The move by President Peter Mutharika to delegate former president Bakili Muluzi to represent him at the 50th independence celebrations of Zambia in Lusaka is a step in the right direction and, therefore deserves acclamation. For a long time, the country has witnessed a lot of squabbling between incumbent presidents and their predecessors, the most recent protracted discord being between Muluzi and his successor the late Bingu wa Mutharika, a brother to the incumbent president. While such fights are mostly seen as involving two incompatible leaders, it must be noted that they impact negatively on the whole nation (in one way or the other) which loses out on the vital services and wisdom that retired leaders are capable of offering the country. It has been noted before, and we say it again, that the existence of bad blood between incumbent leaders and their predecessors only affects the country’s development agenda which misses out on invaluable skills and experiences of the ex-leaders, who are capable of playing a critical role in driving the country’s socio-economic agenda. This is why we laud the President’s gesture as it heralds a new governance chapter that we have missed and yearned for so long. The gesture not only sends a good message that we can, as a country, look back and take pride in our statesmen, but also accord the office of the former president the respect and dignity it deserves. Elsewhere in the world, retired heads of state are recognized for the achievements they made while in office; they are regarded as a rich resource of knowledge and expertise that can be put to good use both locally and internationally; hence, the excitement that goes with change.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 18:34:16 +0000
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