DOCUMENTARY

They move quick. There is no much time to sit around. They move together in small groups or teams. In the old disused coal mine in the koppies near Ermelo a group of men and women started mining the low grade coal. Member of the commnity say that the miners started mining the old mine in ernest from December 2013.  

Since then the activity have increased and more people came to dig for the black gold (Malalhe). Most of the men use wheelbarrows and garden tools to dig in the dark  of the tunnels. The women use bags or buckets to gather the coal and carry it out of the darkness. Some even use a candle for lighting. 

Local athourities are concerned for their safety. In many of the tunnels it is evident that conditions are treacherous and rockfalls are clearly visible. The wood supportbeams are clearly bowed under the strain of the roof of the tunnel. This is no deterent for the miners as they go deeper to where they can find the coal that is of beter quality.

The men with their camping LED headlamps and wheelbarrows take out up to 15 loads a day. The load is then transport to the nearby township of Wesselton by the transporters. They do charge the miners for transport but finances is not discussed with strangers.  "We only mine for our own use. And we don't do crimes like thieves."








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The business of Counter Rhino Poaching

Tourist from all over the world come to South Africa to see the big 5 animals.. Elephants, rhinos have always been the target of poachers for their tusks and horns. Illegal trade of rhino horn on the black market is not only reaching the billions but it is also seen as a status symbol in Asia... Big game parks in South Africa are taking a serious stance to train their rangers effectively to fight the war on rhino poaching... trainers with combat experience from Afganistan and Iraq help to get the game rangers fighting fit....











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Free to Fly

The narrow streets of Alexandra township is always busy, bustling. For the kids at the flats, the place to find a 5 minute break of fantasy is on the trampoline. Here they can jump and 'fly' for 5 minutes at a time while other kids wait their turn. 
The Alexandra Trampoline Club (ATC) provide an alternative to crime, drugs and alcohol, changing the mindset of the children towards clean thinking and healthy living. The club operates at 2 venues, one in South Hills and the other in Alexandra. 
But it is at the trampoline set up between the 4-5 storey high flats where most youngsters get the opportunity to be free and creative while playing on and around the bhampara....











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Transnet Pensioenarisse 

Hulle krepeer in piepklein woonstelletjies, karavane of vind ‘n heenkome in toevlugsoorde vir hawelose mense. Van dié pensioentrekkers wat wel blyplek in een of ander tehuis kry, moet soos armlastiges bakhand  voor hul kinders staan om vir dié verblyf te betaal.
Na jare se diens by Transnet sukkel talle van die 66 000 pensioentrekkers, wat dié maatskappy nou in ‘n klasaksie voor die hof daag, om kop bo water te hou. Van die mense moes noodgedwonge hul mediese fondsbydrae staak om te oorleef op ‘n pensioen wat die afgelope  10 jaar met net 2% per jaar verhoog word. Dit terwyl die mediese fondsbydraes met tot 8% per jaar verhoog is.  
Baie van dié pensioenarisse is nou van hul kinders afhanklik om te help betaal vir verblyf, mediese onkostes en ander basiese noodsaaklikhede. Hulle menswaardigheid word aanetas en hulle vrees vir die toekoms, sê hulle.
Hy sou aanvanklik sy mediese fonds verniet gekry het, maar moet nou op sy oudag ten duurste betaal, sê mnr. Bokkie Botha (74) van Pretoria.  “My vroutjie moet ‘n knievervanging kry en ons weet nie waar ons die geld gaan kry nie,”sê hy.  Hy het 39 jaar vir Transnet (die Spoorweë) gewerk en het as bestuurder afgetree. “Ek is dankbaar vir die mense wat die saak onder die howe se aandag gebring het,” sê hy.   “Ek kan nie die heeltyd in my kind se oë kyk vir hulp nie.
Die “saak”  waarvan Botha praat, is die grootste siviele eis in die land se regsgeskiedenis, die klaskaksie van R79 miljard deur Transnet-pensionarisse. Pleitstukke in dié saak is laat April by die hooggeregshof in Pretoria ingedien. In die pleitstukke word aangevoer dat Transnet die pensioenfondse van sy afgetrede lede, onder wie derduisende behoeftiges, op onwettige maniere kaalgestroop het.
Soos Botha moet ook mev. Anna de Beer (76), wat tans in die VEK Lofdal tehuis vir bejaardes in Pretoria woon, nou op haar man se karige Spoorwegsalaris probeer oorleef. En hulle het nooit weelderig geleef nie, maar nou trek sy behoorlik noustrop. Hulle moes onder meer hul mediese fonds opsê sodat hulle darem die woonstelletjie waar hulle gebly het, kon bekostig. Maar sy hoop die hofsaak sal uitkoms  bring sodat sy nie altyd van haar kinders  afhanklik hoef te wees nie. 
Ook mev. Daisy Slabber (88), van dié  tehuis, probeer om op ‘n gedeelte van haar man se Transnet-pensioen oorleef. Hy het 30 jaar as boekhouer vir die spoorwee gewerk. Die pensioen is maar min en haar seun help soms om die fooie vir die tehuis te betaal maar hy sukkel ook finansieel, sê sy.
Mev. Maria Kearney (83) se man het 19 jaar vir die spoorweë gewerk en is in sy werktyd  oorlede aan ‘n hartaanval.  Haar kleindogter en dogter sorg nou dat sy in die Lofdal-tehuis versorg kan word.  “Basiese benodighede en klein ekstras soos yoghurt en salf is duur en sy kan dit nie bekostig nie,”sê  haar dogter ,Theresa Oosthuizen.
Mnr. Elroyd Sydow  (gebore 1939) was skaars 20 jaar oud toe hy by die spoorweë begin werk het, eers as bagasielaaier en portier en later as stoker. In   1968 is hy opgelei as treindrywer.  “Ek het in 1970 of 1971 as treindrywer begin werk en het  13 jaar lank treine gery, “sê hy.  Hy is weens gehoor probleme ‘geboard’ en het 25 jaar vir Spoorweë gewerk en ken nog sy werknemer nommer uit sy kop uit.Weens geloofsredes skeer hy nie sy baard en sny nie sy hare nie en woon al 10 jaar in die Filadelfia Ark in Kameeldrif-Wes, ‘n toevlugsoord vir arm, hawelose mense.Volgens Advokaat Willie Spies van Afriform wat die pesioenarisse veteenwoordig in van die sake teen Transnet ,  sterf  daar maandeliks  sowat 400 van dié pensioenarisse.

 Mnr Elroyd Sydow het 25jaar vir doe Spoorweg gewerk Eers as laaier en Portier en later as storker en treindrywer op die stoomtreine. Hy het sy mediesefonds opgesê want hy sê word nie siek nie en die Here sal hom gesond hou.

Mnr Elroyd Sydow het 25jaar vir doe Spoorweg gewerk Eers as laaier en Portier en later as storker en treindrywer op die stoomtreine. Hy het sy mediesefonds opgesê want hy sê word nie siek nie en die Here sal hom gesond hou.

Tannie Anna de Beer (76). Haar man het 31 jaar vir die spoorwee opgeoffer. "Ek dink aan al die opofferings wat hy vir my en die kinders gemaak het." het sy gesê.

Mev Daisy Slabber (88) woon ook in die Lofdal tehuis vir bejaardes. Haar man het 30jaar vir die Spoorwee gewerk as boekhouer.Haar seun help waar hy kan maar sukkel self ook finansieel.

Mev Maria Kearney (83) woon in Lofdal tehuis vir bejaardes. Haar dogter en kleindogter help om te betaal vir haar versorging.

Mev Maria Kearney (83) woon in Lofdal tehuis vir bejaardes. Haar dogter en kleindogter help om te betaal vir haar versorging.

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Burn Rubber.....


The fierce growl of  the enjins overpower the severe screech of tyres on the tar surface. To ride a quarter mile (402.3m) as quick and as fast as possible. Time measured in seconds and speed in hundreds of kilometers per hour. Drag Racing is not for the fainthearted. The tyres are first warmed-up by spinning the wheels on a wet cement surface before they proceed to the startline. When the light turns green, it is go,go,....GO!
When the first racer achieve 301km/h in 8.6 seconds, it time to put the pedal to the metal and soon seconds get chomped by kilometres per hour...

(Afrikaans)
Laat die Wiele Rol….

Die grom van die enjins oordonder die geskree van die bande op die teerbaan. ‘n Kwart myl lê voor en dit moet so vinnig as moontlik gery word. Tyd word in sekondes gemeet en die spoed in die honderde. Tralton drag Racing is nie vir die lig in die broek ou nie.
Die wielle word eers warm gedraai dat die rook staan dan rol hulle tot by die streep en wag vir die groenlig. Met oorverdowende geraas jaag hulle oor so bietjie meer as 400 meter om te sien wie nie net die vinnigste nie maar ook in die kortste tyd dit doen. Hoe later die dag hoe swaarder word die voet op die petrol pedal totdat  een ou dit regkry om die kwartmyl met 301km/h in 8.6sekondes klok. Dan word die krane oopgedraai….
Die jaers mag glad nie drank gebruik voor of tydens die kompetisie by Tarlton raceway nie.
Grappie:
Wat eet jy?....Griees
Wat rook jy?.... Rubber….
Wat snuif jy?..... petrol..eee..eintlik skoon alcohol
En wat drink jy?..... Jy vra nog? Brannewyn natuurlik…..



The previous recer's rubber is sweeped of the track

Spectators...

Jetcars....it's a blast and earsplitting noisy!!!

Anyone for a QUICK ride down the track???

The ladies race as well.





The Lines in the Sky


Electricity theft affects many communities in South Africa, not least that of Kwa Thema Extension 3. Several people have died through electrocution from illegal power connections in this East Rand township over recent years. Nonetheless, the practice continues – with a veritable spider’s web of illegal cables visible in the area.


Residents acknowledge that power theft is wrong. But, they also point out that the illegal cables are critical to making life bearable in the poverty-stricken township. “I am not working and I have a connection. I use it for my light to read, because it is difficult to read with a candle,” says Sibusiso Majola,  a 22-year-old resident. Most of the people living in Kwa Thema are unemployed, and survive by doing occasional jobs.

This essay explores how illegal connections, while dangerous, help to sustain humanity in the settlement, enabling those residents who can to do business, operate small two-plate stoves, boil a kettle and listen to the news on the radio.











Malahle....


In the East Rand township of Kwa Thema, where legal supplies of electricity are scarce, coal often serves as a source of fuel. In the four-kilometre-square area of the settlement, there are several coal yards that sell and deliver bags of coal to residents and smaller retailers. The cost of a full bag is approximately R60 – but, a lower price can be negotiated if the buyer purchases 10 or more bags of coal.
During the past 10 years the township has developed rapidly, leading to increased demand for power in the area.
Coal – or malahle, in Zulu -- is preferred for cooking and heating because it burns for a longer time than does wood, and does not generate as much smoke. To burn it properly one need to know how to make the ‘upside-down’ fire.
The use of this fuel also comes with disadvantages, however. Burning coal produce a toxic/noxious gas causing lung diseases and also produce smoke pollution. Learning this ‘upside-down-skill’ cause the coal-fire to burn more efficient and produce less smoke/gas.






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