SPACES fiesta celebrates local Midlands performance artists in spectacular fashion.

The KZN Midlands is well known as a vibrant hub of creativity, showcasing incredibly talented performance artists in the fields of music, dance, and theatre. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to the local arts scene, PS Hello Again is proud to present SPACES, a ten-day celebration that will bring the community together in a brand-new live performance fiesta. From the 4th to the 13th of August, we invite everyone to join us in experiencing the magic of SPACES. Tickets are available from Quicket (https://www.quicket.co.za/organisers/56810-spaces), 082 413 9843 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Says SPACES Operational Director, Kath McClelland: “SPACES is more than just a series of performances; it is a specially created platform designed to showcase the incredible talents of local artists.” This collective vision has been brought to life by four passionate individuals - Kath McClelland, Tarrin Webster, Charles Webster, and Paul Spence. “We aim to curate an unforgettable experience that will captivate audiences, leave lasting memories and grow into the future,” says McClelland.

Popular KZN Midlands Venues
SPACES will take place in popular establishments spanning Hilton and Howick, creating a journey of artistic delight for all attendees. At the heart of this celebration are the wonderfully supportive venues that have joined with us to make SPACES possible. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the following venues, listed in alphabetical order:

Hilton:
• Artisan Bistro
• Crossways
• The Ellenbird
• Rotunda Coffee House and Car Wash
• The Knoll Historic Guest Farm

Howick:
• Fern Hill Hotel
• The Old Mushroom Farm
• Woodstone Restaurant & Wine Bar

These venues have not only embraced the spirit of SPACES but are also playing a significant role in nurturing the talents of local Midlands artists. This dedication and commitment have made this timely celebration a reality.

Says McClelland: “Whether you are a seasoned arts enthusiast or simply looking to immerse yourself in a vibrant cultural extravaganza, SPACES promises to deliver an unparalleled celebration of Midlands performance artists. Join us as we come together to share the joy of live performances, forging lasting connections and supporting our local arts community.”

About PS Hello Again
Forged in the creative fires of live KZN Midlands shows, PS Hello Again is the performing arts company made up of Katherine McClelland, Charles Webster and Paul Spence. For more information and to stay updated on the latest PS Hello Again productions or SPACES news, please visit https://www.facebook.com/PSHelloAgain.

About SPACES
SPACES 2023 is a music, theatre and dance fiesta in the KZN Midlands. KZN Midlands-based performing arts company PS Hello Again is proud to present a ten-day celebration that will bring the community together in a brand-new live performance event from the 4th to the 13th of August. More than just a series of performances, SPACES is a specially created platform designed to showcase the incredible talents of local artists at multiple popular supporting venues across Hilton and Howick. The collective vision has been brought to life by four passionate individuals - Kath McClelland, Tarrin Webster, Charles Webster, and Paul Spence. Tickets for all shows are being sold via Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/organisers/56810-spaces

Pictured top: PS Hello Again founders

Photo credit: Tarrin Webster

We’ve had a bit of a quieter week at UWBC.

Our gents played another round of league matches on Saturday, 15th of July with our 3rd league team playing against Hilton on our home greens, whilst our 2nd league team played against Maritzburg in the Park on their greens. Both teams played well and fought hard with the 3rd league winning overall and adding 7 points to the log. The 2nd team unfortunately suffered a loss but still came home with two points. Well done to all our players!

Also well done to Lisa Nagel, Pippa Griffin, Wendy Smith, Neil Wright & Kevin Palmer who all represented our club at the NIBA Singles on Sunday the 16th of July. All our players found themselves drawn against some very tough, as well as very experienced. Lisa and Pippa each came home with a win so a special congratulations to them. Despite the losses for the remainder of our players, they really played with their hearts and showed some great skill and a fantastic level of bowls. As always, they all thoroughly enjoyed the day, and gained valuable experience.

Events to keep an eye out for…

Our poitjie pot competition is set for Saturday, the 26th of August. The day will start at 9am, with cooking starting at 10am and judging and tasting taking place between 4 and 5pm. It should be a great way to spend a day watching or playing some bowls with the wonderful aroma of poitjie pots cooking and come fires going. For more information contact Wendy Smith on 071 353 2866.

Friday, 28 July: Dormehl Nominated 2 Bowl Trips. Tabs In 08h45 (Book with Pippa on 083 467 8140)

That’s all for this week… see you on the greens!

Regular tabs in times are:-
Tuesdays at 08h45
Wednesdays at 13h15
Saturdays at 13h15.

Visitors are always welcome. For more information contact Wendy on 071 353 2866

Coaching by registered coaches is available: Contact Colin or Bernice on 071 164 3162 for further information.

More about UWBC

Intrepid supporters at the Hill’s #1000Paws Walk 2023!

It was icy cold, misty and sometimes drizzly, but people and their pooches still came to Highgate Wine Estate next to Piggly Wiggly - Midlands on Sunday to support and enjoy this year’s Hill’s 1000 Paws Walk for SPCA.

“While figures from the registration desk haven’t been collated yet, clearly fewer people attended compared to last year. But considering the weather and that snow was forecast, it was amazing that we were able to go ahead at all,” said 1000 Paws PRO, Gaynor Lawson.

“We sincerely appreciate everyone who came along and to everyone who made this event happen. We are especially grateful to the Kassier family, Rudi and his daughter Cathryn and her husband Tom Herselman, who allow us to use their magnificent Highgate Wine Estate as the venue for our Hill’s 1000 Paws event. They are so involved and really hands-on, which is sincerely appreciated. The 1000 Paws Walk steering committee would also like to thank the teams from our amazing sponsors, namely Hill’s Pet Nutrition, N3TC - N3 Toll Concession Pty Ltd, and Safire Insurance Company Ltd (who host the water tables), who were with us on Saturday for setting up and Sunday for the event.”

The winning ticket numbers of the Hill’s 1000 Paws raffle were drawn at the event. The top few from a list of over 30 winners were:
1st prize: Qambathi Mountain Lodge - Willie de Waal, ticket bought at Village Feeds in Hilton
2nd prize: Cathedral Peak Hotel getaway - Sonya Caldecott, ticket bought at Peel's Honey
3rd prize: The Cavern Resort Drakensberg getaway - Keith Rasmussen, ticket bought at Piggy Wiggly
4th prize: Moutushi Jannat Prachi getaway - Beverleigh Schlebusch, ticket bought at Cascades Centre

Funds raised by the 1000 Paws project, now in its 14th year (the event could not take place in 2020 because of lockdown restrictions), is shared between the three participating SPCA branches that serve the animals and communities of the Midlands: the Mooi River & District, Umngeni-Howick and Pietermaritzburg SPCAs.

Despite the lower attendance at the event, the schools’ collection tin campaign and corporate sponsorships will add to what is raised at the event and by raffle ticket sales.

“The 1000 Paws Walk project is a unique and multi-faceted fundraising drive, with several diverse elements in addition to the actual event,” says Gaynor Lawson.

“Thankfully, the really bad weather - the sleet and high winds - only arrived after we had packed up! Thank you to everyone who came along, including the vendors, Rachael Manser who co-ordinated the arena events, Derek and Moira Meyer of K9 Academy and their search-and-rescue dogs who did an amazing display of their skills for the paper plate competition, everyone who baked and donated food for the tea tent, contributed prizes, sold and bought raffle tickets, the marshals on the walks, our photographers Jennifer Miller, Alex Goudemond and Mark Preston-Whyte, Ceri Williams who made the lovely 1000 Paws selfie picture frame, the Hilton Scouts who ran the pancake stall and Hilton Lions who did gate control, the St Michael’s ambulance crew, the media who help promote the 1000 Paws drive - the list goes on and on. We really appreciate your support, which helps us to assist our area’s SPCAs who do such vital work for our communities and animals in need.”

More from uMngeni SPCA

It's not uncommon for our Residents to have lived with us since they were 18 years old; some of them are now in their golden years. Their parents have passed away, and there is nowhere else for them to go.

See our website or get in touch with Cliff (our GM) if you're interested in making a charitable donation to the needs of our Ressies. Contact him at 033 330 2094 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and he will be happy to go over your options and answer any questions you may have about the commitment options.

Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) in conjunction with the Durban University of Technology’s Journalism Department, enabled 10 final year students to explore the Freedom Route and produce stories according to their media specialisation, this week.

“We use media across all channels in marketing KZN as a tourism destination. Therefore, it makes sense that we also assist in developing tourism awareness among aspirant young journalists. In this way we ensure that there is a pipeline of writers and broadcasters that have an interest in and understand the tourism sector in KZN,” said Pinky Radebe Senior PR and Communications Manager, TKZN.

“It is also important that these students have some insight into how their careers can develop. Therefore, we arranged a panel discussion in which senior media specialists, including newspaper editors, radio and television content producers, who started their careers as journalists, unpacked the various career path options available for journalists.”

Adv. Thembelihle Mapipa Corporate Services Executive, Moses Kotane Institute presented findings of research into the gaps in the media space, undertaken by the Institute.

The largest gaps were in drone operating, film producing, language translators and sing language specialists, she said.

The students travelled the Freedom Route from the Old Pietermaritzburg Prison and the Manaye Hall in iMbali, Pietermaritzburg, where Nelson Mandela gave his last public speech as a free man in 1961, to the Nelson Mandela Capture site.

The students will produce a 10-minute documentary covering the historical and lifestyle aspects of the Freedom Route which will showcase at a student film festival in Germany later this year.

Anrisa Subroyan, a third year DUT journalism student, summed it up and said: “To be able to travel with friends to new places, stay in a great hotel and eat in different restaurants was a wonderful experience.” The students also agreed that the educational part of their tour was eye-opening as they walked in the footsteps of struggle great’s Mahatma Ghandi, Harry Gwala, and Nelson Mandela.

The seminar was rated as outstanding as they were able to interact with senior people in the media industry. “I was so inspired. I was able to share my idea for my career and received good advice from the seminar guests and my notebook is full,” said Spheshile Buthelezi, who is majoring in film and video production.

Whitney Essay, who is majoring in television, said she was so grateful that she was able to go on the Freedom Route Journey. “I have learnt so many things that I didn’t know, and I think it is so crucial that we know these things as South African’s. We couldn’t possibly walk in their shoes, but to get a little glimpse of it has been phenomenal.”

This youth development initiative followed TKZN’s launch of its first annual Youth in Tourism Seminar late in June 2023 as Tourism KZN endeavours to reach a broad range of youth exploring careers in the tourism sector.

Stemming from the Enterprise Development Programme the Youth in Tourism seminar provided information on assistance available to start-up businesses from Tourism KZN, Ithala, Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency(SEFA)

During the seminar 10 aspirant emerging tourism entrepreneurs from across KwaZulu-Natal presented their businesses and outlined the assistance they needed. Of these five were selected to receive concrete and valuable assistance from TKZN, SEDA, SEFA and Ithala.

The emerging entrepreneurial business that will receive assistance are Monate Outdoor Activities from the south coast Ugu District, Hikeobicss in Newcastle, Amajuba District, Belz Boutique Hotel in Ixopo Harry Gwala District, Mahwaqa Hiking Club from Bulwer, Harry Gwala District, The Harvest Lavender Farm in the Midlands Umgungungdlovu District.

Supplied.

POLAR PLUNGE 2023 Raised a whopping R25300! THANK YOU to all who pledged, plunged, donated and supported. We hope to make this a bigger better event next year.

Thank you to Wesley and the team at St Ives BOMA.

It's Wattled Crane breeding season again!!

Karkloof is home to all three crane species and winter is breeding season for the Wattled Cranes.

Wattled cranes will lay 2 eggs, three days apart and incubate them for between 33 – 36 days. Their nests are mounds of reeds and mud and are found in dams. The nests are surrounded by water as this provides protection against predators that don’t like water like serval and jackal. Once the first egg has hatched, they will continue to incubate the second egg until they know that the first chick is healthy and will then abandon the second egg. When the chicks are born, they are fully developed and can walk and swim straight away. The parents are extremely protective, you will always find them together, one will always be alert and ‘standing watch’ while the other one will be attending to the chick. The chicks fledge at about 5 months but will stay with the parents for almost a year until the next breeding season, where the juvenile will join the floater flock. A floater flock are all the juvenile and adult birds that are too young to pair up and breed so they flock together during breeding season while the mature birds go off to breed. Cranes reach breeding age when they are between 3 - 6 years old, the are monogamous. Cranes are omnivores and eat mainly rhizomes and tubers of reeds and water lilies, but will also eat snails, amphibians, earthworms and snakes should the occasion arise. They are between 1.5 – 1.8 m tall, with a wingspan of between 2.3 – 2.6m and weigh between 6 – 9kg. Humans, jackal, serval, dogs and power lines are a few of the threats that contribute to the demise of these beautiful birds.

Come for a drive (or contact us) through the Karkloof and see all three crane species foraging in the pastures. Don’t miss out on this beautiful spectacle.

Photo credit: Jacquie van der Westhuizen

Working with ToPS Species (Threatened or Protected Species).

The time had come to introduce these three young Serval to each other in an outside enclosure, where they will now stay and learn all about expanding boundaries in a natural environment with minimal human influence and corruption. They differ in age and the question is always, how will the smallest handle the largest and older Serval. Will the smallest be bullied or even worse, injured...?

These are all hand raised Serval kittens that have been kept wild, no pet shop toys, no petting and playing with humans. They have been hand raised in a simulated natural environment, exposing them to similar things they would experience in the wild as wild kittens.

Let's introduce them, and we'll keep you posted as to how it goes...

We love what we do, and how we do it...

But we can't do it alone. Please visit our website for ideas on how you can help: www.freemewildlife.org/support-us

Pictured here top: This is the oldest of the kittens, fully weaned at four months of age, this is also the largest kitten. The concern is, when we introduce them to each other, will the largest bully the smallest or worse, injure it...?

Pictured here below: This male Serval kitten is two and a half months of age. He too is not yet fully weaned and has been moved to an outside enclosure where he will be introduced to other Serval kittens.

We always like to celebrate the girls who attend our dog school programme as culturally, it's usually the boys who do so. It takes a certain amount of courage to go against the customary way of doing things, so BRAVO to the girls who share their Friday afternoons with their special dogs at Funda Nenja. We applaud you. - Funda Nenja

Daniel Jonck, a Grade 11 student at Treverton College, came 8th in the Kruger to Canyon Mountain Ultra Marathon on the 1-2 July. He competed in the 70km race split over two days; Day 1- 42km and Day 2- 29km. His time for the two days was 9 hours and 32 minutes. This was a fantastic achievement, and it must be noted that Daniel was also the youngest competitor in the race.

Supplied.

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge - Pools and Umpires - Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July

The pools have been announced for the upcoming Grand Finals of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that will take place at St Mary’s DSG on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July.

Ten teams representing their regions will be participating in the exhilarating conclusion after the ten hard fought regionals around KwaZulu Natal were battled out earlier this year.

Pool A will have Durban Girls’ College; Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School; Danville Park Girls’ High School; Grantleigh College and Ladysmith High School. Pool B will have host school, St Mary’s DSG; The Wykeham Collegiate; St Dominics Newcastle; Suid-Natal and Kuswag Hoërskool.

Getting the tournament underway, defending champions Durban Girls’ College will meet travelling team, Ladysmith High School in the very first game of the fixtures. Games on Saturday will be 22 minutes one way. For the cross-pool playoffs on Sunday, games will be half an hour, with a quick change over taking place after 15 minutes.

If a team is victorious, they will notch up 4 points on their log, if both teams draw with an equal amount of goals scored, they will earn 2 points each, while a goalless draw will see both teams share only 1 point and if the team goes down, they will register no points on their scoreboard.

An exciting development in the history of the Grand Finals, for the first time since its inception, a team of only women umpires will be tasked with the responsibility of controlling all the games over the weekend. The eight whistleblowers are Shannon O’Halloran; Bee Schulze; Danica Moss; Kimberly Jansen; Chiara Benati; Unuthando Dangazele; Kayleigh du Toit and Zoleka Ngcobo.

The weekend’s action will all be livestreamed on the SuperSport School’s mobile app and website.

For more info like the tournaments’ Facebook page (SparKZNSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament) or follow on Instagram (sparkznhockey).

Ready for action. Pictured at the Grand Finals announcement of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge are St Mary’s DSG’s captain, Kelly Jansens ter laeck, Kuswag Hoërskool’s captain, Maya Pretorius, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School’s captain, Sisikelelwe Sopiseka and keeper, Kelly Willson, Durban Girls’ College’s Jenna Reardon, Danville Park Girls’ High School’s captain, Anqobile Nkayi and The Wykeham Collegiate’s co-captain Zahra Mohaud. The much anticipated Grand Finals takes place at St Mary’s DSG on 22 and 23 July.

Pic by Val Adamson

Supplied.

'Some of you may remember our earlier posts about Ginger the kitten who was first brought to our weekly veterinary clinic in January by Amahle, his guardian. Following our social media posts, kind supporters donated a pet carrier, toys and a year's supply of cat food for this gorgeous feline.

Yesterday when our staff delivered Ginger's monthly bag of cat food, he demonstrated that he was still the confident, playful kitten that captured our attention right at the start.

Thanks again to our supporters who help us to make a difference to the lives of township companion animals.' updated Funda Nenja.

Can you believe that we are into the second half of the year… time flies when you’re having fun which is exactly what we’ve been doing at UWBC.

On Friday the 30th of June we held our monthly Dormehl Phalane Property Group sponsored 2 Bowl Trips competition and hosted 18 teams with players from UWBC, Howick, Hilton, Lynwood, Collegians, Maritzburg West, and Hilton. What a fantastic day of bowls we had, followed by a little bring and share braai afterwards. Thank you to our sponsors for their generous prizes and congratulations to the following teams:-

1st Prize – Mark Taylor, Kyle & Tara Van Rensburg
2nd Prize – Kevin Taylor, Trish Taylor & Olwen
3rd Prize – Syd Fincham, Mike Lombaard & Horse
Plate Prize – Peter Burton, Dave Mainprize & Grace Mainprize

Saturday the 1st of July was our Greendale Spar Drawn Trips/Pairs Competition, which was won by Julia Strachan, Dave Mainprize & James Holderness. Runners up were Lisa Nagel and Koos Marais.
Our Halfway Toyota drawn trips competition was held on Wednesday, the 5th of July; well done to the winning team of Lisa Nagel, Dave Mainprize and Mary Steytler.

On Saturday the 8th of July four of our ladies attended the Maritzburg West breakfast trips competition, followed by the NIBA (Natal Inland Bowling Association) squad practice. This was a day used by the NIBA selectors to choose the 2023/2024 inter-district sides. Good luck to Lisa Nagel, Pippa Griffin, Sheridan Schraader and Wendy Smith; you all flew the UWBC flag high and we hope to see you making the squad!

Also, on Saturday we hosted the Midlands Darts competition where we had more than 60 darts players in house from Howick, Merrivale, Maritzburg and the surrounds. It was a very festive afternoon and evening with a great standard of darts and lots of enjoyment had by all. It was wonderful to hear compliments about the club and comments about how the Midlands Darts Club are getting darts back on the map. Congratulations to the following winners, and we look forward to hosting many more competitions in the future:-

Drawn Fours Winners – Viren, Leon, Mark & Peet
Drawn Pairs Winners – John & Vernon
Singles Winner – Vishen
Most 180 Thrown – John

Thank you to all the local sponsors and organizers involved in making this a successful competition. For anyone interested in joining them, they play socially on Wednesday evenings starting at 6.30pm. For more information contact Amar on 082 970 4949 or Bundy on 079 625 3970.

Events to keep an eye out for…

With this time of year being so busy we’ve had to change the date of our poitjie pot competition to Saturday, the 26th of August. The day will start at 10am, with cooking starting at 11am and judging and tasting taking place between 5 and 5.30pm. It should be a great way to spend a day watching or playing some bowls with the wonderful aroma of poitjie pots cooking and come fires going. For more information contact Wendy Smith on 071 353 2866.

Tuesday, 18 July: J Leslie Smith & Co Nominated Pairs 2-4-2. Tabs In 08h45 (Book with Lisa on 084 586 6984)
Friday, 28 July: Dormehl Nominated 2 Bowl Trips. Tabs In 08h45 (Book with Pippa on 083 467 8140)

That’s all for this week… see you on the greens!

Regular tabs in times are:-
Tuesdays at 08h45
Wednesdays at 13h15
Saturdays at 13h15.

Visitors are always welcome. For more information contact Wendy on 071 353 2866

Coaching by registered coaches is available: Contact Colin or Bernice on 071 164 3162 for further information.

Pictured here: Game On! The darts competition in progress.

More about Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club

Township dogs are commonly named Bobby, Puppy, Danger, Max, or similar. Every now and again, however, the Funda Nenja dog school gets dogs with more unusual names and currently we have a few celebrities in the form of Malema, Chris Brown and Messi.

We also have dogs of all shapes and sizes attending the dog school, each with their own personalities and individual traits.

Photo credit: Hannah Zunckel

On Monday our team was off to Cathedral Peak to release 4 fledgling Barn Owls.

The owls (all from different backgrounds) were settled into their temporary release enclosure at Cathedral Peak Hotel where they will spend the next few weeks settling in to their new environment before being released to explore their surroundings.

We are hoping the owls will make use of the owl box supplied by the Owl Box Project to breed in, ensuring Cathedral Peak Hotel has resident Barn Owls for generations to come.

We love what we do, and how we do it...

We cannot do it alone. Please visit our website for ideas on how you can help: www.freemewildlife.org/support-us

Now in at MUSHKA, Piggly Wiggly Midlands - Long overlays - perfect for winter daytime.

Colours: Black, Grey, Navy and Tobacco

Sizes available: SM/32 - XXL/40

R298.00

'We have just received the most devastating news, 10 homes were burnt to ash last night in Shiyabazali Informal Settlement. These families have lost EVERYTHING, the fire was so hot nothing is left but the odd wooden pole and sheets of roofing. Tragically one man lost his life, 25 people have been left with nothing and 7 children. It is bitterly cold.

We have a few items in stock but if you have any household items, clothes, food, blankets, mattresses, any items to rebuild, we beg you to please drop them off at the Old Agricultural Hall in howick. We will help these families rebuild.

These photos were taken by our community caregiver, who is connecting with these family to see all the ways he can help.' shared Angels' Care Centre.

'We ended Term 2 with our Inter-house Sports Day.

A fun and energetic morning of Soccer, Hockey, Netball, Squash and Chess matches was thoroughly enjoyed by learners and staff.' Howick High on ending the second term in 2023.

Photo credit: Mr B Upton