Traditional and cultural practices that do not allow people to criticize leaders, whether living or dead are an insult to Africans. They reinforce our traditional belief that our leaders are infallible-flawless. But Christians know that only Christ is infallible. Nelson Mandela will be quick to let you know that he is fallible. Even Mother Theresa would never accept that she was infallible. Our former Presidents- Kaunda, Chiluba, and the late Mwanawasa all made mistakes and even sinned as they provided leadership for the country. The late Mwanawasa even asked for forgiveness to those he may have offended in the discharge of his duties. In that confession he taught us that one mark of a great leader is humility. Unfortunately this form of humility is lacking in many of us defending his legacy.
Today, in Zambia the attitude prevails that Zambians dare not to criticize the actions of the late Mwanawasa. What is the big deal when people debate the way Mwanawasa fought corruption? No one will take away the legacy that he initiated the fight against corruption. History is there to show that successes which have been achieved through the conviction of many high-ranking government officers. But what is wrong if people ask, “Could it have been done better? Where did Mwanawasa fall short and how can we improve on what he accomplished?” He himself complained that he was spending too much money on lawyers prosecuting the cases. Is there a better way? So what president Rupiah Banda is saying about the amount of money being spent on lawyers is not different from what his predecessor said.
Any person who thinks they are infallible should stay out of leadership positions. Our Lord Jesus Christ was infallible yet He was still insulted as being “a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors (corrupt leaders) and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Who are you to think that you will not be insulted? Yet, in the paragraph that follows in Luke 7:34, we see Jesus Christ accepting a dinner invitation to the house of an individual who belonged to the group that was insulting him. Jesus accepted to have dinner with an individual who was cynical and skeptical because Jesus had a mission that was larger than life and that was based on values that included laying aside personal agendas to reach his vision.
We must desire to be leaders whose mission is larger than our lives while holding our national leaders to the same standard. Leaders whose mission is larger than their lives begin by first sharing their core values with those they invite to join them in the leadership team. They share where they are going, the work required to be done and the attitude adjustment required to get there. Those who want to join the team ask, “Do I want to go where the leader is going? Can this leader get me there? Do I trust this leader?”
Even though Mwanawasa had an admirable vision of a nation free from corruption, we must still ask the tough questions. Did he invite the right team? Did he share his values with the team? Did the team trust him? Jesus had a compelling vision of “catching men”. He invited a team to join him. He gave them his core values and then made them go through attitude adjustments. They knew where the leader was going. They knew that this leader would get them there. They trusted the leader such that when he passed on they laid aside their personal agendas to preach the gospel in season and out of season. In our defense of Mwanawasa’s legacy, are we following the footsteps of Jesus? As we celebrate the life of Mwanawasa let us be mindful that he was not infallible. Neither are we. Jesus is.
Lawrence Temfwe
