"Jy gaan stap!" Tannie Anna Pieterse said as Dominee Strauss de Jager passed the kinderstafel at the Riebeeck East Bazaar on Saturday.
"Jy gaan stap!" Tannie Anna Pieterse said as Dominee Strauss de Jager passed the kinderstafel at the Riebeeck East Bazaar on Saturday.
He just smiled. It was Tannie Pieterse who set the NG Kerk minister the challenge: if the bazaar met its fundraising target, he would walk from Grahamstown to Riebeeck East – a distance of some 40km.
This week, De Jager confirmed that the walk's on. "My info is that the target was passed," he told Grocott's Mail today. "I’ll have to raise the bar of my faith… maar stap gaan die dominee!" He said it would be on a Saturday within the next month.
The bazaar was a colourful, lively event, with a waterslide the main attraction for children on a day that turned out sunny.
A jumping castle was a non-stop hive of small-person activity and Danel Janse van Rensburg and Jessica Els catered for the kids with spookasem and other sweet treats.
De Jager was delighted with the day – especially the number of newcomers the event attracted. "It surpassed my expectations, especially the widespread support from the community at large," he said.
"The fact that so many people braved the gravel roads after the heavy rains, is amazing – some even on a relay bicycle! "I saw old friends there from Jeffrey’s Bay, Somerset East, and of course, the crowd from Grahamstown.
We missed a few regular faces, but it was almost a 50% new bunch attending.
"The weather was great, the activities for the kids arranged by Anna Pieterse and Danel Janse van Rensburg (with Yolande) also added an exciting vibe. And as usual the fare on offer was outstanding. "It was a good gig," he said.
Being the Dominee he was using that word intentionally, as he explained.
"It is said that among the African-American jazz musicians they used the acronym GIG, when they got an opportunity to perform – which is short for 'God is good!'"
