Power Struggle Is Undermining War on Poverty in Africa
By David Akana
Can anyone imagine how much social progress Cameroon would have made if President Paul Biya sparred himself of the hassles of perpetuating his stay in power and focused more on delivering basic services to the Cameroonian people? Had Biya’s mandate been more certain without risk of interference to make it eternal, would his margin of comfort with the Cameroonian peole for or against him not be higher?
What about Idriss Deby of Chad throwing his unchecked presidential powers behind lifting the muslim girl from all forms of discrimination and the fight against malaria and other major public health pandemics killing thousands of Chadian each year? What margin of time can Deby invest in planning for the improvements of the lives of his citizens after spending sleepless nights plotting to beat back a rebellion – as genuine as it may be? While the rebellion has staked its blood to unseat Deby, Deby has staked his to crush the rebellion. Power struggles – a common occurrence in Chad has ushered in an era of unpredictability and uncertainty to the extent that President Deby is most unsafe and unsecured about his position. With the President unsure of the security of his seat, fighting the war on poverty has been substituted with fighting the war for power.
What about President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe? Would Zimbabweans not be better off and not championing the highest inflation rate in the history of the world had he more time thinking about his people than endlessly trying to contain the ambition of his legitimate challenger (Morgan Twangari) and engaging his former colonial master in a senseless war?
In 1994, one of Africa’s greatest sons, Nelson Mandela started a post-apartheid South African government with a firm resolution to establish not only political but also social and economic equality among all South Africans. Fourteen years after, Africa’s biggest and most stable economies is badly threatened by infighting within the most powerful political movement in the country – the African National Congress. Ousted President, Thabo Mbeki and the new President of the ANC, Jacob Zuma have prioritised their disputes at the detriment of millions of South Africans unable to afford education or health. While both men querel, expectant South Africa continue to languish in slums of Johannesburg. Unable to acquire the much awaited economic freedom, some poured their anger and frustration on innocent foreigners - in one of the worst xenophobic acts committed on the continent in recent memory.
Upon assuming office in 1999, did Thabo Mbeki not promise to lift South Africans out of poverty and drastically better their conditions from what used to obtain during apartheid? What happened in the course of his Presidency? While he may be credited for South Africa’s economic stability, he lost focus the moment he started contemplating increasing his grip on the ANC. Mbeki’s ambition could only be accomplished in the absence of Jacob Zuma, at the time, the Vice President of South Africa. Zuma’s sacking and the power struggle that ensued has apparently paralysed South Africa beyond measurable proportions.
In the West African state of Cote D’Ivoire and Mauritania as well as in East African states of Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, the people’s concerns have been permanently replaced by who controls power. The approach of power acquisition which even includes the annihilation of whole tribes such as in Sudan leaves one wondering who Omar El Bashir wants to govern. Children in Western Darfur have been brought to bear the sad reality of the shortest live span on earth void of education, water, electricity, health and other basic civil rights. Is the pursuit of power not often inspired by the zeal to change the living conditions of people? Who do we govern, if the people – source of our legitimacy are all killed or rendered incapable of being governed?
Externally-funded development programmes in Mauritania have been suspended as some form of punishment for the coup d’etat which occurred there last July. The military junta has ignored the punishment as it often doesn’t affect them directly. Whether Mauritanians get food, water and electricity or not, the priority for the junta is power. No degree of suffering by the population or international condemnation seems enough foe them to surrender the chase for power. Irrespective of any form of external and international condemnation, the junta has only one goal – solidify their grip on power.
The longer Somalia has gone without a central government (18 years), so too have the poor population of the country gone without basic drinking water, electricity, education, roads and affordable health. Warlords with an insatiable hunger for power have gone even the dishonourable lengths of harassing and ceasing humanitarian supplies destined for miserable and disease-stricken Somalis to energise their fighters.
Unnecessary power struggles still lingering across most African States may severely undermine the current war on poverty. Those battling for power in Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Mauritania may emerge from their conflicts so exhausted and incapable of governing the same people they claim to be fighting for.
The more power struggles in Africa, the less likely power mongers will focus on delivering services to the people. Power insecurity caused by the refusal to establish permanent and strong democracies doesn’t benefit the population. When democracies are strong, rotation of power is guaranteed; leaders are more secured and focused on improving the lives of their people.
Focus has often been on conflicts, wars and power tussles in Africa. But at this juncture, there is no concern bigger than the war on poverty crushing hundreds of millions of Africans.
It may however, be naïve to think that power struggles may disappear over night in Africa. But the earlier states find a sustainable governing arrangement as in Senegal, Mali, Benin, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Ghana and Namibia, the better for the people of Africa. These countries may not be perfect democracies but they have witnessed a significant shift from hunting for power to improving livelihoods and achieving prosperity.
