Dr Naledi Pandor, Chair of the Board of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, has called on South Africans to build stronger civic engagement and actively hold government accountable on urgent national issues.
She delivered the remarks at a Critical Conversations event hosted by Regent Business School in Cape Town on 8 May 2026, themed: Ethical Choices in Fragile Times: South Africa’s Role in Shaping Global Diplomacy, Development, and the Rising Global South.
The gathering brought together business leaders, academics, diplomats, alumni and students to reflect on ethics, leadership, diplomacy, and South Africa’s foreign policy direction amid shifting global alliances, weakening multilateral systems, and intensifying geopolitical competition.
In her address, Dr Pandor emphasised the link between ethical decision-making and responsible leadership, arguing that values shape institutions, governance outcomes and societal behaviour. She stressed that global uncertainty is closely tied to local responsibility, urging communities not to remain passive in the face of social and developmental challenges.
She also reflected on how global affairs are often interpreted through narrow national interests centred on dominance and control, positioning South Africa within a changing international order. She highlighted the importance of principled diplomacy and the increasing influence of the Global South in shaping global governance.
The discussion further explored how ethical leadership, active citizenship and values-based decision-making can strengthen accountability in society. Audience engagement reflected concerns around global conflict, inequality, and declining trust in public institutions, as well as the need for South Africa to balance international pressures with domestic development priorities.
Professor Ahmed Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer of Regent Business School, said the conversation was both urgent and necessary: “The significance of this conversation lay in its seriousness and urgency. It connected global instability with the ethical choices that leaders, institutions, and communities must confront every day. These are not abstract debates; they shape the moral direction of societies, the quality of our leadership and the responsibilities we carry in shaping a more just and accountable future.”
Dr Shahiem Patel, Academic Dean of Regent Business School, added: “Dr Pandor’s address reminded us that education must do more than prepare graduates for employment. It must prepare people to think ethically, act responsibly, and contribute meaningfully to society, particularly in fragile and uncertain times.”
The event formed part of Regent Business School’s Critical Conversations series, which creates a platform for public dialogue on national and global issues linked to leadership, policy, education, diplomacy and society.
