By Nangamso Mabindla
31 March 2006

INTRIGUED by South Africa's rich history and its political environment, a young German student decided to visit the country to explore its past, its present and its future.

Julian Dingler, who is 20, plans to study policy and management. And he knows that visiting a country like South Africa will help him to appreciate the struggles faced by citizens in countries other than his own.

"This country has a very interesting political situation, especially when you look at its history during the apartheid years and post those years into the new government. This is the perfect set up for my policy and management studies," he says.

In view of this history, Dingler says he wants to research how policy and management work in a country still undergoing changes and striving to come to terms with its history. "Politics plays a very big role in many aspects of life in this country. It is used to put [in place] laws to boost the economy and make it more inclusive than before."

One of the initiatives that aim to make the economy more inclusive is black economic empowerment. "If it is used well, this initiative is very important. If the country's economy and society wants to include previously disadvantaged people, the economy can only get better. But the government still has a long way to go in its efforts to integrate other people [into] the country's economy," he adds.

Turning his attention to Buffalo City, Dingler says there is a lot of potential, especially in tourism. "I have been in East London for a while and I am impressed with the beachfront; I think it has potential to be one of the best in the country. If money is put in and used wisely, the Esplanade could be one of the province's main attractions," he says.

"The climate here is excellent; everything is in place for tourism. Stakeholders need to look at better ways to promote tourism and invest money in the industry. Tourism can be developed, without destroying the beautiful environment. The Indian Ocean has a greater impact on the coastline than humans. Buffalo City should not allow any foreigners to decide on their land nor on their future."

Dingler also urges youngsters to think of taking opportunities to study at European institutions and to learn about economic development and other aspects of society. "They need to take advantage of scholarships that are available so that they can use the experiences learned there and plough back [into] their communities, and give back to the following generations, what has been give to them," he says.