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South African (Off-Topic) Quiz

DamhuisClan

By DamhuisClan
in South Africa

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the pooks

+the pooks

Posted
Posted

Is it something to do with PROTEUS - one of the gods of the sea?

 

Perhaps because it looks a bit like a trident - or wavy crown?

 

I'm going to give it to you Carbon Hunter as I didn't specifically ask why and one can spend a lot of time guessing. I just thought it an interesting bit of general knowledge for South Africans to know!

 

The Swedish botanist, Linnaeus, named the family, Protea, in 1785, after the Greek god, Proteus, because its many different varieties echoed his ability to change shape at will.

 

I will have to go and read up about Proteus myself. Your go CH.

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cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted (edited)

Had to give others a chance.

 

A mosquito!

 

Carbon Hunter is on holiday in SA so might not have 'Net access for a while so I will post on his behalf to keep the ball rolling here.

 

A mozzie it is! Well done to Bouts777 who probably passes by on a daily basis and might even be a member!! :sad:

Edited by cincol
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Bouts777

+Bouts777

Posted
Posted

There is a great cache next to the club placed by GPS Storm. And no, LVCC is our rival rugby club in Fish Eagle's town.

 

Now, a question just before the electricity account goes up or we get a power cut again.

Which power station in South Africa was first build after the II World War by Escom and why was it decommissioned(demolished)?

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GEO936

+GEO936

Posted
Posted

Eish....this one has me totally stumped!

 

I have no idea, so will start with some guesses (and a few questions first :laughing: ).

 

In those days, we didn't have the provinces we have now. So, was it built in Natal (now KZN) or the old Transvaal (now Mpumulanga)?

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Henzz

+Henzz

Posted
Posted

The Power station just off the N2 in Cape Town...

It has two ugly towers which is currently crumbling...

There is demolition plans on the table at the moment...

 

The de-commissioning was because of something as trivial as soot on the washing lines of the Pinelands neigbourhood...

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GEO936

+GEO936

Posted
Posted

The good old Vrystaat....mmmmm.....perhaps near New Vaal or somewhere in the Sasolburg/Secunda area? I really can't think of the name though, and without being able to Google it I'm stuck. It wouldn't be possible to give a clue on the name, sort of like a 30 Seconds clue?

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cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

The good old Vrystaat!

 

And it was demolished in 1990.

 

When I was working on the mines in Stilfontein I can remember playing rugby on regular occassions at an old power station across the river in the Free State called Vierfontein. It was a lovely little community that revolved around the "Rec Club" where everything happened - very much like the mining community. I do recall that the power station was shut down, but demolished? I wouldn't know. Haven't been there for nearly 35 years now. Why would it have been demolished? Perhaps it was too expensive to run due to old technology. Many of the newer power stations - Duvha, Majuba, Kriel, etc - are a lot more modern and hence more efficient.

 

That said, I also recall a power station very near the centre of Bloemfontein on the road to the nearby township. Haven't a clue what the name was though. When I lived and worked in Lesotho in the late 90's and traveled to Bloem regularly I do not recall seeing that power station anymore. Perhaps that is the one that was that you are referring to? Reason for being demolished would be to make way for a shopping mall or something elese.

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Bouts777

+Bouts777

Posted
Posted

Vierfontein it was indeed. Opened in 1951 and closed down in 1990. It was in production for nearly 38 years and produced nearly 54thousand GWh (GigaWatt-hours) or 54 thousand million units during that time.

 

I use to live there about 25 years ago and it did had a great infrastructure for the little town.

 

Why it was shut down? From the official papers: "due to a decrease in the rate of growth for the demand of electricity, Eskom began to experience a surplus of generation capacity. The older and less efficient stations were thus no longer required. Some stations were mothballed (stored under special conditions that would mean perhaps months before they could be returned to service) and other stations were totally decommissioned."

 

Eskom had a surplus of electricity!

 

http://heritage.eskom.co.za/heritage/vierf...vierfontein.htm

 

Cincol your it.

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cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted (edited)

Here is an easy one for everybody. This time of the year it is exceptionally pretty on the Highveld due to the flowering of the beautiful mashmallowy pink & white cosmos [bipinnatus or Mexican aster].

 

This is NOT an indigenous flower to South Africa. Where does it originate from and how did it actually get to the Highveld?

Edited by cincol
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JAajm

+JAajm

Posted
Posted

Here is an easy one for everybody. This time of the year it is exceptionally pretty on the Highveld due to the flowering of the beautiful mashmallowy pink & white cosmos [bipinnatus or Mexican aster].

 

This is NOT an indigenous flower to South Africa. Where does it originate from and how did it actually get to the Highveld?

 

To the best of my knowledge it come in with feed for the horses of the british soldiers during the second boer war.

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JAajm

+JAajm

Posted
Posted

Here is an easy one for everybody. This time of the year it is exceptionally pretty on the Highveld due to the flowering of the beautiful mashmallowy pink & white cosmos [bipinnatus or Mexican aster].

 

This is NOT an indigenous flower to South Africa. Where does it originate from and how did it actually get to the Highveld?

 

To the best of my knowledge it come in with feed for the horses of the british soldiers during the second boer war.

 

I forgot to say. The feed was shipped in from south america

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GEO936

+GEO936

Posted
Posted (edited)

If I remember correctly, the cosmos flower is native to Mexico and a close cousin of the black jack. I can't remember scientific/botanical names, and I can't remember how it got here, but it sounds right that it came along with animal feed and I agree with JAajm it was introduced during the Anglo Boer war.

Edited by GEO936
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cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

Here is an easy one for everybody. This time of the year it is exceptionally pretty on the Highveld due to the flowering of the beautiful mashmallowy pink & white cosmos [bipinnatus or Mexican aster].

 

This is NOT an indigenous flower to South Africa. Where does it originate from and how did it actually get to the Highveld?

 

To the best of my knowledge it come in with feed for the horses of the british soldiers during the second boer war.

 

I forgot to say. The feed was shipped in from south america

 

JAajm - welcome and a great start - spot on! Let's have a question from you.

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JAajm

+JAajm

Posted
Posted

Sorry about the delay. Next time I will read the rules before playing the game ;-). Thanks for "malo mystery" for brining it to my attention.

 

new question: Why did the goverment used aircraft to bomb Benoni and when was this.

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JAajm

+JAajm

Posted
Posted

There is a cache there.

 

If I remember it was 1922 (or 21) and they bombed the miners here on the East Rand.

 

Correct 1922: "Eighty years ago, Johannesburg became a war zone for three months. It was bombed by the air force and shelled by artillery as the forces of General Jan Smuts brutally suppressed a general strike, known as the Rand Revolt ". This left 153 dead and the wounded were 534.

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