During the past week, I came across the opinions of four South African influencers that showed just how difficult it is to decide what is perception and what is reality!

The first was Gavin Lewis of the DA labeling me as "indefatigable but muddled in my pursuit of "good news'" as I wrote about the Business Day's reluctance to engage in the Media Tribunal Debate. Make of that what you will, but as Judge President Steyn (caretaker of the Namibian Independence handover) said when criticised about his role, "it's like a duck's water running off my back!"

The second was an article by Allister Sparks, "The swift trashing of our World Cup image" (Business Day 18 August 2010) in which he claims that "a few weeks later (after the World Cup) our government seems to be going out of its way to blot out our new image of investors beginning to reassess us as the realisation spread that South Africa was different from the rest of what many still perceived to be 'the hopeless continent' by delivering a series of public relations disasters".

I am not sure that Africa is a "hopeless continent" any more, but read on!

It wasn't one week after the end of the World Cup that media headlines turned our attention to the looming strike action and the Agliotti and Selebi trials. The World Cup was a welcome relief from many of the underlying challenges facing South Africa. We were united as never before. But life quickly returned to what it was before the historic event.

Or did it?

Since the end of the World Cup, we've seen the launch of the International Marketing Council's (IMC) Fly the Flag Fridays campaign, Draftfcb's Keep Flying campaign, the Primedia and Independent Newspaper's LeadSA initiative and the SABC's Social Investment Campaign starting with the clean-up of Hillbrow. Clearly, these campaigns have been inspired and initiated to keep the patriotic spirit of the World Cup alive.

You won't read about him in newspapers.

His face doesn't appear on billboards or magazine covers, and I doubt you'll ever see him on TV or hear about him on radio, but he's the kind of person Nelson Mandela spoke about when he said 'we must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right.'

And, Mr Traffic (as he's known) is doing exactly that...

As one of South Africa's many unemployed, he realised that he has time on his hands; time he could put to good use for the benefit of others.

This is a difficult newsletter to write.

Firstly, there has been an unprecedented outpouring of anger in media circles regarding the proposed Access to Information Bill and the proposed statutory Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT). Unless one joins the chorus of media critics one is seen as pro the introduction of "Nazi-style apartheid government" muzzling measures!

Introducing Themba Makamo: "Eita SA – Good News subscribers! I'm Themba Makamo, the new journalist at SA - The Good News. Previously I was writing for a weekly news and entertainment magazine and I'm really excited about joining the team. I'm looking forward to making a valuable contribution towards a positive narrative in South Africa. I hope you enjoy my first newsletter and let us have your feedback."

Last week Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, announced his intention to retire from public life in October when he turns 79. "The Arch" said he would now devote his time to quiet reflection, his family, watching sport and reading.

While he'll continue to be involved with The Elders, the Nobel Laureate Group and his Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, he will step down as Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape and as representative on the UN's Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Genocide.

At SA Good News we receive many, quite unbelievable stories of goodwill, of hope, of ubuntu. We published 25 of them five years ago in our book "Miracles That Are Changing A Nation", stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to make a difference. In our view, these stories define the unique South African character of community, they are stories about our future as much as they are of our present. With Nelson Mandela Day just past, we thought it fitting to share this true story of another South African miracle by Justin Foxton of Stop Crime, Say Hello.

The story of Hope

Hope noun, verb, hoped, hop•ing - (noun) the feeling that events will turn out for the best

The ease and efficiency of the process belies the horror of the situation. Just 20 minutes after arriving, we walked away from the Durban Magistrate's Court with 2.95kgs of dirty, smelly, beautiful newborn baby in our arms.

We have been asked by a range of organisations, think-tanks and academic institutions to comment on what we should do as a country to sustain the momentum of our FIFA 2010 remarkable success "after the final whistle has blown". In this newsletter, CEO of SA - The Good News, Steuart Pennington, shares his thoughts.

I was gutted by Ghana's loss on Friday night. Last time I felt like that was when SA lost the Cricket World Cup to Australia in the last over in 1994. Everyone in my chosen venue seemed to freeze as the second Ghanaian penalty was missed. The patrons left half-empty drinks as they left in despair. It was a cruel moment. As I drove home I had this indelible impression of an inconsolable Asamoah Gyan weeping profusely as his team mates tried to comfort him. It was sport at its most cruel, its most pitiless, as just 10 metres away the Uruguayans celebrated euphorically. It all seemed so unfair.

But it got me thinking...

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" my Dad always taught me.

"I've been to Soccer City and the Innes Free Fan Park, but I'm going to watch the next game at a Castle Kingdom tavern in one of the townships." 

"A what?"

"A Castle Kingdom….you know, the true personification of warm South African hospitality and festivity and offers a World Cup viewing experience like no other," was the reply. "It's an SAB initiative to transform the taverns and bars across the country. The aim is to offer locals and visitors alike a World Cup experience filled with a uniquely vibrant South African atmosphere" 

"Lekker, can I join you?"  

And so we found our way into Soweto to experience another jol that is making this World Cup, according to Jerome Valcke of FIFA "almost perfect". 

For the last two weeks I've enjoyed seeing my fellow South Africans more relaxed and cheerful than I have ever seen them before. And it hasn't been racially exclusive – much like it was during the Cricket and  Rugby World Cups - this time it's been everyone.

Last night, my favourite Bafana player and star of Everton Football Club, Steven Pienaar summed it up when he said, "With football we brought our nation together and showed that we are one country...we have to be proud of our team."

Mark Twain once said "Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government only when it deserves it". Peter Bruce, Editor of Business Day said (31 May 2010): "South Africans need to be careful not only of what we say to each other, but how we say it", and then on 14 June, "Everywhere there are reasons to be proud to be South African".

Our national narrative is very positive right now. Sure there have been concerns raised about public transport, striking security personnel, elephants blocking teams from getting to practice – but the response has been swift and, where necessary, tough. Sadly much of the media, both local and international have focused mostly on the bad news. Sad, because there is so much to celebrate! 

Siphamandla Mngomezulu, from Mosvold District in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, is graduating with a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology today. You might not care, until you know what obstacles this 25-year old University of Johannesburg graduate has overcome in order to hold this degree.

"Mmm, mmm," says Siphamandla as he considers the last couple of years. "Today is quite a huge achievement and a humbling experience for me, looking at where I came from - having started in a rural school." 

During this past week South Africa lost an extraordinary leader. Political parties were unanimous in their tributes, describing him as a "visionary", a "principled patriot" and an "intellectual and moral leader".

Dr. Frederik van Zyl Slabbert was a politician, an academic, a businessman and political commentator, who will be best remembered for his courage in opposing the minority apartheid rule and his foresight in establishing dialogue between white South Africans and the then banned ANC, culminating in the meetings in Dakar, Senegal in 1987.

According to his daughter, Tania, he died peacefully on 14 May, age 70, surrounded by his family.

"Writing about the future is difficult, managing the future is complex and predicting the future is impossible" were my thoughts as the inaugural Futures conference, organised by the South African Chapter of the World Futures Society, concluded. Indeed, we are blessed with many compatriots who are determined to ensure that we manage our future as best we can.

The central theme of the two-day workshop was that with proper foresight and the correct application of systems theory our future "can be explored, colonised, imagined and created" as Richard Slaughter, a futurist said. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that passive adaptation to a deteriorating environment is a road to disaster. As Michael Lee, the World Futures Society founder in South Africa reminds us, "we cannot know the future, but we can change it, we can design it, we can plan it and we can action it".

"We're imprisoned by our pursuit of freedom" was the explanation I received when I was warned against jogging in Central Park, New York at dusk. "The homeless enjoy more freedoms than the joggers, it's just too dangerous to be there at this time of day."

Freedom Day on April 27th, was for me a time of introspection.  How does one write about freedom? What is freedom? Why are there so many obvious contradictions in the freedom debate? Is freedom about rights and/or responsibilities and the extent to which they are enjoyed and exercised? Is freedom about development and the extent to which this is being implemented?  Does freedom exist, or is it just a relative concept that means different things to different people? Is there a lineal relationship between political, economic and social freedom? Is there any place in the world where people genuinely feel free?  Difficult questions, for me anyway.

Lewis Pugh is a man for the moment. His steely resolve, tough mental attitude and absolute conviction about climate change is only matched by the extremes of the deadly, icy waters he swims in.

The swimmer, environmental activist and lawyer has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other, and he is the only person to have completed a long distance swim in every ocean of the world.

By Nic Haralambous of www.sarocks.co.za

No. It isn’t.

I have a bee in my shoe (not in my bonnet). It’s stinging me. It’s always there in a place that you can’t quite find but you can feel it stinging the underside of your foot. And it hurts.

Over the last two days I have read countless emails, SMS’s, tweets and Facebook status updates along the lines: “I’m seriously considering leaving this country”.

Let me just understand this correctly. Once upon a time, AWB political stalwart Eugène Terre’Blanche is murdered, Julius Malema kicks a journalist out of a media briefing and says stupid things (shock, horror, awe) and an AWB spokesperson, interviewer and anchor make fools of themselves and some South Africans decide it’s time to openly, in a public forum, declare that it’s time to consider leaving this place.

Greg Nott, Global Lawyer of the Year 2009

When you imagine 'The Global Lawyer of the Year', one probably conjures up an image of a tall, suave, fast talking man with swift hand movements and a swanky walk; a man whose tongue eases over fancy legal terms whilst being secretly cunning.

Imagine, then, my surprise when I meet the actual Global Lawyer of the Year, Greg Nott, who is refreshingly not: your typical lawyer.

Nott is warm and unassuming, obviously interested in the lives of those around him and completely at ease engaging with his staff members.

But Nott couldn't have made it to where he is today by just being kind. He loves the art of the deal and his interest in the media, politics and law have blended together into a career where pertinent political issues have met with his skill of negotiation and found a way for the underdog to win.

What is the secret to combatting crime? This question has frustrated me time and time again and as I've asked people in the police force, politics and business this question, no one has had a certain answer.

This question has once again been in the forefront of my mind after attending a community building workshop by award winning author, Peter Block, who was in South Africa recently.

For the first time, I think I've found a satisfactory link in the chain to overcoming our biggest evil, although that certainly wasn't the focus of the workshop.