Analysis on Steve Biko and his leadership qualities

This blog will be examining Steve Biko's leadership ability.

Brief background history

Stephen Bantu Biko commonly known as “Steve Biko” was born in Eastern Cape, South Africa on the 18th of December 1946 (Brittany Brackett). At an early age Steve Biko displayed interest in anti-apartheid politics which lead to his “brutal murder” in prison on the 12th of September 1977 (African History). Steve Biko was expelled from his first school in Eastern Cape for “anti-establishment” behaviour, he was then transferred to a Roman Catholic boarding school in Natal (Brittany Brackett). He then enrolled at the University of Natal Medical School (black section). While at the university Steve Biko became involved in the student union called NUSAS (National Union of South African Students), but he soon resigned because he was convinced that the dominance of white liberals failed to represent black, Indian and colored students who didn't have a platform to express themselves (African History). Biko decided to help and found the South African Students' Organisation (SASO) in 1968 instead, and was elected its first president. SASO later evolved to become Black Consciousness Movement (BCM).

In 1972 Steve Biko took part in founding the Black Peoples Convention (BPC) which worked on social upliftment projects in Durban. According to Buffalo city Government, the BPC also brought together about 70 different black consciousness groups and associations, one of them was the South African Student's movement (SASM) which took part in the 1976 Soweto uprising. Other associations that BPC brought together are the National Association of Youth Organisations (NAYO) and the Black Workers Project (BWP) which helped black workers whose unions were not recognized under the Apartheid government (Buffalo city Government). Steve Biko was elected has the first president of BPC and according to African History Steve Biko was “promptly expelled” from medical school. HE also decided to start working full time for the Black Community Programme (BCO) in Durban which he also help found (Brittany Brackett).

In march 1973 Steve Biko was “banned” from public places (Brittany Brackett).. He was confined to his home town of Kings William's town. During that time Steve Biko wasn't able to support the BCP in Durban but he continued to work for them indirectly, he was able to help set up organisation based on the “notion of self reliance” (Buffalo city government) like Zimele Trust Fund which assisted political prisoners and their families, a community clinic, leather-works project and the Ginsberg education fund. Steve Biko was detained and interrogated four times between August 1975 and September 1977 under the pretext of anti-terrorism legislation (Kee Alistair, 2006). Due to Steve Biko and the BCM playing a significant part in organizing the protests which cultivated into the Soweto Uprising on the 16th of June 1976, Steve Biko was detained on the 21st of August 1977 by Eastern Cape security police and held in Port Elizabeth (Brittany Brackett). He was interrogated at the security police headquarters. The police officers interrogating him began to beat him with “a hose and pushed into a wall” (Brittany Brackett). The force used to push him on the wall was so great that he sustained “head blows, so severe that they shifted the inside of his brain” (Brittany Brackett). On the 11th of September Steve Biko was loaded naked at the back of a Land Rover, naked and they drove him 1,500 km to Pretoria to a prison with a hospital facility to treat his bruises and head injuries (African History). Steve Biko died shortly after arriving in prison on the 12th of September, he was found naked lying dead in his jail cell (African History).

Steve Biko's brutal murder causes a stir worldwide and he became a martyr and a symbol of resistance to the oppressive apartheid regime. It also caused the United Nations Security Counsel to impose an arms embargo against South Africa (Brittany Brackett).

Steve Biko's leadership Characteristics

He had a strong Character and belief that he could help fight apartheid by being free in the mind first through education. He managed conflict through solving problems and building relationships. He also had the ability lead others, and became involved in those activities. He confronted injustice and promoted non-violent activities. With all these characteristics he was able to influence a lot of people to fight apartheid.

The environment Steve Biko developed his leadership skills

Steve Biko's family stressed the importance of an education from an early age (Brittany Brackett). Steve Biko also learned at an early age that to survive in South Africa, inflicted with Apartheid, that an education was critical, but despite Steve’s academic abilities, an expulsion occurred and continuing an education was not permitted, this was due to his active membership with multiple consciousness organizations. Through the process of participating in these black consciousness groups Steve develop skills and the will to free his people through mental and physical freedom.

Steve Biko's Leadership behaviour

According to Lewin et al (1938, pg. 402), democratic leadership behaviour is “behavioural styles of leaders who tend to involve the groups in decision, let the group determine work methods, make overall goals known, and use feedback as an opportunity for helpful coaching”. This behavioral leadership style was used by Steve Biko in order to lead his Black Consciousness groups. A persons leadership style according to Dubrin et al (2006, p. 74) can be regarded as “the single most important factor in working successfully with others”. For instance, between 1972 an 1976 Steve Biko and BPC were able to effectively bring together about 70 other different black consciousness groups and associations and collaborate with them (Brittany Brackett).

Steve Biko's sources of power

Steve Biko source of power could have come from informational, and expert power.

Informational power is power resulting from access to and control over the distribution of important information (Kathryn et al, 2005, pg. 401). Steve Biko had informational power about the apartheid struggle because he realised at an early age that in order to “survive in South Africa.....an education was critital” (Brittany Brackett). Not only was Steve Biko well educated, he knew what was happening around him and people/groups depended on his informational power to get his advise. For example, During the time Steve Biko was banned from public he managed to help BCP set up organisation like Zimele Trust Fund which assisted political prisoners and their families (Buffalo city Government).

Expert power is defined by Kathryn et al (2005, pg.400) as power based on possession of expertise valued by others. E.g. Knowledge and skills. Steve Biko had expert power, as a youngster Steve Biko was expelled from school because of being an active member of multiple Black Consciousness organizations (Brittany Brackett). His early knowledge and skills acquired from these organizations make him become a leader in six groups he joined. For example, The black Consciousness Movement, South African Students Organisation and National Union of South African (Brittany Brackett).

Strengths

Steve Biko was persistent and always looking for solutions to help his fellow people to fight apartheid (Brittany Brackett). This also could have made the apartheid government scared because they knew he was a great force. Steve Biko had the ability not to give a hand to people but empower them to be self reliant by helping build clinics and organizations like the Zimele Trust Fund.

Good educational background and understanding of the apartheid government was also his strength. Steve Biko knew that empowering the youth with education, it would help them fight apartheid better because they could have the right skills and mind to liberate themselves from the mental slavery and physical slavery. It wasn't easy to fool him and he was focused and could not easily change his mind.

He was also a good writer and people quoted him a lot. Some of the quotes were used by people in order to encourage others to follow the black consciousness movement (South African History). Quotes like “Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time. Its essence is the realization by the black man of the need to rally together with his brothers around the cause of their oppression – the blackness of their skin – and to operate as a group to rid themselves of the shackles that bind them perpetual servitude" gave hope to the youth to come together and fight as one because you are stronger together (South African History).

Weaknesses

Even though Steve Biko was described as “Martyr” (BBC News) he also had some weaknesses which slowed down the progress of achieving his goal efficiently, especially when it comes to uniting other races and the ANC to fight apartheid.

One of his weaknesses was not to attend to his fellow “colored friends”, he was so into black consciousness that he overlooked one of his main goals in fighting apartheid. The reason why Steve Biko resigned from the National Union of South Africa was due to the dominance of white liberals who failed to represent blacks, Indians and coloreds students, but his fight against apartheid did not include them either therefore he didn't have much support from the Indian and colored community.

Steve Biko's philosophies were described as radical according to the African National Congress (ANC). Steve Biko believed that blacks should not rely on any help or assistance from whites. He further on went to say that blacks should withdraw any partnership with white groups (BBC News). This caused tension and cut communication between Steve Biko and the ANC. Even though some reconciliation was due to happen between Steve Biko and Oliver Tambo, the then president of ANC, but he was killed before the meeting took place. Some believe it was a threat of “impending unity between the two groups that may have led to his death” (BBC News). Steve Biko was later on officially acknowledged by the ANC as an important man in the liberation of the south African struggle for freedom (BBC News).

Steve Biko just like other great leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr saw the need to fight for freedom through non-violent means. Biko also realized that in order to restore African consciousness one needed to fight it in two stages, the psychological liberation and the physical liberation. Steve Biko joined about 6 black consciousness groups and was elected leader in almost all of them. This just shows that he had great leadership qualities. Even though it took 17 years after his death for South Africa to get its independence, the information provided in this blog shows that Steve Biko played a significant part in directing South Africa to overcome oppression and inequality. His leadership character, power, skills and behaviour he displayed all influenced people and the black consciousness movements that laid a platform for South Africans to fight for their struggle like the 1976 Soweto uprising.

Lets be proud of our African freedom fighters, lets open up our minds and lets fight to make changes in our lives. Why did Steve Biko, Patrice Lumumba, Dr Kaunda, Samora Machel, Agostino Neto fight so hard for our freedom? And yet we don't even want to work hard to change our communities, country, infranstructure, poverty status and the dependency on aid. We are slaves of our own freedom.. lets be free with black consciousness!!

by

Kadoko Chanda

The African Dream © 2009

References

1. African History. Quotes: Stephen (Steve) Bantu Biko. Retrieved on 20/11/2008 from: http://africanhistory.about.com/od/bikosteve/p/qts_biko.htm
2. Andrew J Dubrin, Carol Dalglish, Peter Miller (2008). Leadership. John Wiley and Sons Australia
3. Brittany Brackett. Steve Biko changing the world. Retrieved on 20/11/2008 from: Http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/history/africa/save/brackett/bracket.htm
4. BBC News. background: Steve Biko – Martyr of the anti-apartheid movement. Retrieved on 20/11/2008 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/37448.stm
5. Buffalo City Government. King William's town Hero: Steve Biko 1946-1977. Retrieved on 20/11/2008 from: http://www.buffalocity.gov.za/visitors/biko.stm
6. Heinrichs, Ann (2001). Mahatma Gandhi, Gareth Stevens. p.12
7. Kee Alistair (2006). The rise and demise of black theology, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd
8. Lewin, K. and Lippitin, R.(1938). An experimental approach to the study of autocracy and democracy: A preliminary note. Sociometry, 1, pg. 292-300.
9. South African History (2007). Stephen Bantu Biko. Retrieved on 10/11/2008 from: http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/biko-s.htm
10. Wiredu, Kwasi; William E. Abraham, Abiola Irele, Ifeanyi A. Menkiti (2003). Companion to African philosophy, Blackwell Publishing