Tag Archives: Brett Herron

City of Cape Town accused of subsidising Michael Bublé and One Direction concerts in Cape Town, did they benefit Tourism?!

May 3, 2015

The City of Cape Town has been accused by ANC councillors that the Michael Bublé and One Direction concerts, held earlier this year within ten days of each other in the City-owned Cape Town Stadium, were in part funded by the City, and ultimately its ratepayers!

Reported in Die Burger, the article alleges that R2,1 million of ratepayers’ monies were used to pay for tickets and security for the 19 March Michael Bublé and 1 April One Direction concerts. R243000 is alleged to have been paid to concert organiser ‘Big Concerts International’ (sic – the company is known as Big Concerts), a private company and dominant concert organiser in our country, for tickets, and close to R500000 for security, an expenditure which should have been the responsibility of the concert organiser.

At a Council meeting of the City on Thursday Acting Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Transport for Cape Continue reading →

Winelands N1/N2 Toll Roads: war of words erupts between City of Cape Town and SANRAL!

April 29, 2015

I believe that I am a typical Western Cape resident, who thinks that toll roads are a Gauteng headache, and that City of Cape Town court cases against SANRAL (The South African National Roads Agency Ltd) have kept this scourge away from our province. A full-page SANRAL advertisement in the Cape Times yesterday made me sit up and take notice!

The advertisement is boring in that it is copy-based only, the SANRAL logo being the only visual element. The nonsensical headline makes it look like a ‘home made’ ad : ‘N1/N2 WINELANDS Frequently Asked‘! Looking at it broadly, the information is haphazardly documented, Continue reading →

Camps Bay undergoes major road upgrade, short-term irritation, long-term benefit for Capetonians!

April 28, 2015

With minimal notice to the residents and businesses of Camps Bay, using nothing more than media statements, the City of Cape Town announced the closure of a large part of Camps Bay Drive, due to R20 million roadworks undertaken between the Geneva Drive and Houghton Road turn-offs for the next five months, which commenced a week ago. Speaking to a selection of businesses, the Victoria Road restaurants have felt little or no impact of the roadworks on their business, while guest houses in the suburb appear to be taking some strain. The long-term benefit for not only Camps Bay, but for Cape Town in general, is recognised.

In the days leading up to 20 April, the start of the roadworks, the City of Cape Town hastily put up yellow signs all Continue reading →

Cape Town tourists miss out on Cape Festive season Minstrel Carnival highlight!

January 14, 2015

What a shame that the many visitors to Cape Town missed out on one of the city’s annual and unique highlights over the Festive Season. The ‘Tweede Nuwe Jaar’ Minstrel march traditionally takes place on 2 January, but was postponed to 5 January (originally cancelled due to religious reasons, but then delayed again due to lack of parking, bus transport, and VIP seating), and then to 10 January (but this date clashed with the ANC 103rd birthday celebrations held in Cape Town, at which some Minstrel troupes participated). Now the date of the Minstrel march appears to be set for Saturday 17 January, a date on which a minimal number of local and international tourists will still be in Cape Town!