Monde Ndlovu is the head of advocacy and thought leadership at the Black Management Forum (BMF). He is also the second generation of his family to join the organization that is not so much built around a cause, but built on the premise of equality, empowerment and developing black leaders. It’s easy to see why he got the job. Ndlovu is a contemplative, deeply critical thinking man with a warm character and a passion for his mission. His father Lot Ndlovu was president of the organization between 1995 and the turn of the century. Ndlovu said he never considered…
Monde Ndlovu is the head of advocacy and thought leadership at the Black Management Forum (BMF).
He is also the second generation of his family to join the organization that is not so much built around a cause, but built on the premise of equality, empowerment and developing black leaders. It’s easy to see why he got the job.
Ndlovu is a contemplative, deeply critical thinking man with a warm character and a passion for his mission. His father Lot Ndlovu was president of the organization between 1995 and the turn of the century.
Ndlovu said he never thought of joining the organization, let alone enlisting there.
“I’ve always felt that the BMF was my father’s space where he expressed himself, made his contribution. I didn’t want to move into that space,” he said.
But as the years wore on, Ndlovu was drawn to the cause and despite initial reluctance and then capitulation to his inner calling, he joined the organization in his current position.
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“My father exposed a lot to me and while I don’t believe it’s an atypical case of running in the family, I feel like the cause resonated and still does with me. It’s more a matter of purpose,” he said.
Before joining BMF, Ndlovu was an entrepreneur engaged in various ventures. He left it all behind to continue the career move in the organization. The purpose of the BMF is to develop black leadership, to encourage and shape thought leadership, and to encourage true empowerment.
“There is a mandate that the BMF has within the broader national agenda of economic transformation,” he said.
“It’s about building leaders within established social values and redesigning leadership in the context of our country.” Ndlovu said BMF was more of an idea than an organization.
“Nelson Mandela is now more of an idea than a person. Today we paint Madiba on a canvas with many colors, his values, what he stood for, what he said and did and we learn from it daily. And that’s what happens when something is elevated to an idea. It becomes personal for all of us.”
Ndlovu believes there is a long way to go in terms of economic transformation in the country and drew a parallel between the significance of Black History Month in the United States and South Africa.
“It’s a month where African-American mericans reflect on economic empowerment, on achievements like Black Wall Street and how as a minority they were able to elevate themselves and gain some measure of economic power and influence.”
In South Africa, however, the picture is different, but the intent is the same, Ndlovu said.
“Here black people are in the majority, but in an economic minority. It is this imbalance that needs to be addressed.”
The lack of economic progress in the country keeps Ndlovu up at night. He also thinks everyone has the feeling in the back of their minds that social unrest, like last year’s rampant looting in July, is symptomatic of the lack of transformation and that it could get worse.
“It was an introduction to what is possible if things don’t fundamentally change in our country. There is something in the air right now that is causing these nuanced issues or events.”
Ndlovu’s greatest fear is that South Africa will eventually become a failed state, a failed democracy.
“My other fear is that we have leaders in society who just don’t say anything anymore, despite the ability to do so.” He said this was also symptomatic of the current cancellation culture.
“If I say something you don’t like, just scratch me off your list. It is extremely counterproductive in a democracy where discourse is crucial, debate essential to drive socio-economic momentum. Instead, we’re canceling people today.” As a result, there is a lack of critical thinking.
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“If you’re not critical of ideas, we lose the necessary intellectual muscle that develops sophisticated ideas.
“No one challenges each other anymore.”
And while many people have welcomed coalition governments in key metropolises, Ndlovu wonders if the country will be ready for this at the national level anytime soon. He points to the failure of the government of national unity in 1994 and said a wait-and-see approach should be taken on the subways to see if they will be able to perform. And it’s all about delivery and essential economic conversations.
“We are tired of political rhetoric,” Ndlovu said.
“We want our country back. It’s going slow. We have had enough of promises that have not been kept. We are tired of a political system that moves very slowly when it comes to things that are so obvious.
“Why don’t you do your work at the local government level? Why do you have incompetent people running our municipalities? We start talking about the economic side of things.”
His hope? That things will change for the better.
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