FRANK MUTUBILA COUNSELS POLITICIANS IN THE COUNTRY
He writes….
The sad reality about politics is that power often exposes the evil, arrogance and selfishness hidden in political leaders. Elections have a brutal way of humbling men and women who once believed they were untouchable. Power is never permanent, it is only borrowed from the people for a season. No office is greater than the people and no leader is bigger than the nation.
Many politicians once walked dusty roads, entered crowded compounds, folded their hands in humility and begged ordinary citizens for votes, trust and hope. They spoke softly, promised loyalty and called the people their family. But once power arrived, some disappeared behind air conditioned offices, tinted vehicles, security details and closed gates. Phones stopped being answered, humility vanished and the suffering of ordinary citizens became a distant inconvenience.
History always teaches the same lesson, the people may be patient, silent and tolerant, but they are never powerless. We are now witnessing ministers and civic leaders who once appeared untouchable being brought down from their ivory towers by the same citizens whose cries they ignored. Five years in office can create the dangerous illusion that power will last forever, until reality arrives through the ballot box.
And to those who defect only when victory appears close, this should also be a moment of shame and reflection. There are loyal men and women who defended political movements through insults, hardship, persecution and uncertainty. They suffered for the cause when there was no comfort, no cameras and no reward. Leadership must never become a reward for opportunism while sacrifice, loyalty and principle are pushed aside.
Every leader must remember this harsh political truth, without the people, you are nothing. Governments will come and go, political parties will rise and fall, but the people will always remain. The same masses that sing your praises today can peacefully remove you tomorrow. And when the people finally decide to speak through the ballot, the mighty are forced to bow before the mercies of ordinary citizens.
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Do they care? No. In 5 years a pauper MP can become so rich as to be able to buy expensive perfume for his wife and harem. The money spend during campaigns is recouped in a few months in office. Acquisition of wealth in politics does not need to be illegal. It is the greedy ones who cross the line. $1,000 per diem in foreign trips, insider information as to where to invest, influence on the national budget to lift duty in an area of interest, commissions on deals clinched on behalf of the State, etc and finally the gratuity at the end of term- all these can make a savvy politician well off in just 5 years. Mr Mutubila you can attest to this as a former diplomat. Did you come back home poorer?