In a resounding affirmation of its legacy as the cradle of African leadership, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) hosted the Student Ethical Leadership Summit on its historic Alice Campus this past Friday, 13 June 2025. Orchestrated by the Student Representative Council (SRC), the summit marked a defining moment in student governance and ethical leadership development, bringing together young leaders from across the country in the spirit of renewal, responsibility, and revolution.

Far more than a ceremonial gathering, the summit was a strategic leadership incubator, a space for unpacking the evolving role of student leadership in a democratic South Africa and for confronting the ethical dilemmas plaguing society at large. With a clear agenda, the summit focused on three core pillars: Ethical Leadership Development, the Transformative Agenda of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Bridging Paradoxical Chasm Between Student Activism and Representation.

A Generation Called to Lead, Not Just to Occupy Office

Prof. Priscilla Monyai, Acting Dean of Students, opened the proceedings with both warmth and urgency. “We are delighted to have you at this ethical leadership summit to reflect on your commitment to participate in policy development and the advancement of ethical leadership,” she told the crowd. “The future starts now. Let’s connect, share ideas, and learn from one another.”

The summit gathered an impressive cohort of student leaders, including SRC Presidents and Secretaries from sister institutions, members of the South African Union of Students (SAUS), the South African Youth Council, and even representatives from UFH Convocation. The atmosphere was alive with collaboration, conviction, and the weight of responsibility.

Leadership is Action, Not Title

Addressing the summit virtually, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Hon. Buti Manamela, delivered a sobering keynote. “The future of higher education depends on forums like these,” he said. “They help institutions evolve and remain accountable.” But his message cut deeper than policy: he warned delegates that ethical leadership is not a theoretical ideal, but a lived, practiced responsibility.  “All of this requires your skills, ethical reasoning, budget mediation, strategic planning, digital innovation, and policy literacy,” Manamela urged. “You cannot protest effectively if you cannot articulate what you are protesting for into a policy that can be implemented.” He challenged the leaders of tomorrow to ask not what they will become, be it ministers, vice-chancellors, or unionists, but how they will lead. “Leadership doesn’t require an office. It requires action that leads to change.”

Grounded in Community, Reaching for Policy

The call for ethical and inclusive leadership was echoed by Cllr. Luxolo Nqala from the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, who urged delegates to embody leadership that is developmental, inclusive, morally grounded, and responsible. His remarks reminded attendees that ethical leadership must take root at local level if it is to bear national fruit.

From the National Youth Development Agency, Ayabulela Mahlati drove the point home: “Student leaders need clarity of thought through summits like these. This one must form the foundation of what we will be in the next 30 years.” He called for bold participation in transformation and policy development.

Bridging Activism and Representation

In one of the most anticipated sessions of the day, Mr. Tebogo Mothibinyane delivered an incisive lecture on the paradox between student activism and representation. He challenged delegates to resist the temptation of populism and instead work toward impact-oriented leadership, rooted in service, accountability, and the ability to turn ideals into institutional outcomes.

This tension, between being a voice of resistance and a vehicle for reform, was a common thread throughout the summit. It was also addressed by Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu, UFH Vice-Chancellor, who praised past SRCs for their partnership in stabilizing the institution. “You cannot separate the success of this university from the integrity and diligence of its student leaders,” Buhlungu noted.

Legacy in Motion

The summit culminated in a dynamic panel discussion and open floor session, where student leaders raised hard questions about corruption, institutional accountability, and how to maintain ethical leadership in toxic political environments. The conversations weren’t just rhetorical. Delegates walked away with concrete takeaways: frameworks for policy engagement, strategies for conflict resolution, and tools for shaping media narratives as ethical communicators.

The Road Ahead

If UFH’s founding leaders once dreamed of liberation, today’s generation is dreaming of transformation. And at this summit, the message rang clear: ethical leadership is no longer optional, it is essential. The SRC’s efforts in hosting this summit signal a revival of student leadership rooted not in ego, but in ethics; not in slogans, but in solutions. With the moral authority of a university that produced Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Desmond Tutu, UFH is once again shaping the leaders the continent’s needs. And so, as the sun set over the rolling fields of Alice, a new kind of leader emerged, not defined by age or title, but by purpose, preparedness, and principle.