"President Jacob Zuma has done an impeccable and outstanding job in ensuring that South Africa's post-1994 leadership focuses on the things that matter to the nation"

EFFECTIVE and visionary leadership is crucial if South Africa is to be an efficient and winning developmental, capable and delivering state.

President Jacob Zuma has done an impeccable and outstanding job in ensuring that South Africa's post-1994 leadership focuses on the things that matter to the nation.

His leadership performance ought to be evaluated within the appropriate and prevailing conjuncture of global and domestic forces at play when he ascended to the top position in the land.

South Africa faced and continues to face a confluence of domestic and global challenges that require Zuma and his administration's full attention all at once.

Why do I think history should and will judge Zuma kindly for his record in office so far? First, Zuma assumed office when the global economic crisis was at its peak. That is not a good time for any leader to get into office. There was no honeymoon.

The nation was eager for leadership and interventions that would avoid a total collapse of the local economy.

His decision to set up a distressed companies fund and mobilise the social partners at Nedlac and the country at large around a coordinated national response to the crisis was the right response.

Though about a million jobs were lost as a result of the crisis, more jobs were saved and none of our big corporates across all sectors, especially financial services, went under or sought a bail-out from taxpayers' money.

The level and frequency of engagement between the government, business and labour within and across sectors was unprecedented and was indicative of Zuma's eagerness and preparedness to have all voices heard and all solutions explored and considered.

Second, he has elevated the issue of job creation to a burning national strategic priority. This has inspired and propelled business and labour to explore creative ways of promoting local procurement through initiatives such as the Procurement Pact between Business Leadership South Africa and Cosatu. Buying local should start at the top and cascading to all levels.

Furthermore, Zuma initiated the R9-billion jobs fund managed by the Development Bank of Southern Africa as an incentive for job creation in exiting and new business ventures.

Its chairman, Frans Baleni, recently reported that good progress was being made to ensure that qualifying entities were getting access to this crucial job creation vehicle.

Incentives for job creation is significant and has propelled and encouraged businesses to be bold in their expansion plans. As a result, thousands of jobs were created.

Ministers Ebrahim Patel and Rob Davies have been crisscrossing the country to drive a sustainable renaissance of our manufacturing sector. Industrialists in the real economy say this government is not just about talk when it comes to championing SA Inc.

It is increasingly about delivery, though there are still some issues about bureaucratic red tape.

Leadership in the 21st Century should be about vision and effective execution underpinned by a coherent sense of values and institutions and people who can deliver.

Third, the successful hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which many skeptics and prophets of doom thought would be disaster, is another feather in Zuma and his administration's cap.

Effectively continuing the work started under former president Thabo Mbeki and showcasing the best of what South Africa is capable of, was a demonstration of great leadership.

The British had to manufacture non-existent crimes through bribes when the avalanche of criminal incidents they expected during the tournament did not materialise.

Shame on them!

The turnaround in crime did not just end with the end of the World Cup. If you drive across the country, you see more visible policing. South Africans are broadly safer today than was the case a few years ago.

If that is not a product of determined and focused leadership, I don't know what is.

Fourth, South Africa's admission into Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has been a huge milestone.

Many emerging market countries which were keen for membership were overlooked. South Africa got the nod despite some skeptics who think the country does not qualify due to its small population and low economic growth rate.

This is a sign that under Zuma, Pretoria continues to punch above its weight and is a positive and constructive force for good in global affairs.

Brics presents immense opportunities for local businesses and organs of civil society which need to be grasped.

Fifth, the successful hosting of COP 17 (Conference of the Parties) global talks on climate change was another great success story that has evaded the public discourse so soon after what was, by all accounts, a successful summit.

Zuma, working in concert with presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao and former British prime minister Gordon Brown, also rescued the Copenhagen climate change talks which were on the verge of collapse towards the end of 2009.

South Africa's impeccable climate diplomacy helped facilitate the political agreement reached in Copenhagen.

Lastly, the work done to craft a unifying and compelling national vision led by Minister Trevor Manuel and Cyril Ramaphosa is also indicative of the president's desire to instutionalise a compelling vision for generations.

Manuel and his team have provided us with an excellent reference point to talk about and plan for our country's greatness.

The work of the Planning Commission is crucial in providing a road map, which if properly drawn, can enable South Africa to be a First World country within a generation, as indeed it can and must.

Politics should be about the art and science of delivering a better life to the electorate.

We need visionary leaders grounded in a compelling set of values and with a deep commitment to putting country ahead of self.

• Dlamini is the former CEO of Old Mutual Emerging Markets.