I am addressing this correspondence to Sol Kerzner (Dubai).
Dear Sol (may I call you Sol?)
Thank you, and I remember meeting you some time in the past, and your words to me (and, I suppose, a few fellow Caledonians) were: “Give me any platteland dorpie and I will put it on the map as a ‘must go’ destination”.
I am referring to the electricity crisis in South Africa, but here in our own little bit of country we have some plusses, such as a few progressive farmers with their own electricity supply.
Why can’t Caledon, with all its wonderful people, also benefit from a system where we generate our own electricity? This can occur in two ways Z wind and solar power. We can consult Eskom about feeding into a grid that supplies only the Caledon area, in which Caledon ratepayers are given preference for footing the bill.
The landmarks that you are famous for, such as the Beacon Isle Hotel, which is almost in the water, and Sun City with its wonderful wave action pool (it will shortly be changed to a firepool, courtesy of our President Zuma), have fresh water feeding from the mountainous area into a river, which then flows from Caledon to Hermanus into the ocean.
I remember you, Sol, telling me that water will be a very scarce commodity in South Africa soon (it happened in George where water rationing was implemented and builders had to fill tankers with fresh water from the only fresh-water lake in Sedgefield, costing them a lot of money).
Why, as you pointed out once, do we not create huge lakes to prevent water wastage from water merely flowing into the ocean? You said on such a huge lake we could have a houseboat, fitted with a restaurant operated by private enterprise presenting the best seafood and bar facility serving people relaxing on the top deck.
Remember your wonderful words: “When you serve the best seafood and run the best bar you will have customers pouring through the front door”. You suggested the surrounding areas be used for camping and any outdoor function, where overseas bands visiting South Africa could perform. The whole area must be purely for entertainment, you said, even with rowing boats on the lake.
The above I am sure would put Caledon on the map. The Wildflower Show is a thing of the past; it died a very slow death.
Sol, you must come home, and here we will not saddle you with a 20 billion anchor round your neck as in the Middle East.
Best regards from all in Caledon
