As 2022 draws to an end we look back at some of the stories that made headlines in the far south this year.
In January, train services between Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town resumed after an absence of almost two years, but the excitement was short-lived as they less than 24 hours later due to sand on the tracks (“Trains back between Fish Hoek, Simon’s Town,” Echo, January 13). The line has since been reopened.
The City recorded the busiest beach day in three years on Saturday January 8 when thousands of people flocked to beaches and public pools. By 11am, Boulders Penguin Colony Beach and the Silvermine section of Table Mountain National Park were closed after reaching maximum capacity. Three drownings, two at far south beaches, were also recorded on the day (“City sees busiest beach day in three years,” Echo, January 20).
At the end of January, matrics celebrated their matric results despite another difficult year. The Western Cape’s class of 2021 achieved a pass rate of 81.2% in the National Senior Certificate results, an increase of 1.3% from 2020 (“Matrics shine despite another difficult year,” Echo, January 27).
In February, the City announced that it had budgeted R3 million to restore Muizenberg’s iconic beach huts to their former glory (“City budgets R3 million to save iconic beach huts,” Echo, February 3), but then, in April, it said only two-thirds of that amount would be used on the huts themselves (“Budget bummer for beach huts,” Echo, April 21).
In March, questions arose over the accuracy of the City’s water-quality testing after tests run by the Milnerton Aquatic Club (MAC) differed vastly from those of the City. This after several water bodies including Zandvlei and Zeekoeivlei, had been closed for months, allegedly due to high E coli counts (“Questions over City’s water testing,” Echo March 3).
On Saturday March 5, former Echo reporter, Garth King, 66, died at his De Rust home (“Former Echo reporter Garth King dies, Echo March 10).
In April, the City halted work on a deck at the children’s tidal pool at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay after protesters said it would restrict public access to the tidal pool (“City halts construction of small deck at Brass Bell,” Echo, April 7. The restaurant has since decided not to go ahead with the building of the deck.
Far south civic organisations gave the City the nod to allow homeowners in Ocean View and Masiphumelele to build and rent out up to eight flatlets, some multi-storeys, in their backyards (“Small blocks of backyard flats get civics’ nod,” Echo, April 28.
On Friday May 6, Chapman’s Peak Drive, which is considered to be one of the world’s most scenic drives, celebrated its centenary (“Chapman’s Peak Drive celebrates a 100 years of feats,” Echo, May 5).
Later that month, the Fish Hoek Squash Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a cocktail evening and exhibition matches (“Fish Hoek Squash Club turns 50,” Echo, May 12), and Mavis Hutchinson, 97, a pioneer ultra runner, affectionately known as the “galloping granny” crossed the final finishing line of her life (“Fish Hoek’s ‘galloping granny’ dies at 97,” Echo, May 26).
In June, a Fish Hoek High School teacher was suspended after pupils alleged she had used the K-word and the N-word during a class (“Teacher suspended over racism claims,” Echo, June 2). However, in July, she was found not guilty by an “external legal practice”. She has since left the school (“Teacher accused of racism found not guilty,” Echo, July 7).
On June 15, the Valyland Post office closed after merging with the Fish Hoek branch (“Valyland post office to close,” Echo June 9).
In July, the country was hit hard by more load shedding, which caused a spike in the running costs at Nerina Gardens old age home. The home launched a fund-raiser to better equip the home during load shedding (“Nerina running costs spike from load shedding,” Echo, July 21). It reached its R100 000 goal in October (“Nerina Gardens reaches fund-raising goal,” Echo, October 27).
In August, Fish Hoek police station found itself at the centre of a police-brutality investigation after a woman filmed the alleged assault of an Emerald Crescent man by two police officers on her cellphone. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate investigated the matter and it is yet to be concluded, according to Fish Hoek Community Police Forum chairman Jonathan Mills, who said the CPF had now referred the matter to the police ombudsman.
In September, the City asked the public to comment on plans to upgrade Muizenberg beachfront (“Big plans for Muizenberg beachfront,” Echo, September 1).
Later that month, the body of Romay van Rooyen, 50, a magistrate, was found in her Marina da Gama home (“Police investigate magistrate’s murder,” Echo, September 15). Her nephew, Cassidy Hartzenberg, was arrested three weeks later and Police Minister Bheki Cele was there when he appeared in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court (“’Close relative’ of murdered magistrate appears in court,” Echo, September 29).
In October, the house of Craig Foster, the producer of the Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher, was gutted by a fire. No one was injured (“Filmmaker’s House gutted by fire,” Echo, October 13).
The historic Simon’s Town post office, which was established around 1814, closed to merge with the Fish Hoek branch (“Historic Simon’s Town post office to close,” Echo, October 27).
In November, a man died and more than 120 shacks were destroyed in a fire in Masiphumelele (“Masi fire leaves one dead, and hundreds homeless,” Echo, November 3). And another fire swept through the Z-section of the township on Monday November 21, destroying another 600 shacks (“More than 600 shacks destroyed in Masi fire,” Echo, November 24).
A diversity training session at Fish Hoek High School left pupils traumatised after a so-called diversity trainer appointed by the Western Cape Education Department allegedly told pupils only white people could be racist, among other statements (“Furore after diversity training session at Fish Hoek High School,” Echo, November 10).
Earlier this month, the Naval Heritage Trust revealed plans to use the decommissioned SA Navy submarine, SAS Assegaai, as a museum and an educational centre (“Plan to revive Simon’s Town sub museum,” Echo, December 1).
In last week’s edition, the Haines family, who turn their home into a Christmas fantasy land every year, asked the public to be respectful of their property and not to shout and hoot once the lights have been switched off (“No Grinches, please, say Christmas-light family,” Echo, December December 15).