Petros Ngubane is known for his kindness and is considered a great human being. Picture: Independent Newspapers archives
By Dr Vusi Shongwe
At heart, Petros Mthandeni Ngubane, one of Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s finest protégés, is a simple soul—kind, honest, generous-spirited, and endowed with a great sense of humour. The wonderfully collegial Ngubane is a hard worker, possessing an incorruptible sense of responsibility and care.
He does not cut corners or take things for granted, and he is loved by everyone around him. His clear laughter resounds widely, endearing him to those he encounters. He exhibits neither arrogance nor a sense of entitlement, continuously embodying the admirable quality of being conscious of others, attentive to their needs, and never taking himself too seriously.
His presence is reassuring—always warm and charismatic. He greets people with a cheerful, friendly, relaxed, and unassuming manner. Moreover, he is an honest person. Like all individuals, he is fallible; however, whenever asked a question, he provides a truthful answer, whether one appreciates it or not.
The disarmingly informal Ngubane never adopts a pretentious air of authority during meetings he chairs. Yet, when he presents an innovative idea that others struggle to understand, he persists until the light bulbs go on, and the rest grasp his insight. It is worth noting that Ngubane, known by his clan name Mbovu, is a trained educator. He embodies integrity.
He always greets others with a broad smile and demonstrates modesty as an excellent leader. He is, in fact, an impeccable teacher whose explanations are always logical and clear, owing to his enviable clarity of thought. His human qualities are exceptional—he is calm, serene, and jovial. Humble, kind, and reserved, he is a true gentleman, showing respect to others who never fail to listen. If he criticises the ideas of others, he does so with intellectual honesty and an open mindset.
Ngubane possesses a gentlemanly demeanour, quiet wit, and sensitivity to the needs of others. He is known for his kindness and is considered a great human being. Those close to him describe him as kind-hearted, conscientious, and supportive—a courteous and thoughtful leader who tends to see the best in others.
Mbovu has the gift of friendship, investing in each relationship with charm, grace, and humour. He is a gentleman's gentleman, known as a true gentleman—respected and beloved by all who know or work with him. He does not suffer fools gladly.
Mr Ngubane is compassionate, an insightful leader, and a keen observer of the broader picture as well as the details where much of life unfolds. He lives the values many profess but rarely follow. His expertise is seamlessly connected to his forthrightness and passionate concerns for people. His love for Umzinyathi shines through his eyes when he speaks about it, igniting passion in others.
Mbovu shoulders the responsibility of advancing the interests of all people in Umzinyathi District Municipality. His mission seeks to answer the question: What value can life have? The answer is that life is an incredible opportunity, opening the way to every possibility.
However, it is essential to acknowledge that Ngubane’s leadership has not been without criticism. Allegations of corruption within the Umzinyathi District Municipality during his tenure have surfaced, with reports indicating that approximately R303 million was unaccounted for—raising questions about transparency and accountability in his administration.
Moreover, despite his admirable qualities as a leader, residents have voiced concerns regarding ongoing service delivery challenges in the district. Issues such as access to clean water and sanitation remain significant problems that critics argue have not been adequately addressed under his leadership.
Additionally, reports suggest that Ngubane’s attendance at council meetings has been inconsistent, leading to concerns about his engagement with governance responsibilities. This lack of participation can undermine public trust in local leadership and raise questions about his commitment to effectively addressing community issues.
Mbovu is also a voracious reader, allowing him to contribute to nearly any conversation insightfully. A good leader, like Ngubane, positions themselves at the centre of a circle—not at the top of a pyramid. A good leader is a visionary, capable of projecting a future goal and then serving as an enabler, facilitator, and encourager on the path to achieving that goal. The purpose of leadership is service. Like Ngubane, a leader must therefore also be a servant.
One of Ngubane’s great attributes is his humility, which enables him to make shy people feel at ease—without awe in the presence of someone of his immense stature. He has an exuberant personality that makes it a joy to be with him—whether in a casual discussion or seated at a table for a meal.
He is a caring and generous person, comfortable in his own skin, which allows others to feel at ease with him. He possesses strong work ethics and is devoted to his family.
Ngubane’s life serves as a lesson to many—a lesson in how much greatness can be embodied in one person; one in how we need to listen to ourselves and others; one in patience and humility; one in taking on new challenges throughout our lives; one in facing the difficult realities of the past responsibly; one in bearing both responsibilities and successes with good humour; perhaps most importantly—one in finding goodness and joy in life.
Indeed, Ngubane’s generosity is matched only by his humility and good nature. There is no doubt that he is gifted with remarkable human qualities; his informal and genuine convivial approach has made him highly respected and endeared him to millions of his compatriots.
On a personal level, the amiable Ngubane and quiet champion of the downtrodden has had a significant influence on me, particularly regarding how to serve uBukhosi with humility, respect, and integrity. This explains why I have come to admire, respect, and love him over the years.
I conclude by stating that those who lead in any walk of life should write their own stories through lines of service to their followers. Let those who seek to understand the nature of leadership look first for evidence of significant service. The more significant the service, the more likely the source will be rooted in simplicity. The simpler the source, the greater the leadership.
Humility will give one a great start on the path of leadership; if one proves to be a successful leader, humility will be there to greet one at the end of a fulfilling and productive career.
In the words of David Thoreau: “We can go confidently in the direction of our dreams and live the life we have imagined.” There is a caveat, however—it is only leaders chosen for their leadership attributes—not for the number of people they can mobilise to support them—that we can confidently follow in the direction of our dreams and our children’s future.
I would like to conclude with a thought from *Sincerity in Politics* and *International Relations*, edited by Sorin Baisu and Sylvie Loriaux. Loriaux posits that being sincere or truthful primarily means meaning what we say—this does not entail saying everything we think.
Sincerity differs from candour; it does not require people to disclose all their feelings, share every detail about their past or present lives, or make all their political or religious opinions public.
Sincerity perfectly aligns with people keeping secrets, withholding information, or, more broadly, being entitled to privacy. The concept of “sincerity” may best be defined by its opposite: untruthfulness. At its core lies the notion that although there is no duty to speak—and even less to say everything we think—from the moment we express something, we ought to mean it and believe in its truthfulness.
Of course, we can be wrong about facts; some things may prove false. However, what matters from the perspective of sincerity is that when we express these things, we also believe them to be true—that we are not allowed to deceive others or make them believe what we ourselves do not believe.
This rules out telling lies, which consist of making “intentionally misleading statements” that we know to be false but intend to be believed as true. It also encompasses less overt forms of misleading others, such as purposely exaggerating or concealing certain aspects of a given situation to exert influence over others’ beliefs and actions.
Untruthfulness generally appears morally reprehensible; certainly, some benign forms of intentional untruths are often tolerated—indeed, they are fully accepted—such as jokes or white lies (for instance, politeness).
However, these untruths usually do not deceive anyone, nor do they invite others to believe them to be true; most people would not like to be suspected of having lied—let alone be called liars.
While there are quite a few character flaws that people are prepared to acknowledge—such as avarice, jealousy, greed, and impulsiveness—untruthfulness seems to call into question an individual's very integrity and respectability; conversely, even those who believe they have good reasons to lie would not want to be lied to by others.
* Dr Vusi Shongwe works for the KZN Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture. This article is written in his personal capacity.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of IOL or Independent Media.
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