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Queen Nozizwe Pearl Mulela, wife of King Misuzulu KaZwelithini of the Zulu Nation, South Africa, has emphasised the urgent need for leaders across Africa to adopt ethical and transformative leadership to drive sustainable and inclusive development.
Delivering a public lecture at the 7th edition of the Africa Leadership Lecture Series in Tamale on Friday, organised by the University for Development Studies (UDS), Queen Mulela said one of Africa’s major challenges today was the unavailability of ethical leadership both within the continent and globally.
The event was attended by key stakeholders in the academia, traditional and religious leaders, youth groups, students, among others.
Queen Mulela explained that “Here, I’m referring to leadership driven by a willingness to serve, one that prioritises the growth and well-being of the people entrusted to their care.”
Quoting King Sobhuza II of Eswatini, she said “When you are entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the affairs of a people, you must always be afraid because you always must wonder if the people will thank you for what you have done. When they do thank you, you will feel like a hero and tell yourself: it means I have done right by my people.”
Queen Mulela expressed concern that many leaders today, whether in politics, business, non-profit organizations, or education, did not fear failing their people enough to lead ethically. Her lecture, themed: “Redefining Leadership for Africa’s Future: Ethics and Transformation,” focused on servant leadership and aligned closely with the objectives of the Africa Leadership Lecture Series.
The lecture, initiated by UDS in 2013, is designed to cultivate African leaders with the skills, knowledge, and values required to navigate an evolving global landscape. Queen Mulela made history as the first female African leader to deliver a lecture in the series since its inception, which witnessed six different former Heads of State gracing the occasion.
Queen Mulela lamented the rarity of servant leadership today saying “The arc of leadership no longer seems to bend towards ethical leadership that puts people first. It is becoming harder to find.”
She acknowledged the foundational role of Africa’s founding fathers, who practised ethical leadership and encouraged intellectual discourse especially in tertiary institutions where the values of nation-building were nurtured.
She said “This is what makes this initiative by UDS so significant. This is an institution that began by training young people in agriculture but today it champions intellectual debate and the development of new African leaders on a continent that seems to have moved away from the ideal of servant leadership.”
She called for collective support to sustain the lecture series, urging stakeholders to contribute to grooming a new generation of leaders, who will place Africa’s interests first in pursuit of sustainable development. Professor Seidu Al-Hassan, Vice-Chancellor of UDS praised Queen Mulela for honouring the invitation and reinforcing the university’s commitment to nurturing future African leaders.
Source: GNA
