Because calling them baboons would be too kind (and cruelly ironic to the victims in this post...).
I've posted about the Southern Cape Town residents' assaults on the Cape Point baboons before. It seems that things are going from bad to worse. From 26 baboons in the troop in May, only 16 remain.
The idiots behind this would no doubt point to the destruction and danger of baboons. I know this first hand, having had a fully grown baboon steal our food off the braai grid when I was a kid!
But there is no excuse. Residents of Kommetjie, Scarborough, Smitswinkel, et al have invaded the baboons' territory, and not the other way around. They would have been aware of the issue when moving into those areas.
Baboon watchers have been employed to follow the troupes around and keep them out of trouble. That doesn't seem enough - it seems that some people just want them dead.
From Iol
Baboon poisoning may have been deliberate
Melanie Gosling
August 16 2006 at 12:16PM
Two young baboons from the Kommetjie troop in Cape Town have died of suspected poisoning and a third is being treated at a local veterinary clinic.
Although all three animals are wild, they were so ill that they allowed Jenni Trethowan, who runs Baboon Matters, to pick them up and take them to the vet without resistance.
The young male and a young female died at the vet on Monday. Another young female, nicknamed Angelina Ballerina, was taken to the vet on Tuesday and appears to be recovering.
If they were poisoned, it is not known whether the young baboons - the only three juveniles in the troop - ate poison put out for rats, or whether they were deliberately poisoned in the continuing conflict between primates and humans on the Peninsula.
'He was so sick he let me pick him up, and he's a wild animal'
City health officials are due to examine the area where the baboons forage around the rubbish dump, as well as near a bakery in Kommetjie.
Trethowan said on Tuesday she had been alerted to the first sick baboon by the baboon monitors. "The monitors are brilliant. I went out to Ocean View on Monday and was shocked to see the young male. He was bent over with his head down. It was awful. He was so sick he let me pick him up, and he's a wild animal. I put him in the car and took him to the vet.
"While they were treating him, I got another call that there was a sick baboon near the bakery. I rushed there and she was in an even worse state. We took her to the vet as well but both of them died. It's so sad because they are the only three juveniles in that troop."
Trethowan said the troop had been reduced from 26 animals in May to only 16 now.
On Tuesday, the monitors phoned her again after they found yet another sick female.
Fourways vet Hernan Azorin was unable to say conclusively whether the three were poisoned, but found no signs of other sickness except for haemorrhaging, which is consistent with poisoning.
This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Times on August 16, 2006
UPDATE: The baboons were poisoned using an old banned toxin. Not sure they should have published that - the person who did it will now be sure to dump it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Will this guard get a medal?
He should! Wow.
The fight against crime needs role models and this guy is one and then some.
Imagine risking your life as he did for a R1500 per month salary. Imagine chasing five armed robbers by yourself with the intention of arresting them?!
You are a hero, Nkosinathi Nkosi!
Well done also to the police for being quick enough to catch the remainder of the crooks.
From IoL
Security guard helps cops nab robbers
August 15 2006 at 10:17AM
By Gill Gifford and Poloko Tau
A gang of robbers believed to have been responsible for a spate of housebreakings in Johannesburg's northern suburbs during the past six months has been bust after a shootout with police and security guards.
Four robbers were arrested minutes after robbing a house in Emmarentia on Monday, with one arrested after being shot in the face by SAS Security guard Nkosinathi Nkosi and three others caught in the area as police swooped on them.
According to Nkosi, who played a pivotal role in helping the police arrest the gang, a fifth man escaped on foot.
'They began shooting at me while the car reversed...'
The gang used a particular modus operandi to gain access to homes and properties, then ransacking the houses and escaping.
According to police spokesperson Superintendent Chris Wilken, the gang would arrive at a house in a bakkie, and would sometimes be wearing overalls or work clothes.
They would ask the domestic worker to open up and let them in as they had been sent by her employer, whose name they would give.
Police believe the men checked letterboxes to establish the names of the occupants of the homes.
"They would say 'We've been sent by your boss to clean the pool and we're in a hurry.
"If you don't want to let us in, we'll leave and it will be your problem. We've got other jobs to get to'," Wilken said.
The story they used would change from time to time - they would claim to be carpet cleaners or technicians needing to work on the phones - but in each case they would strike as soon as they gained access.
On Monday the men arrived at the house in Emmarentia, pulling up at the house in a white bakkie.
"They had the home-owner's name and asked the domestic worker to open up for them because they were there to do some damp-proofing and some repairs to the floors in the house," Wilken said.
Unsure of what to do, the domestic worker opened the gate and they entered the property. One of the four men was armed with a gun, and threatened the woman while his accomplices tied her up.
As the robbers ransacked the house, the domestic worker managed to free herself and pressed the panic button linked to an armed response service.
Nkosi was patrolling The Braids Road in Emmarentia when he heeded a call for help from the domestic worker.
"I immediately called for back-up and drove down the street and saw a white bakkie parked inside the yard. I then blocked the driveway and they must have noticed me and ran out of the house," Nkosi said,
Five men emerged from the house, jumped into the bakkie and prepared to reverse out of the premises.
But their way was blocked by Nkosi's vehicle.
"They jumped out and approached me, demanding that I remove my car. That was when I threatened to shoot if they came any closer. I ordered them to remain still but they went back into the car."
Nkosi jumped into his patrol car when they reversed. Despite his blocking their way, he thought they were going to drive over his vehicle and he moved out of the way.
"They began shooting at me while the car reversed. I returned fire and one of them, who had not jumped into the car... he managed to flee on foot as I went after the other four," he said.
Nkosi managed to catch one suspect, while the remaining three men were caught by the police.
All four suspects are from Soweto and will appear in court on Wednesday.
Police commissioner Oswald Reddy paid credit to the "excellent work" of the police and the security company, saying he was very happy with the breakthrough.
"We must continue to work like this to make Joburg safer," he said.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on August 15, 2006
The fight against crime needs role models and this guy is one and then some.
Imagine risking your life as he did for a R1500 per month salary. Imagine chasing five armed robbers by yourself with the intention of arresting them?!
You are a hero, Nkosinathi Nkosi!
Well done also to the police for being quick enough to catch the remainder of the crooks.
From IoL
Security guard helps cops nab robbers
August 15 2006 at 10:17AM
By Gill Gifford and Poloko Tau
A gang of robbers believed to have been responsible for a spate of housebreakings in Johannesburg's northern suburbs during the past six months has been bust after a shootout with police and security guards.
Four robbers were arrested minutes after robbing a house in Emmarentia on Monday, with one arrested after being shot in the face by SAS Security guard Nkosinathi Nkosi and three others caught in the area as police swooped on them.
According to Nkosi, who played a pivotal role in helping the police arrest the gang, a fifth man escaped on foot.
'They began shooting at me while the car reversed...'
The gang used a particular modus operandi to gain access to homes and properties, then ransacking the houses and escaping.
According to police spokesperson Superintendent Chris Wilken, the gang would arrive at a house in a bakkie, and would sometimes be wearing overalls or work clothes.
They would ask the domestic worker to open up and let them in as they had been sent by her employer, whose name they would give.
Police believe the men checked letterboxes to establish the names of the occupants of the homes.
"They would say 'We've been sent by your boss to clean the pool and we're in a hurry.
"If you don't want to let us in, we'll leave and it will be your problem. We've got other jobs to get to'," Wilken said.
The story they used would change from time to time - they would claim to be carpet cleaners or technicians needing to work on the phones - but in each case they would strike as soon as they gained access.
On Monday the men arrived at the house in Emmarentia, pulling up at the house in a white bakkie.
"They had the home-owner's name and asked the domestic worker to open up for them because they were there to do some damp-proofing and some repairs to the floors in the house," Wilken said.
Unsure of what to do, the domestic worker opened the gate and they entered the property. One of the four men was armed with a gun, and threatened the woman while his accomplices tied her up.
As the robbers ransacked the house, the domestic worker managed to free herself and pressed the panic button linked to an armed response service.
Nkosi was patrolling The Braids Road in Emmarentia when he heeded a call for help from the domestic worker.
"I immediately called for back-up and drove down the street and saw a white bakkie parked inside the yard. I then blocked the driveway and they must have noticed me and ran out of the house," Nkosi said,
Five men emerged from the house, jumped into the bakkie and prepared to reverse out of the premises.
But their way was blocked by Nkosi's vehicle.
"They jumped out and approached me, demanding that I remove my car. That was when I threatened to shoot if they came any closer. I ordered them to remain still but they went back into the car."
Nkosi jumped into his patrol car when they reversed. Despite his blocking their way, he thought they were going to drive over his vehicle and he moved out of the way.
"They began shooting at me while the car reversed. I returned fire and one of them, who had not jumped into the car... he managed to flee on foot as I went after the other four," he said.
Nkosi managed to catch one suspect, while the remaining three men were caught by the police.
All four suspects are from Soweto and will appear in court on Wednesday.
Police commissioner Oswald Reddy paid credit to the "excellent work" of the police and the security company, saying he was very happy with the breakthrough.
"We must continue to work like this to make Joburg safer," he said.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on August 15, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Are you a criminal?
Something that makes my blood boil are drivers who remove their number plates to avoid getting caught in camera speed traps.
It is likely that many of these people complain bitterly about crime and the state of the country, etc. But they have no qualms about speeding, plotting ways to avoid getting caught, bribing police officers, jumping red traffic lights, etc.
Of course almost everybody speeds at some point. I have my share of traffic fines. But we know the rules and if we break them we must be prepared to accept the consequences. Except that some people are not prepared to do that.
So I am very happy that Johannesburg Metropolitan Police are cracking down on plate-less cars. They will issue a spot fine of R200 per missing plate. I think this is way too little - it is very easy to get a speeding fine of over R500 - how many fines have these people avoided? I think the cops should rather impound any car with a missing plate and the driver should appear in court for a serious fine and possible jail time for repeat offenders - that might stop the problem.
From News24.com:
Cops chasing speedsters numbers
10/08/2006 20:24 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Metro police will clamp down on motorists not displaying number plates on their vehicles.
Metro spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said on Thursday: "Many motorists remove their number plates in order to avoid being caught when speeding through speed cameras."
Motorists found driving without displaying their number plates would be fined R200 for each missing number plate.
Fines also would be issued if the number plates were obscured by a tow bar, were not clearly visible, had faded or were illegal. Number plates must display the SABS stamp of approval.
Metro police have already fined more than 10 000 motorists between July of last year and June this year for number-plate offences.
"We would like to reiterate that any person found driving with a false registration number will be arrested immediately and taken to the nearest police station," said Minnaar.
"The offender will be charged with fraud."
It is likely that many of these people complain bitterly about crime and the state of the country, etc. But they have no qualms about speeding, plotting ways to avoid getting caught, bribing police officers, jumping red traffic lights, etc.
Of course almost everybody speeds at some point. I have my share of traffic fines. But we know the rules and if we break them we must be prepared to accept the consequences. Except that some people are not prepared to do that.
So I am very happy that Johannesburg Metropolitan Police are cracking down on plate-less cars. They will issue a spot fine of R200 per missing plate. I think this is way too little - it is very easy to get a speeding fine of over R500 - how many fines have these people avoided? I think the cops should rather impound any car with a missing plate and the driver should appear in court for a serious fine and possible jail time for repeat offenders - that might stop the problem.
From News24.com:
Cops chasing speedsters numbers
10/08/2006 20:24 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Metro police will clamp down on motorists not displaying number plates on their vehicles.
Metro spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said on Thursday: "Many motorists remove their number plates in order to avoid being caught when speeding through speed cameras."
Motorists found driving without displaying their number plates would be fined R200 for each missing number plate.
Fines also would be issued if the number plates were obscured by a tow bar, were not clearly visible, had faded or were illegal. Number plates must display the SABS stamp of approval.
Metro police have already fined more than 10 000 motorists between July of last year and June this year for number-plate offences.
"We would like to reiterate that any person found driving with a false registration number will be arrested immediately and taken to the nearest police station," said Minnaar.
"The offender will be charged with fraud."
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Will the Johannesburg inner city rebirth happen?
 |
| Downtown Johannesburg at dusk |
That's allowed me to witness inner city living in the cities that made it trendy. It also made me think about why it became trendy.
New York is known for the density of its population - Manhattan is jam-packed with people. Two things make New York city (as opposed to Conneticut, etc) a good place to live in. The first is the lack of commute. When you're working between 12 and 16 hours a day on Wall Street, an additional trip into the city of at least 1 hour each way is not desirable. The second is city life - you can literally take the elevator from your flat to the sidewalk and sit down for dinner at your favourite cafe. If you're willing to take a 20 minute cab ride (or subway if the weather is amenable), you can eat at a variety of the best the world has to offer around Manhattan.
London and Paris share the city life attraction with NYC - neither have the "elevator to sidewalk cafe" factor to the extent that New York does, but both have fantastic food and entertainment cultures.
Both also share the commute factor. Neither have resulted in high-rise living to the extent of NYC, Singapore or Tokyo. Anybody who has worked in "The City" will understand the nightmare that is the London tube commute. It can take almost as long to commute from Wimbledon as it might from the Surrey countryside.
But bans against high-rise development have meant that London has maintained a fairly spread out city and the beautiful old buildings of Paris may have halted the building of massive skyscrapers (with the exception of the new city near the Arc de la Defense).
But the single most important factor resulting in true inner-city high-rise living remains space - or more precisely lack of it. Manhattan is relatively small. There is not much opportunity to build left on the island. Tokyo's sprawl means that the city extends for hours in every direction. Singapore is on an island.
So it was with skepticism that I watched the development of apartments in Johannesburg city centre. The Johannesburg downtown area does not have an entertainment and food culture anymore. Most businesses have moved out to Sandton and the Midrand areas, meaning that living in the inner city does not offer much advantage with respect to traveling. Johannesburg has no space constraints. The areas surrounding the city all support further development - to the extent that Johannesburg and Pretoria are almost one city now. While there are many beautiful old buildings in the city, developers appear to have been attempting to cash in on the world-trend - without any of the factors other inner city revivals have enjoyed.
Cape Town on the other hand has almost all the factors in its favour. People commute to work in the city centre. The food and entertainment culture survived some years of threat from crime and grime and it is now difficult to find parking in the city centre at any time of the night. And most importantly, Cape Town is on a peninsula, restricting the ability to merely continue expanding the city. For many years (before the development really took off) I looked for an apartment in the city bowl. If only money had allowed!
The article below is from Fin24.com:
Designer flats empty
10/08/2006 08:43
By: Joan Muller
Johannesburg - Despite the perception that downtown, inner city living is fast becoming a preferred choice among Jo'burg's trendy set, owners of upmarket office-to-flat conversions are apparently battling to find tenants.
Property commentators say it's one thing for developers to sell high-end CBD products off-plan to buy-to-let investors - typically priced at between R10 000 and R15 000m² - but to let these units once completed is an entirely different matter.
The general view is that a lack of infrastructure such as shopping facilities and restaurants as well as crime and grime are seeing high-income tenants staying put in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.
Pace Property Group MD David Green, who is involved in a number of inner city office-to-flat conversions, says while there is huge demand for bachelor and one bedroom flats priced at rentals of below R5 000/month, the inner city is not attracting upmarket professionals (owner-occupiers or tenants) to the extent that many expected.
Green believes the reason is that upmarket CBD developments are simply too pricey, competing with developments in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.
"Why would someone pay R15 000/m² in downtown Jo'burg when they can buy a new apartment for less in Sandton?" Green says tenants are also unlikely to pay R10 000/month for a luxury apartment in the inner city when they can rent in Hyde Park at the same price.
Trafalgar chairperson Neville Schaefer, who manages about 3 000 rental flats in Johannesburg's inner city, Hillbrow and Berea, agrees that demand for upper priced rental accommodation has yet to materialise in Jo'burg's CBD.
He says while inner city property owners can easily fill their flats with lower and middle-income tenants who are prepared to pay between R1 800 and R3 000/month, there's little if any demand for units priced above that.
Schaefer says despite talk of upmarket retail, leisure and entertainment offerings coming to the CBD, the reality is that the inner city doesn't offer sufficient infrastructure to support high-end living.
"I would be nervous to invest in anything priced at R600 000 or more in the inner city," he says.
Meanwhile, developer Urban Ocean has sold all 135 luxury apartments at The Franklin, the old Ernst & Young building across from the old JSE headquarters in Diagonal Street, from R299 000 right up to R1.8m. Buyers are still waiting for occupation. But whether investors will find tenants at reasonable rentals remains to be seen.
Friday, July 28, 2006
How many times have you seen Johnny Clegg live?
Hey? What's that? Never?!!
I saw my first Johnny Clegg concert when I was about 11 years old at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town in 1985. This was quite an adventure as I went with a group of teenagers I did not know and I think some of Johnny Clegg and Juluka's songs were banned at the time (for being anti-apartheid). It was amazing - my first concert and a truly African experience for someone brought up in a predominantly European setting.
Since then I have been to many Johnny Clegg shows and he always blows me away. It was after one of these shows that I became truly committed to South Africa. After watching Clegg tell stories about his songs and his life on the stage of the Baxter Theatre during my final year of varsity, I was inspired by his experience of being African and how this had traveled with him wherever he went in the world. I resolved to find work in South Africa rather than follow most of my friends to London.
So I looked forward to seeing Johnny Clegg perform at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre tonight and launch his new album. He performed with the Soweto Gospel Choir who have been bowling over audiences around the world for the last year.
It did not disappoint and I shared the experience with a friend who has recently returned to South Africa and moved to Johannesburg. That somehow seems significant.
Johnny Clegg's show continues to this Sunday, 30th July at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre.
The song playing, Asimbonanga (Mandela) - from Third World Child by Johnny Clegg and Savuka (1987), commemorates the deaths of poltical activists and the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela during apartheid. It became a freedom anthem during the eighties.
Lyrics:
ASIMBONANGA
(Zulu for 'We haven't seen him')
CHORUS
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen him)
Asimbonang 'uMandela thina (We haven't seen Mandela)
Laph 'ekhona (in the place where he is)
Laph 'ehlelikhona (in the place where he is kept)
Chorus
Oh the sea is cold and the sky is grey
Look across the island into the bay
We are all islands 'till comes the day
We cross the burning water
Chorus
A seagull wings across the sea
Broken silence is what I dream
Who has the words to close the distance
Between you and me
Chorus
Steven Biko...
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen him)
Bonang' umfowethu thina (We haven't seen our brother)
Laph' ekhona (in the place where he is)
La wafela khona (in the place where he died)
Victoria Mxenge...
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen her)
Bonang' udadewethu thina (We haven't seen our sister)
Laph' ekhona (in the place where she is)
La wafela khona (in the place where she died)
Neil Aggett...
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen him)
Bonang' umfowethu thina (We haven't seen our brother)
Laph' ekhona (in the place where he is)
La wafela khona (in the place where he died)
Awu ngithi hey wena (Oh, I say 'hey you')
Hey wena nawe (hey you and you as well)
Sizofika nini la' siyakhona (When will we arrive at our true destination?)
Chorus
I saw my first Johnny Clegg concert when I was about 11 years old at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town in 1985. This was quite an adventure as I went with a group of teenagers I did not know and I think some of Johnny Clegg and Juluka's songs were banned at the time (for being anti-apartheid). It was amazing - my first concert and a truly African experience for someone brought up in a predominantly European setting.
Since then I have been to many Johnny Clegg shows and he always blows me away. It was after one of these shows that I became truly committed to South Africa. After watching Clegg tell stories about his songs and his life on the stage of the Baxter Theatre during my final year of varsity, I was inspired by his experience of being African and how this had traveled with him wherever he went in the world. I resolved to find work in South Africa rather than follow most of my friends to London.
So I looked forward to seeing Johnny Clegg perform at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre tonight and launch his new album. He performed with the Soweto Gospel Choir who have been bowling over audiences around the world for the last year.
It did not disappoint and I shared the experience with a friend who has recently returned to South Africa and moved to Johannesburg. That somehow seems significant.
 |
| Johnny Clegg on stage at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre |
Johnny Clegg's show continues to this Sunday, 30th July at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre.
The song playing, Asimbonanga (Mandela) - from Third World Child by Johnny Clegg and Savuka (1987), commemorates the deaths of poltical activists and the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela during apartheid. It became a freedom anthem during the eighties.
Lyrics:
ASIMBONANGA
(Zulu for 'We haven't seen him')
CHORUS
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen him)
Asimbonang 'uMandela thina (We haven't seen Mandela)
Laph 'ekhona (in the place where he is)
Laph 'ehlelikhona (in the place where he is kept)
Chorus
Oh the sea is cold and the sky is grey
Look across the island into the bay
We are all islands 'till comes the day
We cross the burning water
Chorus
A seagull wings across the sea
Broken silence is what I dream
Who has the words to close the distance
Between you and me
Chorus
Steven Biko...
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen him)
Bonang' umfowethu thina (We haven't seen our brother)
Laph' ekhona (in the place where he is)
La wafela khona (in the place where he died)
Victoria Mxenge...
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen her)
Bonang' udadewethu thina (We haven't seen our sister)
Laph' ekhona (in the place where she is)
La wafela khona (in the place where she died)
Neil Aggett...
Asimbonanga (We haven't seen him)
Bonang' umfowethu thina (We haven't seen our brother)
Laph' ekhona (in the place where he is)
La wafela khona (in the place where he died)
Awu ngithi hey wena (Oh, I say 'hey you')
Hey wena nawe (hey you and you as well)
Sizofika nini la' siyakhona (When will we arrive at our true destination?)
Chorus
Do you report bad AND good service?
It seems I am becoming an activist. Which is good. Thinking about what activist means, it is the opposite of being apathetic and apathy is the great enemy. Effective society depends on contributions of each member.
And so I've starting posting my service experiences on hellopeter.com
hellopeter.com is the customer service website started by Peter Cheales and I must say I am impressed by the people who post (there are a fair number who take the trouble to post good experiences) and the response of companies to posts.
What moved me to my latest activism was a day I had been dreading that worked out very well. I had to do three errands that every person expects to be a disaster. I had to apply for a post office box, apply for a new business telephone and file a change of address at Sandton Motor Vehicle Licensing. I expected to take hours for each.
My visit to the post office in Craighall (Hyde Park Shopping centre) was a dream. A young employee immediately issued me with a new post box and escorted me to the box. He explained the process for dealing with mail for the previous user. I asked him about a parcel I have been expecting from China to my personal address for some months. He told me how to phone parcel tracking and volunteered to monitor my personal address and put the parcel in my post box. All over in about ten minutes! Wow.
Then I went to the Telkom Shop in Rosebank Mall. This I expected to be a disaster. Surprise. The place was a hive of activity, but I managed to see a consultant fairly quickly. I signed and paid for my new business line and was out of there in about twenty minutes. At this stage I began to pinch myself.
Onto Sandton Motor Vehicle Licensing. Anybody who has ever been to this branch off Marlboro Drive might have just turned back when seeing the cars in the parking lot. It is heaving with people! However, I joined the queue hoping I might get lucky again and not have to abandon the endeavor before my next appointment. Instead of the hours in the queue, I got to the front and was processed in 45 minutes. Wow! Wow! Wow!!!
And so I've starting posting my service experiences on hellopeter.com
hellopeter.com is the customer service website started by Peter Cheales and I must say I am impressed by the people who post (there are a fair number who take the trouble to post good experiences) and the response of companies to posts.
What moved me to my latest activism was a day I had been dreading that worked out very well. I had to do three errands that every person expects to be a disaster. I had to apply for a post office box, apply for a new business telephone and file a change of address at Sandton Motor Vehicle Licensing. I expected to take hours for each.
My visit to the post office in Craighall (Hyde Park Shopping centre) was a dream. A young employee immediately issued me with a new post box and escorted me to the box. He explained the process for dealing with mail for the previous user. I asked him about a parcel I have been expecting from China to my personal address for some months. He told me how to phone parcel tracking and volunteered to monitor my personal address and put the parcel in my post box. All over in about ten minutes! Wow.
Then I went to the Telkom Shop in Rosebank Mall. This I expected to be a disaster. Surprise. The place was a hive of activity, but I managed to see a consultant fairly quickly. I signed and paid for my new business line and was out of there in about twenty minutes. At this stage I began to pinch myself.
Onto Sandton Motor Vehicle Licensing. Anybody who has ever been to this branch off Marlboro Drive might have just turned back when seeing the cars in the parking lot. It is heaving with people! However, I joined the queue hoping I might get lucky again and not have to abandon the endeavor before my next appointment. Instead of the hours in the queue, I got to the front and was processed in 45 minutes. Wow! Wow! Wow!!!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Have you been hit by the 20% of criminals that perpetrate 80% of the crime?
There is a principle known as the Pareto principle - or more loosely, the 80/20 principle.
The 80/20 principle is used to describe the relationship between a myriad of things. For example effort versus impact. It is typically found that the first 20% of effort is responsible for 80% of the impact. It might also describe the relationship between sales people and sales - 20% of sales people are likely to be responsible for 80% of sales. It is amazingly reliable and good consultants and managers use it as a "gut feel" measure to make decisions about a myriad of different actions. More than this, successful people often intuitively apply it to managing their lives.
So, it is likely that 20% of criminals perpetrate 80% of crime. Various anecdotal and researched evidence of this exists and my reading of books like "The Tipping Point," "Freakonomics" and discussions with police personnel seem to bare this out.
So those of us in the Sandton area of Johannesburg have got reason to celebrate then - the Sandton police have arrested the Sandton Knife Gang. This group of five brothers have been linked to 18 different robberies in the Sandton area thus far. Since their arrest, crime has already dropped in the area!
Congratulations SAPS Sandton!
Read more on IoL.
The 80/20 principle is used to describe the relationship between a myriad of things. For example effort versus impact. It is typically found that the first 20% of effort is responsible for 80% of the impact. It might also describe the relationship between sales people and sales - 20% of sales people are likely to be responsible for 80% of sales. It is amazingly reliable and good consultants and managers use it as a "gut feel" measure to make decisions about a myriad of different actions. More than this, successful people often intuitively apply it to managing their lives.
So, it is likely that 20% of criminals perpetrate 80% of crime. Various anecdotal and researched evidence of this exists and my reading of books like "The Tipping Point," "Freakonomics" and discussions with police personnel seem to bare this out.
So those of us in the Sandton area of Johannesburg have got reason to celebrate then - the Sandton police have arrested the Sandton Knife Gang. This group of five brothers have been linked to 18 different robberies in the Sandton area thus far. Since their arrest, crime has already dropped in the area!
Congratulations SAPS Sandton!
Read more on IoL.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
How will this war end?
It is difficult to see the end of the war in the Middle East. Losing family-members in all likelihood creates another person who might one day grow up to be a suicide bomber or a pro-war sympathist.
Whenever I consider the Middle East and Irish conflicts, I always consider the miracle that is South Africa.
From the Mail & Guardian:
Blasted by a missile on the road to safety
Lebanon
24 Jul 2006 07:32
The ambulanceman gave Ali the job of keeping his mother alive. The 12-year-old did what he could. "Mama, mama, don't go to sleep," he sobbed, gently patting her face beneath her chin. Behind her black veil, her eyelids were slowly sinking. "I'm going to die," she sighed. "Don't say that, mama," Ali begged, and then slid to the ground in tears.
Continues...:
Whenever I consider the Middle East and Irish conflicts, I always consider the miracle that is South Africa.
From the Mail & Guardian:
Blasted by a missile on the road to safety
Lebanon
24 Jul 2006 07:32
The ambulanceman gave Ali the job of keeping his mother alive. The 12-year-old did what he could. "Mama, mama, don't go to sleep," he sobbed, gently patting her face beneath her chin. Behind her black veil, her eyelids were slowly sinking. "I'm going to die," she sighed. "Don't say that, mama," Ali begged, and then slid to the ground in tears.
Continues...:
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Could Cyril Ramaphosa be South Africa's next president?
 |
| Cyril Ramaphosa Photo © Eric Miller/World Economic Forum Africa Summit, Cape Town 2005 |
News24 reported that Cyril Ramaphosa has entered the race for the ANC presidency.
Many South Africans have shuddered at the thought of a populist president such as Jacob Zuma. One who believes that a woman wearing a skirt is sending a sexual invitation and who regularly sings a song entitled "Bring Me My Machine Gun."
I have often wondered whether South Africa could attract someone into politics who has every opportunity to achieve in another arena such as business. Ramaphosa is such a person, and his business interests in the form of Shanduka are exceptionallysuccessfull. I wondered if he might ever yearn for a legacy beyond wealth and look to lead the country. It seems that he has.
UPDATE: It seems that he hasn't. Damn.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Can you and I start the positive revolution?
After feeling furious about the crimexpo website for a while, I decided to co-opt a friend and begin exploration as to what we, the citizens could do to help.This goes to my point about positive contributions. I believe that only after all avenues have been attempted, can one justify the economic terrorism Mr Watson is perpetrating.
Further I believe I have no right to put someone else's job at risk if I am not willing to give up my own job to send the government a message. And I am guessing Mr Watson is no such martyr.
So we met the SA Police Services liaison officer for Sandton and the liaison officer for Sandton north. Both were fantastically constructive and gave us a good breakdown of what is happening with regard to community involvement.
As a follow up to that, I attended a braai with the Sandton precinct staff today and met the community members involved in assisting the police. During my visit I met the director of the Sandton precinct and he was enormously enthusiastic about involving the community further. I meet with him next week to outline a needs analysis.
I am also attending the Community Policing Forum for Sandton on Wednesday next week.
Despite contributions from various companies and people, notably Rand Merchant Bank and the JSE, it is evident that much can be done. I was astonished to find that my outreach, as a citizen, is very rare.
I have not posted any of the contact details for the people above yet, but will do so once I have formalised a plan of action. It is apparent that some things are happening in the community and at national level (e.g. Business against Crime), but these might be better coordinated.
So I'll end off with a challenge. Will you try to find a way to make a positive contribution, or merely find reason to mount destructive criticism?
Of course I realise most of us have very limited time. But even a visit to your local police station to introduce yourself can help things along. Further, you may know someone who is retired or able to help out one morning a week. Simple things like phoning complainants to book appointments for investigators can help.
Or since many of us pay large amounts to private security companies each month, pressuring them to plow back some of their profits into investments and training for your local police can help.
Will you take up the challenge?
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