This is a Sapa piece on an article in yesterday's Business Report. I make no comment:

Eskom skimps on SA
May 7, 2008

Johannesburg - In the three months to March, electricity exports rose as much as 6.1 percent year-on-year, while electricity distributed to the nine provinces fell by 1.7 percent, Statistics SA said.

T-Sec chief economist Mike Schussler said that last year local residents paid 3.7 times more for electricity than the average selling price to neighbouring countries, Business Report reported on Wednesday.

But, while exports climbed, imports fell as much as 22.4 percent, said Stats SA.

Eskom was not available to comment, the report said.

South Africa imports power from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique. - Sapa

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Has anyone ever done something so horrible to you that "I'm sorry" couldn't fix it?

Jesus said: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." That is recorded in Matthew 6:14-15.

Forgiveness should come regardless of whether someone says "I'm sorry", or indeed even if the person is not sorry. It's not easy, because it is against human nature.

Forgiven

But that is part of why we need a new nature. The apostle Paul wrote: "Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God" (Romans 8:8). Indeed, describing life under the sinful nature, Paul said: "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Romans 7:18).

That is why Jesus told Nicodemus: "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). Truly yielding to Jesus as our Lord brings a change of nature that is so profound that the Bible calls it being "born again". It is being born into a spiritual, rather than fleshly, life. Jesus said: "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:6).

Only those who are God's children, who have been forgiven by Him through yielding to Him, can truly take to heart what Paul wrote to the Colossians: "Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13). It may be against human nature, but not against the spiritual nature that God imparts to us.

Of course, it is not always easy to yield to that nature, but we don't have a choice. God commands it. For us not to forgive is to disobey God and fall into sin. That means that the person most hurt by my lack of forgiveness is me!

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This from this morning's Eastern Cape newspaper Daily Dispatch:

A QUARTER of the petrol price will be taxes and levies when May’s 55c per litre increase takes effect from midnight tonight.

Please sir, may I have some more?

Tomorrow’s increase includes a 20c per litre increase in the “slate levy”, a new 1.5c “incremental inland transport recovery” levy, and a 2.5c increase in “service cost recovery”.

This extra 24c per litre is in addition to April’s 6c increase in the fuel levy, plus 5c extra in road accident fund contributions. (Full story here)

With the power crisis and the fuel crisis well under way, I think it is iniquitous that the government adds even more to our burden. It really should have imposed this at a more appropriate time.

Consider how different the situation is in New Zealand. There they are also, like all countries, experiencing high fuel prices. However, the approach is completely different.

This is how the New Zealand Herald reported it today:

Auckland transport chiefs are easing back the throttle on plans to impose a special regional fuel tax of 5c a litre from January to pay for electric trains and improved bus and ferry services.

They are now having to contemplate a far gentler regime, starting at 1c a litre in July next year.

The reason given?

Disclosing the compromise yesterday, Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee said it was in recognition of the pain being faced by motorists by successive rises in fuel prices ahead of a range of new imposts. (Full story here)

Two governments, two attitudes.

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Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

What's that? Some kind of American mayonnaise?

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It's pretty cold out here!

What a cold long weekend! The temperatures plummeted to such an extent that we pulled out the winter clothes and blankets. Winter arrived with a bang.

It was a good break from work nevertheless. Among other things, on Thursday we spent some time with Grant, a friend who lives in New Zealand. We were at university together - doing the same degree and living in the same residence, then we lived in the same commune in our fourth and final year, worked for the same newspaper in East London, and both moved to Johannesburg where we worked for the same newspaper group for a while. Then he moved to New Zealand in 2001. We met up with him in Benoni, where he and his family were staying with his parents-in-law. I believe they return to New Zealand on Thursday.

It was great to see him again, and for the minister of home affairs to meet him at last.

On the weight front, I lost just 0.2kg last week. I hope this means things are stabilising. Total mass is now 80.6kg.

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What the weekend holds in store

It really is an odd week here in South Africa. Monday was a public holiday because the 27 April Freedom Day fell on Sunday. Tomorrow is the 1 May Workers' Day holiday, and then Friday has been declared an extra public holiday because two holidays fell on the same day on 21 March (Good Friday and Human Rights Day).

That means the working week is just two days long - yesterday and today.

We don't have any real plans for the long weekend - except to do more work on the house in preparation for selling it. I am unlikely to post anything, so I'll see you on Monday!

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The Obama and Clinton campaigns receive non-stop media attention; how do you think the press is doing with its coverage of  the democratic nominee process?

LOL - it's not getting that much coverage over here. We have our own problems to worry about.

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Will the rising cost of petrol change your winter travel plans?

Petrol price

I was not really planning to do much driving this winter, but I'll certainly think twice before going on any photo expeditions that involve more than the usual travelling distances.

On that note, we just heard today that petrol is expected to rise 50c next month, taking it to almost R9.50 - a new record (actually, any price higher than the current one is a new record).

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My home country, South Africa, has not culled elephants for 13 years.

That will change from tomorrow.

South Africa's 13-year moratorium on elephant culling was set to be lifted on Thursday to combat a surge in population numbers, despite an outcry from animal rights activists.

Full story here.

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All is well again, with the minister of home affairs having returned home on Friday afternoon from her trip to New Zealand, which she enjoyed immensely.

Female Lion Looking to Her Side

We spent the Freedom Day long weekend relaxing at home to give her a chance to recover from the travelling, but yesterday went out on another photographic expedition, this time to the Lion Park. I think we got some really decent photos. It was very much worth the visit. Not cheap though! Entry is R90 per adult if you self-drive through the park.

The photo here is not one of mine, but a stock photo. I have discovered that anyone can steal photos if I post them here on Vox, so I'll systematically remove all of mine. However, you can see my photos on my flickr page, which has some security features preventing photo theft.

The Saturday morning weigh-in recorded a 0.4kg gain to 80.8kg. At least it was not another loss like last week! I'd be quite happy if it were to settle here now.

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