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| Event model Lolita shows the 8-amp chargerr from evcharge.co.za. |
The Start-ups Pitch Competition aimed to support “green mobility” entrepreneurs in Africa.
The ideas presented included solar-powered batteries for electric bicycles from Namibia, energy-efficient logistics from Zimbabwe and from Maritzburg, a plan to reuse the metro’s forgotten railways by adapting Cambodia’s infamous “bamboo trains” for Mzansi’s needs.
I made the pitch not as a transport writer for The Witness, but as a member of the Cannabis Development Council of South Africa.
The five judges were managers at the City of Tshwane, Innovation Hub, uYilo, the Industrial Development Council and Gautrain.
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| When it comes to choosing between trucks burning biofuels or cute a evee, event model Sue's chose cute and quiet. |
I explained to them how our made-in-Maritzburg idea was born during the start of ongoing taxi wars in Esigodini, a scenic township overlooking the Duzi river and the disused railway that follows the river’s eastern bank.
Along with handyman Lucky Mhlongo, we devised a plan to adapt the “bamboo trains” from Cambodia to serve local commuters.
“Our valley is so beautiful, I think we will not just get commuters, but also tourists to ride on the wagon,” Mhlongo predicted.
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| Cambodia's bamboo trains show what rural folk will do when government fails their transport needs. |
The plan goes much wider than merely riding old rails in a scenic valley, but scales up to use bio-diesel made locally from hemp seeds grown in Edendale.
South Africa currently uses over a billion litres of fossil-fuel derived diesel per month, which is sold for over R14 a litre at the cheapest truck stops.
Our aim to circulate a tiny percentage of these diesel billions in South Africa, instead of paying foreigners for fuel, is what ensured our humble Maritzburg dream made the Smarter Mobility Africa competition’s shortlist.
Members from the audience were impressed to hear that we have already planted the fuel for the lightweight carts on a hemp farm near Newcastle.
Dr Jay Jamalodeen, chair of the CDCSA, contributed an explanation that hemp seeds are five times better than soy beans as a source of oils that can be turned into methyl esters and hence into bio-diesel.
I told the judges: “If we can legalise monthly ‘weed dances’ that will see gogos sell their bales of hemp to the local biodiesel generator, instead of annual reed dances to deliver bundles of reeds to the queen’s kraals, we will capitalise development in our deep rural economies.”
But the lack of any official in any department willing to permit us reusing the city’s forgotten and rusted railways is currently the main delay in getting the pilot project running.
“I hope to be proven wrong, but it seems our city and rail bosses only worry about community-driven projects if there if is a big tender to eat from,” I told the panel.
This lack of official support torpedoed our pitch, but Msunduzi citizens can rest assured, the plan continues at grass roots level.
Citizens who want to get involved can contact me on the e-mail below.
As fellow rail renegade Andries proved here, we won't be the first.
