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African governments must change the way they handle their leaders illness
In a blunt article entitled “When an African president falls ill, dies: lessons from Ghana”, published in The Post Newspapers on August 6, 2012 in the wake of the death of Ghana’s President, John Atta Mills, a colleague of mine from the University of Oxford, advised African governments to change the way they manage the illnesses of their leaders, he argued:
“The presidency is a national institution and little gets done without its involvement. Updating the nation honestly on the health of its leader prepares it for any eventualities, as opposed to the anxiety that silence and speculation generate. It is time our African leaders found sensible and humane but honest ways of conveying their health condition when need arises. While the illness of an ordinary citizen may have no serious bearing on the country’s economic and political facets, the health of a President of any African country has.” Sishuwa Sishuwa (2012)
Indeed, politics is a stressful profession: Long working hours, travel, meeting after meeting, opening ceremonies, commemorations, and uncertainty about outcomes of elections—both national and by-elections can lead to high stress levels and problems like blood pressure, and in extreme cases, cardiac arrest. The past few years, many of our African leaders have answered the Lord’s call while on duty: President John Atta Mills of Ghana (2012). President Bingu Wa Mutharika of Malawi (2012). President Malam Bacai Sanha of Guinea-Bissau (2012). President Omar Bongo of Gabon (2009) and our very own beloved Levy Patrick Mwanawasa of Zambia (2008). Clearly, the recent years have seen much political pressure exerted on our leaders, and coupled with nature—illness—which affects us all, many have left, gone to be with our maker.
[pullquote]Clearly there are people holding our leader hostage, people who might be negatively impacted when there is a change of leadership[/pullquote]
Let us be true to ourselves, sickness is not something we wish for ourselves, not even for our worst enemies, not even for our ex-wives nor ex-husbands nor ex-girlfriends nor ex-boyfriends nor indeed for our nagging boss nor that mean and sadist lecturer at university. Truth is, as long as we remain mortal, as long as we have been born, woe to us, for sickness and diseases will remain part and parcel of our life. As our maker designed us, and as Ecclesiastes 3 says: There is time for everything under the sun. Therefore, there is time for sickness and health, and all its associated allies and repercussions. This is as nature intended it to be. As our maker designed.
There is a proverb is West Africa, Ghana and Ivory Coats which says: If you tell people your ailments, you get medicine for it.
In 1997, I was then only 12 years old, my big brother who was also my guardian fell ill. His sickness had never been seen before, but as always, lay and naïve as were in Libuyu Township in Livingstone, we assumed it was Malaria, and self-prescribed malaria drugs from the nearby store. My brother’s illness got worse by day, and I remember sheding tears each morning I went to see him in his bedroom. Finally we decided to take him to the hospital. And as we would have it, he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, and its symptoms were on red alert, a few days delay, my brother would have died. My brother is alive and well to this day, with three lovely kids. Since then, we have had an open door and transparent policy of disclosing any ailment any of us may have to our family, for it is only through this way that we may get the support we need to heal and bear the sickness that may befall us. We have kept to the adage: A problem shared is a problem solved, and like the social media campaigns in HIV/AIDS: We are either infected or affected. Thus we all share the burden through our linkages, and must work together to overcome the challenges that have befallen our humanity. We must therefore become each other’s keeper.
ubulwele bwa mfumu li tensha chalo
With that background, it is shocking to me and, and I guess to many too that there is a lot of secrecy surrounding the health of our President. Our supreme leader’s health status has become a “No go area” for any discourse, and those that dare to say anything, even remotely related to the health of our president are deemed ‘Satanists’, ‘evil’, and ‘only want the president to die so that they can take over’, and in the extreme cases, you will have the shushushu sniffing around on who is saying what, with the aim of ‘fixing’ or ‘skinning you alive’ you as if you were a notorious criminal who should be destroyed at all cost.
Let us look back in history. President Levy Mwanawasa had been reported ill during his first term of office, and actually flown to London for medical treatment, where, as you would expect, the government machinery reported that he was well and jogging and in good health–propaganda. Come 2006, he faced election rumours that he was unwell, and our current leader mocked his ill health day and night, at one point mockingly saying Mwanawasa’s brain and mouth do not coordinate owing to the poor treatment he purportedly received in India. Mr. Sata, our president, then in the opposition and doing what a patriotic Zambian would do, personally wrote to the Chief Justice and Speaker of the National Assembly, stating:
“In Bemba we say, ubulwele bwa mfumu li tensha chalo (when a chief is sick it affects the whole nation). So they can’t keep our President’s sickness as a secret. When the late Pope John Paul II was sick, the whole world was informed on an hourly basis on his condition until he died. Even on Ariel Sharon they have been updating us. Lack of information on the President’s sickness affects the country. But we are not entitled to childish statements from Lupando Mwape like ‘The President is jogging in London’. The vice-president is trivialising this matter and yet it’s a very serious one. We are lucky Zambia has a small economy, if it was in the developed world, when the President is sick without the nation being informed, the economy can be adversely affected and the currency can even drop. That’s how serious these issues are.”
Indeed, Mr. Sata was right, the health of the head of state has a strong bearing on the performance of a currency. Indeed, true to his word, the currency does perform poorly when the nation is not informed clearly on the true state of health of its leader. You only have to check today’s exchange rate to see its reaction to what is currently being rumoured.
To discredit those rumours, Mwanawasa waged a very active campaign in the 2006 that left him exhausted, and at one point lamented that campaigning was tiring. He won the September 28th 2006 election, but as fate would have it, In August 2008, he died in France, but his illness was earlier denied and even concealed by government officials.
Telling the truth for the sake of the nation
One wonders: Is it a taboo to talk openly about the true state of the head of state’s health in Africa? Why are there all these rumours about the health of our president, H.E. Mc Sata? Could history be repeating itself where the country is deliberately kept in the dark on the true state of health of our leader as was the case in 2008? And if it is true that our leader is not well, why are we being kept in the dark? Why wouldn’t Mr. Sata’s handlers do what the man would have done when he was doing his noble duty in the opposition—saying the truth for the nation’s sake?
It is said that he who is healthy does not need physician. We all know that our current President has been sick before, even once evacuated to South Africa under an emergency in 2008. Surely, a man of his advanced age would be faced with a myriad of medical condition: It is normal, and expected. Therefore, it is only logical that we be kept abreast of his true health condition, as we are all concerned citizen who only have one leader, Mr. Sata, and nobody else!
I doubt there is any sane Zambian that does not wish Mr. Sata well, if at all he is not well. We wish him well. My family wishes him well. I personally want him to be alive and kicking to witness the goodness and the fruits of his leadership. I want to meet him one day and tell him how he has inspired me with his life, his resolve, dedication to a cause, and how against all odds he worked to inspire a nation to live the motto: Dare to Dream,–Everything is Possible!
Sata held hostage by those around him
Seeing the picture of Mr. Sata at the courts the other day made me sadly realise one thing: Those who do not wish the President well are the very people surrounding and holding him hostage. What was the essence of the physical torture they put the President through by making him appear in a civil matter at the courts when he already has a nation to attend to?
The presidency is already a strenuous job, why would they even have a man in his late 70s be lining up at the courts? Where is the Minister of Justice to offer critical legal advice to the president? Or is he one that is actually benefiting from the perceived ill health of the president? Are Mr. Sata’s handlers deliberately believing they are deceiving Zambians by giving the president increasing dosage of “public appearances” to enable him undergo some physical actions which ordinarily he wouldn’t be able to do? Clearly they are putting the health of the president in jeopardy, and this is not in the interest of Zambians.
Let us really be honest with ourselves: Companies do retire and retrench people on medical grounds, wouldn’t it be a great legacy to have our supreme leader take a side step, as Fidel Castro did, if indeed he is unwell? I think if it is true that Mr. Sata is unwell, as would have been for Mr. Mwanawasa, if not for evil reasons of those with skeletons in their cupboards, he would has stepped aside and recuperate on his own volition. Clearly there are people holding our leader hostage, people who might be negatively impacted when there is a change of leadership—and these are forcing the man to go beyond his endurance. It is such people we all Zambians should be wary of. For those that have access to such people, please, let them note that the life of our President is valuable to us.
I have every belief and confidence that our President loves this nation, and it is my prayer that he does not allow his “supporters” to lead him astray. We love you all, and wish you well, Mr. President. Get well soon.
We remain,
Under your God given leadership,
Your humble flock of Zambia.
By Hjoe Moono
Africa and African ?
good article ba mono. its balanced and searchy. but as you are bringing these issues, it is reported that the president has been evacuated to UK in some media. so I do not understand why kambwili and others want to keep it a secret, for whose interest?. very shallow thinking in my opinion!
If he was hiding his sickness , he definitely would have not come out on that day .Just confirm your brother has Aids why say Diabetes , we can read between the lines iwe mambala.
I am happy that Tongas can use some wise Bemba proverbs too.
“Ubulwele bwa mfumu litensha chalo”.
Hjoe, from which part of HH’s heart is this well wish coming?
@1.2 Kombo.It pains me to see or hear pipo formenting stigma.As you know your president Sata was also doing the same to George Kunda and others.If you should know pipo are dying indoors because they dont want to be subjected to stigma and redicule.Please grow up.
Very wise statement Mr Moono. Really wise! No malice, but well meaning and balanced article.
Opportunistic blood suckers move from one winning party to the next !! They have no shame about their parasitical behaviours!! Typical of Zambian politicians who have no education, no clue and no morals !!
Mr Moono,uli chaume sana
Well written article. Waiting to hear from the critics. The president is sick, pipo shld pray for him. Indeed the pipo who dnt love our president are those saying he is well. They shld realise that God is above all the politicking they are bringing in. Our lives are in God’s hands, our lives knows no political party, knows no status otherwise, there wldnt have bn poor pipo.
Great article. You have hit the nail on the head. MC Sata is not the president for PF alone but the entire country. We all need to know his state of health. What makes Chella and Kambwili think only them should know our President’s health condition? Also traditionally, matters of senior people’s illnesses are handled by elderly people and not ‘babies’ like Chella or Kambwili. We need to know – we’ve got to know.
the question to you all is – are you willing to die today? icikalipa chunfwa umwine. let the man be. You never know maybe it was his wish to die as a leader. Lets not be judgemental. We all have different dreams and wishes.
People do have the right to demand his resignation, if his prolonged stay in office jeopardizes the prosperity and well-being of the country. Being president is a job. He is being paid a salary for what he does. If he fails to perform, for whatever reason, he may be fired or asked to resign.
Hiding sickness or being led by a sick leader is what makes the whole world lose respect for an African. Our levels of tolerance make us look stupid. How can a nation develop when the person who is supposed to make crucial decisions is always in bed! It is like Africa is cursed. No African president can leave power on account of ill-health.
…as usual splendid article Hjoe….but only this time, in my opinion u have expressed it emotionally. You are blaming everyone else but the president.
u have dealt with the symptoms, disease and the after effect but have not done the diagnosis…. researched on causes of this ‘SILENCE’ on the health of the president. From the days of KK, FTJ, LPM, RB and now MCS, since when did you witness the public announcement of the sitting president..??..I know u were only 12 in 1977, you may not know anything to do with KK or FTJ…ask your elder brother.
Its something inherited, deep rooted in African custom and tradition. So as long as we chose the old folks to lead us, the ‘silent code’ shall continue to prevail. Chiefs sickness was never announced.. even death.. to be cont’d
…cont’d
..far from it, I’m not in support of the ‘silent code’. Like I alluded to the past presidents, is it that they were all immune to diseases and sickness..??
So the challenge is , do a research and find out why we are subjected to this ‘silent code’…may be ..just may be we may break the ‘jinx’…this phenomenon….as a new generation… otherwise we shall all fall in the same trap when we hold the highest office.
@Scru…
I read ’12 yrs in 1997′ not 1977!
I also think the secrecy problem is about EVERYTHING and not necessarily the health of the president alone. It is just that the president’s health issue assumes an even greater dimension on government’s part and the consequences are there for all to see … total breakdown of truth and worse to follow.
I pray for your full recovery my president! May God be with you, your family and ALL Zambians!! Nothing will happen in Jesus’ name!
Exactly my thought. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela had cancer and the whole world knew about it. Why should our president be sneaking out of the country for treatment? Why should his being unwell be taken as a secret. He should not die for fear of being ridiculed. We need to be a civilized society. His health is very critical for the good of the country. It should not be taken as an opportunity for some people to politically position themselves. He is a man who could not have met all of our expectations. Who knows? That could be the reason we haven’t seen much of what we thought our very own promised to do. We should set politics aside and value life. I got moved seeing his pictures. Something needs to be done.
This article is well written, unbiased and well explained. It is not condemning any one current happenings but hitting on the facts that have been sited before. The fact stated by President Michael Sata himself when late President Mwanawasa was sick that ‘ubulwele bwa Mfumu li tensha chalo’ was a very important point. It is a truthful saying in Bemba. Every other language in Zambia can translate this in their own language and they can find it a very important factor of life. This is as truthful as a husband in a household falling sick, the wife and children of that house will all be worried. This is what it literally means. It just baffles everyone that his excellence has been unwell and he himself, and the people around him have all found it fit to keep mum . We pray for his well…
Why is that it is only Tongas writing so much about Sata. Is that the way of trying to get the presidency. Look, even if our kateka died, your preferred candidate will never come close to winning the presidential election. Sata will keep on ruling until God say ok. Meanwhile useless topic
God may have not given you a brain!
@ 13. Take it easy and stop hurting over non-issues.
We should also try and be astute enough to choose leaders while they are in their prime and are energetic. In a society where life expectancy is 37 for men we go ahead and vote for a man approaching a hundred years and hovering on the edge of the grave. A lot of things in Zambia will have to drastically change before we can start moving forward, voting for unhealthy, aged people on the point of death is one of these.
@ Mutinta: how do you pray for someone’s recovery when the Presidential Spokesperson is saying the President is well and working normally! Or may be you are throwing in a general prayer? This is Africa my friend where abnormal is taken as normal.
Sata ba mulowa kuli bashi lubemba!
Hjoe (i don’t know how you pronounce this) Moono, this is a very well written and researched article. It boils down to the adage ‘do unto others what you want them to do unto you’, a great and very old teaching by the Greatest man ever to walk the earth, our Lord Jesus Christ!!
Sad to say but for the nation to live, Sata must die
Definitely the cartel holding Sata hostage is the very one working against him. They are the very ones who let him out of state house in that sorry sight in order to expose him to the nation (undermine him) and prepare the nation for eventualities. Their job is already on of campaigning for their next hostage at state house in the name of kabimba but God forbid oh!
The photo says it all.
The truth of the matter is de man veryvery sick.
@ hjoe moono
well said,words from the wise mouth. May the good lord of isaac,misheck and abednegoh touch our presidents heath in Jesus name.Sata is healed. Satan is a liar
well written and researched article ..it is clear that from the looks of president when he appeared on the freedom statue on Africa freedom day he might not be the fit sata we had few months ago and it will only be fair that the country be updated on his health by the day to avoid anxiety among country men and women and investors…kwacha has depreciated to levels never seen jus in few months not to say because our once hero maybe sick but that maybe that has contributed.
No 13. You are such a useless chap. When ever a person talks your first instinct is to check what tribe the person is. Grow up, you children will marry any Zambian and what will you do?