By JULIUS MBALUTO
A good number of leaders in Africa have a sense of what political leadership should be like. For example, a man or woman offers to be elected to lead his or her people. Driven by conviction to serve, they promise to deliver. As good leaders, they promise to be humble, they promise to always listen and attend to the needs of those who voted for them. A few , whom I will call the good ones, remember to honour their promises, however, most leaders don't. Instead , they keep campaigning and making more promises instead of delivering.
Leaders who strive to serve with integrity understand the essence of democracy. The word democracy could mean different things in different cultures and political contexts, but Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President in 1863 coined the phrase, democracy is the rule of the people, for the people and by the people. He was speaking following the Battle of Gettysburg during the American civil war.
Going by the definition above, I found that good leaders always remember that leading is more about serving. Electorate will check you, entrust you, vote for you to be the custodian of their hopes and dreams. However, democracy in Africa has been tested again and again and the most dangerous trend doing rounds in Africa today is the habit of clinging to power. Take for examples recent concluded elections in Cameroon and Tanzania.
President Paul Biya was born in 1933 and became Cameroon's President in 1982. At the age of 92 years and surrounded by a government members most of them his age-mate, he vies for presidency and wins to serve for more 8 years. Is it that Cameroonians love him so much that they cannot let him retire? Not really, the greatest curse to Africa's democracy today is clinging to power, wastage of tax payers money in different countries, conducting sham elections with pre-determined results, wanton rigging by cartels eying wealth of their nations to enrich themselves. They have no convictions to serve mankind. They are not driven from any ideological position to make a difference for the good of all. They are in it for money.
A lot of people in Tanzania never got the chance to vote. Yet, several opposition leaders out of the race meant many could not vote because those they supported were not in the ballot box. Voting day was marked by protests. Yet, a winner will be announced after all the world witnessed happening. It's so sad to see, what's going on in Africa today. Africa needs a rebirth and ought to stand on a new foundation build on justice, fairness, true democracy, equality and inclusivity. Elections should matter and citizens needs to participate fully in politics and civic life. We should enforce laws across the continent to apply equally to all citizens regardless their status.
Election must count. We should aim to replace governments successfully through free and fair elections. On a different note, voters must exercise caution on who they vote for. Vote apathy should also be discouraged because failure to vote will still affect the outcome. Speaking on the importance of calling out wrongs in the society, Martin Luther King once said,
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends"
So, we are saying, never hesitate to speak against wrongs you see. Your voice matters.
African leaders must respect term limits, mentor future leaders and retire respectfully to allow peace to prevails. It is sad to watch what's going in Sudan, D R Congo, now Cameroon and Tanzania. Several other countries like Mali and Senegal embraced military take over. Its about time when African leaders rise and be counted as they embrace good governance across the continent.
