DILBERT'S WORDS OF WISDOM

Here's hoping that you all enjoy todays funnies. . . . .

Dilbert's Words of Wisdom

1. I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow's not looking good either.


2. I love deadlines. I especially love the swooshing sound they make as they go flying by.


3. Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.


4. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.


5. Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If he isn't there the first time you need him, chances are you won't need him again.


6. I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.


7. On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.


8. I do not suffer from stress - I'm a carrier...


.9. Everybody is somebody else's weirdo...


10. Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

WOMEN'S LEAGUE FACES IT'S DEMONS

Oh dear - it looks like committees are formed for the sake of being formed! Once all the money is spent, everything falls apart and as usual it is everyone else's fault. God forbit that they should actually do some work!

Women's league faces its demons
Vuyo Sokupa
05 April 2007 07:59

The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) has been hard hit by neglected branches, failed recruitment strategies, unstable provincial leadership and inadequate resources, says league secretary general Bathabile Dlamini. In a frank report presented to the women’s league’s four-yearly national general council, held in Kempton Park last weekend, Dlamini also lambasted the league’s leaders for not fulfilling their official responsibilities. Her report warns members against the emerging phenomenon of forming groups in the run-up to conference elections. Continuing even after conferences and developing into cliques and factions, these were “a virus and a demon that threatens the very existence of our movement”, Dlamini says. Her comments were reinforced by league president Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who told delegates in her opening address: “The organisation needs to enhance its organisational and political capacity to take advantage of the space created to push forward the cause of women’s emancipation.”

More than a thousand delegates attended the four-day gathering, which called for the ailing Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to be retained as health minister. The other resolutions are yet to be publicised. The league is widely seen as organisationally weak and ineffective in representing women’s political interests. Dlamini’s report reprimands officials deployed to regions who fail to discharge their duties. “They only wake up on the eve of conferences,” she comments. In her closing address, Dlamini announced that the league planned to launch its own Imvuselelo (growth) campaign to strengthen branch structures. League spokesperson and national executive committee member Charlotte Lobe also said there would be a move to elect leaders who paid attention to their duties and to ask under-performing leaders to step down.

The league has launched a new membership system to provide easy access to information on the organisation and membership forms. Dlamini complains that branches do not monitor their membership and that branch statistics indicate that no effort is being made to recruit new members beyond the minimum requirement. “Much as we have created better ways of accessing membership, we have not been able to have continuous recruitment; we do not have a strategy for recruitment,” she adds. The league’s 2003 national general council decided to revive and develop branches as a key strategy. It was envisaged that the branches would become vibrant centres of the organisation where ordinary women would be empowered through political education and be fed important information on political developments and economic opportunities.

The national executive committee was charged with executing this mandate. The development of branches is vital as most league members are unskilled and semi-skilled women living in informal settlements or rural areas. Dlamini’s report turns a particularly harsh spotlight on the league’s provincial structures, saying there are no full-time provincial secretaries, with most having other responsibilities. This had “proved to be a serious drawback, and our centre cannot hold”, she says. One consequence was poor delivery on programmes of action. The report says that the issue of hiring full-time provincial secretaries had been raised with the ANC, which was looking at the cost implications. At the 2003 national general council, the league had decided, for financial reasons, that the position should remain part-time. “But since the ANC is up on its feet, I think we can afford to pay good salaries,” said Lobe. Also undermining the league’s provincial and regional structures was a shortage of administrative staff and organisers.

The report says that some provincial executive committees (PEC) are not performing well, and that some provinces have not been able to hold PEC meetings. It adds that, although the league’s finance and fundraising committee was “trying really hard”, most of its meetings could not proceed because they lacked a quorum. In 2003, the committee was asked to devise a fundraising policy and programme of action to meet the league’s “lack of financial sustainability”. Lobe said: “What came out of the [weekend] national general council is that we must not only have people in leadership on the committee, we must add more personnel. You cannot do anything without resources.”

Problems in the provinces

ANC Women’s League secretary general Bathabile Dlamini’s report paints a sorry picture of organisational disarray. Among the problems at provincial level are:

Mpumalanga:

Branches do not hold branch general meetings and meetings are only held so that members can get themselves elected to leadership positions. Branches do not report to the regional executive committee, and cannot manage their time properly.

KwaZulu-Natal:

The regions are rural and very large, making it difficult to maintain constant communication with members. The KwaDukuza region, in particular, has suffered from taxi violence, resulting in lack of programmes.

Free State:

The provincial executive committee (PEC) remains intact, although some of its members no longer qualify because of continued absence. Except for the fundraising sub-committee, all PEC sub-committees are dysfunctional.

North West:

Branches only become strong during conferences and elections. There is no qualitative growth in branches, which do not hold executive committee meetings, and programmes of action are not sustainable. The provincial secretary, Yvonne Makhume, was suspended and, after disciplinary hearings, asked not to stand for any women’s league position. -- Vuyo Sokupa

NEWSPAPER FINGERED IN MANTO ROW

Ok, so forgive me if I have somewhat lost the plot here! If memory serves me correctly, Manto made a huge song and dance about using state and government facilities when she was in hospital! So why would she have been in a Medi-clinic, which to my knowledge is a private hospital!

Is it perhaps because she has no faith in the Government hospitals and/or staff - or is it because once she had made it clear that she only uses Goverment institutions, she felt confident enough to scuttle across to a private clinic or perhaps she no longer has faith in her own department!

Whatever it is, surely that should also be investigated - clearly she is not eating enough beetroot and garlic and lemon juice to keep her healthy and fit!

Newspaper fingered in Manto row
August 15 2007 at 05:37AM
By Political Bureau

Cape Town Medi-Clinic, claiming that Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's medical records have disappeared from its secured archives, on Tuesday laid a charge of theft against the Sunday Times at the Cape Town central police station. Sunday Times editor Mondli Makhanya on Tuesday night told the Cape Times he was not aware of the theft charges. "I don't know about the charges, but I can state categorically that we did not steal anything," Makhanya said. The Cape Times has learned that Tshabalala-Msimang's office asked the hospital to furnish her with her medical records. The records are at the centre of a Sunday Times report that alleged that Tshabalala-Msimang abused her position to demand alcohol be smuggled to her while she was at the hospital two years ago.

The hospital authorities apparently called the minister's office on Tuesday to say it had checked its archives and found that "everything on her has been removed". Patients' files are transferred to the deep archives once they leave the hospital. Strict security rules regulate hospital employees and others who want to access these files. The files are said to have been kept in a "highly secured area". However, a source said on Tuesday that the hard copy files - detailing Tshabalala-Msimang's records during her stay at the hospital two years ago - had been removed and the back-up electronic version had been deleted "irretrievably". "It is not clear what date the files were removed," a source said.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on August 15, 2007

STRONG WOMEN'S LEAGUE NEEDED TO FIGHT POVERTY

This is yesterday's post.

So typical - the men get to do all the fun stuff and the women must clean up the mess! Our erstwhile President tells the women not to worry about who is going to be elected next, but tha they should rather concentrate on the eradication of poverty and the solving of gender violence!

Perhaps he should follow his own advice!

Strong women's league needed to fight poverty
Johannesburg, South Africa
02 April 2007 09:17

A strong, vibrant and democratic African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) was needed to fight poverty and empower women throughout the country, ANCWL president Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Sunday. "We commit ourselves to building an ANCWL that becomes a beacon of hope and a symbol of unity through action and work within the community where we live," said Mapisa-Nqakula. She was addressing more than a thousand provincial delegates at the ANCWL national council in Esselen Park, Ekurhuleni. "We call for the establishment of a special women's fund to facilitate and fast track the total participation of women in the mainstream economy. "Mapisa-Nqakula said the fund, which could be sponsored by members of the league, will help empower underprivileged women and eradicate poverty. She also called for the establishment of an organisation that will oversee women's developmental programmes. "We call on the South African government through the president to establish [a] ministry of women's affairs, planning and coordination. This will ensure that all poverty eradication programmes will be effectively and efficiently developed, implemented and monitored," Mapisa-Nqakula said.

During their four-day national council, members of the ANCWL took a declaration to encourage active participation of young women in their structures, and ensure that there was 50% representation of women in decision-making bodies. The council was on Friday addressed by state President Thabo Mbeki, who urged them to forget about who would be the party's next president and focus on solving poverty and gender violence. - Sapa

This is the post that should have been done on Wednesday, for some reason or another, I have been unable to get into the blogs - Gremlins at work, I suspect.

Oh this is priceless! Here we have a Brit, who now lives in Cape Town, telling us what is good for the country! Typical!

Firstly, never mind about the ex pats all over the world - they have left this country for whatever reason and sure, it would be nice to have them come home, but the bottom line is it probably isn't going to happen!

Secondly, before we start "importing" skilled people from other countries, wouldn't it be more cost effective and probably a huge boost to the economy to employ the thousands of 'pale males over 40" who have huge skills and who were previously just discarded due to affirmative action requirements and BEE compliance!

There are thousands of people sitting around, dipping into their savings account and/or pension monies whilst hoping to find something just to keep them going and thousands more who are trying to start new businesses, but who are actually not entrepreneaural at all but who have no choice but to try and make a go of it.

So before you start looking over the borders and over the seas, let's look in our own back yard!

SA needs 'fresh blood'

09 July 2007 at 04h00

Executive search firm, Odgers Ray and Berndtson, believes South Africa should set its sights beyond South Africans living abroad and instead focus on bringing in skilled professionals from other countries. The government's recent issuing of 35 000 work permits to skilled foreign workers is a move in the right direction, according to Odgers managing partner Jamie Robertson, who left London three years ago to settle in Cape Town, where he recruits top-level employees for South African companies. "The country's future does not hinge on whether we can attract expat South Africans or not … what many expats have done is just perpetuate a negative image of this country abroad," says Robertson.

"What South Africa needs is fresh blood." South Africa does not recognise the qualifications of many overseas professionals. For example, lawyers trained overseas have to redo their entire degrees in order to practice here, unlike in the UK and US, where conversion courses are available. The situation is similar with doctors and engineers. "South Africa is not the only country experiencing a skills shortage. Other countries are in a similar position, so we are competing for the same skills. Without compromising on standards, the authorities here need to do everything within their power to attract the right people to the country."

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 30

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 30


Following on from last week’s offerings on Networking for Introverts, here are some more tips for other Introverts.

When I first started Networking for my Business, I was like a kid with a new toy. If there was a Networking event, I was at it. I could not get enough! Not only would I be at every single networking event, I would also scurry around frenetically trying to touch base with every single person at the event. I wanted every single person’s card and/or contact details because each person, each card, each contact detail was an opportunity. It was madness personified!

Many of the individuals were not really interested in meeting with me, but felt obliged to give me their business cards and/or contact details. When I contacted them to set up a meeting, they hummed and ha-ed and finally agreed to a meeting and then on d-day, despite me having confirmed the meeting, they just did not pitch! Wasted time for both of us and a somewhat disillusioned me!

You see, the bottom line is that not everyone ‘gets’ the whole networking concept and as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to the water, but you cannot force it to drink. In my enthusiasm I had automatically assumed that everyone would be as excited about networking as I was. Well they aren’t – so deal with it, get over it and move on!

Nowadays, I am a lot more sedate about networking. Don’t get me wrong, I am still as passionate about it as I ever was – I just look at it and deal with it a whole lot differently.

I no longer feel the need to attend every networking meeting on the planet – two or three a month are more than enough.

I no longer feel the need to obtain every single participating person’s business card and/or contact details. Now I ‘cherry pick’ a few individuals who I think I may either have synergy with or who I feel ‘drawn’ to meet (yes I go with my gut feel!) and I touch base with those who seek me out.

I no longer get stressed out if people don’t pitch for a meeting, now I take work along with me and get on with it, recognising the fact that everyone is not automatically on the same page as what I am.

My diary is still full with meetings sometimes booked as far as two or even three months in advance, but I no longer have this intense need to make a difference in someone’s life.

You see, building relationships takes time and commitment, and although networking gives you a foot in the door, the relationship still needs to be built and that is not something that should be rushed, and quite frankly running around frenetically is not only exhausting, but it is also very time consuming.

So take your time, accept your limitations and the limitations of others. Go to fewer events but make them quality events. Meet with fewer people, but make sure they are people who value who you are and what you do and make those meetings count and finally, be gentle with yourself, don’t push yourself too hard and too fast.

MAKING PEACE WITH YOURSELF

MAKING PEACE WITH WHO YOU ARE.

Today’s message comes from Doris Mortman who says “Until you make peace with who your are ... you'll never be content with what you have.”
How many times have we looked at extremely wealthy people who are obviously driven and who seem to be frenetic about making more and more money and we think to ourselves “When is enough, enough?” I know I have. Yet they don’t seem to know ‘when enough is enough’ and they continue to strive to make yet more money. People like Bill Gates and perhaps Donald Trump come to mind. I am sure that if either of them lives to be 100, they could not spend all that they have accumulated and yet they both seem driven to add to their already huge piles of money.

And it’s not only about the money, what about the beautiful super models that we see prancing about on the runway and we think to ourselves (well I do anyway) “they look perfect!”. Yet they are constantly going on new diets and primping am preening in an effort to look yet more gorgeous!

Let’s pick on the actors and actresses as well – there are many of them that are famous, they rolling around in the money, the accolades, the famousness (if there is such a word) and yet they strive, cajole, steal from under the nose of others, a part that they ‘just have to have’! Why – what drives them on and on.

And it’ not always about the money, there are people who live in extreme poverty and in the midst of that they strive to give yet more of themselves to others. Mother Theresa comes to mind here – what is it about these people that there never seems to be an end to what they desire, what – for them seems to be a never ending quest to achieve, whatever it is that they have sent their minds and their hearts to?

I suspect that I am about to put the cat amongst the pigeons here, but I think that for some it is because they have made peace with who they are and others haven’t yet.

For some, making peace with who they are and accepting who they are in the face of all adversity means being able to achieve more and more. But that is in terms of achievement, the money is a secondary thing. They are driven by their need to perform, or their need to achieve, or their need to inspire. They are caught up in the passion of what they do and who they are.

For others, it is about making the money. They, on some level question who they are, what they are about and what they can do. Despite being famous and rich they are insecure about who they are as individuals and so they desperately strive to be the best. They are never happy in their own skins or in their own minds and are driven to prove how good, fantastic, clever etc that they are – not to the world in general, but to themselves.

Which category do you fit into? Have you accepted who you are or are you still trying to prove to yourself, who you are?

HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR 2029

Good morning bloggers - I hope you enjoy the funnies today!

HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR: 2029

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formerly known as California.


White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.


Spotted Owl plague threatens northwestern United States crops and livestock.


Baby conceived naturally. Scientists stumped.


Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.


Last remaining Fundamentalist Muslim dies in the AmericanTerritory of the Middle East (formerly known as Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon).


Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.


France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica.


Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.


George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.


Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.


85-year $75.8 billion study: Diet and Exercise is the key to weight loss. Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs.


Japanese scientists have created a camera with such a fast shutter speed, they now can photograph a woman with her mouth shut.


Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.


Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.


Average height of NBA players is now nine feet, seven inches.


New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2036.


Congress authorizes direct deposit of formerly illegal political contributions to campaign accounts.


IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.


Florida voters still having trouble with voting machines.


Now, send this to whoever you want to and as many as you want and guess what....NOTHING will happen. No miracles, no money, absolutely nothing, except you might make someone smile

MAYOR'S OFFICE SWEPT AGAIN TO 'CLEAR UP SAGA'

Oh for heaven's sake - get over yourselves! I really cannot understand what all the fuss is about, unless of course they have something to hide!

This is reminiscent of staff members refusing to take a 'lie dectector test' when stock and/or money has gone missing. If you have nothing to hide, why on earth would you jump up and down and have a fuss - this would actually prove your innocence!

Mayor's office swept again 'to clear up saga'
Carvin Goldstone
February 19 2007 at 07:01AM

The National Intelligence Agency swept eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba's office at the Durban City Hall again last week "to clear up any controversy and insinuations" that there had been ulterior motives in the first sweep of his office in January. There was an outcry from Mlaba when he walked in on four NIA officials sweeping his office for surveillance devices. He had not been informed of the sweep. The offices of Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo, Senior Manager S'the Mshengu and Speaker James Nxumalo had also been swept by the NIA. Mshengu replied to Mlaba's queries that he had only been informed about the sweep an hour before the NIA officials arrived.

But the NIA argued that they would only sweep a government office at the request of the government entity. Following several media reports on the matter, Mlaba called a press conference at which he said his main concern was not who had ordered the sweep, but that he had not been informed why it was to be done. Following Mlaba's reaction last week, Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils instituted an investigation into the incident. A senior NIA investigator was dispatched to Durban to find out why the occupants of the offices that had been swept had not been informed. NIA spokesperson Lorna Daniels said now that the investigation was concluded, Kasrils was satisfied that there had been no ulterior motives."It is clear that there was a regrettable lapse of communication between the NIA and the mayor's office. A second sweep at the mayor's office was conducted (last) week to remove any doubt or concern that may have arisen following the incident," she said.

Daniels said that the NIA and the municipality were satisfied that all was in order and considered the matter closed. Mshengu and Municipal Manager Michael Sutcliffe were reluctant to confirm the second sweep. Sutcliffe said he did not consider the sweeps a matter to be discussed.

SAME SEX MARRIAGES WILL DESTROY THE ZULUS

This is yesterday's post.

Oh my, my, my! Seems that the 'poor old gays' are again in the poo! Same sex marriages can no more destroy the Zulu nation than spitting against the famous Cape Town South Easter! Get a grip people!

If the Zulu nation is destroyed, then it is because the Zulu nation has destroyed themselves!

Same-sex marriages 'will destroy the Zulus'
Sipho Khumalo

February 27 2007 at 11:32AM

The Civil Union Act, which legalised same-sex marriages, marked the end of the Zulu nation and its way of life. This was the feeling at the opening of a two-day conference of the heads of Zulu warriors and maidens, organised by Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, in Durban on Monday. The conference was largely organised to examine the role of the heads of Zulu warriors (izinduna) and maidens (amaqhikiza) in the moral regeneration of the Zulu nation, and in bringing back the traditional way of life which ensured that young boys and girls were properly brought up to avoid unwanted pregnancies and to curb the spread of HIV/Aids.

Anger at the Civil Unions Act, which was passed by the government in 2006, emerged in a debate titled "Democracy meets Tradition". The session examined how the constitution catered for Zulu tradition and culture.

'The present constitution is full of demons'

Several speakers attacked the constitution, saying it had led to a decay in family values, with parents unable to discipline their children and teach them the best and most responsible way of life. In particular, the constitution was criticised for allowing same-sex marriages, with participants saying that these would destroy the Zulu nation. "The present constitution is full of demons. We have a crisis on our hands. The nation is heading for total destruction, with men being allowed to marry men and women to marry women. "We have to fix this constitution to make it representative of (Zulus)," said one participant. Jabulani Ngubane, a student at a Durban tertiary institution, said gays had "mushroomed" at local campuses.

'What we are going to have is an influx of gays and lesbians into South Africa'

IFP MP Albert Mncwango, who is also an induna from Nongoma, said South Africa was the only country in Africa and the third in the world to allow same-sex marriages. "What we are going to have is an influx of gays and lesbians into South Africa, which has become a haven for these people. The next thing you are going to see is the emergence of a gay and lesbian movement in South Africa, which is going to contest elections and win them. Then you are in trouble," he warned. Sipho Mhlongo, an induna from Mkhazane in Ulundi, said the government should have consulted traditional leaders before passing the Act, and threatened "to sort out" gay couples who married.

Mabuyakhulu tried to reason with the participants, saying the meeting had been called to find out what the people of KwaZulu-Natal could do to restore family values and to effect a moral regeneration. "The constitution was a product of negotiations by all parties represented in parliament. "But after every five years, people can form a new government (in the national elections). A new government with the necessary threshold could also change the constitution," he said. The conference, which continues on Tuesday, seeks to revive and redefine the role of the heads of warriors and maidens as the mentors of future generations.

ONE IN THREE SA TEENS IS A DRUG ADDICT

This is Thursday's post.

How very sad! The reality of this is that our children, the very people who we expect to grow up and become the leaders of the future, don't have very much future if this article is a true indication of what is happening.

Again I say, How very sad!

'One in three SA teens is an addict'
August 05 2006 at 09:46AM
By Sheree Russouw

As many as one in three teenagers in South Africa is addicted to drugs and alcohol, according to the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca). Shamim Garda, national executive director of Sanca, said this alarming figure was gleaned from the number of 13- to 18-year-olds presenting themselves for treatment at Sanca's 34 clinics countrywide. And experts believe that the age of first experimentation has dropped from the early teens to between nine and 10 years old.

Downward spiral

"What's so disturbing is the fact that these children are getting addicted to drugs and alcohol at younger ages," Garda said. "The problem starts with nine- to 15-year-olds who experiment with cigarettes, alcohol, dagga and mandrax. They start to use more than one drug and get addicted to drugs such as heroin, Cat and crack cocaine."

Schoolchildren, she says, are the drug peddlers' market. "Teenagers that are hooked become adults that are hooked. They stay addicts for a long time or die of it. It's just a spiral downwards - and ruins their lives. "Drug use was "exploding" in township communities, she said. "We are seeing more drugging among children and teenagers from poor communities. Drugs are coming from township children going to urban schools and children in urban areas going into townships. On the weekends they have parties and take drugs - we're seeing a seepage of heroin and cocaine into the townships, especially in Gauteng."

Drug use 'exploding' in townships

Maria Gumede, of Sanca's Horizon Daveyton centre, said substance abuse in townships was seen as a status symbol. "It's quite common for an 18- or 19-year-old to have a drug problem, but lately in the townships we are seeing children as young as 11 not only using, but addicted," she said. "Children use drugs like mandrax to show they're cool and quickly become physically dependent. It has a sedative effect; children feel at ease about the reality of their lives." Families are losing parents to HIV/Aids and grandparents on pension are forced to support entire families. "This creates a vicious cycle of child-headed households, drug abuse, violence and crime.

In desperation, girls often turn to prostitution and boys turn to crime to support their families and drug habits. "The children call it compromise. If they receive transport money and food for the day, they will walk to school and go hungry, pool their money and share one tablet," she said. Captain Jan Combrinck, a co-ordinator for the SA Police Service's Gauteng drug enforcement programme, said up to 25 percent of schoolchildren were drug addicts in Gauteng.

Since 1994, he has been traversing the province, educating 500 000 school children, tertiary students and communities about the dangers of drug abuse. He has also trained thousands of police officers in Gauteng to identify drugs and keep abreast with trends in the illicit narcotics industry.

Drugs were becoming cheaper and more accessible: "Years ago you would pay R300 for a gram of cocaine. Now the dealers are packing it into smaller quantities - you can buy a R20 bag or R50 bag of what you want. "Drugs did not discriminate and struck young people from all walks of life, said Combrinck. Last year the provincial police commissioner called him to co-ordinate the province's drug enforcement team. "The biggest problems among schoolchildren are dagga, mandrax, crack cocaine, Ecstasy, tik, Cat, magic mushrooms, heroin and LSD." These drugs are all over - our suburbs and townships are full of them. Sometimes you'll find dealers focus on certain areas but the buying power is spread out now and everyone is affected. What makes it very hard to police is the fact that these children are supplied by other children, often at schools."

His proactive presentations were a great success among schoolchildren and it was his goal to stop demand: "A lot of the programmes are reactive and you can't always see the results. At one primary school I visited, I found 15 children on dagga and alcohol - two were sniffing heroin. I recently received a referral from a court in Pretoria that a nine-year-old had a problem with Cat. "These children are so young but are already so streetwise - they know what the drug does and where to get it. What angers me is that a drug merchant has the guts to sell to a nine-year-old child." Combrinck said there were not enough good role models for teenagers and that contributed to rising drug abuse. "Parents are just either out there to make money or keeping the pots cooking. They aren't there for their children.

"The drugs make these children feel better for the short term and that's the danger ... As adults, we take drugs for three years and drop dead but these are still young bodies - they think they'll live forever, that they can easily leave the drugs behind. "Society was "losing its values and beliefs", said Sanca's Garda. "There is a general breakdown in family relationships. We also need to have far more discipline in the home." Children should familiarise themselves with drugs to make an informed choice, said Garda.

GROWN UP TOOLS FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE

This is the post that should have been done on Wednesday.

What a useful piece of information! Anyone with children, or anyone who knows people with children, should make themselves aware of this. It's time to shut down the people who prey on innocent children!

Grown-up tools for protecting children online
16 February 2007 at 07h26

Washington - A children's advocacy group on Thursday launched the first-of-its-kind free online safety resource to help parents and educators protect youths from being exploited on the Internet.

NetSmartz411, as the online program is called, is managed by experts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) who can answer frequently asked questions about Internet safety and online security.

"Parents and guardians have a very tough job keeping up with their children in this ever changing world of technology," said Ernie Allen, NCMEC president and chief executive officer.

He said the resource located at NetSmartz411.org was made possible by a $500 000 grant from the Qwest Foundation, which works to promote online safety awareness.

People who use the new site can inquire on a variety of topics including how to report Internet crime, how to be on the lookout for online sexual predators or what is a chat room and how it works.

Parents can also get a grasp of the lingo used by youngsters on the Internet. For example, 143 stands for I love you, PAL: parents are listening, or POS: parent over shoulder.

According to a recent NCMEC-commissioned study by the University of New Hampshire, one in seven youths online is sexually solicited, and one in three youths will encounter unwanted exposure to sexually explicit material online. - Sapa-AFP

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 29

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 28


Following on from last week’s offerings on Networking for Introverts, here are some more tips for other Introverts.

When I first started looking for business at networking events, I had to get myself to every networking function that was available. Please believe me when I tell you that I spent many a very uncomfortable hour standing around trying to force myself to smile and introduce myself to total strangers, because I wanted their business desperately, whilst trying to look casual, professional and anything but desperate. Going to every meeting that was taking place was a really good thing, no matter how difficult it was at the time because that is how I learnt, what kind of meeting best suited me. For me (and I suspect that this would work for most of the other introverts out there) a semi-facilitated, loosely structured type of environment works best. At least I am sort of introduced to people (not necessarily one at a time or even one on one) and they recognise me (and I them) and we can strike up a conversation and get talking. Going to networking functions where you don’t know anyone and nobody knows you and you have to go up to strangers and introduce yourself is like going ‘cold calling’! That, as far as I am concerned is for the birds and I am not a vulture!

So now, when a new meeting (with a bunch of people that I have not come across yet) is marketed or I am invited to attend something new, I always go to check it out, but that does not necessarily mean that I will automatically join up. There are different types of networking meetings and I function better at these when I feel comfortable in my surroundings. This also does not mean that I am restricted to one group – quite the contrary – I belong to several different groups, each one slightly different from the other, but all semi-facilitated, loosely structured and made up of individuals who are serious about doing business!

Find the type of meeting that fits with you as an individual. Make sure that you feel comfortable, meet the individuals and grab all of the opportunities that come your way.

THE WIZE MAN

THE WIZE MAN

The quote today comes form Naguib Mabiuz – author, who says “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”

I have a pet hate, actually to be completely honest – I have several pet hates, but for the purpose of this piece, I have a pet hate. That pet hate is people who don’t ask questions!

Not, I’m not talking about asking questions for the sake of asking the question – I am talking about asking the question, because you don’t understand the statement! Believe me there is a huge difference.

Those of you who know me, know that I run a workshop/course on “A practical Guide to Starting a Business”. I have facilitated the course with people on a ‘one on one’ basis and I have stood in front of a group of people and delivered the same course material. In both instances I have received ‘blank stares’ from equally ‘blank faces’, when, as I go through the course material, I have asked the question (that I am sure most of you who have delivered any kind of course material, asks from time to time) “Do you understand what I have just said or would you like to ask a question?”

I am not sure if it is because people are scared of looking like a fool, or what the reason is, but somehow, somewhere, someone has no idea of what it is that I have just said and they don’t ask any questions! I cannot understand this at all. You see for me, a person looks more like a fool, if they tell me that they understand something when they don’t, because when it comes to doing the practical side of things and they can’t do it, then they look like the fool. I am often heard saying that ‘the only stupid question is the one that you do not ask’.

I’ve got to the point now, from pure frustration, where, when people tell me that they understand what it is that I have just said, I ask them to firstly repeat what I have said and then secondly I ask them to tell me in their own words what they understand from the statement – you’d be amazed at the different kinds of answers that I get! Some of them would be really amusing if the situation were any different.

So ask the question, it doesn’t matter how stupid you may think that you look or feel – but at the end of the day, you will be the one that understands the content and you will be the one that will stand ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest.

JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A PARENT

Good morning all - hope you enjoy todays funnies!

JOB Description for a Parent.
This is hysterical.
If it had been presented this way, I don't believe any of us would have done it!!!!


POSITION:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop


JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: T

he rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs R5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 100 kmh in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right. Forward this on to all the

PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do... or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.__________________

Man, oh man, oh man! Justice is served! Why are the police burning these shacks down in the first place. Surely they have better things to do with their time and efforts. Crime is rampant and they are fart arsing around burning things down! Somewhere, somehow, someone has lost the plot!

Well done Bill Prinsloo!

Long arm of the law reaches Nqakula
Zelda Venter August 30 2007 at 05:36AM

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula on Wednesday felt the wrath of the law when he was found to be in contempt of a court order and committed to jail. Not only was his department scolded, but the judge held him personally responsible for not complying with a court order issued last week. In terms of the order, police were given 12 hours to rebuild the shacks of homeless people in Moreletapark. Eight days later the homeless people, including women and children, are still destitute. Pretoria High Court judge Bill Prinsloo ordered Nqakula should be committed to jail "with immediate effect, until such time as this contempt of the order is purged". A fine of R10 000 was also imposed on him.

Prinsloo further ruled that a writ be issued, authorising and directing the officer commanding of Pretoria Central police station (or any person he may direct) to immediately arrest Nqakula and to commit him to jail. The judge ordered the fine and imprisonment be suspended for 14 days from the date of his order, at which time Nqakula is "required to appear personally before this court" to show that he had complied fully with the order. Failing to do so, the minister will immediately be arrested and jailed.

Prinsloo, meanwhile, ordered that, within 12 hours of yesterday's order, Nqakula had to see to it that the shacks were rebuilt. This gave the police until 1am this morning. The judge further ordered that "because the respondent (Nqakula) is not present at the hearing today", the order must be immediately served on him. The final nail in the coffin was a punitive costs order against the minister's department. The judge's fury was sparked by an urgent application brought on behalf of the homeless people staying on vacant land on the corner of De Ville Bois Marquis and Garsfontein roads. Their shacks were burnt down earlier this month and many of them claimed they were beaten up by police.

A week ago the court ordered the police to within 12 hours rebuild the shacks. Judge Roger Claassen was at the time told that it was not the first time that police had gutted the belongings of these people and harassed them. Earlier this year the Supreme Court of Appeal pronounced on the same issue (when their shacks were burnt down on a previous occasion). The SCA at the time ordered the police to immediately rebuild the dwellings. Police at first denied they were responsible, but later admitted it. In the current case the police once again denied they were involved and ignored the order to rebuild. Counsel for the minister on Wednesday said it was not necessary to comply as the minister was going to ask for leave to appeal the order. The court was on Wednesday told by Matthews Mojapelo, acting for the minister, that no affidavit of the minister was before court, as "his officials do not know where he is and whether he is in the country or not".

The judge was told that it was impossible for the minister to rebuild the shacks within 12 hours, as the deadline would have been four o'clock in the morning "when everyone was asleep". Adriaan Vorster, acting for the homeless, argued that if the police could burn down the shacks at 4am, they could surely rebuild it at 4am. Vorster asked the court to hold the minister in contempt and to order that the shacks be rebuilt, in spite of the pending application for leave to appeal. Prinsloo said it took no imagination to understand the plight of the applicants who were at present destitute and exposed to the elements. He said not only did the minister not comply with the order within 12 hours, but more than a week later he had still not complied. The judge said the minister gave no explanation about this to the court. He added that he found the minister's intention to ask for leave to appeal "distressing".

The judge further said: "I find the explanation that the minister's officials do not know where he is, outrageous to say the least." Regarding the minister's objection that if they complied, they would have to build the shacks at 4am, Prinsloo said: "I can't see how they could be excused from complying with a court order because they would have to do it after hours... particularly a state department as large as that of the respondent (minister). Especially as the police had time to demolish the shacks at four in the morning. "Prinsloo said the case was a "sad testimony" to the fact that some State departments did not seem to bother to adhere to the orders of court. Late on Wednesday night Nqakula's lawyers gave notice of their intention to appeal the sentence.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on August 30, 2007

SA PEACEKEEPERS ARE FACING 117 CHARGES

This is what should have been posted yesterday.

Good heavens! What are these military types doing? So much for 'keeping the peace'!

SA peacekeepers are facing 117 charges
November 13 2006 at 04:28AM
By Karyn Maughan and Alex Eliseev

A South African National Defence Force soldier's drug habit resulted in the public throat-slitting of a Sudanese man found guilty of selling him dagga. Rifleman Tobani Chiliza's purchase from a Sudanese man in a Kuturi town market in July last year led to the seller's execution. And while Chiliza has been discharged from the army, The Star has established that at least 80 SANDF peacekeepers on foreign missions are facing 117 charges - 48 of them criminal, ranging from murder to tampering with human organs.

'We can't speculate on what happened there'

An investigation by The Star has revealed that criminal cases recorded by the military's legal services department, as of November 1 this year, include murder, culpable homicide, assault, indecent assault, theft, intimidation, fraud and public indecency. Army spokesperson Colonel Petrus Motlhabane confirmed that Chiliza had been discharged, but was stationed back home at 14 South African Infantry Battalion pending an appeal.

But the man who sold Chiliza the dagga - for whom the SANDF says it is unable to provide a name or age - wasn't as lucky. "This office (Chief Military Legal Services) has been notified, via the operational reporting channel, that the local Sudanese soldier who sold the dagga to Rifleman Chiliza was tried according to Sudanese law, found guilty and as punishment was executed by having his throat slit," military correspondence noted. In another case, a lieutenant, Lawrence Tiro Toolo, was armed and deployed to Burundi, despite being out on bail on a murder charge in KwaZulu-Natal.

'We can't have this kind of reputation'

There are also eight cases of "unspecified" offences and a reported violation of the Human Tissues Act (in place to govern organ donation and transplants). The army is also processing more than 300 investigations into irregularities, accidents, acts of negligence, misconduct and deaths among its peacekeepers.In Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, SANDF personnel have been involved in 125 vehicle accidents, in which eight locals were killed and two children injured. The accident list includes a UN Casspir armoured vehicle that reportedly "ran over a chemical toilet" and the destruction of a DRC house by an out-of-control tank. Inquiries have also been opened into the following:

A rifleman who shot five of his colleagues, killing one, before shooting himself. It is understood that, prior to the incident, the man had sought permission to return home for a "cleansing ritual" (May 20 2005).

Why a Burundian woman was flown into South Africa on a military plane, allegedly to explore business interests in the country (2006).

How naked photos of a female corporal in the DRC last year came to be used as a commander's computer screen-saver (2006).

In response to the charges still pending against SANDF soldiers, military spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said the military maintained that it was committed to the highest standards of discipline. Responding to The Star's questions about how Toolo was deployed to Burundi despite facing murder charges, Mkhwanazi said the matter was under investigation. "We can't speculate on what happened there... because the joint operations department is still investigating that." When Toolo failed to pitch up for his trial in the Dukuza Circuit Court in Bergville, it was postponed to early next month. The state made a formal request for the soldier to be repatriated in November 2005. The SANDF has not yet confirmed whether Toolo has returned to South Africa.

Flight-Sergeant Flippie Venter, who has been sentenced to an effective 10 years' jail for murdering his two children and attempting to kill his wife at a local military base, is set to go on trial in Burundi for allegedly killing a 14-year-old Burundian girl. Mkhwanazi said the SANDF was not in a position to comment on ongoing legal matters. Meanwhile, in a move that contradicts a memorandum of understanding between the DRC and South Africa, DRC justice authorities have issued a summons on an SANDF soldier accused of attempting to stab a local man. SANDF authorities informed their DRC counterparts that they had disciplined Lieutenant Tshepo Tshabane, who is stationed in South Africa, but a summons was still issued from the DRC against Tshabane on November 2. Mkhwanazi said he was not aware of the summons and declined to comment on whether this move was an indictment of the SANDF's handling of criminal cases against its members. He said the Defence Department would work with the Department of Foreign Affairs to "get legal advice... particularly on the issues of foreign policy involved here".

The South African ambassador in the DRC, Sisa Ngombane, admitted he has had to deal with cases of peacekeepers landing in trouble, but he maintained they were the "backbone" of the mission. There are around 2 000 SANDF soldiers stationed in the DRC. Ngombane has addressed the South African troops to inform them that bad behaviour would not be tolerated. His message was: "We can't have this kind of reputation."

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on November 13, 2006

THE PRESSURES OF BEING A MODERN FATHER

Some interesting stuff this morning. Stress. Stress on fathers. Stress with children and just stress and everything!

Actually I believe that a certain amount of stress is actually good for you. I mean, if you weren't stressed, what would actually motivate you to get going and get things done.

On a personal level, I tend to think that stress is the greatest solution of procrastination.

What do you think?

The pressures of being a modern father
Theo Garrun
19 June 2007 at 11h00

Sunday was Father's Day, and we hope all the dads out there had a chance to relax.

They certainly need it. Today's dads face numerous challenges in an increasingly stressful and complex world of blended families, dual income homes, and the ever-increasing pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

There are many misconceptions about stress in the family - none more pronounced perhaps than the belief that fathers only face stress at work.

So says Dr Judy Jaye, business development manager for the Stress Clinic, a medically aligned, holistic stress management company, and division of international communication training firm, the Voice Clinic.

"At its core, the misconception holds that on the home front, a partner, domestic helper or an outsourced solution like a family member or professional company that sees to everything from child-minding to home shopping deliveries, alleviates the concerns and cares of a father.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," says Jaye. "Firstly, there are the financial stressors of having and raising children. This pressure has always been with us, but today a number of influencer's magnify it.

"For example, today's child faces an extreme amount of peer pressure in terms of their social lives - not so much for drinking and smoking - but in terms of where they hang out, where do their families go on holiday, what brand clothes are they wearing and whether they have the latest cellphone or iPod.

"It's an out-and-out fact, every father is placed under pressure by their kids to provide these items."

Not only that, but the pressure to provide a tertiary education has become increasingly important.

"Stress today includes the fact that people are almost forced to send their kids to university because jobs are so limited, and without a tertiary education, their children's options are very limited."

So, dad has to worry about where to send their kids for further education. What is the best institution? Can they get in? What bridging courses, subjects and extra-curricular help will they need to fulfil their dreams of becoming a doctor, or lawyer, and what are the best institutions or people to supply this?

"It's a question of balance," says Jaye, "between what we can afford and we have to save for in the future. It's a particularly stressful question."

The second major stress that fathers face is the question of time.

There just doesn't seem to be enough of it - especially when trying to balance it between work and family commitments.

"Fathers do need to realise that they must devote and dedicate time to their families. Whether they are full-time or weekend dads, they must never lose sight of the fact that they are a role models for their children - and that they are needed"

Life without balance is chaos. Balancing life, according to the Stress Clinic, entails prioritising tasks into "must" for work and family, "should" for work and home activities that are important but not urgent, and "like" - actions which are enjoyable.

"You don't have time," Jaye says, "you make time". If you don't plan and balance your time properly - then you have stress. A third factor, which many fathers find stressful, is communication. They might be dynamos at work, but when it comes to communicating with their kids, many fathers just don't know where to begin.

"In any communication, be it at home or in the workplace, the goal must always be to maintain mutual respect," says Jaye. "This will ensure a positive outcome."

Fathers can help foster an environment where all parties feel safe to communicate by ensuring that not all communication is negative.

When stressed, it's easy to snap, or be curt and short, or criticise - but when this is the only environment that the family has, communication will stop, and family members will withdraw in fear of the constant negativity rather than communicate and risk being patronised, put-down or ridiculed.

"A key to better communication and mutual respect, as a father figure and role model is always to attack the problem, not the person," Jaye advises.

"For example, don't call someone stupid because he or she didn't clean up a milk spill. This label will stick with the child. Rather address the problem, being the spill, and say that it needs to be cleaned up."

Children will always come to a father for guidance and advice - in short, by taking the time to encourage and support them; dads can ensure a better tomorrow if they just take the time now.

"Focus on the positive. Praise your kids when they do well and always encourage them - don't just take it for granted that they know they've done well. Praise from a father is worth the world to a child," says Jaye.

She also reminds dads that effective communication is based on good listening skills.

"Really listen to what they are saying when they talk about dreams and tell you their stories. In this way fathers can help their kids win."

By being good listeners, dads can pick up clues as to what it is their children need from them to create a secure environment in which the child can achieve.

"Boundaries are very important," says Jaye.

"These help a child feel secure. Weekend dads in particular need to remember that children feel secure when they know where they stand, and when there is consistency.

"It is easy to indulge the feeling of wanting to always be the 'good guy' or try to win favour with the child by allowing to do and get everything they please - but remember, this isn't what is best for the child, and is often also just an easy way out for the parent - with horrible long term implications and effects."

Every member of the family needs to feel valued and part of the family relationship.

Fathers play a pivotal role in setting the roots and wings for their children by planning for the future, giving of their time, and supporting their children's dreams.

Despite the turmoil of today, families can be a great source of strength and energy, if parents take the time to work on creating a positive, secure and supportive environment.


For more information contact the Stress Clinic on 011-880-2334 or visit www.thestressclinic.com

TEMP WORK A CHANCE TO TEST THE WATERS

This is absolutely fabulous for those SMME's who need some help from time to time, but not the full time employment of a permanent staff member. We should all keep this in mind. It's a great way to assist us in growing our businesses, without putting too much strain on the expenses.

Temp work a chance to test the waters
10 August 2007 at 11h00

Deciding what kind of job you want to do for the rest of your working life is tough. The days of studying, getting a job in your area of study and working in the same company until you retire, are long gone.

In fact, staying in the same job for too long can actually harm your career progress, not to mention your own development and self-esteem, says Colette Atkinson, head of the Quest Learning Institute, which carries out learnerships and similar interventions. The working world is changing fast, she says. More and more companies are downsizing their core permanent staff and are filling the gaps with temporary employees. For these companies, it makes financial sense.

In the US, one in four employees is a temporary worker, and in the UK 40 percent of the total workforce is made up of temporary staff. In this new job climate, flexible staffing or flexstaffing is becoming a better work option for many young people who sign up with flexstaffing agencies that find work for them in a variety of organisations. "Some people say temporary employment isn't stable and doesn't add much to your CV. This couldn't be further from the truth."

Almost 80 percent of human resources executives say they consider a long stretch of consistent temporary work as valuable as full-time, permanent work. "If you sign up with an established, respected agency, stability won't be a problem and you will have access to benefits similar to those of permanent workers. "When you join an agency, the agency becomes your employer, and not the company you are placed in." A good agency will look after you by constantly providing work, giving you access to medical aid, provident funds and insurance. However, you should always research an agency and its credentials before signing up."

Louise Brouard of Quest Flexible Staffing Solutions gives some advice on choosing an agency: "Find out how long the agency has been in business, how many people are on its books, which industries it places flexstaffers in and whether you want to work in those industries. "Most important, look at the agency's approach and philosophy, and how it can assist you in building your career."

She says flexstaffing can be useful if you don't want to commit to a certain career path yet, and want to explore different industries and different kinds of work. It will provide you with a constant flow of diverse work experiences while you make your decision, removing the financial strain that comes with job hunting. Alternatively, if you know where you want to work, but can't get a permanent position there, working as a flexstaffer can give you a foot in the door, offering you a chance to prove yourself. Flexstaffing can also add skills you can put on your CV, giving you real, hands-on training and experience in a variety of fields, turning you into a sought-after employee.

"We've also found that a lot of our flexstaffers enjoy the business and social networking side of temporary work." They meet people they ordinarily wouldn't meet and have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals at every placement," says Brouard. Good agencies will also provide you with opportunities to improve your own skills and job performance through formal training or workplace learning, or a combination of the two.

MR ZUMA - ARE YOU LISTENING

Very apt Fikile-Ntsikelelo, but I would venture to say that there are occassions when Zuma doesn't listen at all. Since you brought up his 'rape' case, let's start there. Clearly he didn't listen when she said that she 'didn't want to have sexual relations' with him.

So you see - clearly his 'listening' is selective! Perhaps he has a hearing aid that he turns on and off!

Mr Zuma, are you listening?
Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya: COMMENT
20 March 2007 11:59

Jacob Zuma is indeed a remarkable man. Witness his apparent political strategy. He has turned the effortless behaviour of keeping quiet while others say what they think into a political attribute. His supporters have not stopped telling us that he listens.

This is part of the Zuma package -- wisdom, humility, man of the people. One Who Listens. And on the strength of this, he is a great choice for his party and the presidency of the republic. “He is a man who listens. He does not take the approach of an intellectual king,” says a Zuma supporter, quoted on the Friends of Jacob Zuma website.

Now, unless I have not been paying sufficient attention, little has been said about what life would be like should Zuma become president. He never shares what he thinks about his plans for the country. We don’t know whether there will be any shifts in macroeconomic or ­foreign policy.

But we can be sure of one thing: if Zuma becomes president, there will be a lot of listening at the Union Buildings. And, perhaps, a president who stays at home, but apparently this has not been mentioned as one of his better attributes. Zuma’s supporters point to the fact that he will be implementing ANC policy, and it is therefore not necessary for him to expound on policy matters.

I imagine psychologists and others within the ANC who make a living from listening to others rubbing their hands gleefully at the prospect of leading Africa’s oldest liberation movement. In fact, Zuma will say that we are jumping the gun. He has never said that he wants to be president but, being the good cadre that he is, he will listen and comply should his movement’s supporters insist at the Polokwane showdown in December that he is the best man for the job.

It is a pity that his supporters don’t seem to think or make much of the fact that he was the first ANC leader sent by the exiled leadership to engage with the apartheid government after the unbanning of the ANC. The party strategists must have known that he would listen to the De Klerk government, perhaps even charm it into making concessions it otherwise wouldn’t have, had they sent one Thabo Mbeki, whose greatest flaw, we are to surmise, is that he does not listen.

But Zuma’s greatest strength may also be his greatest weakness. It was his tendency to listen that got him into trouble before. His rape accuser told the Johannesburg High Court that she went to Zuma’s house because he was an “uncle” who listened. Look where that got him. The National Prosecuting Authority is pleading with Mauritian authorities to provide a diary that it hopes will prove that, at the very least, Zuma listened to offers of a bribe. But he has not stopped listening. He recently went on a charm offensive in the Afrikaner community. He listened to their fears of crime and then offered: “I think the problem is that there is less talk between the Afrikaner community and those in authority to say what are the problems.” In other words, the government is not listening to Afrikaners, and Afrikaners are not listening to the government.

I would not therefore be surprised if Parliament’s battle cry for this year, masijule ngengxoxo [let us deepen conversations] was his brainchild. I will be watching the Friends website for confirmation. When he does share his vision for the future, it is clearly on the basis of having listened intently. After visiting the family of a slain Johannesburg florist, he opined: “It is important that the entire nation be mobilised against crime.” Deep stuff.

The people of Khutsong, the township that refuses to accept that it is now part of North West province, have appealed to him to listen. And, according to some media reports, he has responded, not uncharacteristically, by saying that he is willing to listen to their concerns. I accept that listening is a great attribute. I recommend it wholeheartedly. But, for a nation that has so many structural and policy challenges, it would be dandy if we had a leader who planned to do a little bit more than that.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 28

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 28

I was discussing Networking with one of my colleagues the other day when he turned around to me and said, in all honesty “I’m not a natural networker because I am an introvert!” I stood there with my mouth hanging open . . . for several seconds. You see, I am a natural networker and I am also an introvert! Ok everybody, you can get up off the floor now and stop laughing! I am an introvert! Ask my shrink!

It’s not that I am shy around people or afraid to be in public. Those of you who know me can attest to that. I not too good at small talk though, I much prefer to get into debates on issues that are important to me or not . . . Being with people on a constant basis often leaves me completely drained of all energy and I spend most weekends, on my own, relishing in the ‘space’ that I have on my own without any other people around me.

I am not ‘naturally’ good with people and although I have been told that I am a ‘people’s person’, I don’t feel that way at all. Mixing with people and interacting with them is a conscious thing for me and it is something that I have to work at – hard.

Why do I work hard at it? Well that’s quite simple – you see I understand the value of networking. I don’t see networking as a waste of time or a pain in the butt (although generally speaking, for introverts it is exactly that).

Networking for me, is me investing in myself and my company. You see, by developing my network in the way that I have, when I need a particular widget and/or a particular service, I don’t have to spend hours doing research on the internet, or paging through the yellow pages, or time and money sending out endless e-mails looking for help. It takes me one or two phone calls to find the exact person that I am looking for. In fact, if the truth be told, most of my colleagues phone me when they need anything because I usually have that particular contact within my data base.

For me that is a triple win situation. You see not only do I add value to the person who is looking for someone/something, I also add value to the person in my database who is that someone or who can provide that service, but in connecting these two, I have added huge value to myself – both will feel indebted to me and payback is always very sweet!

There’s a great deal more to Networking as an introvert, so more next week.

MOTIVATION - INSPIRATION & EXCELLENCE

This weeks quote comes from S’thandiwe Kgoroge who says; “It’s good to be inspired by other people, but strive for excellence at your own pace.”

So many times, we try and keep up with the people who originally inspired us, or the people that we look up to. Then when we are able to do so, we sink to our knees in despair and beat ourselves up because we have failed!

Why?

Why do we feel the need to do things at the same speed/time as everyone else? Are we not unique individuals who should be walking life to the beat of our own drums?

Surely it would be better for us (and probably less stressful for those we are trying to emulate) to set our own goals and arrive at our destination in our own time, having now experienced the lessons along the way that we were intended to learn?

Don’t always be in such a hurry! Take time to enjoy the journey! Take time to understand the lessons and therefore to learn from them! Take time to enjoy your life. Take time to be ‘all that you can be’.

Take time to be you.

PMS BLUES

Hope you enjoy today's funnies. I did, but then I have always had a strange sense of humour!

This was an actual letter sent to Kotex by somebody who works for the Netcare Group.

Dear Kotex,

I recently noticed that the peel-off strip of my panty liner had a bunch of "Kotex Tips for Life" on it. Annoying advice such as:-

Staying active during your period can relieve cramps.-

Avoiding caffeine may help reduce cramps and headaches.-

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated and feeling fresh.-

Try Kotex blah blah blah other products

Obviously the individual behind this was someone who has never possessed a functioning set of ovaries. Go ahead and tell a menstruating woman that drinking 6-8 glasses of water will help keep her feeling fresh. See what happens and report back. I'll wait. While you're at it, dump out the coffee at work and remove the chocolate from the vending machine. I garan-friggin-tee that the first responders will be females who just ovulated.

Look, women don't need or want tips for living on feminine hygiene products. Younger girls are already hearing "helpful" crap like that from their elderly relatives. Veteran females have already concocted their own recipes for survival, many containing alcohol. Printing out shit advice while sneaking in ads for the brand that was already purchased is just plain annoying, not to mention rude, and enough to send a girl running to the Always brand.

Mostly we'd like to forget that we even need these products. It's not a fun time, but DO NOT try to cheer us up by adding smiley faces or bunnies or flowery cutesy crap to your products or the packaging. Put the shit in a plain brown wrapper so we can throw it in our carts discreetly and have it blend in among the wine and beer. There is nothing more annoying than having a blinding pink package announcing your uterine state to everyone in the store.

So take your tips for living and shove them right up your ass.

Ovarily Yours,

Miss PMS

SELEBI GRILLED OVER MISSING FIREARMS

This is yesterday's post.

Oh wow! The crime was much worse "The level of crime was much higher when we had the rugby world cup here than today"! I wonder how the families of those victims of crime would react to that - it definitely isn't better than it was! I suppose though, that it is in keeping with Thabo's 'ostrich head in the sand' approach that he has towards HIV AIDS and CRIME in general. If 'he' doesn't see it then surely it can't be there!

I digress however, this is about missing guns! What is going to end up happening here is that the only people who will be left with guns are the criminal element. They will have purchased their guns, at their leisure, from the piles of guns that law abiding citizens have been forced to give up in the name of legislation. The police, most of whose guns have been either 'ligitimately stolen' and/or sold and then reported stolen, will therefore also have no fire power and fun will be had by all an sundry

The true victims, will lose their 'victim' status and the criminals will gain the title of victims!

Well, isn't that what is happening all over the country, if not the world at the moment?
Think about it!

Selebi grilled over missing firearms
Johannesburg, South Africa
27 January 2007 07:39

Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi came under fire in Parliament on Friday for inadequate control of firearms and problems over police vehicles, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported.

An Auditor General's report showed the number of stolen and lost firearms had tripled. The Democratic Alliance's Eddie Trent said the firearm-control register and negligent-loss certificates could not be provided. Selebi said the police service was on track in some areas as it tightened controls, filled vacancies and spent all its allocated money. "This year every firearm will be specifically marked to prevent theft."

He said police often complained they did not have enough cars to patrol and investigate cases. "This is not so and a new system will prove it." The system will enable police officers to account for each vehicle in the South African Police Service. "We will realise when someone had shopped at the mall for two hours and came out with plastics instead of a person they arrested," said Selebi. He said security worries over the 2010 Soccer World Cup were being exaggerated. "I do not know why there is such a frenzy about 2010 because it will come and pass just as the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup tournaments passed.

"The level of crime was much higher when we had the rugby world cup here than today," he said. Parliament also complimented the police force for a much improved report from the Auditor General this past year, the broadcaster reported. -- Sapa

TABLE MOUNTAIN OFF LIMITS TO SMALL GROUPS AT NIGHT.

This is the post that should have been done on 7th September 2007

How very sad! Sad that the crime that 'does not exist according to our esteemed leader Thabo Mbeki' has reduced us to this. One of our most cherished tourist attractions (and remember tourist bring money to the economy, which means jobs to the people), has to be visited during the day or 'in convoy' at night.

How did we get to this place? How did we get to a situation where crime controls all - isn't that a bit like the tail wagging the dog!

Table Mountain off limits to small groups at night
Johannesburg, South Africa
23 December 2006 08:16

Couples and single people will not be allowed to visit Table Mountain after 10pm during the festive season, the Star reported on Friday. Said the general manager of Cape Town Tourism, Marriette du Toit: "It was in the best interest of those visiting Table Mountain that the decision to close the roads to individuals and couples was made."Smaller groups wanting to enter the roads after 10pm may contact us and we can help with arrangements."

As part of security measures to prevent attacks on visitors, only groups of five or more people will be allowed access to Tafelberg Road and Signal Hill Road after 10pm from December 21 until the end of January. Table Mountain National Parks spokesperson Evelyn Holtzhausen said there is "safety in numbers". "We feel groups of people are less likely to be victimised or attacked than individuals or small groups of people.

Smaller groups may speak to our guards, who will only let them through if they feel it is safe to do so. But these are exceptional circumstances."The move comes in response to attacks and robberies in the area during the past year.Other safety measures include the deployment of about 90 guards to do regular security patrols, the report said. -- Sapa

THE TRUE COST OF MUGABE'S LAND GRAB

I see I have fallen behind again! This is the posting that should have been done on Thursday 6th September.

Mugabe thinks he is "morally right!" Personally, I don't think he would know what a moral is if it hit him in the head!

Don't get me wrong, I agree that non-whites should get their own little piece of land. I believe that everyone should be able to own a home, or land or whatever their hearts desire and their pockets can afford . . . but taking land, productive land from farmers and giving it to people who have no idea what to do with that land, somehow just doesn't cut it for me at all!

Destroying something for the sake of destruction or in this case to say "I gave you back the land, I am a hero!" somehow makes a complete mockery of the whole meaning of democracy.

What Mugabe has done here, makes me hang my head in sadness. Sadness for what was once an incredibly beautiful country, with hope and what has now become a joke.

Sad also that the rest of the world, including South Africa has just stood by and watched! Sad for all the loss of life, the loss of opportunity, the loss of human dignity and courage. Loss of something that could have been great - all in the name of greed - Mugabe's Greed!

The true cost of Mugabe's land grab
Harare, Zimbabwe
17 June 2007 08:16

Disruptions to livelihoods caused by President Robert Mugabe's controversial land-reform programme hastened the deaths of thousands of Zimbabweans and led to the loss of billions of dollars' worth of property, a new report says. The report, released on Saturday by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, says charges of crimes against humanity could be brought against the perpetrators.

The dramatic claims are contained in the 41-page report on human rights violations inflicted during the land-reform programme, which was launched by Mugabe in 2000. The rights forum, a coalition of rights groups, carried out its survey on 187 white-owned farms during a six-month period from 2006 to 2007.

Of the number of farms surveyed, 94% had been taken over. The losses of both lives and property on the surveyed farms were probably representative of those incurred by white farmers and their workers since the launch of the land-reform programme, the group says. Of the 1,3-million farm workers and their families living on about 4 000 white-owned farms before 2000, about 70% are estimated to have lost their livelihoods. Due to the farm seizures, the farm workers have lost their homes, access to medical clinics and other benefits.

The survey found that about 1% of displaced farm workers and their family members had died since losing their jobs. Extrapolated to the entire population of one million farmer workers and their families, 10 000 people could have died after displacement from the farms.

Zimbabwe has one of the world's highest rates of HIV/Aids, with an estimated one in five people infected. The report claims that 66% of surveyed farmworkers used to have access to HIV/Aids programmes before the farms on which they worked were taken over.

Economic losses

White farmers' losses on the surveyed farms, including their earnings, property and livestock, amounted to $368-million, says the forum. If this is crudely extrapolated to the commercial farm sector as a whole, the figures become astronomical -- a total estimated loss to the white-run commercial farming sector of more than $8-billion.

The group says many of the land grabs were carried out by senior government officials. Farmers and their workers were not afforded the protection of the law. There can be no impunity for gross human rights violations, hence there must be some process of accountability for the violations that occurred during the land-reform exercise, it says.

Zimbabwe used to produce bumper grain crops and prime export commodities such as tobacco, beef and flowers. However, production has plummeted in the past seven years, contributing to a humanitarian crisis. This year, the cash-strapped government will import hundreds of thousands of tonnes of maize from neighbouring countries. About one-third of the population will require food aid by early 2008, according to United Nations estimates.While Mugabe's government blames the food crisis on drought, experts point to the devastating effect of the land-reform programme.

But the 83-year-old president this week reiterated that his government was morally right in taking over the farms. -- Sapa-dpaT

TO LASH OR NOT TO LASH

Ooh! I ca't wait to see what happens next! On a personal level, I think that Nozizwe is a trail blazer, who has seen the ANC for exactly what it is and she is trying her damndest to make a difference. In doing that she has highlighted all the 'wishy-washy' indifference and absolute incompetence of the rest.

This is exciting stuff folks and I will try and keep us all posted.

To lash or not to lash?
Rapule Tabane
23 August 2007 11:59
Loyalty in question: former deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.

The ANC plan for party secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe to interview dismissed deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge is a compromise between those who want her disciplined for her comments about the ANC president and those who feel she should not be sanctioned by the party.

The ANC’s national working committee decided on Monday to delegate Motlanthe to talk to Madlala-Routledge about her recent comments about ANC unity, its values and her future role in the party. Madlala-Routledge said: “As we go towards December, I am going to be campaigning hard to get a leader or leaders [elected by the ANC national conference] I think will be brave to stand up for the truth, for the values my organisation, the ANC, stands for ... I am going to work very hard in my branch, in my district, my province [KwaZulu-Natal], and all over, to make sure that we succeed to unite the ANC. That is very important -- to unite the ANC -- and choose a leader that the country will support.”

Madlala-Routledge made the comments the day after Mbeki fired her on charges of insubordination. Mbeki took exception in his weekly online column to her comments and hinted that some form of action would be taken against her. “Members of the ANC have asked what Ms Madlala-Routledge meant when she made these remarks. They have asked why she has suggested that the current leadership of the ANC has divided the ANC, and why she suggests it does not have the courage to stand up for the truth, why she suggests that our leadership has no regard for the values of our movement, and why she suggests that the leader of the ANC is not supported by our country.“Undoubtedly the ANC will deal with this matter as prescribed by its constitution, its normal procedures, its conventions and traditions, and our current challenges,” Mbeki wrote.

Madlala-Routledge did try to take certain precautions before rejecting Mbeki’s request for her to resign. She consulted leaders in the ANC, including Motlanthe, before deciding to fax a letter from Luthuli House rejecting the request. Motlanthe has been asked to find whether Madlala-Routledge could justify her comments and whether a disciplinary hearing would be appropriate. One ANC leader said the move was designed to save the president from the embarrassment that would arise from a flat rejection of his bid to have her disciplined. “Bringing charges against this woman will just revive the publicity around her and entangle the ANC in a new controversy -- unnecessarily,” the source said. However, an ANC leader sympathetic to Mbeki said there appeared to be grounds for disciplining Madlala-Routledge, although the offence was not serious enough to warrant a dismissal.

“By attacking the ANC president, she has attacked the ANC itself.” He said the final decision would rest on how Madlala-Routledge responded to Motlanthe’s inquiries. “If she insists that she was right and there was nothing wrong [with what] she did, she might be charged. However, if she apologises and admits that some of the things she said might be construed as an attack on the good name of the ANC, the matter will be laid to rest. “If you remember, the national executive committee member, Jeremy Cronin, once apologised for his comments about the Zanufication of the ANC -- and that was the end of the issue. “She has said so many things which were not true, and she needs to provide an explanation. These include the reasons for her dismissal which, she said, included her visit to Frere Hospital when it clearly was not mentioned in the president’s letter.

She also said some ministers, such as Transport Minister Jeff Radebe, had supported her -- and he distanced himself from that. In a sign of her growing stature in the tripartite alliance Madlala-Routledge was on Sunday elected to the South African Communist Party’s highest decision-making body, the politburo.