Aspirants wanting to take over from the incumbent presidents in Africa or elsewhere in the world are good potential candidates to perish, as none of them misses torture, arrest, assassination attempts, or any other death-causing moves. If people’s communication with God were still intact like it used to be, to communicate to each country about when, where, and which community the next president will be born in, I think the incumbent presidents would as soon as possible rush to destroy that community after or before birth takes place to make sure they overstay more in power.
In Africa, a century may end with as few former presidents in a country as two or three, and this prevents gifted leaders from the other communities or parties who could also have their trials in bringing development, good governance, high living standards, good healthcare systems, a good educational system, and other changes expected from the government. Because aspiring for the presidency is a “do or die” or ‘suicidal mission’, aspirants are left with no other options other than saying their last words while still alive, whereas many remain hiding in communities or parties, fearing that, upon declaration, they may be blacklisted and put on the list of elimination, in which the resultant action may not be far from exiling.
Here, the exile comes in two ways: either one exiles himself in fear that he may be killed, which is true, or the authority you want to take over from exiles you. This has instilled two tactics in current aspirants and aspirants-to-be. Firstly, an aspirant before becoming an aspirant marries to make sure he leaves behind his continuity if what is believed about aspiring happens, and secondly, an aspirant before declaration has to seek steadfast support somewhere or within by promising his allegiance when he becomes the president.
These two tactics take longer, and as they take time, they also make the incumbent presidents stay in power longer. However, these tactics are detectable, which is why the security units of the country take a lion’s share of resources much bigger than the other units to make sure anything of that kind is reported as early as possible. That is also why an arms embargo sounds like acid to any country because trading in weapons booms more than trading in other goods of important value in the country.
Africans do not really need change; even the desire and link of a president who has been ruling for over 15 years do not still maintain their shape but become rusted and thinner in an attempt to seek change, and if aspirants, who have abilities to see the other side of things, jump in as a change, then it becomes a very big enmity, leading to torture and eventually death. Not all presidents in Africa refuse power; South Africa, Kenya, and a few others are countries of exception because they mind their tenures, and because of that, they lead other African countries in democracy, development, good governance, justice, healthcare settings, and educational systems.
The tragedy of overstaying in power is best seen in the resources of the country because resources expected for development and other changes are not delivered as needed but rather are drawn and used for bribing parliamentarians and other potential leaders that, if not bribed, can bring change within a day or so.
Another tragic angle it is best seen from is the maintenance of certain key leaders in their positions as barriers to any change in the hierarchy. Other countries that have advanced in secrecy went to the extent of complete bribery, bribing an individual to form his own political party, register it, and, in the year of an election, be the only potential opposition party to compete with the ruling party.
This deal is a mixture of bad and good things. It is bad that, in the process of torturing and arresting you so that the world looks at it as if it is real, you may lose your life inadvertently, and it is good that, instead of dying unheard, you will be heard, and your name shall always be included in the history of the country until the end of the earth. Lastly, no matter how individuals are bribed or how hard it is to climb up the presidency, persistence is paramount and will make it happen.
The author is a medical student at the University of Juba.