Category: this is south africa

Last shortie

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Apologies for the paucity of verbiage on here lately. I’ve been busy, it’s been withering hot, and until today, we had no Internet at home.
The latter was fixed today (a Sunday, nogal) by Telkom engineers toiling through the midday heat to repair the damage caused by cable thieves, thieving cables.

But suddenly there’s no time to use it before the new series of Top Gear begins, simultaneously broadcast worldwide. Wow.

More tomorrow.

Warmth

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It was one of those ridiculously hot days in Cape Town today. Mid 30’s or higher. I wilt in that sort of heat.
Still, after an amazing braai with friends in Somerset West, we’re now back in Cape Town and it’s beginning to cool down a little. Thank goodness. I might still grab a quick swim before bed though.

One more thing: looking at the FA Cup results so far this weekend, I think we might win it this year. It’ll look nice in the trophy cabinet along with the Capital One Cup.

Cape Town 2015 Loadshedding Schedule

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The City of Cape Town has released its new “improved”, fairer loadshedding schedule, which is applicable from 1st February 2015.
Rather than running on 7 day ‘days of the week’ timetables, we’re now looking at 16 day ‘date of the month’ schedules. Routine be damned!

Here’s your handy download of map and schedule, courtesy of 6000 miles… (or you can read on).

How to use the schedule:

  1. Find out which area you’re on, using the handy & colourful map.
  2. Check the red box here or here to see what stage loadshedding is happening.
    (Or check the City twitter account).
  3. Look at the calendar, check the date and look below to see when you’re going to be loadshod.

(Click images to enlarge)
loadshed1

loadshed2

PLEASE NOTE

  • Based on the national power grid, Eskom may change or suspend the loadshedding stage at any time.
  • If loadshedding does not occur in your area as indicated on the current schedule, it does not mean you will be excluded next time.
  • If you are in areas 17 – 23 or an unshaded area, then view your schedule at this web address: www.loadshedding.eskom.co.za
  • If power is not restored at the allocated time, please report this on SMS 31220
  • Electricity is needed to power certain city functions e.g. water reservoir pumps, sewage and drainage. Please use water sparingly during loadshedding periods.
  • During loadshedding treat all electricity appliances carefully as electricity might turn on at anytime.

Have fun, save power, do stuff.

What a difference a year makes…

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…52 little weeks.

On 20th January last year, South Africa woke up to read what our Sports Minister had said about the national football team’s defeat the previous evening:

“The mediocrity we saw yesterday is disgraceful. Last night, we saw a bunch of losers who conceded two useless goals. We must never wake up to this situation ever again,” said Mbalula.

But then guess what happened last night?
Oops.

On 20th January this year, South Africa woke up to the words of a somewhat different Fikile Mbalula:

But that’s politics for you isn’t it? A short-term, shiny surface popularity contest (see yesterday’s post) with no real substance behind it. I’d love to think that Mbalula felt differently about the South African football team, but deep down, I think he’s just trying to look good in front of his legion of twitter fans after the kicking his reputation took for those 2014 comments.

So, while I’m all for this “new approach”, while we’re a whole 365 days on from Fikile’s extraordinary outburst, while he tells us how we must react to last night’s rubbish with dignity and while we’re all not calling Bafana Bafana names, let’s not allow ourselves to conveniently forget exactly who was the most famous name caller of all.