Another brick in the wall: Cape Town's controversial plan

Cape Town is one of the glitziest cities in Africa with a beautiful waterfront, a dramatic mountain and a lively vibe.

But it is also a city with many poverty-stricken residents, shanty towns and soaring crime rates.

The city has a controversial plan to build a 3-metre high security wall along the main highway linking Cape Town International Airport to the city.

The highway which has been dubbed “the hell run” after multiple car jackings and violent smash-and-grab attacks along the route.

The highway passes near some of Cape Town's most deprived communities, including the Gugulethu and Nyanga townships and Crossroads and Taiwan "informal settlements".

The wall will ostensibly make it harder for criminals from the townships to access the highway, but create issues for locals going about their legitimate business.

There are also suspicions that the wall is designed to block views of the disadvantaged communities - many of them home to corrugated iron shacks - from visitors arriving in the city, which derives much income from the visitor economy. 

It has been described as "hiding poverty to comfort tourists".

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has said the plan will keep criminals at bay along the N2 highway and the move is described by local authorities as a necessity to curb violent crime. Critics argue that the project risks deepening social divides.

They point out that it will do nothing to improve safety for local communities.

Opponents have highlighted that the wall risks echoing apartheid-era spatial divisions by physically separating poorer townships from wealthier areas and tourist routes.

Image: Gugulethu, thesouthafrican.com   

Mozambique has designs on reviving mass tourism

Once upon a time - a lifetime ago - Lourenco Marques was one of the hottest tourism destinations in Africa.

South Africans, particularly, flooded to the capital of Mozambique for sun, surf and piri piri prawns.

LM, as it was universally known, is now Maputo (above). 

And moves are underway to bring mass tourism back to the African nation, some 30 years after the former Portuguese colony was ripped apart by a bloody civil war.

LAM (Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique), the flag carrier of Mozambique, recently launched flights between Maputo and Cape Town, which the airline says is part of its strategy to be a “strong competitor in the region”.

LAM has undergone a recent restructuring process and is currently expanding its routes and connections. Also recently launched was a Maputo-Lisbon flight, which will help bring European tourists to Maputo, South African website Tourism Update reported.

LAM commercial director Firmino Naftal says the three times weekly Maputo to Cape Town flight targets both the leisure and the business segments.

Cristovao Gemo, Consul General of Mozambique in Cape Town, said the launch of the route was more than just a convenient mode of transport, but was a bridge between the two nations, fostering greater cultural exchange, trade and tourism.

“Cape Town, known for its breath-taking landscapes, rich history and warm hospitality, has long been a sought-after destination for travellers from all corners of the globe," he said. 

"On the other hand, Maputo with its pristine beaches, vibrant markets and rich culinary diversity offers an experience that is both enriching and unforgettable.” 

In its bid to grow its regional presence, LAM has established flights between Johannesburg and holiday destinations Inhambane, Vilankulo and Beira, with plans to launch a flight between Johannesburg’s Lanseria Airport and Mozambique’s Xai Xai.

It has also recently launched flights to Lusaka in Zambia with a stop-over in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Naftal also said work was underway to introduce flights to Nairobi, Kenya, and Lilongwe in Malawi.

A new 20,000 sqm cultural centre, built by Chinese contractors, was inaugurated in Maputo late last year.

The Mozambique Ministry of Culture and Tourism has called the Mozambique China Cultural Centre in the grounds of the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, a “key project that will greatly contribute to the development of cultural exhibition and dissemination, as well as to the promotion of cultural creative industries from all over the country and the world”.

The centre boasts a variety of rooms for theatre productions, musical shows and corporate events, including a 1,500-seat auditorium.

Anantara, and Beyond and Radisson Blu are among the high-end international hotel brands operating in Mozambique, along with South Africa's Southern Sun.