At last, we have some reasonably positive news to report on Hilton’s electricity supply woes. As ratepayers know, the HRA has been involved with the initiative by the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business (PMCB), being represented by Rob Maitland-Stuart in an endeavour to work with the Msunduzi Electricity Unit with a view to addressing the extensive problems facing Hilton’s electricity supply networks amongst those of the city itself. In summary and scheduled for completion by the end of business tomorrow, 14th May 2021, are the installation, connection, and commissioning of the two sections of recently upgraded 33kV cables on both lines A and B from Retief to Crossways S/S, i.e., the 33kV incomers into Crossways S/S and those along Villiers Drive near Wykeham Collegiate school in Pmb.

 

Although these cables have been significantly upgraded (3 x 630mm 2 x 1core aluminium) they will not benefit the supply to Hilton i.t.o. reliability, redundancy, rotational load reduction, etc., until the third and longest section out of Retief S/S to Quarry Rd in Pmb has also been upgraded, which is only scheduled for completion in the 2021/22 financial year subject to municipal budget approval. All this means is that a measure of inconvenience may still be experienced by Hilton residents i.t.o. load reduction practices should either one of the 33kV feeders (A or B) from Retief to Crossways S/S fail for whatever reason, as the healthy feeder will not be able to carry the full Hilton load. This is exacerbated by the onset of winter when the demand on the network increases. Furthermore, Crossways S/S itself is to undergo much needed plant maintenance and this has been scheduled for tomorrow, 14th May from 07:00 to 17:00, which will result in a complete shutdown of the Crossways S/S to perform this long overdue task.

 

The Msunduzi Municipality have also partnered with Eskom via a Service Level Agreement, for them to undertake specific repairs and maintenance of the municipal electrical infrastructure and to assist them with building strategic capacity, all of which are viewed as positive steps in the right direction.

 

Encroaching vegetation
W.r.t. the 11kV/LV networks in and around Hilton, there is an important role for us as residents to play in assisting the Msunduzi Municipality in ensuring a reasonable and reliable supply of electricity is provided. This involves identifying vegetation on or adjacent to our individual properties which is encroaching on the municipal infrastructure (overhead lines & reticulation substations). It is Msunduzi Municipality’s responsibility to keep their infrastructure free of encroaching vegetation, but we ask that you inspect your properties and report any encroaching vegetation to Rob Maitland-Stuart on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who in turn, will liaise with the Msunduzi Electricity Unit to have their teams address the affected areas. This will go a long way to improving the reliability and continuity of supply that to date has been adversely affected by encroaching vegetation issues, particularly in the Winterskloof area, so the HRA are calling on all residents to take this matter seriously and assist with this request.

 

 

More about Hilton Ratepayers Association.

 

Space is limited - Entry is strictly first-come, first-served.

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.

ALL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS OBSERVED

INFO: 082 331 7271

ENTRANCE: R75.00 - Cash or Zapper at the Door

VENUE: The Knoll Historic Guest Farm

9pm: Qadasi and Maqhinga
Hailing from Empangeni in the heart of Zululand, David “Qadasi” Jenkins and Maqhinga Radebe are a SAMA Award winning duo on a quest to revive the powerful sounds of traditional Maskandi music. Both professional musicians in their own right, the duo have taken their fusion of traditional Zulu and western folk music to audiences in the UK, Europe, Asia and throughout South Africa.

8pm: Matt Vend
Armed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, a set of harmonicas and a capo, Matt Vend navigates through life as a singer/songwriter/poet and human being driven by humanity, heartache and humour. Hailing from Durban, Matt draws on folk, punk, rock ‘n roll, blues, electronica and maskandi to weave the narratives of his music. His songs are stories through which comes a subtle message of redemption, unity and tolerance as he tries to make sense of the world.

7pm: Bianca Santoro
Discovering her passion for performance at an early age, Bianca Santoro started making her mark on the local music scene when she was the lead singer in her first band, Los Locos in primary school. After a greatly successful gap year with her second band, Fill_The_Blank, Bianca quickly became known for her charming stage presence and vocal abilities. As a solo artist she showcases her original music in a unique blend of indie and ballads. Expect witty entertainment and genres ranging from country/folk to Indie/pop with something not only for a young audience, but the golden oldies as well.

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 R75, payable at the door with cash or Zapper. Bring your own booze. Food and soft drinks are available for sale.

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.

 

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Pictured here: "Mrs Popple" - makes a stunning hedge plant or free standing in your garden! Flowers non-stop!

 

In Hilton you can get fresh seeds from Living it Green who have just unpacked their new stock of Heirloom seeds from Living Seeds including peas, broad beans, fordhook giant, Black Aztec Corn, Waltham butternut, eggplant, Asparagus, beetroot, radish, Kara Market Togo Tomato... to name a few!

 

One of this year’s best tomatoes. Kara Market is an exceptionally heavy bearer of pepper shaped tomatoes that are slightly spicy. Every person that tasted them this year was impressed. Another bonus is that it bears like the blazes. Resistant to Red Spider mite and powdery mildew. (From www.livingseeds.co.za)

Living it Green is offering a special price of R120 (normally R140) for 5 packets of seeds.

 

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To book your appointment with Dr Reed, Dr Stewart, Dr Bruce or Dr Welch, please only use the practice cellphone 0603097052 from now on. Alternatively, please send a WhatsApp to book, please remember to include your name in the WhatsApp message.

 

More about Doctors Robyn Reed, Ren Stewart, Ria Bruce and Stefanie Welch in Hilton,KZN.

Space is limited - Entry is strictly first-come, first-served.

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.

ALL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS OBSERVED

INFO: 082 331 7271

ENTRANCE: R75.00 - Cash or Zapper at the Door

VENUE: The Knoll Historic Guest Farm

9pm: SERROTONE
SERROTONE is an exciting collaboration project initiated by two established SA radio play artists: Pete Guthrie (Spoonfeedas) and James Robertson (Cubic Inch) and Billy Kruger. Guthrie and Robertson have both written and performed as part of Spoonfeedas, a multi-charting SA group, Robertson until 2001 and Guthrie from 2002 onwards. Robertson’s band Cubic Inch has also enjoyed radio popularity and between them they have performed alongside artists like Metallica, Muse, Ronan Keating and Bryan Adams. Kruger has performed in Europe with MIC at Holland’s Ajax stadium, also having shared the stage with UK band Delirious.

SERROTONE recently performed with some of South Africa’s finest acts on their Western Cape tour sharing the stage with Prime Circle and Wonderboom in Plettenburg Bay, and then Freshly Ground at the Inverroche Summer Series in Stilbaai. They are currently tracking two singles which have already gained popularity at their live performances and are due for release within the month, with filming of their first music video to follow.

8pm: MATT GARDINER
Matt is a young musician, singer, songwriter and producer born and bred in Pietermaritzburg – but already deeply embedded in local music. It has always been a dream of his to turn his passion for music into his career. He began by partaking in musical productions at his school, Maritzburg College, and has since moved on to being one of the acts on the line-ups to open for the likes of Matthew Mole, Prime Circle, Desmond and the Tutus, Josh Wantie, Majozi, Shortstraw, Mi Casa, December Streets, Just Jinjer and Arno Carstens. He describes his music as acoustically written and transformed into a uniquely different pop sound with electronic production with deep and melodic basslines, with a few of his influences being Ed Sheeran, Matthew Mole, Jeremy Loops, Jon Bellion, Dean Lewis and Dan+Shay.

7pm: CORDUROY DREAMS
Two robust teenagers who know a lick or two, a few you might know and two you probably won’t. Cole Baker on keys and vocals, and Isaac Nicols on guitar and drum-box, they blend a unique sound of jazz, blues and pop—using two completely different tastes in music to create something new and fresh. With a repertoire ranging from 70s rock to modern day blues, they have something everybody can enjoy.

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 R75, payable at the door with cash or Zapper. Bring your own booze. Food and soft drinks are available for sale.

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.

When a new homeowner moves into a house, please remember that KSS will do a FREE service on any existing alarm system, and link-up the alarm to the KSS Control Room. Please share this information with new homeowners in your area. Call 033 330 5911.

 

More about Knight Security Solutions.

Laddsworth Primary School celebrated World Book Day on Friday 23 April 2021. The pupils and staff were very creative in bringing various book characters to life.

 

Our Grade 6 classes have been reading the Holes Book Series this year. Our Grade 6 teachers dressed up as characters from the series as pictured below L-R: Mrs Hayley Nolte (Warden Walker), Mrs Lee Butler (Madame Zeroni) and Mrs Cayley Lang (Stanley Yelnats).

 

Pictured above L-R: MIB (Men in Black) - Caden Francis and Wian Oelofsen (Grade 7)

 

More about Laddsworth Primary School. 

 

 

Congratulations to Hi-Q Howick on their 5th birthday, they are celebrating with cake today!

 

'It has been an incredible journey.

 

Six years ago, on 1 April 2015, we were faced with what we hoped was an April Fools' joke, but wasn't. Suddenly, and unexpectedly jobless, we sold our home in Jhb and moved our lives back home - to Howick. Determined to land back on our feet, we explored various and many options.

 

Then conversations between long time friends and the acquisition of a building we had always admired made us realise that our dream could become a reality. On 29 April 2016 Hi-Q Howick opened for business!

 

There were times that we doubted our decision, and times that we wanted to give up, but we are immensely proud of what we have achieved and what Hi-Q Howick has become!

 

We acknowledge, however, that none of this would have been possible without the support of this wonderful community of which we are now so grateful to be a part. ❤

 

From Braam, myself Gary, and the Hi-Q Team, THANK YOU sincerely for supporting us on our incredible journey.

 

PS Feel free to pop in for some Birthday cake to celebrate our Birthday with us! ?? (Thursday!)' shared Gary.

 

More about Hi-Q in Howick, KZN Midlands.

WILDLANDS, a programme of the WILDTRUST in partnership with Solving7, a registered Not-for Profit organisation, handed over 100 green desks to local primary schools, Ndlelayabasha (50) and Hlangeni (50) Primary schools in the Willowfontein and Taylours Halt communities respectively, in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu-Natal (South Africa) yesterday. The Green Desk initiative was launched in 2016 by WILDLANDS and to date, over 10 000 school children have benefitted from these desks that have been distributed across South Africa including Limpopo, KZN, Gauteng and the Western Cape. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) there are as many as 95 million school children who do not have access to a school desk in Africa. In Southern Africa, the statistics are equally alarming, with over four million scholars requiring desks.

 

Solving7 recently joined forces with WILDLANDS to continue to make a difference in the disadvantaged communities across the country in addressing the acute shortage of desks in schools and provide a sustainable solution to the plastic waste problem. “Solving7 is a socio-environmental and educational NPO that seeks to make a difference in cleaning up the environment from the scourge of No. 7 plastic film waste whilst showing the consumers, manufacturers and producers of this plastic film waste that there is indeed a valuable end use solution for their waste and that is into much needed, literally indestructible, school desks,” says Nabila Wissanji and Sophia Ladha, the two main drivers behind Solving7.

Solving7, along with their recycling and extrusion partners are able to recycle dirty post-consumer multi-layered plastic film waste (previously considered unrecyclable) and convert it into durable, sturdy, environmentally friendly and much needed, school desks. Over 80 million single use plastic packages have so far been collected and recycled by Solving7 and WILDLANDS for their Green Desk projects.

 

While it is no secret that plastic is destroying our environments, rivers and oceans; through this partnership, we hope to address a multitude of issues and provide solutions for our communities which include poverty alleviation, job creation, educational upliftment and general wellbeing of these communities.

 

Ndlelayabasha and Inhlangeni Primary Schools are part of a Grade R training and mentorship programme run by Singakwenza, a local NPO, that uses resources made solely from recycling to help educators provide fun, educational activities that enable young children to learn through play. “These schools stood out from the rest as they showed dedication and commitment to our programme. Their budgets may be limited but they proved that our vision, which aims to build sustainable early childhood education programmes, in economically disadvantaged communities is possible,” added Julie Hay, CEO and Founder of Singakwenza, which means ‘we can do it” in isiZulu. “Huge thanks to WILDLANDS and Solving7 for these desks,” Hay concluded.

 

“WILDLANDS has played a leading role in facilitating the delivery of green desks into schools across South Africa helping over 10,000 school children. We collected waste, through our various partners, in sensitive ecological areas (rivers, communities, mangrove forests) and are now very excited to be partnering with Solving7 as a way of dealing with the plastic that we collect that cannot be recycled. This partnership fits in perfectly with our vision of a thriving and resilient world,” comments WILDTRUST CEO, Dr Roelie Kloppers.

 

Both schools were elated to receive these much-needed desks for their learners and thanked WILDLANDS, Singakwenza, Solving7 and their partners for making these desk donations possible. “During this time of uncertainty, we are comforted, encouraged and humbled by your generosity. We are so excited to receive this donation and extremely thrilled to have your support. You have truly made the difference for our leaners and the community at large,” concludes Mr Mosiea, Principal of Inhlangeni Primary school.

 

Pictured top:

The jubilant learners of Inhlangeni Primary School in the Vulindlela District – South Ward

 

Pictured bottom:
Front Row (L-R): WILDTRUST CEO, Dr Roelie Kloppers, WILDLANDS Marketing & Communications Deputy Director, Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini, Singakwenza Facilitator, Sthe Magwaza
Back Row (L-R): Solving7 Sophia Ladha, Solving7 Nabila Wissanji and Singakwenza CEO, Julie Hay

 

More about WILDTRUST

 

More about Singakwenza

 

News supplied.

 

 

Laddsworth Primary School held the Junior-Primary Inter-House Gala on Tuesday 13 April (Grade 1) and Wednesday 14 April 2021 (Grade 2). Laddsworth would like to congratulate all our pupils who participated in the Gala. The Relay Trophy was won by Nyala (Green House) and the Winning House Trophy was won by Duiker (Blue House).

 

Pictured here; Sitara Pillay (Grade 1) ready to dive in.

 

News supplied.

In celebration of Earth Day, the World Surf League (WSL) announces WILDOCEANS, a programme of the WILDTRUST, as one of the five recipients of the inaugural WSL PURE (the WSL’s non-profit) grant program, which has been awarded to organizations in key WSL regions whose work is in support of We Are One Ocean, WSL’s campaign to protect and conserve the global ocean.

WILDTRUST is a non-profit environmental organisation working towards a more resilient future in 40-plus communities in South Africa, Tanzania, and Comoros. It works “for the WILD”, creating opportunities to empower and restore social-ecological resilience and the balance between humankind and nature, for a just and healthy planet.

WILDOCEANS, the marine arm of the Trust, in partnership with Youth4MPAs, an active youth movement with the vision of generating awareness about ocean protection, plan to use the grant to run a virtual African Ocean Youth Summit. The Summit will engage African youth change-makers in the field of marine protection, discuss innovative solutions to current ocean related challenges, and the importance of protecting and conserving the ocean around Africa.

“As we pursue the protection of Africa's oceans and pave the way for young change-makers, Youth4MPAs South Africa are proud to be a part of the World Surf League's PURE Grant Program,” said Merrisa Naidoo, Youth4MPAs spokesperson. “As an active youth movement, with the vision of generating youth voices that educate and create awareness about ocean health, protection, and sustainability - we are inspired to forge an African network of young people that take charge in shaping the future of our oceans.”

The African Youth Summit is set to take place on 19 and 20 August 2021, reaching at least 500 youth across the African continent. The goal of this virtual session is to build ownership and stewardship of the global ocean conservation agenda among African youth. In addition the Summit hopes to facilitate meaningful conversations with local communities, to build mutually beneficial relationships between marine ecosystems and individuals whose livelihoods have been dependent on these resources and provide a platform for cross collaboration across sectors, both formal and traditional.

WILDOCEANS Project Manager, Rachel Kramer, said: “Young people represent the largest population group on the African continent. The youth have the potential to become a formidable force if they are equipped with the tools to engage in the ocean conservation conversation. We believe that engaging youth fulfils their right to participation and ensures the continued survival of Africa’s magnificent marine biodiversity and the ecosystem services the ocean provides. This is the ocean they will ultimately inherit – we all need to do our part in better-protecting it.”

"The WSL PURE grant program is really important to us because it allows us to deepen our connection to those communities where the WSL holds events across the world," said Emily Hofer, Executive Director of WSL PURE. “We are thrilled to partner with and support the incredible work of these five organizations as our inaugural grantees. We are committed to working at both the global and grassroots level to protect and conserve the global ocean and, in particular, investing in youth as stewards of the global ocean."

 

This Earth Day, and throughout this season, the WSL is striving to preserve the future of our sport with the We Are One Ocean petition. The WSL is calling on world leaders at the 2021 UN Convention on Biological Diversity to protect and conserve at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030, including global waters. The WSL urges world leaders to be led by science and an inclusive process that embraces all stakeholder communities and considers the ocean’s value to the peoples of every nation.

 

The WSL encourages ocean lovers around the world to celebrate Earth Day by learning more and signing the petition at weareoneocean.org.

 

We Are One Ocean is supported by Shiseido, Gillette Venus as part of their ongoing commitment to using fewer resources by 2030, the all-new Jeep 4xe hybrid electric vehicle, and Chamisal Vineyards.

 

If you would like to receive any updates or attend the African Youth Summit, please get in touch by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SOCIAL MEDIA - @wsl | @wildoceanssa | @oceanimpactsa | @y4mpas_sa

 

 

About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world's best surfing.

A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world's largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.

The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.

Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.

WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.

The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

 

About WSL PURE
PURE stands for Protecting, Understanding, and Respecting the Environment, and is the non-profit of the WSL. Founded in 2016, WSL PURE is on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower ocean protection, starting with the global surf community. WSL PURE is specifically focused on addressing the climate crisis, marine plastic pollution, and ocean health.

 

PURE leverages the WSL’s incredible platform to shine a light on the people making a difference -- environmentalists, athletes, advocacy organizations, communities, individuals -- and collaborates with world-class, non-profit partners.

 

For more information, please visit wslpure.org.

 

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