What Is the Spirit of Ubuntu? How Can We Have It in Our Lives?

“Ubuntu is also about justice, and particularly, justice for all people. As much as we must look after each other, it is also just as important that we exercise fairness and equality for all people regardless of race, gender, or social status.

So essentially, Ubuntu is about togetherness as well as a fight for the greater good. This is what Mandela was prepared to sacrifice his life for.

Ubuntu is the common thread and DNA that runs through the UN’s Global Goals because, without the spirit of Ubuntu within us, we cannot implement great change in our society. It is imperative that we help all people, young and old, to achieve only the best for our future.”

Source:
Williams, H., 2018. Global Citizen. What Is the Spirit of Ubuntu? How Can We Have It in Our Lives? (Website) Available at: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ubuntu-south-africa-together-nelson- mandela/ [Accessed 10 September 2023].

QUESTION 1 [20 marks]
In your own words, define the concept of Ubuntu from a South African perspective. (6 marks)

Suggest and elaborate on three (3) reasons why the spirit of Ubuntu as an
ethical framework has not proven effective in uplifting South Africa as a country.
(3 x 2 = 6 marks)
Ex-President Nelson Mandela embodied Ubuntu when he led South Africa to democracy in 1994. Provide another suitable example of a person you believe has personified the principles of Ubuntu. Justify your answer by providing three (3) relevant reasons why this person personifies Ubuntu. (2 + (3 x 2) = 8 marks)

QUESTION 2 [30 marks]
2.1. Since the end of the apartheid regime, attempts by the ruling party have defined South African politics, the African National Congress (ANC), to achieve the radical transformation of the country’s society and economy and to defend and implement the country’s new Constitution and the comprehensive Bill of Rights contained within. Following the election in 1994, the ANC-led government needed to pursue a transformative agenda in both government and regulation of the private sector to actively address the inequalities left by apartheid (Rossouw and Van Vuuren, 2017: 112).

Required:
South Africa introduced the Employment Equity (EE) Act after 1994. It is currently the year 2024. Discuss in detail and in your own words how the employment equity (EE) Act addresses discrimination fairly as required by the South African Government of businesses during recruitment processes. Use the rubric provided as a guide. (30 marks)

QUESTION 3 [28 marks]
Read the article below and conduct your own additional research to answer the following questions.
SAA’s 17-month-long business rescue process ends, with the troubled airline now ‘solvent and liquid’

“The rescue of SAA was unprecedented as it was the first time the government had placed a state-owned entity under such a restructuring process. Business rescue is an attempt to rehabilitate companies that are financially distressed by restructuring their affairs.
The filing of the notice at the CIPC means the SAA interim executive management and board can take control of the airline’s operations. This leadership can then plan to restart the airline, which has been grounded for more than a year.”

Source:
Mahlaka, R., 2021. Daily Maverick. SAA’s 17-month-long business rescue process ends, with the troubled airline now ‘solvent and liquid’ (Website) Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-30-saas-17-month-long-business- rescue-process-ends-with-the-troubled-airline-now-solvent-and- liquid/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20BRPs%20%5Bbusiness%20rescue%20practiti oners,practitioners%2C%20said%20in%20a%20statement [Accessed 10 September 2023]

Examine the core components of which corporate responsibility is comprised. (4 x 3 = 12 marks)

Critically analyse the process of business rescue in South Africa. By means of the example of South African Airways (SAA), elaborate on the ways in which employees and workers are protected during the process. (8 + (4 x 2) = 16 marks)

QUESTION 4 [22 marks]
Understanding the benefits and harms of competitors as stakeholders is critical to business success. In light of the aforementioned, evaluate the potential ethical issues caused by competitors as stakeholders. (2 x 6 = 12 marks)

The government is a critical stakeholder in any business; like all other stakeholders, it can be harmed or benefitted by a business. Harms and benefits to the government typically relate to taxes and gross domestic product (GDP). Scrutinise the interests and roles of government as a stakeholder. (8 + (4 x 2) = 16 marks)

Answers to Above Questions on Ubuntu Case Study

Answer 1: Ubuntu can be defined from a South African perspective as the concept of promoting interconnectedness among individuals within a community. The basic premise of this concept therefore lies on relationships with community people and their ability to respect and support each other. It therefore promotes people of togetherness, mutual support and harmony among the people of south Africa.