As South Africa heads towards elections within the next year, citizens should be asking a simple but urgent question: What kind of leaders are we choosing?

This was the message of business leader Prof Bonang Mohale speaking at Stellenbosch University (SU) on 18 March 2026. Delivering the 14th annual honorary Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) lecture, the Johannesburg Business School professor and Chancellor of the University of the Free State set out a framework for thinking about democracy not as a once-off event, but as an ongoing process.

“Bad leaders are elected by good citizens who do not vote – or who fall for misinformation and disinformation,” he warned.

Living legacy

His lecture formed part of SU’s celebration of 15 years of the FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development. The Institute was established in 2011 to honour the legacy of Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, a former SU Chancellor and political leader who helped organise talks between South Africans in exile and those within the country in Dakar, Senegal in 1987.

“He was a bridge-builder, someone who believed that dialogue, courage and principled leadership could reshape societies,” SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Deresh Ramjugernath said in his welcoming remarks Wednesday evening.

“The Institute that bears his name continues that legacy – not as a monument to the past, but as a living, evolving space for leadership development.”

Ramjugernath added that “leadership is not a title, but a responsibility, which resonates deeply with SU’s vision of being ‘in service of society’”.

Democracy as a system of correction

In his lecture, Mohale drew on the work of philosopher Karl Popper to argue that “democracy should not be understood as a system for electing the best leaders, but as a mechanism to prevent tyranny – a peaceful way to remove bad leaders”.

While describing South Africa’s democracy as a remarkable achievement, Mohale cautioned that “we are rich in constitutional promise, but we must also be honest: the lived experience of many of our people does not yet reflect that promise”.

‘Choose this type of leader’

Noting that local government elections are approaching within the next 12 months, with national elections to follow in two years’ time, Mohale asked: “So what type of leadership should we be choosing?”

He outlined six criteria:

• “Number one, we should choose leaders who help us to root out and defeat state capture.
• “Two, we must demand leaders who will complete the unfinished work of transformation – this economy must be broadly reflective of the demographics of our country.
• “Third, we need ethical leadership. My grandmother used to say: ethics is what you do when no one is watching.
• “Fourth is good governance – leaders who do not steal from the mouths of babies, the sick and the dying.
• “Fifth is service delivery, because that is the job description of someone who chooses to be a public servant. The definition is in the name. A public servant forgoes the Bentley for the Toyota Yaris, because the best among us lead with the heart of a servant. And a ‘servant leader’ is not a leader with many servants.
• “And sixth is law and order – safety and security – because South Africans are not safe walking on the streets.”

Citizenship and responsibility

A central theme of the lecture was the role of citizens in sustaining democracy.

“We cannot outsource leadership,” Mohale said. “Each of us has a role to play in shaping the society we want to see.”

He encouraged young people in particular to step forward. “You are not leaders of tomorrow – you are leaders of today. You do not need permission to lead.”

The role of universities

Reflecting on the function of education, Mohale described it as central to both individual opportunity and societal development. “Education is the passport to the future, because tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” he said.

However, universities, must prepare graduates not only for employment, but for active citizenship. And “students must not be passive consumers of knowledge, but active participants in shaping the future.”

Reflections

Responding to the lecture, Christiaan Endress of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation highlighted the importance of sustained democratic dialogue.

“We return year after year to support this lecture because it embodies something essential to democracy – a space for dialogue, for engagement, and for people to come together,” he said.

Dr Leslie van Rooi, Acting Dean of Students and founding head of the FVZS Institute, thanked those who have contributed to the Institute’s work over the past 15 years. “At its core, the Institute is sustained by individuals who give of their time and expertise to invest in students,” he said.

He paid special tribute to Prof Magda Fourie-Malherbe, who played a key role in the Institute’s establishment. “It is not just that you were Vice-Rector (of Learning and Teaching) when it was formed – you recognised that this was a fitting way to honour Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert.”

Long Walk to Dakar

Looking ahead, Dr Heidi October, Head of the FVZS Institute and a Deputy Director at the Centre for Student Life and Learning, said “we are proud to be expanding our footprint”.

As part of its 15-year milestone, the Institute has launched the Long Walk to Dakar campaign, building towards an African Youth Summit in Senegal from 12 to 16 October, to be hosted in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competence.

The summit will bring together young leaders from across the continent to engage on intercultural citizenship, echoing Slabbert’s historic Dakar dialogue in 1987.

In the lead-up to the event, students, alumni, staff and the public are invited to collectively log 10 000km on the Strava app. The campaign also aims to raise R150 000 to support 10 student leaders from SU attending the summit.

* Click here for a video recording of the 14th honorary lecture and associated celebration on 18 March 2026. 

* Click here for the “Long Walk to Dakar” campaign. 

* Click here for a booklet celebrating 15 years of the FVZS Institute.