June 2025 Newsletter

The board room is avilable for meetings. It also has a one hour free WiFi.

The new Boesmans Cave area can utlised for private functions. It is ideal for functions for up to 60 people and provides a bar area, braai area and some tables and chairs.

Bushmans Town Hall – Getting Even Better for Community Use

Our much-loved Bushmans Town Hall continues to improve, making it an even more convenient and welcoming space for community events and private celebrations.

We’re excited to share that a gas geyser will soon be installed in the kitchen, providing reliable hot water for catering and clean-up. This is a fantastic addition that will make hosting functions much easier for all users.

The hall already has a plumbed-in water tank to ensure a steady backup supply, especially useful during times of municipal water restrictions. These upgrades are part of ongoing efforts to maintain the hall as a functional, accessible, and community-friendly venue.

Whether you’re planning a birthday party, meeting, community gathering, or workshop, the Bushmans Town Hall offers a well-maintained, central, and affordable space to bring people together.

To enquire about availability and pricing, please contact Sue Muirhead on 0842976190.

Let’s keep using and supporting this special venue—it’s right in the heart of our community and ready for your next event!

Taste of Wellness Festival
Bushman’s Town Hall | 18 – 22 June 2025

Join us for five transformative days of learning, healing, and connection at the Taste of Wellness Festival, hosted at Bushman’s Town Hall from 18 to 22 June 2025.

Health and wellness practitioners from Kenton-on-Sea and surrounding areas have come together to offer a collaborative experience focused on holistic wellbeing. For just R600, your Golden Ticket gives you access to a rich morning programme filled with expert talks, demonstrations, and workshops in yoga, cooking, creativity, mindfulness, breathwork, and more.

Afternoon sessions with individual practitioners are available to book separately and offer a deeper dive into personal wellness and healing.

What to expect:

• Daily morning sessions included in your Golden Ticket
• Afternoon sessions tailored to your interests (booked and paid separately)
• A warm, welcoming space to explore and prioritise your wellbeing

View the full programme here: Click to download

Book your tickets now on Quicket

Come as you are. Leave refreshed, inspired, and connected.

The notice board is at the town hall and may be used by all.

A Wedding to Remember at Our Beautifully Revamped Town Hall

How magnificent it was to see our newly repaired and revitalised Bushman’s Town Hall come to life as it hosted its first wedding in many years—right in the heart of our own community!

The hall was transformed into a breathtaking venue, draped in elegant white fabric from floor to ceiling. Soft lighting and sparkling fairy lights added warmth and magic, creating a truly romantic atmosphere. It was a joyful celebration that reminded us all of just how special our community space can be.

It was a privilege to witness such a memorable event in a hall that so many of us have worked to preserve and restore. The celebration brought neighbours together and filled the air with laughter, love, and music.

We extend our warmest congratulations and very best wishes to Mr and Mrs Le Roux as they begin this new chapter of life together. May your journey be filled with happiness, health, and many more celebrations.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the town hall’s restoration—it’s wonderful to see our shared space filled with joy once more. Here’s to many more community moments to come!

Volunteer Librarian Needed – Help Keep the Love of Reading Alive!

Are you a book lover with a few spare hours on a Friday morning? We’re looking for a volunteer librarian to help run our community library and keep our shelves inviting and inspiring!

The role includes sorting and curating book donations, passing along unread books to local charities, coordinating a local book club and author readings, and—most importantly—encouraging our community readers to make full use of our Library and Anne’s Free Library.

We’d especially love to find someone who is bilingual in English and Afrikaans, as we’re committed to preserving and promoting our rich Afrikaans literary heritage alongside our broader reading culture.

The current volunteer slot is Fridays from 09h00 to 11h00, but this time is flexible and can be adjusted to suit the right person.

If you have a love of books, a heart for community, and a few hours to spare, this is a beautiful opportunity to make a difference.

Please contact Rowene Johnston—a keen paperback reader herself—on 082 344 9709 to find out more or to express your interest.

Let’s build a reading community, one page at a time!

Harvest Market – A Celebration of Local Talent

Our beautiful Bushmans Town Hall and gardens continue to thrive as a vibrant hub of community life, proudly hosting the much-loved Harvest Market, which has now been running successfully for over a year. It’s heartwarming to see how this regular event has become such a highlight on the community calendar—well supported, eagerly anticipated, and full of local charm.

The Harvest Market brings together the heart and soul of our town—local farmers, crafters, artisans, bakers, and entrepreneurs—who share their fresh produce, handmade goods, delicious bakes, and creative talents. Whether you’re after farm-fresh vegetables, a thoughtful gift, or a piece of local art, there’s always something special to discover.

Event dates are shared on our Facebook page and via local WhatsApp groups, so stay connected to make sure you don’t miss out.

If you’d like to book a table or stall, please contact Lenise on 072 973 0619.

The next two Markets scheduled are: Saturday, 28 June and 26 July — we look forward to seeing you there!

Come along to support local talent, meet your neighbours, and enjoy the creativity, warmth, and abundance that make our community truly special.

Water communication – ward 3 & 4                                                                                                 Albany coast reverse osmosis water (ACRO) plant

Wards 3 & 4 of Ndlambe have been experiencing water shortages for many years, which have led to hardship for residents and restricted meaningful growth in the area.

A formal Water Management Committee (WMC) and a Technical Task Team (TTT) were established three years ago comprising of representatives of:

• Ndlambe (Water Service Authority)
• Amatola Water (Water Service Provider)
• Department of Water and Sanitation
• Ratepayers’ organisations (BRRAG & KOSRA)
• Kenton Boesmans Chamber of Business and Tourism
• Estuary Care

The team worked relentlessly over the past 3 years to find short and long-term solutions to the growing water crisis.

During 2024 the Ndlambe Council took a decision to, itself, run and manage the Albany Coast Water RO Plant.

Ndlambe supported by the WMC applied to the Minister to transfer the ACRO Plant to Ndlambe and had several meetings with the Minister and representatives of the Minister’s office.

Ndlambe has recently received in principle approval from the Minister’s office to transfer the ACRO Plant to Ndlambe to manage it.

Ndlambe admittedly, does not have the expertise to manage the specialised ACRO Plant by themselves and will in all probably outsource the running and management to a specialist third party in a PPP type arrangement.  This is very good news indeed.  

Formalities must be complied with in the transfer of the ACRO facility to Ndlambe, which may take some time.

No timelines are available yet and it will be communicated once formalities have been concluded and a project plan is available.

I want to make use of this opportunity to thank all members of the WMC and TTT who over many years dealt with the challenges which finally lead to the point where we can look forward to a positive resolution of the water challenges. In particular, our vice chair, Jacques, spent many hours attending meetings and advising the authorities as best he could.  Kudos to Jacques and our BRRAG Team.  

Thank you also to our community members who have supported the teams and had to suffer water shortages. You are requested to remain supportive of the WMC during the next phase.

There’s something truly special about living in a place where neighbours know each other, look out for one another, and take pride in their surroundings. That’s exactly what our Know Your Neighbour campaign is all about—encouraging connection, care, and a strong sense of community.

One of the most meaningful ways to get involved is by joining BRRAG (Bushman’s River Mouth Ratepayers Organisation). For just R500 per year, your annual membership directly supports the upkeep of our village and helps keep Bushmans and Riversbend clean, safe, and well cared for.

BRRAG plays an active role in village life, taking shared responsibility with Ndlambe Municipality for key areas such as water and sanitation, safety and security, infrastructure maintenance, the health of our rivers and beaches, and broader social and environmental concerns. The team works closely with municipal staff to ensure residents’ needs and or concerns are heard and addressed. We do not succeed with everything, but at least we try…

Whether you’re a long-time resident, a recent retiree, or a new family to the area, BRRAG offers a great way to stay involved and build lasting connections.

As part of the Know Your Neighbour initiative, you’re warmly invited to our monthly BRRAG Bring and Braai—bring your meat and drinks (plus plates, knives and forks) and we’ll provide the fire and friendly company. The next gathering is on Friday, 27 June at 6pm at the Bushmans Tennis Club. Friends and family are welcome!

Let’s continue building a community where everyone feels seen, safe, and supported. When you join BRRAG, you’re not just joining a group—you’re investing in the future of our picturesque village.  

Thanks to the continued support of our community, the Camera Fund plays a vital role in keeping Bushmans and Riversbend safe. This ring-fenced account is dedicated exclusively to the purchase, installation, and maintenance of surveillance cameras throughout our area.

These cameras—including motion-activated “spot bots”—are strategically placed at key locations and triggered by movement. They’ve already proven to be an invaluable tool in tracking suspicious activity and providing vital footage to assist local law enforcement.

But it’s not just the cameras keeping us safe.

We’re proud of our local volunteer heroes, the Night Watch Team, who patrol at random times—often late at night or in the early morning hours. Their visible presence acts as a powerful deterrent to anyone scouting out potential targets in our community. Together, the patrols and the cameras send a clear message: Bushmans and Riversbend are alert, connected, and committed to safety.

Your donations to the Camera Fund help cover annual licensing fees, the installation of new cameras, and maintenance of existing infrastructure. Every contribution counts.

To support this vital safety initiative, please donate to BRRAG using the reference: CAMERA.

Together—with technology, vigilance, and community spirit—we’re creating a safer place for all.

BRRAG
Standard bank
Port Alfred 051117
Account number:  281116393

It has come to our attention that unsubstantiated and irresponsible allegations were made by some individuals during a meeting and outside of meetings that BRRAG as an organisation is against the use of buoys in the Bushman’s River. 

We believe that the record was set straight at the meeting, and we thank the participants at the meeting who did so. However, there are certain individuals (mostly persons who are not members of BRRAG) who continue to spread incorrect and false information, particularly about the role and stance of BRRAG. The reasons for this behaviour are a mystery to us.   

The objective of this communique is to formally provide the BRRAG position in the hope that it will counter the false rumours. 

The allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also untrue and potentially harmful to BRRAG, since the placement of buoys has been a contentious and sensitive matter for many years. 

BRRAG, as a well-represented and balanced community organisation, has members who make use of buoys and many who don’t.

The Bushman’s estuary is the only estuary managed by Ndlambe where the privilege to use buoys is permitted.  

Our approach to the use of buoys in the estuary is and has always been that it should be sustainable, responsible and controlled.

In our dealings with Ndlambe our position has always been:

• Not to allow buoys in the swimming area next to the slipway from the right-hand side wall of the slipway towards the mouth, since we have a small beach area there which is popular and frequently used by many swimmers, including children. 
• To limit the number of buoys.
• To manage the placement of the buoys.
• A long-term barge storage should be avoided to prevent the mooring area at the slipway from becoming overburdened.  

To this end, representatives of BRRAG met with Ndlambe officials on site in early January to discuss the matter, which discussion was at the instance of Ndlambe. The position of BRRAG was conveyed to the officials.

Buoy and jetty management are currently unfortunately out of control, which is evident by the action taken by the Eastern Cape Government.

During discussions with Ndlambe it became clear that they were not coping with the onerous task of managing and controlling the placement of buoys with their limited manpower and simultaneous the difficulty to control public behaviour. 

We refer to one example: During December 2024 there was an incident where a child was washed under a boat which was anchored to a buoy, which caused a near drowning. In an effort to save the child an adult got tangled up in the buoy and suffered a near drowning, which supports our position not to allow buoys and boats to be anchored in the swimming area. 

During 2024 Estuary Care undertook to make a proposal to Ndlambe to manage buoys in the estuary, which BRRAG supported, and communicated to its members. The BRRAG position with regards to buoys was also shared during our AGM in 2024 where the chair said:

“We recently posted a notice by Ndlambe regarding illegal buoys in the river. This is a sensitive matter for some boaters and Estuary Care is in discussion with Ndlambe about the future control of buoys. We should know the outcome thereof in the early part of 2025”.  

At the AGM, the chair invited interested members to discuss the matter of buoys with the Estuary Care chair, who was present at the AGM.  

After investigation Estuary Care, however, decided, in 2025, not to manage the buoy process on behalf of the municipality due to the complexity and safety risks, which decision was communicated to Ndlambe.

At a meeting with Ndlambe during March 2025, Estuary Care became aware that the Provincial Government of the Eastern Cape issued a draft paper Notice 164 of 2025, POLICY AND STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR THE REGULATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF JETTIES AND SLIPWAYS BELOW THE HIGH WATER MARK IN THE EASTERN CAPE, which could have a potential limiting impact on the placement of buoys and jetties. The message about this was forwarded to us. Upon receipt thereof, we immediately advised our members of this new, unexpected development so that individual members could react thereto in any way that they wished.  Estuary Care also disseminated the news widely.

Subsequently, Estuary Care decided to, again, take the matter on, and a subcommittee was created on which BRRAG is represented and where it also stated its position on the matter, ie proper control of the placing of buoys.

BRRAG had no part in the formulating or issuing of the draft paper which was apparently necessitated by the reasons as set out in the draft document by the Provincial Government. We became aware of it when Estuary Care brought it to our attention in March 2025.

BRRAG trusts that the Estuary Care subcommittee will be successful in its endeavours to provide a practical long-term hands-on management solution and instrument to manage the utilisation of buoys and jetties. 

Always remember that you are absolutely unique.   Just like everyone else.

The BRRAG team