A Sunday Jog through Soweto

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 3 Comments

This morning’s race was in Orlando, Soweto. Many whites refuse on principle to run in the townships. The usual reasons advanced are the lack of cleanliness combined with safety concerns.  Whilst accepting the former as generally a given considering that these areas are populated by the lower classes, in the case of the latter it is no more dangerous to run races in rich or poor suburbs. It might be unchartered territory to run through Soweto but many whites will be surprised both confirming their preconceptions whilst dispelling others. 

This is a journey through one suburb of Soweto. Please join me on my jog.

Main picture: The Orlando Community Hall

Continue reading

Zimbabwe: Lessons in how not to run a Steel Plant

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Rhodesia / Zimbabwe 1 Comment

Zisco Steel located at Redcliff in Zimbabwe highlights the problem when politics, factionalism, cronyism and corruption override economic considerations. The end result was the destruction of the steel industry in Zimbabwe.

At Independence in February 1980, Zisco Steel was the second largest integrated steel plant in Africa. It employed some 6000 workers in a network of companies that produced rolled steel, long products, reinforcing rods and wire. Half its output was exported. More importantly, it supplied Zimbabwe with the majority of its steel requirements.

Main picture: Zisco Steel when still operational 

Continue reading

High Tech Engineering versus Boer maak ‘n Plan

By Blaine McCleland in Opinion Pieces 0 Comment

I can still recall my Rocket Scientist brother, as Blaine has always been known to me, recounting how he had to design both this airborne antenna but also the survivability test. This would ensure that it could withstand a bird impacting the plane at 250 kph. I found that story fascinating. Fortunately he has agreed to share that detail with me again. What I found particularly fascinating was that various products of Omnipless ‘shook the world.’

Sadly with transformation and BEE being the drivers of the ANC’s economic policies, factors such customer satisfaction or indeed world-class products have become a distant third or forth consideration rather than having primacy. Dean McCleland

Written by Blaine McCleland:

I came across this article below in fin24.com.  I did the mechanical design of that antenna and all the mechanical and environmental qualifications.  This was the aircraft  HGA (High Gain Antenna) which provides radio telephony (and internet services nowadays) to the geosynchronous Inmarsat satellites.

Main picture: The HGA [High Gain Antenna] 7001 with its proud Production Manager

Continue reading

The Sins of our Fathers

By Dean McCleland in History, Military History 1 Comment

What does one feel about one’s parent if one’s father is culpable of some heinous crime? Is it denial or loathing? It can never be both or even some adulterated commingled version. Whenever the latter occurs, ones protestations in support of one’s parent become self-serving, irrational and tenuous whilst never addressing the real issue at hand. Such is the case with Horst von Wächter, son of Baron Otto Gustav von Wächter, Governor of Galicia during WW2. 

How does Horst today at 77 years of age, reconcile his vision of a loving father with that of a monster who was responsible for the deaths of at least 100,000 Jews? 

This is the tale of convoluted denial against all the evidence to the contrary. 

Main picture: Horst Von Wachter, Philippe Sands and Niklas Frank behind the scenes of My Nazi Legacy  Continue reading

Are Minimum Wages Moral or Immoral?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 0 Comment

Two situations have raised the profile of the issue of minimum wages into the spotlight once again. First it was the government tabling a proposal at Nedlac regarding minimum wages and much more recently, the Social Development Minister, Bathabile Dlamini claiming that a grant of R753 per month is sufficient for social grant beneficiaries to buy food as well as additional non-food items. Incredulity is the more polite response that Bathabile has received.

Disregarding the emotional issues, the quasi Orwellian agenda of denialism and the dismissive tone, what is the social effect of minimum wages on a country?

Main picture: The Shark Rock Pier in Port Elizabeth. All of the photographs in this blog are that of this pier

Continue reading

Will the HE-115 Float Plane ever grace the Skies again?

By Dean McCleland in History, Military History 0 Comment

Of all the war planes of WW2, the HE-115, a twin-engine three-seater float plane, did not make a huge contribution. In total only 138 were ever built of which 6 were sold to the Norwegians before the Germans invaded them and twelve were sold to the Swedish. Nonetheless I am extremely critical of the decision that most surviving planes which were deemed obsolete, were merely sold as scrap rather than trying to preserve a large number of copies of them. Even the venerable Lancaster bomber suffered this ignominious fate resulting in there being only one copy still in flying condition today.

After finding another wrecked HE-115 in 2013, that makes a total of three available for restoration and perhaps flight? What is the prognosis of at least one HE-115 flying again? 

Main picture: HE-115 recovered from Hafrsfjord in Norway on 12th June 2012

Continue reading

How about a Detachable Aircraft Cabin?

By Dean McCleland in Other Opinion Pieces 0 Comment

Last year I had to make 26 airflights in the space of 3 months to Pietermaritzburg. As this is a small airport, the planes are usually small & some even minute. Most flights do not experience too much turbulence but one of them was extremely bumpy the whole way, dropping by hundreds of metres as it hit an air pocket. I was happy to forego the inflight snacks but I had one hour to contemplate the what-ifs and attendant dangers of airflight.

Falling out of the sky may well be most passengers’ worst nightmare when they board a plane. Perhaps a detachable cabin is an elegant solution to this problem. It would certainly reassure many passengers that their chances of survival are enhanced over the crash-into-the-ground option currently in vogue. 

Main picture: Parachuting gently to earth instead of the crash-into-the-ground option currently in vogue

Continue reading

Survival against Exceptional Odds

By Dean McCleland in Military History, Other Opinion Pieces 0 Comment

A week ago my blog “Landing without an Elevator or Rudder” showcased a South African example of a miraculous escape when an airforce Dakota was almost downed by a Soviet SAM-7 anti-aircraft missile. This week’s example relates to a US Airforce B-17 Bomber which had accidently been rammed by a German fighter over Tunis harbour. To say that their air crews changes of survival were negligible is an understatement. Yet they did.

This is their story.

Main picture: A crippled B-17

Continue reading

Twelve Days in the Summer of 1588

By Dean McCleland in History, Military History 0 Comment

During those few days, the ultimate fate of England would be sealed. If the Armada of King Phillip II of Spain prevailed over the fleet of Queen Elizabeth I of England, then the future primacy of Spain as a world super power would be indisputable. Apart from Elizabeth’s head & England’s independence but also at stake was the future America as a Spanish colony as would South Africa.

Why were the British able to prevail against a superior force?

Main picture:  An engraving of the route of the Armada

Continue reading

Zimbabwe: Quo Vadis?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Rhodesia / Zimbabwe 0 Comment

Only 700 000 people among a population of 13 million have formal jobs, less than at independence in 1980. Many of those jobs are in the bloated civil service & military and are clearly unsustainable. Ninety percent of jobs reside in the informal sector, where reliance on diaspora remittances remains crucial. Compounding the problem is that 80% of government revenue is spent on civil services wages; hence no maintenance of any kind but the most rudimentary is possible.

Has the tipping point been reached?

Signs abound everywhere.

Main picture: Farm invasions destroyed agricultural production converting Zimbabwe from an exporter to an importer of agricultural products.

Continue reading