Servicing the Community Debt

The book asserts that the most realistic way for South Africa to successfully free itselffrom the legacies of apartheid is to meet two fundamental conditions: under-privilegedcommunities must meaningfully embrace learning and workplaces must be turnedinto places of optimal value-creation. It also argues that a critical ingredient needed toaccomplish this is a new spirit of leadership championed by communities. The author cautions that South Africa should follow a courageous path of making whatworks to work, instead of allowing itself to be overwhelmed by the negative power of whatis wrong. He also points out that while corruption and incompetence are real and needdecisive action, unbridled self-interest and hubris in various forms are also very seriousthreats which, although more difficult to remedy, require both competent leadership andeffective strategies to bring under control. The book calls for a courageous new age of knowledge consciousness where ignoranceis replaced by enlightenment, facilitated by leaders who do not just inspire momentaryexcitement in people, but who can practically educate people to embrace learning andpractice real patriotism on a sustainable basis. It advocates a three-phase human capitaldevelopment strategy based on the principles of consciousness, responsibility andcompetence, which can assist people to achieve significance in their lives.