This is really interesting! Helen Zille, Democratic Alliance leader, was officially sworn in to become the Premier of the Western Cape in South Africa. I would imagine that it was the first time a white woman had this honour bestowed on her in South Africa. But am guessing.
It is the only province which the ANC did not win in the recent elections. So it’s great happiness to the DA and gloom and doom for the ANC. However, that in itself was not the very interesting bit of my story. Although of course it’s fabulous news. No party should have the luxury of such an overwhelming majority as the ANC has. It leads to some bad politics.
Well, what is so interesting you might say?
During Hellen Zille’s acceptance speech she mentioned that for every R3.00 spent by the City of Cape Town on developing and providing services to the people a further R2.00 was spent in repairing damages caused by vandalism. She should know. She was mayor of Cape Town for three years.
In fact she was such a great mayor she won the world’s outstanding mayor award in 2008.
It makes one think though doesn’t it. That for every R3 or whatever currency you want to use, $3 or £3, a further R2 has to be paid out to repair what the original R3 had paid to build. Isn’t that something else?
Her message, as she was sworn in as Premier of the Province – one step up from being mayor of the capital of the Province, was that people have to take responsibility for their own lives.
Now isn’t that a thought. What is it then that stifles the development of people? It’s not necessarily the lack of money spent to help the underprivileged. It could in fact be rather all about taking responsibility.
Take responsibility for your own life. Understand that it could be tough sometimes and you just have to work through it. Be your own person rather than handing over responsibility to others or to an authority. Try again and again to get the best life you want to have.
Above all else understand that there is no free ride no easy way to become the next millionaire. It’s all about effort, working hard and taking responsibility. Is that too hard for some folk? Maybe! But then don’t blame the government, other people, school, the system, your parents and and and.
Given half a chance you’ll think of loads of people and institutions to blame. We all do. It’s a national past time. But will it help besides entertaining us? Don’t think so. We are truly responsible for our own lives. Only us.
