10 years ago

PEOPLE living adjacent to one of Galeshewe’s main power stations are still living in the dark after five years. Their homes have no electricity.

“We are still living in the dark after five years,” an angry resident said yesterday. “There are also no tar roads and no flash lights in the area. It is not safe to stay here.” Residents are forced to use paraffin or gas stoves, while some have resorted to generators to cook their daily meals.

IRECENTLY shared a meal with an extrovert – a person I’ve known for a very long time, someone who has always had a bold, outgoing personality. We shared stories about how different we were: there was me – a more than capable introvert and her – a professional extrovert.

By the way – just for the record – being militantly introverted I rejected everything she told me about how her brain processes ran, and how she appreciated connecting and interacting with people – simply because I refuse to be converted from my set ways.

We talked about how I would much rather retreat to a corner of the room at a party while she enjoyed jumping headlong into a mosh pit of conversation and laughter with big groups of people.

We discussed the uncomfortable, awkward and almost painful moments that come from being in situations that are adverse to our personalities and the annoying traits that are ingrained into our DNA, moments that sometimes need tireless work and practise to improve.

The beauty of the discussion was that while we realised our extensive differences when it comes to what is considered the perfect day, or thoughts on religion, politics and the best movies ever made, we have always been respectful enough to agree to disagree on those points and focus on the powerful friendship we have built over many years.

We also shared stories about the personal friendships we have lost with people who believed us to be pariahs, lunatics or even stupid if we ever disagreed with or argued against their points of view.

No family relationship or friendship is ever without hiccups from time to time; however, I do believe it is our differences that make friendships and relationships stronger. It allows us to carefully look behind a curtain of someone else’s life or even, for a brief moment, live vicariously through others.

Most of all, it allows us a moment to be truly honest with each other … and it proves that we are not clones – have you ever considered that?

I have seen friendships, marriages and family units crumble, due to some people having a fear of being honest, or them believing that having a different way of looking at the world could only lead to division – not unity.

I realised, with a bit of a shock, that the bubbly extrovert I was sharing a meal with saw my introverted self as a great comfort and she herself often longed for moments to be alone and quiet and out of the fray of bustling, extroverted banter. I never realised this … I always believed that she operated in the red revs all the time.

As much as I admired my extroverted friend, she admired my quiet appreciation of things in a different way. We will never share or appreciate a party or event in the same way, but that doesn’t even matter – what counts is the mutual admiration and respect we share.

Unlike a friend that my father had many years ago. Dad would tell us that his friend, when an argument escalated, would draw a line in the sand and say, “Whatever you have to say from now on is WRONG!”

Sadly, too often friendships and relationships fail because the traits and thoughts that make each of us unique may make it seem as if we are in disagreement, or in conflict or too pig-headed to change for the sake of the other person.

Too often people believe the old familiar lie, “If you are not with me, you are against me”.

I don’t believe the solution to all disagreements is to change or adapt to make others FEEL better about themselves. I think we need to learn to take the time to share a meal and take the risk of disagreeing with each other from time to time and embracing what makes us different.

If the world were full of people who were exactly the same, even the extroverts might eventually find themselves retreating to a corner of the room to start to feel normal again. BRIAN Madalane, the new principal of the Northern Cape Urban TVET College, is confident that a focus on accessibility for the disabled, an emphasis on entrepreneurship and a mutually beneficial relationship between the college and the private and public sectors will raise the quality of education to new heights.

With nearly three decades of involvement in education and training, including 21 years working in the college environment, the newly appointed principal said yesterday that he was ready to make his mark on education in the Province, but was also well aware of the daunting task ahead.

Madalane joins the Northern Cape TVET College having enjoyed tremendous success in the Free State last year, claiming the Idahlynn Karre International Exemplary Leadership Award at the annual International Leadership Conference in Florida, US in March.

While the student body in the Northern Cape is less than a quarter of that at Madalane’s previous post, at the Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein, the new principal knows that a tough job lies ahead of him as the new position in Kimberley comes with a set of unique challenges.

“Motheo has about 22 000 students, compared to just over 5 000 at the Northern Cape Urban TVET College. This Province (Northern Cape) also has fewer sites but in terms of making our facilities accessible to people with disabilities, there is a lot that needs to be done.

“This is an expensive exercise as, apart from making our buildings wheelchair accessible, we will also need to train our staff in sign language and acquire Braille machines and other essential equipment.

“In this regard, we will need to engage with our partners across Kimberley, the Province and the rest of South Africa.”

Madalane added that emphasis would be placed on increasing the number of registered students and to ensure that their academic performance is at a satisfactory level.

“We hope to promote artisan development and entrepreneurship among our students while encouraging them to live a healthy lifestyle and practise good citizenship.”

“Regarding staff, we wish to offer them all the support they need to improve their qualifications. In doing so, we expect to improve our enrolment numbers and to be a gateway to socio-economic development in the country.”

– Murray Swart