If we citizens act on the principles of ubuntu (empathetic caring) and batho pele (people first) then we would not need talk shops. Photo: Lisa Skinner
Living in South Africa is like a David versus Goliath encounter. Just think, everyday South Africans battle a depressed economy, stubborn unemployment, corruption, high crime, and there’s no respite in sight.
Navigating the complexities of political uncertainty, no growth economy and social decline has crippled us with fear, confusion and fuelled disillusionment. Many citizens either plan to leave, or “quietly quit”, meaning they withdraw into an insular, depressed and unproductive state of mind.
Hence it’s understandable why President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proposal for a national dialogue has evoked a public outcry. Besides the excessive cost (estimated at R700 million), which is difficult to justify in these depressed economic times, what South Africans are really tired of and cynical about are the endless talk shops and commissions of inquiry with no penalties for those implicated. The nation has had its fair share of these for about 30 years. And despite the expectation and hype that surrounds these events, they have yielded little or no value. What we need now are practical solutions with tangible consequences.
To build the nation we deserve, South Africans need to shift from thinking and talking to doing. We have the most progressive Constitution in the world, but we don’t live it. The National Development Plan, despite some ideological disagreements with it, was a well thought out developmental roadmap. Instead, it’s stuck in limbo.
As Peter Kingsley, author of Reality (2003) said: “We have plenty of theories, endless discussions of problems about problems. But the simple fact is that through our minds we have not managed to understand one single thing. And the time for thinking and for reasoning is over now. They have served their purpose. The problem is that we know nothing.”
The findings of the Zondo commission, which investigated corruption by senior politicians, were not acted upon despite many being guilty of malfeasance. Hence it was with dismay, as admitted by Judge Raymond Zondo, to see these same implicated individuals once again appointed to senior public office. There doesn’t seem to be political will to act on these and thereby demonstrate the state’s tough stance against corruption. We cannot proceed along this futile path of having another talk shop with no constructive outcomes.
Lack of punishment creates a sense of impunity among those implicated. But, more importantly it sends a message that corruption is tolerated. In addition, lack of legal consequences breeds disillusionment in the judiciary.
For too long have South Africans depended on the government to effect change. Yet, building a corrupt-free, prosperous South Africa isn’t solely the government’s responsibility. Only citizens have the power to do so. Therefore, the answer is no longer in endless discussions. The answer lies in personal agency.
Look at human history. Extraordinary achievements were accomplished by ordinary people with limited resources and little help. Our many township entrepreneurs such as Max Mqadi (Max Lifestyle Village) show that people are not powerless. We have agency to act and bring about positive change. Pulsating in our veins is resilience that few nations in the world can match. Our sports teams and individuals who have excelled are testament to this. That’s besides the courage shown by political activists who fearlessly challenged the apartheid state apparatus. More recently, similar courage was displayed when the South African government, knowing full well the backlash this would unleash, took Israel to the International Court of Justice for its crimes in Gaza.
So how do we invoke our personal agency? The answers are in the late Stephen Covey’s highly successful book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). Highlighted are important habits such as ‘“be proactive”’ and “put first things first”. These principles emphasise the importance of prioritising tasks towards a specific goal based on its strategic value. It places the individual at the core of transformation.
The constant complaints about crime, corruption and poor service delivery have proven futile. The commissions and discussions over many years have yielded nothing. Protests and citizens’ cries have fallen on deaf ears. It is only through our own self-reflection and action, what drives us to act the way we do, how we choose to live, relate to each other and how we consume in our daily lives that will provide our salvation. And this salvation lies not in national dialogues, nor in policy papers, or even in the Constitution. This salvation lies in the profound African humanist philosophy of ubuntu (I am because you are).
Ubuntu principles that include compassion, solidarity, kindness, empathy and respect will solve most of our problems. This is not only between humans and humans, but also between humans and nature. Acting on ubuntu (empathetic caring) and batho pele (people first) principles do not need talk shops, money or technology. It requires the simple act from each of us to be better versions of ourselves.
Practicing Covey’s habits with ubuntu will solve most of our problems. Crime, corruption and various forms of violence are perpetrated by us or those we know and whom we support. Many of us are complicit by either remaining silent when a crime is committed or supporting criminal acts such as purchasing illicit goods. This criminality will not stop until we take ownership of our actions and make it stop.
The focus on inner awareness and self-transformation is not new. It was also advocated by Swedish researchers in 2020 when they evaluated the poor global responses to the United Nations sustainable development goals. They then developed the inner development goals, a preliminary set of principles that could create inner awareness and resolve. These principles would constitute an inter-connected values based framework that explored the connection between inner development and outer sustainability.
Finally, when we face the Goliaths of our times — economic, political and social issues — like David, we cannot run from them, nor can we depend on others for assistance. But we can demonstrate inner resolve, be proactive, strategic and act with courage. That will go a long way to solving South Africa’s enduring problems.
Rudi Kimmie (PhD) is an independent educational and organisation development consultant. He writes in his personal capacity.