Editor,

RE: "Everything rises and falls on leadership” (The New Times, July 23).

Kagame is steadily riding the horse of opportunity. Rwanda’s prosperity under the steady and exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame should be a source of pride for Africa.

I urge my fellow Africans to disprove the adage that "prophets are not honoured at home” by celebrating and emulating President Kagame’s visionary leadership and selfless devotion to humanity.

Kagame is a man in a hurry. He does not want to be distracted by cheap politics, snake oil salesmen or ethnic warlords. He is a man on a mission and man with a plan for his nation and continent.

One lesson about leadership that Africa and other developing countries could learn from President Kagame is that developing countries can achieve meaningful and dignified progress if they stop begging outside the gate of opportunity and instead jump on its saddle and ride the horse of opportunity to the horizon and the furthest ends of the outer space where new stars are still being born.

Peter Kitonga,

Master of International Law & International Relations, UNSW - Australia