Dr Ruben Richards is a South African citizen with extensive local and international experience. He is an effective, multi-skilled and trustworthy leader with a proven track record of creating, building, and managing organisations.

Ruben has served at executive levels in government, academia, faith community and the private business sector. Ruben’s work life includes being a qualified fitter and turner tradesman who went on to become an ordained cleric and later a government and business executive. In the post-Apartheid era Ruben played a pivotal role and was in the forefront of criminal justice and law enforcement innovation and transformation holding positions such as founding Deputy Director-General of the now disbanded Scorpions and Executive Secretary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Ruben’s business and corporate experience is particularly in the industrial and manufacturing sector having served as a company director on various boards and also as the hands-on turnaround CEO for one of the largest South African engineering companies servicing the ship repair and the oil and gas sectors.

More recently Ruben is active in the advisory and mentoring space oscillating between academia and industry. In this regard Ruben has served as an advisor on scarce and critical skills in the engineering and manufacturing sector, visiting adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management (University of the Witwatersrand), a member of the advisory board of the Business and Entrepreneurial Faculty of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as well as Chairperson of the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Internal Transformation Standing Committee.

CAN WE SAVE SOUTH AFRICA?

Some 12 years after the introduction of multi-party democracy into South Africa … the apartheid skills bomb exploded and in its wake has left enormous collateral damage to the economy and the psyche of a black majority population which had prepared themselves for decades to reap the benefit of liberation and freedom from apartheid. (Recently published book:  BULLETS OR BALLOTS: The ultimate solution to crime and unemployment in South Africa by Ruben Richards, page 255)

Dr Ruben Richards says in his motivational speeches and seminars that;

The blaming game is over and we must overcome our sense of helplessness (and frustration). As citizens and loyal patriots of our beloved country we need to join hands and collectively make a positive contribution to fixing the problems facing our society. And let’s not pretend that everything is fine in our land. But perhaps you are too angry and gatvol to even feel positive anymore. Yes, there is a growing state of national depression setting in.  But regardless of your political or religious persuasion, we as a society, black and white, believers in God and atheists alike, cannot afford to allow the gap between rich and poor to grow any wider than it already is. We cannot allow our education system to continue producing dysfunctional and illiterate teenagers and youth. We must assist where we can and be part of the solution. Our country needs us now more than ever.

It is becoming common knowledge that there are more young people (i.e. teenagers and youth) in South Africa than there are adults. These youth are the leaders of tomorrow and today, in fact. Therefore, we must make sure that the youth who will soon rule the country are not unnecessarily and unreasonably angry, misguided or misinformed about the political and economic facts of life. And that is where we somewhat older and more experienced folk and business owners fit in. And this is where my book, BULLETS OR BALLOTS fits in – providing a new way of doing and thinking required to fix South Africa. The current solutions are obviously not working as well as we had hoped. As Einstein says. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different result.” It’s time to do things differently.

Through his speeches Ruben explains to his audiences that it is not unfashionable neither unreasonable to nurture realistic hope for the future of South Africa. He encourages his audience to dream a new dream of possibilities for a South Africa with less poverty and crime. Ruben invites his listeners to become part of the solution as opposed to cheaply screaming abuse from the side lines. And like in all serious sports games, says Ruben, “… there are, of course, always a few players who need to be substituted in order to rest them and ensure that our team ultimately wins the game. Perhaps you should be the new player for Team South Africa - with your fresh pair of legs required by the team at this stage of the game. And why not you! You are a talented South African with skills and a good dose of patriotism. Just imagine the most talented patriots of South Africa (regardless of political party and regardless of colour) were appointed to fix our country! WOW! What an energising thought!”

Ruben’s hope for a better future is anchored in the fact that South African’s have been part of creating miracles before. So why can’t South Africans do it again, together and collectively tackle poverty, crime, unemployment - those monsters that are threatening to devour the country. As Ruben reminds his audiences: “ … let us not only dream of a better life – let’s collectively create a better life where there is health and wealth for more.”

INDUSTRIAL CONSCIOUSNESS: The key to full blown economic liberation in South Africa.

CRISIS OR OPPORTUNITY: Joblessness, Crime, Corruption, you name it we’ve got it and we can solve it.

WHEN A TRADESMAN GETS A PH.D: My personal from the engine room to the boardroom

POST-APARTHEID PATRIOTISM: Why ordinary South Africans must remind those in power that we (i.e. the patriotic citizens) are actually in charge!

A NEW STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SOUTH AFRICA: The six steps from poverty to prosperity in our lifetime

BEYOND POLITICAL HELPLESSNESS AND CULTURAL PARALYSIS: The profile of a truly liberated South African patriot.

PERFORMANCE MORALITY AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA: Why we are failing at service delivery and the implementation of the basics.

Ruben is an engaging and interactive speaker who asks his audience to buckle up and enjoy a thrilling ride as they experience his delivery.

Ruben’s “on-the-ground” and first-hand experiences have equipped him with a good grasp of the fundamentals of leadership, governance, criminal investigations and forensics and delivering shareholder value with reference to “the bottom line” as defined by that organisation or business.

Poverty, crime and unemployment remain the Achilles Heel of the new South Africa. The apartheid government refused to fix it. The democratic government seems incapable of doing so. A miracle is desperately needed.

Ruben has a message of hope and is confident that South Africa can become a place where there is health and wealth for more than just the elite few.

The speeches will address the personal and societal areas of change required if South Africa is to move from poverty to prosperity in our life time.

Participants will learn about the elements of an emergency rescue plan to save South Africa.

Be motivated to be part of the solution.

Feel a renewed sense of patriotism for South Africa.

Start believing and getting a sense that “we can do it”.

Learn and be exposed to a life skills toolkit that invigorates and helps one to move away from a sense of helpless victimhood which comes with crime, unemployment and growing poverty.

Some personal survival skills and coping skills.

Develop a better understanding of the causes of the growing gap between rich and poor in one of the wealthiest countries on planet earth – namely South Africa – and be exposed to some practical solutions to our problems.

A motivated and informed staff.

A sense of purpose and being within the South African economy.