The streets of Cape Town were a riot of colour and excitement today (Monday, 29 October 2007) as the victorious South African Rugby Team, the Springboks, ended their country-wide victory tour in the wake of winning the Rugby World Cup 2007.
Revelers and well-wishes of all colours, creeds and ages donned green and gold-hued clothing in honour of their national team, thronging the sidewalks as the open topped bus bearing the beaming team and their hard-won Web Ellis Trophy left the Grand Parade and rolled through the city.
Children and adults shouted, cheered and blew vuvuzelas, while in the office windows above the streets young girls whistled and even flashed to get the attention of Percy Montgomery, Bryan Habana and Captain John Smit and the rest of the boys.
In an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1994 world cup victory, Cape Town’s citizens celebrated in harmony and no incidences of crowd violence or crime were reported.
Looking head to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in South Africa, Cape Town mayor Helen Zille said in an interview on Cape Talk that she felt the signs were all pointing towards a successful and peaceful celebration, based on what has been a memorable day for the Mother City, for all the right reasons.
Those people who call South Africa’s Mother City home already know that Cape Town is the top South African city to visit – numerous national and international tourism-based surveys have been saying so for years – usually in relation to the city’s exquisite natural beauty and the many Cape Town activities and Cape Town tours that appeal to people from all walks of life.
But now it has also been named the best city in which to live. And that’s not just because of the palm tree-lined beaches and relaxed lifestyle. A recent study undertaken by local government online-information service, Municipal IQ, shows that the citizens of Cape Town are better qualified and more productive than those of the other major South African cities.
And it isn’t just the city itself – residents of the West Coast town of Saldanah Bay, also in the Western Cape region, expressed the most satisfaction about their town in the survey.
So what criteria were gathered to determine productivity among the 283 metro councils, district councils and local municipalities on Municipal IQs site?
Among other factors, the way in which local authorities dealt with poverty, the basic amenities made available to citizens (such as water and electricity) and the economic activity and infrastructure in each region.
Johannesburg and Tshwane (previously Pretoria) came in second and third place respectively.
What gave Cape Town the leading edge? According to Municipal IQ’s MD, Kevin Allan, it was down to the training of its citizens.
He said, “…Cape Town does more with what it has, and what it has is also better than the other big cities in our land.”
According to the site, ‘Municipal IQ’ is “based on a unique methodology that combines an extensive set of socio-economic and financial factors, denoted by a range of variables, to provide a comprehensive review of the attractiveness and success in service delivery of individual municipalities compared to all others in the country.”
Which is all very interesting, and good to know…but as any self-respecting Capetonian will tell you, whatever way you look at it, Cape Town is simply the best city on the planet!