Having spent big bucks renovating the municipal building in Leonora Drive, council is now calling for suggestions to give it a name.
The advert in last week’s paper says the name should reflect our multicultural society and honour individuals who have made a contribution to the country and KwaDukuza.
So, I thought it would be a good time to cast the net a bit wider than the usual suspects.
In my mind the name should reflect the story of the Dolphin Coast.
The story of Ballito in its 65-year history has been about property development, starting with Jo’burg developer Dr Eddie Rubenstein, who had the vision of a successful seaside town and bought the land from Basil Townsend in the 50s.
Estate agents then started the hard work of flogging off plots at R2000 a pop, and the pioneer then was Jack Nash – who died in 2016 at the age of 102 – whose history of the town is still a worthwhile read.
Many of the first houses were built by Reg Fripp and Peter Thomas, most of which are still in use today.
It was Peter Thomas’s company, TDH Construction, that put up the building in Leonora that was later taken over by the municipality and has now been refurbished. Jack Nash House? Peter Thomas House?
Of course, there have been many others who helped Ballito reach the status it has today.
Fred Parsons single-handedly sold more property and brought new residents to the area than most.
Andy Horton, former mayor, devoted many years to council and public service and Ann McDonnell worked hard at her ward job and continues to serve the community in the provincial legislature.
But there can only be one name. Feisal Dawood tops my list of deserving candidates.
He was not only a tireless worker on the Shakaskraal health committee, but then brought rapprochement between that community and Ballito/Salt Rock at a time when persistent persuasion, not threats, was needed to make peace and bring about co-operation.
I like the sound of Feisal Dawood House. Any other suggestions?
Nominations close on May 28. Application forms at libraries, municipal offices or online
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It was with a sense of satisfaction that I learned this week that Durban is considered the most desirable city in Africa.
The satisfaction was on two levels: one, that at last this region has given overrated Cape Town the snotklap it deserves and two, that I don’t actually live in Durban.
The top city in the world to live in is, apparently, Vienna, followed by Zurich and Auckland.
I have absolutely no desire to live in any of those places, considering that I’d have to freeze my backside off most of the year, but apparently Americans think they’re the best.
The Mercer Quality of Living survey is compiled by Americans to rank quality of life for employees sent to work abroad, based on things like infrastructure, hospitals, schools, that sort of thing.
The northern states of the US are a frozen wasteland as far as I know, so it is no surprise they’d rank cold places so high.
We like the heat, the warm sea and sleeping under a ceiling fan. Ice cream tastes better, too.
Top of the list in the Africa/Indian Ocean region is Port Louis in Mauritius, though only 83rd in the world.
Durban is 89th and Cape Town, yaah-ya-ya-yaah-yaah, is 94th, only just ahead of Jo’burg at 96th.
And they’re halfway down the list to Baghdad, according to the survey the very last place in the world you’d want to live.
The reason I’m happy I don’t actually live is Durban is, well, have you been there lately?
Traffic lights don’t work, the city centre is clogged with protestors and soccer fans have torn up the stadium.
We only sneak into the place under cover of darkness to watch plays at the Sneddon and dine at Palki in Musgrave Road, which in my mind is the finest Indian restaurant in the world.
No, out here on the fringes of Durban we already live in a far better place.
But I don’t want it to rank on any survey list or the place will be crawling with Americans. It’s better to be quiet and unknown.
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I’m disgusted at the IAAF’s ruling that Caster Semenya has to lower her testosterone levels. What a bloody cheek! She’s biologically a woman and that should be the end of it.
C’mon, does anyone test Serena Williams? Remember Mario Mutola, the Mozambican runner? She had more muscles than the Terminator.
This decision is going to have unintended consequences far beyond just hobbling Caster.
Take the Aussie cricket captain, Snivelling Steve Smith.
He who blubbed on national TV for dreaming up the latest ball tampering business.
Is he too girlish to play on the men’s team?
Is the ICC going to demand that he grow a pair of balls before going out to bat for Australia?
Leave Caster alone!
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Why do I have to press one for English when you’re just going to transfer me to someone I can’t understand anyway?
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