Earlier this year, a South African delegation attended its first Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit as a full member. For the country, being welcomed into the fold of the “Big Four” holds much promise. Consider the potential that being part of this economic group could unlock for us.
Think about the 2010 Fifa World Cup, now all but a distant memory. Think of the passion it evoked and all the opportunities it was set to create for South Africa.
In a more scientific field, South Africa is bidding against Australia to build the Square Kilometre Array telescope, the most powerful telescope ever. Winning the bid will not only enable our (and international) scientists to see back to before the first stars and galaxies were formed but it also holds much promise for socio-economic development here.
All these milestones have one thing in common. What is supposed to happen next?
Education, conviction and energy
Think of it in terms of three strategic pillars — education, conviction, and energy. Education focuses on the skills that are aligned to the requirements of what the country needs to fulfil its requirements within the Brics supply chain. Conviction is all about having the plans and following through on the execution until it is completed, such as the expectations created by the World Cup. Energy is unlocked through a project like the SKA telescope and the potential it holds for development across a number of sectors in South Africa.
South Africa needs followers who can heed the calls of these pillars.
We are blessed with an abundance of people of substance and leadership such as the visionary Dr Mamphela Ramphele, the education flair of Taddy Bletcher, the pragmatism of Trevor Manuel, the organisational and business acumen of Sizwe Nxasana, and the transformational impetus of Jay Naidoo. There are many young people filled with consciousness, awareness, and mindfulness. The talent pool exists. We just need to know how to tap it.
Unfortunately, they are not given the opportunity to heed the calls as trusted compatriots. Instead, we have leaders and power-leadership. If these terms are not redefined and their roles clarified soon in the context of influence, it will face an untimely end.
People will follow the dictates of a communal idea, not a physical leader. The idea can be trusted, but not the person.
Followers use these communal ideas to facilitate our economic growth unhindered by party-political interference. The role of politicians is to create the environment and climate for safety and good health, skills development, and economic growth. In every other sense, politicians should be invisible, fulfilling the mandate given by the people irrespective of race, economic standing, or level of influence.
So what is needed is to educate private and public sector politicians on how to take a step back and focus on their mandate. Objective followers in these sectors will assist them. Let us hope that it will not be done as it was in Cte d’Ivoire, Lybia, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Syria, or Bahrain.
Allan Feldman is the senior lecturer in Human Resources and Leadership at Unisa.
This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian newspaper as an advertorial