What a February we have had! EishKom continues to deliver its conundrum of loadshedding schedules (if there is a schedule at all), whilst nature decided to deliver her input with a deluge of rain (much needed, but wow) with its associated issues – more potholes, delays in production (especially the road to Eastgate) and of course flooding – which had me stuck at home for three days. And the rain did not cease there … seems we are heading (as I write this) for a piece of cyclone ‘Freddy’. But on the positive side, it’s so needed, and to see the revival of the bushveld at this time is quite magnificent.

  The ‘raved about’ R40 intersection and the Berlin development seems to have gone quiet – and we haven’t seen the promised press release from the developers of the mall. What we have seen is progress on getting the Eastgate road repaired – but note – ONLY as far as Eastgate and no further. You would think? Right?

  I’m no engineer but I saw the ‘methodology’ – to be honest, I have not seen cement in that quantity being used to create a road surface (and mixed with soil)? I might be wrong, but instinct tells me this is a very short-term solution – I hope I am wrong, and if anyone can shed light on this, please do.

  Then I heard about the air force base – oh my goodness, shock, and horror – not one serviceable aircraft, on a base created to land a space shuttle! The base falls under the Department of Public Works … where is the Department of Defence? Avgas being transported to bases in Pretoria because of a lack of fuel there. Really? If there is such mayhem in the air force (added to Transnet, SAA, Eskom, etc. – has any state department survived?) my question then is that if this is all going on, is the safety at the base up to speed for commercial flights landing there? I’ll try get an answer out of the air force ‘corporate communications department’ and see where that leads us.

  No ‘Spotlight” article this month sadly – the rain put that one on hold. I am trying to get a geologist to contribute information about this area, but as I understand it, it is not easy to talk in layman’s terms about a 3,4-billion-year process, all squashed up into 1 000 words every month!

  I do hope you enjoy the read and thank you for your support. Special mention and thanks must go to the two fine fellows, Marlvin and Thabo, that brave the blistering sun to hand out the papers to so many people, at the stop street opposite Kamogelo Centre.

  Until next time.