I ran for my life

One evening we decided to go on an illegal tour in a game reserve with the hope of seeing one of the big five if not all the big five. When we reached the reserve it was midnight and the paid game ranger told us to stick together as we can easily get lost. We were a group of few ten maybe including me, my two friends and some tourists. We were there until we realise it was early morning, the first light started to appear and we had not seen even one of the big five. The sound of the birds singing in harmony was a sign that we should leave.

Suddenly we heard a Lion roar from a distance. The roar was so powerful one could not help it but tremble in ones pants. Several Echoes made it very difficult to detect from which direction the sound of the roar was coming from. We were in the middle of nowhere in the forest. With roar after roar coming closer and closer the members of the group became anxious and the game ranger was visibly shaken.

That was the time when my two friends and I decided to take matters into our own hands. We ran towards the entrance, which is a normal reaction from a layman like me. As we approach the entrance we could see from a distance a huge lion outside of the game reserve approaching the reserve, the there was a big man made hole in the fence which I suspect the lion used it to get out of the reserve in the first place.

I looked behind us for a place to hide, but there was an open area, which was, quiet a distance before we could reach the forest.  The only option we had was to run as fast as we could and hope that we will get to the fence all alive. I was the fastest among all my friends, based on that I believe I had a chance of surviving to tell the tail. As soon as we started running the lion also started the chase. This lion came strait for me I have no idea why, maybe it was the clothes I was wearing.  It ran past two of my friends whom by then they had even changed their direction everyman for himself.

I could hear the lion breathing down my neck. I knew I was not going to survive I said a little prayer, I also prayed for the lion to kill me instantly hopefully with less pain. I guess I would not even feel the pain given how much I was traumatised. I could hear from a distance my friends giving instructions as to what to do, but I had ran out of options the lion was right behind me, I was just waiting for that jump and attack from the back when I suddenly stopped. The lion just passed me at high speed only to turn around to face me, face to face. I was just few seconds away from my death and at that moment I wished I had a bad dream. My alarm rang I woke up, Yes I was dreaming what a relief.

Business express gone wrong

I am a loyal Tshwane business express passenger. I am not driving to Johannesburg any more thanks to this train. By the time you reach your destination (Pretoria and Jhb) you have read two free newspapers (Sowetan and The Star) had a morning coffer of your choice (hot chocolate, gone through emails even had made Skype calls) this is all only from R870.00 per month. The success of the led to PRASA introducing the second train that leaves earlier at 05h40 and the second train leaving at 06H15. The Second train even helps to take Pretoria passenger. Everyone was happy at that time.

The reservations are have about this is that even though when we were lured into this train we were told this will be standard, over a very short period of time these services are altered without any communication to paying customers.

1.     Two newspapers in the morning

Sowetan that they use to give us with The Star they just stopped giving it to us without telling us anything.

2.     Variety of drink in was reduced as well no more hot chocolate in the middle of    winter only Coffee and Rooibos is available.

3.     Parking was chaotic at first in the beginning it is still disorganized but it is better much better than in the beginning when they were still going trough teething problems.

4.     One was guaranteed to be in Johannesburg or Pretoria on time not 1hour as they claim, but it was at least 1h15 on time almost all the time. This was because it was given preferential treatment on tracks if there was a problem on the way. How things have changed, the fact that we still pay R870.00 means nothing, as the traveling time can be anything between 1h30 minutes to 5hour.  

5.     On Friday the 18^th of March 2011 things came to a crunch when the train Manager Mr. Leshilo exchanged insults with passengers as he tried to address passengers on why middle Carriages of the train did not have anything to drink for the past three weeks and counting. 

     Passenger were very upset especially when this explanation comes just two days after this train arrived in Pretoria at 22h00 and the only passengers who were taken care of were Pretoria. Those who disembarked in Kempton Park and Centurion were left to fend for themselves.  The manager even wanted one passenger to be arrested far saying a hostess is just a tea hostess. This was in the heat of the moment where the manager said one passenger is a Taxi Driver, which I am not sure, what he thinks of them.

As all this is happening passengers are still paying the same R870.00 even though PRASA is obviously making a profit by reducing its services to the passengers. Is it not time the passenger’s request reduction in ticket price?

Are SETA's working or job creation for pals.

Are South Africans really benefiting from Sectoral Education & Training Authorities? (SETA's) I am asking this beacuse, in an effort to transform workplaces in South Africa, the government introduced affirmative action, Black Economic Empowerment and improved labour laws. But this did not help much as the majority of the disadvantaged working class are still unemployed and those who are working lack skills. In order to address this crisis, the government introduced learnerships, which are meant to help the unemployed to have some qualifications and skills to be more employable. Those who are already employed are also meant to improve their skills to move to higher positions. Its objectives are to ensure that the skills requirements of the various sectors are identified and that the adequate and appropriate skills are readily available. This morning I heard over the radio that we still don’t have skills that SA industries want. Only few weeks ago we read in the news that the SETA’s CEO is vacating the post. What has he done? To what extent are the Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (SETA’s) helping to improve the skills of the unemployed, women and the disabled?

Employment equity

Since the dawn of our democracy in South Africa the matter of employment equity has not been a tangible one, the human-resource policy has been characterised by limited commitment.

Few understand the term Employment Equity in the workplace and it remains an apprehensive manner. To appraise this system of establishing equal access to jobs for members of designated groups who experienced past discrimination, such as black people.

People with disabilities and members of minorities and women. The employment equity initiatives of employers and governments while at the same time ensuring those current members' seniority rights are protected.

The aims of the Employment equity are to promote and achieve equity in the workplace, by encouraging equal opportunity amongst all workers. Is this the case in South Africa I don't think so