AFRICA-POLITICS: NO MORE HEROES

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

IPS CORRESPONDENTS

HARARE, Nov 25 1994 (IPS) - IDI AMIN, EMPEROR BOKASSA, MACIAS NGUEMA, KAMAZU BANDA … THE LIST GOES ON OF AFRICA’S CORRUPT AND BRUTAL LEADERS.

AFRICA HAS FOUND THAT MOST OF THOSE WHO PLEDGED TO LEAD THEIR COUNTRY TO THE PROMISED LAND, TURNED OUT TO BE TAKING THEIR CITIZENS FOR A BRUISING RIDE.

ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE GREAT TYRANTS HAVE FALLEN, WITH THE NOTABLE EXCEPTION OF ZAIRE’S MOBUTU SESE SEKO, AFRICA IS HARD- PRESSED TO NAME A LATER-DAY HERO.

THE NEW CROP OF POLITICAL LEADERS, INCLUDING THOSE THROWN UP BY THE MULTI-PARTY WAVE OF THE EARLY 1990’S, MAY NOT BE THE MASS- KILLERS OF THE PAST. BUT THE COMPLAINT STILL IS OVER WHETHER THEY REALLY HAVE THE INTERESTS OF THEIR COUNTRY AND PEOPLES AT HEART.

SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN 1960, NIGERIA HAS HAD NINE HEADS OF STATE, SIX OF WHOM CAME TO POWER THROUGH THE BARREL OF THE GUN. THE LATEST IS THE YEAR-OLD REGIME OF GEN SANI ABACHA.

“IF THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR LEADERS ARE ANYTHING TO GO BY, THEN WE DON’T HAVE ANY. WE HAVE NEVER HAD … ALL THEY DO IS GO THERE TO LOOT THE STATE COFFERS,” SAYS NIGERIAN BUSINESSMAN, DOTUN ADEKANBI.

“NO MILITARY LEADERSHIP HAS DONE ANYTHING GOOD FOR US IN THIS COUNTRY … (BUT) I’VE NEVER SEEN SUCH AN INSENSITIVE GOVERNMENT (AS ABACHA’S) IN MY LIFE,” ADEKANBI NOTES.

“WE HAVE NOT HAD THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WE DESIRED TO RULE US. THIS HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR SO MUCH DISHONESTY IN THE SYSTEM WE OPERATE THAT ONLY DIVINE INTERVENTION CAN HELP US,” SAYS YOMI OKE, AN ACCOUNTANT.

IN ZIMBABWE, WHICH HAS A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY, POLITICAL SCIENTIST JONATHAN MOYO SEES THE PROBLEM AS ONE OF “POLITICAL INDIVIDUALS, NOT POLITICAL PARTIES.”

“POLITICIANS PERSONALISE THE PARTIES THEY LEAD AS IF THEY WERE THEIR OWN PROPERTY AND FEEL THEY ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE,” HE CHARGES.

“SO WHEN PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE DIES THERE WILL BE A SUCCESSION PROBLEM IN THE RULING ZANU-(PF) PARTY BECAUSE NO-ONE IS BEING GROOMED TO TAKE OVER.”