The legacy of Nelson Mandela is in danger: 50 people are murdered in South Africa every day - 20 of them are whites

The legacy of Nelson Mandela is in grave danger in South Africa. South Africa´s murder rate - and particularly the white murder rate - has increased dramatically. It is now one of the highest in the world.

"Virtually every week the press here report the murders of white farmers, though you will not hear much about it in the media outside South Africa", the BBC:s John Simpson reported already in 2013. And nothing seems to have changed since then, except that there are now even more murders ...

Here are some excerpts from articles and reports that might interest you:

About 50 people on average are murdered in South Africa per day, of which at least 20 of them are whites(95+ % black on white murder rate). Please take into consideration that white people make up only 9% (4 500 000) of the demographics in South Africa and therefore the white murder rate in South Africa is quite significant. The government is obviously turning a blind eye on these statistics as no action plan has yet been establishes to reduce the white murder numbers. In fact, some political leaders encourages black South Africans to go out and kill whites. (President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, sings a song about killing whites.

Genocide Watch


South Africa's murder rate has increased for the third year running, with opposition groups saying the figures mirror "a country at war".
The murder rate jumped 4.6 per cent with 17,805 murders committed between April 2014 and March 2015, an increase of 782 deaths from the year before. Almost 49 people were killed every day in a country of 52 million people.
Armed robberies, burglaries and carjackings also increased. Instances of truck hijacking had the biggest leap with a 29 per cent increase on the previous year.
Police pointed to a decline in rape and assault as a positive sign but analysts said it indicated another problem: that South Africans were failing to report crime because of a loss of trust in the police.

The New Zealand Herald
October, 2015


Virtually every week the press here report the murders of white farmers, though you will not hear much about it in the media outside South Africa.
In South Africa you are twice as likely to be murdered if you are a white farmer than if you are a police officer - and the police here have a particularly dangerous life. The killings of farmers are often particularly brutal.

John Simpson, BBC
May, 2013


Afrikaner farm owners are being murdered at a rate four times the murder rate of other South Africans, including Black farm owners. Their families are also subjected to extremely high crime rates, including murder, rape, mutilation and torture of the victims. South African police fail to investigate or solve many of these murders, which are carried out by organized gangs, often armed with weapons that police have previously confiscated.  The racial character of the killing is covered up by a SA government order prohibiting police from reporting murders by race.  Instead the crisis is denied and the murders are dismissed as ordinary crime, ignoring the frequent mutilation of the victims’ bodies, a sure sign that these are hate crimes.
However, independent researchers have compiled accurate statistics demonstrating convincingly that murders among White farm owners occur at a rate of 97 per 100,000 per year, compared to 31 per 100,000 per year in the entire South African population, making the murder rate of White SA farmers one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Incitement to genocide is a crime under the International Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which South Africa is a state-party.
The ANC government has promoted hate speech that constitutes “incitement to genocide.”  The President of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema, revived the "Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer" hate song at ANC rallies, until it was declared to be hate speech by a South African judge, and Malema was enjoined from singing it.  For other reasons, Malema was later removed as ANCYL President.  His followers continue to sing the hate song, and the Deputy President of the ANCYL has called for “war,” against “white settlers.”
After the judge’s injunction to halt singing of the hate song, even the President of South Africa, ANC leader Jacob Zuma, himself, began to sing the “Shoot the Boer” song.  Since Zuma began to sing the hate song on 12 January 2012, murders of White farmers increased every month through April 2012, the last month for which there are confirmed figures.
There is thus strong circumstantial evidence of government support for the campaign of forced displacement and atrocities against White farmers and their families.  There is direct evidence of SA government incitement to genocide.

Genocide Watch
report 2012

New peer reviewed study: Good food, walking and cycling keep climate change away

A team of "international experts" have published a paper on climate change in this week´s edition of PloS Medicine: 

The experts are from institutions in South Africa, Sweden and Germany. They will be highlighting the need to enhance climate and health benefits at the UN level.

--

The authors state that there is proof of significant health impacts of climate change in many sectors and these impacts lead to crisis in public health very similar to the impact of tobacco on the health of individuals. The authors highlight that this negative impact on health is because the general population is not sufficiently informed on the importance of public health.

The authors suggest that reduction in climatic impact and individual health benefits can be achieved if individuals are encouraged to cycle and walk instead of using other modes of transport and to eat healthy locally produced foodstuffs.

Maybe there is something to what these "international experts" say. Why not just eat, drink and be merry? A certain amount of cycling and walking will not hurt, either. If all these beneficial activities help to keep us away from Dr.Pachauri and the rest of the UN global warming hoaxters, then the fresh PloS Medicine paper would have served a real purpose. 

South African minister: Coal will continue to play critical role in SA´s energy landscape

The government of South Africa deserves praise for saying this, loud and clear: 

Despite stated plans to rebalance its energy mix, South Africa's minister of mineral resources, Susan Shabangu, Tuesday, outlined coal's importance to the country's future.

"There can be no doubt of the critical role coal will continue to play in our country's energy landscape - long into our nation's future" said Shabangu at the inauguration of Sasol Mining's first major replacement mine since starting operations over six decades ago.


Here are some basic facts about the role of coal in South Africa´s energy production:

About 77% of the country's primary energy needs are provided by coal. South Africa produces an average of 224 million tons (Mt) of marketable coal annually, making it the fifth-largest coal-producing country in the world.

About 25% of the production is exported internationally, making South Africa the third-largest coal-exporting country. The remainder of South Africa's coal production feeds the various local industries, with 53% used for electricity generation.

The key role played by coal reserves in the economy is illustrated by the fact that Eskom is the seventh-largest electricity generator in the world, and Sasol the largest coal-to-chemicals producer.

What will happen in South Africa after Mandela dies?

The latest scare about Nelson Mandela´s health raises questions about what will happen in South Africa when he dies. The British writer Fred Bridgland, who lives in Johannesburg, is worried:

The fear is that politics in South Africa will become much more raw and ruthless once Mandela dies. Already the extent to which the ANC, the organisation to which Mandela devoted his entire adult life, has lost its hold over its own stated core principles is astonishing. “The rot has been evident for some time, spreading ever deeper into the very soul of the organisation,” says veteran liberal journalist and ANC sympathiser Allister Sparks. “We have become a corrupt country. The whole body politic is riddled with it. We have reached a kind of corruption gridlock. When so many people in high places have the dirt on each other, no-one dares blow a whistle. When the President of the country (Jacob Zuma) has managed to get off the hook on a major corruption case (charges relating to bribes associated with the country’s multi-billion dollar arms deal with Britain and other European Union countries), how can he crack down on corruption anywhere else in his administration?
“We have gone backwards on the two core principles that carried the ANC through all the long years of its liberation struggle, through the tough constitutional negotiating process and into the dawn of the new South Africa – the principle of non-racialism and the principle of clean, honest government that would deliver a better life for all.”

The ANC under Zuma has tolerated toxic verbal assaults on the white minority by the firebrand ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, whose rants have poisoned the national atmosphere to a degree not seen since apartheid days. Whites’ resentment of reverse racial discrimination has been exacerbated by the way the policy of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has been applied. BEE was meant to open up economic opportunities long denied to the black majority and level the economic playing field. Unfortunately, as designed by the ANC, it has involved re-instituting racial classification in a society that loudly proclaims to the world that it has non-racial principles. BEE has enriched only blacks at or near the summit of the ANC, creating multi-millionaires overnight, while driving abroad qualified young whites who had nothing to do with the dispossession, oppression and exploitation of blacks in the past and who see no future if they are to be discriminated against when job-hunting in “the new South Africa.” Moeletsi Mbeki, younger brother of former President Mbeki, says: “The trouble with BEE is that the guys who were given the shares (in former white-owned companies) are not creating jobs, they’re not creating new products, they’re not creating anything that will increase our exports. The fact is that BEE is a politicians’ Ponzi scheme. Black people, mostly the poor and working class, are being ripped off to enrich these guys.”

Read the entire article here

Durban COP 17: A fake "road map leading nowhere" in the making?

The warmists at the Durban COP 17 are desperately trying to agree some kind of a fake "road map" which is then branded a "great success":

The European Union said it was encouraged its "road map" to legally binding commitments by 2015 to cut greenhouse gas emissions was gaining traction at the talks, which are due to wrap up in the South African port of Durban on Friday.

However an "EU source, speaking on condition of anonymity" was prepared to tell the truth about the US negotiators:

"They can agree to a road map leading nowhere but not a road map leading to a legally binding deal, which is what the EU wants"

The EU source of course knows that the US Congress will oppose any kind of binding deal.

Only 12 heads of state attending COP 17 in Durban

Not more than twelve heads of state or government are joining the thousands of climate tourists delegates attending the COP 17 climate change jamboree in Durban, according to the latest information:

Durban - Twelve heads of government and state have said they will participate in UN climate talks in Durban, UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said on Friday.

African leaders from the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Senegal are set to attend the 12-day talks which wrap up on December 9, Figueres said.

Nauru, Honduras, Samoa, Monaco, Fiji, Niue and Norway will also be represented by their heads of state.

Well, Norway´s prime minister Stoltenberg really must be looking forward to joining this exclusive group of world leaders from such beacons of democracy and human rights as Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Fiji and Honduras ....

In addition, Stoltenberg will have an excellent opportunity to discuss climate change - and perhaps the profitability of the Casino in this adverse economic climate - with Monaco´s head of State, former playboy turned climate activist, Prince Albert II.

"Beach related activities" at the COP 17 in Durban affected by heavy rain

This must be a huge disappointment for the more than 20.000 climate change tourists delegates at the COP 17 warmist beach jamboree in Durban. After heavy rainfall and flooding in Durban the South African Government Communication and Information System has issued the following statement:

Some beach related activities of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) have been affected. They have been delayed by a day.

Swimming also seems to be restricted :

Bart Fokkens, from the Duzi-Umgeni Conservation Trust, says large amounts of plastic debris are piled up on the Umgeni River mouth.
He says paddling and swimming in the lagoon area are not recommended either, as the water quality at this stage does not look good.
Fokkens has described the water as being a 'chocolate brown' colour.

It cannot take long, before the first "expert" statement appears in the MSM blaming global warming/climate change for the flooding and the brown water.

South African president Zuma to give keynote speech on World AIDS day

It will be interesting to hear what South Africa´s president Jacob Zuma will say in his "keynote speech" on the World AIDS Day, to be celebrated in Port Elizabeth on December 1.

A few years ago the same Zuma - then head of South Africa´s Aids Council - had this to say:

"It would minimise the risk of catching the disease"
Jacob Zuma
(During his rape trial in 2006, explaining to the Johannesburg High Court why he took a shower after having sex with an HIV-positive woman. infection.)

Jacob Zuma, a polygamist with 20 children, is now revered as an international statesman. Here he is posing with Finnnish president Tarja Halonen, who together with him is a co-hair of the UN's High Level Panel on Global Sustainability

PS
Before Zuma was elected president he had to face a number of significant legal challenges. Here is the BBC´s timeline:

June 2005: Sacked as deputy president

October 2005: Charged with corruption

December 2005: Charged with rape

April 2006: Acquitted of rape charges

September 2006: Corruption case collapses

December 2007: Elected ANC president; then re-charged

September 2008: Judge rules corruption case cannot proceed

January 2009: Prosecutors win appeal

6 April 2009: Prosecutors drop case citing phone-tap evidence

(More details on this BBC page)

COP-17 - World leaders stay home, but Hollywood celebs jet into Durban

"Bono is an active member of Greenpeace and drives a car which runs on ethanol"

Most world leaders have decided to scrap the Durban COP-17, but the organisers can count on a host of celebrities, who never want to miss out on a genuine beach party.

The usual host of Hollywood "activists", led by Angelina Jolie, U2´s Bono and Leonardo DiCaprio, among others, are are expected to jet in to provide the glitz and glamour for the gathering. They will be joined by the likes of Al Gore and Richard Branson, who never miss an opportunity to advance their business interests at this kind of celebrity gatherings. And, of course, "the terminator", Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monaco´s operatta prince Albert will be there, too.

The Times Live added this on Sunday:

Umhlanga's Oyster Box Hotel - the new playground of the international jet set - will again play host to Monaco's Prince Albert and his South African wife, Charlene Wittstock, and, it is whispered, Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio .
The two stars are expected to arrive in the city next Sunday. It is understood "discreet" reservations were made for them.
The Monaco royals threw a lavish cocktail bash at the hotel in July to celebrate their wedding.
Wittstock has apparently reserved the Buthelezi suite, which is usually priced at between R8630 and R11890 a night. Billionaire businessman Richard Branson has apparently booked into the presidential suite, at R50000 a night.
The city's other top hotels - the Beverly Hills and Hilton - are the likely venues for former US vice-president Al Gore, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and a number of heads of state attending the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17), which will run from tomorrow to December 9.


But there is bad news for ordinary South Africans:

"For those hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrity, don’t count on it. Word has it that they’re here strictly for business purposes".

PS

Many of the more than  20.000 COP 17 climate tourists delegates are certainly planning to enjoy the beach parties and nightlife on offer. Hopefully somebody has informed them about this, less pleasant side of life in Durban :

 Durban, and our province of KwaZulu-Natal, has the world's highest levels of HIV. With less than one percent of the global population, South Africa has 10 percent of its HIV infections, and our province has 10 times more HIV than anywhere else in the country

And this:

Harassment by police and humiliation at clinics mean just 5 percent of sex workers are getting health care.

This is according to research by the Sex Worker Education Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat), which says up to 60 percent of sex workers nationwide were HIV-positive and nearly 20 percent of all new infections were related to the industry through clients, partners, abuse and rape, according to its research.

Only a handful heads of state attending the Durban COP-17 gathering

The annual UN mass gathering of warmists is to open within a couple of days in Durban, South Africa. Over 20.000 climate tourists delegates are expected to attend the COP-17, but only eight heads of state have so far confirmed their attendance.

Compare that with more than 100 heads of state and government at the Copenhagen COP-15 in 2009. The almost non-existent interest among heads of state is maybe the best illustration of the fact that the game is over for the high priests of AGW.

But in spite of the absence of the world leaders, the UN Climate Beach Party offers a lot of activites for the attending taxpayer funded climate tourists, starting with a beachfront parade along the city´s iconic Golden Mile:

Inspired by urgent and righteous panic, dignitaries, activists, artists and various other members of the global warming jet set will open the festivities of the COP17 UN Climate Beach Party by walking three kilometres up Durban's iconic Golden Mile, following a blue line which represents the high water mark should sea levels rise by one metre.
The Blue Line of Durban is to be “artistically rendered” along Oliver Tambo Parade by “one of South Africa’s internationally renowned public artists, Strijdom van der Merwe”. It ends, appropriately enough, at the local tourism office.
The walk is described as a “social mobilisation project”, and organisers expect that Kwazulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize will be joined on the walk by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa, and the city's mayor, James Nxumalo.
Mkhize told the Mercury the project hoped to raise awareness about some of the “devastating impacts” of climate change.
Which won't happen. Sea level is highly unlikely to rise by a metre for at least several centuries, by which time the city really should be able to do something about Durban's crumbling beach-front infrastructure.

 The "The Durban Green Festival" is said to include "an exciting array of activities", including "roving entertainers and troubadours":

The Green Hub will also be hosting a number of sporting and nature-based activities and events that will look to take advantage of the natural beauty, rugged terrain and multicultural character of the uMngeni Valley.

These will include a raft race, an amazing race, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, canoeing, guided walks and birding tours, said Evans.

“The festival will showcase live music, a KidZone and fun educational activities, film shows, and an art and craft market,” said Joanne Hayes, publicist for the event.

Roving entertainers and troubadours, she said, would be in action from Snake Park to New Beach.

The KidZone will most certainly be a great hit among the delegates, maybe also the "amazing race".

Durban welcomes COP 17 warmists with "a ring of steel"

The soon (28 Nov.) to open Durban COP 17, the UN global warming cult´s annual mega carbon footprint meeting, is more and more beginning to look like a huge battlefield. The 15000 high priests of the cult (the delegates) will be isolated from the rest of the world by "a ring of steel", no-fly zones and thousands of security forces, some of which are trained by the French gendarmerie:

South Africa’s security forces plan to throw a ring of steel around Durban as the city gears itself to host thousands of foreign visitors including heads of states, royalty and celebrities for the imminent world conference on climate change.

SAPS staff leave has been restricted, the South African National Defence Force will be on stand-by and police officers from other provinces will be deployed to Durban to assist in the security operation – that will mirror the security plans implemented during last year’s World Cup, according to police management.

More than 20 000 people, most of them visitors from abroad, are expected in Durban for the 10-day 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) climate talks which begin on November 28 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC).

The COP17 comprises 192 countries who meet once a year to discuss and find solutions to the harmful effects of global climate change.

About 15 000 delegates have registered to attend the climate talks.

---

National police spokesman, Colonel Vishnu Naidoo, said several specialised units such as the police’s elite Task Force would be deployed to Durban to assist with security measures but most of the officers will come from KwaZulu-Natal.

He said the officers from the Public Order Policing Units who had been trained by the French gendarmerie for the world cup have undergone refresher training courses in anticipation of protests that may turn violent during the event.

“Our primary focus will be to maintain high visibility and this will consist of members in uniform, on foot patrol, horseback, bicycles, motorbikes, vehicles and air assets that will be utilised for support,” Naidoo said.

Plans also include setting up “no-fly zones” over places such as the ICC or where heads of state may be meeting.

Naidoo said: “As part of the security plan, during certain periods some areas will be declared no-fly zones. Areas that are declared no-fly zones are generally communicated within reasonable time. I am not in a position to say at this stage which areas are no-fly zones.”

Police have been working for months drawing up the security arrangements for the event and have been liaising closely with local and international intelligence agencies including the US’s CIA and Britain’s MI6 to protect visitors to the summit, Naidoo confirmed.

A tight security cordon will also be thrown around the ICC and several road blocks around the venue have been planned.

The ICC will also be given “island status”.

This means the UN will take control of the venue and access to the precinct will be limited to accredited people only.

Naidoo said police had met regularly with the UN when the security plans were being drawn up.

“As part of our plans, no police officers in uniform will be working inside the ICC… The UN will work closely with National Joint Operations in order to ensure the implementation of the required security measures,” he said.

Read the entire article here

PS

There is no information, whether the glorious Durban beach will be within the "ring of steel". If not, the climate tourists delegates will certainly be hugely disappointed.

One wonders, whether anybody will count the entire carbon footprint of this wholly unnecessary and wasteful gathering. In addition, there will be the "footprints" from thousands of (mainly first and business class) flights (paid for by the taxpayers) from all over the world.

Durban beach police prepares for arrival of the COP 17 delegates

This - and ten biking cops - is what´s in store for R.K. Pachauri and the rest of  the COP 17 climate  tourists "delegates"

Preparations for the annual UN climate change jamboree COP 17 are are intensifying in Durban. The host city has now proudly announced that it has acquired ten electric bicycles for police officers who patrol along the beachfront area. According to eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo the bicycles have been bought "in a bid to turn it (the city) a bit greener ahead of the COP 17 conference".

Nxumalo said yesterday that apart from trying to reduce carbon emissions, the city also wanted to decrease traffic volumes, especially during peak hours.

Read the entire article here

With this kind of impressive projects, surely the big meeting is going to be a huge success. At least those delegates - and there will be a lot of them - who prefer the beach, instead of the conference halls,  will certainly enjoy the sight of  the "green" beach police officers (the "cop 10") on bicycles. Although they should understand that the electricity for the bikes most likely comes from some of  South Africa´s excellent coal power plants.

PS

Another bonus for the Durban climate tourists; they will not be bothered by beggars:

Street children and beggars are being rounded up ahead of the upcoming climate conference, the New Age reported on Wednesday.

The paper quoted the city’s metro police spokesperson Eugene Msomi saying all begging street children and adults would be rounded up because they mugged tourists.

"We often remove them from the streets when there are big events like the World Cup and major conferences, because some of them mug tourists and damage the image of the country," he said.
Read the article here

South Africa to showcase "indigenous technologies" during COP17 in Durban



Minister intends to promote "indigenous technology which has helped us grow food and live our lives. This would do away the western influence which has dominated our history."


The soon to open COP17 meeting in Durban will be a "showcase" for the "potentials of African business and technologial prowess to the world", if we are to believe South Africa´s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mrs Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Mashabane recently described the Afican "technological advancements" that are going to be showcased in Durban:

According to the Minister, “we have been handed with the opportunity to rewrite our history and we would make good use of it. There are some local sciences and technologies which aided our forefathers and our great grand mothers in both farming and general living, those technologies we will present to the world”
She added that “Africa would showcase the indigenous technology which has helped us grow food and live our lives. This would do away the western influence which has dominated our history. At least you are aware that African rural women, even the illiterate ones, have sound science sense which tells them what time to plant whatever crop they want to grow and when to make a bountiful harvest. They also know when to get the best yield from the soil. At least no foreign science tells them that. These are the cases we have to make of our continent before the world.

Read the entire article here

It will certainly be interesting to see examples of the "indigenous technologies" that have created the "bountiful harvests" for South Africa.

Meanwhile the country´s white farmers, who have suffered attacks for years now, are welcomed by other African countries, which probably are not quite as convinced of the "indigenous technologies" as Mrs. Mashabane is:

They are calling it the next great trek. Almost two centuries after Boers hitched their wagons to oxen and headed inland to establish the South African republic, they are on the move again. This time they are flying – and their destination is the whole of the African continent.

White South African farmers are now being courted by the north, by countries who believe their agricultural expertise can kickstart an agrarian revolution across the continent. They are being offered millions of hectares of allegedly virgin rainforest and bush, as well as land already farmed by smallholders or used as pastures by herders.

In the biggest deal to date, Congo-Brazzaville has offered South Africa farmers long leases on up to 10m hectares of land, an area that includes abandoned state farms and bush in the remote south-west of the country. The first contracts, which put 88,000 hectares in the hands of 70 farmers, were signed at a ceremony in the country last month.

Read the entire article here

PS

Maybe Mrs Mashabane has an "indigenous technology" in store to solve the gas shortage that threatens the wellbeing of the more than 20 000 "delegates" and other participants attending the Durban climate jamboree? 1250 restaurants in SA have already had to close because of the shortage, according to newspaper reports:

Durban hotelier, Mike Jackson, meanwhile says with the climate change talks in Durban coming up, the shortage is of great concern.

"We have six kitchens here that run off gas, so we are very concerned about this talk about a gas shortage. What with the huge COP 17 conference just a few weeks away we are very concerned, we are staying in touch with our gas supplier and we are just hoping that this gas shortage that everyone is talking about can be resolved quite quickly."

Durban preparing for the mega carbon footprint event of the year: 8000 hotel rooms missing

Hopefully the huge European Union COP17 delegation already has booked a sufficient number of hotel suites in Durban. If not, they may have to settle for slightly less comfortable accomodation in the Climate Refugee Camp

Preparations for the mega carbon footprint event of the year are in full force. Over 15.000 accredited delegates and thousands of other climate tourists are expected to fly in to the COP 17 conference in Durban in the end of November. According to the estimates by the organizers 50.000 metered taxi trips will be taken and 450.000 meals will be eaten during the 135.000 accommodation “bed nights” expected. Thousands of delegates are exptected to visit tourist attractions.

One of the main "attractions" will most likely be the Climate Refugee Camp, organized by the COP 17 hosts. (Also the "climate refugees" will probably be flying in from a number of far away countries).

This times the organizers are taking the carbon footprint seriously - it will be scientifically calculated:

An experienced team of professionals from ARUP Consulting has been appointed by the eThekwini Municipality to calculate the local carbon footprint of COP 17-CMP 7

(Probably the hosts have already developed a plan for "climate indulgences", using the the CDM, described by an Indian expert as the "Corrupt Development Mechanism".)

The major sources of carbon emissions linked to COP 17-CMP 7 are according to the hosts likely to be transport in and around Durban for those attending the conference and energy use at event venues and in accommodation facilities.

However, the organizers seem to think that they have "solved" the carbon footprint problem :

Sue Bannister, the acting head of the city’s Strategic Projects Unit, told how 600 bicycles would be lent to delegates to get around during the conference.

(There will probably be a fight among the official delegates about who gets a bike! No doubt the EU "embassy" in South Africa already has reserved a couple of the bikes for photo opportunity pictures with Herman van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso and Connie Hedegaard biking to the conference venue).

One major problem remains, though: 8000 hotel rooms are still needed to cater for accredited delegates.

PS
If the organizers do not succeed in finding the missing hotel rooms, they will probably have to accomodate the 8000 roomless delegates in the Climate Refugee Camp. From a carbon footprint point of view staying in a hut or tent would not be such a bad choice. But it is doubtful whether e.g. EU "President" van Rompuy, EU Commission President Barroso or Climate Commissioner Hedegaard, who are used to suites in 5-star luxury hotels, would find the "alternative" accomodation very appealing.

Thank God, South Africa has excellent coal plants, providing 93% of its electricity, which will make sure  that the the 450.000 meals are going to be served to the dignitaries as well as to the "climate refugees".

The EU travelling circus "among wild animals"

                        "Friends hold a summit among wild animals".

In June the Bureau of Investigative Journalism disclosed the lavish lifestyle of the top European Union executives:

Commissioners travelled in limousines, stayed in five star hotels and splashed out on lavish gifts including Tiffany jewellery as their member states faced savage budget cuts and rising EU taxes.

An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism into spending by the EU executive has shown that more than €7.5m (£6.6m) was spent on private jet travel for commissioners between 2006 and 2010.

Read the entire article here

In spite of the criticism after the disclosure and the growing financial crisis, there are no signs that the EU top executives are intent on changing anything in their way of doing things. On the contrary.

Last week Commission President José Manuel Barroso embarked on a global trek that took him (and a number of his colleagues) to such exotic places as Australia, New Zealand (where the Rugby World Cup opened) and Singapore.

Yesterday Barroso´s private jet took him to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, where according to Africa Intelligence "Friends hold a summit among wild animals". The haiku poet and EU "president" Herman van Rompuy was also spotted in the famous wilderness park, which boasts "the most diverse game viewing experience in Africa". The exotic environment clearly seems to have inspired the poet, who in his official press release was deeply grateful to the host:

"I would first like to warmly thank President Zuma for hosting our annual Summit in such
an enjoyable setting in the Kruger National Park".

Barroso - and probably also van Rompuy - can look forward to another exciting visit to South Africa soon again. The size of the EU delegation at the UN mega climate jamboree COP 17/MOP 7 in Durban is not yet known, but one thing is certain:  The EU fleet of high carbon foot print private jets will not suffice for the transportation needs.

PS
The South African safari of the EU top brass was a well executed display of imperial style (after all, the EU is an empire according to Barroso). Neither did the high imperial envoys forget the old tradition of bringing gifts to the natives: They launched a Primary Health Care Programme, worth € 126 million and promised more gifts for other purposes.

But van Rompuy and Barroso must have noticed the cracks in the imperial splendour. Next week South Africa´s finance minister will discuss aid to the European Union together with his BRICS colleagues:

The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) will discuss possible aid to the European Union amid its debt crisis, Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega says.
Mr Mantega and his counterparts will be in the US capital next week for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The story has a familiar ring to it: Barroso could be right about the empire - although it is of the type that is described in this fairy tale by the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

The president of the COP17 conference: "People need to eat first, before other concerns"

"The world has less than 10 years to halt the global rise in greenhouse gas emissions if we are to avoid catastrophic consequences for people and the planet."

“In coming decades, changes in our environment and the resulting upheavals from droughts to inundated coastal areas to loss of arable land are likely to become a major driver of war and conflict,”

Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Secretary-General


Ban Ki-moon and other international climate alarmists still continue blabbering about the forthcoming "global warming catastrophe". However, the president of the forthcoming COP-17 conference in Durban, South Africa´s International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has a far more realistic take on global warming:

She said developing countries had to balance climate change initiatives with their efforts to build their economies.

"People need to eat first, before other concerns. They need jobs," she said.

COP meetings require developing nations to reduce emissions only if the funding and technology are supplied by more developed members.

Read the entire article here

Of course, Nkoana-Mashabane also uses standard climate liturgical phrases, like "the COP17 meeting would be a step towards establishing legal guidelines on emissions reductions", but her priorities are clear.

This is what she actually was telling her audience:

Global warming is NOT a first priority for South Africa and other developing countries. Jobs and economic growth are much more important. But, if the western countries (are stupid enough to) offer billions of "free  climate change money", South Africa and other developing countries are willing to receive it.

South African energy CEO: "Coal is best, cheapest option"

There seems to be a continuing flow of catastrophic climate change news from Africa ahead of the cop 17 conference to be held in Durban in November. At a recent World Economic Forum Africa conference in Cape Town, South Africa´s president Jacob Zume added his voice to the alarmist cause:

"As a global community, we have no alternative but to respond to the challenges of climate change. They are real, they are life and death. We cannot hesitate, we cannot wait, we need to act now," Zuma said.

Although Zuma and other alarmists got most of the publicity at the conference, it is worth noting that there were at least three moderate and realistic voices:

This is what Brian Dames, CEO of the state-owned power utility company Eskom had to say:

Coal is best, cheapest option says Eskom boss

SA will continue to use coal to generate electricity because this is still the cheapest and quickest option.

Dames said while the price of renewable energy was coming down, Eskom was continuing to build its two coal-fired plants (at Kusile and Medupi) as that was the easiest and most efficient way to deal with energy security.
"Out of 54 countries in Africa only 15 have a power capacity of more than 500MW," Dames said.

"We have a massive energy issue on the continent. It is truly a dark continent."

But he said the government's integrated resource plan (IRP) has a clear view that SA would draw a line on coal investments after Eskom's Kusile power station was completed and then invest in cleaner energy.
"Hence nuclear power then needs to play a role in meeting our energy needs," Dames said.

While Zuma was propagating the alarmist line, the country´s energy minister, Dipuo Peters also had a surprisingly realistic view of its energy future:

She said the IRP, which sets out power-generating plans for the next 20 years, still includes a large percentage of coal-generated power.
"We need to do that with the understanding that we need to mitigate climate change," she said.
"We are working with other (African) governments on research on clean technology for coal-fired power generation. This (coal) is what we know at present and how we can ensure security of supply."

And this from Eskom´s chairman:

Eskom's chairman, Mpho Makwana, who was also one of the co-chairs of this year's WEF on Africa, said only 30% of Africa's one billion people had access to electricity.
"It is impossible to improve education and health systems on the continent without power," said Makwana.

Read the entire article here

PS
Although almost all African political leaders are screaming for climate change aid in order to "save" their continent, it is interesting to note, that there are among the energy decision makers also people with balanced and realistic views, like e.g. the three mentioned above. How refreshing it is to listen to an energy company CEO, who does not feel the need to sugar coat his message with the usual politically correct "green" phrases (as American and European CEOs nowadays usually do).

And Mr. Dames´s company is no small actor in Africa. Here are some facts about Eskom:

• has 24 power stations with a nominal capacity of 39 872 megawatts
• is among the top five utilities in the world in terms of size and sales
• is presently one of the lowest-cost producers of electricity in the world
• supplies 95% of the country's electricity requirements, which equals more than half of the electricity generated on the African continent