The Lonely Sentinel

As I walk this earth and my hometown, I stumble upon some beautiful and interesting things.

At first glance, nobody will think an object has any noteworthy interest; but it is how you look at life that makes a difference. I always take my camera wherever I go!

Recently I stumbled upon this pillar made out of sandstone. It is on a deserted farm on the outskirts of the town and it is obvious that it was either part of the farm’s fencing or part of a gate.

However, it just looks like a sentinel, guarding over the past!

If it could talk!

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Life as a mom can be hard, especially when it seems like no one notices everything you do.

A Book From Nigel!

Ivan and the Magic Ring

For Sale, Books - Magazines in South Africa, Gauteng, Nigel. Date August 27

For Sale in Nigel

Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality Budget for 2012/2013

An operating budget of R23.8 billion and Capital budget of R2.6 billion was tabled and approved for the 2012/2013 financial year by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan on 31 March 2012.

The budget was compiled with the following goals in mind:

·         Build local economies to create more employment, decent work and sustainable livelihoods;

·         Improve services and broaden access to them;

·         Build more united, non-racial, integrated and safer communities;

·         Promote more active community participation in processes within the Metro; and

·         Ensure that the metro become more effective, accountable.

But, what will the budget be used for?

The budget will be used for the following key service areas:

·         Water and sanitation provision;

·         Providing electricity;

·         Waste removal and management;

·         Health and social services;

·         Roads and storm-water;

·         Environmental resource management - such as grass cutting and park maintenance;

·         Sport, recreation, arts and culture;

·         Housing;

·         Economic development;

·         Transport; and

·         Safety and security.

The following tariff increases came into effect on 1 July 2012:

Electricity: from -12% to 13.5%

Assessment Rates: 7.5 %

Water: 11.3%

Sewer: 10.68%

Refuse Removal: 15%

To help alleviate the burden of poor households, they will continue to receive free electricity. In addition, the cost of electricity has been reduced. In an inflationary environment where costs are ever escalating, the Metro is reducing the cost of energy to its communities. A household using 300kWh of electricity will pay 25% less for their monthly electricity bill, while a household using 400kWh will pay 27% less.

For more detailed information on the budget you can visit the Metro’s official site at www.ekurhuleni.gov.za

 

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The Anthills and Humanhills of Nigel

Nigel is scattered with anthills and humanhills.

But what is an anthill?

A Masterly Sculptured Anthill

 An ant-hill, in its simplest form, is a pile of earth, sand, pine needles, or clay or a composite of these and other materials that build up at the entrances of the subterranean dwellings of ant colonies as they are excavated. A colony is built and maintained by legions of worker ants, which carry tiny bits of dirt and pebbles in their mandibles and deposit them near the exit of the colony. They normally deposit the dirt or vegetation at the top of the hill to prevent it from sliding back into the colony, but in some species, they actively sculpt the materials into specific shapes, and may create nest chambers within the mound.

And what is a humanhill?

Haphazard Sculptured Humanhill 

A humanhill is a pile of rubbish, either household refuse or building rubble dumped by stupid, ignorant, could-not-care-less and self-centred people without thinking about themselves, their neighbours, future generations or the environment. The why they are not thinking is that they are already brain-dead!

Once the stupid humans moved in, the ants are complaining that their neighborhood is down the drain!

 So, who are the better and more advanced specie? 

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Church Celebrates 40 Years

The congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church Nigel South celebrated the church’s 40th year of existence on 19 August 2012.

It was a joyful occasion for the congregation with a special church service on 19 August - to bring all honor to God and to reminiscence about the past 40 years. The congregation was established back in 1967 but it was only in 1972 that they could afford a church building. The church cost a mammoth (for that time) R110 000 to build. The church was inaugurated on 19 August 1972. The first reverend was Rev. AW Celliers and the current reverend is Rev. Pieter Kruger.

Notes: The top caption of the photo means ‘Dutch Reformed Church; Congregation Nigel South’. The bottom caption means '40 years: A place of prayer; 19 August 2012.’

Boost Your Self-Esteem!

Red Weaver Hanged Himself!

Even birds suffer from stress! It seems to be endemic under them recently. Here is a photo showing a red weaver (rooivink) that hanged himself!

Do not stress, it is not true, he did not commit suicide. It seems what happened is that somewhere while he was gathering seed or grass for a nest, his one leg got entangled in a piece of twine and as he flew past a tree the end of the twine hooked over a twig and there he got stuck.

It also seems that it happened during summer when the tree was full in bloom so nobody could see him dying in agony. It was only when the tree shed its leaves in winter that we saw it.

Plans For Building Your own Garden Shed!

Illegal Dumping of rubbish in Nigel

Nigel is a beautiful town. I love it, especially the nature and tranquillity here.

However, there is one thing that bothers me - the illegal dumping of household refuse and building rubble. The outskirts of the town is littered with these ugly ‘human-hills’. It is citizens of this town who are responsible for this - but they do not care. And, they can say what they want, but Nigel’s refuse services are one of the best in Gauteng - so, why bother to litter our town?

I tried to address it but in vain:

I brought it to the attention to the Heraut, community based newspaper for Nigel and Heidelberg. 

Here is the email I send to them:

The Editor

I refer to the letter ‘Waar Is Ons Verkeersmanne?” in Heraut of 1 August 2012.

I agree with the writer. 

It seems there is a general tendency of lawlessness in Nigel.

1. Stop-signs and other traffic signs are for the birds.

2. Our streets became drag-racing strips or de-stressing zones.

3. Intersections are there for showing who can do the best ‘dough-nuts’.

4. Our suburbs are terrorized by thugs (sorry, I cannot think of a better or more appropriate description) on off-road motor bikes and quad bikes, especially on Sundays. I have no problem with them using the dirt roads around the town, but they are also in our streets, making it hell for inhabitants. Sorry, for mentioning it, but what were two 14 year old boys doing on an off-road bike (‘veld fiets’) in Eeufees Road about three weeks ago when they collided with a truck. What type of parent allows this?

Then there is the illegal dumping of rubbish, just on the outskirts of the town. When I look at the photos attached hereto, I asked myself, are we a civilized society? It will not take long before the entire Nigel is engulfed by rubbish!

We are our Metro police indeed.

After all is said, it is not the responsibility of the Metro police - we as citizens of Nigel should stand together and take back our streets and environment!

Anti-Lawlessness

Here are the photos I send them:

I also brought the matter to the attention of the other local newspaper, Nigel & Heidelberg Rekord by email. Here is the email I send them:

Dear Editor,

I refer to your news report 'Other towns to get refuse bin system' in the Rekord of 31 July 2012.

The people of Nigel are complaining about the bag system vs the bin system as applied in Nigel. I do not know why they complain - the bins take at least 5 bags and sometimes when I clean up my house and garden I have another 2-3 bags additional which I place next to the bin outside and never (in 3 years) did they refuse to take it.

But anyway, I think there are many people who try to spite the municipality (Nigel) by dumping their rubbish in and around the town. Just go and look at the back of Angelo Mall and the adjacent old Heidelberg Road (from the Angelo Mall until it reach the new Heidelberg Road). (See attached photos 01, 03 and 04). Photos 03 and 04 contains old windscreens and this may be an indication the culprit can be one of the few class merchants in town. What baffles me is that there is bank- and cell phone statements lying around with a person's name and address on it. (This person never heard of identity theft?) Then there is the veld at the back of the stadium, also a nice dumping place - see photo 02. At the background you can see the houses. These photos were taken with my cell phone but with your professional cameras you will be able to capture this rubbish dumping better. 

What baffles me further is that we are paying monthly for refuse removal, which is compulsory, but we still mess up our environment. And we are quick to point fingers to the municipality for poor service delivery, but refuse removal is one of the strong points of Nigel municipality.

Daily I see this illegal rubbish accumulating and it won't take long before it will engulf Nigel.

We must realize this is 'cut your nose to spite your face', if it is indeed a case of spiting the municipality, which I doubt. I think it is just a case of uncivilized and ignorant people!

Thanks.

Anti-Dumping 

Here is the photos I send them:

Then I brought it to the attention of the Municipality by means of the News24.com Neighborhood Watch, also nothing!

It seems nobody, except me cares about this ugliness. Then who am I anyway?

Nigel Olifaunt

Forces of Nature - Veld Fires!

Here are three photos of veld fires around Nigel. The first two are of a fire during daytime and the last one was during the night.

It is especially the night fire that shows the force of a fire very intensely!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow . . .

Yesterday Nigel and the rest of the East Rand were turned into a winter wonderland!

When we woke up yesterday, we knew it was the day for snow, and it snow like nobody’s business.

For us snow is a rarity because the last time it snowed it was in 2008.

This year we had a late start of winter, until the end of May, it was still summer and it was only the end of June that it got really cold.

We do not complain, especially with a bonus of snow!

 

Nigel - A Beautiful Town!

Nigel is a beautiful little town. Still rural, but near enough the hustle and bustle of big city life!

Nigel is beautiful during all four seasons. Here is a photo I took during April this year, when nature slowly prepared for a well-deserved rest!

In summer this tree is green, but with this gold leaves it is terrific! 

 

Secrets To Dog Training: Stop Your Dog's Behavior Problems!

Introduction To Nigel

 In 1882, a farmer Petrus Johannes Marais of the farm Varkensfontein in the Heidelberg district made an agreement with a prospector named Johnstone allowing him to prospect for gold on the farm his.

Johnstone’s prospecting operations continued for a considerable time shrouded in secrecy. Then one day a stranger called on farmer Marais and made him an offer to buy the farm.

Fortunately, farmer Marais was at that time reading “The Fortunes of Nigel" by Sir Walter Scott, a story about a young man, Nigel Olifaunt, also known as Lord Glenvarloch who was the victim of a dishonest intrigue but eventually achieved his goal in life. This Nigel Olifaunt travels to London in order to ask the King to repay his father's loan. Nigel wishes to use the money to pay off a mortgage on his estate—but the Duke of Buckingham and Prince Charles already have their eyes on it. The lord is drawn into the chaotic life of the court, and when he becomes an enemy of the profligate Lord Dalgarno, he finds himself in grave danger.

The stranger's visit immediately aroused farmer Marais's suspicions to the extent that he decided to visit his farm himself. Once at the farm he found that his suspicions were well founded. With the experiences of Nigel, the character in the novel in mind, he determined not to allow himself to be cheated by cunning fortune seekers and at once set about to establish his own company. In July 1888, two years after the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, he achieved his goal. His company was registered as the Nigel Gold Mining Company. The town, which grew around the mine, still bears the name derived from Scott's book.

In 1888, the State President Paul Kruger declared Nigel as a public digging under notice no. 331 and since then the history and development of Nigel are inseparable from those of the gold mines. The town was little more than a mining camp until 1923, when the control of the town was passed into the hands of a Dorpvillage. The first meeting of this council was held on 2 January 1923.

The town is on the edge of the area known as the East Rand, the industrial engine room of Johannesburg.