Leadership is a broad topic; we have therefore chosen to deal with communication as an integral and critical part of leadership because in the modern age, information is power.

Those who have information and those who have the means to disseminate information have an extraordinary ability to influence social, political and economic events. Leaders are by the nature of the task, communicators. They communicate the vision, mission, and aspirations of the organisations or people they lead. They are meant to communicate, inform, inspire and educate.

There are many forms and instruments of communication, and communication is not value-free. It is not neutral. It has a bias and an ideological underpinning - even though this may not be evident, even to the communicator. We all know that what we read or hear or see through the media will have a particular slant depending on the perspectives, preoccupations, prejudices or interests of the producer, presenter or editor. News may also have a slant based on class, race or region. Workers for example would argue that they do not see much of themselves in the media, print or electronic.

They are usually mentioned in stories relating to labour disputes and rarely in articles that provide positive messages of contributing to the growth of the economy. The youth is another marginalized grouping, featuring in the media largely to depict a group presents problems rather than solutions, for example stories relating to crime.

However, despite the challenges, we need to use the power of communication to enable all South Africans to take informed decisions about their future, to identify opportunities and prospects, and to improve their quality of lives. As leaders in various fields, I hope you will use your positions more and more to empower others with information, both workers and customers.

In the past, the media was largely an instrument of exclusion, designed to meet the needs of a small minority. Through a combination of factors like ownership patterns, state censorship and newsroom culture, the voices of black South Africans were absent from mainstream public discourse. They did not have a voice in Parliament, in the boardroom or the pages of the country's newspapers or on its airwaves.

Fortunately, that situation has changed dramatically on the political front. The people of South Africa do govern. It is the representatives of the people who make laws in Parliament, and who implement the will of the people in government at all levels.

Slowly, black South Africans are beginning to occupy a more prominent position within the economy, owning businesses, managing companies, and taking up professions that were previously closed to them. There is much that has taken place over the first 14 years of democracy to encourage us that the process of disempowerment is being corrected. There are many challenges ahead, and we need to confront them.

The question we need to ask in this context, however, is to what extent have we managed to overcome the disempowerment of South Africa's majority in the field of information, media and communications? To what extent do leaders use the instruments at their disposal to empower those who are less privileged with information and knowledge?

Can we confidently say that the majority who are poor, largely unskilled, and struggle to earn a living wage - have found a voice in mainstream political discourse? Are their views, needs and interests sufficiently articulated in their own words, with their own voices?

During my visit to Bakerton in Springs, at the height of the so-called xenophobic attacks in April, I came face to face with a frustrated and angry people who felt they had not been allowed space to communicate their concerns and grievances.

While our media exists, it does not have space for the poor to voice their views, hopes and dreams. As political and private sector leaders we need to fill that gap. It was clear to me that the people of Bakerton, and many others, were angry because they had not been afforded an opportunity to communicate and be heard. And as leaders, our task is to provide the communication channels for our people to speak to us.

We will return to Bakerton this Saturday on the 21st, with the sole purpose of listening to the community. Direct two-way communication is at times the most effective form of communication.

With regards to communication tools, community media offers some hope for broadening access and representation within the media. It offers an opportunity to give practical meaning to the right of all South Africans to freedom of expression. But it is small, under-resourced and under-capacitated. If we are serious about empowering our people through communications, we need to pay serious attention to the development of community media.

With regards to direct communication with the public, the izimbizo are an important initiative. Rather than merely having one-way communication, the izimbizo create space for a dialogue. Hopefully, public representatives emerge from these events better informed about the concerns and problems of the people, and more empowered to address them. Also important is the need for follow ups to be done to ensure that issues raised by the people are indeed dealt with.

That would entail excellence in public sector communications, when government talks to the public directly and responds to the needs of the people effectively and timeously.

There is definitely room for improvement as far as government communications is concerned. Political leadership should be more visible and lead government communications. We need to see more of our political leadership such as Ministers, MECs and Mayors outlining policy, and less of spokespersons who should be facilitators.

A new challenge of leadership in Africa is that of political parties and liberation movements that become disconnected from their people. In the speed and flurry of activities in government it is easy for a gap to develop between the people and government, and also between political parties and the people they serve. Communication becomes an effective tool of ensuring that we narrow the gap, and that we all move at the same speed, on the same wavelength.

If there is no carefully managed communications between the people and government or political parties, you find situations where feelings of discontent and exclusion lead to explosions of anger amongst the masses, when they feel they are not being listened to.

The channels of communication should always remain open between the State and the people or ruling parties in particular and the people, to eliminate room for surprises.

For private sector communicators, it is important to honestly, accurately and consistently inform the public. A properly informed and empowered people have the confidence to invest their time and resources in building the economy and society.

Ladies and gentlemen, you may all be concerned about media reports of what is being painted as a crisis within the African National Congress. I consider it prudent to touch on the issues at this gathering, as we do not meet often.

We do face challenges as the ANC, dating back many years. Perusal of the organisational reports of the 2002 Stellenbosch conference and of the Polokwane conference in 2007, will indicate the organisational problems relating to ill-discipline and general erosion of the value system amongst some members of the movement.

At the Polokwane conference we took resolutions to work for organisational renewal, and to eradicate ill discipline and thuggery where it rears its ugly head.

We are convinced that we will succeed in this regard as the majority of ANC members are disciplined and loyal cadres. We have in the past few weeks visited a few provinces as ANC officials and NEC members. We have a first hand knowledge of the challenges on the ground, and are addressing them in various ways.

We also would like to re-state our position on various issues. One of these is our unwavering support for the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and respect for the country's criminal justice system. Our position on these principles is well known and well thought out. While we may have some outstanding issues with some elements within the criminal justice system, that does not mean we intend to resort to any unconstitutional means to fight back.

I do not think an occasion has arisen at any time, which would make anyone doubt my or the ANC's commitment to these principles.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have noted the concerns raised nationally about the statements made by the President of the ANC Youth League in Bloemfontein, at the June 16 commemorations. The Youth League President has explained that his statements were not a call to the youth to take up arms or engage in criminal or violent behaviour. It cannot be correct for anyone to incite any section of our society to violence or to commit murder, for any reason whatsoever. We are in agreement with the Youth League in this regard.

The League has assured us that it has not wavered from the principles enshrined in the Constitution, and that it will defend them through democratic and peaceful means, for the common good of the country.

Our country's Constitution upholds the right to life and human dignity. We all abide by the Constitution as ANC members and leaders, and we will not do anything to jeopardise the gains we have made since 1994. Ladies and gentlemen, as members of the business sector you would be interested in our position on the future of the economy. We are still at the beginning of the historic transformation of the economy called for in the Freedom Charter.

Since 1994 we have made substantial progress in transforming the economy to benefit the majority, but serious challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality remain. We have resolved to make the creation of decent work opportunities the primary focus of our economic policies over the next five years. This we will do as we work with all sectors to contribute to growing our economy and to fight poverty.

The fight against poverty is the most critical area of focus, coupled by a concentration on education, health and the fight against crime. We reiterate our call that we should all join hands to fight against crime. We must fight crime wherever it rears its ugly head.

Leaders of all sectors of our society must visibly lead the fight against crime, it cannot be left to government or the ANC alone.

We are determined to fight against crime in every corner of our country. That is why we have also spoken out against hooliganism in the ANC, as depicted in the stabbing of the ANC Western Cape secretary, and fighting in other provinces. As said earlier, we are in constant contact with our structures and all is being done to deal with the problems of ill discipline.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have come from far as South Africans, from the potential doom and gloom before 1994, to a future that looks promising.

The future can only be better than the present. Through sound leadership in both the public and private sectors, we can make this country a shining example of a modern prosperous democracy, with full participation by all including the poor and marginalized.

I thank you.

This is the prepared text of an address by ANC President Jacob Zuma at Leadership Magazine's ‘Tomorrows Leaders' Convention, , Pretoria, June 18 2008