* Hats off to the local municipality for putting up Christmas lights in Murchison Street. Nothing fancy, but at least it is in keeping with the festive spirit.
* Forgive me for sounding like a worn-out record, but the municipal team that marks our roads deserves a pat on the back. The guys know what they are doing and they execute their duties with finesse and do it quickly too. I cannot comment on the quality of the paint used – it usually fades within a week, but hats off to that team. I wish they could use their brushes and paint their colleagues in the other departments with their zeal and commitment. Another team of workers that deserves accolades is the one that cleans up the CBD every evening when shoppers return home. The area gets spick and span until it becomes a pigsty the following morning when shoppers return and litter every conceivable area.
* I’ve known a fair number of beautiful women in my life and it has been my contention that Indian women are in a league of their own. My assumption was proved correct yet again when India’s Manushi Chhillar won the coveted Miss World 2017 crown at a grand event in China, bringing to an end the country’s dry spell of 17 years at the top pageant contest.
The 20-year-old from Haryana, who is a medical student, edged out top five contestants from England, France, Kenya and Mexico. Chhillar was presented the crown by Stephanie Del Valle, last year’s Miss World winner from Puerto Rico, at the event held at the Sanya City Arena in China.
The first and the second runners-up were Miss England Stephanie Hill and Miss Mexico Andrea Meza.
* Notwithstanding criticism levelled at our country, we need to take advantage of the drop in the value of the rand against other competitive currencies. Tourism has to be beefed up. In a boon for South Africa’s tourism industry, around 20 luxury cruise vessels will dock at the country’s ports over the summer and autumn seasons. The ships, which are operated by 17 international cruise lines, will dock at different ports around the country. Among them will be the familiar MSC Sinfonia, Queen Mary II, Queen Elizabeth and even the RMS St Helena.
“As the SA Port Authority, we have positioned Durban and Cape Town as stimulus cruise home ports while Richards Bay, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth and East London continue to receive their share of cruise ships,” Transnet National Ports chief executive Shulami Qalinge said. She added they were making progress in efforts to introduce new and modern cruise terminals.
“With safe, reliable and efficient marine services that will provide an ideal gateway to a unique South African experience, world-class cruise facilities in our ports will continue to attract global operators, which has economic spin-offs for tour operators, hotels, game reserves, lodges and tourist attractions in our port cities,” she said.
Last month, MSC Sinfonia became the first international cruise liner to arrive at the Port of Durban for the 2017 and 2018 cruise season, carrying around 2300 mainly European and South African passengers and ending a 23-day itinerary from Venice in Italy. Ambush marketing hasn’t hurt anyone, so why not do some marketing of Ladysmith at the respective ports of arrival. We have the Boer War memorials, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Drakensberg Boys’ Choir and so forth. All it takes is for some official to get a finger out and “sell” our town.
* The rehabilitation of Murchison Street is taking long to complete.
It’s a short stretch of roadway, but the patch-here-patch-there philosophy reminds one of piece-meal work. That is also evident in Main Road near the Coca-Cola depot. It’s down to a load-a-week progress.
* Black Friday reduced many shoppers into the red. A few draw-cards and shoppers go ga-ga, without considering the financial grave they are coerced into digging.
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