June 6 to 12 2008

Transforming leaders

I would define leadership as the ability to solve problems. People vote others into power because they believe they will bring change to their lives.

The grim events of the past few weeks call on all the people of this country to take a stand. The time has come to save its image and that of the African continent.

The starting point must be a willingness to face up to the truth. We need to do some deep soul-searching as Africans and ask ourselves what is wrong, taking into account all the ills that seem to continually befall our continent.

People cannot forever run from place to place in search of the elusive ‘better life”. African countries with advanced economies must use their influence and economic muscle to see to it that socio-political stability comes to trouble spots. We have to start by sorting out chaotic conditions in these countries, by engaging the genuine leadership. The continent is rich enough in terms of natural resources to sustain its populations.

Here at home, there are a lot of intelligent people who can come up with solutions to the problems that beset this country. Those in charge must listen to the grievances of poor people. — Vusumzi Nobadula, Montana

When I look at our government ministers and other top functionaries of the state today I remember many of them as fearless leaders of the struggle, inspiring, moral, thoughtful. But something has happened to them. Now we have over-stressed, defensive, heartless, thoughtless and calculating behaviours from these same amazing people, making one bad judgement after another, and honestly it breaks my heart. One of them, still a friend, tells me that since becoming a member of a provincial legislature, he has ‘become quite stupid and miserable”, ground down by bureaucratic procedure, and set up to fail, as any of us would.

I wonder if the biggest problem lies not in the leaders themselves so much as in the alien Governmentland they live in — a gloomy, stifling, compromised place that renders its inhabitants dysfunctional. The complexity of contemporary society is beyond the governing capacity of the institutions we have inherited.

We need a new kind of government with organisational practices and a culture that gives time and space for thinking and reflecting, deep learning processes that empower our leaders so that they can, in turn, empower the nation. Some of the most powerful innovations can be really simple.

Imagine if Cabinet ministers were to take a week off every three months to hang out with one another by the sea or on a mountain wilderness, to slow down, sit back and really think about their real work, to go on long walks, to meditate, to engage with poets, priests and philosophers in the evenings and get some proper sleep!

Imagine creatively designed workshops bringing together different stakeholders to look for the right questions, to question the different paradigms and value bases we work from, to explore unimagined futures.

I am tired of seeing unhappy ­leaders on TV. The government will not transform society until it has itself become transformed. — Doug Reeler, Kenilworth

Suzman is wrong
Helen Suzman claims that I abuse my position by using my portfolio title in endorsing the advert concerning Israel’s 60 years of persecution of the Palestinians (May 30). I have been attacked over the years by the likes of Suzman and her Zionist friends, claiming that since I am not minister of foreign affairs I have no right to speak on Israel. When I am attacked as a minister I have exercised my right to respond as a minister.

In any event, there is nothing in the regulations that prevents me using my ministerial title or prevents ministers posting personal statements on their website. Suzman gnashes her teeth in fury purely because she is so intolerant of my right to call for justice for the Palestinians.

What is more insidious is that she singles me out from 55 fellow South Africans — 11 ministers and deputies as well as former political prisoners and others — who signed the statement. Like some apartheid-era bigot, she sees one single agitator mobilising the crowd. — Ronnie Kasrils

It is fairly obvious why our intelligence services were caught with their pants down during the recent xenophobic violence. Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils whiles away the hours writing Israel-bashing letters to newspapers, giving pro-terrorist media interviews and delivering hate speeches that have nothing to do with his duties as minister. All this while drawing a hefty government salary. Every one of the about 50 000 foreign nationals who have fled South Africa is proof that Kasrils is just not interested in his day job. He prefers not to concentrate on South Africa’s internal security, opting instead to keep his gaze firmly fixed on the Middle East. — Ivan Booth, Craighall Park

Ronnie Kasrils’s condemnation of Israel generates paroxysms of rage in Israel’s defenders, the latest being Helen Suzman (May 30). Yet, for many enjoying the fruits of liberation in South Africa, Kasrils represents the intrepid and principled revolutionary whose moral clarity, objectivity and courage make him fearlessly articulate the injustices experienced by the Palestinians. For Kasrils, a Jew, to cry out at the injustice done to the Palestinians is the very definition of what is best about the human race. — Firoz Osman, Tshwane

I was enraged to see the M&G, a newspaper I hold in high esteem, carrying the advertisement ‘We fought apartheid; we see no reason to celebrate it in Israel now” (May 16). To compare the situation in Israel with that of South Africa during the apartheid years is frankly odious. The only similarity between the two countries is that in both the situations are complex and not simply that of white versus black or aggressor versus victim. I would like to know from those who put their names to this advert: how many of you have spent any time in Israel and spoken to people on both sides? — Penelope Eddey, Edenvale

Helen Suzman’s unwillingness to see the injustice perpetrated against the Palestinian people questions her integrity as a human being. All Kasrils is doing is condemning injustice that is worse than anything apartheid unleashed against our people. Mrs Suzman, you as a Jew can understand that, because your people suffered a similar fate under Hitler. Your conscience should challenge you to add your name to the advertisement (May 16), unless you have a selective conscience. Don’t be complicit. — Abel Chauke, Makhado

Winnie’s no champion
As a reader of the M&G for many years, I wish to express my disappointment at your article about xenophobia and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (May 30). Every right-thinking South African is appalled at the recent xenophobia, but why choose Madikizela-Mandela to champion the cause? She is a convicted criminal who has avoided spending any time behind bars. To refer to her as ‘Mother of the Nation” is an insult to decent South Africans — she lost this mantle when she ‘stubbed out her Stompie”, or have you forgotten? She is a cheap opportunist who is climbing on the bandwagon of xenophobia and is strutting around with Jacob Zuma and other leaders as a prelude to her re-emergence in politics. God help us! — Maureen van Lear, Carlswald

I am disgusted to read how you put Winnie Madikizela-Mandela up as some sort of pious ‘knight in shining armour” for speaking out about xenophobia. She a seriously flawed personality and is an opportunist of note. She should, and would, be languishing behind bars were it not for her friends in high places. Shame on you, M&G. — Alec Divov, Midrand

Come see us at work
The South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) would like to respond to ‘Dysfunction at Red Cross leads to resignation” (May 30). Though the M&G made contact with the SARCS on Wednesday, no time was given to respond.

On the Sunday night mentioned, when about 500 people were relocated by the authorities to an unprepared site at Akasia, the SARCS was on standby, at the request of the authorities. A local newspaper contacted us and we sent teams to the field at once. The teams carried relief supplies and stayed on site until 5.30am.

In the story Gillian Elson alleges that there is a stock of useable clothes from tsunami donations at the SARCS Pretoria branch. SARCS does not appeal for clothing for international appeals; shipping costs are prohibitive. Spontaneous donations were received (some of unusable quality), which remain in store awaiting destruction. We are aware of allegations of theft at the Pretoria branch and a thorough disciplinary process is under way.

In Gauteng SARCS now maintains 13 teams of volunteers and staff engaged in helping displaced migrants. The teams work in shifts, serving 13 shelters seven days a week, while monitoring another 12. SARCS has assisted more than 20 000 people with blankets, food, hygiene items, psychological support, shelter materials, and so on.

Elson was chairperson of the Pretoria Branch for two years; she had the authority to take corrective action on any shortcomings. She was never a nominated SARCS spokesperson on this crisis.

The SARCS invites the M&G to visit any of the sites being attended to and observe the difference the Red Cross makes. — Dalmari Steward, SARCS acting president

We can’t drink diamonds
Pam Yako, the new Director General of Water Affairs and Forestry, as profiled by Fiona Macleod (May 23), is making all the right noises about avoiding a water disaster. It is well known that South Africa is water-scarce. I write to make the public and Yako’s department aware of the new diamond-mining development in one of our most sensitive water-catchment areas, the Magoebaskloof/­Haenertsburg area in Limpopo.

Ndowana Exploration, a joint venture between Mvelaphanda Resources and De Beers Consolidated Mines, has already started prospecting in this area and would like to get to the next phase. For the first time, this now involves an environmental impact assessment because prospecting will take place in ‘sensitive areas”.

This entire catchment area is sensitive. It feeds two vital river systems: the Olifants and Great Letaba rivers. Millions of people in South Africa and Mozambique are dependent on these two river systems for drinking water and agriculture.

Ms Yako, we appeal to you to stand firm — put the precious resource of water first. Stop the proposed mining in Limpopo before another of our catchment areas is destroyed. We cannot drink diamonds! — Denise Tooley

In brief
Pearlie Joubert, your story ‘I really hate your country” (May 30) is probably the most irresponsible piece of journalism I have ever come across. Somalian Muhamad Barre has clearly suffered a tragic loss. You seem to derive pleasure in allowing him to spew hate. If you were interested in balance, the woman who ‘started doing that dance — toyi-toyi you call it” should have had a voice in your article. — Stanley

I find the view ‘Africans have never liked one another” (May 23) patronising. Human beings don’t naturally like one another — this is not the preserve of Africans alone. Africans have had a low opinion of themselves, courtesy of 300 years of an ­inferiority complex imposed upon us by successive white, Arab and Indian tribes. We have passed down our feelings of inadequacy from generation to generation. We must reclaim our pride by rejecting narrow-mindedness in all its forms. — Tony Namate, Harare

Thanks to Lev David for ‘The barbarians at the crêpes” (May 23). He reflected my thoughts exactly: are the funny-looking people going to be attacked next? I live in Berlin, and xenophobia has changed foreign views about our land. Finally people seem to know where Zimbabwe is! — Samantha Stankiewicz