or ventral, side. In addition to its peculiar shaped head, the shovel-headed garden worm has a long, soft, flattened body (a few millimetres in width), with five longitudinal dark brown stripes, which vary in their distinctiveness and width. These worms are light ochre-yellow on the upper side and greyish white or pinkish grey on the underside. As they move along, they excrete large amounts

York CSI boosts local schools

York Timbers, which focused its corporate social investment (CSI) on educational projects last year, has committed to extending this community empowerment this year. In partnership with Sasol Oil, it aims to empower and improve local communities through corporate responsibility initiatives. In July last year, the York-Sasol partnership responded to a need identified at Memezile High School in Simile, Sabie, by purchasing 200 desks and chairs worth R86 000 and delivering these to the school, which relies greatly on donations. Acting principal John Malabela said: Memezile High School gives thanks for the generous donation. The school cannot exist without Yorks efforts. York, in partnership with Sasol Oil, also reconditioned damaged floors at Graskop Primary School. This involved the preparation, chipping and tiling of a number of classrooms, including the administration block and toilet facilities, at a cost of more than R190 000. We were absolutely elated to receive sponsorship from Sasol Oil and support from York Timbers and Sabie Miracle Foundation in order to construct new floors and tiling for our classrooms, toilets and school hall, said Graskop Primary School principal Mark Matthee.

of slimy mucus from glands in the body wall, and wave their heads from side to side. They slide over this mucus carpet by the action of closely spaced, tiny hairs that are found in a strip on the underside. The mouth, which also serves as the anus, is found near the middle of the body on the lower side. Like other flatworms, reproduction takes place mainly by the shovel-headed garden worm splitting into parts from the tail end. These worms are not harmful to humans, but can be pests capable of eradicating earthworm populations. To effectively kill it, it must either be burnt or sprayed with citrus oil. Have any of our readers seen such worms in their gardens? (Source: Wikipedia)

Pets of Eden teaches Karnallies about exotic animals

When Karnallie Kleuterskool in Sabie recently wanted to educate the children in reptiles, rodents and spiders, they approached local pet shop Pets of Eden, which specialises in various reptiles, rodents, fish, spiders and insects. Pets of Eden owner Alexsander Rost visited them to demonstrate how to handle and take care of pets. Various exotic animals, like a snake (Albino Motley corn snake), bearded dragon, iguana, leopard gecko, rat, guinea pig and tarantula spider, were taken to the school. The children were mesmerised by the animals, and they all touched the animals, including the snake and bearded dragon. The overall winner of the day, however, was the spider, but due to safety reasons it was kept in its container. The children drew pictures of the animals Alexsander displayed to thank him, and the management expressed their gratitude for his visit. For more information visit Pets of Edens website at www.petsofeden.co.za, or like them at www.facebook.com/PetsOfEden.

Alexsander Rost of Pets of Eden with staff and children of Karnallie Kleuterskool.

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Gerda van den Bos

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Plaaslike onderneming borg topfietsryer

Die Suid-Afrikaanse sterfietsryer Anritte Schoeman het n besonderse band met die Graskop-omgewing. Anritte het die Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum-fietstoer al sewe keer gewen n prestasie wat geen ander fietsryer nog kon behaal nie en waarvoor sy verlede jaar n amptelike gelukwensing van die parlement gekry het. Vanjaar was sy tweede net n kortkop agter Cherise Stander. Anritte woon in Port Elizabeth, maar een van haar hoofborge is die plaaslike syonderneming Africa Silks. Fietsryers kan selfs n replika van haar Argus-fietsryhemp in die winkel koop. Die hemp is besonders omdat dit onder meer n embleem van haar rekord van sewe oorwinnings bevat. Ronel Lombard, eienaar van Africa Silks, s hulle is bevoorreg om s n wreldklasatleet te kan borg. Die bevordering van vrouefietsryers l haar na aan die hart. Sy het al self die Argus gery en daag ander mense in die omgewing uit om ook te begin fietsry. Ronel reken dis tyd dat Graskop n fietsryklub kry waar fietsryers mekaar kan motiveer en die meer ervare ryers die nuwelinge raad kan gee. Later kan die klub dan saam die groot wedrenne, soos die 94.7 Cycle Challenge en die Argus, aanpak. Tot dan is haar raad om solank n fiets te kry en te begin oefen.

Argus-wenners: Anritte Schoeman (tweede, geborg deur Africa Silks en Bestmed), Cherise Stander en Annelie Kaggelhoffer.

Pledge to Refresh Graskop

Gerda van den Bos
Graskop is turning 100 in September 2014. In preparation for this celebratory occasion the Graskop Business Tourism Forum (GBTF) has embarked on a campaign to refresh, redecorate and repair the town. All business owners and managers (even those businesses that are renting) are asked to join this cause by signing the Pledge-to-Refresh form. The forms are available from Babsie McNelly, chairperson of the GBTF. We are encouraging all the businesses in town to clean up in front of their shops and to give the buildings a fresh coat of paint, Babsie says. The GBTF also asks Graskops residents to put some effort into maintaining their gardens and pavements. They acknowledge that keeping the grass short with all the rain is a bit of a problem, but ask that residents at least ensure that there is no litter lying around. They also ask that people with the means to do it, should fill up potholes in their vicinity. Babsie says they are circulating a form where residents have the opportunity to voice their two top complaints against the municipality, provided that you also provide two problem solving suggestions on the same form. Lets all work together in Graskops centenary year to ensure that our town flourishes for the next 100 years.

Post office awarded for good service

Gerda van den Bos
The three women who work at Graskops post office were awarded a certificate for their good customer service by the head office in Pretoria end of last year. Branch manager Betty Mashego joined the team in 2012. She lives in Hazyview, but says: We love Graskop very much. This is a nice place to be. Her colleague Nomsa Mokwena was originally from Lydenburg, but has been working in Graskop since 2008. The third member of the team, Thandy Khoza, is well-known in the

Graskop Spar announces Squillos winners

Nomsa Mokwena, Thandy Khoza and Betty Mashego. Photo: Susan van den Berg town. She has been helping people to send parcels and pay bills, and sold stamps for the last 23 years. Thandy lives in Glory Hill, Graskop. Graskop Spar shoppers favourite squirrel created excitement in the store by promoting a fun colouring in competition, which ran from 18 February to 2 March. The competition received over 50 entries. Graskop Spars management said: All the paticipants deserved a prize as all of them were lovely. Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who took part in the competition. Graskop Spar loves you! Five entrants were picked to win branded Spar Squillos wet/dry bags with Squillos goodies in. They were: David Teddy, Quin Lawrence and Annoint (4) from Shalom Christian School, Samkelo Sedibe (7) and Thobile Mashigo (9).

GPS News Prints Wedding Invitations

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Experienced nurse and writer joins the team

Frieda Paton has recently joined the GPS News team as a correspondent for Pilgrims Rest. You are invited to contact her if you know about anything good or interesting that happened to the residents of the village. Frieda has been the owner of Iron Store in Uptown since 1998. In 2001, she joined the mining company TGME as a part-time occupational health nurse. Currently she is the secretary of the Pilgrims Rest Chamber of Business and Tourism, working towards promoting the village as a tourist destination. She also creates craft to sell in her shop, using mostly recycled materials. Writing is what Frieda does for pleasure. Before opting out of city life to settle in Pilgrims Rest, writing and research had always been part of Friedas working life. Earlier in her career, she was the editor of the monthly newspaper of the national nursing association with a circulation of over 100 000 as well as the editor of the associations professional nursing research journal. She has also co-authored textbooks for nurses and other health care workers and has published numerous research articles. Croford Hlabane with some of the colourful birds he sells to tourists.

Graskop se VLU wen talle pryse

Gerda van den Bos
Die Suikerbosstreek van die Vrouelandbou-unie (VLU) in Mpumalanga het op 15 Maart sy jaarlikse konferensie in Belfast gehou. Die Arum-tak het die konferensie aangebied. Die VLU-tak van Graskop het verskeie toekenings by die geleentheid verower. Titia Engelbrecht (gebak), Girla van der Merwe (foto) en Eduard Liebenberg (naaldwerk) het almal goue toekennings gekry, terwyl Titia ook silwer in die hekel- en breiafdeling verower het. Alta

Van GraskopVLU se sertifikate en trofees.

T he s e c r e t o f hi s s uc c e s s
Gerda van den Bos
Croford Hlabane (47) is not a typical street hawker. He has discovered one of the secrets of successful marketing speaking your target markets language. For the past 12 years, Croford has been selling his handcrafted birds and animal figurines in Trichard Street in Graskop. When a tourist bus stops in town, he first listens carefully to what they are saying, and then he greets the people in their own language. It works, he laughs. I can speak a little bit of German, French, Italian and English. Tourists love the yellow-billed hornbills he carves out of wood, but says he can make all kinds of birds. He lives near the Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park with his wife and four sons, and is always studying animals and birds. I can make zebras and giraffes as well, and loeries. Actually, whatever the people want, they can order, and Ill make it. And tell the people Im always willing to give a discount, he says before politely excusing himself to attend to tourists who had arrived on the opposite side of the street.

Pretorius het n silwertoekenning in die kunsvlytkategorie verwerf. Graskop se jaarprogram het 92% gekry, en die kommentaar van Drienie Alant, die beoordelaar, het gewys van watter uitstaande gehalte die werk was: Goeie taalgebruik. Wens ek het nader gebly, dan het ek beslis aangesluit.

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Kreatiewe plan om Lelievlei te help

Benut die 12 dinkwette

Jou gedagtes is baie magtiger as wat jy besef. Elke negatiewe opmerking het 14 positiewe opmerkings nodig om die een negatiewe opmerking reg te stel. Oppas dus wat jy s, want dit kan bepaal of jy suksesvol is of verloor.

Die Bybel praat juis van die tong wat lewe of dood spreek. Jy kan jou eie grootste vyand wees. Word jou eie beste vriend en bestudeer die 12 wette van die gedagtes. Herhaal hulle dikwels en beproef die resultate. TWELVE LAWS OF THE MIND Law of belief What you believe, either is or becomes true. As is our confidence, so is our capacity. Law of expectation What you expect, happens. Law of attraction What you are and focus on, you attract. Law of concentration What you concentrate on, becomes reality.

Sarah-Jane Siebrits Geregistreerde private maatskaplike werker 084 500 6519 Law of substitution Positive thoughts and feelings can replace negative ones. Law of repetition Repeat positive thoughts, phrases and ideas. It will be assimilated into your sub-conscious, thus affecting your life positively. Law of relaxation In relaxation, you have access to a higher state of consciousness where you find your inner truth, insight and wisdom. Law of action Action, combined with belief, ensures success. Law of mind-body connection Your body believes everything you tell it. Law of imagination What you visualise, you create. Law of computer programming Garbage in, garbage out. Negative thoughts are stored in your sub-conscious, as are positive thoughts. Law of reflection Who and what you attract is a reflection of who you are.

Gerda van den Bos

Die armoede van die inwoners van Lelievlei-deurgangskamp in Lydenburg het twee inwoners van Graskop s aangeraak dat hulle met n projek begin het om die kinders in die kamp van skryfbehoeftes en toiletware te voorsien.

Lelievlei verskaf al byna n dekade lank huisvesting en kos aan haweloses. Dit word sonder enige staatshulp deur n niewinsgewende organisasie bestuur. Hawelose gesinne bly in houthuisies, en die behoefte aan kos, klere en meubels is groot. Die Graskop-tak van die Vrouelandbou-unie (VLU) het in Desember saam met die VLU se Suikerbos-streek en die VLU van Mpumalanga kospakkies vir die inwoners van Lelievlei geneem.

Die twee weldoeners, wat nie hul naam genoem wil h nie, het besluit om meer te doen as om sommer net n liniaal, pen, seep en tandeborsel in n plastieksakkie te gooi en te gaan aflewer. Met kreatiewe gees en hope talent het hulle n verskeidenheid van kleurryke viltsakkies gemaak, vir blikbekers n hekelbaadjie aangetrek, en selfs die seep in oulike sakkies versteek. Die projek is amper klaar en dan gaan hulle dit by die kinders laat aflewer. Hulle moedig ander mense in GPS Nuus se lesersomgewing aan om ook aan interessante, kreatiewe maniere te dink waarop die mense van Lelievlei gehelp kan word. Vir inligting oor hulp aan Lelievlei kontak Frik Rosseau by 073913 7534.

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Promises, promises...

Ek is diep teleurgesteld en wreed ontnugter. Dit alles deur n geel sponsie en dish liquid. Sien, op TV is mos daardie advertensie van die 100-suurlemoene-ini-seep en die geel sponsie wat al die vuil skottelgoed op die wasbak net so n veeg gee en drsy! Alles is skoon en blink. Ek kry toe ook so n botteltjie van die suurlemoenseep en n opregte geel sponsie. Sit toe alles op die wasbak neer en wag vir die wonderwerk. Niks gebeur nie. Die sponsie l doodstil. Gedink ek sal die kombuis maar alleen laat en kyk wat gebeur. Alles werk mos maar s: Jy word iets gepromise en daar kom niks van nie. Jy gaan sien die dokter met n snaakse pyn in jou been en hy s: Mevroutjie, daar is niks fout nie. Dalk ouderdom? Twee dae later steek mevroutjie lepel in die dak en die promise dat daar niks verkeerd is nie, word begrawe. Ook by die munisipaliteit. Oh no. Well fix da problem. En met die nuwe rekening is die problem net groter en die promise om die rekening te fix, is net so verkeerd soos die waterlesing wat by die lectric lesing geskryf is. Dis nou dieselfde as die TV se advertensies. Jy word belowe dis die produk vir jou en jy koop dit en tot jou bitter spyt besef jy: Ek sal nooit my lyf so kan koek

Alternatiewe Anna
soos die mense op die oefenvideo nie. Daarvoor is daar te veel bits en pieces wat nie mooi pas nie. Soos die lycraoefenbroekie wat jy in n oomblik van waansin aangeskaf het. Jy kan nog die video terugstuur, maar niemand sal ooit glo dat die broekie uit hulle winkel kom nie. Dis buite weste gerek, al is die labels nog aan. Nou l die geel sponsie nog net daar waar ek dit neergesit het. Ek sal nou maar self die sponsie moet veeg oor die naweek se skottelgoed. Maar ek glo nie die glitter en opgeplakte ogies sal hou nie. Al het ek gepromise...

Old Stone Joe at his post

Many frequent travellers in the Lowveld will know who you are talking about if you mention Old Stone Joe. Old Stone Joes domain is on the side of the road at the Patatas Nek pass looking down Schoemans Kloof on the N4 between Nelspruit and Machadodorp. Old Stone Joe is an enormous rock, 2,5 m high, that was unearthed and loosened by road builders when they constructed the original main road in the latter part of the 1920s. He was named Joe after Joe Barbas, who helped unearth him, and has the appearance of a sculptured man, and must have been recognized and saved as such. These days he has been placed on his own pedestal where tourists can stop for a picnic, or to have pictures taken. He has been adopted by various organisations that regularly commission Ghost the Cartoonist from Nelspruit to decorate him. If you have never seen Old Stone Joe, stop along the road and have your picture taken with this old stone icon. Information from the Trips ZA blog. Visit www.sabie.co.za.

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LANGUAGES
HINDI AFRIKAANS ENGLISH ARABIC PORTUGUESE BENGALI RUSSIAN JAPANESE GERMAN PANJABI KOREAN VIETNAMESE TELUGU MARATHI NONSENSE

PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES

DIAMOND RUBY SAPPHIRE EMERALD DIOPSIDE IOLITE JADE KUNZITE LAPIS PEARL TOPAZ TOURMALINE TURQUOISE AGATE ZIRCON PINKTOPAZ MALACHITE AQUAMARINE

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Never too late to be educated

D
ont think that you are too old to learn. Even if you are an adult who did not complete mainstream schooling, it is possible to attain qualifications in a friendly environment. You can register with an Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) centre. Abet is an outcome-based programme that aims to give you basic learning tools, knowledge and skills, and equip you with nationally-recognised qualifications. There are no fees involved, and books and stationary are supplied by the Department of Education. Suzen Mawela (62) is the principal of Sabies Abet centre. She is passionate about peoples education, and her motto is: Never too late to be educated. Suzens journey started when she encountered someone at a bank that could not write. She started informally teaching people to read and write, and realised that there is a big demand for further education for school drop-outs or older people that never went to school. Her driving force was to ensure that people in church could read the Bible. The Abet centres classes are held at Harmony Hill Primary from Monday to Thursday from 17:30 to 19:30 during school terms. There is no age limit the oldest person that attended was 67 years. The classes are taught in English. The Abet centre may give you placement tests to determine what level you must attend. The teachers will explain

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SMALLS
For sale

Crazy fit massage machine. R800. 076 589 71 68.

Rooms to let

2 rooms to let in commune. Semi-furnished. Close to town, Hofmeyer Circle. From 1 March. Contact Neil: 082 922 7633.
Free service

From left: Principal Suzen Mawela and Abet teachers Hellen Maganyane and Shai Florence. the work repeatedly, with patience and compassion, if the student does not understand. Sabies Abet centre falls under Hendriksdal Botilabela region, and of the 65 branches in Mpumalanga, Hendriksdal Abet was rated second best. More than 70 students are attending the classes in Harmony Hill to further their education. There are assignments, tests and projects that the students have to complete, and attendance is compulsory to enable the student to write the final exam. If you want to improve your education, contact Suzen on 081844 0288.

Broken, unwanted appliances removed for free. Contact: 079 829 9095.
Yorkies for sale

Miniature pedigree Yorkies for sale. Three 4-week-old females. Dewormed. R2 500. Contact: 071 600 0491 .

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GPS News Prints Labels

Sweet lies and eternal hope

S
Sharon Mandy
ometimes the marketers of consumer products lie. I found this out gradually during my life, but as an eternal optimist I always somehow wish that this time they are telling the truth. I see cereals that promise that if one eats that particular cereal every morning one will not only feel the most joyful one has ever felt, but one can also drop up to two dress sizes in a week. The cereal usually tastes like cardboard with a blob of honey on it, and in this case I cant actually prove that the advert is lying, but I do know unequivocally that it does not work for me. I am usually in the doldrums because I have had to really struggle through a bowl of cereal, and after one week of this suffering, I usually discover that I have gained a kilogram at the very least. Just last month I was again a victim of my sweet gullible nature. I had two little marks on my carpet, and as they did not yield to my normal cleaning I went off to the shop to find a miracle in a bottle. Sure enough I found something on the shelf and when I read the label I felt as if all my dreams had come true. It almost said that all I had to do was put the bottle in the middle of the carpet and lie on the couch for a bit while the contents worked their magic. I went home in a haze of ecstatic bliss. I followed the mixing instructions to the letter and it said I should take a hard brush and rub the foam in all directions, wait for it to dry and then vacuum it up, and viola! No more mark. I did what I was supposed to do and then lay down to wait for it to dry not even water aerobics makes me that tired. After a while, I went to vacuum up the marks and hoped with foreboding that the dark marks would disappear once vacuumed. When I had completed the task I noticed that the small marks were indeed gone, and had been replaced with two huge ones. I vacuumed the marks every day in the hope that they would somehow go away, and even at times convinced myself that they were getting lighter. Eventually I could stand it no more and got my little bottle out again. I mixed the solution much stronger this time and once again set about with the brush I was exhausted; after all I now had a much bigger part of the carpet to cover. I waited for it to dry and now I only have one mark because it has conjoined to make one enormous mark. If I squint at it then I imagine it is a much lighter but bigger mark. I have every expectation that if I scrub the whole carpet, it will make one gigantic mark so big that it will cover the whole of the carpet and then one will not be able to see it! At least there is always a solution to every problem. One day perhaps we will have a perfect world and be able to believe everything the media has to tell us. That day has not dawned yet, but there is no harm in living in hope!

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The golden oldies...

We always hear from our elders how hard their lives were when growing up, and how the ways and life have changed. Tina Allingham of Sabie sent GPS News a number of print advertisements from the previous decades. They will make an interesting conversation topic. It is amazing to see how the adverts have changed over the years, as well as our values, ways and technology.

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GPS News Does Lamination

Pupils learn to play jukskei in Middelburg

Gerda van den Bos
Two weeks ago, eight pupils from Shalom Christian School in Graskop attended a jukskei promotion day in Middelburg. They had been invited by Jukskei South Africa, which received money from the National Lottery last year to develop the sport and is now promoting it among schools. The children had the opportunity to test their throwing skills with bean bags before attending an information session on the sports history. They learned that it is possible to be awarded provincial and national colours in jukskei. The children then practiced with real skeys, weighing between 1,1 and 1,6 kg each. They also had the chance to watch matches played by experts. All the schools that participated received two skeys and a pin per participating pupil that will help them to establish the sport. The children also received backpacks and caps. The learners from Shalom are now all fired up to start practicing. Shalom principal Jackie van der Burgh said they hope to have a pitch soon. Through GBTF chairperson Babsie McNelly two jukskei specialists, Hendrik and Elma Sherman, have offered to help coach and establish jukskei teams at schools. Other schools in the area are invited to take up this sport in order to establish a league. We could even start a jukskei club in the area where adults and children alike could join and have some fun, Jackie said. Jukskei was developed in 1734 as a way to relax, and soon became a competitive game played by farmers and transport riders. The first official match took place 200 years later, in 1939, on a farm in the Western Cape. For many years it has been seen as an Afrikaner game, but today it is acknowledged as a sport suited to everyone. It is also played in Namibia, while several other countries show interest.

Pupils from Estralita School in Lydenburg visit Shalom Christian School in Graskop.

Special visitors bring blessing to Shalom

Gerda van den Bos
On Thursday 13 March, the views of the pupils and teachers of Shalom Christian School in Graskop concerning people living with disabilities changed forever. On that day, Diana Munro, with three other staff members and 22 of the pupils from Estralita School came to visit Shalom. Estralita is a school for children with special needs in Lydenburg. On their arrival, the children were a bit shy, but it did not take long before they were all having fun together. Jackie van der Burgh, principal of Shalom, said everybody participated in some boere sports and other fun activities. It was heartwarming to see how the Estralita children actually embraced their disabilities and participated whole-heartedly in all the activities. Last year, the Estralita school choir won gold at a national choir competition. They sang a couple of songs for their hosts and even taught the Shalom children a song or two. After having enjoyed some hotdogs and cold drinks together, the guests sang the prayer Our Father before they left for Lydenburg. Eyes were filed with tears as silence fell over the school. The Shalom hosts said they had been blessed by spending a few hours with their new friends from Estralita. Jackie said young and old at Shalom learned to be more appreciative for every small mercy. She is now a firm believer in the motto: The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

The group from Shalom Christian School that attended the Jukskei promotion day.

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Rain mars MOTH golf day

The first of two MOTH golf days was held at Sabie Country Club on 8 March. The objective of these golf days is to generate funds to do repairs to the shell hole (local club) building and to assist residents of the Sabie Retirement Village. A huge rainstorm nearly caused the day to be completely cancelled. There were still some golfers on the course when the storm broke out. The course was totally flooded and the decision was taken to cut the competition to nine holes. The eventual winner was Daan de Klerk on 21 points.

Arthur Knoesen awaits his turn to tee off.

Sabie golf club championship

The annual golf club championships for all the Lowveld clubs was held on 15 and 16 March. At Sabie, the day was well attended and was, as always, a great success. The division champions were: A division: Weber de Klerk (gross), Fiaz Bhikoo (nett). B division: Gustaf Cloete (gross), Riaan Stander (nett). C division: Jannie Pieterse (IPS points). Ladies: Elna Strydom (champion), Elsa Claunch (runnerup). The overall gross champion was Weber after a play-off with Sonnyboy Sehlabela.

202 chess players at Sabie Open

Michele du Plessis
The annual Sabie Open Age Chess Tournament was held on Saturday 8 March at Sabie Primary. We were privileged to host the tournament. A record-breaking 202 players attended, while 25 of Sabie Primarys pupils participated, said Thato Mathebula, chess coach at the school. Sabie Primarys best achievers were Andr de Kock (third) and Abraham van der Walt (fourth), both under 14. Players from Sybrand van Niekerk High School in Sabie also performed well. Alexander Maartens took first place for u/16s and Dumisani Sibiya was fourth. In the u/20 category, Christopher Maartens came second, Thabo Ngwenya third, Sandile Ngwenya fourth and Mpho Mashego fifth.

Riaan Stander, Weber de Klerk, Elsa Claunch and Gustav Cloete, Inserts: Elna Strydom and Jannie Pieterse.