Boardroom Dancing , livre ebook

‘The sociological imagination covering a generation that had to deal with apartheid at the zenith of its viciousness is phenomenal. The content speaks of an observer on a purposeful odyssey, evidencing leadership traits at a very early age. The corporate leadership successes notched up later in Nolitha Fakude’s career are as inspiring as they are worthy of emulation. This book is insightful, sagacious and eminently readable.’ – dr reuel khoza
‘Our mothers were resigned to their circumstances, but our generation discovered that we are not ignorant bystanders in our own lives. Women have a role to play in shaping their participation in society and a responsibility to live an examined life that must find the courage to discard what does not value them. Tenacity, determination, resilience and courage are the tools that women must apply in the 21st century. Nolitha Fakude is to be thanked for adding her inspiring story to the tapestry of our journey as South African women. Sharing our stories leaves behind a legacy for future generations.’ – wendy luhabe
‘In Boardroom Dancing , Nolitha Fakude reflects on her extraordinary achievements, which I have had the privilege of witnessing over the years. Nolitha is an epitome of excellence, humility, kindness, caring, dedication, commitment, integrity and a value-based leader par excellence. Her unwavering dedication to economic transformation, driven by her own lived experience, has earned her the status of a trusted adviser to many CEOs and chairperson over the years. This is a must read for all who dream of making a difference and those who are trying to find their purpose. It is a call to action, an invite to the reader to engage in building a South Africa of their dreams.’ – futhi mtoba


Boardroom
Dancing
Transformation stories from a corporate activist
Nolitha Fakude
MACMILLAN

First published in 2019
by Pan Macmillan South Africa
Private Bag X19
Northlands
2116
Johannesburg
South Africa
www.panmacmillan.co.za
isbn 978-1-77010-684-0
e-isbn 978-1-77010-685-7
© Nolitha Fakude 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of the details, facts, names, places and events mentioned in these pages, but the publisher and author welcome any feedback, comments and/or corrections.
Editing by Alison Lowry
Proofreading by Kelly Norwood-Young
Design and typesetting by Triple M Design, Johannesburg
Cover design by Hybrid Creative
Cover photograph courtesy of Sasol

Dedicated to the memory of my Grand Mother – Vuyelwa Elizabeth Nosizwe ‘Mangangenkomo’ Njoli – Imazi etsala nenkabi. You were and still are my SOURCE. Your footprints are deep in my heart!
To my son Phila – you are my everyday inspiration. I’m so proud of the man you have become.


Contents
Definitions
Foreword by Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Prelude
Prologue
PART 1 EARLY YEARS
1 Growing up in a matriarchy Ngqika Store Special treatment
2 Bethel College Good works A cruel system
3 Finding my freedom Getting serious In search of life experience
PART 2 STEPPING OUT
4 Liberations ‘The University of Retail’ Small steps towards change Learning to lead
5 Embracing democracy When magic showed its face My Cape Town
6 Earning a place at the table ‘Suitably qualified’ The value of a mentor Network exposure National debates
PART 3 A NATIONAL STAGE
7 Synergistic symphonies: The power of collaborations Managing director Sector charters Compromise and negotiation Culture change One business voice
8 (Redefining) a woman’s place A breakthrough for the gender agenda The power of influence Skills development and training Social impact agenda
9 Another kind of integration Business transformation The value of the insider-outsider The stretch assignment Personal transformations
10 Preparing to fly Legacies
PART 4
11 Awakening a South African giant Interventions Uncomfortable conversations Shifting culture A higher purpose
12 Thinking globally, acting locally Milestones Personal success
13 Extending my reach Getting noticed Change and evolution False dichotomies The next challenge A tribute by Imogen Mkhize
PART 5 THE JOURNEY AHEAD
14 Reigniting the gender agenda The ‘firstborn’ generation: A responsibility and a privilege Equal opportunity Sharing the load Aligning the head and heart 205
15 We need to talk My soapbox manifesto How do we get there: Rules of engagement
appendix
Correspondence close to my heart
Abbreviations
Notes
Acknowledgements
Selected references and suggested reading
Picture Section


Definitions
Because these key terms have very specific meanings in the South African context, I have provided the following definitions in order to ensure a common starting point:
Affirmative action (AA), first used as a term in the United States (US), is defined as ‘an action that favours those who tend to suffer from discrimination, or positive discrimination’. It resulted in policies of affirmative action being applied in the US in the 1960s. In South Africa it was applied in the 1940s specifically to benefit white Afrikaners and later, in the 1980s, to benefit black South Africans (those classified African, Indian and coloured). After 1994, a policy of Employment Equity (EE) was implemented in South Africa through the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998, with the purpose of ‘hiring policies’ encouraging fair representation of groups such as black people, women, people living with disabilities and other minority groups that were previously discriminated against by the laws of South Africa and were thus disadvantaged, specifically economically.
Bantu education
H.F. Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, is infamously quoted as saying, in the 1950s: ‘There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour … What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice? That is quite absurd. Education must train people in accordance with their opportunities in life, according to the sphere in which they live. ’ It is in this context – of an intentionally inferior education for black people so as to limit their opportunities and expectations and continue to direct them to lower grades of employment – that the term ‘Bantu education’ is referred to in this book.
Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), as defined on Wikipedia, is ‘a racially selective programme launched by the South African government to redress the inequalities of apartheid by giving Black (African, Coloureds and Indians) South African citizens economic privileges that are not available to Whites.' In the case of South Africa, we are talking about ‘legitimate differentiation’ as espoused by the United Nations Covenant under Convention 84 (elimination of all forms of racial discrimination). In South Africa, therefore, employment equity and black economic empowerment are a human rights issue first and foremost. Section Nine of the South African Constitution gives citizens the right to equality; furthermore, it ‘allows for affirmative action to redress past unfair discrimination’. The South African government has put in place all these interventions to create the so-called level playing field for black South Africans who were historically disadvantaged by the practices of economic exclusion of the apartheid government. The role of both the private and public sectors in levelling this playing field is critical. It has become even more urgent to address this seeing that it is 25 years since we attained our democracy. Failure to effectively level this playing field will mean that South Africa’s black economic empowerment as envisaged in the Constitution will be incomplete.
Coloured person
In South Africa the term ‘coloured’ has been widely used to describe mixed-race people, whose ancestry often includes a mix of Khoi-San, black African, European and possibly Malay heritage. In South Africa, coloured people are a recognised ethnic group with a culture that not only draws from their vast ancestral cultures but also their history in the South African context. It is a term used today by many people who self-identify as coloured and it is by no means laden with the same derogatory sense it carries in the US, although the term is also not without controversy.
Transformation (key phrases: deep change; shifted state of being/doing) is the process of deep change that takes place within an organisation or institution, resulting in significant shifts of being and doing (for example, from one state of cultural practices, behaviours and sometimes business processes to a different and evolved state of being and doing). We change and shift culture as part of the transformation process, resulting in evolved or new ways of doing things. When we transform in an organisation we can never go back to the old behaviours and processes. For a caterpillar to become a butterfly, it must undergo a full metamorphosis. That is true and lasting transformation. To ensure that the deep changes we seek and need for the culture, processes and practices of an organisation are lasting, we require the following interventions:
❏ a paradigm shift regarding the culture we want to change
❏ tools to embed the new desired changes (for example, values aligned to support