No-Term Limit debate: What really is Africa's problem?

No -Term vs Term Limit

The debate over term limits has taken a new twist in Rwanda where the Parliament is debating whether to remove or retain it. If, it were removed, President Paul Kagame will have a free ride as President for many more years to come. Rwanda’s Presidential terms are seven years long.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has exceeded expectations of a new breed of leaders of Africa. He has done a tremendous job in piecing together a country that was fragile - broken apart by the 1994 genocide. Rwanda’s economy is now a class apart, compared to that of Uganda. Public institutions in Rwanda functions; healthcare systems address the health needs of its people, and so, are the schools, and transportation system. Most, or all of Rwanda’s public services function to near efficiency, compared to its regional neighbors. Should term limits force Kagame to retirement?

The problem of Africa is not term limits. In fact, President Museveni’s credibility underscores his assessment of Africa’s problems as that of leadership. His stinging attack on leaders who stay in power for too long was the mainstay for the justification of term limits in the 1995 Constitution.

Africa is the only continent that has inexhaustible resources, having been exploited for nearly 1000 years. On its own, the continent has shown tremendous resilience. Paradoxically, Africa is also the continent that accommodates the poorest population in the world. Most of them are sickly, dying young and living precariously in degraded environment.

This begs the question: what really is Africa’s problem?

The case for term limits, or no-term limits to me is immaterial. Africa has had leaders who have ruled for life and died as Presidents. Their records should argue it out for the no-term limits’ proponents. Africa has also endured its brand of democracy, where countries have changed leaders very often under strict term limit; Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, and Kenya. There are enormous opportunities in those countries for us to study and draw a conclusion either in support of, or against term limits.

While we may turn to term limits as a panacea to some of our problems, let us also examine whether its shortcomings emanates from our brand of democracy. If not, then we have to take a conscious exploration of whether, as Africans, we do fully understand the art and science of governance as a whole, and the value of the wealth, Africa as a continent, has for us.

The glaring convergence of the term vs no-term limit debate is that the predicaments of all these states are nearly the same. All African states are susceptible to incurable poverty, death from avoidable diseases, broke-down public infrastructure, widespread corruption, sectarianism and nepotism,and untenable environment. More-so, historical blemishes from slavery and colonial era, remain etched in the conscience of these nations, indelibly.

The proponents of term limits have valid points, given our circumstances: Term limit allows a break in a vicious cycle of bad governance and warped ideologies. One of the theories of healthy public policy posits that, policy opportunities usually arise by the punctuation of the equilibrium after a period of stasis. Without a disruption in this stability, policy modifications are disenchanted. This gives rise to the “No Change” sloganeering of NRM. Term limit allows for fair distribution of resources because African leadership inherently attracts nepotism. Today, the Banyankore, or “westerners” are viewed as people who have “eaten things”. A change of government would shift the locus of benefits to areas that are perceived to be deprived. Term limit allows the nation to experience peaceful change of regime. Such, is a strong indication of a nation’s stability or cohesion. Term limit allows the nation to discover from within it, limitless possibilities. By drawing from its talent pool of innovators, a nation nurtures competent and patriotic leaders. It is also a guarantee that access to top leadership is open to everyone, not ring-fenced. The people’s power materializes when they are able to cause, witness, and experience peaceful change in governance and their realities. Therefore, term limit is critical, but merely part of, not the solution in itself, to Africa’s problems.

END.