Words breed political intolerance

THE “Violence of words” from ANC leaders threatens to send South Africa back to the days of politics of hate and violence “that characterised political life during the reign of apartheid.”

This was said by Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela at Durban’s University of Technology’s conference on leadership.

Gobodo-Madikizela whose talk was themed “Empathy and the ethics of leadership” referenced quotes by president Jacob Zuma who last month said: “When a snake, a poisonous one, gives birth, it gives birth to another snake. How can you vote for people who don’t know you and who you don’t know?” when he was referring to the DA.

She said this type of talk breeds political intolerance. She also referred to EFF leader Julius Malema being called by Parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete a “cockroach” which she later retracted. The impact of words used by leaders had a profound effect on society as the youth “imbibe and internalise” them.

She said the current: “leadership is inspired by political intolerance” which she considered to be “dangerous”. Gobodo-Madikizela who is research chair for historical trauma and transformation in the faculty of arts and social sciences at Stellenbosch University said the current leadership was not building social solidarity. What leadership was supposed to be was the art of the possible, she said.

There was a huge lack of empathy from the leadership she said. Empathy was important as it humanised people and made it harder for one to dismiss them, Gobodo-Madikizela said. She said there was anger and rage in the country. Although anger and rage was important, this on its own only perpetuated violence.

A way of moving forward was to embrace concepts like ubuntu. She said although ubuntu had been used ad nauseam this had potential to deal with the challenges the country faced as it made people to humanise each other.