Committed To YOUR Personal Development

Dear Editor, This is an open letter to Mr Mbeki.Dear Mr President, Thank you for the commitment to resolving the infrastructure crisis in the country. Equally so, your resolve to improve government service delivery.

I have a suggestion that would in a very short time help get things back on track, while at the same time, will add to nation-building.

We need affirmative action and BEE. To do that, many experienced, middle aged white males were unfortunately side-lined. Current procurement policies make it difficult to employ them. The Eskom situation looks to be repeated within the water and roads sectors - all infrastructure has suffered in the past number of years and is heading for collapse.

A great solution would be to create a special vehicle, where ex-officials (engineers, managers, administrators, CEOs) who have a multitude of experience, knowledge and skill can be contracted into a special state company, and deployed to assist where needed.

This assistance would be hands-on intervention, but also training current incumbents, providing mentorship, basically assisting the present officialdom to become experienced and effectively operational within the space of one generation. At the same time, these “sidelined” officials will be used and appreciated, doing what they were trained for (at great cost) and be a service to the country.

At the end of their “term” they will retire gracefully and normality will be in place. This state company will by definition not be BEE compliant, but that is the point, it will be a transitional delivery vehicle - for South Africans, by South Africans, helping transformation to be finalised to the satisfaction and benefit to all.

In that way it will contribute to nation-building, teaching all concerned that the differences are actually quite small, and something to be treasured and not feared. A core concept however, is using ex-officials.

Your initiative in the State of the Nation speech to draw on CEOs is a good one. As is the concept of the Project Consolidate. Unfortunately, using big international management companies, CEOs etc does not solve the situation, as they have very little exposure or understanding of the intricacies of working within local government.

Many a top CEO has failed when drawn into a municipal environment, for this reason. I have been there, seen it happen. Even after all that has transpired, there are still many very capable municipal and government managers and officials who could assist with this turn-around.

I am willing to start such a company, I know of many very capable people who would be interested to undertake such a venture - both for pride, job-satisfaction and to assist the country in restoring greatness. Financing such a company would amount to small change - when compared to the cost of failure, as is happening now in the Eskom situation.

I truly hope this message is heard and taken to heart - we can save this country.

“Willing to help”,
Stellenbosch

Categories: Business, Competence, Goals, responsibility
Tags: