It is in human nature, to pay tribute to a departed in a certain manner. Or maybe let us say that it is in us Africans to praise someone after their passing from earth. As I try avoiding beating about the bush, allow me to go straight to the point.

The longest serving African Head of state Omar Bongo died early this month. Of course Gabon lost its President but it ends there. Some reporters in the aim of being polite reported that Africa has lost a true statesman. Others said he was soft spoken and honest as if that had anything to attribute to his 42 years in leadership.

Well, to be a little polite, I must say that following his rise, Gabon became the continent’s third-biggest petroleum producer. However, the gist of the matter remains that he squandered billions of dollars in oil wealth on patronage and personal comfort.

Nearly half a century after independence, the country has more miles of oil pipelines than it does of roads, and most of the population remains poor.

Frankly speaking, the only people who mourned his death are the French. Until very recently, Gabon was France’s closest ally in Africa. Under his rule, French companies were able to dominate the economy, particularly the oil sector, where a culture of kickbacks and bribes kept the local elite content.

That is not even the point yet. Michael Jackson is the point. He is now dead. He died on Thursday night! Hard to believe. The whole world is mourning the death of the King of Pop. Most of us agree that his music will live forever. Maybe his music will live longer than or as long as that of Bob Marley or Elvis Presley.

He has attempted all genres of music and succeeded tremendously. Congratulations Michael. BUT should we forget that he made headlines also when he was accused of child molestation. He was cleared of the charges but…well, I feel there is a ‘but’ somewhere.

Should we also forget that he was born a black man and died a white ‘woman’? No offence but the fact that it is clear he did not appreciate the fact that he was born black should be so annoying.  

Despite his music being so so so good, he was weird.  He was weird in the sense that he preferred the company of small children especially "boys”, numerous plastic surgeries and a chimp for a friend.

BBC termed him as a very lonely man. He covered his children’s faces claiming that they had skin infections. Maybe he did not want the media to note the blackness in the kids. Truth of the matter, he had an identity crisis.

According to Elizabeth, a good friend of mine, M.J is an innocent person who was denied a childhood, whose own Dad called him a flat nose, a boy robbed of having his own freedom However, he was unable to do this due to over-excited fans always wanting to be near him.

He tried to do things like everyone else but his own idea was to go shopping, sometimes in disguises.

Definitely this was strange behavior but truth be told this was the only way he was able to have a day to himself without being bothered.  Michael has been in the public eye since he was 5 years old, 45 years of him never having freedom to do what he wants.

At least Liz just wants to see the better side. She is not like the heartless whoever who says that "Michael Jackson’s body is not to be cremated or buried. It is to be recycled into grocery bags .That way he can continue to be white, plastic and dangerous for kids to play with…”

By the way, back in 2006, rumour had it that he was to get married to a Rwandan Lady, Grace Sanyu Rwaramba.  Anybody out there with full detailed information?

karuthum@ gmail.com