Arty Braamie

The following news makes me happy inside:

Today I received an email from this lovely lady known as Katie, who works for Kagiso Urban Management. What they do is basically coordinate urban development and are one of the reasons why suburbs, such as Braamfontein and Newtown, look remotely pretty and not at all like the dumps of Hillbrow and/or Bryanston (I do not like Bryanston for it looks big and brash to me).

One of their projects is an initiative of the Johannesburg Development Agendy (JDA) and the Braamfontein Improvement District, and basically what it is, is the creation of an arts precinct on the corner of Wits University (just below University Corner). It will include an art gallery as well as the reopening of the University Corner Cafeteria, which is at the top of this high-rise building and looks like a UFO ship. Anyway, it has a great view of the city, and I would kill for it to be opened again.

Unfortunately, it seems as if this project has been delayed indefinitely, for there seemingly is no funding for it, but I was quite excited to get an email from her about an art installation that will be put in place around this area. It hopefully is the start of something bigger, but even if it isn’t, it will contribute to Braamfontein as a lively inner city suburb. Already there have been quite a few new developments in Braamfontein, and initiatives such as the reopening of the Alexander Theatre will hopefully make it a very attractive place to live, work and play in. The installation has been managed by something called the Trinity Session (and guided by advisors), and there have been various submissions from art students at the University which will be judged, and the winner will obviously be the one chosen for the installation.

There will be walk about tours of these submissions at Wits University’s Substation Gallery. They are scheduled for Monday 19 March 10:15 till 12:00, and Tuesday 20 March 12:30 till 14:00. Email me if you would like RSVP details, for I do not want to publish the person’s details to all and sundry on the net…

The image below gives you a rough idea of what the area would look like… You won’t really know the impact this development would have unless you are in and around this area, so for those of you who DO know the area, it’s on the corner of Jorisson Street and Jan Smuts Avenue.

Die, Wits University Administration, DIE!

I am frustrated for the following reasons:

 1. My computer is acting strange. For some weird reason, it is just refusing to switch on. I’m thinking it has something to do with the power switch, for the plugs are working just fine, but the computer is just refusing to switch on.

So I’m currently using my mom’s fancy new laptop (which has the latest version of Office), and it’s an absolute breeeze, but I really miss my computer for it is my baby and I love it.

But the most important reason as to why I am frustrated is…

2. I hate the SRC. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE the Student Representative Council of the University of the Witwatersrand. They are incompetent, useless, careless and generally pathetically apathetic to the plight of anyone.

My society ordered notepads from this one young woman for R2600,00. She delivered them, as she said she would, about a month back. She was told, by our administrators, that payment would be guaranteed that week. Do you think it came through? Of course not. They jump from excuse to excuse, all the while her suppliers are busy hucking her for money.

Wits University clearly slows down the South African economy. They are the sole reason why our development is not at the levels of say India, China or Brazil. Their fucking neurotic beaurocratic minds are the reasons why Small Medium Enterprises in South Africa do not take off. They are the reason why I am contemplating suicide.

Wits University administration needs to die.

DIE, WITS UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION, DIE!

And don’t even try sue me for defamation, Wits University, for I, and many others, can prove that you ARE a useless bunch. 

There we go. Two reasons why I am annoyed today.