TRIBUTE TO A DEPARTED LEADER!

Sir,

Kindly allow me to pay my heartfelt tribute and deep sadness to my late leader and colleague; former Principal Secretary Nomathemba Dlamini. I had not anticipated her death after having spoken to her recently.

In one of my articles to the Times SUNDAY, I happened to mention a few of the participants with whom we worked so hard in creating the National Development Strategy, working with reputable futurists and strategists from several organisations under the leadership of Nomathemba. She was competent in her job as well as a professional in the field we were dealing with, trying to create an effective road for the nation as it pursued its future. She began to lead us when Prince Mbilini and Cabinet agreed in 1994 to pursue the project.

Team

The then minister of Economic Planning and Development had put the team together, drawn from organised business, labour force, traditional leaders, members of civil society and a team of young professionals to represent government; from each ministry.

The minister had directed us to utilise the services and financial support from one of the USAID agencies, which had mainly been set up to promote human development programmes. Therefore, part of our work was to call on potential people from both the public and the private sectors, who were keen to upgrade their academic positions.

Nomathemba was one of the impactful participants in the selection of those we eventually sent away, most of whom are running the economy today, although some of them got frustrated by having no progress within their organisations when they returned from years of study - hence you find them holding high positions in both the public and private sectors of South Africa.

Leader

Nomathemba was such a leader who was able to make her followers to become equal participants in the task they were doing; quite often feeling that they were equally able to lead the process we were charged with: the drafting of the National Development Strategy.
Her major strength was in getting the participants to learn how to differ creatively and constructively. She was also so able in building team spirit and unity among the different sectors’ participants.

Whether we were working internally or externally; mostly in Central and Western Africa, where the UNDP’s African  Futures  Centre was located, in Abijan, she was there and completely in unity with the specialist facilitators.

Nomathemba led us to His Majesty the King in October, 1997 to officially present the draft NDS. While there she was able to answer all the questions His Majesty had asked the team to explain. She was supported by the four traditional leaders who were part of the drafting team; when they answered the King after having asked them if they agreed with all that was in the document.

Last year in December I called her and asked if she would be willing to work with us on a new organisation for equal justice for all, which, among its key objectives, wants to enlighten the population about where the country went wrong in relation with the current situation in which this nation finds itself. She had agreed but now she is gone!

I am certain that I am speaking for all those who served under Nomathemba when I say the country has lost a team leader it could not afford to lose if it is to succeed in the NDS. The best we can do now that she is gone is to recommit to the NDS and use it effectively in advocating for the population to know and understand why we are in the mess we find ourselves; and then strive for actions which may reverse this downward spiral of our nation. May her soul rest in eternal peace!

Musa Isaiah N. Hlophe

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