The Weekly Diary: 70th Anniversary Donkey Derby Prep, Heritage Day Cleanup, Mayoral Visions, and We're Hiring!

Our "Eyes in the Field" team was out on the beat capturing the heartbeat of our city. This week, our journey took us from the retro 1950s diner preparations for Abraham Kriel Kinderhuis’s iconic Donkey Derby to an inspiring Heritage Day cleanup along MC Roode Drive led by the Momentum Aardklop team.

Meanwhile, our StroomStories feature desk hosted critical civic discussions ahead of Election 2026, including an in-depth interview with JB Marks Mayoral Candidate Prof. Theo Venter. Plus, we dropped a massive career announcement right here at The Go-To Guy—we are officially hiring a full-time Reporter & Content Creator to join our team!

Grab a hot beverage, settle into a comfortable spot, and enjoy your comprehensive 8-to-10-minute briefing on the stories, civic breakdowns, and local milestones that defined our week.

Our Eyes in the Field: Potchefstroom

From retro charity derby preparations to environmental civic pride on Heritage Day, here is how our field beat unfolded this week in chronological order.

September 23: Less Than a Month to the 70th Anniversary Donkey Derby!

We opened our field updates on Wednesday with a visit to the Abraham Kriel Kinderhuis. The Go-To Guy sat down with the team to talk all about the upcoming, highly anticipated Donkey Derby!

This year’s edition is extraordinarily special as the children's home celebrates its 70th birthday in fabulous 1950s Diner style! Local businesses and residents are invited to bring their teams, enthusiasm, and cooler boxes for an unforgettable evening of stick-donkey racing, great company, and laughter,all in support of the children.

Event & Booking Details:

• Date & Time: Friday, 9 October 2026 | 17:30 for 18:00

• Location: Abraham Kriel Kinderhuis, Potchefstroom

• Theme: 1950s Diner

• Prizes & Booking: Tables are extremely limited and filling up fast! Come for the fun, stay for the friendly competition, and you might just walk away with fantastic prizes.

• Inquiries & Reservations: Contact Caro at 084 605 5374 to secure your table before it sells out!

September 23: Heritage Day Action – Momentum Aardklop Cleans Up MC Roode Drive

Also on Wednesday, action spoke louder than words! The team from Momentum Aardklop celebrated Heritage Day by getting their hands dirty and taking on a massive cleanup along MC Roode Drive.

Pride in our city and pride in our heritage go hand in hand. The Aardklop team, alongside local volunteers, cleared roadside litter, revitalized the area, and demonstrated true civic ownership ahead of the upcoming national arts festival.

A massive thank you to everyone who stepped up to participate in this wonderful community initiative! Watch our video recap on the feed to see the before-and-after results of the cleanup.

StroomStories: Civic Breakdown Series & Mayoral Vision for Election 2026

On September 21, our StroomStories desk continued its comprehensive civic awareness drive ahead of the Municipal Elections on 4 November 2026.

Understanding municipal ward boundaries, local infrastructure plans, and leadership platforms is essential for active citizenship. To ensure our community stays fully informed before heading to the polls, we sat down for discussions with ward candidates and mayoral leadership.

📌 Important Editorial Disclaimer: These interviews do not constitute paid advertisements or political endorsements. The views expressed belong solely to the individual candidates and do not reflect the official position of The Go-To Guy. As an independent media platform, we extend an open invitation to candidates from all political parties to utilize our platform to communicate their vision to the public.

September 21: Ward 8 & 14 Breakdown with Alehlohonolo Thabang Dibakwane

In our first civic breakdown on Monday, The Go-To Guy sat down with DA Candidate Alehlohonolo Thabang Dibakwane to discuss his vision for Wards 8 & 14.

The discussion focused on providing clear boundary maps showing which neighborhoods fall into Wards 8 and 14, highlighting key community priorities, and offering voting readiness information ahead of 4 November.

September 21: Mayoral Candidate Interview – Prof. Theo Venter (JB Marks Municipality)

Later on Monday, our desk hosted a major executive discussion with Prof. Theo Venter, the DA’s Mayoral Candidate for the JB Marks Municipality.

In this comprehensive interview, Prof. Venter discussed his vision, governance philosophy, and actionable plans to address severe service delivery and infrastructure challenges across Potchefstroom and the broader municipality:

• Accepting the Leadership Role:
  Prof. Venter shared what motivated him to step forward as mayoral candidate and accept the responsibility of driving municipal reform.

• Tackling Critical Infrastructure:
  A frank, detailed breakdown on tackling the biggest hurdles facing our city,including pump station failures, deteriorating road networks, pothole repairs, and overall municipal maintenance.

• The Power of Your Vote:
  Emphasizing why casting your vote on 4 November is essential, and outlining the tangible governance changes residents can expect in JB Marks.

Watch the full interview on our video feed to hear directly from Prof. Theo Venter before casting your ballot!

The Go-To Guy: WE'RE HIRING! Join Our Team!

September 21: We Are Looking for a Full-Time Reporter & Content Creator!

Do you love people, local stories, and being in the absolute middle of the action? The Go-To Guy is officially expanding, and we are looking for a dynamic Reporter & Content Creator to join our Potchefstroom team on a full-time basis!

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Interviews: Conducting live and recorded interviews,both in-studio and out on location across town.

• Content Creation: Filming, shooting, and editing video and social media content.

• Event Coverage: Covering local events across Potchefstroom and surrounding areas.

• Storytelling & Commercials: Finding interesting community figures, approaching local businesses for features, and producing commercial videos for our advertising clients.

• In front of the camera in-studio, behind the camera in the field—filming, capturing, and bringing the story to life!

What We Are Looking For:

• Fluent in English & Afrikaans.

• Outgoing and completely comfortable in front of the camera.

• Must reside in Potchefstroom with their own reliable transport.

• Available to work select evenings and weekends for event coverage.

• Passionate about people, community storytelling, and digital content creation.

• Qualifications: No formal degree required! Experience in reporting, video editing, or content creation is a bonus, but attitude and personality count for more!

📩 How to Apply: Send your CV alongside a short 15–30 second video introducing yourself directly to guy@thegotoguy.co.za!

Final Thoughts on Week 39

Week 39 perfectly captured the multifaceted spirit of our city: preparing for 70 years of charitable impact with Abraham Kriel Kinderhuis, taking hands on Heritage Day to clean our streets with Aardklop, empowering voters with mayoral visions, and opening up exciting local career opportunities right here at The Go-To Guy!

As we step directly into festival season with Momentum Aardklop (29 September – 4 October) kicking off, our team will be out on the grounds in full force.

Support local charity drives, drive safely, apply for our open reporter position, and let's keep building a stronger, more connected community together!