Sharon Machanzi, a Peace and Governance Research Intern at DEVELOPMENT WORKS, attended the recent ETHICAL LEADERSHIP – IN AND THROUGH POLITICS CONFERENCE. Sharon shares her reflections on one of the keynote speeches…
Politicians are probably not more dishonest than the rest of us. It is just that they are in the spotlight and as such, their faults are magnified. At the same time it should be expected that if one is a public figure they need to conduct themselves on a higher moral plane than the rest of the masses. After all they are the people’s representatives and it is expected that, as the peoples’ ambassadors, leaders conduct themselves in a befitting manner. This includes being good role models for the youth and for the upcoming leaders.
What is ethical leadership in governance?
Some people tend to define their leaders behaviour according to what they themselves deem ethical. Mr. Tony Ehrenreich of COSATU in his address on the topic Thirteen years after apartheid: The quest for democratic governance said it was important that we define what we mean by ethical leadership. Ethical leadership should be a standard that is universal, a tool that guides as to the appropriate conduct. In democratic governance, ethical leadership is the kind of leadership that ensures there are regular free and fair elections, the marginalized and disadvantaged are included in society, there is separation of powers between the judiciary and government, giving both credibility and transparency. In addition all citizens must be given a chance to participate in building the democracy. These principles according to Mr. Ehrenreich are some of the significant gains that South Africa has made since the apartheid era. South Africa has thus succeeded in being a participatory democracy.
Ethical leadership in South African Governance
It is regrettably however, to that some political leaders have neglected the notion of ethical leadership and the principles of serving the people. They have instead become leaders that serve only themselves. A leader should work for the good of the people. Instead of point scoring against each other in parliamentary debates, political leaders should engage in constructive debate, about the real issues that affect the people. Despite being from opposing parties leaders should work together to ensure that developmental goals for the country are met. Leaders who speak the truth are ethical leaders. Many a times leaders make promises get votes and then they do not honour these promises when they are in leadership.
Leadership is about serving the people instead of amassing wealth for oneself. The tendency with some political leaders is to become career politicians who are more interested in getting wealth and security for themselves instead of doing the same for the people they serve. This is the reason why some leaders want to hold on to power, even when their followers no longer want their leadership. These same leaders tend then to become corrupt because they want to sustain their new lifestyle, or they engage in unscrupulous behaviour so that they can keep on ‘eating’ while the rest of the population starves from lack of resources or poor delivery of services. This kind of unethical leadership pays loyalty to party bosses instead of to the electorate who voted them into leadership in the first place.
According to Mr. Ehrenreich, there comes a time when the citizenry must review the kind of leadership that is in place. Citizens exercise their democratic right by electing their leadership in elections. As such they have power, the power to choose. Power is thus not vested in leaders alone, but also in followers. Citizens of any country should hold their leadership accountable through the process of review and asking whether the kind of leadership they have, and are getting, is what they truly deserve.
Filed under: cosatu, ethical leadership, governance, politics, power | 2 Comments
I totally agree with Mr. Ehrenreich on the issue of ethical leadership. Political leader within South Africa especially lack the ethical leadership required in a liberated and democratic society. I think that one of the reasons for this lack of ethical leadership is the perception of “entitlement”, because of the contribution they have made to the liberation of South Africa from the dark days of apartheid; they see their leadership as something which is suppose to be handed to them, instead of “earning” it. As a South African, I am grateful for the contributions and sacrifices they have made, however, their notions of “things are better today” than in the past, shadows the fact that the “real” work started in 1994 – in attempts to rebuild a “new” democratic South Africa.
I do agree that politicians, are as human and are subject to human error, similar to the citizens they serve. However, their position requires much more with regard to morality and ethics. Citizens place their trust in the hands of political leaders, as their representatives and therefore, politicians should adhere to a strict moral and ethical code of conduct. In taking up their positions of leadership, they are fully aware of the enormous pressures re: what it expected of them. They should therefore, do their best to live up to these expectations.
It is these very sense of entitlement on the part many of our political leaders, which has created the space for the manifestation of corruption, nepotism, etc …. Hence, it is no longer about the masses but the “individual”, and how much he/she “can get out” of the system. Like Mr. Ehrenreich stated, South Africans need to assess their leadership and to use their power of choice in elections to voice their satisfaction and/or content. However, it is the citizens and their power to choose which is in itself questionable. Looking at the current situation South Africa faces, with regard to corruption, poor service delivery (which is most prevalent); citizens in communities affected by the latter continue to support and vote for a government who does not deliver on its promises. Why do citizens continue to vote and support a government, which clearly does not live up to their promises? This is another debate on its own, but nonetheless something to think about. When pondering on the question, we should question the underlying factors that contribute to the continued support of citizens (not receiving basics services).
thank you Justin for sharing with us and I totally agree – those most marginalised no longer seem to matter – but rather individual ambition and indulgence