Saturday 19 April 2025:
Neels Koekemoer arrived on Friday afternoon and all the prep work for our next adventure to Zimbabwe had been done, truck and bakkie loaded and ready to go. Neels had arrived only to realise he forgot his Passport at home in Johannesburg, but we came up with a clever plan, Neels and Frans would go to Musina via Joburg and meet up with the truck in Musina. We arrived at the Malelane warehouse at 07:00 to load all our private katunda and head for the border. Frans and Neels in the Bakkie and I would take the truck to the border via Bushbuck Ridge circumnavigating the National Kruger Park. I had a very normal and uneventful trip to Musina. We met up in Musina, arriving at the same time, fuelled up and spent a quiet night with a KFC dinner at the Baobab Cottages in Musina.
Sunday 20 April 2025
Happy Easter Sunday, as we head to the border. Neels on the truck and Frans and I on the bakkie. Neels had a small mishap in the SA side of the border when his passport was stamped as returning to SA instead of a departure and had to return to the Immigration office to rectify it. The border was surprisingly quiet, and all the paperwork went quickly. The bakkie passed without a hitch and Neels was assisted by Robert on the Zim side. The truck que was long and slow as usual. We met up just outside the border and headed out to Bullies by 10:30. It was slow going with the condition of the road not being that great. The gravel bypass at Mazunga was washed out and all the traffic was using the old section of the road, very bumpy at a max speed of 15km/h. There was a section just before Gwanda where a new dirt road had been graded to bypass a bridge that was under repair. This would also be vetoed after a rainstorm, but for now this was the only way to go. The road through Gwanda was just as bad as always. There was also a lot of roadblocks, many on places where the roadblocks were a surprise, there are usual places, near police stations where there are permanent spots, but we found more surprise roadblocks than usual. We arrived in Bullies at 16:30 and spent the night at Willem and Carolines. Solidly spoilt at the Nells with home cooking and good company.
Monday 21 April 2025
We were up and at it by 08:00 and went to the warehouse where Angela and the team was already busy loading the truck for the round trip. Neels and Frans left on their trip at about 10:00 locked and loaded. Angela and I then started the deliveries for Bullies. We started at Railsteen Home of the Salvation Army. Here we dropped care parcels for the 30 residents and some bulk provisions for the kitchen as well as a variety of basic medicines. I have not done the Bullies deliveries for about a year, and it was great being able to see a lot of familiar faces. I met the “new” Major, Siphiwe Motsie, who runs the home. A kindly lady with lots of praise and thanks to the donors for the assistance. I had a walk through and had chats with Vina, Barbara and some of the oldies sitting and basking in the semi winter sun on the verandas outside their rooms. It was late morning and there was still a chill in the air, winter was well in its way.
Out next stop was at Queen Mary next door to Railsteen we also drop off bulk food stock for the kitchen as well as a variety of basic medicines. As always, the kitchen staff were there to assist offloading. I walked through the home and met some of the oldies that were watching tv in the lounge, some sleeping on the sofas in front of the TV. We went to have a chat with Jackie Myburgh (Dollie). Last time I saw her she was still saying in her own home just around the corner from the home. Her biggest adjustment was not being able to do as she pleases and being followed by caregivers. Being frail, she is followed when leaving her room, people making sure she doesn’t fall and injure herself. I can understand the frustration and also the care given to ensure her safety. The oldies are very well cared for here.
From here we went to Edith Duly Frail Care Facility. We were met by the administrator, Patience. The oldies were mostly in their rooms as it was just after lunch. We dropped the 18 care parcels and bulk kitchen supplies as well as a variety of basic medicines with Patience, and I went to see PJ Bakkes, an old family friend. He was in good spirits busy watching tv in his room. PJ had lost both legs to Diabetes and is wheelchair bound. He told me he was sitting in the sun for a time and came inside as he was getting needles and pins in his backside from sitting too long. We had some laughs, and then we had to go on as we still had some peeps to see and parcels to drop.
From here we went to deliver individual parcels to Masonic Lodge. The guys here are in self-catering units and each get a full box from the ZPSF. We were met by Aletta and Allan Warner. The 22 boxes were offloaded and checked. Les van Rensburg and Allan Warner took Allan’s bakkie and started the deliveries. It’s always amazing seeing how strong Les is at his age he still does some of the maintenance around the home. Liz Frazer also came out to greet and thank us for the deliveries. Being Easter Monday I think most of the oldies were out or having an afternoon snooze when we visited.
Hereafter we called it a day, and I was off to Willem where I have basically moved in by now. I was off to bed early, tomorrow was going to be another long day.
Tuesday 22 April 2025
Today we’re off to Coronation Cottages where we deliver to individual self-catering units. Being so big, we target the individuals here that are most needy, we deliver boxes to 38 units in the complex. Every delivery is a visit, with a friendly smile and a quick chat. Catching up with the latest news and gossip. Seeing some of the folk that were ill and have improved, some that were well and are now not so well. A standout was how many were diagnosed with Cancer and the effect of this horrible illness on their lives. Some of our outsiders have moved here and it is strange seeing people that were in their own places in this close-knit community. Some flourish and enjoy being close to others and enjoy having the visitors so close, like walking into Philip Ranken’s and interrupting a tea party with a full house. And others prefer the solitude….
In general, all seems well and everyone we saw were happy to see us and are very thankful the normal getting old complaints of illness and frailness become the normal chatter. It was great catching up with Ian and Irene Mackie, Mrs van der Merwe, Danny Rudman whose wife, Pat had a stroke and is now in Edith Duly, Ralph and Cynthia Anderson showing off his garden, Rachel Boshoff and her puppy, Brian Minnaar, Ealine Goode, Lorna Hains, Nick van Rooyen and so many others. Thank you for the hospitality and giving your time.
From here we reloaded at the warehouse and set off towards the Hillside area and visited the oldies in that area. A standout is always Maisie Patterson in Qualisa. What a happy visit, she had her sister visiting and it was great to meet you. We stopped at Barbara Burrell Home for the Blind and dropped care parcels for the 12 residents, bulk kitchen supplies as well as a variety of basic medicines.
It was an emotionally taxing day, and I was off to Caroline and Willems for the night. With the two young busy boys there we practiced a bit of rugby drills until dark, and I was off to bed early to gather myself for the next day.
Wednesday, Thursday 23 and 24 April 2025
We delivered the rest of the parcels to the single homes over the next two days, visiting as we went. It was such a joy seeing at my old friends that I have not seen for so long. Most missed as some just have soft spot in your heart and give a warm and fuzzy feeling when seeing them (Carol Careia and Reta Wythoff). I saw so many faces; we deliver a total of 84 individual boxes in the Bullies area and the past two days are a blur of happy, tearful and tea drinking days. It will be unfair to mention specific stand out visits as they are all special in their own quirky way, like watching Jenny Broughton and Rob Enslin unpacking their boxes and squealing with delight at some of their favourite items in the box, like the custard and dried fruit. Of course, the Beacon Marshmallow Eggs are also a HUGE winner here. Thanks for all the joyful and happy faces. A visit at Rob Heartman, gets left to almost last as a visit there always takes at least half an hour as he walks after the car to have another last say. The oldies are hungry for visitors and some new ears for their old stories. Lots of thanks goes out to the donors and team for what they do. I have experienced another profound thought-provoking experience in how resourceful and resilient people are in the face of adversity. The focus is a day-to-day survival and accepting that there is not much prospect in things getting better in their lifetime.
Friday 25 April 2025
I had a slow start as my deliveries were all sorted, and I had the opportunity to catch up on some admin. The truck arrived later the day after fuelling up at COLBRO (thank you so much for the donation) and we decided to just blow off some steam before leaving back to Malelane on Sunday. We went to the Hillside Bowling club and played a game of bowls while having a few cold ones. We spent the night at Willems.
Saturday, we cooked in a curry Potjie (3 leg pot on an open fire) and just spent some time with the family lazing around in the garden. Caroline made fresh homemade bread, and we built some Bunny chows. Just a relaxing lazy Saturday with family.
Sunday morning, we left for the border and headed home. Frans left just after 05:00 and headed straight for Malelane. Neels and I took the truck; we left at about 06:00 and headed for the border. We arrived at about 10:00 after braving the bumpy road to Beit Bridge. We passed the Zim side very easily and the process was smooth, but the SA side was gridlocked with the trucks. The stamping of documents and clearing went fast, but the traffic was uncontrolled, and it took us 3 hours to get out of the border and on the road. We made Louis Trichardt at 17:00 and spent the night at The Gateway Inn. An affordable place with everything under one roof. The next morning, we headed out just after 05:00 and had a good trip, we got back to Malelane at about 15:00. Happy to be back home and ready for some R&R.
Neels Koekemoer left the next morning back home to Johannesburg. A very BIG thanks to you sir for the assistance, always a great experience spending time with you and sharing the wheel.
A very big thank you from the ZPSF team to ALL the sponsors, donors, Administrators of homes, people that assist with distribution, people that give us a warm bed and a home cooked meal and the ZPSF team. Many hands make light work. Thanks to all of you that give us, the delivery boys the opportunity to make so many people smile.
Regards
Johan Schultz
Head office South Africa contact details:
Linda Schultz – linda@zpsf.co.za / zpsf@zpsf.onmicrosoft.com – (C) 079 6082676
Johan Schultz – johan@zpsf.co.za – (C) 082 4979328
Section 21 Co Reg. 2007/034036/08; NPO Number 096733; Section 18A PBO No 930031642
