INTEGRITY FIRST : Term limits prove to be a pain for African leaders

What you need to know:

Mankind development and governance have a long history and have been modernised every time to fit people’s desire for common good. Even African societies had their own set ups before colonialism. Every ethnic group had its own organised system of getting leaders.

The era of multiparty democracy, which has been reluctantly accepted by African leaders has brought in the new challenge of constitutional term limit in almost the whole of Africa, except a few countries like Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and now Kenya, which bitterly made its modern constitution in 2010 after 20 years of ups and downs. The rest of African countries are either still in dilemma or are caught in the try and error trap, not knowing exactly what kind of constitution can best fit their countries. The incoming of multiparty democracy in Africa was received with mixed feelings; other countries made their constitutions without limited terms for their presidents, while others for a while put term limits and then reversed them. There has been going forward and backwards in constitution making in Africa states. While many African states tried to adopt the US system of two-term presidential limits, including Tanzania, this has been a bitter pill for many leaders.

Mwalimu wanted to retire as earlier as in 1980 but was asked to go for one more term because the country was sailing under economic hardship after coming out of the Uganda war in 1979. Thus, Mwalimu Nyerere knew very well that African leaders are obsessed with power and hence constitutional term limits were the appropriate antidote for them. Again, Benjamin Mkapa was thought by mediocre politicians as a great president who deserved to serve more than two terms. I remember the then presidential appointee, Member of Parliament, Dr Masumbuko Lamwai suggested that Tanzanians would regret if Mkapa served only two terms. Simply, Dr Lamwai wanted constitutional amendment to facilitate Mkapa’s third term in office. Fortunately, both Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete, unlike Mwinyi didn’t entertain the idea to serve beyond constitutional limit.

Mwalimu rejected the suggestion to amend the constitution to enable Mwinyi to go for a third term as nonsense, because Tanzania as independent state, had many citizens who could lead the country, not necessarily like Nyerere, but fairly like him because the country has both a legal system and institutions to guide the leader. Thus, according to Mwalimu, what the country primarily needs is not certain personalities of unique gifts of leadership to continue leading, but strong political and democratic institutions, which can rightly identify persons who are able to lead the country once one has finishing his/her constitutional term. Thus, African leaders must learn from Mwalimu Nyerere’s wisdom that changing their constitutions to retain one person in power is just outrageous. True leaders respect and believe others can lead as well as they do.

Rwanda and Uganda changed their constitutions to allow Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni, respectively to continue leading their countries because they think no-one else can manage their countries better than themselves. This is delusional. Africans must get rid of this shameful attitude. The first president of US, George Washington was a great president, but led US for only eight years even though there was no constitutional term limit during his presidency. He couldn’t remain in power until his death, but he left office and US remained a strong country and later became a super power under other presidents from 1700s to date. Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa have been respecting their constitutional term limits and their countries are doing well. Africans who are thinking on personalities must change their mind- set.

INTEGRITY FIRST : Term limits prove to be a pain for African leaders

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