Cape Town Discussion.

Enjoy!

Brace yourself for extreme winter

By Staff Writer

Brace yourselves. That's the word from the Weather Service, as the cold front that hits the Western Cape on Monday morning brings heavy rain, huge seas and very cold conditions spreading as far as the Northern Cape.

In a special weather warning on Sunday, the Weather Service said that the cold, wet and windy conditions would spread to the mountain areas of the Western Cape.

And deep sea swells of about 3,5 metres are expected by this evening and will start pounding the coast. But that's just the beginning: by sunrise on Tuesday the swell will have increased to a 4,8m, peaking at 5,3m by sunset.

The good news for surfers able to take time off in the week is that the swell will maintain a height of between 3,3m and 3,9m until Friday afternoon.

Heavy rain is forecast for Monday and most of Tuesday, accompanied by strong to near gale force north winds.

The National Sea Rescue Institute has issued a special warning to users of the sea to take extra precautions over the next few days, as the big swell, combined with the effect of Friday night's spring tides will bring stronger than normal rip tides and deep sea currents.

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town said on Sunday that it had put in place a comprehensive plan to deal with expected flooding and other disasters.

In a statement, the city said that the plan provides for clearing and upgrading of stormwater systems, drains, inspections of retention ponds, public education and a disaster management plan.

"The preventative maintenance is well under way. This work includes cleaning silt and other debris from underground systems and stormwater intakes along roadways. Similar attention is given to intakes of mountain streams."

Councillor Dumisani Ximbi, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said "the city has identified and mapped high flood-risk areas. Past experience tells us that at least 5000 informal dwellings could be affected if Cape Town has a 'normal' winter.

"This figure is based on assessments of previous flood events. However, according to the latest predictions, this figure could rise drastically depending on the intensity of the expected storms."

In addition to the provincial budget for disaster relief, the city estimates that R2-million would be spent on humanitarian and social disaster relief such as meals, blankets and baby food. Another R1,2-million had been budgeted for materials, repairs and maintenance, security services and staff overtime.

# Flooding, blocked drains and service disruptions can be reported to the all-hours Technical Operations Centre at 0860 103 054. In the event of a life- or property-threatening emergency, contact 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.

* This article was originally published on page 4 of The Cape Times on June 04, 2007

Cape Times

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-04 01:14:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Smooth sailing for name-changes in Cape Town

04 June 2007

CITY’S NAME-CHANGING PANEL BEGINS ITS WORK


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 191/2007
4 JUNE 2007



* EMBARGOED TO 18:00 ON MONDAY, 4 JUNE 2007 *

CITY’S NAME-CHANGING PANEL BEGINS ITS WORK

Executive Mayor Helen Zille today announced that human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie would chair the panel of experts charged with processing submissions from citizens for name changes in Cape Town.

The panel consists of 17 members who were nominated by the public. They represent a broad range of expertise in history, language, religion, place names and map-making. They include such people as Cape Town Partnership Manager Bulelwa Ngewana, VOC historian Dan Sleigh, language expert Yawa Thozama, history Professor Christopher Saunders, Afrikaans journalist and cultural commentator Melvyn Minnaar, District Six Museum director Valmont Lane, Dean of CAPUT Business Faculty Mohammed Bayat, and others.

Only about 200 of the 350 submissions will be dealt with by the panel because many were outside the terms of reference of the policy. The panel will make its recommendations to Council for its meeting at the end of June and Council will then advertise the names for public objection. The matter will serve before Council again in August and final decisions will be made.

The signage for any new names of streets or buildings will go up in September, Heritage month.


END

ISSUED BY:
DIRECTORATE: COMMUNICATION
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400-2201 FAX: 021 957-0023

MEDIA QUERIES:
COUNCILLOR OWEN KINAHAN
CELL: 083 2617484
E-MAIL: owen.kinahan@capetown.gov.za

DBSA GIVES R30M FOR 2010 STADIUM DEVELOPMENT

The Development Bank of Southern Africa has granted R30 million to the City of Cape Town for the planning and design costs associated with the new Green Point stadium. (C25/05/07)
Media enquiries: Dave Hugo, Service Delivery Integration, Tel: 021 400-3722
Pieter Cronje, 2010 Spokesperson, Tel: 021 400 2201 / 082 4654965

SPORT BODIES GET R362 000 FOR UPKEEP OF FIELDS


Eight sports fields which previously received grants-in-aid from the City of Cape Town to maintain the grounds are to receive over R362 000 for the same purpose as part of City Parks’ operational budget. City Parks has entered into agreements with nine sports bodies and will continue to do routine inspections to ensure that the agreements are honoured. The nine sports bodies which are all in the southern suburbs are the Ottery Sports Board (Elm Street Sports Field), Groenewaldt Sports Association (Groenewaldt Sports Field), St Augustine’s Cricket Club (St Augustine’s), Meadowridge Football Association (Meadowridge), False Bay RFC (Gildale Sports Complex), Claremont Cricket Club (Gildale Sports Complex), Retreat Sport board of control (Allenby Drive), Noordhoek District Association (Noordhoek District), and Fish Hoek Sports Club (Fish Hoek Sports). (C15/05/07)

Brace yourself for extreme winter

By Staff Writer

Brace yourselves. That's the word from the Weather Service, as the cold front that hits the Western Cape on Monday morning brings heavy rain, huge seas and very cold conditions spreading as far as the Northern Cape.

In a special weather warning on Sunday, the Weather Service said that the cold, wet and windy conditions would spread to the mountain areas of the Western Cape.

And deep sea swells of about 3,5 metres are expected by this evening and will start pounding the coast. But that's just the beginning: by sunrise on Tuesday the swell will have increased to a 4,8m, peaking at 5,3m by sunset.

The good news for surfers able to take time off in the week is that the swell will maintain a height of between 3,3m and 3,9m until Friday afternoon.

Heavy rain is forecast for Monday and most of Tuesday, accompanied by strong to near gale force north winds.

The National Sea Rescue Institute has issued a special warning to users of the sea to take extra precautions over the next few days, as the big swell, combined with the effect of Friday night's spring tides will bring stronger than normal rip tides and deep sea currents.

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town said on Sunday that it had put in place a comprehensive plan to deal with expected flooding and other disasters.

In a statement, the city said that the plan provides for clearing and upgrading of stormwater systems, drains, inspections of retention ponds, public education and a disaster management plan.

"The preventative maintenance is well under way. This work includes cleaning silt and other debris from underground systems and stormwater intakes along roadways. Similar attention is given to intakes of mountain streams."

Councillor Dumisani Ximbi, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said "the city has identified and mapped high flood-risk areas. Past experience tells us that at least 5000 informal dwellings could be affected if Cape Town has a 'normal' winter.

"This figure is based on assessments of previous flood events. However, according to the latest predictions, this figure could rise drastically depending on the intensity of the expected storms."

In addition to the provincial budget for disaster relief, the city estimates that R2-million would be spent on humanitarian and social disaster relief such as meals, blankets and baby food. Another R1,2-million had been budgeted for materials, repairs and maintenance, security services and staff overtime.

# Flooding, blocked drains and service disruptions can be reported to the all-hours Technical Operations Centre at 0860 103 054. In the event of a life- or property-threatening emergency, contact 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.

* This article was originally published on page 4 of The Cape Times on June 04, 2007

Cape Times

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-04 01:14:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Today in 2010 will just be 6v days before the first game kickoff. I just hope that it won't be as cold, eish FIFA.

im thinking they need to reconsider a retractable roof! or get FIFA to pay

This World Newspaper Congress has really hit the news in more ways than one. Never really thought it would get many headlines but it seems like the event is going well. Good stuff for Cape Town. Some of these journalists will prob be working at the 2010 IBC. !!

__________________________________________________________________________

Cape Town Conference: Mbeki says both media and government must be responsible

The debate between media and governments must be open and fair, said South African president Thabo Mbeki, welcoming delegates attending the 60th World Association of Newspapers Congress in Cape Town.

Mbeki said: “Even if there is the necessary chasm between the media and government in the perennial debate about what constitute the public or national interest and so on, at least the debate must proceed in openness and fairness.”

“We do believe that both government and media are called to act responsibly in a well-run state. This also applies to public relations, marketing and advertising interests that can have such a powerful influence in society.”

Mbeki said that it was incumbent on the media to be introspective and to conduct itself in ways that will enhance and not undermine acceptable standards of public morality and good behaviour.

“It is, I would suggest, important for the media to do various things to professionalize and perfect their craft, such as improving training methods, broadening the scope of specialist and in depth writing and research, and retaining skilled and experienced practitioners within the profession,” said Mbeki.

The president also urged the newsmen and women gathering in Cape Town to tell the African story that is no more benefiting from coverage in world media “in as much depth and contextual detail as possible.”

“And physically get around the continent, identifying the successes and reverses so as to reflect what is really happening on the ground.”

Mbeki said the continent has not escaped the tussle between media freedom and governance and some journalists in the continent have paid the ultimate price.

“There is particular anger around what is seen as the impunity enjoyed by some governments in their perceived or actual actions against journalists and editors. I am also aware of the feeling among African editors that libel and similar laws are used to deal with a media that is seen as uncomplimentary to the authorities.”

However, Mbeki said the problem was being addressed, and one of such instance would occur when the presidents of the African Union gather in Accra, Ghana for the annual meeting. Five of them will meet five African editors to open lines of communications between the political leadership and the editors.

Cape Marine Sector Now a New 'Mr Fixit'

Business Day (Johannesburg)
NEWS
4 June 2007
Posted to the web 4 June 2007

By Dave Marrs
Johannesburg

WITH the possible exception of Nigeria, none of the west African countries that are benefiting most from the global clamour for oil has the technical expertise, infrastructure or economic stability to provide the required engineering and logistical support.

Western Cape's relatively sophisticated economy and proximity to the booming west African oil and gas fields should put it in pole position to compete successfully for such contracts. Yet the multinational oil companies continue to procure most of their equipment, services and supplies from established hubs such as Aberdeen, Singapore and Dubai, or fly in critical equipment from the US or Europe.

Similarly, the oil companies all too often send ships and rigs requiring maintenance or repair northwards to the shipyards of Europe, rather than south to SA.

It was to remedy this situation that the South African Oil and Gas Alliance was founded in 2001, with the support of the provincial and Cape Town City governments and industry players -- including an array of engineering and fabrication companies as well as machinery, equipment and provision suppliers.

The organisation has about 280 active fee-paying members and was allocated R3,5m by the provincial government this year as one of about 10 "special purpose vehicles" set up as part of its microeconomic development strategy.

Herman Jonker, manager of the marine sector's industry development for the Western Cape economic development department, says the main goals of the strategy are to boost economic growth and create employment, and that the oil and gas support industry has been identified as one of five priority sectors that justify intervention.

The other industries are tourism, information technology, business process outsourcing and creative industries such as film and advertising production.

Acting Oil and Gas Alliance executive director Angelo Harris says with the US expected to source up to a quarter of its oil supplies from west Africa by 2010, it has been predicted that about $100bn will be invested in the region over the next five years and that the oil companies will be spending more than $12bn a year on supplies and services alone.

While countries such as Nigeria and Angola have local content requirements in place to ensure they do not become wallflowers at their own party, there are many goods and services that they cannot provide.

The alliance has identified three main market segments where it believes South African companies could be competitive:

--New erections of oil and gas rigs, platform jackets and topside modules

--Repair, maintenance and conversion work; and

--The supply of equipment and provisions.

"We have a potential competitive advantage in all three areas," Harris says. "Although SA hasn't built anything serious since the Mossgas project, local companies have been involved in offshore exploration and production endeavours such as the FA gas field and the Oribi, Oryx and Sable oil fields in the Bredasdorp Basin, so we have the skills."

The alliance has strategies in place to unblock logistical bottlenecks, address skills development and the lack of infrastructure, benchmark suppliers against international standards, improve communication between industry players, and market the domestic industry internationally, as well as addressing the need for transformation and SME development.

A steady flow of oil rigs and associated vessels are already being serviced in Cape Town harbour by the existing ship repair companies using the limited docking facilities that are available.

Projects of up to $120m have been taken on in the past.

However, to take advantage of industry trends such as the conversion of rigs to allow them to operate in deeper waters, SA needs new facilities and considerable investment in skills and equipment.

MAN Ferrostaal's offshore fabrication yard at Saldanha Bay, scheduled to come on stream in August, and the service and refurbishing hub it is establishing in the Port of Cape Town as part of its arms offset deal obligations, will go a long way towards fulfilling this requirement.

The existing A Berth at the entrance to Cape Town harbour's Duncan Dock has been designated an oil and gas facility, and the wet berth and back-of-quay area will be redeveloped to accommodate offshore oil and gas rigs, drill ships, construction vessels and service and supply boats. The National Ports Authority may cede the operation of the facility to the private sector.

Harris says the quality and reliability of the equipment and services supplied to the oil companies has to be of an exceptionally high standard, and one of the alliance's aims is to monitor standards and ensure SA develops a good reputation in this regard. A certification system has been developed covering the quality of work, service or equipment supplied by a member; its financial standing; and its track record.

Harris says the awareness of SA's capabilities is growing, shown by the number of specific inquiries he has received from oil companies with operations in west Africa.

Opening Ceremony Draws Support for African Press

One of the largest collections of global and African newspaper editors ever assembled were given a “proudly South African welcome” to the World Association of Newspapers’ World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo in Cape Town today (Mon). It was the first time the global meetings of the world’s press has been held in Africa.

Over 1600 delegates from 109 countries witnessed the colour and spectacle of the opening ceremony that launched the largest gathering of African editors to be held and the second biggest overall since WAN was established in 1948. Trevor Ncube, president of the Newspaper Association of South Africa, welcomed the international delegates and urged them to “to take time to talk to African editors and hear their real, live stories”.

There are 365 editors from 43 African countries attending the conference. Given the location, it was not surprising that the challenges facing African media workers, both economic and political, were highlighted during the opening session of the conference.

But the “sombre” picture of events worldwide were also recalled, in which 58 journalists have already been killed this year and many hundreds more harassed, injured or jailed. “It is not only parts of Africa that must suffer press freedom violations of the most varied kinds,” WAN President Gavin O’Reilly told the assembled delegates. O’Reilly called on all African states, however, to take heed of the Declaration of Table Mountain released from the meeting and recognize the indivisibility of press freedom.

“The daily persecution and harassment of the free press must cease,” O’Reilly said.

He called on President Thabo Mbeki, who he hailed for his individual commitment to press freedom, to assist with the removal of some key obstacles to this freedom in South Africa.

“We are particularly grieved that the African Union, in instituting its Peer Review Mechanism under the New Partnership for African Development, has excluded the fostering of a free and independent press as a key requirement - as indeed it must be - in the assessment of good governance in the countries of this continent,” O’Reilly told delegates.

He also called on Mbeki to repeal anti-press measures contained in apartheid era legislation, and to bring his influence to bear on the situation in Zimbabwe. In his speech formally opening the conference, Mbeki said he had been surprised to hear the omission of a free press from the Peer Review Mechanism and promised to raise the matter, to applause from the delegates. “It’s an oversight,” he conceded. Mbeki also called on international editors to step-up and deepen their coverage of Africa, its successes and challenges. “Tell the African story in as much depth and context as possible, physically get around the continent so as to reflect what is really happening on the ground,” he told delegates.

Mbeki added that media freedom was of special interest to bodies like the African Union and the African Editors’ Forum who had planned a number of initiatives to bolster this freedom on the continent. These initiatives included collective debates between political leaders and African editors, the first of which is in Accra, Ghana in a month’s time and the launch of an African media freedom day. “The problem of media freedom around the continent is an important one,” he affirmed. Mbeki called on the editors to return for 2010 to see how much progress had been made and to enjoy the spectacle of the FIFA world cup.

“We invite you to return to this land and see for yourselves not only spectacular soccer, but also the national progress that we shall undoubtedly make between now and then - as we have done consistently since 1994.

The opening ceremony also included the awarding of the WAN’s Golden Pen of Freedom to the mother of imprisoned Chinese editor, Shi Tao (see story below). Political analyst Van Zyl Slabbert delivered an address on Politics, Parliament and Democracy in South Africa.

The full Declaration of Table Mountain can be read here.

Mr O’Reilly’s speech can be found at Remarks by WAN President Gavin O’Reilly.

Mr Mbeki’s speech will be available on the government website at www.info.gov.za/speeches/index.htm.

He makes sense...seems like the F1 dream lives on.

______________________________________________________________________
Cape Town F1 executive hits out at street race proposal

Grand Prix at airport

There has recently been some speculation in the media about proposals to stage the F1 Grand Prix in the streets of Cape Town.

The concept is hugely appealing but is financially unviable, logistically impractical and of no sustainable economic value to the needy communities of our region.

The complications and costs of incorporating the necessary safety features around the track such as widening the existing roads, building barriers, gravel beds, run-off lanes, in and outer lanes for fire service vehicles, ambulances, cranes and recovery trucks, medical evacuation sites and helicopter pads are enormous.

Furthermore, provision has to be made for the pit and team facilities and storage areas, media and conference centres (500 international journalists can be expected to attend a F1 Grand Prix), on-site medical facilities, corporate hospitality suites and public catering areas.

We would have to tolerate massive disruption of inner-city traffic during the track installation periods and be exposed to immense nuisance factors during the Grand Prix week (or any other racing events) such as extreme noise levels and crowd littering.

Controlling access becomes extremely difficult, posing problems for emergency evacuation situations and general crowd safety.

In addition, in order to fund the required licence fees (about $20 million per race) a minimum of some 120 000 paying spectators must attend the Sunday race day.

It is almost impossible to harness all spectators and secure payment for tickets in a street environment, let alone provide adequate seating and race visibility for them.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a street race leaves no lasting legacy for the sport itself or its industry such as motor club facilities, test tracks and driver training schools.

It provides no opportunities for the typical emergence of commercial and industrial development around the race track with consequential increased economic wellbeing and new job creation for the people of our region that need it most.

Perhaps all things are possible, but these are some of the reasons that the South African Grand Prix Corporation has opted for a new track close to the Cape Town International Airport and a project that will inject billions of rands into our economy and provide tens of thousands of new jobs in and around our city.

Dave Gant
Chief Executive
SA Grand Prix Corporation

Published on the web by Cape Times on May 29, 2007. © Cape Times 2007. All rights reserved.

saldahna would be ideal as a oil and gas centre

saldahna would be ideal as a oil and gas centre

really? simply because of its location and what it could do for the people of saldanha?

Update
26 June - 1 July
UCI World Cycling Championships, Bellville velodrome

18 July
FIFA Nelson Mandela Benefit Match, Newlands Stadium

24 July
Tottenham Hotspurs vs Orlando Pirates, Newlands Stadium

Isuzu Berg River Canoe Marathon
10 – 14 July 2007

2007 Freedom Challenge Extreme Triathlon Race
16 June - 14 July 2007

Dirtopia Nine-to-Five Mountain Bike Team Relay
16 June 2007

1st National Festival of Golf
4 - 10 June 2007

really? simply because of its location and what it could do for the people of saldanha?

both, its closer to oil fileds, its deeper than CT harbour, there is shit loads of developable land and it doesnt face the same CT harbour congestion/nimbys issues.Its time to decentralise certain harbour activities out of the 2 main harbours and let them focus on the bulk goods like contaniorastion etc and let periferal "dirty" activities move to other harbours to help develop them further and attain critical mass. Imagine in RB got its second coal terminal and drydock and ship building/repair facilities. Ill that sort of shit then leave durban harbour and allows more profitabl;e and centralised activies .Same for CT, let oli and gas move up to the bay

both, its closer to oil fileds, its deeper than CT harbour, there is shit loads of developable land and it doesnt face the same CT harbour congestion/nimbys issues.Its time to decentralise certain harbour activities out of the 2 main harbours and let them focus on the bulk goods like contaniorastion etc and let periferal "dirty" activities move to other harbours to help develop them further and attain critical mass. Imagine in RB got its second coal terminal and drydock and ship building/repair facilities. Ill that sort of shit then leave durban harbour and allows more profitabl;e and centralised activies .Same for CT, let oli and gas move up to the bay

Sounds like a good idea, Im not sure the city/province are that forward thinking. Will read up some more after my exams which im failing.

Why all the fuss? Award the 2010 IBC to CT and get this project off the ground!
__________________________________________________________________
New CT broadband network on the cards

By Anal Powell

The City of Cape Town is setting up a committee to look urgently into the installation of an extensive network of fibre optic cables to improve the city's electronic communication system, which is expected to create about 95 000 jobs and contribute R4-billion to the local economy.

But work on the infrastructure for this network would have to start "immediately" for the telecommunications service to be ready by 2010, said Mark Neville of the Radian consultancy which is working with the city council on the project.

This would require an immediate allocation of R60-million from the city for the core infrastructure and construction costs.

Neville said the city spent at least R100m annually on telecommunications.

The broadband network, which could extend as far as Stellenbosch, would reduce these costs by between 30 and 40 percent.

At the city's corporate services and human resources portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday, Neville said fibre optic infrastructure would have a "big impact on new investment" in the city. It would also improve service levels.

According to Radian's report, affordable telecommunications will lead to a growth in several sectors, including agriculture, mining, electricity and water, construction, finance, transport and communication and general government services.

This growth has been estimated to equal 27 000 new formal jobs. "New jobs typically have an associated multiplier effect of between three and four, so that these new jobs will sustain work for a further 95 000 people," the report said.

The fibre optic cables would initially link key metropolitan buildings and sites that will be used for 2010. It would later expand to other buildings and be used to extend broadband to residences and businesses.

The installation of the 360km fibre optic ring, and its management, will cost R400m to install. But Neville said the revenue from the fibre optic network would reach R500m by the eighth year, meaning the initial capital costs of the project could be repaid within nine years.

Additional revenue would come from the rent paid by other electronic service providers using the network.

The network is expected to generate a cash flow of more than R1bn over 10 years. Neville recommended that a municipal, not-for-profit entity be set up to manage the project.

Raven Naidoo, of Radian, said by building the infrastructure needed for fibre optic cables, competitor companies would be able to use the infrastructure for their services.

"This does not mean that the City of Cape Town must be a telecommunications company that competes with Telkom or Neotel," he said.



* This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on June 06, 2007

Cape Times

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-06 06:28:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
---------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 06 Jun 2007
Title: Robben Island prepares for 2010 tourism boom
---------------------------------------------------------------
By Themba Gadebe, tel (012) 314-2267

Cape Town - Robben Island, like many other tourist attractions in the country is preparing for the influx of tourists during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

As a World Heritage site, Robben Island will look at innovative ways of managing the thousands of expected visitors set to flock to Cape Town, which is a host city for the games.

Robben Island Museum spokesperson Shalo Mbatha told BuaNews that in peak season, the island received 1800 visitors per day.

"Obviously we are expecting much more people at that time...2010 will be a special time for all of us," she said.

"Part of our challenge is that as a World heritage site, we have a mandate to preserve the sensitive species and environment on the Island."

Challenges posed by the island's popularity include congestion, overcrowding, noise pollution and litter.

Peak season for Robben Island Museum is between November and February and the World Cup will take place during the off peak -season.

But in 2010 even more visitors are expected than would be the norm for off-peak times in any other year. Tourist numbers are in fact expected to beat the peak-season high, in terms of visits to the island.

"We are going to train our staff to be able to handle tourists even better and our visitors will walk away with an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives," Ms Mbatha said.

Robben Island has already started revamping and rehabilitating its museum facilities, starting with the erstwhile maximum security prison where former President Nelson Mandela and other struggle icons were held by the apartheid regime.

Madiba spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars on the island, just off the coast of Cape Town.

The island's management is also boosting the capacity of its fleet of ferries.

A new ferry to shuttle tourists between the island and the mainland is currently being built.

"The new ferry under construction is of great importance for the new visitor experience. It is a much awaited state of the art ferry - the only one of its kind in Africa," said Ms Mbatha.

"The not yet named ferry will carry about 300 passengers, making it the biggest in the current fleet of ferries, and the fastest."

The new vessel's top speed will be the equivalent of 50 km per hour. It is expected to make its maiden voyage by September this year, well ahead of 2010.

The boat boasts lower, medium and top decks which will each be over 3 metres high. However, the vessel will be light as it will be crafted from aluminium.

While the body is currently being built, other parts such the engine and seats have already been imported from Germany and Australia

"This is a very unique ferry," said the project director Jendo Ocenasek.

The ferry serves as the remedial action by the Island after its ferries broke down during the holiday period of December last year.

In 1996 the Cabinet declared the island a national monument and former President Mandela officially opened it as a museum the following year.

In 1999, Robben Island was inscribed as a World heritage Site by Unesco. - BuaNews

CITY APPROVES R3,7 MILLION INJECTION FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 197/2007
5 JUNE 2007


CITY APPROVES R3,7 MILLION INJECTION FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Some 160 community organisations in the Cape metropole will receive R3,7 million from the City of Cape Town’s grants-in-aid for 2006/07.

Thousands of residents will directly benefit in six different categories, namely arts and culture, early childhood development, gender development, youth development, street people projects and capacity building projects.

The largest number of organisations which qualify for the annual grants were Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes with a total of 52 projects receiving R337 000.

Over R1 million will be allocated to 40 arts and culture projects with an additional R500 000 reserved for special focus programmes for high impact delivery and for projects which did not qualify in terms of time or the closing date for grants.

An amount of R557 000 was allocated to 40 gender development organisations, followed by R513 000 to 18 street people upliftment projects, R438 000 to 22 youth development initiatives, and R324 000 toward eight capacity building programmes.

The grants-in-aid allocations are an annual funding programme administered by the City’s Directorate for Economic and Social Development. Adverts inviting organisations to apply were placed in the media during November 2006.

A total of 412 community bodies applied for the grants, 360 less than the previous year. All applications were screened by the relevant City departments in line with the interim grant-in-aid policy, as well as the criteria outlined in the adverts. Less than 50% complied.

“These grants-in-aid are aimed at strengthening communities by establishing strategic partnerships with deserving grassroots groups which support the City in its service delivery strategies,” says Councillor Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic and Social Development in the City of Cape Town.

The City’s 23 Subcouncils also run region specific grants-in-aid programmes in their respective areas of jurisdiction to support community development.

“I am pleased that my department was able to coordinate the City’s initiative to strengthen our communities in their worthy cause”, Grindrod added.

LOCAL ARTS & CULTURE GETS R1,5 MILLION BOOST FROM CITY


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 199/2007
6 JUNE 2007



LOCAL ARTS & CULTURE GETS R1,5 MILLION BOOST FROM CITY

Local arts and culture organisations are to receive over R1,5 million from the City of Cape Town as part of the Council’s annual grants-in-aid to deserving communities across the Cape metropole.

This year’s beneficiaries include AMAC, Sign Language Education & Development, the Athlone Academy of Music, the Baxter Theatre, Jikeleza, the Hout Bay Music Project, Remix Dance Company, Zip Zap Circus, the Turfhall Jazz Music Project, Vadhini Indian Arts Academy, and Cape Town Opera.

According to Councillor Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee member for Economic and Social Development the arts is an area which is traditionally underfunded.

"Arts and culture can play a meaningful role in developing intercultural learning, especially in the City with its diverse cultures. It can also be a catalyst for economic empowerment for individuals and organisations who would be able to generate tourism income from the spin-offs of these ventures." Grindrod said.

All in all the City has disbursed a total of R3,7 million rand for grants-in-aid to 160 organisations across the metropole. The grants are made according to six categories namely arts & culture, early childhood development, gender equity, the development of street people, youth projects, and capacity building.

The arts and culture grants range from R6 990 towards the Ikhwezi Youth Theatre in Khayelitsha, to R56 000 for City of Peace in Woodstock which will use the funds for drumming sessions and teacher training.

Jikeleza, Hout Bay Music Project and Zip Zap Circus will be pooling their resources to present one collaborative production with 80 young performers, blending music, dance, trapeze flying, acrobats and clowning into a dramatic stage production which will be staged at Artscape in June.

A further R426 000 has been approved for deserving ad hoc projects which missed the application deadline.

The City’s 23 Subcouncils also award region specific grants-in-aid in their respective areas of jurisdiction to support community development.

Skyscrapers Follow Economic Boom - 2007/06/07


South Africa's largest cities are readying for brand new sky scrapers in a bid to promote the country's economic prosperity.
The past 30 years saw precious few tower buildings being built. Africa's tallest building, the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, with 50 stories, was built in 1973. The most recent sky scraper, the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton, with 35 stories, was built last year.
Worldwide cities update their city silhouettes with tower buildings to signify their positions in their respective countries as places of doing business. Cities like Dubai, Shanghai, London and Moscow use their city profiles to increase their visual identity and increase global competitiveness. Cities like these boast some of the world's highest buildings, e.g. the Gherkin in London and the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
According to Mr Alastair Collins, chief of foreign activities of the quantity surveyors and construction cost consultants group, Davis Langdon, South Africa is ready for new high buildings, taking into account the strong economic growth and one of the best property markets in the world. He was the speaker at the Talking Tall work session in Johannesburg earlier this week, facilitated by Davis Langdon.
According to him, the height of tower buildings differ between cities, but Johannesburg has a higher height aspiration than Cape Town. "In Johannesburg, buildings of up to 60 stories can be built, although 40 stories would be more realistic. Buildings in Cape Town shouldn't have more than 30 stories, to avoid spoiling the view on Table Mountain." Other cities in South Africa which can also consider investments in higher buildings, include Pretoria, Durban and Bloemfontein.
South Africa's sky scrapers are old stock when measured against performance, safety, services and esthetical value. "In the light of this, intelligent developments are called for, which will protect the historical buildings, and respect the existing socio-economic culture in every city." Developments should have high quality architectural designs which will create a sustainable heritage for future generations, he says.
The initial development and operational cost of tower buildings is high, but it can be argued that high buildings are more sustainable and that land is put to better economical use.
According to Prof Gerhard Brümmer, executive director of Davis Langdon, in South Africa the cost of land is between 20% and 40% of the total development cost of a building. "This depends on floor space ratio, the limitation on height, and the coverage of the building."
In Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, where land is scarce, land totals up to 75% of the total development cost.
Mr Johan Kemp, chief executive of Davis Langdon: Africa Region, says that tower trends are taking hold of Africa, and tower buildings are being planned for Angola, Botswana and Nigeria.
The world's highest building, the Burj Dubai, is currently being built, and will be 800 m high. – Elma Kloppers

How would 60F in CT "spoil the view of table mountain"??? it will still dwalf the building

I agree with the article on keeping the floors capped in Cape Town at 30F or 120 metres in the CBD and preserving the breathtaking view of Table Mountain.

For the northern Foreshore area bordering the waterfront which is where the city is expanding as far as new developments the height limits are set at 80 metres or about 20F. That is why such recent landmark buildings such as the ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel or The Icon towers, which were recently completed, are at about this height.

The city went to this urban planning scheme about 10 years ago when the North Foreshore area started to take off and abandoned the previous apartheid-era plans in the 1960's which favoured going as high as 45F and also delivered us the ugly Foreshore flyovers along with the unfinished sections of it too.

This is the current consensus of urban planners who do contend that the view of Table Mountain is something that shouldn't be spoilt. Lets face it when you are on the waterfront as a tourist you do not want to look up at a bunch of towers like in your own city but want to enjoy the beautiful backdrop that has made the Cape the top destination in the country and it is tourism especially from overseas that is driving property development in Cape Town and the Western Cape as a whole.

How would 60F in CT "spoil the view of table mountain"??? it will still dwalf the building

You may be right as Table Mountain is 1200 metres but we don't want Cape Town to become like Dubai and even 60F would make it look more like Hong Kong and would seriously spoil the view.

The success of Cape Town and its CBD in terms of being a global player IMO will not rely on the erection of excessively tall towers in the CBD. Instead, an effective integration of spaces ranging from culemborg, the east side of the city centre, the waterfront, entire foreshore and green point will make it unique and lead to greater success. Of course I believe the CBD needs some bulk in terms of taller buildings, higher density and so forth, I just don't think those sort of aims as a strategy on its own will benefit people of cape town and the future of the Metropolitan area as a whole

How would 60F in CT "spoil the view of table mountain"??? it will still dwalf the building


My point exactly, if you look at the city from Robbin Island, you will realise that a 60f building won't even have a small impact to the mountain.

Coutersy of Pule

R450m Hotel To Boost Ct's Kloof St - 2007/06/08


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Cape Town's trendy Orange and Kloof Street district, which has promised increased returns for retail outlets and commercial property owners since the rejuvenation of the adjacent central city, may finally be getting the boost it needs to take off.

Backing on to the Company Gardens, the area is home to the University of Cape Town's Hiddingh campus, commercial media studios, numerous trendy coffee shops and boutiques and is flanked by the Mount Nelson hotel. Yet it has remained a strange mix of the upmarket and plain, dotted with numerous unattractive '70 style residential buildings, with many businesses finding it difficult to retain a foothold, resulting in a high tenancy
turnover.

The injection of a new R450 million five-star hotel, coupled with a spa and 3500 square metres of high-street retail space is set to change its fortunes. Currently being built on the site of the now partly demolished Dutch Reformed synod, developers Newcity Group say over R100million worth of sales have already been conducted.

New City Group CEO Chaim Cohen said the development includes 130 hotel suites worth R2.4 million each and 12 penthouse suites for R18 million each, with development scheduled to be completed by November 2008. Town and regional planner Tommy Brummer said the development of another luxury hotel in the city bowl indicated "enormous confidence" in the rejuvenation of the city centre.

Questioned on the wisdom of building a new luxury hotel a stone's throw from the established and iconic Mount Nelson, Brummer said the Mount Nelson was "too old" for many of the younger jet set who would welcome the new hotel's location on the busy and active edge of Orange Street.

The large high-street retail space around the hotel would also have a knock-on effect in the area. A first for the city bowl, Cohen said it could well knock up the price of retail space in the surrounding area by 40% - 60% and create "expansion to the north (toward Kloof Street)".

In partnership with Absa Commercial Propery Finance and Protea Hotels, Newcity Group would be bringing a retail experience similar to that found in the high streets of London or New York to the area, he said.

Brummer concurred, saying the development would push demand for surrounding retail space in the Orange-Kloof area, with knock-on effects for residential property. - Brenda Nkuna

The success of Cape Town and its CBD in terms of being a global player IMO will not rely on the erection of excessively tall towers in the CBD. Instead, an effective integration of spaces ranging from culemborg, the east side of the city centre, the waterfront, entire foreshore and green point will make it unique and lead to greater success. Of course I believe the CBD needs some bulk in terms of taller buildings, higher density and so forth, I just don't think those sort of aims as a strategy on its own will benefit people of cape town and the future of the Metropolitan area as a whole
you mean like tokyo they got a height cap around 150m but look at their skyline and cbd

'Pessimists will have to eat their words'

By Clare Nullis

The clatter of construction trucks and cranes cuts through the morning chill as an army of hard-hatted workers dismantles a dilapidated sports centre and prepares the ground for a stadium which, in almost exactly three years time, will echo to the chants of nearly 70 000 World Cup soccer fans.

The burst of activity in downtown Cape Town is mirrored the length and breadth of South Africa as the country gears up for the World Cup, building new road and rail links, expanding airports and erecting hotels for more than 350 000 visitors.

South Africa will be ready - and safe - for the world for the first match June 11, 2010 kicking off a month-long international party, government leaders insist on a daily basis, a refrain echoed by FIFA. Organisers point out that the country has hosted rugby and cricket World Cups and major international conferences. But doubts persist.

"Plan A is South Africa, Plan B is South Africa, Plan C is South Africa and Plan D is South Africa," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said at the world soccer body's congress last month in an attempt to quash persistent rumours that he might move the showcase held every four years because of fears that South Africa can't cope.

"I was fighting to bring the World Cup to Africa. Now, I am not fighting, I am confident we are doing it," said Blatter, who will visit South Africa June 18-19 for a look at progress so far.

Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi, who is overseeing the planning and spending, said, "Pessimists will have to eat their words."

The pessimists have plenty of ammunition. Top of the list of problems is transport. South Africa does not have a slick national railway network like Germany's. Notoriously dangerous minibus taxis, crime infested commuter trains and long distance buses form the backbone of the transport system here - though the wealthy minority use cars and planes.

"Twenty-Ten" is being uttered across the nation. The tournament is seen as a magic bullet, with the government using it as a catalyst for a desperately needed transport overhaul costing more than R40-billion

"For the first time in the history of South Africa we will have massive investments across all transport systems - passenger rail, taxis, buses and road networks that will form an efficient, affordable and reliable integrated public transport network," Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said recently.

The minister predicts an additional 60 trains, 600 luxury inter city buses, and 10 000 minibuses will be needed to transport fans on the busiest days at the World Cup. He says this is manageable.

The country's main airports currently resemble building sites as their terminal and parking facilities are expanded. A new airport is being built near the Indian Ocean coastal city of Durban.

The Gautrain project - a high speed rail link between the capital Pretoria and the economic hub of Johannesburg - is way above budget and behind schedule. But authorities say the segment linking Johannesburg airport with the posh suburb of Sandton - home to many of the hotels -and the city centre will be ready. The government is also upgrading commuter railways in other cities and setting up networks of high speed buses.

It is offering minibus taxi owners cash to scrap old vehicles and buy new ones. But it is up against a brick wall in reforming taxi drivers who routinely ignore traffic laws and intimidate other road users. Dozens of people have died in the past year as rival taxi operators compete for lucrative routes.

Stadium construction and renovations are in full swing - leaving the housing ministry fretting about cement shortages and rising raw material prices for houses for the poor. Two new stadiums to host semifinal matches are being built in the southern coastal city of Cape Town and in Durban, as well as in the northern town of Polokwane, the northeastern city of Nelspruit near Kruger National Park and the southern port city of Port Elizabeth.

Cape Town's planned 68 000-seat arena, which was delayed by political infighting and legal challenges, is slightly ahead of schedule, according to city spokesperson Pieter Cronje.

Upgrading work is proceeding on Johannesburg's 95 000-seat Soccer City, venue of the opening match and final, with contractors maintaining that it will be complete with its shell resembling a calabash ahead of the October 2009 deadline. Renovations are also going ahead at Johannesburg's Ellis Park and elsewhere.

The government has earmarked R8.4-billion for stadiums.

On accommodation, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk believes South Africa will be able to secure the 55 000 rooms predicted to be needed. A four-star hotel opened in Soweto last year in a development heralded as "opening the floodgates" to new accommodation in the townships.

Van Schalkwyk has also committed the country's stunning national parks to providing accommodation and, if need be, to erecting tents for the visitors. "Imagine the unparalleled luxury of attending a morning soccer match followed by a sunset game drive," the minister said at a recent seminar.

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula earlier this year went on a European tour to look for advice and try to convince sceptics that South Africa will be safe in 2010, despite the rampant armed robberies, muggings and a murder rate of more than 50 per day. Police numbers will be boosted to 190,000 - up from 152 000 - by the time of the tournament.

High profile murders and armed robberies - including a robbery in April against South African Football Association CEO Raymond Hack - do not help Nqakula's case.

The big unpredictable factor is the weather. The tournament will be held during winter in South Africa. Temperatures are near freezing at night in Johannesburg; gales and torrential rain are buffeting Cape Town and even balmy Durban feels distinctly chilly.

Organisers insist that they will develop the concept of Fan Parks, which were so wildly popular in Germany last year, not least to allow hundreds of South Africans who can't afford tickets to watch the matches. Just don't come expecting tropical African nights! - Sapa-AP

Quickwire

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-08 19:29:47
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Somerset West Attracting Foreigners - 2007/06/08


Part of the Cape Winelands region, Somerset West offers all the amenities of Cape Town's CBD at half the price, providing beautiful sea and mountain vistas as well as the surrounding nature reserves as a bonus. As a result, foreigners are opting to invest in homes in this sought-after area.

According to the latest statistics from the Residential Property Price Ranger service (RPPR), 15% (6 out of a total of 40) of all homes sold in the area in February were to European buyers, with January and December showing a similar trend. In comparison, just two homes were sold to European buyers in February 2006 in the Somerset West area.

Adriaan Janse van Rensburg of the Genesis Property Group, the developers of Fair Havens Country Estate in Somerset West says, "Foreign buyers typically look for secure homes with sea views, within close proximity to the town. We have seen good interest from overseas investors this year.

"For example, for R725 000 they can invest in 600-880 square metres of land on the highest developable slopes in Somerset West at an estate like Fair Havens, and own the best views in the area."

Adds Kevin Layden of Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty, Somerset West, "It's not surprising that foreign interest in the area is growing. If you consider the average foreign buyer has approximately £250 000 (R3.6 million) to spend, a plot costing between R700 000-R800 000 added to building costs of R1-1.5 million leaves them with enough money to furnish the home – foreign investors are getting a great deal here.

"Estate homes in Somerset West offer generous space near the seaside and the winelands at relatively affordable prices if compared to suburbs closer to Cape Town.

Janse van Rensburg says that foreigners are attracted to the town's close proximity to the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands as well as the area's own burgeoning wine route which includes the renowned Vergelegen, Lourensford and Morgenster estates.

"Also in the area is the Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, with its 18-hole Gary Player-designed golf course, which played host to the annual SAA open and to the 1996 World Cup of Golf and helped to put the area on the map internationally.

"Not to be left out, the surrounding Helderberg and Hottentots-Holland nature reserves offer expansive areas of beautiful countryside in which families can hike, bike and picnic," he concludes.

Western Cape targets R8bn investment in energy


By Ronnie Morris

Cape Town - Tasneem Essop, the Western Cape MEC for environment, planning and economic development, on Friday called on all parties in the province to commit themselves to an immediate plan of action that would see the province achieve its renewable energy target of 15 percent by 2014.

By that year the province hopes to have attracted R8 billion of new investment into the renewable energy sector, which could create an additional 15 000 jobs.

Essop was speaking at a two-day provincial government summit on renewable energy and climate change.

The summit, which she called "a summit for action'', was the last public event of a two-year planning process aimed at delivering a renewable energy and climate change strategy for the provinces, whose inhabitants were familiar with water shortages and electricity power cuts.

Essop, who is also the chairman of the international Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development, said the environmental economy opened up a new window of opportunity for sharing wealth and creating jobs.

People needed to grasp the opportunity, she said, as it was more than simply embracing new technologies.

It required the adoption of global environmental best practices and moving away from simple waste management and a recycling economy.

Global climate change must be seen as "a poverty issue", Essop said. Research by her department had shown that 54 percent of residential electricity was consumed by those in the middle- and higher-income brackets.

Coastal electricity demands accounted for nearly 30 percent of the energy generated nationally, yet only 6 percent was produced in this area.

"If those in our society who consume the most do not change their unsustainable consumption patterns, then the impact of this will be felt by the most vulnerable in our society, the poor," Essop said.

"If we do not act now, then the financial, social and environmental costs of dealing with the effects of climate change will be much higher, and again the poor will become the victims of our inaction.''

Published on the web by Business Report on June 10, 2007. © Business Report 2007. All rights reserved.

it seems like going green is a big challenge CT wants to face head on and are willing to invest in

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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/540217230_0f1bbdd04c_o.jpg


"Towards 2010: Our future lies in a clean, green city"


By Tony Robinson

No modern city can survive for more than a week without water and electricity, and any vision for the future Cape Town will be but a dream unless these supplies can be assured. Solving these problems, however, presents us with an opportunity to create a clean, green city where poverty is all but eradicated.

Our present approach to the use of water and energy is outdated and requires a radical rethink. It has become impossible, for instance, to defend the practice of collecting water in prime agricultural areas, piping it to the city and then flushing it down toilets. Wastage of this sort is, frankly, immoral.

Instead, the Cape Town we would like to see will take most of its water from the sea, using the waste heat from the Koeberg nuclear power station to desalinate it. The technology has been around for a long time and it is viable.

The Middle East depends on desalination and a city like Dubai simply could not exist without its desalination plants that not only meet the urban needs, but also produce water to irrigate the golf courses that play such an important role in its growing tourist industry.

In addition, reverse osmosis is now a viable process. It does not use heat but does require pressure to push the sea water through membranes which filter out the dissolved salt at a molecular level. They, too, are viable, with cities like Perth in Western Australia and Sydney in the process of building huge desalination plants to meet their needs. If desalination is viable in Australia it will be viable here.

The second water solution is recycling. This is standard procedure in many overseas cities but Cape Town recycles only 10% and most of that is used for golf courses.

There is no reasons why the city could not recycle 50% and more to provide an abundant supply for industry. In fact, it can use this cheap water to attract more industry, creating jobs in the process.

People are sensitive about recycled water hence the growth of the bottled water industry. Most of us don't even like the idea of using recycled water on farms but there is no reason why it cannot be used for non-food crops to make bio-fuels.

These crops would include algae, which is remarkably efficient at converting carbon dioxide into oxygen while the plant itself yields more bio-diesel than either maize or soy. That should also create more jobs.

A third benefit from recycling is that we will be putting less waste water into the sea. This is important for waste water, even when purified, contains nitrates and phosphates (from washing powder) and some people believe that this enriched water may be feeding the algae which create the red tides.

Perhaps the most important benefit to flow from a radical new approach to water is that it can help us to solve that explosive political problem - land.

The truth is that we have an abundance of land but much of it has little economic value because it does not have water. Provide the water and a few hectares of arid land will make a viable farm.

This approach was used as part of the solution to the "poor white" problem before World War 2 with irrigation schemes like the Vaal Hartz and Golden Valley in the Eastern Cape.

In those days, of course, water was led along open furrows and flooded on to lands. It was wasteful and inefficient and only level fields could be cultivated.

With modern drip and micro irrigation systems a great deal more land can be cultivated and more value can be obtained from every litre of water.

In addition, plastic tunnels and sheeting to reduce evaporation losses will further enhance the value of the land. So, instead of flushing sweet mountain water down the urban toilets, it can be pumped inland to water the arid lands of the West Coast and the Little Karoo.

Intensive farms will give birth to new food processing industries and this will create more jobs and further inroads into the poverty problem.

With such countries as China likely to be net importers of food for generations to come there are also significant export opportunities.

In addition, pest problems are significantly less in arid climates so organic farming becomes an option and that means high-value produce for a market that will grow furiously in the next decade or two.

Of course, all this may require start-up subsidies and training in the new agricultural methods but it would be a better investment by far than social grants.

This is in line with the biblical wisdom of giving a poor man a fishing rod rather than a fish.



Dealing with the energy problem offers even more dramatic opportunities to create a cleaner and greener future, but here again we require a mindshift.

At present we are dependent on electricity for almost 90% of our energy needs. The power comes from the Koeberg nuclear reactors, a tiny amount from hydro-electricity and there will soon be some from wind energy, but we remain largely dependent on electricity from the power stations on the coal fields of Mpumalanga. Fortunately for us, the pollution from the coal remains in the north.

The biggest problem with electricity in this country is that we use it so badly. Electricity is ideal for lighting, driving motors and machinery, for telecommunications and computers but fuels like gas are better and more efficient at heating.

In the future, gas from the West Coast's off-shore fields should provide the fuel for heating and this will significantly reduce the demand for electricity.

But more important in the long run will be the use of solar power to heat water and, eventually, to generate electricity via the photo-voltaic process. Solar water heaters are proven technology and they can halve the average home's electricity account. The only problem is their initial cost but they pay for themselves in four to seven years, depending on circumstances.

Solar cells are a product of the space race and are still far too expensive to be a viable option for the home. But they do work, they are reliable and the costs are coming down all the time.

We can look forward to further reductions as manufacturing quantities increase and technology improves.

A demonstration of faith in the potential of this technology has just been made in California with a $2.9 billion subsidy plan to put solar cells on a million roofs in the next 10 years.

We have just as much sun and will soon have the option of the South African solar panels which will halve costs. The panels were developed by a team led by Dr Vivian Alberts at the Johannesburg University and are at present being manufactured on a large scale in Germany. Local manufacture will begin next year (probably in Paarl).

They will deliver current even in overcast conditions, but they will not be able to compete with the price of grid electricity for a number of years.

But, if one uses solar energy for hot water and gas for other heating, the demand for electricity will be much reduced and the solar panels should come into the energy mix. They will be viable in remote areas where electricity is expensive.

Eventually we will have a situation where a business, say a shopping centre, will be able to install the panels on its vast roof to supply its own electricity needs and sell the surplus to Eskom. The cleaner, greener future will be with us!

An important economic consequence of using solar power is that it will tend to decentralise the provision of electricity and this will create a vast array of jobs for those who install and service the units.

Now why is all this not happening already? Well, some of the technology is pretty new but the main problem is vested interests. Both Eskom and the municipalities have been in the business of selling electricity and water for a long time.

In Cape Town's case a major chunk of its revenue comes from the sale of water and electricity and the monthly flow of cash keeps it solvent. There has been no incentive to promote the efficient use of water and electricity but things are changing and we may yet have reason to be grateful for the shock effect of last year's black-outs. There are clear signs that it is beginning to produce the necessary change of mindset.



The other big challenge is crime. This is a complex problem with many underlying causes but there are solutions. Rudi Giuliani, the mayorwho saved New York, has one answer for us. "Crime," he says, "is not caused by poverty. It is caused by bad law enforcement."

If that seems harsh and unsympathetic it may be because many of us tend to oversimplify the problem and see it in terms of the hungry child stealing an apple.

Hungry children are a social problem and we have to find social remedies to deal with this and other consequences of poverty, but it is greed that drives the career criminals like gang bosses and drug dealers.

They seem to have little difficulty in recruiting "workers" because poor policing and law enforcement have made crime an easy option. There is little fear of being caught, less of punishment and there is good money to be made.

In fact, for many, there is an unfortunate "glamour" attached to the life of gangsters.

If we had an effective criminal justice system, many more people would have rejected the crime option in favour of trying to earn an honest living. And some criminals with flair and initiative might have been successful in business and even made a positive contribution to life in the Cape.

What we do not fully appreciate is the enormous cost of crime. We pay for it in the form of high insurance premiums, monthly security firm subscriptions, burglar alarms and anti-theft devices in homes, factories and cars.

There are the human costs - the lives lost, the lives ruined by drugs and the sheer economic damage from crimes like cable theft that stop trains and silence machines in factories.

Giuliani started his campaign to save New York by doubling police salaries and then throwing out those on the take. It proved to be a good investment.

In Singapore the government got on top of crime by making substantial investments in the training of prosecutors. If we were to follow this route and perhaps even treble the salaries of prosecutors we would ensure that we had some of the best legal minds working for the victims rather than the criminals. That would help us make people feel safe and productive.



In the cleaner, greener city the creative energies of the best educated population in South Africa would thrive. Three universities and one technical university will then be in a better position to produce the knowledge skills to ensure that we are competitive in the global economy.

We already have pioneering companies manufacturing and exporting desalination equipment and solar heaters.

The biggest pay-off would come in the international marketing of the skills and knowledge we would develop in the process of cleaning and greening.

The pursuit of clean energy has become the major new frontier in the fight against global warming. It is big business and the dotcom millionaires and the Silicon Valley industrialists are falling over themselves to get involved. Last year they invested $2bn in clean energy start-up costs and $63bn in the broader field of cleaner energy. And this is just the beginning.

With its great physical beauty the Western Cape is fertile ground for the growth of a new green culture.

# Tony Robinson is media consultant to the Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Published on the web by Cape Argus on June 11, 2007. © Cape Argus 2007. All rights reserved.

Name changing going well

Cape Town ‘Name Change’ panel hard at work

The City of Cape Town’s name-changing panel is hard at work sifting through more than 200 submissions for renaming streets, buildings and public places.

About 350 submissions were received after a call by the City for suggestions for renaming streets, buildings and public places, but 150 of these did not meet the requirements and will not be considered.

The panel of experts (listed below) was appointed to process the submissions and make recommendations to the City. The 17 panel members were nominated by members of the public in order to make the process as transparent and inclusive as possible, and panel members represent a broad cross-section of Cape Town society, as well as experts in history, language, place names and religion. “It’s a civilian panel, and there is no political involvement,” says Councillor Owen Kinahan.

The panel is chaired by human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie. Mayor Helen Zille said she was satisfied that “an excellent team has been assembled for this important task”.

The panel has to make its recommendations to the City before the end of June, where these will be debated. These recommendations will not be final, but will be advertised for public objection, so that members of the public can still have a say in the process and object to the proposals if they want to.

These objections will be included in the final submission to Council in August, when a final decision will be made. The deadline is important, as the City plans to put up the signs for any new streets or buildings during September – Heritage month.

Zille said the process of renaming places in South Africa “needs to be done in a responsible and respectful way”.She pointed out that Cape Town formulated a name-change policy four years ago following the controversy about the renaming of Adderley and Wale Streets, and that some names have been changed since then, but there was still a need to have another name-change process. “There are some iconic names that have been regularly sited as ‘offensive’ in recent years, and some of them have been identified,” Zille said.

According to Kinahan, the panel “has a lot of work to do, and we hope that they are able to get on with this important task”.

The panel includes:
Rhoda Kadalie – human rights activist (Chairperson)
Adv Abduroaf Mohammed – Environmental lawyer & slave descendant
Dan Badenhorst – trademark attorney
Dr Mohammed Bayat – Dean of CAPUT Business School
Bonita Bennet – Conservation Manager, District Six Museum
Albin Bowler – history teacher
Dr Dan Sleigh – historian & researcher
Sharon de Gois – Board member, Heritage Western Cape
Judy Graham – Map Studio executive
Valmont Lane – Director, District Six Museum
Bulelwa Ngewana – Manager, Central City Partnership
Melvyn Minnaar – Journalist & cultural commentator
John Muir – Stigting Simon van der Stel past-chairperson
Professor Christopher Saunders – UCT History Department
Dr Francois Verster – Archival researcher
Marietta Marx – Financial planner
Yawa Thozama – Language specialist

Water Conservation Strategy for CT

11 June 2007

CITY ADOPTS MULTIMILLION RAND WATER SAVING STRATEGY


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 205/2007
11 JUNE 2007



CITY ADOPTS MULTIMILLION RAND WATER SAVING STRATEGY

The City of Cape Town has adopted a multimillion rand water savings strategy for the next ten years.

The purpose of the R759 million strategy is to maintain a balance between available water resources and water demand in the long term, as well as to postpone the need for expensive capital infrastructure projects.

The master plan encompasses a series of water pressure management projects, the recycling of treated effluent, the reduction of leaks in the reticulation network, the lowering of water demand in communities, and the reduction of water demand by domestic, commercial and industrial consumers.

According to Cllr Clive Justus, Chairperson of the Utility Services Portfolio Committee, the consequences of not implementing such a strategy would result in a bleak future for Cape Town.

“South Africa is a water scarce country. The world is facing global warming and Cape Town’s resources are under pressure as we experience constant growth in our local population and economy.

“Failure to implement the strategy will lead to a premature development of the next dam at significantly high cost. The Bergwater Dam, which is to be completed later this year, already cost R1,5 billion. Although it is not a City project, we are a key partner and most of the 81 million m3 of water from the dam will be allocated to the Cape metropole.

“Without this intervention the City will not be able to sustain affordable water supplies to low-income areas. The current losses of some R205 million per annum will continue to increase, as will direct distribution costs, estimated at R15 million per annum,” he says.

Of the R29 million budget for 2007/08, R7 million will go towards operations, and R22 million for capital projects.

“Some of the major new water pressure management projects are in areas such as Mitchells Plain, Atlantis, Mfuleni and Gugulethu. With this project, the water pressure is reduced at night and during periods of low demand.

“The Atlantis project will be commissioned by mid-June and the tender for the Mitchells Plain project is to be advertised by the end the month. The first phases of the Mfuleni and Gugulethu projects are complete,” he says.

City Water Services are currently busy with an extensive integrated leak repair programme in Protea Park, Atlantis. It consists of the repairing of leaks and the installation of new meters as well as a water management device which assists households to better manage their daily water consumption.

“Apart from the Atlantis project which should be completed by the end of this month, we have also embarked on a city-wide leak repair project in indigent homes,” says Cllr Justus.

Other key water management demand projects include the recycling of treated effluent in Athlone, a city-wide consumer education programme, and the enhancement of existing infrastructure.

A component of infrastructure enhancement is the Northern Area Bulk Water Augmentation System (NABWAS) which includes the construction of the Muldersvlei Reservoir. This will increase the treatment capacity of the bulk supply system and supply water to the rapidly growing northern areas of the city.

The environmental impact study for the new reservoir, new treatment works and associated pipelines is being finalised. The contract for the design of the reservoir has been awarded to BKS (Pty) Ltd.

“Our wastewater treatment system is under severe stress due to lack of capacity. The sooner we alleviate these problems, the better for the protection of our natural environment and our water resources.

“The successful implementation of this strategy can postpone the need for another dam to be built in 2029, and ensure the long term growth of the Cape metropole,” Cllr Justus says.

* Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Ald Helen Zille, this week called on residents to cut back on water usage. The City will be embarking on a major information campaign to assist people to save water. “People can save money by saving water. The less residents use, the less they will pay,” she said.


END

ISSUED BY:
DIRECTORATE: COMMUNICATION
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400-2201 FAX: 021 957-0023

MEDIA QUERIES:
CLLR CLIVE JUSTUS
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Rasool addresses 2010 conference 6/11/2007 4:16:09 PM
Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool has called for more positive thought in the build up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Rasool was speaking to delegates at the province's "three years to go" conference in Milnerton.

He says they need to present a united front and get on with maximising the benefits that can be derived from hosting the global event. Back to headlines

12 Jun 2007 : FNB unveils R908m project in Cape Town

A key component of Government’s strategy to develop integrated human settlements came a step closer to fruition, with the announcement of a partnership between the Department of Housing and First National Bank (FNB) to build affordable housing for people presently living in shacks or backyards, who are able to service relatively small bonds.

The FNB project will contribute 3 000 bonded housing units to the N2 Gateway Project, at sites in Joe Slovo and Delft.

The 567 bonded homes that constitute Phase 2 of the Joe Slovo development, will border Phase 1, where 705 rental units have already been completed. Joe Slovo Phase 3 will see the construction of approximately 2 000 subsidised homes (of 40 square metres) to be given free to qualifying beneficiaries.

Together, the three phases speak to Government and private sector commitment to eradicate informal settlements, create sustainable communities, and build bridges across racial, spatial and class divides.

The experience gained through building the N2 Gateway Pilot Project will provide a blueprint for future housing delivery across the country.

FNB announced today that the cost of the bonded houses would be between R150 000 and R250 000 per unit. FNB bonds will be available to people who earn between R3500 and R7500 a month.

Construction has already begun at Joe Slovo. Construction at Delft will commence later this year.

To ensure that the houses are affordable, FNB has partnered with Government which will provide subsidies to qualifying individuals as part of its on-going commitment to house the nation.

Property developers M5 will build the houses, having partnered with FNB to build quality houses in other FNB-funded housing projects in Gauteng.

FNB’s total investment in the N2 Gateway Housing Initiative is in excess of R900 million. The investment is the product of collaboration between FNB’s business units, Commercial Property Finance which funds developers and FNB Housing Finance which provides home loans to qualifying individuals.

This collaboration is reflected in the finance structure of the project, with one portion of funding being commercial development to build the houses and the other being end-user finance for potential home buyers.

FNB’s involvement in the N2 Gateway Housing Initiative brings the bank’s total investment in affordable housing in South Africa to more than R2 billion and over 7000 housing units in the last 15 months.

This amount is set to peak at about R3 billion mark soon as more affordable housing projects are currently being assessed by the bank and other key housing stakeholders like municipalities and the Department of Housing.

Speaking at the launch today, FNB CEO Michael Jordaan recommitted the bank to future affordable housing developments in partnership with Government.

“We’re humbled once again by Minister Sisulu’s trust in us to continue with our housing partnership to alleviate the problem of limited housing stock in the affordable housing segment,” says Jordaan, referring to FNB’s much-lauded and innovative housing finance solution of combining developer and end-user financing.

“Our partnership with Government and M5 has seen us build quality houses in our previous housing developments such as those in Glen Ridge, Soweto, and Cosmo City north of Johannesburg where we have invested in the building of 3 035 and 1 114 houses respectively,” says Jordaan.

M5 Developers Executive Chairman Faizal Motlekar says his group’s involvement in housing is not just about creating shelter, it is about enabling people to build quality homes for themselves and their families.

“We believe that everyone has a right to a home, not just a house. We see the home as one of the building blocks of a healthy society,” says Motlekar.

FNB is acutely aware of the lack of access to credit by those in dire need of affordable shelter. To try and address this, the bank has set up the FNB Housing Finance unit that has developed a suitable finance solution for the affordable housing market.

Called Smart Bond, the product has had an overwhelmingly positive market response and - combined with government’s housing subsidy - accounts for much of FNB’s successes in housing delivery to date.

“The Smart Bond product has gone a long way to meeting the Department of Housing’s mission to address the national housing backlog through innovative and affordable solutions by way of public-private partnerships, in accordance with the objectives of the national Reconstruction and Development Programme,” says Jordaan.

FNB’s involvement in the N2 Gateway Housing Project also increases the bank’s contribution to the attainment of the R42 billion target to be met by banks by December 2008.

highlites strong growth from 2010 projects

By Anél Powell

THE biggest knock-on benefit of the World Cup will be in construction, whose contribution to provincial economic growth is expected to double from 2005's 5.8% to 12% in 2010, says Premier Ebrahim Rasool.

Speaking at yesterday's "Three years to go to 2010" conference, Rasool said Cape Town had to engage international partners to step up its construction capabilities.

Rasool alluded to the tumultuous lead-up to the World Cup, which included disputes about building costs and the location of the semi-final venue.

"The money (to build Green Point) is being used correctly. The R2.8 billion that will contribute to infrastructure is a fraction of what (hosting the event) will accrue."

He said 2010 "gives us a deadline to fast-track" projects that would have otherwise taken longer to start. The South African Rail Commuter Corporation, for example, would only have upgraded its rail network in 2012. But the imminent World Cup pushed that deadline forward to 2008.

"We need to stop the debates about alternative venues and unite behind Green Point stadium," Rasool said.

Tumi Makgabo, international relations liaison and communications manager in the office of Danny Jordaan, chief executive office of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, said more than $3.2bn in revenue from broadcasting and sponsorship deals had already been received from only 10 of the 18 sponsors involved in the event.

Other opportunities include tourism and branding.

"If we continue to sleep, we will find the paraphernalia (market) flooded by the Chinese while we still fight about Green Point," Rasool said.

Unlike Germany's World Cup, which was a commuter event, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa would be a residential event with "unique opportunities" for investment and accommodation.

Makgabo said the ticket prices would be decided at the end of this year or early next year. Tickets would cost less than in Germany, where they were almost R400 each.

Makgabo admitted that there was a lack of communication between the organising committee and small and medium enterprises and black businesses about what products were available and how these could be used for 2010.

She said these concerns would be raised at provincial business conferences.

Hildegarde Fast, acting head of the provincial department of economic development and tourism, said a database of suppliers would be set up with the City of Cape Town. The province was also working on a BEE policy for procurement for the event.

Other plans included a 24/7 facility to manage safety and security-related incidents.

Golf to raise Western Cape`s tourism shareshttp://allafrica.com/stories/200706120491.html
Tuesday, June 12, 2007



Golf is helping the Western Cape position itself as the premier tourist destination in the three crucial years leading to the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and beyond that, as tourism and hospitality play a larger role in economic growth and transformation.

That’s the view of Calvyn Gilfellan, Acting Chief Executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, speaking at a gala dinner marking the close of the 1st National Festival of Golf at Fancourt in George.

“Events like this underscore the growing reputation of the Western Cape and specifically of the Garden Route as a prime golf tourism drawcard and a major asset in our tourism offering to amateur players and pros.

Attesting to this is the fact that this year’s festival has been held on no fewer than 12 world-class golf courses, designed by pros like Jack Nicklaus and Ernie Els to test the skills of the world’s best players. It’s provided an opportunity for golfers to savour the area’s rich golfing culture and our caddies’ excellent local knowledge, to mingle with clients, friends, family and celebrities, win prizes and be entertained, all in a setting that offers excellent value for money and plenty of attractions for non-golfing partners and families.

But underpinning all this is our mandate to encourage visitors to stay longer, visit more often, see more of the province, spend more, and visit throughout the year. There’s arguably no better showcase for settings in which to do these things than these courses: Fancourt, Pezula, Oubaai, Simola Estate, Pinnacle Point Golf, Club Goose Valley, the George and Mossel Bay golf clubs and the Plettenberg Bay Country Club.

The Cape Garden Route was named the 2006 Golf Destination of the Year for Africa and the Middle East at the International Golf Travel Market in Spain last year. The award is made annually by IAGTO, the Global Trade Organisation for the Golf Tourism Industry. Beating top destinations like Dubai and Mauritius amongst others, the award was a milestone for golf tourism in the Garden Route and Western Cape province.

Last year’s National Festival of Golf saw about 850 golfers playing 2 600 rounds of golf on 11 courses. This year those figures will be even higher, so it’s hard to imagine a destination with more to offer. In the time window leading up to 2010 we’ll be showcasing these assets with events like this, which fit seamlessly with our marketing strategy that aims to ensure the 2010 FIFA World helps make the province one of the world’s premier tourism destinations.”

“The rich golfing culture and mild, temperate climate offers a unique, year-round experience with capability to host major events. Added to the reputation for hospitality and service, it made a truly world-class golfing destination,” said Gilfellan.

While the Western Cape’s golf offering is playing its part to position the province as a ‘must see’ for tourists in the run-up to 2010, Gilfellan furthered outlined a series of partnerships to draw new visitors from 17 key soccer-playing countries up to and during 2010, as well as the destination marketing organisation’s Host Campaign, which focuses on tourism operators, media and other stakeholders. Its Extended Stay Campaign encourages travel to the Western Cape before, after and during the soccer tournament, which is seen as the best possible opportunity to promote the destination to billions around the world.

“The new strategy aims to capitalise on the unsurpassed media exposure of the biggest sporting and media event on the planet to ensure that by 2020 Cape Town and the Western Cape are among the world’s top 10 destinations. This will be measured by visitor numbers and economic impact, specifically the industry’s pivotal role in social and economic change in the province, which could help elevate the Western Cape a globally favoured place to work, invest and live, with an environment where all can attain livelihoods and dignity,” said Gilfellan.

He noted that there are around 57 million golfers worldwide – no less than one percent of the world’s population – who have access to about 31 000 golf courses. It’s a huge market that is available to destinations that have the right offering, making it crucial to constantly stay at the top of the game.

Another major international meeting in Cape Town and we wonder why Cape Town has jumped up on the congress destination list, last week the World Association of Newspapers congress...more to come!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

World Economic Forum on Africa opens in Cape Town 14/6/2007 16:23

The World Economic Forum on Africa opened in Cape Town yesterday with a message calling on African countries to build capacity for the future.
The three-day meeting attracted about 1,000 political and business leaders from more than 40 countries, including South African President Thabo Mbeki and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
According to the forum, Africa's growth is the strongest in decades and it is expected to achieve a 6.2 percent economic growth in 2007.
The challenge for Africa is to capitalize on unprecedented opportunity to sustain and accelerate this growth.
Specialists believe that capital is not the sole constraint, deeper, broader capacity is the essential enabler to deliver infrastructure, effective public services and an enabling environment for investment.
Wade told the forum that Africa has confidence in its development, noting that Africa is not sick, poor and corrupted continent.
Wade reiterated the G8 had not kept all its aid promises to Africa, saying the continent was instead benefiting from long-term, low-interest loans from countries like China and India.
He stressed the importance of development, saying: "You cannot develop a continent without energy. Africa needs to take part in the oil business."
South African President Thabo Mbeki said that previous plans for Africa's turnaround by institutions like the IMF and World Bank failed because it came from outside the continent.
Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, also made a short address, saying: "The world now needs Africa as much as Africa needs the world. This is a true partnership."
Li Ruogu, president of China's Export-Import Bank, said at a press conference in the meeting that trade between China and Africa was growing at about 30 percent per annum, reaching US$55 million last year.
He said: "But if we want to really generate trade, we have to generate development. Without development, there is no basis for trade."

13 Jun 2007 : UK's Budget Group boosts investment in SA

The UK’s Budget Group, a leading personal lines insurance intermediary, has surpassed its own initial R100 million backing of the Western Cape with a major reinvestment in A-grade new offices and an additional R32.8 million infrastructure investment for subsidiary Fusion Outsourcing. This is in line with plans to grow Fusion’s 280 agents to 750 by 2008.

The group first invested in SA in 2003, choosing Cape Town for its high-calibre English-speaking workforce, with excellent communication and soft skills and the ability to interact easily with UK customers.

The new Century City offices, spanning 7 200m², are a key part of an aggressive, but carefully crafted expansion, says Group CEO Peter Winslow. “Having achieved over 50 per cent compound year-on-year organic growth for the last five years, we are now approaching two million customers. As a result the new offices are a major strategic investment for Fusion and the Budget Group. We are committed to local industry and commerce and pride ourselves in the calibre of training and management prospects that we offer. Fusion House is equipped with leading-edge technology to enhance the experience for both the employee and the customer.”

While SA’s telecoms costs are still high, Winslow is impressed with the robustness of local infrastructure. In tandem with the group’s plans for SA, Fusion has invested hugely in its people, to produce, attract and retain the best. Director Johann Kunz says: “Lasting success in business process outsourcing requires constant reinvestment in people.”

Fusion’s HR investments total multiple millions to date. Its new offices devote 300m² to training requirements, and the company has allocated dedicated resources to learnerships and training programmes for new and existing staff. Learnerships alone attracted a R5 million investment this year. In partnership with CallingTheCape, Fusion will provide a total of 12 weeks’ training per candidate to 61 intakes this year.

“Ours is easily the most supportive and comprehensive learnership programme in the Western Cape contact centre industry,” says Kunz. But learnerships are only a part of the company’s ongoing efforts in an industry fraught with staffing challenges.

Constantly seeking suitable agents, Fusion is ideally looking for individuals with previous experience in contact centres or the service industry, or matriculants with contact centre aptitude. “Seventy per cent of team leaders are promoted internally. Finding good leaders is our biggest challenge, but if they come from our own ranks, we know their quality. We are creating our own labour market by providing good opportunities for promotion and better remuneration,” adds Kunz.

As a result of all these interventions, staff attrition (a perennial contact centre issue) is constantly decreasing. Says Kunz, in conclusion: “Budget’s decision to invest in South Africa has paid off, with our agents exceeding most targets set for them. As a leading Cape-based contact centre service provider, Fusion will support the BPO sector with ongoing reinvestment in its staff and infrastructure, to help achieve our government’s goal of being a tier-two player by 2010.”

14 June 2007

CAPE TOWN NEEDS R13M FOR 2010 VISITOR STRATEGY


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 216/2007
14 JUNE 2007



CAPE TOWN NEEDS R13m FOR 2010 VISITOR STRATEGY

In preparation for the Soccer World Cup in 2010, Cape Town Tourism will need an extra R13 million over the next three years to deliver upon its visitor strategy.

In its presentation to the City of Cape Town's Portfolio Committee for Economic, Social Development & Tourism, the tourism body said that the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation had hailed its 2010 visitor strategy as a benchmark model.

“We have to put strategies in place that can position Cape Town Tourism as a global model of visitor service excellence and contribute towards establishing Cape Town as the world’s best travel destination,” says Councillor Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic and Social Development.

In supporting the request for additional funding Grindrod emphasised that tourism remained a critical component of the City’s job creation strategy.

He says there was no doubt that for every rand invested in tourism marketing, infrastructure and visitor services, Cape Town reaps enormous returns.

“The City of Cape Town needs to ensure that these benefits are further shared with previously marginalised communities and that the real magic of Cape Town and its people are shared with visitors," Grindrod says.

Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CTT General Manager says: "As a member of the 2010 World Cup Task Team, Cape Town Tourism (CTT) is working with FIFA, MATCH, CTRU, the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town to ensure that the tourism industry is ready to host the best World Cup in history,"

The master plan takes into account the expected dramatic increase in visitors to Cape Town, tough international competition, the advent of new communications technology and the need for a visitor services legacy that will support tourism in Cape Town way beyond 2010.

"In order to compete globally, we need to invest R13 million over the next three years in a state of the art data management system that will host an integrated eBusiness platform linking our website with an on-line booking centre and customer contact centre. We also need to improve our Visitor Information Centre (VIC) network, and invest in training and skills development.

"This will also help us achieve our goals of establishing Cape Town as a top international destination and maximising the economic benefits of tourism to all communities and individual tourism businesses," says du Toit-Helmbold.

“If the promises made through destination marketing cannot be delivered upon and exceeded through excellent visitor services and remarkable experiences, the investment in destination marketing is null and void.

“As a membership organisation representing more than 2 000 tourism businesses, we are the interface between the visitor and the destination, unlocking the authentic experiences that our City has to offer the world and allowing small businesses the opportunity to get access to market,” she said.

Established in 2004 after the merger of previous local tourism structures, CTT today manages 20 VICs and interacts with over 2 million visitors per annum. Since May 2005, its number of BEE and emerging entrepreneur members has increased by 400%.

During the past year, the organisation has expanded its network of VICs to Table Mountain, Willowbridge and Canal Walk, making sure that more local people and visitors are reached. It has also investigated the feasibility of setting up VICs in the Strand and Gordon's Bay, the Two Oceans Craft Centre at Masiphumelele and Look Out Hill in Khayelitsha.

In addition to a vibrant VIC network in Langa, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, CTT also provides visitor services support in Mitchell’s Plain, Mamre, Khayelitsha and Masiphumelele.

The organisation also provides entrepreneurial support programmes at all its VICs and administers Tourism Help Desks across Cape Town. In partnership with the City of Cape Town, it presents tourism outreach and awareness clinics and manages digital business centres.

"We have implemented the Tourism BEE Scorecard and are now assisting our members to do the same. A tracking system is now in place to better monitor transformation growth in the tourism industry," says du Toit-Helmbold.

Other services include the annual distribution of 300 000 copies of the Official Cape Town Visitors Guide; participation at major trade shows; development of a Digital Multi-Media Platform; the establishment of Local Area Marketing Forums; initiatives to market Cape Town as a 365 day a year destination such as the Cape Town on Sale Campaign; and programmes to manage perceptions with regard to safety and security issues.

In its first year of operation, CTT self-generated R3,5m and received a grant of R6,2m from the City of Cape Town which was then managing about 40% of the visitor services. In the second year, self generated income grew to R4,5m and the City increased its grant to R10m, handing over the total management of visitor services to CTT.

For 2006/07, it had set itself a target of R6,3m for self generated income. For the ten months to date, it has already generated R6,4m. Even higher targets have been set for the next financial year, gearing the organisation for 2010 and beyond.

Plans for a Cape Town F1 street race look feasible 14 June, 2007 Cape Argus
With new F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton attracting almost as much sports page publicity as Springbok rugby players and following my remarks last week about the possibility of staging a F1 grand prix in Cape Town,..

African Gaming Summit Comes to Cape Town
14-06-07

The organisers of London’s annual International Casino Expo (ICE), Clarion ATE, have announced its first conference on the African continent.

Held in conjunction with Casino Association of South Africa (CASA), the African Gaming Summit will be held on September 5 and 6 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and will provide a comprehensive view of what’s happening in African gaming and the chance to explore its myriad opportunities, whether for operation, supply, investment or partnership.

Derek Auret, CASA’s Chief Executive, explained, “Legalised and regulated gambling is a growing tendency in many regions of the world and Africa is certainly no exception,” he said.

“Investigating the opportunities that Africa may offer in this regard could be interesting and rewarding and the African Gaming Summit will offer an interesting forum for discussing this potential.”

The Summit will see speakers and delegates from South Africa along with other key African countries where casino and other forms of gaming are legal and some very interesting opportunities are emerging. Speakers confirmed thus far include Chris Fismer, National Gambling Board Of South Africa’s Chairman, Derek Auret, Brian Kantor, Investec Investment Strategist and Steve McCain, Bingo Association of South Africa’s Chairman.

The aim of the terrestrial conference is to give real insight into the casino sector in South Africa and other key countries and it will also look at other forms of legal gaming including sports betting, LPMs, bingo and lotteries.

In addition, River City Group is organising an iGaming conference to run alongside the Summit and registered delegates for either can attend sessions in both, giving them maximum information and access to professionals from all gaming sectors.

Full city rankings for overall quality of living

1. ZURICH
2. GENEVA
3. VANCOUVER
4. VIENNA
5. AUCKLAND


85. CAPE TOWN
90. JOHANNESBURG
97. PORT ELIZABETH


Full city rankings for health and sanitation

Rank 2007

1. CALGARY Canada 131.7
2. HONOLULU, HI United States 130.3
3. HELSINKI Finland 128.5
4.OTTAWA Canada 127.2
5. MINNEAPOLIS, MN United States 125.7


64. CAPE TOWN 110.9
65. PORT ELIZABETH 110.5
70. JOHANNESBURG 106.1

Mercer’s study is based on detailed assessments and evaluations of 39 key quality of living determinants, grouped in the following categories:

Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
Health and sanitation (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc)
Schools and education (standard and availability of international schools
Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)

no way in a million years and based on any principles is PE better than Durban, impossible and its not just cos Im from Durban its cos I have been to PE

no way in a million years and based on any principles is PE better than Durban, impossible and its not just cos Im from Durban its cos I have been to PE

who knows if they even added durban to the list. why do they even bother?

it must be someone from pe to even include it lol

Guys, this ranking only includes a selection of cities with CT, Jhb and PE being the SA ones. Durban is not included in the survey. Incidently it's a Swiss based survey so it's a little suspect that they always rank Zurch and Geneva as being the best.

Here's the full list of all cities: http://www.finfacts.ie/qualityoflife.htm

^^ and their neighbour vienna...which may be beautiful but is a crime invested mad place from my experience!

so its another "forget me" survey.

Auckland better quality of life than Cape Town? Thats the biggest joke I have ever heard! The place is a rather dull scruffy little place with the cultural life of a small provincial town.

Auckland better quality of life than Cape Town? Thats the biggest joke I have ever heard! The place is a rather dull scruffy little place with the cultural life of a small provincial town.

i think enigma will prob sort you out. lol

Auckland better quality of life than Cape Town? Thats the biggest joke I have ever heard! The place is a rather dull scruffy little place with the cultural life of a small provincial town.

hmmmm. Not quite sure when last you were in Auckland Mike, but it can't be very recent. Either that or you have developed a rapidly accelerating selective dementia.

Anyhow anyone wishing to see what a rather dull scruffy little place looks like feel free to browse my Auckland gallery. While you are there pop into some of my Cape Town galleries as well. If you get stuck and are not quite sure what to look for I will spell it out for you. One city is liveable while the other is not.



[URL=]http://www.pbase.com/craigsyd/ctforum (]http://www.pbase.com/craigsyd/auckland[/URL)

Auckland better quality of life than Cape Town? Thats the biggest joke I have ever heard! The place is a rather dull scruffy little place with the cultural life of a small provincial town.

Aaaaah Mikey - you being a naughty boy again ? I am so disappointed. I thought that you had made peace with your African existence and no longer had to justify it by running other cities like London, New York and Auckland down. The fact of the matter is that I have lived in Cape Town and I now live in Auckland which makes me the EXPERT and you the WANNABE. Auckland isn't perfect but in this screwed up World of ours it is as close to it as it will ever be. I buried the hatchet a loooooong time ago but if you want to tango mate - I have my best frock on and I am ready to swirl YOU off of your feet.

it is silly how the kiwi's come running so quick...

i'm not commenting on every negative predjudiced comment you guys make about us in your forum...scuttle scuttle back boys

Auckland better quality of life than Cape Town? Thats the biggest joke I have ever heard! The place is a rather dull scruffy little place with the cultural life of a small provincial town.

Maybe it wasn't very smart to say something like that in the first place... Especially if you guys knew a situation of this kind would be created.

OMG!!!!!! Bloody hell enigma I never mentioned you and couldn’t give a fuck about you nor was I justifying anything. I was merely making a point about a city I don’t really care for and making the point that the survey was in my opinion a pile of crap!!


The comment was made on my countries forum and not yours so why on earth do you NZ boys turn up in hysterics? Are people from overseas not allowed to make any comments about the global cultural and economic powerhouse that is Auckland?!!!! I take it noone on the NZ forum has ever made a negative comment about any other city in the world?!!!

ANTON: I was not even thinking of Enigma in the first place cos as far as I was aware he didnt look on this forum anymore I was just expressing an opinion on how crappy the survey was and I used a city that I dislike. To compare Auckland to a fantastic city like Vancouver or Cape Town for example is IN MY OPINION a complete joke. It was an OPINION. Maybe people on the NZ forum are not allowed them?

Can you NZ boys grow up and stop behaving like children and go back into wherever you have been lurking?

omg haha this is like being on the Nigerian side of the Nigeria vs. SA war :p

my point being: i dont see the point in trying to glamourize a city by putting another one down. Perhaps the ratings of that survey were a bit skewed, but each to their own. I personally agree that Cape Town, and infact all the three major cities, living conditions are fairly high. In comparison with filthy cities such as London they are even higher. But now i am being a hypocrite :)

my point being: i dont see the point in trying to glamourize a city by putting another one down.

That is exactly what I meant.

Why on earth can I not express an opinion about a city in the world? I mean come off it some people enjoy some places and some people dont. I was merely expressing an opinion which I think I am entitled to do. I have down in Auckland 3 times recently as the fund I work for is providing mez finance for a buyout of a NZ property company. I was merely stating that it is silly IN MY OPINION that Auckland ranked ahead of cities great world cities like Sydney, Singapore, Berlin and yes Cape Town etc on standard of living.

Anyway issue over, the NZ boys Im sure have got over the distress that someone expressing a personal opinion has caused them and Im sure we can all move on!!

Of course you're free to speak your mind, it's not the opinion you have, but how you expressed it...

World Newspaper Congress, World Economic Forum and now the International Book Fair! The jump up the rankings by the CTICC/Cape Town in general is no suprise

___________________________________________________________________

Cape Town Book Fair doubles attendance figures
Johannesburg, South Africa
19 June 2007 06:50
The number of visitors to the Cape Town Book Fair doubled in its second year, the fair organisers said at the end of the four-day event on Tuesday.

More than 49 000 visitors attended the fair at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, up from 26 000 in 2006, its inaugural year.

Irish novelist Marian Keyes and the South African lawyer that defended Nelson Mandela at his treason trial, George Bizos, were among the authors promoting their works at the fair who drew large audiences.

The book fair, said by its organisers to be Africa's largest, attracted more than 200 authors and 354 exhibitors from countries including the United States, Ghana, Germany, India, China and France.

The Cape Town Book Fair is a joint venture between the Publisher's Association of South Africa and the Frankfurt Book Fair, in association with the Sunday Times. -- Sapa-dpa

Let's give this chance our best shot



The 2010 World Cup is bringing the issue of being a world-class city into sharper focus, as we will be host to the biggest, some would say the most exciting, event in the world.

But the World Cup should not distract us from the fact that Capetonians live here now and will continue to live here beyond 2010. It should ultimately benefit all citizens.

This is a crucial starting point for any discussion on what makes a world-class city. If the substantial investment in infrastructure does not benefit all citizens, and is not sustainable, then we cannot call Cape Town a world-class city.

It is important to spell out the infrastructure investment possibilities, because we are not just talking about a stadium in Green Point.

We're also talking about investments with a massive potential to uplift society, and directed at sectors as diverse as information and communication technology, transport, security, banking and financial services supply. We are talking about everything from upgraded waste disposal services to mechanisms for accessing global economic networks.

In essence, our definition of a world-class city should be one where the human development index measurement is high (this is a United Nations measurement of life expectancy, standard of living and the impact of economic policies on wellbeing - and which indicates a country's development status).

If the index is high, or is growing strongly, then we are likely to find that the other critical factor - the inequality and poverty gaps that exist in Cape Town - will be narrowed throughout the city.

I have observed, in my capacity as a member of the Board of Governors of the Clinton Global Initiative, that inequality and its consequences are not unique to South Africa.

However, in South Africa (and in Cape Town) we do have the resources, the networks and the capacity to undertake initiatives to narrow this gap considerably and thereby make a difference. Do we have the will?

Our sense of what is world class should be strongly informed by our past and rooted in our present, with a clear vision of our future.

What do we see at present? There is an increasing sense of alienation across communities and the symptoms are found in unemployment, gangsterism, drug and alcohol abuse; the lack of opportunities that exist, the lack of hope, the breakdown of social values and, quite importantly, the lack of capital and investment in those communities.

Crime and violence have got out of control in this city and other parts of the country largely because we are now seeing the effects of a lost generation as well as the inability of both government and business leadership to deal with the impact of joblessness, drugs and HIV - and Aids orphans. There is a policy and delivery blind spot in confronting the realities facing many of our citizens.

The result is bleak. Despair, hopelessness and alienation continue to undermine the social fabric.

On the other hand we have a world-class triangle between the Atlantic seaboard and the northern and southern suburbs where just about all aspects of a world-class city are clearly in existence.

We have a dichotomy of two Cape Towns.

The world-class economy of the "triangular suburbs" is dotted within a larger city and surroundings which have not shared equally in the economic prosperity and the political stability provided by the current government. If these benefits continue to be felt by less than a third of citizens, we cannot claim to be world class in any sense.

The essence of the creation of a world-class city by 2010 should involve some of the following:

 Job creation. A determination by all Capetonians, especially those that have the means, to assist entrepreneurs, professionals and others to rebuild the societies and to restore core values through the creation of employment. Jobs open the door to restoring dignity to individuals and to communities. The Business Place Ekapa, of which I am chairperson, has striven with some success to assist entrepreneurs in the Western Cape with small businesses, so that they in turn can create jobs in their communities.

 Leadership and partnerships. In projects that helped create more sustainable cities or which are aimed at building world-class cities, for example in Curitiba in Brazil or Mumbai in India, the leadership by the public sector and the vision they had was critical - but without collaboration from the private sector, this will not be possible. Partnerships between the public and private sectors are vital.

 A time frame. We have a time frame of three years before 2010 to use the infrastructure spend, the goodwill, the tourism benefits and the growth of the economy to directly involve Western Cape communities in such projects. Let's get broad-based entities involved as consortium members working with large business on 2010 projects.

 Community. Local community groups often lead to rebuilding of the social fabric. One such example is the Manenberg Education Development Trust, which began as a project providing tertiary education bursaries for Manenberg students, but which has broadened its scope to rebuild the community of Manenberg and is assisting other communities like Hanover Park and Elsies River to launch initiatives which rebuild and heal communities. Partnerships can be formed between community groups, the local municipality and businesses. If not, let's get them started. Through the Sekunjalo Edujazz Concert, we have for the last six years joined up with school communities in disadvantaged areas to support students at over 60 schools with bursaries. This is a small step, but one which contributes to creating opportunities for young people.

In conclusion, a truly world-class city and our shared existence beyond 2010 must be measured not only by standards which are applicable to less than a third of citizens. 2010 and its impact must be measured by how these standards are applied to most of the people and to all areas in Cape Town. If this is not the basis of our thinking about transforming the city, then any project to affect this will be a non-starter. Those marginalised will be a threat to the image of a world-class city that benefits only a few.

If we can achieve the objectives of 2010, which are to create sustainable prosperity and kick-start a plan for beating poverty, then we are indeed on our way towards achieving a remarkably successful 2010 and a world-class city. Once met, these objectives will reduce inequality and joblessness and will restore the dignity of people.

Like a penalty shoot-out, we have to give it our best shot.

 Dr Iqbal Survé is chairman and CEO of Sekunjalo Investments.

Published on the web by Cape Argus on June 19, 2007.

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter in Cape Town

Fifa president Joseph Blatter during a press conference in Cape Town, during which he expressed his confidence in South Africa as a host to the world cup in 2010. During the conference, the Cape Town 2010 logo was released.

http://photos.mg.co.za/citj/photos/0.78046300%201182272088.jpg
http://photos.mg.co.za/citj/photos/0.99916300%201182269195.jpg

The ID will moan about everything. Even if you name a street after Patricia De Lille they will make an issue out of something!

__________________________________________________________________

Cape Town name proposals revealed

by Ben Maclennan
CAPE TOWN – Cape Town’s airport won’t be renamed the “Khoi Sun International”, but a clutch of apartheid era-prime ministers still haunting the city’s streets will make way for struggle icons such as Nelson Mandela and Albert Luthuli.
These are the some of the recommendations of the renaming panel appointed by the city this month under the leadership of human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie.
A total of 46 changes put forward by the panel of experts were made public on Wednesday.
The panel recommended that Kromboom Road in the city’s southern suburbs be renamed Taliep Petersen Drive, after the city musician slain earlier this year.
It proposed that Hendrik Verwoerd Drive in the suburb of Panorama make way for Beyers Naude Drive; Hans Strydom Avenue in the city centre become Albert Luthuli Avenue; and JB Hertzog Boulevard change to Nelson Mandela Boulevard.
The proposals go before the city’s mayoral committee on Wednesday, with the recommendation that they be advertised for public comment before going to the full council.
Other figures to be honoured if the recommendations go though are poets Jan Rabie and Uys Krige, heart surgeon Chris Barnard, and freedom fighters Anton Fransch, Ashley Kriel and Colleen Williams.
It agreed that all the “NY” -- an abbreviation for “native yard” --streets in Gugulethu should be changed, but said this should be done after a “memorialisation” process and community consultation.
The same process should be followed with streets in District Six.
What the panel did not accept was the proposal, from a J Coetzee, for the renaming of the airport -- which falls outside its jurisdiction.
It rejected changing De Waal Drive to Hoerikwaggo Drive, but suggested instead that it be named after Pan Africanist Congress member Philip Kgosana.
It turned down a proposal to rename a city centre street named after National Party cabinet minister and avowed Nazi sympathiser Oswald Pirow, either Anti Nazi Drive, or Athol Fugard Street.
The Independent Democrats’ caucus leader in the city, Simon Grindrod, said in reaction to the list that the ID had “serious concerns” about the process.
He said there was no information on the cost implications of the proposed changes.
He also said the panel did not have a clear set of policy guidelines.
“The whole process appears very rushed and messy,” he said.
The ID wanted the changes shelved until these issues were resolved. –Sapa


Last updated

Cape Town will be ready for 2010 - Blatter

By Anel Powell and Sibusiso Ngalwa

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said there was no doubt that Cape Town would be ready on time for the 2010 World Cup.

"Fifa trusts in you, Fifa has confidence in you and Cape Town will be a wonderful organiser of nine matches."

Blatter, who was in Cape Town on Tuesday for a brief tour of the host city, first met President Thabo Mbeki at Tuynhuys before he joined Mayor Helen Zille and Premier Ebrahim Rasool for closed-door talks at the Metropolitan Golf Club.

'Cape Town had a slow start'
The high-level delegation, which included Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief executive Danny Jordaan, and Issa Hayatou, chair of the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee, was in high spirits as they faced a barrage of questions from local and international media afterwards.

Zille said construction of the R2,85-billion stadium was on schedule despite the many obstacles that had almost derailed the process.

"For many complex reasons, Cape Town had a slow start. No other host city has had to go through as many processes as Cape Town, and no other stadium site in the country is as complex legally, politically, geologically and financially."

Blatter, in Cape Town for the first time since construction of the stadium started, allayed fears that South Africa could lose the World Cup.

"Only God can take the World Cup away from South Africa. South Africa will be ready and will be a wonderful host for an exceptional World Cup, because it is (being held) for the first time in Africa."

He said one of the biggest challenges over the next three years would be getting the transport systems up and running for the massive influx of visitors. Blatter downplayed concerns about crime, saying it was a global phenomenon prevalent in all big cities.

Blatter also announced that Cape Town would host an international match between an Africa XI and a World XI to commemorate former president Nelson Mandela's 89th birthday on July 18.

"I can tell you that Ronaldinho and Ronaldo will be present. I hope that Bafana Bafana will field a good team because for now they are the only team that has qualified for the World Cup 2010."

Rasool said the World Cup had provided the catalyst for infrastructure investment and development that would otherwise have taken longer to get off the ground.

Roads were being widened, the V&A Waterfront was poised for new development and six more hotels were being built in the city ahead of the event.

Meanwhile, the city's public participation process on the development of the urban park was complete and a report would go to council next week. The city is working on its detailed transport plan for 2010.

Still outstanding is the announcement on which city will host the International Broadcast Centre. Pieter Cronje, the city's 2010 spokesperson, said the LOC was still evaluating the bid offers and that a decision would be made within a month.

Arthur Wienburg, of the Cape Town Environmental Protection Association (Cepa), said earlier that representatives would not attend the site visit.

He said he was still waiting for Blatter to respond to a letter, sent on May 8, in which he had asked him to "stop this madness by agreeing to a semifinal at Newlands".

Cepa's application for a review of the city's decision to build the 68 000-seat stadium at Green Point will be heard in the Cape High Court on August 13.

* This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on June 20, 2007

Cape Times

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-20 02:14:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

R15m upgrade plan for R300 freeway

By Sipokazi Maposa

Cape Town's most dangerous freeway, the R300, is to be upgraded soon with the road set to be widened and lit to improve traffic flow and safety.

The multi-million-rand upgrade will also see surveillance cameras put in place to monitor accidents and other activities on the road.

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) said a lot of work was being planned to improve safety on the freeway, which runs alongside "poorly planned" housing developments.

This will include the construction of an additional lane on the two-lane road, upgrading of pedestrian bridges, and barriers and lighting being put in place.

'The multi-million-rand upgrade will also see surveillance cameras put in place'
The R300 is notorious for its high accident rate and other crime-related incidents, including robbery of motorists, stone throwing and smash and grabs.

It has also been identified by Metro Police as the deadliest road in the city, followed by Baden Powell Drive.

The N2 rates third.

Sanral regional manager Cobus van der Walt said the R15-million upgrade, which will see the existing two pedestrian bridges reconstructed and caged, will take place between the N1 and N2.

This stretch of road is regarded as the most dangerous spot. A third bridge is being constructed as part of the upgrade.

'The R300 is notorious for its high accident rate'
Van der Walt said consultants have already been appointed but the bulk of the project is set to start in April next year and work is to be completed before June 2010, just ahead of the World Cup.

He said the road had become more dangerous due to the "poorly planned" new communities that were built along the freeway.

Pedestrians from areas of Delft, Wesbank and Belhar are at risk of being killed by speeding motorists because of lack of visibility on the poorly lit road.

Motorists are also often robbed at night.

Van der Walt said more lighting was planned to improve visibility.

"The problem is purely poor planning on the part of housing developments.

"There's lots of developments on the side of this road and there isn't enough safety measures and the bridges are not accessible to all those communities.

"In most cases you see schoolchildren crossing the road to attend school on the other side," he said.

Part of the upgrading will also include fencing off parts of the road nearer the pedestrian bridges to encourage their use.

Cages will also be put over these bridges to reduce incidents of stone-throwing.

"What we've found out is that people ignore these pedestrian bridges.

"The road is too flat for them and it's actually easier to cross the road than to climb an elevated bridge.

"We will be putting fencing along the road so that people will have to use the bridges," he said.

The report that identified the R300 as the city's most dangerous road also identified the most dangerous intersections.

The list was released by Metro Police in February.

It said Spine Road and Swartklip intersection near Mitchell's Plain was the city's most dangerous intersection, followed by Potsdam Road and the N7 near Du Noon.

The report also showed that the most dangerous roads were still being speed-trapped less frequently than others.

The city has since formulated a policy to give guidelines on the use of speed cameras.



* This article was originally published on page 9 of The Cape Argus on June 20, 2007

The Argus

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-20 11:36:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Main runway at CT International resurfaced

The resurfacing of the main runway at Cape Town International Airport has been completed after seven months of night work, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said on Wednesday.

ACSA spokesperson Solomon Makgale said the resurfacing of the runaway was completed at the end of May.

"The project took seven months to complete. It entailed the milling out of the surface and top underlying asphalt layer (to a depth of approximately one foot) and replacing them with a new asphalt mix," he said.

In order to avoid hampering airport operations, ACSA closed the runway every night from midnight until 6am, six nights a week for the entire seven-month period.

"This was to ensure that the work took place outside of the scheduled flight operations window," he said.

Cape Town International Airport general manager George Uriesi said: "The just concluded runway resurfacing project was a success story for Cape Town International Airport, as it took place quietly behind the scenes in what happens to be the airport's peak season with minimal impact on airport operations." - Sapa

Quickwire

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-20 12:38:41
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Airport Rail Link confirmed by Zille

3. TRANSPORT

The City has participated in all the National Department of Transports Priority Statement processes. The improvement of public transport is considered a major legacy of the World Cup. Currently the Cape Town Station redevelopment project, the upgrade of the rail rolling stock, inner-city bus distribution system, pedestrian routes in the inner city, the link between the Airport and the City as well as Airport improvements are underway.

Provisional investment in Transport is as follows:

Road based Transport R2,170,000,000
Rail based Transport upgrade R1,720,000,000
Airport rail link to CBD R410,000,000
Airport upgrade R1,200,000,000
Bus and Taxi rationalisation and recapitalisation R1,410,000,000
Total R6,910, 000,000
The City has completed a high level transport operational plan for the 2010 FIFA World CupTM and will soon be commissioning the detailed plan. To finalise the detailed plan, the City requires key inputs from FIFA and the Organising Committee.

Science centre congress for SA

19 June 2007

South Africa has won its bid to host the sixth Science Centre World Congress in 2011, fending off competition from Egypt to become the first African country to host the event.

The congress will bring "hundreds of the world's best in the field of science communication" to the MTN ScienCentre at Canal Walk in Cape Town "just a year after the sportsmen come here for the World Cup," MTN ScienCentre head Julie Cleverdon said in a statement last week.

"This gives South Africans a chance to heighten our profile in two very different fields."

Cleverdon recently returned from the 2007 European Conference for Science Centres and Museums (ECSITE) in Lisbon, Portugal, where the bid was decided.

"Science centres, like aquariums, are a significant contributor to tourism around the world," Cleverdon said. "Hosting such a congress will do a lot to put South African science centres on the tourism map."

Retired MTN ScienCentre founder Mike Bruton chaired the South African committee that successfully bid for the science centre conference.

Bruton also attended the ECSITE conference, as did Alfred Tsipa of the University of Zululand science centre in Richard's Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, in his capacity as president of the SA Association of Science and Technology Education Centres.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

I found a PDF file from the South African Mapping Co.(SAMCO) that was done in conjuction with Cape Town Partnership.

Go to:

Cape Town Central City – Cape Town Partnership (http://www.samapping.co.za/SAMCO%20Report%20Downloads/P72%20Cape%20Town%20Central%20City.pdf)


The report lists 25 important projects underway in the CBD of Cape Town which have a total value of more than R15.5 billion.

The report also has a picture of the building site of the Taj Hotel (Phase 2 of Mandela-Rhodes Place) and shows that the new construction portion of the development where the 18-floor tower is going up with two floors having already been erected between the two historic buildings that form part of this unique hotel development that will blend new and old buildings.

The other picture is of intersection where the Strand-on-Adderley development will be located.

I found a PDF file from the South African Mapping Co.(SAMCO) that was done in conjuction with Cape Town Partnership.

Go to:

Cape Town Central City – Cape Town Partnership (http://www.samapping.co.za/SAMCO%20Report%20Downloads/P72%20Cape%20Town%20Central%20City.pdf)


The report lists 25 important projects underway in the CBD of Cape Town which have a total value of more than R15.5 billion.

The report also has a picture of the building site of the Taj Hotel (Phase 2 of Mandela-Rhodes Place) and shows that the new construction portion of the development where the 18-floor tower is going up with two floors having already been erected between the two historic buildings that form part of this unique hotel development that will blend new and old buildings.

The other picture is of intersection where the Strand-on-Adderley development will be located.

cool didnt borraine mention a figure including these projects of about R30 billion.

oh hell..they upgrading the golden acre..now thats a breakthrough!
Stadium cost is R2.85, convention centre expansion at about R800million instead of the cautious R500 million figure.

and the somerset hospital site was valued at R400 million and will now be sold off for R1 billion

so the strand adderley "towers" are happening!

yeah, perhaps he can give FIFA and Sepp Blatter a call and tell him he wants 2010. I will try find him their telephone number. hehehehe

Courtesy of Pule

Plans to lure 2010 visitors with golf draw-card

By Athane Scholtz Garden Route Reporter

THE Garden Route‘s identity as a prime golf-tourism draw-card will be used to assist the Western Cape to position itself as the premier tourism destination in the three years leading to the Soccer World Cup in 2010.

The acting chief executive of Cape Town and Western Cape marketing organisation Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU), Calvyn Gilfellan, said the province‘s spectacular golf facilities were playing their part to position the Western Cape as a “must see” for tourists in the run-up to 2010.

“There are around 57 million golfers worldwide – no less than one per cent of the world‘s population – who have access to about 31 000 golf courses. It‘s a huge market that is available to destinations that have the right offering.”

The Garden Route was named the 2006 Golf Destination of the Year for Africa and the Middle East at the International Golf Travel Market in Spain, beating top destinations such as Dubai and Mauritius.

The Garden Route boasted international standard golf courses designed by the world‘s best players, including Ernie Els, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, Gilfellan said. “In the time leading up to 2010 we will be showcasing these assets with (golf) events, which fit seamlessly with our marketing strategy that aims to ensure the 2010 Fifa World Cup helps make the province one of the world‘s premier tourism destinations.”

Gilfellan also outlined a series of partnerships to draw new visitors from 17 key soccer-playing countries up to and during 2010. These include new markets like Brazil and Argentina, as well as existing markets such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Scandinavia.

The 2010 marketing strategy, which will start in August and run until October, 2009, will comprise several aspects, including the hosting of tourism operators, media and other stakeholders from target countries. It also incorporates an extended-stay campaign which encourages travel to the Western Cape before, after and during the tournament.

“The new strategy aims to capitalise on the unsurpassed media exposure of the biggest sporting and media event on the planet to ensure that by 2020 Cape Town and the Western Cape are among the world‘s top 10 destinations.”

George Tourism director Joan Shaw said the CTRU campaign would be ideal to raise awareness ahead of the World Cup, particularly in countries such as Germany and Ireland which were keen soccer- and golf-playing countries.

Knysna Tourism chief executive Craig Nancarrow said the region‘s tourism operators were also stepping up their marketing to sell the region as a golfing destination.

Courtesy of Pule

Plans to lure 2010 visitors with golf draw-card

By Athane Scholtz Garden Route Reporter

THE Garden Route‘s identity as a prime golf-tourism draw-card will be used to assist the Western Cape to position itself as the premier tourism destination in the three years leading to the Soccer World Cup in 2010.

The acting chief executive of Cape Town and Western Cape marketing organisation Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU), Calvyn Gilfellan, said the province‘s spectacular golf facilities were playing their part to position the Western Cape as a “must see” for tourists in the run-up to 2010.

“There are around 57 million golfers worldwide – no less than one per cent of the world‘s population – who have access to about 31 000 golf courses. It‘s a huge market that is available to destinations that have the right offering.”

The Garden Route was named the 2006 Golf Destination of the Year for Africa and the Middle East at the International Golf Travel Market in Spain, beating top destinations such as Dubai and Mauritius.

The Garden Route boasted international standard golf courses designed by the world‘s best players, including Ernie Els, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, Gilfellan said. “In the time leading up to 2010 we will be showcasing these assets with (golf) events, which fit seamlessly with our marketing strategy that aims to ensure the 2010 Fifa World Cup helps make the province one of the world‘s premier tourism destinations.”

Gilfellan also outlined a series of partnerships to draw new visitors from 17 key soccer-playing countries up to and during 2010. These include new markets like Brazil and Argentina, as well as existing markets such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Scandinavia.

The 2010 marketing strategy, which will start in August and run until October, 2009, will comprise several aspects, including the hosting of tourism operators, media and other stakeholders from target countries. It also incorporates an extended-stay campaign which encourages travel to the Western Cape before, after and during the tournament.

“The new strategy aims to capitalise on the unsurpassed media exposure of the biggest sporting and media event on the planet to ensure that by 2020 Cape Town and the Western Cape are among the world‘s top 10 destinations.”

George Tourism director Joan Shaw said the CTRU campaign would be ideal to raise awareness ahead of the World Cup, particularly in countries such as Germany and Ireland which were keen soccer- and golf-playing countries.

Knysna Tourism chief executive Craig Nancarrow said the region‘s tourism operators were also stepping up their marketing to sell the region as a golfing destination.

ive also maintained that each city needs to find its niche and market it aggressively, becoming a "general" tourist destination will only get you so far.

City planning broadband network

The City of Cape Town is considering a municipal optic fibre infrastructure, which will provide a massive boost to the local economy, as well as drastically reducing the City’s communications costs.

The broadband network was first proposed last year, and a committee has now been set up to look into the project. The aim is to have the network ready by 2009, in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The network is expected to cost about R400-million, which will be offset by the creation of an estimated 95 000 jobs, a contribution of R4-billion to the local economy, and cheaper telecommunications costs.

The City proposes laying 360km of fibre optic cables, which will first be used by the City administration to link its own key buildings and sites to be used for 2010, and then expand to other sites. It will also manage this network as public infrastructure for use by private telecommunications companies.

This will create a metropolitan area network that will provide high bandwidth connectivity between various City facilities, and also extend services to underserved communities.

Making the network available on an “open access” basis will prevent monopolisation of the infrastructure, and promote competition between private companies, which will in turn lead to lower prices and a “significant stimulus to the local economy”, the report says.

Potential customers who will purchase use of the infrastructure have already been identified, and include Neotel (the second network operator); cellular companies; internet service providers; cable TV operators currently being licensed, and large corporate. Potential competitors include Telkom and Neotel (which has already laid some of its own fibre network in Cape Town but may co-operate with the City).

The City had considered a wireless network but found the growing availability of wireless networks increased the need for a fibre optic network, not negated it. Wireless networks were found to be lack the capacity of fibre networks, are prone to interference, and could present security risks.

The network will also work with the Smart Cape Access Network project, which aims to connect city facilities and give greater access to the internet for all citizens.

The project’s strategic intent supports integrated human settlement; economic growth and job creation; access and mobility; building strong communities; equitable and effective service delivery and sustainable development, according to the report.

Stockholm was given as a case study in the report. The Swedish city established an independent public utility in 1994 to invest in a fibre infrastructure, which has since resulted in the city having 5600km of optic fibre cable and 480 customers. The utility is also profitable and expanding. This network has been credited with establishing Stockholm as an IT capital, and has contributed to the city’s economic growth.

The plan to make Cape Town a “connected city” was part of the public participation process for the City’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP), and therefore consultations with the public are not needed.

Nirvesh Sooful of the City’s Information Systems & Technology directorate says a request for information has gone out to get a better sense of the costs involved in laying the network. This has been estimated at R865 per metre, or R311-million in total, and up to 80 percent of this is cost is expected to relate to the civil works needed to lay the infrastructure.

Sooful added that a UCT economist has been commissioned to do an economic impact assessment in order to provide a better idea of the economic impact.

“We are finalising the business plan and waiting for all the information to come in,” he said.

Council has been asked to consider approving initial funding of R59.6-million to support the construction planning process and initial construction costs.

“The next big issue is to see if we get the funding. We want to start in the new financial year, from July onwards, if we are going to meet our deadline to have the network up and running by 2009,” Sooful said.

According to Demetri Qually, who is chairing the sub-committee set up to look into the network, “we are moving into the next phase, people are showing interest, and it’s looking good”.

who in gods name is that CentraLine guy and where did he come from?

I am from London, mate, born & bred.

I am from London, mate, born & bred.

My condolences.

^^
You won't be saying that when you come here seeking asylum.

great another troller, Mike cant you warn him to be constructive or at least add some value to these threads instead of comming along and acting like a drunk , on the dole whinging illiterate hooligan pommie.

great another troller, Mike cant you warn him to be constructive or at least add some value to these threads instead of comming along and acting like a drunk , on the dole whinging illiterate hooligan pommie.

Funny SA Boy. Listen guys, I don't mean to criticize but it is just hard for me to believe that all these projects are going to be finished in 3 years time. Don't you think the timescales are just a bit too tight?

NOPE

Funny SA Boy. Listen guys, I don't mean to criticize but it is just hard for me to believe that all these projects are going to be finished in 3 years time. Don't you think the timescales are just a bit too tight?

SAboy has worked on so many major projects including olympic venues. He is prob laughing at you right now

^^
You won't be saying that when you come here seeking asylum.

Ever occurred to you that in this day and age terrorists can blow up your London and force you to go seek Asylum in France too? My point is don't look down on others, we are all working hard to make our country prosper and we are Proudly South African so there is no need to insult us. In the foreseeable future, i don't see any need or anything that will cause me to seek asylum in London. Oh, before i forget, goodluck with the French if you ever need them.

why does everyone assume we are all unhappy?
i quite love life in cape town.

^^
You won't be saying that when you come here seeking asylum.

Been to London many times and the countless hobo's and filthy streets would make me choose otherwise. Anyway why would i be seeking asylum?

Ever occurred to you that in this day and age terrorists can blow up your London and force you to go seek Asylum in France too? My point is don't look down on others, we are all working hard to make our country prosper and we are Proudly South African so there is no need to insult us. In the foreseeable future, i don't see any need or anything that will cause me to seek asylum in London. Oh, before i forget, goodluck with the French if you ever need them.

For some of us terrorism is not a word to use lightly, if you guys want to reply to the guy (which I think is a mistake) feel free to do it, but it's really not appropriate to say things like the sentences I marked in bold..

For some of us terrorism is not a word to use lightly, if you guys want to reply to the guy (which I think is a mistake) feel free to do it, but it's really not appropriate to say things like the sentences I marked in bold..

I am sorry if there is something offensive to you about those statements. But any normal person who has any cursory knowledge of modern day global challenges knows that what i mentioned is a simple fact of life. Perhaps you don't like the truth but terrorism is a real threat and i am not using it lightly in that statement. If you are French i am sorry to use that nation as an example of a country that CentraLine may need to seek asylum from, but its because they are a neighboring country to England. Anyway enough about this.

No I'm not French, I'm Spanish, so I know well about the threat of terrorism. How can you say to me "perhaps you don't like the truth but terrorism is a real threat", oh, really? You're going to tell me about it? Of course I don't like the truth, of course I don't like there're bunches of lunatics threatening our lives, but what you did was just to stick a finger in the wound. Imagine someone using the HIV/AIDS epidemic the way you used terrorism, don't tell me it wouldn't get to you.

No I'm not French, I'm Spanish, so I know well about the threat of terrorism. How can you say to me "perhaps you don't like the truth but terrorism is a real threat", oh, really? You're going to tell me about it? Of course I don't like the truth, of course I don't like there're bunches of lunatics threatening our lives, but what you did was just to stick a finger in the wound. Imagine someone using the HIV/AIDS epidemic the way you used terrorism, don't tell me it wouldn't get to you.

LOL, in South Africa if you ever told anyone that HIV/AIDS was a threat to the country, we wouldn't normally take offense, because we have all accepted that its time to face the scourge head on instead of hiding it under the wraps, but hey we are all different and i will be the first to acknowledge that i honestly didn't realize that something like this can offend some people. But point noted nonetheless.

^^
I really don't see the funny side of the issue that would explain your "LOL"... you just didn't get my point, is it so hard to understand? English is not my mother language but I thought I was making my point... I am not hiding anything, I am not denying the threat of terrorism, on the contrary, I know, and better than you, how bad it is. All I am saying is that it is not something you should be using here to counter act some troll, because it is a very serious and sensitive issue and when you use it like you did, you're not doing it against him but against all of us, and especially against those who have been victims of terrorism (which fortunately it's not my case).

PS: Honestly, I hope everybody realises I didn't bring up the HIV/AIDS issue against South Africa or the forumers here, I just wanted to explain through an example that there are certain issues which shouldn't be used against anyone the way you did, because in the end it is something that affects a lot more people and something that has nothing to do with the idiot who started it.

Cut it off gents, please.

i get what both of u are saying and you are both correct, anton your English is just fine. the debate remained civil and thats fine.

^^
I really don't see the funny side of the issue that would explain your "LOL"... you just didn't get my point, is it so hard to understand? English is not my mother language but I thought I was making my point... I am not hiding anything, I am not denying the threat of terrorism, on the contrary, I know, and better than you, how bad it is. All I am saying is that it is not something you should be using here to counter act some troll, because it is a very serious and sensitive issue and when you use it like you did, you're not doing it against him but against all of us, and especially against those who have been victims of terrorism (which fortunately it's not my case).

PS: Honestly, I hope everybody realises I didn't bring up the HIV/AIDS issue against South Africa or the forumers here, I just wanted to explain through an example that there are certain issues which shouldn't be used against anyone the way you did, because in the end it is something that affects a lot more people and something that has nothing to do with the idiot who started it.

Anton, i understand your point. My apologies. Its sometimes tough not to switch into a defensive mode when trolls like CentraLine provoke you, but i am going to learn to keep it calm.

I think what happened here is that you (understandably) reacted in a defensive way to what CentraLine said, and then I reacted the same way about something you said...
I'll also try to keep it calm, and I appreciate your effort for trying to understand me.

^ Dude, get out of here if you're not on business here. Let's get to what's happening in Cape Town. Kulani has no apologies to you or that dumb ass fk. BTW seems like you're a great fan of Israel. That's your answer to the terrorism voews. Go spend your energy in the israeli forum and stay away from ours.

An opportunity for SA to embrace the world

By Laurine Platzky

The new generation of South Africans are optimistic and expect the best for themselves. They deal with daily hardship but the children of our townships no longer face legislated marginalisation.

They have a huge challenge to overcome inter-generational poverty, violence and neglect. But they are increasingly beneficiaries of a social programme which includes access to no-fee schools and free health-care for pregnant women and children under six.

There are child-care grants, 6kl of free water per household per month, 50 free units of electricity a month and serviced sites. Not enough yet, but much better than before.

We come from a past where racial divisions were legislated, where between 1960 and 1983 more than three-and-a-half million people were forcibly removed from the centres of wealth and power to the peripheries of our cities and villages, to places like Khayelitsha and the bantustans.

Now, with a free-market system in property it is impossible for the ordinary South African to compete with rich investors on Cape Town's Atlantic seaboard.

So, yes, physical marginalisation continues. Wealth is still largely colour-coded and reflected in where we can afford to live.

Since our first democratic election in 1994 the economy has performed well, with Western Cape growth rates at over 5% a year, but the challenge is: who benefits? Redistribution of income is not legislated.

The government has introduced policies of employment equity and broad-based black economic empowerment to ensure that wealth is divided a little more equitably.

But without excessive state intervention in the economy, the focus is on accelerating shared growth and ensuring the unskilled parents of this generation motivate their youngsters to prepare for the openings in the new economy; there is a mismatch between what the economy requires in terms of skills and what generations of bantu education have produced.

As in Britain, unemployed youth are our biggest challenge. Despite maths and science school qualifications, and even tertiary education, many young black people without the experience and networks of their white sisters and brothers still struggle to find jobs.

Our problems are by no means hidden. The 2010 Fifa World Cup is but the hook for the story of South Africa.

Let us address the uncomfortable observations in The Sun:

 Housing - from a historic backlog of 250 000 bequeathed by the coloured and white Labour Preference Policy in the Western Cape, already some 200 000 houses have been built in the province since 1994.

 Once influx control was scrapped, many understandably migrated from the eastern part of the old Cape Province to the western part where economic opportunities are stronger.

 The Western Cape, the second richest province, attracts more people from the poorer provinces which receive relatively more national funding to address their historic backlogs. This puts severe pressures on our health, education and settlement systems.

Housing backlogs need to be understood. As more brick houses are built, the shacks do not disappear, for two main reasons. The first is that a shack offers a rental revenue stream for a poor family.

Shacks are rented to newer migrants or to what in the middle class would be known as first-time homeowners. Secondly some young people prefer the independence of shack life to cramming into the small brick houses built by the state.

Shacks are indeed very visible. Less obvious, but as many, are those living in backyards or renting rooms and garages across the townships.

So why is the Western Cape government focusing so tenaciously on the leverage and legacy aspects of hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup?

Because:

We are leveraging more than our fair share of national public sector funding for upgrading public transport, for emergency services, for more police, for sport and cultural development among the disadvantaged - public investment we would not normally allocate.

2010 has offered us a catalytic economic opportunity, one in which we have to prove to ourselves, and the world, that we can deliver on time and within budget - no mean feat given our isolation and inferiority complexes.

Global exposure to billions of TV viewers and visitors will showcase our tourism riches, our trade and investment opportunities, our film locations and design capability.

The 2010 infrastructure legacy for the Western Cape includes:

 A new world-class stadium in Green Point which will be proudly owned and used by all our citizens once we overcome the us-and-them complexes of our past. World-class facilities are not only appropriate for London or Berlin.

 Practice venues in upgraded stadiums in Athlone, Philippi, and Paarl and other towns bidding to host base camps for teams in 2010.

 An expanded International Convention Centre as a contributor to the national economy with cumulative macroeconomic benefits running to R4.5bn since the centre's launch in 2003.

The contribution equalled R1.3bn for the 2006 financial year. In the 2006 financial year a total of 2 343 people were directly employed in the Western Cape as a result of the CTICC. Direct jobs are expected to grow to 3 636 in 2007.

 Construction, tourism and the hospitality industry offering jobs for less-skilled people, the parents of those mentioned in The Sun's article.

 Access and mobility for all by affordable, safe and reliable public transport to areas of economic opportunity (including the central business district), of recreation (such as the Green Point Common) and mixed residential areas

Like most of the 49 million Germans, most South Africans will not be able to see matches in one of the 10 new or upgraded stadiums. Three million saw matches in German stadiums and 18 million watched in fan parks. In 2010 many more South Africans will be watching in fan parks, many close to where they live, or easily accessible on the upgraded public transport systems.

Fortunately football fans don't have to engage in risky sexual activity which may result in HIV/Aids. They have choices, unlike many young women in Africa who are too timid to demand protected sex.

Finally, as even the article vividly illustrates, people do not live by material assets alone. Young and old cherish dreams, venture out of their comfort zones, empower themselves to reach great heights, as our young democracy has done. We don't all succeed, even given equal opportunities.

In other parts of the world people of different classes and ethnic backgrounds, increasingly women, watch and play football.

This is an opportunity to build badly needed social cohesion through a popular game, a game which evokes passion and emotion across race and class barriers.

Surely this is an opportunity for South Africans to embrace the world once more, to rekindle the wonder of our bloodless transformation to democracy, to use the moment as a catalyst for infrastructure and service upgrades, creating jobs in the process.

And even if it takes another few years to house all our people well, there is no excuse not to make the most of this opportunity to grow a shared economy, build social cohesion and enjoy ourselves.


 Dr Laurine Platzky is the deputy director-general responsible for governance and integration in the Western Cape premier's department. She is the Western Cape provincial co-ordinator for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Published on the web by Cape Argus on June 23, 2007.

^ Dude, get out of here if you're not on business here. Let's get to what's happening in Cape Town. Kulani has no apologies to you or that dumb ass fk. BTW seems like you're a great fan of Israel. That's your answer to the terrorism voews. Go spend your energy in the israeli forum and stay away from ours.

I did nothing to deserve this aggressive reaction against me, so back off. As for Kulani, I think he doesn't need your help to speak his mind, and what do my views or affiliation with Israel have to do with anything here?
As for staying away from this forum... the truth is that I like it here and I'm interested in what goes on in South Africa, so I'm not going anywhere. Besides, so far you're the only person who has been this rude to me and that has asked me to leave.

PS: If you have anything personal against me or my relation with Israel, feel free to insult me via PM, just don't do it here please.

I did nothing to deserve this aggressive reaction against me, so back off. As for Kulani, I think he doesn't need your help to speak his mind, and what do my views or affiliation with Israel have to do with anything here?
As for staying away from this forum... the truth is that I like it here and I'm interested in what goes on in South Africa, so I'm not going anywhere. Besides, so far you're the only person who has been this rude to me and that has asked me to leave.

PS: If you have anything personal against me or my relation with Israel, feel free to insult me via PM, just don't do it here please.

Anton, I hope you stay!
Although I don't post here other than the odd pic in the Cape Town gallery, I do read many of the threads that interest me. I'm pleased you and Kulani sorted had out the issue and this aggresive attack was unnecessary. Thank you for your interest in our country.

^ Dude, get out of here if you're not on business here. Let's get to what's happening in Cape Town. Kulani has no apologies to you or that dumb ass fk. BTW seems like you're a great fan of Israel. That's your answer to the terrorism voews. Go spend your energy in the israeli forum and stay away from ours.

Harkeb, Anton, please lets keep this civilized and refrain from personal attacks. I think its important that we all try our best to be tolerant to differing views and not suppress other people's views. Anton, expressed his discomfort with the way i used terrorism to counter CentraLine and i perfectly understood his views. So boys, i would urge us to continue with what this forum is all about in the first place.

South Africa: Wealthy Feel the Burn of Zille's Plan for Cape Town

Business Day (Johannesburg)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200706250198.html

ANALYSIS
25 June 2007
Posted to the web 25 June 2007

Dave Marrs
Johannesburg

AFTER the racially fixated paralysis that characterised the nongovernance of the Nomaindia Mfeketo era, it was clear that the people of Cape Town were desperate for a decisive, no-nonsense mayor who would get things done.

Well, they've now got one in Helen Zille, and it isn't only her detractors who are discovering that pain invariably accompanies gain. And the tough decisions are not necessarily going the way of those who voted for the Democratic Alliance (DA) or one of its partners in the ruling coalition. The Constantia Hills are alive with the sound of grumbling, but then so is much of the Cape Flats. And it has nothing to do with the uncharacteristic thunderstorms that have been a feature of the Cape weather this winter.

The DA's traditional supporters in the southern suburbs are discovering that Zille, who could do no wrong during the first year of her tenure as she set about reversing her predecessor's bigger blunders, has a less benign side, at least as far as their pockets are concerned. The impact on the poor of the 15% average rates increase passed by council two months ago has been mitigated to a large extent through the introduction of a generous indigent policy, the extension of free basic services, and discounts and exemptions for the elderly and unemployed.

But, like statistics, averages can tell porkies. The burden of the large rates increase is falling squarely on the shoulders of the very ratepayers who thought they were electing a champion of the middle and upper classes last March. After being hit by swinging rate increases when the new market value-based rating system was introduced several years ago, the occupants of some of Cape Town's leafier suburbs face a double-digit increase on top of the hit they have just taken as a result of their property values increasing by significantly more than the city average.

If that fails to move any of this column's Johannesburg readers, give it a couple of months and then come chat once the market-value rating system has kicked in up there. I believe it is to be phased in over three years, which tells me the Jo'burg council is anticipating a revolt. In Cape Town, the council's recent budget, including the rate increase, was enough to inject some life into the Rates Action Group, last heard of several years ago when it tried to challenge the new rating system in the courts. A lot of what they warned of then has come to pass, but that does not mean they will be any more successful this time round. Zille is determined to fix the city's crumbling infrastructure, and is gambling that however much she might annoy her middle class supporters by making them pay for it, they would rather sweat bullets than see the African National Congress back in power.

Less well-off Capetonians have also felt Zille's cold side through a clampdown on those who fail to pay for rates and services. But the campaign has gone hand-in-hand with the expansion of the indigent policy, so protesting defaulters do not have much of a case. And the city announced last week that it would be writing off R1,5bn in bad debts incurred before September 2003, the date the current financial system was implemented. The good cop, bad cop approach seems to be working. So far, 130000 households have settled outstanding debts totalling more than R400m, and more than 5000 have been added to the register of indigents. Compare that with the blanket moratorium on action against defaulters that was introduced by Mfeketo in 2002, and the need for drastic action to sort out the city's finances starts to make sense.

I mentioned in my last column that the city council had balked at a request by the management of Table Mountain National Park for an allocation of R46m over the next three years to support programmes it has implemented to prevent fires, protect hikers from muggers and manage problem animals. My gut tells me they will get their money eventually, because it is clearly in the city's interests that these issues be addressed. But the days of money being handed over with few questions asked are over; the funds will be ring-fenced to ensure they are used for the stated purposes, the city will insist on service level agreements and park management will be expected to show a little more flexibility in future on matters such as the felling of the pine forests.

Other bodies that have managed to get on the wrong side of Zille include the Western Cape Youth Commission -- which complained bitterly when she cancelled all council Youth Day functions and donated the R750000 they would have cost to drug rehabilitation centres -- and Cape Town Routes Unlimited, another dysfunctional body that was sucking up ratepayers' money. Cape Town's publicly funded fat cats are no longer sleeping so soundly at night.

Marrs is Cape editor.

^^
From what I've read in other articles (as well as the one kulani just posted), Zille seems to be determined to work for Cape Town and do what it takes to get things done in the city.

Apparently she's willing to take measures which are impopular among her voters (actually she's already going it) if that's going to help the city, and I'd say that's brave.

^^
From what I've read in other articles (as well as the one kulani just posted), Zille seems to be determined to work for Cape Town and do what it takes to get things done in the city.

Apparently she's willing to take measures which are impopular among her voters (actually she's already going it) if that's going to help the city, and I'd say that's brave.

Yes, i am firmly behind Zille and i have to admit that after the sterile politics of Tony Leon, Zille is breathing new life to DA opposition politics. What i like about her style is that she is really dealing with the real issues that affect people of Cape Town irrespective of their political affiliation and and this is bringing her much closer to the people. She is also willing to take unpopular decisions to fix things up for both the rich and the poor.

who runs Paarl?

apparently you

Guys please be civil in here with each other. We dont want people being banned.

It was a joke

not yet boet, let me buy the next door farm and become a bit more of a land baron , then i can act like JR Ewing

back to the question, is Paarl ANC or DA?

... I changed the headline around for this post to reflect the fact that it refers to both the cape and durban....

The Mercury (28/06/2007):"Durban puts Cape Town to shame"
http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=2867&fSearch=1&fQuery=Durban+puts+Cape+Town+to+shame

Cape Times (26/06/2007): "Cape is inhospitable" - (below)
http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3902297

Cape is inhospitable
June 26, 2007 Edition 1
As a group of six rugby tourists visiting Durban this past weekend, in unison we salute the Durbanites for their fantastic hospitality and organisation. We compared the organisational preparedness of Cape Town as a city to that of Durban when it came to hosting a big sporting event such as the Tri-Nations matches held over the past two weeks. Cape Town rates a poor third.
In Durban, you get the feeling that all elements of tourism are working together to achieve one goal - that your stay in Durban must be a memorable one at all costs.
While we were there, they were also busy preparing for the Durban Festival, which starts next week. There is such a buzz of excitement and anticipation in the air that we had wished we could be there next week, too.
They had a Boktown set up at the Suncoast Casino. And even though South Africa had lost the Test, the place was jumping with happy people.
We just wonder whether Cape Town will ever become a true South African city. The First Citizen, of course, leads by example. She is fighting with the tourism authority, threatening to withdraw funding and other support. The traffic authorities are at their aggressive best as only they could be when any big event takes place.
Cape Town is such a beautiful place. What makes one so sad is the fact that the town is so divided.
Divided along political, racial, socio-economic and religious lines, it does not seem as though things will improve here in the next 10 years. Cape Town needs to look at itself in the national mirror and see how ugly it has become.
Cost is of course another element. We found parking near the Absa Stadium in a huge parking lot and it was free.
Cape Town is consumed with making money at all costs.
The attitude of the average Capetonian, through to the street vendor, towards fellow South African tourists is nothing but shameful.
As six Capetonian visitors returning from a fantastic weekend in Durban, we apologise to all the tourists who were down here in Cape Town the weekend before. We are truly embarrassed to call ourselves Capetonians. We will say nothing of the Cape's attitude toward local soccer tourists and fans.
Stephen Smith, Judy Orso,
Tony Brevis, Trudy Kumalo,
Martin Kumalo and Gail Smith
Cape Town

ENJOY/ HAPPY DEBATE!
:bash:

not yet boet, let me buy the next door farm and become a bit more of a land baron , then i can act like JR Ewing

hehehe, just make sure no one shoots you ;)

acting like JR means getting pissed at every oppotunity esspesially at wedding and falling in the pool oh wait that was cliff barnes, Any way its being a general nucience to everypone and acting like you own the place

Travel News Now

12 March 2007

CAPE Town is to get a new Westin Hotel with the R25m July rebranding of the ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel, confirms Heinz Grub, the newly appointed GM.

The hotel will undergo certain cosmetic changes to conform to Westin standards. These include spending R3m on new lighting; installing 700 plasma screen televisions with surround sound; and acquiring the Westin signature ‘Heavenly Beds’ and replacing all linen. Other changes will include ‘Heavenly Bathrooms’ with heated floors, towels of prescribed thickness and 483 new shower nozzles as Westin showers each have two nozzles; creating the Westin ‘sensory welcome’ of scents in the lobby; creating the Westin ‘unwind’ experience in rooms, with lighting, temperature controls and scents; offering a Westin work-out and fitness regime; re-categorising all rooms to allow for Westin work-out rooms with treadmills and bicycles; and offering in-room spa services.

The group’s other property, the Western Cape Hotel & Spa near Hermanus, will be rebranded Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa.

Hilka Birns

walking through the CBD on a cold cape town day its nice to see visible policing and security.

Most in CT want 2010 stadium
28/06/2007 17:46 - (SA)

Cape Town - Independent market research has found that over two-thirds of Capetonians are in favour of the Green Point stadium, City of Cape Town officials said on Thursday.

"These are exciting and gratifying scientific results, and it shows a growing excitement in Cape Town," said the city's director of service delivery integration, Mike Marsden.

The survey found that 69% of Capetonians supported the stadium, while only 17% of those polled were against it, and 13% did not know, a council statement read.

More affluent and older respondents were least keen on it, but even in the least positive category - over 50s - a total of 50% still said they were in favour of constructing the multi-purpose stadium on Green Point Common, venue for a semi-final and eight other matches in the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Asked if they thought South Africa was ready to host the Cup, the majority of Capetonians (52%) responded positively. The national average was 69%.

The researchers ascribed this lag to the initial controversy over the Green Point stadium.

Nationally, 81% of respondents felt the event was important for the national economy, while 76% of Capetonians agreed.

"This shows that over three-quarters of residents realise the importance of the investments, legacy and benefits that hosting the... Cup will bring," Marsden said.

First scientific research

"More than half of the Cape Town respondents believe the country will be ready to host the event. This 'can do' approach should start building from now."

This was the first scientific research done since the construction of the stadium began.

"Overall, this is good news for Cape Town. The survey also found that 82% of poor, unemployed people are in favour of the stadium. This disproves critics' claims that they speak for the poor who would not want it," he said.

The survey was conducted by TNS Research Surveys in late May and early June, and had a margin of error of 2.5%.

The research company emphasised that the questions were framed in such a way as not to guide or influence responses, and the sample size of 2000 was an acceptable research base.

# Comments on the EIA must be submitted by July 27. For further information visit www.ccaenvironmental.co.za or contact Tamryn Koning or Jonathan Crowther on 021-461-1118/9.

Copies of the EIA report are also available in the Cape Town, Mowbray and Observatory libraries.
By John Yeld

A new plan to help reduce traffic congestion and improve safety on the notorious Hospital Bend has been published for public comment.

There are two options for this plan, both involving the construction of a new bridge to facilitate the flow of outward-bound traffic - either from De Waal Drive or from Eastern Boulevard - by reducing the number of vehicles having to "weave" across lanes on Hospital Bend.

This plan complements an existing 2002 project to upgrade Hospital Bend for incoming traffic that involves the extension of the in-bound third lane from Settlers Way, the introduction of a pre-selection lane from Rhodes Drive (M3), and the relocation of the Anzio Road on-ramp as an overpass for traffic going towards Cape Town.

The City of Cape Town wants all the upgrade work to start in January and to be completed by December 2009 - in time for the 2010 World Cup.

'This would afford the greatest benefit to public transport'
The work will be done as a single contract for the full construction period.

Although the upgrade will involve moving the incoming lanes closer to the Rhodes Estate section of the Table Mountain National Park, no park land will be lost.

This was one of the major objections to the original 2002 plan, which was subsequently modified to avoid the loss of about 700 square metres of park land.

Although only a small amount of land was involved, excising it from the park would have been legally extremely complicated - partly because of Cecil John Rhodes's will - and would have necessitated changing two acts of Parliament.

The incoming upgrade was designed to facilitate the proper working of the BMT (bus and minibus taxi) lane on Settlers Way (the N2).

Original 2002 documentation stated that buses and minibus taxis comprised only 8 percent of the local traffic during the mid-morning peak rush, but carried 62 percent of commuters using Settlers Way.

"It was concluded that the BMT lane could only operate effectively if the third lane (the dedicated BMT lane between Vanguard Drive and the bottom of Hospital Bend) is extended through Hospital Bend and traffic flow is improved on Hospital Bend.

"This would afford the greatest benefit to public transport, allowing buses and minibus taxis to bypass the worst of the congestion.

"It is important to note that this continuation of the third lane will not resolve all the congestion problems on Settlers Way (N2) but will allow for improved enforcement on the operation of the BMT lane while improving safety and reducing frustration of all road users during peak hours."

Although an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of this part of the project was done, it was not processed by the provincial Environment Department because of a disagreement among road engineers about the design standards of the new Anzio Road overpass.

But this was subsequently resolved, so the same EIA report for the incoming upgrade project will be re-submitted.

Now, an EIA has also been prepared for the proposed upgrade of the outward-bound lanes, and this report is now available for public comment before being submitted for approval to the provincial authorities.

The two options for improving outward-bound traffic are:

# The existing shoulder lane on Eastern Boulevard being re-routed to the left of the existing Upper De Waal Drive overpass, allowing vehicles coming from Eastern Boulevard and proceeding to the N2 to join Hospital Bend at the left-most lane, automatically continuing to the N2 instead of having to weave across; or

# Introducing a pre-selection lane for motorists using Upper De Waal Drive, travelling towards the M3.

This lane will diverge from the existing De Waal Drive carriageway and, by means of a new bridge, join Hospital Bend on the median side.

It will run parallel to existing lanes before merging with the existing median lane from the Eastern Boulevard.

According to the environmental impact report, construction impacts are all deemed to be of low or very low significance.

If the first option is chosen, noise barriers and/or double glazing must be fitted at Groote Schuur Hospital.

As many as possible of the existing stone pines between the inward- and outward-bound lanes of Upper De Waal Drive must be retained, it states.

# Comments on the EIA must be submitted by July 27. For further information visit www.ccaenvironmental.co.za or contact Tamryn Koning or Jonathan Crowther on 021-461-1118/9.

Copies of the EIA report are also available in the Cape Town, Mowbray and Observatory libraries.



* This article was originally published on page 5 of The Cape Argus on June 28, 2007

The Argus

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-06-28 12:20:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

A taste of life in the 2010 fast lane

By Lynnette Johns

The rapid public transport lane on the N2, which opens at the end of this month, is one of the first projects in a major upgrade of Cape Town's transport infrastructure in preparation for 2010.

The lane, which will stretch along the N2 from the airport to Mowbray, will be strictly policed.

The city has a R1,9-billion grant from the provincial and national governments to improve public transport in preparation for the World Cup.

The city's integrated transport plan, the long-term vision for the city's transport system, was approved by the city council this week. The plan will now go to the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works for approval.

It includes changes to roads and interchanges and improvements to public transport such as trains, buses and taxis.

Details of the wide-ranging upgrade include:

# A single ticket system that will be accepted on buses, trains and taxis.

# The Khayelitsha/Mitchells Plain to Cape Town rail line, the Kraaifontein/Bellville to Cape Town line and the Simon's Town line will all be upgraded. The trains will be modernised, additional trains will be brought into service, tracks will be improved and stations will be upgraded.

# A rapid transit system and cycle lanes are planned for the Klipfontein corridor and Symphony Way in Belhar. There will also be a dedicated public transport corridor on Koeberg Road.

# West Coast roads will have a contra-flow system which will see outgoing lanes being switched to incoming lanes during peak morning periods, and vice-versa in the afternoons.

# Hospital Bend will be upgraded at a cost of R125-million. The work will include a pre-selection lane scheme which will allow commuters to choose the correct lane in good time, cutting back on the necessity of weaving. Tenders will go out in September and work should start by January.

# Bridges and viaducts will be built over the Black River Parkway to ease the constant traffic congestion at the Koeberg interchange between the M5 and the N1.

Eddie Chinnappen, the City of Cape Town executive director for transport, roads and stormwater, said the aim was to increase public transport use to 50% of road users and commuters by 2010.

Currently buses, taxis and trains ferry 48 percent of those coming into the city.

Ultimately, they are hoping that 57 percent of passengers will choose public transport by 2020.

Chinnappen says more people will use public transport if it is safer and cleaner.

With rail already the biggest transporter of people, a number of plans are in place to improve commuter rail travel.

lynnette.johns@inl.co.za

* This article was originally published on page 6 of The Cape Argus on July 01, 2007

The Argus

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-07-01 08:39:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Tyger Lake Listed For Award


Amdec Property Development's R120 million Tyger Lake mixed use development was one of only 14 buildings to be nominated for a SAPOA (South African Property Owners Association) property award in the of Retail Developments and Innovative Solutions category at this year's Annual SAPOA Convention.

Built into the cliff face behind it, Tyger Lake has been designed to be one of the most dominant buildings on the Tyger Falls waterfront. It features a scenic lift, a multi-volume entrance lobby and cantilevers over the lake, allowing the visitor a panoramic view of the waterfront.

The building is L-shaped and follows the curve of the Elsieskraal River. The 22 000m2 development contains 1 700m2 of office space, a 2 200m2 retail section, split into seven units, and 34 residential apartments with a penthouse level of loft apartments and loft offices. Parking for 260 vehicles has been provided on five levels with separate entrances for residential and commercial parking.

Gary Maclear, Amdec's Cape Projects Director, says that few new developments have such an unusual range of natural characteristics as those featured at Tyger Lake.

"Tyger Lake is a complete contrast to those tightly enclosed complexes with restricted views that have proliferated the northern suburbs," states Maclear, "and it is already clear that people appreciate this and really enjoy living, working and entertaining in this environment."



Source: www.property24.com

thats great news..also good because the velodrome athletics track opposite tyger lake is a world cup training venue

Source: www.property24.com

http://www.capetowndailyphoto.com/uploaded_images/_MG_3764-771060.JPG

must be noisy in winter when there is NO RAIN in cape town

What do we do with Athlone's twin towers?

By Anél Powell

The fate of the twin cooling towers of the soon-to-be decommissioned Athlone power station remains uncertain, with suggestions ranging from their demolition to restoration as a historical site. The coal-driven power station has not generated electricity since 2003.

Proposals submitted to the city in 2005 to operate the power station in a private-public partnership were not considered economically viable.

Now non-operational, the station poses significant environmental and safety risks. The city recommends it be decommissioned so the site can be re-used. This is expected to take up to five years, using external expertise, taking into consideration the proximity to the N2 and residential areas.

'Landmark of a bygone era'
John Esterhuizen, of the city's electricity services, added in a report submitted to council: "Particularly as the 2010 World Cup will occur during this period, the decommissioning needs to be done to the highest professional standards taking visual impact, safety and environment into account."

A development feasibility study will be launched for the remainder of the site and land and equipment that can be used by electricity services.

Hazardous materials, such as asbestos and coal, and live equipment are being cleared. The city is responsible for the asbestos on the site and would be held liable if staff fell ill.

"So, it is in the best interests of the city to ensure that all aspects of the stripping, removal and storage is done properly," said Esterhuizen.

Plans being mooted by the city's directorate of strategy and planning include an African cultural centre in the main turbine hall. It would be modelled on London's Tate Gallery.

Vincent Bergh of the ACDP said the power station was a "landmark of a bygone era" and recommended the structure be retained as a historical site.

John Mokoena of the ANC said the land could be put to better use if the towers were demolished.

But he said it was important council knew what assets from the station would be retained and what distributed to needy communities.

Simon Grindrod, mayoral committee member for economic development, said there was already "massive private sector interest" in the site. He said the city had received a multimillion rand offer from a cellphone company to advertise on the cooling towers.

anel.powell@inl.co.za



* This article was originally published on page 3 of The Cape Times on July 02, 2007

Cape Times

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-07-02 00:47:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1215/722403951_4da00954ba_b.jpg

The eyesore should be demolished for some asian style apartment complexes

im all for keeping it and developing a cultural centre..will post the pics soon

im all for keeping it and developing a cultural centre..will post the pics soon

I'm also for keeping them. Jut do them like ithey did in Soweto. When the Orlando eKhaya Project is done, these 2 towers will be fully utilised for bungy jumping.
http://home.hccnet.nl/nico.ouburg/19%20Soweto.jpg

Anyone got a clue where this "large tract of land is" on the outskirts of the CBD?

_____________________________________________________________________


Lehman Brothers, one of the US's biggest investment banks and asset managers, has also recently entered the fray via a joint venture with JSE-listed Madison Property Fund Managers. Though the deal hasn't yet been officially announced, a large tract of land on the outskirts of Cape Town has apparently been bought for R500m to develop a mixed-use retail, office and residential precinct comprising bulk space of at least 100 000sq m.

Full Article: http://mickson.blogspot.com/2007/07/extreme-hype-oohhhh-this-is-going-to.html

New Cape dam completed soon
July 06, 2007, 13:00

A soon-to-be-completed Berg River dam in Franschoek will substantially increase Cape Town's water supply, the city council said today.

Paul Rhode, the resource and infrastructure planning head for Cape Town's water and sanitation department, said the dam -- due to be completed in the next few weeks -- would provide an additional 81 million cubic meters of water per year.

Rhode said most of this water will be allocated to the city to enable the local authority to meet growing demand. He said an existing water supply source would be shut down between July 12 and the 28 to allow the new dam's water supply to be integrated into the regional system.

Rhode said since water demand was lower in winter, the city's available water production capacity should be adequate to meet the needs of residents during the shutdown. "Nevertheless as an extra precaution the City of Cape Town would like to urge residents to use water sparingly," said Rhode.

He suggested residents contact the water and sanitation technical operations centre on 0860 10 30 54 for further advice on how to save water. - Sapa

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/Athlonepowerstation.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/athlone.jpg
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why fuck around with it, just demolish and sell for a mixed use zone and transport hub. Its an eyesore and CT should be looking foward not back

Is this the way to balance budgets and promote tourism? I thought the article was too pertinent not to post. This is like shooting yourself in the foot on top of high prices.

COMMENT: A very bad idea: Steal from tourists and give to the province

IMAGINE. You are holding the moneybag for a South African province. No matter how hard you juggle the numbers for the 2007-08 fiscal year, you are going to incur a deficit of about R90m.


What do you do?


Well, it so happens that tourism is the other half of your portfolio. It doesn’t take you long to realise that with some finger-in-the-dyke manoeuvres you can steal from the rich tourists to pay the poor province.


Your boffins get to work and come back with some pretty exciting numbers: R97m. You pat yourself on the back for solving the problem, with a few mil to spare, without even leaving your office.


A fairy tale? Think again. It’s happening right now in Western Cape, where the finance and tourism minister, Lynne Brown, is seriously considering instituting a tourism tax.


Brown has pulled in Stellenbosch University’s Bureau of Economic Research to look at how the shortfall could be raised. And — if they and Harry Malila, head of public finance for the provincial treasury — are to be believed, the tax will most likely be added to airfares in and out of Cape Town — à5 (call it R50) each way for domestic tourists and à16 (R160) each way for international visitors.


Preposterous? Not ’alf.


While it is no secret that Cape Town drives tourism in the entire province — and where the international market is concerned, the entire country — the fact that the Mother City is battling a negative image in overseas travel circles is firmly in the closet.


Embarrassingly, Cape Town is widely considered to be the rip-off capital of Africa. Just check out the chat rooms and blogosphere to find out what people think of the land of the overpriced sandwich.


If the minister has her way (in the nicest sense of the word) then she will effectively have her way (in the not so nice sense of the word) with tourists to her province, and seriously jeopardise all hope of sustainable development in SA’s tourism industry.


The planned tax will be up for approval in 2008-09, with implementation mooted for (wait for it) 2010!

Talk about an own goal.


Sharon van Wyk is a freelance travel writer.

http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/TarkArticle.aspx?ID=2880735

why fuck around with it, just demolish and sell for a mixed use zone and transport hub. Its an eyesore and CT should be looking foward not back

My point exactly. We are too much in preserving all sorts of useless crap, instead of doing something new. Theres absolutely nothing attractive to an old coal power station.

I am all for demolition. This area smells like shit too (wonder what it is) so while they are at this, they could do us a favor by sorting out whatever that smell is.

I am all for demolition. This area smells like shit too (wonder what it is) so while they are at this, they could do us a favor by sorting out whatever that smell is.

its not the towers that cause the smelly smell. its the water treatment plant across the road.

i say keep the towers for advertizing, and make the entire area available for redevelopment, dedicate areas for commercial, residential, recreational space etc. and let the biggest boldest developer with the best idea transform the area.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1124/762723548_324d959f84_o.jpg

why you wanna keep the Towers for advertising? As it stands you guys got so much going for you, I mean 1) It whacks you slap bang in the face...... the mountain, then you got the peaks, Robben Island, etc... Do you really need cooling towers?

I still agree with Giles, Bash'em down

If everyone reasoned like this the Tate modern would never exist and every city would eventually become a bland tribute to the present.

Transnet extends deadline for prospective Blue Train buyers

Transnet puts luxury Blue Train up for sale
By: Liezel Hill
Published: 10 Jul 07 - 10:33
State-owned transport group Transnet has extended the cut-off date for the submission of expressions of interest for its luxury Blue Train service, it said in an advertisement in Business Day on Tuesday.

The group said in April that it had put its so-called ‘hotel-on-wheels’ up for sale, as part of an ongoing drive to sell off noncore businesses.

Transnet will sell both sets of the Blue Train, which accommodate a total of 150 guests.

The group, which is being restructured into a focused freight and logistics business, has already disposed of several large assets, including its holding in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, and CEO Maria Ramos indicated last month that Transnet planned to sell the Carlton Centre building, in downtown Johannesburg.

The deadline for the submission of expressions of interest for the Blue Train has been moved to 12h00 on July 20, while the August 3 deadline for the submission of nonbinding bids by qualifying potential investors remains unchanged, Transnet said.

The Times - London

May 25, 2007

The regeneration of the centre of Cape Town has cleared the way for daring investors, reports Gordon Miller

SET against the backdrop of the summit of Table Mountain, Cape Town is an iconic city. Below its 3,562ft pinnacle, the vibrant central district, busy bay and V&A waterfront are testimony to a city that has been rejuvenated since the turn of the millennium.

“More than R15 billion (£1.07 billion) has been invested in Cape Town since 2000,” says Andrew Boraine, chief executive of the Cape Town Partnership, an organisation that is charged with leading the process of urban regeneration in the city. “The city introduced a ‘clean and safe’ model that has helped to reduce crime in the Central Business District (CBD) by 90 per cent in the past seven years.”

The result of the initiative is a central district in which 11 hotels have opened in the past five years, office vacancy is down to 4 per cent (10 per cent is the average for international cities) and property prices have doubled in three years.

“Cape Town is in its infancy,” says Frank Gormley, the chairman of Eurocape, a developer in the CBD. “I said three years ago that the city’s property market hadn’t begun – it has now. Capital growth has been 35 per cent per annum for the past three years in Cape Town. Over the next five years, I predict prices will rise by around 20 per cent a year.”

Gormley’s confidence is based on factors that include an hotel room occupancy rate of 90 per cent, the conference centre being booked for the next five years, the emergence of the country’s black middle class and property prices still being very reasonable – around £1,000 per sq m in the CBD. The biggest boost for Cape Town and the country as a whole, however, is the hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

“The opportunity is huge,” Gormley says. “The World Cup will put the place on a world stage – but there remains much to do, too. The infrastructure is poor and there’s a lack of work skills among the black population. Importantly, there’s a tremendous desire to learn, and increasingly an educated and growing black middle class.”

Anecdotally (no records are kept), approximately 25 per cent of the black population own their own property. Ronald Enik, chief operating officer of the Pam Golding Property Group, a firm of estate agents, says: “Ownership of homes by black people in Johannesburg’s affluent northern suburbs has increased by 700 per cent in the past five years. The black middle class now accounts for more than 20 per cent of Pam Golding Properties’ business – up from 7 per cent in 1998.”

The impact is that house prices are growing quickest at the lower end of the market. Prices of “affordable” houses grew 21 per cent in 2005 and 10 per cent in 2006. “Mid-sector” house prices increased by 18.7 per cent in 2005 and by 10 per cent last year. In the luxury sector, prices grew by 4.6 per cent in 2005 and 5.9 per cent in 2006.

A stable economy, too, is assisting home ownership growth. Earlier this year inflation slowed to a seven-month low of 4.9 per cent year-on-year, GDP growth has averaged 4.1 per cent a year since 2000 (5 per cent in 2006), and variable interest rates are at their lowest since the 1980s, currently 12.5 per cent.

The average price of a medium-sized 141-220 sq m “middle segment” house nationally is approximately R825,000. With the average UK property costing £192,223, according to Halifax, and sterling strong against the rand (£1=R14), British buyers will find their pound goes far in Cape Town.

Eleven apartments of 180 built remain for sale at the stylish Mandela Rhodes Place, a courtyard atrium with restaurants, winery and boutiques. Prices start at R1.8 million, an increase of £40,000 since the off-plan price of late 2005. A rental pool is in operation, offering a two-year guaranteed rental income of 8 per cent gross.

But Cape Town is not all about new buildings. Heading towards Table Mountain, away from the CBD, a mix of Dutch gabled and Belle Epoque buildings with verandas mingle to create a bohemian feel. Property for sale includes a renovated semidetached, three-bedroom house on a cobbled street in historic Bo Kaap. The price is R1.48 million through the agents Seeff.

If the idea of owning a freehold fraction of an apartment in Cape Town appeal, StoneBridge’s Cape Royale venture could be worth exploring. It is set on the V&A Waterfront and prices start at R456,000; owners buy a thirteenth fractional share of an apartment with 28 days of use each year.

Mandela Rhodes Place, Eurocape 00 27 21 426 4759 www.eurocape.co.za Seeff 00 27 21 423 9146 www.seeff.com StoneBridge 00 27 21 913 8393 www.stonebridgelg.com

FACTFILE

Only one per cent of property in South Africa is owned by foreigners.

Foreign buyers may obtain a mortgage for a maximum of 50 per cent of a property’s purchase price. The 50 per cent deposit must be funded personally.

Almost all freestanding houses are owned freehold.

Buying off-plan direct from the developers means no transfer duty is applicable; otherwise the levy is 5-8 per cent of the property purchase price.

that reminds me.forgot to post the 2010 public transport review for cape town

Travel and Leisure 2007

Top 5 Cities Africa and the Middle East

Rank 2006 Name Score
1 1 Cape Town 84.12
2 2 Beirut 83.75
3 3 Jerusalem 83.59
4 4 Marrakesh 78.43
5 5 Fez, Morocco 78.27

Cape Town holds on to top 10 position

Top 10 Cities Overall
Rank 2006 Name Score
1 1 Florence 86.90
2 7 Buenos Aires 86.75
3 3 Bangkok 86.56
4 2 Rome 86.30
5 4 Sydney 86.27
6 8 New York 85.36
7 n/a Udaipur, India 85.12
8 n/a Istanbul 84.78
9 10 San Francisco 84.60
10 6 Cape Town 84.12

Cape Grace jumps 32 spots!!!
Table Bay and Mount Nelson announce their entry into world's top 100 hotels!

Top 100 Hotels Overall
Rank 2006 Name Score
1 3 Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India 94.36
2 1 Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger National Park, South Africa
*Formerly Singita Private Game Reserve, Africa 94.30
3 9 The Oriental, Bangkok 94.23
4 48 Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet, Turkey 93.55
5 n/a The Milestone, London 93.06
6 n/a Relais Il Falconiere, Cortona, Italy 92.97
7 97 Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sands, South Africa 92.81
8 n/a Mandarin Oriental, Munich 92.73
9 12 Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii 92.65
10 54 Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India 92.56
11 6 Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India 92.50
12 4 The Peninsula, Bangkok 92.41
13 18 Château Les Crayères, Reims, France 92.39
14 n/a Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort, Antigua 92.24
15 14 Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest 92.15
16 24 Mombo Camp, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana 92.08
17 74 Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge, Gold Beach, Oregon 92.05
18 n/a Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza 92.00
19 11 Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand 91.90
20 52 Cape Grace, Cape Town 91.52
21 32 MalaMala Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa 91.38
22 27 Ladera, St. Lucia 91.34
23 28 La Casa Que Canta, Zihuatanejo, Mexico 91.28
24 35 Kichwa Tembo, Masai Mara, Kenya 91.25
25 n/a Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy 91.18
26 n/a Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania 91.11
27 n/a Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, South Carolina 91.09
28 43 Four Seasons Hotel, Prague 91.07
29 69 Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris 91.05
30 n/a Four Seasons Hotel, Amman, Jordan 90.95
31 n/a 41, London 90.68
32 n/a Post Hotel & Spa, Lake Louise, Alberta 90.61
33 n/a Ritz-Carlton, Millenia, Singapore 90.59
34 n/a The Strand, Yangon, Burma 90.56
35 n/a Sweetwaters Tented Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya 90.50
36 n/a Blantyre, Lenox, Massachusetts 90.43
37 20 The Peninsula, Hong Kong 90.37
38 19 Halekulani, Honolulu, Oahu 90.29
39 n/a Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sands, South Africa 90.19
40 60 Raffles Hotel, Singapore 90.15
41 n/a Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence 90.14
42 78 Four Seasons Hotel, Buenos Aires 90.12
43 n/a Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina 90.07
44 n/a Tortilis Camp, Amboseli National Park, Kenya 90.00
45 57 The Peninsula, Beverly Hills 89.99
46 n/a Four Seasons Hotel, Bangkok 89.93
47 39 Kirawira Luxury Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 89.92
48 n/a Mara Safari Club, Masai Mara, Kenya 89.87
49 n/a Jamaica Inn, Ocho Rios, Jamaica 89.78
50 91 Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea 89.72
51 n/a Esperanza, Los Cabos, Mexico 89.68
52 n/a Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole, Italy 89.64
53 n/a Planters Inn, Charleston, South Carolina 89.64
54 n/a Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, California 89.63
55 37 Four Seasons Resort, Jackson Hole, Wyoming 89.50
56 n/a Jao Camp, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana 89.47
57 n/a Hôtel d'Europe, Avignon, France 89.42
58 38 Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand 89.38
59 n/a Château de la Chèvre d’Or, Èze Village, France 89.35
60 44 Four Seasons Resort Lanai, The Lodge at Koele 89.29
61 n/a Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town 89.23
62 n/a Hôtel Hermitage, Monte Carlo 89.14
63 n/a Madrona Manor, Healdsburg, California 89.09
64 n/a La Bastide de Moustiers, Moustiers-Ste.-Marie, France 89.04
65 n/a Domaine des Hauts de Loire, Onzain, France 89.00
65 n/a Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek, South Africa 89.00
67 n/a Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes, France 88.89
68 25 Ritz-Carlton, Santiago, Chile 88.86
69 n/a Malliouhana Hotel & Spa, Anguilla 88.86
70 n/a Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay
*Formerly Manele Bay Hotel, Lanai 88.86
71 5 Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay 88.83
72 n/a Il San Pietro, Positano, Italy 88.82
73 n/a Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France, St. Bart’s 88.81
74 n/a Eden Rock, St. Bart’s 88.70
75 n/a The Westcliff, Johannesburg 88.68
76 82 Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee 88.62
77 n/a Fullerton Hotel, Singapore 88.61
78 n/a Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul 88.60
79 n/a Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei 88.59
80 n/a Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland 88.57
80 n/a Willows Lodge, Woodinville, Washington 88.57
82 10 Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India 88.55
83 n/a Horned Dorset Primavera, Rincón, Puerto Rico 88.54
84 n/a Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City 88.52
85 34 Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong 88.50
86 59 The Peninsula, Chicago 88.38
87 n/a Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley, California 88.37
88 100 One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico 88.32
89 n/a Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok 88.28
90 29 Hotel Villa Cipriani, Asolo, Italy 88.27
91 51 Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore 88.24
92 n/a Hotel Hassler, Rome 88.18
93 n/a Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Scotland 88.18
94 n/a Katikies Hotel, Santorini, Greece 88.17
95 n/a Ritz-Carlton, Berlin 88.17
96 n/a Four Seasons Resort, Nevis 88.10
97 n/a Four Seasons Hotel, Shanghai 88.08
98 63 Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago 88.03
99 n/a Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town 87.94
100 n/a Gravetye Manor Hotel, West Sussex, England 87.92

I found this article about the sacking of a municipal manager who was appointed by the ANC when it controlled Drakenstein (Paarl) municipality until two months ago when the DA and ID took control of the town. This article is interesting as it reminds me of former Cape Town city manager Dr. Wallace Mgoki who was sacked by the DA-lead coalition after it took power when it emerged that there were illegal contracts and reports of maladministration while he was the city manager under former ANC mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo. Now the same thing is happening in Drakenstein.

Skwatsha defends axed official

July 11 2007 at 05:55PM

By Lenore Oliver

The African National Congress has accused the multiparty Drakenstein municipality of a "witch-hunt" and labelled the suspension of Paarl municipal manager Sidima Kabanyane as a "thinly veiled attack on transformation".

ANC provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha said that allegations contained in Kabanyane's letter of suspension were "downright dishonest, spurious and flimsy".

Some of the allegations refer to the "failure to finalise organisational structure", which Skwatsha said arose directly out of the inability of the mayoral committee to agree on a management top structure because of the Independent Democrat's "insistence on a so-called 50/50 representation for Independent Democrats supported candidates, for senior positions".



'It is shocking fabrication for Mr Kabanyane to be blamed'
"It is a matter of public record that the council appointed a multi-party committee to break the impasse.

"This committee secured the services of the University of Stellenbosch to assist in the finalisation of the top structure and this process has not been finalised because that institution has not yet completed its recommendations.

"It is shocking fabrication for Mr Kabanyane to be blamed," said Skwatsha.

He also criticised an allegation that Kabanyane had "failed to implement a statutory complaint (sic) performance management system".

Skwatsha said: "It is a matter of public record that a council decision records the submission date for this process as the end of July.

'This was a policy that nearly destroyed local government in the Western Cape'
"The suspension and retrenchment, which will inevitably follow, fit the same pattern pursued in other municipalities, Stellenbosch and Cape Town included."

He said the developments supported the ANC's conviction that the Democratic Alliance was committed to a strategy of enclave politics in this province.

"Spurious and unproven allegations of corruption and malpractice, which drag the names of black professionals through the mud, are used as a basis for driving them out and at huge cost to ratepayers," he said.

Skwatsha said there was mounting evidence that secret agreements underpinned the arrangements between the DA, ID and other minority parties.

"These agreements include commitments to make cosy appointments to senior positions in these councils," he said.

The DA's Robin Carlisle hit back and said there was no truth in Skwatsha's allegations of a witchhunt.

"It is outrageous that the ANC accuses the DA and its partners of arranging cosy appointments. Not only is this untrue, but this was exactly the policy the ANC implemented until 2006 when we kicked them out."

He said the ANC had "very often made such appointments without regard to merit, and as had been proven, on the basis of unlawful contracts".

"This was a policy that nearly destroyed local government in the Western Cape," Carlisle said.

A statement from the municipality said "there was no alternative but to temporarily suspend Kabanyane from all his duties, pending an investigation into his competence as municipal manager".

Acting mayor Wilhelm Nothnagel said on Tuesday he had no further comment to make.

Sakkie Jenner, the ID's Western Cape leader said Nothnagel was left with no choice but to suspend Kabanyane.

"The relationship with the municipal manager and the new political regime was one of complete mistrust and contra the public interest" said Jenner.

"When information was requested from the office of the municipal manager, it was either not forthcoming or it was filtered in an unacceptable manner by the municipal manager who deemed it fit to among others express opinions on the legality of abnormal administrative practices pertaining to the sudden extension of employment contracts for political support staff."

Jenner said the ANC continuously accuses the ID of a 50/50 split in the appointment of senior staff at municipalities where they are in control.

"Whereas the reality of the matter is that the ANC is appointing its comrades without experience in 100 percent of the senior positions in the municipalities it controls, often without the necessary expertise and all in the name of transformation irrespective the effect on service delivery.

"This among others is one of the reasons why the Western Cape electorate is turning its back on the ANC," said Jenner.



This article was originally published on page 9 of Cape Argus on July 11, 2007

Operator Appointed For Ct Venue

Hotel operator Three Cities has recently been appointed to manage the Mandela Rhodes Place Apartment Hotel and Conference Centre.

This comes after a lengthy assessment process to find the operator best suited to manage and optimize the vibrant lifestyle centre – home to some of the City Centre's most luxurious apartments - in the local and international arena.

Due to the amazing resurgence in activity and growth in the Cape Town city centre, Eurocape, the developers of the R1-billion Mandela Rhodes Place, have decided to commit a further R20 million to the hotel, leisure and meeting facilities of the development. This will include new conference facilities and dining areas, and increasing the available accommodation to 150 beds – providing a major city apartment hotel on par with the best anywhere.

"We are thrilled to have Three Cities on board and are confident that their excellent credentials and success rate will provide a further vote of confidence in the city centre as a preferred destination to work, stay and play," says Derek Bock, Chief Operations Officer of Eurocape.

As one of the foremost hospitality marketing and management companies in the country, Three Cities represents approximately 40 hotels, game lodges, resorts and luxury boutique hotels situated in South and Southern Africa. This includes choice destinations like Victoria Falls, uShaka Marine World, Imbali Safari Lodges and Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa.

Alan Vels, CEO of Three Cities stated that Mandela Rhodes Place fits into the group's existing collection of four and five star properties superbly.


Source: www.property24.com

12 July 2007

CITY TO EVALUATE BIDS TO RUN GREEN POINT STADIUM


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 260/2007
12 JULY 2007



CITY TO EVALUATE BIDS TO RUN GREEN POINT STADIUM

Three tenders, involving seven business entities, have been submitted to the City of Cape Town to run the Green Point stadium and Common after the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Tenders closed on 10 July 2007. Mike Marsden, Executive Director for Service Delivery Integration, said that 29 tender documents were drawn and 3 tenders were received. Some of the tenders constituted combined offers. ‘Quality matters more than quantity’, he said.

Earlier this year, Investec stepped in to underwrite a R185 million funding shortfall on the Stadium. The group had calculated the projected net present-day discounted income from the stadium as being able to cover the shortfall.

“The City’s procurement committee will now verify the bids to see if they comply with tender specifications. This would be followed by a bid evaluation committee hearing to analyse and evalute bids,” says Marsden.

The next step would be an open sitting of the bid adjudication committee for the award. The process is expected to be completed within the next month.

According to Marsden, there was one tender from a single company, another involving two companies, and a third that was a joint venture between four companies.

“Council is not yet in a position to divulge the names or details of the proposals.

“This tender is different from others in that it will not be evaluated on a final contract price. Amongst other adjudication criteria the evaluation will consider how much the city would be paid for the use of the stadium after 2010 when the top tier of seating would be removed, reverting to a 55 000 seater multi-purpose stadium from its initial 68 000 capacity.

“It is envisaged that the Operator will fit the Stadium out to meet his needs. The seating removed after the World Cup could for instance be replaced by Executive Suites to improve the commercial return on the Stadium

“The tender is also expected to address the potential income to be generated for the upkeep of the Green Point Common,” says Marsden.

The Council has committed R120 million for redeveloping the Common as part of the 2010 project. After an extensive public participation process the City is awaiting final approval from MEC Tasneem Essop before commencing the detailed design and redevelopment of the Common.

By Barry Bateman

"The time for planning has come and gone; now it is time for implementation."

This was the message from speakers at the Transportation and 2010 Soccer World Cup symposium on Thursday.

The symposium brought to an end the four-day Southern African Transport Conference held at the CSIR International Convention Centre and attended by about 700 delegates.

'We are under pressure, but we are on track'
Lusanda Madikizela, of the department of transport's 2010 transport projects co-ordination unit, said the time for "planning has come and gone; now it is time for implementation".

She said the Public Transport Infrastructure and Systems (PTIS) budget for 2007/08 was R1,8-billion, but would only be transferred to the host cities if they performed well. "The Treasury is going to be strict and will only give to those cities that spend."




She said that in the budget, forecast until 2010, R2,34-billion had been set aside for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects and buses, and R65-million for capacity building. Tshwane will receive R694-million.

Earlier this week, the Tshwane Rapid Transit, a R1,9-billion BRT project, was unveiled at the conference. It will link Mabopane to Mamelodi via the city centre and Loftus Versfeld.

Dennis Baloyi, general manager of the transport development division in the Tshwane Metro Council, said R220-million would be made available from the PTIS fund for several projects in Hatfield.

Some of those include access improvements to Loftus Versfeld, a pedestrian link at Loftus Station between the University of Pretoria campus and the stadium, dedicated pedestrian walkways and park-and-ride facilities.

Nthabiseng Khunou, of the parliamentary transport committee, said all the plans needed to be implemented soon because there were less than three years left until the event. "We are under pressure, but we are on track."

She said most cities were on schedule, but Polokwane and Rustenburg had shown little progress. They had capacity problems that needed to be solved.

She said teams of expert officials would be deployed to help at these two cities and others where there were problems.

Skhumbuzo Macozoma, the Local Organising Committee's head of transport and infrastructure, said that in past World Cup tournaments, the business of the sport, building a fan base and competition infrastructure were the three pillars for Fifa.

But South Africa added social legacy as a fourth priority, which was endorsed by Fifa. "South Africa should congratulate itself; we have made a huge contribution to world football.

"Public transport will be the legacy for this country."

Macozoma said the transport strategy would ensure the provision of a high-quality transport service that met expectations.

Cape Town is under construction

By Lynnette Johns

Cape Town will soon resemble a massive construction site as work begins on projects worth R10 billion, most of which are expected to be completed before 2010.

Public transport is the big winner, with the city, the province and national government spending R6.5bn. This includes the taxi and bus recapitalisation programmes.

Work will be spread over the next three years, and some of the projects have already started.

The airport is undergoing a R1.3bn facelift with the building of a new terminal. Another R410 million will be spent on the rail link between the airport and the CBD.

Work on the Klipfontein Corridor is set to start in the next few months, with R190m spent on reconfiguring the road to accommodate permanent bus and bicycle lanes.

Final touches are being made to the public transport lane on the N2, which will open within weeks. A similar lane will be created on the N1.

Construction of viaducts over the N1, which will ease traffic congestion at the Koeberg interchange, will start in January.

Work on the railways has already begun, with Metrorail committing R1.2bn to upgrading infrastructure, refurbishing coaches and buying new trains.

An additional 4.5km of rail is being constructed in Khayelitsha, at a cost of more than R400m.

The N2 Gateway project will see a further injection of R750m.

The Conradie Hospital site, already sold for R90m, will be developed into 1 500 affordable housing units.

The bulk of the money will be set aside for a primary health-care upgrade, while R5m will be used for a low-cost housing development.

Cape Town station will get a much needed R95m upgrade, and work is already under way on the R3bn Green Point Stadium.

A total of R11m will be spent on fan parks across the province.

The successful Cape Town International Convention Centre will be extended to the Customs House at a cost of R800m. Negotiations with the department of public works are in the final stages, says deputy director general in the department of the premier, Laurine Platzky.

Plans for a hotel next to the extension are also being considered.

Private sector investment includes a R1.2bn upgrade of the Waterfront. And a massive gap housing project between Macassar and the Strand is in the pipeline.

Construction of six new hotels is expected to start within months.

The Klipfontein Corridor will be the spine of public transport in the city, running from Gugulethu, through Athlone and ending in Mowbray.

Once complete, commuters will be able to use rapid transit buses, which will travel in dedicated public-transport lanes. There will also be dedicated bicycles lanes.

The city council's 2010 spokesman, Pieter Cronje, said: "By harnessing the funds made available nationally for 2010-related facilities, including a new stadium, transport and other upgrades, the city expects post-2010 Cape Town to be a more desirable destination for leisure and business travellers, investors, and of course, its residents.

"This will be the lasting legacy of hosting the event."

Once the infrastructure is in place, the government will focus on getting more people to use public transport, which the authorities say will be safer, cleaner, more comfortable and cheaper than using private vehicles.

Premier Ebrahim Rasool said the massive infrastructure programme was an "opportunity to accelerate key development investments that can be used in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment.

"For ordinary citizens this investment should result in employment in the construction, leisure, transport, tourism and service sectors."

Published on the web by Cape Argus on July 15, 2007.

that article is a bit all over the place. where did she buy her degree or diploma? dribs and drabs of research.

CAPE TOWN IS THE WORLD’S BEST CITY IN AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST REGION


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 264/2007
16 JULY 2007



CAPE TOWN IS THE WORLD’S BEST CITY IN AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST REGION

Cape Town has once again been ranked the best city in the Africa and Middle East region by the prestigious Travel & Magazine in New York, USA.

In the "Best City in the World" category, Cape Town was ranked tenth overall and scored only 2.78 points less than Florence which was ranked as the top city.

Travel + Leisure, published monthly by American Express Publishing Corporation, has a circulation of almost one million. The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2007 winners will be honoured at an awards ceremony at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City on 23 July.

Councillor Simon Grindrod, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Social Development and Tourism was encouraged by Cape Town’s performance. “Our vision for Cape Town is to be a world class city not only for all our citizens but also as a tourist destination. To achieve this we must strive to improve every aspect of what Cape Town has to offer. Awards lead to more tourists and thus have a direct and positive effect on job creation and growth in the economy for the residents of Cape Town.”

Mansoor Mohamed, the City’s Executive Director for Economic, Social Development and Tourism, says it is important to note that Cape Town has beaten some very popular Middle Eastern and European destinations, including Dubai and Paris. This illustrates that Cape Town’s strengths are the natural beauty and arts/cultural diversity. Natural beauty and cultural diversity were key criteria used in the survey. Other criteria included cuisine and value for money.

Cape Town has been rated as number one in the region, Africa and the Middle East and in the top world’s 10 best tourist destination cities since 2004.


END

ISSUED BY:
DIRECTORATE: COMMUNICATION
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400-2201

allAfrica.com


FIFA Delegation Descends on Cape Town

BuaNews (Tshwane)
NEWS
17 July 2007
Posted to the web 17 July 2007

By Themba Gadebe
Cape Town

A FIFA delegation is expected to arrive in Cape Town this afternoon, ahead of the soccer spectacle to be held in celebration of former President Nelson Mandela's 89th birthday on Wednesday.

The delegation, led by Acting President Jack Warner, will grace the Newlands stadium on Wednesday to witness a soccer match featuring some of the finest former football legends from both the African continent and the rest of the world.

The players include multi-African footballer of the year winner, Samuel Eto, retired Bafana Bafana Captain, Lucas Radebe, former Zambian International Kalushwa Bwalya, Doctor Khumalo and Philemon Masinga, whose only goal gave Bafana a ticket to participate in the 1998 World Cup for the first time.

As part of the festivities to mark the 89th birthday of Mr Mandela, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will confer honorary membership status on the Makana Football Association (FA).

The association was formed by a group of political prisoners held on Robben Island during the apartheid era.

While in confinement on the island, political prisoners played organised football matches as members of the Makana FA, adhering strictly to the FIFA statutes.

"They are a strong symbol of FIFA's fight to eradicate racism and all forms of discrimination from football and sport, and it is only fitting that their efforts be recognised with this honorary membership," said Mr Blatter in a statement.

The event will also underline the commitment of the former inmates of Robben Island, who used the power of football as an instrument of resistance against the apartheid regime.

"We are happy that the game and FIFA's conferring of honorary membership status on the Makana FA will be recognition of the contribution of the freedom fighters led by Nelson Mandela on Robben Island.

"Those political prisoners defied the apartheid rules, but adhered strictly to FIFA's rules on the island," said Tokyo Sexwale, a high commissioner of FIFA's "Say No to Racism" campaign.

Mr Sexwale is also a former Robben Island political prisoner himself.

The event on Robben Island precedes the star-studded "90 Minutes for Mandela" game between the Africa XI and the Rest of the World XI at the Newlands Stadium with kick-off time set at 8pm.

Tickets for the game are available at Computicket and are priced at R30 for general admission, R50 for grandstand seats and R120 for suite tickets.

The proceeds of the match are earmarked for social programmes including Mr Mandela's "46664" global HIV and AIDS campaign.

During the game, players will feature Mr Mandela's "46664" prison number on their football jerseys to indicate their support for the awareness campaign to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.

"FIFA's tribute to a great leader who symbolises humanity's ability to triumph over adversity, injustice and discrimination is very timely. In a divided world, sport can play a critical role in overcoming divisions between people.

"During their incarceration on Robben Island, sport, and the beautiful game of football in particular, kept the prisoners physically, mentally and spiritually fit and able to continue their heroic struggle for equality and freedom," said Achmat Dangor, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The delegation arriving this afternoon also includes South Africa's 2010 Local Organising Committee's Chief Executive Officer, Danny Jordaan who is on a chartered flight.

Mr Jordaan said the all-star game at Newlands was "a celebration of the life of one of the great African icons".

"As we move towards preparing for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday in recognition of his personal contribution and sacrifices to help South Africa and Africa host its first World Cup, and this event demonstrates the values and importance of the game of football as a vehicle of hope."

Copyright © 2007 BuaNews. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

another conference related to 2010 being hosted by the CTICC. Who knows when they'll announce the media centre host city!?


____________________________________________________________________

SAACI conference seeks simple solutions

‘Great thinking – simple solutions' is the theme of the national conference of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) that will take place at the Arabella Sheraton Hotel in Cape Town, 22 – 25 July 2007.

Conference chairman Keith Garnet Millar says the conference will address topics that are relevant to everyone in the meetings and events industry, seeking simple solutions to challenges faced and problems encountered. “Among others, it will focus on business opportunities posed by the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, social investment and implementing black economic empowerment.”

International rankings

Last year alone, 64 international congresses were held in South Africa, which saw us moving up to 31st place on the international rankings. Conference delegates are ranked among tourism's bigger spenders. New statistics show that at least 40% of the delegates who fly to South Africa for a three or four day conference are so impressed by the experience that they return on holiday with their families and friends. An estimated 8% come back to start businesses and to buy holiday homes.

“We need to keep abreast of the changes in our industry” explains Keith Burton, head of the Conference Secretariat for SAAC). “The annual conference gives us a chance to network, to meet service providers, stakeholders and government representatives. It's also a chance to be educated about best practices in our industry.”

Delegates will be welcomed by Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool, where after keynote speaker Marthinus van Schalkwyk, minister of environmental affairs and tourism, will address the conference on the challenges faced by the tourism industry. The conference will also see the launch of Young SAACI, a mentorship initiative aimed at launching young talent in the industry, being run in co-operation with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Compare to rest of world

Alec Gilbert, chief executive of the Adelaide Convention Centre, will compare South Africa's conference industry to the rest of the world.

A plenary session entitled ‘South Africa's capacity to handle mega-events and the benefits to all' will be chaired by Dirk Elzinga, chief executive of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, while Tim Modise of FIFA 2010 Communications will chair a session entitled ‘Business opportunities for us all – 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup South Africa.'

Other key speakers include Guy Bigwood, group CSI Director of MCI, one of the world's foremost conference organising companies, and Brian MacDonald of Global Conferences, widely recognised as the father of the international conferencing industry in South Africa.

Breakaway sessions dealing with specific day-to-day issues faced by the industry – such as boosting conference attendance and revenue, yield management and block bookings, as well as websites as the backbone for events – will give delegates practical, real take-home value.

Garnet Millar says the conference industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in South Africa, with committed professionals who can help their organisations grow through their expertise. “The SAACI conference is the ideal vehicle to do so.”

Annual presentation and AGM

The programme will include the annual SAACI awards presentation and the association's AGM.

In recognition of the important role that conferencing plays in South African tourism, SAACI 2007 is supported by both Cape Town Routes Unlimited and Johannesburg Tourism.

SAACI currently has more than 800 members and has regional committees regulating its activities. The 2008 national conference will be held in Port Elizabeth.

Go to www.saaciconf.co.za for further information.

CAPE TOWN — Cape Town has jumped to the number one long-haul tourism destination for conference groups, ahead of New York, said a survey on the meeting, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) in the UK.

The annual Trends & Spends survey, which polled delegates and organisers in the UK’s MICE sector, showed that the city had jumped to the top of the list from fourth place last year.

In addition, SA was voted second, behind the US, as favourite long-haul destination country.

The lucrative MICE industry contributes R17,4bn to SA’s economy annually, out of a total of R61bn for general tourism, show industry figures.

A total of 76768 participants were polled, including the 30 UK events agencies with the highest turnover. Of these, 16327 voted on their favoured long-haul destination.

It was in this poll that Cape Town knocked New York off its top spot as favourite destination.

Cape Town has also moved up the table of the number of nights delegates spend from ninth spot to seventh, said Calvyn Gilfellan, acting CE for Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU), the city and province’s destination marketing organisation.

Gilfellan said the poll was a useful barometer of all CTRU efforts to promote tourism as a driver of economic growth and social change.

“Our mandate is to bring more visitors here, to get them to stay longer, spend more, visit more often and visit throughout the year, not just in the summer months,” said Gilfellan.

“The exposure that the city and province get through the MICE sector ahead of the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup played an important role in achieving those objectives.”

During the 2006-07 financial year, 15 international association bids were secured for Cape Town and the Western Cape by the CTRU’s conventions and events bureau, along with its partners.

It was expected these would draw an estimated 32300 business tourists, with an economic effect of R342m, to the city between now and 2014. A further 14 bids were submitted during this period with the potential to bring an additional 16290 tourists and a further R138m to the destination up until 2021.

Apart from New York, Cape Town also beat Atlanta, Chicago, Dubai, Orlando, Toronto, San Diego, Boston and Las Vegas as favoured long-haul cities in the Trends & Spends survey.

Cape Town was yesterday again ranked the best city in the Africa and Middle East region by the US Travel & Leisure magazine.




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CITY CONGRATULATES CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE AND PRIVATE SECTOR ON INTERNATIONAL TOP


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 267/2007
18 JULY 2007



CITY CONGRATULATES CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE AND PRIVATE SECTOR ON INTERNATIONAL TOP CONFERENCE RATING

Cape Town has beaten New York to top the list of long-haul destinations favoured by UK-based events agencies, underscoring Cape Town International Convention Centre’s emergence as a convention centre of choice for conference groups.

Cape Town jumped to the top of the list from fourth place last year in the annual M&IT Trends & Spends Survey of delegates and organizers in the lucrative Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) sector in the United Kingdom.

Cape Town Mayor, Helen Zille, said “I would like to congratulate Convenco and all at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for their outstanding services. They have played a major role in making this happen. I would also like to congratulate the many private convention facilities around Cape Town for their contribution to our City’s success”.

She added that “our vision is for Cape Town to become a world class city. This achievement shows that we are well on our way. Business tourism has also been identified as a key growth area for our economy. We must continue to improve our services in this area. This is one of the ways we can continue to promote job creating economic growth that will create more opportunities for all the people of Cape Town.”

Cape Town has also once again been ranked the best city in the Africa and Middle East region by the prestigious Travel & Magazine in New York, USA.

Mansoor Mohamed, the City’s Executive Director for Economic, Social Development and Tourism, says it is important to note that Cape Town has beaten some very popular Middle Eastern and European destinations, including Dubai and Paris. This illustrates that Cape Town’s strengths are the natural beauty and arts/cultural diversity. Natural beauty and cultural diversity were key criteria used in the survey. Other criteria included cuisine and value for money.

Film industry reels off R3.5bn of SA's GDP figure


By Staff Writer

THE Western Cape film industry contributed at least R3.5 billion to South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) in the past financial year.

It also contributed R936 million to the Western Cape's gross geographic product (GGP), of which R684m went to the Cape Town GGP.

This was a key finding of a pioneering baseline study commissioned by the Cape Film Commission and conducted by Barry Standish, an economist at the UCT Graduate School of Business, and consultant Antony Boting.

The study found that the turnover of the province's film industry was about R2.65bn for the past financial year, of which more than two thirds was generated in Cape Town.

Feature films and made-for-TV productions contributed the most, followed by commercials. The film industry created at least 6 058 full-year jobs in the Western Cape - more than two thirds of those were in Cape Town - while 2 501 indirect jobs were also created.

For every R1m spent on production countrywide, about eight jobs were created. Of these, three or four were in the Western Cape and two or three in Cape Town.

The employment-intensive sectors of catering and accommodation had the most film- related indirect jobs, followed by the business services sector, the general business sector and then financial institutions and insurance services.

The machinery and equipment renting and leasing sector was fifth. These five sectors accounted for nearly 67% of all the indirect employment created from film-related business.

The study also found that at least 313 576 bed nights were generated throughout the country by the industry, and more than a third of these were in the Western Cape.

Published on the web by Cape Times on July 18, 2007. © Cape Times 2007. All rights reserved.

B]Looking towards Green Point Stadium construction site[/B]
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/4377/picture076pb1.jpg (http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture076pb1.jpg)

For more information on this breaking news development go to my posting at this link:


One&Only Hotel - Building Contract (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=14352632#post14352632)


_______

By: Irma Venter
Published: 19 Jul 07 - 11:44
Proposals are on the table for at least three other ‘Gautrains’, says Department of Transport director-general Mpumi Mpofu.
“There are similar proposals for Tshwane, and another for Durban and Cape Town.

The challenge now is to make a framework available for these and other proposals to be dealt with, assessed and approved as fast as possible,” Mpofu tells Engineering News Online.

Gautrain – a public–private partnership between Gauteng province and Bombela, a consortium consisting of international partners Bombardier, Bouygues and RATP, and local stakeholder Murray & Roberts, along with black economic-empowerment company Strategic Partners Group (SPG) – is a R25-billion rapid-rail link between Johannesburg, Tshwane, and OR Tambo International Airport.

Construction started in September 2006 and completion due in 2011.

Bombardier Transportation communications director Neil Harvey says his company believes there are indeed “many other opportunities like Gautrain available in South Africa”.

He does not want to comment on whether Bombardier has submitted any of the proposals for the other ‘Gautrains’.
He says the rail giant will always be interested in high-speed passenger rail links, light-rail projects, or more standard metro-type commuter links, whether it involves vehicle supply or maintenance only, or providing a turnkey system.
“Often, finance is a problem, but we can help arrange it.”

ill believe it when i see it

He says the rail giant will always be interested in high-speed passenger rail links, light-rail projects, or more standard metro-type commuter links, whether it involves vehicle supply or maintenance only, or providing a turnkey system.
“Often, finance is a problem, but we can help arrange it.”

I think the ones I marked in bold would be more appropriate... I mean, a mini high-speed rail network for each city... of course it would be awesome, but would it be necessary? I think South African cities should work more on light-rail projects or underground networks, linking them with an upgraded metrorail system.

well rail is the priority transport legacy of 2010, so only the airport city rail link needs an elevated rail system. then again the klipfontein corridor BRT system is probably gonna be one of the best in RSA

20 July 2007

COUNCILLOR GRINDROD PROPOSES A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR CITY FILM INDUSTRY


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 268A/2007
20 JULY 2007



* PLEASE NOTE: THIS RELEASE REPLACES NO 268/2007 ISSUED EARLIER TODAY *

COUNCILLOR GRINDROD PROPOSES A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR CITY FILM INDUSTRY

In a bold show of commitment to the film industry, Councillor Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Social Development and Tourism is proposing that the City increase its funding to the Cape Film Commission [CFC] from just under R500 000-00 for the 2006/07 financial year to R2,5 million for the 2007/2008 financial year.

“Rand for rand, investment in the film industry in Cape Town represents exceptional value for money in terms of job creation, enhanced global profile and its associated benefits. Furthermore, international studies show that Film can play a singular role in unlocking the creative potential of people living in poor areas and, in Cape Town, where years of inequity have inhibited the development of natural talent, this increased funding becomes all the more imperative”, Grindrod said.

Laurence Mitchell, Commissioner of the CFC, welcomed the City’s recognition and additional investment into the industry. “In terms of the CFC’s strategy of growth, integration and transformation this will go a long way in the promotion of Cape Town as a global film industry player and a key creative economic capital in the world. Cape Town and the Western Cape are already recognised as a top destination for film production internationally. The CFC is also implementing a strategy to satisfy the increasing demand for small and large productions leading up to, during and beyond 2010 which will require us to seriously increase capacity within the industry,” Mitchell said.

A study by Barry Standish, economist at the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) and Antony Boting, a consultant at Strategic Economic Solutions and MBA graduate of the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, found that the Western Cape film industry contributed R3.5 billion to South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2006 financial year.

The study, commissioned by the Cape Film Commission (CFC), and funded by the City of Cape Town found that the total turnover of the Western Cape film industry for the previous year was R2.65 billion of which about 77% (R2.03 billion) occurred in Cape Town.

It is estimated that the film industry created more than 6000 full time and 2500 indirect jobs in the Western Cape.

According to the research, between 7.9 and 8.2 direct and indirect jobs are created in South Africa for every R1 million spend on film production. Of these jobs, between 2.6 and 3.8 are in the Western Cape and between 2.0 and 2.9 are in Cape Town.

Furthermore, thanks to the film industry more than 300 000 bed nights were generated throughout South Africa. Of these, 250 000 bed nights were generated in the Western Cape in 2006 – this represents 10.7% of the estimated 2.36m business bed nights in the province.

ANDREW BORAINE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CAPE TOWN PARTNERSHIP

IMAGINE! CAPE TOWN CENTRAL CITY IN 2027


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Capetonians walking along the banks of the reopened Camissa River, which flows down the former Adderley Street/ the Heerengracht.
*

Cars moving underground off the Eastern Boulevard at about Searle Street, and re-emerging from the Foreshore Tunnel in Green Point, just past the new stadium.
*

The city grid now extends right down to the water’s edge, while the working harbour has shifted eastwards. All containers are now moved out of the Port of Saldahna. The Sea Point Promenade now extends to Milnerton. There is no more debate about the unfinished freeways because they no longer exist.

Some wicket ideas.Moving the harbour though will never happen

Property Magazine - July 24, 2007


Pre-2010 investment in hotels and other infrastructure in and around Cape Town’s Central City, can only boost the area’s residential sector. So says Mick Joyce, regional MD for Pam Golding Properties, following the news of yet another hotel planned for the CBD area – this one an Express by Holiday Inn, a brand owned by the prestigious InterContinental Hotels Group.


The hotel is planned for St George’s Mall and will have a 161-room capacity. It brings to at least six the number of new hotels in the planning stages or already under construction in the Central City and surrounding areas such as Green Point and Sea Point.

Mick says this growth in the area’s hotel sector is another show of confidence in the Central City, and will lead to increased visitor traffic into the West City Precinct in particular – boosting demand for a bustling nightlife with restaurants, clubs and other upmarket entertainment venues. This in turn will feed demand for the already rapidly-expanding residential sector, where numerous office-to-apartment conversions have now reached completion and are seeing their owners take occupation. ‘PGP’s new office at the top of St George’s Mall is ideally placed to service both these residents and visitors to the area,’ says Mick, ‘offering a comfortable and convenient location for them to view properties and investigate investment possibilities.’

PGP area manager and director Laurie Wener confirms this, saying agents based at this office sold a R3-million apartment in Cartwright’s Corner to a walk-in client, just days after opening their doors. The Central City team have already sold in excess of R21-million in sectional title units in the Central City this year, and Laurie points out that this figure is now virtually on a par with sales in the ever-popular City Bowl.

These figures, says Mick, are proof that the concept of Central City living has now entrenched itself and is here to stay. ‘The amount of construction either planned or already underway in the CBD,’ he says, ‘is testament to the growing status of the Central City as a vibrant and trendy place to live and play. We are confident that despite the high number of units coming on line, there is still sufficient demand to support the sector, and oversupply is not a concern. We also believe that despite the possibility of another interest rate hike to come, the Central City residential market will continue to be a sought-after investment node.’

Mick concludes that the ongoing building activity in the Central City can only have positive spin-offs for other sectors of our economy, as well as further feeding the booming construction industry, which grew more than 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2007, and which is predicted by some analysts to double in size by 2013. ‘The result is more investment in infrastructure, and more job creation,’ says Mick. ‘And as tourist awareness grows around the 2010 World Cup, visitor numbers are on the rise and flights to Cape Town are increasingly full. It is only fitting that a substantial number of these guests should base themselves in the very heart of our city, enabling them to enjoy the new vibey urban lifestyle which is taking hold.’

For more information, contact PGP’s MD for the Western Cape metro region, Mick Joyce, on +27 21 673 4200. PGP director and area manager for the Central City, Laurie Wener, can be reached on +27 82 777 0002, +27 21 439 7415 or lwener@pamgolding.co.za.


All contents © 2007 The Property Magazine™ Terms & Conditions

Im estatic with the Central City Boom but still not enough is being done to bring the GAP market to the CBD. i.e. those earning between 3k and 7k per month

Imagine Cape Town

#

#

The city grid also extends from Lower Plein and Lower Buitengracht in the East City to the Civic Centre, through the old Cape Town Station. Rail passengers arrive and depart from platforms on the lower ground level. The equivalent of 32 new city blocks have been added to the Central City, bringing much needed commercial office space, educational facilities and residential apartments for the inner city workforce.
#

The Castle, Grand Parade, Nelson Mandela Centre for Excellence and the Cultural Performance Centre at the City Hall are at the centre of public life and civic occasions. A large and popular market operates in the former Golden Arrow Bus terminus on a 24-hour basis. Even the Good Hope Centre has been upgraded into a 5,000 seat concert arena.
#

A large memorial to the victims of colonialism and apartheid now stands on the Old Station Forecourt. Further down, Jan and Maria van Riebeeck are still there, now on the banks of the Camissa River, but are juxtaposed alongside bright and colourful pieces of public art.

July 26 2007 at 05:09AM

By Karen Breytenbach

Away with Nazi sympathiser Oswald Pirow, in with world-renowned Cape Town heart surgeon Chris Barnard.

Out with Jan Smuts, prime minister of the Union of South Africa, and in with anti-apartheid attorney and former justice minister Dullah Omar.

Kromboom Road (Belgravia) should be changed to Taliep Petersen Drive, De Waal Drive (Cape Town) to Phillip Kgosana Drive and Milner Road (Sea Point) to Ingrid Jonker Street.

These are among the public proposals made to the City of Cape Town for the renaming of roads, public places, buildings and artefacts.

The public have also proposed that Bluegum Road in Bonteheuwel be renamed Ashley Kriel Road, that Coen Steytler Avenue be Walter Sisulu Avenue, that JB Hertzog Boulevard be changed to Nelson Mandela Boulevard and that Jip de Jager Street in Bellville become Dulcie September Street, after the Athlone-born activist who was murdered in exile in 1988.

The process was launched in April, and after an initial public participation process, a panel of 16 experts was appointed, which was chaired by human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie.

The others are Mohammad Abduroaf, Dan Badenhorst, Bonita Bennett, Mohamed Bayat, Albin Bowler, Judy Graham, Sharon de Gois, Valmont Edward Layne, Marietta Marx, Melvyn Minnaar, John Muir, Bulelwa Ngewana, Chris Saunders, Daniel Sleigh, Francois Verster and Thozama Yawa.

Since the closing date for the submission of proposals on May 11, the list has been whittled down from 238 proposals from 50 individuals or organisations, to just 39 proposed name changes.

The proposals were put before the mayoral committee on June 20.

The final list was opened for public comment on Wednesday with a statement from the City of Cape Town.

Advertisements are to be placed in community newspapers this week, followed by advertisements in larger newspapers at the weekend.

Convener of the renaming process, councillor Owen Kinahan, said he was pleased with the public's response to the initiative.

He said the proposals received reflected "thoughtful submissions that included pre-colonial, Dutch-colonial and liberation-era ideas as well as literary references".

"Nearly all the suggestions were for the names of people rather than events, fauna, flora and other categories which the city's policy also encouraged," he said.

Kinahan said the public had until August 22 to comment and could do so either on the council's website, or by filling in Afrikaans, English or Xhosa forms at any of the 23 sub-council offices across the city.

Forms can also be posted to Renaming, PO Box 16548, Vlaeberg, 8018, e-mailed to renaming@capetown.gov.za or faxed to 021 487 2255.

After the proposals are reviewed, the full council will take the final decision on the implementation of name changes.

Other names up for change are:

Andries Pretorius Street (Somerset West) to Orange Street (The original name was Orange Street).

Athlone Civic Centre (Athlone) to Coline Williams Civic Centre.

Castle Street (Cape Town) to Krotoa Street.

DF Malan Street (Cape Town) to David Poole Street.

First Road (Grassy Park) to Isaac Jacobs Road.

Frans Conradie Road (Goodwood) to Acre Road (This street was originally named Acre Road).

Hans Strydom Avenue (Cape Town) to Albert Luthuli Avenue.

Harrier Street (Flamingo Vlei) to Blue Crane Street (There is another Harrier Street within a radius of less than 5km, which causes confusion in the area).

Hendrik Verwoerd Drive (Panorama) to Beyers Naude Drive.

Hertzog Road (Eastridge) to Christopher Truter Road.

Jakkalsvlei Road (Bonteheuwel) to Anton Fransch Road.

Jan Smuts Drive (Simon's Town) to Fred Carneson Drive.

Lansdowne Road (Lansdowne) to Imam Haron Road.

Long Street (Mowbray) to Reverend Theo Kotze Street.

Milner Road (Scottsville) to PJ Philander Road.

Milner Road (Tamboerskloof) to Uys Krige Road.

Milner Street (Metro Industry Township) to Jan Rabie Street.

Milner Road (Observatory) to SV Petersen Street.

Milner Road (Woodstock) to Adam Small Street.

Modderdam Road (Parow Industry) to Robert Sobukwe Road.

Nico Malan Street (Park Estate) to David Rabkin Street.

NY1 (Gugulethu) Steve Biko Drive.

Otto du Plessis (Koeberg) to Ikhwezi (rising sun) Drive.

Port Road (Cape Town) to Fort Amsterdam Road.

Selwyn Road (Woodstock) to Fort Knokke Road.

The Footbridge connecting Langa and Bonteheuwel to Bonte-Langa Footbridge (a symbolic unifying gesture between two communities).

Tulbagh Avenue (Stellenryk) to Janfrederik Avenue (Janfrederik or the Cape Robin is a common bird in the area).

Vanguard Drive (Goodwood to Mitchells Plain) to Govan Mbeki Drive.

Wittebome Civic Centre (Wynberg) to Wynberg Civic Centre.

Willie van Schoor Drive (Oakdale) to Jeff Masemola Drive.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on July 26, 2007

Murray Williams

July 26 2007 at 07:54PM

The City of Cape Town has whittled down an original list of 238 proposed name changes to just 39, which includes renaming the Wittebome Civic Centre the Wynberg Civic Centre and the Athlone Civic Centre after student activist Coline Williams.

The Wittebome Civic Centre was named as such in order to separate the "coloured" side of Wynberg from the "white" part during apartheid.

Williams was a resident of Bonteheuwel who fought against apartheid education. She was killed in a bomb explosion at Athlone magistrate's court on July 23, 1989.

Councillor Owen Kinehan, who is overseeing the process, has now released the list for public comment.



'We're very, very serious about public comment'
The proposals were by no means foregone conclusions, he said. "We're very, very serious about public comment," he said this morning.

Three of the proposed new names from the panel, which is headed by Rhoda Kadalie, belong to people still alive - which appeared to go against the convention of only honouring people once they had died.

But Kinehan said using living people's names was permitted "under exceptional circumstances".

The trio's names feature in the proposals to rename JB Hertzog Boulevard Nelson Mandela Boulevard; De Waal Drive to Phillip Kgosana; and Milner Road in Woodstock to Adam Small Street.

As a young student Kgosana led a 30 000-strong march along this road to Cape Town in March 1960. Small is a struggle poet.

Among the other proposals are: Andries Pretorius Street (Somerset West) to Orange Street, the original name; Bluegum Street in Bonteheuwel to Ashley Kriel Lane; Coen Steytler Avenue to Walter Sisulu Avenue; and DF Malan Street to David Poole Street.

Poole played a role in introducing teaching methods used by the Royal Academy of Dance in England, was active in the promotion of ballet and helped marginalised communities access the arts.

Klipfontein Road, which leads to Strandfontein, is among the busiest roads in Cape Town. It is proposed that it be renamed after the late cabinet minister Dullah Omar.

The full list can be viewed on www.capetown.gov.za.

Forms with the list and space for comment can also be picked up at any of the City's 23 subcouncil offices.

Kinehan emphasised that it was not the city's job to make the ultimate decision, but the city's elected councillors.




Proposed names

Andries Pretorius Street (Somerset West) becomes Orange Street

Athlone Civic Centre (Athlone) - Coline Williams Civic Centre

Bluegum Road/Street (Bonteheuwel) - Ashley Kriel Avenue

Castle Street (city) - Krotoa Street

Coen Steytler Avenue (city) - Walter Sisulu Ave

De Waal Drive (city) - Phillip Kgosana Drive

DF Malan Street (city) - David Poole Street

First Road (Grassy Park) - Isaac Jacobs Road

Frans Conradie Road (Goodwood) - Acre Road

Hans Strydom Avenue (city) - Albert Luthuli Ave

Harrier Street (Flamingo Vlei) - Blue Crane St

Hendrik Verwoerd Drive (Panorama) - Beyers Naude Drive

Hertzog Road (Eastridge) - Christopher Truter Rd

JB Hertzog Boulevard (city) - Nelson Mandela Bvd

Jakkalsvlei Road (Bonteheuwel) - Anton Fransch Road

Jan Smuts Drive (Athlone) (Klipfontein Road to Strandfontein Road only) - Dullah Omar Drive

Jan Smuts Drive (Simon's Town) - Fred Carneson Drive

Jip de Jager Street (Bellville) - Dulcie September Street

Kromboom Rd (Belgravia) - Taliep Petersen Drive

Lansdowne Road (Lansdowne) - Imam Haron Road

Long St (Mowbray) - Reverend Theo Kotze St

Milner Road (Scottsville) - PJ Philander Road

Milner Road (Tamboerskloof) - Uys Krige Road

Milner Street (Metro Ind. Township) - Jan Rabie Street

Milner Road (Observatory) - SV Petersen Street

Milner Road (Sea Point) - Ingrid Jonker Street

Milner Road (Woodstock) - Adam Small Street

Modderdam Road (Parow Ind.) - Robert Sobukwe Road

Nico Malan Street (Park Estate) - David Rabkin Street

NY1 (Gugulethu) - Steve Biko Drive

Oswald Pirow Street (Foreshore) - Christiaan Barnard Drive

Otto du Plessis (Koeberg) - Ikhwezi Drive

Port Road (city) - Fort Amsterdam Road

Selwyn Road (Woodstock) - Fort Knokke Road

Footbridge connecting Langa and Bonteheuwel - Bonte-Langa Footbridge

Tulbagh Avenue (Stellenryk) - Jan Frederik Ave

Vanguard Drive (Goodwood to Mitchell's Plain) - Govan Mbeki Drive

Wittebome Civic Centre (Wynberg) - Wynberg Civic Centre

Willie van Schoor Drive (Oakdale) - Jeff Masemola Drive



This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Argus on July 26, 2007

Harrier Street (Flamingo Vlei) - Blue Crane St
what a waste of a change, I mean harrier st , is that offensive etc? what a waste of money. I understand if it was like, vervoed or PW botha rd and they wanted to change but a poor old harrier

Not a bad month
*Best city in Middle East and Africa
*Top 10 Travel and Leisure City
*Top of UK events ratings (MICE)
* Film investment by city increased five fold
* N2 public transport lane comes into effect
* Stadium building plans approved
* CTICC expansion gets go ahead

Cross reference fro Cape Public Transport

Jazzed-up retail zone planned for Cape Town
August 2, 2007

By Tom Robbins

Cape Town - Business and the government are investigating a major redevelopment of the run-down Cape Town Station precinct in a bid to meet growing demand for retail and office space in the central business district (CBD).

Already, the Cape Town inner city turnaround has attracted residential developments and restaurants targeted at young professionals, but they frequently prefer the up-scale shops in nearby suburbs such as Gardens.

Central City Improvement District chairman Theodore Yach said yesterday that over the past two to three years, at least 5 000 mostly higher-income residents had moved to the CBD and immediate surroundings to give a total of at least 65 000. This trend was set to continue.

Retailer Woolworths said this week that together with Old Mutual Properties, it was "investigating" redeveloping two low-rise Adderley Street Properties.

The current Woolworths clothing store includes a food section in the basement. This hardly offers convenience and longer trading hours for the target market, who live in nearby studio apartments.

While Woolworths and Old Mutual were reluctant to provide details of plans for the zone, Yach said that over the next three to five years, "a totally different retail environment will be rolled out".



Louis Karol, the chief executive of Louis Karol Architects, said there had been inquiries on the development of two R1 billion CBD skyscrapers, but he did not give details. His firm designed the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

The last high-rise built in the city was Safmarine House in 1993.

Despite the regeneration of the city, the Cape Town station has remained a hot bed for crime. The SA Rail Commuter Corporation intends to spend R100 million upgrading the station and is already improving security.

According to Woolworths, other players, including Growthpoint, which owns Golden Acre shopping centre, and Sun International, the owner of the Cape Sun hotel, were considering similar upgrades.

Andre Stadler, the managing director of Catalyst Fund Managers, said it was a natural extension to add retail and office space to existing residential apartments, as it was a global trend "to live, work and play in the same place".

But Stadler said outlying areas such as the Century City node also offered this lifestyle and those with young children might be reluctant to live in the inner city.

At present, much of the CBD's retail serves a lower segment rail commuter market through stores such as Shoprite and OK Furniture.

Harrier Street (Flamingo Vlei) - Blue Crane St
what a waste of a change, I mean harrier st , is that offensive etc? what a waste of money. I understand if it was like, vervoed or PW botha rd and they wanted to change but a poor old harrier

Apparently it is because there is another Harrier Street within 5 km from there. They want to avoid confusion...

thanks pule..highly relevant since the meeting took place yesterday.

Melanie Peters

July 15 2007 at 01:53PM

In the next decade Blaauwberg in the Western Cape could get a mega-facelift with a new pavilion, shops, restaurants and hotels, and a marina to lure the ultra-rich yachting set.

The area around Blaauwberg Marine Circle, where Blaauwberg Road meets the beach and sea, has been referred to as "the poor man's Camps Bay", with increasing signs of urban decay, general neglect of public infrastructure and facilities.

The area has become a day-and-night stomping ground for pleasure seekers, restaurant and pub patrons, and the singles crowd, with parking at a premium.

Plans for the renewal and re-development of the area have been drawn up and are in the "incubator stage".

They include turning the precinct into a self-sustainable and commercially managed "smart node" and making it the epicentre for tourism, urban entertainment, business and residential development in the metropolitan area.

Over the past three years a consortium of property specialists and consultants, working under the auspices of a company called M-G8, have investigated a broad urban renewal framework referred to as the Blaauwberg Pavilion.

Andre Engelbrecht, chief executive officer of M-G8, said: "A modern pavilion linked to a marina and the beach could be just what the poor man's Camps Bay needs."

He said the overall vision for the pavilion would be to explore the area's potential, and release parcels of land currently dominated by roads, road reserves, parking areas and leftover spaces for development as multi-functional buildings of mixed use.

"It would offer a combination of shopping, leisure, entertainment, office, residential, hospitality and lifestyle."

He added: "This property is showing rapid growth and would continue for at least the next 10 years. All this makes it a good opportunity for development within the next three to 10 years."

The pavilion will include:


Three levels of parking basements for up 7 200 vehicles.

A triple-volume pavilion-roofed rotunda over the central promotion and entertainment square surrounded by two levels of speciality, fashion and service retail malls.

A new conference centre and ocean-focused wellness centre.

A hotel and an interactive travel and tourism exhibition centre.

Promenade restaurants on a boardwalk with community facilities and amenities.

A marina and harbour precinct with hotels, holiday clubs, yacht club, ferry wharf (no hovercrafts) and private quays.

An office and residential precinct with offices and studios below with apartments and penthouses above.

He said a system of commercially operated open spaces could form public squares and boulevards linking Blaauwberg Road and Marine Drive with an "entertainment and tourist boardwalk".

The proposed pavilion would be located on the western side of Table View against the Atlantic Ocean, on the way to popular areas including Bloubergstrand and Big Bay.

"It would be directly accessed from Marine Drive and Blaauwberg Road."

He said the size and economics of the development would be able to justify and subsidise a passenger ferry service to and from the V&A. There could also be trips round or to Robben Island and Hout Bay harbour.

The modern transit lounge and wharf could be supported by about 2 300 bays of "park-and-ride" parking for city commuters, day-trippers, visitors and shoppers linked to a luxury coach and taxi interchange.

The M-G8 team has started discussions and negotiations with some of the current property owners. It has also had promising discussions with some interested national and international developers as well as investors, said Engelbrecht.

The eventual size and cost of the development has not yet been determined. Research, planning and costing exercises would be run in parallel with a broad public participation process and consultations with the City of Cape Town and the provincial administration of the Western Cape.



This article was originally published on page 13 of Sunday Argus on July 15, 2007

Hi-tech boom for Western Cape

Futurex Press Release on ITWeb
Posted: 7 August 2007

The Western Cape is enjoying a hi-tech boom, an economic fact that will make the upcoming Futurex & Equip exhibition, which is co-located with Securex - the security, safety, fire and protection exhibition, a popular attraction for exhibitors and visitors.

Organised by Exhibitions for Africa - winners of "Best Exhibition Organiser" at the Exhibition Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) 2006 Awards, the shows will be held at the Cape Town Convention Centre from 26-28 September 2007.

According to Wesgro, the Western Cape is home to approximately 10% of South Africa's population - however, it contributes almost 15% of national output and attracts more than 16% of foreign direct investment destined for South Africa.

The strength of the Western Cape, according to the development agency, lies within its people, diversified economy, modern infrastructure and ability to compete in the international arena.

"Attending the Futurex & Equip or Securex shows in Johannesburg is not always viable for Cape-based businesses," says Sandra Galbraith of organiser Exhibitions for Africa, "so we take the show to the people." The potential of the Cape market is recognised by the many Johannesburg-based companies which will be exhibiting at Futurex & Equip Cape, many as an extension of their presence at the Johannesburg show held in May.

While Gauteng is seen as the country's economic powerhouse, Galbraith points out that the Western Cape is home to many important industries such as financial services, petro-chemical, biotechnology and retail - as well as local and provincial governments and, of course, Parliament.

"All of these industries have normal office equipment, ICT and security needs," Galbraith says. Cape Town itself is rich in terms of IT infrastructure and local organisations are able to leverage this for their own hi-tech installations. The city is serviced by a fibre optic-based metropolitan area network (MAN), while international links are fed via submarine cable and satellite networks.

Cape Town is connected to Europe and the US via the SAT2 fibre optic submarine cable, and cables are currently being laid for a link to the Far East. In addition, Cape Town lies in the same time zones (GMT+2) as large parts of Europe, thus facilitating communications and eliminating jet lag for international travellers.

Adding to the hi-tech flavour in the region is a number of ICT-led initiatives. Perhaps the biggest is the business process outsourcing (BPO) boom being led by organisations like Wesgro and CallingtheCape. Between them, these two organisations are marketing Cape Town as the off-shoring destination of choice for multinational companies.

The current focus is on call centre outsourcing but moves are afoot to up the level of skills and services offered by Western Cape companies to help the region compete with other off-shoring destinations for lucrative international contracts. "One of Wesgro's key goals is to roll out call centres as a way of increasing wealth and fostering job creation in the region," Galbraith explains.

"Many companies are starting to look at South Africa, and the Western Cape in particular, as a preferred destination. In many cases, the area has been able to compete with India and win the contracts. "These moves will help to stimulate interest and implementation of computers and IT across the board."

In fact, Cape Town can already claim the title of call centre capital of South Africa, attracting as many as 75% of all BPO and off-shoring investments in the country. This includes the contact centre industry, as well as other business processes that are outsourced or off-shored, including back-office administration.

According to CallingtheCape, the increase in contact centre activity is estimated to translate into as many as 35 000 new employment opportunities in the Cape metropole. Call centres are located across the region, from the CBD to Bellville, Claremont and Century City. A total of 2 371 people now work exclusively on offshore programmes in Cape Town, up from about 100 in 2003. This accounts for more than 50% of the total offshore employees in South Africa.

Since 2004, CallingtheCape has facilitated 30 new investment deals from business giants such as Barclays, Shell, Carphone Warehouse, Budget Insurance, Lufthansa, Dialogue Group and Close Brothers. In total, these investments are worth over R500 million and account for R800 million in annual spend, 50% of which is made up of staff salaries.

The hi-tech flavour of the region is further enhanced by the strong Linux and open source software following in the Western Cape, Melville adds, with the University of Cape Town (UCT) leading a number of initiatives in this arena

"This serves to create people who are technology-aware and both willing and able to use ICT: "Of course, a lot of technology-awareness, and especially the role of open source software, is driven by the success of Mark Shuttleworth, who is, himself, a native of Cape Town."

Cape Town is also home to CITI (Cape IT Initiative) which is involved in developing an IT community and driving IT-based entrepreneurship in the region. With 7 000 members, CITI is well placed to help new companies through the difficult early years and hosts the Bandwidth Barn, a hi-tech incubator.

"All in all, Cape Town is an IT-savvy city that is looking for IT-savvy solutions," says Galbraith. With the Western Cape boasting such a diversity of business and industrial interests, Galbraith says Futurex & Equip Cape Town will offer a range of products and solutions targeting companies from SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) to big organisations.

"Just think of the number of SMMEs in the area, ranging from specialised clothing stores to boutique food offerings, from gifts to a culture of design: all of them need to keep accounts, stay in touch with their customers, build and maintain Web sites. They should all be visiting Futurex & Equip Cape Town to shop for the best technology for optimum efficiency in their businesses."

As far as big business goes, with the head offices of many retail, energy, financial services and media organisations based in Cape Town, Galbraith expects to attract a cross-section of IT decision-makers and decision-influencers to the show. Futurex & Equip, with the co-located hi-tech security show Securex, is bound to attract quality visitors from a broad range of industries. For further information and stand bookings, please contact Sandra Galbraith at Exhibitions for Africa. Tel (011) 886 3734, e-mail sandrag@exhibitafrica.co.za. Visit the Web site on www.futurexequip.co.za or pre-register.

"Sky's the limit" for South African golf tourism


Officials in South Africa need to do more to attract golf tourists, it has been suggested.

According to Larry Gould, golf writer and former marketing manager for the Fancourt hotel, the high-quality facilities in the Garden Route region could help drive golf tourists to the country.

He said: "The scope for golf tourism along the Garden Route is huge - the sky's the limit - because all of the necessary infrastructure and quality golf courses are already in place."

However, Mr Gould claimed that South Africa is set to face increasing competition from countries such as Turkey, China and Croatia as countries from across the world realise that "global golf tourism is a honey pot".

"The Garden Route has the opportunity to become a golfing destination of choice but this requires effective strategy and marketing which is not happening at present," he added.

Earlier this year, Calvyn Gilfellan, acting chief executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, claimed that golf facilities in the Western Cape area of South Africa could help make the country a "must see" for tourists in the build-up to the 2010 football World Cup.

Cape Argus

14 July, 2007 News

They were towns with just one traffic light apiece more than 20 years ago but Knysna and other southern Cape towns are set to become micro-cities within the next few years. [Full Story...]

Thanks for the great updates. Im very excited about the plans for CT.

Developers Threaten Ct's Gay Spirit - 2007/08/07


Cape Town's gay and lesbian community fear that rampant property development in the Waterkant village adjacent to the historic Bo-Kaap will change the gay-friendly face of Cape Town.

The fashionable area, known as a bastion of the gay community, with buildings dating back to 1840, has colourful and semi-detached restored houses painted in pink, green, yellow, blue and purple walls, but increased development has seen a number of gay-orientated businesses close.

Vista Kalipa, media co-ordinator of the Triangle Project, a gay advocacy group, said the area had come to symbolise a gay space in Cape Town. He said almost every cosmopolitan city in the world had what was known as a "gay village".

"Now with all the new developments in the area, certain gay establishments have had to move out of the area, which in the end is destroying that whole notion of a gay village."

Kalipa said Cape Town was a popular destination with tourists, especially during the month of the Cape Town Pride festival.

"Now it'll be sad for them to come back and be faced with new developments, which are not part of the gay village."

Well-known tourism consultant Sheryl Ozinsky said the village had a dominantly gay brand and gay- friendly city businesses and corporates needed to ensure that gay businesses survived and were welcomed in the city. She said the village was the only area in city that "has waved a flag for gay and lesbian events" in Cape Town.

"Cape Town needs a gay heart, because international gay tourists want to feel welcomed when visiting the country," said Ozinsky.

Marilena Philips, a manager at Mario's Restaurant in the area, said she was "frustrated" that property developers wanted to make money out of gay people and had not acknowledged the traditions of the area.

"Developers want to make a buck. I think they should smell the coffee," said Philips.

But Green Point City Improvement District (CID) manager Marc Truss denied that developers were affecting anyone and said instead they were enhancing the area as more restaurants would be built.

Property development company Cape Quarter marketing manager Nicci Colussi said the Cape Quarter had contributed to the village and had generated opportunities for tenants, employees and patrons.
She said Cape Quarter, behind a shopping centre in the area, valued the local area and its population and would only develop in such a manner that enhanced the area, providing opportunities for potential gay tenants, employees and patrons. - Brenda Nkuna

that article is so funny.
it happens across the world. they move in and fix up the area and then other people start moving and in and improving the place.
its really nothing new.

CITY INSTALLS ENERGY-SAVING STREET LIGHTS


OVER 180 000 streetlights across the entire Cape metropole will be fitted with energy-efficient light bulbs during the next 24 months.

The City of Cape Town plans to replace all the 80 watt mercury vapour bulbs currently used in street lighting, with 70 watt high pressure sodium bulbs. This will result in estimated energy savings of 12% across the board.

“This is part of the City’s concerted efforts to conserve power, whilst at the same time dealing with the scourge of cable theft and vandalism,” says Charles Kadalie, Manager of Public Lighting.

Plagued by the widespread plundering of its substations and power lines, the municipality has been forced to keep certain areas of streetlights burning during the day to help prevent and monitor the occurrence of cable theft.

“Under normal circumstances, there would be no justification for wasting power and we should all be diligently conserving this precious commodity. Unfortunately, the City is suffering from an unprecedented onslaught from cable thieves, most of whom are ‘tik’ addicts desperate for drug money,” says Kadalie.


“An effective deterrent is to keep the streetlights burning as thieves rarely risk their lives by hacking into live wires. Also, the cost of ‘energising’ a 350m stretch of ten 70 watt streetlights amounts to about R3.50 per day. On the other hand, the cost of replacing stolen cable and vandalised equipment amounts to nearly R35 000 per incident.


“This does not even take into consideration the inconvenience caused to residents, nor the additional costs of welding down access covers and casting cables in concrete to secure our equipment,” says Kadalie.


In another alternative to deter vandalism and theft of street lighting infrastructure in Matroosfontein, the City and Eskom have installed high mast lighting at a cost of R1 million. Matroosfontein is an Eskom supply area, but the City’s Electricity Services will maintain the six 40 meter high masts.


“In suburbs that are relatively unaffected by cable theft, the City is able to use day night switches activated by photo sensors to automatically switch off in daylight. Power disruptions in these areas are usually caused by a defective sensor, lamp failure or contact between tree branches and transmission lines.


“However in ‘hot spots’ such as Bonteheuwel, Hanover Park, Gugulethu, Pinelands, Bishops Court, Atlantis, the M5, Mitchells Plain and Vanguard Drive, disruptions are invariably caused by cable theft.


“Bonteheuwel has been vandalised so badly, there is almost nothing left to repair. Electricity workers have been assaulted on site and Council trucks have been stripped by gangs in broad daylight,” says Kadalie.

Provincial roads such as the N2 and Settlers Way, from Rondebosch to Somerset West, have also suffered major blackouts as a result of cable theft.


“Cable theft is draining the resources of the City’s electricity department and hampering our efficiency in attending to other public electricity complaints,” says Kadalie.


The City’s dedicated Cable Theft Task team, headed by Councillor Pieter van Dalen, is working around the clock to catch and prosecute these perpetrators.


To report any suspicious activity around substations and power lines theft, the public can call the Cable Theft Hot Line on 0800 32 31 30.

To report faulty street lights within the City of Cape Town’s jurisdiction, the public can call the all hours number, 0860 125 012.

For street lights on the N2 and other national or provincial roads, please call 073 032 7394.

that article is so funny.
it happens across the world. they move in and fix up the area and then other people start moving and in and improving the place.
its really nothing new.

Yup, same thing happened in Chueca neighborhood (Madrid) or Le Village (Montréal), why are they putting it as a bad thing? It just helps making the place better.

Sod the bloody gays. Talk about a laager attitude. They have been complaining about not being absorbed into the society at large, yet they want to be all exclusive. Ook nooit tevrede nie. Ag nee, sies man.

The bloody gays? do you think that's a nice way of expressing yourself in a public forum?

Yeah, guess we bitches are never satisfied :) So, Ive the whole street block with Bronx is to undergo a major redevelopmentsimilar to square at the back of it? Any news on that?

Well it already has a rail line that sort of straddles the border of century city, so it would make sense to use that.

__________________________________________________________________

New rail link in pipe-line for Century City Siphokazi Maposa 09 August, 2007 Cape Argus

Cape Town's fastest growing property development complex, Century City, could have a rail service with a brand-new station, ahead of the 2010 World Cup, to attract more public transport users to the facility.

Well it already has a rail line that sort of straddles the border of century city, so it would make sense to use that.

__________________________________________________________________

New rail link in pipe-line for Century City Siphokazi Maposa 09 August, 2007 Cape Argus

Cape Town's fastest growing property development complex, Century City, could have a rail service with a brand-new station, ahead of the 2010 World Cup, to attract more public transport users to the facility.

That is definately needed for both residents and tourists as the freeways can be congested especially at the Sable Rd interchange.

I know this is completely off the topic of growth in Knysna/George/Plett and off the homosexual-thingy... however... in one of the forums dedicated to CT, someone mentioned Louis Karol Architects was approached regarding the design of new billion rand buildings in the CT CBD. Can't remember which forum it was in or who posted it, but if someone back in the Mother City can get more info, that would be awesome, this sounds like a very exciting development. Wouldn't be surprised if Nakheel or Eurocape was behind it.

I know this is completely off the topic of growth in Knysna/George/Plett and off the homosexual-thingy... however... in one of the forums dedicated to CT, someone mentioned Louis Karol Architects was approached regarding the design of new billion rand buildings in the CT CBD. Can't remember which forum it was in or who posted it, but if someone back in the Mother City can get more info, that would be awesome, this sounds like a very exciting development. Wouldn't be surprised if Nakheel or Eurocape was behind it.

the details have not yet been made public.
For more information on the site
http://www.cndv.co.za/downloads/strand_adderley.pdf

Cross reference fro Cape Public Transport

Jazzed-up retail zone planned for Cape Town
August 2, 2007

By Tom Robbins

Cape Town - Business and the government are investigating a major redevelopment of the run-down Cape Town Station precinct in a bid to meet growing demand for retail and office space in the central business district (CBD).

Already, the Cape Town inner city turnaround has attracted residential developments and restaurants targeted at young professionals, but they frequently prefer the up-scale shops in nearby suburbs such as Gardens.

Central City Improvement District chairman Theodore Yach said yesterday that over the past two to three years, at least 5 000 mostly higher-income residents had moved to the CBD and immediate surroundings to give a total of at least 65 000. This trend was set to continue.

Retailer Woolworths said this week that together with Old Mutual Properties, it was "investigating" redeveloping two low-rise Adderley Street Properties.

The current Woolworths clothing store includes a food section in the basement. This hardly offers convenience and longer trading hours for the target market, who live in nearby studio apartments.

While Woolworths and Old Mutual were reluctant to provide details of plans for the zone, Yach said that over the next three to five years, "a totally different retail environment will be rolled out".



Louis Karol, the chief executive of Louis Karol Architects, said there had been inquiries on the development of two R1 billion CBD skyscrapers, but he did not give details. His firm designed the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

The last high-rise built in the city was Safmarine House in 1993.

Despite the regeneration of the city, the Cape Town station has remained a hot bed for crime. The SA Rail Commuter Corporation intends to spend R100 million upgrading the station and is already improving security.

According to Woolworths, other players, including Growthpoint, which owns Golden Acre shopping centre, and Sun International, the owner of the Cape Sun hotel, were considering similar upgrades.

Andre Stadler, the managing director of Catalyst Fund Managers, said it was a natural extension to add retail and office space to existing residential apartments, as it was a global trend "to live, work and play in the same place".

But Stadler said outlying areas such as the Century City node also offered this lifestyle and those with young children might be reluctant to live in the inner city.

At present, much of the CBD's retail serves a lower segment rail commuter market through stores such as Shoprite and OK Furniture.

There are currently weekly meetings taking place regarding the Cape Town Station plans. The aim to integrate the two new towers, upgraded Golden Acre and station, as well as improving pedestrian access could make a major difference in the CBD.

Title: ICCA AFRICA CHAPTER HOSTS FIRST CLIENT SUPPLIER WORKSHOP ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT
Date: 07 August 2007
Details:

The business of conference hosting in Africa took a strategic step forward in July when the ICCA Africa Chapter hosted its first business workshop for clients and suppliers at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).



The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) held the first ICCA Africa Client/Supplier Business Workshop in Cape Town on July 20 to 22, at which a number of supplier categories within the ICCA Africa Chapter were able to meet face-to-face with potential clients to discuss opportunities for hosting their conferences on the continent.



Each ICCA member was entitled to invite one client who fitted the workshop’s criteria and registration was limited to 15. A total of seven suppliers were represented and seven prospective clients attended.



Venues included the Arusha International Conference Centre in Tanzania and the Mulugushi International Conference Centre in Zambia while clients included the African Training & Research Centre in Administration for Development (CAFRAD) of Morocco and the World Economic Forum (WEF) based in Switzerland.



“It was a historic event for the Africa Chapter, combining an excellent calibre of clients and suppliers to further the rotation of regional meetings on the African Continent,” said Angeline Lue, Chairperson of the ICCA Africa Chapter.



“In addition, the platform provided an opportunity for knowledge exchange and collaborative partnerships between the African countries represented.”



Calvyn Gilfellan, acting chief executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, said the workshop had presented Cape Town and the Western Cape with an opportunity to host key business tourism decision makers of Africa.



“Not only were we able to host them in our destination and introduce them to our world-class infrastructure, conference facilities and business services, but it also gave us the chance to showcase some of our city and province’s exquisite natural splendour and sumptuous gourmet delights.”



He said it was fitting that the workshop had been held in the city given the rising status of Cape Town on the global stage. Cape Town became the number one long-haul tourism destination in a recent MICE survey in the UK and the city rose to the 29th position for the number of meetings per city on the ICCA Global Ranking Report for 2006.



Dirk Elzinga, managing director of CTICC, said the workshop held by the ICCA Africa Chapter had been instrumental in forming new relationships. “This was a unique opportunity for both the clients and suppliers and a good boost for Cape Town’s profile as a preferred destination for doing business.”

Find consensus over port, Cape Town is urged
www.ports.co.za

An appeal has been made for the city of Cape Town to work together with the provincial government of the Western Cape to present a common front in negotiating with Transnet and the Transnet National Ports Authority over future plans for the port of Cape Town.

The appeal was made at a mayoral committee meeting by University of Cape Town economic professors Mike Morris and Dave Kaplan who suggested that an arbitration and mediation process might have greater success in finding consensus over several issues of dispute.

Their comments arose over a difference of opinion between Transnet and the city and province over future use of the port. Transnet says that its core business is that of handling containers, from which Transnet Port Authority derives the most profit, whereas the province would like to see ship repair receive more prominence and support. While the port authority wants to expand its container operations, the Western Cape Province believes that the region should take advantage of opportunities presented to serve the West African oil fields.

Transnet earlier this year commissioned a study on the economic benefits of ship repair and container handling at the port of Durban, which showed conclusively that as far as Transnet was concerned the greater benefit came from container handling.

It is not known whether a similar study has been done at Cape Town but the same factors would be in place and similar results were likely. The ship repair industry however argues that the study does not look at the whole picture and that ship repair forms an indispensable and intrinsic cog in any major port.

Part of the challenge facing Cape Town is that it has a multiparty alliance made up largely of opposition parties leading the city and a provincial government controlled by the ruling African National Congress, leading to the suggestion that a means of consensus be found as a matter of urgency.

should move the non core activities of ship repair and drydocks etc to the periferal big deep water ports of Richards Bay and Saldahna bay and then free up Ct and Durban for high volume coantainerisation.
my 2 cents worth, then we dont loose thsoe key skills and it also boosts developemnt of the highly underutilised ports of RB and SB

they need to draw up a culemborg masterplan sooner rather than later.

^^ transnet NPA wants it for container handling and processing. and they own it, so that outcome is very likely.

^^ transnet NPA wants it for container handling and processing. and they own it, so that outcome is very likely.

when i talk of culemborg im referring to all the land stretching from observatory to the city. not just the area needed for contained handling.

The bloody gays? do you think that's a nice way of expressing yourself in a public forum?

Honey, I'm the biggest gay of them all and I just think that exclusivist attitudes like theirs give us fags a bad name. I'm just fed-up with it all. So, I'm sorry if my words are an affront to your delicate person. Forgive.

Cape Town still in the race for 2010 IBC

He(Danny Jordaan) said the bids by Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban to host the international broadcast centre had been sent to Fifa which would “soon” make its decision.


http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=45679,1,22

http://www.southernsun.com/SSH/images/logo_main.gif

Southern Sun The Cullinan

This hotel is elegant and stylish, ideal for both business and leisure travellers. Within walking distance of V&A Waterfront, Central Business District and Cape Town Convention Centre.

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing Premier accommodation, Southern Sun The Cullinan is having a make over! With the soft refurbishment to the standard rooms to be completed by mid September, we are able to offer 400 superior rooms, 6 suites and 4 new contemporary executive rooms. The standard rooms are being upgraded to superior status with new furniture, carpets, curtains and linen. All bedrooms throughout the hotel will have new 26 inch LCD screens. The executive rooms have new larger bathrooms and many more additional contemporary features.


http://www.rainbowafricagroup.com/UPLOADS/Image/Cullinan%20Waterfront/Cullinan.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/1043468895_07015e4c60_o.jpg

great pic of the cullinana and why no people or cars around?

I just posted two developments in the Projects subforum that are Affordable Housing developments which are privately financed and developed affordable housing schemes that are targeted at providing affordable housing for the booming black and coloured middle classes in Cape Town. The developments are in Khayelitsha, a predominately black township, and Mitchell's Plain, a predominately coloured township, both located on the Cape Flats, bordering False Bay in Cape Town.

great pic of the cullinana and why no people or cars around?

That is what cape town looks out of season... hehe

Mo Rush,

Great pic of the Cullinan's top pillars at night with the Southern Sun sign below it.

Mosi

ok i know we dont like bad news in these forums and this is not an attack on cape town but more the fact that i am shocked with what is going on in the Table Mountain National park. 15 people mugged in 3 days, and over 70 in the past month, 23 of which were foreign tourists! something needs to be done as this is a massive tourist asset.


Plea for help after Table Mountain muggings

August 21 2007 at 08:26AM

By Caryn Dolley

At least 15 people have been mugged on the mountain in three days in a situation that is "completely out of control, posing a threat to the tourist icon" and prompting Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) to admit it needs help.

On Monday, volunteer groups said TMNP had sent out an invitation to an emergency meeting next week to discuss how it could further facilitate volunteers helping on the mountain.

Spokesperson Phumeza Mgxashe said eight people had been mugged on Lion's Head at the weekend and it needed help to combat such incidents.

'I am concerned that one of our tourist icons is under threat'
"TMNP has said it needs help from its partners. It has issued a proposal for R4 million in funding from the City of Cape Town to be used in our visitor safety programme. This will be over and above the R4 million of our own funds being used for visitor safety," she said.

Tourism MEC Lynne Brown said she intended meeting SA National Parks and the community safety department to discuss how to help curb muggings. "I am concerned that one of our tourist icons is under threat - not only for tourists, but for our locals. All who visit Table Mountain should be able to do so unmolested," she said.

The situation on the mountain was "absolutely out of control", Ray Chaplin, founder of the Make Table Mountain Safe campaign, said.

"TMNP, the police and City of Cape Town need to make a gallant effort to go and find these muggers. They need to do a clean sweep of the mountain. This has become a bit of a nightmare," he said.

Greg Moseley, chairperson of The Mountain Club of SA's Cape Town division, said it was obvious Signal Hill and Lion's Head were being targeted.

"TMNP needs help. It should be putting more people on Lion's Head to patrol. I do sympathise with TMNP though. This is really difficult to deal with," Mosely said.

Mgxashe said 10 mugging incidents had been reported this year. She said a Cape Town couple was nearly robbed on Signal Hill on Friday, but the muggers ran away before they were able to take anything.

And on Sunday, Mgxashe said, eight people who had been in different groups were robbed on Lion's Head.

Police spokesperson Bernadine Steyn said five students hiking near Signal Hill Road were also robbed the same day.

Two men armed with knives robbed the five of cash, cellphones, shoes, watches, and sunglasses worth a total of about R14 000, she said.

Francie Burhman, who was mugged while walking with a friend down Lion's Head on Sunday, said three men, two with knives, had approached them.

"It doesn't seem police are taking this seriously enough. This is really bad for tourism."

She said as they were running to safety, they came across a Canadian brother and sister who had been robbed of their cameras and other personal belongings. "They said they were in the country for a week, doing volunteer work. They were very traumatised."

Burhman said another couple who were robbed did not report it to police, as they just wanted to get away from the mountain.

Rudolf du Toit and a friend were also mugged nearby. His father, Henry, said the two were walking down Lion's Head when three men surrounded them and grabbed their watches, cellphones and other small items.

"He's a medical doctor. I think he'll leave the country now. He's had enough of this."

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Can I just say how absolutely bloody gatvol I am of parking attendants in Green Point or wherever offering to sell me drugs every time I get out of my car? Why is the city or the improvement district or the partnership or whoever putting these people on the streets? They're a constant fucking nuisance.

yeah..its happen in claremont too..esp over nights over weekends.

Popular Cape Town garden gets a facelift

By Natasha Joseph

Cape Town's Company's Garden, the oldest public garden in the country, is set for a R1-million upgrade over the next year.

An estimated 700 000 people visit the garden every year.

Councillor Grant Haskin, mayoral committee member for amenities and sport, said the upgrade would be done "in line with approved development and design guidelines" formulated over the past few years.

'The garden is a popular venue for educational and entertainment events'
"These include the restoration of the Bothy - the old farm labourers' quarters also used in the 1850s by the Botanical Gardens Committee as a meeting venue - into a cafe, coffee shop or take-away kiosk," said Haskin.

The garden is a popular venue for educational and entertainment events, and is favoured by newlywed couples as a backdrop for wedding photographs.

Haskin said sections in the Paddock area, where most events took place, would be "enhanced", with the introduction of paved surfaces, street furniture and litter bins.

"The old Director's House will be developed into a mixed-use facility or possibly a restaurant," he said.

"In the previous financial year, expenditure was focused on improved security.

'One of the most extraordinary gardens in the world'
"Projects include the installation of bollard lighting throughout the gardens to improve visibility for the newly installed security cameras, more security guards, as well as the appointment of a social worker to deal with homeless people in the vicinity."

A British Broadcasting Corporation television crew would soon be filming the garden as part of a series on historical gardens of the world.

The programme would place the Company's Garden "on the international stage" and raise its profile as "one of the most extraordinary gardens in the world", Haskin said.

natasha.joseph@inl.co.za



* This article was originally published on page 6 of The Cape Times on August 22, 2007

Cape Times

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-08-22 03:53:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Can I just say how absolutely bloody gatvol I am of parking attendants in Green Point or wherever offering to sell me drugs every time I get out of my car? Why is the city or the improvement district or the partnership or whoever putting these people on the streets? They're a constant fucking nuisance.

Please report that on Crimeline, https://www.crimeline.co.za/default.asp

ok i know we dont like bad news in these forums and this is not an attack on cape town but more the fact that i am shocked with what is going on in the Table Mountain National park. 15 people mugged in 3 days, and over 70 in the past month, 23 of which were foreign tourists! something needs to be done as this is a massive tourist asset.


Plea for help after Table Mountain muggings

August 21 2007 at 08:26AM

By Caryn Dolley

At least 15 people have been mugged on the mountain in three days in a situation that is "completely out of control, posing a threat to the tourist icon" and prompting Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) to admit it needs help.

On Monday, volunteer groups said TMNP had sent out an invitation to an emergency meeting next week to discuss how it could further facilitate volunteers helping on the mountain.

Spokesperson Phumeza Mgxashe said eight people had been mugged on Lion's Head at the weekend and it needed help to combat such incidents.

'I am concerned that one of our tourist icons is under threat'
"TMNP has said it needs help from its partners. It has issued a proposal for R4 million in funding from the City of Cape Town to be used in our visitor safety programme. This will be over and above the R4 million of our own funds being used for visitor safety," she said.

Tourism MEC Lynne Brown said she intended meeting SA National Parks and the community safety department to discuss how to help curb muggings. "I am concerned that one of our tourist icons is under threat - not only for tourists, but for our locals. All who visit Table Mountain should be able to do so unmolested," she said.

The situation on the mountain was "absolutely out of control", Ray Chaplin, founder of the Make Table Mountain Safe campaign, said.

"TMNP, the police and City of Cape Town need to make a gallant effort to go and find these muggers. They need to do a clean sweep of the mountain. This has become a bit of a nightmare," he said.

Greg Moseley, chairperson of The Mountain Club of SA's Cape Town division, said it was obvious Signal Hill and Lion's Head were being targeted.

"TMNP needs help. It should be putting more people on Lion's Head to patrol. I do sympathise with TMNP though. This is really difficult to deal with," Mosely said.

Mgxashe said 10 mugging incidents had been reported this year. She said a Cape Town couple was nearly robbed on Signal Hill on Friday, but the muggers ran away before they were able to take anything.

And on Sunday, Mgxashe said, eight people who had been in different groups were robbed on Lion's Head.

Police spokesperson Bernadine Steyn said five students hiking near Signal Hill Road were also robbed the same day.

Two men armed with knives robbed the five of cash, cellphones, shoes, watches, and sunglasses worth a total of about R14 000, she said.

Francie Burhman, who was mugged while walking with a friend down Lion's Head on Sunday, said three men, two with knives, had approached them.

"It doesn't seem police are taking this seriously enough. This is really bad for tourism."

She said as they were running to safety, they came across a Canadian brother and sister who had been robbed of their cameras and other personal belongings. "They said they were in the country for a week, doing volunteer work. They were very traumatised."

Burhman said another couple who were robbed did not report it to police, as they just wanted to get away from the mountain.

Rudolf du Toit and a friend were also mugged nearby. His father, Henry, said the two were walking down Lion's Head when three men surrounded them and grabbed their watches, cellphones and other small items.

"He's a medical doctor. I think he'll leave the country now. He's had enough of this."

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

In my opinion, this is Cape Town's mugging HOTSPOT, why don't the administrators do something about. How many tourists must be mugged? This is sick as we always hear about the muggings at Table Mountain but no action is taking place.

CITY APPOINTS NEW KERBSIDE PARKING OPERATOR


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 315/2007
22 AUGUST 2007


CITY APPOINTS NEW KERBSIDE PARKING OPERATOR

The City of Cape Town has recommended that Street Parking Solutions (SPS) be appointed to manage kerbside parking within Cape Town CBD, Sea Point, Bellville and Claremont CBD, a total of approximately 3160 kerbside parking bays.

Prior to a three year contract being awarded to SPS a testing phase will be overseen by City officials which will fully test the proposed system offered by SPS. The testing phase will thoroughly test all components of the proposed system, and only once this has been satisfactorily completed, will a three year contract be concluded. The 6 to 8 week testing phase will commence after the 21-day appeal period.

Initial testing will be confined to the Claremont area, which is currently managed by SPS under an interim kerbside management contract.

The Request for Proposals made provision for the expansion of kerbside parking management should there be a demand for this type of service. Possible future areas may include: Athlone CBD, Durbanville, Fish Hoek, Goodwood, Green Point, Kenilworth, Kloof Street area in Cape Town, Mitchells Plain Town Centre, Mowbray, Newlands, Parow, Rondebosch, Salt River, Simon’s Town and Wynberg.

The previous contract for kerbside parking management was formally discontinued on 26 April 2006, following a High Court judgement setting aside Numque 20’s contract.

The City then appointed Numque 20 and SPS, to manage kerbside parking on a month to month basis. Numque 20 CC was allocated Cape Town, Sea Point and Bellville CBD’s, while SPS was allocated Claremont.

Kerbside parking management in Helderberg and Gordon’s Bay areas does not form part of this contract

During the implementation stage of the new contract the City and SPS will negotiate an exit strategy with Numque 20 CC to ensure a smooth transition to the new operator without any adverse effects to the parking public. SPS has indicated that they will consider taking over the existing Numque 20 CC staff.

“Cape Town needs a kerbside parking management system which works efficiently, and contributes towards Cape Town being a world-class city for residents and visitors,” says Councillor Elizabeth Thompson, Mayoral Committee Member for Roads, Transport and Stormwater.

The tender specifications included the minimum use of street equipment such as parking meters, the promotion of job creation, as well as the reduction of parking-associated crimes and harassment of motorists by informal parking attendants.

Cape Town SPS scored the highest marks overall and offered the most favourable rates towards the City. The municipality and the Cape Town Partnership will each receive a 25% share of the income generated within the Cape Town CBD and Sea Point. In other areas the City’s share will range between 17% and 20%.

“There were seven bidders, one of which was disqualified due to non-compliance with tender specifications. The value of the contract depends on actual turnover, which is expected to exceed R10 million per annum. The estimated gross income to the Council is approximately R150 000 per month, but this will be used towards ongoing independent audits.

“The SPS offer included handheld parking meters that allow motorists to pay with the City Card and cash. Additional payment methods by credit card, pay-by-phone or online via internet were also part of the SPS offer. They also foresee some 400 employment opportunities,” Thompson added.

Kerbside parking tariffs are determined by Council and adjusted annually. The current tariff varies between R5.00 and R7.00 per hour, area dependant.
end

DEADLINE LOOMS FOR RESPONSES IN CITY’S RENAMING PROCESS


“Cape Town residents are continuing to respond in large numbers to the second stage of the City’s dialogue on the renaming of local streets, public places, natural areas and Council-owned buildings, facilities and artefacts", says the convenor of the process, Councillor Owen Kinahan.

“The deadline for responses is August 22 and those received so far are being collated before being considered by the panel of experts that will convene early in September. After they have completed their deliberations they will forward them to Council for a final decision.”

Full page advertisements in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa were carried in community newspapers a fortnight ago. In addition, full details in these three languages are carried on the home page of the City’s website, www.capetown.gov.za under the headline “Renaming” which is third from the top under “Quick Links” (www.capetown.gov.za/renaming).

A publicly nominated, multi-disciplinary panel of experts was appointed by the City to evaluate the proposals submitted. The panel is chaired by human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie.

The original 236 proposals was fine-tuned by the panel to 39:

Residents are invited to comment on the short list proposed by the panel and can do so either via the City’s website, www.capetown.gov.za, or by using the official forms which are available at the 23 subcouncil offices. The forms are available in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Those wishing to post the forms should address them to: Renaming, P.O. Box 16548, Vlaeberg 8018 or e mail them to renaming@capetown.gov.za. They can also be faxed to 021 487 2255.

Councillor Kinahan stressed that for practical reasons only responses that are submitted on the official forms will be eligible for further consideration.

The full Council must take the final decision on which renamings will be implemented.

^^ what are the proposed changes?

^^ what are the proposed changes?

I posted the article further back in this discussion about the street names proposed to be changed.

great pic of the cullinana and why no people or cars around?

its too expensive so no one bothers to go there if they cant afford it, lmao

Durban ICC battles to keep flag high as it loses out to Cape Town


By SLINDILE KHANYILE

Durban - The Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) was urging tourism stakeholder bodies and businessmen to improve the image of the city and reclaim the market share lost to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Miller Matola, the chief executive at the ICC, said on earlier this week.

Matola said the excellent service provided by the ICC was not enough to attract more business. He said customers were concerned about the image of the city a convention centre was located in, as they were about the quality of the service.

"If we improve as a city, as a venue we can attract business and this we can do with partners such as Durban Africa, Tourism KZN and Durban Chamber of Commerce," said Matola.

"Through other partnerships we have to address the issue of safety and crime. I believe the current interventions will shift the scale to our favour," he said.

The ICC contributed R565.6 million to the city's economy through the 27 conferences and an exhibition it hosted in the 2006/07 financial year. This increased from R520 million in the 2005/06 financial year.

Its contribution to foreign exchange was R267 million and it created 2 670 jobs.

Matola said that the convention centre had exceeded earnings expectations in the past five years, despite losing market share to its Cape Town rival.

"When we began, we were dominant, but we have seen a number of events going to Cape Town. That is because as a destination it is well known. Also because it's a new thing and people want to explore. They have eaten quite a bit of our market share," said Matola.

Cape Town will only release the figures for the 2006/07 financial year in October, but according to the 2005/06 figures, the centre contributed R1.5 billion to the country's gross domestic product. It created more than 5 000 jobs.

The CTICC also generated an operating profit of R19.9 million for Convenco, its holding company which is owned by the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape government and SunWest International.

The ICC was launched in 1997. It has since held 261 meetings and contributed just more than R5 billion to Durban. The CTICC, which was only established in 2003, has hosted a total of 1 647 meetings and contributed R4.5 billion to the city.

It was expected that ICC's contribution would reach R8.3 billion by 2010, while the CTICC was expected to rise to R13.9 billion by 2011.

Matola said they would also use the new ICC Durban Arena, an indoor events venue launched in April, to grow their business.

"The market is becoming very competitive and we need to grow and expand the business through diversification. The arena gives us a competitive advantage. It is a venue for entertainment and special events, which gives us a new market because it is not necessarily for conferences and meetings," said Matola.

He said that the centre was also looking at opportunities that would be presented by the 2010 soccer World Cup. It was also reviewing its green policy.

"We understand that our business has an impact on the environment and clients are increasingly demanding an environmentally friendly policy. We are looking at ways to lessen our impact on the environment," said Matola.

TRAVEL
Time has not diminished 'the fairest cape in all the world'

South African city a gem

By Patti Nickell
CONTRIBUTING TRAVEL WRITER
http://www.kentucky.com/163/story/159940.html


CAPE TOWN, South Africa --
A brisk wind blew in from the sea, and the sun was just beginning its ascent as I got in the cable-car line. We were lucky, our guide had told us, because weather conditions were just right for the ride to the top of Table Mountain. For much of the year, that's not the case. Clouds and mist, locally referred to as the "Table Cloth," conspire to keep visitors from reaching the summit of Cape Town's guardian peak.

As the cable car began inching up the granite face of the mountain, I had a panoramic view of this magnificent city laid out on what Elizabethan sea rover Sir Francis Drake described as "the fairest cape in all the world."

Cape Town, in a marvelous marriage of sea, sky and mountain, takes its place -- along with Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and San Francisco -- among the world's most beautiful cities. There's no better place to confirm this than from the top of Table Mountain. On one side lies the city, sandwiched between the mountain and Table Bay. On the other, the view is a panoramic vista of the winding peninsula leading all the way to the Cape of Good Hope, Africa's southernmost point, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.

While Table Mountain is Cape Town's most visible symbol, it is far from the only attraction in this cosmopolitan city, an intriguing blend of old and new. In the former category is colorful Bo-Kaap, the former Malay Quarter clinging to the slopes of Signal Hill, within walking distance of elegant Government Avenue and the imposing Houses of Parliament. In the latter is the multimillion-dollar Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, with its array of high-end hotels, restaurants and shops. Visitors to the V&A can sip a cappuccino in the glitzy Table Bay Hotel, tap their feet to the sounds of a marching brass band or listen to jazz at the Green Dolphin.

From here, they can hop aboard a boat to Robben Island, site of Nelson Mandela's three-decade imprisonment. Eerily reminiscent of Alcatraz, the grim fortress assumes additional pathos when you realize that many of those incarcerated here had committed no crime, but were political prisoners during apartheid rule.

To get a sense of Cape Town's 300-plus years of history, walk down oak-lined Government Avenue, with its Victorian buildings; company gardens first laid out in the 17th century by the Dutch; and St. George's Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Cape Town, where Nobel Prize laureate Desmond Tutu once officiated.

If you're not staying there, at least tour the grounds at the venerable Mount Nelson Hotel, affectionately known as the "Nellie." For if much of Cape Town still bears the stamp of the Netherlands, the Mount Nelson is clearly an outpost of Britain. For nearly a century, the landmark pink building behind the Prince of Wales archway at the base of Table Mountain has welcomed royalty, statesmen, celebrities and discriminating travelers from around the world. Afternoon tea on the terrace overlooking the green expanse of lawn is taken every bit as seriously as it is in England.

A bit outside the city center, but well worth a visit, are Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a lush Eden on a hilltop; Haut Bay, from which you can take a boat to Duiker Island, inhabited by thousands of cape fur seals; and Boulders Coastal Park, a lovely stretch of beach bordering False Bay.

The park's scenery is magnificent, but the primary lure is its colony of African penguins. Also known as jackass penguins because of their donkeylike braying, the tuxedoed birds waddle from beach to water, oblivious to the hordes of camera-clicking visitors scrambling for shots.

Traveling around the Cape Peninsula, you'll see the Twelve Apostles, a rugged tableland facing the raging Atlantic; charming fishing villages such as Fish Hoek and Simon's Town; and dramatic, white-capped waves breaking on deserted beaches. Cape Point, at the tip of the continent, is the exact spot where the dark sapphire of the Atlantic Ocean merges with the turquoise of the Indian. For a truly spectacular view, climb to the top of the lighthouse, where sentries once warned of marauding corsairs.

On the way back to Cape Town, stop for lunch at one of the seafood restaurants overlooking False Bay. Find a table on the outdoor terrace, order a South African rock lobster and keep your eyes peeled for whales as they frolic in the Cape waters.

On another day, head inland toward the Winelands region, South Africa's answer to Napa or Burgundy. In lush valleys where Huguenots once sought religious freedom, vines hang heavy with fat pinot and chardonnay grapes. Many wineries, including Nederburg, Paarl Rock and Fairview, are open to the public for tours and tastings.

Plan to spend a couple of hours in the university town of Stellenbosch, South Africa's oldest city, founded in 1679, and renowned for its Old World charm and wine route. It was in the nearby village of Franschhoek, however, that the country's wine industry began more than 300 years ago, when French Huguenots discovered the fertile Berg River Valley.

Today, Franschhoek is known as "the gourmet capital of the Cape," and its fine restaurants feature everything from simple country fare to French haute cuisine. It also boasts several intimate bed-and-breakfast inns whose architectural styles range from Victorian to Cape Dutch.

From Table Mountain to Table Bay, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian, Cape Town offers a blend of history, sophistication and natural beauty unmatched on the African continent.

CITY CALLS ON INDUSTRY TO ESTABLISH AN EVENTS COMMISSION – A FIRST IN SA


MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 324/2007
27 AUGUST 2007



CITY CALLS ON INDUSTRY TO ESTABLISH AN EVENTS COMMISSION – A FIRST IN SA

The City of Cape Town has set the ball rolling for the establishment of an Events Commission, focusing on Business Events (events, meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions). The City has invited a task team - an interim committee of events industry stakeholders comprising of industry associations, industry heads and the public sector, to start the process of establishing the Cape Events Commission.

Cllr Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Social Development and Tourism, says: "We are delighted to support this major initiative as we believe it will give the region a major boost in terms of developing first class international events. Partners can share best practices, identify new opportunities for growth, attract new audiences and potential funders, whilst promoting Cape Town’s international reputation for hosting major events. Business Events are a key economic growth driver for the city. Cape Town is currently ranked as the 29th most popular city to host congresses and conventions internationally by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), and we aim to be part of the top ten by the FIFA World Cup in 2010. ”

The task team will define the mandate of the Cape Events Commission, whose primary objective is expected to be to position Cape Town and the surrounding region as the top business events destination in South Africa, Africa and a world leader in the market. In addition to this, the Cape Events Commission is also expected to assist in accelerating job creation, skills transfer and transformation.

The announcement has been met with enthusiasm by the private sector. Brian McDonald of Global Conferences Africa, a former chairperson of the South African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), says: “Cape Town continues to attract international conferences to the city and the combination of South Africa’s six top tourist attractions being within an hour of Cape Town, the world class Cape Town International Convention Centre and our first class service providers make a dynamic package“.

Lance Gibbons, editor of The Event Newspaper, a national industry publication, agrees: “It’s important that the national and international market sees that local government is supporting the business events industry. The launch of the Cape Events Commission sends out a clear message to potential national and international clients that the public and private sector are working together in Cape Town and the surrounding region to make sure that we offer a business events experience comparable with the best in the world, at a time when the eyes of the world are on Cape Town as we prepare to host a semi-final of the FIFA World Cup in 2010“.

One of the Cape Events Commission’s first tasks will be to conduct comprehensive research on the business events industry in Cape Town. The conference industry has been seen as a R21 billion industry within South Africa, but recent research conducted on behalf of the Exhibition Association of South Africa (EXSA) has suggested that exhibitions alone contributes more revenue than this. When considering the economic impact, the Business Event industry as a whole has a significant influence on GDP.

In a further show of support for this burgeoning industry, the City has also announced that they will be further capacitating the current Events Permitting Office by increasing the staff from two to seven to meet rising demand.

The expansion of the Events Permitting Office and the creation of the Cape Events Commission will add infrastructural backbone to the industry, which has also been boosted by the recent news that the Cape Town International Convention Centre was named Africa’s Best Convention Centre at the World Travel Awards and is in the process of finalising an expansion project which will see it double it’s exhibition space.

Good news!

The Cape Town International Convention Centre is Africa's leading conference centre according to the World Travel Awards. So not only the best congress/conference destination.

I'm happy CONVENCO is not resting on their laurels and that the expansion of the CTICC continues, for to facilitate the picking the fruits of all the positive publicity, we'll need to up our game and continue to provide for more space due to increased popularity. Inter-city rivalry may seem infantile, but it keeps everyone on their toes and keeps us reaching for excellence... Well done Cape Town, once again!

Emergency turn-around strategy for pathetic Cape Town sports facilities

City sounds the alarm on sport centres

By LYNNETTE JOHNS & BRONWYNNE ESBACH

MANY of the city's sport and recreation facilities are falling apart because of years of neglect.

Now mayoral committee member for amenities and sport Grant Haskin has launched an emergency turn-around strategy, which will see sports bodies contributing to the upkeep of grounds and centres, and dedicated facility managers appointed at all community centres.

Haskin says that over the years not enough money was set aside for maintenance.

He said international norms dictate that between 3% and 5% of the value of the assets should have been set aside for maintenance each year, but this had not been done.

"We have an asset base of R3.5 billion and the city should have been spending R150 million a year on repairs and maintenance. But until last year we were only budgeting between R20m to R35m and this resulted in a massive backlog.

"It appears the previous administration left things to disintegrate and rather started from scratch than to do maintenance. The Good Hope Centre's roof would have cost R2m to repair in 2003, but now it will cost in the region of R5m. And that's just the roof - it doesn't cover repairs to the toilets, floors and stands."

A Weekend Argus survey found:

 The Good Hope Centre, which remains a popular venue, is in an appalling condition and millions are needed to repair it.

 The city recently discovered that a filtration system in a Cape Flats swimming pool had not been replaced since it was installed in 1943. Haskin said these should be replaced every 10 to 12 years.

 The Parow athletics track is going to cost millions to repair as it is now the preferred track for competitions while the new Green Point Stadium is being built.

 Public toilets across the city are scruffy, often filthy, and most have broken mirrors, taps, sinks and toilets.

 Some soccer pitches have little grass to speak of and the field at Athlone Stadium, once the best soccer field in the country, is being treated for a fungus - the result of overwatering.

Mountains of cigarette butts, smashed alcohol bottles and an assortment of litter greeted a Weekend Argus news team outside the Good Hope Centre last week.

Two drains were uncovered, while others had been stuffed with rubbish. Behind the building there were piles of cardboard boxes and old clothes. Security guards said vagrants used the space as sleeping quarters. A strong stench of urine hung in the air.

Nicole van Wyk, a homeless woman, originally from Elsies River, has been living under the bridge, opposite the centre. She said people caused quite a disturbance at the centre at night. "We can't even sleep the way they go on. They get drunk and cause a scene."

A security guard said they regularly had to ask vagrants to move off the premises.

The interior of the main venue was dark and gloomy with peeling paint and dirty walls. Unwashed windows, mounds of dirt and dust gave the centre a feel of neglect.

The three smaller venues, the Drommedaris, the Goede Hoop and the Reiger, were not as dirty, but also need a decent paint-job.

Annette Nortjie, the show manager for Design for Living exhibition, says even though they are committed to staging the popular show at the Good Hope Centre, the conditions were appalling.

"The roof leaks, very little maintenance is done, the patch of garden is not looked after.

"We have managed the show since 2006 and we have to bring in drapery and carpets. It is a tragedy the city does not invest in its own assets."

Too few playing fields in Khayelitsha, Blue Downs and Delft have resulted in pitches resembling barren fields.

South African Football Association (Safa) Western Cape chairman Vernon Seymour said the field at Athlone Stadium had deteriorated so badly that it was almost unplayable.

Last weekend the Premier League was so unhappy about the field that there was a chance that Sunday's Supa8 quarter-final between Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates would be shifted to another venue.

In that week a game between Santos and Free State Stars was nearly called off because the grass was badly cut up in places and mired in mud.

"Our view is that they don't know what they are doing.

"Some of the officials have great ideas but there is no support, and there are senior officials there who are like dinosaurs," Seymour said.

There are 100 000 soccer players in the Metro, and Seymour said the biggest threat to football development was poorly managed fields and a lack of facilities.

"The city tells us that we overplay the fields, but when we leave a field alone nothing happens."

Six months ago Safa stopped games at a Grassy Park field.

"We expected that it would now be in tip top condition but nothing was done."

However, Seymour said fields in black townships fared far worse, with very little management at all by the city.

On being told about the conditions at the Good Hope Centre, Haskin immediately investigated and was given the assurance that it was being cleaned after an event the previous day.

Haskin was cautiously optimistic about improvements to maintenance.

He said: "Even though we won't get R150m in the short term, our new budget is R60m, double what we were getting. This will increase every year."

Haskin has already met the rugby, tennis and cricket federations who have agreed to also contribute some money for upgrading and maintenance.

He will soon meet swimming and hockey federations, and a meeting with soccer is being finalised.

The city is finalising tender procedures to repair the Parow track, which could cost several million rand.

The Athlone stadium pitch had developed a fungal infection due to over-watering, and Haskin says they would have preferred no matches took place until the end of next month.

However, due to PSL commitments, this would not be possible.

Automatic irrigation systems will be installed at all the 164 sports field complexes in the city.

Haskin's next step is to employ facility managers at all their venues.

This, he says, will result in better management.

was in CT last week at meeting at Sonnenbergs the lawyers (Ok office , thought it would have been done better) and the surrounding urban landscape is quite nice even though its winter and was a ll dry and bare (Not like Durbans PERFECT climate nugde nudge wink wink?), Anyways after the meeting I decided to drive up the rd and go see greenmarket and have a bite to eat. I park and thern get accosted by this pathetic example of a parker meter guy, stank of booze and could hardly speak english and demands money from me to park and has this little machine that says Ive parked etc.

What a joke set up. where are the meters , surely employing bad smelling and looking people who could loose the money or be mugged is not the answer to controlling the parking in the city. I mean there are millions of meters around the world running on salr power and can issue tickets for youtr dash so why not in CT?

More in my CT coments from a foerigner in the days to come

Stayed with a mate in Victoria rd opposite the gardens and what a lovely area. Walked up the rd to some nice bar area and drank on the balcony, had dinner at the fishmonger (what a steal, ate and drank like kings and its Soooooooo cheep), then walked back through the mt nelson, and down the gardens.
Never once felt threatened or intimidated and even went as far as to walk up Lopp (which is a bit grotty with fat too many Nigerians tryingto seel us everything from guns to drugs to russion hos), neverthe less , great to walk around a SA city at night 9am and really enjoyed the experience despite the balddy cold

i think the city has just awarded the tender for the parking people, since the last operator was highly ineffiencient and corrupt(suprise suprise)

Is Dreamworld just a dream? Singh sings a different tune to that of city.




City might pull funding for DreamWorld

By Matt Medved

DreamWorld Film City chairperson Anant Singh says he is surprised at a threat made by city officials to pull the R19.7 million funding pledged for the long- awaited DreamWorld Film Studio.

Mayco member for economic development Simon Grindrod said on Friday that the city would consider re-allocating the money if developments were not imminent.

"DreamWorld responded to the draft agreement with the City of Cape Town in December 2006, however, there has not been any formal response from the city since then," said Singh.

'All the finance and other elements to commence the project are in place'
"The heads of agreement were finalised with Western Cape's official trade and investment promotion agency in August 2006 and this has been with Wesgro lawyers since then. There is certainly no delay from DreamWorld. We had hoped that the project would have been far more advanced at this stage."

Singh said it was out of DreamWorld's hands at this point.

"All the finance and other elements to commence the project are in place, except for the finalisation of arrangements with the City of Cape Town and Wesgro," said Singh.

"Dreamworld has actively progressed the project since we were awarded the rights, incurring significant costs in acquiring the land, and making substantial investment in the project on an ongoing basis, all out of our own resources."

Last week, Grindrod said he would give Environment, Planning and Economic Development MEC Tasneem Essop 30 days to respond before making a decision on whether to withdraw city funding.

'There is a sense that DreamWorld is not going to get off the ground'
"I have asked the MEC for an explanation as to why this project is two years overdue," said Grindrod.

"There is a sense that DreamWorld is not going to get off the ground and create the economic activity we were told it would."

Essop's spokesperson Nils Flaatten said the project had not been delayed but that it took time for legal agreements with Wesgro, the provincial investment and trade promotion agency, to be finalised.

The project was launched by Premier Ebrahim Rasool and Mayor Helen Zille last August.

It was announced at the launch that construction would begin in January to ensure the studios were operating by early 2008. Provincial government funding is to be channelled through Wesgro, which will hold a ten percent equity stake in DreamWorld.

The studio, which is slated to be built by Singh at a cost of more than R400-million, is expected to create some 8 000 jobs during construction.

It has been anticipated that it would provide a significant economic boost to the underprivileged areas of Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain, Eerste River and Macassar.



* This article was originally published on page 4 of The Cape Argus on August 29, 2007

The Argus

Published on the Web by IOL on 2007-08-29 11:17:00
© Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

Wow! CT's skyline is today's banner.

Oh yah! WOW! Nice going guys! Looks good!

Nice banner Mo

our most beautiful city!

Congrats for the banner

Nice banner Mo

I had nothing to do with it. But it certainly was a nice suprise this morning.

Very nice banner indeed!
Where is it taken from? Top of the Metlife Centre?

I like the banner today. I wished they could keep it for the next month to show off the Mother City.

Great banner! Congrats Capetonians and especially to the person responsible for it!!

Great banner! Congrats Capetonians and especially to the person responsible for it!!

let me know if you find out who that is

Sorry to change the subject... but did love the banner too yesterday! KOEBERG INTERCHANGE... we've seen plans for the N2 Hospital Bend upgrade, has anyone seen what's going to be done to the N1/M5 interchange, as that one is a clusterfuck of note? If someone knows what's going to be done there, would love to see it... Thanks a million

Sorry to change the subject... but did love the banner too yesterday! KOEBERG INTERCHANGE... we've seen plans for the N2 Hospital Bend upgrade, has anyone seen what's going to be done to the N1/M5 interchange, as that one is a clusterfuck of note? If someone knows what's going to be done there, would love to see it... Thanks a million

Havent seen plans but its a priority project before the N1 dedicated lanes are introduced.

shit missed the banner, Anyone have a copy?

Manenberg turns dam into waterfront

Aziz Hartley
September 05 2007 at 08:46AM

Creating a waterfront boasting recreational facilities is included in plans to replace Manenberg's crime and grime with an environment in which residents will take pride.

This was the message on Tuesday morning from leaders of Proudly Manenberg, a campaign to rid the township of its ghetto image, at its presentation to the provincial standing committee on governance. The committee met to receive a report on the province's moral regeneration programme.

PM chairperson Mario Wanza said a local company, which used a dam separating Manenberg from Vanguard Drive, had agreed it could utilise a piece of land there at the western fringe of the township.




"There is a (factory) operated by Consol Glass, and we are now going to be turning its dam into a waterfront for Manenberg. Adjacent Vygiekraal Road, which is one of Manenberg's dirtiest streets, is going to be cleaned.

'The notion of the dangers of the past is now replaced by community ownership'
Consol gave us a 1,4km x 7m strip of land next to the road which will soon be taken over by the residents. We're thinking of doing landscaping there, with braai areas, stalls and so on. We've also been given a further 7 000m2 of space at the Lansdowne Road end," Wanza said.

He said safety was not a major concern because residents would patrol the area.

"The notion of the dangers of the past is now replaced by community ownership," he said.

The plan divides Manenberg into five zones whose residents would form street or court committees. While plans included a multipurpose centre in each zone, police would be asked to set up bases and assist 100 residents per zone to become police reservists.

Wanza said Manenberg Avenue would extend to Tambo Village and residents were consulted to rename the avenue to Die Laan. A cleaning and greening campaign will fix streets, and develop community parks and water features.

'Residents identify what they want and what not'
Businesses had been approached to restore Manenberg's town centre, Wanza said.

Tourism is to be promoted with bed-and-breakfasts and coffee shops to attract visitors

To protect schools against vandalism, parents would use primary schools as aftercare facilities while high school pupils will do their homework at school, after hours, Wanza said.

In response to questions from standing committee member Lennit Max about street committees' function, and whether crime was displaced, Proudly Manenberg secretary Amelia September said: "Residents identify what they want and what not, and respond to crime according to what they feel works for them.

"Crime will be displaced, but that's why we say this Proudly Manenberg concept can work for other areas."

Standing committee chairperson Patrick McKenzie said: "I'm glad we had this session. It is important that government plays a supporting role.

A crucial endorsement is not only this committee, but the legislature. I also suggest we go on inspection of Manenberg's zones. We want to see the re-engineering of townships. We will give you the support we can because we want to see this work."


aziz.hartley@inl.co.za

My friend Udeme… is in Cape Town

Idowu Samuel, Abuja

Tribuneman, Idowu Samuel, at the
Central District, Capetown

It was about 20 minutes to landing when announcements by the pilot woke some passen-gers on board the South African Airline. A moment after, some passengers, mostly white men and women became alert and noticeably curious. Appa-rently, they were visiting Nigeria for the first time.

The curious ones including those who sat farther from the window of the aircraft eagerly stretched their necks to survey the Lagos environment, which poorly came to view with effect of distance. As the aircraft was lowered progressively pre-paratory to landing, the clearer picture of Lagos came to full glare, exhibiting to interested viewers clustered structures, all rioting with human settlements amid scraggy and disorganised street layouts. The humid and choky nature of Lagos was all that anyone who sought the pre-knowledge of the environment could have.

Lagos is a creation of the British imperialists. In the 50s up to the early 70s, it could stand shoulder to shoulder with any of its contemporaries across the globe even as the capital of Nigeria. Not any more now! For many years, the former capital of Nigeria has been an exhibit of the jagged mentality of the managers, or better still, a testimony of utter deficiency of Nigerians intending to improve on the good things of life offered on a platter of gold. Any Nigerian on board the South African Airline could not agree less that Lagos is a jungle in comparison with the alluring beauties that the city of Johannesburg, from where they took-off presented.

Nigerians who had visited South Africa have not stopped envying the citizens, most especially the blacks. Life in the former apartheid country is simply western if the culture, the atmosphere, bliss, resources, infrastructure, the general conduct of the people and other things are anything to go by. The infrastructure built by the colonialists in the entire South Africa since ages are still vivid, intact and strong at the instance of the culture of maintenance. The additional infrastructure built in recent times in all the 9 provinces of the country have augmented the beauty and serenity of the entire country.

In essence, an average South African needs not gnash his teeth like the majority of Nigerians for lacking the basic good things of life. Today, the blacks in South Africa earn their living with little stress. Any suffering by him in this era may simply have been self-inflicted. Such could not have originated from his former colonial master, who infact, has been sulking since 1994 for losing authority and power.

It presupposes that what the blacks in South Africa had missed or suffered during the longera of apartheid, they seem to have gained multiplefold now having been exposed to the glittering and organized lifestyle of the white man. If that seems to be a compensation of sort, the glory lies in the collapse of apartheid in the country about thirteen years ago. To a very large extent, an average black man now enjoys the same privileges with his white counterpart. For him, life has turned a full circle in which he is now to discriminate against his white brother, being in possession of the political power of his country.
Nige

rians who travelled to South Africa three weeks ago for Commonwealth Inter- Parliamentary Association (CPA) African Region Conference ‘were greened’ with envy all through their stay. Selected members of the House of Representatives and also legislators from some states of Nigeria made the trip to South Africa. The House speaker, Honourable Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, led the delegation. The South African trip produced a humbling effect on the visiting Nigerians in many ways. The serenity, alluring beauty, streets layouts, general planning, flora, fauna, centres of recreation, night line, humility and the general good conduct of South Africans (blacks and whites) were too glaring to ignore for the Nigerians.
The

government of South Africa is conscious of beauties that all the zones in its country present. In effect, it is content in turning the entire country into a tourist nation. This, the government demonstrated to the delegates who participated in the 38th CPA conference. Notwithstanding that Cape Town was the conference venue, the South African organizers ensured a good shuffling of delegates from participating African countries into all the 9 provinces of South Africa. The idea is that each delegate would have a feel of the province into which he was shuffled for at least two days before moving into Cape Town for the CPA summit. Half of the Nigerian delegation had the privilege of staying in Johannesburg and Cape Town for that purpose.

The South African government has many reasons to market its country to the rest of the world. The main reason is economically inclined. This is so because the culture of South Africa is rich and has over the years held strong appeal to tourists. The country is rated as having the third largest level of bio-diversity in the world. It has two oceans, two coastlines, world-renowned mountain ranges, deserts and lush forests. The government has thus been smart enough to turn these natural endowments into money spinning sources for itself and has been smiling to the World Bank for this.

Contrary to belief, Johannesburg is not even the most beautiful city in South Africa. Cape Town, which is acclaimed to be is not the seat of government. Whereas each of the main cities in South Africa compete for beauty and attention, Cape Town Stands out as the hub of the country’s socio-cultural exhibition to the outside world, a place where anyone born with instinct of relaxation would love to be. Some tourists had even confessed that Cape Town is much better a place than many European countries for holidaying. The city ended playing host to the speaker of the House and the newsmen in her entourage.

On arrival at the Cape Town Airport, delegates from Nigeria were welcome immediately with an imposing visage of a well-planned city. Some quickly conjured a mental picture of Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory and immediately wrote it off as a non-starter, comparatively. Really, there are places in Abuja so colonized by demented residents who defecate anywhere in their neighbourhood with the cover of darkness, whereas Cape Town gives none of its residents the slightest chance to do such. There are places in Abuja where refuse sites have been a permanent feature. No place in Cape Town is a habour for refuse, no matter how congested. In general, the culture of maintenance reigns supreme in South Africa. Regrettably, that culture is not in the dictionary of planners and executors anywhere in Nigeria. The South Africans as could be observed, have trained themselves over the years on keeping with the driving code of their country. They religiously obey the speed limits even when there is no sign of police presence. Nigeria on its own tends a very nebulous traffic law, and that has made most drivers to develop the mind of a beast. If the Federal Road Safety Corps in Nigeria ever declared speed limits for the highways and the cities, only a few would obey that because the sense of obedience had been thrown to the dogs in the country, leaving all drivers to driving recklessly to their whims and caprices.

What about the road network? You may drive round the city of Cape Town without running into a pothole or rather an untarred road. That has been possible because all the bad roads in the city had long given way to the good landscaping system that the country consciously cares for. Wait a minute…! the City of Cape Town is a place of blissful comfort, anyday, anytime for the residents.

Truly, delegates from Nigeria could not agree less in ascribing insanity to those who have been ruling them over the years against the backdrop of sustained underdevelopment of the country. Then the question raged endlessly in their thinking; why would leaders from Nigeria who had had the privilege of visiting the best cities across the globe with compelling exposure to the smooth running of systems in the cities, return and fail to display acumen in applying their experiences back home? While not concluding that the past leaders in Nigeria have been daft generally, the fact remains that they share largely in the state of rot that Nigeria has become. In essence, the inability of leaders in Nigeria to copy and apply visible good things from other lands is partly the bane of efforts aimed at developing Nigeria since 1960.

Shortly after settling down in the hotels, the urge to hit the Cape Town streets became very overwhelming. Fortunately, we had the service of a black driver who showed an inclination to be a good companion. He answers Thabiso. But because of his familiar courtesies and instant willingness to help, we renamed him Udeme. He laughed heartily when told the story of “my friend Udeme…as presented in the television advertisement for Guinness. From that moment, we had a very strong chord of friendship strengthened with Udeme and instantly became our unofficial tour guide.

The social life in South Africa offers many interesting sides. The life pattern even occurs as a good package for any tourist so imbued with the instinct of a sociologist. It had begun from a stage when the blacks inhabitants were forcefully invaded, repressed and colonized by the Dutch. The blacks endured many years of repression under colonialism until fate turned their story around in 1994; year of their freedom. The same hand of fate has shoved the colonial masters of yesterday to the background to quietly sulk and gnash teeth on the reality of losing power. Cold war exists between the blacks and the whites in South Africa, but such has never induced the two races to engage in inter-ethnic skirmishes the way it usually happen in Nigeria. All the races are barely tolerating one another, the end of apartheid in the country notwithstanding. Perhaps, it is only by a means of divine intervention that the people would forge a harmony so reassuring purposely for lifting the future of their country.

Cape Town gets the boot for major conference - safety issues

Conference: Ispa's decision 'disappointing'

Plans to stage a prestigious conference in Cape Town in 2009 have been dropped because of "safety issues".

The International School Psychology Association (Ispa), a grouping of school psychologists, wrote to the Western Cape education department to express its concern over the possible venue the Cape Town International Conference Centre for the 2009 conference.

Ispa's Roger Chauvette cited "serious concerns" about the proposed venue because of "safety issues".

Members would find it "difficult" to attend a conference in the city, and it would be a great loss to the association if all did not participate.

Makhaya Mani, spokesperson for Community Safety MEC Leonard Ramatlakane, appealed to Ispa to reconsider the decision.

He said it was "unfortunate" that they had been given negative advice by people who did not want the country to prosper.

"We would like to appeal to the organisation to change their decision and not to allow themselves to be influenced negatively."

An Wentzel, spokesperson for Finance and Tourism MEC Lynne Brown, said: "There are conferences happening in the city all the time.

"We have won numerous awards for hosting conferences and for this and other reasons, the safety and security of tourists is very important to us".

The conference, the first of its kind in Africa, was to be a forum for psychologists to interact and share knowledge about inclusive training in mainstream schools.

Dr Matthi Theron, director of specialised education support services for the provincial education department, confirmed he had received a letter from Ispa.

He said the department had been let down and he was "very disappointed" that the conference would not be taking place here.

An opportunity for "our people" to be exposed to international standards had been lost, he said.

Lourens Ferreira, chairperson of the department's National Association of Learner Support Development in SA (NASD), said the department had been liaising with Ispa over the past three years.

"Our school psychology service would have gained from the expertise of international experts," he said.

Chauvette said the hard work, time and effort put in by the department for a colloquium was not being disregarded by Ispa, and it was "extremely grateful" to the department for its co-operation.

Ispa was open to discussing a "possible" colloquium in South Africa in the future, the letter said.

Andrew Boraine, chairperson of the board of Convenco, the company that runs the convention centre, said on Wednesday morning: "We understand their concerns because crime is an issue, for citizens and visitors.

"However, delegates to our conventions in the central city are completely safe, thanks to an advanced security partnership that has existed over the past seven years" a reference to the Cape Town Partnership, which Boraine also heads.

"Second, it's definitely not a trend in terms of other conventions. We're busier than ever before and fully subscribed for the next five years," Boraine said.

Cape Argus
5 September 2007

"He said it was "unfortunate" that they had been given negative advice by people who did not want the country to prosper"

Back to the old blame everyone else except the governmnet. Why would some dumbass from the International School Psychology Association is fuckville USA not want SA to prosper. I mean he probably couldent find South AFrica on a map and he now wants to stop the prosperrity.

Talk about head in the sand mentality. I hear and see lots of rumbelings in the foriegn press about SA at the momnet and its all bad im afraid. Its comparable to trying to have a world cup in Columbia/Afganistan/Sudan etc if the press is to be belived.

between Dr beetroot and captain head in the sand we are in big poo

Then add our stance on Zimbabwe, and more recently the Helen Zille saga, and yes, we look fantastic to the international community. I live in Manchester and wish I could sometimes get Mbeki to see how the world views South Africa from abroad...... doubt however if it would make any difference.

Govt contributes millions to SA's genetic centre
Genetic engineering and biotechnology under scrutiny

Genetic engineering and biotechnology under scrutiny
September 10, 2007, 18:30

South Africa has become home to the world's third laboratory for genetic engineering and biotechnology. The Cape Town component of this International Centre will search for cures to infectious diseases and HIV/Aids. The government is contributing R40 million rand towards start up costs.

At the centre, scientists will study the various diseases ravaging poor countries, as well as food and energy security and the environment. President Thabo Mbeki says: "We are also confident that significant scientific advances will indeed be made in the fight against malaria, TB, pneumonia, HIV and Aids and other major diseases that, most unfortunately, receive too little public attention."

Internationally acclaimed scientists see this as a major boost for scientific research in poor countries. Research groups will increase from three to seven by 2010 at a cost of R100 million. The private sector has been urged to help fund them.

In a continent that's relied only on western scientists for answers to so-called incurable diseases, the centre could uncover a whole new world for the millions living in poverty and the threatening effects of climate change.

Memorable first encounter with the Mother City for international guests
Issued by: Loudfire

Destination management company Dragonfly Africa hosted 180 international guests at a welcome gala dinner held at the picturesque President's residence in Groote Schuur, Cape Town recently. The guests were in the country as part of an incentive scheme for an international organisation. Destination entertainment company, Venturescapes was responsible for the most of the production and experience of the event.

Spending their first night in South Africa, the guests from America were transported to the event in authentic vintage cars and were greeted by a red carpet leading into a pagoda on the hydrangea lawns where they were welcomed with Methode Cap Classique and canapés. Guests entered the clear span marquee with glistening chandeliers and admired the views they would surely have never seen before. Spontaneous colours lit the outside greenery making the guests feel as though they were dancing amongst the night fairies.

Comments René le Roux, Venturescapes project manager on this event: "For one night only, these tourists get to experience an unbelievable event which was created specifically for them. The last president to live in the residence was FW de Klerk, so the venue was exclusive with a history one can only read about in the library. Curators stood in all the rooms to offer assistance with the questions the guests were eager to ask. With our partner Dragonfly Africa, we provided a seamless production ensuring that guests were treated to our warm South African culture.”

After the four course dinner was served, guests had the option to sit along the terrace of the marquee on comfy leather couches with thick wooden coffee tables adorned with beautiful flower arrangements where after dinner drinks and cigars could be enjoyed. Likwezi Adults and Children's Choir sang African folk songs after which string quartet Palm Springs entertained the guests during the dinner, completing the scene of a memorable first encounter with the Mother City.

Traffic-free zone for Newlands Oval during Twenty20 event


By Staff Writer

THE City Council has announced a "traffic- free"' zone around the Newlands Cricket Oval during the Cape Town leg of the Twenty-20 cricket tournament which starts tomorrow.

"Certain roads will be closed from Wednesday, September 12 until Sunday, September 16. These roads will also be closed for the Super 8 matches on September 20 and the semi-final on September 22," said Ester Moag, head of marketing and passenger services of the Transport Department.

The affected roads are Campground Road at the intersections of Main and Protea roads, Palmyra and Keurboom roads; Mariendahl Avenue at Palmyra Road; Mona Crescent at Palmyra Road; Kelvin Road at the corner of Kelvin Grove Club's bowling greens; Sport Pienaar Road at Boundary Road traffic circle; and Letterstedt Road at Mill Street.

They will be closed from 9am to 11pm on tournament days. On September 20, the road closures will last from 4am to 7pm. The closure on September 22 will be from 6am to 6pm.

"Noticeboards will clearly indicate the closing and opening times, which may be altered at the last minute," said Moag.

Park-and-ride facilities will be available at Observatory, Rosebank, Retreat, Plumstead and Kenilworth stations. Taxis will have terminals at Palmyra Road, south of Campground Road, as well as on Main Road at the Newlands swimming pool.

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