As South Africans we should be proud of our progress in decreasing crime and poverty in our country. It’s been a long road, and definitely not over, but we have made progress and I think it’s fair to be recognized for our efforts.

Unfortunately, with the influence of media (and particularly social media), often a different picture is depicted of South Africa, or at the very least, a misrepresented one. Journalism and social media is at times unregulated and thrives on stories that induce drama and evoke reaction.

We can agree that South Africa was notorious for having a high crime rate. As proud South Africans, we fought to stop that in various ways even though it will never be fully stopped.

As we continue to implement projects and services aimed to eradicate poverty and decrease crime rate, it’s important that we simultaneously look to accurately represent our image and efforts in the media, so that people worldwide have an accurate depiction of our country. It’s unfortunate when events such as the murder of Anni Dewani caused the media to sensationalize South Africa as a crime-ridden country and revert the area back to a place it was decades ago.

The situation involving Shrien Dewani, a 31-year-old British man who framed his driver Zola Tongo for murdering his wife while conducting a Township tour, generated negative, international coverage.

As the story unfolded, more details and allegations including dealers and hit men were involved, thus making it an even more complicated story. The point is however is that South Africa was heavily impacted by the negative news coverage and almost seemed to overtake any other positive and promising efforts highlighted at earlier times in the media.

We cannot stop what the public says about this country or perceptions placed, but we have to constantly strive to improve South Africa to be the best it can be for its citizens and in-coming visitors.

We encourage all of you to be South Africa’s best ambassador. It’s only when we vocalize our pride for our country that other people will begin to understand why we value and love South Africa as much as we do.

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Mandela Day, was first introduced on 18 July 2009, the former Nelson Mandela’s birthday, its aim is to persuade people to contribute 67 minutes of their time to make the world a better place.

International Nelson Mandela Day 2011 was launched on 23 May at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg.  The ceremony involved tertiary students who marked the occasion by expressing their views on what the celebration means to them. According to mediaclubsouthafrica.com, the launch garnered such widespread media attention due in part to popular South African rapper JR’s new song dedicated to Mandela Day, ‘See you in July’.

It is said that, when Sello Hatang, the Mandela Foundation’s spokesperson, asked students to speak about Mandela.Day and how it should be celebrated,Mandela’s grandson, Luvuyo Mandela, mentioned that as a family they have always celebrated his gradfather’s birthday in their home town of Umtata, Qunu in the Eastern Cape, by making food parcels so they can allocate to them less fortunate.  Another youth, Raymond Ntlozi, explained that he honours Mandela Day by volunteering and funraising at children’s home in Zuurbekom, southwest Johannesburg.

Mediaclubsouthafrica.com states that, Breadline Africa, a South African-based NGO, has partnered with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the NYK Helping Hand Scheme to offer a mobile library to a primary school in all nine provinces of South Africa as part of this year’s Mandela Day celebrations.

This year, NYK contributed R500 000 to the project for Mandela Day. Each library container costs nearly R90 000 to convert and renovate.

Tim Smith, director of Breadline Africa is quoted saying, “we buy sturdy, water-tight containers at a low cost and transform them into mobile structures, which we can use to feed, educate or use as a clinic. Our projects try to establish a level of self-sustainability within the community.”

From 6 June, people haven been encouraged to participate every Monday by giving back to the next person, the community or the environment for Mandela Mondays. People can take as little as five minutes out of their lives for this activity!

So how are YOU honouring the spirit of community service this Mandela Monday?  Let us know by leaving a comment here or on our Facebook page.

• We explore industry benchmarks in corporate social investment (CSI) spend and how this impacts on national social economic development (SED).
• We guide you on how best you can increase the sustainability of your CSI programme.
• We consider the importance of establishing partnerships – a hot topic at the CSI Matters conference.
• Finally, we share some valuable development lessons from Africa via Dr Pandelani Mathoma, GM of Old Mutual Corporate Affairs guest speaker at the conference.

We hope you enjoy our newsletter and are able to leave with new insights and inspiration. You’re welcome to make contact via email should you have any questions, if you would like to further discuss topics highlighted in our newsletter or require more information on our services!

Read the newsletter by clicking here!

Warm Greetings from our Team!
Creative Consulting & Development Works

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Creative Consulting and Development Works would like to extend our sympathy to the Asmal family as we join the rest of South Africa in celebrating Kader Asmal and his life as an activist academic and politician.  His ANC comrades hail him as a “selfless man of honour” and that “his death must be a reminder for all of us of the non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa we committed to build”.  Kader represented the anti-Apartheid movement as a committed ANC member from the United Kingdom during his early professional life after being exiled by the Apartheid government.  In exile he was awarded the Prix UNESCO award for his work in human rights, founded the British Anti-Apartheid Movement, and served as Chairperson for the Irish Apartheid movement.  When he returned to South Africa he became a professor of human rights at University of the Western Cape before he was tapped by the first democratic government to be the Minister of Water and Forestry and later as Minister of Education (a position for which he was appointed personally by President Nelson Mandela).  He was also involved in many other anti-racism and human rights commissions and movements throughout his life. 

Professor Asmal’s memoir will be released in August, and the official launch for the book will be in September at the Open Book Festival in Cape Town.

Full story

The diplomatic relations between South Africa and the United States are inextricably tied to the pursuit of democracy, international cooperation in development, global security and the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Mrs. Obama’s visit and her openness with the people of South Africa have reaffirmed the even more important personal relationship between the two countries. 

Watch this space for updates as this story unfolds.

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