In a speech starting punctually at 19h00 this evening, President Ramaphosa announced that the country as a whole will step down to Level 3 from 1 June, with concessions made for unrestricted exercise, allowing the sale of alcohol for home consumption under strict conditions, lifting of the curfew, the collection as well as delivery of Restaurant meals, and the opening up of the economy. Tobacco Products remain banned for sale. Continue reading →
At 19h40 today President Cyril Ramaphosa announced our country’s retaliatory and preventative measures against the Corona Virus, of which there are 61 cases to date, following an emergency Cabinet meeting earlier today. A National State of Disaster was announced. The President described the measures to be implemented as ‘urgent and drastic’. Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Cape Town’s South Peninsula remains under attack from numerous fires raging over the past four days. Despite the most welcome rain earlier today, fires are still affecting the Tokai forest and Constantia wine farms, including Buitenverwachting, Klein Constantia, and Eagles Nest. The lightning of this morning’s thunderstorm ironically ignited a fire at Cape Point, which had to be evacuated as a result.
* Yesterday Cape Town was the hottest city in the world, at 42ºC, the highest temperature ever measured at Cape Town’s weather station at the airport.
* The Stellenbosch Wine Route has been named the best in the world, and has won the Best Promotional Body for the second year running at the Wine Tourism Awards 2015 of Continue reading →
As the 8th Franschhoek Literary Festival draws near, it is advisable to book the writer panel sessions as soon as possible, as they get booked out well in advance. The more well-known the writer/s on the panels, the quicker they are booked out. In addition to an intensive programme of talks from Friday until Sunday this coming weekend (16 – 18 May), entertainment is also available in the evenings.
The Festival is noble in generating funds for the Franschhoek Literary Festival Library Fund, for the following:
* donating books to schools and creches
* employing a librarian to work with four primary school libraries in the Franschhoek area, and part-time library assistants
* visiting schools, reading and story-telling
* Book Week for Young Readers, which is being held this week
* Wine Writers prizes of R12500 each, in two categories: six to eight short pieces of 1000 words each, from a blog or column; and a long piece of 1000 – 4000 words. Winners to be selected by a panel, usually chaired by John Maytham. Last year the prize was Continue reading →