The Chant of Savant

Tuesday 4 May 2021

What Made Magufuli a Hero-cum-icon

Although he passed on last March, former Tanzanian president the late Dr John Magufuli left an ineffaceable mark on the office of the president in Africa. He, too, left many important lessons for humanity regarding how one can constructively and positively use his/her experience, knowledge, power and talents, inter alia, to empower others, especially the downtrodden. For, from where I sit, Magufuli spent many years in the upper echelons of power learning how things are done in public offices, which many do though for very divergent reasons, good and bad altogether. Those who spent long and much time in upper echelons of power learning how to utilise their experience and knowledge to benefit the hoi polloi are just a few. On the contrary, those who use the same for self-serving on the back of the paupers are many. If anything, this is one of the reasons and root causes that pointlessly made Africa dependent and poor despite sitting on humungous source of resources of value. Major difference, however, is how the two do view life and what they want to achieve in life.  For many who have gone into the government all in for the public, instead of learning how to deal with all evils that have made Africa feeble, fickle and poor, many use the knowledge they get for embezzling or stealing instead of empowering the poor that entrusted them power. For such myopic people, life’s about material gains not for all but for themselves and their families and friends. We can cite the examples of the Mobutus, Kenyattas, Abachas, Boignys and many more who ruined their country for material gains. If anything, this is what Magufuli did inversely. Any accountable, determined and patriotic person can do this. Magufuli used to see many thuggish deals being entered and some of his predecessors assented despite the dangers they posed to the country. When he’s a minister, he did nothing about it up until he came to power and turned tables on evils and evildoers. This created many enemies for Magufuli while at the same time endeared him to many poor Tanzanians who viewed him as their redeemer. They called him the president of the puir.
        When it comes to others, those whose lives meant to serve others–––though are but needles in the haystacks–––theirs is to do and live for something bigger than yourself; something that only one’s legacy can nicely define and explain. In this category there are the likes of Kaunda, Lumumba, Mandela, Nkrumah, Nyerere and Nujoma. If anything, this is the group wherein Magufuli can be included comfortably. If Magufuli were a fish, he’d be a dolphin whose high ability and usefulness for human is known compared to the sharks, which gained experience in the upper echelons of power to use it to gnash the public. Instead of serving the public they use them to self-serving to opulence.
    Another lesson that Magufuli left is nothing but his shrewd self-confidence in running public business, especially for the benefit[s] of the hoi polloi. For example, he proved that Africa doesn’t need donors. He used to tell Tanzanians that Africa is not poor but rich that needs to become a donor but not a donee. His was to let Africa sit on the driving seat as far as economic development is concerned. He’s not satisfied with Africa’s place in the world and he’s suspicious about the world bodies. He wanted Africa to fully exploit its potentials practically for everybody to see and respect.  To do this, Africa needs accountable and competent leaders like Magufuli who can accountably and competently manage its vast resources Africa is endowed with. This is exactly what Magufuli did so as to bring hope to Africa for the second time the first been the one Africa’s in its independence times. Yes. Only the devil lives without hope. The saying goes. In Magufuli, Africa had hope; and in his legacy this hope will live on.
For Magufuli, the right lesson to take from public services was how to competently and nicely serve the public instead of making it work for personal gains such as swindling it or abusing its office. Working for the public was noble and sacred for him. He, therefore, didn’t turn his knowledge into a tool by which to rob the public just like many do. Truth to tell, Magufuli thought big. He didn’t want to become either a pinkeen or thief. Instead, his was pin-sharply to concentrate on the forest instead of concentration on the tree. Far sighted as he was though short served, Magufuli goes down in the annals of history as the person whose mission and vision will take a long time to flout or pooh-pooh, especially for Africa and the so-called third world countries. His style of leadership adds up to his fame and phenomena in various encounters he embarked on as president. His was leadership that avoid many irrational illations when it comes to delivering and serving the hoi polloi in particularly. On this, I have no even a scintilla of doubt. The man’s work and legacy speak volume with clear nuances.
    In sum, knowing that death to human is inevitable, what is it for to use one’s experience and knowledge for myopic and narrow interests while everything will be left abaft when time comes? Magufuli knew he’d die one day as it lastly happened. Thus, he shared whatever he had with the poor. And this is one of the reasons that made Magufuli who he became. He did what he’d. Of all, he served his country nobly through localising the office of president that almost all of his predecessors had kept too colonial as they received either from colonial masters or from each other.
Source: African Executive Magazine tomorrow.

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