Beach facility marooned by metro

SO AN enormous amount of money was spent by the city and the MBDA on the beachfront/ Kings Beach development. As a former resident of the city, I embraced a poverty-stricken youth in the Northern Areas to rise above that poverty and continue to be a member of society who "puts back". So I return to this city to visit friends and family – most of whom are not as fortunate as myself. I was told that the Kings Beach development would blow my mind and that my kids would love it. Well we were blown away – by the lack of clean water, smell of urine and other unmentionables, the lack of facilities, as well as the amount of slime on the "dam". I suspect that the idea in principle was a well-documented paper written by officials and no doubt the MBDA's large team of consultants and staff. But the harsh reality is that the idea is great – but nobody considered the details. Were the relevant officials/ departments consulted that ought to be regulating the use of the water/ ponds; why are rangers not appointed to look after the facility and ... what could potentially be a city pearl! What really moved me to write this letter was that our city fathers are so busy electioneering that all the important economic development and the attached laurels of achievement are now transferred to an agency of the state which ... when the work is done and the consultants and contractors paid – no long-term proper development plans are in place. Don't even get me started on the R40-million spent on the old Tramways building! Ivan, Northern Areas