TESSA DOOMS | Johnson's fall reminds SA that leaders lead at behest of people

On July 7 news broke around the world that Boris Johnson has resigned as prime minister of the United Kingdom. The Conservative leader, who was elected on the strength of promises to lead and execute Brexit, reluctantly resigned in response to enormous political pressure.

Although Johnson had survived a vote of no confidence exactly a month before his resignation, in early July he faced a more public display of no confidence in his leadership as 50+ members of his government resigned in one day to signal their unwillingness to be led by and support the leadership of a prime minister mired in scandal. The scandals include Johnson admittedly having raging parties at his official residence, 10 Downing Street, and more recently his support of MP Chris Pincher who also eventually resigned after years of allegations of sexual misconduct against fellow MPs. 

After having the support of the majority of his party in the last vote of no confidence, it was Conservative MPs who led the charge that convinced Johnson to resign. In the midst of an brewing economic crisis, characterised by sky-rocketing costs of living, Johnson was already failing at convincing the public that he had a clear grasp of the current challenges.

With scandals heaped on this apparent leadership failure, Conservative MPs rightfully found themselves facing pressure from their constituencies who voted for them directly to express their will and interests. Even junior Conservative MPs wrote letters publicly distancing themselves from Johnson and expressing no confidence in his leadership, in a bid to show seriousness to their party and direct constituents.

There are a few lessons for SA democracy littered across the story of Johnson’s resignation. When Johnson said his resignation speech, he called the political and public pressure he was responding to “herd mentality”. While he was trying to be derogatory in his characterisation, he was correct, politics does happen as a show of collective thought, interest and actions converging. Sometimes the reasons for people’s agreeance varies. For some people who have no confidence in Boris, its his governance they question, for others its his morals, but the shared sentiments have led to a mood and sensibility that he is not fit to lead the country.

In SA we are experiencing a similar growing discontent with our leaders concerning their fitness to lead. From the public's views on the governing and opposition parties generally and President Cyril Ramaphosa in particular, there is a grumbling in different quarters of society slowly raising questions about a paucity of good political leadership.

Some may dismiss this as “herd mentality” as Johnson had, but it’s important to remember that political leaders serve at the pleasure of the people, and when the people express their displeasure, it may not be neat and hyper rational, but it matters all the same. Political leaders need a mandate to govern. When a leader loses the confidence of people, that leader is losing the legitimacy to lead. A government with declining legitimacy leads to fractures and dysfunction in society.

It is not in our interest in SA to be quick to dismiss even small signs of discontent, like ANC veterans lamenting Ramaphosa’s lack of vision or sectors of society publicly booing him, as mere smear campaigns. SA politicians often hide behind the law to escape moral accountability for their leadership. There are people who argue that until a political leader is charged or guilty of a crime, dissatisfaction with their leadership has no merits. What is interesting about Johnson’s resignation is that it was moral and ethical considerations that led to his downfall.

However irrational it may seem to some quarters of society, legitimacy and public support for leadership matters and when it is threatened it must be responded to with decisive leadership that regains people’s confidence, or admit they have no mandate to lead. Public sentiment matters in politics. In the same way that politicians rely on public sentiment to rally people to vote them into office, they need to respond to public sentiment when people are dissatisfied with their leadership.

It is incumbent on Ramaphosa and the ANC government to pay attention to the sentiments of discontent shown by the public, whether within the party or outside it. The ANC must read the room and keep its eye on the political temperature of the country. Instead of dismissing every outcry as political sabotage, Ramaphosa would do well to respond to growing questions about this leadership with a decisive plan to lead, or the humility to leave.