Don’t cut power at rush hour

IT IS evident we are going to be dealing with plenty of load shedding, especially with winter approaching. What has become unacceptable (and I’m sure many motorists will agree) is that it is done during peak-hour traffic times, which results in huge congestion.

This congestion results in delays in babies and children being collected from créches and daycares on time. Many of these institutions charge late collection fees as staff have to work overtime.

Surely not much electricity is actually being shed during peakhour traffic times as so many people are actually on the road, meaning electricity is not being used. A prime example is the M7 freeway.

This is used by many motorists coming from so many different directions and becomes heavily congested for people trying to get to Bellair, Hillary, Malvern, Northdene and Pinetown, to name a few. This is affected by block 2 being switched off.

Surely the eThekwini Muncipality has the powers to only start the load shedding from 6pm instead, to assist the public.

The municipality is also aware of the affected areas but does not allocate traffic officials to assist, not only for the main intersections but also at the off-ramps to the suburbs, that is, Bellville off-ramp.

What adds to the delays is impatient motorists who cross solid lines to push in ahead of motorists who have been sitting in the traffic for ages following the legitimate queue.

Furthermore, most of the current load shedding taking place during the week has been starting at 4pm and usually finishes about 10pm. Surely it would be logical to start load shedding after peak-hour traffic has died down.

Let’s hope the eThekwini Muncipality can assist. ROB IRWIN Queensburgh

Blackouts should be evenly distributed

I REFER to the letter “Nothing fair about new schedule” in yesterday’s Mercury, and fully concur with writer Rowan du Toit.

The current schedule is indeed unfair in terms of evening peakhour load shedding.

According to the current schedule and taking into account stages one and two, designated blocks one to eight bear the brunt of the late afternoon/evening blackouts, with blocks three and seven being the main victims, having to suffer load shedding during this period on six out of seven days. Enduring five days a week are blocks two and five. The remaining areas are in the dark on four days.

I realise that commercial areas like the Durban CBD need to have electricity during business hours, but surely there must be some way in which the municipality can rotate the evening peak shedding.

Surely all blocks should be affected, as opposed to a third of the areas having to carry the burden for what could be the next three to five years? A VAN DER BENT Bluff

Thanks for the straight talk

TIRED, of Morningside, I refer to your letter, “Tired of being one to blame” (The Mercury, May 20).

On behalf of, I’m sure, 90% of the minorities of South Africa, well done. At last we call a spade a spade.

To the editor, thank you for printing this letter. LLOYD Pennington

This is cadre redeployment

DANNY Jordaan is very wise to maintain his position as Safa president even after becoming Nelson Mandela Bay mayor.

At least if the ANC loses this metro next year he will have something to fall back on. This shows just how desperate the ANC is, yet we have to question the need for cadre redeployment where one head cadre has to work with remaining cadres whose competence remains questionable.

If the ANC thinks cadre redeployment is justified to fix existing cadre deployment-sourced problems, why not replace President Jacob Zuma? Finding a replacement for No 1 will be tough indeed as he could only be succeeded by Darth Cadre as he also has no power from the light side of the Force and we are used to not having enough light from Eskom. ROBERT NICOLAI Howick

Idler’s column took me back 55 years

I READ your Idler’s column every day and thoroughly enjoy it. Your piece on the late Brian Irvine and the Glory Days of Natal Rugby in the 1960s (The Mercury, May 18) brought back lovely memories.

I am 65 years old, but can still remember the following:

Brian never played for the Springboks, but he did captain the Junior Springboks.

I was there at Kings Park in 1960 when we drew with the All Blacks 6-6. I was in Standard 4 (Grade 6 today ) at Voortrekker Primary School and we travelled by train to the game with our male teachers. The train fare was free as most of our parents worked for the South African Railways. I was overawed by the big stadium and the occasion. If I remember correctly the All Blacks scored two unconverted tries (tries were worth three points in those days) and Natal two penalties by Chris Klopper who was a forward. I knew the names of all the players from both sides.

The All Blacks arrived here as the top team in the world under Wilson Whinerey and for Natal to draw with them was outstanding. The Boks won the series 2-1 as one Test was drawn.

Could you possibly confirm the following, or do I not remember correctly? At the end of that tour a Barbarians team was selected consisting of eight All Blacks and seven Springboks and it was decided they would play against Natal in Durban.

Natal managed to beat this starladen team, but I can’t recall the final score – 28-10 or 18-10 rings a bell, but it was too long ago.

Later in life I was privileged to meet some of those Natal heroes at rugby training courses and clinics when I became a teacher and schoolboy rugby coach.

May those glory days soon return to the Sharks and may you continue with your fine column for many years to come. JOE NOTHNAGEL Warner Beach

Smart, not free trade in horn is the answer

AN ARTICLE written by Albert Kuller, an economist, on rhino horn has been doing the rounds. His argument is: if you move from a ban to free trade, more people will want to buy horn when it becomes legal to do so. With greater demand the price rises and with a higher price poaching will increase.

But he has not considered smart trade where a monopoly Central Selling Organisation (CSO) could sell to a cartel such as the Traditional Chinese Medicine government hospitals. In this arrangement the CSO can determine the selling price so as to limit demand to the level of sustainable supplies.

The Chinese government, being invested in the legal trade, will close down most of the illegal trade.

Because of the risk of being caught trading in poached horn and the risk of buying fake or poisoned horn in the illegal market, the price of poached horn will be much lower than the legal price.

Poachers will decrease their output because the price will be lower. Speculators in illegal horn will turn sellers because the price of illegal horn will fall.

At current prices and current levels of demand South Africa can satisfy the market, sustainably, without having to kill one rhino. The way to do it is with smart trade, not free trade. MICHAEL EUSTACE Johannesburg