Jacob Zuma Superstar

This week's Time Magazine featured Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa. His photo appeared on the front cover. The caption read 'The Surprising Promise of Jacob Zuma'. The main article, by Alex Perry, went on to say that Jacob Zuma is being surprisingly upfront and honest in acknowledging South Africa's problems. And even more surprising, he is tackling them. Alex Perry writes: "In his new government, Zuma began by promoting the good and sacking the bad.... Pravin Gordhan became Finance Minister...Zuma fired Hogan's predecessor at health, Manto Tshabalala Msimang...and former police chief Jackie Selebi, who is charged with corruption".

South Africa is getting so much press coverage. So much positive press coverage

But, what has changed in the past year?

Has our leadership changed to one that is less corrupt? Have we found new, highly valuable, natural resources? Have we won major international sporting events?

Leading up to the elections, many (Tarot-card reading) South Africans (unsuccessfully) predicted the imminent collapse of our beloved country. We were facing a future of certain darkness, with our African sun being blocked by the evil giant, Jacob Zuma

Months before the certainty of a Zuma leadership and the certain darkness it would bring, the Tarot-card readers had predicted another certainty of darkness. That earlier prediction of a future of certain darkness was less metaphorical, and a lot more literal, and was thanks to Eskom's inadequacy

Alex Perry of Time Magazine must be metaphorically, as well as literally, blind. Why can't he see the Zuma and Eskom darkness we are living in?

Apart from my retrenchment from work, we South Africans have not only come through recent crises, mostly unscathed. We are actually thriving.

Jacob Zuma is being praised. The number of tourists to South Africa is at an all time high, currently at approximately 9 million. South Africa is being featured, on a daily basis, on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeerah.

In 2010, South Africa will be the focus of the sporting world's attention. And while many of us may not even be sports fans, the evidence is clear: South Africa's commercial, tourism and entertainment industries are benefitting from all the positive, and extensive, exposure that our country is experiencing, and will experience in the near term future. A day does not go by when I don't see a good-news story about South Africa on one or all of the international news channels.

At the end of this week, the draw for the 2010 World Cup takes place in Cape Town. All the world's media will be there. As will international business leaders, sportsmen and sportswomen and famous actors and actresses.

South Africa is on the pages of many newspapers, on the covers of international sports magazines, in the theatres of international movie-houses, on the lead stories of international business news

South Africa is the place to be. And if you are South African, you should be proud that you are

So, back to my question: What has changed over the past year?

I believe, it's the world's perception of South Africa.

And I believe, it's time for us South Africans to make that change too

The businessman’s guide to putting on lipstick

The Lipstick Building in Manhattan is famous for its architecture. It is a commercial office block which is now associated with capitalist greed, theft and lies. The history of the Lipstick Building is fascinating. I, however, have a new fascination with lipstick. Lipstick has given me a new insight into how to approach new business ventures.....as well as inter-personal relationships


My daughter, Noa Ariella, put on some lipstick, walked over to me, and asked:

'So, what do you think?’

With that kind of question, any man is bound to get into trouble with a lady. It's almost as risky a question to answer as the 'Do I look fat?' question.

But, in my continuing effort to be honest with my children, and teach them that there is good and bad in the world, ugly and beautiful in this world, good ideas and bad ideas in this world, I approached the lipstick idea the way we 'rational' thinkers usually approach things, when we want to be -what we usually call - ‘brutally honest’.

Brutal honesty is important. It should highlight pros and cons. It should be thought out. It should be mindful of whether something has potential, or not.

But, in most cases, ‘brutal honesty’ should be called ‘rational negativity’

I looked at her lips, with the lipstick, and I immediately had a view and an opinion on how the lipstick looked

I proceeded to say the following***:

“You can't be upset with what I'm gonna say about your lipstick. You asked for my opinion, and I'm gonna be honest regarding what I think about your lipstick. I have your best interests at heart, so you need to hear, what I believe, is right. And the truth may hurt. Being brutally honest means that you may have to go back to the bathroom and have a rethink about lipstick, your lips, and beauty. It means that you may still have lots of work do. It means you will have to challenge the underlying assumptions you have about lipstick and beauty. It means you must be willing to do a lot more work, and then, some re-work. So, do you really want me to be honest? Do you really want to know what I think about your lipstick?”

She said: “Yes”

I said………………. “I think your lipstick looks beautiful”

And I meant it

I could have used every rational argument to dismiss her good lipstick idea. I could have said:

“You asked my advice, and you may not like what I have to say. I think beauty-care and lipstick are good ideas. But, I have your best interests at heart. And because I care about you, I am going to be brutally honest with you. You should know, that using lipstick means you will get caught up in all the things that wearing lipstick and beauty-care require. And those things are tough to deal with. Those things are challenging. Those things are time consuming, require lots of energy…. and some money. So rather don’t wear lipstick.”

Following the lipstick encounter with this particular lady, I now prefer the approach:

“You asked my advice, and you may not like what I have to say. I think lipstick is a good idea. But, I have your best interests at heart. And beauty-care and lipstick are good ideas, but because I care about you, I am going to be brutally honest with you. You should know that using lipstick means you will get caught up in all the things that wearing lipstick and beauty-care require. And those things are tough to deal with. Those things are challenging. Those things are time consuming, require lots of energy…. and some money. So, on your path to beauty-care, be warned that there will be challenges. Beauty-care and lipstick are good ideas, and you have my full support in facing (intentional) those challenges”



***Not verbatim. Due to the fact that I am indeed a licensed poet, I used poetic license

Note to the person who read this far:

I still have no clue about lipstick or beauty-care.

But my daughter does

South Africa rocks

I am currently in Cape Town, South Africa. It’s almost 1am, Tuesday morning, and I am sitting in my hotel room, on the 19th floor of the Ritz hotel. I’m looking at the new Greenpoint stadium, and Cape Town city lights, and it’s all beautiful. I’ll be here for 4 days. The new Greenpoint stadium is one of the 2010, soccer stadiums/stadia. And the city is gearing up. There is construction and development. There are banners and billboards.

(Oy.... I hope I didn't breach any intellectual property laws by saying the words '2010', 'soccer' and 'stadium'.......... all in one week)


I flew down, with my kids, yesterday. The experience has been wonderful. The service at OR Tambo was efficient. The people we met, and who served us, were friendly. For example, as my son Caleb and I entered the men’s bathroom at OR Tambo, the cleaner stationed within the facilities said, in the most joyous of voices “Welcome to my office”. He had so much pride in his ‘crap’ job.

My kids, Noa Ariella and Caleb, were invited to help check in the luggage. Following their great work behind the counter, Kulula only had 7 complaints of lost luggage when we arrived in Cape Town* (see note at the end of this post).

We had a great airport experience followed by a wonderful flight. My kids, even got to do catch up on some in-flight work.

In Cape Town, the service has been equally great. And the hotel where I am staying, is packed with German, English, Japanese and Indian tourists. This hotel is also gearing up for 2010. It is going through a major refurbishment, and many signs display, proudly, that they will be providing official 2010 accomodation.

There are many international tourists staying here. They clearly see something special, unique, and enticing about South Africa

Why don’t we start doing the same thing?

South Africa has its issues. Crime, corrupt politicians, dodgy policemen.

So many ‘unique’ issues

Why can’t we have a ‘normal’ country? Why can’t we have a country where the president is not involved in unscrupulous sexual relations? Why can’t we be like America

Oh, in that sense, we are

Okay, why can’t we have a country where politicians are honourable, and conduct their financial dealings in an above-board manner? Why can’t we be like England

Oh, in that sense we are

Okay, why can’t we have a country where the police force is not dogged with corruption? Why can’t we be like Italy?

Oh, in that sense we are

Why can’t we have honest bankers? Why can’t we have moral business leaders? Why can’t we be like Germany, Switzerland or France

Oh, in that sense we are

Why can’t Johannesburg be a safe city? Why can’t we be safe, like the citizens of Los Angeles?

Oh, in that sense we are

Do I really need to go on to prove my point?

South Africa has so many issues. And so does everywhere else.

And South Africa has so much good. As does anywhere else

Let’s focus on all the good that this country has and gives us, in the same way we choose to focus on the good things that other countries possess.

We are too eager to ignore the crap that every other ‘great’ country has. Let’s also start ignoring our own crap for change

South Africa rocks




* For all you bitter South Africans……….that was only a joke. Relax Max