Lessons from Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Reinventing Sport Leadership - Part 1 of 16

As we prepare ourselves to celebrate the erstwhile President of South Africa’s birthday, it is also time to remember the full potential that democracy brought to South Africa in 1994. Most South Africans, especially those who had suffered for decades under apartheid felt energised and enthusiastic about the future. Now move the time to 26 years later. There has been disappointment after disappointment.

As we approach President Mandela’s birthday, let us focus on what the dawn of democracy brought, and the lessons we should have learned as far as sport is concerned. In the words of Nelson Mandela:

“to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

You and I know that things have not turned out the way Madiba cautioned in society and sport. With specific reference to sport, many of those who have led our sports governing bodies, have not used their freedom to enhance the freedom of others. For example, organisations such as the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee remains entangled in the confines of personal interest and poor corporate governance. It is all out there for everyone to see and wonder what part of Madiba’s message cannot be understood and put in practice in a country that historically has regarded certain races as inferior to others. What happened to the common good that those appointed or elected to leadership positions needed to work towards? It cannot be that they do not know that when appointed in organisations serving the public, there are principles and values to adhere to.

“Who could doubt that sport is a crucial window for the propagation of fair play and justice? After all, fair play is a value that is essential to sport” ,

according to Nelson Mandela. Indeed, what happened to fair play and justice where our women footballers can only become professional players in other countries than their own. Fairness means impartial and just treatment or behaviour without favouritism or discrimination. While justice means the quality of being just, righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness. These are fundamental values that ensure that individual and society function such that every person benefits. The common good. Is it possible that our sport leaders do not know and understand fairness and justice? If so, why do they call on the name of Nelson Mandela in their policies and other utterances? Do our leaders lead duplicitous lives where truth and lies have intermingled such that things are just mucky?

The lack of morality, integrity, focus, fairness, justice, and many other values, have affected sport in South Africa negatively. Here are two examples. South Africa ranked 27th on the medal table 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze medals. Great Britain ranked 36th because of its only 1 Gold medal. So, it was South Africa 3 Gold medals versus Great Britain’s 1 Gold medal. Fast forward to the 2012 London Olympics. Great Britain ranked third with 29 Gold, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze medals for a total of sixty-five medals. South Africa, on the other hand, was ranked 20th with 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medal for a total of 6.

Now, let us look at Bafana Bafana at the African Cup of Nations. In 1996, just 5 years after readmission, South Africa won the cup. In 1998, Bafana Bafana finished second. In 2000, the team finished third. The team was eliminated in the quarterfinals in the 2002 AFCON edition. In 2004, the team could not progress beyond the group stages in 2004, 2006 and 2008. The fortunes of Bafana Bafana have not been good ever since. It baffles one that no one was ever held accountable for the team’s failure except the head coaches. Of course, it is convenient to hold head coaches accountable whereas they never get the support that is needed for national teams to be competitive. The lack of learning and becoming competitive applies to governance, systems, and processes – failure cannot be ascribed to on-field success or lack thereof. It is the leadership of organisations that must be held accountable for not observing good corporate governance and putting in systems and process that promotes a high-performance environment for all employees and players.

In conclusion, especially if we are true disciples of Nelson Mandela, and as we remember his life of sacrifice for the common good, let us listen to these words:

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived; it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

When one is elected a leader in the larger society, and sport organisations for our purpose here, the difference that one makes to other people’s lives should be the motivating and driving factor in all what one needs to do to advance the organisations for the better. Being elected a leader is not for personal gain and gratification – it is for the common good. The common good implies creating opportunities for those who are not able to do that for themselves, e.g., athletes and coaches. The common good is about ensuring that others realise their full potential through the resources (ideas, physical, spatial, financial, etc.) that leaders must mobilise to ensure that an organisation achieves its goals and objectives.