Two days ago the death of Omar Bongo, the former president of Guinea was confirmed after days of speculation. Many may not have heard of him but his greatest claim to fame was being Africa’s longest serving leader. In an age where we have been under the rule of “big men” for decades, Omar Bongo’s reign of 42 years is not remarkable, but is still a record that will take some beating.
Just days ago, leaders of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) concluded a meeting in the Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls. At this meeting the attending heads of state and government elected President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe to the
chairmanship of this grouping. Mugabe, man who is well known to the world for overseeing the collapse of one of the continents most impressive economies, is fast closing in on Bongo's record. Mugabe has been in power for 29 years now, albeit controversially over the last decade. It is well known how he and his party have stolen the last two elections through violence, intimidation and electoral fraud. Yet despite all this his peers chose to elect him to lead COMESA a move that he will boast as further endorsement of his legitimacy but more importantly an indictment of fellow African leaders who are standing by and watching as the continent disregards the principles of democracy and respect for human rights.
These actions will beg the question how and why, right thinking mean and women
continue to allow their fellow leaders to stay in power well beyond their “best before” dates and certainly beyond the time that the majority of their citizens would still want them to remain in office. However this is fairly easy and simple to understand. Birds of a feather flock together and this saying does not ring true more than it does in Africa.
Most African leaders think like Mugabe . They have come to power through violent means (coup or liberation struggles) and believe that they cannot relinquish that power through less violent means. While they hold elections, the outcomes of these are not respected or upheld. They despise anyone who is a threat to their continued stay in power.
After a while I think that the absolute power they are accorded or that they amass, gets to their heads and they feel invincible and that in fact it is their God given right and duty that they should lead their respective countries. Such delusions characterise leaders across the African continent who are often heard saying that they are making a huge sacrifice by staying in power.
Who are they kidding?
Sadly the African tragedy has cascaded below the Presidents, the first families and the cronies and sycophants who surround them. At all levels we as Africans have been poisoned by the love of power, money, greed, corruption. This is why businesspeople, employees, government officers all engage in some corrupt dealings at some level to further their own cause or that of one of their own. Nepotism and tribalism will continue to be the scourge of the continent and it has been fueled by African leaders who have shamelessly displayed these traits as they seek to consolidate their powerbases and remain in power.
Many years ago I ready a novel by Ayi Kwei Armah, titled "The Beautyful ones are not yet born"(deliberately spelt with "y") it is a sad but accurate depiction of the decay and rot in african societies wrought by corrupt leaders and officials. it goes on to highlight that this indeed is an African problem because we all have in one way or another become part and parcel of the decay.
two days ago, one of the leaders passed on to the next life. a message that this is purely transitory and will not last forever. while they are dying off one by one, sadly, the beautiful ones have not yet been born!
