QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

The quote this week comes from Judith Sephuma the singer.

"Fly away my heart, don't despair. The world is full of joy. You cry, you smile then you dance."

As business owners, we often despair - despair at the business we don't seem to be able to generate, and when we generate it - the staff who staff let us down and we don't complete it on time or with the quality that we would like, or if we complete it perfectly and on time, the client doesn't want to pay! We despair at all the Government "red tape" that we ae faced with on a daily basis. We sometimes despair at all the challenges we are faced with, and yet . . . we generally survive! Many of us not only survive, but we end up making a pretty decent living not only for ourselves but for our employees too, and when we look back, we often remember the tears and perhaps even the smiles, but the best is the dance - the dance for joy at the people we have become.

Hoping that this week, brings forth "the dance" for all.

Regards

Nikki

WELCOME TO SOUTH AFRICA

Taken off the forum of the Business Warriors (on www.businesswarriors.co.za) - as funny as this appears on the surface, it also encompasses the very real challenges that entreneurs face on a daily basis as they try and get their businesses up and running, legitimately.

Irony aside, I hope you have all enjoyed, at least a little smile on this glorious Sunday morning!

Regards

Nikki

In the year 2007, The Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in South Africa, and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and overpopulated and I see the end of all flesh before me.

Build another Ark and save two of every living thing along with a few good humans." He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have six months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights".

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard..... but no ark. "Noah", He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark ?"

"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah. "But things have changed. I needed a building permit.

I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a fire detection and sprinkler system.

My neighbours claim that I've violated the neighbourhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations.

We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision.

Then South African Transport and Eskom demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power, trolley and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark 's move to the sea.

I argued that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.

Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the Giant Spotted Owl.

I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls. But no go!

When I started gathering the animals, I got sued by an animal rights group. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will.

As well, they argued the accommodation was too restrictive and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

Then Kort Broek of Environment Affairs ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.

I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many previously disadvantaged individuals I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.

Also, the trade unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark building experience.

To make matters worse, the Customs and Revenue via the Scorpions seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.

So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least ten years for me to finish this Ark." Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.

Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?". "No", said the Lord. "The South African Government beat me to it!"
__________________

FIREWORKS DISPLAY LEAVES MAN WITH BURNED BUM

Oh dear, I still seem to be on the fireworks "pulpit"! Not only are fireworks bad for pets, but it would appear that they are bad for humans too - albeit that the pets don't have any say in the matter and the humans do. Not withstanding that the humans in this particular story are less than intelligent! Who does stuff like this! Even if you are copying stuff from a movie, surely to goodness, at 22 you are aware that movies are done with stunts and stuntmen who are trained to do the stuff that they do. Surely as a soldier, who had just come back from Iraq, where bombs are flying all over the place, you are aware of what happens with bombs! Surely you understand, even if it is by sight alone, that although the fireworks goes forward, in order for it to do that, something has to come out of the back end!

Good grief man, if you're bored with a fireworks display, find something else to do, like go read a book!

Regards

Nikki

November 10 2006 at 02:03AM

London - A soldier is being treated for his injuries after setting off a firework between his buttocks.The 22-year-old, who told friends he was “bored” with a fireworks display, copied the stunt from the Jackass movie.

He dropped his trousers, and slipped a powerful Black Cat Thunderbolt between his cheeks. A friend set the firework alight and the soldier bent over as the firework exploded in a shower of sparks.

Laughing witnesses at the Sunderland event filmed the episode on a video phone, not realising their friend was badly hurt. The soldier, who had recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, ended up in Sunderland Royal Hospital, where he is being treated for a scorched colon and other injuries.

John Woodhead, chairperson of the Firework Association, said that he had never heard of an incident like it in 45 years.Woodhead added: “This sort of thing is beyond belief. We have spent a long time working with the government to create laws that make fireworks safer and better for the public. This incident is very concerning but hopefully an isolated one.” - Ananova.com

FIREWORKS HAVE PETS IN A FRENZY

How sad, that the very thing that seems to give people such joy during times of celebrations, bring such pain and agony to those that we claim to love so much! Yet, as long as our own satisfaction is guaranteed, we seem to have little if any consideration for the well being of our pets. When we read articles like this, we all nod our heads and frown and mutter words in condemnation of the irresponsible people around us who set off fireworks, at every opportunity, yet not only do we not do anything about it, but we also participate, whether it is by joining in the fun or even setting off a "few harmless bangs" of our own.

I know my own 3 cats all bolted inside and dived into the cupboard, where they hid behind my piles of clothes (a favorite hiding place for them when thunder and lightning gets to scary for them to contemplate). I watched them squirm and shiver and saw how they were stressing at each new bang.

Isn't time we took the stress that these fireworks causes into consideration, and have them banned once and for all - they really do not serve any purpose and there are many other ways in which to celebrate an occasion that does not involve huge noisy sounds?

Regards

Nikki

Fireworks have pets in a frenzy

January 03 2007 at 11:45AM

The New Year's fireworks were hell on Pretoria's animal population with dozens of pets injured. A dog was impaled on palisade fencing and others were hurt when they jumped through windows to escape the noise of the fireworks.

Many were knocked down by cars as they fled their homes. The Pet 911 Emergency Veterinary Clinic in the Moot had to deal with more than 30 cases, five of them dogs that had jumped through windows. "Thirty-three cases are a lot to deal with since New Year's Eve," said Anette van Veenhuyzen, a sister on duty at the clinic last night. She said all five dogs were saved.

"Many other dogs came in with cuts and bruises after being hit by cars. A lot of people also brought in animals that were found wandering the streets," Van Veenhuyzen said.Pretoria's animal rescue organisations were inundated with calls from people whose pets disappeared during New Year's celebrations. SPCA chief inspector for Pretoria Marizda Kruger said they had been involved in the rescue of a fox terrier that had to be extricated from between a garage wall and the wall of his owners' Faerie Glen home. - Staff Reporters

This article was originally published on page 3 of Pretoria News on January 03, 2007

DON'T LET YOUR BANK CARD OUT OF SIGHT

This is happening folks! A colleague of mine had this happen to him over the Xmas period. Fortuately (or unfortuately for the waitron concerned), he know which restuarant and from the transaction, they will be able to pinpoint who the waitron is as well.

Firstly 2 or 3 R1.00 transactions went through the account - this is how they test to see if there is going to be any reaction from the cardholder. Then an amount of R1000.00 went through from a computer shop. Luckily my colleague has the "SMS notification" facility and he was advised of the transactions, and was therefore able to stop them and has not lost any money.

Prevention is still better than cure though and it is always better to be aware of what you are doing and don't trust anyone hanging around the ATM's.

Regards

Nikki

Bhavna Sookha

November 17 2006 at 01:58PM

Crime syndicates are employing new methods to get secret customer information off credit and debit cards for use on fake cards. The criminals are skimming information off the magnetic strips on the back of customers' cards, downloading it on to a personal computer or laptop, before using this information to produce duplicate cards to withdraw money from bank accounts. A man suspected of cloning bank cards using a "skimming" device was arrested in September in Richards Bay. The device seized by police was so small that it could be hidden in the palm of one's hand.

According to Standard Bank's Ross Linstrom "skimming" now accounts for an even greater proportion of cash machine fraud in South Africa than conventional card swapping. Standard Bank security expert Pat Pather said card skimming is now the most frequently used method of ATM fraud being perpetrated across the globe.

Pather said the problem was the easy access to the skimming machines which could be purchased on the Internet. Linstrom said a number of different scenarios were used by criminals. He said the bank had been informed of people posing as bank employees at ATM machines telling clients that they needed to verify their details by swiping their bank cards through this skimming device.

He said the device then sent the customer's information to a computer at a different location. "These people then hang around and 'shoulder surf' to try and get the PIN number from that particular client which is then called through to the person duplicating the card," he said. "A white card or blank card is then used and the client's details transferred on to the magnetic strip." He said in other instances syndicates approached waitrons. "The waitrons are handed the devices which they use whenever a customer makes a payment with their card. "It takes seconds for these people to swipe the card through the skimming device while the customer is waiting at their table," said Linstrom. "At the end of their shift the waitrons hand the device over to a syndicate member who pays them for their services."

This article was originally published on page 5 of Daily News on November 17, 2006

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - CONTRACTS BETWEEN YOU AND THE CLIENT

As promised, herewith the next instalment of the workshop. Remember if you do not understand something or you need clarity on something - post a comment.

Regards

Nikki

A. 1. Contracts between you and the client.

Make sure that the agreement is not just a handshake, particularly when you are dealing with small, one man businesses. Make sure that you understand (in plain English) exactly what it is you have signed and what the consequences are should either of you renege on the deal. For example some Franchisors insist on this, that you are legally and contractually obliged to register for VAT, irrespective of whether you do the minimum turnover or not. Go through the contract, point by point and if need be, re-write it in simple terms that you understand and are comfortable with. It is often a good idea for you both to write, in simple terms what your requirements, expectations, etc. are and then get a Contractual Lawyer to put the information into legalese.

DEVELOPMENT AGENCY QUESTIONS BANK 'LAPSE'

Once again, the very people who need help the most are not at the receiving end because of fraud and corruption! Perhaps someone should be answerable as to why there were insufficinent internal procedures and controls in place. Who is accountable for that? Surely prevention is better than cure? This is absolutely disgusting!

Regards

Nikki

Sheena Adams

October 17 2006 at 11:12AM

The uncovering of yet more stolen funds is a real possibility, according to senior management at the National Development Agency, already battling misappropriation to the tune of R8,7-million. And NDA chief executive, Godfrey Mokate, has questioned the "lapse on the side of bank" that allowed a former clerk to set up accounts with fictitious details.

The NDA was set up in 1998 to distribute money to organisations serving poor communities, but since its inception it has been plagued by financial scandals. At a press conference in Johannesburg on Monday, where the latest annual report was released, board chairperson Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana said a comprehensive review of the agency, which initially uncovered the fraud in June, would start investigating financial accounts from 2004 and before in order to get "a total picture".

So far there is no evidence of other people being involved in misappropriation," he said. Former NDA clerk Sheila O'Reilly stands accused of depositing R8,7-million over a two-year period into the account of an acquaintance, Kafihlwa Morris Dube, who is currently on the run, as well as into business accounts with fictitious addresses. O'Reilly's accounts have been frozen and the Asset Forfeiture Unit and the police have already seized nearly R2,5-million in cash, a double cab bakkie and a Land Rover. O'Reilly last appeared in court on October 5 when her bail hearing was postponed. The Auditor-General gave the NDA a qualified audit for the past financial year, citing insufficient internal controls over the disbursement of nearly R18-million intended for the poor

Another embarrassing blot on the agency's track record was that of a R7,5-million donation it was forced to return to the European Union in recent weeks. Mokate said on Monday the EU demanded the return of the funds after finding that the organisations which benefited from the donation were "very poor institutions with very weak controls" that could not account for the money.

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on October 17, 2006

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

The quote for today comes from Barney Putyana, the politician

"For meaningful human existance, you have to be transcendent, to THINK BEYOND WHAT IS POSSIBLE".

This for me, means "thinking out of the box"! To achieve excellence in what you aspire to be your calling, your passion, your life's work, you have to think differently and act differently to everyone around you, who has the same "calling, passion and/or life's work".

You have to get out there and make your mark. Be seen. Be noted and quoted. You have to "act" on what you believe. You have to make the most of every opportunity that is given to you. You have to learn to let go of the things that don't serve for they will drain off all your energy.

You have to believe in yourself and who you are - but belief is not enough - you have to ACT to make it happen.

Have an awesome week

Regards
Nikki

OLD SONGS NEW LYRICS

I trust that this will bring a smile to a few faces this morning.

Regards
Nikki

Some of the vocal artists of the '60s are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers.

They include :

1. Herman's Hermits--- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.

2. The Bee Gees--- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip.

3. Bobby Darin--- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.

4. Ringo Starr--- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.

5. Roberta Flack--- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.

6. Johnny Nash--- I Can't See Clearly Now.

7. Paul Simon--- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver

8. The Commodores--- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.

9. Marvin Gaye--- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.

10. Procol Harem--- A Whiter Shade of Hair.

11. Leo Sayer--- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.

12. The Temptations-- - Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.

13. Abba--- Denture Queen.

14. Tony Orlando--- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.

15. Helen Reddy--- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.

16. Willie Nelson--- On the Commode Again.

17. Leslie Gore--- It's My Procedure and I'll Cry If I Want To

BEETROOT, GRAVY TRAINS & THE UNSAVOURY

I am not really sure that anything needs to be added to this article - clearly it says it all!

Regards

Nikki

December 31 2006 at 10:57AM

From the moment the Johannesburg high court heard that Jacob Zuma had called his rape accuser "delicious", it was clear that 2006 was going to be a gastro-political disaster for the ruling party.

With this phrase the trial took on a culinary element, with unsavoury personal and political implications for us all.

But it didn't stop there. In the past 12 months, the ANC kitchen cabinet has dished up a veritable smorgasbord of unappetising offerings.

Clearly the bitterness surrounding the beetroot, garlic and HIV debacle must top the menu. A range of scientific studies have shown that these foodstuffs are ineffective not only in the fight against Aids, but can be harmful to those with impaired immune systems

The raspberry foule that Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister, made of herself at the Toronto International Aids Conference in August was merely garnish for a much larger culinary catastrophe that has been stewing for some time.

In her obsession with garlic, onions, olive oil, beetroot and the African potato, the minister is playing, not only with her food but with the lives of other people. Clearly, there is plenty of reason to cry over the milk that has been spilt throughout this putrid debate, and the lives that have been lost while the milk in the pot was boiling over unobserved.

Wastage is always a key consideration in kitchen management. In June, the nation was served the unsavoury spectacle of the R96 000 epicurean extravaganza at Auberge Michel of Paul Mashatile, the Gauteng finance MEC. Mashatile told Justice Malala in the Financial Mail that this taxpayer-funded food fest was intended "to celebrate" the completion of the 2006 budget speech. Since it is his job to give such a speech, it is unclear why he felt the need to celebrate in such a spectacular fashion. And what was he celebrating when The Star reported his having spent R17 183,50 in two previous visits to this five-star Sandton restaurant? In a country where the most recent Statistics SA figures indicate that 4,4 million people are actively looking for work, it might be argued that Mashatile should consider going easy on the amuse bouche for a while. Perhaps he should follow the example of the deputy president.

We have recently been treated to a second helping of opposition outrage care of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's curious preference for ridiculously extravagant "gravy plane" jaunts. Endless column inches have been devoted to jet fuel costs, but I think everyone is missing the central gastro-political point. Of course it is outrageous to spend taxpayers' money on a shopping spree to Dubai, but the woman went all that way and didn't dine at Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant, Verre, at the Hilton Dubai Creek Hotel. This shows an astonishing degree of gastronomic restraint.

I have no idea whether she looked at cranes, but I do know that there was calf's liver with fried polenta and fig vinaigrette on offer, yet The Star reported that she ate takeaways in her room. To follow that up with a second private gravy-plane trip to Edinburgh and not report back to the nation on the glorious Michelin-starred Restaurant Martin Wishart, makes her a model of gustatory self-control. Food and food-based analogies have dominated the political scene over the past 12 months. The food critic MKF Fisher once argued that "food, security and love are so mixed and mingled that we cannot think of one without the other". However, any society that has come to associate food with the withholding of essential medicines, sexual assault and extremes of material inequality is in deep trouble.

If anyone needs to contact me, they should call the George V in Paris, where I will be following the example of the Gauteng finance MEC and celebrating the completion of this article. Happy cooking in 2007!

This article was originally published on page 12 of Sunday Independent on December 31, 2006

CHURCHES ARE NO LONGER SAFE FROM CRIMINALS

Good grief! What cowards! This latest onslaught of crime indicates that these people are realy "lazy" and not willing to work too hard for their spoils! They target the weak, the infirm and any other "soft" target that they can. Certainly going for people who are inside a church building, where they would feel safe and secure is as reprehensible and dispicable as targeting someone in a wheel chair! Whatever next! I guess attending church and having security guards standing "watch" outside will soon become the norm!

Regards

Nikki

November 15 2006 at 04:32AM


By Matthew Savides

The congregation at the House of Hope church in Isipingo, south of Durban, was left traumatised after an armed robbery at the church on Monday night. Police Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen said people were attending a church meeting at the building in Postem Road when four armed men entered the premises. "Four men went in with firearms and told everyone to lie on the floor. They told them not to move and then proceeded to take four sets of car keys. They also stole cellphones and money," she said. The men locked the congregation inside the building and fled in the four vehicles - a blue VW Golf, a white Toyota RunX, a champagne Toyota Conquest and a blue Toyota Tazz. A neighbour heard the congregants shouting for help and opened the door.

No shots were fired and no injuries were reported, said Veldhuizen. No arrests have been made and police are investigating a charge of armed robbery.

This article was originally published on page 4 of The Mercury on November 15, 2006

TEEN MASTERMINDED MURDER

My heart aches when I read stuff like this, not only for the family of the murdered women, but also for the child who appears to have orchestrated the whole thing, because at 15 that is exactly what he is. What have we, as adults done to the children of this country and indeed this world, that children of this age are actually thinking about murdering people for money. I have tried to think back on what I was doing as a 15 year old and what my thoughts were and in all honesty it was about, meeting my college obligations, studying to get the qualifications that I needed to get where I wanted to be and earning the money with which to achieve these things, when the next party was and what I was going to wear! There was never any thought of "stealing" the money (let alone murdering someone in order to get my hands on the money) to pay for my college studies, it had to be earned and if anything the thoughts were on finding the right part time job, that would be flexible enough, to allow me to earn the money and still attend all the classes that I needed to attend.

Clearly the values that had been installed in me, by my family were strong enough for me to understand what was required of me in order for me to achieve my success. Perhaps that is what is lacking today - parents who do not instil values into their children or even parents who lack the very moral fibre themselves that they should be installing into their children. So many marriages that fail because of a third person in the equation, jails that are over flowing with mothers and fathers, who by their very actions are teaching their children. Teaching them how to lie and cheat and steal and murder.

It is indeed a sad day for us all, when children would rather take the life of someone, for money, than roll up their sleeves and work for it.

Regards

Nikki

January 04 2007 at 04:33AM

By Anna Louw

Police believe a 15-year-old boy masterminded the brutal murder of the wife of a former National Party cabinet minister and then watched while the woman was throttled. Jac Rabie, 68, the minister of population development in the National Party government of FW De Klerk, and his wife Sandra were viciously attacked at their Boksburg home on the night of December 14. Sandra, who would have celebrated her 48th birthday the week after the attack, died at the scene from her injuries.

The boy and two other youths appeared in the Boksburg magistrate's court this week in connection with her murder. Rabie said that the day after the attack, detectives told him that the 15-year-old, whom the politician and his wife both knew well, had mentioned to their neighbour that the Rabies kept a large sum of money in a safe at their home.

"But we did not have any money in the house. My wife took all the money and paid our bills the previous day. There were some documents in the safe, but that was all," Rabie said. Speaking to The Star on Wednesday from his home in the upmarket Boksburg suburb of Windmill Park, Rabie said he had spoken to the 15-year-old during his court appearance. "He said he wanted to explain about my wife's horrible death, but I said 'You can explain it all to the magistrate'," Rabie said

He said 2006 had been his annus horribilis (terrible year). On the wall in the passage where the crime was committed are photos of Rabie and his wife with former National Party cabinet ministers and their wives. There is also an enlarged colour photograph of Sandra pasted onto the mirror of the dressing table in the main bedroom. The security at the house, which is one of the most expensive in the suburb, is tight. Looking emotionally drained, Rabie explained that, on the night of the attack, three gunmen had beaten and pistol-whipped his wife when she returned home at 11pm after visiting a friend. She was overpowered and throttled by the men when she stopped outside their garage. The attackers then entered the house, dragged her around and threw her onto the floor, where she died of her injuries. Rabie said he was asleep when the men brought his wife into the house and pulled him out of bed. He said the attackers struck him on the mouth with the butt of a firearm, bound his feet with a wire coat hanger and dragged him into the passage, where they threw him down next to Sandra. "One of the attackers called out to her, and when she did not move, he fetched some water and threw it in her face," Rabie said. He said an autopsy had shown that the force with which the attackers grabbed Sandra around her throat had broken one of the vertebrae in her neck. But the death blow, according to Rabie, was to her left temple, which may have been inflicted with the butt of a firearm. The couple's adopted teenage son, Diego, arrived home shortly after the attack. The gunmen took him to a bedroom, where he was threatened. Diego then went to his mother's lifeless body, took the key to the safe out of her bra, where she kept it hidden, and handed it to the gunmen, who then tied him up and drove off in the couple's Chrysler. After the men left, the son managed to untie himself and called for help. When paramedics arrived at the scene, Sandra was pronounced dead. A devastated Rabie said the police told him that the 15-year-old boy had allegedly stood at the electronic gate that night and saw his wife being throttled. The boy is being held at a place of safety in southern Joburg. The case was postponed to next week and police are looking for a fourth suspect.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on January 03, 2007

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - INTRODUCTION

Good morning all!

I trust that you are all in fine fettle this morning. Going forward, this being a New Year and all, I am going to start posting my workshop on my blog. It will come to you as a series of articles written, by myself on all the different aspects of what is required to set up your own business. Once the course has been completed on the blog, I will continue to post useful information, that pertains specifically to the business arena. So from now on - each and every Wednesday will be "the workshop and/or business day". I hope you enjoy and please feel free to ask any questions or comments. Oh yes, before I forget - this would pertain specifically to South African conditions as legislation in different parts of the world are would not always apply here. Basic business administration tips however, would be pertinent, no matter where in the world you happen to be stationed.

So here goes!

Regards

Nikki

INTRODUCTION



This course is designed specifically for people who are just starting out in business. It gives a basic knowledge, of all the requirements for legal (UIF, SDL, PAYE, VAT etc), financial (reconciliations), human relations (letters of appointment etc) that are required.

Some of these may not be a legal or a compliance issue, but they add value to your business, in that they give you more control with a minimum of fuss and bother.

Starting a new business is both exciting and scary. There is so much that we do not know, even if we think we do. There are so many loop holes and legalities attached to running a successful business that it is totally impossible for us to be experts on everything or even have a vague idea of what the requirements are – we all need as much help as we can get and then some. That is one of the reasons for this course, the other of course is to make life easier when people like me come in to do an audit. By that time hopefully, you will be doing all of this and my life will be a breeze. Anything for an easy life! Actually it will probably benefit you a great deal more than it will me. If the truth be told, giving you all this information up front is going to cost me money – especially if you take the advice. Why? Well because if you take the advice it will take me less time to audit you and which means that your costs will be less and the time that you will take to fix up any problem area’s will be less, which will give you more time to do more of the things that make money for you! Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Admin is the most important aspect of any business. If it is well thought out and done regularly, it should not take you any longer than 10 to 15 minutes a day. But postpone it or, don’t do it at all and it could very well be the reason that your business closes down! Those are the simple facts. Often an entrepreneur will create lavish and intricate systems and controls in order to maintain his/her admin and soon after they are implemented they are left by the way side because they’re just too involved, to difficult to maintain on a daily basis or worse yet – they don’t do anything - other than look complicated and involved.

The shortest route between two points will always be a straight line, and the best admin system is the most simplistic one.

AIDS CAUSES LIFE INSURERS TO TAKE STOCK

Wow! And about time too! I am pleased to see that some of the Insurance Companies are acknowledging the fact that HIV AIDS is not a death sentence any more - well it needn't be!
This is also great for the whole campaign that is currently running "I love you - positive or negative", which is an iniative to try and remove the stigma attached to HIV AIDS.

Well done to the insurance companies that have made the changes!

Regards

Nikki

Aids causes life insurers to take stock

Mariette le Roux Cape Town, South Africa

28 December 2006 04:38

As Aids continues to reap a grim toll among South Africans in their prime, life insurers are being forced to re-evaluate the products and services they offer.

"HIV is not a death sentence anymore," said David Patient, among the first to take out life cover with new company AllLife, which caters exclusively for HIV-positive people traditionally shunned by long-term insurers.

"Thanks to improved access to ARV [antiretroviral treatment], HIV today is a manageable disease like diabetes. HIV-positive people who adhere to their drug regimen should have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.

"Few companies provided life cover to people with HIV, and those that did charge excessive premiums, said Patient. This meant thousands could not get a home loan, provide financially for loved ones after their death or borrow money to start a business. AllLife co-founder and managing director Ross Beerman said the time has come for a change in the long-term insurance industry.

"Our clients are investing in their future -- buying a house, starting a business, furthering their studies," he told Agence France-Presse. "People are accessing financial-service products they were not able to before. They are investing in themselves."South Africa has the world's second heaviest caseload of HIV/Aids, with about 5,5-million in a population of 47-million infected.

Average life expectancy in the country has dropped 13 years since 1990 to 51. The handful of established South African insurers that offer full life cover to HIV-positive people charged rates up to nine times those of standard policies, but pay out regardless of whether the client was on ARV treatment.

Now new products offered by companies like AllLife and AltRisk, a subsidiary of Hollard, charge rates only about four times higher than standard life cover. In return, however, the policies require adherence to an appropriate treatment regime. "Over the past decade, vast improvements have taken place in the treatment of HIV/Aids," said the Life Offices' Association of South Africa, a grouping of long-term insurance companies.

"Provided there is full compliance with ARV prescriptions it is now considered a chronic treatable disease," it said in a written response to queries. "Therefore, some life insurers are in the process of developing new-generation products that will offer competitive premiums for HIV positive people on an ARV programme."

Insurer Sanlam is one of those not yet offering comprehensive life cover."It is about finding ... the correct business case to give the best return to your shareholders," product actuary Petrie Marx said. Sanlam has only one product for HIV positive clients -- an endowment policy with limited life cover. The policy runs to a maximum of 10 years and coverage is limited to R100 000.

The monthly premiums were "quite expensive", said Marx, adding the company would consider introducing new-generation products in future. "It is a market segment we want to service with the best product we can put on the table. "AllLife was launched a year ago, targeting 5% of a potential client pool of about two million HIV-positive South African residents earning a minimum monthly salary of R2 500. Clients have to commit to treatment once their CD4 count (a measurement of the strength of the immune system) falls below 200, with the company monitoring and encouraging adherence.

Defaulters have their cover slashed. "Unlike traditional insurance companies, your history is almost irrelevant to us. It is how you are going to behave in the future that is important. We tell you exactly what you must do to live a long life," said Beerman. The company's client base, not yet 1 000, includes anyone from domestic workers to directors of companies. Most belong to medical-aid schemes that pay for their ARV treatment. Cover can be taken out for a maximum of R3-million, R450 000 being the average policy size. Monthly premiums average R300 per R100 000 of cover, and can go up to R700 for high-risk clients. "Up to four or five years ago, there was a large amount of truth in the belief that if you were HIV positive you were simply going to die," said Patient.

"It is not the reality today. People on ARVs can live a long life and there is no reason why somebody like me can't get a 20-year mortgage on a property." -- AFP

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

"Walk with the wise and be wise" - Setswana Proverb

Seems pretty sensible advice to me. Particularly if you take it in the same vein as when you network, you mix with Decision Makers, Business Owners and Directors of Companies who also want to network. It's no good going armed to the teeth to network to your son's afternoon swimming gala, where you are only likely to meet the mothers of the children who are taking part in the gala. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with networking where ever you find yourself and with whomever you find yourself. Someone who is a "natural" networker will find themselves doing that anyway - in fact they just can't help themselves!

Hoping you all have yourselves a fantastic week and remember to network, network, and then network some more.

Regards
Nikki

PERFORMANCE REVIES

I hope you all enjoy your Sunday smile.

Have a good one

Regards
Nikki

Performance Reviews

For everyone who has ever received or given an evaluation, just remember, it could have been worse. These are actual quotes taken from (USA) Federal Government employee performance evaluations...

1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."

2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."

3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."

4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."

5. "When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."

6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."

7. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."

8. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."

9. "This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better."

10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."

11. "A gross ignoramus -- 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."

12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."

15. "He's been working with glue too much."

16. "He would argue with a signpost."

17. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."

18. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."

19. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."

20. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."

21. "A prime candidate for natural de-selection."

22. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."

23. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming."

24. "He's got two brain cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."

25. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."

26. "If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."

27. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."2

8. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."

29. "One neuron short of a synapse."

30. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."

31. "Takes him 2 hours to watch '60-minutes'."

32. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead."

BRITIAN SENDS S A DIPLOMAT PACKING

Oh well, I can't say that I am in any way surprised! It was only a matter of time before cracks would show. I am heartened to see though, that countries do have a say in the matter regarding who the diplomat is that stays in the country. Too many movies I guess, where the bad guy is a diplomat (or the son of a diplomat) and the police's efforts are frustrated, by the playing of "a diplomat" card. Strange though, in the movies they never seem to be kicked out of the country! Perhaps that will become a story line in another movie at some point!

Regards

Nikki

October 08 2006 at 11:26AM

By Peter Fabricius and Own Correspondent

A top South African diplomat has been kicked out of Britain after allegedly whisking one of his sons out of the country to shield him from a police investigation, according to diplomatic sources.

Another son had earlier been sent home for alleged armed robbery. The senior official at South Africa's high commission in London was given 28 days to leave and is due back in South Africa on October 17, according to sources close to the high commission. The official's name is known to The Sunday Independent but cannot be published to protect the identity of his sons, who are minors.

Ronnie Mamoepa, the spokesperson for the department of foreign affairs, confirmed on Saturday that the official had been recalled "by mutual consent between the British and South African governments. "This was occasioned by the misdemeanours of his sons," Mamoepa said. He added that the recall had nothing to do with the diplomat trying to evade police investigation of his son. "As far as the department of foreign affairs is concerned, the official being recalled is still an official in good standing. "However, according to sources at the South African high commission in London, British authorities asked the South African government last year to send home the diplomat's elder son, aged 17, after police caught him and some of his friends allegedly holding up a youth at knifepoint and robbing him of his MP3 player. These sources said that this year the diplomat's family fell foul of the law again when British police sought his second son, 15, who had been caught at school with a spray gun. This time the diplomat flew back to South Africa with his son before police could question him. When the diplomat returned from South Africa, British authorities asked the South African government to recall him for this alleged attempt to defeat the ends of justice, these sources said. The diplomat confirmed in a telephone interview on Saturday that he had been recalled. Asked to comment on the claims that he was being recalled because he had tried to frustrate the police investigation of his son, he insisted that he had cleared his decision to return his son to South Africa with Lindiwe Mabuza, the high commissioner in London, and Ayanda Ntsaluba, the director-general of foreign affairs.

Asked if the British authorities had taken this into account before acting against him, he said: "I don't know how fair their procedures are. "He then referred all further enquires to the department. Sources at the high commission said that Mabuza had tried hard to stop the diplomat from being recalled. However, a source in the legal section of the department said there was nothing that they could do: "If a country has decided that it doesn't want you, there is nothing much we can do but advise you to pack up and come back home.

"Another senior official in the department said that the alleged offences that Britain presented to the South African government were serious enough that the government had no choice but to agree to recall the diplomat. The diplomat and his sons enjoyed diplomatic immunity from prosecution in Britain but under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a host country may declare a diplomat "persona non grata" and ask his government to recall him without giving reasons. Sources close to the diplomat said he was "utterly devastated because he had been looking forward to returning to South Africa only at the end of 2007 when the term of his boss, Mabuza, also expires".

The diplomat had been posted at South Africa's London mission since 2001. His posting was originally scheduled to end in July this year but had been extended after a strong recommendation by Mabuza, sources said. Some London high commission staff, however, seemed relieved at the diplomat's departure.They alleged he had shown a dictatorial style in his dealings with staff, so much so that he had acquired the nickname "Mugabe".

This article was originally published on page 1 of Sunday Independent on October 08, 2006

BE PREPARED FOR HIGHER TEMPERATURES IN 2007

So it hasn't been my imagination! Let me go back a step or two. My friend *John Doe and I have been having an ongoing discussion about the changing weather patterns. I have been saying that the weather patterns have definitely changed over the last few years and that it is hotter and more humid at the moment here in Johannesburg than it was five years ago. His wife agrees with me, Rick continues to "pooh, pooh" me, insisting that his wife and my perception that it is hotter is due to our respective hormonal changes in life, and not due to anything else! Should have taken a bet on that one!

Seriously though folks - it has become hotter here and where once, we never had humidity (not that I can remember), it certainly has become humid - not just this year, but thinking back it has been over the last 5 years or so that it seems to have crept in.

It feels to me, that as hot as it is, when it rains (it used to bring instant relief) now, it actually becomes even hotter because of the humidity factor.

What can we do as individuals - to make a difference? Anyone out there have any ideas?

Regards

Nikki

* Not his real name for obvious reasons!

January 04 2007 at 02:00AM

By Jeremy LovellLondon -

This year is set to be the hottest on record worldwide due to global warming and the El Nino weather phenomenon, Britain's Meteorological Office said on Thursday. The Met Office said the combination of factors would likely push average temperatures this year above the record set in 1998.

2006 is set to be the sixth warmest on record globally. "This new information represents another warning that climate change is happening around the world," said Met Office scientist Katie Hopkins. The world's 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1994 in a temperature record dating back a century and a half, according to the United Nations' weather agency.

Britain's Met Office makes a global forecast every January with the University of East Anglia, and said it expected the world's average temperature to be 0.54 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 long-term average of 14.0 degrees. There is a 60 percent probability that 2007 will be as warm or warmer than the current warmest year, 1998, which itself was 0.52 degrees above the long-term average it said in a statement.

Most scientists agree that temperatures will rise by between two and six degrees Celsius this century due mainly to carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels for power and transport. They say this will cause melting at the polar ice caps, sea levels to rise and weather patterns to change bringing floods, famines and violent storms, putting millions of lives at risk. Former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern said in October that urgent action on global warming was vital and that delay would multiply the cost by up to 20 times. The Kyoto Protocol is the only global action plan to curb carbon emissions, but it expires in 2012, is rejected by the world's biggest polluter - the United States - and does not bind booming economies like China and India.

The Met Office said the established moderate El Nino, a phenomenon in the tropical Pacific blamed for disrupting weather patterns, would continue for the first few months of 2007.It noted that as there was a time lag between El Nino and its full effect on surface temperatures, its influence would therefore be felt well into the year. It will coincide with what environmentalists say will be a very busy year for climate diplomacy. Germany, which has an active climate change agenda, has taken over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union and the year-long presidency of the Group of Eight industrialised nations.Backed by Britain, which has pushed climate change high up the world agenda, pressure is building for the G8 summit in Germany in early June to set out a framework for discussions to take global action beyond Kyoto.

So when does the punishment fit the crime? It certainly doesn't in this instance. When will people, irrespective of race, creed, colour, social standing or rank all be treated in exactly the same manner. Why is it that people who have "connections" can get away with what they have done, whislt others get to rot in a prison cell? How long are we as South Africans going to tolerate this kind of behaviour? The most frustrating aspect of all of this is - what can we as individuals do about this!

The only comfort that I can offer, is that we need to continue to vote for the opposition, both nationally and also at municiple level. A strong opposition will get a whole lot more results than one that is just a token jesture! We need to back our political parties up and in so doing keep them "honest" as well.

Let's be honest now, of all of us who read this article when it first appeared - who nodded and said "Look what's happening! It's terrible" etc, etc, etc. Yes, I can see all of you nodding your heads in agreement. Now, how many of you actually sent a letter off documenting you disproval? None of you I'll bet. So South Africa, let's make a change - let's do something about it, even if it is just a letter to the newspapers, or to our local representative. If we all take as much time to do something about an issue as we do to moan and bitch about it, we would make such a difference it would probably scare us!

Come on South Africa, let's make 2007, the year that we bring about change! I dare you!

Regards

Nikki

November 13 2006 at 04:28AM

By Karen BreytenbachTony Yengeni threw a party for his friends on Sunday afternoon shortly before the end of his first weekend away from Malmesbury Prison. He left his Milnerton home at 3.40pm in a black Range Rover Sport, followed by an entourage in other luxury cars, despite his check-in deadline of 3pm.

Earlier on Sunday, the former ANC chief whip was photographed, beer in hand, in his garden in the presence of friends enjoying drinks. Parole conditions generally prohibit the use of alcohol.

As glamorous friends arrived in dribs and drabs after lunch, luxury BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and SUVs were lined up in front of the modest cream-coloured house on the corner of Wilmot and Fitzpatrick streets. Guests were seen entering Yengeni's home clutching bottles of Hennessy cognac, whisky and Haute Cabriere wine.

Two of Yengeni's friends came outside to bring the Cape Times a bottle of Fanta. One friend, who identified himself only as Songezo, said: "Please, guys, Tony just wants to enjoy himself with his friends and family. Jail is not a nice place. "Yesterday he enjoyed the meat at Mzoli's Place in Gugs and now he's just relaxing at home. Give us a break. Don't write negative things."

When the Cape Times phoned to find out how he was enjoying his weekend, Yengeni paused and said: "No comment, no comment." In a statement, correctional services spokesperson Manelisi Wolela said: "Suggestions of favouritism may either be motivated by myopic political point-scoring or deliberate efforts to play ignorance as the legislative and regulatory provisions are accessible to anyone serious about understanding how a correctional system is run in any country."

Asked on Sunday to say what Yengeni's specific parole conditions were, Wolela said: "Those are operational matters, dealt with by the Malmesbury area commissioner. We are not going to give you the operational details." Wolela then refused to tell the Cape Times who the area commissioner was. "I won't let you hound him," he said. Prison officials said Commissioner Sipho Manqele was not available for comment. Wolela did, however, confirm that Yengeni had to report back to prison at 3pm and that he was not allowed to drink alcohol. He would not say whether Yengeni would be breathalysed at the prison. "If there is evidence (of violation of parole), the area commissioner will follow it up," he said.

The Democratic Alliance and the African Christian Democratic Party on Sunday said Yengeni's treatment created the impression that the ANC was not serious about fighting corruption. James Selfe, DA spokesperson on correctional services, said: "The decision to grant Yengeni a weekend pass, until he is released in early January, sends the wrong message to the South African public and only serves to reinforce the perception that the government is failing to fight corruption." Hansie Louw, ACDP provincial leader, said: "By what ethic does this government live? "Forgive me if I am wrong, but the more I see these people operate, the more it seems to me that they see nothing wrong in stealing, only in being caught out. God help this nation. We are rotten to the bone," said Louw.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on November 13, 2006

MISSING PATIENT FOUND DEAD IN THE CEILING

Ok, so forgive me if I am being a little "doff" this morning. The guy is reported missing in September 2006, his body is found in a ceiling of a hospital ward in December and it has been there allegedly for about 3 weeks and he is referred to as a "patient". Based on that information, he was a patient of the hospital around the 4th of December (I taken it at 3 weeks), which means that between September (who knows the exact date that he was reported missing) and the 4th of December (who knows when he was admitted) he was missing - ok I can accept that, but surely once he was admitted, he was no longer missing! Why then the reference at the end of the piece that he was reported missing? My gut feel tells me that there is more to this story than has been reported - don't you just hate it when you get half a story! Then of course there is the reference to "It's not clear how he got into the ceiling" - you don't say! Surely a post mortum will tell you exactly what the causes of death are and from there it can be deduced how he got into the ceiling! And how about "A bad smell led to the discovery of the body" - you think! Why didn't the hospital realize that the patient was no longer in his bed? Then of course there is the why? Was foul play suspected and if not why not! In my opionion very little investigation has taken place and I have yet to see a follow up story on what actually happened! Good grief man, my 6 year old nephew could write a better story than this!

Regards

Nikki

December 25 2006 at 11:39AM

A missing patient's decomposing body was found in the ceiling of a ward at Kalafong Hospital on Sunday, Pretoria police said on Monday.

A bad smell led to the discovery of the body, said spokesperson Inspector Paul Ramaloko. "Preliminary investigations indicate the body has been lying there for two to three weeks," he said.

"It is not clear how the patient got into the ceiling yet. "The man, in his 40s, was reported missing in September. Police were investigating, said Ramaloko. - Sapa

TELKOM FACES R2BN BILL AFTER LAWSUIT

Oh good grief! Well I suspect, that all the South African unsuspecting Telkom clients, who are going bout their daily business, are in for a shocker when the Telkom rates go up this year! Well someone has to pay this bill and you really don't expect the "fat cats" at the top to be putting their hands into their pockets to reach for their wallets - now do you?

Who wrote the damn contract, and who didn't read it properly either! My goodness, what a waste of money - although I am sure that the lawyers are all laughing on the way to the bank!

Regards

Nikki

Telkom faces R2bn bill after lawsuit

November 23, 2006By Thabiso Mochiko Johannesburg

Telkom faces more than R2 billion in damages and legal fees after it lost a five-year legal battle against US-based computer software supplier Telcordia. Telkom's costs, which have been estimated by Telcordia at between R2 billion and R2.5 billion, represent more than 20 percent of this financial year's annual profit of R9.3 billion.

Telkom's shares dropped 3.7 percent to close at R130 yesterday. The Top 40 index gained 0.38 percent. Telcordia's lawyer, Lennard Cowan, said yesterday that the two companies would now start negotiating the settlement, which would amount to about R2.5 billion, including legal costs. He said the negotiations were unlikely to be finalised before the end of December.

The group executive for legal services, Anton Klopper, said Telkom was studying the judgment and evaluating "options regarding the protection of its rights". "The consequence of the judgment is, among other things, that the parties will return to and continue with the arbitration proceedings as they were prior to Telkom's review application to the high court," said Klopper. He said the arbitrator had made an interim award that only addressed certain aspects of the case. This had been effectively upheld by the judgment of the supreme court of appeal.

The remainder of the matter would be dealt with at the upcoming arbitration proceedings. Two years ago Telkom estimated its contingent liabilities from the Telcordia matter to be $47 million (R340 million at yesterday's exchange rate). Telkom said in this year's annual report that in the 2001 financial year, it had written off R119 million of this investment. It incurred expenditure of R594 million up to March 2002.

Cowan said it was not clear whether Telcordia would set up shop again in South Africa as it had opened a local office specifically for the Telkom contract. The appeal court's judgment upheld a 2002 decision by an international arbitrator, but overturned a 2003 judgment by the Pretoria high court. The battle started five years ago when Telkom cancelled a contract with Telcordia, claiming that the state-of-the-art software applications ordered had not been delivered.

Telcordia then lodged a case with an international arbitrator, claiming $130 million plus interest at a rate of 15.5 percent a year for money outstanding and damages. Telkom reacted by making counterclaims against Telcordia worth about $331 million, including for a refund of money already paid to the US company. The appeal court did not uphold this claim. Telcordia received a partial ruling in September 2002 from an international arbitrator chosen by the two companies. The arbitrator accepted Telcordia's interpretation of the contract. But Telkom refused to accept this and applied to the Pretoria high court to review the judgment and set aside the partial award. In 2003 the court ruled in favour of Telkom. But Telcordia then took the matter to the appeal court, which said the high court had dealt with the matter as an appeal and not a review, and therefore upheld the international court award. This meant Telcordia could recover damages from Telkom because it had breached the agreement.

In this year's annual report, Telkom claimed that it had been approached by Telcordia's representatives to consider certain settlement proposals. - With additional reporting by Sapa

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

Good morning all, and a Happy New year to all!

I have decided that, going forward, I will be posting a quote for the week, every Monday morning.

Please feel free to add your own quotes or any motivational material that you would like to share with everyone.


"Even with the best maps and instruments, we can never fully chart our journeys."

Gail Pool - writer

We may not be able to chart our journeys, but we can prepare for any journey and with a willing heart a positive attitude and a determined spirit. So let us all start this journey called 2007, with the intent to change all that we can about ourselves in order for us to obtain and achieve all that we can.

Regards
Nikki

THOUGHTS FOR 2007

Todays post was taken from the Business Warrior site (www.businesswarriors.co.za) where it was posted by Sharon H of LIGHTwise designs.

The message is very clear - ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!

With that thought in mind, I would like to wish you all a joyous and prosperous New Year. May the Gods (whomever you perceive them to be) grant you all, health, wealth and prosperity in great abundance!

See you all tomorrow!

Regards

Nikki

Thoughts for 2007

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs.... who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.... The race began.... Honestly: No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.

You heard statements such as: "Oh, WAY too difficult!!"

"They will NEVER make it to the top." or:

"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one.... Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher.... The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!!

No one will make it!" More tiny frogs got tired and gave up....

But ONE continued higher and higher and higher.... This one wouldn't give up! At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it? A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal? It turned out....

That the winner was DEAF!!!!

The wisdom of this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic.... because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!

Always think of the power words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!

Therefore: ALWAYS be.... POSITIVE!

And above all: Be DEAF when other people tell you that you cannot fulfill your dreams..because you know you ARE!

TEACHER SAYS SORRY FOR INSULTING CHILDREN

Wow! What on earth is this man doing teaching? What on earth is the Department of Education doing employing this kind of person? What on earth is the Principal doing, that this kind of problem has been allowed to go unchecked for a whole year?

Yes I agree children need to be disciplined, but they also need to be nutured and built up. We need to teach and lead by example! This kind of behavior just tells them that it is okay to insult people and disrespect them!

My goodness, perhaps it is time that we go back to grass roots and look at what we are doing to the school system, what we are doing to the kids that are being taught - remember these children are the future of our country and that needs to be kept in mind at all times.

Regards

Johan Schronen

December 09 2006 at 12:25PM

A teacher accused of calling his pupils "scum of the earth" and "dregs of society" before refusing to be in their official class photo, was forced to apologise during a special assembly. Ben Jordaan, a Grade 7 teacher at Table View Primary School in Cape Town, was also accused of manhandling one of the pupils and shoving him from the classroom during an altercation. But this week Jordaan dismissed the issue as a "storm in a teacup". He said: "I did shove a pupil out of the class and I did not appear in their class photo, but that was because they could not find me in the school at the time.

"It was not intentional. I was busy with a task in another room," he said. However, several pupils told Weekend Argus Jordaan had told them before the photo session that he would not be in the photograph as he did not want to be associated with them. "I've apologised to the child who I was supposed to have hurt and every one is now happy," Jordaan said. He denied insulting his pupils, but conceded: "I did say that children without ambition would end up begging on street corners with cardboard signs hanging around their necks. "School principal Kobus Smit said the relationship between Jordaan and his pupils had been "problematic and uncomfortable" the whole year and things came to a head last week when a parent took up the issue with the school. He confirmed that Jordaan had apologised to the Grade 7 pupils and to an individual pupil during an assembly. "But we've addressed the problem internally and everyone is happy," Smit said. Education department spokesperson Paddy Attwell said shoving a child out of a classroom with physical force would be "viewed as assault", but declined to comment on the allegations at Table View Primary before knowing the merits of the case. "It's always difficult to get to the truth of a classroom matter where emotions often run high between teachers and pupils. "Jordaan said that the pupils had given him a difficult year. "The ones who gave me trouble were not necessarily children with poor academic ability, but those with behavioural problems."

This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on December 09, 2006

HOMESEXUAL ACTIVITIES ARE SEXUAL - ACTIVISTS

Oh dear, not a good way to encourage votes and/or money from "pink" voters! It never fails to amuse that the word "Democracy" means so many different things to so many different people. The case in question obvioulsy means that there should be democracy for the Traditional Leaders and with that goes the right for men to have several wives (but not the other way around you understand), but obviously the Traditional Leaders don't feel that gays and lesbians should even have one legitimized spouse!

Smacks of "do as I tell you and don't do as I do" to me!

Thankfully, the bill was in fact passed and gays and lesbians now have the right to wallow in wedded bliss, should they so desire.

Regards

Nikki

October 27 2006 at 08:09AM

By Angela Quintal

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has incurred the wrath of gay and lesbian activists, who on Thursday accused it of pretending homosexuality did not exist in African culture. This after the organisation - which is led by ANC MPs Patekile Holomisa and Mwelo Nkonyane - argued against the Civil Union Bill and the recognition of same-sex marriage as "unAfrican". The ANC is divided on the issue of same-sex marriage, although the bill is being piloted by the government in line with a Constitutional Court judgment.

In a submission to parliament earlier this week, Contralesa also called for a constitutional amendment to ensure such unions were not recognised in South African law. Nonhlanhla Mkhize of the Durban Gay and Lesbian Community and Health Centre said Contralesa had chosen to pretend that homosexuality did not exist in African culture and in doing so whitewashed the lived reality of African lesbian and gay people.

There is ample research illustrating African people have engaged in same-sex relationships throughout our history. "For example, in Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, bond friendships, ancestral wives, female husbands and male wives have existed for centuries as forms of same-sex relationships. All these relationships were accepted and respected in Africa before colonialism and apartheid. "In a submission to parliament, Contralesa argued that same-sex marriage was the unintended consequence of South Africa's Eurocentric and liberal constitution.

However, a national network of 17 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organisations, hit back on Thursday, saying the Contralesa submission was an affront. "Contralesa's attack on the constitution, the building blocks of a free and democratic society, illustrates a mindset amongst traditional leaders that is stuck in a patriarchal and homophobic past. "Contralesa claimed that gay and lesbian people should be treated with dignity, yet it referred to such people as "oddities" and a "problem" that needs "remedy", the statement said. It said the proposal to amend the constitution took the country a step backward. "True leaders lead with intellect and wisdom and not with ignorance and suppression. We need Contralesa to realise that as traditional leaders, they need to ensure that the influence of African traditional values is experienced through peaceful development in the modern South Africa," it said. Meanwhile, cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko said the executive was monitoring the parliamentary passage of the bill "quite closely".

The Constitutional Court ruled in 2005 that a law recognising same-sex marriage should be on the statute books by December 1, or else the Marriage Act would automatically be read to provide for such unions.

This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Times on October 27, 2006

FIVE HELD AFTER RAPE & MURDER OF A TEENAGER

Ok, so we all know that crime is through the roof here in South Africa. The Government keeps giving us statistics which would indicate that they are winning the war against crime, but then when you read the daily newspapers, it is quite evident that they are not winning anything, let alone the war on crime!

My problem here though, is this is an extremely violent crime, twice over - firstly the rape and then the murder of a young girl and it seems to have been committed by teenagers. What is happening to our youth, that their innocence has been lost at such a young age. That they are so angry at the world that they have to turn to such violence in order for them to exist?

If this is what we as a nation have to look forward to, going into the future - we are in serious trouble!

Regards

Nikki

October 30 2006 at 12:00AM

A 15-year-old girl was raped, strangled and then dragged to a house in Pacaltsdorp, near George, where her body was dumped, Southern Cape police said on Sunday.

She was found lying outside the kitchen door by the house owner at 5am on Saturday, said spokesperson Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe.

Police arrested five boys, aged between 14 and 17, and expect to arrest a 20-year-old man in connection with the murder. "From what we have gathered, the boys took the girl to some house in the same area, where she was raped and killed."They then dragged her body all the way to the other house," said Mangqwengqwe.

Police are investigating a case of murder and rape. - Sapa

Cosatu is corrupt, says Sanco President

So now the "wars" start and who ultimately gets to finance the who sebang! Well you and I as the tax payers do of course - why would it be any different than usual. It will be interesting though as the fight hots up to see how everyone positions themselves at the start and where they end up - could be in a totally different corner to the one that they started in. I guess time will tell.

Regards

Nikki

Boyd Webb

December 13 2006 at 12:00PM

The Congress of South African (SA) Trade Unions has been accused of corruption and trying to buy support to influence the SA National Civic Organisation's leadership election.

The claim was made by outgoing Sanco president Mlungisi Hlongwane on Tuesday at the start of the embattled civic organisation's national conference in Bloemfontein.

Hlongwane, who has come under fire from within his own organisation for his perceived support for President Thabo Mbeki, said Sanco would not take sides in the ANC's 2007 succession battle.

In a hard-hitting address to more than 1 000 delegates, Hlongwane, who was previously suspended for uttering statements not supported by the entire leadership, accused Cosatu of trying to buy Sanco's support.

"One sad political moment emerges that Cosatu will even be keen to fund the Sanco conference on condition that certain leaders must not be elected as Sanco leaders," he claimed.

It has been revealed that the Sanco conference was cut by a day due to financial problems.

Hlongwane blamed certain groups who had promised sponsorships for failing to honour their agreements at the last minute."Corruption is not only when people defraud or accept a bribe. It is counter-revolutionary political opportunism, and yes, corruption, when leaders offer cash bribes for political positioning," he told the stunned audience.Sanco is the orphan in the alliance with the ANC, Cosatu and the South African Communist Party - which is generally regarded as the tripartite alliance - because of the civic organisation's almost non-existent role.

Hlongwane questioned when last Sanco members heard Cosatu or the SACP shouting "Viva Sanco" at gatherings, and took exception to the alliance being referred to as the tripartite alliance, which necessarily excluded his organisation.

"Why does the leadership of Cosatu and the SACP at national level undermine their own national decision to assist in building Sanco, and yet have consistently since 2002 voiced their own dissatisfaction over Sanco being a part of the alliance?" he asked.

He said Sanco's revolutionary allies continued to treat the organisation with disdain, despite surveys that showed it was Sanco that held the fabric of the alliance together.

He said 29 percent of ANC members were also Sanco members compared to the 14 percent who were also Cosatu members and 16 percent who were SACP members.

"It tells us one thing, and that is Sanco can influence the outcome of the ANC elections in 2007," said Hlongwane.

He voiced his clear support for the ANC and in particular praised Mbeki, whom he described as the "most advanced and brilliant of cadres ever produced".

Hlongwane, who has long been viewed as a staunch Mbeki ally, recently came under fire for supporting calls for the president to stand for a third term.

His recent deployment as mayor in the Vaal region of Gauteng was seen by some as a reward for supporting Mbeki and for positioning Sanco as a neutraliser in an alliance where Cosatu and the SACP often criticise the government's delivery record.

Hlongwane made it clear that Sanco would not interfere in the ANC election process.

He said the ANC branches and its leadership would determine who leads the ruling party.

Pointedly referring to alliance partners, he said Sanco would never tolerate the burning of T-shirts bearing the face of any of its leaders and would refrain from fanning divisions within the ANC.

Cosatu on Tuesday night rejected the allegations, describing these as "totally absurd". Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven denied that the federation had ever offered to finance Sanco members in return for a certain vote.

Cosatu's first deputy president, Sdumo Dlamini, was expected to address the conference on Tuesday.

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on December 13, 2006

DUT - STAFF SUSPENDED IN WAKE OF AUDIT

Oh Wow! Look what is being taught in the Univercities of today - how to perform fraud and corruption! This is what you send your children to learn! There is a saying that goes something along the lines of "Teach/lead by example". What are we teaching our children today - this is how to steal!

108 cases of fraud slpit amongst 6 people works out to an average of about 18 each - wonder if this is the whole story? Personally, I would say that there are more people involved in this little bit. Sounds to me like a little more digging needs to be done, with a whole lot more consequence!

Regards

Nikki

Noloyiso Mchunu

December 06 2006 at 09:51AM

Six staff at the Durban University of Technology have been suspended, according to the recommendations of a forensic audit into fraud and corruption and fraud at the institution - reportedly amounting to millions of rands. DUT spokesperson Nomonde Mbadi said the university had instituted disciplinary hearings against two of the six staff and that more hearings had been scheduled for later in December.

The university called for the audit after allegations of fraud and corruption were made in 2005 to the institution's now dissolved council. Of the 108 cases investigated by audit firms KPMG and Amaface, 64 were reported in the findings, 26 were not pursued because of insufficient evidence and 18 were referred to the university management for action.

Mbadi said none of the implicated staff would be named because the process had not been finalised. A 397-page report released by DUT Administrator Jonathan Jansen in November revealed that several staff members had helped themselves to the institution's money. University computers had been used to mass-mail pornographic images, university vehicles had been used without accountability and contractors had been paid before work had been completed and, in some cases, for work not done at all. Irregularities were found in several administration departments, including human resources, payroll, procurement, maintenance, finance and student housing. noloyiso.mchunu@inl.co.za

This article was originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on December 06, 2006

SANDF cannot affor the "gravy train" trip

How appropriate - the "gravy train" on Christmas day! Seems like our Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is up her her old antics yet again and also interestingly enough - the results of Affirmative Action is also highlighted here.

How sad for us South Africans, on both points!

Regards

Nikki

December 12 2006 at 04:43AM

By Boyd Webb and Angela Quintal

The cash-strapped South African National Defence Force cannot afford Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's R4,55-million flight, according to Thandi Tobias, the National Assembly's defence committee chairperson.

"We are watching developments very closely. We are very worried what will happen if the (defence) department is forced to pay the R4,55-million with the financial situation it is already in," she said on Monday.The Auditor-General would no doubt give the SANDF another qualified audit "just when we thought we were getting the books on the right track", she said.

Tobias was responding to reports that the Deputy President had flown to the United Kingdom in a jet chartered from Switzerland at a cost of millions. Lekota, as Defence Minister, is responsible for providing President Thabo Mbeki and Mlambo-Ngcuka with air transport, courtesy of the South African Air Force for official business.

Lekota did not authorise the cost of the trip. Tobias said she would be taking a keen interest in what the board of inquiry - established by Lekota to investigate the chartering of the plane - would recommend. "We can't afford to have another qualified audit, especially of that amount. And whether we like it or not the Auditor-General is going to give us another qualified report for unexplained expenditure," Tobias said.

Lekota's spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi on Monday was unable to say as yet who would head the board of inquiry, noting it would be difficult to find an available advocate this close to Christmas. But he said the board's composition - that was expected to follow a paper trail to who ultimately authorised the hiring of the plane - should be announced this week as per Lekota's wishes. He said the terms of reference had also not been established yet but could not rule out that it may also look into the leaking of information to the media from Defence Force sources. But he restated Lekota's apparent approval of such information being highlighted by "whistle blowers".

Meanwhile, Mlambo-Ngcuka, who is expected to arrive back in South Africa from London early on Wednesday, is apparently very upset by the allegations that she knowingly spent R4,55-million to hire a plane. "She has been very upset by the national reaction, especially when she has been trying so hard not to do anything wrong," said her spokesperson Thabang Chiloane from London. The deputy president, who flew to Marseilles in France and then to Edinburgh, Scotland, for meetings with university vice-chancellors and investors on matters relating to the government's Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, claims she had no hand in the travel arrangements. Lekota has also said Mlambo-Ngcuka herself was not at fault.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, who then flew to Gatwick airport south of London for further talks with the South West Teachers Training College, is reportedly trying to establish training programmes or "twinnings" in order to promote Business Processing Outsourcing, which forms part of the Asgisa programme. "The plane seats about 10 people and only essential staff accompanied her - there was nobody catching a free ride or anything," Chiloane said, describing the allegations against the deputy president as "unfair". However, Mlambo-Ngcuka has been criticised for similar flights twice before.

Last year an Air Force plane was used to transport her and her family for a private holiday in the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this year she again made headlines when she took a 13-minute plane ride to a golf tournament at the nearby Sun City resort. Mlambo-Ngcuka had to charter a flight last week, after the SANDF did not have sufficient pilots available to fly her to France and the UK. The Freedom Front Plus said on Monday the fact that there were not enough pilots available in South Africa to fly the South African Air Force's presidential jets was proof of the "total collapse as a result of government's affirmative action and transformation policies".

"The FF Plus asked the Minister of Defence last year in parliament about the sufficiency of suitably trained black pilots for the presidential jets and was assured by the minister that there was one qualified pilot and a further four in training. "It is, however, not known how many of the pilots in training completed successfully since last year," FF+ spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said. The air force's affirmative action policy had also come under fire earlier this year, when it became known that the three top students in training - who were white - were not allowed to proceed with further training as fighter pilots, Groenewald said. "The events point to a disregard for the South African taxpayer in that cost are incurred due to the Defence Force," he said.

This article was originally published on page 4 of Pretoria News on December 12, 2006

THE PLAN

Supplied by one of my colleagues on the Business Warrior site (www.businesswarriors.co.za), this explains why we have bad service.

Regards

Nikki

The Plan

In the beginning was the Plan:

And then came the Assumptions.

And the Assumptions were without form;

And the Plan was completely without substance;

And Darkness was upon the faces of the employees;

And they spoke unto their Supervisors, saying: “The Plan is a crock of sh.t and it stinks!”

And they went unto their Superintendents and said: “It is a pail of dung and none may abide the odour thereof.” And the Superintendents went unto their Managers and said unto them:“It is a container of excrement and it is very strong

Such that none here may abide by it.” And the Managers went unto the Senior Managers and said: “It is a vessel of fertilizer and none may abide by its strength.”

And the Senior Managers went unto their General Managers and said: “It contains that which aids plant growth and it is very strong.”

And the General Managers went unto the Managing Director and said unto him: “It promotes growth and is very powerful.”

And the Managing Director went unto the Board and said: “This powerful new Plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency of the Company.”

And the Board looked upon the Plan and Saw that it was good, and the Plan became Policy!