Ramaphosa needs to lead. Now more than ever

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

2019-08-07 08:46

-MyNews24

Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa Foto: Jaco Marais (jaco marais)

South Africa is awakening from the Jacob Zuma years.
There are mix feelings about the Zuma presidency. Some who were opposed to his leadership of the ANC and country feel these were nine wasted years. Others who were supportive of Zuma's tenure argue that 'Radical Economic Transformation' (RET) was set in motion. On both fronts, the jury is still out.

More appropriately, to better analyse the so-called wasted years, if indeed, they were wasted years, would be to see the current Cyril Ramaphosa administration addressing unemployment, poverty and inequality. Until then, it would not be proper to declare the Zuma years, the 'wasted years'.
Just when South Africa was preparing to to start a new chapter, a 'new dawn', under the leadership of Ramaphosa, the country finds itself caught up in a 'no-man's land' scenario. More so, after the weekend reports that the Public Protector, Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has in her possession leaked emails of Ramaphosa indulging in communications with donors relating to his CR17 campaign for the ANC presidency.

Ramaphosa had previously noted that he was not aware of the happenings of the CR17 campaign as his campaign managers were in charge of managing funds. The leaks come while Ramaphosa has called for a constitutional review of the PP reports into the DA's complaint that he misled Parliament when he said he did not know who the funders of his CR17 campaign were.

The PP has also charged that Ramaphosa violated the Executive Ethics Code regarding a R500 000 donation made by Bosasa boss Gavin Watson to his campaign. Some commentary on this issue has ranged from calls for impeachment if Ramaphosa is found guilty of wrong doing; to calls that he must step down immediately; and to recent calls after the leaked reports for Ramaphosa to apologise to the nation.

It would be fair to say that South Africa with all its challenges and ills, is not sure how to proceed. How does a country move forward while its president's future hangs in the balance?

Most South Africans, even the many who are not ANC members and supporters are prepared to work with Ramaphosa to make the country a great success, as various surveys reveal. But, the uncertainty of the current dilemma facing their president, renders many people not to be sure of what to do next.
And should this process prolong for a considerable amount of time there's likely to be more disillusionment in the country.

 

The fires burning in the ANC could grow stronger with the anti-Ramaphosa sentiments gaining momentum at the sight of a weakened leader. The anti-Ramaphosa brigade led by Zuma and the party's SG Ace Magashule will sense their opportunity to finally topple Ramaphosa is possible and real. A further disgruntled ANC and poorly-led populace are a toxic mix for building the brightest future for South Africa and all its people.

As a way forward to save the country from confusion and inaction, Ramaphosa must address the nation on this matter and give clear direction of where and what his government is doing to grow South Africa after his 100 days of planning are over and how the rest of the country can work with his administration to grow South Africa.

Anything short of that could lead his presidency into 'shaky ground', or even worse, his downfall.

SA needs a renewed business training curriculum

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
-MyNews24
Updated

South Africa needs a business and entrepreneurship training programme designed, created and taught by the best in the world of business.
So very often the field of entrepreneurship training is carried out by those who have not proven themselves in the business world.
In fact, the higher education sector is not known to have a credible record in producing the best business gurus South Africa needs.
Hence, the high rate of failure of businesses; and sadly this is mostly in the small business sector, which analysts have been predicting to be the future for business growth and employment in SA.
At look at the world’s leading training, incubation and business education systems, they don’t have many of the South African and African business leaders.
Even the likes of Elon Musk, who is a South African, but had to leave for the US for him to build his empire and gain the global recognition he now enjoys.
Musk has a net worth of $19.4 billion. And he is listed by Forbes as the world’s 40th richest person.
Born and raised in Pretoria, Musk went to study in Canada at age 17 to attend Queen’s University. Two years later, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. Here, Musk received a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School.
And later a Bachelor’s degree in physics from the College of Arts and Sciences. Although he began a PhD in applied physics and material sciences at Stanford University in 1995. Musk dropped out after two days and opted for a career in entrepreneurship.
Subsequently, he co-founded Zip2, a web software company.
Zip2 later was acquired by Compaq for $340 million in 1999.
After this he then founded X.com, an online bank. In 2000, X.com merged with Confinity and later that year became PayPal. In 2002, PayPal was bought by eBay for $1.5 billion.
Since then, Musk has gone on to start many other successful global ventures, including SpaceX and Telsa, Inc. (originally Telsa Motors) among many others.
Now, the question the South African business fraternity should be asking itself, is why did it take a South African to go and study in the US?
And then not even return to build his empire in SA but settle elsewhere.
The absence of a well-coordinated and established business training culture in South Africa, in the mold of Lurn Nation, is responsible for the gurus like Musk and Mark Shuttleworth, the IT guru and first African on space to vacate their country for other lands.
In a developing country and economy like SA with major challenges in terms of the triple effects of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
We don’t even want to think that such a trend will continue. And what will happen or not happen to the economic freedom so elusive at present.
SA is the richest country in the world with all the mineral resources under its soil.
Yet we are also the most unequal nation on earth.
There’s not even a sense of urgency in the leadership thrown attracting back our own that have left and made it big in the global business arena to come back and plough back.
There are not even moves to ask these gurus to work with the best in the land to produce a South African oriented business training curriculum for the nation’s business development.
What is evident though is that SA can not seriously wish for sustain economic growth and development that would lead to job creation, if our businesses are not thriving and going global.
Thanks to the absence of business training curriculum by the country’s best entrepreneurs.
The much spoken about economic growth will just be a dream.
Unless we do what the best in the world are doing.
The future will remain bleak for economic prosperity for all.

NEWS24

Don't take Zuma's accusations lightly

2019-07-17 09:15

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

News24

Former president Jacob Zuma testifying at the Commission of inquiry into state capture in Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa on July 15, 2019. Chair is Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Photo: Gallo Images/ Netwerk 24/ Felix Dlangamandla

 

The Jacob Zuma allegations at the ongoing Zondo commission into state capture, could turn the South African political landscape around.
Zuma's accusations that two of his comrades Ngoako Ramatlhodi and Siphiwe Nyanda, among others, were agents of the apartheid regime, hence they want to destroy him, can not be taken lightly.
For now Zuma is focusing on the two comrades but could release more names, if needs be.
Zuma is alleging that because he was the head of ANC intelligence, from 1987 to 1993, has information about ANC cadres who were working for the enemy.

For Zuma, as former head of the ANC Intelligence, he is better positioned to make such allegations.
For these allegations have been circulating around for years on many other ANC activists inside the country and those who were exiled.

The thing is that, these allegations have yet to be tested and proven true or not. However, this time around the person making them on a state supported public platform like the Zondo commission is one who need to be taken seriously.

Zuma went on to become the president of the ANC and the country.

As some citizens have remarked on various social media forums that they indeed believe Zuma to be telling the truth about the 'spy' allegations.

With more allegations of death threats against Zuma and his loved ones after Monday's appearance, quite professionally and constitutionally deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo has done the right thing by calling for full investigations into these claims.

Zondo also takes seriously the issue of the Zumas security. This is indeed a wise decision for maintaining the credibility of his commission.

One thing is likely to happen though. And that is more and more of these allegations will come out from others pro and/or opposed to Zuma.

Without evidence by the accusers, the matter could be a waste of time and resources.

The best that South Africans should strive for is for Zuma; and any other people with similar elleagations, to bring forth evidence for investigations to be speeded up, without Zondo losing focus on the important goal of producing the truth; cleaning up the system and addressing corruption.

South Africa is still declared the 'most unequal country on earth' by various global studies.

We can't afford to waste any more time and resources while the majority are still trapped in poverty.

NEWS24

Ramaphosa must lead SA to its 'Golden Age'

2019-11-20 10:16

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

News24

President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo by Michele Spatari / AFP)

As President Cyril Ramaphosa seems to be settling down into the highest position in the land, albeit leading a divided ANC and country that has fallen back from the united nation it promised to be after 1994.

We need to make our way back to winning ways, with a less polluted political and economic space.

The guys in Parliament can help here a great deal by providing a disciplined, diplomatic and robustly debating National Assembly were millions of people who follow the proceedings in Parliament can be indeed inspired with thought-provoking, informative and educational discussions.

Parliament should not only serve as an instrument of making and passing laws.

The National Assembly must also serve as our marketing tool.

SA should be using the leaders arguments made in parliament as another communication channel to spread what SA is about and why we are the best investment destination.

The dream of being the most powerful nation on earth; the greatest super-power the world has ever seen; and the best nation to live in must be sold daily in parliament without neglecting the serious challenges the country faces.

All parliamentarians should perfectly understand that they should be the role models for all South Africans.

The haulings, fighting and insults that have become the fabric of parliament must belong to the past. This, South Africans must demand from the leaders they elect.

Or else, those parliamentarians who put the country's image in tatters will be punished at the polls.

They must made to understand that they are the face and ambassadors of the country in whatever they do and wherever they go.

Their conduct in Parliament should be so up to scratch, that in spheres of life of the nation people must be able to say just look at how our

South African Members of Parliament (MPs) do things. And inspire everyone to follow in their footsteps.

They must find common ground in the fact that South Africa must be the best no matter what.

And all elected representatives MPs and councillors including government servants irrespective of party affiliation or ideological identity, must vow to always commit to putting South Africa first at all times and by all means.

All the countries economic, investment and business clusters in and out of parliament must be the mirror that the nation's leaders will reflect when going to international gatherings.

In short, SA must speak with one united, positive and developmental voice.

Because as things stand, that is not the case. And we run the risk of throwing away an opportunity to make South Africa the greatest country in the world, with the best standards of living not seen in history.

Not all is lost though.

And in the hour of Ramaphosa's 100 days and beyond, the lawyer, turned trade unionist, turned politician, turned businessman and then turned politician again, is somewhat a season campaigner it seems.

Although his political style of avoiding confrontation, at least publicly, annoys others, for me, it is showing signs that it could be the main factor that he will use to champion his political power and survival and possibly triumph.

So far so good, Mr President. Considering what he inherited from the not so spectacular Zuma years.

And judging by the developments unfolding at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, certain sections of the public so far have a feeling that it could take time for the Ramaphosa presidency to find its best form and lead the country into the most glorious future for all.

In any event, the work of building a prosperous nation for all, can never be a sole responsibility of any government alone, as history has shown.

The government's role among others is to facilitate and mobilise all sectors to work in unison for the total development of the nation.

In the case of South Africa, this kind of attitude in certain cases in the political leadership does exist.

Any government and leadership that does not think like this, should certainly not be in power leading any people.

Of course, political will can always be questioned.

However, judging by the standards set in motion from 1994 when we became a democracy, it is fair to say that the country's democratic institutions set up after a negotiated settlement and constitution, are fit for purpose.

The country's constitution is still revered as the most progressive and developmental in the world. Developmental, in its approach to reversing the social and economic imbalances from centuries of inequalities.

The country's democratic structures including the Chapter 9 institutions, are on top gear even though it can be said that there's room for progress.

The sad part of the story involves the state-owned enterprise (SOEs), of course.

Here is the story of how a nation's golden dream can turn into a social and economic nightmare.

A case in point, millions of South Africans who don't have pay TV, could not watch the Rugby Wold Cup 2019 on public broadcasters such as the SABC and ETV. Thanks to Heineken, the final was broadcasted on SABC.

Imagine how many more people, especially struggling young kids living in trying conditions could have been inspired more by Siya Kolisi and legends on their way to RWC 2019 glory.

Trying to find out why most of the RWC 2019 was not available on national broadcasters, has been a mission in itself. Government was not jumping up and down to fix this, so it seemed.

Some of the explanations doing the rounds ranged from Multichoice is monopolising all sports, because they can, they don't care about others; to that the SABC is in financial trouble. They can't buy the 'Rights' to broadcast the matches, some have asserted.

The same can be said about pains caused by Eskom, SAA, PRASA etc. Today it is this; tomorrow it is that. Cadre deployment of unqualified staff perhaps could be at the heart of the problem.

This all leads me to think about one great cause, leadership.

Sometime before SA hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, then president Nelson Mandela invited the then Springbok captain Francois Pienaar into his office at the Union Buildings.

One of the things Mandela said came in a form of a question to Pienaar. Mandela wanted to know what was Pienaar's understanding of leadership. Caught off guard, so to speak, Pienaar mumbled something back. Mandela took it.

But as it later transpired, Pienaar later realised what the meeting was all about.

The country's president wanted nothing less than the Rugby World Cup glory in the then upcoming 1995 tournament, Pienaar had come to understand.

The moral of this story is that a nation's leader must have certain expectations from all those who are in leadership positions in his country irrespective of which field they are in.

Then the nation's leader should then set his sights on communicating his wishes and vision clear to all he's country's protégés.

In other words, a business and comradely partnership must be alive and working at all times between the president and the protégés, in this case.

With regular feedback to the people, through various communication channels including the media, the president should further seek to debate the issues facing the nation on public platforms like TV and radio with all sectors involved so that more clarity is provided for the nation to know what's happening or not happening.

The 'From the Desk of the President' newsletter, offering weekly updates on the current state of the nation and progress made by government to address some of the issues affecting South Africans, is a step in the right direction.

Ramaphosa should also be concerned for example, about how many of the elected representatives and other industry leaders have taken in on the walks he does to promote a healthy lifestyle.

He should publicly send a strong message to those leaders that are failing to promote a culture of exercising in their constituencies to be warned about failing to lead the people.

And that he would see to it that some form of punishment is metered out to those elected representatives guilty of failing to lead by example.

For now though, a close look at the Ramaphosa presidency will show a leader who is hands-on and listens to the people.

But he can't fix the country alone.

NEWS24

Let’s revive ubuntu to save our country

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa2019-09-19 23:55

This philosophy of ubuntu, a Nguni word meaning humanity in the Queen’s language, appeared in South Africa around the mid-19th century.Once upon a time there was a philosophy called ubuntu.

Although ubuntu has not always received the support and following it should have received from all sectors of South African society, it nevertheless espoused the promotion of humanness through goodness, kindness, sharing, loving and all the qualities encouraged by most faiths universally.

Somehow, by the attainment of democracy in South Africa in 1994, ubuntu, for whatever reason, became an afterthought.

The democratic government, although not opposed to it, at least publicly, did not go out of its way to promote the philosophy of ubuntu as the guiding principle of the post-apartheid dispensation.

Instead, ubuntu would be mostly mentioned in passing by various leaders when and where it suited them to talk about this noble humanistic programme.

THE DEFINITIONS OF UBUNTU RANGE FROM A PERSON IS A PERSON THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE TO I AM BECAUSE WE ARE OR HUMANITY TOWARDS OTHERS. BUT MORE ROBUSTLY IT WOULD MEAN THE BELIEF IN A UNIVERSAL BOND OF SHARING THAT CONNECTS ALL HUMANITY.

The anarchy that has come to characterise the post-1994 dispensation can and must be linked to the demotion of the ubuntu philosophy.

The definitions of ubuntu range from “a person is a person through other people” to “I am because we are” or “humanity towards others”.

But more robustly it would mean “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity”.

The toxic news on violence against women and children, including that on foreign African nationals living in South Africa, which is the talk of the town all over the world these days, is a sign that South Africa remains a traumatised society.

The blatant truth is that all people, including men, are victims of this violence and anarchy crippling the land.

And the sad part of all this, apart from the loss of lives and injuries inflicted on other human beings by supposedly other “human beings”, is a setback to investments that South Africa desperately needs.

FROM CORRUPTION TO POOR SERVICE DELIVERY, SOUTH AFRICA IS FURTHER SLIPPING AWAY FROM BECOMING A CARING AND PEOPLE-CENTRED NATION. 

From corruption to poor service delivery, South Africa is further slipping away from becoming a caring and people-centred nation.

The triple effects of unemployment, poverty and inequality surely do not make matters better, more so when they are not declining but increasing because of poor leadership.

Many of our societal ills are centuries-old challenges that have not been met with the same measure of leadership needed to overcome them.

HAD THERE BEEN A MORE DETERMINED EFFORT BY THE NATION’S GOVERNORS, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SYSTEMATIC INSTITUTIONALISATION OF UBUNTU IN EVERY FACET OF SOUTH AFRICAN LIFE – INCLUDING SCHOOLS AND MOST CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS. 

The many commissions of inquiry that have unfolded since the dawn of democracy in 1994 are testament to this.

But I get the feeling that, just like the increasing number of South Africans from all walks of life, marching in solidarity with those directly affected by the madness that is crippling the nation right now, people are sincere and genuine in calling for an end to violence against others.

Had there been a more determined effort by the nation’s governors, there would have been a systematic institutionalisation of ubuntu in every facet of South African life – including schools and most civil society groups.

Today, South Africa is a shadow of itself. We are no longer the beacon of hope many in the world thought we were when we embarked on what seemed to be a “new beginning” in 1994.

Those who can possibly make a positive contribution in the nation-building project are ignored, and they lack capacity and resources to make themselves heard through the limited platforms and forums they can access.

A lack of a united and coherent voice on what it will take to make South Africa the best in all its endeavours does little to inspire a citizenry starved of meaningful participation and involvement in the development of their communities and country.

As a way forward, all South Africans and the country’s various sectors, industries, institutions and organisations, have to rise to the occasion by providing leadership in how the ubuntu philosophy can be renewed and made to heal the country’s centuries-old traumas.

• Mgudlwa is a journalist and writer of the bestselling children’s book Kiddies World

Imagine if South Africa was like this ...

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa2019-08-02 16:24

The South African flag in the Constitutional Court.

Imagine if this governing party was fully behind its president and leadership as they tried to attract investment and create jobs for all in an effort to end poverty.Imagine if South Africa had a governing party that was united. This governing party had cadres who woke up every day more determined to serve the people of the country, be it in their communities, in the three spheres of government and in every other sector.

Imagine if South Africans woke up every day to the news of another corruption-free delivered government project to create jobs and improve the living conditions of the people.

Imagine if all South Africans woke up every day, knowing that by the end of business and by the end of the day, they would celebrate in the knowledge that they’d had another productive day. And that the results meant that fellow South Africans had a better life than yesterday.

For now, at least, President Cyril Ramaphosa is mostly dreaming, it seems. And, perhaps, the time for all South Africans to dream has come.

Polarising politics is the reality in the republic, be it the Public Protector going against the president or against the SA Revenue Service, the DA against Ramaphosa, or the EFF against Pravin Gordhan.

Imagine, instead, leaders, parties and people who trusted and respected the decisions of the country’s democratic institutions, even if they went against them.

Imagine if our politics were not about going against those with whom we differed, but rather about finding a half-way point at which we trusted one another and worked together to find solutions to the challenges confronting us as a country. It would make a great change from searching for loopholes to destroy others.

Imagine if our leaders, irrespective of party affiliation or ideological differences, worked every day to unite and build South Africa to be the safest, most powerful and prosperous nation on Earth, far surpassing what all the “superpowers” have achieved.

Imagine if all South Africans, every day, were united in dreaming, imagining and building a democratic and nondiscriminating country and the best nationon the planet.

Imagine a country where all its people had enough to eat and drink and acceptable living conditions.

And imagine a country that strived every day to create equal opportunities for all its citizens without regard for race, gender, culture, community and belief.

It could be that for the past 25 years of our constitutional democracy we have been overtrying to do rather than imagining and dreaming of the country in which we want to live.

And, as a way forward, we could join our president in dreaming of the most prosperous nation in the world and eventually achieve it through informed and positive action.

Let’s start dreaming and share our dreams of being a “superpower”, the best the world has seen, and then act on the dreams.

Dream, South Africa, Dream.

Mgudlwa is a journalist and writer of the bestselling children’s book Kiddies World

GUEST COLUMN

Give power to the people

2017-02-12 06:06

(iStock)

After a hectic 22 years’ rule by a democratically elected ANC government, South Africa’s post-1994 dispensation has proved too much to bear for many citizens.

There was a time when the world regarded our country as a beacon of hope. This occurred after we succeeded in narrowly avoiding a racially charged civil war in the 1994 build-up to our new democracy.

When elections and the transfer of power proved to be a relatively peaceful process, global observers called South Africa “the greatest racial miracle the world as ever seen”.

Fast-forward to today, and South Africa has been pegged as a country to avoid. One reason is the high crime rate which continues to plague our nation.

This continuing curse is defined by violence in its many and varied forms.

For example, towards the end of 2003, South Africa experienced its first wave of service-delivery protests.

At the time of the outbreak, many dismissed it as temporary, and part and parcel of the country’s transition from apartheid to democracy. It would not be long before matters returned to normal, they said.

We all know how wrong they were.

The flames of violent protests have been vigorously fanned, culminating in the Marikana massacre of August 2012 – described online as “the single most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since 1960”.

Earlier, in 2006, the trade union movement experienced its darkest hour post democracy when a series of killings – the brutal byproduct of trade union rivalry – brought the country to the brink of instability.

And recently, the higher education sector has been brought to a standstill by students calling for economic transformation and a change in the education system.

Having seen what has happened since democracy, it is safe to assume that the country cannot depend on leaders who were involved in bringing about the new dispensation to turn things around and instil order.

Where did it all go wrong for South Africa? How did we get here? Let us go back to the early 1990s, during the series of negotiations for a new South Africa. These took place under the banner of the Convention for a Democratic SA (Codesa).

A major oversight then was that not all communities, organisations and other South African stakeholders were present at those talks.

The political organisations which took part in the discussions were more concerned about their own agendas than what was best for the country.

If they had placed South Africa’s interests first, we would not still be calling for an electoral system favouring the masses, who remain as voiceless and marginalised as they were during Codesa.

The political organisations which dominated the Codesa talks engineered a party-based democracy.

It looked good on paper, but these days has come to refer to a governing party which calls the shots. Its cadres have to toe the party line or risk being punished for disloyalty.

Codesa proved to be flawed as the electorate have now become mere voters during election time. At other times, they have no say in how and what the party they vote for does, including how they elect their president.

Accountability and transparency from party leaders and elected representatives are nonexistent.

What’s more disturbing is that the opposition parties do not appear to bother much about the masses either.

If the country has a credible civil society, it must campaign for presidential electoral reform to restore power to the people – and do so now.

Mgudlwa is a journalist and writer of the bestselling children’s book Kiddies World