“We need epic leadership in South Africa. Leaders who will inspire hope and take into account the purpose of the Constitution." This is what Prof Thuli Madonsela emphasised on the evening of Monday, 26 February, at the first Frederik van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Discourse held at Stellenbosch University (SU).

The FVZS Discourse Café kick-started the year with South Africa's former Public Protector addressing SU students and other interested parties for the first time since officially taking up her new position on 10 January as Chair in Social Justice in the Faculty of Law at SU.

During the discourse, Prof Madonsela focused on leadership guided by the South African Constitution and reflected on her work as Public Protector. She encouraged students to work on improving themselves and to choose a career that they love. “I always tell people that, at the end of the day, you have to choose what you love. I love justice and fairness. I always look at what hope there is and what I hope to achieve," she said.

In her address, Prof Madonsela also called for the leaders of our country and for SU, which is marking its centenary this year, to help heal the divisions of the past. “For us to have social cohesion, for South Africa to work, we must heal the divisions of the past. In accordance with the Constitution, you need your leaders to be conscious of social justice. For as long as there is injustice somewhere, there cannot be sustainable peace anywhere."

During Prof Madonsela's tenure as Public Protector, she came under immense scrutiny by the media, government and the public. In her address, she reflected on the times when her life was even threatened and how she had to stay the path of leading her organisation and staff to focus on completing their work.

“As a leader, you have to be committed to service and apply the highest level of ethics. One of the things that will take South Africa forward is to have leaders who are driven by service. Leaders must be purpose-driven and impact-conscious. At the moment, South Africa is sitting on a pedestal of hope and it's every leader's responsibility to keep inspiring that hope," Prof Madonsela said.

FVZS Discourse Café

The FVZS Discourse Café is an initiative by the FVZS Institute, which was officially launched in March 2011. The aim of the Institute is to create various platforms where students and young people can expand their learning and leadership skills. The FVZS Discourse Café initiative is also supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Through the FVZS Discourse Café, thought leaders – like Prof Madonsela – who are also representative of a variety of fields and backgrounds, are invited to share something of their personal life journey and to interact with a smaller group of students and other interested parties in an informal and engaging setting.

Photo: by Rozanne Engel