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Bulawayo
Agenda embarks on a civil society leadership development programme
Taurai Maduna, Kubatana.net
April 19, 2006
View audio file details
"The challenge
in Zimbabwe now is that one is not sure whether people behind the
leader are following, or chasing him/her," reads one of the
points in the Practical Guide for the Civil Society Leadership Development
Programme being conducted by Bulawayo
Agenda.
Who is going
to lead the people? Are leaders bold enough to lead the people and
do they have the qualities to lead the people? These are some of
the issues being raised by Bulawayo Agenda whose aim is to create
a sustainable platform for debate, discussion and dialogue.
Xolani Zitha,
Programmes Co-ordinator said the main objective of the training
programme is to replenish the denuded layer of leadership within
Zimbabwean civil society. "We are not only targeting the executive
levels of management but we are looking at all levels at which leadership
is required," he said. listen
to audio file
According to
Mr Zitha, the training programme was borne out of the realisation
that over the last five years a lot of leaders from civil society
have had their effectiveness reduced for one reason or another.
He says that one of the reasons for the weakened leadership in civil
society has been their co-option into the structures of political
parties. In addition some civil society leaders have been exiled
due to government persecution. Bulawayo Agenda believes that some
civil society organisations are weakened because their leaders sit
on too many boards for other institutions and organisations.
According to
Bulawayo Agenda, the preliminary stages of the training will discuss
issues to do with various styles of leadership. Types and myths
of leadership will also be discussed. "We want to debunk the
notion that some people are born to be leaders and others are born
to be followers," Mr Zitha said.
The programme
will include local human rights defenders and activists drawn from
both urban and rural communities from three provinces, which are
Bulawayo Metropolitan, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North.
As part of creating
a vibrant platform for debate, Bulawayo Agenda has been conducting
public meetings in Bulawayo on a number of topical issues, which
include, elections, democracy and governance issues.
In June 2005,
Bulawayo Agenda published an analysis of Operation Restore Order.
They described the authorities behind the clean-up operation as,
"heartless political vampires intoxicated by power, greed and
protectionist philosophies."
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