Folly of idolising the buffon in African politics

By: Mutuma Mathiu

[ Posted On: 2007-12-16 ]

A power struggle is taking place at a place called Polokwane in South Africa today whose resolution will have significant impact across the continent. It is a struggle that might result in one of those political goofs that happen only in Africa, such as peasants in 1972 turning out with tambourines to welcome the coming of the great saviour, Idi Amin.

According to Hollywood, he did save a lot of them — in the fridge.

The South African struggle pits one of the continent's visionary leaders against one of its great populists, a man who just may overcome allegations of sexual promiscuity and corruption to become the president of Africa's top power.

The difference between South African President Thabo Mbeki and his challenger for the African National Congress presidency Jacob Gedleyhlekisa Zuma is almost comical.

Mbeki is a man of the mind, with an advanced degree in economics, a party ideologue and thinker, the other is basically illiterate, the proud graduate of a primary school. One is an ascetic monogamist, the other is an earthy, footloose sexual vagabond with four wives to his name and 18 children to his loins' credit. He was tried for raping a girl young enough to be his daughter and acquitted. He explained that in his culture, it is criminal to leave a woman in a state of arousal.

Mbeki is lousy at glad-hand politics, a stiff and aloof man, the scion of a top ANC family. His father, Govan Mbeki, a teacher, was a legendary leader of the movement. From what I have read, Mbeki may have been brought up to lead the struggle, but there was little warmth in the family, as his parents were often involved in politics.

Thabo Mbeki & The Battle For The Soul Of The Anc

The story is told of how, when Mbeki returned from exile, he stiffly shook his father's hand. And the highest compliment his father paid him? "Thabo is no longer my son. He is my comrade."

Zuma — his middle name, by the way, means "one who laughs with you whilst endangering you"! — is a man of the people. Those who have met the son of a housegirl come away singing praise to his friendliness and warmth. The people love him.

What, in my books, makes Mbeki a great leader is his optimism about Africa. He knows that if we can end the conflicts and fix the leadership, Africa can, and will, prosper.

Zuma, to his credit, has a solid record of leadership in the ANC and peacemaking in KwaZulu-Natal. He has said that there will be no change of policy if he succeeds Mbeki, hinting that he will not try to do a Mugabe on the rich, white minority which controls the economy.

The fear is that if he gets to power and becomes another African buffoon, then Africans' faith in themselves will be severely tested.

The African masses judge leadership with a yardstick all of their own. Black South Africans have suffered the worst form of racism ever visited on a group of human beings. Today, sections of them continue to suffer the worst forms of deprivation in the midst of such great wealth. Many must have felt that freedom should have come with a fat cash dividend. They are impatient to get the goodies and they, in the main, want not necessarily a "good" leader but one who identifies with their frustration and their suffering and promises to fix it at whatever cost.

The lesson here is that if we are going to leave the selection of leaders to the wisdom of the masses — as we should— then we must not leave the fate of nations at the mercy and benevolence of individuals. We must temper the natural tendencies of the buffoon with the strong guiding hand of institutions.

Before the end of the week I will know whether a philosopher-king friend of mine knows his Africa from his America.

"Governments which have delivered 5 per cent growth do not lose elections. At least not in rational societies," he intoned one day last week, waving a delicate hand through a pall of the finest Cuban tobacco, a glass of equally fine whisky at hand.

South Africa's growth last year was the highest in 26 years. My own view is that in a country with such a deep sense of struggle and against a man whose campaign song it titled Bring Out My Machinegun, Mbeki's little intellectual backside is crisp toast.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Mutuma Mathiu is the managing editor, Sunday Nation.

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