Born in Portugal, raised in Angola, a resident of South Africa for the best part of the past 20 years and during that time becoming a citizen of the world; that just about sums up the life journey of Weza Solange, TV personality, actress, producer, public speaker and wearer of any more hats than just those.
Weza was the speaker at the meeting this week and told the club that her parents, went to Portugal for her birth, like many other Angolans of means did during the Angolan civil war. Angola had become independent from Portugal back in 1975, but that was followed by 30 years of war.
She says her father, Angolan police commissioner, was a very stern man and strong in his beliefs, something he passed on to his children. He was heavily involved in politics and one of his tasks was to receive "troops" from South Africa, train them and send them back to fight the apartheid state.
After he was assassinated, her mother fled Angola with the family to the relative safety and superior education offered by South Africa. Weza was 13 years old and couldn't speak a word of English.
She attended Dominican Convent in Johannesburg, where she taught herself English.
"The idea was always to get a degree and then go back to Angola. I wanted to get into politics, but my mother said no ways, you'll get us all killed."
She studied business management and along the way became involved in TV. Her whole family, these days spread all over the Portuguese speaking world, favour the professions such as medicine and law and looked down on her career choice, she said.
At university she started earning money and could finish her degree in marketing, but the TV bug had bitten and she decided to stay in South Africa.
"The best invrestment my mother ever gave me was a good education. She wanted her children to be good citizens wherever they are in the world."
She said South Africans reminded her of Americans in the sense that South Africans knew very little about the rest of Africa, especially in the past. This ignorance easily leads to xenophobia. "I believe xenophobia has its roots in people not understanding each other."
These days she travels all over Africa and is passionate about networking, about getting people together who have a common purpose, whether it is socially or in business.
"I'm here because someone gave me a good education. I'm here despite the trauma of the way my father died."
About Rotary Weza said: "I didn't know there are people out there who are doing good without expecting anything in return. I truly believe that in Rotary the feeling is to help communities who need it."
She said Rotary is like a business and should be run as a business and that the club should become far more focused on social media.
Next Week: There is NO MEETING at the Parkview Golf Club on Wednesday. This is because of the Club Assembly on Saturday (4 November) at Twickenham Guest House, from 11 am to 3 pm. This is an important meeting to discuss club issues in a less rushed atmosphere, so do try to be there.
A Thought for the Week: Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. - Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
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