29/09/2026
FROM THE RUBBLE, WE RISE — 57 YEARS ON
29 September 1969.
A date forever etched into the history and heart of Tulbagh.
Fifty-seven years ago today, the earth beneath our feet shook with a force that measured 6.3 on the Richter scale — the strongest earthquake ever recorded in South Africa.
In just a few terrifying moments, lives were changed, homes and historic buildings were damaged, and a community was left to face the unimaginable.
Tulbagh was never the same again.
But perhaps the greatest story of 29 September 1969 was not the earthquake itself.
It was what happened afterwards.
It was the people who stood among the ruins and picked up the pieces.
It was neighbours helping neighbours. Families supporting families. A community finding courage when courage was needed most.
It was the decision to rebuild.
And rebuild they did.
From the rubble came renewal. From loss came determination. And from adversity emerged a stronger sense of what it means to be part of Tulbagh.
Today, 57 years later, we once again find ourselves at a crossroads.
As we commemorate the earthquake, our town is facing another painful moment in its history — the closure of the Rhodes canning factory.
For decades, the factory was far more than a workplace. It was woven into the economic and social fabric of Tulbagh. It provided livelihoods, supported families and became part of the story of generations who called this valley home.
Its closure marks the end of an important chapter.
And yes, it is painful.
There will be uncertainty. There will be difficult questions. There will be families wondering what comes next.
But standing here, 57 years after that September morning, we have something that those before us had too:
Perspective.
We know what this community is capable of when confronted with adversity.
We know that Tulbagh has been shaken before.
We know that Tulbagh has lost before.
And we know that Tulbagh has risen before.
So perhaps this is our next rubicon moment — another point in our history where we must decide not simply what we have lost, but what we are going to build.
The factory may be closing.
But Tulbagh is not closing.
Our story is not ending.
A chapter is ending — and a new one is waiting to be written.
Let us write it together.
Let us support those who are hurting. Let us stand behind our local businesses, our workers, our farmers, our young people and our entrepreneurs. Let us look for new opportunities and new ideas. Let us draw on the incredible spirit, history and character that has carried this valley through difficult times before.
Because the lesson of 29 September 1969 is not simply that the earth can shake beneath us.
It is that when it does, we can find the strength to stand again.
Today we remember those who lived through that terrible day.
We honour those who rebuilt.
We remember the lives and livelihoods shaped by the Rhodes canning factory.
And we look forward with hope to the next chapter of our town.
57 years on, the ground may be different beneath our feet — but the spirit of Tulbagh remains.
We were shaken.
We rebuilt.
We endured.
And we will rise again.
Tulbagh — this is our moment.
This is our town.
This is our future.
And together, we can write the next chapter.
