Not easy to get visionaries like Mandela
Posted by African Press International on July 20, 2007
Africa is indeed a land of contrast. This week on one of the world great leaders and political visionaries, Former South Africa’s president celebrated his 89th birthday with a group of international elder statesmen, Nobel laureates, great entrepreneurs, soccer stars and generally the world acknowledged the birth day of the great icon of liberation, humility and courage. Africa is re-known for its many
resources but at the same time infamous for many ills and
malfunctions.
Ironically despite Africa’s huge natural resources and resourceful populations and many nature’s natural endowments its global share of world trade is somewhere below 1%. It is the same continent besides having a lot of wisdom as enraptured in oral traditions and many other forms of intellect and wisdom indicative theories and cultural development which has produced so many political, social and economical myopias and demagogues.
Politics in Africa remains an anathema, confused and visionless. This does not mean lack of potential but greed, tribalism, corruption, nepotism, jealousies, confusion and selfishness drive politics in Africa. Politics drive economies globally. Confused and reckless politics inevitable destroy economies leading to poverty and suffering. Visionary leadership such as that of Mandela. Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and others create great countries.
Useless and visionless politics lead to the many failed states found in Africa and most of the third world. What kind of future do countries or zones like Somalia, Darfur, Palestine, Afghanistan, present day Iraq, Congo and many others confer to their children and the general citizenry. If you look closely to all the states with such and worse problems (and incidentally most of them are in Africa) it has to do with poor leadership or confused and forced directions given by some forces of global politics with of course a hidden agenda in economics and influence.
Kenya looks to be doing fine. But Kenya needs to do more. The yawning gaps between rich and poor, the scourge of poverty and HIV AIDS, Unemployment, Insecurity, corruption and tribalism are vices and ills to seriously worry about. We are not lacking potential in leadership but to get statesmen kind of people in various levels of leadership has always been tough for Kenya. Promising leaders whether old or youthful disappoint every day. But the potential is there and perhaps it is high time we have people desiring to have a chequered career, biography and great legacies like Mandela. It is not easy but yet not impossible!
By API*APN East African Correspondent
Harrison Mwirigi Ikunda,
P.O. Box 51806,
Nairobi – Kenya
Published by Korir, African Press International (API) * African Press in Norway (APN) africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525
