Ow man, a pretty lazy week last week I must admit, in terms of writing. Shoot its getting pretty cold on the Highveld I tell ya, nights are lonely and the days are so sad…joookes

Trust you are all superbly well. Been loving the football fever in the country, particularly up here in Jhb, CT I must say was a bit pap, but what to do ey. Pity about our 7 african teams and their rubbish performances. Saddest of all being Nigeria and Cameroon, they were in groups they should have gotten out of, but alas story of our continent isn’t it?!!

Speaking of which, how useless are we on this continent? BP spills oil in the USA and 20billion or so is set aside for starters to clean up etc. I wonder how many such spills/accidents have taken place on this our continent…a palm or 2 greased here and there and poof…oil spill what oil spill. It got me thinking about something. Here in SA we have been thinking, what’s this Julius guy shooting his mouth off about nationalization of the mines. I was one of those saying guy, please hush little baby don’t u cry. But then I got to thinking, look at this continent… and before I go on let me add that I have not done any research into the failure or success of nationalization of national resources.

So lets look at this continent. I cant say I have travelled extensively on this continent, shame on me, but I think it would not be misplaced for me to say that the state of this continent is dire, to say the least and its not due to the lack of resources, because resources we have aplenty! Both in people and natural minerals. Lets see,
Oil - Nigeria, Guinea, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Gabon to name but a few.
Gold – South Africa, Ghana, congo, Gabon, etc.
Iron – Botswana, South Africa
Copper – Zambia, Congo
And the list goes on…but look at the continent sub-sahara, the majority of its inhabitants live on less than $1 or so a day. Come now how can that be? When the price of platinum > $1500, gold is over $1000/ounce and Oil at over $70. Yeah I know most of this is of our own doing, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t change.

Before I go on, I am not saying that nationalisation is the way forward because we have all dealt with organs of the state and man, they are more frustrating than watching African teams in this years soccer world cup. Other than maybe China, I am not sure which nation has got that right. But then again, China is a special animal, in that service and I guess pride in their work is part of who they are (but once again, its me speaking from the sidelines). But this was thought and we too can learn this on this continent

Mining definitely does drive a country’s economy on many fronts, it provides jobs for many, generates taxes for governments, has many spin offs into other industries and its integral in countries flourishing in a way. But let me look at a miner. Lets say an 18 year old or however old. Comes to a mine not much of an education and learns the trade of a mine. The mines resources run out and his job is done, what is his future? He goes back to not a mansion in Sandhurst or a villa in Camps bay, but perhaps a little shack in the sticks where there is no running water, electricity perhaps no ablution facilities either. All he has on his CV is I know how to dig holes. Lets look at the spin offs of that. He has 3 or 4 children. His wife is more than likely not a heavy hitter regarding income neither, so food problem, kids education…problem, healthcare…problem, and the domino effect is endless.

On the other hand right lets take at a push the top end of the company even if we say 15 – 30 people at a push, they run these companies and they most definitely run them well. But them and their families live the rockstar lives, homes in Sandhurst, Camps Bay and Knysna and for each of the 2 kids who are at Saints and St Mary’s life is peachy. There are other foreign investors who are invested in these company’s who benefit greatly too. Now I am not saying that this is wrong and this is huge dramatization, but just so we understand the extreme polarization that leads to people like Julius saying that mines should be nationalized. Trust you me its not just talk, because something will have to change. From what I have read the mining charter is still so far behind in relation to the Mining BEE charter set out and agreed upon a few years ago.

I don’t think I know enough about this topic to get into an in depth discussion about, but as a lay man sitting on the sidelines, I can definitely see that there is a huuuge disconnect, shoot I like that word. This disconnect, used it again, will result in disharmony and a ‘paradigm shift’ is inevitable one way or another. But to me it is pretty simple, but then again that’s cos I aint making all that money. But how hard is it to set aside a portion of your billions in profit and reinvesting it in the country in which you are generating this wealth, because at the end of the day when you deplete all the resources all that is left is a big hole and poof like Casper, you are nowhere to be seen! Shee, if I was a president of a country and your company was making plenty moolah out of the resources you are taking out of the ground. I would definitely want to keep you mining because you win…we win, but I would want a lasting legacy. Ie for every X’000 ounces/barrels you extract, $Y has to be re invested in schools, hospitals and roads in certain communities. A lot of people would argue in developed countries this would work, but not in Africa, these same people said Africa could not host a World Cup.

I don’t know man, I really don’t believe its that hard and maybe some of these mines are doing this but I have no idea about it. Anyway my rant for today, let me try get some shut eye before I go watch the Black Stars play for the first time ever tomorrow.

Birthdays
20th Jake, Kgashane, Gareth and Belindas little baby girl…yay for them
21st Hamish
22nd Cader, Zul, Simmy
23rd Pete
24th Gretchen

And that’s me, maximum respect to you all as always!

If you not with us , then you not a member!! So yesterday(Tuesday) I was hanging out with my mate Andrew the Bean, and he said: “Yaw, come on lets go on the Gautrain to OR Tambo!” with such excitement he said it. I was like nah, man I’ll take it when I have to go to the airport, cos I am so durrr like that. In the end I did actually go and all I can say is, South Africa is the future!!

As I mentioned last week, not much really excites me, maybe rugby or fighting a good fight, but yesterday, when I jumped onto the train, shot off to the airport in 14.53 minutes, jumped off in the middle of the new look OR Tambo international, man it felt like I was at Heathrow, but I wasn’t, had lunch and headed back...i smiled a very content smile!

Later that evening, I went to Sandton to go and catch a movie, the place was abuzz man. Think it might be time for me to head out and make the opposite of war (peace people peave) with some Mexican, French, Serbian or German lasses before we meet on the pitch…waakaaa!! The place was a blooming jamboree I tell ya, people errhwere. I left close to 11pm and it was still hectic…as I said in the beginning, if you not with us then u not a member!!

I take away all this mad hysteria and I step back and ask myself which other Sub-Sahara African country can get this right?? And at the moment I can think of none and it really saddens me. It’s not like we don’t have the people nor the natural resources we can harness to create the necessary wealth, it boggles the mind I tell you. But then again as I tend to say quite a bit nowadays, it is what it is!!

So lets see roll the clock forward to the 11th July 2010. Will we all start working our way back to the norm of bi thcing and moaning about how bad we have it and how crime is this how blacks are that how whites are blah and how government is **@##... I guess it is only human to, but can we just all try and think about it before we go back into that depressing and angry and aggressive mode?? Just a thought…

Another thought which I hadn’t paid much mind till the recent happenings with the Turkish flotilla (Spanish for a fleet of ships) incident a few days ago, and that’s the Israeli blockade on Gaza. Now I am on the side of reasonableness, if you take it any other way well I guess that’s why we all have our own opinions isn’t it?

So, I did some research into the Gaza blockade to find out what its all about and why. And I guess everyone has their version and opinion but I found an article on BBC which I hope is independent enough which gave me some insight into what the blockade is about. The blockade intensified in June 2007 after Hamas took over. The main reason behind it is to weaken Hamas, and prevent those senseless rocket attacks. Now I understand that, but forgive my ignorance. Can a country just sommer decide I am going to block your people from getting any aid just because I can? The range of the blockade is quite intense. Israel blocks just about everything from coming and out of Gaza, food, fuel, fertilizer, light bulbs, clothes, matches, pasta, tee coffee, chocolate, nuts, shampoo, concrete and wood etc. Some items have been allowed in since early 2010.06.10
Now lets look at this. You stop all these things from coming into this area and what are the consequences and repercussions? Civilians suffer, Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world have more of a case against Israel and its alleged unreasonableness and illegitimacy, tree huggers and the rest of the world who were neutral start to see Israel as the big bad wolf!

Let me explain the extent of the civilian suffering. The situation is so dire that the UN provides food aid to about half of the population of Gaza. But its functions are somewhat limited because there is a restriction on fuel supply to the area and sometimes even they suffers shortages which restricts their ability to fulfill their obligations adequately. So whats the next logical option? Grow the stuff locally for local consumption. Perfect in theory, but remember there is a shortage of fertilizer, so crops will struggle to grow on a large scale. The whole agricultural sector which used to be a good source of income is in shambles, because even if you do manage to grow the crops you cant sell them elsewhere. Chickens had to be slaughtered because the incubators ran out of fuel.

So that’s food. A few months…years ago, exact timing escapes me, but Hamas shot a few rockets into Israel, Israel said stop or we’ll mo er you, the guys in Gaza didn’t stop so Israel came and mo ered them. But when they came they left a mess. Hospitals, homes, schools, buildings, destroyed…so lets fix them then, oops we cant, cos there is no cement allowed. Whats that machine spare parts, sorry you cant come in. This blockade has some hectic spin offs because industries die, no fuel, no parts, no industry, no jobs, no life...you get angry. I mean lets think about it. You stop parts from coming in. Water and sewerage facilities, which require constant maintenance aren’t maintained, boom you have an issue, people get sick. Oh wait they cant go to hospital because firstly not all the medicines are allowed in, secondly part of the hospital is blown away and not rebuilt, thirdly not enough power is being generated or allowed in, oh wait there are generators…ehhh wrong, COS THERE IS NO FR IGGGIN FUEL, and the spiral continues.

Now I understand the thinking behind why Israel did what it is doing! But what I don’t get is why the rest of the world allows it to happen! Iraq invaded Kuwait, bye bye Sadam, Dessert Storm and the recent Operation Iraqi Freedom made sure of this. Imagine you stay in a complex right and your body corporate doesn’t like the neighboring complex and keeps throwing rubbish over the wall into their complex. So as a result the other complex says no none of you guys can leave and you cant sell anything outside or get any food in, we’ll tell you what you can or cant do. Now I know its an overly simplistic way of looking at things, but I have a simple mind. But say it was me ne, and I had the power and the ability Id go tell the other complex dudes to go stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. If you have an issue address it with those who you have issue with!!

Yes, I know it is written that the people of Israel are Gods chosen people etc. and there was the Holocaust and that was tragic and should never be forgotten, but wait there was also slavery. I haven’t done the research, but I would not be surprised if more Africans were killed there than during the Holocaust. To make matters worse slavery still continues today, how you ask, well how much do you pay your helper? How much does it cost her to travel to you and how hard does she have to work etc…, but I digress. What I am saying is this, the world doesn’t run to protect Africa and its people, yet Israel seems untouchable in my mind. I am not hating, just someone explain to me why it is?

Just a thought….

Birthdays
6th Helen, Jill
7th Jody K
9th Ivan Missankov
10th Sturae
11th Ameer Kahn
12th Mark E, DC, Sam

And before I go…ayeye bafana bafana!!

Maximum respect to you all

Y

Aaah I had one of those moments today ey. So I woke up pretty early, nice and warm in an otherwise cold world, checked my phone and I had received a potentially promising email about some stuff I have been working on for a while, had a chat…shoo she is lovely ;) and got ready for gym and set off, all the while thinking, man what a pretty ordinary start to my day but man am I blessed, and I guess to those not yet believers…man am I lucky.

After gym, which was largely painless, and if you know me well then you would also know that that in itself is a huge accomplishment me and my rattled bones and joints. Anyway as I was merily cruising along I saw this old dude on the side of the road struggling to put this large load on his head and bags in his hand…I started wondering how far he had walked and where he was going to. It to me was one of those ow shucks moments!

I guess I carried on driving shrugging my shoulders and thinking wow this life ey one minute contentment with my lot and the next despair at another’s with a coating of apathy, but I guess it is what it is!

So they said stadiums, why do we need stadiums? They wont ever be finished in time, look at all these strikes. They said airports, our airports are a joke they cant even handle the people that fly domestically what are they going to do? They said Gautrain, what’s that, for and what are the chances of them finishing it in time? Our roads, man what a mess what a nightmare. Hotels and accommodation where are these people going to sleep?

I ask now what are they saying? Yes I know it hasn’t started yet and plenty could go wrong, but be that as it may. Taking into consideration what I have seen around me, the atmosphere in Soweto with the Bulls, people with their flags, man we have done well for a third world African country!! I must say, Im not a big hype hype world cup kinda person, but its so damn good to see people getting into the mix. There were 2 Monday night Bafana Bafana games and the stadiums were packed to the hilt. Football Fridays. Its an absolute ripper. It gives a guy that ow shucks kinda feeling.

I received an email yesterday which was the transcript of a speech made by Christo Wiese and below is an extract…
How does one define a successful country ?
Would you agree that a country with the following score-card can rightly be defined as successful. Let us call the country X.
• X has the world’s 26th largest population and 29th largest economy.
• X’s per capita GDP, corrected for purchasing power parity, positions the country as one of the 50 wealthiest in the world
• X’s currency is the 2nd best performing emerging market currency of the 26 monitored by Bloomberg.
• The IMF’s World Economic Outlook ranks X in the top 10% of countries in respect of real GDP growth projections for 2010.
• X was ranked as the 18th most attractive destination for foreign direct investment by Global Strategic Management Consulting Firm AT Kearney.
• In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Survey of Democratic Freedom, X ranks 31st of 184 countries.
• X has sold $1.8bn worth of cars to the US last year, putting it ahead of Sweden and Italy as supplier to the US auto market.
• X, according to the Open Budget Index, ranks 2nd worldwide in terms of the transparency surrounding its budgets, just behind the UK, it ties with France, and is ahead of New Zealand and the US.
• X is ranked 30th out of 178 countries for ease of doing business ahead of Spain, Brazil and India according to a joint publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
• X’s media ranks 26th out of 167 countries in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007, higher than any country in Asia, the Middle East or South America, and ahead of Spain, Italy and the US.
• Tax revenue in X has increased by 220%, over the past 10 years.

And no points for guessing who country X is, its our very own South Africa. Its such an inspirational piece I tell you. Yes, yes we have our faults and its only right to point this out. Crime is a massive issue. We have a police force that really spends a lot of time looking for cooldrinks as opposed to fighting crime. We have a lot of money being pumped into education but frankly the results are no where to be seen. Our public healthcare system is in slight disarray at the moment, with a few such institutions being largely indebted, running out of food, having their power supply suspended and the list could go on.

If you take where we were in 1994 and compare it to where we are now and what we have achieved, boys and girls we haven’t done half bad. The article also makes reference to a piece written by Roelf Meyer in Die Burger, where he highlights that when we want to really see how well we have really done as a nation, we shouldn’t compare ourselves with developed world because we were never part of that world, but rather we should compare ourselves to developing countries and countries that have come out of internal conflict. If we use that as a point of reference we will see how well we have truly done.

I have mentioned this before in the past, there is no way we can sit back as a nations people and expect government to make everything nice nice for us. It wont happen. I take for example a simple event like taking rugby to Orlando, when it was first promulgated there were heads shaking fingers wagging, but when we as a people embraced it, how did we make it work??

In closing for this week let me plagarise another piece of this inspirational piece of literature….
Henry Kissinger once said:
“No policy – no matter how ingenious - has any chance of succeeding if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none” and Ronald Regan said: “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government and I am here to help”.
Every South African who has the best interests of this country at heart, will need to do his or her bit. As general pointers I would like to leave you with a few suggestions:
"Make a positive difference, no matter how small, inter alia, by developing a positive mind set: Perhaps along the lines of what George Bernard Shaw said "You see thing and you say "WHY?, but I dream things that never were and I say "WHY NOT?"
1. Harness the power of community
2. Engage in constructive participation
3. Do not be overwhelmed by all that is still unacceptable or sub-standard. Look around at the great things that are happening - Soccer World Cup.
We should not only see the positive - but embrace it and contribute to it. Surely then, but only then will exponential benefits flow to all of us who share this beautiful country.

I’ll never stop saying this, as an individual I can make a difference. A lot of my mates are in the UK and Australia and more are looking to head out, and you have your reasons and good luck to you, but those of us staying, sheet man, lets do this thing!!!

Birthdays
30th Bedil
31st Nana Yaa, Rachel, Andre
2nd June Wande, Kitty, Vossie, Mame Ekua
5th Anton

And that’s a wrap, have a wikkid weekend, if you are in joburg, please join us tonight for a fun fund raising event at the restaurant next to Moloko in Rosebank, from 9pm. It’s the Cheesekids dance off 3. Cheesekids is an organisation of ordinary suburbian lets call ourselves youth ☺ who get together on occasions to help out less fortunate communities. Our events range from assisting habitat for humanity build houses, help out at soup kitchens, painting and assisting at orphanages, recently some people donated money which was used to take 30children to the new soccer city to watch the Nedbank cup final

Anyone can be a member, there are no rules and regulations, its simple we post events, if you can make it then you can if you cant next time…easi ne. There is a Cape Town chapter too.

Maximum respect my peoples

Y