We need to fashion our own solutions since SA leaders won’t show us the way

When we spoke to political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, recently, about the crisis in ActionSA, he had some interesting observations about the current state of society in South Africa.

If indeed there is a leadership crisis within Herman Mashaba’s party, the broader issue for all South Africans is that there is, generally, a lack of leadership at all levels of society.

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One example he cited was that of teachers in township schools, who send their children to suburban schools because they “have no confidence in their own leadership ability”.

He said there are other areas of society, such as sport, where there is little or no leadership.

Of course, nowhere is the lack of leadership – or at least visible leadership – more apparent than in the office of our president, Cyril Ramaphosa.

While he has undoubtedly done a lot more since taking office in 2018 than many give him credit for, he is often physically, or emotionally, absent from the unfolding tragedies around him.

A proper leader would take more decisive – and public – action to deal with dissent within his own ANC, rather than trying to be all things to all people.

Also, he has still failed to provide adequate explanations for what happened at the Phala Phala burglary and allowed wild speculation to flourish.

A proper leader would not hide behind the sub judice legal rule but would play open cards … at least if he had nothing to hide.

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If, at the highest levels of society, our leaders cannot accept responsibility, is it any wonder that most South Africans blame everyone except themselves for the negative things which befall them?

We need to take ownership of our problems and fashion our own solutions.

Our leaders won’t show us the way. We need to show them, as individuals, what true leadership is.