A different perspective

This article comes from Justin from the organisation called Stop Crime … Say Hello.  I does make you think. 

Crime is not generally the subject of good news stories. I mean hard as one may try it is really quite tricky to make it light and entertaining.

But just for a moment or two, pop the Samsonite back in the cupboard, place the Qantas tickets in the dresser and put your feet up.

 We have spoken on many an occasion of the fact that violent crime in South Africa (or certainly a very high percentage of it), occurs between people who know each other. Rowing spouses, drunken siblings, jilted lovers, angry teenagers, disgruntled staff, unhappy colleagues. Murders between people who know each other account for 82% of all our countries murders. Only 18% of our nation’s murders happen as a result of hijacking, or broadly speaking, ‘robbery’.

 So, here’s the good news. If we live in peace, good-will, charity, fairness, generosity and in a way that resolves conflict speedily and satisfactorily with our staff, family and those we know, we have roughly a 0.007% chance of being murdered in a ’ random’ attack by a stranger.  

 Let’s put this in context so we can appreciate comparatively how small our chances are of being murdered:

        –         You are 300 times more likely to die in a car accident

       –         You are 15000 times more likely to die of smoking related disorders (if you smoke)

 But get this….you are over twice as likely to commit suicide.

 So much rather stop smoking than emigrate – we are safer living here than puffing in Perth – if we live right.

 Cheers

Justin

 For more on how to get involved go to   www.sayhello.co.za

O JZ dear JZ

A POEM FOR JZ 

O JZ dear JZ

Our new leader you are

From humble beginnings

You’ve really come far. 

 

And now is your time

To shine and be strong

And make a real difference

And prove them all wrong. 

 

We hope you will show us

The man that you are

With the mind of a politician

And the voice of a rock star.

 We’re a Banana Republic

I’m hearing some say

But I think we are more like

A Choc Nut sundae. 

 

With some white and some brown

And some nuts in between

And a warm, rich black topping

With a dollop of cream. 

 

So we hope you’re a fighter

Who will fight the good fight

For the blacks and the coloureds

And indians and whites 

 

We hope you will lead us

With vision and grace

So we can become

A much better place. 

The full poem from Mark Berger

 ——————

The South Africa You Want to Live in

The International Marketing Council (IMC), custodian of Brand South Africa, is embarking on a journey with South Africans to begin to collectively create a South Africa that we all want. The first phase of this journey will deal with engaging the nation to get feedback on what South Africans want. It commenced on the 12th June through all the major media platforms.

The ‘South Africa you want to live in’ campaign will be asking all South Africans to describe the country they want to live in. Over the next two weeks, South Africans can phone or sms their views to 083 900 WITHU (9484 8)/ sms WITH U and your comment to 32310 or log into www.itstartswithyou.co.za to leave comments. Other phases of the campaign will be unveiled in due course.

The IMC will then collate the myriad of feedback and views that South Africans are expected to express. It will then divide the citizens’ wishes into different categories before feeding it back to the nation through an extended advertising campaign – the overall aim being to inspire South Africans to take action to make this vision a reality.

Moeketsi Mosola, IMC acting CEO, says that “the campaign is about social conversations, difficult or easy. This is the beginning of a journey for the country”.

Mosola hopes that the campaign will inspire the nation to begin to make positive change towards the future we all want to create as South Africans. He added that the campaign starts with each of us making a small change in our lives. “We should all not buy stolen goods, not bribe policemen, we should vote, pay taxes, be good hosts when tourists come to our country – so that we can all begin to be the drivers of change.”

Whilst this campaign is a stand-alone, it also feeds into the broader ‘Movement for Good…It starts with you’, which is countrywide network of organisations that have come together to inspire and mobilise South Africans to become active citizens for good. The IMC is partnering with various organisations all of whom have the common goal of creating a better South Africa (Movement for Good). South Africans can join the movement by sms-ing “Good” and their name to 32197 or by logging into http://www.itstartswithyou.co.za

Sophie Masipa, IMC Marketing Manager explains: “Our campaign aims to inspire citizens to take a collective view around what we see as a South Africa we want to live in, achieving this reality will mean each one of us must participate. It is also to say that no matter how insignificant you think you or your actions may be, every little bit makes a difference, and if we can mobilise the collective, we can make a substantial difference”.

The IMC is already instilling a sense of pride and galvanising patriotism by showcasing 90 minutes snippets on eTV’s sunrise programme during Wednesdays and Thursdays. Through these inspirational pieces of work the IMC is demonstrating that individuals efforts can collectively began to change our country in alignment with people’s wishes of a South Africa they want to live in. Details of the community radio stations involvement, which will allow for a free toll-free for expression of an envisaged future, will be revealed during the week.

Awesome S.A. Launch Durban

We could almost not believe our eyes as the function room at the Suncoast Casino started filling up. We greeted people we knew; they got drinks and snacks and began to mingle as more people arrived – and more, until the room was filled to almost capacity with around 150 people who came to attend the Durban launch of Awesome South Africa.

They also came to hear the man whose e-mail launched a 1 000 positive actions – Alan Knott-Craig, MD of iBurst who spoke movingly about his eventful life since that inspirational email.

Derryn Campbell welcomed everyone and introduced Alan who kept the audience thoroughly entertained and left us all positive and inspired with his message of hope.

Blond dynamo Julia Holley concluded the lunch hour (ok, a Friday lunch hour in Durban- that’s about two-an-a-half hours) with a really vibey message and an explanation of what Awesome SA really is all about.

Share P ositive energy

Show R esponsibility for our community

Take A ction to improve the lives of others

And Y es – believe in our future

For more information, email info@awesomesa.co.za

Captions: Alan Knott-Craig; Julia Holley; Derryn Campbell.

Alan Knott-Craig at Durban Launch

We will be having the Durban launch of Awesome SA on Friday lunchtime (30 May) at the Suncoast Casino on the Beachfront.

Alan Knott-Craig , MD of I-Burst will be the guest speaker.

A cocktail lunch will be available with cash bar.

For reservations email your name and the number of seats required to bookings@awesomesa.co.za

For more details see our website http://www.awesomesa.co.za

Jessica Foord

Our main aim for Awesome SA is not only to make South Africans aware of how wonderful and amazing this country is, but also to create the awareness that it is us, as individual South Africans, that have the ability to determine the destiny of our future.

 

“Someone once said that it is not the violence of the few that scared him, but the silence of the many.  How dare we sit in front of our televisions and criticise the laws of the land, while we are doing nothing ourselves?.

                                                                           Angus Buchan

 

 Anyone who believes that an individual cannot make a difference needs to reconsider when they hear the story of Jessica Foord.  This young girl has taken the most extreme adversity and channeled her fear and anger into positive action.  Irrespective of which country you live in, or what your personal situation is, it is so easy to become a victim.  We cannot ignore the fact that South Africa presents an overwhelming amount of situations to justify our negativity and insecurity.  But such situations are even more reason to take action, get involved and become the change you want to see in the world. 

 

In taking a stand against her assailants, Jessica’s actions have created a wave of mobilization in our community.  Her actions have now had very real and significant consequences which has resulted in potential attackers reconsidering their actions and has saved others from the same fate.  The story of Jessica and Tamsyn in this Weekend’s paper is a particularly moving one. 

 

Jessica is proof that one single person has the ability to change the world – even if it is one step at a time – eventually the tipping point will be reached and the individual snowflakes will make an avalanche.

 

So when you have a situation in which you are faced with a choice of being a victim (whether it be a serious incident or just merely reacting to negative situations around you) how do you react?.  We owe it to beautiful young Jessica to continue the positive and influential change which she has started.

St Stithian’s Speech

It is amazing to see how the positive and encouraging emails about South Africa do the rounds so quickly.  And judging by how many of these emails there are, it highlights just how many people are making a stand.  Below  you will find a speech from the headmaster of St Stithians, Dave Knowles which he recently delivered to his boys.  Happy reading!

 “I wanted to spend some time with you today reflecting on the last two or three months we have experienced as a nation. Some commentators have called this the “post-Polokwane Syndrome”, after the events at the ANC National Conference in December, the outcome of which many have seen as negative. Added to this negative feeling, has been the electricity crisis, now seen as a result of poor planning by the state and acknowledged as such by President Mbeki in his State of the Nation address in Parliament, where he apologised to the nation.Also knocking us have been higher world oil prices; higher interest rates in SA and the start of a world wide recession, particularly in the UK and the US with their major housing crisis. Added to these have been the on-going crime situation and negative press articles.So, it is quite easy to fall into the trap of feeling and thinking negatively about our country.In 1948, Alan Paton wrote his famous book “Cry the Beloved Country” and that title is perhaps still appropriate today, 60 years on, for obviously different reasons. How do we as passionate South Africans, react to this mood of despondency?Well I cannot speak for you or tell you what to think but I can give you my perspective.
First of all, I make no apologies for being passionately South African.Let me share this with you – I was not born in South Africa, I was born in East Africa (I moved here at the age of seven), so becoming a naturalised South African was a choice for me. It was a choice I made in the mid 1980s – a terrible time for South Africa – the country was in turmoil; we had sanctions; very low economic growth; the country was bankrupt; civil war was looming; there were bombs in schools; riots in the townships; young men, many of them my peers, fighting and dying on our borders. During that time, I gave up a British passport for a South African one.

Some might call that foolish. So be it.

I have never regretted that decision.

Why not? Not just because South Africa is such a beautiful country – it was because I believed in the people of this country and I believed that God had a plan for us. This was proved right for me when the miracle of 1994 happened. And it was a miracle.

All of you sitting here, matrics and younger, were born either in the year Madiba was released, in 1990, or afterwards. And most of our Grade 8s are “born-frees” – born in 1994 or afterwards and what a privilege that is!

As a passionate South African, here’s what gets me mad:

·         The levels of violence and crime that have touched many of us – and many of you sitting here.

 ·         As an adult, on behalf of all adults, I believe that we need to apologise to our youth for not doing more to protect you.

 ·         I get mad when I visit black schools and see how little they have and how poor some of the teaching is.

 ·         I get mad that there is still massive poverty in our country and an Aids pandemic.

·         I get mad that there are some instances of incompetence when it comes to areas of social and service delivery.

But being mad about these issues doesn’t make me any less passionate about South Africa. I especially get mad that some of our leaders lack moral standing – whether they be a judge, the top policeman or the top politicians.To me the issue is not whether they are guilty in a court of law. For me, leaders should not be tainted by even a hint of corruption. Even that hint undermines a leader’s moral standing – and one should do the honourable thing and resign, in my opinion.You see, to be a leader means to be a dealer, a purveyor and a deliverer of hope.And it is our job – yours and mine – to be deliverers of hope. Because we believe in this school that all can and will lead and because I believe in the talent and potential of the young men sitting before me – I believe in that hope.So am I optimistic?  Yes.I cannot believe that, after all we have been through as a nation, that a future Zimbabwe scenario is God’s plan for us.

Yes, I am optimistic because I believe that we have the people here in South Africa to overcome these challenges.

Stuart Pennington, author of the book and website “South Africa: The Good News” wrote last week: “I am in awe of the thousands of South Africans who toil to help the less fortunate.”

I would include in that statement honest policemen, hardworking nurses and teachers and all who work in community service projects, including all of you. Yes, I am optimistic because I refuse to believe that we can continue to be held to ransom by a criminal minority.
Yes, I am optimistic because we are resilient and tough, as a people and a nation.
Yes, I am optimistic because I believe that the challenges ahead are surmountable, as we wage war against poverty and crime and corruption.
Let’s look at some of the facts not always highlighted by the media.As we know, the media often focuses on the bad news because bad news sells.So, when it comes to the economy, let’s remember that economies work in cycles – expansion; higher expenditure, the economy overheats and there is a readjustment (recession) which is normal.It has happened before in South Africa – and has been worse – and will happen again. In 1989, the SA Government defaulted on its loan payments (i.e. was unable to pay its debts); the stock market crashed and the rand collapsed.In 1998, interest rates hit 25%.Are we better off now? – in a lot of ways we are.

·         1980s – 1% growth ·         Early 1990s – SA was technically bankrupt – defined as when national debt is more than 3% of GDP – in 1994, it was 9%.

 ·         During the Mandela years, we had 2% economic growth

·         For the last seven years – 5%!

·         Next year – 4% – despite world wide recession, oil prices, electricity crisis.

 ·         JSE     – 2001 – 8000 points and everyone was pleased;  2007 – 30 000 points (although it has lost some growth now)

 ·         Platinum – up R5000/ounce since January

·         Here’s a thought – with cuts of electricity, less platinum comes out of ground but what’s left is not going anywhere and while it stays in the ground, the price goes up!
What else is up?

·         Business confidence (until January)

·         Employment is up

·         Number of houses built – up

 ·         Tourists visiting – up

·         Car sales: 20 000 per month in 2001 – everyone was pleased!   30 000 per month in 2007

Look at our budget, announced by Trevor Manuel on Wednesday. Tax income has gone from R188bn in 2000, to R660bn in 2007! At the same time, he has cut personal tax and has not borrowed any money. The Americans are so envious of us. Individual tax cuts  – i.e. money given back to tax payers
2006 R12bn given back to individuals
2007 R8.4bn given back to individuals
2008 R7.2bn – in a supposed-to-be recession
This is a major achievement, particularly as in 2000, there was a R25bn deficit on the budget and for the last three years we have not had a deficit on the budget.Money for housing for the poor has gone up
2000    R9bn
2007    R51bn
And we have built 2.6 million houses since 1996.Yes, we have challenges:Eskom is one of them and there is now a 2c levy on every kilowatt hour. But think about this·         Electricity was cheap, now we are paying more ·         We had electricity cuts before. In 1981, there was no power in the whole country for 18 hours

·         We are not the only country to have power cuts – New York; China – over Chinese New Year this year – 12 million people were left stranded.

There are other challenges·         The world oil price has gone from $60 per barrel in 2007 to $90 now and it is not coming down.

·         We may be heading for a situation like the UK where they pay R15 per litre.

·         HIV/Aids is another major concern, as we see fit to spend R17bn on the World Cup but less on handling this pandemic.

So what am I saying? Yes there are concerns and challenges BUT there are also many positives.  There are no easy answers or solutions and 2008 will be tough.
However, we have had it tough before and we handled it and boom years will come again – such as in 2010.So what do we do?Emigrate? An option for some I suppose and I am always sad when I hear about people leaving.   But where to?  Is it guaranteed that it will be all cherries and rose blossoms on the other side of the fence?  Or do we toughen up, get creative and get active, as the “new” South Africans? By “getting creative,” I mean this – there are massive opportunities here and we will be more aware of issues, especially financially and environmentally.Two thoughts by way of example:

 ·         Next time there is a power cut and you can’t read e-mails, play computer games or watch TV – celebrate – you can instead talk to people – your family or colleagues.

·         With regard to the environment, here is an example of being creative: water availability is always an issue in SA – did you know that the average house has 120 000 litres of water running off its roof every year in the form of rain water?

By “getting active,” I mean thinking about what we can do – like Trinity House holding their march on Tuesday; or writing letters; or petitions; or getting involved to help fix it. Here is an excerpt from “African Wisdom” by Lanette Hattingh and Heinrich Claassen entitled The Ostrich Wisdom: Where is your head?   When confronted with a setback you have two choices of action: you can bury your head in the sand like the ostrich and hope the problem will pass by, or you can stand tall and face the problem head on.
“We have one freedom inside us that nobody can take away, the freedom of reaction/attitude in any given circumstance.” (Viktor Frankl, the psychologist & concentration camp survivor.)  Our reaction to a setback will determine if we are going to stay with our heads buried in the sand or look up and do something about it.  When storms of life pour down on you, it’s what happens within you that will determine what happens to you.  You have Mr Positive and Mr Negative doing constant battle in your head. Guess who wins?   The one you feed the most! If your head is in the sand you can only see the dark and Mr Negative will thrive. To see the light, you must look up.
“When you are knocked down, be sure to land on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up.” (Nelson Mandela)If you are an ostrich and have never faced a setback, you need to learn these facts about solving problems first:·         Face it!    Confront the problem and get the picture clear. ·         Rake it!    Work through your denial, aggression or depression around the problem. 

·         Make it!    Look up, stand up and take action.

This is important because just as the sun hardens mud and softens wax, trials can either break us or make us. Finally, here is my resolve and my truth:- ·         To be positive

·         To stop whingeing ·         To stop blaming ·         To ignore the doomsday jokes sent out by people who want you to feel as bad as they do. ·         To read the Good News website regularly  

        To join the “stop crime, say hello” campaign

·         To find goodness in people

·         To commit, regularly, to this beautiful country of ours

 ·         To believe in God’s plan for us

I know this – that if I do not work to create the life I want, I will have to endure the life I get. One final thought: Matthew Lester writes a column in the Sunday Times Business Times Money. He is Professor of Tax Education at Rhodes University and an advisor to Trevor Manuel. Yesterday he had this to say:“South Africa is my life, it always has been and it always will be.”
Amen to that.A Prayer for the Country (taken off the www.sagoodnews.co.za website)Our Father in Heaven
You know exactly how much we need You right now
Please let the Leaders of our country act under your influence
We ask that You will hold your hand over us and our country
And bring relief from the crime and other difficulties we are experiencing.
We are proud and privileged to live in this beautiful country
Look after us and bring us peace and prosperity”. 

We can weather this storm

And yet another perspective to share with you from Chris Moerdyk  

We can weather this storm!    Feb 2008   

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when I listen to the current favourite topic of conversation in South Africa right now.  The one about the country falling apart because of power outages and political upheavals.  Always followed by a decision that it’s time once again to consider packing for Perth. The way some people are wailing and gnashing their teeth and phoning to get quotes for international removals, you’d swear that this was the first time South Africa has ever had any sort of problem. That it was the first time everything looked like it was going to fall apart at the seams and become an ungovernable hellhole of civil disobedience and a kakistocracy of note.  

 For heaven’s sake – doesn’t anyone remember how South Africans have overcome all sorts of far worse trials and tribulations?   How this company has been the envy of the world in the way it was able to face up to and solve seemingly insurmountable problems?   South Africa’s best effort by far was coming through the apartheid era without a bloody civil war. The black people of this country showed phenomenal tolerance and patience.   The whites who kept voting the Nats into power (isn’t it amazing how one battles nowadays to actually find any white people who voted Nat) eventually saw the light and a peaceful transition was made. A peaceful transition that was completely in contradiction to the traditional historical type of transition that involved immovable chips on shoulders and a refusal by a minority to succumb to a majority and everything ending in bloody conflict.   

A walk in the park Frankly, when you look back at what terrible times South Africans have been through and then look at the crises we are facing today – you have to admit that what is going on now is chicken-feed and potentially very easily overcome. With our track record it will be a walk in the park. Yes, even winning the war against crime. At least while Mbeki kept trying to tell us there wasn’t a crime problem, Zuma has at least had the good grace to admit that it’s a huge problem. That at least, must be a step in the right direction.   

But nonetheless, there are still so many South Africans who want to get the hell out. I try and kid myself that they want to give up and live somewhere else because they don’t understand what this democracy thing is all about.   For example they don’t seem to understand that the whole fracas in the run-up to Polokwane with ANC factions fighting tooth and nail was more about democracy in action than portents of a country about to self-destruct.   Just look at the vicious American presidential nomination battle going on, particularly in the Democratic Party. Talk about vicious mudslinging.   And so it was in the French presidential elections and the fight between Blair and Brown. Fights that were a lot more vindictive, in my opinion, that the contretemps between Mbeki and Zuma. But, I didn’t see Americans and Brits and Frenchmen wanting to leave their countries in droves.  

 And sure, our crime rate is horrendous and I won’t insult your intelligence by trying to kid you with the argument that every other country also has crime. That’s a dumb argument and suggests that crime is something we have to live with. We don’t, but I get the sense that where criminals used to be considered heroes during the apartheid era and well into the 1990’s – that the majority of South Africans are now gatvol and starting to show less and less tolerance.   

Optimism Frankly, I am still very optimistic about this country. I love it and I will not leave it. Sure Africa is not for sissies and that’s fine – I am no sissy.   While I speak out against crime and corruption and will do my best in my own small way to fight against it, I also realise that South Africa is not the only country with a government that is open to corruption. Frankly, there is not a country in the world where politicians do not succumb to corruption and bribery. Or where business is even more corrupt than the politicians.   And if you do a bit of searching on the internet you’ll certainly see that SA is not the only country in the world with an electricity problem – or at least some other huge infrastructural challenge.   But, I do thank my lucky stars that I live in a country where the political leaders do not keep wanting to invade other countries at the drop of a hat just because they don’t like the people who run them or because they could upset the oil supply.

I thank many lucky stars that the legacy of Nelson Mandela has ensured that South Africa has friendly relations with far more countries than the USA, Britain or Australia can claim to have.   I thank my lucky stars that we have sports teams that can overcome political interference, appalling bad management and heaven knows how many other problems and still win World Cups. I thank my lucky stars that I live in a country where people over the age of 60 can still make a meaningful contribution and earn a living without being put out to pasture just because of their age.   

When I sit down and add up what’s positive in this country and look at our track record for coming through crises, I battle to find any place on earth I would rather be.   I do not accept the political shenanigans that are going on right now. I don’t accept the crime level, I do not accept the level of corruption in big business and I do not accept the pathetic management of our sports teams.   But, I love this country far too much to go and live somewhere else. And I for one will not be downcast by our present problems because I know we have overcome far, far worse in the past.   And in spite of a lot of whites feeling that things are falling apart, one has to admit that for the majority of the citizens of this country, with all its flaws and challenges right now, it is still a far, far better place than it was during apartheid.

Thanks Chris for these words!!!

Demartini

Some really wise words to read from John DemartiniThe general feeling among South Africans is doom and gloom based on various facts and perceptions. South Africa is the crime, murder and Aids capital of the world. It used to have the best roads and now they are full of potholes. There seem to be only fraudsters at the top of the police force. The country’s leadership under Mbeki is rudderless. The head of the ruling party is up on corruption charges. Now a basic infrastructural commodity such as electricity is being rationed. This will directly influence future foreign investment, which in turn will increase unemployment, poverty and crime. Mines are periodically forced to shut down, losing billions, which will adversely affect the economy.  

People who seek ease get continued difficulty

This also brings us to the unthinkable – we could lose the 2010 World Cup. And the even more unthinkable: are we slowly going the same way as Zimbabwe? A poll taken by Carte Blanche recently confirmed that the majority of affluent South Africans had absolutely no faith in Eskom sorting out the power problems. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel… literally. The question on everybody’s lips is: Should I stay or should I go?

Human behavioural specialist Dr John Demartini has some thoughts on the subject. His teachings take him all over the world, enabling him to experience a vast array of living standards. Originally from the US, his work brings him to South Africa for extended periods about four times a year. The question is not should I stay or should I
go? It is wiser to ask: What awaits me if I leave? Unquestionably there are challenges in South Africa, but you are living in a fantasy if you think there won’t be a new set of challenges and drawbacks when you move to another country. People who run away from a challenge get more challenges to face and manage. People who seek ease get continued difficulty. It’s the way it is – the integration of complementary opposites.

You have to get into proactive mode

The challenges in this country, like the power shortage, will also birth more opportunities. New enterprises will blossom as a result. Out of crisis always emerge the greatest leaders. You may not realise it, but your challenges are unifying people in SA and making them think more creatively. SA is a seed of opportunity for entrepreneurs who could contribute to transformation.

Anyway, why run from your heritage? A situation like Eskom is a temporary glitch and it is unwise to let it interfere with your long-term visions and goals. Remember, the greatest tension in the slingshot shoots the highest rock.

There is never a crisis without a blessing. So let’s look at the blessings in the power situation. This may be a lesson to government to think beyond 10 years and accommodate a 50-year vision so subsequent generations benefit from these lessons.On a day-to-day level, no power to your television is probably making families communicate more. Gold mines might have temporarily shut down, but the gold price shot up.

If you have made up your mind to go, that’s fine, but if you are staying, bitching without taking actions towards solutions is not going to help. Don’t let naysayers interfere with your dreams and opportunities. However, staying means you cannot afford the luxury of sitting back. You have to get into proactive mode. Yes, it may seem insurmountable, but if every individual helps at a grass-roots level by figuring out how to empower the people around them, it will make a massive collective difference.

Nelson Mandela is the perfect example of just one person who stood up and changed things. You know the famous words of John F Kennedy: “It’s not what your country can do for you – it’s what you can do for your country.”Long-term visionaries know to stay the course. They don’t focus on how things aren’t being done; they always look at what is being done and what can be done on an individual basis. They are always solution-oriented and not problem-focused.

You are not at the mercy of your government; it’s the other way round. They are there because the majority of people voted for them. If you don’t like their vision, rally around and change it. In the meantime, don’t wait on them to sort out the problems, make it a community project. Contrary to the current thoughts of disillusionment and uncertainty, which are largely driven by emotion, remember foreigners believe in South Africa.

Look at Oprah Winfrey, who has built a school here, and Richard Branson, who has invested every aspect of his brand here, including buying a game reserve. Temporary setbacks won’t stop these people. Look at the history of social dynamics. Nations have risen and fallen for centuries. They have taken one step back and two steps forwards.

South Africa has made massive strides in the past few years. When I first got here South Africa was nothing like I envisioned. I was very impressed. And in the three years I have been regularly coming here, I have seen great progress in the landscaping, buildings and living conditions. Would I invest in this country? I already have. I have ploughed in copious amounts of time and energy and this is the only place I have established an office outside of the US. My worldwide branding is currently being created here and my working visits are getting more frequent and prolonged.

I am even looking at possibly investing in a lodge in a game reserve. I have also experienced three robberies from my hotel room, but that isn’t going to curb my long-term goals in South Africa. Crime is an issue that needs to be tackled in a much larger forum than this. However, I will go as far as saying that when there is a high polarity between the haves and the have-nots, there will always be tension between the two camps and crime is the byproduct.

Closing the gap is the wisest strategy and this cannot be done through entitlement. Entitled people generally don’t feel purposeful and are therefore not creating their own lives. Education and mentoring, which translates into self-worth and true empowerment, is the only solution. I also believe that newspapers could play a massive role and be the hero in changing perceptions as they reach the masses. Their actions could even transform the government. If you decide to stay and fight for your birthplace then you need to go from victim to victor mentality. Make the South African mantra: “I will stay and help build a great nation.” And remember, if you become grateful for what you have, you will get more to be grateful for.

Ricoffee

Hi

 So many people have sent me a copy of an email sent out by Allan Knott-Craig, CEO of iburst that I though it would be appropriate to forward it to all Awesome SA members. The way in which this email has spread amongst South Africans demonstrates just how passionate we are about out country. The email puts the current climate in perspective and provides a welcome change to the ongoing negative press.

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Well, 2008 certainly started with a bang! The future was rosy on 31 December 2007, but suddenly everyone is buying candles and researching property in Perth! A combination of recession in the USA, global equity market negativity, high interest rates, the National Credit Act and power outages have combined to create the perfect storm. But don’t panic! This is not the first time there’s been doom and gloom. Every few years the same thing happens. We experience massive economic growth, everyone is optimistic and buying Nescafe Gold, and holiday homes, and Merc’s. The positivity gets ahead of itself and the economy overheats, and then panic sets in because the economy seems to be collapsing when in actual fact it’s simply making an adjustment back to a reasonable level.

It happened in 1989, when SA defaulted on its international loans and the stock market and Rand crashed, it happened in 1994 when the ANC took power and everyone thought war would break out, it happened in 1998 when interest rates hit 25% and you couldn’t give away your house, and it happened in 2001 when a fairly unstable guy by the name of Osama arranged for 2 Boeings to fly into the tallest buildings in New York! On each of those occasions everyone thought it was the end of the world and that there was no light in sight. And on each occasion, believe it or not, the world did not actually end, it recovered and in fact things continued to get better.

I think 2008 will be a tough year, but I also see it as a great opportunity to seize the day whilst everyone else is whinging and get a front-seat on the inevitable boom that we’ll experience in 2009, 2010 and beyond. Make sure you make a mental note of everything that is happening now, because it will happen again and again, and if you don’t recognize the symptoms you’ll be suckered into the same negativity, and forget to look for the opportunities. It’s easy to be negative. Subconsciously, you WANT to be negative! Whenever you open the papers they tell you about the goriest hi-jacking and the most corrupt politicians. Why don’t they dedicate more pages to the fact that Joburg is the world’s biggest man-made forest, or to the corruption-free achievements of the vast majority of public officials? Because bad news sells. Good news is boring. SA still has the best weather in world! We’re lucky enough to possess a huge chunk of the world’s resources, i.e.: gold, platinum, coal, iron.

The growth in India and China will continue to accelerate (India and China sign 10mil new mobile customers every month), and so will their demand for our resources. The government has already embarked on massive infrastructure projects (some of them a tad late, i.e.: electricity), and this will pump money into the economy. We are all lucky enough to be a part of the birth of a massive and all-encompassing industry. The Internet has and will continue to change the world. The enormity of its impact is up there with the wheel, electricity, TV, telephones, and possibly man’s greatest ever invention, coffee. Not only does it open up an entirely untapped world of commerce, but it is also the ultimate disseminator of information and news. Apartheid would not have lasted 40 years if the Internet had existed! And you’re part of it! I’m looking forward to another year of ASA complaints, IR issues, Plug & Wireless parties, BTS roll-outs, billing runs, irate customers, happy customers, orange bubbles, faulty elevators, etc, etc.

The nice stuff makes me feel good, and the challenges remind me why we can beat the competition. Most importantly I’m looking forward to having fun and making memories. So ignore the doomsayers, install a timer on your geyser, and buy Ricoffee for a couple of months.

Cheers, Alan

From: Alan Knott-Craig Sent: 28 January 2008 07:32