A new generation of leaders

While he’ll continue to be involved with The Elders, the Nobel Laureate Group and his Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, he will step down as Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape and as representative on the UN’s Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Genocide.

“I think I’ve done as much as I can, and I really do need time for other things that I have wanted to do. I really want a little more quiet,” Tutu said on Thursday, adding that there were “superb” people that could take over the advocacy work he had done.

Letting go

We need to let yesterday’s leaders go to enjoy the sunset years they deserve. At the same time we must remain inspired by these leaders who, through their moral conviction, steered us peacefully through uncertain times.

Madiba announced his retirement several years ago, in 2004 at the age of 86. He said at the time, “One of the things that made me long to be back in prison was that I had so little opportunity for reading, thinking and quiet reflection after my release.” But still South Africans have struggled to let him go.

In a Mail & Guardian online blog about our unrelenting Madiba obsession, Verashni Pillay writes, “As a booming industry of Mandela paraphernalia blossoms, the fight for a piece of Mandela becomes less and less appealing…So Madiba, as much as I respect and honour you, I think the best present from me – from all of us – is to just leave you alone.”

I would take it one step further and say that the best present from working South Africans would be to raise a generation of leaders worthy of succeeding Madiba and Tutu.

Tutu’s contributions to public life were enormous and he has set the bar high for South Africans. Colin Slee, himself a minister, writes from London in the Guardian online of Tutu’s public contributions:

“Desmond Tutu is one of history’s extraordinary people as the right man in the right place at the right time. He will be best remembered for his courageous leadership of the Anglican Church in South Africa as the spearhead of the fight against apartheid, his bravery in the thick of rioting crowds rescuing people from “necklacing”, his conduct of massive funerals and public protests.

The lessons he both learned and taught in that period were exemplified in the conduct of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission under his chairmanship, challenging people to tell the truth, weeping as people wept and rejoicing with enemy and friend as they found reconciliation and amnesty. “The truth will set you free” was a clear reality for the world to see… a path, not without some significant imperfections, towards peaceful transition to majority rule as Africa’s major democracy.

Leaders baggage

We have since 1994 and Madibas five years, been through three generations of leadership. The first was that of Madiba himself with an electorate and a global audience concerned primarily with the challenge of moral leadership where reconciliation and forgiveness were uppermost. The second characterized by Mbeki and his cabinet, mostly staffed by “exiles”, detached from the people on the ground, with the primary challenge of economic and political stability as a means of enabling (and affording) social delivery . The third by Zuma and his cabinet, mostly staffed by Robben Islanders, closer to people on the ground, with the primary challenge of social delivery as a means to ensuring social stability. All three of these groups brought with them their own “baggage”, their own frame of reference, and have governed accordingly. And all three have had very different leadership styles.

Right now, our current political leaders are described by media with the words “cleptocrats”, “tenderpreneurs”, “cronies” and “cadres”. Many of us long for the moral leadership that represented those that are of Mandela’s and Tutu’s calibre. But they were leaders at a time when peace in our land was paramount; we could talk of nothing else as the spectre of a civil war was on everyones mind.

When President Mbeki arrived on the scene, a different character of leadership was required, delivery was the big issue and he achieved considerable success in many respects. But his detached style, his disconnectedness within the tripartite alliance, and his reluctance to listen to advice undermined much of the good work he did in transforming the economy, building the African renaissance, and in combating poverty, unemployment, sexism and racism.

Mr. Zuma has received a number of bricks and bouquets from his critics for his leadership style, almost in equal quantity, and in many respects the jury is still out on his performance. But his challenges are in many respects different; government performance, cronyism and corruption, an increasingly marginalized youth, rural development and social stability are the critical areas of focus. Time will tell.

Political leadership is a significant issue everywhere, and while we have lots to say about the shortcomings of our three generations of leadership, South Africa is in a place unimaginable 16 years ago. We have not just done well, we have exceeded expectations on many important indicators and events. Most recently we did stage “the best World Cup ever”, no one thought it possible just six months ago.

Nevertheless, two big questions on leadership remain: Will Mr. Zuma serve a second term and, who will succeed Mr. Zuma? Will it be another generation of “Robben Islanders” who will play the same game, or will we begin to see a generation of “Free Borns” emerge?

Social challenges

Archbishop Tutu recently said, “I long so much that we will become the country we have it in ourselves to become, a caring, not hugely successful, but one in which every South Africans feels they matter.” This statement raises the ever present issue of social capital. We are an African country and we are a developing country. In terms of global competitiveness we rank exceptionally well, in the top 15%, on economic indicators, we are in the top half on political indicators, but we rank in the bottom 15% on social indicators. What Tutu is referring to here is the critical importance of resolving our many social challenges which, if unresolved, will impact our economic and political competitiveness. This has to be the most important challenge of our current and future leadership.

And what will happen of Opposition Leadership? Again, it is often said that people “get the government the opposition allows”. Sustainable, good leadership will never exist with weak opposition leadership, , so we have to work at both. That is our, the peoples, challenge going forward. It is how we can contribute to our future leadership requirements.

The “good news” is we can all do something about both leadership and opposition, we have the gift of a constitutional democracy and we have the vote, we have a free media and the right to criticize, and we have the ability to make ourselves heard. In tribute to the example of Madiba and the “Arch” as they enjoy their retirement, thats the least we can do. If we fail in these responsibilities we will damage their legacy, and we will only have ourselves to blame. The Good News, www.sagoodnews.co.za