London

["David Saitch" <david@saitch.net>]

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While those of us celebrate the victory of London for the 2012 bid, can I
relate a story which was brought to mind.

A lot of the talk was about regeneration in East London and I flew back in my
mind to being in Cape Town about 5 years ago. South Africa were putting a bid
together for the 2008 olympics and there was an internal competition between
Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban as to which city would go forward.

Each bid was put forward to the nation on television on three separate days
and then there was a national vote.

The Cape Town delegation were the first to make their bid and the committee
appeared on television describing their plans. They described how the olypic
village would be designed and build in such a way as to provide cheap housing
for the disadvantaged population of the Cape, the road and rail links would be
developed to provide lo cost reliable transport links for the disadvantaged,
the project would provide jobs for the disadvantaged...and so on.

After the presentation they took questions on the phone from viewers.

The first call was from Piet, who asked, in a heavy Afrikaans accent "I am
sick and tired of 'earing what you are going to for the disadvataged. When are
you going to do something for the advantaged of this country?"

Readers, I spat a cup of coffee acress the room.

How do you answer such a perceptive question?




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