Author: Alex van den Heever
Last month Renias and I helped a game reserve start a leopard habituation project in the Waterberg and here is my MESSAGE FROM A WILDEBEEST. A Tracker Academy project to track, find and form relationships with leopards. For the benefit of ecotourism lodges in the area. During the day we tracked leopards. In the evenings, […]
Last month Renias and I helped a game reserve start a leopard habituation project in the Waterberg and here is my MESSAGE FROM A WILDEBEEST.
A Tracker Academy project to track, find and form relationships with leopards. For the benefit of ecotourism lodges in the area.
During the day we tracked leopards. In the evenings, we made a fire, braaied our food and chatted freely.
Our conversations spanned several topics, and in his usual manner, Renias introduced humour at every possible juncture. He loves making people laugh! And I thoroughly enjoy the banter.
We spoke in both Shangaan and English.
It struck me that the spirit of our conversations is unique. In stark contrast to the hostile tone of the current national conversation. Especially between people of disparate cultures.
Just before bed, Renias reminded me of lions we’d watched hunting a wildebeest at Londolozi.
We had been talking politics and I sensed he had something important to say.
Whilst sprinting for its life the wildebeest glanced back at the fast-approaching lion – at exactly the wrong moment. Causing the animal to crash into a small tree.
The obstacle gifted the lion the extra split second it needed. Ultimately killing the poor wildebeest.
Although macabre, Renias’s theatrics in acting out the scene was very entertaining. Please watch the video if you haven’t seen it yet.
Metaphorically speaking, Ren wants South Africans to know that we should not look backwards. Otherwise, we will be killed.
It is true that if the wildebeest had not looked back, he may still be alive. But equally, his rear-guard vigilance alerted him to the danger in the first place.
Perhaps he looked backwards once too many times?
But something bothered me about the story’s message. I reflected further and realised that for many people the past still haunts them.
It’s not so easy to just drop emotionally charged memories. Above all, trauma.
Renias’s message is that we should rather focus on the now. Build relationships now. Contribute to the country now. Instead of dwelling on the past or fearing the future.
Easier said than done.
I have noticed a trend where white people avoid talking about the past. And black people (and those affected by apartheid) demonstrate the need to address our common history.
One group feels guilty and/or fears retribution. Whilst the other desires acknowledgement and reparation. Both are expected human responses given the circumstances.
The problem is that no ‘side’ will give an inch. Consequently, attitudes have begun to harden – driving us even further apart.
It may be wise to suggest that we collectively engage with both the past and future. The old adage of ‘the tyranny of OR versus the genius of AND’ comes to mind.
The question is, how?
Renias and I advocate for ordinary people to intentionally form meaningful cross-cultural relationships.
To create interpersonal bonds where logic, empathy and being authentically you, can flourish. As it turns out, these are also the main drivers of high-trust relationships.
As a country, we must focus on the only moment that really matters – now.
Perhaps then we have a chance of survival. A chance to escape the charging lion of the eventual demise of our beautiful country.
What can you do today to improve the state of our relationships?
Read our latest book called Changing a Leopard’s Spots
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Facebook
Author Profile
Video
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Sam Stewart, She survived breast cancer, an abusive marriage, financial ruin, a failed suicide attempt, body dysmorphia and much more, rises to the top and is back on her feet with purpose. If Oprah Winfrey, Brené Brown and Joan of Arc somehow managed to have a lovechild together, the result would most likely be Cape […]
If SA is to live, its leaders must stop feasting on dead ideas and There are several reasons why Venezuelan polymath Moises Naim claims the attention of posterity. He served as the minister of trade and industry in his homeland when that country was the richest in South America. Afterward, he edited prestigious journal Foreign […]
The Silicon Valley Unicorn craze is slowly fading, and in the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, all eyes are riveting to startup in Africa, India, and South America as the new battlegrounds, yet people have no real understanding of the challenges faced by homegrown startups in these regions, trying to innovate in harsh environments, […]
“I’m getting angry at myself just practicing these things and why Your Team Isn’t Listening !” The comment by a business owner in my leadership training session caught me off guard. When I asked him to explain, he responded with, “I know the value of listening, but I won’t take the time to do it […]
Lizette Volkwyn is also one of only two certified PEI human lie detector in South Africa! Meet Lizette Volkwyn, an energetic, dynamic and focused South African who believes that all you have to do today is to be 1% better than yesterday. Lizette encourages individuals to strive for self-acceptance and to appreciate their self-worth. She […]
Ten years ago, I was retrenched from a marketing and sales position. My story is the same as many other people. Sometimes losing a job can point towards a better life and opportunities you never thought possible and now Ten Years as an Entrepreneur. After my retrenchment, I didn’t have an epiphany about starting a […]
If you’ve ever seen expectant parents in a baby shop, you’d know that pregnancy is a life stage that usually triggers an avalanche of consumerism and to find Pink Sheets. I (thankfully) never tallied what I spent during my pregnancy, I just know that becoming a mum, while filling my heart, has drained my […]
One evening in December 1994 a life-threatening situation with a friend of mine was getting her washing off the passenger seat of her car when the door opened, a man put a knife to her throat and said, “Move over or I’ll kill you.” She moved over into the passenger seat, and even helped him […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
