Rev Dr Simon Gqubule Memorial Lecture at Rhodes University 2025

Opening

Members of the Gqubule family, the leadership of the SRC, members of the Rhodes university community, ladies and gentlemen, I am highly honoured to be invited to give the Rev Dr Simon Gqubule Memorial Lecture.

If you will indulge me for a few moments , I would like to express why coming back here is so emotional for me:

My leadership journey at Rhodes started in 1988 when the student body elected me to be President of the Black Student Movement in my very first year. That journey culminated with my election as the National Deputy President of SASCO at the Great Hall in 1991. This was a significant moment as SASCO was the result of unity between SANSCO and NUSAS, this happened 24 years after Steve Biko led black delegates out of NUSAS at the Great Hall after Rhodes University did not allow the Black delegates accommodation at the university residences.

The 5 years I spent at Rhodes were a significant part of my development as young person and a leader, several things standout for me:

1. Our Rhodes was a community – an integrated community of Students from all over Southern Africa, a vibrant and noisy student body made up of different student formations (political, academic sports, cultural etc) with the SRC and BSM being the main student bodies. There was an incredible unity of purpose between academics, workers, and the Community of the then Grahamstown and we even sometimes would persuade the administrators led by the Vice Chancellor to march to protest. These elements of the RU Community operated in a systematic way -“different parts that worked together” – they interacted in a progressive manner towards a common objective.
2. Through all the difficulties, challenges and obstacles there was a determination to excel in our studies, to defy the odds and to always make sure that those of us who were leaders could not be seen to have failed when people go and watch our results on that dreaded notice board. The academic excellence that became the norm for us at Rhodes has shaped so many careers with so many of our colleagues setting the standards not only in South Africa but globally.
3. This place was a theatre of ideas, debates and theories – they say it takes a community to form, shape and sharpen a leader. We learnt here at Rhodes, sometimes painfully, to have our ideas challenged, our minds stretched, our prejudices exposed, our perspectives widened, and our horizons broadened. There were other organisations of other ideological traditions. We co-existed through our divergences and convergences. We differed sharply but never became enemies. We interacted socially at parties, football clubs, social events and at Res etc.
4. The Kaif, student centre, club and Rhodes Union were watering holes where we partied, build social relationships that lasted beyond our student lives. For some of the lucky ones, they found love here and those romantic relationships were cemented into holy matrimony. For me personally, this where I met the love of my life, Sva, 36 years ago, and we have been married close to 28 years, thank you to a speech I made here in 1989 about defying the ban on the BSM.
5. The rebellion and common quest for a new South Africa allowed us to transcend all tribal and racial boundaries for we knew that amongst us there are Tswana’ s from Kimberley, Kuruman, Mafikeng: Sotho’s from Soweto, Mangaung and Thabanchu: Pedies from Limpopo, Soshanguve, Mamelodi: Venda’s from Thoyandou and Malamulele: Swati’s from Barberton, Nelspruit: Ndebele’s from kwaMhlanga Siyabuswa and Zimbabwe, – Xhosa’s from Mthatha, Ngcobo, PE: – Coloured’s from East London, Cape Town, Eldorado Park: Indians from Durban, Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg: whites from Cape Town, Sandton and Port Elizabeth , Tsonga people from Giyani, Mabunda and Mpumalanga and  Zulus from Kwamashu, Nongoma and Soweto. Yet we knew a deeper truth that our common struggle points us to our common humanity as a building block for our new society. We knew that embracing tribalism, ethnic identities and racism is not only a capitulation into the Apartheid design, but a fundamental betrayal of the vision bestowed on us by our forebears. So culturally we protested by refusing to celebrate life outside of the cultural tapestry of the nation of blackness that is inclusive, and an affirmation of our humanity yet were able to seamlessly embrace non racialism. The highest expression of this was the creative arts ensemble that was a vehicle of protest as much as of entertainment and preservation of our dignity, identity and celebration of life.

Living up to the Gqubule Legacy

I have themed my remarks tonight to be on how the next generation can live up to the Gqubule legacy.

SA finds itself in a crisis of ethical leadership, in which skilled and talented people in positions of power or influence have lost their way. These leaders come from different backgrounds, such as business, politics, academia, religion and even sport. We need to ask ourselves why is this is happening, and how we can build more ethical leaders for the future?

We have all read in the traditional media and on social media about senior businesspersons, auditors, and politicians who have been accused of crimes ranging from fraud, tender rigging, money laundering, theft, corruption and embezzlement of funds. During the Zondo Commission, we were all appalled by revelations of corruption and greed by reputable local and international companies, which we assumed would and should have known better. We have all seen the revelations from General Mkhwanazi, the sting operation on the IDT CEO and the number of senior executives dismissed for corruption.

These scandals have arisen from various factors such as a greed, a sense of entitlement and privilege, an egotistic mindset, the drive and desire to win at all costs, finding unethical options as the easiest route, a sense of invincibility, the tendency to rationalise bad choices, as well as narcissistic leadership behaviours. What is even more scary is the public display by so many of our leaders of extraordinary arrogance that is only matched by ignorance of the highest order.

As we search for leadership models in all the wrong places, our leadership role models are hidden in plain sight. I therefore commend and salute Rhodes University and the Gqubule family for having the foresight to create the Rev Dr Simon Gqubule Student Leadership Award and the Rev Dr Simon Gqubule Memorial Lecture at the annual Leadership Week organised by the Student Representative Council (SRC).

Ladies and gentlemen, the life and legacy of Reverend Dr Simon Gqubule remain profound sources of inspiration, not only for those who knew him but also for future generations aspiring to ethical leadership, education, and activism. “Dr Gqubule was an exceptional figure whose journey from humble beginnings in the Eastern Cape to becoming the first Black PhD graduate from Rhodes University in 1978 symbolises resilience, intellectual rigour, and a commitment to social justice. His life is a testament to the power of education as a tool for liberation, particularly for Black South Africans under the oppressive apartheid regime.”

In this lecture, I don’t intend to go into  the biography details of his life, but I hope to use this opportunity to share with young leaders here the key lessons of Dr Gqubule’s life by juxtaposing what Dr Gqubule stood for with what  we experience from our current leaders in order to challenge the next generation of leaders to carry on the baton passed on by Dr Gqubule and his generation.  The Rev. Dr Simon Gqubule’s life and work offer invaluable lessons for todays and tomorrow’s leaders. “His belief in the power of education, his commitment to social justice, and his unwavering adherence to ethical leadership serve as a blueprint for those who seek to lead with purpose and integrity. His legacy inspires, challenging us to reach our full potential and contribute to creating a more just and equitable society.”

What are the leadership attributes we yearn for in South Africa and on the continent?

Kouzes and Posner’s research on leadership is based on extensive studies over the last 4 decades on the attributes people admire of leaders. I would like to take each of these attributes and link it to the example Dr Gqubule set out for us:

1. Honest Leadership

The timeless words inscribed at The Oracle of Delphi read: “Know Thyself”. In the sphere of leadership, this means that each one of us, regardless of what we have told, or keep telling others, must at least know our deepest motives for wanting to be in a leadership role. Is it the power, the perks, the riches, the adulation, the potential wealth or the prestige that comes with such a position?

We have to answer these questions truthfully and honestly: Why do we aspire to be leaders? What is it really? Not what we tell others, but what we feel when our guard is down, when we are alone, when we are “off camera”? The leadership standard that resonates with me, and that certainly rings true of Dr Gqubule’s life is given to us by Kouzes and Posner:

“Each leader has to place the people at the centre, be responsive to their needs, respectful of their wishes and accountable to them. This requires us as leaders to be selfless in our contribution, inclusive in our decisions, humble in our behaviour and inspiring in our actions. If we do this, our joy will not be in how exalted we may be; how elevated our positions are, how much wealth we can amass, and how much power we can have … it must come from a deeper and special place, where others benefit, grow, or prosper because of our actions … that’s true leadership.”

The essence of Dr Gqubule’s leadership lies in a higher ideal, challenges that needed to be confronted, societal goals that needed to be achieved or and a mission that needed to be accomplished. He was not driven by personal reasons, or motivated by possible gain, or enticed by the benefits that may accrue to him nor was he attracted by the trappings of oower and status.

Ladies and gentlemen, we unfortunately see more examples of leaders who are motivated by more narrow and selfish interests, they easily succumb to greed, to negative influences and to vices. This leads them to use their positions of trust for personal gain or enrichment. This leads to corruption, embezzlement of funds, fraud, collusion, price fixing and the use of public, community or corporate resources for personal gain.

As Larry Senn and Jim Hart have observed, “Leaders cast a huge shadow over the organisations they lead for good or ill”. This means that the values, habits, preferences and biases of a leader leave a huge imprint on his or her friends, family, close relatives, peers, subordinates and the entire organisation. Those people, immediately, or over time, take on the characteristics of the leader.

In contrast, for Dr Gqubule, whether in the church, academic circles, or broader political activism, his life was characterised by a servant leadership model, where his success was always linked to the upliftment of others.

Dr Gqubule’s trademarks were his selflessness, his humility, and his absolute dedication to be at the service of his church and his community. A leadership message to the next generation from Dr Gqubule’s life is that “if serving is beneath you, then leadership, unfortunately is beyond you. “

2. Competent Leadership

Ladies and gentlemen, competence matters, skills, expertise and mastery are non-negotiable, the pursuit of excellence has to be our rallying cry!

In the words of John Gardner, “The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water” . Incompetence has dire consequences!

As we look at leaders in all spheres of our society, can we put hand on heart that these are the best among us?  Are the people occupying the most critical roles in our institutions the very best we can get? Joel Netshitenze warns all of us and our organisations and institutions that to use criteria other than ability in identifying those who should be accorded the responsibility to lead, is to undermine the cause of social transformation. He argues that a defective leadership not only holds back the attainment of national objectives, but it also presents a difficult conundrum for organisations: in that, to rationalise its bad choices, an organisation/institution has to lower itself to embrace those defects of the leaders it has chosen, as its own defects. He concludes, that steadily, these defects of the individual leaders become, by default, the collective property of the organisation, its own blind spots and its subliminal attributes in the public imagination.

When we think of Dr Gqubule, he commanded reverence and awe – not because he demanded respect or instilled fear. He simply towered above the rest. In the words of Dr Barney Pityana, “Dr Gqubule was remarkable and extraordinary human being. Those of my generation of political activists, especially, including generations of students he taught and nurtured at the Federal Theological Seminary over a period of 30 years came under his influence. The churches where he served as a minister in Natal and the Eastern Cape speak well of his pastoral care, as a peacemaker, a teacher and preacher. As a leader of the church and the ecumenical movement he left an indelible mark.”

We are producing highly qualified graduates, we have competent and skilled people and have some amazing retired, semi-retired, or seasoned former senior executives. There is therefore no reason, whatsoever, for us to continue to employ or “deploy” unsuitable and unqualified politically connected leaders in our most precious state-owned enterprises, municipalities, organisations etc.

With enough foresight we could pick amazing executives and highly experienced non-executive director’s/board members to these state-owned enterprises and government agencies to drive economic growth and deliver much needed services to the people of South Africa.

The second message that Dr Gqubule’s life leaves with us is that leadership is lifelong learning – that leaders have to be competent and have to master their craft and be on top of their game.

3. Inspirational Leadership

In the words of James Kouzes and Barry Posner: “Change is the province of leaders. It is the work of leaders to inspire people to do things differently, to struggle against uncertain odds, and to persevere towards a misty image of a better future. Without leadership, there would not be the extraordinary efforts to solve existing problems and realise unimagined opportunities.”

According to Barney Pityana, “Somehow, the most important aspect of Dr Gqubule’s ministry was none of the high offices that he occupied: President of the Methodist Conference, President of the South African Council of Churches, Principal of John Wesley College, Bishop of the Queenstown District of the Methodist Church. What mattered most to him as a theological educator was the privilege of growing for church and society so many young men into the ministry of the church, and leaders in society. He spoke with pride about the long list of scholars and theologians whom he taught over many years and who subsequently became leading theologians in their own right: Stanley Mogoba, Lizo Jafta, Itumeleng Mosala, Mvume Dandala, and Ivan Abrahams. Among them were also Anglicans like the late Presiding Bishop Sigqibo Dwane of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, and Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, among others.”

Ladies and gentlemen, the leadership lesson we learn from Dr Gqubule is that Leadership is not a title held, a position assumed, an election won, a promotion achieved; it is a profound influence felt.

At the darkest times in the 1980’s when violence and death were the order of the day, it would perhaps have been wiser to be below the parapet, yet Dr Gqubule was in the forefront of the people struggles. During the violence in KZN he would be the first in the homes of those killed to comfort the families, when the funerals were a theatre of confrontation with the army and the police, Dr Gqubule would be presiding over these mass funerals, when it could have been convenient to remain apolitical, Dr Gqubule identified himself with the oppressed and was a formidable leader of the United Democratic Front. In times when war was the order of the day, he was leading the efforts to bring peace between the warring groups in KZN.

Ladies and gentlemen, when we think of inspirational leadership, we sometimes think of those who are loud, with big booming voices and lots of sound and fury. Dr Gqubule’s style was one of impactful leadership demonstrated through quiet strength, thoughtful decision-making, and the ability to inspire through actions rather than words. This type of leadership fosters a sense of calm and confidence within the community. For Dr Gqubule, this was evidenced in his leadership approach during some of the most difficult times at FedSem. The apartheid regime relentlessly persecuted the institution due to its radical theological teachings and its production of politically engaged ministers. Despite these challenges, Dr Gqubule exhibited resilience, moving the seminary multiple times to ensure its survival. Under his leadership, FedSem became a symbol of inter-denominational collaboration and a breeding ground for progressive theological thought and activism.

Inspirational leadership also shows up strong for those in need, Dr Barney Pityana tells the remarkable story a student demonstration at the university of Fort Hare in 1968. The students were attacked by the police and dogs were set on them causing fear and panic among the students. While all the staff members watched from a distance, Rev Gqubule and Father Desmond Tutu appeared from across the seminary next door, approached the gathering of panicking, petrified students and demanded to join them. In order to do so they had to break the police cordon at some risk to their own safety or of arrest, they insisted on being part of the students. They were both lecturers at the Seminary, and both served as chaplains to the Methodist and Anglican students respectively.

 Dr Pityana describes this as as an act of courage or daring, but to them it was a calling to be pastors to students in need. Under armed escort the students we were bundled out of the university, evicted unceremoniously. Dr Gqubule and Fr Tutu later organized food for the students as they were being thrown into the waiting railway buses and trains en route to their homes. The kind of inspirational leadership displayed by Dr Gqubule’s life is that of “the brave, but not reckless or loud, but rather those who move forward despite fear and persevere when it would be easier to quit.”

The third key lesson from Dr Gqubule’s life is that “ Leadership is not a title held, a position occupied or status achieved, it’s a profound influence felt.  Dr Gqubule inspired so many through his kind words, selfless acts, and the sheer force of example of how he lived his life as a teacher, preacher, leader and family man.

4. Forward looking leadership

One of the most important leadership attributes we admire in leaders is forward looking or visionary leadership. Visionary leadership is a leadership style focused on creating a compelling long-term vision and inspiring others to achieve it. Contrasting this with our current leaders.  Barney Mthombothi has this to say about a gathering of leaders of liberation movements a few days ago, “Back home, the older generation who idolised these parties for their heroics in the struggle against white rule are dying and disappearing from the scene. The younger generation is not interested in sentiments. They want jobs, clean government, safe environment, trains that run on time, hospitals with clean linen and medicines, and an education system that can prepare them for a brighter future – the basics of good governance.” He concludes, “These things aren’t going to be attained by leaders dancing and chanting slogans, or reminiscing about the past as if they are scared of the future”

In contrast, Dr Gqubule’s was forward looking, he invested in the future of this country through education. His commitment to education was not only theoretical but deeply practical. Even in his retirement, he mobilised volunteer tutors to teach disadvantaged youth, helping many achieve outstanding academic results, especially in critical subjects such as mathematics and science. His efforts led to schools for the poorest children achieving 100% pass rates. This remarkable feat reflected his unwavering belief in the potential of young people, even in the face of systemic deprivation. The fourth lesson of Dr Gqubule’s life was his monumental investment in the education of thousands of young people as a way of unleashing their tremendous potential to build South Africa to become the envy of the world. He never saw education, only in its narrow for, although that was important, but saw broader education as a tool for critical thinking, deep inquiry, personal growth, broadening of perspectives, and  curiosity to always look beyond the obvious answers. In the words of his granddaughter, Baba Gqubule, “ he saw education as a way of liberating one’s mind at an individual and societal level. “

5. Authentic leadership

One of the most elusive traits in many of our leaders is authenticity. Many leaders today are perceived as lacking authenticity, often prioritizing image and political expediency over genuine connection and integrity. This can manifest as a disconnect between their words and actions, a reluctance to show vulnerability, or a focus on self-interest rather than the needs of their followers. The perception of inauthenticity can erode trust and undermine their leadership effectiveness. Dr Gqubule was never defined by his status, qualifications nor age – he was his authentic self whether he was preaching to a congregation, giving relationship advice to his children, discussing theology with his grandchildren or making self-deprecating jokes about his early life or talking education with his township students – he was the same person. Dr Pityana points out that as a well-travelled man he could have retired in any suburb, he chose to retire at Kwa Nobuhle township; his clerical dress was always modest, befitting of a Methodist minister; his daughter Dr Phumla Mnganga tells the story of her father driving around in his granddaughter’s “ stater pack car”, she also tells a story of his 80th birthday with guests raging from under 10 to 80 years and he finding something in common with each age group.

 More powerfully, Dr Gqubule was a powerful leader within his family before he influenced the world, his core message on education has taken root within his own family and his love for Rhodes university was reciprocated by his children and grandchildren studying or lecturing at Rhodes and children from his beloved Kwa Nobuhle studying at Rhodes. Dr Gqubule was a family man, married to his university sweetheart Mama Jay for 50 years, they instilled these family values to the entire Gqubule family. His granddaughter, Baba Gqubule talks about “his greatest joy and fulfilment in his life was raising kids with Mama Jay in a manner in which he was not an engineer but a sheperd”. His grand daughter Mpumi Mnganga shares that, “Dad dedicated his life to his faith,passion, community and his family. He was a humanitarian in its truest and purest sense. The impact he had on the lives of many can never be measured including my own.” In the words of his other grand daughter, Ket Mnganga, “Dad never needed to assert himself in anyway, take up space for people to notice him, everyone always gravitated towards him as someone who was very wise but very caring.”

The last lesson of Dr Gqubule’s life was love. Leadership without unconditial love is manipulation. His love of his family, his faith, congregations, preachers, students and Rhodes university made him to be able to connect with people at the deepest possible level.        

Conclusion

Ladies and Gentlemen, as we conclude this conversation, what is the most powerful message of the life of Dr Gqubule? For me it is about hope even in the darkest hour. At a time when most people are falling over themselves to condemn our country as a failed state, I remain optimistic and have hope in the future of this country. My hope lies in this generation here and how it can make a profound difference to the future of South Africa. This hope is aptly described by Chris Hedges: “The more futile, the more useless, the more irrelevant and incomprehensible an act of rebellion is, the vaster and more potent hope becomes.”

Clearly, this hope is not for the practical and the sophisticated; the cynics and the complacent; nor the defeated and the fearful. It requires what President Obama describes as the audacity of hope, hope in the face of difficulty, and hope in the face of uncertainty.

Midwives of South Africa’s rebirth

Those of us who seek to be the midwives of a South African Renaissance beyond the “easy headline”, the “catchy soundbite” or social media activism, must accept the responsibility to create the conditions necessary for South Africa to rise. Our inaction will inevitably result in South Africa faltering. That means we must, in the words of Al Gore, “come to believe in hope over despair, striving over resignation and faith over cynicism.”

Frantz Fanon’s challenges your generation, “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it,”

This time, this moment in South Africa’s history, requires what Robert F Kennedy described in his seminal speech at a Nusas seminar in Cape Town in 1966:

“This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.”

He went on to say: “‘There is,’ said an Italian philosopher, ‘nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.’ Yet this is the measure of the task of your generation, and the road is strewn with many dangers.”

South Africa cries out for man and women of great promise, who are willing to take on the Herculean task of changing the fortunes of South Africa, who are prepared to take steps, however small, to change our trajectory and who are willing to stand up for their ideals regardless of the difficulties they may face. There is no shortage of people who profess to have these qualities, who confess to a desire to bring about change, but fewer and fewer are taking any steps towards this noble goal.

Kennedy reminded us of the timeless words of Archimedes: “Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world.” He also pointed out: “The reality is that few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”

Each one of us, in our spheres of influence and in line with our capabilities and interests, can play a meaningful role in our families, and communities, to bring about change. Such change will not come from one heroic action by one individual or a chosen few brave souls; change across our continent will come because “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.”

Robert Kennedy concludes, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

I urge all those of you who, like me, are moved by the plight of our country, but may feel that your efforts would be futile, to start today to focus on one or a few areas of change that you may influence and concentrate on these with purpose, passion and determination. I assure you that each act will send forth those tiny ripples of hope Kennedy referred to.

The late Prof Andre Brink cautions us of madness in his book, A dry White Season, “There are two types of madness one should guard against; one is the belief that we can do everything, and the other is that we can do nothing”

We must not get trapped in inaction, analysis paralysis nor overreaching, we must choose to play a meaningful role in line with our skills, capabilities, interests and value system. Dr Gqubule’s more than 80 years of life has given us a blueprint – South Africa cries out for us to help; we dare not fail.

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow leaders, Change does not have to move the whole world, it just has to move you. It moved Dr Gqubule, and he managed to move the world!!!

I thank you