All posts by : York High

Bruce Coetsee matriculated at York High School in 2003 and ventured to Cape Town, False Bay College – Westlake where he pursued his dream of becoming a qualified Plumber. After he obtained his Red Seal Trade Certificate he briefly worked for a local plumbing company in George and pursued his own venture, starting his own plumbing company at the age of 21. H2O Plumbers was born, a company started with a mere R200 in the bank, fueled by a dream to bring plumbing excellence to the beautiful city of George, greater Garden Route and Klein Karoo. Bruce has built H2O Plumbers from only one operational team to three vibrant plumbing teams, employing eight staff members currently, with a fourth team in the making, serving homes and businesses for the last 17 years.

H2O Plumbers has evolved from only providing general Plumbing services to include specialized plumbing divisions: Core Drilling, Pipe Location, Leak Detection, Drain Hydro Jetting and CCTV Drain Inspection – all under one umbrella of H2O Plumbers. Bruce now runs the biggest plumbing maintenance company in the George area.

Marecia Damons is an award-winning journalist at GroundUp News. She won the 2023 Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity for her work on the Thabo Bester prison escape story.

In October 2022, Marecia began investigating the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester at Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein. Bester was believed to have died after a fire broke out in his prison cell in May 2022. His death was initially ruled as a suicide.

Her investigation provided compelling evidence that the body found in the prison cell was not that of Bester, contradicting the official denials from the Department of Correctional Services and G4S, the private security company running the prison. Alongside her colleague Daniel Steyn, Marecia’s reporting exposed corruption at Mangaung prison and forced authorities to lodge an investigation into Bester’s supposed death. 

It was later revealed that Bester had, in fact, escaped from prison and fled to Tanzania with his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana. Several people have been arrested so far, including prison officials, and the matter is being heard in court. 

Marecia has always had a passion for writing since contributing to her primary school’s ‘In Touch’ magazine. Originally from George, she now lives in Cape Town. She holds both an Honours Degree in Journalism and a Bachelor’s Degree in Language and Culture from Stellenbosch University.

Damien Nezar matriculated at York High in 2020 and in July 2021 departed for the USA to start his tennis career as a scholarship athlete at Campbell University in North Carolina. He is currently completing his third year (Aug 2023-May 2024) and is working towards a Business degree (Marketing Major), with graduation set for Spring 2025 (May). Following his 4-year tennis eligibility, he would like to continue his studies in the USA with a Masters degree in Business Science.

He is working hard towards this goal and since his tenure started at the university he has been recognised athletically and academically for his performance every year, together with his teammates. Damien is honoured to head up the Men’s tennis team at Campbell University for a third straight season and looks forward to another year of great friendships and experiences on and off the court, where they all share a great sense of camaraderie.

Steve Joubert graduated from York High in 1996. Following his schooling, he embarked on an overseas journey, taking up a position at Harrod’s in London within the retail sales division. After a span of several years abroad, he returned to George in the year 2000. Back home, he became an integral part of his father’s entrepreneurial endeavor—a modest tile establishment named Stiles. Starting from the bottom, under his father’s guidance, Steve gradually ascended the organizational ladder, working diligently side by side with him.

Fueling his enthusiasm for the enterprise, Steve’s dedication knew no bounds. Eventually, the mantle of leadership was entrusted to him, and he assumed the role of managing the business autonomously. Over time, Stiles underwent a remarkable transformation. What once began as a diminutive tile shop situated in George burgeoned into a prominent national entity, boasting 11 expansive showrooms sprawled across the country.