Wishing Nyaumwe well

TO Mr Ben Nyaumwe,

The Eastern Cape is faced with alarming numbers of youth unemployment and government everyday preaches that we need jobs, jobs, and jobs.

I think we all agree that we need jobs, but I think we need to change focus now from preaching jobs which is the end result of what needs to happen, to rather focus on entrepreneurship.

I am correctly saying "we" because I believe that this should be entrenched on the attitude of each every citizen of our country.

Government as the leader of society needs to adopt an economic posture centred on entrepreneurship because entrepreneurs create jobs.

I was overwhelmed with emotion and excitement when I read your story in the Herald ("Tycoon quits Bay after court battle," February 2) that you put your family trust as surety for R110-million and that now you were in a "dire financial situation".

I asked myself how many of us would risk our family comforts to pursue a vision so big.

But then I remembered a book on entrepreneurship that I once came across. It said: "having a vision is hard and lonely. It is difficult, scary stuff, proving your point of view and then winning others over. This is what life is ultimately about: overcoming our fears and doing what we know in our hearts to be right".

It is with these words that I found comfort to what might seem as public failure to many, that this beginning of you pursuing even bigger ventures, only now that you are going to with greater business acumen.

It's not everyday that we see a black person achieve what you have achieved; we need more men and woman of your risk appetite to deliver us out of this jobs predicament. I want to wish you all the best in your future endeavours. You have indeed left an indelible mark on the Friendly City – the Radisson Hotel would still be here long after you are gone.

Massive Respect

Abongile, Port Elizabeth