EDITORIAL At the recent congress held in Pretoria many speakers stressed the need for all of us to adequ­ ately prepare for the new South Africa. Although no one can a d e quately foretell the future and as Ionesco stated one can only predict things after they have happened. What is certain is that there will be changes in all facets of our lives including health care and education which will directly affect us as professionals. Some of the challenges facing us were men­ tioned by Professor Sparks while Miss Eksteen urged us to be proactive in our undergraduate train­ ing so that we will not be left behind. The message that did come across was that primary and com­ munity health will become increasingly more import­ ant and it is up to all of us to ensure that we are prepared for these new concepts in health care. Almost one half of the 39 papers presented were original research projects but only four of these were studies relating to community health and plans for future practice. Although it is essential that we con­ tinue to undertake research into the effectiveness of our treatment programmes, it is essential that we also plan and implement relevant physiotherapy based on the projected needs of future health care. The importance of involving the community before doing such research was highlighted as was the need to establish the differential role demarcation of the various health workers. The 19th General Meeting of the National Council again generated open discussion and it was most heartening to see the great deal of time devoted to the public which is undertaken on behalf of the Society by our various members. It was clear that the majority of the Council mem­ bers concurred with the national chairman that all forms of discrimination against our members and their patients was abhorrent to them, and that we needed to find ways of ensuring that all our members feel at home in and are proud to be members of our Society. Two years ago Miss L Davids remarked, in her editorial, on the atmosphere of unity that was appar­ ent at the 18th Council Meeting. It will take all our goodwill and resolve to forget injustices in the past and to work together to make our profession and our Society ones to be even more proud of in the emergent new South Africa. * SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY P O Box 47238, Parklands 2121 Orchard Heights, Corner Orchard and Cheltondale Roads, Cheltondale, Johannesburg 2192 Telephone: (011) 485-1467 Fax: (011) 485-1467 President Mrs Anna Mathias Honorary Life Presidents Prof J J Craig Mrs K M Levy Honorary Vice-Presidents Mrs P Pilkington Prof A Roth berg Prof B Sparks Prof S A Strauss Prof H D Wasserman Honorary Life Vice-Presidents Miss Elizabeth Botting Miss Lois Dyer Chairman Mrs Frances Glauber Vice-Chairmen Miss Sheena Irwin-Carruthers Mrs Joyce Morton General Secretary Miss Lo-an Roux P O Box 47238, Parklands 2121 Journal Editor Prof Jo Beenhakker Physiotherapy Department, Medical School, York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193 National Executive Committee Mrs Claudine Bennetts, Mrs Marion Butler, Miss Pam Duke, Miss Ashia Jamal, Mrs Maureen Klemp, Miss Tumelo Komane, Miss Lucy Mullins, Mrs Ntina Themba BRANCH SECRETARIES Border: Wilma Stevens: 63 Bonza Bay Road, Beacon Bay 5241 (0431) 27350 (w) 47-4735 (h) Eastern Province Marion Butler: 6 Jutland Crescent, Park Drive, Port Elizabeth 6001 (041) 55-6161 Goldfields: Joanne Kisbey-Green: P O Box 6312, Riebeeckstad, 9469 (0171) 900-4274 (w) 92-3499 (h) Natal Coastal: Vanessa Bannister: 339 Randles Road, Sydenham, Durban 4091 (031) 32-2111 x 288 (w) 28-4592 (h) Natal Midlands: Claire Tedder: 10 Hesketh Gardens, Wilhelm Cox Crescent, Hayfields, Pietermaritzburg 3201 (0331) 96-5725 Northern Cape: Celna Wentzel: Posbus 215, Kimberley 8301 (0531) 33372 (w), 22344 (h) Northern Transvaal: Gerda Marais: P O Box 27804, Sunnyside 0132(012)345-1160 Southern OFS: Annatjie van Straaten, 12 Fallopius Street, Hospital Park, Bloemfontein 9322 (051) 47-2185 (w), 22-4927 (h), Southern Transvaal: Linda Neuhaus: P O Box 72064, Parkview 2122 Correspondence; Membership: Brenda Price: P O Box 72064, Parkview 2122 Western Province: Cindy Faull, 17 Coniston Way, Pinelands 7405 (021) 531-8564* Physiotherapy, August 1991 Vol 41 no 3 Page 43 R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )