January 6
Take care – or Ballito will lose its appeal
Over the New Year weekend I spent two days with family at Santorini and after a walk along the road towards Chaka’s Rock I was so moved by what I saw that I feel compelled to tell someone in authority that unless the situation is addressed, Ballito will slowly lose its appeal to the big-spending upcountry visitors.
I am from Durban and not a sun worshipper so the beach is not a huge attraction for me.
The most important rule of business is to look after customers and these must be paying customers, not free loaders.
With that in mind:
The three beaches I visited were totally crowded with people braaiing, cooking and drinking alcohol, taking up abnormal amounts of space thus depriving others of enjoyment.
The beach road was in chaos with cars parked over pavements to the extent that people had to risk their lives and walk in the road to get past.
I observed people in the flats overlooking the beaches probably wondering why they spent vast sums of money to get here and would be unable to enjoy the facilities.
The pavements that I walked on had an imbedded plastic pipe cemented in the walking area, a six inch high bollard with steel visible and a steel pin above the concrete. You could be in line to be sued for negligence.
In case everyone forgets, these same upcountry visitors used to come to the Durban beachfront and stay in the hotels.
Nowadays they go somewhere else – Durban cannot find tenants for its beachfront buildings because the beachfront visitors do not have money to spend.
The solution would be quite simple but tricky to enforce.
Firstly, tow away or ticket those cars parked on pavements, across entrances, on red lines – but first publicise the fact that illegal parking will not be tolerated.
Secondly position security guards at the approaches to beaches and search cooler boxes for alcohol – drinking in public is an offence.
Do not just have roadblocks on New Year’s Eve. Have them on the exit from Ballito on New Year’s day. Hot sun, alcohol and irresponsible people leads to trouble, fighting etc.
Thirdly, ban cooking on the beachfront – packed cold food only – litter would reduce significantly
Finally the water shortage is a sign of bad planning and sloppy organization.
Ballito is enjoying a boom at present.
Look after the basics, otherwise people will go somewhere else – soon.
TONY BALL
Durban
*****
Working to keep us garbage-free
We would like to express our thanks to the hard working crew of Pick it Up, who seem to work tirelessly to keep us ‘garbage free’.
Rain or shine, regardless of holiday calendars, Monday and Thursday, we are never disappointed.
Happy Holidays and know that your effort and loyalty is appreciated, all year.
With gratitude.
MOLLY ROBINSON
Salt Rock
*****
Lack of vision
The limited water supply in Ballito is again a typical example of ANC vision; following that set by the hierarchy, when they ignored the impending electricity supply shortage 12 years ago.
How can a town of major expansion of several years, remain ignorant of a major infrastructural requirement, such as water supply? Unfortunately for the ingenious councillors, there are no empty dams to be blamed. I suppose they are still searching for a scapegoat; maybe apartheid is an option?
When do those, who are supposed to govern, stop the adage “Tomorrow is another day?”
HUBERT BALZER
Umdloti
*****
Interesting solution to restaurant smoking
There has been a suggestion that smoking should not be allowed 100 metres from a restaurant.
I did an interesting calculation. I presume this would be in a radius of 100 metres of each restaurant, so this no smoking zone would overlap with other restaurants.
Ballito smokers would have to gather at the bottom of Simbithi Drive. Lifestyle smokers would meet somewhere near the Ballito-Tongaat intersection. Salt Rock smokers would meet at the lifesaving club and at the turn off to Hugh Dent.
These venues will become wonderful party venues but then every one will get caught for drinking in public (This is far more serious than tender fraud etc).
I love the smell of smoke and crave to smell a Texan plain again. Maybe smoking has made the highest-ranking policeman in the world, the head of Interpol so sick. Shame, poor chap. By the way I haven’t smoked for 25 years, which has added 1 kg per year to my stature.
I hope everyone had a happy . . . I don’t know what it is called anymore. I am sure this is the day when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ so please forgive me and I don’t want to offend anyone when I say I hope everyone had a happy Christmas.
We have been given another public holiday on the 27th and there are so many public holidays do you think it will be worth my while telling Parliament that my birthday is on May 24 and if they could please make that a public holiday too? To all my friends please diarise this day and remember it is not the size or the thought of the present that counts, it’s the value.
At the beginning of December I said to myself ‘Hey Bru, I hope they don’t disrupt the traffic flow again this year’. You see, this is because I have always thought the idea was that at peak traffic times all road works would be finished.
Alas, I only have a standard grade matric so I didn’t know the correct way and it seems to be that one coincides the peak traffic flow with the peak road works. I won’t even mention our own spaghetti junction!
Everything I have written is a load of s…. and I don’t want anyone to be offended. As a friend of mine who is becoming a victim of gaining several kgs per year says “We are here for a good time, not a long time”.
PETER HARRIS
Ballito
*****
A wonderful lifestyle has been created
I recently stayed at Simbithi Eco Estate in Ballito – what an uplifting experience.
In the early morning, on my way to the shops just up the road, I passed several dams with geese and ducks, a man with a camera, bird watching, ladies jogging, boys fishing in the dams, a family in costumes walking (either to the beach or the communal pool) and a lady walking her dog. What a wonderful lifestyle for all the families living there.
As I drove out of the estate there was a steady stream of people going to their places of employment – property salesmen, house maids, gardeners, security, builders etc.
Congratulations Mark Taylor of Élan for having the vision, giving hundreds of families a fantastic lifestyle and also creating employment for thousands of the locals. Our country needs more visionaries like this.
ROBYN BOVENS
By email
*****
How could this happen at a ’safe’ function?
My sons (aged 17 and 20) attended the New Year’s Eve bash in the street in Ballito where my youngest was hit on the head with a bottle which someone threw into the crowd at midnight.
Luckily it did not hit his temple or he’d have been killed. He went to the police with blood streaming down his face and was ignored. A half hour later he was taken by the paramedics to hospital where he received four stitches.
If this is the way the crowd behave without a decent response from the police on duty I will make it my mission to ensure that the public throughout the country are aware of this. I would like an explanation on how this could happen at a “safe function” without any support from the police.
PAULINE CUNNINGHAM
Johannesburg
*****
Blythedale season was win-win
This is a thank you from Blythedale residents. The festive season went so well and the organisation was brilliant. From across the cultural spectre it was a win-win.
A huge thank you to the following departments – SAPS, traffic department, crime and law enforcement, private security firms, lifesavers and our KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu, and to anyone else involved in public service at Blythedale Beach over the festive season.
You all did a brilliant job and your dedicated efforts paid off. At the end of the day we were all winners. Thank you to the crowds.
H. BALCOMB (Msimbithi)
Blythedale
*****
I had a great New Year!
I was lucky enough to be selected by Savanna in their “The End is Dry” competition as one of ten finalists to compete for R1 million prize in Cape Town, on New Year’s Eve 2011.
Just being part of the VIP draw and receiving an all expense paid for VIP trip to Cape Town was an experience of a lifetime and I had a great New Year’s Eve party. Although I did not win the prize I had a great time representing Kwa-Dukuza. I congratulate the well deserved winner Lerato Mabelane and wish her every success in the future.
Regards and may 2012 bring you success and happiness !
NAREN SINGH
Kwadukuza
*****
We must demand answers
Something has to been done about our municipality and I feel that the public is too scared to say anything.
1 Ballito Bay Mall electricity outstanding: Why should we have to support their outstanding debt but if we don’t pay, we get cut off?
2 The water situation has been disgusting in the last seven days.
3 Please can someone tell us what is happening with our N2 intersection. What happened to the money?
4 The potholes are another story. You should see Ashley Road.
5 Our money wasted on palm trees and another party in the Berg.
I am sure there are a lot more issues to sort out but I have never known our ratepayers organisations to get anything done. I suggest that everyone should not pay their rates bill for one month and let’s see what KDM does then, because it is about time we all stuck together to have a future in Ballito for us and the next generation.
PETER BRAHAM
Ballito
For answers to these questions – and many more – just keep reading the Courier through 2012 – Ed.
*****
Locals deserve a better break
We are Ballito locals who support all the local businesses during the year, go to local restaurants, Pumpkin Theatre, Salt Rock Hotel, etc. How come we are welcome to spend our money out of season but when it comes to in season we get told, “sorry you can’t come in” or “sorry we are full”?
We have been to Salt Rock Hotel, La Montagne and Mozambik and have been turned away with “Sorry we are full,” not “You can wait”, or “If you are a local we can make a plan”. Why do these places not take into consideration that we support them during the year? It’s only Ballito that turns us away; we have been to Umhlanga and have never been turned away from anywhere.
What makes Ballito so special? Is it the water and electricity cuts we have to put up with during the in season? We have to put up with holidaymakers parking outside our yards when we can’t get in or out of our driveways, as there is not sufficient parking at the shopping centres either.
Maybe the municipality should give/sell each and every one of us locals a key ring to say we are locals.
JACQUI ROSSOUW
Ballito
*****
