Moral leadership and African renaissance in post-apartheid South Africa

Moral Leadership in 21st Century South Africa
Leadership in Africa is looked at as one’s ability to give of themselves in service of their community, peers, and families. In the traditional African setting, a leader usually provided political, religious, and social leadership. Political leadership involved public administration; social leadership involved the sustenance of social order and the resolution of conflicts; while religious leadership involved priesthood. While the average ethnic leader had many caps to wear, there was rarely any conflict in leadership roles[footnoteRef:1]. When colonial powers came to Africa, the traditional African leadership structures were disrupted as the colonial powers imposed new leadership structures that were consistent with their goals. Ethnic leaders were forced to share power and authority with the colonial leaders. This arrangement was skewed towards the colonizers as the colonizers had more power in the power-sharing arrangement. Africa has very unique needs and the leadership structures used should be tailored towards addressing these needs. In the South African context, the nation’s renaissance should be the focus. The concept of African renaissance aims at empowering the people of Africa and rebuilding and revitalizing their identities. Where cultural practices and identities have been lost with the passage of time or due to past leadership failures, the renaissance shall focus on recovering such identities[footnoteRef:2]. [1: Clifton C. Crais and Thomas V. McClendon, The South Africa Reader: History, Culture, Politics] [2: Ibid]

In South Africa, local community leadership is the first kind of leadership most people come into contact with. While it is informal, community leadership plays a big role in key parts of South African society including urban sociology, political science, education, welfare, and even health issues. The interconnectedness of these disciplines at the community level is however shallow making consolidation of work at the community level hard[footnoteRef:3]. [3: Claire Bénit-Gbaffou and Obvious Katsaura, "Community Leadership and the Construction of Political Legitimacy: Unpacking Bourdieus ‘Political Capital’ in Post-Apartheid Johannesburg," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 38, no. 5 (2014).]

One of the most impactful leaders South Africa has ever produced is Nelson Mandela. He was the model servant leader who selflessly gave of himself in service of his people. Even after Apartheid, he had the vision to look beyond the injustices the people had endured and instead preached peace and reconciliation. A servant leader is supposed to pay close attention to what their followers need, empathize with their situation, do the best he can to help his or her followers meet their needs, and to take steps to protect those in the group with little to no power. Nelson Mandela remains one of the best moral leaders of the 21st century[footnoteRef:4]. [4: Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (Bath: Windsor., 2004).]

The leadership style Thabo Mbeki adopted was unique for a politician. He came across as an intellectual and not as the typical political leader. Some of the words that have been used to describe him include stubborn, centralized, secret, paranoid, globalized, thinker, and intellectual. Different descriptions of his leadership style overlap. It is therefore hard to pin his style of leadership to one definite style[footnoteRef:5]. [5: William Mpofu, "Thabo Mbeki: Understanding a Philosopher of Liberation," African Historical Review 49, no. 2 (2017).]

Jacob Zuma’s rise to the presidency was fueled by his Charisma. He hailed from humble beginnings and knew how to connect authentically with the common man. The contrast between his personality and that of Thabo Mbeki was very clear. His charisma, had it been effectively leveraged, would have allowed him a chance to persuade many South Africans to work towards rebuilding the nation. Charisma is a very powerful quality in a leader. Truly charismatic people can fire up a people and inspire tremendous loyalty towards a cause. Applied well, such power can be used to inspire an entire population to work relentlessly towards a worthy ideal[footnoteRef:6]. [6: Clifton C. Crais and Thomas V. McClendon, The South Africa Reader.]

Cyril Ramaphosa, the current leader, is known for his negotiation skills and his ability to come up with great strategies. He has built a strong coalition behind his leadership and is building alliances to ensure that his long-term strategies for the development of South Africa see the light of day. He has come to power at a time when South Africa is dealing with the highly emotive land issue. So far, he has handled the issue soundly and prevented backlash from extreme figures on both sides of the issue. As a leader, an ability to build strong coalitions is always an advantage. It takes restraint and the ability to compromise. In fact, when Nelson Mandela came from prison, his ability to show restraint and to push for peace and reconciliation is what built a strong foundation for the better race-relations South Africans enjoy today[footnoteRef:7]. [7: Clifton C. Crais and Thomas V. McClendon, The South Africa Reader:]

The belief that informed the efforts towards national reconciliation and the building of the Rainbow Nation was that inspiring the people to adopt the ideals and attitudes of national unity and reconciliation would make the process of addressing and correcting historical injustices much easier. The main pillars of the formation of the Rainbow Nation were social integration as well as social cohesion. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu provided the moral leadership that made this possible. Nonetheless, with the passage of time, the concept of Ubuntu has been challenged by attitudes from certain corners of South African leadership that tend to embrace what Dr. Vellem aptly referred to as “theology of the stomach.” It is an inclination towards consumerism and not servant leadership[footnoteRef:8]. [8: Wonke Buqa, "Storying Ubuntu as a Rainbow Nation," Verbum Et Ecclesia 36, no. 2 (2015). ]

The concept of Ubuntu was one of the most important concepts promoted by the moral leaders that led South Africa post-apartheid. It is, however, facing consistent attack in the current environment. To find a formidable repulsion towards these attacks, the current leadership is actively taking steps to fight against inequality and poverty. When a part of the population feels that they have been alienated economically, it becomes hard to persuade them to join forces with other people who are doing well to push for a united nation. The fight against poverty is, therefore, one of the most important struggles of this era in the Rainbow Nation. Through a spirited fight against poverty that brings together all South Africans, the citizens will certainly rediscover the principle of Ubuntu[footnoteRef:9]. [9: Wonke Buqa, "Storying Ubuntu as a Rainbow Nation]

The fight for unity has not had a smooth ride in South Africa. Almost half a century ago, White allies aligned to Anti-Apartheid movements made an accusation against Steve Biko that he was racist and that he was acting in the interest of western imperialism. After Biko’s assassination, they aligned him to the UDF from the ANC. Also, the said White allies put no effort into pushing back against institutional racism in South Africa. They also did not appreciate how much of an effect Dutch colonial practices had adversely affected Black South Africans. Most of their efforts went towards keeping the status quo and ensuring that the lives of White South Africans remained as comfortable as possible. These efforts ensured that PAC and BCM got no support or platforms as the allies only pushed the ANC as the only good organization[footnoteRef:10]. [10: Marjan Boelsma, "White Allies: A Blessing or a Curse?"]

In present-day South Africa, there is still a significant part of the population who still downplay how much of an effect the nation’s colonial history had on the current racism problems. Practices such as land grabs, torture, slavery, violence, and genocide are pushed under the carpet as Jan van Riebeeck is hailed as a good explorer who enjoyed gardening and contributed immensely to South Africa’s development. There are still streets with names of brutal colonial leaders. In their effort to feel safe, White Anti-Apartheid allies failed to put these issues on the table for discussion. This failure slowed down the process of reconciliation in South Africa[footnoteRef:11]. [11: Ibid]

Some of the words that have been used to describe the Apartheid regime that lasted from 1948 to 1994 include oppressive, separate, and discriminatory (Thomson, 199). Millions of South Africans were badly affected by the regime and its brutal practices. One group that was also affected but that hasn’t been given adequate attention post-apartheid is the LGBTQ community. Members of the community were not specifically targeted at the beginning of the apartheid regime but laws and regulations that affected them specifically began being formulated in 1968. Moral leadership requires that all people who were affected by the apartheid regime are brought to the table in all discussions that seek to address past injustices. This includes the LGBTQ community. There have been pieces of legislation in South Africa that affected the lives of LGBTQ individuals even after the end of Apartheid. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made as South Africa evolves from a closeted society to one where the rights of the gay community are openly championed[footnoteRef:12]. [12: Dixson Pushparagavan, "The History of LGBT Legislation," South African History.]

A great number of South Africans are becoming sympathetic to the plight of the gay community. LGBTQ violence which has included corrective rapes and the killing of a lesbian couple has been met with uproar from the general public as they become more aware of issues that the LGBTQ community faces in South Africa. While tolerance towards the gay community has been growing, it is still noteworthy that there are tremendous risks associated with being part of the LGBTQ community in South Africa that stands at 800,000 strong. This was the conclusion of a report titled “We’re Queer and We’re Here!”[footnoteRef:13] [13: Jasmine Andersson, "What Is Happening to LGBT Rights in South Africa?]

There have been horrific incidents targeting the LGBTQ community that have been condemned by almost all right-thinking South Africans. A gay couple were abused by the police and told to remain naked. There have been reports of a church beating gay men and making them pay for what they called ‘damages’ on realizing that they were gay. There was a protest in Johannesburg after a film discussing the issue of gay men among the Xhosa community was set to be screened in a local theatre. The most brutal incident that has ever been directed at the community was the torture, rape, and subsequent lynching of a lesbian couple, Anisha and joy. The incident shocked the country and united many people towards the push for LGBTQ rights. South Africa remains one of the first countries to have LGBTQ rights explicitly in its constitution. Nonetheless, there still exists a complicated relationship between the general population and the LGBTQ community[footnoteRef:14]. [14: Jasmine Andersson, "What Is Happening to LGBT Rights in South Africa?"]

Before 1994, sexual activity of any kind between men was explicitly prohibited by South African law. In 1994, the age of 19 was set as the age of consent for sexual activity for heterosexual and same-sex sexual encounters. In 1996, the government moved to give the LGBTQ community constitutional protection thereby becoming one of the very first countries in the world to do so. Via section 9(3) of the constitution, discrimination based on gender, race, and sexual orientation was disallowed. Same-sex marriage would be later legalized in the year 2006. With all these progress milestones, it is still important to note that there is still overt discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community in South Africa. This is not a problem unique to South Africa, though. Many countries around the world are still dealing with homophobia even after putting forth pieces of legislation to advance LGBTQ rights[footnoteRef:15]. [15: Ibid]

The official figures for the number of members of the LGBTQ community in South Africa are 800,000. Taking into account that South African society is still dealing with homophobia, it is clear that the real number is a lot higher than 800,000. Many people fear ‘coming out’ fearing that they will be shunned by the families and communities. Nonetheless, there is a positive trend towards tolerance in South Africa that now makes it a lot easier for gay people to come out. The rise in tolerance can be attributed to a younger population that is more educated and more exposed to other cultures and practices. With greater tolerance, there is going to be a greater appreciation of the roles members of the LGBTQ community can play in the provision of moral leadership in the South African context. Further, their purchasing power, what is often referred to as the “Pink Rand”, will be better appreciated[footnoteRef:16]. [16: Ibid]

One of the areas that will be impacted as the ability of the LGBTQ communities to help provide moral leadership in the nation becomes better appreciated is the level of violence against LGBTQ individuals. With greater tolerance, these incidences of violence are expected to drop significantly. In South Africa, Black members of the LGBTQ community are likely to be victims of violence by one percent higher than the general population (8% versus 7%). White individuals, on the other hand, are more likely to be insulted verbally (45% versus 39%). LGBTQ members of Indian or Asian descent are more likely to experience physical abuse and violence from their family members than the general population (11% versus 7%). Tolerance of LGBTQ lifestyle varies by region and this influences how open LGBTQ members in various regions are open about their sexuality. LGBTQ members in the Western Cape are more likely to be public about their sexual orientation (70% as compared to 57% nationally). Gauteng comes in second at 60%. The LGBTQ individuals that are least likely to be open about their sexuality are living in Limpopo (35%). The area where violence against LGBTQ individuals is most likely is the Eastern Cape region[footnoteRef:17]. [17: Jasmine, "What Is Happening to LGBT Rights in South Africa?"]

Even with the challenges that LGBTQ individuals face in South Africa, it is important to note that the nation is doing a lot better than most African states as far as LGBTQ rights are concerned. Homophobia in most African states is more prevalent than intolerance for people of a different religion and ethnicity as well as for people for people living with HIV/AIDS. East African states are the least tolerant of homosexuals[footnoteRef:18]. [18: Ibid]

In every society, the church plays a crucial role in providing moral leadership. While it is inevitable that there will always be tension between church-in-society and church-in-body, such tensions can be avoided by building exceptional structures in the church such as those seen in groups such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Quakers. The bigger churches have not excelled at building these structures as well as smaller churches have. The important thing for churches to consider is to not let these tensions affect their ability to provide moral leadership or their ability to guide their followers towards good deeds. In South Africa, a majority of the population identify as Christians. Within the Christina religion, there are several denominations that serve South African believers. Each of these denominations has their own leadership and organization structures. All these denominations are minority denominations. There is no clear majority denomination in South Africa. All the denominations have as much a chance to provide moral leadership to the nation as any other denomination in the country[footnoteRef:19]. [19: P. Coertzen, "Freedom of Religion in South Africa: Then and Now 1652 – 2008," Verbum Et Ecclesia 29, no. 2 (2008).]

Just like most nations of the world, South Africa houses several Christian denominations. There are also different religions that exist within its borders. The social face of the nation is therefore complementary and is as diverse as the people who live within it. These religions, denominations, and institutions overlap and are mutually dependant on another in some way. If they are to provide moral leadership to South Africans, there is a need for them to find ways to work together[footnoteRef:20]. [20: P. Coertzen, "Freedom of Religion in South Africa: Then and Now 1652 – 2008]

The reality that most institutions are mutually interdependent makes none of the institutions in this plurality autonomous. None of them is a law unto itself. They must find ways to co-exist and to enable all South Africans to work towards a common purpose. This makes the provision of moral leadership much more attainable. Further, relationships between South Africans can only get better when people of all denominations are committed to the one unifying purpose of all religions which is the love of God and neighbor[footnoteRef:21]. [21: Ibid]

All societies, including South Africans, have to reckon with both a plurality of institutions and a plurality of directions. Just as society has found a way to deal with a plurality of institutions, it must also find ways to properly manage a plurality of directions. Just because members of an institution or association subscribe to a particular ideological direction does not mean that they have to be intolerant to all other ideological directions. People of other ideological directions should also be respected and tolerated if their philosophy and practices bring no harm to other people. In the case of the church and the state, disagreements, as they seek to provide leadership to South Africans, does not mean that one of the points of view is inferior to the other. Both the church and the state have a duty to provide leadership to the citizens. The state must be accepting of differing views while working to deliver its mandate to the people within this context without subjecting its subjects to any prejudice[footnoteRef:22]. [22: Ibid]

The church also has a duty to respect the ideological directions that may differ from the ones they hold dear. The reality is that there are institutions and associations that several South Africans are members of that have some philosophies that don’t align with some ideological directions of the church. Nonetheless, it is not required of the church and its members to approve of these divergent ideological directions. They can disprove of them while still remaining tolerant to the people who subscribe to the differing ideological directions. Also, even as they co-exist with different viewpoints in their communities, churches must never let go of their role of providing moral leadership to their members even if that makes some people who disagree with them uncomfortable[footnoteRef:23]. [23: Gerald, Walt, and Kaoma, "When Faith Does Violence: Reimagining Engagement between Churches and LGBTI Groups on Homophobia in Africa," HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 72, no. 1 (2016):]

The HIV epidemic in South Africa is the most high-profile such case in the world. There are an estimated 7.2 million South Africans living with HIV. Of all new HIV infections in Southern Africa, South Africa accounts for one-third. 2017 saw 270,000 South Africans get infected with HIV and 110,000 people die from AIDS-related illnesses. The HIV prevalence in South Africa is at 18.9%. The prevalence varies by region with the Western Cape and Northern Cape regions having a prevalence of 5.6% and 6.8% respectively[footnoteRef:24]. [24: Ilesanmi, Yemisi. Freedom to Love for All: Homosexuality is Not Un-African! 2013.]

South Africa has made incredible progress in getting more people to know their HIV status. They have been working on the 90-90-90 target for some time with the goal of getting 90% of the people living with HIV/AIDS to be aware of their status. This goal was first reached in 2017. In 2014, only 66.2% of the people living with HIV/AIDS were aware of their status. The 90-90-90 goals were achieved after efforts following two nationwide initiatives: the national HIV testing and counseling (HTC) campaign that was started in April 2010 and the HTC Revitalization strategy that was started in 2013. The latter strategy’s focus was on getting more people from farms, higher education, and the private sector to take tests. These campaigns have ensured that more than 10 million South Africans take HIV tests every year[footnoteRef:25]. *****25**** [25: Ilesanmi, Freedom to Love for All.]

South Africa has a goal to reduce the number of new infections every year to less than 100,000 by 2022. There has also been a commitment to work towards reaching zero new infections from mother-to-child. There has been great progress towards reducing mother-to-child transmission rates over the past decade. This progress has been made possible by the availability in antiretroviral medication as well as the increased accessibility of the PMTCT program[footnoteRef:26]. [26: "HIV and AIDS in South Africa," AVERT, December 10, 2018,]

Another strategy that South Africa has been using to fight the AIDS epidemic is the distribution of male condoms. Between the years 2007 and 2010, the government increased the number of male condoms distributed annually to 495 million from 308 million. The goal in 2018 was to increase the number to 850 million distributed condoms. South Africa also boasts of one of the most robust female condom distribution programs in the world. The program distributed 26 million female condoms in 2016. This number shall be increased to 40 million by 2022 according to the National AIDS Council[footnoteRef:27]. [27: Ibid]

In 2010, research done in Sub-Saharan Africa showed that circumcised males were 60% less likely to contract HIV from a female sex partner than their uncircumcised counterparts. This research prompted the South African government to roll out a voluntary male circumcision program which was aimed at reaching as many as 80% of men who were HIV negative by the year 2016. Data from 2016 showed that between 50 – 79% of eligible men had been reached by the program. More than 491,859 men had gone through the procedure in 2016 alone[footnoteRef:28]. [28: Ibid]

Another way South Africa’s leadership is looking to fight the HIV epidemic is by making PrEP drugs available to certain risk groups. Around 30,000 to 35,000 people were targeted by the program in 2017. A 2017-2022 National Strategic Plan has been put in place and it aims to expand the number of people being targeted under this program. It will make the drugs available to adolescents, homosexual males, sex workers, and drug users who use syringes. They estimate that an additional 85,853 people will be admitted into the PrEP program by 2022[footnoteRef:29]. [29: "HIV and AIDS in South Africa”.]

South Africa’s leadership is also focusing on educating the population on the various ways HIV can be contracted. Studies have shown that just 59% of young South Africans are comprehensively knowledgeable of the ways HIV can be contracted. This is in contrast to eSwatini where 85% of young people are knowledgeable of the ways HIV can be contracted. To achieve the goal of educating its youth on HIV, the government has been pushing for sex education programs in South African schools. In 2016, only 5% of South African schools were giving comprehensive sex education. That number has since risen and the goal is to have at least 50% of schools in high burden areas providing sex education[footnoteRef:30]. *****30**** [30: Ibid]

Lastly, South Africa is also working to make its ART program even better. The nation already has one of the biggest ART programs in the world. UNAIDS reported in 2016 that 4.4 million South Africans were under ART in 2016. This translates to 61% of South Africans living with HIV/AIDS. To keep up with WHO requirements, the government has greatly expanded the ART program in recent years. Everyone who turns out positive after undergoing testing is eligible for entry into the ART program. These changes made the number of people eligible for the ART program to double from 3.39 million in 2015 to 7.1million in 2016[footnoteRef:31]. [31: Julie Jette, "AIDS in Africa-What's the Solution?"]

References
Andersson, Jasmine. "What Is Happening to LGBT Rights in South Africa?" PinkNews. February 09, 2018. Accessed January 15, 2019. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/02/09/what-is-happening-to-lgbt-rights-in-south-africa/.
Bénit-Gbaffou, Claire, and Obvious Katsaura. "Community Leadership and the Construction of Political Legitimacy: Unpacking Bourdieus ‘Political Capital’ in Post-Apartheid Johannesburg." International Journal of Urban and Regional Research38, no. 5 (2014): 1807-832. doi:10.1111/1468-2427.12166.
Boelsma, Marjan. "White Allies: A Blessing or a Curse?" Vernac News. October 04, 2017. Accessed January 15, 2019. https://vernacnews.co.za/2017/10/04/white-allies-a-blessing-or-a-curse/.
Buqa, Wonke. "Storying Ubuntuas a Rainbow Nation." Verbum Et Ecclesia36, no. 2 (2015). doi:10.4102/ve.v36i2.1434.
Crais, Clifton C., and Thomas V. McClendon. The South Africa Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014.
Coertzen, P. "Freedom of Religion in South Africa: Then and Now 1652 – 2008." Verbum Et Ecclesia29, no. 2 (2008): 345-67. doi:10.4102/ve.v29i2.19.
Grim, Brian J., and Linda Woodhead. "Can Religion Make Economic Growth More Fair?" World Economic Forum. December 02, 2015. Accessed January 15, 2019. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/12/can-religion-make-economic-growth-more-fair/.
"HIV and AIDS in South Africa." AVERT. December 10, 2018. Accessed January 15, 2019. https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/south-africa.
Ilesanmi, Yemisi. Freedom to Love for All: Homosexuality is Not Un-African!. Yemisi Ilesanmi, 2013.
Jette, Julie. "AIDS in Africa-What's the Solution?" HBS Working Knowledge. March 23, 2003. Accessed January 15, 2019. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/aids-in-africawhats-the-solution.
Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. Bath: Windsor. 2004.
Mpofu, William. "Thabo Mbeki: Understanding a Philosopher of Liberation." African Historical Review49, no. 2 (2017): 48-71. doi:10.1080/17532523.2017.1414396.
Pillay, Jerry. "The Church as a Transformation and Change Agent." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies73, no. 3 (2017): 2-10. doi:10.4102/hts.v73i3.4352.
Pushparagavan, Dixson. "The History of LGBT Legislation." South African History Online. December 17, 2014. Accessed January 14, 2019. https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-lgbt-legislation.
West, Gerald, Charlene Van Der Walt, and Kapya John Kaoma. "When Faith Does Violence: Reimagining Engagement between Churches and LGBTI Groups on Homophobia in Africa." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies72, no. 1 (2016). doi:10.4102/hts.v72i1.3511.