Greetings from Camp 3 ("Sea of Sand") at the end of the second leg of the 2011 Sahara Race.
I completed today's distance of 41.6 km in 7h08, 26th position overall for the day.
There is just one way to describe today's course (official name - "Through the Sand Valley") - brutal - in terms of loose sand and the heat (at least 40 degrees, but to be officially confirmed later today).
The big day finally arrived this morning. At 07h00 we set off on the 37km first leg of the 2011 Sahara Race.
I am very pleased to report that I finished today's leg in 5h15 in 28th position overall. But it was tough, very tough. The heat and soft sand were much tougher than I ever expected. And the landscape is just amazing, oftern there is nothing, really nothing other than kms of flat sandy areas, then a few beautiful sand dunes spiced up the landsacape, before returning to flat, soft sandy areas.
(View comments by various South African NGOs in response to 2011/12 National Budget - )
President Jacob Zuma will deliver the 2011 State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament (the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces) on Thursday, 10 February 2011 (19h00) in Cape Town.
The State of the Nation Address serves as the official opening of Parliament for 2011.
Members of Parliament with debate the State of the Nation Address on 15 & 16 February 2011, followed by the President's official reply on 17 February 2011.