I have never felt so scared for my life.

Just two days after Police minister Nathi Mthethwa told the World that murder and car hijackings were down in South Africa, a Mazda ridge  followed me and my wife home. Fortunately for me I saw them and tried to drive defensively with the hope to show them that I am aware they were following me. When I turned into my streets they did not have enough time to maeup their minds then they kept on Driving. I was relieved thinking that was it, I also thiught maybe I was just paranoid like most South Africans, but the guys came from another street. Maybe they thought I saw them initialy now they wanted to surprise me. unfortunately for them I was already on my drive way they turned and drove away very quickly.

What concerns me the most is that this is the second time this happens to me. The first time I did not see the car following me but my wife did. As I stopped at my driveway they drove passed me and that was when I realised they were all guys packed in a white Nissan skyline. After they had passed they acted strangely as they seemed to be lost  and ended up making a U turn I reversed quickly into my driveway as they passed slowly in front of me not even looking at me to avoid being identified.

One never think of dying at their gate until last weekend I had a feeling that someone is doing some surveillance on me. Most South African are paranoid and paranoia got to me this time I could not sleep the whole night thinking they might come. What scared me the most is that my wife comes home late on Friday’s. I have a strong belief that our neighbourhood is one of the quietest neighbourhoods not rich but just the working class,

Juju a court case or election machinery

I am not a Malema fan and most importantly I totally against doing things that fellow South Africans feel are uncomfortable for them. I would love to feel welcome at my back yard. Malema was very impressive in court yesterday, he made his points clear to everyone so much that even the Afri-forum lawyer Advocate Martin Brassey seem to run out of questions and relied on a dose of abrasive and provocative line of questionings to unsettle him.  Malema Sat quietly on the dock in his expensive suit showing a big expensive watch on his wrist. When he opened his mouth he was so smooth he even tried to make friends with Advocate Brassey by saying he knows that he had represented some of his comrades in the past.

Calm Malema in court

I must say Malema mostly speak crap on public platforms, yet yesterday he carefully chose words even when he was angry after being asked some abrasive questions. He showed some political maturity that I have never seen before. This was probably the defining moment for his political future. Both parties tried to play to the gallery, but Malema passed with distinction leaving Brassey’s ego bruised.

Secondly the Afri-forum grew their brand immensely which I think was the big idea behind this court case. ANC ended up wining in that front too, they really made a meal of this case. As Malema-phobia according to Gwede Mantashe was playing itself inside the court  room, Malema maniacs were making fool of themselves outside running up and down Pritchard street the whole day.

Literally there was an ANC rally every day on Pritchard and Kruis streets. This court case came at the right time just before Local elections and they milked it to death.

Afrifrum have every right to protest against “dubula ibunu” struggle song, but I am not sure if the route they took will help their cause that is if there is any

I ran for my life

One evening we decided to go on an illegal tour in a game reserve with the hope of seeing one of the big five if not all the big five. When we reached the reserve it was midnight and the paid game ranger told us to stick together as we can easily get lost. We were a group of few ten maybe including me, my two friends and some tourists. We were there until we realise it was early morning, the first light started to appear and we had not seen even one of the big five. The sound of the birds singing in harmony was a sign that we should leave.

Suddenly we heard a Lion roar from a distance. The roar was so powerful one could not help it but tremble in ones pants. Several Echoes made it very difficult to detect from which direction the sound of the roar was coming from. We were in the middle of nowhere in the forest. With roar after roar coming closer and closer the members of the group became anxious and the game ranger was visibly shaken.

That was the time when my two friends and I decided to take matters into our own hands. We ran towards the entrance, which is a normal reaction from a layman like me. As we approach the entrance we could see from a distance a huge lion outside of the game reserve approaching the reserve, the there was a big man made hole in the fence which I suspect the lion used it to get out of the reserve in the first place.

I looked behind us for a place to hide, but there was an open area, which was, quiet a distance before we could reach the forest.  The only option we had was to run as fast as we could and hope that we will get to the fence all alive. I was the fastest among all my friends, based on that I believe I had a chance of surviving to tell the tail. As soon as we started running the lion also started the chase. This lion came strait for me I have no idea why, maybe it was the clothes I was wearing.  It ran past two of my friends whom by then they had even changed their direction everyman for himself.

I could hear the lion breathing down my neck. I knew I was not going to survive I said a little prayer, I also prayed for the lion to kill me instantly hopefully with less pain. I guess I would not even feel the pain given how much I was traumatised. I could hear from a distance my friends giving instructions as to what to do, but I had ran out of options the lion was right behind me, I was just waiting for that jump and attack from the back when I suddenly stopped. The lion just passed me at high speed only to turn around to face me, face to face. I was just few seconds away from my death and at that moment I wished I had a bad dream. My alarm rang I woke up, Yes I was dreaming what a relief.

Business express gone wrong

I am a loyal Tshwane business express passenger. I am not driving to Johannesburg any more thanks to this train. By the time you reach your destination (Pretoria and Jhb) you have read two free newspapers (Sowetan and The Star) had a morning coffer of your choice (hot chocolate, gone through emails even had made Skype calls) this is all only from R870.00 per month. The success of the led to PRASA introducing the second train that leaves earlier at 05h40 and the second train leaving at 06H15. The Second train even helps to take Pretoria passenger. Everyone was happy at that time.

The reservations are have about this is that even though when we were lured into this train we were told this will be standard, over a very short period of time these services are altered without any communication to paying customers.

1.     Two newspapers in the morning

Sowetan that they use to give us with The Star they just stopped giving it to us without telling us anything.

2.     Variety of drink in was reduced as well no more hot chocolate in the middle of    winter only Coffee and Rooibos is available.

3.     Parking was chaotic at first in the beginning it is still disorganized but it is better much better than in the beginning when they were still going trough teething problems.

4.     One was guaranteed to be in Johannesburg or Pretoria on time not 1hour as they claim, but it was at least 1h15 on time almost all the time. This was because it was given preferential treatment on tracks if there was a problem on the way. How things have changed, the fact that we still pay R870.00 means nothing, as the traveling time can be anything between 1h30 minutes to 5hour.  

5.     On Friday the 18^th of March 2011 things came to a crunch when the train Manager Mr. Leshilo exchanged insults with passengers as he tried to address passengers on why middle Carriages of the train did not have anything to drink for the past three weeks and counting. 

     Passenger were very upset especially when this explanation comes just two days after this train arrived in Pretoria at 22h00 and the only passengers who were taken care of were Pretoria. Those who disembarked in Kempton Park and Centurion were left to fend for themselves.  The manager even wanted one passenger to be arrested far saying a hostess is just a tea hostess. This was in the heat of the moment where the manager said one passenger is a Taxi Driver, which I am not sure, what he thinks of them.

As all this is happening passengers are still paying the same R870.00 even though PRASA is obviously making a profit by reducing its services to the passengers. Is it not time the passenger’s request reduction in ticket price?