A month ago, Strauss de Jager made a rash promise: if the church bazaar at Riebeeck East reached its targets, he would walk all the way from Grahamstown to Riebeeck East.
A month ago, Strauss de Jager made a rash promise: if the church bazaar at Riebeeck East reached its targets, he would walk all the way from Grahamstown to Riebeeck East.
It was at the instigation of Tannie Anna Pieterse, who was determined to give the parishioner stallholders some extra motivation at the 3 October event.
Last Saturday, true to his word, that's what he and a group of friends and supporters did.
"Amid all the turmoil, life still goes on in and around Grahamstown, and on Saturday I did the promised walk with some friends and great support systems at hand," De Jager wrote to Grocott's Mail this week.
"With me, doing the 38.1 km walk, were Joubert Retief (acting headmaster at PJ Olivier) and Carl van der Merwe, entrepeneur from Riebeeck.
"Chris Schutte and his Schnauzer dog cheered us on all the way and Ronel Crouse waited on every hilltop with eats, cold drinks, plasters, laughs and some nice cold beers.
"Augusta de Jager, Emmie Kuhn, Elisma Hallier, Michelle Pieterse and Madelein Heinen fell in at Teafountain for the last stint of 11.2km with Louw Pieterse cycling the last leg twice.
"Anna Pieterse sold stuff at the Saturday market at Riebeeck kerksaal, but I believe she just wanted to check on us.
I conclude that Riebeeck isn’t that far away – only a half day’s walk," he wrote.
