May 14th, 2012
 In latest e tolling news, it’s been calculated that if the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) gives all e tag customers a refund, around R25 million will have to be paid out. This is against the background of a massive R20 billion debt that Sanral incurred for the regeneration of Gauteng’s highway. The South African government is looking for other ways to cover the debt, as the country’s leading labour organisation halted the planned method for recouping the money in the form of e tolling. Customers had to pay R50 each for the e tags, of which over 500 000 were bought.
According to Cliff Johnston of the SA National Consumer Union, the process of refunding e-tolling customers back could take up to two months. Thus e tolling customers have been urged to apply for refunds as soon as possible. He also added that the e tolling issue in Gauteng would not be resolved any time in the near future. According to the Consumer Protection Act, the e tag payment is a deposit and that Sanral is obliged to honour all refund requests. In short, Sanral is sitting on customer’s money. Not surprisingly, Sanral has made announcements for customers to retain their e tags until a final decision on e tolling is made in the South African courts.
Sanral is facing even more difficulties with its recent second credit downgrading with credit rating agency Moody’s Investor Service. The debt incurred from the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project amounted to a mammoth R20 billion, which originally had a budget of R5.6 billion. According to recent reports the Treasury may have to foot the bill but the government has appointed a committee to resolve Sanral’s e tolling debt. The group that took Sanral to court, Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance, have also run into financial difficulties. The total cost of their legal fees amounted to R3.9 million, around four times more than what the alliance anticipated. The SA Vehicles Renting and Leasing Association have donated R800 000, which still leaves a massive balance. The alliance is appealing to the public for donations to help cover the e tolling bills.
April 26th, 2012
 If you’ve not been keeping an eye on the news of late, and we wouldn’t blame you, then you’ll likely not be informed about a drastic change due on many of Gauteng’s largest freeways. The Sanral e-toll is a system by which vehicles will be charge on a pro rata basis for their use of so-called ‘toll roads’. While the planning for this system dates back almost four years, it was the releasing of the tariff structure on the 22nd of February that sparked the outrage shared by what feels like the majority of road users. The DA, AfriForum and the e-toll’s greatest opponent, Outa (Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance) have now rallied together to fight the system in court while the National Treasury and Department of Transport have joined Sanral to fight the delay of the system’s launch which is scheduled as early as the 30th of April; a decision is due to be made Wednesday by Judge Bill Prinsloo about the urgency of the matter.
 So now the question is why should an e-toll create such outrage; is it not uncommon for countries to impose a toll on roads. The difference is this is no typical toll considering the tariff structure it’s designed to use. According to Sanral to make payments easy and offer cheaper rates as an incentive road users can register with an e-tag on their vehicle and pay a ‘nominal’ fee of 30c a kilometre; ‘alternative’ users will be coughing up R1.74/km and are defined by Sanral as those who’ve not registered, don’t have an e-tag installed or fail to pay the tariffs. Sanral chief executive Nazir Alli branded failure to pay a “white-collar crime” and yet opponents of the system have called the installation of the system as “underhanded” and “unconstitutional.” Sanral has also stated that over 300,000 users have already registered for the system, some have registered multiple times for various vehicles; however Radio 702 conducted an independent investigation and found only 10,000 e-tags have been registered so it becomes a truth open to interpretation.
 The bottom line is that should the e-toll system be implemented food prices will rise as distribution companies threaten their drivers with penalties for using the tolled roads, many will further lose trust in the government they’ve elected and a host of new citizens who rebel will be labelled ‘criminal.’ The amount of auxiliary issues raised by the E-Toll saga are shocking and the outrage seems to continually grow as the 30th of April approaches; one thing is for sure, to cross the River Styx we may have to pay the ferryman one way or another.
March 1st, 2012
 There are some things in life that we cannot fix and one of those things is the waterworks in our homes. Some of us may have the experience to fix the smaller problems but many of us will need the use of a knowledgeable plumber. For some of us, getting plumbers to fix a problem in our homes can be daunting as there are the financial implications and the worry if the job will actually be done right. How many times have you needed something fixed only for them to have to come back time after time? In order to help you hire the best plumber contractor that will offer the best services and rates for the job, we have compiled a list of tips to help you.
1. References
References are always important. These will give you peace of mind that the plumber you are hiring is the best for the job and knows exactly what they are doing. References can also be obtained through word of mouth. If someone has recommended a plumber, they must have been happy with their work.
2. Reviews
Specific websites will allow you to look over a review done on a specific plumber contractor and company. It’s a fine way to see what the general consensuses about their services are.
3. Inform your plumber
When first talking to your plumber from the plumber company you are considering using, make sure you give as many details about the problem as possible.
4. Travel charges
When enquiring about costs, it is a good idea to ask your plumber if they charge for travel time. Some plumbers charge as they walk into the door and others as they get into their cars. It’s good to know if there are any additional costs lurking.
5. Parts on hand
To maximize your plumber company’s visits, you should ask if the plumber will have spare parts on him. It is a good idea because if he does, this limits the time spent fixing the problem and a possible second visit.
6. Minimum charge
Enquire with your plumber if they have a minimum charge.
7. Insurance
Many plumbers have insurance in case of injury or damage to your property, enquire to whether your plumber offers this, you can never be too careful.
8. Credentials
It is a good idea to enquire to any credentials your plumber contractor may have. You want to have peace of mind that they are knowledgeable about the service they are providing.
Many plumbers will be honest but there are some that will unfortunately take advantage. These 8 steps will help you choose the best plumber for the job from plumbers Durban all the way to Cape Town.
February 24th, 2012
 Owning your own motor vehicle is an expensive luxury especially when considering rising fuel costs and general maintenance. However if proper research is done, car insurance is an area where money can be saved. Surprisingly, many vehicle owners are unaware of the significant contribution of car insurance groups on insurance costs, giving more weight to driver factors such as age, gender and where the car is parked overnight. Below is a general overview of how car insurance groups are determined and how they affect car insurance costs.
Car insurance groups in South Africa are based on the Association of British Insurers (ABI) recommendations, a regulatory body that sets guidelines for car insurance groups to ensure that vehicle owners do not overpay for their insurance premiums. In conjunction with Lloyds Market Association, decisions on car insurance groups are made using data from the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre. Initially, car insurance groups ranged from group 1 to 20, although a new system of 1 to 50 has been introduced it the last few years due to the greater availability and choice of cars on the market, both new and from second hand car dealers. Car insurance group 1 is the most economical with the 50s reserved for luxury vehicles, sports cars and classics.
Around three quarters of all money paid out in car insurance claims is for vehicle repairs, thus the price of spare parts and labour time is a significant factor when determining the car insurance group of a vehicle. Below are some general guidelines on how car insurance groups are calculated.
• The damage and cost of parts, which includes the likely extent of damage to each car model and the estimated cost of repair.
• Repair time and cost of labour greatly affects car insurance groups. Unique paint finishes and unique colours are also costly to touch up and are often taken into account.
• The value of the car is a primary contributor to car insurance groups.
• Availability of body shells are a major consideration as these are often needed in accident repairs.
• High performance cars often result in more frequent insurance claims, thus acceleration and top speed are other important factors that are considered.
• Car security features such as door locks, alarms, immobilisers help reduce car insurance groupings.
It is important to note that the car insurance groups determined by ABI are only guidelines and exact groupings are different from country to country and even individual insurance companies. For example, an Alfa Romeo will often be in a higher car insurance group than a VW Polo with similar specs, as new parts often need to be imported. Before purchasing your next vehicle, research car insurance groups online for general guidelines. For country specific car insurance groups, speak to the car dealers Sandton offer or contact individual insurers from for specific groups.
February 9th, 2012
 It’s that time of year again where South African politicians and President Jacob Zuma prepare for the state of the nation address. The president will deliver an all important speech highlighting issues within the country at the opening of Parliament on Thursday night in central Cape Town.
The main focus of Zuma’s state of the nation address is to be related to the economic standings and situation of the country. Congress of the People spokesman Nic Koornhof has said that the address has been created with Moody’s and Fitch revising SA’s credit rating downwards. In relation to the economic approach of the state of the nation address specch is also a large focus on jobs, National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu has stated. Security companies and police will be on high alert to facilitate smooth running of the state of the nation address and many roads will be closed in the Cape Town’s centre. Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko has emphasized that South Africans want and need the speech to be inspiring. Job creation and unemployment is still the most prominent of factors and these issues need to be tackled and solved by parliament and president Zuma, the speech will highlight how this can be achieved for future growth and sustainability. Lindiwe Mazibuko also said “They don’t want to be presented with another bureaucratic check-list of targets and promises,” when speaking to journalists at Parliament on Wednesday. The general consensus is that president Zuma should be honest and straightforward about the government’s shortcomings and failures such as falling short in keeping to the pledges made in the last state of the nation address in 2011.
Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven and Cosatu have stated that the organizations expect Zuma to continue with policies in the ANC election manifesto and that there is a firm assurance from president Zuma in the state of the nation address that the Protection of State Information Bill would be redrafted to ensure it could never be used to classify evidence of crime and corruption as secret or to criminalize whistle-blowers. The nation wait in vain to hear the state of the nation address and await the convoy and string of fancy cars that car dealers have supplied to zoom past and then to head home to evaluate the speech presented by our president.
January 31st, 2012
 With the modern age moving faster towards the futuristic concepts that Hollywood movies portray, the primitive life is not even a speck of light on past sunsets. The great Northeast blackout of 2003 showed us just how far we come to relying on modern amenities. So much so that life actually came to a grinding halt on Thursday, August 14, 2003 in the northeast of the United States.
A sweltering day like any other summer day meant that fans and air conditioners were working overtime to cool the masses. Due to the immense energy output that all the cooling down demanded, energy lines starting heating up due to the large volume of currents, and sagging, which ultimately led to the lines eventually giving out. Clearly this was a job for more than one electrician to take on.
The blackout started in Cleveland, eventually encompassing the entire Northeast hemisphere of the United States. 200,000 People were affected by the blackout and it was not easy to get anything back up and running. Because the original circuits were overloaded many back-up generator systems also failed, leaving many homes, hospitals and different institutions without any form of electricity.
The blackout caused water systems lost pressure and people were forced to boil their water through primitive means of fires, or in some cases by stove if their generators could manage to hold power. Many radio and television stations went off the air for hours, with some suffering listenership and viewership loss throughout the entire blackout. That was not the worst thing, considering many televisions and radios weren’t working. Cellular service providers were overloaded, but some could still provide a service through their backup generators. Telephone networks remained somewhat operational but circuits were majorly overloaded.
This entire blackout has taught many people about what to be prepared for in case a blackout of this magnitude should ever occur again. The size of the affected area is somewhat smaller than South Africa, but should a blackout of that size occur in South Africa, that would be 60% of the country in complete darkness.
It’s not the worst thing to experience some like this unless you’re in hospital. People in the USA mentioned that during the northeast blackout they were able to see stars, like the Milky Way, for the first time. These amazing natural wonders of space are not easy to see due to the general air and light pollution. It’s such a pity that we only experience these brilliant sights when forced to.
Either way, if something like the northeast blackout of 2003 happened in a fairly small country like South Africa, every electrician Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and every major city would be pulling more overtime than the original overloaded energy lines that went down.
January 27th, 2012
 The topic of toll roads seem to be on the lips of many South African’s, first with the planned introduction of the e-tolling system in Gauteng and now recently with the controversy surrounding the proposed development of the Entilini office building on Chapman’s Peak. Fortunately for citizens, both projects are back under review and will hopefully take into the account the arguments of consumers, political organisations and environmental groups. We examine some of the conflicting interests of the Gauteng toll road debate and what decisions are expected to be made in the future.
Over two weeks ago Cosatu, transport workers and the Democratic Alliance welcomed the postponement of the e-tolling project on Gauteng roads. The proposal was met by furious resistance from residents, stating that the toll roads were unfairly forcing them to pay for the roads use. Initially meant to be introduced by February, the DA claimed that the Gauteng toll road system would never have worked due to widespread boycotts. Sanral announced that to date 212 000 e-toll accounts had already been registered; if the project for the new toll road system falls through entirely registered applicants will be angered over unnecessary costs and time. Cosatu stated that they will continue to dissuade motorists to not register with the Sanral toll roads.
To date, the proposed toll road fees are R0.40/km for light vehicles, going up to a massive R2/km for ‘longer’ vehicles used by transport services. To add insult to injury, the current state of the proposed toll roads in Gauteng are shocking in certain areas. Residents and opposing groups simply cannot warrant the toll road costs when road conditions are poor.
On the other hand, abandoning the Gauteng toll roads completely will have a negative effect on the R30 billion Gautrain, as commuters will most likely choose to travel on the free roads than pay train fares. To date the toll road postponement is indefinite yet opposing groups are on guard of any further developments.
January 16th, 2012
 The newest controversy to hit Cape Town is the proposed new Chapmans Peak R54 million luxury office building to be used by Entilini – the toll road operators. Hout Bay residents are angry about the manner in which the entire situation has been handled. One move that added more fuel to the fire is a request to government for part of the Table Mountain National Park be de-proclaimed, which will make it easier for companies to move on the 2,100m² area in question. There’s also the question of R25 million of tax payers money going into this project. Why?
The argument put forward for opening the quarry to development is that it has no biodiversity value, but where does that leave other large pieces of land situated within preserved natural parks? It’s fair to be concerned that those pieces of heritage will become fair game somewhere along the line. Hout Bay residents are strongly opposing the new development because any land that that falls within the National Parks can only be used for conservation, and in no way does a luxury building fall into that category. Legal consultants working on behalf of the residents have put forward that the transfer of the park to the province without de-proclamation was illegal. As stated, that was done this week, which means there is serious consideration on the toll plaza being erected.
There are concerns amongst residents that access to picnic areas and natural walking routes will become part of the past, leaving our lovely city with one less natural beauty to enjoy. Other concerns included in the protest are: damage to natural vegetation, light pollution, traffic fumes and noise. All of these concerns are valid and have come to the fore as being not only detrimental to the natural vegetation but the residents in close proximity to the entire situation. Aesthetically, the toll plaza is not going to contribute anything to the natural beauty, but rather take away from it.
Building is set to start soon and a protest has been planned so everyone from government, civil engineers, building developers and Entilini understand how serious residents are about protecting our natural heritage. People don’t want to have to face more concrete than they already do. This is not only about nature conversation; it’s also about intruding on a way of living.
January 3rd, 2012
 Amid the excitement of South Africa hosting the COP17 climate change talks in Durban last year, little media space was given to the awarding of South Africa with the opportunity of hosting the World Plumbing Conference 2016 in Cape Town. The Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) vice president Lee Goldie stated that the invitation from the World Plumbing Council to bid for the World Plumbing Conference (WPC) was received late, but tireless efforts from the team secured the win for this international plumbing event. The working committee from the Institute of Plumbing South Africa encouraged the World Plumbing Council to select South Africa over Melbourne, Australia, who won the bid in 1985.
In a statement made by Goldie, South Africa’s premier plumbing association had to fare far better than Australia’s bid, as they are a major in the World Plumbing Council and a global player in the plumbing industry in general. According to him, the Institute of Plumbing South Africa also plans to alter the format of the conference: “We want to attract challenge-driven industry professionals to the conference. We aim to provide them with tangible solutions to meet the challenges of sanitation, plumbing, water safety, training and skills upliftment.” Thus it is expected that the conference will touch on new plumbing supplies and technologies in South Africa as well as future plumbing jobs South Africa can offer.
The theme of the conference will be ‘Water for Africa’, which will concentrate on the issues of providing safe water to communities in Africa. Currently, unsafe drinking water and waterborne diseases are responsible for the deaths of many South African citizens. Thus the conference will partly focus on solutions to eradicate these problems. As Goldie stated, “the international community can share, guide and assist Africa in its goals to uplift its health and safety standards.” Over 650 delegates from all around the world as well as plumbing South Africa companies and associations are expected to be at the conference, from the contractors for plumbing Pretoria offers to plumbing companies in the Northern Hemisphere.
December 23rd, 2011
 The South African public utility Eskom is the largest electricity provider in Africa, providing 45% of the continent’s power an 95% of South Africa’s supply. Recently, the power house selected the energy management company Comverge, to develop and co-manage Africa’s first open market demand response (DR) resource.
Overall, the peak demand for electricity in South Africa is around 37,000 megawatts, and the role of Comverge will be to help Eskom balance supply and demand for various sectors of the economy, for example in the mining, industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors. As any consumer or electrician in South Africa knows too well, when demand is too high electricity simply shuts down- this is a one-way demand response. An intelligent energy management system uses the information of demand response enabling two-way communication between consumer and provider, sourcing wasted energy and increasing control overall. Thus informed decisions can be made on reducing the energy load, optimising energy usage. It’s a step closer to the promise of a smart grid, energy management plan.
This will largely be achieved through Comverge’s energy management software, IntelliSOURCE 2.0 platform, which Eskom will use to register, dispatch and operate South Africa’s new and competitive DR market, initially 500 megawatts for the pilot programme. As agreed, the energy management company will provide 100 megawatts of demand response resources. According to Andrew Etzinger, senior manager for Eskom’s Demand-Side Managment, “With Comverge, we have one of the world’s most experienced demand response providers as a partner in these efforts and together, we will deliver a comprehensive and very successful program to benefit local companies and help us optimize energy usage.”
With Comverge’s technological expertise and Eskom’s know-how, energy management SA will establish a sophisticated and efficient capacity market for electricity, with the overall objective of providing the country with progressive energy management solutions. Furthermore, the technology may add skill to the careers as an electrician Cape Town and Johannesburg offer.
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In latest e tolling news, it’s been calculated that if the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) gives all e tag customers a refund, around R25 million will have to be paid out. This is against the background of a massive R20 billion debt that Sanral incurred for the regeneration of Gauteng’s highway. The South African government is looking for other ways to cover the debt, as the country’s leading labour organisation halted the planned method for recouping the money in the form of e tolling. Customers had to pay R50 each for the e tags, of which over 500 000 were bought.
