American preacher leaves Swaziland in a huff
The Wall Street Journal reports that an American Preacher who planned on saving a million children from the AIds Epidemic in Swaziland has given up his plans and gone back to the states: In 2002 Bruce Wilkinson, a Georgia preacher whose self-help prayer book had made him a rich man, heard God’s call, moved to Africa a…nd announced his intention to save one million children left orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. In October, Mr. Wilkinson resigned in a huff from the African charity he founded. He abandoned his plan to house 10,000 children in a facility that was to be an orphanage, bed-and-breakfast, game reserve, bible college, industrial park and Disneyesque tourist destination in the tiny kingdom of Swaziland. What happened in between is a story of grand hopes and inexperience, divine inspiration and human foibles. Mr. Wilkinson won churchloads of followers in Swaziland, but left them bereft and confused. He gained access to top Swazi officials, but alienated them with his demands. And his departure left critics convinced he was just another in a long parade of outsiders who have come to Africa making big promises and quit the continent when local people didn’t bend to their will. The setback stunned Mr. Wilkinson, who had grown accustomed to operating on a larger-than-life scale, promising that God would enable him to achieve the impossible. “We’re going to see the largest humanitarian religious movement in the history of the world from the U.S. to Africa to help in this crisis,” Mr. Wilkinson predicted in June, when he believed his orphan village was about to sprout from the African bush. Just a few months later, he found himself groping with his failure to make that happen. “I’ll put it down as one of the disappointments of my career,” he says. Mr. Wilkinson’s life has been all about miracles: He routinely asks God to perform them, and God, he says, routinely does. A solidly built 58-year-old, with silver hair and rimless glasses, Mr. Wilkinson led his nondenominational ministries to explosive growth over three decades, sponsoring thousands of Christian seminars and training battalions of Bible teachers. But his life took a sharp turn after he wrote “The Prayer of Jabez,” a 93-page, $10 tract published in 2000. It is based on a passage in the Bible’s book of Chronicles, in which an honorable man named Jabez asked for God’s favor. “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, and that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain,” Jabez prayed. In the story, God granted his wish. The...
Tourists – Think you know Joburg? Think again.
Thanks to one of newest and most fabulous Representers Sophie M for this article that she spotted while jet-setting around the world… Isn’t it amazing how a foreigner can see through us in a few days yet some people will spend their whole lives not questioning their attitudes and life-styles. Our guess the writ…er, Will, must have been hanging out with some REPRESENTERS – you go guys! Spread Love! It’s from the Observer newspaper and features a concise ‘travel guide’ to Jozi… Check the whole story out on the site by clicking here… Has Will got it right? Do read the article and give us your thoughts on where the top places are: We’re not going to give you the whole article -but WE LOVE THIS part – BIG UPS to Mike HIll – you rock! Don’t even think about … – Spending all your time in Sandton. There’s a whole city out there, and it extends beyond the rather sterile northern suburbs. – Giving in to white South Africans’ paranoia. As a tourist you’d be stupid to wander round the streets of Yeoville and Hillbrow, but in a car with a guide, a daytime drive-through shows that the formerly all-white city centre beats stronger than ever with a new black heart. By avoiding downtown you are missing one of Africa’s most interesting urban experiences, but do go with a guide. Don’t get obsessed about crime but do be as vigilant as you would in any big city. – Visiting the Tuscan villages – gaudy reproductions of Italian towns smack in the middle of the African veld – and gated communities in general. This is white South Africa’s neurosis at its most telling. -Talking about crime over dinner – that’s so five years ago. Ditto raving about how fabulous Cape Town is. Here’s Will’s article – comments please…: Long spurned as Capetown’s ugly sister, Johannesburg has been quietly reinventing itself as one of the most exciting cities in Africa. Will Hide reports: Think you know Johannesburg? Deprivation, racial conflict and urban decay, visible only through a hail of gunshots? Well, it’s time to think again. A decade after the end of apartheid, Jo’burg – aka Jozi, aka Egoli, aka the City of Gold – is a fantastically vibrant mix of brash upstart and grand old dame, where Africa meets Europe via southern California. Standing by a shack in the middle of Alexandra township, the gleaming tops of Sandton’s skyscrapers could be a thousand miles away. Actually, they’re less than two. The city went through a spectacularly destructive period in the 1990s but the installation of CCTV downtown and large...
Now anyone can blog.
Now anyone can blog! If you’ve only just come across the amazing opportunities that blogging offers, check this out. We recommend blogger.com for a simple and functional blog set up template – try it out! That’s how we started! Thanks to Stoffel for the following great resourse – it’s called “I Want to…” and comes from a site called Philb.com. It’s answers to all the th…ings you would like to do with your website, blog or on the net as you surf…. It answers questions with the most efficient, popular and optimal solutions… Sample questions: I want to…. Manage my time and myself more effectively Share with other people: photographs, webpages, bookmarks Set up an online calendar Do things with multimedia; podcasts, streaming Do clever things with RSS and wikis And loads more! Just click here to go there for all your answers! From the man behind the site: I want to: “I want to…” or “I need to” or “How do I?” These are all questions we all ask all the time. This is a small collection of resources that will help to answer those questions. It is not complete, nor will it ever be. I will be adding to this on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it and come back and...
Face the facts – Joburg city is on the up
In a recent survey of Represent subscribers, it was impressive how many readers voted Joburg.org as one of their favourite sites. We agree whole-heartedly, it is a well managed, informative and dynamic site. Congrats to all the peeps working so hard – particularly Lucille Davie whose research and writing is world class./A As usual, the Joburg website (City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)) cuts to the chase and tells us the facts – check out the comprehensive and highly informative (not to forget easy-to-read) Building developmental local government 2000-2005 report. Click here for the full report on how the city has fared over the last five years. Some personal highlights: Population of Inner City The population of the Inner City has grown rapidly since the late 1980s, and evidence suggests it continues to grow today. A comparison of two studies, one conducted in 1992 and the other in 1996, indicates that the population of the Inner City may have doubled in the first half of the 1990s. The first estimated a population of approximately 60 000.106 The second estimated that the population had grown to between 120 000 to 128 000.107 Census data shows that this growth continued between 1996 and 2001. The City of Johannesburg has disaggregated the census data for each of its 11 administrative Regions. A comparison of 1996 and 2001 census figures for Region 8 shows an increase in population from 203 765 to 257 180 during this period. Office Space in the city There are approximately 7 million m2 of floor space available in the Inner City, of which around 3 million m2 is formal office space. This represents some 57% of the combined total office space of South Africa’s next three largest cities, Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria. Informal Trading in the city Informal traders have been quick to exploit this potential. Anywhere between 7 000 and 10 000 informal traders work in the Inner City, many trading directly off the streets. Although the presence of informal traders is often seen as a sign of urban blight, informal trade is a significant economic sector with an estimated annual turnover of around R 4,2 billion. Migrant Traders in the city Migrant traders are attracted by the Inner City’s transport infrastructure. This allows them to purchase goods in the Inner City and transport them to other parts of sub-Saharan Africa for resale at competitive prices. Approximately 400 000 to 500 000 tourist traders and shoppers from across the sub-continent make their way to the Inner City each year. Security in the city The Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Surveillance Project is one of the City’s most exciting...
So you want to live in a city apartment?
Believe the hype – the city is being renovated and anyone that can and wants to is snapping up a snazzy place. In reality they’re all pretty expensive for the floorspace (some are ridiculously small), however if one considers Manhattan and London central and the price of apartments there, it seems to be relatively well-priced. Then there are the speculators amongst us that are waiting …for a mass renewal period where all of a sudden there are loads of blocks being upgraded at the same time pushing the competition higher and thus encouraging better value for money. But one must ask- could this be the start of that wave? First up is 100 Jorissen – thanks to Zithu for the tip – They go from R200g’s – R.4million depending on what size you’re after – therir location is ideal – right near Nelson Mandela Bridge and with a fantastic view of the city but it’s in Braamies not the bowl. THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOOD LIVING Situated in the centrally located suburb of Braamfontein, 100 Jorissen is an exciting new development that takes city apartment living to new heights. With 161 unique residential apartments and 5 luxury penthouses, this designer block is part of the inner city growth and renewal drive – the latest property trend to hit Johannesburg. Modern lines blend effortlessly with practical industrial detailing, while multiple courtyards, landscaped roof terraces, balconies and patios take advantage of the spectacular Highveld climate. With a multitude of lifestyle features on offer, 100 Jorissen sets a standard for inner city convenience. Next up is THE NEWTOWN development is in Quinn street at the MILLS – the old Premier Milling headquarters – an amazing building in another rapidly developing area… They are right off the highway and easy to get to… They’re selling quickly too and are at the top end of the range – from R600 – R1m. “the newtown will consist of 30 chic urban apartments and 7 breath-taking penthouses, with each apartment having a sweeping view of JO’burg’s skyline.” Then there’s the STALWARTS, the guys that kicked it off – URBAN OCEAN – Alphonso Botha and his team – of the famous Apprentice apartment – they’re looking to expand into a wider market and their friendly marketing lady KATY is always keen on a chat and a brisk stroll around the city. ENJOY and let us know if you buy something! If anyone knows of any other developments – bring ’em...
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