We deserve another Madiba

Every so often someone comes along who is so brave and so inspiring that they move you into action. These are men and women who have the power to galvanise an entire community to do something.

Whenever they are around it becomes very difficult even for the self-satisfied to sit by and remain silent. In their company, when you breathe the same air as these unique individuals, you cannot do nothing — you are constantly challenged to do something because it does help.

They make it easy for us to understand that you need to be an agent of what you want to see happen, not only in your own life but in the community or society.

These are the men and women who we look up to. They are our examples through their moral power and force.

They are leaders.

For some reason, when I look around our communities today, I find that leaders are rare people. It’s like that they do not exist.

I find this strange in a society that has produced Nelson Mandela … Steve Biko, Robert Sobukwe, Joe Slovo, Bram Fischer, Ruth First, Lilian Ngoyi, Albertinah and Walter Sisulu, FW de Klerk, Desmond Tutu and … a host of others.

You’ve probably heard of all these men and women. In fact, you can add more as I do not have the space to put all the names that deserve to be on this list.

But what troubles my soul is that we probably have come to accept that most of these leaders are aged, retired or dead. This would suggest that it is no longer their business to do what they did best, which was to inspire us and set a very good moral example.

In fact, nobody hears of Mandela except when there is a special political occasion. Nobody hears of De Klerk or Tutu except when there is a controversy that will inevitably embarrass and shame the South African nation and government.

Why are we not hearing loud noises from these inspirational leaders whose names were always on our lips because they not only said but did the right thing?

I think we need new leaders with vision.

What we need are young courageous men and women who are human-rights activists and are willing to serve or do something without expecting anything in return.

I may be wrong but we seem to lack that.

When there is a taxi strike, I do not see or hear intelligent, clear-thinking visionaries presenting the case of why they are opposed to BRT, for instance.

When there is a school boycott, I do not see focused, inspirational young teachers who understand the need for children to go to school to create a better future for themselves.

When I witness doctors and nurses on strike, I do not hear prophetic voices that care for the sick and are willing to put their self interest first because they respect life.

When I observe rolling mass action, I do not see wise and forward-looking unionists who champion the culture of human rights and spread knowledge, consciousness and information.

What I am trying to point to is that we seem to have destroyed the legacy and memory of courageous men and women who have helped and shaped us to get where we are.

The society we live in today is very young. It is a democracy that is only 16 years old and it is important that we begin to produce a calibre of leadership that is … er, convincing and credible, for lack of a better word.

In fact, what we need is inspirational leadership that will put us back on the global limelight because of the moral force and power they represent.

What we need is inspiring, credible and super moral leadership that will make it easy for us to get off our butts and do something.

There are millions of people who are opposed to an electricity price hike.

There are millions of people who are unemployed.

There are millions of people who are tired of the apartheid baggage.

There are millions of people who are pissed off with being held to ransom.

There are millions of hungry, homeless and poor people out there.

But it does not look like we have leaders that are so inspiring they make it easy for people to want to be counted. I guess far too many people are willing to settle for less simply because there is no inspiring leadership out there.

We deserve more Nelson Mandelas.

And we shall know them by their actions.