Congatulations are in order for a young man, Lehloohonolo Pali from Sebokeng who got his doctrate recently .

Hard work does really pay off no matter how young you are, Phali has proved this. Having said that, I was vindicated last week when the Statician General for Statistics South Africa, Pali Lehohla released some horrifying statistics regarding murder in this country.

Pali and his team proved me right on what I have been saying for years, that jealousy kills. Lehohla said that the main reason people are killed in this country is jealousy. To my excitement (and obviously devastation about the killings), newspaper headlines screamed ‘Envy is killing us… literally!

Being green with envy never feels good. Nowadays we are compelled to compare everything, from the food we eat, the clothes we wear to the different sizes of the houses we own. However, I believe that letting these comparisons control your mentality can be harmful. If you spend your days wishing you were living someone else’s life, you won’t be able to live your own life to the fullest, will you? So stop the envy. Even if you don’t have everything others have, you still have something to appreciate.

Perhaps you are still healthy or you have a partner that means the world to you. Even if it’s something as simple as a nice routine each day, being more positive will lead to a better you. Lehohla says that jealousy is the main motive for murder in this country and that these murders are committed by people between 15 and 34 on people more or less the same age, sad isn’t it?

These murders he attributes to people that are jealous of other’s achievements and success. Women are the victims in three out of four murders and the perpetrators often know each other. How disgusting? The message is clear here, that the more we wish to have what others have we are led to being envious which in some instances lead to such drastic measures as murder. This has been proven. I have always said and will repeat that jealousy leads to hatred in some.

Lehohla and his team have proved my point, think about it. Our sincere congratulations once again to Dr Lehlohonolo Pali.  Pele ya pele! Success deserves praise not jealousy.

Lerato…