The good news thread

[Wannabe]

full article here:

 

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/limpopo-village-cricket-team-takes-field-of-dreams-to-youtube-20160526

 

 

Brilliant.   

[Ed-Zulu]

Home Affairs Richards Bay:

 

Me, wife and two kids 15:30 for 3 x passports, 2 unabridged birth certificates, 2 x smart ID's

 

Pay, photo's taken, docs handled, prints taken.

 

Back in the car at 15:58

 

Like they say down here, no word of lie!

[Tumbleweed]

Home Affairs Richards Bay:

 

Me, wife and two kids 15:30 for 3 x passports, 2 unabridged birth certificates, 2 x smart ID's

 

Pay, photo's taken, docs handled, prints taken.

 

Back in the car at 15:58

 

Like they say down here, no word of lie!

 

Had a bonus about two months ago. Desperately needed a new ID to do something at the bank. Got into a long queue at HA, and resigned myself to having to get to Standard another day. 

 

...then I remembered having ordered a new one last June, and took a chance on it not having been returned after it wasn't collected.

 

It was there...   

[Andrew Steer]

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/yet-another-anc-mayor-arrested-for-fraud/

[Uni]

 

 

" A minibus taxi driver who skipped a red light and knocked down a jogger was stopped from fleeing the scene when other motorists boxed his minibus in, an eyewitness told News24 on Wednesday."

 

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/motorists-block-taxi-driver-who-hit-jogger-20160601

[fanievb]

 

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/4053/34f5969362884fa09bc7c172ba34c9be.jpg

Members of the Diepsloot Cycle Group. (SuppliedPedal Power Association)

Johannesburg - The Diepsloot Cycle Group (DCG) - made up of some 200 riders who choose to cycle to work instead of using expensive public transport - has received a good safety boost with a donation of safety equipment to the value of about R15 000, GroundUp reports.

Some members of the group cycle more than 50 kilometres a day, and almost all of them are employed through piece-meal jobs.

When GroundUp first wrote about the group in February, Martin Mathe, the president of the DCG, said safety was their main concern. He said a member of their group had been killed by a speeding taxi on William Nicol Drive and a family had lost a breadwinner.

 

William Nicol Drive is a highway in Johannesburg that links several suburbs and leads onto the N1 freeway. It is known for its high volumes of automobile traffic.

Responding to Mathe's plea for donations, Pedal Power Association (PPA) stepped up to offer some support.

Chief Executive Officer of the organisation Robert Vogel said they had enough funds to outfit 25 riders with helmets, reflector bibs and front and rear lights for each bike. The handover was made on Wednesday, along a grassy area on William Nicol Drive where the cyclists often convene to ride home together.

"The handout was great. Martin brought along 24 riders from his group as requested, but while I was handing out the items to them, more and more cyclists dropped in to see what was going on,” said Vogel.

"I left there with a list of 68 names, all asking for the reflective bibs, helmets and lights."

Vogel said lights cost R200 per pair. "The front light can be recharged and functions as a torch as well."

The DCG organised itself so that groups of cyclists leave the township together. This often means leaving before the crack of dawn and returning well after sunset.

Vogel said the Road Accident Fund had recently funded his organisation with R200 000 to produce and distribute reflector bibs to cyclists across the country. A portion of those bibs went to the DCG.

"Based on the demand I saw yesterday, there is a great need for items that make the cyclist’s commute safer," said Vogel.

He challenged other cycle organisations, retail shops and repair centres to assist them and ensure that other commuter cyclist groups, like the DCG, could also receive help.

"I would like to put out an appeal to all the bike shops, cycling clubs and individuals to donate unwanted, but not broken, helmets …  at designated drop-off points. We will then collect the helmets and give them away."

He says helmets will be distributed in the areas where they are collected.

He also urged those in a position to do so, to purchase the items and distribute it to those cyclists they pass on the roads on a daily basis

"The basic lights cost R80 for two at your local bike shop. That’s all it costs to make a cyclist more visible."

Meanwhile Mathe told GroundUp that he was very grateful for the donation from Pedal Power. He said there were still others in the group who required assistance

 

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/diepsloot-cycling-group-keeps-wheels-rolling-safely-20160603 

[Tumbleweed]

Follow from Gummi's posts:

 

Canadian officials are bumping up the salaries of South African firefighters in Alberta because of concerns that the workers could be seen as “slave labour,” their South African manager says.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/south-african-firefighters-in-alberta-to-see-salary-increase/article30242502/

[CDK]

Hope this fits here:

 

After being unemployed for a month, I received a job offer today! Starting on Monday on something that I can be amazing in!

[Uni]

Hope this fits here:

After being unemployed for a month, I received a job offer today! Starting on Monday on something that I can be amazing in!

Indeed. Excellent news, congrats and good luck!

[Slowbee]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/diepsloot-cycling-group-keeps-wheels-rolling-safely-20160603 

dont want to stir - but surely this is where CSA/PPA/whatever cycling union should step in ? I remember when the PPA was handing out lights on street corners down here.

 

Can they not do something similar up there ?

[Fruity]

Londoners cycle 19000km from London to Cape Town for World Bicycle Relief:

http://traveller24.news24.com/Explore/pics-londoners-cycle-19-000-km-from-london-to-cape-town-for-world-bicycle-relief-20160607

[Tumbleweed]

I hit something on the road to the station at about 4.30 this morning - think it was a pothole - and wrecked a tyre. Two guys stopped to help, which was cool, as it turned out that the spare was flat. They drove me to a nearby station to get it pumped up.

 

It's nice when random people help out. 

[HappyMartin]

Stopped in at Burger King yesterday at lunch. The one off Louis Botha, near Yeoville. Waltzed out after and forgot my Tumi bag under the table. Realised when I got home. Went back and the security guy was looking after it. dam thing wasn't even closed.

 

The bag and wallet are worth about 7K. A high end sony compact worth 10K, a 3K leatherman ands all my cards including two rugby season tickets made it quite a nice thing to get back.

[Wannabe]

dont want to stir - but surely this is where CSA/PPA/whatever cycling union should step in ? I remember when the PPA was handing out lights on street corners down here.

 

Can they not do something similar up there ?

 

 

Slowbee, if I read that article correctly, PPA (even though it is out of their "jurisdiction") donated helmets, lights and reflective bibs to these cyclists.

[Jigghead]

I've been in DRC for the last two weeks and fly home to my family this afternoon.

   

 

That's good news to me, and hopefully them too     

Edited June 9, 2016 by Jigghead

[Tumbleweed]

Welcome home, Jigghead!