Tag Archives: Durban

Cape Town launches climate change coalition

19 April 11 1 Comment

Even though Cape Town did not win the bid to host the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP17) at the end of 2011, the process of bidding has resulted in the formation of a citywide climate change coalition. The objective of the coalition is to build Cape Town into a…

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Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announces significantly enhanced role for South African cities

24 February 11 1 Comment

In his Budget speech yesterday, Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan made specific reference to the role of South African cities as part of the nation’s future growth and development path. This is significent, as in previous years, there has been little or no focus on the role of cities by national…

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Cape Town loses bid to host UN Climate Change Conference in 2011

12 November 10 13 Comments

The South African Cabinet announced rather strangely yesterday that the 2011 UN Climate Change Conference (aka the 17th Conference of the Parties for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or COP17) will take place in the “KwaZulu-Natal province”. I assume by this it is meant that it will take place in eThekwini/…

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Cape Town’s Bid to host 2011 UN Climate Change Conference

07 September 10 14 Comments

COP17 Bid document - Copy

Cape Town is one of three South African cities bidding to host the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) towards the end of 2011. The fact that the event will take place in South Africa so soon after the 2010 World Cup is a major boost for our country.…

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A Ripple of Hope – Reflections on Robert Kennedy’s 1966 visit to South Africa

13 August 10 0 Comments

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For many years, an old LP recording of a speech by Robert Kennedy in Cape Town in 1966 lay around our family home. I never realised its significance until I saw RFK in the Land of Apartheid – A Ripple of Hope at the opening night of the…

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2020 Olympic Bid: Next big thing or red herring?

29 June 10 2 Comments

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Cape Town is already a popular global and local events city – think Design Indaba, Cycle Tour, Jazz Festival, CT Carnival, World Economic Forum, Mining Indaba,  etc - and we have strengthened our reputation by helping to host a successful Football World Cup. We need now to be planning how to bid for more sporting and cultural events in…

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Inclusive memorialisation?

06 March 10 0 Comments

There’s been quite a bit of discussion recently on the issue of street renaming. My colleague, Ryland Fisher, writing in the Cape Argus on 22 February, asked what has happened to the working group leading a renaming process set up by the City of Cape Town a few years ago:…

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