Thomas Johnson - The Blog

The Last Whites of Africa Saturday is a slow news day for local media. Bored, I clicked on Politicsweb which I hadn’t looked at since April. I had given up on it, put off by its pandemic denialism and white right victimhood. I was determined not to read it again, but looking for news, thought perhaps things had changed a little, its writers if not commentators.     But everything is still the same. On Saturday September 19’s issue, above the virtual fold (top half of webpage), was William Saunderson-Meyer column where he wrote Donald Trump “deserved” the Nobel Prize (a right-wing Norwegian journalist nominated him) for his role in the rapprochement between Israel, Bahrain and UAE!   Andrew Donaldson , always trying too hard to be amusing, cheered a little known group who want independence for the Western Cape  (in his column last year he explained away the Group Areas Act in Cape Town as a "shortage of land" [sic]) . Fittingly iron ic for one who now lives in is...

 This week I wrote how the City of Cape Town and a clique of residents who don’t live nearby are pushing through unwanted and unneeded developments – they call “upgrades” – to one of our neighbourhood’s recreational parks that will forever vitiate its green, tranquil character. (See here .)   On Thursday I wrote again to mayco for community services Zahid Badroodien because despite saying he will investigate the lack of public participation and residents group – I'll refer to them by their initials BRRA – exceeding their authority and city permitting them to do so, that day the group sent a WhatApp message on behalf of the city inviting recipients to a meeting yesterday. Either he ignored me or doesn't know what staff and colleagues are doing.    Yesterday in response to my latest email to him the senior city official Christa Liebenberg involved in the proposal phoned. Peremptorily, she said she was “instructed” to call, that I wanted “public participation”,...

 The City of Cape Town  has approved in principle proposals to develop the recreational park in our quiet east Southern Suburbs neighbourhood. A neighbour and I recently became aware of it by accident after a city site meeting that reportedly included former controversial city politician Suzette Little.  Last  week at my request, a week later and only because I complained to mayco for community services Zahid Badroodien, city manager and mayor, ward councillor Magedien Davids sent me emailed discussions going back over a month about proposals that include:   ·          Pathway/track around the perimeter for walking and cycling; ·         Gym equipment; ·         Basketball and similar  courts ; ·          Service road.   Neither he nor city informed and consulted residents who would be affected most – those living opposit...