Festival honours Sao Joao survivors
The Portuguese festival was an excellent way to experience Portugal's culture.
South Coasters came out in their numbers in support of the annual Portuguese Mariners Food, Wine and Family Festival at the Estuary Hotel and Spa last weekend.
The inception of the festival and the celebration of Portuguese heritage owes itself to a day in July 1552, when a carrack (sailing ship), named the Sao Joao, was wrecked off the coast near Port Edward.
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Twenty-one survivors managed to swim ashore and walk from the southernmost tip of KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique in the hope of being rescued by passing ships.
In memory of the sailors who lost their lives that day, a special ceremony and monument unveiling took place at Splash Rock in Port Edward last Sunday.
Father Bernard Thiel opened the ceremony, Tony de Sousa of the Portuguese Honorary Consulate in Durban together with councillor Dave Watson then spoke on the history of the Sao Joao.
Mr Watson said the vessel was travelling from India back to Portugal, carrying a cargo of pepper, porcelain, beads, tapestries and other items, reportedly worth a million in gold.
“There are countless riveting stories of Portuguese pirates, smugglers and merchants who visited our shores over the centuries to trade spices and jewels, but the Sao Joao story, in particular, has stayed with us,” he explained.
The monument was unveiled by Manuel Fernandes Pereira, Portuguese ambassador to South Africa, on June 30 2002. The monument was rebuilt in 2018, courtesy of the Ramos family of Port Edward.
The fantastic cultural event included Portuguese and Zulu dancers and singers, authentic Portuguese meals, plenty of stalls, treasure hunts, and crafters.
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