South Africans can actually build snowmen somewhat regularly during the winter months (June - August) especially those living in the inland regions of the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces. Sutherland is considered to be the coldest town in South Africa with temperatures going well below freezing throughout the winter. There's a ski resort in the Drakensberg mountains, called Tiffindell
but a snow maker is essential to make it through the season. Despite its wonderful penguin population, it very rarely snows in Cape Town.

And the chilliest country in Africa? The tiny kingdom of Lesotho. It's in the mountains and it has the highest low point of any country in the world (wrap your mind around that one, son). There are a few pistes here and the skiing isn't so bad in the Maluti Mountains.

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(By Kayode Akintade)



Everything seems to be falling on the ever-deaf ears of our politicians, civil servants and leaders while the private sector is also indifferent. Nigeria was one of the first countries in Africa to have a well-planned, well-developed and well-funded railway system. It is very sad to reflect on what has become of it, like so many other comatose and/or moribund infrastructures in Nigeria of today..



Going by the history of rail system in Nigeria: The Lagos railway decided to build a 2ft. 6in.-gauge line over Carter Bridge in 1901, and construction commenced. The opening of the Lagos Steam Tramway took place on May 23, 1902. It operated two major rail lines: one connects Lagos on the Bight of Benin and Nguru in the northern state of Yobe; the other connects Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta and Maiduguri in the north-eastern state of Borno.

World standard rail system: Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. 60% of the world's railways use a standard gauge of 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm). Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers to the meeting of different gauges. Some stretches of track are dual gauge, with three or four rails, allowing trains of different gauges to share them. Gauge conversion can resolve break-of-gauge problems. An exception of a railway with no gauge is monorail where there is only one supporting rail. Some electrified railways use non-load bearing third rail and occasionally a fourth rail. These additional rails are positioned between or outside the “running rails” to feed and return electrical current; they do not define the rail gauge.

Gauge tolerances specify how much the actual gauge may vary from the nominal gauge. For example, the U.S. Federal Rail-road Administration specifies that the actual gauge of track that is rated for a maximum of 60 mph (96.6 km/h) must be between 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) and 4 ft 9½ in (1,460 mm).

A track gauge is also the measuring device used to test whether rails are within the correct gauge.

Nigeria rail system at present: The Nigerian Railway Corporation operates a network of 3,505 kilometres (2,178 mi) of single-track lines, all have 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge. All trains are diesel locomotive operated. The railways own theoretically nearly 200 locomotives, of which up to 75% are not operational, at this, it is noted that Nigeria rail system is not of world standard.

Though it is evident that railway transportation in other parts of the World contributes immensely towards the attainment of the economic and social goals, the Nigerian Railway transportation system has quite a long way to go.

Formal acting managing director of the Nigeria Railway Cooperation (NRC), Mazi Jetson Nwankwo, pointed in 2008 that the rail system in Nigeria is suffering from the lack of political will by the nation's politicians. Between 1954 and 1975 the NRC employed over 35,000 people but currently, its’ employment capacity is 6,516. He pointed out that no new wagons had been bought since 1993, and some wagons date back to 1948. Track condition limit trains to a speed of 35 km/h.

Despite the huge public funds injected, the NRC has failed to maintain its locomotives at a level, which permits efficient use. The 114-year-old public enterprise still runs an archaic track system of 1,067mm gauge far below world standard. While it is unclear how much Nigeria lost in the failed $8.3 billion contract signed on October 30, 2006 between the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration and China Civil Engineering Construction Company for the modernisation of the railway system, the Yar’Adua-led administration approved $76.25 million in 2009 for the purchase of 25 diesel-powered locomotives when other countries of the world operate on LUAS in Dublin, Regioswinger and German InterCityExpress. As with the 50 locomotives/coaches acquired for the NRC by the regime of the late Sani Abacha, little is known of any improvements achieved through the 2009 expenditures. Another N7 billion allocated in 2003 for the completion of NRC workshops and repair of ground engines has not been satisfactorily accounted for.

The GEJ-led Administration as proposed $1.5 billion dual-carriage high speed rail between Lagos and Ibadan, for which a contract is soon to be awarded by the Federal Government, is a necessity that will help to address part of the huge infrastructure deficit Nigeria is currently grappling with. It would be a huge leap from the existing narrow gauge lines, which were designed and built, between 1898 and 1927.

In summary, the rail system in Nigerian is suffering from what Nwankwo pointed at in 2008 and also corruption that has eaten deep into the system thereby resulting to the dilapidated structure we have today in the sector. However, our leaders fail to note the advantages in the system. Railways have been shown to contribute to social vibrancy and economic competitiveness in its ability to transport large amounts of goods and workers to city centres. But Nigerians will take anything thrown at them and that is what we should stand up against. We strongly presume that the messiah is on his way.

tim107: What about other 35 states in Nigeria? are they getting equal distribution of wealth. The only thing you hear on Nairaland is Lagos!!! And fashola is more famous than the president.

tim107: What about other 35 states in Nigeria? are they getting equal distribution of wealth. The only thing you hear on Nairaland is Lagos!!! And fashola is more famous than the president.

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stellenbosc university

[img]http://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/talnet__1190-472x204-custom.jpg[/img] UNISA

CAPETOWN UNIVERSITY

The top university in the world is California State University in US, followed by Stanford University and Oxford University in UK.

The top university in Africa is the University of Cape Town followed by University of Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch University all in South Africa.


Complete rankings:
1 University of Cape Town South Africa
2 University of South Africa South Africa
3 University of Pretoria South Africa
4 Universiteit Stellenbosch South Africa
5 University of the Witwatersrand South Africa
6 University of Dar es Salaam Tanzania
7 Cairo University Egypt
8 University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
9 The American University in Cairo Egypt
10 Makerere University Uganda
11 Rhodes University South Africa
12 University of the Western Cape South Africa
13 Mansoura University Egypt
14 University of Johannesburg South Africa
15 Université Cheikh Anta Diop Senegal
16 Assiut University Egypt
17 University of Nairobi Kenya
18 Zagazig University Egypt
19 University of Botswana Botswana
20 Université Mohammed V – Agdal Morocco
21 University of Ghana Ghana
22 Universiteit van die Vrystaat South Africa
23 University of Ibadan Nigeria
24 Addis Ababa University Ethiopia
25 North-West University South Africa
26 Alexandria University Egypt
27 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University South Africa
28 University of Zambia Zambia
29 Université des Sciences et de la Technologie
Houari Boumediène Algeria
30 The German University in Cairo Egypt
31 Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria
32 Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Mozambique
33 University of Mauritius Mauritius
34 Ain Shams University Egypt
35 University of Lagos Nigeria
36 Tanta University Egypt
37 Université de Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
38 Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology Ghana
39 Université de la Reunion Reunion
40 Université Nationale du Rwanda Rwanda
41 Helwan University Egypt
42 Cape Peninsula University of Technology South Africa
43 University of Zululand South Africa
44 Strathmore University Kenya
45 Université Cadi Ayyad Morocco
46 Al Akhawayn University Morocco
47 Université d’Alger Algeria
48 Université Mentouri de Constantine Algeria
49 Université Badji Mokhtar de Annaba Algeria
50 Université d’Oran Algeria
51 Université Hassan II – Casablanca Morocco
52 University of Fort Hare South Africa
53 Université Abdelmalek Essadi Morocco
54 Ahmadu Bello University Nigeria
55 Jaamacada Muqdisho Somalia
56 Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology Kenya
57 University of Swaziland Swaziland
58 University of Ilorin Nigeria
59 Sudan University of Science and Technology – Sudan
60 Université Mohammed V – Souissi Morocco
61 Kenyatta University Kenya
62 University of Khartoum Sudan
63 University of Namibia Namibia
64 Université de Batna Algeria
65 University of Malawi Malawi
66 Benha University Egypt
67 Université Hassan II – Mohammedia Morocco
68 Al-Azhar University Egypt
69 Fayoum University Egypt
70 Université de la Manouba Tunisia
71 University of Benin Nigeria
72 Minoufiya University Egypt
73 Durban University of Technology South Africa
74 Université de Tunis El Manar Tunisia
75 Université de Carthage Tunisia
76 Tshwane University of Technology South Africa
77 United States International University Kenya
78 Université Abou Bekr Belkaid Tlemcen Algeria
79 Polytechnic of Namibia Namibia
80 Egerton University Kenya
81 Université de Gabès Tunisia
82 Université de Sousse Tunisia
83 Université d’Antananarivo Madagascar
84 Minia University Egypt
85 Moi University Kenya
86 Université de Nouakchott Mauritania
87 Université Mouloud Maameri de Tizi Ouzou – Algeria
88 University of Venda South Africa
89 Central University of Technology South Africa
90 Université Ibn Tofail Morocco
91 University of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
92 Suez Canal University Egypt
93 University of Cape Coast Ghana
94 Misr International University Egypt
95 University of Jos Nigeria
96 University of Maiduguri Nigeria
97 University of Limpopo South Africa
98 The Hubert Kairuki Memorial University – Tanzania
99 Jimma University Ethiopia
100 Modern Sciences and Arts Uni, Egypt

[img]http://3.bp..com/-lIse9kI3mmk/Tq8IJLqB5bI/AAAAAAAAAbI/PeQXcBFTbFY/s1600/IMG_0244.jpg[/img]

South Africa Launches Africa’s Fastest Train

⁠

Africa’s fastest train has opened its new route to the capital, Pretoria, from Johannesburg in a bid to speed up travel between two of South Africa’s major cities. The Gautrain takes less than 30 minutes for the 54km (34 mile) journey. It can take up to two hours to travel this distance by car during rush hour.



The Gautrain’s inaugural airport route was opened just in time for the 2010 World Cup, when it was used by thousands of football fans. But by reaching Pretoria, it is likely to be used by ordinary South African commuters to beat the traffic on one of South Africa’s busiest roads. Hundreds of commuters turned up at Johannesburg’s Rosebank station as early as 05:30 local time (0330GMT) for the train’s first trip to Pretoria.

 Transport infrastructure over the next two years is expected to change radically. The train’s top speed is 160 km/h - a long way from the world’s fastest trains but still far superior to the locomotives chugging along most of the rest of the continent’s tracks, which mostly date from the colonial era.

ba7man: Nice one there @Tim107.....

thanks my broda!