There are moments in a nation’s life when the true character of leadership is revealed — not in comfort or celebration, but in crisis.
This past week has been one of those moments. As the Eastern Cape mourns its dead, with the death toll now devastatingly standing at sixty-seven lives lost, South Africans across the country are living through the nightmare of a disaster that has left families broken, homes destroyed, and communities submerged in grief.
From the drowning valleys of KwaZulu-Natal to the battered homes of the Free State, from the storm-ravaged villages of the Western Cape to the flooded roads and collapsing infrastructure in the Eastern Cape, the country is in deep distress.
And yet, amid the horror and heartbreak, one man has risen to the moment with clarity, compassion, and courage. That man is Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and President of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
I write this not only as a human rights activist but as a proud member of the IFP. I am writing from the Western Cape — a province that, too, is feeling the brutal hand of the climate crisis — to say: we are watching, and we are inspired.
Minister Hlabisa has shown us all what real leadership looks like. In a country where many leaders fumble through press conferences and speak with detachment during moments of grief, he has done the opposite. He has stepped into this moment with grace and dignity, and above all, he has shown us what it means to lead with Ubuntu.
As I watched the media briefing unfold, I was overcome with pride. Minister Hlabisa answered every question with remarkable precision. His tone was measured yet deeply empathetic. His words weren’t rehearsed — they were sincere.
He wasn’t simply reading statistics or delegating blame; he was shouldering responsibility and affirming the pain of the people. He spoke like a leader who understands that behind every number is a name, a face, a family now in mourning.
That is what makes him stand out. Minister Hlabisa didn’t arrive with cameras; he arrived with compassion. He didn’t hide behind officials; he stood before the nation and acknowledged the devastation with the presence of a true statesman. Where others deflect, he connects.
Where others offer protocol, he offers care. And that is what makes him not only a capable Minister but also a father figure in a time of national loss.
In this Government of National Unity (GNU), where many are still grappling with political transition, Minister Hlabisa has emerged as a natural leader. He carries the legacy of the IFP with honour, walking in the footsteps of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and embodying the values of humility, discipline, and people-first governance.
His conduct during this crisis has not only reaffirmed his competence, but has also demonstrated what we have long known in the IFP — that this is a man built for higher office. He is presidential in posture and pastoral in heart.
To the families in the Eastern Cape who have lost their children, siblings, parents and neighbours — your pain is unbearable. The schoolchildren who drowned in a flooded river should never have been in harm’s way. The roads that collapsed should have been maintained. The emergency services should have reached you sooner.
We see you. We mourn with you. And we cry with you. The weight of your grief sits heavy on the nation’s chest.
Minister Hlabisa has made it clear that the state must do more than offer condolences. He understands that what our people need now is not only relief but long-term restoration. We cannot allow disaster response to end with food parcels and public statements.
Communities need psychological support. Children who witnessed death must be held and healed. Homes must be rebuilt. Dignity must be restored. And the state must be held accountable to prevent this kind of tragedy from repeating itself with every season’s rain.
As members of the IFP in the Western Cape, we wish to say this: we are proud of our leader. We are proud of his poise, his compassion, and his commitment to action. We are proud to be part of a political movement that believes in service over spectacle, and people over politics.
We are proud to stand behind a man who has walked into the heart of disaster not with fear, but with a deep sense of responsibility and care.
And now, in his spirit of unity and compassion, we call on all South Africans — in rural villages, urban townships, coastal towns and cities — to stand together. We call on community leaders, faith-based organisations, civil society groups, traditional leaders, and ordinary citizens to reach out to the affected. Whether it is through donations, trauma support, food drives, or spiritual guidance — let us remember that we are each other’s keepers.
To our national government, we say: let this not be another moment lost to bureaucratic apathy. Let it not be another cycle of grief followed by silence. Let this be the beginning of a new standard of governance — a governance that is responsive, responsible, and rooted in compassion.
Let this moment be remembered not only for the storm that took lives, but for the man who showed up — not with power, but with purpose.
Minister Hlabisa, we thank you. We honour you. And we follow your example.
What a man. What a leader. What a future.
Ngotsha, · Mdinwa, · Vilakazi, · Songiya, Somfula · Bulawayo!!!!!!!!
