Toyin Falola
The pitiable state of Africa’s economy has been a significant issue since the mid-20th century, and many scholars have contributed important insights to the topic. However, reading Gumede’s “Post-colonial Development in Africa–Samir Amin’s Lens” has provided me with new perspectives on Africa’s economy and its slow-paced development following colonialism. The text teaches one that to grasp how Africa was underdeveloped, one must read Samir Amin’s theory of dependency, as presented by Professor Vusi Gumede. Africa’s economic course was determined by colonialism and was built to fit into the world capitalist economy to remain dependent on the global North. This persistent underdevelopment situation has continued to this day, due to the unequal exchange that exports raw materials and imports finished products. It continues to affect African countries in terms of stabilizing their economies.
Equally, Gumede’s attacks also denounce the ills of neoliberalism within African states, as he engages in a content analysis of the instruments and costs of neoliberal programs and initiatives like the SAPs in the 1980s and 1990s. These were policies that were forced on African governments by the IMF and World Bank that, for example, abandoned the state’s role in the economy, but paradoxically focused on liberalizing markets instead. Gumede says, ‘that, in the end, these reforms had served to intensify poverty and advance inequality’. However, although Gumede exonerates Africa for external obstacles that denied it the chance to advance, he did not spare domestic governance and is also very critical of African leadership for the slow pace of economic development on the continent. Referencing Amin’s theory on delinking and autonomous development, Gumede criticizes the post-colonial African elites’ failure to develop a different development path. Gumede advocates for Africa to ‘delink’ from integration that exploits it. This includes regional integration, local industries, and human development, not GDP.
Gumede took his ideas to politics and administration. He was a Deputy Director-General and Chief Policy Analyst in the Presidency of South Africa from 2003 to 2009, where he was known to have played a massive role in policymaking, alongside his academic profession. He worked in the political sector, developing and implementing functional policies, monitoring strategic projects and programs, and advising Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma on national and international matters of importance. He played a significant role in NEPAD, contributing to the shaping of the political environment and economy of South Africa post-apartheid. Gumede, as a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, called for the end of procedural institutions that were not working and a more outcome-based leadership style that is anchored in the African reality.
He goes on to provide a second way in which his love for development and interest in leadership could be confirmed more comprehensively. In his opinion, Africa’s decline in the past decades could be attributed to a crisis in leadership. In his journal publication “Leadership for Africa’s Development: Revisiting Indigenous African Leadership and Setting the Agenda for Political Leadership,” Professor Gumede makes the point that indigenous Africa did have better leadership systems and that some of the key ingredients in this system are lost in contemporary African political leadership. The critical fact that can be picked from here is that a general embrace of Western political systems and ideologies militates against the development of Africa as a continent. The application of Western systems of leadership in an African context in the political arena has led to elitist, disengaged, and authoritarian leadership styles, which weaken grassroots participation and development. What benefit is leadership if it is not directly connected to its people’s social and economic transformation? Reading Professor Gumede has broadened my understanding of authentic leadership. Democracy alone does not thoroughly test leadership; instead, its ability to tackle poverty, inequality, and injustice does. African leaders should look beyond the superficial aspects of Western ethics in dealing with businesses in Africa; they need to focus more on transformative visions.
His significant impact was felt in South Africa during his time in public service and governance. He was a skilled evaluator of public sector productivity, ensuring that policies created tangible outcomes. On one hand, he analyzed the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 worldwide, while on the other, he studied the energy transition in Mpumalanga. His contributions to federal institutions such as the World Bank and the National Planning Commission gave him easy access to public finance. They allowed him the freedom to engage in finance reform and foreign relations in South Africa. Besides being an outstanding academic, Professor Vusi Gumede is a commendable leader whose life serves as a model for others. From 2010 to 2011, he served as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Public Enterprises, and he previously worked as an Economic Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry from 1999 to 2001. He supports the government in numerous ways, including decision-making, providing advice and recommendations, and finding solutions to significant problems that hinder the nation’s progress. He is a strong academic leader, once serving as the Director of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute at the University of South Africa, later as Dean, Faculty of Economics, Development and Business Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, and today as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), Durban University of Technology.
Professor Gumede has taught us two important lessons about leadership. First, to be a leader, you need to be goal-oriented and ready to make a difference. Although he does not operate in politics in the traditional sense, he has worked behind the scenes to influence and shape government programs and policies. His work with NEPAD exemplifies this. The second lesson is that he emphasizes transparency and accountability in policymaking. In a political landscape where corruption is often celebrated, Professor Gumede stands out with his humane and inclusive approach. His actions demonstrate that he is a strong example of leadership and responsibility, which are fundamental pillars of democracy.
So, how can I praise a man who has consistently promoted efficiency and accountability in public institutions through every role he has held?