The lane will be closed for eight days and the closure is expected to cause considerable traffic disruption in the area, especially as it partially coincides with a (separate) planned road closure of Sandown Road. (Please see footnote on Sandown roadworks.)

The City strongly advises residents in the area to, if at all possible, make alternative arrangements regarding their routes and travel times during these road closures, as traffic congestion is expected to be particularly bad during early morning and afternoon peak travel times.

The closure of the lane (as well as the timing of the closure) is unavoidable, as engineers need to divert the underground Chevron effluent line which currently still runs under the Table View MyCiTi station on Blaauwberg Road. Chevron has given the City a limited window of opportunity for this work to be completed.

Starting on Saturday 25 February 2012, one west-bound lane on Blaauwberg Road (immediately adjacent to the MyCiTi station, including approximately 50 metres before the intersection with Raatz Drive) will be closed, along with one right turn lane on Raatz Drive.

These closures will stay in effect until Friday 2 March 2012. During this week, engineers will work in conjunction with Chevron on diverting the underground pipes as planned and ensuring that all safety requirements are met.

Work will continue throughout the day and night. Additional traffic and law enforcement teams will be deployed in the area to assist with the management of traffic flows.

Road users are advised to make alternative arrangements, or to allow for extra travel time in this area. The movement of MyCiTi buses docking at this station will be unaffected, although delays are expected.

The City deeply regrets the disruption caused by the planned closure.

[Sandown Road: The Sandown Road intersection to the west of the R27 in Bloubergstrand (across from Sunningdale Drive) will be closed to traffic from 20:00 on Friday 24 February 2012 until  05:00 on Monday 27 February 2012.

Traffic will be diverted to either the Sandown Road North or Porterfield Road intersections where there are traffic signals. These alternative routes will be signposted and the timing of the traffic lights adjusted to assist with traffic flow. MyCiTi buses will also be diverted along these routes].

Thobela Kolweni

Anne Brooker

Gerrie Vorster

Peter Phillips

Barbara Alberts

Have fun, remember to dress up in style and do not forget the sunscreen.

Virginie Harel

Jill October

Prime Circle and Elvis Blue will be rocking in the New Year at the annual Kirstenbosch open-air concert under the stars, hosted this December 31, by Amarula.

‘Hello Crazy World’, the debut album of Jo’burg rock band, Prime Circle, is billed as the highest-selling rock album in South Africa, while ‘Idols’ fans will remember Elvis Blue as the 2010 winner, who has since gone one to achieve a massive following.

Bring along a picnic basket and a blanket or two, and indulge in the delicious cocktails served at the Amarula bar, toast the final sunset of 2011 and welcome the opening hours of 2012.

Last year’s Amarula New Year’s Eve event was headlined by Jonny Clegg and Loading Zone, with a capacity crowd of 5000 jamming together to celebrate proudly South African music at one of Cape Town’s favourite destinations.

Gates open at 7pm and the concert starts at 8.30pm. Seating is unreserved so make sure you get there early to get a spot near the front, but first you have to book tickets.

* Tickets are available at R250 each. Book at WebTickets at www.webtickets.co.za or call the Kirstenbosch ticket office on 021 761 2866.

Welcome the new year in style at the Baxter

The Baxter Theatre Centre will have a bumper “local is lekker” line-up for their popular New Year’s Eve party in the foyer straight after the shows.

Music and comedy are on offer for theatre-lovers and the whole family all under one roof with a six-piece band Chapter striking up to play popular tunes and keeping the audience dancing in the foyer.

David Kramer’s musical comedy ‘Some Like it Vrot’, Nik Rabinowitz’s new show ‘Stand and Deliver’ and Alistair Izobell’s toe-tapping ‘Vocal is Lekka’ make up the line-up well suited for the summer.

On December 31 all the shows will start later and will finish just in time for audiences to count down 2011 and cheer in the New Year with the stars and witness the spectacular balloon drop in the foyer.

Chapter, which will keep the party going, comprises top local musicians and entertainers Nathan Carolus (guitar), Trevino Isaacs (keyboards), Keagan Links (drums), Charlton Daniels (bass), Donveno Prins (sax), and Edith Plaatjies (vocals).

‘Some Like it Vrot’ will start at 9pm on New Year’s Eve, while ‘Stand and Deliver’ will start at 10pm and ‘Vocal is Lekka’ at 9.30pm.

The Act Restaurant (on the lower level) will offer patrons a buffet dinner while the more laid-back grab-and-go Play Bar on the upper level will offer a selection of local favourites.

* Bookings for Act is on 021 685 3888. Book for the three shows at Computicket.

Celebrate New Year with pink twist at J.C. Le Roux

Dance into the New Year at the House of J.C. Le Roux with an evening of bubbles, music and a spectacular seafood feast with a twist of pink. Nestled in the picturesque Devon Valley outside Stellenbosch, the cellar’s ever popular Seasons Restaurant is preparing a feast second to none.

Welcomed with a glass of J.C. Le Roux and the sounds of Bone Idol 5, the evening will only get better as visitors will be treated to a floating buffet with a variety of goodies such as oysters, Tempura Prawns and sushi, while plated goodies such as fennel seed allumette, peppadew hummus, snoek pâté and taramasalata will be waiting at their our tables.

For starters and salads a delicious range of interesting combinations such as green asparagus with a tomato concasse with balsamic topping, oven roasted baby tomatoes & black olive salad, steamed mussels with fried sweet baby leeks and seafood paella will entice one.

From the grill you’ll be able to choose from a of mouth watering spread such as char grilled beef, prawn kebab, grilled chicken, tuna steak and many more with accompaniments.

Some of the desserts to caress plates on the evening will include blueberry espresso tiramisu, Lindt chocolate cheesecake, brandy tipsy tart with cinnamon ice cream, a selection of herbal and infused teas or freshly brewed gourmet coffee and truffles.

Tickets for the New Year’s Eve ‘Pretty in Pink’ festive celebration cost R550 per person, but seating is limited so make sure you book your table now. The evening will start at Seasons restaurant at 7pm on December 31; come dressed in pink.

* For more information or the reserve your table call 021 865 2012 or e-mail jaco@devonvalleyhotel.com.

Sephuma and friends to sing in the New Year

Nederburg Wine Farm in Paarl will host a New Year’s Eve outdoor concert with music by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), conducted by Richard Cock featuring celebrated songbird Judith Sephuma and international tenor Edmondo Rahme. It’s a concert for the entire family and a fund raiser for the CPO.

Bring your own picnic basket, blanket, folding chairs and glasses. No drinks allowed. Nederburg wine, bubbly, soft drinks and coffee will be on sale. Remember to bring something warm. Gates open at 7.30pm and the concert starts at 9.30pm.

Tchaikovsky’s boisterous and exciting 1812 Overture will lead the audience into 2012.

How to get there:

Follow the N1 from Cape Town, pass the Paarl/Main, Cecilia and the Wellington/Jan van Riebeeck Drive exits. Take the Worcester/Sonstraal Road exit (R101), which is just before the toll gates at the Huguenot Tunnel. Turn left onto Sontraal road and continue for 4,5 km. The entrance to Nederburg Wines is on your left.

* Tickets cost R150 for adults, R75 for teenagers and free for children under six. Book at Computicket.

In the event of rain, the concert will be held the following day, Sunday January 1 at 7pm. Gates open at 5.30pm.

Table Mountain Tickets

Leigh Carolus

Rubin Van Wyk

Haniem Jassiem

Zebra and Giraffe @ Kisrtenbosch – 26 Dec 2011

Taryn Holman

Riana Wentzel

Liezel Cerf

Sasha VD Westhuizen

Juliet Hale

Louise Heyns

Mango Groove @Kirstenbosch on the 1 Jan 2012

Tammy Wilmot

Monique Sher

Satish Chavda

Grant Cohen

Beverley Ball

Dilothi Mamosa

PLUSH and Graeme Watkins Project on the 8 Jan 2012

Diane McGowan

Lourens Schoeman

Jessica Saunders

Ryan Harris

Karel Dampies

Lindsay Dyers

Motorists are urged to visit one of the following roadworthy testing centres to ensure that their motor vehicle/s are in a roadworthy condition before going on a long journey. The centres will be open from 28 November – 15 December 2011 from 10:00 to 14:00, Monday to Friday.

Brackenfell:        Corner of Kruispad and Reservoir Streets, Brackenfell

Durbanville:        93B De Viliiers Drive, Durbanville

Bellville:             Bellrail Road, Bellville

Goodwood:         Corner of Frans Conradie Drive and Hugo Street, Goodwood

Kuils River:         Fabriek Street, Kuils River

Gallows Hill:        Somerset Road, Green Point

Hillstar:              Plantation Road, Wetton

The rest of the artist line-up was revealed on November 1 by Lowvelder and includes an array of artists covering multiple genres and tastes. The band No Ones Arc and the Casterbridge Music Development Academy represent the local talent ready to impress the crowd. The concert starts at 12:00 and the last party-goers will be ushered out at 02:00 when DJ Tira and Magic Soul end their final set for the Coke-Fest after party. Ticket sales are open at Computicket and range from R200 to R350, depending on the distance from the stage. The 2000 golden circle tickets sell at R500 each. Seating information is available on the Computicket website.

Stadium manager, Roelf Kotze, together with the organisers, worked tirelessly to plan the logistics required to host this world-class concert in Nelspruit. Five park-and-ride facilities will be located across town to transport ticket-holders safely and efficiently to and from the stadium. Easy access for everyone to both refreshments as well as ablution facilities is also a priority.

Apart from providing entertainment of an international standard, attracting more than 30 000 fans to the Lowveld is seen as a major benefit of the concert in terms of tourism for the region.

Those eager to win tickets and other prizes can look forward to competitions hosted by sponsors of the concert including Coca Cola, Emnotweni Hotel & Casino, Jacaranda RMFM and Lowveld Media.

This is what you can expect at the concert of December 17:

- Casterbridge Music Development Academy (CMDA) showcase

- Dave Van Vuuren (Idols winner, 2011)

- No Ones Arc

- Magic Soul

- Natalie R

- Big Nuz

- Jamali

- Goldfish

Magic Soul will perform again following DJs Tira and Migs for the Coca-Fest party that will liven things up until 02:00.

Table Mountain can now carry the title Official New7Wonder of Nature after hundreds of millions of votes were cast in this global competition.

It was a nail-biting finish for Table Mountain, following an announcement just five days before the end of the race that the site was not in the Top 10 list and would need to wrestle for a top 7 spot.

Table Mountain Cableway’s Chief Executive Officer Sabine Lehmann, and Campaign Manager Fiona Furey, had the honour of announcing the Top 7 places, listed in alphabetical order, that were released by the New7Wonders Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland.

Table Mountain was named along with Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo and Puerto Princesca Underground River.

After three years of intense campaigning, an unprecedented number of votes and support from South Africans and visitors alike, Table Mountain will now take its place in the history books of the world for the true wonder that it is.

“This is an incredible moment for us. Our mountain, which we all cherish, is now officially recognized as one of the marvels of the environment. We have long known this to be true and some might even ask why we need this proof if we already knew it. It is because Cape Town is a symbol. It is a symbol of permanence in a world that is full of change. It is a symbol of the heritage that we are privileged to have. And it is a symbol that reminds us that we are privileged enough to live in an incredible country with incredible assets, giving us hope for the future,” said Mayor Patricia de Lille.

After hosting a successful Soccer World Cup last year, and Cape Town having recently won World Design Capital 2014, South Africans can be proud of yet another incredible achievement for our country.

“What an amazing feat for South Africa,” said Lehmann. “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for Table Mountain and the celebrity ambassadors – from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Springbok Rugby team to all the journalists, musicians, comedians, actors, politicians and sports stars who campaigned on our behalf. Your voices were heard and it is because of you that Table Mountain’s natural assets have been acknowledged in this popular election.”

The marketing effort that has been put behind the campaign has generated more than R35.2 million worth of exposure for our mountain, raising its profile globally and generating massive good will toward South Africa. The campaign has also introduced an estimated 10 000 school children to email and opened their eyes to the power of the Internet.

Social media growth for the campaign has also been significant in recent months. Traffic to the Vote for Table Mountain website has increased by 350% in the last month; Facebook fans have shown a 220% increase over the past three months; and Twitter followers have increased by 96% over the past three months.

Janet Jackson’s number one hit “Miss You Much” from the album Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 has been chosen as the song dedicated to Cape Town. Janet’s NUMBER ONES: Up Close & Personal tour, is her largest-ever world tour. Janet will dedicate a selected number one song to each of her fan-suggested stops. The show will be taking place in Cape Town, South Africa on November 15th. There are limited tickets available so to avoid disappointment, book now at Computicket.

The tour, in which the superstar sets out to perform a selection of songs from her impressive 35 number one hits, has recorded SRO engagements throughout Asia, North America and Europe and due to such enthusiasm from fans and critics the NUMBER ONES: Up Close & Personal Tour has been extended to expand past the original 35 cities. Of her upcoming engagement in Cape Town the icon has said, “I just know that it feels wrong, when I’m away too long. . . Can’t wait to see you Cape Town.”
Book now at Computicket by calling 0861 915 8000, visit www.computicket.com or visit your nearest Computicket outlet.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL SA TOUR INFORMATION

CAPE TOWN
Venue: GrandWest
Date: Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Ticket prices: From R350.00 – R 950.00
Show time: 21h00

WIN WIN WIN
We have 2 sets of double tickets valued at R1600.00 per set up for grabs. Simply like our Facebook fan page and tell us why you deserve to get up close and personal with JJ.
http://www.facebook.com/next48hours