Tarriffic
Dear Sirs
As one who often travels for work purposes between the capital city and City of Gold, I was upset when I saw the toll tariffs going up once more. My impression is that this happens regularly, and added to the constant upward movement in the price of petrol, is verging on making it impossible to afford to travel, even when it is for work purposes. Why, oh why?
– G Malan, Sunnyside, Pretoria
Ed’s Note: You’re right – toll tariffs do go up regularly. In fact, on 1 March every year. The rate is something you can work out yourself: it is tied to the consumer price index and by law cannot exceed that figure. This is done so that toll collections remain at the same level in real terms. As for the price of petrol, we’re sorry about that too, but we can’t do anything about it.Worth the wait
Dear Sirs
Is the upgrade of N11 between Loskopdam and Middelburg finally over? It certainly took a long time and severely disrupted travel. Construction leads to long waiting times in traffic.
– R Thage, Marble Hall
Ed’s Note: It’s done! The road is open – and it is safer. But upkeep might mean that very occasionally we’ll close down a lane or two. But that’s a huge exception and is best for tourists and the road. Admit it, the N11 upgrade was worth it.Celebrating a legend
If former President Nelson Mandela were still around today, he’d be celebrating his 100th birthday in July. But since our beloved Tata Madiba isn’t, we’ve chosen to celebrate for him and everyone who loved him. Mandela had, among many other talents, a way with words. He could get to the heart of any issue with a sentence or two, whether he was chatting to journalists, children or other statesmen.
This year, we’ll be running some of our favourite Madiba quotes in By The Way to remind ourselves of the great project Mandela started all those years ago and one which we must advance with our every action – a free and fully inclusive South Africa.
“I appeal to the youth and those on the ground: start talking to each other across divisions of race and political organisations.” – In the words of Nelson Mandela, 1998
The blockchain gang
Blockchain? Say what now? Enjoy our first thing-explainerWestern Region water ways
Find out what SANRAL’s Cape Town office is doing to save every precious dropThe only way is up
Find the park of your dreams in the dreamland of the Northern Cape
Sunshine noir
Sink your teeth into some meaty South African crime fictionSouth African curiosities
What a Great Idea is a great companion for anyone who wants to dive into South Africa’s biggest, most worldchanging inventions. Meet the scientist behind the book, Prof Mike Bruton, and sample a selection of our favourites from the compendiumFeeling hot?
Find out how to beat the dreaded lurgy this winter – and how to tell them apart
If you’re a science fiction nut who also happens to be addicted to YouTube, chances are you probably already know about DUST. If not, your next online session may well be taken care of.
DUST is a YouTube channel filled to bursting with science fiction short films that run the gamut from morality plays and disturbing appraisals of futuristic technology to comedic bottle episodes. Sometimes the stories cut across these genres. The production values on each film are superb – so no, this is not the work of a few nerds shooting films in their basement. To be honest, if Hollywood is running out of ideas (and it seems to be), it could certainly do worse than take a look at DUST and contact some of the filmmakers who’ve uploaded their work to the channel.
Want an example? The short film Seam imagines a future in which civilians are press-ganged into being suicide bombers simply due to their DNA. Black Hole is a fantastic office-drone comedy in which a rogue photocopier gifts a worker a set of universe-bending powers. The Ocean Maker is a heart-rending animated short in which a woman tries to bring rain to a barren, post-apocalyptic wasteland through a dogfight. It’s all fantastic stuff and the channel sees regular uploads so you don’t have to wait very long before the next DUST film arrives. DUST is a brilliant visual showcase for some of the most original minds producing science fiction stories today. And here’s the icing: because it’s on YouTube, it’s free. Fire up YouTube and enter ‘DUST sci-fi’ as a search string, and you’re there.
