From Where I Stand

"From Where I Stand" by Sihlangule Siwisa This book is about Leadership. It is about the kind of leadership that bends the arc of history and builds upon heritage in order to create a living legacy. The central challenge of a society that is moving away from imbalanced development is not only addressing economic inequality, but also restoring a sense of confidence in the quality of thought leadership that steers the destiny of the nation. We need cohesive leadership and that in turn can precipitate the kind of patriotism that emphasises seeking common ground and consensus above dwelling on differences and petty party politicking that polarises our nation. I believe that there is a difference between history and heritage. History is the sum total of all of our stories, but Heritage is what we choose to appropriate out of our History to own and shape the values, rituals and destiny of a particular society. We do not have the luxury of cherry picking what we regard to be palatable or unpalatable within history regarding the truth and the completeness of the collective story of history. For instance, the Anglo-Boer War and the Rise of Afrikaner Nationalism is as much a valid part of South African History as the birth and evolution of the African National Congress as the oldest and most enduring liberation movement in Africa. Heritage however is what I 'choose' to appropriate or 'own' and subsequently celebrate out of History as being part of my own story and therefore worthy of being re-told in order to build, establish, strengthen & sustain the value system of my own society. I believe all of history is worthy of being remembered, but not all that is within history is worthy of being celebrated. What I choose to celebrate out of history, is what I appropriate as my heritage.