Diocese of Grahamstown

Address by Thabo Makgoba, Bishop of Grahamstown to the G20 Conference,

an international gathering of school principals

St Andrew’s College Chapel, Grahamstown, Freedom Day, 27 April 2007

The conference focussed on leadership lessons that emerged from a reading of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.

Let us pray:

Pour your Grace into our hearts, O God, that we who have known the Incarnation of Jesus Christ announced by an Angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his Cross and Passion be brought to the Glory of his resurrection. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanks to Mr Wylde for inviting me to lead the meditation this morning, and for the background information of who is here, and the text he has given you. It is appropriate indeed to reflect on Madiba’s Long Walk to Freedom on this Freedom Day, in the Eastern Cape. Madiba is a leader who transcends the bounds of tribe, race, culture and creed. Madiba is human but at the risk of being ‘uncanonical’, he is a saint, especially when the Roman Catholic theologian Ronald Rolheiser describes a saint as follows: “to be a saint is to be fuelled by gratitude, nothing more and nothing less” or as Gustavo Gutierrez says “only one kind of person transforms the world spiritually - someone with a grateful heart.”

Reading the selected passages in Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, it is evident that he was fuelled not by hate, egoism, revenge, intellectualism but by a grateful heart, and deep longing for mercy, justice and equality. He was grateful for his sense of identity and self-knowledge, located not within idiosyncratic belief about self, but deeply rooted within his Thembu context of chieftaincy.

In this institution, though sexist, he learned about the role and influence of soft power, i.e. listening, and getting all to contribute. This critiques my own leadership style, in synodical governance, where the majority easily crush the minority voice. To a great extent that is why we have difficulties within global Anglican witness, the voice of the minority is not heard.

In the discussion of his time at Clarkebury on page 55, Madiba, raises key issues about leadership, (1) the need to recreate and (2) the importance of self-awareness.

(1) This is not a meditation on stress and burnout (I have enclosed a quick assessment tool for this) but I cannot overemphasise the need for self discipline in recreation, this is vital for leaders,(deviation - not like my friend outside church - who says sex and whiskey are his only recreation tools). Stephen Covey would call it “sharpen the sword”.

(2) The second aspect, self-awareness, is best described by St Theresa of Avila: “one day of humble self-knowledge is better than a thousand days of prayer.” Nolan says “no one can know God who does not know himself.” (2006) This aspect is taken up by Lembede in Long Walk to Freedom, especially following the Atlantic Charter in relation to who is an African. How can Africans, in his case black Africans, transcend the Cinderella syndrome? Here again, a crucial aspect which Madiba embodies, is the Ubuntu ethic. “My human dignity, and self-understanding is fully realised when I know that ‘I am because we are, we are because I am’.” (Mbingi and Maree). I am who I am through my interconnectedness with others, thus calling on me (us) to believe and feel that: “Your pain is my pain, my wealth is your wealth, your salvation is my salvation” (Kurt April 2006; Mangaliso 2001). Ubuntu compels leaders to think morally and live ethically, to be moved by the painfully broken world and not to despair, but to do something.

Contrast the ubuntu ethic with the egocentric, “tough luck, I am me and I will have it my way” ethic. So Madiba returns to his centre, his core, his birth place and realises that things are not falling apart, the centre and ethic of care still holds but (page 97) “you yourself have altered.” The question is, how have you altered: exploit for self, ignore future, conquer for self, ignore the communal...?

As a leader, Madiba, was a principled person and marvelled at those who were principled, he upheld values of freedom for all and equality for all, he says “Sobukwe as a leader was inspiring for he was prepared to pay penalty for his principles.” He paid a heavy price in terms of his family too. Balance own conviction and impact on family.

His principles and vision of overthrowing white supremacy, imperialism, and ushering in true democratic forms of government as well as equality for all, made Madiba a selfless leader who at the point when he could have mitigated for a lenient sentence, still wanted to state his principles “why I had become the man I was, and done what I did, and would do it again.” He did this because he loved his neighbour as per the biblical imperative of loving ones neighbour. About this he says: “to be a freedom fighter, one must suppress many of the personal feelings (Mr Harrier at Clarkebury) that make one feel like a separate individual rather than part of a mass movement, liberating the millions rather than focus on personal glory.” Post his long imprisonment, he continued to love those that hated him, forgave possibly more than 70 x 7 those that wronged him. “Just park at the bishop’s parking (or principal’s parking), you will know 70 x 7 a day forgiving is”. A leader should attempt to integrate personal morality and ethical principles in his encounter with everydayness.

In conclusion, Madiba offered an M plan and influenced many. He transcended hate, conflict, race, the unknown, and forced South African to engage with each other and globally, and brought opportunities. As you respond to God’s calling to incarnate his love, compassion and to uphold the sanctity of life for those you are entrusted to lead, what is your M plan, i.e. what positive legacy will you imprint in this world of time and space?

Let us pray:

Remember, O Lord, what you have wrought in us and not what we deserve; as you have called us to your service make us worthy of our calling: Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.