South Africa needs more leaders like Mujica

While we consider the disciplinary acquittal of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s bodyguards for beating up a motorist, let’s take a moment or two to remember Uruguay’s former president, José “Pepe” Mujica.

Mujica, who died this week aged 89, had no need of blue light convoys when he was head of state, nor legions of bodyguards, as our politicians seem to regard as their due.

Dubbed the world’s “poorest president” while in office from 2010 to 2015, Mujica eschewed the trappings of success, continuing his humble lifestyle, giving away most of his salary to charity and driving around in a sky-blue Volkswagen Beetle.

His other favourite means of transport wasn’t an armoured BMW X5, but his farm’s battered old tractor.

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Mujica walked the walk of being a “man of the people”, having once been a guerilla who, Robin-Hoodstyle, robbed banks to give money to the poor.

He wasn’t the type to give mealy-mouthed, hypocritical speeches about making a “better life for all” – instead, he helped transform his country into a progressive beacon on a continent plagued by corruption and dictatorships.

Mujica always said he would like to be remembered as a “crazy man”. If that’s crazy, then we need more of it in South Africa.