CORRUPT COPS : IT'S YOUR FAULT

Well now this is an interesting take on things - let's just shift the blame shall we! In terms of this, it is not a murders fault that he/she killed someone, it's the victims fault for being there to be murdered.

Clearly I have the whole thing arse about face!

Let's see now . . . Isn't the whole point of having a police force is to maintain law and order? If we did not have a corrupt society and/or a lawless society, there would be no need for a police force. It was my understanding that the police were supposed to be above lawlessness and corruption, but clearly I have got the whole thing wrong!

Police who take bribes and who break the law, are in my opinion no better than the criminals that they track down and they should be punished in the same manner.

Believe it or not there are some men and women, in blue who are not corrupt and who do not take bribes and who try and uphold the law who are now being tarnished with the same brush as those who participate in these endeavours.

So, acting provincial SAPS Commissioner Mr Bala Naidoo, stop making excuses for yourself and your corrupt officials and instead of wasting everyone's time with these useless meanderings, start prosecuting the corrupt policemen and women and make them examples of what the people will no longer tolerate!

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

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - BANKING ACCOUNTS.

Good morning bloggers - here's the latest offering on my Startup Business Workshop. Remember if you have any questions, ask them in the form of a comment so that all can get to see.

B BANKING ACCOUNTS

The objective of this section is to ensure that proper banking accounts are maintained in compliance with the law and accounting practices.

1. It is imperative to have and maintain separate business and personal banking accounts. Not everything can be claimed in terms of taxes from your business account and it is therefore advisable to have all your business income and expenses running through the business account and everything else running through your personal account. You need to make sure, with your Accountant/Bookkeeper what you can and what can’t claim, in terms of tax, as a business expense. For example, if you were running a pre-school nursery from the same premises that you lived in you could claim, from the business, all the jungle gyms, swings, splash pools, books etc that you purchased, but if you ran your Internal Audit business from home, this would not be accepted as a business expense! So be sure of what you are doing – the tax man is at liberty to check everything and if he thinks that you are doing him out of any money – he will hound you!

2. Keep control of your business – own it with every fibre of your being! Make sure that what is supposed to come in does. Don’t just sit there and think, well I raised the invoice and therefore it will be paid! People hate parting with money, some have cash flow problems, some are waiting for other people to pay them – whatever the reason, very few people do what they say or even what they are supposed to. Make sure, once you have raised the invoice that the money has come in. An easy way to maintain and check this is to have a spread sheet (either manually or on the computer) – this will serve several purposes. Firstly it will assist you in ensuring that your invoices run consecutively and that you don’t miss out any. Missing invoices are always suspicious and if you are being audited by your Head Office or by outside Auditors or even a SARS audit, you may have to “please explain why you have missing invoices”. Again remember the burden of proof is on you to show that the taxes you have paid are in line with the money that you have earned and if you have a missing invoice this cannot be done!

Secondly, it will, at a glance, evidence the date that the invoice was raised. This is useful if you have a query and will circumvent having to look up that particular invoice.

Thirdly, the date that the payment was received into your bank account should be noted. Again this is useful in keeping track of who your bad payers are. You can also see, all in one place, what has been paid and what is outstanding. Your accounts receivable can be managed much more effectively. You can see what is supposed to be coming in and what has come in without actually having to look up each and every invoice and match it back to the bank statement that it actually came in on. If you don’t do proper reconciliations this may be even more time consuming than you originally anticipated as your invoice may only have been paid 6 or 7 months or even longer, from the time that you actually raised the invoice.

Then there are expenses related to your income in the form, for example, Royalties. These can also be calculated once the payments have been received and you are then in a better position to see what you have to pay out and what forms part of your expenses.

It helps you to manage your money – that may sound like stating the obvious – but again, you would really be surprised at the number of people who have no idea what comes into their account and what goes out, or what is due to go out. They call up a statement on the internet or at an ATM and if there is money in the account it gets spent, without any thought to what still has to go through the account and what they still owe.

You can purchase a copy of the spreadsheet that we have just discussed, from me and you will note that all the major details are recorded such as the Client’s name , the amount of the invoice, the invoice #, the date that the invoice was paid into the bank account, expenses such as Royalties and the date that they were paid. You can add to or take from the spreadsheet and adapt it to suit your particular business. Such a simple document and yet is saves so much time and effort and it only takes a few moments to maintain.

3. Under the Banking Accounts comes your VAT again. I know that I have discussed this previously, but I am going to do it yet again! In fact I cannot stress this point enough – make sure that your VAT is paid over every two months – don’t get behind, it is a costly exercise and could end up in you losing your business. Put a repeat message on your cell phone, write it in your diary at the beginning of the year, for the whole year – do whatever it takes, but pay the VAT on time!

4. Year end financial statements – say what? These are statements that the Accountant puts together to show you how much you earned during the course of the year and how much you spent and therefore that’s what your profit is and that is what you also pay tax on! It is therefore important that you have a properly accredited Accountant who knows what he/she is doing as you obviously want to pay as little tax as is legally possible!

It is also another form of control for you as you can see and compare what you paid out last year to what you paid out this year and in this way make an educated guess (with a few more details that is) on what you will probably pay out next year. This helps you to plan, to cut back on unnecessary expenses or perhaps convince you to pay that much more on say – marketing or advertising. It will help you to calculate your invariable expenses for the following year (salaries, rentals etc) and plan and/or control your variables (entertainment, fuel, telephones etc). Perhaps you will see some of the variables spinning out of control and you can do something about and monitor it on a more drastic level.

If you own a business unit and/or Franchise, the Head Office will require a copy of this statement, once the Accountant has signed off to say that all the details contained therein are complete and accurate. In this instance, do yourself a favour and have one less thing to worry about and remember – instruct your Accountant to automatically forward a copy of the Year End Financial Statements to Head Office. This is your confidential information, so I would suggest that it gets marked for the Specific attention of “The Group Accountant” or the title of whomever you want to send it to, rather than just the name of the person. The reason for that is that people change jobs often – here today and gone tomorrow. You don’t want to have to change your instruction to the Accountant every time someone at Head Office leaves (and nor would you probably remember to do so), so make it a generic somebody.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 5

Hello everyone - Tuesday is Networking day!

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 5

I promised to continue this section with some great tips to Network with.

Let’s start off with some of Helen’s tips that she mentions in her book;

Follow Through – Helen writes “It is estimated that 3% of people follow up after meeting new people.”

The 97% that don’t follow up must all belong, well in part anyway, to the “Reluctant Entrepreneur” foundation that I was talking about in previous postings.

Yip, right people – everyone is just blown away by your product/widget/service that you are peddling at whichever networking event that you are at and they are going to do each other harm, in the rush to get to your door to do business with you! I guess some people just live in a perpetual dream world!

YOU have to make it work! Take the person’s business card, tell them that you are going to connect with them and then . . . wait for it . . . . yes, that’s right, you actually do phone them! What a novel idea!

In fact what you should be doing is sending them a mail with your Business Profile on it and in the e-mail, re-iterate that you will be contacting them in the near future and then actually contact them.

The reason that you are contacting them is to set up an appointment for a ‘one-on-one’ meeting. Yes I know that having these meetings can become tedious and time consuming, but this is the way to do it. Set up the meeting and actually pitch up. In my opinion, people who do not pitch up for meetings, or phone and cancel are disrespectful to me. Not only are they disrespectful, but their behaviour also tells me who they are, in one word - unreliable!

The reason you are having a ‘one-on-one’ meeting is to find out more about what they do. Your first question should be along the lines of “Tell me more about yourself and your business – I need to understand more about what you do in order to help you with people in my data base who may need your assistance/widget/services.”

Starting your meeting in this manner, does two things: 1) It gives the other person the opportunity for them to talk (and you to listen… carefully) and 2) They will then feel obliged to ask you what it is that you do and then try to assist you. Human nature and a person’s sub conscience will make them feel the need to reciprocate in some way.

Listen carefully to what they are saying about what it is that they do/sell etc and ask questions about the widgets/services until you have a basic idea (you don’t have to understand it 100% - remember you don’t have to know how to build a car in order to drive one).

Think about the people you have in your database/network and see if you can introduce them to the people who they may have synergies with and/or who may have need of their widgets/services. Help them make the connection.

I will continue this saga next week, with your approach and attitude to Networking. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

A CHINESE PROVERB

Good morning bloggers! The quote today is a Chinese Proverb and I have no idea who write it:

"CHINESE PROVERB

To guess is cheap
To guess wrong – is expensive"

Many of us, in our business lives (and often in our own personal lives too) seem to think that it is easier just to assume that we know what we are doing! We march blindly into the 'lion's den' and then when the King of the Beasts comes roaring out and we are just about to be devoured. . . we look around us in absolute disbelief and "wonder what the hell happened!"

We blame everyone we can think of from the President of the country to the cleaning lady in our favorite coffee shop, but God forbid, that we should have a look at what we have done and take any kind of responsibility for our own actions!

Many of us for example will take Stock Exchange advise from our gardeners, our mechanics, our grocers - but God forbid we should actually pay "good" money for good advice from someone who works at the Stock Exchange and knows what the hell that they are doing! And then when we lose all the money, we blame the gardener, our mechanics, the grocer - and everyone inbetween. Everyone, except ourselves for making the stupid, expensive guess that these people would know more than the professionals!

Or - how about the business owner, who can add one plus one and get two and now that makes him/her a bookkeeper? Good grief people - think about what you are doing? Do you have the correct. . . take one step back, any knowledge about the tax laws and what you can claim for and what you can't? Do you know what you can legally claim, as a business expense? Do you know how to read a balance sheet, a trial balance, an Income & Expense statement? Do you know how to do a cash flow? Do you do your banking reconciliations - in fact do you you know what a reconciliation is? Do you do your books on a monthly basis? Perhaps I should re-phrase that, do you have the time and/or the inclination to do your books on a monthly basis (and I am not merely referring to raising your invoices). If the answer to any of these is no - then, in my opinion you have a problem!

Or - how about my personal favorite? We ask advice from everyone that will give us the time of day and when we hear the advice that sounds like what we would 'like to hear' then that is the advice that we take, because 'after all - sally the hairdresser knows everything that there is to know about VAT on imports - why wouldn't she?'

Get real people! If you don't know the answer to a question, go to the person who is qualified to answer it. Do the research

Are you getting the point yet!

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN . . MEN & WOMEN

Thank you to Gavin from the Business Warrior (www.businesswarriors.co.za) for supplying the funnies for today. Hope you all enjoy!

Men and women

1. NAMES

If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out for lunch, they willcall each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara. If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

2. EATING OUT

When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in$20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

3. MONEY

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

4. BATHROOMS

A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream,razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Marriott. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

5. ARGUMENTS

A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

6. CATS

Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren'tlooking, men kick cats.

7. FUTURE

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

8. SUCCESS

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

9. MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.

10. DRESSING UP

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

11. NATURAL

Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

12. OFFSPRING

Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

13. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

AND FINALLY.....

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, jack asses, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

Gavin Goodwine-mail: gavin@tlh.co.za[url=http://www.lodgeliving.co.za

BODY OF MISSING GIRL FOUND IN CEILING

What is it with pink tops and blue jeans and bodies in ceilings, here is South Africa at the moment?

Men who do terrible things to little girls, who think that they will not be found out - I know that we b*&^ch and moan about the police force and how useless they are and how corrupt they are, but there are some in there who are just the same as us, and who want to see justice done and will find the person (s) who did this! But how cruel can they be to stuff her lifeless body into the ceiling of her own home! Imagine the trauma that her poor mother must be going through right now!

My condolences and thoughts are with you.

March 11 2007 at 10:51PM

The body of an 11-year-old girl who was reported missing on Friday has been found in her mother's house in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town police said.

Superintendent Billy Jones said that Anestacia Wiese's body was found in the ceiling of her mother's home in Children's Way, Woodbridge, on Sunday morning. He said the girl's body was found by a close relative and a member of the neighbourhood watch.

Jones said the cause of the girl's death had not been established and the forensic team was still on the scene. A male family friend had been taken in for questioning, but had not been charged.

The man was the last person that Anestacia was seen with, walking towards a nearby school. Her mother last saw her at 11am on Friday when she went to the shop about a block away from her home. She was wearing a pink top and blue jeans.

The Sunday Time quoted her mother, Janine Wiese, saying she had fetched Anestacia from school and taken her home on Friday. "Then she said to me: 'Mama, I'm coming now, I'm just going to buy something from the shop.' She was going to but herself some chips," Wiese said.

BEATINGS HAPPENED "TOO OFTEN" TO BE REPORTED

How many times is "too often"? I can sort of kind of understand someone not reporting that a child was beaten if it was a "once" off - but a child being beaten often, as clearly happened in this case, should have been reported long ago.

In my opinion the whole bloody community should be charged with "aiding and abetting" or "obstuction of justice" or anything else that anyone else can think of! And as for being afraid that the "woman may target them" - good grief! Grow some backbone and be counted as a human being for goodness sake!

This is absolutely disgusting!

February 05 2007 at 10:55AM
By Nwabisa Nofemele

Widespread apathy and fear among community members could lead to a Port Elizabeth woman accused of beating her 12-year-old adopted daughter to death walking free. Her neighbours are not prepared to make a formal statement to police. Despite allegations by several New Brighton residents that the child was regularly beaten by her mother - and that they had heard screams coming from the house hours before she died last Sunday afternoon, neighbours said they did not want to get involved with police because they were scared of being targeted by the woman. They also said they had not gone to the child's aid because "the beatings happened too often".

Although there was general outrage among community members after the child's death, the allegations of abuse were only reported to police on Thursday - four days after the incident - after a community member heard residents talking about the case and felt compelled to report the claims of abuse to police.

Spokesperson Verna Brink said police had been called to the house last Sunday afternoon where the mother, a retired nurse who cannot be named because she has not been arrested or formally charged, told them the child had died "suddenly".

"Four people have come forward since Monday to say that the child did not die of natural causes, but was murdered, but none of those people was prepared to give a formal statement," Brink said. "Everybody complained that the girl had been murdered, but they didn't want to get involved because they had no proof," she said.

"We can't do a postmortem until we have a case number, and we can't open a case unless someone comes forward to give a statement," Brink said. A neighbour said that on the Sunday afternoon the mother had accused the girl of stealing R1 500 from her home. "She took her to a friend's house nearby where she said the girl should point out who she had spent the money with.

The girl did not, and she started beating her there. "They both came back home and she closed the door and beat her up. "I heard the child screaming, but I did not want to get involved this time because it was normal for her to beat up the child. "The neighbour said the girl had eventually become quiet. "Afterwards, I saw the mother leave the house and she came back with a relative.

"After a while, I saw a police van and the car from the mortuary." Another neighbour said the woman had only told her neighbours about three hours after the police had left that her daughter had died. "She said the child had had a stomach ache and had died," she said. "She was always accusing the child of stealing money and she would beat her with a kettle cord. "The child used to have ugly bruises on her body, but she would hide them."

The neighbours claimed that the girl had run away from home repeatedly, but the police would find her and bring her back home. Asked why they did not report the abuse to police, they said they were scared they would be targeted by the woman.

This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Times on February 05, 2007

ARMS DEAL: NEW BRIBE PROBE LAUNCHED

Good morning bloggers. My apologies for no blog yesterday, but due to 'back to back' meetings and a power failure that continued into the early hours of this morning, it was beyond my control. Here is yesterdays posting.

Isn't this very nice! In the name of corruption and lining of the pockets, SA has once again had to pay billions, not millions mind you, but BILLIONS of additional Rand out for something. How nice for these guys that are lining their pockets at the cost of people who are starving, homeless and jobless! Would this money not have been better spent!

Where are the "Asset forfeiture" people now! Surely they should be raiding like crazy!

I guess some rules only apply to some people!

Regards

Nikki

January 07 2007 at 10:39AM

By Eleanor Momberg and Santosh Beharie

A former adviser to the defence ministry, now in the arms-manufacturing, supply and export business, is being investigated by Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) for allegedly receiving substantial kickbacks from BAe Systems - the British company that won the contract to supply South Africa with 24 Hawk 100 trainer jets.

Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Saturday that businessman Fana Hlongwane, a former adviser to defence minister Joe Modise, who died in 2001, was being investigated for receiving "substantial payments" from BAe Systems.

Hlongwane was reported to have been in a position to influence who would be awarded the £1,5-billion (about R21 billion) contract. It was won by BAe, although BAe charged nearly twice the price of a rival Italian bidder for its aircraft.

The investigation centres on claims of substantial payments to Hlongwane while he was Modise's adviser. At the time, Hlongwane was also a director of the parastatal arms company Denel, and of Osprey, a company BAe named as its agent handling commissions paid in South Africa.

Questions were raised about the aircraft-acquisition component of the arms deal when Modise changed the formula by which the winning bidder would be chosen. BAe and Saab won the bid to supply the Hawks and 28 Gripen fighter jets. BAe has acknowledged that it paid tens of millions of pounds in secret commissions to win the bid.

The company originally intended to pay 12 percent of the contract price in commissions, but agreed to cut that back to 7 percent - more than £100 million - following questions from the British authorities underwriting the deal. BAe made a substantial donation to the ANC after the contract was signed.

Hlongwane is a former Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) high command member. He was part of the high command delegation that testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission about the ANC armed wing's actions in South Africa during the struggle to end apartheid.

Hlongwane - once wined and dined by Tony Yengeni's co-accused, Michael Woerfel, the former European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company South African representative - is reported to own most of Ivema, a company that "provides innovative and specialised solutions for defence, security and humanitarian aid clients".

He is also a part owner of a military vehicle company, Uri. Hlongwane employed former South African National Defence Force chief General Siphiwe Nyanda, who since his departure from the SANDF has been an Ivema board member and security consultant, as the chief executive officer and managing director of Ngwane Defence Group, launched by Jeff Radebe, the transport minister, at last year's Africa Aerospace and Defence expo. Ngwane is a majority black-owned and controlled South African company run by former MK and SANDF commanders.

Its main focus areas are military vehicles, small- and medium-calibre weapons, security and humanitarian aid. According to Business Day, Ivema is one of the companies comprising Ngwane, along with Milkor Marketing, design company IAD, Midrand-based rifle-maker Truvelo Manufacturers, grenade-launcher maker Sonoro, and Uri.

Hlongwane could not be reached for comment on Saturday.According to the Guardian report, the Scorpions were handling a "mutual legal assistance" request from the SFO to investigate Hlongwane's financial accounts in relation to the 1999 deal.

Allegations of corruption related to the controversial multibillion-rand arms procurement process were earlier lodged against Modise. These included that Modise had received a £500 000 bribe from BAe and $10-million from a German consortium contracted to sell submarines to South Africa. While the Scorpions claimed not to know of a joint investigation with the SFO into Hlongwane's role in the arms deal, the SFO would neither confirm nor deny the report yesterday.

Scorpions spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said yesterday that he was not aware of any "mutual legal assistance" between his organisation and the SFO. He said he had never heard of Fana Hlongwane before.

Patricia de Lille, who produced a dossier of evidence supporting allegations that ANC politicians and business people were involved in irregularities around the arms deal, welcomed the SFO probe. She said she would travel to Germany soon to give information to prosecutors investigating claims of corruption in the supply of warships to South Africa by Thomson CSF and Thyssen Krupp. The Guardian reported on the South African investigation soon after the British government abruptly halted an SFO inquiry into bribes allegedly paid by BAe to Saudi royals.

It reported that British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain's security would be endangered if the investigation continued.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Sunday Independent on January 07, 2007

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - INSURANCE

Good morning bloggers. Being a Wednesday, here's the next section of the Business Startup Workshop.

Remember if you have any queries, please post a comment.

Regards
Nikki

A. 9. Insurance

Is you business adequately insured? Are you adequately insured? When I say adequately insured, I mean are you insured for the right stuff? It is pointless for someone with a business in town to be insured for farming implements. Often the insurance that we are given by the broker/insurance company is not tailored to our specific needs, this would effectively mean that you are paying for insurance that you are not insured for the stuff that you should be insured for.

Remember insurance is a relatively broad thing – there is short term insurance and long term insurance.

Make sure that your short term insurance is correct – that’s you insuring for the all the “nuts and bolts” in your business. Your computer and printer, your office furniture and so on.

Then of course there is the long term insurance – if you have a partner (and this includes your wife/husband and/or significant other) in the business, you need to be insured in case something should happen to you. Have a look at getting yourself a buy/sell agreement. This will provide the surviving co-owners with funds to purchase the interest or share of the deceased or disabled co-owner.

It is a good idea at this point to make sure that your will is in order and that everything has been left to whomever it is that you want to leave it to. Make sure that you go to someone who knows what they are doing in terms of your will. Someone who does and/or specializes in Estate Planning and Trusts would be a good idea – if you are not sure who to go to, get in touch with me and I will give you some referrals and recommendations. Again, be prepared and write down your wishes and your ideas – this can then be worked on and into the legal document that will eventually become your will.

NETWORKING - PART 4

Up to date at last! Yay!

Please remember if you have any questions, share them with us and make a comment.

Regards

Nikki

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 4

I promised to continue this section with why we need to Network. Again, I can only use myself and what I believe in as an example. As a natural networker, it is extremely difficult for me to understand how people don’t feel the need to network. Most of us use networking in some form or another on a daily basis.

Ha got you there didn’t I? Well we do! Ladies, if someone asks you where you got the new dress that you are wearing and you tell them where to go – you have networked. You have recommended that someone go to a specific place in order to purchase a specific item. That is a referral and referrals are part of networking. Gents, if you are telling your buddy about the new golf course that you played on over the weekend and suggest that they play a game there because it was fabulous (ok, so maybe you did not use the fabulous), you have networked. You have recommended that someone go to a specific place in order to purchase a specific item. Again that is a referral and referrals are part of networking!

So why is it so difficult to do it in the business arena, specifically when it is our own business? Who knows!

Anyway, today that is not the question on the table. The question is “Why do we need to network”. Well I suppose, strictly speaking, we don’t. We could go the really hard route and do the cold calling thing and knock on doors or try and book appointments with CEO’s and Directors of Companies by sweet talking or bribing the dragons called PA that protect their Lord and Masters from members of the General Public.

Networking is about taking our passion, together with our personal profiles or our own individual Branding and getting it out there, visable, so that people will refer others who need our services, widgets or whatever. Understand that this will not happen for very long if you cannot and do not deliver. So our credibility has to be strong and branding has to be clear in order for us to stand out from the crowd.

My take on this is that Business needs to be fun, and trudging around the planet having one door after another slammed in my face, because they have never heard of me, is not my idea of fun!

So I choose to Network. I choose to meet with people who are of the same mind as me. People who want to do business, who can make a decision and who know what they want and are prepared to go after it. People who make things happen rather than wonder, what the hell happened?

Going to networking meetings organises and structures this and makes the experience all the less painful – particularly if the meeting is facilitated or even partially facilitated. For one thing, there is no hidden agenda, we are all there to do business.

Make no mistake, networking is still hard work, but the bottom line is that you have a foot in the door. That is what a referral and/or lead is . . a foot in the door, now it is up to the individual. What are you going to do with the foot that is in the door.

Many people do not like to network because of their own misguided perceptions. I constantly hear “I never get any leads” (don’t forget to put the whiny voice in when you say these words) or “They’re a waste of time”.

Well that is because the person, who usually utters these statements, has sat in the meeting like a lump of lard and expected relationships to build themselves, or referrals and leads to fall out of the sky like manna from heaven, or to claw it’s way up out of the earth specifically to land as a contract in their laps! To them I say – get real!

Networking is about meeting the right people quickly and effortlessly, so that the business of relationship building can happen quickly, so that business can be referred and deals can be struck and money can be made.

So, do you still think that there is no reason for you to Network?

I will continue this saga next week, with some great tips to Network with. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

COMMON SENSE

Here's the funnies that would have been posted on the 11th March. I hope you enjoy!

Regards
Nikki

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a Band Aid to a student – but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming
cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion;
his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

I AM CRYSTAL METH

This is the post that would have been done on 10th March.

I don't believe that there is anything more than can be said.

Regards

Nikki

"I AM CRYSTAL METH "

This was written by a young girl who was in jail for drug charges, and was addicted to crystal meth . She wrote this while in jail. As you will soon read, she fully grasped the horrors of the drug, as she tells in this simple, yet profound poem. She was released from jail, but true to her story, the drug owned her.

Please keep praying for our Children, Teens, Young adults.

Understand, this thing is worse than any of us realize...

My Name is "TIK"

I destroy homes, I tear families apart, take your children, and that's just the start.
I'm more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold, The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.

If you need me, remember! I'm easily found, I live all around you - in schools and in town.

I live with the rich; I live with the poor, I live down the street, and maybe next door.

I'm made in a lab, but not like you think, I can be made under the kitchen sink.

In your child's closet, and even in the woods, If this scares you to death, well it certainly should.
I have many names, but there's one you know best, I'm sure you've heard of me, my name is crystal meth .

My power is awesome; try me you'll see, But if you do, you may never break free.

Just try me once and I might let you go, But try me twice, and I'll own your soul.

When I possess you, you'll steal and you'll lie, You do what you have to -- just to get high.

The crimes you'll commit for my narcotic charms Will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in your arms, your lungs, your nose.

You'll lie to your mother; you'll steal from your dad, When you see their tears, you should feel sad.

But you'll forget your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my ways.

I take kids from parents, and parents from kids, I turn people from God, and separate friends.
I'll take everything from you, your looks and your pride, I'll be with you always -- right by your side.

You'll give up everything - your family, your home, Your friends, your money, then you'll be alone.

I'll take and take, till you have nothing more to give, When I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky to live.

If you try me be warned - this is no game, If given the chance, I'll drive you insane.

I'll ravish your body, I'll control your mind, I'll own you completely, your soul will be mine.

The nightmares I'll give you while lying in bed, The voices you'll hear, from inside your head.

The sweats, the shakes, the visions you'll see, I want you to know, these are all gifts from me.

But then it's too late, and you'll know in your heart, That you are mine, and we shall not part.

You'll regret that you tried me, they always do, But you came to me, not I to you.

You knew this would happen, many times you were told, But you challenged my power, and chose to be bold.

You could have said no, and just walked away, If you could live that day over, now what would you say?

I'll be your master, you will be my slave, I'll even go with you, when you go to your grave.

Now that you have met me, what will you do? Will you try me or not? It's all up to you.

I can bring you more misery than words can tell, Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell...................

FAKES BREAK HEARTS

This is the post that would have been done on 9th March.

This is absolutely disgusting! It seems that Joe Public have to check and re-check everything so as not to fall prey to the devious amoungst us.

Regards

Nikki

Fakes break hearts this Valentine's Gems look like the real deal

February 07, 2007 Edition 1

Barbara Cole

THERE is a growing increase in the number of fake stones on the market and men with ideas on buying something sparkling and romantic for Valentine's Day should be on their guard - particularly if they want to buy the genuine article.

And it doesn't just apply to dazzling diamonds either, said local gemologist, Jeremy Rothon of The Gem Lab.

"Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, tanzanites and coloured diamonds too … some of the fakes are so good, that even reputable jewellers are being hoodwinked," he said.

Rothon said that while there was nothing wrong with buying synthetic (man-made) stones as they could be made into some beautiful jewellery, often fake stones were fobbed off as the genuine (natural) things.

And unsuspecting buyers were paying high prices for something which could be worth less than R100.

Rothon said a one-carat extra-fine blue sapphire (the real thing and not made up into a piece of jewellery) could cost a buyer R29 500, while a more sophisticated extra-fine quality artificial stone could be R2 800 and "the most common ones seen around town now" were R80 each.

A one-carat fancy blue diamond (the natural thing) could set the well-heeled back R1 million, while a one-carat synthetic blue diamond would be a mere R42 000, small change compared to a million rand.

Getting worse

Fakes have been in circulation for more than 100 years, but the problem seems to be getting worse, said Rothon yesterday.

Of the 43 stones that he has evaluated for jewellers and private clients this year, 32 have been fake.

It's enough to make big men cry and they have indeed been reduced to tears when they have discovered they have been ripped off.

"It's devastating to find out you have effectively been robbed," said Rothon.

But it doesn't mean that the original jewellers that victims bought their dud diamonds from were in on the scam. They too could have been taken in.

"Jewellers buy diamonds in good faith and sell them in good faith," explained Rothon.

However, there were always some unscrupulous jewellers who knowingly sold fakes or dealt with known crooks who had previously sold them synthetic stones, which largely came in from the east.

There is no easy test to tell the fake from the fabulously genuine either.

And the only way people and jewellers themselves can find out if a stone is natural or synthetic is to turn to a qualified gemologist for a scientific test.

"The only way to test the difference between natural and synthetic is through a microscope and even then it is quite difficult," said Rothon.

For a R60 outlay though, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

If the gem is genuine, a laboratory will issue a certificate. No certificates are issued for synthetic stones.

CONCERN OVER VIOLATION OF MANTO'S RIGHTS

This is the post that would have been done on 8th March

Shame guys! Shouldn't you give the minister some space, she needs to take her beetroot, her garlic and her lemon juice in peace!

Regards

Nikki

Concern over violation of Manto's rights

Johannesburg, South Africa

27 February 2007 06:07

The disregard for Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's right to privacy is cause for deep concern, the Registrar of the Health Professions Council of South Africa said on Tuesday.

Registrar Boyce Mkhize voiced his concern about the "indiscriminate insensitivity and wanton disregard" of the minister's rights after she was admitted to Johannesburg General Hospital last Tuesday for treatment.

The minister's health had been under the spotlight since she returned to work a few weeks ago after suffering a long illness. Tshabalala-Msimang was admitted to the same hospital last year for several weeks, suffering from a lung infection. "Every citizen of this country ought to enjoy full protection of the law and constitutional rights enshrined in our Bill of Rights," Mkhize said in a statement."Every patient has a right to privacy and not to have their illness or ailment disclosed without their consent.

Mkhize said the doctor-patient relationship rests on this pillar of trust, which was about preserving confidentiality of patient data."No member of the public is entitled to know what the minister, or even the president suffers from, let alone the causes of such ailment as some excited journalists have attempted to establish."

Last week the Cabinet also objected to "highly personalised" comments in the media on Tshabalala-Msimang's well-being. The African National Congress also criticised a Democratic Alliance MP for her insensitive remarks about the minister. Mkhize said although the minister was a public figure, this did not mean there was a licence to an automatic and unrestrained trampling of her rights as an individual and that of her family.

He said he could not believe the insensitivity towards both the minister and to her family, who must be going through a difficult time. "I want to urge the hospital staff to ensure that they do not render themselves guilty of any ethical breaches by violating ... patient confidentiality," he said.

He warned that the council would not hesitate to take appropriate action if it was established that health professionals had disclosed patient information without the consent of the patient.Tshabalala-Msimang's spokesperson, Sibani Mngadi, said on Monday her condition was "improving speedily". -- Sapa

BUSINESS START UP - WORKSHOP - E-MAIL & CELL PHONE

Hi all - this is what would have been posted on 7th March. Remember if you have any questions make the comment.

A. 8. E-mail Addresses and Cell phone voice mail messages.

Make sure that your business e-mail address reflects either yourself and/or your business in a professional manner. It’s all very well having your personal e-mail address as a true reflection of yourself and perhaps your sense of humour, I mean it’s more than okay for all your mates to e-mail you with all the jokes to firstclassdingbat@yahoo.com, but I am sure that you will agree that this is not very professional and the joke will not always be taken in the manner in which it was meant – so think carefully about what it is that you are doing.

The same obviously goes for your voice mail message on your phone and whilst in this mode, the manner in which you answer your phone. Answering “WHAT”, because you are in the middle of a huge argument with your respective other, will not go down well with the CEO of a large corporation that you want to do business with at great cost to themselves and a very lucrative meal ticket for yourself! Always be professional.

MOTIVATION - THINGS TO KEEP

This is the post that would have been done on 5th March. I don't really think that I need to expand on them, they are pretty simple.

Regards


Nikki



THINGS TO KEEP

Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.

Keep your words positive, because your words become your actions.

Keep your actions positive, because your actions become your habits

Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your lifestyle.

Keep your lifestyle positive, because your lifestyle becomes your destiny.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 3

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

Part 3

I promised to continue this section with Branding. What is branding? I don’t believe that there is any functioning human being on the planet that does not understand what Branding is:

You need only look at the adverts on products like Coca-Cola, with it’s unique logo – it is instantly recognisable anywhere in the world.

But what does Branding mean to you as an SMME and to you as an individual?

For me, branding for my business is all about my logo, the name of my company, the layout of both of these. For example if you had a business that deals with plumbing you wouldn’t have a picture of a mother and a baby. Similarly you would not call yourself “Mother and Child” – you would have something more appropriate like “XXX Plumbing”.

Once you have decided on the name of the Company, the logo and/or any kind of artwork that you have, this should be visible and attached to any and all correspondence that you may have with anyone. Even if you are just sending an e-mail to you buddy down the road, this should be attached – this is advertising for your business. If your buddy down the road, forwards your message, your joke and/or whatever – your advertising goes with it.

Use every opportunity available to you, to get the name of your business out there. Don’t go anywhere without your business cards. Not to the cricket game, or to the pub down the road or to your buddy’s braai. Take your business card with you – you don’t know where the next opportunity is coming from and you have to be ready.

Now on the personal branding: How do you brand yourself on a personal level. Well this is where the “image” people would have a huge amount of stuff to say, like you have something like 8 nanoseconds to make an impression etc, etc, etc. Not being a professional on this subject, I will not make any comment on this. What I can say though is . . . yes! You need to make an impression and it needs to be something that will stick in the minds of people, long after they have forgotten your name. Now that doesn’t mean to say that you need to do a dance naked on the table in front of whomever it is that you are meeting. It just means that for me, it meant just being myself, which means Always, and I mean always thinking out of the box.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. I don’t subscribe to the fashion magazines and quite frankly it is far too hot to dress in the obligatory corporate suits that most business women wear (I’m not knocking them you understand – I’m just saying that it’s just not me). So I wear jeans and if, as in the case of the Women In Finance dinners, my friend Geraldine does not allow me to wear jeans, I still wear my golf t-shirts! I also love bright colours and designs. Personally I don’t think that we have enough colour in our business lives. To me, business does not have to be dull and boring, in fact it is fun, interesting and exciting!

The result of course is that I go to the Women in Finance (www.womeninfinance.co.za) dinners and everyone is dressed to the hilt! The women all look so gorgeous and stunning in outfits that cost the earth and. . . . they all look just the same. Me, well I stand out in the crowd, because I am different. Ok, before I go any further with this – you also have to comfortable with ‘different’ – if you aren’t, then standing out in the crowd is not going to be comfortable for you! Anyway the point is that people remember me because of this.

I am not advocating that everyone looks like me either – heaven forbid. What I am saying, is find out who the you is that you are comfortable with and go with that. We are all unique individuals and our own ‘inner selves’ will shine our own particular light out.

I have asked my good friend and colleague Linda Hart from Image Craft, who is a Branding Specialist, to make a few comments that can assist you all, with finding out who and what your own particular brand is. So continue to watch this blog, and get the opinion of an expert. Thanks in advance Linda.

I will continue this saga next week, with why we need to Network. Remember if you would like a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her on helen@helennicholson.co.za.

A MEMORABLE HOLIDAY

My quote for the week is written by me - have a jolly good holiday every now and then. Here's the news about mine. I am adding to the pictures all the time, so I hope you enjoy.

It is quite a long read, but enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoy reading it.

Regards
Nikki

A MEMORABLE HOLIDAY

By Nikki Viljoen
Photo’s by Sue Viljoen

Where do I start to tell the story, of what essentially, for me has been the holiday of a lifetime? I guess the most logical spot would be at the very beginning. That would be quite confusing though as the preparation and how things came about started long before the very beginning of the story.

Let’s see now . . . , it starts with possibly the most generous brother that a girl could have – mine. Tommy is five years younger than me (but he will always be my “baby” brother) and he and my sister-in-law, Sue live in Australia – Melbourne to be exact, with their two children Hannah (aged 8) and Joshua (aged 6). They left our African shores in the May of 2001 and this is their first trip home – the drums of Africa and all that. Anyway I digress. When they told me that they were coming out to Africa on holiday, they said that they would be spending some time in Zimbabwe (that’s where we were all born), some time with me and some time with my sister in Cape Town. The time with me would, however not be in Johannesburg as their intention was to be in the “bush”, so I would have to go with and at that point he offered to pay for my holiday. At the time, I thought we would be going to somewhere near the Kruger park and as I own timeshare and therefore could contribute, I was fine with the “I will pay for you” story. Understand that these negotiations started taking place almost a year ago, so at the time, it was no biggie.

E-mails (this was before I got my SKYPE) blazed a trail through cyberspace as we checked this resort against that one. There were some that were just too big, we wanted to spent quality time with each other without the rest of the world being present. Some did not allow children, some allowed children, but the children were not allowed on the game drives (how that makes any kind of sense is beyond me), and so on – the list goes on and on.

Then suddenly in January I got a mail from Sue to say the Tommy had made a decision about the holiday. Kruger was just too big with too many people. They had trawled the internet and found a game reserve called Madikwe and they wanted to go there. They gave me a list of the resorts there, that they thought may be suitable and the name of someone that they had spoken to and asked that I contact them and so the fun started.

I sent a mail off giving our details and our requirements and the dates that we wanted. The reply was for different dates, children could come with but not attend the game drives and here we go again. I must admit that at this point I lost it. I mean doesn’t anyone read and/or speak and/or understand English anymore? I mean if I am asking for the details of resorts that will take 3 adults and 2 children from date X to date Y and I want written confirmation that the children will be allowed to go on the game drives – why send me information on the places that cannot accommodate us on those specific dates and who don’t take children or take children but not on the game drives. To make things worse, I was hectic on the work front and working well into the night and over weekends to get work done and out on time and to meet my various deadlines.

Sue eventually came back to me and said that she had found a resort in Madikwe that met all of our requirements. It was called Tuningi and the web address was www.tuningi.co.za – they had tentatively booked and if I was okay with the spot then that is where we would be staying. I had a look and man-oh-man, the place sounded like paradise in the middle of heaven! It also sounded too good to be true – let’s face it, I have been to 5 star places here in Jozi that charge 5 star prices (as the waitron’s keep telling me when I query why a bottle of water costs R20.00) and have 1 star service! That and the cost of the place made me very weary. It was way over anything that I could afford and my time share did not work there at all! Tommy was adamant, this is where we were going and he would be treating me! I hummed and haa’d in my own head, battled with my conscience and eventually had an argument with all the other parties in my head (I am a Gemini you see and there are many parts to me) and somewhere along the line, I accepted his extremely generous offer. I would be going on holiday with them. By this time I was all connected up to SKYPE and had had chats with the kids who were extremely excited about coming to Africa on holiday, meeting me in the flesh (they were too young to remember me when they left in 2001) and most of all seeing all the animals.

Slowly the excitement started to build up in me as I frantically worked to get everything done before “D” (departure) day and by that time I had notified everyone who would listen to me, my entire data base, my colleagues at my networking groups (the Inner Circle – www.innercircleforum.com and Business Warriors – www.businesswarriors.co.za) and my blog – www.whenrealitybites.blogspot.com) of my impending holiday and of this paradise in the middle of heaven called Tuningi Lodge. You see, I own my own business and it consists of . . . me, so if I am not working, it means that I am not earning. So Viljoen Consulting (www.viljoenconsulting.co.za) would have to do without me for a whole week.

Slowly but also incredibly fast the time arrived when the family arrived in South Africa. The plan was they would be arriving on the 14th of February, they would be staying at a spot near the airport as they would be leaving early the next morning for Zimbabwe and a week on a house boat. I would be having dinner with them – at the last minute I decided to surprise them and meet them at the airport.

I phoned the airport to ascertain if the flight was on time and was told that it had been delayed – because the airport is on the other side of the world from me, I decided to get there anyway and then I could read my book or whatever as I waited. When I arrived at the airport, the board also indicated that the plane was delayed and as I looked up I saw them coming through the doors into the general public who were all waiting for there arriving friends and family. Oh well – this is Africa!

They were pleasantly surprised and as soon as Joshua realized that I was his “Nikki Noo” the catapulted into my arms and kissed and hugged me excitedly. Now for the best bit – their luggage, even without them in the car, my car – a Nissan Sentra – would not have been able to manage all the luggage! It looked like they were immigrating with the huge mountain of stuff. So Tommy and Sue and the luggage went to the hotel in a micro bus and the kids came with me, chattering all along the way.

One of the first questions out of Joshua’s mouth was “will we see any animals?” and then the second one was “how cold is the snow at Kariba?” Very confusing I know, but then that is my brother’s sense of humour – he had told them that there was going to be snow at Kariba! I played along! They wanted to know how big my home was – I told them that it was very small and that I had arranged for two flag poles to be erected off my balcony, and two hammocks for them to sleep on and we would have to secure them into the hammocks so that they wouldn’t fall out into the garden! They were keen to sleep in the hammocks! Tommy and Sue endorsed this, both trying to keep straight faces.

By this time the kids (and their respective parentals) were exhausted, having started their journey many hours before at 4am the previous day (their time) to travel from Melbourne to Sydney and then from Sidney to Jozi, and I left them with the promise of collecting them at the airport the following Wednesday.

The week flew past in a flash, with me attending networking dinners, and networking meetings and running around like a mad person trying to get everything done in time. My friend Merrill who has recently returned from Brazil was staying with me, to look after my home and my 3 cats, Rasputin (17), Babushka (7) and Deushka (My Darling in Russian – 2) as well as starting up her own business which is Dressmaking.

The 21st eventually arrived and I scuttled off to the airport to “collect” the family – well half of the family anyway, as the rest would be travelling by taxi! An exhausted but happy family came through from customs, and technically – my holiday had started. Due to the time of their arrival – 4.30pm on a weekday and therefore in the middle of the rush hour traffic, we elected to have a drink and relax and wait for the bulk of the rush to die down before attempting the ride home. We eventually left the airport at around 7pm and started the great trek, with Tommy and the luggage going by taxi.

We dined out that night and everyone was up at the crack of dawn the next day, ready and eager to be on our way to the resort. The taxi, eventually arrived and off we went to “Hanger 14” at the airport.

We boarded this really cool little 14 seater plane and everything was pretty relaxed. Apart from the Viljoen family there was one other couple on the plane and we were on our way.

Day One – 22 February 2007

We did the touch down thing on a gravel road in the middle of no-where. Waiting to meet us were a whole bunch of people , a game viewing vehicle and a micro bus type van. We were bundled into the vehicles, after checking that all the bags had travelled with us and off we went on about a 10 minute drive to the Lodge. The temperature was in the lower 40’s and the kids were excited about the prospect of a swim in the pool. Tommy started the whole ball rolling by telling them that there was no pool at the resort and the driver (who we discovered later was a ranger by the name of Gavin) enforced this saying there was a pool of sorts, but it was the one where the elephants “peed” – two very disappointed kids, who were not quite sure what to believe at this point – they had discovered, you will remember that there was no snow at Kariba – ever!

We bundled into the main lodge where we were greeted by what seemed to be the entire staff and there was lots of shaking of hands and exchanging of names, before we were given the ‘run down’ by Bennie who appeared to be the “chief guest greeter”. The days were to happen on a schedule. The day started at around 5am where we would meet at the Lodge to have coffee and rusks before going on the first game drive. We would get back at around 10 to 10.30 and breakfast would be served. After breakfast we could do as we pleased, swim (yes there was a beautiful swimming pool off the main deck of the lodge that faced the watering hole, where animals could be viewed), watch the birds, read, sleep or whatever. “Lunch” would be served around 3 to 3.30pm and it would usually be in the Lodge itself. After lunch we would be off on another game drive. We return to the Lodge at around 8 to 8.30 pm at which time dinner would be served.

Once we were aware of what was in store for us, we were taken to out rooms. We had a family unit type set up with two huge bedrooms both leading off a family, lounge type room. The kitchen was behind the lounge and in front of the lounge was a huge deck, all under thatch that ran the entire length of the unit. The bedrooms were huge, with a beautiful 4 poster king size bed that faced a huge double sliding door and countless more windows that looked straight at the kopie in front of us. Around the corner from the bedroom was the bathroom (each bedroom has it’s own bathroom en suite). A big bath, (one of those that fits two people quite comfortably) dominated the room, with a loo behind another door and again windows all around – talk about taking a bath in nature! Another sliding door, off the side of the bathroom led onto the shower area, under God’s blue sky and out in the open of the veldt. I had one of these all to myself and Tommy and Sue had to share one with the kids on two camp beds. I certainly think I got the better end of this deal!

We unpacked, settled in and walked from the very cool interior of the air conditioned bedrooms into the sweltering mid-day heat on the deck. Tommy organised drinks for the fridge in the kitchen and we all relaxed and took in the beauty of the African Bush that surrounded us. Within minutes, troops of baboons filled our view with babies hanging from their mothers bodies, up in the trees and onto the rocks. We all had fun peering at them through the binoculars and with Sue taking pictures. Sue loves to take photo’s and has a whole bag full of lens and other photographic equipment and paraphernalia and she has the patience to sit for absolutely ages to get the perfect photo opportunity. Have a look at my photograph site on www.flickr.com to see the photo’s. I am sure that you will agree that they are absolutely gorgeous. Well done Sue!

At 3.30pm sharp we went off to the dining area and had a snack type lunch and then one of the waiters came around with his list of what we would like our sundowners to be. Within a few minutes we were summoned to the game viewing vehicle and off we went. Grant was our driver and he have us the rules of the vehicle. If we spot the big five, now jumping up and down like a lunatic, no loud noises, no sudden movements, no standing up in the vehicle, no getting out of the vehicle. Children to be very quiet!

Off we went driving around – I cannot for the life of me remember the order of the sightings of the animals but I will give you my best recollection of what we saw:

There were three young lion (the native name being Tau) cubs, who had been “hidden” by their mother whilst she went off to hunt. In the heat of the day they were lying in the shade and were at best very difficult to see because of the way in which they had camouflaged themselves. Fantastic!
There was a huge herd of elephants (the native name being Thlou) with a very large female matriarch in charge – she was humongous! We drove past this black mamba (the native name for snake being InFezi), who had clearly gotten the fight of his life and was trying to outrun the vehicle in the bush along side the road. He was extremely fast and the next thing he slithered into this huge hole – he went in so fast we actually heard him bashing himself against the walls of the hole. There were various members of the antelope family such as Kudu (the native name being Tholo), Zebra (the native name being Pitse), Impala (the native name being Pala) and many different types of birds (the native name being Inoyoni) that both Tommy and Sue seemed to recognise and Grant definitely knew. Grant kept up a constant chat, with interesting information on each of the animals, birds and even tree species that we asked questions on.

As the sun started to set, Grant stopped the vehicle and set out the table, with a table cloth – drinks came out (on this evening in the form of beers – remember the heat factor) and several snacks that included biltong, sweets and other delectable’s. Grant’s first comment as we stopped was “every tree is a lava –tree. Needless to say the kids did their best to provide moisture for the parched ground and several of the adults tried their best too.

Once we all had been ‘fed and watered’ we bundled back into the vehicle and off we went to one of the watering holes where we spotted a lone Giraffe (the native name being Thutlwa). Against the African sunset, he was a beautiful silhouette and we were all stunned to silence at the beauty that we were witnessing.

Off we trundled again and before long we were on this dirt road going, home (or back the Lodge, which was to be home for the next 5 nights), I think and we almost drove into a male lion (the native name being Tau) who was sauntering in the middle of the road like he was drugged. He did not seem to mind us being there and in fact did not seem to be in any kind of hurry as he sauntered into the bush on the side of the road. In a flash Grant was onto the radio telling everyone what we had seen, using all the native names for the animals as he had done the entire evening – very confusing for us as we had no idea what we were going to see. Off the road we bumped into the bush and then next thing we saw was a carcass of a huge Eland (we later found out that it was about 700 kgs) and lying almost within spitting distance was another huge male lion, just then the lion that we had seen on the road sauntered up, not even looking at us he collapsed in a heap a few meters from his brother and was out for the count – here in the bush, this is known as a ‘flat fat cat!’.

The story goes that these two guys had made the kill in the early hours of the morning and had now eaten their fill (for the moment)(adult male lions or Tau eat anything up to 40kilos of meat at any one sitting). They of course had gorged themselves and were so full that they could not move – hence the “flat” fat cats. That also explained the reason for the saunter in a drunken fashion!

We were spell bound, all chattering away in whispers and the camera’s clicking and flashes flashing as we all tried to capture the moment on film. What an experience! It was mind blowing!

After a while, when the film taking appetites had abated somewhat, we left the spot, with a promise from Grant that we would return in the morning, in fact we were going to leave extra early so as to beat the crowd! You see the rule is that there are no more than 3 vehicles at a spot at the same time.

Tired, but also excited we arrived back at the lodge, hot and sweaty to be greeted at the front door, with ice cold wet face cloths! We sure did need them and I certainly could get used to this kind of treatment!

Dinner was out on the deck, the children were put to bed and Tommy and I chatted until both of us were so tired we were falling asleep on our feet.

The bed was huge and very comfortable and the air con kept the temperature just right for sleeping.

Day two – 23rd February 2007

Up at 4.45am, with Grant knocking on the door and waking Tommy up, who came and woke me up. Walking half asleep to the Lodge in the cool morning air for coffee and rusks.

Tommy took a walk down to the boma, which is meters away from the watering hole and rushed back. There was a lion at the watering hole and he did not feel at all safe. Grant went back down with him and there was one of the lions that we had seen the night before drinking.

We all bundled into the vehicle and off we went to the site of the kill, where we had left the lions gorged to the hilt the night before. The one male was lying, conked out – like he hadn’t moved the whole night. Stealing bit’s of meat while keeping a careful watch on what the lions were doing was a jackal (the native name being Phokotwe) and trying to sneak up, but lacking in courage was a spotted hyena (the native name being Phiri) and even on the periphery was a very timid brown hyena (the native name being Tswana). The jackal very quickly left the site when the one male came sauntering back from the water hole and fell in a heap meters away from the slain Eland.

Leaving the site of the kill we drove around and spotted the usual array of bird life and antelope. We found the elephants again – my they are magnificent creatures. So majestic. On the way back to the Lodge we came upon another black mamba. This one was on the road and it was slithering towards us at a great speed. Grant immediately stopped the vehicle, suspecting that he had run over the snake and as I peered over the edge of the door, the mamba slithered out from underneath me. Silently it slithered into the bush and was lost from site. Tommy got the fright of his life, unlike me he is a bit nervous of snakes!

Back at the lodge we tucked into a fantastic breakfast. There was the usual array of cereals and yogurts. There was a variety of cold meats and cheeses and we could also order a hot breakfast as well. We certainly not going to starve on this trip!

After breakfast I had my first outdoor shower – it was great and the feeling of the sun and a gentle breeze on my skin was reminiscent of my mis-spent youth on the nudist beach down on Sandy Bay in Cape Town – it’s been almost 30 years since I enjoyed that particular sensation and I must say I enjoyed it now just as much as I enjoyed it then. After my shower, I curled up on the bed, to read my book you understand, and woke up just before 3pm. Just in time for lunch.

Our evening game drive took us back to the lions and their kill. They were still hovering around the carcass of the Eland, which is seriously starting to smell very bad. We had a brief rain shower earlier in the afternoon, and the air is thick and heavy with the promise of more rain. The lions, still gorged from eating lie almost like little kittens around the food bowel, not hungry – but also not letting anything or anyone near what they consider to be their theirs.

The game seemed to be few and far between and we saw very little of anything. Just before sunset we did the ‘sun downer’ thing and then as it got dark and Grant switched on his light – there they were – many eyes, glowing like coals in the night sky . . a whole herd of Cape Buffalo. What a sight! Huge big bulls and young males and females, chomping their way through the grass, moving slowly all in the same direction. As I closed my eyes to memorise the beauty of what I was seeing, my imagination kicked in and I imagined the prairie’s in America and what the tundra must have been like when the settlers came across the herds of buffalo’s that numbered in the thousands – what a splendid sight that must have been.

So now we had seen 3 out of 5 of the “Big Five”, but the rhino and the leopard were still being evasive. Oh well, never mind – still 3 nights to get before I would get back to the hustle and bustle of my normal life.

We had another great dinner, when we got back from our drive – again under the African skies on the deck of the Lodge. Again Tommy and I were able to chat, and catch up on family stuff as Sue and the kids went to bed.

Day 3 – 24th February

The pattern emulated the day before, with us getting up long before dawn to have coffee and rusks and to get onto the vehicles and onto the road.

This morning was different though – our first port of call was our friends the lions and their kill. They had clearly feasted again during the night and the carcass was getting smaller and smaller and smellier and smellier! This morning however, they gave us a sight to remember. The one lion started off on his stomach, growling and then calling. The other responded. The first one got to his feet and stretched his body out like a cat and called to the females, telling them of the catch and indicating where they are. The calls came from deep within his belly and as he called the vapour from around his mouth and nose sprayed out in front of him. It is a sound that I have often heard in the bush and even when staying with my friend Jeanne-Marie, who lives in a cottage on the zoo premises, but this is the first time that I have seen it.

Grant then took us to see a wild dog in the elephant boma. The story goes that there were actually a pair of them, but they did not integrate into the rest of the pack. It is apparently impossible for a pair to live, hunt and bring up pups by themselves and they themselves would eventually fall prey to hyena and the like. In view of the fact that wild dogs are an ‘endangered species’ the decision was made to relocate them to a different reserve, in the hope that they would integrate successfully. This was also a first for me! I have often seen wild dogs in the zoo – but never in the wild. They have such beautiful markings on them – makes for great camouflage though.

All though this both Tommy and Sue were ‘spotting’ the different birds and because the “Viljoens” would be the only ones in the vehicle for the evening drive (all the other fellow guests pertaining to Grant’s vehicle would be leaving during the course of the day and there were no new ones expected until the following day), the decision was made for Grant to take Tommy and Sue to a “hide” so that they could spot the birds to their heart’s content. Birds to me are purely that – creatures with wings that fly. There are big ones, medium ones and small ones. There are even ones that don’t fly – so for me this would be a painful exercise. I elected to stay behind and do the ‘babysitting’ thing! As I said before, I barely knew both my niece and nephew and this would be the idea opportunity to bond with them!

So off Tommy and Sue went, and later heard that not only had they seen a wealth of bird life (Tommy wanted to spot and identify at least 100 by the end of our stay) but they had also had a great encounter with a beautiful leopard. I just hope Sue remembers to send me a copy of the video that she took!

Anyway back to the littlies – Tommy and Sue don’t believe in the smacking of bottoms but have a “time out” thing instead that seems to work. They count to 3 and if the child has not done the required thing by that time a “time out” is given as a form of punishment. Both Hannah and Joshua had been in the pool the whole afternoon, whilst I was napping and were clearly exhausted, but like most children – they intended to have lots of fun testing the boundaries of their Nikki Noo. So when the parentals left they were both in their respective camp beds preparing to have a nap of their own, whilst I was in front of the computer (withdrawal symptoms you understand and some articles for the Women’s Inc magazine that I am currently writing for – check it out on www.everywoman.co.za). Pretty soon, I had the first delegation in the form of Hannah, dying of thirst, wanting tea – told her water would be good. Then came the second delegation in the form of Joshua, dying of thirst, wanting tea – told him water would be good. Then the third delegation of both of them, dying of thirst and their need of tea to revive themselves – told them water or nothing! They were so dying of thirst that they chose . . . . nothing!

I went into the bedroom and there they were, like the little rascals that children often are, bouncing around their camp beds, no nap in sight! I tried the one. . . two . . . no response – clearly that wasn’t going to work for me, so I split them up – Hannah on the camp bed and Joshua on the parental’s bed. Much protesting, but then they settled down . . . for as long as it took me to close the door and sit down in front of the laptop again. Within seconds, shrieks of laughter was coming from the room again. This time I decided that the rule of “divide and conquer” was definitely the route to go. So Hannah stayed in the parental bedroom and Joshua went off to mine, again amidst huge protests and threats of tears. Within seconds all protests had died down and peace reigned all around. I went back to the computer and my article – about 5 minutes later, hearing nothing at all, I got up to investigate. Both little monsters fast asleep, without a care in the world. In fact when I tried to wake them up again at sunset, it was a no-go and I had the same result when I tried again at about 7pm and again at 8pm. Tommy and Sue managed to get them up, on their return, long enough for them to eat and then return to bed where they slept again until morning. I guess all the excitement and long days and nights were finally catching up and the littlies were really exhausted and tired.

That night we feasted down at the boma, with soft lights great food, good wine and much chatting. Again Sue went off to bed early and Tommy and I sat and chatted until late into the night. Despite the fact that we communicate on quite a regular basis and that I send letters at least once a month, there was still so much that needed to be said and I am grateful to Sue for allowing us to spend some time together to talk about things that brothers and sisters, who care about each other but live far apart, need to talk about.

Day 4 – 25th February 2007

Oh my, what a drive we had this morning! We, as well as many of the other game vehicles from other resorts, chased the two male lions, from the kill (Thabo and Sephiri). They were moving in the dense bush and we followed, bouncing over the rough terrain, driving over thorn bushes and the like. They seemed to be in no particular hurry and neither did they seem to have any specific direction that they wanted to go in. Leaving them to their meander, we went off looking for Rhino (the native name being Tshukudu). Grant followed the spoors and we came around a corner and there they were on the right hand side, just off the road. Driving up to the water hole, we saw another lone bull rhino, coming up over the ridge to drink. The spotting of several elephants, concluded our sightings of the ‘big five’ for the morning. There was still an abundance of the various antelopes, hares, warthog and bird sightings though and we returned to the lodge in our now familiar routine for breakfast and a nap until lunch time.

The evening drive, right on time too us back to the watering hole where again encountered several rhino and the elephants at the watering hole.
The elephants, were quite a large group, with a really small baby – Grant told us that the baby was less than a month old, and he was really cute playing with his trunk. It actually looked like he had no idea what to do with it! Very amusing to all of us I might add. After dark we managed to watch the two male lions ‘stalking’ a group of wildebeest. Grant commented that they were not really hungry having just finished the huge Eland that was now no more than a small pile of bones, but that lions are opportunistic creatures who will kill, even if they are not hungry, if the opportunity presents itself. Eventually, they obviously decided that it was far too much trouble to try and actually catch the wildebeest and they concluded our evening, by performing their incredible call – stating quite clearly to all concerned, who they were and more to the point, where they were!

On our way to the lions though, we happened upon a huge “boomslang” lying in a tree. Grant huge hunting light highlighted it’s eyes and we stopped for Sue to take the photo’s and to get our brief. Grant told us that the male boomslang is the bright green colour that we were looking at, but that the female boomslang is brown in colour. Grant also said that this is the largest one he has ever seen. Boomslang is one of the snakes that can be fatal if you are bitten, and with that in mind we left.

Dinner was out on the deck in the open again, and Tommy and I talked late into the night, with Sue leaving with the children to grab a good night’s sleep.

Day 5 – 26th February 2007

A beautiful morning again! Africa certainly knows how to get her hooks into you! Sue has been taking photo’s of the beautiful sunrises and some of them will be posted. Magnificent!

I saw my first waterbuck (the native name being Amanzibok) of the trip, with the telltale white ring around their rears. Fantastic. We also saw a huge herd of giraffe – there must have been about 10 or 11 of these magnificent creatures all together. Off we went in search of the lions and boy did we find them. Two young males, hungry for food, but also stupid in their youth. The stalked and ran, then rested and stalked and at the end we gave up on them and left. This was our longest game drive by far, being about 7 hours in total. The children were really good, keeping very quiet so as not to frighten any of the game and eventually just falling asleep as we sat, patiently waiting for the these two to do something about their grumbling stomachs. Eventually, completely frustrated at their lack of hunting skills we left to go back to the lodge. We were to leave much later in the day that evening. I decided that it would be a good idea for Tommy and Sue to have some more time to themselves and opted to do the babysitting thing again. We all napped and just before it was time to leave, all met at the lodge for a very late lunch.

Tommy and Sue left with the others and I again set up my computer to continue with my articles for the magazine. The children sat happily eating their dinner and then proudly announced that they were going to bed – it was 18.30! To get up to some sort of mischief I was sure, so instead they sat on the floor playing chess, next to table that I was using in the dining room of the lodge. Have you ever watched a 6 year old and an 8 year old playing chess? What an experience! I have never been a keen chess player but I do know the rules (sort of) and have some sort of idea of how the game is played. Watching them work out moves and then executing them with precision was a delightful experience as I am sure that you can understand. Just after 8pm, gave in and let them wander off to bed and a few minutes later everyone came back from the drive.

Again I had missed out on something really special. The elephants having a mud bath and playing together in the mud. Tommy said that it was really clear that they were having great fun! After making sure that they children were fine, we all sat down to dinner together. This was our last night at the resort. Half way through dinner, the native staff of Tuningi came out in costumes full of colour to sing for us. The grabbed at guests and had them up dancing and singing along in and out of the tables. What a lovely ending to 5 of the best nights of my life, with my family, on holiday. It was decided that the children would stay asleep and in bed, whilst we went off for the game drive the following morning. Hannah in particular, is not a morning person and the sleep would do her good.

Day 6 – 27th February 2007

The family had seen the big five, but we were still keen to see a ‘black rhino’. Grant took us in a completely different direction in the hope that we would see one. The spoor was there, fresh as was the spoor of a leopard, but although we searched high and low, we were not graced with even a peep at the elusive creatures. We all turned our attention to Tommy’s target of spotting 100 different species of birds on this trip and seeing that he was only a few off target we all banded together to assist him in his endeavours. Amidst great laughter, every one on the vehicle ‘spotted’ and pointed out birds in every direction and I am pleased to say that he did make target.

On returning to the lodge for our last meal, we found a very off colour Joshua – seems he had a tummy bug of sorts and he was really wasn’t his usual cheerful self.

It was with sadness that we bid goodbye to all the staff, who had taken such good care of us. Heidi the General manager in particular and the children’s favourite Connie (who I am sure let them get away with all sorts of mischief when she babysat them). Smiles of sadness on their faces and even a few glistening eyes ( I swear that some of the staff had fallen in love with Joshua). Hugs and kisses all round and then some more hugs we said our farewells and climbed aboard the vehicle for the last time as it took us to the airstrip. Hastily we exchanged business cards and then said our farewells to Grant who had shown us an amazing array of animals and birds and taught us so much about not only the wild life but also the trees and in the case of Tommy and Sue, even the stars.

I can’t wait for the next opportunity for me to go into the bush to experience the wonders that we here in Africa are so privileged to have.

And so it was back to the reality of my world, here in Johannesburg – the city that I have grown to love in the almost 30 years that I have lived here. Back to the sadness of farewells as I said goodbye to my wonderfully generous brother and his equally wonderful wife and two children that I had really grown to love in the few days that I had been with them. Back to frenetic pace of my life.

How do I thank these people that I have the honour of calling – not only My Family, but also who on this trip have become My Friends?

Thank you guys, I love you!

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

This is the blog that would have been posted on Monday 5th March - slowly, but surely I am getting there.

I have no idea who penned this quote, but having said that I find it incredibly apt! I have found that it is extremely difficult to do business properly with someone who does not have the same kind of respect for me that I have for them. My time somehow is not as valuable to them as theirs is. Somehow it is also not a priority to pay me when the work is done and the experiance is not mutually fullfilling and benefitting. Let's face it, they have the best of out me, whilst giving me indifference - how is that in any way good for me?

From now on, I don't think I would like to do business with someone who does not make me a priority in their lives. My clients and my friends are always a priority in mine, therefore I should be one in theirs.

Pause for a moment and ponder on this.

Regards

Nikki

Never Make Someone A Priority In Your Life
When They Have Only Made You An
Option In Theirs....