Gunship
28th Mar 2005, 11:19
Rumour has it on my return from the wild that the US Navy and their little ship with a runway on deck was not granted permission to come into God's country ?
A small patch of paper stood in the way apparently ... :E
Well - I would have liked to see some girlie aviators - then again hearing 7 000 American accents through SlaapStad will drive me crazy anyway.
So R60 million worth of possible income apparently down the drain. Who cares ? Not me ... just would have liked to see the poppies climbing into the cockpits (scuse the pun) :E
God Bless our Green Party :E
SASless
28th Mar 2005, 12:40
Must be Bobby Boy was worried about the proximity of so much ordinance so close to him.....pulled in some markers from his neighbors. He shouldn't worry....all the bombs were left in Iraq and Afghanistan this trip.
Gunship
28th Mar 2005, 16:17
It has become a "costly mistake" mistake now :EBUREAUCRATIC wrangling and shoddy paperwork have sunk plans by the US to dock a massive nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Cape Town harbour.
The USS Harry S Truman, one of the world’s biggest naval vessels, aborted its stopover because it was unable to get permission to berth — despite repeated requests — from South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator.
The Sunday Times has established that top South African government officials tried frantically, behind the scenes, to resolve the matter with the regulator.
Officials from both countries were tight-lipped this week, but the US claimed “the appropriate clearances were not received in time”, and the regulator insisted the Americans failed to follow procedure and make a formal, written application.
It is unclear whether the South African government had extended an official invitation to the Americans for their visit.
The cancelled visit was a bitter blow for the port cities of Cape Town and Durban, which had already made advanced preparations for what was regarded as one of the country’s most significant naval events — with an expected windfall for local business of R100-million. Part of the carrier group was to stop in Durban.
Cape Town’s acting harbourmaster, Captain Karl Otto, said that until this week port officials had been busily preparing for the giant ship, which would have docked at the container terminal.
The 97000-ton aircraft carrier with about 6000 crew aboard, along with a naval escort including the battle cruiser USS Monterey, were coming from duty in the Persian Gulf where they provided military support for US troops during the elections in Iraq.
The carrier is almost 80m wide, carries 85 aircraft, runs off two nuclear reactors and cost about R27-billion.
The Sunday Times established this week that:
•The Americans requested permission to dock in Cape Town via a diplomatic note sent to the South African Department of Foreign Affairs;
•They were unable to get a licence from the regulator, a South African requirement for any nuclear ship or ship carrying nuclear waste; and
•South African and US government officials were involved in a last-minute scramble to secure the regulator’s licence, but to no avail.
The deputy spokesman for the US embassy in Pretoria, Daniel Stewart, issued a terse statement on Friday: “The US aircraft carrier Harry S Truman and supporting ships will not call on a South African port at this time.
“While a port visit was considered, ultimately the appropriate clearances were not received in time to ensure that the vessels could make the port call and continue to their onward destination.”
He declined to divulge which clearances could not be obtained.
The Democratic Alliance chief whip, Douglas Gibson, the party’s spokesman on foreign affairs, confirmed that he was personally involved for “several weeks” in efforts to resolve the ship’s visit.
“At a very high level, a ministerial level, there were repeated attempts to rectify the matter, but the regulatory authority dug in its heels,” Gibson said.
“I discussed the matter with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sue van der Merwe, when it came to my attention several weeks ago. She undertook to inquire into the matter. I know that she did.
“The Americans applied ages ago, via diplomatic note, and that diplomatic note was submitted to the regulatory authority, which decided the application wasn’t in the form that it wanted. It seems to have communicated that fact far too late,” Gibson said, adding that he hoped the “bureaucratic bungle” hadn’t damaged SA-US diplomatic relations.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said yesterday: “We have no comment to make.”
The acting chief executive officer of the National Nuclear Regulator, Guy Clapison, who dealt with the US request, confirmed the last-minute scramble for the regulator’s authorisation, but said the Americans had ultimately declined to submit a formal application.
“We had quite a lot of discussion and e-mails with Foreign Affairs and the US embassy, but we never received an application,” Clapison said.
“I believe afterwards there may have been some discussion between various ministers; I have no idea if there was any outcome,” he said.
Nuclear-powered vessels from Britain’s Royal Navy docked in South African ports fairly regularly, shipping sources pointed out.
Otto said: “It’s just one of those unfortunate things. We were planning up until yesterday morning as if it was going to come in, but then we were told it wasn’t going to. There were no reasons.”
Presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo said: “The matter is being dealt with by the national nuclear regulatory authority and it has nothing to do with the president or the presidency.”
B Sousa
28th Mar 2005, 16:42
"Presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo said: “The matter is being dealt with by the national nuclear regulatory authority and it has nothing to do with the president or the presidency.”"
Other than the fact that the Nose Pickers cost a lot of Business folks in the Cape a ton of money.........Hey, its SA, this is only a drop in the bucket and it saves a lot of U.S. Military folks an exposure to AIDS.
Gunship
28th Mar 2005, 17:33
From Bert
and it saves a lot of U.S. Military folks an exposure to AIDS.
Yeah right again Bert ... Cape Town do not need to be "blessed" by the American's as the " Gay Capital of Africa" :E
B Sousa
28th Mar 2005, 22:40
Am I missing something Guns. I was refering to the Street Hookers. Not the guys in your Hot-tub......Ha Ha.
Francois, take Guns out a little more often.....Hes gettin a bit Bosbefok.
Gunship
29th Mar 2005, 04:48
Sorry mate I thought you referred to your friends in the pink area of the Waterfront ;)
FM does not answer - pressume he is on the nest or turning grapes into wine or ... it is Easter Weekend ... overseas somewhere :ok:
Deanw
29th Mar 2005, 06:09
FM will be back on Friday. :cool:
Gunship
29th Mar 2005, 07:02
Cheers Dean .... oh my liver ... :ouch: