Ntate Mayor, you cannot control what residents say about you but you can control how you respond.
Residents have legitimate concerns and public meetings should provide a platform for those concerns to be heard and addressed, rather than becoming confrontational exchanges.
The exchange between yourself and a resident during an imbizo in Tshepisong on Thursday, including the use of profanity, raises an important question about the standards we expect from public representatives. You have every right to defend the administration and correct misinformation but that can and should be done without language or conduct that diminishes the dignity of the office. Emotional control is not weakness; it is leadership.
Johannesburg needs leadership that can withstand pressure without losing its composure.
Tsepo Mhlongo, Bosa Gauteng leader
- Tsepo Mhlongo emphasized that residents have legitimate concerns that should be addressed in public meetings without becoming confrontational.
- An exchange during an imbizo in Tshepisong involved the mayor and a resident, which included the use of profanity.
- Mhlongo highlighted the importance of maintaining standards of conduct and language appropriate for public representatives.
- He stated that defending the administration should be done without diminishing the dignity of the office.
- Mhlongo asserted that emotional control is a key aspect of leadership, especially under pressure, for Johannesburg's leaders.
Ntate Mayor, you cannot control what residents say about you but you can control how you respond.
Residents have legitimate concerns and public meetings should provide a platform for those concerns to be heard and addressed, rather than becoming confrontational exchanges.
Johannesburg needs leadership that can withstand pressure without losing its composure.
Tsepo
