Looking back on South Coast history: August 20 to 26
A dog and a seal brought a lighter note to a week that included ongoing violence and and the theft of electricity cable.
Some things never change…
August 20
1993
“Electricity to Port Shepstone was cut for over an hour on Tuesday night after a thief tried to saw through the main 11kv feeder cable from Eskom in Marburg.”
And a water tariff increase averaging four percent was announced to come into effect on October 1.
Meanwhile… “Amalgamation proposals received the ‘thumbs down’ when discussed at two Umtentweni meetings and in a recent survey.”
August 21
1992
“Seven people were killed last weekend and more than 30 families fled their homes when violence once again flared on the Lower South Coast, despite last week’s meeting of local leaders to find a solution to the killings which have left 30 people dead this month.”
1998
After being on the back burner for almost a year, Margate’s low-cost housing project was given the green light and a trauma room opened for rape victims at Margate Police Station.
And the financial management of the Ugu council was being questioned. “The apparently high wage bill of R22 155 315 a year for the 393 employees and 254 councillors and amakhosi of Ugu Regional Council is causing concern among the levy payers.”
August 22
1997
“Farmers in the area through which the proposed Port St Johns to southern KZN toll road will pass are totally against the use of agricultural land.”
August 23
1991
“The Lower South Coast is set for a big boost in tourism with another of its landmark hotels sold and to be upgraded, charter flights bringing overseas visitors to three local resorts and inland attractions being upgraded. Last Friday it was announced that the Margate Hotel had been sold for R4,2-million to Mantcorp Investment Holdings of Cape Town. The prime beachfront site includes an additional 6 000 square metres of development land and the Palm View.”
An old attraction was enjoying a new lease on life. “After selling the Port Shepstone to Harding narrow gauge railway to Alfred County Railway four years ago because it was not viable, Transnet has bought one million shares in it, a third of the share capital, because it is showing potential.”
And… “Even seals listen to traffic cops, as the Port Shepstone Protection Services found when two of their officers checked out a seal which landed at Oslo Beach. ‘Get back in the sea where you belong … immediately!’ said the chief loudly and sternly. ‘You have had your rest. You are obviously not sick. Get back in the sea before someone comes here and hurts you!’ To everyone’s surprise, the seal slowly turned and flopped back to the edge of the sea and, with a last look round, ducked into the waves.”
August 26
1994
“Attempts by the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party to sign an agreement intended to bring peace to the strife-torn KwaXolo area were thwarted this week. The police and SANDF refused to sign the document on the basis that they had not been present when it was drawn up.”
Meanwhile… “The community of the Mdlazi reserve in Bhobhoyi has agreed that African National Congress refugees who fled the area should return, as long as they do away with their affiliation and follow the tribal structures.”
And… “A well-known businessman in the Nqabeni area married two women on the same day last weekend.”
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