The arms deal again

In the Mercury of December 2, 2008, the Mercury's Idler columnist reports having been to the Cobb Inn on the wild coast for a couple of days holiday. He notes that he saw what he believes to be an illegal trawler operating just off the coast at night, without any navigation lights. He reports that the locals say that this is a regular occurrence.

I have mentioned in these pages before, the controversy involving the Navy's desire to order new vessels for coastal patrol, which comes in spite of their recent acquisition of four frigates, which are apparently not suitable for the purpose. The Mercury of December 3, 2008, reports that, in a speech by the chief of the Navy on the previous day, it was announced that the Navy intends to buy six additional patrol vessels valued at nearly R2 billion, and also a strategic sealift and sustainment vessel. The acquisition of these items will apparently put the South African Navy on track to becoming the continent's most formidable naval force.

I've asked the question before, and no doubt will again, exactly what enemy it is that the Navy was expecting to fight. In my opinion, the new patrol vessels are probably exactly what was needed in the first place and that there was absolutely no need to buy the very expensive and highly sophisticated frigates which, according to some reports, the Navy can't afford to run anyway. Those who ordered the frigates must have received some benefit and/or been so determined to strike a pose that they were quite prepared to waste R6 billion of our money.

There may be one good item of news in all this and that is that the local ship building industry may receive a benefit from the order for the new vessels.

The paper also reported that, once again, a tall vehicle has come to grief when trying to go under the low bridge which carries Greville Racecourse over the roadway. There is a wonderful picture of a military vehicle which had apparently been towing a refrigerated trailer which had beent totally destroyed, when it tried to drive under the low bridge. The picture shows Samil 50 vehicle, which had apparently just fitted under the bridge, and the wrecked trailer lying behind.
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Taxi strike?

The Natal Mercury of October 9, 2008, reported that the minibus taxi industry is threatening to strike in sympathy with the striking Durban Solid Waste & Remant Alton workers. The threat was made by KZN Transport Alliance Chairman Eugene Hadebe.

Meanwhile, at the launch of the SA Communist Party's Red October campaign in Umlazi on Thursday, secretary-general Blade Nzimande called on the municipality to sort out the strike forthwith. I agree with this sentiment but can't help wondering how on earth there can possibly be still be a communist party in this day and and age.

The paper has a splendid aerial picture of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and a number of other vessels, including the SAS Drakensberg and SAS Isandlwana, particpating in exercises (Operation Flower II) off Durban. So that's why needed we needed those smart and expensive frigates!
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No corruption here!

President Mbeki, speaking at the Naval Review mentioned in the previous post, declared that there was no corruption involved in the acquisition of frigates and submarines for the SA Navy. Hmmmm. Well, that will likely never be proved one way or the other, but there was certainly stupidity involved in the purchase. Quite apart from the fact that the weapons seemed far too sophisticated for any enemy we are likely to encounter, it has recently emerged that the navy is after new patrol boats and the inference is that they can't afford to run the new frigates

King Dinuzulu and others

The Mercury of September 5, 2008, reports that the SA Police Service has sprung a surprise on is members and declared them all to filling vacant posts. Everyone is going to have to reapply for their positions and only have days to to do so. Nobody is apparently going to lose their jobs so I wonder what the whole thing is for.

President Mbeki has reviewed the Navy's fleet and the paper carries a picture of our four frigates in False Bay. I hope that having all four of them at sea at the same time hasn't blown the Navy's budget for the year...

There has been a very weird thing going on in the park adjacent to the Technikon at the bottom of Berea Road. It has a statue of General Louis Botha, the famed Boer war leader and first prime minister of the Union of South Africa. Something like two years ago, a statue of King Dinuzulu was erected in the park but was left wrapped in hessian until it could be officially unveiled. Now, two years later, the unveiling still has not occurred but the Mercury did report that KZN Premier S'bu Ndebele has announced that the unveiling of the R600000 statue will happen this month. I can't imagine why it has taken so long, but doubtless the King will be glad to see the sun and to be free of his itchy hessian coat, at long last.

An article by Patrick Compton in the paper reveals that the brain drain is just as bad in cricket as it is in other sectors. He lists over 30 names of South Africans players playing for county sides in England, and gives the example of a recent game between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire which had 10 South Africans playing in it.

It seems a no-brainer for me that talented white youngsters may seek a career abroad in the face of racial quotas, inspired by affirmative action principles, which apply to South African cricket teams. Add to that a highly attractive pay package, and we may soon have the situation where team talks in the England dressing room are conducted in Afrikaans.

Rates errors

There has been an ongoing thread running through many news reports regarding the recent revaluation for rates purposes, of all properties in the municipal area. It has emerged from these reports that the property valuations were arrived at on a thumb-suck basis. Adjacent properties of similar size have been valued at radically different amounts and humble properties have been valued in millions.

Today's Mercury, August 29, 2008, reports that that city manager Mike Sutcliffe, has admitted to 9000 errors having been found among the 50000 objections received. The errors add up to a R1.72-billion over valuation of the properties concerned. At the time he reported, there were still 20000 objections to be processed and 11000 which had been returned to property owners for more information, so there may be many more than the initial 9000 errors.

** The paper has a follow-up to the story in the previous post, that the navy was after new patrol vessels. The paper reports various experts as saying that the navy's four frigates, which cost R6-billion, "are not ready or up for the job". Other sources reported that the navy does not have the funds to properly operate or support their sophisticated Meko-class frigates. The cost lack of suitable patrol craft apparently prevents the navy from protecting our marine resources from rape.

It comes as no surprise to me that the frigates are unsuitable by being too sophisticated and/or expensive for our needs. I have been aboard one of them, the SAS Mendi, when it visited Durban. There is a write-up on my visit to the ship in the entry for November 9, 2004, on this page. Even to my untutored eye, the vessel looked far too elaborate for patrolling our coasts and seeing off the odd illegal fishing boat. It has a stealth design, is able to seal itself against nuclear and biological hazards, and its primary armament is Exocet ship-to-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles. What particular enemies, I wondered, was the navy planning to fight.

The manufacturers surely didn't offer any bribes to secure the sale, so I guess that the illegal fishermen are better armed than I gave them credit for... ;-)

Reversing street renaming

The front page in yesterday's Mercury, August 28, 2008, reports that opposition parties in the city council have launched a court attempt to reverse the name changes. The paper reckons that this is the first salvo in what will be a bitter court battle. In another article in the same issue, it was reported that the sister of one of the namees [if there is such a thing] has claimed that her sister's name has been misspelt. Manning Road has been renamed after Lena Ahrens but the signs apparently have her as Lina Arense.

** Not directly applicable to Durban, but it seems the navy are demanding 12 new patrol vessels to a value of about R3.6-billion. This is in spite of the fact that they recently bought 4 frigates worth R6-billion as part of the highly controversial R30-billion arms deal.

See the next post for more on this.