Comments for http://mybigdebate.com Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:00:17 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on New 5: EDUCATION by Sharon Caldwell http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151&cpage=1#comment-523 Sharon Caldwell Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:00:17 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151#comment-523 "Boardroom or biology lab or on the streets" - Why this dichotomy? A functoning society needs people at all levels and creating the idea that if you do not achieve the top levels of a stratified socio-economic system you are a failure only serves to widen the gap between extreme poverty and obscene wealth. So rather than aiming at becoming a well-balanced and self-sustaining human being within a community we are holding out a carrot (which may well turn out to be poisoned) that the only way out of poverty is to become a businessman or an engineer or a scientist. But it turns out South Africa has to import welders! You often cannot find a plumber for love or money. Furthermore - stress on the "needs of industry" as mentioned by the previous poster is seriously missing the point - we should look at the needs of people, then the needs of communities. We need to put the horse where it belongs, in front of the cart. Industries should exist to serve the needs of people, our children are not widgets on a production line. The mess that is fraudulently offered up as "education", in this country as well as the countries we aspire to emulate, will only be remedied when politicians and businessmen relinquish their own agendas and start to ask the right questions. The first of those should be "What do the children need?" “Boardroom or biology lab or on the streets” – Why this dichotomy? A functoning society needs people at all levels and creating the idea that if you do not achieve the top levels of a stratified socio-economic system you are a failure only serves to widen the gap between extreme poverty and obscene wealth. So rather than aiming at becoming a well-balanced and self-sustaining human being within a community we are holding out a carrot (which may well turn out to be poisoned) that the only way out of poverty is to become a businessman or an engineer or a scientist. But it turns out South Africa has to import welders! You often cannot find a plumber for love or money. Furthermore – stress on the “needs of industry” as mentioned by the previous poster is seriously missing the point – we should look at the needs of people, then the needs of communities. We need to put the horse where it belongs, in front of the cart. Industries should exist to serve the needs of people, our children are not widgets on a production line. The mess that is fraudulently offered up as “education”, in this country as well as the countries we aspire to emulate, will only be remedied when politicians and businessmen relinquish their own agendas and start to ask the right questions. The first of those should be “What do the children need?”

]]> Comment on New 2: TRANSFORMATION by Loraine Mamotse http://mybigdebate.com/?p=115&cpage=1#comment-510 Loraine Mamotse Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:20:05 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=115#comment-510 Apartheid was a systematic process. Small children were enforcing it. Blacks owning land and live stock were forcefully removed from their land and families were separated when men came to the Cities to work in the mines. Therefore poverty amongs blacks was ochestrated it did not just happen. Yolanda please inform yourself of the history of Black people in this country. Therefore to address the injustice of the past we need to use a systematic way to change the scale. When people in a marriage relationship are unfaithful to each other and the result of their unfaithfulness leads to divorce and illegitimate children, do not blame the marriage, deal with the people. Marriage institution is holy.Therefore when transformation seems not to work or benefit the majority just know that it is not the system but someone who is not doing what they are suppose to do. Transformation gives a voice to the voiceless and if properly practiced it has opportunitites for training both blacks and whites about their rights. Apartheid was a systematic process. Small children were enforcing it.
Blacks owning land and live stock were forcefully removed from their land and families were separated when men came to the Cities to work in the mines. Therefore poverty amongs blacks was ochestrated it did not just happen. Yolanda please inform yourself of the history of Black people in this country.
Therefore to address the injustice of the past we need to use a systematic way to change the scale. When people in a marriage relationship are unfaithful to each other and the result of their unfaithfulness leads to divorce and illegitimate children, do not blame the marriage, deal with the people. Marriage institution is holy.Therefore when transformation seems not to work or benefit the majority just know that it is not the system but someone who is not doing what they are suppose to do. Transformation gives a voice to the voiceless and if properly practiced it has opportunitites for training both blacks and whites about their rights.

]]> Comment on New 2: TRANSFORMATION by Daniel http://mybigdebate.com/?p=115&cpage=1#comment-495 Daniel Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:46:50 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=115#comment-495 There is no doubt that transformation is necessary in South Africa. And, I am sure that there are examples of it having been successful. However, it has ironically been delivered inequitably over the past 15 years. Firstly, affirmative action, BEE and associated tools of transformation have benefitted only a few connected individuals leaving the vast majority of South Africans with little benefit. These transformation tools have also become a form of social engineering which clearly hasn't paid off when we look at some of our parastatal institutions. Affirmative action should be more than ratios and quotas - a crude one-size-fits-all approach to a far more complex task. It should address the unique situation within all fields and sectors within the economy. For example, the numbers of students graduating within a given profession should behaps be analysed and AA/BEE ratios within sectors revised based on the gender and race composition. Where there are sectors that do not refect the demographics of the country as a whole, efforts should be made to try build interest in that sector. AA is perhaps best addressed at our tertiary and training institutions where every effort can be made to provide skills and expertise to young South Africans no matter what their backgrounds. Standards should never be compromised but rather help should be given ensure that everybody can meet that high standard no matter what their background and circumstance. Transformation is necessary. However, as a crude form of social engineering it will fail and that is a risk we should not be willing to take. I believe our future as a viable, economically stable democracy depends on it. Thank you for the debate. There is no doubt that transformation is necessary in South Africa. And, I am sure that there are examples of it having been successful. However, it has ironically been delivered inequitably over the past 15 years. Firstly, affirmative action, BEE and associated tools of transformation have benefitted only a few connected individuals leaving the vast majority of South Africans with little benefit. These transformation tools have also become a form of social engineering which clearly hasn’t paid off when we look at some of our parastatal institutions. Affirmative action should be more than ratios and quotas – a crude one-size-fits-all approach to a far more complex task. It should address the unique situation within all fields and sectors within the economy. For example, the numbers of students graduating within a given profession should behaps be analysed and AA/BEE ratios within sectors revised based on the gender and race composition. Where there are sectors that do not refect the demographics of the country as a whole, efforts should be made to try build interest in that sector. AA is perhaps best addressed at our tertiary and training institutions where every effort can be made to provide skills and expertise to young South Africans no matter what their backgrounds. Standards should never be compromised but rather help should be given ensure that everybody can meet that high standard no matter what their background and circumstance.

Transformation is necessary. However, as a crude form of social engineering it will fail and that is a risk we should not be willing to take. I believe our future as a viable, economically stable democracy depends on it.

Thank you for the debate.

]]> Comment on New 5: EDUCATION by Thembani Mnconywa http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151&cpage=1#comment-418 Thembani Mnconywa Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:15:52 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151#comment-418 Yes Education is in the right hands,but the curiculum should address the needs of the industry.it should equip both students and learners with relevant skils whch will advance the economy of the country and help people to alleviate poverty and encourages people to become entrepreneurs.The department should train educators with new curriculum because these are the people who must implement.if there is deficiency in knowledge content,that is deemed to failure. Yes Education is in the right hands,but the curiculum should address the needs of the industry.it should equip both students and learners with relevant skils whch will advance the economy of the country and help people to alleviate poverty and encourages people to become entrepreneurs.The department should train educators with new curriculum because these are the people who must implement.if there is deficiency in knowledge content,that is deemed to failure.

]]> Comment on New 5: EDUCATION by Ruediger Dahlhaeuser http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151&cpage=1#comment-408 Ruediger Dahlhaeuser Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:15:20 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151#comment-408 Comments On Education-Jobs and Income To improve the future of the South Africann People, the Ruling Party and the Government has to reform the current education system into a High-Quality-Education-System that enables the pupils to collect basic knowledge according the standards of Leading Nations. This HQ-Basic-Education should start in public HQ-Pre-Schools, HQ-Primery and HQ-Secondary-Schools. The HQ-Primery, the HQ-Secondary-Schools should be Whole-Day-Schools, monitoring the "Homework" and reflecting in the afternoon what has been taught in the morning. The pupils who are ambitous and intelligent enough to attend, after finishing the Primery School, the HQ-High School should have the possibility to get free access to these education levels at least for those ones who do not have regular or only low income. Very clear that the all the teachers has to go through HQ-Leadersip-Training on the Universities and that are paid according their demanding responisibilities. Self-evident too should be that the performance of the HQ-Schools and have to be monitored by a team of qualified Experts, who has to report to higher levels of the Education Department. the pupils who prefer to finish the secondary school must have access to HQ-Technicons preparing the youth to do specialized work and earning an income. Also the performance of technicons and universities should be monitored by well-trained HQ-Government-Experts. That the schools itself must be renovated and properly equipped with technical teaching equipment is a must as well. The Whole- Day schools has to provide daily a decent lunch for teachers and pupils. The current system of public schools without a proper Pre-School-System does release too many pupils with unsufficient basic knowledge. But to do qualified and demanding work one has to collect more basic knowledge. Too many pupils are, for instance, not abel to learn at home as there is not enough space and no real support at home to allow concentrated and successful learning. But we can not to see the HQ-Education isolated. Therefore the Government AND the Private Sector is forced by the huge imbalance in the figures of those ones who pay taxes and those ones who do not make any contribution to public funds, to set up nation-wide, new companies and cooperatives to produce food, food and again food for the domestic and for export markets. That must be done in a very advanced and efficient way to keep the food prices low and internationally seen, competitve. First food and then the public/private partnerships have to initiate the production of quality commodities instead of importing all the goods. Even our pasta and jam is imported! The precondition for a positive change is, however, that South Africa is governed and managed by competent leaders with moral, ethic and long-term visions in favour of the ordinary people. If the ruling party is not able or not willing to provide this kind of leadership all the good will and the debates will end without tangible results! Comments On Education-Jobs and Income

To improve the future of the South Africann People, the Ruling Party and the Government has to reform the current education system into a High-Quality-Education-System that enables the pupils to collect basic knowledge according the standards of Leading Nations.
This HQ-Basic-Education should start in public HQ-Pre-Schools, HQ-Primery and HQ-Secondary-Schools. The HQ-Primery, the HQ-Secondary-Schools should be Whole-Day-Schools, monitoring
the “Homework” and reflecting in the afternoon what has been taught in the morning.
The pupils who are ambitous and intelligent enough to attend, after finishing the Primery School, the HQ-High School should have the possibility to get free access to these education levels at least for those ones who do not have regular or only low income.
Very clear that the all the teachers has to go through HQ-Leadersip-Training on the Universities and that are paid according their demanding
responisibilities. Self-evident too should be that the performance of the HQ-Schools and have to be monitored by a team of qualified Experts, who has to report to higher levels of the Education Department.
the pupils who prefer to finish the secondary school must have access to HQ-Technicons preparing the youth to do specialized work and earning an income. Also the performance of technicons and universities should be monitored by well-trained HQ-Government-Experts.
That the schools itself must be renovated and properly equipped with technical teaching equipment is a must as well. The Whole- Day schools has to provide daily a decent lunch for teachers and pupils.
The current system of public schools without a proper Pre-School-System
does release too many pupils with unsufficient basic knowledge.
But to do qualified and demanding work one has to collect more basic knowledge. Too many pupils are, for instance, not abel to learn at home as there is not enough space and no real support at home to allow concentrated and successful learning.
But we can not to see the HQ-Education isolated.
Therefore the Government AND the Private Sector is forced by the huge imbalance
in the figures of those ones who pay taxes and those ones who do not make any contribution to public funds, to set up nation-wide, new companies and cooperatives to produce food, food and again food for the domestic and for export markets. That must be done in a very advanced and efficient way to keep the food prices low and internationally seen, competitve. First food and then the public/private partnerships have to initiate the production of quality commodities instead of importing all the goods. Even our pasta and jam is imported!
The precondition for a positive change is, however, that South Africa is governed and managed
by competent leaders with moral, ethic and long-term visions in favour of the ordinary people.
If the ruling party is not able or not willing to provide this kind of leadership all the good will and the debates will end without tangible results!

]]> Comment on New 6: ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT by Percy Langa http://mybigdebate.com/?p=172&cpage=1#comment-406 Percy Langa Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:13:28 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=172#comment-406 What a fantastic debate I witnessed on The Big Debate. Granted, the climate change debate is rather complex and investment/capital outlay on greener energies (solar, wind, etc) is costly at present, we cannot ignore the present costs of burning of fossil fuels. We need to think ahead. People of the earth need to stand together & steer our development towards a better future for all. Again, the Big Debate is an excellent programne. Please keep it going for weeks & months. What a fantastic debate I witnessed on The Big Debate. Granted, the climate change debate is rather complex and investment/capital outlay on greener energies (solar, wind, etc) is costly at present, we cannot ignore the present costs of burning of fossil fuels. We need to think ahead. People of the earth need to stand together & steer our development towards a better future for all.

Again, the Big Debate is an excellent programne. Please keep it going for weeks & months.

]]> Comment on New 6: ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT by Dayalan Chetty http://mybigdebate.com/?p=172&cpage=1#comment-390 Dayalan Chetty Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:52:21 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=172#comment-390 Hi, my name is Dayalan Chetty and I am the CEO of a company called Green Age Energy Ltd in Johannesburg South Africa. We are launching our product a Solar Wind Hybrid Co-generator that can produce sustainable energy providing electricity off-grid, meaning we can provide electricity currently where there is none. This energy is clean, noiseless and pollution free. I have watched your debate and my comment is, the problem today is that we find the media talking, trying to address the seriousness of introducing renewable energy to save our environment and this is admirable - but unless our Governent plays a serious part by making the correct decisions and actualy doing something to allow the people to assist when they can it will not happen. The problem is that Government appears to want change and appears to want to assist with the current environmental problems but when you knock on their door providing them with a sustainable solution the truth prevails that our Government is not interested at all. There are a number of entrepreneurs that have sustainable solutions in small packages that can help our environment and current energy crisis but unless legislation allows it and a shift in the monopoly is allowed this is not going to happen. A number of entrepreneurs are spending or have spent huge amounts of monies in developing these solutions but when the time comes to actualy implement this into our system it is not allowed. My point is that solutions exist a long time ago but we face a problem of greed and quasi monopoly and this needs to change! Hi, my name is Dayalan Chetty and I am the CEO of a company called Green Age Energy Ltd in Johannesburg South Africa.

We are launching our product a Solar Wind Hybrid Co-generator that can produce sustainable energy providing electricity off-grid, meaning we can provide electricity currently where there is none.

This energy is clean, noiseless and pollution free.

I have watched your debate and my comment is, the problem today is that we find the media talking, trying to address the seriousness of introducing renewable energy to save our environment and this is admirable – but unless our Governent plays a serious part by making the correct decisions and actualy doing something to allow the people to assist when they can it will not happen.

The problem is that Government appears to want change and appears to want to assist with the current environmental problems but when you knock on their door providing them with a sustainable solution the truth prevails that our Government is not interested at all.

There are a number of entrepreneurs that have sustainable solutions in small packages that can help our environment and current energy crisis but unless legislation allows it and a shift in the monopoly is allowed this is not going to happen. A number of entrepreneurs are spending or have spent huge amounts of monies in developing these solutions but when the time comes to actualy implement this into our system it is not allowed.

My point is that solutions exist a long time ago but we face a problem of greed and quasi monopoly and this needs to change!

]]> Comment on New 2: TRANSFORMATION by Mzukisi Ndzipo http://mybigdebate.com/?p=115&cpage=1#comment-371 Mzukisi Ndzipo Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:36:59 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=115#comment-371 At the risk of being petty and personal I wish to thank Yolanda for her reiterative response. I also wish to point to her that her opening line appears to border on condescension towards my person. What is redemptive of her indiscretion in that regard is her concession of her being an "average Jane." It would be beneficial for her and others like her to strive to increase their cognitive content regarding this country's current and past racial relations and broader transformation issues. An initial step in that direction would be a re-read of my initial response and a deep ponderation thereupon PRIOR to attempting to rubbish it in the manner she has attempted above... At the risk of being petty and personal I wish to thank Yolanda for her reiterative response. I also wish to point to her that her opening line appears to border on condescension towards my person. What is redemptive of her indiscretion in that regard is her concession of her being an “average Jane.” It would be beneficial for her and others like her to strive to increase their cognitive content regarding this country’s current and past racial relations and broader transformation issues. An initial step in that direction would be a re-read of my initial response and a deep ponderation thereupon PRIOR to attempting to rubbish it in the manner she has attempted above…

]]> Comment on New 4: JOBS & INCOMES by Renzo Le'Kay http://mybigdebate.com/?p=143&cpage=1#comment-366 Renzo Le'Kay Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:50:12 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=143#comment-366 I'm a qualified agricultural researcher.I graduated in 1996 with a ND in agric. research(botany).The last 4/5 working years enabled me to learn & do foodsafety auditing from a theoretical & practical point of view.I don't have the piece of paper to vouch for this so companies i apply to doubt my expertise.I envisioned being employed by a company involved in foodsafety auditing/agriculture so i can use my practical knowledge to get "the piece of paper"but they not willing to chance it.My continuous struggles to date to find an appropriate post with a reasonable salary & where i can exploit my potential to it's full,has left all my efforts in vain.Where to from here??? Borne & reared a S.A citizen, i'm starting to doubt where democracy applies in this country & whether agriculture is a priority in this country.The millions starving,homeless,uneducated,without basic needs of life etc makes me ponder.MP's live luxerous lives at the expense of the poor & i'm ashamed to acknowledge them as our leaders. I'm an honest,open,hardworking middle-class citizen of S.A but aimlessly look for work just to pay for the roof over my head & educate myself(out of my pocket) in a more common line of work,so i can hopefully be secured in a job someday.How many skilled & experienced staff work in government-nevermind the fraudulant degrees,i want to know if they can apply their skills practically.My skills & practical experience serves NO purpose at all for a "so-called" coloured citizen.I'm so angered & disappointed by the way employment issues/general recruitment is dealt with in this country.I always say a candidate should be placed on merit & not just because of a skin colour-is this not what democracy should be? I hope to speak "my heart out"on national t.v someday.If my welfare is taken to heart as a citizen of this country, please afford me the rights of humankind just like everybody else deserves. I would most appreciate it if i could get some feedback concerning employment in my line of work. Renzo I’m a qualified agricultural researcher.I graduated in 1996 with a ND in agric. research(botany).The last 4/5 working years enabled me to learn & do foodsafety auditing from a theoretical & practical point of view.I don’t have the piece of paper to vouch for this so companies i apply to doubt my expertise.I envisioned being employed by a company involved in foodsafety auditing/agriculture so i can use my practical knowledge to get “the piece of paper”but they not willing to chance it.My continuous struggles to date to find an appropriate post with a reasonable salary & where i can exploit my potential to it’s full,has left all my efforts in vain.Where to from here???

Borne & reared a S.A citizen, i’m starting to doubt where democracy applies in this country & whether agriculture is a priority in this country.The millions starving,homeless,uneducated,without basic needs of life etc makes me ponder.MP’s live luxerous lives at the expense of the poor & i’m ashamed to acknowledge them as our leaders.

I’m an honest,open,hardworking middle-class citizen of S.A but aimlessly look for work just to pay for the roof over my head & educate myself(out of my pocket) in a more common line of work,so i can hopefully be secured in a job someday.How many skilled & experienced staff work in government-nevermind the fraudulant degrees,i want to know if they can apply their skills practically.My skills & practical experience serves NO purpose at all for a “so-called” coloured citizen.I’m so angered & disappointed by the way employment issues/general recruitment is dealt with in this country.I always say a candidate should be placed on merit & not just because of a skin colour-is this not what democracy should be?

I hope to speak “my heart out”on national t.v someday.If my welfare is taken to heart as a citizen of this country, please afford me the rights of humankind just like everybody else deserves.

I would most appreciate it if i could get some feedback concerning employment in my line of work.

Renzo

]]> Comment on New 5: EDUCATION by Cathy Cameron http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151&cpage=1#comment-336 Cathy Cameron Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:35:06 +0000 http://mybigdebate.com/?p=151#comment-336 Basil Kransdorff tel nr 0828043818 Basil Kransdorff tel nr 0828043818

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