An email yesterday from Clem Sunter, sparked an interview which was edited into the lead story in last night’s BizNews Power Hour. The recording of the full interview is on YouTube. Clem is a national treasure. His email reads:
Penguin have just published a book by Mitch Ilbury and myself called Thinking the Future. Two extracts are relevant in light of the current turmoil:
- ‘The second rule is that South Africa right now stands at an economic crossroads after years of corruption and state capture, combined with the disruptive impact of Covid-19. The coffers are virtually empty, and this is unlikely to change any time soon. We are at a tipping point where the path we take in the immediate future could define our future for decades.
- ‘The first scenario we call People’s Economy, to convey the message that the work achieved by Nelson Mandela and others, constitutes unfinished business. In this sequel, the government creates an inclusive economy with a new generation of young entrepreneurs at the helm. The second scenario we call Cautionary Tale. Here, South Africa experiences rising popular anger, caused by an economy that is stagnant, exclusive and cursed by a dismally high unemployment rate. This leads to further disunity and widespread violence with a possible end point of total anarchy in the chain of causation.’
The red flag of today’s looting and destruction of shopping malls has just raised the odds on the second scenario and demonstrated that we are at a tipping point where urgent action to create a People’s Economy needs to be taken.
Another interesting email to hit my inbox yesterday was from former JSE executive Ana Forssman who wrote:
Just wanted to drop you a note re: all the interesting rhetoric that you have shared with your subscribers on both Ivermectin and Vaccines – I find having both views vital, and various pieces of information is what I value from your emails.
As humans we are born with free will and coupled with that we develop critical thinking skills as we develop ourselves – that means that as evolved beings we should have the ability to consider various views, acknowledge and accept all views, not just accepting them as law, blindly like sheep, but using our free will and critical thinking to determine our own individual stands. That’s what having EQ means – sadly missing in our country and also worldwide: “Unless you accept what I tell you, I will exclude you or victimize you…”
We have freedom of speech and thought, but with that comes enormous responsibility – like respecting others’ views openly, without feeling threatened or made to feel less just because you choose not to believe blindly.
Oscar Wilde’s quote – “A man who does not think for himself, does not think at all”.
Keep up the great reporting with all the views because the majority of your subscribers are evolved enough to handle both.
Lastly for today, reflective insights shared by Cape Town comms consultant Kim Barty….
I have read with interest the reader contributions in your morning musings and thought I would add my own voice from my own experience.
I have spent the last 22 days in a Covid quagmire. My 17 year old daughter was in and out fairly quickly, I had it fairly mildly, but my husband has been slaying the Covid pneumonia dragon and only emerged today. He still has a long road to go.
I feel we are asking the wrong questions and paying attention to the wrong things. Arguments about ivermectin, prednisone, vaccines seem less important when you’re fighting for your life.
Covid is calling us to account: how we live, how we spend our time, what’s important. That is a question that must be asked by each person on the planet.
As my husband’s breathing eased this morning, I sank to my knees and wept and searched my heart so that this terrifying experience does not go to waste. What did I want to let go? What is important and deserves attention? Everyone’s answer is unique. But let’s not waste the opportunity.
Something else we lose sight of, is the recovery rate. It’s high. As Nick Hudson from Panda says, so much attention is being paid to the negative impact of the virus, of the 2.21m people infected in South Africa, nearly 2m have recovered. Let’s talk about that.
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