Constitutionally Speaking, Streisand Effect, and Continue Elaborating #SALaw

Words, like social media, are very powerful.  They are used to inform, entertain and educate the public, readers and listeners.   Words can be used to expose faults or abuses in society and to identify people who are to blame.    In common law, a matter normally has to be false to be considered defamatory.

The law is there to protect a person’s reputation in the community or society.   The law is not there to protect the reputation that he would like to have.

B Martin CC contends that defamation is the most common law used against citizen protest, but others are used such as business torts, conspiracy and judicial process abuse. These uses of the law have been dubbed “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation” or SLAPPs.  Companies have little chance of success in these suits, but that doesn’t matter.  The main object in a SLAPP is to intimidate citizens, discouraging them from speaking out.  He goes on further to state:

If you are threatened with a defamation action, one strategy is to just ignore it and carry on as before.  Alternatively, invite the threatener to send the writ to your solicitor…The main thing is not to be deterred from speaking out.

Just because you are sued doesn’t mean you can’t say anything more. (Many organisations avoid making comment by saying that an issue is sub judice [under judicial consideration] but that’s just an excuse.)  You can still speak. In particular, you can comment on the defamation action itself and its impact on free speech.

A powerful response to a defamation suit is to expand the original criticism.

Martin also cites what I consider to be a rather amusing case which had the exact opposite effect the plaintiff was seeking.  In it  he says “Helen Steel and Dave Morris, members of London Greenpeace, produced a leaflet critical of McDonald’s. McDonald’s sued. Steel and Morris, with no income, defended themselves. They used the trial to generate lots of publicity. Because of the trial, their leaflet has reached a far greater audience than would have been possible otherwise. The whole exercise has been a public relations disaster for McDonald’s.”

2013 February – Constitutionally Speaking.

What a wonderful read this was.  It is always inspiring to read an article written from a place of knowledge and experience, when clearly the author has examined every aspect of his post pre-publication.

I particularly enjoyed:

When you sue somebody for defamation, you usually make things worse by attracting attention to the offensive comment. When you do not laugh off a slightly unhinged comment like that, your response sends a signal that the comment really hurt you and might actually be close to the truth. And if you then threaten to sue or actually sue, you might well further harm any reputation you might have left – instead of protecting it from harm.

And of interest to some might be the following:

Once you have convinced a court that statements made about you are defamatory, it is presumed that the publication was both unlawful and intentional. If you want to avoid liability for making such prima facie defamatory statements, you will have to raise a defence which either shows that the statements were not made intentionally or were not unlawful. As the Constitutional Court explained in Khumalo v Holomisa:

Although not a closed list, the most commonly raised defences to rebut unlawfulness are that the publication was true and in the public benefit; that the publication constituted fair comment and that the publication was made on a privileged occasion.

This means you will not be liable for defamation if you can show to a court that what you had said was both true and was on a matter that was in the public interest.

From WebTech Law arises another interesting scenario recently played out where, it seems, hard-done-by’s allegedly threatened an urgent interdict.  They didn’t like what someone wrote, which that someone reasonably believed was true.

…. some of the challenges that the Courts will face enforcing an interdict (like in this matter) will be how to quantify the damages to compensate for the possible loss of profit suffered… as the internet has almost infinite reach and it could become challenging to determine the impact of the publication.  A further hurdle which the courts may face in enforcing the interdict is the fact that trying to remove something from the internet is like trying to remove pee from a pool. It would be very difficult to remove the report as well as the Twitter and Facebook comments as the news has been spread so far and wide by now that it becomes almost impossible to prevent people from viewing it. To tie into that, a phenomenon which has been starting to merge in similar cases to this one is something called the “Streisand-effect”. The just of this is that ….. by attempting to remove information or statements, etc more attention is brought to whatever it is that you are trying to remove, with the effect that it has the complete opposite effect than what it was attempting.

The test for defamation is called “the objective reasonable person test” and can be summarised as follows:

A reasonable person is fictional, normal, well-balanced and right-thinking person with normal emotional reaction and a person of average intellect and knowledge, in other words, not a person with expert knowledge on defamation, or the law.

Any judge in South Africa looking at any action or motion proceedings is required to apply the “reasonable person test” when assessing any action…  If it is true, if it is an opinion based on truth, if it is in the interests of the public, it if can be substantiated by documentation and research – is it REALLY defamation?

I question the agenda of any person who rushes out in defence of an article when, in fact, there may be little or no defence at all, but attempt, by employing intimidation tactics, to brush expressed opinion and fact under the carpet.  There is a universe of information available before going all out on a limb, which could have the absolute opposite effect to what he/she is attempting to achieve.

Beware that you bring any legal proceedings against any person who has a valid and reasonable basis for what has been written.  Beware that your intended intimidation and threats are not brought about by trying to conceal the truth.

Featured Race #MandelaMarathon @Running Easy – “Try Easier”

Our featured race is the Mandela Day Marathon because this is a race that has the potential to “have it all”. There are many, many marathons in the world and many, many marathons in marathon made that’s a lot of m’s ;- South Africa. However I am excited about the Mandela Day Marathon as I explain in my blog post – “THE marathon of South Africa”.

 

I suggest that this race has the ingredients to become the iconic marathon race of South Africa like the Comrades marathon and the Two Oceans marathon have done for ultra-marathons. Running is more than just the distance run – which in itself is a huge achievement, but it is what the race means to those who participate. How incredible is a race that reminds us of someone who selflessly struggled against oppression in a spirit of humility. How incredible is the opportunity to visit key places in this struggle and share it in a very real way as you run the hills that dominate the race as it makes it way along it’s meandering 42km course.

via Featured Race – Running Easy – “Try Easier”.

THE Marathon of South Africa? #MandelaMarathon @RunningEasy #MandelaExperience

 

Not only does the Mandela Marathon and 10 km take place on the last Sunday in August each year from 2014 onwards, but it is geared to accommodate athletes from various age categories, abilities, and this includes a 4.6664km Kiddies Race and a wheelchair race. This year Mandela Marathon Race Organising Committee has included an International Cyclist Race. There is also the VIP Elite 4.6664km race which sees the MEC and even members of the Mandela Family taking part.

However, the Mandela Experience does not stop there. A number of events are planned the week prior to race weekend, which are aimed at showcasing local talent, encouraging youth, and empowering local rural businesses, which we now fondly refer to as the #MandelaExperience.

At the finish line at Mandela Capture Site there will be a performance by local known artists to entertain the spectators, again enhancing the vast pool of talent that KZN has, allowing the artists themselves to showcase their talents, again giving rise to experiencing Nelson Mandela as a “Man for all People”.

via THE Marathon of South Africa? – Running Easy – “Try Easier”.

KZN High Court rules Mandela Marathon WILL go ahead as planned

IT IS all systems go for the Mandela Day Marathon. This comes after a complaint laid by athletics clubs from the Umgugundlovu district was struck off the roll at the Pietermaritzburg High Court yesterday.

Members of the Tholizwe Sports Clubs and the Edendale Runners Society had filed a complaint against the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, claiming that the municipality had taken over the race and was profiting from it without consulting them.

Veteran long distance runner and the head of Edendale Runners Society Sibusiso Mahlangu said the Mandela Day race had been taking place for some time and that it was unfair for the municipality to muscle out the runners.

The application to halt the race, which is scheduled to take place on August 25, was unsuccessful after the Tholizwe Sports Club failed to provide the court with membership registration documents.

Mlungisi Shangase, the club’s spokesman, said the club had been unable to do this due to the short notice.

“There was just not enough time to compile all the material because of the location of some of our members,” he said.

The race has been marred by controversy since it was announced earlier in the year with some runners complaining about the administration of the race and not being able to register properly.

Speaking about this, Mahlangu said they had been trying to speak to the municipality but had received no response.

He also indicated that runners might boycott the race.

“Right now we have to go back to the members of our clubs and consult with them about whether we want to run in the race or not,” he said.

---

The Independent on Saturday
27 Jul 2013

#TrueStory @NathanMartin9 “I’m doing #MandelaMarathon for Tata Madiba!”

We “met” Nathan in Twitter.  Immediately his enthusiasm and interest in #MandelaMarathon struck a chord.  There seemed a sheer determination and an inherent passion in him, so much so that he felt he HAD to run this marathon.   I asked him if he would mind sharing his “why” with us, and he immediately agreed.   After suffering a knee injury, which he will still be nursing during the grueling marathon ahead, he has entered and started training for the 42.2km event on 25 August.

 

This is his story:

 

My name is Nathan Martin, I was born in Newcastle, Northern Natal in the year 1982.  I now reside in Durban since ’97.
In preparation to run my first Comrades Marathon 2013, I sustained an injury to my right knee and could not participate. It was really frustrating since I had qualified and entered.
Getting back onto the road and training again brought about that sense of freedom. A feeling of ecstasy, that most runners like me find difficulty in articulating what it actually is, that brings such passion to run.

The distances I generally run are more or less 15km. Growing up I was never really a long distance runner.

I started running longer distances last year. My longest is a 52km ultra marathon.

After having watched a clip on TV, informing viewers about the MDM, I decided there and then that I had to be a part of it!

 

This was huge for me.

 

Yes, it’s all about Nelson Mandela, an absolute icon, in leading the struggle against apartheid in our country. How could I not be a part of the MDM?

It will be my first MDM.

 

I’ve heard its a tough course. I will be doing the 42km run and since I’m not familiar with the route and also still recovering with my knee injury, I hope to finish in 5hrs.

I’m doing it for Tata Madiba!

 

I’m constantly in awe of people like Nathan, who so powerfully put across their message and who, despite injury, will, for the love of Madiba, attempt to run his first Mandela Day Marathon.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, and for supplying the awesome photos.   #MandelaMarathon #ROC and all officials wish you the very best for an amazing race.   May you go from strength to strength and come 25 August, be injury-free while you achieve the Triumph of the Human Spirit .

Nathan Martin, athlete..

Nathan martin, “I’m running Mandela Marathon for Tata Madiba”

Determined, enthusiastic and excited, a pleasure to know Nathan.

#KeepGoing

Woohoo! You did it!!

via 3 #TrueStory @NathanMartin9 “I’m doing #MandelaMarathon for Tata Madiba!”.

MANDELA MARATHON ON

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MDM PAPER.LI

 

CurrClick – Teachable Moments in June #Homeschool #Education #Freebies

Teachable Moments in June

Here is a monthly Teachable Moments Calendar. . Find notable days and holidays, tons of accompanying low cost resources and even Freebies!

In PDF Format, Enjoy!

via CurrClick.

World Champ bemoans lack of Corporate Sponsors @CollenMakaza featured in @TheParadeMag #Zimbabwe, Come on Africa, its about #Teamwork

How delighted I am to see a full feature of our dear friend, and adopted family member, being featured in this brand new magazine. Issue number 2, April 2013, on page 53 the Sports Writer in Chitungwiza discusses Collen’s concerns about the lack of corporate support in Mr Pace Marathon, his brainchild from 2009, which is run under the auspices of the Harare Athletics Board, NAAZ and IAAF. Collen arrived in South Africa today to assist with athletes in the Comrades Marathon. Collen’s personal manager and agent is Craig Fry.

Not only has Collen (and we know this from personal experience) financed the majority of the marathon (and other races) from his own pocket, but he holds a full time job and still finds the time to train and run in prestigious races around the world, and he selflessly commenced the Mr Pace Marathon with the aim of giving back to the community he so loves, within the sport he so loves, and to “identify and nurture talent that lies in abundance, mostly in high density areas…”

Come on Africa, we can do better than this…. Rally around and put Mr Pace Marathon on the Global map as a race you need NOT to miss…. Africa has some outstanding athletes, collectively the best in the world in so far as running is concerned. Let’s work together to encourage and nurture the talent that lies throughout Africa, in the little children and young adults who look up to the likes of their Zimbabwean heroes, Collen Makaza and Stephen Muzhingi, amongst others.

Collen made history in 2010 when he beat the world record when he was placed first in the IAU World 50km championships in Ireland. In 2011 he could not defend his title due to injury, but in 2012, competed to come a respectable 2nd position.

But as a running nation, as a continent of elite runners, YOU can make a difference!  Click on the image links for full size images, and to read the article.

Images scanned from The Parade Magazine pages. Images of Collen used in the article are from my page http://www.squidoo.com/collen-makaza

image001

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Find them:

Collen on Twitter http://twitter.com/collenmakaza

Craig on Twitter http://twitter.com/craigsathletes

The Parade Magazine on Twitter http://twitter.com/theparademag

http://www.theparade.co.zw/

@SoldiersAngels – Official #Squidoo Contest – Calling all Angels >NEEDING YOUR VOTES PLEASE :)

Soldiers Angels – May No Soldier go Unloved.

This is an official contest supported by Squidoo. We could REALLY do with your support.  PLEASE!

I’m a proud member of http://www.squidoo.com/rocketmoms/hq who has teamed up with Squidoo’s Summer Sunshine Award for Charity. Here are the details:

This summer, for 60 days, we’re giving away $99 a day to benefit charities. But that’s not all. The lensmaster will receive $99 too. One winning lensmaster a day, every day for 60 days, will get $99.

Please go to the following link, rate, comment, favorite it… $99 will send out almost 10 care packages to warriors 🙂

Soldiers Angels on Squidoo

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Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your mission that you can forget why you started down this path. A number of people and events have been reminding me of why we’re all here, all working so hard to take care of our troops. “Patti Patton-Bader “

“You don’t have to live in the US to Support Soldiers Angels – Adopt a Soldier NOW!”

My involvement with Soldiers Angels is – well I can’t tell how or when it began, all I knew is that there was an Earth Angel who had a vision of hope, light and love and wanted to share it with the whole of the USA – and then the world – to support the troops, male and female, who had been deployed to various parts of the world. The enthusiasm, dedication and determination of this organisation cannot help but become inspirational to anyone who has lived in an area or country affected by war and/or poverty or been involved in one way or another with active members of the military, regardless of where in the world it may have been. Soldiers Angels is not only based in the USA but is now an international organisation.

I joined Soldiers Angels and soon became a (PROUD PROUD PROUD <- Did mention extremely proud?) Verified Angel whereafter I could adopt our first hero/shero. Why do soldiers need adopting? There’s a wide variety of reasons, which I’ll touch on in this page. Why do they get adopted? Because it is the least that can be done by someone who is in a position to supply a small piece of home comfort, a letter, card, anything to say “THANK YOU, YOU ARE REMEMBERED, YOU MAKE US PROUD, WE HOPE THIS SMALL TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION WILL GO SOME WAY IN RELIEVING THE DISCOMFORT OF THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH YOU ARE PROTECTING AND SERVING, OFTEN UNDER HORRENDOUS CONDITIONS.”

No, I am not a US Citizen, nor do I live in the USA. I am not a member of the Allied Forces, nor am I in the military, although I have trained with the South African Defence Force (Now SANDF) in South Africa during the height of the African Bush War. I have close friends and family, some of whom have served or are serving in one or the other, some of whom have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for freedom, to serve and protect. I remind myself often that the US Military is not just based in the USA, Afghanistan or Iraq, but in Africa and other continents throughout the world. This is the story of Soldiers Angels (I’ll refer to it as “SA” within this following passage), and the Motto which is now embedded in my mind and the minds of thousands of Angels worldwide:
May No Soldier Go Unloved
May No Soldier Walk Alone
May No Soldier Be Forgotten
Until They All Come Home

SA needs to make ‘urgent’ power supply decisions in 2010 – Dames

SA needs to make ‘urgent’ power supply decisions in 2010 – Dames.

South Africa had to make “urgent decisions” this year to ensure the security of energy supply in the next 20 years, Eskom chief officer for generation Brian Dames said on Monday.

Addressing a National Union of Mineworkers energy forum in Johannesburg, he said that the country would have to continue building new capacity, while also investing in other technologies than coal.

According to some plans Eskom had devised, nuclear should contribute about 14,4% of the country’s electricity supply by 2028, with existing power generation units contributing 41% and new coal-fired power stations about 10,7%.

Dames further highlighted that power conservation could no longer be a choice in South Africa and that it should be mandatory.

Meanwhile, finance director Paul O’Flaherty emphasised that Eskom had to commit to completing the Medupi and Kusile coal-fired power stations, as well as the Ingula pumped-storage project.

He noted that it was important for Eskom to obtain the R190-billion funding shortfall it was still facing for the next seven years, as the power utility could not afford to become insolvent.

He added that to stop the construction of the Kusile power plant now would be a waste of money, in terms of what had already been committed on the project.

Also, while Eskom understood concerns from environmental groups around the $3,7-billion World Bank loan, O’Flaherty said that it was not helping the power utility, as it could impact on its credit ratings and subsequently its ability to raise capital.

Dames added that the World Bank loan would also support renewable energy and environmental protection, as some of the funds would go towards building the largest wind farm in South Africa and the largest concentrated solar power plant in the country.

The Witness, PMB, #SANews #Eskom – Loadshedding Continues – thanks World Bank for giving Eskom the R29billion loan

The Witness.

Messages after the capital city and surrounding areas (and other parts of the country) were left without any form of electricity supply for 27 hours from 20-21 April 2010…. Sheeeeeeeeeesh! That’s a lot longer than the regular (Scheduled but unnotified) load-shedding of between 3 and 8 hours per day… #IDontLoveEskom – but this was as a result of blown up sub-stations that have not been maintained or upgraded for the last 12-15 years and because Eskom employees have decided to join in the Nationwide Municpal Strike they decided they were not going to fix the sub-stations…

Now we ask ourselves the questions, the kids and I were chatting about it this evening while camping my the bedroom around a bunch of candles…

We often say “What did we do before motor cars?” “What did we do before refined sugar?”  Tonight we asked outselves “What did we do AFTER Eskom?  The answer was “Started living like cavemen while paying increased monthly service rates for a service we are not receiving, stocking up on candles, charcoal so that we can at least eat warm food (Gas is too expensive) etc etc…”

As I write this the streets are lined with litter because of the Municipal strike, the stench as you drive past some areas is unbearable; Refuse removal remains unremoved (we don’t get rebates)……….

Burst water pipes remain burst and water gets wasted ( we have apparently less than 6 months’ supply of water in South Africa- and that was before winter) ………

Defrosted food in refrigerators and deep freezes are lost… Insurance cmpanies now indemnify themselves against losses due load-edhedding or Eskom related claims….  Some people living in outer areas are losing an entire month’s worth of groceries which they cal ill afford at the current rate of increase at 5% PER MONTH – and they have no recourse…….

Chaos is the new word for traffic as traffic systems cease to function, accidents – some fatal – occur per the minute,  ummmm Municipal Traffic Officers, where are you to re-direct the traffic?

Banks cannot operate, ecause even with generators, Telkom, also owned by the Government, can not get their systems up and running….

Schools all but shut down, as electricial equipment cannot be used, microphones, telephone systems, computers –  nothing can be used… The exhorbitantly expensive fees paid to public schools don’t get refunded….

Eskom stated in their application to the World Bank for their loan that certain households receive free electricity… <- NO ONE IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS HEARD OF THIS…. the majority receive cheaper electricity and if they refuse to pay they do not get dosconnected simply because they will either stone the contractors going to disconnect, barricade the roads with burning tyres and refuse, stone the motor vehicles, and/or assault, kill intimidate and threaten the contractors… SO THEY GET IT FOR FREE…..

The Airline terminals are – well let’s just say —->>>> DON’T FLY HERE!  Chaos there currently at South Africa’s only 2 itnternational airports, Johannesburg and Cape Town, which are non-functional at the best of times with incompetent token-appointment staff who barely speak English – if at all, and are far more intent on stuffing their faces with whatever they can get into their mouths, than attempting to even try and explain that “uhh hellooo we have no power – we cannot help you… no we cannot tell you anything.. just stand there and wait..”  One woman has been waiting for 2 days to return to London…

The Municipal strike is said to take another 2 weeks before it is over, if their demands are not met.. not sure what the demands are…  Current news is that it should be over by tomorrow… At what cost to the econoy? The threat is that if their demands are not met the Word Cup will experience countrywide outages throughout the tournaments.. something to look forward to…

Some comments taken from a local newspaper at how power outages, scheduled or unscheduled affect the populace, and the exhorbitant (and rising) costs of paying for Eskom services that are not being received… But beware – DO NOT PAY YOUR ACCOUNT ONE DAY LATE… your service will be disconnected, and this is done via private contractors at the electrcity poles…..

Thank you World Bank (against the advice of the US Treasury) for supplying Eskom with the R29 blillion loan last week that South Africans and the world fought so hard against.  Do you HONESTLY think that any of that money will find its way into trying to improve the country’s (non-)economy?  Who do you think is actually going to repay this loan?  The South African consumer cannot afford the current bills… Entire businesses are shut down daily – for days sometimes – the staff have nothing to do, the businesses are shutting down at hundreds a day…. Why can the world not see this? WHY NOT?

Load shedding: SMS responses

Readers

Eskom Load Shedding:
Readers respond. Some comments have been edited.

One specific outage, on 27 September, impacted very badly on my life and has left me with medical costs which I can ill afford.
A month before that I had a successful shoulder operation which healed so well. I work on the 5th floor of the Dept of Transport and when the electricity went off, I had to walk down 164 steps to get to the ground floor.
Because of polio as a child, my knees are very weak and I have to use my arms up or down stairs.
Because there were only rails on the right side of the stairs, I had to use my injured arm to assist me. Much difficulty and pain later, I was on the ground floor, but unbeknown to me this descent caused extreme damage to the operated shoulder. Four months later and I am still in severe pain and my specialist has suggested another operation.
Who is going to pay for this?
Marlena de Villiers

Firstly, government was warned over eight years ago by two internationally recognised experts, of the problem of increased demand, and chose to ignore it. So once again our government has demonstrated its incompetence. Secondly, if large employers are penalised, their employees won’t have electricity to go home to, because unless this situation is resolved, they may not have jobs in the future.  Thirdly, small businesses are bearing the brunt of this fiasco and in certain parts of the country many have had to close their doors, bringing a negative impact on employment.  Lastly, the Public Protector has been slow off the mark. He should have jumped all over Eskom long time ago.  I only wish the people of this country could follow the American example and bring a class action lawsuit against both Eskom and the government. It is high time the South African consumer stopped adopting such a passive stance to situations such as this.
I hope FIFA are taking note of this diabolical situation.
Paul Dorian

It is sad that the lives of many South Africans are affected because of “so called demand”. Why don’t Eskom enforce the mega companies to close their production plants during peak hours and let the masses go home to electricity, or is there too much money at stake. Eskom is drawing power from the poor and supplying to the rich. Am I wrong? I thought the MCB charges we have to pay were to prevent this situation? Perhaps we should revisit the payment of this tax. Who has been using the revenue collected for purposes other than for those intended or where is this mountain of money stashed? Where do Eskom’s profits go if not into building up resources and infrastructure?
A. Kidson

Can’t the Msunduzi Municipality not provide us with a better service and publish help lines too! After all, what is the use of Internet if there is no power! A daily print out of load shedding on the front page of The Natal Witness and other daily newspapers would be more practical.
Sue Drummond

My biggest problem is that the times that Eskom give do not coincide with the actual load shedding.  We received eight identical smses on Tuesday to let us know that we will be experiencing load shedding on Monday. The times they gave were completely wrong.  We had 3 different intervals on Monday adding up to 7 hours in total. The first one was at Breakfast 06h30 to 08h00, the second at lunch 11h55 to 15h00, and the third between 18h00 and 20h30. How do I feed my kids?

It is sad when the country was warned years ago to build more power stations and nothing was done. Today we pay the price. Really there is nothing the public can do. Anything we say will fall on deaf†ears. But one thing we can do is oppose stupid comments like there are not enough resources from the traffic department to put more officers on points duty. You need to look at the Manning Road/Royston Road intersection. There you will see about 10 traffic cars, all parked on the grass verge and one at the corner of East Street. What are they doing there? Waiting for the odd motorist that rounds the slip way and he gets caught up the road. Yet you will see no traffic vehicles in Langalibalele Street. You only need to see how these kombi taxis are driven, every traffic rule is broken. The same applies to Moses Mabida Road. You donít see any traffic vehicles. You know if these officers are visible then drivers will be more patient on the roads. The statement Kenneth Chetty is making is unacceptable. He needs to take a drive around the city to see for himself.  Load shedding is causing enough problems. We need to take note of all the foodstuffs we have in our freezers as these will begin to go off very soon. Who will compensate the house holder?
Ganson

On moving to Pietermaritzburg in 1987 I was informed by our local Municipality that it was compulsory to have the “Domestic Single Phase Amp” switch installed in the electricity meter box attached to my house. The Municipal officials kindly told me that it was to help me†SAVE electricity.  †Today, this switch costs me R191,52 per month. If my neighbours and all the rest of the residents in the Msunduzi Municipal Area are doing their “thing” (don’t forget it is compulsory to have this switch) in SAVING electricity, PLEASE† can† some one tell me why , we as residents of the “City of Choice” are having to join in with the power cuts and load sharing? As it is clearly visible to all that this switch does not work, can I please have a refund?
Pennie Pelser

Suggestions
1 Plan the Outages so they occur at the same time on the same day in each area, so people can prepare ahead.
2 Put qualified competent Managers in the relevant Departments. 3 The Witness publishes the time and place of the outages for that day on the front page. (Which are never adhered to and o longer occur)  Eskom advise the people how long the outage will last, if possible a  fixed period for each area, so the inconvenience can be shared equally among the population . I understand there are certain areas that have never had an  outage.
W.T. Bright

10. My husband and I live in Howick, and our power goes off without any warning sometimes twice a day. Howick itself does not get mentioned at all on the Internet or in the Witness load shedding schedules. We have invested in a couple of long life lamps, so at least we can read, if nothing else.
Mrs Colleen Brand

I think it is totally unacceptable that load shedding of residential properties is done in the evenings when families are at home trying to feed, bath, do homework etc. residential load shedding should take place between hours of business e.g. 8am – 5pm as most homes are vacant and will not be affected.  Businesses should be shut down in the middle of the night or late evening. Eskom was awarded billions of rands years ago to rectify the matter and now they must pay the consequences and pay overtime to their workers. We are told Eskom will not be held responsible for any loss or damages, as a business owner, we may end up loosing our homes, cars etc. We are unable to operate our business when load shedding takes place as we cannot utilise computers, credit card facilities, complete demonstrations and the list goes on. We cannot expect staff to travel home for a couple of hours and come back when the power is on, so therefore we have to pay people to be idle. Why do the powers that be at Eskom not think long and hard before taking on such a serious matter, consider the lives they are affecting. Perhaps the fat cats were issued with generators so do they actually give a continental!!
I agree with a previous comment made about a class action lawsuit against the Government and Eskom.
Anon

As a temporary measure, and until the power crisis has been resolved, may I suggest the introduction of a†fixed amount at the standard tariff for each household and†when this is exceeded a much higher tariff is charged. This will discourage extravagant use and thereby make more electricity available for essential services, business, traffic lights etc.
Joan Osborne

We are going back to the dark ages — excuse the pun
Anon

Some of the SMS responses

Switch off the total country for 5 to10 minutes at 9.00 pm every night! Everybody wins.

ESKOM should be fined for poor service and lack of maintenance . High salaried officials should have salary cuts as they are not performing as required .

Surely with all the power shedding we should be paying less for our electricity bills not more. Does Eskom or the municipality think of that? Why are the
street lights left on all day?

Does Lidgetton have to have load shedding 2 times a day. Farms and many businesses here? We cannot afford generators !

It is frustrating. Why not send the whole city on lunch at noon switch off for a hour or two. Remember the entire city will stand still, what a save! Businesses will plan better. Quinton Brien

Advertise load shedding schedules in the witness, not everyone has access 2 internet or a phone. Y is ur electricity bill hiking when all this load shedding occuring

It would be easy to sort out the Eskom power problem: just FIRE ESKOM’S CEO, and employ a Private Company from abroad to replace Eskom. DISGRUNTLED

Eskom is now giving Citizens yet another reason to leave the Country permanently! DISGRUNTLED

Multichoice will lose customers due to load shedding by Eskom – I hope they sue them for every customer who cancels their subscribtion! DISGRUNTLED One wonders what FIFA thinks of the alleged service delivery in this third world backwater?

my suggestion to eskom is for them to do their† load shedding at night say after 23h00 till 04h00 the following day,that is do a complete shut down then have enough power during normal working hours

percy xaba