Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas' remarks at the Ethical Leadership Seminar on "Leading Like Mandela" for Mandela Month

Friday, 30 July 2021

Thank you to the Programme Director.

Good morning to:

• Ms Rhulani Siweya, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Ms Sindisiwe Chukunga, the Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration
• Dr. Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, the former Minister for Public Service and Administration
• Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, the Chairperson: Moral Regeneration Movement
• Advocate Richard Sizani, the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission
• Mr. Michael Seloane, the Commissioner of the Public Service Commission
• Mr. Sekoetlane Phamodi, the Country Director of the Accountability Lab South Africa
• Distinguished guests – ladies and gentlemen All Protocols Observed

On behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa, Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas, I wish to extend our gratitude to the organizers of this Ethical Leadership Seminar for inviting us to participate today. This seminar comes at a crucial time as communities in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal come together to build back from a week of destruction and devastation. When I reflect back on those events and on a nation broken by the profound impact of the global pandemic, I am deeply saddened. The fault lines in our society have been exposed and public trust has declined. We are a nation at a breaking point looking to the leaders of this country to handle these fault lines, to address social inequality and most importantly, to provide ethical leadership driven by morals and values of care.

The theme Ethical Leadership at a time of crisis – Lead with Integrity is fitting at this time, where the nation is confronted with multiple ethical and policy dilemmas that have tested the strength of South African institutions. Confidence in public institutions is vital for any democracy. Once that confidence is eroded, we begin to see increased service delivery protests, citizens withholding payments for public services and declining levels of investment. This has dire consequences for the national fiscus and the ability of governments to sustainably provide services.

We are grappling with a multitude of challenges and in order for us to get on a path of recovery, our society must hold open and honest conversations and denounce corruption, unethical leadership and behaviour at all levels of society. This forum forces us to critically engage on the type of leadership we need during this time of crisis and beyond.

Honourable Ministers, the UN recognises that the fight against corruption requires determined efforts to overcome vested interests. I must stress that the same vigour must be applied to all levels of corruption – in all aspects of government and governance. Let us remember that public service is not a right - it is an honour and a privilege – AND ALL public servants must be held to a higher standard.

By tackling corruption, we are directly contributing to the rebuilding of public institutions. We need to create a society where citizens are able to receive critical public services without paying bribes and the legitimacy of public servants is unquestionable. We should subscribe to a different mode of leadership – a type of leadership I refer to as servant leadership – leadership that is citizen-centred and accountable to the people.

Ladies and gentlemen, I encourage all participants, particularly those of us in positions of leadership, to use this opportunity to reflect on three crucial themes as we engage today. Value, vision and voice.

Value

The value proposition of ethical leadership should be action and results orientated to instil confidence and trust among the citizens. In 2005, the South African government launched the Batho Pele programme, which places people at the heart of service delivery. The programme focused on building integrity and ethical practices in public administration. More than a decade since the passing of the legislation on ethical codes of conduct, there are clear gaps in ethical leadership and accountability, our institutions have weakened as we face the challenges of rooting out corruption and state capture.

Our values have been compromised even in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The corruption associated with Covid-19 procurement has affected the access to lifesaving equipment, such as personal protective equipment for frontline workers, leading to the WHO Director-General equating it to murder. We cannot allow that.

We need to dig deep into our values and convictions to address this problem now more than ever. Leadership begins with the fundamental belief of people first.

Vision

I urge all participants to reflect on the vision we want and deserve for a progressive society. South Africa’s democracy would not have been possible without visionary leaders who played an instrumental role in mobilizing and influencing citizens in defining a path towards progress. Leaders like Lilian Ngoyi, Oliver Tambo, Charlotte Maxeke and Nelson Mandela, to name a few, helped us envision a country and continent where all of us are empowered in all spheres of our lives and free from oppression.  Today, I call on all leaders to come up with rigorous strategy and action plans that are rooted in ethical leadership. We owe it to passed leaders and the people of this country to right this wrong.

In our capacity as leaders in our homes, communities, organizations and as leaders of this country, we need to take accountability for our current state. We can no longer sit back and watch unethical leadership practices taint our hard-earned democracy.

Voice

Allow me to also reflect on the collective power of our voices. Together we can amplify our voices to challenge leadership and governance that lack integrity and ethics. Our collective response and action now will inevitably affect our youth, those already venerable in our society as well as future leadership. We must make space at the table for these voices to be heard.

It is up to us to ensure that the next generation of leaders are equipped with the right tools to navigate and overcome the complex challenges we face in South Africa. Our shared future depends not only on protecting these young people from the ills of this world but  investing in them so they can do better for themselves, their communities and the world. For this to happen, we need to be clear about the leadership we want and what we will accept.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is no-doubt that South Africa is at a crossroads. As we work towards building our communities back, we must apply people-centred development and “recover better with integrity”. This means strengthening systems that can address with a high level of commitment, determination and action to deal with the triple challenges facing South African society.

As I conclude I wish to echo the Secretary General’s sentiment that “Corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust.” We must recognize that the road to rooting out corruption is paved by ethical and value driven leadership. There are no short cuts on this route. The UN in South Africa stands ready to support you on this journey.

I thank you.