Two Bits – Today’s washing and yesterday’s sunshine

I caught a bit of a Carte Blanche interview with comedian Trevor Noah on Sunday night which took viewers on a tour of his new life as host of The Daily Show, one of America’s (and the world’s) biggest comedy slots.

After looking at his glam life, he was asked what message he wanted to send to the youth of South Africa.

These aren’t his exact words, but the message was: “Don’t live your life expecting anything to be given to you for free. Nothing is free – everything you want must be worked for.”

There are few things more tiresome in the new South Africa for people of my generation than the constant ‘gimme, gimme’ from younger people. ‘We want’, ‘we demand’ are everywhere, from education to housing to jobs.

Yes, the ANC way back when made a serious mistake promising free everything because it is clearly not able to deliver on those promises. Nor should anybody else have, there simply isn’t the money.

You could argue that the money has been stolen, that others are feeding at the trough so why not me and so on, but the truth of Noah’s message is simple: if you live your life waiting for handouts, life will pass you by and you will carry your disappointment forever.

I’ve mentioned here before about the daughter of our housekeeper who dragged herself up by her bootstraps to complete a law degree at University of Zululand. To recap, Rose and I have employed a housekeeper for 28 years who was very poor when we took her on.

A widow, Josephine lived in a shack in Kalafukwe, Etete, with her children. She worked hard and eventually bought a better house in Shayamoya, Etete.

Her own mother worked for the late Jill Reynolds, who generously put up some money for young Thobile when she showed great promise at school, first at Sizani in Foxhill and then at Shakaskraal Secondary.

Thobile snagged a bursary from the department of education to study at the University of Zululand and my wife, Rose, chipped in as well.

Angela sailed through Unizul and variously also worked at home affairs as an immigration officer, studied at the University of Cape Town and was given the opportunity to study pension law in Britain.

There is a Zulu saying: You cannot dry today’s washing with yesterday’s sun.

So young Thobile didn’t rest on her laurels. This year she was awarded a masters degree in law and was admitted to the High Court as an advocate – the first black female advocate to our knowledge from the KwaDukuza region and possibly even from all of Ilembe.

She works on Umhlanga Ridge where she is head of legal and compliance and legal advisor of Akani Retirement Fund Administrators. And, she says, her role model is her mother.

Thobile did not forget those who helped her on the road to success. Last Saturday afternoon she held a massive party to celebrate. All of 250 people jammed onto the property she bought in Salt Rock, up the road from our house, where the guest of honour was none other than Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, together with many of her lecturers and fellow graduates from Unizul, family and friends.

The speechifying and constant breaking into song and prayer lasted nearly five hours, which I found uplifting, not tiring. Thobile found an early believer and sponsor in Buthelezi, a former chancellor of Unizul, who praised her commitment and work ethic.

“It is rare that people come back to thank others for helping them, or take the time to express appreciation,” he said.

“But my help alone didn’t bring her success. Thobile didn’t sit back and expect an easy ride to a tertiary education. It takes a special kind of person to achieve what she has.

“When people say thank you my heart fills with joy, but I want to remind them to never stop learning.”

One of the lecturers made a telling point: ‘It is not a shame to be poor, it is a challenge!’

We publish stories regularly about young people demanding jobs from places like The Junction, while farmers tell us that locals do not want jobs working in the fields. Many of the least popular jobs – car and security guards, cane cutters – are filled by foreigners.

Why? Because they need to work. Yes, there are locals who start their own businesses when they can find no other work, but they are few and far between.

I hope Thobile’s story can inspire someone, especially among those who consider their position hopeless, to apply their minds to better themselves. Be inspired by Trevor Noah’s words: “Everything you want in life has to be worked for.”

* * *

I managed to lose my rifle when I was in the army. I had to pay R500 to cover the loss.

I’m starting to understand why a navy captain always goes down with his ship.