A Simple South African

South Africa – my view of what happened, what is happening, and what could, or should happen.

I am moving away a little from a commentary of the world in general and shifting to more familiar ground – the country of my birth. Clearly, these views are coloured (a bad choice of words in a South African context) by my experiences and perceptions. This does not mean I will be ignoring, or avoiding the international scene, but will try to share my experiences, good and bad, on the local scene, as well as commenting on how this compares with other countries. Clearly, I will not have such a clear picture of this scene, but TV, and the media, have a habit of bringing the happenings around the world into my lounge, and showing what is happening elsewhere.

Let me say at the start (in print at least), that I abhor the happenings in Ukraine where many thousands of people who wish to do no more live their lives in peace are deprived of this right by some power-hungry megalomaniac. Equally so there are Russian citizens who are caught in a political turmoil that can do no more than produce death, sorrow, damage, and fear. There are no words strong enough to condemn this action. I do not profess to have any answers or solutions, other than to remove those who make decisions that bring sorrow, fear, injury, but the tangled web of international interactions would task the mind of a wizard with second, third and fourth sight.

Leaving the happenings many thousands of kilometres away, I look back at the South African scene as I experienced it from 1941 (when I was born), up till the present moment. World War 2, which claimed the life of my Father when I was two years old, left my Mother and my sister and I in fairly poor circumstances .The South African scene had not been affected as badly as other countries to the north, except that many that went north  in the early 1940’s, never came back. A lot of families, were left without a breadwinner, and survived on a small military pension, and whatever work they could find.

The population of South Africa comprised a large number of different groups. The immigrant group, primarily from the North (European groups such as English, Dutch, French, Portuguese) were classified as ‘Whites’, The groups that migrated down the continent of Africa were largely “Blacks’ (although varying shades of brown would probably be a more accurate description), and the West Coast contributed the smaller group, comprising  Hottentots and Bushmen. The groupings I mention are not the only nationalities, but serve to show the pot pourri that makes up the population of South Africa.

In the years of development in the country, as I understand the history lessons I had at school, the groups seemed, to me, to move further apart, based on issues such as language, religion, colour, and whatever factor made them ‘different’. One of the main divisions, based on language and religion, was between the so-called Europeans (clearly based on the countries of origin), which eventually became so severe that the one group (the Afrikaans, also called Afrikaners)– mainly from the Netherlands) migrated to the North, while the English group remained in the South. The names of the cities on the different routes, and eventual settlements, reflected these migrations. The group going north used names such as Bloemfontein (roughly translated as “Flower Fountain) and Pretoria (named for one of the ‘Voortrekker leaders ‘Pretorius). The names of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London clearly reflected the origins of the other group.

Our circumstances when we returned from the Netherlands (my Mother had taken us there in 1947, but we encountered one of the worst winters there in many years, and she decided to go back, we were placed in a situation where my sister and I went to an ‘English’ school closest to where we lived, but when we moved to another area (the Moths movement found us a small house we could only just afford) the Afrikaans speaking school close by would not accept us as we had previously been to an ‘English’ school. My Mother had felt it more appropriate to try to place us there because we spoke more Dutch than English. The English school needed us to travel by bus, whereas we could easily have walked to the Afrikaans school. This incident may give readers some insight in the situation that existed.

I hope the preceding paragraphs don’t seem too much like a history lesson, but it may give the reader some idea of the way in which the country developed. The situation in South Africa became more pronounced over the years, as the struggle between the two groups, the Dutch and British took many years to settle. The relations with the indigenous groups deteriorated, and for many years, the Black, Coloured (mixed group), and Indians, seemed to develop in different directions. The gaps between the groups did not shrink over time, but the Governments that ‘ran’ the country, seemed more concerned with establishing their own superiority rather than coming together. The word “Apartheid’, roughly translated as ‘Separateness’, was the order of the day, meaning that people of different colour did not belong together. Was this so different to what was happening in the rest of the world? I wonder what would have happened if an Indian brave had walked into a saloon in the old West, or and Asian Indian had walked into a British Officers Club. How would this have been accepted? I imagine that examples could be found all over the world if one researches the early years. Sadly, this situation still exists. There have been changes, and many of the barriers have been removed, but I believe that situations still exist where ‘difference’ of language, colour, cultures, and beliefs tend to separate us.

I have lived in South Africa all my life (over 80 years), and still find it difficult to understand the anomalies that arise. In the next blog I will try to make some sense of it all (if my brain will co-operate), but I would like to leave you with an anomaly (I hope it is the right word) for readers to consider. I was a golfer for many years and managed to get my handicap down to single figures – so readers who play or know something about golf will know that I must have played quite a lot to get to that level. My regular caddy, a young Indian lad, helped to select the correct club, watch the ball so that I did not lose it, encouraged me, and help me read the line of the putt, but was not permitted to join me in the pub for a drink. As the Americans say, ‘Go figure’.

In the next blog I will get down to the more serious aspects of this situation, and its implications for the country.        

What are the barriers?

In my working life, I have spent the largest part in areas where I had contact with customers in the sales field, trainees entrusted to my care for apprenticeships in the training field, facilitator in the field of Organisation Development as well as on site/on the job training in order to reduce time spent in the classroom.

The biggest problem, in the South African context, was to accommodate all the different languages spoken by those attending the training. Some of the written responses to question could have been quite hilarious, except that it showed the gaps in education of the trainees. Many of the learners, not having ‘great’ spelling and grammar skills, would write answers that were almost hilarious, were it not so sad. One incident that sticks in my mind was a student who responded with the word ‘ditcat’, when the actual answer was ‘dirtcart’. The answer was in response to a question about refuse removal – the student knew the answer, but not the spelling. Imagine this student being asked to write the answers to questions in a test situation – Answer correct – score given – zero. Not exactly motivating.

When I was at school, in the Cape Town area (a long time ago) we did woodwork as a subject, teaching us, at a very young age of 12, and I am thankful for this, nearly 70 years later when I am in my workshop where I do woodwork, welding, painting, repairs of all sorts.  I still maintain a small business called ‘ The Fixxer’ (not a spelling mistake – I just liked the look of it on my card), and greatly enjoy the feeling when I see the results of my work. Our education systems nowadays do not seem to include this subject, that is not just memory based, but also develops practical skills. This is  a great pity – we are depriving people of a sense of achievement that could be a great motivator.

So what am I actually saying? I believe that we need to take a good hard look at our schooling systems that now seem to be obsessed with computers. I sometimes call them idiot boxes, because they remove the need for thinking, being replaced by the phrase – I’ll Google it’. A great invention, computers, to give answers, but what do they do to promote learning, debating answers, and dealing with complex situations that arise? Logical and deductive thought seems to be left behind in favour of memory sticks and stored data, which is all very well, but what happens when we encounter problems that involve feelings, values and beliefs?

Given the ‘thoughts’ expressed above, it seems to me that the concept of a ‘level’ playing ground’ is, in the words of a song ‘The impossible dream.’

A simple South African – a shift in gears.

Since I started writing my blogs, I have occasionally focussed on the South African situation There have been, since I began, over 48 000 visits have been recorded, and I feel that if I continue focussing on this area, I would start repeating myself as  I have covered many events and situations. Clearly, there is a lot more that can be written, as South Africa, like all the countries in the world has changing and shifting situations. I have, as I suppose most readers would have deduced, tried to be fairly objective in my writing, as I clearly have my own perceptions and values. I could very well have written a scathing record of some of the events of the recent past, as well as historical record of the growing and developing country, but feel that I would like to explore some wider fields across the world that includes my perceptions of other countries, and their situations.

I mentioned, in earlier blogs, that I have been very fortunate to travel to different countries.  My involvement in the sport of target pistol shooting, as a coach, and also as a tourist, allowed me to travel to those countries, including, visits to the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Germany,, Australia, USA, Mauritius, India, South West Africa and Malaysia. I really appreciated the opportunity to travel, as it gave me a chance to observe, shall we say, ‘How the other half lives’.

The one thing that continuously surprised me, although I suppose I should have expected this, was the gaps that existed between the different social and financial groups, the ‘have’s’ and the ‘have nots’. These gaps were not just between the rich and the poor, but also the attitudes, and the different situations where the rich lived in luxury, and had access to all facilities, and the poor lived in mud huts or homes made of scraps of metal and wood ‘salvaged’ from whatever source this was available. This was, clearly, not limited to any one country, but I feel that if I am going to comment on these disparities, I should focus on the South African situation in the main, but will also draw parallels with conditions I have seen elsewhere.

South Africa has often been in the international headlines for matters relating to race, as we are a country with many different groups. We do have a good reputation among the sporting bodies of the world, South Africans being, by and large, an ‘outdoor’ nation. The names of many South Africans in golfing circles, rugby, athletics and tennis are known to followers of these sports. But, what many people question, when I have met them on my various travels, is the reason why most of the these well-known people are mainly ‘white’, when there is such a large number of people of ‘colour’ in South Africa, relative to the number of whites. It is no secret that the growth of South Africa over the years has been on a rather lopsided base that ensured that those who could afford to participate were mainly from the ‘white’ group. As an example, I was a golfer for many years, (sometimes playing off a single-figure handicap), and it was only fairly recently that I began to see people of ‘colour’ on the golf course in the role of ‘players’ rather than caddies.  The answer, when I asked the question of one of these players why there were not more players of ‘colour’ the answer was that it was too expensive, or that the ‘clubs’ did not permit players of colour to become members.

This separation of black/white, (where ‘black/ covered any group that was not ‘white’, that is, they were defined by their skin colour), was in many areas, rigidly ‘enforced’, insofar as access to certain areas or activities was concerned. This was not something peculiar to South Africa, and could be found all over the world. Separate schools catered for different groups, urban areas were split to keep a gap between the races, and many places were reserved for ‘Whites’ only. The gaps between the groups, as I experienced it in my travels, varied between total separation, to subtle exclusion of those not of the same ‘colour’.  Many facilities were also off limits to some races, something that often resulted in friction between the groups. I recall a sports field where there was a ‘Whites only’ sign in the one area that provided seating, whereas the people excluded from this area were allowed to enter the section that had no seats. After several unhappy incidents, this was changed, but it gives an indication of the degree that this sort of situation could be found, all over the world.

In the next blogs I will share with you some of the things that I encountered in my growing years, my interactions with people of ‘race’ and the changes (or not) that I have experienced over the  years in South Africa. Till then.

The simple South African.

A simple South African – a shift in gears.

Since I started writing my blogs, I have occasionally focussed on the South African situation There have been, since I began, over 48 000 visits have been recorded, and I feel that if I continue focussing on this area, I would start repeating myself as  I have covered many events and situations. Clearly, there is a lot more that can be written, as South Africa, like all the countries in the world has changing and shifting situations. I have, as I suppose most readers would have deduced, tried to be fairly objective in my writing, as I clearly have my own perceptions and values. I could very well have written a scathing record of some of the events of the recent past, as well as historical record of the growing and developing country, but feel that I would like to explore some wider fields across the world that includes my perceptions of other countries, and their situations.

I mentioned, in earlier blogs, that I have been very fortunate to travel to different countries.  My involvement in the sport of target pistol shooting, as a coach, and also as a tourist, allowed me to travel to those countries, including, visits to the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Germany,, Australia, USA, Mauritius, India, South West Africa and Malaysia. I really appreciated the opportunity to travel, as it gave me a chance to observe, shall we say, ‘How the other half lives’.

The one thing that continuously surprised me, although I suppose I should have expected this, was the gaps that existed between the different social and financial groups, the ‘have’s’ and the ‘have nots’. These gaps were not just between the rich and the poor, but also the attitudes, and the different situations where the rich lived in luxury, and had access to all facilities, and the poor lived in mud huts or homes made of scraps of metal and wood ‘salvaged’ from whatever source this was available. This was, clearly, not limited to any one country, but I feel that if I am going to comment on these disparities, I should focus on the South African situation in the main, but will also draw parallels with conditions I have seen elsewhere.

South Africa has often been in the international headlines for matters relating to race, as we are a country with many different groups. We do have a good reputation among the sporting bodies of the world, South Africans being, by and large, an ‘outdoor’ nation. The names of many South Africans in golfing circles, rugby, athletics and tennis are known to followers of these sports. But, what many people question, when I have met them on my various travels, is the reason why most of the these well-known people are mainly ‘white’, when there is such a large number of people of ‘colour’ in South Africa, relative to the number of whites. It is no secret that the growth of South Africa over the years has been on a rather lopsided base that ensured that those who could afford to participate were mainly from the ‘white’ group. As an example, I was a golfer for many years, (sometimes playing off a single-figure handicap), and it was only fairly recently that I began to see people of ‘colour’ on the golf course in the role of ‘players’ rather than caddies.  The answer, when I asked the question of one of these players why there were not more players of ‘colour’ the answer was that it was too expensive, or that the ‘clubs’ did not permit players of colour to become members.

This separation of black/white, (where ‘black/ covered any group that was not ‘white’, that is, they were defined by their skin colour), was in many areas, rigidly ‘enforced’, insofar as access to certain areas or activities was concerned. This was not something peculiar to South Africa, and could be found all over the world. Separate schools catered for different groups, urban areas were split to keep a gap between the races, and many places were reserved for ‘Whites’ only. The gaps between the groups, as I experienced it in my travels, varied between total separation, to subtle exclusion of those not of the same ‘colour’.  Many facilities were also off limits to some races, something that often resulted in friction between the groups. I recall a sports field where there was a ‘Whites only’ sign in the one area that provided seating, whereas the people excluded from this area were allowed to enter the section that had no seats. After several unhappy incidents, this was changed, but it gives an indication of the degree that this sort of situation could be found, all over the world.

In the next blogs I will share with you some of the things that I encountered in my growing years, my interactions with people of ‘race’ and the changes (or not) that I have experienced over the  years in South Africa. Till then.

The simple South African.

More thoughts on the future.

I find myself, as so often happens, staring at a blank screen, trying to find a suitable heading for a blog, which is almost as difficult as trying to think what I should write next. It would be all too easy to point out all the things that happen on a day to day basis that highlight our problems, rather than possible solutions. Far be it from me to suggest that I have solutions for the problems that beset the world today, but with some 80 decades on the clock, so to speak, some thoughts have come to mind. I often use song titles, obviously not written with the situation in which we find ourselves today in mind, but very relevant indeed. One that springs to mind is ‘Do you know where you’re going to?’  I often asked this question when I was still ‘employed’ in various positions, and dealt with the subject of setting objectives.  Very often, the respondents came up with statements that were no more than a reflection on where we would like to be, with no specific outcomes that were measureable, and realistic, for their situation.

In recent blogs I have written about the issue of level playing fields, and have asked several people what they thought about this topic. The responses I got were obviously varied, and in many ways, showed the degree to which current affairs, language race and sex (the gender, not the activity), influenced our views. I have come to the conclusion that it would be arrogant of me to offer solutions, as I am not privy to all the problems around the world, but I would still like to look at the issue as I experience it in South Africa. I have also been fortunate to travel to many countries in the world, among them the UK, USA, Australia, Greece, Malaysia and India for differing periods and reasons. In my career, that has been more oriented towards interaction with people rather than operational matters, I have been able get a glimpse of the situations in these areas vis a vis the degree that some people see themselves as ‘superior,’ based on political, racial, language issues or even different sexes. .

South Africa had, and to quite a large degree, still has a considerable gap between people of different races, colours and languages. Traditions, habits, procedures, values, faiths, and several other issues contribute to an ‘us and them’ feeling. These feelings differ, and impact on this area of the playing fields, and the attempt to level them. I cannot see the rest of the world being immune to the perception of ‘us’ and ‘them’, with ‘them’ being one group, or several groups. What is the effect of this phenomenon? What is the impact on all the people of a particular country?

In my experience in South Africa, it has had a negative effect on the relationships between the different groups, who cannot communicate in such a way that promotes understanding, builds relationships, or breaks barriers between people of different race, beliefs and values.

I wrote, in previous blogs, about the issue of level playing fields for all citizens, but the previous paragraphs give me the feeling that this has become little more than a hackneyed phrase. I am not convinced that there is a simple solution, because of the complexity of the issue. In my discussion with different people I approached to discuss this issue, it has become clear that there is not a common ‘will’ that supports an effort to tackle this problem. It seems that there is a basic perception that it is up to ‘them’,( however you wish to categorise those less able to succeed on the existing playing field), to lift themselves, instead of waiting to be ‘lifted’. The question that keeps going around and around in my mind is “Can the responsibility for ‘upliftment’ of those less fortunate, be laid at the door of those perceived to be keepers of the playing fields, or is it only those who complain about the playing field who need to mobilise?

In the next blog I will try to look more closely at the situation in South Africa, and what needs to be done to try and make a start to identify some of the things that might be done to address the problem in our country. The issues that face us here are not unique, but there are problems that are coming to the fore simply because (and I write this with some circumspection), South Africa appears to be, from eyes in the North of Africa,, a far better place than where ‘they’ happen to be. Till then.

 Back to the book.

More thoughts on the future.

I find myself, as so often happens, staring at a blank screen, trying to find a suitable heading for a blog, which is almost as difficult as trying to think what I should write next. It would be all too easy to point out all the things that happen on a day to day basis that highlight our problems, rather than possible solutions. Far be it from me to suggest that I have solutions for the problems that beset the world today, but with some 80 decades on the clock, so to speak, some thoughts have come to mind. I often use song titles, obviously not written with the situation in which we find ourselves today in mind, but very relevant indeed. One that springs to mind is ‘Do you know where you’re going to?’  I often asked this question when I was still ‘employed’ in various positions, and dealt with the subject of setting objectives.  Very often, the respondents came up with statements that were no more than a reflection on where we would like to be, with no specific outcomes that were measureable, and realistic, for their situation.

In recent blogs I have written about the issue of level playing fields, and have asked several people what they thought about this topic. The responses I got were obviously varied, and in many ways, showed the degree to which current affairs, language race and sex (the gender, not the activity), influenced our views. I have come to the conclusion that it would be arrogant of me to offer solutions, as I am not privy to all the problems around the world, but I would still like to look at the issue as I experience it in South Africa. I have also been fortunate to travel to many countries in the world, among them the UK, USA, Australia, Greece, Malaysia and India for differing periods and reasons. In my career, that has been more oriented towards interaction with people rather than operational matters, I have been able get a glimpse of the situations in these areas vis a vis the degree that some people see themselves as ‘superior,’ based on political, racial, language issues or even different sexes. .

South Africa had, and to quite a large degree, still has a considerable gap between people of different races, colours and languages. Traditions, habits, procedures, values, faiths, and several other issues contribute to an ‘us and them’ feeling. These feelings differ, and impact on this area of the playing fields, and the attempt to level them. I cannot see the rest of the world being immune to the perception of ‘us’ and ‘them’, with ‘them’ being one group, or several groups. What is the effect of this phenomenon? What is the impact on all the people of a particular country?

In my experience in South Africa, it has had a negative effect on the relationships between the different groups, who cannot communicate in such a way that promotes understanding, builds relationships, or breaks barriers between people of different race, beliefs and values.

I wrote, in previous blogs, about the issue of level playing fields for all citizens, but the previous paragraphs give me the feeling that this has become little more than a hackneyed phrase. I am not convinced that there is a simple solution, because of the complexity of the issue. In my discussion with different people I approached to discuss this issue, it has become clear that there is not a common ‘will’ that supports an effort to tackle this problem. It seems that there is a basic perception that it is up to ‘them’,( however you wish to categorise those less able to succeed on the existing playing field), to lift themselves, instead of waiting to be ‘lifted’. The question that keeps going around and around in my mind is “Can the responsibility for ‘upliftment’ of those less fortunate, be laid at the door of those perceived to be keepers of the playing fields, or is it only those who complain about the playing field who need to mobilise?

In the next blog I will try to look more closely at the situation in South Africa, and what needs to be done to try and make a start to identify some of the things that might be done to address the problem in our country. The issues that face us here are not unique, but there are problems that are coming to the fore simply because (and I write this with some circumspection), South Africa appears to be, from eyes in the North of Africa,, a far better place than where ‘they’ happen to be. Till then.

 More from the book in the next blog.

Back to reality

Jack was pleased with the progress that he and Jabu had made in recent days. The pace he had set for himself was not slow, but it neither was set at a level where he started to experience fatigue. He certainly did not wake up in the morning feeling stiff, or tired, in fact he actually found himself looking forward to getting on the road each day. The surroundings began to indicate the he was entering the sugar cane growing area. Sugar had been the main crop grown on the north and south coasts of Natal as the climate seemed to suit its needs. Sugar cane would also regrow itself several times, the so-called rattoon process. Jack remembered once, during his days as a sales rep for an oil company, when he called on farmers on the South Coast and had made a real twit of himself when the word rattoon was mentioned. He had asked if there were many of these animals about, as he believed they were only found in the USA. Needless to say, he did not repeat the mistake of confusing raccoon with rattoon.

            While he was travelling, Jack thought back to the early pioneers who had travelled these areas. They must have acquired numerous skills to be able to survive in their new land. This made Jack think about skills he should be learning and the skills he had already learnt while travel-ling. Perhaps he should be focussing on learning to identify the tracks he so often found in the sand. This information might prove useful when identifying potential contacts, and would possibly enable Jack and Jabu to take evasive action. He involved Jabu in the game, but though they looked long and hard, it was several days before they saw a track of any kind. It appeared to be the track of a small four-legged animal, bigger than a mouse or a rat, but not as big as a cat or dog. He showed the track to Jabu, and asked if he knew what it was, but Jabu merely shook his head.

            As they travelled along the roads lined with sugar cane, they cut short pieces of cane with Jack’s panga, and chewed them, enjoying the sweet sap they extracted. They came across another track, similar to the one they had seen earlier. This one was heading off into the cane. Studying it intently Jack vaguely remembered that there was a large type of rat which lived in the fields – called a cane rat. Satisfied that he had at least identified one track, he moved along the road, while Jabu ran on the gravel shoulder looking for more tracks leaving the tarred surface.

            All the different tracks you could find on the ground reminded Jack of the many facets of the people in South Africa. He wondered how on earth anyone could manage this diversity and still keep everyone happy − it would need a very special type of government to do this. What would happen if, and when, he came across another group of people? Would there be the need to establish some sort of society? Would it be based on the system proposed by many in the oft-repeated slogan of ‘Government of the people, by the people, and for the people?’ This was a fine sentiment, but one shown by history to have severe flaws. What was said was quite clear, but the ‘how’ was missing. There had been many systems in existence, but most systems seemed to bring with them a government driven by greed, power and wealth. Practically every system claimed that it had the interests of ‘the people’ at heart, and that everyone was supposedly equal before the law, and have equal opportunity, but inevitably, some were more equal than others. The very rich and the very poor existed in all countries, and raised serious questions about equality. The only rule that was valid and common to all systems appeared to be the golden rule, which said; ‘He who has the gold, makes the rules.’

Different thoughts on the ‘problems’, looking for solutions.

During my working career, some 60 plus years, I have often worked with, and for, people from all parts of South African society. In the workplace, on the sports field, church, and anywhere there was human contact. I was raised in a ‘white’ society’, who were perceived as the ‘privileged’ society, and the difficulty I had, as a youngster, was understanding why there was such a large gap between the races, both at school, and in society. If we had visitors, or we went to visit someone, it was very rare, and in some situations, unheard of, to sit down to lunch at the same table with people of a different race. My Mother, a Dutch lady of very forthright  thought and behaviour, was often in the forefront of criticism because she treated ‘people’ as ‘people’, both in the workplace, and in general , something that earned her an unfortunate label as a someone who was defying convention and was a ‘N…… …………Lover’ (fill in your own perceptions or interpretations). An example of this was when we had a painter, a black man who was doing some work at our house, who was invited to sit down to have lunch with us. He took his plate of food, and sat on the step at the back door, while we sat in the kitchen. When he was asked to come in and sit with us, he thanked us politely, but remained on the step.

A simple example, yet one, that for me as a young boy, made it clear that there was a significant gap between the inhabitants of the same country depending on race. There was, at the time, also a significant gap between the English and the Afrikaans (basically the ‘Dutch’ language speakers) despite the fact that they did the same jobs, lived in the same sort of houses, but went to different schools. White children went to schools where the medium of instruction was in either the English or  Afrikaans language. Black and coloured children went to different schools.

I am sure that this sort of ‘separate’ situation had a tremendous impact on creating the ‘playing fields’ of the day, both literally and figuratively. Given the examples shown above, and they are but a few of many, how do you even begin to imagine the creative thought and energy that would be needed to create a level playing field in these circumstances. I come back to a point I made previously, that for there to be any hope of achieving such a situation, there would have to be monumental change in thought at all levels, starting at the earliest stage in the life of a child .Given  the situation we face at the moment, the emphasis is probably more on differences rather than similarities.

It has been difficult to find people with whom I could discuss this matter seriously with a view to examining the situation. On the one side I found people who were quite comfortable with where they were, and others who felt a sense of ‘hopelessness’ when I raised this issue with them. The attitude was, generally, ‘Things are what they are, and there is nothing I can do about it’. I suppose that, at the end of the day, this is where we need the courage to say ‘If we move one ‘drop’ at a time’, we can be like the small stream that will, eventually, erode a huge rock that stands between us  on the uneven playing fields. I suppose it would be overly optimistic on my side to say that  each one of us might ask the question of ourselves, ‘What did I do today to make the world a better place for somebody else?’ If I am able to find something specific that I did, maybe the world would, as the song puts it, be a better place. A compliment of the smallest kind, or a word of support could make a big difference, and cost you nothing, but be of great value to the receiver. It may not close the gaps that exist, but could help build a more positive attitude, and make the gap a little smaller. The next extract from my book follows.

Rainbow’s End continues.

Without a movement or a sound they watched the sugarcane parting slightly on far side of the clearing as a head, wearing a floppy hat, peeped through between the stalks Without a movement or a sound they watched the sugar cane stalks parting slightly on the far side through between the stalks as if making sure there was no one there. It was a woman that emerged from the field, gesturing to someone behind her. Then a second figure, wearing a head scarf and long dress, emerged. The dress looked like a sari, something traditionally worn by Indian women. Cautiously, they started to move towards the five men, still hidden in the thick cane. The two women were only a few metres away from the edge of the clearing, when the five men suddenly leapt into the open area. One of them, carrying a panga, grabbed Lutchmee, and raised it above his head. The old man tried to grab hold of Jean, but she twisted out of his grasp in a desperate attempt to help Lutchmee. The old man threw his stick at Jean’s legs in a spinning motion, tripping her. She fell heavily, but still struggled to get up to save Lutchmee, shouting at the men to let her go. The man holding the panga looked around to see what was going on. He saw the old man catch up to Jean, grab the knobkierie, and strike her on the head. Just before everything went black before Jean’s eyes, she saw the man again raise the panga above Lutchmee’s head, and then darkness claimed her.

What can we do?

I have thought long and hard about this subject, (the infamous ‘Level playing ground’), sitting at my computer, staring at a blank screen, and wondering if there is an answer that is both possible, and practical. Every avenue I go down introduces me to more questions than answers. The reality, that faces me at each turn, is that there needs to be a will to go this route, across a very broad front of creating a ‘level playing ground’. In order for this to develop, those who have the power, and the influence to bring about change, need to define an objective that deals with the realities of the present. When I was working with some managers in one of my training jobs, I often stressed the need for clear objectives, the principle being that if you did not know where you were going, any road would take you there, and you would not even know if you had arrived.

Our reality, all over the world, is that there are those who are part of a group that ‘have’ in terms of power, money and influence, and others who, in boxing terms, are in the other corner. How do we go about defining these groups, where the gap between these groups differs from country to country, and can be found in politics, finance, education or just about any area of human activity? They come from different playing fields, where some see it as a forum for building wealth and position, and others see it as a barrier to progress or growth. The question we face is ‘How do we level a field that was never conceived to accommodate people from all walks of life’, or even if this is a legitimate question’.

I have tried, on several occasions to engage people in discussion on this subject, and the usual response, or at least, the most common, is a shrug of the shoulders. Is it perhaps a situation that no-one wants to tackle, or regards it as an issue that cannot be resolved. Flying to the moon was regarded as something, in bygone years, as impossible, and yet it has been done, even to the extent that people have now walked on its surface. How much more difficult is it to set a goal of making sure that each person has the opportunity to be the best that they can be, and not a situation that says, ‘Well, OK, but your  language/colour/religion/sex/educational level, and every other difference we can identify, is a barrier to playing on whatever playing field we encounter.

I believe we need to focus on a point made in an earlier blog that far more thought needs to be given to exposure to learning/questioning/debating at the earliest level possible. This may remove some of the barriers of language, sex, colour, and this can only be effective if it is started when aimed at equipping the young with the tools necessary to venture out onto the playing field on equal terms – equip the player to deal with the playing field as opposed to trying to change the playing field to accommodate the learner.

 Perhaps we need to look at ‘social integration’ from day 1 of school, with specially trained personnel to run short sessions to begin a process of preparing the very young for what they will encounter when they go out into the world.  Impossible?  So was flying to the moon, until someone did it. The alternative is to do nothing, but then we would have no-one to blame but ourselves for the ongoing problems we have now with the gap between different groups, races, cultures, religion etc. More thoughts will follow in the next blog.

Meanwhile, back to the book, Rainbow’s End, which might be more than a novel if we do not give serious thought to creating a better future for all.

He followed the first track to his right, but after 50 metres or so, he abandoned it, as there were no further signs. He was rewarded when the second track, the central one, once again showed signs that someone had been along there. He gave a soft whistle, and shortly afterwards, the rest of the group joined him. They went forward and found a small clearing where an old gantry showed that this was where the sugarcane had been loaded onto tractors for removal to the sugar mill. For a moment they stood still  trying to decide which of the paths on the other side of the clearing they should follow. Then just as they were about to venture across to the other side, the older man signalled them to go back, indicating that they should duck down in the cane. He had heard a small sound coming from across the clearing where one of the paths seemed to lead straight up a small hill. They waited in complete silence, to see what it was that had caused the old man to show such caution.

Level playing field? Pie in the sky??????

The previous few blogs I have been writing are about the concept of a level playing field. I call this a concept, because, unless we are able to work miracles, it will be forever, I am sad to say, seen from where I sit, a myth. You can only level something if you have complete control over it, and I have yet to meet someone who has that power. For those of my readers of strong faith, I am sure they will respond with a reference to our Maker, but the chance of divine intervention is not an answer I usually get when I talk, or write about, the level playing field. It appears that the human race do not generally concern themselves with  levelling playing fields, being, quite naturally, more  concerned with being able to play on the field where they find themselves.

I grew up in a relatively poor neighbourhood in a suburb of Cape Town, which was populated, in those days, by members of the so-called ‘working class’. No doctors, lawyers or any people who had been well educated, and found employment in commerce and industry, lived in this area. Very few people who populated this area owned vehicles, with bicycles being quite a common form of transport (mine was a gift from someone who was a tenant in our house  and sadly it suffered a common fate of many owners of such forms of transport in this area, it was stolen. Walking to school (for some, quite a distance) was common, and those who had a penny, could ride on the bus for a few kilometres.

I do not relate the previous paragraph to make anyone feel sympathy, but rather to bring a small amount of reality into the situation. On the ‘other side’ of the fence, I was asked by a wealthy lady (she and her husband owned a business) to tutor her son, the same age as myself, as he had a heart condition and could not go to school. His parents were kind to me, and their donations to my tiny purse did help me to get a reasonable education. The only new school blazer I ever wore was a gift from her. Sadly, her son, Robert, died on the operating table in England where he was one of the first people to undergo  open-heart surgery. Sadly, his weakened arteries ruptured, and he died on the operating table. This experience brought me into contact with the ‘other half’ of society, and made me aware of the gaps in our society – he and I were at opposite ends, but we had no control over our ‘fate’.

So how does all this relate to ‘playing fields’. Fate places us where we are at our start, but we all soon learn that there is no ‘level’ playing field. You can try to ‘make it on your own’, but you cannot control the circumstances into which you make your entry. We cannot level a field if we do not have control over that field. My good fortune was in having met the mother of my friend, and being given an opportunity to improve myself a little, which was something that happens to very few.

The more I think about this issue, the more I begin to believe that we need to revise our education system. This should be a ‘common’ factor in the education field, with all being ‘exposed’ to the same basics. We need to keep in mind the ‘development’ of children who, from birth, use a vernacular, that is not consistent with the language of business, commerce, or  industry in the society they are about to enter. This basic principle should focus on ensuring that each child is exposed to a programme that prepares them for the world which they are about to enter.  

We live in a world of technology, electronics, finance and other factors in the society that children are about to encounter. Education can no longer be the sort of ‘The cat sat on the mat’ type of language that we often encounter in areas of early education. We need, at the earliest stage in education at ‘all’ schools, see children being exposed, from the earliest age, to the realities of their world, in society, education and employment. 

Movement towards the real communication that is ‘out there’ should begin from the earliest stages of education, at the lowest level possible, which might just decrease the inability to compete. Slavish adherence to ‘our’ language, and ‘our’ culture that is inconsistent with the development encountered in present times, will ensure that the playing field will never be level. Preparing a child for the playing field that is out there, is, in my opinion, the first step towards being able to play on the field that exists, on equal terms.

Having spent more years of my life than I can remember in the training and development field, I will try, in the next blog, to put down some thoughts about small steps that can be put in place that allows access to the playing field. These are used to begin the slow, arduous journey that can help young people to grasp, and put in place, some things that can raise their ability to ‘think’ rather than merely remember enough to pass tests. Cheers till then.

Rainbow’ End continues.

Having made her decision, Jean told Lutchmee to gather up what they thought they would need, and what they could carry. They would leave via the farmhouse to see if there was anything else that would be useful on their journey. They made a small bundle of their clothes, some essential cooking utensils, and put as much food as they could carry into two fertilizer bags that they had salvaged from the farm. A last glance at their temporary abode was all Jean would allow herself, as she felt sad to be leaving what had been a sanctuary for quite a while, and she did not want to become emotional. With Lutchmee following close behind her, she strode resolutely towards the small gap that gave them entry into the cane fields, and set off along the path to the farmhouse for the last time.

            Meanwhile, at the farmhouse, the five men had gathered at the edge of the sugar cane fields. The old man studied the ground carefully, discounting the small tracks having been made by field mice and on rare occasions by cane rats − as big as cats. These had, when they were still available, usually wound up in someone’s cooking pot. He moved slowly along the edge of the field, and soon paused to look more closely at something on the ground. Bending down to get a better look, he made out a footprint left by someone wearing sandals. He and his group were barefoot, except for one member, who had found an old pair of shoes that he wore all the time. The old man studied the print even more closely, and he deduced that the print had been made fairly recently. There had been some rain a few days previously, and the print appeared to have been made after that time, so it could only be a few days old.             Signalling the others to stay behind him so that he could follow the track more easily, he moved into a narrow gap between the rows of sugar cane and went slowly forward. As he followed the track he could see places where it had been swept away as if someone had tried to hide it, but very quickly he managed to locate it again as the gaps made by the sweeper had been fairly small. At one stage, where the rows of sugarcane converged, he saw that he could go one of three ways. At this point, whoever had swept away the tracks had made a more serious effort to remove them, and so he motioned to his followers to wait for him.

Who is responsible?

I suppose it is all very simple to talk about levelling the ‘playing field’, but I fear that the minds that would set this ‘ideal’ in motion would require a very persuasive and powerful lobby to drive it. The first step, in my view, is to examine the existing system that is in place in any specific area, and establish if this is functioning in the best interests of the country, not just specific groups. For me, one of the biggest barriers encountered to the ‘growth, health and wealth’ of a country, lies in the existence of too many languages. While this is probably a radical statement, I believe that the schooling system, from the very lowest level to ‘graduation’ (not University, but school-leaving level – probably this runs over a 12 year period), be conducted in the language most commonly used in that country, by the greatest number of citizens.. This may give rise to a great deal of argument and discussion, but in the long run, improve communication, and reduce cost, by not having to produce multiple copies of signs, documents, billboards, and probably also Government documentation.

If I had a sound system on my ageing computer, I would probably be deafened by the cries, usually beginning with the two words “Yes, but ………..”, followed by reasons why this would not work. It seems to work quite well in some countries in the world, where there is one official language, but it is going to need a paradigm shift in others to find support and acceptance. If I take an example from the South African scene, when a report is written for Parliament, it may mean, that to meet the rules, copies would have to be produced in 11 different languages. Imagine the saving of time, and material, if this could be presented in one language – but, this would require a major shift in attitudes, and make a lot of people more than a little upset. People are, quite rightly proud of their own language, but if it is an obstacle to effective communication, plus using funds that could be put to better use, maybe it could be a solution

I realise that many readers (thank you for your support) would be inclined to see the obstacles, quite rightly, but if we think long term, this may be a small step to changing the situation where people are denied access to jobs that require the ‘common language’ that everyone else can understand. In my own experience,( I was head of a head of training department of a large organisation with international links) I had to deal with a system where we took on a group of local lads who were not familiar with the terminology used in the business of the employer. We had to run sessions for them to improve their ability to survive in a business where the language used was mainly English, increasing the time for them to become proficient, and able to communicate – this was both time-consuming and expensive. A common school language (appropriate to the country and industry) would have reduced training time, and improved output. Seem like the impossible dream?

I have been checking through my recent blogs, and feel I have been making them a bit too long. I am going to try to do a sort of ‘Readers Digest’ condensed version, and focus on one issue at a time. The statistics that this programme produces will help me to see if it makes a difference. I will continue with the theme I have started looking at ways and means of ‘levelling the playing field’ and will look at some additional ways of achieving this. Education is a starting point, but I feel that there are many other things that can be done.

Another short extract from my book follows.

Sitting in front of the hut on a low stool, Jean realised it was time to take action, as any further inaction would probably only make their situation even less secure than it was. Her father, a large, bluff and hearty man who was given to quoting sayings, most of which he made up on the spur of the moment, had often said; ‘It’s better to do something and be wrong, than do nothing, and still be wrong.’ She called to Lutchmee, and explained the situation to her, stressing that it was important for them to move     on. Lutchmee merely nodded, prepared to follow wherever the road took her.  She had seldom been called upon by either her husband or her employer to make decisions so she merely agreed to do as she was told, and awaited instructions.

            Jean considered her options. Going north was not a good idea, as she had heard from the farm workers that there had been a major conflict in that area. Inland held no appeal, as she was sure the major cities would not be attractive, based on what she had read in the newspapers before they ceased to be printed. To the south lay the territory where the Zulu and Xhosa tribes and cultures met, although the ongoing faction fighting and tribal battles usually indicated that the word ‘clashed’ would be more appropriate. It seemed that the route to the east, to the coast, was the only real option. Jean was not sure what they would encounter on the way, but as her father had said, it was better to do something than nothing at all.