The focus should be on bringing more younger leaders to the fore to help build the continent, argues Ivan Phahle.
Young people perform a lot of community-building, civic activist work to try bring change in their communities.
By participating in projects that involve addressing local problems, the youth create change when they work with each other in their neighbourhoods, or when they work within organisations that enhance young voices in communities.
Activism, community organising, and participation in social movements are powerful forms of civic engagement.
Community-based organisations often drive this activist work as well with young leaders at the forefront, but sustainable youth engagement can only come when communities provide support which allows young people to be part of the decision-making process.
For example, the Senegalese-born music mogul and co-founder of Akon Lighting Africa, Akon Thiam, has for the past years been responsible providing clean energy to rural areas throughout Africa.
Futuristic city
Recently, in his home country Senegal, Akon launched an 809-hectare multibillion-dollar futuristic smart city which includes a luxury resort, university, offices, a hospital, a stadium, and an artificial-intelligence data centre.
The rise of mega city projects in African countries will assist in developing the continent and improve the lives of Africans.
In the words of Gauteng Premier David Makhura: "Mega human settlements represent a decisive departure from uncoordinated, small scale, low impact, and sporadic as well as unsustainable housing developments. [The] goal must be to achieve diversity in human settlements by emphasizing mixed income, high density human settlements that place emphasis on social and economic inclusion, as well as promoting spatial justice."
The strides and ground-breaking efforts that Akon has made over the years should serve to dispel a few irrational myths that exist concerning young leaders.
Young leaders know how to get others energised and excited about achieving proposed goals. They can inspire others to high levels of effort and production to an even greater degree than their elders. They have a high need for achievement and put every ounce of much needed energy into achieving set goals, which in turn greatly benefits the institutions and communities they work for.
Bringing this notion closer to home, it was recently headlines news that Duduzane Zuma would be availing himself to contest the 2024 national general elections.
Zuma is an intelligent and streetwise, a seasoned businessman, although he is surrounded by controversy and several untested allegations. He has presence, charisma and gravitas. When he walks into a room, attention shifts to him. He is a member of the African National Congress and, according to rule 5 (5.1.4) of the constitution of the ANC, he has grounds to contest for the presidential position come the 2022 elective conference.
It is no secret that the leadership of the ANC is dominated by older comrades who should be considering retirement soon. Young people need to move away from the periphery of South Africa’s politics, and assume high executive offices to shape a better future for themselves, and Zuma seems to provide that alternative.
Zuma also enjoys support from the youth across the country and is working to uplift black youth.
His most recent act was an informal engagement, with angry and frustrated UKZN students who had burned down some of the institution’s infrastructure after management allegedly ignored their cries regarding the cost of fees and accommodation.
He donated a sum of money to assist the students.
South Africa could take a cue from the work of music mogul Akon when it comes to the implementation of massive community-building projects.
We could benefit from a partnership between leaders like Akon and Duduzane Zuma and, in the process, young people should bind together to find solutions for persistent problems that we face.
South Africa could also do with more mega-city projects where young people take on the advisory and management roles, where they are seen to be working hand-in-hand in building their own country.
We can draw motivation and hope for an improved future from the latest work of these two young, presidential hopefuls in their respective countries.
New ideas
The pair have embarked on separate activist journeys with the aim of inspiring young minds for success and equipping them with the means to fulfil their dreams and potential. An intersection of these journeys would simply light up the continent. This could also be the antidote that triggers the participation of politically inactive youths in South Africa to head to the polls unlike the last general elections in 2019.
We can only hope that Zuma’s entrance into the political realm and his intention to contest for state power will inspire new ideas and projects that will repair much of the state neglect we see inflicted in many communities within our beloved country.
Zuma possesses similar qualities and character traits that lead us to believe that he can drive the same sort of change that Akon has managed in West Africa.
Akon and Zuma represent a brand of leadership that reliably delivers quality service to the community and is the kind of leadership that all those charged with public governance should aspire to be renowned for.
- Ivan Phahle is managing director of SIP MEDIA.
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