George Herald
Battle for George
Two by-elections took place in George yesterday, 21 January, following heated and aggressive campaigns by political parties marked by allegations of intimidation and crimen injuria. The stakes were underlined by the arrival of two national...
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Excellence from Class of ’25
The Eden and Central Karoo Education District performed exceptionally well, achieving an overall pass rate of 89.1%, which ranks among the highest in the province. “As a district, we are right up there,” said District Director Jewel Jonkers as he...
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Devastation after firestorm
“The Mossel Bay wildfires were fuelled by extremely strong winds and moved through the area like a cheetah across the veld. Homes were reduced to rubble and the residents were left with nothing.” These were the observations of a local firefighter who...
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Happy holidays!
The Christmas lights all down Oewer Street in Denneoord, switched on on Saturday 6 December, continue to be a seasonal hit, bringing that unmistakable holiday spirit to George. This week the street was alive with excitement as families came to enjoy...
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Make every drop count
The agricultural sector in the George District is in crisis as a result of the ongoing drought, and the City Council has introduced tighter water restrictions with punitive tariffs to suppress Georgians’ excessive water consumption. Pressure on the...
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George leads with drunk driving
George Police Precinct has entered the festive season under a dark cloud as it now has the highest number of drunk driving arrests in the Western Cape, recording a shocking 142 cases between July and September this year. This places the city first in...
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A thirsty week for Wilderness
The tourism-dependent Wilderness was plunged into crisis, with large parts of the village all the way through to Kleinkrantz left dry for more than a week after the taps had run empty late last week. As households queued for water and guest houses...
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FF Plus throws DA a lifebuoy
With these words, Adv Gert van Niekerk of the FF Plus defused a tough question from a journalist during a press conference in front of the George City Hall on Tuesday 18 November, when the new multi-party coalition between the DA, the FF Plus and the...
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New beginning for Voëlklip
A tract of 300ha of land at Voëlklip, Herold’s Bay, has been bought by a family with a vision to convert it into a private nature reserve. According to a media statement issued by Resolve Communications, Fynbos Eiendomme, a Stellenbosch-based company,...
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Tow truck truce after punches fly
A fistfight between two local tow truck operators on an accident scene in the Kaaimans Pass on Sunday 2 November has once again exposed the fierce rivalry within the local towing industry. A video that has gone viral shows Werner Herselman of Star...
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Kwaggas win big in Paarl
It was a weekend to remember for Hoërskool Outeniqua, who stamped down their authority at the Curro Podium South in Paarl, one of the Western Cape’s premier youth athletics showcases. More than 1 400 young athletes gathered at the Dal Josafat...
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Heroes pull couple from burning car
An elderly couple are glad to be alive after their car was engulfed in flames following an accident near the Maalgate Bridge on the N2 between the Glentana turn-off and George on Tuesday 21 October. The couple were travelling to George when the woman,...
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HEROES & children share the fun
The gruelling three-day test of strength, endurance and teamwork drew hundreds of firefighters from across South Africa.
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Back on track!
The return of the Outeniqua ChooTjoe steam train, which was officially announced on Monday, will not just be the revival of a beloved heritage attraction, but a major economic boost for the entire region. So says George Tourism Manager Joan Shaw in...
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Hoping for rain
Regular visitors to the Garden Route Dam are witnessing with concern the gradual but consistent receding of the water level from the spillway. The storage percentage as of 29 September is 65.7 %, down from 71.9% at the beginning of the month. The...
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Final whistle for Bevin Fortuin
This week all Georgians united in mourning, but also in gratitude, for the life of our very own Bevin Fortuin - a beloved son of Blanco, former Springbok, coach and role model to generations of young rugby players. A memorial service for Fortuin will...
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His heart beats on in someone else’s chest
Somewhere in the country, a heart that once belonged to the 34-year-old Jason Morris from Pacaltsdorp is still beating - keeping another person alive. For his grieving family, that thought brings a measure of comfort during a time of unbearable...
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Alien invasives deemed a fire risk
The crisis situation in which the Garden Route finds itself with our landscape increasingly changing for the worse due to invasive alien plants (IAPs), and the wildfire risk it poses, is to be tackled through a first-of-its-kind platform involving...
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George Herald
came out tops, named the best paid community newspaper in the country. In fact, all five of Group Editors’ newspapers were ranked among the top 10 nationwide, with Suid-Kaap Forum taking the runner-up spot. The others are Knysna-Plett Herald (fifth),...
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DARK DAYS FOR SWD RUGBY
SWD rugby was rocked this past weekend by two separate, unrelated incidents that left the rugby community reeling. On Thursday 14 August, the much-loved and respected head coach of Crusaders, Stanley Kruger (55), tragically died in a collision between...
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Pacs horses a ‘ticking time bomb’
The deadly threat of freeroaming horses on the N2 and in Pacaltsdorp’s residential streets has reached breaking point. Another collision this week left a horse dead, a young driver injured, and residents accusing the municipality of failing to enforce...
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An ocean of tears
“We are still in a daze. It is unreal. Nothing makes sense.” The state of shock, disbelief and grief experienced by Suné Erasmus’ (22) parents reflects the emotions of everyone who knew and loved her, including the entire swimming community of George...
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Ruben’s death leaves Oakdale reeling
It was a sombre return to Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale in Riversdale on Tuesday 22 July, as the school reopened for the third term - everyone in mourning. The Oakdale community is grieving the tragic loss of Grade 10 learner Ruben Bezuidenhout (16) from...
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Seal you later, Columbo!
of lazing on the beach, Columbo has said his farewells to Vic Bay. After a record 41-day stay, Columbo, by now likely the most photographed elephant seal in the ocean, has bade Vic Bay: “So long, and thanks for all the fish!” The 500kg immature male...
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Racehorse, rower & runner George greats make history
From river to road to racetrack, three remarkable athletes with ties to George have made their mark in South African sporting history. At 85, George’s Jannie Malherbe has become the first person to complete the Berg River Canoe Marathon 52 times,...
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Van Rooyen top of the POPs
After more than four decades of unwavering service, one the Southern Cape’s most respected law enforcement officers, Warrant Officer Cornelius van Rooyen, has officially retired, closing the chapter on a remarkable 41-year policing career. Van Rooyen,...
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The future of athletics right on track
George’s long-awaited R40m tartan track is officially open and with it, a bold new era for sport on the Garden Route. Gayton McKenzie himself, National Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, came to unveil the plaque. Declared a World Athletics Class 2...
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TikTok teacher goes viral
Pacaltsdorp Primary teacher Edmondo van der Berg is capturing hearts and memories, one TikTok at a time. Together with his learners, they have made memories that will last a lifetime. Here Amber-Lee Messiahs (13) share one of those moments with Van der...
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Delays in settlement upgrades blamed
A devastating fire swept through Zone 8 in Thembalethu on Friday 6 June, destroying a reported 46 informal homes and leaving about 70 residents displaced. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported, as most residents were still at work when...
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Sandman shares Big 5 message
Beach-goers at Wilderness and Herold’s Bay did a double take last week when lifelike sand sculptures of a white rhino and elephant appeared on the shoreline. Crafted in exquisite detail by Cape Town-based artist Innocent Zungu, these artworks aren’t...
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Girl (10) found in filthy caravan
It took a search party of more than 30 people about one night to find a kidnapped and raped child (10) in a filthy caravan on a farm behind the George showgrounds. The disturbing incident shocked the community to the core, while the victim’s family,...
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BIG cat, BIG scan, BIG moment
History was made in George on Monday night, 19 May, when Zamba, a young lion cub from the Outeniqua Game Reserve, was wheeled into Garden Route Radiology for an after-hours MRI scan - the first of its kind at this facility. Staff and vets stood by as...
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Mario Lombard a young farmer of the year finalist
The air is fresh and cool, the morning sun glistens on the leaves of row upon row of avocado trees, and in the distance, the Outeniqua Mountains stretch across the horizon. At the shed on Summer 16, a farm in the Herold’s Bay area, farm manager Mario...
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Broken concrete, broken lives
One year later and families are still in the dark. An emotionally charged memorial service was held at the George Municipal Hall on Tuesday 6 May, less than 100m away from where a multi-storey apartment building under construction at 75 Victoria Street...
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Ashley’s Thai prison sentence reduced
Facing the soul-destroying prospect of spending her entire life in a Thai jail, Ashley Oosthuizen (26) from George has now been given her life back. At the very least, most of it. Bubbly, blonde Ashley’s sentence has officially been reduced from 33.4...
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Takeover: GRDM loses road control
An investigation by the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure reveals several possible irregularities in the finance section of the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) roads department. “There is prima facie evidence of mismanagement and...
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Wilderness wows for Kwêla crown
SMS ‘WILDERNESS’ to 33157 (R1.50 per SMS, max 30 votes per cellphone) before voting closes on Friday 18 April at 12:00. Let’s show South Africa the vibrant spirit and stunning beauty of Wilderness! Send proof of your vote via WhatsApp to 063 693 1200...
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Simelane reveals George flaws
Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane did not beat about the bush yesterday when she said the investigation into the George building collapse on 6 May 2024 revealed that the construction at 75 Victoria Street had in fact started before George...
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39 000
Local artist Zane Pretorius transformed ordinary nuts into an extraordinary sculpture. His latest masterpiece, a stunning metal elephant crafted from 39 000 nuts, now stands proudly at Dynarc House on the corner of Courtenay and Meade Street in George....
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Mayor’s Good moves
As part of the coalition negotiations, Good was offered the planning and development portfolio. The announcement is set to be made today, 27 March.
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Tragic end for beloved accordion player
Minutes before his death on Monday morning, Dr Lukas du Preez left his home in high spirits to fetch his domestic worker at the nearby Sasol garage. His new love interest waited on his return home with freshly baked muffins and coffee, but it was...
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‘DRASTIC STEPS NEEDED’
Following multiple vehicle accidents on the Garden Route Mall traffic intersection, with the latest being a fatal crash on Saturday and another collision on Monday, there has been a public outcry for authorities to take urgent steps to make the...
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5th birthday in Thai prison
It’s hard to believe that Ashley Oosthuizen, a young, woman adventurous from George, has been locked up in a Thai prison already, for years while her mother remains hopeful that her sunshine soon be child will free. This year, Ashley’s mom, Lynn...
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‘Shame on you’
Children lead the march in the streets of Thembalethu on Saturday 22 February, demanding that sexual predators and criminals back down and leave them alone. The safety of women and children – including young boys is under attack, and they claim their...
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SPARKS FLY AFTER CRASH
It needs to stop before someone gets killed. So says Dee Pieters, owner of the Silencer & CV Joint Shop in Fabriek Street, after a BMW crashed through her workshop's wall during an illegal street race on Sunday night, 16 February. The driver lost...
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Expo puts spotlight on tourism
Paragliding is one of the most popular adventure activities in the Garden Route, drawing thrill-seekers from around the world and playing a vital role in the region’s tourism industry. To celebrate and promote key attractions like this, Garden Route...
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Re-arrest of Alison Botha’s attackers widely welcomed
Their incarceration follows the withdrawal of their parole by Correctional Services Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald.
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Every tannie needs a Herschelle
What began as a simple walk down the street has become a fitness journey for Hettie Langenhoven (60), now affectionately known as the 'TikTok tannie' from Heather Park. And the man behind her remarkable journey? Local fitness coach and all-around good...
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Young hero saves seasoned swimmer from rip current
A heartfelt “thank you” video from British tourist Darren Sutton (59) has captured the attention of hundreds of George Herald readers after it was shared on our Facebook page last week.
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Historic milestone for local matrics
The Eden and Central Karoo district beams with pride as it celebrates the district’s record-breaking matric pass rate of 89.3%. district, which topped the Western Cape with its 2024 results, achieved all three of its ambitious targets for the year....
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Bustling season for George
George had a bustling holiday season with record numbers of visitors making the most of the warm and sunny weather at local beaches and public swimming pools. George Municipality reports that more than 250 000 people visited beaches and public pools...
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Family’s Christmas joy stolen by murderers
Her fiancé Jaco Minnie (42) was stabbed to death in Nelson Mandela Boulevard on her birthday - the very day he proposed to her.
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Suspects in Lifman murder in court today
Lifman was shot dead in a meticulously planned assassination at 11:38 on Sunday 3 November in the parking area at the Garden Route Mall.
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Nicole bids Group Editors farewell
We wish her only the very best in her future endeavours and know that she will make an incredible success of any new venture.
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Children’s lives transformed through surgery
Mini Smile Week brings hope to 17 children from George.
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Student in court for murder
Police earlier said initial investigations suggest that an altercation occurred between the two women at their student residence in Mountainview Crescent.
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Scuzzy spazas closed in blitz
Three spaza shops and a restaurant were closed in George during a blitz held by environmental health practitioners (EHPs) of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM). These closures were enforced due to poor hygiene standards and the absence of...
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LIVE BY THE SWORD...
A peaceful Sunday morning in George erupted into chaos when alleged underworld kingpin Mark Lifman (57), from Cape Town, was assassinated in broad daylight at the Garden Route Mall on 3 November, just a day before he was due in court for a high-profile...
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Alison amazes after negative prognosis
A bit over a month after Alison Botha suffered a debilitating aneurysm, she gave an update of her condition from her hospital bed.
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Om die land in ou karre
Dié wiele het die rooi sand van die Kalahari geproe.
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Alison fights for her life ...again
Well-wishers have started an initiative to raise funds for the courageous Alison Botha, who was hospitalised two weeks ago after suffering a brain aneurysm at home. Botha earned the world’s admiration as a motivational speaker who chose to live life to...
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George dad-to-be dies in Dakota fires
He died a beloved husband, father-tobe, brother and son, and left a legacy his wife will carry forward to their unborn child. Johannes Nicolaas (Nicolus) van Eeden, a former Oakdale learner from Little Brak River, tragically passed away in the recent...
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Two arrested after tourist mugging
The couple, on holiday in the Garden Route, fell victim to the muggers when they were on their way back to their vehicle at about 17:45.
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Car crash claims mother of three
Three young children, of whom the youngest is a Grade 7 learner at Outeniqua Primary School, have had their mother ripped from their lives after she died in a horrific car accident on the N5 between Bethlehem and Lavender Hill Country Estate in the...
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Thugs on the prowl
Authorities are grappling with locals engaging in illegal activities - stealing sidewalk paving, making dangerous electrical connections, and threatening municipal workers responding to after-hour calls. Read the article by Michelle Pienaar on page 2...
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