Where is it? Glenwood & DHS contest the ball. 

Glenwood held on to win 17-12 in their annual derby match against Durban High School today. Played in cold windy conditions the game never reached epic proportions and both teams lacked sparkle. 

Blog of Note

Have a look at Cherryflava (and its associated PhotoBlog) for some inspirational digital photographs taken in and around Capetown.

I read somewhere that the City was now charging a fee for taking commercial pics of the place or using the famous views at backdrops in photographs. I think they should pay Cherryflava a fee for good promotional stuff.

The end of another very tough weekend in Durban. 

1854: A Busy Year

In a previous Post (see Wot no Birthday Bash) I lamented that Durban would not be marking the 150th anniversary of its founding as a Borough. In doing so I glossed over other 150th anniversaries needing recognition. One is that of the Durban Metro Police.

The founding of the Borough made provision for the establishment of a police force. Thus the Durban Metro Police can trace its ancestry in an unbroken line from this date. Yet the Superintendent of the Force, Ashley Dove, was quoted in the Sunday Tribune saying they had not considered celebrating ‘as it disassociates itself from the old City Police and its colonial past’ But more of this later.

Yesterday a parade was held in Durban to allow the City’s two oldest regiments (and possibly SA?)– The Natal Mounted Rifles and The Durban Light Infantry – to exercise the ancient right of their freedom of the city to march through the streets ‘ with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed.’ This they did to mark the 150th anniversary of their founding (1854 was a busy year)

Now to return to the Metro Police. There in the parade; in their dress uniforms; on their large and beautiful Friesian horses; riding proudly was a troop of our Police. No doubt Superintendent Dove had experienced a change of heart and realised there is much to celebrate and to be proud of in his Force.

Bravo and Viva!.

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(The article in the Tribune described the Durban Metro Police as the oldest in the southern hemisphere. I have a notion that they are the second oldest with the Falkland Islands force pipping them. Any thoughts out there?)

In the grand old game of rugby a high tackle incurs a penalty. How about a low blow? 

AIDS and the Soccer World Cup 2010 – what price Glory?

A feature of local thinking is the inability, or reluctance, to assess the true cost of policies and endeavours. The euphoria generated by South Africa winning the bid to stage the 2010 Soccer World Cup has, I believe, once more clouded our vision. It has been greeted as one would the arrival of a relief column bringing sustenance to a besieged and starving outpost. The delivery, at last, of the long awaited goodies that faith has led us to believe is an entitlement. We are latter-day ‘cargo cult’ devotees who have at last been favoured by the arrival of a plane load of essentials and even luxuries. Our lives will now be embellished and we will move forward into new sun filled days – or will we?

We are being told daily that we can expect an injection of R30 Billion rand into our economy. Yet this is a mere once-off sum of R750 for each South African if we use a total population figure of 40 million. This must be balanced against the cost of the improvements needed to stadiums, transport systems and infrastructure generally. The money for this will be a requirement and not a gift. The cost of the debt will linger on long after the World Cup has come and gone. Will we be able to fill continually our enlarged stadiums, rapid-rail systems, gleaming hotels and cavernous airport terminals so that they service the investment?

Balanced against the tumult and the shouting surrounding our ‘win’ is a sobering thought. Many, many of the joy-filled people we see in the news each day will not live to watch the soccer in 2010. It is estimated that by 2008 that AIDS will be claiming nearly one million lives a year in Southern Africa. The thing to note is the medical cost to society, that will grow to unbearable levels. The cost in 1990 of treating each AIDS patient was R80 000 to R100 000. Extrapolated forward to today this means an annual cost of R90 billion or so; an impossible burden.

The Government AIDS policy seems to one of negligent or even deliberate disregard. Nedbank’s Guide to the Economy dated August 1990 said the following

The remarkable aspect of the AIDS epidemic is the lengthy identifiable run-up to it through the spread of HIV infection. There is accumulating medical evidence in the journals on the rapid expansion of the HIV infection. At present evidence points to a doubling time of 8.5 months..........

In addition there is an abundance of evidence available that made the onset of AIDS far more predictable than winning the World Cup bid. Yet more news time and effort has been given to this rather than AIDS. The Win coupled with our celebration of 10 Years of Democracy is the good news that yet again enables the bad to be buried.

Sadly AIDS will endure whilst the World Cup will flicker for an instant. AIDS will consume the largesse gleaned and reduce our glorious and hyped New South Africa to a shell. Perhaps a news heading before the World Cup bid announcement has even deeper meaning.

Kom laat ons Bid*

(Afrikaans = Come let us pray/bid)

If Band Names were in Afrikaans

There’s an e-mail doing the rounds with the following translations of band/group/pop star names. Thought I’d share them.

Dire straits
In die Kak

Fuzzbox
Donsdoos

Bananarama
Piesangmargarien

Joan Armatrading
Johanna Wapenhandelaar

Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols
Jannie Vrot en die Pomprewolwers

Iron Maiden
Yster Sussie

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Mevrou Smit se Swart Mambas

Four Jacks and a Jill
Vier Latte en 'n Platte

Queen
Moffie

Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Welkom by Aventura

Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frikkie Gaan Fliek Toe

Twisted Sister
Koeksuster

Ace of Base
Baas se Aas

Meatloaf
Vleisrol

Spice Girls
Kerriekoekies

Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Barend Horing en die hele Reeks

Joe Cocker
Ja, joune ook!

Whigfield
Pruikveld

Huey Lewis and the News
Louis Luyt en die Nuus

Mariah Carey
Meraai se Kerrie

Hootie and the Blowfish
Tietie en die blaasoppies

Simple Minds
Dofkopp

Return to the Blog

Following pressure from my only reader a return after some absence - complete with a new format and look.

Now to get the warped brain into action and do some writing.