By Mabila Mathebula
I do not know if educators write testimonials or letters of recommendation for their former pupils these days. Testimonials were powerful instruments with which learners were forced to behave positively throughout their school career because they wanted a positive report from their former teachers that they were bona fides citizens.
Yesterday, I came across a copy of my testimonial that was written by Professor TW Kambule more than 30 years ago. I had submitted it to the SABC for employment.
He wrote that my “general deportment is beyond reproach.” He further wrote that: “Although he is a committed pedagogue, he also extends himself extramurally. I can vouch for him as a dedicated and hard worker. I, therefore, recommend him without reserve as I do not doubt his ability to cope under pressure.”
Testimonials from teachers and ministers of religion were a form of coercive power because one was forced to behave according to societal norms and values. Deviant behaviour was punished by receiving a negative report.
Politicians have a free ride in South Africa because anyone can become a politician and contest the elections. For example, Xitsonga musician Benny Mayengani has launched the Action Alliance Development Party. Unfortunately, we do not have an instrument that forces our political leaders to behave beyond blemish in society. A jail sentence for corrupt politicians is no deterrent for wrongdoing and it is not a proactive approach to deter unbecoming behaviour.
I have two types of teachers in my life. I have my teachers from a distance whom I have not met; I have read their books and watched their videos. On the other hand, I have teachers from a closer range who empower me daily.
One of my friends told me that good politicians are like trees. I thought he was speaking about a rooted politician versus a potted one. He told me that a tree grows in two directions at the same time – downwards and upwards. What surprised me was that he said the part of the tree that was underground was similar to the one above the surface. The former is gravatropic in nature and the other phototropic.
The gravatropic part moves away from light and towards gravity, On the other hand, the phototropic part grows far away from gravity, towards light. What is interesting is that when the seed in the ground is under great resistance, it is dark and damp since it has to break towards the light, away from gravity.
He told me that our politicians were phototropic, rather than gravatropic. There were few politicians who worked hard behind closed doors, spending sleepless nights in order to help mankind.
Winston Churchill said: “Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party.” It is regrettable that some men are hard up for principles. What do you, as a voter, do when there is a lacuna of principles among your leaders who are campaigning for elections?
I have two yardsticks by which I test every political leader’s intention during elections: Has the leader changed their principles for the sake of their party or have they changed their party for the sake of their principles?
In his book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, Steven Covey addresses the question of centeredness. When it comes to our politicians, most of them are: power-centred, fame-centred, racial-centred, gender-centred, tribal-centred and religious-centred.
We must vote for leaders who are principle-centred, who know that a principle is something not dissolvable; it is either wholly kept or wholly sacrificed. A principled person embraces holistic thinking and thinks about the future generations.
Napoleon Hill’s father practised as dentist without a licence. Under the Code of Virginia, he was forbidden to practise dentistry without a licence. He had been toiling gravatropically to master the art of dentistry before he emerged phototropically after college. Martha Ramey Banner, his stepmother, sent his father down to Louisville Dental College for four years. She paid for his tuition by using her former husband’s life insurance money. Napoleon Hill remarked: “What a woman! What a woman!”
To be principled-centred is to know who you are and to be confident in your ability to live by your personal values. For example, Oliver Tambo’s values were, among others, excellence, selflessness, self-discipline and dedication.
For a leader to be principle-centred in all their decisions, they need to be able to look forward and see the bigger picture. Their decision must be based on personal values and their belief that great things are coming for the collective good.
In addition, their power must be internal and not external. It must must come from within. Their progress and self-worth cannot be handed or skewed by the opinions and judgements of those around them. When a politician is principle-centred, people will say: “What a man!” or “What a woman!”
Author and life coach Mathebula has a PhD in construction management.