BULANA FOR GAUTENG?

Rob you may never understand the barriers that exist without understanding the history of people outside of your own group. We are clueless at how the vast majority of our people live. Granted a lot of them have been propelled into position of importance and some have aquired riches, but only a few have aquired and understand true wealth. Culturally we are on opposite sides of the moon and nothing is being done by either side to bridge the gap.

The answers will follow in the next few decades. The young stars Muzi, S'Manga will eventually quit the race riding profession due to injury or age and this may be where the trainers will emerge from.

I know nothing about training and could not tell you the first thing about it but I can only imagine that it must be a serious process in terms of sports (horse) management. I can only imagine that it takes someone with a serious set of management skills to be succesful at training winners. You can here this when MDK is interviewed. Even when he is away form SA there seems to be a management plan for his horses and you can hear it when his assistants are interviewed they talk of the bosses plan for horses. I believe management skill is almost as important to an understanding of the animals, although the latter must be of higher importance.

Rob I must applaud you for speaking up and debating freely. I am quite dissapointed that there were not a few more contributors to this debate though as it is an important one. Ignoring real issues does not mean that they do not exist.

This cannot go on ignored!

Personally I feel Bulana had the perfect opportunity thrown in his lap . He failed to show that he is capable . How many trainers start with a million in the bank account to buy horses . If he showed he is capable he would have had plenty owners sending their horses to him .

@Alcaponee:

Fully agree with your observation- for whatever the take, this is a hot issue (as much as many play it down and even pour scorn on the subject with sarcastic/cynial comments that suit a certain agenda).

For starters- my entry here was 'Bulana for Gtn?'....a question? For some to turn around and shoot the messenger with their private agendas and others to become personally insulting of Bulana is in poor taste. He is a gentleman. He was selected/appointed by the industry- why did he fail? Should there have not been a more holistic approach (as I mentioned earlier), meaningful mentoring, targets, appraisals, etc?

There are Indian trainers in KZN who are trainers- who mentored them? How come they succeeded? There have also been other owners/trainers who benefitted from the Transformation Fund....who & why? Why not expose and scrutinise them also?

When Bulana was appointed the first black African trainer (post 1994 as there were trainers in Kimberley prior 1969), I made the observation that, once his usefulness was over, he would be droppped...he was convenient window dressing!

Buller Benton was an outstanding trainer in his heydays...what skills, knowledge, etc did he pass onto Bulana at his meritable monthly stipend? Why is nobody question and belittling Benton for not having done his job for which he got paid? Or, was that a condition of the stipend? If not, why not?

After Bulana, Ithere have been other black grooms (with over 20 years service and one of them very articulate and knowledgeable) who wanted to become trainers under the scheme....to this date, we are waiting for GC to respond to the queries!

There are many other points that I can put on the table. Suffice, I am now tired...there is no sincerity in this industry! Besides people like Alcaponee, nobody has come forward with a balanced view; just harsh criticism from all sides.

@punter: Where did you get the info that Bulana received R1-million? Why do you hold him and not GC accountable for having spent that kind of money?

Where were you prior to corporatisation when there was a farrier school in Gauteng which received over R400 000 per annum? Only one or two farriers came out, at most times it was closed, and there was no accountability?

Further, the whole question of corporatisation of the horseracing industry in Gauteng- where is the transparency? Whomsold Gosforth Park and Newmarket? For how much? Who were the 'facilitating' agents? Why was Newmarket 're-sold'?

Where are the Grooms Fund of circa R15-million? What of the 'break-in' at Randjiesfontein where a truck loaded a whole of of poles, etc?

So, only a black in the industry must be accountable?

At the end of the day, I am not on this forum (or the industry) for personal gain or attention; I felt that I can contribute towards the mutual understanding and respect for fellow beings to promote a new level of un-enforced integration by raising attendant issues for intelligent appraisal and solutions.

Often, on other issues (personal agendas and no racist overtones), there are so many contributors and opinions....here, a hurtful silence with cynical comments from one or two!

I am sorely mistaken (except for a few) ....I am dreaming!

Best to get back to sleep!

Umlilo can you enlighten us on which trainers or first time white owners benefited from the transformation fund?
You are merely contradicting yourself by attaching blame on benton for bulanas failure!
You said bulana went through the correct channels and passed his trainers exams?
Now you have cast even more doubt on people supporting him by indirectly labeling him incompetent and relying heavily on benton for support

Well I will tell you that I was born and bred on a farm just inland from Ramsgate(in Natal) and,until I went to school,played only with Zulu kids,and spoke Zulu before I could speak english.I find that it is often amongst the White liberals that the least understanding of the real values of blacks,exists.The only people who need extraordinary help,are people perceived to be inadequate!So,after 15 years of having, legally and constitutionaly,the same opportunity,there are many areas where the attitude of "you can't succeed unless I help or uplift you" is the most patronising form of racism there is!
Talk to black people guys,rather than decide for them what they want! I will tell you that many believe racism will only be history when issues like quota systems and affirmative action,are things of the past.

@rob faux:

correct- much more sensible than name-calling!

I have severe reservations about BEE/transformation and did (unwittingly) refer to upliftment, which is also diabolical, I see! It is because of allusions (without knowing/considering their implications) that we have so much of misunderstanding, contradictions and even personal insults.

At the end of the day, we require honest, unsolicited, respectable input to arrive at some sort of understanding to find solutions...not by prescription, I'll add.

At one stage during the corporatisation process, Jabu Molekethi said 'Nothing is cast in stone'. Even now ..... nothing should be!
By picking holes in one another's cloaks will get us nowhere.

I agree rob, I mean what more can aouthorities do if individuals are given opportunities and fail.
Should funeka, nhlapo , d smith ,x ndlovu be given a 4kg claim allowance again because they battling to ride winners?
Are we gona blame white trainers for black jocks not riding winners, or white/indian owners for black trainers not having owners?

Umlilo I respect your views and I respect you as someone that is trying to assist Bulana .

Remember that we all get chances in life and whether we make the best of it is up to us alone . We must stop the blame game and take responsibility for our own actions .

@punter:

Bulana is not the only person I have helped / wish to help with any pre-conditions.

In the public interest, I am getting a 2nd opinion before I respond regarding some of the not just insulting, but serious defamatory statements /allegations made against Bulana. There's also the question of bringing the industry into disrepute by a disclosed 'business' arrangement regarding training which the NHA should not look into...and of course, 'bringing the industry into disrepute' together with obscenities & vulgarities.

I am dismayed that, instead of addressing the issue, personal vendettas have surfaced!
I doubt if the webmaster (or its founders) reckon that this forum is for such machinations..as Alcaponee also observed!

Suffice to state if and when I do respond, it will be question time!

We must keep in mind that, for every finger pointed at someone else, there's more fingering the skeletons in our own cupboards.

The great thing about an open forum is that everybody has different opinions, thank God for freedom of speech.
The game wasn't brought into disrepute rather the credentials of bulana, and if anybody should be reported it should be you for using buller benton as a scapegoat
Mr manjoo I've managed to secure some old documents and I wait with baited breath, and you will be hearing from the MF.