Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Editorial Comment >> December 2006

Editorial Comment

Tourism - one message
In this edition, inputs from both the Free State Tourism Authority and the Motheo District Municipality convey one message – with the one input knowing about the other – and that is that internally tourism is everybody's business and externally the Free State has to cut its own niche in the international tourist market. It means, in other words, that in the province all people should gear themselves to make the best of visiting tourists, while the representative bodies concerned, especially the Free State Tourism Authority, must see to it that the Free State stamps its own identity on the international tourism scene and claim its stake from it. The signs are that 2007 could be the best tourism year yet for the Free State.

Nog 'n sakeliggaam
Terwyl daar duidelike positiewe ontwikkelinge rakende die ekonomie in die Vrystaat is, soos ook hopelik nou geskep sal word in die Xhariep-distrik met die besoek van die Adjunk-president, stoom die moorde op / teregstellings van boere en besigheidsmense in die provinsie eenvoudig voort. 10 boere en boeremense die afgelope ses maande, terwyl 'n aantal aktiewe besigheidsmense ook terreggestel is, die jongste waarvan is me. Riana Bitzer, tuindienste-eienaar van Bloemfontein. Hoe voorspoedig die ekonomie ookal mag lyk, met sulke moorde en geweldsmisdaad in sy midde gaan dit op die lang termyn nie stand hou nie.

Civil unions
In focussing on business and development, events and trends in community life affecting the strength of business and the fabric of society, are also of interest to the Free State Business Bulletin. This also concerns the legalizing of so-called civil unions between people of the same sex. Whatever the modern arguments, the Creator of mankind calls it in His owner's manual, the Bible, “an abomination”. Why? Because amongst others, research in the USA shows that 63% of young persons who have committed suicide came out of fatherless homes, 85% of children with behavioural problems come out of fatherless homes, 80% of rapists with misguided aggression come from similar homes, 75% of adolescent patients in drug rehab centres come from fatherless homes and 85% of youth in jail come from similar homes. A healthy society and a resultant healthy business environment rests on some indispensable cornerstones.