SA Rocks

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Last night I joined Martine and Ian from the HCR Blog and SA Good News respectively on Athol Williams’ show “The state of the nation” on Classic FM.

I thoroughly enjoyed the full hour show and the debate that was sparked. There really is too much to blog about so I have uploaded the podcast to SA Rocks. It’s an hour long but only 13mb in size so feel free to download it and listen.

Click here to download/listen to the podcast.

I tried hard but failed dismally to upload it on to SA Rocks. I just didn’t have the time today to upload it to the site.

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Tea and Biltong with the Queen: No, it is not the same as Beef Jerky!

I’ve written in previous columns about the distinct feeling of isolation I’ve experienced as a legal alien in the UK, and I’m starting to believe that it’s not so much the addition of a new feeling (isolation) but the removal of a feeling I had at home (belonging). This may seem like a strange thing to say as a South African, but at home I felt part of something – both a movement and a people – and it’s weird to think that I identify more with South Africans from a multitude of cultures, than I do with the British (my ancestral home).

Recently, with the floods in England, I felt an increase of national spirit from the locals here in the UK – sometimes a little adversity will do that. And it reminded me, firstly, that I am not at home here, and, secondly, how great it is to feel like you’re contributing, that you belong and are part of a greater whole. If press coverage of SA is to be believed, there seems to be a similar process happening at home.

It has been thirteen years since the first democratic election in SA. Thirteen years is actually not a long time. The problems we have in SA are going to take generations (yes, generations! Plural!) to fix but we must acknowledge how far we have come, and above all, not cease to strive. This means vote, protest, and foster equal opportunities.

There used to be a feeling of “jump ship” when faced with crime and unemployment in South Africa, now it’s more of a “dig in and get your hands dirty” vibe. Don’t believe me? How about the increase in websites like “SA Good News”, “Homecoming Revolution” and “Crimeline”? How about increased coverage of crime against the poorer sectors of our communities? People worry that more crime stories mean more crime, but often they mean more effective police work and increased awareness. This reflects a change in our collective attitude as South Africans.

It is a very exciting time for South Africa. The afro-pessimists will scream that its scary, sad, chaotic, but I see a full generation of people who attended integrated schools, who know of Mandela as a free man, who’ve escaped the economic isolation of the 80’s, who can travel and compete in international sport. We’re a people who have won the begrudging respect of our international peers, whose constitution is often lauded as the best in the world, who aren’t travelling just to escape, but for travel’s sake.

Yesterday I ran into the members of the Soweto Gospel Choir just walking down the street in Edinburgh. They’ve arrived for the Edinburgh Arts Festival, I guess, and although I was rushing in the opposite direction, and don’t know any of them from Adam, I couldn’t help myself yelling “Molweni” as I passed, to which they happily responded, and those few quick phrases exchanged in Xhosa made me happier than I’d been all week. I felt like I had met people I could identify with for the first time in months.

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Crime Line is an anonymous crime tip-off line. You can SMS your tip offs to 33221 or submit them online (not as anonymous I image).

This is the stuff that I like to see. Companies and organisations taking ownership of not only problems but more importantly, solutions. This is a solution, or at the very least it is attempting to become a solution.

According to the HCR blog within one hour of launching the site and idea the first criminal was apprehended via a tip off! Brilliant, not only is it a potential solution to some of a great big problem but it actually works and might continue to do so.

There is one comment on the HCR blog that I agree with strongly, R1 is a cost that should be much, much lower. Unfortunately purchasing these “32211″ numbers requires a cost to the owner. I think that some of the, if not all of the cellphone companies need to jump on board with this project and provide users with a cheap, if not free means to alert police via this number.

This project is a Primedia initiative as far as I can see from the website. Good on big media, what a great show of faith/step in the right direction!

From the website:

Crime is a problem – but you can help solve it.

There is no doubt crime is affecting all of us. It’s easy to feel helpless, thinking there’s nothing you can do to stop it. But, you can! Crime Line will help make our country safer.

This is a Primedia Ltd group initiative. It is independent and anonymous and aimed at getting criminals off the streets.

We want you to blow the whistle on crime. We will pass on the information to the authorities who have undertaken to act.
All we want you to do is to pass on information of any criminal activity you know of.

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These ladies are tough and the job is even tougher: Getting ex-South Africans back in to South Africa. Wow rather them than me.

HomeComingRevolution is a phenomenally beneficial organisation that is doing marvelous things for this country and those patriots who have left and are wanting to return.

There are some interesting facts buried in this podcast, one of which is that of the over 4000 people who are on whereintheworldareyou, over 75% are wanting to return to South Africa. That bodes extremely well for us here in SA!! We also managed to chat about the struggles of the blogging world and the HCR blog as well as positivity in SA.

Thanks go out to Martine for allowing me to chat to her and to the HCR team for doing such great things!

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I met Donna McCallum newly returned from Argentina, enroute to Jozi and ablaze with spark for a new project called Fairy Godmother inc. She had been working with Mignon Lotz-Keyser of Peer Power (hit the Bandwidth Barn & check it out if you’re an entrepreneur in Cape Town – it is power!)

Donna makes her own luck like no other, and she helps others tap into their own daring realms beyond corporate slavery or lack of direction/confidence. The heart of her mission is to help those she works with discover their dreams ..and then helps them translate it into practical reality. Don’t let her fairy dust fool you, she brings in the clarity of hard-nosed applied business strategy learnt from her own business successes here and in San Francisco through the dot-com boom. She’s also the powerhouse manager behind Verity, who graced us at one of the 27dinners.

If there was a quote that I believe she embodies it would be this one be Theodore Roethke:

“What we need are more people who specialise in the impossible“

Donna disregards the notion that to be successful in business one should dress the part & appear serious to be taken seriously. It takes a lot of courage & confidence to move in the other direction, to embody the quirkiness of your character, and rock a pair of wings on the back of a finely tailored business.suit, which she pulls off in style.

Success and international recognition have caught up with her and she jets off to Europe to take her workshops to Germany & London. If you’ve ever longingly ached to do something that you think would be utterly absurd, but afraid that you’ll plunge headlong into destitution if you follow your heart.. I recommend a chat with the Fairy Godmother. The world of work is changing and the kind of inspiration and leadership required for the wild times to come will be those who coax us out of the Calvinist work ethic, from tired old Industrial Age hangovers. Donna has exactly the right mix of expertise and fearless character to inspire SA entrepreneurs into action.

She’s also an alarmingly potent networker. She’s just joined us in the blogosphere and on Facebook so get in contact.. and if you’re in London, pop into her workshop & connect with this force for good while you can.

Addendum: just dashed down to St George’s Mall to support the Fairy Godmother in launching the Free Hugs Project in South Africa. Should be hitting Jozi soon.. watch the Facebook group for updates. Oh and watch the clip if you haven’t seen it before, there’s a reason why this thing went viral. Respect for bringing it home Donna!

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