"An African does not often defy authority. He will follow anyone who asserts himself as leader, however inept. His crops can fail, his children can die, his government can treat him grievously and the African still carries on, uttering no protests, sharing no complaints..." David Lamb in his book, The Africans. (Book is in the MUK MAJC Book Bank.)
Is contemporary Africa proving Mr. Lamb wrong?
While Africa is sprinkled with examples of despots hauled out of palatial State Houses, the earlier examples of 'liberators' were military rebels and coup takers.
Today, it's people power. The common man in action (...in acts of: Kill the beast, cut his throat, spill his blood...William Golding in his book, Lord of the Flies).
But wait a moment:
The people-power thing in Africa is so-far limited to the Arab Maghreb.
Is there wish action should roll South of the Sahara? Hell yes!
But, what is the possibility of a spill-over?
Why is Museveni, Mugabe (he two days ago threatened to dismiss his whole cabinet for suggesting cabinet meetings should start with a prayer), Mutharika, Males, Mwai (who blatantly stole a vote) Mswati (who rivals King Solomon in number of wives and concubines)etc. seemingly un-bothered?
Why?
As we ponder the above, we should also remember that many revolutions in the world and Africa in particular have tended to be as bad or worse than their predecessor regimes.
George Orwell's Animal Farm is the clearest illustration.
Equally, reliance on revolutionary rioting is likely to cultivate a cycle of violence. While there are attempts to establish a new and truly acceptable legal framework in Egypt for example, rioters have often returned to Tahril Square, and in my view, with minor reasons.
Whatever the drawbacks from the North Africa revolutions might be, the public good is (so-far) being done.
And African strongmen and woman can only ignore these events at their own possible peril!
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