Murundu Halls

From Great North Road

Murundu Halls

Murundu Halls 1962.

Some of my family includes Doug Ouzman who was Les's brother and Larry his son (my sister Peta's age now 54). We were related to them through our mothers. Other Ouzman (there were 11 kids!!) cousins in Muf. were the Slingers - John about 2 years younger than us, and Myrna ( my sister Jackie's age now 52) and Ivor Keppller - my age 49. We all met up at Xmas and family birthdays etc. The rest of the Ouzmans are from Maritzburg area.

Murundu House 1958.

Isaac Redelinghuys the father of a few of my cousins through my moms' side was also on the mine. He could get a bit punchy with my aunt Yvonne, an uncle in Joburg threatened to deck him if he heard of it again. That was about 1965 just before they divorced. I still correspond with cousin Judy (now Combrinck), who lives in Newcastle and practises as an Acupuncturist and Physiotherapist. I last saw Joyce Redelinghuys (who you may remember - she married Mike Thomas from Standard Chartered Bank in Muf.) in Harare, where they were helping with the Jehovah's Witnesses, having been comfortably retired for 10 or so years near Knysna. Her sister Audrey was killed in a car accident in Southwest about 20 years ago.

Shack May 1967.

I have attached some old photos - we were in Plot 10 over the road from the Olivato's and dad was very friendly with both brothers. You may remember the Lawtons who were on the corner down near the Beeches, Lana is in the picture as well as 2 Olivato kids. Dad built the house himself after we started in the 3 room shack in 1956. He still relates the anecdote about our houseboy not wanting to live in the shack when we moved into the bigger house, so he had to build new kaaias as well. Next door to us in No. 11 was Johnny van Waarthuizen (spelling) who was the J in A & J panel beaters with Arthur Thomas - Plot 9, the whole family moved to Pietersburg in about 1964. Dad was always feuding with Arthur Thomas regarding him lighting bush fires.

Murundu Lawton Olivato.

My wife Lorna who is British born in Cornwall, has spent the best part of the last 22 years abroad with me in Cairo 1978 - 80, Durban/Pinetown 1980 - 82 and Zimbabwe 1987 - 99 (I work in construction!!) We went with my son to the braai in Bath when we dropped my daughter Jodie at University 2 weeks ago and saw a few old Muf. faces. Gill Main, Bridget Billaney and Shaun Frankham from Muf. and a guy who went to school with my brother - in - law Manie Raubenheimer in Luanshya. We had excellent Wors and Putu too, which all adds to the feelings of being unsettled.
My dad Ken, who is now a very active 75, is in Maun with Lee Ouzman again, and I am always jealous when he contacts me, particularly with photo attachments of them fishing in the Delta!! I hope to get to spend more time out there in the future, but being realistic, I can only see me getting out twice a year at best over the next two years, and then only for a maximum of 2 - 3 weeks at a time. It would be nice to plan for a long trip of several months, but the earliest that would be is after my next job in Exeter finishes in about December 2003 / January 2004. I also dream of spending 6 months a year fishing in the sun every year, and that time doesn't want to be too far from 2004, if by then I can see my way to being able to support such a lifestyle by working for the other 6 months.

Contributed by Douglas Hall.

October 2001