I received a call from SANRAL about a 18months ago wanting to guage my opinions on the new tolling system they would implement as a part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP). When I asked what the fee they were considering was, they told me 50c per kilometre. It sounded steep at the time. Now, they have announced a 66c/km fee that will be implemented in June 2011. Read the rest of this entry »
Protesting toll fees
Birth of a new supporter
It’s not everyday that one becomes a new supporter of a sport or team. Today is my time though. I’ve expressed in bold terms the patriotism I feel for my country and my support for Bafana Bafana during the World Cup, however I believe it is high time that I start supporting a local soccer side. The problem is that I’m not sure who to support.
The local soccer scene is dominated by the PSL Premiership with 16 reputable teams (read: franchises) for me to choose from. But what is my criteria for choosing a side at this stage? There are a few … and maybe you could help me decide?
How frail is our patriotism?
Wow, the media has been a buzz with reactions to Bafana Bafana’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of the sturdy Uruguayans last night. Radio talk shows, Twitter, Facebook and casual conversations have been saturated with a range of sentiment towards the local team and the supporters. The biggest topic, besides the team’s lackluster performance, has the been the walk-out of thousands of fans at Loftus last night.
Sam and I were at the game. Thousands of spectators literally stood up and started to file out of the stadium immediately after the second Uruguayan goal was scored late in the second half. We stayed behind. As the third goal was scored, many more thousands of spectators got up to leave. Were they supporters, or just spectators? Also, when I look at the negative sentiment directed towards those people who left early, I wonder how frail our patriotism is in South Africa?
Driving the flag: some thoughts
My car wrapped in the SA flag
It’s been two weeks since I had my car wrapped in the SA flag. I did it because the idea of just plain mirror socks did not match the swell of patriotism I was feeling. So, I managed to get some sponsorships from like-minded small companies (Missing Link, Cerebra, Frog Communications and Print Pot) and made the biggest patriotic statement I could think of.
Driving the flag has been interesting. Seeing people’s reactions has been even more interesting. Here is what I’ve seen …
World Cup Opening
Sam and I have just returned home from the Opening Ceremony and Match 1 of the FIFA 2010 World Cup. It’s a little surreal as this moment has been a few years in the making. The World Cup has always been 3 or 4 years away – something distant, not quite rooted in my reality of now. And now, it is here. Ke Nako.
As I suspected I would, I feel a huge swell of patriotism and national pride. I’m frikkin proud of my country and that we managed to get here, and get here successfully. I really wish I could revisit those social occasions when I had to listen to the naysayers waddle in their pessimism and just say “Na na na na naaaa”, ending off with a good show of the tongue.