United States Vice President Designate, Kamala Harris is a Pioneer and Trailblazer Says South Africa’s Ms Lerato Pretorious

Brian Kazungu, 17/01/2021

Ms. Lerato Pretorius, an active member of the C2C Corporate Governance Literacy Circle (CCGLC) has congratulated the United States Vice President designate Kamala Harris for becoming the first women of color to occupy such a position in the USA and described her as a pioneer and trailblazer following her rise to the pinnacle of American politics.

Ms. Lerato joins the likes of Dr. Ladislas Agbesi, PABF President, Mr. JJ Singh, C2C Public Engagement and Outreach Initiative Director and Chairman of the Royal India Restaurants, and Mr. Mutumwa Mawere, Chairman of the Africa Heritage Society in celebrating Harris’ historic achievement.

A special lunch ceremony has been organized for the 21^st of January in honour of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and it is set to be held at the Royal India Restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Like Kamala Harris, Lerato Pretorious is a pioneer and trailblazer herself as she is a proud owner of the Lavo Wines which through another member of the Connections2Communities is being distributed using a family or community approach to commerce.

The Lavo wines brand is now available on the Mall of Things, an open e-commerce platform that is also available to members who believe that using a shared ecosystem delivers faster and more profitable outcomes.

Apart from her interests in wine, Lerato is the CEO of Polyzomba Rail Contractors, a company that specializes in Rail construction and maintenance in South Africa.

She is a qualified Project Manager who holds a variety of diplomas in business and banking as well as a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

She spent her early professional years in banking – working for Barclays Bank; Standard Bank South Africa and later Investec Private Bank.

She is also the founder of the Lehlaka Group, an ICT company whose vision is the creation of a Black Female led enterprise that can inspire other women to scale the heights of the available opportunities by unlocking the largely untapped hidden talent in women. .

“When I saw the initiation to this lunch to salute Biden and Harris, my immediate reaction was not only to say I am coming but to see the initiative as my own.

At a personal level, the story of Harris is like my own story re-told. Being a pioneer and trailblazer, one does not need to touch the people who can now see the immense possibilities that are now open because one of us is a step ahead.

This may be an American story but it is also my story. We have come far to arrive where we are today even in SA.” Lerato said

She further added that Kamala Harris brings three of her role models such as Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandi in one circle saying that the arc of the moral universe always turns towards an ideal that celebrates our diversity and not our differences.

I believe that when we choose to use the experiences of others, we don’t become weaker but stronger in our quest to deliver excellent outcomes to the problems that we may choose to solve.

As a member of the C2C Corporate Governance Literacy Circle, Lerato believes that the fact that Kamala Harris is the first woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to become the vice president of the United States makes her a role model across the globe.

“I can say that I am inspired beyond any description to play my part in provoking, inspiring and igniting positive and incremental change. It gives me personal pride and a unique sense of satisfaction that we are inching towards an ideal order that the creator intended for humanity.” Added Lerato

Mr. Singh, said: “Lerato is part of my extended family and through working with her, I have been extremely enriched through what started as a business collaboration with the Executive Producer of the Family Secrets TV show that is carried by SABC, Bongani Sibeko.

Lavo Wines being a quality product distributed by a fellow C2C member, has been given legs to reach many more people than LP could achieve on her own

I am delighted that she has embraced this lunch idea and through her tentacles, I hope to increase my bank of contacts since by meeting and sharing, opportunities can best be unlocked.

They say that the harder you work, the luckier you always become but the more networked you are, the more opportunities to choose from become.

I am reminded of what Mr. Mawere has taught me that ask not what C2C can do for you but what you can do for yourself in the name of C2C.

This initiative is one example of what is possible. Last week I had no idea that we will be hosting this auspicious lunch but guess what it is now a reality and history will be forced to include us.” Mr Singh concluded.