There are moments when an event becomes more than a gathering. It becomes a mirror, showing us not only who we are but also who we might become.
An evening with two remarkable leaders, Professor Bonang Mohale and Automobile Association (AA) CEO Bobby Ramagwede, was one such occasion.
It was an evening that reminded us that while legacy is important, it is never enough. Legacy must remain relevant to the realities of today.
Otherwise, like a faded photograph, it becomes something we admire from a distance but no longer recognise as living, breathing, and purposeful.
For me, the evening was not about celebrating the past in isolation but about interrogating how we connect it to the present and future, particularly in a country and a continent where young people dominate our demographics.
Africa is the youngest continent in the world, and South Africa is no exception.
That youth bulge represents both a promise and a danger. It is a promise if we nurture, empower, and inspire it. It is a danger if we neglect, dismiss, or silence it. Legacy is irrelevant if it cannot speak to this generation.
The Automobile Association of South Africa stands as one of the oldest institutions in the country. At 95 years old, founded in 1930, it has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the birth of a democratic nation, and the relentless evolution of technology.
Like South Africa itself, the AA is rich in history.
And like South Africa, its challenge is not in proving it once mattered, but in ensuring it continues to matter now and in the future.
When institutions speak only of their glorious past, their greatest leaders, or the length of their existence, they risk irrelevance. Bonang Mohale reminded us of this truth with eloquence.
Dropping the names of our greatest figures, whether it is Nelson Mandela for South Africa or past icons for AA, may inspire pride, but pride alone does not build the future.
Inspiring confidence in the future
Both South Africa and the AA could lose their aura if they rest too long on their laurels. Longevity alone cannot sustain relevance.
Just as the AA cannot afford to assume that its 95 years of service guarantee its future significance, South Africa cannot assume that its miraculous democratic transition guarantees a prosperous tomorrow.
Legacy fades unless we keep imagining and reimagining, building, rebuilding, and adapting.
Listening to both Bonang Mohale and Bobby Ramagwede, I was reminded of a simple yet profound truth: the duty of every leader is to inspire confidence in the future.
It is not enough to remind people of what has been achieved. Leadership is about giving people reason to believe that what is to come will be better.
Nelson Mandela understood this when he stepped out of prison after 27 years and declared that South Africa’s best days lay ahead.
Similarly, Bobby Ramagwede understands that the AA cannot merely say it has been a guardian of motorists for nearly a century.
He knows the institution must transform, collaborate, and reimagine itself to meet today’s realities, from road safety in a digital era to sustainable mobility in a world confronting climate change.
This responsibility weighs even heavier in a youthful country like South Africa. Our leaders must not only honour history but also inspire young people to believe that the future is theirs to shape.
Without this, legacy becomes a museum piece rather than a living legacy. During the evening, Professor Mohale shared a moving story about Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola.
When asked about the happiest moment of his life, Otedola recounted four stages he went through: accumulating wealth, acquiring valuables, and securing major projects. None brought true joy.
His happiness only came when he bought wheelchairs for two hundred disabled children.
When he handed one to a child, the boy clung to him and said: “I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I will be able to recognise you and thank you once again.”
That story touched me deeply because it echoed something Ntate Tokyo Sexwale once shared with me.
He told me about donating a wheelchair and watching as the tears of the recipients rolled to their ears, a sight he described as “with tears in their ears”.
Fulfillment is found in service
Both stories carry the same lesson: true fulfillment is found not in wealth or status, but in service—service that restores dignity and wipes away tears. Professor Mohale used the story to remind us that we owe South Africa kindness.
A legacy that does not translate into building an equal society is hollow. What good is it to celebrate our past if the marginalised remain excluded from the promise of freedom?
To honour South Africa’s legacy is to wipe the tears of those who have been left behind: the poor, the disabled, the unemployed, and the forgotten.
It is to make sure that when the young and vulnerable look at us, they see not only leaders who speak of the past but leaders who act in the present to create a more equal tomorrow.
In his closing remarks, Bobby Ramagwede spoke about the AA not just as a service provider but as a trusted guardian.
It was inspiring to hear how he framed the institution’s work in the context of transformation and collaboration.
He did not speak of the AA as a static legacy but as a living entity that must constantly evolve. The AA is not exempt from the need to remain relevant.
In a rapidly changing society, where the meaning of mobility itself is shifting, the AA must serve not just motorists but the wider public good.
In that sense, its journey mirrors that of South Africa.
Both must constantly prove that they are guardians worth trusting, not because of their age or history, but because of their relevance and responsiveness today.
This requires centrering transformation, ensuring inclusivity, and building partnerships that go beyond the traditional.
Just as South Africa must embrace collaboration between government, business, and civil society to move forward, the AA must work with diverse partners to remain a force for good in an era of disruption. Partners like the Gautrain are examples of this.
Legacy is a responsibility
The evening left me reflecting on how fragile greatness can be. South Africa is admired globally for its miracle of democracy, just as the AA is respected for its longevity. Yet both can fade if they do not remain relevant.
History shows us that even the greatest civilisations, companies, and institutions can lose their shine if they stop building, if they stop listening, if they stop adapting. To remain great, we must keep the fire of relevance burning.
For South Africa, that means addressing the crises of unemployment, inequality, and corruption with courage and vision.
It means making sure that the dreams of young people do not wither on the vine of neglect.
For the AA, it means moving beyond its legacy as a motorists’ club to becoming a true guardian of mobility, safety, and innovation in a changing world.
Both must realise that greatness is not inherited; it is renewed daily. Legacy is not a guarantee; it is a responsibility.
As the evening drew to a close, Bobby Ramagwede reminded us of the AA’s catchphrase: “Let’s go.” It is more than a slogan; it is a call to action.
Let’s go, South Africa, beyond the comfort of legacy and into the challenge of relevance. Let’s go, Africa, beyond the weight of history and into the promise of youth.
Let’s go, leaders, beyond words and into deeds that restore dignity, wipe away tears, and inspire confidence in the future.
Let’s go, all of us, together, building and rebuilding, so that when the next generation looks back, they will not only celebrate our legacy but live in the fullness of its relevance.
Because legacy, on its own, is not enough; relevance is what keeps legacy alive. And relevance comes only when we choose, daily, to keep moving forward. Let’s go!
Hatang is the executive director of Re Hata Mmoho
