Two terms and no more ought to be the rule

04 December 2016 - 19:20 By RHULANI THEMBI SIWEYA
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African leaders must respect limits and make way for successors when the time comes, argues Rhulani Thembi Siweya.

urkina Faso, Burundi, Namibia, Rwanda and Uganda are among the African states that committed themselves to a maximum of two terms for their presidents but have failed to uphold this.

Now, with Rwandan President Paul Kagame having obtained clearance to run for a third term, other African states may well be inspired to take a similar route.

Recently, we have seen other African leaders playing tricks to stay in power, which is not good news.

What is it about Africa and the tendency of wanting to remain in power for a long time?

The challenge before Africans is the ability to lead with credibility.

African leaders seemingly feel the need to stay in power to protect themselves from prosecution for the many crimes some of them commit while in office. This also becomes a factor that informs their decision to influence who must take over from them.

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Others reach a state where they do not trust anybody and see themselves as the only solution.

A case in point is Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. He clearly believes no one but him can lead Zimbabwe. He seems increasingly paranoid and no longer trusts his own comrades.

Several African countries use their own unique method of voting, which can result in the same leader being re-elected over and over again.

In Ethiopia, not all citizens vote due to their historic way of doing things. This in essence means there is a voice that is not being heard, and a leader can overstay their welcome.

In the case of Rwanda, with all the progress made since the genocide, surely there should have been active plans to prepare a credible leader to take over from Kagame? His probable stay in office for a third term is not good.

What is the point of countries limiting the terms of their presidents if they are not going to adhere to their own rules? Credible leadership means playing your role and creating a platform for a successor.

This is a weakness of many African leaders. They stay in power and see themselves as the only solution.

The problem is exacerbated by the weakness of the AU. African leaders do not take the AU seriously. For example, the AU advised Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza not to contest the elections for a third term, but he went ahead and did so anyway.

Our challenges are many. For Africa to grow and reach its full potential, our leaders must be willing to rise above themselves and their own interests, and to make way for their successors, as the laws of the land require.

Siweya is a founder of Africa Unmasked and a national executive committee member of the ANC Youth League

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