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Opinion / Columnist

Allow African youths to take charge of their destiny

19 Jan 2021 at 04:12hrs | Views
Democracy in Africa if not checked will be like a sheep being accompanied to a slaughtering house.

Elections in Africa are slowly showing signs and symptoms of a dying democracy.

The recently held Ugandan election is a typical example of an assault and raping of democracy in this modern day world. The election was just a farce.

Allow me to congratulate Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on winning re-election after harassing, murdering, imprisoning, torturing, silencing opponents through shutting down the internet and embarking on a widespread voter fraud. No doubt he squarely fits in the latest African acquisition fraudster of elections since 1986.

I am surprised the so called African Union just watched an election being snatched from Bobi Wine and the guise of protecting the African revolutionary ethos.

When the likes of Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Mwalimu Kambaregu Nyerere, Kamuzu Banda, Sam Nujoma just to mention a few fought in the liberation struggles, they were very young and got support from the people who were following them.

They did not go to war to fight their own kilth and keen like what we are witnessing today from countries like Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Before elections Yoweri Museveni murderered, imprisoned, shut down the internet, arrested Kyagulanyi's polling agents and now keeps him under house arrest while raiding NUP offices and going after anyone suspected of having any evidence of his rigging. Where is the rule of law in such circumstances?

This is gross political persecution at its highest degree. There are no charges against him and he is essentially in military custody, even though he is a civilian. All this amounts to violation of the international law, including the ICCPR to which Uganda is a signatory.

The ongoing house arrest of Bobi Wine
is also a violation of the UN Convention Against Torture which Mr Yoweri Museveni himself ratified in 1986. This is babaric at its highest order and must be tolerated. Africa needs new leaders.

The ongoing house arrest of the opposition clearly shows that some African leaders have resorted to using muscles than brains to solve internal issues affecting their respective countries. The people have witnessed such forms of abuses when Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa used the military on the 1st of August 2018.

Young African leaders such as Julius Malema, Bobi Wine and Nelson Chamisa critically need help and support from the continent and all progressive countries across the globe as they represent the crop of new leadership in Africa.

We see a lot of blood bleeding dropping and young African leaders being denied the very opportunity which was given to these yesteryear leaders of taking charge of their respective countries.

Right now Kyagulanyi Sentamu Robert is loudly crying for help to bring sanity to an impoverished nation but no one is ready to help.

The military should not be used to threaten the values of democratic governance.

The military must not be allowed to be abused in any election or support and favour any political party.

Elections should be transparent and accountable. They should be audited by both players independently to make it credible and legitimate.

Africa does not need any form of endorsement from any western countries who have insatiable appetite and interests on certain preferred leadership.

This is evidenced by deployment of military brass and gongs as protection from a popular uprising like what is being witnessed in Uganda.

I don't see AU, SADC and ECOWAS reforming themselves. It is the duty of young African civil societies to unite and aggressively push for such reforms.

Email- konileonard@gmail.com
+27616868508 Twitter - @Leokoni

Source - Leonard Koni
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