Black professionals demand respect
ONE of the troubling practices, which I have occasionally questioned privately in ANC discussions, is that of ministers who, when they must account to Parliament committees, bring an entourage of senior executives and board members as part of their delegations.
The minister would then serve only to direct who must answer questions from his or her delegation, after giving brief and inconsequential opening remarks.
I find this an act of self-denigrating, effectively saying as a minister you don’t know much about what is happening in each unit or entity that you are responsible for overseeing.
Given that as a minister you are merely accounting to fellow MPs, who are no more specialists than you are, bringing a long line of senior executives to cover for you, is not only a vote of no confidence in oneself, but a tactic of avoiding to be exposed as an underwhelming minister, who is in way above his head in the task given by the president and the people of this country.
This is also double work for the executives of various state entities. They must first account to the minister and then be dragged to Parliament to do the work a minister is supposed to do.
This, to me, has been the beginning of the undermining of black leaders, which unfortunately is self-inflicted.
There is no reason why a minister should not go alone to account to Parliament, and where he/she is not available, a deputy minister should.
The fact that people like Ismail Momoniat are frequenting parliamentary committees to account on the work of Treasury and they are neither ministers nor deputy ministers (or DGs), is problematic.
It is part of this problem that ministers have created, of removing executives from their daily work to come and front for their underwhelming bosses in parliamentary committees.
I therefore refuse to accept that Momoniat could undermine three layers of black authority and on his own accord, give himself authority to come to Parliament and account on behalf of the whole department. If there is any undermining, it is self-inflicted.
An instruction could easily be given for Momoniat to stay in the office and do his job and stay away from Parliament.
The issue, however, that Floyd Shivambu is raising is a crucial one, and any African professionals who have worked with other races have been at the receiving end of the pervasive practice of undermining black professionals, particularly in the corporate world and SOEs. It usually does not matter which position you hold, you can be undermined as an entry clerk or as a chief executive, as long as you are black.
On this particular issue, we should condemn anyone who still harbours historically discredited and rejected perceptions about natural talent based on race.
Competency or incompetence has no colour. Where there are still people who exclude African employees or executives on certain decisions or tasks because they doubt their abilities based of their skin colour, those people must be taken out of the system and be cast aside.
For African people, however, we need to have an honest conversation among ourselves about the nuances within this task of transforming our workplaces to be unashamedly pro-black.
During my time in the private sector, I found the sense of love and honour I received from the cleaners and security guard heart-warming. I always felt like a young son in who they take great pride, because although I am as African as them, I have a better deal in the office and I have a seat at the high table.
It would be dishonest and disingenuous to go to them and say, “family, you may think I have a better deal than you but I am as undermined by these white people who run this company as you”.
That would not only be devastating but offensive because in fact even if I am undermined, I am treated with false respect and great pretence of reverence that gets me by. My station is still much higher.
The important question is what do I do with my higher station in office to transform things even for the black cleaner and security guards. They are not admiring and cheering me on, for no reason.
They are hoping that my presence at the table will make things better even for them. When I look at them, my whining about my own grievances suddenly feels exaggerated.
What is the responsibility of black professionals in the old white spaces. In a conversation we had with then secretary-general of the ANC and now national chairperson Gwede Mantashe with young black professionals, who were complaining about the ANC not assisting them in their corporate spaces where they remain victimised, Mantashe threw the ball back.
Black professionals needed to define what they think is their role in this new world, beyond just the immediate and narrow desire for acceptance.
Some companies have transformation committees that are chaired by blacks. This provides an opportunity for such committees to develop programmes; invite the ANC on board, and use this platform to crack the whip on multiple stumbling blocks in transforming these companies and create blackfriendly environments.
Black professionals have more responsibilities in companies than just being competent and good at what they do, they must also fight for change.
As black professionals, we must demand the dignity and respect that comes with the posts we hold. We do not have to be apologetic about it and we don’t have to appease anyone. When black professionals do this, they don’t only assist themselves, but give strength to the mother who cleans, the father who is a security guard, for he/she will also enjoy dignity and respect in a company that is black friendly.
There is enormous power in black professionals because of their historical political backing and Floyd does not have to fight their battles.
White people need to put in equal effort in ensuring transformation happens, not only in numbers but in attitudes, and where they are lacklustre about it, government must enforce policy with greater vigour and determination.
As a black man, however, as a South African, I must be comfortable in any boardroom and I should not be intimidated by power or privilege.
This is the confidence I must have in my country, in the government of the day, but, most importantly, in myself.