THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 46

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 46

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Don’t expect colleagues with similar credentials and expertise to be referral sources.”

This one always makes me smile! Don’t get me wrong, Renate is spot on the money, it’s the insecurities of the human race that makes me smile!

I’ve said this so many times, I feel like I should actually make a recording – there is enough opportunity and work out there for all of us to get more than we could possibly handle!

So what we should be doing is referring colleagues with similar credentials and expertise.

I can hear the buzzing – why? Well firstly, why not? Secondly, because by doing this you start and nurture a relationship with them, and then when they get to busy to cope with their workload, (presuming of course that you are not too busy yourself), instead of just getting new staff in to do the work that they have to train and then keep after the project is finished, the two of you could join forces in a joint venture or strategic alliance and do the work together! For me it’s a no brainer!

I honestly cannot understand what this ‘jealously guarding your clients, potential clients or any rumour of any kind of work that may be available in your area of expertise,” is all about. When you behave like this you are so focused on keeping everyone at bay, that you end up losing your clients and your potential clients too, because you have kept them at bay too!

Seriously people, there is more than enough to go around and then some – you just need to recognise the opportunity and then do something about it!

So go on, share your information, share your resources and refer as many people as you can – what will happen is that people will start referring you and before you know it, you will be so busy you won’t know what to do with yourself.

The more you give, the more you will get!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at www.hirs.co.za

SMALL CAPE BUSINESSES WIN BROADBAND BATTLE

Yay! One for the little guys! Having said that, I am thoroughly disgusted at what for me, is tantamount to theft! Theft in the worse possible way - that Telkom, who is a giant and in a position to dominate, would 'steal' like this from the little guys is absolutely reprehensible! They should be taken to task, by Government - since that is who owns them and they should be forced to treat all 'small business' the same and in fact they should be forced to refund all those that they have 'stolen' from too!

Small Cape businesses win broadband battle
Ronnie Morris

24 November 2006 at 06h00

Cape Town - Small businesses, hampered by Telkom's insistence that they use a more expensive digital subscriber line (DSL) service as opposed to cheaper options used by home subscribers, have won a victory after competition commission scrutiny.

"price discrimination"
This came after the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported Telkom for engaging in "prohibited price discrimination" by a dominant firm.

Chamber president Janine Myburgh said the chamber was concerned as broadband was vital to businesses.

A spokesperson for the chamber said it was informed by the competition commission this week that Telkom had capitulated. The firm was a national operator and costs of broadband services would be adapted countrywide, he said.

Residential and business differences
The commission told the chamber that Telkom agreed to supply its cheaper service to businesses at the same cost as it charged home subscribers (R245 a month). The cost of the business service has been cut from R800 a month to R362.

While welcoming Telkom's change of heart, Myburgh was concerned about Telkom's practice of charging a normal line rental and adding a second and higher rental for the same piece of copper wire when the service was upgraded to broadband.

The chamber supported the view of the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) that there should be a one-off charge for the upgrade while the line rental should remain the same.

Telkom marketing executive Steven Hayward said Icasa's rules stated: "The structure of an asymmetric DSL tariff shall comprise an installation and bringing into service charge, a monthly rental… and a bandwidth charge.''

The reference to a monthly rental had created confusion; it did not include the rental for the copper line, Hayward said.

This article was first published in Business Report.

GIVE THIS DAY A PURPOSE

GIVE THIS DAY A PURPOSE


The quote today comes from Ralph Marston, who says:

“This day will soon end, yet there's a way to always preserve the value that it offers. Give this day a purpose, and make use of this day to fulfil that purpose.

With no purpose, the hours will slip by and the unique abundance of this day will quickly be gone forever. With no purpose, this day is nothing more than a meaningless span of time to be endured.

With a clear and meaningful purpose, however, this day can be transformed into a beautiful and lasting treasure. Instead of a day that will soon be forgotten, you can make it into a day that will always be remembered.

A purpose for this day will give you your very own pathway for accomplishment. A purpose for this day will help you to move past the meaningless distractions and to recover quickly from the painful setbacks.

This day is a unique moment in time. Make the most of it by focusing its special beauty and value in a meaningful and positive direction.

Give this day a purpose, and you give your life a lasting gift. Give this day a purpose, and you can add real value to your world.”

I am all for giving value and purpose to the day or even time per say. To wander around mindlessly just doesn’t make any kind of sense to me at all. I know and understand that there are days that should be written off due to lack of interest, but those should be far a few between and the exception rather than the rule.

For me, each day has a goal or at least one thing that needs to be achieved, even if the goal is to be a lounge lizard for the day.

So, plan your day, make short term goals and strive to achieve them, that way you will ensure that your day has a purpose and meaning.

21 FACTS

So having read these, you are a much wizer person - enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

1. Chewing on gum while cutting onions can help a person from stop producing tears. Try it next time you chop onions.


2. Until babies are six months old, they can breathe and swallow at the same time. Indeed convenient!


3. Offered a new pen to write with, 97% of all people will write their own name.


4. Male mosquitoes are vegetarians. Only females bite.


5. The average person's field of vision encompasses a 200-degree wide angle.


6. To find out if a watermelon is ripe, knock it, and if it sounds hollow then it is ripe.


7. Canadians can send letters with personalized postage stamps showing their own photos on each stamp.


8. Babies' eyes do not produce tears until the baby is approximately six to eight weeks old.


9. It snowed in the Sahara Desert in February of 1979.


10. Plants watered with warm water grow larger and more quickly than plants watered with cold water.


11. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.



12. Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.


13. Those stars and colours you see when you rub your eyes are called phosphenes.


14. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.


15. Everyone's tongue print is different, like fingerprints.


16. Contrary to popular belief, a swallowed chewing gum doesn't stay in the gut. It will pass through the system and be excreted.


17. At 40 Centigrade a person loses about 14.4 calories per hour by breathing.


18. There is a hotel in Sweden built entirely out of ice; it is rebuilt every year.


19. Cats, camels and giraffes are the only animals in the world that walk right foot, right foot, left foot, left foot, rather than right foot, left foot .


20. Onions help reduce cholesterol if eaten after a fatty meal.


21. The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of nitrogen gas bubbles bursting.

TEENS PLAN "COCAINE PARTIES' VIA CELLPONE

Oh dear God - how scary is this! The dealers, when they are caught, should be dealt with in the harshest of terms!

What kind of future does any country have, when all the children are targeted by thugs?

Teens plan 'cocaine parties' via cellphone
February 26 2007 at 02:10AM

Port Elizabeth high school girls are organising "cocaine parties" via their cellphones, according to media reports. At least 20 girls, mainly from high schools in the city, were organising cocaine parties through the cellphone chat function MXit, said Gerrie Cronje, chief executive of a privately run rehabilitation centre called Shepherd's. A child being treated at the facility said the parties were apparently hosted at different venues, pre-arranged through MXit, with cocaine readily available. Cronje told newspaper journalists he was not aware of a single school in Port Elizabeth where drugs had not "reared their head". Police also expressed concern about the high prevalence of cocaine use and addiction among children.


"The problem is that the children do not know what they are buying. Cocaine is often cut (bulked up) with a variety of chemicals, ranging from foot powder and bicarbonate of soda, to pool chlorine and Rattex," said spokesperson Captain Verna Brink. She said dealers were known to lace cocaine with traces of heroin, ensuring a higher addiction rate in first-time users. Safety and Security MEC Thobile Mhlahlo said crime pattern analysis showed that an average of 271 young people, aged below 18, were arrested in the Eastern Cape per month. The majority of those arrested were boys aged between 15 and 17 and many of the arrests were for drug possession. - Sapa

WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE - PART 3

ARTICLE 3

WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE – PART 3


So now it’s crunch time! Who is an Employee? Well the Code states that there are 7 (seven factors) in determining who an Employee is – the challenge lies in the fact that only 1 of these factors needs to be present, not all 7!

Let me say that again for those who were not listening the first time around. Only 1 out of 7 factors needs to be present when determining who an employee is!

These factors (in no particular order) are:

1. the manner in which the person works is subject to the control or direction of another person.
2. the person’s hours of work are subject to the control or direction of another person
3. in the case of a person who works for an organization, the person forms part of that organization.
4. the person has worked for the other person for an average of at least 40 hours per month over the last three months.
5. the person is economically dependent of the other person for whom he/she works or renders services
6. the person is provided with the tools of trade or work equipment by the other person.
7. the person only works for or renders services to one person.

So now you have it and while you all fall about in fear/laughter/joy and whatever other emotion that you can bring to the surface, I will leave it there for this week.

Next week we will drill down deeper into each of the factors, so that the lines are clear – no smudges - it either is or it isn’t! So by the end of this article you will know exactly where you stand and where your employee stands, whether you would like to justify it otherwise or not.

So be brutally honest with yourself (not anyone else, just yourself), examine each item individually and if you can honestly answer yes to any of the above – you have an employee, whether you would like to admit it or not!

LABOUR PRACTICES MOVE WITH THE TIMES

So here's the thing - don't forget that even if it is easier because "Dismissal for poor work performance is less onerous during probation than is required thereafter; very few employers are aware of this provision in the LRA, and even fewer understand how to take advantage of this provision," that you still have to go the disaplinary route - you can't just dismiss!

Remember, if there is any doubt, contact a Labour Attorney, not someone who knows someone who worked in an HR department 20 years ago, but someone who understands the law and who is up to date with current legislation.

Labour practices move with the times
Tony Healy
07 May 2007 at 11h00

The current Labour Relations Act (LRA), with its interim set of amendments in 2002, has been in force for more than 10 years, as has the CCMA.

Since then, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) has had a nip and a tuck, and the Employment Equity Act has come into being.

During this time, best practice has evolved in each area of labour relations and employment law from which employers and employees (trade unions) alike can and should benefit.

Best practice does not remain static, and evolving case law and amendments to statutes requires these to be reviewed.

However, business and labour have been around the block a few times since the inception of the now not-so-new labour legislation landscape, and best practice can be distilled from this period in regard both individual and collective employment law and labour relations.

To begin with, conventional wisdom has evolved relating to employment contract content.

Employers were, to some degree, indulged in the August 2002 LRA amendments insofar as probationary periods are concerned.

Dismissal for poor work performance is less onerous during probation than is required thereafter; very few employers are aware of this provision in the LRA, and even fewer understand how to take advantage of this provision.

Relatively recent case law has also cast light on the application of restraint-of-trade clauses on the mobility of ex-employees.

Employee e-mail and Internet usage is a problematic aspect of employer-employee relations; over time, greater clarity on how to confront this thorny issue has evolved.

Discipline and dismissal remains the single biggest source of labour disputes, with four out of five labour disputes being referred on grounds of alleged unfair dismissal.

Unfolding case law and the management of this tricky area of labour relations has spawned a body of best practice which addresses how cumulative discipline ought to be applied and how disciplinary procedures should be structured; appeal procedures too have benefited from best practice thinking.

With mergers and acquisitions continuing in prominence, retrenchment continues to be a daily agenda item in labour relations. As is to be expected, relatively widespread redundancies and retrenchments in recent years have yielded a set of best practices to maximise the prospects of fairness in such processes and simultaneously minimise litigation risk.

It's also true to say that important guidelines have developed regarding the management of trade union relationships. Both business and labour now have a historical relationship which is long enough to have produced guidelines as to what promotes the interests of such a relationship, and what doesn't.

Best practice has undoubtedly evolved when it comes to the extending of organisational and collective bargaining rights.



To register for a "Best practice in labour relations" workshop (June 7) call 011-476-1620 or e-mail healy@global.co.za

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 45

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 45

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Brand your uniqueness: Remember; 45% of what you do, others do better than you, 45% of what you do, others do as well as you, 10% of what you do is unique to you. Focus on the 10% that is unique to you!”

Oh man is Renate ever spot on the money with this one! So many times I have been in a networking environment where there have been in excess of 100 people and they all look just the same and many of them are in exactly the same field doing pretty much the same thing. I have looked around in absolute confusion (I have never been very good and names or faces for that matter), then when I get to the point that I follow up and meet with them, I just make sure that I am at the meeting well in advance and hope to hell that they recognise me! Not ideal I know, but it works for me!

Remember the 70’s (for those of you who are old enough to do so), I mean there was such an explosion of new acts and new musicians entering the arena that they only way that they could actually be remembered (or even make any kind of splash for that matter) was to dress up – David Bowie with his unique hairstyle and his infamous ‘Bowie Dot’ in the middle of his forehead, or what about Leo Sayer who used to dress up as a clown and don’t forget Alice Cooper (it wasn’t enough that he had a girl’s name) and his band Kiss who had the most bizarre images painted in black and white on their faces and used to bite the heads off live chickens on stage (talk about making an entrance!) and smash their guitars into a million pieces, all on stage!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for one minute that you purchase your local Fancy Dress store, in order to have a sufficient number of costumes on hand.

What I am saying is that branding is a must! You have to show people that unique side of you – and we all have it and we need to flaunt it.

I for example, am a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. I don’t look like a typical auditor and I really don’t think like a typical auditor (I could think of nothing more boring – urgh!), that is part of who I am and that is something that sticks in the minds of many of the people who meet me at networking events. Now I am not suggesting that you all rush out and buy up all the jeans and t-shirts in the city – don’t do that! What I am saying, is that often who you are as a person, is what is most unique about you – so don’t try and re-invent the wheel.

Be yourself, work on who you are and what you value most about yourself – expand on that, and you will probably find that that is your most powerful and yet most inexpensive tool that you have. With very little effort and a great deal of value, you will have branded your most unique self.

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at www.hirs.co.za

SOCIAL NETWORKING GOES LOCAL

Whilst "My Genius" is great on many levels it is still mainly a Social Network which sometimes crosses the line into Business Networking and therefore Business Opportunities. For networking opportunities that deliver more business than social interaction have a look at:
Business Warriors at www.businesswarriors.co.za
Inner Circle at www.innercircleforum.com
Small Business Hub at www.small-business-hub.co.za
S A Business Hub at www.sabusinesshub.co.za
Women In Finance at www.womeninfinance.co.za
Women Inc at www.womeninc.co.za

Good luck and good networking!

Social networking goes local
Carly Ritz

22 November 2006 at 10h42

Online social networks are buzzing at the moment as people around the world are realising the benefits of connecting with other people online.

In the hope of promoting a high level of social and business interaction CoNectar Networks, owned by John Raath and Doug Timberlake, have created http://www.mygenius.co.za/.

MyGenius is a social networking site with local roots that allows users to promote themselves, build relationships and possibly collaborate with others.


The focus of MyGenius is to give individuals a space to showcase their skills, brand themselves and share their ideas. Owner John Raath says “the ethos of My Genius is a supportive, caring, don't-be-shy-about-what-you-can-do, grow-your-world community.”

Corne Mac Kenzie, who uses MyGenius, says that she “loves the site and it has put her in touch with people with whom she may not have necessarily made contact” and because MyGenius is local, Mac Kenzie has been able to meet some of these people.

One such person is a woman who runs her own HIV/Aids organisation who Mac Kenzie says “made her aware of much larger issues at play in the country”. Another person who is benefiting from the site is user Jack Rahme who is in the process of doing business with people that he has met online.

Although only 3-months old, MyGenius already has a large membership. The site has an internal messaging system, an email notification system as well as clubs and blogs.

The clubs enable members to connect, either publicly or privately around any issue or opportunity while the blogs encourage people to publish their thoughts, raise issues and share ideas. Raath says about these features “We want people to connect as powerfully as possible and as easily as possible.

MyGenius has also integrated the popular instant messaging programme MSN and Skype, the voice over IP protocol, to promote connecting and communicating even more.

The ethos of the site is based on providing authentic information. Members are accountable for what they say and the site has the right to remove anyone anytime if the ethos is not upheld.

My Genius will be launched internationally early in 2007.

THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE

The Right to Choose.
Today’s quote comes from Oprah Winfrey, who says “Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.”
Actually Oprah comes up with some pretty dynamic stuff from time to time and this is one of those times. How often do we actually get to choose our own path – well I guess the answer would be All the Time. Strictly speaking I don’t think that that is true!

Now before everyone starts jumping up and down on my head, let me explain.

I recently parted company with a friend. It was a relatively ‘new’ friend as the friendship was only about four years old (my ‘oldest’ friendship is going on for thirty five years now), so in the grand scheme of things, I wasn’t too emotionally devastated. Losing or walking away from a friendship is not something that is new to me, however, that said, it is not done lightly.

To give you a brief, if somewhat un-emotional run down of what happened here are the highlights. Lets call her Anne.

Anne met a new man in November. I have no problem with that, in fact I have always encouraged her relationships. Within 6 weeks he had purchased her a new lounge suite, new bedroom suite and there were new appliances for the kitchen on order. Still no problem for me as long as you are aware of why all these purchases are taking place. What did start happening in the beginning of December though, is that suddenly arrangements that were made with me months and weeks before he arrived on the scene, were cancelled at the last minute (I mean an hour or so before we were due to meet) and the cancellation was done by SMS. Not good. For me this is disrespectful on two levels. One is that now I am being treated like I am not good enough (and yes it is my right to choose to believe and/or react like that) and secondly breaking an arrangement like that should be done in person, even if it is done telephonically, with an explanation – not be SMS. Again for me that is like saying that I am not worth the call.

Me being who I am, I confronted her about this and then discovered that the problem is that this man is one of those controlling, manipulating type people. It also came out that he was now paying most of her bills, rent and the like and that he basically didn’t want her to see anyone (and that included friends) except for himself of course. Every time she told him of a meeting planned between the two of us, he ‘closed’ his wallet and threw a temper tantrum. She, now being used to the additional money, gave in and then not wanting any kind of confrontation with me, sent me an SMS to cancel our arrangement. Well that is also her choice I guess, but it is one that was very cleverly manipulated by this fellow under the guise of – ‘well I’ll help you financially because you have gotten yourself into a bit of a financial situation.”

This kind of behaviour also carries a huge consequence – you see not only has she lost me as a friend (my choice is not to allow anyone to treat me with this kind of disrespect) but further on down the line, she will lose the ability to make any kind of decision of her own – they will all be made by him. Technically, she will have given him the right to make all decisions for her, because of the control that he will exercise over her in the disguise of money. Not nice at all, but it was her choice to allow him to do it the second time.

You see, another of Oprah’s sayings is “Believe someone the first time they tell you something!” The first time he manipulated her with money, she should have made the right choice. She didn’t and the result is that in a way she has given him “permission” to continue in this way.

Oprah is right when she says that the right to choose is a sacred one. It is something that many people have gone to war over and have given their lives for. It is something that we as individuals should treasure and guard.

Whenever we make a choice, we should consciously remember those who made the wrong choice, in the first place, and who as a result of that, now have very little choice at all.

MISSING GARDEN GNOMES FOUND IN SHADY SPOT

Oh I love this stuff - high jinx, just for the sake of it! Well done gnome liberationists!

Missing garden gnomes found in shady spot

November 02 2006 at 02:16AM

Limoges - Seventy-nine garden gnomes, snatched by a so-called gnome liberation group, were found on Wednesday along the banks of a stream in the central Limousin region, police said.

Police said the gnomes were hidden in some underbrush with a banner that read: "Gnome mistreated, gnome liberated." A national garden gnome liberation operation was announced on the group's website in honour of the November 1 French holiday, All Saint's Day.

Last month 86 gnomes were found in the yard of a Limoges high school. Others, stolen last summer, were discovered along the edge of a swimming pool on the outskirts of the city. "Because of the heat wave, they wanted to get some air," read a letter that appeared in gnome owners' mailboxes.

According to the group's website, the Front for the Liberation of Garden Gnomes (FLNJ) has about 100 active members throughout France, as well as in Canada, Germany, Spain, and the United States. - Sapa-AFP

PIRATES CAN BLOODY SA WATERS, WARNS UN

Good heavens! Will someone please remind me, exactly what centuary are we living in? Clearly I am living in the dark ages - I thought pirates went out of fashion with highwaymen, although I guess highwaymen were just replaced by hi-jackers. Captain Hook appears also to have replaced cutlass with surface-to-surface missiles, rocket propelled grenades, armed helicopters and heavy calibre machine-guns such as anti-aircraft guns!

Pirates can bloody SA waters, warns UN

Graeme Hosken

November 27 2006 at 04:31AM

Ruthless sea pirates who plunder hundreds of ships each year off the coast of Africa are moving south, threatening South African waters, experts have warned. The United Nations Security Council and international maritime safety organisations have urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take drastic action against gangs of heavily armed pirates.

The calls follow South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils' warnings last year that sea piracy was creeping closer and closer to South Africa and that the country needed to "move swiftly" and establish good intelligence networks to stop pirate attacks. Between January and November, 48 ships were attacked around Africa by gangs of pirates armed with an assortment of weapons, including surface-to-surface missiles, rocket propelled grenades, armed helicopters and heavy calibre machine-guns such as anti-aircraft guns.



'Pirates are moving their operations further south'

Pirates, many of whom operate "phantom" ships disguised as vessels in distress, use intelligence operatives stationed at Richards Bay, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town harbours to feed organised crime syndicates with information detailing sailing times, destinations, routes, cargos and numbers of crew.

The warning of pirate attacks occurring in South African waters comes as the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) release their statistics on world pirate attacks. According to the IMB and IMO, between January and September 174 ships were attacked by pirates worldwide. This is down from the 205 attacks in 2005. Of the 174 attacks, pirates boarded 113 vessels, hijacked 11, took 163 sailors hostage, including 14 Nigerian naval officers, kidnapped 20 sailors and murdered six.

According to the IMB, the latest attack in SADC waters took place 10 days ago when 15 pirates in a high-powered speedboat attacked a container ship waiting to berth in Dar es Salaam harbour in Tanzania. Two days before the attack, 10 Somali pirates hijacked a general cargo vessel travelling from Richards Bay to the United Arab Emirates off the Somali coast using a helicopter gunship and several specially modified speedboats. The ship was carrying charcoal. The attack took place near the port of Mogadishu.

South Africa needed to step in and help its neighbours

The IMB said a group in control of parts of Somalia dispatched several high-powered speed boats to chase the vessel. Following a fierce four-hour gunfight, the search and recovery team, who killed two pirates and arrested eight others, regained control of the vessel and returned it to its owners. Unconfirmed reports said 30 surface-to-surface missiles were seized. Tshwane University of Technology safety and security department lecturer Henri Fouche said the escalation of attacks showed it was just a matter of time before South Africa was targeted. "It is clear that pirates are moving their operations further south as they discover there are few, if any, navies operating in southern African waters, especially around countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros and Namibia."

This means pirates will continue to move south, coming closer to South Africa where yachts, fishing ships and cargo vessels will be attacked," Fouche said. He said another reason South Africa and other SADC countries were becoming a major target for pirates was the recent discovery of oil and gas off the Tanzanian coast and the fact that six million tons of oil were transported around South Africa's western coast every month making this "a gem" for pirates.

He said: "It is therefore imperative that we start assist our neighbouring countries to stop these attacks before they reach our shores." IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan said the number of pirate attacks, especially along Africa's west and east coasts, was an "extreme cause for concern". "The attacks which have taken place along the sea borders of countries such as Somalia and Nigeria are very worrying, especially with the amount of violence used," he said. "In the past, our main area of concern when it came to pirate attacks was South East Asia, but our focus is shifting to Africa where the attacks are both increasing and becoming more violent."We are worried about Africa because of the lack of naval forces and law enforcement agencies on the continent which can successfully counter these criminals," he said.

Mukundan said South Africa needed to step in and help its neighbours and other SADC countries if piracy was to be eradicated from the region's waters.He said the assistance would have to be in the form of resources, money and training.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on November 27, 2006

WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE - PART 2

Morning bloggers - sorry no article for yesterday - just too busy!

ARTICLE 2

WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE – PART 2


There is a “Code of Good Practice – Who is an Employee”, that has been published and it is a 53 page document, that looks at this question, in great detail – I will be dealing with this over the next couple of weeks.

The code starts out by setting a whole bunch of guidelines. It’s main objective is to make things clearer to Joe Public, about who a staff member is for the purposes of the Labour Relations Act and other Labour related legislation.

It also deals specifically with all the differences between an employee, and everything about that relationship, that is controlled (or should be) by the regulations that are promulgated by Labour Legislation and independent contracting.

There is a very big difference between the two and although we, as SMME’s sometimes blur the lines, there is a very definite line between the two.

The code also ensures that the employee is protected through the various Labour laws and that these employees are not put by the SMME into contracting arrangements, thereby depriving them of the protection of Labour law.

We need to understand that Labour Department are not complete idiots, they are aware of the fact that there are some employers out there, who have contracts that because of the wording, camouflage the employment relationship, and in so doing ensure that the employee does not have any legal rights to fair treatment.

There appear to be some really strange employment relationships in the Labour market such as, but not limited to:
Disguised employment,
Ambiguous employment relationships,
Non-standard employment and
Triangular relationships.

It stands to reason, that the employers to whom this applies, will at some point be caught out and when you do – understand that you will be way up past your eyebrows, in the smelly brown stuff. So if there are any of you out there, understand you need to sort it out and you need to do that quickly!

The code requires that “any person who is interpreting or applying any of the following Acts, must take this code into account for the purpose of determining whether a particular person is an employee, in terms of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LBR); the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 (BCEA); the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA); or the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 (SDA)”.
This obviously means that the definition of ‘who an employee is’? is slightly different in the Code than it is in the various Acts, and that the definition in the Code now supercedes those in the above mentioned Acts.

It also requires the Code “should also be taken into account in determining whether persons are employees in terms of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 86 of 1993 (OHSA); the Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 (COIDA) and the Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of 2001 (UIFA).”

Again, the definition of ‘who an employee is’? is slightly different in the Code than it is in the various Acts, and that the definition in the Code now supercedes those in the above mentioned Acts.

Next week, we will continue to look at exactly “Who is an employee”.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 44

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 44

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Make contact within three days of meeting people”.

Oh dear! This is one that I fall down on quite badly sometimes! Well maybe not hey – you see I try and send everyone an e-mail as soon after I have met them as is humanly possible. The e-mail tells them a little more about who I am and what it is that I do and also gives them my Business Profile.

Then here comes the challenge, for me at any rate, contacting those people again telephonically to set up individual meetings! It could take a week or even more to get hold of that person again and set up a meeting with them. Those that get hold of me (and I must admit that they are very far and few between) obviously then get an appointment before the rest, but that’s just first come first serve.

Remember it’s in your own best interest to get hold of the person that you met as soon as possible and make an appointment to see then, sit down and have a one on one with them – it increases your ‘circle of influence’ and in so doing it also increases your ‘value add’ and more importantly – it also more often than not, brings you work – whether it’s the person themselves who can give you work or whether it is someone that they know who needs your services and/or widgets – it’s all work and that is the bottom line!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at www.hirs.co.za

HACKING IT: NETWORKING POWER

For me, there is nothing left to say - I am sure that all an sundry know exactly how I feel about networking - this is just another affirmation on what I have been saying for a very long time!

Hacking IT: Networking power
Ronnie Apteker
27 October 2006 at 07h00


Pulling power. Buying power. The power in numbers. Today's column is all about the power of networks, and networking. The opposite of networking is not working, as a wise man once said to me.

Have you ever walked into a store and asked for a cash discount. And how about a bulk discount. Not so easy when you are on your own. But if you knew of someone else who wanted to buy the same car, say, then perhaps you could go to the car dealer and ask for a better price if you purchased two new vehicles instead of one. And perhaps you could now go and find a few more friends who want the same car. As your network of liked-minded buyers grows, then so does your leverage. Networking is all about leverage. Both offline and online.

But, as we realize, it is easier said than done. Who has time to canvas all their friends to see what they are wanting to spend their hard earned money on, in an effort to get a bulk discount. But wait a minute; this is what technology is so good at doing.


Imagine building an online service whereby you can announce what you are keen to buy and if there are any similar shoppers out there they can put their name on a list and before you know it you can group together as a bunch of aligned consumers. Then, you present yourselves as an army of buyers and aim for that bulk discount.

China is a land which is famous for its networking. In China, business is all about one's network - this is part of the culture. Many web sites have popped up in China, for example, to promote "team buying". And the number one item that the Chinese consumer at large is trying to get a deal on is in the electronics space.

What the Internet has always done was bring people together, virtually. And now, you have consumers that are gathering online before grouping together at a physical store in an effort to bargain down the price.

This team buying trend first began in cyberspace in the online newsgroups and in the chat rooms. But, the web has taken over from here and has added intelligence and sophistication to the mission.

We have seen in years gone by the price comparison engines that sprung up on the Internet, with offerings like Froogle, and Priceline. But this team sport phenomena bands consumers together looking for the same goodies. And then, off they go in the real world to present their bulk buying argument to, what must be, a flabbergasted store manager, who doesn't know where to turn.

This all about flexing one's collective consumer muscle. Sounds like the people of the world are getting together to form Corporation Community. Yes, I like that - cool sounding name.

I heard strategist Clem Sunter give a talk earlier this year. And he said that a contract in China is merely a serious intent to negotiate. This new bulk buying team sport seems to fit in well with this ideology.

Bargaining appears to be a way of life in China and consumers there treat the pricing stickers in shops as a starting point for their negotiations. The Internet is helping to facilitate this behaviour and it is empowering the consumers out there. You've got to love this new technology, and the people that embrace this new world!


This article was originally published in http://www.busrep.co.za/

IMPROVING THE PRESENT

IMPROVING THE PRESENT

Today’s quote comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who says, “Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.”

So what does this mean to you?

For me, it’s a reminder not to live in the past. So many times, I find myself looking at instances that occurred in the past, not only from a personal point of view, but also from a business point of view, and getting upset all over again. What an absolute waste of time and energy! It doesn’t matter how upset I get, or how righteously angry – nothing will change what happened. We can’t re-live it, we can’t go back and do it again or do it differently.

This of course means that we have to live with the consequences of the past and we can surely learn from our mistakes. But none of those consequences and our subsequent learning means anything if we don’t use them in a present to make our lives easier.

So when you find yourself wallowing in self pity because of something that happened to you in the past – do yourself a favour. Kick your own butt, and get down to applying what you learnt and the lessons from the past to what you are doing now.

Make a difference to your life now – you cannot do anything about the past, but you can certainly improve the present, by utilizing the lessons learnt from your experiences in the past.

2007: LOOK BACK IN LAUGHTER

2007: Look back in laughter

France, Paris



30 December 2007 11:59

Did you know Belgium was for sale? Or that Switzerland invaded Liechtenstein? Heard the one about the bank who issued a cat with a credit card? Or how about the British man who claimed he had made the world's first cellphone call from Mount Everest? He said it was "cold". Here is a selection of wild and wonderful news items from 2007.


The CNN TV network had to apologise to United States presidential hopeful Barack Obama after it confused his surname with the first name of the world's best-known terrorism suspect. A sequence on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden carried the caption "Where's Obama?"


An Australian bank was embarrassed when it emerged that it had issued a credit card to a cat. The owner of Messiah, a ginger tom, had put in the spoof application to test the bank's security system.


A 100-year-old woman in Germany moved out of her retirement home after six weeks saying she found the other residents not only boring but also "too old". She returned home to her cat.


Switzerland's army inadvertently invaded the tiny neighbouring state of Liechtenstein. A unit on manoeuvres got lost in the dead of night, officials said.


The Norwegian government abolished a regulation that had allowed strip-clubs to claim exemption from sales tax on the grounds that their performances were an art form.


A British man claimed the dubious distinction of making the first ever cellphone call from the summit of Mount Everest. "It's cold" were his first words.


Fishery officials in China restocked a river with 13 truckloads of live carp, only to realise that thousands of residents from a nearby city had immediately swarmed to the banks a short way downstream and caught most of them.


Transport officials in Australia try to discourage men from driving too fast with a series of TV ads featuring attractive woman suggesting that speeding males were trying to compensate for inadequate virility.


A town in South Korea which spent about $140-million to build its own airport was then forced to admit that no airlines actually wanted to fly there.


The Chinese capital Beijing began a campaign to improve its signposting in English ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. Among signs in need of correcting were ones for "Pubic Toilets," and "Deformed Men" -- the latter indicating facilities for the handicapped.


A United States man who ordered flowers for his mistress sued the florists after they sent a note to his home thanking him for his order -- thereby informing his wife of his infidelity.


An African medicine man dived into a river in Tanzania after promising his fellow villagers that he would bring back revelations from ancestral spirits lurking underwater. He drowned.


A child maths prodigy who started university in Hong Kong at age nine, said he found the courses too easy, and rather boring.


A Belgian prankster reacted to a prolonged political crisis in his native land by putting the entire country up for sale on the internet auction site eBay. The company halted the bidding.


Dutch anglers were up in arms against immigrant workers from Poland, who also enjoy fishing in the many local lakes. The problem being that the Poles actually eat the fish they catch, whereas the Dutch believe in simply putting them back in the water.


A posh food store in New York was embarrassed after an employee, who was clearly not Jewish, stuck a "Delicious for Hanukkah" sign on hams. Jews, for whom Hanukkah is a religious holiday, do not eat pork. - AFP

DLAMINI-ZUMA MAY APPEAL SEX-PEST TRIAL COSTS

What is it with the Zuma's, that they continually find themselves in the middle of the most bizarre battles and then cry 'foul'! Perhaps it is time for them both to come clean - like that will ever happen - but I can dream can't I?

Dlamini-Zuma may appeal sex-pest trial costs
December 02 2006 at 01:56PM

Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma may appeal the Pretoria High Court's decision to award costs against her in the sexual harassment trial of a former ambassador. The two parties had agreed that the minister would pay the cost of the application if she opposed the matter in court, said her spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa. "Since Minister Dlamini-Zuma did not oppose the matter, the decision to award costs against the minister has created grounds for appeal."

On Friday the Pretoria High Court overruled an earlier decision by Dlamini-Zuma to overturn sexual harassment charges against former ambassador to Indonesia, Norman Mashabane. Mamoepa said calls from the Democratic Alliance for Dlamini-Zuma to apologise to the victims and all South African women were publicity attempts.


"This amounts to hanging on to the coat-tails of the minister to gain cheap publicity." The minister's contribution to gender equality within the South African struggle and her opposition to women abuse and sexual harassment were "unparalleled". "Minister Dlamini-Zuma remains steadfast in her commitment to the principles of gender equality, not for glory nor distinction, but because that remains one of the essence of the kind of democratic society for which she struggled and will live for."

The minister was waiting for a copy of the judgment and would then determine "the course of action", he said. "The minister will study the judgment and consider an appeal against the awarding of costs against her and the government. "The re-instatement of the sexual harassment charges came after the Public Servants' Association and a department employee, Lara Swart, asked the court to overturn a 2004 appeal decision by the minister allowing Mashabane to stay in his job. Mashabane was found guilty by a disciplinary committee in 2001 of 22 counts of sexual harassment.

The committee recommended that he be fired, but remained in his post pending an appeal and was found guilty of another sexual harassment count in 2003. His appeals were upheld in 2004 by Dlamini-Zuma, who reversed the findings, suggesting that Mashabane was being dragged through the mud for exposing motor vehicle fraud at the embassy. - Sapa

WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE - PART 1

ARTICLE 1

WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE – PART 1

When your business has gotten to the stage that you need to employ someone to assist you, there are certain guidelines that you should follow in order to meet the requirements of the Labour Relations Act.

Hopefully by this stage you have actually identified what it is that you want them to do, whether you want them as a full day employee or a half day - obviously dependant on the amount of work that there is – and of course whether they are a senior person or a junior person that you can train and/or mold into doing things the way that you want them done.

So now you think that you are sorted and you can start putting out the word, and/or advertising for the staff member that you want! Not really hey, there are other things to take into consideration.

These are but not limited to:
1. Are you going to employ them on a full time basis, as a permanent employee ?
2. Are you going to employ them as a temporary and/or casual basis, or
3. Are you going to employ them on a sub or independent contractual basis?

Perhaps it is time to step back a little and go back to basics. It’s time to discover if we actually know “Who is an Employee”?

Over the next couple weeks we will go step by step through the process and discover what is required by law and what the different terms actually mean.

So here is step one.

I have found, during my travels through the SMME market that there are many and I mean many employers, who think that if the staff member is a Contractor, he/she is not entitled to leave, sick leave or any other benefits.

In fact I am sure that I can say with confidence, that there are many employers who think that if a staff member is an Independent Contractor, and he/she has a contract in place that also indicates this, that he/she is not entitled to leave, sick leave or any other benefits that are laid down in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

Most employers who think like this are merely using these terms to avoid their obligations in terms of the Labour Laws and Labour Legislation and of course by doing this they are also avoiding things like pension and medical aid and any other benefits that they give to their “Permanent” employees.

For the record: An Independent Contractor is not an ‘employee’ and cannot be an ‘employee’ – so don’t get confused by this.
In next week’s article I will start documenting exactly ‘Who is and Employee’ in terms of the Labour Relations Act.

HIV VACCINE TRIALS IN SA PUT ON HOLD

Oh my! Surely the Minister, if she was interested enough, would make it her business to find out what was happening in he realm! Why now berate the very people who are trying to do something and the media because you have no idea what is happening in your world!

HIV vaccine trials in SA put on hold
Pretoria, South Africa
14 November 2007 09:34


All HIV vaccine trials in South Africa have been put on hold following the failure of the Phambili HIV vaccine trial. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on Wednesday invited researchers who worked on the Phambili study to her office in Pretoria to explain the reasons why the vaccine trial was stopped. She complained that they had not informed her of the suspension of the trial and that she had had to find out about it in the media. She also blamed the media for not writing enough about the vaccine trials.

The trial in South Africa of the experimental vaccine was put on hold in September and then suspended in October after trials in the United States showed signs that the vaccine somehow raised the risk of infection. South African researchers were still waiting for 67 of the 799 people who took part in the study to return to the sites where they received the shot to be tested, before they could decide if similar results were found in South Africa.

It could take six weeks for the results after the last person has been tested, said Professor Glenda Gray, of the prenatal HIV unit at Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital, the national principal investigator for the Phambili trial. Pending the outcome of the research on why the vaccine in the US had raised the risk of contracting HIV and whether or not this was the case in South Africa, all vaccine trials in the country have been put on hold.

Professor Anthony Mbewu, president of the Medical Research Council, said there were no trials at the moment but two trials due to start early next year would be affected. "We are committed to research, but it cannot be research at all costs," Tshabalala-Msimang said.

The Phambili study -- or HVTN 503, as it was known in research circles -- began enrolling participants in January this year. Since then 799 people had been enrolled and 55 were fully immunised. They will be told who had received the vaccine and who had received the placebo.

The study was conducted at five sites in Soweto, Cape Town, Klerksdorp, Pretoria and Durban. - Sapa

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 43

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 43

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Making two or three good contacts at an event is good enough. You don’t have to ‘work’ the whole room”.

Now she tells me! This is one of the biggest mistakes that I made when I first went to Networking events and/or meetings. In my enthusiasm I wanted to talk to everybody and ran around frenetically trying to get every person’s card and then afterwards trying desperately to get an appointment with someone! That was really hard work and in many ways very soul destroying too.

You see many people don’t understand the value of networking and so they couldn’t see the connection or synergies that ‘could have been’ and the result of that of course was that they couldn’t see why there was a need to meet with me in the first place, let alone discuss ways in which we could help one another. That, for me was, and still is very difficult to understand.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I was spending a huge amount of time and energy on people who could not see the value of what I was doing – so quite frankly – why bother!

Nowadays, even if I only make one contact, that for me is good enough. That one person, understanding what networking is all about and the value that I not only get from that person, but the value that I can give to that person, is worth far more to me in time, effort and good referrals than 100 people who cannot see the value and have no interest in what I am doing.

So be selective, get in touch with ‘like minded people’ – don’t waste your time and energy on those who cannot or will not see!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at www.hirs.co.za

THE DARK SIDE OF TEEN MALL CULTURE

This is so sad, and I must say that now that I think about it, I have seen a larger number of young teenagers running around my local mall, unsupervised. Most of the time they travel in packs - the 'goth' look seems to be a favorite, but not having children of my own, I very seldom take any notice of them other than when they annoy me and then usually one of my "looks" is enough to move them along!

It is true though that responsibility for children/teenagers does seem to belong to everyone else other than the parents. I recently called the mall to complain about children who were wandering around the car park trying to get money out of parking shoppers for a rugby tour or some other school type function. These kids were so intent on what it was that they were doing, that they were not taking traffic and the like into any kind of account. I almost drove over one youngster when he darted out between two cars, without actually looking where he was going. He actually ran into the side of my car! The Centre Management of the mall had no knowledge of these children in the car park and yet I am sure that if anything had happened to the kid, someone, somewhere would have blamed the mall.

Perhaps it is time that parents found out what their children are doing on a daily basis and take some responsibility for them. After all, it's their children - not anyone else's!

The dark side of teen mall culture
April 06 2007 at 11:31AM
By Ntokozo Mfusi

Teenage mall culture is alive and well and growing at an ever-increasing rate. However, the glitz and buzz of these so-called shopping "theatres" has a darker side, spawning anti-social behaviour that at times borders on outright violence, gang warfare and criminal activity. The recent closure of local under-18 clubs hasn't helped, nor has the lack of affordable recreational facilities for teenagers.

Stories from tenants and shoppers alike are legion, including reports of children as young as 11 and 12 experimenting with alcohol, smoking, even having sex. However, most of these concerns would probably have been swept away in the holiday rush if it were not for the killing of Sizwe James Mkwame, a 17-year-old schoolboy fatally stabbed at Gateway's Theatre of Shopping last Friday.


They then linked up with boys much older than themselves

The incident has prompted heightened awareness of the risks facing younger children who socialise without some adult supervision. A number of issues have emerged relating to negative aspects of mall culture.

Pavilion General Manager Preston Gaddy said a contributing problem was the number of young girls who arrived at the centre "inappropriately" dressed and heavily made up, which gave the impression they were far older than their years. They then linked up with boys much older than themselves. "Many parents have been dumbfounded when shown video footage of their children's behaviour."

Durban child psychologist Rita Suliman said the way many young children were mixing and meeting at venues outside their homes and schools was not appropriate for their age. It led to a syndrome of "experiencing too much too soon" which in turn led to boredom.

'Discipline and education start at home'

"Giving material things like money for entertainment and clothes can never take the place of time spent on a child's psychological development. Children don't need the mall to have fun. You have to ask where going to each others' homes and doing activities together have gone?" Suliman believed there was a tendency for parents to use malls as "tools" to take care of their kids." Just a few years ago television replaced social activities aimed at developing children. Now it's the mall. What's next?" Parents, she said, were supposed to lead by example and instil coping, surviving and defence mechanisms in their children. This appears not to be happening and children now need help.

It was an area of concern, she said, that parents no longer worked with teachers or took time to find out how their children were doing at school or socially. "All that is happening is that they shift the responsibility of instilling values and emotional grounding to others." There will always be things that tempt children, but with the proper value systems and background, children will develop their own boundaries," said Suliman. "You don't find problem children, you find problem parents."

Sayed Rajack, chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Parents' Association, said that in the light of recent events parents needed to take greater responsibility for their children. "Discipline and education start at home." He believed children should be involved in more sporting fixtures during the holidays. In the wake of mall culture concerns, Gateway spokesperson Max Henderson said there were plans to launch a communication campaign next week aimed at improving awareness in the surrounding community. Kelvin Glen, spokesperson for Business Against Crime in KwaZulu-Natal, said they were working on a project to assist the Retail Association, Shopping Centre Owners' Association and the Shopping Centre Council on safety and security issues.

"Shopping centre safety," he said "is not only about armed robberies but also social crime issues." For more information on Business Against Crime KwaZulu-Natal call 082 229 6349/031 332 0437 or email kelvinglen@mweb.co.za.
This article was originally published on page 4 of The Mercury on April 06, 2007

STRENGHT OF CHARACTER

Strength

Today’s quote comes from an anonymous person who said “It takes a strong man to swim against the current; any dead fish will float with it"

I had to smile when I read this and thought about what I am going to write today – I had this instant video in my head, with all these lifeless fish just floating along! Smelly and unpleasant to say the least! Oh the movies that my head produces – not all of them pleasant and many of them could very well turn into absolute nightmare!

And nightmares is what a great number of business owners will have if the majority of the people that they employ are “dead fish” – you know the ones that I mean. Yes, it’s those that come to work because they have no place else to go, they put in the time – just barely – they don’t put in more effort, than the bear minimum that it takes to allow life to be sustainable. They don’t work a second more than they are required to and God forbid that they should ever be passionate or even care about what it is that they do!

For me, working with people like this is very, execruciatingly, very painful. They are the ones that you sometimes want to shake, just to see if they are actually still alive!

I mean, exactly what is the point? Why do anything at all if it’s not worth going the whole hog, and giving your best effort. Why attempt anything at if you can’t look at it, once the job is done, with pride or even with understanding, because of the lesson learnt – it’s just this complete indifference that gets me every time.

I understand that there are a great number of people out there who are fearful of making a mistake, scared of what people may say or think about them. I could not live like that either – in constant fear - that would be a total waste of effort and emotion too for that matter. Can you imagine living life, constantly looking over your should to see if anyone is watching you – constantly straining to hear what people are saying, because they may be saying something about you! Oh good God no! That would be just too weird for words.

For me, life is about the living of it, of every moment! Taking it in both hands, enjoying it, savouring it, pushing it, tasting it loving it!

It’s about trying new things, even failing at them – as long as you learn the lesson. It’s about pushing the boundaries, to see how far you can go.

It’s about testing my own limits. It’s about learning new things. It’s about laughter and yes even tears, it’s about life!

Floating about like a dead fish is not for me – it’s, well, it’s “for dead fish”!

Give me a staff member with a bit of life in them any day – they may test my patience (what little I have), they may make me mad and drive me crazy, but they will always pleasantly surprise me too.

THE NEW COMMANDMENTS - AS THEY SHOULD BE!

The NEW COMMANDMENTS - as they should be!

These are Charlie's Moral Commandments as taken from the book by Alistair Wilson, a brilliant book made even more so by the profundity of Charlie's Commandments. Enjoy!

Don't let them laugh at you, or take advantage of your sweet nature.

Give credit where credit is due.

Nor a lender be.

If you take good care of your cash-flow, then it will take good care of you.

Don't struggle to understand another's point of view, for they won't stive to see yours.

There's a fucker born every minute.

Don't let the bastards get you down.

But always keep your hair on in public.

Home is where the heart is.

Keep your snout out of other people's troughs.

Try not to be sentimental.

DO YOUR BEST TO LIKE YOURSELF.

Your first responsibility is to yourself and your own.

But don't forget the dog.

Take the tablets if they help.

Don't think too much - it causes confusion and saps your confidence.

Don't get your interests in a twist.

Keep your thoughts apart from your feelings or they'll fight like cat and dog.

Don't feel guilty.YOU HAD YOUR REASONS.

There's always an explanation.

Be firm but fair.

And stay out of mischief.

Then everyone can be happy.

That's my morality.

You live and learn.

You make a contribution. Before you die.

STATE IS IN DENIAL - BUTHELEZI

Well there's nothing new there now is there! When Dr Beetroot was on sick leave and they didn't like what her deputy said, irrespective of the fact that what she was true, she got fired! What is happening to our so called democracy? How long will it be before the rot is so firmly entrenched that not even a crow bar will remove it. I almost choked when I read that Buthelezi said "an extraordinary level of moral leadership" would be needed if the country was to confront its problems.", and who did we get - our one and only Zuma who is up on fraud and corruption charges - now there is a man with a "truely extraorindary and even more remarkable level of moral leadership"! I personally doubt that he could find a 'moral' if it bit him on the arse!

State is in denial - Buthelezi
October 08 2006 at 04:44PM

The South African government was in denial over the realities of HIV and Aids, crime and unemployment, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said over the weekend. "One is shocked by the negligent conduct of government... for such neglect mirrors the syndrome of denial which has characterised government's response in respect of all the real problems of this country," he told the party's 31st annual conference in Ulundi on Saturday.

A lack of willingness on government's part to accept that crime-fighting in the country was structurally and intrinsically wrong, was discussed at the meeting. Buthelezi also criticised the country's leader. He said "an extraordinary level of moral leadership" would be needed if the country was to confront its problems.


"We are constantly confronted with a litany of abuses of power, which shows that our present ruling class has no respect for the state and the rule of law. When the law does not suite their political objective, they change it." He said party floor-crossing as one example. "The Constitution was amended to make legal legislation allowing political representatives to cross the floor, which had been previously declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court."

"The ANC goes through the electoral process and when its results do not suit it, it merely steals away those elected by other parties." He cited the ANC's handling of its defeat in the city of Cape Town during recent municipal elections there as testament to its attitude. "When the rules of democracy do not yield an ANC victory, the ANC just ignores or changes such rules. The outrageous and morally repugnant conduct with which they are now trying to oust... the democratically-elected mayor of Cape Town is a precedent which affects everyone," Buthelezi concluded.

The IFP's conference ends on Sunday. - Sapa

MAGISTRATE SLEEPS THROUGH CASE

Man, oh man! This is priceless! I can't say that I am surprised - it's sad really, when you get to the stage where very little surprises you any more - make the world a really jaded place!

On a more serious note, she should be struck off the role - this is absolutely disgusting. What if this was a murder case or perhaps she never gets the realy juciy ones because she falls asleep all the time. I mean how did she get through university - oh, oh, oh - did she actually go to university and does she have a law degree?

Now there's a question that should be asked!

South Africa
Magistrate sleeps through case
2007-8-29 23:06
Delmas -

"I couldn't believe my eyes. There I stood being cross-examined in court and the magistrate was asleep."

Anet Ruck of Sunshine chicken abattoir had this experience this week when she was the chief witness in a case of stock theft.

The case will now apparently have to be struck from the roll or tried again, because the magistrate, Raesetea Malahlela allegedly fell asleep while a case of stock theft was being heard.
Ruck complained formally in a sworn statement at the court on Wednesday.

She said that she had been in court on Monday to testify in a case in which the accused allegedly tried to steal two pigs from her neighbour.

[

"I'd never been in court before and I was very nervous.
"I was stunned initially when the magistrate sat chewing bubble gum. Every now and then there'd be a popping sound when she let the bubbles burst.

"It was very disturbing. When the accused began to cross-examine me, I noticed that the magistrate was slumped with her head right back against the chair. She was fast asleep."

Ruck said she was cross examined for about 15 minutes and the magistrate slept through it all.
Ruck said the interpreter eventually tried to wake her by calling out "Your honour!", but it didn't work.

The prosecutor then got up and spoke to her loudly.
"The court burst into laughter when she suddenly woke up.
"She just grinned sheepishly and rubbed her eyes. She then adjourned the court, saying it was tea-time," Ruck said.

Malahlela could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Chief magistrate Adel Viljoen confirmed that the incident had been reported, but she declined to comment.

She referred all enquiries to David Ngobeni, the provincial chief magistrate in Nelspruit.
Ngobeni was at a meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday and did not respond to Beeld's enquiries.
Beeld heard reliably that it was not the first time that Malahlela had been reported for sleeping on the job.

She has apparently been found sleeping on the floor behind her desk twice, including once in December last year.

Beeld

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 42

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

PART 42

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Don’t confuse networking with friendship.”

Actually, whilst we are on the subject, don’t confuse business (of any kind) with friendship either – they are two different issues that should inhabit two different spaces in your life – if they don’t and if you confuse or blur the line the result could mean the loss of business and/or the loss of the friendship – so be careful about what you are doing and make sure that the lines and/or boundaries are very visible and very clear to all parties concerned.

Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with social networking, in fact you can make some really great contacts and even do some really good business on places like My Genius (www.mygenius.co.za) or even Facebook (www.facebook.com), but I wouldn’t rely on them as the sole focus of my networking commitments. I would use them rather as tools to enhance what I already have.

Other networking sites that would give great business opportunities are www.businesswarriors.co.za or www.innercircleforum.com or www.womeninfinance.co.za or www.sabusinesshub.co.za or www.sabusinessindex.co.za or www.biznetwork.co.za or www.small-business-hub.co.za or www.entrepreneur.co.za or even www.womeninc.co.za. There will always be some that feel a whole lot more comfortable than others – it’s a matter of choice. I would not say that one is necessarily better than the other – it’s about works for you at the end of the day.

Having said that however, you need to take the first step and actually get onto the site or get to a meeting and get going! Networking takes work, it doesn’t just happen!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at www.hirs.co.za

I decided to take another day off yesterday - hence no post and the one for today is apt and reflective - here's hoping that we all have a fabulous, prosperous, blessed and healthy 2008!

2007: Look back in laughter

France, Paris30 December 2007 11:59

Did you know Belgium was for sale? Or that Switzerland invaded Liechtenstein? Heard the one about the bank who issued a cat with a credit card? Or how about the British man who claimed he had made the world's first cellphone call from Mount Everest? He said it was "cold". Here is a selection of wild and wonderful news items from 2007.

The CNN TV network had to apologise to United States presidential hopeful Barack Obama after it confused his surname with the first name of the world's best-known terrorism suspect. A sequence on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden carried the caption "Where's Obama?"

An Australian bank was embarrassed when it emerged that it had issued a credit card to a cat. The owner of Messiah, a ginger tom, had put in the spoof application to test the bank's security system.

A 100-year-old woman in Germany moved out of her retirement home after six weeks saying she found the other residents not only boring but also "too old". She returned home to her cat.

Switzerland's army inadvertently invaded the tiny neighbouring state of Liechtenstein. A unit on manoeuvres got lost in the dead of night, officials said.

The Norwegian government abolished a regulation that had allowed strip-clubs to claim exemption from sales tax on the grounds that their performances were an art form.

A British man claimed the dubious distinction of making the first ever cellphone call from the summit of Mount Everest. "It's cold" were his first words.

Fishery officials in China restocked a river with 13 truckloads of live carp, only to realise that thousands of residents from a nearby city had immediately swarmed to the banks a short way downstream and caught most of them.

Transport officials in Australia try to discourage men from driving too fast with a series of TV ads featuring attractive woman suggesting that speeding males were trying to compensate for inadequate virility.

A town in South Korea which spent about $140-million to build its own airport was then forced to admit that no airlines actually wanted to fly there.

The Chinese capital Beijing began a campaign to improve its signposting in English ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. Among signs in need of correcting were ones for "Pubic Toilets," and "Deformed Men" -- the latter indicating facilities for the handicapped.

A United States man who ordered flowers for his mistress sued the florists after they sent a note to his home thanking him for his order -- thereby informing his wife of his infidelity.

An African medicine man dived into a river in Tanzania after promising his fellow villagers that he would bring back revelations from ancestral spirits lurking underwater. He drowned.

A child maths prodigy who started university in Hong Kong at age nine, said he found the courses too easy, and rather boring.

A Belgian prankster reacted to a prolonged political crisis in his native land by putting the entire country up for sale on the internet auction site eBay. The company halted the bidding.

Dutch anglers were up in arms against immigrant workers from Poland, who also enjoy fishing in the many local lakes. The problem being that the Poles actually eat the fish they catch, whereas the Dutch believe in simply putting them back in the water.

A posh food store in New York was embarrassed after an employee, who was clearly not Jewish, stuck a "Delicious for Hanukkah" sign on hams. Jews, for whom Hanukkah is a religious holiday, do not eat pork. - AFP