Greater persons than I have said their piece with regards to the debacle surrounding the awarding of the tender for the Splash Festival which was awarded last week – what is not clear is when the succesful tenderer was told.
I have been staying out of the debate around the to be expected ineptitude from our municipal bosses who only want to hold the Splash Festival as a way of dispensing largess from the purses of hard working ratepayer money and in the hope of buying votes. I have said it before and will continue saying it – a succesful leader is not one who BUYS his employees/followers but rather one who sets high standards that employees/followers wish to emulate. Eventually the money to buy favour runs out and the employees/followers will move on to the next person offering an easy ride, Jonny Walker Double Black, Sushi and Double Fudge Ice Cream in the sun.
We cannot change that fact.
A recent tweet sparked my musings, though:
When in doubt don’t do it @MyPE why going ahead with the Splash Festival when in doubt? Cc @NMandelaBay @NMBmunicipality
28 March 2013 11:17 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite
The old adage of “When in doubt, don’t do it” does NOT apply to the Splash Festival which has been an Easter staple for 23 years now – as regular as a roughage diet, as predictable as lions sh*tting in the Kalahari or as the Pope being Catholic, Port Elizabeth has always hosted the Splash Festival – initiated by Port Elizabeth Tourism under Sean van Eck all those years ago.
Somewhere along the line the holder of the purse for the Splash Festival became the Council (first of Port Elizabeth and then of the NMBMM) – a BIG mistake which needs to be rectified forthwith. Politicians only make decisions based on VOTES, they only exist for your vote and will lie, cheat and steal to get and retain your vote. Show me an honest politician and I will show you a FAILURE at his/her job!
The reason why the old adage of when in doubt does not apply to the Splash Festival is as follows; “If we do not hold the Splash Festival (admittedly at great cost this year) we will absolutely KILL all the momentum built up these past 23 years and struggle to catch up.” A pure business case to protect future profits/earnings.
Anyway – no matter how big, spectatular, cr*ppy and boring the Splash Festival is everyone still complains so, for this year at least, nothing will change.
What I would like to see for the next Splash Festivals:
- A business unit established by private business all along the beachfront to run and host the Splash Festival
- They be given support in the form of permission from the municipality to utilise the beachfront as they see fit in order to attract outside tourists to the beachfront
- Any sponsorship can be cleared with the municipality and to be in line with the theme of a family festival
- Any profits to be ring fenced and utilised for a bigger and better festival next year
- Bring back the profit incentive.
Let us face it – why should ratepayers from Uitenhage, Despatch and the wider Port Elizabeth pay for a festival that largely benefits the businesses on the beachfront?
