Humility required
Sincere seeking of knowledge makes people humble and arrogance makes people ignorant.
I wonder if political, business and religious leaders who lay automatic claim to lead us, think before they engage in corruption or if they consider the rest of society as stupid?
Revelations by past Bosasa Chief Operating Offer (COO) linked Bosasa’s huge profits to relationships with politicians. Since the COO received death threats and was already ill, he opted to confess. He implicated Ministers, unionists etc. who received bribes averaging about R6 million every month.
At great expense to taxpayers’ our elite regularly visit luxury hideaways, to talk about investments and so on. Ironically nobody knows if any jobs have been created from attending these holidays. Considering the exposés at the Zondo Commission, why should foreigners invest in South Africa when National Ministers and other leaders are clearly on the payroll of favored businesses? It does seem as if cronyism is our chosen business model and business innately conspire with politicians?
On the religious front, recently a Muslim politician celebrated his daughter’s wedding by joining Hindu traditions into a Muslim ceremony since the groom had converted from Hinduism to Islam. The Muslim community remains outraged and now consider punishing the politicians political party since the politician chose to initially arrogantly defend his blasphemy instead of displaying remorse. Two familiar Muslim leaders who were invited, feigned ignorance about the blasphemy when the community demanded public remorse, others proposed communal excommunication.
Sadly, some religious leaders, politicians and business people think they are “extraordinary” and “superior” to regular folk and thus entitled to arrogance. Some leaders who had historic credentials, often mistakenly believe that society is obliged to “idealize” them forever even when they become a liability. Former President Zuma is a typical example of a liberation leader who became corrupted. Perhaps he was always corrupt and just hid his truth. Some leaders forget that the support of people is dependent on mutual respect and not subjected to automatic upkeep.
In the words of the wise, humility is the best quality and arrogance is certainly the worst.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress