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What the doctor ordered
25/07/2008 11:16  - (SA)  

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Eskom gets new no-nonsense boss Ex-AngloGold boss to head Eskom 'Godsell can't be Eskom boss'

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Lucas Mthetheli Ntyintyane, News24 User

The appointment of Bobby Godsell as the chairperson of Eskom should be applauded. It's what the doctor ordered. The former chief executive of AngloGold Ashanti is the right medicine for the embattled parastatal. Eskom has been hogging the spotlight for the wrong reasons. For too long it has been over-managed and under-led. A recipe that led to the energy crisis.

Unfortunately load-shedding is denting investors' confidence in the country. With less than two years before the 2010 soccer world cup, drastic action was necessary to correct this shortcoming. Godsell brings a lots of leadership experience to Eskom. His appointment will go along way, in dispelling some myths about transformation. Truth be told, transformation is not an excuse for incompetence. It is also not anti-white. Transformation should be about partisan politics and patronage.

It's an open secret that many mistakes were made in the past. The over-eagerness to correct the injustices of apartheid saw many skilled people being sidelined. Reasons being, some were excluded for having the "wrong" skin colour. Or they belonged to a "counter-revolutionary" political party.

Lack of leadership is the root cause of the problems, currently paralysing key state institutions. These could have been avoided. Today the security structures are headed by acting chiefs. The real bosses are either suspended, in court or fired. To add insult to injury, the public broadcaster is in turmoil. This unpalatable state of affairs is compounded by dysfunctional provincial governments, as shown by the negative reviews, in the recent Markinor survey.

The majority of municipalities are failing to deliver, as demonstrated by increasing number of poor service delivery protests. Poor leadership is damaging the image of the country. People are slowly losing confidence in those in power. Some are wondering if this is the meaning of liberation. But, like any other maturing democracy, it's appropriate to learn from these mistakes.

For South Africa to reach its economic potential, it's important to get the basics right. Finding the correct leadership is the foundation of any democracy. Without a good driver, a car is a liability not an asset. Hence, it's important to ask what kind of leadership we need to take this country forward.

What criteria must be used to choose a leader? Should future leaders be judged on their past struggle credentials alone? Or do we need a leader with African roots, but has a global outlook? Is colour more important than skill? Should leaders be chosen from a particular political party? These questions will provide us with a roadmap, in defining the character of the leader, needed to make South Africa, a world player.

It's in this light that Godsell's appointment is the step in the right direction. It is sending out a strong message - that skill and competence will be used to choose future leaders. We cannot afford to do otherwise.

In the climate of ever changing geo-politics, it's crucial to have leaders with the necessary business acumen; leaders who fully understand the importance of ethical leadership, accountability and good governance.

Cannot ignore the past

If South Africa is serious about stamping its authority in world affairs, it should get its house in order. We can do so by putting the right people in key positions. We cannot afford to ignore the instability created by infighting at the SABC, leadership vacuum at SAPS and uncertainty over the Scorpions. The government must attend to these issues with speed. Lastly, finding the correct balance between transforming the state institutions and retaining the skills is the next government's biggest challenge.

We cannot ignore the past. But we should be sober about it. Let's transform, but not destroy. You don't want a situation where key democratic structures like the judiciary are filled with political lackeys. The public broadcaster becomes the political mouthpiece. The party becomes the nation.

Undermining the separation of power between the executive and judiciary is the beginning of an end. We need to keep on reminding the politicians that democracy is not defined by name but through actions. We cannot afford to exclude others because they belong to an enemy camp. Or have unacceptable skin pigmentation. We have to reach out to others, for our sake.

Godsell's installment at the helm of Eskom is a vote for democracy. It is breathing life to the Freedom Charter that South Africa belongs to all who lives in it. Everyone who wants to contribute in making this country a success is welcome. The true patriots are those that transcend colour and politics.

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