The second Solms Delta Franschhoek Oesfees on 4 April was a huge disappointment. What started as a noble idea from a wine estate known for its creativity in marketing its wines, in celebrating the harvest with staff of wine farms from all of Franschhoek in 2008, this year’s Oesfees seemed to have broadened its net to attract Capetonians to attend in great numbers.
For visitors arriving after dark, there was no lighting, and no indication of where one had to enter the grounds of the festival. The place to collect plates and cutlery was also not visible. There was no lighting in the food section at all, and the serviettes had run out by 19h00, two hours before the end of the festival, as had most of the food. The staff manning the food section were very casual about this, saying that more food was coming – the food tent was a mere 5 meters away! Then one had to find one’s way to the drinks’ section, quite a distance away, to find that one’s two drink ticket allocation bought 2 glasses of wine, or two plastic cups of tap water poured from a wine bottle! The cost for this tap water, as well as hygiene considerations, created a strong concern. Festival goers paid R 150 for 3 tiny pieces of sausages, 2 sweet potatoes, a spoon of rice and a ‘roosterbrood’, the 2 drinks of water from the tap or wine, and the music. The website claims that a “hearty meal” would be served, which includes bobotie – none was to be seen! An open pack of butter was next to the bread, for everyone to cut from – no finesse in putting it in a container. Admirable was the fact that real plates and cutlery were available.
Cleaning staff looked efficient, and walked past with filled bags, but kept wanting to remove the water cups. Chairs were already piled up near the stage at 8 pm, and clearly the staff were wanting the festival to finish ahead of time. Being really dark at 8.30 pm, it was extremely dangerous to walk on an unlit gravel road from the festival area to the cars.
The music of course was the saving grace, and Karoo Kitaar Blues’ Hannes Coetzee charmed with his singing and unique guitar playing. The most irritating MC Tommy de Ruiter screeched into the microphone – working at a supermarket by day, he says he is a performer in his free time – he has a very long way to go!
It felt as if the owners of Solms Delta had abdicated responsibility for the event, thereby losing control over it, which is a shame, as it is a great concept. The publicity for the festival made it an event attracting attendees outside of Franschhoek. Solms Delta will have to reconceptualise what it wants to achieve and what it wants to stand for – an event for the local farmworkers, of which many were drunk at the festival, or to put on a festival that is a much more sophisticated thanks to a good harvest completed.
This was not a “Franschhoek Oesfees” – it was a “Solms Delta Oesfees”!
The reaction of the esteemed Professor Mark Solms, owner of Solms Delta, to the feedback is disappointing and it is difficult to understand exactly what he is trying to say: