BRT Cape Town 2010

It is with disgust to learn of the knew developments on the BRT project in Cape Town. To make such a blunder at a time like this, is not fair. It is not fair to us as taxpayers and to the project 2010 itself. They have started so well but everything has since changed. More money is needed to be able finish the project (5 billion rands) to be exact. There is more to the problem than what we have been told. It has now turned a political battle between the ANC and DA. One accusing the other of wrong doings and the other retaliates. This is taking us nowhere as we are very close to the event.

It was not supposed to be like that but everyone from all the parties should be working together to ensure that our ducks are in a row for the 2010 World Cup. This is our priority for us as the whole world will be watching us. Does this mean that we will still be using the unroadworthy taxis that the government wants to get rid of? It definately does not make sense at all. Whoever is responsible for this mess must be brought to book and charged for this.

Benni is back

I learnt with great joy that Benni Mcarthy our prolific scorer is back with the team. It has been a long and dry season for Bafana Bafana in terms of scoring goals. We have been playing very interesting and beautiful football but without any goals. He is one of the players who can score goals from all angles and create something out of nothing. He has proved himself to Blackburn Rovers and Porto FC. However, our problem with him is his lack of discipline. He had given us headaches when it comes to this department. He abandoned us for numeral times whenever he feels like it but now we are going to the World Cup he is back.

It is also good that Alberto Pareira is back with the team. We lacked a great leader and motivator in the camp. We needed a person who will lead us, guide us and give us that little push to the right direction. We failed dismally under the helm of Joel Santana. The whole team just broke down. We dropped from the Fifa rankings terribly and we lost eight games in a row. I still hope that all Bafana Bafana fans and all South Africa will rally behind the team to ensure that we go to the World Cup in high spirit and proceed to the next round even to the finals of this prestigious trophy.

Conventional is a good fallback position

This is quite true; being conventional at times is not a problem especially if the situation requires you to. It helps in a sense that one stay away from trouble, avoid arguments that would leads to no solution but time wasting. There are things that demands one to be conventional. However, we need to not be conventional if it will mean that we must miss out of all the benefits because we are afraid of opening our mouth and talk.
Sometimes people are so afraid of taking opportunities because they are scared of failure. That must not be seen as conventional but lack of it thereof. They stick to their routine and do things again and again because they are scared of trying new ventures, they are afraid of change. Change to them is scary and they will not be able to fit in and things will be different to what they are used to. This must not be seen in that direction but change brings a new way of doing things and sometimes it’s easy that the one you are used to. You tend to miss out on all the life’s opportunities that would have changed your life forever.

The biggest music festival ever- 40 years ago!!!

This happened forty years ago 15-18 August 1969 in Woodstock (US) in the town of Bethel. It was to celebrate the rock and roll music and to build a music studio in the town of Woodstock. All went haywire because of lack of proper organization and not divulging all the information needed to stage an event. It was a lesson that we as events organizers need to bear in mind all the time we organize an event. There was no suitable site in Woodstock for the event and they had to be accommodated to an alternative site.
They played down the numbers expected, they said only 50 000 people were expected while they sold 186 000 tickets in advance. In the end 500 000 people attended the festival. There were approximately a million people that were turned away by officers. There was no Plan B for the venue and it was drizzling. No securities to enforce law and the event ended being a free event.
The moral of the story is that, event organizing is not for any Tom, Dick and Harry. Never assume that everything is in place unless you get expertise of the people who knows what needs to be put in place. This is a case study that we can learn from especially now before the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

Where is South African Football going?

We were admitted back to international sports in 1994 after a long isolation and immediately won the African Nations Cup. Our standard was so high to such an extent that we predicted that by this time around we will be playing with all the international recognized football countries. Immediately after that, we started to drop the standard.
We are now rated number 85 in the Fifa World rankings which is very disgusting looking at our infrastructure and stadia. We keep making blunders that end up costing us fortunes and skillful player and talent. We recently held elections where Fifa objected on what FIFA instructed them to do and they did not listed. They all occupying high positions not because of knowledge of the game of football but devoured by their own inability of ruling and managing the game. Today our National team plays the worst soccer ever seen having the elections before the World Cup but all the SAFA opportunists and power mongers insisted on having it. But after that we are faced with court orders and legal issues where the very same people who insisted on having the elections are taking each other to courts and that is totally against.

Andy Warhol said, “In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes” – You can’t choose the 15 minutes but why would you be world fam

Fame, who does not want to be famous? The statement above is really true and each and everyone of deserves to be happy once in our lives. Be it long or short time. It’s also quite critical that fame does not get to your head and you start undermining other people and behave like a lunatic. I know of people who were once poor and now famous and they forgot where they are coming from. Another point is that sometimes fame come unexpected and for a very short time. With all the social communication tools at our disposal, it’s easy for one to be famous without even noticing. I do not consider being shown on TV for ten minutes is fame but your constant appearance is what I call fame.
Fame is good as long as one put more effort in acquiring that.

“Bunch of animals”

I refute the statement above based on these following factors. We all know the history of our country, where we come from, how we got to where we are today. Having said that, it is quite evident that we fought so hard and so many lives were sacrificed in the process. Our fellow black and white brothers sacrifice a lot for the sake of freedom and democracy. We have experience and partaken to worst of things that we never thought of doing just for the sake of democracy. We can no longer entertain where a certain few individuals will take decisions that affect everyone without consulting them first.
Then the issue in CPUT falls under the same sphere of segregation financially. Those in power are struggling so hard to ensure that black people (who compose 80% of CPUT students) will not be able to afford to pay that kind of money, which means that majority of black student will not be able to study. That does not justify the vandalism but fighting for your rights is what any man/woman must do. We cannot go back to the apartheid era where people would decide for others without consultation of any sort. The struggle continues (ALUTA CONTINUA) and power to the people. The struggle must be intensified to break the shackles of the past. Also by vandalising what we have is of no cure to no one because after it’s all said and done we will be left with nothing. Some of us are studying and paying with our hard earned cash and we are in no position to compromise our time, money, studying for no reason at all. Sanity must prevail and people need to learn how to voice their anger and frustration

Personal Autonomy-how far does it extend?

It refers to “A self-directing freedom and moral independence. An ethical principle holds that the autonomy of persons ought to be respected”. We all need to be free and be able to take informed decisions and as long that freedom is attained in a moral and respected way, life will go smooth. For example, your mother gave birth to you and when you get of age she must accept that you have grown and needs freedom to make decisions for yourself.
As humans we have a desire for personal autonomy. We have a desire to be the person who chooses how we live our lives. We have a desire not to be controlled by others. As young children when we are learning about the world we may be happy to follow what those we trust tell us, but, as we all know as we approach adolescence we fight with fierce determination for our right to change this situation and make our own choices, independent of those whom we have been accustomed to following. If we are not able to move into a position where we are self determining, if we feel under the control of another then we find ourselves in a very difficult situation. To not act in accordance with what feels right to oneself results in severe mental confusion because we are not able to be who we are. Indeed this problem begins far earlier than adolescence. If as babies and young children our basic needs are not looked after, or if we are expected to act in ways which are against our basic nature, then damage will have been done in our psyche.
However, to her you will always be young and a child (something you cannot change). As one grows, one tends to mature and needs that sense of independence and have his/her family and make his/her decision without consulting anyone. However, one does not leave in vacuum and have people that one needs to consult and make amends with for life go smooth.

“Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read

This has been the difficult topic that I have encountered in this whole blogging. I’m not sure whether it is dealing with Rock as in music or people who can’t read, write and let alone interviewing people. Be that as it may, I believe that to be able to execute your task thoroughly and efficiently one needs to have a little bit of education, studying and be able to interpreted and make sense of all the information presented at his disposal. In fact one needs to know exactly the rules of interviewing and gathering information or putting the information together. Being illiterate never helped anyone. You can have all the information at your disposal but if unable to utilize it, it will be of no use to you at all. Especially now with this ever-changing technological world where information flows at a very fast rate, one would not be able to keep up. There are so many new innovations that come out everyday i.e. social media like google,face book and others we then needs to be able to familiarize ourselves with this form of communication.

What motivates me?

This is a controversial topic and people have different explanations attached to it. My take is that, I am a people’s person, more concerned by other people than myself. What I’m trying to say is that, people first. A pat in the back and recognition is more important at the end of the day after you have done something good or clinched a deal for your company. It does not matter how small the gains will be but the fact that you have taken an extra mile for the company is more important. It motivates me more to see how passionate people are towards their work and ensuring that they give their all. The mere (thanks) if a person has done something good more motivating.
Even if one fails, when you know deep down your heart that he/she tried his/her best, that individual must be motivated and encouraged to keep the spirit and that fire burning. If I were a boss, I would make sure that all my employees are being rewarded for their efforts and productivity in the company. It does not have to be financial rewards but other means as well. You’re not sure how far that would actually go. What I hate most is managers and individuals who collect accolades and benefits at the end of the day without even acknowledging the people who put their entire to ensure success of the project.

Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea

This is a great statement that has two sides in it. Firstly, having one idea can be very dangerous especially if you planning a venture. Reason being that if this idea is not working out then you are “OUT”. Whereas if there’s plan B to fall on, it will be good. I think one also needs to ensure that you get other people’s views and opinions and how your idea can be made a reality and you will be surprised. One needs to be diplomatic especially if you go for pitching for new clients. You need to be able go back and forth and play with your idea by showing different angles in it in order for clients to buy in it.
On the contrary, it is good to have one idea. Why?
When you have one idea you make sure that you do anything possible for it to work because you only have that idea. Furthermore, when pitching for an account and you start confusing your information because you have so many ideas will cause more harm than good. You need to be focused and stick to this one idea but motivate it further so that people can see that you have done your preparations and you know your story as well. When that is your one idea, it sounds or looks like a wounded animal with no other alternative but to fight in order to survive.

The ten most unexpected consequences of being online

The ten most unexpected consequences of being online

1. To have all your personal information available to strangers and end up in the wrong hands
2. To have people spying on the emails and messages (personal ) that is being sent and received
3. By becoming addicted on social media sites
4. Banking online and other financial transactions (don’t trust those)
5. Share information with the rest of the world instantly
6. To also have first hand information before other media gets hold of it
7. To be able to discover and find new friends around the world that you would be able to communicate and share information with on daily basis
8. Some other people find love on the dating sites which is good
9. Affordable, one can be online for an hour for as little as R5
10. Being in contact with long lost friends through social media i.e. face book etc.

Our greatest strengths are our greatest weaknesses

I could not agree more with the above statement. There would be no strengths without weaknesses. As we journey throughout our lives, our perceptions of things changes, we get educated, meet different people who influence the way we see and react to things. We discover what we good and not too good at, and where we can improve. With all the information we are processing and expose to on daily basis, we differ in the way we see and perceive things.

It is also said that “those individuals who pride themselves by how they are reflected by society and thrive only on their strengths are only depriving themselves of discovering yet another strength by recognizing and striving to improve upon their weaknesses”. Admitting weaknesses is not a sign of defeat but rather a preclude to the structuring of a new strength.

This is a big bad world we live in that we need to always guard ourselves from. There are people who pride themselves by capitalising on hurting others and succeed on other’s misfortunes. It is human nature that we can do nothing about. It is also believed that one should never take humility for granted but rather utilize it by turning into a revered success.

Every human being is flawed. We do things and make grave mistakes by not our own liking but it’s human. We always need to look back and see if we left nothing behind.

Feelings follow behaviour

I strongly agree with the statement above. How you feel at a particular time will affect or determine the way you would react to a particular situation. We react differently to a situation when we are angry than we would if we were not.
I think it also applies on the other side as well. Sometimes we also tend to behave differently to people that we do not like or we feel are a threat to us. We get carried away and say or do things that we do not mean but because we are controlled by our emotions. Whenever one is in love and happy, it shows on how he/she behaves in the company of others.
Emotions can be deceiving at times because some people do crazy things without thinking of the consequences but had they think before, they would have acted differently. We need to be level headed about things and make informed decisions and also verify all the information at your disposal before acting on anything.

DESIGNER PR

Public Relation has and still playing a critical in the evolution of communication in our country. As we approaching the 2010 World Cup in SA, we need to ensure that we keep abreast of the trends that develop in the entire world not only in communication but with business and new ways of doing things.
It is high time that we promote and sell our country to the world so that visitors would feel safe when they visit South Africa. We know how badly our reputation is in regards to crime, unemployment and other ills in the eyes of the world.
Public Relations would then play a huge role in improving our relations and communication with the world. We now have new technological improvements that can be utilised like facebook, twitter, myspace, youtube and other innovations to pass information to the world. It’s up to us as a country and PR industry to ensure that we maximise these potential innovations.

It is better to practice a little than talk a lot.

This is a good topic if you look at what the country is experiencing at the moment. We just came from the 2009 National Elections where all the parties were campaigning around the country trying to get voters. They spent millions of rands of taxpayer’s money that could have been used to build low cost houses for people and provide jobs for the unemployed.What do they do after winning the elections? (NONE)
Same thing has happened in 1994 and majority of people are still living below the breadline, jobless and lack basic necessities while the very same people they voted for are cruising in gravy train and corruption.
To ordinary South Africans, it is more to do with service delivery than anything else. It is time that the government starts nation building and healing and allows as many voices to be heard and delivers services. It is high time that government listen to the people at the grass roots level. Society is measured not only by the richest or poorest but by the way it cares for the voiceless and defenseless. We all have a role to play in developing our communities and also being whistle blowers should something bad happens

It’s a poor idea to lie to yourself

This is a difficult situation that a person finds himself or herself on. What happened to the so called “honesty is the best policy”. People lie to themselves for different reasons, the longing to belong, fear of rejection and not wanting to be seen as underdogs. Whatever the case may be, it does not justify that one live a lie for the rest of your life. When lies gets to you, it becomes a part of you and you represent it. You lose respect from your fellow colleagues, community and whoever that has any dealings with you.
I am a victim of procrastination for so many times. The longer you take on postponing a certain events like studying, paying your debts, the harder you make things for yourself. The problem will never go away instead it gets bigger and bigger by the day.

When you lie to yourself, telling things that are not there is like setting yourself up for failure or big disappointment. The truth always comes out and it is very embarrassing when other people finds out that you have been lying to them all along. Its very sad to see certain individuals trying so hard to live other people’s lives, go all out to impress others while at the end they suffer. They buy cars because they see their friends drive beautiful cars fully knowing that he/she cannot afford it. The only noble thing to do is to stay real, be who you are and tell it like it is.

If I were the boss

Being a boss is a mammoth task in any organisation. It is a position where one needs to take decisions that are sometimes not favourable to others but needs to be taken. It’s a position where friendships and foes are developed. However if I were a boss, as Kenneth Chai puts it;
• Work will start on Tuesday and end on Thursday and everyday will be a half day
• If I were a boss, I would make everyone do all the work and take the credit and bonuses
• If I were the boss, my lunch breaks will be 2 days and spend hours online
• If I were the boss, I will have flat screen tv and music player and play all day
• I would come in late just to show who I am and hangs out with girls during work hours
As much as we would like to have all these but it’s just a wishful thinking. Nowhere in the world would you find a company offering these perks. This will mean that the company will close for business. However, much needs to be done by managers of our respective companies to equip, develop and empower staff. This is contrary to what is happening at other companies. For workers to be productive, management needs to treat them well and provide all necessary resources to do their job. Workers need to be rewarded not necessarily with money but other things as well.

WE ARE AFRAID OF THE WRONG THINGS

We are afraid of losing loved ones, afraid of death and scared of the unknown, afraid of change and adapting to changes. We are afraid of the world coming to an end, we are afraid that the recession is going to shake our perfect lives. Fear comes in different shapes and sizes. It shapes the way we think and do things.

We do wrong things and we get punished or ridiculed for those. We scared of doing things and venturing on new avenues because of what may happen. Not a single individual that I know of wants to associate him/herself with a wrong thing. However, we sometimes find ourselves on the wrong side of the law.

We as human beings have rules and regulations that dictate how we should live our lives. These are put in place to control the way we handle ourselves. These are done by people to control other people in order to create harmony and peace in the world i.e. Corporate Governance, labor laws etc. These measures can sometimes be misused for the good of certain individuals or certain group of people. When these groups of people succeed to instill fear on people, they take control of our lives and it is very scary.

However, had we not feared of anything, the world would be like a zoo with no direction at all. For example, how would the world be without the justice system, where would we be if there was no one to say no when we do wrong?
Fear can be negative in a sense that, it inhibits people to try new ideas, ventures. As Mbuyiseli Oswald Tutu once stated “never scared of anyone as that will enslave your soul”. Never allow fear to run and ruin your life.

WHAT COLOUR IS THE WIND?

Who has seen the wind
that passes the hills?

Who has partaken
the wind to create gales, storms, tsunamis?

Who has witnessed the colour
of the wind?

Who has touched
the wind that touched us all?

None but the trees
that bows to the passing wind

None but the grass
that shivers to the chilling wind

None but mountains
that echoes sounds of the passing wind

None but He who created
the wind

SA BANDS SUCK?

I strongly disagree with this statement. South Africa has an immense, incredible and raw talent that needs to be nurtured and polished to perfection. We feature various bands who sing different genres and most importantly, in different languages to cater for all the audience and South African market.
We need to give respect to all those who follow and support the music. These are the guys who tell our unique story in a way we can relate to. Our bands needs support from us all in terms of buying their music and go to their concerts. The money that is generated there could be used to produce and make more music. We have witnessed cases of musicians who have been producing music for years but die penniless. To some producers and artists, this is their only source of income to feed themselves and their families. We(South Africans) go all out to support overseas music at the expense of our proudly South African music.
There is a perception that, what comes from other countries especially America is superior than what is made here. It sometimes feel like we are not happy of who we are, what we do. If we change our attitude and start supporting our fellow brothers and sisters we would be promoting and building a powerful brand which other countries would be interested in. I think its time that we put ourselves first, look at our interests and what we can do to improve our lives as South Africans .

WE ARE WHAT WE DO

This statement makes a perfect sense. There are two kinds of people, the ones who talk a lot with all the brilliant ideas and how they want to change the world, how they want to improve the lives of people in the country and their communities. This group can spend countless hours bragging about what they are capable of, how much money they have accumulated, deals they have clinched but if look at what they do, there’s nothing that supports their talk. The second group is the ones who say less, you’ll never see them on meetings, never hear them mentioning whom they have helped and how much money they have spent on community projects.

This is a two fold problem, we have big companies that make billions of rands out of our people, natural resources, human resources etc. but they never invested a cent in those communities they operate on, they never offered a single bursary for student to further their education. The second scenario is politics. The politicians are elected to represent people, to provide services and improve the lives of the people.

However, the opposite happens. They enrich themselves with taxpayer’s money, embezzle funds and even enrich their friends and families with people’s money. The moral of the story is that people need to be accountable and responsible with whatever is entrusted on them to look after. At the end people don’t look at how much money you have or how powerful you are, they look at all the good things you have done for others. How we conduct ourselves reflects on the organisations and companies that we represent. We also need to change our attitudes towards each other as fellow human beings

Protest

I concur with what my fellow classmates are saying in regard to what is happening at our University. I am not aware of where and why it started but i do believe that students are not happy about something and management does not listen to them. It's a shame that i and my fellow students are not aware of these things. As Public Relations students we need to be aware of what is happening around us especially at our institution (environmental scanning).

However, i do not agree with vandalising the institution's property.I also do not agree with disruption of classes. When Students are angry, annoyed, they are capable of anything(i know and been there).We need to find positive ways of channeling our anger and frustration. For the sake of everyone, it is high time that management works with students to resolve their issues before it gets ugly.

How do you step from the top of 100- foot pole?

Hey, this is a tricky one. Depending on what situation and position you’re in at that particular time. For me to step down, I will need to ask myself, how I got there in the first place.

One needs to think carefully, strategically before sliding down will not be as easy as it can sometimes hurt you. In life, you need to surround yourself with people who will help you in time of need and people who will add value in your life. You must be able to go out there and make as many friends as possible. Those are the people that will help you to get down or out of any situation you find yourself in.

As the saying goes, never forget those you stepped on, on your way up because you will find them on your way down. If you treat everyone like your brother and sister then you won’t have a problem. The list is endless of the people who were rich and now they are poor.Its also not a good situation to find yourself in.

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST

This is quite an interesting topic. Not all who wander is lost. People wander for different reasons. Some wander because they choose to and others because of the circumstances they find themselves into.
It is stated categorically that, the choices you make in life will determine the route you will go. If you have made a good choice, definitely everything will work fine but if not, all your life is ruined. Sometimes wandering is not a bad thing. Some people spend time trying to find themselves as individuals, what they really want to achieve in life and what interest them.

We sometimes discover late in life what we really want and need. What you liked now will not necessarily be the same thing you will still enjoy when you are thirty or forty years old. Goals and aspirations change and we as human beings need some flexibility in order to survive.

We all have different goals and ways of attaining those. To some it’s easy and others a bit hard and takes a bit of wandering to get there. Not all who wander is lost.