Madiba’s hand in building a united SA Inc
IS IT possible to find words to describe Nelson Mandela’s contribution to the stability and progress in South Africa’s early years of democracy after 1994?
In the formative years of our democracy, Madiba’s steadfast focus on nation building and the development of pragmatic economic policy was crucial to building investor confidence.
Investors put stability at the bottom of their list of worries when investing in South Africa.
His crucial support of the creation of National Economic Development and Labour Council remains one of our pillars of democracy. Social dialogue was critical to providing the socioeconomic dimension of the reconciliation and nation building to which he was so deeply committed.
In 1996, he stood up in parliament and described how South Africa needed a longer-term shared vision if it was to truly unlock its real economic potential and create a better life for all — a vision which his one-term presidency unfortunately did not make possible.
Seventeen years later, South Africa is still struggling to give voice to this shared vision under the aegis of the new National Development Plan and to rediscover the values that will make it possible.
Madiba was a big proponent of ubuntu — and ubuntu in business resonated with him. He believed that ubuntu did not weaken business.
He once said: “Ubuntu cements the relationships upon which teamwork and innovation must rest. It builds trust among employees, and teamwork and trust are seen as vital components of world-class enterprises today.”
As business, we uphold those words.
He emphasised that South Africa requires disciplined leaders. The challenge is to find more leaders of Madiba’s ilk, who do not only talk of values and principles but live them. In Madiba we had a leader who embodied the values he espoused.
Madiba taught the world the importance of negotiated settlements. He was a unifier, and, for business and labour, this ethos later became the conerstone of our collective bargaining system.
It’s an important principle, considering that we face huge challenges in our employer-employee relations. It would help for business and labour to provide the necessary leadership and not undermine the collective bargaining system.
What can we do as business to commemorate his legacy? Perhaps the best we can do to remember Madiba is continue to live his principles of nonracialism, inclusivity and humaneness.
It is difficult to imagine where South Africa would be if Madiba and his compatriots had given up on the struggle for a democratic South Africa.
Our business leaders should endeavour to use hope and Madiba’s spirit of perseverance to lift us up. May you rest in peace, Madiba. Majokweni is CEO of Business Unity SA