Yearning for strong leaders

MANY of the sayings of former President Nelson Mandela remain in popular mem- ory. One that at first seems mundane but on reflection is profound in its simplicity is: Don’t call me, I’ll call you. The occasion was Madiba’s final address to Parliament. It was not that the much loved and ac- claimed statesman intended to be a hermit but that he must have foreseen how easy it is for a nation to crave for a rainbow past and look to former leaders to come to the rescue when the going gets tough. We are seeing something of this with the return to the limelight of former President Thabo Mbeki, who has been outspoken in his views on the prob- lems besetting the Jacob Zuma-led government. The former president is a controversial figure, with ardent admirers and as many passionate detractors. His return to public popularity should not be interpreted as an endorsement for everything that happened in his time in office but rather as a yearn- ing for a past that while fraught with many ills, was an era of relative predictability for the party and nation he lead. Put simply, South Africa is craving for leader- ship. It is calling on anyone who appears to have a road map to take us out of the political, economic and moral maze in which we find ourselves. We seem to have a dearth of contemporary lead- ers with the prowess and backbone to tackle our many current woes. Of course this is what we sorely require, not least since so many of the population are young- sters. Our youth need leaders who can inspire them and deliver on their needs. We should be in a position to tell the leaders of yesteryear that we will call them, they must not call us. And they should be in a position to be con- tent that all is well with the land and they can enjoy their well-earned retirement from public life.