The ninth annual Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust Lecture, hosted by the University of Mpumalanga (UMP), is a platform focused on promoting ethical and moral leadership. Now a well-established tradition at the University, it encourages both the academic community and the broader public to reflect on the leadership values needed to address today’s social challenges.
The lecture aligns with UMP’s mission of driving sustainable development through innovation and ethical practices. This year’s keynote address was delivered by Ms Nonkululeko Gobodo, a renowned business leader and pioneer in South Africa’s financial sector.
Ms Gobodo is the CEO of AWAKENED Global, a social initiative. She is also the former Chairperson and founder of SizweNtsalubaGobodo, now SNG Grant Thornton, the largest, black auditing and accounting firm in South Africa. Her business and transformational insights have added depth to the ongoing conversation about leadership on the African continent
Opening the lecture, UMP Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso, emphasised the importance of the lecture, noting that it has become a permanent fixture on the university’s calendar.
"This lecture promotes introspection on leadership, with a focus on the ethical and moral dimensions. It also offers students, staff, and the wider community an opportunity to reflect on the significance of ethical leadership," she said.
Professor Mayekiso further stressed the consequences of leadership failures, warning that moral lapses have inflicted irreparable harm on many nations, even endangering democracy.
"We need to be vigilant to ensure that ethics and morality remain central to leadership across all sectors." Linking this to UMP’s broader vision, she reiterated the University’s commitment to creating sustainable development opportunities through innovation and ethical practice.
She further encouraged attendees to listen attentively, learn, and apply the lessons from the lecture in their personal and professional lives. She expressed confidence that UMP’s commitment to these principles would contribute to a more ethical future for both the university and society at large.
The lecture series aims to foster dialogue on moral and ethical leadership, inspired by values of accountability, social justice, and public service.
Delivering the keynote address Ms Gobodo underscored the need for African leadership to address pressing challenges, saying, “We need to research to investigate the root causes of the issues facing Africa and find solutions to break the cycle of poverty and decline.”
She also called for a critical examination of African culture and traditions, adding, “Identify aspects of the culture and traditional religion that may be contributing to lower levels of consciousness and investigate how to evolve them.”
Reflecting on South Africa’s leadership crisis, Ms Gobodo acknowledged the progress made during 30 years of democracy but cautioned that significant challenges remain.
“We enjoy liberties and freedoms that we couldn’t before, but the sadness comes when we see poverty and inequality persist. There is a lack of intentional leadership development in the country, which has left a void and weakened key institutions."
Ms Gobodo identified corruption as one of the most critical issues undermining progress. “Corruption is like a cancer that has permeated every sector, both public and private. If we don’t address it, it will continue to grow, and one day, we will wake up when everything has exploded,” she warned.
She further highlighted the detrimental impact of corruption on education, adding, “When this corruption started to impact institutions of higher learning, that’s when I knew we were in trouble. Education is one of the strongest pillars of transformation, yet even that was not safe.”
The Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust Lecture encourages thought leadership in addressing challenges within governance, business, and civil society.
Despite these challenges, Ms Gobodo stressed the potential for transformation, asserting that the kind of leadership we need is one that can transform a country.
"If you don’t have that leadership, there will be no transformation – it’s as simple as that.” She urged UMP and other educational institutions to take a leading role in fostering ethical leadership, ensuring that future leaders possess the moral strength required to rebuild and uplift society.
In closing, Ms Gobodo challenged the audience to prioritise ethical culture in all areas of life, saying, “Our aim must be to establish an ethical culture so that all our decisions and interactions are undertaken in a way that upholds the highest standards of integrity.”
She underscored the responsibility of universities like UMP in shaping future leaders, concluding, “The products you release into the job market must be embedded with ethical values because that is the only way we will see real change.”
The event concluded with the announcement of the winner of the essay writing competition that is held in conjunction with the annual lecture. The theme of this year’s competition was A Decade of Excellence in Ethical and Moral Leadership. The winner of the essay competition received a R1 000 book voucher.
Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures by ChrisplPhoto.