News / Local
African governance: does it have steadfast love, justice and accountability?
30 Sep 2015 at 09:45hrs | Views
I have lived to witness three military coups under my watch either in transit or while visiting a country. The experiences were unforgiving and very taxing. The doubt of whether you will ever be able to leave that country for your own or where you stay looms high apart from whether you will come out alive. Coups are characterized with life taking battles from new military junta in a bid to take control over government. Coups mean lives will be taken except if those disposed of are not retaliating.
Since power is corruptive and too much power completely rotten in its nature of influence and derivatives, many who are disposed by force use force to counteract the new comers. Often than not, civilians are always caught in the cross fire of battles that seek control over citizens by force. Ethiopia though had strange coup in 1974 because it directed its efforts at dismantling feudalism and like in Zimbabwe independence solutions were sought in a very negative way that disenchanted masses in the purity of good governance introduced through the barrel of the gun.
African governance has been characterised by both jealous and revenge than majorly patriotism and desire to see change. Whether it was revenge on colonialism or on a tribe that emerged strong at independence; military take overs are typically underlined in such announcements: In view of prevailing corruption going on in government, compounded by tribalism and incompetence of the current government, among other things, the military takes over for an interim period to enable restoration of a civilian rule through an elected government. It is estimated that electoral processes might be through in less than two years. Sometimes time periods are left for later announcements.
The assumptions being that the military were only an interim administrative junction to restoration of civilian rule usually promised over a span of two or three years from date of take over. In some cases this was never realized except that a counter coup took place instead. Military coups were therefore a devil's tool to register, assumedly people's dissatisfaction, through the military hierarchy. Hardly likely though. So it is reasonable to surmise that soldiers have always wanted an influence government decisions and when they feel locked out they have always staged a coup. The complex part is when developed governments are said to be militarily behind military coups in less developed countries to politically control those countries.
Evidence though suggests that early coups in Africa were elementary influenced on the basis of soldiers pride and desire to impact leadership decisions. In Togo in 1963 retired soldiers merely felt left out on some of government decisions and bounced back to have control over government. Togo went through two military coups while Benin had a total of six military coups in a span of ten years, between 1963 and 1972. No doubt where outside was able to influence military insurrection it is undeniable and history has evidence. An example is the 1960s coup in Congo when Patrice Lumumba was killed in January1961 with tacit CIA involvement.
The question arising given that the last military coup in Africa was in 1975 in Nigeria, and independence having been achieved from the 1957 era: Does African Governance today stand as a redemptive approach on steadfast love, for restorative justice and accountability direction for countries and their people by leadership? The answer would appear to be in the negative endorsing rather the Machiavellian style designed to hang onto power by the likes of the late Bokassa of Central Africa, Bandas of Malawi, Qudafi of Libya, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the Musevenis of Uganda and the many other upcoming tyrants including the current Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza barely fifty one years old.
The dictatorship against grooming of leadership coached on rule of law is increasingly outgrowing community admiration for good governance as solution to bridge smartly for faster development and economic growth in many of failing nations. In her struggle to out win western nations arguments on values of colonization, I suggest Africa has trained her citizens to be oversensitive and has put too much emphasis on wrong areas that avoid crucial areas of unaccountability such as corruption, bribery and robbery of government funds by those trusted with responsibility to run government. Subsequently the culture of avoiding authority and owning to accountability is growing narrow and narrow on governance on the continent.
To find persons of President Robert Mugabe live for thirty five years and never to believe he has been responsible for failing Zimbabwe as Chief Administrator and to further coin acceptance of such failure at the United Nations (UN) by running away from responsibility and blaming instead world sanctions as cause for economic failure of a country is pathetic. When reading of many people who are carelessly killed on the continent for allegedly opposing governments, and not for insurrection or treason; but from sheer suspicion by a government that has no ethics of accountability and respect of life, it is mind boggling how such tyranny escapes the eyes of justice.
When African Parliaments keep reminding opposition political parties that freedom ends in Parliament otherwise beyond that they can be arrested if not tortured at government will, is an open invitation for tyrannical government's behaviours that go unchecked. When the leadership of South Africa government through President Zuma questions the definition of corruption it suggests moral accountability of those in authority has failed to impress citizens as essential or necessary.
When the late President Mwanawase of Zambia in a SADC regional meeting challenged the benefits of titanic governments who survive on betrayal of the masses trusts with no other leaders' support, it suggested that African leadership is warmly engrossed on how long to stay in power than on how to achieve best practices in good governance.
From her much education Africa has failed itself in many instances when the battle between the west was confused in defending acts of unaccountability, corruption and irresponsibility by some dictators as all having been caused by colonial authority. The battle between Africa and International Criminal Court (ICC) is one example when a people cannot focus on wrong motives for a right cause. A comparative study of history would today prove advanced in both technology and administration favouring advantages brought through colonial era than what governments of Africa have so far achieved. There are more Africans out of Africa today than at any other time in precolonial era. It is no pride seeing statistics of refugees increase year after year in Africa and corruption corroding away accountability and good governance.
It is a concern whether better management perception will finally become a way of living for Africa and rule of law used to defend love for humanity, social justice and accountability. Too much gangsterism that lacks in patriotism is dealing a blow to the young and growing African with a strong sense of corrupt passion of the ‘get-rich-quickly' mentality. The get rich quickly mentality renders Africa into big consumer markets that neither creates money/employment nor manufacture anything to attract foreign earnings for Africa. The crop of Business people we are creating from this climate does not think industrial development because they have been trained to blame so called enemies and employ corruption in the hope to improve self. Corruption breeds individual enterprising persons who are either government officials or politicians killing a sense of accountability including destruction of people respect. Subsequently court systems are underdeveloped since the executive give directives building their empire of aggrandizement and self-enrichment.
The richest person in Angola is the child of the president Dos Santos. The most powerful person in Zimbabwe is the wife of the President Mugabe and also aspirant billionaire. Studies do not reveal any extra intelligence in these people apart from using influence to create wealth through systems that are not subjected to audit. Africa is full of the poor rich millionaires who own no capital but survive through political influence. Sadly this new crop of monitors does not respect people and give them their due in making contribution to the country. Electoral processes are violated and elections are always in favour of the status queue. Lack of People respect has much to do with poor understanding of constitutional law and in particular the rule of law concept. Subsequently the biggest reform battle in African politics is between the executives and the Judiciary. Executives undermine development by frustrating separation of powers processes on the continent.
Regarding human respect I have time and again referred to respect of human life when the British flew a Boing 747 with its foreign secretary to come and rescue one Briton from the abuse of General Idi Amin, then President of Uganda in early 1970s. Looking back then, many Ugandan were disappearing under Idi Amin and it pained me that no other country could intervene when citizens were being abused by a military regime. Has there been much change even under the dictatorship of "General" Museveni of Uganda today?
Shall Africa talk at liberty on the failures of governance by those in control of governments on the continent, be they dictators or carbon copy democrats? So far speaking his mind freely has been President Ian Khama of Botswana and he does so openly on Zimbabwe tyrannical rule that is disadvantaging the region. South Africa carrying close to four million Zimbabweans that benefit South Africa more than it has benefited Zimbabwe, say nothing on poor governance in Zimbabwe. South African authorities are quiet on government cruelty on her people in Zimbabwe hoping to culture a political condition that enables Zanu to rule forever. Compare this to the October 1978 when Tanzania invaded Uganda in order to free Ugandans. The style of governance on the continent today does not induce hope that leadership is willing to see change that respect the masses so as governments to be accountable to the people.
Every government professes she wants to protect its people yet accounts on how brutal governments have been to their citizens for suspected hosting of hostile activities show little regard of life and let alone the spirit of protection of citizens becomes a big joke. Twenty thousand Ugandan moved into Tanzania for asylums while close to three million Zimbabweans have moved into South Africa for asylum and economic protection since 2000. African institutions for intra conflict resolutions are insufficient and the freedom to openly discuss or write these problems does not have any bearing on governance decisions on the continent.
We need to think seriously on impact of education on governance styles and whether Africa genuinely respects human life, rule of law good governance and accountability generally. This has an overall impact on constitutions and reforms on presidential terms which impacts adversely on good governance. Military coups cannot as yet be dismissed as events in the past since Most of African leadership is dictatorial and tyrannical.
Since power is corruptive and too much power completely rotten in its nature of influence and derivatives, many who are disposed by force use force to counteract the new comers. Often than not, civilians are always caught in the cross fire of battles that seek control over citizens by force. Ethiopia though had strange coup in 1974 because it directed its efforts at dismantling feudalism and like in Zimbabwe independence solutions were sought in a very negative way that disenchanted masses in the purity of good governance introduced through the barrel of the gun.
African governance has been characterised by both jealous and revenge than majorly patriotism and desire to see change. Whether it was revenge on colonialism or on a tribe that emerged strong at independence; military take overs are typically underlined in such announcements: In view of prevailing corruption going on in government, compounded by tribalism and incompetence of the current government, among other things, the military takes over for an interim period to enable restoration of a civilian rule through an elected government. It is estimated that electoral processes might be through in less than two years. Sometimes time periods are left for later announcements.
The assumptions being that the military were only an interim administrative junction to restoration of civilian rule usually promised over a span of two or three years from date of take over. In some cases this was never realized except that a counter coup took place instead. Military coups were therefore a devil's tool to register, assumedly people's dissatisfaction, through the military hierarchy. Hardly likely though. So it is reasonable to surmise that soldiers have always wanted an influence government decisions and when they feel locked out they have always staged a coup. The complex part is when developed governments are said to be militarily behind military coups in less developed countries to politically control those countries.
Evidence though suggests that early coups in Africa were elementary influenced on the basis of soldiers pride and desire to impact leadership decisions. In Togo in 1963 retired soldiers merely felt left out on some of government decisions and bounced back to have control over government. Togo went through two military coups while Benin had a total of six military coups in a span of ten years, between 1963 and 1972. No doubt where outside was able to influence military insurrection it is undeniable and history has evidence. An example is the 1960s coup in Congo when Patrice Lumumba was killed in January1961 with tacit CIA involvement.
The question arising given that the last military coup in Africa was in 1975 in Nigeria, and independence having been achieved from the 1957 era: Does African Governance today stand as a redemptive approach on steadfast love, for restorative justice and accountability direction for countries and their people by leadership? The answer would appear to be in the negative endorsing rather the Machiavellian style designed to hang onto power by the likes of the late Bokassa of Central Africa, Bandas of Malawi, Qudafi of Libya, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the Musevenis of Uganda and the many other upcoming tyrants including the current Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza barely fifty one years old.
The dictatorship against grooming of leadership coached on rule of law is increasingly outgrowing community admiration for good governance as solution to bridge smartly for faster development and economic growth in many of failing nations. In her struggle to out win western nations arguments on values of colonization, I suggest Africa has trained her citizens to be oversensitive and has put too much emphasis on wrong areas that avoid crucial areas of unaccountability such as corruption, bribery and robbery of government funds by those trusted with responsibility to run government. Subsequently the culture of avoiding authority and owning to accountability is growing narrow and narrow on governance on the continent.
To find persons of President Robert Mugabe live for thirty five years and never to believe he has been responsible for failing Zimbabwe as Chief Administrator and to further coin acceptance of such failure at the United Nations (UN) by running away from responsibility and blaming instead world sanctions as cause for economic failure of a country is pathetic. When reading of many people who are carelessly killed on the continent for allegedly opposing governments, and not for insurrection or treason; but from sheer suspicion by a government that has no ethics of accountability and respect of life, it is mind boggling how such tyranny escapes the eyes of justice.
When African Parliaments keep reminding opposition political parties that freedom ends in Parliament otherwise beyond that they can be arrested if not tortured at government will, is an open invitation for tyrannical government's behaviours that go unchecked. When the leadership of South Africa government through President Zuma questions the definition of corruption it suggests moral accountability of those in authority has failed to impress citizens as essential or necessary.
When the late President Mwanawase of Zambia in a SADC regional meeting challenged the benefits of titanic governments who survive on betrayal of the masses trusts with no other leaders' support, it suggested that African leadership is warmly engrossed on how long to stay in power than on how to achieve best practices in good governance.
From her much education Africa has failed itself in many instances when the battle between the west was confused in defending acts of unaccountability, corruption and irresponsibility by some dictators as all having been caused by colonial authority. The battle between Africa and International Criminal Court (ICC) is one example when a people cannot focus on wrong motives for a right cause. A comparative study of history would today prove advanced in both technology and administration favouring advantages brought through colonial era than what governments of Africa have so far achieved. There are more Africans out of Africa today than at any other time in precolonial era. It is no pride seeing statistics of refugees increase year after year in Africa and corruption corroding away accountability and good governance.
It is a concern whether better management perception will finally become a way of living for Africa and rule of law used to defend love for humanity, social justice and accountability. Too much gangsterism that lacks in patriotism is dealing a blow to the young and growing African with a strong sense of corrupt passion of the ‘get-rich-quickly' mentality. The get rich quickly mentality renders Africa into big consumer markets that neither creates money/employment nor manufacture anything to attract foreign earnings for Africa. The crop of Business people we are creating from this climate does not think industrial development because they have been trained to blame so called enemies and employ corruption in the hope to improve self. Corruption breeds individual enterprising persons who are either government officials or politicians killing a sense of accountability including destruction of people respect. Subsequently court systems are underdeveloped since the executive give directives building their empire of aggrandizement and self-enrichment.
The richest person in Angola is the child of the president Dos Santos. The most powerful person in Zimbabwe is the wife of the President Mugabe and also aspirant billionaire. Studies do not reveal any extra intelligence in these people apart from using influence to create wealth through systems that are not subjected to audit. Africa is full of the poor rich millionaires who own no capital but survive through political influence. Sadly this new crop of monitors does not respect people and give them their due in making contribution to the country. Electoral processes are violated and elections are always in favour of the status queue. Lack of People respect has much to do with poor understanding of constitutional law and in particular the rule of law concept. Subsequently the biggest reform battle in African politics is between the executives and the Judiciary. Executives undermine development by frustrating separation of powers processes on the continent.
Regarding human respect I have time and again referred to respect of human life when the British flew a Boing 747 with its foreign secretary to come and rescue one Briton from the abuse of General Idi Amin, then President of Uganda in early 1970s. Looking back then, many Ugandan were disappearing under Idi Amin and it pained me that no other country could intervene when citizens were being abused by a military regime. Has there been much change even under the dictatorship of "General" Museveni of Uganda today?
Shall Africa talk at liberty on the failures of governance by those in control of governments on the continent, be they dictators or carbon copy democrats? So far speaking his mind freely has been President Ian Khama of Botswana and he does so openly on Zimbabwe tyrannical rule that is disadvantaging the region. South Africa carrying close to four million Zimbabweans that benefit South Africa more than it has benefited Zimbabwe, say nothing on poor governance in Zimbabwe. South African authorities are quiet on government cruelty on her people in Zimbabwe hoping to culture a political condition that enables Zanu to rule forever. Compare this to the October 1978 when Tanzania invaded Uganda in order to free Ugandans. The style of governance on the continent today does not induce hope that leadership is willing to see change that respect the masses so as governments to be accountable to the people.
Every government professes she wants to protect its people yet accounts on how brutal governments have been to their citizens for suspected hosting of hostile activities show little regard of life and let alone the spirit of protection of citizens becomes a big joke. Twenty thousand Ugandan moved into Tanzania for asylums while close to three million Zimbabweans have moved into South Africa for asylum and economic protection since 2000. African institutions for intra conflict resolutions are insufficient and the freedom to openly discuss or write these problems does not have any bearing on governance decisions on the continent.
We need to think seriously on impact of education on governance styles and whether Africa genuinely respects human life, rule of law good governance and accountability generally. This has an overall impact on constitutions and reforms on presidential terms which impacts adversely on good governance. Military coups cannot as yet be dismissed as events in the past since Most of African leadership is dictatorial and tyrannical.
Source - Andrew M Manyevere
