We need a rescue act only a woman can deliver

By Sicelo Kunene

With the world smarting over its new challenges — ranging from the economic meltdown to new hostilities — there has been a consistent clamour for new leaders. Be it political, corporate, educational or civic, a new way of thinking is required to carve the way forward.

The composition of our leaders thus far has been patriarchal in nature but powerful women like Angela Merkel, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Joyce Banda, Pratibha Patil and Dilma Vana Linhares Rousseff have performed the superlative task of leading their countries towards financial growth and political stability.

Looking within our borders you would be inclined to think there’s a dearth of credible female leaders. But generally there’s unanimous recognition of the capability of the fairer sex to run a tight ship. No matter the circumstances, women maximise whatever limited resources available and make them seem plentiful. In the song Dear Mama hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur says: “Just working with the scraps she was given, mama made miracles every thanksgiving”. I think many people can attest to the fact that women are born leaders.

Our own economic situation is punctuated with volatility, tension and there’s no real prospect of it taking an upward trajectory as is desperately needed. Some analysts say the country is stable and should be for the foreseeable future but if you take stock of the jobs we’re haemorrhaging in almost every sector, the rising cost of basic foods, fuel, electricity and transport against disposable income and savings, the picture looks different. We need a rescue act only a woman is capable of delivering.

We’ve had the privilege of being led by some exceptional men and they’ve made an indelible contribution to our country’s history and will not be forgotten, but it’s time we walk the equality talk. There are those who will be quick to quip that some women, especially in the current dispensation, have not covered themselves in glory like our minister of basic education after the Limpopo textbook saga.

On the flip side, if you track the performance of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, you start to get that warm feeling of trust. In every department she’s worked in she’s pulled rabbits out of a hat. Don’t believe me? Ask any diplomat at the UN about their take on South Africa’s foreign policy. Or better yet, take a stroll to your nearest home affairs department and check out those short queues and the turnaround times for document applications. Those are just a few things she’s made us smile about. Then we shipped her off to the African Union (AU).

Well maybe her ex — like many men — felt threatened by her no-nonsense, no-frills ability to solve problems and he ushered her out of the race that ends in Mangaung later this year. Who knows? Perhaps that was one of Thabo Mbeki’s mortal sins against the ruling party — he punted a woman as his successor rather than his originally elected deputy president, Zuma. The AU should be a juggernaut in the years to come with Dlamini-Zuma at the helm — the continent’s gain is our loss.

Needless to say, Dlamini-Zuma is not alone. Very powerful and capable women are a dime a dozen. What they require is a platform. They need to consolidate their support for each other and not be shackled by the fear of alienating their male counterparts in the course of occupying their rightful place as leaders.

The smart women need to come up from behind their successful husbands (like Michelle Obama has done) and work their magic wherever it’s required. So Jessie Duarte, Helen Zille, Mamphela Ramphele, Wendy Luhabe, Zanele Mbeki, Gill Marcus, Maria Ramos, Zanele Magwaza-Msibi and Nomboniso Gasa stand up!

Sicelo Kunene: I wear my heart on my sleeve on matters that concern the country and all who live in it. I try to tell it like I see it in the hope that it will inspire others to do the same and spur us into action to reveal our true greatness as a nation.