‘SA largely leaderless, economy in the ICU’
THE South African economy is critically ill. So said Professor Itumeleng Mosala at the second Steve Biko Memorial Lecture delivered at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University South Campus.
Mosala, one of South Africa’s foremost academic advisers on matters relating to government, politics and business, was speaking on the 35th anniversary of Biko’s death.
The Black Consciousness movement founder and antiapartheid activist died at the hands of the apartheid police
“On a day like this, we have to reflect on the situation of leadership in our country. Every area in our society, there are people in places and positions of leadership, but where is leadership in the economy, youth matters, student affairs and politics?”
Mosala said the country was in “a sorry state of leaderlessness. We are living in a leaderless country, a country with no identity. Our business organisations are in bad shape. The South African economy has been in ICU for a long time.
“Our political organisations are sick. The ANC is unwell, the PAC and Azapo are languishing whereas the DA has never been well . . . If you have sick leadership you will have unwell leaders.”
Mosala praised Biko’s lead- ership, saying he was “an organisation genius”.
“With everything happening in this country we hope that Biko’s blood was not shed for nothing,” he said.
At the same event – hosted by the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy and the Azanian Students’ Convention – the student body handed over a portrait of Biko to South African playwright and actor Winston Ntshona, who said he was very humbled.
Meanwhile DA leader Helen Zille’s Steve Biko lecture, to have been held at the university last night, was cancelled the day before. Zille, a journalist at the Rand Daily Mail at the time, reported extensively on Biko’s death.
NMMU spokeswoman Roslyn Baatjies said the university did not want two public lectures on the same day as it would cause confusion, split the attendance and “detract from the honour bestowed on Steve Biko and his memory”.
She said the Mosala lecture had been planned months ago.