A Concept Note

The Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership

Dialogue Series

June 2013 Introduction

The advent of democracy in came about as a result of many enduring struggles and human sacrifices. But it was the calibre of leadership then and the dialogues South Africans had among themselves that saved the country from the brink of an imminent civil war. A selfless leadership with a vision, engaged in dialogues, catapulted our country from a pariah state it was, to becoming the envy of the world. South Africa’s Constitution, regarded among the best in the world, is itself a product of visionary leadership and the many dialogues our people had through the Congress for Democratic South Africa (CODESA) process. The making of post-apartheid South Africa cannot, therefore, be understood outside the context of the calibre leadership and dialogues we have had.

But the advent of democracy did not mean the end of all social, political or economic ills. Almost two decades after the advent of democracy, some of our old challenges persist while many new vexing ones have also emerged. Poverty is still rife. Inequality is rising. Unemployment is shooting the roof tops. governance is a rarity. Corruption is endemic and now and then, the spectre of xenophobia rears its ugly head. Clearly, these problems require strategic leadership in social, political and economic spheres if we are to combat them successfully. Only a nation in dialogue with itself can find solutions to overcome challenges of this magnitude.

The Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership (TGSL) is well positioned to provide the platform for the development of the calibre of leadership our country need and to facilitate dialogues to find solutions to our vexing challenges. The programmes our school offers – aimed at developing and nurturing future leaders – constitute our contribution towards the resolve of some of these challenges. The public dialogue series is a critical component of the TGSL programme.

The TGSL public dialogue series

The form

The dialogue series is a continuous programme of TGSL and will be hosted once every second month, starting in July 2013. The series will take the form of public lectures delivered by prominent speakers from within and outside South Africa. Panel discussions will also be held among experts and members of community to allow for diversity of views on a subject.

Aims and objectives

The main aim of the TGSL public dialogue series is to provide a platform to facilitate debates among students, civil society, government and business about the challenges and prospects of South Africa. In particular, the dialogue series seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• to create a platform where important information about major developments worldwide and locally are explored and shared; • to expose students and the public at large to global issues that affect leadership in organizations; • to facilitate the creation of networking forums; • to publicise information and in turn market TGSL; and • to increase the research throughput of the school through the publication of papers presented at the series.

Themes and topics

The series will be organised around three broad thematic areas, namely: • social, • political, and • economic issues

Broad as they are, these themes give us enough scope to tackle a variety of issues, from moral decay to ethical leadership; from corruption to good governance; from youth unemployment to Afrophobia; and such crucial issues as land reform, among others.

Topics given to guest speakers will also be formulated in such a way that issues of leadership are always at the centre of the discussion. This will ensure alignment of the series with the core mandate of the TGSL – development of leadership. Topics will, as far as it is possible, be aligned with the theme of the month in terms of the South African calendar. This will make the public dialogue series exciting and relevant.

As the 2014 elections approach, TGSL dialogue series will also host panel discussions among political party leaders at national and provincial level. This will afford members of the community the opportunity critically to engage with what the parties will be offering, from manifestoes to the leaders they will be fielding for elections.

Inaugural dialogue

Given the high rate of youth unemployment and the fact that South Africa has just commemorated 37 years after the June 16, 1976 Soweto student uprising, our inaugural public dialogue, hosted in July 2013, will focus on youth unemployment. This will be carried-out in a form of a panel discussion among leaders of youth formations in South Africa. Panellists will be invited to discuss, among other issues, the recently signed youth employment accord and deliberate about its prospects and limitations in curbing youth unemployment. The following youth leaders will be invited to share the platform:

• Yershen Pillay (NYDA) • Mbali Ntuli (DA Youth) • Makasela (ANCYL - TT) • (EFF) • Buti Manamela (YCL)

The second panel discussion will be held next year, towards the 2014 national elections. This will comprise of speakers from different political parties contesting national and provincial elections. It will be ideal to hold the dialogue a month before the elections.

In between the panel discussions will be public lectures to be delivered by prominent speakers, including but not limited to the following:

Speaker Topic Date

1. Honorable Saviour Land expropriation without September Kasukuwere, Zimbabwe compensation - what can South Africa 2013 Minister of Youth learn from Zimbabwe? Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment.

2. Mr Thabo Mbeki, Former The role of intellectuals in political November President of South Africa leadership in Africa 2013

3. Professor Jonathan Jansen, How to save South African public February Vice Chancellor, UFS education from crisis? 2014

4. Mr Zwelinzima Vavi, General Workers interest versus societal April 2014 Secretary, COSATU interest – what reigns supreme?

5. Political parties [PANEL] Why should we vote for you? May 2014

6. Joel Netshitenzhe Is South Africa capable of becoming a July 2014 developmental state?

7. Prof Tinyiko Maluleke Ethical leadership September 2014

Facilitators

The following people have been identified as potential facilitators for our dialogue series. • Given Mukhari (Capricon FM) • Redi Thlabi (702 Talk Radio) • Nikiwe Bikitsha (eNews) • Xolani Gwala (702 Talk Radio) • Josiah Ncube (Capricon FM) • Eusebius McKaizer (Power FM) • JJ Tabane (Oresego Holdings)

Partnerships

The TGSL dialogue series will be hosted in partnership with other important organisations in society. The University and the TGSL will pursue these partnerships with a view to solicit sponsorships and co-hosting of the series. Partnerships with the media – newspapers and radio stations – will also be forged. Memorandums of Understanding will be signed with partners stipulating the details of agreements and obligations to ensure the success of the series.

Budget

Every dialogue/seminar will have its own budget. This is because the seminars may vary in terms of the size of the participants and the type of guests invited. However, the following template will serve as a guideline:

INCOME EXPENDITURES UL Subsidisation R70 000 Transport including return flights R47 000 (@+R6000 return to Joburg & two international flights@R14000) Fund Raising R42 000 Meals & Accommodation for 6 speakers R21 000 (@R600 per guest x 9 & catering for seminar guests) Donations R49 000 Honorarium for speakers R45 000 (@R5 000 each x 9) Venue hire & car hire R48 000

TOTAL: R161 000 TOTAL R161 000 * the Limpopo legislature has offered to cover costs towards catering for all dialogues.