Vehicle maintenance and inspection is crucial to preventing vehicle fires. The following suggestion might prevent vehicle fires: Have your vehicles inspected at least annually by a trained, professional technician.
Check for any malfunctioning parts and hanging electrical wirings. Do not leave them hanging. Include a check of the fuel system in your regular maintenance schedule. Electrical and fuel system or problems are the major causes of car fires.
Watch for fluid leaks under vehicles, cracked or blistered hoses, or wiring that is loose, has exposed metal or has cracked insulation. Have vehicles inspected and repaired as soon as possible if exhaust or emission control problems are suspected. An early indication of a problem is a fuse that blows more than once. The source of the triggered fuse could be either a faulty component or a wiring problem. Check for oil leaks and always use a funnel when adding oil. Oil spilled on a hot exhaust manifold can cause a fire. If a filling station attendant adds oil, double check that the cap is on securely. This sounds obvious, but better to check than end up with oil all over your engine compartment at best, or an engine fire at worst. Clean the vehicle regularly – Do not allow your trash to settle in the vehicle. Avoid throwing cigarette butts anywhere.
Observe your gauge frequently – Check if the temperature is rising.
Car burns inexplicably on N17
Sasol Highveld Photography Club kicks year off on high note
January’s winners were:
Best Junior – Gerrit Myburgh – Shaking off the rain
Best Senior – Pierre Jordaan – What did you say
Set Subject winner – Piet Potgieter – Spitzkop stars


#spekboomchallenge
The Bulletin #spekboomchallenge started last week. We have partnered with Garden Terrace for this project and will bring you weekly updates on the status of the plants. Garden Terrace is expecting a delivery of Spekboom plants this week.
Post your pictures of you and your Spekboom on our Facebook Spekboomchallenge page.
The Dead Metal genre explained
The presumably dead genre rises with each passing moment. Metal has become a social and online topic amongst many. Those who would’ve never seemed to like metal music have gotten a liking in it.
For the “entry-level” listener softer bands make a great appeal for having brutal growling, howling, screaming and angry vocals, to more ear soothing melodies and clean singing within the madness thus drawing an audience never seen before. The crowds rally and the upcoming generations are introduced to something even more subtle, closer to rock than metal. An easy way to explain it would be that AC/DC is rock, Pantera is metal, simple as that. Rather than the fun of life, catchy tunes and laying back, it’s more in your face, some might even call it overwhelming. Whatever music you listen to, whether it’s house music, hip hop or classical, I urge you to go to at least one metal show and meet the people and the musicians. Sit back, relax or stand in the frontlines of the stage and enjoy the music and vibe, you will not regret it and that’s for certain. Depending on the venue, you’ll have good company, good music and good food. Metalheads are the most giving and caring people, proof of this is within a mosh pit for instance; if you lose your footing in the madness, do not fear being trampled, before you touch the ground a fellow mosher will pull you to your feet in order to continue enjoying the madness. Though to the ordinary eye it might seem like senseless violence, but indeed it is love, not romantic, no, rather a love for the music and the madness. You cannot hate the rain and only love the sunshine; the injuries and scars are just a reminder that we are alive and kicking. – Henco
Sasol Grade 12 Merit Awards 2020
On Thursday, 16 January, Sasol hosted the 25th Annual Grade 12 Merit Awards ceremony at Sasol Secunda Recreation Club, in association with their education flagship project Osizweni Science Centre, to honour those matriculants that achieved outstanding results in 2019.
The top performing Grade 12 learners of three municipalities were invited, Govan Mbeki, Lekwa and Dipaleseng. Learners with three to nine distinctions, top performing teachers, best improved schools and top learners from Quintile 1 – 4 were all awarded and congratulated. These learners were also praised for their results in Mathematics and Science. The Gert Sibande District, part of the Standerton sub-region, obtained 79,3% – an improvement from 77,5% in 2018.
The main hall at the Sasol Secunda Recreation Club was decorated impeccably: each table was named after an element on the periodic table, black tablecloths covered the tables and white chair covers.
Instead of flowers in the middle of the table there was a stand with triangles that fit in perfectly with the academic theme of the night.
The co-hosts for the evening were Sasol Secunda’s Rethabile Ndjibu and Govan Mbekhi Municipalities’ Bheki Kubheka. The two co-hosts’ fun and relaxed chemistry was palpable and every few minutes they had the crowd in stitches laughing. 97 learners received Merit Award certificates and cash prizes. Learners who obtained more than three distinctions received R1 000 for each distinction!
The students, teachers and parents were also graced with the presence of the MEC for Education Mpumalanga, Mr Bonakele Majuba, Executive Mayor Thandi Ngxonono, Traditional Leaders and Sasol’s top management.
Mr Simon Baloyi, Vice President, Secunda Chemicals Operations, said: “Sasol would like to congratulate all the award-winners for their outstanding performance and achievements. Sasol is proud of the role that it plays in improving the quality of education and building capacity of the education sector in our host regions. Our focus on STEM subjects allows us to positively contribute to the development of the skills required to meet the demands of the growing economy and increase the economic participation of people in our communities.”
Well done to all! – Ané Prinsloo












Tannie Poppie se Weeksaand Kweperhoender met amandels en komyn
1 groot kweper of 2 kleineres
1 suurlemoen, gehalveer (rasper eers die skil af en behou)
50 g botter met 15 ml olie Plus 50g botter
1 hoender in stukke opgesny of ‘n pak dye en boudjies
1 groot ui fyngekap
60 g amandels (met skil aan, nie vooraf gerooster en gesout nie)
1 kaneelstokkie
15 ml heuning
5 ml elk fyn komyn en gemmer
Peper
7,5 ml borrie
125 ml water
Opdiening: rys of couscous
Metode:
- Skil die kwepers en sny in kwarte. Smeer oral oor met die suurlemoenhelftes om te voorkom dat dit verkleur.
- Stoom die kwepers oor ‘n kastrol lig-kokende water tot vurk-sag (sowat 25 minute). Laat afkoel en sny in dunner skywe.
Verhit die olie en botter in ‘n kasserolbak en braai die hoenderstukke bruin (sowat 5-7 minute). Haal hoenderstukke uit. - Braai die uie goudbruin in dieselfde pot vir sowat 5 minute – roer nou en dan. Voeg die amandels, kaneelstokkie en borrie by en braai liggies vir sowat 4 minute tot die amandels gerooster is. Skep uit en hou eenkant.
- Verhit die orige botter in die kastrol, voeg die heuning by en roer tot die heuning begin karamelliseer, voeg die gestoomde kwepers en borrie by en braai 3-4 minute tot goudbruin. Skep uit.
- Skep nou die hoender en uie terug in die kastrol, voeg water en suurlemoenskil by en kook tot die hoender sag is vir sowat 40 minute.
- Plaas die kwepers terug in die pan en kook vir nog 20 minute. Geur met sout en peper, asook suurlemoensap.
Bedien met rys of koeskoes.
So is die lewe
‘n Heerlike storie is diè van ene Troep van Tonder wat ‘n kamp moes gaan doen terwyl sy vroutjie hoogswanger by die huis is. Soos die gebruik in die spesifieke eenheid was, moes jy, as jy besig was met ‘n kamp en jou vrou kraam, vir die hele eenheid een rondte betaal in die kantien. Van Tonder het egter ‘n probleem gehad: hulle het vooraf geweet dis ‘n drieling. Dit sou hom ‘n maand se soldy, die helfte van sy pensioen, en al sy spanners by die pandjieswinkel ingee gekos het om die dankbare kele nat te maak. Uiteraard sou man en muis die aankoms van sy dierbare ou babatjie saam met hom wou vier, maar hy was nie werklik finansieel ‘n swaargewig nie. Maar Troep van Tonder is nie bang gebore of bang geboks nie: hy bedink ‘n plan. Sy vrou moes ‘n telegram basis toe stuur met die nuus as die babatjies daar is, maar op so manier dat niemand sou weet waaroor dit gaan nie. Die eenheid se keurder, wat alle pos wat ingaan en uitgaan moes lees en sensor, lees toe: Van Tonder, Van Tonder, Van Tonder. Twee met gewere en een daarsonder. Synde twee seuntjies en ‘n dogtertjie. Die sensuurmeester moes ‘n besonderse insig gehad het in wat presies geskryf is in briewe en telegramme deur en aan die troepe. Miskien het hy in graad een ‘n kwaai juffrou gehad wat agter hom gestaan het en seker maak dat hy korrek uit die Sus-en-Daan-reeks handboekies klank en lees: “Oom…rook…boom.” Dan is die woordvolgorde verander sodat die graadeendjies kan onderskei tussen ‘n vraag en ‘n stelling: “Rook…oom…boom?”
Wanneer mens die kommentare lees op sosiale media soos Facebook en Twitter, verlang jy soms intens na die kosbare lessies oor lees wat Sus en Daan ons geleer het oor die gebruik van taal. Skreeusnaakse goed word geplaas, soos die vrou wat vra “weet iemand waar hille mooi babekies se hare sny?” Dan antwoord iemand anders, baie gevat: “Ek is seker hulle sny lelike babatjies se hare ook.” Of die ander juweeltjie: “weet iemand van iemand wat goed kan teel op die dorp?” Dan die antwoord: “Gaan praat met Flippie. Hy teel uitstekend. Hy het al 5 kinders by twee vrouens.” ‘n Persoonlike frustrasie is wanneer iemand iets te koop aanbied op ‘n internet koop-en-verkoopgroep. Hy plaas dan iets soos: “Vier motorbande 165/65/13, 50% loopvlak, in Germiston te koop vir R200-00 elk. Dan die eindelose vrae wat volg: “waar is jy?” “Hvl tyres is da?” “Hu lyk die taairs” “Wat is die grote asb?” “Hvl kos dit?” “Ka ek dit ruil vir ou wasmasjien sonder motor?” Ek het die afgelope ses jaar as beoordelaar by die Wes-Boland Eistedfodd opgetree, ook in die kategorie onvoorbereide lees. Waar ek meermale verstom was oor moedertaalsprekers se onvermoë om basiese tekste in hulle eie taal te lees. Ek praat nie eers van verstaan wat hulle lees nie. Daar word dikwels berig oor taalvaardighede van skoolgaande kinders en volwassenes in die media. Verskeie redes word genoem vir die swak, en soms skokkende onvermoë van mense om eenvoudige sinne duidelik te formuleer en skryf, en andersins om dit sinvol te kan lees. Vele redes word gegee vir die swak lees- en skryfvermoë, soos die skoolstelsel, groot klasse, en dan ook veral die sogenaamde WhatsApp en sms-taal wat gebruik word op selfone, tablette, en rekenaars. Logiese, geordende sinkonstruksies bestaan feitlik nie meer nie, basiese taalreëls word geignoreer of glad nie eens van kennis geneem nie, en woorde word so afgekort dat ‘n hele nuwe jargon ontstaan wat vir oningeligte mense (dikwels ook tydgestremdes soos ek, om polities korrek te wees) moeiliker is om te verstaan as Grieks en Hebreeus vir ‘n eerstejaar teologiese student, of rekenkunde vir ‘n eerste jaar BCom-student.
Die organisasie Sakpas Afrikaans beywer hulle daarvoor dat WatsApp-taal, onder andere, as taal erken word. “Ons kan nie meer vashou aan die argaïese manier van skryf en dink nie” meen hulle. Daarom sal die syfer 0 nou as wisselvorm vir die letter “o” erken word, en “Q” as wisselvorm vir die verkleiningsvorm “tjie.” Woorde soos aws0m vir “wonderlik”, njoy vir “geniet” en awê vir “reg so”, sal ingesluit word. Objektief beskou is dit grusaam. Nie net word kommunikasie verstar nie, maar menswees, in filosofiese terme, word drasties ingeperk. Taal is die vorm waarin menslike gedagtes, emosies, wense, begeertes, behoeftes, asook uitinge van woede, blydskap en geloof gegiet word. Wanneer daardie vorm verklein word deur gebrekkige woordgebruik, verstaan mense duidelik nie hoe die spreker voel en funksioneer nie. Dieselfde met die lees van ander se sinne, die aanhoor van hulle woorde. Om dit oppervlakkig te doen, reduseer die totaliteit van die ander se betrokkenheid by diegene rondom hom. Die gevolge hiervan is op baie plekke sigbaar. In ‘n huwelik is dit van kardinale belang dat kommunikasie omvattend, eerlik en positief moet wees.Ook in alle ander verhoudings: ouer-kind, werksomgewing, sosiale kommunikasie. Dit is verstommend om, soos genoem, te sien watter reuse misverstande ontstaan op grond van ‘n oppervlakkige kommunikasieproses, lees en skryf ingesluit. Hans-Georg Gadamer beskryf die kommunikasieproses in sy denke oor hermeneutiek, of verstaanskunde, as ‘n horisonsversmelting tussen twee persone. As gesonde kommunikasie plaasvind, skuif die sprekers se wêrelde oormekaar met ‘n groter snypunt. Dit lei daartoe dat die deelnemer aan die proses se eie horison verruim word. Die teenoorgestelde is net so waar, helaas.
X nu sO mug nah di, k kani gl0 dis Mandag nie. (Ek is nou so moeg na die skrywe hiervan, ek kan nie glo dis Maandag nie.)
Captain Elmes new Corporate Media Official
A warm welcome to the new Corporate Media Official for the Secunda Cluster!
Captain Gerhard Elmes has been serving in the blue uniform for 29 years. The Bulletin would like to welcome and congratulates Captain Elmes in his new role.
Sbutheray visits Vukuzithathe Primary School
Sbutheray Construction (Pty) Ltd was part of the school opening for the 2020 academic year when they visited Vukuzithathe Primary School in Ext 14.
The company attended the day to encourage children and to reiterate the importance of education. They also donated uniforms and sanitary towels to some of the disadvantaged children at the school.
Sbutheray Construction is a black owned company situated in Ext 14, eMbalenhle and their vision is to empower the youth of South Africa. It was a great day for the learners from Vukuzithathe Primary School and also to receive gifts from heroes in their community. – Sandile Mkhwanazi