This Forum

[Diana Rudd (Boehme)]

I'm seriously upset... I do not get why this forum has "died" 'cos yes it actually has. There seems to be a bunch of O'munders that still live in O'mund chatting up a storm here other than that...its 4 or 5 of us others passing by. PLEASE  I'm not knocking or blaming anybody its really none of our faults. I just don't get why ?   Yet suddenly On FB there is a whole bunch of stuff and photo's going on that has already been covered here in greater depth.....I will be honest and say I do comment there so now and again but can't bring myself to post anything in depth ....I've done it here already...what is it with us... that have to repeat ourselves over and over just because it's a different space.....how do we get O'mundonline back?????   "cos our History is here.  OK Shiraz Rant Over         

[Simon Mason]

Hear Hear Diana. I have not been a member of this forum for long but yes. Looking back through a lot of posts over the years I can see that there has been a decline in people posting.
So COME ON Oranjemunders old and not so old, living in Oranjemund or not. Get posting.
I have had loads of fun reading through the posts, looking at old and new photos posted by lots of people. It has brought back some really good memories of living in Oranjemund.
In fact I have recently got in touch with the Willson girls and we have had a lot of fun talking about OM. If it wasnt for this forum I dont think I would have found them. strangely enough, Paula and Julie only live about 30 odd miles from where we live. Its a small world.
To all that read and post here on a regular basis..... A very well done to all of you.
A special thanks to Mike A for keeping this forum up to date and spending a lot of time on here. (He has obviously got loads of time to spare...) Kidding Mike.
Keep up the whole hearted support of the grape growers Diane, and of course keep smiling that lovely smile of yours.
XX

[henniek]

Just maybe.[ commenting from my perspective ]. People often think that their wider experiences & memories & foto's of OM will be of no interest to others .
therefore they do not post it , and Facebook is just not the right place for in depth discussions 
Maybe people who never lived in OM migt not be so interrested in this forum  - But we can accociate with one another . eg the very nice pictures you posted from your grandfarthers album ,
And the pictures of grandma's German teaset .  Think about Bob's stories.  By the way - Adriaan / Mike V  and others . I saw Gert Vermaak about a 2 months ago. He visited me when I was in Hospital . and he and wife Alida is still going strong

[SandyB]

agreed , even me been sort of quiet on this site , dwindling activity  and my being very distracted .. I have done my fair share of posting on this site , and yes due to my increased activity on facebook , one to do with Woodstock and the shop promoting .. I see the Oranjemund on facebook and  have started to add stuff that  I had posted on Oranjemundonline  and mention so ..hopefully it will create interest ...

[Diana Rudd (Boehme)]

Absolutely Sandy.....I hear you...you and I along a few others have remained the stalwarts of this forum in fact we should all drink to that :-)    I do not have a problem with the Fb page and do enjoy reading it from time to time but most of what I'm reading is already here......what I don't get is that we have to repeat there what is here and then read it and react to it as if its the first time we've seen it...then 3/4 of those members are members here.... I just don't get the point.  It realy isn't a big deal to flip from FB to O'mundonline.     

OI There Mike A........haven't seen you here in a while...are you still alive   

[Michael Alexander]

I hang my head in shame, Sorry guys, I only saw this posting now.... tsk!Tsk! and I am sober....

I have not has too much time over the last 6 weeks to spend on the forum, me being in retail and December being our busy period.... then I had the English staying over, rushed off to the Helderberg for a quick holiday and back into work.....

We have covered the topic about the forum and the dwindling numbers who frequent it.... I can see by the stats that we have plenty of folk lurking, but not a posting.... partly my fault, as I need to get my into gear and release more historical material, including more of Tuys;s video and the 300 odd Newsletters under my desk at work.... time, time and time..... Tactics being to release a bit of the material every few weeks, get to send all the members on our listing an email and they all return to view the material.... However, as per usual, most just lurk and move on after a day or two without commenting.....

As mentioned before , the number one priority of the forum is to preserve memories, wether it be , video, material, tales of friendships ..... well after 5 years, we have just shy of 5 gigs worth, with more to come....

For what it's worth, I appreciate all 23 of you die harders that continue to post on a regular basis.... the heart still beats.....

have a great night....

      

[Robert Bruce]

One thing you can count on in life, work and online forums - change is inevitable. In the case of this and millions of other online forums, Oranjemund Online is no exception to the rule of passing time and dwindling interest and participation.

Sadly, everything that is new and exciting and which creates a community buzz does inevitably fall foul of the laws of being surpassed by new interests,daily life and family responsibilities.

The only cure I know of for a forum is to nurture the site via a lot of daily work to stimulate input from the memberbase. And herein lies the problem - who would want to be  the one to take on this responsibility of devising a well constructed plan and then implement the project to stimulate renewed interest in Oranjemund Online?

[Mike Thurtell]

I wonder (respectfully he said) if part of the "problem" is that this site is about history - about "when we" - an inevitable path to an end point. A dimming memory of intermittent remembering. I notice too a collapse in interest in a visit to O"Mund planned at the FaceBook page, without a reply to my query as to who asked for it, how many, why it collapsed, etc .

I have a humble suggestion - make the site more about the current and future. Why are the houses empty? Why is nobody phoning the Council about the pipes? Why are O'Munders not doing something about the parks, gardens, flies etc etc. Why is there no interest in my previous queries about access to information about shops, routes, camp sites, tourism etc etc? If the houses are empty and there is a hospital, golf course, river etc, can O'Mund become a retirement village (for some)? From a distance there seems to be so many opportunities, but (again, from a  distance) I just hear nihilism (not sure if I spelt that correctly, Mr Zandhuis). If O'Mund has a population of 10 000+, why no newspaper serving the town and surrounding area? Does any O'Munder have anything positive to say about O'Mund's current and/future situation?

[Robert Bruce]

Mike

Thank you for your perspective. You are correct. We need to look to the future. In large part this online forum/website is devoted to record/recount and share the personal and collective historical narrative of Oranjemunders wherever they may now be.

Your post brings to mind the oft repeated phrase about recollecting days gone by as being the 'good old days'. Well, the saying ends with a reminder that these are the 'good old days' we are experiencing, so lets enjoy and talk about them too.

Perhaps this forum could be ideal to rejuvenate interest by introducing some poignant communal issues which need addressing.

[Mike Thurtell]

Thanks for your response. Perhaps the biggest thing we can do for our parents and predecessors is not to let O'Mund die. Perhaps (No.2!) some project(s) will/can provide a focus for support and effort from O'Munders wherever they may be - a bit of putting back into the community, not to relive the past, but to help build for the future. I realise O'Mund is part of an independent country, but having recently camped along the river I was amazed at the vibrancy of the tourism and co-operation by the Namibian Government. In contrast, I never read anything positive about O'Mund (except the past, and then that's ignoring the larger reality for those who were not at the receiving end of the largesse), whether at this site or the FB. Its all dismal negativity. Its no surprise that the envisaged recent reunion to O'Mund imploded, and given the negativity of the feedback of the one person who did visit, it must come as no surprise to anyone that that feedback will be a further turnoff. Does anyone have anything positive to say about the current or future O'Mund?

[Robert Bruce]

Mike,

An important question is - how long will Oranjemund remain in situ as a diamond mining town? Is it still an economical investment opportunity? Or do we need to raise funds for a permanent memorial to be created and stuck in the ground for future East winds to sandblast away at whatever material it is made from?

How many years worth of diamonds remain within the sperregebiet to make the town's continued existence an economical proposition?

Reality checks are required as this will help to compile a funding priority schedule for OM. For example how vital is a recreational facility to a dwindling population? What alternatives are there available that require little or no investment for recreational purposes?

I feel sure that the finance people at Windhoek have their 'what if' or 'pull the plug' scenarios being routinely updated and discussed.

No better illustration exists nearby Oranjemund about the fragility and fallibility of the diamond resource than Elizabeth Bay and Kolmanskop.  History is filled of examples of ghost towns across the planet which were once thriving communities. We know there is a time coming when economic efficiency will dictate the future for OM.

Has the doomsday trigger for Oranjemund already been pressed?

[Adriaan Van Rooyen]

To the manne and mannine of the past , As like Mike i am allso part and parcel of this unique town ,it was with utter dismay and disgust i read the comments and saw photos of Oranjemund that portrayed this town as falling apart.Nobody posted photos of the nicer side of Oranjemund .Yes the town took a knock and a very hard one a few years ago and i will put my money on it that if it had happened to any other community they would have fallen apart.Not so Oranjemund is slowly rising,the mine is now geared to mine untill 2050 thanx to brilliant innovation and of course technology..You should know we are mining about 400 metres into the sea.
You cannot compare the old CDM to the now Namdeb mine,yes those were the golden years.land of milk and honey.. This mine has stood up time and time again because there are serious profesionals working here.We are looking to the future now.. The town will eventually open but thats life ,we have to embrace it,but we are still living in a safe environment.Wildlife is abundant and of course the scenic beaches is a must to see,sO PLEASE keep the negative comments  to yourself as i have seen on facebook ... .We still live here .......my two cents...       

[Bertie Horak]

Adriaan, I agree.
I went back to Oranjemund for the first time in 30 years.  I've also read and heard many negative things about the town in the last few years.
Well, I was PLEASANTLY SURPRIZED.  I didn't expect everything to be the same, and prepared for the worst.
Yes, some things have changed, and some things might be perceived as being "neglected", BUT....  There were a few things that actually looked BETTER than when I was a youngster in Oranjemund.
Examples:
* The streets were exceptionally clean, houses looked fresh and painted, the fencing have definitely been redone with two layers of bricks at the bottom, much better as in our time...
* Yes, some parks were not as lush, but if you know me, you know I like my "greenery" - and there were plenty. Loved it, still do!
* I walked through the school while the kids were in class - Buildings all beautifully painted, gardens beautifully kept, the few kids I saw greeted me with such respect, and the discipline I could see is definitely higher than ANY school in SA, and I know they are lucky to get the education I got many moons ago...
* The people were friendly wherever I walked the streets, and of course, the Alexanders gave me a cooling ale (brownie points)...
* The wildlife seemed to be even more abundant and in the less than 48 hours I spent in town, I got to see 3 of the animals I was hoping to see again (gemsbok of which there seemed to be thousands, the silver back jackals, and the white desert snails...)

I  can go on and on about how much I still wish I could go back.  If my circumstances were different my bags would be in the car right now.
So, I do not see many negative comments, maybe I'm just not part of those groups (by choice OR by simple character), which is good.

In short - I would LOVE to move back. Changes or not, I still had the most soul-enriching, peaceful feeling when I visited, and if some people see the "bad" only, I feel sorry for them, for I experienced the pleasure and goodness I was hoping for when I returned after 30 years.
Just saying.
Now, help the chap in E10/11 pack and move, so I can go HOME!

[Adriaan Van Rooyen]

Hi Bertie,..what a refreshing paragraph ,i just wish everybody would be as pos like you .... yes a lot changed but i can vouch for every word ... it does seems that the parks is slowly being rectified,remember its not parks and gardens anymore but contracters who now and then needs a kick in the backside ... i drove past the lush hockey field this morning,and there were a bunch of kid playing soccer between  a herd of gemsbok and neither one seemed  scared of one of another,as that particuliar herd og gemsbok were all born right in this town ...so who has playnig rights...or grazing rights ,..hehhe ,and i will see if we can....  spook your guy in that house,,, apparently father inlaw and you guys were neighbours ,Frans Pieterse,and my wife sends greetings,small world ...

[Mike Thurtell]

Dankie Adriaan and Bertie, great to here some positive news from Oranjemund.

I still like my idea of an O'Mund e-newsletter with regular news about the town, the outsourcing, the school, what's happending in the mine, upgardes to the tar road. There's seems to be so much to talk about that O"Munders living in O'Mund can share with us now outsiders, who don't know what's happening.

Adriaan, nice to hear kids can still play outside without the need for parental oversight! Nice to hear the animals are good. Nice to hear the school is good. Nice to hear the parks are being maintained after a fashion. Nice to hear ....