What is wrong with politics in Africa?

Before I start a blog posting, I always think of a way to start that is representative of my thoughts but this time is not one of them. I’m fed up and angry at politicians in some African countries and if this thought doesn’t come across right, just goes to show how fed up I am.

Zimbabwe seems to be going no-where slowly with Robert Mugabe sticking to power like his life depended on it (maybe it does but millions of Zimababweans lives might just depend on him leaving and surely we are better off losing one old man than millions in their prime!). Just across the border in Zambia the clearly unpopular president won an election which I will always question the credibility of, and in his first week in office proposes to pardon the former president Frederick Chiluba who was convicted by a London court for abuse of office and gross corruption among others and who the late Levy Mwanawasa had put into ‘confinement’ for seven years for his corrupt practices while he held office.

On the northern side of Zambia, DR Congo’s eastern inhabitants are facing a new wave of fighting, rapes and deaths for crimes they did not commit. Disease such as cholera is also rife here because of the fighting.

Just under a year ago, Kenya saw violent uprising in a widely contested presidential election result which after several weeks of fighting resulted in a Government of National Unity (GNU).

In Sudan, it has become part of daily life to see fighting by the civilians in the war prone regions. This is but some of the countries in Africa with serious political issues to which everyone seems to be turning a blind eye. Well, I suppose in our African culture, it is considered rude to interfere in matters of your neighbors house and that being the case then I forgive our neighbors in various countries for turning a blind eye. But it is also considered weak and un-worthy to allow rubbish to be continously thrown at you. I think it is time we stood up and stopped taking rubbish, put it where it belongs in the bin and demand what is entitled to us, like a president that we choose and not one that is imposed on us!

Without  supporting violence and incting it, I think the violence that happened in kenya was called for and was a wake up call for the politicians and it did finally end in a power sharing deal which everyone was happy with. Increasingly, it seems to me that our leaders take us for granted and it is only when we launch into violent attacks, will they respect that we have freedom of choice and they are accountable to us.

I’m also seeing a disturbing trend in forcing GNUs for those in conflict, the way I see it, doing so only gives the leaders that are not wanted leeway to force themselves on the masses. Here is a scenario: leaders will hold to power for as long as possible (possibly until death); employ election malpractice; oppsition will contest the result and the international community will call for GNU in the name of peace; no one thinks of what the people want; life goes on until the volcano erupts and destroys the little that has been built when the bigwigs are seeking votes.

I’m keeping a close watch for the Uganda situation because I can see the trend extending there and might just be the next example.

I am really, truly sick and tired of selfish politicians.