THE demise of our leaders in 2023 reminds us of the great purpose of servant leadership.
The recent deaths of Professor Hoosen Coovadia, an anti-apartheid stalwart, prolific scientist and activist of health equity; Dr Frene Noshir Ginwala and Aziz Goolam Pahad, anti-apartheid activists and politicians; and Dr Essop Pahad, a politician, among others, have left our nation poorer because these were leaders that served our society selflessly.
They contributed effectively to the development of our post-apartheid society through their advocacy, willingness to engage with communities, and the capacity to identify the people’s needs and give meaning to them through policy.
These initiatives aided the development of relevant measures to address the injustices and inequalities South Africans experienced during apartheid. These individuals stood up for values based on human rights and dignity and fought for equality for all South Africans. Their stated aim was to develop an equal and just society and it became a lifelong journey for activists of this ilk.
Their deaths marked a shift in society. It is often cited and believed that people are guided and led to their destination and that most societies follow in the footsteps of their leaders. These individuals set a societal standard that influenced political participation and awareness of political dysfunctionality at the time. The normative practice of becoming an active citizen of the community and other associations, enabled people to collectively address challenges and devise coping mechanisms to the injustices imposed on them by the apartheid government.
Many measures were based on principles of public participatory initiatives. Relationships and social capital were a priority for many based on the ethos that our society is comprised of collectives and not individuals. These perceptions influenced people to be politically vigilant and involved if they could. It was an era where political involvement was valued and prioritised.
In comparison, today, we have a society that chooses to be apolitical and has no trust in our ruling political party. This social behaviour has also become normalised in our community, which has a highly fragmented government. The lack of public trust is validated through the small and hefty incidences of corruption, fraud, embezzlement, and other deviance that our present political parties engage in.
Comparatively, previous political leaders were more concerned about injustices and equality and were focused on serving the greater good. These leaders led with a leadership style that is labelled as servant leadership. These leaders serve and prioritise the needs of their team and organisation before their objectives. Like many associations based on values of public participation, those around the servant leader are often heard, respected and included in decision-making processes and important discussions.
The loss of the activists as mentioned above, leaves us without the presence of profound individuals. Coovadia, for instance, was a profound scientist intellectual and played a pivotal role in mentoring other young scholars and scientists. He is renowned for his research endeavours to combat Aids. His intellectual capacities were complimented by his values of equity and rights for each of us.
Dr. Essop Pahad effectively built a democratic, non-sexist, non-racist South Africa. He held a PhD in history, which influenced his approach in developing strategies to address the apartheid regime and its injustices.
Aziz Goolam Pahad, too, made a huge contribution to democratic South Africa through his communication strategies built on his intellectual property. Ginwala, too, presided over drafting the legislation of developing South Africa into a democracy from an apartheid regime.
As a nation, we have had individuals that have made tremendous stances and sacrifices for us at the cost of their personal and family lives, because their ethos was built on the need for a fair and just society. Is it not time that our leaders and communities adopt their servant leadership approaches to address our current socioeconomic challenges?
Perhaps we all need to become more aware of what servant leadership is about and the value and purpose of becoming a society that chooses to be involved in the political debacles of our country. As a democratic South Africa, do we not have a choice in this regard, or do we continue to live governed by the perception that our involvement will not matter? It’s time we insist that politicians govern and lead as our activists did, to serve the greater good of society.
Dr Sheetal Bhoola has a PhD and two Master’s degrees in the social sciences. She is a lecturer, researcher and a freelance writer. Bhoola has been the recipient of awards and academic scholarships throughout her career. Visit www.sheetalbhoola.com.