Van Niekerk onthou duidelik die oomblik toe hy waarlik besef het daar is geen omdraaikans nie \u2013 dat hy van die sosiale norme losgebreek het en amptelik \u2019n swerf-ling geword het.<\/p>\n
Hy glimlag breed met blinkwit tande: \u201cDit was toe ek vir die eerste keer in \u2019n boom gebly het.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weke lank het hy \u2019n teken gesoek \u2013 enigiets wat vir hom sou wys dat hy die regte besluit geneem het om in 2007 van byna al sy aardse besittings ontslae te raak; dat hy taai genoeg is om \u2019n swerwersbestaan te voer.<\/p>\n
En toe Van Niekerk vir maande in \u2019n boom moes bly, terwyl hy help bou het aan \u2019n eksklusiewe lodge in Zimbabwe, het hy einde-lik sy bewys gehad.<\/p>\n
Die een interessante werk na die ander \u2013 asook vele avonture \u2013 reg-oor Afrika en Asi\u00eb het gevolg: 12 verskillende werke in vier lande.<\/p>\n
Sonder om een keer amptelik vir \u2019n werk aansoek te doen.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/89321be073db4ced877c5f8ca27ff4e8.jpg\" "\\"Frikkie")
<\/p>\nVele talente<\/strong> <\/p>\n Van Niekerk, wat min erg aan geld het, het tydens sy maandelange verblyf in Indi\u00eb verskeie chemiese produkte gemaak.<\/p>\n H\u00ed\u00e9r het hy ook \u2019n 125cc Honda-motorfiets in \u2019n ryende muskiet omskep en juweliersware ontwerp.<\/p>\n In Thailand was hy die eienaar van \u2019n restaurant en het die romp van skepe in Singapore skoongemaak \u2013 enigiets om geld te verdien wanneer hy platsak is.<\/p>\n Hy was \u2019n bemanningslid op \u2019n seiljag en het meubels en kaste gebou.<\/p>\n In Zimbabwe het Van Niekerk gehelp om \u2019n spoggerige lodge by Victoria-waterval te bou, asook boomhuise op \u2019n eiland in die Zambezi.<\/p>\n Dit is hier waar hy vir sewe maande in \u2019n boom gebly het \u2013 nie lus om heen en weer tussen die eiland en die hoofland te ry nie.<\/p>\n Sy tuiste: \u2019n seil tussen bome en \u2019n ou verfdrom as stort.<\/p>\n Van Niekerk help sedert 2012 met die Chokka-slenterstaproete van Esti en Eric Sewart. Stappers hang gewoonlik aan sy lippe as hy eers begin om al sy wedervarings van sy swerwersbestaan met hulle deel.<\/p>\n Dit is in skrille kontras met die tyd toe Van Niekerk nog as \u2019n bankteller gewerk het. \u00d2f by die hooggeregshof. Hy was ook \u2019n verkoopsverteenwoordiger en die eienaar van \u2019n wegneemete-winkel.<\/p>\n Dit was aaklige dae: \u201cEk was altyd gespanne. En so verveeld. En depressief daaroor om te dink ek gaan dit vir altyd en altyd doen,\u201d s\u00ea Van Niekerk wat onder meer regte, sielkunde, bemarking en stadsbeplanning studeer het \u2013 maar niks klaargemaak het nie.<\/p>\n \u201cEk het seker al meer as 300 verskillende werke gedoen.\u201d<\/p>\n Koolstofvoetspoor<\/strong> <\/p>\n Sedert die begin van sy landloper-dae probeer Van Niekerk om sy koolstofvoetspoor tot die minimum te beperk.<\/p>\n Hy dra slegs tweedehandse klere en loop sedert April 2015 kaalvoet waar hy kan, want dit is prakties \u2013 selfs wanneer hy na die buiteland vlieg.<\/p>\n Dra hy ooit skoene?<\/p>\n Van Niekerk frons liggies: \u201cJa, wanneer ek op die Gautrain moet klim, maar ook net omdat hulle my nie sonder skoene op die trein toelaat nie. Sodra ek binne die trein is, trek ek weer my skoene uit.<\/p>\n \u201cEk het verder tydens die onlangse Lilizela-toekennings (die Chokka-slenterstaproete het \u2019n toekenning opgeraap) geleende skoene gedra \u2013 op aandrang van Eric Stewart. Maar ek trek vir niemand anders skoene aan nie.\u201d<\/p>\n Hy lig sy een voet op vir inspeksie: dit lyk egter nie of sy voete duwweltjies tot snuif kan trap nie.<\/p>\n Maar hy verseker my sy voete is taai.<\/p>\n Van Niekerk poog om so min as moontlik verwerkte voedsel te koop en vas vir 36 ure per week.<\/p>\n Sy enigste luukse: Sy pa se horlosie.<\/p>\n Toekomsplanne<\/strong> <\/p>\n Van Niekerk bly tans in sy Mercedez Benz Vito op die kanaal. Di\u00e9 spog met \u2019n gemaklike bed, klein laaitjies, \u2019n skuifdeur, kombuisie en stort.<\/p>\n Hy hoop om binnekort weer Thailand te besoek \u2013 maar eers n\u00e1 die Covid-19 pandemie. <\/p>\n Sy groot droom?<\/p>\n Om sy inkomste aanlyn te verdien \u2013 ongeag waar hy homself bevind.<\/p>\n \u201cEk bly maar \u2019n swerwer,\u201d lag hy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Siek van die sieldodende eise van die moderne w\u00eareld en nagenoeg 300 verskillende werke, het Frikkie van Niekerk (57) van byna al sy aardse goed ontslae geraak en die onbekende pad gevat om heeltemal ongebonde te leef.monique bassonhet by die karakte<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":52144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"02572275-79f0-4b0a-84f1-8e458addcea8","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_priv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"\\"Frikkie")
<\/p>\n