Yvonne Chaka Chaka On African Leadership

Renowned South African songstress Yvonne Machaka, popularly known as Yvonne Chaka Chaka yesterday said Africa needs “transformational, not transactional leaders”.

The Princess of Africa made the remarks at the Ideas Festival Luncheon in Harare after being invited into the country by Trevor Ncube, chairperson of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) in partnership with InConversationWith Trevor alumni.

AMH are the publishers of NewsDay, Zimbabwe Independent, The Standard, Weekly Digest and also operates Heart and Soul Broadcasting Services (HStv).

“Africa needs transformational leaders, not transactional leaders. That’s what we need in Africa and if we don’t do it for ourselves, no one will do it for us,” Chaka-Chaka said.

Transformational leaders thrive on personal growth and know their strengths and weaknesses. Transactional leadership is a leadership style where leaders rely on rewards and punishments to achieve optimal job performance from their subordinates.

“What I am asking for, ladies and gentlemen, is that when we interact let us try and practise what we preach. Let us make sure that those who are in those strategic positions do not close doors,” she added.

“When you are up there, make sure you send that lift down to go and fetch somebody. Make sure that when you are in that strategic position, when you are high up there, hold that ladder so that somebody young can come up because the higher you go the colder it becomes and to us who were given this privilege, we need to be grateful and thankful.”

Addressing the same gathering, Ncube said his weekly programme, InConversation with Trevor, now has 5,2 million followers from all over the world.

In Conversation with Trevor sees Ncube conducting weekly interviews with notable businesspeople, trendsetters, media personalities, and politicians.

“Today we gather at the Ideas Festival Luncheon to continue the conversations that we started with In Conversation with Trevor because we believe that conversations are a great way of sharing authentic experiences that engage, connect and inspire,” Ncube said.

“History, by the way, proves that societies that prosper do so on the back of a vibrant marketplace of ideas. We are proud that In Conversation with Trevor has enhanced our narrative. It has started certain conversations that are about what we usually do not talk about.”

He said that space was now needed to have discussions on what affects people’s daily lives.

“We cannot be the change we want if we cannot lead ourselves and I am very passionate about leading ourselves… You can’t lead if you cannot lead yourself.

“To lead ourselves, we need to spend time with ourselves and know ourselves. We have to learn until we learn, to relearn, and to unlearn, and to do it all over again.”