Thursday snippets

** This is not totally relevant to a Durban blog but it does apply. The Mercury today (August 14, 2008) reports that the Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange has said that the justice system is unacceptably dysfunctional and that fragmented and inadequate crime statistics don't reflect the true situation. The findings of this report have apparently shocked ministers including President Thabo Mbeki. I can't see how they could possibly be shocked when everyone who lives in this country knows of the rampant crime and the disintegration of the justice system. I fear that the ministers might be fools or liars.

** The cost of preparing for the World Cup are going to be R2-billion more than planned. There are many reasons including foreign exchange fluctuations and the fact that some of the new stadiums being built have [unnecessary] "complexities". Have I got news for them! In some cases, the whole stadiums are unnecessary. Like Durban's, for example.

** The paper also reports that the Zulu Royal House is objecting to plans to rename Amanzimtoti after bomber Andrew Zondo (see here for background) and that a ceasefire has been declared in the Taxi war referred to in the previous post. Eleven lives have been lost this year in the feud which was between the Cato Manor and Chesterville taxi associations

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I went to a course being held at the Blue Waters Hotel on the beachfront yesterday. The course was for cold storage operators and was being sponsored by the American government. There were several Anerican speakers present and, after I took the photo I had to take, I went for quick stroll over to the beach. In front of the hotel under the palm trees was a comfortable-looking bench complete with what was clearly not a recent mess nearby.

I wonder what sights like this lead our guests to think about us?

Anyway, back to the course and the thought that you really do learn something new every day. I was there long enough to find out that fire is one of a cold store operator's worst nightmares and that frozen chickens are seriously combustible.