We need leaders who put the country first

Those consumed by self-interest can be dangerous

SOUTH Africa’s topsy-turvy business and political landscape poses challenges and opportunities for business and political leaders alike.

I strongly believe that what is required at this conjuncture are leaders who can craft and manage a fine balance between focusing on shortand long-term drivers of growth.

South Africa faces a real and serious risk that its leaders excessively focus on the current short-term local (sometimes petty) issues and forget the long-term strategic issues that are key to ensuring higher levels of growth, employment and prosperity for generations. The job of leaders must be to make their companies and countries great. When leaders become excessively short term in their outlook and focus, they cease to be leaders.

For example, the current debate on state capture, which has gone beyond the Guptas, while welcome and crucial, has unleashed unhelpful exchanges between sections of business and the governing ANC, such as the one involving Remgro chairman Johann Rupert, the ANC and President Jacob Zuma’s eldest son, Edward.

The ruling by the Constitutional Court on the Nkandla matter and the outpouring of support for the supremacy of the constitution from all sections of society demonstrated, in ways that are not insignificant, the robustness of South Africa’s democracy. It should be good for business and investor confidence as it demonstrated that the rule of law is intact.

The ratings agencies are likely to view the ruling as a positive development, which, I think, should count in South Africa’s favour in their sovereign rating reviews.

The challenges facing the economy and society are not unique to South Africa. What may be unique are the local drivers that can and must be better managed through positive engagement aimed at ensuring inclusive, job-rich and sustainable growth.

Growth is key. It is the weapon that South Africa needs to defeat its high and concerning levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality. We need to elevate growth to be the burning national strategic priority around which the nation’s energy, passion and focus are rallied.

We should be ashamed that our growth lags behind that of most of our peers in emerging markets and in Africa. This should galvanise us not only to catch up but to aim, over time, to lead the pack.

South Africa can do that by unleashing all the forces that are key to driving the country’s global competitiveness.

These would include a deep and pervasive national culture of innovation, sustained investment in research and development, world-class education for all South African children, incentives for investors to create and retain massive numbers of jobs, effective institutions, effective and relevant skills development programmes for all workers across industries, and world-class talent to run our private and public sector organisations alike.

South Africa has what it takes to lift its growth and employment trajectory, alleviate poverty and reduce inequality. What seem to be missing are the ambition, hunger and discipline to take the requisite decisive action to grow our economy.

The success of our vehicle manufacturing industry is an example of what is possible if the right policy framework is put in place by the government through active engagement with the private sector.

This week’s announcement of a R2.5-billion investment by Ford Motor Company to manufacture the Everest model in South Africa is a vote of confidence in South Africa as an investment location. This came on the heels of a R6-billion investment announcement by BMW to manufacture the X3 in South Africa.

Furthermore, South Africa’s R200-billion renewable energy build programme is one of the best-run and most successful in the world

What, then, is required of business and political leaders to make South Africa’s economy and society great?

I want to argue that this is the time for leaders not to be distracted by the political noise, which is not uncommon when succession and election battles are under way, as indeed they are.

The political noise is an ingredient of our robust democracy. It will pass and come again at the next round of succession and electoral battles. It simply takes different forms at different times. We need leaders to be aware of the noise and look beyond it instead of being consumed by it.

We need leaders who constantly focus on the things that matter. Growth matters. The role of leaders must be to focus on ensuring that what is done and said sets a firm and credible foundation for long-term growth and prosperity.

Leaders who focus on their shortterm self-interest can be dangerous and destructive to companies and countries alike. We don’t need that. Nor do we deserve that. This is the time for leaders to step up to the plate and champion the national economic interest.

What is done or said locally influences the views of foreign investors, tourists and the global talent that South Africa needs to recruit from abroad for its local companies and other institutions, such as universities and organs of civil society.

It is a great strategic imperative that the interests of the economy and society inform the way in which leaders lead.

The current conjuncture of local economic and political forces seems to increase the temptation among some local leaders to be locked into this or that faction because they want this or that outcome for themselves.

The long-term prosperity and global competitiveness of the country should underpin what leaders say and do. That is key to making South Africa a great, respected and admired nation.

Dlamini is chairman of Massmart and Aspen Pharmacare Holdings. He writes in his personal capacity