Why can't political Leaders in Africa be Fired?

I've watched with fascination and frustration the political discourse in my native country. I have not stayed silent about it from where I am but perhaps my voice is silent at home, because in many respects, I didn't want to add another voice to an arena with so many players and voices claiming to have a solution to our country's woes. However, I think that cry from afar and those of others serves no one. So in this article am attempting to document *some*of the concerns that externalised Zimbabweans have.

To lead a multi-ethnic society while remaining committed to democratic principles or norms is an uphill task. This is because incorporating several ethnic groups into a single political system means bringing together the basic problem of ethnic conflict as well. Group loyalties dividing a multi-ethnic society can, and do undermine, a common identity, national culture, or consensus on democratic values. Zimbabwe is a nation of racial, tribal and religious groups; and for this, governing the society is an enormous job. Given the presence of politically assertive ethnic groups, the stability and survival of the present democratic politics depends on how our leaders control the potential racial, tribal and religious disputes that may arise.

Change is ubiquitous in any society, particularly in that which strives to fulfil human needs. And it takes a committed leadership to accomplish a propitious change in any society. Zimbabwe's short life has been dominated by partisan politics and an upsurge in liberation justified corruption in government and business sectors. There has been the shift from cities to the capital Harare, from rural areas to cities, from agriculture to industries, and now power is centralised with all power being channelled for the capital. These changes have not been for the benefit of the common man. Only those in the corridors of power have gained from those with multiplicity of riches, while the ordinary citizens have remained in wallowing penury. In other words, the masses have been preoccupied with the struggle for daily survival.

For starters, our Leaders have lost the heart of leadership. Leadership has become a way for people to enrich themselves at the expense of others. The heart of leadership is to serve the people with integrity and making their welfare the first priority of what a leader says and does. Unfortunately, you don't have to look further than our newspapers to find a daily chronicle of character assassinations and personal insults that have come to characterize our political discourse. We need a change in the way our leaders carry themselves. We need OUR leaders to think of US again and not themselves. We need OUR leaders to SERVE US again, the people who elected them.

Furthermore, Leadership is about vision- a clear picture of a preferred future-but where are the leaders' ideas? Where is the vision and foresight? Where do our leaders see Zimbabwe in the next 15-30 years? We are yet to see and hear a concrete plan to create jobs and deal with our broken education system. We are yet to hear of how our leaders plan to stimulate the business sector and create opportunities for Zimbabweans. What’s going to happen to the millions of externalised professionals and their families, are they lost because they chose to migrate to try and improve their personal circumstances?

Yes, some progress has been made but we've been waiting for 30 years to see some tangible results; to see change come to the common man. Enough with the talk and statistical progress. Leadership is about results and the absence of results simply means the Leadership has failed.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
Proverbs 29:18

Preparing the terrain for an out-going generation of leaders

What future is there for African politicians after retirement from public Office?

Some time back I wrote an article titled “Preparing the terrain for a new generation of leaders”. I thought it is only sensible and right to also look into preparing the terrain for our out-going end of term limit leaders.

The first President of independent Zimbabwe Canaan Sodindo Banana was one of the very first government officials to retire after serving a seven year term as a largely ‘ceremonial head of state’ to make way for a new ‘Executive Presidency’ led by then Prime Minister Robert Gabriel Mugabe. After helping broker the signing of the 1987 Unity Accord between ZANU PF and ZAPU, President Banana seemed to spear-head what seemed a panacea for the problem of sit-tight leaders in Africa, although his retirement was presented as a noble way of bridging the strong differences that existed between the two main liberation parties at the time, it also meant that he had to end his political career in active politics at an early aged 51.

President Banana’s retirement package was meant to be designed to give him some comfort and peace of mind after his service to the nation. He doubtless expected to spend the rest of his life comfortably doing what people expect of retired statesmen. Many people look forward to retirement and plan to do all the things they couldn't do while attending to the demands of their careers. Other people look forward to retirement, but do not view it as a time of leisure. They instead look at this life transition as a time to explore a new career. This article will address the issues faced by political retirees or those approaching retirement and the end of their terms in positions of authority.

Although his accomplishments as a Zimbabwean national leader have largely been erased from Zimbabwean history books, Banana had had an honourable career as an opponent of the Smith regime, and as a radical theologian. He is the only leader from Zimbabwe to have progressed to an International Peace broker role serving on the United Nations commission of eminent churchmen (World Council of Churches) investigating business in South Africa in 1989. Furthermore at the end of 1991 he was one of a group of Commonwealth "Eminent Persons" which observed CODESA (Convention for a Democratic South Africa). He also played an active part, on behalf of the Organisation of African Unity, in seeking to broker peace in Liberia.

Besides the Presidential role, notable other retirements were Hon Victoria Chitepo who served in the Ministry of Tourism, Hon Fay Chung Deputy Secretary Ministry of Education and Chikowore as as Minister of Transport and Energy with a few others. Most were either dropped from government or demoted to lower ranks

I appreciate that most African countries are still going through their initial stages of democratic dispensations and as such the mistakes that have resulted in the current dilemma faced by African’s in terms of governance, transparency and accountability should be viewed as lessons and referenced as examples of bad and good leadership for future aspiring leaders. Former President Obasanjo suggested that perhaps heads of governments in Africa should be forgiven for their mistakes and allowed to retire home in peace without being made to face trials for their actions. He believes this would encourage them to exit power; however wouldn’t it also encourage successive leaders to also adopt the same bad behaviours knowing they will be held responsible for their actions?

The former Nigerian president said the fear of being tried for the crimes they committed while in office is largely responsible for refusal of many leaders in the continent to yield power until forced to do so. However I would challenge his statement by asking why did they commit the offences in the first place? Let them be tried perhaps not at the Hague but by an African approved court, composed of experienced African judges and a jury made up of different member’s from the African society, externalising criminal justice to courts outside Africa is an insult to African democracy and self-emancipation.

“When one looks at the political horizon, sit-tight leaders are becoming extinct species,” Obasanjo stated. “Very few of them are left. They should look and see that those who have taken their exit are not worse for it. I am here. I know that ex-President Mbeki is also there. There is life after the State House. And if they know that and also appreciate that there is something they can do to be useful to their country, Africa and humanity, maybe they would be encouraged to vacate.”

“Whatever the challenge of a new age, in the end what really counts is not the years in our lives but the life in our years. It is not about longevity, but the depth of life. Long ago I learned that age does not wither the mind if people remain positive. No one is too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. It is a mind game. As Churchill suggested, "The empires of the future are the empires of the mind."~ Singapore Retiree JENNIE CHAU

So what plans do we have for retiring leaders? Should it be our responsibility as a nation to reward our leaders with retirement packages that would enable them to continue playing an effective but advisory role to successive governments without them worrying about their welfare needs and well-being? I think much as we worry about who we elect for leadership we should equally look at what opportunities will be there for them after retirement, without planning for future leadership we will continue to have what President Obasanjo calls ‘sit-tight leaders’.