Nov 1 2016
No electricity power here since yesterday morning. 36 hours now. Also no water. I guess they could not pump the water up into the towers.
Lack of power also took out all cell towers after their batteries ran down. So no electricity, cell service, water, or internet.
Most houses can't open their security gates. Dead batteries. Also all home security systems batteries are down, so many people aren't going to work, but staying home, because robberies are way up from 2 days ago.
My house is solar powered, so of course MY gate works, :-) and MY food is cold, :-) and MY security system is up, :-) and I have 70 liters of drinking water if I need it.
A hot shower would be nice though. :-)
Today's high temperature is 36C (97F). Low last night was 29C (84F) in the house.
I had my ceiling fan on all night, so it wasn't so bad. :-)
I just drove 20 km to an open shop and bought lots of food, that I don't have to cook. (mostly health candy bars)
I could run my micro wave off of the batteries, but I am trying to conserve the batteries for important things.......like refrigerator, computer games and TV. :-)
I live in a gated security village. When the power goes off, the security firm doubles all personnel, so within our little area, there was no crime. But outside of any security areas, saw a big increase in break ins.
It turns out the problem with the electricity was more complex than I had thought. I live in a suburb of Centurion, which has grown into, and joined Pretoria (now renamed to Tshwane).
The municipality shut down a large sub station for planned maintenance. Centurion (Pop. 250,000) was to be without electricity from 06:00 to 12:00.
During this time some cable thieves raided an off line substation in my neighbor hood, and stole some cables. They break into the substation,
and cut the cables,
then hook a big truck to one end and drive away.
Pulling the cables from the ground.
(These are some pictures of a cable theft from last year.)
When the planned maintenance was finished, Centurion came back online, but my suburb was still off. They then spent a day fixing the damaged substation for my suburb, only to find another sub station near my house was damaged as well.
Over all, there was about 200 houses without electricity for 36 hours.
During the first scheduled shut down other cable thieves also stole cables in another part of Centurion. This suburb has the water tower in it.
A few years ago, they started color coding cables. They made fiber optic cables a different color so thieves wouldn't remove and steal fiber cables, only the copper ones. Then some "brilliant" idiot in government decided that since thieves never stole Green cables, they should make the new copper cables green also. Now thieves rip out all cables. Duh!
------
Nov 3 2016
Yesterday,I spent 4 hours at the prosthetic place, trying to get the new socket right.
Today, I spent 3 hours at the prosthetic place trying to get the new socket right.
It seems as if the addition of the air bladders has compromised the shape of the socket to my stump, and we are unable to get a suction to hold the leg on.
Once again I am on the socket that I put the bladders into. I think everyone at the prosthetic place is embarrassed when I wear the leg into their place. Usually they make very nice artistic sockets.
But by FAR the most important thing about this ratty socket is... It does not hurt!
---
Later
Nov 3 2016
This morning the "State Capture" report was released here in South Africa.
Did I hear you say "Huh?"
South Africa has some very good things, that most countries lack. I am thinking specifically about the Office of Public Protector.
Wiki says:
The office of the Public Protector has the power to investigate any conduct in state affairs and any level of government, should there be any allegations of maladministration. The Public Protector is the only institution that has the power to take appropriate remedial action against any impropriety or prejudice made by government.
I think the American people would benefit greatly by a Public Protector.
Thuli Madonsela has been Public Protector of South Africa for 7 years, and she has changed South Africa for the better.
I remember something she said in the past, something like, "If I can't say something as a fact, I won't say it."
She retired today, after handing in her latest report about allegations of "State Capture".
Wiki says:
State capture is a type of systemic political corruption in which private interests significantly influence a state's decision-making processes to their own advantage through unobvious channels, that may not be illegal.
The South African government often makes decisions that aren't in the best interest of South Africa, but favor a few rich people. The "Few" are usually big corporations.
One of the big corporations is headed by a guy named Gupta. Thuli Madonsela's reports into allegations his family had captured key politicians and civil servants to ensure government tenders went their way.
The Treasury was a "stumbling block" to the Guptas' business ambitions and the family asked Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas to sack its Director General, Nene. This was done, and sent the Rand currency plummeting.
Here are some quotes by Thuli while interviewing President Zuma during the preparation of her report:
Thuli Madonsela to President Jacob Zuma:
“We want honest answers that are coming from your heart, not prepared answers.”
“This is not a criminal justice process where you have the right to remain silent.”
“I am concerned though that President, you are the President of the Republic of South Africa and you are employee number one. Normally when we are dealing with people who are responsible for the State, we deal with them and the lawyers they come in where necessary. It is you who is accountable, Sir. It is you who are employed by the State as its most important employee.”
“What difference would it make between today and any other day in how the President recalls these issues? If we are starting with, for example, why did you remove Minister Nene, why do you need somebody to legally advise you, because that is a decision you took yourself without legal advice? You took that decision, exercising your power as an Executive.
“ No, but it is a decision you have already taken, so you don’t need to be advised why you took it, because it is a decision … somebody advised you, you accepted their advice, you have already executed it, sir. So now you just have to tell us why did you take that decision? Now why do you need a Lawyer to be able to tell me why you removed any of those Ministers?”
Madonsela to Zuma’s lawyer Michael Hulley:
“No, Sir, you are here to support Mr President, but President Zuma is the one who is employed by the State of South Africa in this capacity. You are employed as his advisor, but not as his mouth. Mister President, I am requesting that we proceed with the answers you can give.”
“No, sorry, sir, the President has a right to legal assistance, not legal representation. You have made that representation. I have now made a ruling that we are going to proceed, but we will focus on the things that the President is going to answer. I’m sorry sir, I cannot be bullied by you.”
South Africa will miss her. A very sharp, intelligent and moral person.
---
No comments:
Post a Comment