New Durban Airport - Just in time for the World Cup, the new Durban International Airport (called King Shaka International) opened on schedule on the 1st of May. Pretty impressive, both as an airport and for being ready on time - that's no mean feat in this country.
Transport Workers Strike - However, just when we thought things were running along smoothly, the transport workers suddenly decide they need more money, asking for a 15% increase. A bit optimistic when inflation is 5%. But the employers have offered 11% - most of it is taxpayers' money so they can afford to be generous. Latest news is that the strikers have come down to 12%. But that doesn't help all the importers who are sitting on Durban beach looking at the ships full of World Cup merchandise and stadium equipment, waiting at anchor because the dockers are part of the strike.
People Movers - Meanwhile, Durban Municipality have unveiled their fantastic new transport mode to carry visitors around the city during the World Cup. The slogan for the new machine is "The Way the City Moves!" A couple of UK tourists interviewed by the Sunday Tribune were reported as saying "It is an awesome way for tourists to get around and it is very cheap. It goes all the way to the beaches so we have really enjoyed that as well as visiting other focal points in the city. In the UK it would cost at least R35 to R50 per day, but here it is R4 for a single trip and only R10 for a day pass!" There are 34 People Mover stops around the city and at the "transfer station", you can move from one People Mover to another!
Oh my gosh, what can it be, this amazing new futuristic invention - it's a.......(wait for it). It's a........bus. Yeah, it's a bus! What's all the damn fuss about? It's a single-decker bus with a driver at the front and a ticket machine and the words "People Mover" written on the side. So, don't miss out on your chance to ride on a "People Mover" when you are in Durban.
Police Chief's Joke - National Police Commissioner, "General" Bheki Cele was admonished for saying that he hoped the USA soccer team would be knocked out in the first round of the World Cup because he would be saved the security nightmare of having President Obama coming to South Africa. He said he was joking, but I don't think he was.
Tickets - There are still 200 000 tickets available for World Cup matches, and fans have been warned not to buy tickets from street vendors here in SA - they are probably fraudulent. And don't trust emails offering tickets at cheap prices.
Arrive early for matches - Fans have been advised that due to strict security measures, they should aim to get to stadia some three hours before the matches kick off. Seems a little extreme, but having spent several hours stuck in queues at airports waiting to go through security, it's probably good advice!
That's it for now, people - not long to go.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
47 days to go! What's happening in SA?
Just got back from visiting the UK and France where there seems to be a lot of World Cup excitement, but at the same time, the press were talking up the expectation of a racial civil war in South Africa after the murder of right winger Eugene Terre Blanche. That whole episode has gone quiet, but what damage has the press done in terms of the number of foreign fans who have cancelled their visit to SA?
180 000 of 500 000 newly available World Cup tickets were sold during the first six days of the final sales phase, and tickets for well over half the tournament's games are "currently unavailable", which means "sold out for now" but some tickets may still be returned by associations and sponsors. However, in spite of lower than expected sales to foreigners, fans from Africa could still make it a sell-out.
We've had taxi associations barricading Pretoria streets last week protesting their exclusion from World Cup planning - they complain that other modes of transport have been preferentially promoted, like the Rapid Transit Bus System etc. This isn't surprising given the number of taxis involved in road accidents every day here in SA.
The SA Sunday Times revealed a big scandal today - Soccer City, the new stadium in Johannesburg where the final will be held, is being managed by a company whose Black Empowerment qualification appears to include a former African security guard who was promoted to "Human Resources Executive and "given" 26% of the company's shares, but still lives in a poor African township. You have to know the politics in this country to understand the severity of this allegation, but briefly, there is huge pressure from government to promote Africans in business (Black Empowerment), so "white-owned" companies have been known to use unskilled Africans as company directors as "window-dressing" to win government tenders. But for this to happen in such a high profile tender is big news here, if it turns out to be true.
And finally an article in the paper that some homeowners in South Africa have been complaining that accommodation agencies have failed to rent out their houses to World Cup visitors - how awful, poor things! But when you look at the rent they expected to charge, any sympathy is short-lived - can you believe they are asking up to R140 000 (GBP12 000) per day in Clifton, Cape Town. Do these greedy people think that overseas soccer fans are stupid enough to pay that?
180 000 of 500 000 newly available World Cup tickets were sold during the first six days of the final sales phase, and tickets for well over half the tournament's games are "currently unavailable", which means "sold out for now" but some tickets may still be returned by associations and sponsors. However, in spite of lower than expected sales to foreigners, fans from Africa could still make it a sell-out.
We've had taxi associations barricading Pretoria streets last week protesting their exclusion from World Cup planning - they complain that other modes of transport have been preferentially promoted, like the Rapid Transit Bus System etc. This isn't surprising given the number of taxis involved in road accidents every day here in SA.
The SA Sunday Times revealed a big scandal today - Soccer City, the new stadium in Johannesburg where the final will be held, is being managed by a company whose Black Empowerment qualification appears to include a former African security guard who was promoted to "Human Resources Executive and "given" 26% of the company's shares, but still lives in a poor African township. You have to know the politics in this country to understand the severity of this allegation, but briefly, there is huge pressure from government to promote Africans in business (Black Empowerment), so "white-owned" companies have been known to use unskilled Africans as company directors as "window-dressing" to win government tenders. But for this to happen in such a high profile tender is big news here, if it turns out to be true.
And finally an article in the paper that some homeowners in South Africa have been complaining that accommodation agencies have failed to rent out their houses to World Cup visitors - how awful, poor things! But when you look at the rent they expected to charge, any sympathy is short-lived - can you believe they are asking up to R140 000 (GBP12 000) per day in Clifton, Cape Town. Do these greedy people think that overseas soccer fans are stupid enough to pay that?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Not the World Cup News
The World Cup News is getting a bit boring! So here's a more general view of what you would be reading here in the newspapers:
A traffic policeman accused of beating up a Durban woman for failing to move out of the fast lane of the motorway two months ago is being charged with assault.
SA roads are among the most dangerous in the world, and it's not just the bad drivers, it's also the potholes and poor maintenance.
A reporter was alledgedly roughed up by one of President Zuma's bodyguards for taking photos of his motorcade.
The budget for President Zuma's 3 wives, a fiancee and 20 children has increased from R4million to R15.5million since 2006.
Two men, one of them a well-known local hip-hop star named "Jub Jub" have been charged with murder for killing 4 teenagers when they crashed while racing each other in Mini Coopers in Johannesburg recently.
A man bitten three times by a green mamba near Durban ran 3 kilometres for help. This about the third attack by green mambas in the last couple of months.
Government inspectors are checking the "sky-car" at Durban's new Moses Mabhida soccer stadium following several incidents in which visitors were left stranded at the top of the arch.
The Queen Mary 2 is having a one day visit to Durban harbour tomorrow.
Today is Human Rights Day, a public holiday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 massacre in Sharpville when police opened fire on protesters including women and children, which became a turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle.
While demonstrating a new safety clip on his gun's holster, a Cape Town police officer inadvertently shot and critically wounded a student constable.
A group of KwaZulu-Natal shack-dwellers failed in a court bid yesterday to force the Durban municipality to allow them to march through the central business district to express dissatisfaction with service delivery and housing.
What a strange country we live in!
A traffic policeman accused of beating up a Durban woman for failing to move out of the fast lane of the motorway two months ago is being charged with assault.
SA roads are among the most dangerous in the world, and it's not just the bad drivers, it's also the potholes and poor maintenance.
A reporter was alledgedly roughed up by one of President Zuma's bodyguards for taking photos of his motorcade.
The budget for President Zuma's 3 wives, a fiancee and 20 children has increased from R4million to R15.5million since 2006.
Two men, one of them a well-known local hip-hop star named "Jub Jub" have been charged with murder for killing 4 teenagers when they crashed while racing each other in Mini Coopers in Johannesburg recently.
A man bitten three times by a green mamba near Durban ran 3 kilometres for help. This about the third attack by green mambas in the last couple of months.
Government inspectors are checking the "sky-car" at Durban's new Moses Mabhida soccer stadium following several incidents in which visitors were left stranded at the top of the arch.
The Queen Mary 2 is having a one day visit to Durban harbour tomorrow.
Today is Human Rights Day, a public holiday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 massacre in Sharpville when police opened fire on protesters including women and children, which became a turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle.
While demonstrating a new safety clip on his gun's holster, a Cape Town police officer inadvertently shot and critically wounded a student constable.
A group of KwaZulu-Natal shack-dwellers failed in a court bid yesterday to force the Durban municipality to allow them to march through the central business district to express dissatisfaction with service delivery and housing.
What a strange country we live in!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
World Cup News - More
Just less than 100 days to go and World Cup fever is growing here in SA. In the papers, on the TV, everything has a World Cup slant. Even King Goodwill Zwelithini (King of the Zulus) is getting in on the act and is pressing for his palaces to be revamped and for his portraits to be mounted at airports, football stadia and other public places in KwaZulu-Natal.
The South African Police have said that brothels posing as massage parlours have been told to "clean up their act" before the World Cup. "Tough undercover teams" will be "swooping" on homes and parlours to catch prostitutes and their clients. And "intense" patrols and raids will continue during the tournament. "Foreigners should be fully aware that soliciting is a crime and if caught they will be charged!" But hey, welcome to SA, come and have a good time!
Apparently Victoria Beckham isn't going to stay with all the WAGs. She's rented a luxury apartment at upmarket Camps Bay on Cape Town's Atlantic coast for her and the kids (Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz) and is going to spend her time visiting underprivileged children. Fabio Capello, meanwhile, is trying to stop the WAGs coming near the England training camp at Rustenburg, some 1500 kilometres northeast of Cape Town, but some of them are booking in at Sun City's Palace Hotel, just down the road. Fabio doesn't want a repeat of their drunken antics in Baden-Baden during the last World Cup.
It's hard to know who to believe when it comes to World Cup readiness in SA. Fifa and the SA Government have been playing up the preparations, but a press visit to Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium revealed a dust bowl instead of a lush green pitch. The pitch has been pulled up for failing to meet intenational standards for the second time. It's also reported that the precinct around the R3.3 billion Soccer City in Johannesburg still looks like a building site. At Rustenburg, tender battles have stalled the construction of a 30km stretch of road, the only access from Sun City to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. However, Polokwane's stadium is complete and Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium is 90% complete.
But 85% of South Africans believe the country will be ready to host the World Cup, according to the latest survey, although only 55% believe the country's soccer team, Bafana Bafana, will be ready.
After all the furore of over-priced air fares and accommodation, budget airline Mango has released 40 000 low-cost fares and other airlines are adjusting their prices downwards. However, this seems to be more in response to poor demand than an attempt to retract on their early greed. Latest estimates of international visitors for the World Cup have fallen to 300 000, down from some really inflated figures of 2 million a couple of years ago, although Fifa's original estimate was a more credible 450 000.
That's it for today - more news soon.
The South African Police have said that brothels posing as massage parlours have been told to "clean up their act" before the World Cup. "Tough undercover teams" will be "swooping" on homes and parlours to catch prostitutes and their clients. And "intense" patrols and raids will continue during the tournament. "Foreigners should be fully aware that soliciting is a crime and if caught they will be charged!" But hey, welcome to SA, come and have a good time!
Apparently Victoria Beckham isn't going to stay with all the WAGs. She's rented a luxury apartment at upmarket Camps Bay on Cape Town's Atlantic coast for her and the kids (Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz) and is going to spend her time visiting underprivileged children. Fabio Capello, meanwhile, is trying to stop the WAGs coming near the England training camp at Rustenburg, some 1500 kilometres northeast of Cape Town, but some of them are booking in at Sun City's Palace Hotel, just down the road. Fabio doesn't want a repeat of their drunken antics in Baden-Baden during the last World Cup.
It's hard to know who to believe when it comes to World Cup readiness in SA. Fifa and the SA Government have been playing up the preparations, but a press visit to Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium revealed a dust bowl instead of a lush green pitch. The pitch has been pulled up for failing to meet intenational standards for the second time. It's also reported that the precinct around the R3.3 billion Soccer City in Johannesburg still looks like a building site. At Rustenburg, tender battles have stalled the construction of a 30km stretch of road, the only access from Sun City to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. However, Polokwane's stadium is complete and Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium is 90% complete.
But 85% of South Africans believe the country will be ready to host the World Cup, according to the latest survey, although only 55% believe the country's soccer team, Bafana Bafana, will be ready.
After all the furore of over-priced air fares and accommodation, budget airline Mango has released 40 000 low-cost fares and other airlines are adjusting their prices downwards. However, this seems to be more in response to poor demand than an attempt to retract on their early greed. Latest estimates of international visitors for the World Cup have fallen to 300 000, down from some really inflated figures of 2 million a couple of years ago, although Fifa's original estimate was a more credible 450 000.
That's it for today - more news soon.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
World Cup News
Big headlines in the SA papers this week about Fifa reducing the prices of category 2 and 3 tickets to R140 after many people have paid up to R840 for them. Apparently about 30% of the 3 million tickets are being reduced and made available only to South Africans. Fifa are also increasing the number of category 4 tickets - the cheapest seats and exclusive to South Africans - to ensure that the stadia are full, especially for the group stage matches. The furore is because two months ago Fifa denied they would sell discounted tickets! Now they are saying that "re-categorising" tickets is not the same as "discounting", but they now face a logistical challenge to re-categorise all the seating to correlate with the numbers of tickets.
There have also been problems with the jerseys. Fake Bafana Bafana (SA team) jerseys with the Protea emblem are being sold on the streets for R250, compared to the genuine replica jerseys with the emblem that sell for R1500. However, the SA Football Association has also been "mistakenly" selling "genuine" jerseys without an emblem for R599. To correct this error, they have offered to print the emblem on the R599 jerseys if the owners take them to specific places. But they have no idea how many people will choose to do that - another logistical nightmare coming up!
It is also reported that people using the Gumtree website have been offering some unusual items for world cup fans, such as Bodyguards - apparently the security company, Boomgaard, has been swamped by unqualified candidates wanting to be bodyguards attracted by the glamour of the idea! Also someone on Gumtree is offering naturist accommodation with a clothes-optional home stay. And you can also buy a hot-dog stand on which you can make and sell, not only hot-dogs, but also boerie rolls, burgers, bacon and egg rolls etc during the tournament.
Finally, if you come to SA and are worried about traffic fines, there is a website offering a traffic fines toolkit which tells you how to contest fines, and gives you checklists on motorists rights at roadblocks, speedtraps etc. http://www.trafficfinestoolkit.co.za/
There have also been problems with the jerseys. Fake Bafana Bafana (SA team) jerseys with the Protea emblem are being sold on the streets for R250, compared to the genuine replica jerseys with the emblem that sell for R1500. However, the SA Football Association has also been "mistakenly" selling "genuine" jerseys without an emblem for R599. To correct this error, they have offered to print the emblem on the R599 jerseys if the owners take them to specific places. But they have no idea how many people will choose to do that - another logistical nightmare coming up!
It is also reported that people using the Gumtree website have been offering some unusual items for world cup fans, such as Bodyguards - apparently the security company, Boomgaard, has been swamped by unqualified candidates wanting to be bodyguards attracted by the glamour of the idea! Also someone on Gumtree is offering naturist accommodation with a clothes-optional home stay. And you can also buy a hot-dog stand on which you can make and sell, not only hot-dogs, but also boerie rolls, burgers, bacon and egg rolls etc during the tournament.
Finally, if you come to SA and are worried about traffic fines, there is a website offering a traffic fines toolkit which tells you how to contest fines, and gives you checklists on motorists rights at roadblocks, speedtraps etc. http://www.trafficfinestoolkit.co.za/
Saturday, February 13, 2010
World Cup News - More
The latest cost estimate for Soccer City, Johannesburg's new stadium that will host the World Cup final as well as the opening and closing ceremonies, is R3.3 billion (GBP264 million) which is well above the last estimate of R2.5 billion. The shortfall is being funded by the Johannesburg Council and will require "reprioritising" spending on public services. Similarly, the City of Cape Town will probably have to fork out for the overrun on the City's Green Point stadium of about R500 million, and Durban's Ethekwini Municipality will pay for any shortfall on the Moses Mabhida stadium.
Soccer fans may have to learn some African names of well known places if they want to find their way around easily. For example, Pretoria's new African name is Tshwane, and the City has just won a court action allowing it to mention only the name Tshwane in its world cup Welcome signs. The name Pretoria will not be shown.
Two million world cup tickets have now been sold in the first three sales phases. There are two more phases to go, the fourth phase kicking off last Tuesday. 400,000 tickets for a total of 53 matches are available until April 7th, on a first come, first serve basis.
Newtown in Johannesburg will be hosting a festival during the world cup, offering music, dance, theatre, poetry, literature, craft, film, photography, science, outdoor performances and visual art held in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues.
Cape Town is trying to combat international perceptions of South Africa as an expensive destination ahead of the world cup. Cape Town Tourism have formulated a Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town to stop "greedy individuals" capitalizing on a few weeks at the expense of the responsible tourism sector. The first and major guiding principle of the Code is that of ‘Fair Value’ which means that the tourism sector will create fair and reasonable rates for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that are linked to current seasonal rates. The second principle is that of ‘Responsible Tourism’ which highlights Cape Town’s commitment to be a destination that values and promotes its position with regard to taking care of people, the planet and profit to the greater community.
South African is one of the top destinations for adrenalin junkies, according to the travel guide Lonely Planet. The experience of swimming with sharks at Dyer Island made the top 10 of Lonely Planet’s thrill-seekers list as part of their book: 1000 Ultimate Experiences. The entry reads: "Dolphins not edgy enough for you? Try swimming with a great white off Dyer Island. All you have to do is jump in a cage and be lowered into a school of hungry sharks. As they peer in helplessly with those dead black eyes, you might think 'this is soft!' Think again. Smaller sharks have been known to butt their way through the bars. From April to August most operators can almost guarantee the sharks will appear."
Soccer fans may have to learn some African names of well known places if they want to find their way around easily. For example, Pretoria's new African name is Tshwane, and the City has just won a court action allowing it to mention only the name Tshwane in its world cup Welcome signs. The name Pretoria will not be shown.
Two million world cup tickets have now been sold in the first three sales phases. There are two more phases to go, the fourth phase kicking off last Tuesday. 400,000 tickets for a total of 53 matches are available until April 7th, on a first come, first serve basis.
Newtown in Johannesburg will be hosting a festival during the world cup, offering music, dance, theatre, poetry, literature, craft, film, photography, science, outdoor performances and visual art held in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues.
Cape Town is trying to combat international perceptions of South Africa as an expensive destination ahead of the world cup. Cape Town Tourism have formulated a Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town to stop "greedy individuals" capitalizing on a few weeks at the expense of the responsible tourism sector. The first and major guiding principle of the Code is that of ‘Fair Value’ which means that the tourism sector will create fair and reasonable rates for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that are linked to current seasonal rates. The second principle is that of ‘Responsible Tourism’ which highlights Cape Town’s commitment to be a destination that values and promotes its position with regard to taking care of people, the planet and profit to the greater community.
South African is one of the top destinations for adrenalin junkies, according to the travel guide Lonely Planet. The experience of swimming with sharks at Dyer Island made the top 10 of Lonely Planet’s thrill-seekers list as part of their book: 1000 Ultimate Experiences. The entry reads: "Dolphins not edgy enough for you? Try swimming with a great white off Dyer Island. All you have to do is jump in a cage and be lowered into a school of hungry sharks. As they peer in helplessly with those dead black eyes, you might think 'this is soft!' Think again. Smaller sharks have been known to butt their way through the bars. From April to August most operators can almost guarantee the sharks will appear."
World Cup News
The South African press has been reporting more on the local airlines proposed airfares for the world cup period. Morning Live, the SABC 2 morning news programme, has started questioning why airfares during the tournament are three times higher than current prices, and has vowed to get airline management into the studio this week to explain.
Meanwhile, Kulula.com, the no-frills airline owned by British Airways in South Africa, has challenged all the other airlines in the country to lower their airfares during the world cup, saying it should not be seen as a "get-rich-quick" scheme. There is currently a Competition Commission investigation underway into price collusion among the airlines.
Other airlines have tried to hit back at Kulula saying that Kulula's fares out of Lanseria regional airport in Joburg's northern suburbs, where they have a sole mandate, are generally higher, but Kulula have responded that their Lanseria fares are usually less than their competitors' flights out of Johannesburg's OR Tambo international airport. 1Time Airline has challenged the exclusive agreement which allows only Kulula to fly out of Lanseria and has filed a complaint with the Competition Tribunal. 1Time says the Competition Commission found the agreement to be anti-competitive but had not referred their findings to the Tribunal, so they referred it themselves.
There is a lot more of this saga to come, but it puts soccer fans in a difficult position - do you book flights now to make sure you get the seats or do you wait to see if the airfares come down a bit?
Meanwhile, Kulula.com, the no-frills airline owned by British Airways in South Africa, has challenged all the other airlines in the country to lower their airfares during the world cup, saying it should not be seen as a "get-rich-quick" scheme. There is currently a Competition Commission investigation underway into price collusion among the airlines.
Other airlines have tried to hit back at Kulula saying that Kulula's fares out of Lanseria regional airport in Joburg's northern suburbs, where they have a sole mandate, are generally higher, but Kulula have responded that their Lanseria fares are usually less than their competitors' flights out of Johannesburg's OR Tambo international airport. 1Time Airline has challenged the exclusive agreement which allows only Kulula to fly out of Lanseria and has filed a complaint with the Competition Tribunal. 1Time says the Competition Commission found the agreement to be anti-competitive but had not referred their findings to the Tribunal, so they referred it themselves.
There is a lot more of this saga to come, but it puts soccer fans in a difficult position - do you book flights now to make sure you get the seats or do you wait to see if the airfares come down a bit?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
