Rwandans to critics: Thanks for the concern, but it's our future, not yours

Rwandans’ prayers have been answered. President Paul Kagame will be available after 2017. The rest is for the people and the state to do. Normally, his announcement, following the unequivocal decision by the Rwandan people in a referendum, should put to an end all talk about another term. It should end the advice to the president about setting an example, leaving a lasting legacy, and ensuring a place in history. No doubt, some of this advice is well-intentioned. Some is misplaced and even outright mischievous. Doubtless, too, President Kagame has had his time in the wilderness and met his tempters dangling the prospect of a certain type of greatness if he should do as they direct. But things do not always work as one would expect, and so the concern (is it really that?) keeps coming. This raises several questions. Which is the better legacy, leaving in the middle of the struggle for transformation, when it is getting really intense, or staying on and being part of it all, and in President Kagame’s case, directing it? Is the greatness of a leader measured by the amount of his vanity or by what he does when in power? The first would be considered irresponsible and a dereliction of duty, and certainly not an enviable legacy. Africa has many examples of leaders who have fallen for this temptation of a false legacy and left their countries in a mess. The other is answering the call of duty, and is what makes lasting legacy. As for vanity, it is only for the morally and intellectually inadequate, who have nothing to offer except a bloated ego. After the president’s New Year’s message, one would expect that the unsolicited advice, the threats and insults would end, and all these generous people would wait for the Rwandan people’s decision come 2017. But you can be sure this sort of generosity knows no bounds and will not let the matter rest. They are still at it, still intent on distorting what Rwandans have done. They have even added a new element and are not talking about 2017 anymore, but have gone far ahead to 2034, making it appear like President Kagame has a long design on power. He has a long design all right, but it is on the socio-economic transformation of Rwanda, not holding on to power. Shifting attention to 2034 is only diversionary and does not address the real question. As President Kagame said at a press conference on 22 December last year, the issue about leadership is not how long one has been in office, but what they have done during that time. It is about impact, not longevity. To scare Rwandans from their choices, the generous critics point to the dangers of longevity, of course, selectively. They warn: you risk turning into a Zimbabwe under Comrade Robert Mugabe. This comparison is equally disingenuous and condescending. If the argument was purely about results of staying in power, there are more successful examples that can be cited. Is there any convincing reason why Rwanda should turn into a Zimbabwe and not a Singapore? Ordinarily, the conclusion about the risk of Rwanda becoming a basket case would be arrived at on the basis of an observable trend. But what is the trend in this case? Rwanda’s economy has been growing at a high and steady rate for well over a decade. Various studies show that the country is highly competitive, the government is very efficient and effective, and citizens are satisfied with the level of delivery of services and have great trust in the country’s institutions and leaders. Is this the example of an inept, bungling state on the road to ruin? Rwanda has come to the level where it is through a combination of innovation, questioning orthodoxy and rejection of prescriptions meant to heal different conditions. Formulae matter less, but lived experience and vision are a more useful guide to the future. This country’s recent history has been distinguished by a readiness to walk the untrodden path and do the unconventional so long as they produce the desired results. The rule has been: if it works, answers the nation’s challenges and drives the country forward, then it is all right. After all, a people’s choices do not need validation or approval by other countries. In this instance Rwandans have asked President Kagame to stay at the helm a little longer and oversee real transformation. At the end of it, when he has done his shift, he will look back and say, with another Paul, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.” That is what Rwandans have asked him to do and will then pick it up from there. jorwagatare@yahoo.co.uk

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Rwandans to critics: Thanks for the concern, but it's our future, not yours