Just as I was to say to the reporters to let their hair loose and relax, comes another week loaded with squeezed deadlines.
I foolishly thought now that Russia 2018 was behind us — and Le Bleus (The Blues) of France had carried the trophy home — we could take it easy and re-position back to a “normal” newsroom. Normal, my foot!
Midweek, on the very day that we normally wrap up things and dispatch the newspaper to the printers in Johannesburg, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) was expected to announce the results from the all-important by-elections for Ward 9.
That is, readers expected us to go for broke on the by-elections, as the result may or may not be the benchmark for political parties’ scenario planning ahead of the general elections next year.
From the look of things last weekend, the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) hit the ground running, taking to the streets and sidewalks of Spa Park, Masakhane and parts of Bela-Bela suburbia.
The first prize here was clearly to win the minds and soul of the ward’s voting public.
I for one hammered it on those who cared to listen — at the time the ANC was slow in coming up with a candidate – that wait until the ANC rolls out its election machinery!
The announcement of candidates for the Ward 9 by-elections had “strategy” written all over the whole showdown.
For instance, the selection of Eddie Aschendorf in Spa Park pointed to the DA going for a local grassroots presence, slightly different comparable to the outgoing Ward 9 councillor, former downtown businessman Kobus van der Merwe (DA).
The same could be said of the ANC’s choice of Boetie Maname (previously known as Boetie Pahl), as to the importance of the Spa Park voters to the party going all out to wrestle back Ward 9 form the DA.
The choice of the EFF’s Andreas Mwambo — he of Namibian parentage — spiced up the whole potpourri of electioneering, with the party apparently banking on the young man’s popularity in the Vingerkraal neighbourhood.
And oh, Mosiuoa Lekota’s Cope has also thrown the hat into the mix, choosing Francinah Mapaila as the only female candidate in the by-elections.
All the four parties signed an IEC pledge, committing to free and fair by-elections, during a recent ceremony in Maskhane.
Another running story which had us scratching our heads was Mandela Day mid-week, again bang in the middle of our pre-printing deadlines.
As I am wont to say, we should somewhat find a creative way to squeeze something into the newspaper in your hand.
As for Russia 2018; conspiracy theories have started mushrooming.
My favourite “laaitie (young man)”, Jacob Ramoroesi, Whatsapped me a picture of the winning French team comprising mainly of players of African descent, if not origin.
Noah Ngobeni was even more brazen, suggesting African football flair was the winner during the finals of Russia 2018.
Tongue-in-cheek, I wondered out loud if this development was not tantamount to human trafficking, if not modern-day slavery.
Businessman and avid reader, Selby Moima, added his voice to say the wonder-boy Frenchman Mbappe could well be the re-incarnation of Kunta Kinte, he of the slavery epic “Roots”.
Like me, Themba Sekgala was stunned by the loss of our favourite team, Croatia.
We wuz robbed, says I!
— The BEAT
