No doubt some of you will have received a letter from Magnum Credit Consultants, little Christmas present which took the form of a letter of demand for arrear subscriptions for the Marina da Gama Association and some of you have asked me what to do.  I cannot tell you what to do, but I will [...]

read more from this topic.....

When will the Marina Da Gama Association ever learn that they too have to follow the rules?  We all know that, if we want to put up posters advertising an event, we have to do so with the permission of the City of Cape Town.  The Marina Da Gama Association however feel that they have [...]

read more from this topic.....

I have been contacted by several people who have received a letter of demand from ex-ExCom member, Mr. Alan Hepple’s firm, Magnum Credit Consultants, demanding payment of arrear subscriptions supposedly due to the Marina da Gama Association. I don’t know how many of you actually received such a letter, but ExCom admitted that more than [...]

read more from this topic.....

Mugabe gets “elected” by default because no-one is prepared to stand against him. No rules or law applies to him. His opponents get crushed through character assassination (or worse). He allows his lieutenants and followers to grab land which does not belong to them. Sound familiar? Marina Da Gama now has it’s own little land-grabs [...]

read more from this topic.....

JT Wrote I attended today’s mediation session and wish to thank everybody who attended – especially the SAHRC representatives who afforded us this opportunity when there are so very many other pressing issues at this time. A bouquet, too, to the MDGA representatives, Peter Harrison, Peter Joubert and Bob Craske for making the effort – [...]

read more from this topic.....

It’s official!! On 25 June 2008 residents of Marina da Gama will face the Executive Committee of the Marina da Gama Association around the table at the South African Human Rights Commission, despite ExCom trying their level best to get out from under the meeting. At first, the letter got “lost in the mail” and [...]

read more from this topic.....

Q:  What’s bold and sticks out like a sore finger? A:  An brightly coloured house in Marina da Gama!! And to think that the guilty party is actually family of an Executive Committee member!!  As far as I remember, this particular Committee Member bleated something about “following due procedure” and “proposing a change to the [...]

read more from this topic.....

I was with greatly disappointed to learn yesterday, that the Executive Committee of the Marina da Gama Association do not plan to attend the mediation session scheduled at the South African Human Rights Commission for the 19th May 2008. According to Mr. Jan de Groote, ExCom had not received official notice from the SAHRC. Apparently, [...]

read more from this topic.....

According to the Human Rights Commission, the Legal Department of “the Commission has considered the complaints of the residents of Marina da Gama and are concerned that prima facie it may constitute a violation of the rights to Freedom of religion, belief and opinion and just administrative action” in terms of Sections 15 and 33 [...]

read more from this topic.....

I have not been in town and have only now had a chance to look at the website again.  Well done to Anita and co. for managing to get the Human Rights Commission on board.  Mediation is necessary. I have read the Executive Committee’s response to Anita’s letter and it is a load of bs. [...]

read more from this topic.....

Early this morning I received a phone-call from an exited resident telling me that she received a letter from the South African Human Rights Commission inviting her to a meeting to mediate the matter between the Association and the complainants (objectors). Lo and behold, later this afternoon, I also received such a letter. It has [...]

read more from this topic.....

William asked us what would Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Theresa or Richard Branson do? Nelson Mandela said: Our struggle has reached a decisive moment. We call on our people to seize this moment so that the process towards democracy is rapid and uninterrupted. We have waited too long for our freedom. We can no longer [...]

read more from this topic.....

JT Said: Somebody, please correct me if I’m wrong, but it is my understanding that the scope of an association and method of recovering costs can not be summarily changed by constitutional voting requirements alone. With a voluntary association maybe, but not when the membership is a captive audience and comprises an entire suburb. The [...]

read more from this topic.....

PETER HARRISON Dear Anita, Your letter will be discussed at our Excom meeting on Monday 11th. In the meantime, I have had 2 discussions with Cherry Giljam, about the possibility of publishing it in “Marina News” Cherry was willing to have it included, but the practicalities make this impossible. It is simply too lengthy, and [...]

read more from this topic.....

OPEN LETTER TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE MARINA DA GAMA ASSOCIATION: MEETING HELD ON 2 FEBRUARY 2008 BETWEEN MYSELF AND 3 EXCOM MEMBERS Thank you for the invitation to meet with you to discuss my objections. I was pleased to see that ExCom was well represented by Bob Craske, Tony Joubert and Elaine Meyer. [...]

read more from this topic.....

THE VIPER IN OUR MIDST So, I infiltrated and took as sneak peak at the Marina Da Gama Association’s AGM last week where the farce of the so-called security scheme, continued. A while ago we were entertained to the comedy of errors by council’s legal department in the People’s Post where we were given a [...]

read more from this topic.....

There are 1360 houses in the Marina The outcome of a budget resolution showed the following: In favour of resolution 277 Against 63 Spoilt papers 18 TOTAL OF 358 members So with only 20.36% the Marina Association adopts a resolution. (79.64%)1002 members did not vote, yet a resolution is passed.! Why property owners tolerate this [...]

read more from this topic.....

Marina Da Gama Headless Chicken Brigade If it was not so serious, the situation in Marina Da Gama would be laughable. Mr. Harrison and his merry band of Excom-members want their new little toy and no amount of logic, community- or government pressure is going to take it away from them. I am speaking about [...]

read more from this topic.....

The Marina Da Gama suburb has been plagued with controversy over recent months. The Marina Association is headed by Harrison. Then those opposed to his “one for all security plan“. The Marina news pamphlet is like the old days of apartheid where a minority used its own print media for propaganda. Letters of opinion are [...]

read more from this topic.....

ExCom Quotes: I would like this opportunity to introduce you to the Executive Committee of the Marina Da Gama Association. This introduction lets them to speak for themselves by quotes taken from their newsletters, letters and communications with residents: WHAT THEY GOT RIGHT: This Association used to be a Mickey Mouse Association. Peter Harrison – [...]

read more from this topic.....