Juju, love him or not, speaks he some truth?

Poof! Sprinkles of happy dust for you all….haaa! Whats going on dear people?

Pretty eventful last couple of weeks hey? Thoughts go out to the people of Turkey who have experienced 2 massive earthquakes in the last few weeks. Michael Jacksons Doctor is sent to jail, someone is paying you $150k a month, how do you say no to him, secondly MJ was pretty forked anyway, his time was going to come one way or another, Dr Murray’s only crime was being a medical practitioner on the scene when he passed. Smoking Joe Frasier lost his fight to cancer, Heavy D, who asked me a very poignant question when I was growing up and it still resonates with me, he asked me Now that we’ve found love, what are we going to do with it? He too is no more. Greek prime minister Papandreou is tired of his debt crisis and passed the dutchie on the left hand side. Silvio Berlusconi was tired of having his escapades with young bombshells making headlines because he was a president so he too stepped aside to frolic in peace. Cricket writer jumps out of a window whilst a former Bok gets gunned down like an antelope in the woods. On the plus side though, Table Mountain made it as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, I voted for the flat rock, but I think Kilimanjaro should also have been there but alas…votes count.

The most interesting news for us as South Africans however was the ‘firing’ of Julius and his merry band. Many people ask me if I like Julius Malema, and to be perfectly honest with you, I am absolutely indifferent to the man, he makes a many an unnecessary (from the point of view of the privileged man that I am) inflammatory statements, but in them lies a lot of truth, delivery may be poor but content I believe is spot on. He claims to be on a crusade for the economic freedom of the masses, but I guess he started by freeing himself economically first, good…bad…we all have our opinions. I read something on Twitter I think that said, so what if Malema has made money, saying he should be poor in order to fight the cause of poor people is like saying only people with STDS should raise awareness and fight against STDs…

I believe his hearing and sanction was largely politicking more than anything and it shows the hypocrisy of the ruling party. He has said many things over the years, insulted many person both in the ANC and outside it. He launched a scathing attack on President Mbeki somewhat akin to his attack on Zuma recently, only difference though was Tboz, chose to ignore it, JZ took heed and dealt with it. Of all the things they could have wrapped him over the knuckles for, they choose to select a statement over Botswana??!!! SERIOUSLY??!! Anyway this is but the beginning of some very interesting times in South Africa.

So anyway I mentioned that the man speaks a lot of truth. Nationalisation debate has merit, but zeeeero by way of correct execution or a future. The current government cant do simple things like maintain roads, deliver basic services, yet they want to run mines and banks? Nah man, but in saying that something has to be done to change the status quo, because the current situation is not sustainable. The country’s resources are being properly ‘exploited’ and a few individuals and their families are the main beneficiaries. There are thousands of jobs that are created by these mining activities, granted, but those lives and jobs are properly dispensable, commodity prices are adversely affected, who is the first to go, the poor guy who earns R5000 per month and the guy who earns R50mil a year keeps earning it…not right man. Something definitely has to give there, but the best way is for all stake holders to meet and have proper constructive discussions….oops there in lies another obstacle, the interests of the stakeholders will be diametrically opposed…

Taking land without compensation, its akin to the Zim story, it’s a story that has been spoken about for years, there is a right way to do it and there is a wrong way, right way would be for there to be a willing buyer and seller who both see the greater good and work towards that through a proper skills transfer, where business continuity is guaranteed and supported, then there is the wrong way…ask Zimbabwe. Some people cry foul over the rhetoric of land without compensation, but how many of these voices sounded a good few years ago when many people were driven off their land in what is now the leafy suburb of Bishopscourt, Sandhurst, etc and relocated to what was then the Transkei, Bop, Ciskei, Venda, District 6, Soweto, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plein etc. Those voices were silent but more importantly what compensation did they get when their land was taken? I wasn’t there, but I’d hazard a guess and it would tend to a big sweet fork all. No one cried, but those who were moved, but who cared their voices were irrelevant, they didn’t wield a gun nor did they have any economic power or an education or tools to fight for what was theirs. But now we are privileged, we have knowledge so now we can speak?!

Economic freedom…I read a staggering statistic the other day and it read that a minority of the country controls something like 80% of the country’s wealth and resources. Any fool can tell you that stat is not sustainable. The other day I was in Alex with my mate Ed, we were heading to Pretoria and he took a short cut through Alex, I was absolutely besides myself. I was like a little boy, I was like sheet bro, its like I am in a Ghanaian village, chickens in little coops being sold by vendors on the side of the road along with food, cooked and fresh, it was a little street market on the side of the road, it was Africa, it was a ripper, then I joke not perhaps 2 km with Africa behind me I see the majestic structure known as Michaelangelo Towers, where a dwelling can cost R22mil and then some, that’s pure opulence. In the rear view, we have the reality of many who’s reality will only be that and that’s juxtaposed to the view infront of the capital that is known as Sandton…now you tell me if that is sustainable. Recently I visited Cape Town, I absolutely love that town I do. But its not Africa, don’t care what anyone says, ok well it is we went to do some feel good stuff in the township one Saturday and man that was proper Africa. Anyway back to CT, love the place properly but its not right man, if you don’t see it well then I guess I cant help you. But if you can, that’s the clearest picture of the economic freedom he preaches.

But you preach economic freedom, yet you are building a R16m house, fly to Mauritius for a party, drive Range Rovers, wear Breitlings etc. If his gains are ill-gotten, then the law should take its course, but remember this though those who point fingers, remember how this country was built. Friends taking care of friends, and making sure the majority was disenfranchised to a point that they believed they were worthless. If he has all this money, he didn’t rob a bank and steal it so who paid it to him? We are all too quick to point out bribery and corruption, fingering only the recipient, but who pays it? How many of us work at large corporates where buying gifts for our top clients or entertaining them is the order of the day? In order to secure further favour from them? You run a business and you want to expand into the continent, first thing you do is find the president or government official or decision maker who you can win over and proceed to win him or her over….as it is so it is, so lets not cry foul over corruption, because somebody has to pay in order for a corrupt relationship to exist.

This economic freedom for which he wants to fight is not against a particular group of people, I strongly doubt that he hates white people, who do you think funds his lifestyle??

The man has afrikaans (box)-like tendencies he does, but there is much truth in his words. We cant be like ostriches with our heads in the sand and carry on as if everything is hunky dory, because its not. Ingrained in the minds of many of us haves, is that the disenfranchised are lazy and have a sense of entitlement, that has some truth to it, but I struggle with the laziness, part though, ask your helper /gardener when she gets up and how she gets to work, how many children they have and when they get to see them. Go spend even 2 hours down a mine shaft, then come back and we can have the laziness conversation….

We can make this place an even better place, but every person has to do his or her bit…

Birthdays
1st Zara
2nd Isabel
6th Adoma, Lesley
8th Michelle
9th Cous Bo
10th Shanwyn
11th Rachel, Akin
14th Celeste
15th Rowan, Ylanda
16th Kingdom, Kris
17th Jordan, Jabs, Donna
18th Fede, Taya

And that’s a wrap folks, it’s a cruel, crazy, beautiful world we live in so do your thing and just luuurve the consequences of your actions.

Have yourselves a superb week

Y