By Dr Chris Jones, PhD, Stellenbosch University — The Conversation, 31 July 2022
Former South African president Thabo Mbeki recently painted a gloomy picture of the country and its prospects. He said the governing ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, did not have a national plan to address the country’s many socio-economic problems — including an official national unemployment rate of 34.5%, making South Africa the most unequal country in the world, with about 55.5% (30.3 million people) living in poverty. He warned the country was ripe for its own Arab Spring. Mbeki expressed concern about ANC politicians who were not serving the people but were focused on self-enrichment, and lamented the absence of a social compact — collaboration between government, civil society, communities, business and labour.
The country needs transformational leaders — who can inspire positive change in individuals and social systems — to fix its problems. Such leaders must be concerned about the country’s problems and be involved in helping to fix them. The best form of transformational leadership was displayed by Nelson Mandela, the late first president of a democratic South Africa, who envisioned the country as a “rainbow nation” and rallied almost the entire nation — black and white — behind the realisation of his vision. But it faded over the years. Futurist Philip Spies describes the new South Africa as a ship that started sailing in 1994 with very good hope and direction, but froze in a pack of ice 28 years later, bringing the country’s development to a standstill. Too many politicians are self-serving and interested in self-enrichment, often far removed from the citizens. The large group of poor people feel betrayed by democracy — political liberation did not produce economic liberation. South Africa needs transformational leaders who are dedicated to long-term development while also solving the immediate problems of a country and its people. Without transformational leadership, a new design for the purest expression of democracy — with South Africa’s vast differences in wealth and diverse communities — is not possible. This article has been republished under Creative Commons licence.