Afrikaans

The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Peter Drucker

Inaugural Message

I am a born South African - 6th generation and Afrikaans speaking - and have started my business in 1993, one year before a new government and a new era in our history.  My company had thus come into existence and grown in the new dispensation.  During this time many things happened that were very positive, but because of the news media’s (both of the left and right leaning) irresistible urge for sensation, are hidden away or not reported at all.  Also, the very good that is done, gets overshadowed by the often very incompetent way that the new government portrays and markets itself and the poor way in which they handle internal corruption and the general crime.

What I want to accomplish with this endeavour is to give credit or at least let it be known that great, or at least good deeds, are done by many South Africans - especially in the different levels of government.  In no way do I want to deny the bad part of the government - it is unfortunately not possible to get away from that.  But I am going to concentrate ONLY on the good done and the extra mile that people in the government go to in spite of the poor image and conditions they work in.

What first set off my mind to this endeavour was that many people spoke about the very little (NOTHING!)  that is spent on our road maintenance and expansion and in what poor condition roads are.  Then I noticed the many road works - both big repairs or extensions - that were then in progress on the road system in Centurion - at least 20 sites.  That is when I decided that I cannot reconcile what I hear with what I see!!  What I notice is a fantastic road infrastructure that you can rely on to be in a very good condition most of the time.  Please note that I have seen poor roads - but I am not going to mention them as a principal and because a poor road does not make a good road bad.  In my line of work I drive over thousands of kilometers of road network in big parts of our country and I see thousands of kilometers of good to very good ones.  You can drive from Messina to the Waterfront in Cape Town.  From Pretoria to Durban then to Richards Bay or Port Elizabeth.  Where roads are in poor condition or are inadequate, I have in most cases seen repair work or rebuilding in progress.  I am talking of hundreds of active sites over the whole of South Africa (municipalities, provincial and central government) that I have seen in one single week.  I use a GPS during my travels, so I have on record all the roads I have traveled over the years.  It was especially noticeable in Centurion where potholes were repaired so quickly  - this in spite of heavy rains and over-use.

Everywhere I notice infrastructure being upgraded.  Especially water pipelines and telephone networks.  I have for many years received only the best service from Telkom, I can dial almost anywhere in the world at any time.  Mostly the service from both the telephonic response and the technicians are professional and courteous in the event that we do have problems.  They normally go out of their way to help to rectify the problem.  Accept for the dramatic debacle of early 2008 Eskom’s power supply is absolutely acceptable with the minimum of downtime.  Please note that I do know that there is sometime no power supply and that it has major cost implications and causes frustration - but that is not what I am trying to convey.  The dailies and other news media force it down our throats 24/7.

Recently I had to get a new driver’s licence.  I went to the municipal office in Nelmapius Road, Centurion at 06:00 and was walking out at 07:20 - please note the time of morning - and I was helped in a friendly and professional way!  Six weeks later I was informed of the availability of my new license, first time there was a queue of about 1 to two hours and I left.  The next day I was out in 30 minutes.  About two years ago I had to get a new passport.  It took about two hours to apply and six weeks later about 30 minutes to receive a correct passport.  A physiotherapist told me that she had to go to Botswana through border post Parr’s Halt at Ellisras on a Saturday morning during a long weekend.  She was shown that her passport had lapsed but was advised to go back to Ellisras and apply for a temporary passport.  She was helped and went through the customs without a problem!

Never-endingly you will hear talk of our poorly trained and unmotivated labour force.  But I see the most beautiful buildings, bridges and roads appearing all over South Africa.  It must be a great testimony to our labour force and should put to shame the many people that say otherwise.  If I look at the many neat professional sites and building work of the Gautrain I say to myself I am sure no shoddy work is allowed there.  Secondly I see on both small as well as large building sites people hard at work, often running, on weekends with no or few managers visible.  Drive on the Ben Schoeman on a Saturday between Pretoria and Johannesburg,.and see for yourself.
 
Enjoy the Day!
Philip Boardman