Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Savannah Maziya says kindness is a mental position that everyone should embrace, adding that it is a mark of maturity, empathy and effective leadership.
Speaking during an interview on the 5 Questions Podcast, which aired on Sunday, Maziya explained that kindness does not mean avoiding difficult conversations.
According to the minister, people can be firm while remaining kind.
“You can say, ‘What you have done did not sit well with me,’ and then secondly say, ‘What are you doing on Friday night?’ That is maturity. To just say you did not like something and then be angry for five years is mental instability,” she said.
Maziya said kindness is a mindset that should be cultivated because it allows people to empathise with others and recognise that leadership is ultimately about serving.
“You do not walk around telling people that you were appointed as a minister. You go below the people and the people will be the ones to lift you up if you are doing well,” she said.
She added that leaders should not have to constantly remind people of their positions.
“If you have to remind people all the time who you are, then something is wrong. The people should be the ones to appreciate you and give the reasons why,” she said.
The minister also drew a distinction between being kind and simply being “nice.” She said being nice was often misunderstood and could sometimes be mistaken for weakness.
“I am not saying I am nice because ‘nice’ is very nebulous and misunderstood. You can be a fool and be nice. Sometimes people think they can walk all over you because you do not say much. I have experienced that,” she said.
Maziya further said she believed that time, distance and silence provided valuable perspective.
“I am a believer that time, distance and silence give you a lot of perspective. Countries are judged as happy countries and we ask ourselves why. It means people have fewer diseases, are more productive and are more focused on being patriotic,” she said.
She said a nation made up of happy, kind and generous people creates an environment where citizens are empowered to succeed.
‘Go out into the world and do great things’
“Go out into the world and do great things.”
Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Savannah Maziya shared that this is one message of encouragement she always shares with her children and others close to her.
She revealed that she gives the same encouragement to the children at the orphanage she runs.
“I run an orphanage, which presently houses 180 children. Every day I tell my children before they go to school to go out into the world and do great things. I say the same thing when I visit the orphanage,” she said.
She encouraged people never to underestimate their potential, regardless of their circumstances.
I am more focused on service delivery than being a politician
While Minister Maziya serves in government, she does not see herself as a politician but as someone committed to service delivery. She said politics are often centred on remaining in power rather than serving citizens.
“I think once you invest in being a politician, it comes with wanting to stay and wanting to be appointed again. Then you start asking who you need to know and who you need to stay close to,” she said.
According to the minister, her priority was delivering results every day because public office was temporary.
“My role is asking every single day how I deliver and provide service because our days are numbered. The political road, in my mind, becomes asking who I should talk to, who I should stay nice to and who I should get corrupt with so that I can remain in office,” she said.
She said she preferred to remain focused on fulfilling her duty to the country.
