Monde Ndlovu’s mission to develop a new breed of black leaders

Monde Ndlovu is the Black Management Forum’s (BMF) head of advocacy and thought leadership.

He’s also the second generation of his family to join the organisation that was not constructed around a cause as much as it was built on the premise of equality, empowerment and developing black leaders And it’s easy to see why he landed the job.

Ndlovu is a contemplative, deeply critical thinking man with a warm disposition and a passion for his mission. His father Lot Ndlovu was president of the organisation between 1995 and the turn of the century.

Ndlovu said he had never contemplated joining the organisation, let alone be employed there.

“I always felt like the BMF was my father’s space where he expressed himself, made his contribution. I didn’t want to move into that space,” he said.

However, as years ticked by, Ndlovu found himself drawn to the cause and despite initial reluctance and, subsequently, capitulating to his inner call, he joined the organisation in his current role.

ALSO READ: It’s high time SA gets a female president, one that will keep it together

“I was exposed to a lot by my father and while I don’t believe it’s an atypical case of running in the family, I feel that the cause resonated and continues to do so with me. It’s more of a question of purpose,” he said.

Before joining BMF, Ndlovu was an entrepreneur engaged in various ventures. He left it all behind to pursue the career segue into the organisation. The BMF’s purpose is to develop black leadership, to encourage and shape thought leadership and to encourage true empowerment.

“There is a mandate that the BMF has within the broader national agenda of economic transformation,” he said.

“It’s about building leaders within set social values and the re-engineering of leadership in the context of our country.” Ndlovu said BMF was an idea more than an organisation.

“Nelson Mandela is now more of an idea than a person. Today, we paint Madiba on a canvas of many colours, his values, what he stood for, what he said and did and we learn from it daily. And that’s what happens when something is elevated to an idea. It becomes personal for all of us.”

Ndlovu believes there is a long road ahead in terms of economic transformation in the country and drew a parallel between the meaning of Black History Month in the United States and South Africa.

“It’s a month where African-A mer icans reflect on economic empowerment, on achievements such as Black Wall Street and how, as a minority, they were able to elevate themselves and gain a measure of economic power and influence.”

However, in South Africa the picture is different, but the intention the same, said Ndlovu.

“Here, black people are in the majority, but in an economic minority. It is this imbalance that must be addressed.”

The lack of economic progress in the country keeps Ndlovu up at night. He also thinks there is a feeling in the back of everyone’s heads that social upheaval, like last year’s rampant July looting, is symptomatic of the lack of transformation and that it could get worse.

“It was an introduction to what is possible if things don’t fundamentally change in our country. There is something in the air right now that is causing these nuanced issues or events.”

Ndlovu’s biggest fear is that South Africa may eventually become a failed state, a failed democracy.

“My other fear is that we have leaders in society who are just not speaking up any more, despite the ability to do so.” He said this was also symptomatic of today’s cancel culture.

“If I say something you don’t like, you just scratch me out of your frame. It’s extremely counterproductive in a democracy where discourse is critical, debate essential to energise socioeconomic momentum. Instead, today, we cancel people.” Consequently, there’s a lack of critical thinking.

ALSO READ: SA’s social entrepreneurs need support to succeed

“If you are not critical about ideas, we lose the necessary intellectual muscle that develops refined ideas.

“Nobody challenges one another any more.”

And while many people have welcomed coalition governments in key metros, Ndlovu wonders whether the country is ready for this on a national level any time soon. He points to the failure of the 1994 government of national unity and said a wait-and-see perspective must be adopted regarding the metros, to see whether they will be able to deliver. And it’s all about delivery and essential economic conversation.

“We are tired of political rhetoric,” said Ndlovu.

“We want our country back. It’s happening slowly. We’re tired of promises that have not been kept. We’re tired of a political system that’s moving very slowly when it comes to things that are so obvious.

“Why don’t you do your job at a local government level? Why do you have incompetent people who are running our municipalities? We’re starting to speak up on the economic side of things.”

His hope? That things will change for the better.

– news@citizen.co.za