The Price of Division and the True Measure of Leadership

The story of South Africa is largely the story of leadership, or the lack thereof.

When good leadership prevails, the country is inclined to flourish; when leadership fails, we land up in trouble.

Another truism is that leaders tend to be most visible around election time. That is when we get to choose between leaders who seek to unite us, or those who divide; those who heal our country with competence and integrity, or those more inclined to self-promotion and sensationalism.  

When Nelson Mandela led this country, his leadership was defined by a commitment to healing, structural growth, and uniting a divided society. The economic and social improvements that followed proved that when leadership is rooted in competence and integrity, the entire nation moves forward.

Sadly, poor governance has chipped away at that progress. Today, as we navigate the current 2026 local election cycle, the business community and society at large are witnessing a deeply concerning trend: the deliberate stoking of conflict by those vying for political exposure.

This is particularly apparent in the loudspeaker rhetoric from some who would promote xenophobia, a scourge that contradicts the values of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  

Let us be completely clear: while illegal immigration must be addressed through proper legal and bureaucratic channels, the deliberate incitement of hatred against foreign nationals is entirely unacceptable. It is a regressive form of prejudice that brings worldwide condemnation upon our nation, damages our international trade relationships, and ultimately causes even greater economic hardship and poverty.

Why does this happen? The reality is that pre-election campaigns frequently see opportunistic political networks exploit existing citizen frustration over poverty, corruption, and massive youth unemployment. Instead of offering practical economic solutions, these factions weaponise community anger, frequently channeling it into dangerous anti-foreigner sentiment and localised looting.

To understand the real-world impact of this sensationalism, we only need to look at the hard data, which shows a clear pattern of volatility directly aligned with our political calendar.  In addition, public protests have grown nearly nine-fold over the past two decades, with an alarming shift toward violence. Twenty years ago, only about 20% of protests involved property damage; today, that figure routinely exceeds 80%

With all the suffering currently felt across our communities, the last thing South Africa needs are volatile, self-promoting figures who use division as a steppingstone to power.  

We need leaders who heal, not leaders who fracture. We need cool-headed, capable individuals who lead with quiet competence, fiscal responsibility, and moral integrity—not those who rely on sensationalism and social media metrics.

Above all we the ordinary citizens need to demonstrate our own agency, in our votes as much as in our collective voice, by ensuring we are not misled. 

John Lawson, CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry