JUST as economic downturns often sort wheat from chaff, so the backlash against nondelivery in the public sector and some parastatals has forced those in power to confront reality.

Public servants find blaming someone else is not washing anymore. Their incompetence, once excused because of their struggle-hero status or political connections, is no longer tolerated. Grim truth stares them in the face. They seem to be learning that they can correct legacies and achieve strategies only by dealing with the here and now, not by relying on shallow platitudes and ideology.

Recently in an interview on SAfm’s Vuyo Mbuli Show, City Power CEO Mogwailane Mohlala openly admitted to problems — some legacy, more from past bad decisions made by who knows what colour executive. He answered criticism from suppliers, citizens and the interviewer. But he did not describe the path to an efficient electricity distribution system for Johannesburg; instead he blamed the National Electricity Regulator for its damning report, shooting the messenger rather than taking responsibility for what is going on.

Some great steps forward have been made in the public discourse, identifying problems so that they can be fixed. A government report to Parliament admitted service delivery was hampered by a dearth of financial and technical skills caused by early retirements of seasoned professionals replaced, for employment equity reasons, by inexperienced nontechnical decision makers. Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi criticised disloyal and corrupt public managers for undermining implementation and service delivery, and excoriated bickering senior public-service managers and political principals.

Getting things right entails going against public opinion. It demands discipline, long-term investments and some unpopular strategic decisions, to fix the system and not just the symptoms. SA’s challenges are complex, so officials find general categories to explain things, excuse mistakes and hide culpability and confusion.

The struggle is important; but it belongs in the past. Struggle experiences should be used to inform and enrich, but not to define strategic positions now. If struggle history is to be useful, a struggle hero’s experience must be shown to be relevant to help officialdom to resolve dilemmas and resist corruption now.

Those in charge need self-awareness and self-esteem to confront reality, to make difficult choices and to mobilise appropriate action.

Empowerment appointees need support to acquire the skills and experience they were denied under apartheid. But equally, they have to get their businesses into order, create value and be held accountable for delivering on promises. This is not the same as pleasing analysts, and definitely not the same as satisfying customers.

Analysts mainly value the figures while customers want to get things cheaply and quickly, which might actually be the wrong thing for a business.

Similarly, newly advanced black managers must deal with a phenomenon common to all new elites: they need to respect the pride they evoke, and the expectations their communities and families have of them, but resist the temptation to use the authority of their office to benefit those close to them.

Pointers to normalisation via the empowerment route are the growing number of black professionals committed to their professions, as well as the recent property boom and increased consumer spending, fuelled by upwardly mobile young blacks who care less about past political heroes than they do about getting on with their lives. This is the organic and sustainable way to empowerment growth.

They make SA a dynamic, vibrant and unique model of adaptation and nation building, for Africa and the world.

Yudelowitz is director of consulting firm YSA and author of Smart Leadership.