Splashy Fen- The Only Place To Be This Easter!

All roads lead to the Southern Berg this Easter for the annual Splashy Fen Music Festival, which runs from 20 to 24 March and is geared up to present one of its strongest and most diverse lineups in recent years.

Splashy Fen 2008 offers a showcase of not only the best in folk, blues, rock, indie and electro dance, but also some of the hottest new acts to come out of South Africa in a long time.

"This is definitely one of our most exciting line-ups to date and is proof, yet again, that Splashy Fen is at the forefront when it comes to providing a platform for talented up-and- coming bands and solo performers," said festival manager, Pedro Carlo. "Never before have we had such a great mix of new and established artists representing such a wide spectrum of different music genres. Whatever your preference in music, Splashy's got it covered!" Included in the fourday programme of over 80 artists are the likes of Tree63, Goldfish, The Rudimentals, Miriam Backhouse, Dan Patlansky, Plush, Gonzo Republic, Redflecks (USA), Kidofdoom,

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International Down Syndrome Day

March 21 has been declared International Down syndrome Day.A day set aside to consider those who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS).

At an executive meeting of Down syndrome International, it was decided to earmark 21st March, each year, as World Down syndrome Awareness Day. The first one being held in 2006. It is a great reason for us to celebrate it here, in SA, as this also happens to be Human Rights Day.

Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder arising at the time of conception. There is an extra number 21 chromosome (Trisomy 21) which causes delays in physical and intellectual development. The exact cause of Down syndrome is currently unknown. It is not related to race, age, religion and socio-economic status and is one of the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorders.

Down syndrome is characterized by a variety of unique features and a wide range of abilities in physical and cognitive areas of development.Intellectual ability cannot be assessed by the number of clinical signs and symptoms present.

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Nutrition Awareness Month

Enjoy the multitude of South African fresh fruit and vegetables daily in order to help prevent cancer.

This is the message from the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) for nutrition awareness in March. "Research shows that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, reduces your risk of cancer and many other lifestyle-related diseases," says Rose Jacobs, Head of Health Programmes at CANSA.

Eating tips:
Eat lots of fresh, fruit and vegetables each day (at least 5 portions). Choose a variety of fruit and vegetables of different colours for different nutrients. Eat more fibre, like whole grain bread, braai pap, sorghum, rolled oats, beans, fruit and vegetable skins and brown rice. Limit red meat and rather eat more fish, chicken, beans, lentils and soya products.

Avoid food that is fatty, sugary, processed, salty or junk food, e.g. chips, sweets, takeaway food. Choose low-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese products and non-trans fatty margarines and oil such as Canola Oil, which is endorsed by CANSA as a healthy choice.Try to eat three meals a day and snack on your favourite fruit.

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Eskom Welcomes Budget Speech Plans

Government's intentions of bolstering Eskom's drive to create new generating capacity with a R60bn financial package and financial support for developing alternative, renewable energy sources has been welcomed by Eskom.

The announcement of the shareholder loan, on terms yet to be determined in the "Adjustments Appropriation" budget, and a R2bn contribution towards encouraging more efficient use of electricity and renewable energy sources were signs that Treasury and government were reaffirming their commitment to partnering with Eskom in their drive to increase capacity in the medium to long-term, Jacob Maroga, Eskom CEO said today.

Announcing the Eskom loan, Minister Manuel said: "The return on an investment in power generation is very long term, and the repayment of debt must be similarly deferred. But we would not be supporting these investments if we were not confident that they are economically and financially viable." "The statement by the Minister of Finance echoes that of the President's State of the Nation address and reaffirms the confidence that they have in Eskom's ability to rise above the present situation and, given time and investment, return to a stable generating environment. We are encouraged by the government support and believe that this support, translated into action through the National Response Plan, will provide us a solid platform for future positive development," Maroga said.

We agree with Minister Manuel's statement that: "Eskom's tariffs were steadily reduced in real terms during the 1980s and 1990s, so that electricity prices in South Africa are now far lower than in any other comparable country, and well below full economic cost. The tariff structure is now too low to support the required borrowing." "It was a fact of life that we could not sustain development on tariffs that were steadily declining. The constantly rising demand for power, pressure on our facilities and rising costs of coal - our primary fuel-made it impossible for Eskom to meet the needs of South Africa on a long-term basis.


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