Paul Janisch

O2 on the 29th

 
Another year has passed and Oliver has graduated to the terrible twos.  This year has shot by, last year this time he could walk with a little assistance and now he is running around at a pace that no one can match.  He can talk the hind leg off a donkey and has learned to throw expert tantrums.  I am now the proud father of a little boy.  I think he migrated from a baby to a little boy when we sent him for his second haircut.  The first was so traumatic for him (as it is for most babies) that he didn’t get much taken off.  The second one was a proper haircut and he was almost unrecognisable. 

We are now having a lot of fun.  We live close to a park and he regularly plays there and it is extraordinary how quickly his confidence has built up and he clambers up and down the various jungle gyms (no not that one) like a pro.  He was given his own jungle gym for his birthday which has been a total hit.

Kath bought a few cup cakes for his birthday this morning and these were far more interesting to him than the presents he got.  There is so much that you could write about parenthood – and they move between the phases so quickly that you tend to forget what the last one was like. 

Happy birthday Oliver – you’ve proved to be very up to the task of being  part of our family and I suspect that you are now going to teach us what it’s like to be part of your family.  Lots and lots of love and many more.

And in keeping with tradition at this time of year it’s important to remember that one PA Greenbaum (or Peter Green) happens to be 63 today as well.  I’ve posted up the song that demonstrates his extraordinary capability as a musician.  This song is taken from the Blues Jam at Chess album and is essentially a jam track (check out the out-of-phase PG sound at 53 seconds).  Fleetwood Mac recorded this song earlier on the Original Fleetwood Mac, that version was a lot more manic and upbeat and actually starts off with the “Love that woman” verse.  In this version Green is a little more foreboding in his vocal delivery and his guitar work is simply superb.  Long been a favourite of mine.  

Fleetwood Mac - Watch Out

 

And then there is Ollie.  Ollie Halsall has been a fantastic discovery, his music is completely removed from anything Green did.  You could almost regard them as chalk and cheese.  I can’t quite put my finger on why Ollie moves me as much as he does – his playing is manic and incredibly fluid (more fluid than Jeff Beck?) and it doesn’t ever bore me.  He was a great vocalist and very interesting songwriter.  This track is taken off Tempest’s Living in Fear album.  Ollie made one album with Tempest replacing Allan Holdsworth.  Ollie’s contribution to the band was significant, he was the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and song writer.  I love this song it has a very strong Queen-like feel that predates Queen by a few years, in fact I am convinced that Queen were aware of this album because it sounds like one or two famous Queen songs.  I have sent a few emails to Brian May asking him about this – when he answers I’ll be sure to post it here.  Ollie later reprised this song on Boxer’s Below the Belt album.   

Tempest - Waiting For A Miracle

Court rules out consideration of 'other benefits'

I found this on one of my Google Alerts.  It's a little too involved for a Tweet so I'll have to blog it.  Legalbrief states that it is a commentary by Cullinan & Associates Inc.  I can't find it on their website so if this does get to them - please could someone email it to me.

It involves the Provincial Minister for Environmental Planning and Economic Development in the Western Cape and Arabella (just outside Hermanus). 

The court found that

1. The Minister had acted beyond the scope of her powers in that she imposed a condition in which required Arabella to give effect to a BBBEE Agreement to provide social and subsidy housing in an area that was not on the site of the phase 2 development. The court emphasised that when making a decision under the ECA (Environment Conservation Act) and NEMA (National Environmental Management Act) the benefits and disadvantages of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the authorised activities must be considered, not 'extraneous benefits divorced from the impacts of the authorised activities.'
2. Second, there was a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of the Minister since an 'action group' in favour of the appeal approached the Premier of the Western Cape, who then advised them on how to go about concluding the BBBEE agreement with Arabella. This information was then conveyed to the Minister.
3. The judgment serves as a reminder to administrators and developers that the exercise of political pressure may compromise the decision making process.

There are a few interesting connotations here.  Probably the most significant one would occur in PPPs where ED and SED requirements must work within a local economic development context and not extraneous to it.

Ownersheepish - and the only BEE compliance course

Someone searched for this on the blog.  I wrote this 14 years ago.  I'm glad to see that my thought process hasn't changed.  I've probably become a little more jaded over time. 

We have a unique online BEE course coming up.  It's all about compliance. I don't know of another course that deals only with the substance of the codes and doesn't touch on what is right or  emotional issues.  Click on the link and join us

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Bless me for it has been a while.  I discovered that if you get twittering your blogging suffers - something my fellow blogger Melissa Chang told me is a very normal process.   It's been a very interesting month - I went on a national tour talking to both the private and public sectors about the PPPFA regulations.  I was quoted in Business Day - something I have been wanting since I started this BEE lark five years ago and I appeared on TV.   Now before my head gets too big..........

I found this article on my alerts "BEE firms could warm up to family businesses" that initially got up my nose (I've changed tack since I started writing this post).  It's written by Cynthia Mapaure who is the financial director of the Mineworkers Investment Company and in it she avers

Family businesses employ millions of black workers yet black economic empowerment (BEE) has made only limited inroads within these companies - leading to impatience in some quarters over the slow pace of change at the core of our economy.

OK - I don't agree with this statement.  I firmly believe that family businesses should be allowed to remain exactly that FAMILY BUSINESSES.  Why on earth should they sell out to a BEE investor or any investor for that matter. 

But Cynthia goes one step further, surprising me very pleasantly.

Why would a family business that had stalled on BEE for years suddenly have a change of heart in the middle of a downturn? Chances are the company is in dire need of capital and is embracing a new partner out of necessity.

She backs this up with

Some empowerment companies still have relatively strong balance sheets and solid capital reserves. They might benefit from value opportunities like this.

Is she perhaps suggesting that empowerment companies might actually be willing to part with money for their shares - something VERY few have been interested in doing up until now.

Her concluding remarks are

If you are serious about your empowerment mission, there can be no shirking the responsibility of extending transformation to the workers who depend on these businesses for jobs and a regular income.

And this is where I draw a line.  We know where Cynthia is coming from - the byline tells us that she is the financial director of the Mineworkers Investment Company, a leading BEE company with a 14-year track record.  She does deals.  But surely someone who knows anything about deals knows that there is a scorecard that looks after the transformation of the workers.

I put it to you Cynthia - can you seriously prove that by extending the ownership of a private company to the workers you are benefiting them in any real way?  Let me tell you what I think

1. The shares ain't worth shit unless someone is going to buy them.  And in a private company situation this is not going to happen readily
2. I have yet to be convinced that ownership in a company where the shares are not readily for sale actually improves staff retention

Come now Cynthia - drop the ownership rubbish and start talking about job creation and entrepreneurship.  Focus on skills development and whilst you are at it talk to the SETAs about innovative ways to develop skills.  And then why not invest some of your own money in starting black owned family businesses that will compete healthily with white owned businesses.  Leave the ownership of family businesses alone - they are the cornerstone of our economy.