Warwick Bruce Chapman

A sign at the North Beach Metro Police Station

During the long weekend where we celebrated Human Right’s day, the Durban Metro Police were again implicated in rounding up street children. This time they also detained a foreign journalist who they suspect captured their activities on camera. The irony of this incident was that the journalists were in Durban to cover the Street Children’s World Cup and not to cover the brutal campaign the City is suspected to be running against street children. Last week the City issued a press statement confirming it does not have a policy of roundups, nor does it support one. Until the City adopts a proper policy for the sustainable management of street children, Metro Police must be reined in and focus only on those individuals committing real crimes. — Warwick Chapman

As a result of the harbour widening and deepening project, the QM2 is now able to enter Durban Harbour.  She did so this morning at 7:30.  More information on the luxury liner is available here.

The ANC chose to vote down two DA proposals which had won the support of the MF, IFP and other mintor parties that seeked to urgently intervene in resolving dangerous safety concerns which affect the lives of eThekwini residents.

“Death Road”
Cllrs Macpherson and De Boer proposed a motion which would have seen urgent measures taken place to improve the safety of “Death Road” on the M4 Ruth First highway between Broadway and Virginia in Durban North. The proposal suggested barriers be installed to separate the lanes and Metro Police establish a permanent unit to monitor that road. The ANC dismissed the motion with contempt suggesting the proposers were not following protocol despite the numerous efforts by councillors with City officials to see action taken.

The Deputy Mayor went as far as suggesting the DA Cllrs were trying to further protect their “leafy suburbs” while other parts of the City were in a significantly worse condition. DA Cllr Heinz De Boer clarified that “if the Mayor chooses to admit other parts of the City are in a poor state, that is his prerogative and shows up the lack of action by the City and councillors in those area, but as the Councillors responsible for Durban North and Umhlanga, we are doing our jobs as demanded by our communities.”

“Street Lights”
Also dispatched with a stunning display of arrogance and personal attacks was the motion proposed by Cllrs Chapman and Lindsay seeking that a task team be setup comprising councillors and officials from the Metro Electricity Department to urgently address the high number of faulty street lights in the City. Lindsay contended that despite 6 months of trying to get the Electricity department to fix over 200 faulty lights in the Pinetown New Germany area, little or no action had been taken.

Chapman explained that with the FIFA World Cup coming up and noting the serious impact that poor lighting has on crime, the DA wished to see councillors working together with Electricity Department officials to resolve urgent lighting and safety issues ahead of the big event. Again the ANC, through Cllr Reddy, used protocol as their excuse to sideline this constructive proposal.

Chapman, referring to the treatment of both proposals, said that “the ANC chose cheap politics over urgently needed service delivery in what is indicative of the attitude which has seen the gradual decline in support for the ruling party and spawned service delivery protests all over the country.”

– Warwick Chapman (Cllr Ward 18) | 083 7797 094 | ward18@ethekwini.org | http://warwickchapman.com

Note: ACSA have made a PDF available providing details of the new

Please find below a communique from ACSA regarding the pending switchover of operations from Durban International Airport in the South of Durban to the new King Shaka International Airport in the North.

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Please advise travellers that on 01 May 2010 the new King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) becomes operational for all Durban-bound air travel. The existing Durban International Airport will be decommissioned; although it may be used for a temporary period during the Soccer World Cup event if required.

All flights into Durban up to and including Friday 30 April 2010 will operate from the current airport. From 01 May 2010, all flights will officially operate out of the new airport which is located approximately 35 kilometers north of the city centre.
Please factor in extra time to get to and from KSIA and bear in mind that if you are travelling in one direction before 30 April and back after 01 May, that you may need a shuttle between the two airports.

SHUTTLE SERVICE

ACSA will provide a shuttle transfer between King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) and Durban International Airport (DIA) which will cover the cost for passengers that leave cars at DIA from 01 May for one week only.
Thereafter transportation between both airports will be for the passenger’s account and they will have to arrange transfers themselves.

Source:
Jacqueline Hooijberg
ACSA Durban Airport Manager

Monday night’s 100 days gala dinner hosted at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC was poorly attended, boring and ultimately a wasteful event.  My rough estimate is that the event had a 50% attendance; highly embarrassing considering the Acting President Kgalema Mothlante was the main speaker.

On arrival, guests were be met by ushers with no guest lists and instead asked to write their names on a page in exchange for a gold wristband.  Any of you could have come along.  When finding a table in the main hall, a few people had seating cards and the rest of us just sat anywhere.  Thank goodness it was poorly attended!

While criticising anything 2010 is frowned upon by all, one has to ask how an event celebrating our readiness to host the event could be so poorly organised?