Disclaimer: I will not be editing and removing offensive language or statements. If I chose to publish your vent or letter, it is because you are not the only one upset about the subject matter. Do not read if you are triggered easily.
Yesterday morning, the Hogsback Unity Group (HUG) released the first edition of its new quarterly newsletter, One Village. One Voice.
My first thought? Finally, we’ve been asking for updates and here it is – it’s good, it’s encouraging. And it’s full of people doing genuinely good things. (Although I must admit, a part of me recoiled when reading: “communities are stronger when information is shared openly”… when I know how much has been withheld in the past. But before we do what Hogsback does best – pull things apart over coffee – let’s acknowledge something important.
This village survives because ordinary people continually step in when something needs doing. The Cape Parrot Project has once again demonstrated what commitment looks like: clearing over 40 kilometres of the Amatola Trail before the Merrell Hobbit Trail Run is no small undertaking. Add their investment in indigenous nurseries, and it’s clear they’re putting more than words into conservation. Our volunteer firefighters continue to quietly do extraordinary work. Whether responding to runaway fires or protecting homes, they’re ordinary residents who simply answer the call. Even more encouraging is their effort to recruit younger volunteers, because one day these responsibilities will belong to the next generation. When our dams dropped to worrying levels, the Water Crisis Task Team didn’t wait for someone else to solve the problem. Mud & Moss Montessori also deserves recognition for creating opportunities for children from different parts of our community to learn together. Sometimes building a village starts long before adulthood.
There is plenty to celebrate… But while reading the newsletter, another thought kept creeping in. Why does so much of Hogsback still rely on volunteers? Every few pages there’s another story of residents stepping forward: people fixing roads, people monitoring water, people clearing trails, people responding to emergencies and people solving problems. It’s inspiring, truly. Yet it’s also worth asking whether this has quietly become normal. Should communities need to organise road repairs themselves? Should businesses and volunteers continually patch municipal infrastructure? We’re grateful they do… but are we equally curious about why they have to? Every pothole filled is one less damaged tyre, and that’s a win. But it also raises another question: what provision actually exists for maintaining Hogsback’s roads? What funding has been allocated? Are these volunteer efforts supplementing municipal work… or replacing it?
The newsletter also mentions delays to projects in Esikhululweni because of ward boundary changes. Delays happen, we all understand that. But eventually every delay deserves a timeline. When might residents realistically expect electricity connections? How much longer before promised infrastructure becomes reality rather than planning? And perhaps the question many people quietly ask… Are VIP toilets still considered an acceptable long-term solution in 2026?
Another section celebrates progress between HUG and Amathole Forestry Company. That’s genuinely encouraging – relationships matter, co-operation matters… but has either truly been achieved? I know of several people being met with so much red tape that the effort to obtain a permit feels equal to not being allowed access anyway. The idea of improving our public spaces around the Arboretum and waterfalls is exciting. But many residents probably don’t know what the arbitration between HUG and AFC actually achieved. Did anything change regarding public access? Will future maintenance of these shared spaces involve financial support from AFC or Ranch Timbers? Or will local volunteers continue carrying that responsibility too? Perhaps those answers are already available. Just not in sight. If so, they would make fascinating reading in a future edition.
The newsletter also touches on changes at Jikani following an incredibly difficult period marked by the loss of respected community leaders. Nobody doubts that organisations evolve. Sometimes they have to. But the closure of the Second Time Around shop, the resignation of Norma and Siya leaving… naturally leaves people wondering what changed. What plans are lying in the pipeline and not being discussed? Was it simply time for something new? Or were there financial and operational realities behind the decision that many residents simply don’t know about? Likewise, it’s wonderful to celebrate students completing training programmes. The next question almost asks itself… What comes afterwards? Can Hogsback realistically provide opportunities that allow those newly qualified people to stay, work and contribute here?
Finally, there’s the title itself. One Village. One Voice. It’s a beautiful sentiment. I’m just not convinced it’s who we are. Hogsback has never been one voice. We’re artists and farmers, teachers and foresters, business owners and pensioners, environmentalists and entrepreneurs, old families and new arrivals… Sometimes we agree. Often we don’t. All I know is that my voice is not on HUG, because for you to be on/in HUG, you need to be affiliated with some or other committee or alliance in Hogs. Statistically, the majority then remains voiceless.
Unity doesn’t require uniformity, and it certainly doesn’t require silence. One of the newsletter’s closing messages encourages residents to “go to the source” rather than rely on rumour. That’s excellent advice. Good, true information is always better than gossip. But good information also grows stronger when people feel comfortable asking difficult questions. My questions aren’t attacks, they’re curiosities – and perhaps they aim to lead by example and encourage more people to pose questions publicly. Questions are how communities learn.
The HUG newsletter deserves credit for highlighting the enormous amount of good happening across our mountain. There is far more kindness, generosity and hard work in Hogsback than many people realise. At the same time, celebrating progress shouldn’t mean the conversation ends. If anything, good work invites even better questions – and not just a mission to ensure infrastructure ‘stays on the agenda for another 4 years’.
Maybe true strength in our village lies not in speaking with one voice… but in making sure every voice has somewhere to be heard.