Throwback Thursday: The Impala Newspaper 1968
I have the fondest memories of the simplicity of life in Tzaneen as a child. We were happy children growing up in a community where we were loved and protected.
Almost exactly fifty years ago, a 7-year-old Marlientjie Senekal wrote to the Impala editor for help after finding a stone in her chocolate bar.
The Impala was the local newspaper in Tzaneen at the time and this edition was published on 16 February, 1968.
Letaba Herald thought it would be fantastic to find Marlientjie and catch up with her.
Through the powers of social media, it took less than two hours before we were connected.
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Marlien van der Merwe, as she is now called, is living in Hermanus in the Western Cape.
Here wondering how we would have ever found her if we didn’t live in the vastly evolved and technologically advanced world that we do currently?
Where connecting with someone on the other side of this vast country only takes a few clicks.
Oh how far we have come in 50 years.
Marlien told us about her chocolate bar story, “I was in Grade 2. I think my granny helped me with this letter. I can’t remember how the letter reached Cadbury but I do remember receiving a whole box filled with different chocolates from them and the amazement and wonder of it all. I think I experienced my first taste of the feeling of validation. Somewhere someone took time to read a little girl’s letter and send her a gift box.”
Herald asked Marlien to share some of her memories of Tzaneen at the time. This is what she had to say;
Tzaneen in 1968….
I remember silly thing that might not be significant. I remember families walking the streets on summer nights doing ‘window shopping’, chatting and eating ice cream on the side-walks. I remember Ickinger’s where you could buy jewellery, vinyl records and even beautiful Royal Albert.
My father trusted Mr Ickinger as none other. I remember the grand Tzaneen hotel where fancy social events were hosted and my mother would dress up in a long evening gown and looked like a queen.
John Christie was the wonderful barber who cut all the men’s hair.
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I think retail therapy was not invented yet for I cannot remember shopping as an outing.
Horrible matching dresses for church just happened for me and my sisters!
School events, church and drive-in movie nights were more or less the social life. And many friends and family visiting.
My memory seems to be all about playing fearlessly all over the neighbourhood with Theresa and Johan and Carina and Elize and Marie and Minke.
Then there was visiting my gran on the farm Steilkop.
Steilkop was total magic. There we could really run and play.
I have the fondest memories of the simplicity of life in Tzaneen as a child.
We were happy, happy children growing up in a community where we were loved and protected.
Oh and Minitzani…. And the big Dinosaur that Kiewiet Badenhorst helped to built.
