SEDIBA

Sediba means "a place to gather and talk" in Sesotho. In my own experience it means a place of good food, warm companionship and respite, where you could sit on the deck and lose yourself in the beauty and space of the Bushveld. A place to spend Sunday lunch with loved ones and also a place to celebrate engagements, birthdays and any other special occasion.

To the general community of Naboomspruit it means a place to spend Saturdays watching rugby on big screen television and to celebrate victory, or drown the sorrows of defeat after a match. To many city dwellers on holiday in the "Bosveld", it means a typical rural restaurant and pub where you share in the hospitality of the "platteland" (country). To almost as many overseas visitors, it means a place where you savour traditional South African meals and experience genuine South African hospitality.

My Mother's Day lunch was spent at Sediba, with my husband and Jozeygirl. While there, I took a number of photos of the view you have from the deck and when we left, on the way to our car, Jozeygirl suddenly turned around and took a photo of the front of Sediba. At the time none of us realised how significant this photo would become.

This morning we were shocked by the news that Sediba was destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning. This beautiful, unique, place to gather and talk, simply does not exist any longer...

...but we do have the photos from Mother's Day to remind us of the beauty and many happy hours of Sediba.

Tonight, as I sit here on my "stoep", I am sad, not only because my favourite restaurant is gone, but I am sad for Alida, the beautiful woman who poured all her energy and passion into making Sediba such a special place. Yet, I believe that this is not so much the end, but the beginning of something even bigger, better and more beautiful than what she had before. Whatever she decides to do next, I wish her only the best and am quite sure that it will be a success... just because of the kind of person she is.

PS: Photos are from Jozeygirl and my own.