Province:
Platinum Provincial Dugout Coalfields District DugoutSMC Witbank Chronicles
Cottages chronicals December 2020
Cottages chronicles April 2020
Cottages chronicals June 2019
Cottages chronicles August 2018
Cottages chronicles February 2018
Cottages chronicles October 2017
News / Events
HERITAGE DAY
MOTHERS DAY 2020
After seven weeks of the Lockdown, the residents in the single cottages woke up expecting another lonely and sad Sunday with no visitors. Nurse Elize had other ideas. Being Mother’s Day she decided to brighten up their day by giving all the ladies a snack tray with a cupcake, some sweets and a Mother’s Day blessing. In the evening there was some old music and an impromptu sing song, for about 20 minutes.
COPING WITH COVID 19
Life at the Witbank Sound Memory Cottages was turned on its head at the end of March when the Covid 19 Lockdown hit like a bolt of lightning.
Despite the fact that the maintenance and garden staff were prevented from working and the kitchen and other domestic staff had increased workloads coping with the Lockdown protocols life had to go on and the residents had to be catered for and treated as if little had changed except their freedom to leave the complex.
As usual our residents did not immediately jump in to assist us to maintain our complex in its pristine condition.
VALENTINES DAY 2020
Residents started gathering in the lounge just after breakfast in anticipation of the annual Valentine’s Day morning tea where everyone would be feasted on sweets, cakes and all things nice. Of course there is always the anticipation, fear for the 11 men in a leap year, that cupid will arrive with his romantic arrow.
The weather conditions resulted in the Valentine’s Day function being held in the lounge rather than the lapa. While most enjoyable as far as I am aware cupid did not bless the function with his presence.
2019 CHRISTMAS SEASON AT WITBANK COTTAGES
The Witbank Community never forget the residents at the “Moths”, as the community fondly knows our cottages complex, Christmas 2019 was no exception.
2019 CHRISTMAS PARTY
There was the usual excitement and anticipation in the lounge on Saturday 9 September when the residents gathered for the annual Christmas Party. It was once again a great success with most of the residents in attendance.
As we have come to expect no one was disappointed with the spread put on by Bettie and the staff.
After everyone had eaten their fill Deidre White had people on the dance floor until the 23:00 load shedding sent everyone scuttling off to bed happy and content having eaten, drunk and been merry.
SMC WITBANK ANNUAL VINTAGE FAIR A GREAT SUCCESS.
The approach to the Witbank Sound Memory Cottages had a waft of varied and flavoured spices floating through the air. The food stalls satisfied and enchanted everyone’s pallet from the Braai with Pap and Sous, Wors rolls, Pannekoek, Jaffels, Curry and Rice, Vetkoek and Yankee Stix. The delicious home- made cakes, puddings, doughnuts and koeksusters were heavenly for those with a sweet tooth, many of the visitors sat in the lapa to enjoy their braai while others enjoyed their cake with a cup of tea or coffee. Many made use of the occasion to take home lunch or cake for Sunday afternoon tea.
The residents of the Cottages were enthusiastically waiting to welcome the public to enjoy the twenty seven stalls the fair which were bigger and more varied than ever before, there was something to entertain the whole family from the youngest child to the oldest granny and everyone in between. There were activities for everyone young and old, a fishing stall for the youngsters to fish for a prize, having their faces painted, for the not so young and for the young at heart there was target shooting and Dad was able to buy his “wilds vleis” to make biltong.
The mothers and many others found a bargain to purchase an early Christmas gift at the White Elephant stall, the Arts and Crafts, the Make Up brushes, hand bags or the bath salts stalls and many more including those selling jams and chillies. The youngsters
Even the gardener will have a variety of plants and wire ornaments to choose from, the bookworms will be able to satisfy their reading programme for months at the book stall.
There was once again a raffle of a wheelbarrow of alcohol which was won by Moth Chris Sonnekus which enabled him to stock up his bar for Christmas.
This Vintage Fair once again was a financial success raising R54 346 for the complex.
RESIDENTS WELCOME SPRING TO WITBANK
With the Vintage Fair only five days away the residents made full use of the Spring Day bring and braai to relax and recharge their batteries
The opportunity was also used to introduce District Old Bill Koos Kleinsmith the newly elected District Old Bill to the residents. The day started with the Spring Bunny delivering some gifts for the residents whose clothes best depicted the spring atmosphere that was prevailing.
As usual Bettie and the staff again ensured that everyone had sufficient pap and sous and salads.
LONG SERVICE RECOGNISED
The executive of the Sound Memory Cottages recognised 119 years of service when certificates were presented to the staff members at the cottages Christmas Party.
Of particular note was Jeneta Mahlangu and Maria Fundama who each have 30 years of service.
WATER RETICULATION UPGRADED
As a result of load shedding and the collapse of the infrastructure an unreliable water supply from the Emalahleni Local Municipality has plagued the Witbank community. There were occasions where there was no water supply for three or four days.
This necessitated the installation of a reserve water supply system consisting of 3 tanks of 10 000 litre each at the cottages complex. Which is connected to the Cottages via pumps plus a 5000 litre tank above the kitchen gravity feeding the kitchen. There are a further 4 tanks of 2000 litre each placed around the complex for toilet water in an extreme emergency.
This upgrade is of comfort to the residents in the knowledge that there now is sufficient water available for five to six days.
RESIDENTS ENJOY CHRISTMAS 2018
Once again the residents were well entertained and kept busy over the festive period with many activities arranged by the committee and members of the community.
The fun started on Saturday 1 December with the annual Christmas Party. As usual Bettie, Sheila, Elize and the kitchen staff provided a scrumptious buffet dinner followed by an assortment of puddings to kill for. The liquid refreshments were readily available for members to lubricate their joints.
After the meal the residents relaxed to enjoy a wide range of music presented by Stanley White, however, the good music encouraged the residents and guests to get onto the floor and dance until the late hours.
A number of other enjoyable events were organise:
- Once again Chairmain Snyman Cornelius organised the “blessings in a bottle” where everyone received small and useful gifts in a bottle.Rev Kedibone Mntambo and the Methodist Church arranged a Carol Service and residents. tea;
- Members of the Lewende Woord Kerk arranged a an afternoon of Christmas Songs and delivered little bags of blessing for the residents.
- Bev and Anabel once again entertained everyone to their repertoire of old songs.
- This year the committee arranged and attended a lunchtime Braai with all the staff as a token of appreciation for their efforts towards the smooth functioning of the cottages.
Christmas Day lunch was attended by 37 residents and their family where Elize had prepared an fantastic lunch that the residents raved about. It was with great anticipation that everyone was looking forward to the traditional New Year’s day braai only for the heavens to open up and welcome in 2019 with over 50 ml of rain
VINTAGE FAIR AT THE SOUND MEMORY COTTAGES IN WITBANK
As you walked down Rhodes Street on Saturday 8 September the aroma of meat simmering on the braai, Prega rolls, curry and rice as well as other delicious foods and goodies drifted across drifted through the air together with the strains of popular music from the mobile studio of Radio Kragbron coming from the Vintage Fair being held at the Moth Cottages.
Throughout the morning a steady stream of people strolled through the gates to support the Moths and enjoy the gastronomic delights that were available as well as all the other bargains that were available.
The visitors were also treated to the relaxing and snappy Miranda music provided by the Saint Thomas Aquinas School Miranda Band, this was followed by a display by the Kiellie Kranke drum majorettes that mesmerised their audience.
The fair was held to raise funds to assist the Moths to provide quality accommodation to their residents at an affordable cost. They currently accommodate seventy four residents in sixty three units. A number of these residents only receive government pensions. Currently the Moths are raising funds to install a backup water supply system to ensure that residents have sufficient water during the frequent interruptions that Witbank experiences in its water supply.
The complex does not receive any form of subsidy from government and is dependent on self-generated funds.
The fair convenor Clive Hatch expressed his satisfaction with the support received from the public and he extended his thanks to everyone who supported the day with donations, hiring of stalls and purchasing of goods. He gave the undertaking that all funds will be used to improve the lives of the Moth Cottages residents.
On Monday 10 September all residents gathered on the front lawn for a thank you braai where everyone celebrated the announcement that we had reached our target and raised the amount of R57 088
SOUND MEMORY COTTAGES WITBANK HOLD EASTER BONNET PARADE
1st April 2018
The residents at the MOTH Sound Memory Cottages gathered in the lounge on Easter Sunday to display their handiwork and skill in creating a colourful and stunning Easter Bonnet.
Nobody was disappointed over twenty stunning and colourful hats were on display. Because of the high standard of entrants the judges decided not to recognise a sing hat as the best hat but to rather present equal prises to the top three hats. The ‘parade’ was followed by a delicious Easter lunch.
VALENTINES DAY 2018
Valentine’s Day was celebrated with a community braai at the lapa and front lawn of the cottages on Wednesday 14 February.
Many of the residents as well as the staff joined in the spirit of the occasion by wearing red and white.
NEW YEARS DAY SOUND MEMORY COTTAGES WITBANK
The residents of the Witbank Sound Memory Cottages got together around the Lapa on the front lawn to celebrate the start of the new year.
The meat was braaied under the watchful eye of Maritz Pretorius and Wollie Badenhorst while other residents enjoyed the wonderful sunshine and sipping all forms of liquid refreshments.
2017 CHRISTMAS PARTY
Once again all the residents, staff and committee members enjoyed the annual Christmas Party on Saturday 2 December in the lounge and dining room.
Bettie and the staff ensured that a spread ‘fit for a king’ was presented for the residents, champagne and other liquid refreshments flowed freely and everyone joined in dancing to the music provided by Chris Juaan.
SMC WITBANK HOLD VINTAGE FAIR. September 2017
On Saturday 9 September 2017 the residents, staff and committee organised a Vintage Fair in order to raise funds for the complex.
On the warm spring morning the Witbank Community streamed through the gates in response to the music, laughter and odours to discover what this fair was all about. The smell of freshly made pancakes, braaied meet and pap, jaffles, vetkoek and mince as well as curry and rice wafted through the air and the people queued up to sample these delights.
Apart from the food stalls there were stalls for young and old such as homemade jams, pickles cakes and tarts there were stalls for needlework, books, plants and some excellent paintings by local artists and many others. For the children there was a fishing stall and jumping castle, young and old enjoyed the shooting range and darts.
The Witbank Classic Car Club exhibited their classic cars to the delight of the visitors.
Very popular was the raffle of a wheelbarrow of liquor which attracted a large number of optimists hoping to stock their bars for Christmas.
As the final members of the public drifted home at about 15:00 the organisers started to clean up and count the bounty, there was a gasp and a round of applause when it was announced that R55645.90 profit was raised on the day.
Crater Shellhole and SMC Witbank look after Graves
Opening Plaques
The Grounds