SA’S leaders have sold the revolution up the river
PERHAPS we should agree with our government leaders, that this is not the time to be pointing fingers, but to point the fingers to themselves for falling short of serving those who have entrusted them through their votes with leadership positions in the mining industry, the unions and in government.
This is a disappointing reflection of the so-called collective leadership that is said to be united, according to media statements and photos in the newspapers. One has been musing lately as to how the ANC can run the economy and government when it is so wanting in aptitude, management, leadership, expertise and integrity.
There are many capable, educated and knowledgeable members of the ANC, some of whom have served years in prisons, and were at the coalface of the armed struggle against the apartheid regime. In the process, they prepared themselves to govern and lead in the post-apartheid South Africa. What happened to these cadres? In the majority of cases one finds a lack of merit, wanting qualifications and mismatch to cabinet and senior government appointments. Some well educated professionals such as engineers and doctors end up doing mundane jobs as cogs in the bureaucratic machinery instead of providing management and leadership in business and government.
Most of the leadership that was appointed on the Jacob Zuma slate is morally, ethically and intellectually bankrupt and has no regard for the founding ethos of the ANC. They are scandalously conflicted in government and big business, to the extent that they have sold the soul of the ANC, abandoned the commitment to achieve “a better life for all” in pursuit of personal riches and private schools for their children. None amongst them has the courage and wisdom to continue the legacy of OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela.
The Marikana tragedy has brought into sharp focus the calibre of leadership we have in labour, business and government this day. Our society has become polarised between those who “have” and those who “have not”. It has demonstrated starkly the gap that has widened between the ordinary people on the one hand and the leaders in business and government on the other.
Since 1994, the political and economic oligarchy has consolidated to become the elitist class or comprador bourgeoisie whilst the lower majority classes have seen their lot become worse in the superlative. The disparity between the salaries of the union bosses, politicians and mine owners on the one hand, and the miners on the other hand attests to this perception. It has brought into focus the role of those who have been assimilated into the economic elite of society and raises the question of whether political organisations such as the ANC and the unions have now become career ladders through which self seeking charlatans can gain access to political and economic power and in turn hide away in the leafy and gated suburbs, away from the people who voted them into leadership. Some labour unions have become sweetheart unions to the big mining conglomerates and have abandoned the cause of the working class.
None of the 10 clauses of the Freedom Charter have been substantively realised. It could be houses, education, social security or the economy.
The mining industry and government have a crisis of leadership and accountability. We are fed excuses all the time. One wonders where these leaders come from, if they get shocked about the living and working conditions of the miners after 18 years of democracy. The lack of shared economic prosperity has given rise to a crushing sense of bitterness and anger among the majority of mineworkers on the lower rungs of the industry, seeing that their working conditions and living conditions are not improving.
Transformation in the mining and minerals industry is not merely about having a sprinkling of black executive directors on the board of the mining company and being on a list of the richest. Out of more than 1 550 or so operating mines in South Africa, how many of them are managed by indigenous Africans? Transformation must mean decent jobs for the mineworkers, decent living conditions and working conditions for them and their families, access to decent education and a growing economy for all, not just rampant extraction of minerals. Surely there should be an equitable and proportionate share of profits and earnings that are generated on our shores. How much is ploughed back into our economy and society in comparison and contrast to that which is expatriated?
The country needs decisive, consistent and morally upright leaders with intellectual depth, who will be firm and fair in upholding the national economic interest, democracy, rule of law and broad-based participation in the mainstream economic activities of the country. We have the best constitution, a legislative and regulatory framework, economic policies and programmes. However, all these do not extend to the poorest of the poor, as access to justice is still dependent on the economic and financial well-being of the individual.
Countrymen, let us admit to our shortcomings and inadequacies and sort out the mess, lest we run down the economy and country. This is definitely an unsustainable economic path, when will Africa ever come to its own? Let us rid ourselves of the culture of mediocrity which is gnawing at the country. Let us talk frankly to change matters for the better. Let us create a space for constructive evaluation of leadership and management performance in government and business.
Fault finding cannot be left only to outsiders or opposition parties to criticise the ANC and distract attention and focus away from fundamental national interests and the electoral mandate, and indeed the leadership is easily distracted with paintings and litigation on liberation songs. Bona fide freedom fighters trying to help raise issues and contribute in constructive criticism are labelled as the intellectual third force by boMafikizolo (Johnny come lately) who know nothing about the ANC and the hard-fought liberation struggle waged in the prisons, the underground and the frontline.
None of the 10 clauses of the Freedom Charter have been substantively realised. It could be houses, education, social security or the economy. Leadership has underperformed in all 10, including the very first tenet, that “the people shall govern”. How can we govern when those entrusted with governing are not accountable to those who elected and appointed them? Where does the buck stop?
Our leaders have become so conflicted in big business to the extent that they are not able to legitimately provide leadership on such issues as labour broking and nationalisation. There is paralysis and indecision in fear of upsetting the major offshore owners of the means of production in our economy. Intellectual mercenaries are at hand to sell the Washington Consensus agenda and approaches that are at variance with our national interest and economic self-determination.
Often bankruptcy in leadership does not necessarily manifest itself in terms of ineptness and incompetence, it is the delays in action and decisiveness to bring to book those who have failed in duty to the tax-paying public and those who need service. In this way, time is lost, justice is denied and things end up being done in a haphazard manner that leads to disappointment for those hoping for a service or product; ultimately value for money is lost. The current service delivery protests and recent failure to deliver books to pupils speak volumes about the commitment to deliver education to those who need it most and cannot afford it.
Without accountability and discipline the ANC is unlikely to renew itself and restore its value system, liberator credentials and a culture of selflessness in the service of the citizens and uplifting the poorest of the poor. It is getting very late in the day for the ANC to renew itself. Should leaders contest political and economic leadership positions at all cost even to the point where the organisations and institutions are run down and falling apart?
Leadership discipline must be enforced, otherwise we are not going to achieve “a better life for all”. Jim Rohn says: “Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.”