The list of Great South Africans should have, and could have, shed some light on the most pertinent questions of our time. But such a ranking needs to include all of South Africa.
To ensure the participation of the majority of South Africans, involve all forms of the media in the process. Highlight the connotations of greatness so that the electorate can make informed votes. Allow canons from various sectors of society — such as business, politics, the arts and academia — to draw up a list of people that will help lead the electorate in the right direction. Educate people on what constitutes greatness. Lastly, make clear that while great people often become popular, popularity is not the catalyst for greatness.
So what is “greatness”? Greatness has to do with longevity. Great people change the landscape of the country in a positive way and this often takes time. It is either in their concepts or actions that great people better the lives of not only themselves or their families, but the nation as a whole.
Great people leave lasting institutions that all South Africans can use. Their books enlighten us about who we are or who we could become. Their work has changed the world for good.
Great people are not average — that is precisely what makes them great. They are conscious of society’s flaws. As such, greatness is not about enhancing the self, but looking to better the society.
If people have to undo what you have done, then your actions and concepts were not great. So how could Hendrik Verwoerd make it on to the list? If Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and the whole of the South African and international arena had to undo what apartheid canons created, then there was nothing great about this man’s actions and those of his entourage.
His beneficiaries, who probably voted him on to the list, are the affluent people who still hold a large portion of the country’s economy in their hands. It is this same group of people who make up the bulk of SABC3’s viewership. They have access to the Internet in the comfort of their homes, are on contract phones and can afford to vote 50 000 times for Verwoerd, the “great” man who brought them their wealth.
Some people who made it on to the list have been good to the media beast. But popularity is not a synonym or catalyst for greatness. Some popular South Africans may have the potential to become great, but the majority are not there yet.
SABC1 has been good to Zola, who has become a role model for black youth. He is showing poverty-stricken youngsters from “ekasi” that they can rise above all obstacles and make a positive impact on society, not only through music, but through their own initiatives. It could make him a great person, but in his 20s he is hardly a great South African.
Charlize Theron put South Africa on the map when she won her Oscar. But at 28 years of age she is not a great South African. It is only her first Oscar and, most importantly, it is her Oscar, not the country’s. It would be noble and perhaps even “great” to see her, in years to come, donate funds to a drama school that ensures the South African arts are nurtured and showcased abroad.
It was a big mistake to host the ranking on one television station instead of all four. Genuine nation-building, which uses the SABC as a platform, cannot be exclusive to SABC3 viewers. What we have to do now is vigorously debate the positive and negative aspects of the ranking to learn from it.
MaQueen Motuba is a freelance journalist