THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE ELECTORATES IN AFRICA

THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE ELECTORATES IN AFRICA

It could be argued that in most parts of rural Africa, the masses are very susceptible when it comes to deciding the people to be elected into political offices. Every electioneering year, they move from party to party just to earn a living for the present not minding what happens in the years ahead. The more a party or its officials release money the more the likelihood that every bearer of its flag is going to emerge victorious!


Here, winning any election becomes a matter of a 'highest bidder.' If you like you may say there is the auctioning of available political spaces in constituencies anytime there are elections. The more money an aspirant is ready to splash the higher the winning propensity. It is a matter of mortgaging their future for a day's meal. And this they do without a second thought. There are instances where they elect people into key political positions and they do not get to see them until the tenure is elapsing or when they need the next opportunity for leadership.


Africans do not care who becomes their next leader. They could elect even morons for the financial benefits. The electorates become stooges, sadly. They do not care whether or not the people being elected have demonstrated abilities for handling such demanding offices. One may have excellent innate abilities and vision for progressive leadership. Yet, once they are unable to meet the present needs of the populace, they are nothing to be reckoned with. If inanimate things could share money, they could as well contest and win elections here, perhaps. This is why I believe Prof PLO Lumumba who once said "Africans' affinity for people without ideas is amazing!" He said this and explained by giving example further that if a choice is giving between the man with and the one without ideas, the Africans go for the latter instead of the former.


In this light, I make bold to say that the socioeconomic milieu of the African electorates has to be improved if they must constantly go for people who are visionary and progressive in their desire to see Africa moving forward. Poverty is the bane! It has to be dealt with if Africans in the rural areas are going to overcome their susceptibility anytime soon. Moving forward, there has to be deliberate and intentional efforts by African politicians to fight poverty. But it appears they are happy when we beg them daily for our daily bread, sadly. We shall overcome!


God bless Africa!


Zwandien Bobai

zbobai@yahoo.co.uk

8 August 2021


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