I recently read a blog article posted by my friend Hansie Lategan on Hansiel.blogspot.com about whining expats and it got me thinking a lot. Especially as it pertains to my current surrounding. You see my family and I recently opted for the only sane solution to a problem we perceived ourselves to be having... a risk filled existence in South Africa. Being your average hard headed, ego filled professional I opted for the easy way ... out!
Like most scared professional people with no political agenda or admission, only wishing to build a normal future for ourselves and our children with a probability success ratio of actually seeing the outcome higher than 53%, we opted for the easy solution. Emigration / extended stay.
I am a SA citizen working and living in the Netherlands. It has not been easy to turn my back on all that I love so dearly but I found myself at a crossroad and realized that I was not ready to be part of a solution, and was to all to happy to be part of the problem.
Inherently I have a lot of growing up to do still before I can pass any legacy down to my kids. I did not want this to be a legacy filled with racism, reverse racism, discrimination or cultural biases. Don’t get me wrong the whole world is filled with these plagues and they even exist in the Netherlands. As South African's you are perceived to carry the bubonic plague until proven not guilty. All races including Moroccans and Surinese are discriminated against because of skin color, religious faction or cultural difference. However here is the clincher. Instead of behaving like animals, stabbing and robbing a 10 year old for his cell phone or raping a 1 year old to cure AIDS, these people actually try their best to create a society of equality, where community change initiatives and overall cultural change is advocated. It is by no means perfect, but as with most things it is a good start. people responsible for guidance, governance, safety and security are in the public eye all the time, measured and screened for their suitability to task.
This all got me thinking which is a bit much for me under normal circumstances. What makes the problems we have in our daily lives any different to the problems we face at work in our professions such as architects, managers, plumbers, taxi drivers etc? The answer.. Nothing. We are very successful in applying these rules and measures in the corporate sense, but not on a governance front. Why is this?
Well for starters, when it comes to corporate life, it is all about the green stuff, and lots of it for as long as possible. There are fancy catch phrases, great strategic initiatives and visions but at the end of the day it all boils down to as much money as possible, as soon as possible with as little risk as possible. How is this achieved? Through applying leadership and management from the highest level to the lowest function.
Why does government not take a page from the corporate parody and re-apply their thought pattern. Government can be seen as nothing more than a services organization. Its aim to maximize financial gain and strengthen its position as world leader. This can only be done if the whole is seen as something greater as the sum of its parts.
Why is government there at all? To maximize the investment of the shareholders. Who are the shareholders? The people. The people who struggle their way to the top, the workers at the bottom of the pile and those who struggled before and are unable to continue.
What can we do to improve it? Well just as in business if the board of directors lack vision and the ability to execute, they are removed from power through voting. As South Africans we need to be empowered with the information and knowledge to understand our business and how it is doing. Minister Trevor Manual is a great example of leadership by example. He understands his portfolio and exceeds his expectations. Can the same be said for the rest of the board? Probably not. As South Africans we must stand together to remove those who opposed the business plan and make a mockery of organizational transformation.
Africa is a tough country. You need to be prepared to get your hands dirty and work hard at making it. You need hair on your teeth and steel in your chest. Should Expats vote? Well the jury is still out on that one. My believe is no. If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
I was however at this point so tired of trying to make a difference that I lost the plot completely. Everyone needs to realise including me that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Will we come back? I want to believe that we will. Africa beats in our hearts. I never understood the saying properly till I was away.
The saying goes if you love something set it free, if it comes back it was meant to be. If it doesn’t... hunt it down and shoot it :) Hopefully this experience will answer the questions I have had about live and my purpose. Maybe it won’t. Only time will tell. I want to believe I have a lot to offer the world an South Africa. But what can it offer me ...
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