FORMER LEADERS’ BENCH WITH DAILY NEWS: Mongella: Leaders must demonstrate self-confidence

“A LEADER is a person who has a vision, selfless and possesses the right character and attitude to demonstrate efficiency in running affairs,” said Mama Gertrude Mongella, former Secretary General of the Fourth UN World Conference on Women held in Beijing.

Mama Mongella disclosed this when the ‘Daily News’ sought an audience with her, being the veteran politician, diplomat and gender activist to get details of her unmatched leadership experience, untold stories, what she sees and what she would love to see attained by the country.

Based on her leadership background as a politician, diplomat and gender activist Mama Mongella said in exercising good leadership practices, it’s not just about the contemporary education obtained from school, but rather a range of different factors including talent, one’s upbringing and ability to learn from others.

The veteran politician went on to say that one needs to demonstrate self-confidence, showing own abilities, patriotism and volunteerism spirit.

Recounting her leadership journey, she said there was a time people had forgotten her real name and were referring to her as “Mwalimu wa Chang’ombe” after contesting for the post of the TANU Chairperson of the Chang’ombe Teachers College. And, this was because she truly contested to acquire the position; therefore, she had branded herself well among the voters and other people.

“As a leader, people should recognise you by delivering your potentials, your past works…whenever your name is mentioned, there will be no one to get shocked,” said Mama Mongella, indicating that on the side of women, the situation is even worse if they don’t seem to have the right qualifications as a person may be linked to unpleasant situations.

To be able to stand firm as President Samia Suluhu Hassan, she observed that a person’s history should have the right credentials, so whenever someone is describing you does get glitches. The history should be the person did this, participate into that and so forth.

In her case, she also acquired leadership experience from TANU and later Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), where their forerunners had encouraged and instilled them with a patriotic heart and mindset.

Mama Mongella noted that the then leaders had the privilege to be groomed in the party, noting that the key principle was volunteerism, for example as a youth, one needed to show that he/she can volunteer in youth camps.

“I as a teacher, needed to show that I could guide youths to go and volunteer in the socialist villages…put on some show off for everyone to be satisfied that you could lead others,” she said.

She added: “Being brought up that way had instilled confidence and high spirits of volunteering…at times you contemplate to yourself that let me continue serving in a position so that you can’t give room for unfit candidates.”

On the other hand, the renowned diplomat was keen to note that leadership involved that of inborn and learning qualities, stating that she was privileged to acquire both.

She revealed that natural born leaders are those who have been born with leadership traits and a person of such caliber will always be relied upon by peers in, whatever aspects example they will select you to start a song for the group and so forth.

But, naturally born leaders characters is usually strengthened with the way they have been brought up in the family. Such includes parents recognising the potential possessed by the child.

She said children who have been brought to recognise their potentials by parents, neighbours and peers and for girls, if they get privileged enough to grow up in the societies where women are leaders, it is easy to naturally move in the footsteps.

Mama Mongella recounted her time in her home village, where they looked upon the women as very brave and strong from the way they handled matters in their families, caring for the children including education and interaction with other community members.

Should one grow up in a similar community, she said the way of life would definitely be an inspiration as you get to learn and gain skills.

For Mama Beijing, she was privileged enough because her parents had taken her to school, therefore managing to acquire the other aspect of leadership by getting education.

Narrating her first experience as the first President of the Pan-African Parliament, she had to dig deep so that she could be able to be conversant in leading the organ.

“As leader of the organ, I had to learn from others…I generated a vast knowledge on how similar Parliaments in Latin America, Europe and other continents were doing in order to take charge,” she said.

According to her, a leader must always be brave and show that they are capable in their positions by knowing the technicalities, noting that throughout her experience in leadership she has learned a lot from others who passed before her.

A lot of women have the tendency of shying away and shielding their potentials, citing an example when she had served in the Prime Minister’s Office: she used to complain on the small number of female District Commissioners, but was asked for a list of proposed candidates and failed to deliver one because people were scared.

While running for the Chairperson of TANU Branch at Chang’ombe, Mama Mongella had not read the Constitution of the party. Due to determination, she asked for the Constitution from her husband and read the entire document overnight and went to contest the following day and won.

“Leaders should always be bold, especially female leaders and those who want to contest for positions in future…everyone is an enemy of growing leadership talent because people are always looking down at leader. They expect you to go wrong instead of rectifying you,” expressed with deep sadness.

Often times, the topic has been to choose the right leaders, she noted that people tend to forget that by leaving loopholes during elections room, is to create room for unfit candidates to sail through.

And, those who lack the right and needed qualifications are the ones who usually come out, noting that cases like this need to be dealt with by plugging the loopholes.

“Every time you have to scrutinise yourself to determine if you’re in the right position…I got this when we were preparing the Beijing Conference. We had encouraged women to participate in elections but when the time comes, women fail to show up…definitely men will dominate if you don’t turn out,” she said.

In running for various positions, she said women had to be brave and sometimes need to exercise their boldness in ensuring that they stand out before their male counterparts.

Thus, she advised women in the forthcoming Local Government Elections and General Election to ensure that unfit people do not contest.

Despite her huge CV, Mama Mongella is a wife and a mother to three boys and 12 grandchildren. She has managed to inspire one of her children who currently serves as the Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC) Mr John Mongella.

According to her, the Arusha RC was a leader of many things, noting that as young boy, he used to lead his other siblings at home. He liked to rectify his siblings.

She said that out of the three boys, the second one is a person of humour to the extent of saying things, which would leave all in laughter.

Mama Mongella maintained that a person’s environment grooms a leader, as a strong contender of TANU and CCM she had allowed for him (John) to take part in youth issues such as camps.

She recounted a time when he got an opportunity to go to Korea to participate at a world forum for socialist countries. When he was still in secondary school, he went to Mbeya for a youth camp, where they permitted him to participate in this kind of gathering because of his understanding on what they meant.

“So, I would say his upbringing was also a catalyst along with a combination of all his talents and the entire environment,” she stated.

Besides, Mama Mongella also recounted the scenario where the Founding Father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere recognised her leadership talents.

During Mwalimu’s time CCM had groomed a lot of talents. She recalled the 1995 multiparty election, while introducing former President Benjamin Mkapa, Mwalimu had said: “CCM is a very strong party taking into account the rich number of cadres the party possesses…I am here to introduce one of them. The party has nominated him, and I will soon be leaving to meet one of our cadres in China — Gertrude Mongella.”

She noted that Mwalimu was a person who recognised and nurtured talents and did not appoint people other than for their merits.

For, Mama Mongella began her journey as a politician at a very young age; she urged the youth not to give themselves the privilege to be left behind.

“You should be able to have a vision and have the right mind and attitude to reach the set goals. This had helped me a lot as a young person, because not once in my youthful days- one would be allowed to go back…this philosophy of not wanting to move a step back had helped me a lot.”

She disclosed that at one point, she refused to accept an appointment during the National Executive Committee as secretary of the special team that was tasked to address the various challenges on cattle raiding in Mara Region. She demanded for much higher role because she believed on her capacity to deliver.

“When the team was appointed and given task, I was appointed to be the secretary of the team, but I refused and asked to be the chairperson. When I demanded for the position, I was told that there was a lot of chaos in the region and being a woman, people would not want to listen to me… I said no and I did very well afterwards.”

To Mama Mongella, leadership is not any easy role but people need to be bold and wear the right attitude and character to excel through.