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My show on Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape Talk this morning started off with a discussion on fear – specifically irrational fears and phobias. Why are we scared of things we know are harmless? Is it always because of a past event that created that fear or is their a deeper psychological reason? Callers related fears of everything from heights and spiders to sleep and even ice.
Some people said they were scared of Jacob Zuma, the president of the ANC who faces a court hearing surrounding his corruption trial this week, and, more specifically, that they were afraid of his supporters. Hardly an irrational fear. This sparked a discussion surrounding Julius Malema, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and why it was necessary for them to protest Jacob Zuma’s legal standing if they do respect the independence and decisions of the judiciary, as claimed.
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I live in a country where our local musicians, media, politicians, creatives and the blogosphere share something in common; the abject celebration of mediocrity. I believe that this perpetuates a prosaic environment in which many do the minimum to get by. After all – there is little incentive to be excellent at what you do when you are praised for being average. My intentions are not negative or pessimistic in addressing this issue, however. I want to see clever, creative and ingenious South Africans celebrated and acknowledged on the world stage, and back at home. But this can not happen if we continue to focus on self-reference, think locally and applaud bland and uninspired performances. Criticism is a vital tool for improvement and one that is not employed with enough frequency in SA, as is the case with our environment of generally apathetic consumerism that has led to a generally unacceptable service industry. 
