© 2017 South Africa - The Good News
Young South Africans honouring Madiba’s legacy
by Sally Currin
Ever heard of the South Africa-Washington International Program (SAWIP)?
It is an exchange programme offering talented young South Africans, some from less privileged backgrounds, the opportunity to study in the US.
The young people mentioned in this article are SAWIP alumni who are ‘playing it forward’ and have given permission for their stories to be included.
Amidst the escalating disillusionment in our country’s political leadership, the financial downgrades, the recession and the multitude of unfulfilled expectations of the dispossessed poor, South Africans need to be constantly reminded of the groundswell of young people who are imbued with a deep sense of responsibility towards their fellow countrywo/men and are propelled by a driving mission to make our country a better place.
July – when we are urged to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s birthday through service – provides the perfect opportunity to recognize and applaud young people who are not distracted by the current circumstances but are focused on realizing a future which would have made Madiba deeply happy.
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THIS IS WHO WE ARE!
by Steuart Pennington
Alec Hogg recently interviewed Alan Hilburg the world’s leading crisis communications expert. The full interview is 2545 words and is essentially regarding the scandals involving the Gupta’s and the multinationals McKinsey, KPMG,SAP and Bell Pottinger, which Hilberg describes as an aberration (full interview attached).
But what really interested me was what he had to say about South Africa.
Hilburg is at his absolute best here, and retains a huge optimism about a part of the world he describes as “an idea – as much as a country.” ‘Brilliant!’ says Alec Hogg
Knowing South Africa as well as you do… You visit regularly. You engage with lots of thought leaders and very senior people in the country. You must surely have picked up that there’s been disquiet amongst corporates and people in civil society about the corruption that has been becoming endemic in the country. Is there an upside to what we’ve seen so far? In other words, that it could be used to attack this?
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Investing in tomorrow’s leaders
Novus Holdings’ Future Foundations initiative aims to give ‘a hand up, not a hand-out’ to its beneficiaries by empowering them to grow independently.
The focus on empowering the community is what makes the Hayfields Primary School such a fitting benefactor of the initiative. Paarl Coldset Pietermaritzburg, which forms part of the Coldset printing division of Novus Holdings, donated R 35 000 towards the renovation of the school’s sports grounds.
The learners currently participate in hockey, soccer, cricket, netball, and squash. Once the refurbishments are complete, learners will also have access to athletics. Pictured above are some of the learners who will enjoy the renovated sports grounds.
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THIS WEEK'S FAST FACT
Literature and literacy
Freedom: South Africa is ranked 31st out of 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index (measuring the level of freedom available to journalists around the world), with North Korea ranked 180th. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands comprise the top five spots. (Reporters Without Borders,www.Eighty20.co.za)
