EDITOR’S DESK: Focus on the positives
Let’s build and not break down, let’s motivate and not discourage and above all let’s focus on the positive even though we don’t overlook the negative.
In the news industry we have a saying: “Focus on the positive, but don’t overlook the negative.”
So when we reported on the development of a new mall that would yield growth and employment opportunities, one would have thought that the
response would primarily be positive.
Alas, the news did not have too many Standertonians shouting ’Hurrah!’
At first I was under the impression that our editorial team might have dropped the ball seeing that most people were commenting on the
Lekwa Municipality that should redirect their focus to service delivery issues instead of building a mall.
Obviously, we frantically took to the web to see whether we presented the article in a way that might have misled the public in thinking that Lekwa
was building the mall, which luckily for us and for that matter, Lekwa, we didn’t.
So it puzzles me as to why people would crucify Lekwa about service delivery issues when we were clearly reporting that Sky Village
Properties is the developer of a mall– it’s like going to McDonalds but ordering KFC, there is no affinity and the two have nothing in common, apart
from being ideal for a Friday night takeout, I digress.
Have we become a people that tend to focus on the negative, but overlook the positive(s) in our community?
To be fair, Lekwa Municipality has not given residents much to smile about considering the Eskom saga, the AfriRent agreement, the constant
water woes, the wrongful disconnection of electricity of paying customers and one of the most mentioned issues that were seen in the comment section of the mall article, potholes popping up everywhere.
Of course we are also susceptible to national influences that might fuel our negativity; perhaps you are bent out of shape due to the current political affairs or the recent hike in the petrol price, maybe our president also has you chanting “Zuma must go, Zuma must goooo.”
Whatever the reason for your negativity, it is clear that a lot of people are fed-up.
Some people utilized the comment section and claimed they are happy about moving away and leaving this ‘worthless town’.
STOP
When did our town become worthless?
Even though things aren’t in tip top shape, it is my belief that a town is valued by its people and we have several people who contribute positively regardless of the negativity that surrounds them.
Let’s build and not break down, let’s motivate and not discourage and above all let’s focus on the positive even though we don’t overlook the negative.
