Mugabe
Jubilee Centre April 7th, 2008
Robert Mugabe belongs to the political elite leadership group that inherited authoritarian colonial states. These leaders include Kenneth Kaunda, Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta. None of these leaders dismantled the undemocratic systems that our colonizers used to suppress the Africans’ aspiration for freedom. For example Kaunda who himself had been jailed by the colonialists under the state of emergency act, continued to use the same law to throw into prison his political opponents, without trial during his 27 years rule.
Similarly, President Robert Mugabe has kept the state of emergency in effect since Zimbabwe got independence. More recently, Mugabe re-introduced the price and exchange controls the former leader, Ian Smith, had put in place to fight off sanctions after his Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain.
Mugabe belongs to the political elite leadership that violently opposed multiparty 
democracy for fear that they would lose ‘personal-to-holder rule’ (who will ever forget the Zambian slogan in heaven God rules, on earth Kaunda rules forever?). However, this group argued that the main reason for resisting multiparty democracy was on grounds that it would degenerate into destructive tribal politics. Tribalism and nepotism are serious problems in Africa. But this problem is more evident in African nations where the political leaders have all powers in their hands to control the military, the police, the civil service, the judiciary, the election commission and the banking system. Mugabe exemplifies this kind of leadership which is so common in Africa. Where all powers are in the hands of one person who turns the nation into “his personal-to-holder property - to benefit himself, his cronies and tribesmen, who all then proceed to plunder the treasury” ( George B.N Ayittey 1999:73).
The Mugabe era must go. We need a new leadership style. The church in Africa which is found on every street corner in this beautiful and generous continent has the leading edge to raise up leaders that trust Jesus as their leadership model. Africa is in great need of leaders who will trust Jesus as their leadership model, whether they are in politics or business or home or community or in church. Matthew 20-25-28
is the starting point for all of us. Jesus’ message is simple and clear: leadership is first and foremost an act of service, period. Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges say that the biggest fears that self-serving leaders have is to lose their position (2003:17,18). They continue, “Self-serving leaders spend most of their time protecting their status…Self-serving leaders who are addicted to power and recognition and who are afraid of loss of position are not likely to spend any time or effort in training their replacements.”
What about you? Are you spending time or effort in training your replacement? Mugabe didn’t. Look at how he is leaving Zimbabwe.
Lawrence Temfwe
