Our resident marathon runner, Paseka (John) Novasi, featured first in our November 2011 issue and again on page 17 of the March issue of the Smiffie Newspaper , is a very happy chappy. He recently received a pair of brand-new Asics all the way from London per kind generosity of family of Gerrie and Hester Potgieter. Gerrie himself is an accomplished marathon runner.

John is still training diligently, and hopefully more effectively in his new shoes; and is keenly looking forward to running the Two Oceans Marathon taking place this Easter weekend 6 & 7 April. However, finances are still a huge stumbling block for John and time is running short. He urgently needs sponsoring to cover travel and food costs. We call on all Smithfielders to please support a man who is a credit to our village.

All donations will be gratefully received, no matter how large or small. Donors can also contact Rose Lund 083 263 7923.

In November 2011 Smiffie featured a Smithfield man whose passion is running. Shortly after his story broke, John Novasi ran in the 42k Soweto Marathon. Despite crippling cramp, he completed the race in less time than his previous attempt, garnering himself another medal.

After this, John registered for the Two Oceans Race in April, as well as Comrades. Since Comrades is not open to individual runners, he successfully applied for membership to the Transnet Rail Engineering Athletics Club.

Last month on 11 February John ran in the Kloppers/ Adidas Festival of Running 42k marathon. The route starts and finishes at the Nedbank Achilles Sports Centre. It is moderately flat but includes some demanding hill work. This marathon is normally the first Comrades and Two Oceans qualifier of the year in the Bloemfontein area. John came 15th in a time of 2hrs56 and can be seen in the photo proudly wearing his latest medal and new club colours.

John is now waiting for his Comrades number, due in March. Meanwhile, he is following his club’s training programme. He practices faithfully morning and evening and has included the Smithfield Mountain in his training route.

When asked what else he would like to have, John replied that it would be great if the Mohokare Municipality could organise regular Friendly Marathons in Smithfield. If not the municipality, who else is prepared to pick up this baton? Is it perhaps too late for the Bibberchill?

Ilyas Vawda of Factory Shop, and Mr Papi Ntamane from Bloemfontein, have been John’s primary sponsors, to whom he is deeply grateful. However, we appeal to all Smithfielders to help this fine role model from our town. Expenses for 2 Oceans and Comrades include transport, accommodation, and food (at least R5 000). And he STILL needs good running shoes!!

Aimed at the local and international markets, the film aims to expose Free Staters to their history. To achieve this, interviews are being conducted with leading authorities on the subject, among them historians and missionaries.

Jan Le Roux Pieterse showed the team over the museum – which is currently being given a much needed clean-up and the garden re-established. He also explained various aspects of local history before taking them on a visit to Beersheba, which figured so prominently during the various Basotho wars.

In the picture, Mr Pieterse, who was responsible for the complete rebuilding of Ou
Grietjie, explains the workings of the historic old cannon to Kalosi Ramakhula and Napo Malatiana, of Moroka-Pule Productions, the TV production house.

As Smiffie witnessed, setting up camp in Gus Uys’s camping grounds, was undertaken with an efficiency based on plenty of practice back home in England, The well-equipped 4×4 with accompanying tents, quickly became home for the night, with Freya doing her share of the work.

The young family is not entirely new to Africa. Anna was born in Kenya, and
business consultant Chris had visited South Africa several times professionally. For Freya, this was her adventure of a lifetime, although she did have reservations about leaving her schoolmates behind.

From Smithfield the family headed for Malealea in Lesotho. After seeing something more of that beautiful country they planned to drive through Mocambique and Tanzania, hopefully ending up in Kenya (unless political instability put paid to that part of the adventure).

The idea is then to turn south, travelling through Zambia, down the West Coast to Cape Town – and back to England.

Iewers in Vlaandere (op die grens van België en Frankryk) is ‘n Smithfielder begrawe, wat gedurende die Eerste Wêreldoorlog omgekom het.
Die 22 jarige Christiaan Nicolaas Swanepoel van die plaas Middelburg het op 7 Mei 1916 daar gesneuwel. Na die oorlog is ‘n gedenksteen op Middelburg vir hom opgerig.

Beide sy ouers was reeds oorlede toe hy na skool eers in Engeland gaan studeer het, voordat hy by die oorlog aangesluit het. Sy “tweede ma”, die bekende Tant Salie Swanepoel (oorlede 1963) en sy halwe broer swaer (Bernard en Francois se pa) het met sy vertrek op Middelburg agter gebly. (Tant Salie was sy ma se suster, wat na haar dood met sy pa getroud is). Na sy dood is twee medaljies ter ere van hom na Middelburg gestuur, waar dit steeds bewaar word.

Op 19 April 1916 het vier skepe met Suid- Afrikaners aan die kus van Marseilles, Frankryk geanker. Die bemanning van die HMT Orania is aamvanklik onder kwarentyn geplaas by ‘n kamp, La Valentine, buite Marseilles. Die res van die bemanning het per trein vertrek, deur Parys waar hulle o.a. die Eiffeltoring vanuit die trein kon sien, na Vlaandere. Die bestemming was Armentieres op die grens van België.

Vandaar het hulle gemarsjeer na Le Bizet, waar ‘n sterk Duitse mag teenwoordig was. Geboue op die dorp was beskadig en baie was verlate.

Dit is moontlik dat Christiaan in die omgewing van Le Bizet gesneuwel het, aangesien die plek op 31 Mei 1916 verlaat is op pad na die bekende Delville Wood.

Die slag van Delville Wood was in die omgewing van Longueval. Dit was bekend as Bois de la Ville (Wood of the Village of Longueval) die geveg wat geduur het van 14 Junie tot 20 Julie 1916 waarin 766 Suid- Afrikaners gesneuwel het. Die slag word as volg beskryf:
“For six days and five nights, South Africans fought and died in an inferno of exploding shells which reached seven shells per second along with flame-throwers, machine guns, and rifle fire.”

Inligting: Delville Wood – Ian Uys / Swanepoels van Middelburg.

Ons wens die nuwe bestuur alle sukses toe en die beste vir hulle termyn.

Dit is dan met groot waardering en dank dat die gholfklub vir Harry Prinsloo en Johan Neethling eers groet.  Hulle vat ‘n blaaskans en het belowe om op bystand te wees.  Die twee het ‘n reuse bydrae gemaak in die behoud van die gholf klub en ons sal gereeld op hulle knoppie druk vir hulle ondersteuning.

Met die bosgatpare was Johan Adam Neethling en Willem (Lele) Swanepoel (links), die wenners.

Op die 10de Desember 2011 was dit die gholf klub se jaarlikse kalkoen dag en het Cois Swanepoel die kalkoen gewen.  Dit was dan ook die laaste amptelike gholf dag vir 2011.

Die eerste gholf verpligting in die nuwe jaar is die 14de Januarie 2012 wanneer dit Suid Gholf se jaar vergadering is op Edenburg.  Die 21ste Januarie 2012 is dit die jaarlikse President en Kaptein Dag en dan begin die nuwe jaar.

Die gholf bestuur wens al sy lede en gaste ‘n geseënde Kersfees toe en mag die nuwe jaar net voorspoedig wees en gevul met vrede en vreugde.

It is hot, hot, hot.

News will be posted shortly.

Lynden Lund at the Ficksburg Cherry Festival

Smithfield artist Lynden Lund had a successful exhibition at the Ficksburg Cherry Festival.