As the Laddsworth 2024 cross-country season draws to a close, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of over 250 dedicated pupils.

 

Their unwavering team spirit, swift strides, and admirable sportsmanship have made this season truly memorable.

 

Continuing tradition, the curtain fell with a PJ and hot chocolate parade during the team's last morning session, a fitting tribute to the camaraderie shared throughout the season.

June 5 is World Environment Day and this year’s theme is Land Restoration, Desertification & Drought Resilience.

“These concerns are of the utmost importance to South Africa because the country is greatly susceptible to all three,” says Leon Grobbelaar, past President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).

 

He asserts that good waste management plays a pivotal role in mitigating desertification and drought and facilitates land restoration.

 

The South African landscape
The World Economic Forum describes desertification as gradual degradation of the productive soil, water, biodiversity, and vegetation in an already arid landscape.

 

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)’s National Action Programme for South Africa to Combat Desertification, Land Degradation and the Effects of Drought (2018-2030) notes that 91% of the country is drylands, making it especially vulnerable to desertification.
In addition, South Africa’s annual average rainfall is just 464mm, compared to the global average of 860mm per annum. Apart from its naturally dry climate, the country has suffered regular droughts over the last several decades.

 

These geographic factors have been exacerbated by man-made problems, such as climate change, deforestation, overgrazing of livestock, and unsustainable agricultural practices.

 

“Desertification, land degradation and drought inevitably endanger food security and water availability, negatively impacting the health, productivity and prosperity of our society,” says Grobbelaar.

 

The role of waste management
Waste management paves the way for land restoration and drought resilience by helping to preserve the existing condition of these resources.

 

“It’s no good fighting to win back land and water if we continue contaminating them at the same time,” says Grobbelaar.

 

This means directing waste away from fertile soil and sources of water to protect what remains and lay the foundation for the renewal of affected areas.

 

The term “waste” covers a wide array of elements, from everyday household refuse to electronic devices, organic matter, chemicals, and even nuclear materials Waste should be seen as a resource and hence the promotion and implementation of the circular economy and cradle to cradle principles.

 

Any number of these, discarded irresponsibly, threaten to contaminate soil and water, polluting the environment and the plant life, animals and humans that inhabit it.

 

In addition, waste management practices, like commodity recovery practises and composting, can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience.

 

For example, composted organic waste or processed faecal sludge can enrich soil, returning it to a productive state, while efficient water sanitation ensures that scarce, clean water is rapidly cycled back into lakes and rivers.

 

Innovating for the future
To ensure these outcomes, it’s critical that new and innovative waste management techniques and technologies be implemented to keep pace with future needs.

 

For example, the use of landfills as primary disposal option is not sustainable and alternative treatment and recovery solutions must be enforced and implemented.

 

“We need new approaches, and the waste community continues to research more efficient methods and means to overcome current limitations,” says Grobbelaar.

It’s appropriate that World Environment Day takes place in June, which is also Youth Month, because much of this innovation will come from a new generation of waste management professionals.

The IWMSA recognises and fosters these new perspectives through its Young Professionals Group (YPG) in the hope of accelerating current programmes in the industry.

“We have no doubt that they will contribute to a lusher, greener South Africa that promises health and happiness to all our citizens,” says Grobbelaar.

 

Supplied.

Knight Security Solutions (KSS) proudly commemorates its 35th anniversary, marking a remarkable journey of commitment, innovation, and unwavering dedication to safeguarding the KZN Midlands community.

Established in 1989 as Denwatt Electronics, Knight Security Solutions (KSS) emerged from humble beginnings as a two-way radio company founded by Mike Denning and Terry Wattrus. Recognizing the growing need for alarm systems, Gary Preston, a young radio technician at the time, installed the very first alarm system in Howick. Denwatt transitioned into Knight Alarms and eventually in 2014 became Knight Security Solutions (KSS) under the visionary leadership of Gary.

Gary, the driving force behind KSS, epitomizes dedication and perseverance. From his early days as a jack of all trades, tirelessly installing alarms, working control room shifts and coordinating technical jobs, to establishing Knight Force Armed Response in 1998 to ensure timely armed response to alarm activations, Gary's commitment to client satisfaction has remained unwavering.

Despite facing challenges, including relinquishing ownership of Knight Alarms to Mr Low for a period, Gary's resilience and determination prevailed. His steadfast leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence led to the establishment of the Knight Force Guarding Division in 2008, further expanding KSS's services to many guarding sites in the KZN Midlands.

In 2014, Gary seized the opportunity to buy Knight Alarms and unite Knight Alarms with Knight Force, forming the now renowned brand, Knight Security Solutions (KSS). This pivotal moment marked a new chapter in KSS's journey towards becoming a household name in security solutions.

Central to KSS's success is its dedicated team, including long-serving individuals like Renee Lanzoni (22 years), Sashen Reddy (21 years), Elaine O'Farrell (19 years), Abraham Mpanza (17 years), and Isaiah Mbanjwa (17 years), whose unwavering support has been instrumental in realizing Gary's vision. Their collective expertise and commitment embody the spirit of KSS, ensuring the highest standards of service delivery.

Gary's passion for dogs catalyzed the establishment of the KSS K9 division in 2014, underscoring his innovative approach to the security industry. His hands-on experience, coupled with a deep understanding of the local community, has positioned KSS as a security provider of excellence in the industry.

Reflecting on 35 years of success, Gary expresses gratitude to the Midlands community for their unwavering support. "Saving and protecting lives – when you get it right, there is nothing more rewarding," says Gary, highlighting KSS's enduring commitment to its core mission.

As Knight Security Solutions celebrates its 35th anniversary, the journey continues with a renewed commitment to excellence, innovation, and community service. With Gary at the helm, KSS remains dedicated to safeguarding lives and property, ensuring a safer and more secure future for all.

Research has shown that children who feel that they matter, become more resilient. The kids we work with in Sweetwaters face more than a fair share of challenges, so it's essential that they be able to "bounce back" and overcome setbacks. Life groups add colour, fun and friends to their lives, and is a safe place where all the kids feel welcome and loved. Their mentor is there, fully focused and present - commenting on this one's lego creation, that one's good catch, the little boy's scraped knee. They know they matter. That's why they keep coming back.

'Every-doggy' who is 'some-doggy' will be there!!! The 'woof' of the town is Sunday's social gathering of the year. We are so excited to see you at Highgate Wine Estate, Piggly Wiggly for the 2024 edition of the 1000 Paws Walk on Sunday 2 June from 8.00 to 14.00. - shared uMngeni SPCA ahead of the upcoming annual walk.

Events for 1000 Paws Walk 2024

07.30 Registration opens
08.00 Walk opens
08.30 Marimbas - Howick Prep School
08.50 Precious Pups (up to 6 mths)
09.15 Terrific Teens (6 to 18 mths)
09.35 Awesome Adult (18 mths to 7 yrs)
10.00 Marimbas
10.20 Golden Oldies (8 years and older)
10.45 Owner/dog Look a like
11.10 Special Rescue (any rescue org., excl. SPCA's)
11.35 SPCA Champion Dog (adopted from any SPCA)
12.00 Paper Plate Challenge & Heelwork Demo
12.30 Raffle Draw

Being a Cowan House boy or girl, the concept of Outdoor Learning is certainly not foreign, being blessed with an expansive and beautiful campus to enjoy. Today however, we took an "Action Day" as part of Outdoor Classroom Day and embraced the joy of learning outdoors.

Our Grade 7/Grade 1 mentor partnerships embarked on an exciting scavenger hunt around school, whilst our Grade 6s and Grade 5s headed off to Umngeni Valley and Doreen Clark Nature Reserve respectively. For other grades it was the excitement of Outdoor Art, Maths Games and corridor spelling quizzes.

Not to be outdone, our Cowan Cubs also embraced the fun of Outdoor Classroom Day. The Grade RRR children cruised into school to enjoy Bike Day, our Grade RRs tested their paper airplanes off the pavilion deck and our Grade Rs enjoyed a nature scavenger hunt within our Pre Primary - and a safari drive on the Cub Cruiser!

All in all, an incredibly busy day involving each child in our school and a reminder to not only enjoy the outdoors, but to fully appreciate the privilege of learning in such a beautiful space.

More about Cowan House 

Andrew Line, a seasoned exhibitor at Art in The Country.

 

Andrew, uses many mediums including acrylic, oil, and now water colour on canvas. Still only using the primary colours and white,  Andrew mixes all his own colours, giving a great harmony to his works.

 

Enjoy seeing his exhibit at Harcourts Hilton ART in the Country, 23 - 26 May 2024 at Harrington House, Hilton.

 

Join us on Sunday, 2 June 2024 for the Grade 7 PA Function, "Music on the Lawn". With entertainment by EVO Music as well as the Michaelhouse and Cowan House Marimba Bands, it promises to be a fantastic afternoon of great music.

Ticket bookings can be done via the Google Form: https://forms.gle/bpreFo4AxtxnNEt59 and payment can be done via EFT for those families who don’t have children at Cowan House – banking details on the Google Form.

BYO Drinks - no drinks vendors will be on hand and the tuckshop will not be open.

 

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The 26th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, which takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 20 to 30 June, features a compelling line-up of films from around the globe that promise to spark debate, stimulate conversations, and shed new light on controversial subject matter.

From the Congo to Kenya, USA and Europe, Lebanon to Japan with gripping tales of resilience to thought-provoking explorations of contemporary issues, these films reveal a rich tapestry of global storytelling and celebrate the power of documentary cinema to inspire, inform, and ignite change. Close to 50 films will be screened including:

The multiple award-winning Soundtrack to a Coup d'État, is a riveting documentary that delves into the complex relationship between music and political upheaval. Directed by Johan Grimonprez (Belgium/France/The Netherlands) jazz and politics are intertwined in this depiction of murky international interference in decolonisation and the Cold War. It’s 1960 and against the background of jazz sounds of Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Nina Simone, a wave of decolonisation movements tear through Africa, and the struggle for civil rights marches on in the USA. Beat by beat, Grimonprez traces Patrice Lumumba’s rise to become Congo’s first democratically elected prime minister—and the meddling forces that conspired his assassination. Deeply researched, the film interweaves archival records, home movies, unheard speeches by Lumumba, and memoirs by Congolese activists and writers with the story of the Black jazz legends who defined the era. Pulsating with the energy of the period, this masterpiece of documentary filmmaking is a chilling indictment of the colonial impact on Africa.

Moving to East Africa and keeping with the thread of international interference, the Kenyan film Our Land, Our Freedom directed by Zippy Kimundu, is a highly charged conversation about stolen land that follows a woman’s attempt to reclaim ancestral land. What begins as a search for her father’s remains soon turns into a tense national issue surrounding British colonialism, freedom fighters, and an unjust reality. It is pure grit, determination, and a genuine love for her people that keeps her going, pushing her to provide for those who did so much for her country yet received so little reward for their sacrifice.

Of particular interest are two fascinating films from Japan: In a raw, riveting, and singular work, playing like a procedural thriller for social media, Black Box Diaries (Japan/USA/UK) directed by journalist Shiori Itō bravely investigates a case of sexual violence perpetrated against her—to bring her powerful, politically connected assailant to justice. As she pieces together evidence, she exposes the paralyzing roots of patriarchy in Japan. Her brave story is a reminder of how far the world still has to go in believing women, and the trauma of survivors. Her quest results in a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country's outdated judicial and societal systems. The film won the Human Rights Award at CPH:DOX in Denmark.

Then the beautifully photographed film - Johatsu – Into Thin Air directed by Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori explores the phenomenon of people who disappear known as Johatsu or “the evaporated” in Japan where around 80,000 people vanish every year. Most are found or return home but thousands simply disappear. We meet people who have chosen to do this and those looking for them, as well as the people who help them so they can reset their lives in places where no one knows them. Johatsu provides an intimate window into the lives of those who have decided, for one desperate reason or another, that they need to start anew.

In true “eyes-on-the-ground” and breathtakingly edgy filmmaking, Egyptian director Ibrahim Nash'at scores a major coup in Hollywoodgate (Germany/USA) when he is granted permission to document the transition of Afghanistan to Taliban rule after the US withdrawal in 2021. The Taliban took over one of the USA’s CIA bases with infrastructure of containers bearing the name "Hollywood Gate" filled with weapons enabling them to equip a new combat unit. Over a year, Nash'at follows the development of this unit and provides an authentic inside glimpse into the Taliban's rapid rise to power.

Encounter screens “two must see” films that audiences might have missed:

Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (Top image), directed by Cyril Aris (Germany/Lebanon), is a heartwarming and lucid documentary. After a massive explosion devastated the port in Beirut in August 2020, a determined crew of filmmakers continued their project in an effort of resistance. Amidst the city's destruction and an economic crisis during COVID-19, this family of artists finds meaning and purpose through the transformative power of cinema.

The Mother of All Lies (Morocco/Egypt) is a poetic, captivating, and cathartic exploration of the lies and memories of director Asmae El Moudir’s family, surrounding the Casablanca Bread Riots of 1981. The period of repression known in Morocco as the “Years of Lead” is hardly discussed. Narratives of trauma, loss, and love are recovered here through exquisite re-enactments played by handmade figurines, sculpted by El Moudir’s father and dressed by her mother, placed in a scale model of her neighbourhood.

Cinemas that will screen the 2024 Encounters’ line-up:
In Cape Town - Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront, The Labia Theatre
In Johannesburg - The Zone @ Rosebank, The Bioscope Independent Cinema

For more information and the full programme go to: https://encounters.co.za/

Encounters is Supported and Funded by:
The City of Cape Town, Bertha Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, the University of Cape Town and the Centre for Film and Media Studies, Mail and Guardian (Media Partner), Al Jazeera Documentary, UWC The Centre for Humanities Research, Known Associates, Refinery, Institute Francais, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Heineken Beverages, DOK.fest Munich, German Films, Documentary Filmmakers Association, South African Guild of Editors, anima, Pressure Cooker Studio.

Ready to see winter in a whole new light? Book your winter eye checkup today and let us brighten your vision for the season ahead! From comprehensive eye tests to personalized care, John Meyer Optometrist has everything you need for healthy eyes.

 

Call us at 033 343 0881 to schedule your appointment or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inquiries.

 

Visit our website at www.johnmeyeroptometrist.co.za to explore our services.

 

Located at 3 Monzali Drive, Hilton, Health and Wellness Centre, Ground Floor, Suite 2B.

 

Your partners in healthy vision!

MiTH 5 June 2024

INFO: 082 331 7271

 

ENTRANCE: R50.00 - Cash or Zapper at the Door

VENUE: The Knoll Historic Guest Farm


8:50 pm: Painting So Severe

Painting So Severe is the indie-psych rock duo, ready to bring you the highest of rock ballads and the trippiest slow jams. When performing live, they are backed up by two more wonderful musicians.

Seth Hutton, the vocalist, lyricist, and trombonist, is the band’s charismatic frontman. Joshua White, the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and co-songwriter, is usually the one randomly smiling in every photo. James Cunningham, the bassist and glue to the group, always looks relaxed even when things are going wild. Stu Hancock, the drummer and an absolute machine, was born with a metronome in the room and holds down the groove.

They have strong influences from groups like Queen, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Queens Of The Stone Age, and a myriad of different jazz influences as well. They write and perform original music for the most part, incorporating some covers that they enjoy from bands like The Rolling Stones, Sixto Rodriquez, KALEO, and others.


7:40 pm: Rhiannon & Vince

Rhiannon & Vince are a father/daughter duo from Howick, KwaZulu Natal. The duo have made a small name for themselves over the years, and have played at MiTH since Rhiannon was a teenager. They are known for bringing a unique spin on iconic tunes of old and new and, having recently played at Splashy Fen 2024, now have a few original songs in their repertoire


7pm: David Gengan

David Gengan is an acoustic guitarist and vocalist. He grew up with the fantastic music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s and enjoys music from Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, Crosby Stills and Nash, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Bread, to name a few. This will be his second appearance on the MiTH stage.

ABOUT MiTH: Arguably the KZN Midlands’ best-loved music venue, Music in The Hills (MiTH) is an opportunity for beginners, professionals, and passionate music fans to share the joy of music at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm. Visit www.mith.co.za for more details and directions. Musicians can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for slots.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: MiTH takes place every second Wednesday at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm, Knoll Drive, Hilton. Doors open at 6pm and the music will kick off at 7pm. Entrance is R50 at the door. Food and soft drinks are available for sale. A cash bar is available.

DIRECTIONS TO MiTH: Take the N3 to Hilton, take the Hilton turnoff and go South into the Village (away from Hilton College). Travel 5,2km along Hilton Avenue (past two sets of traffic lights and Crossways Pub) and keep going straight as Hilton Avenue turns into Dennis Shepstone Drive. At the 5,2km mark, Knoll Drive will be on your right – the entrance to MiTH is the *second* entrance on your left into The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

 

Father's Day Offer 10% Obviously Dads and Grandfathers are No 1 on the 16 June! Make it a Chocolate Father's Day! Choose from a chocolate hamper, Cigars, a Gift box of assorted chocolates, an eatable Spoon with their coffee Bombe, XL Slab of DAD chocolate...

Prices: (Excludes 10% discount so calculate on the final total.)
1. Chocolate hampers - chocolate and biscuits. From R65. Depends on your budget
2. Cigars @R15 each. A box R60.

3. A Gift box of assorted chocolates from R50.
4. An eatable Spoon with a coffee Bombe R50.
5. An XL Slab of DAD chocolate R50 Mixed nuts or plain

To order these Handcrafted Deluxe Belgian Chocolates produced in Hilton...
Contact Gwynne on 071 684 8026 OR email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

It's a big step exhibiting at ART in the Country for the first time! Show your local love for Janine van Deventer from Hilton.

Harcourts Hilton ART in the Country is open daily from 10am until 8pm and until 4pm on Sunday, at Harrington House along the Hilton College Road, turn left as you come out of the big bend.

NEXT EVENT

Meet Lynn Reynolds, first time exhibitor at Harcourts Art in the Country - a visionary creator who seamlessly blends watercolor and mixed media to evoke the essence of Earth’s vibrant hues.

 

Harcourts Hilton ART in the Country is open daily from 10am until 8pm and 4pm on Sunday, at Harrington House along the Hilton College Road, turn left as you come out of the big bend.

 

Dave Oosthuizen Weildon Lives in Hilton and paints commission work. Loves all subjects and can be found on Instagram Facebook and social media.

 

Peruse his exhibit at Harcourts Hilton ART in the Country, 23 - 26 May 2024 at Harrington House, Hilton.