South Africa Water Action

South African Environmental Law is based on international principles known as the Polluter Pays. This means that any legal individual, either a natural person or a company, that pollutes the environment, must pay for the full cost of the rehabilitation of that damage. In addition to this, the South African Constitution has two specific principles that are relevant. The first is that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their well-being. The second is a principle that future generations (in this case you and I) will not pay for benefits that past generations enjoyed.

The threat:

There are currently a number of threats to the water resources of South Africa, of which three generic types exist:

1) Radiological threats arising from radionuclide contamination. In layman terms, this means radioactivity, mostly associated with the geology of gold, which in the South African case, is also related to uranium as well.

2) Biological threats arising mostly from dysfunctional sewage treatment works. In layman terms, this refers to bacteria, fungi and viruses that enter the rivers as a result of waste treatment works that are overloaded, or generally dysfunctional. Of these the most urgent is that of cyanobacteria, which are a primitive form of blue green algae that is also one of the oldest life forms on Earth. These produce a toxic chemical known as microcystine.

3) Chemical threats arising from a range of chemicals used in industry, in agriculture or in society at large. The most immediate of these is a family of chemicals known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC's). Closely associated with this is the female hormone oestrogen, which enters the river systems from being party metabolized and then introduced through sewage systems. A distinct sub-set of EDC's relates to birth defects, sometimes of the urogenital system where both male and female organs occur simultaneously, or impaired human fertility.


[edit] Priorities of Threat
The immediate issue is that of the gold mining industry. South Africa is a mature gold mining economy, with many of the mines either approaching a point of closure, or having already closed. The problem arising from this relates to the fact that the old mine voids flood with water after pumping ceases. This water then rises inside the void and through a complex chemical and biological process, pyrite found in the rock is converted into sulphates. These sulphates then combine with the water to form acid and this acid starts to attack the rock, leaching out the mineral content in a chemical reaction that becomes self-propelling, known as mine drainage(AMD), which reports to the surface via springs and then floods into rivers cascading the problem downstream.

While the current threat that is getting the most headline attention in the national media is gold-driven AMD, there is also an emerging threat from coal-based AMD, which is starting to enter the public domain as an area of concern. In this regard the chemistry is similar in that sulphates are produced, but given the different geology associated with coal, there is no radioactivity component. The down side is that the geographic area is very much larger than gold-driven AMD, so in many ways this is a more serious threat over time. Different treatment techniques are being considered for coal-based AMD.

Some authors describe this process as being one of the largest current threats to our national ecosystems, second only to that of global climate change.

The gold mines of the Witwatersrand area are located in a geological structure that can be thought of as a three-layered cake. The top layer consists of rock and soil in which vegetation grows. The second layer consists of a porous rocky layer known as dolomite, which can be thought of as a sponge that has holes in it that in turn fill up with water. The lower layer consists of deep strata of rock, some of which contain gold-bearing reef known as conglomerate. When this is mined out it can be thought of as Swiss cheese with large holes in it. These mine workings are all interconnected deep underground for safety reasons. This three layered cake is then divided into four vertical sections by dolerite dykes, resulting from earlier volcanic activity, that serve to effectively separate the four sections into vertical slices. These are called basins because they contain massive volumes of water, mostly found in the upper spongy layer of dolomites, but all connected via vertical shafts between the surface and the deep underground workings.

Insert image to show this...

These four basins have gold mines of different ages in them, each with a slightly different geochemistry. The basins are as follows:

1) The Far Western Basin is centred on Carletonville and Randfontein, with surface drainage via the Wonderfontein Spruit, which flows into the Mooi River and then on to the Vaal River system downstream of Potchefstroom.

2) The Western Basin is centred on Krugersdorp. All mining has stopped in this basin and the mine void has filled up with water, which started to flow out at the surface in August 2002 in a process known as decant. This water flows into the Tweeloop Spruit, via the Cradle of Humankind and then into the Limpopo River System upstream of the Hartebeestpoort Dam.

3) The Central Basin is located under Johannesburg with surface water drainage taking place via the Klip River, through Soweto and then into the Vaal River system. Mining has stopped and the void is filling at a rate that will reach surface by January 2012 at South East Vertical Shaft in Boksburg. Water will start flowing from various springs associated with the dolomites by October 2011.

4) The Eastern Basin is centred on the Springs area with surface water drainage taking place via the Blesbokspruit, which flows into the Vaal River system. This basin is still being mined in places and the water levels are being maintained well below surface. The mine water is neutralized to a reasonable pH and it is currently being discharged into the Blesbokspruit, which sustains a large RAMSAR wetland. [44]


[edit] The Proposed Solution
The current situation is that the thinking about managing AMD is based on one idea, which is to create a central treatment plant where the water will be cleaned up and then sold on to a bulk water provider at a profit. This is where the problem arises. A company has been created to raise the capital needed to pay for the engineering (around 1.5 Billion Rand). That company is currently engaged in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which is about to be completed[45]. The outcome of this process will be a final decision that will affect the consumers of water along the entire Witwatersrand area (11 million people), in which they would be expected to buy this as drinking water after 2012. The treated mine effluent will be diluted out with the current water supply coming from the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme and the Thukela Water Project.

Herein lies the dilemma. It is known that the AMD has a range of heavy metals (including uranium and arsenic) dissolved in it, as well as radionuclides (radioactivity associated with the decay of uranium into a range of daughter products)

This poses the question, is the treatment process that is being considered for the conversion of AMD into drinking water, 100% guaranteed to remove all of the radioactivity and all of the heavy metals and therefore safe for human consumption?

The simple truth is that a high confidence toxicology test has never been done, so we simply do not know.

Now, with the EIA process in its final legal stages, does the public along the Witwatersrand know what is about to happen to their drinking water? Legally the process has been followed to the letter of the law. But has each potential impacted person been made aware of the issues that will affect them in a very intimate way in the near future? Once the final decision has been made and the engineering started, there will be no chance to make any changes.

If the public remains silent while the EIA process is underway, the conclusion will be that a legal EIA was launched and nobody lodged any significant complaints. That will result in a fait accompli and the planned treatment plant will simply go ahead.

The challenge then is to inform the public about this process and give them the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way. The Witwatersrand public is therefore encouraged to join the South Africa Water Action (SAWA) group on Twitter and Facebook, in order to be kept abreast of developments. In this process links will be provided to the consulting company conducting the EIA and where appropriate to other key actors.

Remember, this is not a sensationalized issue driven by raw emotion. It is a complex technical subject that is being debated behind closed doors at the highest levels of scientific institutions and political power. The emerging result of these mostly elite-driven talks will impact on 11 million people. In the spirit of democracy, those 11 million citizens have a right to know about the essence of these decisions that will become part of their daily lives in the very near future.

Cycling to the Karoo, Canoeing the Vaalriver

The Global Water Crisis

3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease.

43% of water-related deaths are due to diarrhea.

84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 - 14.

98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world.

884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people.

The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

Less than 1% of the world's fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.

An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.


World Water Coverage. View larger map.
About a third of people without access to an improved water source live on less than $1 a day. More than two thirds of people without an improved water source live on less than $2 a day.

Poor people living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.

Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days.

The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 13.2 gallons per person.

Over 50 percent of all water projects fail and less than five percent of projects are visited, and far less than one percent have any longer-term monitoring.

Ripples For Good...Promotes the Blue Drop Report..

Ripples For Good...Liani & Katryn, Maria & Dante

Safe Drinking Water is your birthright....take responsibility and look after the water resources in your direct environment

Carte Blanche on Water Polution - Sunday 8 February 2009

Date: 08-02-2009
Producer: Joy Summers
Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
Researcher: Quereshini Naidoo
Genre: Environment and Conservation

Dead babies in the Eastern Cape. Dead crocodiles in the Oliphants River. Dead fish in the Vaal. 7 000 Cholera cases, crumbling infrastructure and large scale sewage spills. Last year South Africans, shell-shocked by the electricity crisis, wondered what would be next.

Bongani Bingwa (Carte Blanche presenter): “The lights had barely been switched back on when a Sunday newspaper said the next crisis would be with water. The minister said that a water crisis was looming, but others weren’t so sure. And as the year drew to a close it led to the firing of a CSIR political scientist who said he’d simply been telling it like it was.”

Dr Anthony Turton went from hero to zero. Putting his professional reputation on the line, his presentation - which he never got to deliver - raises uncomfortable questions about water supply and the effects of acid mine drainage on human health.

Bongani: “As you see it, what is the problem with our water?”

Dr Anthony Turton (Water policy specialist): “The problem that we have with our water is simply that we have reached the limit of our readily available supply. If you take this cup of coffee as an example. If that cup of coffee represents our total natural water resource, we have now allocated 98% of that. We have probably over allocated that, but the best data we have is 98% allocated. Our role now is to start saying: are we going to stop growing our economy because we have no more water to sustain activities, or are we going to start cascading that water around?”

Anthony Turton may have been the one to hit the headlines, but he was not the first to raise the flag. The alarm emanating from specialists in the water sector concurred - water-stressed South Africa simply doesn’t have enough water for us to treat it the way we are. Rivers are dying and some dams are under siege from a scourge called blue-green algae.

Nowhere was that more obvious than here [on screen], just downstream of Gauteng. This scum covers the Magalies River - just above the point where it flows into the Hartebeespoort Dam. It’s called blue green algae and it’s caused by too many phosphates and nitrates in the water, which creates the perfect environment for it to flourish. This enrichment of the water is called ‘eutrophication’.

Bongani: “Blue green algae is a symptom of eutrophication and is considered one of South Africa’s most critical water challenges. The case of Hartebeespoort Dam is one of the worst in the world.
This water is toxic and is mostly caused by sewage effluent flowing into our rivers.”

Around 12 to 16 sewage works empty their effluent into the water that flows into the dam.

This is what can happen to rivers when there is just too much sewage effluent running into them or it is not treated according to the strictest standards. It’s a worldwide water challenge, but already 35% of all our water in our storage dams is eutrophic or hypertrophic.

Carin van Ginkel is a Department of Water Affairs specialist scientist.

Bongani: “Why is eutrophication considered one of our most important water challenges?”

Carin Van Ginkel (Dept of Water Affairs specialist scientist): “Because there are very little management actions that are really effective.”

Bongani: “This is easily the most revolting sight I have ever seen… it’s bubbling. The putrid smell - you don’t want to fall in here, you will get sick.”

Not all blue green blooms are toxic, but a significant number are. These poisons, according to one expert, make strychnine look like vitamin syrup. They attack the liver and have killed wild animals in the Kruger Park and domestic stock.

Carin: “There’s a lot of incidences. There’s a whole dairy herd that died in the Eastern Cape.”

Bongani: “This has been linked to colon cancer?”

Carin: “Ja, the whole of the intestines can be affected. You can get skin irritations, you can get flu’ like symptoms, the liver is impacted mostly.”

The water here is of such poor quality that when Rustenburg needed more water for drinking, it was decided to pipe good quality water from Rand Water miles away in Vereeniging, rather than dip into this pea-green soup just around the corner.

Carin: “We definitely don’t have it under control - I mean this is showing it.”

Keeping these toxins out of the drinking water is expensive and difficult. That’s the job of Leanne Coetzee. 6% of Pretoria uses the Rietvlei Dam for drinking water and the algae there gave her a huge headache. Killing it with chlorine was not an option because, as it dies, it releases its toxins into the water, so the best way to remove it is at the source.

Leanne Coetzee (Deputy Director: Scientific Services): “The algae causes very inconsistent water - and the water treatment plant, it causes incredible leaps and bounds in the consistency of water quality. Now it’s great - in an hour it’s terrible.”

Leanne is experimenting with these Solar Bee panels which create a current that stops the blue green algae from growing. Photographs from a year ago suggest it may be working, but some scientists are sceptical, as it still doesn’t remove the source of the problem- phosphates and nitrates. She is giving it two years to see what happens.

Leanne: “All scientists are cautious. I’m not going to say this works until I’ve had a lot more data that I can analyse and test.”

Bongani: “In October last year the South African Institute of Civil Engineering submitted a report to the parliamentary portfolio committee on water and it’s pretty damning- using phrases like, ‘grave concern,’ ’someone has lost sight of the ball,’ ‘the status of our infrastructure is a crisis of the highest order.’ To add to that, the former director general Professor Mike Muller has written an article saying it’s time to panic.

Prof Mike Muller (Public & Development Manager: WITS): “If you look at the electricity crisis Bongani, the reason we had a month of blackouts was because, five years before, some decisions were taken that were wrong and some decisions weren’t taken. And what I am saying is that in the water sector we have similar lead times. If you’re not always looking ahead for the next four or five years, the chances are that, by the time you need to do something, it’s too late and then you will be in crisis.
So I am saying panic at the right time, and the right time is probably now.”

So is it time to panic? The only person to answer that question was minister Lindiwe Hendricks.

Bongani: “You say there is no crisis? We’ve spoken to scientists, engineers who’ve used words like, ‘panic,’ ‘crisis’?”

Lindiwe Hendricks (Dept Water Affairs & Forestry): “Well it’s their words. Because I say, if you look at what’s in the media and you look at what is being said about water, they say there is a water crisis; the country is going to run out of water. I’m saying it is incorrect. There is no impending crisis, as far as the security of supply is concerned.”

But it wasn’t just the media. Concerns were raised by water scientists and engineers - including those in her own department.

Bongani: “Some DWAF reports suggest that Gauteng may run out of water by 2013?”

Lindiwe: “Yes, that’s because we know we don’t have enough. We know that because we are planning. In November cabinet took a decision; approved a huge infrastructure project which is going to augment the system… Which is why I am saying we are not going to run out of water. We have planned, we have projected. So we are embarking on phase two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project which will ensure that there is sufficient water in Gauteng.”

Bongani: “Since we began filming this story there have been countless reports of problems with our water. In Vryheid, a small town in KwaZulu-Natal, their water has been described as brown, and is full of worms. In Witbank the same thing - brown water. In Umtata, sewerage was flowing down the main street. In Sedgefield, near Knysna, they have run out of water. The fact is that the management of our most important resource has been devolved down to the municipalities and in many cases they are simply not up to the job.”

The Matjhabeng municipality runs Welkom and Odendalsrus. On the outskirts of Welkom, the Sand River borders Johan Terblanche’s farm on the outskirts of Welkom. As chairperson of the NGO Eco Care, he was constantly receiving complaints from farmers about sewage being dumped in the river.

Johan Terblanche (Farmer, Chairman Northern Free State Ecocare): “For me, if my cattle drink this water they will become infected with measles. And for the other farmers downstream, if they use this water to irrigate their cabbages or lettuce, the Ascaris worms lay their eggs on the lettuce or cabbage and the farmer takes it back to the market and then the whole cycle begins again - which is unnecessary.”

It got so bad that Johan has used the country’s water legislation to lay two criminal charges against the previous municipal managers for polluting the surface water. One of the cases is in Odendalsrus and doesn’t affect him at all, but he believes it’s his duty as a concerned citizen.

Johan: “Because I am the chairperson, people phone me and say this is happening, so I said, ‘You must just go and lay a charge’. But they are too scared to lay a charge. If no one else will do it, then I must do it.”

Bongani: “The Odendalsrus sewage works haven’t been working for at least the last three years. To top it all off, this plant is based at a farm which was once called Paradise and, as you can see, it’s anything but.”

The story of this disaster appears to be far more than mere incompetence. All this plant needed at the time was an upgrade. Instead, the contractor came in and ripped the whole thing up. When it became evident after a year that he couldn’t complete the job properly he was asked to leave. It’s still unclear how much he was paid, but it’s run into the millions, and is now part of the court case that is being investigated.

Bongani: “If you win your cases, what happens?”

Johan: “It will be the best present in my life and we can all have clean water.”

According to a written response from the Matjhabeng Municipality it will now cost R18-million rand to fix the sewage plant. In the meantime, sewage is simply re-diverted into the wetlands and pans that stretch for about 11km and end up in Eduard Steyn’s farm across the road where he kept finding toilet paper in the cattle’s drinking water.

Eduard Steyn (Farmer): “Bongani, let me show you where the pollution… where the sewerage has polluted the ground, how pitch black the ground is and if you smell it, it smells like raw sewerage.”

Bongani: “Ugh, I know what you are thinking- they must pay these presenters a lot to do that.”

Sadly the dysfunction we saw in Odendalsrus is not isolated, according to the Institute of Civil Engineers “The collapse of water supply and sanitation infrastructure is well into crisis mode in rural areas”, says the Institution of civil engineers’ submission. Mike Muller says government is well aware of the situation.

Mike Muller (Visiting Professor: Public & Development Management, WITS): “My understanding is that they know very well that a lot of waste water works are not working to specifications, and I think they say it’s closer to 50%. But there’s a widespread understanding that many municipalities are failing. What we are missing is a solution to that problem.”

The solution to Welkom’s sewage works appears to be missing too. The town’s treatment plant is completely dysfunctional and half under water. It started with just one broken pump that wasn’t fixed in time. The pump was used to ensure that treated effluent was pumped out of this pan [on screen] which is above the facility. When the rains came two years ago the water flooded these works directly below. They have never worked since, despite the fact that the minister was here eight months ago and issued a directive to the municipality to sort it out quickly.

Bongani: “Behind me is Welkom’s main sewage works, which is out of commission and so the sewerage is pumping up over here… And what the city council has done is dug this trench, which diverts this into the Witpan, and that goes to the San River and eventually it lands up in the Vaal River. If it is human waste, it’s here. There’s faeces here, used condoms, sanitary pads - if it’s disgusting, you will find it here.”

It’s this raw sewage that ends up in the Sand River floating past Johan Terblanche’s farm. A few kilometres downstream the water is taken out for irrigation of food and drinking water for other Free State towns.

Bogani: “Fact is, you issued a directive, it has now been eight months, nothing has happened

Lindiwe: “We issued a directive and in 30 days they gave us a plan as to how they are going to correct. The issue of capacity again was a big problem, and the issue of finance was a big problem.”

Bongani: “But would you not say, minister, if nothing has happened, it makes the department and you look ineffective.”

Lindiwe: “Definitely, we have to strengthen our monitoring and evaluation system. And you know that we have established a unit, the Blue Scorpions and they are on the ground. And they bring back the information and we react to it.”

Mike: “The Constitution says this is the job of local government. The constitution also says that local government is an autonomous sphere of government, so DWAF can’t just go in and tell them what to do. In electricity, for example, cabinet long ago took the decision that municipalities weren’t competent to run electricity. So why are we saying that electricity is too complicated - take it away from them, but the more complicated business of water supply and sanitation is left with these weak and incompetent municipalities?”

Bongani: “People ask: is our drinking water safe? Well that depends who is supplying it. If it’s coming from Rand Water out of a world class facility like this, it’s about as good as it can get. But it’s in the rural areas where facilities like this just don’t exist… there, well, you take your chances.”

In Witbank few people trust the water coming out of the taps. They trust the municipality even less.

The day we arrived there was sewage flowing into the streets and unhappy municipal workers were sabotaging services because they weren’t getting paid overtime.

Koos Gass is losing business as the brown water stains his clients’ towels.

Bongani: “All from the water?”

Koos Gass (Business owner): “All from the water.”

We paid an impromptu visit to the water works.

Bongani: “Looks like there is no one here… ”

The place was deserted. We have since received information from a retired engineer who said he offered to assist the municipality, but they didn’t want his help and so he gave up in frustration. He told us that the brown water was a result of the clarifiers and the filters that were not working properly. Currently there is no qualified engineer and very little if any maintenance done. You can’t really trust a single water sample, but the one we had analysed indicated good compliance for the health parameters but bad compliance for the operational parameters. So it may not look good, but it’s safe to drink. But that is just one sample.”

Bongani: “Is our water safe? ”

Lindiwe: “I can safely say that the process that we’ve put in place to look at the quality of water at municipal level, the samples that we take every month across the country have indicated to us that 94% of our municipality water is clean and safe to drink. One thing we want to showcase during 2010 is the quality of drinking water in South Africa. So the few municipalities that are left behind - that 5% - we are going to eliminate it.”

A recent Water Research Commission study suggests a different figure to the minister. They say about 50% of small treatment plants are not producing the desired quantity or quality of water and 78% of operators don’t have the knowledge to do their jobs.

By contrast, Rand Water supplies some of the best water in the world to 12 million people. From Vereeniging 2800 million litres are pumped daily into reservoirs on the escarpment. They do about a million tests per year, testing for an array of pathogens, pesticides and toxic algae. They are also testing for chemicals that are not visible and that many people have never heard of. They’re called endocrine disruptors and they have found their way into South African water.

Bettina Genthe (Health Risk Assessor: Rietvlie Dam Project): “The Eland story is really how the whole study began at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve.”

Bettina Genthe is a scientist working at the CSIR. She was the human health risk assessor on a study where a research scientist from the University of Pretoria discovered abnormal testicles on an Eland that had been culled.

Bettina: “And she noticed that the testicles of the eland had been totally calcified. And they actually described it like being, ‘a bag of bones that could shake around’ and it was something that they then started saying: ‘What caused this - what pollution is here that’s had such an effect on the eland?’”

Present in the Rietvlei reserve were pesticides, hormones and heavy metals - all endocrine disruptors. The WRC study went on to discover that almost half the mice had low sperm counts, 12% had no sperm at all, the penile sheath length in the snails was shorter and there were female sex cells inside the testes of the barbel.

Bongani: “Now, is this limited to Rietvlei or is it widespread?”

Bettina: “It’s not just limited to Rietvlie, but the study was. What we found was that there was almost no single area where these chemicals didn’t take place.”

The study revealed cancer risks if the water was used for irrigation, but the drinking water risk was low - that was due largely to the sophisticated treatment that the water underwent through the filters at the Rietvlei water purification plant.

Bettina: “I know that at Rietvlei they have activated carbon, and that is one of the most effective ways of removing the endocrine disruptors.”

Irrigation is under the spotlight at Stellenbosch University. Here a five year study is underway to establish exactly which pathogens end up on the fruit and vegetables that you eat. Dr Gunnar Sigge is at the helm.

Bongani: “Should we be worried about our water?”

Dr Gunnar Sigge (Project Manager - WRC Project): “The fact that we are doing the research is because we are worried about the state of our rivers. We’re worried, that’s why we’re doing this research to try and get to the bottom of where it’s coming from, what it is and what the risks are.”

Assisting with the study is Dr Jo Barnes - an unpopular messenger who has spent hours in her waders sampling these rivers. This soft spoken epidemiologist from Stellenbosch is not afraid to deliver hard truths.

Dr Jo Barnes (Faculty of Health Sciences, US): “I don’t always think that when people pronounce drinking water safe that they look at the whole spectrum of things that may be there. So I’m also starting to be concerned that the way we pronounce water clean is not keeping up with what’s really there… the more hardy things…”

Dr Barnes has written many papers on the health risks associated with our filthy rivers.

Dr Barnes: “I have found a full range of pathogens in water like that, many bacteria, skin diseases, respiratory diseases, kidney diseases, ear infections… organisms for all of those and of course the whole family of diarrhoeas. So this is not at all ideal water to irrigate on edible produce.”

And her outspoken comments haven’t won her many friends in the fresh produce industry.

Dr Barnes: “I have been put under severe pressure not to mention too much of the problems regarding fresh produce.”

Bongani: “You’ve been put under pressure not to speak up?”

Dr Barnes: “Yes.”

Bongani: “In what ways?”

Dr Barnes: “In many ways; some subtle some very direct. But anyway I am still here - nevertheless I am still here saying the same things and that is that denial… As the clock ticks, the problem gets bigger.”

And the clock is ticking… if government wants to showcase our water in 2010, we will need to clean up our act or we may just find ourselves warning our visitors to stay out of the rivers and avoid the tap water in our small towns.

Safe Drinking Water for ALL

Drinking water is the birthright of humankind. However, safe drinking water is denied to the majority of the world's population. This is certainly true in most parts of Africa and Asia.
Even in relatively advanced countries such as India, safe drinking water is not readily available, especially in the rural areas. Here, the concern is not about any water (for other use) but about potable water, which can be consumed safely by human beings. Safe drinking water is a paramount requirement because 75 per cent of diseases in developing countries arise from polluted drinking water. It is high time that we bring about public awareness about safe drinking water. The knowledge of how to make water safe for consumption is not readily available to people in most developing countries.
There are several good and simple scientific methods to purify polluted water to make it safe from drinking. This document describes some of the best ways available for purifying water by inexpensive methods, involving membranes, surface active materials and so on. Based on the local needs situations, appropriate methods can be employed to obtain safe drinking water in the different parts of the developing world. To this end, we hope this document will be useful.
Besides this document, we propose to prepare a simplified version in the form of a poster or a pamphlet. These publications will be advertised through scientific academies and other organizations in various developing countries. Each developing country could produce suitable in local and national languages, and employ various other ways of reaching the common people for using these simple techniques.
If we arouse the interest of all concerned, we may indeed make progress in solving one of the worst problems afflicting mankind.

Safe Drinking Water is YOUR birth right

South Africa's Water, is it safe to drink from the tap?

SA's tap water 'safe to drink'

3 March 2009

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has reassured South Africans that the country's tap water is safe to drink.

While acknowledging that the water in certain areas might at times not meet the required technical standards in terms of the electronic Water Quality Management & Drinking Water Quality Regulation, the department says this does not mean the water in these towns is not safe for human consumption.

While drinking water quality management is the responsibility of South Africa's municipalities, the department has an oversight and regulatory role on the quality of tap water, and has implemented a countrywide system to assist with the overall management of drinking water quality.

According to the department, an average 3 000 samples are taken nationwide from water supply systems, and the latest results indicate that on average 94% of the analyses complied with the health aspects of the national standard for drinking water quality.

"Our monthly reporting indicates that 98% of all samples taken comply with the health aspects as listed in of SANS 241: 2006," the department said in a statement last week.

Incentive-based regulation
The department has already commenced with its incentive-based regulation programme, the Blue Drop Certification Programme, with the objective of awarding excellent drinking water quality management in different towns.

The general public will also be kept well informed on the regulator's confidence levels in drinking water quality management levels per town or city. The first assessments of all nine provinces will be presented in an inaugural public report to be published in May.

'Highest quality' drinking water
The department reiterated its commitment to ensuring that South Africans are served with the highest quality drinking water, saying the country's standards compare well with World Health Organisation limits, which have been adopted as standards for the European Union and other developed countries, including Canada and Australia.

"In spite of the many challenges we have to face, it is encouraging to note that we do have water service systems which record similar compliance levels as our counterparts in developed countries," the department said.

SAinfo reporter

Consciousness is heightened awareness.
It grounds us in the present, ever mindful that this moment is the next perfect step in our personal evolution.

Along the Moluti Mountains...

Memory lane ....Peddlediaries days

Availabale SAFE DRINKING WATER...

Drinking water is the birthright of humankind. However, safe drinking water is denied to the majority of the world's population. This is certainly true in most parts of Africa and Asia.
Even in relatively advanced countries such as India, safe drinking water is not readily available, especially in the rural areas. Here, the concern is not about any water (for other use) but about potable water, which can be consumed safely by human beings. Safe drinking water is a paramount requirement because 75 per cent of diseases in developing countries arise from polluted drinking water. It is high time that we bring about public awareness about safe drinking water. The knowledge of how to make water safe for consumption is not readily available to people in most developing countries. There are several good and simple scientific methods to purify polluted water to make it safe from drinking. This document describes some of the best ways available for purifying water by inexpensive methods, involving membranes, surface active materials and so on.
Based on the local needs situations, appropriate methods can be employed to obtain safe drinking water in the different parts of the developing world. To this end, we hope this document will be useful. Besides this document, we propose to prepare a simplified version in the form of a poster or a pamphlet. These publications will be advertised through scientific academies and other organizations in various developing countries. Each developing country could produce suitable in local and national languages, and employ various other ways of reaching the common people for
using these simple techniques. If we arouse the interest of all concerned, we may indeed make progress in solving one of the worst problems afflicting mankind.

Rocky Clothing

KARRIMOR

George and Liani discussing the donkey cart trip, our Lion friends at Rietgat Game Lodge

The rubbish that lying on the banks of the river as we approach towns

We woke up with a clean smell in the air. The dust of the winter has been washed off. Everything looks brighter and more beautiful. I enjoy the paddle tremendously, nature is busy all around me. Some fishes bumping against my canoe, birds diving catching fish. There are more Hyasynths, even blocking some canals. Passing thatch roof homes in a nature reserve and a couple of bigger houses with green cultivated gardens. The change in scenery is so diverse, we came from the bush where we could only see the odd fishermen and houses way deep in far from the river to these houses.

Paddling past the houses we came across a man who's working with his team of men on a pipeline for a new development next to the river. He told us about Bert just past the next bridge and Lumana Resort where we might be able to camp. There is a thunderstorm on the horizon that scare Dante a loose cloud opens up above us and the rain pour over us. Quick decision time should I cover the bag at the back or should I paddle like mad to get in front of the cloud and out of the rain. But the drops are getting bigger and I quickly threw the poncho over the bag. There is a bridge not so far where we can hide under.

Swallow nests cover most of the bridge's bottom and they flew in flocks out when we paddled underneath them. It happened the other day with Liani when she paddled underneath a low bridge and these huge flocks flew out right above her head. A sight to be seen. Fascinated by the birds I noticed that it stopped raining but we made it to the side for Dante and Katryn to stretch their legs anyway.

Someone decided that its too much trouble to throw their baby's used diapers in a dustbin and came and threw it out underneath the bridge. We made it a quick stop for the dogs and were off to look for Lumana Resort. A long flat stretch of water around a turn in the river brought us to the resort. There were not a lot of people and I climbed out to go to the office and find out if its okay for us to pitch our tent. I followed directions given to me by campers and got lost eventually walking a long way up a cement road to the top at some houses next to the main road I found the office. Lallies helped me with everything we needed. Enthusiastically inquiring about our journey and giving us a gasstove to use to cook for tonight. She called her husband Andre to take me back to the campsite where he showed me a perfect spot, close to the restrooms, electrical plug and a light.

Lightning rain and willow trees

We have a strong wind in our backs pushing us forward. There is waves crashing against our front tip of our canoe where Dante lies. We are again in an unknown area where we don't know what lies ahead. The river is full of turns and rocky island here and there. With Willow tree branches swinging low in the water. There's an unbelievable amount of birdlife on this stretch of river with farmland on both sides of us. The wind is gusty and makes it hard to paddle. We have to work hard to keep our canoes in the right direction with the waves making it difficult not to turn over when indeed we get caught by the wind.

Liani pulled her sarong up and used it to ride the wind and score some paddle area. We soon were sitting laughing so much about how it must look funny, these two girls sitting on canoes with sarongs as sails two dogs and lots of bags and bottles hanging around the canoes. We found some people who were fishing who saw us. They dropped everything they were busy with and just stared at the spectaclefloating past them on the river. For a moment I thought we have missed the point the whole time. We are candidates for a funniest home video competition. We played on the river until late the afternoon when some thunder clouds started to build up on the horizon. A willow tree hanging low in the water offered us a sleeping place for the night. We pushed our canoes on to the bank and started to quickly unpack before it starts to rain. Our fresh water was almost finished and Liani offered to go fetch us some and even try and buy us a colddrink from the other side where we could see men fishing before they go hoome after work. She paddled hard to get to the other side when it started to rain. Stranded waiting in the rain, all the stories about willow trees and lighting came rushing through my head. Apparently there was some men who came to fish along the river who seeked shelter underneath a willow tree from the rain when a lightning bolt struck the tree and left one of the three dead and the other two unconcious. I ran up to a clearing with my poncho and called Dante and Katryn to lie underneath it. I stood in the first rain of the year feeling the drops fall hard onto my body. The water drops running down my legs and the breeze freezing my ankles. I anxiously looked into Liani's direction to see if she is still fine. She braved the wind, rain and lightning just to get us fresh water and maybe a colddrink. Standing on the far edge with only her sarong to keep her dry I felt proud to share this with her. She has been my anchor and has stood by my side through thick and thin. A true loyal friend. Thanks Liani

The thunderstorm lasted not that long and soon she was paddling back to us with Dante and Katryn frantic because we weren't all four together. With amazing scenes of lightning in the distance where the storm had past us a new storm was brewing on the horizon again. Winds swaying the willow tree way to its side and the fear implanted by all the lightning stories left us sitting in the door of the tent watching in anticipation. Its exhilirating how nature has this unbelievable strength and power that can not be tamed.I love it.

having fun with our sarongs as sails

My body is getting into paddle shape and I feel stronger but tired. We have covered quite some distance so far. Paddling against or with the wind works at my shoulders. My body is aching and yet I can't wait to see what the unknown has in store for us today. The river makes wide canals around sand and reed islands offering us a spot to swim and bath in the clear shallow water. The birds swimming around with Dante and Katryn chasing and running around the small island. There is people fishing on the North West side who again were fascinated by these two strange looking vessels with sarongs pulling them forward. They watched us for the whole time since we stopped at the island until we left.

Its too hot to be on the water over lunch time and we normally look for a tree canopy or shelter just to hide form the sun until three o clock. Preparing lunch catching up on Liani and Katryn's paddling stories packing and just resting.

We paddled along the river to find a spot where we can put up our tent for the night. The previous couple of nights have been hard to sleep and we couldn't get much sleep on the uneven ground with tuffs of grass and rocks sticking in our backs. Katryn also haven't slept much lately and catches up on her sleep while Liani paddles them forward. We have paddled for quite some time not finding a spot when we came around a corner where we saw a man fishing in the stream. We couldn't believe our luck there was a camp spot with toilets and electricity just past him.

Organising the canoes so that we can get our food and stuff form them before we go up to the spot was quite a mission with which Liani helped a tremendous lot. I paddle the canoes around the one bend and she pulled the canoes out the water one by one.

After pitching our tent Paul, came and invited us for a hot shower at their house not so far from the camp spot. But we were so tired and the scenery of lightning on the horizon left me with only one thing I wanted to do. I wanted to sit and admire and soak my unbelievable privilege of being here. I feel so small amidst all these powerful nature forces.

Regina Bridge and Tommy who gave us a lift to the local shop...

I am up before the sun. Starting to pack up and getting ready to leave again. We can see Regina's silo's in the far distance. A welcome sight because our fresh water is finished. Still in the far distance but at least we can see them and knows that Regina's bridge can't be too far. Through a couple of small rapids and around an island about 7km further down we came to the bridge. A small low bridge across the river was a welcomed sight. A dirt road connecting Regina/Klerksdorp in the North West Province and Bothaville in the Freestate Province. A stretch of about 50 - 70km with farms between the towns. The river is very shallow underneath the bridge and we can easily find a spot against some rocks. Huge was my amazement when a white bakkie stopped on the bridge within minutes after we got there. A man climbed out the bakkie introducing himself as Tommy a farm owner just up the road. He immediately starting helping us by phoning some of the people in the district next to the river to find out where we can get provisions. Finding out that we'll have to go into Regina which is hardly a town he offered to take us the 5 km with his bakkie.

Liani stayed by the canoes and the dogs while I went to the shop with Tommy. As we drive up the dirt road towards the shop Tommy tells me more about Regina and the people of the very very small town. A small shop stocking beer by quarts and small bottles of liquor, onions, toffees and a few months old naartjies. No water, no bread no nothing more just that. With Tommy still telling me about the town I bought a beer and the last 2 colddrinks. Its a sad, sad, sad very sad story Tommy tells me, the owner of the shop has a farm about 150 ha big, he used to be one of the better farmers in the area. But someday something must have happened and this guy decided to give himself over to uselessness....It was hard not to start laughing about the way he told this story because to him it is a very serious matter of the heart....He carried on telling me about this farmer who only moves from sun spot to sun spot around his house. Not caring about anything any more. His wife had to start the shop for them to survive. He himself Tommy has offered more than once to help them but they didn't want his help, but that was not the worst, he heard one day that the farmer's wife has to aske a black man to drive her to town to buy stock for the shop and that the farmer was too busy giving himself to uselessness to even care about his wife. I couldn't help myself and started giggling, I absolutely love my Country and all of its diversity.

I asked Tommy about his farming and he told me that bought the farm in 1993 after he sold his share in a big transport business. Him and his wife looks after their grandson who is now thirteen and in highschool. His face lit up while telling me about his grandson. Its the last quarter of the school year and they are busy with exams. The boy don't really like the hostel that much and now Grandma and Grandpa decided to drive him to school everyday fo rthe rest of the remaining school term. I told him that whaaaaa, the boy is lucky to have grandparents like the two of them but with a yank of his head my direction and a face lit up with love, excitement and enthusiasm told me that no, they are lucky to have him. So beautiful.

Back on my canoe, I told Liani about my encounter with Regina's shop people and Tommy while we had our beer. The malty ice cold fluid burnt my throat all the way to my stomach. Sitting against one of the pillars of the bridge we observed the area while chatting away and sharing our beer. Not really what we needed but what there was.

Tommy told us about a place we can go camp for the night where there will be showers and electricity a little further downstream. We started paddling towards the place and stopped at a spot where we thought he told us to stop. A hang ladder was hanging from the side on which I could climb up on the bank and looked if it was indeed the place where he has sent us to. A pump house and a patch of grass. I called out a couple of times before I climbed back down into my canoe again. Liani already went down past me and down a small but strong rocky rapid when an answer from the top of the bank came back. Jannes Coetzee invited us to come up to their farmhouse he heard us calling and came to see if it was us. He and his dad was at the owner of the place Tommy called when he met us on the bridge and they heard about us and our journey to Bloemhof dam. They have already made a room ready for us at their house not far from the river. We asked him if they had dogs and whether they would be fine with Dante and Katryn. No told us, they have dogs but they'll be fine. Leaving our canoes on the banks at the pumphouse we drove up to their house. Dante and Katryn at the back and we in the front. On arrival at their house we realised that their dogs are huge. They have 2 of the biggest Boerbull dogs that I have ever seen, 2 Spanials and a labrador. The dogs growling through the bakkie window made us realise that this was not the best idea. Dante and Katryn have been on the canoe for most of their day and they wanted to run around and get rid of the excess energy but they can't.

We went into the house seperating the big dogs and Dante and Katryn. Jannes poured us an ice cold coke and started telling us about his life and the farm. His mom Elize started a guest house on the farm not so long ago. Being close to Potchefstroom for the Aardklop arts festival and Bothaville for the Nampo Farming expo they get a lot of people who come and stay in the guesthouse. With a quad bike track of 10km and fishing facilities they also cater for other people who wants to come and explore the area.

Later we went back to the pumphouse grass patch to sleep there where Dante and Katryn can run around freely. A lovely spot of dens grass and shade underneath trees where we could pitch our tent and sit at a table to catch up on our typing.

There are so many confusing stuff in my life at this moment that swallowed my thoughts for minutes on end while I sat and watched the sun set over the river. It is so beautiful here with a peaceful calm falling over all of us. The daytime animals chirping and scurrying their last for the day and the night time animals start to awaken and tackle their bit of the day. My mind calming with my surroundings and I slowly realise that all I can do amidst a crazy time in my life is to pray and send love to each and every person out there. The truth will always reveal its self and everyone tries their best just to better themselves.

All in all it was another lovely day with great things that happened for the good. To only see the bad will only make matters worst and I'll end up sending energy to negativity. I have to stay focused on my own personal goals. I fell a sleep later to the sound of the frogs in the Hyasynths.

Thick Hyasynths

Missioning down back to our canoes after saying our thank you's and goodbyes left a few scratches. Packing was difficult my canoe lied against an angle and everything that I packed just slide back to the bottom making my canoe unbalanced. Dante and Katryn was sitting with Liani on her canoe when I gave them a push through the Hyasynths to get back on the river.

Its spawn time for the fishes and they clog together on the Hyasynths everywhere. Not even noticing us when we get closer to them. Its again a really hot day and the turns in the river let us face the sun from all directions. With very little rapids and lots of flat water stretches we had to paddle hard but the scenery next to the river has changed again. There is more farms and very little signs of human impact.

The air is filled with the sounds of birds and fishes jumping and splashing in the water. Soaking up the beauty that surrounds me. There is a flow of unbelievable colours across the water. I paddled hard to a point where I could stop and take photos. Its difficult to describe what I see and feel. Its an untouchable beauty. Everything around the water reflects on the water from the birds flying across to the trees swinging lightly in a breeze. The colours are unreal from a dark red to a sharp orange with the darker blue of the water. There is so much to appreciate and I feel swallowed by the beauty.

We found a small clearing next to the river where we could pitch our tent. Night is falling quickly and we have to hurry to make use of the last bit of light to see. The spot where we pitched our tent wasn't all that level and we were in for a long night with little sleep. The night sounds so close to the river got Katryn all alert and keeping a watchful eye through the net of the tent for most of the night. The spawning fishes and lizzards sounds like someone who can't swim but are keeping their head just above the water by splashing.

A long night with hardly any sleep left me dead tired the next morning.

Leaving the fairly known areas behind us for the unknown to come..

We left the boat club farely early the morning knowing that we have to cover some distance again. Again its really hot and the sun is beating on my shoulders. We paddled underneath another bridge nd found some men fishing from the side. Sitting amidst plastic bags and empty beer bottles that has accummulated over some time their drunken voices echoed over the waters. "Hello, where are you going?" With a smile on my face I answered Bloemhof dam and then silence for a while. " Do you girls know how far Bloemhof dam is, are you crazy?"

Its evident that we are in the vicinity of a town. There is signs of human impact everywhere. Between the rubbish lying around and the Hyasynths clogging the smaller canals the riverbed grass created a carpet of resistance on the surface of the water. Pushing, pulling hard on my paddle to get through the dense grass in the smaller streams flowing down we hit a couple of rocks more than once. The sun's reflection on the water beats at my face and makes it hard to see what is happening underneath the surface of the water. For kilometres we saw people everywhere fishing. A few young guys were fishing from their small boat on the edge of a reedbush island. Liani and Katryn went the other way around and Dante was getting frantic because he can't see them. With small short barks and a couple of howls he started hopping on the front of our canoe getting anxious. We could hear them talking to the young fishing from their boat and that made him even more urgent to get to them. They are indeed inseperable.

A quick stop to hide from the sun for a second got me mad with a overflow of sadness. How could we have let the state of our earth get to this point. On the top side of the bank there was a grass field, park on the edge of Orkney town. Plastic bags, bottles and even human excretions lying around everywhere got us back into our canoes and looking for a cleaner spot.

A bit further on we started seeing a golf course on our right and realised that this would be the only place where we might come right with a spot to sleep. Through dense Willow trees I had to get of more than once to find a through way to the top to get to the golf course. Hyasynths and rubbish cloged the edge and it was a filthy business to get out of the river.

Once at the top, two men and their caddies were inspecting their shots to be played. Amazed when they saw this girl crawling up through the thorny bushes where they dump their grass and bush offcuts they pointed me in the clubhouse direction. I followed the clean and neat entrance to the clubhouse asking at the golf shop who I can ask about sleeping here. The lady pointed me to Hein the Club's president who was sitting with some golfers who have just finished their round of golf.

I introduced myself and for a second there was silence before I got two three people asking questions at the same time. Even a coulple of angry replies like "What do you think to be two ladies and alone in this Country where ladies get raped?" Trying to tell them that nothing bad has happened and that we have only received and experienced the good of our people didn't really make an impact at that second. Hein showed me a place where we can camp and he organised with Nita to open the ladies restrooms for us to have a warm shower.

Making my way back to Liani and the dogs to get them to come up to the Clubhouse was another mission. I had to find an easier way for us to get our bags and stuff from the canoes to the top through the thorny bushes. Almost an hour later we were back at the clubhouse unpacking our bags at the spot Hein and Nita showed us. Looking forward to a nice hot shower and a good plate of food we pitched our tent and within seconds we were in the restaurant at the top of the Clubhouse. The restaurant looks like it has been closed due to poor management. There is hardly staff and we are the only people in the restaurant. But nevertheless we got food that we gulped down.

We got into bed after a hot shower and were sleeping like babies until early the next morning.

Thank you Gerhard Bezuidenhout form Orkney for the lovely supper you bought for us!!!

Backpacks are made to be used....we only use KARRIMOR, because the last!

Parys and the biker girls of Pretoria

Tarryn you are a star....Thanks for always seeing to it no matter what...that Dante and Katryn has their favourite food.

To Fraser and the GARMIN team....Thank you so much for your ongoing support.

Merging of mighty Rivers

After our days recouperating at Petro's family's place just outside Orkney, our canoes were packed and ready to leave again. Some people we asked told us that Bloemhof dam is still the odd 200 +km away from where we are now. The Vaalriver cover quite some distance across our Country from its origin near Ermelo to Douglas where it merge with the Orange River. Across many diverse landscapes and across many cities and bigger towns it meanders through significant areas ever changing its course in which it flows.

We said our goodbyes to our companions of the last couple of days. Thank you Hamilton for looking after us and helping out with anything we might wanted to know or needed to sort out.

I pushed Dante and myself of the bank and onto the waters of the mighty Vaalriver. A drastic quick move from the bicycles to the canoes took its toll. But sliding on the water observing the area around me I realised its beauty. So many times before since childhood have I wondered what is happening down here in the river from the car window in which I am driving in. Now I am sitting on the water in the canoe observing the same sapce but from the side where I have always wondered about. Much more calmer, logic and sensible. I love it....

We again have nothing planned for the day, whatever the day might bring. We were send to the Vaal River Boating club by Andre, by the sounds of it, it wasn't that far from where we were. A couple of houses on the North West side after the bridge and then the Boat club. A lot of jetty's with a clubhouse and a caravan park..on our right. Hardly 2 km down river we stopped at the Boating Club. Beautiful gardens green grass with beautiful trees everywhere. I walked up to a caravan standing at he stands closest to the water. Its evident animal lovers stay here. There is rabbits all sizes running, hopping around. A parrot greeting me walking closer. Meisie came greeting with a friendly face. She soon directs me to Carel Minnie's place, the groundskeeper. I walked closer to the cottage she pointed out and found Carel and his wife at home. At first he didn't realise that we came in from the river and not the main gate and was full of questions about our where abouts but he soon started to be amazingly helpful organising tables and power outlets for us to work on and even showed us a house in which we can stay dry in case it might rain.
Dante and Katryn's instincts kicked in after playfully chasing a rabbit around. The one moment they were just running behind the rabbit and the next they were really chasing catching the rabbit just before I could get to them. It must have been a funny event. The rabbit running at full pace in the front with two Jack Russels following and me running out of my shoes and hat diving in behind them in a shrub. For the first time in a long time they had a hiding of note. I felt so bad for the rabbit, luckily they couldn't get to him but he got a fright.
Andre was back in Klerksdorp and we decided that we would love to see him and Liesie again before we leave and it gets to far to say goodbye one last time.

After having supper with them, I had time to go and meditate and practice some hand and headstands. Finding a quiet spot, out of side where I could totally switch off from the busy and eventful day I had was easy. Between the jetty's and the first row of houses was a grass patch.Peaceful

Internet and the joys with it.....

With an extra day to spend at Rudi's place we could do laundry, do some catch up on our blogs and recharge all our electrical equipment. I thoroughly enjoy Rudi's place with all the animals walking freely grazing running around, playing with Dante and Katryn.
I would love to update my blog if its possible. With the confeculated internet connection that we have with Vodacom which is as far as I know the better network its a frustrating business of actually spending money without receiving what you pay for. The photos will upload for hours the data will be exchanged and then whaaaaaaa, Internet cannot disp[lay this webpage......gone is the connection and the costs involved without the photo actually posted.

While the internet does its thing I started to recap on the past weeks on the river and realised that we had a couple of rough days waiting for us and with eventful days past us I could feel the dizziness of goodness swallowing me. Its unreal the beauty that stranger posess. People that share your life everyday seems to make up their own minds about what and how they think and feel about you slapping a judgment in the name of its all good and for the better of you. Reacting on assumptions because we are in a hurry past each other chasing our own selfish dreams and feelings. Here is strangers, who freely sees the beauty in you and actually take something good with them. I fell into another philosophical mode and suddenly the internet could carry on doesn't matter what it does. Lots of unanswered questions about why do we say that we realise and appreciate the simpler everyday things in our everyday lives bit we are stuck in the general just of our direct lives. When last did the small simple gestures from the people close to you made any difference in the way you look at them. Is it possible to let people grow into the beautiful beings they can be without slapping a judgement on their acts without presumptions about their intentions. I have been reading a book "Life's values" and was stunned to the ground. I found my life's mission in words. There are so many goals to chase and people searching for love and answers to questions about aspects in life and themselves that we want to change about ourselves and the world that to get crazy with clever words and acts out of desperateness can swallow you whole. And yet there are examples to live by. Look at Ghandi and the so many others who have walked the walk and talked the talk. Yeah, so life goes on. Changes definitely for the better and love for all doesn't matter what. Its most the times hard to stand proud in the simpler things in life because you get the judgements, the break downs of being rude. Standing proud and sticking to your word I have come to learn is definitely not easy. Its strange how people around you starts to justify their own behaviour with all sorts and turns out that most words spoken meant nothing. It was hollow with nothing surrounding it. How many people can we count are truly still loyal, who honor things like integrity, love, respect and commitments. Who will still be at your back after all the simpler things now mean nothing and your efforts in changing yourself to find serenity ends up being a girl standing amongst people whose words were like the wind. I suppose that's the prize people love to pay for freedom, in order to be free, swipe everything you said under the carpet and leave the rest to deal with the rest.....Is the change worth it to give up all your words and efforts? Will it have been worth it if your goals were truly those that you have spoken about or were you just shitting around peoples minds and beings in order for you to get to the top. Is it really worth it being at the top, being the most famous amongst people, the one everyone love and like to spend time with, or do you make real changes for the better by standing alone in your believes no matter what. Standing alone against everyone who thinks you are crazy and have lost your mind while you stood strong and proud in believing in the simpler things are not easy but I suppose it will never be. There will always be a justification of acts, the ever longing search for things while the truth is in us..... No wonder it eludes us. We are never wrong. We know the truth....

We go on searches to find something closer to the truth that fits us. But it eludes us. Its as if the closer to the truth we get the harder the people closest to you make it for us to get to the truth. Luckily the internet worked and I got my thoughts away from the negativity of other people's acts. I can only tell and relay the truths I found a long the way of life.

Whaaaaaaa, life's great. Never a dull moment with goals of being a better myself and uniting my soul with my mind and physical body.

MCC Spar Klerksdorp

The sun's rays was breaking the shadows in the room when I first decided to get out of bed. Dante was already outside and had already marked his new territory when Katryn turned on her back and closed her eyes again to soak up the comfy bed they had to sleep in. I walked down to push a switch to boil water for coffee. Best of both worlds I realised, there is something magic about sitting around the small morning fire caught somewhere between the sleeping and dreaming state of mind. Everything seems lighter and filled with an endless surge of energy to make the most of the day. The birds chirping and chatting the water waking up with playful jumping fishes.
The Kettle switch jumping back brought be back, mindless staring at the two cups I poured the water and got milk from the fridge. Within minutes I was back upstairs handing Liani her morning coffee. I have always wondered how people especially parents can get up out of bed and go through an everyday ritual like waking up someone with a cup of coffee in bed. But its the time when people are unbelievably beautiful. Peaceful.

I sat on the balcony and sipped on my instant coffee. Rudi's place is in a reserved area with tortoises walking freely on the lawn chomping away at the grass. There is an abundance of birdlife in the overhanging tree branches. Small buck walking around the house. Rabbits hopping and running around with Dante and Katryn behind them. Its play time and its good to see everyone is chilling and enjoying their day. Its great fun with Coenie, Petro and Helene around. There is a different kind of routine to admire and appreciate. I can hear Helene giggling from the cottage where they slept apart from the main house where we slept in.

When I finally walked downstairs again after having a good long warm bath everyone was sitting around the outside table. Maybe its a good thing spending the day getting to know each other better rather than working and catching up on admin. Childhood stories, career jokes, bushtales and far fetched jokes about life in general.

Our groceries for the part of the river that's left are sponsored by MCC Spar Orkney. Walking into the Spar we were welcomed with friendly inquiring faces. At first, the owner thought that we were telling him a long story with a tall ending when he heard that we cycled 13500+km around the Orange etc. I must say when I look back at the distance traveled it says a lot about where we come from. Its only after he went to see for himself on the blogs that its true when he started telling us about his friend on his Africa journey.
The staff was once again magic, helpful and friendly. Packing our bags and helping to pack the groceries into the car. The driving was naturally a mad situation for me. A strange town with one ways in around almost every block of shops. Getting lost and stuck was easy and sorry to the people who had to get stuck behind me. Such crazy hurrying to be on time getting lost with Liani sleeping on the seat next to me was quite the character building scenario of note.

Once back at the farm with Petro's family, Coenie planned to make a huge fire in the "kraal" and braai. A very nice "Kraal" I might add. A stonewall right around the fireplace with trees everywhere around. Lights hanging from the branches and the wall creating a warm welcoming ambience. Helene is a bit uncomfortable in the coolish night air but her daddy soon sorted her out and got her to be restful.

Liani made us a potato, mushroom and cole dish that was awesome with the mixed salad. Coenie braaid lambchops for Petro and himself. A supper well deserved!

I plonked into bed later that evening admiring the beautiful rest day we had.