Are there red roads in Pretoria?
“Turns out I was wearing coloured sunglasses the whole time I was in Pretoria, so I was seeing a red-pink road.”
The great 5fm debate has been settled: there are no red roads in Pretoria.
In case you were wondering, the debate about the colour of the roads in Pretoria was started by 05:00 breakfast host Dan Corder and newsreader Thabo Baloyi on 5fm.
Kuhle Adams, a reporter on SABC’s Expresso, tells the story.
“So what happened was,” explained Adams, “Dan had gone to Tuks to watch a rugby match and he said, ‘Thabo, there are red roads [like in my home city of Cape Town] … I know exactly where they are; they’re on the N1.’”
“Thabo said, ‘Dan, I’m from Pretoria and there are no red roads.’”
“People asked Dan if he was on something because they’d driven on those roads every day but had not seen any red roads.
“So a listener suggested that they find the biggest non-radio [medium] that they can and make whoever lost the debate on whether there are any red roads in Pretoria to apologise on.”
So they decided on Adam’s Expresso show.
On July 26, Corder went to Pretoria to find and photograph the red roads.
“I found them,” said Corder. “But when I got back to 5fm, I showed everyone the videos and they’re like, ‘Dan these aren’t red, are you cooked?’”
“Turns out I was wearing coloured sunglasses the whole time I was in Pretoria, so I was seeing a red-pink road,” he said.
Now that Corder has seen the light, he has admitted his error.
“The roads aren’t black, but they are definitely not red.”
A triumphant Baloyi said he was sure that Corder was wrong because he’s from Pretoria.
“Dan is proudly from Cape Town, I’m a proud Pretorian. I took it very personal when he said there were red roads when I knew there weren’t.
To put the matter to rest, Corder took his medicine and apologised.
“South Africa, I am so sorry. For the last few weeks, I have wasted your time and I’ve perpetuated fake news.
“I’ve been an irresponsible and shameful broadcaster. I expect the necessary repercussions from the hives of the SABC to rain down upon me for this transgression of my responsibility as a journalist and purveyor of truth.
“I am so sorry for what I have done to every single one of you. And that is why I am the cheese boy today,” he read from his prepared apology.
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