Where do you even start to describe who Sifiso Raymond Ndlovu Dabengwa was? His memorial service a few days ago gave a symphonic eulogy to a giant that towered above mediocrity.
African customs are rich with examples of leading matriarchs who worked behind the scenes to build empires much to no credit in society.
So it is only fitting that much of the credit for Dabengwa’s achievements emanates from the relentless support he got from his family and, in particular, his wife, Phuti Mahanyele Dabengwa, the CEO of Naspers SA, who lovingly moulded him into a legendary figure we known today.
At 63 years of age, Dabengwa in his early retirement decided to enrol for an LLB, passing all subjects with cum laude. At 66, Sifiso had just approached garden retirement when out of nowhere cancer shortened his lifespan, leaving behind a world emptier without him.
To many Sifiso was a personality that left a lasting impression on anyone and anything that came into his life. He empowered many people, changing their lives for the better.
He started his early career in mining as a BSC electrical engineer, later acquiring an MBA. He joined Eskom soon becoming a star performer and champion for transformation across the organisation. He was highly instrumental within Eskom in conceptualising and driving into success the implementation of a mass electrification project soon after the end of apartheid.
This gave electricity to millions of South Africans. He previously served as a Non-Executive Director on the board of Eskom having been appointed by the Presidency on January 20, 2018. He left Eskom, resigning on July 21, 2020.
He moved on to lead MTN as its CEO and executive chair and stayed there for several years. Today MTN is the fourth largest mobile telecommunications operator in Africa, while Eskom remains the largest utility company in revenue, size and operational scale in Africa. Dabengwa was an organisation turnaround and transformation guru.
Eskom and MTN indeed have lost a giant figure.
The highly accomplished life of Dabengwa was decorated in astonishing qualities clothed up in humility and the highest sense of purpose and integrity.
Dabengwa came from a relatively poor background. He escaped poverty imposed upon him by circumstances of inequality. The truest rendition and celebration of his life's achievement was captured by Lerato Mbele the master of ceremonies on Dabengwa's memorial day.
Lerato Mbele’s tribute:
Mbele’s words, which will ramble through time immemorial, shared timeless anecdotes deeply touched and moved by the rendition of “Joko ya gago e bo bebe (God places no burden greater than what the soul can bear)” song rendered classically in Bach symphony. Music has a way of healing, while transporting one into a blissful realm.
She said, “It is fitting because I want to use the orchestra as a metaphor. They say a good business leader is like a (talented orchestra) conductor, you are there to really assemble the best talent (for the job) and make sure that there is syncopation, and that everybody is in tune and everybody shines in unison with others.
“I think that's how I understand the role that Sifiso Dabengwa played in corporate South Africa. He was a conductor who recognised so much talent around him and wanted everybody to come sing from the same hymn sheet.
“Please come tell us more, Silas Zimu,” Lerato said while introducing the next speaker.
Silas Zimu’s tribute:
Zimu is a former Eskom executive, a former advisor to former president Jacob Zuma and is currently the advisor to the Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa. He is highly integral to the current generation recovery performance we are seeing at Eskom today.
Zimu said, “I worked for Sifiso and I was not his colleague. We met in a very strange way. I was fighting my boss at Transmission at Eskom who was paying me half of what I was worth. And in a hot meeting with labour, blacks were complaining that whites were earning more than the blacks.
“I was at the front leading that noise. The head of HR shouted, 'You Silas keep quiet because you are the highest paid black person at Eskom’.”
And Zimu related that he said at the time, “What are you talking about?
Zimu said, “Mistakenly she actually revealed a secret. Because finance had one figure and HR had another figure, which they were paying me. So I took on the director. The CEO of Eskom then Allan Morgan intervened. He tried to persuade me to go back to Transmission, which I refused. Long story short, he calls Sifiso into the meeting. I think Bongani Khumalo was there as well and he said to Sifiso, ‘I want you to take Silas into Distribution’. And that's how I joined Distribution. And that was the first time that as one of the top five black engineers of Eskom I was paid what I was worth. Sifiso gave me the money,” Silas said.
“I was driving an (Opel) Cadet at the time. It was maroon with a big sound. And I was sure that I was going to buy an M5 (BMW) and Sifiso said buy a house. And I still have that house as my first house today.
“Sifiso Dabengwa always posted me to difficult jobs. And one of those most difficult jobs at Eskom is managing Soweto. I am so proud I managed (Soweto) so well that even the payment levels in that time nobody has ever matched them till today. He used to ask me, ‘So how do you do it?’ I said, ‘I hire buses during pension payout dates and they go around Soweto picking up abo Gogo (for free) and they come to pay’.
Zimu said Sifiso Dabengwa and Phumlani Moholi were the first guys to start a mass electrification rollout program in South Africa to previously excluded areas. They gave electrification to millions and millions of houses. Dabengwa used to say to us, electricity changes lives. Electricity leads the economy. Let's give people electricity...
“One thing I will remember is when I was called to advise Jacob Zuma, Sifiso was the first person who said, ‘Silas do it. You can do it. You can stop this load shedding.’ Even now when Dr Ramokgopa called me to join him to stop load shedding Sifiso said, ‘You can do it Silas. It was not easy. It is not an easy job. You don't know who causes it. But we are always asked to come and stop load shedding.’
Silas said, “And Sifiso, I promise we will build a nuclear plant. Whether they like it or not, we are going to have a nuclear station build.”
Lerato and Silus’s tributes to Sifiso resonated with many.
He had friends like Zami Nkosi, Peter Kgame, Jan Oberholzer, Ralph Mupita, Fani Titi, Phumlani Moholi, Peter Kgame, Professor Tawana Kupe, Professor Kwane, current chair of Eskom Dr Mteto Nyati and the founder of GIBS University Professor Nick Binedell.
For me, Sifiso was a man after my own heart. He gave his life in pursuit of excellence no matter what the circumstances.
It gives us a blueprint of a life well lived. South Africa must inculcate a culture of celebrating our heroes and heroines while they are alive and not only when they are dead. A life lived so well with purpose yet taken away so soon. We will forever remember you, Sifiso Dabengwa. Rest in peace.
Crown Prince Adil Nchabeleng is president of Transform RSA and an independent energy expert.
* The views in this column are independent of Business Report and Independent Media.
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