SADC Leadership Should Be Prepared To Serve
IT is distinctive to witness SADC leaders converge in Windhoek to touch base with one another on vital issues of human importance.
Far and wide, most members in the corridors of power in SADC agree that all countries face almost the same challenges, poverty is one of them. This platform is a culmination of 30 years of which SADC has been in solid existence, 30 years is a good long time to make tangible economic strides. There is one commonality in most gatherings of this kind, irrespective of how often the leaders come together to talk, and it is talking we know them for. There is slow headway in the very areas of interest to the combined community of this regional bloc. All we hear is an acknowledgement of the problems our states and governments face. I advocate for a platform little heard of, that where the leaders will brainstorm solutions, plan, and vote on them, ratify and approve of them. In any human endeavours, we agree and know that acknowledgement of a problem is a diagnostic act. That in itself moves the lenses of human resolve to focus on the solution. For me as a SADC citizen, the platform for leaders to agree on about when and what to do about the challenges the states face is the most vital component worth of converging the leaders for talks. There are adequate statistics of people in our countries living below the poverty line and the list of like-ills is terribly long. In like manner, there must be a guided intercourse between the problems and the solutions, or rather the suggested and implementable solutions. Leaders must account. There must be planning, monitoring, evaluation and feedback sessions on progress thus far achieved from the last time the talks took place. Let the leaders present the outcomes of what was agreed to be done at each gathering. Reinforcement from peers can be arranged at these very platforms for those who failed to achieve the desired outcomes. Africa has some of the poorest countries in the world and some of them are part of SADC. We want ruthless leaders who are bent on real and pure economic development. We long to have leaders who understand actual human suffering on the ground. We abhor leaders who serve their own interests on the electorate ticket. We want leaders who have little to do with glamour or aggrandisement but leaders who sacrifice for their people and who strive for only the best for them. Leaders are those who understand that serving humanity is the true fulfilment of life. We heard Mandela recount that he believes he has done a lot for the human race and that he is content with his endeavours. Can we have more leaders who are prepared to serve humanity for little material rewards? Mandela did not bother with glamour and material class yet he emerged as a rare leader revered across the world. Leaders must listen to their people. People know what they want. It is inconceivable that we are going to address poverty when we as leaders opt to drive in luxury vehicles that cost huge sums of money. Some citizens think safety for presidents and ministers matter more than that of any individual but we have equal rights. Public positions were not designed for anybody to exalt themselves. The big problem in my view is that governments miss priorities. Often funds are mis-applied, putting aside necessary projects that have a direct impact on the poor. We have come of age and yet even at government level the distinction between needs and wants has become elusive. It is the needs that are basic to humanity and these are evidently in short supply. Housing is a thorn in our flesh in the whole of SADC. How many SADC citizens are without shelter? Half SADC’s population does not afford housing. Does anybody care? Presidents simply and loosely talk about and acknowledge it. The economies are driven by individuals who are often susceptible to greed and don’t want to miss out on making alarming profit margins. Every trade they are in is carefully priced out of the reach of the majority. Governments look on. Why do governments become spectators in critical human issues where they are supposed to take centre stage? Governments, through legislative mechanisms, can regulate almost anything to align the price pendulum of basic necessities to household economics. The majority of SADC citizens are extremely poor people, they are struggling to afford the basics, such as food and shelter for instance, but these essentials remain out of the poor’s reach. Housing is extremely expensive across the SADC landscape. If all the materials required to build a standard house are produced in SADC or Africa itself why do the majority of citizens in this bloc fail to afford housing? The answer lies in governments forming this bloc being spectators to their plight. In my view, developing a nation does not require scientific formulas. It requires a drive focused in that direction - development. At this stage let us agree to put the right people in the right positions. Let us have leaders who can strive for a better life for their people. The kind of leaders who can negotiate the best trade with other states within the bloc and Africa at large to respond to the peoples needs. In sum, the first attempt to address SADC problems lies in the leadership we assign through elections, to facilitate solutions. Leaders who surround themselves with comfort at the expense of the poor masses do not meet the criteria. N. Ntelamo Windhoek