Page 88 - Start Up_V. 2

STARTUP
residents in Africa always get a
second term.
The corrupting thought would
echo in my mind while the crowds
Pcheered my name. Every king has
a court jester; JK’s falsetto would colour my
moment as I’m ushered into Plot One. and smile but I wouldn’t tell the reporter
The Red Dress in Plot One
“What will your first term in office look like
Madam President?”
The hundredth reporter would ask.
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That question alone plants seeds of
complacency. It confirms the belief that no
matter what, there is a second term. It’s the
kind of question that inspires great orators
to tell well-coloured lies and stretch their
initial five-year plan over ten years. I’d nod
these things.
I’d talk about patriotism and unity.
All the worn-out songs we still love
to sing. The truth is Africa needs leadership.
From the beginning of time, Africa had all it
has needed to be deemed successful. Even
as The Dark Continent, Africa still nestled
minerals and oil in its womb. Potential is all
our continent has ever had; the ones who
saw it came and grabbed it, leaving our
mournful nations to start over. A home of
developing nations that are always in the
process of becoming yet never arriving.
The real objective of my first term would be
simple: Get another term in office – would
I be an African leader if I didn’t? I would be
brilliant and competent but still human.
People are suspicious of perfection; they
prefer potential. Potential is familiar.
The women would love me because of the
change I would represent. Honourable men
smart enough to sense the changing tides
would clamour for my attention and make
sure the press captured them shaking my
hand. Only the smartest know that power
has no gender; it can wear trousers or in my
case, a well-tailored red dress. The first step
in my ascent to self-actualised leadership
would be keeping the electorate happy. The
electorate is often portrayed as the million
faces bustling around the nation to work
and survive, the people standing in line at 4
a.m., desperate to have their voices count at
the ballot.
Africa needs self-actualised leaders
more concerned about achieving national
potential than they are about French
cuisine, Italian suits and Swiss watches.
Africa needs leaders that are in for the
blood, sweat and tears shed daily by the
electorate.
Want to know a secret?
The electorate has no face. It’s a system of
favours, power trades and well-calculated
moves. I would pay homage to the system
for granting me my time. When the system
is happy, the people are happy.
The development cycle debate is like the
chicken and the egg debate. Few leaders are
sure where it begins or ends. Do you build
roads for people or do you build people for
roads? I’d dare for both. My first term would
be known for bringing equal participation
to production. National resources would
be focused on increasing the capacity of
economic growth zones to enhance the
quality of productivity. Keep them busy and
The Africa We Want