The Echo-Chamber

The other day I was walking through the Mall just as Eskom flicked the switch to restore power and it was as if everyone had been waiting for it to happen. The centre sprang to life and it was business as normal. But what I dont understand is why we are not doing something about these power cuts. What is it we are all waiting for? How do the local businesses cope? Why are we not organising and doing something constructive to get our names taken off Eskom’s hit list? Whose job is it? Who should we be talking to who? Whose responsibility is it if its not yours, if its not mine.

I cant believe that anyone can still be in any doubt that we need to form a Chamber of Business and to ensure that these sort of issues are addressed and that solutions are found. But I could be wrong and it wont be the first nor the last time.

Most of the restaurants I speak to are very concerned about the costs they face in having to carry their business through the quiet months. And nearly everyone is either thinking about or they are already in the process of getting a glossy flyer printed with every intention of hitting that well worn path that leads to the B&B’s. But how effective is this going to be? Printing is not cheap and I dont think many realise just how much effort it takes nor what an utterly wretched job it really is.

Would it not make sense to pause for a moment and ask ourselves whether we could not achieve a lot more by doing it slightly dfferently? Would it not be in everyones interest if we started pooling our efforts and looking for ways to work smarter.

Of course it would. That is what this initiative is all about. There is a need which can be addressed but only if people are prepared to change the way these sort of things have always been done and only if they are prepared to look for and work towards answering the question that arise.