On the 93rd birthday of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, we can reflect on the leadership lessons that we can draw from his long and distinguished service to SA.
The politics of Buthelezi can best be summed up by the words of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the US: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Growing up in the royal palace of KwaDlamahlahla, Buthelezi was exposed to the living conditions of the black man who had been dispossessed of land, dignity and identity as a result of the 1913 Land Act.
Through his uncle Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme, one of the founders of the ANC, Buthelezi discovered first hand the efforts that black South Africans were engaged in in their pursuit for freedom.
It was natural that Buthelezi joined the ANC Youth League while a student at the University of Fort Hare in 1948. His radical activities at Fort Hare marked him as an enemy of apartheid. At that early age, Buthelezi immersed himself in the liberation struggle.
He used his position as inkosi of the Buthelezi clan and later as chief minister of Kwazulu to advance the liberation struggle. One of his closest mentors was ANC president Albert Luthuli, who impressed upon him the need to keep the liberation torch burning, even when the ANC was banned and its leaders imprisoned or exiled.
The lesson we draw from Buthelezi’s early identification with the liberation struggle is that leadership must be based on values.
The golden thread that runs through his record of leadership has been the value of ubuntu/botho that has undergirded his approach to politics. In an era where political pedigree is measured by how vulgar you are towards your political opponent, Buthelezi represents a generation of leaders who embody the best among us.
They are leaders who were inspired by the ideal of “freedom in our lifetime” and not “looting in our lifetime”.
The defining moment of Buthelezi’s political contribution to SA’s liberation was the formation of Inkatha YeNkululeko YeSizwe (National Cultural Liberation Movement) in March 1975.
Until then, he had been advocating for political reform from the sidelines, without a political platform to sustain his domestic and international offensive against apartheid. Zambia’s President Kenneth Kaunda was able to plant in Buthelezi’s mind the seed of a membership-based organisation.
After consulting with Oliver Tambo, Buthelezi launched Inkatha as an instrument to advance liberation. Buthelezi unveiled Inkatha as the custodian of the values of the ANC as propounded by its founding fathers in 1912.
Inkatha was draped in black, green and gold. It immediately called for the unbanning of all political parties and the release of political prisoners.
The golden thread that runs through his record of leadership has been the value of ubuntu/botho that has undergirded his approach to politics
A defining feature of Buthelezi’s leadership is that he has walked the walk, focusing on being practical as opposed to wallowing in the luxury of political rhetoric.
Using all the platforms available at his disposal he relentlessly pursued the most sustainable course of action to enhance the dignity of and secure freedom for black South Africans. He used his political capital to broaden access to education for the youth.
The Mangosuthu University of Technology stands as a monument of excellence that bears testimony to Buthelezi’s enduring legacy of educating the black child.
Many black professionals who occupy positions of influence as captains of industry, cabinet ministers and judges of our courts would not be where they are were it not for Buthelezi’s commitment to and investment in the education of the black child between 1970 to 1994.
As founder of the Mangosuthu University of Technology, chancellor of the University of Zululand for 21 years and chief minister of Kwazulu for 18 years, Buthelezi did more than any other leader in SA to lift thousands of blacks out of poverty through education.
When one surveys the current landscape of political leaders, it is unclear as to what legacy they will impart to future generations.
Our country’s unemployment rate sits at 34%, with the overwhelming majority of the 7.8-million unemployed being black youth between the ages of 18 and 40. Coupled with this is the culture of corruption that has encroached on all levels of government.
A trend is emerging of political leaders who use their positions in the government as a means to enrich themselves as opposed to empowering the communities in whose name they serve. As we celebrate Buthelezi’s 93rd birthday, we also celebrate the values that have underpinned his leadership in service to the people of SA.
Buthelezi stands tall as a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration to all those who aspire to public office. The final lesson from his leadership is that a leader produces more leaders.
Buthelezi has nurtured and mentored many young people who rose through the ranks to become leaders in their own right. Among them are Velenkosini Hlabisa (IFP president), Musa Myeni (businessman), the Rev Musa Zondi (Lutheran minister) and Mkhuleko Hlengwa (chair of parliament’s standing committee of public accounts).
Buthelezi’s leadership style has always been forward looking, immersed in the belief that young people should be given the opportunity and platform to show their leadership potential.
The greatest birthday gift that we can present to Buthelezi is to emulate his example of servant leadership by doing what we can, wherever we are, to promote good governance, accountability and ubuntu for a better SA.
• Thulasizwe Buthelezi is a member of the IFP executive and mayor of the Zululand district municipality
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