His Soul has Found Eternal Peace: R.I.P Tata Madiba

As the news about the passing of the father of our nation Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mandela dawned upon the nation, I personal couldn’t help but think “he has found peace and freedom” from pain. At age 95, the reality is that a person’s life becomes nothing but an unbearable pain, particularly from a physique point of view.

Having to have spent his last days on earth, in and out of Hospital, serves as a true testimony of the view that Tata was in pain and his passing was the only  way in which he could break free from the pains of old age.

 

 

When a person reaches that age, their physique begins to fail them, both internally and outside, they enter a state of frail, they are easily broken and hurt (both emotional and physically), to a point that when you even touch them, the pain they feel is excruciating. We therefore need to put ourselves in the shoes of this great statesman and acknowledge that he spent most of the past year or two in and out of hospital and that can only translate into one thing, and that is “he was in pain and needed healing” which the medical fraternity or any human being could not possibly provide.

What South Africans (and the rest of the world) needs to appreciate and celebrate is the fact that the man has successfully fulfilled his duties on earth, playing a pivotal role in the liberation of not only the people of his country, but to that of the rest of the world and therefore needed to rest, find peace and true liberation.

 

 

The world is about to once again descend on our shores to bid fair well to this iconic giant, it is another opportunity for South Africans to once again “unite” behind one common goal, and that is “working together as one towards ensuring a successful send-off” of the Father of our Nation. It is now time for us to hold hands tight and realise that an inevitable “Event” of the greatest magnitude has dawned upon us, an event that requires nothing but “Team Work”, just like we did with the Rugby & Football World-Cup events, we are now called upon to use the same vigour, confidence and energy to “Thank Madiba” properly for his contribution towards building this great Nation.

Our pride should be in the fact that the world’s greatest man to have ever lived was born in this country, our comfort should lie in the fact that we were afforded the opportunity to be lead by this iconic statesman, our joy should lie in the fact that he had lived to be 95 years and continued to unite us even in his eternal quietness. We should be celebrating instead of mourning the passing of Madiba. It is befitting today to re-live the memories of this great man in song and joy because he would have loved to see us celebrate this moment as he had said in his speech during the Rivonia Trial when he said “to see the people of South Africa living together in harmony and with equal opportunities, is an ideal he is prepared to die for”, indeed today we all live in a democratic South Africa which he on the 5^th of December 2013 died for, therefore it is now time for all of us to come together and welcome the world in one voice.

 

 

To this great man we say “Lala ngoxolo Madiba, to us you will forever remain the Moses of our time, your legacy shall continue to be preserved and preached for generations to come”

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

South African #Idol must compete Globally

Globally Competitive #IdolSA

I have been following the popular Reality music show #idolsSA for a few years now, witnessing some of South Africa’s raw talent being unearthed from all corners of Mzansi. My basic understanding of the objective behind a talent search production such as idols is that it is aimed at launching unknown, raw talent to the top of the music charts; however when it comes to idols South Africa it remains unclear to me as to whether this is only limited to local charts or not.

Ever since I started watching this show, I have witnessed nothing but sensational singing by the contestants, which are predominantly young people. However I find it very odd that off the entire pool of contestants (well at least those who can sing, say top 30 or so), at least 90% seem to disappear off the music scene (Local and International) before we can even witness the beginning of the next season. So I ask myself, if it is possible that in the minds of these talented young people “idols is the beginning and the end”, well I hope not. But if it isn’t the case then where do they disappear to, does anybody (Music Promoters, Recording Companies, Media, Business or even Government) care to look for them to offer them support and encourage them to continue with their music even after losing the competition (Because it is cristal clear that they are talented), or are they in anyway restricted by certain rules when entering idols (maybe a clause that says they must stay out of sight if they don’t become an idol), again I hope not. Or could it be that these young people are just not resilient enough to stick it out, push harder and pursue their dream of becoming music stars even after idols, are they simply quick to lose interest and look elsewhere, I ask myself. My point here is, if a person can make it to top 20 or 30 on idols, that person can definitely sing and has the potential to become a super star, why aren’t we seeing these guys flourishing in the music industry, be it local or international because vocally they have proven themselves.

At some point during my thought process I considered the possibility of the current Idol (meaning the ultimate winner in the same season) being a dominant force and centre of attention (especially given the Media coverage they get), as a result overshadowing the other finalists even if they didn’t ultimately win, therefore diminishing their chances of success after idols. But it seemed rather unlikely to be the case because even the ultimate idol to me doesn’t seem to become as popular as one would imagine and my view is that the pop genre that they are introduced to after winning is not doing them any good, we are simply not getting it right (Khaya and Loyd are a perfect case in point).

 

Khaya Mthethwa was supposed to be a pop star by now, however we are seeing him leaning more towards Gospel, why. My view is that the pop genre is just not his thing, he won mainly based on his R&B performances during season 8, now because R&B is not South Africa's strongest genre, Gospel seems to be the best route.

This brings me to my second point, a view I formulated during the last few performances by Musa, Brendon, Sonke, Bunny and Zoe in the current season (season 9). I’m no expert in music, nor can I put together a music-note to save my life but when listening to the contestants performing especially R&B songs by international acts such as Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton, Usher, Beyonce, Chris Brown, R-Kelly etc, I seem more convinced that these guys need to take the R&B route and compete head-on with international acts, they seem to be performing these songs even better than the original owners.

On Sunday October the 6^th, Brendan performed one of Anthony Hamilton’s songs and the country was blown away, the guy was trending on Social Media platforms, getting rave reviews all over the show, a week later Anthony Hamilton performed the same song during the MACUFE Jazz Festival in Bloemfontein, personally I was not sold, I felt Brandon performed that song much better.  

My point is, given the fact that these guys are predominantly judged based on their R&B performances during the competition, why don’t they go into R&B rather than an outright Pop approach, our producers and song writers are clearly not cutting it given that the past idols have really not done as well as we would have expected them to. We are almost certain that once they win the competition, they are going to work primarily with local producers and song writers therefore meaning the type of sound they were mainly judged on will not form part of their offering upon releasing the first Album (and highly likely never to be). Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with our local music, however we have never been good producers of R&B either, we have had a number of artists giving it a try to no avail, and I would like to believe that it is mainly because our producers and songwriters are just not equipped for it, so logic would dictate that there is a need to outsource international song writers and producers to help us out, this I believe is the road to success for a South African idol.

It remains my view that we have talented song birds that can compete globally; our song birds can give the world a run for their money if the correct resources are made available to them. At this stage the likes of Brian Themba and Kabomo are holding the fort, one gets a clear sense of how powerful our R&B genre can be if the right tools are made available, I pray that the current Top 5 remain in the music industry even if they don’t win the ultimate prize, and to the next idol and the producers of the show, the recording company and everyone involved, I pray that they push for an outright R&B idol, get the right people in the production team (preferably international producers), join forces with those that are doing well in the R&B space, think outside South Africa because any of the current top 5 can compete with the best in the world………..

Well, that’s just my opinion, use it, don’t use it

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

Youth and the Economy Colloquium 23 July 2013

http://www.youtube.com/v/WTreJlzpNes?autohide=1&version=3&autohide=1&autoplay=1&showinfo=1&attribution_tag=Wf6diwk27pL7GLrIMWCgDA&feature=share

It is not over until the fat lady sings

When faced with difficulties in our lives we easily fall into a trap of presuming to know the overall outcome of our lives and future, forgetting that life is God’s work in progress. Half the time when things are bad we tend to use a “life nearing its end or conclusion approach”, which in my view is nothing but an excuse that we apply when we are almost tired of trying. Well the reality is that we have to keep trying again and again and again if we are going to achieve the goals that we have set out for ourselves.

We need to live a life of “No excuses”, it’s easy to come up with a reason why we can’t be our best, most people tend to make themselves believe that they have some kind of handicap, something that’s holding them back, it may be something about their looks, something they don’t like about themselves, may be they have gone through a difficult situation in their lives or maybe a failed business, unfortunately we have to keep going regardless, because virtually everybody goes through problems, so any situation no matter how difficult, cannot be used as an excuse to give it all up and let go, “It is not over until the fat lady sings”.

Even in those difficulties, there is still something great that God has in store for you, for as long as you keep pushing yourself to the limits, as long as you refrain talking negative to or about yourself, what you see as a liability can in fact turn out to be an asset. When God made you, he wasn’t having a bad day, he made you in such a way that you stand the test of time, he made you in such a way that you can “weather the storms of life” and make it to the finish line, because “It aint over until the fat lady sings”.

Life remains a race, run and finish it African child, the finish line (your ultimate departure on earth) is always around the corner because there are no guarantees at all, but live your life “fighting to succeed”, fighting to achieve the goals that you have set out for yourself, fighting to make the most of what you have been given by God. A wise man once said “the harder you push, the luckier you become” so if you give it all up, all opportunities that were supposed to come your way will obviously come to a halt, because you are simply not working/walking towards them, walk towards your opportunities, they are lying somewhere along your path of life. Remember, the fat lady will only sing when “your quite body is laid to rest at your final destination on earth”, so until then keep telling yourself that “It ain’t over until she sings”, so keep pushing and pushing.

When you have a setback, when life deals you a blow, don’t get sad, don’t give up, don’t talk negative to yourself, that situation is a learning curve, a situation aimed at making you stronger and better in order for you to be among the “Greatest”. 

I choose to live a “No Excuses life”, because it can never be over until the fat lady sings, How do you choose to live your life African Child?

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

African Youth and the Economy Colloquium

2nd MAIL & GUARDIAN AFRICAN YOUTH AND THE ECONOMY COLLOQUIUM

  Addressing youth participation and the economy nexus in the new global economy

  8 October 2013, Walter Sisulu Square, Kliptown, Soweto, Johannesburg - South Africa

 

Overview

Following the success of the 1st African Youth and the Economy Colloquium I facilitated in July where I hosted a dynamic mixture of young people including Mr. Yershen Pillay, the chairperson of the NYDA who spoke at length about “dealing with Youth unemployment”. During these high level engagements, young people in attendance resolved that I host the event again within a space of Three months as it creates a platform for them to engage each other, governments, business and civil society on issues that affects and prevent them from real economic participation in the African continent, with the support once again of the Mail & Guardian newspaper I have headed the call and will be hosting the Second Colloquium on the 8th of October in Soweto.

Africa is the world’s youngest continent; its population is largely made up of young people, the total population of these young people being higher than that of any other continent in the world, and yet young Africans continue to face major difficulties in the realms of the economy, including higher education, unemployment and lack of Entrepreneurial skills, health, and participation in decision-making processes.  

African youth have the potential to be a great impetus for Africa’s development, provided that appropriate investments in the development of young people are made, the right support is given and most importantly the correct mindset and culture are embedded in the mind of the African child. If youth issues are not addressed, and if high rates of youth unemployment and under-employment persist, Africa’s development could be negatively affected.

Join me and fellow African youths at the Walter Sisulu Square in Soweto on October the 8th, as we unpack all these issues, as we come up with long term solutions, strategies and new ways of addressing the economic difficulties that affects Africa’s young. The Youth of Africa, Governments, Business, Civil Society and development partners are all invited to come and participate in the discussions. Presentations will include a key note address by the chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency Mr. Yershen Pillay, case-studies and motivational speeches from young people that are making a difference in the African continent. The aim remains “To learn, Discuss and Share notes on these issues, in order to find solutions to the challenges we are faced with as young people of Africa”.

Young people are the future of this continent and these discussions are a must if we are to succeed as a continent.

World Class Presentations and Case-Studies by the following Young Lions:

-          Yershen Pillay – Chairperson, NYDA

-          Bruce Dube – Founder, Youth Village

-          Ntsoaki Phali – Founder, Beyond Ability Talent Solutions

-          Tessa Dooms – Youth Lab

-          Faith Terrerai – Founder, The Beats of Success

-          Donald Phejane – Founder & MD CORPTRAIN 

-          Naledi Moleo – Radio Presenter, SAFM

-          Sharon Kekana – Co-Founder, Southern African Woman in Aviation

-          Henry Cole Davids – Managing Director, Youth Unplugged

-          Mordekai Shumba – Founder, Organisation of African Youth (OAYouth)

Join the Conversation:

Twitter: #MG_TLF

Youtube: http://goo.gl/eoOQBG

Facebook: http://goo.gl/xbRvxe

Radio Interviews: http://goo.gl/V1GU41

Colloquium Objectives:

The colloquium aims to achieve the following objectives which certainly will guarantee positive change for all youth in Africa:

- Exploring opportunities for the advancement of young people in the African Continent

- Aligning the Economy with other broader youth empowerment initiatives

- Offering an opportunity to young people from various walks of life to share experiences and compare notes

- Highlighting the importance of economic inclusion (particularly the youth) as a vital tool to bring young people to the economic mainstream

- Using case-studies to offer practical hands-on experiences

- Creating a forum to highlight the need for an integrated approach to youth empowerment in the African Continent

- Taking young people of Africa to globally competitive levels

- Building a solid foundation for future youth advancement

- Encouraging entrepreneurship and helping existing youth entrepreneurs manage their businesses more productively

- Broadening youth choices in the use of technologies

- Building a competent cadre of African youth leaders

Programme 23 July 2013

07:30 – 07:45 Morning Tea/Coffee and Networking

07:45 Opening Remarks - Donald Phejane, Moderator

08:00 Welcome - Chris Roper – Editor in Chief, Mail & Guardian

08:15 Key-Note Address - Yershen Pillay, National Youth Development Agency

09:00 Presentation - Naledi Moleo, SAFM

09:45 Presentation - Bruce Dube, Youth Village

10:30 Mid-Morning Tea/Coffee Break

10:45 Presentation - Mordekai Shumba, Organisation of African Youth

11:30 Presentation - Ntsoaki Phali, Beyond Ability Talent Solutions

12:15 Presentation - Faith Tererai, The Beats of Success Consulting Agency

13:00 LUNCHEON

14:00 Presentation - Henry Cole Davids, Youth Unplugged

14:45 Presentation - Sharon Kekana, Southern African Woman in Aviation  

15:30 Afternoon Tea Break

15:45 Panel Discussions

16:30 Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks

To register online visit: events.mg.co.za 

 

Relevant Contacts:

Online Registration: events.mg.co.za

Sponsorship and Advertising: 078 740 0391



Encourage yourself

Its easy to be discouraged and loose our zeal for life because we go through a lot of adversities in life, our dreams don’t always happen on time, we lose our Jobs, relationships fail, loved once either desert us or leave this earth through death, all of that contributes in us loosing hope and feeling discouraged.

There are people around us trying to encourage us, friends, colleagues, motivational speaker, religious leaders etc, but the truth is, it is all in vain if we don’t encourage ourselves. If you want freedom you really have to learn to draw courage and strength from deep down inside of you, if you don’t do it, nobody is going to do it for you.

In the world we live in today (especially in South Africa), young people (especially the Black African Child) are discouraged because of the state of the economy. We are discouraged because we are unemployed, we experiencing difficulties in accessing Education, our lives are turned upside down by diseases such as HIV and AIDS, Drug and Alcohol abuse and many other social ills that has besieged our lives, everybody is looking for some kind of hope and seems like we don’t know where to find it. My view is that we are looking for hope and encouragement in the wrong places, we don’t realise that they are in fact “within ourselves” sitting deep down inside of us, waiting to rescue us. 

We need to learn to motivate ourselves to push more, get up and go try again. We need to learn to wake up every morning and remind ourselves of the good God has done for us, he has given us the basic tools to try and better our lives, eyes to see, legs to stand and walk, hands to touch and do, and most importantly “brains to think, encourage ourselves, think positive about our own future and give ourselves hope”. 

Our hope lies within ourselves and not with the next person, remind yourself of all the good things that has happened in your life and draw strength from there, tell yourself that if God could do all those things for you, he is not about to stop, believe that bigger things are yet to come. Even during trying times, believe that he is walking the journey with you and he will make sure you are delivered to the Promised Land. Let us acknowledge and be thankful of the good things that have happened to us first, and then draw strength and encouragement from there, that way we can begin to work harder towards even bigger things, build and create our own desired future full of successes.

Do away with the spirit of discouragement in your life, those negative thoughts like “I’m never going to make it, I’m not worthy of the good things, this is way too hard for me etc.”, refrain from those thoughts because they are turning you into a victim, a victim of your own negative thinking, if you don’t change your attitude and encourage yourself you will be a victim of your own discouragement. Think positive based on what you have achieved already, switch to a new thinking every day, relive the memories of some of the good things you have done or that has happened to you, list all your accomplishments and celebrate yourself, it is not up to other people to keep you encouraged, it is up to you.

Every time you do something good, step back and say to yourself “I DID GOOD”, encourage yourself Black Child, you are your only HOPE.

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

The today Young Woman of South Africa: The Reality

Today we celebrate and commemorate the courage and bravery of the more than 50 000 women who staged a March and stood firmly on the lawns of the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 1956 to protest against the pass laws. It is my view that those women should be viewed as equally if not exceedingly brave as their male counterparts who fought for the Freedom and liberation of the Black people of South Africa.

As we celebrate this day, I think the young women of today should not do so blindly but celebrate it with the intention to draw some serious lessons of wisdom from this history because the reality is that the majority of our young women will be celebrating this day swimming in alcohol, neglecting their duties as daughters, sister, aunts, mothers or even wife’s. It is a known fact that the majority of young women of today have not only lost the moral but also the traditional values of the African Nation. Make no mistake, I am not attacking women but merely trying to bring to the attention of the Nation the reality about how the Black child has lost it.

We acknowledge the fact that the world has changed, the country has attained freedom and it is developing at a rapid rate, therefore things cannot remain the same as they were in 1956. However we also cannot ignore the need to maintain our native values and traditions and if we draw comparisons between the young women of today and the then generation, we see a clear indication of how appalling the situation is. It is a known fact that we have more “morally naked and irresponsible” young women than we can imagine in our society today, and that can be clearly seen if you were to walk the streets of our townships today, Chesa-Nyamas and shebeens will be packed to capacity, we are seeing increased levels of abortions and dumping of children all over the place because the young woman of today cannot keep her legs closed, we see deliberate wrongful accusations of rape against men for extortion purposes (obsession with money), home-made sex videos are mushrooming all over the place because the young African child sees sex as nothing but just an extra-mural activity, we are seeing increased levels of divorces because the young women of today neglect their duties as backbones of their homes and families, we see them increased cases of women murdering their husbands solely to make insurance claims that would see them being elevated to riches overnight (again obsession with money) and many other increased social ills that the women of the then generation easily avoided. 

One may argue that the men of today are also party to this loss of values, however the then generation never used this as an excuse, we are told that many of those who marched in 1956 had their children on their backs as they endured that daunting walk, taking full responsibility of not only their children but that of the nation as well, fighting for what was to be a lost-generation that we see today. If we fast forward that Act of bravery and apply it in today’s situation, you would have a young woman leaving her children with either strangers, grand-parents or in the care of other children just to go to a shebeen to celebrate what is today known as “Women’s Day”. 

Once again, don’t be mistaken, I am not judging nor am I attacking the black child but merely bringing to the attention of the Nation the appalling situation a young black child is faced with.

We can ask ourselves as to “WHO IS TO BLAME”, Is it the mothers who were born off the 1956 women, is it the 1956 woman herself who did not take responsibility to teach her child or do we solely just blame it all on FREEDOM?. 

I think it is irrelevant as to who is to blame but what is rather relevant and important is “HOW DO WE REMEDY THE SITUATION”, how do we ensure that the young African child takes cognisance of the fact that this day is not just about alcohol, drugs and sex, how do we make the young African woman understand the importance of this day, the bravery of the woman that risked her life and marched for Freedom and Equality?

Those with the financial muscle to encourage and give hope to the young woman of South Africa today are neglecting their duty to lend a helping hand to save the now generation, Government, Business, Religious leaders and Civil Society leaders. August is celebrated as a month of the women of South Africa from the 1st to the 31st and in reality what that means is that throughout this month we see Businesses making millions of Rands through hosting meaningless events such as “High-Teas” with expensive music performances in High-places, discussing and whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, not even once have we seen any organisation on this day or during this month going down to the Young African child on the ground to try and shift her focus, encourage and give her hope, now this is who I am saying is to “BLAME”. Our Government has budgets set aside to celebrate women’s month but not even a cent of that money goes to encouraging, motivating or landing a helping hand to the Young African Woman on the Ground.

I challenge any business, government agency or civil society organisation to show the Nation what they have done or planning to do for the young African child this month………….

Celebrate this day responsibly African Woman, Happy Women’s Day

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

The Over-priced Clothing Store in Hyde Park

A friend of mine asked for my opinion on the Khanyi Dlomo and the NEF saga. For a moment there I thought it was a bit too late to put forward an opinion, but then again it is never too late to share an opinion right? 

The reality is that this untoward behaviour of the elite is a living cancer that keeps on growing by day and this saga is a perfect example of that, I mean if a woman of Khanyi’s stature in society cannot see anything wrong in receiving this 34.1 million loan, then the Corruption cancer can only spiral upwards from here on.

The approval of this loan was a clear case of nothing but corruption and greed. By just looking at the profiles of those who are shareholders in the business, one can clearly see a “web of political influence” that lead to NEF approving the loan. If honesty was the last thing the NEF CEO was to exercise on earth, I’m certain that she would agree that if that application came from any other ordinary person and not Dlomo, the application wouldn’t have seen the light of day.

Given that Khanyi is a successful business woman who has proven herself beyond doubt and has accumulated great wealth in her journey of life, and the partners involved are equally wealthy individuals, my simple question is “Why did they not take a full self-funding approach and put their own money in the business”?, surely they are all rich enough or connected to rich enough people to put together 30 million to open a Clothing Store, Unless of cause they themselves and their rich connections did not believe in the viability of that business. This then clearly shows us how the elite use Government funds as their own “little kitty” whenever they feel the need to fulfil their own little childhood fantasies, (This reminds me of Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula when he flew in some American Models and Actors to the 2012 Sports awards, that to me was a clear exercise of fulfilling a childhood fantasy of hugging Vivica A Fox), the same can also be said about Khanyi Dlomo, this is a clear indication of a childhood fantasy that she had to one day own an expensive clothing store like the ones she saw while living in Paris.

One thing for sure, every "corruption cancer infected elite" is guaranteed to get away with the crime because the same Politician that influenced the decision during the looting, has the same power to influence the decisions during any investigation eventuality (that is if it ever gets to that point). I’m somehow tempted to say “I do not blame these people” because South Africans are naturally gullible people that will make noise for a day or two and then forget about the story a day later and I believe that is because we do not have any sense of responsibility as citizens of this country (Like the Egyptians for example) to follow up a matter to the bitter end, nor do we have any trustworthy body (The NPA or The office of the PP are clearly not cracking it) to honestly, without any fear or favor, free of Political Influence investigate and follow through on cases.

The reality is that corruption has become acceptable in South Africa, an example of this can be drawn from what seemed to be a "State of the Nation Address" last Wednesday night when the President of the country bluntly told the nation that South Africa is ranked 28th out of 167 countries therefore our corruption is not as bad as in other countries (Sad indeed). Clearly the President did not consider the fact that South Africa is today the most “Unequal Country on Earth” and it is because of this 28th position that the President is so pleased about, South Africa is the most unequal income distribution country in the world simply because of the greedy elite that loots government coffers, pay themselves ridiculous salaries and dividends and share wealth among themselves, friends and their families. 

In my view, the President’s statement simply declared “corruption” acceptable, and then we wonder why such high “esteemed” business people like Khanyi Dlomo exercise greed and corruption without any form of “Fear” whatsoever.

My opinion in a nutshell “It is nothing new, we are yet to see bigger, ridiculous looting of Government funds for as long as corruption remains as acceptable as it is today"

And That’s just my personal Opinion…………….   

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

Recognize What You Have

Recognize what you have

We often focus on what we don't have and ignore what we have, we don't realise that everything we need to fulfill our destinity is within reach. We often complain about not having this and that to fulfill our dreams. All David had was a slingshot but he managed to bring Goliath down, all Moses had was a simple ordinary stick and he managed to open up the Sea.

We tend to look far away when answers are close by, we fail to do the ordinary and possible and leave the extraordinary and Impossibles to God. He's given you the basics you need to do the possibles, feet, hands, eyes, ears and the brains to find answers close by. Do you recognize what you have, do you look around you for answers, are you making efforts to do the ordinary things to succeed.

When you do the ordinary, possible things within your reach, you stand a chance of greater growth just by having to have taken the initiative to do the possible, look around and recognize what you have and you shall find yourself among the mighty men and women that took a step. Don't let anyone talk you out of it, the banks may say your idea won't work, friends and family may think you are crazy and you don't have what it takes, go ahead anyway, do it because you believe In that idea, you shall fulfill your dreams with God behind you. When God gave you a dream, nobody can stop it from becoming a reality, you don't need connections, use what you have and you shall meet the right people along the way.

Realise that it won't rain down on you like manna from heaven if you don't take a step towards it, have the resilience it takes to succeed, don't be easily discouraged. What you need is close to you, the break that you are looking for is within reach, all you need is a step in the right direction. Walk towards your God given destiny with pride, you have the ability to do big things with what you have.

Know that you are going to come across obstacles, you are going to meet those who don't approve of your journey, but you don't need anybody's approval, don't fall for those who are going to seek to control you by putting pressure and manipulating you based on what they believe is right, don't fall for that pressure, know that you can not please everyone. Difficult as things may be, soldier on anyway African child.

Remember to be honest and true to yourself first, you are not making a mistake, you are fulfilling your Destiny, you were still going to go past that stage anyway, God had already written down your path to your destiny even before you were born, soldier on Soldier, you are your own destiny.........

Recognise what you have.

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

Beware the Ides of July, the World's greatest was born on this day...

Beware the Ides of July

“The Ides of March” is a phrase coined to highlight the events that occurred on March 15th in the Roman calendar, including the assassination of Julius Caesar. Today as we celebrate the birth of South Africa, Africa and the World’s greatest man alive, the birthday of Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mandela, we look at the significance of this day in world history, it is my view that “The 15th of March and the 18th of July” are equally significant in world history, I am also tempted to say the latter is in fact greater in significance than the former more so because I am a South Africa.

The birth of Nelson Mandela can to a certain degree be observed from a religious point of view as a “Sacred” day in world history. My belief is that God’s plan when he created Mandela, was bordering along the lines of a modern Moses, an individual that would come and change the world for the better, an individual that would come and save the children of the world from slavery, this speaks about both the oppressed and the oppressor, the Rich and the Poor, young and old, down here in South Africa Black and White. Even though many are arguing that Nelson Mandela did not single handedly free Black South Africans from oppression, of cause he did not, just as much as Moses did not single handedly Lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, but just by virtue of Moses being born among the Israelites, they were delivered, equally, just by virtue of Nelson Mandela being born among South Africans, we were bound to be delivered out of oppression.

It is on this day when we have to look back and reflect on what this great man truly means to us, we wake up today fighting a different battle because this great man was born among us, it is because of the birth of this great man that we today can walk the streets of South Africa as equal citizens, it is because of the birth of this great man that we can today speak our minds, put pen to paper without fear of any victimisation from the white minority, it is because of the birth of this great man that today we are counted among the greatest of Nations around the globe. It is because of the birth of this great man that our children today can be taught in a language of their choice in the same classroom with their white counterparts.

This day is the only day in world history were South Africans and the world, sets aside all their differences and respond to a clarion call to “dedicate their time to giving”, work towards a common goal. As South Africans, we need to take pride in the fact that this great man was born among us, that this great statesman was called to come and lead the people of South Africa to the promised land, the land of Unity, Diversity and Prosperity. Given the physical pains associated with old age, we need to be thankful that he is still with us at age 95, continuing to play his role as a unifier of the people of our country, the continent and the world; this is a clear indication of how God masterminded this unique creation. Many of us today have the ability to reach our full potential because we are continuing to draw strength and motivation from this “God sent people builder”, "the father of the nation", "the founding father of democracy", the liberator and Saviour of our great nation.

On this day, South Africa and the world celebrate this man’s life with pride, humility and appreciation; we are indeed grateful for his Life because if he was not born among us, we may not have been delivered to the Promised Land.

Beware of the “Ides of July”, Happy Birthday Tata…………….

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart  

Donald Phejane's View: Stay Alive Your Whole Life.......

Donald Phejane's View: Stay Alive Your Whole Life.......: Along the way during your journey of life you will come across obstacles, at some stage you were excited about your future, pursuing your dr...

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart

Stay Alive Your Whole Life.......

Along the way during your journey of life you will come across obstacles, at some stage you were excited about your future, pursuing your dreams, maybe you lost your job, a failed relationship, health problems etc, and you find yourself breathing but not living, you are alive but you are not full of life, you need to stay alive your whole life.

Don't stop dreaming, don't stop pursuing your goals, don't loose your purpose, if you are going to stay alive your whole life you have to keep on dreaming, keep your dream alive by waking up everyday with a purpose, have a reason to get out of bed. Know that you did not accidentally land up on earth, you were made to serve a particular purpose in life, you are a person of destiny, God wants you to accomplish something, you were created to make a difference in society, yes you are going to come across obstacles but we cannot allow those obstacles to stop us from achieving.

It is written in the book of St Luke, Chapter 10 verse 27 that you shall "love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as you love yourself", that in my view is a purpose to live for. Waking up everyday with the intention to achieve not only for yourself but with a view that others will be blessed through your achievements, that to me is part of staying alive your whole life. Maintain your love for God and that Love shall translate into your Love for his children (your neighbour) and his blessings shall come in abundance.

No matter how tough life may be, maintain your faith in God all the time, you have to wholeheartedly believe that he is taking you through the journey of life and he is by your side. Always remember that God knows "where you come from, Where you are and Where you are going", he knows your destiny and what is right for you. God will never put you in a situation that he can not get you out of, he will never put before you a challenge bigger than you, just maintain your faith and belief in him and you shall prosper, regardless of how long it takes you.

Staying alive your whole life is important, join a civil society group, a church group, go out and do something that means something to you, something that fulfills you and never feel guilty about it, if at any stage you feel that you need to change to something else, do it and never feel bad about it, people will always try to criticize you and pull you down, don't allow any of those critics to pull you down, remember "God is the only one with the power to judge, he's the only one who knows what's right for you and he's the only one who knows your destiny because he wrote it down even before you were born", just keep doing what your hear tells you to do "stay alive" and go for your goals, never allow anyone to put your flame out, keep it alive by doing what you love, what makes you happy, what will see you prosper and become what you want to become......

A blessed Sunday to you.

4 Reshuffle of Jacob Zuma's Cabinet

4th Cabinet Reshuffle

If President Jacob Zuma's cabinet reshuffle is so much about the effectiveness of Government as he claims, how and what is it that his new ministers are going to do in the 9 months that is left before the April 2014 General Elections. The reality and truth is that a Government Ministry is not a Spaza Shop which you can simply open today and start making money tomorrow, Ministers have to first get up to speed with what has been hapening in the departments, what agreements and projects have been and are undertaken at the time, Politicians also have this habit of bringing their own trusted soldiers and comrades when assuming ministerial offices therefore it means there's reshuffling of departments that will also take place within that period, so one wonders if 9 months will be sufficient to get any real work done. Based on this, i think to say the new Ministers will bring significant change in those departments is ridiculously impractical.

So then we ask ourselves what other reasons could have influenced the decision to reshuffle, who are the ministers axed and what role have they played or will they play as we are heading towards elections 2014, we must also ask ourselves who are those ministers that may have been left behind in this reshuffle if it is so much about the effectiveness of Government, another factor to consider is the ANCs past elective Conference in Mangaung and what happened there, could it be that a message is being sent to those who opposed President Jacob Zuma's re- election, "Tokyo Sexwale" for example?

What is clear is that some ministers where axed based on their own failures, some based on their relationship or lack thereof with the president, some for potentially being threats in the coming elections and some for merely being in the wrong place at the right time.

Dina Pule to me deserved to be axed, for obvious reasons but one then asks why was Minister Angie Motshega left behind because she equally failed just as Dina Pula did, and worst of all she failed in a crucial portfolio of Education with the Limpopo Books debacle, so why is she still there. This reminds me of how former President Thabo Mbeki ignored the calls to sack the late Minister of Health Manto Shabalala Msimang during his presidency, so this tells us that history somehow has its own way of coming bak to haunt us.

My view is, this reshuffle has got nothing to do with the effectiveness of government, it is more of a political tactic to buy time and put ducks in a row for April 2014.............

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart  

Kgosiemang Donald Phejane

I’m a simple, multi-talented, God fearing guy who strives on nothing but “Self-motivation and Resilience”. My belief is that every moment I spend on earth breathing is an opportunity to further better my life and break new boundaries. When God has given us Hands, Feet, Eyes, Ears, a mouth and tongue to talk and most importantly “Brains to think”, I believe there is absolutely no reason why we should “Complain” because he’s given us all the tools we need to achieve Greatness.

Born in the dusty streets of Mangaung (Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa) many moons ago, later on during the journey of life I found myself in the middle of the ever buzzy city of Johannesburg (a city that never sleeps), and indeed it is in this same city were I coined and adopted a belief that says “Sleeping is for dead people, therefore I shall sleep when I’m dead”.
Even though my Entrepreneurial DNA goes back to my childhood years, it was in the Buzzy City of Johannesburg were I conceptualised my “journey” in business. I’m an Entrepreneur by day, a Business Management and Administration graduate with a strong interest and background in “Research and Development”. My core business focuses on the “Life and Survival of Businesses”. My job entails “Develop Business Solutions” through creative training seminars, conferences and other business concepts. These solutions are predominantly influenced by Economies, Technology and Innovation.

My work is fascinating to say the least, I get to learn, create exciting products and change lives at the same time. I also get to tap into people’s brains for information; I often say to people I’m a “Professor of everything” because hopping from one subject matter to another during my research is literally studying all those subjects at the same time, today I’m doing research on the Property Industry, tomorrow in Marketing, the next day in Information Technology and a whole lot more. However I have a particular interest in the Digital space because I believe the world’s future is simply “Digital”.

As an entrepreneur and through my work and experience, I now believe in “building brands” as opposed to “buying into businesses”, It is my belief that “Entrepreneurship” is the answer to South Africa’s social and economic challenges, if we can preach the gospel of Entrepreneurship enough (especially to the Now-Generation), in 20-30 years’ time we would have brought poverty and unemployment to its Knees.

I’m a very opinionated person with great interest in global politics and the economy (my focus is particularly in the politics of my own country South Africa). I’m therefore a Thought Leader, a Social Commentator and Writer in between my day job and by night. Even though time doesn’t always permit, I find fulfilment in writing opinion pieces based on current affairs (Anything topical under the sun), therefore making me a serial “Blogger” or a so called “Desktop Revolutionary”.
I also have great interest in my “Heritage and Religion”, my approach to life is predominantly influenced by where I come from (my roots and beginnings), Where I am (Spiritually and otherwise) and Where I am going. I always try to link “Heritage, Tradition and Religion” to make sense of things and that is why I do not believe in “Prescribed ways of doing things”, if we take time to reason to ourselves based on our own individual perspectives and not on what is prescribed, we would become much better people and experience true happiness.

I’m also an excellent communicator, and this has elevated me to a public speaker, doubling as both a Master of Ceremonies and a Motivational Speaker at both Business and Social Events. In my everyday life, I find myself leading both the Young and Old (even though my particular focus and passion is in the Youth). I subscribe to the principle of “Leading from the front”, I believe leadership is a “Gift” and leaders are born and not created, I subscribe to the belief that “Leadership studies are merely etiquette, but true Leadership comes from the inside”.

To simplify and wrap all of this up in one simple sentence, “I’m God empowered; his work in progress, a diamond in the rough which will undoubtedly come out shining-bright”………………………………………………………

 #MeditationsOfTheHeart