In a democracy defined by a written Constitution with a clear
distinction of authorities as a function of the separation of powers, the
contest for political power can easily default on personalities than the actual
demands the Constitution imposes on the leadership function. South Africa is
facing an election where individuals as leaders will define its future more
than the parties they come from. The political party is fast becoming the
platform for branded individuals to launch themselves for approval to govern
the country.
The
time for politicians to "shed preconceived notions, gain control of
their reputation, and be as authentic as they can has arrived. Albeit South
African politicians continue to see themselves as a plural representing a
collective, called the party, the sovereignty of the individual has elevated
the personal brand to be about "self-awareness and self-preservation".
A leader's conduct, association, and cognitive persona summarise what society
ultimately aggregates as what it deserves as an individual to follow.
As
a branded leader, notorious or otherwise, you will be judged based on the best
and worst things you have ever done in the eyes and perspective of those
judging. In this world of independent mega-communication systems with a direct
and personalised relationship with those you lead or expect to follow you,
those who control how you are presented on these platforms don't need your
permission to define how you trend. Because leaders trend faster when pegged to
a rumour, confirmation of a rumour truncates a trend more quickly than it can
remove an established perception about the leader.
The
network a leader commands define the brand characteristics outside the obvious
purview of the leader. A leader's personal brand is the powerful, clear,
positive idea that comes to mind whenever those you lead think of you.
Leadership in South Africa, and because of the tormenting past that apartheid
and the struggle against it was, has relied on how anti or pro you are on what
characterised the tormented history. A thesis of self as a leader was
constrained by the unfair expectation that you will be raised by a collective
without self-promotion and defining what you stand for.
In
the aftermath of the 1994 democratic breakthrough, the governing ANC has been
delusional in believing that its leaders rose outside the exigencies of
leadership contestations attributable to vintage party politics. The decision
to project the governing party through the selflessness of Nelson Mandela, the
philosopher king character of Thabo Mbeki, the pro-poor Jacob Zuma posture, and
the private sector trust deficit balancing responsibility and anti-corruption
posture Cyril Ramaphosa represented, foregrounded the leader as a person. The
personal histories of the ANC leaders have defined its ability to face the
electorate and seek repeat mandates in the three spheres of government. This,
and given the performance scorecard, true or manufactured, is not about to
change, save for the personalities at the centre.
The
brute truth is that the ANC has yet to be able to internally curate the
consistency of support across the board for President Ramaphosa. There are
distinct cognitions of self manifesting themselves in coalition partner
preferences which define a possible brutal succession battle that might play
itself during the listing process. Strategic communication practitioners have
fired the first shots at what seems to be an internally viable alternative to
the incumbent, should integrity and putting the organisation into disrepute
murmurings associable with the PhalaPhala matter make the grade to redefine
internal power dynamics.
It
is again the personal history of the potential alternative to Ramaphosa as a
powerful weapon in building the brand South Africa which is foregrounded as
criteria beyond ANC approval. As of the writing of this rendition, the person
of Paul Mashatile has been put under intense forensic scrutiny. We have yet to
be told about his pets' diet and his underwear's colours. Unlike the grand
entrance that Ramaphosa made when he had to follow a behemoth populist Jacob
Zuma and marketing gossip claims he was assigned brand specialists that drive
some of the top ten brands in South Africa, Paul Mashatile seems to be in a brand
positioning deficit.
The
new demands on Paul Mashatile, the potential President of one of the Global
Top40 economies, differ from that of Paul Mashatile, the Deputy President of a
declining-in-influence Africa's oldest liberation movement. An ecdysis of the
person of Paul requires a total overhaul. New power nodes connected by the
"SPOKES" he has from himself must be visible in what he represents as
he acts, speaks, and conducts himself. Some in his networks will become
cuticles his outer skin should shed because the new him is
repurposed.
The
pressure that his person is facing has had no matching response. What is clear
is that interest in his person is more about who he is, what he stands for, whether
there is a theme he can be pegged to, what credibility can be found in the
visibility that represents his ability, and what, if any should be society's
expectations from his person. The party he will be campaigning for President
with has a tormented track record to clean, reputation in government wise. His
person must respond louder than the party should to demonstrate that he can
turn things around.
Despite his propensity to invoke the pre-1994 mass appeal of his UDF days to pull through support to the polls, divisions within his party do not indicate any readiness to sing "re o rata kafala" (we all love you) with his name at the centre, or rather come with a Mashatile specific composition. The prevailing psyche of coalitions is the new path, notwithstanding clear voter apathy statistics the ANC election machinery can reactivate, is preoccupying career politicians around his person and gatekeepers seem to be choking any possibility of creativity to catapult his person beyond the brands and notorieties around him.
The
absence of a response may be an effective response. A response may be being
cooked, and timing is its essence. What this timing shouldn't be, is a reason
not to tell South Africans who truly is the person of Paul Mashatile. If he is
the centre that should hold our wheels as a Nation, what are the
"SPOKES" up his sleeves that reach out to us as a Nation and the
World? Of those "SPOKES" which would define his potential presidency.
Thinc Foundation is collecting his speeches to decipher if they are
"SPOKES" already in the immediate past or horizon. Media interest is
just about that; only answers will redefine his fortunes. CUT!!!
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