How arrogance can lead to a politician's downfall
Image: File/Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
'Politicians are like monkeys in that 'the higher they climb, the more revolting are the parts they expose'.' — Gwilym Lloyd George, 1st Viscount Tenby
A disturbing display of arrogance
Tebogo Letsi, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education: 'Question: In your own view, Minister, what makes a person credible?'
Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, Minister of Higher Education and Training: 'What makes a person credible chair is exactly how it is defined when you goggle… eh… encyclopedia. You will see what it means, exactly that.'
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee: 'You are not going to answer us, Minister.'
Minister (unashamedly chewing food in her mouth and disdainfully looking to another direction): 'I have responded, chairperson.'
'It is an old tale, as old as the conduct of human affairs, which was summed up pretty definitively by Lord Acton well over a century ago: power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'
On arrogance, the French proverb states: 'None are more haughty than a commonplace person raised to power.' Charles Haddon Spurgeon similarly noted: 'None are more unjust in their judgements of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves.'
The recent shocking display of unadulterated arrogance by the Minister of Higher Education and Training was deeply concerning. Her despicable, shameless, and discourteous conduct — exemplified by chewing food while responding to critical questions during a live televised parliamentary session — reflects her ignorance of how a public figure should carry herself.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Arrogance is the most dangerous leadership flaw. Believing one is infallible or smarter than everyone else inevitably leads to underestimating others or overestimating one's own knowledge. It is the Achilles heel of those who are smart but think they are more clever than they really are. As Jeff Immelt says, '[T]op leaders cannot allow weak spots to be blind spots.'
Arrogance often manifests as disparaging and objectionable behaviours targeted at others, ranging from aloofness and not listening to more serious actions like dismissing, deceiving, belittling, and hostility. According to Johnson et al's study, 'Acting superior but actually inferior? Correlates and consequences of workplace arrogance,' arrogant behaviours may be performed as a façade to mask incompetence.
Nkabane may be an effective politician, but lacks the gravitas of a true leader. This is what happens when people are rushed into positions they're not ready for. Speed in rushing things in politics kills.
The ANC's conspicuous silence regarding the minister's egregious behaviour is both shocking and concerning. The ANC should have reined in Nkabane and instructed her to apologise to the nation. Failure to publicly restrain her will have serious political ramifications.
I won't call for the minister's sacking. I believe in giving people second chances because no politician is immune to the arrogance of power. As the saying goes: 'Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.'
The failure of both the minister and her senior officials to answer straightforward questions indicates deeper problems within the department. The minister's supercilious behaviour has created a 'perfect storm' troubling our democracy.
Gifted leaders are frequently endowed with self-importance and a sense of imperious assurance. American organisational and management psychologist Hodges L Golson suggests a four-quadrant approach with brainpower on one axis and arrogance on the other:
Low competence and low arrogance: Unlikely to rise to high ranks
High competence and low arrogance: Solve problems without being offensive
Low competence and high arrogance: Dangerous because they don't realise their limitations
High competence and high arrogance: Interesting because of competing forces of "great potential and great danger"
These leaders 'win any individual battle but often lose the war' due to their destructive impact on morale and relationships.
What Nkabane clearly lacks is intellectual humility — a quality essential for effective leadership. Intellectual humility involves: Awareness of one's limitations and biases
Willingness to revise views based on evidence
Open-mindedness and curiosity
Realism about one's flaws and capabilities
Teachability and adaptability
In political contexts, intellectually humble individuals demonstrate greater openness to opposing views, investigate misinformation more thoroughly, and endorse more moderate positions overall.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Public Works makes strides in reducing rental payments owed to landlords
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says his department has put in controls that were monitored daily and were aimed to improve the functioning of their payment systems. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said his department has managed to reduce to R20 million outstanding rentals owed to landlords that dated back three months ago. Macpherson said the department has put controls that are monitored daily and is looking at systems to improve the functioning of its payment systems. 'As at 6 June 2025, the outstanding rental amount is R2,540,382.42 (0.5%) and R19,897,707.26 (4.1%) for April and May, respectively,' he said. Macpherson was responding to parliamentary questions from Build One South African leader Mmusi Maimane, who enquired about the Information and Communication Technology outages that affected the ability of the Property Management Trading Entity to process rental payments to landlords in April. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Maimane enquired about the current status of rental payments, the total number of landlords that remained, the total monetary value of outstanding rental payments, and steps his department has taken to ensure that such delays do not recur. Macpherson said there were 1,991 leases for 1,274 landlords valued at R484,425,687.62 in the lease administration system and the payment system for April rental payments as of June 6. 'Forty-four leases (2.2%) affecting 26 landlords (2%) amounting to R2,540,382.42 (0.5%) failed Central Supplier Database (CSD) verification and therefore were not paid.' He also said there had been 1,995 leases for 1,269 landlords valued at R483,952,863.48 for May. At least 89 leases (4.5%) affecting 75 landlords (5.9%), amounting to R19,897,707.26 (4.1%) were not verified and were not paid. Macpherson said the payment system was still processing the June rental payments. 'The outstanding rental payments for April 2025 are 44 leases (2.2%) affecting 26 landlords (2%). The outstanding lease payments for May are 89 leases (4.5%) affecting 75 landlords (5.9%),' he said. 'It must be noted that the non-payment of transactions submitted on the payment system is primarily due to landlords not being compliant with CSD. In addition, 33 CSD non-compliant landlords from April are included in the May figure.' Meanwhile, the Independent Development Trust (IDT) has collected R882 million in payments in just three months from 15 departments that owed for infrastructure projects it implemented on their behalf. 'The IDT has been able to collect R882,374,561 between 01 April 2025 and 30 June 2025,' Macpherson said. The entity has paid a total of 1,366 service providers to the tune of R648,167,277. 'As at 30 June 2025, 790 service providers remained unpaid an amount of R1,394,036,545. The variance in the amount is due to additional invoices that would have been received between 01 April 2025 and 30 June 2025,' he said. Macpherson was responding to ActionSA MP Malebo Patricia Kobe, who enquired about the department's obligation to pay contractors after receiving money due from client departments. The IDT had informed the portfolio committee in June that it was owed R1.2 billion by client departments. It informed Parliament four months ago that it had been unable to pay service providers due to delays in payment by client departments. The entity has incurred R47m in total expenditure on legal costs and owed creditors for more than 12,000 invoices that could not be paid within the 30-day deadline as of the end of March last year.
Daily Maverick
8 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
A call to clean up and deliver — Deputy Minister Gondwe challenges Setas to start showing their worth
Embroiled in allegations of corruption and nepotism and students failing to complete their in-service training due to stipends not being paid, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Mimmy Gondwe says the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) need to start making a difference to unemployment. The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mimmy Gondwe, said the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas), which had been under scrutiny due to allegations of corruption and nepotism, including former minister Nobuhle Nkabane making appointments of ANC politicians as chairpersons of 21 Seta boards, must start making a difference in unemployment. The new minister, Buti Manamela, would make things happen, said Gondwe. On 30 July 2025 Gondwe was in Kariega (Uitenhage) in the Eastern Cape visiting the CET College's Phakamile Community Learning Centre, and participated in Mandela Month outreach activities, at which she distributed hygiene packs, helped paint the building, and cleaned classrooms alongside the community. The college had dilapidated infrastructure with a few broken windows, classrooms without ceilings, and peeling paint. During the visit, Gondwe was accompanied by representatives from the 21 different setas, including the Agricultural seta, the Health and Welfare seta, and the embattled Services seta that is embroiled in a R163-million contract scandal for biometric units meant to track learner attendance and manage stipend payments. After her address at the college, Daily Maverick asked Gondwe about the importance of ensuring that Setas remained stable after allegations of corruption, a lack of stipends for trainees, and issues relating to the previous minister, Nkabane. 'The fact of the matter is that Setas have to start making a dent in the rate of unemployment. They have to start making a difference… I think with the new minister, he understands and grasps that it will be his clear call to the Setas that you must start making a difference now. 'Yes, some of them have been embroiled in allegations of corruption and maladministration, etc. but it does not take away from the role that they can play if they are properly managed, and they can play a fundamental role,' said Gondwe. Setas are meant to facilitate skills development through learning programmes like learnerships, skills programmes and internships. However, they have been under scrutiny due to allegations of corruption and failing to deliver on their mandates. Read more: Broken promises — how SA's Seta system leaves young job seekers behind. Gondwe said she had direct oversight in a few Setas, and that she had challenged them to ensure their impact was visible in the economy. 'It's not enough for you to say we've managed to reach 20,000 students, but where are those students? You've got to take an interest in where they end up because our success as a sector doesn't lie in how many people we train or skill, but where they end up and whether we are skilling them in skills that are demanded and needed by the economy,' said Gondwe. Restoring hope Speaking about the positive drive by Gondwe and her department, Eastern Cape Community Education and Training (CET) College SRC chairperson Lihle Dlova said that it was monumental. 'She spoke of the fact that our existing challenges, like dilapidated infrastructure, food and nutrition, certification and the further development of CETs will be addressed as the years come. She's already on the way, on the journey to improve our lives and the lives of the students at large. We are a very big province and one of the poorest in the country, so this is exactly what we needed,' said Dlova. Meanwhile, the Services Seta's manager, Makhaya Blaai, who addressed the community, said they would work together with CETs because they provided education and held a valuable position in society. 'Not everyone can go to universities and study for three years; there need to be opportunities in CET colleges where people can come and acquire short skills to receive a qualification to get work… CET centres like these are critical because they are embedded in communities to uplift those who have been excluded from the traditional education and employment pathways,' said Blaai. DM
eNCA
a day ago
- eNCA
French govt prepares new law to return colonial-era art
France's government on Wednesday discussed a bill designed to speed up the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin, officials said. If approved, the law would make it easier for the country to return cultural goods in France's national collection "originating from states that, due to illicit appropriation, were deprived of them" between 1815 and 1972, said the culture ministry. It will cover works obtained through "theft, looting, transfer or donation obtained through coercion or violence, or from a person who was not entitled to dispose of them", the ministry added. The bill was presented during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, a government spokeswoman told reporters. The Senate is due to discuss it September. Former colonial powers in Europe have been slowly moving to send back some artworks obtained during their imperial conquests, but France is hindered by its current legislation. The return of every item in the national collection must be voted on individually. Wednesday's draft law is designed to simplify and streamline the process. France returned 26 formerly royal artefacts including a throne to Benin in 2021. They were part of the collection of the Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum in Paris, which holds the majority of the 90,000 African works estimated to be in French museums, according to an expert report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. A "talking drum" that French colonial troops seized from the Ebrie tribe in 1916 was sent back to Ivory Coast earlier this year. In 2019, France's then prime minister Edouard Philippe handed over a sword to the Senegalese president that was believed to have belonged to the 19th-century West African Islamic scholar and leader, Omar Tall. Other European states, including Germany and the Netherlands, have handed back a limited number of artefacts in recent years Britain faces multiple high-profile claims but has refused to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece and the Kohinoor diamond to India, two of the best-known examples. The French draft law is the third and final part of legislative efforts to speed up the removal and return of artworks held in France's national collection.
