Last week Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu announced his intention to retire from public life in October when he turns 79. "The Arch" said he would now devote his time to quiet reflection, his family, watching sport and reading.

While he'll continue to be involved with The Elders, the Nobel Laureate Group and his Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, he will step down as Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape and as representative on the UN's Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Genocide.

"I think I've done as much as I can, and I really do need time for other things that I have wanted to do. I really want a little more quiet," Tutu said on Thursday, adding that there were "superb" people that could take over the advocacy work he had done.

As I read the announcement (we are based in Johannesburg and not Cape Town, where he made his announcement), I felt nostalgic, not because I know Tutu personally, but because his retirement from public life symbolises the call for South Africans to let go of one era of leadership and usher in the next.

We need to let yesterday's leaders go to enjoy the sunset years they deserve. At the same time we must remain inspired by these leaders who, through their moral conviction, steered us peacefully through uncertain times.

Madiba announced his retirement several years ago, in 2004 at the age of 86. He said at the time, "One of the things that made me long to be back in prison was that I had so little opportunity for reading, thinking and quiet reflection after my release." But still South Africans have struggled to let him go.

In a Mail & Guardian online blog about our unrelenting Madiba obsession, Verashni Pillay writes, "As a booming industry of Mandela paraphernalia blossoms, the fight for a piece of Mandela becomes less and less appealing...So Madiba, as much as I respect and honour you, I think the best present from me - from all of us - is to just leave you alone."

I would take it one step further and say that the best present from working South Africans would be to raise a generation of leaders worthy of succeeding Madiba and Tutu.

Tutu's contributions to public life were enormous and he has set the bar high for South Africans.  Colin Slee, himself a minister, writes from London in the Guardian online of Tutu's public contributions:

Desmond Tutu is one of history's extraordinary people as the right man in the right place at the right time. He will be best remembered for his courageous leadership of the Anglican Church in South Africa as the spearhead of the fight against apartheid, his bravery in the thick of rioting crowds rescuing people from "necklacing", his conducting of massive funerals and public protests.

The lessons he both learned and taught in that period were exemplified in the conduct of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission under his chairmanship, challenging people to tell the truth, weeping as people wept and rejoicing with enemy and friend as they found reconciliation and amnesty. "The truth will set you free" was a clear reality for the world to see… a path, not without some significant imperfections, towards peaceful transition to majority rule as Africa's major democracy.

His contribution to world peace grew ever more significant after he "retired". His activity as an "elder", working with similar great leaders towards justice and freedom in Israel-Palestine, in Rwanda, Burma, and a host of other places resulted in almost frenetic global travel. He was rarely in one place for more than a few weeks, so much was the demand for his time.

I believe the reason it's hard for us to let go of Mandela and Tutu is because we haven't yet seen that kind of inspirational leadership emerge in our current times, able to deal with our current challenges.

We have, since 1994 and Madiba’s five years, been through three generations of leadership. The first was that of Madiba himself with an electorate and a global audience concerned primarily with the challenge of moral leadership where reconciliation and forgiveness were uppermost. The second was characterized by Mbeki and his cabinet, mostly staffed by "exiles",  detached from the people on the ground, with the primary challenge of economic and political stability as a means of enabling (and affording) social delivery . The third  by Zuma and his cabinet, mostly staffed by Robben Islanders,  closer to people on the ground, with the primary challenge of social delivery as a means to ensuring social stability. All three of  these groups brought with them their own "baggage", their own frame of reference, and have governed accordingly.  And all three have had very different leadership styles.

Right now, our current political leaders are described by media with the words "cleptocrats", "tenderpreneurs", "cronies" and "cadres". Many of us long for the moral leadership that represented those that are of Mandela's and Tutu's caliber. But they were leaders at a time when peace in our land was paramount - we could talk of nothing else as the spectre of a civil war was on everyone’s mind.

Political leadership is a significant issue everywhere, and while we have lots to say about the shortcomings of our three generations of leadership, South Africa is in a place unimaginable 16 years ago. We have not just done well, we have exceeded expectations on many important indicators and events. Most recently we did stage "the best World Cup ever" - no one thought it possible just six months ago.

Nevertheless, two big questions on leadership remain: Will Mr. Zuma serve a second term and, who will succeed Mr. Zuma? Will it be another generation of "Robben Islanders" who will play the same game, or will we begin to see a generation of "Born Frees" emerge -  those who are not encumbered by the shackles of having to have struggle credentials - but who have enjoyed the benefits of a post-apartheid society and who see our political, economic and social challenges in the context of a changing global order rather than through the lens of apartheid?

Archbishop Tutu recently said, "I long so much that we will become the country we have it in ourselves to become, a caring, not hugely successful, but one in which every South Africans feels they matter." This statement raises the ever present issue of social capital. We are an African country and we are a developing country. In terms of global competitiveness we rank exceptionally well, in the top 15%, on economic indicators, we are in the top half on political indicators, but we rank in the bottom 15% on social indicators. What Tutu is referring to here is the critical importance of resolving our many social challenges which, if unresolved, will impact our economic and political competitiveness. This has to be the most important challenge of our current and future leadership.

And what will happen to Opposition leadership? Again, it is often said that people "get the government the opposition allows". Sustainable, good leadership will never exist with weak opposition leadership, so we have to work at both. That is our, the people’s, challenge going forward. It is how we can contribute to our future leadership requirements.

The "good news" is we can all do something about both leadership and opposition; we have the gift of a constitutional democracy and we have the vote, we have a free media and the right to criticize, and we have the ability to make ourselves heard. In tribute to the example of Madiba and the "Arch" as they enjoy their retirement, that’s the least we can do. If we fail in these responsibilities we will damage their legacy, and we will only have ourselves to blame. 

Excerpted from www.sagoodnews.co.za

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