Brazil - Russia - India - China - South Africa (BRICS)

BRICS is an acronym that refers to the grouping of five major emerging economies in the world: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This grouping has become a significant force in the global economy, influencing international policies and shaping the world's future. The BRICS countries have a combined population of over 3 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $16 trillion, making them influential players in the global economy.

The History of BRICS

Theewaterskloof Dam, Villiersdorp

The Theewaterskloof Dam is one of the features of Villiersdorp, and is significant for being the seventh-largest Dam in the Country. Here, you can enjoy activities on the Theewaterskloof Dam such as sailing, powerboating, freshwater angling, canoeing, power kite surfing and swimming. The Riviersonderend River provides the water flow which feeds into the Vyeboom Wetland and it has the highest unit runoff of all the areas that feed the Theewaterskloof Dam catchment. The dam is roughly an hour and a half's drive from Cape Town, a rather big dam that can hold as many as 480 million cubic metres of water when full. The surface area is 48 square kilometres that makes it something of an inland lake, rather than the image one has of an almost round, contained water catchment.

It is also part of the larger Riviersonderend-Berg River Project, a water scheme that received recognition from the South African Institute of Civil Engineers and is regarded as one of the solutions to the Cape's water problem, where the demand for water far outweighs the supply. The project links the Riviersonderend and Berg River catchment areas, capturing surplus winter run-off in to the dam, delivered via gravity through a series of tunnels to where it is needed. One can also camp on the eastern side of the dam in one of only seven campsites, each with access to electricity. For those who like fishing, Theewaterskloof is a prime largemouth bass spot and fishermen have boasted catches over 4 kilograms. Luckily the bass continue to increase in numbers after a period during which their existence in the dam was threatened by a combination of pollution, uprooting of trees, and the illegal introduction of Barbel and Carp.

Geolocation
-34° 4' 35.0984", 19° 17' 29.0444"

A Short History of ESKOM, Part 2 (2001-2022)

Following on from Part 1, this article seeks to analyse some of the historical and present dynamics bedevilling ESKOM. Over the past twenty years, ESKOM’s systems have been under severe strain due to technical and organisations failures. ESKOM has attempted to grapple with their supply issues through investment in Kusile and Medupi, two large coal fired power stations which by 2022 are still not functioning to their capacity.

A Short History of ESKOM, Part 1 (1923-2001)

This short history of Electrical Supply Commission (ESKOM) aims to provide an overview of the history of the power utility over its first seventy-eight years. The significance of these dates is as follows: ESKOM was started in 1923 by the government and prominent industrialists and by 2001 it was a state-owned enterprise. During the abovementioned period, ESKOM had several feats and failings. This article endeavours to extract some lessons/reflections for the present from ESKOM’s past.

Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa: The people who killed Eskom over 25 years by Ferreira, Harper and Saba (Mail and Guardain), 20 January 2023

Of all the projects that the administrations of presidents Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and now Cyril Ramaphosa have undertaken over almost 30 years of democracy, the catastrophic management of the expansion of the country’s electricity generating capacity will prove the most detrimental to the country’s long-term prospects. 

At the centre of those urgent expansion plans first brought before policymakers as far back as 1997 was the power utility, Eskom. 

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Legendary South African Football Administrator Abdul Bhamjee dies

Abdul Bhamjee
Former South African Football Administrator and founder of the National Soccer League (NSL) Abdul Bhamjee who was affectionately known as "Mr Soccer" peacefully died at his Johannesburg home on Monday night.His sacrifice and determination to fight for equality and social justice for all races across all spheres of life will always be remembered in the annals of South Africa’s history.

Jordan Ngubane – forgotten founding member of the Congress Youth League by Sbonelo Radebe (Mail and Guardian), 10 January 2023

When the story of the founding of the Congress Youth League (CYL) — the forerunner of the ANC Youth League — is told, usually it is only Anton Lembede, AP Mda and a few others who are mentioned. The several other founding members are seldom brought up and the omission of their names is a silencing of their intellectual prowess and political contribution to the making of the CYL.

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