Vote of Thanks by Comrade Mpho Parks Tau
07 December 2020
Thank you very much comrade chair to the session, the Regional Treasurer, the Regional Chairperson, and the entire leadership of the Region of Johannesburg.
It is humbling to be granted this honour, more so, to be mentioned alongside someone I regard as a mentor. I extend my appreciation to all the speakers for their wise words and their experiences we have shared together in the City of Johannesburg and for their commendable work in the local government sector.
This honour is a genuine reflection of all the work we have done collectively. Indeed, many of you are possibly more deserving of this honour and perhaps it is an accident of history that one was placed in the position of assuming responsibilities for being a former Chairperson of the ANC in Johannesburg and an Executive Mayor.
Comrade Chair and Compatriots, Allow me to relay just two key messages I thought would be important as we celebrate more than 20 years of democracy in local government. Also, these messages may possibly serve as a continuous lesson in our emphasis on the district development model for the sixth administration and beyond.
These are but two of the many lessons that I have learned from the former Executive Mayor of Johannes- burg and current Chairperson of the NCOP, namely Comrade Amby. The first lesson in leadership he never tired of repeating was that, in many ways, leadership is effective if it is dispersed throughout institutions and in society. This means simply that assuming a particUlar position in an organisation does not mean that you are the ultimate authority on thinking, ideas, and action.
Rather, it means that you assume a particular responsibility, at a certain period, with the understanding that every other person, in a certain context, has a particular role that they play in both the organisation, in government, and in society. As such, each person has their own role and function and the expectation is that the designated leader’s duty is to harness all the roles and functions in the direction that you seek to take.
Comrades and Compatriots, Lastly, another message that Comrade Amby shared with me upon assuming the responsibility of being Executive Mayor of the City, in 2011, was to ask that I endeavor to take this City to the next level. So, with all humility one can muster, this is my plea extended to the current leadership of the City to take it to the next level so that we can continue enhancing our program of fundamental socio-economic transformation.
Thank you very much.