CRIME: EXPERTS SAY MBEKI IS OUT OF TOUCH

Good grief! Well I guess no-one may walk into the studio in Auckland Park and start shooting, probably because at the time of the interview Mbeki's bodyguards were all there, but there are reported incidents of residents having an afternoon with friends and being attacked in their own gardens in broad daylight!

What about the fact that Mbeki's own home was compromised by a burgler - I guess if a robber and/or armed attacker can get in there - with all the safety measures that one would assume is around the President of the country, then said robber and/or attacker could get in anywhere.

Is it really possible that Mbeki is not aware of what is going on around him, can his head be so far buried in the sand that he cannot see what is happening.

Perhaps Mbeki is using the same policy that he does on what is happening in Zimbabwe - you know the one? It's the one that goes along the lines of "Let's wait and see what happens!"

Regards
Nikki

Crime: Experts say Mbeki is out of touch
Johannesburg, South Africa

17 Jan 2007 07:17

Crime experts and victims have accused President Thabo Mbeki of being out of touch with reality with his denial that crime was out of hand, Beeld reported on Wednesday. A senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Johan Burger, said Mbeki's statement showed he was not clued up about the experiences of ordinary people.

In 1998, 25% of respondents said in a poll they did not feel safe going out after dark in their own areas. "In a similar poll in 2004, that figure had jumped to 58% of people who felt unsafe," said Burger.

Mbeki said in a TV interview on Monday it was just a perception that crime was out of control. Most South Africans would agree, he told interviewer Tim Modise. "It's not as if someone will walk here to the TV studio in Auckland Park and get shot," said Mbeki. "That doesn't happen and it won't happen.

Nobody can prove that the majority of the country's 40 million to 50 million citizens think that crime is spinning out of control." Hisham Bhamjee, chairperson of the Brixton community policing forum, comprising Auckland Park, Melville, Rossmore, Mayfair and Crosby, said he advised the area's 55 000 residents to be on the alert and to take precautions. "Personally, I would not walk along Kingsway or Henley road [which flank the SABC building in Auckland Park] at night," said Bhamjee.

Crime figures for the greater Brixton area for 2005 and 2006 show 20 people were murdered, 527 armed robberies with aggravated circumstances were committed, and there were about 680 assaults.

Former Springbok rugby wing Gerrie Germishuys, who was recently attacked at his home in Northcliff, Johannesburg, said: "If the government's armed bodyguards were taken away from them, they would realise how unsafe the country has become." Burger said there were some positive indicators that crime was levelling off, but it had to be appreciated that this was from an extremely high level [of crime].

"If crime is not out of control, it is under control. And, it may be a bit early to say that," he said. "One should not be duped by positive tendencies, because it does not make one any safer." - Sapa

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - ACCOUNTING

Good morning bloggers - being Wednesday here is the next instalment of the workshop. If you need any of the phycial forms such as VAT registration and or checklists, please contact me for the relevant copies. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Nikki

A5. Accounting

It is in your own best interests, if you are not a bookkeeper or an Accountant, to have one or the other or both, to do the books for your business. Not everyone can handle the figures and if you don’t know what you are doing, be assured – you will mess up and when you mess up it is going to cost you money. So be proactive on this one – get the services of a qualified bookkeeper, or if you have an idea of what you are doing, then just get an Accountant. Make sure that he/she is an accredited Accountant and that they come from a reputable company. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GIVE THEM SIGNING POWERS ON YOUR ACCOUNTS!!!!!! If you obtained the Accountant’s name from the yellow pages or somewhere similar, get references and phone all of them. Do the research. If you would like someone who comes recommended please feel free to use our Accountants. You can get the name and number from me.

Your books should be balanced and written up on a monthly basis. How else can you keep control of what your income and expenses are! Make sure that the records are kept neat and tidy and that they are legible. You are not going to remember what you wrote down 6 months from now – take that extra time, it is worth it in the long run. Put everything in files. I would suggest that everything pertaining to income (invoices sent out etc) be put into one file. Your expenses should also be filed, but a little differently – all you constants, such as telephone bills, rentals, etc should go into individual files and the rest can go into one file in alphabetical numerical order. When you are starting out, the constant bills can be filed in one file, but in their individual sections and then moved as they accumulate and as you grow. Petty cash should be kept separately but together with their reconciliations. A check list should be made for things that need to be paid monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi annually and annually – in this way bills will not be forgotten, will be paid timeously and will not attract penalties and interest.

If you are going to do the bookkeeping yourself, or even if you hire someone to do them for you, it is recommended that you get a good, simple but reasonable, in terms of cost, software package to assist you and make life much easier. I would suggest something like ‘Turbo Cash”, which is one of the most simplest systems around, but it is also one of the most effective as it encompasses everything and also allows your business to grow. Again do the research – it is in your own best interests at the end of the day to be comfortable with what you are doing. The more complicated it is the less likely you’ll want to work with it, so KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!!

Even if you have a bookkeeper and/or Accountant, remember that at the end of the day, you are responsible for what does or doesn’t happen in your business. Make sure that the VAT is paid across every second month. Make sure that you haven’t spent the money – if you are inclined to be a bit of a spendthrift, remove the temptation – transfer the money into an interest bearing account or even into your bond account. Make the money work for you – why must you always work for the money!

In the instances where your business is a business unit or a franchisee, make sure that the Head Office has copies of your VAT, UIF, SDL, RCS and PAYE for their record purposes. Even though your unit is owned by you, it is still a part of the bigger picture and this information may be required by the Receiver or by Auditors.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

By Nikki Viljoen


Networking is a daily part of my life, in fact I could not imagine how my life would be if I were not able to ‘network’! I am a ‘natural’ networker and it is at times excruciatingly difficult for me to understand that this is not the case with many people! How they ‘manage’ is beyond me, which is probably why I keep threatening to write a book which I will entitle ‘The Reluctant Entrepreneur!’ Most people burst into nervous laughter when I make this statement, I suspect because they never know what next to expect from me, but to illustrate my meaning, I would like to relate the following true story:

During the latter half of 2005, I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop that included Nadia Bilchik as the main speaker.

For those of you who can remember that far back, Nadia used to be an M-net Anchor Lady during the 1980’s and 90’s. My favourite memory of Nadia was her character in the “Crunchie” ad’s although she also appeared in several South African movies over the years.

The story goes (and this came from Nadia herself) that Nadia has always been a ‘people’s person’ who chatted easily with everyone with no thought of race, colour, social standing or gender. A real networker! Nadia made friends where ever she went. During this time one of the people that Nadia always touched base with was the Security chap at M-net. What possible reason would she have for doing that, you may wonder, read on and find out!

During 1997, Nadia’s husband was to be relocated to Atlanta Georgia, in America and Nadia’s little world fell apart! Her whole support group of family and friends, that she had built up over the years were here in sunny South Africa and now she would have to move to an unknown part of the world, where she knew no-one! Not only that, but being a ‘big fish in a little pond’, Nadia would be moving somewhere, where she was not known at all! Imagine if you will, her distress. Where would she work and how would she get into the kind of work that she was used to?

Nadia told anyone who cared to listen of her dilemma, including the security guard.

The security guard (let’s call him George), unbeknown to Nadia, had been on some or other course, with security guards from all over the world. Don’t ask what the course was …… I have no idea! Anyway, I digress – George had, during the course of his course, met a security guard from . . . . you’ve guessed it, Atlanta Georgia (let’s call this chap Mike) and not only was Mike from Atlanta Georgia, he also worked at the CNN studios there! The rest as they say is history!

What happened was, that George contacted his buddy Mike and told him all about Nadia back here in South Africa. Mike promised to help. George got Nadia to do a video tape of herself in glorious technicolour and when Nadia got to Atlanta, Mike handed said tape to the people who count at the Studio’s there. Nadia landed herself a fat job and now has her own slot on CNN, all because Nadia was a friendly, natural Networker!

Powerful stuff wouldn’t you say – who would have thought!

Now because I have discovered that not everyone knows how to network, I have decided that I will be giving out some useful tips on the blog on a Tuesday – Tuesday will become “Networking Tips day”. So you can either log into my blog every Tuesday or alternatively, you could get the book!

I recently had the privilege of meeting Helen Nicholson, the Guru of Networking. Helen has written a book entitled “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”. Although I consider myself a ‘natural networker’, meeting Helen in person the other day for a chat and then reading her book, without pause, showed me that I too have a lot to learn!

I have my own signed copy of the book and strongly suggest that you get your own copy. For those of you who would like a copy of Helen’s book, please e-mail your request to her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

Have a look at the www.businessreality.blogspot.com to see what Trevor Nel and I have to say on the subject.

Until next week – happy networking!

Regards
Nikki

WE ARE ALL VALUABLE

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a R100-00 note in the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this R100-00 note. Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this R100-00 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple theR100-00 note up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value.

It was still worth R100-00. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

Who we are, in business is also really important! Our credibility, our sincerity and the way in which we do business and/or how we handle our deliverables, will often be the deciding factor between whether we get the business or not.

Make sure that you always do what you say you will, even if it takes a while, make sure that you keep your word. Be fair, be open and above all be honest! These are attributes that are sadly lacking in the world of business today and I know, for me, it is always refreshing to be dealing with someone whose word I can trust.

Here's hoping that you all have a fantabulous week.

Regards

Nikki

The Best "Out of the Office" Autoreplies

Good morning bloggers, I hope you enjoy the Sunday Smile today.

Regards
Nikki



The Best "Out-Of-Office" E-Mail Auto-Replies :

1: I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position.

2: I'm not really out of the office. I'm just ignoring you.

3: You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at all.

4: Sorry to have missed you but I am at the doctors having my brain removed so that I may be promoted to management

5: I will be unable to delete all the unread, worthless emails you send me until I return from vacation on 4/18. Please be patient and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.

6: Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first ten words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.

7: The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try sending again.' (The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see how many in-duh-viduals did this over and over).

8: Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queueing system.You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.

9: Hi. I'm thinking about what you've just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.

10: Hi! I'm busy negotiating the salary for my new job. Don't bother to leave me any messages.

11: I've run away to join a different circus. AND, FINALLY, THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE :

12: I will be out of the office for the next 2 weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as 'Loretta' instead of 'Steve'.

HOW THE NEXT PRESIDENT WILL BE CHOSEN

Oh my, what exciting times we live in! I can't wait to see what happens! On a personal level I would back either Cyril Ramaposa or Tokyo Sexwale as I believe that they would run the country in the same sort of manner in which they run their businesses - successfully and profitably. However having said that - time will tell! One thing that has not been discussed in the article is the different "tribal" relations - Zuma is a Zulu, hence the stong support from KwaZulu Natal - but how will that help him in Gauteng for example where Zulu's are not nearly as much revered?

During the Apartheid struggle, all the native nations came together as one to defeat the oppression, but will this alliance be maintained now that the 'common enemy' has been dealt with and is no longer a threat? Time will tell!

As I said in the beginning - My these are exciting times that we live in and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Regards

Nikki

How the next president will be chosen
Zukile Majova and Mbuyisi Mgibisa

06 November 2006 01:59


What if the conference happened tomorrow? Surprisingly, ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma would not be a shoo-in. While his election machinery is already in motion he would not secure victory and would probably have to enter party coalitions and bargain hard using the patronage at his disposal.

The ability to dispense positions across the state is a formidable weapon in the hands of the front-runner candidate and, ironically, was bequeathed to Zuma by Mbeki, who has centralised the power to elect executive mayors, the premiers and the Cabinet in the ANC presidency. Zuma could use this to great effect to secure his own victory at the 2007 conference. Our investigation of the power play in ANC regions and provinces indicates that Zuma is battling to win over traditional Mbeki supporters. Zuma is not up against Mbeki, as the succession race is sometimes portrayed. In fact, he is up against an unnamed candidate whom Mbeki is yet to anoint; and he is also up against a compromise candidate, such as Kgalema Motlanthe, who could emerge to maintain unity in the party.

Such a compromise candidate would need the endorsement of both men to succeed. By our calculations, Zuma already has control of KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State and has diluted support in traditional Mbeki strongholds such as the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. But he has been rejected in North West and is battling to launch a full campaign in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Northern Cape.

Zuma hopes to make inroads in possible hung provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, to force a stalemate at the conference, in which case provinces such as the Western Cape and Northern Cape could play a vital power-broking role. The Youth League has staked its future on support for Zuma, defending him through all his tribulations. It has insisted that Zuma is the natural successor to Mbeki, as ANC tradition provides for the deputy automatically to become president.

The Women’s League, however, is a different proposition altogether, as it took a highly critical stance during his rape trial. Despite his acquittal, the women took a dim view of some of the statements he made under cross examination. An Mbeki candidate, or an incumbent such as Motlanthe, is expected to enjoy support in North West and can also count on the vote of power-broking provinces (Western Cape and Northern Cape), which have a combined membership of 54 700, according to the latest audit of ANC membership.

From Durban to PolokwaneIn 1994, at the ANC’s Durban conference, Mbeki first displayed his talent for ruthless politicking. He elbowed aside unionist Cyril Ramaphosa to claim the mantle of deputy president and effective successor to the uhuru president, Nelson Mandela. Mbeki’s prospects improved immensely after SACP secretary general Chris Hani was assassinated by right-wing killers in 1993.

The two had been rivals for many years and Hani was being punted by the likes of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, at the time an influential figure, and had the blessing of South African Communist Party stalwart Joe Slovo.

Polokwane could see a complete change of the ANC guard. Mbeki began to sculpt the party in his image at the 1997 conference in Mafikeng but was forced to compromise on Mosioua Lekota, who ran against Steve Tshwete (an Mbeki henchman) and beat him hands-down. Lekota is still the national chair of the party, but he has been neatly co-opted by Mbeki.

The 2002 Stellenbosch conference took place when Zuma was at his weakest (on its eve, the first corruption allegations against him were revealed) and Mbeki at his zenith. Zuma maintained the deputy presidency, though he showed no sign at the time of having an eye on the big prize.

In a top leadership structure dominated by the president’s men and women, Motlanthe was elected secretary general and supported by the left because he came out of the trade union movement. All top positions were uncontested, revealing the Mbeki culture of not encouraging open contestation. William Mervin Gumede, author of Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC, says “ANC conferences are now held at the same intervals as elections, and are largely stage-managed events.

Important decisions are taken well in advance and, though the election of office bearers is still ‘free and fair’, only the foolhardy stand against candidates pre-approved by the leadership. “Given the public nature of the nomination procedure delegates who support alternative candidates find themselves marked for ostracisation, marginalisation and exclusion from office. The party leadership frowns on any attempt to mobilise support to remove national or local officials."

The Polokwane conference is going to be a ruthless turning point and possibly be more tightly fought than any of the party’s previous post-ap artheid conferences. A national executive committee (NEC) member from KwaZulu-Natal said lobbying started a long time ago and horse-trading would continue to the very last minute.

“People have been talking to people and poaching trusted loyalists from the other camps, and this will intensify as the conference approaches.“At the moment it looks like the race between an Mbeki candidate and Zuma will go right to the end. “It’s clear that Zuma is running with it at the moment, but a lot can change between now and December 2007,” said the NEC member.

Eastern Cape: the mother of all provinces. A home base in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or Gauteng is critical for any candidate going for the top job. These three provinces, in order, hold the highest number of votes at the conference. The mother of all ANC provinces, the Eastern Cape, held the trump card at the Stellenbosch conference in 2002, fielding 655 voting delegates -- almost double the 393 delegates from the second-placed KwaZulu-Natal. It is still likely to be the most powerful province, which explains why it is gripped by factionalism.

The KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee has publicly announced that Zuma will be its candidate, while the Eastern Cape and Gauteng have yet to indicate whom they will back. Control of the Eastern Cape is going to be tricky for both factions as the regions in the province are torn between Mbeki and Zuma.

The OR Tambo region in the former homeland capital of Mthatha is the country’s biggest region, with more than 25 000 affiliates, and, along with Chris Hani and Ukhahlamba, is drumming up support for Zuma. As recently as August, Zuma visited Mthatha, soon after which the region made a proposal for the limitation of the powers of the president to appoint premiers and mayors.

Mbeki has been criticised for abusing these powers to entrench patronage. The Nelson Mandela region in Port Elizabeth, the Amathole region in East London (the province’s second biggest region, with more than 17 000 members) and the Alfred Nzo and Cacadu regions have called for a third term for Mbeki. But the provincial executive committee wants a compromise candidate to run the party for one term to heal rifts.

The provincial mandate ahead of the 2007 conference depends largely on who, between Mbeki ally Stone Sizani and Zuma backer Mcebisi Jonas, wins the provincial chairmanship at the Eastern Cape conference on November 30.

KwaZulu-Natal. KwaZulu-Natal is a no-go area for the Mbeki faction. It is where Mbeki’s loudest campaigner, Premier S’bu Ndebele, has been pelted with stones by Zuma supporters.

Free State. The Free State has been a hotbed of anti-Mbeki sentiment for the past few years because the president has repeatedly overlooked provincial chairperson Ace Magashule for the position of premier. This will not easily translate into support for Zuma; a compromise candidate could possibly count on support there.

Hung provinces Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga are all split. Gauteng and North-West were the only two provinces that backed Mbeki at the National General Council last year when he first faced open rebellion from his ranks. Gauteng chair and Premier, Mbhazima Shilowa, is a strong supporter of the president and his position reflects the majority opinion. That attitude is also reflected by the SACP’s position in Gauteng, which is critical of the national SACP’s opposition to Mbeki. Zuma has addressed several gatherings in Limpopo, where his supporters believe he is popular. But ANC provincial chairperson Sello Moloto is a close Mbeki ally who has not associated himself with Zuma support activities organised in the province.

Our assessment is that Zuma will not enjoy an easy ride in these three provinces. Power brokers?

The Northern Cape ANC is led by John Block, who was removed from his post as provincial minister because of allegations of misuse of funds. Northern Cape is a difficult province to call. The Western Cape remains a difficult province for the Zuma camp and there are no immediate plans to take the Zuma campaign caravan to the province. The province is not necessarily divided along Zuma and Mbeki factions, but is split along ethnic lines -- one camp loyal to provincial chair and Premier, Ibrahim Rasool, and another loyal to provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha. Both are known to fly the Mbeki flag. Northern Cape and the Western Cape pack small punches at elective conferences, but they could emerge as power brokers.The road to the topThe process to nominate an ANC president and the party’s national leadership, the national executive committee (NEC), starts at ANC branches. The next president will be chosen by branches with the rest of the public having very little say.

It is in general branch meetings that ANC members, who have paid their fees and whose branches are in good standing with ANC constitutional requirements, begin the process by nominating candidates for all six official positions in the party, including NEC members. To be in good standing, branches should hold a meeting at least once in a year and have more than 100 paid-up members.

The six official positions of the ANC, elected separately at the conference through a secret ballot, are: president, deputy president, chairperson, secretary general, deputy secretary general and treasurer general.

Branches are supposed to discuss ANC leadership by observing guidelines contained in the discussion document Through the Eye of the Needle and then nominate leaders. The document provides that ANC leaders must be selfless and of high moral fibre (perhaps thereby providing an easy sifting mechanism). Once the branch has drawn up a candidate list, it takes it to the regional executive committee (REC), where the lists are consolidated and debated further to formulate a regional mandate. The process then goes to the provincial executive committee, which convenes a provincial general council -- constituted by all branches in good standing.

The list is debated further until a consensus is reached and then a provincial candidate list is formulated. After the list is finalised, the province then has an official position on the candidate of its choice. For the first time, in 2007 the ANC Women’s League and ANC Youth League will not only send voting delegates to the national conference, they will also be able to send in nominations for the national leadership.

A process similar to that of the mother body will be followed by both the women’s and youth wings. After receiving all the nominations from provinces and the leagues, the electoral commission, which is made up of long-standing senior members of the ANC, compiles a national consolidated list. This is distributed to branches before the conference.

People who were not nominated through the process can be nominated at the national conference from the floor, provided they are supported by at least 25% of the voting delegates present. -- Mbuyisi Mgibisa and Zukile Majova

SMS POLL SHOWS SOUTH AFRICANS SICK OF CRIME

How on earth can this not be an emotional response? Speak to anyone and everyone here, I guarantee you, you will not find at least one person who has not either been a victim of violent crime themselves - but who will know someone who has! That includes Thabo Mbeki himself! How could Richard Rice NOT think that people would become emotional? Good grief man - where is your heart!

Regards

Nikki

SMS poll shows South Africans sick of crime
Johannesburg, South Africa

30 January 2007 01:45


A television SMS poll on crime in South Africa drew a record response with about 400 000 people saying it is spiralling out of control ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, a newspaper report said on Tuesday.

The poll was carried out by a popular television talk show after President Thabo Mbeki angered many by saying that most people in the country do not think that "crime is spinning out of control."

The Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper said: "About 400 000 SMSs were received by early yesterday [Monday] evening ... the most ever to take part in an SMS survey. "The SMS originally read: "If you think crime in South Africa is out of control SMS 'yes' to 33588. "But as the message was passed around it gained tags such as "Please forward this to as many people as possible and prove Mbeki wrong!

Stand up to crime."South Africa has one of highest crime rates in the world, with 18 528 murders reported in the country of 46-million over the 2005'06 financial year, according to national crime statistics.

With violence and crime splashed in newspapers every day, the issue is an emotive one for South Africans, who are hoping it can be curbed before it hosts the World Cup in 2010. Beeld cited Richard Rice, an official from a company that conducts surveys, as saying the poll is not credible due to the emotional tags attached to it that may have prejudiced people.

FAREWELL TO A GODDESS

How very sad. This just brings home, once again, how selfish man actually is. We have destroyed the lives of so many of our animal friends, in our quest to conquer. whilst we seem to be aware of what it is that we are doing, we don't seem to do much about it but talk. How very sad!

Regards

Nikki

Farewell to a goddess
Guardian reporters

It lived in the Yangtze river for millions of years and was revered by the Chinese as the “goddess” of the mighty river. But now scientists believe that the baiji, a white, freshwater dolphin, is extinct.

A painstaking six-week hunt on the Yangtze for any remaining signs of the baiji ended this month with the news scientists had been dreading: there don’t appear to be any remaining. “The baiji is functionally extinct. We might have missed one or two animals but it won’t survive in the wild,” said August Pfluger, a Swiss naturalist involved in the expedition. “We are all incredibly sad.”

Also known as the Chinese river dolphin, the baiji is the first large aquatic mammal to be declared extinct since the Caribbean monk seal was killed off by hunting and over-fishing half a century ago. The marine scientists from the baiji.org foundation launched their hunt with some limited optimism six weeks ago, aware that the dolphin was in desperate peril but hopeful they would sight some of the pale, nearly blind creatures. But even halfway through the expedition the signs were looking gloomy.

The dolphin, which dates back 20-million years, has been pushed to extinction by the severe degradation of its habitat. Increasingly noisy shipping traffic on the Yangtze affected the dolphins’ sonar, while severe pollution and over-fishing diminished food supplies. The completion of the massive Three Gorges dam project upriver also did not help, worsening the decline of the smaller fish on which the baiji fed and shrinking the sand bars around which they once played.

Around 400 baiji were believed to be living in the Yangtze in the early 1980s, when China was just launching the free market reforms that have transformed its economy. The last fully-fledged search, in 1997, yielded 13 confirmed sightings, and a fisherman claimed to have seen a baiji in 2004.

The closest most modern Chinese people got to the creature was Qi Qi, a female baiji found in the river in 1980, who lived in an aquarium until her death in 2002. The chances of a miraculous return from presumed extinction seem extremely remote, given that the team of 30 scientists from five countries searched a 1 600km stretch of the Yangtze over the six weeks.

At least 20 to 25 baiji would now be needed to give the species a chance to survive, they say. The disappearance of the “goddess of the Yangtze” is a sobering reminder to the Chinese government about the extent to which the country’s economic transformation is affecting the environment. According to Pfluger, China’s agriculture ministry had hoped the baiji would end up being another giant panda, an animal brought back from the brink of extinction in a highly marketable effort that bolstered the country’s image.

Almost equally under threat is Yangtze finless porpoise, whose numbers have fallen to below 400, the expedition found. “The situation of the finless porpoise is just like that of the baiji 20 years ago,” the baiji.org expedition group said in a statement. “Their numbers are declining at an alarming rate. If we do not act soon they will become a second baiji.”

-- © Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - ARCHIVING

Good morning bloggers! Being Wednesday it is the workshop post again this morning. Remember, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me, or in this case if you need any of the documentation, it is available at a fee.

Regards

Nikki

A. 4. Archiving

It is a legal requirement that accounting records and balances be retained for at least five years from the date of the last entry therein. This is not only a legal requirement for businesses, but for you in your personal capacity as well. The Receiver has the right to ask you for any financial documentation going back five years and if you do not have the documentation they can fine you and charge you penalties and interest thereon. For example, this is the year 2007 and your income tax return has been submitted on time on an annual basis and you have received your rebate or paid your dues (whichever the case may be). Then you receive a notice in the post that your assessment for the year 2002 was re-calculated and your medical aid, expenses/fees need to be re-checked. Your assessment states that you claimed R20 000 worth of medical aid (you had some surgery that the medical aid did not cover) and they now want the proof thereof – however, you had a spring clean last year and you threw everything out. Well why not? You got back quite a nice rebate that year and so the Receiver must be finished with you – Yeah right! Now you can’t prove that you had those expenses, over and above you medical aid allowance and the Receiver disallows the rebate on the medical aid. This means that although you got back R5768.72 as a rebate, you now owe the Receiver R8326.24 and guess what – it has to be paid in the next 3 weeks! The burden of proof is on you. So please keep everything. It is your audit trail, it can save you lots of money if there is a query.

The frequency of your archiving will depend on the size of your business and the amount of paperwork, you generate. It’s best though, to file things firstly in date order, then in month order, then in year order. Most small to medium size businesses can get away with a years worth of work in a (printing paper) box. Mark the box clearly with, the year, and what the contents of the box are. For example “2003, 1. Cheque book stubs, 2. Bank Statements” and so on. If you take something out for whatever reason – remember to put it back exactly where you took it from. You don’t want to have to go through the whole box looking for a single little piece of paper that you’ve probably put back into the wrong year anyway!

A copy of archiving label for the boxes can be obtained from me directly, as well at the Archiving Retention periods.

DRINK, DRIVE & WALK FREE

Wow! That certainly does indicate that there is a pattern here. If this had been an ordinary member of Joe Public, the metro police would have been all over them like a rash and they would have been inside a cell, quicker than the tow trucks could have even arrived on the scene.

In retrospect, we now all know what has happened to Robert McBride, he is free as a bird. So much for keeping corruption at bay. The ANC only follow the laws that suit them and when it suits them and they themselves should be brought to task.

Regards
Nikki

Drink, drive and walk free

Kwanele Sosibo

He was not disciplined by the African National Congress (ANC), but he voluntarily retired from his post to join the 2010 World Cup’s local organising committee as its head of security. Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride, who rolled his car last December while driving on the R511 near Centurion, faces the minor charge of reckless driving despite being described by several witnesses as being “blind drunk” at the scene of the accident.

Some witnesses also claimed that McBride’s colleagues, who were operating outside of their jurisdiction when they came to his rescue, threatened and assaulted bystanders and removed evidence from McBride’s car. His blood was not tested for alcohol content. McBride’s boss, Ekurhuleni mayor Duma Nkosi, defended his metro police chief just hours after the accident, even though police had only begun investigating the incident.

Nkosi also failed to confirm whether a breathalyser test had been conducted at the scene, and brazenly claimed that McBride was sober enough to drive, saying it was “unfortunate” that “some people took the view that he was drunk”. The ANC’s lack of disciplinary rigour in its handling of these cases is part of a pattern.

In 1999, ANC senior party adviser and Cape Metropolitan Council (CMC) executive committee member Mzukisi Gaba was convicted of driving under the influence and fined R12 000 or six months in jail. Although the council suspended him after the verdict, the ANC called for his suspension to be lifted immediately, remarking that he had “suffered enough”.

He was reappointed to the CMC in 1999. In December 2005, Eastern Cape ANC legislature member Mike Basopu was arrested for a second time that year on charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol. In both instances, the ANC turned a blind eye. Basopu was nabbed yet again this month for drunk driving. Although he appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court earlier this week, the case was withdrawn pending the result of a blood analysis.

He remains the portfolio chairperson for the provincial health committee. Earlier last year, North West ANC member of the legislature Ndleleni Duma received a standing ovation from his party in a show of moral support ahead of his court case on charges of drunken driving. After a protracted trial he was acquitted on a technicality, when the magistrate found that the route he was said to be driving on at the time of his arrest was not properly noted on the charge sheet.

Duma also pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of R51 000 and was fined R30 000 in the Travelgate scandal. He remains provincial minister for sports, arts and culture in North West.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

The quote of the week comes from Shado Twala - businesswoman.

"Happiness is self love".

I remember first hearing Shado Twala on the radio - Metro FM it was, in the mid nineties. She has a very deep resonant voice, that is both smokie and saltry and I remember wondering what she would sound like if she sang. I imagined this beautiful jazzy or blues type voice and carries you, the listener down whatever road the tale of the song goes.

It was only years later that I discovered that Shado was not just a DJ on the radio, but also a very successful businesswoman.

During her tenure as DJ on the radio, she often spoke about matters of the heart, and the quote above is very typical of the type of thing that she used to say.

Whilst I agree with her sentiment, I cannot help but wonder how any business can be successful if there is no "happiness" in the heart of the business owner. How can a business be successful if the person owning it and/or running it, is not happy in what they do - let alone passionate about what it is that they do.

Then of course, there are the staff - the business owner usually leads by example and if you as the business owner is not happy and walks around like a grouch all day, chances are that your staff will follow your example.

I cannot even begin to understand how anyone could work in an environment about which they were not madly passionate about the work that they do - yet I understand that millions of people do that every single day of their lives, in an attempt to put food on the table. How sad!

So fall in love with your work, be passionate about what it is that you do and your attitude will become infectious.

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Regards

Nikki

ADVICE TO WOMEN

Not sure who the Man is, who wrote this, but I would like to add a quote from Dr Maya Angelou - "Always believe a man the first time he tells you who he is!"

Have a wonderful Sunday and I trust that this will bring a smile to your face.

Regards

Nikki



Advice to women...

1. If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.

2. If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.

3. Stop making excuses for a man and his behaviour.

4. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.

5. Stop trying to change yourselves for a relationship that's not meant to be.

6. Slower is better.

7. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

8. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends." A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.

9. Don't settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.

10. Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.

11. The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

12. Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant. Why would he treat you any differently?

13. Always have your own set of friends separate from his.

14. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you.

15. If something bothers you, speak up.

16. Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.

17. You cannot change a man's behaviour. Change comes from within.

18. Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if he has more education or in a better job.

19. Do not make him into a quasi-god.

20. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.

21. Never let a man define who you are.

22. Oh Lord! If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.

23. A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.

24. All men are NOT dogs.

25. You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a two-way street.

26. You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage...deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.

27. You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complimentary...not supplementary.

28. Dating is fun...even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right.

29. Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are, and your always being readily available to him - he takes it for granted.

30. Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need.

31. Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

32. Share this with other ladies..... You'll make someone SMILE, another RETHINK her choices and another woman PREPARE.

33. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them and an entire lifetime to forget them.

BY THE WAY, THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A MAN

EXPECT TO PAY MORE WHEN YOU VISIT THE CHEMIST

Oh well done department of health, although your huge increase in the amount of 5.2% comes far too late for the many pharmacies that had to close as a direct result of your dictatorial ways. What of them?

In a country where the entrepreneur is expected to grow the economy, it was very sad to see huge companies like Clicks and Dischem take over and corner the market. The little 'man on the street corner pharmacy' is now something of the past. Many people lost their livlihood and their staff are now unemployed, thank you to the department of health and their 'bright spark ideas'! Well done! I guess a few more unemployed in the grand scheme of things is not a big problem for you - yeah right!

Absolutely disgusting!

Jillian Green January 30 2007 at 05:02AM

Consumers will now pay more for their medicines when they visit their local pharmacies. This comes as the department of health announced a 5.2-percent increase in the price that pharmaceutical manufacturers will charge pharmacists for medicines. The increase means that consumers buying anything from birth control pills to bipolar disorder medication will be paying more for their medication.

The single exit price (SEP) increase is the first in three years. The SEP is the price at which manufacturers sell their products to pharmacists and the standard price from which pharmacists work out their dispensing fees. A total of 27 pharmaceutical manufacturers have been given the green light by the department to increase the prices of certain drugs in their stables. A full list of all the drugs affected by the increases is available on the department's website.

Muhammad Bodhania, the chairperson of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, welcomed the increase in that it "provided some level of release" in the business. "We have not increased our prices for three years, while inflation has increased and the rand has weakened against the dollar. We have been absorbing a lot of the pressure," he said.

Bodhania said the association still had to "check whether the increase was adequate" but added that they had not received any complaints from their members as yet. In real terms, the manufacturers' price increase means a consumer who usually spent just over R70 on Marvelon tablets for the month can now expect to pay in the region of R75. This will apply if the pharmacy that supplies their drugs is using the department's dispensing fee model.

If the pharmacy is not using the department's model, consumers could find themselves digging deeper into their pockets. According to the department's new tiered dispensing fee structure, for medicines with SEPs of less than R75, pharmacists can charge a dispensing fee of 33 percent of the SEP plus R4; a dispensing fee of R25 plus six percent of the SEP for medicines with a SEP of between R75 and R250; a fee of R33 plus three percent of the SEP for medicines between R250 and R1 000; and an extra R50 plus 1,5 percent of the SEP when the SEP is more than

R1000.

Dr Anban Pillay, the department's head of pharmaceutical planning, said the department was compelled to increase the pharmaceutical manufacturers' prices year-on-year, taking into account inflation and the rand-dollar exchange rate. "But this has not happened over the past three years," he said.

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on January 30, 2007

BRUISED BOY 'WAS DRAGGED BEHIND QUAD BIKE'

I am at a loss for words! I cannot for the life of me even begin to understand how anybody can drag another human being behind him on a quad bike, let alone a child. This is absolutely reprehensible! I understand that the man may have gotten a fright when his daughter started crying and over reacted, however having said that, it is my opinion that he lost total control and that is always an extremely dangerous situation to be in!

The next question, that begs to be asked of course is - why have the police not arrested the man? Again this seems to be a "lack of interest" on upholding the law. The police in recent months seem to have come under fire from every angle, yet there does not seem to be any visible attempt to rectify the situation. They just seem to carry on down their own little pathway.

I think we all need to take cognizance of what is happening around us and stand together as a nation, and in this way force the government to re-look at the crime situation and the reaction of the police and find some sort of solution that will benefit all concerned.

Regards

Nikki

Graeme Hosken October 17 2006 at 04:41AM

A Pretoria boy was dragged kicking and screaming next to a quad bike for nearly 300m, allegedly by a tow-truck driver, in an attack which has sparked outrage in a local suburb. Adding to the furore is the fact that the man, said to have "wanted to teach the boys a lesson", has yet to be arrested. Tumi Rakomane, 11, was playing with his friends Lushaanh Holworthy, 12, and Alan Kola, 12, on Sunday near Kwaggasrand Shopping Centre when they came under attack. The three had been throwing stones in an open area opposite the centre in Inner Crescent when the daughter of the tow-truck driver, who cannot be named, screamed for her father.

It is believed that she may have been hit by a stone. Chasing the boys on his quad bike, the man cornered Lushaanh and Alan near the shopping complex. He allegedly began smacking and hitting them repeatedly in the face before tearing after Tumi, who tried to hide in a block of flats. Grabbing him by the neck and his shirt, the man apparently smacked Tumi in the face before zig-zagging over pavements and the street while holding him by his neck. Tumi, who was eventually rescued by an older friend, was visibly traumatised when he spoke to the Pretoria News on Monday, did not know what was happening.

"The man came racing out of his house on his bike and chased after us. I saw him hit and punch Lushaanh and Alan. "I tried to hide but he found me and dragged me down the stairs, kicking me in the back and stomach. "He kept on telling me he was going to teach me a lesson. He said he was going to hurt me and make me bleed," said Tumi.

Lushaanh and Alan, whose faces were swollen where they had been hit, said they were scared."We did not see the girl. We did not know what was happening. "The man really hurt us. He kept on hitting us even when we tried to say sorry. "He would not listen. We tried to say that we did not know why the girl was crying, but he kept on hitting and punching us," said Lushaanh.

A resident who witnessed the incident said the man had been like a "wild animal". "He was hitting and punching the children and dragged one of them like a rag doll. "It was insane. I have never seen anything like this," he said. Lushaanh's stepfather Enver Klow said he could not understand how a person could hit someone else's child. "Surely if you see a child being naughty you call their parents; you don't go and beat the kid," he said. Lushaanh's mother Imelda said she was furious that the man had not been arrested.

"The police have blatantly lied to me. First they told me that they had locked him up, but now they have turned around and said that he is still free. That means people can assault children left, right and centre and get away with it. "It is ridiculous and something needs to be done to stop child abuse like this, especially when police keep on saying that fighting child abuse is one of their top priorities," she said.

Police spokesperson Inspector Paul Ramaloko confirmed the attack, saying that a case of common assault had been opened. Ramaloko said no one had been arrested, "but investigations are continuing".

This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on October 17, 2006

SUSPENDED COUNCIL WORKER STILL POCKETS PAY

What on earth is the problem with the Council? Of course two years of sitting on her butt doing nothing while she gets a fat salary for doing absolutely nothing, should be totally unacceptable! And the kids, who are supposed to benefit from this whole exercise, once again lose out. Surely someone should be held accountable for this!

Regards

Nikki

January 30 2007 at 04:45AM

By Alex EliseevThis month, as usual, Valerie Govinden's salary arrived in her bank account. There's just one problem... Johannesburg ratepayers have paid about R800 000 for the suspended council employee to sit at home for two years. Employed by the city of Johannesburg as a regional manager in social services, Govinden, who has 14 years of service, is on a R33 700-a-month package.

On March 15, 2005, Govinden, 38, was suspended and, a month later, slapped with 18 charges of corruption and abuse of her email. The council alleged she was using her position to benefit from contracts instead of helping the "extremely poor communities" in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg.

'I will prove my innocence in this ridiculous matter' But Govinden, who on Monday said the suspension was "extremely frustrating", is denying any wrongdoing and said she was one of the most productive council employees. She claimed that in just one year (2004/5) she brought in R10-million for project funding in her region and received a 96-percent performance bonus. The council has confirmed the suspension but would not explain the lengthy delay. Govinden's advocate, Reggie Reddy, however, gave the following reasons: "There have been times when people got sick"; "another time the prosecutor's mother-in-law passed away"; "there was an occasion when the employee (Govinden) took ill"; and "the recording equipment was not arranged". Reddy said the next hearing date had not been set, but would take place in the first or second week of March.

To pass the time, Govinden told The Star, she has started doing voluntary work in the field she was working in and spending quality time with her children. She lives in Meredale, southern Joburg. "It has been an extremely frustrating experience," she said. "I will prove my innocence in this ridiculous matter.

"What frustrated Govinden most was that she could not finish all the projects she had started."I've been at home and have tried to stay positive. I've been given this opportunity - I don't know why - to be with my children." Reddy, meanwhile, said they were willing to take the case to the highest forum in the country if necessary. "There is no way she can be guilty of any of these things. They (the charges) are laughable and there is not a shred of evidence. She has always said 'I want to return to work. I am sitting around doing nothing'," Reddy said.

City of Joburg director of communication Gabu Tugwana would not comment on Govinden's case. "Contracts of employment are between an employer and its employees and regulated by provisions of privacy and confidentiality. It can be confirmed that she is currently on suspension. The disciplinary process involving this person is still in progress," he said. Despite the fact that the March hearing will mark exactly two years since Govinden was suspended, Tugwana maintained that "the city took steps to ensure a speedy resolution to this matter". Of the R33 700-a-month package, Govinden receives a basic salary of about R12 700 and the remainder in allowances, such as entertainment, cellphone and computer. She clears about R22 400 a month. Govinden said she has had to forfeit her performance bonuses during the suspension. What led to the suspension was a forensic probe of the computers of several managers in Region 11, where Govinden worked. The investigation was ordered by her boss, Xolile George, and allegedly unearthed incriminating emails.

The city claimed Govinden was abusing her position for financial gain. Govinden was also accused of irregularities in awarding contracts and paying contractors, and of receiving kickbacks for promoting certain companies. Govinden has pleaded not guilty to all charges and claimed, in letters sent to the council, that its evidence is "impermissible and inadmissible".

"The employee's allocated computer was hacked into, and when obviously nothing of substance of an incriminating nature could be found, the present charges were cobbled together," she wrote.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on January 30, 2007

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - WRITTEN PROCEDURES

Good morning bloggers! It's Wednesday again - here is your weekly infusion of the workshop. Remember, if you have any queries, please post them or contact me directly.

Regards

Nikki

A.3 Written Procedures.

Even if you don’t have staff working for you just yet (chances are that at some point you will have), it is a good idea to write down how you do things or how you want things done. This will also assist you in doing the admin in the same manner every day, every week and so on. Then when you do hire staff, the manner you want things done will be documented and there can be no misunderstanding on how things must be done. A good way to do this is to write down firstly, what you do every day, (for example – banking) every week (for example bank reconciliations), every month (testing of alarm) and so on. This will give you a good checklist that can be signed off as and when you perform the tasks and ensures that nothing gets left off or left behind, so to speak. Once you have established the tasks that need to be done on a regular basis, it is much easier to then put together a documented procedure on how you want the tasks to be done. Remember to keep it simple and in a logical or chronological order of events.

Once this has been done, you now have a written procedure – the next step is to implement it. This may seem like stating the obvious, but how many manuals have we all got and how often do we actually use them. Think about the manual that comes with the cell phone – how many of us only use a tiny percentage of the capabilities of our cell phones because we don’t ever look at the book and read about all the things that the phone is actually capable of doing.

As a precaution, it may be a good idea to get your Accountant to look over your procedures, just to make sure that you are doing everything that you should be doing, at the very least.

If you are the sole owner and staff member of the company, then you have no problems, but if you have a partner or staff, it is a good idea that your partner be aware of what needs to be done and how – and that your staff know exactly what they have to do and how.

This is very important: particularly in the instances where you have staff. Once they have gone through the document several times and you are confidant, that they know what it is that they are required to do, there can be no mistake about what is required of them and how they are to perform the various tasks. This step safe guards you and the staff member – both of you are protected from each other! It may be a good idea to get the staff to write a simple test to ensure that they do indeed understand what it is that they are doing, vs. what they are supposed to be doing. The results of these tests can be kept in the staff files to evidence that they knew what they were supposed to be doing if ever, disciplinary action needs to be taken in the advent of non compliance to laid down procedures.

Okay so now you have the procedure - it is implemented and the staff member knows exactly what he/she is supposed to do. Human nature being what it is dictates that humans get lazy, or complacent, or just plain bull headed. So lets say that the PAYE, UIF and SDL monies are not paid over to SARS on time, just because the staff member didn’t feel like doing any work on the 7th of the new month – the reality of the situation is that you are going to pay penalties and interest on a late payment, through no fault of your own. That is your consequence, what is the consequence, if any for your staff member? Are you merely going to accept that you now have to pay additional money over to SARS or does the staff member also have a consequence? That is a decision that you have to make. It is therefore very important that each process or the procedure for each task, carries a consequence if that task is not performed correctly or timeously. Understand though, that the punishment must fit the crime – you cannot dismiss someone, nor should you, for not filing a piece of paper on time. The staff also needs to be made aware of the consequences of their actions or inactions as the case may well be.

Understand too, that if you have more than one staff member, you cannot discipline the one for not doing the filing properly and then not discipline another for the same action. Be careful when you don’t discipline for a misdemeanour as you may be setting a precedent, and once set they are extremely difficult to unset. You have to be seen as being fair and just and you have to be consistent.

LOTTERY SCAMMERS TARGETING SA CITIZENS

This is not a new scam, for years now e-mails arrive from all over the world stating that you have won money in a lottery that you have never heard of, let alone bought into.

Then of course there is the e-mail that also comes from somewhere else in the world telling you that you have been chosen to be the recipient of a gazzillion USD or GBP because the sorry individual who has sent you the mail in the first place has perloined it from whatever bank and the person, whose money it was in the first place has died and does not have any dependents!

Bollocks!

It is a nice fantasy though, to visualize falling with your bum in the butter for once in your life, because some lost and forgotten relative has moved onto a different planet and/or time zone and left you all of his moola!

Just as long as you remember, that that is all that it is - a fantasy and not reality!

There are enough people after your hard earned money, like SARS etc, without you having to part with it and give it to people who are in fact stealing from you. So take care - if it sounds to good to be true - it usually is!

Regards

Nikki

June 07 2006 at 01:27AM

Police on Tuesday warned the public against letters circulated via email falsely promising large lottery payouts linked to the soccer World Cup. Inspector Percy Morokane said police had received a number of complaints from potential victims of the "SA 2010 World Cup Bid Lottery" scam.

Morokane said victims were notified via email that they have won the lottery. A certificate confirming the prize would then be issued and the victim would be asked to complete a number of forms online, in the process unknowingly disclosing his or her private and confidential details.

The victim would then be informed of the procedure to claim the cash, but an up-front payment would be requested before the rest of the cash was released.

"We strongly warn the South African public and the international community about this and similar scams.

"Morokane urged anyone who had received such emails to call 012-401-3345 or 012-393-1203 or fax 012-401-3369 or 012-393-1202. - Sapa

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

The quote today comes from Nelson Mandela who says:

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treat's its children."

Oh dear, according to this the 'soul' of the South African society is real trouble! Our children are beaten and abused, raped and dehumanized, starved and left homeless. What does that say for us as a nation!

It is often the same with our businesses in their infancy! The very people, upon who lies the responsibility of growing the economy, these people are forced to the ground by burdens gifted wrapped in 'red tape' and tied up in taxes and laws! The more we give, the more we are expected to give.

It's not all doom and gloom though, because despite the financial burdens that we are expected to carry, many take up the challenge and beat the odds, tear off the red tape, undo the knots of taxes and laws and actually make a success of our business, our lives and in so doing we secure our futures.

It's all about focus, determination and tenacity. It's about not only about recognising the opportunity but also doing something about it - this is the real world and there is no 'fairy godmother' with a magic wand. Business will not fall down like manna from the heavens or claw it's way up out of the ground to land exhausted in our laps! We have to go out there and get it.

So, my challenge to you is this! Don't be a statistic and fall down by the wayside, be a leader, a decision maker and a go getta!

Have a fantabulous week!

Regards

Nikki

ALLEGEDLY KULULA

Good morning fellow bloggers - hope you all enjoy the Sunday funnies as much as I do posting them. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Regards

Nikki

Allegedly Kulula

Kulula is an Airline with head office situated in Johannesburg.

Kulula airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining.

Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"

On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."

On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."

"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."

"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

From a Kulula employee: "Welcome aboard Kulula 245 to Calgary. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."

"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."

Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."

"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town: The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline. He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg, the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."

Heard on a Kulula flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

A plane was taking off from Durban Airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop from Durban to Cape Town, The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOD!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!" A passenger then yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"
__________________

A CREDIT CARD FOR A FURRY CLIENT!

Well so much for FICA & FAIS and all rules and regulations and Acts that surround Money Laundering and of course corruption! This little piece of information, just highlights exactly how much all the red tape is worth - exactly nothing! Oh goodness, this is absolutely priceless! The next time the bank refuses to allow me to do something, I think I am going to shove this article at them for their 'official' comment!

Regards

Nikki

January 04 2007 at 04:55AM

Sydney - An Australian bank has apologised for issuing a credit card to a cat after its owner decided to test the bank's identity security system. The Bank of Queensland issued a credit card to Messiah the cat when his owner Katherine Campbell applied for a secondary card on her account under its name. "I just couldn't believe it. People need to be aware of this and banks need to have better security," Campbell told local media on Thursday. The bank said the cat's card had been cancelled. "We apologise as this should not have happened," it said in a statement.

IS YOUR PHONE BRAND NEW?

The question that is 'begging' to be asked is - how was it "mistaken" for a new phone? It was deliberately re-sealed and re-packaged to look like a new phone! The only mistake of course was that they got caught out!

This now raises a lot of questions in terms of other goods out there that are purchased in good faith, and that are "sealed" on delivery, but always have that 'used' feel about them - now you have got to wonder - were they actually new or were they too "mistaken" as a new item, and then sold as a new?

Regards

Nikki

Lumka Oliphant October 07 2006 at 09:53AM

Cellphone users listen up! The phone that your service provider sells you as new may not be new after all. This is what Liz Collins from Cape Town found out when it was time to upgrade her Cell C contract. Her "new" phone was delivered to her by hand, in a sealed box, but when she switched the phone on, there were somebody else's SMSs as well as a list of names in the phone book. She then phoned one of the numbers on the phone as a way of tracing the "owner". It turned out that the details on the phone were those of John Crawford, who stayed in Johannesburg.

It appeared that Crawford was given the supposedly new phone by Cell C as a replacement phone after he had lost his. Cell C contract customers are insured by the cellphone service provider.

Crawford said he had returned the phone to Cell C because he specifically wanted a phone with a camera and had put his SIM card on that phone to be able to operate it. "I switched the phone on and off again after I found that it had no camera. I returned it immediately the following day," said Crawford.Collins said it was clear that the phone had been somewhere else and she was going to pay for a "not so new phone". She said she was promised a new phone by the service provider - but can consumers trust that they are getting a new phone from Cell C the next time they buy a phone? Vinnie Santu, media liaison for Cell C, said: "This was a highly improbable and isolated incident. The handset returned by Mr Crawford was inadvertently mistaken for a new handset and issued to Ms Collins in error. "It is not our policy to reissue returned handsets on contract and we regret this incident."

This article was originally published on page 6 of The Star on October 07, 2006

THUGS ATTACK YOUNG GIRL OUTSIDE MY HOUSE

THUGS ATTACK YOUNG GIRL OUTSIDE MY HOUSE


A terrible thing happened outside my house last night (24th January 2007). I am seriously angry with the police in the area and have every intention of taking this further!

Let me set the scene

My friend Philip came round for dinner last night and we had just finished eating. My front door was open as I was trying to entice a little breath of cool air into the lounge.

Suddenly there was an ear piercing scream from just beyond my front garden. I ran out onto the patio with my cell phone in my hand and yelled out “Are you in trouble”. A petrified, clearly traumatised young girl yelled back “ He’s attacking me!”.

For those of you who know me and have been to my home, you will know that there is no easy access from my front garden to the street, so I couldn’t, even if I wanted to (which is probably a good thing) go out onto the street to help her. I yelled back “I am calling the police”, which I proceeded to do – the time – around 7.45.

While I was calling the police, someone opened the electronic gate and the youngster entered the driveway. At this point I did not know if she lived in the complex or if someone, understanding her plight had let her in for her own safety.

In any event, I digress – I called 10111 and the phone was answered very promptly, I explained the situation telling the operator that a young girl was being attacked outside of my home. I gave him the address and my name and contact details.

8.05 arrived, but the police hadn’t as yet. The local police station is within walking distance but it would take about 20 minutes to get there, so by car if it takes more than 5 minutes, you’re going very slowly. I dialled 10111 again and as luck would have it, got through to the same operator. I advised him that the police had not yet arrived, he suggested that I get hold of the local police station and gave me the number.

As an Internal Auditor, I pay attention to detail, so I had noted down the time of the calls, who I had spoken to and a reference number. Also, I live in SA and sooner or later someone is going to ask me for detail, so this is second nature to me.

I called the local police station and asked who was in charge as I would like to speak to that person. I was given a name. I asked to be put through to that person – here the fun starts – I was told that that person was not on duty! I took a big breath! I asked again who was in charge and who was there that I could speak to – I was given another name. I asked to be put through to that person – I was told that he had just “stepped out”! I lost it (not a pretty sight) and asked for the name of “a living, breathing person who is at the police station, right now who is in charge”, I was given another name – I asked to be put through to that person – she answered the call – the time 8.10pm (and still no police arrival).

I explained the situation (obviously now in a very agitated state), giving her the details of my 2 x 10111 calls, the name of who I had spoken to, the reference number and the time of the calls and advised her that the police had not yet arrived and I wanted to know a) when and if they would be coming and b) why, after 25 minutes they had still not arrived.

This police woman , who was obviously very skilled in dealing with a member of the public who was clearly agitated told me to “lower the tone of my voice when I speak to her!” For those of you who really know me, will know that I now really lost it! I reminded her that as a member of Joe Public, she should remember that it is me that pays her salary and that clearly tonight, the police are not earning it (amongst other things)! At this point the police arrived outside.

To cut a very long conversation short – the police were supposed to, at some point, come to me as I had originated the call – I am still waiting for them.

I then went off to the unit where all the commotion was taking place, found the policemen there and took their details down. They assured me that they would come and talk to me after they had finished interviewing a very traumatised young girl. At this point I discovered she does actually live in the complex. Again I am still waiting for the police to come and talk to me.

At 9.23pm, I again phoned the local police station, to speak to the police woman who was “in charge” and this time got put through to the policeman, who was actually in charge. I related the whole incident to him, and he told me that 25 minutes is an acceptable and average time for the police to respond. Horrified and disgusted, I asked “would 25 minutes be acceptable to you, if it was your wife or daughter that was being raped and/or attacked” – he agreed that it wasn’t.

The local police station is now blaming the call centre at 10111 for the delay and of course the call centre in Brixton (where the 10111 call went through to) is blaming the local police station. I am not interested in their game of tennis – I want to know how a call to the “flying squad” at 10111 – took in excess of 25 minutes to be responded to, to what could have been a really bad situation (fortunately with all the yelling and screaming, the thug let her go and she was physically unharmed).

Today, I am going to find out who the parliamentarian is that belongs to this constituency. I am going to send this (with all the names of the people that I spoke to) to the DA. I am posting this on every network site that I can lay my hands on. It will go onto my blog. I am going to find someone at the newspaper who will be willing to write the story. I am going to name names and I want an answer!

This type of police complacency has got stop!

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - CONTRACTS BETWEEN YOU AND A PARTNER

Good morning bloggers! Herewith the next instalment of the workshop. Remember, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to e-mail me or raise the comment.

Have a great day

Regards

Nikki

A.2. Contracts between you and a partner.

Okay, so you meet someone that you “click” with immediately, or you’ve been friends with someone who you’ve known for years and you trust with your life – that’s great! Trust them with your life – but not your money nor your business. That’s not to say that you have to be suspicious of people and their motives all the time. It doesn’t mean that everyone you know is out to get you either – what it does mean, however, is be aware of what’s going on around you – information is knowledge, knowledge is power!

Why do you need a partner? What are they going to be doing? What are their responsibilities? What are their expectations? What are your expectations? Who gets what? Who does what (segregation of duties)? Who pays for what? Who is paid for what? If the whole venture goes “belly up” how do you get out of it?

These are all questions that need to be asked before you get into bed with a partner! Be clear about what you want out of the deal; be clear about what they want out of the deal. Above all – be fair!

Again, write down (each of you), in your own words what you require and thereafter get the lawyers to put the requirements down in legalese.

Remember, your document should cover the following:

How you put the whole thing together. Who pays for what and how much.

Segregation of duties – what the responsibilities are for each person. For example one person may be excellent on the financial side and the other on the marketing side. This should be stipulated.

Be clear on the money issues. Some of you may feel you are doing more than the other – in this case why not put the whole thing into percentages? Partner A brought in 60% of the business this month and partner B brought in 40%, therefore after expenses partner A should get 60% of the profit and partner B 40% and so on. Make sure you are both in agreement on what expenses the business will cover – petrol, car maintenance, cell phones, etc. Another alternative is, that once the expenses are paid a percentage of the profit remains in the business (say 10% or 15%) and only after that can the partners take out their respective profits. In this way the business will always have some capital and be liquid. Alternatively each partner gets a fixed amount. Whichever way you decide, make sure that all information is documented and that each partner is clear on what is happening to the finances.

Not all marriages are made in heaven: divorce statistics prove this over and over again. So don’t go into this with rose tinted glasses and starry eyes. Take the emotion out of the situation. If the union needs to be dissolved, for whatever reason – document what is going to happen and how and put it into the contract. In this way the business can remain standing and your names credible.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CORRUPTION!

Ok, so where do I start on this topic. Absolutely there is a huge amount of corruption in this country. Having said that, it is not confined to the police, or any one sector of the community, it is rampant everywhere. Everyday in the newspaper there is something about someone somewhere who has accepted a bribe of some sort.

I look around at all the small business owners (and the members of Joe Public for that matter) and how difficult it is to sometimes get the smallest of things done, without spending hours of wasted time and/or huge amounts of money to get whatever it is that we want in place done and I can almost understand why it is often much easier (not to mention cheaper by far) to get something done. But is that the right way to go . . . logic tells me no, because as some point, what-ever it is that has been done illegally, will rise up, like the Phoenix out of the ashes and bite you on the bum! And please believe me, when it bites, it is going to hurt like hell!

Yes I agree that infrastructures need to be improved and legislation needs to be amended to make life easier. Some of the people in power need to have their 'ego' checked in at the door, and some just need to get over themselves. A little bit of power is the same as a little bit of knowledge - they are both very dangerous in the wrong hands! Having said that however, we all need to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem, if we are going to get things sorted out.

So, in closing - ponder on this - don't bribe - if you have done the crime (whatever it may be) you must be willing to do the time (or pay the price). Let's all work together to bring corruption down.

Regards

Nikki
January 05 2007 at 12:14PM


By Miranda Andrew

Corruption among Durban's police forces is alarmingly high. Senior police officers and concerned security analysts agree that corruption is rife in some of the city's bigger police stations. But senior police officers have blamed the public, saying they are encouraging corruption by offering bribes. Experts say that police are so corrupt that most communities would rather trust private security firms than the men in blue.

Durban regional court magistrate Keshore Lalbahadur on Thursday also lamented the plague of corrupt officials. Speaking before taking up his new post as regional court president of the Free State, Lalbahadur said "there are simply too many corrupt officials who are encouraging crime". Everyone had to work together to root out the problems, he said.

The latest soul-searching about police corruption in the city comes after recent reports about alleged corruption at the Sydenham and Phoenix police stations. In December Metro police officers accused some Phoenix SAPS officers of hindering a legitimate police operation against a popular shebeen that has operated illegally for years with seeming impunity. This week the spotlight turned to Sydenham Police Station after a blood sample taken from a drunk driver during a festive season roadblock was allegedly stolen from a secure location accessible only to police officers.

These two cases, and dozens more, are being investigated by the police watchdog, the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). "The police are the cornerstone of all communities and if that falls apart, then communities live in fear. That is the situation at present," Koos van Rooyen, chairman of the KZN branch of the South African Security Association (SASA) said on Thursday.

Van Rooyen, a former policeman in the Durban North Murder and Robbery Unit, said there was a big problem in Durban and it would never change unless senior management was held accountable. "The problems will never be changed from the bottom up, changes can only come from the top," he said.

A recent study by SASA shows that the majority of South Africans trust their private security companies more than the police. "And this should never be the case," Rooyen added. "The authorities should keep the public informed about the outcome of corruption investigations. This builds confidence in the system and tells other corrupt policemen that they will not get away with it," he said.Meanwhile, acting provincial SAPS Commissioner Bala Naidoo said that for corruption to take place, there must also be corrupt residents involved. "For every corrupt officer there is a corrupt member of public and that's what people need to understand," said Naidoo.

Metro police spokesperson Supt Alec Wright agreed that the public consents to such corruption by paying bribes. "Unfortunately, a corrupt officer can tarnish the police image, but sometimes the public themselves are found guilty of entertaining the corruption by offering bribes to police," Wright said. He explained that officers who have been found guilty of corruption have been dealt with departmentally and even criminally.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Daily News on January 05, 2007