Power dynamic — South Africa’s current crop of leaders leaves a lot to be desired

One of the things I soon came to realise as a young adult is that leadership is something that many shy away from because it is a lifelong commitment to being steadfast in one’s values and resolve.

A good leader might not be referred to as someone who is nice or easy to get along with, but is respected for staying true to their principles and not populist ideals.

This rings true even for leaders who seek to be conciliators in tumultuous times. A certain steely resolve is necessary to navigate people through difficult times so that division does not take hold.

This is not to say, however, that leaders are without their blind spots, and so, it is important that they assemble around them a team of like-minded but independent-thinking people who have the skills and acumen to complement their leadership.

This team has to remain steadfast and commit not to the leader, but to the principles that have been identified as aspirational. This becomes especially important in politics, where it impacts people’s wellbeing and the trajectory of their lives. It also elevates the level of political discourse and gives due sanctity to the office held.

Looking at our 30-year democracy, I was always clear about this during the Nelson Mandela administration, when I knew who his trusted team was and the value and expertise they brought to our government.

I knew this too with the Thabo Mbeki administration, which gave a sense to many that South Africa had a vision for the betterment of people and a plan to implement it.

The Jacob Zuma administration not only scuppered these foundational administrations, but also put us at a political and intellectual disadvantage. We are still battling to overcome this weakness with Cyril Ramaphosa at the helm.

Although Ramaphosa’s administration shows signs of a departure from its predecessor, it is unfortunately still tainted by many Zuma loyalists who remain firmly entrenched, making it a hard sell for some to believe in his purported pursuit of “ANC renewal”.

The level of political discourse and commitment to building a country we can all be proud of is so low that now, even when obvious points of parity – such as the ones made by Mbeki last weekend – are stated, they seem like revelations.

Read more: Thabo Mbeki’s powerful words of anger point to the ANC’s bleak future

The evidence of this can be seen in what has come to be considered political debate in the country. Mudslinging, jostling for power and pulling the wool over people’s eyes are considered the stuff of politics. But this is not politics – it is just crass wrangling for patronage and, quite frankly, I’m not convinced that other political parties are much different.

Our political parties are weak in terms of their political ideology and education, and stuck in a leadership vacuum that is allowing a damaging narrative to persist: that voters exist to keep them in power.

This is incorrect. Voters entrust parties with the political power to change their material conditions for the better by presiding over the levers of governance judiciously.

As I watched Mbeki speaking, so sure-footed and with a piercingly steady gaze, I found myself missing that quality in our current leaders. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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