"But we still need oil." - Capitalism in South Africa

Energy in South Africa is, currently, a hot topic because the state's power supplier is allegedly said to be failing, as well as the constantly increasing price of petrol (gasoline).

Some leaders of our land still feel there's a need for oil so they can get money from petrol tax & companies that want to mine oil in South Africa. I suppose SASOL could also make fuel from coal & that would benefit South Africa. But my argument will always lean towards electric powered vehicles & machinery because, personally, I like electric as opposed to fuel engine because electric vehicles & devices are easier to operate, service & repair. Fossil fuel is good for heavy duty vehicles because the battery on electric vehicles is heavy. In fact, it is said that electric vehicles are on average heavier than the average petrol-powered vehicle of the same class. But what could be done for vehicles over a specific weight category is simply add interchangeable solar panels on top which would allow for some battery weight to be shed. In fact, a lot of battery weight could be shed off a heavy-duty electric vehicle like buses, trucks & trains if simple solar panels were placed on top of them seeing as there are relatively light solar-powered vehicles (around 68 kg) with a range of 35 km. N. B. Solar panels recharge the vehicle as you drive so range is constantly increasing.

When I count the number of vehicles & machinery we use petrol to power, I count; generators, grass cutters, motorcycles, trucks & of, course, cars. And I've seen electric versions of all these vehicles & machinery I've just mentioned. It just a matter of making a phasing out strategy. It is very possible that the state, should it so wish, phase out the VW Polos & Toyota Corollas then replace them with a fleet of BMW i3s & Nissan Leafs in the space of a decade. As demand increases, supply will also increase & the price of the products being sold decreases - simple economics. It's not an unattainable vision. Passenger vehicles fitted with interchangeable solar panels would create a new recycling & EV repairs industry keeping the land's economy stable & perhaps even giving the national economy a welcome boost.

How Mthoko Mpofana would tackle power generation in South Africa.

The modern Zulu language.

I always wondered which of the many Zulu dialects modern Zulu is & always thought it was Hlubi (isiMbo) & according to this thesis by a Mr. Isaac Sibusiso Kubeka written in what was apparently 1979, we see modern Zulu is more the original Ntungwa dialect. The Mthethwa dialect (isiLala) that was likely spoken by King Shaka looks more a Tsonga dialect from a Zulu-speaker's perspective. Despite the "Zulu area" speaking many dialects, I'm of the belief that these dialects were mutually intelligible & similar for the most part. This is the only way these Nguni tribes from southern Mozambique up to Umzimvubu River & inland into the Drakensberg Mountains up to Gauteng could understand each other because I, genuinely, think that it was seldom that an African travelled to a land where he couldn't speak the local language in precolonial times. Mild differences between Zulu dialects. Writing Zulu I remember reading a book written in 1930 by ...

History of the Mpofana by Mthoko M. Mpofana

I'm not very traditional, I'm more straightforward & basic & often disregard cultural nuances so this history of the Mpofana tribe is going to be as direct & concise as possible. Growing up, I grew up knowing that the clan praises or izithakazelo of the Mpofana are "Zulu" & "Ntombela", I never questioned that. What I know now for sure is that there's a lot more that's hidden in history. What I keep seeing being repeated from various sources is that the Mpofana were part of the Amazizi (or AmaTiti) tribe. I now know that in the midlands & perhaps further north, up to the northwestern parts of KZN, they use the greeting "MaZizi okuhlala", perhaps alluding to the fact that the Mpofana as well as other Amazizi tribes were among the original tribes to settle in present-day KZN from 200 AD onwards & the "Dlamini" praise or greeting was used among all Dlamini tribes i. e. the Amahlubi, Amazizi (Mtiti), Hlangwini...

KZN's first minted, mainstream currency.

If you read some of my blogs, you'll notice that I study history a lot. I was searching for old currencies used in South Africa one day a few years back & discovered something which was called by indigenous people of KZN as "ukhence" or "inkence" . To this day, a colloquial word for money by indigenous people is "inkence". This currency was said to be so popular among indigenous people that it infiltrated popular culture of the time viz. "Wangishaya ngokhence." Officially called Stratchan & co. token coins , it was likely the first mainstream currency used by indigenous people other than cattle, tools, weapons & crops even though it was said to be minted in England. Examples of Strachan & co. token coins & coin denominations. They claim the hole was so indigenous people could wear it with beads but maybe it was also for the practical purpose of saving metal to make the coins. The Str...

What's on Mthoko's mind?

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