cradock

A fairly cool to warm Thursday is expected, says the South African Weather Service, with impact-based rain leading to localised flooding expected in Limpopo.

Impact-based warning

Yellow (Level 2) warning for heavy rainfall leading to localised flooding of formal and informal roads or settlements, low-lying areas and bridges and difficult driving conditions is expected over the western and south-western parts of Limpopo.

The weather in your province

Gauteng will be cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index is low.

Mpumalanga will be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the west.

In Limpopo, it will be cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the west and south.

The North West will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east.

Conditions in the Free State will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the west. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected in the north-east.

In the Northern Cape, it will be fine in the south at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot, but very hot in the north, becoming fine in the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly.

The Western Cape will be cloudy over the Overberg District in the morning, otherwise fine and warm to hot, but very hot over the Little and Central Karoo where it will become partly cloudy in the afternoon. 

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly, but strong along the West Coast in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

The western half of the Eastern Cape will be partly cloudy in places in the morning, otherwise fine and hot.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-easterly.

In the eastern half of the Eastern Cape, it will be cloudy along the coast, otherwise partly cloudy and warm, but fine and hot in the west with fog patches south of the escarpment in the morning.

Isolated showers and thundershowers can be expected along the eastern escarpment in the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-easterly, freshening from late morning.

KwaZulu-Natal can expect morning fog over the interior, otherwise cloudy and cool, but warm in places in the north. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected in the south-western and western parts.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming easterly north-easterly in the south in the afternoon

The expected UVB sunburn index is very high.

Click here to see the specific forecast for your city over the next few days.

– Compiled by Kamva Somdyala

By Travel Reporter 11h ago

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To outsiders the Karoo may look like a dense landscape with scatterings of people who dare to make a life of it.

But for those who call it home, the semi-desert natural region of South Africa is an oasis with its cloudless skies that sometimes reveals its gems to those who are patient enough to hang around for long.

New kykNET series ’Karoobewoners’ hopes to uncover the magic of the Karoo. After all, it’s a place that inspires poets and artists, and a place that visitor return to again and again.

’Karoobewoners’ shares personal stories about a place that appears to have remain unchanged over the years.

There will be visits to some of the Karoo’s lifelong inhabitants, and its newer residents. Viewers can find out more about the loves, passions and everyday existence of these people in the arid, wide open spaces of the Karoo.

The series kicks off in Montagu where Petrus and Liana are living the dream, raising their family at Kogman Keisie. Jacques and Hein share how they have lovingly restored a 1854 Cape Dutch house.

In the second programme, viewers are given a look inside the Magpie Collective in Barrydale where artists have a passion for the environment and restoration.

Rosheen Kriegler swapped the buzz of the big city for a more peaceful existence on a farm outside Calitzdorp. We learn more about her experiences in the third programme, before stopping over in Zoar to meet tour guide and storyteller, Alistair Reizenberg, who shares his love of language and history with us.

Other episodes in the series will feature the world-renowned ceramic artist, Hylton Nel, the Prince Albert Reeldancers, Lizzy Snoek and her traditional food, as well as a couple who have transformed an abandoned house into an oasis for artists.

South Africans seem to have an immense capacity for change; for spotting its opportunities and embracing fresh ways of thinking and being,“ said BrightRock’s deputy CEO, Suzanne Stevens.

The financial services company is the producer and partner to the series.

“Karoobewoners showcases the stories of some of its diverse people, who are doing new and interesting things. It explores their journeys, their ability to adapt to change, why they’ve made the Karoo their home, and even how some of them have achieved global recognition from the apparent stillness and desolation of the Karoo. We hope viewers will find their stories as compelling and inspiring as we do,” concluded Stevens.

’Karoobewoners’ airs from January 5, 2021 at 9pm on kykNET (DStv-channel 144)

The South African Weather Service predicts a rainy day for most of the country on Monday.

Impact-based warnings:

A yellow (level 2) warning for thunderstorms with possible impacts – including localised damage to infrastructure, property as well as livestock – is expected in places over the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape and Central Karoo District of the Western Cape as well as in places over the interior of the Eastern Cape.

The weather in your region:

Gauteng will be partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

Mpumalanga will be cloudy in the east in the morning with fog patches in the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered on the Highveld.

Limpopo will be cloudy in the east in the morning with fog patches in the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the west.

The North West will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

The Free State will be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The Northern Cape will be cloudy and cool to warm with widespread to scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly.

The Western Cape will be fine and hot to extremely hot over the western parts, becoming cloudy along the south coast with fog patches in the evening. Isolated to scattered thundershowers are expected in places in the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh easterly to south-easterly, becoming strong southerly off Cape Columbine in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

The western half of the Eastern Cape will be partly cloudy to cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate westerly east of Algoa Bay at first, otherwise light to moderate easterly, becoming south-easterly in the afternoon.

The eastern half of the Eastern Cape will be fine in places at first, otherwise partly cloudy to cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate westerly in the morning, otherwise light to moderate easterly, becoming fresh north-easterly in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal will see morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers but scattered over the interior.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

The South African Weather Service predicts a rainy day for most of the country on Monday.

Impact-based warnings:

A yellow (level 2) warning for thunderstorms with possible impacts – including localised damage to infrastructure, property as well as livestock – is expected in places over the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape and Central Karoo District of the Western Cape as well as in places over the interior of the Eastern Cape.

The weather in your region:

Gauteng will be partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

Mpumalanga will be cloudy in the east in the morning with fog patches in the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered on the Highveld.

Limpopo will be cloudy in the east in the morning with fog patches in the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the west.

The North West will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

The Free State will be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The Northern Cape will be cloudy and cool to warm with widespread to scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly.

The Western Cape will be fine and hot to extremely hot over the western parts, becoming cloudy along the south coast with fog patches in the evening. Isolated to scattered thundershowers are expected in places in the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh easterly to south-easterly, becoming strong southerly off Cape Columbine in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

The western half of the Eastern Cape will be partly cloudy to cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate westerly east of Algoa Bay at first, otherwise light to moderate easterly, becoming south-easterly in the afternoon.

The eastern half of the Eastern Cape will be fine in places at first, otherwise partly cloudy to cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate westerly in the morning, otherwise light to moderate easterly, becoming fresh north-easterly in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal will see morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers but scattered over the interior.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

• Eight people were killed on Friday just after midnight in a multiple vehicle collision on the N1 in the Western Cape.
• The crash involved one truck and two taxis.
• It’s alleged that one taxi overtook the other when it hit the truck in the oncoming lane.

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The new year started on a sombre note in the Western Cape where a collision between truck and two taxis shortly after midnight left eight people dead.

The accident occurred on the N1 approximately 10km outside Leeu-Gamka at 00:05 on Friday.

Leeu-Gamka is a small town located 355km northeast of Cape Town in the Karoo.

Western Cape traffic spokesperson Jandre Bakker said according to preliminary reports, the truck was travelling in the direction of Cape Town while the two taxis were travelling towards the Eastern Cape.

Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane said the crash allegedly occurred when one of the taxis overtook the other in the oncoming lane when it hit the truck.

“The truck sideswiped that minibus taxi and, in the process, ended up colliding head-on with the second minibus,” Zwane said.

Bakker said the driver of one of the taxis – who was the only occupant of the vehicle – died, while six passengers and the driver of the other taxi were killed in the collision.

The driver of the truck was seriously injured.

“The cause of the crash is being investigated. A stop-and-go is in place, but the road may be closed for short periods when the scene is cleared,” Bakker said.

“We ask road users to be patient.”

The intrepid couple, who call the Karoo town of Cradock home, have spent more than a decade criss-crossing this vast region of South Africa in search of its fascinating people, places, spaces and legends.

They have written about their colourful encounters for the likes of Country Life magazine, sadly one of the media industry casualties of the coronavirus pandemic, and have self-published numerous non-fiction titles, including the Karoo Keepsakes series, which have all been very well received.

The South African caught up with “Chris and Jules”, as many in the Karoo know them, to chat about their new book, Karoo Roads – Tales from South Africa’s Heartland, and find out what projects and adventures they’re embarking on next.

QA: Chris and Jules of Karoo Space

What drew you to the Karoo, and did you ever think it would provide the foundation for a whole new life and career path?

We were on a chance road trip through the Eastern Cape in 2003, when we met Sandra Antrobus and family at the Tuishuise in Cradock. 

After a Sunday farm lunch with Sandra and her husband Michael (who, sadly, passed away two years ago), we decided this was the kind of community we wanted to live in: tough, with a good sense of humour, reliable, warm, welcoming and very trustworthy people.

We initially planned to restrict our editorial movements to the Eastern Cape, but the call of the Karoo made us shift our focus to the dry spaces of three other provinces as well: the Western Cape, Free State and Northern Cape.

The stories seemed to be richer, more plentiful, seldom told and the photographic potential was immense. It was, really, like discovering a whole new country.

Since when has Cradock been home and has it served you well as a base for exploring the Karoo? 

We have lived in Cradock since the beginning of 2007. For us, it is the perfect springboard into the rest of the Karoo. We also do a lot of non-fiction work with Rhodes University in Makhanda, so Cradock is central for that as well.

For a Karoo storyteller, Cradock is a great base. The old families are here with their incredible histories, one of the finest national parks in the country is 10 minutes from our front door and the town has all the amenities for digital nomad work, with Port Elizabeth a one-day round-trip away.

Define the Karoo in terms of geography and size.

The Karoo is a biologically distinct ‘country’ which sprawls over 400,000 square kilometres, making it a little bigger than Germany.

There are around 100 Karoo towns, settlements and villages, a few thousand farms, and a million people in an area that includes four provinces – the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and southern Free State.

What makes the Karoo a good hunting ground for ‘people stories’? 

The people of the Karoo are, on the whole, very interesting because many of them are ‘immigrants’ from somewhere else who end up being tough, resilient, able to live lean, think out of the box, work together as a community and reach out between the different groups. 

Many of us are also seen as creative and a little eccentric, which adds to the fun element of being here. You dress like you want, you play Jimi Hendrix to your sheep, you dance in the rain, you party like there’s no tomorrow and then you work hard as well.

But the bedrock of the Karoo lies in families of all colours that have been here for hundreds of years – up to eight generations or more. They, too, have incredible stories to tell and deep knowledge of the region. 

Some of the best dryland farmers in the country, or possibly the continent, are from the Karoo. They are national treasures. Intellectual capital has also been steadily growing in previously moribund Karoo towns, with creative people semigrating from cities to the platteland.

What mileage have you clocked up since covering the Karoo in earnest?

We’ve covered well in excess of 500,000km, nearly 70% of which was in our old Isuzu KB 2003 bakkie, which was completely reconditioned in 2019 by CAT Motors, the local Isuzu dealer. This tells you a lot about the quality of local support that we get.

Besides Cradock, do you have any favourite Karoo towns?

We also love Nieu-Bethesda, Barrydale, Prince Albert, Willowmore, Steytlerville, Graaff-Reinet, Williston, Richmond, Victoria West, Calvinia, Port Nolloth, Springbok, Leliefontein, Brandvlei, Loxton, Matjiesfontein, Merweville, Middelpos, De Rust, Aberdeen, Jansenville and Uniondale. 

That’s our Top 22, but there are 79 more towns, villages, settlements and occupied railway sidings, each with its own special star.

What are the most underrated Karoo towns in your view?

That would be little Kalahari river towns along the Orange, from Upington to Keimoes, Kakamas, Kanon Eiland, Pella and Pofadder in the Northern Cape. Then into the Richtersveld, part of the Nama Karoo region, the little settlements like Khuboes, Lekkersing and Eksteenfontein.

The most underrated town? That’s a hard one, because there’s a different perfect Karoo town out there for everyone. We like Rietbron (between Beaufort West, Willomore and Aberdeen) as an underrated Karoo village. Also Vosburg in the Northern Cape — tiny, yet full of interesting people.

What has life after Country Life been like?

Life after Country Life has been very busy.

• Rhodes University engages us on a freelance basis to write profiles on its researchers, and over the past 14 months we have written about and photographed 74 individuals;
• We are travel writing and freelance journalism tutors with the SA Writers College – it’s an online teaching gig that has been a great journey over the past three years;
• We’ve been writing Karoo stories for corporates interested in the hardy, can-do survivor spirit of the people of this region; and
• Karoo Roads – Tales from South Africa’s Heartland is our new book which took most of the winter to write and edit. It’s been a true labour of love and, hopefully, the first in a large heritage series of books on the Karoo.

Describe ‘Karoo Roads’ in a nutshell. 

Here’s a quote from our foreword, which seems to describe it aptly:

Karoo Roads is a whisper from the past, a drink at a backyard bar in the middle of nowhere, an adventure with an ostrich, a night under the stars, a song in a village church hall, a round of golf with a Rastaman, a ghost in the fireplace, a battle with a blizzard and a walk in the veld with a wise old jackal hunter.

It is also a collection of some of our favourite Karoo stories, gathered over 20 years of rambling on dirt roads and forgotten highways, in snow and sunshine, on days that were good and bad but always memorable. 

Many of the characters in them, like Matjiesfontein’s David Rawdon, Outa Lappies of Prince Albert, Group Captain ‘Dutch’ Hugo of Pampoenpoort, Alfie Wewege of Port Nolloth and a slew of old-time steam train drivers from De Aar, have since passed on. But, in these pages, they live and breathe.

How long did you work on the book and what was the best part of putting it together?

Karoo Roads has been 20 years in the making. We have a treasure chest of more than 300 narrative pieces that we choose from, occasionally expand, edit, update or simply preserve in amber as a one-off special experience.

Imagine you’re in a story kitchen with your editor’s apron on. Around you are 300 ingredients, in the form of published stories (some from Country Life, others from elsewhere), extensive travel journals (impeccably compiled by Julienne) and hundreds of thousands of images. Also old Karoo books. Lots of them, from all over the heartland, in the form of heavy tomes, light family histories, travel books and cook books.

Now you’re preparing a 25-course story meal: a bit of history, a touch of humour, a sprig of sadness, a dash of human interest, a dollop of road trip, a cup of heritage, a splash of festival, a slice of adventure and a big long glass of in-depth research. Add a ghost story, for pudding.

Since when has ‘Karoo Roads’ been available and what response have you had?

In August we said: “The book will come out in e-book format, and if you want a printed copy, then we need at least 500 orders to press the print button.”

Within three weeks we received more than 600 orders. This is the first time we have pre-sold an unborn book – normally we make a book, print it at our own expense and hope like hell it sells. 

Those orders allowed us to print up 3,000 copies. They arrived in mid-November and they are now flying to all corners of the Earth.

Would you like to single out one or two of the stories?

The most poignant experience was working with the Gift of the Givers over the past few years when they deliver water, feed and food to outpost communities hit by this killer drought. We’ve grown to know and deeply respect those guys, and it was a great honour to be able to include a chapter on their work here.

One of the funniest encounters is told in the Aberdeen Nights chapter. And one of the most valuable is a series of interviews with the retired old steam train drivers who came to settle in De Aar in the mid-1980s. In this book, they live again.

What’s next for the Karoo Space team? 

We are working on Karoo Roads II, which will be available in September 2021. For the rest, it’s the freelance hustle, telling the stories of the Karoo to whoever wants to pay us and listen.

Where is ‘Karoo Roads’ available?

We own and run karoospace.co.za  and it’s full of Karoo items of interest. It also has a print bookshop and an e-bookshop, where both formats of all our books can be ordered. Karoo Roads can also be ordered directly from us by emailing julie@karoospace.co.za.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa will, from today at midnight, move from level 1 back to an adjusted Level 3 of lockdown in intensified efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. He says new infections are rising at “alarming and unprecedented manner.”

Since Christmas Eve, there have been more than 50 000 new positive COVID-19 cases in the country.

Ramaphosa: We can, we will and we must defeat this pandemic. This New Year’s Eve, instead of parties or lightning fireworks, let us light a candle for all those who have lost their lives to the virus #sabcnews #level5

— Taliesha Naidoo (@Taliesha_Naidoo) December 28, 2020

Addressing the nation, Ramaphosa identified KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Gauteng, and Eastern Cape as leading the new cases.

Limpopo is also seeing a significant increase in infections.

The president has announced the adjusted Level 3 regulations.

“Under the adjusted Level 3 regulations: All indoor and outdoor gatherings will be prohibited for 14 days from the date hereof, except for funerals and other limited exceptions as detailed in the regulations, such as restaurants, museums, gyms, and casinos.”

The curfew has also been extended.

“The nationwide curfew will be extended from 9pm to 6am. Apart from permitted workers and for medical and security emergencies, nobody is allowed outside their place of residence during the curfew.”

South Africa is at Alert #Level3: Extended #Curfew #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/ERn5WEiEfl
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) December 28, 2020

The new regulations will also see non-essential establishments closing earlier.

“Non-essential establishments – including shops, restaurants, bars, and all cultural venues – must close at 8pm. The list of these establishments will be released shortly.”

The sale of alcohol has again been banned until January 15.

“Night clubs and businesses engaged in the sale and transportation of liquor will not be allowed to operate. The Level 3 restrictions will remain in place until 15 January 2021. These measures will be reviewed at that time on the basis of the state of the pandemic in the country.”

To curb the spread of the virus, President Ramaphosa says those who do not wear masks will be punished.

“From now on, it is compulsory for every person to wear a mask in a public space. A person who does not wear a cloth mask covering over the nose and mouth in a public place will be committing an offence. A person who does not wear a mask could be arrested and prosecuted. On conviction, they will be liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both a fine and imprisonment.”

More areas have been declared hotspots.

“In the Western Cape, the West Coast District, Overberg District, Winelands District, Cape Town, Central Karoo District are hotspots. This is in addition to the Garden Route District.”

South Africa is at Alert #Level3: New coronavirus #hotspots declared #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/gztrqzi48q

— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) December 28, 2020

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address:

New Level 3 lockdown adjustments:

Lockdown:
SA moves from Level 1 back to Level 3 of the lockdown

Curfew:
The curfew has been extended from 9am to 6am.

Alcohol:
Alcohol sales from retail outlets will not be permitted
On-site consumption of alcohol will not be permitted
No consumption of alcohol in public spaces, including parks and beaches

Masks:
Not wearing a mask is considered an offence, with the possibility of fine, imprisonment or both.

Gatherings:
All indoor and outdoor gatherings are prohibited for the next 14 days, except for funerals and other limited exceptions.