Don�t write off Africa!
Michael Dingake | Tuesday January 17, 2017 15:47
The party endorsed his candidacy last month at the party’s national conference; of course uncle Bob should have the final say whether he stands for the elections or not; he is master of his mind and his body, and he should be the one to say whether he is fit to lead Zimbabwe for the next five years; moreover he is an intelligent man who led the Chimurenga against the half-wit, Ian Smith, who thought Zimbabwe would be under colonialism for over thousand years! But don’t believe those who may tell you, uncle Bob is a dictator who imposes himself on his party and the Zimbabweans as leader of the country. In a democracy people get the government they deserve.
But why him, all the time? Does ZANU-PF find him indispensable? Does the party think he will break Methuselah’s record of longevity? Is he his party’s magic wand for winning general elections? The economy is dying, Zimbabweans are dying of hunger and fleeing the country in droves, why does the party and the electorate always make a beeline for Robert Mugabe and his party? Bewitched?
Since he has the knack of winning under all circumstances, he will be 99 when his next term expires in 2024, he’ll have been in power for 44 years! I don’t approve my President Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, calling on him to step down. Zimbabwe is democratic and independent with men and women of above average intelligence and integrity; she must be allowed to run her affairs without interference; actually President Khama should be the last person to ask Uncle Bob to quit. Nobody tells Khama not to lead his party in the 2019 election campaign, which he vows to do without appointment by the BDP hierarchy or some relevant authority; if he does, he’ll be an outsized dictator unheard of even in the African context!
Amazing how African leaders generally want to cling to power, without considering the effects of their conduct to the people and the country they call theirs; why not follow the example of British premier David Cameron who loses on Brexit, swallows his pride, inadequacy and irrelevance and steps down. In Burundi people are dying in their thousands because contrary to the country’s constitution Nkurunziza won’t quit office, he clings to power like a leech. And the scoundrel will still tell the world he loves his people! Kabila of the DRC resists peaceful departure from office after 12 years of extended stay; he has to be cajoled through costly negotiation process to quit the office he holds unconstitutionally. Meantime precious Congolese lives are lost.
In The Gambia Yahya Jammeh loses elections, receives applause for initially accepting the results, then somersaults. The Gambia is plunged into turmoil, a crisis of unknown proportions. Chairman of the electoral commission has fled to Senegal, while Adama Burrow president-elect rightly claims victory. ECOWAS the regional body is gearing for military intervention on the side of the winner. Yahya Jammeh confident his handpicked judiciary will uphold his claim, but conscious his small army will be unequal to ECOWAS forces , is mobilizing mercenaries. Africa, my Africa, quo vadis?
I hear applause from the direction of Angola. President dos Santos, ruler of Angola since the 1970s will voluntarily step down this year. Things are looking up. What gives one heart is what outgoing Ghana president, John Mahama, loser of recent presidential elections, said when he bowed from the stage. Ruling party politicians as well as leaders of the government-in-waiting political parties must read his speech. There are Africans and there are Africans; don’t write off Africa! Mahama’s valedictory concession to his rival and the Ghanaian public makes no excuses for defeat and gives the new president an objective patriotic advice. Few political status-seekers can analyse politics and political incumbency as objectively and concisely as he does. Snippets from speech:
“… people of Ghana have said emphatically, they are taking away the power they gave to me four years ago and I have no power to say no….Besides I love the country that has given me the opportunity to serve in various capacities for nearly two decades and will not do anything to undermine our democracy or threaten the peace we enjoy…” Hear, hear! Why don’t the parasitic leeches to power think like him?
He goes on: “Time was simply up …no amount of deceptive campaign promises could keep us in power. No amount of monopolization of the media space could save us. No amount of money could stop our defeat. No amount of local or international endorsements could help us…No amount of vote buying could stand the irresistible hurricane of change that shook our nation on Wednesday... Will urge my party members to stop the ‘’blame storming’’ that has started, so that we brainstorm how to get ourselves out of the mess we have put ourselves in… Have learnt that it’s unacceptable for the people to loot, hoard and splash … When those who opposed us cried foul we retort , “Hate can’t win.’’ Tonight however, I am the first to admit that some hate can win. These elections have taught me that the hate of corruption can win. Hate of incompetence…hate of the obscene display of ill-gotten opulence….. hate of mediocrity and deception definitely wins ….” .
Mahama was addressing the whole of Africa. Hope Botswana was listening, undistracted!