For a good cause

This is an appeal to regular visitors to the Facts About Durban site to make an occasional donation to support the site. I suggest that £5 might be a nice round sum but you're welcome to choose any other figure that reflects the site's value to you. You can donate on the main FAD site, by clicking the button above, or the text link at the top right-hand side of any page on this blog.

New plans for white elephant

In the face of general scepticism on the decision to build a new soccer stadium for the world cup in 2010, the Daily News of July 25, 2008, reports city manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe as having said that the decision to build the new R2,8-billion Moses Mabhida stadium was based on a plan to attract other high-profile events to the city, including the 2020 Olympics. A UK-based consultancy apparently said that we could either refurbish the existing stadium for R800-million or go for it and build an iconic new facility. I guess the idea of being responsible for 'icon' sold the idea to city management but I would have preferred the R800-million option where you could have also fixed the fences along the beachfront, doubled the size of the fire department and had quite a lot of change left over.

That was the on the front page of the paper but, elsewhere inside, the city manager was quoted as saying that the country's new soccer stadiums were way ahead of where the Germans were at a comparable stage before their World Cup. I have no definite information on the topic but its a thing that I would find very difficult believe of the Germans, having experienced their efficiency and ours'.

Beach quality

I see from today's copy of Ezasegagasini Metro (July 25, 2008), the council mouthpiece which accompanied the Mercury, that noticeboards are going to be put up on all beaches informing visitors of the state of the state of the seawater, what facilities are available and how clean the beach is. A new method of testing the seawater for faecal contamination is to be used and, while I don't understand the difference in testing methodology, it is different to that used in the internationally recognised Blue Flag beach programme. Like I say, I don't understand the full implications of all this but it does sound like a school test being dumbed-down until the kids can pass.

An equality court

We have an equality court court in Durban and, according to an article on the Indpendent Online website, it was today hearing a discrimination case brought against Durban High School. The school was accused by a mother of teaching her son sub-standard (or kitchen) Zulu during 2007. The school pointed out that it is an English medium school and that the boy hadn't been treated differently to any other.

Petty but so costly

Petty criminals have apparently managed to bring large areas in the south of Durban to halt by stealing the bolts that secured a power pylon to the ground. According to today's Mercury (July 23, 2008), the pylon fell down and disrupted the electricity supply to a large area. Among the industries affected were Toyota at Prospecton, who have had to shut down their plant until next Monday, most likely.

The municipality warned that residents might be without power for as long as week and that it could cost R2-million to re-erect the tower temporarily. Millions and millions of rands in damage and all for some bolts which may be worth R200. The municipality electricity department says they are continually being plagued by metal thefts including copper wire.

I think we need to shoot a scrap metal merchant.