The disastrous 2008 power outages in Gauteng and the recent announcements of shocking electricity price hikes, (45% for the next 3 years), bring into focus yet again the political nature of electrical power. There has long been a contest and tussle between municipal power supply and national power supply. The city of Johannesburg historically generated [...]

There has been a long silence on my blog as I was out of action for a couple of weeks in September. So energy levels coming back and lots to catch up on. The rains have come, the days are crisp and clear with new spring shoots washed and sparkling, and the dry and burnt [...]

The following was taken from the Johannesburg Planetarium’s newsletter (28/08/09)
The International Space Station (ISS) passes directly over South Africa on Sunday evening (Aug 30th) – possibly accompanied by the shuttle Discovery!  Discovery is scheduled to launch Friday evening (SA time) to deliver crew and equipment to the orbiting station, but has been delayed twice this [...]

Yes we are spoilt. South Africa faces so many challenges, challenges with which both locals and the rest of the world are ALL  too familiar. However a day like this last Sunday makes up for a lot. In the spring, SAPPI a very large paper making public company, generously sponsors concerts at the National Botanical [...]

Little beats a week-end in the bush. Spent 4 nights in the Kruger National Park in early August  at a bush camp called Talamati in the central area of the Park, west of the big main camp Satara.  August is the best time for the Kruger Park as it is dry and game congregates around [...]

It’s Women’s Day in South Africa this Sunday 9th August. It marks the day in 1956 when 20,000 women, in an extraordinary brave, resolute and powerful show of  protest, marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the extension of the pass laws to women.  Although I am sorry to be missing commemorative celebrations here in Joburg, I [...]

Johannesburg CBD has seen upheavals and disruptions this week with striking SAMWU workers overturning rubbish bins and scattering the trash on the streets.  While the strike for low wages is legitimate, there has been severe criticism of the unruly behaviour of some strikers.  Redi Direko, one of 702’s talk show hosts, used words to the effect [...]