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Far left : The General Hertzog Bridge takes you over the Orange River . It was built between 1935 and 1937 .
Left : The Anglo Boer War Blockhouse .
He is particularly proud of his staff . “ My staff is my priority ,” he says passionately . It is very important to acknowledge them and to build them up . “ For this reason I want to thank them and tell them that I appreciate what they are doing ”. The personnel at Senwes Equipment in Aliwal North are Nelis himself as branch manager , his wife Yolanda van Heerden ( Mechanisation Administration ), Daniëlle van Vuuren ( Job Card Clerk ), Walter Sauer ( Technician ), Paul du Randt ( Apprentice ), Lloyd Matiya ( Apprentice Assistant ), Elton Willemse ( Spares Manager ), GJ Pretorius ( Whole Goods Salesman ), as well as Janko Pretorius ( Working Workshop Foreman ), who joined them on 1 August 2017 .
They are going from strength to strength here , he said . From two persons in 2014 ( as Agrico ) to 16 currently , with 9 staff members in Aliwal North and 7 in Ugie , as well as Roy Moorcroft and Riaan Grobler servicing the area .
BRANCH HISTORY Nelis tells us that the premises on which the branch is situated ,
Elton Willemse is your proud parts manager at the Senwes Equipment branch in Aliwal North .
used to be the second-hand motor agency of Dampier Motors , then Agrico and then Senwes Equipment .
Aliwal North has a number of interesting sights , such as the well-known blockhouse from the Anglo Boer War , and various beautiful buildings such as the Dutch Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral .
The bridge taking you into town is known as the General Hertzog Bridge , which was built between 1935 and 1937 . It replaced the old Frere Bridge , which was built in 1880 . Locals tell us that hawkers regularly offer chameleons for sale in this area . Talking about animals , this area is famous for its fossils of small lizards such as the Eupakeria to large dinosaurs . Fossils of the reptile Uranocentrodon have even been found in the area . The area offers some of the top lodges in the country and is also known for fishing in the Bel and Kraai Rivers .
There are various passes on the way to Ugie . It is interesting that the Eastern Cape has 8 of the 10 highest passes in South Africa , with Naude ’ s Neck ( 2590 m ) and Bastervoet Pass ( 2240 m ) being the highest . The area is particular-
ly popular amongst 4 x 4-enthusiasts . The Barkly Pass and the Kraai River Pass are the 27th and 75th highest passes in the country . Springbok rugby players Frans Steyn and Bennie Osler were born in this town .
UGIE Firstly , Ugie is pronounced as ‘ You ’ gie '. The town was founded by the missionary , Reverend William Murray , because he was born at the Ugie River in Scotland . The town was founded in 1885 .
As you enter the town , you will notice the large plantations of PG Bison , a well-known characteristic of the area , and the Senwes Equipment branch on the corner of Boom and Main Streets in Ugie .
As Nelis indicated , the number of staff is increasing significantly . Staff members in Ugie are Susan Leibbrandt ( Job Card Clerk ), Warren Kleinsmit ( Working Foreman ), Jacques du Plessis ( Spare Parts Manager ), Jaco de Beer ( Spare Parts Clerk ), Pieter Bianchina ( Technician ), Mbonisani Malusi ( Spares Assistant ) as well as Jackson Oudjan ( Apprentice Assistant ).
The Tsitsa Waterfall is wellknown amongst the adventurers and dinosaur footprints can be seen on a neighbouring farm . True to agriculture , the town also boasts a tractor museum .
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SENWES Scenario • AUG / SEP 2017 9