South Africa has 596 000km of roads and the replacement value of the country’s road network is estimated to be R1.047-trillion.  “South Africa’s roads need R100-billion spent on them to eliminate maintenance backlogs and current levels of funding are only a quarter of what is needed to maintain the country’s road network into the future.

It is obvious that the cost of operating a vehicle on poor roads is double that of good roads in terms of fuel, maintenance, delays and crashes. “Road conditions have being assessed using the Visual Condition Index which expresses the condition of a road from 0 (very poor, requires reconstruction) to 100 (very good). About 60% of national roads are in poor or very poor condition. The overall VCI for South Africa’s roads dropped from 65 in 1998 to 46 in 2008. “The report clearly shows that, in the long term, regular annual maintenance that prevents road deterioration costs about a quarter of allowing a road to deteriorate until it needs reconstruction. We need R32-billion a year to keep our roads in good shape – 1.5 percent of GDP. This is far less that the cost of traffic crashes, unnecessary road reconstruction and losses by the transport industry resulting from poor roads. If we don’t get serious about road maintenance now, in 30 years we might not have any sealed roads left to maintain.

About 50 have been stolen in parts of Blue Downs, Bonteheuwel and Atlantis over the past two months, costing hundreds of thousands of rands.

Blue Downs will soon have no street lights left to be sold at the current rate 

Streetlight poles fetch between R300 and R500 each.The replacement of each post by the Cape Town Council is in the region of R10 000.

Keeping the lights burning during the day proved UN-successful, the thieves  found a way of tripping the power supply and 10 lampposts were pulled out of the ground.
A local scrapyard dealer was arrested twice, but he just keeps getting bail.

It was believed the six men and the two victims were part of a gang consisting of young men in the area.

It is alleged that the group had stolen a door from a school in the community on Saturday afternoon and when they sold the door the earnings were not equally divided. According to the police, this had allegedly sparked an argument that led to the killings.

“We were told the two who were killed received more than the others when the money was shared and that this is what started the argument,” he said.

While members of the group were fighting over the money, one of the suspects went home and told his father he had been robbed.

Police believe the man’s father then grabbed a shotgun and fired two random shots, but it is still unclear whether anyone was injured when the shots were fired.

Makupula told the Cape Argus it was believed that during the fight between the men, one of the victims was stabbed in the leg and hacked at the back of his neck with an axe.

The other victim was stabbed in the throat

Cape Town, South Africa, You are warned be careful of fish and chips. Now the copper cable is not enough for the thieves anymore. They are draining the cooling oil from transformers and selling it to fish and chips shops in townships.

This oil is called Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCB’s for short. It has been banned from many countries as far back as the 1970’s. Why it is still in use in South Africa is beyond belief.

This oil causes liver cancer, skin lesions and affects reproduction. Children can be born with both male and female sexual organs or can be born sterile.

Thieves were seen at the Atlantis sub-stations equipped with large canisters and pipes through which the oil was drained.”The oil looks like cooking oil but is highly toxic.  Investigations so far have found that thieves are bottling the oil, adding water and colourants, and selling it to township fisheries as cheap cooking oil.”

“People should be careful where they buy their fried fish and chips or other fried foods from now on.”

Being transported from the Melkbosstrand area through to Cape town at a cost of about R4 million rand. The boat is impressive in size out of the water, but guess in the water very small considering it was the Capes notorious storms that sent this boat sand surfing in the first place.

Furthermore, 63% were verbally abused by a police officer and 47% were threatened with physical violence by an officer of the law.

These shocking findings are revealed in a book, Selling Sex in Cape Town. The publication was distributed this month by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Sexworkers Education & Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat).

Sweat is a non-governmental organisation fighting for the rights of sex workers. The research was done between 2006 and 2008.

According to the book, there are at least 250 sex workers on Cape Town’s streets and about 960 in 103 brothels or private homes.

Only sex workers between 18 and 54 were questioned, and it was found that police were more tolerant towards sex workers in brothels.

Prostitution illegal

Meanwhile, Western Cape police said they could not comment on the research, but added that prostitution was illegal and guilty parties would be prosecuted.

Nicolé Fick, a Sweat researcher who worked on the book, said sex workers only wanted to be treated with decency when they were arrested. They usually pay fines from between R50 and R500.

“The moment they speak out about police treatment, they are victimised. That is why they no longer want to lay complaints against the police, but bring them to our offices. The police are their biggest fear.”

Pornographic movies will now be shown on a little television set next to a petrol pump at all major garages, so that you can watch someone else get screwed while you fill-up.

Then on the other hand filling up at petrol stations and driving off paying is quite popular now days in Cape Town. Many a pump station now requires cash payments before loading off their precious fuel into your tank.

This new locking system invented in South Africa is patent pending!

Get this, The SABC sends out letters of final demand for TV license fees. Even the dead are not exempt from not paying up, failing which you are blacklisted, as if you care for a TV in your final resting place. Inspectors apparently are going around checking you have a valid license. Should you have a death, or are just plain stupid you might venture into this informal settlement and ask a resident or two to produce a legal TV license.

Cape Towns world cup stadium has hit a snag, the money has run low, yet another blunder from ruling municipality. Rates increases are on the rise but fat cat corrupt politicians need increases and bonuses as a priority first.

Hopefully the stadium will be ready in time, only time will tell which is running out at this snail pace construction site.

Check out the depth of this pothole on a major thoroughfare in Secunda in the Free State. Local residents increasingly are teaming up to repair their own roads because municipalities are either collapsing, have no engineering staff or have run out of money in spite of sky-high municipal taxes residents have to pay.

Desperate SA motorist are are taking to repairing the municipal roads themselves , even though people pay sky-high taxes to local municipalities, the roads are falling into dreadful and often dangerous disrepair. Motorist Gert van Schalkwyk who got a burst tyre from a huge hole on a busy street at Fourways, also repaired the road himself. The huge, waterfilled hole in Willian Nicol Drive was causing considerable problems for motorists for months. He finally got ‘the moer in’ , bought a bag of cement, brought some rocks and filled up the huge hole in the road himself. He said all the motorists using this road knew about it and tried to detour, but during rush hour this wasn’t always possible. http://www.news24.com/Beeld/Suid-Afrika

I Don”t know what these people are complaining about, they obviously have not been to Cape Town lately.

* The pump attendants take these unclaimed cash slips from the cash
register attendant and sell these same cash slips to taxi drivers

* The taxi drivers then add these cash slips to their own and so
claim a bigger subsidy amount from government, thereby not feeling the
pinch of the fuel increases.

Send this to everyone on your address list... to prevent this corruption
going on and the rest of us (non-subsidized drivers) suffers in silence.
You probably didn't even know that fuel for Taxi's is subsidized, which
we pay for.

Thanks again to the South African government for screwing it's tax
paying citizens while thieves and liars continue being subsidized.

Anyone who has not been in Cape town since around the mid to late 90’s would get a shock To see how much more traffic there is on the roads today! It is bumber to bumper and if you are in the thick of it between the airport and Athlone, you had better be prepared for a long wait in snail traffic. Add to that the disruptions with the snail pace construction, throw in the Fast Deadly Doom of the notorious mini bus taxi’s and… that’s not all, consider what it must be like for drivers during power outages when traffic lights in the city are out of action..!

Take a look…spare a thought for these poor drivers…the place is a madhouse..

Authorities didn’t know why the road had started to sink, but that engineers were evaluating the situation and suspect poor maintenance.

The M4 southbound, from the Umdloti interchange to the Umhlanga off-ramp, is the affected part of the highway.

If you live in Ballito or other areas north of Umhlanga, and you normally travel on the M4, be sure to carry an extra cash with you for Toll fees.

Tongaat Toll plaza would be happy with this closure as motorists will have no choice but to cough up and pay to get to and back from work.

As if South Africa was the master of all Africa – today its seen as a safe place by all manner of refugees from the north of the border. Thousands flock to SA every day to milk the SA tax payer of their hard earned rands. The situation is made worse by the near total absence of border patrols and emigration officials except at the official crossings themselves.

Asylum seekers are flocking to the city centre in the hope of being assisted by the department of home affairs in their bid to get legal papers.
More than 1 000 immigrants, who want to beat the daily bus queues which take them to the home affairs offices in Barrack Street, are now camping there.

On the site, there are three mobile toilets put up by home affairs. There is no running water or bathroom facilities and the stench of urine permeates the air.

Applications for asylum papers are processed in Barrack Street. The home affairs Foreshore office closed two weeks ago following the sale of Customs House.

Most of them spend up to three weeks on the pavement, but when they leave, their spots are taken up by new refugees.

Most are Zimbabweans, peppered with a few Somalis, Congolese and Malawians.

Groote Schuur graveyard entrance as it is now days.

The west coast beaches have become a far cry from what they used to be in particularly after Langebaan. This popular beach frequented by tourists has a oil slick and the rocky areas scattered with broken glass. Walking bear foot here is totally out of the question.

Above depicts a factory waste outlet directly onto the beach. Maybe they have got away with it all this time as its well hidden amongst the rocks. Dirt and graffiti the order of the day. The homes in this area are sold for millions of rand’s. With that in mind the western Cape cash cow ( un-realistic rates increases) generates millions, yet money seems to disappear into ever increasingly deeper political pockets instead.

False bay is often the benefactor of raw sewerage, all with complements from the western Cape administration.

In Church Street, the town’s main street, the long arm of the law, that prowls the empty streets at night…waiting..in fast cars and on foot… pounced, and motorist was given a speeding ticket.
Wanting a explanation from the traffic cop that this couldn’t be right, fell on deaf ears. (nothing new )

Enquiries to Steve Tshwete municipality at Middelburg (which has jurisdiction over Hendrina) were not answered. ( we have a good idea of how admin staff in government offices spend their time..!)

Apparently the town’s traffic department said the fine would have to be defended in court.

Motor car license fees in the Western Cape are the highest in the country, but wanting to save face, they kept renewal fees unchanged and then added a R30.00 administration fee, ostensibly to pay for a better computer program and increased service delivery. Who they are servicing is a mystery, as the queues are as long as ever and it takes just as long to process a customer as before. But, of course, it also includes all traffic fines incurred during the year and will not allow you to renew your licence before these are paid in full, which brings me to my second topic:

The N2 taxi speedway has many cameras to catch private motorists and fine them a healthy R500.00, yet there is not a single camera in the taxis and buss lane. Why? Well, it is not economically viable. They don’t pay their fines anyway. It is all about economics and business.

Just before Christmas, traffic authorities went into Green Point/Camps Bay and fined all and sundry. To add insult to injury, they towed away the cars as an additional release penalty could be levied on these victims. Parking in a loading zone after hours is apparently also a serious crime, as far as traffic authorities are concerned. But then, they probably need the money for Christmas parties etc.

Whenever there is a rugby match at Newlands, there is many a cop visible for parking fines, yet for soccer they seem to disappear, once again it’s all about the money and the ability to reclaim.

Another total rip-off is that residents may not withhold payment when in dispute with council about their valuations, as interest will be levied, yet Council do not pay interest for excess moneys paid as a result of these ridiculous valuations – even if it is found to incorrect! Not very fair, is it?.

Since it seems as if Cape Town City Council and its subsidiaries are run as profitable business, I believe that, as customers, we would be well within our rights to withhold payment if services are lacking or inadequate.

Alternatively, Zille should have Cape Town listed on the stock exchange. I would love to get my hands on piece of the profits!!!

Now lets look at the negatives, just to ensure I keep my integrity. 1. There is no cd player or radio. 2. You would get wet in the rain. 3. Falling off would definitely hurt. 4. And that special someone whose legs are wrapped around you most definitely won’t end up sleeping with you.

When you look at the pro’s and con’s it’s still a pretty close decision, right?

Well luckily, Piaggio has just released a three wheeled scooter designed to minimize your chances of eating bitumen for breakfast. It even has extra storage compartments perfect for storing a raincoat.

If you’re really desperate to crank some beats, you can always use some money you saved on a car to purchase an I-pod. If you’ve read this far hoping for an excuse to sell out your ego, you’re not going to get one, other than the more people them,

This obnoxious speed cop had found his easy white target. Mr traffic cop takes his merry time going to his vehicle to get his ticket book, making it rather obvious time was on his side and we would just have to wait till he was ready.

It was decided by him that my standard tow bar ,obscured my number plate sufficiently making it impossible to read. On attempting to question his logic I was told he has the power and will if necessary remove my registration disc immediately.

I Informed this esteemed verkeers man, I speak the official language only, yet he continued in the taal, and issue a R500.00 fine in Afrikaans.

When I got irate and questioned him why speeding is aloud, was asked if I would like my car impounded immediately for my apparent number plate transgression.

The problem in South Africa is that whites are easy targets, and generally payup.This traffic cop hides behind the law and uniform ,I personally will rather succumb to this ,rather than test our law and end up behind bars while our third world red tape is sorted out.

This is a photo of the cop in question.!!

This is democracy hard at work, finding easy targets ,payment of apparent transgression almost guaranteed by selective issuing of traffic tickets.

This container was not hooked into the slides of the truck-bed. This photo does not give this danger justice. Would this accident, possibly causing lose of life be worthy of a fine?

INFORMATION NOTICE TO SAVRALA MEMBERS

The information below was e-mailed to one of our members and is being shared with you. Until we resolve our legal issues related to Traffic Fines and the arresting of car rental companies proxies, please can you notify your staff and proxies of this information supplied below:-

___________________________________________

ROADSIDE ARREST ON OUTSTANDING FINES

The LAW SOCIETY OF SA has currently appointed a group of attorneys to deal with this flagrant transgression of the law; for further info on which attorney are taking on cases like these, please call Hester Bezuidenhout 012 338 5872 who will assist.

Know your rights
The traffic/metro police are doing random roadblock checks. They will also feed your registration into a computer that will show up if you have any outstanding fines. Know your rights.

If you get stopped for outstanding traffic fines – really important for all drivers: Make sure that everybody gets this message.

The Jhb Metro Police, Cape Town Metro Police and other traffic cops have recently developed the nasty habit of locking people up for unpaid fines. These road blocks are typically only happening in and around more affluent areas where their “hit rate” will be higher on traceable entities, with more “fixed” abodes when, as we all know, primary daily offenders in their mini busses literally get away with murder because the cops are too scared to root them out of the townships, or the justice system has no means of putting them over a barrel like the majority of “soft” citizens.

They can only arrest you if:

1. They have the original warrant for your arrest there with them. A copy isn’t good enough, saying it’s at the station isn’t good enough either. They have to show it to you there and then (if they have it, check plan “b”).

2. They have to prove that you received the summons in person. It either had to be delivered to you in person or you had to collect a registered letter from the post office (if they cannot prove you personally received the relevant summons, the warrant of arrest is not legal either).

3. If you do get stopped and they want to arrest you, demand to see the warrant and proof you received the summons (i.e. your own signature on the document when delivered to you).

4. If they don’t have it, the arrest is illegal. Refuse to go. If they still arrest you inform them there and then you will press charges against them for illegal arrest (record everything that is said to you, as well as the chronological procedure of events in detail). These details may well stand you in good stead for a strong case.

5. Technically, if your arrest is illegal, the taking possession of your car by the police and its driving thereof while you are in custody may also constitute theft.

6. When you are released, go to the SAPS immediately and lay a charge against the arresting law body and relevant official.

*** MAKE SURE YOU CARRY YOUR DRIVER’S LICENCE WITH YOU!! ***

Copied and supplied to SAVRALA MEMBERS by Wayne Duvenage, General Manager (SAVRALA) Cell: 0836766203

If you live in Cape Town and don’t drive around with some sort of a weapon in your car, I suggest you do..guns, daggers, ice picks, letter openers, hat pins, meat hook, something to draw loads of blood or whatever takes your fancy, because if some simian smash and grab artist decides to smash you car window and stick his mit through to grab your keys, you’ll want to give him  the hat pin, doing as much damages as you possibly can, as fast dialing the metro cops is a waste of time.

Metro cops are battling to curb an increasing number of smash-and-grab incidents in Cape Town.

And it’s believed the cause is that the city has only one vehicle to respond to violations spotted on cameras at intersections across Cape Town.

The number of vehicles are believed to have been cut from four when the surveillance cameras were launched, to only one this year.

A Metro police officer, who spoke to Weekend Argus on condition of anonymity, said it was “absurd” that a single response vehicle was expected to patrol all roads and carriageways with surveillance cameras in Cape Town.

One of the “danger roads”, with surveillance cameras at the Jakkalsvlei turn-off to Bonteheuwel, is Vanguard Drive. The intersection has been identified by security companies and police as a smash-and-grab “hotspot”, but motorists say there is no policing and they are robbed there daily.

“The situation is critical, especially now that so many members have been suspended,” said the source.

He was referring to the suspension of more than 100 Metro cops for taking part in an illegal strike in August. They are currently involved in disciplinary proceedings.

“The single vehicle has to patrol Vanguard Drive, the N1, N2, and intersections in Langa, Manenberg, Bishop Lavis and many others.

“And then they keep telling motorists there are cameras up to protect them, but they fail to add that there’s just one response vehicle for incidents picked up on the surveillance system.

“In addition we are short staffed. We had four vehicles when the cameras were launched and now there’s only one available.

“We asked for bushes and grass beside the roads to be cut because criminals hide in the bushes, but nothing is done. No one listens to our grievances and there are no resources.

“All we can do is urge people to be aware and help us fight crime by putting all valuables in their car boots and not on the seat.”

Cheri Keet, of Table View, was targeted at the Jakkalsvlei intersection recently and said she had since become “terrified” of that stretch of road.

“I was driving towards the traffic lights in peak traffic. The guy appeared from nowhere, smashed my window and grabbed my handbag,” said Keet.

“There was nothing I could do, and no police anywhere. You’re just stuck there in traffic with a broken window.”

Keet said she’d received three fines for driving through red traffic lights since the incident.

“It’s scary, and I don’t stop when I see guys loitering around there anymore,” she said.

“It’s earned me three traffic fines, but what can I do?

“I’m terrified and I hope the police will do something about the problem there soon.”

Metro Police spokesperson Kevin Maxwell admitted the department was short staffed and said the shortage had been exacerbated by the suspension of about 117 members.

“Camera Response is a specialized unit within Metro Police and is not area specific, but a support and force multiplier,” said Maxwell.

“I can’t give a number, but we do have vehicles on patrol,” he said.

“We encourage all staff to provide the department with suggestions to improve affected areas in respect of crime prevention.”

This is a goodie I just had to post…just like the removal of street signs, or the spray painting of renamed streets, if you got a pot hole problem in your area, take a tip from the residents of Lichtenburg..it’s a real original idea!

Lichtenburg – What to do if the potholes on your daily road are so deep that cars can’t drive there and the municipality does nothing about it?
Follow the example of Lichtenburg’s citizens and protest by using the potholes to create a greener and more friendly environment.

A group of locals in this North West town got together and out of pure frustration decided to “plant” young trees in the middle of one of their busiest streets, which had become impassable because of the potholes.
Peet van Niekerk, one of the residents, said on Thursday that they came up with the idea after repeatedly complaining and moaning to the municipality didn’t bear fruit.
Poor condition of tarred roads

“As fed-up ratepayers we decided enough was enough and we started a friendly but very serious protest by planting trees in one of the streets with many potholes.
“A wreath-laying ceremony was held right there at one of the trees because the many requests about the poor condition of among other things the tarred roads had never amounted to much.”
According to Van Niekerk the action immediately led to the desired response from the authorities.

“With the good response of firstly the traffic department under Frank Engelbrecht and then the police, even the mayor after a lot of persuasion came to view the trees.
Van Niekerk said it was decided immediately to close the road, which carries heavy traffic between Lichtenburg and Burgersdorp, because it posed a danger to traffic.
The trees, meanwhile, have been planted elsewhere so that repairs to the road can begin.

Streets corners are pilling up with dirt and rubbish.

This residential alleyway is unbelievable. Are we going the same way as Johannesburg. The city works for you certainly reflects in these pictures.

Having a squatter build his /she shelter under the stairway to the station cannot be tourist friendly surely. Wonder if the Cape Towns mayor’s residential area is also neglected?

On a lighter note its still wild in the southern suburbs where goats bring traffic to a stop.

We’re on the road to nowhere

SA roads in a sad state of decay

THE city of Johannesburg’s road management company gets an average of 250 claims each year for vehicle damage caused by poor roads. In its past financial year, the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA), spent more than R170 000 on such claims, with most of them related to vehicle damage caused by potholes.

Sipho Nhlapo, JRA operations manager, said the agency was unable to provide an “exhaustive list of what motorists can claim for”, but each case was assessed on its own merits. Nhlapo claimed that routine maintenance was conducted on “all roads on an annual or 18-month basis” to avoid deterioration. But the backlog relating to the city’s roads’ construction, upgrades, resurfacing and rehabilitation is estimated to stand at R2.6-billion. Nhlapo said 24% of the roads were in good condition while 18% were in a very good state. About 18%, he said, were in a poor condition, with 3% of Joburg’s roads classified as being in a very poor state. The remaining 37% of roads were “mainly in informal settlements that have recently been declared townships and some of the old townships where JRA is upgrading to tarred roads, such as Orange Farm, Ivory Park, Braamfischerville and Diepsloot,” Nhlapo said.

With JRA’s budget standing at R80-million, maintaining existing roads while trying to upgrade roads in townships has been problematic.

Parktown prawns and potholes, the size of moon craters

The condition of Parktown North’s 10th Avenue is evidence of this. The road, where residents pay municipal rates of up to R4000, has been referred to as the suburb’s “dried-out river bed”. Vesselina Pentcheva, who lives on the gravel-like 10th Avenue, said: “I have not alerted the council to the street’s condition because nothing ever gets done here.

“It has been like that ever since I moved here five years ago. It is not worth what we pay for [rates], but thank God I drive a 4×4,” she added.

Lindsay Lomas, also a resident on 10th Avenue, said she bought a 4×4 a few months ago.

“I used to feel it when I drove a smaller car. But now because I drive a 4×4 it’s better. The only problem is when I push my twin babies’ pram on the street while taking them for a walk,” she said.

In Ekurhuleni, Katlehong resident Mega Ndobe told Metro that many of the area’s roads were not tarred and those that had been tarred were in bad condition. “It is difficult to get around because our cars get worn out quickly by the roads,” he said.

The JRA’s Nhlapo said: “We generally work on all our roads as and when the need is identified. To improve this we have inspectors from our strategically placed depots driving around to identify roads that need maintaining.” ~ Pah! Praat kak man give us another one.

Top right a view from Kalk bay and public open space from the harbour parking area.

Is this the newly formed Kalk Bay squatter camp? How long is it going to be before main road threw Kalk Bay will be as dangerous as the airport highway?

The harbour parking area is home to this camper. Note the rubbish piling up on the side.

The railway line along Kalk Bay has also become home to squatters. Possibly I’m ill-informed and this is part of Kalk Bays attraction to which I apologize.!

The problem in South Africa is corruption. Fast tracking a identity document or buying a drivers license is common. Obviously these idiots that persist in wedging themselves under Muizenberg bridge must be illiterate as well. Not even two weeks ago a bus carrying German tourists had its roof removed, fortunately nobody was injured but how long before somebody gets killed?

And two weeks later this cement truck has a go at the bridge. This truck driver gave it his best shot because even with deflating the tires it was impossible to move.

Armed with pistols and hair trigger tempers, South Africa’s minibus drivers rule supreme. They are the undisputed kings of road rage, swerving in and out thru traffic, ignoring red traffic lights as the nervous motorist gives way to these hooligans of the roads.

Blocking traffic while filling their vehicles with passengers they whistle and pump those hooters with a menacing force. Traffic cops make no effort to stop taxis as they do not pay up for violations. Whats the point putting yourself in danger if there is no financial benefit.

Watch these taxi barbarians deliberately gunn for motor cyclists who are vulnerable knowing that they are above the law and thus acting on impunity.

Thousands of drivers and passengers are killed yearly increasing when taxi violence flares up. Lucrative taxi routes pay well for drivers and bosses thus the need to speed blindly and weave across streets to earn that extra cash.

Mini bus taxi fatalities are common due to speeding and reckless driving. Often the driver is unscathed and the innocent die. Comprehensive motor car insurance is essential when driving on the roads with taxis.

Cases of culpable homicide are opened but a conviction is unheard of.

For as long as the taxi industry continues to be plagued with gangster ism and lawlessness they will continue to cause mayhem and death on the roads of South Africa.

Political party changes compounded with gross mis-appropriation of funds has seen the city center decay to third world standards.

This inner city center park has a cliff as a back drop and ocean views in front of it. Squatters have moved in and now is rampant with crime and drug dealing.

Note the dirt and cliff wall black from the fires. A woman dare not walk threw hear alone.

How much further must the city decay before something is going to be done about it.

This city toilet building has been repaired by the squatters who now live in and around it.

Note the lintel. On closer inspection its a slab of concrete(strength unknown), not off the shelf pre-stressed lintel one would expect to see.

The photo does not give this doorway justice. It has too be seen in person to really appreciate it.

This doorway does not even have a lintel. Check out the bricks over it. These bricks must have been laid after a heavy weekend on the bottle.

Have not figured out how this builder is going to lay the roof yet. The roof line is more like the valley of a thousand hills. When the Capes renowned south Easer wind starts up, many a car is going to damaged. If you look close the wooden rafters lack any form of brick work around them for some additional strength.

Will the council actually do something about this problem??

Where does the money go that council takes from homeowners for repair and apparent maintenance of the roads??

Cape Towns ancient drainage system is in dire need of upgrading and repair.

Those companies that offered under body chassis cleaning lost out on business due to road flooding.

Cape Town in fact has dropped in its world rating, from number six in 2006 to number 10 for the 2007. This drop in ranking was not mentioned. Tourists are misinformed.

In this same Newspaper the South African Airways(SAA) was ranked at no 9. For the year 2007. SAA did not make it into the top ten airlines in the world. With rude unprofessional cabin crew, and unsympathetic staff over baggage theft not to mention long lines at customs due to staff shortages its rather obvious SAA could never be ranked with the best in the world anymore.

Top 10 cities Overall

07 06

1 1 Florence

2 7 Buenos Aires

3 3 Bangkok

4 2 Rome

5 4 Sydney

6 8 New York

7 n/a Udaipur, India

8 n/a Istanbul

9 10 San Francisco

10 6 Cape Town

n/a means they were not among top ranked in this category last year.

One would expect this would apply to all citizens of Cape Town by assumption, yet our city council seems to be exempt from this policy. With the municipal charges they smacked on the residents that would make sense to waste at our expense.

Muizenberg electricity building

What a city council example

After lengthy consultations the health department has decided on the following to be on the bottles label.(extract from Cape Times 4Sept07)

Alcohol reduces driving ability, don’t drink and drive

Don”t drink and walk on the road, you may be killed

Alcohol increases your risk to personal injuries

Alcohol is a major cause of violence and crime

Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health

Drinking during pregnancy can be harmful to your unborn baby.

Was this the very best the South African health department could come up with to reduce alcohol abuse, after lengthy consultations This is third world mentality thinking without a doubt.

Will our health minister adhere to the alcohols warning label?

Very doubtful

It makes sense to get as close as possible to a ATM. Cash in transit heists are as common as waking up in the morning.

At least this 4×2 ( four wheels and two legs) waits for the robot.

The squeeze is common practice , stop ,off load passages in the far lane and then without using indicators cut across forcing a fellow motorist into the pavement,hoot and swear at him/her for not moving out of the way fast enough.

As a woman to confront these drivers, is not recommended. Road rage is almost as common as rape.

Should there be different road rules if you have the numbers. City cops are known for letting serious traffic violations slide.

Public transport taxi below with no stop lights working with rear end damage, and dirty plastic as a window carries on with business. Rear view mirror not a requirement??

This city cop does not bother to ticket the car parked in the disabled bay, yet should ones parking meter expire, a fine will stuck to your window almost immediately.

Trailers are exempt from having license plate, which is fair considering our annual license renewal fees are the highest in the western cape.

Those wanting to visit your grave site need a 4×4 all terrain jeep just to get in, That is if nobody has moved in on top of you.

Some areas are just too risky to stop and take photos.

As pictures show, the cape town city works for you even when you are gone.

Note to the left the squatter quarters.

As we find ourselves blackmailed by the Cape Town Municipality to pay our rates bills which are ridiculously over inflated to benefit themselves, one wonders what happens to the slogan of the city works for you.

Money well spent on our cleansing department by homeowners.

With municipal increases of 19% on our precious water, sewerage is the forerunner with a overall increase of one hundred and twenty five percent(125%).

Sewerage is more expensive than water, believe it.

On the other side of the world Australia, Brisbane in particular a drought has forced a level 4 restriction on water usage.

No justice in the world.

Do the math – that’s over R60,000 a day in fines!

The N2 is the major arterial highway that connects the Cape Town to Khayelitsha, Langa, Gugaletu and then onto the Cape Town International Airport.

Now normal law abiding motorists who are just trying to make a living are fined an absolutely ridiculous R500.00 each time they are caught in the B&T lane.

The council hasn’t added a lane but rather taken one away. The already congested 3 lane highway has been reduced it to two lanes.

The taxi operators now own the right hand lane.

Sure it is a dedicated transport lane but where was the research into the lane’s viability? What about a traffic management analysis to measure its impact on existing traffic flows? Why not add another lane? Isn’t the R60,000 a day in fines an indication that something is wrong?

And besides, Cape Town doesn’t have a safe, reliable and effective public transport system!

Many countries throughout the world have introduced dedicated transport lanes but been clever enough to call them T2 or T3 lanes. That is any vehicle can use the public transport lane if the vehicle has two, three or more occupants.

Many highways and roads have speed traps to catch motorists, yet non have been installed on the N2 B&T Lane. Why?

Taxis are renowned for speeding – just look at the number of taxis involved in the 12,000+ yearly road death toll. Yet the council has chosen money ahead of public safety by setting cameras up to detect lane violations rather than taxi speeding.

So, this begs the question – “For how long is the Cape Town City Council going to milk this new cash cow?”.

This particular road is extremely busy during peak hour traffic. Over taking a slow car here is virtually impossible in many areas because of the road condition. Ride here at your own risk if you’re a motor cyclist.

There is plenty of money for a unnecessary world cup stadium in 2010. Alternatives to building a new stadium were sidelined in Cape town by those in power. South Africa cannot afford these kind of construction bills.

Our roads are in a state of disrepair The dedicated public transport lane on the N2 had CCTV cameras installed costing thousands of rands. The private motorist can expect a R500.00 fine in the post if they dare go into this lane, yet the remaining lanes will be manually monitored for taxi transgressions. I would like to see a traffic cop on the road that time of the morning attempting that.

Apparently private vehicles will not be tolerated on the dedicated taxi speed way, authorities might go as far as impounding your vehicle.

Where are the priorities. Patching the tarmac is the most common form of road repair seen nowadays.

Above pothole is one of three almost in a row over a three meter stretch. Below same holes expertly repaired with gravel and stone, what workmanship.

If you are fortunate to own a 4×4 and wear your kidney belt to keep your system in relative comfort, holes in the road will be of minimal discomfort. Possibly these potholes are a new form of speed control and the public is just misinformed that they should be repaired properly. To hear there is insufficient funds to resurface the road is common practice yet its no problem to apply a patch ever so often. Recently I saw a patch re-applied in military Road just after the railway line three times in one week.

Number plates are not a essential requirement nowadays after roadworthy.

This brain-wave plan by the city council is meant to promote public transport, thus reduce the use of private motor cars on our roads. Part of this master plan is that if more people use public transport pollution by car emissions would be reduced. Those not using these taxis will spent more time on the road due to a reduction of one lane.

Now it stands to reason these that poor souls are in fact going to increase pollution emissions due to congestion of this highway. Wait it gets better, apparently there will be traffic officers to flag down taxis that do not stay in their dedicated lane. Who are they fooling, its a known fact that you need serious re-enforcements to stop these guys. Taxi violence is a everyday reassurance.

Maybe when all those high in government feel safe and secure to use the public transport themselves john public will follow. Our public health system has the same woes, those in high places say all is well, yet they themselves book themselves into private clinics. What a contradiction.

Recently Cape Town was voted the cleanest city in South Africa. What happens I think is that those in the know take these people to suburbs etc which have been cleaned or are renowned for been within reasonable limits. Tourists visit Cape Town and Table Mountain, do the travel agency’s show the following ?

This is not too dirty, let pop down to the parking lot at the beach

You must have heard of national flower, this is what democracy is all about.

Dirt and more dirt, no pride in cleanliness.

Proudly a Cape Town decoration.

The City is proud of this prestigious award as we can see.