Turn hope into reality

It’s time for the National Senior Certificate Examinations or Matric Exams and many could argue why should I study/work hard when majority of the unemployed is young people. Some will say I won’t work and others that they will struggle to get a bursary.

But then I’m reminded of the words of Michelle Obama, first Lady of the United States of America, during a visit to South Africa, when she told a group of young people in Soweto: “when it comes to the challenges we face, we simply don’t have time to sit back and wait. Each of you are ready, to start meeting the challenge. Your efforts might not always draw the world’s attention, but your generation can make the change.”

Matric 2014 Exam Timetable

School and work sometimes feel like slavery though, but if we do everything with the help of our creator, he will help us develop our knowledge and skills. We should do so for our creator and not people, I am reminded in Colossians 3:23 and this will motivate you and me to work hard, when only our creator is looking, (Colossians 3:22).

To reach success you have to work hard, numerous leaders across the world will tell you this and even the bible speaks of it.

We should however always work with a vision, working towards something. As Christian I read this in Colossians 3:24. Therefore you and I should have a vision in life and work wisely towards it. A great vision inspires great sacrifices that result great rewards.

Obama told the youth they can be the generation that discover and build to transform economies, bring opportunity, end HIV/aids, hold leaders accountable, stand up and be heard.

“The Youth is the future and therefore we need to ensure they have all the tools to do this,” Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu said during a Youth Day event.

Working hard can deliver success, you have to believe. People believe in a better South Africa, people died for it…… people prayed for it.

In his last address to the first democratic parliament of the Republic of South Africa, on Friday 26 March 1999, former President Nelson Mandela said we should together continue our efforts to turn our hopes into reality. 

MATRIC SUPPORT with tips and past matric exam papers! 

Metrorail's Good Story

Metrorail has become synonyms with unreliable-, miscommunication and incompetent service and the slogan, getting South Africa to work has become getting South Africa to work late or Not getting South Africa to work.

The railway service however has a good story to tell, sadly one they choose not to, or even to focus on. Not surprising though, as they do refuse to take responsibility – and again proof, they even refuse to accept responsibility for something good.

For more than a year now I’ve been invited to join Metrorail’s Rail Tourism aka Tourism Train on one of their visits and unfortunately every time something popped up. I was blessed to join the team on World Tourism Day (this was not planned) on their outing to Simons Town.

To summarize the trip:

We left about 10 minutes later than scheduled – due to speed restrictions at Cape Town and our train stopped four times along the route. Now because it’s a tourism train, you don’t get frustrated that you’ll be delayed, you rather enjoy the scenic view.

A few things caught my attention during this trip:

- Staff onboard was friendly and always ready to assist. They made you feel they one of your friends was the observation by one of the people that was on the train.

- Staff not only traveled with because it’s their job but they are competent. They are well informed and know the area they traveling in. In their tours they added a personal touch – something that makes you appreciate what they sharing with you.

- The South African Naval Museum and submarine at Navy Base that we toured are not government funded aka supported by government and it is so ironic as Rail Tourism (my conclusion) is not supported by Metrorail big bosses – support is more than just giving a few funds.

- The team also aim to build a relationship with the visitors.

My negative comments:

+ There’s not refuse bags in the train – 80 to 90% of visitors had coffee or a snack with them when they got in and had to wait until we got off at Simons Town...

+ While Metrorail gets mentioned, no real marketing about Metrorail is done to encourage the visitors to make use of the railway service.

+ There were kids onboard and I couldn’t help but wonder, what if they had to injure themselves – is there a first aid kit onboard?

I really enjoyed the train trip and not only the scenery but the information shared at the sites we stopped at.

The Tourism Train was an idea in 2010 and started out as a small project but became a reality in 2011 and it is really tragic that Metrorail’s big bosses don’t focus on their good story.

The Tourism Train in Cape Town, is the only of it is kind in South Africa and what makes this a bigger tragedy is that the two people who can drive telling the good story was there when the initiative was born: Current Regional Manager was Customer Services Manager in 2010 and the Communications HOD is still in the same position 4 years later.

Metrorail can change their own ‘dark’ image, if only their HODs would focus on the company and telling the good story, instead of shifting blame and refusing to accept responsibility.

Metrorail’s HODs, area managers and especially customer services staff can learn a lot from the Tourism team – from how to engage with customers to communication.

The Tourism Train has only been a success the past four years and when Daphne, Keith and team are not with visitors on their way to Simons Town, they off to Khayelitsha to the departmentof Coffee or touring wine farms in Stellenbosch – they hosting school kids, showing them why Cape Town is host to one of the seven wonders of the world and crowned best destination in Africa at the World Tourism Awards.

Ps: Special thanks to Daphne, Keith, Debbie, Joseph and the twins Sibusiso and Sifiso – you guys were awesome. Someone once told me those around you don’t usual see and acknowledge what you do and what impact you have – but others do. I’m one of those others, who appreciate the extra effort you put into making (rail) tourism a success.

Braaivleis, pap, wors is deel van Suid-Afrikaanse kultuur

Wat is meer eg Suid-Afrikaans as boerewors, biltong en braaivleis?

Geen ander plek op aarde kan die erfenis van dié lekkernye naboots nie.

Hoe kan ’n mens Erfenisdag sonder ’n vleisie op die kole vier? Braai is dan een van ons land se ryk kulturele tradisies.

In 2005 het Erfenisdag ook Nasionale Braaidag geword. Dié geleentheid is deur die Mzansi-braai-instituut geïnisieer en word sedert 2008 onder die vaandel van Braai4Heritage, ’n nie-winsgewende inisiatief, gedryf. Die doel van die inisiatief is om Suid-Afrikaners te verenig en aan te moedig om deel te neem in ’n prettige en tasbare aktiwiteit.

Mnr. Jan Scannell, hoof van die Braai4Heritage-inisiatief, sê die dryfveer agter Nasionale Braaidag is Suid-Afrikaners se liefde vir vuurmaak,die samesyn rondom die vuur en om kos voor te berei.

“Dit is die een ding wat alle Suid-Afrikaners in gemeen het. Dit is ’n tradisionele plek van bymekaar koms in Afrika.”

Die dag is belangrik, net soos die Wêreldbeker-sokkertoernooi en Wêreldbeker-rugbytoernooi, want dit bring mense saam, sê dr. Ivan Meyer, voormalige Wes-Kaapse minister van sport en kultuursake. 

“Dit is ook belangrik om nie ons erfenis te vergeet terwyl jy ’n tjop of stukkie hoender braai nie. Daar is ook baie ander erfenis-aktiwiteite waaraan mense kan deelneem.”

Scannell sê braai is die een ding waarvoor almal lief is en wat selfs die grense van taal, kultuur, geografie, geloof en sport oorsteek.

Nasionale Braaidag word op Erfenisdag gevier, maar hoekom nie op Menseregtedag, Vryheidsdag of selfs Versoeningsdag nie?

Meyer meen daar kan op elk van dié dae gebraai word, juis omdat dit een van die aktiwiteite is waar almal bymekaarkom.

“Mense praat met mekaar en is gesellig. Dit bied die geleentheid om oor die geskiedenis te gesels en na die toekoms uit te sien.”

Scannell verduidelik braai is ’n erfenis, terwyl dae soos Menseregte- en Vryheidsdag te veel politieke bagasie dra. Versoeningsdag is weer te na aan Kersfees en al die fokus sal daarop val, verduidelik hy, en voeg by September is aan die begin van lente, ’n gepaste tyd om Suid-Afrika met ’n braai te vier ná die winter.

“Braai skep nie net geselligheid nie,maar skep ook ’n platform waar mense hul diep persoonlike waardes en tradisies openbaar,” sê Meyer.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Erfenisraad het in 2008 hul ondersteuning gegee aan dié inisiatief. 

’n Jaar later het die inisiatief ’n amptelike liedjie, “Our Heritage”, bekendgestel. Hierdie liedjie word deur die Soweto-gospelkoor, Hip Hop Pantsula, JR en Die Heuwels Fantasties gesing.

“Die dag skep ’n positiewe gees, wat aansteeklik is. Niemand is vir niemand kwaad nie,” sê Meyer.

Daar is groot ondersteuning vir Nasionale Braaidag en duisende Suid-Afrikaners neem deel daaraan, noem Scannell, oor Jan Publiek se ondersteuning van die dag.

“Ander lande het jare reeds sulke nasionale feesdae soos Ierland se St. Patrick-dag en Amerika se Dankseggingsdag. Nou het Suid-Afrika ook sy eie: Braaidag.”

Meyer sê Suid-Afrikaners sal egter enige dag gebruik om te braai.

“As die Springbokke wen, dan is daar ’n lus vir braai en jy sien dit om elke hoek en draai,” sê Meyer.

Omdat hy van Vredenburg aan die Weskus is, verkies hy om vis te braai, sê Meyer oor sy braai vernuf.

“Ek hou van boerewors, omdat dit eg Suid-Afrikaans is. Dit is wat ek Saterdag sal braai,” sê Scannell oor sygunsteling-braairesep.

Scannell voel Nasionale Braaidag bereik sy doel, maar sal nog baie groei.Meyer stemsaamen sê braai het in Suid-Afrika reeds kultuurstatus bereik.

“Nasionale Braaidag groei soos ’n veldbrand. Suid-Afrikaners moet net versigtig wees en nie veldbrande op dié dag veroorsaak nie,” sê Scannell.

Oorspronklike artikel het in Die Burger verskyn op Donderdag 22 September 2011

A nation that belongs to all the people

We celebrate Heritage Day to give recognition to our cultural heritage and the diversity of beliefs and traditions.


The day formerly known as Shaka Day, has the objective for South Africans to commemorate, no matter what your background, your heritage. This in a nutshell means no one should forget who and what he/she is and where you come from. On the 24th September you can celebrate your culture, history and background – therefore it’s called Heritage-day.


Former President, Nelson Mandela called us the Rainbow nation to describe the different culture, tradition, history and languages and the day is meant to celebrate this diversity.
I was born in a coloured community in the early 1980’s, when apartheid was still a reality. “Jy kon in die tronk beland net omdat jy ‘swart’ is.” I live in the new South Africa now. “Waar ek vry is en kan vier wie ek is.”
I can’t help but wonder, am I commemorating my heritage on the 24th of September or am I celebrating democracy?


On Heritage Day, I am not only supposed to celebrate my own heritage, but reach out beyond the different cultural borders. Unity, nation building, reconciliation and patriotism should be at the order of the day. It is sad though that this is not the reality, but rather the day is just another public holiday.


Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, during the 20th February historic FW de Klerk-speech celebrations in 2011 said there are many things that unite us as South Africans.
For the past few years, South Africans have celebrated Braai Day on/with Heritage Day. The aim of this is to give recognition to the South African culinary tradition of holding informal backyard barbecues/braais.


In an interview for Braai Day in 2012, former Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport Minister, Dr. Ivan Meyer, said Braai Day reached cultural status. “People talk with each other and the day gives an opportunity to talk about the history and look forward to the future.”
Or as patron of National Braai Day, Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu affirmed the day on September 5th 2007, “to be a unifying force in a divided country”.

We should not only celebrate our own heritage but also that which we inherited. We need to celebrate the nature, places of scientific and historical importance, national monuments, historic buildings, art, literature, music, vocal traditions and museums.

Former President, Nelson Mandela, during the second Heritage day celebrations said “if we as a nation want to rise like the phoenix from the ash, from the oppression and conflict of the past, we need to recognize those who devoted their work and talent for the goal of a non-racial democracy”.

Metrorail's delay

Metrorail missed their own deadline for reporting back, following an announcement by the former regional manager of Metrorail Western Cape, Mthuthuzeli Swartz, on Tuesday 25^th March 2014 that safety critical interventions will be implemented to stabilize the rail service.

Back in March I wrote in my CapeTown Trains is Metrorail’s eToll that the interventions have no time-frames and deadlines for implementation.  

In personal interactions and in the media Metrorail then said these interventions will be implemented over the next four months. I still said back then, there are some interventions that should be implemented immediately, starting with better communication.

Now before I get to some of the interventions, Swartz left the failing (yes failing) rail service and Richard Walker, no stranger to the Western Cape, came in the hot seat. Walker came just as Prasa announced ticket prices will be increasing and this frustrated commuters even more.

Back in March, Metrorail got a R233million life-jacket to implement critical safety interventions and stabilize the service. This included:

• Track circuits and use of suitable technology
• Overhaul of track transformers
• Building of closer-by station for commuters in the Wallacedene area in Kraaifontein was added to planning
• Upgrading of a few stations
• A second train to Worcester was in the negotiation process in March, as well as using the Shosholoza Meyl to alleviate capacity constraints.
• Metrorail’s sms system would be resuscitated

The interventions came a few days after Transport Minister Dipuo Peters took a train from Kraaifontein to Cape Town station. It is interesting to note than that issues shared with the minister by regular commuters (as per her press release then) but did not form part of Metrorail’s interventions included:

• Dirty trains
• Broken windows
• Lack of ticket verification
• Security in peak times

Metrorail have been ignoring a few questions as well:

• Why did they wait until a second train derailed and damaged tracks leading to the closure of platforms at Cape Town, before interventions were implemented?
• Why can no one take responsibility?
• Why did Prasa wait (on the minister to listen to commuters) before more than R233 million was made available for urgent interventions?
• Did a certain manager not do their job to report tracks need urgent upgrades?
• Why can’t Metrorail/Prasa admit that they have failed to deliver an effective reliable rail service to communicate?

From a commuter perspective what was done?

• Trains are still delayed due to faulty track circuits
• Only building one can see is that of the new Operation Centre in Bellville (yes a new Ops Centre is being build there – that deserves its own blog).
• A few stations were upgraded
• The Worcester train is more faulty leaving commuters to travel more by bus, than a second train.
• The sms-system is being used again, but sms’ seems to be more delayed at times than trains.
• Trains are still dirty, windows broken and sometimes you even have to pack a swimsuit for a commute.
• There is still no security on trains, something I personally have been asking for more than a year now. I was told Metrorail is engaging with SAPS on the matter, it’s been more than twelve months – two ticket price hikes later and still no response from Metrorail.

Metrorail started rolling out wifi, this would have gone live in end of June/July - we basically in Spring, and not WiFi. In June I wrote Is free Wi-Fi good or bad for Metrorail

Metrorail has not only failed to deliver an effective and reliable service but also to give a report back on the safety critical interventions that would have taken four months. Unless Metrorail is using a different calendar, the four months ended, 25 days after the ticket prices increased, in July.

Metrorail's missed opportunity

Overhead electrical wires in one of Metrorail’s coaches that caught alight, led to about 15 commuters ending in hospital on Sunday 17 August. The incident happened just outside Soetendal-station, between Wellington and Hermon. The Worcester train is like the one traveling to and from Malmesbury, everyday, the only one and basically the only public transport many can use to get to the heart of the Western Cape.

The Worcester train was cancelled Monday morning and replaced with a bus service, just a pity buses were 60 to 90minutes delay, almost like the train service. At some, wait – most of the stations there were no staff to inform commuters if buses are on their way or not.

To make matters worse the same train, that went operational Monday afternoon, failed in-section. This makes me wonder

(1) How was it approved to be ready to be used again?

(2) Who approved it?

(3) Who will take responsibility

That the incident took place, is not a surprise, we have an old rail infrastructure and I touched on this in two previous blogs Cape Town Trains is Metrorails e-Toll.

What frustrated me though is:

The train departed Cape Town station at 16:53 and after the train had a few stop and go moments I inquired and at 17:17 was told it is delayed due to a faulty set. The train arrived about 20 minute late at Bellville – where it stood for another 15 to 20 minutes. An announcement was made that the said train is delayed due to a faulty set. The Worcester train eventually moved but failed at Brackenfell – during this time @CapeTownTrains tweeted the train is delayed due to a faulty set. At 18:55 came a tweet the train has been cancelled – this after it’s been standing at Brackenfell for more than an hour. No staff-members were insight and no announcements were made.

I learned that the delays are due to cable theft at Huguenot station and the faulty set – it is sad though that Metrorail’s Customer Services cannot communicate this to commuters, almost as sad as the fact that no staff were at a station.

Metrorail’s Regional Manager, Richard Walker, is said to be serious about customer service. His actions, does not speak of this and if he’s to be believed, Walker missed a golden opportunity Sunday evening to prove it. He also missed the opportunity Monday evening.

Nothing is more important that the commuter

So if I were Walker and I got the call Sunday evening of the train accident – with 174 km, the longest possible route on a commuter train in South Africa – I would instruct all my senior managers/HODs and rush to the scene. I would make sure my Communication, Marketing and Customer Service-managers and teams make sure we show that through this tragedy, commuters and the general public see, Metrorail cares. I guess if that was the case, I would have read a headline Monday morning “Metrorail cares” and not “Train catches fire”.

Walker is quoted in the media as saying Metrorail has a contingency plan that is activated in case of an emergency and that staff assist commuters out of the train if it is safe to do so. Metrorail might have a contingency plan, the activation time should however be question and that staff assists commuters seems to be a myth and still to be proven as a fact.

In conclusion: It is interesting to note that no Metrorail manager has ever said they would take a Worcester train in morning and afternoon peak – especially when there are massive delays – to experience the commuter experience. I will not hold my breath that this would also happen anytime soon.

Also read: Visiting critical but not stable Metrorail

women is WOW-man

Their slogan was "if you strike a women, you strike rock". Some might not believe this, others question it.

A few decades ago a few hundred of women, marched to the Union Buildings against the Apartheid-regime’s pass-law. This march was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn.

Every year August 9^th we hear woman marched against apartheid laws, yes this is true. But woman realised for change to come to this country, they would also have to stand up and be heard, they realised the men of the country would not be able to shape South Africa into a country for all. These woman stood by what they believed.

I feel the need though to ask this year, "can we truly celebrate Women's Day, if:

(1) a women is raped every 26 to 36 seconds in our country? 
(2) 2.1% of women age 16 and older reported that they had been sexually abuse?
(3) One in four woman reported having been abused by an intimate partner?
(4) A husband or boyfriend kills a woman every six hours?
(5) A woman being raped over the age of 25, has one in four chances that her attacker is HIV positive?

• sexual violence in South Africa

It is important that we as society educate ourselves that Women’s Day is not just celebrating woman who stood up against apartheid law but a reminder of the role woman play and they show courage and strength. 

Preachers will tell you, the female came from side - not the head to sit on, feet to be walked over, but side to be equal.

Someone once told me woman are like men, the difference is they WOW-men. There’s something in every lady that makes them wow. 

Once we start to speak out and take a zero-tolerance attitude as citizens if we see women abuse, we can in my view truly commemorate Women's Day.