Hand it over

Despite the doubters, the legal challenges, the alleged shortages of concrete, labour, electricity and armadillos and the political infighting, the Cape Town Stadium is to be handed over to the City today. On schedule.
Compare that with the magnificent Wembley Stadium in London which came in over a year late and you can see that this “third world backwater” CAN actually do things when minds are put to good use.

And it looks magnificent. Not perhaps so much by day, but at night it is simply stunning:

Much like the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, it’s a sight that makes you gasp when you see it. But unlike the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, you can actually see the pitch from the stands. This, I feel, is a huge advantage.
It’s like a UFO has landed on the edge of the CBD; it’s half Pringle chip, half Polo mint. The roof evokes images of Saturn’s rings, the translucent cladding allowing a peek of the excitement within.
And the location, location, location? Sitting just one block back from the ocean, nestling under Signal Hill with views across Table Bay and up to the mountain – it is perfect.

I think I am in love with this stadium. It’s just a shame I have to share it with 67,999 others.

A Shocking Discovery

As each new batch of Bruce Sutherland’s superb work is released onto the web on the City of Cape Town’s 2010 Gallery page, the images circulate around Cape Town and the broader environment by email and make their way onto blogs, usually without any credit for the photographer.
But that’s not all. In addition, there are the usual snide remarks about the costs incurred and the disruption caused by the construction going on around the city.
“CaptainNull” and his posterous blog is the perfect example:

 Wow….  I think our water rates is going to go up along with our electricity rate, but it sure looks purty.

That’s exactly right. At the Cape Town Stadium they are *shock* watering the grass that they are growing on the flat bit between the stands and what’s more, they have fitted lights so that people can play football – even if it gets dark!!! Like… at night, for example, I would imagine.

What on earth are they thinking????

Don’t they realise that we, the Cape Town ratepayers, are paying for that water and that electricity?
How dare they? This is an outrage worth several exclamation marks!!!!!

But that’s not all. Being the investigative sort that I am, I dug further into this issue and quickly found other places in Cape Town get watered and lit up using our money as well! Even other stadiums.
But that’s not all. I also discovered that the Council was paying for city buses to be filled with diesel using the cash we give them and the they (the City Council) are facilitating such diverse activities as road-sweeping, provision of healthcare, housing and even policing – (almost) directly from the ratepayers’ pockets!!!!! I was aghast.

I realised that suddenly, what started out as a mini-rant on potential copyright infringement had snowballed into something bigger than I could ever have imagined. When I look at it now, it seems so obvious, but for years, people – myself included – just haven’t seen the wood for the trees.
These so-called “services” “provided” by the City Council are actually paid for by the city ratepayers.

But that’s not all. I can officially reveal that I have discovered the same practices appear to be taking place in several other cities (well, one was a village) across South Africa, with unsuspecting citizens literally giving their hard earned Rands to their local councils each month, only for those same councils to splurge the money on education, parks and road maintenance.

There’s more to come on this story, I’m sure. But I felt that it was time that people learned exactly what their rates are being used for. If I disappear or don’t blog again, assume that Dan Plato has caught up with me (perhaps using shady henchmen also paid for with my money).
In that eventuality, someone else must please carry on the fight against this heinous injustice.

Light up, light up!

(As Snow Patrol once told us.)

They were testing the lights at the Green Point Cape Town Stadium last night.
Flickr user donaldza was there to catch it. Thanks, donaldza.

cps

Bigger version here.

Truly magnificent.

EDIT: Just been sent these by email. Arguably even more magnificenterer.
(That may not actually be a word.)

Bigger versions here and here are completely breathtaking.
There was no indication on the email as to who took these, so if they’re yours, please get in touch and I will happily credit you. Very happily.

They are from Bruce Sutherland (I did have a feeling they might be).
He also gave us this, remember? [thanks ctguy]

Just another Stadium pic

Since I was passing the Cape Town Stadium and – for once on this rather gloomy Cape Town day – it wasn’t raining, I decided to snap a couple of pictures to track the progress on this architectural masterpiece, which doesn’t look anything like a Polo mint.

Although all the tower cranes have now come down, there’s evidently still some work being done on the roof, mainly by a solitary guy in an orange hi-vis jacket with a large Johnson.

Now that might not look all that impressive, but when you step back (or rather zoom out) and see the bigger picture:

Well, rather him than me.

You can see more pictures of Green Point Stadium in my Green Point Stadium set on Flickr.

Last crane

In a symbolic moment, the last tower crane at Cape Town’s Cape Town Stadium in Green Point was dismantled yesterday. The plethora of tower cranes have become a feature on the Green Point skyline over the last couple of years.

The handover date for the stadium is just 10 weeks, and while there’s still work to be done, evidently none of it requires lifting heavy things anywhere high.

tf

This stunning photo from Terry February, taken as the sun – and the crane – came down, sums things up nicely.
The end of an era. Albeit, only a 2½ year era. Which is pretty short as eras go.  

FIFA 2010 World Cup match schedule | Green Point Stadium Webcams | Cape Town Tourism 2010 site