Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 31:1 (Apr 2021)
Article: John L. M. Dube’s Leadership: Evaluating Frank Chikane, Kenneth Meshoe, And Mmusi Maimane As Leaders
Author: Abraham Modisa Mkhondo Mzondi

Conspectus 31:1 (April 2021) p. 83

John L. M. Dube’s Leadership: Evaluating Frank Chikane, Kenneth Meshoe, And Mmusi Maimane As Leaders

Abraham Modisa Mkhondo Mzondi1

South African Theological Seminary

Abstract

Since 1898, various African Christian leaders have emerged and contributed to shaping the South African political landscape. One such leader is the late John Langalibalele Mafukuzela Dube, the first president of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later called the African National Congress (ANC). This article uses a case study research methodology to identify the leadership qualities that influenced him, tracing them to the leadership qualities of Frank Chikane, Kenneth Meshoe, and Mmusi Maimane. It then evaluates how these leaders (in)directly applied these leadership qualities in the transformation of the post-1994 South African political landscape. This article then shows how the three leaders emulated John Langalibalele Mafukuzela Dube’s leadership qualities in their efforts to contribute politically to the post-1994 transformation process in South Africa.

Keywords

African Christian leaders, leadership qualities, transformation, nondichotomous perspective of Ubuntu, South African political landscape

1. Introduction

The ruling party of South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), has a proud legacy of being led by Christian leaders at national and local levels (Kumalo 2012; Odendaal 2016). This legacy elevated the integrity of the party. However, this legacy appears to have been compromised by developments that reflect a trajectory of moral decline associated with the ruling party in the past ten years. This decline is noticeable in two main controversies related to the ruling party, namely, the Nkandla scandal and the state capture allegations that led to the establishment of the Commission into State Capture led by a justice of the Constitutional Court, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. The commission has been subsequently known as the Zondo Commission. As a point of reflection, the article uses a case study as

Conspectus 31:1 (April 2021) p. 84

a research method. This method provides a detailed description of a given situation, organization, individual, or event (Joyner, Rouse, and Glatthorn 2018, 122) regarding the leadership qualities of John Langalibalele Dube nicknamed “Mafukuzela,” and three African Pentecostal/Evangelical leaders (Frank Chikane, Kenneth Meshoe, and Mmusi Maimane). Accordingly, this article first traces the leadership qualities that shaped and influenced the first president of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC, current...