The Afrikaners by Clem Sunter

It is an ironic twist of fate that so far the real beneficiaries of the ending of apartheid are the people who were supposed to have benefited from it whilst it was in existence - the Afrikaners.




During the years of apartheid, there was a culture of entitlement among the volk. With a good education you could end up as a Cabinet minister, a top civil servant, head of a parastasal or a senior executive in an Afrikaans-owned business like the Trust Bank or Sanlam. If you weren't so privileged, you could get a job on the railways as an artisan, join the ranks of the army or police or work for a municipality.



After 1994, all these expectations came to an end. Suddenly Afrikaners were out of power. They had to take a leaf out of Steve Biko's book: you are on your own and you will have to fend for yourself. And they have done so - fantastically well. I was told the other day that the fastest growing element of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange are companies owned and run by Afrikaners. The whole coast north of Maputo in Mozambique is now a string of safari lodges and dive shops established by entrepreneurs from Pretoria. The list goes on and on all around South Africa, and increasingly north of the border and elsewhere in the world.



One could call this phenomenon the great trek into business. Adapt or die, John Vorster said. The Afrikaners voted for the first option individually and collectively. Rather like the Jews in America, the Pakistanis in London and the Chinese in Australia, Afrikaners have a collective consciousness which is the spiritual foundation of an effective commercial network. Language, religion, culture and a common outlook on life bind them into teams that are almost unbeatable when challenged by less cohesive competitors. This trait obviously extends into sport as well. It is a form of ubuntu: you help me and I will help you because together we can achieve more. It's just that you have to speak the taal!



This article was prompted by my wife and I staying one night last week at a brilliant place called Bergwaters Eco Lodge just outside Waterval Boven. It was a real pocket of excellence in the Elands Valley. Run by a young Afrikaans couple, it offered everything from a long, beautiful walk to great food to a comfortable bed. But it was the entrepreneurial spirit that impressed me. She wants to give every room the theme of a herb and he has just bought a local hardware store as a second business. Music to my ears. You should always want to improve, no matter what the current state of your business is.



This all goes to show that we need an entrepreneurial state in contrast to a developmental state. California is the sixth largest economy in the world with only 36 million people. There is no sense of entitlement there. Everybody follows the Steve Biko code: you make it yourself. It would be a real shame if, by replacing one entitlement culture with another, we undermine the truly entrepreneurial spirit that South Africa undoubtedly possesses in its population as a whole. The Afrikaners were liberated by creating a level playing field. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Entitlement shackles it.



I conclude with a question: why do you think Jews, Pakistanis and Chinese people perform so much better on other people's playing fields than on their home grounds? They know the result depends entirely on their own efforts. Afrikaners have managed to make this psychological adjustment without having to emigrate. Good for them. The next job is to liberate our black brothers and sisters in the same way.

a birds eyeview on government

How on earth can these smart men have contemplated the actions of OUR government ?

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle -- Winston Churchill


A government, which robs Peter to pay Paul, can always depend on the support of Paul -- George Bernard Shaw



Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner -- James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)



Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries, to rich people in poor countries. -- Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University



Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys -- P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian



Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it -- Ronald Reagan (1986)



If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! -- P.J. O'Rourke (this is frighteningly true.)



In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other -- Voltaire (1764)



Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! -- Pericles (430 B.C.)



The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end, and no responsibility at the other -- Ronald Reagan



The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery -- Winston Churchill



The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin -- Mark Twain



A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have -- Thomas Jefferson

Wild Mushroom

I found this stunning large wild mushroom growing next to a dead pine tree  - It is 20 cm in diameter.

Something is missing here !

One of us is missing !












Ok Now where is the camera ?

Guard duty

"I will stand guard while you sleep"

The reading

I used to read a lot when I was younger , much younger. Untill I was about 24. I read anything: Storybooks, newspapers, magazines, you name it - I read it. Then the urge disappeared. I think it is the right brain that started kicking in. The bigger picture. Books bore me. I will read short articles and news worthy news. Nowadays I read the newspapers on the internet.
But then a few years ago my wife starting reading a book to me whenever we drive for longer than an hour
So it was that I "heard"   "The language of God" A book about the human genome -stunning stuff - no dogmas here, just plain facts.  And this weekend she started reading   "The shack" to me. At first I found it quite boring but as she went on I really started  to enjoy it.( It is not for the feint hearted)  About half way through now and I am starting to think this is a must for everyone calling themselves Christians.  It is about exactly that : Get rid of the dogmas you grew up with and start thinking for yourself.
One other quote I would like to repeat from the book " A bird was meant to fly , not to walk - they do not walk easily because their feet was not made for that purpose ! "
What were you made for ?  Just think on that one - no more no less !

Are you in control?

Where is your locus of control?  Internal or external.  Comments you read on external locus of control sometimes give the definition of this as blaming everyone except yourself for what happens to you.
This of course is not what it means :  It means that you are not in control of you locus (locality,personal space , call it what you will ) You allow the control to be taken from you. You do not decide,you have to get some-ones opinion on the matter before you decide.You accept that some-one , something will make the decision for you.
And you allow it. You give away control – Most probably a belief that you grew up with. You parents made the important decisions for you. You never propertly learnt to think for yourself .
Locus of control is a term in psychology that refers to a person’s belief about what causes the good or bad results in his life, either in general or in a specific area such as health or academics. This is another definition of this. E.g. External locus  is(could be) the acceptance that you are being punished for something you did beacuse  you got  ill or some other misfortune happened.  This is especially true amongst some Christians and of course is totally untrue and disastrous thinking lines.
Take control of your life – Keep control of it and amazing things will happen.
You will not be walked over. People will listen to you when you speak. Take a view and stick to it ( like I am doing here – whether I am right or wrong – this is what I believe and I stick to it).  Never be afraid to differ from people, it makes interesting conversations.  Never be a Yes person.
You will suddenly find that people will not be making contentious statements in groups where you are present. And they will be unwittingly seek your approval for what they say. If just in the way they look at you when they do make a statement.