MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

PE can Emulate and Better Cape Town

By

Dear Editor

Recently, my family and I traveled to Cape Town for a holiday. We were met by a fantastic 1st world experience. On arrival I felt that the Squatter camps could do with some formal housing, but then after chatting to some locals I found out that there has been a terrific influx of foreigners and the housing department finds it a challenge to keep up. The organised housing that I saw looked great, but I do understand the challenge.

My first observation is that everything is just so organised and there is great use of new technology, loads of solar power around. Things that aren’t properly broken yet are fixed and maintained, an example of this was on the N1 where a number of the bridges have been chipped by trucks, when this happens and if the concrete isn’t repaired the metal rods become exposed start to corrode and the city is left with a bigger issue long term. The roads are of a superior standard, no corrugations or potholes to be seen.

Traffic cops, a rare sighting in Port Elizabeth, are out in full force in Cape Town to ensure the safety of the citizens. On a couple of occasions we noticed broken down trucks with traffic cops parked behind. The truck drivers are also supplied with the same luminous vests that the traffic cops have. On one occasion we saw 2 cop cars protecting a broken down truck, as the truck broke down on a corner, one car was parked behind the truck with lights flashing, the other on the opposite side of the road, at the top of the hill also with lights flashing.

Lastly, we heard from a friend of ours yesterday, who has a Video Production company and electricity is exceptionally important to their business. Yesterday they experienced a power failure. They quickly decided to hire a generator and got themselves up and running. After 1 call to the municipality a team were dispatched to resolve the problem, together with a Councilor with a generator. Our friend was instructed to please return the hired generator so that no further costs would be incurred. The municipal generator was then used until the issue was resolved – now where do you get service from the municipality like this, perhaps in Mid-Vaal?

The entire Cape Town experience is first world and yes, am sure that it has taken time and a great deal of resources, but with great management the unimaginable is possible. My only hope is that the citizens of Port Elizabeth will finally see the light and allow the official opposition to get enough seats in the Local Government Election in order to allow their magical fairy dust to blow over the entire Eastern Cape – we deserve better!

Kind regards,

Janine Meyburgh

Hout Bay as seen through the lens of Glen Meyburgh from Imago Productions Port Elizabeth

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.