Monday, June 23, 2008

Keeping the Parks clean....


Even in winter, the Kikuyu grass in Richmond Park, and many others around the city, remains green and needs mowing, although it is certainly not as rampant as it is in summer. The Municipality has outsourced the mowing of the parks to private companies run, according to the latest PC Speak, by PDs, as part of its BEE initiative.
I could write a book about how irritating I find acronyms, and when you get into the international realm of blogland, they multiply hideously as each country has its own set of acronyms that mean completely different things to the same set of letters elsewhere.
So to translate, "this is Politically Correct speak for using Previously Disadvantaged (black owned) companies, as part of the Black Economic Empowerment initiative." Often this AA (no, not Automobile Association or Alcoholics Anonymous, but Affirmative Action!!) system gets abused and a few fat cats get richer and richer, while the average person remains disadvantaged.
But in this case, it is really cool that small businessmen are being given opportunities to get contracts, invest in machinery, grow their business, and provide employment for others. For many, sweeping up grass cuttings might not seem the most desirable job, but for this lady, it is an opportunity she would not have had 15 years ago, to help provide for her family.

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