Local government elections

I voted this morning in the local government elections. I was lucky to queue for only twenty minutes. I hope the strongest opposition party gets in again and makes gains elsewhere. It's unfortunate that there are so many opposition parties that divide the vote.

There have been some dirty tactics on the part of the ANC. Pres. Zuma preyed on the superstitious by threatening them with the anger of their ancestors if they didn't vote for the ANC. The dangerous and terrifying Julius Malema (leader of the ANC Youth League in his thirties) played the land card, preying on the ignorance of the poor. He advocates a piece of land for all blacks, which policy would result in subsistence farming with food shortages, loss of income from food exports, the end of food security and the destruction of a self-sufficient and productive agricultural sector. He's another Mugabe.

Today is a public holiday because of the election, so I have time to play on my laptop .

Photos: Catriona, Starling, Squirrel

 
Catriona on my tall bookcase, literally and figuratively looking down on me.



 

I feed many redwing starlings at work. There is one pair who hang out near the library. They are clever enough to recognise me in the building and often come through the window on a quest for more food.

  

 
The male has recently become very bold and ventures far into the library.
Here he's almost at my office.

The squirrels have been elusive and obstructive. I couldn't get any decent photos. Here you can make out the squirrel head first down the tree with his head in the noms bowl.