Danger From Above!

Page 4 of today’s Cape Times warns of dangers from above which may threaten your safety in and around the Mother City.

First up is the hot air balloon crash at Beyerskloof vineyards in the Cape Winelands on Saturday – witnessed by none other than Beyerskloof supremo Beyers Truter:

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating why a private hot air balloon drifted into power cables on a local wine estate at the weekend.
Two women were seriously injured in the incident. Louise Vorster, 57, and Sanet Koster, 50, both from Melkbosstrand, are recovering at Stellenbosch Mediclinic. A third woman, Marie Jacobs, 50, from Johannesburg, sustained minor injuries along with the pilot Justin Fowler.

According to a weekend newspaper, Beyerskloof wine estate owner Beyers Truter and one of his staff were walking in the vineyards when they witnessed the incident around 7.30-8am.
Truter said he called Netcare 911 emergency service after seeing sparks and flames from the electrical cables, which surrounded the balloon.

The estate was without electricity for an hour after the incident.

There is no word there or whether any of the vines were damaged. I’m trying desperately to get comment from the vineyard before my Mum reads this and fears the worst.

And then the much sensationalised and leapt upon story of the day, the fact that some bolts are “failing” on the roof of the Cape Town Stadium (see here)

Sections of the roof of Cape Town Stadium appear to be coming loose thanks to “bolt failure”, and the city says it is to spend R1 million to investigate what’s causing it.
A few bolts in the stadium roof were found to have failed during routine inspections a year ago. The roof was designed to withstand strong south-easters.

But the city has guaranteed the stadium’s safety and intends to recover the costs from the party responsible.

OMG! Coming loose! A few bolts! Routine inspections! A year ago! 

But a million Rand is a lot of money, as someone pointed out:

Councillor Yagyah Adams of the Cape Muslim Congress, who attended a finance portfolio committee meeting which discussed the matter, asked why the city would spend as much as R1m.

“If we’re paying R1m just to investigate, what about the repairs?” asked Adams.

Well, the city will recover the costs from the party responsible. They should have mentioned that at the meeting you attended. Or maybe you just should have listened while you were there, Yagyah.

Ironically, these “few bolts” are being cited as another reason why WPRU shouldn’t move to the new stadium, but hey – at least things at Green Point are still “under guarantee”. The same is probably true of Durban’s Stadium Skycar which broke down last weekend due to “a valve malfunction, leading to a loss of oil and hydraulic pressure” !!!!1!! OMG! again!

Conveniently, no-one can remember if there were any teething problems at Newlands, since the ground was built in the late 1880’s, prior to the advent of sensationalist media and modern stadium evacuation procedures.

4 thoughts on “Danger From Above!

  1. Rafa > LOL.

    Gordon Matthews > That would finish my mum off altogether.
    So – as a Gooner, do you miss Highbury? Or is the Emirates a worthy replacement for watching honourable sportsmen (and Robin van Persie)?

    carl botha > I won’t. Promise.

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