schalk's posterous

The following is from the Editor of The Times:

Mark this day. Depending on the actions of the 400 MPs in the National Assembly at 2pm, it will end as a day of triumph or of shame for our adolescent democracy.

Every MP who presses the green button to vote "yes" for the Protection of State Information Bill will at that moment take personal responsibility for the first piece of legislation since the end of apartheid that dismantles an aspect of our democracy - a betrayal that will haunt them forever.

The African National Congress has protested against comparisons between this vote and Black Wednesday, the banning on October 19 1977, of The World and the detention of its editor, Percy Qoboza, and staff including Aggrey Klaaste.

But this vote comes amid escalating attacks by the ANC on reporters, newspapers and the freedom of the press. Adoption of the bill could be the first step in a series of attacks, including the creation of the media appeals tribunal mooted by the ANC, that slowly strangle our freedom to know what is being done in our name.

The spreading culture of self-enrichment, either corrupt or merely inappropriate, makes scrutiny by a free media which is fuelled by whistle-blowers who have the public interest at heart more essential than ever since 1994.

If members of the ANC cannot muster the courage to defy their party's leaders and repudiate the bill, it will again - as it was under apartheid - be up to those willing to go to jail for a very long time to expose the abuse of state power.

Covering up corruption is not the primary intention of the so-called secrecy bill - it includes clauses that criminalise its misuse just to avoid embarrassment - but without the means to demonstrate that abuse, the Protection of State Information Bill will be the wall behind which much evil is hidden.

Anyone who leaks a secret, anyone who takes possession of a secret and anyone who publishes a secret will go to jail - potentially for up to 20 years. Motivation will be no mitigation.

Despite repeated assurances that the ANC intends no harm to the media and despite Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe's apparent acceptance of a public interest clause earlier this month, the party has refused to give judges the right to balance culpability against public good.

Motlanthe has acknowledged that the proposed public interest defence would have to be tested by a judge and almost every submission during parliament's public hearings on the bill called for a last-resort escape clause, but still the ANC has refused.

The bill was presented and withdrawn by Ronnie Kasrils, the minister of intelligence at the time, in 2008.

Then, last year, President Jacob Zuma's cabinet refocused the draft and sent it back to a more pliable parliament with instructions to ensure its adoption.

The ANC did accept more than 120 amendments which greatly improved the original draft. These included a narrowing of the justification for sealing state information and enhanced provisions for oversight and appeal.

But without a public interest clause, this framework for secrecy remains a massive brake on the free flow of information to the people in whose name a tightly protected elite purports to govern.

Opposition parties have declared their intention to oppose the Protection of State Information Bill today. ANC members will be required by the rules of party discipline to be present for the vote and to support it.

We, the editors of the aforementioned South African newspapers, appeal to ANC MPs who will vote today to put the future of your country ahead of your own future in the party and reject this appalling bill.

If not enough MPs have the courage to do the right thing, we urge the cabinet to use the bill's passage through the National Council of Provinces to redraft it with the inclusion of a public interest defence clause.

If it passes through the legislature in its current form, we appeal to President Zuma to exercise his right to submit the bill to the Constitutional Court for ratification before he signs it into law.

If none of these things happens, it will be up to civil society and the political opposition to ask that court to declare it the abomination it is.

Without a triumph of personal integrity over political expediency in the National Assembly this afternoon, this day will mark the beginning of the end of the freedom of information we cherish as a pillar of the constitution that guards our future.

Instead of taking the red eye flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg for meetings at our head office I decided to fit in a quick stop at my parents... Living a thousand miles away from them is not ideal and I do not get to see them as often as I would like... Well... At least they will be moving closer to Cape Town in the near future.

I've developed a love-hate relationship with my old home town, Pretoria. It is indeed a strange place and has changed considerably since I've moved to Cape Town.

The thing I find most fascinating is the cultural difference between the coastal regions and our interior cities. People are more conservative (way more), less considerate and less tolerant. And dare I say, the vibrance and creative feeling you get in Cape Town is not something I notice immediately - maybe in parts of Johannesburg and in Pretoria here & there...

Another thing that bugs me is that Africa is taking over this place. People just accept the decay, lack of maintenance to facilities and choose to live in their houses hidden by 10 foot high walls with razor wire & electric fencing on top... It is most certainly not the place I remember... I remember suburbia... Taking the dogs for a walk in the neighbourhood; people outside on their lawns; kids playing in the street.... Proper communities. Nowadays all you see is security guards and neighbourhood watch patrols... They even have guards at church on Sundays and fenced of church grounds... WTF?

What happened...

The only thing I can think of is that people here simply accept what is happening. Instead of trying to change the circumstances around them screwing with the normal way of life they build walls, fence themselves in and become inhabitants of their own small worlds.
I cannot see this happening in Cape Town. Well at least I hope not in my lifetime...

Taken at Loader Street

Taken at Home

Taken at Home

What a great trip...
To top it all our hotel was super cool. Even if it is a little off the beaten track and not close to the centre of Paris... Mama Shelter is an awesome hotel & highly recommended

Today turned into a pretty good day.

Amsterdam sure is an interesting city....From cheese, beer & cigar stores to sex shops... You name it, it is here.... Well... Not quite. There are a couple of things I haven't seen yet: A proper "bergie" (beggar), a gas station, a Harley shop or two Kasies smashing into each other on their bicycles.

I've never seen such a mad rush on bicycles. There are more people on bikes than in Beijing. Beijing may have a greater bike count, but the shear level of activity on bikes is no match.

The tram service is amazing.... I simply cannot comprehend how such a wonderful system was abandoned in South Africa. From an urban mobility point of view it is the BEST system available. Why Cape Town opted for a diesel fueled bus sytem I don't know. What a short-sighted approach.

We visited the Rembrandt House Museum, the Old Church and the New Church. The latter dating from the 1300's and the former two from the 1600's and 1500's respectively.
These old buildings have so much character & history connected to them...

Well... The best photos will only come once back home. This is a laptop-free trip.

Now it's time to wind down at the corner Cafe, 20m from our apartment, with a few cold Brouwerij 't ij Zatte while looking at all the interesting people...

Today was a great day...

Taken at El Burro

As a start I have to say the following: The new IRT system is one of the best things to happen in Cape Town in a LONG time. In fact, from a transport point of view, it is the best thing since the trams were stupidly taken out of service.

A decent integrated public transport system in Cape Town is long overdue. I cannot wait for the day when trains, buses, cycle lanes and light rail or trams (hopefully one day) are integrated into the soul of the city.

From the beginning the @MyCitiBus twitter account spread the word that bicycles and even surfboards will be welcomed on the bus. According to them there was a “special area” on each bus for bikes, surfboards and other bulky items.

This week the Rule Book for the IRT bus system was published.

To my dismay the following clause was snuck in:

Bicycles may be carried free of charge on MyCiTi Vehicles. As a courtesy to fellow customers, cyclists are however requested to avoid the use of heavily congested MyCiTi Vehicles, and to not bring bicycles onto MyCiTi Vehicles during peak times (06:30 – 09:00 and 15:30 – 18:00, Mon-Fri).  Customers transporting bicycles must ensure that the bicycles do not impede the access and flow of other customers, and ensure that the safety and comfort of fellow customers is not affected. The City of Cape Town is increasing the number of bike racks, lockers and cages available on the MyCiTi Premises, especially at the various bus interchanges.

 

From the beginning I was sceptical about having bicycles inside the bus itself. Via twitter and email I proposed that they rather investigate the use of external bike racks at the front and back of each bus. This type of setup is widely and successfully used in the USA and Canada. I am pretty damn sure there are numerous examples of similar systems all around the world.

 

In my mind’s eye I could already picture the disgruntled old ladies complaining when some poor cyclist attempts to man-handle his bike into the bus.

Now that people actually use the bus system, especially when the buses are full during peak hours it comes as a “big surprise” that the bikes IN the bloody bus are in the way and take up too much space.

 

So what is the easiest way out if the problem…? Simply ban bicycles on the bus during peak hours…

Bicycles and bike commuters are not the problem. The problem is the basic flaw in the concept of dealing with the bicycles. How difficult can it be to fit a bike rack system at the front and back of the bus? This simple change to the buses will resolve the whole problem.

 

 

Personally I cannot wait for the bus system to expand into the Northern Suburbs. I envisage my daily routine to be something like this:

 

1.       Hop on my bike at home and cruise past a coffee shop towards the bus station

2.       Put my bike on the bus, hop onto the bus, whip out my laptop (or tablet) and get a head start on the day while sipping my coffee… or maybe just read the latest news while sipping my coffee

3.       Get off the bus, retrieve my bike and cycle to the office

4.       Do my time at the office as required. If I have meetings to attend I would use a company car or online meeting medium (still have to convince the old timers at the office that physically going to meetings all the time is an incredible waste of time)

5.       At the end of the day I would gear up and head to the bus station again. Put my bike on the bus, hop on and catch up on the latest developments on the web on the way back to town.

6.       Back in town the morning coffee stop will be replaced for a mandatory beer stop and shopping for dinner

7.       Back at home… Work, exercise, reading, emails, beer, socializing, shopping, etc. all done in a relaxed, civilized and rather environmentally responsible manner.

 

Unfortunately it seems as if the short-sighted rules for the using the IRT bus system will prevent me and many other commuters from doing this.

 

In closing I feel that the implementation of this short-sighted rule will most definitely alienate bicycle commuters and prevent them from integrating the bus system into their commute. Not allowing bike commuters onto the bus with their bikes in peak times defeats the purpose of the entire system.

 

The routine described above is commonplace in numerous cities around the world, but due to the lack of basic planning; inadequate or partial research into similar systems; failure to adapt to the needs of commuters; ignoring of suggestions and plain old stubbornness my ideal daily commute may never materialize.

 

I seriously hope that the MyCiti folks can admit their mistake and learn to adapt to the requirements of the commuters quickly & effectively. We all want the IRT system to work and to build a proper 1^st World city.