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