Consequences be damned

But we suffer even if we did not make the decision - like not having water or electricity for 48 hours

- Christian Stephen

The bleak, washed-out blue sky and pollution-smudged horizons are upon us in Johannesburg, and how we regret all the whinging that went with the many consecutive days of cloud-covered rainy days that we experienced not so long ago.

As we pile on the layers of clothing to deal with the first real cold front of winter, we know that it is only going to get worse. The sky will fade so much that it ends up looking like a pair of jeans that has spent many years being washed in the harshest washing powder. And these jeans are now being worn by an old-school mechanic who still believes in lying on a dirty floor to slide under cars to do repairs.

A white-knuckle ride on the high-ways with the deadly game of keep-right-pass-left playing out around you reveals a depressing vista. In the areas where there are fewer buildings are occupied by the toxic-looking remnants of mine dumps, some trees with bare brown branches and open veld with yellowed grasses often blackened by fires.

And without any hope of a cleansing afternoon downpour the smoke and pollution hangs heavy in the air.

The consequences of all this are severe damage to our mental and physical health. It might make for stunning sunsets but the shockingly polluted air plays havoc with our respiratory systems. Colds, fly, sinus problems and hacking coughs make the winter months unbearable.

And the relentless colour palette of dirty grey, brown and sickly yellow leave us longing to escape to somewhere where there are better colours on offer. The sparkling blue of the sea and the bright greens of lush vegetation.