The Advance Bus Service!

[Michael Alexander]

Saw a fairly new thing happening behind Spar this morning. I have gotten use to seeing the Advance trucks parking behind the store over the last 6 months, but this one was different, people , both adults and children came piling outta the double truck that was parked here today, luggage , bags, boxes and suitcases... it looked like a scene from a Mexican border crossing movie, I even noticed four cases of Jagermeister....... (Trust me to spot the booze)

Now the question being, wait for it, wait for it... Were these Advanced souls all in possession of Security clearances and the mystery of all..... who , if anybody made money from transporting these Advance souls?

[Michael Alexander]

Did a bit of investigating, and yes, For N$150.00 you can get a hike from Windhoek to Omund in the back of an Advance Furniture removal truck, don't know if that includes a security clearance or not......

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Wonder if the bosses of Advanced Transport know of this.
This is illegal...

[Michael Alexander]

... more than likely not....

[SandyB]

dont they  search the trucks ??? or are palms being greased at the entry point ??? mmm they  body searched us on entry and  also did  cursory search of the car ,, as though a car with 4 up and luggage could be  carrying some illegal >???      Something is very fishy here ....

[Michael Alexander]

Watch this space..... this episode makes a mockery of the whole permit control system for Omund........

[SandyB]

Do the " powers that  be "  actually know of this incident  or  are they turning the expedient blind eye ?? allowing  more  people into the already  strained  economic  environment of O'mund is sheer suicide and the death of  ordery living ...
Reminds me of the  ANC  moving people into Hout Bay .. Helooo  there is no  f... g  economy there  to support the masses ..  and now the  folk  there  are getting  free houses  compliments of  Niel  Mellon  an  Irish  philanthropist  , built by  Irish volunteers  seeking the feel good "african experiance "   ... ( no insult meant to the irish  but yes  we all work hard for what we got ... ...  my  question is  do these folk  just  stand  by  watching these  turning pink in the sun volunteers   build their homes  or do they pitch in  and become part of the  equation  ???   the pitching in  is  part  of them  taking ownership  of the handout ... the fact  is about once a year it happens ... have not asked the question .. so leave it  to forum members to provide answers ... I got totally turned off  by the article I have saved  somewhere and will post .. Its  titled   its better to love than hate ..   its all nice and lofty  wording but at the same time laced with feel guilty   cos you  not " previously disadvantaged"   drivel   and yes I go  cold  to even best friends if they try to play  guilt games with me ... so its not  biased or  prefferential ..  I just go so  cold ....
In closing   I say  " Namdeb    OTMCO  ..powers that be  ... wake  up ..   stuff the  mealy mouthed politicians comments  and protestations  ...  allowing  non employable  folk  into  O'mund is totally  unsustainable  and  downright unfair to all  that are  trying to make  a  fair and honest living  there  in  relative  safety  ... ILLEGALS   EQUAL  INCREASED  CRIME ... WAKE UP AND SMELL  THE COFFEE ....     

[Bob Molloy]

@Sandy: mention of Hout Bay made my day. I spent many happy years on the beach there.

That changed when the first squatters took occupation. It was costing me an arm and a leg to live there - not to mention rates and the host of district council hoops I had to jump through to build a house on the beach front in the first place - while my new neighbours lived rent free, rate free and apparently totally free of any building regulations. Later I discovered they were also power free (just run a wire up the nearest pole) and water free (tap the undergound line and put up a standpipe). Perhaps tax free too but I have to give them the benefit of the doubt, possibly they filed their annual tax forms when I wasn't looking.

It was paradise but not one I could join. I did ask the local building inspector (half in jest) that he close his eyes to my building a low wall around my property without council approval. His response was the blank stare that bureaucrats reserve for idiots and a reminder to pick up an application form on the way out.

Ultimately, feeling a bit like Adam tossed out of Eden, I went in search of another paradise but never forgot the view of Hangklip and the backdrop of the Karbonkelberg and Chapman's Peak.

Tip for wanderers: never go home again. I failed to take my own advice and made a brief visit a few years later only to find the once pristine village had quadrupled in size to become a suburb of Cape Town with a mix of shacks and developer housing, the beach front lined with trendy villas and my house turned into a pub-restaurant with a cliche name (The Dunes, yuk!).

[SandyB]

@  Bob  .. Mom  and  Ed  built  their first home  together up on the hill in hout bay  lovely view including the blight of squatter camp,,

[Michael Alexander]

Er... I was reprimanded for this story, seems like I might have botched up an ongoing investigation into this saga........ my apologies to all concerned..... how was I to know......

[SandyB]

Indeed so .. how is one to know ??  communication ...   and anyhow  you should be commended for being a  concerned  citizen of O'mund  as all the points raised are valid .... I rest my case there ... 

[SandyB]

Oops  forgot the one point I wanted to bring up ...  If  I remember correctly  it is  supposed   to be illegal to  transport people  in  the back of  a removal truck , the same as  apparently  not allowed in the back of a caravan , safety issues  and  also  ventilation  etc ... so they  who reprimanded  can go suck figs ... currently  we having big issues with unsafe buses here in W Cape .. if  you following the news  a  certain company  if it does not  improve its   safety record  will be banned from operating in the w cape ...
Check  road safety regulations ...   

[SandyB]

Michael anything further on this  one ?? you can give them my response ,, in effect whoever reprimanded you  is  supporting breaking of the law ,, thats unless of course  there's two types of law  pretty much as we have here ??

[Michael Alexander]

Sandy, nothing more to this tale, I was not officially reprimanded, just heard via the wires that certain people were pissed off with me as they were looking into the matter at the time.....

[SandyB]

Ok  context understood ...  then therse suspicion of illegals  I assume ...    cuqui