By: Peter Qeko Jere
Many have questioned as to why Africa has become a battle field where, lives have been lost and many have gone into exile as political refugees. Some continue to ask what actually is the problem with Africa and what kind of sin did Africa commit that political conflict have become the order of the day. Each time you open your TV, the only thing you hear about Africa is war, bloodshed and political conflicts. Its either Dafour, Somalia, Chad, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe and others. In this brief account I want to show that the major problem in Africa today is the failure by leaders to groom someone to succeed them when their term of office expires. I also want to show that there is peace and tranquility in all countries where are prepared in advance.
To begin with, there is enough evidence to show that many African leaders don’t like prepare a successor in their political parties and government. This is a problem in African politics because many of our leaders the moment they are elected forget that one day they will have to leave office and pave way for a successor. We have political stability in countries where leadership grooming is the order the day. In such countries, there is always a peaceful transition from one leader of both the party and government. For instance, in Botswana, the country is at peace and stable economy because leaders are civilized and know the need to groom and prepare someone who could take over from them. Sir Ketumire Masire groomed Festus Mogae while Mogae groomed Khama who has just taken the reign of power even before the election. It is amazing that Mogae didn’t wait for the final whistle to leave office but he just handed the presidency to his deputy just like that, something that some African leaders can do. In grooming, the Vice President is given enough time to study how the President administers the country and normally it’s a period of ten years. In Mozambique, political transitions were smooth and peaceful from Mondlane, Samora Michael, Chissano and now Geubuza. What we see here is that its only one party which rules the country using the available human resources it has. There is peace and political stability in this country because Chissano didn’t want to rule the country more than necessary but handed the leadership mantle to one of the senior person in the party, someone who could carry the revolution forward. In Tanzania, there has been peaceful political transition at both party and national level from the time of Mwarimu Nyerere, Mwinyi, Mukapa and now Kikwete. The ruling Presidents from Mwalimu, have always been able to groom and prepare someone in within the party whom all of them could trust and support. In South Africa, Mandela handed the leadership mantle to Thabo Mbeki even before the end of his term of office. For five years Mbeki was groomed and prepared to rule the country. In Lesotho, Mokhlekhle groomed the current Prime Minister Mosisili in within the ruling party.
While some African countries Presidents and head of states have succeeded in grooming someone to take over from them, there are some who have see this as a threat to their political destiny. This is because they think that they were born to rule for life. For instance, in Malawi, Dr. Banda never groomed someone to take over both the party and government. Due to it was a problem to have the rightful successor when Banda died and the party disintegrated because both John Tembo and Chakuamba wanted to become the president.
Though is in charge of MCP, it is not clear as to whom he is grooming as the next leader of the party after he retires from politics. Some have argued that just like Banda, John Tembo is not grooming anybody to take over from him because he thinks he will rule MCP for life. This is the same mistake that Banda made something which reduced the political base of the party.
Like Banda, Muluzi after ruling Malawi and his UDF party for ten years also never prepared someone to take over from him. This at the end made him panic politically and many of his great friends left him. At the party level the UDF and Muluzi did not prepare someone to take over from him. We wonder as to why it is so much of a problem in Malawi’s politics to prepare someone to take over power. It seems the life presidency syndrome is still in many of our leaders such that they think they were born to rule for life. As for UDF, imagine Muluzi has been the leader since its formation and its like he is the life president or chairman of party. It seems there are unwritten laws in this party whereby noone could rule and take over the leadership of this party for as long as Muluzi is alive. The party has been bulldozed to the extend of changing its constitution to suit the needs, aspirations and demands of one man which automatically make him the life president and chairman of the party.
In all this, it is very clear that the UDF party has no one to succeed Muluzi which is worrisome because this party is going toward making Muluzi the life president the very same ideology which Malawians fought against in 1992. So failure by our leaders to groom upcoming leaders has led to the current political madness in the country. Malawi political problems to the large extend are caused by our selfish leaders’ who do not want to prepare and groom others to take over power from them.
Many have questioned as to why Africa has become a battle field where, lives have been lost and many have gone into exile as political refugees. Some continue to ask what actually is the problem with Africa and what kind of sin did Africa commit that political conflict have become the order of the day. Each time you open your TV, the only thing you hear about Africa is war, bloodshed and political conflicts. Its either Dafour, Somalia, Chad, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe and others. In this brief account I want to show that the major problem in Africa today is the failure by leaders to groom someone to succeed them when their term of office expires. I also want to show that there is peace and tranquility in all countries where are prepared in advance.
To begin with, there is enough evidence to show that many African leaders don’t like prepare a successor in their political parties and government. This is a problem in African politics because many of our leaders the moment they are elected forget that one day they will have to leave office and pave way for a successor. We have political stability in countries where leadership grooming is the order the day. In such countries, there is always a peaceful transition from one leader of both the party and government. For instance, in Botswana, the country is at peace and stable economy because leaders are civilized and know the need to groom and prepare someone who could take over from them. Sir Ketumire Masire groomed Festus Mogae while Mogae groomed Khama who has just taken the reign of power even before the election. It is amazing that Mogae didn’t wait for the final whistle to leave office but he just handed the presidency to his deputy just like that, something that some African leaders can do. In grooming, the Vice President is given enough time to study how the President administers the country and normally it’s a period of ten years. In Mozambique, political transitions were smooth and peaceful from Mondlane, Samora Michael, Chissano and now Geubuza. What we see here is that its only one party which rules the country using the available human resources it has. There is peace and political stability in this country because Chissano didn’t want to rule the country more than necessary but handed the leadership mantle to one of the senior person in the party, someone who could carry the revolution forward. In Tanzania, there has been peaceful political transition at both party and national level from the time of Mwarimu Nyerere, Mwinyi, Mukapa and now Kikwete. The ruling Presidents from Mwalimu, have always been able to groom and prepare someone in within the party whom all of them could trust and support. In South Africa, Mandela handed the leadership mantle to Thabo Mbeki even before the end of his term of office. For five years Mbeki was groomed and prepared to rule the country. In Lesotho, Mokhlekhle groomed the current Prime Minister Mosisili in within the ruling party.
While some African countries Presidents and head of states have succeeded in grooming someone to take over from them, there are some who have see this as a threat to their political destiny. This is because they think that they were born to rule for life. For instance, in Malawi, Dr. Banda never groomed someone to take over both the party and government. Due to it was a problem to have the rightful successor when Banda died and the party disintegrated because both John Tembo and Chakuamba wanted to become the president.
Though is in charge of MCP, it is not clear as to whom he is grooming as the next leader of the party after he retires from politics. Some have argued that just like Banda, John Tembo is not grooming anybody to take over from him because he thinks he will rule MCP for life. This is the same mistake that Banda made something which reduced the political base of the party.
Like Banda, Muluzi after ruling Malawi and his UDF party for ten years also never prepared someone to take over from him. This at the end made him panic politically and many of his great friends left him. At the party level the UDF and Muluzi did not prepare someone to take over from him. We wonder as to why it is so much of a problem in Malawi’s politics to prepare someone to take over power. It seems the life presidency syndrome is still in many of our leaders such that they think they were born to rule for life. As for UDF, imagine Muluzi has been the leader since its formation and its like he is the life president or chairman of party. It seems there are unwritten laws in this party whereby noone could rule and take over the leadership of this party for as long as Muluzi is alive. The party has been bulldozed to the extend of changing its constitution to suit the needs, aspirations and demands of one man which automatically make him the life president and chairman of the party.
In all this, it is very clear that the UDF party has no one to succeed Muluzi which is worrisome because this party is going toward making Muluzi the life president the very same ideology which Malawians fought against in 1992. So failure by our leaders to groom upcoming leaders has led to the current political madness in the country. Malawi political problems to the large extend are caused by our selfish leaders’ who do not want to prepare and groom others to take over power from them.
Just like in Malawi, in Zambia, Kaunda never groomed someone to take over power from him. In the same way, Chiluba was in trouble when he wanted to change the constitution as he had noone to succeed him. During the entire ten years of his rule, Chiluba never thought of grooming someone to take over power from him one day. Thus he even wanted to change the constitution so that he could rule again. Now it is not clear as to who Mwanawasa is grooming as he is in his last term of office. The good thing with Mwanawasa is that he has made is clear to everybody in the party and the nation at large that he will not seek a third term and that he is happy that he is serving the Zambian people and in his last term of office. Also the leadership grooming seems to be a problem in Uganda where we are not sure if Museveni is preparing someone to take over power from him. Like wise in Kenya, Mwai Kibaki who is in his last term of office, need to begin to groom someone to take over power from him in a peaceful transition. The mistake leaders make is that they wait until the eleventh hour to think of who to hand over power to and as a result things goes politically bad. Finally in Zimbabwe, the main cause of the current political situation is the Zanu PF failure to groom someone to lead the party after Bob retires. Now if leadership grooming is not done at the party level, it becomes hard to think of leadership grooming at the national level. Things begin at the party level and flows at the national level. Our leaders should develop the culture of preparing someone to take over power from them in good time at both party and national level. Leaders need to be reminded that opposition parties dies a natural death in countries where the ruling party grooms the next President. In Tanzania and Botswana for example, the ruling party is very every leader who comes in knows that he is there for ten years and prepares someone to rule in advance. This strengthened the party and it remains intact and not shaken. So the only solution to African conflict is leadership shift in terms of party’s preparing the next leader in advance.
1 comment:
wawa,
kuli bwanji kumeneko? victor kaonga ndi ine tikufuna kuyambitsa google group ya mabloga achimalawi. timafuna email address yanu.
zikomo,
victor ndi steve
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