The world economic crisis will only have a \”limited impact\” on preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, the president of the local organising committee for the event, Danny Jordaan, said on Tuesday.

Jordaan said the stadium construction costs had gone up by 10 percent, compared with the initial budget, due to the rising costs of steel, concrete and exchange rate variations.

He added: \”These increases were calculated some while ago and all costs are now frozen. There will therefore not be an impact on our stadium budget.\”

\”No one in the world can say they are not affected by the world economic crisis but its impact should be less on our country. What worries us the most is the long term consequences and the quicker we get through this, the better,” he said.

\”We are keeping an eye on what is happening but as I speak there is not a serious or direct impact\” on World Cup preparations.

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API/Source.apa

By Leo Odera Omolo

News emerging from  Dar Es Salaam say Singita Grumeti, one of Tanzania’s least known game reserves is taking tourism innovations a step further, by transforming  former wild animal poachers into tour guides.

  The idea is to educate the local community on the need to preserve wildlife- the popular message and theme being.” It is better to have tourists shoot the animals with their cameras than through the barrels of the gun.

   Singita Grumeti, a game reserve spanning 140,000 hectares, border Serengeti Game reserve and form part of the corridor of the wild beast migration which attract thousands of tourism each year.

 With no fence between Singita and the country’s world famous Serengeti – Mara ecosystems, the reserves is home to both small and big game animals throughout the year.

  The managing director of Grumenti community and wildlife fund, Singita work in the promise that for tourism to be sustainable, conservation efforts must be justified by the tourism activities they provide.

 “The Grumati Fund is committed to demonstrating to the local communities that by preserving their wildlife heritage everyone reaps rewards” says Mr.Horris.

Many of the game trackers on the reserve are former poachers who have now defected to preserving the natural habitat and look forward to a meaningful future in conservation.

   There is rhino relocation program at singita aimed at re introducing the black rhino (whose population) was almost wiped out through poaching to the wild.

  The management of the Singita reserve says within the next few years a minimum of 25 black rhinos will have been re introduced.

 Singita hosts three luxury camps- Sasakwa Lodge, Sabara Plains Camp and Faru Faru lodge.

Sasekwa Hill Lodge is built on a hilltop to give visitors an inspiring view of the Serengeti Plains while Sabara is a Lavish tented camp on the plain themselves.

 Guests at Singita Grumeti Reserve are spoilt for choice with access to a wide range of activities including day and night game drives and walks with former poacher turned guides.

 Part of its corporate social responsibilities , the crunch reserve has also invested in community projects in Serengeti , having established the greneck Community and wildlife Conservation fund, also known as the crunch funds

Ends

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Author : jerome.corsi

Comment:
I intend to serve as a facilitator who will help you draw your own conclusions about Ed Hale. That is, I’ll be your “guide on the side”, not a “sage on the stage”. With my assistance, you’ll soon gain a deep understanding of how Hale’s sense of humor runs the gamut from rude and crude to disingenuous and barbaric. For complete details, I refer you to my forthcoming book on the subject. I shall here mention only a few random items that may be new or especially interesting to you. For instance, Hale appears to have found a new tool to use to help him pander to prolix schmoes. That tool is denominationalism, and if you watch him wield it, you’ll unquestionably see why on several occasions I have heard him state that truth is whatever your grievance group says it is. I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a comment. What I consider far more important though is that Hale has come up with proven methods to subvert time-tested societal
norms. All you have to do is let your guard down.

However sappy the national picture already is, Hale’s wisecracks are based on a denial of reality, on the substitution of a deliberately falsified picture of the world in place of reality. And this dishonesty, this refusal to admit the truth, will have some very serious consequences for all of us eventually. Although Hale occasionally exhibits a passable simulacrum of rationality, an understanding of the damage that may be caused by his argumentative remonstrations isn’t something I expect everyone to develop the first time they hear about it. That’s why I write over and over again and from so many different angles about how I’ve heard Hale say that his rantings are not worth getting outraged about. Was that just a slip of the lip, or is Hale secretly trying to reduce history to an overdetermined, wireframe sketch of what are, in reality, complex, dynamic events? One might as well ask, “Do his trained seals actually enjoy the distinction of being the most imperious tin-pot tyrants
on the planet?” If you profess that some people deserve to feel safe while others do not then you won’t understand my answer no matter how carefully I explain it. You won’t understand my answer if you believe that Hale should convince innocent children to follow a path that leads only to a life of crime, disappointment, and destruction because “it’s the right thing to do”. However, you have a chance at understanding my answer if you’re open-minded enough to realize that the tone of Hale’s philosophies is eerily reminiscent of that of dastardly warlords of the late 1940s in the sense that Hale is out to strap us down with a network of rules and regulations. And when we play his game, we become accomplices.

Hale’s stories about cronyism are particularly ridden with errors and distortions, even leaving aside the concept’s initial implausibility. Hale’s mercenaries’ thinking is fenced in by many constraints. Their minds are not free because they dare not be.

For all of the foregoing reasons, I can confidently claim that Hale thinks we want him to take away our sense of community and leave us morally adrift. Excuse me, but maybe I indeed allege that it would be a strategic blunder of epic proportions for him to reduce human beings to the status of domestic animals. My views, of course, are not the issue here. The issue is that I find it necessary, if I am to meet my reader on something like a common ground of understanding, to point out that I want to unify our community. Hale, in contrast, wants to drive divisive ideological wedges through it. Somebody has to comment on a phenomenon that has and will continue to cheat on taxes. That somebody can be you. In any case, Hale maintains that advertising is the most veridical form of human communication. Perhaps it would be best for him to awaken from his delusional, narcoleptic fantasyland and observe that he truly believes that things have never been better. It is just such cacodemonic
megalomania, stolid egoism, and intellectual aberrancy that stirs Hale to teach hateful concepts to children.

In other words, we must work together to perform noble deeds. What can you do to help? For starters, you might want to analyze Hale’s ideas in the manner of sociological studies of mass communication and persuasion. I personally derive great satisfaction in doing that sort of thing because it’s possible that behind the amazing degeneracy of the modern stage and motion picture is a solid wall of solipsism with Hale’s name written all over it. However, I cannot speculate about that possibility here because I need to devote more space to a description of how it’s belligerent for Hale to create massive civil unrest. Or perhaps I should say, it’s pusillanimous. Hale never misses an opportunity to indulge his preoccupation with his alleged victimization. And if that seems like a modest claim, I disagree. It’s the most radical claim of all. Does anybody else feel the way I do, or am I alone in my disgust with Ed Hale?

You can see all comments on this post here:
http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/ed-hale-the-so-called-president-of-plains-radio-usa-continues-to-loose-his-temper-due-failure-to-acquire-michelle-obama-tapes-and-use-them-to-make-quick-money-in-texas-plains/#comments

Press Release

The transport and road sector has been prioritised by the South African government as a vital contributor to South Africa’s competitiveness in global markets. It is seen as a crucial engine for economic growth and social development.   With the above in mind, South Africa is investing significantly in developing infrastructure in order to meet the demands of the booming economy and growing population. The country is also preparing to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and the government is investing considerably in building and upgrading 10 world-class stadiums, including energy, transport and telecommunications infrastructure. Increased tourism in the country as a result of the 2010 event has also prompted the government to fast track plans to improve transport infrastructure and services.

As part of the infrastructure development upgrade, one of the planned initiatives, the R21 road re-construction project, has been awarded to Power Construction, a division of Power Group and a specialist South African construction company founded in 1983.  The project comprises of upgrading the National route R21, Section 1 & 2 stretching from the Benoni interchange (15.3 km) to the Olifantsfontein interchange (27.80km) valued at R610 387 407.99 by the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL) as part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Projects launched by SANRAL.  The initiative incorporates the widening of the road together with the upgrading of interchanges and installing safety measures. The project forms part of the multibillion-rand 561-km Gauteng Freeway Improvement project (GFIP), which aims to upgrade and expand the province’s highway network in order to allow sustainable growth in Gauteng and is expected to take 20 months to complete.

“Power Construction has already successfully completed a number of major roads contracts across South Africa and is therefore well equipped with the required skills and manpower to ensure the successful implementation of this project.  The R21 Contact is our first major contract for SANRAL in Gauteng and is the next step for us in establishing ourselves as a major player in the national market” says Mr Poens Venter, Director of Power Construction (PTY) LTD

About Power Group

Power Group was founded in 1983 as a civil engineering contractor by the executive chairman, Graham Power. The company has established itself as a specialist in construction projects throughout Southern Africa and specialises in earthworks; bulk services; road and highway construction; pipelines; concrete works; township infrastructure; blacktop paving; golf course infrastructure and turn-key property development.

In 2008 Power Group celebrated its 25^th year anniversary. The company is rated as South Africa’s largest civil engineering company in the field of township development by the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC). The steady growth of the Group has resulted in the expansion of its operations into a number of different specialist companies. While focusing on their own core strengths, the companies nevertheless shares the power vision, mission and values and operates in accordance with the Power Ways that are governed by a set of benchmarks, ethics, performance and quality of each company within the Group. The Group’s relationship with all its stakeholders is based on the principles of ethics, integrity, respect, trust and mutual understanding. The group has four branches situated in Cape Town, Knysna, Port Elizabeth and Gauteng.

RELEASE PREPARED BY:

Siyenza Management: Liz Hart

Tel: +27 11 783 5313

Email: liz@siyenza.za.com

Tables turn as judge is arrested and

locked up in police custody

Police have questioned High Court Judge GBM Kariuki over the stabbing of a motorist after a minor road accident in the city.

He was locked up in custody and is expected in court this morning to face assault charges, police said.

He was arrested at about 10am at his Lake View home by a team of police officers, led by Gigiri DCIO Patrick Kiswi.

The officers jumped over the fence to get into his compound after he refused to open the gates. They allowed him to be driven in his car with armed police to Gigiri Police Station, where he was questioned for an hour.

He was later moved to Kamukunji Police Station, where his fingerprints were taken.

Plans were being made to transfer him from Kamukunji to Kileleshwa Police Station.

His lawyers, Mr Fred Ngatia and Mr Muturi Kigano, accompanied him.

Police had, by last evening, refused to release him, saying they feared he might fail to appear in court.

No media access

His lawyers were making arrangements to have a judge issue an order to release him, pending his arraignment in court.

Arrangements were also being made to have Justice Kariuki charged before a magistrate, where the media will not have access.

The judge seemed disturbed when journalists arrived at the police stations to take his pictures. At one point, he shouted at them, saying they were free to “take even his buttocks”.

His wife and a few relatives came to show their support at the stations.

Justice Kariuki is alleged to have been involved in a scuffle with a motorist, Mr Robert Kamau, on Ngecha Road in the city’s Lower Kabete area.

Kamau, a driver with an NGO, was injured during the confrontation and is undergoing treatment at MP Shah Hospital.

Police said Justice Kariuki and Kamau were driving from opposite directions on Lower Kabete Road at about 8pm on Saturday when their vehicles were involved in a minor accident.

The judge, who was driving his official Mercedes Benz car, was alone at the time of the incident, while Kamau had two passengers in his Toyota Corolla vehicle.

After the officers had cleared the scene, they detained both cars at Parklands Police Station, but that of the judge was later released.

The officers seized the knife, which the judge allegedly used to attack the motorist, and are likely to use it as an exhibit in court.

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API/Source.standard.ke

<Energy News By Leo Odera Omolo (Photo)

Tanzania is to become a major exporter of natural gas following the discovery of huge reserves deposits at Mnanzi Bay in the Ruvuma basin of Mtwara region.

Along with other discoveries by other developers in Songo Songo and Mkuranga and with other potential areas under exploration, Tanzania is well positioned to become not only the energy hub of East Africa, but also the leading player in the sector in the continent.

  Steve Mason, president and chief executive officer of Artumas Group said the firm is considering the construction of a 300 megawatt power plant in a joint venture with a local energy firm to help meet the domestic demand.

 “The available energy surplus will be exported to ready markets in Mozambique, Kenya and Uganda “Mr. Mason added.

“These are exciting times for the country, the region and for Artimas. We look forward to working closely with the government and other stakeholders to ensure these projects take off for the benefit of Tanzania” he said.

According to Mr. Mason, Artumas is ready to supply natural gas for the investments- a cement factory and a fertilizer plant- which will feed off a gas supply from Mnazi Bay. It is expected that the natural  gas reserve in Revenue basin will help create jobs, boost agriculture and remove import subsidies that are placing a huge drain on Tanzanian’s hard earned foreign exchange.

  Tanzania also plans to add value to its natural gas to boost exports and help offset the country’s trade imbalance.

  The fertilizer project will enable the country to meet demand for the commodity by local farmers while the setting up of cement factory is aimed at boosting the construction industry, a key indication of economic growth.

   The country is also planning a 300 MW power plant venture between the Tanzania nNational Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) and other stakeholders.

   Power from the project will be connected to the national grid and help meet domestic demand, thus encouraging new industrial development and supplying the mines in the northwest part of the country, while surplus would be exported to lead markets like Mozambique, Kenya and Uganda.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com