“The infectiousness of crime is like that of the plague”
– Napoleon Bonaparte

Against the backdrop of an ANC struggling to reconcile the quest for public trust with the decision to reinstate the VBS-implicated deployees in Limpopo and how the party can rightly commit to “the fight against corruption” while elevating a leader who is facing serious corruption charges to a provincial legislature, this conversation gains both relevance and urgency.

The country has begun the process of its own destruction. It was Nicholas Haysom, ex-legal advisor to Madiba and now Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan, who opined “we need a leader who is bigger than the divisions that have torn their communities apart – a ‘Mandela’ uniquely capable of speaking for those who demand change and simultaneously addressing those who fear it.”

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy and knowledge that deals with moral principles. It involves systematising, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviours or the conducting of an activity. Ethics, therefore, is about morality, right, honesty, fairness, integrity, principles, conscience, value, responsibility and choices. It is about wholesomeness and is a fundamental requirement to achieve success for individuals, companies, human societies and countries.

Ethical behaviour builds trust, which is the glue that holds the electorate to their elected leaders. There is an increasing focus on purpose beyond profits and on inclusion and sustainability. In fact, it is about public wellbeing – “the common good”.

Those who lead and represent us must be held to the highest possible ethical standards, palpable morality, higher purpose, a demonstrable set of values grounded in principles and wholesome intent and not just the much lower prescripts of the law – “presumed innocent until proven guilty” nor “I have not been found guilty by any court of law”!

The presumption of innocence is one of the golden threads that holds together our justice system. It forms part of the legal bulwark that prevents unjust and wrongful convictions. It is a legal construct. It operates as a shield between the individual and the overwhelming power of the state to deprive the individual of her/his liberty. It operates in our courts of law. It does NOT operate to immunise political leaders, famous entertainers or powerful CEOs against scrutiny. In short, the presumption of innocence is a procedural protection to ensure court fairness – not a moral imperative.

Low trust levels are ammunition for populist politicians. They exploit people’s anger and frustration, making promises that are enticing but unrealistic and bound to result in damage and destruction. The definition of a successful company, which is true for countries, is one that develops a corporate soul – not just a group of people gathered together for a joint commercial purpose. This is much more than the sum of its many and varied parts. It is the ethos that drives it and makes it special. This requires not only doing right by the business but also the societies in which it operates. It is Samuel Johnson, the English poet, who reminds us that, “fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it”.

So, when people who call themselves our leaders are so brazen, shameless and act with such impunity (“abanavalo”), maybe what we need now is a  better ethos for our times, a cadre of leadership that can lead with both a heart (conscience) and a mind (consciousness) to transform the individual and the individual’s world.

A critical issue facing South Africa that blocks possibilities for economic development and shared growth is the inadequate level of ethical consciousness and ethics management in government, SOE/Cs and corporates – which do not need overwhelming rules. What they need are strong and effective values within the limited scope of corporate governance functions.

Every prosperous and successful democracy deems fundamental rights to include universal healthcare, equal access to quality public education, as well as a social safety net for the poor, weak, elderly, and infirm. We must perform well during the Covid-19 crisis because of our social contract, the bonds of community, the trust for one another and our institutions, our healthcare system in particular with hospitals that cater to the medical needs of the collective, not the individual. The measure of wealth in a civilised nation is not the currency accumulated by the lucky few, but rather the strength and resonance of social relations and the bonds of reciprocity that connect all people in common purpose. Developed countries are not those where the poor can afford cars but where the rich use public transport!

The challenge is creating a vibrant middle class and a trade union movement that allows a single breadwinner with limited education to own a home and a car, support a family and send her/his kids to good schools.

To fix capitalism, business has to first avoid doing harm – especially through reducing misconduct. Second, it has to serve a social purpose beyond profits and become more inclusive. Only then can it restore public trust and secure the conditions for its long-term success. It is about a “better performance standard” for world-class organisations, distinguished by the achievement of both financial and ethical excellence. Business must be deeply committed to ethics, integrity, respect and moral values – it must be committed to “doing the right thing”. For companies and societies, ethics provides justice and fairness, which are required for peace and development. Business should speak out on the social and ethical issues of the day, it can no longer be business as usual with an exclusive focus on shareholder returns.

John Naisbitt, the American author, accentuates this point: “The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will not occur because of technology but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human”. Truly focusing on the human dimensions of the country, community and society. Helping our honest leaders to cultivate and activate those human capabilities that determine whether any significant change ever gets implemented.

There is intellectual agreement on what needs to happen, but very little help for those who seek to make it happen. Starting with what matters most to us – a commitment to achieving a vision that exceeds any individual capacities. A vision that connects people in a common effort with genuine meaning. Such commitment is grounded in people taking unconditional responsibility for their situation and for their ways of responding to it. We then must choose what matters more to each one of us – knowing or learning. Real learning opens us up to the fear of uncertainty and the embarrassment of incompetence as well as the vulnerability of needing one another. 

The challenge is creating a vibrant middle class and a trade union movement that allows a single breadwinner with limited education to own a home and a car, support a family and send her/his kids to good schools. The negative forces tearing apart a society are mitigated or even muted if there are other elements that reinforce social solidarity like religious faith, the strength and comfort of family, the pride of tradition, fidelity to the land, a spirit of place, and so on.

It is about living with purpose, intent and authenticity. Because purpose is the journey of self-discovery, intent is about designing a plan and authenticity is about being real and genuine. It is about being truly ethically principled. Leadership cannot be anything but ethical. We, therefore, demand ethical leadership, who, by definition, will give us absolute transparency and final accountability. DM

These are extracts from a speech by Bonang Mohale at the BLSA/NECT National Dialogue.