Diversity - South Africa's biggest Asset.

Diversity – South Africa’s biggest Asset

Unity in Diversity – South Africa’s biggest Challenge

Stes de Necker

In almost all areas, plants, animals, birds, people, language, climate, minerals, South Africa remains the country with the world's richest and largest diversities in these areas.

If we look at Southern Africa, which include the areas Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana, there is no other country in the world where you can, within an area of ​​approximately 2.5 million. Km² find 18500 different plant species, 750 types of Butterflies, 336 mammal species, 800 different bird species, more than 60 types of minerals.

According to the international classification of the world's six major floral kingdoms, South Africa's fynbos region, an area that stretches from the Olifants River 250 km. Northwest of Cape Town to Port Elizabeth on the east coast, is the smallest of the six regions. Although the smallest, this region has 8500 different plant species of which 73% can be found nowhere else in the world. Table Mountain alone has more plant species than can be found in the whole of Britain. Compared to South Africa's 750 Butterfly species, only 75 species can be found in the whole of England. Compared to the total of 125 kinds of land animals found in Western Europe, South Africa has no less than 240 different kinds of mammals. No less than 29 different antelope species can be found in South Africa.

Add to this, 11 different indigenous peoples, 3 million Hectares natural reserves and a shoreline where already 65 types of the world’s Whales and dolphins species have been spotted, then it is understandable why many foreign visitors have expressed the view that South Africa has the potential to become the economic wonder of the western world.

Why do foreigners see this potential while the South African government still stumbles over it daily. Is it because the government still finds itself in the crush of bias, or can they simply not succeed in getting rid of their unsuccessful economic policies.

As for as gold and diamonds are concerned, South Africa accounts for 80% of the world's gold production while the bulk of the world's diamonds currently come from South Africa. More than 60 minerals are mined in South Africa, while about 90% of the world's vanadium, 89% of the platinum metal group, 84% of the chrome ore, 93% of manganese and 64% of the gold reserves, are concentrated in South Africa. Coal provides 80% of the country's energy needs while great progress has already been made in the area of ​​additional nuclear power and wind power. Sasol currently supply more than 30% of the country's liquid petroleum needs while the agricultural sector still succeeds to feed approx. 40 mill. people daily.

In a previous article of mine, "Cry the Beloved Country - Continue Crying" I wrote about South Africa's political strife and that the ANC government (including his youth and other leagues), still can not understand that South Africa's riches belong to all South Africans and not only to the the current generation of ANC members. One wonders who the ANCYL think the minerals and national wealth of this country will belong to if nationalization becomes a reality. The ANC elite? Some State organ? Some black empowerment company? If the black empowerment company Mvelaphanda of Mr. Tokyo Sexwale must serve as an example of the redistribution of South Africa's mineral wealth, nationalization will surely be the final death blow to South Africa's economy.

      

What became of the ANC’s noble ideals that South Africa belongs to all who live in it? Or does the "all" now have a new meaning and it now only refers to "All in the ANC"? What about the 34% of voters who did not vote for the ANC. Are they excluded from participation in this "communal" wealth?

In "Cry the Beloved Country - Continue Crying" I said that forgotten are the noble ideals of upliftment of the less privileged, equal opportunity for all, freedom of occupation and freedom of association. Instead, there exists today a culture of "Get as rich as possible as quickly as possible." In addition, this culture of self-enrichment is only at the disposal of a few privileged loyalists in the ANC. Differ from this group and your right to economic achievement will be taken away very quickly. It is a culture that embraces a variety of ills, most of which are aimed at the erosion of our constitutional democracy and the maintenance of an unscrupulous and incompetent group of politicians in their fortified palaces, wood-paneled offices and luxury limousines.

The multicolored rainbow of Emeritus Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu is rapidly being replaced with the mirages of a scorched and desolate desert landscape.

Forced integration at all levels of society is destroying our unique cultural diversity and identities and creating a faceless society who do not know who or what they really are.

Indiscriminate granting of exploration and mining concessions are working to destroy our natural heritage.

Corruption and crime are destroying any hope of this country's potential to position itself as the tourism mecca of the world.

Personal gain and an uncompromising devotion to economic and political power, is destroying South Africa's economic potential and political stability.

Corruption and fraud, at all levels of our society, is destroying South Africa's integrity and credibility as a reliable international trading partner.

The indiscriminate allocation of social grants and donations to win political votes, is destroying our people's work ethics and productivity.

South Africa is the most advanced economy on the African continent, and has already established itself as the gateway to the rest of Africa for investors who want to invest in Africa.

If South Africa wants to retain this position, the South African government will very quickly have to review and clearly spells out it’s policies regarding nationalization and economic development, or run the risk to join countries like Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Kenya and many others as the "failed economies" of the current world order.

The late Dr. Anton Rupert, founder of the Rembrandt Group, on occasion highlighted the following ethical principles for business people in a civilized society namely:

• He who wants to keep everything for himself, will lose everything.

• That you can not trade with paupers.

• You do not create development and/or wealth by giving everything away.

• Wealth is contagious. If success is shared, it leads to greater success.

• Place yourself always in the other person shoes and always consider his position.

• You can only earn trust by trusting others. To trust is a risk, but to distrust others, is an even greater risk.

The vast majority of citizens of this country have yet to learn that political survival and economic prosperity can not be created by plundering accumulated reserves. Economic prosperity can only be achieved by innovative thinking, sound economic principles, hard work and strict personal earnings. It can not be "demanded".

Constitutional principle XI provides that:

"The diversity of language and culture shall be acknowledged and protected, and conditions for their promotion shall be encouraged."

To what extent is the current Government fulfilling this principle?

Since 1994, there has never been a beter time like right now, that all South Africans can (and should), unite in diversity!