Tuesday, November 12, 2013

south african airways


HAVE A SAVE FLIGHT

South African Airways was founded in 1934, with its Headquarters  OR Tambo International Airport Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa.  South African Airways (SAA) is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, The airline flies to 38 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International Airport, using a fleet of 54 aircraft. The airline is headed by CEO Monwabisi Kalawe.

SAASAA is currently and historically the only African airline to be classified with the prestigious 4-star airline ranking from Skytrax. The days of SAL (Suid Afrikaanse Lugdiens) and the old guard are long gone and the modern SAA has one main objective – to bring South Africa to the world and the world to South Africa. Today SAA offers the most comprehensive portfolio of routes within South Africa and to overseas hubs.

Travelling with Pets

  • With the exception of service dogs, pets cannot be carried in the passenger cabin on SAA flights
  • Service dogs are carried free of charge.
  • The weight of the animal and its container will be charged as excess baggage. It is not accepted as part of free baggage allowance.
  • It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the animals are properly crated and accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits and other documents required by countries of entry or transit.

Friday, November 8, 2013

economic freedom

eff logo


1.     Our decision is to fight for the economic emancipation of the people of South Africa, Africa and the world. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) locate the struggle for economic emancipation within the long resistance of South Africans to racist colonial and imperialist, political, economic, and social domination. This glorious resistance started with the Khoi and San people rising against colonial domination, marked by the arrival of settler colonists in 1652 in the Cape. This basically represents more than 350 years of Africans’ resistance against colonial and economic domination and exploitation.

2.     The EFF recognises that, despite temporary victories in this or that battle, Africans were defeated, humiliated, and enslaved by colonial settlers, thereby symbolising colonial victory over the indigenous people of the South African territory. The EFF draws inspiration from the gallant fight those who came before us have mounted, generation after generation, against the superior firepower of the colonists. The EFF intend to elevate this resistance to a decisive victory to vindicate the justness of the cause of liberation wars and to pay tribute to all those who perished fighting for the liberation of the African people and all the oppressed people of our land.


3.     Those who fought the gallant wars of resistance did so to resist forced dispossession of land, wealth, livestock and heritage, which they had cherished and inherited from their forebears. More than 350 years later, the war of resistance has not been won, and the battles that were fought almost represent nothing, because 20 years after the attainment of formal political freedom, the black people of South Africa still live in absolute mass poverty, are landless, their children have no productive future, they are mistreated and they are looked down upon in a sea of wealth.

4.     While relatively developed, South Africa like many other colonies is still trapped in the colonial division of labour as supplier of primary commodities to the coloniser nations. This colonial feature cannot and will never be broken by continued economic dominance of private corporations, particularly in the natural and mineral resources sector. Multinational and private ownership of South Africa’s commanding heights of the economy should be discontinued in order to
stimulate State-led and aided industrial development.

5.     Our indignation at the continued economic domination of the people of South Africa and the extreme exploitation of the black working class explains where we come from, where we are, what our mission is, what our character is, and what is to be done to emancipate the black people of South Africa, the working class in particular, from economic bondage. The solutions we provide represent a coherent ideological tradition and draw inspiration from developments around the world on what has been done to advance the development and betterment of people’s lives in the aftermath of the defeat of colonialism and against imperialism.

6.     South Africa is rooted in the alliance between British and Afrikaner capital. From its inception, capitalism in South Africa was underlined by racism, segregation, and sexism. It discriminated and oppressed the black majority. It discriminated and oppressed women. South African capitalism continues to be characterised by the extreme exploitation of the black working class. In short, the black majority, whatever their class location, are integrated into the mainstream of the economy in a subservient position relative to white people. While the legalistic forms of colonial-apartheid domination have been eroded 20 years ago, the economic system that marginalised, oppressed and exploited the black majority is still intact, with a few individuals benefiting, but only because they have been co-opted to portray a wrong picture that all is and will be well in our country.


7.     The EFF note and appreciate the role played by generations of political freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives, were imprisoned, exiled, banished and separated from their families in pursuit of freedom. The reality, nonetheless, is that the political freedom attained symbolically in 1994 through inclusive elections have not translated into economic freedom, which must empower and assist the oppressed and exploited people of South Africa to be liberated from economic and social bondage. This feature of South Africa justifies our struggle for economic freedom and is also directed at the emancipation of the African continent."
eff leader

Zakes Bantwini biography


His real name is Zakhele Madida
Zakes Bantwini was born is a South African Artist. He is also the owner of Mayonie Productions and discovered Kwaito sensation L’vovoDerrango.

He is also known for his song "Clap your Hands", featuring XolaniSithole, from his album Love, Light and Music. Other featured tracks from the album include Wasting my Time and Bum Bum.

Born and raised in Durban, Zakes is the owner of the independent record label Mayonie Productions, which he established in 2004 while he was completing his final year at Technikon

petrol prices today

Petrol
Reef
Coast
Unleaded
LRP
Unleaded
LRP
93
95
93
93
95
95
06 November 2013
1280
1302
1280
1260
1265
1265
02 October 2013
1308
1330
1308
1288
1293
1293
04 September 2013
1327
1350
1327
1307
1313
1313
07 August 2013
1332
1355
1332
1312
1318
1318
03 July 2013
1300
1323
1300
1280
1286
1286
05 June 2013
1216
1239
1216
1196
1202
1202
01 May 2013
1224
1247
1224
1204
1210
1210
03 April 2013
1297
1320
1297
1277
1283
1283
06 March 2013
1287
1308
1287
1269
1273
1273
06 February 2013
1206
1227
1206
1188
1192
1192
02 January 2013
1165
1186
1165
1147
1151
1151



petrol

Monday, September 30, 2013

South Africa’s worst customer service

balancing the scale

South Africa’s worst customer service is to be found from within government agencies and utility providers, according to new research released by contact centre experts, Interactive Intelligence.
Aiming to determine what customers expect from companies in terms of customer service, the surveys looked at customer experiences and expectations when dealing with company contact centres.

The South Africans polled for the global Consumer Survey felt the best customer service came from hotels (61% ranking them among the best, in line with 61% globally), online retail stores (45% vs 51% globally) and banks (41% vs. 45% globally). The worst service came from government agencies (85% ranking them among the worst, vs. 52% globally) and utility providers (68% ranking them among the worst vs. 34% globally).


South Africans still choose a voice conversation with an agent as their preferred means of interacting with a contact centre. They expect an answer in under three minutes and they want agents to have all the relevant information at hand when they call. Customers said a major frustration when dealing with a contact centre agent is a lack of knowledge on the part of the agent (79% in SA and 66% globally), being transferred multiple times before finding the right person to help (89% in SA vs. 66% globally), or having to repeat information at different points of the interaction (64% in SA vs. 56% globally.). Another major frustration South Africans cited when calling a contact centre is not being able to understand the agent when speaking to them on the phone (86% vs. 75% globally).

Friday, September 20, 2013

VOORTREKKER MONUMENT


roof top


The Voortrekker Monument is situated in the northern part of South Africa in the Pretoria (Tshwane) region in a nature reserve. It is a unique Monument which commemorates the Pioneer history of Southern Africa and the history of the Afrikaner and is situated in a beautiful setting. Today it is the most visited heritage site of its kind in Gauteng and one of the top ten cultural historical visitor attractions in the country.

Physically, the Voortrekker Monument is 40 metres high, with a base of 40 metres by 40 metres.[citation needed] The building shares architectural resemblance with European monuments such the Dôme des Invalides in France and the Völkerschlachtdenkmal in Germany but also contain African influences. The two main points of interest inside the building are the Historical Frieze and the Cenotaph.

the main entranceThe idea to build a monument in honour of the Voortrekkers was first discussed on 16 December 1888, when President Paul Kruger of the South African Republic attended the Day of the Covenant celebrations at Blood River in Natal. However, the movement to actually build such a monument only started in 1931 when the Sentrale Volksmonumentekomitee (SVK) (Central People's Monuments Committee) was formed to bring this idea to fruition.

Construction started on 13 July 1937 with a sod turning ceremony performed by chairman of the SVK, Advocate Ernest George Jansen, on what later became known as Monument Hill. On 16 December 1938 the cornerstone was laid by three descendants of some of the Voortrekker leaders: Mrs. J.C. Muller (granddaughter of Andries Pretorius), Mrs. K.F. Ackerman (great-granddaughter of Hendrik Potgieter) and Mrs. J.C. Preller (great-granddaughter of Piet Retief).
The Monument was inaugurated on 16 December 1949 by the then-prime minister D. F. Malan.[citation needed] The total construction cost of the Monument was about £ 360,000, most of which was contributed by the South African government.
A large amphitheatre, which seats approximately 20,000 people, was erected to the north-east of the Monument in 1949.


The main entrance of the building leads into the domed Hall of Heroes. This massive space, flanked by four huge arched windows made from yellow Belgian glass, contains the unique marble Historical Frieze which is an intrinsic part of the design of the monument. It is the biggest marble frieze in the world

Thursday, September 19, 2013

DINOKENG GAME RESERVE


The Dinokeng Game Reserve is the first free-roaming Big 5 residential game reserve in Gauteng – and probably in the world – next to an urbanized area. It is a private/public initiative for which planning and development started in the early 2000’s. It was officially opened on 22 September 2011 after the introduction of four of the Big 5. The last of the Big 5 to be introduced in late 2012 were the Buffalo and they have settled in well.

The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular and the game viewing – either from a game viewer or from your restaurant table overlooking one of the dams – is diverse.

Close to Pretoria North, just over an hour from Oliver Tambo International and Lanseria airport, and approximately 25 minutes from Wonderboom airport the DGR is accessible for a weekend stay without having to travel too far.

The Wildlife at Dinokeng Nature Reserve is something to experience, and what better way than going on a Game Drive. This is where the appreciation for the bushveld and nature starts, and where breathtaking experiences are captured with photographs.

Animals include

  • Elephants
  • Lions
  • Zebra
  • Rhinos
  • Giraffes
  • Various buck species