Helmar Rudolph: My Blog :: South Africa

I saw them there last week already and couldn't but notice her extraordinary beauty and her amazing smile. But what struck me even more was the loving and caring way she was dealing and communicating with her son. WOW!, I thought and got Christo to pass her a message saying just that and thanking her for that extraordinary gift.

Tonight she spent most of the time on the phone and looked anything but happy, so voilà, there was the second note, this time with lots of smileys, for her to use at her discretion. She soon after left, but good deed for the day done. Paradise with a window seat. Sweet. :)

  Water & Dust Art Exhibition at the Centre for the Book

What is the MKS:
------------------------------------------------------------
A 24-week correspondence course devised by the American businessman
(and author, medical doctor, electronics engineer, psychologist,
Freemason, Rosicrucian, ...), Charles Francis Haanel, back in 1912!
Sold over 200.000 copies before seemingly vanishing for 70 years.
Now resurrected through Rhonda Byrne's bestseller "The Secret"
(Thanks, Rhonda!) and given a mega boost through the German
translation (over 30.000 books sold since August 2007!), which
prompted translations into Brasilian, Slovenian, Greek, Kurdish,
Romanian, Italian, to name but a few.

The Master Key System is one of the finest studies in
self-improvement, mind-stuff, and higher consciousness ever written.
Covering everything from how to get wealthy to how to get healthy,
Mr. Haanel leaves no stone unturned. With precision, he elucidates
on each topic with logic and rigor that not only leaves you feeling
good, but also thinking good.

The Master Key System is a system that teaches the ultimate
principles, causes, effects, and laws that underlie all attainment
and success. When you want to attain something, The Master Key
System will show you how to get it. The results you will attain
from using this system are so startling as to appear incredible.
For this reason, more and more people are becoming students of The
Master Key System than ever before.

This age-old wisdom was written by someone who could perceive and
tap into Universal Mind but who seems to have no particular
allegiance to any specific system of knowledge. Haanel's numbered
common-sense messages still have a freshness almost one hundred
years after they were first assembled.

The content:
------------------------------------------------------------
In those 3 hours you will first get an introduction to the Maya
Calendars "Tun" and "Tzolkin", allowing you to resynchronise with
the intention that Creation had in mind for us.

Then the old debate between theology and science will be laid to
rest with an easy-to-understand "marriage" of the two, including
the holographic worldview.

This will lay the foundation on which you build using the MKS.

After the break - which you will need at that time - an equally
easy-to-understand model on how to move from "belief" to "knowledge"
will be presented to you, showing that "creating your own reality
the way YOU want" is neither magic nor rocket science, but a simple
set of principles.

I will then guide you through the Master Key System and also
show to you the significance and importance of the exercises that
accompany each chapter.

Then I will give you a host of website addresses for further
reading, support and information exchange, and allow for plenty of
your questions, that we may extend into the lobby over a glass of
wine, which at that time I will need. :)

Why "presinar"?
------------------------------------------------------------
Because it's a combination of a presentation and a seminar, where
you can apply what you've learnt right away, so it has a much
higher take-home value.

Who should attend:
------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone who is genuinely interested in making more out of their life,
no matter what circumstances! Therefore, it appeals to:

* those who've watched or read "The Secret" or other spiritual and
self-help books and now desire a practical plan of action
* businesspeople in need of "the meaning" for their doing
* spiritual people who've had enough of running around in circles
* anyone "plagued" by sickness or disease
* anyone who wants to be financially better off
* anyone who's struggling in partnerships, commercial or private
* young people and students who are clever enough to absorb this
knowledge now, thus avoiding many of the mistakes I made because
I didn't :)
* Seniors who really want to rock the many years that they have
left.

...so certainly none of those who are eternally "searching", as
this is not esoteric mumbo-jumbo or feelgood sweet-talk, but
scientific, practical and... above all... WORKING!

About the presenter:
------------------------------------------------------------
Capetonian by naturalisation, Helmar Rudolph, has been working on
the junction of marketing, Internet, databases, websites for more
than a decade. Early 2007 he completely changed direction to work
fulltime on the German version of the MKS.

He just returned from a Marketing conference in Colombia where he
merged his "Diamond CRM" model with the ancient Hermetic Principles
of Thoth, the Atlantean. Before that he toured Germany, Austria and
Switzerland, giving 24 talks in 29 days, presenting a seemingly
complex and often controversial subject in easy-to-understand terms,
enthralling and exciting the audience wherever he appeared.

Voices:
------------------------------------------------------------
"I'd like to say something to Helmar's presentation in Vienna. I
have read the MKS and internalised parts of it. Charles Haanel is a
genius, the MKS a gift for humanity, but what Helmar did with it
through his presentation is simply beyond words and much better
than any kind of information gathering. His statements sink in much
faster, clearer and deeper than reading the book multiple times, as
I am doing it right now. I also know the audiobook, with the
pleasant voice, but Helmar's presentation is much more powerful. I
wish there was a DVD with his presentation." - Anna Elisabeth
Hassan, Vienna, Austria

"I attended the presentation in Fulda, Germany. It was amazing,
almost 5 hours filled with your knowledge of the Master Key System
- many thanks for that. My perceived value for that was 50-60 Euro
(600-750 Rands), probably even more." - Angelika Riechers, Fulda,
Germany

"At last someone gets me. Thank you so much for the presentation."
Jethro Amaru Escobar Ventura, 11 years, Stuttgart, Germany.

"You are a genius, so positive, and you bring it across with such a
lightness, it's simply awesome!" - Sybille Schneider, Fulda

"I just signed up for the workshop in Graz. Helmar's presentation
in Unterprämstetten was soooo awesome!" - Nicole Mausser, Graz,
Austria

Why am I doing it:
------------------------------------------------------------
I've been living here for 15 years now, and it's time to give back.
I'd like to bring the MKS to South Africans, helping them build a
better life for them and therefore their country. The MKS is to my
knowledge the most profound and effective tool to accomplish that.

I've learnt so much about that stuff and am applying it every
single day, and I seem to have a way to explain complex things in a
very easy and humourous manner. Now I want you to benefit from it,
too, so please join me on that first of many MKS presentations in
South Africa.

Unconditional money-back guarantee!
------------------------------------------------------------
If you don't like what I've presented you with on the evening, I'll
pay you back the R100 when you leave - no questions asked.

Please help me spread the news!
------------------------------------------------------------
If you like what you've read so far, please pass it on to your
family, friends and colleagues - they will love you for it!

If you can't make it...
------------------------------------------------------------
The website www.masterkeysystem.co.za will soon have all the info
you need and much more. Stay tuned!

Want to interview me for your mag or on air?
------------------------------------------------------------
Helmar Rudolph - 073 228 7667 - helmar@masterkeysystem.co.za
Press comps available through me, too.
Ticket giveaways for radio shows available.

More info:
------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.masterkeysystem.co.za - ready by the weekend!
http://www.masterkeysystem.de - for those who speak/read German!

Again:
------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, 19 November, 18:30, African Premiere of The Master Key
System, presented by Helmar Rudolph at Labia on Orange, R100 with
full money-back guarantee. RSVP at the Labia. BOOK NOW and see
you there!

  African Premiere: The first Master Key System presentation

Capetown, 10/04/2007

Dear friends,

A few months ago we launched operation "Le Restau du Coeur" - a warm meal from a warm heart. In order to pursue our work and reach a larger number of needy people, we would like to appeal to your generosity. A cry from the heart so that every human's fundamental right to one warm meal per day can be fulfilled.

These deprived people live in conditions that are not just difficult but harsh: they are homeless, with inadequate supplies of food, health problems and no jobs to speak of. There is neither social protection nor any other form of government aid that they can rely on. Not to mention the issue of children who end up on the streets as a result of their parent's demise and who maraud at night in order to survive. These realities are everyone's business - including our own.

The fight against social exclusion should be a priority in every country. Deprivation is not inevitable. It is the business not just of the state but also our own's to act, out of solidarity, towards the relief and eradication of deprivation in our midst.

We currently run a small infrastructure allowing us to provide around 40 warm meals every week-end, but we wish to expand this programme further through this appeal to you. Your donations in particular will enable us to continue our action.

We reach out to those who do not always have the strength or will to move, at the very spots they have chosen to set up camp for a night or longer and where they are as safe as can be from possible removal. During those meals, we can lend a sympathetic ear in order to not just listen to their stories but also provide some human comfort. You too are welcome at these locations, should you want to participate in these encounters and get some sense of what life is like in a world that few of us have any knowledge of.

A monthly amount of 200 rand will allow us to provide a warm meal and fruit to around forty people each week-end. A very modest amount when you consider the enormous difference such a sum can make for people with no resources who sometimes stay without food for several days in a row. Because we know we can count on you, and because these people did not choose to be born and live in these conditions. Let's reach out to them and give them a chance to have a little more faith in human nature.

Thank you

PS we also accept donations in the form of clothes and shoes (men, women and children) and blankets, especially when winter is coming up.

Cheque payments :
Made out to "Le Restau du Coeur"
9 Saint Denis Avenue
2 Saint Denis Mansion
8005 Sea-Point

Bank transfers :
Account holder: "Le Restau du Coeur"
Bank: NEDBANK - Sea-Point
Account No: 106 939 4807
Branch No : 106 909
SWIFT: NEDSZAJJ

Please specify the name and details of the donor in order for us to deliver a receipt.

You can also contact us at email address: info (at) restauducoeur.org

Mireille Leclair (Home) 021 439 86 92 / Cell 082 702 5874
Pierre Attala : 082 8511151

  From IOL.co.za: Chilean commuters continue their free ride

Happy New Year!

I'm writing to tell you (or remind you) of the upcoming HypnoBirthing Practitioner Training taking place in Johannesburg from February 8th through the 11th--just next month!

If you are interested in registering for the course, please email me at zencomic aol com (even you already have--please confirm) and we can discuss the venue and registration process.

If you know of any midwife, doula, obstetrician, hypnotherapist or HypnoBirthing Mum who would be interested in taking the course, please pass this email onto them. I appreciate it very much.

This is the second training to have taken place in South Africa, and as new practitioners are trained, more and more couples are empowered to experience birthing naturally, fearlessly and even comfortably. I am looking forward to helping this wonderful method spread through your great country.

Sincerely, Jessica Porter

My friend Shannon Walbran of Spiritguidance.net pointed me to it, saying: "My friend Guy Lieberman is about to screen his Israel music documentary at the Labia (hosted by the always-cool Sheryl Ozinsky and accompanied by Kabbalah teacher Rabbi Arthur Seltzer). Wanna look at the 3 minute trailer at his website and then post a little info on it? You'd like the a) spirituality b) positive, creative aspect of Jewish culture [in light of current events] and c) Labia doing interesting stuff.

So there. Check it out!

  Guy Lieberman's Universal Face Documentary at the Labia Theatre

Enjo has a range of cleaning fibres designed for use throughout the home - inside and outside - there is a chemical-free solution for every cleaning job. With just five fibres and only water you can accomplish the job. Bathroom, kitchen, dust, general cleaning and general maintenance. They're apparently also excellent for cleaning fruit and vegetables, too.

The products are sold in South Africa through direct selling; in Cape Town it's Laura De Rose (072 206 6317). Nationally try 086 123 ENJO (3656). They aren't exactly cheap, but then again, they last a long time and they're just better for you and the environment, so they will pay off very quickly.

Go get them, because they really are excellent. The one Laura gave me was for doing dishes and you can really do away with your dishwashing liquid now. The fibres break up fat and grease with ease - even glasses sparkle with just their fibre and a bit of water.

  Enjo: Cleaning without Chemicals

You don't have to be from either country to go watch this movie. It's subtle, human, unpretentious, not pointing fingers, not sucking up, not trying to make or prove a point, not asking for anything.

It's a multi-faceted view of the old 'post-war' dilemma: how those who have had nothing to do with the war and the crimes committed during that period deal with the old anger, hate and desire for retribution that still resides within many survivors of the atrocities committed by the Hitler regime.

The unpretentious way in which the movie was made doesn't really do justice to the many silent messages it has for those who've grown up in Germany and Israel way after the war was over. Despite poor audience attendance, this was one of the best movies I've watched in a long time.

'Walk on Water' is a meaningful, human and at times beautiful movie. There's far more to it than I can put into words, so while it's still on at the Labia on Orange, make a plan to see it - it's well worth it.

10 out of 10!

SANE Views
Vol. 6, No. 14, 12 April 2006

Norman Reynolds and Johan van Zyl


During his 2003 State of the Nation address, President Mbeki acknowledged, for the first time, that South Africa is a 'dual economy'. Since then that fundamental policy insight has, regrettably, degenerated into a piece of trivia, yet another politically correct phrase: the 'Second Economy'. For many, it is simply a new name for the 'informal economy'.

Government still has to reflect on what a 'dual economy' is, how it came about and is structured, and what such economic duality requires in policy and programme terms. How can such an understanding promote economic activity for all South Africans?

The promise of a new insight has ended up as further justification for more-of-the-same state 'delivery' rather than asking, "Why 'delivery' contributes so little to the transformation of the historically poor areas of the country?" Most citizens still live as virtual economic prisoners of the still non-working, marginalised local economies of township and rural areas.

President Mbeki has presented a picture of the First and the Second Economies as a double storey house. On the top floor are the rich, living well. Stuck in the bottom floor, with no ladders to access the top floor, are the majority of South Africans who are poor. This depiction calls for investment, for more 'delivery', in education and skills, in economic infrastructure etc. that creates the ladders the poor to join the rich on the top floor.

There are two problems with this analogy and its solution.

· Today, the 'global' economy that provides for the rich on the top floor can no longer provide employment for all. Under globalisation, in order to compete, there has to be highly capital intense production that displaces labour and rewards internationally privileged capital, distorted exchange rates, subsided exports, or exploited labour. There is simply no employment 'highway' to the top floor for all South Africans. As the respected British commentator James Robertson, has recently stated, "Full employment, as we knew it in the past, will not return".

· Government's R240 odd billion annually spent in the 'marginalised' areas generates very little local economic activity.

The developed first economy of South Africa has indeed been growing. It mainly rewards capital and international corporate investment and is wedded to cheap energy. This 'growth' is seen in rising profits and tax revenues. Meanwhile, our overall unemployment and poverty problems continue to worsen.

An appropriate depiction of the 'dual' economy starts from the fact that the bottom floor of the double storey house contains the historically 'marginalised' (and recently re-marginalised by globalisation) majority of the population whose dependence on the 'global' first economy for jobs, goods and services remains almost total. Money does not 'stay to work', to stimulate new economic activity in these poor areas. Incomes are almost immediately 'spent back' into the 'global' economy of South Africa.

These areas are characterised by not just high levels of unemployment (the national average is some 40% which here translates into 50% to 70%) but very high levels of overall economic inactivity. In two recent surveys in Sekhukhune and Soweto, some 80% of families reported no significant economic activity by unemployed adults.[1] At present, these communities are so economically dysfunctional that they are incapable of self-generated growth and development. Hence, the recent urgency to provide a comprehensive social welfare net - even if that 'solution' only treats the symptoms of poverty and digs a big expenditure hole. It also, at great cost - some 70 billion a year - increases basic economic dependency and inactivity.

The main difference between the two economies can be simply illustrated via the concept of the local 'income multiplier':

· R100 that enters Sandton or any other part of South Africa's 'global' economy 'stays to work': it circulates some 7 to 10 times (higher amongst Jews and Muslims) before it 'leaks outside' to pay for imports or is sent by government to pay a teacher's salary in a village. That R100 of new income generates some R800 or more of additional economic activity in the 'global' economy.

· R100 that arrives by way of income, remittance or pension in Soweto or the Transkei leaves almost immediately on a taxi to buy 'global' goods and services in the nearest town or shopping mall. The local income multiplier in these poor areas is around just 1.3. That means that it generates only R30 of new local economic activity. Small wonder that there is little or no local production in the townships and rural areas! They are 'cash deserts' for 20 or more days of each month. There is simply no regular, effective local demand to stimulate, reward and sustain new local economic activity.

The 'dual economy' is what it says: two separate economies that operate differently. Consequently, they require two different sets of policies and programmes to stimulate their internal development and growth. This basic policy insight has remained unrecognised by the government and its advisers.

The emerging truth is that the 'global' first economy cannot, on its own, achieve high levels of growth and stable development for all. The 'marginalised' second economy must also become a major driver of the national economy. What should be a vast mass market for locally produced goods and services serving some 30 million poor citizens currently limps along at, probably, just 25% of its potential. Crime, poor health and schooling hurt the 'global' economy and might yet undermine it.

Today it is realised that the dual economy model requires a set of 'localisation' policies and programmes that focus on the non-functioning nature of South Africa's many marginalized local economies. It is only once these marginalized areas become economically active, and over half the population can enjoy rewarding local economic activity, that the national economic potential can rise to the point where our major poverty and unemployment problem would finally be eliminated - not just alleviated.

A more appropriate economic model for the marginalized areas would start from the amended proposition, not as per 'Say's Law' that "Supply Creates its Own Demand", suited to the closed economies of 19th Century Europe, but that here we must learn to aim for 'Demand Creation that Calls Forth Local Supply (Production). This will take special measures to ensure that such production remains substantially local. These local demand and production creating measures include a variety of specific new instruments. The second article explains these. They are part of a new framework for Local Economic Development that government is currently examining.

In the first part two key points were made:

· There is still considerable misunderstanding around the basics of the dual, 'global' and 'marginalised', economy of South Africa.

· This is reflected in inappropriate policy making that still misses the critical insight: South Africa requires both 'globalisation' and 'localisation' policies and programmes.

The economic challenge is to enable greater economic self-reliance and vitality in the marginalised 'second' economy so that, quite quickly, the two economies / societies become mutually dynamic and more interdependent. Present policies build greater dependence and economic fragility.

The missing set of policies and programmes needed to attend to the structural poverty of the marginalised 'second' economy are contained in "The Community Investment Programme" (CIP). It forms the 'localisation' component of the new LED framework currently being considered by government. It enables 'community' at street, neighbourhood and village to become a vital new partner of government. It contains a number of measures aimed at raising the local income multiplier by some 300% i.e. from 1.3 to 4.0 or higher. This would create a considerably larger effective local demand in poor areas. The basic elements are: -

Child Rights. These are public funds (R300 p.m. for all children under 18 years old) provided to Community Trusts. First, communities feed all their children under 18 years old. As a major buyer, they set prices that reward local production (local effective demand) so that this expenditure stimulates the local economy. In addition, payments for locally produced food are taxed, the tax being deposited in each child's school account to cover school fees.

The 'social contract' thus formed is that, in return for budgets and activity (which raises the local income multiplier three or more times), communities undertake to pay a greater share of (even higher) school and health fees. Government moves from 'expenditure' to the considerable dynamics of 'finance'; that is to investor in citizens who, becoming competent, multiply state expenditure and begin to act as buyer of social consumption services: health and education in particular. This reverses the present policy of more free schooling, more inefficient social spending and greater dependence creation.
Child Rights can eventually replace the gross local economic inefficiency of the Child Support Grant, a simplistic private consumption grant that is often abused.

Community Investment Rights. These are granted to all adult community members (R1, 500p.a. for four years). This would enable communities to build up their local productive base so that they can, for example, produce locally most of the food they require to feed themselves and their children. Investment Rights would unlock the enormous labour power of the poor to match the cash available, making them highly dynamic investors. Such 'community-as-business' ventures could become very effective local investment vehicles, especially for local infrastructure service providers.

In this manner, Government gains a competent financial partner able to use funds locally and effectively (a form of local currency!) for community / public purposes. This system will allow government to increasingly redirect funds, funds that are today spent inefficiently, to citizens for investment in children and also in local production bases.

Government can re-direct some R150 billion per year of state salaries, other expenses and grants in this manner, gaining a 'competent' citizenry enjoying an increased local economic activity of R600 billion per year! Tax, given the new high local multipliers, would recoup around 75% of expenditure; all of it re-directed anyway!

Community Trusts. The potential is for some 30 million community members (adults and children) to register some 3,500 Primary Community Trusts that 'modernise' the traditions of joint ownership and 'Ubuntu'. These will be served by some 650 odd Secondary Trusts, or roughly three per Municipality. Each would found Cooperatives to manage the pure business activities. This would be the biggest possible SMME programme!

A National Local Trading System
Until the mid-1970s, South Africa had a local trading system. The 1910 Constitution required the government to provide "Peoples' Markets" (some 500 municipal markets) complemented by the large network of local trading stores in the 'black' countryside that financed and purchased crops. It ended when the new National Party government chose to support only 13 'national, wholesale fruit and vegetable markets' under a false pretence of 'modernisation' and when Homeland governments 'indigenised' trading stores without securing the network of services they provided. Some 30% of all families were left economically high and dry.

We must rebuild an 'economy of participation' formed by 3,000 odd periodic markets in some 250 'rings' of markets in cities, towns and rural areas so that every one can live in a 'working local economy', linked competitively into the national economy. Then, local people can take the fish they caught and/or the few tomatoes/potatoes each can supply and sell them in a local market every two or three days. These goods are sold to other locals or they are bulked for 'export'. With the cash earned, they can fill small containers with essentials like oil, sugar and maize meal. Unit costs may be higher, but at least all can first produce and then sell (which they cannot do now), as well as mingle with neighbours to gain information, participate in a vast market for cultural activities, and build communities and regional economies.[2]

'City' functions, such as various official services and administration (Land Bank, Home Affairs, Education Committees, TB Screening, Pension payouts, Crop deliveries, cattle auctions etc.) would also be present on market days. Lowered transaction costs to buy, to sell and to access services would greatly enhance regional competitiveness and the integration of regions would drive higher economic growth.

An intra-district public transport system to serve each 'market day' would be essential to knit regions together. By contrast, the present taxi industry cements the old migrant and commuter movement patterns i.e. mainly inter-district which hinders local trade.

Local Currencies.
No one discusses the fact that South Africa does not have 'working local currencies' and hence finds it difficult to generate 'working local economies'. The Rand works well in the domestic global 'first' economy and, largely for speculative reasons and without tax or other obligations, in the international global economy. It does not 'stay to work' in poor local areas, that is, in the marginalised 'second' economy.

Yet, there are actually hundreds if not thousands of local 'currencies' in South Africa. SAA's Voyager Miles is one. Many shops and services reward users by allowing a 'saving' to be re-spent within the business. A recent study for the Club of Vienna recommended that every major city introduce its own currency. Otherwise, the many and growing 'backward areas' of Europe would remain depressed.[3]

In South Africa, the extensive old 'black areas' (the Soweto's, the Transkei and so on) remain seriously underdeveloped. They desperately need new localisation policies such as the Community Investment Programme, local currencies, and periodic markets if they are to enjoy the basic economic right, promised by Cabinet in 1997, to live in "Working Local Economies".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Land and Agriculture Policy Centre, study On the Role of Local Markets, Johannesburg, 1998.
[2] The 1997 Rural Development Framework, approved by Cabinet, promised that by 2020 "All South Africans will live in Working Local Economies". Periodic markets were seen as the main instrument to organise and mobilise regionally.
[3]Richard Douthwaite, "Why Europe needs Regional Currencies", Report to the Club of Vienna, March 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This issue of SANE Views and all previous issues can be found at www.sane.org.za/docs/views

  South Africa's Misunderstood 'Dual Economy'

  FreeCycling - great idea that could do with your participation

The website is built similarly to the one of the Provincial Government. Lots of text but next to no - if any - interactivity. There can be many reasons for this:

* they don't have the funds to do it properly
* they don't understand the medium "Internet" at all
* they don't have the IT backoffice in place that allows them to push more electronic services to the citizens.
* they have no interest to do so.

It could also be a combination of those items, or all of them. Irrespective, their site is just as sad when it comes to "interactive services" rather than "information" as the PG's one.

Their online services link sends you back to their home page; their 'new look' link dates back to July 2005; their contact page has a comment area without a column value, showing a text box that is so narrow you cannot possibly put anything into it. Then it converts it all into lowercase, probably because so many people only type IN CAPITALS WHICH NO ONE CAN REALLY OR DOESN'T REALLY WANT TO READ. I still wrote to them, but only because a brilliant feature in Opera that allows me to reload a page from the disk cache, where I had changed the form to show me more space to put my comments into.

That's not all. At the end of the form they show a "Back" and "Clear" button before the "Send" button, which is very bad user interface design.

The form itself is as simple as it can get - it could be improved in many many ways. In fact, given the money they probably spent on it, it's a sad indictment that something so poorly conceptualised and designed ever went live. Remember, this is not a site of a hobby programmer; this is the City of Cape Town, the City that apparently works for you. Well, in this and many other cases it just doesn't. More political and PR spin-doctoring, very little substance, and as usual, a disregard for the real needs of the citizens of Cape Town.

Let's keep fingers crossed that this eventually changes, maybe with a new party taking over after the DP and ANC failed so badly in delivering services in pretty much all areas.

In the meantime - as always - I welcome your comments and your experience as a Capetonian.

On December 16, 2005 I sent them three enquiries via their website. Today, 3 weeks later, I finally received a reply. Granted, Christmas got in the way, but still. BTW, the contact form is also incredibly poorly designed. No way to preselect a category - it all goes through one processing centre. The pinnacle of inefficiency!

Actually, one of my reasons of contacting them was to make them aware of a website in Brazil. You must know that the City has been advertising their CapeGateway.gov.za site all over the place, so naturally I paid them a visit to see what they are really up to. What I saw was rather disappointing.

As it was holiday season, the focus was on road safety - South African's are by and large a rather irresponsible bunch when it comes to drinking and driving. With it the focus also fell on traffic fines - that makes for great e-government, not?

It is obvious by now that the City has made it one of its main goals to fleece its citizens via speed traps and parking fines. Nothing else can explain the proliferation of cameras and the deluge of fines people are subjected to, many of them false and thus fraudulent. I have been fined R750 for an offence that I didn't commit. I am still fighting with the Traffic Manager about this issue, where it seems that they will simply force me into paying it in order to avoid a criminal case and thus court appearance. But that's another story....

The Brazilian website I mentioned above was the one of the State of Paraná. Although the site is a bit of a monster -600kb, which on second thought is not that much as compared to South Africa most Brazilians enjoy cheap and fast Internet access- the home page offers quick access to 8 important services, from driver's license to work opportunities, tax, documents lost or found, special searches - just to name a few. The menu on the left has close on 40 items, many of them with submenus. There are latest news, some ads, the weather report and much more.

For those of you who speak Portuguese, this is what the 'about' page says:

São princípios do Governo do Paraná, a transparência na administração pública e a preocupação com a inclusão social do cidadão paranaense.
Baseado nestes princípios, o Governo Eletrônico do Paraná (Paranavegar) propicia, aos cidadãos, novos canais de acesso aos serviços e informações públicas através da internet, do telefone e de outros meios eletrônicos.

O enfoque
* Ampliar a prestação de serviços por meio eletrônicos.
* Disponibilizar locais públicos de acesso ao governo eletrônico.
* Aproximar o cidadão paranaense do uso de novas tecnologias.

Características
* Foco no cidadão
* Todos os serviços em um único portal
* Redução de custos para a administração pública
* Economia para o cidadão
* Transparência na administração pública
* Maior qualidade nos serviços
* Democratização do acesso à informação e ao serviço público
* Privacidade das informações do cidadão

Translation:

These are the principles of the Government of the Paraná, the transparency in public administration and the concern for the social inclusion of the citizens of Paraná. Based on these principles, the Electronic Government of the Paraná provides, to the citizens, new channels of access to services and public information via the internet, the telephone and other electronic means.

The focus:
* Extend the provision of services via electronic means.
* Provide public locations with access to the electronic government.
* Bring new technologies closer to the people.

Characteristics:
* Focus on the citizen
* All services in a single portal
* Reduction of costs for the public administration
* Inexpensive access for the citizen
* Transparency of public administration
* Best service quality
* Democratization of the access to the information and to the public service
* Privacy of the information of the citizen

Yep, you read that right. And nope, none of that will you find on the CapeGateway website, which is mostly hot air and very little substance.

Another issue I was writing them about is the fact that in Camps Bay, where we play beach volleyball, there are officially only two -yep, you read that right, too!- nets allowed. Now you must remember that Cape Town is supposedly the beach volleyball capital of the world, and yet there are only two nets allowed. Why? Because the City, in their insatiable greed, has placed another umbrella vendor on the far side of the beach, pushing the existing one right into the area that was previously (read: under a non-ANC government) reserved for sports, including beach volleyball.

Some weeks ago, at the FIVB tournament in Camps Bay, the person responsible for Sports and Recreation boasted that the tournament will be stopping over in Cape Town for the next couple of years. Well, unfortunately -as was the case this time- I doubt a South African team will make it past the qualifiers, given the poor conditions not only within Volleyball South Africa (VSA) but also on Camps Bay beach.

You must also know that every summer, scores of professional and hobby players come down from the Northern Hemisphere to train for the upcoming season. Two nets only, remember! If you think this is a joke, I've got bad news for you: this is real! Courtesy of the City that f*cks you too! It's a disgrace, but this, as with the above example of delayed replies, excessive speed trapping and fining of people, shows what the City is really all about: money!

Now compare that to the State of Paraná and the image becomes even darker and sadder. I just hope they are taking some clues from the email I sent them. Until then GapeGateway.gov.za is just a monumental waste of time and money - our money!

10 Jan correction:
The CapeGateway website is an initiative of the Provincial Government, not of the City of Cape Town. Also, the website has thousands of documents, so it's not exactly a waste of time - Kudos to them for the monster effort. However, it still doesn't provide nearly the functionality that the Brazilian counterparts in Curitiba are offering.

I also had a nice chat with Germaine Grammer, who is working for CapeGateway in Long Street, Cape Town. Lovely person with a real interest in feedback. I hope it will all show in the next version of the CapeGateway website.

In the meantime, the light (or remains thereof) that fall onto the City of Cape Town itself becomes even dimmer. Maybe it's time for a change in government again!

I had my day in the Municipal Court today regarding the alleged parking violations. Was quite an experience. The case of 'contempt of court' (yep!) was thrown out, but now I have to sort things out with the Traffic Department, who clearly haven't got their act together and show anything but good public administration and concern for the people of Cape Town. Once again, it's up to 'us' to get things moving, because they clearly don't. :(

According to Beau Horgan, whose brainchild the Co-Op was, they are now turning over a five-digit figure per day! Nice little monster he's created there! :) Ethical Co-Op is operating from Noordhoek, but delivers (to the best of my knowledge) all over Cape Town.

They are trying to source from as close to town as possible. In some instances, however, this isn't possible, so some goodies come from as far away as Tzaneen in Limpopo Province.

Have a look at the website to see the ever-increasing range of certified and non-certified organic fruits and vegetables. I'm sure you'll like what you see.

  Ethical Co-Op: Organic Vegetables in Cape Town

IMPORTANT: This list only contains the names of the municipalities themselves. If you are looking for managers, contact details, you won't find them here, read: I can't help you with your request. If I had them, I'd sell them. :)

Here's a quick excerpt of what you'll be in for:


And...


And...


Enjoy the read.

  Craigslist: From a black man who thinks

  Cape Town Tourist Attractions on Google Earth

We've had water restrictions for the last couple of months, so the rain will hopefully do its part to alleviate the situations, about which I could write quite a bit more.

Something else I could write quite a bit more about is the driving skills of the locals. Somehow they manage to smash their cars into the barricades every time it rains. If you drive up the M3 after a good rainfall, you will not be disappointed and see glass on the road, or some roadside damage they caused by veering off the tarmac. Why they can't slow down I don't know. Maybe you do.

I'll log off now, storm is coming closer and it's been a long day. Will watch the thunder and lightning now. Just love it!