Proudly.co.za Real South Africa

To not leave this wonderful domain name empty forever I want to start showcasing selected sites that make you proud being South African. If there’s any perspective for a ‘real’ campaign somewhere between ProudlySA and SA rocks, I’m happy to join the campaign with this name.

I’m looking for other fellow South Africans who’re willing to create a real initiative with the wonderful domain name proudly.co.za that I happened to register a while ago. I’m willing to give it away for a good cause if it will be used properly…

Going forward my first priority is finding a new logo and WordPress theme for proudly.co.za that is really south african, colourful and bright. If you’re able to help or know a designer please let me know!

The Bandwidth Blog is a tech blog with “South African and Global internet startup news” by web entrepreneur Charl Norman. It’s a positive example of how South Africa participates in the global web community.

South Africa Rocks at www.SArocks.co.za is a grassroots initiative to spread positive news and hope for South Africa. The site is a brainchild of Nic Haralambous and the awesome design is done by Mark Forrester.

“After reading the incredibly upsetting anti-SA blogs from expats around the world I decided to make a stand. This blog is that stand. I am standing up for all the good in SA. For all the great things that SA citizens do and for all the people who love this country. I love this country and I believe in it and the success that is soon to come.
SA Rocks is not a website dedicated to blindly praising South Africa. I understand that every country has flaws and I do not deny the flaws of South Africa. I do feel that there are enough people who berate our country and it’s time for people to start acting and thinking positively about South Africa. Please feel free to send your idea of what a Rocking SA is.” Nic on SArocks.co.za

“Proudly South African” is a “buy local” campaign and logo launched in 2001 by government and big corporate South African companies, organised labour and community organisations to “boost job creation and pride in ‘local’ by promoting South African companies and their ‘homegrown’ products and services.” For using the Proudly South African trademarked logo (shown on the right side) their products members need to pay a certain percentage of sales of those products to the campaign. At least 50% of the cost of production must be incurred in South Africa and there must be “substantial transformation” of any imported materials.

Their website is hosted at www.proudlySA.co.za not to be confused with the independent free-to-join pro South African campaign here on www.PROUDLY.co.za

Written by Pieter Boshoff and edited by Claire K

We are a country that was for many decades known mainly for its mineral riches and the system of Apartheid.

Since 1990 South Africa has been going through a lot of changes; the country was given the name of “Rainbow nation” by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, because of the diverse people. The world still stands amazed at the way South Africa went through the transition. Everybody expected civil war and a total collapse of all services. Instead of this, the Miracle happened, the miracle of South Africa. South Africans started working together, voted Nelson Mandela in as their first democratic president. Someone that has achieved the status of “Legend” in his own lifetime, not only in his country, but also all over the world. Nelson Mandela personifies what South Africans are striving for.

South Africa was also blessed with beauty beyond anything else, anywhere else. From Cape Point past the majestic Table Mountain that overlooks and embraces the city of Cape Town, you can travel up the West Coast, where once a year the whole world turns into a magical land full of flowers all over. You will be amazed by the beauty of the Fish River Canyon, and you can travel into Mpumalanga meaning the place where the sun rises-, and visit places like God’s Window and the Kruger National Park, a national game park twice the size of the state of Texas. In Kwazulu Natal, the majestic ancient Zulu Kingdom, the natural beauty continues with the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and then you will get the popular coastal city of Durban. The tropical climate here makes this the ideal year-round family destination. You just need to travel South for a short while and you will see the Wild Coast, and like the name suggests, it is wild and rugged and beautiful. This is also where Nelson Mandela was born, grew up and played in the fields. Traveling back to Cape Town you will pass the world-famous surfing spot, Jeffreys Bay and then suddenly enter another magical world: The Garden Route. Indigenous Forests, amazing coastlines and Majestic mountains form part of this magical land.

South Africa has many problems, we know that, and we believe we should not hide them, but rather that we all must work together to overcome them. The biggest of these are poverty, crime and HIV/Aids. The most important thing is to encourage investment and job creation as this will be the first step in healing all the legacies we have from an era of suffering.

We are a nation of courage, of optimism, of love and caring. The thing most tourists comment on about South Africa is the smiles and friendliness of the people.

“Ubuntu” is an ancient South African word, meaning “humanity to others” and also meaning “I am what I am because of who we all are” that is installed in most of our population.

Smiley Says

Crime has become the scourge of this country. Indeed one can say, Cry the Beloved Country!

At this very moment statistics about crime are being posted in various newspapers and many people have been involved in campaigns aiming to combat this evil and sad side of the South African community.

Even President Thabo Mbeki recently spoke out against it, calling it a scourge.

FNB wanted to launch a campaign in the press and on TV to make crime the number one priority.

But on Sunday February 4 the Sunday newspaper Rapport and others reported that this had been cancelled after “requests” from the ANC. Cabinet Ministers were reported to have been party to these “requests”.

The bank was obviously forced into submission by threats. FNB would surely not have planned to start this campaign with a view to cancelling it before it got off the ground. Being a large financial institution, the bank cannot be blamed for backing down.

The fact that cabinet ministers are involved might mean that this is the official position of government, but it may also be seen as an internal ANC attempt to block the bank. If the latter is the case and if President Mbeki still is of the opinion that crime is “scourge” then we have an internal revolt on our hands in the ANC.

But ordinary citizens and foreign visitors are all subject to criminal attacks.

Police commissioner Jackie Selebi’s connections with the alleged killers of Brett Kebble were widely reported on, the minister of safety and justice was in the news following his attacks on people who were against crime. It will take too long to list all the facts creating doubts about the honesty of the intentions of those in charge.

Ours is indeed a corrupt society.

Smiley feels that the time has come indeed for ordinary citizens to take a stand against crime – black and white should now stand together against a common enemy as never before. And every reader of this website should encourage people who do not have access to the internet to join the fight.

The campaign intended to be started may have been cancelled due to pressure on FNB but realsouthafrica.co.za is publishing the full text of the campaign as well as the letter intended to be sent to President Mbeki to request him to make the fight against crime his NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

Smiley encourages every citizen to take part in his campaign by sending the signed letter to the president.

It boils down to a REFERENDUM. Are you FOR or AGAINST crime?

Government clearly has no idea of what life is like for ordinary people. Let South Africa stand together and show President Mbeki and his fellow members in Parliament how the citizens feel about what they say.

This is the start of a war! A war of goodwill against evil. With the ammunition being used (at first) only the written word. Let us all see whether the president has the guts to take a stand.

Why send peace keeping forces to other countries if we cannot even have peace in our own country? Why have a seat on the security council if our own people do not have the benefit of feeling secure in their houses, shops, streets, parks?

Other than members of parliament feel, the purpose of parliament is not to make them fat cats. They are there to GUARANTEE safety for all the citizens – pay days for wages and salaries as well as pension payments.

President Mbeki should be asked to explain how he can feel Proud to be a South African if hid country is under attack from criminals.

Smiley is also Proud to be a South African on the basis of his contact with the great majority of South Africans. But very few of them can be found in Parliament. Many of them pocket their salary (and travel coupons) and forget that their first objective should be good government!

Smiley has to admit: it is difficult to stay positive in view of what was revealed by the newspapers regarding the fight against crime. Politicians of all parties should take note: people do not forget the wrongs that are committed against them. And this was a WRONG if Smiley ever saw one.

The government requested the pubic to share in the fight against crime, yet at the first opportunity they are being stopped.

Proud South Africans should stand together and rid the country of all those involved in crime – as well as those who sympathize with the criminals.

The Real South Africa Rainbow Award is given to ordinary South Africans who go to extra ordinary measures to promote South Africa and try make a difference in other people’s lives.

Malan Jacobs

Unassuming, he is. And extremely intelligent. Who? Malan Jacobs – the 17 year old first recipient of the realsouthafrica Rainbow Award.

Malan, who is only 17 years old, is in Grade 11 at D.F. Malan High in Bellville. In many respects he is a typical teenager. He is a prefect at school and plays hockey and tennis. He takes a keen interest in most school activities.

But there is a difference between him and the average teenager. He takes an interest in much more than that. When he recently read about the newly created website against crime, he immediately logged on and read about it.

He immediately realised the negative effect this site could have on tourism, especially as it was the clearly stated aim of the creator of the site to cripple tourism.

Malan realised immediately this would harm tourism and therefore would cause even more unemployment than the current 26%. Yes, these facts roll off his tongue very easily. He tries to keep informed.

When a spate of racist comments appeared on the site it brought him to tears and he decided to do something about it. He did this by creating his own website and putting things in perspective.

“It is not correct to look at the figures only,” he says. “Many of the figures are misleading and do not truly reflect the situation for foreign visitors. Many of the muders that take place, occur at places like shebeens (legal and otherwise) and seedy night clubs where ordinary tourists would not be seen. It is a matter of interpretation.”

Malan worries abou the large gap between rich and poor and says it invites crime. “This applies to white and black. BEE creates a very rich black group, but it does not always work down to the lower income groups. That is probably the reason why the government gets blamed for the current situation as much as the white group is,” he ventures.

As one radio personality said: “When you see someone like Malan, you know the youth of our country is very able to run South Africa. They have the knowledge and ability.”

Says Pieter Boshoff, founder of realsouthafrica.co.za: “Malan’s grasp of the South African situation is of such a high quality that his site is being used by us to give our readers an overview of crime. He is unbelievably talented and his work is of a very high standard. He interprets logically and he does it with ease. He fully deserves the first Rainbow Award.”

Visit Malan’s website from this link to www.truecrimexpo.co.za

If you know of someone who in your opinion deserves this award, kindly send us a nomination and a motivation of less than 200 words in the comments.

The award does not carry any monetary value. It is just our way of encouraging those people who wish to make a difference in South Africa using their positive attitude. It also shows how other people can strive for the common good.